Words: 4,969
Disclaimer: God, I wish.
Notes: So I joined the RotG fandom. / I think the most important thing to note is that a Brittany is a dog. I didn't know 'til today so it might be vital to point it out now. Also, this fic sprung up from a headcanon by Vixi, or xxmemoriezxx over on DeviantArt. She draws the best Frostbite art around, in my personal opinion, and gave me her permission to use the snowboarding/cabin AU to write a oneshot. Check her work out, her drawings are stunning. / Ugh, I can't write anymore. / I hope you RotG and Frostbite lovers enjoy this. Or at least try.
Bringing the Beat In
The thing is… she's the kind of person who can end up at the wrongest place at the wrongest time.
It's weird that Toothiana – her friends call her Tooth for short – has awful timing when it comes to big life events, but at the same time, quite fancies doing things like dance, kickboxing, and gymnastics. Her mother, Rashmi, has always told her that she was, at times, a walking contradiction.
You're light on your feet but clumsy on your toes, sweet.
And it never really made any sense to her what that meant, but that had been a long time ago. Tooth only speaks to her mother and father, Haroom, over the weekends through Skype and on the phone since she moved to Burgess to study dentistry at the new university. God, she misses her parents. She misses sunny California and wild road trips with her friends during senior year. She misses walking Baby, the family's Brittany, through the dewy neighbourhood every morning. There's so much she misses that it takes a lot of willpower and effort to put it all in the back of her mind just so she can make it through the day.
Don't get her wrong, Burgess University is a brilliant place, and she really loves it. She's got a great roommate, made some fantastic friends, and is definitely set on her path to becoming America's finest dentist in the history of all cavities. But, as with all journeys, of course she should have expected barriers and bumps. And this is the first bump.
Always at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Honestly, what's new?
Okay, so maybe she had been distracted, maybe she had been listening to her iPod at a volume a few notches too loud, and yeah, maybe she'd been in her own little bubble, practicing the choreography to Beyonce's Love On Top in the middle of an empty hallway. That doesn't mean that she had wanted to slam her fist into the guy's jaw.
It just … sort of … happens?
The song is reaching its first climactic peak (and there are a lot) and just as Tooth turns a corner, she enthusiastically pumps her fist out to the side – effectively ramming it into the jaw of a poor, unsuspecting soul who'd been jogging around the same corner from the other side.
There are two cries of "Augh!" that resound in the hallway - one from Tooth, and one from a tall figure with brunette hair. Tooth feels a crack on her knuckles and a split second later, a solid chest collides with her side and sends the two individuals sliding across the floor. Tooth's open gym bag drops to the floor, her sports bra, towel, and water bottle tumbling out while her earphones are tugged out of her ears, clattering along with her iPod onto the linoleum. Beyonce's gorgeous voice starts blasting out of the earpieces, blending in with Tooth's and the brunette's groans. Quick to recover, Tooth ignores the pain in her knuckles and yelps when she spots the neon green, yellow and purple bra sitting on the floor in the open. She scrambles to her feet and kicks all of her stuff to the side and out of sight before turning to her victim.
"Oh, my gosh, I am so sorry, I literally didn't see you there, I just - " she stammers out as she reaches down to pull the guy from his position lying down to a sitting position. Gosh, if she knocked out any of his teeth, she'd never forgive herself, especially if it were one of his central incisors, God forbid, and oh no, if her professors ever find out about this encounter and the fact that a dentist-in-training had already accidentally taken out teeth that didn't need any taking out, they'd have her head and there goes her scholarship and all her hard work throughout high school and why, oh why did she always end up in the wrong place at the wrong time?
"Please have teeth, please have teeth, please have teeth," Tooth mutters to herself unconsciously, helping the brunette to sit up. He seems to be in a daze, and she can't blame him, if her aching fist is of any proof.
"Whu - ?" the brunette mutters in a confused and glazed over voice. He has his right hand plastered over half of his mouth as he cracks one sapphire eye open.
"Are you alright? Oh, what kind of question is that. I am so sorry about this," Tooth apologises profusely, perching on her knees next to the brunette.
