HAPPY RELEASE DAY, AMERICA! I HOPE Y'ALL ENJOY THE MOVIE!
'Cause you know, I'll be here, in my little tropical country (that Jack will never visit /ugly sobbing), waiting for another SEVEN DAYS for the movie to come out. But hey! More fics to come up! I'm going to do a countdown to the release here (Nov. 28, but I'll be seeing it on the 30th because of my schedule derping), so keep watching out for more fics! C:
Imagine your person A of your OTP crying by themself for whatever reason, until person B comes and hugs them and tells them 'its okay'.
Warnings: VERY LIKELY HISTORICAL INACCURACIES BUT DAMNED IF I CARED. I WANT MY H/C FIC, Jackson whumpage, oh no not another Jack-whump fic, Bukkun abuses her loved characters, Angus is derping here again omg, continuation of the linear storyline (uh, continuation of chap. 8, Hot to the Touch), CHAPTERS 9 AND 10 WERE FLASHBACKS YES, angst and jealous teenagers, North being such a good father i'm cry, Jack bby i'm cry, part three of three.
Notes: Part three of three. This is now just complete, baseless conjecture, but fuck you if I care. I DO WHAT I WANT
In the end, Ombric was brought back to Santoff Klaussen, completely unharmed and totally fine, save for a few scratches on his hands from gripping his splintery staff too tightly. The children rejoiced and ran to welcome him back to their company, as the Guardians stood back, all tired but proued of their accomplishments. They had driven Pitch away from the world again, this time, but like always, they could never be too sure that the man was completely gone.
Despite the nigging worry at the backs of their minds, however, as they all returned to their homes-Toothiana to her palace in the mountain, Bunnymund to his warren, Sandy to somewhere only he and the Man in the Moon knows where, and North to his new home in the North Pole, also named Santoff Klaussen in honor of the village it was based on-peace returned to the world, as night after night, the Man in the Moon reported, all his moonbeams returned with radiant light-signs that Pitch was gone, at least for the time being.
The Guardians soon fell into rhythm with their new roles-protecting the children of the world and giving them hopes and dreams, ensuring a beautiful, pure and happy childhood.
There was one little boy, though, that proved to be a little more than a handful at times to take care of.
Little Jackson Overland Frost walked alone in the forest, hands clasped together as he wandered around aimlessly with his bare feet, feeling the soft, damp earth beneath them and the ticklish brush of the grass. He was all alone, all by himself that warm Easter morning, as the rest of the village gathered at the square to celebrate the holiday.
Naturally, the poor little boy-a little too scrawny, too tiny, too weak to be friends with the other children-was neglected. No one even spared a second glance at him as he had walked past the town square, where people were beginning to gather to celebrate Easter. His father was at work-never could spare a day, not even Easter, to earn for his family's upkeep, and his mother was heavily pregnant with his younger sibling. Jackson hoped that the baby was a girl-he had always wanted a little sister. Maybe at least she could be his friend.
With both his parents unavailable to be with him that day, Jackson settled for wandering around alone in the thick forest right next to the town of Burgess. Aimlessly he walked, pointedly keeping his mind away from the thoughts of loneliness and yearning to think about other things-how prettily the wild flowers were blooming underneath the trees, the fresh scent of the breeze lightly tousling the trees around him, and his brown hair, the presence of all the other small animals out there in the forest Jackson was sure were watching over him at that very moment.
He felt a little better, taking in a deep breath of fresh forest breeze, as he neared a lake in the middle of the forest. Smiling slightly in wonder-were there fish in the lake, he thought-he approached it gingerly, peering into the clear waters to see tiny little fish swimming about alongside a few tadpoles. His smile widened and he sat down at the shore, looking down at the fish inside.
Unbeknownst to him, behind the tree right behind him, a tall Pooka stood, clutching a pair of chocolate eggs. There was a smile on his face, and he gently lowered them to the ground, tiny stick-like legs sprouting out of them. With a wave of his hand, the Pooka waved at them to approach the boy, and so they did, ambling merrily along their jolly way until they came to a stop at a clump of grass about a metre away from where Jackson was.
The sound of rustling grass caught Jackson's attention and he turned his head to see two brightly-coloured eggs sitting in a clump of grass. His eyes widened.
