Ice Cubes
Summary: Bunny has failed Jack so many times before, that's why he's determined to keep this one promise between them. Jack may only see him and the others as friends, but one day, the winter sprite will trust them enough to call them 'family'.
A small bonus scene, set before 'Krampus'.
A Promise to Keep
"G'day, mate." Startling blue eyes looked up into green ones as a certain six-foot-one rabbit hopped towards the ledge of the frosted open window. The pooka could see that the youngest guardian's hood was up. An action the winter spirit usually did when he was grieving, or thinking…
…or when he wanted to hide himself from the world for a while.
"Oh." A breath of relief and exasperation made Easter rabbit's ear twitch. "Hey Bunny." The teasing tone was there, almost light and nonchalant- but Bunny brushed that thought away when he saw the distant look in the darkening blue eyes.
Sighing, the Easter kangaroo- rabbit flopped down beside Jack, startling him in and making him jump and his hood fall off in the process.
"Wha-?"
"What's on yer mind?" Bunny interrupted, crossing his arms, a position that was meant to tell the young spirit that he was dead set to remain by the other's side unless he opened his trap and started talking.
But Jack was being difficult it seemed, or rather he was not expecting such a question because all that came out of his mouth was an unintelligible, "Huh?"
"I asked, what's on your mind, ya' galah…" Bunny said in a drawling voice as he untangled one arm from its cross position to ruffle the snow white hair. Jack flinched and almost did not allow the contact to happen, but Bunny was persistent and successfully caught the other as he affectionately mussed up the ice cold hair. The guardian of joy allowed the contact to happen for a few moments, his shoulders relaxing, before he swatted away the older guardian's paw with an awkward laugh.
Bunny huffed and allowed his paw to be pushed away before settling back into his original position. "So, ya' gonna tell me what's buzzin' in tha' head of yers?"
Blue eyes met green ones again as Jack fiddled with his staff, itching to pull up his hood once more. "Nothing, just- just eighteen year old stuff." Jack said shrugging it off but his expression said otherwise.
Bunny, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow at that statement. "Yer three hundred and eighteen." He pointed out blankly.
Jack gave the other a sarcastic eye roll. "I'm sorry, do I look like I'm three hundred and eighteen to you? I think I'm more than qualified to say that I think about eighteen-year-old stuff since, hello, immortal and forever a kid. Besides, saying my full age is a mouthful."
Bunny's eye twitched at the Jack-like reply and he fought off the urge to smile at the usual snarky statement. He steered the conversation back to the original topic, ignoring the open invitation to have the usual banter. "So, eighteen year old stuff…" He said, humoring the winter sprite. "What sort of 'stuff' are we talkin' about?"
Eighteen year olds were fresh adults. Parents have trouble understanding such free-spirited, independent individuals. And Bunny knew that their mental structures were like a dam in verge of collapse. Hormones were high, emotional stages at its peak…
The pooka was young once, so he knew.
Eighteen was the magic age were reality and fantasy were battling it out. Let's just say that the ideas and thoughts in an adult-slash-kid's mind were often not the sanest of thoughts.
At those words, Jack sombered up. The light in his eyes dimming as he pursed his lips. "Well, you know… The usual depressing eighteen-year-old kind of stuff…" He said as he casually waved a hand.
But Bunny did not miss the warning in the tone.
Jack had been alone for three hundred years. What he did to keep himself sane throughout those lonely days when no one could see him, was beyond Bunny. He might've kept himself busy, throwing himself into work like Bunny, who had lost all of his family and threw himself into making the kids happy instead.
But Bunny could be seen, could be appreciated.
And at the end of every Easter, the pooka was always left with the warm feeling of hope from his believers in every part of the globe, the feeling of hope radiating from every individual from all his hard work.
And for awhile, the believers, the hope, made that lonely feeling go away.
And the sentinels, the eggs, North, Tooth, and Sandy were always there to cheer him up when he was in his depressed days, when months rolled by before the next Easter…
But Jack?
Jack who wasn't believed in, wasn't seen, was ignored, was hurt, and was so so alone.
Who did Jack turn to in the coldest of nights, trapped by darkness and nightmares?
Who comforted Jack when a kid or two ran through him and reminded him bitterly that not one of the ankle bitters he loved and protected could see him?
Who gave Jack the feeling of belonging and being loved and being part of a family?
For three hundred years…? No one.
Not Man in the Moon, not any of the other spirits, not the kids, and especially, not them not the guardians.
