Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jamie checked the little packet in his pocket for the fifth time since he'd tucked it in there ten minutes ago. Jack was coming today, wonderful Jack who had promised a snow day and to stop by for cocoa when he was done, and it was the last snow day of the year until autumn came again. Just like every year, he had to abandon Jamie for the entire spring and summer, and Jamie couldn’t stand to be separated from Jack like that again. He’d dealt with it over the years, since he no choice in the matter, but everything was ready now and he'd never have to deal with it again.

Everything was coming together, just the way he’d planned and dreamed over the years. He’d taken notes, done research into every myth and legend about Jack he could get his hands on, watched Jack all those years and filled log after log with his observations. The temperatures Jack preferred, his favorite things, how he balanced on that staff of his, how soft and pale his skin looked despite constant exposure to the weather, anything and everything. It was the only thing that made the others stealing Jack’s attention away bearable, knowing that it gave him the chance to study Jack without the loving winter spirit’s notice.

He’d bought an old fixer-upper house as soon as he could, the one on the edge of town, near Jack’s lake, as part of his plans. No one questioned what you were buying at the hardware store when they knew you’d bought a house needing lots of repairs, no one wondered just what kind of modifications you might be making to it. There were a lot of modifications needed if he wanted Jack to be happy and comfortable, but it would be worth it.

It needed enough work without those special modifications that no one noticed anything when he had to buy a bit extra of this, or spent most of his free time working on the house rather than going out with friends.

The whole house had been finished for a couple of months now as far as everyone knew, with lots of space for the Guardians to come and visit whenever they might want to. People might have questioned why Jamie needed so much space when it was just him living in that big old house, but they didn’t ask him and he didn’t tell anyone, strange loner Jamie Bennett.

He couldn’t have cared if the rest of the Guardians came to visit. They kept Jack from him with their Guardian business and their attempts to be Jack’s family, but if he believed in them and kept an open invitation extended for them, then Jack would come along with them, and Jack wouldn’t question why Jamie refused to stop believing in him and yet stopped believing in the other Guardians or refused to see them.

It was all for Jack, Jamie would remind himself when the house was full of spirits, all of them taking Jack’s attention away from him, touching him when only Jamie should get to touch that smooth, perfect skin, ruffling snow white hair or making Jack laugh. He’d do anything to make Jack happy, and if that meant waiting and letting the Guardians give him the attention Jamie couldn’t while he was working, then that was how it had to be. It was only temporary, he’d remind himself, until everything was finished and he could give Jack the attention he deserved.

All unknown to all of them, the house hadn’t been finished then - not the most important part of the house, the basement. It took extra time to get it just right, and it had to be perfect before it would be ready. But it was now, and Jack was going to be alone today when he visited, so it was finally, finally time to set his plans into motion.

The main basement looked like the rest of the house, perfectly normal with the furnace and washer and dryer, the stacks of random boxes that accumulate in every house despite the owner’s best intentions. But go to the darkest corner, twist here, lift this, and the trapdoor, so carefully hidden and made to blend into the rest of the floor, opened to dark steps leading down into the house’s foundation, down to another door, one with the strongest lock he could find on it.

Temperature-controlled to feel like a crisp autumn day right on the edge of winter, the room under the house would stay cool no matter how hot the weather outside grew. Jamie had painted it himself, light blue with white trim, had built the bed in the corner, the matching dresser and nightstand, all white with blue accents, white rugs on the blue carpeting, a tv and game system on a stand with Jack’s favorite games and movies in a shelf against the wall, books he knew Jack loved in the glossy white bookshelf near the bed, the humidifier in the opposite corner so Jack could make snow to be comfortable – Jack didn’t like it when the air dried out, liked it cold and humid, and he liked relaxing in snowbanks.

The attached bathroom was stocked with everything Jamie could think of that Jack might like, since bathing habits were hard to research without giving himself away. He had found out in passing that Jack had used to use snow or ponds until the other Guardians opened their homes to him, and he never wanted to go back. Other than that...he'd had to use his imagination. It'd been fun.

The dresser against the wall was filled with clothing in Jack’s size, the nicest Jamie could afford – Jack may have preferred his ragged old hoodie and worn pants, but he deserved the silks and velvets, and Jamie enjoyed finding them for him, imagining how they would look on Jack’s slim, pale body.

Everything was all ready for Jack to come home.

And Jamie was the only one who knew any of it existed.

It was just in time, in Jamie’s opinion. He’d seen the wounds more than once, when Jack had stopped by after facing down a rogue spirit that threatened children. No one should ever leave a mark on that perfect, smooth, pale skin, skin that should be worshipped and pampered.

If this worked, then Jack would be kept safe, Jamie promised himself, safe and loved and treasured like he should be, and he’d never have to see a bruise or cut marring Jack’s body again.

He could almost see it already, that slim, perfect body on display for him and him alone, the pleading in those beautiful blue eyes, hear that musical voice begging him for more, feel soft, cool skin under his hands and taste Jack on his tongue.

Jamie shook himself, sternly reminding himself to focus. Jack was too independent to understand that he needed taken care of, so he was going to have to be sneaky about this. Tricking a trickster took control and impeccable timing, and he’d planned this too long to screw up by being impatient or distracted now.

The heat was turned up, the packet of powder was ready in his pocket, and Jack’s room was ready. All he needed now was…a cool breeze blew through the house, announcing Jack’s arrival, and he heard Jack calling from the kitchen. Schooling his face into normalcy, hoping Jack wouldn’t catch on just how nervous he was, Jamie headed downstairs.

Showtime.

Chapter Text

Jack woke slowly, groaning as he came to by slow, painful inches. What…the memories came back slowly, his head feeling like it was stuffed with cotton wool, making thinking difficult. He…came to visit Jamie, it was warmer in the house than Jamie usually kept it, he remembered Jamie apologizing, saying something about older family members coming to visit and turning up the heat for them, and he’d laughed it off, hadn’t he?

Yeah, yeah they’d laughed about it, and Jamie had offered him that promised cocoa, and it was a little grittier than usual, had a funny aftertaste to it, but he figured he was just spoiled by North’s cocoa, and then…everything was muggy after that, a haze of conflicting shapes and sounds all blurring together, hard to separate. He’d felt…wrong, somehow, had mentioned going back to his lake, or was it up to North’s, apologized for being bothered by the heat, vaguely remembered standing to leave before everything went hazy gray and faded to black.

He shook his head, moaning as it throbbed with the motion, and froze in shock when he couldn’t lift a hand to his head, its progress stopped by a metallic clink and the feel of fabric-covered metal around his wrist.

He came the rest of the way conscious in a flash, twisting to stare open-mouthed at the padded handcuffs trapping his wrists and chaining him to the headboard of a strange bed. His heart in his throat, he glanced around the rest of the room, the room he’d never seen before in his life but looked like it was decorated with him in mind.

This…what happened? Where was he, why was he here? Where was his staff? Where was Jamie?

The door opened silently, and his last question was answered as Jamie stepped through the door, closing it carefully behind him.

“…J…Jamie?” Jack stammered, stomach sinking and heart in his throat. Did Jamie…but he…he wouldn’t, he couldn’t have…could he?

Jamie smiled at him, that same huge, warm, loving smile that he always had just for Jack. “You’re awake! You really had me worried there, I wasn’t sure it would work on spirits but then you wouldn’t wake up and I thought…”

“What wouldn’t work?” Jack broke in, feeling the sheets start to frost under him as cold fear settled in his stomach and he shifted to sit up, the handcuffs making it tricky.

“The sleeping pills,” Jamie said, utterly matter of fact, as if he was talking about something completely ordinary. “I powdered them and put them in the cocoa. It took longer than I thought it would for them to work, and I got worried I gave you too much when it took you so long to wake up, but you're fine now, right?”

Jack stared at him in silence for a minute before laughing, nervously. “Great joke, Jamie, I totally bought it. You really had me going there for a minute. Can you uncuff me now? Please? And where’s my staff?”

Jamie sat on the side of the bed, running his hand through Jack’s hair, ignoring the wide eyes and short jerk away it caused. “So soft…” he murmured, almost to himself. “I wondered…” then, louder, “Your staff’s safe, and this isn’t a joke,” he said, still stroking Jack’s hair. “You need someone to look after you. You’ll be safe down here. How do you like your new room? I went to a lot of trouble to get it just right.”

“…Safe? Jamie, I’m a Guardian. I’m not supposed to be safe, I’m supposed to keep others safe. I don’t need looked after!”

“And you keep getting hurt,” Jamie argued, frowning. “You shouldn’t ever be hurt. That’s why I built this. You can stay here, and I’ll take care of you, and you’ll be safe. It’s perfect.”

“Where are we? What is this? Jamie, this isn’t funny,” Jack said, inching away from Jamie, his mind screaming. This was Jamie, how could he...drug him, kidnap him like this? What was he planning? How could they not know? He spent so much time with them, how could they not have seen some hint of all this?

Jamie gestured to the room around them, distracted from touching Jack for the moment and blissfully unaware of Jack's whirling thoughts as his world shattered around him. “We’re under the house,” he said proudly. “I made this sub-basement myself. No one else knows we’re down here, so it’s extra safe. Look, this controls the temperature,” he said, standing and starting to show off the room, pointing out the attached bathroom and every amenity he’d installed. “…so you’ll always be comfortable here, and you won’t want for anything. I’m going to take good care of you.”

“Jamie,” Jack said slowly, forcing down his automatic angry response that he wasn’t someone’s pet to be taken care of, trying to appeal to Jamie and sound reasonable, since Jamie was convinced he was being reasonable, “I really appreciate you doing all this for me, but I can’t hide away down here. I have to go outside, see others to keep up belief in me, protect the children. I’m an elemental, a seasonal spirit. I’ll get sick if I can’t go outside.”

“You can’t go outside!” Jamie exclaimed, scowling with frustration. Why couldn’t Jack understand? “It’s dangerous out there! No, Jack, you have to stay here, where you’ll be safe. This is where you belong. You can make snow here, you’ll never miss being outside.”

He sat down on the bed, reaching out to run his hand through Jack’s hair again. “No, Jack, you’re finally home. Everything’s the way it should be now.” He leaned forward, pressing his lips to Jack’s, his hand sliding to the back of Jack’s neck, kneading gently, holding Jack in place when the spirit tried to pull away.

His hand gripped Jack’s hip, tugging him down onto the bed. Jamie was taller than Jack now, stronger physically than Jack’s skinny frame could ever be without using his power as a Guardian and hurting Jamie, and so despite all Jack’s struggles he found himself on his back on the bed, pinned under Jamie.

“Finally caught you,” Jamie said playfully, nuzzling against Jack’s hair.

“Jamie, stop this now,” Jack said firmly, still hoping he could make Jamie see reason when Jamie finally pulled back. Jamie ignored him, running a worshipful finger over Jack’s cheek.

“So soft,” he whispered instead. “How can you be out in the cold and wind so much and still be so soft?”

Jack took a deep breath, starting to panic as those hands – hands he’d welcomed before, in friendly hugs and brotherly scuffles, hands he’d thought were safe – slid down his chest.

He panicked when those hands slid under his hoodie, bucking and trying to force Jamie off him. Jamie just shifted his weight to hold Jack down and brought the hoodie up over Jack’s head to bunch around Jack’s bound hands, letting his hands trail along Jack’s side as he did.

Jamie leaned back on his heels, looking down at Jack’s bare chest with almost fanatical levels of worship and twisted love in his eyes. Jack struggled for air, feeling as though Jamie’s frank stare was a physical thing, smothering him with his weight.

Jamie reached over to the nightstand, coming back with a jar. Jack focused on the cuffs while Jamie was distracted, trying to see if he could wiggle out of them or freeze them off when something cool and slick touched him.

He jumped as Jamie began to spread the lotion over his chest, his cheeks frosting over as Jamie worshipfully worked it into his skin, taking his time to make sure he got every inch.

Biting back a moan, Jack tried to think of anything but the sensations Jamie’s hands were causing as they massaged his skin. No one ever touched him like this, and he didn’t want it, not now, not like this.

On impulse, unable to resist, Jamie bent to run his tongue over a nipple, taking it into his mouth when Jack gasped, twisting and struggling to get away. “Jamie, no! Stop!”

“It’s okay, Jack,” Jamie said quietly, rubbing his cheek against Jack’s shuddering chest. “Just relax and let me make you feel good. Let me pamper you – you deserve it.”

With that, he began to work Jack’s belt open, to undo the laces holding his pants closed, ignoring Jack’s chant of “No, Jamie, stop,” as he worked them down Jack’s struggling legs. He folded them carefully, laying them on the floor next to the bed reverently.

He grabbed Jack’s ankle, pulling him back down onto the bed from where he’d been trying to squirm away against the headboard. He kissed the arch of Jack’s foot, taking the big toe into his mouth to suck on it for a moment and Jack gasped, bucking sharply and fighting to pull away.

Jamie dipped into his lotion jar again, smoothing it over Jack’s foot and beginning to massage the captive foot. Jack arched again, biting his lip against a moan. No one ever touched his feet, and now was not when he wanted to find out they could be sensitive!

Jamie smiled up at him, rubbing his cheek against the arch of Jack’s foot.

“Do you like it, Jack? I took massage classes and kept practicing so I could do it right.” Jack, who was beginning to turn red under his violent frosting, turned his head and refused to look at Jamie, fighting back tears as he unwanted touching continued. Undeterred, Jamie switched his attentions to the opposite foot.

Jamie was in heaven, running his hands up slender calves, working the lotion into skin that was just as cool, just as soft as he’d imagined, digging his thumbs gently into trembling thighs as he moves his massage up Jack’s legs, urging them apart so he could settle between them. He held them apart as he nuzzled at the join between Jack’s leg and his body, savoring each gasp and whine, pant and plea.

Unable to resist, he took Jack into his mouth and Jack cried out, his body arching so hard only his shoulders and hips touched the bed, desperate to get away getawaygetaway.

Jamie hadn’t meant to take it this far, not so soon, but he couldn’t stop now, not when all of Jack’s attention was on him, when every cry, every move Jack made was because of him, when he was the center of Jack’s world just as Jack was the center of his. Not when he had Jack spread out under him like a feast – and he'd been starving for a taste for years.

Jack was struggling harder than ever, desperate whimpers and wordless pleas interspersed with the occasional ‘no’ or ‘please’ or desperate, pleading call of his name and panting as he fought the sensations Jamie caused him, head thrashing on the pillow in denial.

Jamie lapped up the precome eagerly, shuddering in pleasure when he found it icily cold, just as he’d imagined so many times over the years. Suddenly desperate for more, he engulfed Jack’s cock, taking as much as he could, mercilessly using every trick he could think of to bring Jack – his Jack, finally, finally his Jack – pleasure.

With a high, wordless wail, Jack came, his body unable to hold out against Jamie’s relentless attack. Jamie drank down every drop eagerly, feeling the cold all the way down to his stomach as he swallowed, making sure he got every drop.

Jack was panting, gasping for breath as Jamie sat up. Gently he leaned over the exhausted winter spirit, brushing snow white hair from his face and brushing a gentle kiss over cheeks coated with icy cold tear tracks.

