Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians, nor The Guardians of Childhood book series; the film belongs to DreamWorks Animation and the book series to William Joyce.

A/N: Well, I'm finally uploading my first RotG story, after over a month of scribbling down notes and ideas that popped into my head; here's the first completed idea I got! I just adore this movie, and I knew before I even saw it that I wanted to work with it, so I really can't wait for the DVD to come out, that way I can make sure I get facts right and can just enjoy the beautiful plot. I love Jack: his character is heartbreaking, and I was so happy when Jamie saw him that I could barely sit still in the theater (that's one of my favorite scenes). I also love their relationship; it quickly grows into friendship, but it's also more than that because of the fact that Jamie is the first person to have ever seen Jack Frost since his life as a human ended.

I'm happy with the way this turned out; a lot of times, I feel a little nervous posting a new story in a new universe where I have no experience, but I'm proud of how this turned out, and I will definitely be continuing to work with the characters from this amazing movie.

Reviews are appreciated, because I love to hear what you guys think, and I hope I did Jack Frost justice :)

StarKatt427

During the middle of summer, it was not common for Jack Frost to be heading to Virginia. Normally, when it was the hottest months of the year, he would avoid warmer places and retreat to colder climates like Russia, Alaska, and even the Poles, then return to the United States when it was time for the first frost. It went against instinct to expose himself to the summer months, like the sun itself was trying to thaw his insides and dry him out, leaving him sluggish. Now, however, the sun wasn't in sight and wouldn't rise for a long time yet, and so he was safe, the dark night cooling the air as he bent it to his will and flew through the starry sky. He hadn't been back to Burgess since April, and while he'd spent more than three months away without returning before, it was different this time, and he couldn't deny the affect it was having on him: his stomach was tight, the palm around his staff coated in an icy sheen of sweat, and he couldn't stop thinking about what was waiting for him.

What, and who.

Ever since the battle with Pitch the morning after Easter, Jack had been a bit more…grounded, sort to speak. Being sworn in as an official Guardian changed a person's priorities; he no longer focused solely on bringing mischief and fun, but on actually keeping the children he played with safe, even when they couldn't see him. And there were still some who didn't believe in Jack Frost, but that was steadily changing as more and more kids around the world began to know his name almost as well as Santa Clause or the Tooth Fairy. When he'd first been told he'd been chosen to be a Guardian, Jack had scoffed at the idea, convinced he wasn't qualified and that the Man in the Moon didn't know what he was doing. Now, though, he knew otherwise, because Man in the Moon had known exactly what he'd been doing; he'd had plans for Jack all along, bringing him back to be a Guardian, and not just any guardian: the Guardian of Fun. With hundreds of years to learn how children worked, and still technically being one himself, it seemed only natural that his center was the very thing that filled the children he guarded with laughter. It was a privilege and an honor to have been chosen, and for the first time since before he'd become Jack Frost, spirit of winter and troublemaker extraordinaire, he felt like he actually had people that he could consider home.

Even so, Jack couldn't get rid of his wandering ways entirely. He still often grew bored with spending days at North's castle or trying to sneak into Bunny's Warren, which he had nearly decided was impossible. He'd check in with Tooth every so often, although she was usually flitting about her fairies in a slight state of panic at how many teeth needed to be gathered, but Sandy was a bit harder to pin down, as no one knew exactly where he resided; the only way Jack knew to find him was by waiting for the gleaming swirls of golden dreamsand to descend from the clouds. They were all his friends, all his fellow Guardians, and yet…

He couldn't settle completely. The only place Jack had ever considered to be his physical home was Burgess, the pond that he'd risen from and the forest he had flown over, but even there sometimes he felt that impatience, the need to travel. Staying at North's for a week was one thing, but by the second week, he would already feel that jumpy restlessness in his limbs, would find it harder to keep himself on the ground instead of letting the wind carry him off to some new location.

It had been North who'd told him to come back to Burgess, though if Jack was being honest, he'd been considering it for a while. One conversation with the Russian swords master later, and Jack was steadily approaching the town, excited and more than a little nervous, though he wouldn't allow himself to dwell on just why he felt so anxious, instead focusing on the joy he felt bubbling up. There was nothing extremely impressive about the town of Burgess, but for Jack, it was the only home he'd ever known. It was where he had been born and where he had died and where he'd been born into this new life, and it was where he had finally, finally, been seen for the first time by a human since becoming immortal.

Which brought him back to Jamie. Because without that child, Jack still would have been lost.