"It's uh, it's okay, I think I'm alright," he says, hunching over and catch his breath. "Maybe." Tooth cringes.
"Here, let me take a look," she says, leaning over so she can pry his hand off of his mouth. She gasps to herself and nearly panics when she sees blood tinting the corner of his mouth.
"Is it bad?" the poor guy asks helplessly, parting his lips slightly. It's not that he wants to know - it already feels pretty bad - but the girl in front of him is so worried and what sounds like Beyonce is still blasting from her fallen iPod so the whole situation is kind of really, really awkward right now for him not to say anything.
"Um," Tooth mumbles, hesitating. She's itching to open his mouth wide herself to check if he's chipped, broken, or lost any of his teeth but she knows that'd be weird.
"What do you mean 'um'? Is it bad or - " Tooth stops him by giving up already and reaching over quickly with her fingers to gently pry his mouth open. For a split second, Tooth is awash in glorious, unprecedented awe.
Holy toothpaste.
His teeth are magnificent. Or, they would be magnificent if they weren't tainted in blood, but they're all proportional, all of perfect sizes, and completely cavity-free. The ones that don't have any blood on them even sparkle in the fluorescent light – how does that even happen? This guy holds a dentist's dream behind his lips. The only way she snaps herself back to reality is when he hisses in pain and she realises that she's been studying his teeth too long.
"Oh, um - sorry. You'll be okay, nothing seems to be out of place and nothing's chipped either. You'll probably bruise though…" Tooth trails off.
"Great. Nothing like a lady-given bruise to attract even more ladies," the brunette jokes half-heartedly. Tooth laughs uncertainly and looks at her lap.
"I really am sorry," she says, peering up at him. He turns to tell her that, really, it's no big deal, when he gets to look at her clearly for the first time. He doesn't expect the streaks of colour on a few strands of her hair, embellishing her features and making her all the more lovelier. Her eyes are the strangest colour – are they pink? Magenta? Maybe amethyst? – and they seem to keep changing at various intervals.
"No, uh, it's … it's fine." Tooth gulps self consciously when she realises that he's staring and suddenly remembers to collect all her stuff, making sure to stuff her gym bra back into the bag first, and zipping it up.
"C-can you stand?" she asks nervously. The brunette nods and she grasps his arm to help him up. Once he's standing, he rubs his jaw again but more out of annoyance than out of pain.
"I think I should take you to the nurse. Get you some ice?" Tooth offers, simultaneously hoisting her bag further up her shoulder and stuffing her iPod into one of the pockets. She keeps her hand on the brunette's arm, wary of the slight chance that he'd collapse.
"Yeah, th-that sounds like a good idea," he agrees, stumbling on his feet. "Man, you can really pack a punch." Tooth turns to him stricken, mouth open to apologise again, but the brunette beats her to it.
"Relax, already! I'm just messing with you. I'm Jack, by the way. Jack Frost," he introduces himself, sticking his left hand out for her to shake. Tooth glances at the hand curiously before grasping it quickly in greeting and continuing to lead him down the hall.
"I'm Toothiana. Tooth, for short," she replies.
"Tooth, huh? Am I guessing correctly when I say you're taking the dentist's course here at wonderful BU?" Jack says, half kidding. Tooth quirks an eyebrow up and smiles shyly before saying, "Actually, yeah." Jack gives her a slightly incredulous look.
"No way. A girl named Tooth studying to be a dentist? That's a little too perfect," he says as they turn a corner slowly, the nurse's office coming to view at the end of the hallway. Tooth laughs at his words.
"No, I, um, I'm actually far from perfect but I really am studying to be a dentist. This is my first year here," she explains.
"I can tell. I would've known you by now if you weren't," Jack says in a friendly tone. Tooth gives him a smile as they close in on the nurse's office. Despite the recent events, she feels herself warming up to this stranger. He rubs his jaw here and there but he seems to be fine, and his tone is the most genuine one she's heard in a while, so she can't help but gravitate towards him.
