He never always knew the living situations of the children he delivered toys and candy to,but North had long ago assumed that this woman didn't let her child out often. North eyed the tower up and down,a dark brow quirked in questioning. This was the child's first delivery from him,as she was no more than two. She would at least comprehend what it was he did,the concept of 'Santa Claus' at this point. The burly man nodded to himself,as if accepting his challenge,and popped various joints before digging a cutlass into the tower's base. There was nowhere for his sled to park on the Tower's roof,so the ground below had to do.
"Rimsky-Korsakov..." The male sputtered,his chest and belly heaving as he pulled himself up and into the window. The tower had been quite the climb,and for a moment he wondered if he was getting out of shape. North dismissed the thought as he straightened himself,taking a quick glance around the tower. It seemed like an ordinary house,just set much,much farther up than the others. Childish doodles made from paint were on some of the walls,close to the wooden floor. The man smiled warmly; It appeared he had a little artist on his hands. North spotted the small tree tucked away in the corner and grinned,jumping from toe to toe in celebration. Reaching into his coat,North set the small doll he had brought for the girl down, and stood,making a hasty exit. Of course,the jump down had been a bit of a surprise,but North survived.
The next year,North made sure he was prepared for getting in and out of the strange tower,the set of children's paintbrushes tucked safely into his coat. He had brought himself a grappling hook this year, which he gave himself a pat on the back for. Heaving himself into the tower with far more grace than he had last year,North grinned to himself,taking a glance around the tower once more. Far more doodles than last year,for certain. The Christmas tree didn't appear to be in the same spot as it had been the year before, and the cossack set to work in finding it.
Unable to find what he was looking for in the main living area,North spotted a small set of steps that went up perhaps two feet, and headed over; He crept up the steps silently,reaching a small doorway that was hidden partly by a curtain. Pulling it back,he peered inside,spotting the glistening tree he had been looking for. Unlike last year,it was covered in small,childish looking baubles and acorns,coaxing a soft chuckle from him. The child's bed was nearby, and a mop of golden hair could be seen from between the covers and pillow. He smiled silently before dropping the girl's gift off and quietly slipping away.
A few more years passed before something actually changed,other than the paintings on the tower's walls. The girl,Rapunzel,had been seven when she finally saw him. He had been in the middle of dropping her gift off,only to turn around and find himself faced with bright green eyes filled with curiosity. North froze in surprise,his own blue eyes wide with surprise. He gave a slight wave of his fingers and an awkward grin. She only grinned back and jumped out of bed,nearly knocking the male over as she hugged his leg.
"Santa!" The tiny blond beamed up at the older man,and he laughed slightly,picking up the young girl with ease. The male quietly told her a story as he tucked her back into bed and stroked her hair; She smiled at him tiredly and drifted off quickly.
"Good night,tiny one." North gave her hair a final pat before being on his way.
The next year,the same had happened,though she greeted him with a plate of cookies and a bright smile. The same happened the year after,and the year after that,and every year he would tuck her back into bed with a smile,careful not to step on her ever growing hair.
The only year things changed was when her Mother said something to her. Aren't you too old to start leaving cookies for Santa? Really now,you're almost 14. Enough is enough,Rapunzel.
That year,North was only greeted with a sad,sleeping blonde. There was no tree,no plate of cookies, and the bright exclamation of "Santa!" was not heard. With a sad sigh and a heavy heart,North tucked her gift into her arms and left quietly,for the final time.
It was a few years later,perhaps two or three,when Jack had insisted to the guardians that he wanted them to meet his new friend. She was a sweet girl,he had said. You'll all like her,I promise.
When the day came,North had been tinkering away on a small toy prototype. Christmas was approaching fast,he had to work nearly every day. The other guardians were chatting,though Toothiana stopped to chitter at her mini-fairies and send them off to collect a a tooth or five. When Jack peeked in the door,they turned their attention to him,and he grinned,pushing the door open to lead a petite blonde in by the hand. She glanced over the guardians shyly,though her gaze lingered on North, a look of surprise coming over her face. In a blur of gold and purple,the blonde had thrown her arms around North,who gladly returned the embrace,tight and warm.
"Santa!"