Holiday Traditions

While most families celebrated Christmas on Christmas Day or even Christmas Eve, North usually needed a day or two to recover after delivering all those presents before he could truly celebrate another successful year. Travelling all around the world in one day was very draining so when he returned to Santoff Claussen he usually needed at least twelve hours of sleep. Of course that was before he acquired a hyper active teenage frost child who had never truly celebrated Christmas until becoming North's ward and like any child Jack had come to love the morning tradition of opening presents.

In Santoff Claussen gift exchange was usually the evening of the 26th so that North could rest while the Yetis and elves set up for the traditional get together and party they threw every year. Jack knew this and had been pretty content to following the rules the first two years as a Guardian and celebrating with his new family however all that went kaput when Bunny hinted toward him getting something rather amazing this year, something North had been working very hard on – it was a taunt he did every year just to rile up North and get Jack to knock the old fool off his rocker. And it worked! Every year Jack tried to find new and intricate ways to either get to the gifts early. Jack could never hold back his curiosity but he knew better than to start opening presents without the others – Phil having caught him twice before and thrown him outside to "play in the snow" until North and the others were ready. So this year he had the perfect plan…or so he thought.

He had been patient or as patient as an immortal teenager could be. He hadn't gone rushing into North's room as soon as the "sun came out" – or more precisely when the automated lights came on since it was six months of darkness in the North Pole this time of year – like he had the previous year. Nope. Phil was not going to catch him this year and boy were the yetis out in force this year. Jack snuck out of his room, staff in hand, and looked in either direction of the hall. Now the yetis weren't exactly mean to him about the tradition it was just tradition and they never faltered when it came to such things so even when he was spotted they didn't force him back into his room or outside they simply kept him away from North's bedroom and the Great Hall. So Jack went down to the kitchen and began making himself breakfast under Doris's supervision – well that had nothing to do with tradition it was simply to keep him from burning down the kitchen…again.

The great thing about being an ice elf – thankfully not one of the little creatures always under North's feet – was that North's elves all looked up to him as their sort of mischief coordinator slash leader. In other words Jack had found a way around the yetis that no one had taken into consideration. He employed the elves as a distraction. All it took was a little signal to Dingle who would gather the others. So while the elves got organized to bring chaos and mischief Jack began making toast and with Doris's help created a breakfast far too large for just him to eat. Doris gave him a knowing look before ruffling his hair and leaving the kitchen to attend to other duties. She was probably the only yetis who didn't stick to tradition and never rat him out to Phil or North…well unless he did something really bad.

Things moved almost exactly as planned. The elves distracted the yetis, making the large beings chase after them as they caused some kind of chaos that Jack was not about to questioned. Jack waited only a few minutes until his path was clear then he took the breakfast tray and made a beeline straight to North's chambers. A giggle of delight escaped him when he made it to the door without incident. This was almost too easy…and of course that was when Phil just happened to round the corner while chasing Laughy and spotted him.

"Oh shit…" Jack grumbled as he balanced the tray with one hand as he fumbled with the door's handle. "Laughy, you were supposed to go in the other direction!"

He swallow hard as Phil charged toward him, grumbling about how North was not to be disturbed and uttering curses in yetish that Jack couldn't quite make out but was sure were all bad. Luckily the door finally opened and before Phil could stop him Jack slipped into the dark room and locked the door behind him. Actually it was rather surprising that the door hadn't previously been locked if North didn't want to be disturbed. But rather than dwell on that, Jack cautiously moved toward the large bed and the man lightly snoring in his sleep. He slightly hoped to make this into a new family tradition…as long as North didn't get too mad at him.

Placing the tray aside he looked over his adoptive father. North was sleeping so peacefully that it was it was almost a shame to wake him up but Jack was on a mission. He had worked hard this year, been very good and had gone way out of his way to make everything was just perfect. He even handmade North a very special present using materials he had never worked with before, at least in this life time.

"Ah…North?" he whispered, feeling slightly guilty yet anxious at the same time. "Hey, North?"

