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A/n: Hey everyone! Finally TEN chapters! *claps* Thanks to those who supported this story from the beginning and those who came in along the way. I love every single one of you readers (wish I could give y'all a big hug). As a thank you for being so wonderful, sit back and enjoy this special chapter! (It's quite long since ideas kept hitting me haha.) Have fun.

Chapter 10

'Jack, are you quite done yet?' I whispered to the winter spirit as he dragged me down another lane full of stalls selling winter wear and Christmas toys and accessories and other kinds of knick- knacks. I sighed as I bumped into another person for the umpteenth time in narrow, jostling walkway. I muttered an apology to the man as he pursed his lips at me and walked on. 'Come on, (f/n). I just want to have a last look around here.' Jack weaved his way through the crowd, craning his head to survey the goods being sold, edging in close to examine a certain few. He was still holding my hand, but I almost lost him in the midst of an excited group of Christmas shoppers. I noticed Jack was trying hard not to collide with people which would result in him 'going through' them as they were unbelievers, which was what he told me. It must feel horrible to have someone walk right through you as if you weren't there, but you were yet to them you were not. He didn't seem to want to talk about it when we came to the subject, so I tried to get it out of my head.

Jack stopped in front of a stall selling fur coats and uniquely printed hoodies. His eyes lingered on a black-and-white jagged striped hoodie before moving on to the stall beside it to look at the dresses there. 'Jack, are you finished? I'm getting hungry and admiring dresses isn't going to fill stomachs,' I whispered, hoping no one would think I was crazy for speaking to seemingly thin air. 'Oh right. Sorry, but I'm almost done.' Jack slowed down his pace so I could walk beside him more comfortably. After looking at the last stall which sold adorable puppies with red ribbons tied around their necks, we came out of the crowd and I led him round the corner to my favourite pizza restaurant. 'What was so fascinating about that place? It's just a noisy market selling old things. I thought you'd seen it a thousand times when you passed here.' I grumbled, flinging the loose end of my scarf over my shoulder. 'Puppies aren't old things.' Jack turned to look at me. 'You should get one for that greyhound of yours, he needs some grounding.' I gave him a glare, earning a simple laugh from him. 'You haven't answered my question, Jack.' We were nearing the old place now. I let my lungs fill with the sharp aroma of onions and pepperoni. 'Well, I just pass it. I never really…bothered to…walk through there. Didn't have a reason to, either. I'd just fly over and look at the people having fun. Then when I went by with you…only then did I see how it was really like under all those colourful stall umbrellas.' Not much convinced, I gave a slight 'oh' and kicked at a small pebble on the sidewalk.

Warm whiffs of pizza and coffee kissed my face as I walked through the automatic sliding doors of the restaurant, which was the only modern thing here. The whole pizzeria was made entirely out of stone, with queer antiques such as old violins, odd framed pictures and oriental vases decorating the walls. There were quite a lot of people here today. I turned to see Jack tugging at his hoodie neck. 'Is it too warm, Jack? Do you want takeaway instead?' I asked him, forgetting to lower my voice and earning a few worried looks from an elderly couple eating at a nearby table. 'I'm fine, (f/n). I can still stand this. But I'll need an iced coke later.' He gave me a smile and pulled me towards the counter. Then it hit me. How was I going to order Jack's share of food without looking like I'm a glutton? Then I saw her.

I told Jack to wait where he was as I walked over to (bf/n), who was standing in the far corner of the shop. She was staring out the window and I had to wave my hand in front of her face a few times before she came to. 'Oh, (f/n)! Hello darling, what a coincidence! I just came back from the Bahamas this morning because Daddy wanted a package to be sent to Mummy, and you know he's such a busy man, so I offered to do it for him!' I frowned. 'Why couldn't you just send it through mail?' I asked her. 'Oh, but (f/n)! It's a precious necklace he bought for Mum, and she did so need a new accessory for her dinner reception tonight, and you can hardly trust the customs now. It's so beautiful, it had a hundred tiny rubies-' 'Yeah yeah desperate mother needs new necklace for party and doting daughter comes to deliver it.' I cut her off. There was no stopping her once you let her set off like that. 'Listen, are you eating here?' I questioned a slightly sulky (bf/n). 'No, I just had lunch. I came in here to avoid the cold. Why?' I sighed in relief. 'Great, help me order a large macaroni and cheese pizza set.'

(bf/n) looked at me quizzically. 'But for what? Allie is right there, just walk up to her and give her your order.' She nodded over at the lady manning the cash register. I glanced at her, mentally rolling my eyes. Allison Faughlain, the one thing that prevents my visits to the pizzeria from meeting perfection. Known for being snoopy and snobby, she isn't the easiest person to get along with. I turned to (bf/n). 'Here's the thing. I want to order for two people, and she's sure to ask questions if I go up to her and order two meals, and it's not takeaway.' I bit my lip, hoping she would buy my story and help me out. (bf/n) gave me one of her what-the-heck-are-you-serious looks, craning her head to look about behind me. 'Who is it? Why can't I see—' (bf/n)'s eyes widened and her mouth dropped. I turned to look at what she was gaping at, then realized a split second before my eyes met their target: Jack.

He was still where I told him to stay, observing a picture on the ceiling and completely oblivious to the fact that a 17 year old girl was practically drooling over him. 'Oh. My. Gosh. (f/n), do you see that guy over there? I don't know about his fashion sense, but he is CUTE!' I clamped a hand over (bf/n)'s mouth, checking to see whether Allie was there and had heard. Fortunately, she had just came out of the washroom. I looked at Jack, who was pointing at his stomach and making an eating gesture. I mouthed for him to wait a while and turned back to (bf/n). 'Look here. I'm going to release my hand now, and if you want to fangirl, save it for home. Or else.' She nodded and I relaxed my hand. 'Okay, so who's the cutie?' (bf/n) said in a very contained whisper, but I could tell she was going to burst. I gazed at her and gave a long sigh. 'Well, believe it or not…he's Jack Frost. And he's the one you'll be ordering for.' (bf/n)'s mouth gaped even wider. '(f/n), are you serious? How come…but…' Suddenly, a creepy grin started to form on her face. 'Oh (f/n), you have been very, very naughty, haven't you? Having a boyfriend, bringing him home, and now treating him to pizza? And not telling me one little bit.' I stared at her in horror. '(bf/n), he's not my boyfriend!' I whispered harshly. 'It's—a long story. I'll tell you when I have time. Now we need to do some ordering first.' (bf/n) nodded, still keeping the grin on her face. We walked to the counter, (bf/n) taking the long way on purpose and walking up beside Jack. He looked bewildered as she grinned at him and said a soft 'hi', then giggled up to me. Jack pointed a finger at her and raised an eyebrow at me. I had no idea how to respond, so I just gave him an awkward smile and shrugged my shoulders, trying to be discreet as Allie walked up to us.

