Hope you guys like it. I just love Sandy and felt he didn't really get enough love. Seriously, there is not enough!
The cold rush of fresh air hit him, rustling his unruly white hair and blowing snowflakes in his face. It was snowing lightly, big fat snowflakes dropping down onto every surface calmly. Muffled sounds of the party reaching through the balcony doors. It was nice, being with everyone without getting thrown out of the pole by angry yeti. But as the night progressed, it just started to seem a bit too much. After they'd returned to the pole, North had insisted on throwing a huge party in celebration for the yeti, fairies, and the guardians of course. It was fun, but he just needed some air! All the noise and people, well yeti, and Tooth's fairies constantly looking at his teeth was starting to become stifling.
He hopped up onto the railing, trailing frost patterns absently as he went. I still need to talk to Sandy. He thought guiltily. If only to apologize. He sighed. He hadn't seen the dream guardian in some time and was just beginning to think that maybe the little man had left the party when a gleam of gold against the dark rooftop of another portion of the Workshop caught his eye. It was just a small shine of familiar gold against the dark sky right where the roof peaked so that its source was out of sight.
Leaping off the balcony, he flew silently toward the golden glow. Sure enough, just on the opposite side of the roof was the sandman, fast asleep, curled up in a ball and dozing, each breath sending up spirals of snowflakes around his face. There was a small layer of snow building up on the little man's side and sticking in his hair. Lazy curls of dreamsand rolled down the slope of the roof passed a large window casting its warm light below them as though it was the tail of a contented cat and Jack couldn't help but smile at the dream playing itself out above the golden man's head, a dream of snowflakes and a snowball fight involving all of the guardians teaming up against Bunny. The wind blew softly again, throwing Sandy's spiked hair into his face, making him brush it away in his sleep. It was . . . cute. To say the least, he couldn't help the frosted blush that spread across his cheeks at the thought.
You must have been out here a long time. He mused with a frown, eyeing the snow piling up on top of him. Probably cold, he realized. Cold like this wouldn't kill an immortal but it couldn't be comfortable. Why didn't he just sleep in one of the guest rooms if he was so tired? I can't just leave him out here. But if he's so tired then I don't want to wake him either. He sighed, rolling the little man over to pick him up and froze. There, nearly invisible in the dark were small frozen tear tracks trailing down plump cheeks. He touched one carefully, just to be sure it really was there and not just some trick of the light. It was. Cold, smooth trails crept from his eyes to his chin.
Sandy was . . . crying? Why? Guilt creeping into his heart. While everyone was inside partying and having fun, Sandy was out here crying. He scooped him up gently so that his right arm rested under his shoulders with his head resting against his chest while his left held his legs and his staff. Despite appearances, the little man was feather light and Jack was easily able to carry him to a window on the eighth floor, where North had told him the guest quarters were located. He pushed the window with one foot and was relieved to find it open. He stepped inside, pushing the window shut behind him. A small warm hand fisted itself in his hoodie and he couldn't help a small smile.
Glancing around, he saw he was in a dark hallway, whose only light was from the staircase at the other end. He walked to the first door on his right. There was a small sign on it that read; BUNNY. The next was Tooth's. The other two doors were closets so he doubled back, heading down a second hallway. If Bunny and Tooth had rooms here then he was sure Sandy did too. The second hallway was larger, there were five rooms, the first four were unmarked but the very last had a small sign in golden print that read; SANDY. He half expected it to be locked or something but it wasn't. He pushed the door open, squinting in the darkness until Sandy's dreamsand caught up with them, drifting lazily to the floor to rest there in intricate spirals, providing enough light to cast a dim golden hue on the room. He stared at the dreamsand settled there for a few moments. It was beautiful. Delicate looking, but he knew it could make a powerful weapon if its owner wished. Like nightshade. He thought. Beautiful, yet deadly. That in mind, he was careful to avoid stepping on the dreamsand patterns as he entered the room.
Sandy's room was large, with windows on two full walls of the room, the side opposite the door and running along the closest side on the right. Instead of regular windows as there had been in the hallway, every window was a work of art. Beautiful stained glass depicting what appeared to be scenes from Sandy's past stood out in stark contrast to the almost red wood of the floor and support beams along the walls and ceiling. The walls themselves were a creamy golden color that gave the room a warm feel. To the left of the door, he could see a spacious bath with a shower and tub, all in shades of gold and a warm creamy yellow. In the main room was a king sized bed with golden sheets and a rounded headboard made of the same red wood that seemed too big for someone so small and next to it was a easel and all manner of art supplies along with several canvas paintings. Huh, so Sandy was an artist. He supposed that made sense. In the center of the room was a round woven gold rug that matched the bed and in the corner, where the two walls of stained glass met was a round dip in the floor large enough for a yeti to lay in and looked fairly deep but it was hard to tell since it was filled with pillows in all shades of gold and red. Across the top was thrown a red blanket. Overall, the room had a warm, yet regal feel. Like something of royalty.
Leaving the door open behind him, he carried Sandy over to the mess of pillows in the floor and gently laid him down, pulling the red blanket to wrap around him. He was bewildered for a few moments when he couldn't pull away, until he realized that a small hand was still clutching his hoodie like a lifeline. For someone fast asleep, he had a deceptively strong grip. As he tried to pry the little man's hand away he failed to notice that the dreamsand was moving again, he twisted slightly, just in time to catch a face full of dreamsand as it settled across Sandy and the pillows.
Crap. Now suddenly seemed like an unnaturally good time to take a nap. He slumped forward into the pillows next to Sandy. He's warm… Was the last thought that swam through his foggy mind before he fell into a world of golden dreams and winter fun.