Archive of Our Own

Jack Wilder is an enormous pain in your neck. Sort of. He’s incredibly stupid, in his own kind of funny way. He has this wit about him, a persistent smile that could never be dampened, and a charming demeanor that drew audiences in, in the way sirens pull sailors towards the rocks. 

From the very day you met him, in that dusty old apartment, he’s made it his personal mission to try and win you over. You’ve got to admire his guts, he’s a very persistent man.

“Thank you, thank you.” You smiled, taking a bow in front of the small crowd that gathered before you. Some dropped coins and bills into a hat sitting in front of you, as your audience dispersed back into the streets of New York. 

Every day, you performed little shows, small acts of magic that filled people with just enough wonder to drop some of their spare change. It wasn’t much, but you loved what you did. You picked up your money, and stuffed it into your bag. You felt something else in your bag, a piece of paper maybe? After withdrawing the item, it appeared to be a tarot card. The mischievous eyes of The Devil gleamed on the surface of the card. You turned it over in your hands, and saw an ornate illustration of an eye, and an address with a time attached.

How strange, you thought. How this got into your bag was a mystery to you, and its purpose was similarly lost on you. However, out of sheer curiosity, you decided to go anyway. You took a taxi the next morning, arriving at the apartment complex. Your steps echoed up the silent stairwell as you reached the correct flor. You heard arguing, and a couple different voices. A ginger girl (who was very pretty, you thought), an older man in a fedora, and a guy with longer hair and scraggly facial hair were all in front of the apartment. Once they saw you, they immediately fell silent and stared at you.

“Did you guys get a card thingy too…?” You asked tentatively, holding up your card. They nodded, brandishing their cards.

“And then there were four,” The man in the fedora, whose name you found out to be Merritt. You also found out the girl was Henley, and the other man was Daniel. Apparently, Daniel was an asshole, and Henley used to work for him.

As Merritt and Daniel argued about something, they were once again interrupted by the appearance of another man. He had brown curls, dark eyes, and was young. Around your age. He locked eyes with Daniel, and his jaw could have dropped from shock.

“J. Daniel Atlas… dude I have seen everything you’ve ever done. Seriously, you’re like my idol.” He rambled, a smile stretching across his face. You almost laughed hearing him practically fanboy over Daniel, but then you realized he was here for the same reason you were.

“I’m Jack Wilder,” he said, before pulling out his tarot card. Death. How ominous. “So uh, why are we waiting out here?”

“The doors locked,” you said simply, your gaze flicking towards the closed door. His eyes looked towards you, and he beamed.

“Oh no, nothin’s ever locked,” Jack replied, a boyish grin plastered onto his face. He walked past all of you and knelt down in front of the door. He pulled out a lockpick and began working at the lock on the door. The door opens with a click, and swings open to reveal a musty, rundown room.

“Nice trick,” you say with a smirk. You wondered where this man learned such a skill.

Jack got up, brushing dust off of his pants.

“I got other tricks, if you wanna see,” Jack smirked. He looked so proud of himself, before you promptly rolled your eyes.

“Yeah, I’ll take a rain check on that offer,” you replied plainly, walking past Jack into the apartment room. You heard Merritt pat Jack on the back.

“Better luck next time, kid.” Merritt said, laughing. Jack sighed, walking behind Merritt into the dimly lit room.

“Ugh, this place is disgusting,” you noted, peering around the dusty corners into rooms.

“No kidding, yuck,” Henley responded, flashing her phone flashlight into some of the darker nooks and crannies.

All five of you finally came back together in the main room, where a rose and vase both sat on the ground.

Henley walked over, and picked up the rose.

“A rose by any other name,” she said, before dropping it into the vase. Vapor rose into the hair, making a soft haze throughout the whole room. The others murmured with shock and curiosity. A barrage of “did you do this?” came from each other, before Daniel wandered down some hallway. Jack looked towards you through the fog. You looked back at him, shrugging. Suddenly, rays of light shined shot through the air, coming in from almost every angle. In the center of the room, a hologram began to take form. Fascinated, you stood in front of the hologram, intently watching the parts come alive. Next to you, your fellow magicians did the same. Except for one. You didn’t notice, but Jack was staring at you with more wonder and curiosity than everyone else gazing at the hologram.

