"You're a SN." Jack explained in a whisper as if that answered Sebastian perfectly.
"A...what?" Sebastian's eyes only narrowed as he asked for clarification from the white haired teen across from him.
"A supernatural. SN For short." Hiccup explained, not seeming bothered at all about what he was suggesting. "Not sure what kind though."
Sebastian, on the other hand, felt his blood run cold. Being found out would mean a world of chaos for both him and his brother.
"And what exactly makes you say that?" He tried to brush them off, rolling his eyes. "What? The fact I have sharp canines make you think I'm a vampire?"
Jack only seemed amused by this, laughing quietly and shaking his head. "No, not really. Turn your head to the side."
"What does turning my head to the side prove anything towards such an accusation?" Sebastian asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously at them again. He didn't really like where this was going, but he complied anyway with an annoyed huff when they insisted.
He heard them murmur between each other until they came to some kind of agreement.
"Don't freak out about it though." Hiccup tried to sound reassuring. Something he really wasn't good at at all. "It's just...uh…"
"It's your eyes," Jack chirped cheerily beside him, to which Hiccup nodded and agreed. "When your eyes get hit by the sunlight just right, it's easy to tell, but only to people who are or know of SNs."
Sebastian's heart sank in anxiety and fear. He knew he had forgotten something that morning, but he hadn't thought it had been something so important as his contacts. He straightened his back and fixed both of them with a hard glare, hoping his displeasure and anger with them was clear.
"I don't know what game you're trying to pull, but it's not funny." He growled at them, pulling out a piece of scratch paper and writing down on it. Sebastian slid the note over to Jack deftly and started to clean up his things. "Please stop and leave me alone."
Jack couldn't help leaning away from the other at that glare and he could tell Hiccup wanted to leave, but he held his ground and took the note, looking it over curiously.
'People are staring. Meet me after school behind the bakery and we can talk there instead. -S'
His shoulders dropped as he chuckled and put the note away. "Fine. So be it. I'm on a tight schedule though. Make it quick." He teased Sebastian with a wink. Turning to Hiccup, he switched over to speaking Norwegian. "€I'll be busy after school with this kid. We kinda freaked him out. I'll be home quick, okay?€"
Hiccup only nodded in response and went back to working on his homework.
Sebastian left the moment the bell rang to release them all and was out of sight before it finished. He ran directly home to fetch his contacts before returning to school to walk to the bakery, trying think of both what possessed him to invite the other to talk with more about this and what he was going to say. He couldn't threaten him into silence. That would prove too suspicious, but he couldn't just outright deny anything either. With a growl of frustration, he walked into the bakery and decided to help the chef until he sensed Jack coming.
~.~.~.~.
Hiccup, Hiro and Jack all gathered outside at the front of the school, getting ready to walk home after they'd gathered their things from their lockers.
"Hurry home, Jack. We've got that Spanish project to work on." Hiccup reminded the other, adjusting his backpack on his shoulder nervously. He didn't like the idea of Jack going off on his own to meet up with Sebastian.
"Right. Catch you later." Jack smiled, trying to reassure his friend before waving and starting off towards the bakery.
"See ya!" Hiro called after him, waving before he joined Hiccup on the way home.
Jack felt he had plenty of time before Sebastian got their, and ordered himself a chocolate coated and filled donut to munch on while he waited for the other. Making his way around to the back, he tried to pass the time by making snowflake patterns on the wall and ground wherever he stepped.
It wasn't long at all actually before the employee door opened and Sebastian stepped out with a steaming hot chocolate in his hands. The other took a long drink from it before walking towards Jack, as if he was trying to stall a bit and find his words.
"Hey," was all he came up with.
"Hey yourself," Jack replied, an amused smirk playing across his face. He stopped making patterns on the ground and turned his full attention on the other. "Sup?"
"Doing well," Sebastian sighed, leaning his back up against the wall of the bakery and taking another long drink. He decided he might as well be up front with the other, especially seeing he wasn't human himself. "Look, you speak really loosely about not being, how should I put this, normal at school. I mean...I guess don't mind too much that you know. It's just pointing it out at school like that." Sebastian trailed off, shuddering to himself before drinking again. He'd honestly have to go get another cup at this rate. "Please. Some of us don't want to be found."
