A/N:Ā For @dva76week - Day 1- Snow.Ā Can be read on AO3.
The snow crunches under her boots as she makes her way over to him.Ā She has to admit, sheās starting to get worried.Ā She canāt remember when exactly he collapsed into the snow, but heās been there for awhile, unbudging.
She plops down and curls into him.Ā As if on instinct, his right arm moves to hold her close.
She shivers from the chill of the snow, the cold seeping through the fabric of her clothes.Ā She wonders how heās been able to stand this.
āJack,ā she whispers, gently rubbing at his chest.Ā āJack, whatās wrong?ā
āNothing.ā
āJack.āĀ Thereās a warning in her voice, and her nails are digging into his jacket, but it doesnāt matter.Ā She knows he canāt feel it.
āItās nothing, Hana.ā
She stares up at his face, obscured by the mask, for a few seconds.Ā Sheās learned to read him by tone of voice, curve of brows, crinkle of forehead, the way he holds himself.
āYouāre thinking of the past, again.Ā It wonāt do you any good.Ā That gameās ended.Ā Youāre onto a different one now.āĀ She strokes his chest comfortingly, and still he does not move.Ā āLearn from your mistakes.Ā But if you focus too much on them, youāre going to lose this one, too.ā
āI know.āĀ He bends his head, pressing the mask plate to the top of her head in a pseudo-kiss.Ā āI know.ā
They lay in silence for several seconds, and Hana tries to control the slight quiver thatās invading her muscles.Ā She doesnāt want him to worry.
āUp.āĀ She blinks as sheās nudged.Ā She sits upright and watches him sit up.Ā āWe should go back.ā
She nods and rises, innerly relieved at the suggestion, holding out her hand once sheās up.Ā He takes it gently, but itās obvious that heās using his own strength to pull himself up.
White flakes fall from his form as he lets out a deep sigh.Ā She can hear the exhaustion in it, the weariness.
He moves stiffly.Ā And she falls in at his side, leaning into him.Ā He puts an arm around her, and together they walk back to base.
When they get back, sheāll grab some hot chocolate and a blanket.Ā Sheāll show him another of her video games.Ā Sheāll distract.
Sheāll wait until heās ready to open up.