Love in the shadows

by Ravens Black Rose

-Vol.2 of Hearts in dark places, Prequel to 'MY Jack would NOT hate Easter'- Pitch Black, Jack Frost; enemies. Enemies that just kept bumping into each other. And despite both of them trying not to feel it, they couldn't hide from the love that grew between them. They were happy together. Until the darkness in Pitch took over, to find it's way... into Jack. (Full summary inside)

Disclaimers:
-I do not own Rise of the guardians or any of it's characters, just this story and it's concept.
-I also do not own the original cover photo, however I have edited it to look more like the characters of this fic. (I might draw one later on though.)

Warning! this story is for a mature audience and contains: violence, blood/gore, abusive behaviours, swearing, gay sexual behaviours: consensual and non consensual, and self harm.

Summary:

-Vol.2 of Hearts in dark places, Prequel to 'MY Jack would NOT hate Easter'-

(The story of how they fell in love; the story of how things went wrong.)

Pitch Black and Jack Frost were enemies.
Enemies that just kept bumping into each other.
And as time went by, as they met over and over, what didn't have the chance to happen before then started to happen.
And despite both of them trying not to feel it, despite Jack's fears, they couldn't hide from the love that grew between them.
And so Pitch advanced on Jack; and Jack accepted the advances. They got to know each other better than they knew anyone else.
They were happy together.

Until the other Guardians found out.
Until Pitch lost himself in his darkness.
Until the darkness in Pitch began to find it's way... into Jack.

---

(Hearts in dark places vol.2)
The prequel:

Love in the shadows

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---

In the top of a tree, as darkness fell, sat a boy who had no idea of what fate awaited him, as he leant against a not so sturdy branch.

Jack Frost, Guardian of fun, bringer of snow and all-round trouble maker, fell victim to the weakness of a dead branch and gravity that day.
As the branch broke beneath him, he began his descent through more brittle branches and leaves, only just stopping himself from hitting the ground, as he gained back control once there was no more of the tree in his way. He'd stopped only a moment before he slammed into the earth, hovering only a meter from the ground. And as he hovered there, shaken from the sudden fall, he heard a burst of familiar laughter.
Pitch Black, sole witness to what most would call a lucky escape from certain injury, stood beside the floating Guardian, laughing.

"Well well, Jack Frost, I must say that was the funniest thing I've seen all week! The terrified expression on your face alone; priceless!"

"The hell are you doing here?" he replied defensively.
"We haven't seen your sorry face in a while…"

"Oh so you did miss me. I'm touched!" Jack frowned as he set his feet firmly down, keeping a wary gaze on his enemy.

"Whatever you're up to this time, we'll just stop you again, you know."

"Your threat means nothing to me. Whatever happens, I'll always come back. Again and again and again."

"Like a bad rash?" Pitch sputtered, looking disgusted. Unimpressed with the insulting comparison, he scowled down at Jack who was now stood up straight in front of him.

"You little..!-"

"Comedic genius? Outstanding Guardian? Handsome young man? Why thank you!" Pitch swatted at him with a clawed hand that could easily scrape the face off of a person, and Jack quickly dodged, laughing.
"Easy there, Pitchy, if you're not careful with the anger management I might just have to freeze you still~" Pitch clicked his tongue and turned to walk away, trying to contain his anger. He wasn't quit strong enough to be fighting the Guardians again just yet, and he was painfully aware of that.

"You can try..." he muttered, folding his hands behind his back.

That, unbeknownst to them at the time, was the meagre beginnings of a relationship.
Both Jack Frost and Pitch Black were drawn to each other in what both felt to be a rivalry of some kind; but from that first encounter since their fight a couple of years ago, and with each passing encounter, the way they saw each other changed a little every time.

---

The next time they met, Jack noticed Pitch at his lake, just standing there, looking in to the water. In that moment, Jack thought the man looked oddly serene and yet incredibly lonesome. There was something rather beautiful in it somehow.
Walking over he stood to his side.

"Out and about again, huh?"

"What's it to you."

"I'm a Guardian and need to do Guardian stuff, which includes guarding kids from bastards like you who wanna turn their world into one big nightmare. So, if you're up to something right now, I need to know, to stop it, right?" Pitch sighed before turning to look at Jack.

"You talk a lot, Frost." And with that he began to walk away. And with that, Jack followed him.

"Soooo..."

"I'm up to nothing."

"That so?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"Really?" Pitch stopped and spun around, speedily grabbing him tightly by the collar, forcing Jack to stand on his tiptoes.

"Yes, you insufferable little sprite!" Jack looked him up and down and then opened his mouth to speak again.
"Don't say 'really' again!"

"I wasn't going to."

"Then what were you going to say?!"

"Honestly?"

"Damn it! Leave me alone, Frost! You annoying child!" Already at his limit, Pitch pushed the boy away, speed-walked to a shadow and disappeared.

"Aww, leaving so soon?" Jack sighed dramatically, shrugging, before turning to go in his original direction.

---

How they kept running into each other, Jack wasn't sure. But lo and behold, here he was again some time later, wondering around only to find Pitch Black the Nightmare King looking suspiciously innocent.
The man was stood by the edge of the woods, looking down at something cupped gently in his hands. As Jack approached him, that gaze suddenly changed direction. Pitch didn't move a muscle other than his eyes, now fixated on Jack. But Jack wasn't one to run from a glare, he wasn't going to be scared away from finding out what was going on. So, of course, he walked up to him, despite the dangerous silver glare with it's golden hint trained on his body.

"Hey, watcha' got there mister tall?"

"Get lost, twink."

"That's a new one, got any others?" Pitch grumbled, looking back down at his hands. From between his fingers, Jack saw what looked like fur, and then, he heard a mewling sound. He was about to shout at Pitch to let go of whatever creature he was tormenting, but then... Pitch hushed it, bringing it closer to his chest. His thumb hesitantly stroking it's fur. Floating up to look over the other's shoulder, Jack could eventually see what it was; a small black kitten, trembling with cold, curled up in a ball in Pitch's surprisingly gentle grasp.
"A kitten? Why are you holding him? Is he hurt?"

"She was freezing to death. There was the smallest hint of fear, so I followed it, and found her here all alone under some brambles. I thought, perhaps, I might be able to warm her up."

"Oh..." Jack felt a pang of guilt at that. As well as a touch of jealousy for his lack of ability to keep her warm like Pitch could.
"Where's her mother?"

"I have no idea. I thought that maybe if I gave her a little time the mother may return, but nothing."

"Why... I mean, it's great that you're doing that and everything, but, why are you trying to help a defenceless little kitten? And here I thought you had no heart."

"If you tell anyone about this, Frost..-" Pitch glared daggers at him, but Jack only laughed.

"Yeah yeah. I won't tell anyone of how the big bad Pitch Black was coddling a cute tiny kitten he saved from the cold." Pitch gave him a once over, before looking back to the small animal.

"I'm not sure she is going to survive... She is so young, her eyes are barely open. It doesn't matter if I keep her warm or take her fear, she won't last long without her mother's milk... Perhaps it would be best if I just..."

"You're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting, are you?"

"If I don't put her out of her misery she will only suffer."

"There's gotta' be a way to find the mother cat if she's still alive." Pitch hummed, looking to the trees.
"If you found her because of her fear, can't you find the mother if you look for the fear she might be feeling because she's lost her baby?"

"That-" Pitch looked to Jack.
"... That's not a bad idea."

"Right then! Let's go!" Back on his feet, Jack started for the trees.

"Wait, you're coming with me?"

"Yep! Deal with it."

"Great..."
They walked for a while, in moderate silence to Pitch's delight. If Jack had kept on with his blabbering, he just might of whacked him over the head to knock him out, before tying him to a tree and leaving him there for a Wendigo or some other beast to find.
Suddenly Pitch stopped. Jack noticed and looked over at him. He said nothing, thinking it may interfere with Pitch's concentration.
"The air... smells like death here."

"Well that's not what I was hoping to hear..." Jack said nervously as Pitch walked on past him.

"It, gets worse..."

"Awesome, now what?"

"Look." Pitch motioned with his head to a bush. Jack caught up and looked behind it.

"Oh no..." Twisted and bloodied, was the corps of an adult cat, the same colour as the kitten Pitch then instinctively held closer.
"Shit."

"It's the mother, I'm sure..."

"What did this?"

"A wild dog perhaps. There are canine tracks here as well as on the way we came. It looks possible that she ran away from her child to keep the dog away, having it chase her in the opposite direction."

"It's so sad... There has to be something else we can do. We can't just give up when she probably died to keep her kitten safe. They would both be dead for nothing."

"Maybe there is... After all, I never said she couldn't survive on the milk of a mother other than her own." Jack gave him a small smile.
"What?"

"Nothing." Jack began to walk away.
"Come on, I think I know where to go." Wordless, Pitch followed Jack. They walked on through the woods until the trees thinned and they ended up in a village. Eventually Jack stopped, looking into a garden.
"We're here."

"Where is here?"

"This place, they have a momma cat. The women seem really nice, they look like they love animals. If there just happened to be another kitten that just showed up with their cat, I bet they'd let her take care of it."

"How do you know about them?"

"... Sometimes, I get bored, or lonely... Less now that I'm a Guardian. But I got this habit from before, of just spending an entire day watching a random house, seeing who lives there, what they get up to, stuff like that..."

"I see..."

"I know it's weird, but-"

"No. I understand, Jack." At that, Jack looked at Pitch for a moment, not sure what to say.

"Any-anyway... Look, there she is!" he pointed with his staff at the window. There was a fluffy grey cat walking around the kitchen, the door to which had a cat-flap in it.
"I say we place this little guy right outside that cat door. She'll probably start crying, right?"

"Most likely. And then the mother cat should respond."

"Great! Let's do that then!"

"But... what if she rejects the kitten? What if she hurts her?"

"Well this just keeps getting harder to believe, Pitch, you really are just a big softy."

"Do you want to be impaled by a shadow spear?"

"Fair point. Jack needs to shut up now."

"Yes, yes he does." Walking through the gate, Pitch approached the door. He crouched down, and reluctantly placed the small ball of fluff down on to the cold ground. She instantly made a fuss. Squirming around for her comfortable heat source. Her slightly open eyes trying to look up at her saviour. Quickly Pitch stood and walked away, ignoring the calls she made to him. He stood once again next to Jack, but faced away from the scene.

"Pitch, I think it's working, look." He turned around, the mother had already shot through her door, hearing the sound of the crying. She approached the little one cautiously, obviously knowing now that the sound had not been from one of her own. However, after a couple of sniffs, her ears twitching as she listened and responded to the mewling, she gently picked up the kitten by the scruff, bringing her inside.
"Ha! Yes!" Hopping over the fence, Jack ran to the window, looking in. After a moment, Pitch joined him. She'd placed the kitten in her bed with four others that seemed slightly older, and began to clean her up as they all snuggled up together.
"We did it, Pitch!" Jack looked up at Pitch, and wasn't expecting the small smile on his face. His expression was also odd though, happy and yet sad. And the moment he saw Jack looking at him, it disappeared into a frown as he turned on his heals and walked away.
"Hey, leaving already?"

"I've wasted enough time here as it is. I'm also not sure how I've managed to spend so much time in your presence without trying to kill you. So yes, I'm leaving."

"But-"

"Oh will you just leave me alone? You're lucky I haven't disembowelled you yet, you cretin..."

"What? After what we just did you need to be acting all evil again to cover it up or something?"

"Shut up pix!"

"Not a Pixie!" Pitch had disappeared before he could even finish his sentence. Jack made a sound of annoyance as he ran a hand through his hair.
"You'll be back." Jack turned back around to continue watching the cats.
"He'll definitely be back. There's no way he's gonna pretend you don't exist..."

---

They met again a many more times by accident, each time similar to the last as if they were picking up from where they last left off. Each conversation lasting slightly longer, becoming more natural, complex, entwined and personal.
Every time but one, Pitch would be the one to leave first. Only once did Jack be the one to end their conversation and disappear...

"Oh please, you can't possibly believe that!" Pitch crossed his arms, looking down at the Guardian of fun.

"Why not?"

"You do realise that MIM doesn't know the future, right? There's no way he chose you knowing you would be needed to beat me, and that you would definitely succeed."

"Well, he brought me back as a spirit because he thought I was worthy of it, because I sacrificed myself to save my sister! And he knew a fifth Guardian might be needed in the future. He doesn't need to know everything that's going to happen for that!"

"So you at least agree that the only reason he brought you back in the first place, the only reason you became a Guardian, was so that he could use you, then?" Jack griped his staff tightly, frost running along it from his hand.

"That's not true!"

"Jack, you're just another pawn to him! Just like the others, even me..! That's all anyone on this damned planet is to him, nothing more than chess pieces!"

"Stop it!"

"We're just a game, Jack! Maybe once… Maybe once his intentions were nothing but pure; but things change, and... what if, what if it was actually him who killed y-"

"I said stop!" Jack shouted, swinging his staff sideways, spikes of ice appearing out of the ground in front of him in a line, forcing Pitch to quickly take a jump back.
"I-I, I'd found myself; my reason for being… I'm not alone anymore and kids can see me!" Looking up at Pitch, tears began to fall from his eyes. He'd made him cry, and somehow it just didn't sit right with Pitch. For some reason this wasn't pleasant in any way, but he couldn't just turn his back and pretend that he didn't know the truth about what Jack had been made to believe. To let him keep on believing those twisted manipulative lies frustrated him; he wanted him to know the truth.

"...Jack, those are good things, I never said otherwise; I'm just saying the reason that they happened wasn't as simple or as pure-hearted as you've been made to believe..." Jack spun around to face away from him, a palm wiping at tears half-heartedly, as he tried to hold back the sobs that told of how he knew deep down that Pitch Black wasn't lying."

"I.. don't know, just, leave me alone..!" Jack began to walk away, and Pitch let him. He stood still, watching, as Jack got further away before letting the wind carry him up to the sky. Soon he was out of sight, and though Pitch didn't know why, he stayed there just a little bit longer, watching the empty sky above.

---

When one day Pitch was walking by the lake, this time purposefully, Jack was stood at the water's edge, looking down. Walking over he stood to Jack's side, following the direction of his gaze.

"You're looking at the moon's reflection?" Jack didn't answer, only turned his head away.
"Contrary to what you may believe, I wasn't trying to upset you the last time we talked. It wasn't my intention." Still getting no reply, Pitch sighed.
"Jack… to be honest I've been enjoying our recent encounters; looking forward to them even. I would prefer if they didn't end here."

"...I wouldn't want that either..." A little stunned by the response, Pitch didn't speak again straight away. But when he managed, it sounded as if he was trying to not sound quite as happy as he seemed.

"I'm, glad." Jack eventually looked around to him; his face was solemn, but he looked tired and lost. Without thinking, Pitch lifted his hand to the boy's cheek, thumb wiping across the smooth pale skin bellow his eye. When Jack didn't swat him away or show any sign of discomfort at the contact, only looking him back in the eyes, he suddenly lent down and kissed him. Jack gasped, but made no move to pull away. When Pitch broke the kiss he barely moved back, staying close as he looked back into Jack's blue eyes; both of their breathing now a little faster. Jack's eyebrows knitted and he was about to say something, but stopped himself, before wrapping his arms around Pitch's neck and pressing their lips back together. Pitch's arms wound around him tightly as they kissed again. Their tongues pressed together as each one fought for dominance over the other. Their hands starting to grab at clothing and press into skin both hot and cold. Jack moaned, the sound needy but almost despairing, and turned his head before gently pushing against Pitch's chest, head dipping in shame.

"F-fuck, what are we doing..."

"What we want to..." Jack looked back up at Pitch; he was right, he wanted to… he wasn't sure what he wanted to do but he knew he wanted it. So when Pitch lent down once more, Jack didn't hold himself from kissing the other man back just as feverishly as he was being kissed.

"I want you Jack, I want you..!" Pitch breathed against his lips between kisses. Jack whined, letting himself be pushed backwards in to the trees. Jack gasped as his lip was bitten into, eyes opening to notice his surroundings were gradually getting darker.

"A-are you, are you taking me somewhere?" Pitch paused, his eyes unsure and hungry.

"… Can I?" Jack glanced away, panting.

"...Yeah." Slowly his gaze returned to Pitch who still stared at him in the same way.
"Yeah. If you want me, take me."

Everything went black, Jack's stomach flipped, and then a dim flickering light appeared. They were in a room now, a bedroom.
Pitch laughed under his breath when Jack groaned at the odd dizzying sensation of using shadows to teleport.

"You get use to that." he said before kissing down Jack's neck. They then moved over to the bed, where they began to strip each other of their clothing.
Once fully naked and on top of the bed covers, they lay on their sides facing one-another. Each with a hand between the other's legs.

"F-fuck, Pitch, Pitch..!" Kissing again, their moans dulled down by tongues, Pitch moved his hand faster and Jack came. He gasped, head rolling back, mouth wide open. After a few seconds he looked down between them at the other man's cum covered hand and the still hard dick in his own. Letting go, he grabbed Pitch's hand, smoothing the white liquid on his own palm and fingers, before looking in to his eyes. Pitch was looking down at what he just did, visually turned on at what he realised Jack was doing. Jack's hand, covered in his own cum, went back to jerking him off. Pitch let out a throaty moan in approval at the added slick, the fact that the said slick was Jack's own cum suddenly pushing him over the edge. Hearing the older spirit call his name, Jack bit his lip as he watched their mixed cum drip on to the bed from his fingers.
They held each other for a while after that. Kissing, pressing fingers in to skin, running their hands over every reachable inch. Until they both fell asleep, all sense of worry gone along with the tension that had bubbled over the edge at long last.

Jack awoke to a rainbow of light flowing across the ceiling through a small crack, Pitch still asleep atop his pale bare chest. He sighed, knowing he needed to leave, no matter how much he felt like he wanted to stay like this forever. Gently he moved the other man off of his smaller body, trying his best not to wake him, and then got dressed.
Before he left he turned to look at Pitch, wondering if he should leave a note or wake him instead. The loving smile on his face slowly turned into a frown. This was Pitch Black; no matter how peaceful he looked, or how perfect their time together had felt, no matter how gentle and loving he'd been, Jack was a Guardian, and Pitch was their enemy. And Jack was thinking of leaving a lover's goodbye note, because he looked too peaceful to wake. But, Jack just couldn't see how this could work, himself and the Nightmare King... Before he could give himself time to cry at those thoughts he quickly headed for the door, the guilt of not saying goodbye already clogging his throat.

"Jack?" Hand on the doorknob, Jack stiffened, not moving another inch as he heard the covers underneath Pitch's, surprisingly beautiful, naked body shift as he sat up.
"... You're going to see the other Guardians."

"Y-yeah, how'd you know?"

"I can see the northern lights finding you just as easily as you can."

"Oh…"

"They're still dancing on the ceiling. Rather beautiful, actually; even if I do despise them." Jack looked up; Pitch was right, they were still there, calling him.
"Look at me, Jack." Jack didn't do as he was asked, choosing to look at the door instead.

"I can't..."

"..." Jack's gaze went to the floor as he heard Pitch walking over to him. Grey hands soon held his waist, and a warm forehead leant against his neck.
"You're… afraid. And not of me."

"...I need to leave."

"I know." Removing his hands, Pitch took a step back.
"Before you go, tell me honestly Jack. Do you regret what happened between us..?" Pitch's voice sounded slightly out of character, almost sad. And that, more than the words, is what made Jack eventually turn to face him. Jack wanted to lie to him, to end it here, this thing that should never have begun; but he couldn't. Not with that sincere voice, not with the worried look Pitch was staring him down with.

"… No." Pitch's worry turned to surprise, and then he smiled. Small but warm. And Jack wanted to hug him, wanted to say sorry for how he was acting; but didn't feel like he could move.

"Then, I hope we meet again soon, my dear."

"Y-yeah."

"May I kiss you goodbye?" Jack blushed, nodding. His cheeks heated up when Pitch's hands touched his face, his lips hot as Pitch kissed him. His eyes closed, and he nearly lost himself in the feeling. Pitch pulled back, saying goodbye. Jack whispered it back, and before he knew it everything was black. He would have begun to panic, if it wasn't for the fact that the darkness disappeared after only a couple of seconds, and he reappeared not far from North's Workshop, realising Pitch had sent him where he needed to go. He took a deep breath, ignoring the odd turning of his stomach that he wasn't sure he would actually get use to, before heading to the door, ready to pretend nothing had happened.

Pitch stared at the door in front of himself through the space Jack had just left, now open just a crack. Grabbing the handle he pulled it open halfway, and wondered what reaction Jack would have had if he'd realised there was no exit, when he saw the wall of dirt behind the door. Closing it, he sighed. He wondered if Jack would panic, be afraid of him instead of something he couldn't pinpoint. Or would Jack of trusted him, when he saw that he was trapped there, with Pitch Black and at his mercy, the man his only way out of this berried house. This place Pitch would come to when he didn't feel like going to his lair where he felt there was nearly always something watching him; mocking him as of late...

