A/N: Hello and welcome to my little collection of Jack Frost/OC one-shots. These started because, since before seeing the movie, I really wanted to write some stuff, but did not want to start the major RotG fic that I now have planned. Each chapter is a different story, unrelated to the rest unless noted differently by me. Each will have their own internal description, so read what you feel you might enjoy!
So this first one was the first one I wrote, before I even saw the movie, and before I had a specific RotG-based OC in mind, so I used a character I had made for a Final Fantasy story of mine: Niveus. (For anyone who's happened to read the story containing her on here, enjoy the crossover xD otherwise it doesn't really matter! This is the only one to have her in it, but I still wanted to share.) There's not too much that needs to be explained for this one, just one of those chance-meeting stories with the Guardian of Fun. Post-movie.
Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians or its characters.
Feel The Warmth
Niveus stared up at the cloudless night sky as she continued on her walk. It was times like this she just needed a small breather from life at home. Going for walks helped to clear her head, especially at night. She breathed in deep the air, savouring the scents of nature that drifted on the wind.
The sound of laughter drew her from her thoughts. She had never come across anyone else this far out at night. Quickly, she ducked down, fearing for the worst. But as she heard more of the laughter, she decided that it was not something to be scared of. Crouching, she crawled forward towards the laughter, curiosity drawing her in.
In the distance, she saw someone simply playing around and having fun by themselves. A boy, judging from the sound of the laughter, since she could not see him that well in the darkness. But, more than anything, it was his location that confused her. Up ahead where the boy goofed around was a small pond. While not all that big, it was a fairly deep one. And yet the boy was not playing in the water, but rather on it. Her pale eyes tracked the man as he nearly danced across the surface.
Such a feat was impossible. It could not physically happen. This was the start of fall. Frost had even yet to come, and even so, the pond never froze thick enough to allow a person's weight along the center of it during winter. Niveus closed her eyes and shook her head. Blinking, she stared back out towards the lake and the person playing on it. Only now, he was staring right back.
Gasping, Niveus threw herself down onto the ground. Breathing hard, she waited several long minutes before she dared peek her head back up to stare down at the pond and watch as the boy skated across it with ease. Shimmers of light danced out from his feet, glowing in the moonlight before fading away into the rest of the light that rested on the surface of the water. Niveus quietly watched him, trying to study him and discern whether or not he could be considered friendly or not. Which was a hard feat from actions alone, but it was a start.
He continued to dance across the surface, physics appearing to hold no boundary over him. His clothing, while dark, somehow glistened in the moonlight. In his hand was a gnarled staff that he used to help push him across the surface of the water and perform acrobatic moves. But that was not what struck her as most odd. That award went to the head of hair he had that shone in the night's light. A frigid silver, it was the easiest part of him to see. Niveus could not help her mouth from dropping ajar for a moment as her hand instinctively went up to the bonnet on her head.
Swallowing, she mustered what courage she could find and started down for the lakeside as quietly as possible, hoping that the boy would not notice her with how busy he was. Closer and closer she got, sticking to the shadows where ever she could. Eventually, she made it to the lake and called out, "How are you doing that?"
The boy, surprised, looked over his shoulder at her, lost his footing, and was sent tumbling into the near bank of the pond.
Niveus gasped lightly. Whoever he was, it had not been her intent to cause him harm. Now if he ended up asking for it, then that would have been a whole different issue. Still, for now, she merely hurried across the land towards where he had fallen. She kept her distance, for as curious as she was, she was still uncertain about his nature. The boy groaned and pushed himself up from the bank, making sure to keep the hood of his sweater securely on his head.
The boy, a teenager around the same age as Niveus from his looks, stared at her. Niveus stared back. There was as much wonder on his face as there was hers.
"You...can see me?" he finally asked, narrowing his gaze in a befuddled manner.
Niveus' own face scrunched up. Out of all the things for him to say as his first words to her, that was it? "Yes?" she responded back tentatively.
"Huh." the teenager shrugged and stood up, finally looking away from her. Niveus let out a small sigh of relief with their gazes now unlocked. There had been something about his eyes that sent her on-edge. As she still watched him, he dusted off his hoodie and pants, that gnarled staff of his still in hand. It was not like any sort of functional cane she had seen before, nor did it appear he needed one. But yet a more baffling aspect of him arose: he wore no shoes. "Didn't expect someone like you to see me," he remarked before she could dwell on the matter for too long.
"Someone like me?" she repeated. Niveus stiffened at the comment, her expression falling slightly.