He fetched a washcloth from the bathroom and cleaned Jack off carefully before tugging his pants back into place, standing to stare down at Jack again before fastening a cuff to Jack’s ankle, chaining him to the bed with enough chain for him to roam the room if he wanted when he woke up. Leaning over Jack, he released the cuffs with a quiet click, rubbing at chafed wrists tenderly giving each a kiss before folding Jack’s hands over his stomach. “Sleep well, Jack,” he whispered, brushing another kiss over Jack's forehead. “Welcome home.”

Chapter Text

Jack hit the wall and growled in frustration. Jamie had thought this through, had planned just about everything, and Jack could only curse himself for letting Jamie know so much about him. He groaned and slumped against the bed frame, gripping his hair and tugging, using the pain to clear his head. The chain that kept him trapped to the bed was long enough to let him to the bathroom, but not even close to the door to the room. The bed was too big to go through the door frame if he’d managed to drag it behind him, and even if it had been, he couldn’t have made an escape hauling it after him.

Without his staff, it was hard to concentrate his power enough to do more than frost the manacle and chain, nowhere near enough to break them. He had no idea where his staff was, but he could sense it, faintly, just enough to let him know it was somewhere in Jamie’s house. That made sense, if he could focus enough to think about it – Jamie knew how important the staff was to him, he’d told him how much it hurt when it was damaged, so logically Jamie would keep it close to him, since he kept going on about ‘keeping Jack safe’.

He was fairly sure he’d felt Jamie touching it a few times over the past few days, faintly. He didn’t want to think about what Jamie might be doing with it.

With the way Jamie had been acting towards him…no, very much didn’t want to think about it.

He gave the manacle a glare. Most spirits, fae or not, avoided cold iron as much as they could. Being a Guardian and an extremely powerful spirit before that meant he didn’t react too badly to it – not like the proper fae did, and not like the weaker spirits who would be burned by it as if it were white hot – but it was making him feel weak and ill, growing worse the longer the cold metal was latched around his ankle. He was sure it was part of the reason he couldn’t form proper ice or snow right now, too.

He hit the wall again, frost and weak ice slamming out from the point of contact. How could they have not noticed Jamie doing all this? How did they not notice Jamie getting so…so obsessed? How…how could he do this? Jack trusted him!

He’d never been so afraid, even when he’d been trapped in Pitch’s lair. At least he knew why Pitch had done that, hadn’t pretended it was best for him, and Pitch hadn’t known so much about him. This…this Jamie was terrifying.

The insistence that this was to protect Jack, keep him safe and take care of him, somehow made it even worse.

The door clicked open and Jack glared as Jamie entered, making sure to close the door carefully behind him as always. Jamie was still cheerful, still convinced that Jack was being stubborn and would come to see reason eventually.

Jack was silent in response to Jamie effluent greetings, sighing when Jamie turned away to put away his newest ‘gifts’ – or bribes, as Jack thought of them. Movies, books, games, clothes, and more lotions, all of them meant to make Jack happy in his prison.

Jack never thought he’d have reason to hate something like lotion, but Jamie was insisting on using it on him at least once a day.

Jack could only be thankful he hadn’t gone as far as he had that first time and had limited his unwanted touches to Jack’s exposed skin. That was more than enough touching, no thank you.

“Ready for your bath, Jack?” Jamie asked happily, finished putting the new things away. Still in his dark thoughts, Jack had to blink a few times before he realized what Jamie had said and could come up with a coherent response.

“My…bath? No thanks, I’m good,” Jack said, thrown. “I’d take a shower, but…” he shook his foot, the chain clinking.

Jamie laughed. “No, silly. I promised I’d take care of you, remember? So it’s time for a bath. You have to stay clean to stay healthy.”

“Jamie, I’m a big boy, I can bathe myself,” Jack said dryly, trying to hide the surge of fear and revulsion he actually felt. Jamie wouldn't actually...would he?

“I promised I’d take care of and pamper you,” Jamie argued. “I’m going to start the bath. What temperature do you like? It’ll hurt if it’s too hot, right?” Jamie kept talking as he disappeared into the bathroom.

Jack stared after him, wondering just how far Jamie meant to take this. If Jamie just expected him to take a bath, Jack supposed he could play along. Maybe Jamie would leave the cuff off if he did.

He did feel rather dirty, after all – though that was mainly Jamie’s fault. A bath might be nice.

Jamie came back in the room and bent to pick Jack up, carrying the protesting spirit into the bathroom. He sat Jack down on the toilet and tugged the sweatshirt over Jack’s head, laughing at Jack’s glare when the shirt finally tugged free.

Running a finger along the manacle, Jamie grimaced before glancing up at Jack. “I hate having to keep this on you,” he confided, “but you keep threatening to run. Promise to behave? Otherwise I’ll have to get the handcuffs.”

Jack decided on honesty, hoping it would help. “I’d rather you just took this off,” he said, holding up his ankle, “It kinda burns, and it keeps getting worse.”

Jamie could have beaten a land speed record with how fast he got the cuff off, holding Jack’s leg up so he could inspect the ankle, running gentle fingers over the area that had been covered by the cuff. Jack twitched and jerked, the skin over-sensitive from long exposure to the iron in the steel cuff, and Jamie looked guilt-ridden over each flinch.

“Go ahead and get in,” he urged, picking up the manacle and starting to collect the chain. “I’ll get this gathered up.”

Jamie left the bathroom and Jack looked over at the tub, considering. Steam rose in wisps from the surface of the bubble covered water, but the room was fairly chilly, so that didn’t mean it was too hot. Jack dipped in a hand and found it was just about where he liked it, since he’d started bathing at the Pole instead of in the snow. Just a few steps cooler than most humans liked it, but incredibly warm for him.

He glanced back at the door, but there was no lock on this side. Still, the temptation was strong, and he felt filthy, so after another minute of debate he stripped off his ancient pants and slipped into the water.

Suddenly the door opened, and Jack would forever deny that he yelped when Jamie stepped back through. “Jamie! A little privacy here?”

Jamie ignored him, kneeling on the bathmat and reaching for the shower gels lining the shelf next to the bath tub. He picked up two bottles, obviously debating between the two scents before setting one back on the shelf.

Humming softly, he squirted some of his chosen gel onto a washcloth and started running it over Jack’s shoulder. His cheeks frosting over, the frost spiking his hair, Jack jerked away, the close confines of the tub blocking him as Jamie frowned, gripping Jack’s upper arm in a grip of iron.

“I promised, Jack. Let me pamper you.”

“I’m not a child, Jamie. Let go!”

Jack continued to struggle, but Jamie ignored him, running the washcloth carefully over Jack’s arms and chest, his grip never loosening from around Jack’s arm.

“You know, you’d enjoy this a lot more if you’d just stop struggling,” Jamie said, sounding honestly confused as to why Jack wasn’t just sitting back and letting Jamie bathe him.

When Jamie’s arm dipped beneath the water Jack started to struggle in earnest. He wasn’t strong enough at the moment to freeze the water, but its temperature took a dramatic drop and ice began to float to the surface. Jamie was getting soaked, water splashing over the edges of the tub and all over him and the floor. He didn’t say a word, just shifted his grip, letting go just long enough to get a grip on Jack’s other arm and pull him up against the side of the tub and Jamie’s chest, pinning him in place as he kept washing with slow, even strokes over Jack’s stomach, working his way lower with each stroke.

Jack froze the water worse as Jamie reached his groin, cursing in languages Jamie hadn’t even realized he knew as he tried to pull up a leg and protect himself. It didn’t help, but he kept trying.

He slumped when Jamie finally finished washing him off, his arms screaming where Jamie had been clutching them, too tired to fight anymore, bruised and battered from trying to get away, sitting and panting sullenly as Jamie washed his hair. He hated having other people touch his hair without his permission, it felt so intimate and made tingles run down his spine, but he kept his mouth stubbornly closed as Jamie worked shampoo and conditioner through it, holding a hand over Jack’s forehead to keep water from running into his eyes.

Damned if he was going to let Jamie know something like that, not now!

Jamie was in heaven, running his hands through hair white and soft as snow, making sure every inch of Jack was as clean as possible. He frowned at the bruises starting to form on Jack’s arms, where he had been holding him tighter than he had realized.

Finally Jamie decided that Jack was clean enough, lifting Jack out of the bath and setting him on his feet. The water started to freeze on Jack’s skin almost immediately, but Jamie towel dried the still sullenly silent and glowering Jack gently, apologizing for each bruise and being extra tender to those spots.

Jack reached for his clothes but Jamie grabbed them first, bundling them carefully and carrying them out of the bathroom as Jack gaped.

“Hey! Give those back!” Jack yelped, belatedly grabbing at a towel as he followed Jamie out of the room.

“These are dirty,” Jamie said reasonably. “I’m going to wash them. There’re clean clothes in the dresser. Here, let me pick some out for you. I’ll be careful with your regular clothes,” he promised over his shoulder as he crossed to the dresser, “I know they’re a bit old and important to you.”

Jack hesitated. Trying to take his clothes back from Jamie right now was going to end in them ripped, he just knew it. He hadn’t properly looked at the clothes in the dresser earlier, just rummaged through looking for something to help him escape, but he hadn’t seen anything that looked like what he considered ‘clothing'. Still seeing no choice but to either accept the clothes Jamie was happily rummaging through the drawers to choose, chance his clothes being ruined, or to stay in the towel, he waited, seething.

Jamie finally made a choice, but refused to hand the clothes over when Jack held out an impatient hand. Instead, he picked up a bottle of lotion and Jack bit back a groan, glaring at Jamie.

Undaunted, Jamie urged Jack to sit on the bed, reaching for his hand and smoothing lotion onto the limb. Jack felt himself starting to frost the bed and concentrated on focusing his cold inward, trying to keep himself from reacting to Jamie’s hands running over his body as he moved from Jack’s arms to his chest.

It worked to a point. Jack was just grateful Jamie wasn’t pushing it again, when it was just the lotion it was a little easier to tune out this time.

Somehow, it didn’t surprise Jack when Jamie insisted on dressing him, making him feel like an oversized doll – and he didn’t enjoy a single second of it. The clothes Jamie had chosen were made of silk, and Jack hated them the instant Jamie started slipping them onto his body.

Jamie took his time, making sure each piece sat just right, fit just the way he'd imagined when he picked them out.

They felt like cobwebs against Jack's skin, fragile and insubstantial yet clinging and tangling with every move. The pants were low-cut and clung to his hips, flaring out to gather again at his ankles and just this side of transparent. The top was little better, with long sleeves that were transparent and low cut at the neck.

Both pieces showed off his body far more than he was comfortable with. He wanted his clothes back, thick cotton and substantial leather that let him hide and didn’t feel like it would tear if he so much as moved.

Jamie obviously liked the way the blue silk looked on Jack, and Jack wondered if Jamie was ever going to give him back his proper clothing if the look on his face was anything to go by, the openly appreciative and hungry eyes that roved over Jack's body.

Crawling up onto the bed as Jamie shut the door and curling up against the headboard, Jack buried his head in his arms and tried to think, shuddering with reactions to the last hour. Being seen in this…outfit…would be embarrassing, but staying here was worse.

Besides, he’d already been humiliated worse than he’d ever been before in his very long life in the last hour by someone he’d trusted more than he’d let himself trust anyone before he met the Guardians. Betrayal was sharp and bitter on his tongue as he curled tighter on himself, fighting to keep hope.

A small part of him was irrationally pleased when the frost that adorned every piece of clothing he’d ever worn began to work its way over the silk, exaggerated by his emotional state. Silk never did well with water.

The whole thing had felt like some kind of perverted ritual worship, and Jack wanted a bath to wash away the oily feeling left from his ‘bath’.

The other Guardians had to start looking for him soon, right? He’d taken to visiting them so often, once they’d convinced him he wasn’t going to wear out his welcome and be told to leave.

They had to look for him...they'd promised they'd never leave him alone! They had to find him!

...please, if anyone could hear him, let them find him.

Chapter Text

Bunny stretched his feet out towards the fire, letting the heat settle into his fur. Jack wasn’t here yet, so the room was still plenty warm. Not that he begrudged Jack the chill, it just felt nice to get properly warm first. After all, Jack was obviously trying to keep from making the temperature drop when he was around, which meant Bunny needed to accept the compromise. Besides, it usually started warming up after a bit, after Jack got acclimatized – his part of the compromise. It was just that first rush of chill that Bunny objected to, or at least, used to object to.

If he was starting to think he may be starting to enjoy Jack's chill, well, only he had to know.

He and Jack had formed a truce built on the Easter of ’12, but misunderstandings and wounds barely scabbed over had made it fragile. Trust had been made and broken those few frantic days, and rebuilding something stronger from that wasn’t easy. He wasn't the only one who'd had trust to rebuild, it was just...neither Jack nor Bunny was good at talking things out. Not that any of them were good at it, Jack and Bunny were simply the worst at it, especially to each other.

It had taken a dark threats of closets and handcuffs and alcohol for the two opposing spirits to finally sit down and actually talk to each other rather than keeping up comfortable assumptions.

Many, many threats.

Mostly joking threats, but when at least one of the those threatening such things had already bodily kidnapped one of them…well, it was just easier to sit down and talk.

The years of truce and slowly building friendship had dulled Bunny’s temper and made Jack more willing to sit and listen rather than hearing what wasn’t said. Helping was that both did want to be friends, both admired – or were starting to admire – parts of each other, it was just hindered by a nagging fear of being let down again, that awful/wonderful few days hanging between them unsaid and unacknowledged.

Things like the Blizzard of ’68 and what it was Jack actually did in addition to his pranks and snow days, Bunny’s actual species and what had happened to the others, were only a few topics they had finally talked out in the hours long conversation, both knowing that the other Guardians were taking shifts hovering outside the room and ready to burst in at the first sign of raised voices.

Bunny’s trust was hard to earn, but then, so was Jack’s. Somehow, that hours conversation had brought down walls between them they hadn't even realized existed, when Bunny realized just how much Jack’s isolation had hurt him despite the joy he’d shown most of the time, and Jack had realized that the others – especially Bunny – could understand what it meant to be alone. Steps toward trust were slow, but they were taking them, together, and the arguments had turned playful.

Making it harder was that neither of them had an easy time admitting to what they needed from the other, but once that trust was formed and they did begin to open up to each other – no one could get under the other’s skin faster, and no one could understand the other as well as they did.

Once they started talking, it was like the floodgates had burst. Even better, once Jack and Bunny started talking, so did the others. Not that they hadn't tried, but Jack was a hard nut to crack as the saying went, and desperate for love he may be, he still feared their rejection. A second weekend like that Easter may just have broken him.

Still, like the elephant's child, Jack was full of 'satiable curiosity, and well...North and Sandy loved telling stories, once Bunny convinced Jack they would answer his questions, once he believed they wouldn't get angry at him for 'bothering them' if he asked.

That trust was started fifteen years ago, now. Twenty years since Jack had been chosen to join them.

Sometimes Bunny wondered just how they'd managed without Jack, and he knew the others did too.

Well, managed was the word, wasn't it. Things were certainly more fun with Jack around, if a lot less quiet. And with only one backslide on their part, where everything threatened to fall apart and for them to go back to their solitary ways, never interacting with each other or the children.

