A Light Within Darkness 38

Bunny curled himself protectively around the young kit…err…man. Yes, Jack was young, still very much a child in many ways but he had proven himself to be a very formable young man, far more powerful than any of them ever took into consideration before. In fact it was a miracle that when the Guardians were Pitch's and Jack's enemy he hadn't unleashed all that pent up power at them. There would have been no need for Pitch's little games. All the Nightmare King would have had to have done was get them all in one place, such as North's workshop – that made Bunny shiver because that was exactly where they were now and quite often when Jack visited – and let the boy's power loose on them. It would take little effort on Jack's part to bring the whole place down on their heads and into the ocean far below. Bunny gave another shiver. Jack Frost truly was one of the most powerful elementals he had ever met, maybe even more powerful than Bunny himself.

Adjusting his position, Bunny curled around the boy more and fought to push some of the cold away from Jack. The child was shivering uncontrollably and had tried to wrap every inch of his body around the Pooka. His thin legs wrapped around Bunny's waist but his arms and face were firmly tucked against Bunny's chest and hands knotted in the thick fur of the Pooka's scruff. When he moved it was usually to rub his face in either the chest fur or up to Bunny's shoulder or throat, as if marking himself in Bunny's scent. Sometimes Jack acted a little too much like a Pooka and it made Bunny wonder just how Pitch was raising the boy. Kozmotis Pitchiner had spent most of his life around Pookas and had even raised his daughter amongst them after his wife died. He and Bunny's father, Eamon were the best of friends and it was rumored that they may have been more than friends. Bunny didn't know that for sure but he often wondered. He also wondered just how much he looked like his father for Pitch to confuse the two. Eamon had been dead a very long time.

Deciding to push those thoughts away he wrapped his arms tighter around his young charge and absently wondered what his feelings were for the frost spirit. For so long he considered Jack merely an unruly child led astray by Pitch Black, he certainly acted the part whenever they encountered each other before last year's disaster but after amending for his role in the whole fiasco Jack had become like a little brother, a good friend who simply needed a shoulder to cry on and someone to play with who he didn't have to hold back on as he did when he played with human children. Bunny had tried to become that for him. They joked around and played games and sometimes just wrestled because the boy had so much pent up energy that he needed to release without the effects of a sudden blizzard. When Pitch had thought it was something more Bunny had to admit he had been feeling something a little stronger than friendship toward the frost child but refused to move forward because in his eyes Jack was still a child, a kit who needed protection not a mate. Now he wasn't so sure. Jack didn't need protection – okay being kidnapped by the Snow Queen and her soldiers would prove otherwise but anyone attacked by an army would be taken down in a matter of time and the one that caught Jack had managed to get a lucky blow to the back of the boy's head, not Jack's fault – he needed something that no one had get to offer – again the crazed Snow Queen did not count – he needed love and affection and not the kind a parent or sibling offered. Bunny wasn't sure if he was the one to offer Jack this. He wanted to but at the same time Jack was Pitch Freaking Black's adopted son and if the shade did survive there was no way and bloody hell he would ever allow them to be together. Still it couldn't hurt to try, right?

Of course it could. Pitch could lash out or Jack might not even want him. Yeah, there were many ways things could go wrong. So Bunny tried to dismiss those thoughts and snuggle further into bed. Jack mumbled in his sleep and rubbed his face into Bunny's jaw, right next to where he had bit him only hours earlier. Bunny froze when he felt cold lips kiss the injury before a nose rubbed against it and Jack settled once more.

Bunny gave a tiny laugh. "You might not be a kit but you sure as hell got some Pooka in you," he whispered, chinning the boy's head. "I don't think I've ever met a person like you before." And for that he was thankful. Jack was unique and Pitch damn well better appreciate him for what he was. He nearly froze when he heard a knock on the door unsure he should untangle himself from the little octopus wrapped around him or not but Jack's grip tightened and took away any chance of him escaping the boy, not that he really wanted to. Instead he tucked the blanket more firmly around them and told whoever was at the door to come in.

Tooth opened the door quietly before flying in. "Hey, how is he?" she asked, her voice soft and eyes tender as she gazed down at the sleeping child.

"Sandy's dreamsand is keeping the nightmares away but he has cried a few times. Guess the sand's not good at keeping recent events out of his mind, but the warmth helps. He seems to be craving it. No wonder he wraps himself around Pitch when they share a bed," Bunny answered as he stroked Jack's hair.

"Odd. An ice elf who doesn't like the cold," Tooth wondered aloud.

Bunny gave a shrug but was more than happy to stay where he was. Yes, Jack's cold bothered him but it was a blessing compared to the Antarctic frigidness. "I don't mind. So what's up, Tooth?"

She bristled, her feathers standing on end. "Oh! Yes, ah…well Pitch is alive and err…well, I guess. He managed to scare the hell out of Nick which almost had him double over in laughter, although I think Nick scared him first. He's just not admitting to it."

Bunny's brows furrowed in confusion. "What happened?"

"Well Nick finally got the entire blade out," she began to recount with a silly smile. "But it caused Pitch to convulse and for a minute or two everyone thought he had died. Hell, it looked like he did. So Nicky went to start CPR and Pitch came around at the same time and threatened to kill him if he tried kissing him."

"What?"

"You know, CPR? Kiss of life?"

Bunny blinked as his mind went into a whirlwind as he tried to picture the scenario. He gave a belt of laughter as he envisioned it. "Oh, I so happy that wasn't me! Oh my god! Please say someone got that on camera! That would be priceless."

She giggled but shook her head. "Sorry, it happened so fast that it took us all by surprise. Pitch has been teasing him relentlessly since and Sandy refuses to knock him back out. He's laughing too much. The medic had to kick Sandy and Nick out of the infirmary in order to stitch Pitch up properly. Last I checked he sedated Pitch just to get him to stop grumbling about perverted old Guardians and asking where Jack was. Apparently you fall under the 'perverted old Guardians' title."

The Pooka only rolled his eyes and snorted. "One moment he hates me then he loves me. As long as I'm never turned into a little bunny again I'll be peachy."

Tooth only smiled softly.

"You two are noisy," a muffled voice grumbled against Jack's chest as he tightened him legs around Bunny's waist for a moment before letting him go and rolling over.

Bunny chuckled as he let the child go. Of course Jack pressed his backside against Bunny inside and the Pooka thrilled slightly as he again curled around the youth. Kit or young man, the boy the beginning to drive him nuts. He needed to figure out what his feeling were for Jack and what Jack's feelings were for him before he did something he might regret. He met Tooth's gaze only to see her smiling sweetly at them.

"What?" he asked, his paw absently on Jack's hip.

Her smile widened as she fluttered back toward the door. "Pitch is so going to kill you if you soil his baby."

Grabbing a pillow he threw it at the fairy but she had already zipped out the door. "Little galah," he muttered before snuggling down next to Jack again. Sadly she was right. He needed to talk with Jack…once he was ready to talk about such stuff and then do things properly…which could lead to Pitch finally killing the last Pooka. Bunny gave a little shiver that he would never admit to. Facing Pitch in battle was one thing, asking him to court Jack was going to be far more dangerous.