4Disclaimer: I no own RotG. I would have let the Guardians get their butts kicked far more for ignoring poor Jack for 300 years if I did.
Deserve
"Jack Frost…" The winter spirit stiffened at his name coming from the brunette child in front of him. He slowly turned his head to face him, snow still falling around them that had burst from the frost rabbit.
"He said…?"
"Jack Frost." Blue eyes widened as he took a step forward.
"He said it again..." He looked at his hands, shock etched into his features. "You said… you said…"
"Jack Frost?" Here, the child turned in his direction and his brown eyes grew as large as saucers. "Jack Frost…" Jack gasped, hands reaching towards his hair as if to run his fingers through it before they fell again.
"Th-that's right! B-but that's me, Jack Frost!" He turned back towards the child, taking a pace or two in his direction, eyes locked onto his face. "You said my name…" He blinked as the brown eyes never left his face and he felt a warm hope bloom in his chest. "W-wait. Can you… can you hear me?" The slack-jawed child slowly nodded and Jack gave a broken chuckle. "Can you, can you see me…?" He questioned, leaning forward as a slow smile grew on the brunette's face. Jack's lips split into a grin, excited breaths pulled from his chest as he took a pace back. "He sees me." The winter spirit stepped back again, smile dropping for a moment before widening once more. "He sees me!" Excited, the male did a backflip in the air, landing gracefully on the desk behind him as a laugh escaped him.
"You just made it snow!"
"I know!"
"In my room!"
"I know!" Jack echoed a little more loudly this time, hopping off the desk to land in front of the boy again.
"You're real?" That's a bit of a silly question was the first thing that popped into his head before he nodded it furiously.
"Yes! Who do you think brings you all the blizzards and the snow days? An-and you remember when you went flying on that sled the other day?" The boy's eyes lit up.
"That was you?" Jack brightened at the excitement in his voice.
"That was me!" He confirmed, near to bursting with emotion at this point. His favorite child could see him… Jamie Bennett was talking to him, looking at him. What he thought would never happen. By the moon, he should have made it snow in his room ages ago!
"Cool!" He was snapped out of his thoughts as the boy lifted his arms in the air with excitement.
"Right?"
"But what about the Easter Bunny? And the Tooth Fairy? I mean what about…" Jack's eyes dimmed faintly as those names were brought up, whatever else Jamie was saying fading out.
Of course… that was the main reason he had come here. Jamie was the last light, close to letting go of his belief. After all, he had made that rabbit in the first place to make sure he didn't stop believing in the Kangaroo! But… Jack frowned faintly, gaze flickering onto the child who was still chatting animatedly, not noticing the winter spirit's silence. This was his believer. His first believer. Why did he have to share him? What had the Guardians done for him? His hands clenched beside him at the memory of the park. They hadn't even given him a chance to explain himself, immediately believing that he had betrayed them without a second thought.
They had left him alone along with the Moon for centuries. Not a glance or a word and the only one that had ever been kind to him had been taken by the Nightmare King.
They had had thousands if not millions of believers! Shouldn't… couldn't he just have this one then…? He deserved someone all his own right…?
"Jack…?" Jack snapped out of his thoughts at Jamie's worried voice, blue eyes meeting concerned brown. "What's wrong? You look… sad." Jack was quiet. He deserved this. He resisted the urge to glare at the moon which was slowly being covered by dark clouds in the sky. While he didn't agree with Pitch about fear and darkness he did agree with one thing.
The Guardians had had their chance and their time. Now it was someone else's turn.
"Jamie. I… The Guardians, they… they…" He trailed off at the distressed face being given to him, the child picking up on his sorrowful voice. Can't mention Pitch, the spirit thought. I won't give him a believer because Jamie is mine. "The darkness of this world, it… it snuffed out their light." He wasn't lying. It was true in a sense and one of the Guardians had been taken too soon by the darkness, the fear, this world created. Jack nearly regretted his choice as tears sprang into the child's eyes at this news.
"Gone…? They don't exist?" The boy's breathing had changed; ragged exhales and shuddering inhales as the idea of those he had believed in for so long being gone—dead maybe by the sound of Jack's tone.
"Not anymore… I tried to save them but—" Jack cut himself off with a gasp as Jamie leapt forward, arms wrapping around his waist tightly as he buried his face into his blue hoodie, soft sobs wracking his form. Jack was frozen, arms lifted slightly as he stared straight ahead. He wasn't phasing through him. That feeling of warmth spread throughout his entire body as the boy continued to cling to him. He was touching him.
Oh no. He didn't make the wrong choice at all. The winter spirit carefully lowered his arms to wrap them around the child, a bright grin on his face as he pressed his cheek against his head. How many years did he wish and long for someone to acknowledge him? And now that they had… his arms tightened around the boy.
