Code Jackrabbit, a rise of the guardians fanfic

Oh God, I'm a terrible person and I apologize in advance for this monstrosity.

Note: Tried to fix a few errors. Nothing particularly new in this.

Rated: M for slight language and sexy times. One-shot.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters for a reason. And I don't make money, either.

Code: Jackrabbit

North slid a tired hand down his face. Casting his gaze knowingly over to an extremely flustered Tooth Fairy and a helpless looking Sandman, he was finally able to catch the other two guardians' eyes and signal a private meeting. With an infinitesimal jerk of his head he beckoned the two to follow him out of the middle of the warzone and into the comfort and quiet of the hall outside his workshop. The trio still winced when shouting penetrated the solid, stain-glassed doors.

"You just don't know how to have fun!"

"We can't all have it so easy all the time, mate!"

"Ea…easy?!"

"Oh, what do you really have to do that's so difficult?!"

An outraged silence filled the air, stifling all listeners almost as much as the argument had. The group of Guardians was coming down off of the adrenaline rush that had been the Easter season fiasco, and the easy comradery that had held the group together for the crisis was disintegrating. Well, the group was still fine, but tensions between Jack and Aster were rising at a frankly alarming rate.

The situation had reached critical mass the evening before, when the group had been meeting to share a meal and report any potential revival of the Nightmare King, and to finally decide on the all-clear. Tooth had been smiling at Jack, apologizing to the frost spirit again for her fairies' shameful behavior when Aster had just exploded.

"Just shut up, Tooth! If you can't handle your stupid crush, then just get out!" The bunny had then turned angrily to the youngest member of their group and spat, "And you, you lazy troublemaker, just…just stop charming them! You're just making things worse. You make everything worse!"

The group had stared at him, flabbergasted. Arguments between the two guardians usually stemmed from prodding and verbal poking on Jack's side, but this had been out of nowhere. Tooth had to cover her face to hide her shamed blush, and the frost spirit's expression had paled even further as he opened and closed his mouth a few times when he tried and failed to come up with a retort.

The rabbit hadn't so much as twitched when Jack's bright eyes filled with water and froze to his lashes when he blinked it away. He just crossed his muscular arms tighter across his chest and watched the young man dart from the table and shoot out the window on a swift wind.

Reluctantly, the group had decided to go ahead with their plans to truly celebrate their victory the next day, but only a few moments into the festivities the banter had crumbled into fighting and accusations.

North was baffled. Aster had really seemed to be coming around and warming towards Jack, especially after their final encounter with Pitch when he learned that the young spirit had helped the last child believe in him. But as soon as a semblance of normality had returned the rabbit had closed off again, not just towards Jack, but to all of them. He had been moody and hateful and morose.

Now, out in the hallway, forced out of his own workshop, North turned to his other comrades. "Friends, a break must come from this," he pleaded, "The two of them are worse than before."

Sandman nodded vigorously in agreement, and turned to Tooth in confusion. A broken egg and a question mark formed over his head, followed by a sandy version of Jack's face growing fangs. Tooth smiled sadly. "No, Sandy, I really don't think Aster still blames Jack for Easter. I think this is something else…"

Both men looked at her expectantly, waiting for answers, but she just replied with round eyes and a shrug. "Well I don't know what that something else is. I'm not some sort of emotion guru. I just collect teeth." The trio had to pause their conversation when the argument on the other side of the thick door took precedence again.

"Oh yeah, can't think of a clever retort and you just FLY AWAY again! Cute! And mature!"

The door flew open with a crash and the Australian strode furiously out to join his friends. His dark, cloudy eyes killed any scolding or comments in the others' throats. He cast his black glare at the group and crossed his arms again defensively. "Company's getting decidedly sketchy around here. Call me if you need me," he growled and stomped his foot twice on the floorboards, opening a rabbit hole and dropping down into it to disappear.

"Something must be done," North deadpanned into the silence that followed, "We must help our friends. Something is going on and it needs to be resolved. Clear the air, if you will."

Tooth brightened. "That's it! North, you're a genius!" she exclaimed excitedly. Again, the men cast their puzzled expressions in her direction. If she hadn't been so enthusiastic, she would have rolled her eyes at them. "I've got a plan," she finally said, "All we need to do is get them in a place that they can't run and let them have it out!" Her smile faltered at her companions' incredulous stares.

