You and Jack were walking for hours.
The endless pine forest that surrounded you from every possible corner continued to tower above you like a silent enemy who waited for the perfect opportunity to strike you both dead, as you made your way further and further inside of it, with you following close behind Jack. The shadows that lurked around the tree trunks appeared darker than they should be, considering the fact that the sun was still high on the cloudy firmament, offering his strong rays of light in abundance. You had absolutely no idea where you were going. Trusting the man completely, you allowed him to walk in front of you, following a certain path that only he could see and with your feet sinking on the purely white snow underneath. And most importantly, you asked no questions whatsoever. The penetrating cold was piercing through your clothes and reaching all the way down to your very own bones, freezing you with the passing seconds and making you deploy all of your willpower as to not allow your teeth to clatter with one another; it was a task easier said than done and in a desperate attempt to warm yourself up, you had wrapped your hands safely around your form. You could as well hug Jack for some warmth... that was if only the man didn't have a dark, ominous aura surrounding his tall figure and his body was more relaxed, something that right now, was the last thing you would say about the man.
You didn't have to be a medium to know what he was thinking.
Clearly, the news about your very limited lifespan hit the man like a concrete wall straight to the face; it wasn't all too easy to hear that you had found your best friend in the whole wide world in order to lose her permanently a few months later. So it was only natural for him to be pissed off. As for your point of view, you wanted to start running with all your might and continue running until either your heart gives out or your feet can't keep you up anymore; inside all of this situation, and especially after what happened in the last 24 hours, you couldn't help but think that you were the cause of Jack's misfortune in the very first place. If it wasn't for you, he wouldn't have to move out of the mansion, he wouldn't have to be exiled from his every own home that accepted him after the alteration of his nature and most importantly, he wouldn't have to be broken when you would finally die; he wouldn't have to watch you die.
All those thoughts were running wild inside your mind, filling all the empty voids and echoing as hard as a wolf's howl in the moon, making you struggle to focus on walking, until at one point, you could no longer do it.
'Jack wait...' you spoke up breathlessly and stopped on your tracks 'We can't go on anymore.'
He didn't even turn to look at you as he spoke 'The house is a bit further away ____. We cannot stay out in the open, so be patient and walk.'
His voice sounded so cold, that triggered a sob to rise from your chest, almost choking you in the process 'This is not what I meant and you know it. We have to talk.' You insisted.
Instead of continuing to walk, Jack froze on his tracks; you watched the man as he seized all of his movements and his whole posture became as stiff as a statue, terrifying you for a split second, as you could practically see him turn and charge against you, wrapping his hands around your neck and snapping it as easily as he would snap a twig. Yet the man remained nailed right where he was, not moving, not speaking, not even breathing.
'We'll do that once we get to the house.'
The tears chose this particular moment to make their way down your face as you nevertheless tightened your hands into fists and tried your best to keep your cool 'I said that we have to talk right NOW. Just turn to look at me and I'll tell you what it's best for both of us; we can't go on like this.'
'I said walk ______.'
'NO! We have to talk about this! Look at me!'
Nothing.
'LOOK AT ME!!!'
Your voice, a mixture of both anger and desperation, pierced through the silence of the forest and cut it off, reverberating in the distance like a penetrating gunshot. It had been a while since you had screamed like that and especially towards Jack, who only remained where he was, with his back turned to you. Angrily, you wiped away the tears from your face and tried your best to ignore the soft, stinging pain in your heart trying to focus your penetrating gaze on the back of the man. Suddenly, you heard Jack sigh wearily and eventually turn towards your crying form; his majestic navy blue mask nailed itself on you, betraying nothing of the man's true emotions yet nevertheless helping you gather the courage to speak your mind freely. Because you knew that what you were going to do next, was going to hurt both of you.
'I think.... I think that this is a grave mistake.' You breathed out.
'What is?' Jack's voice sounded curious and almost out of breath.
'Us continuing to be together.' Choking out the words, it was the very first time that you felt such determination oozing from your every pore in a long while. This was going to be hard, but you had to protect Jack 'I know that it is the very first time in a long while that we are together Jack and believe me, I wish with all my heart that these circumstances would be different, but I can't do this to you; I can't just stand by and watch as you are casted out of your very own house for someone as insignificant as myself. You should turn back and leave me here Jack; I'm not going to be around too long either way.'
There was a long pause.
'Are you an idiot?'
In the sound of his words, your eyes open wide with surprise and you fail to process his words at first 'What?'
'I asked of you, if you are an idiot. That would explain why you are telling me all this.' Jack shrugged 'I refuse to leave you _____. End of the story.'
