Yes, yes, I know what you're thinking. Why the heck would I pair these two up? I thought I liked Jack/Tooth, I really did, but I can't really get into it. Do NOT hate me. Just...don't.
And don't hate me for making the characters a bit (Pssh, a bit) OOC. Please.
Sandy wasn't much of a jealous type. Sure, seeing Tooth and Jack together gave him an uneasy, depressed feeling, but he never found a reason to hate Jack. If he and Tooth wanted to be together, then by all means they should. Sandy was happy for them.
But sad for himself.
It showed, though he never noticed. North often caught the petit man sighing silently and staring off into space, and Bunnymund tripped over him once. It was unnerving. And poor Sandy didn't even realize it.
"Have you noticed Sandy lately? He is sad as naughty child on Christmas Day," inquired North over hot cocoa one cold February morning.
"Yeah, it's weird. You don't think Pitch has something to do with it?" replied Bunnymund seriously.
"No, it does not seem that bad. It seems to be personal problem. I can feel it..."
"...in your belly, yes, I know, mate," finished Bunnymund with an eye roll. "Go ahead and do what you want. I needed to get going anyway. Easter is coming up soon!"
A melancholy Sandy was absentmindedly making shapes of hearts breaking and mending when North found him. So it is romantic problem, thought the Russian man. "Hello, old friend." Sandy whirled around, the sand images vanishing without a trace. "You seem depressed. What is problem?"
Sandy shrugged, as if to say, Nothing's wrong.
"Ah, I have heard that one before. It is...romantic problem, yes?"
Sandy blushed and shook his head.
"Little hearts, fixing and breaking..."
Sandy only blushed further and ducked his head.
"I do not think it is easy problem to fix, and Cupid does not do me favors after mistletoe incident. But I will see what I can do."
Sandy looked up quickly and shook his head frantically, as if to cry, Don't, please, I'm begging you!
"Do not be silly. Consider it late Christmas gift," chuckled North. "Who is lucky girl?"
Sandy stayed perfectly still, not giving anything away.
"I see. It is...Tooth, yes?" An excellent liar might have remained calm and shook his head with a smug I'm-not-telling face, and continue to do so until North ran out of ideas.
But Sandy wasn't an excellent liar.
His face turned even redder as he quickly shook his head, and North grinned. "Aha, it is!"
Sandy quickly conjured some sand that formed Jack Frost's face.
"Is nothing to be worried about. I do not see a relationship between them lasting," said North nonchalantly.
Sandy shook his head again and shrugged.
"You want me to do nothing? So they can be happy?" North asked, raising a bushy eyebrow. He recieved an earnest nod in reply. "Very well. It is respectable. When relationship does not work out with them, you know where I am." With that, the Russian toymaker left and a sleigh could soon be heard in the distance leaving Sandy to ponder alone.
Tooth was depressed. She'd really thought Jack liked her, and here he was ogling that Irish girl-May Queen, was it?-like there was no tomorrow. When she told him off, he'd tipped his head and said, "Come on, it's not like we're dating or anything. I can look at a girl if I want to. Don't be so clingy."
Tooth stared at him, and then managed a fake laugh. "Yeah, I know. I was just...being silly! Haha!" Jack gave her a weird look but then shrugged and resumed his staring. The fairy stayed only a little longer before making up an excuse about some teeth somewhere else in the world, and Jack nodded absentmindedly. Tooth even thought she saw drool hanging from his mouth. Charming.
So now she was eating some leftover chocolate from Valentine's Day (Cupid had brought some for everyone as he didn't want any to go to waste) while floating upside down in her own peaceful castle. All of the idle mini-fairies were sobbing in a very fangirlish way, much to her annoyance. She herself never cried, but she was a bit...distant to the others, having to have things repeated to her and giving them one word answers when she finally did hear.
This did not go unnoticed by North.
"So, what you're saying is we match up Sandy and Tooth?" Bunnymund asked lazily that night. North had chosen nighttime on purpose so that neither Tooth nor Sandy would be passing by due to their work.