Sandman gave her a confused look and ran a finger across his throat, adding a question mark over his head. North nodded vigorously.

Tooth smiled her perfect grin. "Oh guys, have a little faith in them. Believe in them!" she laughed, adding, "And besides, I have a plan to help with that. Now all we have to do is get them in a safe place. Any ideas?"

Slightly pacified, the men calmed down and helped Tooth make plans for their new scheme, Code: Jackrabbit.

An irritated Easter bunny and a sullen frost spirit sat on the grassy floor of Tooth's palace, pointedly not looking at each other. Tooth pouted. Neither of them was very attractive with scowls. And they were usually so handsome. She hovered between North and Sandy, waiting on one of the two men to take the lead. North stepped up.

"Gentlemen," he announced, earning the attention of all present, "We have a problem."

Bunnymund's ears perked expectantly and Jack floated to his feet, gripping his staff firmly. Tooth tried to hide her nervousness by flitting around the air and dropping behind the two fighting friends. Sandman looked on as expectantly as the two they were deceiving. North cleared his throat. He was out of practice with lying.

"Some of the Yetis may or may not have sighted signs of Pitch," he announced, nearly smiling. That wasn't a lie, technically. "We need to split up and search the areas of sightings." He turned to the dream weaver. "Sandy, you take the skies," he commanded and turned to Tooth, "Tooth, you take the towns, and I will take the Poles."

Now was the important part. He turned to the expectant males awaiting an order. "Jack, Aster, I want you both to search the underground," he cut off the complaints forming on their lips with a firm hand, "The Yetis probably would have encountered the most activity underground, near the Angel Falls. I want you both to back each other up." He clapped his large hands loudly and looked at the group before protests begin.

Tooth fluttered from her hiding place behind the boys and dropped in front of the two fighting comrades, handing them both a small glass of clear liquid. "To protect you. Water from my pool," she explained and blushed when both guardians immediately swallowed back the contents of the containers. She hadn't expected to deceive them so easily. She pivoted to hide her face and broke the initial recess in action.

All guardians immediately disappeared in different directions, each taking their favorite mode of transportation.

A few minutes later three of the five rejoined at the pool. Sandy crossed his small arms over his chest and shot Tooth a meaningful look. North mirrored him, and added verbally, "Spill it, Tooth. We know you did not give them water."

The fairy blushed scarlet. "Oh yeah, well…you see...I was afraid those two might need…a little push?"

North tried not to glare. "What did you give them?"

Tooth cast a pleading gaze to the sandman, but he was openly curious. The girl sighed and covered her eyes with a dainty palm. "I sort of…went by Cupid's last night…" she admitted.

Sandy's jaw dropped, exclamation marks shooting over his head. North audibly gasped. "Tooth! There's a reason he isn't a guardian! He meddles!" he nearly shouted.

At the scolding the tooth fairy decided to cross her arms defensively. "No, he just makes people confront their emotions, good and bad,…and well…isn't that what we wanted?!"

A tense moment passed between the three scheming friends. None were sure what to do about their situation. They had just sent two comrades off on a detour half-way around the world to one of the few places on earth that they wouldn't be able to use their powers, to basically fight it out, and now they were drugged, too.

North finally caved, letting out a long breath, "Well friends, all we can do now is wait." An anxious sandman nodded and sat down on the soft grass below him.

Bunnymund and Jack Frost surfaced about a half mile from the falls. The winter spirit had been forced to rely upon the rabbit's transport once they hit hot climates. He didn't get on well with the warm winds. "Is this the best you can do, Kangaroo?" he quipped.

The pooka rolled hateful eyes in the boy's direction. "Sorry mate, didn't see you get this close, did I now?"

The pair took out their respective weapons and began the trudge towards the falls. The air was sticky and humid, and the rabbit cast a sideways look at the white haired spirit next to him, using his staff as a walking stick and leaning on it rather heavily. "You're not gonna melt there, mate…are yah?" he asked before he could take it back.

Jack scowled at him. "No," he panted, "and since when do you care?"

"I don't," Aster retorted hotly, "Just don't want to have to pull double duty if Pitch is here. Can't defeat him and babysit you at the same time can I?" He looked away from the boy's slowly flushing face. Jack was supposed to be pale or blue, not pink. "What would Pitch even be doing here, anyway?" he found himself voicing. It was a variable believers wasteland. No one in hundreds of miles even knew about Easter or had seen snow, much less believed in either of the guardians.

