Grounded

So this is my second RoTG fic. It's mentioned in my first one, so it's in the same general universe, but otherwise completely unrelated. You don't need to read the first to understand this, but it would be nice if you did anyway.

Disclaimer: Sorry for the confusion some people are apparently suffering from. I don't own Rise of the Guardians. Not in any way, shape, or form. And I doubt North'll give me the rights for Christmas, but... a girl can hope, can't she?

"'Allo, Icecube."

Jack jumped, spinning around. In a moment he'd regained his composure. "Icecube, huh? That's a new one, if not particularly original." Jack leaped down from the roof he was standing on to land next to Bunnymund.

"So what are you doing here, Bunny? Isn't Easter tomorrow?" Jack leaned on his staff.

"Exactly. That's why I'm here." Bunnymund folded his arms.

"…Because Easter is tomorrow? Wow, you really don't manage your time well, do you? And coming from me, that means something."

"Watch it, Frostbite." Bunnymund growled.

Jack met his eyes with his customary smirk. "So what's the issue, Kangaroo?"

"I'm sure you remember last year's Easter."

"Hard to forget." Jack admitted nonchalantly.

As tempting as it was to tease his friend about his cute little form that time, common sense told him just to bite his tongue and let it slide. Last year's Easter had been a disaster, period.

"Well, the thing is, I'm still doing a fair bit of damage control." Bunnymund admitted.

"Okay then." Jack said casually. "This involves me why? You need a hand or something?"

"If I did, believe me, you'd be the last one I'd ask."

"I believe it."

"The fact is, I kinda need this year to go smoothly."

"Okay. So what's this got to do with-" Jack stopped. He raised an eyebrow. "You really don't trust me, do you?"

"Not as far as I could throw you. And I'm curious to see just how far that would be." Bunnymund was smiling slightly despite the threat.

"Depends on whether or not you're frozen solid when you try." Jack winked.

Actually, the chances were the Easter Bunny probably could throw him pretty far, considering how strong he was and how light Jack was…

"Anyway, I need you to stay down tomorrow."

"Well that's a polite way to ask a favour." Jack smirked, leaning against his staff.

"If it were up to me, mate, you'd be tied up in a sack until Easter was over." Bunnymund growled.

"Ouch. You really don't trust me."

"We've already established that." Bunnymund couldn't deny that he was genuinely enjoying the banter.

"So who's call is it, if not yours?"

"The others vetoed me." Bunnymund folded his arms.

"There was a meeting and I wasn't invited?" Jack raised an eyebrow. "When was this?"

"Last week. You were invited. You didn't show."

"I was late. I did turn up. Eventually."

Bunnymund shrugged. "Look, mate, I don't have time for this. Easter is tomorrow. So, are you going to lay low or not?"

Jack smirked. "Don't worry, I'll be good."

"That'll be the day." The Australian snorted.

"Look, Hoppity, chill. I promise not to mess with any egg hunts." Jack put one hand over his heart and raised the other.

"Yeah. Still don't trust you."

"So what exactly do you want me to do?" Jack frowned.

"I want you to stay out of the way."

"Alright then." Jack shrugged. Hey, a day off wouldn't kill him, and if Bunny was genuinely still doing damage control over last Easter, it was only fair he helped. Or at least not screw it up.

"Really out of the way."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Exactly what do you mean?"

"South Pole. All day."

"Wait… am I being grounded?" Jack blinked.

"Yeah, I suppose you can think of it like that, Frostbite."

"I'm being grounded." Jack repeated. "You're grounding me. Grounding me."

"Yes." Bunnymund folded his arms. "Got a problem with that?"

"Just a little one." Jack rolled his eyes.

"Frost, I don't have time for this. Will you or will you not stay at the South Pole?"

"…Why the South Pole?" Jack cocked his head to the side curiously.

"North doesn't trust you up at the North Pole without constant supervision. I can't blame the bloke."

"So the other Guardians know about this?"

"It was Tooth's idea."

"So basically no Guardian trusts me to be responsible." Jack folded his arms.

Then he had to grin. "Well, seeing as I'm a Guardian and still no Guardian trusts me to be responsible, you've got a point."

"So you'll stay there?

"I guess."

"Not good enough, mate. I want flat out confirmation."

Jack shrugged, grinning cockily. "I promise not to sneak out while grounded."

Bunnymund raised an eyebrow.

Jack sighed. "You really don't trust me, do you? I promise to stay in the South Pole all of Easter Sunday this year. Happy now?"

"Happier."

"Well, I do my best." Jack smirked. "If it makes you feel better, then I'll be there before sunrise."

"You'd better be." Bunnymund assessed him, and then tapped at the ground.

A tunnel opened up. The Easter Bunny jumped down and the tunnel sealed up, leaving only a tuft of grass growing up.

Jack casually tapped the tuft of grass with his staff. It frosted over.

Then, with a cackle, Jack soared into the air. He still had several hours before sunrise. Might as well not waste them.

Jack walked around the long piece of ice, sighing.

He was going to be bored for the next few hours. Bored. Bored. Bored.

Still. A promise was a promise.

