𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐈𝐂𝐄 》 JACK FROST

XXV. Two Friends

TWO FRIENDS

2007 AD
6th March, 12:08 PM
Unknown

''Shut up.''

''I haven't even said anything!'' Jack protested, his hands in the air in mock surrender, not that it mattered, Agatha was turned away from him, nuzzled on the ground and leaning against a certain boulder. She huffed, bringing her cloak closer to her figure as she snuggled further into the hard rock, trying to get comfy and avoid eye-contact with Jack.

''You were thinking it.''

Jack smiled, chuckling under his breath slightly as he turned to lean against his own surface, a nice tree that supplied him with the perfect view of his surroundings and Agatha, just in case something were to happen to them.

Agatha yawned.

''When was the last time you slept, anyway?'' Jack asked.

''A day ago, I think.''

Jack paused. ''Agatha, I've been with you for two days and you haven't slept once.''

''Okay, so maybe I don't know how long I've been here for, what's the big deal? It can't be that long, otherwise Jack and the others would've found me by now.'' Jack opened his mouth to say something, but Agatha swiftly cut him off. ''Goodnight, fake-Jack.''

''Goodnight, Agatha,'' Jack said softly, not daring to let his eyes shut in case she wanted his attention at any point. Plus - he was pretty sure he talked in his sleep and that was something he would like to spare himself the embarrassment of.

Apparently, though, she didn't - she was asleep before he could even blink, light snores leaving her as her body rose and fell steadily, a lot more steadily than they had been whilst she was awake. Jack really did wonder when the last time she slept was.

It was around the middle of the night when Jack was woken up. Frantically, he shot from where he was, raised slightly above the ground as he grabbed his staff. Agatha was still there, sound asleep. In fact, Jack was slightly worried she was dead, if not from the snores that had grown heavier with time and the slight drool of spit. Oddly adorable.

Glancing left from the corner of his eye, Jack tried to see what was there without alerting it. A branch had fallen not so far in that general direction, having caused him to wake up, he was sure of it.

''Agatha,'' Jack whispered, putting his staff down, making sure to keep it close enough within a moments action. He gently grabbed her shoulder. ''Agatha, wake up, we should keep moving.'' There was another rustle to his left. He pretended not to notice it. ''Agatha, c'mon, we gotta go.''

Agatha groaned, blinking slowly as she turned to glare at him. ''What do you want?''

There was another snap and Agatha hadn't realised they were playing it coy as she rolled into a crouch, scooping up a lump of bark in the process. ''Who's there?'' The constant rustling stopped and Agatha only got more anxious, taking small steps towards the nearest bush. Jack was a step behind her, prepared for anything.

Anything, perhaps, except for a small black crow which all but leapt from the bush, nuzzling eagerly into Agatha's cheek with such force that she was forced backwards onto Jack, who really did his best to shield her from the ground but that only meant he was suddenly aware of every nerve cell he had as pain shot up his back.

Smiling slightly, Agatha cupped the crow with her hand. ''Noir, buddy, what are you doing here?'' It made some squeaking noises followed by a loud and hoarse croak as it flapped its wings in panic. ''It's okay, shh, it's okay, I'm here now. You found me.''

''This is really heartfelt and all, but could you please get off me?''

''Sorry, Jack,'' Agatha said, letting Noir fly out of her palm as she rose, brushing off her muddied cloak as if it would help. She turned around with a smile and offered Jack her hand. Chuckling slightly, he took it and stood, coming face to face with her. Just as he was about to let go of her, her hand froze around his, closing around it again like a vice. ''Jack?''

''Yeah?''

''You're - I can - I can feel you?''

I disbelief, Agatha reached forwards, her fingers retracting once they nearly reached his face, before she shook her head and cupped his cheek, gently stroking her thumb across it in fear that she'd fall right through him.

''You're real?''

Jack blinked dumbly. This entire time, all this convincing, and all he had to do was reach out and touch her? ''Uh, yeah? This is what I've been trying to tell you-'' But Agatha didn't really want to listen to him at the moment, the second she had fully processed what had happened, Jack thought she had fallen forwards. ''Woah, you okay?'' It took him a second to realize she was hugging him. His hands hovered in the air as he looked down at her, smiling as he shook his head in belief. Slowly, he lowered his hands, freezing when she moved, but it was only to cling even tighter onto him.

''I've missed you.''

''Yeah. Me too, Ags, never again.''