And Bunny only shuddered to think of what Jack had- could have possibly done to fill that void of loneliness for three hundred years.
"Depressing…" Bunny mouthed the words before he cleared his throat, hoping Jack did not see him shudder or hesitate. "Tell me." The tone was forceful but soft, encouraging even.
But Jack didn't say anything. Instead he looked at the pooka with startled and guarded, blue eyes. "Really? You want to hear me, Jack Frost, the most annoying teenager in the planet, complain? Are you alright Kangaroo? Did you drink one too many eggnogs?" And Jack laughed.
It was a brittle sound, filled with nonexistent humor and self hatred. And soon, it died down and Jack looked down at his feet refusing to meet green eyes any longer.
But Bunny was patient. He had been nothing but short tempered with Jack ever since he met him and the humanoid rabbit decided to give Jack the benefit of the doubt this time. He knew better now. He knew that being rash and angry with the other did not get him quicker results. It only deepened the problem. That's why for once, he'll hear the other out with patience rather than his usual hot-headed banters.
"Tell me." E. Aster Bunnymund said in a silent tone that left no room for arguments. And Jack opened his mouth, unwillingly looking up to say something but he closed his mouth when he saw the serious green eyes again.
Then there was silence.
Scowling, Jack looked back down again, finding that he could not level his eyes with such an earnest stare. "It's just some old thoughts, really, no big deal, Cottontail."
Bunny grunted, not believing him for one second. "If it ain't a big deal, mate, then why not tell me? I don't mind hearing yer thoughts."
And Jack clamped his mouth shut as he realized that no excuses would get Bunny to stand up and leave him alone.
Silence descended upon them once more, broken only by the soft thumping of Bunny's foot as the other waited for the teenager to speak again.
And true enough, the pooka did not wait long as Jack said in a rough voice. "…hey Bunny?"
The rabbit raised an eyebrow at the change of tone, but he answered in a soft tone. "Yeah? What is it Frostbite?"
"We…" Jack sighed and he drummed his fingers lightly on his staff, shoulders set stiffly. "We're friends right? You and I?"
And that statement struck Bunny more than Jack would ever realize.
Friends. Friends.
Jack was asking if they were friends.
Like… Like you have to ask that sort of thing!
As though all the friendly banters, and squabbles, and nickname-calling didn't indicate otherwise!
As if he wasn't sure- or as if he didn't know that they were!
And Bunny, for all the life in him, opened his mouth, his eyes flashing.
Friends? He wanted to say. Friends, Frostbite? I think 'family's the right word yer lookin' for mate.
And it was.
Because he, Tooth, North, Sandy, and Jack were family.
They weren't. Not before they met Jack.
But they were now.
And Jack should see that! Because everyone could see it! North saw it! Tooth saw it! Sandy saw it! Heck, even the elves and the yetis saw it!
And Bunny, although it took some time, saw that they were inevitably a family.
And Jack must've known that too. He should know that too.
But the stiff set of the shoulders said otherwise. The downcast blue eyes, the frost-spreading fingertips icing the worn wood of the conduit of the winter child's power indicated that Jack hadn't even thought of family.
That Jack thought of them as nothing but merely comrades, associates…
… and that being friends was nothing short of a miracle.
"Jack." And the blue eyes filled with fear of rejection and wary undid Bunny for a moment. And the old pooka knew that whatever he was about to say, Jack was not ready to hear it…
…not yet, anyway.
"I- Yeah." Bunny said as he reached out a paw and flinched at the almost piercing defensive coldness coming off of the other. "Yeah, we're friends."
And someday, maybe when Jack was more trusting and less scared, Bunny could say those words.
That they were a family.
And that they would always be a family.
But for now, the happy light filling those cerulean orbs was enough. The sound thought that Jack at least knew that they were friends, would be enough.
"So, about that depressing stuff…" The old warrior said as he retreated back to his spot. "Lay it on me then, snowflake."
Jack frowned at the other but the pooka was pleased to see that the other was only a little bit wary now. The ice elemental cleared his throat as he put down his stuff self-consciously. "Well, I uhm, it's a really stupid thought but…"
Bunny stayed silent as he waited for Jack to explain himself. Blue eyes were distant again, looking out of the window as though they were seeing things that Bunny could not see.
"I was just thinking about- about before, you know, before… I met you guys." Jack said awkwardly and the rabbit tensed as they began talking about three hundred years of solitude that the pooka knew nothing about. "I had a rough run in with one of the holiday spirits… Don't remember which one it was… What's-his-face-guy or something…" Jack mumbled, his eyebrows crinkling in remembrance.