2. BACKSTAGE AT VEGAS

Those four magicians you met a year ago? You all formed into the Horsemen of Magic under the watchful eye of, well, the Eye. Now, your biggest heist yet was approaching fast under the spotlights of the Vegas stage. Despite your months of preparing, you would be lying if you said you weren’t nervous. Everything you had trained for was reliant on tonight’s show. As Danny said constantly, there was no margin for error. 

In a futile attempt to calm your nerves, you had tucked yourself away in some corner backstage, messing with the hem of your shirt for tonight. You murmured your lines to yourself, rehearsing what you could over and over. If you had anything to do with it, nothing would be left to chance. Danny had been rubbing off on you. Your practice time was rudely interrupted by the familiar voice of Jack Wilder.

The two of you had become closer over the course of the year, despite his rather relentless attempts to charm you. You found it endearing, and he enjoyed seeing you laugh when he failed.

You looked up when Jack tapped you on the shoulder, smiling as he leaned up against the wall. That was one thing you noticed about him over the months. It seemed like he never stopped smiling. It was also a trait you admired in him. His seemingly unshakeable joy always lightened your mood.

“Come here often?” He asked, twirling a card in his hands. He peered down at you, waiting eagerly for your reply.

“Can’t say I do Jack, you?” You said, laughing at his corny joke. 

“Nah, first time for everything though,” Jack said, shrugging. He flicked a card upwards, and made it reappear behind your ear. He flashed it in front of you. 

Queen of Hearts, you noted.

“A queen for a queen,” Jack smirked, handing you the card.

“Haven’t heard that one yet, it’s nice to see you’re branching out,” you said. “How long did you practice that one?”

“None at all. Right off the dome, it was good right?” Jack said proudly, crossing his arms across his chest. You were grateful for the jokes. His company alone lifted the heavy weight of anxiety off your chest, at least temporarily.

“A modern-day Shakespeare,” you remarked, still fiddling with the hem of your shirt. The nervous gesture did not go unseen by Jack.

“Hey, if it helps you look good tonight. You always look good, but especially tonight-” Jack started, another shit-eating grin returning to his face, before you lightly smacked his arm.

“Thank you Jack, that’s exactly what I’m nervous over.” You said sarcastically, rolling your eyes.

“Your’re very welcome, and you have nothing to be nervous over.”

“I was joking, I’m not actually nervous,” That was a lie, you absolutely were nervous, but you couldn’t muster up enough courage to look Jack in the eye and say that. How embarrassing.

“Well if you were-”

“I’m not.” You said definitively, shooting him a solid glance.

“Alright, well hypothetically,” he said, putting a specific emphasis on hypothetically, “if you were, you have nothing to be worried about. We’re gonna do great, it’s written in the stars or whatever.” Jack said happily, tossing another card at you. It fluttered down into your lap, and landed right side up. The looming stare of Death gazed back at you. It was Jack’s tarot card, all the way from last year.

“Do you even know what tarot cards mean?” You ask incredulously.

“Nope! Not in the slightest!” Jack replied confidently.

Once again, you can’t help but laugh. Jack always knew what to say when you were upset, it was a gift he had. Even though he was like a little parasite you couldn’t get rid of, you felt a lot less nervous than you were. And something in Jack’s chest fluttered a bit more out of control.

3. THE PLANE TO NEW ORLEANS

Vegas was a roaring success. The show went off without a hitch, the crowd was insane, and the Horsemen had finally made it on the big scene. But their mission was just starting, and their next destination was New Orleans.

