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As they walk side by side, Evangeline takes a moment to glance at Jacks. His gaze is solely focused on the path ahead of them—where it might lead, she does not know. Although, Evangeline is willing to go anywhere as long as she gets to stay by his side.
She's just glad they've made it far away enough to lose view of the wretched, cursed cave she'd been forcefully taken to. How Evangeline wishes she had never learned of that place. All she can do now is try to move on, and not allow the horrific scene she witnessed weight her down—as much as it tries to.
Shaking the dark thoughts away, Evangeline stops abruptly, causing Jacks to break his pace. She quickly turns to look at him, only to find his gaze already directed onto her. His eyes study every inch of her face, no shame reflected in them whatsoever. Her eyes, on the other hand, focus on every bruise beginning to form on his face.
Nothing can diminish how devastatingly handsome he truly is. His silky golden hair that she has run her fingers through a few times out of embarrassing curiosity, his light-blue eyes that are always observing her gently, his dimples, his lips…
With her gaze focused on his mouth, the sensation of the last moment she felt them creeps up on her, her lips warming with need. And suddenly, a question pops into Evangeline's conscious.
"I have a question," Evangeline says, breaking the silence between them.
Jacks raises an eyebrow in feigned offense, a devilish smirk appearing on his lips. "You only have one?"
Evangeline blushes, looking away for a second, embarrassed at how easy she is to read. Or maybe Jacks just knows her too well, and the idea of it makes her heart beat rapidly. Sighing softly, she glances back at him, smiling.
"Fine," she responds, a matter-of-fact tone lacing her voice, "I actually have many."
Jacks raises his shoulders in a shrug, the expression on his face softening. "Ask away, Little Fox."
Evangeline doesn't hesitate one bit to try and satiate her curiosity. "Why do you eat apples?"
"Next question," he answers back faster than she can blink.
Evangeline can't resist her pout, her eyebrows furrowing in obvious frustration, his nonchalant tone still ringing loudly in her ears. Scoundrel, she thinks to herself, not bothering to shield her thoughts from reaching him.
Jacks's gaze falls back on her and her frustration only grows. The amusement on his face is evident, his dimples deepening along with the creases at the corner of his eyes. She absolutely hates how much she likes him at the moment.
He then pauses, parting his lips as if to speak. Before the words can escape him, Evangeline notices Jacks swallow down nervously. His stare dropping an inch down on her face, licking his lips as he flickers his blue eyes up.
"It's not important," he stops for a second to inch closer to her, "I just don't need them anymore…"
The sound of his hoarse voice reaches her, making the small hairs on her skin stand, her body trembling slightly—an effect only he can cause.
Evangeline's lips begin to ache from his intense stare and they part in nerve-racking anticipation, his hands cradling her face gently. Without a second thought, he leans forward, brushing his lips against hers. Evangeline's eyes immediately flutter close, his touch weakening her at the knees.
Jacks's lips move against hers passionately, dizzying her with every second that passes; the taste of magic and apples still fresh on his soft lips. Evangeline can't help but sigh against Jacks, her arms wrapping around him—to please the need of feeling his body against her own. Silently obeying, Jacks presses himself closer, deepening the kiss. One of his hands finds the curve of her back, his slight touch provoking sparks to ignite across her skin. She can’t resist the urge to let her head fall back, his other hand eager to cradle the base of her neck—holding her in place.
Evangeline nibbles Jacks's lower lip softly, before choosing to part hers, allowing his tongue access to slip past. But before she knows it, they—unfortunately—break apart to breathe, avoiding any additional, embarrassing scenes of her almost fainting.
Opening her eyes, Evangeline blinks the light away, her chest still heaving. An enamored smile on the verge of blossoming, one that she wouldn't be able to stop even if she tried. Because, not only was the kiss amazing, but Evangeline will never tire from being able to kiss Jacks freely.
There's also a certain giddiness flourishing in her heart. Mainly due to how Jacks subtly answered her question.
