TITLE CHANGE. (Previously known as "The Frosty Air Over Burgess"...sorry) enjoy anyway
The trip to the North Pole didn't register in Jack's mind. His thoughts were elsewhere and he didn't care enough to remember that he was in for a huge lecture from North. All he could think about was who he left behind in that giant, lonely Ice Palace. Jack wanted to run off again, and very well could. Just get out of that workshop, away from the noise and blinding lights and fly back to the Palace. Run up to Jamie's room as fast as the wind could carry him and apologize for being the worst person in the world. Then he'd throw his arms around the brunette's body again, take in his comforting warmth and just stay like that forever. Maybe Jamie would understand if Jack had a chance to properly explain himself. Maybe he would forgive him. Maybe he'd let Jack finish what almost happened the last time they embraced.
Jack shook his head. The uncertain result of that plan made the Guardian cringe. He loved taking chances, living life to the fullest and being outrageous… but when it came to Jamie, Jack felt like every action toward him needed to be thought through and analyzed to produce the most comforting outcome. He owed that much to him. After all Jamie had been through, Jack knew he didn't want to risk hurting him again by doing something unpredictable.
The Guardian reasoned that it was because of this cautious approach that he didn't kiss Jamie. It was only in the middle of the act, caught up in the intoxicating warmth of Jamie's breath, did Jack realize how sudden the gesture really was. Jamie hadn't attempted to stop him, but how could Jack know if he was really okay with it? So Jack was almost thankful for the distraction to stop him before he could do something he might regret. He needed to slow things down. The last time the two were together, Jamie was a kid. Who's to say he feels the same way for Jack now? The Guardian decided it was too soon to start anything romantic with him.
Romantic. Jack felt odd when the word ran through his head. When had he suddenly decided that what he felt for Jamie was romantic in any way? Jack racked his brain; there had to be a logical explanation. But he'd known Jamie through his entire childhood. Shouldn't his feelings be categorized as pedophilia?
No. Jack found himself blushing. There was something different. A week ago, when Jack finally spotted Jamie for the first time in years his heart just stopped. The Guardian had to double-take to confirm that the teenager in front of him really was the boy he'd known for so long. Jamie's hair had grown out and the fringe on his forehead nearly covered his eyes. His face held its identifiable features, but each one had grown and shaped into a nearly flawless design. Jack almost wished he could get a closer look to admire Jamie's big amber eyes and catch the glint the sun blessed them with. He always thought the brunette had been cute, but was it really fair that Jamie had grown up so gorgeously?
Oh, but then Jack began following Jamie around, discovering new quirks and traits he had obtained over the years Jack missed. It was extremely difficult to follow him because for the first time in his Guardian life, Jack had to willingly hide himself from human sight. So he took to the trees, mostly. Hiding in their branches and making as little noise as possible as he observed Jamie go about his daily life.
Jack found himself falling in love with the way Jamie would twist a few of his longer stands of hair in his fingers while he spaced out. The agitated twirling of his pencil while he was doing his homework, the subconscious flipping of hair out of his eyes. Jamie spent a lot of time lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling and listening to music into the late hours of the night. Jack wondered what he could be thinking about for so long and soon found himself just staring at the brunette through the closed window. Counting each tap of Jamie's foot as the music overtook the teenager's entire body. Jack liked the way the brunette's chest would rise and fall, the shirt he wore fitting perfectly and outlining his thin frame with each breath. He liked it when Jamie's eyebrows would knit together, how he'd bite his lip as his thoughts wandered into serious territory.
Although the Jamie he saw through that window was the same Jamie Jack had watched over as a kid, they seemed so incredibly different. And Jack couldn't help but fall for the more mature version of Jamie he had discovered.
"Oi." Bunnymund's voice had snapped Jack back to the present. "Look alive, wouldja? You've been staring off into space for a while. It's kinda creeping me out." They'd entered the North Pole. An elf had led them up to the workshop and instructed them to stay put while he went to get the man in charge.
"Have I?" Jack blinked. "Sorry."
The rabbit shrugged off his apology. There was silence for a while before Bunny spoke again. "Not to… um, bring up a touchy subject again, but… Why did you follow that kid around for a week?"
It was Jack's turn to shrug. "Like I said; I just wanted to see how he was doing without us."
"And?"
"It… it was pretty bad…as you saw."
"Oh." The rabbit's ears had fallen.
"Yeah… Uh, there was just… something about him… like, he didn't talk much, but I… I could definitely tell he was… like, festering something, …you know? I dunno he just seemed so angry all the time… Like he was just building up everything and he just… took it out on himself…"
Bunnymund let out a sigh. "Yeah, well, that's teenagers for ya'. Trust me, I've seen a lot of kids grow up to be angsty little devils."
Jack thought about that. "…Why do they turn out that way? I mean, Jamie… He used to be so happy all the time…"
"That's just part of growing up." The rabbit offered. "Life's hard on kids, once they lose faith in us."
"But that's the thing," Jack shook his head. "Jamie still… believed in us. Like, he knew we existed. In fact I don't think he could get us off his mind."
"There's a difference between knowing something exists and believing in it, you know." Bunny explained. "I mean, maybe Jamie knew we were real, but he just didn't have any faith in us returning to him."
