It had started out slow, but Jack quickly found it speeding up. Small kisses between the spirit of winter and the Nightmare King turned into something much more intimate, serious. Quick visits turned into days in Pitch's lair, large spaces between them were quickly dissipated so they were always touching.

It went from hatred to friendship to something that Jack was almost scared to call love. He could remember seeing the Nightmare King in the shadows, it took him a long time to see him after the battle between Pitch and the Guardians. When he did started to see Pitch out he'd follow him, but he never saw Pitch do anything bad. Once or twice he'd be in kids bedrooms, watching their dreams, but he never touched one.

Their time together was getting harder and harder to hide from the Guardians. Sandy and Tooth would ask questions, and Jack was running out of lies. He was hiding away more, disappearing away more. He didn't know how hard it was going to get soon.

Jack sat up with a yawn, the only light in the room were from candles. The only reason candles were there was for Jack's sake, he knew that. Jack rubbed his eyes, sleep still holding onto him and making him slow. Next to him Pitch shifted on the bed, gone from being curled around Jack to facing the other way. Jack looked down and smiled sleepily at Pitch.

On both spirit's upper bodies were bunches of marks, from kisses to scratches. Jack leaned down and pressed a soft, cold kiss to Pitch's shoulder. The older spirit shifted again and mumbled wordlessly in his sleep.

It must be morning soon, that was the time of day Pitch slept. Jack should get going soon, to do his job and let Pitch sleep. He climbed out of bed and started to look for his clothes. Where had he left them last night?

When he got closer to a candle he noticed something strange on his stomach. He frowned and looked down, getting closer to the source of light. Was that…was that a nightmare tentacle? They would often come out of the shadows and wrap around Jack. He reached down and touched the black spot, expecting it to feel like sand, but it felt like skin. He pulled on it and realized he was tugging on his skin.

"Pitch… Pitch!" Jack said, running over and shaking the other awake.

Pitch opened an eye and looked up at Jack, disdain in his gaze. "You better have a great reason for waking me." He hissed. No matter what their relationship, Pitch wasn't a morning person.

"Look at this." Jack said, pointing to the dark mark. "It won't come off, I don't know what it is! It wasn't there when I went to sleep."

With a confused frown Pitch sat up and leaned over to get a better look at the mark on Jack's stomach. He reached forward and gently guided his fingers across it, causing Jack to squirm under his touch. "Hm." Pitch muttered. "Sensitive… It looks like nightmare sand, only in… your skin… Turn around."

Jack gulped and did so, turning so his back was facing Pitch. There were more marks across his back. "Yes." Pitch nodded. "I think you've been spending too much time with me, Mr. Frost. The shadows have marked you."

"And what the hell does that mean?!" Jack asked, turning to look down at Pitch.

"That they like you… That you're theirs and mine." Pitch said, smiling slightly. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to one of the marks.

Jack tensed and flushed slightly. "Well, I already knew that…"