You rise with the moon, I rise with the sun

Perhaps Ted had been right when he said Jack had a nose for trouble, but there was little good it would do him now.

Gravel kissed his face in a biting caress as his cheek was shoved into the ground. The boot of the hunter above him crushed his back, digging into his spine as his blade rested against the tender flesh of Jack’s throat. He tried to move, but an agonizing burn tore through him as he was reminded of the wound on his side. A low whine escaped his throat as he shut his eyes.

“Stay down, dog.” The man growled.

“Jack!” His eyes flickered open at the familiar voice, gaze colliding with the cold yet worried stare of Elsa Bloodstone. Her eyes lifted to meet the hunter above him as she leveled her bow.

“Elsa,” he ground out, “it’s ok.”

Her gaze slid to his once more, quick and reluctant, but he noticed the way her bow drooped slightly in her hand.

“Oh, the great Bloodstone heir has a soft spot for the dog, does she?” The hunter crooned and Jack laid deathly still as he watched Elsa. “I think it’s time we put him down, don’t you?”

Before the blade could even move, the man was dead, falling with a dull thud beside him. Jack’s chest constricted, breaths coming tight and uneven as he scrambled away. In a moment, Elsa had made her way toward him.

“Can you walk?” She asked, eyes glancing over him quickly and he nodded.

“Yes.” He breathed. “Are you ok? Once we got split up back there I-“

“I’m fine.” She cut him off quickly.

“There’s a cabin I’ve used as a safe house not far from here.” Elsa spoke, “We need to go. There’ll be more on their way.”

Jack tailed behind her, not entirely aware of what he had managed to find himself caught up in, and trusted Elsa enough to follow. It was snowing by the time they got there, though he had barely noticed, so caught up in adrenaline he could only focus on Elsa, and keeping continued pressure on his side.

The cabin was sparse, to say the least and he was almost certain it didn’t belong to her either, if watching her try to kick the door in proved anything.

“I thought you said you’d used this as a safe house?” Jack asked, “You don’t have a key?”

“It’s been a while.” Elsa ground out, but there was no malice in it, only frustration as she shivered in the cold and cast her eyes about the door’s frame.

“Let me see.” He gently set his hand on her shoulder and she looked at him with a curious glint in her eyes. Stepping aside, she allowed him to take over. He knelt, staring at the door’s knob before his gaze flickered back to her’s.

“Do you have a hair pin, or something long and thin?” Elsa’s brows scrunched in thought for a second before pulling a thin strip of metal from her boot.

“Will this work?”

“It’s perfect.” He smiled, grabbing the proffered pin, “Thank you.”

He placed it into the keyhole and began to gently slide each lock into place, each one snapping happily until the final one. He avoided Elsa’s surprised gaze as the door gave a loud click and opened under his touch.

Elsa quirked a thin brow at him as she walked past. “Do I want to know?”

“Probably not.” He murmured softly.

Jack shuffled inside the dark room, clutching his stomach to minimize movement.

“We should be safe here.” Elsa said, closing the door behind him. “At least for the night.”

“Ok.” He nodded, taking a moment to breathe and watching as she made her way about the cabin, checking the windows and closing curtains before turning on the light.

As she turned to face him, her gaze finally swept over him. Her eyes widened as she looked at him fully, lips parted as a breath of shock escaped her lungs.

“Shit.” The word puffed past her lips, “You’re bleeding.

“Oh this?” He moved his jacket a bit to reveal the wound, “It’s nothing.”

When his gaze lifted to meet her’s once more, he could see her unimpressed stare even in the dim lighting. He watched as she continued to the kitchen, flipping on a light that barely refused to turn on. It flickered and sputtered to life as he hovered in the doorway.

“Sit.” She called and he followed her orders.

Jack looked around the small kitchen, opting to sit on the table as there were no chairs present. The wood creaked beneath his weight and he froze as she turned to him.

“Let me see.”

Wordlessly, he lifted his shirt to reveal the cut that ran along the length of his side. It wasn’t deep, but it had bled enough to look concerning to any untrained eye.

“Shit.” She ran her hands through her hair. “Don’t move.”

