Happy birthday, Beth! :) I hope you like this Jamiecakes
Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG. Duh.
It starts the same way every dream does, golden sand and love, the happiness of a world away from reality. But it goes wrong every time, the darkness creeps in and suddenly engulfs her lungs. Drowning in a torrid storm of black sand, she can't seem to get her grip and she's tossed to and fro like a rag doll. The black wisps lift her high in the air and there's only one escape; jumping and falling into the endless pit of unknown. Her heart stutters as she sees the tiny glimpse of gold that is beckoning her to jump, just gain the courage to take a leap, but it's too high and too far. She takes a deep breath as the gold fades away because she's just not strong enough, and the darkness consumes her.
With a start, Cupcake Alison Henderson, awakens from her deep sleep with sweat on her brow and her heart beating fast. Clutching at her night shirt and taking deep breaths to calm herself, she knows that she'll never get back to sleep now. With a groan she flops back on to her pillows as the glow of her alarm clock reads 5:17 am. She could feel her heart beat slow down to it's normal pace under her hand but the blood was still rushing and humming in her ears. Ten years after Pitch's Nightmares had invaded her original dream, she could still feel the effects. Everyone had their own ideas as to why she was still being entranced by the black sand, one being that since her's was the first to be infected it would the be strongest, and the others just as wild. Very few would accept the fact that Cupcake could be afraid of something, so she just stopped trying.
She rubbed a hand over her still sleepy eyes and rose from her bed, rummaging through her dresser drawers until she'd found her winter running gear. Shimming and shaking her way into the tight thermals and tugging a warm pink sweater over her head, pulling her hair back into a pony tail with a rubber band and slipping into her black and pink sneakers, Cupcake could take on any type of weather now. So she scooped up her keys and heads out the door. Running is away from sleep and away from nightmares, and it's a small victory as she heads up the hills of her tiny city.
About her second lap around the Burgess City Park, Cupcake feels a familiar presence tingle up her spine and bite at her cheeks.
"It's a bit early for a high schooler like you, Cakers. What gives?" Jack floats breezily besides her and Cupcake gives a grunt of acknowledgment as she stops for a breather.
"Couldn't sleep." She wheezes as her breath comes out in frosty puffs of air. "I couldn't get back to sleep."
"Well, what's the point of all this running?" Jack asks as she starts back up. "What are you running to?"
Cupcake rolls her eyes. "I run just to run, then I get hungry and I get doughnuts."
Jack nods his head with an appriciative grin. "I could run for some doughnuts."
Another eye roll and she makes her way back on to the main street, ducking into Burgess Bakery, her face wind burned and lips chapped. Shoving her hands into her hoodie pocket, she let out a shudder of relief as the heat washed over her. She could still see Jack hovering behind her as she caught her breath and looked over the pastries.
"See anything you want?" She asked quietly to the spirit next to her, who eyed one that looked like a coconut covered snowball.
"What's all that frilly stuff on it?" Jack asked looking closer at the treat. Cupcaked sighed and repulled back her hair. Making eye contact with the girl at the counter, she jerked her head to the doughnut in question.
"Hey, it's coconut on that right?" The cashier looked around with a nervous look before pointing a finger at herself, and it was all Cupcake could do to keep it together and only give her a bored look while nodding her head.
Jack crinkled his nose with a playful grin. "They look like toenail clippings, gross." He turned to her, hovering in midair with his arms crossed. "I want that one."
Cupcaked raised an eyebrow.
"Please?" Jack amended with a heaving sigh and Cupcake gave a short nod while tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and tapping her sneaker clad foot while looking at her options.
"I'd like a bear claw, one chocolate snowball and two small chocolate milks." Cupcake said to the cashier as she made her way over to the register. Jack raised an eyebrow and she rolled her eyes. "Please and thank you."
With a flurry of movement that would have made Tooth jealous, Cupcake had her food, change, and the cashier had more or less shrunken behind one of the heating cabinets. She just shrugged and left the store in a jingle of tiny door bells.
"I had no idea humans could move that fast. Is that evolution?" Jack laughed as he sailed through the window and trailed behind her. "I mean they can't be scared of you anymore! You're so tiny now!" She sighed again. It was true, despite being the tallest of her group when they were younger, Cupcake now stood at a measly four foot and ten inches in height. But she still had the muscle to back herself up.
