A Meeting of the Seasons - Chapter 4
By Linda/Linables
Rated M for later chapters

Warnings - Character death (with a happy ending, I promise) and an M/M sex scene.


Review Replies:

Tenshi Yami - Angel of Darkness: Is chartreuse okay? ;) I think I honestly just picked that colour because I love its name. Thank you for your continued support!

BaraKiryuHuntress: Here you go! :D

Krissy: Chapter 3 and this chapter tell you a lot about Jamie's powers, I hope you enjoy them! Happy New Year to you as well!

Allyieh: Indeed - THE FLUFF COMETH. No, seriously, it's everywhere in this chapter. Watch your step. :P And I'll see what I can do with Jamie reuniting with his parents! That would be wonderful of course.

blackdawn0: I don't think she believes yet either. :( But let's see if Jamie and Jack can change that! Also, don't die yet, here's the next chapter! XD

Gingershavesouls: Thanks, so glad you liked it!

xX-Pai-Xx: Thank you!

DeathsHeadMoth: Thanks!

GrimmjowYaoi: And again here! :D I try to make it a habit to reply to my reviewers, since I appreciate them so dearly. So glad you're enjoying this!


Jack smiled as looked down from the icy cliff he was sitting on to see Jamie walking back towards North's workshop with Bunnymund, having just returned from his first official day as Green James. Jack would have liked to accompany Jamie himself, but winter had been overdue in some places south of the equator. Besides, as much as he hated to admit that the rabbit was better at something than him, Jack knew that the Easter Bunny – who oversaw a spring holiday – knew more about greenery than he did. Jack was only used to covering bare tree branches with snow, not making them flower.

Judging by the delighted and slightly incredulous expression on Jamie's face, Jack assumed things had gone well. Not that he'd had any doubts that they would. That day Jamie had been tasked with making the flowers of the rowan trees on the Scandinavian peninsula begin to form into berries. Jack was fairly sure Jamie would find him soon, as the boy always did, and have stories to tell about his adventure. And, as if in cue, within five minutes of returning to the North Pole Jack heard the sound of feet approaching him and turned around to see the excited boy walking quickly towards him.

"Jack!" he called out, face breaking into a grin. "Look at this!"

Jamie's hand reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a twig, one with two neat rows of small leaves arranged on either side of a stalk, and a small cluster of green berries. He held it out to Jack once he had sat down next to the frost sprite, grinning from ear to ear.

"I did that. It's incredible! I just had to touch the flowers with my fingertips, concentrate my energy like North told me, and the flowers started collapsing on themselves into tiny little balls, which turned green and grew into these things. I've never been able to do something so awesome. I don't even know what to do with myself, seriously."

Jack chuckled and took the twig, twirling it around in his fingers. Predictably it started to ice over, but Jack handed it back to Jamie before the frost claimed the berries at the end.

"They look perfect." said Jack, truthfully. "You're doing great. And believe me, I know what you mean, you should have seen me freaking out and touching everything with my staff the first day I became Jack Frost."

Jamie laughed as well, slipping the twig back into his pocket.

"Thanks. Actually, I may have gotten a little too excited...Bunny kept telling me to take it easy, but I couldn't stop myself. I think every rowan tree south of Rovaniemi* has berries on it now!"

Jamie stopped for think for a second, then burst into another animated display.

"Oh! And look what I else I figured out today!"

The summer guardian stood up and ran several meters away, then launched himself into the air and did a graceful layout before floating back towards Jack and onto the ground.

"Good job!" said Jack, happy that Jamie was learning the finer points of the great joy that was flying.

"Thanks!" said the boy as he descended back to earth and into a sitting position. He took a deep breath to relax, closing his eyes for a moment before turning to Jack.

"So – enough about me. What did you do today?"

"Nothing too crazy. Just brought some snow to South Africa."

"I didn't know South Africa got snow!"

"In the mountains they do. Plus I sent a few flurries to the Northern Cape."

"Pretty cool. I'm going to have fun exploring the southern hemisphere when it's summer over there. I've never been anywhere on that side of the world." Jamie's eyes glowed with excitement. Jack smiled, remembering the feeling of exhilaration that exploring the faraway corners of the world for the first time had brought him so many years ago.

"The world is pretty damn amazing, I gotta admit." he said. "Maybe when fall comes around and we both have some time off, I'll show you some of my favourite places."

Jamie nodded vigorously, obviously over the moon about the idea. Seeing the world – with Jack – what could be better?

They talked for hours that evening, eventually making their way into North's workshop and up to the room Jack stayed in as it got dark outside. Both had been staying at the North Pole, since they lacked a sanctuary of their own like the ones Tooth and Bunnymund had. But the factory was like a palace, with a sprawling east wing only for living quarters, so there was plenty of room. Besides, North would never deny a fellow guardian a roof to sleep under.

They sat by the window in Jack's room, talking about this and that, from silly little things like how North was somehow able to tell all his elves apart to Jamie's continuing search for his centre – his purpose as a guardian.

"I wish I could figure it out," he mused, while his eyes traced the patterns of constellations in the dark sky.

"I know. Believe me," said Jack, laying a hand on top of Jamie's as an instinctual gesture of comfort. He pulled it away though, once both boys registered the act and their eyes met. Jack could feel his cheeks getting cold, and he tried to clear his head of any and all implications the act may have contained before frost started gathering on his cheeks. He cleared his throat and followed Jamie in gazing out the window.