'You have no choice in this Jack! If you don't realize it, you have just been thrown out of your very own home because of me! You are exiled from your very own kind! So excuse me, but I want you to leave me here and go back right now, because it is there that you belong!' you snap at him angrily.
Jack takes a threatening step towards you and out of pure reflex, you take one back as well.
'Do I seriously look like I care about what happened back there? Because if I do, I apologize for that. I do not give two shits about either being exiled from that house or never going back there again. All I care about, is you and if you do not start walking, we are going to be out in the open when the sun goes down and that means a lot of trouble for the both of us.' His voice, low as it might have been, sounded as threatening as the single step he took towards you, like the monster that is stalking its prey.
'Well, if you don't care, it doesn't mean that I don't too!!' you yell back.
'Why would you care?!' he snaps back, his voice being raised and sounding dual, with a demonic hue that horrified you for just a split second, until your own demons rose inside your head.
'BECAUSE I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE ALONE ANYMORE! Because we both know that I am going to die and I refuse to allow you to be alone after I am gone! So LEAVE ME RIGHT NOW and go back to the family that you belong to! I refuse to destroy your life!'
In a blink of an eye, Jack had crossed the distance between you and had grabbed you hard by the shoulders, shaking you as angrily as he spoke to you, his mask mere inches away from your determined face.
'WHY didn't you tell me about your heart ______? Why did you keep it a secret from me?' he demanded to know, uttering the words so carefully, like he was weighting each and every one of them.
To you though, it sounded like he spat them straight into your face.
'Because I didn't get the right chance to do so. Hell, I didn't even know you were my Jack until recently. You expect me to trust something that important to a cold-blooded killer?' you simply say.
'I do continue to be that killer though ______.' Jack's sigh was heard even under his mask; for a strange reason, it sounded like his anger vanished with it as well '_____, believe me when I tell you that I am not going to leave you alone; I was not going to even in the first place. And I am not willing to watch you die. I am certain that I can come up with a cure for your condition so you just wait and trust me. I know that this is a lot to ask of you after what I did to you, but do so. I will save you.'
New tears were welling up in your eyes, but all you could do right now was gaze inside Jack's empty black eye sockets 'I wish that you could do something. I really do.'
His chuckle sounded rich and strong under his mask, and you were sure that it was the very first time you heard it since you reunited with him 'For a human female, you sure are stubborn.' He commented.
You laughed a bit as well 'Well, they told me I could be anything, so I became stubborn.'
This conversation was just what you needed to relax a little bit and surely, Jack did demand to place your trust in him something that you were willing to do after all the things the man went through for none other than yourself; yes, before he realized that this was you, he did try unspeakable things, but how would you ever be able to hold a grudge against him? The remorse and stinging feelings of regret surely did not leave your heart at all, but rather subsided for now especially when Jack did what he did next.
You would never have even guessed he was about to do that.
Because as he was holding on to you.
He hugged you.
Out of literally nowhere, you felt his sturdy hands letting go of your shoulders, only for his chest to come crashing against your small form and his hands to wrap around your figure, pulling you into such a tight hug, that it was almost desperate. Your thoughts completely went out like candles in the strong wind and for the first few seconds, you were left there, unable to process both what was happening as well as what Jack had just done; it was the very first act of affection he showed to you after he changes and you couldn't help the stiffness that washed over you. Thus, when the reality of the situation finally sink in, you shyly raised your hands and hugged the man back with all your might, trying with this small act to bring your aching hearts one step closer to one another; you betted Jack hadn't given much thought to this and maybe what was left of his human nature urge him to do this, but you also knew, that it was your very first step to the right direction. It was a simple act that made you feel somewhat safe again; like the nightmare which you called your lives was long gone. And you allowed yourself to indulge in it. To indulge inside his penetrating aroma of chocolate, pepper and blood which filled every trace of your existence, like some kind of mesmerizing drug.
When you finally broke apart, Jack helped you climb on his back and started walking again towards the direction of your new home, carrying both you and the three bags you had along with you. Something did tell you that this immense power must be coming from his killer nature, yet you didn't question it at all. Instead, you allowed the comforting silence to descend upon both of you, as you rested your head on the nape of his neck and looked all around you to the breathtaking forest. Now that you weren't running for your life, you were able to admire its beauty in all its true magnitude, as the labyrinth of trees extended until the farthest point the eyes could see; if you didn't know about the dangers lurking around, you would be glad to explore it one day.