As her mood fell, the boy's was only able to grow more confused. "Just didn't think someone like yourself would believe in all this."
That caught Niveus' attention. "Believe in what?"
The blue eyes of the boy stared into her pale ones again. Niveus shifted slightly. He blinked. She blinked. He burst out laughing. She remained silent and frowned. "Ahahah, how cute. Always fun to cross paths with an unknowing believer."
Niveus' face scrunched in both confusion and frustration. "Believe in what?" she tried again.
The teenager stopped laughing and started to walk towards her. Raising his free hand, he gestured to the area around them. "Do you know what brings the the winter cold and snow?"
She stared at him in disbelief. He certainly had an odd arsenal of questions up his sleeve. After scrunching her face up for a second, Niveus let out a brief sigh. "It gets cold because our part of the Earth is tilted away from the sun at this point, and so we don't get as much sunlight or...warmth..."
A loud and obnoxious snort escaped the teenager. "Wow. You've got quite the lacking imagination for one who believes. Are you sure you can see me?" Raising his arms, he studied his own body and the clothes that lightly shimmered in the moonlight hanging from his rather wiry frame. Smirk tugging at his lips, he then waved a hand in front of Niveus' vision. The small action caused her frown to only deepen. "Try again." He tossed the gnarled staff between his hands. "What brings the winter cold and snow?"
Niveus stared at him unamused. Just what sort of games was he playing? She just watched him a moment longer, studying those blue eyes that were like the depths of a glacier. His features were also rather sharp and...cold.
"Temperatures drop, allowing water to freeze and become tiny flakes of ice that then blanket the land."
He stared at her. She stared back. He frowned. She frowned more. This little pattern between them was starting to annoy her.
Shrugging, he planted the staff firmly on the ground and leaned against it. "Well, that's a little better. I guess someone with enough talent could at least turn that into some sort of poetry." With a heavy sigh, he tried again, "What brings the winter cold and snow?"
"What is with you and this riddle?" she asked back, trying to keep from sounding too harsh. "I've answered your question, twice, of what brings the winter."
An amused laugh escaped him. "All right, all right. Guess I'll have to help guide you to the answer after all." Smirking, he tapped the staff he still held over his shoulder. "Who, then, brings the winter cold and snow?"
That caused Niveus to only become more confused. "N-no one," she answered tentatively.
"Oh? Really now?" Tapping the staff against his shoulder, the teenager began to circle around her. Niveus held her arms closer to her body, almost feeling like she was being hunted. "Sure that's your final answer?"
Niveus swallowed nervously. It was a silly idea, and yet... "Well, I guess there's one person...being, whatever, that is supposed to bring winter."
Stopping in front of her, the teenager looked at her, waiting for a proper answer. "Mhmm. Go on."
"Jack Frost. He's said to be the one that brings the first signs of winter."
"And a point for the lady!" Raising his arms into the air, the teenager gave her rather mocking applause and cheers. "Took you long enough. I thought I was going to fade from your view! Though, a bit more is done than just starting winter, really." His laughter dying away, the teenager placed a hand on his hip. Blinking some more times, he leaned in towards Niveus. "Y'know, your face'll freeze like that if you hold that expression much longer."
Expression still scrunched up in confusion, Niveus only stared at him right back. "What does Jack Frost have to do with anything? Winter's still a couple months away."
A heavy, disappointed sigh escaped him as he shook his head. "All right, I guess we should back-track a little here and start with proper introductions." Raising a hand, the teenager slipped back his blue hood. Niveus gasped slightly. His hair was a stunning silver, just like she had seen earlier. Staring at his hair, she barely heard what he said next: "Hi. I'm Jack Frost."
Niveus could not respond. She could only continue to stare at his hair. A rather loud cough from Jack caused her to startle and actually see his unamused expression. Patience did not appear to be one of his virtues. Those glacial eyes of his glanced down before settling back on her. She followed his gaze and mumbled out an apology as she took his outstretched hand.
"Niveus Lucia," she responded softly, not able to bring her gaze back up. Though her voice was soft, her handshake was surprisingly firm. Jack blinked a little, staring at their hands before ending the greeting.
"Odd..." he murmured, flexing his hand in front of his face as if to gauge whether or not anything was wrong with it.
"What's odd?"
"Ah! Nothing!" Jack quickly waved aside the matter with his hand, forcing a smile across his face. Her expression made it clear she did not believe him, and so he quickly tried to find a new topic: "So... Niveus, huh? That's a nice name. You know what it means?"