“I wasn’t planning on it.” He cracked a soft smile despite the pain and she glared at him for a moment, eyes rolling as she walked away.

Jack watched as she began raiding the cabinets in a violent search. After a few minutes of listening to the sound, he spoke.

“What are you looking for?”

“I need to find a medical kit,” Elsa mumbled from beneath the sink, “or something to at least staunch the bleeding.”

She opened another door to reveal a full bottle of vodka. Her hands wrapped around the neck of the bottle and she looked at him, lips quirked up in a smile that would have been joking had it not been for the concern so present in her brow that belied the expression.

“Fancy a drink?” She shook the bottle and the contents sloshed slightly.

“I lose all control of myself once a month.” He offered her a kind smile, wincing in slight pain. “I can’t say I like to replicate the feeling.”

“Right.” She blinked, “Of course.”

“But you’re welcome to, if you want.”

Elsa shook her head, setting the drink down and continuing her search. She emerged with a tin kit. The box was scratched and banged up and were it not for the knowledge that this was the first aid she had been searching for, he would not have known what she had pulled out from the cabinet.

She set the kit down beside him, opening the tin and looking through it’s contents. He watched her hands as she picked up a suturing needle.

“Are you ok?”

Elsa scoffed, the sound tight and uncomfortable. “You’re the one bleeding out on my table and you’re asking me if I’m ok?”

“I’m not the one shaking.” The words weren’t accusatory, rather concern held in it’s weight.

Elsa reluctantly met his gaze. Sitting this close to her now, he could see the ring of fear around her eyes. He tried a different tactic.

“Do you know what you’re doing?” He asked not unkindly, though he knew the answer already.

She snorted, the sound self-deprecating. “Is it that obvious?”

“Given our first introduction?” He quirked a brow which earned a laugh from her, the sound real and full.

Jack smiled now at the memory of their time in the crypt and Elsa’s shoulders relaxed just a bit. She looked at him again, eyes now shining and warm and he fought the urge to hold her hand.

“Fine.” The smile slipped from her face as she confessed. “I don’t know what I’m doing here, Jack.”

“That’s alright, I’ll show you.” His gaze slipped down as he spoke. “First, you’ll need to wash your hands.”

Elsa looked down as if just now noticing the dirt and slight blood that clung to her nails. “Right.”

As she went to the sink, Jack busied himself by taking his jacket off; the shirt, he would need more help with. His side tugged and burned with the small movements and he seethed at the pain. At his sound, Elsa turned, taking in his half state of undress. She blinked, quickly looking away to dry off her hands and clear her throat. When she returned to his side, her hands were steadier now.

“Stay still.” She admonished and he froze beneath her touch.

Jack watched as she brandished a knife, grasping a fistful of his shirt and tore through the fabric. After she had finished one side, Elsa moved to the next, doing the same thing until what was left of his shirt fell away. She set the knife down and stared at him. Her eyes dragged across his lithe frame, snagging on the wound on his abdomen before trailing up to meet his gaze.

“That was my favorite shirt.” He accused.

“Well, I-“ she began to defend before meeting his mirthful gaze. Her lips twisted in a wry smile. “You arse.”

“It’s ok,” Jack smirked, throwing up his hands in a peaceful gesture, as he looked at her. “I’ll forgive you this time.”

“Oh, you will? That’s a relief.” Elsa rolled her eyes, her shoulders losing some of their stiffness.

Jack’s hands returned to the table as he watched her smile return.

“Next you’ll want to clean it, before wrapping it.” He instructed, swallowing the sudden lump in his throat. “Take some warm water and clean the blood around the wound first. It’s stopped bleeding, so it should be quick.”

Elsa nodded as she grabbed a bowl from the counter and went to work. Her nails drug across his skin in the ghost of a caress as she scrubbed the blood from his side and as she worked, she spoke.

“You’re wrong.”

His brows knit together in confusion and he looked at her. Elsa’s gaze was firmly trained on cleaning his wound and so he pressed.

“Though I’m not going to disagree,” he quirked a smile and crooked his head sideways, “I must ask about what?”