You sat against the window on one of the lavish seats in Tressler's jet. You had half of your headphones in, listening to whatever was on your playlist for the flight. A couple rows ahead, you heard Merritt proposition Henley. She shot him down of course (a good thing for Danny’s sake), and you giggled to yourself. Jack, who was sitting in the row across from you, snickered at Merritt’s miserable attempt.

Merritt whirled around in his seat, casting a glare over at Jack.

“What are you laughing at?” Merritt asked Jack, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, you know, you stood no chance Merritt, it’s kinda funny.”

“Well, you’re not exactly a roaring success either Jack.” Merritt responded, casting a brief glare over at you. You notice a light shade of pink spread across Jack's nose after he brings up you, but he quickly rolls his eyes at Merritt’s remark.

“Oh shut it, man,” Jack muttered, turning away from Merritt.

The exchange was humorous to you. Both Jack’s defensiveness and Merrit’s displeasure at Jack’s remarks was a sight to behold. You look away from the view outside the window and make eye contact with Jack. He still looks a little flustered, which was something you found almost cute.

“Hey,” Jack said, smiling.

“Hey,” You replied simply, turning fully to face Jack.

“We have some free time after we land, to y’know settle in and stuff before our show, if you want to-” Jack started, before you held up a finger to shush him.

“I’ll have to pass on that offer,” You quipped. Somewhere a couple rows ahead Merritt laughed.

“It’d be worth your while?” Jack offered. For a split second, you almost considered taking him up on that offer. You’d rather not dwell on the implications of that thought.

“Would it really though?” 

“You could find out for yourself.” You had to say, he always had an answer for everything. You scoffed.

“You’re shameless, Jack Wilder,” you replied, turning to look back out your window.

“Only when it comes to you,” He added, smirking. He got up to follow Danny to the front of the plane, but not before flashing you a smile.

Jack Wilder is the most ridiculous man you’ve ever met. Right?

4. THE CAR CHASE

Just like Vegas, New Orleans went off without a hitch. Tressler got robbed, the people got paid what they were due, and they escaped without a scratch. Until it didn’t. Until the Horsemen had rushed out back to New York, and were now back in that dusty apartment. The Feds were onto them, and closing in, so the Horsemen were scrambling, burning plans, and escaping before the cops could even touch them. Save for you and Jack Wilder, of course. Danny had agreed for you two to stay behind while they escaped from the apartment to discard all remaining evidence.

The two of you worked in tandem, chucking as much as you could into the fire before you heard the cops coming up the stairs. Jack made a beeline for the cabinet as you slipped behind the door. Two cops came through the door. One of them was Dylan Rhodes, the FBI agent who had been on your asses since the start, and some other man. They split up (their first mistake), and Jack trailed behind Dylan, while you followed the other agent into the kitchen. 

You came up behind the other agent, twisting his suit jacket around his arms and shoving it down into the garbage disposal, sucking him down into the sink. He thrashed and flailed, as you ducked his limbs and knocked him out with a frying pan that had clattered to the ground in the struggle. You heard a scuffle coming from the living room, and the familiar thwack of cards being flung through the air. Jack came rushing from the living room, and the two of you slid down the garbage chute, and crashed into the dumpster. Jack helped you up, and you both took off, Agent Rhodes hot on your tails.

After Jack unceremoniously bashed a federal officer's head in the door of the now-stolen cop car, you both made a clean-ish escape. As Jack sped down the streets at what you would consider dangerous speeds, sirens blared behind the two of you as he swerved onto a bridge.

“Y’know, the sunlight really brings out your eyes,” Jack mused, looking over at you from the driver's seat. Of course, not even running for your lives from the federal authorities could stop Jack from flirting with you.

“Jack, we just barely escaped with our lives intact,” You groaned. He could not have picked a worse time for this, how can one man be so dumb?

“No time like the present then?” He replied, shrugging as he looked at you hopefully.

“Just pay attention to the road Wilder!”

“Why look at the road when you’re right here-”

“Drive!”