'Yeah, ladies. What'll it be?' drawled Allie as she looked at us with two eyes the size of marbles. She had this strange habit of wearing contacts which were too big for her pupils, making her look like a dragonfly. The neon green colour made this all the more convincing. 'One pepperoni and cheese pizza meal please.' (bf/n) said a bit too cheerfully as she kept turning around to grin at Jack. I grinded my boot into her shoe and gave her a glare, not wanting her to stir up more attention. The elderly couple from earlier were eyeing us wearily again. (bf/n) bit her lip and looked down. I turned to Allie. 'A spicy beef taco and a cup of maple latte, please.' I gave her my membership card. Allie typed the orders into her computer and drawled out the price. 'That'll be forty dollars and fifty cents after discount, girl.' I pursed my lips and rummaged in my purse, handing her the exact amount. 'Please send it to Private Room No.2. And more ice in the coke, please.' 'Mm-hmm.' Allie typed into her computer again. 'Right. That'll be ten dollars for the room.' I handed her another bill and yanked on (bf/n)'s hand, shaking her out of staring at the snow globe on the counter. I signalled to Jack to follow me as I led them deeper into the restaurant, up the stone steps onto the second floor and into a cosy room with a golden 2 marked on the wooden door. A small cheery fire was burning in the hearth, warming the room while climbing roses outside the open window filled the room with their lovely scent. I plopped my things on a small couch by the window and went to look outside it, enjoying the light breeze and admiring the white and red roses framing the windowsill. Then I remembered I still had (bf/n) to take care of.

I turned around to see Jack walking to me. 'This room is nice, but why can't we eat down there?' 'Jack, people can't see you, remember? And floating food isn't a big thing here, either.' I said gently. '(f/n), can she really see me?' he whispered. I was so occupied with getting (bf/n) to focus on ordering and for finding a private room that the question never crossed my mind. I bit my lip and took a deep breath. Jack's face looked hopeful. I gazed at him and slowly nodded my head. He gaped and walked over to (bf/n), who was sitting on a high-backed chair at the table staring at us. 'Can you see me?' he asked her. She just stared at him with this silly smile on her face. I snapped my fingers at her. Her eyelids fluttered and she started, looking as if she just woke up form a deep sleep. 'Hmm? What happened? Oh, I heard you say something.' She looked at Jack. 'Yeah, I did. I asked you if you could really see me.' (bf/n)'s eyebrows knitted slightly together. '(f/n), is he serious? What's he talking about? Of course I can see him.' All the time her eyes were kept on Jack, who was looking a bit uncomfortable. I sat down opposite (bf/n) at the square polished wooden table while Jack took the seat on my right. '(bf/n), I'm going to have to tell you something. No questions until I finish, okay?' She nodded, glancing at me before returning her gaze to Jack. As we waited for our food, I told her the whole story about how I met Jack, omitting the part about the kiss though. The rest I could trust her to understand and keep secret. Jack remained silent.

Halfway through the story, our lunch came. Jack's eyes brightened when he saw the pizza. The waiter wheeled the trolley in and set the pizza and coke in front of (bf/n). Then, he served me my taco and latte. 'Enjoy,' he said with a courteous smile before wheeling the trolley out again. (bf/n) pushed the pizza and coke to Jack, who mumbled thanks and immediately took a huge pull of the iced drink. Then he dug into the pizza. 'Hey (f/n), how'd you know my favourite topping?' He gave me a sideways look as he munched on the pizza, tomato sauce staining the side of his mouth. 'Well you made it so obvious when you finished the remaining slices of the takeaway before. Here,' I took a napkin and reached over to wipe away the stains on the corner of his mouth. Then I froze for just a second as I realized what I was doing. Keeping my calm, I put the napkin beside Jack's plate, hurriedly picked up my taco and bit into it. Out of the corner of my eye, Jack was gazing at me. Fortunately, (bf/n) was busy poking around on her phone and hadn't noticed, or at least I thought she didn't. Then her head popped up and she looked at me. 'So then, where were we?' I then picked up from where we left off. Jack had returned to his meal.

When I had finished, (bf/n)'s eyes were shining like a child's does when opening presents on Christmas Day. She clutched my hand. 'So every one of them are real? And you're not kidding me?' I nodded at her then shook my head. 'Yeah, they're real. But I haven't seen them yet. Jack says they are. And I'm not kidding you.' (bf/n) squealed. 'OMG, I thought they weren't anymore. Mummy always said they never existed. And I almost believed her.' I smiled at her, then remembered what I had wanted to ask her. 'That means, you also believed in Jack? Cuz you can see him.' (bf/n) giggled then smiled at Jack, who took no notice of her and was busy finishing his drink, his plate empty. 'Well, I've always been one to believe spirits and these kinds of…things, and since I loved winter, of course I believed in Jack Frost. Only I never thought he would turn out to be soooo handsome.'