North's private workshop wasn't nearly as impressive as the rest of the factory, but what he made there was captivating, which was why Jack often found himself wandering in to watch the man carve away at chunks of ice as he crafted crystal-like creations. He sat in the window seat, like he always did, absently observing the chunks of ice and shaved frost flying through the air as the large man revved his chainsaw and sliced away a large portion of the ice block. The object he was crafting hadn't taken discernable shape yet, and maybe North didn't even know what he was creating, simply letting his hands lead him along. After a few more minutes without a form developing, Jack stood up and began walking around the shop, twirling his staff out of habit as he admired the newest of North's creations where they hung on the walls and sat on shelves, mobiles suspended from the ceiling. He skimmed his fingers over a doll's hair, then touched the smooth wood of a child's sled, painted vibrant red and green, and he smiled at North's handiwork; it looked like a much simpler version of the sleigh.

But slowly, a weight settled in his stomach, and Jack couldn't make himself leave the sled, hand still touching the toy. It was a nostalgic feeling, tugging at his memories and trying to make itself known, and it was accompanied by a spark of warmth and a little sadness that started in his very middle. He continued to examine the sled, brushing his palm over the metal edges and wracking his brain for any inkling as to why it should mean so much to him, trying not to grow frustrated when he couldn't remember or understand why it was affecting him so.

Then it clicked: he'd sent a child on a sled ride not three months ago and caused him to lose a tooth.

Jamie.

Jack stepped back from the sled, eyeing it. It was much different than Jamie's, and yet it was the same; same toy that had slid across the ice, same sled that had flown into a mound of snow. He remembered that day, back when Jamie couldn't see him, and he remembered a night that was nearer, the memory strong and vibrant, nearly overshadowing all others: the night Jamie had said his name and had actually seen him.

A sudden loneliness wrapped around his heart, a thickness filling his throat, and he tried to shake it all away, swallowing bitterly and reaching to yank his hood up, stomping back to the window to stare out into the blue and white terrain. This place should have been perfect for him: constant cold, ice, plenty of wind, and North let him come and go as he pleased. But it wasn't perfect. If it had been, he wouldn't have been feeling like this for the last few days, wouldn't have felt like he was once again alone. He hadn't known exactly what it was affecting him before, but now, with things beginning to remind him of that kid, he understood what had hold of him.

He missed Jamie.

Before, when he had been human, Jack had had a family. But Jack Frost had never had close relationships with anyone before, namely because he had never been seen. He'd been convinced he would only have the Guardians as company for the rest of eternity, had begun to accept the fact that he would never really care for another person, and it had taken one child to change all of his outlooks; after just those few days around Jamie, Jack had begun to feel fondness for him.

"Jack?"

Jumping slightly, he turned around to face North, the man watching him with those large eyes of his. He hadn't even heard the chainsaw shut off, or realized that the newest of Santa's creations was flying around the room, a delicate plane soaring just overhead. He smiled crookedly. "What's up?"

North wasn't fooled by his nonchalant attitude, instead laying his tool down and putting his hands in his pockets. "You miss him, don't you?"

A surge of uncontrollable alarm flared up, and Jack had to force the stirring inside him to settle so that he didn't cause a heavy snowfall right there in North's shop, a new layer of blue frost forming on the aged wood of his staff. Since when did anyone know him well enough to tell what he was thinking about? "Huh?" Play it off.

"Jamie."

Jack breathed out deeply, then looked back out into the frozen Pole, smiling ever so slightly. "Is it that obvious?"

"No," North answered, coming to stand beside him, and Jack met the Russian's reflection in the glass. "It is not an easy task to see inside your head. But every once in a while, I catch you with that same look on your face. And I wonder: what is it that makes you so sad? I now know."

Jack bit his lip, the hand around his staff tightening, and looked up into North's blue eyes, eyes that saw the magic and wonder in the world. "Okay, so you're right. But why does it? I shouldn't feel like this."

North watched him silently, arms now crossed over his chest, thinking. Jack waited as patiently as he could, which wasn't saying very much.

Finally, the man said, "Jack, let me tell you something."

Here we go.

"Since I became a Guardian—"

"Which was how long ago?"

"Doesn't matter," North said with a quick shake of his head, glaring at him. "Do you want me to continue or not?"

For fear that he might actually drop it, Jack nodded.

"The point is, since I became a Guardian, I have seen billions of children. I've made them smile and given them wonder, and I protect it, just as Sandy protects their dreams and Tooth their memories and Bunny their hope."

"And I their fun," Jack concluded softly, beginning to understand where he was headed.

North smiled. "Exactly. Some children believe in us more than others. And yet, in all my time, I have never come across a child with such faith as your Jamie."

Jack scowled, trying to hide his embarrassment. "He isn't 'mine'."

"Oh, but he is," North disagreed. "See, sometimes, we Guardians grow attached to certain humans, humans that stand most for what we protect. But for you, Jamie is more than that. Isn't he?"

