Jamie had flown with Jack a few times, but each time had been special. The last time he'd flown with the winter spirit had been an accident actually; Jamie had slipped and fallen over the side of a cliff while out snowboarding and the winter spirit had heard his startled yelp. Jamie's friends had thought he was dead when they'd seen him go over, but unknown and unseen to them was Jack who had swooped from a nearby tree and caught him; flying him to the bottom of the cliff to avoid Jamie's fall from being too odd. Jamie remembered the cold embrace, even as he felt it now. A soft sigh escaped him before he could stop it, but it was one that wasn't of exhaustion or anything else, it was a sigh of contentment. For a brief moment he closed his eyes and simply felt. His heart pounding in his chest, the cold that seeped into him from Jack was familiar and welcoming as it had always been; Jamie felt himself relax in the embrace he knew so well.

"There's more to it." Jamie's eyes flew open as Jack set him down in his room. He was disappointed that it had ended, but unaware just how long the winter spirit had hovered outside the window; staring down at him and gaging what his reaction was before actually going inside.

"More to what?"

"There's something you're not telling me. Something... important."

"It's only important to me, it doesn't matter to you." Jack flinched a little as if struck.

"Jack... I'm sorry... I shouldn't have said that." He said, instantly regretting the words.

"I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

"It's not your fault. You're right, there is more to the story. More than I told the others, more than I've told you." Jack watched the teen silently as he sat down on his bed, looking down at his hands.

"I told you that I had made that wish because I didn't want you to hurt because I would die. It's not because you were my best friend... you were... are more than that to me." He took a deep breath, it felt like the first time ...

"Jack... I love you." Jack just stared, uncertain how to take this or how to even fully respond but now he seemed to understand.

"That's why you made the wish then..."

"Yes. Because I knew some day I'd die and you'd be left all alone again. I ... I didn't want you to go through that." Jamie didn't look up, not even when Jack moved over to him and hugged him; all he could do was return the winter spirit's embrace, knowing that this Jack wasn't his Jack. That this Jack didn't know him, didn't love him.

"I'm sorry Jamie. I don't-"

"I don't expect you to feel it. You're not my Jack. You're not the one I left behind when I made this wish... Well, yes you ARE him but at the same time... you're not because you don't have all the memories we made together. You weren't the Jack who saved me from bullies or who spent time sneaking through the autumn leaves trying to see me early even knowing that the autumn spirits would chase you off if they so much as saw even a hint of frost."

"Then why are you doing this?" Jack asked, breaking the silence that fell between them.

"Because... I can't just sit here and not do anything. Jack... this wish... it's brought you more pain than I could ever have imagined it might. I didn't know just how important it was that we even met ten years ago... that I'd made such a difference. I want to make this world right... no matter what the cost. The world shouldn't have to suffer... YOU shouldn't have to suffer like this because of my mistake." Jack was silent then. What could he say? After a moment he left the teen to his thoughts as he went to retrieve the other Guardians one by one until the four of them were gathered in the bedroom.

"I obviously cannot leave here until the first light, I don't think it'd be a good idea to try with as protective as mom is. You can stay here though. Tooth can have my sister's room. North can stay here... You too Jack, I've got some sleeping bags for us." Jack didn't protest when Jamie pulled a sleeping bag from his closet for the winter spirit before dragging out some extra blankets and yet another sleeping bag. Jamie set his sleeping bag near the window so he'd be close to the cool air and lay down. Jack seemed uncertain where to put his as the boy settled down for sleep. In fact, he just stood there for the longest time before he made up his mind. Maybe he wasn't the Jack that Jamie knew, that Jamie had fallen in love with and wanted to do anything to protect, but that didn't mean he didn't want to be near the boy. Jamie deserved happiness too. Ignoring what the consequences might be, Jack settled his next to Jamie's and stretched out over the covers; he didn't really need them but Jamie had insisted they would make the bag more comfortable and Jack couldn't argue there since they were both sleeping on the floor. Jack didn't sleep at first. How could he after what Jamie had told him? He knew being close to the boy could be dangerous, but he wanted Jamie to relax and it seemed that him being near the boy did just that even before Jamie was fully asleep. Jack wasn't sure how he felt about being loved by this teen. Sure he was handsome... and brave... and selfless... ah geez. Okay, he had to admit he felt something for the boy. How could he not when Jamie had practically thrust into this reality against his will and yet he was so determined to save it. To "right the wrong" as he'd told Jack and the others. There was no reason that Jamie should think that his wish was wrong. The more Jack thought about it the more he was sure that Jamie had meant his wish to only benefit Jack; he'd been alone for 300 years before the Guardians had told him that he was meant to be one of them... that had been ten years ago and that... Well, it had ended in disaster. As he looked at the sleeping teen, he couldn't help but wonder just what it was the world was really like where Jamie had come from. He believed the boy, that he wasn't really from this place that he'd come from another life where Jack was officially a Guardian and Pitch had been defeated those short years ago with Jamie's help and the help of Jamie's friends. It wasn't impossible and while he'd been skeptical at first he had to admit that there was no other reason for Jamie's determination to change things. There was no other reason for the boy to want to fight Pitch... for him to even believe the Guardians existed. That right there was an anomaly all on its own; even those who had gone insane since Pitch's reign had begun again didn't just suddenly start believing in the Guardians. He had every reason to believe that Jamie was telling him the truth. Jack wasn't sure when he'd drifted to sleep, but the morning's rays and the feel of warmth were what woke him. He nearly leapt out of his skin when he realized that during the night, while asleep, Jamie had cuddled against him and now had one arm thrown over him; his head seemed buried against the winter spirit's neck. Jack felt his face flush, he wasn't used to physical contact and certainly nothing like this! Embarrassed, he glanced towards the bed to see if North was awake, but the other Guardian seemed to be fast asleep as well. Jack wasn't sure if he was ultimately relieved or not. He could use the other's wisdom in the matter of dealing with this youth's... ah... affections for him.