"If I were Pitch and had enemies like us and had lost all my strength, I'd come here to recover," Jack wheezed in reply.

Made sense. They couldn't even use their powers to transport themselves, much less fight. And Aster wasn't sure, but he thought maybe the heat was getting to him, too. He felt a little dizzy and loose lipped, which was odd because he loved warm weather. He turned to look at his partner again with more concern. "You sure you're okay, mate? Need a break?" he asked.

Jack waved him away. "Nah, I feel cool air coming from the falls anyway. If I stop, it should be there, where it's cooler."

After another fifteen minutes trekking through the jungle, the pair finally reached the clearing of cold water landing from the enormous falls above them. Nothing was visible, but that didn't bother them. Pitch would be underground somewhere, in a cave or behind the falls. Bunnymund was deciding on a course of action when a screaming ball rushed by him and landed in the water with a splash, soaking his fur through.

He was ready to let out of stream of startled insults and ire, but choked when he saw Jack treading water in front of him. The boy's face was back to its pale complexion and was smiling madly, eyes glinting with mischief. His hoodie had been stripped and was laying over the unceremoniously dumped staff beside the rabbit on shore. The pale skin was blinding in the bright sunshine.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, mate?!" Aster yelled when he finally got his breath back, "We're here to catch Pitch, not play games!" He prowled the edge of the water, which was frosting at the edges already, even in the tropical South American climate. He tried to retain his alarm when the boy just laughed at him and dived to the bottom of the pool. The water's frozen edge was slowly creeping further into the water. "I'm not chipping you out of the ice if you freeze yourself to the bottom of the pond, Frost!" he yelled over the roar of the falls. His fur was already wet from the spray of the falling water and Jack's cannonball, and the alarm was causing his vision to swim.

A hint of real fear crept up his back when Jack didn't return. Maybe Pitch was here.

Just as he was seriously considering stripping off his weapons to jump into the swirling water a pale head bobbed back to the surface, icy blue eyes wide. "Come on, Aster, there's a cave opening under the water. It's dry on the other side. If Pitch is here, that's where he is!" The head disappeared again before Bunnymand could comment.

Grumbling to silence his hammering heart, the pooka snatched up Jack's staff and walked to the nearest edge of where Jack had surfaced. The fool boy had probably forgotten all about it. How does a guardian forget his weapon going into battle? Too much goofing off, that's how. Typical.

To decrease the unavoidable shock, Aster jumped into the pool…then surfaced again gasping. Moon, that was cold! He probably could have frozen to death, just shivering and treading water on the surface of the freezing pool. He was halted from death when a playful, icy hand pulled his foot, causing him to splutter the cold liquid. He growled in irritation and dived once more under the arctic water.

Jack lounged comfortably on the slick, now frosty shore at the edge of the underground pool when the rabbit surfaced with a gasp and paddled frantically to the water's edge, pulling his sopping form out of the water and lolling tiredly on the rocky shelf. He ignored the grin of thanks when he carelessly tossed the stupid stick in Jack's direction. "I hate you so much right now," he stuttered through his shivering. He was surprised when an insolent comment wasn't forthcoming.

"I know, I know, you hate me," a bitter smile formed on the frost spirit's face as he leaned over and snatched up the staff from the icy floor beside the Easter guardian, "Shouldn't we be looking for signs of Pitch?"

Bunnymund grunted and rolled over, but didn't get up. He stared in horror as the pool he had just exited completed it freeze. Now, instead of a liquid door, they had only a floor of solid ice. They were trapped. He swung an accusing glare over at his partner. "You better be able to do something about that, mate," he warned.

Jack shrugged. "It'll melt in a minute. It's like, a million degrees in here."

Aster wasn't so sure. He could see his breath and the ice from the floor was creeping up the sides of the walls of the cave. The only light source in the tunnel came from a narrow crack in the back of the cavern wall, so the sun wouldn't be much help.

"Where would Pitch even hide in here?" Jack wondered out loud, "And how would the yetis see him here?" The boy dragged the tip of his staff along the rocky wall and smiled gently when icy lace decorated the surface. At least he wasn't completely powerless here. He turned to see the rabbit finally on his feet and wringing water from his tail.

