So, now that we've had sad and fun, back to slightly more plotty bits. Also, the parenthetical words after the artist for the lyric quotes are where I found the song, if in anything but random chance. Or if the song I found has an origin like a musical.

Aster visits North to ask a favor and then is in for a surprise at Jack's party. Later, he and Jack spend time together in quiet companionship.

(-)

I will never be your friend
Life has always been worse than it seemed
I feel so sad, I just pretend
You're so close, but so far away from me

I Will Never (Be Your Friend)- Irish Stew of Sindidun (Welcome to Hell)

The next day, Aster left Jack in charge of the work. When Jack asked why, the rabbit said, "Gonna take a quick trip to the Pole. Talk to North about your party."

It was only a half-lie. Aster's business related to the party. Sort of. Really, his mind was fixed on the image of Jack curled alone in his nest the last night. So small. And Aster could not stay with him. A few minutes of cuddling proved how bad an idea that was.

So, he sought to fix it. And for that, he needed North's help. It was something North could do far better than Aster ever could.

When he had arrived at the Workshop and been greeted by North, he explained his request. "Jack sleeps alone in my nest. I think if he had something to sleep with it might help keep some of his nightmares away."

"Why do you not sleep with him?" North asked with a smile and a cheery gleam in his eyes.

Aster scowled at that, hopefully giving the impression that he and the Snowflake were still fighting and getting on each other's nerves. Nevermind that they'd never got along better than they were now. He didn't need North reading into this and realizing what Aster did not want anyone to know. Sandy had already figured it out somehow.

And no one else could find out because it would never become anything more. No one should know how Aster felt because they'd just feel sorry for him.

"I thought a stuffed toy might do the trick. No one makes toys better than you, so I thought you could make something suitable for him." Aster did not address North's question. Better to ignore it.

"Da. Is good idea. I will make something wonderful for our friend." Aster could see North running ideas through his head even as he said that.

"Okay. I'd better get back and make sure he hasn't frozen the Warren solid or something. The kid is unbelievable."

Aster was ready to tap open a tunnel when North said, "Do you not wonder why?"

That gave Aster pause. "Of course I do. Frostbite is the strangest little creature I've met. But that's always been the case."

North was shaking his head. "No, I mean why. Manny chose him to be Guardian, but before that, he chose to make Jack a spirit that could exist independent of belief. A spirit who had tremendous power before he was known to any human, and whose power grew frightfully fast as he gained believers. Manny does nothing without reason."

Aster blinked. He hadn't considered that Snowflake had reason to be such an aberration. It had always just been a fact of who Jack Frost was. But North was right, Manny didn't do anything without a greater purpose. What greater purpose did he have in mind for Jack?

"Maybe that's true. But until he decides to clue us in, I can't do anything but accept Jack for who and what he is." The voice in his mind that whispered that he did much more than accept Jack was viciously smothered.

North beamed at him. "Indeed! Jack is in great hands with you. Perhaps he should stay at the Warren forever, da?" It was said in jest, at least Aster thought it was.

Jack couldn't stay forever because Aster's heart wouldn't be able to take it. He could pretend his feelings for the boy amounted to just friendship for only so long before the truth of the matter came out. He couldn't lose Jack, and Aster was certain finding out that an overgrown rabbit was keen on you was the type of thing to drive the boy away. Aster could pretend as long as he didn't have to do it every minute of every day. Still, he couldn't explain this to North.

"Not unless you want to be down a Guardian, one way or the other. Keep us together too long, and one of us is bound to kill the other. You seem to forget that Jack and I don't have the best history." Aster had to keep up the idea that he and Jack were bickering and fighting like they used to. Couldn't let people realize that Jack had slid into Aster's home, life, and heart like a puzzle piece that had been missing.

"You seem to get along greatly when you summoned us," North said. His tone was light, but his persistence in this suggestion was worrying.

Aster fought not to show any panic. "We were working. Trying to contain his power, then trying to figure out the cause. Sure, we work together better. Doesn't mean that we don't drive each other up the wall when there's no serious work to do."

