Chapter 2
This had to have been the most boring way to spend any day, meetings at North's place. Jack sighed again resting his cheek into his palm and elbow on the large, worn but recently varnished wooden table. North had been talking with Bunny for quite a while now and hardly anything that had been discussed had required his attention at all. Nothing ever did before winter but since it was officially in the cold season his presence was a valuable commodity as the big guy put it. Jack didn't know if North's comment had been a compliment or insult.
Again he sighed and rubbed a finger into the table contemplating doing a little carving. Upon his frustration Tooth blinked and looked over with a smile.
"How are you holding up, Jack?" She whispered, eyes still caught on the bickering men before she gave the teen her full attention.
"I never get used to these things." He grumbled, he too casting the others a look. He grew fond of them all but really. Time people, time. He had an appointment to keep. His worried blue eyes looked up at the clock on the wall again to check for the Eastern U.S. time.
"That's right; you've only come to eight of these haven't you?"
"Mm." Toothiana leaned in sideways nudging his shoulder tenderly when she noticed his lost in space look, just to make sure he was still with them. "Huh? Oh yeah…only every single time it takes forever and a day. And they never need me until the end!" His finger clawed at the table top faster.
"Poor thing, you look a little anxious." She giggled softly. "Like you have somewhere you want to be."
"Something like that." His eyes went from the clock to the bickering mess that was old North and Aster. Geez not even the tinkering of the elves or the yetis could drown out that noise. "Look, I gotta go." He stood up from his chair making it skid on the hardwood floor effectively getting the attention of the other Guardians.
"Jack! You are leaving already?" North blinked, ever rich Russian accent thick.
"Er yeah, nice meeting and all but…gotta fly." Jack rested his staff on one shoulder and jutted a thumb over the other, turning around to leave. North released the rabbit's ears just as the other released his beard.
"But we haven't discussed matter of winter!"
"Yeah yeah I know," Jack stammered impatiently with a huff. "White Christmas. Happy, jolly ho ho ho. White Christmas. You'll get it, promise."
"But is more to it than-"
"Brief me later!" Jack ran to the stained glass panes that made up the window pressing it open. "Wind! Take me home!" He jumped up onto the window sill not looking back and that was all they saw of the young winter spirit: his back.
"Is all your fault, if you just let me talk-"
"MY fault?! Who said it's MY fault ya bloody dill?! I didn't chase the piker out the window! You're the one that started tuggin' on my ears!" Bunnymund huffed.
"Is no matter. I will catch him later." He sat down with a deep grumble ignoring his comrade, smoothing out his beard as Bunny massaged his ears getting the feeling back in them. "I am getting white Christmas!" North squealed in joy after a mere few more seconds of silence, squirming in his chair.
"Got rocks in the head is what ya got."
"Now now Aster there is no reason to fight right?" Tooth grinned wide.
"Not my fault he acts like a whacker." His ears folded back as he continued to frown.
"Ugh." She slumped on the table, covering her face. Amongst all the talking they heard the sound of shifting sand and saw Sandy off beside North who was giggling silently with an image of Jack above his head made of his sparkling dream sand.
"Hey now Sandy. Why the giggles?" Immediately the shorter Guardian silenced with golden eyes wide darting from side to side and pointed to himself in question looking at the big guy nervously. "Da you my friend." North chuckled. The Sandman shook his head shrugging. "Ahh you are hiding somethings!" He only shook his head faster noticing the sand above his head in shock hurrying to brush and bat at it to make it go away. "Is okay, you can tell us."
"So bloody nosy, look it's none of your business." Aster deadpanned as the Sandman continued shaking his head, mouth agape.
"Tell us Sandy!" The jolly man cried out with an ever present grin.
Tooth too perked silently and looked at Sandy. Jack hadn't told her anything either. At everyone's stares, Sandy crossed his arms and turned his head away closing his eyes in a quiet snub.
"Ah see there? Told ya you're being nosy." Aster smirked at their leader. "Sometimes you can be as dumb as a box of rocks." He shrugged at the rest of their team only half surprised to feel the hands at his ears again.