"Oh, wow," he smiled, standing up as he took the eggs from their place in the clump of grass. "Eggs," he breathed, looking at them, beautifully painted with delicate designs of snowflakes and ice.
Bunnymund smiled to himself as he watched the boy inspect the eggs. He knew Jackson loved the snow and ice, and would often play by himself during the winters, when all the other children would stay inside their homes because it was too cold for them-but it was just perfect for Jackson, so Bunnymund had decided to give the boy an appropriately-designed egg just for him. It was hand-painted by the Pooka himself, and he was quite proud of his handiwork, if one were to ask him about it. Jackson's smile send waves of warmth through the Pooka-energy for the Guardians was the happiness of children, but Jackson's happiness was really something else.
"Thank you, Easter Rabbit," Jackson whispered to the wind, before making a move to unwrap one of the eggs-
When suddenly one of the bigger children of the village (and the one that loved taunting and bullying Jackson) barreled into the clearing, a wide smirk on his face.
"And what do you think you're going to do with that egg?" He demanded, and Jackson moved back from him, alarmed. "You aren't even part of the egg hunt! You're a thief!"
"I-I'm not," Jackson replied, shaking his head, bringing the eggs close to himself protectively, "You already have a basketful of them," Mostly ones that you most likely forced others to give you, he added mentally, "Why would you want mine?"
"Because, like I said," the boy snapped at him, striding over to Jackson and wrenching the eggs out of the boy's hands, "You're a thief and I'm taking them away from you because you're not meant to have one of these!"
"H-hey! That's mine-!"
"No, it's mine now!" the boy crowed, pushing Jackson backwards into the lake, throwing him backwards onto the shallow parts of it, spraying water everywhere. Laughing cruelly, the boy walked away, already eating up one of the eggs he had procured from Jackson.
Jackson watched him leave, dismay clear on his face, and Bunnymund, still hidden where he was, growled in anger, his hind legs rearing up as his tail bristled. How dare that boy?! And he had worked so hard on those eggs!
Jackson pulled himself out of the lake, dripping wet, looking every bit like a kicked puppy tossed out in the rain. Something in Bunnymund's heart wrenched as Jackson huddled into a little ball at the water's edge, burying his face into his arms as he began to choke and sob. Biting his lower lip, Bunnymund looked at the boy, and back at his two emergency chocolate eggs, before heaving a sigh. The eggs he had with him weren't as magnificent as the ones he had intended to give the boy, but for now, they will have to do.
Silently, he padded over to Jackson, his steps making absolutely no noise as he approached, and gently, he placed the eggs down next to Jackson's side. He then draped himself over Jackson's cold, shivering body, making the boy stop crying in surprise and begin to lift his head. Gently, Bunnymund pressed his paw over the boy's head.
"Don't look up," he gently told him, and Jackson did as he was told, relaxing back into his previous position-curled up into a ball with his face buried in his arms. "It's alright, you'll be okay," he soothed, smoothening his other paw down Jackson's back, and the boy began to shake again, tears most likely flowing freely from his cheeks. "I'm here, and I want you to know that you're loved, my boy." Gently, he placed a soft kiss on the boy's wet hair, before uttering a spell. Jackson was instantly dry again, and now just warming up in Bunnymund's embrace. "You have Guardians watching over you."
Jackson couldn't understand what this strange man was talking about, but he kept on crying, finally having a warm shoulder to cry on, and he let the man hold him until his sobs subsided, reduced to whimpers and sad little sniffles.
"I have eggs for you, but they aren't as good as the ones you got," Bunnymund said, "They're right next to you. I hope they'll be good enough for you."
"They are much more than that already," Jackson replied, and he flung himself into the stranger's arms, hugging him tightly, feeling warm, fluffy fur around a strong neck above the smooth green robes that had been wrapped around him. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
Warmth was spreading over Bunnymund so brilliantly, the Pooka allowed himself a small smile. Jackson's happiness was overwhelmingly beautiful and potent.
"No, my dear boy, thank you." He replied, before patting Jackson's back. "I have to go. Close your eyes and don't open them until I'm gone."
Jackson nodded, closing his eyes as he pulled away from the man-barely glimpsing the sight of a pair of rabbit ears as he closed his eyes. Inspiration sparked in his chest-the Easter Rabbit had visited him.
