WHAT GOES TOGETHER BETTER THAN COLD AND DARK? - PART 29

A wave of panic overwhelmed Pitch when he felt himself being carried away: he didn't expect to be pulled so suddenly, and the fact he had been forcibly awakened from a muffled numbness had increased even more his astonishment. He had not yet guessed the identity of the creature which had abducted him, but what was happening presaged nothing good: the entity, in fact, had drastically changed its loving attitude, clenching tight around his chest to the point it took off his breath and not hesitating digging its nails in his side in order not to lose its grip, and the speed with which he moved suggested a physique to which was hard to resist.

Despite the remarkable self-control which, in his long existence, he had learned to employ, the man couldn't help but being gripped in anxiety: the tunnel in which they were travelling was dark, narrow, suffocating because of the humidity and the heat which oozed from the walls and awfully similar to the one which led to Behemuth's prison. It didn't matter that he had always been living in the darkness and often using such places to hide and do his job: going into them on his own free will was very different from being forced; he remembered well the sheer terror he had felt when the Purebloods had attacked him, clinging to his body and dragging him with them, away from light, deeper and deeper, to trap him and tear him apart, ripping his clothes and hope, and he didn't want to repeat the experience.

Certain that soon the monsters would have flocked to torture his flesh with their teeth, the Boogeyman tried to struggle, clinging with the strength born of desperation to the arm which had grabbed him and digging his feet into the ground, but he didn't manage to: his trembling fingers couldn't grip on that forearm, soft but strong, and the soles slipped on the compact soil without slowing down the creature.

Just when the panic and claustrophobia grew to the point they were driving him crazy the long tunnel ended and the mysterious abductor leapt out of it, finally freeing the man and throwing him on the ground; the Bogeyman, dazed and blinded by the sudden light, rolled away without even trying to slow down his motion, thanking the soft grass which cushioned every blow and finally stopping against a clod, where he lay a little, waiting to recover.

When, finally opening his eyes, he managed to focus on the surrounding landscape, he turned around, looking for the being which had brought him there and raising his arms in the guard position: since he was still laying on the lawn he couldn't even hope to be able to frighten his aggressor, nor to successfully defend himself on the chance of a brutal attack, but he didn't want to give up from the beginning.

However, in front of him, instead of a fearsome beast or an unknown enemy, he found Bunnymund himself, intent on preening his fur, the muzzle stubbornly turned to one side, and he couldn't help but opening wide his irises in amazement.

«Bunnymund? Was it you the one who brought me here?» he asked hesitantly.

«Yes, who else?» snapped the Pooka, shaking his fur.

Puzzled Pitch looked around to familiarize with his surroundings: the lawn where he laid was nothing but a small flowery clearing, surrounded by mossy rocks and vines stretched from one to the other to form a green canopy; in addition to the classic perfume of pollen, damp earth and undergrowth which he expected, however, he could perceive other smells: depending on how he inclined his head he could recognize the scent of sulphur, alcohol, the dry one of the clay and the metallic one of the iron.

Although he had already guessed where he had been brought he preferred to have a confirmation and, while he was standing up, he asked: «This is your warren, right? Why did you bring me here?».

«Yes, it's my warren. Don't get any weird ideas: I brought you here because you were freezing» answered the Easter bunny.

Surprised by the response and embarrassed by the rescue the Boogeyman commented: «Well, I never asked you for help, so you could have hold yourself back!».

«Oh, you're welcome, Pitch, my pleasure! Know that, if it had been up to me, I would have left you out the door freezing! The only reason why I brought you here was Tooth's threat, so don't get any weird ideas!» vehemently pointed out Bunnymund.

«Oh, poor little bunny, are you afraid of the Fairy Teeth? Anyway, why have you repeated twice "don't get any weird ideas"? What did you mean? Should I infer that you're not jealous of Jack, but me?» taunted him the man, winking.

«Come on, give me a break! You disgust me, and I'm disgusted by what you do! I do not think about that things, I totally can't! I'm not insane like you» retorted the Pooka.

«Oh, sorry, Bunnymund, I didn't guess you had performance issues. Do you lack the equipment or the ability?» insinuated Pitch.

The Easter Bunny was so surprised by the point blank question that, for few seconds, he couldn't even breathe; he stood still, gasping and with eyes wide open, but, as soon as he managed to pull himself together, he addressed a deadly look to him and crouched down on the ground.

The Boogeyman immediately realized what the other wanted to do, but he had no way to resist him: struggling to follow him with his eyes he saw him swelling the muscles and leap forward, then hit him with a brutal blow to the chest, powerful enough to hurl him back for several yards. Albeit with difficulty the Boogeyman managed to drop to his knees, instead of crumpling sprawled on the grass, but it was useless: before he could catch his breath a strong kick hit him in the back, causing him to slam his face against a rock and loose his sight.

