Breaking Boundaries | Jacob Black

Matcha Cheesecake

"Thank you for listening to our presentation," Jacob finished off, "we hope that you have enjoyed and learnt something new along the way."

The class clapped in obligation as the two hurried back to their seats, each one more flushed than the other. The presentation had been forgotten at the back of their ninds ever since that supid incident with the vampire, only for Natalia to call Jacob in the middle of the night, frantic about what they were going to do since they'd barely gone over anything.

As a result, Jacob was quick to slide through her window before they spent the early morning hours debating what should be said and done in a manner so frantic Natalia thought that the world was going to come to an end.

"You literally had a run-in with vampires and that's what you're most scared of?" Jacob teased when she'd confessed to him after they started gathering their things in their respective backpacks.

That had caused her to scowl up at him, "some people take their studies seriously you know," she scoffed, "and anyway, why aren't you? You gonna be a werewolf for the rest of your life?"

Jacob chuckled, "no. I wanna be a mechanic. Work on cars. Stuff like that."

"You're not going to university?"

"Not sure," he tugged open the window, slinging his backpack onto his shoulder in the process, "don't know if we have the money. My dad's old now and practically retired."

"Would you have liked to?"

"I guess. Yeah. It's an experience we don't get back. But I don't mind either way. I have my projects," he grinned at her knowingly, "you probably will huh? Get away from La Push as soon as possible?"

Heat exploded through her cheeks as she stuttered, "n-no. Well yeah. That was the plan,' her eyes slid to the clouds beyond Jacob's form as her voice softened into a murmur, "but I don't know. I kind of like La Push."

It was probably the most honest conversation she'd had with him ever since discovering that he was Red, and as she waved him off that morning with a promise to ace the presentation, something warmed in her chest at the thought that maybe he was putting in the effort because of her.

The class was a breeze once they were done and Natalia all but slumped in her seat, eyes heavy with tiredness as she rubbed them, yawning in the process. Jacob's shoulder leaned into hers before his mouth found her ear.

"You think we rocked it?"

"I think we could've done better."

"But we still rocked it?"

Natalia's lips curved into a big smile, "we still rocked it."

The smile he returned made hers grow tenfold as she failed to ignore the way her heart thumped once. Twice. Skittered a few times.

----

"What's this smell?" Paul sniffed as he traced the scent back to the Lings' kitchen, popping his head around the doorway only to see Natalia in the midst of a cooking storm, "uh, you good Talia?"

"Fine," she replied without taking her eyes off the mixture that she was busy whipping like her life depended on it. Paul strayed closer to look over her shoulder and she felt his warmth envelope her, a welcoming feeling in contrast to the cold winter air that seemed to seep through the house despite how much she'd turn the heating dial up.

"What's this?" Paul asked with a wrinkle of his nose.

"Matcha powder."

"What's that?"

"It's a powder grounded from special tea leaves," Natalia explained, "it's popular in the Asian community, gives you good health benefits or something."