Frozen Heart
Chapter 62
Something was wrong.
Lifting her head to check the clock, book still open to the same page as earlier that evening, Levy bit her lip bright red out of nerves.
Gajeel had been pacing restlessly for the last hour, growling under his breath with every stomp across the wooden floor.
The empty hammock-nest and undisturbed kitchen were like blaring sirens in his ears.
Levy almost leapt out of her skin when the wind suddenly shrieked, rattling the window frames in a thunderous racket that made Gajeel flinch.
“What the-?”
The window jerked open, letting in a swirl of icy air as a figure tumbled through onto the couch in a heap.
Levy squeaked at the splatter of something cold on her skin, hazel eyes widening as she realized what it was.
“Jack!”
Said winter guardian groaned, almost every inch of her covered in purplish-red blood, hissing as Gajeel picked her up in a rush.
“Snowie! What happened?”
“Just a scuffle…” She muttered, leaning into his hold with a strained huff, the three gashes stretched across her cheek pulling at her attempted smile. “It actually went pretty well.”
Jaw clenched tight to keep from roaring, Gajeel placed her on the kitchen counter as Levy rushed into the bathroom for a heavy-duty First Aid kit, pale as a ghost.
“Really, I’m fine.” Jack insisted, pressing down on the torn fabric of her right sleeve to stem the bleeding as Gajeel put a rag in the sink to soak. “I just needed to get out of the open, that’s all.”
A part of him, mostly subdued in the face of her injuries, purred at the idea that Jack felt safest here, in his home, out of everywhere else in the world.
Shoving that feeling down, the Iron Dragon Slayer glared.
“Yer bleeding all over the counter. How is that fine?”
Blinking tiredly, the winter-girl looked down at the puddles of her own melting blood on the tiled counter.
“Huh. Guess I am.”
It was as if this was a regular occurrence, being attacked and bleeding out all over the place, and the mere notion brought an echo of Gajeel’s true growl out.
Stumbling under the weight of the kit, Levy rushed back into the room, dropping the large white suitcase on the couch so she could dig through for supplies.
With a relieved little sound, the Script mage pulled out bandages and alcohol, bustling over as she tried to scan for more injuries.
“You need to take your shirt off, Jack.” She noted, wetting a swatch with the strong-smelling liquid. “I need to see.”
Suddenly, Jack was anything but apathetic.
Jerking back, blue eyes wide in alarm, she accidentally dropped the room’s temperature so far Levy’s breath misted and frost formed on Gajeel’s piercings.
“NO!”
Neither mage had been expecting such a strong reaction; Levy stumbled back a step, wide-eyed, and Gajeel stiffened at the strong echo in his sensitive ears.
“I-I mean, I’m fine.” Jack stuttered, back pressed tight against the wall and legs curled protectively close. “I’ve had way worse and not even gotten a scar. You shouldn’t waste supplies on something like this.”
Protective instincts fully engaged, Gajeel ignored her protests and pulled the winter-girl out of her blood-spattered corner, a growl quieting whatever words Levy was about to use.
“Shut up and stay still.”
“Wait, Gajeel, don’t-!”
But the Iron Dragon Slayer had already grabbed her torn shirt with one hand, tearing the weakened fabric with a swift yank to reveal the skin underneath.
Levy could only stare, dumbfounded.
Black marks curved like hooks over almost every inch of chocolaty skin, a lacework of barbed wire over her stomach that disappeared under the bindings holding her breasts before branching across her collarbones and shoulders to twist down her arms.
Hunching into herself as if to hide, Jack accidentally revealed that the marks traveled beneath the waist of her pants and over the curve of her shoulders, like scorches.
Gajeel fell quiet, knowing that these were not something as harmless as a tattoo.
Even slashed as they were, smeared with crackling ice-blood, he knew what this was.
“Snowie…”
“Don’t.” She snapped, pulling away. “Just…Just don’t.”
Ice flashed in her eyes now instead of snowflakes, every muscle thrumming with nervous energy as Jack curled defensively around her middle, as if to protect her belly and throat.
Damn it, but the thought that others had found out about this, had attacked and hurt her for this who knew how many times…
Gajeel bit back a snarl, bristling like the enraged dragon he was.
A movement in his peripheral distracted him from thoughts of violence, focusing on Levy as she approached the Winter Spirit, lower lip held firmly between her teeth.
“Jack…”
That sharp gaze turned on the smaller mage instantly, watching her as if waiting for a blow.
Swallowing down the sob that wanted to escape, she continued forward, never looking away from those piercing eyes.
The winter-girl went utterly still as Levy reached forward, pupils contracting-
A moist strip of bandage gently touched the leaking cuts on her cheek, a quick intake of breath causing those dark pupils to dilate in surprise as the Solid Script mage smiled, small and sad and just a little shaky around the edges.
“It’s okay.”
For a long moment, Jack did not even breathe, staring back into those big hazel eyes…
The mask of anger cracked, an aborted sob shattering the quiet as she choked, blue irises liquid and dark with old pain.
Gajeel could only watch as the tiny bookworm carefully cleaned away the blood and tears, fists clenched so tight his palms bled where nails had pierced skin.
Neither girl noticed the Dragon Slayer was gone for a long time.
