This was co-written with Jarjarblinx1. Here she is:
Hey everyone! This is Jarjarblinx1 with Pitch Black. Don't talk to me. I'm sorry you didn't have a lot of action in this chapter, but you will the next one, I promise! You better! Saucy minx. Well anywho's, I'm astounded by how many people loved my Jack and Pitch scene. You guys...made me cry with happiness. Here's the cookies! Also, the answers to the questions I asked were Room With A View, Palermo, and Annunziata by Antonello da Messina. A couple people guessed the Mona Lisa and that was great (Fact: The Mona Lisa is in the Louvre ;D) You guys were awesome for taking the challenge! Smart people, knowing art. Shut up, you're the painter here. Damn straight. Anyway, leave a review and let us know how we're doing. I check them daily so we are keeping track of what everyone has to say!
Jack fiddled with his tie, loosening it a little around his neck, as he walked to the restaurant. He hated wearing formal clothes with a passion, but Jamie had told him that he had to wear them for the occasion. The man looked down at the paper in his hands, checking the address with the building in front of him. He looked back up in disbelief. The restaurant was by far the fanciest he had ever been to. Walking inside, it became even more obvious why he had been told to dress formally. Jack was admiring the details in the architecture, when he heard his name called. He looked up to see his cousin sitting at the bar across the room.
"Hey, Jams. It's good to see you." He patted him on the back with a smile.
"Glad to see you actually came." Jamie stared at his cousin in awe. "It never ceases to amaze me how you can walk around when it's this cold outside without even a jacket on. I was shivering on my way here, and I did have one."
"What? This? I'd hardly call this cold at all. Maybe you're just a wuss."
"Or maybe you're just a freak."
Jack grinned. "What can I say? I'm a Winter baby. Just wait another month or so when it gets close to my birthday. That's when the weather gets really nice and chilly." When the other man just rolled his eyes, he laughed. "Oh, don't be mad just because you can't handle a little cold, Mr. Summer child."
"At least I can run around a bit in the heat without fainting." Jamie chuckled.
"Hey, now! That was one time! And, in my defense, it was particularly hot that day."
"It was ninety degrees, Jackie." The older man took a sip of his drink. "Can I get you something to drink?"
"Considering that the last time I drank I don't remember half of what happened, I think I'll pass. Thanks, though." Jack finally took in his cousin's outfit, letting loose a laugh. "Seriously. How did I not realize you were gay before?" The man was wearing a button up shirt in a beautiful shade of green with a warm brown vest and matching bow tie. "Your sense of color matching just screams 'gay.'"
"Look who's talking, Mr. ice prince." Jack was wearing a plain white shirt, a silver vest and his favorite blue and silver tie. "You look like winter threw up on you," he chuckled.
"Maybe I like it that way." He playfully hit him on the shoulder. "So where is everybody else for this shindig?"
"Right in there." Jamie pointed to a doorway in the back of the restaurant. "Come on. I'll introduce you to everyone." Jack followed his cousin to the private dining room. He was pulled towards a corner where Pitch and Sandy stood talking with a short blonde woman. "Good evening, everyone. Jack, you already know Mr. Black and Mr. Mansnoozie."
Jack obligingly nodded to them, but he didn't meet either of their gazes. He was still upset with Sanderson for leaving his sister, and Pitch...well, Pitch was just his normal infuriating self. "Good evening."
Jamie brought his attention back to the woman. "And Sophie, this is my cousin, Jack."
The blonde quickly held out her hand to the other man, a big smile on her face. "Oh, it's so good to finally meet you. Jamie is always talking about his family, but I never get to meet any of them. I'm Sophie deLuna." Her voice in itself sounded so full of joy.
Yet another British accent... Jack smiled casually, shaking her hand. "Jack Frost. It's nice to meet you too."
"Sophie is Mr. deLuna's daughter-in-law." The two cousins conversed with Sophie for a little while longer, before moving on through the dinner party. Jamie could see the confusion on his cousin's face, as all of the names and people mixed up in his head, and he laughed. "Come on. You still have to meet Mr. deLuna, and then you can relax." He went up to a tall man over near a table and tapped him on the shoulder.
The man turned around, smiling down at his assistant. "Ah, Jameson. Can I help you with something?"
Jack froze, eyes widening in shock upon seeing the familiar face. The man from yesterday is Jamie's boss?! Shit shit shit shit shit shit! Just don't bring up yesterday, and everything will be fine. Whew. Breathe... The young artist took a deep breath, calming himself down.
"Yes, sir. I just wanted to introduce you to my cousin. We happened to bump into each other yesterday, and I decided to bring him as my guest." Jamie turned, beckoning his cousin forward. Jack had stopped his internal meltdown, but he couldn't seem to unclench his jaw or stop glaring at the towering man in front of him. As soon as deLuna realized who he was, though, he sent an equally menacing look back at the white haired man, and Jack felt no regret for his own hatred.
The two of them shook hands briefly. "Manfred deLuna," the man introduced himself.
"Jack. Jack Frost."
