#protective!jack

Y/N’S POV:

Jack is going to flip his shit. Race clearly knows it too, because he has a scared look on his face. “Do we need to tell him? We can go over to Brooklyn, get you fixed up there.” I would, but right now it hurts to breathe and I can taste blood. I just need to get somewhere safe so I can sit down.

“I’ll just tell him I tripped. It’ll be okay.” Race looks at me with disbelief. “Yeah, you tripped under a moving wagon. You clearly got jumped. You have a black eye, split lip, and bruises everywhere.” I roll my eyes, but he’s right. I look like hell, plain and simple.

“Race, you go in first. I’ll follow behind you.” Race glares at me. “Why do I have to go in first?” he whines. “Because I don’t want to. Now go inside!” Race grumbles but does as I say. He helps me walk up the stairs, supporting my weight. When we reach the door to the bunk room, Race takes a deep breath. “If I get murdered, I’m leaving all my kazoos to Crutchie.”

With that, he walks in and I follow behind him. “Hey, guys-” he stops. I give him a small wave, wincing when I move. “What the hell happened?” he shouts, rushing over to me. He steers me to a chair and sits me down, inspecting my face. “I got jumped. I’m fine, Jack. Really.” 

“Race, go get me some ice and the first aid kit.” Race obeys and returns with the requested items. Jack puts his hands on my cheeks, turning my face to see all the cuts and bruises. “Who did this.” his voice is soft, but I can hear the anger lurking underneath.

“I don’t know, just some guys looking for a fight. Thought I was an easy target. They didn’t realize Race was just around the corner or that I knew how to fight.” Jack’s eyes have fire in them. He gently feels my nose and I hiss when his fingers press on a bruise. 

His silence is scarier than if he was yelling. I can’t tell what he’s thinking. He cleans up my wounds and gives me an ice pack to put on my eye. “Shirt. Off.” I raise an eyebrow. “I’m not taking off my shirt.” He glares at me. “You probably have bruised ribs. I need to see. Take it off.” I roll my eyes but I unbutton my shirt and pull it off. “Usually I would make you pay to see this,” I joke. Jack doesn’t laugh and I see his eyes narrow.

I look down at my chest. I’m a canvas of blue and purple bruises, dotting almost every piece of bare skin. “I’m going to kill them.” he hisses. “Jack. I’m fine. I’ve had worse.” 

“These assholes think they can hurt you and get away with it. Who were they?” I tell him I don’t know. I didn’t recognize the guys. Jack stands up and runs a hand through his hair. Fury radiates off of him. “Jack, calm down. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Yes, it is! They hurt one of my people. The thought of anyone laying a hand on you makes me see red!” His voice cracks a bit. “I’m going to hunt them down and make them pay.” he growls. “Jack. Stop.” he looks at me. His fists are tight, ready to punch something or someone.

“Fighting won’t change anything. It’s alright. I’m not angry, and you shouldn’t be either. Shit happens. I’ll heal, none of this is permanent.” Jack deflates a bit, coming to sit in front of me again. “I’m sorry. I just- seeing you all banged up and in pain, I can’t stand it. It makes me want to...” he doesn’t finish, but I see the murderous rage in his eyes.

I grab his hand and squeeze it once. “I love that you want to protect me. You being willing to fight for me, that makes me feel safe. But I also don’t want you to get hurt.” I smile gently at Jack. “Just, let me look after you for a bit, okay? At least let me do that.” 

“Any excuse to spend some time with you, Mr. Union leader. Now, can I put my shirt back on? It’s cold in here.”