When Jacob wakes up, he feels like he's starving. There is the light waft of food still lingering in the air and he can audibly hear the low growl of his stomach. The sound of his stomach's protest is followed by a low chuckle. In previous months, the sound would have made him whip around so fast he got whiplash, but all he can do in his sluggish state is peek over his shoulder to see Edward propped in an armchair across from him.

"Feeling better?" His voice is almost a whisper as he slowly pushes himself up from his seat to get to Jacob.

Jacob lets out a low hum, slowly pushing himself up from the couch and turning so he's facing Edward who's now perched up on the arm of it. Edward watches as Jacob stretches and rubs the sleep from his eyes. He waits to speak 'til after Jacob's done cursing the 'obscenely long sleeves' on Edward's shirt that he was donning.

"There's steak and mashed potatoes in the oven." Even as Edward's speaking, he's pushing himself up to go get the food for Jacob. Never in Jacob's wildest nightmares did he think he'd ever be grateful to have Edward running around doing simple things like warming him something to eat. Sure, the baby was getting heavier, but it wasn't something he couldn't handle if absolutely necessary. He could cook and fix his own food.

Though, he couldn't ignore the warm feeling he got in his chest and the way he...yearned to be taken care of. As much as he fought against it, he couldn't help but appreciate it. It was just as new as everything physically happening to him. When he saw Edward tentatively taking hoards of food that he'd fixed solely for Jacob out of the oven, and sees the way he'd carefully put it away so that Jacob could eat later, and the way he took it out and prepared it for the oven because "I don't want it to be cold in the middle" it did something to him, okay?

Apparently, he wasn't the only one feeling the effects of it, his wolf nestling and curling up further with a light huff of air. Completely at ease.

"We'll take it upstairs." Edward hums, coming over to help Jacob up from the couch. He doesn't need the assistance, but he sticks his hands out anyway and allows himself to be gently tugged into a standing position.

Jacob can't help but feel a strong case of deju vu as he stares into his potatoes, but he tries not to think about the mess of a night as the strong smell of lemon hits him square in the face.

He eats the potatoes like he's starving, nonetheless, and Edward just watches silently until he finds his opening.

"I'm going to need to leave for a day or two," he says it slowly, like he's explaining something to a child, "I need to go out on a hunt."

Jacob freezes, staring down at his steak and getting more than slightly annoyed as his appetite is completely decimated by the declaration.

Jacob should've seen this coming. Edward has needs of his own to attend to. Still, for the first time in a while, he feels his wolf become noticeably uncomfortable. He hasn't had to deal with the mess by himself. He reluctantly looks over at Edward only to find his eyes as dark Jacob's ever seen them. Right, there is no negotiating here.

"Right." He tries to be nonchalant in his response, but it'd taken him way too long to answer and what he had said wasn't exactly dripping with enthusiasm.

"It's a necessary trip. I will try not to venture out too far." He's rubbing a hand over Jacob's thigh.

It's doing absolutely nothing to calm his nerves, but he commends him for trying.

"Everyone has returned. They are currently outside working on precautionary measures, but they will be here while I'm away to keep you safe." He must have seen the uncertainty, discomfort in Jacob's eyes. Though, a security detail isn't exactly what he wants. Most of his sedentary behavior was because Edward kept him grounded. He relaxed Jacob when he was stressed out. Those were very important things he provided. Jacob's not even sure how he's providing them. Maybe it's the imprinting, maybe it's magic, or maybe Jacob's losing his mind and is imagining everything. Either way, the thought of even two days without it was making him feel queasy.

"Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it."

The next two days feel like a week. He spent most of it on "personally decided bed rest". The only time he left the pile that he was starting to subconsciously organize (things that smelled like Edward on top) was to grab something from the kitchen.

It was around dinner on the first day when Seth and Alice tried to convince him that maybe he should have some social time with the rest of the family. He stares at their pleading faces, turning to Rosalie for help only to see her staring back at him with little to no sympathy.

He's not sure if it's because she agrees but, there is a glint in her eye that tells him that she's annoyed about something.

Either way, he was going to have to fight them off on his own.

"I'm really not in the mood." He informs them and isn't surprised in the slightest when he gets pushback in the form of puppy dog eyes and whining about favors he owes.

They're begging only gets louder and louder. It was clear that they'd started plotting earlier and they were really passionate about this "quality time" as Alice had called it. Their smiles are big and they look like they're enjoying trying to get him to join them. Embry already has popcorn fixed and in a bowl that he's cradling under his arm. Alice has a bowl of fruit in her arms and there is a cool pitcher of water on the counter. Seth is standing next to her grappling with a giant bag of candy.

They are about a third of the way through the list of debts he owes each of them, when he realizes he's going to have to pull out at least the medium guns to wriggle his way out of what feels like a mini-intervention. Jacob was going to have to fake a tear or two to get them off his back.