Suddenly his ears began to ring, making him deaf to any sound and preventing him from hearing the antagonist approaching, but, as soon as he felt an arm grabbing him, he sensed in what position he was and acted: twirling the trapped limb he managed to return the grip, then, loosening it just enough, he freed his own power, evoking the dark tentacles from his palm and allowing them to expand.

In few moments the Easter Bunny was completely wrapped in the coils of sand and, despite his fierce struggle, he couldn't free himself: from every tie he tore others were born, more and more numerous and strong, and when only his head was visible they tightened around his body, finally blocking him and making him stumble on the lawn.

Rubbing his cheek the man stood up, throwing only a quick glance at his victim who was still writhing on the grass, then he turned to give his back to him: actually the temptation to beat him again was strong in him, but at that moment he had other priorities to think about.

Focusing to identify every detail of the landscape Pitch made his eyes wander in search of clues to go back to the North Pole, ignoring Bunnymund's initial complaints and then his obstinate silence, but he couldn't find anything useful. Frowning he started walking, heading for the rocks surrounding to gain a high position and reach a better view, but a voice called him back.

«Pitch...? What are you doing? Why don't you attack me?» asked the Pooka, dumbfounded.

«I have no interest in you at this moment: the only thing I want is going back to the North Pole to see how Jack is, so shut up and let me find the tunnel in peace» answered the Boogeyman without interrupting his research.

At that explanation the Easter Bunny lowered his ears, perhaps partially regretful of his actions, or maybe simply amazed, and then he informed him: «It's useless for you to seek it, Pitch: I closed it, as usual».

«Well, then reopen it! My Nightmares would take a while to arrive and I do not want to waste time!» snapped the man.

«It would be useless anyway! You have not yet realized that Tooth was serious? She will understand immediately we have not talked and, even if it were not so, we would betray ourselves in few minutes! Do you want to be grasped by the ears and kicked out again? And do not even try for a moment to think about getting in by force! North and Tooth saved your life, you cannot stab them in the back».

«Shut up!» silenced him Pitch.

For few seconds he continued to wander, looking around to find a way out, but soon he calmed down and sit on a rock: his interlocutor was right on all fronts. Toothiana had always showed excellent intuition skills, to the point that, probably, not even a temporary peace would have managed to deceive her, and showing up at the Palace's door alone would have made suspicious even an elf about what could have happened even. Entering by force was equally out of the question: he was not sure to have enough energy to do it, he didn't know how many Yetis would have intervened to stop him, he had no place to run later, since he had not yet checked if his lair was safe or not, and, above all, Jack would have never forgiven him. The fact that such a stance was ungrateful towards his rescuers, instead, didn't concerned him: it didn't matter what they had done for him, he had never asked them for help, and, anyway, this didn't authorized them to come between him and the boy; on this thought, however, he didn't lingered for a long time: at the idea of the treason a strange sense of unease had caught him, and, not knowing how to handle it, he preferred to overlook.

«I suppose, then, that we will necessarily have to talk. So be it, but hurry» finally conceded the Boogeyman.

«Talk? Does this look a good starting point to talk for you!? You remain there, sitting with your usual air of superiority, too haughty even to be able to look at me while I'm here on the ground, tied, moreover in my warren?» incredulously exclaimed Bunnymund.

«Oh, come on, you have so many claims!» snapped the man, visibly annoyed; «Would you like also a comfortable chair, a good cup of tea and some cake, by any chance?».

«I would like to be able to breathe and stretch my legs, if it is not too much trouble!».

Puffing and raising his eyes to the sky Pitch hesitated, but eventually he gave in and, with a snap of his fingers, he took away the dark ties; as soon as he saw the other massaging his feet, however, he hastened to add: «Just attempt to attack me again, to hurt me or deceive me in any way, and I'll make those laces reappear around your neck».

«You just have to try it!» retorted the Pooka.

Crossing his arms the Boogeyman turned to have his back on him, staring stubbornly at the landscape and taking the opportunity to catch every detail and identify the Warren's weak points, but keeping an eye out in order not to miss a word or a move; after some initial muffled noises, however, he heard nothing more: the Easter Bunny seemed to have stretched, raised, sat and settled down on the grass, and then blocked for no reason.

Reached the limit of his already little patience the man clenched his fists and, determined to end the conversation as quickly as possible, he burst out: «What's wrong with you? Maybe did the cat got your tongue? I've freed you, I thought it was what you wanted to talk comfortably!».

