More fun. Until it's not. I was going to wait a bit longer to post, but the end of the last chapter bummed me out, and I'm the one who knows what will happen, so I didn't really want to leave you on that note for too long.

Bunny tries to calm Jack down, only to find Jack has some unnerving interests. When Jack seems suddenly lighter, more mischievous and curious, Bunny wonders why. Cake-baking is dangerous, and a new problem arises.

(-)

My wings feel broken but they work fine

I guess confidence never was mine
A harsh word can leave me stunned
Some say I'm unique and others strange
Some say I'm just living up to my name
But I can't be the only one

Someone Like Me- Aviators

Jack was unable to calm himself when they returned to the Warren. He didn't even enter the Burrow. He paced around the place, no clear goal or destination. At first, Aster stood outside the Burrow and let the boy get rid of some energy.

It soon became clear, however, that Jack was just working himself up further. Aster finally caught up to the boy and said, "C'mon, Snowflake. Come inside or find something to do. This is just making it worse."

Jack turned on him, a helpless fury in his gaze. "Worse? What could be worse than my best friend dying soon?"

Aster didn't shrink from Jack's anger. "The fact that your best friend might die soon is making you sick. We can do whatever you want, Jack. Draw, read, relax, sleep, fight, eat, whatever. But it needs to be something."

Jack looked at him, almost blankly, except for a faint glimmer. Then he lunged at Aster, taking the rabbit by surprise. The boy wrestled fiercely, but Aster was a warrior, and Jack was outmatched. Still, Aster let Jack get the upper hand a few times to keep things going and keep the boy spending energy and frustration. He could take whatever Jack threw at him.

Eventually, Jack's struggling grew weaker, and Aster could smell the salt of tears the boy was struggling not to shed. He took the opportunity to pin Jack down. His Snowflake hardly fought the hold at all. He just started crying, hands that Aster freed moving to cover his face.

Aster just fixed the little spirit into a sitting position, then pulled him onto Aster's lap. It felt like ages since Frostbite had clung to him like this, wrapped around Aster tightly like he might fly away if he didn't.

Slowly, Jack calmed. He shuddered a little in the rabbit's embrace. He nuzzled his face into Aster's neck, which was far too pleasant. Especially when, with another shudder, Jack's hips shifted slightly as the smell of arousal grew stronger in Aster's nose. The rabbit felt Jack hardening against him and fought down panic and his own arousal.

"Sorry," Jack whispered. "I don't know why, but I-"

"S'okay, Snowflake. Being man-handled seems to excite you. Nothing wrong with it. Let's go home, and you can take care of it."

As Aster got both of them to their feet, Jack seemed interested, looking the larger spirit up and down. "And you can take care of yourself." It wasn't a question.

So, Aster didn't answer, just walked back to the Burrow. Jack made a small frustrated sound and followed. "You can hear me. And I heard you. You're the one who says there's nothing wrong with it."

The rabbit didn't know exactly what the boy was getting at, just that it was major trouble. "Let it go, Snowflake."

"You tell me that it's natural. You encourage-"

"Frostbite, drop it," Aster said stiffly.

"But I just-"

"Jack, stop!" Aster shouted. They both stopped walking as silence surrounded them. Aster said, "Please. Just. Don't."

"Fine," Jack said, but he did nothing to hide the petulant tone in his voice.

"Thank you." Aster started walking again. When they reached the Burrow, he decided this had necessitated a change in plans. "You go on in. I'll give you some space."

He could have sworn that Jack looked disappointed. But the boy was probably just upset that Aster had yelled at him. Jack just went into the Burrow and closed the door behind him.

Aster stood and listened as Jack went into the bathroom and stripped down. Before the water started, Jack murmured, "Mean fucking Bunny." He knew the rabbit would hear him.

But the swearing combined with his name just had Aster's cock unsheathing rapidly, nevermind that Jack sounded so annoyed with him. His brain unhelpfully supplied the thought that he could show Jack some mean fucking.

He had just turned to go to the grove when Jack said, "Fuck you, Bunny."

Oh, it was so hard not to go in there and shut the teenager up. He got the sense that Jack was trying to piss him off; Jack had no idea that his words had a different effect on Aster. The rabbit hurried away before he went inside and did something unwise.

As he touched himself, Aster was haunted with the thought of what Jack had been getting at. It sounded dangerously interesting. Frostbite was far too keen on the fact that he heard Aster getting off at the same time he did. It didn't bear further attention, in Aster's opinion, but Jack disagreed.

"'You can hear me, and I heard you,'" Aster said softly. He groaned and sped up. The Snowflake really had been intent on the fact that Aster had been listening to him masturbate. Which would indicate all his vocalizations were for Aster's benefit, which was insanity.