---

It was a week or so later, when a warm hand smoothed up Jack's back underneath his hoodie. He gasped, not bothering to see who was there. There was only one person it could be.

"Pitch… What are you doing..?"

"I missed you. I wanted to touch you." Pitch whispered in to Jack's ear, his other hand coming around to rest on Jack's chest. Jack bit his lip, before turning around in Pitch's arms and leaning up to kiss him. The past few days this man had been on his mind, no matter how much he told himself he shouldn't be. So even though he knew he should, he didn't protest when Pitch started to push him in to the shadow of a building. Didn't pull back when their kiss became hot and heavy.
Couldn't ask him to stop. Because he wanted him too much.

---

One day, many warm encounters later, Jack did stop himself from being teleported away; but not to end it.

"W-wait, Pitch. Wait a minute..." he said breathlessly, a hand on the other's chest.

"What's wrong?" Pitch stopped, looking Jack in the eyes as he had him pressed up against a tree.

"Why... do you always take me to that bedroom?"

"… You don't like it?"

"I just… It's not part of your lair, right?"

"No… How do you know that?"

"I saw what's behind the door, Pitch." Pitch opened his mouth, but wasn't sure what to say, worried that Jack may lose trust in him or be angry.
"It's somewhere else, isn't it?"

"Does it worry you in some way? I promise I didn't block the doorway, it's always been like that; well, since I took it as my own at least..."

"Pitch, it just worries me that you haven't told me why there, instead of your home..."

"You aren't angry that I took you somewhere where your only way out is through me?"

"If you wanted to trap me somewhere and not let me out, wouldn't you of done that already?"

"Yes, I suppose…"

"So tell me, why that house? Why not yours?"

"I didn't think you would want to go to the lair. I thought maybe, if I took you there you may not like it..." He told a half truth, leaving out the part where lately he felt far to watched and judged by the darkness his home possessed.

"Why?"

"Well, with our past, and the nightmares...-"

"I want to go there."

"… You're sure?"

"Of course. Well, that's if there's actually somewhere comfortable for what, well, we're leaving to do." Pitch nodded, though a little uncertain, then laughed under his breath and took Jack's hands. Looking down at them he shook his head and sighed. Deciding he wouldn't let the darkness judge him.

"You are, so different Jack, to anyone else. In a good way of course. Do you know that?" He looked back up at Jack who was blushing, and smiled.
"I'll take you there." Jack smiled back shyly as everything went dark around them.
When the darkness let way, they stood in the centre of a new candle lit room. Morphed grey stone walls, uneven floor, an old fireplace with furniture placed around it; and a large bed.

"Wow." Pitch looked down at him nervously.

"I know it looks a little-"

"That bed's huge!" Letting go of Pitch's hands he ran over to it, jumping on to the mattress.
"I've never seen a bed this big and fancy! It must be so comfy!" Pitch, a little shocked, watched as Jack let himself fall backwards, arms outstretched to the sides.
"It is!" Pitch began to laugh as he walked over.

"Yes, I suppose it is rather comfortable." Sitting on the edge of the bed he looked over Jack, who slowly sat up, before crawling over to him. They kissed, holding on to each other, and as it became more feverish, Jack's hands ran under the neck of Pitch's robe. He pulled it down his shoulders, and they let it fall to the floor as Pitch pushed him down in to the bed. He felt the warmth of grey hands through his hoodie as they rubbed his chest, before descending to the hem, where they found their way underneath the blue fabric, making him groan. Soon his hoodie was being pulled over his head, only breaking their kiss for a second. The moment their lips touched again, Jack's hands fell to Pitch's pants, undoing the buttons with learnt ease. He used his feet to push them down his legs when his hands couldn't reach any further, as Pitch started undoing his for him as well. But when he popped the button of Jack's tight pants open, Pitch pulled away from the kiss, looking down into his eyes.
"Jack, I, I want to go all the way with you."

"Huh?"

"I want us to do more this time. Not just hands or mouths." Jack blushed and looked away.

"O-oh, right..."

"I want you, Jack." Pitch leaned down to kiss him again, but suddenly overwhelmed, Jack placed his hands on his chest, pushing him back as he sat up, the reality he'd let happen crashing in to his mind.

"No, stop..."

"Jack?"

"Damn it..!" Standing from the bed Jack turned his back, leaning his face into his hand.
"What the fuck are we doing… We can't keep doing this." Pitch stared at his back for a couple of seconds, before the words properly clicked and he quickly stood behind him.

"Jack… what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that this is getting to much..."

"Look, if you don't want to have sex like that then it's fine, we don't have t-"

"It's not- it's not that."

"Then tell me what's wrong." Placing his hands on Jack's hips, Pitch lent his forehead into the shorter man's snowy hair. His thumbs rubbed circles into the exposed skin above his partner's pants, and Jack sighed.
"Are you bored of me already?" he said jokingly into Jack's hair.

"No! I-" Stopping himself, Jack walked forward out of the other's grip before turning to face him.
"I just don't think it's a good idea to take this further than we already have..! I think, we should stop this. Here and now. I don't want to do this anymore; I'm sorry." He watched as Pitch's face went through multiples emotions, the real kinds that he didn't normally show to anyone but Jack. He watched as confusion turned into shock, and then anger which turned into what looked like pain. Jack was in pain as well, though. Because he didn't want to end it. He didn't want to hurt Pitch, either.

"I don't believe you." Pitch walked forward and Jack just backed away.
"If that was true then why ask me to bring you here like this?"

"I wasn't thinking straight..!"

"Wanting to sleep with another man is 'not thinking straight'?"

"That's not what I meant!"

"Then what do you m-" Standing still, Pitch's pain turned back into anger as he realised the reason why.
"You're thinking about the other Guardians, aren't you… You're worried about how this would look if it got out. I didn't take you for someone who gave a damn about his appearance, Jack."

"It's more complicated than that..."

"Is it?"

"Pitch, please..."

"Please what, Jack?"

"I don't want to end things like this..!"

"I don't want to end anything! Especially not for that reason!" Pitch continued forward, grabbing Jack's wrists.

"Pitch, stop!" Jack shouted, closing his eyes.

"No! Look at me!"

"Stop it!"

"Look at me, Jack!" There was a tremble in Pitch's voice now, and as his grip that was now on Jack's hands tightened he fell to his knees.
"Please..." Opening his eyes, a small gasp escaped Jack. Pitch was knelt before him, close to tears.
"Please, stay with me." Jack had to take a deep breath as he tried not to cry.
"I want you with me..."

"Pitch… I-"

"If you want this, then tell me. Don't pretend. I can tell when you lie, you know? I will not accept a lie; I'll never leave you alone if you don't give me the truth..!"

"Oh, Pitch… Why do you care this much? If you were how everyone expected you to be right now this would all be so much easier..."

"Well right now I'm not how others expect me to be in this situation Jack, because of you. Because it's you and I haven't felt this in centuries, if not longer still. When I'm with you, my dark world light's up in the only way that doesn't make me want to fill it back up with shadows and nightmares." Jack let out a sad laugh under his breath.

"You're such a dork..."

"And you're amazing. And we both fit together so well; we always have. We just never had a chance to act on it in the beginning. But our beginning, the past, shouldn't determine our present, my dear. So, please, don't lie to me. If you don't want me, then tell me straight. And if you want me too, then take me no matter what anyone else has to say about it. Because they have nothing to do with this. They don't even have to know." Pulling a pale hand towards his lips, Pitch kissed the boy's knuckles, working his way to his smooth wrist where he rested them, breathing in his sent in a deep breath. Jack's other hand cupped his cheek, pulling him towards his bare stomach. Pitch wrapped his arms around Jack's upper legs as Jack hugged him to his belly.

"Okay… Okay."
They stayed like that for a couple of minutes; then Pitch began to kiss the exposed cool skin against his face. He nuzzled the thin line of hair bellow Jack's bellybutton, hands now back on the boy's hips. Jack said nothing, just watching, nearly entranced by the gentleness, a soft blush on his cheeks. When Pitch looked back up at him their eyes locked, a feeling of mutual longing obvious to the both of them. Jack felt Pitch tugging his hips down, not enough to move him by force, just enough so as to ask permission to do so. He let those gentle hands guide him down until he was sat on the other man's naked lap, face to face with him.

"This is a bad idea…"

"Why?"

"We're not… not supposed to be like this with each other. We're supposed to hate each other…"

"Says who?"

"The other Guardians; MIM. Heck, probably Nature itself. Balance of things and all that..." Sighing, Pitch shook his head, a small smile tugging the corners of his lips.

"Incessant as always… Why should we care?" he asked, sounding exhausted by it.

"Pitch, if anyone found out, if they-"

"What do you think they would do, Jack? No; what could they possibly do? Give us a good telling off; ground us maybe?"

"It's not the same for me as it is for you, you know. You're the enemy, they see you as that and that wouldn't change. But, for me, if they knew I... with you... The consequences are different for me… We're not supposed to be this way, damn it…"

"We're not supposed to be this way…" Pitch repeated, as if trying to comprehend Jack's train of thought.
"My dear, why do you think the way we are apparently supposed to be is so important? You are not even supposed to be alive, and yet, here you are, willingly in my arms, hair as white as snow and eyes bluer than the day you were born."

"What are you getting at..?" Jack was rather sure he got the point of what Pitch was trying to say, but he needed to hear more, needed to be made certain that he wasn't a fool for loving this man; for choosing to stay when he knew he would be expected to run. He wanted to hear everything Pitch had to say, even knowing a lot of the truths he had may hurt.

"You were supposed to live as a human and die as one. But MIM broke the ice and tested you, had you die to save your sister so that one day he could use you to his advantage, in what I suppose he most likely sees as nothing more than a black and white game at this point. You aren't supposed to be alive, you weren't supposed to have these infuriatingly strong powers, you weren't supposed to…" Pitch's voice had quietened and he looked away from Jack's gaze as he continued.
"Weren't supposed, to make me feel the way I do right now." Jack smiled lovingly, holding back from kissing the lips that just said those words.

"...But here we are?"

"Precisely." Pitch looked back to him, smiling.
"So tell me, why should we let others continue to decide our fate, when we can hold it in our own hands?" Pitch held Jack's face in his palms, looking him in the eyes.
"I've only ever wanted the freedom to be myself and to belong; to be happy. You give me those things, Jack. You. Not Nightmares or darkness or fear. I didn't think that was something I could feel or ever say, and look at me; infatuated with the enemy and not giving a damn about whom you are, because I love you." Jack's eyes widened and he found himself close to tears all of a sudden. Pitch had never said that to him before.
Jack had fallen in love with his enemy, but even with their intimate encounters growing in number and frequency, he'd never plucked up the courage to confess this, too afraid that Pitch was playing him, or that he just didn't feel the same way. And he'd never expected Pitch to be the first to say something so binding as those three simple words, words that Jack couldn't even whisper as the other man slept beside him.
"…Jack?" The younger of the two had been staring for a minute now, not saying anything, eyes wide and watery. It only took him hearing Pitch say his name then, for the tears to start rolling down his face. Pitch looked worried and unsure of what he should say next.

Jack stayed quiet, ignoring the dampness of his own tears, too concentrated on the person in front of himself to care if he was crying. He saw no cruelty there, in Pitch's worried expression. No sign that what he had said was a joke or mistake or worse. He could only see fear that he didn't feel the same, a fear of feelings not being mutual, the same fear Jack himself had been trying to hide from both Pitch and himself. He felt unable to speak, too shocked, too scared he heard wrong; too happy about all of this mess.
Suddenly he threw his arms around Pitch's neck, kissing him. The force of throwing himself on the man was enough that he knocked Pitch's back to the floor, bare chests flush together as Jack pressed down into him. Pitch kissed him back, relieved, uncaring of how he'd hit the stone floor or how wet his face was becoming from Jack's tears. Pulling away from the other's possessive lips, Jack trailed kisses up Pitch's neck to his ear, stopping and hovering there, trying to calm his breathing so that what he would say next would be clear.

"I…I love you too, Pitch. I love you." Pitch smiled widely, hugging him tightly to his body.
"Let's do it. I wanna do it."

"Jack, we don't have t-"

"Show me you love me. Make love to me..." Pitch stared at him for a moment, before nodding, pressing their lips together as his hand went down into the boy's pants. Jack moaned, breaking the kiss.

"We should probably move to the bed."

"Probably." Pitch continued to fondle him and Jack dove back into the kiss.

"I don't want our first time to be a quick fuck on the floor..."

"Mmm, I think that's the first time you've talked dirty to me, hahah." Pitch clicked his tongue.

"I don't think that counts..." They laughed and Jack nodded.

"Yeah, we should move to the bed." Picking Jack up, Pitch carried him to the bed, kissing him as he did.

A few hickeys and bite marks later, Pitch pressed his fingers inside of Jack with the help of some lube.

"Fuck..."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's not bad."

"How about now?" Pitch shifted his fingers, pressing them in deeper before he pulled them back out slowly, stroking Jack's prostate; his other hand stroking the boy's length.

"Ah! That-that's good..!" he moaned, biting his lip. Pitch pressed in a third finger and repeated the move. Jack continued to moan, hands fisting into the sheets below him, his lover pleasuring him as he opened him up, bringing him so close but not quite close enough to cum.
"Sh-shit, Pitch… I can't take this any more… Stop teasing me, I wanna-ha..!"

"You want to cum, Jack?"

"I want you, hurry up..!" He said, reaching his hands out.
"Please, closer… want you closer..." Pitch smiled, and moved on top of him, kissing his neck as the boy's arms wrapped around him and his legs hugged his hips.

"I love you, Jack."

"I love you too." Pitch reached a hand down and guided himself into Jack, pressing in till the head was inside.

"Ah..! A-ow…"

"Does it hurt?"

"A little… I don't know, feels weird. Just think I'm not use to it, I've... never taken someone before…"

"Really? I didn't figure you for a top."

"Yeah, well, there's still a lot you don't know about me."

"I'd like to find out." Jack smirked

"Me too."

"I'm going to move, just try to relax." Jack nodded, closing his eyes. But as Pitch tried to push in further, he hissed in pain.

"S-stop, wait, it's too much..."

"You're tightening around me Jack, you need to let me in." Pitch placed a hand on Jack's cheek, stroking his thumb below his eye.

"I don't know how..."

"As I press in, push against me." Jack's brow creased, his eyes searching Pitch's face.

"What? Pu-" Jack blushed, pressing his face into the side of Pitch's head.
"Oh. R-Right..."

"Now, easy does is, that's it my dear." Slowly he pushed in deeper, going in more easily. Jack wined and he stopped.

"You okay?" Pitch asked, pressing their foreheads together as Jack's breath came out in quick lustful breaths.

"Yeah, I'm good, just give me a minute to breath..."

"If it hurts too much I want you to tell me..."

"No, no it doesn't really hurt; well barely... I'm just nervous. It feels kinda' good, but it's been a while since I was with anyone before you… And this feels… like something I could lose? I don't know… I think the problem is, I can't stop thinking..."

"… Are you wanting to stop..?"

"N-no, no I don't want to stop, I'm just..." Jack sighed, turning his head away.
"Sorry, this isn't fair..."

"Don't be sorry, you're scared, Jack, I know. You know I can tell when you're afraid, even if I can't always tell the exact reason why; though that's only when it's you..." Pitch kissed his forehead then looked him right in the eyes.
"It's okay, your fear, it's normal. I feel it through your skin, inside of you... Crawling through your veins in your blood. I understand it, what you're afraid of right now, what you're letting me feel. I want to eat it all. Every last drop of fear. And make certain it doesn't reach your heart."

"Pitch."

"Give me all of it, let it go. I promise I won't let anything stop us; nothing will take this love away, I promise you." Jack let out a shaky breath, lifting his hands to Pitch's face.

"Please, show me. Get rid of it, make me stop thinking. I trust you." He pulled Pitch in to a kiss, and after a few seconds grinded their bodies together, purposely pressing the Nightmare King further inside. A growl like noise vibrated through Pitch's throat before he started moving again.
Jack's worries disappeared as their movements quickened, his legs spread wide and hands travelling down to Pitch's rear as the man he held on to rutted inside of him. Jack moaned, his own erection pressed between their bellies, being rubbed with each movement as his insides were stimulated. He was close, he could feel it, he could feel everything but what Pitch took away with his power and his touch, and the bites on his neck. All he could think or feel now was Pitch Black.
"Ah! P-Pitch..! I'm, I can't, I'm gonna... gonna cum..!"

"Jack..!" Pitch moaned, his fingers digging into his lover's thigh.
"Cum for me Jack, my beautiful boy, everything's okay, you're so perfect so good..! Cum, cum!" Pitch's thrusts grew more wild and erratic and Jack was so loud in his ear and he loved it. He felt it when the boy beneath him came, opening more for him then tightening in quick twitches, his whole body spasming as he cried out for him, nails surely leaving precious marks on the skin of his ass and back. A couple more thrusts, and Pitch came inside of him for the first time.
For a moment they lay there panting, Pitch on top of Jack, his cock falling out of him as it became soft and they both relaxed into each other.
Lifting his head, Pitch looked at Jack, waited for his eyes to open and look back, and he sighed.
"How do you feel?" Jack smiled up at him, a drip of saliva at the corner of his wet lips and his hair damp with sweat.

"Amazing." Pitch grinned and delved into another kiss. Jack's arms wrapped around his neck, holding him close, until he giggled and let Pitch pull back to look down at him curiously.

"What is it?"

"Oh god..."

"What?"

"I can feel your cum running down my ass." Jack squirmed, giggling again.
"It tickles..!"

"Oh."

"I hope you have clean sheets 'cause these are gonna be sticky. You came a lot, huh." Pitch laughed.

"Says the boy who painted our bellies." Glancing down between them, Jack smirked.

"Touché."

"I love you, Jack Frost." Pitch kissed his forehead once more before pressing his against it.

"And I love you, Pitch Black."

---

For a while the two of them were content, even if the weight of Pitch and Jack's secret sat on their shoulders, their bond only grew, and Jack began to live in Pitch's lair, even if secretly it worried the older man.
Instead of them meeting every now and then, they saw each other nearly every day. And there was where they began to hit their first main problem.
Because Pitch always wanted something that Jack, it turned out, rarely craved...

"Pitch... Not now." Suckling on Jack's neck, Pitch groped him more firmly through his underwear.
"I said not now!" Jack pushed him away and stood quickly from the armchair he'd previously been reeding in.

"Why not? Did I do something wrong?" Pitch said sounding slightly annoyed. Jack sighed.

"...No."

"Then what's the problem? We haven't done anything since a couple of days ago." Pitch stood, placing a hand on the side of his lover's face.
"You're around all the time now, it makes me want to touch you everyday, Jack. Do you not like me touching you as much as I thought?"

"That's not it! I love you, Pitch! I like feeling your skin on mine. Like this, right now..." Jack closed his eyes as he lifted his hand, placing it on top of Pitch's.
"I love the feeling. I love your warmth; above anyone else's... It's just that I... I..." Jack trailed off, nervous.

"You..?"

"I don't know, I've just never been super sexual... Like, my libido has always been kinda low, or something... I just, don't want it as frequently as you do. It's been around a hundred years since I liked someone enough to do anything sexual." Opening his eyes, Jack looked directly in to Pitch's.
"I don't know why, but sometimes, it's like all of a sudden I'm asexual."

"Jack, my dear... have you been forcing yourself? Is this why you're so reluctant half of the time?"

"...Kind of..."

"I had no idea... I... But before you use to want me just as much as I want you... Or was that my imagination?"

"Before that first time that we actually had sex, we never really did any, you know, penetration... And it was all like a week apart, at the least. It probably helped that I felt more turned on 'cause I wasn't seeing you all the time and missed you. And before you say anything, I'm not wanting to go back to only seeing you like once a week! I love you, so much... I wish I wanted it as much as normal men, but-"

"Jack, stop." Jack looked down, shaking a little.

"You're angry at me, aren't you..."

"What- no I-"

"The last one was, he punched me and threw me out when I said something like that... Said I was messing with him and he'd had enough."

"Jack Frost, look at me. Do I really look angry right now?" Reluctantly, Jack looked up. He shook his head, but then shrugged.
"I'm not angry, Jack. I believe you, and I know it's not your fault. It may be to do with how you died and were brought back, or maybe because you're always cold even though you don't feel it. Maybe even as a human you were already this way. But either way, non of us are normal, love. Uncommon, does not equal twisted or wrong. If you rarely want real penetrative sex, or even if you want just nothing at all, so be it. We can hold each other close, kiss all night long, and I will hold back from anything else when you don't want it. Just be truthful with me. I can deal with myself if I need to. Though, I wouldn't mind if you'd watch, if you'd like to." Jack blushed, a smile trying to pull away his frown.
"And the times we do actually fuck; well, it will only make them more intense when I can eventually cum inside your wonderful body." Pitch whispered seductively. Jack let out a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding in, and took Pitch's hands. He quickly walked him over to their bed and told him to sit.
"Jack?"