'Oh really?' A sarcastic voice replied. Jack had now finished and was leaning back on his chair, listening to our conversation. (bf/n) blushed. 'Well, I think you are. At least you're cuter than most guys I've seen.' I rolled my eyes. 'Stop it, (bf/n). You're only making his head even more swollen than it already is.' Jack gave me a one-sided grin. 'Oh, it's okay. You can go on. I kinda like it,' he said to (bf/n). Something inside me mysteriously went up in flames and I could feel my face redden for no reason. 'You two can stay here and compliment each other's heads off. I'm going out to run some errands.' I rose from my chair, grabbed my purse and headed out the door. I vaguely heard (bf/n) call my name before I went down the stairs. I burst out the pizzeria and halted. Where would I go? I just wanted to go someplace where I couldn't be seen out the window by those two. Next moment I found myself standing in the midst of a throng of Christmas shoppers at the market Jack and I passed earlier. I walked along, admiring the ornaments and clothes and little globes set out for sale. I caught sight of myself in a mirror beside one of the stalls and saw that my eyes were red. I hardly noticed I had been crying. A fresh tear rolled down my cheek. I pulled my scarf higher around my face and avoided looks cast my way. The crowd was thinning now that it was getting late. Maybe seven o'clock already. The lights in the square were turning on one by one. Colourful Christmas lights illuminated the city and filled the air with a warm, homely feeling.

The hawkers were closing up shop. Soon, I was the only person walking along the streets. I came upon the stall that sold hoodies and my eyes landed on the one I saw Jack eye earlier. I bit my lip, then walked up to the woman who manned the place. She was packing up and ready to go. Her hands reached for the black-and-white hoodie and was about to pack it up when I shouted, 'Oh wait! Please wait! Don't take that yet. How much for it?' The woman turned to look at me. She observed me for a while then took the hoodie from its hook. 'Twenty dollars, little lassie.' She replied with a kindly smile. I scrambled in my purse and dug out some money. I pushed it into her hand. 'Thank you so much. I'm very sorry for being so rude.' I took the hoodie and examined it. It was a bit too big for Jack, but a few slight alterations could do the trick. 'Would you like a little gift box to go with it?' the woman asked me. I stared at her. 'H-how'd you know it was to be a gift?' She bent down and rummaged about under her table. 'Oh darling, just look at yourself! Dressed in such finery! A rich girl like you certainly wouldn't want a twenty dollar hoodie. It's for someone else, I reckon. And a very special someone, by the way you so desperately wanted it.' I couldn't respond. It was as if she read my mind.

I wordlessly accepted the box, folded the hoodie and gently placed it in. The box was beautiful, tinted with different shades of blue. I thanked the woman again for her kindness and insisted to pay her money for the box, but she refused to take anything more.

I thanked her again and again, then made my way out of the street market. I passed the stall selling puppies and looked at the owners loading up the cages onto the back of a small lorry. Yelps and small barks came from the little furballs, who were pawing at each other and having a game of their own. One of the men was heaving a larger cage with about 10 squirming pups when he slipped on some ice and the cage fell to the pavement, its latch opening and spilling out the little animals. His friend ran to help him up while another man ran around trying to catch the puppies. I decided to set my box down and help him. After about ten minutes, we managed to return all the pups to their cage. The man thanked me as he counted the pups, then frowning and cast his eyes over the whole place. 'There's supposed to be one more.' I scratched my head and looked around. I was sure that there weren't any more running about. Then my box moved. I walked over to it and opened the lid. A pair of shining brown eyes met mine and the pup gave a bark, wagging his short fluff of a tail, a pink tongue hanging out. It must have somehow wriggled in during the puppy chase. 'Oh,' I gasped, lifting it out and holding it close to my face. The pup gave me a small lick on my cheek, and I remembered what Jack said about Diablo needing some grounding. I smiled at the idea and turned to the man, offering a price for it. He nodded and I bought the puppy. For Diablo.

As I walked along the road, I thought about what had happened in the afternoon. Jack seemed alright when we were eating, but something about what he said about (bf/n) annoyed me. What was it about that made my temper flare again? She was complimenting him, then I told her to stop it. Not that what she said wasn't true. I had to admit, of all the guys I'd ever laid eyes on, Jack topped them all. Then a thought hit me. Was I jealous? Angry because of a simple comment (bf/n) made to Jack? Afraid that she'd…I couldn't bear to think anymore. Even I couldn't make head or tail of my feelings for Jack. Everything was so jumbled up, and I had wanted to talk to (bf/n) about it, but that was out of the question for now. I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I bumped into the stile that separated the town from the field, knocking myself breathless. The puppy in my box whimpered. 'I'm sorry, little guy,' I whispered to it, stroking its trembling body. I looked up and skimmed the field. It was bathed in moonlight, but I'd never crossed it before at night and it kinda freaked me out a little. The thought of going back for Jack flashed across my mind, but then my pride got the better of me. Besides, I didn't bring the car, and going back through the main road would take such a long time. So I closed the box, lightly swung myself over the stile, gritted my teeth and marched towards home.

Jack's P.O.V.

I started to regret saying what I did as soon as the words came out of my mouth. I saw (f/n)'s face redden as she got up, said something and walked out the door. I wanted to apologise, even though I couldn't really understand the situation, but everything went by so fast. Before I knew it, it was just her friend and I sitting in the room. 'Well, I'd…better go after her.' I started to get up when (bf/n) held down my arm. 'Hey, you ain't going anywhere yet, mister. I'd like to talk to you about what you just did.' I tried to free myself of her iron grasp, but for a girl her size, her strength was amazing. 'Let go of me,' I said through gritted teeth.

Quick as a flash, (bf/n) took a sharp fork and plunged it onto my sleeve, barely missing my arm and pinning me to the table. I was shocked. 'I'm very sorry I had to do that, but let me get some things straight. Do you understand what implication your words just had on (f/n)? Hmm?' She was gazing at me sharply with her light brown eyes. I just shook my head. 'Well, let me tell you something, Jack Frost. Your smart mouth just got you and me into a whole lot of trouble.' She crossed her arms and sighed, shaking her head at me. 'Tell me, Jack,' she said in a softer voice. 'How do you feel about (f/n)?' I hadn't noticed that I was gnawing on the inside of my cheek until blood starting seeping out. I tried to construct my thoughts. 'Uhm, to tell you the truth…' My voice stuck in my throat. This was so much harder than talking to the Man in the Moon. 'You like her, don't you? You like her a lot.' I couldn't say anything. 'You have a serious crush on her. I can tell by the way you look at her, Jack. What puzzles me is why she herself can't see it.' I was speechless. She hit it right on.

