When Jack had first seen her, she had been bathed in moonlight and blood. Her eyes had been unfixing on anything and stone cold. Her chin had been held high in defiance. Her expression had been as calm as still water. Her stiletto had been gleaming in her hand drenched with gore. Her first kill had lay motionless under her boot.
Beautiful had been too much an understatement a word for her in such a state.
Too entranced Jack had been, he had gasped when he should have been completely silent. Of course, the stunning platinum blonde had whipped her head toward him. For a moment their eyes had locked, Jack unsure what to do and Elsa scrutinizing the newcomer.
"Hi," Jack had managed to say meekly. Elsa hadn't responded and continued to regard him coolly. "Uhm, the first thing that comes to your mind is probably if I'm part of the constables, which I'm not." Silence. "The second thing is probably you think that I'm a witness and wonder if I you should kill me too or bolt. Well, you should do neither. You see, I was sent to kill him too." Jack had pointed down at his belt where a gladius had been sheathed.
"Why?" she had asked. Jack remembered his knee had almost involuntarily bent at the sheer regality her voice had carried.
"You know, same old stuff: revenge, enemies with money to spend; but apparently you got to him first. Are you new? I have never seen you at the 'base' before." It hadn't crossed his mind that the stiletto wielding beauty was a mere murderess rather than contract killer. Her calmness over a kill had been too abnormal for her to be anything other than an assassin.
Elsa had cocked her head although her face had showed no expression of curiosity. Just the same blank expression. "'Base'?"
Jack had realized then he had blurted out one of the most guarded secret in his order. He had had two choices: kill her or take her under his wings.
He had chosen the latter.
So, he had guided her to the dark world of his nameless order. Had taught her the arts of killing, of fighting, of poison and, as a side-job, larceny. She had taken to it like a flower to the sun and in just a year under his tutelage, she had bloomed. No longer she was his prodigious protégé, but instead a full assassin in her own right at only nineteen years old. Her adopted name 'Ice Queen' (given by Jack due to her lack of emotion) struck terror to anyone who heard.
And so, it wasn't uncommon that Elsa was skulking inside a house not belonging to her, with a contract paper and a stiletto tucked at her belt. Her mark—as she had observed these few days—would be at the room in the end of the hallway, the only room currently illuminated in the still winter night. The door was slightly ajar and there was not a single noise coming out of there.
She pressed herself against the wall and took a peek inside. There was someone inside alright, sitting on the only desk in the room with arms crossed, but it wasn't her mark. It was someone so familiar to her and he was staring right at her with a familiar set of eyes. He had a familiar snow white hair.
"Come in," Jack spoke. Elsa did, stoic as usual. "What do you think?" Jack pointed to the side with his chin where a man—tall and pale faced—hanged by a noose. He was stripped naked and adorning his body were all sorts of fresh gashes carved methodically as a dozen sets of tallies. Blood dripped down from the wounds and pooled on the desk, some cascading down the floor.
"Better than he deserves," she spoke indifferently.
"Come see this side too."
Jack went behind the desk and Elsa approached unsuspiciously. Just as she rounded the corner, Jack grabbed her throat and slammed her against the desk. His grip wasn't strong enough to choke her, but just enough to hold her where he wanted her. Both her hands went up to his wrist, but Jack didn't budge. He leaned in, adding his weight to pin her down. His face was dangerously close and black with fury. With his free hand, he slammed his gladius on the surface right beside her face, the contract for the man hanging above them stabbed in between.
"Mind telling me why do you have the contract for the man you know I've been searching for my whole life?" Jack spat out the question with dark humor.
It was common knowledge in their unnamed order at their unnamed base that Kozmotis 'Black' Pitchiturn—the man Jack had made into a tally board—had been his long sought mark. The code of his order forbid killing for personal matter so Jack had waited years for the mark to be set on Kozmotis. He had even gone to the extent of telling every single member that he was willing to buy the contract for the said man with double the amount of the reward if anyone should come across it first. Their information broker, Nicholas North, had promised him that if ever he found a contract on Black, Jack would be the first he notified. North wasn't the lying sort. Elsa on the other hand…
"Well?" Jack pressed when no answer was forthcoming. "Care to explain?"