«I know, I know!» tergiversated the Guardian in a state; «Let me just find the words... and then, damn it, you've freed me a little while ago, and you stand there on your own, how do you think I can speak in these conditions?».

Pitch turned furious, ready to sharply reply at him, but the answer died out in his throat as soon as he spotted the other: actually he expect to find him combative, fiercely straight and poised to attack, but what he faced was a clumsy enemy, crouched on the ground and intent to rub his paws together just to keep them busy.

The surprise, however, was soon replaced by disgust: how could that fool dare to make fun of him in that way? He was the one who had started, who had continued, who had asked him to talk, and what was the result? A useless and embarrassing silence? A hesitant behaviour so pathetic to be worthy of a schoolgirl on her first day of class? It was unacceptable and Pitch would have never tolerated it!

«You're more pathetic than a schoolgirl on her first day of class!» attacked him the Boogeyman; «I don't have all the time in the world, you know? Are you really unable to find the right words? Never mind: I'll talk to you. So, the problem is that you are jealous of Jack, is not it? You cannot stand the fact that he passes a lot of time with me, even that he talks to me, and you would like to be in my place. To the first question you should resign yourself immediately: I will never let him go, and he will never be able to abandon me, so accept the fact that I'll always be around if you want to see him. About the second question, well, what should I say? There's no solution for it, too. Assuming that Jack desires you, too, and it is not so, it doesn't matter: I do not divide my property with anyone. Did you hope we could meet him on alternate day? Or that he could spend the day with you and the night with me? Or maybe even that we could share him at the same time? You have already prepared a triple bed by any chance? Are you willing to ask him, after every intercourse, who of us had been the best? And then...».

«For all the eggs, shut the fuck up!» cried Bunnymund.

The man was not used to let anybody interrupt him at all, nor to obey to others' orders, nor to accept an objection without batting an eyelid, but at that moment he didn't think even for a moment to react: that desperate scream had frozen the blood in his veins. He would have never imagined that the series of provocation would have provoked a similar reaction, but, evidently, the Pooka was much more involved than Pitch had imagined: there was no other explanation to justify the way in which he had lost control, going so far to tremble with rage and cover his muzzle with his paws to hide the pain.

Pitch waited patiently, without intervening neither to help nor to punish him, taking advantage of the little break to develop a ready answer to give to Bunnymund if he had officially admitted he wanting to replace him as Jack's lover, and, just when he managed to mentally complete a concise and incisive speech, the Easter bunny calmed down and began to speak.

«You could have won Jack's heart, Pitch, but always remain an emeritus idiot when it comes to understand feelings. Do you really believe that I am jealous of you and Jack? That I feel attracted to him and I can't wait to declare my love? I cannot believe you could have really thought it! Or maybe I can, considered how much possession you've showed so far: the only one of us who's jealous is you».

The Boogeyman laughed and asked: «Oh, really? Aren't you jealous? Don't you envy me, even a little? So tell me, bunny, how is it possible that you've always come between us? How is it possible that every time you found me in front of you you've always insulted and despised me? Why did you always do your best to keep me away from Jack? Not to mention your two most dramatic scenes: the first in North's hall when the Pureblood came in, and the second one right just before Toothiana kicked us out. Oh, sure, there is a third one you did few minutes ago. Don't you call it jealousy?».

«No, you idiot, I call it concern!» snapped Bunnymund.

The man snorted, but the Pooka looked him straight in the eyes and continued: «You have misinterpreted all my action, Pitch, and, obsessed with control, you have distorted every sign, but I admit that I've never been clear and direct with you: the fault for all this is partially mine, so now I will remedy my mistakes and explain everything. I never felt attracted to Jack, neither when he was a mere spirit, nor when he became a Guardian: I never considered him as a potential partner. To me he's just a friend, indeed, a great friend: I know that is a troublemaker, who prefers a laugh to a serious talk, and that he made a huge mistake when you attacked us less than a year ago, but in the end he's always been loyal. He saved my life, you know? When you destroyed all my eggs and sabotaged Easter all the children stopped believing, all except Jamie, and it is only thanks to Jack that he didn't lose his faith. Although I had insulted and banished him for the irresponsible behaviour he had had in your lair, he came back, found that precious child and talked to him to convince him not to give up. His was a generous gesture, which I didn't expect from a boy apparently so immature, and this, combined with the inability to repay the debt and the need to repair my warren, induced me to get away from everything and everybody: I needed time to think and physical work seemed a good way to vent. For more than seven months I met Jack rarely and only for a short time, and I didn't notice any change in him: I never expected there was such a novelty. Seeing you talking in Tooth's clearing scared me, and knowing that these encounters have been going on for two months and that the other Guardians approved them upset me: it was as if Jack had betrayed me a second time. How could he choose you?».