"Well, no one knows who I am really, and it's been like that for three years. I don't want to be found either." Jack explained, his last comment earning a disbelieving scoff from the raven. "You'd think that they'd connect the dots by now, but no. These kids don't believe in anything…" Jack actually seemed pretty disappointed in this, his eyes trailed down to the ground and he kicked a stray rock away from himself.
"I say SN so that they don't know; they just think I'm talking about that show that a bunch of girls on the internet are obsessed with: two brothers trying to find their father as they fight monsters." He continued to explain, looking back to Sebatian. "Sorry that I talked about it though. I didn't think it would upset you that much."
"I-It's fine I guess and you're right, not a lot of people believe in anything like us anymore." Sebastian did have to admit he struck a valid point. Teenagers ran around calling themselves devil spawn or weird animal hybrids all the time and no one really batted an eye. "You can talk all you want. I'd just rather stay under the radar." He finally looked to Jack completely and offered a small smile. The other seemed so innocent and naive. "I wish I was as bold as you sometimes though. I mean, using your ice to trip that bully was really impressive."
They shared a small laugh between themselves for that before falling silent once more. Sebastian finished off his hot chocolate, and Jack his donut before either of them thought to speak again.
"Forgive me if I'm being a bit nosey, but...what exactly are you?" Sebastian asked.
"It's fine. I'll tell you…" Jack started, summoning a wooden staff with a crook at the end and leaning up against it. He smiled to Sebastian and gave him a curious expression that reminded the other of a kitten. "if you first tell me what you are. All I know is that I haven't seen your kind around in a long time, and they haven't been all that nice in the past. I know you exist, but I don't know what you are."
Sebastian looked around a bit nervously, biting his lip. He didn't really want to say. Most ran in fear if they didn't immediately try to splash him with Holy Water. "I...I suppose it is only fair, but it's a bit easier to show rather than tell." A darker glint lit his eyes as he decided watching the other run in fear would actually be quite the reward for all the stress he'd put him through that day, and he chuckled softly. "Just, try not to run." He took out his contacts and placed them in their case in his pocket.
"My kind has many names." He explained as he felt himself change. A dark aura spreading dread and fear into anyone within range fell out around him. He only hoped it masked his own fear and anxiety about showing himself like this to the other. "Though, I believe you're more familiar with demon."
Jack watched as Sebastian's eyes became a faintly glowing, swirling fuchsia and black smoke seemed to roll off the other's body as he changed. He became taller, whether it was because of the deadly looking heels alone or just himself, he couldn't really tell. Almost all his teeth looked razor sharp now and black claws extended from his fingers. On his left hand, Jack could barely make out a faded star symbol that looked worn away, and behind him the smoke seemed to gather into wing shapes, but nothing became clear.
He had to admit, he was a bit intimidated by the empty and cold feeling he got from being so close to the other, but being a Guardian had its perks. His smile never faltered as he looked over the other and he straightened up a bit.
"Thought so... The eyes are a dead giveaway." Jack mused, swirling his staff around before resting it on his shoulders. "Sorry to disappoint you, Michaelis, but I'm not as special as you are. There is a reason why I've been dubbed as Jack Frost; reason why is because...I am. I'm the one who brings the winter season to different parts of the world and tries to keep things in balance as much as possible. That, and I'm a Guardian, of childhood."
Sebastian's eyes furrowed a little in confusion, but he let the other go on explaining. He watched Jack summon a small globe with twinkling lights on it and he held it before him as if it were supposed to mean something.
"Each of these crystals is a kid who believes in the Guardians. And good or bad, naughty or nice, we protect them. Each Guardian has a center, the trait that makes us well, us. The one that stands out the most, really, the one that defines us, and the one we're sworn to protect in children." Jack spoke happily, never looking away from the globe in his hand. "North has wonder, Bunny has hope, Sandy has dreams, Tooth has memories, and I…" He broke off to laugh happily, seemingly delighted at his center. "I have fun. Simple as that."
