I'm back, seems like you people came with the great idea of reviewing. For that I am grateful. I have until chapter 12 done so I think I should quit sleeping and writing it all again, so I can keep the frequency of chapters. Damn. I like sleeping.
By the way it's not for that why you came here for, is it? Of course not. Since last chapter's failure, I decided to make something more dynamic, less feels and more fun to me! So yeah, it is stupid as hell. Hahahaha! Now I wonder where PandaAttack is…
Disclaimer: I don't own it, but if I did, half of the characters would be strippers. Liar's idea, which I don't own as well.
Chapter 10 – Coffee
"Gehenna really! It has been a week already, stop shadowing me." Jack muttered, and North couldn't help but to smile. The Nightmare wasn't on a form any bigger than a cat, still a horse but kind of longer and less formed. Jack once told him that was the original forms of the Nightmares, when the dreams became tainted, they were that side and like that, and then they grew with their power and became full black-sand mares.
The response Jack got with that was a soft but still creepy whine from the creature, as it moved to hide on Jack's hood just behind his neck, hiding from the lights on the Globe Room and enjoying the coldness of the winter. North had learned Nightmares enjoyed the coldness as much as they liked heat and darkness, to them every temperature was good enough to them if they were accentuated, extremes.
It never ended to amuse North, really. The creatures certainly understood Pitch's mind and needs far more than he ever would, they knew how to deal with Jack, they knew how to keep a fair distance from the dream weaver, not showing their teeth to Tooth in anyway neither killing Bunny when he made nasty remarks about their King on to anyone when they talked about Pitch. This one specifically, called Gehenna, was the one who knew most probably, and simply was whenever Pitch or Jack was.
North never understood, but Jack just like Pitch could recognize that Nightmare from the others. To him though, they were just the same, if they were all together, North could never tell the difference besides a bit of their sizes.
The winter spirit sighed contently as he embraced the sensation of touching a Nightmare, North felt it once and never wanted to feel it again, it was a wake Nightmare, like daydreaming but a Nightmare and far stronger than any lucid dream, it was like a crisis of a phobia.
Jack though, never seemed affected by that. Maybe was a spell, yet Jack assured it wasn't, but Jack seemed to drawn nothing from the Nightmare's natural ability, like fire's when touched. The snow bringer said to him it was different, he could go numb and at the same time more alert, it made his senses flare on a way they even were clouded.
It was like too much action and reception that suddenly he couldn't even feel pain. It was great for playing and studying his surroundings. The winter spirit mentioned something about this being how Pitch actually lived, 25 hours per day, and North simply wondered how it was possible.
The memory of Pitch made his heart ache somewhat soft but painfully. He sighed silently, covering it with some sort of fake smile. Pitch had vanished for good four days now, and he couldn't help but feeling guilty. If he hadn't simply kissed the Boogeyman, he was sure he would have returned by now.
He was already fine from whatever that happened on the woods of Burgess, he was far from him, and it was only his fault and no one's else. If he could return on the time and make himself stop...
North talked with one of his yetis, Jonathan, as he made sure the ranks were fine and he would be able to finish everything before even Christmas. Of course there were children who sent letters just a week before, but yet he wanted to be sure the others would be on time. He waved as he talked to the yetis, Tooth already said how it was funny when he did that, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. He suddenly stopped though, when the hair on his neck got up.
He knew not when he started to feel for the Boogeyman, but he was sure like he was that sun dawn every day . He thought it was all because he cared, because he somehow felt just like when he got Jack on his workshop, welcoming him much like a son. He could feel the need of warmth, he could feel the need of soft words and caring actions. But Jack was like a son to him, would forever be, but when he saw the beauty and flaw that was the Nightmare King though, he fell.
It was idiotic how he never connected those feelings before. When he fought the Nightmare King, he always felt something on his belly, running like static on his spine, making him upset and nervous.
He always fought Pitch, but fought like a soldier, not sure what was fighting, but instead following orders and defending those he loved. Never ran on his mind that maybe Pitch had problems as well, for when they fought, he seemed good and almost immortal. Now though, North could easily spot the act, see that the truth wasn't quite like that.
The static ran on his spine again, like it used to do in those years now long gone. There was magic on the air, an ancient creepy magic, like the dust or the pressure released by a volcano, he could feel how old that pressure and air was, he could feel how powerful and omnipresent it was.
