So this fic was inspired by aquodox, and it shall be five chapters long :) thanks for the prompt man, you're awesome!

So basically it's looking at North when he was a young gent, and yeah. Read on to find out!

Also, please read my other fics, specially 'The End Of Summer'. It's coming to an end now, and it's incredibly long, but ah well :)

The cover art belongs to MeisterC and you can find them on DeviantArt and Tumblr.

Cheers!

"Mr North, I think it's admirable that you saved a whole village from, what was it? Pitch Black. But in all honesty you seem very arrogant, so please-" the young barmaid snapped her cloth on the bar and glared at the gentleman smirking back at her. "-stop talking."

The auburn haired woman sighed to herself and turned back to the keg on the back counter to pour a tankard of ale for another bar fly. She had only just blossomed into her early twenties, her hair was long and naturally wavy, and had the most beautiful tones of red and chestnut blended throughout it. Her eyes were a dazzling bright blue, and her figure was womanly and very well filled out. It was something that she knew attracted men into her bar, as much as she hated it, and she was – unfortunately – used to drunken advances and shameless flirting from married men.

She had to admit though, North's storytelling tactic was new. He span what she was sure would make an excellent bedtime story. What with shadow demons, fighting Yeti and daring sword fights. It certainly caught her attention anyway, but she took his story with a pinch of salt. The fact that he'd made himself the hero in his tale only made him seem very self obsessed, and she way his eyes wandered over her sickened her slightly. She was sure he was a pleasant enough young man, but when drunk he came across as something of a dog. She hated drunk men with a passion, for many reasons... most of which she didn't want to go into.

"I don't think you understand how dangerous Pitch is!" North exclaimed from behind her, and she turned to scowl at him. His blue eyes, just a shade lighter than her own, were twinkling, hiding slightly behind his mess of brown hair, and he was smirking behind his rough beard.

"I'm sure he was a nightmare," she scoffed, but he cut over her.

"He is the King of Nightmares," he corrected, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Oh, I'm sure he is," she muttered, but as the barmaid went to turn away his hand shot out and reached over the bar, wrapping around her wrist to stop her moving, and she froze.

"You don't believe me," he said quietly, and she couldn't help but notice how his voice dropped an octave. She took a slow, steadying breath.

"No, you're right. I don't believe you. And I think you've had quite enough to drink Mr North, so I'm cutting you off."

The auburn haired woman wrenched her arm, tugging her wrist out of his grasp while her other arm shot forward, her fingers wrapping around the handle of his tankard and she wrenched it away from him. It was only half emptied, and he made a small noise of protest but did nothing to stop her.

She went back to pouring more ale for the other men in the bar, but she was all too aware of the piercing blue eyes following her around. As she passed him on the way back to the keg she caught him watching her, and she felt herself getting an insane mix of emotions, something between anger and a thrill. But he was smiling slightly, and he looked somewhat amused by her which immediately made her scowl deepen.

But before she could say anything, he had already opened his mouth.

"Do you not believe in magic, miss?" he asked, very politely.

"Yes Mr North, but your story seems more like a tall tale," she retorted, sweeping her hair back from her face.

"Maybe if you allowed yourself to open your eyes a little, you would be able to see the truth in this wondrous story," North argued, and the young woman could tell by the tone of his voice, the way his eyes narrowed further still, and how his huge body tensed up that he didn't like to be challenged like this. So naturally she felt the morbid need to irritate him further still – poke the bear with a stick. She placed both of her hands on the bar top, and leaned forward towards him until they were merely inches away from one another.

"I see wonder in a lot of things, Mr North. The patterns in ice. In each and every snowflake, and how it has it's own unique shape. The bright lights in a child's eyes when you tell them tall tales such as your own. But seeing the wonder in your generic fairy story lark? Not a chance."