He looked away from North's intense gaze, self conscious and feeling strangely exposed. Because he was right: Jamie was the first person to see him, and Jack felt something special when it concerned that child.

"Jamie is good boy. See?" North extended his left arm, the one with "Nice" tattooed on it in bold black letters. "His name remains."

Jack laughed fondly, knowing just how true that was. "You think I could ever get on your good side? After all, I do hold the record for the Naughty List."

He asked it more out of jest, but North smiled sincerely and said, "You already have."

Jack stared at him, momentarily speechless. "I…uh…really?"

North laughed loudly in that deep, booming way he did when something greatly amused him, shaking his head. "Jack, do you honestly believe after what you've done these last few months, you aren't good?"

"Yeah, I guess so, but…I held the record."

"And you still do. But, no matter. You've proven yourself to be nice. This year," North warned, finger extended, and he winked.

Jack rolled his eyes, more touched than he let on, and sat down, drawing one knee up. As the conversation ended, North went back to start cleaning up his workspace, and Jack's thoughts started to wander once more to Jamie and Burgess and the memories that were there. In the last three decades, he couldn't remember ever missing someone, and now that he actually had someone to miss, he didn't like it; he felt a little lethargic and heavy, like the ice inside him was weighing his heart down.

"Maybe you should go."

A silence arose between them for several long seconds, and Jack stared back uncomprehendingly, blinking slowly as he pulled his hood down. "Huh?"

North smiled halfway. "Go back. You look homesick."

Still a bit surprised, Jack asked, "And, you're letting me?"

"I don't hold you prisoner here. No one can hold you; it would be like trying to tame the wind." The ice crafted plane floating beside him, North caught it on one of his large hands, then blew it over to Jack. "Am I right?"

Looking into North's understanding face, Jack began to smile, grinning at him as he extended his own hand and caught the plane. "You know it."

"I would get moving," North began, looking down at the remains of his ice block. "It's probably getting late in Virginia, and you wouldn't want to wake him. Jack?"

When he looked up, the window was wide open, the wind was blowing on his face gratefully, and Jack was gone.

He was over the pond now, the one he knew from both this life and the one before; it was where he had spent countless hours as a child with his little sister and where he had drowned, but it was also where he had been reborn. The wind picked up speed and shook the treetops, limbs cracking gently, and Jack touched down on the bank near the water, the grass cool beneath his feet as he looked into the dark pool. Without thinking, he lifted a foot and stepped out over the water.

Only, he didn't break through the surface. At his touch, the water responded to the winter inside him and froze over, creating a sort of bridge as he took one step, then another, until he stood in the center. He looked up at the moon, just like he had that night three hundred years ago when he rose from the icy pond, and he smiled.

It's good to be home.

He lifted off effortlessly, and immediately, the ice thawed back into liquid water, settling once more and causing ripples to break over the surface, making it come alive. Jack floated upward, toward the treetops, until he reached one of the highest branches and landed, leaning his shoulder against the tree's trunk. From up this high, one could see the entire town, whereas long before, it had only been a tiny village. It had changed over the years, growing and expanding, new people settling in, new business cropping up.

The pond, however, remained the same, just like Jack, which might have been another reason why he was so attached to this place.

It was already after nine, which meant Jamie was most likely in bed by now, but maybe not asleep. The excitement flared up again in him, the wind picking up on his emotions, as he thought about that kid. It seemed like forever ago since he had last seen him, and he smiled, lifting off the branch and sailing toward town.

And yet, even with all the eagerness he felt at seeing Jamie again, there was that other emotion that coiled with it, making him doubt, and he lost a little of his happiness at it. Jack had had decades of experience with no one seeing him, which was why it had been so important and still was that Jamie had seen him. When he'd left, Jamie had run up to him and asked what if he couldn't see him the next time he came back, obviously worried, and Jack had brushed it off so that Jamie would smile again. It hadn't troubled him then either, but now, what if that had actually happened? What if when Jack slid inside the window, Jamie couldn't see him?

It scared him, more than anything had scared him in a while. He didn't want to lose that, even if other children believed in him. If he lost Jamie…

"Not gonna happen," he muttered fiercely, shaking away the dark thoughts and pitch black fears. Jamie was special; they all knew it, especially Jack. Jamie wouldn't forget him.

But as he road the wind to his friend's home, a tiny voice in the darkest recesses of his mind asked in a voice similar to a certain boogeyman's, Would he?

Jack landed on the windowsill almost silently outside Jamie's room, taking just a moment to quiet himself and his worries before looking in. He leaned close, gaze going to the bed out of habit, and was puzzled to see that he wasn't there. Momentarily confused, Jack looked around the rest of the room.

