Ice Curse

:::

Bunnymund wasn't feeling this suitor thing today. He couldn't understand why, though. Maybe he didn't want Jack to feel sad if this one didn't work out, or maybe because he wouldn't get to train with Jack today.

Either way, he was thinking about Jack. He's all he's been thinking about lately. Sometimes his mind would travel to thoughts of his family, but for some reason, it always went back to Jack. Jack this, Jack that. Jack Jack Jack.

Even when he was painting, a time where he should be thinking of nothing else, Jack would come to mind. After all, the equipment was given to him by Jack and the painting takes place at the lake where Jack was cursed. He was almost finished with it, by the way, and couldn't wait to show it to Jack.

He assumed it wasn't so uncommon for him to be thinking about the only person he was hanging with at the moment. It was his job to protect Jack and be around him constantly, so it was only natural to be thinking of him. He told himself it would pass.

"Jack, you ready yet?" Bunnymund knocked on the door to the boy's room. "The suitor's gonna be here in two hours, mate."

"Uh… hold on…" He heard Jack's voice shake and crack. His ears stood straight up, sensing something was wrong.

"You alright?" The Pooka asked.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just… uh…"

"Just what?" Bunny opened the door and went in, seeing the boy peeking from behind the dressing screen. "You're not even dressed, are you?"

"No. I… slept in." He stuttered. It sounded like he was lying.

"Oh really?" Bunny pushed. "That's a little irresponsible, eh mate?"

"Like you should talk, falling asleep that night when you should have been watching me." Jack seemed to regain some of his composure.

"Shit, walked right into that one." Bunny mumbled. "Seriously, is there something wrong?"

"I don't know." Jack began as he got dressed. "I just… don't feel like meeting the suitor."

"Struth?" The Pooka realized he thought the same thing when he got out of bed today. "Why not? You said you didn't mind…"

"It gets old when people tell you they're scared of you." The prince said. "This one's gonna say the same thing. Or be a pervert. I'm not in the mood for either." He came out from behind the screen, once again overdressed. Bunny thought – and then scolded himself for it – that it's a shame he has to wear so many clothes. "Let's just get this over with." Bunnymund nodded and let the boy out the door first. When he walked by, the rabbit scrunched up his nose, smelling something odd on the prince.

Is that… Is that arousal? Sex? Bunny hadn't smelled that in years. It was a very faint scent and it smelled slightly aged like he did it a few hours ago. Bunny took another quick whiff and didn't smell it again, nor did he pick up any foreign scents from possible others. He brushed it off, thinking it was just his imagination. But if it was, why was he imagining it?

:::

"Do you know anything about her?" Bunny tried breaking the weird silence. It wasn't awkward, just… weird. Jack usually starts the conversations while Bunnymund ends them, but the kid was just sitting quietly in his throne.

"She's from a land really far away, across the ocean." Prince Jackson replied, making it sound like a fairy tail. "Their customs are really wild and out there. I actually kind of like it. Her parents died and now she's the leader. She doesn't like to be called a queen, though. What was the word… president?"

"What's her name, and don't tell me you forgot it." Bunnymund grinned.

"I didn't forget! It's uh… Julie, or something." The prince wasn't too sure. "She's 21. I saw her picture. She's really pretty."

"Sounds like a keeper to me." Bunnymund was half sarcastic. "If you marry her, you'd probably have to go live in her land."

"Whoa, hey, one step at a time!" Jack was blown away by the word 'marry'. "I told you, I'm not even in the mood for this today."

"Ya still gotta be nice to her, mate. She came a long way to be here today." Bunny made a good point.

"It sounds like you like her." Jack couldn't help but tease. The Pooka simply rolled his eyes.

"I told you, I don't need your help! I can get up these goddamn stairs myself!" They heard a deep, feminine voice coming from the hall.

"Did you hear that?" Bunnymund asked.

"Y-Yeah." The kid was surprised. "Was that her?" They heard some mumbling and loud shoes before the door to the throne room burst open, revealing the suitor.

