6th January 1712
"Time to get up!" an excited voice chimed eagerly, drawing a disgruntled moan from him as his dark brown eyes slid open wearily. Jackson Overland gave another low grown as he blinked, his face smushed almost fully into thestiff and rough fabric of his straw filled pillow as he tried to focus on the figure standing beside at his bedside.
"What" he sighed which ended in a yawn with no attempt at movement.
His sister beamed back at him, completely unmoved by his lack of enthusiasm as she continued. "It's morning! And you promised you would teach me how to ice skate today!"
"Did I? That doesn't sound like something I would do" he yawned again before turning his face fully into the pillow and with one tug pulled his heavy cotton blanket up over to cover his head.
"Jaaaaccckkkkk!" she whined, clambering up onto his small cot of a bed and sitting ontop of his back. "You promised!" she dug her small hands into where his shoulders hid under the blanket and shook roughly.
"Lies" he huffed, although a small smile tugging at his mouth but he really was quite comfortable where he was.
"Please? You'd be the best big brother ever" she begged, her small fingers still set on delivering sturdy pokes and jabs.
"But I'm already the best brother ever, doing more would shame big brothers everywhere" he chuckled, although she was not amused as she whined and shook him harder "Alright! Alright, let me up" he surrendered, finding his arms under him to hoister himself up into sitting as she moved further down. He took a moment once he was upright to allow his eyes to settle against the harsh morning light that poured in through the open window hatch, licking his lips and scrubbing the back of his fist against his eyes. "Ok I'm up" he yawned and then he focused on his sister, the sleepy look being replaced by a mischievous grin. In one quick move he flipped the blanket off of himself and over her before pinning her down against the bed all while she squealed and kicked. "Where's Pippa gone?" he wondered aloud, still holding the giggling shape down before he sighed over dramatically "Well I guess if she's not here we can't go skating"
"Here! I'm here!" she screeched, laughing and trying to wiggle her way to freedom.
"What's that? I thought I heard something just now, but I don't see anyone"
"Jacky I'm here!" she wailed hysterically, laughing so much it hurt.
Jack released his grip and made a show of peering under the blanket curiously "There you are! I found you!" he cackled, wrapping his arms around her small frame and heaving her to sit on his lap as he crushed her in a hug. "As punishment for hiding from your big brother you must be tickled!" he proclaimed, his nimble fingers shooting over to run under her arms and down her sides.
"No!" she cried, slapping out at him with her small hands. It didn't dissuade him however and he soon had her a writhing ball of fitful giggles and screeches. When he finally let her go she leaped at him, grabbing around his neck, still in a fit of giggles as she tried to tickle him back.
"Breakfast you two" their mother's voice called from where she sat across the small one roomed cabin in front of the fire, smiling over her shoulder at her children's antics. Pippa cheered and leaped off the bed while Jack slowly stood up, cracking his neck and stretching out his arms with one last yawn before following to where their mother was spooning out bowls of hot broth with a smile on his face. Today was going to be fun.
18th October 1734
Thud, thud.
Jack let out a light snore, the noise lightly beginning to drag him to conciousness but otherwise had no affect on him.
Thud, thud.
He gave a murmur and wiggled a little to get more comfortable on the tree branch.
Thud, thud, thud.
That was starting to get a little annoying and whoever was doing it really should consider stopping it about now, honestly what did a guy have to do to get a little shut eye around here?
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
He huffed but still refused to open his eyes, he was asleep and he was comfortable and he was not about to be awoken when he was so content.
Thud, thud, crack.
His eyes snapped open as the tree rocked in a most alarming manner, his limbs failing wildly and only just managing to snatch up his staff from where it hung off the branch as the tree began its decent downwards. He leaped forward into the breeze but a passing longer branch collided with his back, firmly smacking him down as the tree fell to where he landed head first in a bush.
He came up spluttering leaves out of his mouth and a mess of twigs in his hair. Frost quickly coating over his face in a flush he turned to glare at the cause of his rude awakening. He quickly spotted a group of men working away at tidying up the fallen tree ready to transport the lumber.
"Hey!" he yelled, fumbling out of the bush, snagging his cloak on a branch and toppling over to land in a heap. He growled to himself, hefting himself up and towards the men. "That was my home! I know it wasn't much but it was mine!" he shouted, his fingers tightly gripping at his staff. However they took completely no notice and continued with what they were doing. "Look I don't go around cutting your houses down so-" he was cut off mid rant as one of the men turned around and strolled right through him, the painful horrid feeling leaving him breathless, like ripping the air right out of his chest. He gave a huff as the man wandered away, sniffing sharply. He was not going to cry, nope, not over this, not over just being walked through and loosing a dumb tree. There was thousands of other trees, even if the towns folk were rather intent on growing their settlement he would have plenty of other trees to sleep in. He just needed to find somewhere else to sleep, it would be a better place anyway, he didn't need a stupid tree.
