You stood in front of the mirror, slowly braiding your hair, letting your fingers move on instinct. The rain tapped gently against the windows of the cottage, and the fire crackled somewhere behind you, filling the room with a soft warmth.
“You always get that look when you’re doing that,” Jacks said lazily from the couch.
You caught his reflection in the mirror—sprawled out like he owned the place, a book resting half-forgotten on his chest, but his eyes very much on you.
“What look?” you asked, half-smiling.
“That distant one,” he said, voice low and a little too fond. “Like your thoughts are somewhere far away. Somewhere I can’t reach.”
You turned slowly, your braid half-finished, and gave him a knowing look. “Maybe I’m just thinking about how long it’s taking to undo everything the curse twisted.”
Jacks sat up a little, resting his elbow on the arm of the couch. “That’s fair. But also—your braid is crooked.”
You narrowed your eyes. “I didn’t realize I had a critic in the room.”
He grinned. “You have a very attentive one.”
You stepped away from the mirror and walked toward him, stopping just out of reach. “You keep watching me like you want to say something.”
“I do,” he admitted, then patted the cushion beside him. “Come here and I might actually say it.”
You sat, folding your legs beneath you, and Jacks reached out gently, fingers brushing against the half-done braid.
“Let me?” he asked.
You raised an eyebrow, but tilted your head. “You know how?”
“I’ve been watching you do it for weeks,” he said, already undoing the twisted strands. “I figured if I learned how to charm you, I should probably learn how to do this too.”
You smiled, watching his fingers work. Clumsy at first. Then surprisingly precise. The silence between you felt easy. Natural.
After a few minutes, he tied off the end and let it fall against your back.
“There. Flawlessly imperfect. Just like us.”
You gave him a look. “That’s dangerously close to being poetic.”
He leaned in. “Careful. I’m full of surprises when it’s raining and you’re this close.”