The Way the Wind Blows (a BlackIce love story) [NEW CHAPTERS COMING SOON]

Chapter Three: Oddity

'Sorry? Why?'

'Your chest. Your arm. Everything. I ruin everything I touch!!!!' Pitch's voice raised a few octaves, expressing pain.

This took me by surprise. Pitch had always ruined everything he touched. And enjoyed it too! Why was I any different?

And then my dream flashed back to me.

Passion.

The emotion that had slipped away from me.

While it was true he had looked at me funnily and confronted me in Antarctica, I had just chalked it up to hope. Not... passion.

I got confused. Real quick.

'You're....in love with me??'

~Pitch's POV~

'You're in love.... With me?!'

Jack's conclusion rang through the room. I sniffled for a moment. The statement made me laugh.

'It would seem that way,' I said with a breathless chuckle. My brow furrowed in consideration.

'But... Why me?'

'I.... I don't know, Jack. I don't know.' I straightened myself and used the wall to brace myself. Jack was very close to me. His skin had returned to normal. I let out a half-sigh of relief. His eyes, I noted, were glazed over in confusion. Of course. But then, even I hadn't had the time to sort these unfamiliar emotions. It had been ages since a single sentiment had reached my dead heart. And now it was encumbered. Too much for a single soul to handle. And yet it didn't take me long to sort it all out.

'Jack?'

~

~Jack's POV~

'What the hell now?' I asked curtly, still stunned by Pitch's confession. 'Gonna say that the Easter Bunny's gay, too? You know what? I need out of here.'

Pitch sighed, defeated. 'You're free to go. I need time.'

'Yeah. Same here, Pitch,' I paused then finished, 'Where's my staff?'

Pitch seemingly pulled it out of the shadows and flung it clumsily at me.

'Uhm, thanks,' I muttered as I caught it with ease.

'No problem,' he muttered under his breath as an arch of shadows appeared on the farthest wall. 'You can get back with this,' Pitch lamely gestured to the archway.

I was wary. Very wary. 'If it's not, you'll have Hell to pay, Pitch.'

'Just trust me.'

And I did. I ran straight for the shade. And wound up in the forest.

'What the Hell was that?' I muttered to myself, trying to come to terms with what had just happened.

First things first, I thought to myself as I got distracted by the remains of my hoodie. Now where's the nearest place for a new one?

I made my way back to the heart of Burgess by means of the wind. My feet touched down silently in the street where Jamie lived.

His light was on and the window was open still.

'Thank god.'

I flew back up to it and perched on the sill. Jamie was awake, staring down at a picture he had drawn five years earlier. The one with the sled.

'Jamie?'

He turned, his eyes red and wet. Then shock registered across his face. 'Ohmigod. What happened?' He jumped up and rushed to me.

I laughed nervously. 'Pitch. Who else?'

'What'd he do to you??' His eyes took in the new shiny scars and the bloodied hoodie rags.

'Long story. Do you have a blue hoodie by chance?'

'Yeah. But tell me what happened. I've never seen it be this bad. What'd he do?' Jamie went to his closet and fumbled with the hangers and tossed me a hoodie identical to my original one.

'Well. He kidnapped me while you were sleeping. Um, he broke my arm. And he cut me. Then let me go. And he was acting weird. Quite weird.'

Jamie brushed a wild strand of hair out of his face. 'Weird how?'

I laughed for a moment, not wanting to admit what had went down.

'The freak declared love for me.'

'What the hell?!'

'Yeah, I know. It made me ill,' I muttered as I ripped off the remaining purple scraps.

Jamie shivered. 'And he let you go? Just like that?'

'Yeah,' I replied as I tugged the new hoodie over my head. It fit perfectly, and it made me smile.

'You gonna tell the Others?'

'I have no choice, Jamie. It's not like I can go back to the Freak and confront him!'

'It's an oddity alright,' and with that, Jamie steeled my decision.

'I have to go back.'

'No! You can't! Pitch'll just hurt you again,' Jamie shouted at me, clutching for my arm as I turned.

'There's only one way to settle this, Jamie. I have to confront him. I won't get any straight answers if I don't. Now,' I tugged my arm away from him, 'if you'll excuse me, I have work to do.'

I turned for the window. But not before Jamie threw a snow globe at the closed windows. Well, crap. My reflexes weren't quick enough. I had already passed through the portal.

The Workshop, great. The last place I wanna be.

I sighed and heard the portal close behind me.

'Jack! You look terrible! What happened?' North's voice boomed behind me.

Well, great.

'Pitch. Who else?'

~