'Why was she so pissed, then?' I asked her. She looked at me with an expression that was both disgusted and amused. 'You seriously don't know?' She retorted, her eyebrows raising. 'I-I really don't. I'm new to all this…girl stuff.' I blurted out. It was true. 'Wait, that means you've never had a crush or a girlfriend before? Don't lie to me, pretty boy. It can't possibly be true.' She eyed me disbelievingly. I considered ripping off the fork and jumping out the window, but then again that might be the stupidest idea ever. 'Yes, (bf/n). As I just told you, I have no experience in this sort of thing.' She stared at me like her eyes were about to pop. Shaking her head, she leaned back on her chair. 'Okay, I believe you. It's just so hard to believe that a guy like you would not know anything about how to treat girls. I mean…look at you!' She gestured to me. I frowned as I checked myself. 'What about me?' I said, twirling my staff. 'Well…I think (f/n) is just so lucky to have your heart. And you didn't make a bad decision either.' She grinned at me. It was hard processing all this. I scratched my head. 'Anyways, you have to know why she acted so weird just now,' she continued. I nodded my head. She took a deep breath.

'Alright. You see, Jack. Throughout the convo, I already noticed you seemed to like (f/n) more than a normal friend does. So when I complimented you, it was actually a test. To see how you'd react to that. (f/n) was getting a bit mad when you opened your mouth and did the very last thing you should have done: You told me to go on because you liked it.' I bit my lip. 'But I...it was only to tease her. She'd never responded to me teasing her like that before.' I said defensively. (bf/n) just rolled her eyes. 'Jack, didn't you notice that the very act of me complimenting you was already rubbing her the wrong way?' She frowned at me. I shook my head slowly. 'Well, no. Why would she get angry just like that, anyway?' (bf/n) resumed her dreamy fangirl expression. 'Well, I'll tell you this. But it's only what I think, or assume.' My heart started to beat faster although I had no idea why. (bf/n) was staring out into space, her face cupped between her two hands. 'Hello, you were gonna tell me why…?' She snapped her head up and looked around. 'Sorry, I tend to do that. Oh, Jack…the reason I think she acted like that was because she likes you too.'

I couldn't believe my ears. How could it be true? She was bluffing, this weird friend of (f/n)'s. But then again, I was the clueless one here. 'Trust me, Jack. I'm not lying. Didn't you see how she avoids your eye? And how happy she looked when you held her hand while walking through the street market—' She gasped and held a hand over her mouth. 'You mean you were following us?' I glared at her. 'I-I was just w-w-walking around when I s-saw you t-two together.' She stuttered, then sat up in her chair. 'I was curious as (f/n) was not one to date. She never liked anyone before and you'd better thank your lucky star cuz you're the first boy she's ever spent more than an hour with. Besides that good-for-nothing Cameron jerk.' She blew her hair out of her face and scowled. 'And now, she's afraid I'm going to steal you away from her, and you acted like it was really going to happen,' she turned to face me. 'But I never meant to do that.' I threw back at her.

'I know you didn't, Jack. And I would never ever think of taking you from (f/n). She's like my sister, and the only one who's ever been good to me.' I looked into her eyes to see pain. But I guessed the story behind it wasn't for me. 'Why'd you say (f/n) never dated anyone before?' I tried to change the subject. 'Oh she just thinks all guys are idiots, at least that's what she told me. She can't stand the couples at school. They're only in it for the rush and feel of things, and she wants to be taken seriously. Also, she's afraid that people would take advantage of her.' (bf/n)'s face slowly brightened up as she rattled on. 'She's felt like this ever since Cameron became distanced from her. The boys from school would gladly take her out, and some of them are pretty decent. The problem was she just won't open up her eyes. But you seemed to do the trick.' She beamed happily at me. 'Oh I'm just so happy (f/n) finally found someone!' She jumped up and did a little dance around the room, bringing the image of Tooth flying around her palace into my mind. 'So, if all you say is true, what do I do now?' I asked. She stopped abruptly and went up to me. 'Just wait for a sec.' She suddenly grasped my chin and tilted my head around, examining me. 'Hey watch it!' I growled as I tried to free myself. Then she yanked my mouth open and checked my…teeth? Sheesh, she was like Tooth's double, I thought. Moving back, she crossed her arms and nodded approvingly. 'Yep, you're definitely worth her.' I rubbed where she held me like a vice. 'Yeah, thanks for not warning me first.' She just smiled at me cheekily like the kids I have snowball fights with. 'Now, all you have to do is prove you're not like the others, besides being the winter spirit. Show her how you much you love her and ONLY her.' She picked up (f/n)'s cup and drank up the last of the latte. 'She won't mind. Besides, I don't think she's coming back. It's getting late, Jack. We have to find her.' She plucked the fork from my sleeve and put it on her plate. I checked my sleeve, which surprisingly seemed untouched.

As (bf/n) gathered her things, I went over to the window and plucked a fresh pink rose from its vine. I froze its prickles and snapped them off easily, tucking the rose safely in my hoodie pocket. Picking up my staff, I followed (bf/n) out the restaurant and onto the darkening streets. Lights were coming on and a cool wind was blowing. I glanced around hoping to see (f/n) somewhere, but there was no sight of her. 'Where could she have gone?' (bf/n) asked me, looking worried. She checked the time. 'Oh dear, it's seven. I have to go now, Jack, or I'll be late for Mummy's reception. Make sure you find her, Jack. It's been such a pleasure meeting you!' She gave me a small hug, then hailed a nearby taxi. I couldn't stop to watch her off. Walking along the sidewalk, I looked around desperately, thinking of the places (f/n)'d go. The market? No, they'd be closed by now. The mall? But she wasn't a girl who spends her time in boutiques or the sort. Then a horrific thought hit me. Had she thought to go back home by herself? Through the field, where anything could be lurking? My footsteps quickened as I rushed to the stile at the beginning of the field. I was a few yards from it when a bloodcurdling shriek rang out, sending shivers down my already cold spine. It came from the centre of the field. '(f/n)…' I muttered, flying up and racing towards her voice, praying fervently that she'd be alright, that I'd be there in time to save her from whatever induced her scream…

My P.O.V.

