*peeks out from around a couch* ...anyone ready to kill me yet?

I know I should give a reason from my absence... but there's really not one. Unless you count "I got lazy".

Well, for those of you who haven't given up hope on me... Hey, I'm back, babe.

Jack yawned, sitting up and stretching. He was on Jamie's couch, as was the normal scene when he woke up. But to his surprise, Aster was on the other couch. Checking his phone real quick, Jack saw that it was four in the morning. Surely, everyone was back by now. So why was Aster still here?

Jack leaned over to the other couch, poking the Australian's shoulder. When he didn't move, Jack scooted closer. He clapped his hands loudly in Aster's face and then pulled on his ear. Yeah, there was no waking him up.

Jack courageously put his hand on Aster's cheek, stroking it slowly. The Australian had an extremely handsome face. It was well structured and evened perfectly. His skin was slightly tanned from all his time in the sun. His hair was long enough to pull back if he wanted to, and Jack wished he would.

"Do you not realize you could have anyone you wanted?" Jack asked him, though he knew the Australian wouldn't reply. "Stop picking the ones that will hurt you."

"Are you referring to yourself?" Aster asked. "Or Lucy?"

Jack blinked in surprise. He hadn't noticed Aster wake up. But, by the foggy look in his eyes, Jack was sure he hadn't been awake for more than a few seconds. He was still completely out of it.

"I'm referring to whomever," Jack answered.

"What're you so scared of?" Aster asked. Even in his half awakened state, he could see the hurt in Jack's eyes. Had he put it there? Or had someone else? What had happened between Pitch and Jack? What was this kid's past?

Jack looked at Aster for a moment, before trying to move away to escape the conversation. However, Aster wasn't having that. He grabbed Jack's hand, forcing his hand to stay where it was on Aster's cheek, and the rest of him stuck along with it.

"I'm not scared of anything."

"You are," Aster argued. "I can tell. Everyone keeps telling me how fearless you are, but you always look so afraid."

"What are you talking about?" Jack laughed, trying to ease him. "You're still asleep. Let go so you can lie back down."

"Jack," Aster muttered. Jack looked to him, his eyes pleading. Aster felt a tug at his heart. He wanted to drop it, to let Jack go. So long as Jack never gave him such a look again. But he needed to know.

"I want to help," Aster said.

"You can't," Jack told him. "So leave it alone."

"I won't!" Aster argued. "Just tell me what happened!"

"I was raped!" Jack yelled, looking away. There! Now he knew, and they could go back to barely speaking to each other. As if things weren't awkward enough as it was!

Aster let go of Jack's hand, and Jack shuffled across the couch, out of reach. "By Mr. Black?"

"Who else?" Jack snapped.

"So, what Lucy saw...?"

"She only saw him kissing me," Jack told him. "I tried to go after her to explain, but... Pitch... he... Anyway, after that, he started insulting her, about how desperate she was. He said that he knew she loved him, and the only reason he pretended to listen about her was so that he could get closer to me. I slapped him. It wasn't a punch, like he said it was. Though, now I regret that. I just didn't have enough energy to swing a fist after... that."

"Why haven't you explained it to her?" Aster asked.

"Because the truth would hurt worse."

"So, all this fighting... it was all to protect her?"

"Not really; I just saw no reason to tell her the truth."

"Jack Frost, you are something else," Aster muttered. All this time, he was just looking out for her. He let her think the worse. He let her call him all those horrible names. All to protect her.

"Go back to sleep, Kangaroo."

"Do the others know?"

Jack shrugged. "Jamie does. He... I... He was my best friend and he couldn't stand the thought of my first being with Pitch, so..."

"You had sex with him?" Aster questioned.

"We're not like that!" Jack said quickly. "But, yeah. He said my first was with him; and his first was with me. He didn't want me to think of Pitch."

"So he was your band aide," Aster commented.

"You could call it that," Jack sighed. "Because of that, he's now bi. That's my fault. He was only thirteen when it happened."

"Did he top?"

Jack laughed. "That's what matters to you?"

"You're just smaller than he is!" Aster said quickly, to defend himself. Now that he thought about it, Jack was barely even bigger than Sofie. He was the smallest of the males in their group. Why was he so small?

"Yes- Jamie topped," Jack answered. "I refused to let him bottom. It was bad enough his first was with a guy, but..."

"I see it didn't affect your friendship," Aster muttered. If anyone in the band were close, it would be those two. They hardly seemed to seperate from each other.

"Hm, I suppose," Jack said. "He's always had a soft spot for me. I think it increased after that. Here and there, I think I catch hints that he still wants me, but he's never said anything."

"Is that why Lucy said you seduce everyone?"

"Probably."

"Why haven't you tried to seduce me?"

Jack looked over to Aster. He was leaning on his arm, half way sitting up, looking at Jack intently. He needed this answered. It mattered a lot to him. Jack knew. He knew that Aster had begun to get feelings for him.

"Because you don't know any better."