HAT: This is the last chapter! Not the longest project of mine when it comes to writing, but it's not the shortest either.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians/Guardians of Childhood or Year Without Santa Claus, but luckily I own the plot... you know so I own something.

North groans and pinches the bridge of his nose and releases a low groan. Currently Snow Miser is grumbling about how his brother- correction- stepbrother, as each always insists, wouldn't allow any refreshing snow in the South. Briefly the ex-Cossak wonders if listening to his men grumble about orders when on a heist was better than hearing either of the Miser Brothers complaining about each other.

The bearded man walks over causes the ice man to look down at him. "Yeah, North?"

"Is there anything you can say about your brother that is not negative?"

Snow Miser blinks in surprise. "What?"

A knowing frown. "You heard me."

This eels to put the old spirit deep into thought as he sits on his thrown. North can see a sort of conflict playing on the light blue face and his dark gray eyebrows knit together in thought. He doesn't low much of the Miser Brothers, in fact, even Bunnymund doesn't know much of them despite of the wealth of knowledge he's obtained over the centuries. The Pooka seems to know everything, just as it had been explained that most Pooka did, but the Miser Brothers are a mystery, not that it's any of the Russian's business. He's willing to wait for either Miser to open up to him, just as he had to wait for Jack to open up.

"He... he whips up a mean drink," Snow Miser mutters.

"Drink?"

A surprised look. "I said that out loud?"

"Yes."

Snow Miser rubs his eyes and looks older and very weary. "It's complicated... I'm sorry, but I think I'm gonna go," he says, getting up and going towards the door before turning and giving a charismatic grin. "Safe travels, North! And Don't be a stranger, stop by with your wife sometime and we'll have a blizzard of a time!"

North can't help, but chuckle. "I will bring Tooth next time... and maybe Jack."

That seems to perk the old blizzard up. He and Jack have a bond not so different form that Jack and North had, but with a little more snowy mayhem added to the mix. The two go their separate ways, North back to the workshop, and Snow Miser, surprisingly, to his coal-for-brains brother's home. On the way Snow Miser thinks of things that he genuinely likes about his brother aside from how fun it is to make his temper flare.

He remembers when his ex-girlfriend from centuries ago had been cheating on him and Heat Miser made him a drink and comforted him, even forced him to stay the night because he was not fit for travel and if he'd gone home, he'd have made it snow in multiple places that didn't need snow.

There was also that time when they were young men, teenagers, when their common enemy got them in trouble with their mother. An entire week of plotting with his fire-headed brother, an entire week of getting along, an entire week of their differences being set aside... an entire week where it seemed like they had their childhood back.

He shakes his head of any melancholy thoughts and focuses back on the chosen task at hand and manifests himself into his regular form and stands at his brother's door. Instead of barging in, like he often does, he knocks on the door with a gloved hand with a little force so that it will be heard from the inside. He can already hear deep grumbling getting gradually louder and Snow Miser almost feels nervous about his brother answering the door. He crosses his arms and taps his foot as he waits for the door to be answered.

The door opens and reveals the shorter Miser. "What is it?" Heat Miser stutters to a stop and stares up at his brother in surprise. "What're you doing here?"

Snow Miser smiles sheepishly. "Got time for a drink?"

Immediately a worried frown settles on the fire elemental's face. "What's wrong?"

He shrugs. "Nothing has to be wrong for me to come over."

"Come in," gruffly says Heat Miser.

Snow Miser strolls in like he owns the place and looks around to admire a few of the decorations. Fiery clothes hang on the walls and there are sculptures of multiple things, Heat Miser being quite a few of them, though Snow Miser is guilty of the same thing.

The two of them go into the bar and Heat Miser goes behind it and leans against the bar. "Whaddoya want this time?"

"Dry Ice."

A surprised look. "A reason you want a strong drink? Maybe I should give you a Snowy Tundra instead?" When he gets a look from his brother he sighs and gets to work. "So... what's got your mind in a blizzard?"

"Just a... a question North asked me," murmurs Snow Miser.

"Hm... Wanna talk about it?" Heat Miser asks as he sets the mixed drink in front of his brother.

Snow Miser scoffs as he picks up his alcoholic beverage and takes a drink, allowing the amazing beverage to enter his body. "Of course not. I came here to drink."

"Better not get drunk, snow-for-brains, otherwise Mother will have my head."

This is usually when they're most relaxed around each other, at the bar. Usually they'd end up at some bar flirting with multiple spirit women and voicing their opinions on each one and seeing if they think any of them are bad news. Despite their conflict most of the time, they prefer to keep murderous women other than their mother out of the family. They seem more like associates than enemies, actually. It's far more civil than how they usually are, however at Heat's bar, there's more of an openness. Lord knows Snow can't have a bar anymore, what with Jack visiting so often now.

"So, coal-for-brains, what're you up to? Not getting your blood pressure too high are you? Mother warned you of that low boiling point of yours."

The red-nosed man clenched his jaw and lets out a heavy breath through his nose. "Not until you showed up, meat hugger."

(A/N: You know, since they put meat into the cold... shush up, I'm tired!)

