Chapter Nineteen

"Feel what I brought, Birdie!" Jack said excitedly running up to him. Matthew and Kumakuro were just wandering in the workshop when he felt the wind. The Guardian handed him something. It was soft and furry, it was a bit heavy and kind of square.

"A blanket?" The Canadian asked unfolding it. It smelled like him and Jack. "Our blanket from the sanatorium?"

"Yeah! It's your favourite one, right?" The winter spirit asked. Matthew nodded and smiled. The Guardian was always so thoughtful.

"Thank you." The Reaper hummed as Jack's arm snaked around his waist. He smiled happily and leaned over aiming for his cheek. He was a bit off and accidentally kissed the side of his nose. The Guardian laughed quietly and turned to kiss him properly. "Je t'aime."

"I love you too." Jack said as they started to walk. Kumakuro kept at his side as they went. Matthew smiled. He loved having both him and the Guardian at his side.

The Reaper knew were they were going by the route Jack was taking. The pair curled up together with their fuzzy blanket on the window bench. Matthew was in the winter spirit's lap facing him. He rested his head on his chest while Jack had his arms around his waist. Kumakuro hopped up with them and laid by their feet. There was barely enough room for the now fully grown bear.

"Birdie?" Jack asked gaining his attention. He moved his head towards him.

"Yeah?" The Canadian asked raising an eyebrow.

"Will you sing for me?" The Guardian asked. Matthew smiled gently. He would only willingly sing for Jack and ghosts. It wasn't often the winter spirit asked because he knew he was very reserved about his voice.

"Sure. Anything in particular?" The Canadian asked.

"Not really. Just something happy." Jack suggested. The Reaper nodded and tried to think of a happy song he knew. He didn't know many happy songs. He remembered one he heard recently and smiled.

"I found a love for me. Darling, just dive right in and follow my lead. Well, I found a girl, beautiful and sweet. Oh, I never knew you were the someone waiting for me." Matthew started. He smiled as he sang. He knew Jack was probably smiling down at him. "We are still kids but we're so in love, fighting against all odds. I know we'll be alright this time. Darling, just hold my hand. Be my girl, I'll be your man. I see my future in your eyes. Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms, barefoot on the grass, listening to our favourite song. When I saw you in that dress, looking so beautiful. I don't deserve this. Darling, you look perfect tonight."

The Reaper repeated the last verse before he fell silent. Jack kissed his temple and held him close. He smiled and stretched up looking for a proper kiss. His boyfriend immediately leaned down giving him one. Matthew smiled happily into it reaching up and tracing his jaw before his fingers tangled in the Guardian's hair. They broke apart for breath, but Jack immediately went in for another kiss. They broke apart again for breath and both laughed.

"I love hearing you sing. I love seeing you smile. I just love anything you do." The winter spirit said kissing his nose. Matthew smiled. "Every little thing you do makes me love you even more. I didn't think it was possible to love someone as much as I love you, Matthew."

"I love you so much." The Reaper said with tears in his eyes. He buried his face in the crook of Jack's neck. He pressed a soft kiss into his temple and rubbed circles into his hips with his thumbs. "You've saved me so many times. Even when you weren't there you were the reason, I stayed alive. I will never break that promise, I can't. You mean so much to me."

"I don't want to exist without you." The Guardian said nuzzling into his hair and let out a breath.

Matthew hummed happily tears still in his eyes. Jack pulled the blanket tighter around them and yawned. The Canadian was happy being surrounded by the winter spirit's scent and cold. The pair were able to fall asleep quickly when they had each other.

-❄️"When people don't express themselves, they die one piece at a time."❄️-

The Reaper hummed feeling the sun on his skin. He was sitting on a street light just listening to the people down below. He wasn't exactly sure where he was, but he knew it was somewhere in France. He didn't normally enjoy heat or warmth, but today he didn't mind it. He rolled up his sleeves and moved one wing in front of him to preen.

Once he was done, he just sat and relaxed. He hummed to himself contently. It was getting a bit warmer and he could smell rain in the distance. He sighed and stood up on the street light. He was about to spread his wings and fly back to the pole, but an odd smell caught his attention. He paused for a moment and something grabbed his wrist. It burned him and he recoiled from the touch with a yelp.

The Canadian jumped off the street light and felt for shadows trying to find what had burned him. He found a shadow that was shaped like a person. He took a few steps back away from it. He could smell the burnt flesh on his arm. He growled and drew his dagger stepping back more. He wanted to get to a big enough shadow to jump through, but didn't want to take his attention away from his attacker.

"Well hello there, Reaper." A very familiar fire spirit greeted. Matthew growled angrily. "Haven't seen you around in a while. Then again according to Pitch you haven't seen anyone in a while."

The Canadian could hear the man taking steps towards him. He kept stepping back raising his dagger threateningly. He felt for the shadows again figuring out the best way to attack. He would just leave, but the fire spirit had annoyed him. He heard the man laugh and the Reaper lunged at him.

Matthew knew he made contact at the pained yell. He smiled and took another swipe. He felt the resistance against his blade and he could smell blood. The fire spirit started to move. He heard a crackling sound to his left. He quickly put up a force field and heard something hit it. He guessed the spirit must have thrown a knife or fireball at him. The Canadian tracked him with shadows. He lunged at him again.

The Reaper smirked as he cut the man again. He could feel his blood on his hands. He watched shadows and noticed the man tried to take a swing at him. He hopped back out of the way as the spirit advanced. He put up another force field in front of the man and one behind to trap him.

"Let me go!" The fire spirit growled angrily.

Matthew just smiled sweetly and crushed him slowly between the two barriers. He hummed at the man's screams as his bones snapped. It was one of his favourite ways to hurt people without getting his hands dirty. His attitude towards the Guardians might have changed, but he still hated other spirits.

The Reaper grumbled and dropped the force fields. He heard the fire spirit hit the ground as he walked into a shadow. He sighed at the cooler air of the pole.

"Matthew?!"