Here you are guys ^^ Chapter 10! This is the last official chapter of the story, I should be posting the epilogue in the next couple days I hope. Enjoy guys!
Darkness, crushing, all-enveloping darkness surrounded Jack on all sides, blocking out his senses. He couldn't see anything but the inky blackness stretching before him, couldn't hear anything past the darkness smothering him. He could feel though, feel the bitter cold, far colder then ay blizzard, that dug into his chest like icy claws tearing at his heart. He tried to scream, tried to move, tried to do anything but his body wouldn't respond. He could do nothing but float there in the darkness while the cold slowly devoured him from the inside out.
A tiny speck of light pierced the darkness as Jack felt something warm and soothing brush up against him. Warmth, bright and comforting cradled Jack as it chased the biting cold from his limbs like shadows before a torch, flooding his world with soft light. Held in its warm glow Jack felt safe, like nothing in the world could hurt him and slowly he felt himself drift into a deep and peaceful sleep.
The first sign to Jack that he was once again conscious was a dull ache that permeated every fiber of his being. Each beat of his heart sent a throb through his veins, every one of his muscles felt stiff. Where was he, and how did he get here? Well, wherever he was lying, it was soft and warm and he felt no inclination to move, even if he could have mustered the energy to do so, which he doubted. Instead he put the full force of his very hazy mind behind the task of trying to piece together what exactly had happened. So far he remembered getting free, then Pitch, being sleepy, the terrible cold blackness, and the warming light…and then lying wherever here was…not much to go off of really.
As time slowly passed, or it could have been quickly; Jack had no way of telling-it felt really slow though that's for sure-the dull roaring in his ears eventually subsided into low indistinct murmurs and then eventually into soft voices. North was speaking at the moment, his voice unmistakable, even richer a lower the usual in an effort to speak quietly.
"-done all you can for him. Jack is fighter, just needs rest-and so do you." Tooth's higher tones piped in at that moment, bordering on shrill as what seemed to be irritation colored her voice.
"Bunny, its been three days. He's stable and recovering, nothings bad is going to happen to him if you take a nap but if you don't get some sleep you're going to pass out. You looked like you're there as it is! Just lay down for a little bit, we'll watch him just to be sure-"
Aster's voice was scratchy as emanated from Jack's left and cut across Tooth, "All due respect guys, but rack off." He voice calm but the firm tone left no room for negotiation-of course that wasn't about to deter Tooth.
"Seriously Bunny, you haven't slept in moon knows how long, just lay down for a little whi-" A very loud and exasperated and throaty groan drowned out Tooth's next words as Cupid's rich voice over road the Tooth fairy.
"Would you give it a rest Princess premolar? I think he's made it perfectly clear, multiple times, that he's not going anywhere."
"Nobody asked your opinion Cupid," Tooth said and Jack was both surprised and somewhat impressed by the amount of derision she managed to squeeze into the two syllable name.
"People rarely do darling, and yet I find myself having to intervene at an alarming rate." Cupid responded, he voice rising as she spoke.
"And you don't see a problem with that? I mean honestly you butt into people's lives when you have no right and throw a giant monkey wrench into everything!" Tooth's volume rose steadily as she spoke and Jack could just imagine her feathers puffing out as she spoke, the thought making him grin.
"I make people's lives better thank you!" Cupid was now nearly shouting in indignation "Sometimes things may not go as planned but I bring people together, I make them happy!"
"Oh? How'd that work out for that young couple, what were their names again, Romeo and Juliet was it?"
"That was a fictitious play written by a man who was shockingly determined to be unhappy."
"A play based on a true story!" Tooth actually shouted.
There was a moment of silence in which North said "Ladies, we should be keeping it down, Jack needs rest."
Ignoring North, Tooth exclaimed in triumph, "Hah! Didn't think anyone remembered that did you? Thought you swept it under a rug huh?"
"Alright alright," Cupid said, sounding flustered, "Not my best moment, I admit, but there is only so much one can do with a pair of star struck hormonal teenagers with less common since between them than a hamster!" the end of Cupid's statement came out in one long breath before she continued, "And I'll be plucked if I let some primped up self-riotous thief tell me how to do my job!"
"I am not a theif! I-"
"Oh, then what would you call breaking into people's homes and taking their children's teeth?"
"They leave them for me." Tooth was indignant at this point and Jack could hear the patter of wings flapping rapidly.
"Tooth! Cupid!" Aster's deep voice boomed out, overriding the argument before it could continue. "Stop." He said simply as a heavy silence fell over the room.
It was several moments before Cupid spoke again "Well it would seem the point is moot any who, I don't think Aster will have to wait up much longer."
There was a collective stirring and shifting sound from all around Jack before Tooth spoke "What are you talking about?" Venom still in her voice.
"Well, either Mr. Frost is having a particularly pleasant dream or he's been awake and listening this entire time if that grin is anything to judge by."
There was a creak to Jack's left and then Aster's voice sounded, closer than before "Jack? Can ya hear me mate?"
Jack tried to say 'Yea, I can hear you' which amounted to a low groan in the back of his throat. He squinted his eyes open, catching a blurry image of his fellow guardian's encircling the bed before squinting his eyes shut, the bright light burning his eyes.