«It's obvious that his opinion about me is completely different from yours» sharply replied Pitch.

«I'm not sure about that at all!» replied the Easter Bunny; «Jack didn't always seem consenting to me and, even when it looks like he is, he behaves in a strange way! He has never been sweet or submissive in his life, and yet, how odd, he's always so polite with you and he obeys your orders. What did you do to him, huh? Have you tempted him with false promises? You're deceiving him, in order to be sure to destroy him once and for all? Did you corrupt him with your magic sand? I now that he's always covered with it: he has it on his clothes, stuck in his staff's crystals, on the strange laces he wears on the calves and even his hair. But I've not only seen that, oh, no, you left on his body marks far worse. You beat him every time you meet him, don't you? And probably you even insult him, right? Destroying him only physically is not enough, for sure you want to first see him falling at your feet after losing his reason and begging for mercy: but you never have it for him. I know what else you do to him, I know how you abuse him! Don't you ever feel disgusted by yourself? Don't you ever feel shameful when you take advantage of him and the fear he feels toward you and which prevents him from reacting? But, actually, why do I ask it? You live with fear! You'd have so much fun seeing him crying and panicking, and who knows how many times you hurt him! This, for you, is nothing but fun! In the end you only care about winning, you hate everything and everyone, including Jack, and...».

«I love him, you fool!» boomed the Boogeyman.

The Guardian immediately fell silent, pricking up his ears and opening wide his eyes in amazement, but the man was no less so: that confession was neither planned nor willed, and he felt terribly ashamed of having exposed himself to that point. He had needed months to understand he loved Jack and weeks to find the courage to declare to him, and through all this he had always been gently guided by the boy, or pushed to think by significant and dramatic events: he still didn't feel ready to admit in front of his old enemies how deep was the affection that bound him to Frost. Bunnymund's words, however, had injured him deeply, hitting him right where he felt weaker, accusing him of the same crimes that he had initially planned to commit, bringing to light all his insecurities and, therefore, his anger: it was true, in the past he had erred countless times, both in his own thoughts that with his own actions, but he had repented of all, he had paid for his mistakes and tried in every way to remedy them. This, for the boy, had been enough to forgive him, and Pitch, who always blamed himself when something happened to his love, had needed some time to believe him completely; the Pooka, with his words, undermined the basis of all the path he had followed, but he had no intention to let himself being drawn into doubt and pain again: he would have defended tooth and nail what his partner had donated him.

It was for this reason that, pretending not to have made any shattering revelation, he shook off the embarrassment and continued: «I do not hate Jack. I only want him healthy and happy. I'd kill myself rather than hurt him, and I'd kill anyone who tried to attack him. Is the fact that I have come between him and Behemuth's sword not enough for you as a demonstration?».

«What a beautiful demonstration, really! You've been able to summon him to perfection and in full of his powers: congratulations!» testily replied the Easter Bunny.

«I know what happened, rabbit: I was there from the beginning, unlike you. I know that the fault was mine and mine only, but, if I'd just really wanted to kill or enslave Jack, leaving Behemuth free to attack him would have been the most obvious and simplest choice. As you know I didn't: I tried to distract that creature of shadows and, when I saw that the danger was imminent, I decided to sacrifice myself in order to save Jack. Do you remember this? Do you remember how I made sure to lock the beast in its prison, even though I was completely worn out? I didn't do that for me, nor for you: I did it for Jack. I did it in order to prevent him from being killed or wounded, so that he could live unharmed forever, with me or without me. This seems to me a sufficient demonstration of the fact that I don't hate him» calmly explained the Boogeyman.

The Guardian stared at him, confused, and, after some hesitation, he asked: «But haven't you ever thought of corrupting him? Isn't it what you'd desire to do even in this moment?».

«At first I have» admitted the man; «When I saw what he was capable of, I realized that I could have never won as long as he had been on your side, so I decided to corrupt him to make him my personal weapon. When you drove him away I followed him to Antarctica, talked to him and appealed to our common characteristics to deceive and defeat him, but I didn't realize that I had hurt myself on my own. The words I told him were impressed in my mind and returned to the memory every time I met him and, gradually, they changed me. It's been a slow process, which I noticed only when it had been fully completed, since the changes always consisted of small details: at first I just wanted to subjugate his powers, then I thought to make him my most special servant, then I wanted his eyes, despite the corruption, not become yellow, but to remain as blue as the sky, and so on, until, finally, I didn't understand that he was perfect as he was, and the only thing that I longed was his company. I cannot say that I've completely abandoned the idea to corrupt him: I still try to convince him, but it has become more a game than a serious attempt. I do not care to crown him Dark Prince: he's already on my side».