Not to mention maybe he could figure out why it was he actually liked the warmth that this teen's body provided when he couldn't ever remember enjoying it since before he'd become Jack Frost. He tried to edge away only to still when the teen grumbled something unintelligent and pulled Jack closer. Jack's face flushed crimson. Great. Just great. Well, it looked to him like the only option was to stay next to the teen. He shifted his head a little to get a better look at the teenager who seemed to want to keep him close. He'd never had anyone who wanted to keep him close like this. Jamie... he really did love Jack, that was another thing he'd have to deal with besides the teen's up and down moods about the world. He lightly shifted a stray lock of the brown hair from the teen's face. The boy certainly had good looks, he'd grown into his own and was... Wait, what the heck was he thinking? He couldn't get involved! Could he... ? Well, Jamie was the first person to see him in over 300 years... Why not? Still, he hesitated to; as Jamie had said, he wasn't the same winter spirit that Jamie had come to love, who had made memories years before with the teen. Things were far from simple here and Jack knew it. He felt like this was some sort of great dream, that maybe things were worse off than this and he wasn't thinking odd things about his first believer. Jack considered something... he wanted to... to try something. He shifted a little so that there was some space between the boy's head and his neck. He almost felt bad about shifting away, but he shoved the thought aside as he traced the boy's lips with one finger. They were soft to the touch but what would they feel like when... ? Jack found himself drawn, too curious to pull back, he pressed his lips to the warm ones; an explosive combination seemed to surge through him from the difference in temperature. It was beyond anything he'd ever experienced and at the same time almost frightening, but he found he enjoyed it. There was something quite alluring at the danger of the boy waking up... of North waking up and it made his heart pound a little more before he shifted back, trying to calm his racing heart and get his breath back. That had been... just wow... Jamie lay still, he'd been awoken by the cold kiss and it had taken all his willpower to not return it. He didn't want to scare Jack away. He lay still as if asleep, kept his breathing even as he did. He really wanted to feel Jack's lips against his again so badly... he wanted to wake up in his bed with the winter spirit and kiss him senseless, but he knew he couldn't do that. This wasn't that reality. Jack didn't love him... but apparently he was curious. Jamie really didn't blame him; how could he after all when that was the excuse he'd used to kiss Jack years ago. Sure he'd been curious at the time but he'd also harbored secret feelings for Jack even back then. Jamie remembered how reserved and skittish Jack had been with their relationship and he didn't think that this version of Jack would be any different. That didn't keep him from wanting though, from wanting what he'd had before. He realized suddenly that he never should have even thought to make the wish; that he should just let what they had be, to cherish what he'd had in the time that they'd had and not worry so much about what the future would hold. He should have had more faith in Jack, even if it was impossible... Jack would find some way... Hadn't he always found ways to get to Jamie and to do the impossible before? Heck, Jack WAS the impossible wasn't he? Wasn't it Jamie who had thought that it was impossible that he could have had his feelings returned? It was impossible that this Jack would... but no, he would take the chance this time. He knew, in his heart, that when they faced Pitch this time, that things could be different and they might not win. That Pitch could destroy one of them, that the Boogeyman would have little to no trouble killing him and that meant that he needed to take all the chances he could so when he felt those cold lips against his once more; he slowly responded to the kiss, he slid his tongue along those cool lips and when Jack's parted in a surprised gasp he plunged his tongue into that cold mouth; his grip on Jack tightened a moment before he released him and pulled back to meet puzzled and shocked blue eyes.

Jack looked like a fish as he tried to get his mouth to work. There was no good reason for him to have kissed the teen except that he'd wondered how it would feel and he couldn't deny the pleasure of it, but he didn't... there was no way he felt... Ah screw it. What did he have to lose? The world was in Pitch's hands and they weren't far from going into battle against that monster.

"Whatever happens, know that I love you." Jamie murmured softly. Chocolate eyes meeting his.

"Jamie... I..." A single finger against his lips forestalled Jack from saying more.

"Don't worry about it. Not now. Save it for when this is all over." Jack wanted to protest but he realized that there was no reason to. When the finger left his lips he murmured quietly.

"Can I do it again?" Jamie nodded. Neither boy noticing that the other in the room had been awake the whole time and watching the two of them, more or less, as their lips met again. North didn't need his magic to know that Jamie was good for the winter spirit, he'd know that since he'd met the boy. Known for certain that Jamie was someone special and that Jack needed someone like that in his life. They all did actually, they needed a believer and Jamie was that believer. Hours later found the four of them at Jack's pond, it was an hour until dark and Jamie had told his mother he was going to stay at a friend's house; she had been skeptical but, Jamie had been so sincere in telling her that everything would be okay that she had relented.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jack asked quietly as they stood at the entrance Pitch's lair, waiting for true darkness to settle.

"I'm sure Jack." Jack nodded a little and the last few minutes seemed to pass by slowly, everyone was nervous, but the only one who wasn't showing it in some form was North and Jamie. Tooth's wings fluttered a little nervously and Jack wouldn't sit still; Jamie had no idea why the two seemed to be unable to stand in one spot like he and North were, but he didn't say anything either.