Jack closed his eyes; a stinging breeze rustled the leaves on the branch of the old oak tree where he silently dozed. The bitter air and light snow might have been distasteful even to the largest thick-skinned polar bear, but to Jack, the refreshing gust was a comforting presence. For 300 years Jack had been alone. He did not remember who he was or why he existed, except for his name- Jack Frost. And for 300 years he had been sitting on the sidelines, watching the earth spin on without him. But the wind had always been a familiar presence, it's eerie voice echoed through the trees, speaking to him when he was lonely and lulling him to sleep when he was restless. Jack shifted his weight from his side to his back so that he sat with his back to the weatherworn trunk, his hood a cushion for his neck and the long wooden staff resting on his lap. A wavering wisp alerted him to the fluttering creature he had been waiting for. Her scintillating feathers reflected with brilliant turquoise, emerald and cerulean as she flitted through the air to the house adjacent to the grand oak.
Ever since he first caught a glimpse of her, Jack knew she must be a guardian. Once in a blue moon he was lucky enough to be in the neighborhood when she arrived to visit a sleeping child. She whisked children's teeth away with ease, leaving a shiny coin like treasure buried under their pillows. Jack had to say being in her presence startled him, making him feel more alive than he ever felt in his lonesome years on Earth. The powerful aura that permeated the air graced him with a feeling of sunny nostalgia that warmed his frozen heart to the very core. He always believed his inner thermostat would be forever stuck at ICE, but as she flew nearer to the house, a summery heat blew against his face and he swore he felt his cheeks warm a degree or two. That's when he knew he had to try to talk to her this time. He couldn't spend another decade waiting for this radiance.
Using the wind to propel himself upright on the branch, he shook his hair loose of a heavy layer of snow. Before any self-doubts began to leak through his bravado, he threw on a smirk, crossed his arms and leaned against the tree with an air of light-hearted confidence. The faerie flew from the house with a giddy smile and a dainty hand rested over her lips just barely holding a giggle from escaping.
"Having fun there?" Jack called. Surprised, the faerie looked up, loosing her hold on her lips and letting a twinkling laugh free. She pointed her face higher to see Jack more clearly. Her smile grew wider and she nodded her answer. Her charming smile and laugh elated Jack. She could see him and after years of being unseen, her eyes on him made him melt like ice in summer. He raised his eyebrow with curiosity, tilting his head in a silent question. Jack needed more of the warmth, he wanted to hear her voice. "Laura's the cutest thing, I do believe she was having a conversation with her teddy bear in her sleep!" she exclaimed shrugging back towards the house, glad to share with a stranger. "What's your name?", he quirked his head to the side. "Toothiana…but you can call me tooth." She gushed as she flew closer. In a mere second, centimeters separated the two. She gazed into the boy's blue marble eyes with astonishment, a question in her eyes. "You are like me, aren't you?" she asked. Jack was taken aback by the sudden proximity. Her warmth made his cheeks tingly as numbness receded from them.
Trying to regain his cool, Jack simpered, "It depends, what are you like?" She rolls her eyes, but her smile is compassionate. "You are not human. But you are not a guardian either," Tooth explains. "Tell me something I don't know." Jack reached out catching the side of Tooth's face in his palm. Circles of heat danced throughout his hand and up his arm. He could feel her pulse, quick as a humming bird. He gave a little laugh and looked down at her, "you believe in me?" he whispered. He stood there mesmorized by the feeling of comfort that she gave him, wishing she would never leave. She obliged with a small patient smile on her face. Jack dropped his hand. Tooth grinned and leaned in, pressing her flushed cheek against Jack's icy blue one. "Seeing isn't always believing Jack. There's a reason you are alive." Tooth murmered, "It's right here." She placed her small hand on his chest and he could feel his heart pick up the pace. This was a feeling he would never forget.