"I remember trying to figure it out myself. You should have seen the interrogation North gave me right after the Man in the Moon picked me. None of us could figure it out."

"I wish I could have helped you more back then," Jamie said, throwing a shy smile in Jack's direction. "If you had asked me, maybe I could have. I mean, the first thing I remember whenever I think back to meeting you is all the fun we had. Not Pitch, not the nightmares, not anything bad that happened. I remember the fun most of all."

Jack looked at Jamie with a wide, sincere smile of gratitude gracing his features. Where would he be without this kid? Jack didn't really like to think about it. He felt horribly selfish thinking this way, but sometimes the winter spirit was glad he could have Jamie by his side forever now. At least if his friends and family could be convinced of his existence as a guardian, they could see him too and he could still be in their lives. Perhaps this would work out well for everyone – Jack could only hope. But he could never complain about the idea of having Jamie with him for the rest of their immortal lives.

Looking out into the sky as he contemplated, Jack caught sight of a bright spot of light in the corner of his eye. He followed it, and a glowing meteor appeared in his field of vision. He turned to Jamie and pointed to the falling star.

"Look at that. Right above Sagittarius."

Jamie looked, and smiled when he saw the star in question.

"A falling star! You can wish on that, you know. Since you saw it."

Jack had heard of this tradition, but had never thought much about it. He took a moment to consider it.

"Hmm. I can't really think of anything I could wish for, honestly."

"Really? I always figured everyone had something they could wish for."

Jack laughed a bit, rubbing the back of his neck nervously as their eyes met.

"I really don't know anything. I mean, I guess I could wish for a new sweater, since this one's getting old and there's a rip in one of the pockets, but that's pretty stupid."

He hesitated before he continued, willing himself to not look away from Jamie.

"The only really important thing I want right now is...well, for you to be happy. Considering everything."

Jack was quite sure he heard Jamie giggle softly as he bowed his head, a hint of a chartreuse hue beginning to decorate his cheeks.

"Then I guess you don't need to wish on the star for anything."

"What do you mean?"

"I...I'm always happy. When I'm with you."

If it was possible for Jack Frost to feel warm, this was one of the moments when he did. Something swelled inside him, extinguishing any and all feelings he'd ever had about being an outcast, about being unappreciated and unseen. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd been so touched simply by someone's words. Surely no other words would do this to him. He felt a nagging urge bubble up inside of him, a fervent desire to return the gift Jamie had just bestowed upon him. Lifting up a hand and trying his best to cease its trembling, Jack reached out and lifted Jamie's chin up, making the boy meet his eyes.

"Me too," he said, voice quivering much more than he would have liked. The summer spirit's newly green eyes widened, never breaking their contact with Jack's icy blue ones.

"Really?"

"Really. I have never been happier than I am when I'm with you."

Jamie's lips curved upwards slowly but surely, becoming one of the widest, most sincere smiles Jack had ever seen. The boy almost looked like might cry at any moment, eyes glassy and shimmering.

"You...I..." he squeaked out, having trouble forming a coherent string of words at the moment. "Jack, I, I..."

In that instant a foreign desire swept through Jack, and although he didn't comprehend it fully he knew he was powerless to stop it. There was something he needed to do. Right now. Leaning forward as if by instinct, Jack cupped Jamie's cheek in his left hand and tilted his head to the right as he bent forward. It happened quickly, Jamie never having time to fully register what was happening but never once feeling any hesitation regardless. And then the second their lips met, nothing even really mattered anymore.

Jack was cautious at first, just pressing his lips softly to Jamie's as he took in the movements the boy made and the sounds he uttered, trying to gauge a reaction. His heart seemed to skip a beat as he felt the other boy responding, a hand making its way to his side and holding on, and Jamie's lips pressing more firmly into his as the recipient of the kiss tilted his head in the same manner the giver had done.

Jack grew bolder with the positive reaction, his tongue ghosting over the boy's lips and making Jamie shiver with pleasure. When his lips parted the cold tongue slipped into his mouth, pressing against the summer guardian's warmer one and creating a surprising but altogether exhilarating sensation.

How long the kiss lasted neither was sure, but once the two parted and their eyes fluttered open, it was as if the world had somehow shifted during that time. Jack and Jamie's eyes met, holding the other's gaze in a perfect silence devoid of awkwardness or shock. Jamie took a deep, slow breath, not even attempting to conceal the colour on his cheeks, which had now deepened to a bright spring green, like the season's first leaves. There was only one thing he wanted to – had to – say at that moment.

"Jack...I...I love you."

Jack had to admit that he had thought too soon earlier. There were words that could touch him ever more, and coming from Jamie, these were exactly such words. He reached out to grab Jamie's hand, this time with no hesitation.

"I love you too, Jamie."


Hehehehhh all the fluff...it's everywhere! Everywhere! I hope I didn't cause cavities for anyone. :D

*Rovaniemi is a city in Finnish Lapland, right on the Arctic Circle (About 67°N latitude). I just had to give a shoutout to my home country! ;) It's very cold here this time of year...Jack has been busy already this winter! Of course the mention of Scandinavia is also for sentimental reasons, as well as the choice of tree – when I was little, I lived for a while in a town in metro Helsinki called Pihlajamäki, literally "Rowan Hill". There were a lot of rowan trees there, and I remember them as a part of my childhood.

Also, this chapter was really fun to write since I got to mention some of the places Jack and Jamie have gone to spread their respective seasons – I'm what one might call a geography geek. :)