Black Frost // John Proudstar

1.1 control

Akira couldn't believe it. She was walking around a park, holding a guys hand. It was almost like they were on a date. It was almost... Normal. "This is going to sound stupid." Akira said slowly as the two of them looped around the playground, watching the mothers play with their kids. "But I actually feel normal for once in my life." Akira looked over at John who was smiling at her fondly.

"I'm glad Yuki. Life in the Underground can get kind of stressful and tense so it's good to go out and do stuff like this every now and then. You don't have to constantly put pressure on yourself you know?" Akira nodded. "And... Are you saying you didn't feel normal in the Arctic?" Akira rolled her eyes.

"John, I was floating around on my handmade iceberg with polar bears as my only friends. That wasn't normal." John laughed. 

"Point taken." Akira laughed with him, feeling a strange surge of confidence at the moment. She wanted to tell John who she really was. She wanted to tell him now so she could at least face rejection head on. He might not like her anymore once he realizes who she is and she just had to face that. She had to tell him. "You okay? Everything got a little... Colder." John said in an even voice. Akira was snapped back to attention as he spoke and looked around them. 

"Is it?" she said, heart pounding in her chest. 

"Stay calm. Nothings happening that other people can see. I have heightened senses remember. I just felt a slight drop in temperature is all. It might not even be you." But it was Akira. She took a deep breath. "Don't hold it. Breathe normally Yuki, in through your nose and out through your mouth." A mom and her baby in a stroller walked by and John tried to smile at them but he was too focused on Akira at the moment. 

"This was a bad idea." Akira said,though she wasn't sure what she was referring to. Was it a bad idea to come to the park or a bad idea to tell him who she was?

"This wasn't a bad idea Yuki. Just breathe like I told you." John said, doing it himself for emphasis. Akira tried to copy him but she could feel that tingly sensation in her palms, one of the signs she was about to have a panic attack. The last time that had happened... 

"John we need to leave." Akira said, the words coming out of her in a rush. She could see all the people more clearly now. All of them were moms, toddlers, teenagers on skateboards and bikes. People eating ice cream. People having picnics, barbecues, flying kites. This was a bad idea. A bad idea. A bad idea.

"Yuki." John hissed. Akira gasped and let go of John's hand, realizing she could no longer feel his warmth and that was because, she had nearly frozen his hand off. John grunted and clutched his arm to his chest as his healing process started to kick in. Yuki was full on hyperventilating now.

"John I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry John. Oroka! Baka!" Akira started to curse in another language.

"Hey, look at me." John said. "Look at me right now." Akira continued to mumble in Japanese but looked over at him anyways. "We'll leave okay. We'll leave now just don't freak out please. Just look at me and think about that happy memory." Akira didn't want to stare at him though.It might make her flustered, just like her happy memory would and that might make all of this worse.

"This was a bad idea John. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry." She whispered.

"I'm going to be fine. As soon as I get some blood flow in my arm, we'll leave and..." John paused. He was staring at something beyond her and Akira really didn't want to look back. She really didn't but her head moved slowly to look. Behind Akira was cold white trail of fog and creeping over grass, stone and pavement was a layer of ice trailing down the hill and towards the play set. Akira nearly screamed. It was happening again.