"Yeah..." She answered slowly. The idea that he truly was the Jack Frost was still lost on her. It felt more like a practical joke rather than anything else. As silence fell between them, Jack slowly arched an eyebrow. That simple expression bore into her until she could take no more. "It means 'white'," she finally responded in a quick breath, hoping now it would make him go away, or at least stop pestering her with questions.
The silver-haired teenager sniffed lightly, rather disapprovingly too. Frowning, he pulled back from her slightly, as though his plan of amusement was ruined.
Niveus narrowed her eyes slightly. Two could play at this game. "What does your name mean then?"
His face deadpanned. "Seriously?"
"Seriously." Niveus remained completely stern, crossing her arms as she waited for a real answer.
"I'm Jack Frost! I bring the first signs of ice and snow that comes with winter! That nip of cold you feel? That's me. Those snow days you'd get in school? Also my doing. You're welcome, by the way." He threw up his arms in exasperation. "What more of a meaning do you need?"
"Then prove it." At her challenge, Jack scowled. Letting out a low whistle, he turned back towards the pond.
"You know, for someone who's a believer, you're really making this difficult. Lucky for you, I don't mind showing off." Stopping by the edge of the pond, the silver-haired teenager raised his staff into the air. But it was there he paused. Niveus watched, and waited...and waited some more. For showing off, he certainly was not doing much. At last, he did do something, but that was merely craning his head around and gesturing for her to come. "Get over here."
Rolling her eyes, Niveus trudged down to the edge of the pond beside him. Only once she was settled did Jack smirk and then lowered his gnarled staff. The end of it slammed onto the water. Niveus blinked. She did not mishear anything, the staff had slammed down, only the pond's surface was no longer water.
Tendrils of frost fanned out across the surface of water. The sudden cold creeped up the edge of the bank as well, threatening to consume Niveus' footwear. But the majestic effect stayed mostly contained to the pond, transforming more and more of it into a solid. Crackling filled the air as the ice also travelled deeper and deeper into the pond's water, making all of it a solid piece of massive ice. A laugh from Jack filled the air once the spell had finished.
"There. That proof enough for you?"
"Oh yeah." Niveus swallowed, her throat going dry. "That's plenty of proof."
There was a hopeful look to Jack's face. "Really?"
"Proof that I'm hallucinating."
Donk.
"Ow!" Niveus rubbed the top of her head, quickly glaring first at Jack's gnarled staff and then at him. "What'd you hit me with your cane for?!"
"First of all, it's a staff. Not a cane. Second, seeing as you like your proof, I needed to show you that this is all real! It's not a dream! You're awake!"
"I didn't say I was dreaming, I said I was hallucinating."
He shrugged nonchalantly, stepping out onto the ice. "Whatever." Niveus kept her hand on her sore head as she stared at his bare feet. Where a normal person would be hopping around in freezing pain, or worse, completely stuck to the ice, he began to move around as though he were wearing skates. Sliding around on the ice, he eventually neared the bank again. Smirk gone, he stared at Niveus. "Well?"
A deep sigh escaped her. "So...you're Jack Frost."
"Yep."
"The Jack Frost."
"You got it."
Tentatively, she stepped onto the ice. It creaked under her weight, but otherwise remained steady. Raising a foot, she tapped it onto the frozen surface, studying the fern-like patterns that were now engraved like intentional designs. With a push of her feet, she began to slide around. Her movements were no where near as graceful as Jack's, but she was managing fairly well for only shoes. Circling around Jack, she came to a stop and stared at him. He stared right back, leaning against his staff as he waited for some sort of confirmation.
"I guess I can work with this."
A small smile began to tug at his lips. Not a smirk like the times before, but a smile. It lasted only a second before he burst our laughing. A strong gust of wind blew up, flecks of snow dancing on the breeze. Jaw dropping open, she watched as Jack leaped up into the air, flew around a few times for good measure, and came back down in front of Niveus, still floating in the air.
Startled from having him drop right down in front of her, she toppled back, the ice hurting her rear. No cry of discomfort escaped her, for she had other things to worry about. "You can fly?"
"How else would I get around so fast to bring all the ice and snow?" He arched an eyebrow at her. Clearly it seemed like the most obvious thing in the world to him. "Here." Holding out his staff, he helped Niveus get back to her feet.
Shaking her head to stop herself from gawking, Niveus held onto the end of his staff tightly. Seeing ice spontaneously form, and a teenager flying in one night was starting to make her head spin. Slowly, without any effort on her part, she began to slide across the ice. A chuckle escaped Jack as he started to pull her along the slippery surface, slow at first until gradually he began to build up more and more speed.