Bunnymund, which, at first, had assumed an expression greatly annoyed, seemed to calm down at those statements, but, nevertheless, he insinuated: «And who assures me that you are not trying to deceive me?».

«Can't you imagine how much it cost me talking and admitting what I've admitted!?» cried Pitch, furious; «You'd deserve a punch in the face for what you just suggested! I will refrain myself, but just in order not to prolong the speech. So, have you finished with your interrogation or not?».

«If you turn so aggressive again you can be sure that you will never convince me to trust you!» snapped the Pooka, raising his fists; «Now, look, since you're not interested in corrupting Jack, what do you do with him when you spend time together?».

The Boogeyman couldn't hold back a malicious smile at that question and, in order to take his revenge for the other's mistrust, he licked his lips and addressed him a mischievous look. As he imagined it took a while for the Easter Bunny to catch the allusion, but when he realized, he got ridiculously upset: he didn't only opened wide his emerald irises to the point he showed the cornea's white, but he even jumped back, and the man was certain that, if the rabbit hadn't been completely covered with fur, he would see him blush to the ears' tips.

Fortunately within few seconds the Guardian managed to pull himself together and, after stepping a foot on the ground and bristling his chest hair to look more authoritative, he stammered: «D-do not look so smug, you pervert! This is a question we need to talk about! Do you really have to do, uhm, those things with Jack!?».

Bored Pitch rolled his eyes and replied with sarcasm: «What is it, does the Guardian of Fun need a written permission from you to have some fun by any chance?».

«It is not a matter of permission, it's that those kinds of things are not suitable for his age, and do not to laugh at this! The fact that Jack has lived for three hundred years has not the slightest importance: he's still a child!» excitedly explained Bunnymund.

The Boogeyman, who already at the first sentence had burst into an uproarious laughter, struggled a lot to regain his self-control, but in the end he managed to ask: «Three hundred years are more than enough to mature, even for someone like Jack, but well let's absurdly suppose that they never passed: physically how old do you think he is?».

The Pooka, broken back, scratched his chest to take time to reflect, then he suggested: «Uhm, well, a dozen, maybe? Yes, I would definitely say he's thirteen».

At that response the man sighed in disbelief and covered his eyes in exasperation with the right hand, but eventually he raised his head and, wearily staring at the other, he commented: «Thank your incredible luck for having said such a stupid thing to me and not directly in front of Jack, because I'm sure that he would have not reacted happily if he had heard you defining him a thirteen-years-old. You're kidding, right? When he died there was less than a month to his seventeenth birthday ¹».

Immediately the Easter Bunny contested: «No, you're the one who's kidding! How is it possible that he is almost seventeen? He's so small, and...».

«Don't be silly, he's not as small as you say!» intervened Pitch; «You should not compare him to yourself, nor me, nor even to the youth of this generation: when he was alive he was a boy rather tall for his age. If you're talking about his bulk you're partially right: considered that he's seventeen he's thin and, although his shoulders are already wider than his hips, he's not muscular at all. The explanation, however, is simple: his family was poor, certainly it couldn't afford abundant and nutritious meals, and I'm willing to bet that Jack often gave his portion to his sister in order to prevent her from starving».

The Guardian assumed a mortified look at the news: it was evident that he had never lingered to think about Jack's past, perhaps because of lack of interest, perhaps because of carelessness or perhaps simple because of superficiality, which had led him to think that it had been cheerful and happy exactly like his immortal life. Learning that the boy had suffered in silence and that he had lived as a human being longer than he had imagined certainly made Jack appear in a new light, which, instead of stopping at his playful behaviour, began to reveal facets more mature of his character; however, Bunnymund was not yet ready to accept everything without reserve, so, with a faint voice, he protested: «Okay, I believe you about his age, but did you really have to teach him those...?».

«Oh, damnit!» interrupted him the Boogeyman, angry about the other's constant complaints and embarrassed by those intimate questions; «I started it, okay? I admit: I'm the one who started all. But I'm not the one who finished. He doesn't know "Those things", as you like to define them, only thanks to me: I did not teach him everything, because he learned a part of what he does by himself. When, half an hour ago, I told you that Jack is not as innocent as you think, I was not kidding you: he's often the first of us who takes the initiative. As I've already explained to you before I want him to be healthy and happy, so I would never even touch him without his permission: I always make sure to have his consent, and I often wait for him to propose, in order not to risk to force him».