"I don't know, maybe he thought he could actually get away from your annoying rambling," Aster muttered meanly, "Looks like his plan didn't work."

"Okay, that's it!" Jack practically screeched, grounding his staff into the rock and forming an icy stalagmite. His eyes narrowed dangerously at the pooka and he couldn't help balling his fists around his staff. "You have been a real jackass to me ever since we won. What exactly did I do?!" His pale, bare chest was heaving in frustration, and he could feel his cheeks coloring.

Aster narrowed his eyes in return, placing a paw on his boomerang before turning away from the pale boy. "Nothing, just drop it brumby," he muttered angrily.

But the winter spirit wasn't having it. His vision swam and he tipped his forehead forward to make contact with his weapon. "No! See, here I thought we were friends. You know, folks who enjoy each other's company? Or is that too much fun for you?" His head was trying to hurt and his vision wasn't getting any better. Something was wrong and he just didn't care. "What did I do?"

The older guardian turned, ready for a physical confrontation at the sound of wood hitting stone, and immediately dropped his own weapon when he saw Jack laying, eyes closed, on the floor of the cave. He hopped over to the figure and picked up the frail body easily, cradling him in one muscular arm. "Oh you better not be faking, mate, or I'll make sure you're not," he snarled mostly to himself.

The body was cold, but that didn't mean anything. Jack was always cold. Aster patted the pale face a few times before ice blue eyes fluttered open. The pair gazed uncertainly at each other for a moment before Aster dropped his partner back onto the stone floor, brushing his fur back into place and adjusting his leather. Before any comment could be forthcoming he turned and grabbed his boomerang from the ground where he had let it fall. "What was that?" he couldn't help but throw over his shoulder.

Jack shook his head to clear it. "Don't know," he admitted, "My vision swam and I blacked out…You think Pitch really is around?"

The rabbit's ears perked. Jack's description sounded similar to what he suffered from outside by the pool when he had been panicking over Jack. "Could be, but he's not in this tunnel. I'd of heard 'im by now. Say, thaw this pool so we can get out of here."

Jack's gaze flicked over to the ice in confusion. "It's not gone yet?" he asked.

Aster rolled his eyes. "No, you've only been playing with ice the whole time we've been down here. Now melt it." He began pacing on the far side of the cavern. He had a bad feeling about the whole situation, and he wanted to make contact with the rest of the group to make sure things were okay.

"I can't."

Wild green eyes met Jack's apologetic blue ones. "What do you mean, 'can't'? Can't or won't? Are you working with Pitch?" he accused, earning a fearsome glare from his partner, "Cause you both seemed awful chummy a few times when you were supposed to be my ally…our ally. What Jack," he found his mouth spewing, "prefer a little darkness with your cold?"

The winter spirit laughed at the rabbit's accusation, leaning tiredly against the wall. "So that's it? You're jealous?! Of Pitch Black?!" He pushed himself away from the ice surrounding him and leaned onto his staff, glaring at the pooka with sad eyes. "What universe are you living in, man?" He almost thought he would just be ignored until the ice melted and they got out of the cave, so he was a little surprised when the larger guardian turned and hurled himself at his smaller target.

Aster only stopped charging when they both hit the wall of the cave with a thud, and he was breathing Jack's air and feeling the smaller chest heaving almost as much as his was, and he looked into crystal blue eyes. "You don't know anything," he hissed angrily, "All you do is play in the snow and smile that damn smile and make messes. You mess with weather and you mess with mortals, and you mess with me."

Disgusted, the rabbit pushed himself off the boy again and turned away, trying to regain some semblance of a normal breathing patter, but he was failing. All he could do was feel his weapon in his grip and keep talking, "I can't stand to be near you. I hate the cold. I hate what it does to spring. It destroys spring." He turned to shoot an accusing glare at his target, who was still leaning limply against the wall of the cave with a light blue flush on his cheeks, refusing to meet the rabbit's eyes.

Limbs shaking, Aster spoke on. "You're so destructive," he breathed, "You couldn't be a worse partner for me. But…" he faltered. He didn't want to voice his confession out loud, but he could not stop the words from tumbling from his lips, "I want to be around you."

Confusion won the battle in Jack's mind, and he finally looked up to see green eyes burning in his direction. The look on the other guardian's face made him gulp. "…What?"