"I don't normally do this kind of thing when I'm not feeling up to it myself, but you're different. No-one's ever accepted this about me before... So, though I can't give you everything right now, I can do this." Jack dropped to his knees, running his hands up Pitch's thighs and to his crotch. Pitch groaned, one of his hands going to the back of Jack's neck.

"Jack, you don't have to..."

"You want me to, though, don't you?" Pitch didn't answer, his fingers pressing against the cool skin bellow them.
"I... I might not want anything like this myself, right now, but I want to make you feel good. So, how about you take off those pants for me?"
Pitch then did as he said; now only in his robe as Jack's cold hands ran to his now exposed dick. Bringing it back to life, the winter spirit watched his secret lover as he started to lose himself in the feeling, before he ducked down to lick at the head. Pitch gasped, moaning when Jack took it in to his throat.

"Mmn... Jack..!" As he sucked him off, Jack ran one hand up to his chest, pressing against it to motion him to lay down. Pitch followed the wordless command and lay on his back as Jack continued. After he felt one hand press under his thigh, moving his leg to the side and pressing it on to the mattress, he felt the other massage a more sensitive place on his body. Pitch gasped as he felt a finger go inside of him. He wasn't expecting it, but that was probably part of the reason it felt so good.
"Ah..! Jack, wait..." Another finger pressed it's way in and they began to move aiming for Pitch's prostate. Though the only lubricant was Jack's saliva, the boy was careful not to hurt him, and the slight roughness of it that there was, only turned Pitch on more. Only a few seconds later he came in Jack's mouth. He looked down as Jack swallowed, wiping his mouth before laying down at Pitch's side.
They were lay on their backs side by side, their heads turned to look into each other's eyes, fingers laced together as Pitch brought Jack's hand to his lips.
"You're too good for me, my love." Jack smirked.

"You know just as well as anyone I'm the least good of the good guys, babe."

"Oh, I do. You're a dirty little mischievous scoundrel." Pitch rolled on top of Jack, kissing him.
"Who is beautiful, unique, understanding, loving. And that love of yours, I still can't believe it's directed at me of all people." Pitch looked over the boy's face, stroking his knuckles over his cheek, then running his fingers over his forehead and into his hair.
"I find I'm still amazed I have you here with me like this..."

"You're talking like you've got nothing to offer. But when it comes to my sexuality, you've just shown me the most understanding anyone's ever given me, Pitch. And you're also loving, too, in a way I didn't know you could be before we got together. And looks wise, well you don't look half bad yourself." Jack smirked again, looking him up and down.
"And yeah, you're a cheesy nerd and one hell of a drama queen sometimes; but honestly, I love that about you." Pitch laughed into his neck, nuzzling the cool skin.

"You know that when you actually do want to do it, that I'm not going to be letting go of you for a while, right?"

"Long and hard, huh?" Pitch smirked.

"Or slow and steady. But never quick, never lacking feeling." Jack smiled as he hugged their bodies together.

"Yeah."
Jack felt so warm. Even though he couldn't feel the cold, the warmth he felt with Pitch was something he was so afraid of losing. His deepest primal urges telling him not to let anything take this away, because if he did, he would feel the cold for the first time, and it would be nothing but torture. That's what it felt like for him to love. But this time felt like no other, and it only made him more nervous that something bad would happen.

"..." Pitch's head was turned to the side, concentrating on the corner of the room. He could feel it again, like a buzz of static. It felt like the darkness was staring him down as if he'd displeased it. And for a second, he could swear he heard a scratching sound. Then, it was gone. The buzzing, the sound. All he could feel and hear was Jack. He wanted it to stay that way. What he'd felt and heard, the way he'd felt watched in this place... He decided it was probably just all in his head from the beginning. There had been times when he thought he should bring it up, talk to Jack about how it seemed something was here, but he decided it was stupid, and that he didn't want to bother Jack or give him more to worry about. So he ignored it, favouring turning his head away into his lover's neck. Jack had wanted them to be here instead of the berried house anyway, right? He wasn't going to let the crazy things his mind conjured control where they could be.
He pecked the boy's neck, before nuzzling it as Jack hummed contentedly at him, and soon fell asleep.

For a short while things were perfect, the best they'd ever been, and Jack started to forget the fear and the worry. Started to feel safe.
But there was reason to the fear he had let slip from his mind...

---

Jack lay across Pitch as they kissed, his bare chest warming from the heated grey skin beneath him. His hands roamed up Pitch's sides, till one rested on his shoulder as the other ran through his hair and back down to cup his face. He then moved to kiss down the grey neck, lapping at the warm pulse there. Pitch sighed and ran his nails up Jack's back to the base of his scalp, making Jack arch slightly in to the touch. Pitch chucked and repeated the action dragging his nails down between the boy's shoulder blades and then back up to his scalp again, getting the same reaction.

"You're just like a kitten, Jack."

"Shut up, you're the big grouchy black cat that curls up in to a ball when you sleep." Jack murmured in to the crook of his neck. In response Pitch dragged his other hand up Jack's left side with a feather like touch, at the same time as he dragged his nails back up in to the base of his scull once again. Jack made a noise akin to a sigh that sounded more like a moan.

"See? You even purr..!" Jack mumbled a shut up in to his neck again, before moving back to his lips to stop his talking, but it didn't stop his repeated chuckling.
The mood was bubbly, intimate, but also lazy, calm and sweet. They were just lazing about, just gently touching, holding each other. Jack loved these moments, and Pitch seamed to enjoy it all just as much, which made it all that much better.
But the wonderful dreamy mood was broken, their own little worlds shattered in to cruel shards, when the door to their room slammed open. Jack's eyes opened and looked to the source of the noise. He broke the kiss with a gasp and sat up quickly, backing away as much as the bed would allow without falling off, as he stared at the other Guardians. Pitch quickly leaned up on his elbows, looking over at the shocked and disgusted faces that stared at them. He slowly looked back at Jack to see how he was reacting before looking back to the door again. He didn't say anything. He didn't think he had the right to, so he waited, watched and listened, ready to defend Jack if needed. This was all very delicate and he had to tread carefully if he wanted to remain in Jack's good books.
North, then Toothiana, were the first to speak, followed quickly by Bunnymund.

"Jack..."

"I... This, we..." Jack sputtered out.

"How could you do this, Jack?"

"What's wrong with you Frostbite?! Don't you see who yer with?!"

"I... W-why are you all here?" Jack's face screamed fear and he visibly began to panic.

"Jack, sweety, just get away from him now, okay? Come here... You can talk to us; It's not your fault; we won't be angry with you if he's forced you to do thi-"

"He didn't make me do anything..." Pitch looked back to Jack, a little surprised, watching his face as the boy tried to keep it together. He'd been scared of this happening for so long. He'd been afraid of them finding out; knowing he liked a man; knowing he liked Pitch. Eventually when his fear was subsiding, as he became comfortable and unafraid, this had to happen... And in this moment he was terrified. But still, he faced them, telling them the truth.

"What..?" Toothiana's hopeful expression fell.

"Pitch didn't, he didn't make me do anything, I wanted this." Bunny stomped closer.

"You little..! What the bloody hell is wrong with ya?!" That was it, Pitch had had enough, he was too impatient when it came to them. He lifted himself from the bed, uncaring of how he was topless and covered in love bites, and took a couple of steps forward to stand in front of Bunnymund. He sensed Jack's terror change to fear for his friends as the boy murmured his name.

"What? Would you rather that I had forced him? Raped and manipulated him, rather than him having been willing and consenting? And you call yourself a Guardian..." he mocked.

"Ya- I'll fuckin' kill ya!" Bunnymund tried to punch him, but was blocked by a small wall of black sand that appeared before his fist. The others stood in fighting stances behind him, ready to attack after seeing Pitch bring out his power. And Pitch wasn't going to stand for that. Not when they were innocent. Not in their home, with his lover terrified on their bed.

"I think it's time you all left our home, now." Pitch lifted his hand, swiping it to the side. Darkness fell over the Guardians, engulfing them and pulling them down in to the shadows as they screamed out, quickly spiriting them away to somewhere else.

"Pitch! What did you do to them?!" Jack ran over to him, grabbing his wrist as his shocked eyes looked between the floor and his lover. Pitch could feel him shaking like a leaf.

"Hush now, sweetheart..." He turned and hugged him; Jack stood there stiff, afraid.
"I haven't hurt them, not one bit. I've only sent them far away from here. I swear."

"...Promise?"

"I promise you my boy, I promise." Jack relaxed in his arms.
"I understand what they mean to you, and therefore I will not harm them if their safety is what you wish. Not unless it becomes more than necessary." Jack took a deep breath, before pulling away just enough to see Pitch's face.

"What are we going to do? What am I going to do..?"

"Truthfully Jack, I'm not sure what to say. But we'll be fine; everything will be fine in the end as long as we're here for each other." Jack nodded, smiling weakly.
"Jack, it's going to be okay." Pitch pulled him back into the hug, kissing the top of his head.

"What if they... come right back? Bunny might just make a tunnel and..."

"I doubt it. I think I just gave them quite a fright. I somehow doubt North would let him hop back over after that. Besides, I now know to keep the lair on high alert for any activity other than our own. Anyone even tries to get here, I'll know before we can even see them and have them appear somewhere else. Another reason why I know North won't let any of them come back so soon; he knows I can do such things." Jack sighed, then looked up at Pitch again.

"Hey, Pitch? Before you said... You said 'our' when you talked about the lair. You said 'our home'."

"Yes, I suppose I did, didn't I?"

"What did you mean by that? That's if... it meant anything, I mean..."

"Jack, it meant exactly that. This lair belongs to me. And, I love you, and want you to continue to live here with me and feel comfortable and at home. I want you to see everything I own as also belonging to you. And so, this is our home, if you accept it as such." Jack's breathing was shaky, his fingers pressing into the warm skin of Pitch's back.

"Fuck, of course I do." Jack sniffed, holding back the tears he felt welling up as he pressed his face back into Pitch's chest.

Later on, when Jack felt more ready for the situation, more at ease once he'd calmed down enough and with a clearer head, he stood from where they had ended up sitting down together in an armchair. Placing one last kiss on his lover's lips, he walked over to grab his hoodie and staff.

"Are you sure you want to go alone? They don't have to know I'm there."

"I think I need to go do this alone... If they even get a hint you're watching it's only going to make things worse." Once he was fully clothed and ready to leave, he walked back over to Pitch, standing in front of him.
"Promise you won't come anyway?" Pitch stared up at him, chin resting against his knuckles as he leaned on the armrest of his seat.

"Only if you promise me you're not going to see them all right now. Not alone, most definitely not if they're all together. They were very angry, my love."

"I don't even know if I have it in me to go see two of them, never mind all of them. And all of them in the same place at the same time is... Don't worry, okay? I won't let them steal me away from you." Jack smirked down at him.

"Don't even joke about that..." Jack giggled, apologising.

"But, it's not my imagination then, is it? That you're just as worried about all this as me..?" Pitch averted his gaze.

"Of course I'm worried." Pitch's tone cam out annoyed, and he sighed before looking back at Jack.
"You know how little I trust them."

"Oh, yeah, I know. I also know they can throw you further than they can trust you. Like a lot further!" Pitch groaned, covering his eyes.

"Don't remind me of that..." Jack laughed.

"I... I'm gonna go speak to Tooth for now. She's probably the easiest to talk to. I'm sure you can guess who I'm leaving for last."

"There's no mystery there..." Pitch stood from the armchair.
"Don't you let her squabbling get into your head now, my dear. And don't be back too late, or I will come looking for you in case they've stuck you in a cage somewhere to keep you away from me." Jack scoffed.

"Please babe, me? No-one can cage Jack Frost!" Pitch smirked.

"I'm glad your courage has come back so strong. Your fear only makes you weak and that does worry me."

"I know. But, it's gonna turn out fine, right? You said so yourself." Pitch nodded and Jack smiled back as he took a deep breath.
"See you later, Pitch. Wish me luck!" With that, he let the wind sweep him away.

Jack didn't know if Toothiana had returned to her palace yet or not, but decided to go there anyway and wait if she hadn't. As Pitch had told him, he shouldn't worry about them returning to the lair, as with what had happened they would most likely not go straight back there, choosing to hold a meeting instead to talk about what had happened and act at a later date. Jack agreed, knowing how they tended to deal with things from his own experiences with them.
When he got there, he was surprised to see Tooth had already returned. He landed a few feet behind her, and she turned to look at him. She looked sad; disappointed even. Something in her gaze made Jack feel like he'd done them harm. But he wasn't ready to just role over and give up.

"Hey, Tooth." She held her hands to her chest and looked as if she didn't know what to say. So he walked closer and continued to speak.
"Listen... I'm sorry, that I hid this from you; all of you. It didn't happen on purpose, neither of us where looking for this. And I know he's a man, and he's older, and... he's our enemy, but..-"

"That's the problem, Jack. He's our enemy; and you've been sleeping together..!"

"But Tooth, I love him! I know how it might seem, but I really really love him, and he loves me, I know he does. We have this... connection."

"Jack, this is Pitch Black we're talking about! He killed Sandy! He tried to turn the world back to the Dark-ages so that he could control it with fear!"

"That was before... And Sandy's okay now, it's in the pas-"

"Jack." Tooth said firmly, flying closer until they were only centimetres apart, staring right into his eyes.
"He killed one of us. He tried to kill all of us... You included. He's nothing but a psychopathic manipulator who would do anything to get what he wants. He doesn't love you, or anyone else but himself." There was more she wanted to say, but the face Jack was pulling had her feeling bad, so she paused. He looked like he was about to cry, and he looked angry in a way she wasn't expecting.

"He is not what you all painted him to be. Non of you know who he really is. Non of you know how he looks when he smiles with joy, non of you know how he can turn fear into courage. Non of you have ever tried to talk to him, to understand what makes him tick and why he's done the things he's done. He's more than what you see. I'm in love, Tooth. In over three hundred years I've never had such a strong connection with anyone. And did you not stop to think that maybe me being with him could be a good thing for everyone? If Pitch isn't alone and lost, if someone is there with him who he loves, someone who doesn't agree with his old ways, then maybe that could give him a reason to change. But you know what? In the end, whether you like it or not, I want to be with him." Toothiana was a little shocked at the passion in Jack's voice, her wings no longer holding her in the air as she stood there wide eyed, no longer sure of what to think.
"I believe in him; I believe he can change. He's already shown me he can, he just needed a reason to."

"Jack..-"

"I'm not asking you to trust Pitch, I'm asking you to trust me."

"... You really do love him, don't you."

"With all my heart." Tooth sighed. She still didn't like this, but there was no denying the extent of Jack's feelings.

"Is he really as kind to you as you're making it sound?" A small smile tugged Jack's frown away.

"Believe it or not he's one of the, if no the, kindest and most understanding partners I think I've had."

"That is hard to believe..."

"I know. I never expected it. But as I said, it all just sort of happened. And I don't want it to end. But you know, I don't want to lose you guys either..."

"Oh Jack..." Tooth hugged him, shaking her head as she sighed once again.
"I find all this hard to understand, but it's obvious you love him and as long as he is good to you, I suppose I should support that. But know that whatever happens, you're not going to lose us."

"Thanks, Tooth." Jack hugged her back, happy that she seemed to accept his relationship with Pitch on some level at least. She pulled back, her hands resting at the sides of his shoulders.

"So, want to tell me how this all started? I want all the details~" Jack blinked a couple of times before bursting out in to laughter.

"What so one moment you're trying to talk me out of it, the next you want to know all the juicy details, huh?" Toothiana laughed nervously.

"...I can't help myself. You know me, I like a little gossip. Especially the romantic kind..!" Jack laughed again, before he started to tell her of there accidental meetings that turned into them looking for each other, and how they came to be so close.

He must have been at Tooth's palace for a few hours, as the light outside had begun to fade, and he remembered that Pitch didn't want him returning too late or he would begin to worry something had happened. Explaining why he had to leave, he said his goodbyes and flew away.
On his way home however, he ran in to Sandy who was sat on a cloud above Burgess, ready to spread dreams now that darkness had fallen. Though it almost looked like he was taking his time there, and Jack wondered if he was hoping that the two of them might cross paths and talk. Jack stopped in front of him, floating there for a few seconds as they looked at each other. Sandy lifted his hand, waving at him, an unsure smile on his golden face.

"Hey Sandy..." He was asked if he was okay and he nodded, explaining where he'd just been, and adding that he was happy that he'd seen him before having to go back. The Sandman asked why he had to go back, worried. But his face relaxed when Jack explained how Pitch wanted to come with him, and was just going to be worried about him if he was gone for too long, because of what had happened before.

"You're in love with him, aren't you." he signed with the sand above his head, and Jack nodded, smiling.
"Is he really treating you okay?"

"Yeah, really. Everything's actually been going amazingly with him, to be honest. I'm sorry I never said anything about this to any of you... I just... I was scared. I didn't know how to say it, or what would happen..." Sandy nodded sadly.

"You... don't think he was putting that fear in your head..?"

"Wha- Sandy no!" Sandy lifted his hands in defence.
"Look, I'm pretty sure it's the opposite... I was afraid, but when I'm afraid of something around him, he makes me feel better. I'm not sure how it works, but I think he actually tried to alleviate my fear so I wouldn't be so worried all the time. If he used his power in any way, it was to stop the fear, not give it to me." Sandy nodded, though he didn't look all that sure.
They spoke about it a little more, then Jack told him that he should get going, but that he hoped to speak to him again soon, before they said goodbye to each other.

When Jack got home, he almost felt like a weight was off his back.

"Ah, Jack, you've returned. I was starting to wonder if I should go out to look for you."

"Pitch, sorry, me and Tooth ended up talking for a while and, then on my way back I ran into Sandy." he said, walking up to his lover.

"I see... How are you feeling?"

"Honestly, better. I don't have to wonder if they're going to find out about us, 'cause now they all know, you know? And I've already talked to two of them about it personally, so, not too bad."

"This is good, my dear."

"Yeah..."

"So, why do you suddenly look so down?" Pitch lifted his hand to touch Jack's cheek.

"I don't know... I just don't know what's going to happen with them. Tooth said that I wasn't going to lose them all over this, but both her and Sandy just felt so... distant at times. Guess we'll just have to wait and find out..."

"Love, it pains me to see you worrying so much again... Please, try not to over think these things, it will only hinder you."

"I know, but I can't help it..."

"Then perhaps... I can help take your mind off of it for a while? If you'd like to... have a little fun." Pitch smirked, his fingers sliding down Jack's neck to rest on his collar bone, pushing the boy's hoodie down slightly.

"I don't know if I'd want to go all the way..."

"That's all right."

"But, I wouldn't mind watching you do... certain things."

"hmm, what kind of things?" Jack grinned.

"I want to see you play with that new toy I got you." Pitch chuckled.

"For a somewhat asexual being you sure are perverted, you little sprite." They kissed, laughing together, before going to their bedchamber.
Stood by their bed, they kissed again as Jack pushed down Pitch's robe. Pitch then pulled Jack's hoodie over his head, and when it fell to the floor Pitch was pushed on to the mattress. He landed on his stomach, turning his head to look back to Jack who lent over him and began to tug at his pants. Pitch lifted his hips, letting him pull them off. He then felt kisses trail up his spine before cold breath whispered in his ear, making him shiver, aroused by how Jack took charge.
It was in moments like this that Jack proved how much of a top he could really be. And though Pitch liked to be the one in charge, there was something thrilling to be found in the younger spirit ordering him around in bed every now and then.
Jack stood, walking away, leaving Pitch with the whispered order to stay laying there, face down with his legs spread, his knees resting on the floor.
As he waited, something in him was screaming that no-one should tell him what to do, that he was a King who ordered others around and Jack should be shown his place. But he'd for the most part learned to ignore that now more foreign part of his mind, thanks to Jack and the love they had for each other. He loved him to the point that such things didn't matter when they were alone together. He found he still had to fight with himself sometimes, but Jack had a way of keeping him calm, a way of making him not care so much. Somehow, it made him feel free.
Footsteps broke the silence and Pitch was pulled from his thoughts. He wanted to lift his head to see what Jack had brought with him, but knew he was expected to wait, so he waited. And something hit his rear. He shouted out, not expecting this very new event.
"D-damn it, Jack..!"