Hearing that explanation, however, the Pooka assumed an expression more confused than before and, frowning, he asked: «But how did he learn by himse...».

«I do not know!» roared the man, opening his arms to vent his exasperation; «Maybe he already knew them before, maybe he acted on instinct, maybe he saw someone doing them, maybe he was a gigolo or maybe Toothiana explained them to him! Surely he didn't learn them from you! I do not know how he learned them, I do not care to know and, more importantly, you must not want to know, so shut up!».

The Easter bunny, who had made himself as small as possible when he had seen him bursting out, returned immediately alarmed in hearing his last words and immediately stammered: «T-Tooth!? Did she explained them to him? Was she crazy? However, what is a "gigolo"? And what did you mean when you said that Jack saw someone doing them?».

Overwhelmed by that series of questions Pitch hid his face in his hands and sighed: he couldn't stand that his interlocutor could be so alarmist to believe such nonsenses. Jack had taught him that jokes were good for the spirit, both of the one who spoke and of the one who listened, and he had decided to wisecrack just to defuse that awkward moment; judging from the result, however, he'd have better avoid it.

Dropping his arms in defeat he said in a weak voice: «No, Bunnymund, Tooth never explained them to Jack: I was just kidding. I really don't know how he learned: I just made a joke, hoping in vain that you could understand it. And do not to quibble about what a gigolo is: suffice it to say that Jack never was it».

«Since when has the King of Nightmares learned to joke?» teased him the Guardian with a mocking tone.

«Since the Guardian of Fun taught it to him and even before! Instead, when will you stop to break the eggs? Aren't you tired, after all these centuries, to be still so boring and petulant?» retorted the Boogeyman.

Bunnymund responded to the provocation with an indistinct mumbling, but he didn't go on: evidently he knew he had covertly insulted him with no good reason, and maybe there was the possibility that he had realized he was too argumentative.

As if he wanted to apologize he scratched his head and admitted: «Well, I've made enough questions about this topic: I do not need to know more. In the end I have to admit that, when you woke up in Tooth's realm, Jack was calm, he didn't complain about anything and looked happy to be with you, and I suppose this happens all the times».

«Of course it does: Jack has no reason to complain about me» replied the man.

The neutral and almost bored tone which he had used and the choice not to stare into his eyes were, no doubt, seemed to the Pooka rude gestures and signs of disinterest, but Pitch did not care: too many emotions had caught him when he had heard that sentence, and he preferred to cover them with a disrespectful attitude rather than reveal them.

The first of these had undoubtedly been the relief: finally the Easter Bunny seemed to accept his relationship with Jack, and there was even the possibility that he would stop criticizing them and hinder them at every step. Not that Pitch needed his approval, of course: Frost was his and he didn't care about what other people thought about them two; however, not having opponents allowed him to enjoy whole hog his partner's company, to live a more peaceful life and, above all, to go out of the closet, both literally and conceptually, leaving the dark places where he had always been forced to hide and relaxing a bit».

Another had been an immense satisfaction: if Jack had seemed happy even to a blind and stubborn character as Bunnymund, then he had to be really on cloud nine when he met him and spend time with him. The Boogeyman, in fact, had had dozens and dozens of demonstrations of this reality in the months which he had passed along with the boy; however, because of his own timid and shy spirit and that perpetual feeling of inadequacy which caught him every time he was with someone, he had often doubted about himself and his ability to take care of his love.

Having that confirmation, moreover, had not only reassured him, but also made him proud: as impish as he was he had immediately rethought about their many embraces, the scratches, the hugs, the bites, the thrusts and the boy's sensual moans: oh, yes, his little snowflake had complained al lot in those moments, and loudly, but only to beg to have more. The temptation to mention this fact to the Pooka and embarrass him was great, but in the end the man preferred to favour the wisdom to an uncertain hilarity: convincing his interlocutor had been no mean feat, and it was not the case to ruin everything in order to indulge in the umpteenth, unnecessary provocation.

In order not to give in to that distasteful desire he repeated to himself that, now that Jack loved him, there was not the slightest reason to make their unions public, and he rather focused on what came after them: he had no difficulty in recalling to mind the partner's fresh scent, his warm hugs, his sweet kisses and the melodious voice with which he declared his love before falling asleep, exhausted, and then his relaxed face, his breath fainter than a spring breeze and his limbs abandoned in a deep sleep. Touched by these memories Pitch smiled and imagined how it would have been having Frost there with him: he would have liked so much to be able to tighten the arms, enjoy his awakening and spend time with him, talking and cuddling him as he had done in Toothiana's clearing days ago.

