"Huh? What cha workin' on now?" Boris curiously asks as I tightened the last bolt. My back aches from hours of lying on it, facing the bottom of a large tea cup. My back's been killing me lately! Ugh, it's feels like I've slept on a pile of rocks last night. Which wouldn't be entirely inaccurate. While I was working on a rollercoaster I dozed off for a few minutes. But when I woke up it was morning again. This sucks. Maybe I can get Boris to rub my back later.
I honestly thought I fell asleep with Ace on the bench. I must have woken up at some point and hauled those bolts and crap to the amusement park and then passed out working on the ride. I pull back my hands looking over the wires and metal bars making sure everything is perfectly intact. There. That should just about do it for now.
"It's just routine. The tea cups get loose every now and then so the bolts need to be periodically tightened." I explain squeezing out from the cramped space. I lean back and shove against my spine making it loudly crack with aching pain. "Ow ...,"
"Somethin' wrong with ya back?" Boris nosily asks running his finger up my spine. I painfully groan and fall further back thumping my head to his chest.
"I slept on some rocks and now it hurts." Not that this changes anything really. I still need to go out and buy some stupid parts for the rollercoaster. I swear if Gowland tries to open the ride before I'm finished with it I am going to personally end that idiot.
"Well, don't sleep on rocks next time." He cheekily returns.
"Ugh ... yeah." I suck in a deep breath and straighten out shaking off the pain. "It'll eventually pass - ,"
"I found you!" A loud cheerful voice shouts as a large mass comes charging at me with a big grin plaster to his face. Oh no -!
"Agh!" I cry as Ace's giant body barrels into me. I hit the ground hard, shoulder first into the pavement. "Ouch -!"
"Jackie~ How are you doing? Did you have a good night's rest?"
"Freaking OUCH! Get off numb nuts!" I hiss shoving him off before a flare of heat and crippling pain shoots through my shoulder. Huh? I grit my teeth, clutching the aching joint as I look over my hardly responsive fingers.
Uh oh.
"Jackie? Is somethin' wrong?" Boris asks watching as my face pales.
"Um, ah, no, not at all. I just remembered I have work to do on the mirror house." I say quickly scurrying away. Oh crap my arm's dislocated. I can feel it. Stupid Ace! I can't believe he did that!
I hurry through the park doing my best to avoid the shoulder to shoulder crowds. If I get bumped into I'm done for. I can feel it in my aching shoulder. I heavily sigh and smack my head against the wall. Oh, Ace ... I'm going to shove my foot right up your butt one of these days.
"Jackie, you dislocated your shoulder didn't you?" A rolling warmth of breath asks as he darkly chuckles. I nearly scream as I jump Ace's arm wraps around my belly, dragging me behind the alley.
"A-Ace?!"
"Yep yep! Oh~ this doesn't look too good. You should see a doctor."
"I was already on my way to see one."
"Then you lied to me? Awe~ that's not fair, Jackie." Ace pouts before grinning. "I know! I'll be your doctor, Jackie!"
"Be my - NO." I start, horrified. Ace as my doctor? I'm going to get my arm amputated!
"But why? I'll be a good doctor! I'll make you feel real good~," he hums, dragging me onto the ground and into his lap.
"Ow! Ace, let go!" I shout, struggling in his grasp as I try to wriggle free.
"No. You need to listen to doctor's orders." He playfully said, hooking his arm around my bicep and the other around my waist. "Now you're going to feel a light~ pinch!
"OW HOLY CRAP ON A CRACKER - hey that feels pretty good." I remark as soon as it's done. Dislocated shoulders are normally pretty easy to fix. I know that. But I'm still going to need a stupid sling for a little bit.
"See? I told you I would make you feel good. Want me to make you feel better?" He teases, tightening his arms around my waist. I jump as he leans over me stuffing me tightly in his arms. A faint blush covers my cheeks from the warmth of his body and just his overwhelming size. I bulk as he nuzzles his face into my hair deeply inhaling. "You smell pretty."
"Um, thank you?" I say, unsure how to respond. He smiles and tightens his grip. "A-Ace, that's really tight."
"You think so?" He hums as my shoulder starts to ache from the pressure.
"Ow, Ace, get off." I growl, elbowing his gut. He leans down and closes in on my ear bathing it in his hot breath. His free hand sneaks up to my collarbone, resting it over my throat.
"Hey ... did you know that the fastest way to kill a girl is by strangulation?" He uncharacteristically hums, lightly squeezing.
"Well that doesn't make much sense. A strangulation would work for either gender pretty efficiently. And I can think of faster ways to do it." I mindlessly note as I crane my head back, thumping the back of my head against his shoulder. He blinks, slightly taken aback.
"Yeah? Like what?"
"Well, a gunshot to the head or heart - or clock I guess - would kill someone instantly. Or drowning is another quick way. A faster way would be cutting off someone's head though." Ace's body trembles with laughter as he leans back, keeping his hands on my hips. I chuckle along, not quite understanding what he means. Uh, why are we laughing?
"Ha ha ha ah~ you're funny Jackie." Ace happily hums. I sigh, giving up with a smile as I lean back against him.
"Hm ... yeah. I guess I am." I say, simply resting my head against his shoulder. Hm~ he doesn't make a half bad pillow.