Bunnymund patted Jackson's shoulders reassuringly, before tapping the ground with his foot, making one of his existing tunnels appear beneath him. "Happy Easter, my dear boy." He murmured, before leaving, the tunnel closing as he went through it, just as Jackson opened his eyes to see nothing there in front of him, but a smile spread across his face.
"Happy Easter, Rabbit."
Toothiana loved all children, but she especially loved the ones who took care of their teeth the best. Every night, she travelled all across the world for their fallen baby teeth, where she keeps in her palace so that they could be returned when they were needed the most.
She was especially fond of a certain little boy's baby teeth-young Jackson Frost's teeth were very well-taken care of, despite his current financial situation in life. Smiling sadly as she approached his window, she thought about the tooth that was underneath the boy's pillow-it was his last baby tooth, and it rather saddened her that it would be the last tooth she would take from him.
Silently, she flew into the boy's window to see him asleep-but her heart stirred with pain as she saw the boy's expression as he slept-tear tracks were fresh on his cheeks, with even more tears coming down them as he turned in fitfully in his bed. She knew the boy wasn't having a nightmare-there were no traces of Pitch's presence in his home-but she knew that this dream was not exactly a good one.
"... Mother..." he mumbled feverishly in his sleep, reaching outwards, and his hand latched onto Toothiana's wrist, alarming her and she forced herself to calm down and stay still, lest she wake up the sleeping boy. "Please... don't... go..."
She looked at him, expression sad, and remembered what had happened just a few days ago-Jack's mother had died of childbirth when she gave birth to his little sister. Jackson was overjoyed to welcome his new sister to his family, but was devastated at the loss of his mother, at his young tender age of 9. It truly wasn't fair for the boy, but Toothiana knew that nature had to run its course, and she completely understood what it was like to lose a parent. She had lost both, after all.
Gently, she hushed him, stroking his tousled hair as she settled down next to him, her weight barely lowering the bed as she hovered slightly to keep herself aloft. Jackson somehow calmed down and one of Toothiana's little fairies dove under his pillow to collect his tooth, leaving behind a shining shilling she was sure the boy would appreciate.
"Oh, Jackson," she sighed, still stroking the boy's hair to calm him down. "It's alright, worry not," she assured, as the boy's tears stopped falling, and his breathing grew steady. "You are dearly treasured, my dear." She said, kissing the boy's cheek so softly, feather-light and barely brushing, "Know that Guardians will never leave you, even when you grow up." Her voice descended to a whisper as Jackson's sleep deepened, his mind now calm. Toothiana reached for the tooth she recieved, and held it close to her chest in her palm to see the memory within.
It was the memory of a warm embrace, and a rather familiar voice...
"Oh, Bunnymund," She smiled, before putting the tooth in her ruby box. She looked back at Jackson, smiling as she kissed his head again, before flying away into the night.
Jackson sleepily awoke, blinking as he wiped his hands over his cheeks. "... What a beautiful dream," he uttered, but then his eyes widened. "My tooth," he gasped, lifting the pillow to see a shining shilling, and a smile crossed his face. "... The Tooth Fairy was here."
Sandy knew the dreams and wishes of all the children in the world, as night after night he gave them beautiful, happy dreams to keep the nightmares away, but in the midst of all those wishes of adventure, and magic, and all the wild, happy things only children could think of, there was one single dream that had intrigued him.
It was a dream of Jackson Overland Frost's, on the night he had lost his last baby tooth.
He had been dreaming of his mother's death, begging for her to not leave him. It was the makings of a nightmare, and Sandy had been ready to intervene, but Toothiana was there, and her presence calmed the boy down, leaving him a beautiful dream of love and hope, as his memories from his encounter with Bunnymund mixed with his other memories, making a whole new beautiful dream, where his family was complete, and the Guardians, strong and loving, were there by his side, giving him the joy and happiness he didn't have in the waking world.
Sandy had been moved by the incident-he could not have made up a dream for Jackson better than what had happened that night.
Smiling as he flew over to the boy's window one evening, he saw that Jackson was still awake, lying by himself in his bed, looking straight through Sandy and at the moon, a pensive look on his face. Sandy knew that now more than ever, his father had to work harder to keep both himself and his children alive, and to move on from the harrowing hurt they all went through when Jackson's mother died. This meant that the boy was now both blessed with a friend-his baby sister-and was lonlier than ever, now without a loving mother to be there for him when he needed her the most.