Elsa was silent for a moment before her face scrunched up and tears began welling in her eyes. Oh, Elsa was the very definition of stoic, but with him—and only him—she was all colors of emotional. "He hurt you! I want to get him back for hurting you!"
"You have no business…you have no fucking right to deny me my revenge, Your Majesty!" Elsa knew Jack only called her that when he was especially pissed with her and she sobbed.
"I know that," she cried. "I know that, but you were out for another contract… And North was looking for you, so he gave me the paper to give to you. And all the stories you told me about him… About him abducting your sister and put her into slavery until she died of abuse and malnourishment… I just thought… I just thought… I'm sorry, Jack. Please don't be mad at me. Please don't hate me…"
"No, you were not thinking! If you were, you'd hand me the contract immediately rather than keeping it to yourself."
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"
She was crying openly now, but it didn't do anything to calm the rage in his heart. They couldn't tarry any longer though, or someone might find them. "Stop blubbing. We have to go." Jack released his chokehold and sheathed his gladius. He balled up the paper and dumped it inside his coat pocket.
Elsa rubbed her tears roughly while nodding weakly. Jack grabbed her wrist and led her to the exit path he had devised earlier. They arrived outside almost immediately and Jack released her hand. He walked ahead purposefully, not wanting his former protégé's company. Elsa tried to catch up with him, a feat not made easy since Jack was considerably taller than her and therefore had a longer pair of legs.
"Jack, are you still mad at me?"
"…"
"Jack…"
"…"
"Talk to me…"
"…"
"Please…"
"…"
"Jack!" Elsa leapt forward and grabbed his hand, stopping him in his tracks. He still wouldn't answer her. Still wouldn't look at her. "Don't do this…please… Yell, scream, say something! Don't ignore me…"
"I wouldn't do it to you… I won't deny you your own revenge…" Jack muttered before wrenching his hand off her grasp. "Good evening, Your Majesty."
Elsa gritted her teeth in frustration as she watched Jack's back getting further and further away. She reached behind her vest and popped something inside her mouth before making a mad dash toward him. Hearing her footsteps, Jack turned around, which was fortunate for Elsa. She dropped her entire weight unto him, making them both fell to the ground before slamming her lips to his. She pushed something inside his mouth with her tongue and forced him to swallow.
"What the hell was that?" Jack asked as he coughed trying to vomit out whatever had entered his system.
"Aphrodisiac…" Elsa began unbuttoning her vest as she straddled him.
"And you think sex will mollify me, how?"
"Sex always mollifies you." Elsa untied the bodice of her shirt.
"We're in the middle of the road…"
"It's midnight and I don't give a fuck." She bent down to kiss him again, revealing a generous amount of cleavage for a split second.
All colors of emotional and every bit unpredictable.
"I'm not going to respond to you, Elsa."
"You'll have no choice." Elsa spread open his coat and hitched up his shirt. She began trailing kisses down the lines of his body, chiseled there by years of hard training.
Jack knew that fully. Already his body responding to her ministration. It didn't help that she had a face of a goddess and a body worth worshipping. And her grinding didn't help either. Oh, it really truly didn't help. So, with all the effort his aphrodisiac-addled body could muster, he made his argument by trying (and failing miserably) to mimic a long-dead corpse. What he managed was a half-aroused corpse.
"Stop fighting it, Jack," Elsa whispered in that sultry voice that in any normal condition would make him drop his breeches faster than she could finish her sentence. "You know you want to."
"I won't let you have your way." Jack persisted although he could already feel his defiance crumbling.
"Fight me, then. Toss me away. You're much stronger than I am, surely you can do that much." One deft hand undid his breeches and her fingers slipped inside them, rubbing his bulging member. "Or I take the fact that I'm still straddling you to mean that you're succumbing?" She cocked her head and smiled coyly. The final blow.
If his inner will was a person, he was throwing up his arms and saying 'fuck it all'.
