gonnahavealittlerp

[gonnahavealittlerp]

((Reblogging this here for those who do not follow my primary blog, but are interested in my threads. You will now find them over on gonnahavealittlefun as the next few days progress.))

Going to gradually migrate my RPs over to my main blog over the next few days...

((The RP blog was nice when the ask blog was still active, but now I’m just spamming you guys with OOC crap and pictures. So I’m just going to migrate my RPs over as I feel like it.

Rabbit Hole is coming first and will be up on here within the hour.))

[gonnahavealittlerp]

Jack hadn't missed the slip, he was sad, he wasn't dead. If Jamie didn't think Jack wanted to shower with him again, he was wrong. He put up a little resistance, just to tease Jamie, but the grin on his lips gave it away for what it was. Jack followed Jamie, lead by his hand, down the hallway to the bathroom. "Oh, I can get the shower running. I just hope we can actually get clean this time." Jack challenged quietly, affirming for Jamie that he had every intention of dragging the brunette into the shower again. This was a distraction from being sad and it was also a reminder of what he'd gained by becoming human: Jamie.

As they crossed the threshold into the bathroom, Jack closed the door behind them. He raised his eyebrows curiously at Jamie and pursed his lips. "You know," Jack began as he knelt over the rim of the bathtub, pushing the sea shell speckled curtain out of his way. "It seems like you just got clothes onto me, and now you're getting them off of me again." Jack reached out and slipped the knob up to turn the water on. This was the part he was most interested in. Jack waited for the water to start sending up tendrils of steam and he grinned as he slipped his hand under the stream. It was warm, very warm, but it felt amazing already. The temperature of the water the day before had been, at times, uncomfortably warm, but now Jack found that the warm, even the hot was welcome. Jack nudged the knob one direction and the water got colder, so he turned it the other and winced as it got very hot. He jerked his hand out from under it reflexively.

"Ouch." He shook his hand and reached out with the other to turn the knob back just a bit, it hadn't taken him long to determine that small changes could make a big difference. When next he reached under the stream of water, Jack nodded. "I think I got it." And with that, Jack dragged the curtain closed, ducking a hand into the tub, and flipping the switch to turn on the shower. Jack winced as the shower broke what had been silence the moment before, and cast brown eyes across at Jamie.

With a shrug Jack tugged his black shirt over his head and, once he was free of it, he undid his belt. The overlarge size of the pants with the extra weight of the belt was enough to tug the jeans from Jack's hips to his ankles without him having to undo the button. He actually gave a small chuckle as he stepped out of them. Jack had every intention of being a tease, and a nasty one at that. He reached up and ruffled his already messy brown hair, looking at Jamie with a small, bashful smile on his lips as he stood there in nothing but a pair of Jamie's boxer shorts.

"Gotta keep this quick, right?" He asked, his tone teasing as he reached fingers under the waistband of his boxers. He shoved them down, stepped out of them, and gave a small stretch. He took a few steps over to Jamie, pressed his lips to the brunette's, and stepped away again. This was a really good distraction, it helped beat the sadness from a few moments before. He really did plan to keep things innocent this time, after all, Jamie's mom was home this time. She was just in her room up the hall, he didn't think they wanted to risk getting caught. Not after she'd been nice enough to let Jack stay.

"You coming?" He asked curiously, looking over his shoulder as he stepped into the shower and under the warm water.

Second Chances -- Jamie-Bennett-RP & Gonnahavealittlefun

Jack spoke of that staff like it was a living, breathing thing. Perhaps to him it was. He ran his thumb over Jack’s hand while he made his suggestion. Jamie didn’t mind going out, but the tone of Jack’s voice made him feel a little uneasy. He almost sounded like he was trying to feign happiness… It made Jamie wonder if, as a Guardian of Fun, he made it a point to pretend to be happy for kids sometimes. Jamie wasn’t a ‘kid’, and he didn’t need Jack to fake it for him either. Of course, the effort was sweet, he supposed. He couldn’t help but agree that they weren’t very clean though. “Yeah, we should shower.” But his own words made him snap his mouth shut. The last time he’d tried to shower with Jack had turned out a lot more steamy than he’d originally meant it to. Also a lot more embarrassing, in retrospect…and he didn’t even manage to get Jack’s hair washed or introduce him to soap.

“A real shower.” He corrected himself. “With shampoo and conditioner.” Jamie took a deep breath, and repeated Jack’s plan back to him. “You want to get cleaned up, and then go out for a walk, right?” He had nothing against taking a walk with Jack. He would go anywhere he wanted, honestly. He had never known Jack to be an ‘indoors’ kind of person, and he was sure that the fresh air, and maybe even the snow, would have him feeling better in no time.

Or at least a little better.

Even if Jack didn’t want to shower with Jamie, the younger of the two slowly began attempting to lure him into the hallway, to the shower anyway. “I can test to see if you remember all the ‘crazy mechanics’ of how to run the shower.” He teased lightly. Honestly he thought maybe the feeling of the hot water running over him would help. This was exactly what he meant when he’d said that showering was a good way to unwind and relax.

Jamie was a little lost in thought about Jack, while all this was going on. The two of them had a lot to figure out in a short amount of time. Things like where he was from, or what his dad did for a living. Things like what he would do to entertain himself while he was at school on Monday. His mom made a good point. Of course, surely Jack could just ‘hang out’ at home… There was a television, and games… there was plenty to do there.

He smiled to himself at the thought. Not because Jack would be potentially bored, but because Jamie liked the idea that he could come home to him. He had no doubts that Jack would be there. There wasn’t the risk that he’d have flown off for the year… and while he would miss a lot of stuff about Jack Frost the Guardian…

He was very certainly going to fall just as madly in love with Jack Frost the Human.  That thought alone was enough to put a little dorky smile back on his face and in his voice. Well… that and the off chance that Jack did invite him to shower with him, and he’d have a perfectly justified excuse to stare at his naked Jack self again.

[gonnahavealittlerp]

Jack's eyes didn't leave the staff as Jamie shifted off the bed and walked towards him, if he was honest he was a bit surprised when he looked up to see the brunette was so close. His eyes didn't linger on Jamie long, but he did offer a small smile before they returned to his staff. He acknowledged Jamie's apology with a shake of his head, it wasn't Jamie's fault. He gently brought the staff up and rested it against the his shoulder; it was a familiar gesture, a comfortable one.

He looked down at his feet, which were nearly buried in the extra fabric from the jeans he was borrowing, and thought things through. The staff had been with him for years, it had been the source of everything he'd ever done. It'd been the instrument that made him Jack Frost by allowing him to save his sister. It's magic had brought snow and blizzards to every continent on the planet, it had flown Jack to cities he didn't even know the name of, it had brought him to Jamie, and it had defeated Pitch. In many ways, the staff was as much a Guardian as Jack. His eyes slid down it again and he knew that it wouldn't do any good to dwell on it. Jamie was right, the staff was still his, it was still in one piece, and Jack would never, ever let anything happen to it.

With a small sigh Jack nodded at Jamie, gently taking the hand when it bumped against his own. He slipped the staff from his shoulder and leaned it back against the wall he'd taken it from moments before. Jamie's words hit something deep in Jack, and he knew they were true. The whole reason he was here was because he wasn't alone anymore, he hadn't been for a long time. Jamie, the Guardians, they'd been with him for a few years now. The staff had been a long time companion, a part of him, and it's magic was gone, but it was still here, the others were still here. He cleared his throat and brushed his thumb lightly along Jamie's hand.

"You're right, I'm not. And the staff is still here, it's not going anywhere. It's kind of hard to explain." Jack's brown eyes narrowed as he fought over the words. "I used that staff to save my little sister from thin ice. 300 years ago, before I was ever Jack Frost, when I looked like this. It was the source of nearly all my magic. It kind of had this heartbeat to it, when I held it that is, it felt like it was timed with mine. It kind of felt alive." Jack glanced over his shoulder at the staff one more time. He wasn't sure why he was telling Jamie this, perhaps he figured it might help the other to understand why he was so upset. "So it's just kind of hard not to feel that connection to it anymore. It'll be all right though, I still have the staff, it's not going anywhere. I knew it would happen as soon as I realized I'd turned human, I guess I just wasn't really ready for it."

Jack gave a small roll of his shoulders, suddenly feeling a bit cramped. They'd been inside since yesterday afternoon, maybe getting out and about, exploring Jack's new found visibility, would help him feel better. Besides, he did need to buy some things, right?

"Do you-uh, wanna go out for a bit maybe? We've been inside for a while, it might do us some good to go for a walk or something." Jack's eyes settled on Jamie's messy hair and he remembered his was probably just as messy. They hadn't exactly showered after the deed the night before. "And uh, we're still kind of a mess." His voice was light, but it carried an undertone of the sadness he'd been struggling with. 

Second Chances -- Jamie-Bennett-RP & Gonnahavealittlefun

Jamie shook his head. “No, you don’t have to worry about it. I mean, rich doesn’t always mean spoiled. I can help you with all of that and…” He trailed off when Jack began to walk to the door. At first he thought he may just leave the room, did he have to use the restroom or something? It was only after a moment that he saw Jack’s true destination was to pick up the staff.

Or, more accurately, he was going to stand in front of it. For what seemed like eternity Jamie watched him, his hand wavering over the staff as if he was just this close to touching it, but couldn’t quite. He tossed Jamie a look over his shoulder and it made Jamie shiver. He looked so nervous, like he was about to step out in front of a moving car or something. He considered saying something to Jack, but he just waited.

Waiting was a terrible decision. He had to watch Jack pick up the staff, he had to watch him tap the floor with that staff and… it to hear him speak those words. Jamie didn’t know what it felt like for Jack. He knew that just watching it made his own skin tingle, and made him feel sick to his stomach. It made him feel guilty, it made him worry. It made him push himself off the bed and walk closer, but it also made him stop a pace away.

He wanted to reach out to him, and help him, but he felt like he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how it felt to be Jack. He was still very new to Jack’s history, he didn’t know much of it. He knew that he was the first one to ever see Jack… and he knew Jack was a lot older than he looked. He knew that must have been lonely…

The way that Jack had just described his life… he’d treated the staff like it was a friend. Just his staff and him. It made Jamie feel a little wave of sorrow for him when his ‘friend’ passed away. For a while he just looked at the ground, at the floor, where he’d tapped it. At any moment he expected flourishes of frost to crawl out of it.

