Feeling Fine
He was feeling fine.
It was a cool wintry morning and the sun peeked behind the clouds, winking at the barren treetops. Jack stretched and stood up, quite ready to start the day. He lifted his staff and set off, with a few flecks of snow, to where he knew springtime always was.
It was a big day. The night prior he'd had a one-way conversation with the Sandman, and had been very inspired to just be honest with his feelings and live life as Jack Frost. By living life as Jack Frost he meant not moping more than he was required to, and getting what he needed in life – a soulmate, as Cosmopolitan once put it.
And that dashing soulmate was none other than the great E. Aster Bunnymund, a giant rabbit living in a hole tunneling many miles down the Southern Hemisphere who had, more than carrots, an affinity to boomerangs, back alley scuffles and boiled eggs. Not even Chris Hemsworth could hold a candle to Bunny. He was hairy, he was bright, he was hoppy and he made everything right. He had paws of fury which could put John Wayne to shame and ears so long they'd make the Nile look short. Those ears could go on forever.
Jack could feel his heart beat fast. There were a lot of things he liked about Bunny and those were only a few of the many he could and couldn't list. Beneath that spiky personality and fur that raised itself on end whenever the impish winter spirit was near (apparently rabbits could sense trouble) was a kind, tender, loving nature – glimmers of it seen whenever the oversized rodent was painting an egg, hiding it, or looking at a child. His gruff manliness only added an edge to that soft-heartedness. He was like Wolverine, only he was more marshmallow-peep-centered and smelled better. And that made Bunny, in his books, to quote, "awesome".
And today he was going to say it. He was going to confess.
He landed lightly on the Warren, scanning the area for Bunny. Loudly giving a whoop when he saw the rabbit, he swung himself up into the air to swoop down on the working animal. Bunny leapt out of his seat in alarm and shivered when the cold air hit him.
"Oh, stop it with the big bang drafty drop-bys, you bloody show pony!" he exclaimed, picking up his brush again. They were under a shady tree and Bunny was sitting on a narrow stone bench, his broad back bent over an egg. He was dotting it with ribbon and ferns, and Jack resisted the urge to chuckle.
"Sorry, 'Roo," he said, earning him a glare. "You busy?"
"As a cat burying shit. What's it look like?" Bunny snapped, still transfixed with the egg. "What d'ya want with me here anyway? If yer bored y' can always go to Tooth or something. Haven't any time to waste on yer frozen arse, mate."
"Aww, don't be like that, Bunny," Jack sat down, sidling up to him. Moments passed as the pair sat silently, one engrossed in his work and the other staring at the branches above them. At long last Bunny put the egg down, and met his eyes with Jack's.
"So, I'll ask again," Bunny cleared his throat, folding his forelegs, "What d'ya want? An egg? A coldie? Wilson and bloody tootin' friends?"
"Well, I uh…"
Jack wiggled nervously. The words he had prepared seemed to leave him almost immediately the moment they came to his lips, leaving him with nothing actually articulated. Bunny sighed and muttered something into the sky.
"Is this some new joke ya came up with for North's wretched Standup Comedy night? I mean, what was that – an impression of some bodgy goldfish?"
"Wha— no, no!" Jack said hastily, waving his hands. "Look, Bunny, I don't know how to say this but… but I really like you, okay?"
Bunny stopped short. Then he let out a rumbling laugh and slapped his hind leg.
"Was that it? Look, mate, I know y' may think I hate ya or something, but I don't. I do like ya – I just hate those lousy pranks of yours. They're goddamn stupid, but yer a real larrikin anyway, can't hold that against ya. No drama."
Jack caught his foreleg as he turned away. Bunny looked at the boy in surprise; he could apparently feel the urgency in Jack's clasp.
"What is it?"
"Bunny, no, I… I, well, I," Jack paused, and then his voice went quiet. "Bunny, I'm in love with you."
Bunny froze. His jaw went slack and his eyes dipped from Jack's hand to his face and then back to his hand.
And then he slapped his hind leg again, peals of laughter escaping his throat.
"Ooh, you got me there Jacky boy! It's not April yet, y'know?"
But Jack never let go. He smiled a little, hopefully, and Bunny's laugher dissolved into silence.
"J-Jack, you can't mean—"
"I do."
"Well. Holy sh— hoo boy."
They stood there in silence, Bunny brushing his paw against his other one nervously, alternating his glances between Jack's face and a tree stump nearby. It looked as if he'd just been hit by a meteor, and he was slowly digesting it. Jack stared at him in fascination. He'd never seen Bunny like that before.
Perhaps he should have owned up, said something about his feelings much earlier. Perhaps he—
"Sorry, Frostbite."
"What?"
The words struck Jack like lightning. They sat on the top of his head, refusing to sink in. In all his carefree life, Jack had never really considered that he'd be turned down when confessing to someone, anyone at all.
He hadn't put much thought into things like these to be honest – only that he had to heartily do things, and see things through, whatever they were. He'd never confessed to anyone before either, adding to his inexperience. Once again his heart started to beat hard, only in a more tugging manner. His cheery expression sank into a blank nothing and he could see Bunny staring at him with a worried, uncomfortable one to match.
"Look, Jack, I'm really flattered by yer feelings an' all," Bunny started unsurely, running his paws down his ears in distress. "But y'know, things aren't so… simple sometimes. Sure, I like ya, but it's not… well, it ain't the same sort of like y'have for me. I-I don't think it'd ever be!" – Anxiety took over and his voice went up an octave – "I mean, how's it possible, huh? Look at us – how does this work?" He furiously gestured between the two of them, his brows almost slack with incredulity.
Jack looked. Briefly he opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came and he snapped it shut. He shook his head and Bunny retreated his paw, combing through his ears again. He sighed.
"Look – I'm sorry I don't have any delicacy, but I— I just don't know what to think of this. I—well, I didn't mean t' hurt yer feelings or anything like that. It's just, this is crazy." 'Crazy' mouthed with wide, rolling eyes, Bunny sat down rather heavily, taking deep breaths. He pressed his temple with a paw and looked up again.
"Sorry, Jacky. I just… can't."
"Yeah. It's alright," Jack shrugged, offering the rabbit a halfhearted grin as he stepped backwards in a breezy fashion. He couldn't find it in himself to say more – at that very point he felt numb and blank.
Tears threatened to well up his eyes; he felt them coming and in his state of shock, he was somewhat surprised to see them dim his vision. Hurrying to the door, he lifted his staff, terrified now that he could feel himself hyperventilating.
"I'm off, Kangaroo. Thanks again!"
"Ye're welcome," Bunny said absently, still slumped on his seat in disbelief. The wind came and Jack took off, but the rabbit simply looked straight on.
The breeze around the pond was cold as the pale boy landed on his feet, silently atop his favorite tree. Almost no one came by it that time of the year; most found the ice too thin to skate on, and much too cold to have any other activities around that area. The frigid pool lay stretched silently before him, soft downy flakes of snow floating down to sit on its surface.
Jack sat curled up the branch. He chuckled to himself as he swung his staff and tapped around the bark of the tree. It was a habit he'd developed over three hundred years of solitude, and it was a thing he often did whenever he was trying to get over any excitement.
And well;
"Today sure was a big day."
Another laugh; and he dropped the staff to rest beside him. The sun disappeared behind a veil of clouds as its last rays marked the end of the day.
He was feeling fine.
Jack put his face between his knees, clutching hard at his ankles as his toes curled in, and the snow stopped falling.
END - April 30, 2013