"So, with this kiss…" Evangeline begins, amused, losing herself in his mesmerizing light-blue eyes. A certain gleam to them as he watches her silently. "Are you implying that every time you felt the urge to kiss me, you ate an apple?" Humor laces her voice, her index-finger over her smile in a playful manner.
Evangeline, with all certainty, expected to hear a sarcastic retort. A teasing jab perhaps. What she never expected was to see Jacks sputtering for an answer, his eyes widening in faint astonishment.
"I have no idea what you mean, Little Fox," he says, turning his head from her. To anyone else, the expression on his face could have come across as boredom, but not to her.
Evangeline notices the way the tips of his ears have reddened, and she loves it! She loves this side of Jacks only she gets to experience—all soft and shy. She can't help but laugh breathlessly, knowing how much he loves her. Equally to how much she loves him.
At the sound of her laughter, Jacks instantly faces her, curiosity reflecting on his face.
"What's so funny?"
Evangeline quiets down, his ripped doublet grabbing her attention rather than his inquiry.
"Nothing…" she trails off, her mind transporting her back to the moment she met him for the first time. When Jacks had hidden himself in the shadows, at the back of his own church, ripping his sleeves at the seams.
She still vividly remembers when Jacks approached her, his personality a stark contrast to what she had imagined, to what she had believed. Most of the high regard she held for the Fate—that represented heartbreak—burnt that day. His cruel mocking and his pointless need to humiliate her, cut deep.
Evangeline had majorly disliked him then, and yet, Jacks still held a certain power over her. Power to captivate her completely, to keep her painfully enthralled. No magic needed to keep her attention on him.
It's a memory, that has now become somewhat fond to her. Past Evangeline could have never guessed or even believed, that the heartless Fate she encountered, was her actual true love. And to think that for some unspecified time, and not entirely of her own desire, she forgot...Her Prince of Hearts, her choice, her Jacks; it’s best for her to not dwell on it.
"Its just…you look exactly how you did at your church, back when we first met," she says quietly, flickering her stare upwards to find his. "Minus the bruises of course," she adds, teasing him.
Her honest answer triggers Jacks to laugh. A deep, carefree laugh, that leaves Evangeline wanting and wondering how many sides of him will she get to see.
"But I most definitely deserved them back then, didn't I?" he jokes back.
Evangeline teasingly shrugs, raising her hand to signal a pinch with her fingers. "Maybe just a little…"
"A little?" Jacks asks, pretending to be offended again.
Another giggle escapes Evangeline, and she is certain she won't be able to stop any time soon. How can she not find herself overjoyed? Now, that she finally has found a love worth fighting for. Worth living for.
Lost in her thoughts, Evangeline doesn't notice Jacks reaching for her. When suddenly, her feet are off the ground and she shrieks.
"Jacks!"
Evangeline then finds herself in Jacks's strong, lean arms, his face merely inches away from her own. She wraps an arm around his neck for support, watching him intensely. Without breaking eye contact, Jacks slowly spins around with her still in his arms. A boyish smile spreading across his face, softening all his usually sharp features. Evangeline didn't think it was possible to fall more in love with him.
As he continues to spin, she releases a true and amused laugh. A joyfulness so carefree, she can’t recall when was the last time she truly felt this way; his laugh along with hers only adds to the feeling. Evangeline is now certain, that they must look like complete fools to the world around them.
At last, Jacks comes to a full stop. Evangeline inches her face closer, bumping her nose with his. Her eyes, with a mind of their own, move down to his lips before deciding to speak.
"I think I've decided on where I want us to go…" she mutters.
Jacks hums in response, gently setting her feet back on the ground but Evangeline still feels like she's floating, completed elated to be by his side. To keep herself grounded, she keeps her arms around his shoulders.
"And, may I ask where?"
Evangeline hesitates, a strange and sudden nervousness swallowing her words. The last time Evangeline and Jacks found themselves at the Hollow, it didn't end well. Guilt over the stone she removed still consumes her. But, it was also the place where one of the best moments of her life occurred. The place where she finally understood that what she felt for Jacks went beyond a simple, unfulfilled bargain.
