This is my first fic. I'm writting this for you guys. You've made me laugh and cry with your wonderful stories and I thought I could try to return the favor and contribute a story of my own. Hope you enjoy it!
I do not own the Guardians or Pitch, but the triplets and the princess song are all mine ;)
If fluff is not your thing, you can start reading from CH 12
Edited thanks to MikeXEmilyPRS who explained the meaning of fair dinkum to me. Thanks for stopping me from making a fool out of myself :D
"So, here we are!" North said in his thick Russian accent.
Jack reluctantly opened his eyes. In 300 years of existence -300 and some, as he has recently discovered- he had never felt this tired. Spirits don't really need that much sleep at all.
But these last few days have taken a toll on Jack, physically and emotionally. He got his first words of kindness, his first hug."Tooth" he thought as he smiled to himself. For the first time he felt wanted, accepted.
He got his first believer and then some. He found himself fighting against Pitch and almost loosing his life and his newly found friends. Thanks to Tooth he had discovered that he existed before Jack Frost, that he had a family, that he had been loved.
300 years alone and confused when all he ever had to do was to find Tooth. Tooth... He could barely believe all the attention he was getting from the beautiful... "Wait! Beautiful?" Tooth seemed to keep creeping on his thoughts that day. Speaking of which...
Jack realized something heavy was lying on his shoulder: Tooth's feathery head. She was fast asleep and Jack's arm was around her. He realized he was a bit dizzy, almost intoxicated by her smell of summer flowers and honey and a bit too warm from the proximity of her body. Maybe that's why he'd been thinking about her so much.
He slowly ran his fingers through the feathers on her arm amazed at how soft she was, smiling as his cold touch left goosebumps on her skin.
"Tooth" he said, looking at her. "Wake up, we're already at the Pole"
Tooth opened her eyes slowly. It took her a couple of seconds to realize where she was, but when she did she jerked away, blushing deeply at their sudden proximity.
Jack let out a chuckle, waking up Sandy, who was sleeping next to Tooth.
"S-sorry" she said softly.
"It's OK, we're all exhausted today" said Jack with a dazzling crooked smile.
Sandy got down from the sleigh and went to stand next to Bunny, who looked like he was going to be sick.
Jack got down from the sleigh as well and instinctively stretched his hand out to help Tooth. She realized it was silly because she could fly, but she still took his hand. After all, who could resist Jack's hand outstretched while he smiled with those pearly white teeth... "Tooth, Tooth, Tooth! You're a Guardian, not a fan girl! Keep it together!" she thought.
North, who had been talking to one of his yetis, turned around with a smile.
"Dinner will be served soon, we best wait inside, get comfortable. We'll have some eggnog, no?" He said and he started walking inside, signaling the others to follow.
"I won't say no to eggnog right now, mate" said Bunny, as the five Guardians walked inside Santa's workshop.
The Russian man led them to a cozy room, with big leather chairs and a huge fireplace. Jack, who was already warm from sleeping next to Tooth, was not impressed, but he didn't want to make the others uncomfortable. After all no one enjoys being cold. Except for him, that is. He watched Tooth seat close to the fire, probably freezing after sleeping next to him and his heart sank a little. Cold is all he could ever give her. "Where did that thought even come from?"
Sandy sat next to Jack and started making symbols over his head very quickly, too quickly for Jack to keep up, so he just kept smiling and nodding. He liked the little golden man, even if he couldn't understand him. And then everyone started talking about their recent adventure, about how Sandy came back in the nick of time, about how amazing Jack powers were and then, the Easter fiasco.
"But that forgotten now, no? Now we are a team" said North.
Jack opened his mouth to say something. He was still so embarrassed that he failed them. But Tooth spoke before he could.
"Actually we owe Jack an apology" She said, looking at the floor. "When my powers came back, so did my connection with the fairies. I saw Baby Tooth's memories".
Jack Gasped. "Tooth..."
She stared at him. "No Jack, Pitch tricked you, but even in your darkest hour you never betrayed us. Pitch wanted Jack to join him and Jack refused. He gave up his staff to save Baby Tooth. We owe you an apology, we should have never doubted you".
"If that's the case, Frostbite" Bunny said as he stood up and walked towards Jack, shaking his hand "it's only fair that we apologize, mate. Crikey, Snowflake! Aren't you supposed to be cold?" He asked, realizing Jack's hand was normal, not his usual cold.
Jack saw the opportunity to change the subject. "Are you worried about me Kangaroo? Aaaw, you do care!
"For the last time" said Bunny, trying to appear angry although he really wasn't. "I am not a kangaroo, mate!"
Everyone chuckled, and then North spoke.
"Jack, I was thinking. Winter, Christmas... all go well together, no? You are Guardian now, you are family. You should come live here at the Pole with me! I would be honored. Besides, I could use some cool new design ideas for the toys, right?" North chuckled, obviously proud of his little joke.
Jack started feeling very dizzy all of the sudden, the warmth finally getting to him. "That's, ah, wow. That would be very nice" he said with a hint of doubt in his voice. "I think the Kangaroo is right, I better step outside for a moment" he said as he left the room.
Tooth and North both motioned to get up. They shared a glance. Tooth saw in North's face concern for the boy; he knew that these last three days had been overwhelming for Jack, for everyone, really. North saw in Tooth's eyes a worry that goes beyond friendship and a need to be alone with the winter spirit.
"You go and make sure he's OK" North said to Tooth, against his better judgement. He was a hopeless romantic, but he wasn't sure that Jack needed more complications in his life at that point.
OK, I'll stop here so that this chapter is not too long and the next one too short.
