Chapter Text
He knew he was working on borrowed time. Tooth and the rest of the Guardians were barely managing to cover one night of tooth fairy duties, and if he didn’t track down Pitch there would be many more. Jack felt a small twinge of guilt at not helping them out, but... He really needed to find Pitch. Honestly though, he didn’t know why he cared so much. I mean, sure, the guy was attractive, but he wouldn’t endanger the safety of children and the Guardians over some hot guy. He just felt some sort of weird connection. He couldn’t explain it, he could only give in.
To the left, Jack heard the hellish nickering of one of the horse things, pulling him out of his thoughts. He paused mid air, turning sharply to follow it. Finally! He thought with relief. He had been coasting the air currents for several hours now, dipping low occasionally to check out any particularly dark or gloomy areas. Quietly as he could manage, he followed it. It dropped suddenly into a forest, Jack sinking low to follow. Careful to avoid hitting the bare (and very, very noisy) branches on the way down, he landed softly on the ground. The snow under his feet was a happy surprise, and he sank his feet in gratefully. He didn’t think at all about the resulting crunch.
The horse turned quickly to look behind itself, pawing the ground in agitation. Jack quickly ducked behind a tree, holding his breath. Peeking through the branches, he could make out the horse scanning the area. After a couple of tense moments, it went back to its original mission, continuing to trot forward. Slowly, Jack eased himself out from the tree. He chose to hover this time when following it, not trusting the snow’s abilities to aid in stealth. After a minute or so, it stopped at an empty and old bed frame; cobwebs clinging that glinted in the moonlight.
That’s weird, Jack thought. And probably significant?
Then in a motion that made his brain hurt to watch, it slipped under the bed, even though it was much too big to fit. After making sure that it wasn’t coming back, he cautiously walked to the edge of the bed frame. Looking underneath it, he found a large hole that dropped immediately into inky blackness. And it didn’t look like it ever hit bottom. Standing up, Jack sighed loudly. He was going to have to jump down that thing, wasn’t he? He looked down it, frowning. Yeah. He was. Readying himself for the plunge, he looked at his surroundings for a brief moment to delay. Except, didn’t they look familiar?
He almost smacked himself in the face for it, because, hello. He was back in Burgess, which was apparently also held the entrance to the Boogeyman’s lair? The fact that he had camped so close to it for most of his life was a comforting notion. Not. C’mon, you have to go down there sometime, he reminded himself. No sense in stalling.
Ugh. He hated when he was sensible.
Gripping his staff tightly for comfort, he jumped down. The wind helped to slow his descent, but for whatever reason it decided to disappear just before he hit bottom. Landing in an awkward tangle of limbs, he yelped at the impact. He stood up quickly, righting himself and checking his staff for damage. All appeared well, he noted with relief. Right. Now it was time to see where the hell he was. He looked up, squinting in the dim light. While he could see, his vision was limited to about ten feet in front of him. Calling back his wind, he hovered briefly before zipping down the nearest hallway.
“Pitch?” he called out, his voice reverberating off the dark rocks. “Where are you? I just want to talk!”
There was no immediate answer, but Jack wasn’t surprised. When was life ever that easy? He continued to explore in the meantime, the twisting mechanics of the architecture making him dizzy. “Pitch?” he called out again. Nothing from him, but he did hear the response of one of the horses. He could start there. He landed on a bridge with an alarming slant, making him lean to the right to compensate. It lead to a room with a high ceiling, some undeterminable light source filtering in above. There was a large globe in the middle of it, covered with lights. Like the one in North’s. But this one looked like it was half-finished, copper plating making up the continents, the rest empty and hollow. Behind it, Jack could see piles of something... gold? He went over and picked one the objects, inspecting it. It featured the face of a child at the ends, face fixed in a smile. Excellent craftsmanship, Jack noted, as he took in the details and designs over it. Must be one of the tooth boxes. He tossed it back onto the pile, the dull clunk echoing.
“Hasn’t anyone told you that you shouldn’t touch things that aren’t yours?”
Jack let out a sound of surprise, turning around. Pitch stared back, face passive.
He mockingly put a hand over his heart, eyes wide in shock. “Jeez! Warn a guy a first, will you? Do you always appear like that?”
“Comes with the territory,” he replied. “Boogeyman and all that.”
“Ah.”