"So yeah, anyway, we got into a spat. And I was new with my powers and everything so he got the upper hand and-" Jack sighed as Bunny fought the crazy protective urge in him to suddenly check to see if Jack was alright, looking for centuries old bruises that shouldn't be there. "Well, the physical hits hurt like heck but what really got to me were the things he were saying."
"You aren't worth anybody's time!"
"If you disappear, no one would care!"
"I could kidnap you and hold you somewhere and no one, will ever, come looking for you,"
"If anything happened to you, I bet not even the moon would cry for someone so useless."
And all the Easter rabbit could do was sit there, slack jawed as Jack mimicked a century old conversation with a nameless and faceless spirit he could hardly remember.
And the worst part about it was the mimicking voice Jack used as he said those harsh words with his slightly shaking mouth. The tone was high and brittle but also bitter and exasperated.
As though he had heard it a million times over.
As though he had his dreams, his hope crushed a million times again and again by the same words for three centuries.
As though he had long ago accepted that what they said was a fact, an unavoidable truth Jack could never change.
And then suddenly, all Bunny could see was red.
He would've bolted then and there if not for Jack. Raced out of the workshop and hunted every single spirit that ever said such harsh words to their youngest member and make them apologize.
Eventually, he'll get to the part about telling Tooth and the others, but Bunny thinks that Jack would appreciate the apologies more if none of the spirits', who had done him wrong, teeth were missing.
But Bunny never did get to do that, because Jack had started talking again, distracting him from his furious thoughts about mistreatment and apologies…
…and guilt for not being there for Jack sooner.
"So I remembered that scene again…" Jack started up, unaware of Bunny's turmoil. "And since I have you guys now, I was just wondering… if- if anything happened to me." A deep breath as Jack continued. "W-Would you-?"
"No." The tone was hard, clipped, and there was a hint of anger in it as well.
Jack looked like he had been slapped as he looked at Bunny. "What?"
"Nothing, is going to happen to ya'." Bunny said and it took two minutes for Jack to stop shaking and realize that Bunny wasn't confirming his worst fears of rejection and abandonment.
"You-"
"We won't let anythin' happen to ya', mate." And Bunny placed both paws, strong and firm, on Jack's thin shoulders. Shoulders that had carried solitude for so long, that it felt so brittle and fragile and cold under the warmth of Bunny's rough pads.
"But-" And Jack looked lost for a moment, blue eyes darting sideward as though expecting someone to jump out and tell him Bunny was joking. "I-"
"Trust me, trust us… We're…" Yer family, Bunny wanted to say but he shook his head and swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "Yer important to us, mate. If we don't see ya' often.. I-It won't be the same and-"
And don't ever think that you aren't worth anyone's time, again.
If you do disappear… Bunny shuddered because he will not think about a world without Jack Frost, a world without mischief and fun times and joy. We'll do everythin'… everythin' in our powers ta get ya' back.
And if so Manny help me, somebody takes ya' away from us , Bunny's eyes were dark green with seriousness as Jack looked at him, speechless. We'll hunt him down to the ends of the earth just to get ya' back.
"-And we're yer friends, snowflake." Bunny's soft tone was a startling contrast to his emotional thoughts and turmoil. His paw was raised again, setting unto the stiff set of shoulders. Jack has yet to say anything but Bunny knew that the kid was only feeling overwhelmed. "Yer friends…" Because they didn't have the right to be called family, not yet anyway. "And ya' can count on us getting ya' out of any sticky situation ya' find your hide* stuck in."
Jack still didn't say anything, mouth opening and closing unable to form words and Bunny took advantage of the silence a little longer as he placed a paw on the snow white hair. "And we will protect ya', I swear on the Moon we will."
And they will. They always will protect him.
Now if only Jack could believe that too.
Blue eyes were uncertain and Bunny flinched as he saw the emotions weighing down behind those centuries old eyes.
Trust was a brittle thing and it was now being weighed through three hundred years of isolation and pain, and no one ever seeing Jack.
Even though it was a losing battle, and Jack had every right not to trust Bunny's words, the guardian of Hope gazed earnestly into blue eyes, stare confident and not wavering for even a second.
Sincerity was the least he could offer after all.
And then Jack closed his eyes, turning his face down and Bunny's eyes widened in disbelief and hopelessness for a second-
"Okay."
-before it was lighting up at the word.
"What?" Bunny stated, not because he hadn't heard but because he couldn't believe what the boy said.
