Day two prompt: Dreams
Sleep my little one, sleep my pretty one, sleep.
-Alfred , Lord Tennyson, The Princess, 1847
The first morning Jack woke with the warmth of the eggs beside him, he buried his face in the pillows and smiled. This was a trend that would continue for weeks, and then it would change itself to a soft look of utmost affection, and a tender sigh.
Jack had duties to deal with, of course. A few final touches as winter made its way out the door. He always made sure to heat the stones before he left, and checked on them often. But it wasn't his usual workload, so he had plenty of time to spend with his eggs. He ran his hands over them, mindful of the burns that littered his right from handling the stones, tracing the patterns with the tips of his fingers. Sometimes he sat in the basket and arranged them around him, and would take turns cradling each in his lap. One day he decided to speak to his eggs aloud, feeling it was a little too quiet in this cave he'd made their own.
"I'm so glad you're here," he told them. "I can't wait until you're here, and you can hold me back. I wonder how big you are in there? Are your eggs oversized, or just right?"
He brought the egg in his lap, the smallest of the bunch, close to his face, and kissed it sweetly. This egg had a white base, with red and blue diamonds and triangles, some of which weren't filled in and were only outlines of the shapes. He cradled it to his chest, nuzzling the top. "I already love you so much. It's impossible for me to love you any more than this." All five had already wormed their way into his heart so fully, with their gentle ambient magic and soft warmth. "I know you won't have another daddy to help raise you, but that's okay. I didn't either. I can be mommy and daddy."
A small part of him held out hope that one day, in the future, when Bunny was ready to see him again and Jack managed to get the old Pooka to come around, that might change. It would be nice to have a partner in this. To present his precious treasures to Bunny, and have Bunny love them just as much as Jack did. To share responsibilities and affection like the ocean shares a breeze. Simple, constant, reliable. It would probably take years and years and years, but Jack had a patience to rival glaciers hidden under all his excitable layers, and he could do it.
Jack sighed against the egg's shell. "I can't wait to name you."
The baby shifted in its shell.
Jack gasped. "You moved!" He laughed, and it shifted more in the egg. The more he laughed and spoke, the more it moved.
He placed his forehead against it. "Can you hear me in there?"
It didn't move for a moment, and then he felt the bump against the shell from the inside as it shifted. He grinned in disbelief. "You can." Granted it wouldn't understand what he was saying, but he remembered hearing something about things like this from pregnant women whose babies recognized their voice.
Jack shivered he was so excited. "Would you like me to talk to you more, little one? I can get some books and read to you all."
The baby shifted, and it was the best thing ever.
"I agree," he said.
Jack borrowed a few books from Jamie and Cupcake, which he began reading to the eggs at night when he went to bed. It took a little longer for the other eggs to start recognizing his voice, the white one having been the first, but eventually they all began to respond to his voice when he read to them. It got to the point that he spent most of his time just talking to them, or singing, or reading.
It was almost therapeutic. To these little beings he poured his heart out. He sang and hummed and whistled. He read them poetry and stories. He told them about the Guardians, and how much he cared for his kind-of-but-not-quite family. He told them about Bunny. He even told them about a little girl named Emma, and her stupid big brother that had saved her, and how much the big brother had loved her. Everything. His hopes, his goals…his dreams.
If they'd been able to understand, he would have wondered if they knew more about him than he did about himself.
One night he wondered off hand if the babies had dreams, too. He was curious what they'd be about. He decided to borrow some sand from Sandy at the next meeting that was coming up in a few days.
Jack fidgeted with his staff as North talked about how production was going at the Pole. The yeti were ahead this year, he said, and at this rate he might even have a free day before Christmas. The meeting was going on as usual, with all the Guardians hanging around the globe, and was usually spent all smiles and laughter. But there was something about Jack that the Guardians noticed. The boy was oddly quiet, frequently looking into the distance and worrying his lower lip. The lights were on, but Jack Frost didn't appear to be home.
Jack didn't realize this about himself, of course, but jumped when his name was suddenly called.
"Jack?" Tooth fluttered at his side, hand hovering over his shoulder.
Jack blinked, and brought his focus back to the present. "Wha?"
"Are you alright?" Her concern was tangible in her voice.
Jack almost waved her concern away, until he remembered the burns on his right. He instead opted for a shrug, seeking to keep his burns hidden so he wouldn't have to try explaining them. "I'm fine. Just distracted."
"Is something you need to tell us?" North placed his hands on his hips.
Jack shook his head. "No, no, it's fine. Just…winter stuff." He shifted his gaze to Sandy. "Hey Sandman, would it be possible for me to borrow a bit of sand?"
Sandy gave a few rapid blinks, a question mark forming over his head.
Jack brushed his hand over his cheek. "Having a bit of trouble sleeping." He hated lying to Sandy like this, but he didn't want to tell the real reason. He wasn't ready to share his eggs with them, yet. Maybe it was selfish, but he'd accept that.
Sandy nodded, and snatched a pouch from a passing elf. He upended it, scowling at the bits and bobs that fell out—a spring, a rubber band, cookie crumbs, and a crayon being among them—and directed a small stream of dream sand into it. He pulled the drawstring closed, and handed it to Jack.
Jack smiled and tucked it away in his hoodie pocket. "Thanks, Sandy."
Sandy nodded.
