Title: The Gift
Pairing: Jeb/Az
Rating: NC17
:Warning: Violence, Sexual Situations
Disclaimer: Not Mine.
Summary: Echo Story to The One…Jeb is Az’s new secuirity detail….and there’s sparks from the beginning….
A/N: Okay, so this is the second and final part to The Gift. I hope you like it.
Title: The Gift
Pairing: Jeb/Az
Rating: NC17
:Warning: Violence, Sexual Situations
Disclaimer: Not Mine.
Summary: Echo Story to The One…Jeb is Az’s new secuirity detail….and there’s sparks from the beginning….
A/N: Okay, this story is NC-17 and features the pairing, Jeb/Az. There will be violence as well. This is an echo of my other Tin Man story, The One. So, basically you have to read both to get the whole picture. (The ages and timeline for my characters is on the final chapter of The One.)
Jeb Cain watched in awe as Azkadellia bustled about in the kitchen. It wasn’t the fact that she knew what to do in a kitchen that surprised him. Since the healers decided that Az needed something to focus on besides the aftermath of her possession, she’d been spending a lot of time in the palace kitchens. Jeb, himself, had never been in to watch her work. He was her guard, not a chef. He stood outside and made sure no one disrupted his charge. Except for today.
Jeb had been contemplating the tile mosaic on the wall opposite the kitchen door when he heard a loud crash come from the kitchen. He rushed in, imaging all kinds of terrible scenarios – and stopped dead at the sight before him.
Az was glowing. Almost literally. Her skin had a rosy tint from the heat of the stoves, her face covered in a light sheen of moisture; her whole being seemed to emit a soft white light. Her day dress was covered by a white apron, splattered here and there with an unsightly greenish-brown stain. But the thing that he couldn’t take his thoughts or his eyes from was the smile. In all his months as her personal guard, not once had he seen her smile like she was right now.
He’d seen the soft smile she saved for her sister and his father, the tolerant one for Glitch, the slightly apologetic smile she used on her parents and Raw; he’d even seen the pained one she used when she knew people were staring and whispering. This one… this one was wide and full. Beautiful. Her hazel eyes were sparkling as she added this and that to a large boiling pot.
He didn’t even know what had caused the crash, and he couldn’t bring himself to care.
He’d not been happy with his assignment when he’d approached Ahamo for a position after the eclipse and the clean up, but he kept his mouth shut. He wasn’t stupid. Ahamo was Az’s father, and he wasn’t dim enough to insult the princess in his presence. Jeb had told his father he felt uncomfortable guarding the oldest princess and knew as soon as that glare was turned in his direction he would get no sympathy from that corner. His father had spoken softly, but the words were powerful.
"Remember what it was like in that suit?
Seeing, but not being able to do anything about what was happening? You think it was a miracle I survived with my sanity intact? I only had to survive eight annuals. It’s been fifteen for her."
It had given him a whole new appreciation for what Az had suffered at the hands of the witch. He’d never complained again.
He hadn’t been able to think about things from that perspective when he’d been given his assignment; he could only feel resentment. Azkadellia may not have been the monster who’d done those horrible things to his family, his friends, his people, but unfortunately that monster had been wearing her face. It took him a long time before he could even look her in the eyes without knowing anger was burning in his. That pained smile was one he saw often in the beginning. Eventually though, he saw how much fear she still held in her heart. How much guilt. You would have had to be blind to not see her flinch whenever someone alluded to the fifteen years she’d been possessed. Be deaf to not hear the screams and whimpers on the other side of her door at night. It was hard to stay angry when she was being so strong, trying so hard to dig herself out of the darkness.
He’d found himself praying for her. He was not a religious man by nature, his life had been too hard to put stock in anything but the gun on his hip, but he found himself praying on the off chance that there was someone to listen, to help her find the light. In this moment, seeing her smile and her sparkling eyes, Jeb found it hard not to believe in miracles.
Her eyes meeting his brought him from his reverie. "What was that bang?"
Az’s brows drew together until she finally understood what he was asking. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. I just dropped a pot."
Jeb shrugged. "It’s okay. I was getting bored out there anyway, mind if I sit in here for a while?"
Her smile seemed to glow brighter at his simple request. He made a note to try and make her smile more often. He pulled up a stool nearby and took a seat, keeping all entrances in view. He had a job to do after all; the princess wouldn’t be hurt on his watch. Gazing once more on her smiling lips, Jeb was surprised to realize that protecting Azkadellia was more than just duty now but couldn’t find it in himself to be afraid of the change. Sitting silently beside her in the kitchen and basking in her glow made it seem so obvious, so simple.
He tried to engage her in conversation again. "What are you making?"
"Muglug. Would you like to be a taste tester?"
A prickle of unease wove its way through him but he shrugged it off. "Sure."
She grinned at him for a moment like he hung the moon, before focusing once again on the boiling pot in front of her. Jeb found himself studying her more intently than usual. A foreign emotion bubbled inside of him, demanding recognition. He realized what was happening as she looked up again and met his eyes. Her smile faded slowly, but her eyes still glowed with happiness…and something else.
In that moment it became startlingly clear: Jeb Cain was falling in love with the Princess Azkadellia.
And he had a sneaking suspicion that the feeling was mutual.
At that moment he decided. Even if the soup tasted horrible, he’d smile and say it was delicious. Anything to keep that glow alive.
~Finis~
A/N: I wrote this months ago for the tm_challenge grand prix over on LJ. I figured I’d post it under my username now. 😀
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