Chapter 5:

Something Blossoms

Jace stood before his mother's room, or he should have. It was completely empty. His stoic demeanor belied the brewing storm inside of him. As a hand placed itself on his shoulder, he rounded with a fury in his eyes. Lightning crackling from their corners as he came face to face with the one who was supposed to be watching his mother. Marian.

"Where is she?" Jace's words echoed through the halls as lights began to flicker.

Everything around him began to rise, as if lifted by an unseen force. Marian withdrew her hand as she took a step back, but one thing registered to him in that moment. She wasn't afraid. "Interesting..." Jace logged the information for later, but right now he had one objective.

"Jace," She spoke calmly, her eyes narrowing in, "Calm down."

"Calm down?" Jace could almost laugh, "My mother is gone, and you want ME to calm down?"

Marian's eyes flicked over his shoulder as Jace sensed the presence of someone. His eyes turning towards them as he moved his body. His hand rumbling with power as he turned to strike, but much to his surprise his arm was caught as a small shockwave reverberated outwards. There, standing strong against Jace was a familiar face. Gerard.

His kindly face locked in a grim stare. His hand smoking from the impact but remained unmoved.

"You know...I'm still a Dwarf," Gerard rumbled, "Magic...what a thing. If it were anyone else, you'd have killed them. Is that what your mother would have wanted?"

Gerard stared Jace down.

"Gerard..." Jace spoke with a menace, "Where is she?"

"If you're done scaring everyone..." Gerard motioned to the scared onlookers, mostly nurses and other patients, "We'll talk."

Jace took in the scared faces, and inside of him he felt it. The absolute guilt of losing control. His mother's face flashed before him, angry. She would be unhappy with his behavior, and almost immediately he felt drained. Everything left him as he slumped over, falling against Gerard's waiting embrace.

"There we go..." Gerard whispered, sighing, "Honestly, that really fucking hurt..."

"S-Sorry..." Jace whispered, genuinely apologetic, "My mother...where..."

Before he could get out another word, his vision faded to black as he passed out. The warm feeling of blood running down his nose.

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Jace eventually came to in a small, warmly lit room. He heard voices talking but couldn't quite hear what they were saying. As he attempted to sit up, a gentle, yet firm hand pressed itself against his shoulder. Pushing him back down, his vision eventually focused to see Marian sitting over him.

"Stay still," She spoke coolly, "You overdid it. Your body needs rest."

"M-My mother..." Jace's mind recalled the empty room, and it was his first thought as he came back to his senses.

Marian eyed him, as if judging. Measuring him before she looked away.

"She's safe," Her words seemed a bit strange to Jace, as they sounded different from her usual emotionless tone, "I promised you, didn't I?"

"That's right...she did...But then where is my mother?" Jace didn't get up but adjusted himself with the help of Marian to at least be partially inclined. Looked around, he noticed that it was an office of sorts. With a desk in one corner, and a table in another with a couple chairs.

He currently was laid on a small couch, and the more he looked the more he felt like this was some kind of small apartment. He was quite confused, something Marian noticed as she collected herself.

"You're in my office," She stated, motioning around, "As a nurse, you often have to sleep and eat on the job. Forgive the mess."

"What mess?" Jace found himself asking instinctively, as the entire place was immaculately clean, "If you consider this a mess...you'd be devastated at the state of my room."

Looking at him out of the corner of her eye, she was slightly amused as Jace thought he saw a small smirk appear at the corner of her lips. Something that must have been his imagination.

"Well, regardless," Marian stated as she looked around, "You did something that may cause trouble...especially for your mother."

Jace's heart immediately went cold as the consequences of his actions were now coming to bite him in the ass. He went silent as he looked down sullenly.

"...What's going to happen?" He finally whispered, "If there's anything I can do...my mother needs this treatment. This is the only place capable...I...I have to keep her here."

Marian's gaze passed over him once more, seeing the guilt and genuine sadness enter him. The desperation, and in that moment, she had a single thought "Comfort him." A strange thought to pass through her head in that moment, but one that happened, nonetheless.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, she did her best to give a smile, but it came off awkward and unnatural.

"It'll be alright," She told him, doing her best to sound positive, "Doctor Gerard is speaking with some people now. He'll figure it out."

Jace glanced up at her, doubtful of her words as the look on her face wasn't quite as reassuring as she had hoped.

"Is that...supposed to be a smile?" Jace asked, laughing lightly.

"...It is, yes," Marian immediately grew self-conscious as a bit of red entered her ears.

"It's...have you ever smiled before?" Jace found the entire thing rather amusing.

"I was trying to comfort you," Marian glared, huffing as she took her hand away, "If you don't want-"

"No, wait," Jace realized how his words sounded, grabbing her hand before it got too far, "I'm sorry...It was, no, is a lovely smile, and...Thank you. For trying to cheer me up."

Marian held her hand there, frozen at his touch. It was strange to her, but she didn't hate it. However, she yanked her hand away and held it to herself.

"...You're welcome," Marian mumbled, cursing herself for being foolish.

Still, as she held her hand to herself, his touch lingered on her. She felt her facade breaking as she stood up, walking away to hide the small smile curling at the edges of her lips. His laugh resonated with her, and she found herself happy she had helped, if only in the most awkward way possible. "I wonder if I'll hear him laugh again?" A thought that quickly surprised her as her ears grew even warmer.

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Nikushimi

Personally, I think this interaction was cute when I wrote it. I don't know if I did it much justice though. This was one of the chapters I had a hard time with perspective. Bouncing back and forth between Jace and Marian in the second half. ^_^'' I try to do better from here on, but...