Bells jingled and holiday music could be heard from miles around.
It was Christmas day at Nicholas St. North's workshop, and everybody was celebrating.
North and his crew had just come back from their long night of giving presents to the children of the world. The entire night went off without a hitch and everyone was relieved and ready to party.
Jack had never seen the kind of parties that North and his Elves could put on. It was quite amazing. The Elves had taken a blank spot of snowy landscape outside North's workshop and turned it into a Christmas Wonderland.
In the large clearing there were tables of Christmas cookies and other goodies, along with a full Christmas dinner. They hung garland and ornaments on the surrounding trees, and twinkling lights wound up and down the trunks. There was a large throne in the front of the party area, which North sat in, clearly exhausted, while the Elves brought him cookies on a silver platter. In the center the Yetis had hauled in a gigantic Christmas tree, it had to be at least twenty feet tall. They had no problem decorating it like experts. The Elves climbed the tree, hanging sparkling ornaments as high as they could go, then went down to get some more.
Jack was leaning against his staff, watching the Elves work as the sun started to set.
Jack brought gifts for all the Guardians; however he had given all of them out but one. He still had a tiny box jingling in his hoodie pocket for the last Guardian, who was nowhere to be found.
"Who is ready to celebrate this year's wonderful Christmas!?" North shouted, standing from his chair. His booming voice spread across the scene, causing the Elves and Yetis to cheer with glee. The band of Elves and Yetis played their instruments with even more vigor, and the party had begun.
Jack chuckled at North's enthusiasm, and went back to watching the Elves. The darker the sky got, the more mesmerizing the lights were.
He didn't mind staying there, watching the Elves decorate the Christmas tree, while the festivities raged around him. Jack was rather calm at the moment. He thought about what sort of pranks or rebellious activities he could play later on in the party, but right now, he was content in admiring the tree.
That is, until something else caught his eye.
A blue-green blur zoomed into the party, looking very flustered and rushed as usual. She stopped and her eyes darted around, taking in the beautiful set-up. She flew over to North, and shook his hand, congratulating him on a job well done.
As usual, the sight of her beautiful features made Jack's heartbeat more rapid. Her feathers moved with her as she flew, lovely and full of elegance.
She fluttered about, conversing with the Elves and chatting with the other Guardians. Jack really hoped she would notice him and fly over, but he was sure he was eventually going to have to work up the courage to walk over to her.
I'm doomed, he thought grimly.
But the time didn't feel right. What that actually means is Jack was extremely nervous and is terrified to approach her.
So the party carried on. People laughed, chatted, danced and ate Christmas cookies. It was a great party and Jack had a good time. At one point Bunnymund, who probably had eaten too many holiday treats, came and twirled Jack around the dance floor.
"Ay, Jack! This is such an amazing party, ain't it!?" He shouted happily.
"Uh… yeah, Bunny. Great party…" He struggled, but finally managed to get away from the overly excited rabbit.
He drifted about the party, feeling invisible. He walked over to a food display and plucked a sugar cookie off the table that was in a shape of a star. He turned the beautifully decorated cookie over in his hand, examining it absently. He looked at it for just a few moments before taking a bite out of it.
He munched on his cookie while watching everyone have a great time. At this moment of hesitation, he immediately looked for Tooth. She seemed to be amused, laughing with the Elves while they danced excitedly around her. She giggled and her smile made Jack's heart race. He mentally slapped himself for acting so foolish. He ended up realizing that no matter how much he frowned upon his feelings, he couldn't contradict them.
The moon rose higher into the sky, and the stars came out. They twinkled brightly in the sky. The daytime sky quickly transitioned into night and the party began to wind down. The Elves and Yetis yawned and trickled back into North's workshop, clearly partied out. The party was ending and Jack had never given Toothania her gift!
His chest felt tight and he began to panic. What am I going to do?! He thought, trying as hard as he could to think of something to say to her. He drew up a blank. He looked around at the dwindling party guests, then up at the moon and stars, illuminating the snow. Then, like a spark in the darkness, he had an idea. He just hoped he had enough courage to carry it out.
He strolled over to Tooth, trying to look as nonchalant as possible. He flipped his staff around walking over to the pretty humming bird-girl.