“…I’m sorry.” He didn’t know what he was sorry for. Maybe for his ‘loss’? Maybe for being the cause of the loss, in some weird twist. Maybe because he could tell this was painful for Jack, even if he seemed so happy about it. “B-But hey! Just because it doesn’t work anymore… doesn’t change what it is… right? I mean it’s still yours, and it’s still here.” He fumbled for words that may comfort Jack, but he knew those wouldn’t work.

“I… you don’t…” He held in that question. Bad question. He didn’t want to ask it. Jack was upset though, and Jamie’s initial reaction was to ask if Jack wanted to go back. The only problem with that was that Jamie did not want him to go back. Jack was his! It took him long enough, but he finally nudged Jack’s free hand with his own. He rephrased his words, into something he thought was more appropriate. “You’re not alone anymore.”

[gonnahavealittlerp]

Jack narrowed his eyes in confusion as Jackson tried to explain winter bananas to him. Jackson had really only had bread and apples over the last few days. Wait...Red fruit and round? Jack cast a sideways look at Jackson, he could not possibly be calling an apple a winter winter banana could he? Jack actually scoffed.

"Do you mean apples?" He asked, but he received no response; Jackson was already out. Jack would've liked to have taken a bit of time to rest, close his eyes, and just relax, but his body was on high alert still. As Jackson drifted to sleep, he sat up straight, legs crossed, pressing his back against the wall so he could watch the entire room. His staff rested across his lap and he sat close enough to Jackson that the crook dangled over the brunette's body.

The candles were still burning as hours passed, shadows danced around Jack as afternoon transitioned into night. Jack's mind wandered a lot in the few hours of silent solitude. He wondered if Sandy was nearby, wondered how much of the crowd below had dispersed, wondered how he was going to address these feelings for Jackson, if he did at all. His mind drifted back to the hallway earlier when Jackson had first entered the room. Something was wrong then, something had struck his mind as odd. He'd just searched the room, he'd searched every room, he'd made sure of it by leaving the do-Oh no. No no, the door should've been cracked. Pitch had been in here the entire day. He was in here now.

Jack exhaled slowly, losing his cool now would endanger Jackson. Pitch would just feed off of his fear and, with Jackson sleeping nearby, that was unacceptable. It was then that Jack felt the prickling up his spine and it was then that he noticed that one of the dancing shadows stood still just a bit too long. It was darker than the rest and, before he could think, Jack was moving. Frost lanced from the crook of his staff and the shadow turned liquid across the floor. Jack rolled off the bed and chased the oily form, frost trailing along the floor and walls as his attacks were dodged or missed. Without so much as putting up a fight, the shadow slipped out the window and was gone to the night.

Jack raised an eyebrow curiously, if Pitch wasn't planning to fight what was he doing? Jackson tossed in his sleep and a small whine slipped from the brunette's lips. Wait did that mean Jackson was the target? Of course Jackson was the target. He'd felt Pitch staring at him, he'd seen the eyes, he'd told the story. Jack nearly kicked himself, but he didn't have time. Jack was back on the bed quick as he could be, he set his staff down beside him and shook Jackson's shoulder. "Jackson, wake up. It's just a dream, a nightmare. Come on, Jackson." He tapped the brunette's cheek, trying to drag him out of his sleep.

"Jackson!" He yelled the boy's name now, and still Jackson cried and twisted in the sheets. Jack slipped his arm behind the brunette's head and, with some effort, dragged the top half of Jackson into his lap. He frantically ran through his list of magic, there had to be something, anything he could do do. Jackson was mumbling, it sounded like names, what was he dreaming? Why was Jackson crying? Jack wrapped his arms tight around Jackson, bending his head down to whisper calming words into the brunette's ear. He had no experience with this, how do you comfort someone like this? Jackson was the one with this knowledge, why couldn't their roles have been swapped?

"It's okay, Jackson. I'm here. Shhh-ssshhh..." He gave the brunette another squeeze, and that was when Jackson started to scream. Jack closed his eyes against the noise, he turned his head, trying to spare his hearing from the close proximity, but no matter how Jackson fought, Jack wouldn't let go.

"I'm here." Jack repeated.

Down the Rabbit Hole -- browneyedtrickster & gonnahavealittlefun

[gonnahavealittlerp]

"I think I have a better way of getting mail to North. Sandy makes his rounds every night at 9PM on the dot. If I wanna get in touch with him I think I could manage." Jack hadn't even considered that until just then, and he stored the idea away for safe keeping. North and the Guardians were pretty much his only family and friends, outside of Jamie, in the world. It'd be important to be able to get in touch with them if he needed to do so.

As Jamie began explaining about the card, Jack's eyebrows knit together in the middle of his forehead. Initially he was confused, why would North give him a card he could spend like money if he was just going to have to pay all the money back. Jack didn't have a job, and he doubted anyone would hire him without some kind of knowledge of technology or some kind of experience of some sort. The more he thought on it, the more sure he was that North had no intention of Jack having to pay for the card, he'd almost bet his hoodie that the card was magic. He nodded though, a small agreement, he was going to need things.

"Yeah, your jeans are a little big on me, and your shirts too." Jack tugged the shirt out a little bit, the chest and arms had a bit of extra space. Then he glanced down at his feet, as much as he hated to think it, he hated putting it to words even more. His tone was quiet and defeated. "And I'm probably going to need shoes..." He wiggled his toes to accent his point and sighed.

Jack's mouth actually dropped open slightly as Jamie explained how the card helped his story. He was Jack Frost, he'd never had anything but his clothes and his staff, and due to their story he was meant to be rich? He guessed the card really did help with that then, especially if it worked the way Jack imagined it had to. "It makes sense, I just don't know how well I can play that one off, Jamie. I've never had anything, except me, my clothes, and my staff." The staff, he'd forgotten nearly forgotten. Brown eyes slid along the wall to where the staff rested against the door frame.

He stood and slipped the card into his pocket as Jamie finished talking, and closed the distance between the bed and the door. He reached a tentative hand out, but didn't quite touch the staff. He could usually feel it in close proximity, the magic that pulsed in time with his heartbeat, the security he felt in its closeness. How had he neglected its absence for so long? He hadn't felt it since he'd woke up that morning and it hadn't bothered him, hadn't even crossed his mind. His eyes slid down it now, it looked the same but, even without touching it, it felt dead to him.

Nervous eyes looked over his shoulder at Jamie, he wasn't sure he wanted to actually touch it, but he knew that he couldn't put it off forever. With a small exhale, he wrapped a hand around the staff and picked it up. He was right, it did feel dead. The magic was gone, this had once been a weapon, even a companion, but now it was just a stick. Experimentally, he tapped the butt of the staff against the floor, a motion that would ordinarily have caused a cascade of frost tendrils at his feet. This time, nothing, nothing but a hollow knocking of dead wood.

"It's dead." He whispered more to himself than anyone. He clutched the staff tightly in his hand and fought back tears. He didn't regret becoming human, no, but this was the hardest part for him. He looked over at Jamie, a frown on his face, but not a word came to his mind. 

Second Chances -- Jamie-Bennett-RP & Gonnahavealittlefun

Jamie had heard Jack apologize for not being around more often. He didn’t say a word to it. Jack, in his opinion, did not owe him an apology. Jamie knew that he had to do his job, after all. As a child or an adult, he would have been rude to expect Jack to spoil him with more time than he could. He did not fully understand what the hand on his knee meant. He didn’t know if it was reassurance, or just affection. Either way, his embarrassment melted when he had taken the time to read the letter, and the last of the red drained from his cheeks when he continued on with that conversation.

“Yeah! Wow—this is like… A really awesome gift. You should write him a thank you letter or something. Wait… does North even like getting letters? I bet he has a ton of mail.” Jamie chuckled softly, wondering how many of those letters actually even made it to the north pole. He imagined sometimes parents just kept children’s letters… Probably used them for gift ideas or just tossed them out.

It was an unpleasant thought. He cleared his throat. “Anyway, yeah! Credit cards are like money. We use them just like cash, except through a little machine thing. Basically everywhere accepts them. There’s usually a certain balance on there that you have… like… wait…” He shook his head. He was going to confuse Jack. “Let me start over.” He decided.

“Okay… so here is how it works. Pretend that I’m like… a bank.” Did Jack have banks back when he was human? Surely he knew how they worked anyway. They were pretty common buildings. “I have a lot of money. You’re you. So you want to spend some money, but you don’t have any money. The credit card is my money, that I am letting you borrow. Sometimes credit cards have limits to how much you can spend.” He frowned. “Does that make sense? Oh well. The point is that this card is as good as money, and you can use it to get some of the things you need.”

He didn’t want to confuse Jack too much. It was hard enough to understand credit cards when you took classes about them. “One of these times I’ll take you out somewhere, and I can show you how to use one. You’ll probably want to buy some clothes or something that fit you, eventually, anyways.”

He was about to fall quiet, when he remembered that last question. “Oh! Right, your story. Well I mean, for a guy to travel around the world and stuff, it costs a lot of money. I mean it would be absurd for you to be broke. Having a credit card makes it more believable that you’re a ‘rich kid’, and that your dad would leave you alone. Does that make sense?”

Jamie turned the card over in his hand a couple of times, and then he offered it back to Jack. “This is like really important, okay? Like this is basically North giving you all the money you’ll ever need, or something, and you should be careful not to let anyone have this. Like keep it in your walle—you probably don’t have a wallet—Keep it safe.” He corrected. “And probably buy a wallet soon.”

It was then that Jamie wondered what else Jack would need. He was certain at least a whole day would end up devoted to purchasing him his various needs. Clothes, shoes, a toothbrush, a comb… a wallet. Maybe he needed a fake ID? That would be harder to get. Jamie wouldn’t worry about it right away…

[gonnahavealittlerp]

Jack watched Jamie lay back on the bed, it was clear that the brunette was nervous about sharing this little aspect of his life. That, to Jack, was an indicator that this was going to be fantastic. Jamie wouldn't even look Jack in the eyes as he began to speak. The issue was, as soon as Jamie started speaking, as soon as that first sentence was spoken, Jack lost the will to make fun of Jamie for it. With each sentence Jamie spoke, a tightness built in Jack's chest and he bunched his face up against it. Jack looked up just in time to see Jamie drape his arm over his eyes, and he gave his head a small shake.

