Again, thanks for the reviews! And the following facts about the dreamsand in this chapter, they aren't actually true, I just made them up to fit the story. I love you guys so much.
Chapter Four
Sandy makes dreams for everyone
Where Jack was no exception, and Tooth plays Doctor
Jack was back at Bunnymund's warren. It was dark, but only because night had fallen. The egg minions all slept in the bushes and crevices of the trees, all of them painted and ready for their coming Easter. Everything was peacefully quiet, save the sound of Jack's bare feet walking across the grass.
'Thought I heard someone.' Jack spun around in alarm. Bunnymund walked out of the shadow of a tree, smiling as he marched up towards him. 'Hey there Frostbite. Looking for me?'
'Well, I…' Jack had forgotten what his next words were when he was suddenly pulled into a kiss. He was startled, and started struggling. The two Guardians fell, and Jack landed with his back on the grass. Bunnymund managed to support his fall with his hands. He then hovered over him, his breath heavy on Jack's cheeks. He sees the panic on his face, and gently stroked his cheek with a paw. The simple touch calmed him almost immediately.
Bunnymund was about to retreat his paw when Jack grabbed it with both his hands. They stared into the other's eyes, both their breaths slow and steady, and it was all they could hear. Jack's hands trembled as they lifted themselves, and slowly took hold of Bunnymund's face.
None of them dared to speak. None of them needed to.
The two of them moved towards each other, their lips just hovering inches away…
Suddenly a siren blared, and Jack woke up screaming and searching blindly for his staff. He grabbed hold of it with both hands, and made a defending pose.
He fell asleep on top of a water reserve while staring off at the view of another neighborhood. Jack must have heard the sound of a car's alarm, and it was still blaring from a distance away.
He saw streams of gold hovering above the night sky, and smiled. Sandy was on patrol again, giving children the sweetest dreams.
Suddenly, he felt a wave of dread wash over him. He was sure he dreamt of something bad before that car siren woke him. He remembers the egg minions, the grass on his feet, and the cool breeze of Bunnymund's warren in the dark of the night.
He remembers him pinning Jack to the ground, and they were about to…to…
Jack buried his head in his hands, and his scream was turned into muffles. The worst part of the dream was that he actually liked it, and it had felt so real. He could still feel his heart pounding like mad right this moment, and oh God, Sandy. Sandy knows about this, because he gave Jack this dream. Even if he didn't, he would know by now.
This has to be the worst day Jack ever had in his three hundred and nineteen years of life.
'Maybe it's just the Spring fever.' Jack started muttering to himself. He looked at the floating sand in the sky again, and traced them back to Sandy with his eyes, who was hovering above a church continuing to make dreamsand.
Jack swung his staff once, and flew towards Sandy without disturbing any of his dreamsand. He tip toed across the edge of the roof of the church. He forced his mind not to think too much into the dream. 'Hey Sandy. Been a while.'
Sandy looked at Jack and smiled. He waved with a free hand. Jack wanted to ask if Sandy knows about his dream, which in all honesty still seemed more like a nightmare to him, but the Sandman looked a little full on his hands. 'Um, Sandy, were you aware that I was in the area when you came?'
Sandy turned and nodded with a hint of mischief. Jack's stomach did another flip, but this time it was the kind that gave him the bad feelings.
'But how…' Jack stuttered, 'How did you know about-'
'Jack! You left Bunny's warren pretty early today!' Tooth flew over and landed right next to the two other Guardians with Baby Tooth in tow. 'Hey Sandy!' she hugged the man, and turned back to Jack. But when she sensed his uneasiness, she stopped smiling. 'Jack? Is everything alright?'
'Nothing, I just think I have the Spring fever, that's all, really.' Jack forced a smile on Tooth. He was mildly surprised that she bought his lie, but then again she was a little naïve on the inside.
'Really?' she started touching his forehead. 'Did you have breakfast this morning? When did it start? Do you have a headache now? Did you sleep last night?' As she asked she started groping his arms and stomach, and soon she opened his mouth and checked its interior. 'Well, at least your teeth are healthy. You need to floss though. That, and you need to start eating some vitamins and protein.'
With his mouth still pried open, Jack answered, 'Uh huh.'
Tooth finally took her hands off his mouth ,and Jack started rubbing at its edges. 'Do you know that your hormones rise when you are having the Spring fever?' she asked, albeit a little too happily.
Jack choked on air. 'Where'd you get that from? What are you, a doctor?'
'Of course, there's more to a child's health than just healthy teeth!' Tooth giggled. 'Oh, and you're following me back to Bunnymund's warren tomorrow. I'm sure he was delighted with your egg paintings.'
Jack's left eye twitched. 'Again? But I have to clear the snow in Southern China tomorrow, and there's another oncoming blizzard in Russia in the evening according to their local forecast…'
'It's just for the morning!' Tooth begged. 'Please, Jack? It's been so long since we came together, Sandy can come too! Sandy, please? Just a day off work?' they both turned to look at Sandy, who nodded eagerly without hesitation.
Jack groaned as his shoulders slumped. This is the first time since forever he'd rather work and tame blizzards than have fun in the nice, comfy warren, particularly because of the Guardian that owns it. He guessed it was payback; the Guardian of Fun would rather perform and fulfill his duty like some dull-looking general on the battlefield than doing it his way.
'See you there tomorrow!' Tooth hollered as she left. Baby Tooth came up to his face, and chirped once. She kissed his cheek, and quickly left with her Queen. Jack was left with Sandy again, who seemed to be finishing his work in the area.
'Sandy, uh,' he asked as they started to fly and leave the neighborhood. 'Why did you give me that dream?'
Sandy blinked at him. He pulled symbols out on his head slowly so Jack could understand. My dreamsand visualizes children's dreams, I do not make them.
Jack took a deep breath, exhaled and stared ahead as they both flew in silence. But moments later Sandy tapped his shoulder. He formed four simple symbols. A tall rabbit, a heart, Jack's staff and a question mark.
Does he return your feelings?
Jack stumbled in his flight. 'What? No!' he chuckled nervously. He looked around himself. The view around them only consisted of blue clouds, dark skies and the full moon. 'I need to leave now,' he said. 'Fly somewhere close to China for tomorrow.'
Sandy couldn't even ask about tomorrow's session at the warren, because Jack already flew away, far away from him. Far away from everyone.
As the winds carried him nowhere, Jack looked up at the moon. It wasn't like the Man in the Moon was Cupid, but Jack asked nonetheless.
'Why Bunnymund of all people?' he whispered, as if scared someone else in the sky would hear him. He already felt uneasy around him the month before Easter, but with this newfound feeling it was downright frustrating. He sighed.
Jack continued to fly in the dark of the sky and the bright of the moon.