He would never let go.
The Man in the Moon, the Guardians, even Pitch could all kill themselves and ruin the world for all he cared. He had suffered in solitude for too long and this was a long time coming. Oh yes, he deserved something good.
The two jerked with fright as the window panes slammed open and Jack reluctantly moved away from the child to pull it open a little more to gaze out. Angry black clouds were gathering in the sky, lightning flashing across to illuminate them and the winter spirit could have sworn he saw the outlines of horses.
"J-jack?" Jack quickly looked down, seeing Jamie had climbed off the bed and now stood by his side, hand clenched tight on his hoodie. "What is that?" Jack frowned deeply at the clouds before crouching down to meet the child's level.
"That's the darkness that took the Guardians away." Jamie shuddered, fingers tightening their hold on him.
"Wh-why is it he-here?" He stammered, tears beginning to gather in his eyes once again as another flash of lightning lit up the room.
To kill you. Jack thought, but didn't voice. His teeth grit behind his lips. Like hell would he let Pitch have his first believer. The last light was his and his alone.
"It's here for your light Jamie, that's why I came." He blurted out, the lie forming in his mouth before he had time to fully think it through.
"For me?" The boy squeaked, eyes going huge as he looked outside at the boiling night sky.
"Yes, but I'm going to protect you ok? You just have to believe in me." He shoved the image of his sister out of his head, focusing on the task at hand. "Can you do that?" The boy nodded slowly, his face turning towards him. Jack nodded, giving him an encouraging smile and spread his arms out. "Come on then. I know a place we can go." Jamie blinked as surprise marred his features.
"Wait. You want me to leave? But… what about my mom? My sister?" Jack kept the smile on his face but it turned a little sad for the boy's sake. The Nightmare King wouldn't hurt his family. Not quite sure about that though… He inwardly shook the thought away. No. They would be fine. Sophie's light wasn't on the globe, only Jamie's and so he wouldn't go after her or the adult in the house.
"They'll be ok, Jamie. I promise. We'll come back, we just have to lay low until this darkness passes over ok?" But it never will. Sang the voice in his mind again. Then let it stay! Jack snarled furiously at it. As long as I have the last light I could care less what Pitch and his fear do! As long as those brown eyes kept looking at him rather than through, he wouldn't care about anything else at all.
"O-ok… if you're sure." The boy was rather trusting wasn't he? Jack mused. Just met him but believed him and was willing to leave with him. But maybe that was a first believer thing. A bond. He certainly felt a connection to the boy though he always had for some reason. "Promise I'll see them again?" Jack Frost looked down at the child. Jamie stared at him with eager hopefulness, fully trusting the spirit.
It sent a stab of guilt through his heart.
No, no. You aren't lying to him. He will see them again. He just never said when.
The white haired male nodded firmly and Jamie brightened slightly, reaching up to rub at his eyes.
"Ok. If you promise." He lifted his arms and Jack swiftly scooped him up, snatching his staff as he did so. It might make him sound like a broken record or a creeper but he couldn't get over the feeling of warmth from the boy. Jamie wrapped his arms around his neck, gazing at his room sadly though this was replaced with surprise when he felt himself being lifted into the air. "Woah… are you hovering?" Jack smirked down at him, tightening his hold on the child.
"You haven't seen anything yet." Jamie blinked then yelped as Jack leapt out the window. The wind hastily wrapped around them and sent them soaring high into the air in the complete opposite direction of the dark clouds that thundered towards the town of Burgess.
Enthralled by the new sensation and the laughing voice of the winter spirit holding him Jamie missed the sleigh that crash landed in front of his house. The reindeer broke free and fled from their restraints but no voice of their owner came. The sleigh was completely vacant of occupants and the globe that sat in the middle of the vehicle was completely dark. The Nightmare King had been right on another account.
There is more than one way to snuff out a light.
A/N: So! I was watching the movie at work one day (don't judge me, it gets boring) and I had a sudden thought. What if Jack hadn't convinced Jamie that the Guardians were real? I mean, he finally got someone to see him after centuries of isolation. I can imagine Jack being selfish and wanting to keep his first believer to himself and believe he deserves at least one child to believe solely in him after so long. I hope I didn't make him sound like a creeper or something. xD; But oh well.
Since Jack wasn't a Guardian yet, if Jamie stopped believing in the Guardians, his light would go out even though he believes in Jack Frost. That's my thought at least. Without Jamie to believe, the Guardians would cease to exist. What happens with Pitch and all his craziness is up to you~
Until we meet again~
- Zehava