The nurse is surprised to see people on campus on a Friday evening but she seems to recognise Jack, who is sheepish to have to visit the nurse's office but is close enough with the nurse to give her a warm smile. Tooth explains everything with wild gesticulations, frenzied motions, and three more unnecessary apologies before the nurse rolls her eyes and tosses Jack a pack of ice.
"At least you found yourself a real fighter this time, Frost," she tells Jack before ushering the two out of the office to close up. When the door shuts, Tooth chances a glance at the tall brunette and is in a way relieved to see a similar blush gracing his cheeks.
"So, uh, can I offer you a ride home? It's the least I can do after… y'know, that," she says, gesturing to the ice pack Jack is pressing to his jaw. Jack laughs good-naturedly and shakes his head, albeit slowly to avoid rattling his jaw.
"You don't have to do that. Plus, where I live is kind of far from the campus," he says as they walk to the front of the building. Tooth frowns as she pushes the door open for them. He nods his thanks and she follows him out into the snowy lot.
"No, really, it's a Friday night, I've got time and a full tank. Come on, I want to do this," she pleads. He sighs helplessly and looks out into the beautifully white evening. The snow is getting a little harder but since when has that ever been a problem for him?
"It's just - it's hard to find my place, and I still have to pick up my brother from the local elementary," Jack explains, hoping it'll change Tooth's mind. She shrugs and waves him off.
"I know where that is. We can pick him up and bring you both to your place. Now come on, it's starting to get cold," she says, unintentionally shivering at the end of her sentence. She pulls her jacket around her more tightly and heads for her silver-blue car. Jack opens his mouth to protest but he hears the chirp of the car doors unlocking before he can say anything and sighs instead. He treks after Tooth slowly, more than a little amused with this quirky individual.
Jack waits next to Tooth as she opens the trunk of her car and gently arranges her gym bag into the space available. She's bent over the trunk with one hand holding the lid so that there's as little of an opening as possible to keep the snow from getting in. She takes a few moments to move some stuff around her trunk and Jack takes a few moments to admire her, um, assets.
Okay, maybe this'll come out a little creepy and strange, but he thinks he recognises that butt. Now, on one hand he starts to rack his brain to place who exactly this girl is and why he finds her butt familiar of all the body parts he could have chosen from, and on the other hand… it's just … such a fine ass.
Of course, Tooth is completely unaware of her admirer when she finally clicks the lid closed and turns to Jack, who pretends that he's been studying the rims of her wheels the whole time.
"Ready to go?" she says, face flushed from bending over. Jack uses his empty hand to rub the back of his neck.
"If you say so," he shrugs, walking over to the passenger seat. Tooth rolls her eyes but smiles to herself.
The time it takes to drive to Burgess's local elementary school warms both Jack and Tooth up inside her car. Jack sits comfortably in the passenger's seat, pressing the slowly melting ice against his jaw, and Tooth pretends that she isn't handling the steering wheel with a painfully tight grip.
So she's never had another guy around her age in her car since moving to Burgess? So what?
So, what do I say?! Tooth screams to herself internally.
Thankfully, Jack beats her to it before she has to force something to come out of her cowardly lips.
"Hey, what were you listening to before you landed one on me?" Tooth cringes at his choice of diction, but replies as smoothly as possible.
"Oh, it was Love On Top? By Beyonce? It's pretty new, released in 2011, and it's one of my favourite songs right now," she answers chattily, glancing at him as she stops at a red light, looking for his reaction.
"Yeah, yeah, I thought it was her. And the song sounded familiar. I hear it on campus more often these days. What's up with that?" Jack asks, switching the hands that are holding up the ice pack. He also reaches up to flick the foam tooth that's hanging from her rearview mirror.
"Well, BU's dance team has that performance for the upcoming Winter Gala, right? So we've been practicing the routine more and more in and out of rehearsal. That's why I'm at campus so late, I was using the facilities and practicing," Tooth explains.
"That's how I know you!" Jack says, slapping his knee in recognition. Only one of BU's dancers could have a butt as fine as that, with all the dancing they do.
