Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It had been a strange realization, when she had arrived at the college he'd been studying at for two years now. A strange, new experience, where he had found himself caught between two versions of himself; the one he had been with her, and the one he had been without. When he'd gone home for weekends and holidays, he had slipped easily between the two, not noticing the stark differences which were now apparent. Not that he had ever left her behind completely - no, they had stayed in touch as much as was possible, with his schedule and her schoolwork and ranching. When he'd come home, it had been as though he'd never left, with the way they slipped into their old routine.

It had therefore been supremely disconcerting when she had arrived, starting her journalism degree at the same college where he was studying. They had planned this, so it was in no way unexpected, but still… He had not expected how it would change his routine, now that he was here. After she had arrived, he found himself always keeping her in the back of his mind, always looking for her. While he had never forgotten her for a moment, her being here brought her to the forefront of his mind at all times. His friends had noticed the change too, how he was distant more often, and how he abstained from drinking whenever she was around so as to look after her.

And even more, she didn't need him. Perhaps she had always had it in her, but in his absence, she had blossomed. She was confident, outgoing, and, perhaps most disconcertingly of all, did not cling to him like a shadow, the way he had been used to. Not that he'd ever let her at Darton High, but still. She'd arrived three months ago, and after allowing him to show her around campus and walking her home, he felt as though had barely seen her, although they regularly caught up over coffee and dinner. He couldn't place exactly why this bothered him - he supposed it was the unfamiliarity off it, and how protective he was of her. When he had been at college and she had been in High School back home, she'd been safe, or as safe as Samantha Forster could ever be. He knew she'd been around people who knew and loved her. But here, she was alone. Well, not entirely. She had him. But she didn't appear to need him anymore. Perhaps she never had.

Finally, there was the realization that back at Darton High, everyone had known she was his Sam. They had been joined at the hip since they were kids, barring her stay in San Fransisco after the accident, and perhaps even tighter afterwards. And he had made sure that everyone knew she was off-limits, in any way. All his classmates had left her alone. She was his. But here, they didn't know.

He sat, contemplating, with an unopened can of beer in his hand in front of the massive bonfire that decorated the middle of the track he usually ran. Quinn had stopped by for the annual occasion, and was currently deeply embroiled in a conversation about which cheerleader was hottest. Jake didn't particularly listen - his eyes had found the auburn hair and newly adult form of Sam, who was chatting with some of her new friends. He frowned as she took another swig of her beer, emptying it. He was pulled out of his silent reverie by a punch to the arm. He started, and looked over at Quinn, the culprit.

«Stop staring at her dude, it's creepy.» He glared at his bother in response. When he returned his gaze to her, she had been approached by a guy, who was now speaking with her. She was clearly not interested, but apparently the guy couldn't see that, or didn't want to. Sam was just being polite. He wondered how long it would take the boy to give up.

Too long, apparently. Nearly half an hour had gone by, and as the minutes ticked by he caught less and less of his friends' conversation, his focus narrowing in on Sam.

«You could just go over to her,» Quinn suggested under his breath, gesturing towards the guy who now appeared to be attempting to put his arm around her shoulders, even though she was attempting to inch towards her friend without being rude. «Instead of staring like a creep.»

«Shut it,» he hissed, and returned Quinns earlier punch. Based on the noise Quinn made, he supposed he'd hit him too hard, but at that same moment the guy managed to get his arm around her, despite her obvious discomfort. That was it. He left the beer unopened on the grass, ignored the protests from his friends, and made towards Sam.

«There you are, Brat.» At his words she turned around, shaking the unwanted arm from around her shoulder as she did so. Her face lit up and she smiled her special smile.

«Jake. I didn't see you.»

He looked away from her, towards the guy who'd been hitting on her. Ignoring the implications of her statement, he said, «Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?» She sighed, but folded herself nearly into his side as he put his arm around her, as if she'd done it a thousand times before. Comfortable, in a way she had not been with that other boy's arm around her.

Slightly exasperated but deciding to amuse him, she said, «Jake, this is Lucas. He's a friend of my roommate. Lucas, meet Jake.» The boy gave a quick shake before making up an excuse to leave abruptly.

