A/N: Woa, thanks for all the reviews, I'm happy you liked the previous chapter! :D
Several days later Jack had made up his mind. No matter how badly he longed for contact he would keep a distance to the guardians. Too big was his fear of aggravating them. Seeing them every couple of years would be better than having them fed up with him because he bugged them with his presence. Rare contact was better than none at all. He would just go on with his life and look forward to those meetings. Enjoy spending time with Jamie and his friends. Maybe he could even get some more believers.
Deciding that he had wallowed in worries and doubts for far too long the white-haired boy headed for the Bennett's house to surprise his first believer. Theoretically it was spring already but he took the occasion to bless Burgess with one last snow day.
Spending time with Jamie and Co. had been fun. The kids had a blast when he created hundreds of snowballs for the biggest snowball fight the town had ever seen.
He helped them building snowmen, taller than himself, freezed the windows of cars and drew all kinds of animals on them which he let come to life with his magic.
Soon more children started believing in him, not many but he was happy about every single one who could finally see him and didn't walk through him anymore.
But he couldn't play with them all day, as much as he liked that. After all, he was the spirit of winter and had to control snow, blizzards and coldness around the world. He couldn't just drop his responsibilities to have fun. Even if it sounded tempting.
And most important of all, his season had come to an end now. Spring was spreading over Burgess and if he didn't back off then Mother Nature wouldn't be happy about it. You didn't want to get in trouble with Mother Nature.
Weeks had passed since the victory party at the North Pole.
Jack hadn't seen any of the guardians since then, except Sandy's dreamsand or Tooth's little fairies at night.
Slowly but surely the temperatures were rising and while he could still deal with it he prefered to roam colder areas of the world. When the nights were cool enough for his liking he would come back and sit on his favourite tree, gazing at the stars until he fell asleep.
He dreamed of dolphins, snowball fights and ice-skating with his little sister, smiling in his sleep as golden swirls of sand engulfed him. Up in the sky the sandman smiled down at the teenager, always making sure he had pleasant dreams.
By now it was almost two months after the Nightmare King's defeat. Jack wondered when he would see the other guardians again or if they missed him.
"Pffff," he snorted in reply to his own question, "for sure they can't live a second more without me."
A half-hearted chuckle was soon followed by a grim expression on the frost boy's face.
"Do they even want to see me again or are they glad they don't have to deal with me anymore…?"
Ugh, how he hated to fall back into those moods, but it seemd he couldn't fight the invisible force pulling him into the abyss of fear and doubts.
He groaned and cursed his own mind as the wind blew harsher around him, trying to get his attention.
"Huh? What-"
Sapphire blue eyes widened as he noticed the aurora borealis shining in green and purple waves of light in the sky.
"Something happened." he stated matter-of-factly.
During their celebration party he had been told that the northern lights were a sign for the Guardians to gather at Santoff Clausen. Without further hesitation Jack called his oldest friend.
"Wind, to the North Pole, as fast as possible!"
"What's going on? Did Pitch come back? Are the children still believing? Is-"
"Woa, woa, mate, calm down!"
Bunny raised his arms to emphasize his words as the winter teen blurted out one question after another as soon as he had entered the globe room.
The boy looked around and noticed all of his comrades sitting on red velvet sofas and chairs, holding mugs of eggnog in their hands. A tug on his trouser leg alerted him of an elf who was offering him a drink as well.
Surely they wouldn't sit here calm and relaxed if an evil force threatened the world. But if so, they were more hard-nosed than he had thought.
"Uhm, does anyone care to tell me what this is all about?" he asked eventually.
"We have something to discuss, Jack, it's about you."
North's booming voice made the youngest guardian pull his staff to his chest and grab it just a little tighter.
Had he already done something wrong? He couldn't remember what that could have been but the worry kept gnawing at his mind.
"Me?"
"Which part of 'It's about you' didn't ya understand, Frostbite?" Bunny retorted in a light-hearted way.