He took off into the air, intent on finding a cave to continue his sleep in.
24th February 1862
Jack snuggled further into his delightfully comfortable nest of blankets and animal furs, after a long couple of days spreading winter he was ready to bed down and catch up on some rest. A threatening growl coming from right beside him rather ruined that plan though. Blearily peering out from under heavy eyelids he let out a fearful squeak, eyes snapping fully open to the sight of a pack of wolves surrounding him and most disconcertingly licking their chops as if they had just found their next meal.
"Oh hell no" he breathed, the wolf right before his face growling and snapping its very sharp teeth. As the wolf leapt he too sprang into action and managed to smartly whack the wolf in the face with his face, the beast letting out a cry as ice covered its muzzle. He staggered to his feet in record time, fending off the rest of the pack with blasts of ice that sent them fleeing from his cave with the wind chasing them out all the way. After they were gone he let out a relieved huff as he leaned heavily against his upright staff. Maybe it was time to find somewhere safer to live, or at least figure out some sort of door for the cave.
2nd April 1960
He was pooped, completely and utterly pooped. Winter was over for the year and he was so in need of a couple of days of shut eye, scratch that, maybe a good couple of months. He was so ready for sleep and with the gentle sounds of the wind playing against the water of the lake and the soothing warmth of the morning sun it wouldn't be long until he was completely asleep.
"Hey!" a very rude voice pitched in, complete with a foot being jabbed against his side. Holding in the whine of despair he opened his eyes to glare coldly at the being standing above him. A rather short humanoid form made of tree branches and vines glared right back at him, well he assumed they were glaring at him, when ones eyes were merely glowing green lights set within a plant structured head it was somewhat hard to tell, but he figured they were anyway.
It was a damned Spring sprite, wasn't it, always the Spring sprites.
"Who are you?" they snapped at him questioningly, which Jack thought was not very nice considering he was the one who should be angry.
"Who the hell are you?" he growled back while making no effort to move from the base of the tree that he had so looked forward to sleeping against just a few moments ago.
The creature was taken aback and squawked out "I asked you first!"
"I asked you second" Jack retorted.
They huffed and flicked their twig fingers through the long moss that hung limping from their head "I'm Laurel"
"Cool beans" he really didn't care what Twiggy McTwigsticks name was and he really didn't care for the idea of moving either "Good day Laurel" he huffed only achieving to close his eyes for a mere moment before Laurel's foot made contact again.
"You can't sleep here! It's spring and you're a winter spirit!" they all but yelled, and really, that voice was starting to really grind painfully against his skull.
"No shit and here I was thinking I was the Leprechaun, thank you oh wonderful and wise one for showing me the truth"
Laurel continued to glare before giving him a quick up and down look over "You're Jack Frost, aren't you? I was warned you were troublesome"
"Did you come to that conclusion all on your own? Surprising that going to the home of Jack Frost you would meet Jack Frost, who'd a thunk it"
"But you can't sleep here!" they continued to protest.
Jack gave them a wicked glare before giving a huff and rising to his feet "I'd turn you into a block of ice if I didn't know thirty of your Spring time buddies would show up to also bother me if I did. Whatever, I'm out" he growled leaping into the air and having the wind carry him away, hopefully in search of somewhere colder, then maybe obnoxious Spring sprites wouldn't bother him.
15th June 2014
"Mmmhhhhg" Jack mumbled, being the only thing he could do. Everything felt so damn heavy, and it hurt, why did everything hurt so much? And warm, everything was so warm. He struggled to open his eyes, baby blue orbs blearily peering out glazed around him. He was in his room at the North Pole, which had been given to him by North shortly after becoming a Guardian, when the older man had realised Jack usually slept in trees and was having none of it, insisting the frost child should live in his home. He was still so warm though, uncomfortably so to the point it was beginning to make him feel quite nauseous. His gaze rolled haphazardly across the room to locate the source of the heat to where a fire roared in the hearth across the room beside the large windows that overlooked the frozen landscape outside and the first light of morning peeking in.
