#bowsandfringes

[entelexcheia]

Continued from - ( x ) | @bows-and-fringes​

Before he knew it, there were several more notifications after he had set the phone down. Jack picked the phone back up, scrolling through to see the message previews... but it seemed that these messages were a bit longer, so he needed to open the app to read through everything Horizon had to say.

He took a moment to read through her messages, though she didn’t seem to be finished just yet. The boy was already taking his sweet old time reading through what she had to say, still trying to let it sink in that they were talking to each other again. There was a lot to take in, but Jack found himself gradually processing everything and was able to respond accordingly...

[ Thanks. I appreciate it. ]

[ I actually do get breaks every now and then. It’s an inconsistent schedule and it usually depends on Wil’s mood too lol but for the most part, it’s just whenever I finish all of my work and if I do a good job while I’m at it. ]

Speaking of work, he did have a few more places to scout out before he’d actually be free for the evening. He had a quota to meet and Wil wouldn’t be satisfied unless he met the bare minimum but of course, Wil being the type of person to have only high expectations, Jack should at least do his part in their little investigation.

[ And yeah, I’ll try keep in touch from here on out. Again, I’m sorry for not reaching out to you. ]

[ I never really was good at establishing or even maintaining these kinds of relationships with people, but I’m glad that we’re still here. ]

[ I’ll be sure to tell Wil that. He’ll remember you; he’s got a good enough memory lol. He’s always busy of course but I do talk to him often so there’s that. ]

[ I’m also glad that Giga and ARMY have been taking care of you. I trust Giga for the most part, but if ARMY gives you any trouble, tell me, okay? I’ll be sure to tell him to stop. ]

As much as Jack wanted to go off on ARMY, he was talking to Horizon, who tried her best to mediate between the boys, especially Jack and ARMY, considering their feud. The last thing Jack wanted was for Horizon to get involved but it seemed unavoidable at this point. The most he could try to do was to mitigate the stress that’d come from dealing with these boys on a regular basis.

But when Horizon brought up a call, even a video call, Jack couldn’t help but feel ever so slightly flustered at the notion. It’s not like he’s any stranger to calling someone after he got his own phone for the sake of convenience but it was weird... 

He almost didn’t know how to just have a casual conversation on the phone to begin with, since most of his contacts were more or less there for the sake of... “professional” matters.

Still, the proposition was appealing, despite his embarrassment. He’d like to talk to Horizon face-to-face, but he’d settle for a phone call or video call being the next best thing considering the distance between them.

[ I don’t mind a call either. If I have the time, we can, I guess. ]

[ If you’re talking about the phone and the camera icons next to my display name then yeah, those are for calls. ]

[ It’s okay though. Don’t be embarrassed. ]

[ I’ll let you know what’s good. Whether or not I can come over or if we can just call or something. ]

Now that he thought about it... he could probably get his tasks done as quickly as possible and just have whatever time remained in the evening to talk to her, as long as she was still awake by then. He wouldn’t contact her beyond midnight, but he felt that he could make it in time before then.

But god, was this even a good idea? He couldn’t help but feel a little anxious, which seemed stupid to him because it’s not like he didn’t know how to talk to someone, especially Horizon, who’s one of the easiest people to talk to for him personally.

No, there was no reason to be anxious. Even if it had been a long time, they were still on amicable terms, so he needed to just approach this normally, casually even. After all, Horizon was his friend and, truth be told, one of the few people (if not the only one) he actually felt comfortable around.

[ Actually, wait, what about a call later tonight? If you’re free, that is. I don’t know how late it’ll be... but I’ll let you know. I have things to take care of so whenever I’m done with them, I’ll text you back, okay? ]

[entelexcheia]

Continued from ( x ) | @bows-and-fringes 

There wasn’t anything more retro and classic than a good ol’ picnic date. Honestly, what could possibly beat a[(n) sort of] enormous park where there could possibly be next to no one here. The extra thing about this was that it was a beach park in the early evening/late afternoon!

