Joud914 - We're all sadists at heart, aren't we?
"Ah Jack, you are just in time!"
Jack faltered upon his entrance as the stocky Russian excitedly called out to him, beaming with his arms raised towards the younger spirit. He looked around the Globe Room, the belief lights gleaming as bright as ever. No one else was there, and nothing appeared any different than usual. Yetis were scrambling around hauling armfuls of toys whilst elves slid under their feet, desperately attempting to seize the presents for themselves.
"For what?" The winter spirit questioned, eyebrow raised inquisitively. Snowflakes followed through the window, supported by the cold breeze as he glided to the ground, landing with as much grace as a circus trapeze artist. Distantly, he could hear music playing down the hall, but otherwise, all seemed quiet. Was there a meeting today he'd forgotten about? He could've sworn it hadn't been a month since the last one.
Four months had passed since Jack had acquired his guardianship, and he had loved every minute of it. Despite still being more withdrawn from the other Guardians than they would have liked, he'd had more interaction in that time than ever before in his immortal life. Thanks to Jamie and Sophie, he'd gained sixteen more believers and had never felt better - he'd even been experimenting with the newfound powers he had discovered during the battle with Pitch. Jamie was still his favourite believer, of course.
The other Guardians had eagerly noted his behaviour change, even if it was marginal in its progression. He'd begun to open up more about his life before and was increasingly visiting, especially North, who was more than happy to let him roam the workshop with curious eyes. It seemed there was no end to the young immortal's imagination or wonder despite his trials in life. North couldn't help but admire him for it.
Nevertheless, none of them were so absentminded as to ignore the cracks now that they knew how brittle he was, like a slowly shattering porcelain vase. The scars would always be there, visible even when glued back together. He tried to hide them, to keep himself composed all the time, covered up by his carefree smile, but they were learning his telltale signs.
North smiled at the boy who drifted down so effortlessly in front of him, stray snowflakes tangled in his ruffled hair from the journey.
"Is surprise," he said, pointing towards the next set of doors leading out of the workshop. Jack followed him curiously, thinking how high the possibility was that the Cossack had gone mad. It wouldn't be that much of a shock - he was often a bit loopy, anyway. Probably all the vodka, Jack chuckled to himself, earning a funny look from North as they arrived at the end of the corridor in front of two wide doors.
With a generous shove, the great doors opened into a long hallway, paving the way into the vast toy-making room. Though, the usual sight of organised chaos was nowhere to be seen. Jack faltered at the image that greeted him, only just managing to skid out of the way before the closing doors managed to slam into him.
The workshop, now converted into a makeshift dining room, held a large oaken table which spanned about twenty feet. Yetis skittered around in black and white aprons, carrying platters overflowing with delicious food and drinks. The table was home to the most illustrious feast, with foods spanning from Greek to Italian to Turkish (and, of course, a whole section dedicated to North's traditional Christmas dinner with enough stuffing to feed all of the reindeer), lavish sides in ornate bowls running up and down the length of the aged wood. Plates of meat, vegetables, pasta and more filled the room, wafting heavenly scents towards Jack's nose. At the end of the room, on a smaller but still sizeable table, lay various stacks of deserts: cakes, sweets, chocolate cookies, ice cream, and more threatened to topple away from the swarming heaps (much to the disdain of the Tooth Fairy).
Twinkling fairy lights hung from every pillar and rafter, coating the room in a soft glow. Two taller yetis were balancing precariously on fold-out ladders, grappling with a large sign supporting 'Welcome to the Pole!' whilst Toothiana floated beneath them, directing them like a choir instructor for the best place to put it, though without much success. Jack chuckled at the steam practically emanating from her ears as one yeti pinned his end at the top of the beam and the other hung it from underneath, shrugging at each other as though to say: that'll do.
"What's all this?" Jack questioned, not sure what was happening in front of him. North chuckled at his wide eyes, clapping the boy on the back. Jack stumbled at the force, digging his staff into the ground before his face could say hello to the floor.
