Chapter Three: Delphinus
Rehearsals flew by, it wasn't long before even Jack's precious hour to himself had passed (all he had done was try and get some more sleep and chatted to North for a bit, politely declining the offer to head out into the town, since he all he ever got outside of "The Rose of the Garden" was stares, remarks and offers to "come back to their humble abode", so naturally he wasn't madly keen on the idea of leaving to aimlessly wander the neighbourhood).
"Five minutes, Jack, remember big names tonight!" Toothiana sang as she passed him on the other side of the curtains, arranging her fluttering dancers. Jack sighed and peered through the fallen crimson lengths of material out to the warmly lit audience area, it was a rich dark carpet with smooth, circular wooden tables facing the solid, lifted stage. Velvet seats and elegantly carved lamps lighting up each surface as the main lights dimmed and everyone sat down.
The music started and there were excited mutters across the crowd as Toothiana ushered her dancers on. The night started with the younger dancers simply entertaining whilst the last of the customers entered, then it moved on to Toothiana herself with the older dancers, they wore shimmering corsets of turquoise, green and blue, gold looping jewellery and a glossy golden, rippled skirt around their hips that let show their stockings and heels.
Then it was Jack, in the prime of the evening when everyone had, had a quick break to top up their harsh, bitter drinks. He came on stage, the floor was white imprinted with shadows of tree branches also marking the back walls. His back up girls were hidden in the shadows as he started. His voice was melodious as ever, a sincere, haunting sound that moved the crowd.
Until the lights flashed and he smirked as Blu, Twist and Baby Tooth came out, in their pale blue corsets with snowflake designs and flowering, transparent white nettings behind them. Jack's song became more rhythmic and loud with his own dancing added in.
Naturally he didn't want to look like a common slut pole dancing for a ravenous crowd, so he had smooth foot slides and wide arms, slightly swaying hips and hair ruffling. It was enough to send the audience rabid anyway, a few were even reaching up, trying to grab his leg or foot to pull him down. This always unnerved him and he took a few steps back, only making the customers laugh.
Bunnymund finally wandered in after finishing off the back of the garden, wiping his hands on a small white cloth as he entered the smoky theatre, keeping his head down until a particularly wild cheer rose up and his green eyes darted to the stage where they stayed to stare at his new friend, Jack Winter. Well the little doll was a pretty good dancer and Bunnymund blanked out for a bit just staring at the movement of his lithe hips.
Coughing and glancing away, he headed over to the bar and sat on a empty stool at the end away from everyone, declining the offer of a drink from Wolf. The Australian's dark thick eyebrows narrowed when he saw a sneaky looking young man wink to his mates as he stood up and shot his hand out to grab Jack's ankle, pulling the white haired singer nearer the front as he voice faltered and laughter rang throughout the room.
The sly bastard refused to let go of Jack Winter's trousers leg and the glacier eyed man was becoming flustered and fearsome as he tried to kick free to no avail.
Sir. Scaleson was shocked to say the least when his back was tapped and he turned to see a brutish looking man standing with his arms folded and an expectant expression on his hardened face.
"I suggest ya let go of the main act, sir" Bunnymund spat.
Jack took in a deep breath, his grin never failing as the grip around his ankle was loosened and he managed to slide his right foot to the side to distract everyone from the constraints around his left. If he paused to deal with it himself, Rumple would have his severed head framed on his office wall.
The mysterious gentleman seemed to be handling it anyway, with the darkness of the audience contrasting with the hot lights of the stage, Jack Winter struggled to recognise him until he was hauled forward off the stage and into a pair of arms.
Bunnymund had been growling under his breath as Sir Scaleson refused to acknowledge the warning and only tried harder to pull his blue eyed prize down to have Bunnymund step to him and press a heated, heavy hand on his slim shoulder.
"If ya don't let go of the lad, right now, I'm gonna drag you outta here by ya tongue, ya hear ya bloody whacker" he hissed and Scaleson gulped but continued to glare with his wet grey eyes at the Aussie and he smirked with a final tug until Jack Winter fell.
Bunnymund pushed the slimy mongrel out the way; leading to his swift encounter with the ground, to catch the white haired lad who stared up at him in shock when he too realised what had just happened but before he said anything, Bunnymund leant down and whispered with such a warm husk and his lips pressed against the pale shell of Jack's ear, that it made the young man shiver.
"Get back up there, you show pony" and he pushed Jack back on stage until Jack was steady and took in a deep breath before continuing to walk off stage, leaving the next act to replace him.
Behind the curtains, Baby Tooth rushed up to him, asking frantically if he was okay. Jack simply nodded with a dazed expression before stumbling off to get ready for the following part.
Bunnymund rolled the suited man over with his foot as he carried on his way. Sir. Scaleson slipped back into his seat sheepishly and coughed as his table-mates chuckled behind their hands at him. North was containing his bellowing laughter as the Aussie returned to his side with folded eyes and a snarl at his curled up lip.
"That was very good of you, Aster" The Russian winked at him, pressing a curled finger to his lips as his chuckles calmed.
He smirked, pretty damn proud at what he just did, wasn't fair the little pixie should be bothered during his work, especially by the likes of such a slimy bastard.
Jack soon left the stage with wails of complaint from the audience that were diminished swiftly with the appearance of several other stunning acts until the night was done. Whilst some customers left, others slipped behind violet velvet curtains in corner whilst others crammed up at the bar, ready to greet the acts who would come out to entertain on a more personal level.
Jack slipped in, this time only wearing his light blue shirt, untucked from his brown trousers, shoe-less as usual. He tried to avoid the mass near the center and placed himself on a tall seat at the end when the bartender came over, cleaning a wine glass.