The weather seemed to be working in Jack’s favors too. There was a fine breeze as well as it didn’t seem like it was going to rain either. So… Fingers crossed that it stays that way given his luck. As for the food… Horizon kind of helped him with that but did the minimum, mostly just pointing or retrieving the things he needed earlier. She tried to stay out of it since he intended mostly on doing things on his own. He couldn’t really reheat pre-made food at her house since it would’ve ended up soggy and gross or something. Definitely not romantic.

Horizon mostly took her time looking around so she was a little behind sometimes. For the most part she tried to keep up with Jack since she didn’t want to get lost but honestly? Getting lost in a place like this seemed like a dream. Jack really had a good taste in locations… They set up near towards the beach under a shady tree. Since daylight was dimming down, there wasn’t much worry on getting sun burnt or anything. Horizon wore a lampshade hat anyways since it was usually sunny out during this season.

“How come you’ve never taken me here before!” The girl exclaimed after they both had settled down and begun to unpack. “Everything’s so beautiful and amazing… and big too!” She still was in awe at the site Jack chose. “Did you accidentally stumble upon here on one of your excursions?” She chuckled.

There were so many places that Jack had been that he wanted to bring Horizon to, but this one in particular was a must-see. It combined practically everything that both of them enjoyed into one location, making it a convenient, worthwhile trip. Now that it was nearing the evening, the sun beginning to dip lower and lower into the sky but not quite below the horizon (hah), the two of them could enjoy a picnic in temperate weather, with a beautiful view of the ocean.

“...Good question. I don’t really know, actually.” Jack gave her a bit of a smirk in return, finding himself a bit more relaxed than usual and was able to make a few light-hearted quips here and there. “But... yeah, I just happened to stumble across this place. Next thing I knew, I found the perfect place to sit down and relax. From what I can tell, not many people come by this location, since it’s a bit of a trek to come here... so uh, thanks for putting up with that.”

The two took their time in setting up, laying out the cloth so that they could sit on the ground. The food that they had prepared in advance was nothing extravagant, consisting of little ready-to-eat dishes that didn’t require anything like heating. There was enough for the two of them, maybe a little extra, in case they happened to stay there a little longer and wanted to continue munching on something. 

“Oh, yeah and... thanks for coming out. I know this was kind of on short notice but we made it work, right? Let’s just hang out and enjoy ourselves. Things have been... kind of hectic on my end, but you knew that already. I’m just glad that we can spend time together.”

...God, that didn’t sound too weird, did it? He hoped that he wasn’t coming on too strong, or else she might get the wrong idea.

...Or maybe, that’s what he intended? Not in a weird way but... damn it, who knows.

[entelexcheia]

// bcos im sappy over ur reply ⊗ for jack n hora

Send me ⊗ for 3+ headcanons about your muse and mine. ( x )

The bastard is more than likely in love with her but just can’t bring himself to confess or even admit it for that matter because he’s a little bitch. 

1. Okay, in all seriousness, he just doesn’t really know how to handle these kinds of emotions, as cliché as that sounds but it’s true. 

Since he never really had anyone who’s treated him with this much genuine kindness (tbh it’s almost overwhelming), he can’t help but be attached to her but at the same time, he’s afraid to get too close. It’s ironic considering that she’s one of the most comforting people to be around for him but his self-doubt gets in the way. 

He cares for her. He just wants her to be safe and happy. He has no doubt in his mind that she feels the same way towards him but beyond that? He has no idea. They’re friends but is there potential for something more than that? He honestly has no idea. 

He’d like to be more than just friends but there’s a lot of complications involved if they even get together in the first place. They’re already kind of on thin ice as it is. He’s worried about a lot of things and some of them aren’t necessarily unfounded either. 

Besides, it’s entirely up to her and what she wants in the end. 

Despite of all this, he wants to do his best to be there for her. That’s all he can do for her, since he just cares for her that much.