Pitch looked at Jack, eyes scanning him up and down. “Touching people’s things, coming into their homes uninvited. Tell me; are your manners always this atrocious?”
Jack shrugged, shoving a hand in the pocket of his hoodie. “I suppose. Never had time to practice them.”
While he didn’t find anything particularly interesting in that response, Pitch’s eyes lit up at it. “Ahhh, I see.”
“See what?”
“Not much use for manners when you’re mostly by yourself, is there?” he said with a smile.
“No. Not really?” he answered, confused. What did he care?
Seeing his expression, Pitch gave his best grin meant to unnerve. “Your fear,” he explained, circling Jack. “I can sense it. It’s what I do. And yours? You’re afraid of being alone, aren’t you? The isolation, the lack of recognition...”
Jack swallowed. “Yeah, and?”
“And, well... I understand that. Why do you think I’m doing all this?” he said with a grand sweeping gesture that drew Jack’s eyes upward. Hanging from the ceiling were dozens and dozens of wicked looking cages, covered in sharp edges. Inside fluttered the fairies, their bright jewel tones contrasting greatly with the dark iron that kept them trapped. “I’ve felt your pain, Frost. It’s my life. And I’m tired of it. The Guardians,” he said with a bitter laugh, “Love to hog the limelight, don’t they? Who cares about the other spirits as long as they have believers? Well, I’m looking to fix that. Shift the power, if you will.” He put an arm around Jack’s shoulder, making his heart go double-time. “So, I’m going to crush them. Make the children stop believing in them, make them start believing in me.” He looked down at Jack, a malicious glint in his eye. “You could help, you know.”
"Uh, yeah?” Jack answered cautiously.
“Yes. You have no personal attachments to the Guardians, correct?”
“Well, I guess...”
“Then why not join me?”
“I don’t know how I feel about that.”
“Really?” Pitch answered with a look of disbelief. “Then why follow me all the way down here? You could be helping them, but instead you’re here talking with me.” He cocked his head to the side. “How did you find me, anyway?”
“I followed one of those, uh...” he paused, searching for the words. In the background, he heard the clattering of hooves on stone, the creature appearing into view. “Ah! Speak of the weird horsey devil. I followed one of those,” he said, pointing. “One of those demented horse things.”
“They’re called Nightmares, Jack,” Pitch explained with a hint of a smile. “Come here, girl,” he called out. The Nightmare approached obediently, neck bending as Pitch stroked its grainy surface.
“Nightmares?” Jack repeated a look of amused disbelief on his face. “Nightmares?”
“Yes, that’s what they’re called,” he replied with slightly narrowed eyes. Just what was he getting at?
A sharp laugh escaped from Jack, and he quickly covered his mouth to quiet it. His shoulders shook as his laughing worsened, earning a look of confusion from Pitch.
“What?” he questioned, angry at whatever seemed to be delighting him.
He uncovered his mouth, his laughter dying down. “You, you named a bunch of evil female horses Night. Mares. Nightmares. How long did it take you to come up with that? Or was the pun opportunity just too great to pass up?”
“Be quiet,” he muttered defensively, shooing away the Nightmare.
“Okay, sorry, sorry,” he said with a quiet chuckle, wiping tears away from the corners of his eyes. “I’ll stop now, I promise--”
Jack?
He froze. Did he just hear something?
Pitch frowned at him, crossing his arms. “What's the matter with you now?
Jack!
He swallowed, turning to try and find the source. “Did you... Did you hear that?”
“I didn’t hear anything.”
Jack!!!
“There! You heard that, right?” he exclaimed, leaping up into the air and hovering.
“I heard not a single thing. Maybe the years of loneliness drove you insane,” he offered.
“No no, It’s definitely something,” Jack continued as though Pitch’s remark was actually a helpful suggestion. “And I think it came from over... there!” He shot forward, launching himself straight into the pile of tooth boxes.
Pitch watched with vague curiosity as he rummaged around, darting between the piles. The boxes continuously rolled off as he upset whatever balance there was, the sound of them clattering to the ground mixing with the high-pitched distress of the fairies at how rough Jack was treating them. Eventually Jack made a noise of triumph, holding up a box. He floated back onto the floor, looking at it with a frown.
“Why is this box calling my name?” he asked aloud.
“Because it’s yours,” Pitch said while pointing at the picture on the end, wondering why Jack was so bewildered by this concept.
