Disclaimer: obviously I do not own anything to do with Rise of the Guardians, or the books that inspired the movie.

Cupid's Strike

Chapter One - Old Friends

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the newest Guardian come to greet us poor lowly servants of nature," the slanderous voice of Cupid greeted as Jack came to land on his

cloud.

"Oh come on, Id," Jack whined his name for his old friend. "You know I'm not going to act all high an' noble now, just 'cause everyone now knows that I'm stronger than you."

Cupid scoffed at the teasing, but made place for Jack to sit and poured him a drink of pink champagne anyway. That was just Jack's way, and he knew it. The kid had always been one for banter, wit, and sarcasm, for as long as the love spirit had known him. For near three hundred years the two of them had been friends, of sorts, and Cupid knew full well when an when not to get bent out of shape over something Jack had said... or done. Like when Jack had hid all of his arrows just before spring in the northern hemisphere. Cupid did not actually need the weapons, both of them knew, so there was no harm actually done. Though fewer marriages had been performed later that year than in most.

Cupid was an elemental spirit like Jack, though few realized it. He only supplemented his natural power for making spirits, humans, and animals lusty, by shooting arrows that made lust turn into love because it gave him something more to do. Just like Jack touching the world with his staff to ice it over, when just by his mere presence would everything start to turn into winter. That was something all elemental spirits did, play with their element to stay the boredom.

"So what brings you here then?" Cupid asked as he absently brushed his wavy golden locks away from his face, so to better look at his friend.

"Oh! I just thought I'd come here an' see if there was anyway I could convince you to teach me how to slow down those lustful feelings I'm getting my way from Aster and Tooth. I know it's not like I can make them stop, but..." Jack didn't continue as he scratched his own head in frustration.

"Oh? And where would the fun be in that? Maybe I like watching you squirm," Cupid answered. And squirm Jack did. Cupid had seen and felt how the pooka and the fairy both had started to act on their lust for his normally loner friend. Aster still tried to act disgruntled at Jack's mere presence, but he could not hide from Jack - or Cupid, himself - just how much he stared at Jack's best features. There were times that Cupid thought that he might have to shoot Jack with one of his arrows, just so anything that the giant rabbit creature might have done would have been consensual enough not to destroy the Guardians from within. While Tooth was more forward about her lust, but in a charming, non-threatening way that at worst was only slightly uncomfortable for Cupid to watch.

"Well that's why I said, 'anyway I could convince'. Maybe we could make a trade, or something?"

Cupid thought for a moment, considering if there was indeed anything he might actually want that Jack could give him. "To be honest, Jack, I've been wanting to see you fall under my magic for quite some time. In all my years of knowing you, the only time I've ever seen you lust for someone was when we first met. Ever since that, it's been like you're immune to my presence."

"It's because I'm dead, I think," Jack answered.

"What do you mean?" Cupid asked, astonished at the words. Jack then told him of how he'd reclaimed his memories and how he had died as a human before being made a winter elemental.

"I'll bet in that first meeting, your power just overwhelmed me despite my cold, dead flesh and well..." again Jack trailed off in his description, blushing a bit despite said, 'dead flesh'. He didn't need to say anything for Cupid to remember the events of that meeting. It was one Cupid would never forget. After all, a pretty new-born elemental clinging to you in a flush of lust was a hard thing to deny, even to an experienced lover such as himself. But after their hurried liaison, Cupid had taken the boy under his wing and taught him the ways of the spirit world, before they went their separate ways as friends.

"Well Jack, I could instead shoot you and someone, and let the love blossom into lust, instead of the usual way around," Cupid suggested. "Then no matter how lustful they may be, they won't go against the claim made by your lover."

"That wouldn't be too bad, I guess," Jack answered worriedly. "But who would you pick?"

Cupid thought for another moment. "It would have to be someone as asexual as you, else it be unfair if the lust never grew."

"That takes Bunny off the list then," Jack breathe a sigh of relief as he took a sip of some of the courage in his glass.

"They have to have enough time on their hands for you," Cupid observed, considering Jack's nomadic nature and how he was either out or in a spirit's life completely at a time.

"Leaves out Tooth," Jack smiled a little sadly. "And North, thank Mani."

Cupid laughed at the thought of Jack and North in the throes of passion together. Thank Mani, indeed.

"Why don't you just shoot yourself?" Jack then asked, giving Cupid a curious look.

"Now that is a tempting thought," Cupid conceded. "But I'm afraid that I'm neither asexual enough, nor have the time required to be fair to you."

Jack tilted his head like a sad puppy at the reply, but the smile on his lips told Cupid that he took no offence at the comment. It was too bad, because really, they would be good together. And Cupid would be lying if he didn't admit that he wanted another lustful go at Jack.

"Let me think about it Jack. If I'm going to doom one of my best friends to eternal love, I'm going to make sure that I make the right match."

"Alright," Jack held out his glass for Cupid to refill, "but give me a heads-up before you go shooting will you? I'd like to know who this mister or misses Jack Frost is going to be before the wedding."