"What do you mean?" Tooth asks, confused. She presses forward on the gas when the light turns green, her gaze flicking over to Jack again. With only the occasional lamp to shed light on just about anything, Tooth misses the blush that touches Jack's cheeks again. How is it that this exotically colourful girl can make him flush red time and time again in less than an hour of knowing her? Jack hasn't felt this warm in forever; normally he's as cool as ice, which is how he likes things.
"Uh, it's nothing. I see the dancers here and there. I guess I've seen you a few times before," Jack lies smoothly. There's no way he's ever telling her that he found her butt familiar.
"Heh, I doubt it, I'm normally in the library or talking to my professors or grabbing a quick lunch. I don't really get around much. I think I just work a lot, I guess. My friends and my roommate always tell me to laze off a bit and cut myself some slack, but it's just who I am. I'm kind of a workaholic in that way," Tooth says in a rush.
I'm also kind of full of myself, she thinks, panicking to herself. I should shut up. Like, soon. He probably doesn't want to hear anything else about me.
"That makes one of us," Jack says, interrupting her thoughts.
"Excuse me?"
Jack throws her a crooked grin that just about takes her breath away – who is this guy, and how are his teeth so incredibly flawless, she thinks – and leans back comfortably in his seat.
"I, uh, I dropped out of BU last year, actually," he starts, piquing Tooth's interest. "I mean, in high school, I kept my grades up and stuff and it was all easy cheesy." Tooth giggles silently at his words as she pays attention to the road, making the last few turns to get to the elementary school.
"I had friends, I had my uncle, and everything was fun. Things were cool. When I started BU, though, I had to take care of my brother and my uncle, and throwing school into the mix just wasn't such a great idea."
"Oh…" Tooth says, uncertain of what to say next, "What were you studying before you dropped out?" Jack laughs to himself.
"I wasn't even completely sure myself. I was bouncing around between English and biology and I even considered teaching at one point, I don't know. School just wasn't my thing," Jack replies.
"That's not a bad thing," Tooth assures him.
"Of course not! Some people are all work and deadlines, but I'm all about snowballs and fun-times. It's probably how I ended up landing a job at the Hill so easily," he continues. Tooth makes a final turn, the elementary school now in view. The Hill is the ski lodge where people of all ages and sizes go to ski, sled and snowboard and stay at the lodge at some really good prices. It comes to life as early as September and is one of Burgess's most well-known attractions. The snow there is almost always powdery and perfect for snow activities and the forest that makes up the majority of the Hill is the greatest place for snowball fights in the winter and camping trips during the rest of the snowless year.
"Oh? What do you do exactly?"
"I kind of do everything? I give snowboarding lessons to just about anyone, I clean the rentals, I work at the lodge's restaurant when they need a hand, and I even drive the zamboni from time to time," Jack says, a proud tone lacing his last words.
"Wow," is all Tooth can say. "I don't even know how to snowboard."
"No way," Jack says incredulously.
"Yes way," Tooth responds. "But I can surf!"
"Ahh, got ourselves a Cali girl, have we now?" Jack says, grinning teasingly. "What are you doing so far from the beach, sunshine?" Tooth gives him a strange look for the nicknames but tries her best to ignore his playfulness. Isn't his jaw supposed to be hurting or something?
"I told you already, I'm studying to be a doctor. BU's got the best dentist course in this continent right after Harvard, and there is no way we could have afforded that."
"Well, Tooth, I'm glad you made it to snowy Burgess instead of boring ol' Harvard, if I may say so myself. I would never have gotten the chance to be on the receiving hand of one of your killer right hooks if you'd chosen to go to Harvard," Jack says sarcastically.
"Oh, don't push it, Frost, you know it was an accident," Tooth shoots back, feeling bolder by the second. Neither she nor Jack says a word as she pulls to a stop right in front of the school where a handful of kids are standing, waiting under a lamp.
"Why are they out so late again?" Tooth asks suddenly.
"Soccer goes on really late on Fridays," Jack explains quickly before opening the passenger seat and retrieving his brother from the small crowd. Tooth waits patiently inside the warmth of her car before the back seat and the passenger seat both open again, this time with Jack, and what looks like a smaller and even more chatty and hyperactive version of him.