North just smiled. "Party is day after tomorrow. 5:00 p.m., da?"

Aster just nodded and opened a tunnel. He made it back to the Warren in no time at all. He emerged from a tunnel close to where Jack was helping him replant. Jack looked up at his abrupt entrance and smiled. "Bunny! I was wondering how long you'd be gone."

The Snowflake was waiting for him. Had missed him. Aster's heart constricted as he tried to dismiss these things. The Guardian of Hope could not afford any for himself. It was just that he and Jack were actually getting along well, despite what Aster wanted North to believe. Nothing more to it.

"Not too long. Your party is the day after tomorrow. Late afternoon." Aster eyed the dirt on the boy where he worked, and again smelled that aroma arising of the boy's musk. "Probably a shower tonight and then one before the party, yeah?"

Jack nodded. "Warm water is nice."

The couple of showers Aster had taken since Jack had started staying with him had been as cold as he could get them. It was successful at killing any erections, but still turned him on, making him think of Jack's power covering his fur, cold digging under his skin. Aster was in a special kind of Hell.

(-)

North's party was nice. Food and drink, laughter and stories, and Aster could see how Jack warmed under the attention and affection. And, no, he did not feel any jealousy at all. The problem, of course, came when the other three Guardians pulled out gifts for Jack.

Aster felt embarrassed and stupid. He had given North an idea for his own gift, but Aster hadn't considered what he himself might be able to give Jack. So now he had to tell Jack he'd forgotten, and he had nothing to give the boy.

Jack started by unwrapping the small box Toothiana handed him. It was a jewelry box, and Jack's eyes widened when he opened it. He delicately removed the silver snowflake. At the top, however, instead of just another arm of the snowflake, was a tall, golden feather. Jack looked at Toothiana with inquiry in his eyes.

"If you need help, it'll summon Baby Tooth, who will give you whatever help she can." Toothiana smiled at him, gleaming white teeth showing as she obviously hoped Jack would like her gift.

Jack looked to the little fairy that always came with Toothiana when she was going to see Jack, that always gravitated towards him whenever the little thing could. It had a tall yellow feather much like Toothiana's which helped distinguish it from the rest. "That's okay? I know your fairies all have duties…"

Toothiana shook his concerns away. "Baby Tooth has bonded with you, Jack. You already have a connection. Coming to your aid is as much her duty as collecting teeth. This just gives you a direct line to summon her."

The little fairy squeaked and flew to nuzzle Jack's face. Jack grinned, and Toothiana beamed. Jack said, "Thank you, Tooth. It's a wonderful present." He looked at the little fairy that hovered around him and said, "And thank you for being my friend. Especially when I had no one else."

Ouch. That stung. From what Aster had learned after the dust had settled, Jack had traded his staff to Pitch in exchange for Baby Tooth. It was right after Easter when Aster had lashed out at Jack as he himself succumbed to despair. While they were trapped in a hole in the Antarctic, she had activated his teeth to return his memories, giving him the clarity and purpose that led to him saving them all.

Sandy stepped forward to press a little gift bag into Jack's hands. Jack pulled out the tissue paper and removed a little bottle, no larger than Jack's thumb, full of Dreamsand. Jack drew in a breath as he looked between Sandy and the bottle. The image of a tag on a string appeared above Sandy's head as he nodded at the bottle. Jack noticed the tag and read it.

"Dreamsand. Use sparingly when nightmares keep you from falling back asleep. Warning: overuse can lead to decreased results and eventual immunity to Dreamsand."

Jack once again looked from the bottle to Sandy, then leapt forward to hug the small man. "Thank you, Sandy. Thank you."

His words were quiet and fervent, and Aster doubted anyone besides Sandy and himself could hear them. And, no, Aster still wasn't jealous.

Now North brought forth a large box wrapped in bright red paper with silver snowflakes. The size alone made Aster uneasy, though he wasn't sure why. Jack started tearing into the paper, looking curious and excited. When the box was revealed, Jack lifted the lid slightly and peeked in. His face lit up, and he shoved the lid off and removed a stuffed rabbit, of Aster's coloring, that was almost as large as the boy himself.

