Love or Life

Chapter 6

How much time passed Tooth could not determine for sure. Spending time with Jack made her feel as if the world all around them was frozen still. That only the two of them existed. Eventually Manny reminded her that he was soon to depart and the sun would arrive. She had been away from the Tooth Palace longer than she ever had before. She looked down at their entwined hands and felt at familiar reluctance to let go. Eventually her logic won out and she stood up, gently pulling him with her so they stood upon the tree branch that the presently shared.

"I should go. Even though I don't want to. It's an unusual feeling, really. I enjoy being at the Tooth Palace and my fairies of course. But being with you is enjoyable too in a different way." She voiced as she began to ramble out of her usual nervous and excited well being.

She took a soothing breath and hovered so she could wrap her arms around him in a tight hug. "Farewell Jack. I hope we spend time together soon. How about you come to the Tooth Palace when you are ready and we'll go on a Memory Restoration assignment?" she offered, knowing he hadn't been on one in a while and those were always enjoyable

. . .

Nights always passed quicker in the presence of someone else. Tooth's warm touch was something the night had never given him before, and almost as quickly as they had appeared, Manny and his glowing cannopy of stars were beginning to fade. Jack didn't want her to leave. He felt at peace. It was a serenity he didn't experience often and he wanted it to last, but he understood Tooth had duties to attend to. He allowed her to pull them both to their feet, his pale toes curling around the branch and causing elegant swirls of ice to flourish beneath his feet.

"I understand," he responded gently, blinking down at her with a warm blue gaze. The lake beneath the tree was silent but he could see their reflections rippling in the water when the breeze picked up.

The moon watched silently as Tooth hugged him. Jack was rather taken aback. Physical contact, although welcome, was still rather foreign to him, but Tooth made it easy for him to relax into her embrace. Her feathers were soft and as he allowed his arms to slip around her he found himself wanting that warmth forever.

"I'd like that," he responded softly, smiling knowing that there would be more shared nights between them to come. He pulled away from the hug after a few moments, immediately feeling the heat of the embrace trickle away in the night air. Jack had never particularly been fond of warmth, but this kind was different.

He slipped his hands into his pockets and gripped his staff, prepared to take off. But before he did, he felt a single drop of rain fall onto his head. He blinked in surprise and looked around as the sound of water hitting the ground beneath them filled his ears, drumming on the trees and hitting the surface of the lake in rhythmic patterns that he could slowly hear speeding up. Light rain never bothered him, but he could tell this bout was going to be heavy.

He tiredly rubbed the side of his face, pulling up his hood. The rain grew heavier with every passing breath. Manny sure knew how to kill the mood.

"This will be heavy," he informed her, knitting his brows together. "Can you fly in this?" He queried, tilting his head to one side as he blinked at the fairy beside him in concern. He had trouble getting around in heavy rain and could imagine she struggled too.

. . .

"I can try." Tooth answered Jack with uncertainty in her voice as she took to the sky in rapid wing flight. With each passing second the fall of rain turned into a vengeful downpour.

Tooth barely made it to the middle of the nearby city before she had to touch down onto the ground; or risk damaging herself or her wings. Humans had already taken shelter from the storm. Not that anyone accept a child would see her, so there wasn't much to worry about in regards to that. Standing under the sheltered area of the entrance building to an human entertainment building of some sort, she managed to at least no longer be plighted by the falling rain.