The Reason Why

I 'Hate' you...

"FROST!"

"Hey Bunny!" Jack tilted his head at Bunny innocently covering his mischievousness.

"Ya know good and well what ya did ya drongo!"

"Hey c'mon! It was just a simple freeze over..."

"Ya call freezing THREE tunnels over with ya damn ice a 'simple freeze over'?" With that he lunged towards Jack but ended up sliding across the ice of Jack's (frozen) lake.

Jack kept easily gliding and dancing out of the way as if we were weightless.

"What; can't keep up kangaroo?!"

"I'M. NOT. A. KANGAROO!" But no matter how much Bunny tried, the Pooka warrior couldn't keep up with the spirit of winter.

But you look out for me...

Jack grunted as the summer sprites beat him. Their annual beating session was chosen to be today, the day he promised to help Bunny with painting eggs as he wanted to make up for freezing the tunnels. As well as unfreezing the tunnels which required a lot of power and scrubbing with anything to chip of the ice since he could only create ice; not get rid of it.

'I should see if these summer sprites are kind enough to melt some ice for me!" Jack gave an internal and ironic chuckle at the thought.

"HEY!"

Was that Bunny?

"Leave him ALONE ya-"With that, Bunny went on colourfully using Aussie slang and cuss words for the summer sprites; anyone hearing them would think twice about considering Bunny a guardian of children.

Suddenly, furry paws carefully lifted him up.

"Ya okay frostbite?"

"Y-yeah."

Just then, Jack went unconscious.

So I must do the same...

Jack gave a war cry as he sent frost from his staff towards the group of nightmares ganging up on Bunny. There had been a surge in rogue nightmares and the guardians were forced to split up and find out why. All of them were hoping Pitch was not regaining power again and making them again.

Jack and Bunny were sent to Asia; their job was to search through the continent thoroughly and they were now somewhere in India*.

"Bunny!"

Jack bent down beside a battered Bunny. Nothing serious, but it was enough knock the guardian of hope down on his back.

Sweltering in the heat, Jack desperately tried to help Bunny up.
"Stop. Ya in more dangerous conditions than I am, mate."

"I-I'm fine."
"Stop lying' frostbite."

Jack sighed. It was true, he was ten times weaker than ever in heat but because of the vast amount of land they had to cover, they all had to suffer.

Jack smirked at Bunny, only for him to roll his eyes. Jack silently thanked MiM.

But just so you know, I'm not as heartless as you think.

"B-bunny?"
Bunny was in the warren currently planting more of his home. After the battle with Pitch it was still not fully grown back.

"Ya mate? I'm kind of busy ya know."

"I know... I just..." Jack shifted feet. Bunny eyed him curiously.

"Ya?"

Jack normally didn't depend on others; he's been alone for 300 years and he could take care of himself. But lately he and Bunny have gotten close. After that nightmare, he couldn't believe he lost Bunny and the other guardians; he wanted to be close to them as possible.

"Can I help?"

Bunny looked thoughtful for a minute before deciding that if Jack was really looking to cause trouble, he wouldn't be looking so scared and upset. But Bunny was no fool either; something was up with Jack.

"Sure mate. Here; I'll show ya." He offered because he knew he could slowly ease the truth out of the teen.

Bunny took one of his fingers and pushed it into dirt. He then put a seed gently into the hole before covering it softly with dirt. Finally, he patted the dirt down.

"Ya got it?"

"Yeah."

The two worked in silence; Bunny on one side of the tilled grown, Jack on the other. They worked right across from each other.

"Bunny?"
"Yeah?"
"Promise me you won't ever leave..."

Bunny looked up shocked. Seeing Jack's wide blue eyes full of innocence and fear, he felt his eyes soften.

"Jack-"
"Please."

"I Promise."

With that Jack let tears slip out; he put his head down ashamed.

'300 years by myself, learning to survive, and I now have to talk to Bunny for comfort? I'm becoming a nuisance. They might get rid of me soon if I keep this up.'

"Sorry! I'll leave." Jack scrambled to his feet.

"What? Oh no mate, you're telling me what this is about." With that, Aster grabbed Jack's wrist gently but firmly pulling him back down before he could take off.

"I-I had a stupid nightmare and I didn't know why I came here... I just don't want to be alone!"

Jack was on his knees like Bunny, both of them looking each other in the eyes.

"Jack... ya not alone. I'm glad ya came mate."

Jack couldn't take the tears and tackled Bunny into a hug.

I get over protective sometimes, I'll admit it...

"Ya hurt him 'gain," Aster growled towards the summer sprites as he eyed a beaten Jack, he clenched and unclenched his fist using all his will power not to do worse. Jack was first priority, fighting and revenge was second.

"And I'll beat ya so bad, nothing will hold be back. Got it?"

The summer sprites nodded fiercely, all intimidated by the large Pooka. If there was one person in Bunny's life you didn't mess with, it was his 'little brother'.

But you can be too.

Jack looked over to the nightmares that had hurt Bunny, even if it was just knocking him loose a bit; it hurt to see his brother figure getting hurt.

"STAY AWAY FROM HIM!" He roared, shooting ice out to freeze the nightmares over. He'd be damned if they got away hurting his 'big brother'.

So maybe I don't 'Hate' you... But I don't 'Love' you... We're 'long term partners in crime' at most.

Jack and Bunny were roaring in laughter at North's face. They had set up an egg bombs (the less deadly and more colourful ones of course) and threw them into North's little office room in the workshop.

"JACK! BUNNY!" The large Cossack warrior bellowed in annoyance.

Snickering, the two partners in crime fist bumped. Bunny had only agreed to do this since the Cossack warrior and he had another argument about which holiday is better. Jack just wanted to be part of it for reactions and the kick.

"Run?" Jack asked when he saw from the stair case next to bunny, the Cossack warrior stormed out of his office, his face covered in pink and yellow paint.

"Run mate."

Both took off with North having his yeti's chase the two of them, they looked back.

They knew they were both in for it when they had to (eventually) go back. But they didn't mind it. Nope, not one bit.

Okay, we're closer than that. But what'd you call your rival that happens to be your best friend?

A Brother.