This was actually finished a week ago but then my internet died. I've been so bored over this last week you would not believe. Fixed it this afternoon, at last!

Requested by GoddessofTechnology

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Snowblind

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Jack couldn't remember the last time he'd slept this long – if he ever had at all. He'd woken up in the same snow bank he'd fallen asleep in, a month and a half after he'd crashed there. But beyond the lingering tiredness of having overslept, he felt as good as he ever had, and more than ready to jump back out into the world and carry on like nothing had happened. Unfortunately, the Guardians did not agree. And while he normally wouldn't let them boss him around, he kind of did owe them (both for scaring them and for helping him), and it was hard to say no when they ganged up on him with their worried faces and well-thought-out arguments.

Two weeks later, he was still at the Pole; twice as long as he'd initially agreed to stay. He knew they were just being protective, but there was a limit to how much he could endure. And two weeks stuck inside, with what felt like a hundred eyes analysing his every movement like he might collapse without warning, was definitely pushing it.

So when Mother Nature showed up at the Workshop on day sixteen of his unofficial imprisonment, he could have wept in relief.

"Mom!" he whisper-yelled, forgoing any kind of proper greeting as he practically threw himself on her. "You've gotta get me out of here! I'm going insane!"

Mother Nature smiled down at him in fond exasperation. "You're looking much better, snowdrop," she said.

"You've gotta tell them I'm okay to get back to work," Jack begged. "Please."

She gave him a consoling pat on the head, just as North rounded the corner; no doubt he'd known the second she'd crossed the barrier.

"Ah, Seraphina, welcome!" he gestured widely with his arms.

"Nicholas," Mother Nature nodded.

Jack stared at them. Seraphina? Nicholas?! When had that happened?

"I see Jack is back on his feet," she commented lightly.

North glanced at him briefly. "Yes! We have been keeping close eye on him, just in case."

"And?"

"And I'm fine," Jack cut in. Please take me with you when you leave.

Mother Nature gave him another pat, but otherwise ignored him. She raised a brow, silently prompting North to answer.

"We think he is recovering well," North admitted. "He certainly has energy back!"

"Good. Winter has been neglected long enough. Are you ready to go, Jack?"

"Yes!" Jack had to physically stop himself from punching the air. "Uh, I mean… Yeah. Good to go. Whenever." Immediately. Please.

"Then let's not waste any more time." She turned back towards the entrance, and winked teasingly. "I will meet you outside when you're ready."

Jack mouthed a 'thank you' as she left, before returning his attention to North. He looked like he wanted to protest, but knew that it was pointless. Jack felt a little guilty. They weren't smothering him on purpose.

"Hey, uh, thanks. For everything," he said. "I know I don't always act like it, but I do appreciate it."

"This is what family is for, no?" North clapped him on the shoulder, before drawing him into a hug. "Seraphina is right; we have kept you from your duties long enough."

"I know you're just worried," Jack sighed, even as a pleased smile tugged at his lips at the mention of family. He never got tired of hearing it. "And, hey, what's with that? Since when do you call her Seraphina?"

North smiled at him as he stepped back from the embrace, as full of affection as the expression had ever been on his face. "We have had much time to become better acquainted with her over the last month. She visited often to check on you."

"Oh." That was a weird thought. North was probably the closest thing Jack had to a father figure, but he'd never really spared a moment to consider that he would ever interact with his closest mother figure more than in passing. It was… nice, he decided. It felt more like a traditional family. Or maybe like having divorced parents with shared custody. He didn't really have enough experience to judge it.

"I will let the others know," North assured him, gesturing that it was okay for Jack to leave.

"Thanks, North. I'll see you at the next meeting!" And then he was off on a draft as eager for the outdoors as he was. He only looked back once, just in time to catch North's parting wave.

As promised, Mother Nature was exactly where she said she would be, standing just inside the entrance. She said nothing as he finally caught up with her, instead pushing open the door leading out into the snow.

It was so bright, Jack immediately had to squint, one hand coming up to shield his eyes from the glare. That hadn't been a problem for years. Centuries, even. But, then, he supposed he hadn't spent so much time inside or with his eyes shut for just as long. It wouldn't take long to work back up to his normal tolerance level. In the meantime, maybe he should find a pair of sunglasses.

It was winter in the Northern Hemisphere now, so the flight was short. Mother Nature parted ways with him in England, after a brief rundown of what was expected this season, and a gentle order to take it easy if he found he wasn't quite as recovered as he thought. He agreed without any drama. He was fine.

One of the other winter spirits must have already passed through, he guessed, as he surveyed from the sky. There was already a decent dusting of snow over the area. Jack absently rubbed at his eyes as he mentally catalogued which areas needed the most attention. It felt like he'd gotten sand in them or something. And everything was still so bright.

"Sunglasses first," he decided.

Actually finding sunglasses turned out to be harder than he anticipated. In the warmer months it was pretty easy to find a pair lying around somewhere, but winter was a different story. The only ones he could find were all in stores, and he'd long since promised not to steal if he could help it.

