A.N.:: HEYYYYYY... GUYYYSSSS...

i know i know i'm sorry i've been gone i'm such a terrible person kill me now OTL

look, i've had school and senior project and jesus i havent updated this since December

to be fair, i wrote most of it down and everything (on my phone again btw) but when i reached the end parts i just couldn't figure out how to write the rest. i'm not a writer guys. i just spit stuff on paper and make it look pretty.

to be honest, i come up with 21398138921 stories at a time in my head but due to the issue stated above they never get written crycrycry

anyway all i can say is sorry for the wait. but i haven't abandoned this!

here's your next chapter already you hungry hooligans

this one is a bit more... not as cute i guess, kind of serious and would be classified as hurt/comfort maybe? but it has a cute ending so n_n

um please excuse typing issues. i only read over the completed thing twice, once like when i finished it and once just now. remember, i wrote this whole thing on my phone.

anyway, i'll ramble more at the end of this. for now, onto the story.

Frosty Feet. ch2: Cheer Up

Summer was drawing to a close at last as the days dipped into those of September, and as the colder weather began to peek out of its slumber, the spirit of Winter began to grow restless.

This was Jacks first real winter as a Guardian. Not much of a change in reality, but it seemed to have made him much more spirited when he summoned the autumn breezes and morning frosts. He tried to make every cold morning both a relief from the formerly blazing days of Summer, as well as a view pleasing to the eye.

After he had finished his run for the moment, his eager attitude returned. He wanted something to do, something to help with. Anything! Whenever he got bored these days, he had taken to checking up on his fellow Guardians to see if they required assistance in any way, quite the contrary to his somewhat socially-awkward position he was stuck in just a while ago. It wasn't too odd to do so, either; ever since the five worked together to collect teeth and restore the children's belief in Tooth, they had taken quite a liking to trying out other stuff every now and then. Usually it was Jack who did this, due to how serious the others took their jobs because, while they enjoyed it as much as he, they either hadn't the time to spare or the determination and trust that the job wouldn't be messed up, at least a little.

Jack was gliding along with the aid of the breeze as he contemplated where he would go today. He considered North's place first; he wasn't necessarily the most... Constructive when it came to building things like toys and machines for the kids, but North always found him something to do, like help restock their supplies or provide him with the ice for his sculpting hobby. But the Guardian of Wonder was immediately disqualified from Jack's thoughts as he recalled what happened the last time he tried to help out. It was about two weeks ago, and the poor boy had 'accidentally' frozen half the yetis and their projects in progress. Meant as a small innocent prank, of course, but with 'the big day' approaching, North was a little more on edge and his temper was significantly less tolerable than when the winter spirit had first met him. Let's just say Jack wasn't allowed back in for a while.

There was the Sandman, but that was virtually unnecessary. Sandy had all of the potential himself to take complete care of all the dreams he granted to the children of the world. What could Jack really contribute anyway? The power of controlling dreams would be required of the boy, which was pretty impossible unless Sandy gave him a jar of Dream Sand to sprinkle on kids faces or something. It was the same reason no one could help Jack with his own duty; the power was needed, and it couldn't really be shared.

There was Bunnymund next. Jack pondered this for quite a while, but every time he had asked to help out, the bunny would get noticeably defensive, despite his polite refusal. Jack partially wondered if it was due to what happened last Easter, with Pitch. Sure, the danger was gone and they were safe, but it's possible the Guardian of Hope just needed time to rebuild his confidence on his own. After all, it had taken the biggest toll on Bunnymund, more than the rest of them. Jack wasn't about to interfere with his friend, not until he was ready.

That left Tooth.

Jack's heart immediately increased its pace as it jumped a bit in happiness. It was always a pleasure to see the multicolored fairy. To see the way her eyes lit up when she found she had a visitor, or the way her pink lips graced her beautiful face with a giggling smile whenever he would tell her a joke. Whenever she would hug him lightly in greeting, ask him how he was doing and find interest in every single detail when he told her how his day was. How she beamed at him eagerly whenever he offered to help her for the day. She was so nice and kind-hearted, playful and beautiful.

She was so... Tooth.

Without another thought the winter spirit set the wind's course for the Tooth Palace, a bit of a spark in his gliding as he looked forward to spending time with the Guardian of Memories.

It's pretty clear that his affection for the Tooth Fairy was no longer a secret. To his own mind, of course - no way he would tell anyone else, not yet. But ever since the moment in his home several weeks ago, he had discovered that maybe, just maybe, he felt something toward her, something more than friendship. He wasn't really sure, not completely. He had no memory of feeling this way toward anyone else, so he wasn't necessarily sure if he had assumed that this was some sort of romantic feeling or not. Not that he had a problem with it if it was, of course.