Sandy brought in a wisp of dreamsand through the window, shaped as a rabbit (for he knew that Jackson loved the winter, especially the snow rabbits) and it bounced to the unknowing boy through the air, before entering his mind, sending him off to a deep sleep.
A smile crossed Jackson's face as Sandy showed him a good, happy dream-his parents, alive and well, his little sister, happily gurgling on his lap, and all the Guardians with him, watching over him as he grew up, giving him happiness and love.
A tear rolled down Jackson's cheek, and Sandy's eyes widened to see that it was a Dream Tear, a precious and beautiful Dream Tear, much like the one Nightlight had taken off Katherine, as she dreamt about Pitch and his lost daughter. Sandy flew into the room and took the Dream Tear from the boy and tucked it into the folds of his clothes, before smiling down at the sleeping child.
You are loved, my boy. The Guardians will bring you dreams of happiness for many years to come, he told the boy in soft whispers in his dream, You will have a most beautiful childhood. Your dreams will make sure of that.
Jackson mumbled something affirmatory, and Sandy chuckled silently, fondly shaking his head before flying out the window to spread good dreams to the other children around the world.
The four Guardians were gathered together by the fireplace, all of them pensive. The second week of Jack's comatose condition had just started, and they were all anxious when the boy will wake up. The Man in the Moon had assured them that he will wake up, and everything was merely a matter of time. They had to be patient.
Mulling over the current situation, they all looked back on their memories with Jack as he was a boy, Bunnymund reminiscing all those Easters the boy had as he absentmindedly painted an egg the same design as the one he had tried giving Jack so many years ago, but was stolen.
Tooth was thinking about Jack's last baby tooth. She silently wished that somehow, that memory inside that tooth would help him recover. She had just given him the memory mere hours ago, but she had no idea how much progress it would make.
Sandy was thinking about the boy's dreams. While now, they were all happy, good ones (courtesy of Sandy, of course,) he couldn't help but think back on that one dream so many years ago-that one dream that was so beautiful, and powerful. Would Jack need something like that to return to his old self quicker?
North was thinking of other things. Angus's actions, while not unheard of, alarmed North. He could understand that Angus had the capacity to attack other spirits (Bunnymund being a witness to that in the palace at the FrostyMountains) but he couldn't fathom Angus's reason why. It wasn't like North was in any danger. Was it something Jack had done to aggravate him?
Frustrated, North abruptly stood up, catching the attention of the other Guardians. Bunnymund spoke up first.
"Don't worry, mate." he said, "We'll get him."
"That's not what I'm worried about," North replied, before walking away, leaving in his wake three confused Guardians.
"So, what's the big deal with Angus, North?" Jack demanded, floating into the man's office, sending a cold wind inside. His feet were still a little sore and stung when he walked, so Jack had to fly around more often than he usually did. "Why do you know him?"
"I saved his life, Jack," North replied, as Jack sat down on his desk. "He needs me as much as I need him. He has the strength to defeat Pitch."
"Then why didn't you send for him in the first place?" Jack snarled, clearly getting angry. "Instead of wasting your time on me?"
North's eyebrows shot up and he looked at the younger Guardian, contempt clear on his face and his voice. "Now, listen here, Jack-"
"Yeah, I don't think so!" Jack retorted, "Why didn't you just go for Angus instead of me? Seems he was much loyal to you than I was, and clearly you have some history with him that I, unfortunately, do not have with you!" Angrily he slammed the end of his staff onto the ground, "Heck, he could even kill me instantly, if he wanted to! I was weak where he was strong. Virtually no weakness against the darkness-against Pitch! He's so perfect for this Guardian business, so why not him?"
"Jack..."
"Why not him, huh? Tell me! Why do you have to get my hopes up after all these years just so that now, I'm left to see that bitter crushing disappointment after seeing someone better than I was, or will ever be at this deafeating Pitch business?"
North didn't say a word, too surprised at what Jack had said. The teen's angry expression faltered slightly and he gripped his staff, his pale knuckles going whiter than North thought possible. "All those years ago, the Guardians told me they would be watching over me, that I wasn't ever alone, that I would be happy for the rest of my days, but that never became true!"