"A-and then the ball went flying because it was Cupcake who kicked it and everyone knows that Cupcake's got the hardest kicks even if she's a girl," the kid blurts out excitedly, scrambling to get comfortable in the back seat.
"Even if she's a girl?!" Jack repeats enthusiastically, enjoying his brother's story.
"Yeah! And then, out of nowhere, the ball comes right for me and it hits me smack in the face but I was strong enough not to pass out because I stood up, like, immediately after it hit me but then - but then I realised that I'd lost a tooth, see? See, see!" Jack and Tooth turn towards the back seat to see the small boy holding up a small baby tooth in the palm of his hand for them to see. Tooth gasps.
"That's your lateral incisor! You should really keep that!" she says before she can stop herself. Both Jack and his brother look at her with raised eyebrows.
"…Why?" Jack's brother asks, genuinely curious. Jack looks from his brother to Tooth with this amused look on his face.
"Yeah, Tooth. Why?" he repeats with a playful grin on his face. Tooth gives him a look before shrugging.
"I just - I think your teeth hold some of your coolest memories. Like, this lateral incisor will always remind you of the time a girl named Cupcake kicked a soccer ball hard enough into your face that you lost a tooth. Good times, right?" she explains weakly. Thankfully the kid gets it, doesn't find it stupid, and actually takes to the idea.
"Wow, that's actually really smart! So, like, if I ever need to remember something about soccer practice or third grade, I just need to pull out my teeth and all the memories come back to me?"
"Exactly!" Tooth says happily, sticking her tongue out at Jack, who only grins back.
"And your name's… Tooth?" Jack's brother asks uncertainly.
"Um, yeah. 'Cause I … like teeth? Like, a lot?" Tooth says just as uncertainly.
"Cool! I think it fits. You seem to know tons about teeth and you have nice teeth, too, just like Jack! I'm Jamie, by the way. I used to have just as nice teeth as Jack before today!" Jamie says quickly.
"No, you still have really nice teeth! Just wait 'til your permanent teeth all grow out, then you'll have a smile just as beautiful as … your … brother's," Tooth falters at the end of her sentence, the compliment echoing in her head.
Nice, Tooth. Real nice.
"Oh, so I have a 'beautiful smile'?" Jack teases her. Tooth blushes and but she doesn't even bother to hide it anymore. God, she's such a dork sometimes.
"Maybe you do," she says in what she hopes is a challenging tone. "So what?"
"I have a beautiful smile!" Jamie interrupts, raising his hand high in the air to attract the others' attention.
"Of course you do, twerp," Jack says, reassuring his little brother by ruffling his hair. He turns to sit back normally in the passenger seat but not before winking at Tooth, who breathes in deeply and blushes like an idiot in the driver's seat, gripping the steering wheel tightly. The exchange is not lost upon little Jamie's curious brown eyes, but the fifth grader is clever and mischievous enough not to say anything in the car. Not yet, at least.
The drive to Jack and Jamie's cabin home takes about forty-five minutes but it isn't a terrible ride. Jamie dozes off, lying horizontally on the back seat, using his backpack as a pillow. Tooth notices how Jack constantly looks back at Jamie just to check and see how he's doing. He even slips his jacket off and drapes it across his little brother's body to keep him warm. It's the little things that are making this Frost boy even more endearing to Tooth by the minute.
Her driving skills' limits are tested when the uphill road starts to morph into tighter turns and steeper paths. The night is merciful this evening and grant her with endless streaks of moonlight to make up for the lack of lamplights. With Jack's guidance, she makes it to the front of a cozy cabin in the middle of nowhere. The snowfall's calmed down to a slight trickle of snowflakes that decorate Tooth and Jack's clothes as they step out of her car. Jack lifts Jamie out of the back seat and Tooth grabs his bag for him.
"Thanks," he says as they both walk towards the cabin. "My uncle's probably asleep by now and I just have put this kid to bed. Do you want some hot chocolate or something before you go?" It's gotten dark and he should really focus on making dinner or something more productive, but there's something in his gut telling him to keep this girl by his side for a little while longer. Maybe it's her ever changing eyes, maybe it's the small, spontaneous burst of colour in her hair, hell, maybe it's her ass, or maybe - maybe it's just her. There is something about this clumsy, amethyst-eyed wonder who listens to Beyonce, packs a crazy punch, and obsesses over teeth that makes him feel so deliciously warm inside, and despite the fact that he really does prefer ice over fire, and cold over warmth, the feeling she gives him is making him dizzy in the best way possible.
"I'd love t–" Tooth starts but her phone plunks an odd tune before she holds her finger to Jack, places Jamie's bag on the first step of the porch, and fishes the phone out of her pocket. She checks her screen before frowning.
"Oh, gosh, I'd really like that, Jack, but I have this dinner thing with my roommate that I just forgot about. Rain check?" she says apologetically.
"I'll hold you to that. Maybe I can teach you how to snowboard, too. Free of charge," he offers. Tooth's eyebrows rise up and she feels a smile grow on her face. And yes, there's that blush again. Dammit.
"O-oh, I - I'd love that, too, I mean, yeah, I'd really like that. I mean - yeah, okay," she agrees breathlessly.
"I'll see you later… Jack Frost," Tooth says in a playful tone, "Sorry about your jaw again," she adds quickly, starting to turn away, biting her lip in a half smile that makes him want to pinch himself to make sure he's not dreaming.
"Forget about it. You'll be alright on the road?" he asks.
"Yeah, I can take it from here. Tell Jamie I said good night," she says as she waves a small goodbye and walks to her car.
"I will. See you around… sunshine," Jack opts to tease her one last time and she gives him an exasperated look before getting into her car and starting up the engine again.
He stands in front of his home watching Tooth's car navigate its way down the curvy road back to the main town. He keeps one hand on Jamie's head to make sure his brother stays warm in the chilly, quiet evening. Jack only moves into the house with Jamie and Jamie's backpack when he can no longer see any spec of Tooth's headlights.
Inside Jamie's room, Jack lays his little brother down on his bed, slowly tucking him in for the night. He could do without dinner just this once or Jack would just feed him if he woke up later in the evening.
Jack brushes his fingers across Jamie's forehead briefly, like the slightest breeze on the first days of winter, before getting up from the bed and making his way to the door.
"Jack?" Jack turns around abruptly at the sound of his little brother's voice.
"Hey, kiddo. I didn't know you were up."
"I'm about to fall asleep," Jamie mutters sleepily. Jack laughs adoringly at the brunette in the bed.
"Just get some sleep, twerp. We can make snow monsters in the morning," he promises. Before he can turn towards the door though, Jamie speaks up again.
"You know, even if you're not dating her, I totally wouldn't mind if you did," he says. Jack quite literally freezes in his steps to the doorway.
"What."
"I mean, the teeth stuff's a little weird but weird is good, right? Like, we're totally weird, too, you and me," Jamie continues drowsily.
"Go to sleep, Jamie," Jack says, shaking his head at his brother. His thoughts are filling up yet again with visions of amethyst and teeth, and what sounds like a Beyonce song.
"And she's really pretty, Jack," Jamie mumbles. Oh, yeah, that, Jack knows.
"I like her," Jamie says, finally closing his eyes. Jack smiles to himself and steps over to ruffle Jamie's hair once more.
"I think I like her too, kiddo," he says, more to himself than to his brother.
"You should date her," Jamie says, yawning. Jack almost sputters but regains himself before speaking.
"You should go to sleep," Jack says, pulling the blanket up higher on Jamie's shoulders. He gets no response and concludes that his brother has finally gone to sleep.
When Jack steps into the living room to start a fire in the hearth, he runs his hand through his hair again and again. Who is this girl? He really just wants to know more about where she's from, what she likes, and what she can do – he just wants to know her. The tickle of flames remind him of Tooth's hand on his arm, her constant apologies, the roll of her eyes, and that wicked half smile.
This newfound warmth in his heart is something new, and he welcomes it with open arms.