"Why don't you just conserve that spell for when you actually need it?" Jamie said as he rubbed his eyes from the blinding light. Jack glared at his reflection nearby, furious as his own appearance angered him. Jamie sighed a little, even if he's temporarily blinded he could still sense the anger over the bond.
"Jack?" Jack winced.
"It's nothing." With that he left the room to go downstairs. Jamie frowned a little before sighing, would Jack ever just trust him enough for once to tell him? Jamie rubbed his face... obviously everything he'd done still wasn't enough... what would it take? He really did wonder... he settled on the bed, stretching out to try and relax again, but it wasn't going to be easy. Jack gagged, coughing up blood in the bathroom.
"I can't stay in my other form forever... fuck." He shook it's been 300 years and he had yet to become fully stable in his original form. Jamie sighed, wondering what's going on, but deciding to let things be for a while. Jack growled.
Hissing? That voice, the deep voice of his creator ran through his mind.
How long do you believe you can hold back your true nature my creation? You can't, even I can't; you won't be able to fight it and you know it. Your children will be all the same and your precious lover always in danger... Jack gritted his teeth, growling; the sink cracked from his strength.
"Fuck." Jamie eventually drifted off to sleep, unaware of the danger. Jack groaned, whimpered; hugging himself.
"No, I promised myself for Roxas and Jamie that I wouldn't turn full demon... I promised." He growled, hissing in pain; it was trying hard to control him, but no way in hell was he going to let it.
"Never again." He staggered back a bit as he saw the horns growing sharp and his wings a black as an even darker aura surrounded him. His eyes a yellow as amber of hell fire.
"NO... no, no..." He struggled against it.
You can't fight me. I'm you, Jack; you can't fight who you are. His own voice hissed in his head; he curled in on himself.
"I won't leave them alone... leave Jamie alone..." He cried, out sobbing now as the pain intensified at that point. A tiny light shines brightly in one corner of Jack's mind. Jamie stood, holding Roxas close, the two shining like little stars.
"We're here for you Jack. Always." The demon within hissed at that light.
"FUCK YOU BENNETT!" It snarled, wincing at the light; hissing every now and then.
"Sorry, but only Jack gets that privilege. Then again... you should know all about that." Jamie replied with a smirk. It snarled angrily, furious at Jamie's words; it fought, clawing at the edges of the soul part of Jack that was the angel he was inside for Jamie for all those years. Jamie moved forward without fear. Jack whimpered.
"Jamie stay back please, I'm begging you. You're only making it... me angrier." He was fearful for his safety. Jamie moved close but didn't touch Jack or the other, he didn't seem the least bit afraid and neither did Roxas.
"What are you afraid of? We're not scared of you." Jack growled, foaming at the mouth. Jamie just met Jack's gaze calmly as he knelt next to him. Jack snarled eyes alight with anger and animal fury; then he struck, he rammed Jamie into the wall claws almost smashing into his head only instead to embed into the wall next to Jamie's head. Jamie didn't show even the slightest hint of fear.
"Trying to intimidate me won't work." In response, the glow from him grows, almost blindingly. It's the only thing that protects him. Jack screamed out growling at the light as he covered his eyes; cowering away and hiding in the shadows of the cabin.
"Stop." The light dimmed as Jamie approached Jack again, this time he gently touched one shoulder; the light is soft, warm, and welcoming. Jack whimpered, his eyes back to their deep emerald blue again.
"J-Jamie stay back please; I'm b-begging you."
"Why? What are you so afraid of?" Jamie asked again, his tone gentle. Jack shifted and the burn mark, that had appeared when the more darker half emerged, glowed red.
"It's... it's..." He groaned, holding his head, claws buried in his hair and locking with his horns.
"Fuck." He flapped his wings, itching to just fly away and never return so Jamie and Roxas... everyone would be safe.
"They want me back Jamie...and my true nature is surfacing. Jamie, it's right... I can't fight it forever. You're in danger of me, without a second thought this thing- no, this monster... could take control and kill you."
"It doesn't matter. Come what may, we won't give up on you without a fight." Jack glared.
"Jamie, no. I can't risk it; please let go of my arm." He struggled against him to let go as Roxas suddenly appeared, his first attempt at teleportation and it worked. Jack gasped and hid deeper into the shadows pulling Jamie with him; not wanting Roxas to see.
