𝐋𝐎𝐌𝐋², jack champion

042, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭

042, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭
irl
(brief mention of blood, minor
injury!!

song for this chapter is also
'come out and play' — billie
eilish)

THIRD PERSON +
december 10, 2024

It felt strange having her hand in his again, and Juniper couldn't help but wonder if Jack's heart was pounding as fiercely as hers. The air around them seemed to crackle with an old, familiar energy, one that tugged at memories she thought she'd buried.

As the rink cleared out a bit, Juniper found herself easing into the motion of skating, her balance returning as her legs fell into rhythm. She'd forgotten just how much she loved it—the freedom, the gliding, the subtle challenge of keeping steady. But the nerves lingered, both from the skating and from Jack's presence. She wasn't sure if she was more worried about falling on the ice or tripping over her emotions.

She tugged her scarf a little tighter, trying to shield her face from any wandering eyes. The last thing she wanted was for fans or paparazzi to recognize her, especially while she was with Jack. That would just stir up a storm of headlines, and she didn't want their tentative peace shattered by media scrutiny.

Lost in her thoughts, Juniper let her gaze drift to Jack, watching the way he skated ahead, so effortlessly. He'd always been so comfortable here, so free on the ice. She was so absorbed in admiring him that she didn't notice the skater coming up fast in her direction. She barely had time to register what was happening before—

Crash.

The impact jolted her, and the next thing she knew, she was on the cold, hard ice, her hands instinctively planted to catch her fall. A sharp, stinging sensation seared through her palms as she realized she'd scraped them, blood already welling up from the rough contact with the ice.

Jack turned sharply at the sound of the collision, his expression shifting from calm to alarm in an instant. Seeing her crumpled on the ice with a stranger hovering above her, apologising profusely, Jack felt a surge of protective instinct. He skated over to her as fast as he could, worry etched across his face.

The guy who had crashed into her continued to stammer apologies, but Jack barely registered his words as he knelt down beside her. He cupped her face in his hands, his gloved thumbs brushing her cheeks as he scanned her for any other injuries. "Are you okay? Juniper, are you hurt?"

Seeing the concern in his eyes made Juniper's heart skip. She couldn't remember the last time he'd looked at her like that. She gave him a small smile, wincing at the pain in her hands. "I'm fine, really. Just... caught off guard."

Jack's gaze dropped to her hands, and his jaw tightened as he took in the sight of the burgundy fluid against her pale skin. He shot a sharp glare at the guy who'd crashed into her, who looked both terrified and apologetic. The man fumbled over more apologies, offering to help her up, but Jack had already stepped in, steadying her as she rose.

Juniper gave the guy a reassuring smile, trying to defuse the tension. "It's really okay, it was probably my fault for spacing out." The man nodded, giving her a sheepish smile before hurrying away, no doubt cowed by the intensity of Jack's glare.

When they were alone again, Jack turned back to her, frowning at the blood on her hands. "Shit, this needs to be cleaned up," he muttered, his voice tight with worry.