Jack swung his entire weight to the side, throwing her off and straddling her in turn. He removed his own coat and threw it behind his back along with her breeches that he had stripped down in the process. Roughly, he jammed two fingers inside her folds, founding them to be warm and wanting. Elsa moaned unreservedly, especially when he began moving his fingers with no speck of gentleness.
"God damns you to hell and back... Fine! You want angry sex? I'll give you angry sex." Jack loosened his breeches and pulled out his erect shaft before burying it deep inside her. Elsa gasped and clutched at his shirt. "Don't expect I'll be pleasuring you, though."
At that, Elsa smirked devilishly. "But Jack," she moaned, "I'm already feeling soooo good…"
Jack ignored her and grabbed her by her ass. He began ramming into her as if he was trying to split her open. Elsa somehow managed to moan and giggle all at once. Hands still clutching at his shirt, she tried to pull him down.
"Jack, kiss me…" she pleaded.
"Hell no."
"Come on…" She pouted.
"I can't…" Thrust. "Fucking…" Thrust. "Hear you…"
"Fine." With a shuddering breath, Elsa pushed him down with her pelvis, forcing Jack to fall back on his ass. She proceeded to wrap her legs around him and grinded him as she brought her lips to his. Jack placed his hands on her cheeks again and began moving her up and down as his own hips bucked to meet hers. Elsa wreathed her arms around his neck and moaned to his mouth.
"Why in the seven hells do you even have a goddamned aphrodisiac with you?" Jack asked between grunts, his lips never leaving hers. No matter how much he denied it, he loved having a taste of her on his tongue.
"In case of a particularly stubborn mark…" Jack hit a certain spot that made her yelped in delight. "…or a very angry lover." She licked her lips seductively, dry from all of her moaning and panting. Jack chastised her by pinching her nipple through her shirt, eliciting a mewl from her.
It was then they heard the sound of incoming footsteps. Elsa tensed while Jack was unfazed.
"Someone's coming," she whispered worriedly.
"So?"
"Finish it! Quickly!"
"I thought you don't care if anyone sees us like this?"
"Jack…!" It was hard to focus on anything when Jack—with all intent and purpose—hit that certain spot inside her repeatedly. He also began to actively sought her neck and throat, nibbling at them. A sort of reverse-revenge on her. "Jack please! They're getting closer!" She hissed urgently, panic and pleasure mingling at a discordant height.
"By the sound of it, I think you're getting closer." Jack smirked against the skin of her shoulder.
"Jack, this is no time to—Aaahhh!" Without any preamble, Jack spent his seed inside her with two final thrust. Elsa didn't even finish and she didn't begrudge him of it.
They didn't even take a moment to savor it. With all haste, they gathered their scattered pieces of clothing and snuck inside the nearest alley. Elsa was pinned in between the wall and Jack, both wore nothing save their shirts. Jack flattened her to the wall as they stood still, trying to control their erratic breathing. A second later, two men passed by, their red jackets marking them as the constables. If Jack and Elsa had been just a second too late, they would have definitely come across them and above the awkwardness of the situation, they would've seen Jack's blood splattered coat. Not much of a convincer of an innocent tryst.
"Odd, I could have sworn I heard someone fucking around here," said one of them.
The other guffawed. "Your ears are playing tricks on you, friend. What sane people would do it in the middle of the road, in winter above all?"
Jack and Elsa shared a smirk when they heard that. After all, they weren't exactly what people would call 'sane'.
The first one scratched the back of his head. "But really… I…"
"We really should get you laid soon. A visit to the White Lotus after this might put your brain back in order."
"Yeah, it might…"
The two assassins didn't come out even when the coast was obviously clear. Jack, however, had stopped crushing her with his weight. His shoulders sagged in relief. He rested his head on the crook of her neck. It was a great vantage point to see down her disheveled shirt. "Woman, you and your fucking aphrodisiac…" Jack muttered. "God, I can still feel the haze in my head."
"I won't say no to round two." Even before Elsa finished her sentence, Jack had already hitched her up and buried his member balls deep inside her.
