Hazel couldn't let it go.

It wasn't like Jack would be in the Lair every other day, but not to see him for several weeks was... A bit strange. She had already got used to his occasional visits, by the evening if he wanted to dodge the Boogeyman and just chat with her, during the day if he needed to find something in the Library she couldn't help him with. Now it seemed as if he vanished into thin air.

However Hazel was relentless when she was on a hunt for answers.

Finally she caught up with him by his lake in the woods. The moment he saw her, he seemed unusually startled.

"Hi, Jack," she smiled, her look questioning from the start, "long time no seeing. I wondered if you are alright..."

"Hazel!" he greeted her with maybe little bit too much of enthusiasm, "I- I'm absolutely alright. I just- I just had an awful lot of work, you know. Autumn" he grinned and gestured all around, as if that was more than good enough explanation.

"Autumn…" she raised an eyebrow, "I didnt notice that we would have some… especially chilly one this year?"

Jack Frost looked like someone caught in a lie - which he absolutely was.

Hazel sighed: "Look, did anything happen? Did we, either of us," she added, aware of how insufferable Pitch knew to be sometimes, "do something… uncomfortable?"

She didn't expect Jack to flush red on those words though. The winter spirit ran a hand over his face and sat down on the rocks on the bank in a resigned gesture.

"No Hazel. You didn't do anything. But…" he looked away, "there's this rumor and… I thought it would be better to stay away from the Lair for some time. Not to be... seen there."

Hazel blinked, surprised: "A rumor? Jack, there are always some rumors about us-"

"About you two maybe," he snapped back, a bit more annoyed than he'd intended, "not about the three of us."

"The three-?" Hazel's face slowly took a form of wide grin. She already had her experiences with the wild gossip of the spiritual world: "No way. Details, Jack. What exactly is the rumor about?"

He sighed and frowned, not sharing her enthusiasm at all: "What you'd guess, clearly… About you and Pitch… and me, for whatever reason, being… entangled in some wild romantic… stuff."

To his discomfort she burst into laughter: "What a triangle!" she chuckled, barely having time to breath: "So who with whom- wait! The Boogeyman being cheated on is fun, but the lonely villain with way too wide heart is much better! It's you two, isn't it?"

Jack gave her a glare: "I'm glad you find it so amusing."

She grinned back: "I find it hilarious. So what's my role in it?"

He closed eyes for a moment and took a breath. He was already regretting telling her. "You… approve of that, somehow. Maybe even… Participate…"

"Am I not open minded and truly flexible," Hazel chuckled again. "Jack, we already have a collection of rumors about us, but this, this is a crown jewel!"

Telling her was definitely a mistake, he thought wearily. He looked up with a weak flicker of hope that kept dying with every word he said though: "Could you at least not tell him?"

"Oh Jack, that would be the true betrayal," she shook her head rather merrily, "besides there is a chance that it will be so embarrasing for Pitch that he won't dare to bring it up. Not very likely, but it could happen."

Jack, knowing the Boogeyman's twisted sense of humor, frowned even more: "You are vile, Hazel. Vile and cruel. I don't know how he puts up with you."

"Common interests," she quipped, "but don't you think you could save him from me. I'm not willing to share… despite the rumors."

"Could you just not- !"

She gave him a bright wide smile: "Jack, this will suffice me for fun for years."

He leaned back against the rocks, looking up at her: "I'm not going anywhere near you two for a century."

She just waved a hand: "Oh please. I expect you for tea on Sunday."