"You think I didn't notice the last time you let me play with you? How you came when I bit your neck and pulled your hair? I know you like a little pain, babe." Pitch tried to turn to look at him but was struck again.
"Ah ah, didn't say you could move yet, now did I..?" Pitch pressed his face into the sheets as his hands held on to them, his breath starting to come out in quick bursts of warm air. A cold hand ran gently across his bare back, as Jack sat besides him, leaning in to his ear once again.
"Is this okay?" he asked, a hint of concern that maybe this was a little overboard. Jack's worry was destroyed along with Pitch's usual front when he turned to look at him, his face flushed and expression no longer guarded, and it became obvious how turned on he was. Jack gave him a warm smile, kissing his temple before he stood up again, knowing not to expect a verbal response from Pitch when he was agreeing to this sort of thing. They weren't quite at the point of Pitch actually saying when he wanted something like this.
Jack continued paddling his rear as well as his thighs with varying force, stopping every now and then to tease his entrance, balls and hard cock with the tip of whatever was being used on him. Part of Pitch wanted to beg for something more than the constant teasing, but another part of him said if he did that he would die on the spot; this was enough embarrassment as it was. But then he felt something, other than what he guessed was a small leather paddle, touch his hole. He let out a noise between a gasp and a moan as a wet finger pressed inside of him, soon followed by a second. But they only moved inside of him for a few seconds before being pulled out. He made a sound of disapproval at the loss and Jack giggled behind him.
"You're cute like this, it's kinda making me exited..." Massaging Pitch's sore ass, he placed a bottle of lube by the man's side.
"Finish opening yourself up for me, okay?" Sitting on the floor, with the perfect view as Pitch began to finger himself, Jack bit his lip. This was one of those rare times he was actually getting hard when he hadn't been in the mood. He was tempted to try and actually top Pitch, to give him proper anal, but wasn't sure if he'd want him to. It took a while for them to get to doing this type of thing as it was. The trick was that Pitch would be taking himself, not letting someone take him. Pitch had a very dominant character and wasn't one to just role over and take it. Jack was actually surprised at how obedient he was being at that moment, and was afraid he'd ruin it if he just went and took him from behind like that. Besides, he did want to see Pitch use the new toy he'd gotten just for him.
A six inch dildo stood proud on the floor besides him, and as Pitch fit a fourth finger inside himself, Jack grabbed the lube and poured some on the toy. A toy that had a little secret trick he wanted to surprise his lover with. Placing it on the floor between Pitch's legs, using the suction cup to keep it steady, he asked Pitch to remove his fingers and have a look at what was there for him. Pitch kneeled up, taking a couple of breaths before looking down at the floor between his calves. For a moment he didn't say anything, and Jack started to worry that he didn't like it, or that he was angry for suggesting he take himself with the dildo. But then, without saying anything, he placed a hand on the tip and started to sit down on it, guiding it in to himself. Jack's breath was stuck in his throat as he watched the shaft disappear, filling Pitch's insides. After pressing it in more than half way he stopped, panting and twitching. Jack wanted to touch him, he couldn't hold back from placing his hands on the reddened skin of Pitch's ass, massaging it before moving his pale hands forward to fondle him. As he did this he started planting kisses and gentle nips on his neck, feeling an aroused growl vibrate through the grey skin that became more littered with marks than it had already been.
"You want to move, Pitch? You want to make this thick cock fuck you nice and deep?" Pitch didn't answer, making sure to turn his head away from where Jack could see his blushing face.
"Show me." Letting go of him he moved back, picking up his crop and suddenly striking the crease bellow Pitch's ass cheek. Pitch let out a loud sound Jack had never heard from him before; it was the most erotic high-pitched whining moan, that had the younger man's own cock twitching in his pants. Pitch keened as he lifted himself nearly all the way off of the toy, before sliding it back in again. He moved, every now and then bringing it in a little deeper as his muscles got use to it and relaxed, his hands holding on to the bed for support. Jack struck him a couple more times, before standing up when he realised Pitch wasn't going to let himself make another noise like that, gaining nothing more than muffled grunts.
Getting on to the bed in front of him, Jack watched him bob up and down, making Pitch close his eyes in embarrassment. But then, as he was moving down, his eyes suddenly shot open, his body unable to move as his mouth opened silently. Jack was holding a small remote in his hand, his finger on a dial, as vibrations messed with Pitch's mind. It felt good, too good as the toy vibrated inside of him. It made his ass twitch and open up enough to let the toy all the way in and he just sat there as Jack turned up the vibrations. He found himself unable to do anything but keen and reach a hand out to his lover as his body began to shake. Jack crawled forward, sitting on the edge of the bed as Pitch held on to him. Pitch was close to coming and now far to messed up to care, but still had enough sense about him that he realised, as his head rested on Jack's crotch, that the boy was hard. He scrambled to pull him out, and started to suck him off. Jack moaned, and as he turned the dial to the max he could swear he felt the vibrations running through Pitch and in to him. Pitch held on to him so tightly that Jack was a little worried that this was too much for him, but he was also taking him all the way down his throat and starting to move his ass up and down on the toy again, so he let the worries disappear as he sat there tugging at Pitch's hair, reminding himself that his King would stop it if he didn't like it. Pitch was shaking frantically now, finding it hard to move or breath as he took control in fucking himself at both ends. Then everything became too much and he came, the trembling of his moan running through Jack's dick. He pulled back gasping in the air his body needed so desperately, far to sensitive right after cumming so hard and yet still with the strong vibrations racking his body. He found himself unable to pull off of the toy, his legs no longer listening to him.

"J-Jack..!" Jack realized and turned it off, leaning down to kiss Pitch deeply, as if saying he did well, praising him with his tongue. He moaned when he felt Pitch's trembling hand pumping his member. Braking the kiss, he sat up, taking himself in his own hand.

"It's okay, let me." His hand moved faster and Pitch watched him, still shaking and high from his orgasm. The site of Pitch like this, sat on the floor between his legs, wrecked, a large toy still filling him up, had him cumming hard in Pitch's blushing face. Pitch closed his eyes, grunting as the cool white liquid painted his cheek and lips, running down to his chin.
After sitting there for a minute, breath now even, Jack leant down, placing his arms underneath Pitch's. The man held on tightly as he was slowly helped to his feet, making a noise of discomfort as he felt the toy leave his body, now empty and a little sore.
"I got you. That's it." Jack helped him lay on his side on their bed, pushing stray strands of hair out of his face.
"I'll be right back, just gonna get something to clean you up with." Pitch nodded tiredly and he walked away.
A couple of minutes later Pitch felt a damp cloth wipe at his face, he opened his eyes to see Jack leaning over him, cleaning up the cum that was starting to dry on his grey skin. When Jack was done he moved to his belly, cleaning up Pitch's own mess there, before going to his ass. Pitch hissed, the skin there sore and covered in red marks.
"Sorry. I hope it doesn't hurt too bad..."

"Mmn... s'fine..." Pitch said drowsily, his eyes closed again. Jack stroked his unmarked hip, kissing where the bone protruded rather ascetically, before he finished cleaning him up. After removing his own pants, he lay behind Pitch, placing an arm around his torso.

"How are you feeling, anything you want?" Pitch sighed as he turned around in Jack's arms, pressing his face in to Jack's chest and tangling their legs together.

"Just... stay like this with me a while." Jack smiled, stroking his back.

"Sure." Pitch nuzzled his chest, before mumbling in to it.

"You came on my face... it nearly got in my eye." Jack laughed nervously.

"Sorry..."

"But, I'm glad that you enjoyed yourself enough to do so."

"What can I say, I liked what I saw." Pitch smiled.

"Don't start thinking you're in charge of me now." Jack laughed again, running his fingers through raven hair.

"Never."
They soon fell asleep, Jack free of the thoughts that plagued him before, as Pitch had offered. Their time together having done it's magic, his sleep was deep and peaceful.
But, Pitch's sleep was another thing...

It was dark. So very dark. He couldn't see a single thing; there was nothing to be heard, or smelt, or touched.
Only the cold darkness.
The freezing cold, the dark, and then whispers.
Giggling and twisting around him, tormenting, angry, deadly mockeries thrown his way.
He knew they were for him. And yet he couldn't make heads or tails of the words they said. Their sentences hardly audible or understandable.
Hundreds of tiny voices spitting insults and anger in what he thought must be a foreign tongue, yet he understood on some level.
Following the discontented whispering was distant screaming, too far away to be any louder than the rest, but it still added to the mix that filled his ears only that little bit more.
The worst was the scraping though. It started as the faintest of sounds, dulled out by the sounds around him. But it got louder and louder, the scrapping and clawing and gnawing in his head.
And he realised the screams he'd been hearing were his own.
He screamed, floating in this black void, screamed for release, for help, for... someone he couldn't quite recall.
And the voices around him only laughed and spat.
The voices were angry with him.
The shadows were angry with him.
Because he was weak.
And the shadows couldn't have that.
And even in the dark, where he could see nothing, he felt their eyes on his skin.
Burning, digging in to his flesh as if searching for something.
And all he could feel,
was fear.

Pitch woke with a start, gasping for breath, hands holding tight to the bed sheet. He was trebling and took a moment to realise where he was. In bed, laying on top of his lover's chest. Jack's soft pale chest.

"...Pitch?" He lifted his head to look up at Jack who returned his gaze with one of worry.
"Are you okay?"

"I... I'm fine. I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"No, well kind of, but, I think we've been asleep a while so it's probably a good thing. Not that it would really be a problem anyway... Are you sure you're okay? You're shaking..." He placed a hand on Pitch's cheek, feeling what he could see as if it was too hard to believe otherwise. And oh, it was.
"Pitch, babe did you just have a night- bad, dream? I mean, err... I don't know what you'd call it when it comes to you; I didn't even know it was something you could have." Pitch took a deep breath and sighed, closing his eyes tightly.

"It can happen, on occasion... The odd dream now and then isn't that obscure."

"That wasn't just a dream though, huh?"

"..." Pitch opened his eyes, but looked down.
"I rarely dream of dark things. Normally if I dream it's dull, boring, nearly of nothing. The odd creature or person I've met. But every now and then, the dream becomes... different. Something I can't control. Something dangerous, lonesome."

"What was it about?"

"I don't know... I never wake up knowing. There's only ever a feeling left over."

"Then... What are you feeling?"

"...Like something is watching; like something is discontented with me. Something foul, angry... But I have no idea what it is or why it feels that way." Pitch rested his lips in the centre of Jack's chest, feeling the cool slow heartbeat there. Fingers ran through his hair and he sighed once more.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"It's been so long since I've dreamt like this that I can't even remember when the last time was. Maybe even before you were born."

"Wow. I wish my nightmares were that rare." Pitch hummed.

"I'm sorry I can't cancel them all out."

"It's okay. I'm kinda use to it." Jack laughed below his breath.
"That's odd to say. I didn't think I'd ever get use to the drowning, or my sister screaming for help. Or how no-one could ever see me, even other spirits... Nobody but you. Maybe that's what helped me get use to it. You still seeing me, even in my nightmares."

"You know I'll always see you, my love."

"Yeah, exactly. We'll always be able to see each other. Even in bad dreams." Pitch kissed up Jack's chest and neck, finishing at his lips.

"Always and Forever." They smiled at each other, but as Pitch sat up he hissed in pain.

"Hey... you feeling alright?" Jack sat up with him, looking him up and down. He saw nothing visibly wrong, even the shaking had completely subsided. So he looked where he couldn't see, crawling across the bed to Pitch's back. After a small moment of silence he spoke again.
"Pitch, lie down, on your stomach."

"What?"

"Please." Pitch looked at him over his shoulder; Jack looked serious, so he complied, albeit with an impatient huff. There was another moment of silence before Jack spoke, guilt thickly lacing his voice.
"Damn, sweetheart I'm sorry, I didn't realise I hit you that hard..!"

"What are you talking about?"

"You're covered in bruises..." Jack ran his fingers along the blues purples and reds on the back of the man's right thigh, the same kind were all over the other thigh and his rear. And Pitch felt it, Jack was being gentle, yet he still felt the sting of delicate bruised flesh being touched.

"What... That should all be healed by now. At least enough that I wouldn't feel anything from it."

"Yeah... You have medicine in that alchemy room right? Is there something I can put on this?"

"The only thing there I think is wolf's bane, and I'm not even sure it does anything significant enough to bother."

"Isn't there any potion or something I can make for you?"

"It's fine, it's only some bruising Jack, It will heal. I don't know why it hasn't already, but it will be fine."

"But, I put it there... If there's something I can do that might-"

"Jack, it's fine. I..." Pitch looked over his shoulder again, and cut himself off when he saw Jack's distressed face.
"Darling... You're not going to start crying over this now are you?"

"But I hurt you... And it's not getting better..!"

"Weren't you human before? Imagine if we both were now, I would have bruising for days, at least. It's nothing, it's only sore and it won't be for long."

"But you're not human; you never were. This isn't normal..." Pitch sat up, more cautiously this time as he tried not to put any pressure on the marks.

"Look, maybe it was the nightmare. I have them so rarely that maybe it stopped my body from healing. Maybe it has that sort of effect on me. After all, I don't know much about how such things work on myself. It is a bit of a coincidence, don't you think? I'm sure it's nothing important, so don't worry; and don't feel bad." Lifting his hands he cupped Jack's face.
"It was worth it." He smirked, and Jack huffed out a small laugh.

"Fine, but if they're still there tomorrow, even if it's only the smallest trace that's left, we're not ignoring it." Pitch moaned out a 'fine' and rolled his eyes. Jack kissed him and got out of bed to get dressed.
"I'm gonna go see North today. Want to get all this over with quickly."

"Alright. Take care. And don't be back to late or-"

"You'll come looking for me, I know I know." Pitch leaned over the edge of the bed to slap at him playfully; Jack of course dodged the offending hand with ease as he giggled.
Saying goodbye, he left his home and flew into the sky above, the wind ruffling his hair. He felt more at ease than he was sure he should feel. He felt bubbly from his time with Pitch and so didn't worry about what may or may not happen once he arrived at the North Pole.
As he landed, his bare feet in the soft snow, he stared for a moment at the large building, remembering the time when he would sneak his way in. He smiled, though a little sadly, as he began to wonder what looks would he be faced with once he walked through the front door. He thought that maybe he should just sneak in like he use to. But after a small debate with himself, he took a deep breath and just tried not to think about options as he walked to the door.
Once inside, he chose not to look at the Yetis he felt staring him down, keeping his eyes on the ground ahead. It felt like forever between the entrance and North's office, and part of him wished Pitch was there with him, even if he would just be hidden in the shadows.
He was about to knock, when he heard his name from behind. Turning around he looked up, North's almost concerned eyes staring him down.

"I was wondering when you would show yourself, Jack."

"Hey, North..."

"Come, let's talk." Jack moved out of the way, letting the older Russian man open the door and walk in first. He followed behind, shutting the door after himself. North sat at his desk, asking Jack to take the seat in front of him. Once he did, the large man before him sighed, obviously feeling the tension in the air as much as Jack, as he turned his attention to one of the many contraptions on his desk.
"You see this, Jack?" He held up a wooden carving; stood on a rectangular box was a boy with a dog.
"Seems simple, yes?"

"...Yeah? I mean, looks nice and all, but it just looks like a wooden figurine."

"Oh, but it is not just figurine. Here, take it, look on the side." Jack carefully took it from his hands. On the side of the box was a small metal crank. As he turned it, everything on the box came to life. The dog got on it's hind legs, it's ball going in to the air as the boy caught it and then through it back down where it appeared to bounce off of the ground and back in to the dog's mouth.

"It's.. an automata?"

"Yes! Here, turn it around, look inside." Jack did as he was asked and turned it in his hands. The side of the box that had been facing North was open, showing the contraption that made it work.
"You see all of those small parts? The gears, the strings, the screws. Without even one of those little tiny pieces, even the most insignificant one, the whole thing falls apart. Nothing would work. The boy and dog would never play, no matter how much you turn handle."

"I see..."

"My point is, Jack, we as Guardians, are like the automata. One of us falls out of place, everything falls out of place. And then who would be there, to make sure all the little ones can play happily and have all the fun in the world. To remember the important times, to be full of wonder, full of hope. To dream the happiest dreams." Jack placed the handmade toy down, looking away with his hands falling to his lap. He'd already known where this was going. And he already knew the reasoning he was about to have thrown his way would be over the top and stupid. And then he realised he was thinking like Pitch, and he had to hold back a smirk that tried to worm it's way on to his face as North continued.
"You kept us from the truth, Jack. Went behind our backs to be with our greatest enemy. You are like a gear, our trust in you is like string. You are snapping the string, by being with Pitch Black. You could make everything fall to pieces."

"North..."

"How can we know to trust you when you do something like this... To lie to us, your family."

"North, listen-"

"Jack, something like this can not merely be looked overloo-"

"North! I get it!" Jack stood, his chair slammed in to the floor and his palms against the table. North only just managing to stop any of the toys from falling to their doom.
"I understand, okay? I get you don't trust Pitch, so you don't know if you can trust me while I'm in a relationship with him, and you're afraid something bad will happen and destroy the Guardians and put kids in danger. But... We aren't toys, North. We're alive, we have emotions..! You can't go comparing us with an automata, like we're just mindless mechanisms that are no good unless they do the one exact thing you want them to do, and nothing else... It's too complicated to be thinking like that; we're too complicated... I've seen a different side to him; he's far from being black and white. And do you really think I'd just stand by and let him hurt anyone if anything were hypothetically to go wrong?"

"We can not trust anything to do with-"

"Trust me! You don't have to trust Pitch, just... trust me. You can trust me. I'll make sure that nothing bad happens, and if ever something does, then I can come to you. Hell, maybe he'll never bother you again. And we can just keep on doing what we're doing, being Guardians and helping kids, keeping the world safe and balanced."

"I'm afraid that is not possible, Jack..."

"Wha- and why not?"

"I'm sorry, but you are going to have to make a choice..." North sighed, turning sideways in his chair.

"A choice?"

"Be Guardian, Jack; be the Guardian of fun you were meant to be. Or... be with Boogeyman. I'm sorry, but you can not have both." Jack's eyes widened, his breath was short and quick, anger and fear and sadness running through him all at once, dampening the corners of his eyes.

"Your telling me, I have to choose between being a Guardian, and being with Pitch?"

"Yes."

"I love him, do you understand that? I'm in love, for the first time in so long... and I'm loved back! And you're telling me I have to break up with him forever if I want to stay a Guardian? The thing that you insisted on me being in the first place?! The thing that came to give me purpose, family; or the man I love, the first person who has ever truly loved me back?! You expect me to have to choose between them?!"

"This is the way it has to be, Jack! Before anything else, we are Guardians! And if you insist on being with Nightmare King, then I have no choice but to remove your Guardian status..!"

"You can't do this! You can't just take that away!"

"Actually, I can. There is way. When moon is first full, where sky is clear. You have till then to make a choice." Jack stared at him for a good ten seconds, shaking, trying to hold back his tears. Until his eyes went from afraid, to proud and angry.

"You wanna know what I choose? I'll tell you what I choose..! I choose Pitch! I choose the man who doesn't care who I am or who I'm friends with, I choose him over some stupid title and power I easily lived without for three-hundred years before you gave a shit about me!"

"So you're choosing the monster who wanted us dead?"

"I'm choosing the man no-one wanted to acknowledge, the man who was left alone to rot, the man who goes against his own nature according to how he's been painted by showing me nothing but love and respect. I refuse to leave Pitch in return for keeping my title; so go ahead and rip it away, kick me out. Let's see what happens when you decide you need me again. I bet you won't be so picky then." Jack spun around and began to stomp to the door, but suddenly stopped before he got there, banging the end of his staff into the ground as he turned his head one last time to look at North.
"You know what, I was so afraid of any of you finding out, because I didn't know what would happen. And guess what, Pitch wanted you all to know. He didn't want me hiding this from you. So at least remember that that was my decision, he had nothing to do with it. It happened, because in my heart I knew you would take it badly. You filled me with that fear, he gave me courage." North was visibly shocked at what he heard, and Jack took that look as a small victory, because he had to take something to keep himself together. So he continued on his way out and left.
When he was gone, North slowly stood, unsure of what to do or think. He walked to the centre of the room and stopped. As he looked down at where Jack had angrily jabbed his staff into the floor, he eventually let his own sadness come over him, a tear ran down his cheek, as he looked at the unmistakable frost patterns that were left there. Jack wasn't going to change his mind, he knew that.
And with all honesty, he truly didn't want to do what he knew the moon would oblige him to.
It just... wasn't his choice to make.

Once back at Pitch's lair, their lair, Jack stopped in front of their bedroom. He wasn't sure what to do, he was crying, the tears felt like they'd begun to freeze on his skin and he wasn't sure he wanted Pitch to see him like this. But that decision was made for him when the door in front of him was opened from the other side. The top of Pitch's partially exposed chest naturally fell at his eye level and he kept it that way, not wanting to look up as Pitch looked down at him, saying nothing. Warm grey fingers ran their delicate fingertips bellow his eye, feeling the frozen lines there.