"Don't you have a Jamie to bother or something?" Cupcake grumbled as she let herself back into her parents house and made her way up the stairs. Jack looked at her curiously and noticed the dark circles under her eyes. If North was with them right now, he'd be going on about how he could feel something was wrong with that famous gut of his and Jack was willing to go with it this time.
"He's asleep, like you should be." Jack responded as he floated through her door. Cupcake gave a grunt as she tossed their food on her desk and yanked her hoodie off.
"I would if I could but I can't." She responded as she toed her shoes off and put them back into the closet, before slouching into her desk chair and digging into her doughnut. "Besides, if I was you wouldn't have a doughnut and chocolate milk." Jack chuckled at Cupcake's attempt at a light hearted jab. "It was just a bad dream anyway."
The milk in his mouth took on a sour tang as he wiped his mouth the back of his hand. "A bad dream? Like a nightmare?" Cupcake scoffed as she licked her fingers.
"Oh come on, I already have one Jamie worrying after me. I don't need you worrying too, Ice Block." She let out an appreciative hum at the taste of the apple filling on her fingers and sigh of satisfaction as she crumpled the paper bag up. "Now scram, I've got to shower before school." She gave a ghost of a grin and chuckled to herself as the spirit unknowingly floated out of her way. Too tiny to be intimidating he said, and yet there he was backing away. Cupcake stuck her tongue out at him before closing the door behind her and turned the shower on to full steam ahead.
Unbuttoning the shiny black buttons of her hot pink pea coat, Cupcake took a deep breath as she stood on her tip toes to hang it on the coat hook and coming just a few inches shy of her target. She stamped one of her combat boot clad feet as she tried again, and no more progress than she had before.
"Here, let me." Jamie laughed as he plucked the coat from her hands and lifted it on to the hanger with ease. "See that wasn't so bad." He teased, taking the unicorn pin off the lapel and handing it to her to fasten on to her shirt. Cupcake's cheeks tinged pink as he leaned against the metal frames and she took the pin and placed on the edge of her shirt collar. Jamie's grin widened as he looked at the picture that was screened to the front.
"I'm a cupcake looking for my studmuffin." He read aloud and Cupcake's eyes widened as she looked down at her own shirt, cursing to herself as she saw the the picture of a cartooned muffin and cupcake sharing a love bubble.
"Yeah, well, internet dating just wasn't working out anymore." Cupcake deadpanned as she placed her new books in the locker and tapped her schedule up. Jamie chuckled next to her and shifted from foot to foot for a minute. "Hey did you end up in my theater class?"
Jamie's lips quirked in amusement. "Your theater class? I thought it was everyone's theater class." Another half-glare from his shorter companion. "I have Perkins during fourth block, right after lunch. What about you?" He pulled the door towards him a bit and craned over her head. "Well would you look at that. You think I'll be able to keep you out of trouble?" Cupcake scoffed as she ducked under his arm.
"More like the other way around, Bennett." They fell instep together as the crowds started to disperse to class. Cupcake looked up to Jamie, who's head was bowed and he look more worried than she'd seen in awhile. "Woah, Atlas, take a chill pill and unload."
"Jack told me that you had another nightmare."
Cupcake sucked in a breath and she could feel her hands clench into fists as her ears burned. Of course Jack had told him, she knew he would because that's what friends did. They looked out for each other. But she still felt angry, what difference did it make if she had a nightmare about falling? Releasing her breath, she stood straighter. "Never mind, take it back. I don't want to know." She went to march away, but Jamie's hand caught in her own and he turned her to face him. "Not here, Jamie, and not right now." Cupcake tried to ignore the growing electric energy between them. Jamie frowned again, looking at their hands and her stomach dropped.
"Cakes, I'm just trying to look out for you." She bristled but tried to keep her lid on. She could take care of herself and he knew that. "Your nightmares have been happening more and more often."
How did he know that? How could he possibly know that?
"You told me that they stopped." Cupcake almost felt guilty and her heart stuttered as his thumb brushed over the back of her hand. "Why didn't you just tell me?"
"I just don't want to talk about it, now isn't really the best time anyway." What would she say? He didn't understand being afraid of anything.
"You never want to talk about it, just let me help." Now that was uncalled for, that little hypocrite could try and save all the Guardians by himself and she was supposed to tell him every time she couldn't sleep? How dumb.