"Is party!" North boomed. One of the ladders wobbled beneath the yeti, still attempting to hang the sign pleasingly to Tooth.
"For..?"
"For you," A soft smile graced his face, the famous jolly red glow singing on his cheeks as he looked down at the younger spirit. Directly on queue, the two doors on the opposite end of the room opened, and dozens of spirits floated in. Jack recognised the majority, but a few faces littered the crowd who he'd never seen before. A server yeti handed each an embellished glass filled with bubbly gold liquid, glittering against the glow of the lights. The tray emptied in the blink of an eye, and another yeti shuffled up to swap places as more spirits poured in. In seconds, the room had flooded with people chatting happily to each other in the lively atmosphere. In the corner of the room, Seth was trying inconspicuously to steal another drink. "For all of you."
Jack stared dumbfounded as the other three Guardians made their way to him, Bunnymund munching nonchalantly on a carrot and Sandy looking dazed from the eggnog held in his hand. It wasn't his first, put it that way. He tried unsuccessfully to hide a silent hiccup from Tooth, smiling far too innocently as she glared at the sugar-full mug.
"I have made many mistakes in past, but my greatest regret is you, Jack Frost," North spoke softly, demanding the boy's attention. The winter spirit turned to face him, watching as his eyes filled with years of apologies and unspoken guilt. "I can never undo what I, what we put you through," Tooth lowered her head beside him, the fluttering of her wings slowing ever so slightly. "But I promise we will not make same mistake again."
"We're going to make sure that no one ever feels the way you felt," Tooth chimed, placing a loving hand on his shoulder. His chest seemed to wedge itself in his throat. "And we hope, at least, this offers you some form of consolation because we know we don't deserve your apology."
"I... this-," Jack struggled for the words to describe the way he felt. All his emotions collapsed over him all at once, and it took all his efforts not to allow his floodgates to open. Tears brimmed in his eyes. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he swivelled to the countless spirits chattering around him. Even the yetis looked somewhat happy. Four Guardians stared back at him expectantly. "This is amazing."
"I can't believe you did all of this." He stuttered again.
"We would give you the world if we could," Tooth spoke gently, wrapping him in a tight embrace. Jack's arms hesitated for a second before he hugged her back, her head resting in the crook of his neck. "It's the least you deserve."
This time, he didn't stop the tears from falling, and Tooth only held on tighter as she felt him start to shake. North chuckled, ruffling his hair. Sandy floated over, still giggling, encouragingly giving the boy a thumbs up. Bunny remained where he was; this was much too sappy for him. However, the smirk did not escape North's notice.
"Thank you," Jack whispered from within the cocoon.
"Ok," Tooth smiled, smoothing down her feathers as Jack pulled away, both of them wiping away a stray tear. "What're we standing here for? Let's go party!"
"Let's eat, you mean," Bunny accompanied the fairy as she wandered off, happily engaging in conversation with a short red-haired elf. "I'm bloody starving." Sandy followed a few seconds later, unable to resist the devilish temptation of the eggnog calling his name.
North stayed behind with Jack, who was taking a moment to compose himself before joining the group.
"Are you okay?" North questioned. Hand draped over the boy's shoulder, he appeared even brawnier than usual. An elf carrying a plate of cookies scurried past his foot, mouth gorged full of the stolen goods. Another horde of elves hurried behind, chasing the plate down. North chuckled at the similarity as a certain summer spirit whipped past, pursued by a gibbering yeti. Three empty glasses were clutched in his hand, his happiness rivalling Sandy next to the eggnog.
"I am," Jack answered, and he meant it.
"Then let us join!"
The two wandered into the crowd, immediately swarmed by other spirits eager to talk to them. The party lasted for hours, celebrations continuing until the sun rose in the east. By the end, Jack was ready to fall into bed and sleep for the next three days, drunk with joy.
Well, that and plentiful glasses of champagne.