"Jack?" she whispered. The savage stood there, holding his spear and looking confused.
"Yes?" She stood and walked slowly over to him.
"Jack, what did you do?" The Girl touched his face lightly. Jack drew back sharply.
"I am addressed as 'chief' now." He grinned briefly, madness flashing in his bright blue eyes. "They want me now. They need me. I'm chief." The Girl shook her head slowly.
"Dear God, Jack..." She tried to touch his face again. When the boy withdrew again, she put a hand behind his neck to stop him from jerking backwards.
"Don't touch--"
"Dear God..." she repeated, then smeared the paint on one cheek in an effort to get it off. Jack snorted angrily.
"You're messing it--"
"I can't even see you under there, Jack," she whispered.
"This is me," he said steadily. The Girl choked back a cry and began wiping away his mask.
"No, Jack. No." She pointed towards water, his face reflecting there. "That's you." The recognition of his own face made Jack blink. He shook his head.
"No, it's not--" His words were cut off by her lips being pressed to his. The warm, familiar sensation melted him. The Girl pulled back rather quickly, unable to repress a sob.
"Oh, God, Jack..." Jack quickly put his hands on the sides of her head, trying to speak through whimpers.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." The words made The Girl's eyes shoot open. She searched his face for something, and when she found it, she let out a relieved cry.
"It's all right, don't worry--" But she cut herself off by kissing him, fast and hard. Jack melted once again, returning it as best he could. Putting his own hands into her hair, he ran his fingers through the mass of gold. The Girl pulled away just enough to have her nose touching his. She was breathing heavily. "Jack, Jack, you scared me... Oh, Jack, I thought I'd lost you..." She kissed him again, tenderly. The Girl broke the kiss slowly, then spoke in hushed tones. "I love you so much..."
"I love you too," he whispered, moving his hands to the back of her neck. She leaned her forehead against his, then laughed quietly.
"Let's get this paint off." The Girl took his hand gently and led him to the water, making them both kneel. Jack leaned forward and washed off the mask, feeling relief and--oddly--insecurity. He turned to look at her, for some reason thinking she wouldn't accept him now. The Girl frowned, making his heart stop, then air-touched his forehead. "You've got a cut," she murmured, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket and wetting it in the water. She dabbed the scratch carefully. Jack winced.
"Ow."
"I know, it stings," she whispered, trying to lighten the cleaning. Jack flinched again.
"Ah!" The Girl pulled the kerchief back and took his head in her hands. She drew close and blew softly on the cut. He relaxed a little, closing his eyes.
"Are you all right?" she asked between blows.
"Mm hm," he murmured. The Girl dropped the handkerchief and leaned her face into his neck.
"I'm sorry. I'd never mean to hurt you, you know that."
"Yeah," he whispered, turning his face sideways to bury it in her hair. "I know that." Jack felt a tender carress at his ear, then it trailed down his throat. He sighed quietly. "I know that... you'd never... hurt me... mm, that feels good..."
"I love you," she whispered in his ear, hands stroking his back and neck, "I love you so much..."
"I love you too..." he murmured, sighing deeply into her hair.
"Jack, Jack, I love you Jack..." Her words stopped when she pressed her lips to his throat, mumbling incoherently between kisses.
"Say you'll stay," Jack whispered to her hair, "Say you'll stay, you'll never leave me, no matter what--"
"No matter what," The Girl breathed, "I'll stay, never leave, no matter what..."