Both sets of bright blue eyes glared daggers at the other, until North growled in frustration and stood up abruptly. His stool scared back along the wooden floor, screeching as it went, and it sent a shudder through the room. He towered above her, staring down coldly as he picked up his coat and left the bar to face the bitter blizzard outside. The barmaid watching him go and felt a small twinge of guilt in her stomach. He'd been trying to impress her with his story, but she'd shot him down quite horribly... if she saw him tomorrow she'd give him a free drink, but for now she actually had to focus on turfing the rest of the drunks out of her bar so she could shut up shop.

And as the last man stumbled out the door she locked it behind him and set to cleaning the place up a little ready for tomorrow. She swept the floor half heartedly, feeling too tired to be bothered with it, and she left the glasses that had been used in a large tub for her to wash in the morning. Grabbing her coat and long white scarf blew the candles out and left to go home. Stepping out into the cold night air she hissed slightly, longing already to rush home and dive into bed to warm herself.

Her fingers fumbled in the cold, and just as she did finally manage to turn the heavy iron key in the lock, the young woman could have sword she felt a presence behind her. It was probably a drunk here to beg for one last pint before he had to drag himself home and listen to his wife scream herself silly at him.

"We're closed now sir," she said gently, turning to face the person behind her, and shuddered to a halt.

She was staring into eyes bright and golden as the sun, but they seemed cold. There was a malice there... an evil.

Quickly she backed up, her back hitting the door, and she stared up in terror at this being shrouded in darkness and shadows, with a thin pale face and jet black hair.

She could only watch as he raised something in his hand to strike her, and she leaped out of the way, landing flat on her stomach in the piling snow. She flipped herself over and backed herself up into a snowdrift. She didn't know who he was, but she found him utterly terrifying. As he raised his arm again, the woman felt a shriek rip form her throat. Then all of a sudden there was another shadow flying over her, and the sounds of metal crashing on metal rang through the air. She couldn't stop herself from watching, and she recognised her rescuer immediately. North.

Holding her breath, she pushed herself back as far as she could, but was still too mesmerised to stop watching and escape. The way North parried the attacker, how he drove him away and blacked his attacks... she never realised he was so skilled. And then in one large arching swing North drove his sword through the dark being, and she watched in shock as he seemed to evaporate and melt into the shadows. There was a moment when everything was still, and quiet. It was as if the wind dared not breath and the world had stopped rotating for a moment. And she watched North as he turned slowly, his blue eyes piercing through the dark and he started towards her slowly.

He watched her for a second quietly before he sheathed his sword and slowly extended his hand to her. Their eyes met, and she saw a genuine kindness glowing within them. She reached up and took his hand, and gently he pulled her to her feet. She half expected him to rub this in her face, criticise her for not believing him sooner. But he said nothing, only glanced over her for any sign of injury.

"I'm sorry," she blurted, feeling her cheeks burn red. "For not believing in yo-"

"Don't be," he cut over her, and she felt her mouth shut quickly. "It was a strange story to tell, I didn't expect you to believe."

"Was that Pitch Black?" she asked quietly, and he nodded in reply. Biting her lip, she glanced away then looked back up at him, feeling slightly overwhelmed by his sheer size. "I think I owe you a beer."

He burst out laughing, nodding slightly as she led him back to her bar, pulling the key from her pocket.

"I'll certainly believe you from now on," she said quietly.

"That's good," he chuckled, as he followed her through the door into the warm bar. She moved away from him and lit a few candles upon the bar. She poured him a tankard of ale before she grabbed a bottle of wine for herself and a glass before pouring her own drink.

"I need to thank you, Mr North, for saving me," she said quietly, sitting beside him at the bar.

"It's no problem. I couldn't have just sat there and watched... I'm too arrogant to pass up an opportunity to be the hero," he added with a laugh, and she felt herself flush red.

"And call me Nicholas," he said gently.

"Well, thank you Nicholas," she whispered, staring into her wine."

"What's your name?" he asked politely, and she found herself smiling.

"Amelia."

"Well thank you Amelia, for being a wonderful damsel in distress. It makes the job easier."

Both of them burst out laughing, their blue eyes meeting and focusing on the others as they talked through the night, and It didn't occur to either of them that their hands were clasped together on the counter.