"Pitch... when's the next full moon?"

"... Three days from now." Jack nodded, sniffing. Taking a step forward, Pitch pulled Jack's face to his chest, hugging it there against his warm exposed skin.
"It's going to be alright; come sit with me and tell me everything, my dear."

---

The three days till the full moon passed by, all too slowly and yet far too fast. Jack stayed in their home the entire time, mostly sticking close by Pitch.
He felt he should talk to Bunny before he was inevitably kicked down from being a Guardian, since he had already talked to the others, but couldn't bring himself to leave after his interaction with North. Pitch told him to think of himself above the others and feel no guilt, and he tried to take the advise his lover gave him, but couldn't help feeling like the bad guy in all of this.

"Jack, the full moon is about to appear, and it's clear skies where it will first be visible. What would you like to do?" Jack, curled up in a blanket in an armchair as he read a comic book, turned his head to look up at his boyfriend.

"You think I should go there?"

"...I believe they may be expecting it." Jack looked over Pitch's face for a moment before turning his attention back to the comic.

"Since when are you someone who thinks we should do what others expect us to?"

"My dear, it's just, I feel you may regret not going."

"... Go to my de-Guardian-ing ceremony, or stay here with you and pretend nothing's happening... I think I'll take the later." Pitch walked over and sat on the arm of Jack's chair, placing a hand on the back of his neck.

"I'll go with you." Jack sighed in to his palm.

"Is this 'cause I'm scared?" he whispered.

"Of what will happen if you go, and if you don't; yes. You think that going may give you an opportunity to fix this somehow, but it could possibly only cause you pain. And if you don't go, you think you will miss out on the opportunity, but at least you don't risk them staring at you, telling you off like a child; that you are clearly not, I would like to add."

"If you've forgotten, you've called me a child before now..."

"Jack, please, I've only ever said such things in anger. I never meant it. Unlike them I know that no matter what you look like, you are very much a mature adult. You are most definitely not a child. If I saw you as such I wouldn't have fallen in love with you the way I did." Leaning his head on Pitch's thigh, Jack threw the comic on the floor in a show of relinquishment; Pitch made a sound of discontent at the action but said nothing, only pulling a face at the discarded book with it's strewn pages on the ground.

"So, if, let's say, I did go and you were to go with me...-"

"Yes?"

"-...what do you think would happen?" Pitch thought about it for a short moment, absent-mindedly running his fingers through Jack's hair, before giving a confident answer.

"I think, that we would get there, see them waiting for you to show out of courtesy -you see it would be rather rude of them to just remove this from you without giving you a chance to show yourself, so that you would know when it was happening and so that they might bid you farewell as a Guardian- and once they saw you, they would explain what was about to happen, you could state your case, most likely no matter what you say the only way to stop this would be... to..."

"Leave you?"

"Yes... And if you did not, then North would read out of that book of his as they ignore my presence, as long as I remain as a mere witness; you would loose your title under the light of the moon, but, you would have closure about what is about to happen; unlike if you were to remain here. And I will be there, to make sure they don't try to harass you, and to give you the support I can tell you are needing. And you won't have to regret not going; I'm sure if you don't go, knowing you you will regret that." Sighing again, Jack mumbled something in to his leg.
"Pardon?"

"I said of course you know, you know fucking everything, but it doesn't mean it's easy to go..." Pitch rolled his eyes, ignoring the annoyed tone and swearing that he normally disapproved of; well, unless they were being intimate.
"I just want to hide under a rock, and that's kind of where I am now... A warm, soft, comfy, evil gay rock." Pitch couldn't hold back a snicker from that, shaking his head with a small grin.

"I know that my love, but you've been doing that for three days now. Try to look at this from another angle. Use it as an excuse to get some air. Feel the wind in your hair, pretend it's what you're outside to do, and we'll go from there. Now, look at me, would you?" Jack grouchily flopped around to face Pitch's belly, flicking his eyes up to meet the grey gold ones that stared down at him knowingly. The hand that had been in his hair coming to rest on the side of his neck.
"Once this is over with, it will be done, out of the way. You'll have the pride of having faced them instead of the feeling of hiding from them. Everything will be okay, and the thing you could regret will no longer exist. I believe it will be worth it. I promise, Jack. You just have to trust me." Jack's gaze left his again once he'd finished talking, now instead fixated on the exposed grey skin of his hip as the fabric was pulled to the side from the way Pitch sat. He reached out a hand, running his thumb over the protruding bone, before pressing his face into Pitch's shadowed stomach and wrapping his arms around his warm waist underneath the black robe.

"You're probably right..."

"Of course I am." Jack chuckled, the vibrations leaping across Pitch's skin had him holding back his own laugh that threatened to escape from the sensation. Jack suddenly sat up, kissed him chastely on the lips and jumped from the chair, letting the blanket he'd cocooned himself in slip off on to it. He was about to walk past the other man on his way to grab his staff, when said man clicked his tongue.

"Right, right." He turned on his heels and went over to where his comic book was strewn on the floor. Picking it up he closed it, dusting it off before placing it neatly on the small stack of them that he had on the coffee table.
"Happy?"

"Mostly." Jack rolled his eyes, and Pitch smiled at him. In that moment, Jack thought of how crazy the idea of leaving this man because of their past felt, and he almost felt proud of his choices. Before him sat a man who loved him for who he was, a man who Jack loved back in the same way; and even if it was just for a split second, his anxious feelings vanished in the gaze he felt proud to have staring lovingly in to his own.
Sometimes, rules are just too foolish not to be broken.

Jack and Pitch both sat on a Nightmare's back, flying through the sky as they headed for where Pitch guessed the Guardians would be. Jack's arms were tight around Pitch's waist, the side of his face pressed against the other's back. His eyes closed as he tried to stay calm and let the wind on his skin and in his hair sooth him.

"How do you know where they are exactly?"

"There are only a couple of clearings around here that seem suitable for such a ceremony, my guess is it will be the one where there are the ruins of an ancient place of moon worship. It would seem the appropriate place that they would gravitate to, I believe."

"Hmm..."

"Having second thoughts?"

"Coming here was me having second thoughts; or because of it anyway, after you persuaded me..." Pitch chuckled.

"Yes, I suppose you're right." Turning his torso, he reached around to grab Jack's hair and pulled him into a kiss.

"P-Pitch!"

"Stop worrying, Jack, there's no need in letting them cause you pain. You know that. Don't think, alright? I promise, everything will go better than you think." Jack, a blush dusting his cheeks, mumbled something Pitch couldn't quite hear before pulling Pitch back into the kiss.

"I know." Pitch smirked against the other's lips, before turning back around as Jack's hands fell to hips, pressing his forehead between the man's shoulder-blades.
Not much later they were in eye sight of the ruins Pitch had mentioned, and sure enough his guess had been correct. There, surrounded by rather large and very old carved stones, in front of some sort of worn stone table, where all four of the Guardians.
Four. As they use to be, and as they would soon be once more...

"Well would you look at that, I was right. What a surprise. ...So predictable." Pitch commented quietly, as if talking to himself.
They landed not far from the stones, Onyx snorting angrily.
"There there, girl. Stay calm now, we don't want you making a seen." Pitch dismounted her before petting the side of her face and she calmed, but still kept her golden eyes fixated on the Guardians angrily, protective of her master and his mate. Jack placed his hand on the other side of her face once he'd floated down off of her. He took note of how she'd never looked at him that way, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips proudly. The smile turned in to a frown quickly however, when he looked to where her gaze landed. North, his book in hand, with the others standing to his sides. All stared warily between Jack, Pitch and the Nightmare they arrived on. He took a deep breath and began to walk towards them. When he got to the first stones, Bunny spoke, making him stop in his tracks.

"The bloody hell is he doin' here?" Bunny glared, and Jack turned his head to see Pitch walking over to stand beside him.

"I am not here to interfere. This choice is Jack's to make, not my own. I, am only here as a witness." On saying the last part of the sentence, Pitch looked from Bunny to North, knowing they could do nothing to stop someone witnessing the ritual, friend or foe, and North knew it too. As long as he didn't intervene in any way physical or magically corruptive, they weren't allowed to touch him. It was both his right to bear witness and his protection at the time of the ceremony, as it caused a temporary truce of sorts.
Bunny practically growled, but before he could say anything else, North spoke up.

"If Pitch is here as witness, as long as he plays nice, we can not deny his presence at ceremony. He may stay." Pitch held his hands behind his back and turned his face to Jack.

"I'll wait here my love. Go ahead, it will be over before you know it." Jack let out a shaky breath, looking over their faces. Bunny had turned around, his arms were crossed, refusing to face him. Tooth looked close to tears and Sandy looked at him with a sad smile that he was obviously finding hard to keep. North was hard to read, but he looked disappointed more than anything else. And that's probably what Jack found so hard to cope with in that moment. He looked to Pitch, who was looking down at him with a gentle smile; almost proudly, he thought. He felt like asking him if it made him happy that he would no longer be a Guardian, but thought better of the question. Knowing it would only raise questions and doubt, causing more of a problem. This wasn't the place or time. It was something he should have asked before, before even leaving for this place. But then again, perhaps such a question would be foolish to ask no matter when. Perhaps it would hurt Pitch to think Jack was asking that question out of distrust. But, at this point it wasn't out of distrust or fear, but rather curiosity. He had a feeling that, even if Pitch were to deny it, the older man probably liked the idea that Jack would soon no longer belong as a Guardian. But, that would make sense, and Jack didn't believe it to be for any bad reason; it just seemed logical Knowing their past. Yet he decided he would probably ask, at some point in the future. But not now. Right now, he had to stop staling, stop thinking of other things he could do or not do and get this over with. No more running, no more overthinking, no more doubts.
Reaching his hand to grab Pitch's, he gave it a light squees, smiling back, before walking forward and letting go of the warm hand that had accepted his, even with the four pairs of eyes on them.
Now standing in front of North, Jack stared at the book he held; the same book that was read from the day he became a Guardian. The same day they defeated the man he was now in love with. His emotionless stare turned into a glare, something in him feeling nothing but anger for the pages North now flicked through before landing on the one he was looking for. His booming voice then spoke pre-written sentences with Jack's name filling the gaps.

"We are here today, gathered as Guardians of the children of earth, all present and lucid, to sadly remove a member from our ranks." North paused, looking Jack in the eyes.
"Jack Frost, Guardian, bringer of snow and joy, it is our regret to remove your title, if you do not reconsider your choice. To the other Guardians and any witnesses present,-" North glanced at Pitch, turning his attention then back to Jack.
"-please state your case, and if you so desire, take this last moment to reconsider your choice... to leave..." All the Guardians, including Bunnymund, now looked at Jack, awaiting his response with very little hope that he would reconsider. But before he could talk, a certain voice with a British accent spoke up. Jack's expression turned from dread to shock as he looked over at his lover.

Pitch had had an idea,the night prior. Little whispers in the back of his head, talking of power and possibility.

"Surely you're reading from the wrong section, jolly Saint Nick? Either that or you mistake the situation." Jack slowly turned back to North, expecting him to grate out a warning that Pitch was interfering and would have to leave if he said another word. Instead, looking just as shocked as Jack, he asked him to continue. It seemed that witnesses could speak up, within reason.
"You see, you mention his choice to leave; as witness I feel the need to bring up a fact that would prove this unjust, one that I know, and so do all the other attendants... That fact being that he was not given the choice to leave or stay. He was forced to choose between one or the other, through blackmail. And I'm sure that you can all agree, blackmail is not a faire choice." Pitch spoke clear and sure, professional in his effortless speech.
"I believe the part you should be reading is the one where you disagree with a member's life choices, and force them to leave if they don't leave who they love. Is that in there anywhere?"

"What are you talking about..?"

"Mine and Jack's relationship is looked down upon because of who I am and because of our past rivalry; that goes without being said. And it is because of this, that the moon has told you that Jack has to leave me if he wishes to remain a Guardian. But, It's not a real choice if he is being blackmailed. So, with other circumstances weaving in to this, things don't work the same way they would, compared to if Jack truly wanted to leave of his own accord, or if the rule about not being with certain beings was followed by everyone... Blackmail and an invalid rule; those change things."

"Pitch, w-"

"Ah-ah, I haven't finished. Yes, you could argue that there are rules about consorting with ones enemy, potentially putting others and yourself in danger, yada-yada... Meaning you can still technically kick him out... But, there are a couple of lines in that book of yours, that change things. One, is you are trying to pass this off as, as I have already said, Jack leaving willingly without forced motivation. You not being truthful about this brings a clause into action. Page ...three-hundred and eighty one, I believe." Tooth was whispering something to North as Bunny stomped his foot, obviously refraining from his want to attack Pitch. North turned to the page that had been mentioned, and Jack could tell he was reading over it, himself not completely sure of what Pitch was trying to do. Slowly he looked back up to Pitch who then continued.
"Ah, like every law or religion, so many tiny loopholes, so many irregularities. Now now, don't look at me like that. It's your book after all. I'm only making sure you follow it correctly. Rather charitable of me, really." In all truth, Jack felt uneasy about what Pitch was doing. But chose to see what was going to happen, trusting in Pitch, and what he had decided to pull in turn. Tooth hovered over North's shoulder, reading out what Pitch was talking about.

"If a Guardian is to leave their Guardian status behind by faire choice, then they willingly agree to also leave behind any and all advantages they were given with said Guardian status. Going back to how their life was before they were anointed. However, if this was in fact not a faire choice, but due to disability,... blackmail..." At that Pitch smirked, and Jack couldn't help but wonder what the hell he was up to. Could it be that Pitch was actually trying to stop them from removing Jack's status somehow?
"-or other unjust methods forcing them to leave, then the one who's Guardianship is to be removed is owed recompense in the form of the continued possession of their heightened powers gained from their title. No more and no less from the moment before their title is removed... Followed by their reinstatement in certain cases, if they so wish." Jack gasped, looking to Pitch, eventually understanding where this was all heading. Pitch winked at him, a smirk still plastered to his damn clever face, and Jack didn't know if he wanted to slap of kiss him. Probably both.

"W-wait, you mean... This means I get to stay a Guardian?!" Jack shouted out hopefully.

"No... Jack, I am sorry, this is not possible. Jack can not be with Pitch..! He can not be with the enemy and be Guardian." North was now obviously losing his patience; it's not like he actually wanted Jack to leave, but MIM had given him no choice...

"I never said anything about him gaining back his status as Guardian. I'm saying you own him his power if you're forcing him to leave. You are in accordance with your laws if you take his title, but, the powers he has that have been made stronger by it, you can not diminish." Hearing that Jack looked away, an odd ache in his heart.
"And as I thought, you may think what Toothiana has read is not enough, because of past events between us all and how MIM himself has intervened, so lets get to the second problem that only fortifies the right Jack has to his power... Two, there are two other Guardians, yes, here today, that have done something that should have had them in the same situation as Jack. And yet, you were both overlooked. Why is that? Shall we look at page three-hundred and ninety six?"
The Guardians were all huddled around the book now, seeing what he was on about. Tooth gasped then whispered something to Bunny, who then cursed under his breath, as the Sandman looked away, running a hand through his hair in thought. North sighed, beginning to read the section Pitch had called to attention.

"...As a Guardian, being in a relationship with a mortal, or a being who once held or still holds malicious intent towards the Guardians, is forbidden; failure to comply to this rule will bring about a loss of their Guardianship temporarily, or permanently. As a general rule, Guardians must refrain from any relations with mortals or enemies other than that which is deemed necessary."

"Now, If my sources are correct, two other Guardians, standing here today beneath the light of the full moon, have committed the same crime. And yet you ignored those precious times, the two of you lost nothing; but not this time. How convenient..." Pitch was met with stunned silence.
"What? Did you think I would accompany Jack here without being prepared accordingly?"

"The fuck you tryin' ta pull?!"

"If even one Guardian is purposefully overlooked in regards to a rule in the book, then that rule becomes invalid, and can only be put in place for a specific guardian by MIM with a compensation of sorts. That being, taking Jack's title and rights, but leaving him with the extra strengths that go with being a Guardian. With all of these rules and facts, if you continue to insist he leave if he does not leave me, there is no choice, but to leave Jack with what is owed to him. Though perhaps what happened in your past has been forgotten. Should I say who did what?" The Guardians were quiet, exchanging knowing glances. Pitch laughed.
"You all already know! Yet you are okay with throwing Jack out? Because of it being me? How pathetic."

"...Pitch-"

"Read from page four-hundred and seven." North took a deep breath, wondering how Pitch had found out and how much he knew. But turned to the page, as was obligatory, reading the first Paragraph there.

"If any rule becomes invalidated by being purposefully overlooked for even one Guardian, said rule may be reinstated under certain circumstance for a specific Guardian's case, however, it can not take full effect. Either the Guardian's status is to be removed, or their awarded advantages are to be removed. Never both."

"So, in conclusion, you were about to strip Jack Frost of everything he gains from being a Guardian, when he clearly has the right to the extra strength it equips him with seeing the circumstances, as he did not freely choose to leave. And if Jack is to be punished for being with an old enemy to the Guardians and MIM, and two other Guardians who have committed similar acts were never brought to such a trial to face the consequences of their actions, rendering that rule null and void, if Jack is still to be punished, where E. Aster Bunnymund, and Nicholas St. North were not-" Jack's eyes widened, looking between the two men, wondering who had done what.
"-and you insist on his removal from the Guardians, you can not remove his added abilities. Whether you or even MIM like it or not, the only thing you can do, is remove his status. Jack keeps his strength. So read the correct part of that damn book." Pitch practically hissed out the last sentence, a little anger seeping through his composed appearance. The Guardians were silent as the pages were turned one last time. North sighed as he stared down at the correct page.

"So, since it's Pitch I'm with I get kicked out, huh?" Jack glared sadly at the Guardians.
"Guess I'm owed something from it, too, but you obviously don't want to let me keep it..."

"Jack, sweety, please you have to understand...-" Tooth pleaded.

"Understand what? You trust me so little that you were all trying to keep me from my extra powers as well? Just read the fucking thing already..."

"I'm sorry, Jack..." North said quietly, before he read out the correct passage.
"We are here today, gathered as Guardians of the children of earth, all present and lucid, to remove a member from our ranks, due to failure to comply to a rule that has been previously invalidated, and under the current circumstances, reinstated. Jack Frost, Guardian, bringer of snow and joy, it is our regret to remove your title, if you prove guilty. To the other Guardians and any witnesses present, are you in a relationship with Pitch Black, one that you refuse to leave? Please state your case."

"Yes. I am. And yes, I refuse to leave him." Jack's voice was strong and proud, as unwavering as his cold gaze.

"Then, as of now, you are no longer a Guardian; however as recompense for a previously invalidated rule being used against you, you shall keep your advantages." A beam of moonlight suddenly landed on Jack through a hole in one of the ruin's sarsen, and Jack couldn't help but listen out for even just a whisper from the moon.
"It is done..." The light let off, and Jack looked to the ground as he took a deep breath. Before anything else could be said, he turned on his heals and quickly walked towards Pitch. Stopping in front of him, he looked up. A smirk still graced the taller man's face, pleased with himself and the outcome.

"Let's go." Walking past Pitch, Jack didn't look back as Tooth's small voice called to him. He stood to the side of Onyx, his free hand resting on her flank as he waited for Pitch. His lover had watched him walk away, his smirk faltering slightly as he did, then looked back over to the others. He wondered if he should say something more, but decided against it and turned to leave without another word. Once on the Nightmare's back, he placed his hand on Jack's, the boy's hood up as if it could hide him, his face out of site as he looked far away.
"You know, I thought maybe I'd hear something being said to me in that beam of light. A goodbye, sorry; anything..."

"And what did you hear?"

"... Nothing. Nothing at all."

"Are you surprised?"

"No." Jack's hand slid out from under the warmth of Pitch's. For a moment Pitch thought he would fly away on his own, but Jack soon floated up behind him. Pitch nodded as he turned to face forward, and the Nightmare took flight, soon far off the ground as the now four Guardians watched them disappear into the clouds that had suddenly formed above, the air becoming cold and harsh.

When they returned home, Jack went straight to bed without a word. In fact he hadn't said a thing since they'd left the Guardians at the ruins. Pitch decided to let him be for now; after all it was an understandable reaction. He sat on the side of the bed, staring down at him as he slept though. Watched the slow breaths he took, watched his eyes move about beneath close eyelids, wondered what he was dreaming. He stood then, leaving; he was tempted to look into those dreams, but knew they would turn dark if he did. The terrible thing was, that somehow made him want to look even more. And it wouldn't be the first time. But this time around he forced himself to walk away. Forced himself to ignore the itch of want that he had, an itch to make the boy suffer under his hand. That annoying craving in the back of his mind that was barely contained. Jack had been through enough without having to live through more in his sleep; Pitch loved the boy enough that he had control enough for this, at least.