2. If they get together, in a specific verse or whatever, then I honestly think that they’d be super adorable and happy together, their long distance aside. 

Furthermore, since Jack is busy most of the time, he’d only really be able to see her in person a few times. They’d have a better chance of keeping in touch through technology. 

He’d have to tell her the truth about his life though. His past, his actual occupation. Why he’s even involved with Wilhelm and Hell in general to begin with. It’d be really difficult at first, but he trusts her more than anyone. 

It’s hard for Jack to trust people but with Horizon, he finds it a lot easier to do so, which is just another reason why he loves her. 

Of course, he wouldn’t just hide it from her. Even before he’d confess his feelings, Jack would probably try to break it to her as gently as possible that he’s not as good of a person as she thinks he is.

He’s not sure how she’d react and he honestly wouldn’t blame her if she wanted nothing to do with him after finding out what he’s done. A part of him would accept it but another part of him would probably would just wish that he could hide this from her forever, but he really can’t. He can’t lie to her.

Knowing Horizon though, I see her looking past all of that and accepting him for who he is, since Jack himself really does want to better himself.

I think they’d both help each other out in that regard, improving themselves to be better people but as far as Jack is convinced, Hora’s already perfect the way she is. :3rz

3. If they don’t get together, then Jack would accept it. That is to say if she ends up with someone else (most likely Giga) or if she rejects his confession or whatever. He can’t really enforce anything upon her, since he loves her and he’d let her go and still look out for her. 

No matter what happens, he’d still be super protective of her. Cares about her too much to the point where he’d probably end up getting lowkey distracted at times. 

Which is a problem in of itself, considering he’s got a lot of work to do but if anything, he’d try to motivate himself to work harder so that he isn’t slacking off.

I see him supporting her until the very end, until he inevitably dies because uh, I don’t actually know what kind of “ending” I have planned for Jack but it definitely involves something along the lines of a termination of his contract with Wil. >>;;; 

Until then though, no matter what, he’d just try to be with her as much as possible. Whether it be through idle chatter, going on a trip somewhere, or just doing absolutely nothing while sitting around in each other’s company. 

It’s the little things in life that make it really worthwhile for them.

I just want these children to be happy. ; w ;

[entelexcheia]

// ✏️ 8 years late per usual but if yr still open for those drabbles, idrc if yr not but sum jack n hora pls :3c

Send a ✏️ and I’ll write a drabble about our Muses. ( x )

“…Jack! Jack, hi!” It had been a while since Horizon had last seen Jack, so when the girl finally caught sight of him hiding away in the debris of a construction zone on her way back from a walk within the vicinity, she wanted to take the opportunity to say ‘hi’ even if the boy was probably minding his own business. The girl carefully crept over large pieces of rubble, taking care as to not get her dress caught on anything, and gave the masked boy a bright smile and a wave.

The boy barely moved from his slumped position against a large, unfinished wall, with only a subtle twitch in response to her voice. Giving her no more than a sideways glance from behind that mask, Jack then looked away, absolutely silent. His breathing was unsteady despite having a proper passage of air flowing through him… No, it wasn’t an issue regarding his respiration so much as a horrendous lurching feeling of anxiety and dread coursing through him. No matter how many times he tried to breathe in and out, there was no comfort in doing so.

Ordinarily, Horizon made him feel at ease. There was just something about her that made him feel, for lack of a better word, happy. Her smiling face, her sweet voice, her warm embrace…

And yet, for some reason, now, there was nothing but apprehension. He couldn’t bear to face her, listen to her or even touch her now… How could he? Not after what Wilhelm told him…

“…Uh, Jack? Is… Is something wrong? I’m sorry, I’m not bothering you, am I?” Horizon had finally reached Jack, only for him to coldly dismiss her. The girl clutched the edges of her dress, tensing up slightly at seeing the usually friendly, if not reserved (but not outright cold!) Jack behave so strangely. 

“…No. You’re not.” He finally managed to spit out in a low tone, though his voice sounded hoarse and strained, as if he were forcing himself to talk while physically unable to. 