…
Two hours later, when they both were nothing but spent and Elsa had finally earned his forgiveness and assurance that he was no longer mad at her, they returned to the base. It was a place much like a tavern, if a tavern was a place you'd trade coin with death. But there were food, wine and spirits, bar, tables and chairs, so perhaps it didn't stray all that much.
Elsa 'switched place' with 'Ice Queen' who only knew one color of emotion. She followed Jack inside and just as he closed the door behind them, everyone inside erupted in cheer.
"What… the… hell…?" Jack spoke haltingly.
Jack was bombarded with questions, congratulations and pats on his back even before he could settle himself down properly.
"There he is!" "He's finally got him!" "Good riddance, eh Jack?" "How did you do it? How did you do him in?" "Did he beg? Did he beg for the knife?"
It wasn't every time everyone cared when someone among them settled a debt long overdue—a lot of them shared that particular history. The hero's welcome Jack received was testament to how popular he was among them and how beloved. Elsa regarded the scene coolly as befitting the 'Ice Queen', however she placed a hand on Jack's arm possessively.
"People, please… One at a time. There's none of me left to go around since apparently Elsa took everything just two hours ago."
With great effort, Jack barreled his way past the crowd with Elsa in tow, dodging hands that tried to punch his arm or tussled his hair. No stray hands dared to touch the dignified Ice Queen though. Rumor has it anyone who did without consent lose the finger as if frostbitten. None dared to test the truth. Behind the bar, North beamed like a proud father. Despite his twenty-seven years, Jack always felt like a child in front of the elderly man, and having him looked so proudly like that humbled Jack.
Jack took out the balled up paper inside his coat pocket and placed it on the table. He stood tall, chest inflated. "It is done." Jack smirked lopsidedly. Another deafening cheer went up.
"Was it worth wait?" North asked in his thick Russian accent, his voice was like thunder among the commotion. His expression mimicked Jack's.
"Every bit of it. It's true what they say: revenge is a dish best served cold."
"And you get paid for it." North reached under the bar table and dropped a bulging sack of gold coins. The content threatened to spill out from the sack.
"As if the pot wasn't already so sweet." Jack pushed back the coin toward North. He then faced the crowd and addressed them. "Everyone! Drink your fill! Tonight we celebrate Kozmotis's damnation!"
The place shook when a third cheer erupt. People rushed the bar, placing their order simultaneously. Jack and Elsa slipped away from the free alcohol-crazed mob, Jack looked back with guilt and sympathy toward the information broker who now was swarmed by the crowd. North made eye contact with him. He shook his head, but he was otherwise smiling. The two went inside a booth in corner, sitting side by side. Jack draped his arm over Elsa's shoulder as she leaned on his chest.
"Is it wise to spend all you reward like that?" Elsa asked.
"I think I'll still have something back even after everyone drink to a stupor. Whoever paid for Kozmotis's death has it as bad as I do." Jack nuzzled her hair.
"I'm sorry I almost took this away from you…"
"It's fine. You're young and prone to make mistakes. And besides, you're right. Sex does mollify me, and three rounds of it… Well, I'm your puppet to do as you pleased." Jack nibbled her earlobe before kissing her neck.
"The aphrodisiac still lingers?"
"I'm barely keeping myself in check from ravishing you. What the hell did you put in that?"
"Concentrated dose of Yohimbe bark and cayenne…"
"…Talk about an overkill…"
"I expected a very stubborn mark or a very furious Jack."
"I should take you here and now to punish you. Let everyone see the Ice Queen all hot and panting like a whore."
"You wouldn't…" Elsa scowled and hissed.
"I wouldn't, but pull a stunt like this again and I just might." He whispered right beside her ear, sending delicious hum down her spine.
"What say you we sneak out and clear the haze out of your brain."
Just before Jack could respond though, two people—one male and another female—slipped inside the seat across from them, carrying four big mugs of salted dark beer filled to the brim. "It's a shame the host of the party didn't partake in the drinking," said the female, smiling widely. Elsa tensed in her presence and snuggled closer to Jack, although her face betrayed nothing.
