Frozen Heart
Chapter 81
With Jack no longer teetering on the edge of depression and the short funeral completed, the group came together to make a new plan of attack.
“Easter’s tomorrow.” Bunny reminded them, straightening up like a general about to command his troops. “We’ve gotta make sure it goes without a hitch, an’ that’ll get the anklebiters’ believin’ again.”
“My girls are still collecting the teeth.” Tooth reported, cooing over her tired helpers as they zipped in and out of the skylight. “But there’s just so many…”
“Hey, we can do this.” Jack Frost insisted, staff laid over his shoulders in feigned nonchalance. “Paint a few eggs, hide them under some trees…How hard could it be?”
Jack shook her head, amused at the glare Bunny sent his way, arms crossed over the heavy tears in her shirt.
“If that’s the plan, we need to head out now.”
Head tilting just so, Baby Tooth once again perched in her hair, she smiled up at Gajeel.
“You wanna join us?”
“Nah, painting eggs ain’t my thing.” He replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “Better get back to help the others out, anyway. Salamander is probably trying to burn the city down by now.”
Jack giggled, nodding in agreement.
“Yeah, probably.”
Smiling toothily at the sound, Gajeel eyed her tattered shirt and torn pants, thoughts turning over in his mind…
“Here.”
Jack blinked as metal-studded fabric fell over her shoulders, looking up at Gajeel in surprise at the realization that it was his coat and he was now bare-chested, apparently untroubled by the scars that marked his chiseled abdomen or pectorals.
“Don’t wanna flaunt those too much, do ya?” He teased, gaze pointedly aimed downward, and Jack flushed frost as she pulled the cloth closed over the visible skin of her breasts.
“Gajeel!”
Letting out his signature laugh, said Dragon Slayer placed a gloved hand on her hair, subconsciously threading his fingers in the snow-soft strands.
“Kick that Pitch bastard’s ass, Snowie.”
Jack smiled snow-glare bright, the white fabric of her gloves gentle where they pressed against his chest.
“…Be careful, Gajeel.” She whispered, shadows playing in her eyes behind the snowflakes.
“Long as you are.” He assured, nodding once to the little fairy before reluctantly releasing his hold.
North cleared his throat, a twinkle in his eyes that was part mischief and part wonder, holding out a snow globe.
“Say destination and smash.” He instructed, handing it over to the confused Dragon Slayer. “Then just jump through portal, da?”
Sharing a bemused look with an equally-amused Jack, Gajeel shrugged, shaking the globe experimentally with a necessary grumble.
“Friggin’ Spirits, never make any sense…”
The winter guardian could only laugh at the look on his face once the portal opened.
“You were saying?”
“Easter’s tomorrow.” Bunny reminded them, straightening up like a general about to command his troops. “We’ve gotta make sure it goes without a hitch, an’ that’ll get the anklebiters’ believin’ again.”
“My girls are still collecting the teeth.” Tooth reported, cooing over her tired helpers as they zipped in and out of the skylight. “But there’s just so many…”
“Hey, we can do this.” Jack Frost insisted, staff laid over his shoulders in feigned nonchalance. “Paint a few eggs, hide them under some trees…How hard could it be?”
Jack shook her head, amused at the glare Bunny sent his way, arms crossed over the heavy tears in her shirt.
“If that’s the plan, we need to head out now.”
Head tilting just so, Baby Tooth once again perched in her hair, she smiled up at Gajeel.
“You wanna join us?”
“Nah, painting eggs ain’t my thing.” He replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “Better get back to help the others out, anyway. Salamander is probably trying to burn the city down by now.”
Jack giggled, nodding in agreement.
“Yeah, probably.”
Smiling toothily at the sound, Gajeel eyed her tattered shirt and torn pants, thoughts turning over in his mind…
“Here.”
Jack blinked as metal-studded fabric fell over her shoulders, looking up at Gajeel in surprise at the realization that it was his coat and he was now bare-chested, apparently untroubled by the scars that marked his chiseled abdomen or pectorals.
“Don’t wanna flaunt those too much, do ya?” He teased, gaze pointedly aimed downward, and Jack flushed frost as she pulled the cloth closed over the visible skin of her breasts.
“Gajeel!”
Letting out his signature laugh, said Dragon Slayer placed a gloved hand on her hair, subconsciously threading his fingers in the snow-soft strands.
“Kick that Pitch bastard’s ass, Snowie.”
Jack smiled snow-glare bright, the white fabric of her gloves gentle where they pressed against his chest.
“…Be careful, Gajeel.” She whispered, shadows playing in her eyes behind the snowflakes.
“Long as you are.” He assured, nodding once to the little fairy before reluctantly releasing his hold.
North cleared his throat, a twinkle in his eyes that was part mischief and part wonder, holding out a snow globe.
“Say destination and smash.” He instructed, handing it over to the confused Dragon Slayer. “Then just jump through portal, da?”
Sharing a bemused look with an equally-amused Jack, Gajeel shrugged, shaking the globe experimentally with a necessary grumble.
“Friggin’ Spirits, never make any sense…”
The winter guardian could only laugh at the look on his face once the portal opened.
“You were saying?”