"COME OUT DADA!" He cried.
"Jack. Come on now, he's your son. He won't be frightened of you." Jamie said gently, trying to tug Jack from the shadows. Jack whimpered.
"No." He scratched Jamie, making him bleed and making Roxas gasp.
"DADA! DONT HURT PAPA! I LOVE YOU PLEASE STWOP HIDWING! I LOVE YOU HOW EVER YOU ARE NO MATTER WHAT YOU ARE." He screeched, making Jack cover his ears at each word; he didn't move a single muscle. Roxas' face turned red with anger and it was like a bullet, it bought Jack out of the shadows.
"AHHH!" He crashed into the wall, Roxas' light pinning him there.
"STOP IT DADDY! I LOVE YOU! STOP CRYING STOP BEING SAD! STOP HATING WHO YOU REALLY ARE!" He cried, upset and sobbing. Jamie picked up Roxas, hugging the boy close; the wound Jack had made on him closed and stopped bleeding.
"Easy there, I don't think that's helping. I know you want to help though, you love him just like I do." He struggled in Jamie's grip.
"NO! NOOO! NOO!" He struggled, trying to make Jack see he wasn't the monster he thought himself to be, but it only hurt Jack who screeched and flew out the window away from the light hissing in pain.
"Brat. Let me out I'll kill him!"
"YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING!" Jack roared, he smashed him into his core so hard it hurt, but it hurt the darker demon within more. Jamie hugged Roxas close, murmuring softly.
"I know lightening bug... but it has to be his choice okay?" He whimpered, crying; he struggled still, like Jack he was persistent to escape.
"NO NO NO!" He cried. Jack winced at his cries as they echoed over the bond; he sighed and walked through the shadows undetected but MiM knew he was there and he was gonna stop this madness once and for all. Jamie did his best to calm Roxas down, but there's not much he can do honestly since the boy seemed as stubborn as Jack. Jack hissed out in pain as the moon light followed him. MiM was trying to push him back to Jamie but he wasn't having it.
"FUCK YOU MIM! I'M DONE! I DON'T WANNA END UP KILLING THEM AND YOU KNOW IT SO LET ME GO!" He flew faster away from the moon light. Jamie followed, with Roxas in tow; wondering only briefly what MiM thought he was doing. MiM was trying his best to get Jack to go back, to help him remember who he was again, but Jack wasn't letting it touch him. Jamie continued to follow Jack for that same reason... though he'd no idea how he was going to get Jack to understand... to see that no matter what... nothing was going to change for him or Roxas in terms of how they saw him... that they would always love him. Jack groaned, stopped and stood there; silent tears fell, his arms shaking.
"I can't run forever." The moon's light surrounded him.
"No, please stop." He held his ears as he batted away at MiM's voice through the moonbeams.
Jack, my sweet spirit my boy, even if you are a demon's creation you are still Jamie's love and Roxas' father. Nothing will ever change their minds about you, ever; please give it a chance and you'll see they love you all the same. It took Jamie a moment to catch up. He landed a few feet away.
"Jack... snowflake..." Jack sniffed and seeing Roxas and Jamie he collapsed to his knees.
"Oh god... I'm sorry. I.. I... what you both must think of me." He began crying for the first time in a while; Roxas jumped from Jamie's arms, toddled over, and hugged what he could reach.
"We love you dada." Jack sniffled. Jamie knelt next to Jack, gently embracing them both.
"We both love you Jack, no matter what." He wiped away a couple of the tears gently. He shuttered and finally lost consciousness.
"Dada! Dada wake up!" He lifted Jack's eyelid to wake him up that way but it was all white; he was out cold.
"He'll be alright when he wakes up Roxas. Go back to your dreams son. I'll watch over him, I promise." Roxas pouted but after a moment he left. Jack shivered when he awoke. All a dream... He hugged himself, still in his "skin" but it appeared to have peeled away some and his wings spread out flat on his back. Jamie was still asleep, but he's curled up on the bed. Jack winced, thinking of the dream; he looked down at Jamie before looking outside. It was half past noon.
