Bows, Apples, & Roses

~ 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚂𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗 ~

Jacks stalked down the hallway and threw open the door to his room. He quickly crossed it to the dark red curtains that led off to a balcony and shoved them aside, stepping out, needing fresh air.

He ran his hand through his hair over and over and paced under the dimming sky.

Why. Why tonight? Why now? Why her?

He desperately wanted answers, but knew the only way he'd get them was by allowing the memories to return.

Flashes of them tangled up in the snow haunted him; the way her eyes looked into his soul under snowflaked eyelashes, and how despite it being a freezing atmosphere she warmed his frozen heart. He rolled his eyes at how cliché it sounded but all of it was true.

The night he met her was so prominent that he had spent every day, after the memory's of her were whisked away, knowing that something was missing. And now it felt like a piece of him was brought back- the heartless Prince of Hearts felt something towards her.

It was frustrating. He hated the way she consumed him.

The Forgotten Fate, The Jade Goddess, Ariaellis Sage, Aria. All the same person that had infected his mind.

What started out as simply using her to get to Legend became so much more.

Jacks leaned on the balcony's railing and took a deep breath. He would need to be calm to figure out a solution.

I could always make a deal with the Temple of Stars and forget her again.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind he remembered their witty banters, her face when she attempted to not be irritated by his comments, how she does anything to get her way, the saucy smirks she graces him with every insult-

No.

For now, Jacks would let her sleep. If she was going to be of any use to him she needed to have the strength to bring Legend to him.

But now, Legend almost didn't matter... Almost. Jacks was still a Fate who wanted his powers fully back, and almost nothing could get in the way of that.

He looked out at the lowering sun, the sky being painted in deep shades of purple and blue, and shook his head.

I wish we'd never met.

But deep down, he knew that wasn't true.

~~

She was awake, he could feel it.

Jacks continued to pour over the maps scattering his desk as he listened to Aria waking up. She sleepily sat up, stretching her arms above her head and pulling the ribbon that had tied back her hair causing waterfalls of curls to fall down her back. Glorious is what he would call her, if he wasn't so desperately trying to pretend he didn't care.

"Goodmorning," Jacks lazily calls to her, despite it being almost midnight. "about time you woke up"

He himself hadn't gotten any sleep since the night before and the lines beneath his eyes showed that.

"I feel dead." She says bluntly.

A smile dares to lift his lips but his expression remains neutral.

"Get up. You have work to do." His eyes haven't left the papers in front of him since watching her wake up, but he knew that she looked irritated. She was probably glowering, her lips set in a firm line, and thinking of the different ways she could use her powers to strangle him, her ribbon twisting around and around her fingers.