But he was about to kiss her. So, that must have meant something.

He didn't really find the urge to pursue his feelings, to be honest. This was nice, right here. Being friends, spending as much time together as possible, laughing together, playing around together. It was right where he wanted to be right now.

Within a little while, he reached the marvelous palace hidden high upon the mountain, overlooking the beautiful lands just below. Jack flew up there, landing nimbly on the marble flooring of the nearest tower. Thousands of miniature tooth fairies were buzzing about, the sounds of their shuffling wings and speedy chirps echoing all around. They hadn't taken immediate notice to Jack, which he had silently been thankful for. They always caused a huge scene, throwing their duties off track as they would pay immediate attention to him, swooning and 'fan-girling' over him. It was cute, really, but it would tend to annoy poor Tooth, who would start scolding them to get back on schedule before they waste too much time.

At the moment, there was no sight of Tooth, and Jack raised a brow in confusion. She was always here whenever he would visit, always working and working, giving commands to the smaller fairies as they flew in and out bearing teeth and gifts. But she wasn't here at the moment, it seemed.

Confused and somewhat concerned, Jack glanced around to make sure he didn't simply pass her. As he did, he caught sight of the ravine that lead down to the small grove with the pond and the mural. Deciding to check there he jumped down, silently breathing a sigh of relief that none of the busy fairies had seen him.

He landed on a slope closely surrounded by earthy walls, and he calmly walked along the path, knowing full well that it would lead him to the clearing. He had considered calling out to her, but moments later, he didn't need to.

At the end of his path was a drop that overlooked the grove below. Despite the high elevation with which this palace resided, plants and flowers and trees all seemed to grow with ease. The grove was surrounded by lightly colored rocky walls clad with overgrown roots and vines. On the far end from where he stood was the aforementioned mural, representing Tooth and several children offering their teeth to her. Most of the grove was taken up by a pond whose silvery surface reflected it's surroundings nicely. Nearest to where Jack stood and along the right wall was where there was ground. He recalled his area clearly; he hadn't been here that much after the confrontation with Pitch in this very Palace, but he admired it so much that he memorized the area easily.

The bird-like woman whom he had been searching for was, as he guessed, here in the grove. She was fluttering around in circles over the pond, as if she were dancing. The movements were familiar to Jack, yet this time the movements were significantly slower than he had once seen, and a lot more graceful. The light above shone on her translucent feathers just right, their multiple colors creating a prism-stained sheen that seemed to change color with every movement she made. Her reflection in the water just below sent off even more glittering, some of which occasionally bounced of the walls in a similar effect that would come from sequins reflecting light. She seemed to light the entire grove up.

Heh, Jack thought lightly as he crouched down from where he stood, hugging his staff to him. She really does dance when she's bored.

He smiled to himself as he watched her twirl around the clearing, hovering low enough for the plume gracing her waste to graze against the surface of the pond every so often, sending off ripples among the placid silver. He wondered how often she just took the time out of her day to go somewhere like this and just put on a magnificent performance like that, just for fun. It was amazing. He hadn't seen her dance ever since the day back at his loft, and honestly, Jack had missed the sight of it more than he thought.

His playful nature had begun to surface itself, and Jack considered revealing his presence and joining her with her dancing. Just as soon as the thought arrived, though, Tooth's movements slowed until they ceased and she came to a halt with her back facing where the Guardian of Fun had been watching. Hovering above the pond, she looked up at her mural before letting out an audible and clearly crestfallen sigh. The sorrowful sound of it threw Jack off a bit; he hadn't heard Tooth sound that upset ever since Pitch had captured all of her fairies on that fateful day. Again he felt the urge to make himself known, yet it was stronger now that he felt the need to comfort his friend. But before he could do anything, she did something else that made his heart skip a beat.

Tooth started to sing.

A foreign song - to him, at least. He couldn't understand the language. It sounded like a melancholy tune, as it was low and emotional, almost as if it were a requiem. But it was slow and calm, and Man in the Moon, was it beautiful. Her voice rung out softly, gently echoing among the close walls of the grove in the prettiest way possible. He had never heard anything like it before.

The breathtaking scene had rendered the Winter fable ultimately speechless - something that was pretty damn rare. He found himself, once again, staring at her, lost in the sheer magical beauty that she radiated flawlessly. That affection from before began to surge through him once more, and his heart beat increased notably. Her perfect personality, voice, smile. She would never cease to amaze him like this, to find new ways to make him love her.

...Love?

