And to Akeri la malicieusse I present your request for North-Jack bonding :3 I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: Don't own

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A Matter of Balance

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Jack stared at the shiny blue bicycle sitting contentedly against the wall. He'd seen kids and adults alike ride the things all over the place, but he'd never been able to give it a go. They hadn't had bikes when he was human. The key to riding, he knew, was balance and, figuring he had a pretty good grasp on that, decided it might be worth having a try.

He stretched out one hand towards the bike, but was stopped in his tracks by a much larger and furrier hand grabbing his wrist. Jack sighed and looked up at the yeti.

"Let me guess, 'this bike is for a kid so I'm not allowed to play with it', right?"

The yeti nodded, releasing him.

"Alright, fine, I get it." That didn't mean he wasn't disappointed, though. "I'll go play with the elves, then." And by 'play' he meant 'lead them on their destruction rampage'. He was pretty sure the yeti understood the true meaning, too, if the look on its face was anything to go by. Jack decided to slink off before it got any ideas about stopping him.

He hadn't even managed to find a single elf before someone tapped him on the shoulder and, spinning around, he realised it was the same yeti from before. Jack huffed.

"Okay, okay, I won't go play with the elves," he rolled his eyes.

The yeti warbled something and held out an old, faded red unicycle. Jack stared at it for a long minute, not really comprehending what was going on. The yeti sighed in exasperation before shoving the unicycle into Jack's chest, forcing him to grab onto it.

"It's… for me?"

A nod.

Well, it wasn't a bike, but he hadn't ridden a unicycle before, either. And if he was honest this one looked more fun.

"Thanks," he smiled up at the larger being.

The yeti said something in return and headed back towards the main part of the Workshop. Once he was gone, Jack turned his focus to the unicycle.

It came as little surprise to him that he had almost no trouble riding it; if he could perch on the tip of his staff without any support he could sit on a seat of a one-wheeled bike. Within minutes he was zooming down the halls with his staff in hand, making him feel a bit like a tight-rope walker… err wheeler?

"Hey, North!" he called out in greeting as he narrowly avoided running into the man as he passed North's office.

"Jack?!" North bellowed back, eyebrow raised.

Jack slowed to a stop, turned around and headed back.

"I did not know you could ride unicycle," North noted, sounding a little surprised.

"It's all just a matter of balance," Jack replied, easily staying upright even though he'd stopped moving.

"Ah, is understandable, then."

"Considering this is probably yours, shouldn't it be me surprised that you can ride one?"

"Unfortunately I do not share your sense of balance, my friend."

"Wait… you can't ride?"

"Nyet."

"Not even a bicycle?"

"Not even bicycle."

Jack hopped off the unicycle and, with a flourish, offered it to the older spirit. "Then I'll help you learn!"

"I don't know," North said uncomfortably, scratching the back of his head. "Has been long time since I last tried and I am not as young as I used to be."

"Oh, come on, North! What's the point in having it if you're never going to learn?"

"I give to you," North waved at him flippantly.

"Oh no, you're not getting out of this," he smirked, grabbing North's arm and dragging him forwards (well, tried to drag). "Here, you can use the wall to keep you upright and I'll make sure you don't fall, okay?"

North sighed in resignation. "Fine."

It was hard enough getting the man onto the seat and as soon as he did manage it, the wheel rolled forwards and he slipped off again. It took five attempts at getting on, one of which resulted in Jack having to make a wall of ice to stop the man from falling flat on his back, before North threw his arms up in defeat.

"I cannot do this," he groaned.

"Well, why don't we try a bicycle instead? I hear they're supposed to be easier."

"Do we have to?"

"Yup!" Jack replied cheerfully. "You have one we can use?"

North shook his head wearily. "There is one in storeroom."

"I'll be right back!" Jack declared, shooting off down the hallway with the aid of a small gust of wind.

He returned in mere moments, speeding along on a bike that he had apparently already mastered.

"Here, put this on," he said, throwing the Cossack a helmet. "Safety first, and all that."

North looked like he really didn't want to be doing this, but complied, fastening the straps under his chin.

"Fine, fine, let's just get this over with," he sighed, taking the handlebars and mounting the bike. One foot on the floor prevented him from falling sideways.

"Okay, now you just have to pedal and steer with the handlebars," Jack explained.

North took his foot off the ground, placed it on the pedal, and promptly fell sideways onto the floor.

"Umm…" Jack frowned, helping the larger man back upright. "I don't think you're balanced."

North gave him a look that said 'no, really?'.

"Maybe if you try kicking off first? Here, I'll even hold the seat so it doesn't fall."

That seemed to do it. With Jack making sure North stayed balanced, they managed to get him to move slowly through the hall towards the Globe Room.

"Ha! I'm doing it!" North cried in triumph.

"You sure are," Jack grinned, subtly letting go.

North made it halfway around the room before he noticed, spotting Jack watching him proudly. An expression of shock overtook the joy from a moment ago and he lost balance, crashing into a table.

"You let go!" North accused when Jack hurried over to help him.

"And you were managing just fine on your own," Jack pointed out.

"I was," North agreed, apparently forgetting about the 'betrayal'. "Did you see? I was riding bike! Let's try again!"

By the end of an hour North was able to make his slow and slightly shaky way around on his own, Jack following alongside on the unicycle with his staff ready, prepared to stop North from falling if he made any sign of doing so.

"And to think I have had bike for years and never learned!" North exclaimed, carefully navigating around a corner.

"Well now you know."

"Thank you for helping me, Jack," North smiled at him, but quickly returned his attention to the path ahead when the bike wobbled.

"You're welcome," Jack grinned. "Hey, race you to the Workshop!" and without further warning he shot off.

"Ah, hey! No fair! You are better than me!"

"Yeah, but I've only got one wheel!"

Guest Review Responses:

WEast: Haha thank you! I remember reading somewhere that Sandy's friends with mermaids, so that's where I took them from. Figured it might be a good way to solve the problem. I remember asking my dad what the best way to cut through iron bars was and it's kinda funny that he doesn't even ask why I want to know anymore :') Yeah.. that makes us sound like horrible people, though ^^;

Random Reader: Your wish is my command! *adds to list/keeps in mind*

Guest: Thank you so much!