Maybe he could borrow a pair from someone, he mused. Who was around that would have some, and who didn't hate him enough to say no just to spite him? There was only one person he could think of.

As always, May Queen's garden was immune to anything more than a light frosting. All her spring plants had been replaced by winter ones, but it somehow managed to be no less beautiful. Jack set down on her doorstep, still itching at his eyes even as he knocked. It was starting to hurt.

There was a rush of warmth as the door clicked open. May stood on the other side, wearing a jumper and pants instead of her usual dress. Her gaze flickered over him briefly, before resting on his likely very red eyes.

"What happened?" she asked, and somehow managed to sound equally concerned and exasperated.

"Actually, I was just going to ask if you had a pair of sunglasses I could borrow."

The disbelief was almost tangible. "Sunglasses?" she echoed.

Jack shifted uncomfortably. "I, um, spent a while without seeing any snow and now my eyes are a little sensitive."

May stared at him.

"I'll probably get used to it again by sundown. It's just… bright at the moment." He made to rub at his eyes again, but May caught him by the wrist before he could.

"Don't irritate them further," she frowned. "You'd better come inside."

Jack could feel the heat of a fire seeping out from where he was standing. He really didn't fancy getting any closer. As if reading his mind, May opened the door a little wider and pushed a doorstop under it to keep it that way.

"I'll go put out the fire," she said, already retreating inside.

"May–"

"It's fine."

It really wasn't, but she wasn't going to let him argue the point. At her insistence, he sat down at the kitchen table in the seat closest to the door. It was still bordering on unbearably warm, but the wind blowing in was helping. Well, it was helping him. May, when she returned from the other room with an old first aid kit, was now also wearing a scarf.

She set the kit down on the table, then gently tilted Jack's head back. "Let me see."

He fought the urge to pull away.

"Why didn't you see any snow?" she asked.

"I was asleep," Jack replied truthfully. "And then they wouldn't let me outside."

She released him, and started rummaging through the first aid kit. "For how long?"

"About a month and a bit for the sleep thing. Two weeks for the indoors thing."

"A month?" she asked, visibly surprised. She turned to him, expression questioning.

"It's… a long story."

She pulled a small bottle and a roll of bandages out and shut the kit. "Well, I'm no medical professional, but if I had to guess, I'd say it was the glare of the snow that's irritating your eyes. Snowblindness."

"Snowblindness?" Jack frowned. Of all people to be affected by it… How ironic.

May passed him the bottle. "A couple of drops in each eye, and then you'll have to keep your eyes covered until they heal."

"You're kidding."

"I wish I was." She leaned against the table. "It's basically sunburn for your eyes. But it probably won't take long to heal. You can stay here until then."

It was just one thing after another, wasn't it? Jack huffed a frustrated sigh and unscrewed the bottle.

"I don't have any sunglasses," May said as she moved over to the door. She grabbed a thick jacket from the stand beside it. "But I know where I can get some. I'll be back soon." And then she was gone.

The guilt increased. He really hadn't intended to cause her so much trouble. He'd just wanted some sunglasses. Against his own wishes, he started wrapping the bandage around his eyes. The sooner they healed, the sooner he could get out of May's hair. And stop turning her home into an igloo.

He had no idea how long he sat there, blind and bored out of his mind. It felt like hours. But, then, finally he heard the tell-tale sound of footsteps on the wooden floor, and, as he perked his head up from where he'd been resting it on the tabletop, the weight of a pair of glasses settled on his face.

"They suit you," a voice that was decidedly not May's said.

Jack stiffened. "May."

"Sorry," May apologised, entirely insincerely. "He insisted."

She was enjoying his suffering. He could tell. Sadist, he thought, glaring in the direction he'd heard her voice. There was no way she'd be able to see it, but he hoped she could still feel it.

"I got snowblinded once," Lleu announced unprompted. His words were accompanied by the sound of a chair scraping across the floorboards. "Worst day of my life. Mom made me wear a blindfold and I accidentally flew into some powerlines. Would not recommend."

A third chair shifted – May joining them at the table. "And of course you didn't think to stay put while you couldn't see."

"Stay put? All day?!" Lleu cried, aghast. "Torture."

"I don't know why you're surprised, May," Jack chimed in. "This is Lleu we're talking about."

"True," she agreed.

"Hey! I'll have you know all of my decisions are good ones."

"Well, now you're just blatantly lying."

There was a betrayed gasp. "May! I would never lie to you!"

"That's also a lie."

"May!"

Though Jack was definitely starting to think he was being tortured, himself. Just when he'd finally managed to get outside, now he was stuck again.

"Don't worry," Lleu said, as if he'd read Jack's mind. Something that felt suspiciously like an oven mitt patted his arm in solidarity. "We won't let you get bored."

Somehow that was less enticing than sitting at May's table by himself for the next several hours. Maybe he should have stayed at the Pole after all.

Guest Review Responses:

Candraz: I read your review in the morning just after I'd woken up and immediately went 'years?! how long have I been asleep!' I think you might have confused the publication date with the update date. This fic still updates semi-regularly! Thank you for commenting even when you thought it was dead, and thank you for your kind words!