Frozen Heart
Chapter 18
“Are you sure you’ll be alright?”
Levy smiled reassuringly in the face of Jack’s worries, gently taking hold of her covered wrists to stop the girl’s anxious bobbing.
“I’ll be fine, Jack. Me and Lucy are just going to get some groceries since Natsu and Happy have eaten everything. We’ll be back in a couple hours.”
Jack could not help but pout, though she nodded anyway.
“Okay…”
Levy giggled, giving one last squeeze before releasing the floating girl’s wrists and joining Lucy by the guild doors.
Managing a smile, the winter-girl waved as they left, the wind slowly setting her down outside of the guild hall.
With a sigh, she leaned on her staff, dark thoughts wiping away the weak smile on her face.
Be safe…
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The park was wonderfully empty that day, a perfect place for Jack to sulk and hopefully forget her troubles for a few hours.
Stretching out in the sunlight like a cat, staff held in a loose-fingered grip on the grass beside her, she watched the clouds crawl past.
Snowman, snow angel, snowflake…
Lazily picking out shapes in the white fluff, Jack started to doze, mind finally starting to relax.
Book, flower…
Dragon…
A movement in her periphery caught Jack’s attention at that moment, and she turned her head to see what it was.
Nothing.
Suspicious, Jack rolled back onto her feet in a crouch, grip tightening on her staff.
The grass crunched under her bare feet as she moved, brittle from the frost that always bloomed at her touch, though Jack ignored it.
“Hey.”
Whipping around, she almost let loose a blast-
Jack paused at the familiar red eyes and pierced face, blinking once to be sure it was not a trick of her mind before relaxing.
“You should be more careful, Snowie.”
Jolted out of her confusion by his voice, and refusing to show how the sound made her inside quiver, the winter-girl frowned.
“I’m plenty careful! You’d be the one frozen to a tree if I hadn’t recognized you!”
“Whatever…” He scoffed, as if the thought was ridiculous, but both of them knew it was true. “You should be more worried about Blondie.”
That gave Jack pause, especially once she noticed the guild mark on his right shoulder.
“What are they planning?”
Gajeel had intended on not answering, on just turning around and leaving now that his warning was given, but there was a fierceness in those eyes that gave him pause.
“…Blondie’s the target.” He admitted, forcing himself to look away. “But she’s just an excuse for Master Jose to get rid of Fairy Tail.”
“Blondie…” Jack muttered, running through her mind every member of the guild to figure out who…
Her heart clenched in dread as she realized the situation.
Because the only blonde in the guild right now was Lucy, who had been sticking close to Erza and Natsu and Grey, who was now all alone with-
Gajeel had never seen anyone move so quickly.
In a burst of wind, she was gone, little more than a blur as she rocketed off the ground and into the sky.
He could only stare at where she had been, bright and clear against the green, and remember the absolute terror that had filled those blue eyes as she put the pieces together.
Damn it…
Gajeel growled, forcing himself to look away.
All he wanted in that moment was to see her smile again.
Levy smiled reassuringly in the face of Jack’s worries, gently taking hold of her covered wrists to stop the girl’s anxious bobbing.
“I’ll be fine, Jack. Me and Lucy are just going to get some groceries since Natsu and Happy have eaten everything. We’ll be back in a couple hours.”
Jack could not help but pout, though she nodded anyway.
“Okay…”
Levy giggled, giving one last squeeze before releasing the floating girl’s wrists and joining Lucy by the guild doors.
Managing a smile, the winter-girl waved as they left, the wind slowly setting her down outside of the guild hall.
With a sigh, she leaned on her staff, dark thoughts wiping away the weak smile on her face.
Be safe…
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The park was wonderfully empty that day, a perfect place for Jack to sulk and hopefully forget her troubles for a few hours.
Stretching out in the sunlight like a cat, staff held in a loose-fingered grip on the grass beside her, she watched the clouds crawl past.
Snowman, snow angel, snowflake…
Lazily picking out shapes in the white fluff, Jack started to doze, mind finally starting to relax.
Book, flower…
Dragon…
A movement in her periphery caught Jack’s attention at that moment, and she turned her head to see what it was.
Nothing.
Suspicious, Jack rolled back onto her feet in a crouch, grip tightening on her staff.
The grass crunched under her bare feet as she moved, brittle from the frost that always bloomed at her touch, though Jack ignored it.
“Hey.”
Whipping around, she almost let loose a blast-
Jack paused at the familiar red eyes and pierced face, blinking once to be sure it was not a trick of her mind before relaxing.
“You should be more careful, Snowie.”
Jolted out of her confusion by his voice, and refusing to show how the sound made her inside quiver, the winter-girl frowned.
“I’m plenty careful! You’d be the one frozen to a tree if I hadn’t recognized you!”
“Whatever…” He scoffed, as if the thought was ridiculous, but both of them knew it was true. “You should be more worried about Blondie.”
That gave Jack pause, especially once she noticed the guild mark on his right shoulder.
“What are they planning?”
Gajeel had intended on not answering, on just turning around and leaving now that his warning was given, but there was a fierceness in those eyes that gave him pause.
“…Blondie’s the target.” He admitted, forcing himself to look away. “But she’s just an excuse for Master Jose to get rid of Fairy Tail.”
“Blondie…” Jack muttered, running through her mind every member of the guild to figure out who…
Her heart clenched in dread as she realized the situation.
Because the only blonde in the guild right now was Lucy, who had been sticking close to Erza and Natsu and Grey, who was now all alone with-
Gajeel had never seen anyone move so quickly.
In a burst of wind, she was gone, little more than a blur as she rocketed off the ground and into the sky.
He could only stare at where she had been, bright and clear against the green, and remember the absolute terror that had filled those blue eyes as she put the pieces together.
Damn it…
Gajeel growled, forcing himself to look away.
All he wanted in that moment was to see her smile again.