She was kneeling down, saying goodbye to one of the Elves. He stood behind her and cleared his throat. She stood, and turned to see Jack.
"Oh! Hi Jack!" She said with a smile. "Good to see you."
Jack noticed she was shorter than him right now, but then in a blur she was taller than him once again. He had never actually noticed she was shorter than he was, because she was always hovering. Her feet never touch the ground, which was why for a brief moment she was actually her true height.
"Yeah, good to see you too." He rubbed his neck sheepishly, trying to think of his next step in the plan of action. "Hey, I never got a chance to give you your present."
"Ooh! You got me a present?!" Her eyes shone happily. "You didn't have to get me anything!"
"Of course I did." Jack said, grinning.
"But first…" He glanced around the remains of the party. "Can I show you something?"
"Like what?" She looked up at him curiously.
"Well… Um…" He stumbled over his words. "Do you want to… go somewhere with me?"
"Sure! Anywhere!" She grinned.
"Really?"
"Of course." She took his hand as an indication of trust. He took that as an initiative.
"Okay." His familiar mischievous glint came back into his blue eyes as well as his confidence.
"You better hold on tight then."
He focused on moving the wind, and before Tooth could say a word, they were off, flying high in the sky.
Tooth had never felt anything like it before. She could fly, but she flew strategically and purposefully, focusing on a direct destination. When she was flying with Jack, she had no idea which way was up or down, left or right. They flew in loops and spirals and Toothania was whisked around the sky. A burst of laughter was ripped out of her as she tumbled through the sky, with a wintry wind at her back.
Her and Jack flew, laughing and smiling, for what seemed like forever. At last, they touched down at a beautiful frozen pond, covered in thick ice. They landed ever so softly. Tooth stayed hovering, as always, but Jack touched the cold surface of the frozen water.
Tooth looked around, taking in the surrounding area.
"This is the place where you became Jack Frost…"
She gazed at the landscape covered in snow-dusted trees and sparkling icicles. "It's beautiful."
"Ha ha," Jack grinned. Then, for a moment, his smile went away and he made a surprised face. "Oh! Oh yeah!"
He slipped the tiny jewelry box out of his pocket, and handed it to Tooth. Her bright eyes sparkled as she took it and opened it slowly. Jack held his breath in anticipation.
Her breath caught as she revealed the gift inside. She held up a simple silver chain necklace, which had two pendants hanging from it. One was a vibrant blue feather, and the other was a petite snowflake charm that sparkled in the light.
Tooth spoke breathlessly, "Oh my gosh, Jack! This is the most amazing gift I have ever seen!"
"Phew!" He let out his held breath, smiling happily. "I thought you would like it. The Yetis helped me a bit."
"Oh, I love it!" She threw her arms around him in an affectionate hug. Jack's eyes widened in surprise, not only from the fact that she hugged him so suddenly, but she was so warm compared to Jack's naturally cold skin. After getting over his shock, he returned her embrace before they parted.
Jack looked at Tooth questioningly for a moment before saying "Do your feet ever touch the ground?"
Tooth looked self-consciously at her feet. Her words came out in a rush. "Uh, sometimes. Well, not really." She admitted.
"Here," Jack took her hand, dragged her downwards. "You'd be surprised at how much different it is when you're not in the air all the time." He smiled comfortingly at her and filled her with delight.
She landed awkwardly on the ice near Jack. After feeling the bitter cold of the surface, she immediately wanted to jump back up and begin hovering again, but she resisted, for Jack's sake.
"Here, turn around," He said. Jack plucked the necklace out of Tooth's hands as she turned around. She felt his cool breath on her neck as he put his arms over her and pulled the chain to the back. He hooked the clasp for her, and spun her around triumphantly. "There!"
"Thanks," She said. She blushed furiously despite the bitter cold biting at her skin. Before Toothania could say anything else, Jack had a playful twinkle in his eye.
"Watch this." He winked at her.
Jack took her and pulled her with him across the ice. Jack glided effortlessly around the pond, with Toothania at his side. He commanded the ice to do his bidding, and it helped them to skate smoothly, as if they were flying across the frozen surface.