Jack didn't comment; he knew his fellow Guardian was right. "…Why did we do this to him, Bunny?"
The rabbit let out a sigh. "I know, I didn't like it any more than you did. But we had to. MiM's orders."
"But we're supposed to protect children." Jack ran a hand over his tired face. "What we did to Jamie just hurt him. We went against everything the Guardians stand for just to see what all the years of torture would do to him?"
Bunnymund didn't have a chance to reply as the sound of double doors opening interrupted their conversation.
"Bunny! You got him!" Came the booming voice of Saint North. Jack kept his gaze unfocused and didn't bother covering his apathetic expression.
"Yeah," Bunnymund replied. "He wasn't that hard to get here, actually."
North turned to the winter spirit with a slightly amused expression. "Oh, you finally cooperating?" When Jack offered a small glare in response, the Russian simply laughed. "Good! Then maybe you listen to me one time, yes?"
"Where's Tooth?" Jack didn't bother responding to North's statement and decided to divert the conversation.
"At Tooth Palace." The Christmas spirit answered. "But that does not matter. She is too busy for silly matters like this—now! Jack, follow me!" North turned, extending an arm to signal his fellow Guardian to obey.
"Why? Can't you just yell at me here?" Jack asked bitterly.
North turned to him. "Who said I am going to yell at you?"
"Haven't I disobeyed orders?" The younger Guardian's tongue spat sarcasm. "Why don't you just lecture me now and get it over with."
North offered a shocked expression at his sudden attitude. Jack hadn't acted this rebellious since before he was a Guardian. "I—"
"In fact, don't. I already know what you're going to say: 'Jack!'" The winter spirit put his hands on his hips, sticking his chest out and imitating the elder Guardian in an exaggerated Russian accent. "'What you did was no good! Man in Moon said wait until eight years! You have dishonored Guardians! Shame on you, shame. On Naughty List forever!'"
Bunnymund held back a snort. "Oh god, you really are just a bloody kid, aren't ya'?"
Jack offered his middle finger in response to the rabbit then crossed his arms at North. "Well don't bother trying to make me feel ashamed. What I did was fine. I honestly don't think the Moon minds if I'm a few weeks early."
"But that is not point!" North exclaimed. "You disobeyed Man in Moon! He knows much more than us. What you did upset whole plan!"
"How so?!"
"He said wait until Jamie is eighteen. Until he is adult."
Jack let out an exasperated laugh. "What difference does one week make?!"
North threw up his hands in frustration. "It could make world of difference! Do you know how much could happen in week? Now we never know because you took him away too early!"
"You know he made that decision years ago?!" Jack spat. "Jamie was a kid when the Moon decided he was 'destined' for something. Do you know how much could happen in seven years?"
"Man in Moon said he needed growing!"
"Yeah, and he also said Jamie had the potential to become an Essence."
"You don't believe so?"
"No, actually." Jack announced. "Honestly, Jamie has changed so much, it almost scares me. If the Man in the Moon saw anything in Jamie before, it's long gone by now."
North stared at Jack for a moment, at the serious expression on his face. He eventually let out a sigh and attempted to salvage the conversation. "You do not know that, Jack. Perhaps he needed to change to become worthy—"
"No!" Jack interrupted. "North, if the Man in the Moon is right, and he does become an Essence, then that means Jamie will have to die." His grave emphasis on the word set a dark mood in the room. "Hasn't this already crossed your minds? The only way to become an Essence of something is to first lose your mortality. Do either of you remember dying? How painful, and dark, and lonely it was? I will not let Jamie go through the same pain I did. I won't let him become an Essence. And I don't care if I have to defy God himself if it means saving Jamie from that torture."
Neither North nor Bunnymund dared respond to that declaration. It wasn't until North let his shoulders relax was there any noise in the room.
"Fine." The Russian gave in. "I'll make you deal. We give you one week with him. And if what you say is true; if Jamie really does not have potential, we give up."
Jack's attitude lightened at the offer.
"But I warn you, Jack," North still held a stern expression. "Man in Moon knows many things. He saw something great in all Essences. And he has never been wrong in choosing any of us."
The winter spirit liked to avoid that truth, but nodded solemnly at the agreement. "Understood…" He muttered. "Now, if you'd excuse me," He gave a small, ironic bow. "I've got a kid that needs protecting." Jack gave a small tap of his staff on the floor, causing frost to immediately cover the surface. He turned his back on the two and looked over his shoulder. "That is our job, isn't it?" He glared at his fellow Guardians as they avoided his gaze with guilty expressions. Jack gave a small scoff before taking a quick leap into the air. He was more than relieved to allow the wind to carry him out of the workshop and out to the sky as fast as it could.
hey lets pretend that i know what im talking about and lets not get angry at me for writing "Essence" because like what the fuck are they actually called before they're guardians like srsly wow what was i supposed to do.
oh and im sorry that im probably wrong about that thing you think is incorrect yeah i know im wrong just shhhhh. (if you don't notice, dont worry please omfg.)
CHAPTER 6 AWWWWW YIS.
oh and i just ordered the entire book series of the Guardians of Childhood on amazon so like. idk when im gonna write more because i'll be too busy crying over these books.