"Are you tired, Jackie?" Ace asks with a dark chuckle, slipping his hands around to my stomach and gently folds his fingers.
"Mhm ... yeah. But, there's work to do. I'm sure Julius needs you." I say as I eye a shadow from the wall come to life.
"Huh? Oh! That's my ride~," Ace hums, effortlessly hopping up. He sways forward, brushing his lips against my temple. I blink.
Did Ace just kiss me?
"Off I go~ off I go~ to work to work to jobs I go~," he sings trotting out of the alley without a care in the world. I laugh and slip out of the alley tying my hair back. Nah, I don't think he kissed me. If he did I'm sure Ace, the most bubble headed role holder of them all, would have straight up told me.
"Oh? Jackie? What are you doing all the way out here?" Elliot asks as he approaches. I smile and try to hide my limp arm from him. I need to get to a doctors. But, I guess I can tell Elliot.
"Looking for a doctor actually. I hurt my arm." His ears twitches as he immediately looks over the arm I'm trying to hide.
"What happened?"
"Well, I fell and dislocated it." Actually, Ace stupidly tackled me to the ground and knocked it out. But, he reconciled and popped it back in. A faint blush riddles my cheeks. I never really pictured Ace to be so big. He literally enveloped all of me in that massive hug of his. I felt like I was going to be swallowed whole! Which ... didn't seem too bad at the time.
"Jackie? Do you have a fever?" Elliot asks, pressing his hand against my forehead. I quickly knock his hand away, embarrassed.
"Um, no, no I don't. I'm just going back to the Amusement Park to find a doctor. See ya." I say trotting off to the Amusement Park.
‡
Yep it was dislocated alright. I sigh popping the pain killers into my mouth with a swig of water. At least I've got medicine to dull the pain a little bit. I trot around the Amusement Park watching as Gowland furiously prepares for the day to come. Apparently tomorrow is a really big Amusement Park day. It's not a Role Holder's event so why even go to all the trouble?
"Aw, I knew something bad happened after you ran out so fast." Boris sighs, poking my arm. I slap his hand away squinting as the sun literally blinds me. The doctor did say some side effects are drowsiness and sensitivity to the sun.
"Yeah."
"Hey, ya uh, alright there?" Boris asks, catching my arm as I sway to the side.
"Ish fine." I slur gripping his shoulder.
"Ah, maybe ya should lay down for' bit." Boris worriedly says as he guides me out of the main attraction and into some shade beneath a tree. My vision slightly warps as he lays me down in the grass, dabbing the sweat off my brow. "Stay here. I'll go get ya some ice water."
"Thanksh." I mutter tossing my head. Oh man what a headache ... this is actually pretty painful.
"Awe~ is Jackie all tuckered out?" Ace teases as he pops out from behind a bush.
"It's scary how you pop up out of nowhere like that." One of these days I'm afraid he's going to surprise me by jumping out of my closet.
"Huh? But that's what makes it so much more fun! Suspense, suspense!" He cries, slipping out of the bushes and sits beside me. I heavily sigh covering my eyes with my elbow. Wow I'm tired ... that doctor wasn't kidding when he said it was a strong pill. I flinch as I feel his warm breath tickling my ear. "Tired again?"
"...Yeah. It's the medicine I took for my shoulder."
"Hm~ a knight shouldn't leave a girl to sleep without a pillow!" He cries, slipping my head onto his lap. I hesitate before my sleepiness takes over. I steadily breath out accepting the odd pillow. "Yeah ... that's it, Jackie. Just close your eyes and just enjoy it."
"Enjoy what?"
"The rain of course!" He cries. My eye cracks open spying the entire world drenched in a downpour. Thank goodness Boris stuck me under a thick tree but I doubt he'll be coming back anytime soon. I shudder as the cold wind wraps around my bare limbs. An electric jolt crawls up my spine as Ace lays his coat over my shivering body.
"W-W-What are you doing?"
"Why, a lady is cold, so of course I, the knight of hearts, will do something about it!" He laughs softly rubbing my cheek. "Sorry."
"About?" I ask, confused. Why is he apologizing?
"I dislocated your shoulder."
"Oh. That's alright."
"So ... you don't mind me hurting you?" He asks with a strange note to his voice.
"Mhm ... of course I mind but a little pain never killed anyone."
"But Jackie ... you're so weak. A little pain can very well slaughter you." He answers with a broad smile and shifty eyes. What is ... he t-talking about? Oh never mind ... I'm way too tired to care at the moment.
ACE'S POV
Jackie is a very stupid foreigner. Alice used to cry from a tiny scratch but Jackie laughs off something like a dislocated shoulder.
I wanted her to yell at me.
I wanted her to scold me.
Why didn't she? I hurt her and she's fine with it? So naive ... such naive thoughts that she'll escape death here in Wonderland. Death is everywhere. Death is life. So why, I wonder, can't she understand that? I smile and gently rub her cheek drifting my hands to her throat. I want to show her just how 'scary' Wonderland can be. Will she be able to handle it or will she break down and run off with some other man like Alice did?
Jackie is so weak ... I know.
Tomorrow I'm going to show her just how weak she is.
‡
Uh oh ACE WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING?! Well, PM me ideas cause I'm out. 10 REVIEWS to get the next chapter going and review ideas if you got any it would help out a ton. Thanks!
