Frostbound

Chapter ten

The morning was quiet, the world outside wrapped in a thick blanket of snow. 

Moonlight still lingered faintly, casting a silvery glow through the frost-etched windows of Eve's cottage. 

Jack sat on the edge of the bed, watching her sleep, his usually mischievous expression softened into something almost reverent.

Her caramel-toned skin caught the faint light, warm and glowing against the pale sheets. The contrast made him smile, a lazy, crooked grin tugging at his lips.

He traced the air above her face with an idle finger, never daring to touch, his magic sparking faintly as if trying to mirror her warmth.

"Perfect," he whispered, his voice so low it melted into the hush of the room.

Eve stirred slightly, her lashes fluttering before settling back into the stillness of deep sleep. 

Jack chuckled softly, leaning closer to take in the details of her—how the curve of her cheek met the slope of her nose, the faint sprinkle of freckles he hadn't noticed before, the soft parting of her lips.

"You're trouble," he murmured playfully, brushing a stray curl away from her forehead. "Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to look like that? Even when you're unconscious, you're a menace."

He leaned back, his icy fingers tapping thoughtfully on his knee. "I could freeze the whole world," he mused aloud. "But you? You're the one who leaves me breathless."

Eve shifted again, her arm sliding out from under the covers, and Jack caught himself grinning at how small her hand looked against the oversized fabric of the blanket. 

He debated waking her, just to tease her about how peaceful she seemed now compared to her usual fiery glares. 

But something in him couldn't bring himself to break the moment.

Instead, he let the magic in his fingertips work gently, forming a tiny snowflake on the edge of the nightstand. He leaned over to place it next to her, delicate and glistening, like a silent token of his awe.

As the snowflake shimmered in the pale light, Eve let out a sleepy sigh, her brows knitting slightly before her eyes fluttered open. 

She caught sight of Jack and frowned, her voice groggy but unmistakably irritated.

"Do you just sit there and stare at me while I sleep?" she muttered, her tone half-annoyed, half-amused.

Jack smirked, his blue eyes gleaming with mischief. "Oh, absolutely. I've been here for hours, plotting my next move. It's very villainous of me."

Eve rolled her eyes, sitting up and tugging the blanket around her shoulders. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"And yet," he said, leaning forward with a grin, "here I am. Admired, adored, tolerated in your presence."

She let out a huff, but the faint smile tugging at her lips betrayed her. "What are you even doing here, Jack?"

He tilted his head, his expression softening. "Just...admiring the view," he said, his voice quieter now, though the teasing edge lingered. "You have no idea how radiant you look when you're not scowling at me."

Eve blushed faintly, quickly covering it with a sarcastic retort. "And you have no idea how creepy you sound right now."

Jack laughed, the sound light and boyish, making her chest ache with a strange kind of warmth.

He reached out to tuck the blanket more securely around her shoulders, the faint chill of his fingers lingering against her skin for a brief moment.

"Go back to sleep," he said softly, his gaze lingering on hers. "I'll stick around and make sure no snow gremlins bother you."