I knew from the moment I walked ten steps away from the stile that this was a totally bad idea. What dumb girl would cross a whole icy damp field by herself at night, with only a puppy beside her? (f/n) (l/n), that's who. As I kept advancing into the field, the moonlight slowly faded. I looked up to see a cloud moving to cover the moon. Great. Just great. I trudged on, occasionally jogging in the hope of reaching the other side as soon as possible. I was starting to feel cold, and the shadows made from the what was left of the moonlight began to play tricks on my eyes. Sometimes I thought I saw a dark rider on a horse just beside me, and another time I caught a flash of a long robe. Shivers were creeping their way up my back as my mind involuntarily brought up every single scary memory I could remember. Finally, my body was trembling so much I stopped. My puppy whimpered and I hushed it gently, stroking its soft fur. It seemed to give me some comfort in this eerie place. I turned back to look for the stile, which was only a very small dot in the distance. I saw that I had passed the great willow, which meant I was right in the middle of the field. I stared ahead, wishing from the bottom of my heart that I hadn't acted so rashly. My heart half-hoped that Jack would come running out into the open, grab hold of my hands and tell me it would be alright, that he would pull me close, maybe give me one of those kisses I secretly enjoyed so much…

I face-palmed myself. Stop it, (f/n). This is not the time to imagine kissing the undeniably attractive winter spirit. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. But I'd feel so much better with him by my side. Looking around, I noticed the darkness was coming in from behind me, from the direction of home. Now a mini battle was raging in my mind, trying to decide which way to go. I was scared, trembling from top to bottom. Sucking in a huge breath, I turned back around, wanting to see if I could see through the darkness, only to be met with a towering figure.

I wanted to scream, to run, but I remained soundlessly planted on the ground. The figure was very tall, I seemed to be only half his height. He was swathed in a long robe-like, pure black gown which covered his feet. I daren't look up at his face, so I just stood there shaking. Then the stranger spoke. 'Well well what have we here?' Sarcasm and evilness was literally dripping from his words. I made myself look up at him. My heart almost stopped beating when I saw two gleaming golden eyes glaring down at me. 'Oh I see, a little girl walking home alone, with no one to accompany her. What a shame, you must feel so…afraid.' The way he said the last word made my flesh crawl. I was praying that the puppy would not make any sound and give himself away. I mustered up all my courage. 'E-excuse me, sir, but I have to go home.' The two eyes trained on me, gleaming with their own eerie light. 'But the fun is just starting, (f/n). Let's not rush now, shall we? There's a good girl.' My legs were on the verge of buckling, but I held on. 'Wh-what do you mean?' There were no words to describe how terrified and creeped out I felt. The man gave a low, evil chuckle. I watched as his golden eyes moved closer into the light, which had surprisingly stopped fading at where I stood. Slowly, his face came into view. A long, harsh, greyish face with a pointed chin and a sharp nose. He was grinning, and I noticed his teeth looked like small sharp daggers.

'Ah, how lucky I am to meet you out here, dear (f/n). I thought I might never get the chance.' I was puzzled by what he meant, when I felt rope-like vines creeping up my legs. I looked down to see them covered by moving black sand, like swarms of ants on my legs. They were bound so tightly together that I lost my balance and toppled over, hitting hard on the ground. I gripped the box close to my chest. The man laughed loudly, a high-pitched cackle. Speaking of pitch, my mind went back to what Jack once told me. The Boogeyman…could this be him? My thoughts were distracted when I heard neighing coming near me. A dark horse with ruby red eyes came into view. It was made of the same dark sand that bound me. 'L-let me up,' I stammered, feeling courage drain out of me, being replaced by an empty sense of hopelessness. I struggled to fight it, trying to remember what happy thoughts were left in my memory. 'Now just a minute, I thought we said we wouldn't rush, or you'll miss all the fun.' He moved over to the horse and stroked its mane. 'But enough small talk. Let the fun begin!' Immediately I felt pain course through my body, especially my head. I tried to turn over to the bright side of the field, hoping and praying that Jack would think to come after me. 'There's no need looking, you silly girl. Frost boy will never reach you in time. Now I can have my revenge!' At his last word, the pain was so intense I had to shut my eyes. I drifted into some kind of sleep, but a very uncomfortable one, filled with scary shadows and writhing black sand. And a nightmare.

I was back in the white space again. This time, I felt tired out and cold, having no energy to run at all. I sat down on a floor I couldn't see, putting my throbbing head onto my knees. A pair of cold arms hugged my waist from behind. I jerked my head up and around to meet Jack's smiling face. He was as beautiful and perfect as ever, with his laughing eyes and pale smooth skin. He leaned in closer, his cold breath fanning my face as one hand left my waist to trail up my body all the way to my face. I shouldn't be letting him do this to me, but my brain had shutdown completely. My headache eased as Jack started to kiss me softly. I wrapped my arms around his neck, hoping that this wasn't just a dream, when he pulled away suddenly. '(f/n), I—' but I never knew what he was going to say. Jack had fainted and was lying at my feet. But the horrible part was that he was starting to melt. Tears ran down my cheeks as I screamed his name, shaking his shoulders as he slowly disappeared from me. I wiped my tears away and looked closer at Jack. He wasn't really melting which was what I thought, but his body was slowly turning into small delicate snowflakes, starting from his hair down. Soon his whole body, clothes and all, had changed into white and was being blown away by a wind I could not feel. 'NO! Jack please don't leave me!' I screamed while trying to catch the small flakes. My hands finally closed around one, and I held it close to me, rocking back and forth as I sobbed. Stabs of pain hit my head, and I heard an animal-like shriek, which I realized after was coming from my mouth. I held on to the snowflake even though I desperately wanted to clutch my head with my hands.