He exhaled, icy breath fogging the window. "There he is."

It surprised—and scared—him a little when he felt the contented emotions wash over his body once he was actually seeing Jamie. He was sitting in his desk chair, back turned to Jack and reading through a book, a lamp the only light in his room; Jack smirked, pretty sure he was supposed to be in bed and that he would be in trouble if his mother came in and found him up reading. He watched as Jamie stood and walked to his bed, standing on it to reach the shelf of books above, books he figured the child had read hundreds of times. Putting the book back in its place, he pulled out another and slowly got down so that he was standing on the floor, and from his posture, it was obvious he was watching the door. Jack grinned at his actions, now positive he was supposed to be in bed.

He let another minute or so pass, waiting to see if Jamie would look up, and when the child sat down on the bed and began to open his book, Jack, tired of waiting, quietly slid the window open, slipping in and making a little bit of noise on purpose. But Jamie didn't notice, either because Jack hadn't been loud enough or because he was too engrossed in his book.

Or maybe because he's stopped believing.

Grip of his staff tightening, blue frost responding to his touch, Jack forced the thought down. No way. Refusing to think that even possible, he conjured up a single snowflake on the tips of his fingers, then gently blew it off his palm and sent it floating through the bedroom. He directed it to float toward Jamie, let it swirl once or twice in the air, then let it settle on the boy's nose.

He saw Jamie draw back, mumbling under his breath, and then his thin figure straightened, he went still, and Jack waited, barely able to keep still from anticipation.

Jamie turned around slowly, like he was afraid he might be imagining things, and then his eyes landed on Jack and did not see through him.

It was like a million different emotions were trying to explode inside him when he saw that face, the surprise and hope, and knew that Jamie saw him perfectly. Every worry left him, and he was once again subject to a light lurching in his chest as his heart registered the fact that he was actually looking at the child, relief washing over him.

Jamie stood up quickly and walked closer to him, stopping a few feet away, hesitant even as his the corners of his mouth began lifting. Jack dropped down to the floor and smiled invitingly.

That did it: Jamie grinned, calling out his name with so much delight that it nearly hurt Jack to hear, and the child flew into him, arms tight around his middle and face in the winter spirit's hoodie. Jack hugged him back with just as much force, one hand getting lost in the child's hair, and he laughed, surprised at how thick his throat felt; had he really missed Jamie that badly? "Hey there, kiddo."

The child looked up at him, unable to stop smiling and eyes shining bright. "You came back!"

"Of course I did. You honestly think I would just ignore you?"

Jamie giggled, then promptly pressed his face back into the frosted blue material, choosing not to answer. Unable to say anything himself, Jack simply held him a little tighter.

"What took you so long?" came the muffled inquiry.

"Oh, you know, the usual: keeping icecaps from melting, protecting the kids of the world. Nothing major or anything."

Jamie laughed, stepping back but still remaining close, and Jack took a moment to study him. His hair was a little longer, and he still came up to Jack's stomach, but it was clear he'd grown an inch or two. The front baby tooth he'd lost just before they'd first met was now replaced by a permanent one, and his voice sounded a little different; deeper maybe. Jack had forgotten just how quickly children changed, so it made him a little sad, seeing how much he had missed over the last few months, missed seeing Jamie grow, especially when he himself would never change, forever a teenager and eternally winter.

But when the child looked up at him, Jack was reassured, because Jamie's eyes were exactly the same: rich caramel brown, filled with childlike innocence and wonder and full of faith.

"Seriously, what have you been doing?" he asked, sitting back on the edge of his bed and looking up at him curiously.

"Nothing exciting, trust me." Jack floated up to perch on the dresser, twirling his staff as he did so and absently looking around the room. "Just helping out North with a few things, causing a freak snowstorm in Siberia."

Jamie's eyes grew large. "Really?"

Jack shrugged it off. "Let's just say I got bored. Now, forget about me. What have I missed? Anything going on?"

"Not really, just school getting out."

Jack cocked his head. "Sweet, except for it being summer. But that can't be all."

"That's pretty much it. Nothing's actually happened since Easter."

"Really?"

"Really," Jamie affirmed with a laugh, "you haven't missed anything. Not much goes on here. Nothing like what you probably get to do."

Jamie had a point, though it went both ways. Yes, Jack was free to travel the entire world and could control the wind and winter weather, but he had a full-time job now as well, one he didn't take lightly. And Jamie was still a kid, still in school and still little, living in a small town; Jack could understand why the boy thought his life was so much more interesting, but at times, Jack would have given anything to be able to have a constant home, a family, like he'd had before, when he'd aged and hadn't been immortal, the fact that he'd been fragile making life all the more precious. He'd had a father and mother, and a little sister. Jack remembered her the most clearly, how she would tromp around the forest surrounding their small cottage and put flower crowns on his head to annoy him, and how he would chase her down and tickle her until she started crying from laughing so hard.