"Presenting Lady July from America." The worn-out servant announced. Jack said she was pretty, but that word didn't cut it. She was gorgeous. She had platinum blonde hair and ruby colored eyes. Her curves were obnoxious and her skin was flawless, and she was showing a lot of it with her skimpy and short red, white and blue dress. She was probably already tall but the strange shoes she was wearing made her seem taller. The men have never seen heels that high on footwear before. She smiled and walked briskly to Prince Jackson as he stood to greet her.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. I'm July." July took his hand and shook it pretty hard. Jack was clearly shocked, but not just because of that. "Oh, did I hurt you?"

"N-No, it's just, uh…"

"He's not used to people that are willing to shake his hand, sheila." Bunny finished for him.

"Right, that curse thing." July acted as if she forgot. "That's ridiculous. I'm not scared of some shitty wizard and his curse."

Both males let their jaws drop, not believing that was one of the first things they hear from this woman's mouth. Still, if that was the case, she must be a pervert instead.

"Oh, look how cute you are! I could just eat you up!" Yep, she was a pervert. "And who are you, Mr. Giant-Rabbit-Man?"

"I'm a Pooka. Name's Bunnymund." He said firmly. "I'm the brat's- I mean prince's personal guard."

"Awesome." She simply said. "So, what am I going to do with you two boys today?" They looked at each other before the prince offered to show her around.

:::

Bunnymund was surprised at how interesting this girl was. July was not only the president of America, but also the commander-in-chief in charge of the military and foreign affairs. She ran a business that manufactured and invented weapons. She has a giant pet eagle named Revere that they met as he relaxed in the reindeer stables. She has the power of fire, much like Jack's power of ice. She created weapons that turned her power into a quick and powerful projectile, which she gladly showed off while they were outside. She was hilarious, too; some of her jokes even made the Pooka laugh.

She seemed like the perfect woman. Beautiful, bold, funny and badass; a perfect match for Prince Jackson. Why, though, did this bother him? Perhaps he was worried about her having to deal with Pitch and the curse. July might have fire power, but even that cannot melt the cursed ice. He was also worried that if Jack fell for this girl and she became a victim of the curse, how he would react. The reaction of Sandy falling victim was terrible enough; he didn't want to see Jack go through that again.

Bunnymund was worried about Jack right now. The prince, though thoroughly attempting to enjoy this woman's company and even losing track of time (it was now very late in the evening), still seemed distant and quieter than usual the whole day. July seemed to notice it too. The two sat in one of the luxurious living rooms while Bunny stood guard outside the door, not forgetting to sneak a few peeks at them every now and then.

"You know, Jack…" July was permitted to call the kid 'Jack'. "I got a feeling you're not yourself today." He looked up at her, amazed that she could figure that out. "I know I just met you, but still…"

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to be rude…" Jack trailed off.

"I bet you have a lot on your mind." She crossed her legs. "You have a fucking wizard after you. That must really suck." She sighed. "Actually, sweetie, I have something to tell you." He looked at her again. "I'm afraid I don't see you as a potential husband. Don't get me wrong, you're great and incredibly cute, but cute and innocent isn't my type, you know?" He stared at her for a second. "I'm sorry; don't give me that face…"

"No! No, actually, it's fine." The boy kind of laughed it off. "It's just… you're the first person to turn me down because of my looks and not the curse."

"Please, the curse doesn't bother me. Though I do wanna pinch those cheeks…" She winked at him. "You're so cute, but like a little brother. I like a man with a little more danger, cool and mysterious… much like that bodyguard you have." Bunny heard that, and his ears pressed against his head, surprised. She laughed, until she saw how crazy red in the face the boy got. It suddenly clicked in July's head what was going on here. "Oh shit…" She pointed to Jack, and then to the rabbit (who luckily wasn't paying attention).

"Shh!" He wildly gestured for her to not speak.

"Oh, okay." She understood even more, grinning so much Jack thought her face would split in half. "Listen Jack, if anything, I'd love to be friends with you. We could be pen pals! What do you say?"

"Friends…" The girl surprised Jack again. "I… I'd love to."