"Not that I don't want to, Thiana. I just don't want to get trampled." Jack raised the mug appreciatively and took a deep gulp.
"Nobody would dare trample the star of the night."
"Beg to differ, sheila," said the man beside her, "I very much would."
"Edmund!"
"No, no, let the kangaroo have his fill of fun. No matter what, he's drinking my blood money." Jack sneered.
"And I'll make sure I spend every last of your copper."
Edmund and Thiana, put Jack in the picture and the three of them made the pantheon of the greatest assassins in the state. There used to be four of them, but one sadly passed away. In Jack's theory, there are two kinds of assassins—one like him and Elsa—struck fear by name alone, promising quick kills and varying degrees of cruelty. The other kind struck fear by what they would do to their mark.
Edmund and Thiana were the second kind.
Edmund ensured his victim would experience the slowest and most painful death. For every kill he did, he would add a stroke to his abstract body tattoo. Presently, it had covered his entire left arm and half of his torso. Rumors has it that once the tattoo covered his entire body, he would finally retire. Thiana, on the other hand, was simply a freak behind her cheerful demeanor. She was obsessed with teeth—god knows why—and would collect one from each of her victims. Jack had seen her collection before. She had shelves that reached the ceiling all around her room and a jar for every tooth she collected.
"Ah, I almost forgot." Jack dug inside his coat pocket and handed something to Thiana. "A little souvenir. You always said you want one of his."
What Jack gave were three perfect little teeth freshly obtained from Kozmotis. Thiana squealed in delight and gathered them like they were precious little things. "Aww… look at them. Still fresh with blood and gum. Thank you so much Jack."
What the three of them missed was the dirty look Elsa gave Thiana. A crack in the Ice Queen iron wall composure. She had never quite like the other woman. To her, she was much like a hummingbird, pesky, jittery, annoying and very much brittle. Not to mention she had a history with Jack, her Jack.
"You don't have anything for me?" Elsa voiced out her discontentment.
Jack made a show of pondering before answering. "I gave it to you already."
"No, you didn't."
"Pretty sure, I did."
Elsa began to feel dejected. Could Jack possibly had prepared something for her and forgotten about it? "You didn't give me anything, Jack."
"Recall two hours ago. You took loads of it." He winked.
Comprehension dawned on her and she smiled. "Then, I suppose you did gave it to me."
"Ahem," Edmund cleared his throat, "awkward conversation aside, are you going to tell us how you did it, mate? I doubt you did it quick and easy like usual."
"Sure, the first round we did in the middle of the road. We fucked missionary style before she straddled me. The second time we did it in an alley—Oh, you mean how I killed Kozmotis?" Jack finally said when Edmund glared at him.
"You did that on purpose…"
"As if you don't know how I am."
"Jack, it's not proper to talk about your sexual activity in front of your partner without her consent," Thiana spoke, her face flushing.
"Elsa isn't saying anything so she's not exactly against it." Jack turned to Elsa. "That's why you've been quiet, isn't it?"
"…Yes." Her answer seemed to be forced out of her. Truthfully, she didn't quite like that sort of topic, but she was refrained from doing anything about it because Jack had done something about her. Just before he began talking, he had snaked his arm around her waist and slipped a finger under her breeches and in between her thighs. He was currently playing with her sensitive nub while she was currently fighting to remain impassive.
"Say, Elsa, you haven't touch your drink. Drink up. It's bad manner especially when they had kindly brought it to our table."
Put in the spot, Elsa had no choice but to pick up her drink with slightly shaking hands and took a deep sip. Just when she was about to swallow, Jack slipped his finger inside her folds and Elsa choked in surprise. She sputtered her drink, coughing while Jack rhythmically stroked her inside with the timing of her cough. She gripped the edge of the table, unsure whether to focus on regaining her breathing or the pleasure underneath.
"Slow down there, Els." Jack smirked cunningly.
"You alright, sheila?" Edmund raised an eyebrow in concern.
Elsa took advantage of her moment of coughing to bend down and gasped when Jack hooked his finger and stroked that spot. "I'm… cough… fine…"
"Do you need water, Elsa?" Thiana asked worriedly.
