Chapter Four: Touches Pt.2
Over the last few months, Nicolas St. North had perceived something different about their newest member. Though still as skittish as a newborn calf, their youngest was slowly leaving the shell of ice, North assumed the teen had created unconsciously as a means at self-preservation, he had fashioned around himself. Through the time spent together the first weeks after the battle with the Nightmare King, sporadic though they were, North gradually became aware of and deeply troubled by the youth's poorly concealed ingrained self-doubt. All the boy's flickering expressions over the past months, the careless words and confused reactions painted a painful picture of the playful little spirit who was left all on his own for 300 long years of shunning and isolation. It was a picture North wanted to erase and replace with a new one of the confident and radiant, fun-loving winter spirit he, on a few occasions, caught glimpses of. That side of their youngest member usually resurfaced when the boy interacted with the children of Burgess, especially his first believer, Jamie, while throwing an epic snowball fight.
Though Jack was a part of their little family now, he was still flighty at times and didn't stick around the four of them for very long. Three hundred years were an awful long time to be lonely, and it would take time to chase the self-abasing and ingrained feelings of self-doubt brought on by others of their kind, away. But North, being the stubborn man that he was, would, to the best of his abilities, (for the boy deserved nothing less) try to make up for the years of neglect, and rid the boy of the shadows clinging to his slight form and the lingering ghosts of rejection.
Therefore, the Guardians did their best to include the young spirit whenever winter wasn't in need of its Shepherd and Mother Nature gave him a break from the blistering blizzards and the coloring of the foliage. Whenever the Guardian of Fun visited the Pole, North would deliberately embrace the youth as he guided the boy to and fro on a grand tour of the Workshop with a heavily tattooed arm around his narrow shoulders.
North had early noticed the teen's interest in carving intricate and unique ice-sculptures. The first time being right after Sanderson's memorial when the Cossack had found the youth sitting by himself on the windowsill, creating a small, delicate picture of the Sandman with frost in fernlike patterns on the windowpane. Then again, later when he passed the room he had given the youth. Small, ice-figurines of North, Tooth, Bunny, Sandy, Jamie and his friends, so expertly and precisely carved North could almost believe them alive, neatly lined the narrow windowsill. Being an artist himself, North found it exciting discovering someone else whose interest lie in carving with ice. As he stood there, wide eyes displaying his Center, studying the small figures, he got a brilliant idea.
That idea soon blossomed into action and at Jack's next visit, the Guardian of Wonder found himself in his Workroom with an excited winter spirit, expertly carving exquisitely portrayed figurines. After some probing, as an artist to another, North got the humble boy enthusiastically telling him of his affinity for ice carving, of decades of practice and of the inner workings and intricate qualities of his own invention of a material the boy referred to as perpetual ice.
Looking up from his work on a detailed sleigh carving, he cast a glance at his visitor. North's sapphire-blue eyes wrinkled at the corners in a fond look. The Guardian of Fun sat hunched over crossed legs on the worktable, eyes intently locked on the figurine in his pale hands, a concentrated set to his chin with the tip of his tongue sticking out at the right corner of his mouth. North held back a laugh. The young immortal was hundred kinds of adorable, as Tooth used to say. Resisting the urge to ruffle the boy's white hair, North returned to his own carving, enjoying the companionable silence, the only sounds being that of tools on ice, the crackling from the grandiose fireplace and the muted noise originating from the Workshop.
It wasn't until much later that North noticed the silence was being broken by light snoring. His eyes once more found the lithe form of Jack Frost, torso toppled forward over his crossed legs, head resting on his forearms, a content smile grazing his pale lips, fast asleep. This time, North rose from his seat, reached out a tentative hand and tenderly ran it through the immortal teen's downy, white hair. Jack made a small sound and leaned into the touch, surprising the Cossack.
Jack Frost had a standing rule of no touching. Always straying away from hands, quickly bounding out of reach. The boy withdrew or in most cases jerked away from them, bony shoulders drawn tight and with a sheepish smile on his face, clutching his staff tightly. The other Guardians had after these experiences unanimously agreed that was there to be any form of physical contact with the boy, Jack was the one who should initiate it.
That only lasted a week or so. Jack, ever so skittish, was always out of reach, standing wary and separate from the group, usually by the nearest window, staff in hand. Or the winter spirit would spend the time observing them from the rafters of the Globeroom, back against a pillar and with a guarded expression. The other Guardians had learned early on that Jack did not like enclosed places and having his personal space intruded upon. Bunnymund especially had learned that the hard way.
Tooth had brought the topic up to him a couple of days later, saying that the boy had unconsciously leaned into her touch, as if yearning for closer contact, in his light slumber at the Tooth Palace after having spent hours entertaining her small fairies.
From then Jack would receive touches and embraces from the other Guardians whenever the opportunity presented itself.
A rough pat on the back from North.
A slight tug on his leg or arm from Sandy when he wanted attention or the original Guardians didn't listen or see him.
A gentle brush of Tooth's small fingers when she touched his face.
And Bunny's ruffles of his white hair or nudges against his shoulder when they, once in a blue moon, unfortunately ganged up on him.
Eventually, Jack had begun to close the gap between them. He no longer stayed separate from the group at gatherings and meetings, however, his staff was always clutched tight, his ice-blue eyes always sharp and attentive. But it was progress, and the other Guardians savored it for the small victory it was.
The bearded Guardian shook his head to clear his thoughts and gazed down at the sleeping teen still leaning into the hand tenderly stroking his hair. A warm, fatherly smile adorned the Cossack's lips as he gently eased the boy from his uncomfortable position on the table and into his arms, muscles tense in wait for the winter child to jolt awake. When nothing happened other that Jack burying his cheek further into his chest, North let out a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding, adjusted his hold on the too light teen and turned to the door, that surprisingly (or not) opened on its own.
When Phil entered without knocking (again), North gave the yeti a look that literally spelled "incorrigible". He sometimes wondered if his head of security did it on purpose just to jest. Phil held the door for him as he began the short walk to Jack's room, having seemingly forgotten whatever he wanted to tell him, or simply decided to wait.
Somehow, when he entered Jack's room he had a following of a handful of yetis and elves. Before he could chase them away, Phil had already cleared the hall. North nodded 'thanks' to the serious yeti before untangling Jack and tucking the small winter spirit in, still surprised over the teen's trust. Tooth was right after all, but then again, when was the fairy queen not.
The next time the Guardians gathered for their newly (obligatory in one particular winter spirit's case) monthly meeting, and the other Guardians settled on or around the sofa, Jack (out of habit more than anything else) wandered over to the window, pushed it slightly open and took a deep breath of the frigid, fresh air. When he turned back to the group of Guardians, his face was content, his smile peaceful, and North found that he liked seeing that new look on their youngest's face very much.
Maybe it was possible to paint a new picture a little bit faster than he first anticipated.
So here it is, the second chapter of the 'Touches' arc. Hope you all like it! Please leave a little review and tell me your thoughts!
A HUGE shout-out to all those who have favorited, followed and reviewed my story, (both the last chapter and the ones before that)! It really warms my heart to hear your wonderful words! Thanks to all of you!
This little update is for you, Barracuda57, for being such an amazing person!
~ T.