"Hey Wolf" Jack smiled, folding his arms and resting his head on them against the counter, Wolf nodded and placed the glass down to get a glass of ice-clinking water for the performer.
"Thanks" the white haired man replied to the unspoken gesture and gratefully gulped down the refreshing liquid, he was still hot and bothered from the earlier disruption - which is how his thoughts led on to the mysterious yet oh so familiar Australian gardener who lifted him back onto the stage and dealt with the grimy business man. Glancing around the dim lit bar in hope to see him, Wolf caught on and grinned with his sharp teeth glinting over the edges of thick lips.
"You looking for the Aussie?" he simply asked, leaning down to collect a new glass to polish. Wolf was naturally a pretty scary looking guy but he was gentle, only passionate when dealing with bar fights or thinking about his lady-love across the road.
Jack choked quietly and turned to the older man with a blush dusting his cheeks, that was until he realised Wolf just assumed this because he must have seen Bunnymund pull him back onto the stage earlier. He nodded and leant back nonchalantly, trying to appear like he totally wasn't bothered about finding him anyway. Wolf shook his head and looked up to head down the bar to answer a calling customer.
Jack watched him go before settling back down on the counter, sighing. That was until he heard a familiar voice and perked up to look to his left. Across the room, heading past the stage and into a back room was North and his knight in a dark suit. Jack could just about make out the discussion between them and strained all his hearing on the already thick accents.
"So you send money back for family? That is most good of you, As-Bunny" North grinned, pretty pleased with himself for remembering how to address his new friend who rolled his eyes and grinned.
"It's what I gotta do, I love my family down under, but they are strugglin', I'd do anythin' to give them the money they deserve, ya know?"
"Of course, you are brave to come to Europe, all the way to collect money for family, I hope everything goes well in end"
"Same, mate...same" there was a quiet sadness to Bunnymund's tone and Jack's heart clenched painfully at the sign of slight distress from the seemingly strong and unyielding older man. It was beyond sweet that he was still caring for his family across the world.
Just before the pair left into the back-rooms, Jack's eyebrows raised to hear the following.
"...Look...Bunny, I think I know idea to maybe get your more money, da?"
There was a startled pause from the Australian and his ears twitched, Jack was distracted by the vague movement and bit his lip to stifle a chuckle.
"What?! I'll do anythin, come on North!"
"Calm down friend, I am simply offering job as guard, you show potential earlier" he chuckled with crinkled cerulean eyes and Bunnymund paused in his steps to consider.
"What does tha job require then?"
"Being big, muscular and angry mostly-" North's sentence was cut off as he went out of hearing and sight range along with Bunnymund. Neither had noticed the glacier blue eyed singer sitting at the bar, intensely intrigued by their conversation, reaching for his glass he took another gulp as thoughts raced through his head.
Did this mean he would see the gardener of an evening as well? Would he be able to sit with him at the bar and actually get to know him? Love of any kind was fickle and short in Jack's eyes for he had never trusted anyone after the betrayal of his guardian. He may have had someone before he fell into the lake but he would never know. Jack felt himself longing for this new man in a way that made him nervous, he wasn't supposed to spend so much time thinking about one person, let alone a guy...a big, muscular, rabbit eared Aussie.
Said Aussie probably didn't even consider Jack as anything more than a one time failure on stage and a guy interested in flowers so what was the point of getting so interested in a friendship...
Jack Winter suddenly wished the transparent liquid in his glass was a strong spirit so he could down it and forget everything. For a few moments he actually considered calling Wolf over and asking for something stronger before a strong hand on his shoulder made him jump. For a moment excitement ballooned up in his lungs as he recalled the rough affection of the gardener when he caught the lithe dancer earlier but as he turned with bright eyes, he gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyebrows slightly at the sight of an very unfamiliar woman who was grinning with a thin, fuchsia painted mouth and wide teeth.
Her eyes were like ash-burnt driftwood and her skin was just as rough, with long greasy locks the colour of the night in October, she wore a long, unappealing brown dress that hung off her slim figure like a cloak, a charred gold belt round her thin waist was the only glint of glamour on this smirking woman. Nevertheless she sat next to the light haired performer, never removing her bony hand.
"Well you are even prettier up close, aren't you?" she purred in a husky tone, it had a grinding squeak to it that made Jack internally wince but he knew never to upset the customers so smiled and cocked his head to one side in a way that undeniably appeared cute.
"You are too kind, I am surprised I didn't notice your own lovely face in the crowd before, but those stage lights are so blinding" the compliments rolled off his tongue like the cold sweetness of ice cream and he didn't pause for breath or stop his smile as she leant in with an even wider grin.
"And charming, you little devil" she pinched his cheek too hard and he gulped only barely so she wouldn't notice his tired anxiety.
'Never upset the customers' - Rumple's sincere, rasped tone echoed in his head like a badly sung note.
He simply laughed for lack of anything better to say but his bell-like voice sedated her enough to lean back and admire him like one would admire a piece of meat, how tender was his pale flesh, how well would he fare beneath her rusty fire. He would do nicely well-done she must have thought as she slipped a hand onto his thigh, where the dusky material was stretched enough that he felt each calloused section of her thin palm.
"Since I already know your name, little Jack Winter...you might as well know mine if we are going to get acquainted" she cooed.
Oh god forbid they become friends, Jack thought with something of amused panic as she relayed her name as "Banshee Greywood" with more rasp than she has applied to any other words and she shuffled her stool closer.
Oh god forbid.