Jack reached a hand over and rested it on Jamie's knee giving it a small squeeze. Jack let his mind absorb what Jamie was telling him. Jack had made such an impact on Jamie's life that the brunette had managed to tell his mother about him, give her enough information about him that she knew who he was, knew that he 'traveled the world', and knew that he'd been Jamie's long time friend? The idea kind of punched Jack in the chest and, as Jamie finished talking, Jack exhaled. How long had Jamie been falling for him, then? How hard must it have been to hide all this for so long, not just from his mother, but from Jack as well?

"I didn't know you'd told anyone about me, aside from your friends that night, anyways." Jack gave the brunette's knee another squeeze, and he kept his tone soft as he spoke. "I mean..." What did he mean? Had he honestly expected Jamie to keep quiet about Jack the entire time they'd been friends? Had he really thought that depriving a kid of his best friend for months at a time wasn't going to make them walk to talk to someone about them? "I'm sorry I wasn't around more." was what finally came to his lips. Jack wouldn't push for more details, he didn't need any, everything else could be winged anyways. All he needed to know was how Mrs. Bennett knew who he was and why she'd been so familiar with him and willing to open her home to him. Everything that he had learned beyond that was just fuel for his love for Jamie.

Jack nodded at Jamie as he changed the subject, probably best not to dwell on it for too long. What needed to be said had been said. When Jamie asked about a "card" Jack picked up the little piece of plastic from the bed beside him and offered it to Jamie.

"This was folded up inside the letter, if that's a credit card then yeah." Jack chewed on his bottom lip and eyed the card curiously. "He said it works just like money, and that it can take care of 'everything'." Jack put heavy emphasis on the word, just the same as the emphasis had been placed in the letter. "But how does it help my story?" Jack had a lot of questions about it. "And how does it work?"

Second Chances -- Jamie-Bennett-RP & Gonnahavealittlefun

Jamie’s cheeks colored pink nearly the moment he was asked, and not even his freckles could hide that blush. He let out a drawn out sigh and flopped down on the bed, on his back. Best he didn’t look directly at Jack while he told him this nonsense or it would simply embarrass him more. That was his battle plan, at least. He had no idea how long it would last before Jack did something silly like, say, move into view.

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” He admitted, whilst studying the ceiling. It was suddenly very fascinating to him. “Uh… Okay. Um…” He wasn’t living this down. Even as he tried to say it he knew he was just about to admit his own defeat. “Okay… When I was a kid I talked about you all the time. But when I was like… fourteen-ish, my mom started giving me these looks… like she didn’t believe in you. Or believe what I was saying.”

Jamie made a face at the ceiling then. No, his mother didn’t believe in Jack Frost. He was just a story, just an expression. “Anyway, at some point I just let it slip. ‘No—I really have a friend named Jack Frost! He and I hang out sometimes after school’.  Then it just sort of… built. When I got older, and I’d been talking about you for a few years, she asked to meet you. I told her she couldn’t, because you were traveling. I mean, it wasn’t a lie or anything. I don’t know how it happened, but over the years I just… made up this story.”

He draped his arm over his eyes and it brought darkness to his vision, because apparently looking at the ceiling wasn’t enough to keep him from blushing. “I told her you had a dad, and you traveled a lot. You don’t go to school with me, you take classes online because you’re always on the go. Your family has that apartment, sometimes in the winter you come back and hang out with me. Sometimes when I went camping, and you went with me, I’d say we were going together. She knows everything about you.” He cleared his throat. “I mean… she knows that you’re my friend and all. She doesn’t know everything, obviously… I mean, I never told her I had a thing for you…”

He felt like an idiot, telling Jack this. Like he was just a child, who bragged about his best friend to his mommy. Like he was just a teenager in love, who wanted someone to tell… Jamie had never said he was in love out loud. He could have if he wanted to… But to say Jamie had any idea how his mother would have reacted to that was a lie. He didn’t know what she would think of it at all, let alone when Jack was this ‘invisible’ guy that she’d never met before. Once or twice he’d figured she thought he was making Jack up… and to be fair she was halfway right. He’d made up most of his back story.

Telling his mother that he was in love with a spirit who traveled the world and only came to visit him in the winter was not on the top of his to-do list. It was even lower on his to-do list now that he was trying to get her to let Jack stay with them for a while.

“Ugh… that’s… basically it.” He summarized it all of course. To add that he basically talked constantly about Jack for his whole life, or that his mother even knew bits and pieces of Jack’s personality and appearance, was unnecessary. To say that Jamie had more fun with Jack than anyone else was unnecessary. To continue this conversation, to Jamie, was mildly unnecessary. Well… perhaps necessary, but embarrassing. “Er… anyway, letter.”

He removed his arm from his face and lifted the paper up over his head, and into his line of vision. He had to blink a time or two, but after a moment he was able to read the words. He read it three times, before he sat up and cleared his throat. He was mystified by the way the word everything was written, although he didn’t spend too much time worrying about it. He was more interested in the first part, honestly.

Jack was lucky to have love. What did that mean? Did it mean the other guardians had lost love? That the idea made him a little uneasy. He didn’t want to be known as the love that Jack lost. He ignored the ominous thoughts that gave him, and instead tried to think of it as a more pleasant tale. Maybe it truly was just… a blessing? No strings attached. He took a moment to smile at North’s signature. He had never in his life seen someone receive a letter from Santa.

“Did he give you a credit card?” He asked, pushing away his previous thoughts, in favor of focusing on the more curious part of the message.  “I mean, it sorta sounds like it, based on this… And hey, that can help your story anyway…”

[gonnahavealittlerp]

Jack was just about to give up on Jamie coming to his rescue, he'd almost done the first thing that came to mind when he could come up with no better option; he'd nearly told the truth. That was when Jack was convinced that he had fallen in love with a superhero, because that was also the second Jamie came to his rescue. Internally, Jack exhaled a sigh of relief as Jamie took over, he did his best to listen and understand the story; he might be called on to repeat it later on. He hoped the tale would be airtight, and mostly it seemed to be. Jack made a mental note to ask Jamie everything he'd told his mother about him. Jack was going to need to know if they were going to remain consistent, and it would also make Jamie squirm.

Julie looked a bit disbelieving as Jamie told her their story, but she wanted to trust Jamie. That made Jack feel guilty and he furrowed his eyebrows against the feeling. At her next question, Jack was about to jump to the defense of his "father", but Jamie beat him to it and a good thing he did. Jamie's statement was probably a lot more believable than whatever would've come out of Jack's mouth. He was leaning towards something like, "Yeah, he knows how mature I am so he just lets me do my own thing". His "dad" being busy or forgetful was probably a lot more believable. Jack tilted his head to the side as he noticed Jamie had been  steadily backing his mother out of the room and, as the door closed, Jack breathed a sigh of relief.

Now that he was alone his attention fell to the envelope in his hand. He brought it up and brown eyes studied the writing more closely; it was definitely North's. Why would North be sending him a letter? Jack hadn't wanted to open the letter in front of Mrs. Bennett, knowing North it could've sprouted wings and taken off flying as a sort of congratulations or celebration of him being human. Now that Jamie had her out of the room, Jack threw caution to the wind and carefully slipped his finger under the envelope's seal and opened it along the top seam. Jack slipped the paper out and noticed it felt heavier than perhaps it should've. As he opened it, a card fell from the fold. Jack reflexively caught it before it had fallen far and held it up curiously. The card was plastic, had a long series of numbers, his name, and what looked to be a date on it, as he flipped it over he noticed the white backing had a solid black strip across the top. He shrugged and tossed it on the bed, he was more curious about the letter.

Jack sat down on the bed next to the card and began to read, brown eyes skimming quickly the first time before doubling back to re-read it completely. There was no way that this meant what Jack thought it meant.

"Jack,

The world has changed a lot over the years, a man can't make it without money these days. I just so happen to have a few of these cards laying around in case the workshop needs supplies. They work just like money, but you must be careful and use it responsibly. If you can't figure it out, ask Jamie to show you, I imagine he will know. This should take care of everything."

Jack blinked, the word "everything" was underscored and written as if the pen had gone over the word several times. His eyes slipped from the letter to the small card beside him as new curiosity for the gift raced through his mind. He'd make sure to ask Jamie when the brunette got back, for now he finished the letter.

"We meant it, Jack. Enjoy this chance, make the most of it. Love is rare and it is powerful, it is one of the most important things you will ever find in life. You are lucky to have it.

If you need anything, we will be there. I will be there.

North"

Jack finished reading the letter as Jamie entered the room. Jack reached a hand up and rubbed it through his brown hair as he met Jamie's eyes. A small smile slipped onto Jack's lips as Jamie confirmed that he could stay. That was a load off, but what of this card?

"I followed most of it, I think. I'm supposed to have an apartment somewhere that my family keeps? But someone else is living there now so I can't stay there." Jack summed up as best he could recall, eyebrows arched, inviting Jamie to correct any mistakes. Jack held up a finger though.

"Read this real quick, it's 'Dad's' letter." Jack had elected to refer to North has his father, he was as much a father figure as Jack had ever known, so it was an easy transition to him. "And, Jamie." Jack's smirk slipped into place. "Just so we're on the same page, I think I'm gonna need you to tell me everything you've told your mom about me."

Second Chances -- Jamie-Bennett-RP & Gonnahavealittlefun

Jamie held his breath, listening to every word Jack spoke. Would he blow it? Would he say something that fit into Jamie’s previous tales? He released a small sigh when Jack’s eyes landed on him. There was a smirk, and those beautiful, outspoken eyes telling him that he would never in his entire life get out of the jokes about how Jamie’s mother knew Jack. He would have to live with that plague.

“Oh? What happened when you got into town?” Jamie’s mother asked. She cast her eyes away from the envelope and onto Jack. She wouldn’t have guessed that he looked so… plain. She was beginning to think that Jamie must have had a truly warped definition of ‘amazing’.

Jamie caught Jack’s plea for help. How could he not? His eyes hadn’t left Jack the whole time. He’d just been listening to the way Jack’s words rolled off of his tongue, and then suddenly he trailed off… and it occurred to Jamie that he had no idea what to say to this woman.

