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Seasons of Love part 3 - Winter

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Disclaimer: I do not own Jack Frost, Bunnymund or any other characters from the Rise of the Guardians universe; I just love them a lot!
Here is part three! This one probably took the most time of the 3 so far, but I feel it was worth it! Hope everyone likes it!

Aster opened his eyes blearily, reaching towards the opposite side of his bed automatically, feeling the familiar pang in his chest when he found it empty. It had been a month, to the day, since Jack had died, and Aster still forgot sometimes. When he woke up, when he felt a chilly breeze blowing against his neck, when he was walking in the Warren alone. He always expected to turn and see the playful eyes looking back at him, and when he didn't, it hits him like a hammer blow every time.  He got up and put his harness on automatically, grabbing a carrot to munch on as he left the burrow.
Sitting on his doorstep was a neatly rolled scroll bound with bright red ribbon. Opening it he read out loud "Dear Bunny, if you have some free time today, please come visit me at the Pole, Sincerely, North." "Must be important seeing as Christmas is only a few days away" Bunny thought as he rolled the scroll back up and tucked it in a pouch on his harness. "Why not" he thought to himself and tapped his foot against the ground, taking a leisurely walk through the tunnels to North's workshop, trying in vain not to think of that last time he had made this trip. He could still feel the small body cradled in his arms, hear the labored breathing, the shouts and feeling Jack spasming in his arms.  Aster stopped himself when he realized he was beginning to hyperventilate. He slowed his breathing, taking several deep breaths to calm himself. Once his breathing settled, he continued on, making it to North's Castle like workshop shortly after, popping up in the middle of his private study.
"Bunny!" North exclaimed in surprise as the nine foot rabbit appeared just a few feet in front of him.
"North" Aster said, looking at the smiling face of the jolly guardian.
"Glad you could make it, I was worried you would not be able to." North said, putting down the small device he was working on and motioning for Aster to take a seat in one of the chairs by his desk.
"Seemed important." Aster replied, his tone indifferent.
"It is, please sit" North said, again gesturing to the chairs across his desk, settling into the large one behind it himself.  He only continued after Aster had taken a seat, albeit reluctantly. "Bunny…it has been a month" North started, and Aster was on his feet instantly, walking towards the door.  'Bunny please!" North shouted, starting to rise himself, continuing when he saw Aster stop, still facing the door. "We are worried about you, me, Tooth and Sandy. We all miss him Bunny, but-"
Aster cut North off, his voice as cold as ice as he said "Don't you dare pretend to understand how I feel. You can't possibly know what it's like to be with someone for a HUNDRED YEARS, and then have them taken from you in an instant. To stand there and be HELPLESS as they fade away! To know that it's YOUR fault that they're gone!" Aster was yelling now, shouting at North, letting all the pent up anger from the last month flow out of him. "You sit there, telling me it's been a month! You don't think I know that? You don't think I wake up every morning and realize that today is another day without him! Oh, but it's been a month, that's more than enough time to get over the loss of a mate that's been with you for the last CENTURY! You don't have any idea what it's like to-" Aster stopped as his voice broke, he took a deep breath to regain his composure before he continued "To be holding the hand of the person you love more than anything while they fade away, to feel them slip through your fingers…"
"No." North said, cutting in before Aster could continue "You are right, I cannot pretend to understand pain you are going through. I cannot know how it feels to lose someone in the way you have. And no, month is not enough time to be over someone so importent, lifetime may not be enough time. But it is enough time to start to try." Aster looked at North warily, confusion painted on his face. "You are not even trying to live Bunny. You are going through motions, trudging through day for no other reason than it is there. You think this is how Jack would wish you to live? NO!" Aster flinched at both North's accusation and his use of Jack's name. "You are doing dishonor to his memory with your actions, and it is time you started trying." North finished.
Aster stared at him for a long moment, then sank into the chair, burying his face in his hands. North was right he knew, he hadn't been living his life, he had shut down, unwilling to face the pain going on that would entail. "Your right" He said, drawing in a shaky breath, choking back a sob. "Your right, he...Jack" Aster forced himself to say the name "Wouldn't let me hear the end of it if he could see me right now."
"No he would not" North agreed. "I think he would tell you that he wanted for you to be happy," North said, coming over to lay his hand on Aster's shoulder "I think he would tell you that he wants you to go on...and I think he would tell you that he loves you."