“…T-Then, what happened? Are you okay?” Horizon crouched by his side, about to rest her hand on his shoulder before he jerked away, holding a hand up to stop her. “…Huh?! Uh… I-I’m sorry.” She bit her lip, hiding her hands away in her lap, scared that she did something that upset the boy. 

“…No. No, you… You shouldn’t be. Fuck, goddamn it. I should be the one who��s sorry.” Jack said, choking slightly on his words as if fighting back tears. 

“But… why? You didn’t do anything wrong…” Horizon protested in a meek voice.

“No, no, no. No. You don’t… You don’t understand.” Jack stammered, bringing his hood further over his face in shame. “You wouldn’t say that if you really knew…”

“Knew what? Jack, please… You can tell me anything… and I promise, I promise I won’t think any differently of you… I-I…” Horizon was slowly beginning to tear up, her heart aching to see Jack like this. What happened to make him this… scared? Jack always seemed to be so brave, always putting himself in danger if it meant finishing his job or… protecting someone. So to see him like this was nothing short of unnerving.

The boy gritted his teeth, silently cursing at himself at the sight of Horizon crying. How could he? How could he do this to her? But she needed to know at least this much. If she knew what could possibly await them should they continue to see each other at this rate… would that even change her mind? 

He couldn’t let anything bad happen to her. She didn’t deserve to suffer any longer because of him, and knowing what dreadful fate could possibly await in the future outweighed any possible chance they had at happiness together now.

…That’s right. Maybe they never even had a chance.

Jack thought himself a fool for trying to believe otherwise.

And Wilhelm’s threatening words repeated in his head over and over and over again.

“You have been wasting too much time, of which you have a very limited amount. Remember that. Should you continue to waste it on such frivolity, there will be dire consequences not only for you, but for every party involved. That girl included. Surely, you must understand the attention you’re garnering from the others.”

After a long pause of hesitance, the boy finally spoke again.

“I can’t see you anymore.”

Horizon blinked, feeling as if her heart skipped a beat. It took a good while for his words to register in her mind but once they did, she felt them pierce her chest. 

“…Huh…? Wh-What? Wait, why…? That’s… That can’t be! We can still see each other… I-I know you’re busy a lot and… And…” Horizon was slowly losing her train of thought, her mind frantically spiraling in all sorts of directions. But the thought of not being able to see Jack again pervaded her mind and struck her down.  

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.” Jack apologized, finally taking his mask off so that his voice wouldn’t be muffled. Finally communicating with the girl more clearly, the boy shook his head and slowly started to get up, albeit with some unsteadiness in his step. “I can’t… There’s so many things… you need to know… but you can’t.” 

“Why not?!” Horizon pleaded, raising her voice in a desperate cry but not before she caught herself and covered her mouth with both hands, feeling bad for shouting at Jack. “I-I’m sorry… Jack… but please… Please don’t go… Please don’t…! I-I want to help! I want to do something to make you happy again! So please… just tell me… what could I do…?”

“…Forget about me. Go with ARMY and Giga. They’ll keep you safe and make you happy. Please just… Please… Make this easy for me.” 

“Jack… Y-You… promised…!” The girl’s tears began to cascade down her cheeks, pained hiccups interrupting her sobs and pleads. “You promised… we’d… we’d be together… and-”

“Horizon, I’m sorry. But I couldn’t promise anything. I said I’d try. Try. And I tried my hardest, okay? Please… understand. But we can’t… we can’t be together. We can’t see each other anymore. It’s not safe for you. It’s… not safe for me. It never was.”

“Jack… Jack…!” Horizon cried, reaching for him, practically crawling on the ground but the boy kept his distance, not allowing her to get within arm’s reach. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry… but please… don’t… don’t leave me…! L-Let me protect you…! I-I… I can… get help… I can do my best to help… so please… Please!”