Soon, Niveus could not hold back her laughter. It was just too much fun. Jack switched from the air back to the surface of the ice, dancing across it like she had seen him do so earlier. With his help, she managed to perform some moves she had never done before. Skating was not one of her strong points. She enjoyed the activity, but she was often very slow and always afraid of falling. With him here, she did not worry so much.
"Watch out!"
Niveus' foot collided with part of a branch that had been sticking above the surface of the ice. Her grip released from the staff, and she was sent stumbling across the slippery surface, unable to regain her footing. It was taking all of her strength just to stay upright as she headed straight for the edge of the pond...
...and fell into a pile of deep snow.
Popping her head back up, Niveus sputtered a bit. The frozen water clung to her face.
"Well, there's the other meaning of your name! 'Snowy'!" Niveus blinked, turned herself over, and stared at a floating Jack. He suddenly burst out laughing once he saw her face and all the snow plastered on it. Even she could not help but chuckle as she began to wipe the substance off. It was only when her laughter died down did she notice his had stopped a fair bit sooner. Growing concerned, she stared up at him. "Your hair..." he breathed, floating closer.
Niveus' eyes grew wide. Reaching up, she felt her bonnet had fallen off during her crash into the snow. Locks of white hair danced free. Unlike Jack's, which was more like the silvery light from the moon, hers was like the freshly fallen snow around her.
His bare feet settled on the ground right before her. The white-haired girl tried to inch back into the snow as much as she could, not liking the look he was giving her. She never liked how much attention her white hair could get. Dyes wouldn't work on it, and so it was stuck white. It had been white for...well, since she had been born.
Slowly, Jack reached out. She could move back no further, and so his hand brushed off what snow rested on her white hair. Glacial eyes shifted from the top of her head to her own pale orbs. A wide smile broke out across Jack's face.
"I like it." Niveus felt her face flush. "It suits you." Waving his staff in the air, more powdery snow settled around them. "Really suits you," he chuckled. But his chuckling stopped and he frowned. "Aren't you getting cold in the snow?"
That caused Niveus' look of uncertainty to become an emotionless mask. Silently, she allowed herself to fall back against the soft snow. It made room for her body, compacting together, but some also settled into her clothes. To her, all she felt was the edges of her clothing getting wet from what snow that melted lightly around her.
"I'm sorry," she finally murmured.
"Sorry for what?" Brow knotting together, Jack settled down in the snow next to her.
"Every year, Jack Frost brings the cold," she started. "Every year, Jack Frost brings what I cannot feel. Every year...Jack Frost reminds me what's wrong with me." Expression solemn, she shifted her head to look up at Jack, who was looking rather perplexed. "I only believe in you...because I hate you."
Jack was silent. His wide eyes gave away his stunned feeling. Brow knotting together, he voicelessly asked her the only question that could come to mind: Why?
"Jack Frost allowed me someone I could be angry at, rather than just being passive about the matter all the time. Making everything cold when I cannot feel it... Believe me, if there was someone who brought the summer heat, I would probably hate them too." She looked away, feeling bad. It had never been her intent to hate an actual person...or sprite, spirit, whatever it was Jack Frost really was. "For that...I'm sorry... No one deserves blind hatred."
"You..." began Jack. Niveus closed her eyes and braced herself for some angered response before he stormed off. But that was not what happened. "You can't feel the cold? Or the warmth?"
Parting her eyes after shaking her head, the pale woman looked back over to Jack. That expression across his icy face... It was not pity, which made her glad. She never wanted anyone's pity. No, his face was a mix of concern and what looked like intrigue.
"What...what it's like?"
Niveus gave a light shrug. "I can't really say. It is...what it is. With not knowing what hot or cold feels like, I have nothing to compare it to." Not feeling was not so bad, over all. Whenever she saw others shivering in the cold or sweltering in the intense heat, she could find some relief. But still...part of her wanted to know, even if it was for a day.
Brow knotting together pensively, Jack's mouth formed a thin line. Gears were working inside his head. Once an idea clicked, Niveus felt her foot move. And move again. Arching an eyebrow, she looked down to see Jack's bare foot nudging against her own. At his touch, frost began to creep across her shoe.
"Feel that?"
"You nudging me? Yeah." For good measure, she nudged him right back.
Jack smirked and rolled his eyes. "The cold, silly. Do you feel any cold?"
