Love Interrupted Chapter 8

    Jack could never accurately recall just how long he and Aster hung there, gazing at each other with bright eyes, a large smile playing on Aster’s mouth and Jack’s eyes crinkled in a close to a smile as he could manage. After a time, Aster broke the silence; his voice was thick with poorly contained joy as he spoke. “Ya…you do? But…when…how?” Jack let out a chuckle through his nose and shrugged, looking a bit sheepish as he did so, his eyes shining as they gazed at the Pooka. As suddenly serious demeanor fell over Aster as he looked at Jack, determination clear on his face as he said “I will get us out of here, I promise.” Jack nodded his head, wishing more than anything that he could tell the Pooka that he believed and trusted him.

    The next few days passed in a strange stare for Jack, sometimes time dragged on and on, others is raced forward faster than Jack would have thought possible. Pitch still visited daily, leaving him with new burns as he made his way slowly down his body from his side, down this thighs and back up. One several occasions Pitch would leave Jack with streams of blood running down his arms, his manacles having torn his wrists open during his struggles to escape the burning pain of the hot iron.  Those were the times that drug by the pain blurring Jack’s senses.

    Despite the near constant throbbing of most of his body, Jack was filled with more happiness then he had been in quite some time. Whenever Pitch left off torturing him and Aster to go do whatever it is that Pitchs do when there not torturing guardians he was alone with Aster. That’s when time seemed to fly by. Jack would have never thought simply looking at someone could be so captivating, and yet that it just what Jack did each day. He found his eyes drawn to Aster, examining him from head to foot. He was disheveled, his fur dark and grimy and sticking up at odd angles, the fur around his wrists and arms stained rust red with blood; he looked worn, exhausted, tired. The sight filled Jack with a mixture of sorrow for Aster’s ordeal and anger at Pitch for his actions. As much as Jack enjoyed taking in the sight of the Pooka before him, his eyes were mostly drawn to Aster’s, the new determination and hope that he saw there heartened him every time he saw it. Occasionally he would curve his fingers the way he had before, getting the soft smile that he’d grown rather fond of and the low “Me too, Jack.” That set his chest aglow with an unfamiliar, but very welcome, warmth.

    Things went on is this way for several days, Jack’s life divided between pain and happiness; they became almost like his night and day. Night was the darkness that so often overtook him during Pitch’s attentions, day was the happy moments spent without the boogieman presence to sully the strange new, though altogether pleasant, aura that had developed between him and Aster.  Aster had taken to passing the time by telling Jack more about the past, the spirit world, Pitch, and the guardians; Jack, who always had a very curious nature, drank in every story. He enjoyed hearing about Aster’s adventures before becoming a guardian and he had to admit, he enjoyed learning more about the Pooka in general. After all, he had just professed love for him, he should do his best to see if his words were true.

    Just over a week later Jack was awaken not by Pitch, but by a serious of low hollow booms that reverberated through the dark room. Jack jerked to attention, his eyes darting around the room before falling on Aster; the Pooka was awake as well, his large ears truing as he tilted his head in an attempt to pinpoint the source of the sound. Jack tried to ask him what he thought was going on, his words muffled by his gag.

    “I don’t know Jack, its comi’n from above us though.” As he spoke another boom sounded, this cracks appearing on the ceiling near Jack’s side of the room. “That aint good…” The pair listened for several more minutes as more even more booms echoed through the stone above them, the cracks in the ceiling growing until they spread to the wall as well, slowly creeping toward Jack. Jack was fine right up until a boom, louder and closer than the previous, sounded and the stone let out a shriek as a chunk the size of North’s sleigh slid from its place in the ceiling and crashed to the ground three feet to Jack’s right sending shards of stone flying in all directions.  That’s when Jack screamed, his voice a few octaves higher then he would care to admit, his breath coming in ragged gasps as his heart raced, his every instinct telling him to flee and the manacles around his wrists holding him in place. Aster’s voice cut through the panic starting to cloud Jack’s mind.

    “It’s alright Frostbite, its ok.” Jack’s heart was still hammering as he tried to hyperventilate through his nose, images of the stone ceiling falling in on them rushing flashing past his mind’s eye. “Jack!” Aster’s tone was sharp now as he demanded Jack’s attention “Jack look at me!” Jack, looked at Aster, his blue eyes wide with the beginning stages of panic. “Yer gonna be fine Jack, I’m right here mate.” Aster’s voice was calm and collected even as his arm’s strained against the chains holding him. Jack took a deep breath, holding it for as long as he could before releasing it, his eyes locked on Aster’s as he tried to calm himself and after a moment it worked.

