Liquid Nitrogen Jealousy

An ROTG/JackRabbit Fan fic featuring Jack frost and E.Aster Bunnymund

Something had not been right with Jack for weeks now, and everyone could tell. Even the yetis were freezing when the five guardians gathered at North’s workshop, and they were made for the cold. It did not seem to matter where they met, or why, but every time Bunny saw Jack things got cold.

It was mid spring when things finally took an unexpected turn. It had been little over a year since they had driven Pitch back into the shadows where he had come from, and the guardians still helped each other out when they had time to spare. With the Easter rush and his spring break behind him for the year Bunny had been helping Tooth and her fairies out with tooth retrieval. It was not unusual for Jack to float in on the wind when he was not busy, nor was it unusual for them to make a competition out of seeing who, Bunny or Jack, could collect the most when they were both there. Tooth didn’t mind them making a game out of the job any more, it made it more fun, having the other guardians helping out, and she certainly didn’t mind rewarding the winner with a kiss on the cheek either, especially if the winner was Jack or Bunny. The night before things changed was no exception; North had taken a break from his workshop, and even Sandy had finished his own task of spreading sweet dreams to the world’s children to join in the fun. Having just returned to the tooth palace from a tooth run the four of them waited as Tooth counted the teeth each of them had retrieved.

“Come on kangaroo, you can jump higher than that.” Floating from one high perch to another over Bunny’s head, Jack threw small snowballs at Bunny’s feet and tail, targeting only him and not the others.

“Quit yer callin’ me kangaroo, Frostbite, I aint no kangaroo!” Bunny was hopping mad, his tail and feet half frozen from Jack’s antics as they waited to see who’d won the night’s contest.

It was not long before each bag of teeth had been counted up and put away, and tooth floated over to where the others waited. Wrapping her arms around Bunny’s neck, she planted a light kiss on his cheek. “Congratulations Bunny, you won tonight.” As she spoke the room they were in grew extremely cold, a thin layer of frost and ice forming on the floor and walls as Jack left.

Shivering slightly from the cold the group watches Jack leave, no one speaking for a moment. “Wonder what’s crumbling his cookies.”

Her arms still around bunny’s neck tooth frowns “One of you should go talk to him, find out what’s wrong…I really have to get back to work putting those teeth away.” Looking between North and Bunny, she slips back, floating off to help the fluttering little tooth fairies with the work. It took a while to decide who would go, but in the end, it was decided that Sandy was the best choice, as he was the best at listening. So off he went, venturing out into the chilly garden just outside the tooth palace in search of Jack. Not that he was hard to find, the closer Sandy got the colder the air became, and soon there was a trail of frost and ice coated flora to follow.

When he had finally found Jack perched on a newly ice encrusted rock Sandy floated up on a twister of dream sand to meet Jack’s eyes. His concern showing clearly on his face as flurry of sand made symbols popped in and out above his head in an attempt to ask Jack what was bugging him.

Looking away from Sandy Jack muttered his response to the sandman’s concern. “I don’t want to talk about it Sandy, it’s my own problem.” Another flurry of symbols later and Jack was giving in, making Sandy promise not to tell anyone what he was about to say. “It’s Bunny…I get jealous every time someone else touches him...I’m even got jealous of the eggs when he was painting them.” Sighing Jack stares off into the distance silently for a minute before looking down at Sandy again. “I think I’m in love with him…is that even possible?”

Smiling his usual gentle smile Sandy nods, another flurry of symbols flashing above his head, reassuring Jack that it was. A light coating of frost started to creep its way up Jack’s face as though he were blushing, thinking about it made him happy, and slightly embarrassed that he had told Sandy. “You promised, you won’t tell anyone remembers?” His smile still in tacked Sandy nods again before watching Jack float off to be alone again.

Moments later Sandy was standing back inside with the others circled around him asking questions. He’d promised he wouldn’t tell, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t play a little game, giving them hints and answering what questions he could without actually telling them what Jack had said. It was Bunny who guessed first, his face flushing under his fur as he turns to leave in search of the winter spirit, knowing exactly where he might find him.

A thin layer of snow coated the ground, and ice was beginning to form on the coloring Bunny returned to the warren. He was not pleased, someone had brought winter to his warm warren while he was away, and he knew exactly who that someone was. He had heard of how some people teased and picked on those they had crushes on, but Jack was taking things too far. Why couldn’t Jack just come out and tell him he liked him? Making it snow on Easter was one thing, but turning the warren into a winter wonderland was the last straw, Jack had gone too far this time. When he got his paws on Jack, bunny was going to make him pay , Oh he wouldn’t hurt the bugger, no he’d make Jack work to make up for it, he’d make Jack paint eggs for Easter next year.

As he made his way towards the tunnels something cold hit him in the back of the head, causing a shiver to run down his spine, his fluff of a tail wiggling as a dusting of snow fell on it. Whirling around Bunny shot the mischievous winter spirit a stern glare. “Bloody Hell Frostbite, why’d you have to go and freeze the bloody warren? How many times have I told ya not to freeze things here?”

“I’m trying to help you out kangaroo. You know, if you worked year round and froze the eggs after they’re painted you wouldn’t have to work so hard right before Easter. You’d have time for other things, things that are more fun.” A mischievous grin on his face Jack floats a bit closer to bunny, traces of frost still on his face and neck.

“Oh, like spending time with you? Why don’t you just come out with it and tell me the truth frostbite. You’ve got a crush on me, don’t ya?” Reaching up Bunny grabs jack’s arm and pulls him down closer.

“How…Sandy promised not to tell anyone….” The frost crept higher up his neck and face, coating his cheeks and ears as he stares at bunny.

“Oh he didn’t tell, not exactly, but he didn’t make it hard to figure out the clues either. So how about you try telling me yourself frostbite?” Pulling Jack closer Bunny looks him in the eyes.

Hesitating Jack looks away for a minute as though trying to gather his courage to say it. “I…I’m jealous…Every time someone touches you, or you touch them, or even if it’s just an egg that you’re painting. I get jealous, and I get these feeling like I want to be with you, I want to hug you, and kiss you, and…and cuddle with you. You are big, and warm, and you are so…I just cannot help it. I think I love you, but I have been too embarrassed to say anything to you about it. I’m a bit afraid too; afraid that you’ll say I’m stupid because you dislike me that much…”

“There now, was it really that hard? I do not dislike you, sure, you annoy the hell out of me with all your bloody pranks, but I do not dislike you. On the contrary Jack, I think…I think I actually kind of like you back.” His face flushing Bunny glances away. “You…You tell anyone I said that and I’ll have you painting all the eggs next year…”

“Could…do you think we could give it a shot then?” Jack looked at Bunny, smiling hopefully at him. It did not take long for bunny to answer him. “Yah, yah I think we could give…..” Bunny never finished what he was saying, the minute he said yah Jack had his arms around the Pooka’s neck, leaning in to kiss his nose, and snuggling into his warm fur. His words forgotten Bunny carried jack off towards his hollow to cuddle where there were no prying eyes, suspecting the others would come looking when they finally figured out Sandy’s clues and noticed he was already gone.