Genre: Hurt/Comfort/ Friendship

Slight AU in regards to time.

Pairing: None.

A/N: Because the upcoming movie is more than just an attractive cast of characters- but something that hits deep inside. Immortality comes at a heavy price.

Edit: I'm surprised by the flood of OC pairings for this movie, and the majority of it with Jack Frost. Not that I'm against it, but wow. Nevertheless, a thank you to those who took the time to comment and share their thoughts... Not quite sure whether to extend this, but here's an edited version for the time being.

Teenager

.

.

.

"Go away."

The chill of the autumn wind did little to soothe the furious boy; with a worn bag slung over his shoulder, he ignored the winter sprite trailing after him in the air.

"Aww, c'mon, Jamie, it was only a light prank! Loosen up, kiddo, it's not going to ruin your future." With a wave of his wooden staff, the flying being beckoned a light flurry of snowflakes over the fuming boy.

Irritated, Jamie shook his head to rid the frozen flakes that settled on his lashes.

"You froze my computer!"

He muttered underneath his breath, glancing discreetly to his surroundings in fear of being caught talking to an empty space of air.

As if he needed to add more fuel to the fire.

Jack grinned sheepishly. "It's going to melt and become fine?" The Guardian offered with a shrug.

Shaking his head in exasperation, Jamie sharply turned around the corner. "Electronics-" He stopped. "There's no point in telling you."

Jack flinched. "Hey, I play around with North's gadgets sometimes. I'm not that ignorant of modern technology-"

"It's not about the computer."

Sighing in frustration, Jack dropped in front of the teenager. "Look, Jamie, I'm the spirit of winter. Not a psychic, remember?" He waved his hands over his head, conjuring a frosty antenna that dissipated with the wind.

The adolescent rolled his eyes in response.

From the distance, the old school building could be seen. They were on the middle of the paved sidewalk leading to Jamie's high school.

It was a habit developed during Jamie's elementary years, to arrive at school an hour early- alone in their own world, exhilarated from the secret no adult could find-

While the winter sprite was the last being he wanted to see at the moment, his morning ritual had taken him out of the house and alone before he knew it.

The 18-year old frowned slightly in contemplation.

How many years had it been? Seven? Eight?

It wasn't that the sprite's magic was any less appealing, but the ever-widening gap between reality and fiction tested their bond. Even now, from the corner of his eye, the human boy could recognize the start of a frown on Jack's face, with his dark brows knitting in worry.

Though he did not express it, Jamie felt a pang of pity for the confused spirit.

Jack never changed.

Breathing in, he faced his mythical friend. "Jack, that computer you destroyed had my supplementary essays on it." Staring at Jack's blank expression, he continued, "They're mandatory submissions to get accepted into college."

A look of recognition dawned on the sprite's pale face. Jack opened his mouth, then closed it, unsure of how he would respond.

After a moment of silence, the Guardian tried, "Uhm, I could ask North to build you a new computer and I'll try to help you with writing…?"

"Get real, Jack."

"What?"

The boy clenched his fists.

Was it the guilt to remain friends, being Jack's first believer?

No, it was more than that.

What once seemed like magic was nothing more than an addition to his workload. What once seemed like freedom was only procrastinating from his responsibilities.

He could feel Jack frantically searching his face for a clue, a hint to Jamie's behavior- but how could he understand? They were fundamentally different beings.

"I have only one lifetime. To you, who has all of eternity, a simple mistake means nothing. But that's not the case for me."

Jack's laughter was uneven and shaky. Whatever pulled him together and made him the picture of confidence was breaking apart- and fast.

"That's not true, Jamie; I've lived through many generations and seen a lot-"

"But you've never been noticed before, have you?"

The winter sprite froze, hurt flashing in his eyes.

Inwardly, Jamie cringed- the broken expression would come to haunt him for some nights. Or would it? He wasn't so sure any more.

"What good is time when you've never interacted with human beings before?"

"That's..."

"Seeing and doing are two different things."

The tension was thick. The air around them did not become colder- Jamie was slightly surprised Jack's emotions did not influence the surrounding elements.

What unnerved the teenage boy however, was the sprite's icy blue eyes- glazed over, as if to block the truth from sinking in-

"I was a human being once, you know."

Jack's voice was quiet, as if his words tread on thin ice.

Jamie fell silent.

There was once a time when Jack was taller, grand, a legend-come-to-life-

-but now, his eyes tracing over Jack's lanky frame, his bare feet, his small features-

A mere teenager, stuck in a limbo between adulthood and childhood. Unrealistic. Detached.

How small would Jack become in a few years? When he would become an adult?

If even the wonder of magic was beginning to fade away, was there any guarantee of their friendship as time passed on?

Jamie closed his eyes.

"But are you one now?"

And he turned, brushing past the lone guardian, feeling bitter and wondering if this- if this, was what it meant to grow up.