Sebastian blinked and the globe was gone, snowflakes and ice all that remained of it and even that melted back into Jack's waiting palm. He shook his head, returning to his normal self. "There's nothing special about my kind. We're disgusting and revolting." He corrected, putting his hands in his pockets. "As for you, what do you mean not special? That's incredible. You bring order, beauty and happiness to all. Especially those who desperately need a break from the stressors of life. It's honorable and noble." He pulled in his demonic aura as he spoke and replaced his contacts, feeling much more comfortable back in "disguise".
"Haha, thanks, I guess." Jack shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. "At first, I didn't want it, because I thought I wasn't ready to step up to the next level, but later on I found out who I was and what I was meant to do. So, I got a grip on reality and went for it. But there's a catch to it, don't think there isn't. As long as children believe in us, we'll be here. Once they stop...well, we stop existing. That's the only real downside to it."
Sebastian nodded along politely, letting the other explain. He didn't really feel like he needed to tell him what a demon was or what downsides there were, but he did feel grateful that the other hadn't run away.
"Thank you, you know… for not running," he muttered, looking away from him.
"You're welcome." Jack piped up, moving to catch the other's eyes. "I didn't think there was anything to be scared of in the first place. I only see you, and I don't see anything wrong. I don't believe that you're revolting or disgusting to be honest. Don't take this the wrong way, but...I think you're beautiful." That definitely got the other's attention. He watch Sebastian become rigid and he didn't think he could see him breathing anymore. The other's ruby eyes were now fixed on him in clear disbelief.
Still, Jack continued, "Even with the contacts on, I can still tell you're a SN. The sunlight reflects differently in the eyes of immortals. They shine brighter, and hold a certain wisdom and truth that mortals don't have. Hiccup pointed it out, because he's seen it before, much more than me. So, small quirks and traits of immortals are only noticeable to those who know of it or are part of it." He shrugged a bit and smiled sheepishly now. "I hope that clarifies a bit of it."
Sebastian tried to keep his cheeks from heating up in embarrassment at being called beautiful of all things. This kid was honestly full of firsts from not running away to now calling him beautiful. He didn't really know what to do and it took him a moment to remember that he should probably be breathing. Forcing himself to relax, he looked away from Jack successfully this time.
"Th-Thanks…" he muttered, more to himself than the other. A sigh left him at the news that his eyes were still a problem even with his contacts. "I need to change my prescription again then. My contacts are made by a special company geared specifically with hiding a supernatural's eyes. They used to block my eyes out all together."
Jack smiled and laughed a bit at him, "Even if you changed your contacts, I'm sure it'd still be visible to other immortals. Not as much, but only if they pay close enough attention. Besides, if you wanna stay under the radar, you better be careful when you walk. The gait that you carry is also kinda hinting at it." He winked at the other playfully, enjoying the expressions he made.
"Already stared at me long enough to remember my gait? Careful, people might get the wrong idea." Sebastian shot back, starting to feel a bit more comfortable with the other. "I suppose I could attempt to become a little less menacing, but I admit I am starting to get a bit peckish."
Jack shook his head and rolled his eyes, laughing once again. "Oh ha ha, very funny, Michaelis. You're just lucky I spotted your eyes first. You should be thankful, so uh no. Eating the embodiment of winter is prohibited by moi." He stood back a little for emphasis. "Still though. I'm not afraid you. I've got other things to be worried about than a demon eating me."
Sebastian wrinkled his nose at the thought of trying to eat the other. "I couldn't eat you. I'd get a cavity for sure if not just an awful stomach ache. You smell way too sweet for my tastes." He paused a little at the other's last comment. "Well, I'll admit that's a first."
"I don't care what that was, but I'll take that as a compliment." Jack said, looking the other up and down. He raised an eyebrow at him and tilted his head, once more reminded Sebastian of a kitten. "What is?"
"You not being afraid, talking with someone like this in general." Sebastian explained, rubbing the back of his neck a little nervously. He noticed it was starting to get a little chilly in the alleyway and something told him it wasn't just Jack. He pulled out his pocket watch to glance at the time. Almost immediately his blood ran cold and his heart sank for the second time that day. "I-I'm a dead man…" He muttered under his breath, frozen up in panic.