    Another cracking sound split the silence as some small shards rained down across the cavern. Aster’s eyes were locked on Jack’s as the winter spirit tried to keep him calm. He was distracted from his fears of immanent  squashing by Aster’s eyes which were suddenly glued to a spot on the wall above Jack and slightly to his right.

    “Jack, look!” He shouted, his voice suddenly excited. Jack craned his neck and saw out of the corner of his eye that the crack had grown even large, spreading behind the plate of  steel that anchored Jack’s right manacle to the wall. A surge of excitement flashed through Jack as he realized what that meant. Taking a deep breath Jack wrapped the chain around his hand once to give himself a better grip and then he pulled, pulled with all his considerable strength.

    “That’s it Jack! You got it.” Aster shouted as Jack strained against the chain and the metal and the stone with all his might. Jack was strong, just being a spirit gave him strength far beyond that of any mortal and while he was no match for heavyweights like Aster or North, Jack could still bench press a yeti if the situation called for it, a fact that Phil had found out much to the yeti’s chagrin (Jack didn’t think he’d ever enjoyed winning a bet more). His face screwed up with the effort Jack gave one mighty pull and the stone gave, a large chunk tearing free from the wall along with the metal plate. Jack stumbled at the sudden loss of resistance but managed to keep his balance. Grinning he turned to Aster, who was smiling back at him, and pulled the gag from his mouth. The sense of relive he felt at being able to move his jaw again was almost overwhelming as he worked it in a circle, trying to get the stiff muscles used to moving again.

    “You alright Jack?” Aster called, worry clear on his face as Jack winced in pain.
“Yea,” Jack called back, his words stiff and a little slurred as his mouth refused to obey him “Jaw is killing me.”

    “I’ll break Pitch’s for ya.” Aster responded which brought a smile to Jack’s face.
“Hold on one second and I’ll get us out of here.” Jack said as he turned his back to Aster, facing the plate that still remained in the wall. Grabbing into the chain Jack shimmied up the wall until he was holding the large ring that connected the chain to the metal plate, one foot planted on either side of the plate, his back parallel to the floor. The stone and iron were strong, but there were no match for Jack’s full strength and with the sound of tearing metal the chain broke, sending Jack flying several yards backward like an arrow from a bow before he landed on the ground, skidding another few feet before coming to a stop lying on his back.

    “Jack are y’alright?” Aster asked concerned.

    Jack leaned his head back to too look at Aster, turning the world upside down in the process and started laughing. He had no idea why he found the present situation so funny, because really it was less funny and more dire, but he did, and he laughed until he was holding his stomach his entire frame shaking with the force of his mirth. The winter spirits laughter truly was contagious and after a moment Aster joined it, his deep base chuckle blending with Jack’s higher giggle as they echoed off the chamber walls. Finally controlling himself Jack pushed himself to his feet and spoke.

    “Here give me a minute and I’ll get you out to.” He said, a wide grin still plastered to his pale face. The matching grin on Aster’s face vanished, replaced by a look of horror as, with the barely audible whisper of shadows solidifying a dark arm appeared around Jack’s torso holding him in place.

    “You’ve been marvelous help Jackie; I just need one more favor from you now. Be a good boy and die, won’t you?” Pitch hissed in Jack’s ear. A pain at the small of his back a heartbeat and then another at his chest, a sliding sensation and the Jack fell.

    Someone shouted, there was a loud crash and a low buzzing followed by an even louder shout, accompanied with a tearing sound and the Aster was hovering over Jack, worry and concern painted on his gray face. Jack tried to speak but he couldn’t make the words come out and he was getting tired, so very tired. Aster was saying something but Jack felt like he was underwater, the sound around him was so muffled and that would explain the wetness he felt spreading across his chest too; but no, that was silly if course he wasn’t under water he could see that. Aster was still talking but Jack was having a hard time keeping his eyes open, why was he so tired all of a sudden? Jack looked up as Aster, his eyes lingering on the soft fur and thought how nice it would be to curl up next to Aster for a nap. Maybe he should ask him, after all they could both use a nap after the ordeal they’d been through, plus they could talk about their relationship, if indeed that’s what it was, once they woke up. That would be good. Alright then, he would ask Aster right now he decided and he opened his mouth to do so. Darkness.