Aster had been taking his time until he heard footsteps headed his way. Oh, fuck. He stroked faster, leaning against a dead tree as his balls got tighter with each nearing footstep. He kept in all sounds as he spilled all over the tree, watching it spring back to life as his cock retreated.

"What have you been doing here?" Jack asked, looking around. The fresh life in the grove looked a certain way, but it wasn't immediately obvious unless one considered that patch of grass was shaped like a cum splatter pattern.

"Working." Aster didn't want to keep doing this.

"I bet," Jack said with a grin. Before Aster could get angry at that, he asked, "Will you teach me to bake?"

Aster blinked at the boy, suspicious. "You came all the way out here to ask me to teach you to bake?"

Jack shrugged. "I didn't know when you'd be coming back. You make the best cake. I wanna learn."

"Fine, Snowflake, let's bake." At least the boy seemed to be distracting himself.

(-)

By the time the cake was in the oven, the kitchen was a mess. There was flour all over the place, due to Jack starting a minor flour-fight. Used utensils and bowls were all over, and there was general disarray to the normally tidy kitchen.

"I can clean up." Jack eyed Aster with amusement. "You should probably wash that flour out of your fur."

"Just remember that I know where you sleep, Frostbite," Aster said as he left the kitchen.

That had Jack laughing behind him, honest laughter. It was good to hear. Aster had caught some dark brooding looks on Jack's face for a few moments while they worked, but Frostbite was attentive to the lesson, so it was easy to distract him.

Aster climbed into the shower and turned the cold water on. Delicious shivers ran through him as the water poured down, and when the shivers got stronger, Aster realized that he could feel the hum of Jack's power. He opened the shower door to peek out and saw that frost was creeping from under the door and across the bathroom to his shower.

"Not funny, Frostbite," Aster said loudly.

"Your shower is already cold, Bunny," Jack called back from the other side of the door.

Is that what he was after? Sent his magic in as feelers to check the temperature of Aster's shower?

"You made a bit of a mess; I thought you were cleaning it up."

Jack sighed. "Fine. You're no fun." His footsteps retreated to the kitchen. The rabbit must have been distracted not to notice the boy approaching.

Aster was a bit surprised at Jack's good humor, given his earlier mood. He wondered what was going on in the Snowflake's head. Was he making sure he was distracted? Had he accepted Jamie's fate as a mortal? No, not that, Aster was certain. But something had happened in that head that let Jack bounce back.

A good scrub and rinse and all the flour was gone. Aster dried and shook off and returned to the kitchen.

All the surfaces were free of flour, and Jack had all the dirty dishes next to the sink and was scrubbing away, humming to himself. He made quite the cozy picture. The consistent pull on Aster's instincts was starting to get more intense. He wanted to keep the Snowflake here, make him belong with Aster. He wanted to Mate and Mark Jack. A Mating Bond was serious, and the desire itched at Aster. How was he supposed to kick Jack out of his kitchen to stop the problem without explaining why?

"You cleaned up the flour; let me clean the dishes. You can watch the cake."

Jack looked over his shoulder at Aster, no longer humming. "You sure? I kinda like doing dishes."

Shut the fuck up, Snowflake. Aster was precariously close to doing something inappropriate and potentially damaging to their relationship. "I'm sure. Keeping an eye on what you're baking is something else to learn."

Frostbite shrugged and let the dishes fall in the sink. He turned to Aster, and the rabbit's heart quickened. Snowflake was wearing a damn apron. A plain white one that Aster had forgotten he owned, but an apron. "Take that off," Aster said flatly. It was taking so much not to just lunge for the boy. He closed his eyes.

"What?" Jack asked.

"Take that fucking thing off," Aster grated out.

He heard Jack's heart speed up as he cursed. "I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything; I just found it when I was putting away the mixing bowl. Seemed appropriate."

The boy was hurriedly removing the offending garment, then he asked, "What should I do with it?"

It seemed extreme to say, "Burn it," but that was what immediately came to mind. "Just put it away somewhere."

He heard Jack obediently fold the apron and tuck it away in a cabinet. "I'm really sorry, Bunny. I didn't know you didn't like aprons."

Aster didn't reply. Because he loved that fucking apron on Jack. That was the problem. Jack had all the makings of a Mate, his perfect Mate, and Aster couldn't have him. It was enough to make him want to cry. The Guardian of Hope had none, and it was painful.

Jack seemed to sense the shift in Aster's mood. "Can I give you a hug?" The offer was innocent, made in hopes of cheering Aster up.