It still made Bunny furious with himself to remember how close they'd come to that, to abandoning each other and, more importantly, Jack. They'd sworn the most binding oaths they knew at that point, when they realized just how close they'd come to abandoning Jack – to never drift apart again, to never leave any of them alone again.

This was the first proper meeting of the month for the five Guardians. They’d been meeting the rest of the month, just random things (a sudden urge to gather at the Pole, the Tooth Palace, or to drop by the Warren) and that was new for all of them, but enjoyable enough it made all of them wonder why they didn’t do it before Jack joined them.

Speaking of Jack…Bunny straightened, frowning. He and Jack had been working toward a bit of an understanding, now that they’d been friends for years and finally had their friends beat them over the head with their blatant sexual tension.

Once they had, though…courtship for Pooka was different enough from how humans went about it, it had taken awhile for Jack to realize he was being courted, not much of a surprise considering their history, but…he hadn’t seen Jack for at least a week.

Before they’d come to their understanding, that wouldn’t have been too unusual, but since then, Jack had been coming by almost every day. He didn’t think he’d done anything to drive the winter spirit away, but since winter was still wrapping up in some parts of the Northern Hemisphere and fall starting up in the Southern, and that required Jack’s attention, he’d just written it off as Jack being busy with his job until now. That and trying to give Bunny some space to get Easter all cleaned up – Bunny appreciated the help in the lead up, but professional pride had him taking care of most of it. Jack and the others helping made if fun again, but still, the delivering and subsequent collapse with week-long snooze was all Bunny's.

Jack had been trying to smooth over the transition to spring for Bunny lately, if only to stay out of the way for Easter...but it was all over, Jack should've been knocking down the entrance to the Warren to see him...right?

As Tooth and Sandy finally arrived and Jack still didn’t put in an appearance, Bunny started having a sinking feeling, much like North’s “feel it in mah bellah!” exclamation. Jack tried to be on time to these meetings, actually was usually early to them, still so enthusiastic about family and being a Guardian. The ‘hanging out’ after the admittedly short meetings probably had something to do with that. He could just be late, but…something just felt wrong.

“Have ya’ll seen Frostbite this past week?” Bunny asked abruptly, cutting across North’s pre-meeting chatter. (Jack had protested the nickname once, after their talk, saying that it made him feel like Bunny only saw the pain and destruction he caused. He allowed it after Bunny admitted he only gave nicknames to those he trusted, and it meant he thought Jack was dangerous, in a good way. Now that they were courting, Bunny had started mixing it with ‘Snowflake’, since Jack was unique and special, just like his snow. The others hadn’t figured out just how affectionate and like a pet name that nickname was yet. He thought. Maybe.)

North frowned at the interruption, but paused to think anyway.

“…no, but is not that unusual,” he declared. “Boy is busier than we thought, after all.”

Tooth agreed with North, but Sandy was frowning. Floating up, he made the snowflake that he used for ‘Jack’ and a moon and stars with a plus sign between them. The other three stared at the symbols for a minute before they shrugged, almost as one.

“Sorry mate, not comin’ though,” Bunny admitted. Sandy rolled his eyes but tried again, a snowflake, moon, stars, and calendar this time, plus a little figure of himself. The miniature Sandman and snowflake grouped together as the days on the calendar, surrounded by the moon and stars, flashed by.

“You…usually see him every night?” Bunny guessed, mentally awarding himself a point when Sandy nodded. That put him…five points behind Jack, now.

Sandy x-ed out the snowflake, his expression changing to worry. “But not for the past week?’ A nod and Bunny groaned.

“Jack’s still gets overwhelmed by attention every so often, maybe he just needed some time off?” Tooth suggested, though she didn’t sound very sure of herself. “I can ask Baby Tooth, but...we've been working harder on letting her take over, so she hasn't been out in the field as much.”

Bunny snorted, scratching behind an ear. “I dunno, Tooth, it just doesn’t feel right. I know the snowflake’s been on his own fer a long time, but…he’s late. And…”

“Is still odd,” North finished for him. The large man spread his hands, a look of discomfort on his face. “ and not like Jack. I do not like it either, my friend. But we cannot crowd Jack, he resents that. If he does not show up by end of meeting, I say we give him a day or two before we begin to search, yes? Show him that we trust him, but that we were worried about him.”

“I think he knows that by now, North,” Bunny argued. He wouldn't start courting Bunny of let Bunny court him if he didn't trust Bunny or believed Bunny didn't trust him.

“Remember the last time we panicked when he didn’t show up on time?” North countered. Bunny glared.

“I thought we agreed not to mention that.”

“Still, I agree with you,” North added as Bunny eyed him. “Now that you bring it up, I feel it is wrong too, but…” he shrugged. “One day, then we search.”

“I’ll tell my fairies to keep an eye out,” Tooth promised. Sandy nodded, a snowflake appearing over his head with an oversized eye, promising to watch as well. There was nothing else they could do, for now, so they wrapped up their meeting and headed off in their different directions, not feeling the urge to hang around and play as they did when Jack was there, each worrying silently over their missing member’s whereabouts and suddenly sure something was terribly, horribly wrong, even if they couldn’t put a reason for why.

Chapter Text

Jamie frowned at the tray in his hands, the barely touched meal on the plate looking back at him mockingly. This was the third day in a row Jack hadn’t eaten properly, just picked at the trays Jamie brought down.

Jack sat listlessly on the bed with his arms wrapped around his legs and looking at the carpet blankly as Jamie left, closing the door firmly behind him. This wouldn’t do at all. How was he supposed to take good care of Jack if he wouldn’t eat?

When Jamie came back with dinner, he brought the tray in and set it on the nightstand while Jack watched him blankly, as he had the last three days.

Jack started when Jamie gripped his wrists, struggling belatedly as Jamie forced his hands behind his back and snapped the handcuffs around his wrists. Without his staff, and suffering from the forced captivity, the lack of sun and moon and wind, Jack didn’t have much chance against Jamie when it came down to pure physical strength – and it made him too weak to do more than frost Jamie's hands, still unwilling to hurt Jamie and try to do worse than that, despite everything.

“Jamie, what are you doing?” he asked as Jamie secured the cuffs to the headboard, doing his best to sound reasonable. Jamie was convinced he was being reasonable, so Jack was trying to play along until he could come up with a better plan. He had to come up with something soon, before being trapped down here made him weaker – or he went mad.

“You aren’t eating. You’re going to make yourself sick if you don’t eat,” Jamie said calmly. “If you won’t eat on your own, then I’ll have to feed you.”

“I’m not hungry,” Jack said quietly. It was the truth, he had only gotten used to eating regularly again a few years ago, and stress and fear had killed that appetite, small as it was.

“Don’t be like that,” Jamie chided. He speared a carrot, holding it up to Jack’s mouth. “Look, I made your favorites.”

Jack sighed and turned away, gasping when Jamie grabbed his chin and yanked his head back around. He was looking at Jack with dark, cold, furious eyes, that made Jack want to shrink away from this stranger looking at him with Jamie’s body.

Suddenly furious, he returned Jamie’s glare, blue meeting brown defiantly. Jamie pouted, holding up the fork again, the look fading into pleading as if it had never happened at all. “C’mon, Jack. You have to eat.”

Jack tried to turn his head away again and Jamie’s grip on his chin tightened. “I’ll make you if I have to, and you won’t like it,” he warned quietly. Jack debated briefly – he didn’t want to believe it, but…remembering that look…Jamie just might try forcing it down his throat. Slowly he opened his mouth, accepting the bite grudgingly.

“There. I ate. Now let me go,” he demanded as soon as he’d swallowed. Jamie, instead, scooped up some more food.

“No, if I do that you’ll just play with it and won’t eat any more,” he said calmly. “So let me take care of you.”

Jack’s cheeks frosted over again, Jamie brushing it off only to have it be replaced as he continued to feed Jack, the threat of being force-fed hanging over his head as he grudgingly accepted each forkful, anger and resentment at being fed like an invalid or child blocking his throat and making it hard to swallow. Jamie continued to blissfully scoop up food, looking worshipful and content as he fed Jack each bite.

Tooth’s fairies had found nothing. Usually they could find anyone, but there wasn’t a trace of Jack for them to follow – the trail was too cold, ironically enough. He was too old for them to find, no lost tooth to help them trace him, and it was as if he had dropped off the face of the earth.

Even Sandy hadn’t found anything. His sand could go through anything, find anyone – usually. Spirits didn’t need to sleep very often, and adults were generally on their own when it came to dreams. His sand didn’t seek either group out the way it did children, and if Jack wasn’t sleeping or actively hoping for a dream from Sandy…

As the second day passed and bled into the third, blurring into a week, meshing into two weeks and starting into a third, all four started to grow increasingly frantic even as they tried to hide it. Jack may have disappeared before, but not for this long, not after being alone for so long, at least not without some kind of warning.

Bunny opened holes all over the world, sometimes forgetting to close them, the usually automatic action forgotten in his fear and worry, letting the sentinels close them behind him as he searched continents, his usual post-Easter routines forgotten in his increasingly frantic search.

He had more than one close call when children nearly come across the open holes, the openings closing just in time before his Warren was invaded. North had even more near sightings as he grew increasingly frantic and began to search the skies from his sleigh, nearly getting caught in the sky by children up past their bedtimes.

Sandy gave out quite a few odd dreams as the time passed, his anxiety tingeing his sand and making the children dream of desperately searching for something they couldn’t find no matter how hard they searched. Usually his emotions didn’t change how the dreams formed, leaving it up to the children, but he was too worried to keep it from leaking through just a bit.

The Guardian’s increasingly desperate search didn’t go unnoticed in the spirit world. It took time before any dared to ask – most held the Guardians in awe for their powers or disgust at their negligence or arrogance, even if that was slowly being fixed, another thing the Guardians had Jack to thank for – but finally, a small group of spirits dared ask Sandy what was going on. Sandy was the least frightening of the Guardians while still being the most powerful, and while it took longer to understand, he was the only one the group chosen by the other spirits to question the Guardians dared to ask what was happening.

The news spread like wildfire as spirits began to eye each other suspiciously. While most of them hadn’t gone out of their way to create a friendship with Jack, since they were all busy with their own duties, he was still fairly infamous and generally liked. Yes, there were a few who grumbled that he’d gotten whatever was coming to him, but for each with a grudge there was another sharing a story of how Jack had helped them without staying for thanks, apparently expecting them to attack him instead.

For a Spirit of Winter to be so warm and friendly, to go out of his way to talk to other spirits or to help them and human alike…it was unheard of, and most of those who had avoided Jack on principal (he being of Winter, and therefore assumed to be of death and cold and pain) began to revise their opinions as the stories began to flow. Small kindnesses, little pranks, feats of power he shouldn't have been able to pull off...all without expectation of anything in return, even thanks.

Slowly, more and more spirits joined the search and the panic began to spread as, day after day, week after week, no one saw the least glimpse of the Shepherd of Winter.

If someone could take out Jack Frost, who everyone was just now beginning to realize was much, much more powerful than they had thought, than what could they do to the rest of them? And why would they go for Jack, who made annoyances but rarely actual enemies? Who was powerful enough to hold Jack Frost?

Where could he be?

Chapter Text

Jack was ready to scream.

Jamie was still treating him like a porcelain doll, and Jack couldn’t stand being coddled at the best of times or with the best of intentions.

Worse yet, he had no idea how long he’d been down in this basement. There wasn’t a proper way to tell time while he was down here, without the sun or moon or the faint sense of time that the change of weather gave him. Jamie had finally hooked up the television to the cable like he’d promised, but Jack wasn’t sure when exactly he’d been taken down here in the first place to tell just how much time had passed.

His proper clothes still hadn’t reappeared, and Jack suspected they were hidden with his staff. Jamie was still giving him silks and velvets, and some of them were starting to look more and more like they came from a lingerie catalog or a fantasy harem. Even without anyone to see him wearing them, it took a long time for Jack to stop blushing when Jamie started pulling them out of the dresser and insisting Jack wear them. Resisting just meant Jamie would dress him again, and sometimes even when he didn't resist Jamie would dress him like a doll anyway, lacing him tenderly into the tight fitting silks or hands lingering longingly as he slid the clothes over Jack's body.

Pretending he was starting to see things Jamie’s way had gotten rid of the last of the chains, and that was worth the hours of frustration it had taken. Jamie had padded them with cloth after he found out they were hurting Jack, but it didn’t help much. It kept them from burning, but not from damping down what of his powers were working down here, buried away from sun and wind and moon.

Trying to use an ice shard to pick the lock on them or the door, now that the chains were gone, hadn’t been working so well – it kept shattering, and Jack had begun to worry it would rust the lock shut from the inside. He couldn’t concentrate well enough to form a proper ice pick, one strong enough to stand what he needed, or to fill the lock with ice and manipulate it to pick it that way, not with the steel interfering with his powers when the chains were on and no staff to help conduct and focus with them off, still suffering from being caged as he was.

When this was all over, he was going to practice like hell. He was going to be the lock pick master. And he was going to stop depending on his staff, if he could, having more believers had been making him stronger so who knew. It was supposed to be a conduit, not the source of his powers, after all. It could happen.

After you get away, Jack, he reminded himself. Focus.

He was lucky Jamie was giving him so many things he didn’t want, Jack supposed as he tucked the last extravagantly unnecessary pillow into place. This wouldn’t work properly with only one pillow.

Checking the sheets one last time, Jack climbed the bookshelf by the door and perched on top, waiting. Jamie should be by with dinner soon, if he had the timing right.

Maybe he should have asked for a clock, while Jamie still felt like giving him things.

Didn’t matter, if this worked then he wouldn’t need one. And if it didn’t…Jack shook his head, refusing to think of what would happen if it didn’t. It had to work.

Jack stiffened atop the bookshelf when he heard the key in the lock, holding his breath tensely. Under him, the door swung open as Jamie entered, full tray in hands. Unconsciously Jack made a face at the tray – Jamie always put too much on it, and if Jack didn’t eat what Jamie thought of as ‘enough’, he was very likely to try and make Jack eat the rest of it right then or spoon feed him the next meal – handcuffs optional, depending on Jamie’s mood and Jack’s resistance.

Jamie started talking as soon as he was in the door, but cut off short when he saw ‘Jack’ bundled up in blankets on the bed.

“Jack!” he cried, the tray shoved onto the table by the door and forgotten, dashing toward the bed in concern, “What’s wrong? Why are you all bundled up? Are you feeling all right?”

In his haste, Jamie left the door open, just as Jack had hoped. As Jamie dashed toward the bed Jack swung off the bookshelf and through the open door, hitting the stairs at a run.

He was nearly at the top of the stairs when he heard Jamie yell his name. Jack didn’t bother wasting his breath in cursing, but oh, if only Jamie had tried to wake him with words before pulling off the blankets!

Jack hit the surprise trapdoor and lost precious seconds forcing it open. Shooting out of the stairs, he glanced around desperately before diving behind a row of boxes, hearing Jamie’s footsteps flying up the stairs behind him.

Jamie stopped at the edge of the trapdoor, slowly pacing into the middle of the basement and unknowingly putting himself between Jack and the stairs to the rest of the house. Pressing himself deeper into the shadows of his dubious shelter, Jack’s eyes darted frantically around the room, trying to find any route to escape.