Why was there a fire? Didn't they understand that he was a Winter spirit, his name was Jack bloody Frost for a reason, what were they trying to do? Melt him? He was also buried under thick blankets, more than his usual one thin bed sheet instead thick duvets and blankets piled ontop of him, pinning him down to the mattress. Glancing down at the many layers he spotted the last thing he thought he would ever see. A grey fluffy head resting on two fluffy arms over the side on the bed, the long ears folded back and the green eyes hidden away under closed lids. He was letting out a gentle rumbling sound, snoring? No, it was more like purring. Jack couldn't help the hazed smile that broke out across his face, Bunny purred when he was asleep and wasn't that the most precious thing ever? He would certain store that bit of information away for future use.
"Uhh? … Fuzzball?" he croaked, shifting his arm to bump under thick layers against the Pooka's elbow, his arm felt so heavy and useless it would be concerning if he wasn't more curious about what the elder Guardian was doing.
At the movement Bunny awoke, looking at the boy for a moment before springing into action, he quickly sat further up in the wooden chair in which he was perched with his ears twitching forward eagerly. "Jack! You're awake!"
"Sure I am" he part slurred part yawned, focusing in on the furry figure in front of him "Why you here? … Why is it so warm?"
Bunny's ears flattened back against his head "Mate you don't remember?"
Jack swallowed, briefly noticing there was an unpleasant thick taste in his mouth, never the less he pushed on "I remember you're a huge dork" he chuckled, because Bunny was funny, incredibly funny and he was in a pretty good mood, rather hazy and sickly warm and maybe in a lot of pain, but at the moment he was enjoying the muffled feeling inside his head.
Bunny frowned "You were hurt Jack, in the battle" he spoke carefully.
"That's a good way to bring down a guy" Jack frowned too because he was sure he would of remembered a battle, it sounded quite interesting.
"... Maybe Sandy's been giving you too much dreamsand" the Pooka spoke with an raised brow, momentarily derailed off topic before he took a deep breath "Jack we were fighting the Star Pirates, all of us... and well you... were badly hurt"
Jack's frown deepened "How bad we talking here Buns?"
Bunny sighed and took ahold of the layers of fabric that covered the winter spirits body and pulled them back to let Jack see himself. His bare torso was wrapped firmly with stiff bandages around his waist, small spots of red staining the white coverings. Jack stared with wide eyes before making to move his left hand to touch the bandages but pausing when he noticed his hand was also wrapped. "We were being swarmed... an' I didn't see the pirate behind me but you did, you pushed me out of the way an'... the pirate ran ya through"
"Wha?!" Jack gasped, his body jolted forward to try to inspect himself closer when he wailed in agony and flopped back down as the movement pulled at his injury, breaking the haze over him as the pain surged through his body, his hands flailing out to grab at his waist.
"Easy! Easy mate!" Bunny soothed, pulling the boy's hands away before gently holding them both in one paw, the other carefully stroking at Jack's forehead. "Now don't move, just take a few deep breaths" The Winter spirit nodded with his lower lip pulled between his teeth and tears shining in his eyes, turning his face into the comforting paw. "Yer still in bad shape so it's gonna be a lot of bed rest for you" He glanced away from the boy, grasping one of the half a dozen hot water bottles lying on the mattress around the still body and shifting it to press against Jack's side with the utmost care.
"Why" Jack hissed, the warmth bringing him no comfort whatsoever.
Bunny didn't look at him as he rearranged the others closer in too. "Ya kept trying to ice over the wound and its never gonna get a chance to heal if it's frozen" he spoke as a matter of fact before pulling up the covers and firmly tucking Jack in around his neck. "Sorry mate but yer gonna have to be warm for a little while longer"
"How long was I out?" Jack coughed out, his cheeks pink from the heat.
"Ya've been asleep for two days now"
He nodded, pressing his head back against the pillows as he focused on breathing then after a moment peered back at the Pooka "Was I heroic?" he gave a small grin, with a dark brow raised. Bunny stared at him questioningly "Come on please don't tell me it was pathetic, I better have gone down fighting, stuff of stories, you know cool stuff"
Bunny continued to stare before shaking his head "Mate only you would care about somethin' like that" he began, almost chuckling at the lad's put out expression "If ya must know ya went down swingin', tried ta pull the sword out with ya bare hand and then with ya other turned the pirate's head inta an ice block"
"Good, that'll teach them to stab me" he laughed but grimaced as it jolted him again and he gave out a pained moan "... Ahh … shit... that hurts... ahh being run through, zero out of ten would not recommend"
"Ya shouldn't of done what ya did" Bunny uttered, his paw going back to stroking and rubbing through the boy's white hair, damp from melted frost.
"Saved your furry ass though" Jack huffed, images of the battle coming back to him, a star pirate lunging towards Bunny's turned back and knowing that he had to do something, anything to stop them from reaching his friend so he had shot himself down as quick as he could, he had only meant to push the overgrown rabbit out of the way, not impale himself on the enemy's blade.