"Well, if we're done here…" Jack began slowly backing towards the railing that overlooked the work floor. "I'll just be going now, bye-bye!" He jumped over, and flew off into the workshop.
Bunny, who had been leaning against the wall and was being just as quiet as Jack had been, seemed to argue with himself for a moment. Then his face tightened into a look of determination and he took off after him, calling, "Jack, wait!"
Tooth flew to North's side. "He's acting strange," she pointed out.
Sandy placed a finger over his mouth.
Tooth nodded. "I think he's keeping a secret, too."
"I agree." North stroked his beard. "But, is not a bad thing. I can feel it." He pat his stomach. "In my belly."
Tooth smiled. "Well, we can always trust that."
North couldn't tell if that was sarcasm or not.
"Oi! Jack! Wait up!"
Jack landed in front of the main entrance doors, which stretched high up to the ceiling. He'd planned on just taking the window next to them, since the doors could be annoying to get open with how thick and heavy they were. He rocked on his heels as Bunny stopped in front of him, slightly nervous. He was pretty sure Bunny might still be upset with him. "What's up, buttercup?"
Bunny shot him a disgruntled look at the nickname, but opted out of a rebuttal. "Look, Jack, I just…" He seemed uncomfortable.
Jack waited patiently, halting his sways when he realized how serious Bunny seemed.
Bunny scrubbed a hand across his face with a sigh. "Look, Jack, I'm sorry. I overreacted. Your questions just gave me a lot to think about."
Jack avoided looking directly at him. "I shouldn't have asked."
"You didn't know," Bunny reassured, looking chagrined. "And my reaction didn't help. But it wasn't just me bein' the last. It brought up some…other things, that I'd been avoiding thinking about."
"Does this mean I'm allowed back in the Warren?" Jack asked.
"Mate," Bunny said tiredly, "you never weren't."
Jack smiled. If he wasn't careful he felt like he might blush. "I'll be sure to come by and mess around soon."
Bunny rolled his eyes. "Long as you don't mess with the googie plants, she'll be apples."
"Googies…" Jack's eyes went wide. "Oh. Right. Yeah. Totally, understood. No messing with your egg plants. Gotta go, Bunny, see you later and all that."
He took off out the window, leaving a bewildered Bunny to watch him go.
Jack entered the cave as night set in, covering the entrance over once more behind him. He started the fire, stoking it and adding a bit of fuel. Then he went to check on the eggs.
"Hey guys," he said. "I'm home—"
Jack paused. He hadn't meant to say that. Home? Burgess in its entirety had always been his 'home,' and its rooftops and trees his bed. Since when had he begun to associate this tiny cave his home? He laughed gently. Of course; it was ever since he'd moved five eggs into it. Since he'd decided to give all the unclaimed pieces of himself to them. The cave wasn't home, the eggs themselves were. 'Home is where the heart is' and all that. Now if he could just get that piece of his heart that lived in the Warren with Bunny to stop being homesick everything would be great.
Jack closed his eyes as he sighed. "Yeah, I'm home."
He shifted the eggs to one side so he could sit in the basket. He picked up an egg with a black base color and orange and silver swirls. He set it in his lap, and ran his hands over it like he always did.
"I made up with Bunny today," he said. The baby moved inside, thumping the shell. He laughed. "I know! I was happy, too. He said it's okay to go to the Warren, so I'll probably end up going there for a little while soon." He shifted a little. "But I won't be gone for too long. I don't want to leave you guys alone if I don't have to.
"You'll like Bunny, I think. He's gruff at first, but he really likes kids. He'll be all over you guys with eggs on Easter. We can have a special egg hunt and everything." He smiled down at the egg. "How does that sound? And Tooth will insist on checking your teeth...," he furrowed his brow. "If you have teeth, that is. But North! He'll spoil you guys so much on Christmas, I just know it. He'll give you all the best presents, and we can spend the day at the Pole playing. It'll be great. Then Sandy, he'll make for great sleepovers…Sandy!" Jack reached in his hoodie, and pulled out the bag of sand. "I've got a treat for your dreams tonight!"
Jack moved the egg from his lap and back onto the pillows with the others. Then he reheated the stones and put them in place, wincing as his burns were renewed from their partially healed state. Then he settled himself into the basket, and opened the drawstring on the bag. Jack sprinkled the sand over the eggs. At first nothing happened, the sand settling like a glittering decoration on their shells. Before he could be disappointed, it moved slowly, rising above each egg to hover in indistinct shapes. It swirled like a live thing, never settling on one thing. While nothing clear was formed, there was an impression of comfort in the rhythmic rippling.
Jack huffed his amusement. "I guess I'm not really surprised. What was I expecting to happen, anyway…," he trailed off as the sand changed. It danced in the air in an excited little wave over the eggs. "What's this?" The sand grew more 'happy,' forming tight corkscrews and ribbons. When it seemed to calm some, he laughed. "What were you dreaming about?" When he spoke the sand took up its dance once more.
Jack's eyes blew wide. "Wait, are you reacting to my voice?" The sand continued its dance. He laughed, and it began spinning in spirals. "You are," he murmured. Joy quivered in his chest and made a lump in his throat. "You're dreaming about me."
Jack made a breathy sound, and laid down, the light from the sand shining off his eyes and glowing on his skin. "That's good," he said. "I dream about you guys, too."