Bunnymund sat back on his hind legs and grasped his boomerang tightly to his chest, breaking eye contact with the being before him. "Exactly, mate. It's maddening. You're so destructive and careless and lack discipline…everything I can't stand. Why are you so special?"

Jack's jaw snapped shut. "Well my center is fun, bunny man. Maybe you secretly just want to loosen up?" he tried to joke. Anger coursed off the spring spirit, so Jack really did expect it when he was being slammed into the wall again, losing his breath.

"You think this is funny? Are you doing this on purpose?!" Aster demanded angrily, "Have you been looking at me to get a rise? Are you picking on me for pleasure? Do you smile at me with that damn smile to see if I break?! What's your game this time, Jack Frost?"

Jack didn't try to struggle out of his precarious position. The rabbit had him pinned some feet off the ground and was looking at his face with such intensity; he thought he might choke on it. He grasped the furry wrists that kept him up and kept eye contact with the guardian. "I like you, Aster," he replied seriously, "That's what I do; I pick fun and joke and smile and play. And I thought, at least a first, that you were my friend, too. Sorry to be so wrong!" His voice was hoarse from the yelling reply, and his lips were still parted when the older guardian crushed his mouth to Jack's, attacking him with a ferocity that Jack had always assumed was strictly in place for foes. Well two could play at that game.

Aster grunted when his partner pressed back into his mouth with nearly equal ferocity. The skin beneath his grasp was cold, and the mouth he attacked would surely leave his breath cloudy, and he couldn't stop. He took the freezing lower lip in his mouth and sucked on it, basking in the sounds that the action produced. It was as if the younger guardian had never been kissed before.

Just the barest hint that this could be possible drove the pooka crazy. He forced the cool lips away from his once more and nipped his teeth along the pale jawline and down the boy's neck, stopping at the nape of his cold collar. His foggy gaze drifted over the pale expanse of skin below Jack's neck and he purred in appreciation as he sucked at the flesh below his lips.

Jack was letting out more delicious noises and writhing below him, struggling for a perch, and he felt a wave of possessiveness course through his veins. A deep, cerulean blue was forming at the spot of his ministrations and he paused to admire his work. He was pleased to feel cold legs wrapped around his waist, bringing their bodies closer together. Jack's body was so cold, yet Aster was burning from the inside out.

"Ast…Aster…" Jack rasped into the fur at the top of the rabbit's head.

Bunnymund pulled away from the flesh he was working on again to meet the frost spirit's heavy lidded gaze with a certain level of defensiveness. This should not have happened…ever. But now he couldn't stop himself any more than he could stop the Moon from rising. Unless Jack was totally against everything. Then he would take his boomerang and brain himself.

To his surprise and delight, the white haired young man grinned crookedly, "Wasn't expecting this…"

Aster pulled himself flush against the other again, rumbling his agreement against his mate's body. "Why," he gasped against a cold ear, "do you do this to me?" He ground himself into the body pinned against the wall when he felt it rumble with laughter.

"Um, you're…doing this…mate," Jack mocked breathily, then groaned when a sharp rock ground into his spine.

Aster recognized the sound of pain and smoothly cupped the smaller body against his to pull away from the wall. He glided back a few steps before slipping on the ice below him and landing on his back, taking the brunt of the fall with his own body. Breathless, he stole a second to register that Jack had not moved, just wriggled over his own warm body for a better perch on top of him. His heart hammered and he slid the negative possibilities of this whole encounter away from his thoughts.

Despite everything, he was shocked when he felt icy lips trail clumsily down his own jawline and neck. He couldn't stop his own groan when a cold hand wrapped itself into the hair on his head and tugged, forcing his neck to become more exposed. "Didn't think you could…bail me…up like this, Larrikin…" he panted, taking narrow hips into his grasp and pulling them closer and into himself.

He tried to let his partner take time on his ministrations, but Aster didn't have enough contact, and he wasn't used to not being in charge. Without warning, he sat himself up and slid the pair over to the newly formed stalagmite for support. He leaned heavily against it with his companion straddling him. He was surrounded by freezing cold surfaces and it set every nerve in his body singing. His heavy panting was foggy.

While he tried to gain control of his breathing, he gazed evenly into the pale, crystalline eyes focusing on his face. A tentative blue blush was frosted over Jack's cheeks and nose, and his bare chest was heaving. The flush deepened when his eyes would flick down to his lips or neck, giving Aster a hint of the innocence he was dealing with. He wanted to take that innocence, but knew he shouldn't.

