Seeing is Believing

This is my response to all the people who seem to believe there is a genuine chance that Jamie Bennett could ever stop believing.

I wasn't sure if I'd end up posting this, or even finishing it… but my brain needed to write, whilst my muse was refusing to cooperate. Never a good combination.

Disclaimer: Sorry. Don't own Rise of the Guardians. Did you think I did?

Jamie wondered if Jack Frost was less careful than the other Guardians. After all, the Winter Spirit was the only one who allowed himself to be seen so often.

Maybe it was just that he was the most unused to be able to be seen. Three centuries of being invisible was enough to teach anyone they didn't need to be hugely cautious.

Jamie had only once ever seen another Guardian when they hadn't wanted to be. And Jamie figured that was probably because Bunnymund not only took extra care in Burgess, but he was more practised to hiding from children under the age of ten. And anyway, he'd only seen a glimpse of Bunny.

Of course, he still saw the other Guardians. Every once in a while North would say 'Hi'. Bunnymund liked to visit Sophie and generally visited Jamie while he was at it. Sandy turned up several times. Every time a child in Burgess lost a tooth, Tooth came in person and stopped to say hello.

But Jack was the only one who seemed to have people see him by accident.

Sure, he'd turn up all the time on purpose. Come winter, Jack would be there at least once a week. As the seasons warmed, Jack moved with the cold weather, but he still visited often.

But there were other moments, too.

No matter the weather, at least once a month a window near Jamie frosted over. Cold winds brought past a cackle. The shadow of a staff was against a wall.

Of course, Jamie knew that when he got pelted with snowballs from nowhere – during scorching hot summer days, no less – well, that had to be on purpose.

But it wasn't until he was fifteen that Jamie realised it might not be carelessness.

Jamie flipped through his chemistry book, trying not to yawn as he sat at the table. He had exams on the next day. He had to study.

Behind him, he could see with his peripheral vision his mother flipping through the channels on TV. Sophie was in her room, playing with dolls.

A cold breeze fell through the air. Jamie didn't glance up as he registered the blonde haired teen had slipped in through the window.

"Heya Jamie." Jack grinned.

Jamie ignored him. Couldn't he see he was trying to study?

"You wanna go somewhere?"

Jamie didn't move.

"We can round up your friends, have a snowball fight."

Jamie still didn't react.

"No? How about a sled ride?"

Maybe if Jamie just kept ignoring him, he'd get the message?

"If you're not up for that, do you want to build snowmen? Or, well, snowgirls too."

Still not getting the message.

"How 'bout skating? The ice is officially thick enough to withstand everyone as of twenty minutes ago."

Jamie flipped a page, trying to indicate that he was working.

"Umm… we can throw snowballs at your evil vice-principal you mentioned a few weeks ago. He wouldn't even know it was us."

Was it Jamie's imagination, or was Jack beginning to sound a bit… desperate?

"Not up for something in the cold? That's cool, fair enough. We can just stay here for a bit."

Jack was definitely sounding scared. And since when did Jack Frost suggest they stay out of the cold?

The wind was beginning to howl. The temperature was dropping quickly.

What was-

"Jamie?" Jack's voice was small, scared even.

Jamie could have kicked himself. It took an instant to realise it.

After all, how many kids was Jack Frost actually friends with? Let's not get all profound and say 'all of them'. There were only a select few that he genuinely hung out with. And Jamie knew that he was special. After all, he was the last kid on Earth to keep believing in the Guardians, and the first in centuries to believe in Jack Frost.

Jack must be terrified that Jamie would stop believing. Would stop being able to see him.

Without hesitating Jamie glanced up, forcing the light-hearted expression onto his face. "Jack. I'm studying." He protested.

Jamie didn't miss the relief that shone in Jack's eyes at the acknowledgement.

"Not all of us don't have to worry about school, you know." Jamie added, turning back to his book.

Jack was still grinning. "What about a snow day, then?"

"I'd still have to do the exam." Jamie pointed out, trying to read but unable to. He glanced back up at his friend. "And at this rate, we're not going to get a summer vacation."

"…Why not?" Jack frowned.

"You didn't know that snow days are made up in the summer?"

"No. I didn't." Jack said thoughtfully. "Whatever. Winter's still more fun than summer."

"Yeah, but it's the principle of the thing." Jamie said, smiling slightly. The temperature was rising again, leaving Jamie to believe that Jack was recovering from his panic. "And the point remains, I've got an exam tomorrow that I really need to study for."

Jack shrugged with a grin. "Kay. I'll come back later, shall I?"

"Sounds like a plan." Jamie agreed, watching as the white-haired boy leapt back out the window.

For the next two weeks, as if a reminder – okay, it almost definitely was a reminder – a piece of glass nearby always froze over at least once a day. Jack still hadn't fully recovered from his scare, then.

Jamie may not stop believing in the moon when the sun came out, but then again, the moon always came out again a few hours later. So yeah, he was fine with the reminders every now and again, more than just Jack's visits.

Most of the reminders anyway.

He was going to have to have a talk with Jack about the snowballs pelting him in the middle of class during summer.

I'm sure I could've improved on this, I'm just not sure how… so maybe a review would help? Or just review to say you liked it, loved it, hated it, whatever.