Warning: Implied sex.

A/N: This fic has finally come to an end I hope that you've all enjoyed it.


Before

Not a second had passed since the nightmare king had vanished from sight, the guardians carefully began to manoeuver the child they had become to see as their own. He was almost limp in their arms as the moved him into the sledge to take him home.

Other than the rush of wind and the occasional noises from the reindeers, it was silent in the sleigh as the elders couldn't help but sneaking covert glances at their youngest member. It worried them that he appeared to not notice them as he was too far entrapped within his own thoughts of hate and loss. Jack was completely unable to fathom how it was that those who were slowly becoming like a family to him could turn against the only person who had his best interests at heart. How could they send him away so easily without even waiting to hear the full story?

If anything, that hurt him more than anything else in his life. The betrayal.

They didn't understand him or his past, no matter how much the claimed otherwise. Though they had been around much longer than him and thus should hold a wider variety of knowledge that what Jack did. Yet there was one thing he was certain of that the others seemed to be overlooking and so he spoke it, shocking the guardians who didn't see it coming, "Fear is needed."

The way he said it should have left no room for arguments as he words sung with certainty of which he drew from past experiences. That didn't stop them from challenging him as they thought they knew better.

"Frostbite, Pitch gives children nightmares," Bunny told him, speaking down to him as though he was nothing more than a naïve child, "he works to unravel all the work that we do."

"No!" Ice spread threateningly from his feet and across the sleigh as snow battered them in the air, making it dangerous to fly, "Can you even imagine a world without fear?"

Tooth fluttered nervously towards him as the wind seemed to be forcing her away, "That's what we are doing, sweet tooth," she told him soothingly, "It would create a world where children would have nothing to be afraid of. Nothing would be able to hurt them in the way that fear does. They would be free to have fun, Jack, fun!"

Every instinct screamed for him to back away from the approaching fairy, but something even stronger forced him to step even closer to her, "Fear, that's what keeps them safe." Though he had wanted to pause to let it sink in, it looked instead that they were going to speak over him without listening to him. So instead he continued before they had the chance to interrupt him. "If they are not afraid then they would be forever running headfirst into danger at every turn without a single thought as to how it could harm them or those around them." He paused to try and calm his erratic breathing as memories flooded his mind. During his mortal life he had made so many mistakes that threatened them around him before he learnt that lesson, and then again as he relearnt it in his immortal life. Thankfully, he had somehow found the magical words that made the guardians listen to him. They recoiled for just a second at his words, but when they didn't find the fear that they were expecting to feel, their chose instead to keep pushing on.

"He brings pain and fear, not safety!" Tooth demanded as she willed him to understand, hatred bubbled up just below the surface as she remember how he stole her fairies and she imagined the nightmares he brought to billions of children.

She told him the truth she believed, told him of the nightmares that the children suffered and in return Jack stood firm as she told him that regardless of them, they were the safest that they had ever been. That fear kept them inside and far away from anything that could cause them any harm. "At the end of the day," he muttered darkly, "Fun is more dangerous than fear."

With that he jumped to his feet before any of them could react and jumped from the sleigh for the wind to catch him, ignoring the confusion and hatred that he left in his wake.


Eyes widened as the intruding silhouette entered the carved room as though he owned the place. He would never forget that outline; he had ensured it was scorched into his brain.

"What are you doing here?" Pitch snapped as he rose slightly from his chair before stiffly moving towards the younger spirit.

Knowing without a doubt that the shade wouldn't hurt him, Jack walked calmly towards him, rolling his eyes as he did so, "Where else would I possible be?" He laughed as he comfortable fitted himself into his lovers' arms.

As he was cuddling close to him, he felt the exact moment where the nightmare king allowed himself to relax around him, "I thought that they would never let you go. That or you wouldn't want to leave them."

He didn't have to elaborate on who 'they' were; it was obvious to both of them that he was talking about the Guardians. They were talking about the ones that Jack had wholeheartedly believed would understand where he was coming from.

"They did try to keep me from leaving, they didn't understand. They wouldn't listen to anything I had to say." He leaded back slightly as the arms tightened around him just for him to see how one dark eyebrow curved upwards in question. "I tried so hard to make them understand how necessary fear truly is if you want people to stay safe."

His face vanished as he burrowed it into the other immortal's chest, embarrassed and downtrodden by the fact that he had failed once more when it come to the people he cared about. However, he wasn't given enough time for those thought to properly spread their icy hold within his mind as warm lips crushed his own.

At first his eyes snapped open, shocked at the spontaneous and unexpected action, because though they had kissed before it had never held so much heat and emotion. It wasn't until he realised the strength of his own emotions that he melted into strong arms, allowing his eyes to flutter shut. He freely gave over all control to his short-lived enemy and long-time friend, trusting him in a way he had almost forgotten. A new, strange yet not bad feeling began to pool in the teen's gut as Pitch's tongue brushed against his lips pleading for attention and entrance.