It was fear, but not simple fear, for like a tree, fear was many things and had branches. Safety only existed with the fear, more importantly for the lack of it at the moment, and concentration of it on the others.
Loneliness was the fear of not having anything or anyone to fear for, rage was the strength to ignore it, courage was the heart to do it, arrogance was the certainty that it wasn't enough to bring one down, care was the action of making it fade from another being whatever it cost.
Pitch had all those traits and more, he simply could have come before fear even did. And now, the essence raw and mystical of fear ran on his veins, mixing with his blood and causing him to shudder when he felt the presence.
"Don't want to interrupt, so just go on..." It whispered on his ear, and that voice he could understand from the back of his skull to his toes. He fought the urge of simply turning on his heels, sure he would find the Nightmare King there, yet was like if his body froze over. He didn't want to turn around though, for he feared that the Boogeyman wasn't there at all. He stared at Jack and the boy had a wide grin on his mouth. He didn't know how, but he was sure the boy did know what happened, and by the look, he knew exactly what the shadows spoke.
The Nightmare raised its head from the winter spirit's hood and stared at the walls, eager to move and meet with the King. "Pitch!" The winter spirit cheered at a wall and for a moment North wondered if the boy was getting mad.
Then was when North noticed the shadow on the wall that didn't belonged to none of the yetis, spirit or elves on the workshop. A shadow without something doing it. On it, a smile crept and glowed silver, as did eyes.
"Not keen on keeping things clouded, are you Jack?" He heard it and the winter spirit simply shook his head, a wide silly smile on his lips as the Nightmare put its front pawns on the snow bringer's shoulder, eager to touch the shadow on the wall. Was when it moved. Getting from 2D to 3D the shadows took form and certain Nightmare King appeared, a cocky smile on his lips, but yet endlessly beautiful as he ever was.
"Nope. Your little spy missed you know it?" Jack said and Pitch smiled as the Nightmare flew from his hood to snake on the man's body, losing an specific form to simply warp around him like if it was shadows, a thing he had already seen Pitch doing, moving his shadows like if they had their own will, as they embraced and whirled slow and dangerously around the dark spirit, touching him like some sort of intimate lover or himself.
Pitch simply smirked to the shadowy creature. North bite the corner of his lips, that was definitely torture to watch the shadows warp and touch the Nightmare Kind like a scarf of black silk, touching what he wanted to touch so much.
"Of course she did, so did I. What I missed while out?" He asked and the winter spirit shrugged. Without looking, Pitch stepped to the side so a few yetis could walk past him, carrying boxes and without having to ask to him to move away. Few elves were giggling, shivering and pointing at the Boogeyman at one corner, yet it was already common and none of them bothered to even glance.
"The usual, Bunny being an ass is one of them. And Gehenna, she has been following me just like you probably asked. I had to push her out so I could take simple bath." He said and Nightmare whined long and creepily, before poking at Pitch's long elegant neck. He caressed the creature softly, answering the creature lowly on a way he could not understand more than some mumbles.
"She brings honor to her name, and makes me proud. Do not be angry at her for that though, I couldn't leave you out of my sight with the danger off more fire spirits returning." Pitch answered calmly, and that bought a smile on the winter spirit's lips. North softened at that, Pitch would never say that loud, but he cared for the winter spirit as much as did North, Sandy, Tooth and Bunny together.
"I'm just glad you're back." North muttered with a warm smile, and that got the attention of the winter spirit. Jack smiled mischievously and tugged the sleeve of the Nightmare King like some sort of really annoying child. "Oh, and North missed you as well. He was mourning just like if you died."
North rose an eyebrow to that and the dark spirit sighed silently, his face flushing to a darker tune of grey before he finally was able to contain it again. When Pitch noticed the glance the Russian sent him though, that control simply slipped out of his fingers like water. North chuckled slightly, there was fun on seeing Pitch trying to keep his facade, there was no need of that, yet the Nightmare King could never stand being opened and investigated like some sort of book.
"Okay..." Jack said, looking at them both with his intelligence and ability to read people on the work. "There is something here I can't put my finger on, so I will just ask. What is going on?" He asked and Pitch somehow turned to face the wall, the face darker than before this statement.
"Nothing is going on." North said, but he couldn't hold the smug grin to creep on his face until he was laughing loudly. On the large Globe Room there was yetis and elves working and making their work, so it was natural none of them paid attention to them. But with that laughter, some glanced, but knew better than stop working to ask what was happening. Pitch stared to the floor like if it was the most awesome thing on the galaxy.