No, no, no. Slow down. That word was too strong. He couldn't love her, he had just met her months ago, right? He didn't even know what love was! There's no way he could be in love with her.

Right?

With an irritated shake of his head, Jack violently suppressed the thoughts straight from his mind, putting them off for contemplation at a /way/ later date. There was no way he was going to hurt his head with more frustratingly conflicting thoughts. Rather, he returned his attention to her as he listened to her singing, savoring every delicate note that emit from her lips.

Much too soon, the song ended and the grove grew silent once more. Even from where he was he could see the girl lower her head and look down, and her colorful feathers seemed to press flat somberly. Why was she so upset? The way she looked now seemed as if she was in mourning over something. The thought of her melody being that of a requiem returned to his contemplation. Did something happen?

At the thought, he stood quickly - but quietly - and, composing himself, he called out to her seemingly obliviously. "Tooth?"

He watched her reaction closely. She gasped in surprise, spinning about to face where her friends voice had come from. "Jack!" she returned, her voice immediately taking on a pseudo-happy tone as she caught sight of the white haired boy. Jack hopped down to the ground below the ledge, and Tooth fluttered over, hovering just in front of him. "It's so nice to see you!" she went on cheerfully, but Jack could see her sadness still glazed across her eyes. When he didn't immediately respond, her expression then took on more of an embarrassingly anxious one, glancing away and brushing her feathers around her ear nervously. "Uh, how long have you been here?" she asked with a small voice as she hesitated in meeting his gaze.

The Winter spirit took note of her clear concern over the thought of someone catching her like that. Why would she worry? There's nothing to be embarrassed about. She's beautiful. Besides, she danced in front of him before. He guessed the reason for her worry must be about her singing. She never did tell him that singing was another hobby of hers, after all. She must be cautious about her voice.

Voice of an angel.

Or it could be about whatever was making her sad. He acted quickly, the thought of embarrassing Tooth being the last thing he wanted. He didn't necessarily intend to admit that he was /gawking/ over her, either, unless the situation called for him to do so. While he wasn't prepared to confess his currently unexplainable infatuation with her, he still wanted to help her feel better at any cost. "Just got here," he answered casually with a shrug, but he made a point to lace his voice with caring concern for his friend. "Tooth, are you all right? You look upset."

Her demeanor dropped notably and she glanced downward, brow furrowing. "I, uh..." her voice was so small and un-Tooth-like that it nearly sent Jack into a frenzy, the urge to fight off whatever had been torturing her emotions nearly taking over.

"I'm just..." she went on reluctantly as she continually kept her eyes away from his. "I'm just thinking about... stuff. It's not a big deal."

"Hey." Jack's persistent voice was soft and caring as he placed his free hand gently on her shoulder. This made Tooth look back up to him, and there was no hiding the tears that lined the bottom of her eyes. He felt his heart clench slightly; he hated seeing anyone this upset. Especially Tooth.

Their gazes remained locked for a minute, before she finally let out a sigh of defeat and lowered her head. "I don't have a very good past," she answered at last, her voice nearly as soft as a whisper. "And today is an... anniversary, I guess. A day of remembrance for something that happened to me in my former life." She cleared her throat, then looked back up to him, a sad smile pulling at her lips. "Thanks, Jack. But I'm not... Ready. To talk about it, I mean."

Jack kept his icy eyes glued to her as she spoke, never taking them away. She looked so sad... He wished there was something he could do to take her pain away.

"Tooth," he said with a voice radiating with determination, something his face had reflected clearly: brows lowered, eyes sharp, lips traced in a firm line. "If... If there is anything I can do..."

"I know, honey." She cut him off, her smile turning into a genuine, thankful grin, clearly not wanting him to go through any more pent up rage than he needed to for her sake. She reached up and rested her hand on his own that was still holding her shoulder. "I know."

His expression softened immediately at this. Tooth clearly seemed to trust him so much. He wasn't entirely sure, but now that he thought about it, something told him that even after all of the years she spent as an immortal, she had not confessed her past - or at least how negatively it affected her - to anyone. The way she spoke to him now, with reluctance, yes, but that hint of reliance all the same, and the clear relief that now seemed to beam from her very being almost physically, Jack could tell that she trusted him. She hadn't told him yet, but she trusted him enough to do so, one day. And just the mere thought sent the most pleasant wave of warmth through his heart.

He gave her his signature smile that revealed his pure white teeth, something that always made her eyes light up on the spot. He pulled her into an affectionate embrace, one that she followed suit upon gladly, her own arms sliding up to rest around his shoulders. He could feel her relax in his grasp, her tense demeanor falling away immediately.