Aster debated if he should just die where he stood or kill North, whose eyes were gleaming with jolly cheer. "What the hell is that?" he asked before he realized what he was saying.

Jack turned to him, rabbit in his arms, looking confused. "It's a stuffed rabbit."

North decided to chime in. "It was Bunny's idea. He thought would be good to help keep nightmares away."

Aster felt far too warm as Jack's curious gaze fell upon him. "I said stuffed animal. I thought you'd make him a little teddy bear to hug." Of course, now Aster could see how foolish that was. When North made something special, it was truly special. Wonderful creations were his gift.

And clearly, he thought it would be wonderful to give Jack a giant stuffed rabbit that, while still a generic rabbit shape, had his coloring on what looked like fur instead of just fabric. Aster tried to ignore the way Jack clung to it, obviously finding it wonderful too.

"This is wonderful," Jack said, reading Aster's mind. "Thanks, North. Thank you, Bunny, for thinking of me." The second thanks was far more subdued and shy.

"You are welcome," the big man boomed in a cheerful voice.

Aster, however… "I didn't think enough to get a present myself. Sorry, Frostbite."

Jack just smiled at him. "You've already given me more than I could have asked for."

Even as he smiled back, Aster felt uncomfortable under the gazes of the other Guardians. Sandy raised an eyebrow and gave him a knowing smile. North's smile was cheerful, but there was a gleam in his eyes that was far more sly than Aster liked. Toothiana's smile was simple enough, but her face was laced with an expression Aster couldn't interpret. He got the sinking feeling his secret was only a secret from Jack now. And maybe not even that for much longer.

Toothiana saved him from the moment. "I brought some fresh fruit in addition to all of North's sweets for dessert." She glanced at North. "And I maintain that fruitcake is a horrible perversion of both fruit and cake."

It was an old argument, and North just scoffed. "Is delicious. I have cookies and regular cakes too. Come, let us eat."

Both Jack and Aster were stuffed to the rafters on sweets and fruits by the time they made their goodbyes. Jack hugged the others, slightly shaking as he pulled away, and Aster just gave the other Guardians a nod before he opened a tunnel underneath them. Jack curled his stuffed rabbit into a ball and clutched it protectively as they slid back to the Warren.

When they emerged from the tunnel, Jack seemed to want to say something. Aster just gave him a look and a nod, hopefully encouraging the boy to speak.

"I meant what I said, you know. You've given me so much. I don't need extra gifts."

Aster didn't know what to say to that. He settled on, "I'm glad yer happy, Frostbite. And hopefully we'll get these nightmares taken care of."

Jack nodded and pulled the Dreamsand out of his pocket. "And now we have a backup. Just in case."

"That was thoughtful of Sandy. Although now that he knows you have nightmares, it puts you very much in his wheelhouse, so to speak."

Jack looked thoughtful. "How could I become immune to Dreamsand? It doesn't happen to the children."

Aster shrugged. "You aren't a child. You aren't human. Probably spirits are affected differently and can build a tolerance to it."

They walked back to the Burrow, where Aster decided they didn't need to eat dinner so soon after North's feast. But since they weren't working or eating, what were they to do? Aster usually read or painted in his free time, but Jack froze things and caused mischief, which Aster wasn't about to let him do in the Warren. "What do you say, Snowflake? We've got a bit of free time."

Jack looked startled, still clutching his stuffed rabbit. "What do you normally do?"

"Read. Paint."

"You paint?" Jack asked, then flushed purple as Aster raised an eyebrow at him in question. "I mean, of course you do. But I didn't realize you painted anything but eggs."

Aster shrugged. "These days I mostly sketch with pencil or charcoal. Not as satisfying, but I don't really have the inspiration for a full painting."

Jack smiled. "Maybe you could work on that. What kind of books to you have?"

Aster showed Jack to the three bookshelves tucked in the corner of the den. "I have one more bookshelf in my room, but here's what I've got here."