The large man murmured in his sleep and rolled away from him.

Jack smirked and clambered onto the bed. "Oh no! Uh huh!" he laughed as he tried waking the jolly man up.

North cracked an eye open and a small grin lit his face as Jack tried forcing him on his back and getting him to wake up. He quickly shut his eyes once more as Jack tried to shake him.

"Oh come on! North, wake up! I made you breakfast. North? NORTH!"

North chuckled softly as he wrapped his arms around the youth and rolled back onto his side. "Sh…too early. I don't wake up to noon the day after Christmas. You know that Jack," he chastised with a yawn as he cuddled in Jack as if he were a teddy bear – a rather boney one but that was beside the point. "Now go to sleep."

"North!" Jack whined, unable to break free. His cold didn't really brother North so using that against the man was unlikely to work. "You suck."

North nodded sagely still half asleep. "Suck big time…now go sleep."

Jack gave a huff and as much as he hated to admit it he did fall back asleep. Maybe it had something to do with North's fatherly warmth that always surrounded him. Jack nuzzled against him and before he knew it North was the one waking him up hours later as he munched on his now cold breakfast and commended Jack for his thoughtfulness. Jack only rubbed his eyes and gave a pout. His plans had been foiled again but as he watched North happily munch on cold toast he supposed it was well worth it in the end. North was happy and waiting a few extra hours didn't really hurt.

Rubbing his eyes he climbed out of the bed and stretched to his full height – which was still only to North's chest. "So uh…I guess we have to wait for the others, right?" he asked, a little ashamed at himself for trying yet again to get to the presents early. But to his surprise North only laughed.

"No, Jack. They're already in the Great Hall waiting for us. Go on, I'll be there in a few minutes," North said as he adjusted his shirt sleeve.

Jack blinked in surprise. North was already dressed for the day ahead? How long had he been asleep? Why did North let him sleep so long? He straightened his clothing and ran a hand through his hair before darting out of the room to meet up with the rest of their family only remembering at the last minute that North wasn't with him. He ran back into the Russian's room, grabbed his arm and all but dragged him all the way to the Great Hall, anxious for them to start opening presents together as a family. It was tradition after all. North laughed the whole way and gave Jack wide amused smiles.

Once they were in the Great Hall it was like Jack's very first Christmas all over again. It was the same every year, the absolute wonder and joy on the child's face at all the decorations and countless gifts, many of which had his name proudly written upon them. It took all his will power to wait for North to be seated before ripping into the decoratively wrapped packages. None of the Guardians seemed to mind, they all watched with joy as their youngest member squeal with delight over every new discovery.

North chuckled as he sat back in his armchair and watched the youth. This was why he did this every year. To see children all around the world happy and filled with wonder. He didn't care so much if they believed in him per se but as long as they remembered the wonder that still existed in the world, a wonder he would remind them of every Christmas for as long as he lived. And now he got to see that wonder first hand in Jack and it made his heart soar…even if Jack tried to get in the presents early every year.

He gave Sandy a grin as the golden little dreamweaver floated next to him with a knowing smile. "I may need a little more dreamsand, my friend. He nearly succeeded this year," he said softly.

Sandy nodded with a conspiratory grin.

Jack stopped what he was doing to stare at them. "Wait, you knocked me out?" he asked, his brows raised in questioning.

North tried to look innocent although Sandy did a much better job. Bunny burst into laughter and Tooth looked appalled at the two men.

"You guys are so in for it!" Jack threatened as he formed a snowball with his magic. He gave a cheeky smile and lobed the snowball at North.

"Snowball fights are for outdoors!" cried Tooth as she ducked for cover.

Eventually the snowball fight did make it out doors but not after a lot of pressure from the yetis. Of course Jack would try every year to get to the presents first thing in the morning like just about any child but Sandy kept North supplied with enough dreamsand to counter any plan Jack tried to hatch, but that would never stop Jack from at least trying.

The End

I wanted to post something rotg for Christmas yesterday but I've been down sick the last few days. I hope you enjoy.