“Well his family has an apartment, you know?” Jamie began, sitting up and looking at his mother this time. “Anyways, his dad rents out the apartment through a rental agency. So he had to go up north for a while, and Jack was just going to stay behind in their apartment, but like… He didn’t have the dates right with the apartment people or whatever. Anyway, there’s actually people living in the apartment right now.”

Julie frowned at her son. It all smelled a little fishy, to her, but she had been told about his family traveling before, and his ‘apartment’ that Jack lived in when he was around. “You would think your father would have double checked that sort of thing before he just left you here.”

Jamie could see his mother’s thought process, and her question caught him off guard. He shrugged his shoulders. “Oh—you know—Parents can be forgetful.” He stood up off the bed and lightly began nudging her in the direction of the hallway. “I mean, heck, remember that time you forgot to pick Sophie up from dance class for like two hours? Her teacher drove her home?”

Jamie succeeded in pushing her out into the hallway after that. Mostly to keep her from questioning Jack, but also because it was time for him to ask her for a favor. He tugged the door shut behind him just as she crossed her arms.

“I know what you’re about to ask me, Jamie, and I don’t know…”

“Mo-oom,” Jamie began to protest her in a hush, mostly to keep Jack from hearing him. He’d already begged for Jack enough, he didn’t need to hear any more of it. “He’s got nowhere else to go!”

“Didn’t you tell me that he isn’t enrolled in school? What’s he going to do all day at home while you’re gone? I don’t have enough time to babysit a rich boy, Jamie.”

Jamie raised his hands up defensively. “No, no no no no no! You won’t even know he’s here! I mean, He’s really nice—and he knows Sophie! Not that it really matters but please?”

The woman in question ran her palm down her face. “Well I’m not going to just kick him out in the snow, and you know that, but this doesn’t mean he can stay indefinitely, Jamie Bennett! You two find a way to get in contact with his father, or someone. I am not a homeless shelter.”  She put her hands on her hips and sighed. “Keep him out of trouble, and he can stay a little while. I am not kidding around here. See if you can contact his father.”

“What if we can’t?” Jamie asked, curiously. He was surprised this was going so smoothly. Catching his mother when she was tired after work had clearly been lucky. Asking that question might have been dumb. His mother shook her head at him and began down the hall to her room.

“Just try.” She answered, clearly too tired to think about this any further. Jamie watched her walk away, and down the rest of the hallway to her room, mail in hand. She would probably be going to sleep until lunch time, and Jamie sighed. At least he knew Jack could stay for a few days. He’d just have to work on keeping him.

He retreated back into his own room, quietly latching the door, and he turned his attention up to meet Jack. Quickly he moved his hand up to his face, and covered his lips with one finger in the universal symbol of ‘be quiet’.

“Okay, Jack,” He began, “My mom’s gonna let you stay a while, but we really do have to talk this whole thing out, so… Did you catch all of that ‘story’?”

[gonnahavealittlerp]

Jack knew Jackson trusted him, he just hoped he wouldn't fall short. He watched as Jackson slipped off the bed and made to retrieve the candles. As the brunette stumbled Jack made to get up off the bed to help, but caught himself around the same time Jackson caught himself. Why was he so protective? Jackson wasn't a child, he didn't need Jack to hold his hand all the time. Jack settled off to one side of the mattress after a few seconds, listening to Jackson's complaints. He gave a small shrug, blue eyes following the brunette as he placed the candles.

"We have been traveling in the freezing cold for two days, you only slept a little bit each night, you know, in the cold, with nothing but a cloak and a blanket on." And a hoodie. Jack squashed the sarcastic thoughts that seemed to be invading his mind the longer he chastised himself for this mess. "I'm glad you're going to get a decent bed tonight." A loud crash from downstairs cut Jack's sentence short and he glared down at the floorboards as the dancing light of the candles illuminated the room. "If it's quiet enough for you to sleep..." He grumbled. Then what Jackson just said caught in his mind.

He held onto the question for now, chuckling at the rise he'd managed to get out of Jackson. He was glad the tease seemed to have brought Jackson's smile back. Jack knew Jackson was, maybe not scared, but worried. He hated that he'd had to say anything to begin with, but to hide that Pitch was near would be more dangerous than telling him the truth. Jack's eyes followed the brunette as he slipped his vest off and moved back to the bed. Jack was a bit crestfallen when Jackson declined his offer, but he played it off with a shrug of his shoulders and a sarcastic comment.

"Hey, your choice, but you're missing out." He teased, his voice a bit sing-songy as he slipped himself down on the mattress next to Jackson. He stared at the ceiling, watching the candlelight paint shifting patterns against it, the shadows of the room dancing and swaying as they fought the light. Jack's eyebrows rose in question as Jackson called his name, his eyes slid sideways to look at the other.

"Hm...?" Jack smiled a legitimate smile as Jackson spoke his concerns. He hoped it wouldn't come to a fight. But he nodded. "It's nothing, I didn't save you from that lake just to sit here and let you get hurt by something else. Besides, it's kinda hard to hurt me. We Guardians are made of pretty tough stuff." He paused for a second. "But I'll be careful. I promise."

Jack narrowed his eyes at the ceiling again, letting the silence sit for a few seconds as he thought. Jackson's words had dragged him out of the shallow rut he'd pushed himself in over the last hour or so since he'd realized all the warning signs he'd missed. He exhaled a small sigh and the question he'd muted earlier came to mind.

"Jackson?" Jack asked into the silence. "What in the world is a winter banana?"

Down the Rabbit Hole -- browneyedtrickster & gonnahavealittlefun

[gonnahavealittlerp]

Jack took the clothes as they were offered, but ignored the socks. He knew eventually he'd have to wear them, but the longer he could delay that the better. As he dragged on the black t-shirt he tugged at the sleeves and collar, they clung a bit tighter than those of his hoodie; they weren't uncomfortable, just different. The jeans were a bit different; they were loose fitting and comfortable. He fiddled with the zipper for a few seconds after he managed to button them and glanced down as the jeans slipped down his hips a bit. They were a little too big. He gave a small shrug and tugged them up again. Jamie seemed to be a few steps ahead of Jack as he handed a belt over to him. Jack grinned, the two of them seemed to work well together. Jack looped the belt through the loops and fastened it when the jeans felt comfortable.

Jack flopped back onto the bed once he was dressed and cast a glance down at himself. He didn't mind the look, it was simple and the clothes were comfortable. As Jamie settled in beside him, Jack couldn't help but notice the brunette seemed a bit uncomfortable at the topic of his mother. 

"You already wh-" Jack cast a glance towards the bedroom door as he heard Mrs. Bennett's voice from the hall. They had no story, no reason why Jack was here. Jack's mind was trying to conceive of a thousand different stories, all of them as impossible or silly as the next, but Jamie's mind seemed to have gone another direction. Jack hadn't seen anyone move that quickly since he found that Flash comic book that one time. It only took Jack a few seconds to realize, as Jamie seemed to end up in a pair of jeans out of thin air, what it was Jamie was rushing to hide: everything that would give away what had happened the night before. Jack stayed put, with the way Jamie was moving he'd only get in the brunette's way.

It was a photo finish, really, and all Jack could do was suppress the grin on his lips as Jamie flopped down on the bed as the door slipped open and the form of Mrs. Bennett slipped inside. She was speaking while looking down at the mail in her hands, as she said Jack's name, his eyebrows arched curiously. A letter? For him? Jack slipped to his feet then, and he realized with a start, that she'd noticed him. This was the first time an adult had ever noticed him. Jack's brown eyes cast between the letter in her hands and her eyes, a stupid grin on his lips then.

"Hi!" He finally managed to say after Jamie stumbled through an awkward introduction. Jack took the letter when it was offered and studied the handwriting curiously. There were only a few people who knew he was here, and the handwriting on the front made it clear it was North's work. Not opening it might raise suspicion, so he stalled by continuing the conversation, his mind picking at the small details curiously.

He traveled a lot? How did she know who he was? Jack cast a lopsided smirk at Jamie, brown eyes delivering all the curiosity they could in one quick glance. Jack was no fool, he knew an advantage when he saw one; this was a solution to all their problems, if Jack could play this off as being a long-time friend who traveled. But man was Jamie going to get poked about this one relentlessly later. "So Jamie told you about me? It's nice to finally meet you, too." The truth was, Jack had known this woman for years. It was going to be complicated not to play it off otherwise, as he continued he picked his words very carefully.

"Yeah, I just got in last night. I hope you don't mind that I stayed over, but things kind of..um-" He cast a look at Jamie. Jack was quick on his feet, but this was new territory. "Took an unexpected turn when I got to town." he finished awkwardly, turning his bright-eyed smile back to Julie. He still hadn't opened the letter, he was still stalling. Jack trusted Jamie to pick up where he left off; if he didn't, Jack was going to flounder and sink.

Second Chances -- Jamie-Bennett-RP & Gonnahavealittlefun

Jamie tucked the faded clothes away into his dresser. He could keep them safe and folded there, it wasn’t like anyone got into it. He admired Jack tugging the heart patterned boxers up to ride low on his hips, and he could see the knowing look in his eyes. Jamie did not feel shame in looking. Why should he? At this point he was pretty sure he’d seen all there was to see, and even more so he had touched all there was to touch. Jack could expect for Jamie to attempt to undress him with his eyes time and time again in their future. Maybe if he tried hard enough, sometimes it would work?

While he turned and began to pull clothing out of his dresser, he made quick work of his thought process. Clothing that he did not usually wear. Clothing that his family would not recognize. A black t-shirt with no pattern or logo, simply because that made it unidentifiable; An old pair of dark blue jeans that he was confident would require a belt. Jack was a little too skinny for his clothes. “You don’t have to wear them.” Jamie shrugged, but he was speaking in reference to the socks. “I mean, if your toes get cold don’t go whining to me.”

While Jamie was watching Jack dress, an old car was pulling into the driveway. “My mom?” Jamie asked, at first confused by Jack’s comment. While he was fishing out a belt for Jack, and while he was considering his answer, and how to admit that he didn’t have much of a story to craft, there were footsteps coming up the front porch.