Jack got home much faster than he originally planned. Jumping from the air down onto his pond, he got a good look around. It was still early in the afternoon; good. Any longer and he probably wouldn't have gotten out of there until late at night. Now to find Jamie. Shouldn't be too hard.
He walked along from the glen down into town leisurely twirling his cane as he whistled a tune. He grinned as a few toddlers poked and prodded at his direction trying so desperately to get their parents attention. 'Mommy look its Jack Frost! See him?!' they said. He'd grin and wave back continuing on his way. It was the older kids he had a problem with. Speaking of older kids, they'd be in school at this time yeah? He gazed up at one of the many town clocks to check the time and sure enough.
"Ha ha, this will be fun." He snickered and zipped along through the streets, stirring up winds to nip at everyone in his path.
"So…its recess…whattaya wanna do?" Said one of the kids sitting on the back steps of the elementary schoolyard.
"It's too cold for anything!" Another whined. "Why can't we go inside?"
"Teach said it's just 58 degrees and that if we get up and play we'd warm up." The small group of four kids slumped.
"I wish you'd stop complaining!" One of the girls huffed. "There's lotsa stuff for us to do!"
"Oh yeah? Like what?" Another one of the older boys crossed his arms.
"Play ball like the teacher said for one!"
"Aw Sophie I don't wanna play ball."
"Hmf, fine." A ten year old Sophie walked over to pick up a lone dodge ball off to the side some odd couple of feet away from her friends, tossing it in the air a couple of times. "It'd be more fun if you guys joined me!" Holding her hands out to catch the ball, she waited a couple of seconds before she realized the ball didn't come back down. "Huh?" She looked up and all around. "Where is the-"
"Ouch!" One of her friends shouted from behind her while she was searching in her confusion.
"Sammy?" She blinked and gaped; surprised to see the very ball she was just tossing now in the boy's hands.
"Sophie that hurt!" He threw it back at her with a grunt hitting her square in the shoulder.
"Ow I didn't throw it!"
"Well if you didn't then who did?!" She chucked the ball at her friend Sam who ducked so it ended up hitting her friend Jean in the back of the head.
"Sophie!" She whined, tossing it back with so much force that it flew over Sophie's head…TOO much force for a girl her age. It went so far it hit one of the other kids off on the other side of the playground.
"Who threw that?!" The gruff 6th grader turned around rubbing the back of his head. The only poor kid in sight was little Sophie running up and then halting with wide brown eyes that looked from side to side for some help or some support. Nothing.
"U-Uhh…"
"Bennett! Should have known!" He hissed picking up the ball and stalking over to her. "You got some nerve you know that?"
"I-I didn't- i-it wasn't me!" She cried out. "Now give me my ball back!"
"Oh this? Try and take it!" He held the rubber ball up high over his head. Sophie tried reaching up all civilized like, not jumping or begging like most did her age. When common sense told her he simply was too tall, she settled on crossing her arms and fuming.
"Oh yeah, real mature."
"What's the matter Bennett? You chicken-ow!" Sophie gasped, eyes on the ball as it bounced off his head and rolled over by her feet. As if…someone smacked the ball out of the bully's hands effectively serving him a punt down on the head. "What happened?" He growled rubbing his head.
She picked up the ball looking it over with wonder. Hey wait a moment…was that…frost on the ball? Suddenly as if someone slapped the rubber ball from her hands, it landed at her feet with a bounce before it flew at the 6th grader's face echoing with its rubbery squeak bouncing back at Sophie's feet only to fly off again over the bully's disoriented head to hit another student.
"DODGEBALL!" Someone screamed and in the mayhem, the ball was thrown and kicked all around hitting each other starting a hearty game. In confusion, Sophie pressed through the other students to stand by and watch from the outside, noticing that even her friends had jumped into the big middle of it. She did NOT start that game, and if she didn't…
"Jack Frost?" She whispered.
"S'up kiddo?" Jack hung upside down beside her teeth bared in a mischievous grin as he gave a suave little cackle.