Jack however didn't catch that and instantly sensed anger where none was, making him wince visibly. Hopefully noone had noticed it.
Glancing at the worried faces staring at him prooved him otherwise. Damn.
"Jack, are you alright?" Tooth spoke up for the first time since he had arrived.
The worry in her voice was evident to everyone.
"Uh, sure, everything fine." he said with a fake smile but couldn't keep himself from nervously shifting from one foot to the other.
Before more confused looks could have been exchanged Sandy left the comfort of the sofa and flew towards the white-haired teen. Floating behind him and putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder he smiled warmly at him. Jack subconsciously leaned into the touch and returned the smile weakly.
Sand images formed over the little golden man's head, a snowflake, an arrow and then he pointed at the couch in front of them. Jack understood the message and slowly made his way towards it and sat down on the soft velvet cushions with Sandy doing the same. North was sitting on a big armchair while Bunny and Tooth were occupying one of two sofas. There was still space next to them but Jack rather chose the empty second one.
For a moment none of them knew what to do or say and hoped one of the others would break the awkward silence hanging in the room.
Even the Easter Bunny who easily got impatient with people's antics, especially Jack's, couldn't suppress the nagging feeling that something serious was bothering their newest teammember. He had never seen him so…introvertive as he sat there fiddling around with his staff, posture as stiff as the piece of wood itself, not looking any of them in the eye.
All of a sudden North stood up, obviously thinking that acting cheery and stomping towards the winter spirit would solve the tensed athmosphere.
"Now Jack, we have something important to-"
He immediately halted in his tracks, mere meters away from the boy, as he saw him flinching at his abrupt approach.
"Crickey, mate, ye're actin' like a deer in the headlights! What's the matter?"
Tooth, despite being honestly worried as well, couldn't hide a small grin at the apparent worry in Bunny's voice.
As she saw the insecure look on Jack's face she couldn't keep herself sitting on the couch anymore either and fluttered towards the empty space next to him. The teen had developed a weird fascination with the floor and didn't divert his gaze from it. A delicate arm was wrapped around his shoulders and once more he leaned into the touch.
Having everyone stare at him didn't help to make him feel more comfortable though.
"Sorry, guys, I just…I'm sorry for whatever I did, didn't wanna upset anyone."
Confused expressions were exchanged among the Guardians and North, as usual, was the first to speak up.
"What do you mean, Jack?"
The spirit of winter intensified the grip on his staff and kept his focus on the pattern of the carpet at his feet.
"You haven't talked to me since we defeated Pitch two months ago so I guess the reason why you suddenly called me here is because I must have…done something?"
Another moment of silence followed before North closed the last meters of distance between them, this time calmer and slower than he did only minutes ago.
The big man knelt down to be on eye-level with Jack and gently lifted the boy's chin with one of his beefy fingers.
"Jack…there is nothing to worry about. There is nothing you did wrong. We are sorry we didn't contact you sooner, but fixing damages boogeyman caused took a lot of time. Is not that we didn't want you around, is just duties that kept us busy."
Finally sapphire blue eyes looked up and there was a glint of hope in them.
North took that weak sign of improvement as opportunity to get back on the original topic.
"Now reason why we need to talk is, do you have home?"
"W-what?"
"A home mate, where do you live?" Bunny explained with more patience than anyone would have expected from him.
"Oh…well, mainly at the lake in Burgess…I usually sleep in the trees there…but during spring and summer I rather stay in Antarctica, found a few nice ice caves there, so…."
He sheepishly rubbed his neck as he realized how pathetic that must have sounded. Tooth lived in a glorious palace, Bunny in his paradise-like Warren, Sandy in a golden castle made of dreamsand and North in his huge workshop. And what did he have to show? Trees and caves. That was impressive for sure.
"Well, would you like to stay here then?"
The question nearly knocked him off the couch.
"Excuse me?" he asked dumbfoundedly.
North's only reaction was a warm smile directed at him.
"I-I…."