"Exactly," replied North eagerly. He had never intended to keep his promise to Sandy.
"...Okay. You've officially lost it."
North was stunned. "No, no, it is good idea! Tooth is unhappy, and Sandy is in love with her. I can feel it in my belly," he said proudly. The large bunny was now chuckling.
"So, her relationship with Jack didn't work out? I'll need to rub it in his face later on."
"We do not need to rub it in the face. Anyway, I think we should work together for this project."
The bunny raised an eyebrow. "And just what makes you so bunny sure I'll help?"
"Well...you, erm, are a bit better..."
"Say it."
"Just a small bit better at..."
"Say it!"
"Talking...to people...in a normal way. There, I said it."
"Haha, YES!" cried Bunnymund, jumping up and pumping a furry fist. "You finally admitted it! I'm a better people person than you! And I'm a BUNNY! HAHA!"
"Yes, yes...do not hang it over head. So you will help?"
"You got it. Crikey, that was too much. Yeah, I'll help you with your little matchmaking thing, but only a little. I don't think I'm going to like this, this is Cupid's job. But for you to admit that? That cannot go unrewarded, pal."
Now, we know that Sandy and Tooth wouldn't have been able to overhear this conversation. But our good friend the moon did.
Every word.
Sandy was just finishing his nightly duties when the moon spoke to him. He noticed something shining on his dream sand, and looked up at the moon. He cocked his head.
The moon's rays were hitting a spot on the grassy area near him. A shadow formed, a shadow of the two that were talking about him at this very moment, though Sandy couldn't have known that. He shook his head, not understanding.
North's silhouette appeared, followed by a speech bubble. Then Sandy's silhouette, then Tooth's, and finally a heart between them.
Sandy flushed and balled his fists. How dare he! He never intended to keep it to himself at all! The squat man then proceeded to fly towards the North Pole to confront his Russian friend.
...But when he arrived, Bunnymund was the only one there. The large rabbit was holding down the fort, as planned, and right when Sandy got there Bunnymund knew what was up.
"All, right, mate, I can explain..." said the rabbit nervously, holding up his paws in a peace gesture.
Sandy stood silently, arms folded over his chest and a scowl plastered across his face.
"How'd you find out?"
Sandy formed a crescent moon.
"Oh...yeah, right. Shoulda known you'd blab about it, ya goodfornuthin rock!" howled Bunnymund at the moon. He turned to Sandy. "Was North's idea, not mine. You oughta take it up with him...Well, here he is now."
And indeed he was, for the large man lumbered into the room at that very moment. He winced when he saw the glare on Sandy's face. "Oh, hello, Sandy, I did not know you were here...How are things going?"
Sandy growled soundlessly, his arms tightening across his chest.
"Manny snitched," yawned Bunnymund. "I think I'm due...somewhere else." With that, a hole in the ground appeared and the furry Guardian was gone in a flash.
"What? Manny told you?" cried North. "Manny, why would you do that?" he called to the bright sphere in the sky.
No response.
"Suppose he does not want to talk today," grumbled North. "So, eh, Sandy...you know about plan! It is good plan, isn't it?"
Sandy shrugged, forgetting his anger for a moment. All he had been told was that North and Bunnymund were going to pair him up with Tooth. He wasn't exactly told how. Remembering that made the dreammaker huff and fold his arms again, resuming his glare at the large man.
"Right, I am sorry. I just thought, she is sad, you are sad, why not make each other feel better?" asked North.
Sandy cocked his head. Tooth was sad? What was wrong?
North blinked. "You do not know? Tooth is feeling depressed. Apparently Jack is not boyfriend, but she thought he was."
Sandy raised his eyebrows.
"She is being distant. You could cheer her up."
Sandy narrowed his eyes.
"This is not trick, I promise!" insisted North.
Sandy paused, sighed, and flew away.
North chuckled. "I know that face. That is his giving in face. Good job, North. Very good job."
By the time Sandy got there, Tooth had eaten so much chocolate she was sick of the stuff. Right when she saw him...