Her gaze met his for a second before returning downward and she spoke once more. “It’s not ok.”

It took him a moment to process what she meant before remembering. Jack closed his eyes allowing a slow breath to push past his lips. The memory of the hunter’s knife resting against his neck still vivid in his mind and the derision in his voice as he had called him what he was: a dog.

“No, I suppose you’re right.” He answered.

There was nothing more to say, what else could he? Nothing would change the fact that he was a monster and no other hunter, beside Elsa, would see him as such. But it was enough just to speak it - to remind him that he was just as much human as anyone else and perhaps even more so when compared to people like Ulysses.

Silence filled the air as Elsa continued to work and she seemed content to let the moment pass. As she finished, Elsa dried off her hands and moved to wrap the wound. Jack stopped her, placing a hand on her own and pausing her in her movements.

“What?” She asked, looking at him once more.

“Where did you put the vodka?” Jack watched as she grabbed it from the counter, turning to look at him once more.

“I thought you didn’t want any.” Her eyes flickered back and forth as she gazed into his own and he watched as realization dawned on her.

“We need to disinfect the wound before it’s wrapped. There’s no saline solution in here, so the best way to do that is with alcohol.” He persisted at her wariness, hoping to assuage her. “I’ll be fine, I’ve been through worse.”

Jack noticed the clench in her jaw at his words. She had no doubt he had been through worse, but there was a difference between witnessing such agony and being the one to inflict it. Her father had no qualms with either, but Elsa could not say the same.

Though her hands were steady as she unscrewed the bottle, Jack noticed the sudden change of her heart rate, only hidden by the forced regularity of her breathing. Elsa avoided eye contact with him as she readied herself to disinfect the wound, but a sudden warmth around her arm stopped her. His fingers pressed into her, drawing her eyes towards him and Jack held her gaze as he gently took the bottle from her hands.

“It’s ok, Elsa.” He whispered, as though trying not to scare her. “You don’t have to.”

“Jack-“

“Wash your hands.” He tipped his head, in the direction of the sink. “I’ll handle it.”

As the warmth of the water rushed over her knuckles, Elsa tried to ignore the agonized groans and shuddering breaths of the man behind her. When she turned back around, his eyes were closed, head leaned back as he breathed deeply. The stench of alcohol pierced her nose, strong and sharp in it’s scent. Elsa’s gaze swept over him, noticing how his stomach glistened, the muscles pulled tight from pain. In this light, despite the obvious suffering he was in, Elsa could almost admit he was-

“Elsa?”

Her gaze snapped up to meet his once more and found his sharp green eyes on her.

“Are you ok?”

She could feel her mask slide back into place. The vulnerability she had allowed herself to show this night was becoming more frequent around him and she steeled herself to return to his side. With a curt nod, she responded.

“So,” She cleared her throat, “I just wrap you up and that’s it?”

Jack stilled, his clever eyes pausing on her for a moment longer before answering.

“Yes.” He spoke, his throat a bit dry. “That’s it.”

Elsa nodded, quickly grabbing the gauze and working to fashion it tightly around his midsection. She ignored the way his breath felt against her neck as she reached behind him, the way the warmth of his body leeched into her skin with every brush of her fingers. She cleared her throat.

“There might be a change of clothes in the room, down the hall.” Elsa spoke as she tied off the bandage. “Take some Advil.”

Once she had finished, she excused herself to take a shower.

And she definitely didn’t think about the way his eyes never left her face as she wrapped his wound.

***

Elsa heard the music before the shower had even turned off, the sound of it growing louder as she dressed and wrung her hair out. The crackling melody of an older song she couldn’t quite name played through the hall, the sound muffled by distance.

“Jack?” Elsa called out as she walked closer towards the noise.

Her heart pitched in her chest when there was no response. She froze, letting out a slow exhale in a controlled breath before she prepared to round the corner.

She raised her arms pivoting toward the doorway… and dropped them at the sight in front of her.

There, standing in the living room was Jack, still shirtless and swaying gently to the rhythm of the music. His back was to her and she watched him, brows pinching together in confusion.

“Jack?” She couldn’t help the frustrated relief in her voice and he spun around to face her.