Jake gestured for her to join him, and they sat down towards the back edge of the crowd, away from their friends. They'd borrowed a blanket, which was currently wrapped around them both, Sam was still freezing. Instinctively he tucked her into his side, letting her rest her head on his chest.

«It's been a while since I've seen you,» she murmured, nestling further into his side. «I've missed you.»

«You don't need me anymore, brat.» As he said it, he realized it was true. She didn't need him. She could have a whole life which he was not a part of, if she wanted. Somehow, that thought terrified him.

«Don't be silly, Jake.» She lifted her head to look at him, her eyes sparkling in the flames of the bonfire. «I'll always need you. Because I want to.» And when she smiled her special smile, the one she gave no-one but him, he forgot they were in a crowd of people, several of which were probably watching them. Her becoming his entire world had snuck up on him, but the realization also did not surprise him.

«How silly have I been, brat?»

«Very silly, you idiot.» Not even the heat from the bonfire could compare when she kissed him.

Chapter Text

She didn't know exactly for how long it had been. Or at least, that was what she had tried to tell herself while she was driving up the winding path to Three Ponies Ranch. In reality she had been counting days, both from when she had last been home and to when she would return. And today, a whole day before expected, she had arrived at zero. It had come as a surprise - and she wasn't sure if she should blame luck in the semester finishing earlier than expected, or if it was her bad math skills showing themselves. Details. It didn't matter - she was here now. And there, in the bright sunlight that only the desert could offer and that she had missed sorely, her eyes found something she had missed even more.

He hadn't yet noticed her car. Or more likely he had, but was too deeply focused on his work with Witch, and didn't expect her back until tomorrow anyway. So it was with some satisfaction that she parked and got out of the truck, as of yet an unknown. As expected, his eyes were on her the second he heard her footsteps. She wasn't quite sure how her walking was so distinctive even from his deep concentration, but the gaze he leveled at her made her glad that it was.

Slowly, he walked Witch over to the side of the paddock they had been working in and dismounted. Even that maneuver didn't break his stare, although he would have scolded her for not paying attention to Ace in a similar situation. In fact, she recalled that he had done just that, when he had come home from college for the last time. Leaving Witch his instructions to stay put, he jumped the fence just as she arrived next to it, leaving barely half a meter in between them, while never breaking his stare.

«You're home early.» It was such a characteristic, such a Jake thing to say, that she rolled her eyes at him. And before she could utter her very witty, very well-throughout retort, his hand was in her hair and his lips on hers. Not one to turn down such a greeting, despite the rather poor initial reception, she wrapped her arms around his neck and stepped into his embrace.

With his hands around her waist, his lips never leaving hers, he lifted her up from the ground and sat her down on the middle fence post. She barely noticed the plank digging into her thighs and back, instead focusing all of her attention on him, on the ways his arms wrapped around her and held her tight. As though he'd never let her go. He tasted of salt and sweat and sunlight and dust, and as she thoroughly wrapped herself around him, she thought she might never let him go again, either.

She had lost all sense of time and space, but eventually a loud cough broke their bubble, and they reluctantly split.

«Hello to you too, cowboy.» His eyes darkened at her words, and she became acutely aware that someone had indeed noticed them, and that her legs were still wrapped around his waist. She made to untangle them, and while he did let her unlock them, he remained standing between them. A cocked eyebrow clued her in to why he'd prefer not to move at the moment.

«Welcome home Sam!» It was Quinn Ely, who had just stepped out of the barn to notice them. Behind him came Mac, whose cough she had recognized instantly. She fought the blush creeping up her neck - she was a proper adult now after all, and she had not seen her boyfriend in months. It was quite alright to be kissing him - although perhaps they should look for a more secluded spot.

Ignoring his grip on her thighs she swung her legs around and jumped down off the fence, to properly greet Quinn and Mac.

«I didn't think you'd be back until tomorrow!»