"Pitchhh! Come on, tell me! Tell me or I will just tell Tooth and I leave her to discover that, just like I did with Bunny." Jack said and the episode when Jack told the Fairy the Easter Bunny disagreed with brushing teeth everyday returned to his mind. He surely didn't want to be the next victim, he wouldn't wish that not even to his worst enemy. Neither to his most intimate friend. And both ended to be the same guy.
"I think I left a cake on the oven of my Lair, sorry Jack, this may be a tale for another day." Pitch said briefly before turning on heels and returning to the shadows he just came from. Jack yelped and dragged the Nightmare King back to the light, and if Pitch looked like a deer caught on headlights, it wasn't coincidence.
"You hate cakes! Come on Pitch!" The winter spirit complained as he dragged the Nightmare King back to the light, and when he was sure Pitch wouldn't disappear once he turned his back, he turned to North. "Come on North! I want to understand what I missed." The winter spirit pleaded and North stole a glance of the Boogeyman, who looked ready to shut everyone up with sand or his shadows.
"You missed nothing Jack, really. It's just a personal joke, when you're older we shall explain." North said and the winter spirit simply got blue in rage with that. Pitch shrugged, like if he had already tasted the rage of the beast that North had just unleashed.
"I'm three hundred years old for the Moon's sake! How older you want me to get? You know I can't physically age so if it's that what you're waiting, that time will never come!" Jack breathed and before Pitch could even evade the winter spirit already held his arm like some possessive girlfriend and glared daggers at the Toy maker. North could only smile and laugh, for he knew that Jack's anger was petty and soon he would be over it.
"Come on Pitch! Can you teach me some spells now?" He asked almost demanding the dark spirit to oblige with him. Pitch simply rolled his eyes and bended a bit. He moved to whisper on the winter spirit's ear, and after something that he said Jack's eyes widened, and he could see on the corner of the lips of the Boogeyman a sharp but sincere smile. Only before he whispered something again and Jack nodded quickly. North suddenly was death curious about what Pitch could have told the boy,
"Really!?" Jack suddenly asked and Pitch grinned somewhat darkly, an eclipse over the once silver irises, which now shined dangerously golden.
"Yes, now go." He said on a knowing look that made Jack's glare look almost devilish. The winter spirit nodded, before the black sand whirled around him and settled on him, hiding on every dark spot of his clothes, and once it was stabilized, Jack picked his staff and ran to the corridor.
The wind caught up with the spirit, and Jack started to fly, leaving dark blue sand behind him like if he was but a Nightmare himself, but this sand was different, it put down any barrier there once had between cold and darkness, and it strike on a single way, the sand leaving pieces of frost and darkness, an amusing scene.
There was a mischievous smile on Pitch's lips when he saw Jack leave, North was sure he could hear the Boogeyman's voice saying 'That's my boy' with a proudly tune only a father could have. An evil loving father, by the danger on every trace of his face, but a father still.
"What you said to him?" North asked with genuine interest and Pitch smiled arrogantly, crossing his arms while at that. North smiled even more, there was something on Pitch's natural coolness and arrogance that seemed to attract him more and more as days ran.
"I bribed him. Those newest generations, including his, are far more attracted to the unknown than others have ever been, attracted to cheats to change their lives for better." Pitch explained calmly, almost matter of fact. "I proposed to teach something I have been delaying for some time, but now I believe he will be able to earn if he listen to my warnings."
North nodded to that, Pitch was master of black magic and probably the best around the world, since he was into it far longer than any other spirit, yet he too knew very much about the white magic, and was the best teacher anyone could ever ask for. He was sure that if it wasn't Jack, he certainly wouldn't be teaching anyone, for he clearly hated many people and lacked patience towards them.
Except his frost smaller copy, Jack and Pitch were like long lost twins with a huge age difference. "What you're going to teach him?" North asked and Pitch shook his head, his half lidded eyes holding amusement as he placed a finger on his own lips.
"No no no, I promised I wouldn't say a thing. Sensei and pupil secrets." He said and North knew he wasn't able to drag anything else from the dark spirit, Pitch was stubborn in the same quantity as deadly and cold. And at the same time, gentle and warm.