Gently and regretfully, he pushed the young man off his lap. "We…we need to go," he admitted bitterly, "This isn't right…"

Jack's cheeks flushed cobalt, and he scrambled to regain his perch, but was pushed off again, this time more forcefully. "Wha…?" he sputtered angrily, "We're just gonna go? Go and what, Aster? Be super awkward and weird again? Ignore this happened and pretend you hate me again?" The darkening room began to snow. "Well, you started this, mate, and it didn't seem so wrong a minute ago," Jack demanded, trying to ignore the stars forming in his vision.

He had existed for a little over three centuries and this was completely new to him. He had died young and been invisible for his whole existence, and now he was being told that this wasn't right?! He had watched and longed for what mortals took for granted every day. His snows often brought individuals together and he had hoped one day…he didn't know. He curled into himself miserably.

Bunnymund watched the younger guardian wretchedly. It would have been so easy to find a far corner and sit, wallowing in self-pity while they waited for the ice to melt. But he couldn't. He hated to see the normally happy and carefree spirit curled up and miserable. And it was all his fault. Easter was about new beginnings, and he was failing miserably at this.

Before he could stop himself, and against his better judgment, Aster snatched up the pale boy and squeezed him against his chest, commanding forcefully, "I'm no good for you, mate. I'm too busy and rigid and old. I have schedules and responsibilities beyond myself. Go find a pretty little sheila and break her heart…"

Jack huffed in amusement, despite his unhappiness. "In case you haven't noticed, bunny, I'm like…317 years old. Age is sort of relative…" He winced when his furry armor tensed around him. "What?"

"I'm over 900…"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Relative," he insisted, pulling himself closer to his reluctant partner.

Aster was tormented. Mortals were closer to Jack's age than he was. And guardians didn't have companions. It had simply never come about. There had to be a reason for that. But he felt the young guardian gripping him and pressing his face into the crook of his neck, setting his heart to hammering again. Oh what the hell?

He gripped thick white hair and pulled in much the same fashion that had been done to him earlier, forcing Jack's face level with his own. Ice was glistening in a track down the side of his pale face, and Aster pushed forward, brushing his face against those tracks and breathing against the human ear.

His tongue darted out, licking the frozen lobe and exciting a gasp from the young man he held. He forgot all of his hesitance and purred, taking his time to taste as lick. The smaller masculine body on top of him motivated him to leisurely tease and suck when it began to grind into him wordlessly. The boy may be inexperienced, but the spring spirit had plenty of practice over the years in representing life and renewal.

"What do you want from me, Frost," he breathed into the abused ear. He needed clear boundaries before he lost himself completely.

"I…" the shaky voice faltered in reply, "Have fun…"

Bunnymund could do that. He wasn't sure Jack knew what that could entail, but he didn't bother to clarify. Things would progress the way things do. He ran palms roughly over the bare back presenting itself to them and back down slim sides. The cold body was so smooth and unblemished, it was shocking. Running his touch back up the boy's back, he brought out claws and scraped them back down again, watching blue tracks form down the pale flesh.

"Beautiful," he whispered to the head that was again tucked into his shoulder, causing a shiver to run through it. Huh, he hadn't known the frost spirit knew how to shiver. Pride and confidence filled him, urging him on. He roughly reengaged his mouth with the cold neck and dropped his hands from the bare back to clutch his companion's hips again, lifting the light body for better exposure.

Jack's legs wrapped around him again for more support, and he approved of the closer contact. He pulled away from his ministration to cock his head up and capture the cold mouth hovering above his own. Dizziness nearly overcame him when he felt cold breath push along the side of his face as his partner breathed heavily through his nose.

Again, he took a lip into his mouth and sucked. He wasn't sure he'd ever grow tired of the way it felt to suck on something so cold, yet so forgiving. When a groan slipped past his mouth from his mate he bit down roughly, basking in the jerk it caused the body on top of him. He almost couldn't let Jack pull away when he did.

The boy's mouth was swollen and his face was flushed a gorgeous blue. He hovered just out of contact, pressing his forehead to Bunnymund's. "Let me try," he begged, pleading with his eyes as well as his words.