In a rush of love and lust Jack is quick to respond enthusiastically to his advances, pushing him back demandingly until he hits the nightmare king's throne, where he stumbles awkwardly onto his lap when the shade quickly sits.

"Jack…" Pitch started, his voice breathily.

Knowing where he would go with the thought, the youngest guardian interrupted him, "I want you."

Time seemed to pause around them and the surprise was almost tangible in the air, but it's not long before they were back to kissing as though nothing had interrupted them. The only difference was that their hands became more adventurous as they explored every inch of the other's body, memorising everything they could touch. It didn't take them long to start peeling off each other's clothes, where they fell in a crumpled heap on the floor around them.

Pitch paused for a second and final time to check if the boy truly wanted what he said he did and to check if he himself was willing to give it. No hesitation or uncertainty was seen and so he plunged straight in.


The two outcasts were curled together as they came down from the pleasure and shadows protectively hugged their bodies. Unfortunately, they were only allowed a few blissful moments together to bask in their mutual satisfaction before the formidable guardians burst into the nightmare king's lair.

Because of his tired and happy state, it took him an embarrassingly long amount of time for Jack to take in their threatening forms and his naked body. If he was still alive, blood would have rushed to his face, painting it a rather telling crimson. Instead ice had that job as it stained his cheeks a pale blue. Before he really had a chance to reach for his clothes or think of another way to protect his modesty, Pitch was already pulling him closer allowing the shadows to curl closer around him, covering all that was bare.

"I do hope that you have a good reason for being here without consent." The shade said in a tone that Jack wished he would never have to hear again. It spoke of darkness, hurt and hatred.

The Pooka was quick to growl and raise him boomerangs as he stepped forward, "We're here to rescue the kid from you. Again."

A small slither of hope had been slowly growing inside Jack's lanky form that he could bring his lover and new friends together. Now thought that home withered away inside him as he saw that that would be an almost impossibly option now.

Across the room Bunny flinched back as he felt the hope die and doubt flitted through his eyes as he focused properly on the winter spirit. This was unnoticed though as was how both Aster and North went to talk as Jack rushed ahead to speak confidently to Pitch, "Bring fear back," he demanded, "Maybe then they will finally understand the necessity of it. They refused to before, but maybe they will now."

Neither of the lover noticed how their guests halted their conversations in favour of watching their interactions. They also failed to notice how they began to inch the slightest bit closer part in threat, part in curiosity as the shade closed his eyes so that he could focus fully on sending his nightmares out as far as he could reach.

Even if the older guardians weren't keeping their sense open they were still able to feel as balance returned to the world, a balance that they didn't even realise was knocked off course. It only then dawned on them that that must have been how he had known that something was wrong. He was a winter spirit and so he would make sense that he would be able to sense the Earth's balance so much clearer than they would ever be able to. They should have listened to him from the start, but instead they had been so quick to accuse.

Fear once more flooded through the teen with it's true power as the nightmare king collapsed where he sat, too exhausted to keep himself upright. "Do you now see why fear is so important?" He asked the intruders while his eyes stayed fixed on his partner.

He couldn't begin to think of what he was meant to do. If they were to attach Pitch, he wouldn't be able to protect him completely while he was in this state. For once he wasn't afraid to admit how terrified he truly was.

Luckily though he had nothing to fear as though North slowly made him way towards them, he took every effort to appear as unthreatening as he could. In any other situation it would almost be funny. "Come here, Jack. Ve Vill help him. You vere right and ve will listen if you still care to further enlighten us."

Shocked icy pools snapped up to the man who one day could become an almost father-like figure to him and a tentative smile crossed his face as he allowed North to take Pitch to make sure that he was okay even as it went against his ever instinct. It was then that he once again realised their nakedness and as such an icy blush spread across his cheeks as he quickly fumbled around to collect and put on his clothing. What he didn't forget though was his partner's nudity as he –with North's reluctant help- wrapped him up in his long coat, promising silently to dress him properly once he had the chance.

As he passed Bunny, the Pooka laid a hand on the teen's shoulder, stopping him for just a moment. "I may not trust the bugger, especially after what he did to my people, there is a very long way to go until that can even be a possibility. But you obviously trust him, so for right now that's enough for me, mate. But if he ever does anything to hurt you, or make you unhappy in anyway, tell me and I'll be right there to help you as much as you want me to. Got it, Snowflake?"

Jack ginned up at him, "Got it, Cottontail."


~*-*~The End~*-*~

A/N: And that's it, though if you head over to my AO3 account you will find this posted as a one-shot on there with all the beautiful smut that has been cut from this version included.

Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through this it means so much to me