She stopped at the mailbox, but once the bundle of envelopes was in her hand she was quickly pushing her way into the home and removing her shoes so as not to track snow. Jamie, in his room, hardly heard her. Instead he just sat down on the bed beside Jack, and frowned. “Well, actually…” He began, glancing up into Jack’s eyes.”I kind of already to-“

He was about to explain when he heard the creak of the stairs, and footsteps in the hall. “Jamie?” Came the familiar voice, and without much warning his door was being knocked on. The young writer’s head shot up, and his words were lost. He looked between Jack, and the door, before he jumped up and practically willed a pair of jeans onto himself.

“Uh—hey mom!” He called through the door, looking at the bed. What could he hide fast? Lube—that was something to be covered. He dove onto the bed and knocked the bottle off of the bedside table on the other side—relieved when it rolled under the bed. He groped for the set of towels on the floor—far more than Jamie would have used on his own—and flung them beneath the bed as well. It was a good thing the boogey man didn’t plague him, or he was in for some odd company beneath the young Bennett’s bed.

“Are you decent?” She asked through the door, although Jamie could hear she was already turning the knob. She was his mother, and according to ‘mom logic’ apparently there was nothing she could see on him that wasn’t there when he was born. Mom logic was Jamie’s least favorite sort of logic. Additionally, what was Jamie’s answer supposed to be? If he claimed not to be decent, then there was no explanation for the other person in his room.

“Yeah, yeah,” He made his last effort to ‘hide the evidence’ by flipping the blankets back… although the messy bed didn’t really look any better than it did before. He slid down onto his stomach with a huff, just as his mother opened the door. He hadn’t taken the time to tug on his jacket, or a real shirt, but at least he had on something. The jeans helped his case too.

Julie Bennett was a woman of medium length hair the same color as her son’s, if not a little darker, that was pulled back into a ponytail holder. She didn’t wear the freckles that her son did, nor did she stand as tall as him. In fact, she was fairly average in height for a woman, standing nearly 5’5. She had her eyes downcast at the mail she was flipping between her fingers. “Jamie, we got a letter that’s just addressed to ‘Jack’? There’s no return address or anything, it just says his name… Do you know what this is—oh.” She tilted her gaze onto the second boy in the room, the scene before them really. “Hello there…”

Jamie sat up fairly quickly. “A letter for Jack?” He asked, before he realized that he owed them both an introduction. “Oh! Jack—this is my mom. Mom, this is Jack.”

This was Jack? She raised her eyebrow at him. She loved her son, but she had spent the better part of her life wondering if Jack was even real. She took a few steps forward and extended her hand out to him, offering him the envelope. “Well Jack, you’ve got mail.” She offered him a curious smile, in addition to his letter. “It’s nice to meet you, finally. I wondered if I’d ever get the chance, what with all the traveling you do. I’m Julie.”

In that moment Jamie just hoped Jack didn’t say something that would ruin a perfectly good ‘white lie’ that he had woven, for his entire life.

[gonnahavealittlerp]

The way the pair of them were moving together, each time Jack pressed up deep into Jamie, words were kind of lost. Jack couldn't have said more than a syllable or two. He was relegated to a vocabulary consisted of small gasps, cries, and moans. Jamie seemed to have a bit more control over himself, which Jack was, somewhere in the back of his mind, jealous of. Jamie, at least, could manage names. As Jamie brought his body down, and as Jack's pressed up, enveloping himself in Jamie's warmth, the brunette seemed to slip, throwing their rhythm off of a heartbeat, but the sound Jamie had made, the way Jamie's body shifted around Jack. Yeah, Jack agreed 'there', wherever there was, needed to happen again. Many agains. He nodded and dragged a small smile onto his lips.

Jack's idea came into play now, as Jamie found the motion with his hips again, Jack rejoined after just a few seconds, counting the thrusts again until he was comfortable with the rhythm. This time, each time Jamie came down, Jack gripped the brunette's hips harshly and helped press Jamie down on himself. The feeling of the extra force, the friction, had Jack's toes curling and he soon found he'd bent his legs at the knees, drawing them up on the bed. A small coil of pressure was building up inside him and his body was aching with need now.

Starfall -- jamie-bennett & gonnahavealittlefun

[gonnahavealittlerp]

Jack was watching the expressions on Jackson's face closely, seeing the frown worried him. Frowns didn't suit Jackson, but this particular one was gone nearly as quickly as it started. Jack pondered its source, but without knowing what Jackson was thinking about, it really could've been any number of things. This time he could only hope it wasn't something he'd said or done.

Jack noted the way Jackson's smile emerged again as soon as the other's eyes found Jack leaning over him. Jack pulled his head back just a bit, not wanting to overcrowd Jackson. Well, that, and he wasn't sure that the closeness was such a fantastic idea given what he'd realized about his feelings downstairs. It couldn't do anything but make things worse. Jackson was his only friend, making things awkward or ruining things completely would hurt and it would make this trip nearly impossible. Jack could make the journey alone, sure, he could probably even do it faster, but he'd be distracted and constantly concerned about what'd happened to Jackson.

"I told you I'd protect you." Jack reminded Jackson. Now he couldn't help but be curious about Samuel, if he was a close friend of Jackson's family that means that Jack had known him at one point too. He didn't remember anything about the man, which frustrated him. The only face he could recall had been Emma's. It seemed that only bits and pieces of his connections to other people had made it through, like the thing with animals. He wondered if anything he'd learned from his relationship with Samuel had become a permanent part of himself; maybe it was something he hadn't even realized. Jack found that he hoped it had, Samuel was kind and seemed to be going out of his way for Jackson. No one that did that could be bad.

As the conversation drifted towards Jackson's experience downstairs, Jack did his best to hide his concern from his expression; it was a pointless endeavor with Jackson knowing Jack as well as he did. The more Jackson spoke, the more certain Jack was that he was dealing with Pitch. He'd also felt the prickling sensation at the back of his neck when he was in the hall earlier, and if Jackson had felt him angry, then they both needed to be careful.

"Listen, I'm gonna be honest with you because trying to hide it's pointless. I was hoping it might just be a nightmare or a fearling, but I'm pretty sure what you're describing is Pitch himself. Even I got the whole tingly, hair on neck thing earlier when I was checking the rooms. I don't know how strong he is in this time." I don't know if I can beat him. He didn't speak that line and it caused his eyes to narrow as he thought it, but he forced himself on. "I don't know why he's here, but listen to me." Jack put a hand on Jackson's chest, just for a few seconds. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, OK." Jack exhaled slowly, drawing his hand from Jackson's chest.

"I didn't see him up here, but it sounds like that was because he was downstairs. He's hard to pin down, he can disappear into the shadows and come out somewhere completely different." Jack looked out the window, it was still late afternoon, but it was dark enough due to the storm that the room was gloomy. "If you brought any candles in your pack, we'd be safer if we could light 'em." Jack's eyes slid over Jackson's face again. "You look exhausted, you should rest soon." Trying to make the situation a bit lighter, he added. "The cuddle offer still stands." He knew it was a terrible idea, especially with his confusion towards his feelings for Jackson, but if it made Jackson feel better he could deal with his feelings later.

Down the Rabbit Hole -- browneyedtrickster & gonnahavealittlefun

[gonnahavealittlerp]

"Sorry, I didn't really think about clothes when you were freaking out. It was a lot more important to actually see if I was right." Jack pointed out in response. Besides, it was just him and Jamie anyways, after uh...last night there was really no point in modesty between the two of them. The fact that he hadn't been sure that it was just the two of them conveniently escaped his mind. It had all turned out OK, so he didn't see reason to worry.

Jack bunched up his lips as Jamie teased him about being naked. When the brunette took his hand and began to guide him down the hallway, Jack retorted. "Yeah, as nice of a thought as that is, I'm not sure your mom or your sister or, you know, everyone I bump into outside would want to see that." Jack paused for a second, mind turning over the jab about pant length until finally... "HEY! Was that a short joke? I'm not that much shorter than you." Jack was still a bit sore about the height difference. Looking that little bit up into Jamie's eyes was going to be the death of him. Jack made a mental note to get back at Jamie for the jab at his earliest convenience.

Jamie seemed to be lost in thought as they crossed into the bedroom and Jack raised an eyebrow as he wondered what might be bothering the other. He gave Jamie's hand a soft squeeze, hoping to reassure him. Everything was OK and even if it wasn't, they'd figure it out together, nothing could beat them now. When Jamie released his hand, Jack closed the door behind them to afford himself a bit of privacy should anyone show up, and looked questioningly at Jamie as the brunette began to shuffle through his drawers.

"Let's just put them in a drawer somewhere safe. I've had those pants for literally 300 years, I don't want anything to happen to them." Jack responded with regards to his old clothes as he dropped the aforementioned pants and his hoodie on the foot of Jamie's bed. Jamie began passed him a pair of underwear and Jack shook them out and eyed them curiously, raising an eyebrow at Jamie. "Hearts?" he asked, sidestepping the socks that were tossed, letting them land on the bed. He noticed Jamie's eyes were watching him as if he might disappear, and it dragged a cocky smirk to his lips. He stepped into the legs of the boxers and dragged them up slowly before letting the waistband snap gently against his hips, the boxers riding a bit lower than they probably should've.

He cast Jamie a knowing glance, a tease, and pointed at the socks. "Do I have to wear them? Really?" He hated having anything on his feet, it felt odd and restricted. At the comment about his hair, Jack remembered what a mess it had been in the mirror and brought a hand up, trying to flatten it down against his head. "It's always just kinda done its own thing." He replied, scratching idly at his bare belly with the hand that wasn't fussing at his hair. Jack was pretty sure there was more to this clothing thing than just boxers, though Jamie wasn't wearing much more at the moment.

A thought occurred to Jack then, and he stopped messing with his hair and caught Jamie's eyes. This whole thing would fall apart quickly if they weren't careful, there was something very important the two of them needed to talk about, and sooner rather than later. He couldn't see a way around it, no matter how he shifted or juggled the situation. Any story he came up with had holes the size of Phil in them.

"Jamie, have you thought about what we're going to tell your mom? And...uh, I don't mean to ask for more than what you gave me, but I'm probably going to need a pair of pants or a shirt." Jack moved and flopped down on the bed across from Jamie, looking up at the other. He hated having to ask Jamie for things. He'd always just taken care of himself and he didn't want to be a burden. Shifting back to the first question, the important one, Jack continued. "She could be a big problem. I can't think of a way around it." 