"Crap." He decided not to wake Jamie, one because he looked cute and, two he must be exhausted. Jamie didn't stir until the sun began to set. Jack was baking dinner by the time he woke up, sitting alone at a candle lit table; he looked lonely and sad. Jamie walked over to Jack, he didn't say anything if only because he's not sure that he should or even what to say at the moment. He gently put a hand on Jack's shoulder though; he shifted at the touch.
"J-Jamie... do I scare you...?" He asked brokenly, a sob building in his throat again.
"No." He met Jack's eyes as he said it without hesitation. Jack wrapped him in his arms and sobbed, sobbing out his pain, his conflicting emotions... everything. Jamie held Jack close, gently rubbing his back; he sighed inwardly, why was Jack so upset? Why did he think that Jamie was scared of him? Jack's mind held a secret he had yet to tell Jamie, and it was obvious it had something to do with the demon inside him as well as the terrible night terrors and nightmares. Only once the sobs finally quiet did Jamie speak, his tone gentle.
"I can't imagine why you think I should be afraid of you Jack, but I'm not. I love you. You're all I have, all I want, you're everything to me. Why would I ever have reason to fear you?" His wings wrapped around him and Jamie like a shell hiding them from the world.
"B-B-Because of me... him... it!" His entire form shook.
"He doesn't scare me. Jack... I went through hell with you, remember? There's very little that can scare me anymore." He murmured as he gently rubbed one hand along Jack's back between the wings; he purred at the touch and nuzzled Jamie. The wings unfolded.
"It scares me Jamie... w-what if what if I c-cant control i-it?"
"I'll help you then." He replies, his tone didn't change. Jack winced at the soft touch between his wings but relaxed.
"Jamie, I should really start making supper and we really should be getting back; Roxas must miss us and it's his birthday soon."
"Supper can wait and Roxas' birthday isn't for a little while. Just relax okay? That's why we came here." Jack shrugged.
"O-Okay." He blushed a rosy red, since his recent body change he didn't use his "skin" much; it was sort of natural to feel himself again, but it hurt every transformation.
"Don't worry so much about your appearance either. Worry about it later. You're here to relax and you don't need to over stress with that spell. I love every bit of you Jack, with or without the spell." He gently kissed Jack's forehead.
"To me, it's not what you look like, it's what's inside." Jack smiled, another peel; his fangs.
"Oh man." He groaned but hugged Jamie, for comfort mostly.
"You know I love you regardless of what you look like." Jamie murmured as he hugged Jack close. He winced, it didn't last and the false form peeled all the way. Jamie didn't seem to notice as he gently nuzzled against Jack lovingly; holding him close. Jack purred.
"Tired... hungry." Jamie picked Jack up and carried him to the bed. He lay him on it.
"Just stay here, I'll be back in a moment." When he came back up he had a tray of some of Jack's favorite finger foods which he then proceeded to feed him.
"Mmm, so good." Jamie smiled he continued to feed Jack one bite at a time until the food is gone. Jack smiled and fed Jamie some.
"Mmm strawberries." Jamie nibbled at them before nibbling at Jack's fingers gently, electing another purr from him.
"Mmmm... I think you taste better." Jamie murmured before gently kissing Jack. He chuckled.
"So love, what now?"
"Well, we could either see a movie in the local town, or play a game, or stay in and cuddle... what do you think?"
"We could get a movie instead, come back here, watch it and cuddle; how about that?"
"Sounds like a plan to me." Jamie smiled; Jack smiled back.
"I'll get it." Jamie nodded.
"I'll make some popcorn while you're gone." Jamie did just that and set up the TV and player in the bedroom. North had it set off to one side there and Jamie had shifted things around to make sure they could see it and still curl up comfortably on the bed before he made the popcorn.
"What to pick... what to pick..." Jamie gently moved the pan over the fireplace in the living room so that the popcorn would pop evenly and not burn overly much. Jack smiled and picked a colorful disney since he'd heard kids loved them... maybe the two of them might too. Jamie carefully watched as the popcorn popped against the glass lid. Jack hummed all the way to the cabin, only stopping as someone... something shot him from the sky.
"MONSTER!" People screamed as Jack realized the "skin" had came apart.