Cupcake swore under her breath as she yanked her hand away and stormed off to class. The crowds parted for her as passed through and headed into her history class. Taking a spot near the window she threw her bags down, sat and assumed the position of a diligent student; staring out of a window. She swore again as she saw Jack fly by the school. This morning had started out alright and the day looked like it was going to be pretty good, but now it tanked again. The bell rang shrilly as the last students skidded into the room and found seats.
"Everyone take a seat. Christmas break is over and we have work to do. Ms. Henderson, what exactly is so amazing that you can't even pay attention for ten seconds." The class room fell silent as she continued to look out the window.
"Freedom and the American dream." She responded drily and turned to face the chalk board. "Commence with the educating.
She didn't sit with Jamie at lunch, choosing to hold herself up in the art room and work on her drawings. It was a little lonely, but she really didn't feel like talking about her nightmare anymore. It weighed heavily in her stomach and the taste of her fruit punch turned bitter, letting out an exasperated sigh and screwing the lid back on she focused on the curvature of the wings she was currently working on.
"You know Jamie wanted to talk to you." Cupcake grimaced at the sound of Jack's voice. She grunted an affirmative noise. "He's just trying to help you know."
"He can buzz off, it's not his problem." Cupcake muttered, trying to refocus on to her line work. "Maybe if someone had kept their mouth shut," She gave Jack a pointed glare. "we wouldn't have this problem."
Jack's ears flushed a purple hugh that was recognized as his blush, he even gave her an apologetic shrug and smile combo. Cupcake grunted again and pushed her Swiss Rolls towards the spirit.
Unrolling the treats from their log shape, Jack licked the frosting off of the cake as he floated over her shoulder.
"You know it hurts him to see you like this, you know that right? Out of everyone, you can hurt him the most sometimes." Her pen lines slowed at his words, so Jack continued. "He really likes you, Cakes. And don't play dumb, you know it too." Jack spotted the blush creeping up her neck and had the suspicion that the crush was mutual.
"Don't meddle anymore, Frost." Jack raised an eyebrow and she sighed. "Please?" Jack shoved the rest of the treat into his mouth with a happy grin and a nod as he floated back out into the streets. She sighed and ran a hand through her bangs. Cupcake knew that he wouldn't so that meant that she had to act or Jack would.
The bell signified the end of the lunch period, and she dragged her feet to her theater class. Inside the class room, she saw Jamie was already inside doodling on his paper with a gloomy expression. Guilt bit at her and she shoved it down as she held her head high and took the spot next to Jamie.
"What?" She asked, maybe a bit rougher than she should have but she knew Jamie didn't truly care as a slow grin spread across his face. He shook his head and nudged her elbow. "Oh no you don't, you're already taking up all the leg room. I'm laying claim to the elbow room." Instead she felt one of his ginormous feet nudge the tips of her toes that weren't quite touching the ground.
"Yeah, because you totally miss the leg room." He grinned but it faltered before it turned sheepish. "We okay?" Cupcake rolled her eyes in response and took his note book, scrawling out a 'yes.' Jamie noticed Mr. Perkins starting his yearly rant and scribbled out a response.
'Talk about it later?' - J, he pushed the note book towards her and she read it before he quickly pulled it back and added a quickly done 'Please?' to help his case.
Cupcake gnawed on her eraser for a second before writing a single letter. 'K'
It was the end of their written conversation, but Jamie knew that she wouldn't back out of her written promise.
"... and now you get to pair up for trust falls as this years ice breaker." Both teens had zoned back just in time to hear their assignment. Jamie saw Cupcake stiffen next to him and he nudged her elbow.
"Hey are you okay? You know that I'm your partner for the fall, I'm not gonna drop you." But it didn't change her posture at all, instead he saw something that he hardly ever associated with the girl next to him; vulnerability.
"I'm not doing the fall." Jamie felt a stab of hurt at her whispered comment. "I trust you, Jamie. You know that I do, but I'm- I just can't." He let it go, for now. Instead the pair followed into the auditorium with everyone else. Begrudgingly, Jamie turned around and let himself fall backwards. Cupcake's arms looped under his arms and held firm, just like he'd expected and she set him right back on his feet. He turned to face Cupcake, who only gave him a weathered look. So he gave her a shrug and a weak smile.
If Jamie said that he was used to Cupcake shutting him out, he wouldn't be lying.
"So, I now know how woodland animals feel when they see a tree falling towards them."
