Chapter Text
Jacob has no obligation to return the favor. He knows this, he’s been over this exact sentiment for weeks, but it’s hard not to feel some kind of pressure to do something. Nor is it easy to see Rook as the same person she had been—an enemy meant to be conquered—after the gift she so graciously gave him.
It was a strange gesture. Maybe an olive branch? If he had to guess it’s something else though, pity, empathy, just her bleeding heart that’s near run dry after all she’s done for this county. He must’ve shown a part of himself without realizing, and she must’ve liked what she saw. Liked it enough to make him a damn blanket.
Fuck him but he’s not heartless, despite what the rest of Hope thinks. He cares for people outside of his family. Once upon a time, years before Eden’s Gate came to fruition, he had friends. Rook seems like someone he would’ve been great pals with if things hadn’t gone tits up a while back.
He wouldn’t mind having her on his side. Someone to count on. It’s a feeling he misses.
So he gathers up what he can and sets to work making something for her. He doesn’t know how to knit like her, lord knows he doesn’t have the dexterity for it, but he picked up some skills in his army days. Particularly; whittling.
It’s been a long time since he worked with his hands like this. Sat down on the forest floor after a good hunt, bent over with a small piece of wood in his hands and turning it into something marvelous.
He finishes out the day by making a wolf sitting on a rock with its head tipped, howling. He tucks it inside his bag and heads back to the Veteran Center.
He makes a rabbit next. He’s in his office, chucking wood shaving into a small trash can, when the door swings open.
Jacob barely looks up, too focused on finishing his bunny.
“Johnny. Coulda knocked.”
John just clicks his tongue, unaffected, sliding into the seat across from Jacob. His desk separating them. “I heard the deputy is running around the mountains.”
Jacob keeps his eyes down, leaning his elbows on his knees as he digs the knife a little harder into the wood. “Is she?”
John hums. Tilting his head to the side as he regards Jacob. “She’s been here for about a week.”
Jacob...did not know that. He honestly hadn’t. He was informed by his hunters at the start of the week that she was roaming around, but he didn’t send a party out to catch her and he assumed she had moved on.
She certainly hadn’t caused any ruckus to draw his attention.
“Huh,” it’s all Jacob can manage. How is he supposed to explain his lack of action?
“Do you need help flushing her out?”
He sighs. Placing the knife and bunny down on his desk. “I’ve got my own methods, John. I appreciate the concern but you’re starting to sound like Joseph.”
John winces and laughs. Scratching the back of his neck. “Sorry. I just...haven’t heard from you in a while.” He pauses, waits for Jacob to say something. He doesn’t and so John continues softly, glancing at the wooden animal. “You’re whittling now?”
“Yep.”
John reaches out to grab the now finished rabbit, and it’s nothing but instincts that makes Jacob lurch forward to grab his wrist in a death grip.
John’s eyes blow wide, staring up at Jacob. His mouth opens once, then twice. Reminiscent of a beached fish.
He swallows roughly, his adam’s apple bobbing “Um...Jake? Can you let me go?”
Jacob falls back, doing exactly that and clearing his throat. “Yeah. Sorry.” He isn’t looking at John, he doesn’t want his brother to question why he’s acting the way he is.
“Maybe we can get together sometime next week,” Jacob offers with a wave of his hand. Hoping that will be enough to placate him. It is—surprising for John—but maybe he sees right past the facade Jacob’s putting up and knows to leave well enough alone.
By the end of the week Jacob has a whole collection of wooden little figurines, mostly animals, he feels she’d appreciate that. The real issue is trying to get them to Rook.
She managed to sneak into the Veteran Center to give him that blanket, and he’d have no problem doing the same, but he doesn’t know where she lives. She’s as nomadic as they come.
So he’ll have to go and capture her. As terrible as that makes him feel. He’ll need to send out a hunting party just to give her a gift.
Fuck his life.
.0.
She’s a spitting ball of rage when he approaches her. She’s cursing at him, grabbing stray twigs and rocks to throw in his direction. He even lets some hit him, just to make her feel better, but if anything his indifference makes her angrier.
He sighs, rubbing his eyes. “Can you just calm down?”
Rook scoffs and begins to pace. Her eyes are darting around wildly, searching for something. “Calm down? Seriously?” She laughs, “I mean what the fuck is this?” She gestures around to where he’s locked her up. She’s in a cage—he wouldn’t take the risk of anything else—but she’s been sequestered away from everyone else.
It’s different. And she doesn’t like different. That usually means she’s about to be put through the ringer.
“C’mon,” he kneels down, careful not to get too close, “I just brought you here to talk.”
She narrows her eyes at him, but she quiets down.
He gives her a wry grin, “funny how just a month ago you were giving me gifts and now you’re cussing at me.”
“I never know what to expect from you, Jacob. That silly blanket could’ve meant nothing at all to you! It doesn’t have to change a thing!”
“I didn’t think that blanket was silly at all,” he murmurs, scooting closer and motioning for her to sit with him. Somewhat surprised when she listens. “I liked it.” He swallows past the lump in his throat and reaches into his back pocket. Tugging out a small cloth bag.
He weighs it in his hand for a moment before tossing it over to her. She flinches back, eyeing it warily.
“What is it?”
“Now that’d ruin the surprise. Go ahead and open it.”
Rook nods, slowly picking it up and undoing the twine holding it closed. She peeks inside and her brows knit together. She glances up at him, lips pursing as she takes out the first thing that her fingers curl around.
“Oh.”
Oh. That’s all she says for her longest time as she turns over the figure in her hands—a mini plane—before turning the bag over and dumping out the rest of its contents.
Jacob keeps careful track of her emotions, eyes flicking down to where her teeth sink into her bottom lip.
She has the wolf he first made in her grasp, running her thumb over the grooved wood. “Did you make these?”
“Yeah.”
“Didn’t know you knew how.” She eyes him suspiciously. “This supposed to be some kind of truce, Seed?”
He snorts, the moment dulled. “Hardly. Think it could mean something else though.”
“I’m not joining you,” she snaps immediately.
“Thought you’d say that.” He reaches out, goes slow because she’s apt to claw at his skin, and he brushes his fingers against her jaw. “That’s a shame. I’d be honored to have someone like you fighting beside me.” Jacob stands up, ignoring the curious way she’s looking at him. And he’s forced to swallow down the pain that floods his heart for how things have turned out.