“Elsa!” He rushed to lower the volume on the record player. “I’m sorry, was it too loud?”

She shook her head, her anxiety on his behalf dissipating as she looked at him. “What are you doing?”

“Oh, well, I found this record player and I figured that after the night we’ve had, we deserve to relax a bit.”

She watched as he turned the volume up a bit more and began to sway his hips, the quick guitar strings creating a happy melody. Elsa would be lying if she said she wasn’t mesmerized by his movements. He shifted fluidly despite the wound in his side though, if she looked closely, he did move more gingerly than normal. A certain uneasiness began to creep up her spine.

“Come on.” He smiled, seemingly in better spirits as he waved her over.

“Jack, we’re supposed to be laying low.” She shook her head and he stopped, walking over to her.

“You say we’re safe here, yes?” His eyes glittered feverishly as she met his gaze.

“Yes.” The word barely left her throat.

“Then dance with me.”

Jack smiled as he took her hand and led her into the dimly lit room. She looked down, noticing he had kicked off his shoes and was now barefoot. Her eyes traveled back up to meet his.

This is ridiculous. She thought.

“I don’t know how to dance.” She said.

Jack’s lips quirked into a gentle smile, “It’s alright, I’ll show you.”

His hand grabbed her wrist, lifting it to set her hand upon his shoulder as he grasped the other one.

“You’ll want to step closer.” He murmured and she shuffled forward. A laugh bubbled in his chest. “Closer.”

Elsa stepped forward until she was flush against his body, her face nestled into the crook of his neck.

“Are you sure I won’t hurt you?”

“I’ll be fine.” He spoke, the warmth of his breath ghosting across the shell of her ear. “I’ll lead, you follow.”

She didn’t say a word as he began, his hand sliding across her waist to hold her back as they moved.

“You’re still on edge.” He noted, an amused tint to his voice.

“Because this is what gets you into trouble all the time.” she growled. Elsa could feel how stiff her limbs were, muscles coiled and ready should anything happen.

The sound of his laugh vibrated through his chest, she could feel it before she even heard it.

“What?” She could hear the smile in his voice. “By dancing?”

“Relaxing.” She pulled away to look at him and he let her, his hand slipping away for a moment. Elsa held his gaze a moment longer before returning to her previous position, the back of her mind buzzing at how close they were to each other.

“You let your guard down too easily.” She admitted softly and Jack stuttered in his movements.

She could feel the shift in his body, so close as he was to her and he stilled. The tip of his nose brushed the shell of her ear and he inhaled, a slow, deep breath that held a certain kind of weight to it. Elsa stared ahead, waiting for his response.

“Thirteen yards above us is a nest full of birds. Twenty-eight yards to the right of us is a fox, though it could be a badger, the snow makes it a bit hard to tell. Ten yards from the tree with the birds are a few squirrels. Our greatest threat is the deer a little more than fifty yards away from the cabin.”

Finally Jack moved to look her in the eyes.

“You’re right, Elsa. I do let my guard down easily,“ He conceded. ”but you don’t do it enough.”

Elsa felt as though she couldn’t move, shock and perhaps a hint of anger coursing through her. Then embarrassment flooded her chest, creeping up her throat until it tightened. She swallowed, and without saying a word, extricated herself from his arms. She walked to the record he had put on and lifted the needle, flipping the switch to stop it’s spinning and flipped the vinyl to the other side. Elsa flipped the switch once more and set the needle gently atop the record player.

The soft theme of a guitar played as she turned to face him and as she met his gaze, Elsa allowed herself to relax. As she walked back over to him, her shoulders dropped beneath his touch. Her feet stood between his own, intertwining their legs as his hands wrapped around her waist. She allowed her body to meld into his touch, and somehow, just standing her felt more intimate than anything she had ever done. It was terrifying.

Silently, he began to move, swaying gently to the tune as the man began to sing. Jack hummed along, the melody a low-pitched noise rumbling through his chest as they danced. Elsa couldn’t help the way her head dropped slightly, the heat of his neck brushing her cheek as he tilted his head. She was surprised when he began to sing along, the sound low and hesitant.