The sun had started his dive into the distant horizon, allowing the shadows to start taking over, when you finally reached a clearing among the woods and once Jack stepped out of the forest, you looked around you breathlessly and wolf-whistled in amazement.
This was one of the best sceneries you had ever laid your eyes upon.
There was a small valley hidden among both the sea of trees and the tall, threatening mountains that surrounded the place, like enormous giants who offered their protection with their gigantic rocks, that threatened to fall on any unlucky passerby, over the lake that resided right in the middle of the clearing, hiding it completely from any preying eyes or unwanted visitors, naturally creating a small sanctuary among the forest for the nymphs and elves to come out even during the day and play. The lake was medium sized and since the temperature was far below zero, it had completely frozen over creating a white sheet of ice that appeared more solid than it really was, since on the edges of the lake, you were still able to see the bottom and the various fish that swam undisturbed. The strong wind coursed through the rocks, creating the illusion of howling wolves and its coldness pierced your sides yet again, making you shiver violently on Jack's back, yet fill your lungs with the purest kind of air. The whole place was both secluded and silent and you were sure that if you dropped a pin, its sound would reverberate like a gunshot inside the silence. You were so taken aback by the landscape, that you barely noticed the small cabin which rested on the far end of the lake, peaking through the trees; it was pure coincidence that you saw it in the first place and you were sure as hell that it would be impossible for anyone that doesn't know this place exists to find it by luck.
'We should head inside; there is a storm coming.' Jack's voice came muffled under the strong air that rose suddenly.
'Fine by me!' you tried to be heard, tightening your hold on him as he started walking towards the house.
It took you a good amount of time to reach the cabin, since the wind made things difficult for the both of you, but when the door closed behind you and Jack allowed you to stand down before turning the lights of the house on, you couldn't help but let out a deep sigh of relief to finally be in a secluded space. The inside of the cabin was rather plain; the ceiling and the floor were made out of the same wood and the walls were painted completely white. The small kitchen was resting on your left, consisting of some cupboards, appliances and a small kitchen island and on the right was what appeared to be a living room; rather than that, there was a worn out sofa positioned in front of the fireplace, with a small TV on the side of the said fireplace. In the far back there was a small hallway with three doors to it. No carpets were decorating the floor and no curtains adorned the five windows.
But let's be honest here, you didn't expect such luxuries.
'This is where we are going to stay from now on. The three doors on the back are, from left to right, the bathroom, my lab and the bedroom.' Jack explained, resting the bags down and throwing a quick gaze over to the fireplace 'I'm going to get the fire going and you should eat. You will find anything you need in the fridge.'
'Okay.' You murmur 'Should I take the bags in the bedroom?'
'Only your own.' He throws over his shoulder as he opens the door once again, his navy-blue mask turning to gaze upon your form 'You will be taking the bedroom from now on and I will take the sofa.'
In response, you rolled your eyes at him 'I'm not gonna throw you out of your own bed Jack. I'll be taking the sofa.'
'I am not arguing with you ______. End of the story.' He said and went out, closing the door behind him.
Well, it was good that he didn't stick around to see the face you pulled as you sighed in surrender, resting your hands on your waist. Not that you were going to take the bedroom, but rather for the fact that he called you the stubborn one. But, there were many chores to be done around here and from a quick look over the place, you could see Jack's attempts to clean the place up yet the dust was more persistent than him, continuing to loom in the air that was heavy with humidity, since the place had obvious quite some time to be properly heated up. So, throwing two bags over your shoulder, you make your way to the bedroom in the back, thinking to yourself that you have to get down and clean this whole place up tomorrow morning, just to be able to say that there are living conditions inside this cabin. The bedroom consisted of a simple double, metal bed and a small wardrobe, with pretty much no space to store things whatsoever and you ended up throwing the bags on the soft mattress before walking back to the kitchen to get some dinner.
Your expectations on food and the quality of it were not so high, so you were amazed to open the fridge and see that it was already equipped with all the necessary dairy and food to get you through the week; yes, there was a small lack of vegetables, but inside the dead of winter it would be more likely that meat would prove to be exactly what you needed. And now that you thought about meat, you realized it had been quite some time since you had some; surely though, it was before Jack abducted you from your college.
Jack walked back inside the cabin, carrying a handful of wood for the fireplace, just as you had gathered all the ingredients you wanted to make some amazing scrambled eggs with bacon. Paying him no mind, you focused on your task at hand, while the man sat down and started the fire. In a matter of a few minutes, the vivid flames of a strong fire were already serving to cut off the heavy humidity and you were glad to feel your skin being warmed just a bit; it helped soothe your light-headedness and drove away the cold in your bones.