Jamie was human, a child for such a short while, and Jack wanted him to enjoy every minute of it. So, for as long as he was there, he was going to make sure he had a blast.

His features suddenly lifted into the mischievous smile Bunny often said meant trouble and was always leery of. "Then how 'bout we have a little fun?"

"Okay, what are you planning?" Jamie asked beside him once they had set down on the ground. They stood in the middle of a silent wood, the same forest Jack had arrived in not an hour ago, away from any adults who might see what he was about to conjure up.

"I thought we might have a little Christmas in July."

"Santa isn't here though," Jamie pointed out, and Jack had to fight a smirk at how matter-of-fact this child could be.

"Okay, good point. But it's kind of the same thing, especially with it snowing."

"But…it's not snowing."

"Really? Could have fooled me." Concentrating, Jack focused on a cloud overhead, calling forth a light snowfall just over the area surrounding the pond, and soon, feathery flakes were falling gently through the air. Jamie looked up, mouth agape, and Jack smiled; with the summer heat, it wouldn't be strong enough to leave any traces the next morning, but tonight, there would be snow. Watching him, Jack focused on the image of a snowball until he felt the cold rise from his hand and the magic begin to take shape, slush forming into a perfect ball. Then, with lighting speed, he threw it and nailed Jamie in the back of the head.

The child staggered, but Jack hadn't put enough force behind it to knock him down, and he turned to face him, expression a little shocked. The sprite created another snowball, tossed it up into the air and caught it, then grinned.

Jamie grinned back.

For the next several minutes, Jack called upon every ounce of his power and created countless snowballs, and they had a snowball battle in the middle of July. Jamie's aim had gotten better, because he actually managed to hit him upside the head, and Jack, highly tempted to summon a mound of snow to flood over the child, changed his mind when he caught his laughter on the wind.

They finally collapsed on the ground, Jamie sucking in breaths and still laughing, Jack right along with him, chest pounding with adrenaline. Smile spread wide across his face, he looked at the child, who was watching the stars and still trying to catch his breath.

This was what he liked the best, seeing the fun he brought out in the children he protected. It made him feel satisfied, more so than anything else, watching them laugh during a snowball fight or create snow angels, or look up at the stars with an expression of pure joy.

Chest full, Jack gazed upward as well, eyes locking on the familiar image of a large silver-white disk. "Man in the Moon's watching us," he observed, more to himself that Jamie.

"Man in the…who's he?"

"You've never seen him?"

"I've never really looked."

"Well," Jack encouraged, throwing his head to the sky, "look." He grinned at Jamie, who blinked back, before looking upward once again, gaze narrowed as he tried to discern a face.

The child's eyes widened slightly, and when he looked back at Jack, he was smiling. "What's he like?" he asked with an excited sparkle.

"Not really sure," Jack admitted, floating upward so that he was now on his feet, hefting his staff up on his shoulder. "He's only spoken to me once, and that was a long time ago."

When he looked back down at Jamie, the child was watching him intently. "What did he say?"

For a moment, Jack thought back to that night. He remembered the ice breaking away as he emerged from the freezing water, trying to catch his breath and staring around in confusion and fear. He hadn't known anything then: who he was, what he was. Then he'd looked up, and Man in the Moon had been there, so big and bright and comforting, and all the fear had seeped out of his body, leaving him with a strange sense of calm.

"He told me my name."

Smiling fondly at the memory, Jack looked back to find Jamie watching him with fascinated eyes. The child turned back to the moon, studying it. "Do you think he'll ever talk to you again?"

"Who knows?" he said casually, though he had often wondered this himself. Man in the Moon hadn't spoken to him for three hundred years, and the only other time he'd been able to actually sense his presence was when he'd finally regained his memories, so he wasn't entirely sure. But he wasn't worried; every night, he could sense that familiar presence, and when it felt like he was alone again, he would remember that Man in the Moon was right above him, even when the sun was shining.

He grinned at Jamie. "If I were you, though, and I heard a voice but didn't see anyone, I'd listen to what it said."

Jamie looked at him with a slightly doubtful smile, though it was clear he believed him, and Jack was suddenly in another time, his consciousness being thrown back three hundred years to when he was in the same place, but with another child. A little girl with straight brown hair and a round face, her laughter in his ears and voice calling his name: his little sister. She had often given him a look similar to that when she was sure he was pulling her leg.

It lasted for only a second, and then he was back in the present, a bit shaken. Since opening his tooth box and receiving his memories from his old life, they would sometimes sneak up on him when he least expected or was least prepared.