A hundred thoughts ran through his mind all at once. This was his chance to escape the loneliness which had kept him hostage for the last 300 years. He wouldn't have to be on his own anymore. But what if he messed up again? What would happen if North got fed up with him and threw him out? Wasn't that bound to happen sooner or later? And yet, he couldn't and didn't want to run away from the first people who ever became his friends. He had to give it a try, a careful one.
"I don't know about staying here permanently, it might get too much for the yetis."
For the first time that day there was a hint of his usual humor in both his tone and his expression.
"But I'd like to visit more often, if that's alright."
Jack looked up hopefully and North let out a hearty laugh, followed by a pat on the winter teen's knee.
"Then we have deal! Now come on, there's surprise for you!"
Curiosity immediately switched off any worry and doubt that was left inside of him.
"What is it?"
"If I told you, it wouldn't be surprise!"
"Awww, come on!"
Bunny, Tooth and Sandy smiled knowingly while the big Russian winked at him.
"Just follow me and you'll see."
"Is this really necessary?" Jack whined and motioned to the blindfold made of dreamsand which covered his eyes.
Tooth held one of his hands in hers and safely guided him to their destination.
"For the 7th time, yes it is, so stop complainin', Frostbite."
Bunny's patience had officially quit and gone on holiday by now.
"We're here!" a familiar Russian voice bellowed.
"Finally…." the pooka muttered. "One more complaint and I'd thrown him outta the window."
"You wouldn't have managed that even with me being blind, kangaroo."
"Oh really, there's only one way to-"
"Enough!"
Everyone was silenced by the Guardian of Wonder and Jack sighed in relief when Sandy was allowed to remove the blindfold. It quickly dissolved and after blinking a few times to get readjusted to the light the first thing he noticed was a white wooden door right in front of him.
A door with a snowflake engraved into it.
He looked at North questioningly and once more, the big man smiled at him.
"Go on, open it."
Jack did as he was told and slowly opened the door, but nothing could have prepared him for what he was about to see.
For a moment he just stood there, mouth and eyes wide open before he further stepped into the room.
"Is that…mine?" Jack asked to make sure he really got it right.
He couldn't believe it, it was too good to be true.
"Yes, all yours now, my boy." North said gentler than usual.
Jack continued wandering around the room, his room, while the others watched him with equally delighted smiles on their faces.
There were three big windows right in front of him, almost covering a whole wall, with light blue cushions covering their seats. In the center of the room was a big comfy looking bed with blue sheets. Its frame was made of white wood, just like a wardrobe on the left and a desk and chair on the right side. Next to it stood a tall shelf of the same colour with a few books, snowglobes and toys. The murals on the walls resembled a winter forest. A bright blue sky behind a snow-covered ground and birches with snowflakes in different sizes all around them.
It was so well-painted that he wondered if it had been Bunny's work.
They really wanted him around. No wonder it had taken them so long to contact him, this room must have taken a lot of effort to decorate, every single detail was chosen to match his element. He felt guilty for having doubts concerning their loyality now.
"Wow…." was all he managed to say.
"You like it?"
"I LOVE it!" he suddenly blurted out and looked so happy that it made the old Russian's heart soar.
Never would he have expected to be hugged by the smaller spirit the next moment, though. He smiled and returned the hug, careful not to crush the boy with his strenght.
"Thanks…really…thank you." Jack muttered into the thick fabric of North's sweater.
For the sake of his pride he hoped that noone saw the tears of joy running down his cheeks as he clung to the big man. In moments like these it became painfully clear how badly he had longed for any kind of physical contact.
North rubbed his back soothingly and kept smiling.
"You're very welcome, Jack. We are family now, and family is forever."
A/N: Last quote is shamelessly stolen from "Dolphin Tale" because I love that movie and it just fits so well.
Originally I didn't wanna jump on the bandwagon sbout Jack getting a room at Santoff Clausen but it just seemed like a good way to end this story. And proove him that he's indeed welcome at North's place. ^^