Hours later, and Jack's eyes slowly opened to the empty side of the bed. He stared for a moment at the pillow there; lifted a hand to touch the soft cover. Against his better judgment, he'd actually hoped to see Pitch staring back at him; his wry smile on his lips and burrowing gaze digging it's way in to Jack's heart, ready to tug at the strings that wanted to be told were to go, because he just wasn't sure of what to think right now. What to think of what had happened at those ruins. Jack had wanted to believe, had in a way believed, that he didn't care if what Pitch had done was to help Jack remain a Guardian, or to merely empower him after his fall without a care for Jack's want to stay. It was Pitch's nature; he despised the Guardians and the mere idea of them, and Jack understood and accepted his reasoning. But, Pitch hadn't even tried to convince them to keep Jack in despite knowing it's what he wanted. He'd only seemed interested in the right to the Guardian given powers Jack was able to keep. And Jack thought, hoped, it wouldn't hurt. But it did. He realised that as he walked past the man and towards his stead. Felt it claw at his insides as that secretly clawed hand rested on his. Jack didn't want this to hurt him, wanted to think about the best of the man he loved and how Pitch had helped him. But his guts felt tangled, twisted in some form of ignorant despair. And where was Pitch? Most likely knowing that Jack was unhappy and giving him space he may or may not need, leaving him alone with his thoughts that weren't wanted. He could call out to him, call his name and through the shadows he would be heard and answered. But he refrained. Instead, he turned over, and closed his eyes. Hopefully more sleep would help calm his nerves.
The next time Jack woke up, still alone in the large bed, he forced himself up, made himself leave. He couldn't just sleep forever, it wasn't going to make him feel any better, so he decided to go and play with the human children to clear his head, thinking that seeing Jamie may brighten his mood. So he leaves, just wanting to forget, even if only for a short while.

---

Jack preoccupied himself and tried to forget what may or may not have happened. Kept doing so for days on end. Until he ran in to a Guardian...
He hadn't expected Bunny to be there, wondering around Jack's lake. In a way he was happy; it seemed as if Bunny was waiting for him. And though that may mean lectures about how Pitch was evil and untrustworthy, and how Jack should run as far from him as possible, it could also mean they still saw him the same way as before, still willing to talk to him as the friend and family he wanted to remain, even after what had happened at the ruins.
As he landed on the grass glazed with frost, Bunny turned to look at him. The look in his eyes did nothing to calm his nerves, he seemed surprised, as if he wasn't expecting to see Jack either.

"Jack..."

"Bunny, what are you doing here?"

"Ah... It's nothin'."

"Huh? But-"

"Look kid, I gotta get goin'. I'll... see y'a around." Stomping his foot he called on a tunnel, jumping in before Jack could say another word.
Jack stood there for a moment, confused and a little hurt, before walking over to the flower that had appeared in the other's wake. Lifting his head, he glanced around in the direction Bunny had been looking, but everything seemed as it usually was.

"Avoiding me now, huh? What were you doing here anyways..?"

"Jack?" Nearly jumping out of his skin, Jack turned around to see Pitch standing there.
"My dear, are you alright?"

"Why... do you know why Bunny was here?" Pitch opened his mouth, about to speak, but seemed to change his mind.
"Pitch, did something happen?"

"Nothing you need to worry yourself with, love." Jack regarded him sceptically for a moment, then took a step closer.

"Pitch. Tell me." Letting out an exasperated breath, the tall man rolled his eyes.

"That... friend of yours, saw me and followed me here. I told him to leave me be and he was, as usual, persistent in his ways. So I disappeared out of sight to get him off my back, and then you showed up and he left. As I said, nothing you need to worry over. Now, are you heading home? If so then I can take you if you'd like."

"That's really all that happened?"

"Yes. Now home; or would you rather continue your wondering for another few days?"

"...I-"

"Because that's how long it's been, do you know that? Days." Jack shrunk back as the words came out more and more venomous.

"I'm sorry, I just had allot on my mind, I didn't mean to be gone for that long..."

"Yes, well, you were." Truthfully Jack hadn't even been on his way back, just flying above. But it had, without him realising, been days since he'd been home or even seen Pitch for that matter. He hadn't even talked to him since getting on Onyx's back to return home from the ruins. Feeling guilty, Jack took the hand that was then offered to him, letting the other spirit them away to the lair.

"I'm sorry, Pitch, I hope you weren't worried... It's just-" Pitch only hummed in return, letting go of Jack's hand now they were home, starting to walk away.
"I... I love you."

"I know." Pitch stopped to look at his distressed lover over his shoulder.
"I love you too." As he continued to walk away, Jack sighed, feeling some relief at least at those words.

---

Time went on, a little slowly in the beginning and with a little forced ignorance on Jack's part. But their relationship was pretty much as normal. His relationship with the Guardians however, was tense and distant. All of them, just seemed distant. Part of Jack just didn't want to deal with them, not with what had happened; but on the other end he didn't want to lose his family. So he made an effort to go and see them. But it was awkward, quiet, difficult. They were, so distant. It hurt. And Jack's mood only darkened with the distance. And one day after an encounter with North, he lost his temper with Pitch; and Pitch lost his temper with him.

"Just admit it! You're happy I'm not one of them anymore! Admit this is what you wanted!"

"You have all of your Guardian powers and yet none of the ties! You should be thanking me for what I did for you that day! Not blaming me for how they treat you now!"

"Just say it, Pitch!"

"Fine! You want the obvious truth explained to you like the child you're proving you are? Yes! I'm delighted you're no longer a part of that band of fools! And yes, I did what I did with the result we obtained as my goal! And I won! I have you and your strength, without the embarrassment of being with someone who has the title of Guardian!" Tears started running down Jack's face, his continuous shouting suddenly halted by the surprising amount of agony those words dug in to him. Pitch grabbed his head with both hands, his face coming dangerously close, fangs bared in a snarl that Jack worried may bite into his lips as Pitch continued.
"You're mine now. I did what I did because I wanted you mine, and I wanted you strong. And I would do it all again. But know this, my boy..." The grip on the sides of Jack's head softened, a thumb smoothing across tear stained skin.
"I wouldn't have done it all, if i didn't love you more than anything. You know that don't you? That I love you dearly?" Jack slowly nodded, his wide eyes not leaving Pitch's piercing gaze.
"And oh how I do. I love you so much I dare say it makes me go insane at times..!" Jack was then pulled against the other's chest, a gentle embrace that did nothing to sooth the betrayal and fear he felt.
"If not now, then soon Jack, you'll see what has happened will be for the best, for the both of us."

Jack couldn't sleep that night; he lay awake beside Pitch in their bed, looking over at him every now and then as if expecting the other's eyes to be wide open and staring back. But all he could see was the peaceful face of the man he loved. Yet he felt the stares; the possessiveness radiating off of him like heat from a fire. How were things becoming like this? Everything had been going so well between them. Jack loved Pitch with all his heart and he knew he was loved deeply in return. And yet, the words of love that had come out of his lover before had felt both diluted and foul, as if they'd been tampered with or contaminated. He'd had glimpses of it before, especially in the beginning of their relationship; ignored it as Pitch's impatience, or habits. But this time was far more aggressive, so controlling and lacking in actual love that it had scared Jack to the point where he'd completely ceased his arguing. He hadn't spoken since, worried about muttering a single word, not knowing what Pitch might say next. Jack had never truly been afraid of Pitch, until now. Then again, it didn't feel as though it was really Pitch that he was afraid of. Because Pitch wasn't the one staring him down in the dark as he refused to close his eyes.

---

The days that went by seemed far to long. Jack stayed quiet, often staying in bed even though he hardly slept. Pitch mostly left him alone, but the way Jack seemed to be avoiding him, pretending he wasn't there when he was, after days of this, had eventually gotten to him. And Jack's attempts to not rile him up backfired...

"Jack? ... Are you still refusing to speak to me?!" Jack stood there in front of him, his back turned, his staff the most interesting thing in the room as he stared down at it, his thumb smoothing across the grooves in the wood.
"Look at me damn it!" Slowly, Jack turned his head, even slower he lifted his tired eyes to Pitch's angered face. He didn't know what to do, he was just lost. When he spoke his voice came out quiet and unsure.

"...Sorry, I, I just-"

"Just what?! I've had enough of you moping around and I've had enough of your ignorance towards me!" Jack cringed back, eyes falling to the ground. Pitch advanced on him, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look back up.
"Pay attention to me boy! Why are you still acting like this? After everything I've done for you!" Jack couldn't answer, his mind drawing a blank; he was so tired...
"This is ridiculous... I love you, and you love me too. We shouldn't be arguing like this, now should we?" Jack's brow furrowed, his eyes damp, a hand placing itself on Pitch's jaw. And Pitch's gaze softened, his grip becoming a gentle caress. He lent down, bringing them together in a soft kiss. Jack hummed into it, the sensation familiar and right. But soon poison sank in with the roughness that surfaced; Pitch deepening the kiss, his free hand groping at Jack's behind. Jack pulled back, breaking the kiss.

"P-Pitch, wait..."

"Come on darling, you've hardly let me touch you lately." He tried to kiss him again, but Jack placed both hands on his chest, pushing him back.

"I... I don't want to do it, Pitch. I'm not in the mood..."

"Tch... I'm in the mood; and I want you, not a hand or a damn toy." Forcing their lips together, Pitch griped Jack's shoulders so tightly is hurt. Jack struggled out of the kiss, gasping for air that didn't seem to be around.

"Stop! I'm really not in the mood..! I don't want to have sex!" Then came the hand to his face, the back of it striking him hard against his eye socket. In fact it was so harsh he nearly hit the floor. Tears pooled and his pale hand sat cold on his burning head; Pitch's shouting continued, but it was numbed out by the ringing in his ear and the shock, and worst of all the fear. That sticky, gnawing, grabby fear that broke him in to small pieces. And as he turned back to look at the taller man, vision blurred from either the tears, dread, or that backhand he'd been given, he could just about make out the bright silver eyes that stared at him with pure, beast-like anger and hatred; before he was slammed to the floor by hands that should be gently wiping his tears away. He cried out in surprise and then pain as he came in contact with the stone floor, Pitch's hands going quickly to his waistband to tug at his hoody and pants.

"You belong to me! How dare you even think you're allowed to reject me?! You should learn to do as you're told!" Jack squirmed as his hoody was yanked up to his chest, just managing to flip over on to all fours. But before he could crawl away, he was grabbed by the hair as a second hand forced his pants down around his knees.

"Pi-Pitch, please stop..!"

"Learn your place..." A damp finger was suddenly inside of him, forcing a strangled gasp from his dry throat. He frantically looked around for his staff that had fallen from his grip when Pitch had hit him. Pitch had hit him. Pitch was forcing himself on to him. But everything was moving too quickly. And as he spotted his precious staff to his side, only an arm's reach away, Pitch was already leaning over him. And the fingers were gone, the other's weight heavy on his back, his hips, his head. And, he wouldn't, he'd never. Pitch wouldn't rape him, he wouldn't... he wouldn't, he wouldn't he woul-
"I think, you need to be punished, for your disobedience..!"

"Gah-!" For a moment everything went black, the heat that normally made him feel comfort and pleasure now bursting through his nerves like fire. And already Pitch was moving, caught up in the feeling of Jack around him, as if he was nothing but a toy. Jack's eyes were wide as he stared at the crooked join from wall to floor beyond his staff. Chest pressed to the floor, his nails held to the uneven stones for some form of security as his body was forcibly rocked against them.
He'd trusted him. Made sacrifices for him; and Pitch was raping him...
He didn't want to believe it. The sadness and the pain from the thought alone, was tenfold what the physical pain made him feel.
He went numb, let it happen, gave not a single word or movement more of opposition to what was happening other than the tears that fell.
He could hardly feel the pressure of the scraping of his chest and palms, the crushing of his ribs between the floor and Pitch's hot chest; the stretching and most likely tearing of his insides, and the bite that dug deep in his neck as Pitch eventually stilled deep inside.
Everything was dull and dark. He barley felt it when his cloths were striped off of his limp submitting body; didn't notice he'd been picked up and moved to the bed until his burning skin touched the cool sheets.
Didn't try to stop it when Pitch pushed inside of him for a second round.
He lay there and let it happen, until Pitch had had his fill and was laying beside him, asleep.
His eyes were hot as he felt water run along his cheeks, but made no noise.
Turning over, he lay on his side, back to the other man.

Later, when Pitch woke up, he saw Jack laying at the other side of the bed, curled in on himself and facing the other way. Sitting up, Pitch placed a hand on the other's snow white shoulder.

"Jack, are you awake?" Jack said nothing, turning his face into the pillow as if to hide his open eyes, but not bothering to close them. Pitch sighed.
"Do you insist on continuing to be like this?" There was still no answer, so after a short pause, Pitch huffed and stood to get dressed.
"Fine. I'm going out. We'll talk later." Pitch gave one last glance to Jack's back, still not even getting a look his way, so he left.
Jack lay there for hours before he managed to push himself up, only to stand there for another half hour before he started to walk to the bath.
As his feet touched the water, and as he got in till it was up to his waist, it felt no different to the air on his sticky skin. He started rubbing it away, the stickiness, the faded bruising that would soon disappear completely. He scrubbed at it. Scratched at it with his nails as if trying to get it out of his skin. And when the yellowed marks didn't budge, he eventually broke down in tears, screaming at the top of his lungs. His following sobs echoed loudly off of the surrounding walls, tiles forming mosaics from centuries ago his only witness as he tried to drown out the noise by drowning himself. He sat there under the water, hands tangled in his hair, as dried blood seeped into it. He felt the sudden need to breath, but part of him didn't want it, wanted that need to go away, so he tried to ignore it, but it became more and more insistent. Then he realised, if he drowned, Pitch would be alone. His Pitch, the one that loved him. Not the monster from before. That couldn't have been him, it couldn't. Pitch would never make him do something like that if he didn't want it. Never. He loved him. He loved him, he loved him he loved him he loved him he wanted him to bleed-
Jack gasped in damp air as he surfaced, gulping it down as he held to the sides of the spring. He felt himself coming back to reality, the numbness dissipating with each shaking breath.
Not much later, now dried and fully clothed, Jack was wondering around the tunnels aimlessly when he could hear familiar footsteps coming his way. He kept his head down as they got closer and picked up his own feet, walking right past the dark figure who he could hear stop as he did so. There was another sound, a voice maybe, but he ignored it. Because it wasn't Pitch. It was just a nightmare; just a cruel shadow. So he pretended he was alone as the sounds got louder, refusing to look as he kept on forward, tired and lost and alone. The sounds faded, at some point, and he found himself in a room full of books. So he sat, and he read, without properly taking in anything the book could give. Until the sounds were back; so he tried to concentrate more on the words of fantasy in his grasp.
Pitch saw Jack sat in a chair, reading a book. A few hours ago he'd been wandering a hall, completely ignorant of Pitch's presence there. And as Pitch approached him now, calling his name, a little softer this time, hoping that maybe an apologetic tone may gain him a response, what he got was the same. Third time in a row, Jack refused to acknowledge his presence, ignoring him no matter what he said or how he said it. And Pitch started to get worried. And so Pitch started to get angry. Stomping forward he grabbed the book and threw it to the floor, shouting as he did so. But still Jack said nothing, only staring down at the book with an almost confused, extremely tired expression.

"-Are you even listening to a word I'm saying?! Look at you! How long has it actually been since you slept? You look a mess!" Jack still sat there limp, staring down as if trying to read the open book from where he sat.
"Damn it all! You know what? If you want to ignore me so badly, then I'll make it easy on you!" Pitch spun around and started to leave the way he came.
"If you want to be alone so badly, then be alone..!"
The mumbling shadow had gone now, but Jack didn't bother reaching down to pick up the book, content on just watching it from up high. His limbs just felt too heavy and comfortable where they were, his eyelids also heavy as they finally closed. It was okay, he was safe now; the monster had gone and he could wake up. He was going to wake up, with his lover by his side, petting his hair with that loving smile on his face.

Jack awoke, many hours later, confused at his sore body and odd position. This wasn't his and Pitch's bed...
It took him a moment to realise where he was; the same place he'd fallen asleep in in his dream, before cool darkness enveloped him protectively. But, now he was awake, so why was he here?

"... Pitch?" Standing, he looked around, a feeling of dread slowly burning up to his dampening eyes. He took off running, hurrying through the halls and tunnels, going from one room to the next until he got to their bedroom.
"Pitch? Pitch!" No answer, not even a flicker of movement in the shadows. Nothing. He was just out, he would be back soon, he told himself. He wasn't gone, he couldn't be. The dream couldn't be real. An echo of an old phrase, 'If you want to be alone so badly, then be alone..!', dancing painfully in his mind. He couldn't let himself believe that. Standing in front of a mirror, he let his staff fall to the floor and started yanking his cloths away until he stood there naked, staring at his own body. No marks, nothing. Not a single bite or bruise or scratch or any form of pain could be found. And though it could be it had all healed, he didn't want to think of that, he wanted it to be proof nothing had actually happened. So, he nodded to himself, putting his cloths back on, before he sat on the side of their bed, and waited.
Every now and then he tried calling out to Pitch, hoping to be heard through the shadows, but there never came any form of response. He told himself Pitch must be too busy to rush back; maybe he was even somewhere where he couldn't hear Jack calling for him.
He kept waiting, as minutes turned in to hours, holding back tears he told himself weren't warranted. But sitting still had never been his speciality, and he'd done far too much of that already; so he busied himself with anything he could. Wondering, reading, snoozing, even cleaning. Yet he couldn't bring himself to actually leave the lair. He couldn't. What if when Pitch got back he wasn't there, what if he left again before Jack came home?

---

The hours turned into days and then weeks, in which Jack only left to look just outside the lair before going right back to his waiting, full of despair and loneliness.
And then one day, Jack walked in to the large and distorted cage room, and there he was. Pitch was stood looking up at the empty bars, his hands so characteristically held behind his back. Jack's heart picked up pace, his eyes wide and teary.

"...P-Pitch? You're, you're back..!" Jack ran over to him, smiling wide; he'd been so lonely, so worried that right now he didn't care about anything that may have happened, he just wanted his lover back. But he stopped in his tracks when Pitch turned away from him and started to walk.
"Pitch..? Hey, Pitch!" Jack flew over, landing a few steps in front of him, but Pitch didn't stop, didn't even look at him, his eyes staring at the entrance to a tunnel he was walking towards. Jack moved out of the way just before he was about to be walked into.
"Hey! Don't ignore me like that!" Jack followed alongside him, panic starting to eat it's way back.
"Pitch! Please, I... Just talk to me. Okay? Can we talk, please, Pitch..?" As they got to the tunnel's entrance, shadows waited there and Pitch walked right into them, disappearing once more. Jack fell to his knees, breaking down in tears.
"Pitch, please..." He sobbed to deaf ears, he was sure. But he couldn't stop calling his name. He didn't want to be forgotten by anybody. But Pitch? The thought alone that the one person that he had all the faith in the world in about never forgetting him, the one person who saw him in even his darkest of dreams, was devastating. So he tried not to think that that was what this was. That he was only being ignored. But, with every following encounter, Pitch wouldn't even flinch; he showed no proof that he knew Jack was even there. With each time Jack saw him he became more depressed, he tried less to make Pitch respond; his previous attempts at shouting, pleading, throwing and breaking things, all failing to get him anywhere. There came a point where he was content just being able to see the man's damn face, just watching him for as long as Pitch decided to stay around, until he left for days, or even weeks.
The devastating thought that Pitch had forgotten him, became Jack's nightmarish reality.
Jack stopped sleeping again, started disassociating from reality again. He stopped leaving the lair all together; with no-one left to talk to or support him that he felt he could trust with any of this... He wasn't even sure if he actually existed. So what was the point. He was numb but it also hurt inside; and he thought to himself, maybe if the hurt was on the outside it would show if he was real. If it came in the form of flowing blood. So one day, as he sat on the floor in front of Pitch's globe, he made a small blade out of ice.
He held it to his wrist after pulling up his sleeve, thinking about the last time he'd seen Pitch; it must have been a month ago, the longest he'd been gone since this started. He remembered thinking how handsome he was, standing there as light filtered in from cracks in the walls, falling on him in just the right way. He'd wanted so badly to reach out and touch. But he was too afraid. He didn't want to know what it felt like to have his hand fall through the man he loved, as if Jack was made of smoke. And with that thought came the first sharp cut. Blood beading to the surface, slowly running over his perfect porcelain skin. The crimson became dulled as tears fell down to mix with it, before the second cut dragged into his wrist, this time deeper and more careless...