The long nosed man scoffs. "Whatever..." His face seems to darken as he indulges himself with his drink. His mind is plagued by the question that North asked him and he begins to wonder if his brother even likes him at all. He tries to drink away the question, but having a high tolerance for anything, he needs a bit more. Despite having a glass and a half of Dry Ice, he can't stop the question from, and he can't stand this pun, burning in his mind and ends up blurting out, "Do you like me?"

Heat Miser stops and gives his brother a strange look. "Did you drink before you come here?"

"Forget it," grumbles the ice man as he takes another gulp. Before he knows it his wrist is grabbed and the glass is slammed onto the table and dark golden eyes glare at his face. Dark blue eyes turn into an icy glare as he shouts, "Hey! What was that for?!"

"What's wrong?" The younger brother demands.

Suddenly Snow Miser doesn't feel like the older brother and lowers his gaze to his glass. "It's nothing."

"Bull shit! What is it?!"

"Do you like me at all? Do you even care about me?"

"Like how?..."

Snow Miser glares at his brother again. "Like your brother, lava brains!"

Heat Miser blinks in surprise before his eyebrows come together. "What's got you asking that?"

"Forget it!" Snow finally shouts, yanking his wrist out of his brother's grasp and turning towards the door. "I don't know why I even bothered to come here."

"Snow, wait!" That causes said man to stop. He doesn't get called that by Heat very often so he feels compelled to stop and listen to his brother. "I do care about you, okay? It's just that... since we're so different and ever since... ever since it happened we've just been... you know."

Snow Miser nods. "I know... it's just that is seems like you hate me."

"No, I don't hate you... you annoy me and get on my nerves, but I don't hate you."

"Yeah, I don't hate you eith-" he cuts himself off when he sees a bruise on his brother's wrist, something he didn't notice before. "Who did that?"

Heat Miser's eyes widens with surprise. "Did what?"

"That," Snow insists, pointing to his brother's right wrist.

"That was an accident, I was renovating."

Blue eyes narrow when golden eyes won't meet his and his voice is commanding and forceful. "Who did it, Heat?"

"I... it was Pitch." Before anything else could be said Snow Miser's starting to storm out and Heat Miser has to run and grab his shoulder forcefully to stop any progress. "Stop, stop, stop! I did it to myself because of the nightmares."

"I-I don't get it... Why would you do this to yourself?"

"I was thinking about how things used to be and how close we were and then... I brought it on myself. I bruised my wrist because I was trying to get it away... I thought it was your hand."

Guilt builds in Snow Miser's chest as he looks at his little brother and he remembers that day. It was a dark day and not one that either of the brothers are willing to remember. They realize that Pitch doesn't always cause the nightmares, but they're caused by the emotional state that the sleeper goes into sometimes has an effect on what the dream is.

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't give me that. We both know that it was an-"

"Yeah, but was it really?"

Heat Miser grows silent for a moment before he takes a deep breath. "Stay the night here. You're not fit to go back to your place."

"I'm fine," Snow Miser says before hot fingers grip his chin, causing him to cry out in surprise as steam rises from where hot and cold mix, as he's turned to face a mirror.

"Then why're you crying?"

Snow Miser discards the pain from having skin contact with his fire elemental brother and sees tears running down his face. He hadn't realized he'd been crying and it makes him wonder how long this has been happening without his notice. He jerks away and grips his chin in effort to cool it off and notices that Heat Miser does nothing and seems fine with the pain and doesn't make any move to heat it up.

"I'm-"

"Staying the night here... Come on."

Heat Miser puts his hand on Snow Miser's shoulder and leads him towards a spare room.

"I guess we've both got some issues don't we?"

"Yeah... I didn't know that me not showing I cared was that bad for you..."

"Just forget it, I was drunk!"

"You're still drunk."

"Shut up."

And then, for the first time in centuries, they laughed together and hugged one another with one arm each, discarding any damages that might come from careless contact. For tonight, at least, they were friends again and it seems that all is right again. They can only hope that tomorrow is brighter.

HAT: More angst-y than I thought it would turn out. I wasn't planning on having them interact with each other, just reminisce, but not everything turns out as planned. I hope you enjoyed! Now for-

Jack: Mr. White Christmas!

Snow: And Mr. Frost!

HAT: *looks up to the heavens with a groan* You don't know half of the crap I have to go through when these two are together.

Snow: *puts arm around HAT's shoulders* C'mon, sugarplum! Surely we winter spirits aren't all that bad?

HAT: And you're quoting Scar from The Lion King... Don't you dare, Jack!

Jack: *grins sheepishly* What?

HAT: You know what!

Snow: So you can quote songs for everything and we can't quote movies?

HAT: I don't always- *thinks about it* Okay, so I might, but I get is from my dad.

Jack: Excuses, excuses. Hey, Snow, can we go mess with Bunny? I need a partner for a snowball fight.

Snow: Sure thing!

HAT: Guys! What is it with you two and getting off topic all the time?!

Snow & Jack: *smile sheepishly* Sorry.

HAT: *sighs* Now, would you please say it and then go terrorize other people.

Jack: Pretty please, for us and our curly cue- *springs one of her curls*

HAT: *smacks his hand away*

Snow: Review.

HAT: Now go!

Snow & Jack: *squeeze her in a group hug and kisses her cheek before taking off*

HAT: *blushes and walks out* I need some hot chocolate...