"Jack!" Tooth looked scared out of her wits, and wobbled as she slid across the cool ice. "I d-don't know how to ice skate! I—"
"Shhh…" Jack flashed her a crooked smile that made her heart race. "Luckily, I'm good enough for both of us."
Tooth blushed and tried to look anywhere but at Jack. The stars twinkled in the dark sky as Toothania was whisked around the frozen pond. She felt like a little teenage girl, even though she was, before she became a Guardian.
And apparently Jack was thinking the same thing, because he brought it up suddenly.
"You know what I figured out?"
"What?"
"I'm actually older than you."
"No you're not!" Tooth said defensively.
"Yep, it's true." He nodded.
"How?"
"If you don't count immortal years, the Man in the Moon made me this," He gestured to himself, "when I was eighteen." Tooth nodded, listening intently. "And when you became a Guardian, you were about… sixteen or seventeen."
The humming bird-girl stared at him. "That's just what North told me." He held up his hand in surrender. "You and I were the only teenagers that were changed by the moon," He added.
Tooth furrowed her eyebrows in contemplation. "You know, I don't really remember a lot about my life so long ago…" She paused. "North really didn't know how old I was exactly?"
"Um… He knew more or less!" Jack offered, trying to be accommodating. He smiled at Tooth who looked disheartened.
"Hey," He said, tilting her chin up with his knuckle. "It's okay." His brain searched for a moment, but it didn't take the Guardian of fun very long to find a way to cheer her up.
"Let's skate, Tooth Fairy!" He said. His joyous voice filled the air and Toothania's famous smile returned to her face. Then they were off, faster than before.
He skated swiftly across the ice, with the speed and grace of a Winter Guardian. He spun her around and twirled her so fast her head spun. They raced across the ice, making a snowy powder cloud their wake. They laughed and giggled as they went. Jack always felt like a child, but he noted that Tooth rarely got to act like this. She was all work and no play.
Toothania felt a euphoria she couldn't remember ever feeling before. She felt as though she could stay here forever with Jack, and never have another responsibility.
Her and Jack skated around the serene pond for who knows how long. The moon was now directly over head, glittering down on them. They were getting a bit out of control with their fun, so when Jack passed an overhead branch he hooked his staff on it. He hoped to bring them to a stop, but instead, Jack, who had been manipulating the wind, swung around and around the branch.
"Ahhh!" He yelled as he spun. He hooked his legs on the low branch and finally came to a stop with Tooth giggling in front of him. Their blissful laughter finally died into silence as they gazed at each other.
They were at eye level with each other, with Jack hanging oddly upside down. His stark white hair fell away from his face, exposing his icy blue eyes even more.
As the silent seconds wore on, Jack noticed how Tooth blushed at their close proximity. He was thinking about why exactly he wasn't able to blush, but his train of thought crashed when he saw Tooth's eyes. They were fuchsia or magenta-ish, he thought absently…
But he didn't worry what color they were, they were too mesmerizing. Paired with her luxurious eyelashes, her eyes alone could stop any man with the right look.
He tilted his head a bit, still focused on Tooth. "Hold still," He said hoarsely, "I just want to try something…"
He held the base of her neck and pressed his lips to hers tentatively. If Tooth wasn't afraid of falling flat on her butt, she probably would have backpedaled in shock. But, at that moment in time, she was thankful for her lack of ice skating skills.
She pushed back against him, launched out of her immobile state. His lips were cold and filled her body with a fresh, tranquil energy.
Jack, who was just discovering the startling warmth of kissing Toothania, turned his head, trying to get closer. They meshed their mouths together, creating friction and heat in the cold. Jack felt so exhilarated, he thought he might melt.
After several moments, Tooth thought her lips may be so cold she could catch frostbite. But the constant movement of Jack's lips against hers kept them from freezing.
Their lips moved against each other for countless moments. They broke apart, eventually, both gasping for air. Toothania shuddered from his freezing breath and cool lips leaving hers. She took deep breaths, composing herself.
Jack panted himself, gently swinging on his branch. He grinned so wide it almost consumed his face.
"Maybe you should take a break from work more often."