It had been a month, Pitch thought to himself, a whole month this time. He missed Jack. Why was he doing this? Wasn't this too much? No! He wanted to be alone, didn't he? He was the one ignoring you. And then he has the nerve to tell you not to ignore him? Still... Jack had stopped trying to get his attention. He looked so sad, like he'd given up on the thought that they'd ever speak again. Just following him around, watching him like a lost little ghost starved of everything... The last time, Jack had watched him longingly; he seemed to truly believe Pitch couldn't see him. He wanted Jack to step in front of him again, for him to not move out of the way as he was about to run into him. He wanted to feel him, wanted Jack to know he still saw him, but... Every time he saw the boy, it was like some kind of hate filled him blindly, stopping him from ending this sick game. He didn't hate Jack, he loved him. He'd had enough of this... But, Jack had been so disobedient, he needs to be broken, needs to learn his place!
Birds flew out of a tree as Pitch's fist smashed into the bark. He shook his head, undamaged hand coming to his forehead as he panted. He wanted to see Jack. This wasn't right. He needed to see him at least.
He soon appeared in the lair, in the hallway to the globe room where he could feel Jack's presence. He walked through it and continued on inside. That want to ignore him was back again. But at least if he could catch a glimpse, then-

"Jack..?!" The hate fell from his mind like thick black curtains. Seeing Jack sat on the floor in front of the globe, slicing at his wrist over and over again. Pitch rushed over, calling him, but Jack didn't seem to recognise the sound. Grabbing the smaller man's wrists, a small blade of ice falling from shaking hands, he felt his own eyes dampen.
"Jack! Jack can't you hear me?! Look at me! What are you doing Jack?!" Slowly, reddened eyes looked up at him. Jack looked so... broken. His eyes dead, tears frozen along his cheeks, his lack of emotion turning in to a small smile.

"...Pitch?"

"Yes, it's me Jack, I'm here, I-"

"You... can see me."

"Yes Jack, yes I can..."

"Did I fall asleep? I like this dream; it's... been a while since I had it." Pitch was taken aback. He wasn't expecting him to get like this, not even close. How had this happened? How had he let this happen..?

"N-no, Jack... It's really-"

"I haven't seen you in a while... But I need to wake up, I can't sleep, what if you come back?"

"Jack, listen to me, I am back. I'm right here." Pitch lifted a blood soaked hand to his cheek, pressing it to his skin.
"It's me Jack, not a dream. I'm really here." Jack's eyes widened, fresh tears falling over frozen as a small gasp left his trembling lips. His voice, week and worn, trembled more then than it already had been doing.

"Pitch..! You, you're real? I, I missed you..! I though you'd for-forgotten m-me..."

"Never... I promised you, didn't I? Always and forever. I'll never forget you, Jack. I'm, I'm so sorry... this is... I didn't want this!" Pitch let go of his wrist and hand, pulling Jack into his lap to cradle him there.
"Everything will be okay, I promise..! I love you, my darling I love you more than anything. This will never happen again, never! Do you understand Jack? I'll never do this to you ever again!"

"mmn... I, love you too..." Jack's eyes started to shut, and soon he lost consciousness all together.

"Oh Jack, forgive me, this isn't what I wanted, I don't understand how this happened I'm so sorry! I love you, I've missed you so much! I didn't want this! I'll make it right, love, I promise..!" Pitch held Jack tight to his chest as he held back his own tears, rocking the far too frail thing in his arms. He felt so thin, looked so tired, and there was so much blood that if he hadn't already stopped bleeding Pitch would think he was about to die. If he was still human, he would have been dead before Pitch even got there...
Standing, he carried him to their bed, where he lay him down gently, before leaving to gather what he needed to clean and dress Jack's deep cuts. He may heal quickly, but even a spirit can benefit from a little first aid; especially one as weak as Jack currently was. He could still get an infection or reopen them from moving in his sleep. In a few days they would be gone, but until then, he would make sure they were given all the help and relief he could give.
One thing that tugged at his heart that little bit more, however, was the knowledge that no matter what he did, they were going to scar...

When Jack next opened his eyes, he expected to be on his own, the dream of being seen nothing but that, a dream. So as he slowly sat up, catching sight of Pitch watching him from the lower end of the bed, Jack stared, unmoving, unsure if he was actually awake. And then came that silky voice, gentle and worried; full of uncommon shame.

"Jack... how are you feeling? Are you in any pain?" When Pitch said that, Jack noticed the light throbbing in his wrists, so lifted them up, seeing bandages covering the entirety of his left forearm as well as his right wrist. Placing his hands in his lap, he looked back to the darker toned man.

"It wasn't-it, it wasn't a dream..?" Pitch suddenly stood, making Jack flinch. He walked to Jack's side, before quickly getting to his knees on the floor and taking a pale right hand in his, looking up in to scared eyes.

"No, Jack. It wasn't a dream. I'm here. I'm back and I promise never to leave you again, my love." Kissing his knuckles, he could still smell the metallic scent of blood.
"You, are the most precious thing in this world to me. You are my world, darling. Do you understand that?" Jack sniffled, and Pitch noticed the tears that started to run down his face once more.

"Th-then why..? Why did you... Why did you make me... Was that real? Did you a-actually force yourself on me..? And then... then you left and I thought..! I thought you'd forgotten me!" Jack's voice got louder as his tears flowed ever more quickly, creating new frozen lines like the ones Pitch had gently cleaned from his face not to long ago.

"I... I don't know, I should have never done any of that to you, I know that now! I promise! I'll say it as many times as you need me to, Jack, I won't ever hurt you like that again. I... Every time I was away, I wanted to come back, to apologise and hold you; and yet... Every time I forced myself back here, it was as if I couldn't see what I was doing. Like all of a sudden I would forget how much I missed you, and all I would feel was anger..! But seeing you, like this, it woke me up, Jack. I am sorry this is what it took... But not even my anger could blind me from the fear of loosing you forever." Jack stared down at him, in obvious shock as he stared down in to eyes that shone with far more a golden hue than he was use to seeing.

"You... you were afraid?" Pitch's hands shook slightly against his, those eyes seeming even brighter somehow.
And unbeknownst to them both, the next confirmation would seal another's, something else's, decision; flipping the table for everyone.

"Yes." Jack hissed in pain, pulling his hand out of the other's grip.
"W-what is it? I'm sorry, I'll be more gentle..."

"No... it's, I don't think it was you, you didn't touch it, it just... stung all of a sudden."

"Here, please let me take a look." Pitch held out a hand to ask for Jack's, and he was given it after a short moment of hesitation. Pitch gently began to undo the bandages on his less damaged wrist, so Jack looked away, unwilling to look at what he'd been driven to. Pulling them away, Pitch stared down, confused.
"The... the other, your other arm." Still looking away, Jack moved his left forearm towards the crouched man, who then undid the bandages as he had the other.
"How is this... it's, all healed."

"What? But... it still hurts..." Jack's curiosity took over as he looked down at his wrists. The deep gashes had all disappeared, leaving nothing but scares in place of the worst cuts. Even for spirit standards, the time it had taken was far more than quick. It was as if over a week had passed, not a day. And yet, he still felt every single mark as if it had just happened. Though it would sound insane, part of him was tempted to reach in and tear them all back open. But as he ran fingers over the scares, nails readying a scratch, Pitch grabbed a hold of his hands.

"Jack, my love, you shouldn't mess with them too much. Especially if they still pain you in the same way..."

"Y-yeah... Can you, can you cover them back up? Please?" Pitch nodded, looking over Jack's face. He picked up the bandages and began to wrap them back into place, as Jack looked away again at the most interesting part of the wall that he could find.
Finished with his work, Pitch stood back up.

"Is there anything I can get for you, sweetheart?" Jack didn't answer, looked as if he hadn't actually heard anything. So Pitch reached out and ran the back's of his fingers along cold cheeks.
"Want me to clean this ice away?" Jack turned to look at him this time, with an expression that could only be described as depressed.

"What's the point? It'll only come back..." That tugged at Pitch's heart far too suddenly, and so unexpectedly, that it took a moment for him to move a mere inch, let alone respond.

"J-Jack..." He sat down beside him, pulling the unresisting smaller man into his arms, where he stayed as tears fell and froze to accepting grey skin. Though they didn't remain frozen for long, soon melting against his warmth, they did leave reddened marks where they fell; and Pitch wished they would last much longer than he knew they would.

A little later on, and Jack had fallen back to sleep in Pitch's arms. Slowly he laid him down, not wanting to disturb his long needed rest.
He went up and wondered the human's world, searching for something that may brighten his boy's mood. Finding a book store, he glanced inside, noting the comic books in the left opposite the counter. Walking through shadows in the alleyway beside the old building, he reappeared in the back amongst a section of old and rarely visited books, seeing the coat of dust that lay on the top of the pages. At first all he could think of was what a waist it was to leave these here unread like they were; then, of how stupid the owner must be to not know what a feather duster was or how to use one. But then something caught his eye. Reaching forward, he pulled out a copy of a book he hadn't seen in a long, long time. It was a very old story, one in witch Jack Frost had been mentioned. With Pitch's adoration for spending his otherwise unoccupied time as a being who lived an unaging, unending life, in soaking up storied or all kinds, it was one of the first ways he had ever known of the boy. He smiled to himself; he hadn't thought about this, hadn't even remembered it until now. From what he remembered of the book of true stories, it must have been written by someone who had known the boy when he was a living human, since they were probably able to see him thanks to their memory of him and a belief in ghosts that the stories suggested, seeing how old the original had been, and how the 'spirit of ice and water' Jackson Frost had been portrayed. Jack would like this, to know even then, when he thought he was completely alone and unseen, there was at least one who could see him; someone who remembered his name and thought about him, writing him in to pages to never be completely forgotten. Maybe if Jack saw the author's name he would recognise it, remember them even.
Before leaving, he also grabbed a few comics he thought Jack may enjoy, then headed for a bakery to lift a few treats unnoticed.

When he returned home, he felt confident that what he brought with him would please his lover. What he hadn't expected however, was that when he walked in to their bedroom, Jack would be on the floor in the corner, hugging his knees to his face as he sobbed quietly.

"... Jack?" He spoke gently, perhaps a little too gently as Jack didn't seem to notice. So he walked closer and called him again, a little louder this time. Jack moved slightly, just a twitch, then slowly lifted his hidden face, unsurprisingly fresh with new frozen tears and reddened eyes.

"P-Pitch? I-I thought, I though maybe it wasn't real, or maybe you left a-again..!"

"No, I, I wouldn't leave like that again; I promised you that. And that is a promise I will never break." The corner's of Jack's mouth turned up slightly in a small smile; but then it disappeared as he hissed in pain, gripping his wrist. Pitch went over and sat down on the floor beside him, placing a large paper bag in-front of Jack's feet.
"Try not to worry your wrists too much my dear. Here, look, I've brought you some gifts." Jack let go of his forearm, instead looking around his legs when Pitch stroked his calf with the back of a finger, his head leaning on Pitch's chest as he looked at the brown folded over bag.

"For me..?"

"For you." Lowering his legs to either side of the bag, Jack pulled it closer. He started to unfold the rim, but stopped to look up at his boyfriend.

"I don't like waking up without you there."

"Then, from now on I'll make sure to be here with you whenever you do."

"I don't know what's in here yet, but, I think that's my favourite gift." Pitch wasn't sure what to make of that with the face Jack pulled as he said it, or even if the bag of goodies had been a good idea. But he smiled down non the less. Which was a good idea, seeing as he got a small smile in return. Jack's attention went back to the bag then, and he reached in to pull out a smaller paper bag that contained a chocolate muffin and a few different kinds of cookies. Jack's eyes lit up slightly as he looked inside; after taking an overly large bite out of one of the treats, he placed them to his side to look at what else there was. He smiled down seeing how Pitch actually knew who his favourite red and black anti-hero was, as four of the five comic books were of the comedic bad/good guy. The last item he pulled out, heavy and book shaped, was rapped in brown paper to protect it from any potential stray crumbs. Pulling the parchment away, he read the old worn title.
"The True Tales of Thomas Taylor. Who's that? I've never heard of that author..."

"I was hoping you may recognise his name... A man from a little over three-hundred years ago. Lived in the same place you had all that time ago. And I believe, it was someone who may have known you, Jack. He mentions you." Jack's gaze shot towards Pitch, eyes wide.
"He mentions you as someone he knew, and as a spirit he saw. Someone saw you, Jack, someone believed in you all that time ago. And he wrote it down in that book as one of his true tales. In fact, I believe that's where humans picked up the saying, about you nipping their nose." Pitch chuckled, lifting his hand to poke the tip of Jack's nose as he lent back against the wall.
"I'd forgotten about it; until I saw it in an old second hand section of books, when I went in to a store to find you those comics you like so much. I thought, maybe it would please you, and that perhaps you might remember him. Though I suppose your memory of then is still fuzzy and full of holes..."

"Yeah... But still, this is amazing, I can't believe someone actually saw me and wrote about it..! Maybe if I read it I'll remember something."

"Perhaps so." Pitch smiled, leaning over to kiss Jack on the cheek. He quickly pulled away when he notice how rigid Jack became from the contact.
"Would you... like me to leave you to read in peace?" At that Jack perked up, a worried look on his face.

"No! No.., I'm sorry I just... I'd like it, if you'd stay with me..." Pitch took a moment to look over his expression, then nodded.

"Alright then, my dear. Shall we move from this uncomfortable floor?" Jack smiled with both appreciation and relief as he agreed.
Soon they were sat besides one another on their bed, Pitch's chin resting on the top of Jack's head as it leant against his chest, whilst Jack read and snacked on his food, one of Pitch's arms draped around him. Things seemed to have calmed down, but when Pitch lifted his free hand, aiming to run his fingers through Jack's hair out of habit, Jack flinched harshly, seeing the hand suddenly coming towards his face from the corner of his eye, and at a speed that made him feel he was about to be grabbed or hit. Pitch noticed and placed his hand back down in his own lap.
"Ah... Forgive me for startling you." Jack didn't answer; instead he stared down at the now lowered hand, the comic he'd been reading forgotten in a tight grip.
"... Jack?" Hearing his name, his grip loosened and he blinked away his stupor. Pitch watched as Jack's hand came to rest on his, a shy thumb grazing along a tendon before going underneath his grey fingers.

"Please touch me." A little unsure, Pitch did as he was asked. As Jack removed his hand and leaned more in to Pitch, he slowly placed his hand on the boy's head. He waited a moment, worried to move too quickly for his lover, before starting to run his fingers through his hair. He relaxed when Jack sighed, gripping his black clothing at his chest. Jack truly seemed to be enjoying it, this simple gentle touch. He'd been starved of it after all; they both had. Being alone for so long; being without any form of physical contact for months when the two of them came to be so use to each other's touch everyday. And the last thing Jack had felt from Pitch before he'd grabbed his bleeding wrists, had been painful and cruel... Pitch could hardly even believe that what he had done then was real. He was disgusted in himself to say the least.
At some point Pitch realised Jack had fallen asleep, so he lay him down and pulled up the covers. He wanted to lay there with him, but between the guilt of what he'd caused, and the uncertainty of how Jack would react to it, he decided against it. Choosing instead to place a chair by the bed and sit there, whilst he rested his head on his arms on the sheets, beside Jack. As he started to drift off, he reached out and placed his hand on Jack's stomach, feeling him breath slow and steady. though the position felt awkward, he didn't move from it; he needed to feel him, needed to assure himself his love was okay, at least in some way. So he drifted off with Jack's breath as his lullaby. And his sleep was more peaceful than it had been in a long while.

When Pitch awoke hours later, Jack had turned on his side, his overly tired eyes examining Pitch's waking face.

"Jack... did you not sleep well?"

"I had a nightmare... Couldn't get back to sleep after."

"You should try, you still look so tired." He lifted his hand, running his fingers under Jack's eyes before cupping his cheek.
"What was it about?"

"...I'd rather not talk about it..." Pitch lifted himself into a sitting position, now looking down at Jack with a sad expression.

"Alright then." Removing his hand, Pitch was about to stand when Jack grabbed his wrist.

"W-wait, don't leave..!"

"I wasn't going to go far, it's okay."

"I-I just... Can you touch me some more, first? it might help me sleep..." Pitch's eyes widened in surprise, and then he smiled gently down at him, a soft chuckle in his throat as he nodded.

"Of course, sweetheart." Jack blushed a little and looked away, a smile pulling at his lips.
"Where would you like me to pet you, kitten?" Jack's blush deepened at that, and his smile grew with it, nearly forming a laugh.

"Anywhere is good." Pitch nodded, lifting his hand to place it on Jack's shoulder where he slowly rubbed his thumb in circles.

"Lie on your stomach." Jack did as he was asked, head turned to watch Pitch. The man's large hand ran a feather light touch from shoulder to shoulder blade to neck; and before he knew it, Jack was struggling to keep his eyes open as Pitch's hand caressed his bare back, arms, neck and sides. Over and over, gentle and soothing and loving and perfect.
Once Jack was deep in sleep, Pitch stood and, well, just sort of paced the room. He didn't really know what to do with himself for once.
He was happy Jack had asked to be touched again, it felt like a step in the right direction.
But still, everything just felt so... fucked up and out of place.

---

Over the next few days, Jack continued to have his bad moment and his nearly good moments. Pitch was careful, gentle, quiet, patient. He brought him more gifts and of all different kinds. He made sure he was there whenever Jack woke up, and he would often pet him to sleep. But Jack remained skittish, easily lost in silence and often untrustworthy of Pitch's movements. There were moments that felt nearly like they did before Pitch committed his biggest regrets with his lover; where, when Jack allowed it, they would be pressed together, content in the feeling of their skin touching and hands roaming, needing nothing more but that loving touch and silent promise of love. But then there were the times when Jack just wanted Pitch to move away, wanting nothing more that to just sit far away and watch whatever Pitch then decided to do to try to keep his mind off of Jack. As if Jack wanted to relive his belief that Pitch could no longer see him. Pitch assumed it was a coping mechanism, but didn't quite understand it. Still, he did what Jack wanted; dedicating their time together, which was nearly always, to pleasing Jack as best he could.
There was one day, where Jack was watching, crouched on a table as he observed Pitch pawing through books, trying to find something he'd never read; or at least one he could hardly remember. Pitch's fingers glided over the spines of many kinds of book, but non truly took his fancy. He found it hard now, ignoring his love, pretending he couldn't see him. But it still made him jump when pale fingers landed on his own, pressing them against a book.

"Please, read this one to me?" Pitch turned his head to look at him, the rest of his body remaining stiff. Jack's gaze was on the book, his voice distant though polite and soft. Jack so far hadn't spoken to him when in this state. He would only start to speak again after waking up from the sleep he would fall into once he'd gotten tired of watching Pitch. So the taller man took a moment to answer, making sure to talk just as gently.

"Yes, of course dear." He pulled the book from the shelf, and Jack followed him to a sofa where they both sat quite close together; Jack's choice of course. And Pitch read to him; and Jack fell asleep, leaning on his shoulder.
When Jack woke up, they hadn't moved, his head comfortably pressed into Pitch's neck as the others arm supported him.

"Pitch?"

"Jack... you're awake?"

"Yeah..."

"I'm sorry... Should I move my arm?"

"No, it's okay, I'm comfortable like this."

"Ah, I'm glad." Pitch breathed out a sigh of relief, happy his lack of restraint to want to hold Jack as he slept without him knowing hadn't caused panic.

"I've been thinking; well, wanting to ask something."

"Oh? What is it?" Jack looked at him, unsure.
"You know you can ask me anything, no matter what the question is I promise it's fine."

"Well... Back when, you know... Before?" Pitch nodded.
"When I was calling your name, you never came to me... Could you hear me calling you through the shadows, or not?" Pitch closed his eyes, his body tense as he lent his head back, taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling. And for a moment Jack thought he was angry, until he spoke, and he seemed sad and ashamed.

"You know, I could hear you; every time you called my name I could hear. I wanted to come back, wanted to- to answer and hold you so desperately..."

"Then, why didn't you?"

"I- I don't know." Jack lifted his head to look at him. Pitch's gaze was distant, sad even.

"What about now? If I called you now, would you come to me, do you think?" Pitch's distant eyes were suddenly very focused on Jack's. He sat up strait and for a moment just looked. Jack was serious, and there was no fear there, no emotion whatsoever that he could read at least. So he pulled him into a tight hug, an arm tight around his back and a hand in his messy hair at the back of his head.

"There's nothing in this world that could stop me from finding my way back to you ever again; if you call for me Jack, I'll be there. I promise." Jack began to shake, but before Pitch could pull away, the boy's arms came around him to return the embrace.

"You never break that promise, you hear me Pitch? N-never..!" Jack began to cry, but only held on tighter to Pitch. So, running his fingers along Jack's back, he waited patiently for him to calm down. His own calmness hardly holding on.