“Horizon! Stop!” Jack snapped, clenching his fists at his sides. His tone was now harsh, his face contorted into anger… but the tears flowed down his face as well. “Just… stop. This can’t go on. I’m sorry. I can’t tell you how sorry I am… I should never have done this… if it meant that we’d have to be apart in the end.”

“Jack… I just… want to be with you… for however much longer…! You’re… You’re my friend… one of my best friends and I… I-I… I…” Horizon’s sobs were caught in her throat, the girl beginning to choke and splutter slightly from excessive crying. “Please… I don’t know… what I’d do if you left…”

“…Horizon… I just want you to be happy.” The boy finally mustered up the courage and turned back, grabbing hold of her shoulders and catching her by surprise after practically given the cold shoulder prior. “That’s all that matters, okay? There’s a lot that I haven’t told you… I haven’t been able to… but no matter what, regardless of any of that, I still lo- We… We’re… we’re still friends, okay? Even if we have to be apart, we’ll be friends, forever.” He brought his hand to her cheek, caressing her face and giving it gentle strokes. And through his tears, he managed even the tiniest of smiles.

Horizon nodded, sniffling all the while as she brought her own hand to his, resting it atop. The girl returned his smile with a giggle, his words of slight reassurance to her… but there was still that doubt in the back of her mind.

“But… what about you…? I want you to be happy too…”

“Every moment that I spent with you has already made me happy, Horizon. You’ve brought so much happiness, I don’t even know if you could fully understand… I feel it, right here.” The boy pointed to his chest. “It’s warm. Really warm. So don’t worry about me, okay?”

“But… I will… b-because I care about you… and… a-and… waaaah….” Horizon choked, collapsing into Jack’s arms for a hug while wailing into his chest. The boy jolted slightly but caught her regardless, squeezing her body into a tight embrace. 

“It’ll be okay… Horizon, you’ll have people to watch over you. Keep looking for the people you’re looking for and never give up, okay?”

“O-Okay…”

“…And maybe some day, we might be able to meet again. But for now… I have to go.”

“…” Her arms coiled around even more tightly.

“…I’m sorry… but I will never, ever forget you.”

“I-I… I won’t either… I-I will… always, always remember you! A-And pray for you…” 

“Good. Then I have nothing else to worry about.”

“Jack… I’m going to miss you…”

“I’m going to miss you too, Horizon.”

“…Jack? Could I ask you a favor? Just this once before you have to… go.”

“What is it?”

“Can you hold me as I sleep? I-I’m sorry if this is… weird b-but… I just… I just want to be with you for however much longer… m-maybe even dream about you too- B-But that’s weird too… I-I’m sorry… Maybe not…”

“No, no it’s okay. I don’t think it’s weird. I actually… wouldn’t mind that. As long as it’s a happy dream.”

“If it’s with you, t-then it is! Oh! I-I’ve had a lot of dreams where everyone’s together and it’s bright and sunny out… You were there, ARMY and giga too! We were smiling and being happy together… You and ARMY weren’t fighting at all, hahah~” The girl snuggled up against him, closing her eyes to imagine such a scenario once more. The more she dreamed of it, the more she could look towards a happy future…

“Yeah?” Jack chuckled, playing with her hair. The boy held her tenderly, as if trying to take in as much of her warmth and radiance before he’d have to leave. “That sounds nice, honestly. Even I… get tired of fighting all the time.”

Horizon smiled, feeling a gradual yet comfortable weariness come over her. “But you’re still so strong and brave… even heroes… need a break…”

“…” Jack gulped. Hero? No, he couldn’t be. He was nothing of the sort, in his eyes.

But if he could be at least that much in hers, then he was satisfied.

“Jack…” She whispered, nestling closer. “Thank you… for everything.”

“I should be the one thanking you.” 

“Heheh~”

“Thank you, Horizon.”