"NO! NO! I'M NOT A MONSTER! WAIT PLEASE!" Only screams were the answer to his appearance, that and glass bottles, guns and anything they could find to shot or throw at him; one clipped him and he was hit by a bottle. He collapsed and backed into a wall in a nearby alleyway.
"PLEASE STOP! LET ME GO!" Jamie was just setting the popcorn down when he felt more than heard the commotion. He was off like a shot to Jack's location, calling upon the wind to aid Jack and keep the danger back until he could get there himself. Jack winced as bottles of beer and old glass hit him.
"Get out of here thief! Monster demon!" Jack cried.
"Please no... I'm not... I'm not! I'm like you... please stop!" He begged and begged; someone used a bat, hitting Jack in the head. He was sure a rib broke as his scream came loud and clear. The wind blasted the group back and cries of alarm went up even as Jamie landed in front of Jack.
"Get out of here! Now!" He growled, glaring at the crowd. Anyone who dared to take a step forward only found themselves blasted back and slipping on ice on the ground. Jamie wasn't going to purposely hurt anyone if he didn't have to but he was going to protect Jack at all costs. When the man with the bat managed to take a swing at Jack, Jamie blocked it with a spear of ice and broke the end of it over the man's head, causing him to stumble back; disoriented from the blow.
"Anyone ELSE?!" The people backed off; Jack was in a tight ball, whimpering and crying, wings folded over him like a protective shell. People spat at him as they left glaring at Jamie.
"Saving that hell spawn freak monster..." All aimed at Jack and he wanted to die after that. Jamie knew Jack was sensitive of his appearance, he'd just gotten him to accept it, but that must have broken him.
"The only hell spawn I see is you! Go back to the hole you crawled out of!" Jamie yelled back, infuriated at the people; he wanted to really hurt the person who had said that... all of those people actually... he wanted to send them to the hell they belonged to... but he restrained himself if only for Jack's sake. He turned to Jack once they were gone and gently picked him up, taking him back to the cabin where he began to patch him up. Jack whimpered, shaking like a leaf.
"J-j-jamie." He whined, abused, hurt and bleeding.
"It hurts... e-eve-everything h-huurts." He slurred, shaking harder in Jamie's arms.
"I know love, shhh. It's going to be okay. I'll take care of you. Promise." Jack cried out when he had to set him down.
"M-m-m-my rib's broken." He sobbed.
"I'm a monster! I... I.. all I did was appear like this and... and..." He cried harder, gasping for oxygen as it was hurting him with his injuries as they were.
"You're not a monster love. They're the monsters for doing this to you, you've done nothing to deserve this." Jamie reassures Jack as he uses his ice to carefully bandage up the broken ribs, his light gleaming within the ice itself, making it sparkle like diamond and helping speed up the healing though Jamie is unaware of this as he works.
"It hurts damn it!" Jack whimpered.
"What did I do... why did they freak out?"
"I wish I knew love." In all honesty, he knew that most people freaked out about things they didn't understand, but he wasn't going to say that they were afraid of Jack because that would just make things worse.
"Jamie, I wanna go home with Roxas and you please." He begged, he didn't want to be on vacation anymore even though he really needed it.
"Let's get you healed up first. Don't want to worry Roxas." Jamie said gently. It was bad enough that the people had hurt Jack in their fear, and more than just physically, he didn't want Roxas yet knowing that the world would think him a monster too if they could see him. Unlike Jack, though, he was invisible to the world except by those who believed in the existence of his kind; something that was becoming a rare thing. Jack nodded, it was then that Jamie could see all the wounds; bleeding gashes and bruises that were inflicted on Jack's body. It was obvious a few, if not most, of his bones were broken. Jamie was inwardly more and more infuriated at those people. All of his hard work undone in a single afternoon... and all the damage... He REALLY wished he'd killed those people on sight now as he tended to each of the wounds, icing each to help dull the pain. One though made Jack scream bloody murder at a simple touch.
"DON'T TOUCH THAT PLEASE!" It was a piece of bone that broke through his wing, wing bone cartilage.
"If I don't it will only get worse." Jamie replied before working as quickly as he could with the wing, knowing how sensitive they must be and how much that wing must hurt, but if he didn't mend it right then it wouldn't be usable once it did heal. Jack screamed louder, Jamie had him bite down on a rag and a piece of wood; he tore the rag and broke the wood as well as Jamie reset it. Jack panted, crying and sobbing.
