Note: Thank you everyone for so much support for this story. I truly didn't know where I was going with this one and thought about scraping it for something else, but you all liked it so much that I kept going. I hope you all enjoy this new chapter and although it's a bit of a teasing chapter I promise to get into the nitty-gritty soon.
Disclaimer: Again, I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of these characters.
Loving You Is Green
Chapter Two
Every time Jack saw the warren he was always blown away by just how green everything was. Growing green, brilliant green, just like Bunnymund's eyes. Jack shook his head of the thought, jumping from rock to rock as he searched for the familiar Guardian.
Eventually he came to the Coloring River, Jack skating his staff lightly over the surface of the water making the ice crackle in bursts of greens and yellows and pinks.
"It's a beaut, ain't it," a familiar voice asked from behind him, Jack whipping around to see Bunnymund's grin. There was a swarm of white eggs around the Easter Bunny's feet, some falling into the river with a splat as their little magic legs kicked for the shore again. Jack laughed out loud at the sight. Bunnymund's nose twitched in irritation and he said, "Yer late."
"You didn't tell me when to be here," Jack shrugged, turning so Bunnymund couldn't see the blue rising to his cheeks. He'd been very nervous to come here, especially after having a less than innocent dream about the Pooka the night before. Not for the first time Jack desperately hoped that Sandy couldn't see every dream.
"Well yer here now. Let's get ta work," Bunnymund said, Jack gliding after him towards Bunny's work area.
It was just a small clearing with a couple tables next to the Coloring River where Bunnymund kept all of his art supplies. Jack had never seen it like this though, paints and brushes spilling everywhere in a rainbow across the green grass. A mess of abandoned half-painted eggs lying everywhere.
Bunnymund shuffled uncomfortably, realizing how messy it was. "I've been havin a bit of trouble… the colors just – they weren't comin out right."
Jack quirked an eyebrow at that but Bunnymund refused to meet his eye so he let it go. It was confusing because Jack couldn't think of a color that the Pooka didn't have, his eggs being the perfect example of the rainbow, coming in every shade, every combination. Jack couldn't imagine Bunnymund having trouble with colors.
It didn't take long to clean up and get to work, both of them having a large pile of eggs next to them by the time the sun was high in the sky.
Jack looked over at Bunnymund's artistically etched eggs. His pile popped in different shades of blue that made Jack smile thinking about snow on ice. Bunnymund didn't seem as pleased as Jack was though, letting out a large sigh as he put down the last egg he was working on. "That's enough fer today."
Jack jumped onto the tip of his staff, Bunnymund eyeing him nervously from his acrobatic perch. "What are we doing tomorrow?"
"We're makin chocolate," Bunnymund said, grinning as he added. "Makin em extra sweet this year. I'm sure Tooth'll bite my head off fer it."
Jack smiled imagining the children's faces come Easter morning. He remembered his own childhood, the excitement of waking up to a backyard full of colored eggs and the thrill of all the village children trying to find the best one.
"Whatcha thinkin bout so hard, Jackie?" Bunnymund asked.
"Just remembering." He floated down from his staff to tumble gracefully onto the grass next to Bunnymund. "I always loved Easter, you know. I was one of those kids that would stay up late to try to catch the Easter Bunny in the act. It's kind of funny now to think about that."
"Good ta know ya were always such a troublemaker, Frostbite," Bunnymund said warmly, green eyes crinkling with mirth.
"Yeah," Jack admitted, smiling brightly thinking about the numerous pranks and antics from his human years. He remembered fondly his mother's hands on her hips, a spark of laughter in her eyes even as she scolded him. He was always having fun, his center.
Bunnymund was a lot more serious, something that had initially annoyed Jack but now intrigued him. He cared so much about his holiday and the children's hopes, always fighting with North for recognition of his importance. Jack could understand that kind of frustration. They were very similar Bunny and Jack, partly the reason they had clashed against each other so much when they first met.
The grass was growing damp underneath Jack as light snow melted in a wet slick from the warmth of the Warren. A light breeze picked up to answer Jack's minor discomfort, immediately cooling the winter sprite and he sent a silent thank you to the wind.
A comfortable silence fell between the two Guardians giving Jack a chance to look at the Pooka up close. Bunnymund's eyes were closed as he enjoyed the spring air, Jack captivated by the wind swirling Bunny's fur and the way the sunlight caught all the highlights of gray and white, like different layers of snow on ice.
"Whatcha starin at?" Bunnymund asked, Jack jumping into the air in surprise at having been caught staring. He spun around quickly so the Pooka couldn't see the frost dusting his cheeks in embarrassment.
"Nothing," he mumbled, tapping his staff against the ground nervously as he walked quickly away. "I'll see you tomorrow right."
"Whoa, hold on there, mate," Bunnymund said. Jack willed the frost out of his cheeks before turning back to face the other Guardian. "Ye've been rather jumpy lately, are ya okay?"
Jack opened his mouth to say something, anything, but nothing came out. Eventually after gaping like an idiot he mumbled that it was nothing.
"Frostbite," Bunnymund said softly, the warmth in his tone curling in Jack's stomach tightly. He couldn't help but look up at the Pooka's face and the strange expression there that he couldn't quite place. Bunnymund was staring at him intently though, Jack's cheeks frosting again uncomfortably, but he didn't look away this time. He wanted to know what would happen, what Bunnymund would say.
Slowly Bunnymund leaned towards him, Jack's breath catching in his throat at the thought that maybe he was going to kiss him. That was absurd though, impossible, but Jack's face grew frostier and frostier the closer he got, his eyes wide and blue like his frozen lake.
Bunnymund sighed softly, his face so close that Jack felt a small breath of warm nip at his nose. How ironic. "See ya tomorrow, Jackie."
As Jack flew away in a haze, his thoughts were filled with questions of what Bunnymund was going to say and his own imaginings of a kiss that didn't, couldn't happen. He couldn't see Bunnymund anymore. Jack knew this, knew that eventually he couldn't hide his feelings anymore, that already the Pooka was suspecting something. But Jack liked being around the bunny, liked spending time with his calming presence so unlike his own and yet so similar too that he ached from the thought.
Jack had fallen impossibly hard for the Easter Bunny and he didn't know what to do about it anymore.