My torturer's laughter filled the air as I felt him pace around me. My eyes were closed shut, so I had no idea if I was still in the nightmare. A sense of frustration welled up in me, followed by pure anger. Why was he doing this to me? What had I done wrong? I had an urge to get up and give him a good kick in the rear, if only I wasn't so drained. I honestly couldn't hold on any longer, thoughts of dying here coursed through my mind when I saw a faint flash through my closed eyelids. The headache stopped immediately and I felt energy surge through my body. I sat up slowly and rubbed my eyes, which took some time to adjust to the surroundings. My fingers were so stiff I had to beat them on the ground to get the blood running. I opened them to see no snowflake. A voice shouted my name from behind, footsteps thumped on the grass and Jack knelt down in front of me. He looked worn out as he picked up my hand and pressed it against his cheek. 'Are you alright?' He panted, blue eyes looking at me worriedly. I nodded my head. His staff was glowing, he must have shot something at the enemy. The enemy! I craned my neck and saw the black figure lying on the grass a few yards away, apparently knocked out. Jack was tugging at my arm. 'Run (f/n). Now, before he gets up!' Something in his voice made me obey. I looked around for my box. It was just at my feet, its lid open. I hurriedly picked it up and found my puppy still inside, trembling. I hugged the box tightly and was about to run, then turned around to look for Jack. I was afraid that he'd get hurt, worried about his safety. He was rubbing his head, a hand wearily clutching his staff. The dark figure was moving, already regaining consciousness. Jack positioned himself, then saw me still standing there. He glared at me, a look I'd never seen on him before. 'Duck!' he yelled. I instinctively crouched down as I felt a surge of ice fly across my head. I turned to see it hit another dark horse in the flanks just a metre away from me. It reared back and collapsed, leaving a heap of black sand on the ground. 'Go!' Jack ordered again. I got up and bolted towards the houses on the other side of the field. I had only gone a few steps when I felt someone pull on my hair, making me yelp. I stopped and turned to find Pitch (which I was sure of now) grasping a handful of my locks. 'Let go, you moron!' I fired at him. He only gave me a disgusting leer, when something small and fluffy flew at his hand and bit him, making him release me. I staggered back a few steps. I heard a small growl as my puppy held onto Pitch's sickly hand. The man was trying to shake it off. 'Get off, you worthless dirty mongrel.' He sweared at the puppy, then with a huge fling sent him flying into the air. I caught it in the box, making a mental note to thank my gym teacher on making me take up volleyball. I walked up behind Pitch, who was nursing his hand, and gave him a smart kick on his behind. 'Take that—and that!' I gave him a forceful box on his face, making him cuss and swear at me. Then I ran away as fast I could.

I kept running, never stopping for a rest until I reached my house. I fumbled around for the key and pushed it into the lock, turned it and burst into the dark house. Hastily shutting and locking the door, I carried my box upstairs into my room and turned on the lights before locking myself in. My trembling hands put the box on my bed and gently lifted the puppy out. It was shaking all over, whimpering and nuzzling into me. I quickly closed the box with the hoodie in it and slid it under my bed. Holding the dog to my face, I whispered, 'Thank you so much.' I gave it a small kiss on the head and bundled it up, placing the puppy on my study desk. The two miniature ice horses were nowhere to be seen. I walked to the window, trying to see the field from here. How was Jack? Did he beat Pitch? Or are they still at it? I felt Diablo lick my hand, whining mournfully. It was as if he felt sad for me too. 'Oh, Diablo. I'm so afraid.' I sat down on the floor and hugged him. Salty tears stung my eyes and dripped onto the floor. I sobbed as Diablo stood there, listening to me rant about how stupid I've been and what happened just now, even though I was sure he couldn't understand half of it.

Time stretched on, and when I stopped crying it was already half past eight. I went to wash my face and change my clothes, my hope that Jack would come back already ceasing. Could Guardians die a second time? I wondered. Diablo started barking loudly outside the bathroom. 'Shut up, boy.' I yelled back at him as I lazily slipped on a T-shirt. Then a thought that it might be Jack sent me flying back into my room, almost knocking Diablo over in the process. Sure enough, I found the winter spirit on the floor beneath the open window. 'Jack!' I rushed over to him. His eyes were closed and his breathing was slow and heavy. He seemed to have lost consciousness. I felt tears welling up again as I stroked Jack's face, whispering his name repeatedly. Diablo walked to us and sniffed Jack's body, stopping to paw at his left leg. 'What is it, boy?' I looked at him. He whined softly and sniffed Jack's leg again. I turned back to Jack's pained face, not wanting to lose sight of him again. Sighing, I bent down to kiss him lightly on the forehead before moving to his leg. I gently lifted it up and saw a bloody gash on his calf. Easily horrified by the sight of blood, I would've jumped and ran out if the person wasn't Jack, who I must repay for saving my life. Closing my eyes, I swallowed a few times and took a deep breath, telling myself to buck up and be brave. My eyes opened and I stared at the wound. The red patch was spreading, and though I was no medic, I knew that Jack could worsen from loss of blood if I didn't stop the flow.

I rummaged through a nearby closet and found a long towel. Twisting it around his leg, I managed to accomplish a simple tourniquet above the gash. 'Diablo,' I said, turning to him. 'Please help me get Jack on my bed.' Diablo eyed Jack for a while before letting me drag the winter spirit onto his large back. I held Jack's legs for fear the tourniquet would come off, and followed the greyhound to my bed. Diablo jumped lightly onto the covers and knelt down, waiting as I dragged Jack's body off him and onto the soft mattress. I positioned Jack so that his head lay on the pillows. I placed a thick white cloth under his bleeding calf and tightened the tourniquet. Looking up at Jack's face, I noticed that he was sweating. I smiled at the irony of the situation. Taking a handkerchief, I dabbed at the sweat beads on his face, taking in every little detail of his features. I reached out a hand to trace them, lightly grazing his dark eyebrows, skimming over his slender nose, outlining his pale pink lips. I wondered how it would feel like to actually kiss them. The kiss in the park didn't count. I didn't return it to him, and I was too dazed to remember much about it.