"If you say so, I think I will just give up." North muttered, crossing his arms. He signed a paper a yeti called Raphael gave him and then he waved at the Boogeyman again. "Up to a coffee?"
The question seemed to get the Boogeyman out of his guard before the dark spirit simply nodded. There was something sparkling on those flawless golden irises, not distrust, but not sure too if he should drop his guard. North paid it no mind though, as said reaction was kind of normal of the man, and he simply leaded to his office.
Pitch walked awfully close, and at the same time, awfully distant to him. His overcoat always touched his shadow in some form, stepping inside it and walking perfectly matched with it, not a piece of his own shadows or his coat touched outside North's shadow. Looking back, he could see perfectly that Pitch had no shadow, but instead seemed to be rising from his.
He entered his office casually, and slipped a mug of hot coffee for both of them. He liked his with vodka, while he could see that Pitch liked it black and pure like himself in some sort of way. Coffee said much about people. "Thanks." The Boogeyman said calmly as North handed him his mug of coffee.
There was something on his long thin fingers warping around his mug that made North's lips dry, fingers so different from his, he was large, thick and brute, while Pitch was all thin, long and elegant. It was like comparing a bison to an English Pure Blood horse.
"Welcome." North answered with a smile, before letting himself drink a bit from the cup. Pitch was already drinking his and he watched intensely as the Boogeyman stopped. "So, Jack mentioned you missed me..."
North almost choked on his coffee with the awkward theme being bought from nowhere. "Da..." He answered being equally endless as the Nightmare King. The silence followed after that, thick enough to be cut with a dagger.
North looked as much as Pitch wasn't looking, he wanted the Nightmare King badly, he wanted to scream everything he wanted to put out, but yet, the fact Pitch had vanished for four days showed it wasn't a good idea. He didn't want the dark spirit far never ever again. The awkwardness followed.
Looking at Pitch was a torture, his thin lips straight on a line of concentration and discomfort made him want to kiss his worries away. The sharp nose at his ever first glance he was surprised at how comical it was. Hours after, he could understand how beautiful it really was, and since that day when he was a human, his idea never changed. Him knowning of his feelings or not. And only last week he was of them.
"You have a good coffee here you know... you buy from where?" Pitch asked casually, and North almost sighed loudly in relief. Something to break the ice, and yet, it was so obvious it didn't really helped. But he was giving it a try.
"Not really sure, I buy it from Northern spirits, and then put a bit of vodka on mine." North said softly, and he could see Pitch's lips curling on a smile. "Russian", he could hear Pitch muter under his breath.
"Looks good, but I can tell you pure is better. I like the original flavor, intense per se. I used to buy from South America, theirs are strong and intense in the right levels." Pitch explained calmly, and North took the mental note of trying it once. He just didn't agree it could be better than his with vodka.
"Believe me, there is something about the ones from the Northern parts, they are strong but sweet too. Unless you're some madman who dislike sweets no one can't love it." North defended, and Pitch placed his mug on the table he was touching on, his hips brushed slightly the wood as he leaned just merely on it, but enough to attract North's attention.
"Nothing against sweet things, but without excess. There isn't nothing sweet on South America coffee, unless you put your own sugar on it of course. You can only put a bit, if you put too much it gets disgusting and it isn't coffee anymore, is waste." Pitch said, looking over the Toy maker with the awkwardness now long forgotten.
"Northern isn't that sweet, its strong and formed, I believe you would like it. With milk they say it is the best, but with vodka it gets magical." North stated prideful, putting his empty mug on the table as well.
Pitch rolled his eyes. "You never tasted mine, you can't say a thing until then. Its refined, it's pure and its dense, there is something else better on a coffee?"
North laughed at that. "You never tasted mine. I think the change would make you good. And I will try your South America coffee, you convinced me enough."
"Good, I look forward to trying your Russian way of drinking coffee. I wish I had stolen it before you drank everything." Pitch said with a light smile on his lips, a pure, dense and somewhat royal one on it. The idea stuck him before he could even think if it was a good one.
"You still can try." North muttered before he simply moved to the lips of the Boogeyman, slipping his callused hands to the table behind the Nightmare King. North felt the body under his stiffen in surprise, his mind fought, but soon if Pitch has any restriction, it was thrown away.
His lips parted slightly, allowing the invasion, and North was glad they did. He had tasted the softness of those lips, their unique flavor of strong and dense coffee, refined and somewhat royal, and he had to admit he wasn't fair when he judged it before. It was indeed the best coffee he had ever tasted.