Bunnymund's words had reminded him that specific event, helping him to remember details which had filled him with joy and stolen him a smile, but, as soon as we thought about them more carefully, a terrible suspicion occurred to him.

Narrowing his eyes to slits the Boogeyman stared at his interlocutor and, with an icy tone, he asked: «Bunnymund, satisfy my curiosity: how many times did you come to visit us while Jack and I were in Tooth's realm?».

The Pooka almost snapped to attention at that question and, looking around absently, he muttered: «Oh, how many times? Well, I'll be honest, I don't remember it very well, uhm, for sure when I saw you together, and we talked a bit, then, uhm, yes, then maybe with Tooth, but now that I think about it I'm not so sure, maybe she simply told me...».

«Do not lie to me!» attacked him the man; «You perfectly remember what happened! You went with Tooth, but you came back even after, is not so? When she arrived Jack was still sleeping, you coward voyeur!».

The Easter Bunny tried to speak, Pitch didn't leave him the time: with a growl he evoked a handful of magic sand and threw it at him, but, seeing that he had dodged it, he returned to the fray with new attacks.

«You, lousy, two-bit rodent, how could you dare to secretly return to peek at us? What did you hope to see, huh? You studied us while we were sleeping, you eavesdropped on our conversation, you pried into our business, but moreover you looked at Jack! I'll tear your eyes out for this affront!» roared the Boogeyman.

Feeling now weak and noticing that the other deftly avoided any offensive the man become even more furious and changed his approach: focusing he made a long whip of black sand appear in his right hand, then he grasped it firmly and bent his arm to deal the first shot. Several whips were blanks and some struck him unexpectedly in the chest and in the face, but he didn't care and continued the onslaught. At one point, now read the opponent's technique, he managed to anticipate his movement and twirl the rope around his forearm; sure he had him on a string he pulled, causing him to fall on the ground and getting ready to a full contact, but Bunnymund, who had tried to calm him down all the time, raised his paws in surrender and said: «Please, please, stop! Let's not start arguing as before! Do you remember Tooth? She will never let us in if we don't behave in a civil and educated manner!».

«You talk about civility and education after what you did? Beast!» boomed Pitch.

«I know, I know, I've been a real stupid!» admitted the Pooka; «Coming back to peek at you was rude, but I did it just to check if Jack was fine! Try to understand me, I found out that you regularly meet only few hours before, it's logical that I was worried! I just wanted to be ready to intervene in case of need, not to do the spy, and in fact I want to assure you that I've not seen anything! I swear, I didn't watch neither you nor Jack, and I even turned when you stood up to get dressed!».

Foaming with rage the Boogeyman grabbed his interlocutor by the ears, lifted him up until he could touch his muzzle with his nose and stared straight into his eyes: he could not tolerate the idea that in those two small emeralds it had been reflected Jack's naked body, so well proportioned, so white, so perfect to leave him speechless every time he undressed it, but he, as the master of deceit he was, was able to recognize a lie in one, so he decided to give one last chance to the supposed voyeur.

«Is what you're saying the truth or a pathetic excuse to avoid the punishment? Know that, if you're lying to me, I will discover it in less than a second! Confess! Are you absolutely certain that you didn't look at Jack?» he asked in a threatening tone.

«Yes, yes, I'm sure! I only saw his back, but for few seconds, for the rest of the time I saw yours» excitedly swore the Easter Bunny.

The man looked at him for several minutes, but the only thing he managed to glimpse in those widened irises was fear in its purest form, combined with guilt: the Guardian had been sincere and he had not violated with his eyes his little snowflake.

Albeit reassured by this discovery Pitch didn't immediately free the prisoner: knowing that he had been peered at during such an intimate moment had greatly embarrassed and annoyed him, and he felt the need to vent on the other, punishing him for his rude gesture and terrorizing him so as to make sure that such incidents didn't happen again. It was for this reason that the Boogeyman tightened his grip, squeezing until he could hear his cartilage creaking above Bunnymund's groans of pain, and he absorbed every single wave of panic which overwhelmed the other: he wanted the Pooka to realize that he had made a serious mistake by playing against him and invading his territory, to feel crushed and weakened and perceive fear in its purest form at the idea he had unleashed his wrath.

The man held the position for a minute, trying to overpower Bunnymund even with his eyes, and, when he was sure that the message had been understood, he raged with a final tug before releasing him: considered the importance of the topic and of what he wanted to tell him he preferred to exaggerate rather than restrain himself, and, after all, he didn't find anything wrong with having a little fun.

«In your eyes there is no trace of falsehood or deceit» whispered Pitch; «This time I'll overlook, but only because I want to return soon to the North Pole: if you dare even only to think about peering at us again, be sure that I'll give Jack the most beautiful rabbit fur which had ever been seen in a royal court».