“You know Portuguese?” She asked, shifting her head to address him.

“Yes.” Jack nodded. “It’s close to Spanish, so it wasn’t too hard.”

“Do you know any other languages?”

“A few.” He admitted, “What about you?”

Elsa smiled, “A few.” She repeated.

Jack laughed as he stepped to the side and she followed, allowing him to lead.

“My dad insisted I learn.” She spoke, her voice suddenly growing sober. “It’s one of the few things I actually enjoyed.”

Jack stilled, their movements slowing until he stopped, the tip of his nose brushing her neck. His hot breath rustled her hair and suddenly she was all too aware of how close they were.

“Elsa,” Jack whispered her name and she closed her eyes. “I-“

Her lips parted as she breathed, listening to his words. She could feel him pull away slightly and she opened her eyes. His gaze fell to her lips and she froze. The heat of his shoulder leeched into her fingers, warm and soft. His bare chest pressed against hers and she could feel the rise and fall of it with every breath. The last time he had been so close to her was when they were in the cage. Jack paused once more before clearing his throat.

“I think I should clean up for the night.”

Elsa stood silent, letting his words pierce through the heady fog that had surrounded her to sink into her mind. As she stood, he moved, arms falling away from her to step backward. She blinked, recovering and looking away from him.

“Of course.” She turned away, forcing her voice to remain neutral. “The shower is just down the hall through the bedroom.”

Her gaze found the record player, watching the vinyl spin as the needle moved slowly up and down. It wavered as it reached the end of the available songs, a dust filled emptiness now crackling through the speakers. She waited until she could hear his footsteps recede before moving toward it, lifting the needle and flipping the switch off. Elsa ran her hands through her hair, fighting off the sting of tears.

“Bloody stupid.” She whispered.

***

“You should rest.”

The sleep-drugged voice was gravel lined with tiredness and it was a moment before he realized who’s it was.

“I’m not human.” He spoke, “I don’t need sleep.”

“Of course you do.”

“Not like you.”

As he exited the bathroom, his eyes adjusted to the dark of the bedroom, the dim light above the sink barely puncturing the darkness. Jack’s gaze landed on her, laying on one half of the bed, the other untouched. He watched as she sat up, red hair glinting in the soft light.

“Elsa-“

“Just go to sleep, Jack.” She cut him off, shifting in the bed to face away from the other side.

He hesitated in the doorway before moving toward the bed. It was clear she had left the side for him, but even though they had sleep next to each other before, sleeping in the same bed felt strangely intimate. Jack sat on the empty side, the mattress dipping beneath his weight, but she remained silent. He slid beneath the covers, laying next to her and shifted his head.

“I didn’t get a chance to say thank you.” He said into the darkness. “And I’m sorry.”

There was no response for a moment, then she spoke. “‘Why?”

The question was raw, and he could hear the pain laced in the single word.

“For the same reason you can’t dance.”

He closed his eyes, letting her scent wash over him. The crispness of pine needles with the citrus smell of oranges seeping through. The air was heavy with snow and earth and he breathed it in the quiet. If this was as close as he could get to her, he would take it.

“Is the deer still around?”

The question was a surprise and he couldn’t help the smile that tugged on his lips.

“No.” He murmured, “She’s gone.”

Jack lay still as she shifted in the darkness.

“And the fox?” Elsa asked.

A beat longer.

“Gone too.” His throat grew dry as she moved some more.

“The birds?”

She was facing him now. He listened and beneath the pillow of snow he could hear the flutter of wings and their fast heartbeats if he tried.

“Still there.” Jack said, “You’ll hear them in the morning.”

They lay there in the quiet and as he stretched his hands, they met her skin.

“You’re cold.” He spoke, the words leaving his lips in a hushed breath.

Her legs moved in small, incremental movements to intertwine with his and he moved to allow it, his breath hitching at the intimacy. His eyes adjusted, looking down to find her wide eyes upon him, and his gaze flickered down to glance at her lips. Elsa’s hand brushed the bandage, dancing across his side to wrap gingerly around him. The heat of his skin seeped into the sheets. Her lips found his, ghosting across his in a breath.