Only a couple of chapters left!
On a warm day in earlier spring, a spring spirit is ignoring his holiday work in preparation of a very special event.
Bunny was a little cross at the bonding ceremony. The day before, at exactly twelve in the afternoon, Jack had been tugged away by a compromised version of human traditions.
Bunny still couldn't understand that seeing his future mate would bring bad luck. Using that logic, as soon as he had proposed to Jack they should have been torn apart until the ceremony!
But today was the day when Jack will be his, and no one will want to come between his precious Jack and himself. IF someone did, there was a shit storm of claws, fur, snow, and ice that would change their mind. With that reassuring thought Bunny knocked on North's door.
North had volunteered to help prepare Bunny while Tooth got Jack ready. Sandy was already at the ceremony site to greet guests.
The Groundhog was banned from attending, as well as Pitch, but a fairly large crowd would be there anyway. Bunny knew a lot of people from his years of being on Earth and Jack quickly meet some new faces when he became a guardian. Around eighty people came in all.
The Pookan tradition they were following dictated that they separate the two families for peace of mind. The tradition started with nobles that were marrying to end feuds, to keep rivals from starting a brawl.
This meant that even though Jack had a smaller group, the area allowed was about even. So Aster suggested they group by season, preventing fights between spirits of opposite seasons. Jack claimed all winter and fall spirits while Aster was content with his spring and summer spirits.
Everything had come together in a grand fashion. Aster had found another ancient set of remains on accident, this time a small town, and had shown it to Jack. Jack fell in love with it and Aster decided that he would clear it out and use it for the ceremony.
Aster was now waiting by one entrance of the uncovered temple, Jack was waiting behind another. Aster tugged nervously on his vest. He had skipped the traditional clothes in favor of more human related clothing he liked but kept the traditional colors: white and the favorite color of the partner. The Alpha held a bunch of roses that Jack had handpicked along with a couple he snagged when Jack wasn't looking.
Jack held pansies and a couple of asters and had on who knows what. Aster wasn't allowed to see that either.
Aster heard the song played by Harmony, Lyric, and Melody bridge into a Pooka ceremony song that Aster had managed to recover from his books. This is it. Aster took a deep breath, opened the doors in front of him, and walked out.
Aster took a path on the far right of the temple while Jack tread on the one to the left and in the middle was the path they both would take to exit. Between Aster's path and the middle path was Aster's 'family' side, rows of spring and summer spirits with pansies in wooden baskets tied to the each of the ends of every row.
Due to the mass of people between Aster and Jack, the Alpha couldn't see his white haired Omega. Aster could see the arch, covered in white roses with pansies intermixed alongside blossoms that had not yet flourished.
Father time stood ready under the arch to play the part of priest. Loud cheering drew Aster's attention to North, who was shouting in Russian, and Sandy who signed franticly in his sand. The fact that Jack's father figure sat in his side meant so much to Aster that he felt his eyes grow wet.
There was a blur of color above Jack's side, most of the baby teeth and a very hyper Tooth buzzing around in pure excitement. Too soon and not soon enough, Aster was under the arch. He froze momentarily at the soft footsteps he could barely hear over the cheering of his irksome family, feeling nervous suddenly.
Aster then realized this was Jack. His little snowflake. He looked up quickly to see Jack, beaming and beautiful in a matching white vest with green accents. Aster quickly noticed the rest of the outfit, a faded green shirt under the vest, white skinny pants, the familiar staff with ribbons adorning it, and –Aster snorts at the fact it's so JACK- no shoes.
Aster met Jack's icy blue eyes and suddenly realized Jack's outfit was wrong.
Green was no longer his favorite color but a hue of blue that could only be described as Jack.
Aster smiled and held out his paw to Jack, Jack looking nervous for half a second but still quickly clasping his Alpha's paw. Aster handed Jack's bouquet to him and accepted his own. Jack observed the blue roses and smiled at Aster, knowing that the flowers were made especially for him.
They turned slightly to see Father Time as he spoke but Aster kept eyeing Jack out of the corner of his eye and he saw the Omega do the same.
"If there are no objections, let the Alpha and Omega say their vows. Ut fortuna vobiscum." Time stepped back and Aster turned to face Jack.
He smiled "Jack, I know before I called you a friend I wasn't very nice to ya. Then I took the time to know ya and know I can call you my lover. If only I had found out that you are so beautiful, compassionate, sweet, and sometimes funny sooner. I know you'll fight that last part later but if I flat out called ya funny I wouldn't hear the end of it." Jack chuckle was light and Aster loved the sound of it. "I love ya. Jack, I ask to be your Alpha."
Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Aster was worried for a moment until Jack opened his eyes and gave Aster a watery smile.
"For three hundred years I went untouched. Intangible to everyone I met. Finally I had friends that could see me, touch me. Then you came and touched my heart, somewhere I didn't know I needed contact at. I may have accidently became an Omega but it was one of the best events of my live: because now I can be perfect for you, in body, in my personality, since I need someone to ground me and you need someone to let you have fun, and in my center. What goes better together then Hope and Joy? I accept you as my Alpha."
Jack grinned at Aster and Aster almost didn't hear Time telling them to kiss then make their exit, too busy already doing exactly that. The new ring on Jack's finger flashed in the light.
Their kiss was shorter than Aster wanted it to be but appropriate for a crowd of people. Jack pulled out his gift, a new armband that had a snowflake pattern and blue stones.
He then smiled at the guests before grinning at Jack. Jack looked confused and Aster rapidly scooped up the Omega and walked, quickly, out the door. Aster heard Jack gasp as the blossoms in the arch that had just been buds suddenly bloomed into blue roses.
Soft paper, folded up in small squares, rained on their heads. A tradition that cited that the family and friends must write wishes for the couple on paper: two copies, one to throw at the couple and one to burn so that heaven could hold them for the couple. Or so tradition said.
Outside the temple there were tables set up to make a square, two on each side (except for the one farthest in the back, it had a long one and two small ones beside it) with a little space in between so people could walk into the center. A little ways off from that, there were table laden with food. A little of everything for everyone. Lights had been scattered around by Tooth and glowed blue and green.
The white table covers were edged with pastel flowers and snowflakes, and two elaborate chairs sat at the center of the largest table at the back. Bunny carried Jack over were the chairs were at, clearly belonging to the newly bonded couple, and sat him down gently.
He then pulled out the Omega's chair and Jack sat down. As Bunny pushed Jack's chair back and moved to step back, his ear was tugged and this forced his head closer to Jack's. "Don't you EVER pick me up like that AGAIN. I am NOT some girl you can manhandle." Jack glared then smiled and rubbed the ear he had yanked. "The blue roses are very nice."
Bunny rolled his eyes at the white haired spirit. "I hear ya, no picking ya up. " Maybe. "Made them roses just for ya, so I better get a kiss for them."
Jack just pushed him away. "You already got one."
Bunny huffed, he was getting denied already?, and sat down. Suddenly Jack used his staff to force Bunny's head toward his once again, this time to plant a kiss on the surprised pooka's lips. He was gone before Bunny had time to grab him and kiss him properly.
Jack gave Bunny a mischievous smile and turned to watch the dancing that had started when Harmony, Lyric, and Melody renewed the music. They stayed there a while, crying at their closest friend's speeches (even Tooth's that consisted of several squeals), laughing at a drunk North and several other sloshed attendees, and dancing a few slow dances.
The earthen walls were lit by torches but still dark, making the lights Tooth had strung up more magical looking. The song was another Pookan one, a favorite of Harmony, Lyric, and Melody, and leisurely. Jack had his head on Aster's chest as they swayed back in forth and Jack's whisper in the fabric was almost unheard.
"I want to go now."
Bunny blinked and looked down at his Omega. "Something wrong, snowflake?"
Jack frowned and shook his head. "No. I just want to go somewhere else now. Before all the drunks either do something stupid, pass out, vomit, or all three."
Bunny chuckled. "Okay. I'll just let everyone know we're going and –"
Jack suddenly interrupted him by stepping back and shouting at the partiers "Me and Bunny are blowing this joint, so have fun, get drunk, and don't do anything stupid! North, did you catch that last one?!"
North yelled back in Russian something Jack took for a 'yes' or an 'okay' and Jack turned and smiled at Bunny. "Did it."
Bunny just shook his head and laughed "That ya did. Alright, let's go."
Bunny tapped the ground to make a tunnel to the honeymoon spot, an invisible island that Mother Nature laid claim to. They did not have to worry about bags, since North already took them over for the new couple.
"After ya." Jack glared lightly but jumped down the offered tunnel. Bunny ignored the cat calls, made by a few drunk spirits that had finally caught on to what was happening, and followed Jack. When the hole closed and tiny rose bush popped up, one small blue rose on it.
So I made some crap up about Pookan culture but at least its cool crap. Bunny can't wear a normal ring and I think a special made armband is more his style. Jack, however, keeps some human traditions by wearing a ring. If you ask about the traditions I will tell you why I put them in here.