This takes place after Closure, and it's part of the Kids Need to Grow Up arc.
Bunny looked at the sketches spread out around him. It was the middle of summer and it was time to start making choices. He stared at the different patterns, discarding those that didn't meet his standards. But some he wasn't too sure about. He should take a break, maybe go outside to lie down in the sun while it was still so warm. Before fall came and brought an obnoxious winter chill with it. Or maybe not so obnoxious, this time. Bunny hadn't seen Jack since leaving Burgess over a month ago. He wondered how he was doing. Maybe he should visit.
Bunny's keen ears picked up on a distant sound before he could make up his mind, something falling on a soft surface. He tried to pick up the location it originated from, sniffing the air. He knew that crisp scent of pines and winter. The faint smell of blood sent him bounding to get to the intruder.
He found Jack lying face down in a bed of flower near one of the Warren's entrance tunnel. The kid was conscious, but breathing heavily. He raised his hand in a lazy wave when Bunny crouched next to him. The boy's face was turned away from him, but what little the Pooka could see of his skin was reddened from the heat. Bunny frowned. Jack had visited him before in summer. It was uncomfortably warm for him, but he could handle it.
"Snowflake? You alright? Are you hurt?" He could still smell blood. Barely, but it was there. He saw why when Jack rolled on to his back and gave him a tired smile, wincing when that stretched his split lip.
"I'm fine. Just gonna lie here for a while. Don't mind me." His face was red like he had a fever and his eyes didn't quite focus on Bunny.
"You need to get somewhere cold. I'm taking you back to Burgess."
"No!" In a moment of panic, Jack fumbled to grab Bunny's arm when the Pooka tried to pick him up.
"Jack, tell me what's wrong. Did someone attack you in Burgess?"
"Attack me?"
Bunny wiped the blood dripping along the side of Jack's face from his lip. The boy's eyes widened in understanding as he appeared to only now remember about that. A bruise started to show on his cheekbone and his skin felt too warm.
"Oh, that. Don't worry about that."
"Jack..."
"I just wanted to get away from Burgess, alright? Just for a little while."
Bunny sighed and smoothed the winter spirit's hair back without really noticing. He could understand Jack's desire to leave the small town for now. For many years, he had always looked forward to returning every fall. To see his first believer. But Jamie didn't believe anymore. It would be a lonely winter.
Jack could have gone to see North, instead; it would have been an easier trip. But he didn't mention that. He didn't want the boy to feel unwelcome here. Bunny was secretly glad that he had chosen to come all the way to the Warrens. He still had many questions, but they could wait. He scooped the winter spirit up.
"W-what are you doing? I said I didn't want to go. I won't bother you, I swear."
"Calm down, Frostbite. I'm taking you to your room."
Jack did calm and stayed silent while Bunny brought him to the seldom used bedroom in the Warrens. It was cooler there and the boy breathed out in relief. The Guardian of Hope put him down on the nest-like bed of cushions.
"Stay here. I'll be back in a minute."
"Not going anywhere."
Bunny hopped away to grab a rag and fill a large bowl with cold spring water. He returned to find Jack exactly where he left him, his eyes half-closed. They drifted fully shut when Bunny ran the wet cloth over his too-warm face.
"So? Did you fly into a cliff and pass out in the desert for a few hours, or what?"
"Uh? No."
"Then tell me what happened."
Jack shrugged and avoided Bunny's eyes. The Pooka grabbed his chin and tilted his head under the pretense of cleaning his bleeding lip. Jack frowned and let out an irritated, but defeated, sigh.
"I wasn't really planning on coming here, all right? I was going to Antarctica."
"Didn't really go in a straight line, did you?"
"I might have wandered a bit. I... didn't really want to be alone. But I felt kind of silly, coming here in the middle of summer because I was a little upset. So I flew around for a long time. It got really warm."
Bunny wished he would not hesitate so much before coming to them. That his first thought wouldn't be to isolate himself in a frozen wasteland. But he didn't know how to get him to understand. Everything he could think of sounded so ridiculously cheesy that there was no way it could be taken seriously. He dipped the cloth back in the water and dropped it on Jack's forehead.
"And how did you get hurt?"
"I'm not hurt. Seriously, it's nothing, don't worry about it."
"Frostbite, how am I supposed to not worry about it? If you don't tell me, I'll shake some answers out of you."
"It was just summer sprites, okay?" "
"W-what? What do you mean, 'just summer sprites'?"
"They weren't happy with me being around here this time of the year."
Bunny jumped to his feet. He was normally on good terms with summer sprites, but if they thought they could harm his fellow Guardian and get away with it, they were soon going to learn how wrong they were. He didn't get very far. Jack's hand closed around his wrist and jerked him back down. The boy's movements were a lot less awkward than earlier. Bunny was too angry to be pleased with that. He glared at the now half-sitting winter spirit. The wet cloth stuck to his forehead only a second before falling off.
"Let me go. I'm gonna show those little–"
"Stay out of this." Jack's frosty blue eyes stared right into Bunny's. His tone told him he wasn't going to back down on that one. "That's a matter between seasonal spirits. I don't let them hang around when they're not supposed to and, if they get a chance to chase me away, there's no reason they shouldn't take it. I can usually get away with doing what I want, because I'm a lot stronger than them, but I got a little woozy from being out in the heat for too long."
"And you expect me to just let them beat you up when you're weakened?"
"Er, yes?" He sighed and dropped back to the cushions. "That's exactly why I didn't want to tell you. Look, I kind of had it coming. It's not like I never show up just to annoy them. And you're acting like they almost killed me or something. Stop fussing. I just got into a fight with some sprites."
Bunny's ears moved furiously as he tried to calm down. He got what Jack was saying, that this was none of his business, that it was normal seasonal spirit behavior, but that didn't mean he liked it. He picked the cloth from the cushion it had fallen on, wet it again and replaced it on the winter spirit's forehead.
"Fine. I just don't like seeing you hurt, alright? You're family."
A small, but genuine smile tugged at Jack's lips. He turned his head to hide it.
"I'm okay, really. I told you I'm not hurt."
"And Jack." He waited until the boy met his eyes again to continue. "You don't have to go to Antarctica when you're upset."
Jack's breath caught. Bunny hadn't forgotten the story he had told them year ago, about how he went to Antarctica to be alone after Pitch ruined Easter and they blamed the winter spirit for it. The Guardian of Hope wanted to put that time behind them. Far behind.
Jack smiled a bit shakily and, in a falsely casual gesture, drew the wet cloth down over his eyes.
"I'll keep that in mind."
I think the request I get most often if to do something with Jack being sick. I don't think Guardians really fall sick, so I don't always know what to do. But here you go!
That's not the story I meant to write next, but after several days of failing to write anything (I did try, it's not that I was busy) I went with this one. Updates might get a little scattered.