If only he had his staff! He could feel the wind seeking him but couldn’t call it, couldn’t float out on it, not without his staff, under the ground as he was. Maybe someday, now that he was gaining believers and magic, but no, of course not today, not when he needed it.

Jamie looked the other way, and Jack took the chance, diving from one shelter to another, inching his way closer to the stairs. Suddenly Jamie turned, whipping around to stare directly into Jack’s eyes.

Their gazes held for a drawn moment before Jack broke, pitching a hastily formed snowball into Jamie’s face and dashing for the stairs. He heard Jamie call his name, recovering quickly from years of experience of snowball fights, demand that Jack stop, but Jack ignored him, scrambling up the stairs. The silks he was wearing tangled around his legs and he cursed them, feeling them catch and tear on the stairs as he struggled toward the door.

His fingers brushed the knob and Jamie’s hand closed around his leg. Jack cried out as Jamie yanked, banging knees and elbows as he went down, skidding down several stairs as he fell. His cheek hit the top stair and he saw stars, dazed long enough for Jamie to latch an arm around his waist.

Jack went wild, screaming and begging, making Jamie fight for every inch back toward the under cellar, until trying to hold onto him was like trying to hold onto a blizzard. He kicked and flailed, Jaime’s arm like an iron bar around his waist, the temperature in the basement dropping to the single digits as he panicked. The floor iced over under them and Jamie slid, hitting the ground with a painful thud.

If anything, his grip tightened as he fell. Jack gave a desperate twist, back arching and elbow driving into Jamie’s stomach. Silk ripped, the seam giving way under stress and Jack squirmed out of Jamie’s arms and darted away, scrambling for the staircase.

Jamie leapt, landing on Jack in a desperate tackle and knocking the breath from Jack’s body. They rolled across the floor, locked together as they grappled.

Jamie managed to roll on top of Jack, using his higher body weight to pin the smaller spirit face down. Jack bucked, desperate to get away as Jamie pulled on the ripped shirt, shredding it and using the remains to bind Jack’s wrists tightly behind his back, winding the ruined material up his arms and binding them wrist to elbow.

He kept his hand in the knots as he stood, using it to pull Jack back when he tried to run, slinging Jack over his shoulder and ignoring the struggles, the kicks and curses and desperate pleas as he strode back down the stairs, the trapdoor falling shut with the finality of a coffin.

Chapter Text

Jack hit the bed with a grunt, the breath knocked out of him for the second time in less than ten minutes when Jamie unceremoniously dropped him. He twisted and struggled against his bonds as Jamie paced at the end of the bed, but the silk just twisted deeper into his arms with each pull against it.

Jamie stopped pacing at the foot of the bed, staring down at Jack, who glared back, his eyes cold and hard as ice to Jamie’s snapping fire. Jack’s chest heaved with each breath, and he knew he was starting to bruise where he’d impacted with the stairs and floor, from Jamie’s grip as they grappled, each one its own little bright spot of pain.

“Why?” Jamie demanded, fists balled at his side, “Why did you try to run away?”

“I told you,” Jack ground out, glaring back. “I can’t stay down here forever. I’m an elemental spirit, I need to be outside, and I’m a Guardian. I have responsibilities, and they don’t include being trapped in your basement!”

Jack winced as Jamie grabbed his arms, hands digging in to leave new bruises. “No, you don’t understand!” he cried, shaking Jack for emphasis. “I don’t care about your responsibilities, they aren’t more important than you being safe!”

“You can’t keep me down here like some kind of pet,” Jack snapped, temper finally at an end. “I’m never going to stop trying to get away, and someday you won’t catch me!”

Jamie’s face went blank as Jack panted, still holding far too tightly to Jack’s arms. Abruptly he wrenched Jack around and grabbed the back of Jack’s neck, shoving him face first into the mattress. “If you’re going to try and get away and won’t see reason, then I’ll have to punish you. I don’t want to, but this is for your own good.”

“What…Jamie, what are…” Jack struggled, fighting to raise his head as Jamie did something just out of his sight.

There was a crack and Jack screamed involuntarily as fire exploded across his backside.

He twisted and saw Jamie’s arm raise again, staring in shock.

His…belt? He couldn’t be…Jamie wouldn’t…

The arm fell and despite all his fighting to keep silent Jack screamed again. By the third blow he was crying, struggling to hold it back and unable to stop. It hurt, more than anything Jack had imagined, and to know Jamie was doing this, it was Jamie deliberately hurting him this way made the pain worse.

Jack lost count by the time Jamie stopped, too much in pain to count, letting the tears come as they would, pain and betrayal breaking his heart and hurting worse than the beating even as his body throbbed with pain.

“I’m sorry, Jack,” Jamie said softly, picking up the sobbing Jack and cuddling him close in a parody of a loving embrace, running his hand over Jack’s back in a poor attempt at comfort. “I’m so, so sorry, but you didn’t give me a choice. You can’t leave me, Jack. You can’t. You’ll understand, I know you will.”

Bunny slumped in front of the fire in the meeting room, not even bothering with his chair. He was exhausted both physically and mentally, his mind constantly throwing images to him of Jack hurt, waiting for them, in pain and afraid and they couldn’t find him.

Something carded through his fur, and he opened one eye to see Sandy’s dreamsand hovering over him. It took forever to get out of his fur, and usually he’d tell Sandy to keep the sand to himself, but right now he needed the comfort.

Besides, Sandy’s eyes said it all – he needed the comfort just as much as Bunny did. He’d seen Jack around before they’d recruited him as a Guardian, bonded with him and saw him nearly every night, even if it was usually from a distance. If anything, Sandy seemed a little dimmer than usual, eyes heavy and miserable. Shifting, Bunny offered his side, and Sandy settled against him tiredly.

Tooth came through the window some time later, settling down onto her chair, too worried and miserable to even hover at the moment. They didn’t have to wait long before North joined them, his famous eyes filled with worry and exhaustion rather than wonder, letting them know without words that whatever North had tried to find the newest Guardian had been unsuccessful.

“It’s been nearly two months,” Bunny said finally. “Jack’s never gone missing this long before.”

“The snow globes aren’t taking well to the modifications,” North said. “Have been trying to make them able to go to spirit instead of location, but something keeps going wrong,” he elaborated when the others looked at him with confusion. Two disappointed sighs and a cloud of dream sand met the announcement, Bunny slumping back to the floor. “Will keep working on it,” North promised. “Should have done it before, since Jack doesn’t have a base for us to go to like the rest of us.”

“Show pony made one…” Bunny muttered without heat under his breath. “…’e just ain’t ready to share.” Jack had told him about it, the cave in Burgess and the ice castle – and about how personal it was, a monument to three hundred years basically alone, each modification and ice sculpture made as a desperate distraction. They’d been talking about making it something he could share with all of them, how to modify it so they could all visit. Antarctica wasn't a pleasant place for anyone who wasn't a winter spirit, and the cave he used as his other base was just too small for visitors. Dropping the thought for now, he asked louder, “You’re sure Pitch doesn’t have ‘im?”

Sandy nodded emphatically and Bunny heaved another sigh. Pitch could lie all he wanted, but he couldn’t hide from Sandy, and he was still too weak to stand up to an angry Sandman. If Sandy said he’d searched Pitch’s lair and seen neither hide nor hair of Jack, and Pitch had denied having anything to do with Jack’s disappearance, then Pitch didn’t have him.

Sandy sent up a blur of images, and the others paid close attention. Another thing to thank Jack for, Bunny thought sourly as he attempted to decipher Sandy’s message. The way he always stopped to pay attention when Sandy ‘spoke’ pointed out to the others without words how often they didn’t.

“You think Pitch suspects where Jack is?” Bunny guessed. Sandy nodded and Bunny almost gave himself another point, but it seemed fruitless and like cheating when Jack wasn’t there to compete with. “Why didn’t you beat it out of him?”

More sand images, indicating Pitch didn’t outright say he knew or suspected, just that he was a touch more smug than he should have been over Jack’s disappearance, and that threats were going to make him clam up.

“…has anyone asked Jamie or Sophie if they’ve seen Jack?” Tooth asked suddenly. “I mean, he does still visit them pretty often, even if they are adults now, maybe they saw him before he disappeared.”

Ears twitching, Bunny shot up, tumbling Sandy to the ground. The small dreamweaver rolled before catching himself, shooting up into the air in alarm. “I asked Sophie, I thought one of you asked Jamie,” Bunny said in surprise.

Shooting out of her chair, Tooth shot back, “I thought you did.” They both looked over at North, who spread his hands. “Thought one of you did.” Sandy shot up images that agreed with North.

“Well what’re we waiting for?” Bunny demanded. “Meet you at Jamie’s house.”

Chapter Text

Jamie opened the door to the basement and started down the stairs, cradling the small brown box in his hands reverently. Jack had given him the idea, and since the chain on his ankle was hurting him, even with the cloth wrapped around it, Jamie had given in to the impulse. He’d hated to have to chain Jack, but he’d threatened to run away again, and until he saw reason Jamie was going to have to keep him chained.

It broke his heart to see Jack in chains, but if it was the only way to keep Jack safe than Jamie was just going to have to deal with it.

He'd actually had the idea a few weeks ago, he had just hoped he wouldn't have to use it when it finally came, except as something pretty for Jack. Still, at least the chains he had to keep on Jack wouldn't hurt any more now that it had finally arrived.

Maybe he should try making some of Jack’s favorites for dinner, he mused as he reached the bottom of the stairs. He’d been sulking since he tried to escape, maybe it would help perk him up a little. He still felt guilty for punishing Jack, even if he had earned it. There had to be something...

He froze when knocking came from upstairs – loud, distinctive knocking. Flinching and panicking, he shoved the box into a pile of laundry waiting to go upstairs to hide it and headed back up, schooling his face into the calmest mask he could summon.

Sure enough, standing just outside his back door were four Guardians of Childhood. Four very worried Guardians of Childhood, each of whom was looking at him through the screen door with desperate worry and hope on their faces.

Plastering a smile across his face, Jamie threw the door open. “Hey, guys! What’s up?” He blinked, looking around innocently. “Where’s Jack?”

North sighed heavily as Jamie moved away from the door, letting the legends file into his kitchen. “We don’t know. We were hoping maybe you did.” He slumped at Jamie’s kitchen table, suddenly looking…old. Even older than he had on that wonderful, horrible night when they’d all first met.

For a moment Jamie was tempted to drop the act and let them know that Jack was the safest he’d ever been, but stopped himself before the words could leave his mouth. They’d want to know where he was, and if Jack couldn’t understand, then the others wouldn’t either. He’d wait until after Jack finally saw reason, if he ever did decide to tell the Guardians. They were the reason Jack kept getting hurt, so they didn’t deserve to have him.

“Do ya remember the last time ya saw him, Jamie?” Bunny asked from where he crouched on the floor. His fur looked like it hadn’t been properly groomed in weeks, Jamie noted absently, and Tooth looked like she’d been crying nonstop. Sandy looked exhausted, worse than he had after coming back from the dead.

“I think it was about two months ago,” Jamie answered casually, sitting at the table by North, hoping the fact that he hadn't visited Jack yet today and had showered that morning – complete with aftershave and deodorant, lovely chemical scents that Bunny avoided like the plague – would be enough to keep the rabbit from smelling anything from across the room. “He stopped by after the last snow of the season before heading off. He doesn’t come by that often once it warms up. Haven’t any of you seen him? What’s going on?”

“We don’t know. He’s just…dropped off the face of the earth, looks like,” Bunny said, drooping further. “We’ve been looking everywhere.”

“Even my fairies haven’t seen him,” Tooth said miserably. “He’s never been gone this long before.”

“So we were hoping you might know anything. We think you were last to see him,” North said. “Did he seem normal? Worried about anything?”

“Seemed like normal Jack to me,” Jamie said, projecting honest concern as hard as he could. “Had some cocoa and flew off after awhile. Haven’t seen him since.”

Bunny groaned, sounding as though he were in physical pain as he slowly drooped to the floor. Jamie watched, honestly shocked and concerned, as Tooth gracefully dropped to the floor by the Pooka and began to stroke his head.

“Ya were our last idea, mate,” Bunny said quietly. “No one’s seen hide nor hair of ‘im for two months now. We’ve asked everyone who he talks to, checked every one of his hidey holes, even looked in places he don’t like. Hell mate, almost the whole spirit community's lookin' for him. At least, those that aren't gone to the dark.” He sighed again, heavily, ears drooping miserably.

“Are you sure you can’t feel anything from him?” Tooth asked, her wings stilling as she stroked Bunny’s head. Jamie stopped breathing and froze at the table. What did they mean, could Bunny feel anything? He barely managed to start breathing again, remembering he had an audience, as Bunny shook his head, all eyes on the miserable Pooka.

All eyes but Sandy and Baby Tooth’s, who were eying Jamie suspiciously. The pair exchanged glances as the others focused on the distraught Bunny.

“Not a thing, Toothie. He’d barely let me start courtin’ ‘im, that’s somethin’ that ya can only do after ya git hitched,” Bunny said, still quiet and miserable.

“Courting!?” Jamie burst out, half standing from the table before he caught himself. Jack and Bunny? But Jack was his!

“I guess we had been quiet about it,” Tooth said quietly and sadly.

“We’d just started,” Bunny said miserably. “Barely at th’ circlin’ stage. Ya don’t think I moved to fast an’ drove ‘im off, do ya, Tooth?”

“Bah, Jack? He would say something first,” North said before Tooth could reply. “He may not want to lose us, but he got better about that, yes? Trusts us enough now to say no. Especially to you, Bunny.” North sobered quickly, slumping against the table again as Jamie sat back down, mind whirling. “Still, would have been nice, an answer that simple. A sulking Jack would come back sooner or later, if just to yell at us.”

“I just hope he’s all right…” Tooth whispered. Despite himself, Jamie found himself trying to reassure the Guardians.

“Hey, this is Jack we’re talking about. I’m sure he’ll be fine.” He racked his brain, trying to think of some way to get the Guardians to leave – and not come back for a very long time – without giving anything away, and get them to leave fast, before they suspected anything. He needed to think about this information bomb they’d so kindly dropped on him. “Did you check Antarctica? Doesn’t Jack like to go down there when he’s upset? I thought he mentioned making some kind of crazy castle down there once.”

Thought nothing, Jamie had started drawings to scale made from the information he’d teased out of Jack over the years, but that didn’t mean the Guardians had to know that. He was fairly sure he hadn’t even told the Guardians about it.

“Or…aren’t there spirits that the five of you fight? You don’t think…” he let his voice waver, remembering those wounds he’d seen on Jack, forcing down the anger that these spirits who wanted to consider themselves Jack’s family had let him be hurt instead of keeping him safe and focusing on the fear he’d felt when he’d seen them, putting that into his voice, “you don’t think one of them might have gotten him?”

“Most of them like to brag,” North said, “If they took down a Guardian, especially Jack, the whole spirit world would know. Still,” he continued firmly, standing abruptly, “is as good an idea as any, and no time to lose. We looked once, but we need to look closer this time, ask more questions and get answers this time. Come, to the sleigh – we have rounds to make.”