Jack perused the shelves and picked a book. It was "The Witches" by Roald Dahl. Aster had a lot of children's stories. "Sounds interesting," Jack said as he read the back.

"Kids triumphing over evil adults. You'll probably enjoy it, Frostbite."

As Jack settled into the armchair with his book, his stuffed rabbit resting on the chair near the door, Aster got his art supplies and, inevitably, started sketching Jack as he read. It was so cozy, domestic, and natural to spend time together this way that Aster wondered why things couldn't always be like this. Then he looked at his sketch, and saw how the lines made Jack look soft, tender. How the armchair seemed to hold onto the beautiful figure and protect it. Right. That was why. The feelings Aster had that Jack would never have made this too painful to last long term.

Aster jumped a little when he looked up from his sketch to see Jack's eyes gazing back into his. They held curiosity and entreaty, and they confused Aster. Jack said, "Anything inspiring you?"

Aster gulped visibly, he knew, before he said, "Well, nothing to paint yet. But I have new material in my Burrow now." He knew Jack was going to ask to see the drawing.

"Can I see?" Jack asked, putting the bookmark in his book. Aster had a bookmark already in every book, so he never needed to look for one.

Hesitantly, Aster turned his sketch pad around and offered it to Jack. Jack took it, eyes widening. "This is incredible, Bunny." The boy kept looking at the sketch, apparently taking in more details each time. Aster hoped not, because the underlying feelings of the drawing were quite clear to him.

Jack just said, "You made me look real. It's like I'm sitting there at the same time I'm sitting here."

Resisting the urge to sigh in relief, Aster said, "I can do different styles, but I like to sketch what I see, if I can. Glad ya like it."

As he passed the sketch pad back to Aster, Jack looked shy. When Aster gave him an expectant look, Jack blurted, "Will you draw me more?"

Aster felt warmer at the request, but could tell Jack was regretting speaking, purple frost covering his face. "Of course, Snowflake. Curious though: why do you want me to draw you?"

Jack shrugged and wouldn't meet Aster's eyes. "I…I look good when you draw me."

Reading between the lines, Aster asked, "But not when you look at yourself in a mirror?"

Another shrug. Aster sighed. The boy was gorgeous; he didn't need to have any hang-ups about his appearance. Problem was, Aster couldn't just tell Jack that. Couldn't tell Jack how beautiful and bewitching he was to Aster. Couldn't tell him the kinds of feelings the boy drew from him, the kinds of things Jack made Aster want to do to him.

Instead… "You must have used some shitty mirrors, then, mate. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing."

Jack's eyes were wide, pupils large, as he met Aster's gaze. He looked curious and reassured, but those eyes were doing things to Aster that made the rabbit wonder if that was the boy's intention. But, of course, it wasn't. Jack had no idea how Aster felt, much less a desire to make him feel it.

"I'd be happy to draw you, Snowflake. Kinda nice to get some quiet time."

That got him a shy smile. Then Jack shifted in his chair. "I'm not sure I need dinner tonight. I want to go sleep with Cotton, if that's okay?"

"Of course it's okay. Hopefully the thing will be able to give you some comfort and keep some nightmares away." Aster didn't add that what was clearly an imitation of himself should have no trouble doing so.

And when, for the first time since he'd stayed the night at the Burrow, Jack had no nightmares, Aster wondered how nice it must be for the lucky rabbit to cuddle and comfort Jack.

If only you saw what I can see
You'll understand why I want you so desperately
Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe
You don't know, oh oh
You don't know you're beautiful…

What Makes You Beautiful- One Direction

(-)

So, sorta plotty. Mostly the presents, but also if you took notice of North's observations about Jack. And for some reason, the ridiculous part of me pictures Jack saying, "Paint me like your French girls!"

Also want to clarify: I don't listen to One Direction normally. I would never have heard this song if it hadn't been attached to a Hetalia AMV for PrussiaxHungary. That said, not the worst pop song I've heard from boy bands, even if we only look at more modern ones.