For several moments they remained there in each others arms. Part of Jack wanted to stay here forever. All of his uncomfortable feelings were demolished right then and there. This was past his own personal conflict concerning his feelings for Tooth. She needed him, here, now. She needed his comforting presence. To Hell with awkwardness, and his lack of experience when it came to this personal physical contact. If he embarrassed himself by becoming flustered in her presence, then who cares. So long as she knows he is there for her, no matter what.

After a while, a thought arrived in his mind, and with it a mischievous grin painted itself upon his face. What better way for the Guardian of Fun to cheer a dear friend of his up? "You know what'll make you feel better?" he asked, pulling his head back enough to look her in the eyes, which were now void of all tears by now.

"Hmm?" Tooth's brow raised in curiosity upon noticing his smirk for the first time.

His hands reached for her own and, still smiling, he rotated their position to where he walked backward and directly into the pond. Tooth noticed this and immediately tensed, expecting the boy in front of her to fall into the water, but she relaxed as she realized the surface froze upon contact with his bare feet, the ice spreading from his footfalls to each corner of the pond, twisting in their usual, beautiful feathery pattern.

Once in the middle of the pond, which was now successfully covered in a thick layer of solid ice, Jack pulled her closer. One hand kept hold on her own, while his other moved to her waist. The fairy tried in vain to suppress the blush that had invaded her cheeks at the sudden close proximity that she found herself in with the boy, but she did not protest against his action, especially since he had offered a wink and a grin, a way to show her to trust him. Then, by his lead, the two began to twirl gradually around the frozen lake. Tooth knew he was attempting a sort of 'ballroom dance', so she ignored his evident clumsiness with his feet. After all, he still knew next to nothing about dancing, let alone something as intricate and formal as this, but he was doing this for her. He was making a fool of himself, for her.

The ice Guardian had long since broken into a light fit of chuckles, however, knowing how silly the two of them must look. Tooth soon joined in the laughter. For several minutes the two of them danced among the icey dance floor, gradually getting a bit better at their footing, yet still having fun and making jest all the while. Jack would nearly trip, and as he would catch himself he'd crack an amusing comment, to which Tooth would giggle in return. It was the highlight of both of their days; primarily Tooth's, of course.

After a while the two retired to the edge of the grove, exhausted, and spent what felt like hours doing nothing but talking, like they would usually do. It was when the sky had darkened completely when Tooth finally said that she had to get back to work.

"So soon?" Jack complained teasingly, knowing full well that his friend had to get back to work. He got to his feet, offering Tooth a hand to help her up, which she took gladly.

After she offered a soft giggle, she spoke again, her voice significantly softer than moment before. "Jack?"

The light, feathery hum of her voice, combined with the now happy glow of her beautiful magenta eyes, all had him staring with a flutter stirring in his chest. His affection returned ten fold an he had to refrain from pulling her into a tight embrace and confessing his feelings. "Yeah?" he managed to say, luckily keeping his voice calm and void of any nervousness.

She did not answer with words. Rather, with a twitch of her wings, she stood as tall as she could on the tips of her toes and placed a kiss on his left cheek, light as a butterfly.

His cold cheeks lit up as red as North's nose and as warm as the sun in such a short amount of time, it was surely record breaking. Jack's eyes flew open an he froze, unsure of what to do. Did she seriously just kiss him? On the cheek? How is he going to respond? Did she mean to do that? Why is his face so warm?

As soon as she had done it, she had pulled away and, with a small, shy smile, she had taken flight and fluttered out of the grove before Jack could say anything. The dumbfound Guardian of Fun was left standing there, one hand on his cheek, his brain still trying to process hat had just happened. In a moment of realization, however, a smile began to tug at the corner of his mouth, and before long, a grin had painted itself on his face from ear to ear. She kissed him. Tooth kissed him. Now feeling a whole new world of energy surge through his form, the boy let out a triumphant call as he summoned the wind and launched himself into the air, gliding out of the grove and following the late Summer breeze. He felt his heart pumping a mile a minute, and he couldn't stop grinning.

Looks like he managed to cheer the both of them up.

A.N.:: Fun fact: This was completed on my last day of highschool.

So, yeah... i have an idea for the next chapter, but i have no idea how to approach it, or how it's gonna turn up. but it will not be a disappointment, don't you worry.

..ihope

but that may take a while as well, soooooo dont hold your breath. i promise it will be done though! hopefully sooner than this one, i might add...

i wanna give a huge THANK YOU to all you lovely people who faved, followed, and reviewed this story. it means so much, more than you think, and i really am sorry it took me forever to get my arse in gear and finish this stupid chapter. thanks for hanging in there!

catch ya later!