I need you to leave! "Water would be great. Thank you."
Thiana immediately went to fetch it and Edmund followed her saying, "North wouldn't hear her above all the racket."
With the two leaving, Elsa could freely shudder. It was fortunate she sat on the inner side of the booth so any reaction she showed was blocked by Jack's body. She clasped a hand to her mouth, moaning and gasping to it. She was close. So…close… when Jack suddenly stop.
Elsa stared at him with confusion as he popped the fingers that had violated her inside his mouth, licking them clean. He proceeded to continue drinking his beer as if nothing had happened.
"What…?"
"Yes?" Jack asked innocently, smiling smugly.
It was one of his 'punishment', she knew, but Elsa couldn't accept it that he just left her hanging. "Let's sneak away. Come on."
"I think I want to stick around a little bit." He accentuate this point by leaning back on his seat and spread his arms along the backrest.
"No, you don't want that. You want to fuck our brains out, so let's go."
"Yeah, I want that too, but my money is still with North so I'm just going to stay where I am."
"Jack…" She began pleading. "I thought you're not mad anymore."
"Not really, but fucking kangaroo had to remind me so…"
"Please, Jack…"
"You can have everything even if you beg, Your Majesty. It's way past time you learn that. Although…" Jack gave her a meaningful look, "if you want to fuck here and now, I might be up for it. You have to strip on the table, though."
"You can't possibly ask me to do that!"
"No? Then sit tight and don't wet yourself. Ah, the last bit already happened, huh?"
Elsa was aroused irked and frustrated on the same time so much that she began contemplating to do his bidding. Just before she could do any bad decision (or good, depends on how you see it), North swooped in like the savior he was. He had managed to settle all the orders coming his way and he brought Elsa's water with him.
"You young man have cause one hell of trouble for me." He spoke with his booming voice. "You make good business though, so I'll wipe slate clean."
"Always my pleasure, North." Jack raised his mug in salute.
"Your water, Elsa. Are you feeling well?"
"Thanks, North, but I'm good already." I'm sexually frustrated, that's how I'm feeling.
"Good, because I have gift for you." North slid down a paper rolled up in red ribbon like a present. "I'll leave you to your business." North winked and left.
Before Elsa could reach for it, Jack had snatched the paper away. "That's mine!" Elsa protested.
"What's yours is mine." Jack pulled down the string and unrolled the parchment. He scanned it quickly and his lopsided smirk appeared. "Except for this one." Jack gave her the paper for her to read.
When Elsa read the first word, she tensed up, hands shaking in excitement, her arousal forgotten. 'Hans' was the first word.
"Seems it's your turn now, sweetheart."
Elsa could barely hear him over the buzzing in her mind. She shook her head to clear it and folded the paper neatly. She slid the paper toward Jack, albeit somewhat grudgingly. "I almost took yours from you…"
"The keyword here is 'almost'." Jack slid it back toward her. "Didn't I tell you I won't do it to you? Now put the contract in your pocket and begin planning. You were my protégé, so I will expect the best from you."
"I can't believe this happening so soon…" Elsa was looking every bit overwhelmed. "Jack, would you… would you be there with me? I want to share that moment with you."
"Are you kidding? I would lief go with you." Jack smirked.
Hello everyone! You're probably wondering why the hell am I writing this when I have The Shepherd Knight and Once Upon a Rainy Day to update. I have a perfectly great explanation for that. The reason is... *run* In all seriousness though, this plot bunny popped up to me one day and I like it so much that I just had to write. So, there you have it. I just love writing dark fantasies.
So, next order of business: continuation. Good news (or bad news, depends on how you see it). I don't plan to continue it. BUT, if say, I have 10 reviews AND favorites (not follow), for this single chapter, I will post more chapters. Mind though, the timeline will be jumbled. Past, future, present then past again. It will be a roller coaster.
Oh, and I'm not going to receive complaints about the smut part of this story. This is my first 'smutty' story and you just have to bear with it no matter how bad it is!