Eyes widening, he hurriedly turned it over to see if he was right. It was him, but it was... off. His face was the same, and he bore the same self-assured grin, but he was pictured with brown hair and brown eyes. “What’s with this? I haven’t lost a tooth in over three hundred years, why do I have a box? And why do I look weird?”
“Do you not remember?” Pitch asked with a delighted grin.
“Remember what?”
“Do you not remember your life before you were asked to be made immortal?”
Jack huffed, staring at the box with a look of concern. “I didn’t ask, I just was. I… didn’t think that I could’ve had a life before. The Man in the Moon,” he said while looking up at Pitch, “I thought he made me.”
He tilted his head, looking at Jack curiously. “Really? So just one day out the blue you were immortal, and you had no idea of whom you were? Strange, and I thought he was always so keen on consent. But no, Jack. He can only add to someone, not create them. That’s how the rest of your companions were made. Well, except me. “
“Except you?” he echoed.
“Yes,” he recalls with a distant look. “I’m the result of cramming the essence of fear and darkness into a human—well, human-like form. The Man in the Moon was content with me, for a while. Until I was abandoned for shiner playthings…” He trailed off, not feeling the need to elaborate. When he turned to find Jack staring at him, he nearly startled. He wasn’t used to someone actually paying attention to him while he talked. Pitch cleared his throat, turning away again.
“Wow.” Jack said in awe, looking back down at the tooth box. “So, I had a life before this? But I don’t even know how to see it, I can’t figure out how this stupid box works…” Suddenly he heard the chittering of one of the fairies. But, strangely, it was in much closer proximity than the cages above. Baby Tooth wriggled her way out of the folds of his hood, moving to buzz in front of his face. “Baby Tooth!” he exclaimed, surprised. He held out one his palms so she could land, but she shook her head “no”. When Jack gave her a confused look she mimed shivering, followed by an apologetic shrug. He quickly dropped his arm. “Right. Sorry. But seriously, what are you doing here?”
“Indeed,” Pitch growled. “I thought I had captured all of Toothiana’s gaudy little helpers.” He made a move to snatch her out of the air, but Jack stopped him with a quick block from his staff.
“Hey, hands off!” Jack warned. Baby Tooth flew behind Jack’s head, peeking out from the soft white strands of hair to glare at Pitch. Pitch glared back, sneering.
“Jack. Give her to me,” he said while outstretching an arm, palm open.
“No. She and I were in the middle of a conversation, thank you very much. Well, not a conversation, but… You know what I mean.” He reached behind his head to gently grab her, earning a high-pitched squeak. After making sure she was safely secured, he shot up into the air to perch on a high ledge of rock. He let Baby Tooth go, and she quickly went back to fluttering in front of his face. “Anyway, sorry about him. You were saying?” She squeaked out something unintelligible while giving him a concerned look, then pointed to where Pitch stood below them.
“Aw, you were worried about me? That’s so sweet. But, not that I’m ungrateful, you’re sorta going to end up being a third wheel. Especially when I end up macking on Pitch later.”
“When you start doing what to me?” Pitch asked, confused, seamlessly walking out of the shadow behind them.
Jack smirked. “Oh, do you not get all that modern lingo? Don’t worry, I’ll show you what it means,” he said with a wink. He took a brief moment to enjoy the flustered look on Pitch’s face, before Baby Tooth demanded his attention. “What?” he asked, turning back to her.
She landed on the sleeve of his hoodie, moving to tap on the tooth box still in his hand. His eyes lit up at what she was implying. “You know how to open it? What I do?” he asked excitedly. She pointed at him, and then made a motion of running her hand down the diamond pattern on the top. “Really? Just like…” he ran a couple of fingers down the length of it, eyes widening as the diamond pattern began to split and fall away. “…This. Wow.” A shining glow came out of it, illuminating his face. As soon as the light touched him he became very still, attention transfixed on what was being showed to him. Pitch watched with disinterest, moving the shadows to snatch Baby Tooth while he was distracted.
Unfortunately the trance only lasted a couple of seconds. Jack’s head quickly snapped up as he let out a large gasp, stumbling backwards. He quickly latched onto Pitch, startling him enough that his concentration slipped and the shadows around Baby Tooth melted away. Tightly gripping his upper arms and getting uncomfortably close into his personal space, Jack excitedly exclaimed “I had a family! A sister! I saved her, Pitch!”
“I’m so happy for you,” he replied in monotone.
“This means—Well, I think I know what I have to do.” He Looked at Pitch. “You know the offer you made about me joining you?”
“Yes?” he asked hopefully.
“I’m sorry. I can’t accept it.”
Pitch’s face quickly fell, expression hardening into a look of annoyed arrogance. “Fine. If you’re not with me,” he raised his hands, and Jack watch with alarm as scythe made of the dark sand formed between them. “Then you’re against me.”
Jack jumped out of the way as he swung the blade toward him, leaping of the ledge. Baby Tooth jumped into the pocket of his hoodie as he fell down, cushioning his dissent with a pocket of air before hitting the floor.
“Pitch, wait! Listen!” Jack pleaded, turning around to face him as appeared from the shadows to his left.
“No. I heard everything I needed. If you’re not joining me, then you’re siding with the Guardians, aren’t you?”
“Well, yes, but—” He jumped over the scythe as it slashed towards him again, hovering about ten feet in the air and staying there. “Oh my god, are you always this dramatic?”
“Be quiet and die,” Pitch growled.
“I don’t want to fight you! I mean, I know I could never understand the gazillion or so year rivalry between you and the Guardians, but could you just… stop? Release the fairies and give back the teeth? Also maybe apologize?”
“No. I fully intend to destroy the Guardians. And, now, you. This plan has taken ages to be put into motion, and nothing you can do will stop me—” he stopped, bewildered, as Jack put his hands on either sides of his face.
“Seriously,” Jack muttered as he pulled Pitch’s face to his. “Do you ever shut up?”
He was about to reply when Jack caught his lips in a kiss, and the words died in his throat. Pleased that he didn’t pull away, Jacks hands moved from his face to the front of Pitch’s robes, bunching the black material in his hands and pulling him closer. Pitch’s own hands hovered, not quite sure where he should put them. He eventually settled on Jack’s shoulders, gripping lightly.
When Jack pulled away Pitch leaned forward, disappointed.
That made him grin. He floated down until his feet touched the ground again, slinging his staff to rest on his shoulder. “So. Still want to kill me? Because,” he said while trailing a hand up the side of his neck, the cold making Pitch shiver, “There is plenty more from where that came from.”
“Well,” Pitch muttered, looking off to the side. “I suppose my reaction was… Overzealous. Maybe I don’t want to kill you. Yet.”
Jack laughed at that. “Awesome, glad to know.” Smiling up at him, he laced his fingers through Pitch’s hand, slowly. Pitch looked at their hands together for a moment before pulling back. Frowning, Jack put a hand on Pitch’s face, and the gentleness in the action was still too much. He quickly jerked his head away, expression unreadable. Jack didn’t want to press the issue, so he let his hand drop.
“You know, for whatever reason, the Man in the Moon wants me to be a Guardian. I wasn’t thinking about joining before, but now? I may want to. I could help you, you know.”
“How?”
“Well, I was thinking that if I was a Guardian, then maybe I could be more helpful in terms of getting you believers. And maybe I could convince everyone else to help you, too.”
Pitch looked weary at the prospect. “But why? You barely know me. You have no reason to help me.”
Jack shrugged. “Well, it couldn’t hurt me to try, right? Also, I can’t resist a horribly attractive and tragic individual. What can I say? But, of course, I can only do this if you return the fairies and teeth.”
He frowned. “I really don’t see why I should. I’m not getting much out of this, am I?”
Jack offered a tentative smile. “Well, you get me.”
Pitch looked at the piles of boxes and the cages, sighing. “Fine. I’ll see how this goes. But, I’ll let you know that it isn’t going to be that easy, to get me believers. And to get me and Guardians to cooperate. It’s not like I’m switching sides, I’m just… seeing how this pans out.”
Jack grinned. “Well that’s good enough for me.” He leaned forward for another kiss, Pitch happily obliging. It was relatively chaste, but Jack hoped that it wouldn’t take that long for things to escalate later. Pulling away, he sighed happily. “Honestly, this wasn’t that hard. Talking to you, I mean. The Guardians made it sound so dramatic, but I think everything is going to be fine. Right?”
Pitch chuckled darkly, wearing an expression that made Jack a little uneasy. “We’ll see, Frost. We’ll see.”