"Oh gosh it IS you!" She gasped eyes wide, a smile stretching her lips ear to ear. "What are you doing here?"
"You guys looked bored. Thought I'd lighten things up a bit. Usually I'd have snow to throw but hey, I work with what I got." He shrugged. "But to answer your question, I'm looking for your brother."
"He's over at the other building. It's the high school building right over there." She pointed off behind them. "Can't miss it."
"Thanks." He sat back up right and paused looking back at her leaning in with squinted eyes for a closer look before grinning knowingly. "Hey is that a loose tooth?"
"Sure is!" She beamed. "Think maybe I'll get a dollar this time?"
"I'll ask. You just might." Jack chuckled, ruffling up her long blonde locks. "Keep brushing though. It's what Tooth likes."
"Kay." Sophie waved as Jack winked and zipped off towards his destination. Her back turned still waving, she squeaked when the dodge ball smacked her in the back.
"You're out!"
"Oh come on I wasn't even looking!" She picked up the ball charging back into the big mess.
Jack found himself strolling about in the front of the high school building. It had been close to the end of the day but not quite. He hadn't need to leave the North Pole so quickly, then again North needed to set his clocks right. A couple more minutes were left and Jack was just too impatient to wait. With his infamous smirk he helped himself in through the front doors, surprising some of the staff inside at the sudden wind that whipped the doors open.
It didn't take long for him to scout out and find Jamie. All he had to do was follow the droning monotone of the teacher and there were the mass congregation of bored teenage minds. He stood at the doorway, leaning on it as he watched the roomful of heads tipped down either writing or falling asleep. The latter sounded about right actually. Can someone say 'time for some fun'? Oh yes.
Jamie's head was tipped down along with the rest of his class as he scribbled small notes with even smaller interest. He turned his head to eye the outside wondering when it would begin to snow. Not too much longer he hoped when suddenly a gasp from the teacher caught his attention. The papers on his desk were being scattered about like crazy. As he scrambled to catch them, the teens chuckled and giggled under their breaths.
When at last the teacher caught all of his papers, he cursed the sudden gust of air eying the open door thinking some poor janitor came by with one of his blasted floor cleaners. With a huff, he closed the door turning back to his class. "Back to work, back to work."
Work was no fun though. Jack chided mentally floating up on the ceiling biting his grinning lips. His little stunt though had caught his favorite's attention. Jamie looked around the room in suspense, not even thinking to look up. That was okay, no need to get discovered this early in the game. Jack waited a little longer until the excitement had died down to strike again.
Their teacher turned to write on the board leaving his back exposed. Smirking darkly, the winter spirit blew a light chilling wind. Oh just enough for it to only freeze his skin, holding in a silent cackle when he succeeded in drawing a surprised yelp from his victim. Again the students looked up in alarm as their teacher jumped and reached around at his back to pat at what felt like ice crawling down his back.
Jack had to fight to hold back the snickers. Oh he hadn't done this in so long. Playing pranks and taking time to enjoy them that is. Jamie furrowed his brow and hesitantly looked down again. Just a coincidence he told himself though something tingled in the back of his mind.
"I must be going out of my mind." The instructor mumbled under his breath as he picked up the eraser to clean up the mess of chalk lines he made on the dark green board. He turned his head again! And Jamie wasn't looking! Nothing could make it more perfect! Deciding to play closer to the field, he flew down and held his hand just briefly above the teacher's one…two…and wham! Slamming the teacher's eraser-held hand to the board, his head and shoulders became shrouded in a mist of chalk dust this time succeeding in getting more laughs from the kids.
Again Jamie looked up and gaped when his eyes settled on what he saw. A grinning Jack looking at the class, back at the teacher and back to Jamie with such happiness dancing in his blue eyes. Sienna brown eyes grew wide as saucers as his jaw hung open.
"Hey Jamie, you okay?" One of the kids beside him jostled him from his gaping fish look as he looked at her and back to the front where sure enough Jack was still there still getting a laugh from the teacher.