Lifting her head to check the clock, book still open to the same page as earlier that evening, Levy bit her lip bright red out of nerves.
Gajeel had been pacing restlessly for the last hour, growling under his breath with every stomp across the wooden floor.
The empty hammock-nest and undisturbed kitchen were like blaring sirens in his ears.
Levy almost leapt out of her skin when the wind suddenly shrieked, rattling the window frames in a thunderous racket that made Gajeel flinch.
“What the-?”
The window jerked open, letting in a swirl of icy air as a figure tumbled through onto the couch in a heap.
Levy squeaked at the splatter of something cold on her skin, hazel eyes widening as she realized what it was.
“Jack!”
Said winter guardian groaned, almost every inch of her covered in purplish-red blood, hissing as Gajeel picked her up in a rush.
“Snowie! What happened?”
“Just a scuffle…” She muttered, leaning into his hold with a strained huff, the three gashes stretched across her cheek pulling at her attempted smile. “It actually went pretty well.”
Jaw clenched tight to keep from roaring, Gajeel placed her on the kitchen counter as Levy rushed into the bathroom for a heavy-duty First Aid kit, pale as a ghost.
“Really, I’m fine.” Jack insisted, pressing down on the torn fabric of her right sleeve to stem the bleeding as Gajeel put a rag in the sink to soak. “I just needed to get out of the open, that’s all.”
A part of him, mostly subdued in the face of her injuries, purred at the idea that Jack felt safest here, in his home, out of everywhere else in the world.
Shoving that feeling down, the Iron Dragon Slayer glared.
“Yer bleeding all over the counter. How is that fine?”
Blinking tiredly, the winter-girl looked down at the puddles of her own melting blood on the tiled counter.
“Huh. Guess I am.”
It was as if this was a regular occurrence, being attacked and bleeding out all over the place, and the mere notion brought an echo of Gajeel’s true growl out.
Stumbling under the weight of the kit, Levy rushed back into the room, dropping the large white suitcase on the couch so she could dig through for supplies.
With a relieved little sound, the Script mage pulled out bandages and alcohol, bustling over as she tried to scan for more injuries.
“You need to take your shirt off, Jack.” She noted, wetting a swatch with the strong-smelling liquid. “I need to see.”
Suddenly, Jack was anything but apathetic.
Jerking back, blue eyes wide in alarm, she accidentally dropped the room’s temperature so far Levy’s breath misted and frost formed on Gajeel’s piercings.
“NO!”
Neither mage had been expecting such a strong reaction; Levy stumbled back a step, wide-eyed, and Gajeel stiffened at the strong echo in his sensitive ears.
“I-I mean, I’m fine.” Jack stuttered, back pressed tight against the wall and legs curled protectively close. “I’ve had way worse and not even gotten a scar. You shouldn’t waste supplies on something like this.”
Protective instincts fully engaged, Gajeel ignored her protests and pulled the winter-girl out of her blood-spattered corner, a growl quieting whatever words Levy was about to use.
“Shut up and stay still.”
“Wait, Gajeel, don’t-!”
But the Iron Dragon Slayer had already grabbed her torn shirt with one hand, tearing the weakened fabric with a swift yank to reveal the skin underneath.
Levy could only stare, dumbfounded.
Black marks curved like hooks over almost every inch of chocolaty skin, a lacework of barbed wire over her stomach that disappeared under the bindings holding her breasts before branching across her collarbones and shoulders to twist down her arms.
Hunching into herself as if to hide, Jack accidentally revealed that the marks traveled beneath the waist of her pants and over the curve of her shoulders, like scorches.
Gajeel fell quiet, knowing that these were not something as harmless as a tattoo.
Even slashed as they were, smeared with crackling ice-blood, he knew what this was.
“Snowie…”
“Don’t.” She snapped, pulling away. “Just…Just don’t.”
Ice flashed in her eyes now instead of snowflakes, every muscle thrumming with nervous energy as Jack curled defensively around her middle, as if to protect her belly and throat.
Damn it, but the thought that others had found out about this, had attacked and hurt her for this who knew how many times…
Gajeel bit back a snarl, bristling like the enraged dragon he was.
A movement in his peripheral distracted him from thoughts of violence, focusing on Levy as she approached the Winter Spirit, lower lip held firmly between her teeth.
“Jack…”
That sharp gaze turned on the smaller mage instantly, watching her as if waiting for a blow.
Swallowing down the sob that wanted to escape, she continued forward, never looking away from those piercing eyes.
The winter-girl went utterly still as Levy reached forward, pupils contracting-
A moist strip of bandage gently touched the leaking cuts on her cheek, a quick intake of breath causing those dark pupils to dilate in surprise as the Solid Script mage smiled, small and sad and just a little shaky around the edges.
“It’s okay.”
For a long moment, Jack did not even breathe, staring back into those big hazel eyes…
The mask of anger cracked, an aborted sob shattering the quiet as she choked, blue irises liquid and dark with old pain.
Gajeel could only watch as the tiny bookworm carefully cleaned away the blood and tears, fists clenched so tight his palms bled where nails had pierced skin.
Neither girl noticed the Dragon Slayer was gone for a long time.