"Enjoy the party, Mr. Frost. Dinner will be starting soon." He quickly excused himself, before leaving the two cousins and moving to converse with the other guests.
Jamie watched him go with a confused expression on his face, turning back to his cousin. "What was that about?"
Jack crossed his arms with a slight frown. "I may have actually met your boss yesterday at the museum."
"Judging by both of your expressions, is it safe to guess that it wasn't a happy meeting?"
"I'll just say that I ended up calling him a British prick and stormed off." When all he got from his cousin was an incredulous look, he shrugged. "What? Apparently it's a family trait. Anybody related to Pitch Black has to be a judgmental prick when it comes to my art."
"Did I just hear my name?"
"If you heard it along with the words 'judgmental' and 'prick,' then yes you did." Jack didn't even bother turning to look at the man he knew was standing behind him. "I changed my mind, Jamie. Maybe I do want a drink." He took the drink his cousin offered him and downed it. "Oh, look. It's dinner time."
"Keep an eye on your cousin, Jamie. You of all people should know what a terrible drunk he is. Might do something foolish if he isn't careful."
"How about you just mind your own business, Pitch? I have no intention of getting drunk tonight. But I do need a drink, if I'm going to have to put up with you and your family." Jack scowled at him, before dragging his cousin off to the table. Mr. deLuna, of course, sat at the head of the table with Pitch and Sophie on either side of him. Jamie took the seat by Sophie, and Jack ended up sitting between him and Sanderson. The man let out a sigh of relief at being so far away from the two he'd come to know as the British pricks, but it was short lived.
"So, Mr. Frost," deLuna caught his attention. "I hear from my nephew that you're an artist."
"Yes, sir." Jack took a sip of his water.
"What medium do you use?"
"I dabble in a bit of everything, but I mostly prefer paint."
"I see." The man lazily stirred his tea. "Where did you learn to paint?"
"Nowhere, sir."
"Nowhere?" He looked up at the young artist in disbelief. "Surely you had to learn from somebody."
"I didn't. I taught myself."
Uncle deLuna chuckled softly. "You mean to tell me that an aspiring artist, such as yourself, didn't go to art school? What happened? Your family couldn't afford the tuition?"
Jack very nearly growled at the blatantly rude question. "Yes, my father was going through a small rough patch at the time. But even now, when I could find the money myself, I don't have any desire to go to art school."
"And why is that, Mr. Frost? Do you think yourself to already be a master? Do you think that you don't need to improve?"
"On the contrary, sir, I know for a fact that I have a lot of room for improvement. I just don't trust in how art institutions teach. I'm a firm believer in art coming from the artist's heart and soul. Tell me, sir, how I am supposed to convey such depth and emotion when I'm being told what to paint and I have no passion for that subject."
The waiters came into the room bringing their food, and Jack let out a sigh of relief when the questions from the man finally stopped. Jack quietly started to eat his meal, not really able to fully enjoy the masterful cooking with his thoughts running over what had just been said. It wasn't until he heard a quiet voice to his right that he snapped out of his reverie. Jack turned to look at the little blond man sitting beside him.
"Hello, Jack. It's been a while." Sandy gave him a sad smile.
"Yeah. Yeah, it has. I don't think I've seen you since you up and left my sister and then proceeded to ignore her for a month." Jack knew he was being harsh, but he couldn't help it. The man had broken his sister's heart after all.
"How...how is she?" He looked down at his plate.
"Oh, she's fine now, after I had to practically drag her on this trip so that she'd loosen up. You know what, Sanderson? She didn't deserve what you put her through. What kind of man leads someone on and then just leaves?" Jack jabbed another bite onto his fork, seething now.
"I know..." Sandy frowned, letting out a long sigh. "I didn't want to leave...I really didn't..."
"Then why did you? Why did you leave, Sandy?" He looked down at the other man.
"I left because Pitch didn't think that my feelings for your sister were returned." Jack's jaw dropped in shock. "He suggested I end it before I got more attached, because it would only hurt me more when it came to an end. Then he invited me to go on this tour with him, and I did."
Jack turned to look at the man in question. Pitch was talking to his uncle, and so he missed the look of disbelief coming from the young artist he had grown to love. The white haired man stared down at his food, completely zoning everything out, as the realization of what had happened hit him.
"Jack?"
His head snapped up at the voice, seeing his cousin standing up beside him with a hand on his shoulder. "Huh?"
"I said that we're going to go to the theater now to watch a performance. Are you going to come?"
Jack finally looked around the room, seeing that everyone had already left their seats and were at the front of the restaurant getting their coats. "I...no thanks. I think I'm going to head back to the hotel."
"Are you alright, Jackie?" Jamie looked at him worriedly.
"Yeah. My stomach's just not feeling too well right now," he lied. "It's nothing a little rest won't take care of." Jack stood up and headed for the door. "Thanks for inviting me tonight, Jams. I'll see you around." He didn't wait for the other man to answer, before he was out the door.
Oh snap! Shit's about to go down, people. Are you ready for the emotional drama explosion that will happen next chapter? I don't think you are :D Review please!