Although, surprisingly, it doesn't take a lot to get him going. His back still aches a little when he stands for too long, he has a headache, he's tired even though he's slept a good chunk of the day, he hadn't slept at all the night before because the baby was kicking up a storm, and Edward's not here.

The last part gets a strong reaction out of him that he maybe should have been expecting. He'd called it, knew it would be difficult, but it'd been a day. A night and a day, and he was already so frazzled and out of sorts.

The tears sprung to Jacob's eyes like they were just waiting for their time to shine. He can feel the heat radiating from his cheeks as soon as they make their appearance.

His plan was to just get them brimming a bit. Not too much, not too little. For some reason, he was expecting to be able to control them. However, these were tears brewing out of actual frustration so, once they started, he was like a burst pipe.

He can literally feel the joy being sucked out of the room and replaced by tension as he averts his eyes, refusing to look at any of them. It's so quiet that it only makes him more embarrassed as he tries to dab at the excess tears with his shirt sleeve - Edward's shirt sleeve.

The food that he'd raided from the fridge is long forgotten on the counter top as he turns to make his way back up the stairs.

He didn't need Edward around, but it felt so empty when he wasn't. He can feel the baby kicking and tries fruitlessly to calm them down by running a hand over his stomach. He knows it doesn't work, because he knows who they want. He tries to calm himself by lying with his face pressed into Edward's pillow. It only works to slightly cool his heated cheeks. It's not nearly as good as the real thing, so he tries to trick himself into falling asleep.

Except, through all of his embarrassment, he actually still feels like he's starving.

He tries to wait until he can hear everyone exit the kitchen before he makes his way back downstairs. He finds the leftover steak and some yogurt and snatches them up quickly. He doesn't even bother to see if the microwave has completely warmed it all the way through before he's quickly making his way back upstairs.

The second day is spent with him, admittedly impatiently, waiting for someone to tell him that Edward had returned.

No one was actually coming by unless it was to see that he was indeed alive and that no one had grabbed him while they weren't looking. Those visits were usually quick glances before they scurried away.

None of them had information on when he'd be back.

By lunch, the quiet was getting too loud.

He decided to spend lunch sat on a barstool, ignoring anyone who even looked at him. 'Cause that's all they were doing. They would look at him cautiously, quickly taking an assessment of how they thought he was doing, before averting their eyes. So, he just ignored them and focused on trying to make himself something to eat.

It was the first day since he'd found himself cooped up here that he'd had to do that.

At the realization, he maybe stares quietly at the stove for too long because he can feel the eyes on his back as soon as he comes back to his senses.

He resumes making himself mac n cheese before taking his meal upstairs to eat in peace.

He's about halfway through the bowl, when the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Instinct tells him to look up and he isn't sure that he should've listened as he finds himself staring back at what must be an illusion.

"I'm getting closer." Bella whispers from the corner before abruptly disappearing.

The familiar taste of salt is on his tongue.

When Jacob brings his head up from the toilet, Leah almost gives him a heart attack as she places a hand on his shoulder. He hadn't been listening in on their thoughts, hadn't wanted to listen in.

"You alright?" she inquires, moving her hand down to rub reassuring circles at the center of his back. 

She's almost speaking in a whisper and he wishes that she wouldn't do that. He felt crazy enough.

"She's getting closer." Is all he says before sniffling and going back to dry heaving.

So much for lunch.

Dinner, he wants so badly to go better than lunch. He's hoping Edward swoops in and saves him from having to actually stand over a stove and pretend like he's not thinking of two days prior when he'd been prepared a feast. Not that it was necessarily difficult...or maybe it was. Maybe it was really difficult. Not physically, but emotionally. Jacob was a fucking trainwreck without him.

Instead, he ends up eating pizza while staring into a cup of orange juice.

He's pretending to be able to sleep when Edward comes sneaking through the door. He knows it's Edward because he hears a light huff of air as he lets his amusement be known. He carefully places himself next to Jacob and gently runs his fingers through his hair, small smile still in place as Jacob grips his pillow tighter to his chest. His frown is very clear even in his sleep.

Edward feels bad for taking the entire two days.

He got caught up in some business as he was roaming the woods. A contact he had brought him some information on Bella's current whereabouts and where they could expect her to head next. He'd then spent a couple of hours making sure nothing followed him home.

Jacob's face eventually melts into one of peace and Edward gives him a peck on the forehead before heading to the bathroom to get himself ready for bed.

The information he'd received almost seemed useless with the way the witch was popping up in Jacob's head, leaving little messages for him. Edward wishes she'd refrain from doing so. There was no need for Jacob to get worked up. Her messages were too vague, and they were taking their toll.

Jacob's mood had apparently turned even more sour after hearing that Bella was closer than she had been. Which technically she was, but it was only by a city. She was quite a ways away from Forks.

Edward lets out a sigh and returns to the bedroom only to find Jacob staring up at him, pout on his lips.

"Need you."