Chapter Text

Jamie stood at the back door and wished the departing Guardians luck as sincerely as possible. They waved as North took off, disappearing into a portal seconds later.

Carefully locking the door, Jamie turned and leaned against it, letting himself slide down to the floor. That was close, far, far too close. If that overgrown rabbit hadn’t been so miserable, all it would have taken was one too-close sniff and he would have smelled Jack on him, Jamie was sure, even with the freshly-washed clothes and shower.

Still…it had worked. The other Guardians had been here, and they’d had no idea Jack was being kept safe from them just feet away. He’d managed to pass their scrutiny, and they still didn’t know where Jack was.

Slowly Jamie got back to his feet, pushing away from the door.

They were still looking for Jack, though. He was going to have to be extra careful now, and make sure Jack wouldn’t try and run again. They didn’t know how close they’d come to finding him, and he couldn’t let them come that close again.

And...more spirits, looking for Jack? Still...none of them seemed to think a mere human could be holding a spirit, so they weren't looking here. They didn't matter.

But more…what had that…that oversized rodent meant, he’d been courting Jack? Was…could they really be serious? How could Jack let that…that rabbit near him like that? Just how far was “circling”? No one was supposed to touch Jack but Jamie!

Suddenly furious and desperate for answers, Jamie near flew down the cellar stairs, only remembering at the last second to retrieve his precious package from the laundry and stow it somewhere safer than a pile of clothes. He’d give it to Jack later – right now, Jack was going to give him some answers, one way or another.

In the sleigh, Baby Tooth chattered frantically to her mother. Bunny winced, leaning away from them. She didn’t mean to hurt his ears, but when Baby Tooth got upset, she forgot and her voice got shrill to Bunny’s sensitive hearing.

Finally Baby Tooth finished, and Tooth grimaced.

“What did she say?” Bunny asked, a tad impatiently. He’d had to sit through the whole speech without understanding it, Tooth could at least translate. The mini fairies were hard enough to understand when they weren’t worked up, until only Jack really tried. Bunny’s ears drooped at the thought and Tooth freed a hand from holding her daughter to pat Bunny’s shoulder.

“She thinks Jamie knows more than he’s telling us,” she summarized. Sandy nodded from his perch nearer to North. “You do too, Sandy?”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Bunny protested. “Jamie’s Jack’s closest friend, mortal at least. Why wouldn’t he want to help us find Jack?”

Sandy’s sand indicated he had no idea why either, just that something had seemed off about Jamie while they were there – and that Jamie didn’t seem nearly as accepting of Jack and Bunny’s courting as he’d acted.

“Some spirits don’t like us courtin’, mate,” Bunny argued. “You’d swear they were still mortal, gettin’ hung up on a bloke’s shape or gender or apparent age like that…”

Sandy shook his head furiously, sending up more and more images as he tried to explain. He was angry, not ‘hung up’, Sandy ‘said’, like he’d been betrayed.

“Is a feeling, then, that Jamie knows more?” North asked, turning to look at his passengers. Baby Tooth and Sandy exchanged looks before shrugging. They couldn’t explain it as more than that.

“Have to check these leads first,” North decided. “It makes sense. But Tooth, can you have the fairies keep an eye on Jamie? It makes no sense he would not tell us if he knows where Jack is, but if Jack is hiding and doesn't want us to know, Jamie could lead us to him. Just don't be seen.”

Baby Tooth saluted and shot off to let the other mini fairies know before her mother could answer. Tooth sighed and watched her fly away. “I think that’s your answer, North. She’s really worried about Jack.”

Bunny sighed. “She’s not the only one, sheila.” North clutched the reins tighter as the whole sleigh seemed to droop.

Suddenly Sandy’s sand smacked Bunny across the back of the head, though fairly gently. As three shocked guardians stared at him open-mouthed, Sandy shook an admonishing finger, sand flowing around his head as he formed a snowdrop out of sand and offered it to Bunny.

Bunny looked between the flower and Sandy blankly as the golden man rolled his eyes and formed a few more figures before he got it, Sandy helpfully providing the light bulb over his head when he did.

Snowdrop – what he thought of as Jack’s flower. And in the language of flowers – hope. A gentle reminder and scolding all at the same time, not to forget his own center or to stop believing in Jack.

There were storm clouds in Jamie’s eyes when he opened the door to Jack’s prison, and Jack drew back against the bed’s headboard as Jamie carefully locked the door behind him and leaned against it, hair hiding his eyes as he stood there.

Jack shifted and the chain clinked, the way it did every time he moved, a reminder that he was chained again, that he was trapped even worse than before. Even with the manacle wrapped in cloth – Jamie’s concession to the fact that the steel hurt Jack when left on to long next to his skin – it still was interfering with his powers, still too much to make a decent lock pick or anything else useful. At this point, even summoning a snowball was starting to get hard.

Jamie was insisting on checking the skin on his ankle every evening, but he was using the handcuffs again every time he undid the chain, and Jack wanted to scream each time he did. Jamie was watching him so closely he hadn’t had a chance to get free. Even his normal trickery was failing him under someone who knew him so well and was watching him so closely.

His hands braced on the door behind him, breathing heavily as if to calm himself, Jamie was quiet for long enough Jack started to get worried.

Jamie spoke and Jack jumped as his voice broke the tense silence. “The other Guardians were here,” he said flatly. Jack’s heart skipped a beat and weak frost began to cover the bed.

“What? Jamie…”

“They were looking for you,” Jamie said, still in that flat, emotionless voice. “I sent them away.”

Jack clutched at the sheets under him as frail hope began to die. “Why would you do that?” he asked weakly, automatically.

In a flash Jamie had crossed the room, his hands gripping Jack’s arms hard enough to bruise, shaking him for emphasis. “You are mine, Jack! I’m supposed to take care of you! Why would you let that overgrown rabbit touch you?”

“What are you talking about? Jamie, stop! You’re hurting me!” Jack cried unthinkingly. Jamie stopped shaking him but didn’t let go, breathing heavily and staring down at the suddenly frightened Jack.

“Bunny. He said you and he had started courting,” Jamie said, each word distinct and separate. Jack swallowed, thoughts flying through his head. He and Bunny hadn’t really started doing anything, just the first stages of courting, circling each other and leaving each other little courting gifts, all to show interest in starting a serious relationship (trying to incorporate both Pooka and Colonial courting customs was proving an interesting challenge, and if nothing, it had been – emphasis on had, thank you Jamie – forcing them into the habit of discussing everything, since Pookan customs in particular could be complicated, which was only making their relationship stronger) but Jamie…Jack had the feeling even that was going to make Jamie go ballistic.

Jack hesitated, and Jamie’s eyes darkened. “Did you let him touch you?” he demanded, giving Jack another shake when he didn’t answer right away. “Answer me!”

When Jack still hesitated, Jamie’s eyes went dark and his hand moved before he made the conscious choice.

Jack’s head snapped to the side and he landed on the mattress heavily, staring up at Jamie in shock as his hand automatically covered his stinging cheek. Jamie stared down at him, panting, looking between his hand and Jack as though he’d never seen either before.

Slowly he reached for Jack, who flinched away. Looking almost as shocked by the sudden turn of events as Jack, Jamie dropped to the bed as though his legs had simply given out from under him. He drew the resisting Jack into his lap, stroking over his hair and murmuring apologies as he rocked them back and forth, repeating over and over how sorry he was and promising to make it right.

Suddenly feeling unworthy of touching Jack, he let the winter spirit scramble out of his lap. They stared at each other in silence, Jack wide-eyed and distrustful, Jamie panicking, both chests heaving for air, before Jamie gave a small cry and fled the room, barely remembering to lock everything behind him.

An hour later, Jamie stared at himself in his bathroom mirror. He’d promised Jack to protect him, and now he was the one that had hurt him.

Maybe he should have left Jack with the Guardians after all…no! No, they got him hurt much worse, the spirits they were trying to fight wanted to kill Jack, he just lost control for a minute.

…’Just’, was there really any ‘just’ about it? He loved Jack, and he’d hurt him after losing control. How could he possibly make that up to Jack?

He hadn’t even given Jack his present. Jamie groaned, burying his face in his hands. He was still furious about the rabbit – he was the only one who was supposed to touch Jack – but there were some things Jack was so traditional about. If he and Bunny had been ‘courting’, then the most they would have done was hold hands. Jack was so old-fashioned about things like that, only giving affectionate gestures after a long time. He had no reason to jump to conclusions like that!

He had to find some way to apologize to Jack, and try to control himself better. The whole point of this was to never have to see a bruise on Jack again!

Suddenly an idea hit him, and he began to smile. Yes, that would be special, and he could show Jack just how special he thought he was, and he could finally show Jack just what he was missing, what he and Jamie were supposed to have.

Already mentally composing his list, Jamie hurried from the bathroom. He had a lot to get ready.

Chapter Text

The sleigh slid into the bay, but the yetis hesitated before swarming it. They and the elves of the sleigh maintenance teams looked up at North hopefully, drooping as he sadly shook his head. A few of the elves looked ready to cry as they followed the reindeer into the stables, leaning on each other as dispirited yeti swarmed the sleigh with barely a fraction of their usual efficiency or energy.

The four remaining Guardians moved sluggishly toward the rest of the Pole. Tooth and Sandy nodded dispiritedly at the others before heading out the window. Despite everything, the teeth still needed collecting and dreams needed sent out, otherwise they would lose belief and never be strong enough to find Jack.

The tooth fairies needed their mother and her encouragement more than ever now, so worried over Jack they were having trouble keeping their spirits up to do their jobs. Only the thought that they might find a clue to Jack’s whereabouts kept them moving some nights, that and loyalty to their purpose.

Bunny slumped to the floor in front of the fire as North did the same in his chair, acting every inch the old man he appeared to be without even a hint of his usual energy.

“It’s been months,” Bunny said finally. “And we’re no farther than when we started.”

“We’ve eliminated possibilities,” North said defensively, but there was no heart in it. Bunny snorted.

“We’re lucky the humans can blame global warming for the mild winter they had down south,” he said bitterly. “As it is, poor Jackie’s gonna have a time getting more believers.”

North waved a hand dismissively. “We will help him, can make it work in his favor. Problem is, where he is now.”

“I know that’s the problem,” Bunny snapped. He slumped back down to the ground. Usually he liked having a good row with North, but he just wasn’t up to it now. “I’m out of ideas, North. And we’re running out of time. I don’t know how much of winter Jackie controls here up north, but we need him.”

The two sat in silence for awhile, too exhausted emotionally to do much more than stare at the fire for the moment.

“Sandy said Pitch was hiding something,” North said suddenly. Bunny snorted again.

“Since when is that ratbag ever not hiding something?” he asked. North barked out a short laugh but sobered quickly.

“Perhaps, but…”

“Sandy's changed his mind and thinks he can get something out of that wanker that’ll help?” Bunny said tiredly. “Fine. If nothing else, I can job ‘im one. It’ll make me feel better at least. Got no other leads now.”

“So, we agree?”

Bunny shrugged. “Don’t have a better idea. So, yeah. We agree. Soon as we’re all ready, we pay the Nightmare King a visit. He was last on the list anyways.”

Jack stared at the bathroom door, feeling his stomach threaten to revolt. Jamie had shoved him in here, talking about a ‘present’ and ‘making everything special’ and while he may not have known what Jamie was planning, he was pretty sure he wasn’t going to like it.

Jamie had even taken off the chain for whatever this was, and hadn’t used the handcuffs. Jack wasn’t sure what to think of that. Jamie had been acting extra gentle towards him ever since the Guardians had visited, however long that had been, probably a few days at most, but always with the look of someone who was planning something – and Jack had a feeling he was about to find out what.

Jamie hadn’t given Jack a pleasant surprise ever since he came down here, despite what he might think. Sometimes Jack wondered if he was going to go mad and start believing what Jamie was saying just to protect himself. He knew he’d lost track of time, despite the television and cable. It just…didn’t seem worth it, somehow, to know just how long he’d been down here without rescue.

What was going to happen when winter came around? The southern hemisphere didn’t always have very harsh winters, so it might have been okay, but…had anyone missed him at all?

No, Jack, that way lay madness, he scolded himself. The Guardians did come looking for him, he couldn’t give up hope! That hope might be the only way Bunny could find him!

Jamie opened the door, beaming. Grinning proudly, he bowed for Jack to come back in, and with his heart in his throat Jack did.

He stopped just inside the room that was his prison and felt his breath catch in his throat, unconsciously stepping back toward the bathroom. His back hit the closed door with a thud as he stared over the room with sinking stomach and dread creeping over his heart.

Jamie had put candles everywhere they could be safely set, and the room was dark except for their light. The air was heavy with the scent of roses, their petals scattered across the bed and more of them tucked into vases scattered around the room. On a tray on the nightstand sat a platter full of chocolate, strawberries, an open bottle of wine and a pair of wineglasses. All in all, it was a stage set for a seduction – and Jack was not seduced.

Swallowing nervously, Jack looked up at Jamie through his bangs and tried to look small and pitiful and very very not sexy. “All this for little old me, Jamie? You shouldn’t have,” he said, cursing his tongue when the words slipped out and he realized how flirty they could sound and mentally added, ‘no, really, you really, really should not do this, Jamie, please don’t be thinking what I think you’re thinking.'

Jamie was still smiling, softer and lovingly, as he leaned over Jack and traced a gentle finger down Jack’s cheek. “I would do anything for you, Jack,” he whispered. “And I have to make things up to you.” Anything except let me go, Jack thought, and shivered involuntarily when that finger reached his collarbone.

Mistaking that shiver for one of arousal or anticipation, Jamie leaned in closer, trapping Jack between the door and his body, taller and stronger that Jack’s. His leg slid between Jack’s and his hands settled on Jack’s shoulders, holding him to the door.

“We were meant to be together, Jack,” Jamie whispered, nuzzling at Jack’s hair. “It’s why I was the first to see you – it’s fate. And tonight, I’m going to prove it to you. By the time I’m done with you, you won’t even remember that rabbit. Tonight’s going to be so, so special.”

Jack tried to bite back a gasp as Jamie continued to nuzzle at his hair, teasing the spot behind his ear that was damnably sensitive. “Jamie, I’m not ready for this,” he argued, pushing against Jamie’s shoulders. He may as well have been pushing against the wall for all he was able to move Jamie. Jamie’s thumbs rubbed comforting circles on Jack’s shoulders as he pulled back, looking down at Jack with soft, loving, and possessive eyes, a look that sent shivers down Jack’s spine.

“Don’t worry, Jack, it’s all going to be fine. There’s no need to be scared – we’re going to have some fun instead,” he said, and Jack silently cursed. Of all things for Jamie to use against him… “We’ll take it nice and slow. Here, come sit on the bed with me.”

He took Jack’s hand and tugged gently, pulling Jack over to the bed. He sat on the edge and patted the space beside him. When Jack hesitated he tugged again, gripping Jack’s hips and pulling him down onto the bed, giving him another playful nuzzle as Jack hit the bed.

Tense and ready to bolt at a moment’s notice, Jack perched on the bed as Jamie poured wine into the glasses and handed one to Jack. He tapped glasses with Jack, taking a deep drink of his while Jack barely wet his lips.