'What are you making?' Jack asked, walking over to you and setting his mask aside, revealing his majestic characteristics to you, as he took a seat on one of the chairs surrounding the kitchen island.
You chuckled a bit, enjoying the view to his relaxed face and disheveled auburn hair.
'Your favorite! Scrambled eggs with bacon.'
'I cannot say that they look so appetizing.' He commented, shrugging his broad shoulders.
'You know, you used to eat tons of this stuff back when you were human. Are you sure you don't want just a taste?' you laugh, holding one piece of fried bacon in front of his face, all at the same time watching him turn away in disgust.
'No, I am sure. You do not happen to have something with organs right?'
'Eww, no.' you made a disgusted face 'Are you trying to make me sick?'
The sly smirk that was immediately plastered on his face was a reply enough, making you roll your eyes as you placed the food on a plate, grabbed a fork and a knife and got down to eat this delicious thing.
'I can make you some baked kidney-pie tomorrow if you want to.' You played along with the joke, throwing some bacon in your mouth.
He nodded 'Do not be bothered with it. I prefer them raw and freshly harvested.'
'I cannot believe we are casually talking about you eating human organs over my dinner. If you are trying to gross me out, you have succeeded.' You comment, cutting a piece of bread and eggs with the knife.
'I am amazed to see how lightly you are taking all this; are you sure you are a normal human?' he jokes, folding his hands over his chest and nailing his empty stare at you.
'Let's just say that I prefer to tell myself you are eating gummy bears in the shape of human organs. If you keep them away from the fridge I use, I think we are going to be good for now.' You shrug 'Of course, that depends on whether you decide to eat my own or not.'
'_______.' His face falls into a grim expression, making you flinch.
'I'm joking okay? No need to wo-ARGH!' you scream, averting your gaze from Jack and towards your hand, from which a resonating pain shot up making you almost fold in two and certainly flinch in pain.
Your eyes open wide with surprise and your lungs inhale a sharp breath, as you see ruby red blood flowing in abundance from what appeared to be quite a deep wound in the palm of your left hand; the blood was quick to drip down and stain the food, while your hands started shaking quite a bit, disabling you from managing to do even the slightest of movements. A huge gash decorated the center of your palm and before you even had the chance to think, Jack had already taken your hand in his and using a nearby towel, he wiped away the blood, allowing a clear inspection of the wound.
'Looks like the knife managed to do a pretty deep wound.' He said stuffing his hand inside his pocket and pulling out a clean bandage, he started wrapping it around your shaking hand 'You should be more careful with these things ____.'
'I-I don't know what happened....I didn't even f-feel my hand slipping.'
Jack completely ignored your words and instead placed his free hand over your forehead, sighing heavily the moment he touched it.
'You have high fever _____. That's why your hands are shaking.' He said, standing up and walking around the counter to get to you.
'But I feel fine! Just a bit light-hea- what the hell do you think you're doing?' you demand to know with your face turning into a luxurious shade of red as Jack picks you up bridal style and makes his way over to the sofa.
'You probably have fever due to the fatigue of the day and the adrenaline that coursed through your veins; you need to lie down and sleep, or else it is going to affect your heart big time.' he replied, plopping you down to the sofa and making you lie completely down on it, before he walked to the lab and you could hear the clutter of medical tools colliding with one another.
Still, he was right.
The moment you rested your head on the arm of the sofa, the extreme fatigue of the day got the best of you and you found it nearly impossible to even lift your head and look around. Right now you did feel a little bit helpless to assist Jack and the sweet warmth resonating from the vivid fire in the fireplace hit you so hard, that together with your fever, made your eyelids extremely heavy. You sighed. Maybe this time you could sleep well enough and not have to worry about someone slitting your throat while you slept or killing Jack. The man came back to you with a tray of medical tools and kneeling beside you, he took your hand gently on his own, proceeding to inject you with a transparent liquid. He checked your temperature again, before sitting down beside you and looking deep into your eyes.
'I gave you something to help you sleep. You'll be back on your feet in no time tomorrow.' His voice was a simple monotone, coming in complete contrast with his worried expression.
Deploying all of your strength, you smile to him 'I'm sure I'll be fine Jack. You should head to bed as well though; you must be tired as hell.'
He nodded 'I'm going to stay with you tonight ______, to make sure you'll be okay.' He commented 'I am never going to let anything happen to you again. I can promise you that.'
His last words sounded only like an echo to you, as your eyelids grew unbearably heavy and eventually closed.