Aster consented, pressing his mouth against Jack's again, letting the younger guardian hesitantly copy his earlier actions. The softness and caution in the slow performance drove him crazy. He wanted to feel his companion's normally unrestricted confidence in their exchange, but he let the inexperienced boy consider and experiment. It was so easy to forget how innocent this spirit was. He was so eager.

The pooka was surprised when cold hands also mirrored his earlier actions along his chest and shoulders. If he hadn't been so drunk on feeling, he would have been ashamed of the noises the touches pulled out of him. "My Larrikin…" he whispered into the mouth connected to his own.

It wasn't until the touching began snaking lower, sneaking past his chest and lower onto his stomach that he stopped the boy. He grabbed the thin wrists, halting them in their tempting paths, and rubbing them between his larger palms. He smiled forlornly, "Really don't think things are quite there yet, mate…" he advised, letting an embarrassed head drop to his shoulder.

"Sorry…" Jack whispered, "Got carried away…?"

"Yeah," Bunnymund agreed, "Me too, brumby." Before he could let embarrassment creep up on him, he gently lifted the younger guardian off his lap and stood, stretching his legs and cracking his back. He looked over to their previously locked exit and wasn't sure if he was exceptionally glad or depressed that the ice had finally melted. They were free to go.

"Now, if you don't mind, mate, I'm going to dive on in first; maybe not come quite so close to freezing to death," he tried to joke to break the tension. He was ready to slide into the water when Jack's voice halted him.

"So, uh, what now?" he asked.

Aster sighed, "Don't know. What do you think should happen?" He felt incredibly foolish for hanging on the pause that came after his question.

The frost spirit sat crouched down next to him, knees pulled up to his chin, and he smiled playfully at the pooka. "Maybe you could be a little nicer to me from now on?"

Bunnymund grunted, disappointed. "No promises, mate." He couldn't help the smile that came when his companion laughed out loud.

"Well then…maybe we could…go on a few more missions together," Jack suggested hesitantly, "See what happens? Go with the flow?"

Aster prickled at the thought that Jack wouldn't be wholly his, but he saw the merit of the idea. "Yeah. Okay," he conceded. The two shared a look of understanding before Bunnymund finally did slip into the water and swim back across to the outside world. He almost regretted that he hadn't let Jack precede him. The cold water would have done him good.

The three plotters hadn't so much as left the pool. They all paced and flitted and sat uncomfortably as they waited anxiously. They had finally decided that if the two other guardians weren't back before morning they would make the trek to the falls.

It was only a few hours before dawn when the Easter and frost spirit appeared back in the clearing. To the other three, they didn't seem much different from when they left. They had arrived separately and seemed uncomfortable around each other, unsure.

Tooth broke the awkwardness by zooming over to Jack and hugging him tightly. "We were so worried," she squealed in joy, "You all have been gone for hours!" She shoved the newest member of their group to an arm's distance to examine him, and gasped.

Even though the sprite's hood was up, the dark bruising down his neck and disappearing under the heavy fabric was obvious. "What happened to your neck!" she shrieked, before pushing the boy away from her fully to round angrily on the likely culprit, missing the deep blue blush that exploded over Jack's pale face. "What did you do, Bunnymund?!"

The tall pooka jumped guiltily and put his hands up in defense. "Why do you think it's automatically my fault, sheila?!" he blustered. How could they be caught so quickly?

Tooth honestly considered decking her old friend. How could he actually attack his comrade to the point of bruising him? She hadn't realized that she had her fist raised when a cold hand gripped her elbow to halt her movements. "Chill out, Tooth," Jack consoled, "We just, uh, hashed out some stuff…"

Pleading crystalline eyes calmed the fairy. If Jack was fine, then she should be, too. But that didn't stop her ire at the immaturity of the culprit. She glared at the rabbit. "You should be ashamed of yourself," she scolded, and flew away to check her fairies. Men. She couldn't take it anymore. She needed a break.

The four men watched her go in stunned silence.

When she had disappeared they all looked at each other again and burst out laughing.

Author's Note: Well, that happened. I could just whore out that poor Frost boy to anybody. I am a very sick individual. It's an illness really.

Also, I don't know anything about Angel Falls. I just picked a location at random and let my imagination take it from there. Is there a cave? Pfft, no. I don't know. So yeah, just made all that up and didn't bother check facts. Don't care. Hope you don't either.

Cheers.