"Thank you" Aster said "I think your right."
Blinking away tears, Aster grabbed the silver chain he wore around his neck, feeling along it until his fingers closed around the cool loop of metal. Pulling the ring away from his chest, he stared at it, the words "forever more" seeming to mock him. He wasn't seeing the ring however; he was seeing the expression on Jack's face when Aster had given it to him. "I'm sorry. I'll do better." He whispered too softly for even his hypersensitive ears barely heard it.
Seeing what Aster was looking at, North smiled slightly "Did he like it?" He asked softly.
"He loved it" Aster croaked, his voice barely more than a whisper it had just been.
"That reminds me, I have something for you." North said, going to rummage through the many draws set into the wall.
"I'm not really in the mood North" Aster said, rubbing his eyes with the back of his paw.
"Trust me." North said "You will like this." He handed Aster a thin box, unwrapped which was unlike North.
Opening it warily Aster pulled out a thin sheet of what felt like glass, at least through the tissue paper that surrounded it. Unwrapping it, Aster gasped, his breath caught in his throat.  He was holding a thin sheet of glass about the size of his outstretched hand. Set in the plate was a giant snowflake, preserved within its protective shell. The snowflake was beautiful, its intricate twists and curves forming hearts of all sizes. The center of the flake showed his own head and shoulders, along with Jack's head. Jack was clearly leaning against him as he rested his cheek on the winter spirits head. Along the edge, in curly while letter, was written Everything I am and will be is yours, forever. Love Jack Frost. Aster stared at the piece for what seemed like hours, taking in every aspect of it. Finally he looked up at North "How?" he managed to get past the lump in his throat.        
"He stopped here on his way to bring winter and asked me to help make that. He seemed quite pleased with it. He asked me to keep for him, he said-"
Aster cut him off, finishing the sentence himself "He wouldn't be able to resist giving it to me early if he had it." Letting out a very small chuckle.
"I believe he would want you to have it." North said, walking over and patting the rabbit on the back.
"Thank you." Aster said, holding the thin sheet of glass close to him.
"Glad to help old friend, If you need anything, you know where to find me." North said with a smile "Now, go! Live, or at least try. Now, I have Christmas to bring in a few days!" North said with a hearty chuckle, giving Aster a one-armed hug.
Returning the hug, Aster made his way to an empty area of floor and taped his foot, hopping down the newly formed rabbit hole. He wandered the maze of tunnels for quite some time, trying to decide where to go. North had been right. He needed to start living his life, for Jack's memory if nothing else. That gave him an idea which, after some thought, brought a small smile to his face.
He walked the familiar path slowly, thinking about all the times he had spent with Jack, remembering every prank, every fight, every reconciliation, every intimate moment. By the time he reached his destination, his feet leaving the dirt of his tunnels, stepping onto soft grass instead, he was smiling, his first true smile in a month.
Looking around, his smile was replaced by a more solemn expression.  He was standing at the edge of a pond...Jack's pond. He had come here many times in the past, usually looking for Jack to make up after some fight they'd had. He half expected to see him now, sitting in one of the trees or gracefully skatting on the pond. The trees were empty however, and the pond wasn't frozen. Indeed, there was no snow to be seen, the air cool, but not cold, certainly too warm for the middle of winter.  Aster wasn't the only one who was suffering from the loss of the winter spirit. The entire world was going without winter.
Aster stepped to the edge of the lake, his large feet dangling over the bank almost touching the water. He stood there for a very long time, thinking about Jack, and thinking about his life looking forward, his life without Jack. He didn't think he would be happy again, certainly not in the same way he had been with Jack, but he could go on, and he could make the best of things. He heard a shuffling behind him, but ignored it, anyone out and about this time of day would be too old to believe in, and therefore see him.
"Unusually mild winter this year" Said a voice behind him.
Aster turned around to see an old man walking toward him with the use of a cane. He was wearing a leather coat and had on a ball cap that hid most if his thin white hair. "Jamie" Aster said, surprised to see him out and about. Jamie was one of the few adults that still believed in him, along with North, Tooth, Sandy and Jack. He had been the first person to actually see Jack, and the two of them had stayed close throughout the years.  
"It's been a while Aster." Jamie said. He was one of the few people that ever called Aster by his first name.
"Glad to see you're still kicking." Aster said "You're what now, hundred and nine?"
"Wonders of modern medicine" Jamie said with a wink. "So what's happened to Jack?" Jamie asked matter o' factly.
"How..." Aster started, his voice trailing off as he stared at the man in front of him.
"Well, first off, Jack always comes to visit at the start of winter, which he didn't do this year. Second, its 58 degrees out, in the middle of December. And C, you look like someone canceled Easter, outlawed eggs hunts and made greyhound racing an Olympic sport all in the same day."
"Jack...isn't with us anymore" Aster said, unable to make himself say the word 'died'.
Jamie's eyes grew sad as he looked at Aster' s, a touch of pity showing in them as well. "That's sad to hear. Jack was a kind soul and an amazing person, the world is certainly worse off without him."
Unable to articulate a response Aster just nodded.
"How about you, how are you holding up?" He asked the rabbit, shuffling forward so he was standing next to the towering guardian.
"I feel...lost without him." Aster said, finally able to put words to his feelings "Like I don't know where I'm goin, what I'm doin."
Jamie patted the Rabbits elbow; it being the highest part of the rabbit he could comfortably reach.  "He loved you a lot you know."
"I know." Aster said, and then added as an afterthought "I'm surprised you do though, I didn't know he talked to you about us?"
"Who do you think he would fly off and complain to every time you to get into a fight? And then when you finally got over your overinflated egos long enough to realize that you were perfect for one another and it shifted from "Bunny is such an ass" to "Oh, Aster did the sweetest thing." Got downright annoying, I wasn't sure if I preferred you two fighting or love struck, at least some of the fight stories were funny."    
Aster looked down at the hunched old man, shocked until he saw Jamie looking back, a playful twinkle in his eye...the same twinkle Jack's eyes always had, and he couldn't help but laugh.
His mirth subsiding Aster looked out over the pond "I just miss him, ya know?"
"That I do, that I do" Jamie said, then turned to face the rabbit, tugging on his fur to get him to kneel down so they were face to face. "Let me tell you something I learned a long time ago. Just because Jack isn't here with us anymore" he said, gesturing to the general area around them "doesn't mean he's gone. He will always be here" he said, pointing a finger to Aster's heart sat in his chest "and I'd wager you've got a bit more of him in here than anyone else. Do you know where I heard that?" Jamie asked.
"Jack" Aster replied, remembering the moment clearly.
"That's right, just after you all beat Pitch he told me that. I took it to heart, and now it's time you did to."
"I never thought you'd be one for the whole wise old man shtick" Aster said to Jamie with a small chuckle.
"Did I say something wise? Well, I suppose I can't be the crazy old man who still believes in Santa Clause all the time eh?" Jamie said with a wink. "You should stop by my house soon, we can exchange stories about him, and you can meet my grandkids. Maybe they'll see you and stop thinking Gramps is quite so crazy."
"I would like that a lot" Aster said honestly. Besides himself, Jamie probably knew Jack better than anyone, and he would enjoy remembering the good times
"Don't be too long" Jamie said, starting to turn back toward the town "I know a years or two isn't that long when your immortal, but when you're a hundred and eleven, every minute counts!" Jamie laughed at his own joke and began walking towards town.
Aster watched Jamie walking away, thinking about what he had said. Jamie was right...Jack was right. As long as he kept his memory alive, Aster would never truly be without the playful winter spirit. He removed the chain from his neck, unfastening it so he could remove Jack's ring. He held the small silver loop in his hand for a long moment, then brought it to his lips and kissed is lightly, whispered "I love you" and tossed the ring into the center of the pond. Aster stood there, watching until the very last ripple had dissipated and the surface of the pond was once again smooth as glass. Then he turned, feeling more at peace then he had since Jack's death, and tapped his foot softly.
Aster was about to jump down the rabbit hole when he stiffened, the oh-so familiar sound of rapidly freezing water stopping him in his tracks.  

There ya go! Part 3 all done! I hope everyone liked it, part 4 will probably be a little longer, since I haven't actually finished it yet, but I hope to have it posted by the end of the weekend.
Part 4 [link]

Here is the 3rd part! I hope everyone likes it, this part made me kinda sad while I wrote it, but I like they way it turned out. I think I'm happier with this story then any I've done in a while! Maybe I should kill off character more often? Then again maybe not, wouldn't want to start writing from an anti-Fan-girl bunker ;P

Special thank :iconidigoddpairings: for the AMAZINGLY PERFECT cover art! ^_^

An extra special thanks to :iconbprdagent: for his help with editing this ^_^
© 2012 - 2024 CyXandrix
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Oh, please, please let it be Jack!