Second Chances -- Jamie-Bennett-RP & Gonnahavealittlefun

“I love you too… Hey, I’ll be here. It won’t be so bad getting used to being a human again if you’ve got me, right?”

Jamie didn’t think he had ever seen Jack shiver before, and now that he felt him do so, he pulled Jack against him. He was warm to the touch. Jamie leaned forward and dropped his nose down to Jack’s neck, simply nuzzling him there for a second. He didn’t know a single person who enjoyed being cold, so he wasn’t surprised to hear Jack make that comment. “It wouldn’t be so cold if you weren’t naked.” He murmured into his skin.

Jack stepped back to gather his discarded clothing from the floor, and Jamie shook his head. “Are you kidding me? No you cannot borrow my clothes—You look good like that!” He snickered, but it was very obviously a joke. “No, I’m kidding. You can borrow some clothes.” He clarified. “We’re basically the same size anyway.”

Jamie was convinced they were alone in the house, so he accepted Jack’s hand and began to guide the naked teenager back to his room. “Well, you know… the pants could be a little too long.” He added as a playful afterthought.

Jamie’s mind was a sea of thoughts. Jack was human, that meant people could see him. People included his family. Where were they again? He could remember talk of Sophie going to her friend’s house… in fact she would probably be there for the majority of the morning and afternoon. His mother would probably be home from work soon… if She wasn’t already. He had never paid much attention to her schedule when it came to the night shifts. He was bad about that.

What really mattered was having Jack dressed when his family was home. “Um, we could keep your clothes in my dresser? Or my closet. We could hang them up so they stay safe.” He offered, considering places to put that hoodie in question. As for what Jamie had to offer him, he didn’t know how well Jack would like his clothes. He had basically mastered the ‘I don’t care what I look like’ look.

He let go of Jack’s hand to pull open the dresser drawer. The first step was easy, and he pulled out a pair of boxers for Jack, as well as some socks. He handed the underwear to him first, and tossed the balled up pair of socks in his hands. “Are you cold? I can get you a sweater if you want. Socks too—that’ll keep your feet warm. Wood floors suck in the winter.”

Not that it was winter yet…it was supposed to be fall. They were just suffering from the previous night’s ‘freak snow storm’. He leaned against the dresser, with every intention of watching Jack put on those clothes. He wouldn’t be seeing him naked again for a while, chances were, and he was going to commit it to memory.

It had nothing to do with the fact that he was absurdly in love with Jack and thought every inch of his body was perfect. Human or spirit, he belonged to Jamie now. Jamie didn’t know if he’d let Jack leave even if he wanted to. He’d never found himself this hopelessly attached to anyone else in his life… and he didn’t know if he would ever would find anyone else who took up so many of his thoughts.

He didn’t know the whole reasoning behind Jack becoming human. It was a gift, he understood, but he was just happy about it. All his concerns about ‘growing out’ of Jack were gone. He drummed his fingers on the side of the dresser and lightly daydreamed. Jack was his as long as he wanted… And only yesterday he’d wondered if he was his at all. It was amazing how fast things changed, and yet he didn’t mind at all. “We should probably try to get a brush through your hair too.” Even if it looked cute like that—it was absolutely disgraceful. The back was the worst, since Jack had spent so much time on his back when it was wet.

[gonnahavealittlerp]

Jack watched, grinning from ear to ear, as Jamie slowly processed his news. Well, it felt like he was processing it slowly to Jack anyways. Jack's mind was running a million miles a minute, in his glee he felt like he could run a marathon, fly around the globe even without his magic, or anything else he could possibly want to dump loads of energy into. Realization seemed to dawn on Jamie finally.

Jack nodded excitedly, yes he could stay. His smile never wavered, not for even a second as he stood there in front of Jamie. Another expression crossed Jamie's face quickly, seemingly cast away by a few blinks, and Jack arched an eyebrow curiously as Jamie's hands came to rest on his cheeks. The other's fingers were comfortable against his skin, he closed his eyes for a few seconds, absorbing himself in the sensation. After the moment passed, he opened them again and was met with Jamie's brown-eyed scrutiny. Jack knew it would take time to adjust to the change, so he let Jamie study him. He had nothing to hide from Jamie, but the intensity of Jamie's stare did make him a bit self-conscious. Did his new appearance put Jamie off of him a bit?

When finally Jamie seemed to have found what he was looking for, Jack felt the soft touch of the thumb wiping away tears that were there, but would not fall. They were happy tears, tears that celebrated something he didn't know he'd ever be able to have. With Jamie's hands at the side of his head, Jack's brown eyes studied Jamie's closely. He really could've stood here forever with Jamie. Jack's hands eventually settled on Jamie's waist, which he used to hold the other tight against him.

Finally, Jamie seemed to decide to say something. Jack waited patiently, but the words never came, instead the kiss found his lips and Jack actually laughed against it. It felt so different, the lips were still Jamie's, but the sensation was new and Jack wanted to explore it more. He supposed it was something to do with the temperatures. Unfortunately, Jamie kept the kiss short and Jack was left standing there wanting more. He had time, though, all the time in the world now for all the kisses he could ever want. 

Finally real words, real conversation seemed to find purchase with Jamie. Jack meant to say 'I'll stay if you'll have me', but Jamie quickly corrected his question to a statement before Jack even took in the breath he'd need to speak. Instead Jack nodded.

"I'm staying." He agreed as Jamie leaned away from him. Jack very nearly protested the distance, until he saw the expression Jamie was wearing. Jack whipped a hand up quickly, trying to snatch at Jamie's tongue, but he missed as the brunette started teasing him.

As the conversation turned to who would end up wanting who, Jack gave a shrug, the expression in his eyes turning serious for a few seconds. "Hey, I'm just saying, I have no idea what's going to happen now. I don't think this has ever happened before. I'm not going anywhere, Jamie. I love you, that's why I'm here, and it's not going to change."

At Jamie's next question Jack shook his head, his smile back on his lips as he spoke. "Nope, no magic, no flying, nothing but ordinary me." Or so he figured, anyways. He hadn't touched the staff yet and he wasn't sure how he'd react if he found it lifeless, as he expected he would. "It's going to take a bit to adjust." He grimaced, it was the truth. "But I think I can manage." 

A small draft caught its way across Jack's bare bottom and he shivered, pressing against Jamie. "Cold is going to take the most getting used to, I think." Jack's eyes settled on the blue hoodie and then slipped along the floor to the pants he discarded the day before. It didn't feel right to wear either now. "Can we put these somwhere safe?" Jack pointed at the clothes. "And can I borrow some clothes, maybe? Nothing fancy, even if it's just pajamas or something." Jack gathered the hoodie and knelt, dragging the pants from the floor too, draping them over his arm as he moved towards the door. He offered his empty hand back to Jamie, brown eyes asking him to join.

Second Chances -- Jamie-Bennett-RP & Gonnahavealittlefun

The first thing that crossed his mind was just how excited and happy Jack looked. Jamie could see it, in his eyes. That made his lips twitch a little, and he considered smiling. Jack looked at him like he might speak, but Jamie could see his thought process. He was taking breaths, and he was trying to find words. He was trying to do what Jamie had asked but it was clear as day that he was just so thrilled. Maybe he was having trouble.

I’m OK!

Jamie couldn’t help it. One single, slightly loud laugh erupted from his throat. It was clear to him now that he would never be able to hear the word ‘okay’ again without reliving the night before. Of course, he took comfort in the words. It was just the same as yesterday. They were moving forward, but they were okay. The words may not have been meant to be like that… but they brought Jamie comfort.

Jack’s story came out in fast bouts, and he was pacing, and Jamie crossed his arms and tried not to let his smile grow too wide. He didn’t even know if he should be smiling or not! Jamie squeaked when he was hugged so suddenly and so strongly, but he couldn’t help it. He was smiling too. Jack’s grins had always been contagious.

He didn’t suppose it all sank in until after Jack had stopped talking. He reflected on the words he spoke. He could stay. He was a normal kid now. As long as Jamie wanted…and suddenly he was feeling much better. Reassured.

To see Jack now was to look at a slice of Heaven. He was bouncing like an excited child, but his smiley demeanor wasn’t the end of it. His eyes shimmered with life, with excitement. His body was warm—Jamie actually felt comfortable in his embrace. “You can stay.” Jamie repeated, breathed the words. They wafted over his senses. Jack could stay. He could feel those words, touch them. They were solid. They were real. They were his.

Jack was his. He blinked at his Guardian—or was he still to be addressed as such? Jamie could not imagine calling Jack anything less. He would always be his hero.—and lifted his hands up to hold his face. He examined it with the upmost scrutiny. He committed every pore, every pale freckle. He watched Jack’s eyes, and he was no longer mournful that they blue had melted away. He may have had a weak spot for the shade, but these eyes, the eyes staring up at him the small distance between their heights… These were Jack’s eyes. They were full of fun, of happiness. Full of smiles—they were one and the same.

They were also slightly wet, shining with what must have been happy tears. If Jack was so genuinely happy that he could cry, Jamie could find no reason not to be happy too. He didn’t think any tears were shed, but regardless he moved one of his thumbs to trail beneath Jack’s eye. To feel his skin and to wipe away any tear he may have. He lowered his hands to the sides of Jack’s head, and the tip of his thumb brushed over the lobe of Jack’s ear. Eventually Jamie would have to get some clothes on Jack… lest someone who wasn’t Jamie catch sight of his damn-near-perfect body.

 “Jack, I…” He interrupted himself by stealing a kiss off the warm, soft lips that belonged to his boyfriend. His boyfriend who was human.

His boyfriend who was real. Real! Other people would see him! Other people would see him, and that made Jamie happy. No one would ever look past Jack again… “You’re going to stay with me?” He didn’t know why he vocalized it as a question, because he knew what the answer was. “You’re staying!” He could stay as long as he wanted. He could stay through the summer—through the fall. He could do anything he wanted…

A thought struck him, and he leaned back to roll his eyes and stick his tongue out at Jack. “Hey! ‘As long as I want you’? I’ll always want you, you dork!” He could tell Jack was still a little bouncy, and heck he was too, so he tried not to hold him down too long with his embrace. “It’s more of a question of how long you want me.”

He would have to get used to the sight of a brown-eyed brunette. It wouldn’t be difficult, because Jamie was pretty sure Jack was just as attractive, if not MORE attractive, like this. It just raised a few questions. “So… you can’t do magic anymore? Or fly? Won’t you like… miss that?”