"You didn't see that?" He mumbled under his breath.
"See what? Mr. Dobbins acting crazy?" She giggled and then straightened up when she saw the teacher was once again looking out over the class. Though tried as they might to…hold in the laughs and…vainly cover their mouths. The chalk dust that so generously peppered his hair, face and shirt collar was simply too hilarious a sight.
Jamie had trouble trying to keep his eyes away from the man and holding in his laughs so he settled on covering his mouth and looking down at his notes.
Slowly the man took his glasses off and cleaned them with the bottom of his shirt. "The next student that makes a noise that even remotely sounds like a laugh will serve detention. Is that understood?"
"Yes sir…" All the teens echoed. Fun was over, back to work. Not quite. Jack held his hand out wiggling his fingers concentrating. At hearing what sounded like glasses clinking together, Jamie looked up again inconspicuously keeping his attention trained to his childhood friend. What was he holding? His eyes narrowed in confusion. What was he…he wasn't…oh no! Hanging his staff onto his arm, the sly Jack Frost snagged a hold of the teacher's shirt collar, tugged and down his back went a palm-full of fresh ice.
Jamie along with a number of students swarmed the front of the schoolyard on their way home. He turned half around walking backwards to wave as he went one way and his friends went another.
"How'd you like that?" Jack piped up, sidling up beside him.
"You gave me detention!" Jamie grinned.
"And you look happy about it." He twirled his old wooden staff around nonchalantly as they walked around the water fountain placed in the front of the school grounds.
"I just didn't expect to see you so soon." Jamie laughed.
"You don't expect a lot of things lately. You thought I was going to break my promise didn't you?"
"There you go teasing me again." The younger boy shook his head.
"Heh, only because you make it fun." Jack turned his head towards the water of the round fountain hitting the water with his staff. "So what do you want to do today?"
"I don't know." Jamie mused lightly shifting his bag with a nudge of his shoulder looking over their shoulder as they walked. Catching sight of the water fountain he smiled, finding the water Jack had just played in had frozen in the splash shape. "We can just go for a walk I guess. You got time?"
"Time's all I got." Jack chuckled, swinging his cane to rest on his shoulder.
"Good. Come on." He waved the white haired teen along, leading him to historical downtown Burgess, chatting about anything and nothing; mostly about what they had been doing during their time apart. Then all at once Jack perked and grinned at his surroundings. "What's up?"
"I just remembered what used to be here is all."
"Here?" Jamie looked up at the buildings.
"Yeah. See over there?" The younger teen looked over where his friend pointed. "The blacksmith used to be there." It was hard to tell though for all the old wooden structures. "And over there? There was the mill." Jack's eyes darted all over the place pointing all he used to know all while Jamie stood back smiling. It was almost like watching an excited kid at Christmas managing to keep himself under control. He moved to stand beside Jack just feeling his happiness run off of him.
"Do you remember where your house was then?"
"It's around here somewhere." He turned his head looking left to right.
"You want to see if we can find it?"
"Shouldn't be too hard." Jack grinned. "Alright, let's look."
"Alright!" With a smile Jamie reached out and took his hand, feeling a bit of excitement himself moving to tug him along. He faltered a bit when he heard the other gasp noticing the look on Jack's face. "Jack?"
"I…" The elder teen worried his brow as he looked at the ground. 'What was that?' His thoughts whispered at him. The moment Jamie took his hand; he could see it so clearly in his mind. A boy. Like Jamie. Taking his hand. They were running through the woods on a hazy late afternoon. Come on Jack! he said. It was a memory from over 300 years ago, but why was he remembering it now? It was just- he didn't-a boy! He never remembered a boy! Well he had some friends for sure back then, but, he didn't recognize the one his memory just showed him. Granted all he saw was the back of his head.
"Jack?" Jamie repeated, his worry beginning to show.
"I…remember where my house was." Jack drawled out before smiling, reassuring the other that he was fine. "It's over here." He pointed the other way giving Jamie's hand a small tug back. "Come on."