Niveus frowned lightly. "No."
"How about now?"
Fingers took a hold of her hand. Not sure how to react, she watched as Jack pressed his hand right up against hers, spreading out her fingers with his. His pale skin pressed against hers, the only difference being that his almost glowed in the moonlight. A frown etched itself deeper across her face. Still nothing. There was no cold, or even warmth. Everything was just the same as it was before. About to tell him that his efforts were futile, Niveus glanced back up to Jack when her voice then became caught in her throat.
His glacial eyes were not looking at her, but rather their hands. Gaze full of wonder, he did not even allow himself to blink. How long had it been since he had been able to touch someone without them reeling away from the cold? Had he ever been able to do such a thing? Jack just continued to stare, sadness beginning to creep across his face like frost crawling across the land. Every light move he made with his hand, he made sure to keep Niveus' right up against his. She watched as his fingers slowly weaved through her own and grasped her hand. Uncertain of what to do next, Niveus' forming thoughts were rushed from her mind as though a strong winter wind had blown them all away.
Blinking several times, she could not comprehend the face that was suddenly in front of hers, those silver strands of hair beginning to obscure her vision more so than her own white hair. Everything was in a buzz as her mind began to now reel, new feelings rushing through. Was this what the cold felt like? Or was this actually warmth people spoke of? Was it even a temperature? Whatever it was, Niveus finally managed to close her eyes and enjoy whatever feelings were brought to her from the unexpected kiss.
Parting from her, Jack slowly opened his glacial eyes in time to see a cloud of breath form in front of Niveus' mouth. That little side-effect made him chuckle, causing Niveus' pale eyes to flutter open.
"So..." he murmured, nearly nipping at her nose. "Did you feel anything then?"
"It-it was...was..." she began to fumble, at a loss for words. How could she begin to describe it? Jack continued to hover above her, those eyes of his that bore into her own making it harder and harder for her to think now. "It was..." A smile graced her lips. "Warm."
What had been a peaceful expression was quickly shattered and replaced by one of confusion. The spirit of winter involuntarily pulled back. "Warm?" he repeated, eyebrows furrowing. Niveus nodded. "Niveus. I'm Jack Frost. I bring the cold! Not warmth."
Niveus merely continued to smile and shook her head. "Can't be. Whenever people describe them, cold is always seen as less desirable, something they don't want. But the warmth... The right amount of warmth is wonderful and feels great; they always want to stay at that level of warmth, that level of perfection." She tilted her head at him, a playful smirk beginning to break out. "So that's why that was warm."
Jack blinked at her a few times before he began to chuckle. That chuckle melted into a laugh. Sighing in content, he flicked Niveus' nose playfully. "I think you're the only one to ever say that I can bring some warmth."
"Well, I do have a different take on warm and cold than most people." For the first time, not being able to feel the cold or warmth did not seem so bad. It had opened up a new experience for her, and a new sense of feeling. However, her smile began to falter. "Now, I may not feel the cold...but would you mind letting me up? My back's getting all soaked and it's not comfortable."
Niveus closed the door to her room behind her. Such an eventful night...and an odd one at that. It still felt like a dream. A good dream in the end, at least. Before she could even begin to get ready for bed, a crackling noise filled the air. Breath escaping from her mouth began to cloud before her, signalling the temperature in the room had dropped. Looking over to her window, she saw frost beginning to spread out across it in brilliant fern patterns. Had that been the first thing she saw during the night, she would have been rather unsettled to say the least. But, after the events from earlier, she hurried to her window and threw it open.
Wind gushed at her, causing her to temporarily avert her gaze. It played with her loose white hair, throwing snowflakes onto it.
"So," started a familiar voice. Smiling, she looked up to see Jack floating in the air just outside her window. His gnarled staff rested over his shoulders as he stared at her inquisitively. "Still hate me?"
Niveus blushed in embarrassment, rubbing the back of her neck. With a smile, she shook her head. "Not at all."
"Oh?" Jack drifted closer. "What changed your mind?" That smirk from earlier danced across his thin lips.
"Because. You made me feel."
"Glad I could help," he grinned. "Now, I want you to remember one important thing for me." Blocked by the window, Jack leaned his head in as far as he could to remove the distance between himself and Niveus. "Every year when Jack Frost brings the ice and snow...and you feel a warm winter wind nipping at your nose..." Glacial eyes flashing, Jack erased what little distance remained between them and kissed her softly on the lips. Niveus melted into it, the warmth that only he could bring seeping through her again.
"That's me."