The Easter Bunny, who was still sitting on the ground while rubbing his large ears, raised his muzzle and commented: «You're going a little too far now, Pitch: stop being so possessive! Anyway, I'm sure that Jack wouldn't be happy at all to receive such a distasteful gift».

«Oh, don't worry, I'll find still a good use of your fur: if Jack doesn't want it I'll to keep it for myself and use it as a bedside rug, or, perhaps, to decorate my throne» retorted the Boogeyman in a mellifluous tone.

The Guardian snorted at that answer and looked up at the sky, but he didn't protest; levering on his arms he stood up and said: «You can ignore me, if you want to, but the fact remains that you're exaggerating. Considered, however, that I've been the one I who made a mistake it's better to shelve the topic and forget about it. Now, what about a truce? I don't like you, and I will never like you, but I can't decide for Jack and, if he wants to be beside you, I cannot stop him».

Finally, all the tension which had been accumulated in the man's body and mind dissolved and he sighed, but, in order not to act out of character, he exclaimed: «Let's praise your intuition, in the end you understood!».

«It was not a matter of understanding!» snapped the other; «And, anyway, I have not finished to talk! I wanted to add one important thing: you must make me a promise. Jack has given credit to you, but I still don't trust you: you have to promise me that you'll properly take care of him, that you won't betray him and never abandon him».

Pitch was overwhelmed by rage on hearing the request and immediately answered: «Do not be silly, I'm not obliged to make any promise! What's between me and Jack concerns only us, I am free to do what I want when I want, and the only thing you have to do is not to pry into!».

Immediately after the outburst the Boogeyman looked away from his interlocutor and brought a hand to his heart: he had spoken with anger, but the truth was that he had felt deeply upset. The promise that the other had asked him to make was much more demanding than it appeared at first sight: Bunnymund was imposing him not only to take care of Jack, but also not to fail, and he was not sure he could do it. How could he protect him from all the dangers with certainty if, every day, he used the Nightmare to perform his task? How could he be sure not to hurt him with words if these were his main weapon? How could he swear not to terrify him if fear was what he fed himself with? No, the risk was too high, the chance of failure too elevated to let him come forward to that point: he would have never promised something he couldn't keep, not after the disaster he had caused with Behemuth. He loved his sweet snowflake, he madly loved him and he was deeply convinced he was the most beautiful gift he had ever received, but, due this, he wanted to reserve the option to preserve it: if in the course of time he had seen that their relationship harmed him he was going to disappear and not hurt him any more. He preferred to suffer for his absence, but knowing he was safe, rather than keep him next to himself and hurt him, and he was ready to take this hard step, should the need arise. About how Jack would have reacted, instead, he had not thought: he had confusedly decided that, sooner or later, the boy would have got over it and been able to forget him, and, however, the Pooka interrupted the train of his thoughts.

«You have not changed at all! I won't pry into, but you will do what I asked you to promise. Know this: if I find out that you have not respected our pact you'll pay dearly» threatened him the other.

«Uh, I'm trembling with fear!» mocked him the man; «I don't know how I'll be able to resist your vengeful fury! While I ponder hurry to reopen that stupid tunnel!».

The Easter Bunny, who, until that moment, had maintained an aggressive and upset attitude, finally cleared his frown and, with a provocative smile, he said: «As you wish».

Pitch saw him gently beating his paw on the ground twice, but he didn't have time to ask him the reason for this strange gesture: as soon as he opened his mouth the ground disappeared beneath his feet and he fell, slipping away from the light into the darkness.

¹ As you surely know in the movie Jack's age is never specified and, when I wrote this chapter, I read tons of opinion about it, none of them reliable; in the light of this I decided to trust my intuition and state he's almost seventeen years old, because of the same reason I made Pitch explain. Recently I found out that, in the English dvd's extras (or maybe only on an internet video? I don't know, I found it on the web while I was translating), William Joyce says he's fourteen years old; of course, since he's his creator, I believe him and don't complain, but I decided not to change Jack's age, because I don't like to move the goalposts for my (Italian) readers and because I would have ruined all the scene. In the end, since his body could belong both to a thirteen years old and healthy boy and to an eighteen years old and weak men, I think everything works.

I've already translated chapter 30, but the gentle girl who checks my translation is busy for few days, so I'll publish it on Thursday evening. Since this week I have two exams and I also have to work a bit, finish the Italian chapter and a book and do a medical examination, I don't think I'll manage to translate chapter 31 within Thursday, but, you know, never say never... I'll let you know if I do, see you on Thursday!