Jamie didn’t notice, turned away to dip a strawberry in chocolate. He turned back and held it up to Jack’s lips expectantly, his other hand coming up to cup Jack’s chin, his thumb stroking along Jack’s jawline. Slowly, hoping if he took it slowly enough he could change Jamie’s mind or find some way out of this, he opened his mouth and let Jamie feed him the strawberry.

Damn it, he’d liked strawberries too.

He forced the strawberry down past the knot in his throat and immediately Jamie’s mouth was on his, lips gentle but insistent as his hands buried themselves in Jack’s hair, gripping as he took what he wanted, tongue teasing along Jack’s mouth before thrusting inside. His tongue tangled with Jack’s, exploring and tasting even as Jack froze, ignoring his lack of response in favor of searching every inch of Jack’s mouth, tracing over the sensitive roof of his mouth and making him try and squirm away, tracing and teasing and tasting as though he would never have enough.

Jamie pulled back slowly, licking his lips and nuzzling at Jack’s hair. Jack panted, eyes darting around the room for an escape. Jamie laughed softly as he eased them down onto the bed, hovering over Jack.

Jack wiggled and squirmed as Jamie nuzzled and kissed at his ear and started working his way down Jack’s neck, purposefully seeking out each spot that made Jack’s breath catch in his throat.

Jack’s hands latched onto Jamie, trying to push him away, make him stop, something, anything. The silk Jamie insisted on dressing him in might as well have been air for all it stopped Jamie, sliding aside under his hands and no barrier their heat as they passed over Jack's body.

“No! Jamie, stop this, right now,” Jack demanded, shoving Jamie’s face away. He couldn’t get much leverage, but he did make Jamie pause.

His eyes narrowed, Jamie grabbed for Jack’s wrists, the two grappling until Jamie had him pinned. “I understand you’re nervous,” he said, deadly calm as Jack glared up at him, trying not to let his fear show, “but you’ve got to relax.”

“Jamie, I don’t want this,” Jack said, each word clear and sharp as ice. “Let me go.”

“No Jack, no, we can’t stop now,” Jamie said, desperately. The silk shirt slid up Jack’s arms easily, wrapping around his wrists and tying him to the headboard even as he struggled. “Mine,” Jamie whispered, pressing his face into the hollow of Jack’s neck once he was bound. “Finally, finally mine. Oh, I’m going to make tonight a night to remember for both of us. Don't try and stop me, just let me show you what it's meant to be like.”

Jack shuddered under Jamie’s hands, fighting for calm and losing it with each passing second, each soft stroke of Jamie’s hands over his body. “Shhh, Jack, it’s going to be okay,” Jamie said soothingly. “I’ll be gentle. Tonight’s about pleasure, not pain. Let me please you.”

Jack’s head thrashed on the pillow in denial as Jamie made good on his promise, leaving no inch of his body untasted, Despite Jack’s best efforts small gasps and pants escaped him along with his desperate, pleading ‘no’s as Jamie drew pleasure from his unwilling body, threatening to overwhelm him with pure sensory overload even as he fought to deny that this was happening.

Jack bit back a scream as Jamie began to stretch him, taking his time to work Jack open slow and gentle, pleasure sparking everywhere Jamie touched, and when Jamie finally pressed against him and began working his way inside his back arched until he thought he would snap.

“So good,” Jamie panted as he pushed forward, finally, finally claiming his Jack. “You’re so good, Jack, so good.” Jack couldn’t fire back, struggling to breathe against the bold, clublike hardness that filled him, so full he could barely breathe.

He did scream as Jamie began to move, pleasure and despair and one last desperate plea wrapped up in the wordless sound as Jamie exploited every sensitive spot in his body. He was conscious long enough to feel his body betray him, feel Jamie reach his own climax before the blessed, comforting, unfeeling darkness took him under.

Chapter Text

Four Guardians gathered in the woods outside Burgess, staring at a rickety bed precariously set over a dark hole. Bunny sat, scratching at an ear with a hind leg and staring at the bed dubiously.

“I don’t like this, mates,” he said finally. “The ratbag got dragged down there by his nightmares, why would he leave this entrance open?”

Tooth hovered uncertainly near the hole, far enough away to give her time to react if anything came boiling out of it. “It doesn’t make sense,” she agreed, warrior instincts screaming. “Pitch is still weak right now, isn’t he? So why leave an entrance his enemies know about open?”

North shrugged and strode toward the open hole. “I do not know, but we cannot afford to spend time searching for another entrance, yes? So we see what Pitch knows. Ready, Sandy?”

The small dreamweaver gave two thumbs up before diving down followed closely by North. With a last lingering glance at the sunshine, the last two Guardians followed into the Boogeyman’s dark lair.

Jamie was still in his bed when Jack woke, sleeping peacefully. Cautiously, pausing to check Jamie every few seconds, Jack eased his way out from under Jamie’s arm. He grabbed his clothes – or what passed for them in this pit – and crept to the door, trying the knob as quietly as he could.

Locked – and the key was hidden. Of course it wouldn't be that easy. Jack groaned and hit the door in frustration, freezing when Jamie stirred in the bed, nearly waking. Jack didn’t dare breathe until Jamie rolled over and went back to sleep, mumbling happily.

Last night's memories crashing on him all at once, Jack dashed to the bathroom and barely made it to the toilet before he was violently sick. He leaned back against the tub and breathed shallowly once he’d emptied his stomach, vaguely surprised he hadn’t thrown up his toenails.

After a few minutes he managed to lever himself up to flush and brush his teeth. Tooth would have a fit if he damaged his teeth…the thought made him choke, but he forced the tears down. He wasn’t going to break down with Jamie in the next room. He refused to break down now!

Vaguely he heard Jamie moving around before the bathroom door opened, Jamie shuffling in. Jack refused to turn from the sink, barely suppressing a shudder when Jamie leaned over to kiss the back of his neck and embrace him from behind.

“G’mornin’, Jack,” he whispered. “Mhn, you are amazing.” Jack gagged and nearly threw up again as Jamie kept praising him for last night’s ‘performance’, hands moving gently across Jack's back and shoulders in a motion he was sure was meant to be soothing.

“Oh, I almost forgot!” Jamie exclaimed suddenly. “I have another present for you. Let me get it,” he said eagerly, hurrying from the room.

Hurrying himself, Jack struggled into the clothes he’d brought into the room with him as Jamie dug out the new ‘present’.

Jamie had his pants on when he came back into the bathroom, holding a box in his hands. He looked disappointed that Jack had already gotten dressed but let it drop, leading Jack back into the bedroom to sit on the edge of the bed.

He ran his hand over Jack’s hair and neck again, staring at Jack lovingly before opening the box. “I know the chain hurts you, even with the cloth,” he said, unwrapping whatever he was holding, “but since you keep trying to get away and won’t listen, I can’t leave you unchained. It breaks my heart, you know,” he said, looking up from the box to Jack soulfully. “It’s for your own good, keeping you safe down here.” He sighed when Jack refused to look at him, continuing his previous line of thought. He had the rest of his life to convince Jack, when it all came down to it.

“Anyway, I ordered this for you online. They made it custom for you from my design, and there’s not a scrap of iron in it,” Jamie said proudly. With a flourish, he pulled the present from the box and held it out for Jack’s inspection and approval.

Jack stared at the object in Jamie’s hands, feeling his heart sink.

“…Jamie…that’s…that’s a collar,” he said finally. Jamie beamed with pride, holding the collar up a little higher for Jack’s horrified gaze.

It was silver, padded with blue leather and decorated with small white and light blue gems set in snowflake patterns. There was a ring dangling on the front, and on the back was a lock to keep it closed, the lock shaped like another snowflake.

Jack flinched away when Jamie leaned forward with the collar. “You can’t be serious,” he exclaimed. “Jamie, I can’t wear that!”

“It’ll be more comfortable than the ankle chain,” Jamie insisted, “See, it’s padded, and I had them make it out of silver. It’s going to look good on you, Jack.”

He reached for Jack, who leaned away out of reach, panicking. “I’m not a pet, Jamie,” he said, “and I’m not wearing a collar!”

“Don’t be dramatic, Jack,” Jamie said, frowning and reaching for the flinching winter spirit. “It’s just jewelry, and I had it custom made for you. Relax.” He boxed Jack against the wall behind the headboard, frowning when Jack tried to fend off the collar, his arm held protectively in front of his throat. “Don’t make me get the handcuffs,” he warned quietly.

Swallowing, Jack slowly lowered his hands, looking up at Jamie with the most pleading eyes he could muster.

The collar slid around his throat, soft and snug against his skin. The click of the lock sounded abnormally loud in the quiet of the room, gentle and final. Breathing out slowly, Jamie traced the collar with gentle, reverent fingers, following its curve around Jack’s throat and over the raised snowflakes.

Bending, he pressed a kiss to the front of the collar before brushing another over Jack’s lips. He threaded the chain through the ring on the front of the collar, locking it in place and chaining Jack to the bed again.

Despair gripped Jack’s heart as Jamie strung the key to the collar on a chain around his neck and tucked it under his shirt. Jamie brushed another kiss over Jack’s hair as he stood to leave, apologizing as he hurried for work.

Pressing his back to the headboard, Jack let his fingers trace over the collar. Somehow, it was the last straw. He…he was never going to see anyone again. Never going to laugh with North, or nap with Sandy, or tease Tooth into taking a break, or…Bunny…with a quiet sob, he buried his face in his knees and let himself break down, sobbing himself hoarse in the quiet, cold room.

Chapter Text

Pitch’s lair was dark and cold, with no indication for where anything could possibly be, staircases going upside down or sideways and pathways along the walls, distances made to seem farther or shorter than they truly were and shadows covering and uncovering everything unpredictably and making all of the Guardians dizzy.

Bunny shuddered, remembering how Jack had come down here not once, but twice, and all on his own. His would-be mate was braver than they sometimes gave him credit for, even if was a foolish bravery at times.

All four of them were on high alert, scanning the shadows warily for any sign of Pitch. Going up against an enemy who could merge with the shadows in a cave full of shadows was quite possibly one of the most foolish things they’d ever done.

They came to the edge of a huge cavern, and in the distance – or perhaps nearby, it was harder to tell distances the deeper inside Pitch’s lair they went, which was probably just how he liked it – Bunny could see the pinpricks of lights on Pitch’s cast-iron globe. Where North’s globe glowed and soared, Pitch’s huddled, sullen and rusted, as if it resented each sparkle of light that shone across its surface.

“Pitch!” North called, his voice echoing in the vast chamber. “We want to speak with you.”

The darkness remained silent, almost sullenly so. Bunny glanced over at Sandy, their main source of light in the lair.

Since they were coming for information they were trying to be at least a little less confrontational than usual, which meant nothing but Sandy for light.

Even if just the sight of Pitch made Bunny want to rip his head off, he was going to try for less of a confrontation.

Time may heal wounds, but even millennia didn’t buy forgetfulness or forgiveness for causing someone to be ‘the last’ of anything.

“You sure he’s down here?” he asked Sandy quietly. Sandy nodded, his ability to sense his opposite dulled by the sheer magnitude of Pitch’s presence in his lair. Still, he could tell that Pitch was nearby, close enough to have heard North.

“Well, don’t I feel special,” Pitch’s voice rang suddenly throughout the lair, though the Boogeyman himself didn’t appear. “The Big Four, all in one place and looking for me. Oh, but wait, it should be the Big Five now, shouldn’t it? Now I wonder where Frost could be?”

Bunny bit back a growl, his ears flattening against his neck. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sandy snort, folding his arms and glaring. This must have been what Sandy meant – Pitch sounded entirely too smug not to have some idea where Jack was.

“Oh, but that’s right, you’ve lost him, haven’t you,” Pitch said, his voice exceedingly smug and oozing condescension. “Now, how could someone like Jack Frost go missing for…what is it now…two months, three? Oh, but everyone ignored him for three hundred years, so a few months should be nothing.”

“Pitch! What do you know about Jack being missing?” North demanded, ignoring the smooth jab and refusing to show just how accurate it had been.

“Now what makes you think I know anything?” Pitch said, fading into slowly into view.

Sandy floated forward, images forming in his sand. Pitch looked down at his counterpart, his face impassive.

“Is that so, Sanderson?” he said when Sandy finished, walking away from the group slowly. “Really, are you so desperate that you’ll go for a lead as slim as ‘you are acting entirely too smug about this’?”

Sandy took to the air, floating in front of Pitch. His sand formed images again, too fast for the others to follow. Pitch snorted and faded back into the shadows.

“Very well, Sanderson, you’re right. I can sense fear, and I’ll admit, young Jack’s is so very potent.” He chuckled, the sound echoing within the lair. “Now, why should I help you when I can enjoy his suffering and, now, yours as well?”

Bunny couldn’t hold back the growling anymore, and Pitch laughed louder at it. “Oh, did I strike a nerve, rabbit? He is suffering, I will tell you that. His fear is so very, very delicious, as is his despair. He’s trying to hold onto hope, but he’s so afraid he can barely think some days. It’s absolutely raw.”

Abruptly he appeared near his globe, smirking up at the Guardians. “What could you possibly offer me that would be better than this?”

Sandy flew up between the other Guardians and Pitch before Tooth or Bunny could fly at the Boogeyman, who continued smirking at them. Turning back to Pitch, his images began to fly again, and the blinding rage ebbed as Bunny watched Pitch pale, as much as he was able.

The images may have been backwards for them, but Bunny thought he could still make out the odd one – if he was reading them right, then Sandy was threatening Pitch, and very creatively, with what would happen if Pitch refused to help them and continued feeding off Jack’s suffering.

At his most powerful, it might have made Pitch pause, but now, with his power at an all time low...

There was a pause, Sandy’s version of taking a breath, before his sand images started again, and Bunny couldn’t mistake the interest on Pitch’s face.

“Do you know what Sandy’s offering the wanker?” Bunny whispered to Tooth and North. North looked as lost as Bunny, but Tooth fluttered a little closer, gesturing them close while still keeping an eye out for rogue nightmares.

“Sandy tried to explain on the ride here,” she whispered. “If I got this right, then he’s offering Pitch Halloween, with some restrictions, and a limited number of nightmares under certain conditions.”

She held up a hand before Bunny could explode, forestalling it with her best ‘Queen Toothiana’ expression. “He has ideas about how to get back Pitchiner, and if nothing else, to keep him from getting desperate enough for believers in the meantime to keep him from doing something like Easter 2012 again. I don’t like it either, but…”

“With restrictions?” North asked. Tooth nodded.

“Sandy’s strong enough to hold him to them, and it’s things about how much he can scare – something about how Halloween frights are supposed to be fun. Plus it’s the only lead we have, and it’ll be a way to keep an eye on Pitch. What else can we do?”

Pitch cleared his throat and the three Guardians snapped out of their huddle to face the Boogeyman, and if Bunny was secretly gloating that he kept glancing nervously back at a stern looking Sandy, well, no one else had to know.

“It seems Sanderson has an offer I can’t refuse,” he said, “…rather literally. Since my options seem to be playing along or letting the four of you use me to take out your frustrations, well. We have an agreement.”

“If we do, than say it,” Tooth demanded. “We’re making a contract.” Pitch rolled his eyes but complied.