[gonnahavealittlerp]

"Eyes?" Jack asked curiously. So he was right, something was here. It had to be Pitch, too, the fearlings and nightmares didn't have eyes. Pitch wouldn't have control of the dreamsand yet. This was bad. How powerful was Pitch in this time period? Could Jack take him alone? If Jackson was in danger, he'd have to try. Man, he hated being this jumpy and twitchy. Jack needed to ask more questions, but Jackson was already going moving on. It was probably safer to wait until they were somewhere more secluded anyways, anyone could walk up the stairs and overhear Jackson.

Jack's mind rejoined the conversation, immediately taking solace in Jackson's voice. The casual chit-chat brought him back down to Earth and kept him level headed. He tilted his head to the side at the idea of kids fighting over who got to pretend to be him. A small smile tugged at his lips as Jackson pulled away.

"They were really fighting over who gets to be me?" Jack gave his head a few small shakes of disbelief. Even in his time, when he'd had a few believers of his own, he wasn't sure anyone had ever played a game where they pretended to be Guardians.

It had seemed their first stop had been a complete success as Jackson informed Jack that he'd also secured himself a room. Jack followed the brunette until they reached the third door on the right, the first single person room Jack had searched earlier. Something stuck out in Jack's mind, something he should've paid more attention to. Just to be safe, he quickly scanned the hallway as Jackson pushed into the room. Jack followed Jackson in, shutting the door tight behind them. Something still felt off, he was still missing something; his eyes darted around the room again, just in case...But nothing.

As Jackson settled in, Jack crossed to the window which looked out on the snowstorm and the town square below. No one was milling about, everyone was either at home or in the tavern below them. While the room was quieter, the sounds still carried up through the thin floo and walls from the large group of people below. A snap made Jack jump and he turned to look at Jackson, the source of the noise. He exhaled slowly and moved to sit on the bed above Jackson's head as the brunette told him about Samuel. He had to calm down, if he was jumpy he'd make a careless decision, he would miss something important. He had to be alert, yes, but he needed to be calm.

Jack crossed his legs just above Jackson's head and bent over looking Jackson in the face with a small smile, laying his staff on the bed beside him. Being close to Jackson, as confusing as it was, calmed Jack down. Looking into those brown eyes and that confident smile took the edge off his worry.

"You know, I like that guy. Sam, that is. I nearly turned him into an icicle when he first came up to you, I thought he was going to drag you home. It's awesome he's helping you out so much." Jack paused for a second. He didn't want to scare Jackson, not right before the brunette fell asleep, but he needed to know. "Jackson...Those eyes you saw. Can you tell me more about them? Did you feel anything else when you saw them?"

Either way, Jack was going to stay close tonight, really close. 

Down the Rabbit Hole -- browneyedtrickster & gonnahavealittlefun

[gonnahavealittlerp]

Jack was so lost in examining every inch of himself in the mirror that he hadn't heard Jamie's footsteps in the hall. It might've also been a result of how tenderly Jamie was handling himself in his soreness, but Jamie saying Jack's name pulled him back from his reflection. Jack's brown eyes turned to smile at Jamie, reflecting every bit the emotion that his blue ones would've. That much hadn't changed. He still didn't know if he could find his words. He let Jamie turn him with a small tug, and still, all Jack could do was smile. Physically he was different, Jamie was right, and Jack agreed with a small nod, but he was still Jack. He raised his hands to look at them as if he'd never seen them before.

Jamie's tone caught Jack off guard, and he raised his eyes to focus on the other. Jamie was worried, it was written all over the poor guy. Find his words, he could do that. Jack closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths. When he opened them again, he settled his eyes on Jamie's, a small grin tugging at the corner of his lips. He took Jamie's hands in his own and gave them a small squeeze; finding that Jamie wasn't unusually warm, in fact his hands were a bit colder than Jack's right then. When he spoke, his excitement caused the words to come out in a rush.

"I'm OK. It's OK." He took a deep breath trying to calm himself down, he couldn't explain it properly if he was rambling at the speed of sound. "I dunno, when we laid down last night, I actually fell asleep. I heard a sound, I didn't know what it was at the time, but I know now. It was dreamsand, Sandy's dreamsand. I had a dream I was in North's workshop with all the Guardians. Even the Man in the Moon showed up." Jack was getting excited again, he started pacing back and forth in the small bathroom, between the bathtub and the sink. "They knew that I fell in love with you. They knew I told you. And they were happy! Even Bunny, even Manny! They were worried for me, though."

Jack stopped pacing to look Jamie in the eyes again. He couldn't even try to squash the gigantic smile that was on his lips, he even bounced on the balls of his feet a bit.

"I was so nervous, I thought I was in trouble. I was sure they were going to tell me it had to end, but no! Manny told me since Pitch has been gone and silent for so long, since I'd died so young and, as he said, 'done so much', he was turning me human again. So I could see what a normal life is like, so I could be with you. I wished for this for so long, every night for decades, just to be normal again. I mean, I'm still a Guardian, if things get bad they can call me back, but Jamie!"

He gave an excited laugh and rubbed both hands through his mess of brown hair over and over. Jack's warm brown eyes had tears forming along them and couldn't help it as he practically tackle hugged Jamie before he finished speaking.

"I get to stay, Jamie! I get to stay as long as you want me to. I'm just a normal kid now. I never have to leave again. Do you see?" 

Second Chances -- Jamie-Bennett-RP & Gonnahavealittlefun

Jack’s instincts were correct, his hair was a mess. Jamie didn’t poke fun at it, although any other day he may have; because he was too busy having a minor heart attack. Jack sat up, and Jamie was very careful to watch every movement he made. How he sat up, how he cracked one eye open so slightly that it was hard to even tell… and then how he opened both of his eyes wide.

Jamie was about to ask him another question, he even had his hand up, finger extended, like he was about to make a point… but he was effectively silenced by Jack’s eyes. He had brown eyes, too. Jamie’s heart rate slowed down, but his mind didn’t.

Jack had said just the afternoon before that he once had brown hair and brown eyes—but that was a long time ago. Jamie hadn’t been worried at the time that Jack’s eyes were subject to change again. “Dream—you said dream. What dream?” Of course Jack’s answer to that question was a one word mystery again.

Eyes. Jamie tried not to let his disappointment show through his shock. He loved Jack’s eyes. Nearly as much as he loved his Guardian himself. They were absolutely the purest blue that Jamie had ever seen, and they were vocal and descriptive of everything he did or thought. Hadn’t he explained that the day before? He pushed the thoughts away. Right now wasn’t the time to whine about if blue was prettier than brown or not… It was the time to discuss what was going on. “Okay, Jack, let’s just—Hey!”

Jack darted out the door, and Jamie found himself gazing at the doorway and rolling his eyes. Jack had just vanished, and Jamie had more questions now than he had before his Guardian woke up. Jamie did not have any interest in running anywhere. He had learned from jumping up that moving hurt. Instead he cautiously pushed himself to his feet and wandered to his dresser. From it he pulled a pair of his own underwear, and he took his sweet time to bend over and step into them.

He very calmly, considering how confused he was, slipped his arms through a white tank top too. It was nearly paper thin, almost see through, but between that and the boxers he was ‘presentable’ if his mother or sister were to walk in. With those two items in place, the freckled boy began to walk down the hall, only to stand in the doorway to the bathroom and watch Jack as he began to examine himself.

“Jack,” Jamie began, nearly exasperated with him at this point. He didn’t know for certain what he was about to say, however. He thought at first that he would say ‘what was your dream about’, or ‘what happened to you’. He busied himself with tugging Jack’s hoodie out of the sink from the night before. It seemed dry in most places, though where it had been folded was still just a little damp. “You’re all… different! Your hair’s brown! Your eyes too!” He lightly tugged Jack’s arm back in an attempt to get a better look at his face.

“Look—I need you to find your words again, okay? I’m kind of freaking out right now—like a lot actually. Like… are you okay?” He frowned. Patience was always hit and miss with Jamie, but right now he didn’t appear to have much. Although his words were laced with a little bit of that impatience, it didn’t hide the fact that they were practically dripping with concern.

[gonnahavealittlerp]

Sleep was awesome, even if you didn't really understand why you were sleeping. Jack didn't really dream anything else that night, his sleep was mostly just resting; his body, his mind, everything was so exhausted. This was like the greatest gift he'd ever been given. The blankets were warm against his skin, Jamie was close by, he could stay here asleep for hours. Jack was vaguely aware of when Jamie's minor meltdown began, he felt the bed shift and heard a few footsteps, but he simply turned his head a bit, buried his face a little deeper in the pillows and slept on. This sleep was too rare, too precious to interrupt for anything less than a dire emergency.

Jack stayed in peaceful, sleepy, ignorant bliss for a few minutes after Jamie left the bed. It wasn't until Jamie started shoving at Jack's shoulder and yelling for him that Jack really started to wake up. At first he fought it, groaning loudly and folding the pillow across his head. He rolled away just a bit, trying to get out of range of Jamie's poking and prodding, trying to silence the seemingly frantic shouting of his name. Jack fought hard to stay warm and comfy and asleep, until the blankets were ripped from him.

Jack sat up slowly, his muscles reacting much slower than he thought they should, until he cracked open one eye half-way and stared at Jamie curiously. His hair felt all kinds of out of sorts, but he didn't care, he just wanted to go back to sleep, under the blankets where it was warm...Warm. He was cold. Why was he cold? He slid the other eye open and caught the expression on Jamie's face. Something was wrong, very wrong.

He was cold.

What happened to you?!

"The dream." It came out as a sharp exhale. No way, it was just a dream, he'd just been so tired he'd fallen asleep. But he didn't sleep, ever. He'd been that tired before and just rested. He hadn't slept since he became Jack Frost. Ugh, sleepy brains didn't work quickly enough. He tried to think this through, take it step by step. What had changed in the dream?

He looked down at his hands and his legs and everything in-between. His skin wasn't pale. He was chilled, naked, but warm to the touch. What was next? Hair.

A shaky hand reached up into the messy bed head he currently called hair. He picked a bit of his bangs and dragged it down into his field of vision. Crossed eyes confirmed his suspicions.

Brown.

