#mumiro

Jack and Rapunzel were sat down on the couch of Jack’s house as a rather boring Christmas special played on the tv, though neither of their attentions were on the images on the screen. For you see, both of them had a steaming mug of hot chocolate with lashings of cream and a small mountain of marshmallows in each mug. The room was filled with the scent of burning wood and the slightest hint of peppermint (though you could say that was coming from jack.) as they huddled from the bitter weather outside.

Jack had his arm draped lazily around Rapunzel’s waist as his hands were covered by a thick sweater that had been given as a gift from the blonde haired girl, it was had sewn (of course) and since it was a surprise, she couldn't get the measurement quite right, which resulted in the jumper being a /little/ over-sized.  When jack had been presented with gift, he unwrapped with with a gleeful grin which slowly morphed into one of humor as he held up the jumper “Looks a little…. Big.” He said with a laugh as the slightly shorter female flushed “Well… I-I couldn't really get the correct measurements without giving it away.” she reasoned as Jack chuckled and swiftly raised the jumper and slipped it over his head, it hung low as his hands disappeared inside the sleeves, hanging far past his hands, he looked down at himself before pulling her into a hug and pecking her nose quickly “I love it Punz, besides, it’ll keep me warm.” He assured her before settling on the couch alongside her.

Soon the Jumper and any cares they had were  long forgotten as the sweet and warm drinks were shared and drunk. Jack took a large sip of his drink before casting a glance towards his girlfriend as Rapunzel looked up to see his face, she snorted softly and tried to bite back a fit of giggles as she continued to stare at his face. Jack quirked an eyebrow at the girl’s sudden outburst and lowered his mug away from his lips “What’s so funny?” he questioned the girl, who looked like she was about to go into a fit of hysterics. Rapunzel just tried to slow her breathing for a moment to calm down as she clasped a hand over her mouth to stop her giggles before moving it back down “You might want to check your face.” She said with a grin as jack cautiously raised his fingers to his face, feeling the cold and wet foam on his upper lip as he slowly came to terms at what she had been laughing at, Jack’s upper lip, along with the tip of his nose, was completely covered in the snow white whipped cream. The boy started to laugh as he wiped his upper lip with his finger before popping it into his mouth with a grin “So this is what you were laughing at?” he questioned as the girl’s giggles slowly returned and the hot chocolate was drunk once again. The afternoon slowly dragged on, and all that was left by the end of it was a room full of laughter, two empty mugs and a couple of cream mustaches.

Jack stood. The green spring grass had grown tall since the last time he’d visited. Winter’s snow no longer clung to the marble stones or hung in the trees that stood overhead, the baby birds nestled in their branches twittered cheerfully. Jack thought of Rapunzel. It would have been just the thing she would have pointed out to him, grabbing at the sleeve of his hoodie and bouncing with glee as her eyes shimmered with excitement. He would have blushed, but pretended it was just the warm spring breeze that had warmed his icy cheeks.

  Someone might have stared at them, wondering why a girl was bouncing about by herself. They would not see him. It used to bother him. Like an itch he could never quite scratch. Until he’d met them. A scrawny boy with a knack for building strange tools out of practically nothing, along with his oversized dog. The Scottish, hotheaded, archer with crazy, curly, red hair to match her temper.

  And the dreamy artist.

  His eyes burned horribly and he bit down on his lip, tasting blood. The stinging pain of the cut didn’t ease the ache in his chest.

  The air chilled and a few glistening flakes drifted down from the sky, melting before they could touch the ground.

  He could see their faces, even when he closed his eyes and tried to block them out. Cheeks flushed, with furry hats and mittens. Their scarves wound around their necks as they launched snowballs at him, laughing like the children they once were.

  Like the child he would always be.

  Immortal and forever youthful: without even the blessing of a diseased mind to blot out all his memories. His beautifully painful memories.

  He wished he could forget.

  Forget the life he’d live, the happiness he’d felt, and the love that had grown in his chest, curling its viselike fingers around an un-beating heart.

  Forget his unjust life.

  The life of the immortal boy who had learned to love.