“I will lead you to Jack Frost and aid in his rescue. In return, I am to have Halloween as my holiday, provided I do not 'go overboard' or use it to try to stage world domination, and Sanderson and I shall work out the circumstances in which I can give children nightmares that he will not turn back to dreams as well as terms by which we shall consider my use of Halloween to be ‘overboard’. Satisfied?”

North kept his eyes on the scroll of parchment he’d pulled from his coat, watching as the agreement was spelled out on it. Nodding, he passed his hand over the bottom, his signature appearing with a flourish. The contract made the rounds, each spirit reading it before adding their own magical signature.

The parchment was passed back to North, who stowed it away again. “So,” he said heartily. “You will lead us to Jack now, yes?”

“Very well, since that is what I agreed to. Let’s get this over with.”

Chapter Text

To the Guardian’s surprise, they came out of Pitch’s lair at the edge of Burgess’ woods, near to Jack’s lake. Pitch was faintly smug at their surprise but chose not to comment on it, instead gesturing toward the disturbingly familiar house by the edge of the woods.

“…ya got us lost,” Bunny commented as dryly as possible. “Tha’s Jamie’s house.”

Pitch sighed, managing to sound exasperated, amused, and at the end of his rope with certain Pooka all in one sound. “I am quite aware of whose house it is, rabbit. Despite what you may think, I am not lost. I can feel Jack’s fear and despair – quite strong on the despair at the moment, by the way, I am giving up quite a bit for our little arrangement – coming from that house.”

Sandy and Tooth exchanged worried glances as North and Bunny glowered at the house and boogeyman. “Baby Tooth and Sandy both said something was off when we visited Jamie,” Tooth said thoughtfully. “I vote we search his house while he’s gone.”

“You are sure he’s gone?” North said before glancing at the sky. “Ah, yes, is afternoon by now – boy must be at work. Come, let us see.”

“But…it’s Jamie…” Bunny protested weakly. North was already striding toward Jamie’s house as Baby Tooth came zooming out of the sky, circling her mother who had called her in the way she had when she wanted a fairy.

Baby Tooth was chirping, apparently telling her mother every one of Jamie's movements outside the house. He would have seen her if she'd gone inside, but she'd made a good little sentry.

Bunny stared at the house for a few more moments before squaring his shoulders. You’re a warrior, Aster, he scolded himself. Friends have turned traitor before, so even if it is that ratbag of a genocidal maniac claiming it you have to check.

North and Bunny paused outside Jamie’s door – Jamie didn’t have a chimney and Bunny was hesitant to use his holes – but when Tooth went through without hesitation, followed by Pitch and Sandy, they exchanged glances, shrugged, and phased through the same as the others.

Children’s belief was a beautiful thing – and the children believed that they could get into any home without difficulty, so they could.

They stopped in Jamie’s living room, looking around cautiously. Everything seemed the same as it had the last time they had been there with Jack, and there was nothing to show he’d been there for the last few months. Bunny sniffed the air cautiously, and his ears went back when he caught the faintest whiff of Jack’s scent – coming from upstairs. It was so faint he thought at first he had imagined it, and he continued sniffing as he headed toward what he thought was the source.

Pitch sighed when Bunny headed for the stairs, managing to combine superiority with irritation in the small sound. “It’s coming from downstairs, rabbit,” he called.

“I cin smell Jack up there,” Bunny said shortly. “Gotta check.” Suddenly Baby Tooth chirped, darting away from her mother and up the stairs.

Calling for her daughter, Tooth followed, flying up the stairs in an instant. Bunny looked over his shoulder at the others before he followed, North pounding up the stairs after him. Sandy looked over at Pitch and gave him a sympathetic shrug before floating after them.

The Boogeyman rolled his eyes but followed.

Baby Tooth was squeaking frantically, making Bunny flatten his ears against his head in pain at the sharp pitch. She kept darting in and out of a room at the end of the hall, and the others didn’t have to understand what she was saying to understand what she wanted.

The five of them dwarfed the room, which was rather large when not crowded with legendary spirits. If Bunny had to guess, he’d have called it the master bedroom – Jamie’s room. The room smelled of Jamie, but Bunny picked up a faint whiff of Jack.

Suddenly suspicious, he picked up a shirt of Jamie’s that had been carelessly tossed across a chair, as though he’d been dressing in a hurry and hadn’t time to throw it in the hamper. A closer sniff said Jamie had been in contact with Jack while wearing this shirt, and recently too.

“Mates,” he called, holding up the shirt with a sinking heart. The others turned to look, a difficult task considering Baby Tooth was still demanding their attention. “It’s got Jack’s scent all over it,” Bunny said quietly. Was Jack…here? Why? Was he…could he be hiding from them? This was Jamie’s house, after all, he’d go to Jamie if he wanted to hide out, right?

Baby Tooth whistled and Bunny nearly collapsed, twitching as the shrill sound pierced his sensitive ears to Pitch’s obvious amusement.

Sure she had their attention again, Baby Tooth pointed at the closet impatiently, tiny fist on tiny hip and glare that was a hundred times larger than she was demanding they open that door right this instant.

“Yes, yes, we check closet,” North held his hands up pacifiyingly as he inched past the tiny fairy.

Pitch didn’t even try and conceal his amusement as the huge man tiptoed around the tiny fairy as though she could take him out at a moment’s notice.

“…little Sheila got bossy on us,” Bunny commented as North glared at the door. Tooth managed a little smile.

“She’s my second in command now, sometimes even takes over so I can have a break. It was Jack’s idea,” Tooth said sadly.

“Door is locked,” North said with quite a bit of confusion and irritation in his voice, interrupting their side conversation. “Why would the boy lock his closet?”

Pitch and Sandy exchanged looks before the smaller dreamweaver gestured the taller toward the closet. Pitch rolled his eyes but strode toward the closet.

“Stand aside,” he said briskly, “and I’ll have a look. This goes above and beyond our agreement, by the way.” Sandy poked him, and there was a world of conversation in the look that passed between them before Pitch huffed out a small laugh and slid into the closet.

How did…oh, right, monster in the closet, Bunny remembered. They made a big deal about Pitch belonging under the bed, but the Boogeyman came from the closet sometimes, didn’t he.

There were muffled thumps and rattling, including a muffled curse or two, from inside the closet before it went quiet. The knob turned from the inside and Pitch stepped out. Bunny’s heart sank even as Tooth gasped and North cursed quietly in Russian as they got a good look at what Pitch held.

Jack’s staff, hoodie, and pants.

Chapter Text

Pitch looked vaguely disturbed, and it was an expression that didn’t sit well on his face.

“It’s like a shrine in there,” he commented bluntly, holding the staff out toward North and the clothing to Tooth, both of whom took them automatically, still stunned into silence. “They were in a locked cupboard at the back. He was treating them like some kind of holy relic.”

The Guardians exchanged uneasy glances at that information, not sure what to make of it as Baby Tooth darted about the room, chirping frantically.

“If those are here…any sign of Jack?” Tooth asked hopefully, clutching the clothing close.

“I’m sensing him from downstairs,” Pitch said shortly before fading into the shadows.

Bunny’s mind whirled as they raced down the stairs. Jack would never be parted with his staff, not willingly. Jack had to be here – and he couldn’t be here because he wanted to be, all Bunny’s fears to the contrary.

Jamie...Bunny growled, before shaking himself. Rage later, after you find Jack and get the whole story. Then you decide what you're going to do to Jamie.

They paused in the living room, looking around warily for Pitch. Baby Tooth flew out of Bunny's fur to hover, joining her mother.

“…did he abandon us already?” Bunny asked, looking around suspiciously.

“Basement!” Pitch’s voice came faintly from the direction of the kitchen and, exchanging glances, the remaining Guardians made their way to the next room.

North pulled open the second door in the kitchen and revealed stairs heading downwards. Pitch waited at the bottom, impatiently tapping a foot.

“Would you hurry? I don’t want to spend any more time in your company than you do in mine, and I would think you’d be in a hurry to rescue your little icicle.”

Bunny bit back a snarl and leapt down the stairs, clearing them in a single jump. “You sense Jack down here?” he demanded, looking around the basement. It looked normal to him – boxes piled up everywhere, a washer and dryer at the foot of the stairs with laundry piled on and around them, shelves under the stairs filled with tools and leftovers from fixing the house.

Pitch glared at a box as though it had personally offended him. “I can feel him, but even to you it should be obvious he’s not here.” He let out a sound suspiciously close to a growl and began to stalk through the basement.

“We know he’s here somewhere,” Tooth said, flitting about the basement anxiously. “He’d never leave his staff behind, let alone these.” She stroked the clothes she was still holding as tenderly as if she held Jack rather than cloth.

“It’s strongest over here,” Pitch announced from the farthest corner of the basement. If Bunny were to guess, it looked to him as though the Boogeyman were taking the effectiveness of Jack’s hiding place as a personal affront and challenge.

He was bent down, looking closely at the floor as the others joined him. Bunny sniffed at the floor curiously, growing more serious about it as he smelled Jamie on the stones – and a faint hint of Jack.

Suddenly Pitch slid into the shadows and the others cursed, jerking back in surprise – all but Sandy, who looked a touch miffed at Pitch’s dramatics.

Abruptly part of the floor shook and Bunny bit back another curse.

“Move your foot, Claus,” Pitch’s voice said irritably from under the floor. “There’s a trapdoor here and you’re on it.”

Looking down in surprise, North shuffled back a few steps and a piece of the floor rose up smoothly on hinges. Pitch looked smug enough to set Bunny’s fur on edge as he looked down at the trapdoor.

“Very clever,” he said simply before looking up at the Guardians, mostly Sandy. “It locks from this side, and the opening is rather complicated for a home made trapdoor. Still, opens very easily once you know where it is and can get it unlocked from the other side. Shall we?”

With that, he turned and disappearing into the dark stairway under the trapdoor. Exchanging uneasy glances, the whole situation screaming wrongness to them, the Guardians followed down into the sub-basement.

Chapter Text

They caught up with Pitch at the bottom of the stairs, where he was glaring at another door – a very securely locked door.

A very securely locked door with chill air leaking from the gaps around it and frost decorating its surface.

Pitch twisted the knob again before standing properly. “Either your last light ordered this online or this little town has a higher crime rate than any of us knew,” he commented. “This lock isn’t going to budge.”

“Let me see,” North demanded, gently handing Jack’s staff to Bunny before kneeling to look closer at the lock. Bunny watched as North prodded at the lock, muttering to himself as he fussed with it. North had been a bandit, once, which meant if any of them could pick the lock than it was him.

As North continued to fuss, Sandy floated up to the door and knocked gently. North ignored them all and kept fussing with the stubborn lock as the others looked at Sandy askance. He shrugged, giving the impression of 'why not try?'.

After a minute, Sandy knocked again – and the others froze as someone knocked back.

Jack curled against the headboard, not even bothering to fight the depression anymore. What was the point? He couldn’t pick the lock on this collar – it was too small and hard to see, since it was at the back of his neck, even if he could form a decent ice pick – and he was running out of ideas.

Jamie knew him too well – each time Jack started a new plan, it seemed like Jamie was ready to stop him – and with this collar…Jack tugged on it, a gesture he’d found himself repeating unconsciously since it was locked around his neck. Even if Jamie had gotten the measurements right so it wasn’t too tight, he still felt strangled by it.

Somehow, the collar was the last straw. It felt, more than the manacle ever had, like a visible and constant reminder of his captivity and that he was never getting out of here.

He'd cried himself out hours ago, only stopping when he physically couldn't cry anymore. Part of him was sure he could still taste the kiss Jamie had forced on him before he'd left for work, despite having brushed his teeth a good five times already since then, and remembering what Jamie had promised when he got home made him want to brush again – or be sick.

He curled up a little tighter, hiding his face in his knees when the knob rattled. How could Jamie be back already?

He peeked out hesitantly when nothing else happened. What…? Jamie wouldn't just play around with the door, what was he doing out there?

Suddenly someone knocked and he nearly fell of the bed in shock. Who…someone found the trapdoor? Was it…? Could they…had someone actually found him?

There was silence, and for a minute Jack thought he’d just imagined the knocking when it was repeated. Jolted into action, Jack scrambled off the bed and to the door, stretching his chain to its limit as he lunged toward the door, slamming it with his fist.

“Hello?! Hello? Is someone out there?!”

North fumbled his tools, nearly dropping them and Bunny’s heart leapt into his throat when Jack’s voice came through the door – muffled, terrified, but Jack.

“Hello? Please! Please, if you can hear me, answer me! Please, you have to get me out of here!”

Bunny launched himself at the door, everything else forgotten at the pain and fear in his mate’s voice, everything but the need to answer him, to get him out. “Jack, Jackie it’s us!” he called, claws scraping against the door.

“Bunny!” Jack cried, saying something else too quietly for even Bunny to hear, “Can you get the door open? Is everyone…” Baby Tooth chirped, shooting through the door. It wasn't a door into the house, and Jamie believed this door secure against them, so she was the only one who could. Faintly Bunny could hear Jack exclaim at the sight of her, and he could picture Jack holding her close.

“We’re all here, Jackie,” Bunny said, trying to calm them both down. “North is workin’ on the door right now. You gave everyone a scare, ya show pony. Even Pitch’s helpin’ us.”

“Wha...Pitch? Why...oh, never mind that, you’ve got to hurry,” Jack called back, glancing nervously at the clock Jamie had left a few days ago, still cradling Baby Tooth. “Jamie could be back anytime!”

North cursed at that and stood. “Right, enough fiddly work! Jack, away from door!”

Pitch watched impassively as North began to try and break the door down. “You know, I’m giving you leeway for your emotions, but you do remember that you have your snow globes, North, while the rabbit has his tunnels and I my shadows?”

“…I thought you’d be gone the instant we found Jack,” Tooth said, eying Pitch suspiciously. He shrugged.

“Well, I may not be fond of any of you or the icicle, but I can’t say I approve of a human keeping one of us captive,” he said dryly, inspecting his nails with an air of superior boredom. “Besides, the instant I leave, I lose all this delicious fear.”

Bunny couldn’t make out just what Sandy was saying to the Boogeyman, but he had the impression of amused scolding.

“I’ll break it so he can’t fix it,” North said angrily between grunts as he applied his shoulder to the door, “and can never keep one of us captive again!”

Bunny passed the staff to Tooth and stood to lend his strength to the door as Pitch blinked. As he and North began to systematically pound at the door, which was beginning to creak ominously, Pitch and Sandy exchanged glances before they sent their sand into the hinges and lock to weaken them.

With a final crack the door gave in to their assault, splitting down the center and collapsing even as lock and hinges shattered. North and Bunny tumbled over each other into the small room beyond the door, Tooth and Sandy flying in over their heads.

Bunny had a brief impression of blue and white before his eyes fastened on Jack. Jack blushed and looked away, trying futily to cover himself as Baby Tooth squeaked reassuringly before he reached for Bunny, hesitating and faltering, his hand stopping halfway to touching Bunny.

It was obvious he wanted to fling himself into their arms, and Bunny wondered why he didn't.