Bunny nodded, a haunted look to his face "Ya did, ya saved my life. Tooth told me she spotted the pirate but was too busy fending them off herself, the one you stopped was aiming for my head"
"And we can't have you loosing that" Jack smirked but on seeing Bunny's upset expression he continued "I'm glad you're ok"
This seemed to be the wrong thing to say as the Pooka's mouth tightened and his eyes grew sadder "That's what ya kept sayin ta me, laying in my arms bleedin out, Tooth and North both panicking an Sandy fightin' off the left over pirates, but you were so calm, just kept sayin' over an' over that ya were glad it was you instead of me... you shouldn't of done it, what was ya bloody thinkin?!" he snapped out the question, it being easier to feign anger rather than deal with his true feelings.
Jack watched him subdued but then the smile was back "Pretty sure I was thinking, what the heck there's a sword in me" he grinned more at Bunny's horrified face "It sure added some iron-y to the situation"
"Jack no"
"Also that pirate really hurt my back when they pushed me off their sword, it sure was disc-hurteous of them" he breathed out a chuckle, waggling his eyebrows at the other Guardian's done in face.
"Mate this ain't funny!" the Pooka snapped, his paws leaving the boy's hair to ball into fists.
"Hey come on it's side splitting hilarious" he laughed, wincing again as the action pulled at his wound. Watching as Bunny glared at him, his claws digging into his own furry knees as he sat silently. "Ok look Bunny, sure on the one hand I got hurt but on the other hand I'm fine" he grinned, his uninjured hand fighting its way out of the bed to waggle his fingers at the Pooka.
Bunny let out a noise of pure frustration, looking ready to pull on his own ears "Not funny! Jack you nearly died! I had ta bloody resuscitate you myself!"
A surprised look passed over Jack's face before his eyes filled with mischief "You mean you gave me mouth to mouth?" he questioned.
Bunny's eyes widened before glancing away without a word, his nose turning pink "You were dyin'"
Jack nodded, looking down at his bed covers for a moment quietly before uttering "But was there tongue?"
"Damnit Jack!" Bunny howled, his patience and perhaps his sanity wearing thin.
"Too bad I was unconscious" he grinned cheekily.
"... There's blood in yer teeth" was all the Pooka replied, looking at the boy's usual pearly whites that were tinted reddish from the remains of the blood that had spilled from his lips as they had held him, where he had stopped breathing after coughing up so much blood and gone so still. Jack frowned, so that's what the unpleasant taste in his mouth was.
"Here" Bunny sighed snatching up a water jug and a empty glass from the bedside table he sat next to, filling the glass before turning back to the boy. Tucking a paw underneath his head and carefully raising him up enough to take a few sips of water "Not too much" he warned as Jack tried to drink the entire glass "Don't need ya throwin' up as well, ya can have more in a bit" he placed the glass back down but didn't retract his paw straight away, only moved to cup the side of the lad's face. "Ya told me it was better that way, ya getting hurt instead of me... ya said you weren't as important... last thing ya said before ya blacked out"
Jack pressed against the paw, all humour gone "You are more important... the kids need hope and I spent three hundred years watching how they didn't need me, they would be fine without me" he spoke, the tiredness audible in his voice.
"Jack that's not how it works, nobody is more important than anyone else, the kids need you, they love you, I love you" Bunny paused, the pink tint playing at his nose again before restarting "We all love ya, North, Tooth, Sandy and me. We're family, it ain't about importance"
The winter spirit was quiet for a long moment, eyes shining with tears "Love you too cotton tail"
27th March 2016
Jack stirred as the soft blanket of the nest was lifted up for a moment before a slender and furry body pressed against his back. Soft kisses being pressed against his ear and down along his neck with tickling whiskers.
"Hey fluffy" he sighed contented, without opening his eyes and enjoying the feel of warm fur against his bare body.
"Mornin' love" Bunny greeted gently and pulled his lover into his strong arms, paws running down his chest to curl around his waist, furry digits idly stroking over the still pink scar from two years ago.
"Did you have a good run?" the winter spirit asked in a yawn and pressing his head back to tuck under Bunny's chin.
Bunny gave a pleased purr and rubbed his chin against his icy hair "Best one yet, little ankle bitters were thrilled with this years googies, especially the ones you designed" Jack hummed happily, leaning back and turning a little, just enough to press his mouth against the pooka's in a gentle kiss, his scarred hand idly stroking through the fur of Bunny's cheek as he purred more and kissed back. His pale eyes opening to be greeted by his favourite sight in the whole world, his Bunny.
It was certainly the best way to wake up.