Later that day, Pitch carried Jack to their bed, placing him on freshly cleaned sheets. He ran his fingers lightly along his face, his neck, down over his clothed chest, running them in circles there.

"I love you."

"I love you, too." He lent down then, pressing his lips to Jack's cool forehead in a drawn out kiss. Jack reach up to pull Pitch down on top of him, then rolled them over so he lay on top.
"Remember when we were like this, and the Guardians suddenly burst into the room?" Jack said with a hint of humour. Pitch gave a grunt of a laugh at the memory.

"Yes. I don't think I could ever forget." Jack smiled, nodding.

"Tell me, what could you read from me then?"

"In your fear? Well, you were terrified. It was as if the little hints of the fear of them finding out about us that I usually felt from you... suddenly blossomed all at once. It was overwhelming. I hated it."

"You hated it?" Jack looked confused and Pitch smiled up at him.

"I don't like your fear, my love. I never will." Jack's eyes were red and damp as he lifted a hand to Pitch's jaw, rubbing his thumb at the corner of surprisingly soft lips.

"What does it taste like?"

"It's sweet, too sweet. Like the smell of death. A little seems alluring, at first, but then if it gets stronger the realisation of what it is kicks in and it's too much to stand. It turns foul and I want it to go back to smelling sweet, but it won't." Jack actually giggled at that.

"You're such a dork." He shook his head, smiling, before pressing their lips together.
"So you like it when I feel a little hint of fear, then? When it's still just sweet?" Pitch smirked.

"Don't you?" Jack hummed happily in response.
"And for me to feel that hint too. You enjoy it."

"You know me well." Pitch pulled him back into the kiss, testing and slow. He let Jack control it, followed his lead as it became deeper. And then his eyes shot open when he felt Jack rut slowly against his stomach. It felt like he was hard; and that thought and the feeling had Pitch getting hard too. Though he wasn't sure what to do. After all, the last time they'd made love... Well, he couldn't really call it that, now could he. Breaking the kissing, Pitch pushed him up just slightly by his shoulders.

"My love, are you turned on?" Taking one of his hand off of Jack's shoulders, he tentatively trailed it down to oh so gently squees his groin. Jack's eyes never left his, the boy's cheeks tinted red as he made such a pretty little noise of a gasp.

"It's... it's been a while."

"It has..." Pitch pulled his hand away from between Jack's legs, placing it on his hip instead, looking down between them and then back to Jack's eyes.

"Why did you stop? Are you angry..?"

"Wha-no, I just... don't want to repeat anything even remotely similar to... my past mistake... If you want us to continue, you need to tell me, Jack; tell me you want it or I won't touch you." His hands then left Jack's shoulder and hip, surrendered at either side of his pined body almost submissively.

"Y-you, won't?"

"No. You need to tell me. If you don't, then we can maybe just lie here; or... I could leave you alone, if you'd prefer. Or-"

"No, don't leave me alone; please don't stop, Pitch, I want you to take me..! I want it!" Looking up at Jack's blushing face, full of desperation and lust of some form, Pitch still wasn't sure if this was a good idea; but then Jack rutted against him again, this time pressing both of their clothed lengths together. And Pitch's resistance snapped; most of his concern berried with it.

"Fine. If you insist." Dragging Jack back in to a kiss, he pressed up to meet the other's thrusts, and it pulled out a wonderful moan that filled their mouths. He ended the kiss then, only to nibble his way down to his lover's neck, before whispering into Jack's ear.
"I want you to control it, love. Ride me." Moaning again, Jack sat up to undo his pants. He quickly removed them, then sat back on top of Pitch, pushing his hand into his strained trousers. Pitch only just held back a gasp as Jack's hand stroked him and pulled him out, the boy's other hand pressing his fingers against his own tongue. It felt as if everything was going quickly, perhaps a little too so, as Jack pressed his wet finger tips to his behind. But it was okay, because Jack was controlling it, he was choosing what to do with the situation and at what pace they went. So Pitch said nothing as he watched the frost sprite ride his own fingers, eyes closed and mouth agape. And then Jack was placing their bodies together, slowly pressing down. He whined, and Pitch watched with his hands gently placed on Jack's hips; not pressing or guiding, just a soft weight there. Jack seemed to be struggling though, with how long it had been, and the fact he hadn't used any real lube, it wasn't surprising.
"Don't force yourself, sweetheart, I can lube you up a little if you'd like? I don't want you to tear something."

"N-no, it's okay, I'll manage. Just, give me a sec..." Pitch nodded, and after a moment Jack pulled up a little before he sunk back down slowly, taking most of Pitch inside.
"Fuck..."

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, damn, so alright." Pitch chuckled and Jack smirked down at him. He waited there a moment, getting use to it as he slowed his breath, then started to move, slow and steady only for a short time before he sped things up. Pitch started moaning, his hands trailing up underneath his lover's hoodie, holding and stroking his chest. Jack was tight, the quick friction warming him perfectly.
"D-does it feel good, babe?"

"Yes, damn it Jack, you're so perfect..!"

"I -ah… I love you..!"

"I love you too, you're so perfect, so beautiful, my gorgeous boy."

"Fuck, fuck Pitch I want more, want you to fuck me, please!" Pitch's hands came back down to hold Jack's waist before he started thrusting up, following Jack's command. Jack's head lolled back as his perfect sensual sounds got louder, his mouth open and body bouncing in rhythm to Pitch's.
"Yes, yes! Ah, I'm so close!" His hand was on his own dick, hardly needing to stroke himself with how he felt. Hell, with how he felt right then, he would probably be able to cum from the anal alone.

"That's it, don't hold back, cum for me, Jack!" Pitch was slamming up in to him as deep as he could go now, pulling his small body down as he did. Jack could hardly move on his own at this point; he was use to this, Jack unable to keep up his pace when he became like this, so needy, so lustful, so lost in the pleasure he rarely craved. And Pitch watched him closely, always wanting to remember everything, from the face he would pull to the way his body turned to jelly. His erection begging to be touched as it bounced along with him. And then Jack was tightening around him as he came on their bellies with a scream. Pitch stopped his movements, letting Jack's body slope forward and helping him down onto his chest. He was about to pull out, but before he could Jack shifted and then spoke with worry lacing his tired voice.

"Pitch, you're still hard? You didn't cum yet..?"

"...Yes, I didn't but-"

"I thought it felt good... Why didn't you keep going 'till you came?" Pitch sighed.

"It's just, that I didn't want to overdo it. You already came, I didn't want to keep thrusting inside of you when it might be too much… I was… worried you may think I'm using you."

"I want you to cum too, it's not right if it's just me..."

"It's fine; we can stop. You get some rest. I'll go take care of mysel-"

"I want to do more."

"Wha-" Before Pitch could respond, Jack's lips were back on his in a deep kiss. And suddenly Jack was ridding him again. Pitch broke the kiss as his head shot back, pleasure once again vibrating through him, stronger this time after he'd unconsciously denied himself release. Part of him didn't feel right about cumming, not after the last time, mentally blocking him. But with Jack thrusting back and forth, tugging him in and out as he was left still hard and more sensitive, he didn't think any of those thoughts would be able to stop him this time.

"Want your cum in me Pitch, please..!"

"J-Jack, I-"

"Please, please give me what I want! I want you, please don't leave me alone, I'll make you feel good I-I promise, just don't leave, stay with me, m-make me all yours!"

"Jack, Jack... Fuck..." It was hard to think; the way Jack was moving, the way it all felt, the lack of this contact for over a month. Pitch was lost in the pleasure, not completely understanding what was being said, only that it was needy. And then he came, his hands clawing into Jack's thighs, his teeth biting down into the offered neck, stretched out, purposefully vulnerable just for him.
Everything stopped then, everything but their breathing; Jack's was nearly calm as Pitch's was uncharacteristically quick, still lost in the surprise and slightly forceful rush of pleasure he'd been given. After a short moment he realised just how tightly he was holding him in those three spots and let him go, an apology barely audible as he slumped back, panting. With his eyes falling shut, he didn't notice how Jack now sat their on top of him, flaccid, having done what he did only to please Pitch, taking pleasure from only that. If only Pitch hadn't shut his eyes so soon, if he didn't let down his guard, taken aback by Jack's sudden forcefulness. He would have realised, seen how Jack had just used his own body like a toy, a doll, to give Pitch pleasure; to make Pitch stay.
As Pitch fell asleep, Jack watched him, running his hands soothingly across the other's skin like a lullaby; waiting until he seemed deep in his slumber so that he was sure he would stay at least until he woke. But he was tired, and Jack had tired him out even more, and so he would have a good long rest here now that he was asleep. Jack knew this; knew his sleeping habits. Knew his libido, and how after a long sleep he would crave more, more that Jack would now give no matter what, as long as it kept him here, loving Jack, holding Jack, seeing Jack. Staying with Jack. Jack was real, and he would make sure Pitch knew it. Because Pitch was the only one Jack had ever truly loved, and Pitch loved Jack. He was all Jack had left, and he couldn't lose him again. So he would do anything to please him.
He watched Pitch sleep for a moment, before he lay back down on top of him, placing his ear to the other's warm beating chest. He listened, replacing the numbness in his own chest with the sound and the feeling of Pitch's heart against his cheek. He drifted off like this, comfortable, even if something felt off. He was too tired to think what it might be; so the dreams dragged him under. Under, and down. In to the dark.

It was dark. So very dark. He couldn't see a single thing; there was nothing to be heard, or smelt or touched.
Only the warm darkness.
The pleasant warmth, the dark, and then whispers.
Giggling and twisting around him, tormenting, angry, deadly mockeries thrown at someone he couldn't see.
He knew they weren't for him, somehow. And yet he couldn't make heads or tails of the words they said. Their sentences hardly audible or understandable.
Hundreds of tiny voices spitting insults and anger in what he thought must be a foreign tongue, yet he understood on some level.
Following the discontented whispering was distant screaming, too far away to be any louder than the rest, but it still added to the mix that filled his ears only that little bit more.
And then there were whispers, different than the others, louder and louder in his head, only they were not angry like the others.
They sounded soft, luring, gentle; promises of things he didn't know he wanted, whispered by the gentle voice of a little girl he felt he knew.
And then he realised the screams he'd been hearing in the distance, now a sudden loud screeching not to far away, belonged to the one the shadow were angry with.
It was someone he knew, he was sure, though he couldn't quite recall who.
And the voices around him only laughed and spat.
The voices were angry with them.
The shadows were angry with them.
He could make out that it was because the other was insubordinate and weak.
And the shadows couldn't have that.
And even in the dark, where he could see nothing, he felt their eyes on the other's skin.
Warm, gentle, in to his flesh they sank, becoming his own.
And the lingering sense of fear he'd felt was smothered.
And all he could feel,
was the power.

It was hours later, that Jack then woke up beside his squirming lover, trapped, it seemed, in another bad dream. He watched his face as his brow crinkled and sad moans came from his slightly parted lips. Jack frowned as he vaguely remembered his own dream; or at least the way it had made him feel. He felt it should have scared him, have him reacting like Pitch was now; but, it hadn't. He felt... invigorated, in a way. But also... a little different. He brought his hand to Pitch's face after he saw it twitch sideways, as if away from a hand that meant to hurt him. When his palm felt the warmth beneath it, Pitch's eyes shot open, full of fear. And meeting them not to far away, were Jack's. For a moment they just stared at each other as Pitch panted. Until Jack moved back, when he realised his hand had travelled to Pitch's neck, where his fingers had started to tighten. He'd quickly retreated, pulling his hand to his chest, shocked at what he'd just done.

"I..! I-I..." He'd just wanted to wake him up, wanted his nightmare to go away..!

"Jack?" Pitch's voice came out raspy and cautious.

"Pitch, I'm sorry! I must've been half awake still, I-I just wanted to wake you up when I saw you having another nightmare!" Pitch slowly sat up, looking Jack up and down almost warily.

"Are you... alright?"

"Wh- Me?"

"Would you like me to leave? Maybe it was too soon for what we did."

"No, no please don't..! I'm happy we had sex, and after so long... I just, I really was just half awake."

"Even so, you seemed so... angry with me." Taking Pitch's hand, Jack shook his head.

"No, please don't think that. I'm really not. I had a weird dream and was half awake while seeing you have a weird dream, and I guess I was just too tired to understand what was going on?" Pitch's free hand came up to Jack's cheek, then to the back of his neck, pulling him close enough to kiss as he looked between his eyes and lips, sighing.

"Am I going to have to start worrying about being killed in my sleep, Jack? You know, there are much more entertaining things you could be doing to me." Jack looked away with a laugh.

"Is that so?" Pitch hummed, pulling them together. The kiss was short and sweet, and was such from Jack's hand ending up between Pitch's legs, making him pull away in surprise.
"Maybe you should close your eyes again, then?"

"A threat from my deadliest of foes?"

"Oh definitely." Pitch laughed, but turned his head away.

"You don't have to do anything like that, Jack, you know this..."

"But I-"

"-Oh! Darn it, I've just remembered..!" Pitch's eyes widened, his body straightening.
"I- There was something I've been meaning to do. I completely forgot... I'm sorry Jack, I'm afraid I have to leave. I may be gone until bedtime comes back around... First, however, I'm going to go get us something to dri-" Pitch's sentence ended in a startled yell as he was suddenly pushed down and pinned to the bed.

"You lying to me there, Pitch?"

"What- No, I would never!" Jack stared him down with an angry but curious pout.

"You were getting hard under my hand just a second ago, then you make to leave all of a sudden?"

"Jack, please don't think that I'm making an excuse, I actually do have something important I need to attend to."

"What?"

"It's... I would rather not say. But it's nothing you need to worry about, I promise you that."

"Fine, but... Stay, just a little longer? I know you want to do it." Jack smirked, his hand going back to stroking Pitch. The older man moaned, gripping Jack's wrist.

"Wait, J-"

"I want it; please?"

"You really want it that much?" Pitch found it hard to believe, knowing Jack. But at the same time he had been through a lot, and Pitch wanted to please him in any way possible. But then again, after what they'd done before falling asleep, for him to already want sex again, especially if it was anal, was unheard of.
Pitch wasn't sure that he'd ever been so uncertain in his life...

"Whatever you want right now, I want it too." Leaning down to Pitch's ear, Jack whispered to him seductively.
"I could take you down my tight throat; fill my still cum filled ass with you, make you cum some more like I know you're craving. Could let you put a toy in me, to make sure none of it drips out. You could make me wait till you come back home to take it out, and clean me up with your tongue as I sit on your face."

"J-Jack, what's gotten into you..?" Pitch was blushing, and so Jack knew it was working; he was really trying to hold back with all his strength, but Jack would have him giving in. Would show him how much pleasure he was now willing to give.

"I've really missed you touching me, Pitch. Doing it after so long, I can't help but think about you doing it more... Please? Just a little more?" Needy, he needed to be needy.
"Don't make me touch myself on my own, Pitch... please; ...please...?"

"Darn it all, come here!" Pitch pulled him down into a kiss that Jack eagerly accepted.
"If it's truly what you want, then other things can wait." Jack smirked, before taking the man below him into another kiss.

They'd had sex again.
Pitch had done everything the way Jack wanted. Followed every command.
He tried to trust in Jack knowing what he wanted. Tried not to think about how it just didn't seem like him. Wanted nothing but to please him, pamper him, spoil him, coddle him, give him affirmation, give him anything and everything he could ever want.
And he would continue to do so.
And he would try to not think about the fact that his beautiful Jack, may have been changed by what he, his lover, the one he should have been able to trust, had done to him.
He swore to himself, and to Jack as he slept, that he would do everything in his power to heal him.
He swore it on his own existence.

---

A week or so had passed since then. And Pitch kept on giving in to his love's desires. After all, it seemed to bring light back to the boy's eyes. But doing so meant they became hard, quick fucks more than the making love that the sex they'd had previously had been. And if not everyday it was nearly that. But Pitch could keep up easily, and Jack craved it so. So Jack would get what he wanted. He would get that and anything else he could need or want. Because Pitch wanted him to be happy.
What he didn't know, was that Jack was doing it to make Pitch happy, to make him want to stay; to reinforce the idea that Pitch would never leave him again, and to assure himself that he is real and Pitch knows it, through giving him the pleasure, the pleasure that his King had taken by force in the past that was still so close and fresh in their minds...

Waking up before Jack, Pitch watched him sleeping peacefully, his hand travelling down to the other's where he ran his fingers on a soft palm. Pulling that pale hand towards his lips, Pitch kissed the boy's knuckles, working his way to his smooth wrist- his once smooth wrist now scared with cruel, sad lines... He paused there, on the raised marks somehow even lighter than the skin on which they sat. Pitch's eyes were closed, breathing in Jack's sent in a deep breath. Trying to not remember that smooth skin, trying to pretend these had always been there, because they would now, always, be there. To never let him forget.

"Pitch?" came a tired voice. Pitch opened his eyes, placing one last kiss on Jack's wrist before he looked at his lover, still holding his hand. Jack looked at their hands, then to the spot on his wrist that Pitch had kissed. He stared at his scares, a look of pain coming over his face.
"You know, they still sting, sometimes."

"Ah... Forgive me." Pitch placed the boy's hand back down on the mattress, but before he could pull his own hand away, Jack grabbed on to it.

"No, please don't take that the wrong way. I like it when you hold my hand; like feeling your lips there..." Leaning down, in response to that, Pitch kissed his palm, his lips lingering there as they both relished in the sensation.

"I'm sorry; so sorry."

"I know." Jack cupped his chin, pulling him up in to a gentle kiss.
"So am I." Pitch wasn't sure what Jack was apologising for, but he didn't get to ask as he was pulled in to another kiss;
and then another,
and another...

---

Another week or so later, the constant sex felt like the norm. If Jack wanted it, Jack would get it. Pitch was, or course, happy to oblige. Jack seemed a little... happier. It felt as if things were looking up, even if only in a minor way.
They both left their home, going outside together for the first time in what felt like an eternity. It was nice. And as they walked, Jack said of how he would like to go to see one of his friends. Pitch smiled at him, telling him he would be waiting for him at home. So, Jack flew away smiling, though holding tight to his sleeves hiding his new secret. However, when he returned, he seemed melancholic, and wouldn't talk about any of what had occurred; instead asking to be left alone as he entered the library.
There were times he would leave, and return stoic. On rare occasion he'd return with a small smile. But more and more as time went on, he returned wordless, with a mix of lonesome sadness and anger in his eyes. Pitch imagined the Guardians were remaining mostly distant, probably more so than in the beginning; he had no doubt they still cared for Jack, but they probably didn't know how to deal with this situation; perhaps they were not even allowed to give him much notice...
After a while, Jack went back to staying inside, going out less and less.
And one day, Pitch got an answer he had not expected, from a question he wondered if he should have ever asked...

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"If there was, hypothetically, a way for you to become a Guardian of some kind, again, would you take it? After everything, with you and I, with the current Guardians, what would you choose to do?" Pitch wanted him to be happy. Would do anything to give him back what he'd discarded if it meant bringing him the smallest joy.

"No way. After how those bastards threw me out? And with how you made it so I could keep all the power it gave me? What's the point?"

"Yes... I, suppose you're right." Pitch wanted Jack to be back to his normal self. He'd thought the thought alone of the possibility of becoming a Guardian once again, would help; perhaps the idea that Pitch wanted to help him achieve it if he wanted it back would. But it served only to show how he'd already changed...

"Besides, thinking that I was ever one of them to begin with is embarrassing." He laughed, an odd look on his face.
"Fuck them and their shit!" Jack waltzed over to Pitch, gave him a peck on the cheek, and began to walk away towards a door.
Pitch watched him leave, lost for words; his eyes, golden, and worried.
Unwilling to admit to himself that he was watching every movement instinctively and carefully.
Watching bits of Jack fall away.
And then, Jack was gone.
And Pitch suddenly felt...

Alone.

.

---

End of vol.2

---

-Coming in 2020-2021, beginning of vol.3, the last part of the series, possibly the longest, and placed after both previous volumes.

I hope you like this oneshot prequel to my 3 volume BlackIce story! Sorry it took so long to finish, I got a little stuck on a couple of things and it ended up being a lot longer than I was expecting hahaha 8'D
And I know I said it should be out before the beginning of February, but because of multiple personal and work issues I just wasn't able to finish the proof-reading/last edits till now. But alas, here it is!

Don't know if it could get taken down for the mature content, wasn't sure what to do with that content for this site... But this story is also on my AO3 account ( Psychological_Chocolate), and things from now on will be uploaded and updated there before on here. So if ever anything happens to this account or any of my stories then you can read my stuff (apart from my uploads from before I started my first BlackIce fanfic) there.

I'd love to know what you all think, so please do leave a comment, as long as they're clear and faire they can help me know what you like and don't like and can help me improve, and they really inspire me too!
Thanks so much for your support and for reading!