Angry tears stung at the corner of Jack's ice and as they rolled down his face, he angrily froze them into perfect little ice droplets that fell off his face and onto the floor, shattering like delicate glass, shards flying into thousands of pieces at his feet.
"For three hundred years, North. Three hundred years, I lived alone, all alone, with no one seeing me, or believing in me, or even so much as thinking about me, not even you four." He let the words tumble from his mouth clumsily; he had broken through a dam and now all his emotions from so long ago spilled out uncontrollably like gallons and gallons of water rushing through a crack that began to grow bigger and bigger.
"I tried to have fun, to be happy, I really did," he said, and the tears spilled freely now, no longer turning to ice as they rolled down Jack's cheeks, "But as much as I loved snow days, and pranking people, all the other stuff I did, it wasn't enough. I needed someone there with me. Just be there, for me."
"Jack," North sighed, reaching out to the boy, who regared his hand from a moment, wary before taking one step closer. But only a step. "Jack, come closer."
Still sniffling, Jack did as he was told, stepping forward and taking North's hand. The man squeezed it reassuringly, and pulled Jack closer to himself, doing as he did before a few weeks ago, pulling the younger Guardian into his lap.
"Jack, we are always there for you. But those three hundred years, they were a mistake we made that I regret to this day." He said, "We had decided to leave you alone for a while, you were volatile, still new to your abilities and still so very young, so we gave you time to adjust, to learn;" he sighed, "But now I know that that was a foolish decision, and that now we have to make up for all those years we have done you wrong."
"What about Angus?" Jack asked. "Why are you so..." he gestured uselessly with his hands, "I don't know, so intimate with him?"
"He was a good friend, such a good boy." North smiled sadly, "He was a lot like you. Young, out of control, still unsure of his capabilities, and alone. So very alone." Jack looked at him, and North stroked his hair soothingly. "But, unlike you, he yearns for solitude. Something had happened to him long ago that has left him so deeply scarred he forever rues the day he came into being."
"What happened?" Jack asked, but North shook his head.
"Only Angus knows what happened." North replied, "And as much as he is loyal, and strong, and powerful, Angus is still very dangerous. I stil hesitate to call on him for help, let alone calling him a Guardian." He smiled down at Jack, "And as I said before, you have something very special inside of you, Jack," he poked the boy's chest. "Only you have it."
A sad smile spread across Jack's face, and North smiled back at him, reassuring, and wide.
"So, like the others, I'll make a promise to you too." He smiled, "You are loved, Jack. And I will always bring wonder to you, as you bring so much wonder to me." Gently North wiped away Jack's tear tracks with his thumbs, before planting a soft kiss on the boy's forehead. "I will be the father to you as the son you've become for me."
Jack's eyes widened and he stared at North, who smiled back at him, warming up with happiness he felt emanating off Jack.
"You mean it?"
"Not even the Man in the Moon can make me change my mind." He replied, and a smile spread across Jack's face. The boy leant forward and pulled North into a hug, and the man, chuckling, wrapped his large arms around Jack's small body.
"Thanks... dad." he said, and North smiled.
"I know. You told me that before."
Jack chuckled, and snuggled closer to the man.
"I still don't like Angus, though."
"I understand."
"And I'll still freeze him to death when I see him."
"You wouldn't."
"Okay, fine. I'll just give him a little frostbite?"
North pulled away from Jack, eyebrow raised and a grin on his face, and Jack grinned right back at him.
"Oh, okay. Fine. I won't hurt him." Jack laughed, "But I still don't like him."
"I know, son," North chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair. "I know."
So, the ultimate ship bias in this Jack-centric chapter is apparently platonic!North/Jack, followed closely by Bunny/Jack and Foe-Yay!Angus/Jack. Well done, Bukkun. =-=
Well. Enough of that, I'll move on now. With the movie out, I'll safely ship now, so expect legit shipping in other fics (that may or may not be just shoved into this one to save space). No more of that platonic bullshit, I'm pulling out all the stops.
BECAUSE THE FOE-YAY BETWEEN JACK AND PITCH IS TOO GREAT FOR ME TO RESIST SORRY NOT SORRY
The other fics will follow suit. Until then, stay safe, everyone! C: