Author's Note: Hello everyone and welcome back to "The Winter Child!" =D I'm finally back from my trip out of state, and I'm still somewhat tired from the long drive, haha. XD A family member of ours recently passed away, and we went to go visit her family down in Georgia. I don't remember her (the last time I saw her was when I was around seven or eight years old), but it was nice to remeet her family and spend time with them for a while. =)

On a lighter note, I also managed to finish Spy x Family during the drive to and from Georgia (I binge-read the manga about two months ago X)). =3 I may write a fanfic or two for the series (I just know Anya will be a fun character to write XD), so keep an eye out for those. =D

Now, this chapter was really fun to write. XD I remember doing one of these staying-up challenges with my sister when we were little (we ended up going to bed after watching a movie late into the night, haha), and I really wanted to write one including Jack and North. =D I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! ^u^


~ XXIII ~

Staying Up

He didn't understand the concept of bedtime

It interrupted his fun and play

North let him stay up, just this once

But avoiding sleep was much more difficult than said

...

Jack wasn't fond of bedtime. He thought that such a concept shouldn't even exist! What was so pleasant about sleeping anyway? It meant he had to stop playing and go to sleep, even if he wasn't tired. He didn't even have a say in when he wanted to go to bed, and yet the Guardians got to choose when they wanted to slumber, no matter how late!

The winter child was irked by this. He should be able to pick his own bedtime; he was just as mature as them! He didn't like being told to prepare for bed, as it continually interrupted his fun. Jack believed that he could stay up as long as he wanted, and still not fall asleep. He should go to bed when he felt tired, not when he was awake and ready to do more.

Jack was playing in his bedroom, where a heated battle was taking place. No, not a real one, of course, but in Jack's imagination, it was as vivid as an inspirational dream. His bed served as his ship and Wawa was his helpful first mate. Stardust exploded in bright bursts of light. Their adversaries were on the other side of the room: a troop of wooden soldiers. Though made of something simple, they were deadly. They managed to pillage an entire planet of cookies…in two minutes. Justice had to be served.

Jack held out his sword (a pencil) and declared, "Surrender now, and no one gets hurt!"

"Never!" the wooden marauders screeched. Jack frowned solemnly.

"Hoist the mainsail and aim all our canons at their ships!" the winter child ordered his imaginary crew. " We're going to have to use a mega blast! "

"But captain, no one's ever used a mega blast and lived!" one of his crewmates said.

"Then we'll just have to be the first to do so!" Wawa heartened. She turned to Jack. "We're the greatest band of starship pilots alive. We can take them!"

Jack smiled. "Wawa's right. This is the only way we'll defeat them!" He turned back to their inquisitors. "On my mark, fire!"

The blasters were aimed. The crew was braced. Jack aimed his sword at the approaching enemy.

"One…two…three…" Jack narrowed his eyes. "FIRE!"

Copious amounts of stardust exploded from the canons. The glow was so bright, that it blinded the opposing soldiers. The giant blast made contact with their ships, turning them from great galleons to sorry ships that could no longer sail properly. The soldiers retreated immediately, their large legion of ships turning in the other direction and speeding away before Jack's crew could follow them.

"Haha, we did it!" cheered Jack. He picked up Wawa and spun her around. "They won't be coming back to bother us any time soon! And if they do, we'll hit 'em with another blast!"

"Where to next, captain?" asked one of the crewmates.

"Westward. I heard there's a planet with infinite desserts on it." Jack licked his lips. "We celebrate our victory with cake!"

"Sounds like a plan," another crewmate stated. Jack sat at the edge of his bed, taking the wheel.

"Next stop, Dessert Planet! Full speed ah—"

At that moment, North knocked at the door. He peeked inside. "Jack, is time to start getting ready for bed."

Jack's shoulders slumped. No, no, no, not now! "B-But, but North! We were just about to take off! Can't I play a little longer?"

North could hear the entire adventure from the study downstairs. He knew that Jack didn't like being pulled away from his games, but it was getting late, and the young snow sprite had school tomorrow.

"I'm sorry, moy mal'chik, but you need your rest," he said.

Jack pouted. "I don't need sleep," he said petulantly. "If I stayed up, I wouldn't get tired."

North chuckled. "Everyone needs their sleep, Jack."

"You don't," the winter child countered. "You, Sandy, Bunny, and Tooth never go to bed as early as I do. So why can't I?"

Jack was still young, and he perhaps wouldn't understand the importance of rest until he was older. But no matter how many times North explained to him, the winter child was convinced that sleep wasn't a necessity. North knew he only wanted to play with his toys; Jack could play all day without pause if North didn't call him for lunch or dinner. And although Jack was hyper and playful, he got tired, even though he didn't notice it.

Here North faced a predicament…how could he convince Jack that he indeed needed his rest? He always compared his sleeping schedule to the other Guardians, who stayed up later than him. The truth was the Guardians wished they could sleep earlier sometimes. And they could stay up late since they were grown. Jack was only a child; he was still growing. He needed all the energy and sleep he could get to continue doing so steadily.

Then, an idea popped into North's mind. He wouldn't implement it that day because Jack had school the next morning. He knew that Jack would be happy about it, but perhaps this was how he'd realize how important sleeping was.

"Alright, moy mal'chik. I will let you stay up," Jack eyes widened. "But not tonight. You have school tomorrow, and I don't want you to feel tired during class. You can stay up late this weekend under one condition."

Jack tilted his head. "And what's that?"

"If you don't fall asleep, you can set your own bedtime," proposed North. "But if you do, I will be in charge of when you have to go to bed. Deal?"

Jack grinned. "Deal!"

North smiled. "Alright. Now come on down and let's get you into bath."

Jack climbed out of bed and followed North to the bathroom. Excitement for the upcoming weekend bubbled inside of him.

The week had never felt longer with the thought of staying up that weekend on Jack's mind. He was looking forward to finally staying awake as long as he wanted; he could play all night long! He didn't have to worry about going to bed because, well, he didn't have to! The possibilities of what he'd play that night ran through Jack's mind all week long. He often daydreamed in class, and either Omrbic or Katherine would have to remind him to focus. Jack tried to keep his mind distracted from staying awake over the weekend, but it was still rather difficult to pay attention.

The weekdays passed by and Friday finally arrived. Jack ran out of the school building and past North, ushering him to hurry home so they could have dinner. Jack ate as if he had been starved for a month, scarfing his food so quickly that North had to tell him to slow down.

Jack cleared his plate and placed it in the sink. He waited impatiently for North to finish washing dishes, and once he did, he was taken for his bath. North bathed Jack and put him into his pajamas, but Jack didn't protest since he still got to play with his toys. And the pajamas were comfortable compared to his regular day clothes.

North rehearsed the rules to Jack, and the winter child assured him that he knew what would happen if he fell asleep. He was confident, though, that he wouldn't. He could not, would not, at all fall asleep. If he did, North would continue to set his bedtime, and Jack greatly didn't want that.

North went into the study to work while Jack spent the first half hour playing with his toys. He looked at the clock. Eighty-thirty. The winter child smirked. He was far past his bedtime now. Jack played with trains, his planes, and figurines. He constructed a castle out of his blocks and raced around his room, pretending to be the fastest person alive. He and his imaginary crew of Starfighters went on another expedition across the galaxy, this time exploring an uncharted system far beyond what the world knew. It was an incredible journey, and Jack discovered a lot on the way. His crew even managed to find treasure; a chest filled to the brim with sweet treats and goodies.

The hours drew on, and Jack soon touched and played with every toy in his toy chest until it was barren and empty. Jack sat down on his rug, holding Wawa to his chest, feeling bored. He didn't think he'd run out of things to do so quickly.

Perhaps North was doing something interesting. Jack stood up and headed downstairs; he hadn't heard much from the ex-Cossack. Usually, he listened to his Russian music while he worked, but the house was silent from booming horns and crashing symbols.

Jack found the ex-Cossack tinkering in the study. He was fixing a peculiar invention, one that Jack didn't recognize. It was a wooden box with a funny-looking horn sticking out of it. Jack tilted his head.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing at the box contraption.

North looked up and smiled. "It is record player. It plays music for people to listen to." He stood up and placed his toolbox on the shelf. "I offered to fix it for Ombric. The handle broke off, and music wouldn't play. I was just about to test it to see if it's fixed."

Jack watched as North placed a record into the player. He adjusted the needle onto its surface, and soft, classical music began to play. North began to waltz to the music, making Jack laugh. The ex-Cossack scooped the young snow sprite into his arms. Jack giggled leaning against North as he swayed to the rhythm. The lilting violins, whistling flutes, and soft piano swirled around the room, embracing the two. Jack felt lighter than air; the comforting warmth from North's arms further relaxed him.

The music shifted into a lullaby-like tone. North's sways felt like the rocking chair that he used to rock Jack in when he was little. The winter child felt his eyelids grow heavy, a small yawn escaping his lips. He didn't realize he was dozing off when the music ended and North stopped dancing. Jack caught himself and snapped his eyes open.

Amused, North chuckled. "Ah, I almost had you there."

Jack frowned. "I'm not sleepy," he said stubbornly. North set him down, and Jack walked out of the study. "I'm going to find something else to do."

"Good luck," said North. Jack couldn't tell if he was wishing him luck on finding something to entertain him…or not falling asleep. The winter child shook his head, feeling the twinges of drowsiness shifting at the back of his mind. He was already feeling tired, and the clock had only just hit nine.

Jack conjured a snowball and threw it at his face. That helped him a little. Still, he felt too weary to climb up the stairs, so Jack toddled into the living room, wondering if there was anything there that could continue to keep him awake.

Lying on the couch was one of the many storybooks that Jack brought home from school. Ombric's library was a trove of knowledge and tales, and Jack and his classmates were allowed to pick out any book they liked and take it home with them to read. They had to be returned once they were finished, but Jack hadn't finished reading his yet. It was the story of a young knight trying to save the princess of his realm, but before he could do so, he needed to collect special artifacts that would help him on his journey.