Jack's sudden moan made me draw my hand back in a panic. His eyebrows eased just the slightest bit and he gave a sigh. 'Jack?' I whispered. He didn't answer me, apparently still passed out. I slowly got off the bed and went to get the first-aid kit in the store. I unlocked my bedroom door and went to the bathroom to fill a small pail of water and grab a clean towel. Going back to my bed, I sat on the edge and pondered how I should start. I needed full access to the wound, but Jack's pants were too tight to roll up. And absolutely nothing was going to make me take off his pants for the job. I blushed at the idea, then settled on cutting away the lower pant leg before my thoughts could run any further. I took out my paper blade from a drawer and carefully sliced away the rough fabric below Jack's knee, dropping it onto the floor. When I turned back to the wound, I almost fainted beside Jack. His pale white skin contrasted so much with the redness of the gash, making me feel sick inside. I held my breath as I wetted the towel and gently cleaned the wound. Whatever hurt Jack did its job well. The wound reached deep into his flesh but thankfully not to the bone. After wiping away the dried blood, I put on antiseptic cream to his leg, hoping that it wasn't already infected inside. The gash stretched six inches from below his knee joint to the middle of his calf. He needed stitches. Why me, I thought to myself as I dug out needle and thread from the kit. I slipped the thread through the eye of the needle, made a knot at the end, then gritted my teeth and started the job. It wasn't perfect, but I guessed that it would hold. I wrapped gauze tightly around his leg, covering the wounded area and securing the bandage with two pins. I untied the tourniquet and went to wash it with the cloth. The first-aid kit was left on the bedside table.

When I came back from the bathroom, I saw Diablo sniffing at the bundle on my study table. A tiny head poked out and started yapping at him. The greyhound growled dangerously. I grinned at them. 'I see you've met your new friend, Diablo.' I unfurled the puppy from its bundle and set it on the floor. It immediately went up to Diablo and licked his paw. Diablo sniffed at it then haughtily walked out of the room. The pup pattered along behind. 'Take care of him!' I shouted after Diablo. I got up and shut the door when a hoarse voice came up behind me. 'Need some alone time with me, doc?' I flipped around to see Jack propping himself up on his elbows, grinning at me cockily. 'Jack! You're alive!' I pounced on him, wrapping my arms around his neck tightly. 'Of course I am, silly. Why, you thought I was gonna die a second time?' But by the way he said it and how his arm snaked around my waist I knew that he was glad to be alive. 'Jack, don't say that. I was so worried about you.' I lifted my face to look into his shining eyes. He sat up on the bed, back leaning against the pillows. Wincing at the pain from his leg, he looked around me and stared at his bandage. 'It's that deep?' he turned to me. I nodded. 'What happened to you?' I questioned, moving to sit by him. Jack frowned a little. 'Well, after you left, Pitch was about to charge after you when I hit him with another shot of ice. Then he took out this creepy scythe and kept swinging it at me. All that ice shooting took out a great deal of my power, so I wasn't fast enough for him. He got me in the leg making me fall to the ground, and was about to finish me off when the moon shone so bright on him he started to yell about how painful it was. Then he left.' Jack looked out the window. 'I think the wind brought me here. It does that sometimes, you know. Likes to play tricks like that on me. But this time it actually brought me to the right place.' At this he turned to meet my eyes, his grip tightening on my waist. I felt my face temperature rising. After staring at me for a long time, he smiled. 'Come closer, (f/n).' He coaxed with his finger. I lifted an eyebrow. 'Why?' I said slowly, my face edging a bit closer towards Jack's. He brought his forehead down to rest on mine. I closed my eyes, enjoying the closeness of his body. I felt Jack chuckle. 'Because this.'

'Oww!' I shouted in astonishment and pain as Jack gave me a short sharp nip on my nose with his cold lips. I drew back instantly while rubbing my nose, pushing his arm away from me. My eyes darted up to look at him, expecting him to be laughing at my face or something. Instead, he had on a serious face with not a hint of a smile. 'What was that for?' I glared at him. Jack seemed to be lost in his own world, blue orbs staring into mine. I pretended to want to get off the bed and leave the room, when I heard Jack's soft voice say my name. 'What?' I puffed, crossing my arms. 'That was for…not listening to me when I told you to run.' Jack stretched out his hand towards me. 'I was really desperate for you to be safe. You almost got attacked by that nightmare back there.' He bit his lip, eyes softening at me. 'It didn't hurt that bad, did it?' I saw his eyes start to water. Oh no, was he gonna cry just for this? I hastily shook my head at him, saying in my most soothing voice, 'No, not at all. Just that it was so…sudden. Everything's okay, Jack. I promise.' I took his cold hand and moved back closer to him, placing my head on his chest. It just seemed right to do that. Jack's free hand stroked my hair as he sighed. '(f/n), I'm really sorry for being a jerk. Again.' He sounded so tired, so mournful that I wanted to cry. I sat up, my fingers interlocked with his. Jack was staring up at the ceiling, avoiding my gaze. 'Jack,' I whispered, pulling his attention back to me. 'I also apologize for…for having such a quick temper. And for not listening to you.' I bowed my head, looking at my fingers as I felt the smooth skin of his hand. I heard Jack sniffle, and looked up to see a tear rolling down his cheek. He gazed at me, his hand leaving mine to touch my face. 'What did he do to you? You seemed to be in pain when I saw you on the ground.' My mind instantly went back to the nightmare that almost tore me apart. 'He—gave…it was just a nightmare. No biggie.' I didn't want to let him know too much about it. Jack bit his lip and buried his face in his hands. 'It's—it's just,' he choked, drying his eyes with his sleeve. 'It's just that…I can't forgive myself for—for letting this happen to you. Everything is my entire fault.' More tears fell from his eyes, leaving streaks on his face. I dabbed them dry with the handkerchief beside me.