"What's wrong Jack?" Aster's voice was concerned as a large paw came to rest on Jack's upper arm, squeezing slightly.
"Bright." He managed to croak out and a moment later there were several small clicks and the light filtering through his eyelids lessened greatly. Blinking like an owl Jack slowly opened his eyes and waited for them adjust to the faint ambient light cast by the large skylight in the room that had been hurriedly converted into some sort of ICU apparently. His eyes stretched wide as he saw the splint bound to Tooth's arm, the towering crown of bandages encasing Cupid's head like a turban (a resemblance that was accentuated by the large red diamond that had been drawn on it with red marker), and the bandages covering both North's arms and wrapped around the large man's midsection.
"What happened to you guys?" Jack said haltingly, his mouth getting used to forming words again.
"What?" asked North as he looked around before gesturing to his bandages "What dis? Oh dis is nothing, just scratch! We were worried about you, if not for Bunny you would not be here." North said in his usual boisterous manner.
"Yea, don't worry about us Jack, we're just relived you're alright. Bunny saved you, but we weren't sure if you'd make it there for a while, gave us the quite the scare." Tooth said as she hovered at his bedside.
"Did he now?" Jack said, his voice quiet as he felt the urge to fall back asleep growing inside him. His gaze drifted over to look at Aster, a small smile spreading across is face as bright green eyes looked back at him. They held each other's gaze for several long moment until a small cough emanated from the chair across the room where Cupid was currently lounging.
After clearing her throat pointedly she spoke "You know, I'm feeling a mite peckish and I can only imagine that Jack is simply famished. North, Tooth why don't we go fix something hmm?" Tooth looked at Cupid for a moment, the to Jack and Aster before comprehension donned and she said "Yea, that sounds like a good idea."
"You two go make food, I need to check on Jack." North said, waving to the two fluttering women who had made their way to the door.
"I'm sure Aster can take care of him while were gone, besides you'll have to show me around your kitchen if I'm going to make my famous angel food cake." Cupid said he voice weighted.
"Ask yetis, they will help." North said offhandedly as he stood up, grabbing a clipboard that had been hanging on the bed. With an exasperated sigh and an eye-roll that would have broken the neck of a mortal woman Cupid fluttered over and, using surprising strength, lead North from the room by the beard ignoring the large Russian's protests. As the door closed between the three, leaving Jack and Aster alone in the quest room, Jack turned to the Pooka.
"Not very subtle is she?" he said with a grin.
"No, subtly has never really been her string suit." Aster said with a chuckle.
"So long have I been out?"
"Bout three, three and a half days."
"So what exactly happened?" Jack asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.
"Whatcha mean?" Aster asked, though Jack suspected the Pooka knew exactly what me meant.
"I mean, I remember being in Pitch's lair and then waking up here feeling like an elephant's tap shoe. I was hoping you could fill in that blank a bit."
Aster took a deep breath before speaking "Well, ya got out a the bindings and were about to get mine to when Pitch came back. The other's had finally found us with Cupid's help and were fightin' their way to us, he knew he was beaten but he wasn't bout to give up. So he-" Here Aster's voice caught and he swallowed hard before continuing "he tried ta kill you in a last ditch effort ta break me. Nearly succeeded to, missed yer heart by less'n an inch. Cupid got there then an I was able ta stitch ya back up and then Sandy arrived and helped us carry ya out. We brought ya back here and 'v been taken' care of ya since."
Jack remembered the crippling cold that had overtaken him before that unknown warmth had brushed it aside and muttered to himself "that was you…"
"Hmm?" Aster asked, a questioning look on his face.
"It's nothing, just a thought." Jack deflected before he realized something "Wait, where's Sandy? You said he was there but he wasn't here…is he ok? He wasn't hurt was he, he didn't-" Aster cut across Jack's rapidly growing worry as he spoke.
"No, Sandy's fine though I haven't ever seen 'im this steamed. He's royally racked off, apparently he think's Pitch cross a line. He's out lookin' fer him right now and I know I wouldn't want ta be Pitch when Sandy catches up with 'im." Jack thought about that for a minute; he'd never seen Sandy mad before but anybody who can come back from the dead is certainly not someone you want to mess with. With that question answered Jack's mind turned to another.
"So why do Tooth and Cupid hate each other?" Aster let out a deep laugh at Jack's question before answering.
"Ah, well they both fancied the same bloke a few centuries back and they never really got over the whole rivalry thing."
"Oh." The conversation faded into a slightly uncomfortable silence as Jack cast his gaze around the room but inevitably it was drawn back to Aster who was always looking at him. Finally Jack said ,"You know, Tooth has a point, you really go look dead on your feet." It actually frightened Jack just how disheveled Aster looked, his fur dingy and matted, he shoulders and ears drooping, his normally bright eyes dulled with exhaustion.
Aster let out a slightly self-deprecating chuckle "Yea, I was just worried about ya , wasn't gonna have much luck sleepin' while you were in a state like that."
"Well get some sleep now alright?"
Aster's large paw moved over and gripped Jack's had as he spoke "Alright Jack, I love you."