It was an interesting book, and Jack had enjoyed the bit he had read. So, he climbed onto the couch and cracked it open, reading out loud so his voice would keep him awake.

"The knight soon reached his final destination. The palace he had been looking for since the beginning of his journey. The princess was trapped inside, and the gates were locked shut. Luckily, he had his magical sword that could break through anything. He…lifted the weapon to the large…metal gates and s-swung the blade with…a-all his…might…"

Jack's words began to slur as his eyes drooped. The winter child shook himself awake and slammed his book shut. No! He wasn't tired. If he fell asleep, North would make him go to bed early again. And Jack by no means had any intention of falling asleep now.

But his body argued against him. Jack yawned; he was tired. Really tired. But he couldn't fall asleep, he wouldn't fall asleep. But how? How else could he keep himself awake?

Jack lifted Wawa and stared at her. "What should I do?" he asked.

The stuffed arctic fox's head lolled to one side. Wawa didn't give a response.

Jack huffed. "Sometimes I wished you weren't stuffed."

The young snow sprite slipped off the couch and wandered into the kitchen. Perhaps there was something sweet he could eat to keep him up. Unfortunately, Jack couldn't find anything in the fridge. And he couldn't reach any of the upper cabinets, which was where all the food and ingredients were kept. Jack sighed in defeat, and he returned to the living room, feeling as if he were walking through mud. The winter child sat down and stared at the empty fireplace. What was he going to do? He couldn't fall asleep. Not now!

Jack yawned and rubbed his eyes. What if he closed his eyes… just for a little bit? Jack grunted and shook his head. No! He couldn't fall asleep at all! He fashioned another snowball and threw it at his face, the freezing snow snapping his half-lidded eyes open before they had the chance to close shut. He repeated this process every time he felt like he was going to drift off to slumber. But slowly, the snowballs began to lose their effect. Jack got used to the cold, and his eyes were slipping closed.

The winter child laid down on the rug, clutching Wawa to his chest. "Don't fall asleep, don't fall asleep…"

His eyelids were heavier than mountains.

"Don't fall asleep…Don't fall asleep…"

The tendrils of sleepiness were becoming impossible to resist.

"Don't…fall asleep…Don't…fall…"

Jack let out a sleepy sigh. His eyes finally slipped closed, doing the exact thing that he told himself not to do.

After checking the record player one last time, North deemed that it was finally fixed. He patted the box proudly and set it aside, making a mental note to bring it with him to Ombric's when he took Jack to school on Monday. The ex-Cossack picked up his tools and put them away. He exited the study, wondering what Jack was up to. He hadn't heard much from the boy since he left…North did hear him reading earlier, but he stopped rather suddenly.

"Jack?" called North, though he didn't receive a response. "Jack?"

North walked into the living room. He found the winter child lying down in the middle of the rug, fast asleep. He snored quietly, his stuffed arctic fox clutched in his grip. He seemed perfectly comfortable sprawled out on the floor, although North knew he'd feel the discomfort in the morning.

North smiled softly and lifted the boy into his arms and carried him to bed. Jack stirred, hardly coherent, but he recognized the feeling of North's gentle touch. Blearily, Jack cracked open his eyes.

"N-North…?" Jack murmured sleepily. "What…w-what happened?"

North chuckled. "You fell asleep, moy mal'chik."

Jack was so tired, he didn't even realize he had lost the challenge. He yawned, his eyes drooping once again. North lay him in bed and tucked him in. Jack snuggled into the comfort of his pillow with a sigh.

North ran a hand through his hair. "Goodnight, my boy." Then he left the room.

The next morning, Jack woke up disgruntled and cranky. It was late in the morning, and North had to pull him out of bed for breakfast. The winter child followed North down the stairs, his eyes dull and hair disheveled. A frown stuck on Jack's face, a contrast to the usual bright smile that he greeted North with most mornings.

When they sat down to eat, North asked, "How are you feeling, moy mal'chik?"

Jack propped his head with his hand and stabbed his eggs with his fork. "Tired," he muttered.

North nodded. "This is why you have set bedtime. You don't want to stay up too late that you wake up tired and upset in the morning. You are still young, Jack. And you need your rest. When you are older, you can go to bed on your own time. But at the moment, eight o'clock is best for you."

Jack sighed. "I guess you can set my bedtime until then." the winter child shrugged. "I don't wanna wake up like this every morning either."

"If you want, you can take nap after breakfast," said North. "You'll feel like your usual self after resting for an hour or two."

And, instead of protesting, Jack accepted the recommendation. The winter child smiled softly.

"I'd like that."


Author's Note: Some good ol' father/son wholesomeness is a serotonin booster for me. ='3

...

Annnnnd, yeah. That's all I've got. XD I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you in the next one! =D

Until the next chapter!

~BeyondTheMoon1203