Papa Pitch

Due to popular demand – and Pitch's whining after Destroying From Within (man can that man whine! But I'm sure my readers from that fic know all about it) – this is a small fluff about some events within the first few chapters of A Light Within Darkness, all cute and lovely just the way Pitch wanted them – is he seriously the Nightmare King because this is way too cute for such a big bad J For those who haven't read A Light Within Darkness, Pitch found Jack shortly after MiM awoke him and took the boy in to raise as his own and make him a weapon against the Guardians, never expecting Jack to wiggle his way into his heart.

Pitch prided himself on being a patient man, after all he was one of the ancients, older than most of the supposed Gods on Earth. He had watched the creation and downfall of countless civilizations – hell he was the downfall of countless civilizations. So why was it that one small boy could get on his last nerve and nearly bring him – the Nightmare King – to his knees. It made no sense really, the child hadn't even done anything wrong this time it was just something so small, so insignificant that it shouldn't have mattered, after all his host had dealt with these things with his own child so why couldn't Pitch just ransack those memories and deal with the issue. The answer should have been simple, the boy was no longer a human child and therefore could not be treated as such but that didn't mean Pitch wouldn't try. So what was all the fuss?

Jack Frost, hailer of frost and winter storms, had a cold.

Oh such a simple thing that most parents would simply bundle their precious little one in blankets and feed them soup as the rubbed aching backs and placed cool clothes over fevered heads. Yes, a very small and simple thing that shouldn't have been a bother what-so-ever, except Pitch was the sweet love-dovey time nor the fathering type, such nonsense was something his host might have done. And if that wasn't annoying enough the child was whining! Jack knew he hated to hear him whine about anything. They were warriors. They would be the ones to finally bring down the accursed Guardians. He would not bow before some distraught child and pamper him just because he wasn't feeling well. At least that's what he kept telling himself.

Of course the cause of Jack's sudden illness bothered him more than the illness itself. Pitch had never seen such a thing before. The boy had been in his care just over a decade when he decided they needed a little vacation for the cool climate of the Northern Hemisphere. Pitch had no problem with the cold but always had a need to travel south to warmer climates for something other than scaring children. Maybe it had something to do with his host's past, after all Kozmotis Pitchiner did come from a much warmer planet and was unaccustomed to the snow and cold weather Jack craved so much. So they had travelled to Africa after Jack had heard stories of elephants and tigers. The child wanted to see animals not found in North America and Pitch wanted the heat. It was supposed to be perfect but sadly, like many of Pitch's plans of late, things didn't go as planned.

Jack had been extremely excited when they appeared in a densely forested area and although he wanted to get close to the animals he followed Pitch advice and stayed in the trees. It wasn't so much that the child could be harmed by the beasts as it was the fact they were not in their territory and messy with the wild life may anger another spirit. Jack was still young and far too new to the world to be going up against a jungle spirit.

Everything was fine at first. It was the dead of night and the large predators were out and about but there wasn't as much to see as Jack hoped. He wanted to see the animals in the daylight when the herds were moving. Of course Pitch couldn't handle daylight and even in the dense jungle where it was usually dark would become a problem after a short time and there was no way he would let the boy wander about by himself – what if that annoying Pooka was taking plant samples in the area again and came across Jack? The child would be all too thrilled by a new being to know to stay away and then the Guardians might learn of his existence. No, Jack was not going anywhere by himself until he learned to defend himself properly rather than throw silly happy snowflakes at people. So he forbid Jack was investigating during the day on his own – not that the child listened.

Oh no, Jack just had to do his own thing. Pitch was napping in the dark shadows of a mountain when he felt something was wrong. It was a strange feeling, not one he was used to but something that sent his host into near panic. Usually this would cause the Fearlings within him to rear back in glee and feast off the soul of the man he once was but this time they shot away from him and deeper into the jungle. With the sun on the other side of the mountain the jungle was dark enough for him to explore. The first thing he noticed was Jack was gone – figures – the second was that it had become incredibly hot in the last half hour or so. He wiped the back of a hand over his brow before giving chase after his Fearlings. They didn't go far, less than a mile really and were hovering over the trembling form of Jack Frost who was hugging his staff and desperately trying to freeze the ground he was laying on. He was covered head to toe in water and if Pitch didn't know any better he would have thought the child was melting. Thankfully in was still within the mountain's shoulder, had he been in direct sunlight the boy may have been in far worse condition and Pitch would not have been able to reach him. But at the time Pitch had not really taken any of that into consideration when he lifted Jack into his arms and cradled his small form as if he were a new born babe. He would have lectured the youth but the moment Jack realized he was safe he passed out and didn't awaken for two days. His condition didn't improve right away, in fact even after returning to their home in the dark palace Jack only worsened.