Blue eyes looked up. There was still fear in them. Fear of being left behind, of being invisible again…
…of being given everything he could have ever wanted only to be cruelly taken away at the last minute.
"I said 'okay'." Jack sighed and his lips twisted up in a humorless smirk. "Maybe you have to get your ears cleaned cottontail. I'm starting to think those are just for show."
"Don't mock the ears, mate." Bunny grumbled but then his tone softened at the end as he squeezed Jack's shoulder before letting go. "Thanks."
The pale face of the boy before him looked on in curiosity. "Thanks for what?"
For telling me this, for believing in us, for not running away and hating us like ya' should.
But instead of saying that, Bunny shrugged. "Just thanks." He had a bad habit of not saying the things that should be said. But Bunny had to tread carefully around this land mine called Jack Frost. If he pushed too much Jack could get frightened. That's why he'll keep the affection and words to a minimum, to a level that Jack wouldn't be overwhelmed.
"Okay, whatever you say kangaroo." Jack said shrugging, expression morphing back into its normal mask as he jumped up, letting him jump over the pooka. He twirled his shepherd's staff as he headed to the door, unmindful of the green eyes staring at his back. "Now if you'll excuse me I have to go and prank Phil. The big grump needs something cold splashed at his face, if you know what I mean." The sprite said laughing as he winked at Bunny.
The older guardian just shook his head at the other's antics, watching as the youngest went off to do his job. However, just as Jack was by the door, he hesitated and looked back at Bunny over his shoulder.
"And uhm…" Jack scratched the back of his neck, looking down at the floor uncertainly. "You're welcome… and," Jack sighed as he looked up and smiled. "Thanks too." He shifted uncomfortably. "You know, f-for being there… and listening."
Bunnymund froze as he saw the fragile but grateful smile on the other's face. It was the first time he'd seen such an innocent look on the imp's face. Seeing the other without the usual smirks and mischievous smile was like seeing the sun rise on a winter day. It was bright and refreshing, and idly the old warrior wondered if Jack had ever smiled like that even once in his three hundred years.
"I- Yeah." Bunny sighed as he fought off the maternal rabbit instinct in him that urged him to go up to the annoying teen and just give a good, old, big hug. "Yeah, yer welcome. Anytime."
And then the expression was gone, replaced by the usual mischievous smirk before Jack flew away, looking for the yeti he fondly nicknamed Phil.
Bunny sat beside the open window for a few seconds before a soft wind blew and he shivered. He stood up, opting to go and warm-up. But then a sudden flurry of snowflakes blew in and he was distracted as one particular snowflake made its way towards him. He caught it between his paws looking at it, before closing his paws over it and hopping away from the window.
Bunny owed Jack something more than a promise and a hug. And hopefully he'd be able to pay the other back when the teen finally started seeing all of them as a family.
And maybe when they do become a family in Jack's eyes, and when the other wasn't so touchy-feely anymore…
Maybe ol' Bunny could give him a hug or two.
Or three hundred, if the sprite would allow it.
One for each year he'd been alone, and an infinite number of hugs…
…For the following eternity that he'd never be alone again.
Notes: *hide -butt
I'm back from one week worth of exams and a day of partying (courtesy of the important birthday tradition thing going on a week after my actual birth)! Now it's time to focus on the qualis exams, so please pray for me and my success at becoming a first taker.
So hisokauzumaki, I hope you don't mind me running along with this idea. I thought it'd be nice if there was a small promise made between Bunny and Jack before they go rescue him. A promise always spiced things up between characters and make everything seem more tragic. I mean, if it's okay?
Now to the three reviewers of chapter ten! Congrats:
Jesters of the Moon, summerbreezeplease, and vixster2492!
The last two reviewers have already sent their requests and I'm already working on each. The first reviewer, meanwhile, still has yet to reply XD
The next requester will be the 450th reviewer XD It'll be quite awhile before that, but I can dream XD. And the next three requestors will be decided on the eighteenth chapter (because tadaa! I'm eighteen!), so good luck :D
Also, I know I said I'm gonna reply to reviews here but my eyes are drooping even while I'm typing this. It's a miracle I was able to write anything. But give me time, and tomorrow (maybe) the second part of Krampus will be updated before I turn back to my next exams.
If I'm forgetting anything I'll deal with it tomorrow (because man, I'm sleepy. Three days of not sleeping does that to you- did I spell does right?-uber dizzy ).
So until next time guys! (Which is hopefully tomorrow) Please review if it isn't a hassle.
Sorry for any errors, sleepy to the core!