"Maybe later, Snowflake. Thanks." Aster finally opened his eyes again. Jack was looking skittish, and Aster sighed. "I'm sorry I yelled."

"Can I ask why you don't like aprons?"

"No." The reply was sharp enough to make Jack flinch.

There was an uncomfortable silence as Aster worked on dishes, and Jack paid attention to the oven. Then: "Am I strange, Bunny?"

Aster tried not to smile. "Very. But that's not a bad thing. No one would call me normal."

"But you're awesome strange. I'm just…weird. The history of my existence, my powers, the way I act, my appearance-"

"If you don't shut up about your appearance, I'll bloody well find something that will make you see things clearly. And I wouldn't change a thing about you, Snowflake…except your inability to use a mirror."

Aster could hear the smile in Jack's voice as he said, "Glad to hear it."

The timer went off. "Think you can get it out by yourself, Snowflake?"

"I probably won't go up in flames."

Chuckling, Aster finished up the dishes and started drying. "If you do, you're more qualified to put you out than I am."

He heard Jack put on the oven mitts on the table and remove the cake from the oven. "This smells fantastic. Can I start icing it?"

"Go for it, Frostbite. Use icing, though, not ice."

"Ha, ha. You're so funny, Bunny."

Putting the last of the dishes away, Aster turned to see Jack leaning over the cake with a spreader covered in white frosting. He had no technique, just carelessly slapping it on like a bricklayer with mortar. But Aster let him work through it, pleased when some improved finesse showed itself by the time he was done. And it was so peaceful to watch the Snowflake work, concentrating and then looking pleased with the end result.

"So, are we having cake for dinner?" Jack asked, looking eager.

"Just this once. A growing boy needs real nutrition." Aster wanted dearly to keep Jack smiling. That near-snowstorm earlier and the rage on the boy's face had been frightening, and the despair and tears didn't suit the boy either.

Jack gave him a half-peeved, half-amused look and went to get a knife to cut the cake. As Aster got plates and forks, Jack carefully cut the cake into almost-even pieces. They sat down and ate in comfortable silence.

An idea lodged into Aster's head and wouldn't go away. Something to cheer and relax the boy. Jack was always happy to touch Aster's ears until he fell asleep. Why shouldn't Aster do something for him? Because it was a horrible fucking idea, that's why.

"What are you thinking about, Bunny?"

"Do you want a back rub, Snowflake?" Aster hadn't meant to say it, but it came out anyway.

Jack sat up straighter like an excited puppy. "Yes!"

No more discussion was needed there. Jack was quick to put the cake in a storage case and put it in the fridge. Then he grabbed the dishes and washed them, leaving Aster to get up and go to the den, knowing that watching the boy wouldn't help anything.

Frostbite bounced in shortly after that, laying on the couch at Aster's invitation. "Do I…Am I supposed to take my shirt off? That's what I've seen them do."

Already this was biting him in the ass. "Sure, if you want, Snowflake."

Aster closed his eyes as Jack wriggled out of his hoodie and the white tank top underneath. When the teenager stilled, Aster opened them again to see Jack settling peacefully on his front, a beautiful expanse of pale, cool flesh laid out for the rabbit's enjoyment.

When his paws first touched the cool skin, Jack gasped. Just the slightest rubbing had the smell of arousal hinting on the air. Aster quickly moved to behind the sofa, giving him extra protection if this went south.

It was easy to lean over and continue touching and massaging the boy, and Jack was not shy about how much he enjoyed it. Gasps, groans, and, worst of all, saying Aster's name, all combined to make a deadly combo that had Aster's cock unsheathing. This was going to end so badly.

"Bunny," Jack whined, "I'm sorry. It just feels so good."

The teenager was apologizing because his hips were starting to rut into the sofa, obviously aroused. "Yer okay, Snowflake. I'm not mad, not disgusted."

"But I won't be able to stop," Jack said a minute later as Aster's continued attentions had him rubbing himself against the couch faster, harder.

"Then we'll deal with that after. You need to relax, Snowflake; blow off some steam."

"So I can…?" Jack didn't finish as the paws really digging into his back had him thrusting frantically.

"Go on."

"Bunny!" Jack groaned as he came, muscles tight and hips moving out of control.

God, Aster was dripping. As Frostbite slowed, then stilled, his face turned to meet Aster's, blue eyes hazy with pleasure, a lazy smile on his face. At a loss of what else to do, Aster ruffled the boy's hair hard enough to push his face in the couch as the rabbit came out from behind the couch, heading for the bathroom.