Pitch was at a loss but he'd be damn if he'd admit to that. After Jack awoke he still had shivers and whined endlessly about having a head ache and upset stomach. Pitch would make him tea with honey and milk and they'd eat soup together. He instantly regretted that when Jack threw up the entire contents all over Pitch's freshly pressed robes. The milk had curled in Jack's belly. From then on it was black tea or broth until Jack felt capable of eating something more solid. The boy slept a lot, unfortunately the Fearlings thought this was a good time to cause Jack nightmares and the boy would wake up crying, usually by himself while Pitch attended his duties. It turned out having a sick child at home was not a god time to bring fear to the world. Pitch would come home to find the youth either curled up in his throne or in his bed and he would have to chase the child back into his own room. After a few days of this Pitch was forced to give up because every time he tried to chase Jack into his own room he would only trip on the child when he tried to leave his room, Jack deciding to curl up against his door and sleep instead. It would have been amusing if it weren't so bloody annoying.

On the sixth night Jack seemed to get worse, or at least his whining did. Pitch had given up attending his duties and sent out the Fearlings in his stead. He had grown tired trying to deal with Jack and keep his cool – after all yelling at the child only went so far before he wanted to take a nap too. It was nearly sunrise in Burgess and since he wasn't out bringing fear he had become lethargic and sleepy. The sun didn't reach inside the Dark Palace but its affects could be felt. The palace was warming up and starting to feel a little muggy.

Strolling to his room he paused at Jack's door and for one reason or another felt the need to check on the boy. The room was frigid cold as usual, just the way Jack liked it and the boy lay on his bed, presumably sound asleep. Good. Maybe Pitch could finally get some rest himself. He carefully closed the door before continuing on to his chambers. Once there he stripped down until he was in nothing but his underwear and then climbed under the covers of his large bed. He rarely slept but when he did he took great comfort. Normally he would sleep in the nude but some inkling in the back of his mind insisted he at least wear his underwear. Why? He would soon find out.

Sleep was just beginning to tug at his drowsy mind when he heard a soft knock at his door. He groaned softly, ready to snap when the door was pushed open and a pale face poked in.

"Pitch?" Jack called softly.

Again Pitch groaned as he raked a hand over his face. Figures, it just figures that the boy would wake up and want something to eat or drink and not do it for himself, Pitch thought angrily. "What is it, Jack?" he asked, trying not to sound annoyed but feeling as it he might snap the whelp's neck if he didn't get some rest.

"Ah…it's nothing," the boy said, obviously hearing the annoyance in Pitch's voice and not wanting to be a bother.

Pitch sighed. "Jack, what's wrong?"

"It's…ah…nothing…sorry to wake you."

"Jackson."

There was the sound of feet shuffling and then a very tiny. "Can I sleep with you?"

Pitch blinked his sleepy eyes and for the first time took a good look at the child. Jack was wearing his feety pajamas that Pitch had given him shortly after taking him in and clinging to a stuff animal that he never carried around as if to replace the crook staff he usually totted around everywhere. He also had a thick comforter wrapped around him as it to shield himself from the warmth of Pitch's room. His eyes were dark and face nearly pasty from his fever. This was not the usually carefree and joyous boy he had come to know.

Sighing again Pitch pulled back one side of the comforter. He might regret this but for some reason it seemed the right thing to do. "Come here," he told Jack.

The boy gave a yelp of glee before scrambling into the room, carefully not to trip over his comforter – the boy could be so clumsy at times, as if he honestly had two left feet – and climbed into bed with Pitch. The shade rearranged the two blankets so that Jack's wrapped around him completely but left room for his arms to move than placed his blanket over both of them. This was to help keep Jack's core temperature low while keeping himself warm – he hoped. Jack snuggled into the pillows and smiled brightly at him but before the boy could say a word Pitch closed his eyes and told him to go to sleep. A moment later Pitch felt cold arms wrap around his torso and an equally cold face press into his collarbone. He was about to shove the youth away when he heard the one thing that stopped him cold.

"I love you, dad," Jack breathed before snoring softly.

Pitch blinked, feeling tears come to his eyes and his heart swell with a feeling he had never felt before but knew from the memories of his host's past was love….parental love for this small boy in his arms. He held Jack a little closer and rested his chin on the boy's fevered boy. "I love you, too, Jack," he whispered back.

He would never be able to explain it, maybe it was the love he now felt for the boy and maybe the fever had run its course, but Jack was back to his old self the next day. For the first time Pitch watched the boy's antics with a rare amused smile, one that was soft and caring and full of fatherly love. It wouldn't be the last time Jack got sick but it would be the first time since becoming the Nightmare King that Pitch felt like a father. Something deep inside him stirred…the awaking of Kozmotis Pitchiner was beginning.

So that's it, just a little fluff. I know it can be made into a chapter fic but if people want to see the evolution of Pitch into Kozmotis Pitchiner please ready A Light Within Darkness – man, if I included every little thing I originally had planned (such as this mini fic) that story would still be going right now. Geez, my head might actually explode one day with all the stuff I have in it.

Pitch: At least you got my fluff done…finally!

Me: What was that?

Pitch: What?

Me: Did you just ask for another horror/rape fic?

Pitch: No! Why would I ever ask for that?

Me: Then hush and be good.

Pitch – makes faces behind my back and cusses softly.

Me: I know what you're doing!

Pitch: What are you talking about?

Me – points to mirror.

Pitch – storms off cussing.

Me: Later, my lovely readers.