And while things weren't better, they were patched for the moment as they laughed.
Sitting on her bed after school had been released, Cupcake knew that she'd put off telling Jamie about her nightmare for as long as possible and probably had made him worry more than necessary . Leaning against her head board and looking at the drawings that she'd pined to the ceiling, Cupcake pulled her knees to her chest and took a steadying breath. Her eyes dart to Jamie who is lying across the foot of her bed doing his statistics home work with his feet hanging off the edge by nearly a foot, and her lips quirk into a small smile despite the conversation she knows they're about to have.
"I never stopped having them." Her voice takes them both by surprise and her eyes race back to the ceiling when Jamie's land on her face. "The nightmares, I- I mean. I never stopped having them." She swallows the lump in her throat. "Sometimes I don't have them for a few weeks, or maybe a month or two when I'm lucky." Jamie's sand brown hair moves in what she assumes is a nod and she continues.
"What I've been dreaming about is- i-is," Her breath catches and Jamie takes her hand with a small squeeze. It's all she can do to keep it together. "Falling. I didn't even realize I was scared until the black sand was dangling me over this, this vortex thing. It kept calling me, and I could see the gold sand." Cupcake's face was void of emotion, but Jamie could feel her desperation in the air. "It was so close and all I had to do was jump and I would be safe." Her bottom lip trembled, "But I couldn't. I was afraid. And then the sand closed in an-and I woke up." She shrugged and Jamie rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand in comfort.
"I didn't know." Jamie said after a long moment of silence and Cupcake gave a humorless chuckle.
"How could you? It's not like I really want to talk about being afraid with the last light." She gently tugged her hand away and instantly missed the feeling of his skin. "I'm Cupcake, remember? Fearless, strong, bull-headed, an-and..." She couldn't really bring herself to finish what she heard others say about her. "I'm not supposed to be afraid anymore."
Jamie's brow creased and he chewed the inside of his cheek in frustration. Then he suddenly bounded to his feet. "Well, you can't be afraid anymore if you face it." Cupcake rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, but Jamie stuck his chin out in stubborn defiance. "I'm serious, Cakes. Lets face this." Another eye roll was earned, but her arms fell to her lap.
"And how do you suggest we go about that? Pushing me off buildings and seeing if I come back as a guardian? No thanks." Cupcake muttered, looking down at her hands.
Jamie took a breath and then a leap.
"Start with me." Brown eyes shot up to meet their equal, and Jamie could see his fear reflected back. "Take a chance with me." He licked his lips and took another breath. "Just one trust fall, just one."
He held out his hand and she placed her shaking one in his, gently pulling her to her feet and to stand across from him. "I won't let you get hurt. Not now, and not ever." Slowly she turned around to face her window. Her heart racing a mile a minute and she inhaled a shaking breath before she closed her eyes and spread her arms.
Behind her eyelids, she could see the evil glint of golden eyes and the silvering glint of the tainted dream sand. Her blood ran cold and she tried to focus on something else. She could hear Jamie's steady breathing behind her and she swayed backwards and then caught herself.
"I'm right behind you. I'm right here."
There was a trickle of golden sand behind her closed eyes and she let herself go.
Time seemed to stop. Her breathing raced and she could hear the wind rushing by her ears, or maybe that was just the blood rushing to her brain. It didn't matter anymore. She felt panicked at the black sand made a leap for her. Jamie wasn't going to catch her and it was too late to catch herself.
Then it happened, Jamie's strong arms looped around her and held firm. He stood her up straight and with out opening her eyes, Cupcake launched herself into a hug. Jamie stumbled for a second before wrapping his arms around her and closing his eyes, swaying her slightly and planting a kiss on her head.
"Told ya."
Cupcake was running. Running from the sand as it tossed her like a rag doll. The sands took shape as a large clawed hand, tossing her up and down. Dangling her by the neck of her collar, Cupcake knew she only had one option. The pit in her stomach grew as she thrashed back and forth, and then she saw the dream sand.
Golden and lovely and she could feel its warmth. And she heard the voice, Jamie's voice, calling to her.
"I've got you, just trust me."
And she took a leap of faith.
She woke up with a start, her heart pounding and hands sweating. But she smiled and laid her head back on the pillows. Cupcake knew that she could always be afraid, but she also had someone to catch her. And after that night, she never saw the black sand infect her dreams ever again. Who knew that all she need was a leap of faith.