"No way." He raised his eyebrows curiously at Jamie, shock painted itself across his face. His eyes darted across Jamie's expression, the brunette, the other brunette, looked terrified. Jack's eyes locked with Jamie's brown orbs and that was when the next thought hit him. His eyes. What color were his eyes? They'd changed in the dream too.

"Eyes." 

Sleepy Jack had an amazing vocabulary. He didn't wait for Jamie's answer, he had to see it for himself. He dragged himself hastily off the bed, taking the blankets to the floor with him. He quickly undid the lock and, without even putting on clothes, tore off down the hallway for the bathroom. Fortunately for him the house seemed to be empty except for himself and Jamie. If this was what Jack thought it was, his naked bottom would've been perfectly visible to anyone who happened to catch a glimpse.

He reached the bathroom door at top speed, slipping on the rug in his haste to get to a mirror. With a few clumsy slips, slides, and flails he finally stepped into the bathroom and caught his first look at himself. It was exactly what he'd though, his eyes were brown too. He pressed his hands into the bathroom counter top, arms rigid as he leaned close, inspecting himself in the mirror. The messy brown hair, the brown eyes, the flushed skin of his arms, his chest and belly, his pink lips. It wasn't a dream. He was human.

"No way..." He whispered, still the picture of eloquence.

Second Chances -- Jamie-Bennett-RP & Gonnahavealittlefun

Considering how wild and vivid his imagination was, it was a shame that Jamie Bennett rarely dreamed. He had always guessed that, as children got older, their wild dreams just naturally came less frequently. Perhaps it was because they were less ‘open’ to the dreams. Maybe it had more to do with Sandy focusing on the children who were more likely to believe. Maybe it was just one of those unexplained things in life.

That night Jamie had a dream. If he was asked about it come morning he couldn’t have recalled it. He was confident it had something to do with a book he was reading for school. The only thing he definitively remembered was the end. He had been walking through the woods. It wasn’t familiar woods though. Unknown landmarks surrounded him. He was not afraid, or truly curious. He was just walking, as if he had no cares as to where he ended up. Instinct guided him.

While he walked the only thing he was aware of was his heartbeat. He couldn’t feel wind blowing around him or hear the leaves crunching under his feet. It was how he knew it was a dream. He was aware he was dreaming; he knew in the back of his mind that this wasn’t real. Maybe that was why he was not afraid to wander.

One of his steps determined his ‘fate’. He had just been walking on a trail, but suddenly the land had morphed below him and he was falling. He reached for the ground that had just slipped from beneath his feet, but he could not reach it. His heartbeat drummed louder and louder, even though he could not even scream out loud. The dream was silent of all noise. Not even the sound of air rushing past his ears was available to him.

Jamie woke up with a loud gasp. His eyes flew open, but instantly he regretted that decision. The light coming through the window was bright enough to make him wince. He yawned, and while he did he pushed himself up onto his elbows. That action alone clarified for him that he would be living on pain medication that day, when his lower back shifted to sit up that small amount. Clearly he had done something incredibly wrong the night before…

Live and learn. It was a process that Jamie had always relied on in the past. He supposed that worked now. He rolled his eyes at his own thoughts, and they landed on the form beside him. He almost smiled at the entirely mussed up brown hair that was peeking out from beneath the blanket. Almost—before it occurred to him that Jack Frost did not have brown hair.

He jumped out of bed so fast he got light headed, but neither that nor the spike of pain that came with leaping up so quickly could distract him from whoever was in his bed. “What…” The sound of his own heartbeat was louder than his voice in that moment. Jamie’s thoughts swirled. Speckles of black formed behind his eyes and he steadied himself with one hand on the nightstand until he at least was sure his legs wouldn’t give out.

What happened to Jack? Who was this? How had they gotten here? His stomach dropped when he considered what could have happened. What if I just… with some stranger..!

That was just too unlikely. There was no way he had hallucinated it. Jack had definitely been there. He had to have been! So the real question was who was here now. Some people would argue that curiosity killed the cat. Jamie would argue that the cat was clearly doing it wrong. He crawled back onto the bed, resting just one knee on its side, and he reached out with a shaky hand. He tugged the blankets down ever so slowly. What he saw confused him more than he already was.

It would have been easier to understand if the person in the bed with him was a stranger. At least then he could begin to work out the logic of it. Perhaps he had been drugged? Went to a party, drank some spiked punch, was hallucinating… It wouldn’t be hard for some guy to pretend his name was Jack Frost if he was looking for a sucker to bang.

Jamie could have justified it with logic.

What Jamie could not justify was how he was looking at Jack. This was Jack—he knew it was! He didn’t need to have white hair for Jamie to know the face he was in love with. “Jack,” He asked softly, and reached out to touch his skin. It was peachy, his lips were pink. The blue hue was gone, replaced by a healthy, lively tone.

“Jack!” He gasped and shoved Jack’s arm. Was he okay? Was he alive? Was he dead? Could he die? What had happened to his hair? His skin? “Jack!” He raised his voice to shout that time, and tugged the blankets off of him entirely. Now that he thought about it, he had never seen Jack sleep before. He chose a rotten time to do it. Jamie was nearly in a state of panic, after all!“Hey! Jack! Get up! What happened to you?! Jack!”

[gonnahavealittlerp]

Each step of the old tavern's staircase creaked under Jack's feet as he forced himself onward to the second story. The entire way Jack was mentally cursing about a number of things. He was cursing himself for being so stupid to have not noticed this presence earlier, again his carelessness had put people in danger, put Jackson in danger. He was cursing himself for letting himself fall in l-no, that word wasn't allowed to cross his mind yet; he was cursing himself for his feelings for Jackson. That word was safer. He cursed the girl who'd walked through him on the stairs for shaking his confidence and making him panic. He cursed Pitch for whatever mess he was up to here. And finally, just for good measure, he cursed Jackson for being so distracting.

The cursing was a good mental exercise for clearing his mind, because by the time he reached the top of the steps, he felt a bit better; he was less frustrated. The din from downstairs was quieter here and, as Jack cast blue eyes down to the left and right, he realized just how large this building really was. To either side the hallway was littered with doors, each, he supposed, lead to a room that would normally be occupied by tenants. For now, he figured he was safe to search each room; everyone was surely downstairs. The feeling at the base of his skull had become unreliable now, it was so severe, as if something had angered it, that Jack only knew it was there. Now he didn't have his compass, he'd have to search each room on this dark floor individually.

He gripped his staff tightly and began to make for the far end of the corridor. He figured it'd be easier to check each door on one side along the way, before circling around. He stopped at the first door on his right, gave it a push and stepped inside. It was clear this room was intended to house multiple people; the floor was littered with blankets, a few pillows, and some cots. It looked as if maybe the room hadn't been cleaned since the last boarders had left. The room was bathed in pale light from the window, the snowstorm outside blocking most of the daylight. Jack's eyes cast about for any shadows, but the room was lit enough that there were few, and those that were present were benign, just shadows. Jack backed himself out the door and left it open just a crack, a marker for where he'd already searched.

Jack's bare feet padded silently along to the next room, his shoulders tense, staff at the ready. The unease in the entire building practically had the hairs on his neck standing on end, whether this was Pitch or one of his minions, it was close. Jack cast a quick glance of his shoulder, just to be safe, and pushed open the second door. This room was much like the first he'd checked, but cleaner. Blankets were folded on a few cots that sat against the walls. Jack stepped into the dim room and began to walk around it, poking the crook of his staff under each cot in turn. His body was on high alert for any sounds or shifting that couldn't be directly blamed on the collection of people below him. As he made his way back to the door, he ran his eyes over the room one last time. Clear too. He allowed himself to be cautiously hopeful that this would be the trend he continued to bump into, but this feeling was too strong. He knew something was lurking somewhere. Again, Jack left the door cracked as he left.

As he moved on to the third door, the door that would, unbeknownst to him, become Jackson's room for the night, Jack jumped as a floorboard creaked under his step. He looked down at his foot as if it had betrayed him and quickly gulped down a few quick breaths to steady himself. He shoved the door open slowly. This one was different the the previous two, it had a large bed pushed up against the center of the far wall, the bed was made with clean blankets and a few large pillows. This room was clearly intended to board one person. Jack stepped in cautiously, eyes skimming the floor, the corners, and the ceiling before he stepped up to the bed. Kneeling carefully, heart pounding in his ears, he lifted up the side of the blankets and peered under the bed, only to find nothing. No shadows that shouldn't be there, nothing that felt malevolent; he sighed and made for the door, tugging it nearly closed behind him.

And so that was the pace Jack set as he passed into room after room, searching each shadow, under each cot or bed. Each room on this floor was either intended for one person or intended for several, this place could get packed on a night where lots of people decided to rent. Room after room, Jack continued to find nothing. Finding nothing was frustrating rather than relaxing, because the feeling of fear persisted anyways. Finding nothing meant that the danger was evading him, it meant staying alert and ready. A peculiar thing happened as he was checking the second to the last room, though. As Jack circled round, checking under cots, he felt more alert, more energetic, it felt as it had when he earned his first few believers. Believers...Jackson's story, it must've worked! He gave a small shake of his head, now glad he'd decided to come up stairs. It might be hard to explain why all the kids were suddenly seeing a white haired boy that no one else could see.

Jack's elation with Jackson carried over into his search of the final room, where still he found nothing. As he emerged from the final room, leaving it open a crack like the others, a habit now, he heard Jackson's voice calling his name from the staircase nearby. Jack cast another glance over his shoulder and down the hall, he couldn't shake the feeling: something was definitely here. He moved to the staircase and greeted Jackson as the brunette stepped onto the landing. Jack looked him over quickly, just to make sure he was OK before slipping an arm across Jackson's shoulders and bringing his staff to rest against his own.

"We need to be careful here." Jack said quietly, he still meant to ask Jackson how the story had gone, but there were more important things he needed to get out of the way first. "I don't know if it's Pitch or one of his nightmares or what, but something's definitely here. I didn't notice it at first, but it started as soon as we entered the village. I'm going to keep an eye on you."

Jack couldn't help himself, he gave Jackson a small squeeze, glad to have the brunette back at his side. His blue eyes drifted to Jackson and he offered a small smile.

"So, I feel a few new believers. Looks like your story worked. Did it get you a room? What'd they think?"

Down the Rabbit Hole -- browneyedtrickster & gonnahavealittlefun