"Awesome! I'll come visit soon, too!" She leaned close to the kid's face. "After you have everything settled." She winked and Jack's face flushed. "See you!" She patted Jack on the shoulder before she left. She gave one last look to Bunny, as if to say, 'you'd better take care of him.'

"See you." Jack said a little too late, trying to cool himself off before Bunny came into the room.

"Well, that was different." The rabbit said. "Not what you expected at all, huh mate?"

"No." Jack quietly replied. "She said we would be friends." He looked up at Bunny with innocent eyes. "Do you think she meant it?"

"Of course she did. The woman's as blunt as a club." He couldn't help but think how cute the kid looked right now. "She's a good one, Jack, really."

"Wow, I made a friend today." Jack stood up and smiled, looking like he was back to his old self. "And you said it was going to be a bad day."

"Yeah, I'm the one who said it." Bunny laughed. "You know, mate, she's not the only friend you have." The prince looked at him, slightly confused as to when things got serious. "I, uh… thought I'd tell you in case it wasn't obvious, so… I consider us friends." Could that have been more awkward? Bunny mentally face-palmed. Jack continued staring, a smile curling in his lips.

"Do you?" The prince looked so happy.

"Yeah, Jack. Hard to believe?"

"A bit." Jack smirked. "But I'm glad we're friends."

"Me too." They smiled at each other, feeling a weight lift off their shoulders, though… they still felt slightly heavy.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I really wish I could hug you right now." Jack laughed, watching the Pooka's ears twitch. "By the way, how's that painting coming along?"

"It's coming along." Bunny replied wisely. "You sure are eager to see it."

"Of course! I can't wait!" Jack smiled cutely. The rabbit couldn't stop his heart from beating faster.

He was going to finish that painting tonight.

:::

A/N: HERE SHE IS, DEARS! JULY IS IN DA HOUSE! You asked, and I delivered. In case you don't know who July is, she's a character from two of my other stories Almighty Therianthropy and Independence; both stories have plenty of JackRabbit, so do read! Also, my Q&A is starting to lag, so please ask me stuff! Also, Happy belated Birthday to me (10-3). These past two chapters are my Birthday gifts to me! *cries* I'm so Happy.

Taru-chan

Here are some answers:

Kayla: Okay, so I have a couple questions in mind now, because I'm not totally
exhausted and forcing myself to stay awake because "I WANT TO READ MORE!" is the main though resounding in my head.

1) What are some of the things that Jack has frozen?
2) Have most of his clothes been enchanted so he doesn't freeze his
undergarments?
3) Have there been any *slightly* comical ways that someone has gotten
themselves frozen by touching Jack? Like someone trying to spy on him while
changing, and getting a little ahead of themselves? Groping him maybe?
Something that would leave the person in a very embarrassing position?

Answer: 1) When Jack first got cursed, he was freezing everything, like the water in the bathtub, his hairbrush, and his eating utensils (which would in turn freeze the food). He would pet animals and they would freeze. He would just brush past someone in the hallway and they would freeze. He even froze his crown and some of his royal jewelry (for some reason they don't count as clothes). It's not like he meant to, it was just absent-mindedness. It's like when you have an injury and you can't do your everyday tasks, stuff you take for granted. Finally he learned he could wear gloves to stop the freezing. This brings me to the next answer:

2) No one's exactly sure why his clothes are the only things that aren't 100 percent affected by the curse. Jack thinks because Pitch loves him he might be jealous of others who would get to see and touch his beautiful skin, so the clothes remain unaffected to make Jack shield his body from others, both for their safety and to stop their wandering eyes.

3) None of the incidents have been comical for Jack. Even when the suitors (or whoever) are perverts and they touch him or kiss him, the experience has been horrible. Jack doesn't want anyone to die, no matter how horrible they are. He doesn't even laugh when he freezes a lifeless object. Good questions as always!

Guest: Just keeps getting better and better! Oh, what you favorite music?

Answer: Thank you! I seriously like all kinds of music, pop, rock, hip-hop, show-tunes, disco, dance, 70s, 80s, 90s, AUGH EVERYTHING! I like a little bit of country, like pop-country, but that's really the only genre I don't particularly like. I don't like blues, either. Makes me extremely depressed.