Faintly he heard North curse and an instant later his coat was swallowing Jack, covering the skimpy outfit. Jack looked up at him gratefully, reaching up with a shaking hand to touch the coat and pull it closer.

“You…you’re real,” he whispered, eyes large and glistening with unshed tears. “It's not another dream.” When he looked up at them, his smile shaky and uncertain, Bunny couldn’t hold back and gathered Jack into his arms. Jack burying his face and hands in his ruff, hanging on as though he couldn’t quite believe they were all actually there. “You came. You came. I knew you would come,” he whispered, muffled by Bunny's fur. “I knew it. ”

Bunny ran his head over Jack’s head, burying his nose in Jack’s hair, freezing when his hand hit something. He leaned back to get a better look and saw red.

A…a collar?! And a chain?! It was stretched almost to its limit, chaining Jack to the bed, and Bunny had to put a tight lid on his emotions before he did something he regretted.

...he was going to rip Jamie apart when he got ahold of him! How dare he abuse Jack's trust like this!

He forced his thoughts back to Jack when his grip made Jack gasp. Comfort Jack first, get him out of here, and punish Jamie later, he reminded himself sternly.

Jack looked away, tugging at the collar’s ring with shame clear on his face. “Please, get this thing off me,” he said plaintively, with an edge of hysteria to it. “I hate it. I want it off, now.”

“Oh Jack…” Tooth breathed before turning all business. “Where’s the key?”

“Jamie has it. It’s…he’s wearing it on a chain, around his neck,” Jack said, the words tumbling over each other as he fought against breaking down, just burying his face in Bunny’s ruff and wailing. “He’s got it, and he took my staff, and my…my clothes, and…”

“We’ve got them, we’ve got you,” Bunny said firmly. Jack glanced up and saw Sandy hovering in front of him, holding out the staff with a gentle smile as North began to work on the collar's lock.

Suddenly a noise came from upstairs, the cellar door opening and feet coming down cellar stairs. Jack went ice still in Bunny’s arms, clutching at his fur tight enough to hurt, tremors shaking his frame as the other three spun to face the open door, North redoubling his efforts on the collar's stubborn, tiny lock.

“Jack?” Jamie called. “…JACK!”

Chapter Text

Jamie parked his car, getting out and fetching the box from the front seat. Ice cream cake for Jack, as a surprise treat.

He was humming as he entered the house, stowing the cake in the freezer before heading downstairs to say hello to Jack.

Halfway down the stairs he froze.

The trapdoor was open.

The trapdoor was open.

JACK! No, no he couldn't be gone!

Panicking, Jamie screamed Jack's name as he raced down the basement stairs.

“We have to get out of here!” Bunny called to North as Jack began panicking in his arms, clutching his fur hard enough he could feel it start to pull out one hair at a time, breathing so hard and fast Bunny thought he might pass out, stopping the red tide of rage Bunny could feel rising. “Quit worrying about the lock, just break the chain and let’s get out of here!”

“You break it, Bunny,” North called back, moving to block the door. “I deal with Jamie.”

Even as the others were forming a wall between him, Jack, and the door Bunny was reaching for the chain. It was thick and solid, far beyond Jack’s strength. Bunny gripped it in both hands and pulled, twisting it between his hands. It groaned but refused to give. Bunny kept trying, more frantic by the second as Jamie’s steps thundered down the stairs toward the little room under the house, alerted by the open trapdoor.

“Move, rabbit!” Pitch demanded sharply. Bunny barely had time to drop the chain before a blade made of shadows hit it, shattering the chain.

Jamie had planned what he would do if the Guardians showed up again, how he would distract them, keep them from finding Jack, how he would stop them if they came close. All his plans were forgotten in his panic when he saw the door open, saw them standing between him and his Jack.

This couldn't be happening! They weren't supposed to find Jack! He was supposed to keep Jack safe from everything down here, including them!

“No! No, you can't...you can't be down here! Jack! Jack!”

Jack threw himself into Bunny’s arms again, shaking as Jamie yelled behind them at North and the others, the cries growing more frantic by the minute. Bunny twisted to see Jamie fighting to get past North, the spirit having to hold him back forcefully, and Bunny saw red.

Baby Tooth was chirping and pulling on Jamie's hair, unfelt by the frantic adult in his panic even as her mother blocked his way.

“No! No, you can’t take him! I have to keep him safe! He has to stay here! He has to stay with me!” Jamie yelled, reaching for Jack desperately, struggling to reach him, more desperate and frantic by the moment, struggling fiercely enough to reach Jack that even North was having difficulty holding him back.

Jack whimpered, so quietly Bunny wasn’t sure he’d heard him, and clung tighter.

Driven into motion by that tiny, desperate sound, Bunny tapped open a tunnel and disappeared down it with his precious burden in an instant as behind them, Jamie wailed in loss.

The Guardians moved to surround Jamie as the hole closed, Bunny carrying Jack far from this cage.

Jamie staggered back, hitting the wall and sliding down it to curl on the floor as his eyes stayed glued to the floor where Bunny's tunnel had been, where a flower still marked the spot they had disappeared.

“He...he's gone,” Jamie whispered, burying his face in his hands, and in that moment he sounded like a small, lost, broken child.

“Why?” Tooth demanded, fluttering an inch closer, not daring to come closer to the one they'd once trusted as dearly as they trusted each other, unable to keep the heartbreak from entering her voice alongside the anger. “Why did you do this?”

“You didn't keep him safe,” Jamie hissed, looking out at her from behind his hands. “You claimed you were his family but I saw the bruises, I saw the wounds every time he'd stop to visit. I was the first one to see him, the first in three hundred years! If you couldn't keep him safe, then I had to! It's fate!” His hands fell as he spoke, levering himself up the wall behind him, louder and louder as he spoke until he was yelling at the Guardians. “He was supposed to be mine. Mine to keep safe, to make sure he was loved and protected and cherished!”

“How was this protection?” North demanded, his own temper barely held in check. “Jack is of the wind and snow, and you locked him away underground, in little more than living death. He trusted you,” he spat, fists clenching for his swords, “and you betrayed him.”

“I was protecting him!” Jamie cried. “Look what I did for love of him! I built this, with my own two hands, to keep him safe! I knew none of you would ever understand!”

“This isn't protection,” Tooth snapped, still trying to see their Jamie, their last light, in this man he'd become. Anyone else, and they would have been fighting already, not trying to understand, barely staying their hands from harm. This was...wrong, and she couldn't understand how their Jamie had turned from hero-worship, big brother Jack, to...to this. “It's torture for a free spirit like Jack.”

“I...I would have given him anything,” Jamie whispered, not seeming to hear what Tooth said, slowly sliding back down the wall. “I...anything, done anything to make him happy, to keep him safe. Why? Why did he leave? I...”

Sandy looked up at Pitch, an agreement passing between them as he floated to the other Guardians, torn between fury at the one who had hurt their Jack so badly and awkward pity.

Pity or not, they couldn't let him hurt their Jack like this and get away with it. Betrayal had to be punished, but...Tooth and North hesitated before Sandy nodded at them, floating closer.

Grimly the Guardians and Pitch closed around Jamie as he buried his face in his hands, still murmuring brokenly. “Why? I just wanted him safe and happy. Why? Why did he leave me?”

Chapter Text

Bunny had hesitated, but in the end he had carried Jack to the North Pole. Jack had been living there, and the others were more likely to come for them there. More importantly, 'Home', for Jack, was the Pole for now, and home was what he needed.

Jack was quiet the entire trip, holding onto Bunny as though he would disappear in an instant if he let go, silent but for the occasional sob. His grip on Bunny’s fur was tight enough to hurt, but Bunny welcomed the pain, the clear sign that this wasn’t a dream, they had found Jack and he was back in his arms.

Every so often he would pause long enough to nuzzle Jack's hair or shoulder, thankful when Jack didn't shy away from him but accepted the comfort, meager as it was.

Jack curled tighter into Bunny when they came to the Pole, the lights and sounds and activity all too much after months locked away with no contact but for Jamie. Bunny nodded to Phil when the yeti came running up, loping off towards Jack’s room.

Phil sighed in obvious relief before heading into the workshop. He would let everyone know Jack was home and that Bunny was with him, Bunny was sure.

He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as the cheers started.

In Jack's room, Bunny set Jack gently on his bed. Jack still refused to let go, so Bunny scooted him over a little and sat on the bed next to Jack. When that wasn't enough he shifted so Jack could climb onto his lap, burying his face in Bunny's fur and sobbing silently, too hard to form tears or breathe properly.

Bunny kept silent, rocking gently and stroking Jack's hair, just being there for his would-be mate as he broke down. At the moment, Bunny could just be grateful that Jack was willing to be touched and accept physical comfort.

Three hundred years alone meant that you learned to deal with everything on your own. Bunny could only hope that this time, Jack would let them help him to heal from this, from the mental and emotional wounds that were so much harder to heal than any physical injury. With the collar – still locked around Jack's neck – and the scanty outfit, appropriate for a harem but not for Jack, not Jack who kept himself covered and didn't like showing himself off, he was able to form some ideas of just what Jack had endured even as he didn't want to believe it could have happened.

“...Jackie?” he said, when Jack's sobbing had died down to the occasional hiccup. Jack glanced up, still buried in Bunny's fur. “You don't have to tell any of us what happened in there, but it'll fester if you don't, like a wound that's infected but scabbed over. We'll be here when you're ready to talk, and we'll be here when you're not.”

Jack's hand tightened in Bunny's fur, but he didn't speak, not yet. Bunny nuzzled Jack's hair. “Do you hear that, Jackie? Out in the workshop? They're cheering, for you. That you're safe. Everyone's been looking for you, worried for you. You're not alone anymore, never again.”

The smile was a bit watery, perhaps a bit shaky around the edges, but it was there, and it gave Bunny hope.

“I mean it, Snowflake. You had th' whole spirit world out lookin' for ya.” He nuzzled Jack's hair again, feeling Jack press himself against Bunny's fur and into the nuzzle. “Would'ja like a bath now? Or a shower? Bein' clean always makes me feel better, and I can find ya somethin' else to wear.”

Jack picked at the 'clothes' he was wearing and shuddered. “I'm not sure I'll ever feel clean again,” he said softly. “The clothes were Jamie's idea, he took mine and he had a dresser full of things like these. And he...he kept...” he swallowed, feeling shame rush through him, “he kept bathing me. He wouldn't even let me have that.”

Bunny gritted his teeth, forcing back the rage at Jamie to focus on his mate.

“I'll stay out here, snowflake. Nobody's gonna touch you without your okay.”

“I...think I would like a shower, then. But...” he tugged on the collar again, a desperate, reflexive motion that pulled at Bunny's heart.

“I'll ask Phil for some tools to get rid of it while you wash up,” he promised. “You can smash it once it's off. Betcha North's got some nice, big hammers if ya want 'em.”

Jack tried another smile, getting up shakily and padding toward the connected bathroom, clutching North's coat around him with white knuckles.

“Sandy and Tooth'll be by soon with yer normal clothes and staff,” Bunny called to Jack just before the door closed, adding “I hope,” once it had. Not that he really thought Jamie stood a chance against the other Guardians right now, but as for how soon...shaking off the thought, he opened to door and shooed off the elves outside with requests to find Phil and tell him what they needed.

His mind was still reeling as he pulled clothes out of the dresser – clothes North had made for Jack, and he just hoped Jack would be able to accept them, since it was so close to what Jamie had done, though these were cotton pajamas, sturdy and a little big, comforting clothing – and left them just inside the bathroom door, calling to let Jack know he was doing so and being careful not to look.

When Jack finally emerged from the bathroom, he hesitated before curling up next to Bunny on the bed, letting Bunny work on the collar with the tiny tools Phil had brought up, touch careful and gentle.

The collar hit the far wall with a clang and clatter, Jack flinging it across the room as soon as it came loose. He glared at it, panting, fingers flexing and frost curling up the sides of the bed as he shuddered, rubbing at his throat, letting the sensation remind him that this wasn't a dream, that thing was off and he'd never wear it again.

Once he was sure he was done icing things over, somewhat under control again, he curled up against Bunny's side again, hesitantly, smiling when Bunny immediately curled around him.

“Thanks,” he whispered, fingers buried in Bunny's fur again. It might have been silly, but having Bunny curled around him, feeling that fur surrounding him, Bunny's breath over his hair and heartbeat in his ears, was what finally convinced him that this was all real and he really was finally, finally out of that room and truly safe for the first time in months. With a sigh, he curled tighter into Bunny's side, letting him curl around him more securely, feeling Bunny nuzzle at his hair again before falling into dreamless sleep.

They woke up in time to hear the others return, emerging slowly from Jack's room for Tooth and Sandy to hand over Jack's belongings eagerly, the other Guardians waiting for Jack to come to them for hugs even as Bunny could see them desperately wishing to pull him into their arms and reassure themselves that he was there.

Jack did want their hugs, though he still curled up against Bunny's side when they were done, running gentle fingers through Bunny's fur after glancing at him for permission, a move that almost hurt. Before this, Jack wouldn't have felt the need to ask permission for that simple touch.

North was hesitant to tell them what they did to Jamie once they left, where Pitch went to, or anything that happened after Bunny got Jack out of there. While Bunny could appreciate North trying to shield Jack, he was very irritated when North hesitated to tell Bunny just what they had done.

What, did he think he'd go running off to brag to Jack about what they did if North told him later?

He at least admitted, when Jack demanded to know, that despite everything, they still couldn't bring themselves to harm Jamie. All he would say then was that Jamie was being punished and refused to say more.

Sandy told them later – how Pitch agreed to Sandy's proposal to send Jamie dreams, nightmares of what he'd done to Jack, reliving the past few months from Jack's perspective, to try and make him understand and, hopefully, someday regret and repent what he'd done.

If he did – when he did – they would let Jack decide what would happen then.

It took Jack almost a month to admit to anyone what had happened to him in that room. He didn't like showing weakness, after all that time alone, when weakness was preyed upon, but just as Bunny had predicted, it festered on its own.

When he finally did tell, it was a dam breaking, anger and pain, ranting and pacing mixed with clinging to Bunny and crying, just letting it all out.

It took hours for him to tell Bunny everything, clutching to him the whole time, to admit how useless and weak he had felt when it had happened and even now, after it was all over.

They were both a wreck by the time Jack was done, curled up together in Bunny's nest, Jack sniffling occasionally as Bunny groomed his hair in desperate attempts at comfort, though who he was trying to comfort neither was sure.

He was afraid to eventually let the others know what had happened to him, afraid they would be disappointed in him for not fighting harder, for escaping, for doing anything other than what he had done.

Bunny could only be thankful that Jack found the courage to finally tell them, one at a time, what had happened, that he was able to eventually accept their comfort, listen when they talked to him and didn't shy away, sought them out when by all rights they had more than half expected him to flee. Instead, he listened as they told him stories of their pasts, times they had felt as useless and weak as he did now, let them give him hope and strength to cling to along with arms to hold him when the nightmares came, fur to burrow in and freedom to return to the skies.

It was going to be a long time before Jack would be comfortable in a closed room without an obvious exit, or with anything around his neck or ankle, or a dozen other little things that would send him into a panic that they would discover by trial and error – but someday, with his family by his side, he would make it.

Someday, even this would heal.