Jack amused himself for an hour or so flying around, sending snow billowing in different shapes. But that tended to get old when there was no-one around to see it.

Well, he could think of worse places to be grounded. He could think of better ones too, come to that, but at least it was cold here. Plenty of snow and ice.

And he was a loner by nature. Joining a team and making friends hadn't changed that fact. A day or so by his self wasn't too bad.

Jack flopped backwards, landing in a pile of snow the way another teenager might collapse on a bed. Now he was just pulling excuses out of the air to make himself feel better.

With a grimace Jack sat up from the snow bank.

There had to be something he could do. He was Jack Frost. The Guardian of Fun and Games. And he was literally in his element. Snow.

He'd seen plenty of kids play in it. He'd helped them and played with them. Surely there had to be something…

Jack paused, and then reached down. He picked up a ball of snow, patted it down, and then began to roll it, his staff gently placed over his shoulder.

It was probably high time he made a snowman or two without the aid of his powers. He hadn't done that in about a century. Maybe afterwards he would make a sled from ice and try that again. Course, that generally tended to pale in comparison to being carried by the wind around the world… well he could do that too. He was going to be here for a while.

Forget a snowman. Chances were he'd make an entire snow-army before he was allowed back out.

"Frostbite!" Bunnymund growled, waiting with his arms folded. "Where is that irresponsible – Frostbite! There you are!"

Jack's bare feet landed lightly on the ground as a brush of snow surrounded the blonde teenager, then fizzled out.

Sandy moved to close the window behind him. Hey, they were in the North Pole, and not every Guardian liked to freeze.

"Something the matter?" Jack asked casually, glancing around.

"Whoa. Bunny, what happened to you?" Jack registered that Bunnymund was soaking wet. He had a blanket pulled around him.

"What happened to – what happened to me?" Bunnymund repeated indignantly. "You know bloody well what happened to me!"

"I do?"

"Jack." North cut in. "You're late."

"Sorry." Jack shrugged. "I was grounded. Had to travel all the way around from the South Pole."

"And yet you had no problem turning up in Japan, did you?"

"Japan…?" Jack looked genuinely confused. "What happened in Japan?"

"Jack." Tooth interrupted, looking up from her min-fairies as she gave them orders. "Bunnymund's a little upset about you breaking your promise. And the rest of us don't blame him. Oh, San Francisco, sector nine-" She turned back to the mini-fairies.

"What? Break my – I was in the South Pole all day." Jack frowned, crossing his arms.

"Then what was with the freak snowstorm?" Bunnymund growled.

"In Japan?"

"Yes. Japan."

"I was there about two days ago. Guess the storm I made didn't completely dissipate then."

"The – what?" North frowned. "What storm?"

Sandy reiterated the question with a question mark. Tooth was still talking to her fairies.

Jack sighed. "Look, sometimes when I make a storm, it fizzles out. Sometimes it just goes weaker for a bit and then meets up with other winds to make a bigger storm a few days later. Sometimes it manages to get out of control totally. Oh, and there's the minor fact that winter has been going on a long time before I was ever born."

"So you did stay in the South Pole." The Easter Bunny frowned at him.

"Yep. I'd swear it as a boy scout, but, you know, never was a boy scout. Probably would've gotten kicked out the first day anyway."

"Jack." North sighed. "Did you or not attempt to disrupt this year's Easter?"

"Not." Jack said flatly, folding his arms. "There's a whole army of snow-people down South to prove it."

"Snow people?" Tooth looked up from her discussions.

Jack shrugged. "I figured it wasn't politically correct to make them all snow men."

"You made snowmen?" North raised an eyebrow.

"No, snow-people. And I was bored."

"Look, I know you did it on purpose-" Bunnymund began.

Jack interrupted. "Look, I know you all think I'm an irresponsible selfish maniac. And I'll admit you might have a bit of reason for that. But I do remember last Easter, I do realise that you might still be going through damage-control, and I do understand that this year required me to lay low. And I did. Give me a bit of credit, okay?"

"So… you really didn't mean to screw anything up?" North asked.

"Yes. Is it really that hard to believe I tried to be responsible for once?" Jack threw his hands up.

"Yes." Said three Guardians in unison. Sandy nodded his agreement.

Jack rolled his eyes. "I'm feeling the love." He muttered.

"Well, I believe him." Tooth shrugged, going back to her fairies.

"Great." Jack sighed. "Is the interrogation over now? I do have responsibilities, you know, whatever you may think. If I'm no longer grounded, can I go do that?"

It still sounded weird for Jack Frost to be asking permission, especially to his own ears. The fact that it was half-sarcastic helped.

Sandy shrugged and nodded. Jack walked back to the window and flung the shutters open.

Jumping onto the windowsill, Jack glanced back. "Oh, but so you know? This is a onetime thing, and I've had a bit of time to think about what I'm doing next year. Next year – well, bring a jacket." He winked.

With that, he vanished, carried away by the wind.

Bunnymund glanced at the other Guardians.

"He's teasing." Tooth assured him.

"But," North blew out a breath of air. "In the case that he is not, I shall send the yetis to help you restrain him in a bag for Easter next year."

Reviews would be nice.