— Indeterminate amount of time later… —

It was getting late. The last thing that Jack wanted was for Horizon to have to go back home by herself, though the girl was still fast asleep in his arms. Poor girl must’ve exhausted herself from her crying. The boy would’ve fallen asleep as well, had the gears in his mind stopped but they persisted. There were a lot of thoughts going through his mind but even for just that moment, Jack tried to relax, keeping his composure. 

He already made up his mind. Even if Wilhelm forbade him from seeing Horizon, even with the fear of the other denizens of Hell seeking to lay their hands her, Jack wasn’t going to just allow them their way without a struggle. If there was one thing that Jack was, it was being similarly as stubborn and tenacious until the bitter end.

And until then, the boy could live knowing that he fought and lived as himself, with all of his might.

With a bit of effort from his end, Jack carried the sleeping girl in his arms, proceeding to then bring her all the way back to where he remembered her home to be. The boy had to keep track of a lot of things if he was going to maneuver his way through the industrial nation without too much issue… and well, Horizon’s apartment was one particular location he definitely kept a distinct memory of.

Once there (still hoping in the back of his mind that this was the right place), the boy carefully fished through the girl’s belongings to try to find her keys. As embarrassing as it was, Jack finally did get them and tried them on the door… with success. The boy let out a tiny sigh of relief as he entered, walking slowly and quietly through the girl’s home. Horizon stirred every now and then, but it seemed that she was fast asleep.

Admittedly, it was awkward to just… walk right into her own apartment like this without her permission. But the boy wanted to ensure that she was safely back home nonetheless. Finding her room, the boy then gently set her down, arranging her pillow and assorted stuffed animals so that they were all snuggled up against her. 

‘…God, she looked so cute.’

Very carefully, about as cautious as Wilhelm was in handling his flowers, Jack then arranged the blankets so as to tuck Horizon in safely. Making sure that everything else was in its proper place, the boy then sat beside her, leaning over to brush some of her hair out of the way of her face.

“…I’m really… going to miss you.” Jack whispered, lowering his head whilst fighting back the tears once more. “Horizon… I… I will do everything I can… to come back… I promise.”

“Until then… wait for me.”

But before he would have to return to Hell, Jack wanted to do one last thing… One very last thing.

He brought his face up to hers, just barely allowing some distance between the tips of their noses. Trying to keep himself from getting too nervous, Jack steadied his breathing, swallowing hard while silently yelling at himself to just do it already… 

…But this was creepy, wasn’t it? She was sleeping, for fuck’s sake… and he’d never done this before, what if he messed this up?

She wasn’t even awake for this.

Jack shook his head. This wasn’t the time for any of that.

Looking back down at the girl, Jack held his breath, slowly leaning back in for another attempt… but before his lips could reach hers, he stopped.

Just enough to graze her lips, but not enough for a kiss, he stopped.

And he cried.

“…I’m so… stupid.” He laughed quietly, roughly wiping at his face before the droplets would fall onto her face. Some tears did end up falling, however, slowly trickling down her cheeks… making it look as if she was crying in her sleep.

“…That’s not fair of me… I can’t do that.” Jack whispered, allowing his head to rest beside hers on the pillow. “Stupid… Stupid, stupid.” He chuckled under his breath, unable to stop his tears.

“…I’m sorry, Horizon. I… I’m sorry. Please, forgive me.”

“…I don’t want to go either.”

—

Horizon’s eyes fluttered open to what appeared to be the light of day, or the closest it could be to the light of day with the perpetual smog that blanketed the skies of the industrial nation. She stared at the ceiling for a while, before realizing that she was laying in her own bed, in her room, in her home. The girl slowly got up, assessing her surroundings…

How did she get here? She didn’t remember ever returning home… She remembered falling asleep in Jack’s arms…

…Jack.

…Jack?

Horizon glanced at her desk, noticing a small pile of flowers that wasn’t there before. The girl then got out of bed, picking up the flowers that had been left there. They were freshly picked and all of her favorites kinds of colors.

With a tearful smile, Horizon held them against her chest.

“…Come back to me soon, okay…?”