"Oh! Sandy! I need a favor!" Without waiting for an answer (albeit a silent one), she shoved a few boxes of leftover chocolate into his arms. "Finish these for me, I can't even look at it anymore!"
Sandy paused and blinked, and then nodded, conjuring a sandy bag and tossing the boxes in so that they were hidden from view.
"Thank you!" breathed the fairy. She sighed and relaxed. "So...what's up?"
Sandy shrugged as his dream sand formed a sad face.
"Sad?...Oh, you're asking me what's wrong?"
Sandy nodded.
"I'm fine. Nothing's wrong."
Sandy raised an eyebrow, as if saying, That won't fool me. Really, what's wrong?
Tooth sighed and looked downward. "I'm just...kind of annoyed. Guys are so hard to read!"
Sandy frowned jokingly.
"Not you, Sandy, sorry! I meant Jack." The girl's eyes narrowed. "All this time I though we, y'know, had something, but it turns out I'm just his buddy or something," she sniffed. "I don't know what to do..."
Sandy bit his lip. He wasn't exactly an expert in romantic advice, and he could tell when she was getting frustrated. He could already tell that she was about to cry. Sandy most certainly didn't want to see her cry.
"I hate this...I hate feeling like this...it makes me feel weak...it makes me feel weaker than a Guardian should..." mumbled Tooth, swiping an arm across her eyes. "Great. I'm even crying."
Sandy shook his head. He wanted to tell her something, anything, to make her feel better. But, of course, he didn't talk. After a moment of deliberation, Sandy snapped his fingers, catching Tooth's attention.
"What?"
Sandy made a gesture that looked like wiping tears from his face, and then his dream sand swirled to create images of a sad Bunnymund and a sad North.
Tooth understood; it meant that all of the Guardians were sad sometimes.
Sandy grinned when he saw that she understood, and then proceeded to flex a muscle and point to Tooth.
"Oh...you're saying that we're all sad sometimes, but we're still strong?"
A nod. More sand appeared to create the tiny images of a boy and a girl holding hands.
"A couple?"
Sandy nodded. The boy's appearance changed multiple times. The girl frowned each time the boy disappeared, but she smiled when a new one came up. It eventually stopped with a boy that was garbed in wedding attire, and the girl's outfit became a wedding dress.
"A lot of relationships…Many relationships occur in a lifetime…" Tooth sniffed. "You think so?"
Another nod. Dream sand now swirled into an image of the girl and the original boy, each holding hands with someone else, but the two were smiling at each other and released their spouses' hands to shake.
"Still be friends…I guess you're right."
Sandy nodded with a grin and conjured a sad face turning into a smile. He pointed to Tooth while giving her puppy dog eyes.
"Okay..." The corners of her mouth raised up to ultimately form a watery half-smile.
Sandy beamed and gave her two thumbs up.
"I do feel better. Yeah! Well, listen to me, here I am crying like a nitwit when there's teeth to collect!" With that, Tooth flew away...
Only to return a second later. "Thanks a bunch, Sandy!" she giggled, kissing his cheek before flying off.
Sandy was so shocked he nearly fell out of the air. Catching himself he smiled, in a daze, as he conjured his favorite sand-plane and returned home.
North smiled as he sat at his home, the tale having been recounted by his friend the moon, and gave him a "Well done, my good man!"
Are you surprised, reader? Yes, this was North's plan all along. It was all acted; Manny was in on the whole thing.
And you may ask where Jack has been the whole time? Why, I believe that he's still watching the May Queen. Silly boy.
Wow, I am astoundished at how cliché that turned out to be. Hooray!
So, you don't have to tell me if you hate this, but if you do I will delete your comment and ignore its intended maliciousness.
Also, I will get Pitch to come and give you nightmares.
WON'T I?!
Pitch: Uh…Yipe! You will! You will! (Help...me…)
Teehee! Even my author's note contains OOCness! Which reminds me...
ImsorryImadeJackacreepystalk erpleasedontkillme!