Helicopters soared above you, cars were tailing you two, and adrenaline was rushing through your veins. Jack made the clean switch in front of the bus, which Merritt was driving, and you whipped your head back as you heard the faint boom of the decoy car go up in flames behind you on the bridge. You let your head fall back against the headrest of the seat, as you sighed in relief.

“Oh my god I thought we were dead…” You sighed, running a hand through your head.

“Do you have no faith in me?” Jack asked, mock-offended.

“Not what I said,” you responded, glancing at Jack.

“Hm. We should do that more often.” Jack remarked, smiling.

“Hell no.”

“Well, how about a drink sometime?” he asked you, seemingly delighted by his own antics. You however, were not so pleased.

“Was this really the best time to ask?” You replied, in disbelief.

“Well? Yes or no?” Jack asked expectantly. As if you were going to answer any differently than how you always answer him. At least he tried.

“No.”

“Worth a try,” Jack was full-on grinning now.

“You always say that,” you said dismissively. You looked out the window, watching cars pass you by as you sat in silence for a minute or two.

“I think you make it worth it,” Jack said. For some reason, that one didn’t feel like a joke. Maybe none of it was. Maybe that wouldn’t be the worst thing ever.

5. THE VAULT

You and Jack Wilder were now officially dead to the world. Figures. Now, two ghosts were breaking into a facility to steal a vault with some absurd amount of money, to frame some guy who makes DVD’s for a living. “All part of the plan,” the Eye says. Yeah right. After the Feds had taken off after a truck filled with balloon animals (Merritt’s genius plan, of course), you and Jack had snuck into the facility. It was an all-white room, it was unsettling. Empty. A mirror concealed the real vault, which means you guys had to take it down.

“You wanna do the honors?” Jack asked, holding out the sledgehammer. You stepped back, shaking your head.

“All you Jack.”

He didn’t waste a beat, swinging at the mirror and sending it crashing down into a million pieces at your feet. There, behind the mirror, stood the large vault. Jack grabbed his tools, and started cracking the safe. After all, nothing ever stays locked around Jack Wilder. Doors, safes, hearts.

“Breaking and entering, PLUS robbery? This is a great first date,” Jack said, looking back at you while his hands still worked on unlocking the vault.

“Not quite a date Jack, is the vault done yet?” You asked, exasperated. Yet, you still were smiling. He had that effect on you.

“Relax, these things take time. And you said quite.” Jack was smiling ear-to-ear, his eyes twinkling with that glimmer of mischief that you loved so dearly in him.

“This would hardly be my choice of scenery for a date,” You replied, looking around the blank white room. You sat down on the ground, watching him work. It was like an art, hypnotising in a way. Everything Jack Wilder did had a certain grace to it, this special kind of magic that he carried with him every day of his life. 

“Yeah? What would your ideal scenery look like?” He seemed genuinely curious, but it was fairly well masked behind his typical witty demeanor.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” You retorted, waiting for him to finish dealing with the vault.

“I would in fact like to know, that’s why I asked,” he said, very matter-of-factly.

“Smartass.”

“Love you too,” Jack smiled, turning back towards you as the vault swung open with a clang.

You felt your cheeks warm at his statement, and your stomach twisted in a weird way. But you also felt happy? Or like you were floating, perhaps. Regardless, they were all feelings you didn’t feel like addressing in this current moment. The two of you had much larger issues at hand.

“Shut up. And we need to get this packed up and take it to the rendezvous point.” You said bluntly, getting up from the floor.

“Alright, yes ma’am.” Jack replied, mock-saluting before starting to load everything up. He left the conversation at that, but he pretended not to notice the fact that you seemed flustered. He was fairly proud of himself, but his mind kept wandering back to your conversation about dates. He shouldn’t get his hopes up, but a man could dream still.

6. THE PARK

Central Park was dark around this time. Somewhere in New York, the other three had jumped off a roof and were now on their way to you and Jack, who were patiently waiting for their arrival. For a while, the two of you sat in a comfortable silence. Waiting. Of course, neither of you are good at staying quiet, so one of you was bound to break the silence eventually. This time, it was you.