Jamie looked at him questioningly, and Jack grinned, reaching a hand out to mess up his hair even more than it already was. "Let's go somewhere with a better view."

The boy nodded, and Jack was relieved that he hadn't notice anything was off, the sense of déjà vu the memory brought along rapidly leaving him as he was once again connected to where he was. He reached out a hand to him, and Jamie took it, letting Jack pull him to his feet and not letting go even when he was standing.

Jack's brows furrowed, however, as he became aware of just how cold Jamie's hand was; he hadn't thought about how the snow might affect him, and without gloves, the little boy's fingers were nearly as cold as his own, hand strangely small in his. On closer inspection, Jack noticed chill bumps had spiked up along his arms, the T-shirt and thin pajama pants he wore not nearly enough to keep him warm with the snow still falling down on them.

Trying not to feel guilty, Jack focused on the snowfall above to come to an end, and when it did so, he lifted off the ground, speed considerably slower than normal as he felt Jamie's hand tighten in his, the child's eyes lighting up like they always did when he flew with him. The wind seemed to cradle them as they floated up higher, and then Jack changed direction, heading toward one of the largest trees in the clearing. He lit on a thick branch, holding Jamie's hand until the child had his feet firmly placed, and then Jack turned his eyes to him and watched his reaction.

From the look of amazement on the ten-year-old's face, he knew Jamie had never seen a view like this before, and he smiled at the amazement he saw written into his every feature. "Pretty nice, huh?"

"It's incredible! I've never been this high before."

Jack leaned back against the tree's thick trunk and slid down, looking out at Burgess but still keeping an eye on Jamie in case he slipped. The little boy carefully sat down beside him, kicking his feet lightly and eyes captivated, looking from the town to the neighboring hills and looming pines, and Jack simply watched him, a sudden swell of pride enveloping him for having put that look of amazement on his face.

And when Jack gazed out into the deep night, he could understand what Jamie saw; everything new, it had been exactly the same for him all those years ago when he'd spotted the village that would bloom into Burgess, when he had woken up onto a world covered in ice and snow yet still warmed by human life.

Minutes passed, comfortable and eased, Jack's attention trying to drift to other matters: his duties as a Guardian, bringing winter to the continents still affected by snow and ice. More than that, though, he kept seeing flashes of memories, human memories: the warmth of a mortal life; the feel of the sun, comforting on his face; hours outside in summer, running wild. He remembered them all, but in this new form, Jack could barely imagine the summer sun not trying to leech his cold away or the heat of warm blood running through his veins.

Shaking his head once, he shut the door to these thoughts and forced them away for now, wanting to enjoy the time he had left with his friend before he had to leave. Already beginning to smile, he turned back to Jamie, about to offer him a quick flight over the rest of the forest and near the town, but went still when his eyes settled on the figure beside him.

Jamie stared ahead, eyes distant, no longer smiling, and Jack sat up a little straighter, slightly troubled. "Jamie?"

He didn't answer for a few minutes, eyes downcast, and Jack was just about to shake his shoulder when he looked at him sadly and spoke softly, more of a known fact that a question. "You have to leave soon, don't you?"

A stab of remorse, and Jack exhaled deeply, looking out over the trees. "Yeah." That was the one disadvantage of befriending a Guardian, and more specifically, him: Jack could never stay in one place for very long, soul too free and wild to ever settle. Most of the time, he loved it; nothing to hold him back, keep him tied down and bound to one place. But then there were times like this, when he desperately wished he could stay with one of the few people in this world he truly cared for.

Jamie was quiet for several moments, until he finally sighed, smiling a tiny bit. "I figured."

The guilt was worse this time, and Jack reached out automatically, hand moving on its own accord, before he forced himself to drop it. "Jamie, I…" He sighed, raking fingers through his messy white hair. "I'm sorry. I…really wish I could stay longer."

"It's okay," he said, smile sad but understanding. "You're a Guardian now. You've got other things to do."

Jack shook his head, suddenly afraid that it wasn't okay, and he reached out and took Jamie's shoulders, eyes locked with the younger child's as he carefully turned him toward himself. But when he tried to speak, his throat blocked up, like someone was choking him, and all he could do was sit there, wide eyed and struggling to speak.

Jamie watched him, obviously worried, and put a small, warm hand on top of his. "What's wrong?"

Throat still congested, Jack swallowed thickly, staring into his questioning, concerned eyes. "I really want to stay."

Jamie blinked, obvious surprise flashing, followed by a brief flicker of what Jack realized was delight, before his brows furrowed and he sucked his bottom lip under his top, a horribly unhappy action that ripped through his heart; he hated seeing Jamie like this. "Then why don't you?" the child asked in a small voice.