'Jack stop it, please. I also got myself into this. Don't do this to yourself.' I begged him. It took him a while to take in all this. Finally, a small grin broke out on his face. His hand started to trace out my face, like how I did his. Cold fingers gently touched my eyebrows, sliding slowly down the bridge of my nose, and then quavered before feeling my lips. All of a sudden, I felt like crying. Stupid hormones. Jack's hand cupped my chin before pulling me down to him. I followed willingly until our lips were only a few inches away from each other. 'You weren't really unconscious, were you?' I whispered, moving into a more comfortable position while looking into those wide blue eyes before me. Jack gave a small laugh, tangling his fingers into my hair. 'Maybe,' he replied, before closing the distance between our lips.

Fireworks. That was the first thing that came to mind when I felt his cold lips press against mine. Fireworks everywhere, in my body, my soul, my heart…everywhere. It was a most magical feeling which made my whole being tingle. Jack kissed me sweetly and gently, one of his hands in my hair while the other trailed down to my waist. Our lips parted as we stared at each other, then joined again in a more heated kiss. It took me a while to realize that I wasn't doing anything, but this was my first real kiss, so I was afraid that I would mess up. I decided to copy Jack's movements, moving my lips along with his. His eyes were half-shut, hand tugging on my hair. Wanting to surprise him, I gently took his lower lip in between my teeth and bit gently on it. Jack gave a deep guttural growl as his eyes closed shut, startling me. The kiss started to get rough as his hands moved to cup my face. I ran my fingers through his unbelievably soft hair, memorising the feel of him. His lips left mine, going up to my forehead, trailing kisses down my nose as his breath fanned my face. When he reached my nose, he gave it a playful nip, smirking as I frowned at him. 'Mmm, (f/n)…,' Jack muttered as his lips met mine again. I kissed him back tenderly, wrapping my arms around him as I was still afraid he would disappear. I couldn't keep track of time, nor did I want to. This kiss was perfect, either because he was a really good kisser, or this kiss was meant to be. Finally, our lips parted as we both gasped for breath. I grinned down at Jack and he returned it with a happy smile. 'You know what?' Jack asked me as he smoothed a lock of hair behind my ear. 'What?' I gazed into his blue eyes which were staring at me intensely. He chuckled. 'It hasn't even been a week since I've met you, but to me, you're the silliest-' At this he gave me a peck on the lips. '-craziest-' Another kiss. '-bravest-' And another kiss. '-girl I've ever met in my whole life.' I blushed profusely. 'You think so?' I muttered, not looking directly at him. 'I'm serious, (f/n). You should've seen yourself attacking Pitch. That was insane. You really got him there.'

I gave a small laugh. 'You weren't too bad out there yourself.' Jack raised an eyebrow at me. 'Hey girl, you're talking to Jack Frost the winter spirit here? Of course I'm good at fighting. It's in me.' Ugh, his cockiness was coming back. 'Yeah, and it's in you for being so good at battle that you almost got a leg cut off.' Jack's smirk turned abruptly into a scowl. I burst out laughing, it was just too funny as he was trying to supress a smile too. He gave up, chuckling as he glanced down at his injured leg. 'I must say, you did a pretty good job on it.' I rolled over and sat up, moving to check on the bandage. Blood had not seeped through the gauze, so I assumed the wound must have clotted and was on its way to heal. 'Nah, it's nothing. Sorry I had to ruin your pants, though.' I looked at the jagged edges caused by my shaking hand. 'That's alright. They were getting old. But I wouldn't have minded if you did the alternative, either.' He patted his belt, giving me a sultry smirk. Disgusted but also slightly amused, I reached over and gave him a smart slap on his right cheek. 'Ow! Okay okay too far.' He rubbed his face, grinning cheekily at me. I rolled my eyes then moved back to lie beside him, resting my head on his chest and hearing the beat of his heart. 'So how'd you learn to kiss like that?' I curiously asked him. 'A faint blush appeared on his cheeks. He shrugged his shoulders. 'I don't know. Cause it's in me too?' I sighed in exasperation. Jack laughed. 'You liked it, didn't you?' I didn't answer, it was all I could do to not box him in the ears. Jack twirled a lock of my hair around his finger. 'Well, I liked it very much, whatever you think. And now I know you like to bite.' He stopped twirling my hair and smirked, letting the words seep into me. There was silence for a while.

'(f/n), I know I've only met you for a few days, but I just want you to know that…that I really like you.' My eyes widened as I felt my heart pump ten times faster. This had caught me off guard. I propped myself up on one elbow to meet Jack's serious eyes. I tried to put my own feelings into words. 'I—I like you too, Jack.' It was the first time I had ever said these words to anyone. Jack's eyebrows raised. 'Are you sure you do?' His voice was worried. I moved to cup his face with my hands. 'Yes I'm sure of it, Jack.' 'Then…will you be my—' I put a finger to his lips, silencing him. 'It's just—before you ask me anything else…I can't have a boyfriend yet, Jack. I'm not fully ready.' Jack's face was confused. So was I. 'I'm sorry. But like you said, it's only been a few days. I'll figure all this out, just give me some time okay?' He nodded his head, eyebrows knitted together. I hated seeing him like this. 'By the way, I may not be the one you really want. You could find someone better than—' '(f/n), you're tired. Go to sleep,' Jack said with a slight hint of annoyance in his voice. I blushed as I held my tongue. I had no idea why I blurted that out.

I put my head in the crook of Jack's neck. Pulling the covers over myself, I snuggled up to him, feeling the cold radiate off his body. I hoped I wouldn't get pneumonia from this. Then again, I was sure he wouldn't let that happen, would he? 'Good night, Jack.' I whispered, burying my face in his hoodie. After a long while, when I was half-asleep, I felt him slide an arm under my waist, pulling me in closer to him. He must've thought I was asleep as I heard him mutter while stroking my hair, 'You are who I want. You're the best that there is. I understand that you're not ready yet, though I am. But when will you see that to me there is no one else out there who can replace you?' I felt the rise and fall of his chest as he sighed. 'Good night, my princess. I love you,' he whispered before planting a kiss on my forehead. And with that he drifted off to sleep, leaving me wide awake to take in his thoughts.