He was pretty sure he'd made a clean getaway, at least clean enough that the boy didn't see what he'd done. Aster felt certain that Jack knew what he'd done, though. Which meant Aster wouldn't be taking a cold shower. He'd be taking a hot one with lots of steam while he stroked himself off, his name on Jack's lips as the teenager came echoing throughout his head.

Aster made short work of it, needing little stimulation in comparison to what he'd just had, also aware that Jack would be stirring from his post-orgasmic haze and wanting to use the bathroom to clean himself up.

"Oh, fuck, Jack…" was a whispered plea as Aster spilled himself all over the wall and floor of the shower.

This was a disaster. The kid wouldn't let this go, no way. And Aster couldn't have this discussion. He couldn't. Still, he cleaned up and dried and shook off and went to leave the bathroom, where he could hear Jack's heart pounding on the other side.

Meeting the Snowflake's eyes was breathtaking. So full of curiosity and a strange trust. But Jack said nothing, just went into the bathroom himself.

That went suspiciously easily. Aster knew he hadn't heard the end of it. He went back to lay down in the den, hoping to be asleep or nearly so before the boy got done showering.

The couch smelled like Jack's arousal, Jack's release, even though no fluids had made it onto the couch. Aster was going to have a hell of a time trying to sleep there. Wished he'd thought of that sooner. Just the thought of laying down was delicious, so he knew it was a bad idea.

The rabbit wondered if he just curled up on the floor behind the couch that Jack might let him go without talking about it. Worth a try. When he was settled his ears were trained on Jack, listening to the shower shut off and a towel grabbed off the bar to dry the boy with a ruffling sound.

The bathroom door opened, and the boy looked around. "Bunny?"

Aster didn't answer. Frostbite kept looking, though, creeping back into the den to look around. "Bunny?"

With a sigh, Aster said, "What is it? I'm going to sleep."

A short, confused sound and Jack was on the couch leaning over to look at Aster. Then he looked at the couch, then Aster again. "Is this because I…? Oh, come on, Bunny; why did you let me…?"

"You needed to relax, Snowflake. Now you need to go to bed. Go on, sweet dreams."

Jack gave a pouty huff. "Fine." He was in the doorway when he stopped and said, "Um, thanks for the backrub, Bunny."

Aster couldn't answer that, but Jack didn't seem to require one. The rabbit heard the boy settle into the nest with a contented sigh. Now, he just had to get to sleep with that wonderful smell haunting his nose. Well, he could do it eventually. Probably.

(-)

A crackling sound accompanied by a scream woke Aster. It took him a minute to get up, because he was covered in ice, not frost, as was everything he could see. Careful steps to the doorway showed the hallway and bathroom were iced over as well, every surface shiny.

He made it to his room without falling. This time, not a simple cocoon, but a spiked dome covered the Snowflake. This was very bad. The kid was screaming continuously now, barely pausing for breath. His rabbit was in there with him, but he wasn't holding it.

Aster shouted his name, trying to snap the kid awake from a distance. Getting in close this time would likely end in some serious injury. Shouting wasn't working. Could Aster project Spring from that far away?

A heart-pounding idea occurred to him. Last time he'd just pushed all the positives of Spring at the boy to soothe him. Now he had another, more powerful tool at his disposal. He was loath to say it, but whether he said it or not, it was true.

Love. Aster loved Jack. And Love made for the best, most potent magic. It could bridge the gap since Aster couldn't get close to the boy.

Getting as close as he dared, Aster pushed his paws into the ice, melting what he could and sending a trail of flowers and warmth to crawl over the dome. Frostbite's ice was so cold with his power that Aster had to fight to keep his spell going. Love. He loved Jack, and he wouldn't let him suffer those horrors alone.

The warmth in his chest gave the spell the push it needed to cover the dome, cracking it. Jack stopped screaming. A few more moments of powering Love and Spring at the boy and Jack woke up, sobbing violently. The spiked dome shattered into nothing. Aster kept the spell around the boy and was relieved when Jack slowly calmed to regular tears.

Aster let the spell go and scrambled down into the nest. Jack was on him as soon as he was in range. His arms and legs around Aster's torso and his face buried in Aster's fur as he said, "Bunny, thank you, thank you. You saved me."

"From what, Snowflake? What the hell were you dreamin?"

Jack shuddered, and not in pleasure. "It wasn't a normal nightmare. It was as if all of my worst fears had been magnified and put together into some terrible movie that I had to live in."

The Snowflake paused. "All the things I fear the most…Bunny, I think this is Pitch.

In the dark
I can feel you in my sleep
In your arms I feel you breathe into me
Forever hold this heart that I will give to you
Forever I will live for you

Awake and Alive- Skillet

(-)

Intrigued? Plot coming right at ya!