He tried to shrug, tried to laugh, but it came out surprisingly forlorn and sad, and he looked down. "I don't exactly mix well with the heat. Or the human world. I guess I became so used to no one seeing me that I forgot how to actually talk to people."

"You're talking to me," Jamie pointed out softly.

Absolute silence. Jack felt his entire body go still, even the wind coming to an abrupt halt at the shock and pure amazement that hit him in Jamie's words. He stared into brown eyes, speechless, because the child was absolutely right: there was nothing awkward or strained when talking to Jamie, or any kids for that matter, not anymore. It came naturally to crack a joke with the boy or muse his hair, to want to see him smile and hear him laugh and see him happy, to know he was protecting the most important thing in the world: a child. His child, his first believer.

Gradually, the wind resumed, but much softer now, gentle against Jack's cold face as he felt a strange tinge at his center, small and newborn, a simple, innocent warmth that he had never experienced in his immortal life; since becoming the embodiment of winter, Jack could only remember the comforting chill inside him, even though he could now recall the human heat he had felt long ago. He'd thought he would never feel it again, and all it had taken to make the warmth of it resurface was a ten-year-old boy finally seeing him. It was exciting and frightening all at once, and though a small part of him wanted to cocoon the heat in a thick glacier of ice, Jack refused to ever put it out.

He smiled, a little overwhelmed at all the sensations racing through him. "Yeah, I am."

"And I can still see you." Jamie smiled, and Jack saw it then, the relief that he had missed earlier in those eyes: some part of Jamie had been scared he would be invisible again. The child's smaller hand still on top of his, he pulled back enough to give his fingers a soft squeeze.

"Because you believe in me."

With just those few words, all of the worry Jack felt began to settle, his chest loosening. Yes, Jamie was growing up; that was inevitable, and so was Jack always being there to see it happen. But he would see it, every time he came back; he would see him different, a little taller and a lot older, but not really changed. Because Jamie was his, just like North had said; his first believer, his first human to ever grow close to since becoming Jack Frost.

To have someone see him, someone to believe in him…that had been Jack's biggest wish. And because of Jamie, he'd gotten his wish, and now he could find children all over the world who saw him when no one else could. After decades of being invisible, he was being seen, and it was the sweetest, most amazing thing he'd ever known. Not being believed in, being invisible, was such a disconcerting feeling, a pull you felt in your very core; like you weren't even there, nothing more than smoke. Countless people had walked through him over the years, and though he had gotten used to it, it didn't make that alarming feeling disappear. Bunny had even experienced it once, but only that: once. Jack knew what it was like to wander without knowing your purpose or why it was no one believed in you.

When Jamie had seen him, it had been…incredible. Every cell inside him had felt alive, heart bursting and so deliriously happy that he had barely been able to speak a clear sentence. Jack could still remember the first conversation they had shared, the first time they had actually met; albeit he had observed Jamie often before then, even spoke to him, but the child had never seen him until that night, and he had been so surprised and amazed and yet so afraid that all of it was too good to be true when he had asked, "Can you see me?"

And Jamie had nodded, smiling that smile that was now so dear to him, and for the first time since rising from that frost-covered lake all those decades before, Jack Frost had felt something warm inside him, the beginnings of affection and friendship an appreciation.

After the battle with Pitch, when he'd been about to leave with North and the others to head back to the Pole, Jamie had yelled his name and run at him, and some part of Jack had expected that small body to pass through his. Instead, arms had locked around him, a warm body tackling his cold one, and Jack had gone utterly still. And when it had finally registered that he was actually being hugged for the first time in three hundred years, he'd knelt down and wrapped his free arm around Jamie, just because he could.

Jack sighed, letting his head fall back against the tree, eyes closing. "Thanks, Jamie."

When he opened his eyes, the boy was looking at him questioningly, a slight, confused smile on his face. "For what? I didn't do anything."

He hadn't expected him to understand; maybe Jack was the only one who ever would understand just how this one child had changed him, helped him find himself. And for that, he would be everlastingly grateful. "You did, though. You believed."

"It's getting late. Guess I better get you home."

Jack wasn't sure how long they'd sat there, or how long they had played, but it was obvious from the moon's movements that time had passed. The pond wasn't too far from Jamie's house, especially since they would be flying back, but he could see the child was trying to hide his drowsiness, and Jack didn't want him falling asleep on the way back with nothing holding him up expect his own hand. Once he landed safely on the ground with him, Jack kneeled down in front on Jamie, then looked over his shoulder, tossing his head. "Come on."

Jamie hesitated for just a moment, and then small arms were wrapping around his neck, legs locking around his waist, and Jack raised him up as he got back to his feet. He could feel the warmth radiating off of the little body, a chin on his shoulder, and once again, Jack was reminded that this child had been the first one to believe in him, the first one to hold him and not fall through.

