Baby Fever [Jacob & Edward]

28

a/n: hi, my dumb ass is back.

Edward is struggling. Jacob can see it from the way he holds on to Bear as if she's the only thing keeping him sane. He gets on a call with Bella every week and every week she seems weaker and smaller. Her face is gaunt and her body is frail, the only rounded thing about her being her distended stomach. It's nerve-wracking. She looks like she could just stop breathing at any second.

Jacob tries not to be too invasive, tries to allow Edward to have some space while he processes the changes, but he can't help but be curious. After all, this would be his child as well.

Edward's getting his daily update while Jacob tries his best to entertain Bear with a new toy she only seems mildly interested in. Matter-of-fact, she doesn't seem interested in much anything that he has to offer as she tries to escape and use her beginner crawling skills to scoot over to where Edward's listening to Carlisle. She's determined, quietly beginning to whine when Jacob scoops her back up and seats her back on his lap.

Eventually, the quiet whines turn into loud cries as she peers over at Edward as if he's her saving grace. At first, Edward's so caught up in whatever Carlisle's spewing, he doesn't even seem to register the difference. Though, something on screen seems to snap him out of it as he glances over at Bear who is waiting to be acknowledged.

Jacob's expecting Edward to peer up at him, a sign to head downstairs and entertain her some other way while he finishes up. Though, instead, he wordlessly reaches for her and settles her on his lap before turning back to the screen and waiting for Carlisle to continue whatever he's been rambling about for the last ten minutes.

There's a gasp.

It's quiet, but not quiet enough for Jacob not to hear it. Edward should be able to as well, but he looks as if nothing has happened. He simply continues staring at the screen, patiently waiting for Carlisle to pick up where he left off.

Instead, he hears Carlisle ask a question:

"How's she doing?"

Edward glances down at Bear, who looks as if she's taken her rightful place on the throne as she ignores everyone else in favor of playing with Edward's fingers.

"She's good. Learning how to crawl." Edward informs him.

Jacob's sure they're going to just settle back into normal conversation this time, when Bear starts quietly whining once again, thumb going up to her mouth. Edward glances over at him before mouthing the word "bottle", head tilting towards the door. Jacob stands from the bed, eyes never leaving Edward's as he gestures to the fact that the screen is facing the door. Edward just turns back to Carlisle.

So, Jacob stands up from the bed, ignoring the eyes he can feel on his back as he slips out of the room.

Edward's not stupid. He's not under some illusion that he can keep what's happening a secret from Bella. She's too entangled in his life now for him to be able pretend like he's the same person he was six months ago. He's not even living in his own house, the house he'd built for the two of them. He hasn't been in it for months.

He was instead living at Jacob's and he was sure she could tell the difference. There were no similarities. He could see her eyes bouncing around the screen as she tried to figure out where he might be. He doesn't acknowledge it, simply focusing on what Carlisle could currently tell him.

He has no intention of hiding it either.

He isn't ashamed of how far he's accidentally come in the span of months. He just didn't want to give Bella a chance to ruin it. He could see the anger in Jacob's eyes when he'd stormed upstairs with the ultrasound clutched in his hand a couple of weeks ago. He didn't want Jacob feeling as if Edward's trying to keep secrets or as if this new baby meant that he had any interest in Bella. He just wants to keep her out of his family's business.