“What if we did all this for nothing?”

“We didn’t.” Jack said, as if it was a fact.

“Can you just humor me for a second?” You said, casting an annoyed glare at the man sitting next to you.

“Honestly? We’ll probably go to jail or something.”

“That’s not good,” you muttered, picking at small pieces of moss growing on the benches.

“Nothing gets past you huh?” Jack looked over at you, smirking.

“Hey, we had fun though.” You shrugged, looking back at him.

“Yeah, it was fun…” Jack said, staring at you. The two of you sat like that for a minute. Staring at each other, in silence. Your legs were touching on the bench, but neither of you dared to move away. The moment was interrupted by the sound of ratting near the gates. The two of you sprang apart, looking up. It was Danny, Henley and Merritt.

“It’s locked,” Henley said, her voice somewhat muffled by the distance.

“Don’t you remember, nothin’s ever locked.” Jack remarked, walking over to the gate and picking the lock open, letting the gate swing wide.

“Jack!” Henley said, hugging him then you. Even Merriitt joined in. Not Danny of course, he kept his distance, settling for a small wave instead. As the group all walked through Central Park, looking for whatever it is you all were sent here for, you and Jack trailed behind the rest of the group. 

“When this is all over do you think-” Jack started, before you started speaking.

“Jack, no-” You cut him off, but he spoke up again.

“You don’t even know what I was going to ask!” Jack protested, trying to defend his case.

“Oh, my apologies, please continue.”

“Well I was going to ask if you wanted to catch dinner with me after all of this.” You had to restrain yourself from rolling your eyes. God, he was predictable.

 “Why do you keep asking when I always say no?”

“Because one day you could say yes. And you haven’t said no yet.” 

“Aren’t you observant?” You said sarcastically.

“Is that a yes?” Jack asked, hopefully.

“No.” You replied bluntly. His words brought a grin to your face though, no matter how much you tried to hide it.

The two of you are snapped out of conversation, when Danny calls everyone over to the Lionel Shrike tree. All of you dig out your original tarot cards, and flip them on top of each other. They all merge into one transparent card, and form the ornate eye design you’ve seen countless times.

This is it, you think.

Somewhere in the distance, a carousel turns on. The lights shine through the cover of the trees, and the upbeat music breaks through the silence of the park. All five of you head towards the carousel, but as you all round the corner, you’re met with the face of Agent Rhodes, the man who’s been hunting you down from the start.

He’s behind this?

Danny goes on some tangent about “being the smartest in the room”, Merritt immediately asserts his “unshakeable” faith in the Eye, and Henley’s in plain shock, as are you.

“I’m so sorry for kicking your ass, man,” Jack says, apologetic, before you smack his arm.

“What was that for?” He hisses, before you shoot him a glare that screams “shush, Jack, let’s hear what he has to say."

“Congratulations guys, it was me. You finally made it,” Dylan Rhodes starts, before leading you all over to the carousel. “Welcome, to the Eye.”

There, it was just like the first time you all met, in that dusty apartment. All eyes filled with wonder as the carousel spun round, and round. Dylan hopped on, disappearing around the corner as it spun. Danny and Henley looked to each other, before they clasped hands, and hopped onto the carousel together. Merritt leaps over the barrier and climbs on, following closely after. Finally, it’s just you and Jack. You both look at each other, and you grab his hand first. You drag him with you onto the carousel. You couldn’t tell right now, but his heart’s going a mile a minute right now.

As the carousel spins, you look over at him. Jack Wilder truly was magical. You two have been through a lot together through the year. But looking at him now, you finally figured out one thing. From that very first day at that dingy apartment, with his corny attempts at flirting, to faking your guys' deaths, and everything that had happened in between, there was no one you’d rather do it all with. 

So you asked him, “Hey, you still want to get dinner after this?” 

“Are you serious?” Jack asked, in bewilderment.

“Absolutely.” You replied, squeezing his hand a little bit tighter.