He grunted softly on that mouth, touching the roof of his mouth and bringing the Boogeyman to hum in approval, he could feel long arms warping around his neck and pulling him closer, the tongue battled his, and he simply hated himself for not doing that never before on his life.
"So I guess this is an approval of everything we have done and permition for more." North asked and Pitch chuckled slightly, his eyes still half lidded and he simply refused to let North's neck go. Not that North was going anywhere, he was too happy there to go anywhere or allow the Boogeyman to go somewhere.
"Sane... yes. I look forward trying more of Russian coffee." The Nightmare King said with a far too devious wink, that it should be outlawed. Not that it would have stopped Pitch of course. North simply grinned, he still had soo much to discover from the Nightmare King, help him to return to a better and entire state.
This though, was nothing about redemption or for the world's safety. This was because North wanted the Boogeyman forever with him, to be his and his alone, for he was a jewel to behold and worship, he wanted him fine and well, for whatever path he wanted to take. He could just hope it would be the good one.
"The same for yours." North growled lowly, bringing the hair of the Boogeyman up in an alert state. He wondered really if he had all this influence over his beautiful dark spirit, but it was answered by the Nightmare that jumped out from the closest shadow, whining loudly and incomprehensibly.
The beast didn't even had ended its speech when it faltered, making North notice its multiple wounds, places where lacked the usual amount of sand they had and instead the sand was burning on multiple times. Fast as a bolt Pitch held the creature's head, it wasn't bigger than a big dog, and when the Nightmare King touched it, its wounds started to automatically heal.
When Pitch turned to face him though, his eyes were silver and not golden as they were five seconds before. Worry was on his eyes readable like if they were neon signs on Las Vegas. "They have ambushed Jack, the Fire spirits are on Burgess, they have him and the children. Gehenna is circling the are with the local troops, but they are aware the Nightmares have to keep Jack safe."
North's heart was tight with that. But Jack had been out not even half hour ago! He dismissed the guilt on his heart, he didn't have how to prevent it, it wasn't his fault. But after this exact second, if something else happened, it would be.
"I will call the others." North said and he would if a hand hadn't simply held on his red coat. He turned to face Pitch, and for a moment, he saw fear burning like a fire storm in those eyes, it was the same fear and shame they held on the day Pitch had done something to other fire spirits. He didn't want North to see it, if it were to happen again. It was easy to read him on that state.
He rose a hand and cupped the dark spirit's face, making those silver eyes lower in a shame he could never understand. He kissed him briefly, and he could feel the Nightmare King soften under the touch. He was broken, and he so desperately needed the comfort, but North couldn't waste any more time around. Even if it crushed his heart as well.
"I will call for the Guardians, worry not my love. They cannot win us all together, so if you want, stay. Wait here. I won't ask you that, neither ask you to go. But I won't stay here." He said and Pitch nodded softly, his heart still hurting like if it was dying, North could see, but valiantly he nodded.
"I will go ahead... keep on the shadows making sure they are safe. I will wait for you." Pitch said, and North suddenly couldn't smile. He was so happy and proud, he had never seen such courage in such hurt heart, yet he wanted Pitch to be safe and not be hurt anymore. He shook away his thoughts, he needed to leave.
"Da. Be careful, moy korol'." North muttered, before he kissed him one last time. His body was going to call the Guardians, but surely his heart was going to Burgess, to defend and cry for the children, for Jack, and also for Pitch. It was painful when the face slipped out of his fingers like water, diving into a mass of shadows which he couldn't distinct from one another.
He stormed out of his office, grabbing his snow globes and swords, he could send a message by the aurora, but he needed to be faster. He would teleport and tell everyone individually as fast as he could. He knew Pitch, he would wait but if any fire spirit hurt Jack, he would jump to the attack not mattering if it was a death sentence. Pitch was protective over his frost smaller self.
There was no time to lose now. He would save his fellow Guardian and would make sure his would be lover to return safe.
*Dodge stones and fire arrows*
I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! I will never do a crappy chapter like this one! I am so very sorry!
Or I may, if you don't review. Yes, you. Don't think I'm joking because I know you and I know you're reading it on your mobile and its lazy to type that, so late on the night while you're comfortable under the covers.
A review from you, is the world for me. So fucking do it.