Along the old cracked concrete paths they walked until Jack took them in front of an old general store. Jamie looked up at the building that was close to falling apart. "Kind of cool how it stays up." The brown haired boy looked at his companion. "Was this built over it?"
"Yeah…I remember. There was this huge tree behind the house and our well was just beside it." Sure enough, beside the old store a few feet was an old stone well that had been filled and covered. The tree was long gone though. "This was my home." Jack sighed.
"Do you miss it?" Jamie murmured, sticking his hands in his coat pockets.
"Yes and no…" The winter spirit's eyes wandered over the space. "For three centuries I couldn't remember who I was or where I came from…or what I was meant to do. For three centuries I didn't know I had a home. It wasn't until after I met you that I finally found the answers I had been searching for, for so long. To all of my knowledge anyway, I didn't have a home. And then I learned I did." He shrugged, walking along the old pavement, kicking rubble. "Since my memory came back I know I loved my home and my family enough to miss it but at the same time…it's been so long, the wound has already healed and I have this new life…so I don't really mourn the loss…do you think that's terrible of me-mh?"
Jack stopped feeling the other hug him from behind. He felt his face press against the back of his shoulder as Jamie cinched his hold tighter. "Of course not." Jamie whispered. Jack closed his eyes wincing. He remembered being held like this once, but just when he was closing in on the truth it slipped away. And all he had was a feeling of déjà vu.
"Jamie…"
"I'm not much, I know. But I'll be your friend. No matter what."
"…heh, I know you are Jamie." He turned to face the other teen who at standing height was just a mere couple of inches shorter than him. Jack pressed his forehead to Jamie's. "But you're more than that. You're my best friend." He whispered. Best friend. Best friend. Best friend. The words echoed in his mind. His blue eyes flickered under dark lashes as he looked into Jamie's eyes grinning lightly removing his hands from his pockets to tenderly prod at the reddened cheeks of his companion. "You blush way too easily you know that?"
"Shut up." Jamie huffed, batting Jack's hands away to rub at his cheeks. "You're just too close and too cold." The elder laughed quietly.
"You have homework?" Jack inquired, thinking about what events transpired earlier.
"Some yeah. And then I have to go in early to serve detention with the whole class." Jamie rolled his eyes.
"I'll let you go at it then." Jack pulled back, one side of his mouth turning up in his trademark lopsided smirk. "I'll probably be by to see you tonight or tomorrow, is that okay?" He added quickly before Jamie could get the wrong idea, not liking the way the other's expression seemed to fall. In relief he felt his shoulders release the tension as Jamie beamed.
"I'd like that. It shouldn't take too long."
"Regardless." Jack sighed with a groan rubbing the back of his neck. "I kinda ran out on the others…in the middle of a meeting so I better head back soon and beg for forgiveness or something."
"You did that for me?" Jamie smiled, feeling a bit of lush pride swell somewhere in his chest.
"Well yeah, I didn't want to keep you waiting." His blue eyes looked away just knowing he'd just be giving Jamie reasons to tease him should he look.
"Well…I'll be seeing you then." The younger teen shifted his bag letting the contents of paper and books rattle to alert just what was inside. And what a depressing reminder it was.
"Yeah. Have fun with homework." Jack slipped in a mild tease as Jamie rolled his eyes.
"See ya later." Both boys waved, however Jamie was the only one to leave, walking back home. After a few seconds of watching his friend leave the snowy haired teen kicked himself once he noticed he was out of sight.
"Why didn't I walk him home?"
Author's Notes: Hey guys~ Thank you so much for all of your comments! I intend to make this as long as I can and as natural and canon as the actual story and a real life relationship can be. I will update when I can which won't be too often because work both figuratively and literally sucks the life out of me and I have no net *leeches library wi fi* but rest assured this story isn't a one-shot, there is a plot behind it. And I've even drawn/sketched some pics so maybe I can post some on my dA to give you guys some idea of how I picture Jamie to look as a seventeen going on eighteen year old. Again thank you for your support! I encourage you to go out and watch the movie again lol!