"Please, it hurts." Once it's reset Jamie bound it in solid ice as a splint to help it heal properly.
"I know love, I'm sorry it does. It's over now, it should heal right with that splint." Jack was so exhausted and in pain that he fell unconscious then and there in Jamie's arms. Jamie set aside the movie for later as he made sure Jack was comfortable; he gently brushed his fingers along Jack's cheek.
"My love... what have they done to you?" He murmured sadly before leaving to clean up the mess of popcorn downstairs. Jack groaned in his sleep, interrupted by nightmares; that and an angry mob outside the cabin.
"KILL THE BEAST AND WITCH!" Jamie was pissed by that point, he came out the front door, blasting the mob with the wind... not that he need call her as she was just as pissed. Jamie saw red and drove the people back without mercy this time. Anyone who got too close was instantly frozen to death and bullets had no effect as the temperature around the place was so cold that the guns malfunctioned. Jack winced at the sounds outside.
"Jamie... please stop." He fell to his knees as he hung onto the door frame to stand behind Jamie; the people gasped.
"THERE IT IS! THE BEAST!" They screamed and all hell broke loose as they ran in directions; running into each other, screaming in fright. Jack held his hands over his ears, wanting to break down and sob.
"Please stop..." He begged, he needed silence it was then that the screaming became louder.
"Stop please please!" He weakened, withering there at the sounds of fright. Jamie lost it, the wind threw the remaining people in all directions and then there was silence; Jamie sank to his knees, panting from releasing his anger against the idiotic people. Jack winced and lay against the door frame wanting to reach out to Jamie; to tell him 'it's ok, everything's alright' but he was just too tired to. He whimpered, tears fell like crystals.
"Jamie." He managed to whimper. Jamie felt tired, but he pushed it aside as he forced himself to stand up; ignoring the frozen people as he turned to Jack, his gaze soft.
"Come on, let's get you inside." He was infinitely gentle as he put an arm around Jack to lead him back into the cabin, a blizzard like no other encircling the cabin and cutting them off from the rest of civilization. No human would dare enter the blinding blizzard that kept them safe for the time being. Jamie had never killed before, but he also could not simply abide the cruel stupidity of the people who had attacked Jack, not once... but twice. Stooping to track them down and attack him as well. Jack winced at each step.
"OW!" He cried out when Jamie touched his injured back; he was losing consciousness and fast. Jamie got Jack back inside and back to the bedroom just before he lost consciousness. He stayed with him, both angered and saddened by what had happened. There was no reason it should have happened. People didn't do things like that anymore... but apparently something had riled them up to do so and he'd a suspicion of what... or more accurately WHO had. Jack winced, cringing in the forced sleep his injured body desperately needed. Jamie did his best to soothe Jack in his sleep; Jack hurt though, everything hurt. Jamie sighed inwardly, wishing he could do more. Jack awoke the next afternoon, groaning groggily. Jamie was sitting in a chair by the bed when Jack woke up.
"Hey love, how are you feeling?" He asked gently. Jack tried sitting up only to bite his tongue so hard it bled; a small yelp of pain escaped, it was like needles repeatedly stabbing his everywhere.
"Guess that answers the question. Just relax okay?" Jack sucked in as much oxygen as possible.
"Jamie... what happened?"
"If I had to hazard a guess... I'd say that demon is up to his tricks again." Jack shivered and shook as fear filled him instantly, enough to make him begin to choke.
"Calm down Jack." Jamie murmured gently, trying to reassure him as best he could.
"He won't leave me be." He whined.
"I know, but he can't have you as long as I'm around. I share your fate, remember?" Jamie said gently; Jack winces at that.
"Jamie please don't let me drag you into the hell I was born from." He gave Jack a faint smile.
"Little late for that isn't it? I cast that spell to protect you from Death, remember? Besides, what would I ever do without you?"
"I hate this so much."
"I know." Jamie shifted to settle next to Jack in the bed, careful not to jar any of the injuries.
"What about Roxas' birthday? It's tomorrow, I can't come to him like this."
"I've already seen to that while you were asleep love. Roxas doesn't know when his birthday is yet. A few days difference won't matter."