Jack felt his breath catch in his chest at Aster's words, the familiar warmth that accompanied those words mingled with his doubts and uncertainties and he hesitated-and Aster noticed. A look sad understanding appeared on Aster's face as he stood up and walked over to a window at the far end of the room, looking out over the frozen landscape of the North pole, his back to Jack.
"I wondered back there if ya were sayin' whatcha thought I needed ta hear." The pure desolation in Aster's voice sent a jolt of cold through Jack's chest. "I let myself believe ya cause I needed to…guess that's why you said it huh?"
"Aster, it's not like that…" Jack didn't know how to express what he was feeling. It killed him to see the Pooka in pain like this, he cared about him and wanted him to be happy. It was more the just that though, Aster made him happy to and he felt himself wanting to spend more time with the Pooka, had wanted to for quite some to if he was honest with himself, but he didn't know if he loved him. Aster didn't wait for Jack to put words to his jumbled feelings.
"It's alright Frostbite," the poorly concealed pain in voice in stark contrast with his words "I understand why ya did it and I'm glad you did. I owe you-" Jack cut of his meaningless ramblings.
"I am far too tired to freeze your mouth shut so please do me a favor and please shut up." Jack waited until he was sure Aster wasn't going to interrupt him "Turn around please, I want to talk to you, not your back." There was a long pause in which Aster's shoulder's rose and fell several times before he finally turned around, the corners of his eyes shining and wet. "Come back over here." Aster looked at Jack for so long he was beginning to think the Pooka would refuse when he took a step forward, then another, until he stood next to Jack's bed and Jack could look up at him. "Thank you." Now that he was actually able to talk to Aster he suddenly found himself at a loss for words.
He took several deep breaths, trying to gather his thoughts before finally speaking hesitantly. "Alright, uh…well the thing is…you see…screw it! Yes, I said what I said because I knew you needed to hear it and I wanted to help you." Jack was shouting, or at least the pitiful approximation of a shout his weakened state would allow. "I said it because I care about you and I didn't want to see you in pain and damn it I don't know what the hell I feel but I know I want to be around you, I feel happier when I'm with you and I don't know what I feel for you accept I care for you and I think that I could love you…I want to love you…" Jack was taken aback by his outburst, certainly not having planned to say anything he just had.
Jack looked over at Aster, having kept his eyes locked on the ceiling above him while he spoke and saw a smile spreading across his face as his green eyes, now shining with a different emotion, looked at Jack. After a moment he leaned down and wrapped strong arms around Jack, pressing the small winter spirit to his chest. Jack returned the embrace, letting himself fall into the surprisingly familiar warmth. After several long moments he mumbled "I was right." The words muffled by Aster's fur.
Pulling back to he could look into Jack's face Aster asked "What?"
Jack chuckled "Well, when Pitch stabbed me things weren't really clear for me, but I distinctly remember thinking how soft and warm your fur looked…and what it would be like to curl up next to you for a nap." After a brief pause Jack said "I'd still like to know that particular bit of information." Needing no other encouragement Aster lifted Jack's blanket and carefully settled himself into the bed next to Jack. Once he was settled Jack made to turn over onto his side to better curl against Aster; his entire body went stiff and his breath caught in his throat as a sharp pain shot from his chest down his spine to his lower back.
"Jack, what's wrong?" Aster said, worry and concern clear on his face as he looked at Jack.
"Chest…hurt" Jack said as his chest rose and fell rapidly, his heart still racing from the memory of the pain. He want to rub a hand against his chest but Aster's paw caught his wrist, stopping him. He looked as Aster inquisitively and Aster just looked back at him, his expression a mixture of apprehension and worry. Breaking Aster's weak grip Jack moved his hand to his chest, gasping as his finger's came into contact with a ropey line of flesh that stretch from just below his right shoulder to the bottom of his chest. He felt himself start breathing faster as his fingers explored the terrible scar his encounter with Pitch had left him.
Without warning strong hands grabbed him and pulled him to a furry chest, one arm wrapping around his waist and the other around his shoulders after is pulled his had away from his new scar. The hand on his back started rubbing slow circles on in back as he buried his face in Aster's shoulder, bringing his hands up to rest against Aster's chest, his thin fingers knotting themselves in think fur. Slowly his breathing began to slow and his pulse returned to a more normal pace; Aster's warm embrace driving away the panic that had threatened to overwhelm him.
"Thanks, I don't know why it freaked me out so much..."
"Of course Jack, I'm always here for ya."
"I like the sound of that." Jack said with a smile as he adjusted himself so he could comfortable lay his cheek against Aster's chest. "So what now?"
With a chuckle Aster said "Now, we get some much needed sleep. Then we see where tomorrow takes us."
"I like that plan." Jack said sleepily. "I'm not taking your last name though."
Aster let out a rumbling laugh as he wrapped his arms around Jack's securely "Goodnight Jack."
"Goodnight Aster." Jack whispered as he drifted into a very peaceful sleep.
There you are ^^ Hope you all enjoyed it, keep a look out for the Epilogue some time this week. As always leave a review and let me know your thoughts and I love you all!