When they returned, it was nearing midnight, and Jamie was obviously forcing himself to remain awake. Jack opened the window, the child still on his back, and crept inside, carrying him to bed. Jamie released him and half fell into his sheets, and Jack had to stifle a laugh as he watched the kid drowsily lift the covers, grabbing his stuffed rabbit in the process; he really hadn't changed, had he?

Once settled, Jamie looked up at him, blinking his eyes quickly as if trying to remove the sleep sand Jack knew had begun to settle there. "I'm not sleepy," he stated firmly, as if waiting for a contradiction.

"Oh, I know you aren't," Jack agreed.

Jamie nodded, then proceeded to yawn, and another stab of warmth filled Jack as he crouched down beside the bed. "But if you don't sleep, you'll put poor Sandy out of the job."

A drowsy smile was his answer, and the younger child turned onto his side to look better at him. "No way. There's, like, a billion other kids he has to worry about."

"Maybe, but we take care of all kids, remember? That includes you, squirt."

Jamie laughed, then began to yawn again, baby teeth and permanent ones flashing briefly. He grew quiet after that, eyes slipping shut, and Jack's thoughts strayed momentarily to the neighboring room where a little blonde haired toddler was sleeping; maybe he should have stopped in to see Sophie, too. She would have loved it, but Jack wasn't sure he would have been able to handle both her and Jamie, especially when Bunny wasn't around, as she adored him, and the Pooka had a certain soft spot for the girl.

"I don't want you to go."

Jack inhaled sharply, eyes widening at the tiny voice, and he looked back to find Jamie still awake, the boy looking at the rabbit he had in his arms rather than at him. Instead of the light tugging on his heart, it was near violent this time, the way his chest seemed to jerk at the unhappiness he heard in Jamie's voice. It had been so long since he'd last dealt with a child's sorrow that it took him a moment to understand the affect it was having on him: he felt regret for having caused such sadness in the child, but also the familiar longing to stay with him.

He reached out and, unlike before, didn't pull back, instead letting his hand rest on Jamie's head comfortingly. Jack leaned his forehead against his hair, and light brown eyes looked up into his, shy and sleepy and sad. He smiled gently. "I'll stay until you're asleep. I promise not to leave 'til then."

Jack felt him exhale, saw him smile, and he ruffled his hair, pulling back to sit on the side of the bed. He brought his knees up, switching his staff to his left hand so that he could put his right one on Jamie's shoulder, rubbing it gently like he had done for his sister when she'd been small. The child smiled tiredly up at him, and this time, Jack saw the golden dreamsand that fell in glittering sparkles from above, gently landing on Jamie's face; Sandy taking care of another child, lulling him to sleep and giving him sweet dreams.

Just until he's asleep, he reminded himself as he watched caramel eyes slip shut, a little hand reaching out to latch onto his sleeve.

Jack did better than that: he ended up dropping off not long after Jamie did, Sandy having showered some of the golden sand into his own eyes. He woke just after dawn with a stiff neck and Jamie half curled up on his lap, so seeing the child peaceful and untroubled was worth the pain. Carefully extricating himself so that he didn't rouse him, Jack squatted down and simply watched him for a few moments, long enough brush the hair out of the sleeping child's face and let his fingers lightly ghost over a soft, warm cheek.

"See you later, Jamie."

When Jamie woke up, the sun was already high, the world was quiet, and another summer day had begun. So it was odd that his room felt so strangely cold; even with the air conditioner running, it never felt as chilly as it did now, the only other time being in winter. When he finally woke up enough to remember that the night before wasn't a dream, he sat up abruptly, searching the room for any sign of Jack.

He couldn't remember falling asleep, but it was obvious he had. The last thing he remembered was a cool, familiar presence beside him, his hand catching onto a frosted sleeve, and the sound of soft laughter reaching him.

Jack had kept his promise.

Jamie knew he would, although he was a little sad to see his friend gone. But he understood Jack a little better now, about why he couldn't remain longer, so there was nothing else to be done but wait.

The sun's rays caught the window, and a light suddenly flooded the room, a refraction of glowing crystal-like patterns dancing across his walls, almost alive. Amazed, he gazed at them for a few heartbeats, then jumped out of bed, ran over to the window, and stared.

It was frosted over, somehow unaffected by the summer heat, and drawn into the chilled glass was a perfect snowflake, worlds scrawled beneath it.

Jamie smiled, watching the picture start to thaw as if by some magic, the frost message vanishing. He put his hand to the glass, grinning as the words began to melt away, but not before he had time to read them.

Be back soon.