"Well, we all know that the Boogeyman has changed over time, hasn't he," Iridia said and every other fairy leaned closer. Everybody knew she had the best stories of all.
"Those years when all of us others were gone had to be truly… Lonely for him," she continued, decided to educate her tea circle of what was really going on in the world,
"After all that's why he found himself that new spirit, hasn't he. The Apiarist. To keep him company - and clearly much more than that, as things unraveled. But now, ever since that demon crisis, there is that young lad, that winter spirit always visiting. For sure those two became close. The Boogeyman might have… tasted what it's like to exchange the loneliness for a bit of someone else's warmth and it seems he's not the one to settle with just one choice, is he. To say that poor Jack, all hungry for attention, didn't find with the Guardians exactly what he was looking for… But in that shadowy Palace underground, well, that's a different story."
The fairies chuckled all around, eager to know more: "And you think the Apiarist doesn't mind?"
Iridia smirked: "Someone who loves Pitch Black has to be pretty flexible in many ways, don't you think? I heard it all started behind her back, you know, that winter sprite is truly a charming lad. One could even imagine…that secrecy of stolen moments in the dark corners of the Lair, all while our world was in move… Hazel might be a steadfast certainty by his side, but the Boogeyman definitely couldn't say no to some mischievous fun when it came on a silver plate like that! But knowing what I know about her, the former mortal she is, what wouldn't she tolerate to stay close to the power Pitch Black holds? That must be irresistible for a human soul. Or maybe she doesn't mind it at all. She doesn't seem like a complete saint either."
"So," another fairy gasped in scandal, "you think that the three of them-"
Iridia nodded: "It's definitely quite a unique arrangement but ain't the eternity a long time, sisters?"
The fairies laughed and Iridia added to that vivid imagery: "Just think what it must be like for them, It's such a touching story. Now that this Jack finds all the warmth and acceptance he was craving for, safely under the Boogeyman's dark wings… and our dear dark spirit of fear doesn't need to suffer alone anymore, not with those two there certainly! One for the life, one for the fun."
Then the storyteller turned at their guest, satisfied with her jest: "Don't you know Jack Frost by any chance, dearie? He's of your kind, isn't he?"
Jack, by the time being under cover and originally just wanting a bit of funny gossip, a several shades paler than usual and for a good couple of minutes frozen with a teacup in his hand, snapped out of this fascinated horror trance: "Me? No, definitely not. No. I can't know everyone and a Guardian? Not possible," he managed, his voice tight.
There was absolutely no way he could finish those fairy sweets today.
Or look at Pitch and Hazel the same way as before for the weeks to come.
The moment he was out of sight, their giggling still ringing in his ears, there was nothing he wouldn't give to get rid of those mental images in his head.
He did spent a lot of time around the dark spirits lately, that much was true. As far as he knew though, he was visiting a friend, then there was Pitch who just resigned to seeing him around, not willing to argue with Hazel over it, and their library that helped him learn about their newly transformed world.
But… they had been warmer to him now then before…? Hadn't they? Pitch had been even actually talking with him, and not just snapping something biting, Hazel was always nice to him… But they would never… He certainly doesn't… How they could ever...
Eternity is a long time, sisters!
Jack buried his face in his hands, his ears burning red. "Why am I even thinking about that," he scolded himself. "I know them! Of course it's a fairy nonsense!"
But he couldn't make himself to step even close to the Lair.
Later that week Hazel came home rather quiet, finding Pitch by the lake, frowning about some patterns in shadows he clearly didn't like.
"How was your day?" he asked, more or less mindlessly.
"Strange," she said, sitting nearby on the shore.
Pitch let the shadows go. If Hazel's day was strange, it had to be quite some strangness.
"You know how Jack was supposed to return those few books lately?" she asked.
He nodded, grimly. Wet by thawed snow again, no doubts.
"He made me to go all the way to the Tooth's Palace just to give it to me. Do you understand that?"
Pitch raised an eyebrow: "When he could just toss them on the table in the library like usual? No I don't."
"Right?," she shook her head, "and he was… I dont know, all awkward."
But the Boogeyman just shrugged: "It's Jack. If you want to make any sense of what Jack Frost does or doesn't do, it's going to be a long afternoon, my dear."
Hazel sighed, still a bit worried for the winter sprite: "I don't know what's going on, but maybe he deserves a bit more attention."