"The Hollow," she says timidly, fearing his answer. Jacks's eyes widen and a quick, anxious expression flickers across his handsome face.
"Are you sure? I mean," Jacks pauses, his eyebrows furrowing in uncertainty. "We can go anywhere you want, Little Fox."
Evangeline mindlessly caresses the nape of his neck with her thumb, to soothe her already excited heart.
"That's where I want us to go," she whispers low, so low, she's not sure how he heard her. But those exact words seemed to be calming enough for the fear and nervousness to rush out of him, like a cascading waterfall.
Grinning, Jacks grabs one of her hands currently wrapped around his shoulders, his thumb tenderly stroking her palm. Raising her hand, Jacks kisses the back of it, lovingly. An unspoken promise.
"If that's what you want…" he simply says.
Evangeline instantly melts, like a candle that has been left burning for far too long.
She doesn't know how much time has passed, it could've been seconds, minutes even. All she knows, is that she would trade anything in the world, if it meant she could stay like this with Jacks forever.
Jacks eventually releases her hand, opting to wrap an arm around her waist, pressing her close to his side. With a destination set in mind, Evangeline allows Jacks to guide her home, their home.
It doesn't take long for their walk to end, Jacks's touch leaving her waist. He then brings one of her hands forward. Smiling back at him in mutual understanding, Evangeline reaches at her hip, grabbing hold of the dagger Jacks gave her for protection. She pricks her finger as she's done many times before, allowing Jacks to then guide her hand, his touch comfortingly cold and tender. Evangeline watches in wonder as an arch materializes before them; it's something she will always find magical about the North, and herself.
Jacks leans close to her, his lips grazing her ear gently enough to halt her breathing.
"Relax, Little Fox, and think about where you truly want us to go," he whispers against her.
Evangeline closes her eyes in forced concentration, slightly distracted by Jacks's hand on top of hers. And finally, she imagines the Hollow, as beautiful and cozy as she remembers it to be…
It's definitely not happy with Evangeline and Jacks's presence.
Evangeline can't find it in herself to pin the blame on the Hollow, for feeling abandoned after they left. After all, she did in fact steal it's mirth stone, effectively ripping away the source of the Hollow's glow. Evangeline cannot be surprised at how unwelcoming and cold it has been acting with them both. She just hopes one day the Hollow can forgive her.
Swallowing the guilt down, she focuses on her current task instead. She lightly daps on the antiseptic concoction, one she found laying in some random cupboard. Surely a magical act of the Hollow—of giving what is needed at the moment, despite its hurt.
"These bruises are going to take a little longer to heal," Evangeline murmurs, concentrating on a cut near Jacks's lip. "With the mirth stone gone…"
Jacks smiles smugly, his eyes never leaving her face. Evangeline concludes he must enjoy seeing her completely nervous under his intense staring.
"True," he simply states. "But with the magical enchantments that were placed here, I'm sure I'll be able to heal faster than anywhere else."
Evangeline smiles in response, giggling softly, as she picks up a wet cloth to clean the remaining areas of his face. Hovering slightly longer over his dimples than anywhere else on his face. She then drops her attention to his hands, wiping the small cuts on his knuckles clean. The intrusive and mortifying thought of kissing them invades her mind, but a voice quickly interrupts her thinking—and how glad she is.
"I quite find that you enjoy taking care of me, Little Fox."
She can hear the obvious merriment in his voice, blood rushing to her face at his bluntness; immediately she drops his hands.
"Maybe I do...or maybe I don't." Evangeline attempts to tease back, focusing on his face again. So focused, she doesn’t see the hand sneaking up at her ribs.
"Jacks!" she squeals, her face burning even more than before. She quickly slaps his hand away.
"Hmm, are you ticklish?" he drawls, his gaze sparkling with delight at her reaction.