She laughed as she tried to convince Quinn to put her down from the bearhug he had her caught it. «I didn't think so myself, but then my semester was suddenly over early! So here I am. Couldn't very well let the opportunity to surprise my favorite cowboy go to waste.» Quinn chuckled, and as her feet finally touched the ground once more, she heard Jake's footsteps approaching from behind them.

«I'm pleased to see you too,» Quinn said, knowing quite well she hadn't meant him.

«If you're quite done Jake, I think Witch is ready for her rubdown.» Mac cut through the jolly atmosphere, leveling a hard stare at his youngest son. There was nothing Mac disapproved of quite as much as leaving ones horse out to dry - but they really hadn't been distracted for quite long enough to warrant such a reminder, she thought.

In the way only Jake could, he shrugged and gave her hair a quick muss before returning back to the paddock and pick up Witch. The mare snorted, as though she also could not believe she had been neglected for even a few minutes in favor of Sam. She couldn't help chuckle at the idea.

«It's good to see you home, Sam,» Mac said, before heading off towards the house.

Quinn, suddenly realizing he was the odd man out, took it upon himself to make a quick exit. «Let's catch up later - I have some digging out back I need to see to. Mom's out with grandpa for the whole day, but there's the weekly dinner later, so everyone will trickle in over the next few hours or so.»

«Thanks for the heads up Quinn,» Sam giggled as she realized his warning and his clue. If she joined Jake for Witch's rubdown, they'd be quite alone.

As Quinn disappeared behind the main house, she turned to look at the approaching pair of horse and cowboy. Both gleaming and sweaty, she took the extra moment to appreciate the sheen on his bare chest and arms, before they were upon her. He nodded towards the barn, and she grinned in approval, before attempting to rub Witch's nose in greeting. The mare tolerated the contact briefly before snorting - she might as well have said «alright, that's enough greeting for now». But Sam had gotten to know Witch pretty well over the first few years when Jake was away at college, and she had looked after the mare. And so she pulled out the sugar cube she had kept in her shirt pocket, which was devoured instantly.

«Stop spoiling my horse, brat.» She could see the gleam still in his eyes and knew he was joking - almost. But she still stuck her tongue out at him. In response he threw her over his shoulder and carried her into the barn.

She was unceremoniously unloaded on a high stool while Jake made to brush down Witch. She sat in silence as he worked, which was quite unlike her, but she simply soaked in the fact that she was back, he was here, and also well, maybe admiring the view just a little bit as the muscles of his back and forearms flexed with the brush.

It was indeed quite hot in the barn, although it was a different kind of heat than the baking sun outside. Slowly, as he worked his way around Witch with the brushes, she worked her fingers down the buttons of her shirt - which had once been his shirt - before it was finally hanging loosely off her shoulders. Occasionally, she had seen his eyes dart towards the moment, and caught the way they darkened slightly for each new button coming undone. When he next turned around and spotted the last button had been opened and she was wearing what barely qualified as a tank top underneath, he sucked in a sharp breath.

«You're killing me.»

«Funny. And here I thought I was one of your main joys in life, which I seem to recall you telling me the last time I was home. One would think you'd hardly missed me!»

"It took him barely three steps to reach her. She reached for him eagerly, crushing her lips against his as his face came down. HIs hands moved against her waist, causing the tight tank to ride up until his calloused hands found bare skin. She allowed her hands to roam his body as his did hers, enjoying the feel of his skin underneath her fingers once more and glad that they were this time in a secluded stall towards the end of the barn, where they were unlikely to be disturbed

Although she had forgotten about Witch. The mare stamped her hoof impatiently on the straw and snorted, and Jake groaned impatiently before disentangling himself.

«Yes, I hear you,» he said to Witch, while keeping his eyes on Sam. «I did miss you, brat. I'm glad you're back.»

«Me too cowboy. If you hurry and finish up with your main girl, there might still be some time to properly welcome me home before everyone else gets back.»

He didn't offer her quite the same wicked grin in return - more of a subdued, knowing smile - but in no time at all it seemed, he had Witch brushed and released into another paddock. And when he got back, Sam decided that she was quite glad that they were in a dark, secluded spot in the barn where he could press her up against the wall without fearing interruptions.