"I don't see what I should be afraid of. I just see you. If you wanted to hurt me, you would've done it by now, and you haven't so that's my reasoning…" Jack's voice faded after he had explained himself, noticing how pale the other had gotten, which was honestly impressive considering he was pretty white to begin with. "Woah, hey, what's wrong?"
Sebastian ran his hand through his hair, closing his pocket watch and putting it away. "My brother got home from work 10 minutes ago and I'm here."
His mind was racing faster than he could keep up with it. He was usually always punctual to a fault, even being 5 minutes late would make Yami worry. Being 10 minutes late was unheard of. He didn't doubt the other was probably out looking for him already, especially considering he'd released some of his aura. Yami probably thought he was in some kind of trouble or danger.
'If he finds me here, I'm dead!' He panicked, looking over at Jack. 'So would he if Yami finds him with me…'
"That's not good." Jack admitted, frowning a bit as even he understood the wrath of a worried sibling. "I can take you home if you want. That way your brother knows you weren't alone at least."
Sebastian hesitated, but nodded after a moment of thought. "I'm not sure he'd take too kindly to that, but it'll at least solidify my alibi. Come on, my place is this way. We'd better get going before he finds us here and gets the wrong idea."
Sebastian turned and began to walk quickly back towards his house, paying little attention to whether or not Jack was actually following him. All that mattered now was getting home.
"So...what exactly is this "wrong" idea you're getting at. That we're fighting?" Jack asked from behind him, slightly jogging to keep up with Sebastian's long strides.
"He's overprotective to say the least. To be honest he could jump to many different conclusions. I don't know which ones though which makes it dangerous and risky." He confessed. Knowing Yami though, his brother would probably assume Jack was some kind of threat to Sebastian and immediately try to defend his brother from a nonexistent threat before killing said brother for worrying him so.
"Man, I'm sorry. I've had, or actually have, to deal with someone like that. I understand completely." Jack replied, picking up the pace a little much to Sebastian's relief.
"Let's just hope he's in a good mood." Sebastian muttered to himself before suddenly stopping and looking back to Jack. "Wait. Where do you live? I'd hate to drag you in the opposite direction."
Jack stumbled to a stop, not expecting the other to do that and looked to him, putting his staff on his shoulders again. "Actually, not far. I'm perpendicular to the direction that we're walking in, so yeah. It's totally fine."
"If you say so," Sebastian relaxed a bit before starting to walk again. It would still be a bit before they got to his and Yami's apartment, so he decided some small talk wouldn't hurt. "Did you hear about the fight at school earlier today?"
"Yes! I mean, who hasn't?! It was crazy." Jack sounded quite a bit more excited about this than Sebastian expected.
"Who'd have thought two girls would go at it like that? I hear they're on cafeteria duty for the next month. Surprised the school's still keeping them in the same room to be honest. What do you think started it in the first place?" He continued.
"Beats me... Maybe they just didn't do well when the first met? And it escalated into that?" Jack offered up, sticking one hand in his hoodie as they walked.
Sebastian nodded, for a moment forgetting he was supposed to be scared stiff. At least it lasted a moment. Once the gates around their apartment complex came into view, his dread was renewed ten fold. "Well, this is where I live." He said nervously, looking from the intimidating gates back to Jack. "Thanks for walking with me, Jack. Hopefully I'll see you at school tomorrow." If I survive… he added to himself.
"Yeah, hopefully," Jack held out his hand for the other, waiting for him to catch on. He was only met with a slightly tight, gentlemanly handshake though and a tense smile.
"Maybe sometime you can teach me that handshake of yours." Sebastian remarked as he went inside, knowing that's what Jack had really wanted.
"You could have at least tried it!" Jack called back at him, waving until Sebastian was out of sight. He really did hope his brother didn't kill him. He seemed like a cool guy. Then again, he had a feeling it really wasn't going to end well for Sebastian at all. Not even a bit.
Kitana: Ouch... he hasn't even known Jack a full 24hrs and he's already getting into trouble. Reviews are greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading!