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"Every one of ya parties is more tirin' than the last, Nick." Bunny groaned. Leaning of the bar counter from his seat, he faced North as he was fixing another drink.
North's parties we always so loud. A lot of sounds that mingled together in an obnoxious way it made him ever so drained when it ended. He couldn't refuse these invites though. He was a Guardian after all and he had a duty to appear to big events. It would make him seem rude.
"Ah Bunny!" Nick laughed. "That is what party is for! Loud and full of people, it's good way to have fun."
"Yeah yeah, mate. For you it's fun. I'm not a fan."
"But you are popular, no?" After all, Bunny was a herald of Spring and a Guardian, big beacon meaning life basically.
"Sure." Bunny played with the glass in his hand. "But that doesn't mean I like the action that much. I'd rather be at the Warren, painting in silence."
North huffed a laugh. "Of course you would."
A voice came from behind Bunny, an excited call peering through the crowd.
"Hey North! Have you seen- oh Bunny!" Jack greeted, waving through the crowd.
He was still relatively new to the Guardians, being that it had only been 4 years till he officially became one of them. He, strangely enough, shared the same sentiment as Bunny when it came to parties. He wasn't a fan, mainly because he was never invited before and the crowd would be kinda much for him. The noise was also too much, never the same as the wind or the sound of laughter. He was getting used to it though, way better than Bunny at least.
He made it to the bar, plopping himself on the seat next to Bunny. He gave a tired sigh and stretched his arms over the bar counter.
"I'm so tired." Jack groaned. He did look a bit scuffed, his clothes lent by North -previously ironed- were now wrinkled and untucked. "Too many people. So loud, too."
"I hear ya, Frostbite." Nodded Bunny.
"Can I get a drink North?"
"What kind?" North polished a glass, ready to make a new concoction. Sadly though, Jack wasn't one to drink.
"Uhh, I dunno... Milk, I guess?"
North shook his head in disagreement."Bah! No alcohol?"
"Good choice mate, keeping yourself sober." Bunny nodded.
Jack laughed and shook his head. "I still got work tomorrow. It's still winter. Besides," He waved his hand towards the Workshop's big doors. "I still need to talk with an old friend."
At 'friend', Bunny grew curious. It wasn't that Jack had other friends- no. Well, kinda. From when Jack and he hung out (he took this with pride, seeing that he was Jack's favorite), there was never a reference for anyone that wasn't the Guardians or the Burgess kids. Not once had he talked about anyone else. This seemed to catch the host's attention too.
"Ah, so you made new friends, da?" North smiled, sliding Jack his drink.
It surprised Bunny when Jack said no.
"They're an old friend really." Jack explained. "I would see them before I became a Guardian."
"Didn't ya say you were alone most of the time?" Bunny questioned.
"Most of the time. " Jack pointed out. He squinted at Bunny, dramatically waving a finger at him. "By Moon Bunny! Do you really think that I never had friends!?"
Bunny sputtered."Wha- NO! I just-" He was embarrassed. Bunny didn't mean to come off as rude, it was just that Jack had never said anything about them before and he just wasn't' sure who they were and he just wanted to know who they were and it wasn't like Jack seemed like a lonely boy it was just-
"Its fine, it's fine!" Jack chuckled. "I've never told you guys about him so it's no big deal."
"What is he like?" Questioned North.
"He's a great guy, really. He's a bit of a hermit though so I don't see him often. I mean, I could come into his home, but it's filled with a bunch of papers and he's either asleep or busy reading and revising his work. He's dedicated though, I give you that. He a funny guy, running around his home for papers and articles. He's even got me to bring him some news from Mother Nature about the sprites from time to time. Though, he's a gentleman when he's not working. But recently, I managed to catch him out of his home and have a quick chat. It was so nice to see him for once." A smile grew bigger band bigger on Jack's face as he talked. "It had been 5 years and a half since I saw the guy so I was so happy to catch up. We chatted a bit but he had to go, BUT, he told me that he was coming to your party and maybe we could meet up then. So now, i'm just waiting here."
"Jeez Mate, you really must miss this guy."
"Well, yeah, he's my best friend." Jack shrugged. Somehow those words twisted Bunny's gut. Didn't matter though.
Bunny wanted to ask more but Wind suddenly swirled around Jack, startling both of them. Jack's eyes went wide for a minute until an excited smile began to form.
"He's here!" Jack exclaimed, now floating. "I gotta go now! Nice talking with you guys!" And with that, Jack was whooshed away to the front doors of the workshop, out of sight.
"Boy seems excited." North huffed in amusement. "Wonder who friend is."
Bunny was wondering the same thing too, but he was too tired to leave the bar. He'd just find out later near the party's end.
---
Bunny stood away from them, brows furrowed in confusion. He stared at the two spirits talking up a storm at the fire place. There it was, the newest Guardian eagerly telling Aster's biggest annoyance about something.
It was Jack Frost wrapped in a conversation with the one person who could make him blow his top in under 5 second with just the right words, Punxsutawney Phil - the Groundhog.
Jack was engaged in telling the other man a story, making a show with his arms. They would flap around, wave, and grow around him, as if making a show of its own off his words. His eyes were very telling too, sparkling with interest and and passion. His face would shape onto many different forms, most likely making a different one for each character or emotion.
Phil was just as into the conversation as well. His smile would stretch on his face as he nodded in attention to whatever Jack had said. He would laugh and wheeze and slap his hand on his knee whenever he had seemingly found something funny. He seemed genuine about it too. He clapped at Jack and his abilities and would beg for another tale, Jack excitedly telling him another.
The two seemed really close and it was confusing to Bunny.
The rodent rarely appeared at parties and when he did he was always aloof and standoff-ish, never talking to anyone unless spoken to. Aster assumed that he stayed in his own burrow predicting the weather and, similar to Bunny himself, was most comfortable in a burrow than anywhere else. So, seeing them together, both Jack and the Groundhog, at the bar, cackling a storm was just so confusing.
It was an oddity.
An oddity that, though Bunny may never admit, made him a bit peeved. And the thing was he didn't know why.
But what made him peeved didn't matter right now, he was curious so he would peruse an answer.
He walked toward the fire place, watching as the two conversed, though he kept and eye on Jack mostly. As he walked over, Jack seemed to noice him and waved. "Oh- Bunny! Hey! Come here for a bit!"
Bunny nodded, warily walking the rest of the way, propping himself on the cushion next to Jack. He saw the tinkle in Jack's eyes, the frost spirit growing very pleased.
"I was just talking about you to Phil over here." Jack said, pointing back at the Groundhog with his thumb. "I was telling him about the pranks I've done at your precious Warren."
At that, Bunny rolled his eyes and grumbled. Jack had always found a way to prank him in the warren, and he didn't even know how. Groundhog chuckled from behind, "You really know how to burrow yourself into someone's life, Snowshoe."
'A nickname?' Aster thought.
"If that was some kind of rodent pun, that was awful." Jack laughed.
"Yeah yeah, I'm not some amazing comedian like you."
Words became a bit fuzzy from there, as Bunny watched Jack and Groundhog effortlessly talk to each other, playfully biting back at one another. Jack's voice was quick, loud and so warm. He playfully gibed at Hog who, in turn, played right back.
He and Jack's convos were similar, both having some playful banter, but sometimes -even now, after growing one each other and hanging out- would end in some bitter barking. This though, what Jack and Groundhog were doing, seemed to just stay friendly and playful. Groundhog had always been a bit of a narcissist and very snarky when talking to people. He was snarky now, but more in a playful way. Jack ate up the remarks and quipped with his own cheery remark.
And one again, that weird irritated feeling came back at Bunny. The way both he and Groundhog conversed with Jack was around the same, yet the aura was entirely different. How did Hog know what Jack was welcome to debate with? How could he keep a playful argument with Jack without crossing a line? Most of all, how were they so close? Then it clicked.
"So Phil was the guy you were so happy to talk about at the bar." Bunny slipped. He didn't mean to but the revelation was just a bit shocking. I mean, the two personalities didn't like they would fit. Hog, the pissy narcissist and Jack, the annoying, messy spirit. Though, from what he was looking at, it wasn't all that wan't it. Especially Phil, who was not uptight like he remembered.
Jack froze and Phil's eyebrows shot up. Phil stared at Jack with an open mouth as Jack's cheeks formed a slight frost over them. A pregnant pause later and a howl of a laugher came from Phil. He poked at Jack's side, who began giggling at the tickles, and laughed, "You were talking about wanting to see me!?"
Jack, who was still getting tickled, laughed as well, "I- hahaah! Missed you! Pffft- hahaha! Stop-! I just wanted to see you!"
Phil smiled, and stopped poking. "I'm glad to see you too, Snowshoe." Phil quickly turned his gaze to Aster before Jackie could reciprocated and slyly asked, "Did he say anything else?"
"Only that you were nice and a gentleman I guess?"
A smug smile fell of Phil's face and Jack's face was now fully covered in frost, dusted with blue.
"Why thank you, Jack Frost!" Phil playfully mocked, earning a groan from Jack. "To be called a gentleman, and by a Guardian at that! What an honor."
"Oh shut it." Jack exclaimed, shoving a nearby pillow at Phil's face, effectively muffling the laughing rodent. He grumbled something the lines of 'stupid rodent' before rubbing the pillow even more into his face. Phil struggled to the get the pillow off from Jack's push but still came out laughing in the end. The laugh subsided into a fond smile as Phil said, "You're not bad yourself, Snowshoe. With all the reports and food, you've helped a lot."
"Food?" Bunny questioned. Once again, getting to see a new side between these two characters. "I found out about the reports, but food?"
Phil nodded, the fond smile still there. "Yup! He'd feed me and everything! Sent me to bed when I thought that I was going overboard and such."
Bunny faintly nodded. "Wow, mate. So, um, how did ya guys meet?"
That was apparently a whole flood gate open because the two excitedly told Bunny about their whole friendship life story. That Jack had met Phil when Phil first became a spirit who had no idea of what he was doing and how the two had traveled together for 50 years till they found Phil's purpose. It's on pure accident because Phil had overheard some winter sprites talk about extending winter a bit with a storm and with Jack's help, he alerted a nearby town because they believed in animal fortune or something. They caught the attention of Mother Nature and then Phil became a transitional between winter and spring. Both he and Jack were so happy about it until they realized Phil had to stay in a burrow from now on and gather report after report. He had to tell the weather to other sprites and just just a weather-forecaster now.
Jack and him had spent less and less time together but made it up with Jackie's visits to his burrow. They talked about Jack messing with reports or him going missing under a pile. That Groundhog slept funny and how Jack monitored him. They talked about Jack's cooking and his famous french madeleines that Bunny JUST had to try. They talked about Jack bringing Groundhog the gifts from students and how excited they were. They did express sorrow over global warming though and how it made the weather harder to predict and how less they saw of one another past Jack tried to fix thing and Phil tried to get a more accurate report. That Phil's attitude was kinda caused by the lack of outside time he had and the fact he missed Jack. (Jack laughed at that but it still made him a bit sad knowing it) They did express relief when talking about seeing each other again and how each other's attitudes calmed down a lot.
They talked, and talked and talked and talked.
About ever joke, every event, every little detail.
And then Bunny just felt so out of place. It was like they were talking to each and reminiscing rather than telling him and it kinda hurt. Really hurt. And for some reason it was because, Bunny realized, that Groundhog had a tighter friendship with Jack than he had. That he had his whole life being able to get to know Jack. And for some reason that hurt. Because he was just that much more closer to him than Bunny and Bunny could help himself just to feel a bit jealous.
"And that prank at the falls was so funny!" Jack roared. Groundhog was laughing too. "God it took so long to get dry!"
Jack hands had found their way to Phil's. Bunny's eyes traced over them with a burning glare. The two didn't notice and continued to talk.
"It's such a good story to tell. Haha!" Jack rubbed circles over Phil's paw with his thumb. Big furry hands wrapped around Jack's, giving a firm squeeze. Phil smiled at Jack who smiled right back. "It really is, Snowshoe."
Bunny's own hands were clenched on his thighs. If he had a glass in them it would simple shatter.
Oh, dear moon, he was really jealous.
Very.
Very.
VERY.
Jealous
Edit: thanks to a friend here is what Groundhog looks like 