She clears her throat. "No."
"Liar."
Evangeline pinches his arm softly, making him chuckle. She sets aside the materials she used to clean his cuts before looking up at him. Evangeline still can't believe what they have is real, that they can be together without any repercussions.
Tenderly, she places her hands on his face, her fingers thrilled to stroke his smooth, cool skin. His ocean deep stare never breaking away from her own; a certain fondness shimmering in his eyes, that only ever seems to appear around her. There has always been something god-like about Jacks—no doubt the magic of being a Fate is to blame. But never has Evangeline seen him look so human, as he does now, and the idea that she's the reason makes the butterflies in her stomach flutter.
A yawn interrupts her train of thought, letting go of his face to cover her mouth.
"Today has been tiring, hasn't it?" A whisper brings her back.
Jacks's expression is still tender as he brushes a tendril of hair behind her ear. An action that reminds her instantly of the time he followed her out of the palace, when she still mistrusted him greatly. The action had left her breathless then, and it still does now.
"I suppose," she replies, "tiring but good." A frown threatens to appear on her face as she remembers every moment that led them to this point. "Well…"
"Hey," cool fingers brush against her temple gently, "let's focus only on the good parts."
He cups one side of her face and Evangeline instantly relaxes into his touch, her eyes closing out of their own will. She agrees wholeheartedly that only the best moments should be remembered.
"You saved me, Evangeline," he stands up from his seat, wrapping his arms around her, "you saved me…"
"And so did you."
Evangeline embraces him in retaliation, gripping his shirt tightly. Her head rests on his chest, hearing the gentle thrum of his heart, the faint scent of apples overpowered by pine and somehow snow. But still addicting to her nevertheless.
"Let's rest, Little Fox," he murmurs into her hair, brushing his fingers through it. Suddenly, her feet leave the ground, Jacks's arm under her legs.
He walks them over to the bed, laying her gently against the lush pillows. She shifts slightly to give him space as he climbs in next to her.
Once settled in, Jacks stretches out his arm and Evangeline snorts quietly at the action, before resting her head on it. She places her hand over his chest, feeling it rise with every breath. Using his arm, he presses her closer, his hand clasping her shoulder. Feeling extremely safe to do so, her mind slips…
The sound of birds chirping is the first thing that wakes Evangeline, followed by the faint morning sunlight hitting her eyelids. Blinking away the sleep, she looks around, her mind taking a second longer to catch up. Her body physically aware of Jacks, as she sneaks a glance.
Evangeline has always loved watching him sleep—those rare moments she could—watching his features lose their sharpness, turning peaceful and calm.
Without warning, Jacks rolls over onto her and Evangeline gasps, hitting his back with her hand. He makes no effort to move, or to even remove his weight, but she feels his lips form a smile against her neck.
"Jacks! I can't breathe!" she laughs, kicking her legs against his, wriggling under his weight. His chest rumbles with muffled laughter and finally, he lifts himself up, settling next to her on his elbows.
"Really?" Jacks plants his hand on her chest, watching it move with her heavy breathing. "Liar, you're breathing just fine."
Evangeline swats at him again, her smile never faltering. She hopes every morning and everyday is like this with him. Carefree, full of laughter, and love.
"Perhaps, I just know you like it when I lie." She smiles triumphantly at him.
He hums in response, entertained and agreeing. "Perhaps…"
Jacks's clever hand somehow finds its way to her bare thigh—exactly where her night dress hitched up—fingers stroking slowly up and down. He continues to repeat his movement, probably aware of the goosebumps rising on her skin. And Evangeline absolutely loves the intimacy and domesticity of it all.
"It's still so early, Little Fox," he mutters against the sensitive skin of her throat. His arms dragging her closer, their chests pressed tightly together.
"The sun is already out, Jacks."
He releases a quiet sound Evangeline could swear sounded like a whine. Amused, Evangeline allows Jacks to envelop her completely, finding herself comfortably wrapped in his arms. "Fine, you've convinced me…"