The title of this fic was inspired by Shakespeare's quote: "As soon go kindle fire with snow, as seek to quench the fire of love with words."

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Rise of the Guardians in any way or form.

A/N: Sorry for absence! But anyways, this is my first RoTG fic. I hope you all enjoy it. I do understand that both Jack and Jamie are a bit OOC, and I apologize for that. It's quite difficult for me to capture their character in one movie. But nonetheless, I tried my best.

Warning: Fluff between two boys.

EDIT (January 5, 2012) : Fixed the transitions between few paragraphs.

PLEASE NOTE: The story is written from Jack's perspective.


Kindle Fire With Snow

White snow danced in the cool afternoon sky before falling to the floor, settling into collections of soft, fleecy piles atop streets, roofs, and cars. Gazing from the crest of a light-pole, I watched a mother and father holding onto the small hands of their delighted child while sauntering down a sidewalk. On the opposite side of the street were a blonde female and male, probably her boyfriend, entangled in an intimate embrace. Their faces bore a bright smile that radiated such happiness, I became rather curious. It was a recurring question that seemed to persistently linger in my thoughts: How, exactly how, did love feel like? It was a cheesy thought, but to proclaim that I, a 300-year-old supernatural existence, had never fallen in love… was rather embarrassing.

Since the clash with Pitch and his repulsive Nightmares, which occurred about seven years ago, I lived my days idly as the Watcher of Burgess and Guardian of Fun. Occasionally, I would pay the other Guardians a visit, but their jam-packed agendas didn't really allow free time to escape. Albeit being labelled one of the Big Five now, I couldn't see my colleagues as family or targets of affection. They were more like, y'know, just friends. Co-workers. There wasn't a single person who I truly, truly affectionately cherished and adored.

Ah, I mused. There was one particular boy who I selectively favoured… As the Guardian of Fun, my role was to preserve the flame of joy in all children across the world. It was selfish of me to be biased, especially towards him— who was no longer a child, but a teenager at the age of seventeen. His name's Jamie Bennett, a faithful boy wrapped in enthusiasm. It was a common occurrence for me to appear by his window and tap against the glass with the crook of my staff. I'm pretty grateful that we still keep in touch; our short conversations were always flooded gleeful laughter. Some days, I worry that his parents may presume that their son was having some sort of "uncontrolled-laughing-disorder."

"Speaking of which, lunch time should be around now." I remarked, launching myself upwards into the expanse of air with an ascending leap. The citizens by the street rapidly shrunk into the size of a freshly-picked-berry as I continued to rise toward the cotton-like clouds.

Where was it again.. I squinted to make clear of my surroundings. Endless rows of residences were neighboured by snow-covered evergreen shrubs and cone-bearing trees. What caught my attention, however, was the sign with bright blue letters that read: Burgess High School. "There you are."

By summoning gushes of wind with the swift movements of my staff, I soared across the boundless sky in the direction of the institution. The speed caused everything around me became obscure, its outlines becoming indistinct. I slowed my pace when I approached the school, and silently landed on the top of a nearby snow-coated deciduous tree.

Donned in proper winter attire, a group of friends was leaving the school grounds and headed for the street. Among them, a teenage boy with shaggy brown hair had a female clinging to his arm. But he was not the one I'm searching for. Ignoring them, I skipped to a window on the second floor of the school and analyzed the interior from the outside: an empty classroom.

"Damn," I muttered to myself while I floated to another window. "Not here either, huh?" Motioning my staff, I gently grazed the surface of the pane to unlock the window. Frost blossomed upon impact, decorating the glass with an exquisite web of ice. With haste, I slyly slipped through the opening and into the hallway of the building.

It wasn't very spacious— there were plenty of people scattered along the passage, collecting items from their lockers (which I assumed was their lunch, taking into account the time). The entire place was drowned with chatter; none really caught my attention until I heard a familiar laughter. I wonder what kind of expression he would wear when he sees me, I smirked, following the sound.

In another classroom, Jamie Bennett was accompanied with two of his male friends. I peered through the doorway, anticipating for an opening to surprise him. Over the years, Jamie grew to be quite stylish; today, along with his kempt hairstyle, he dressed in a plaid shirt and dark jeans.

"Are you for real? The game came out two days ago! The line-ups were so massive!" One of his male friends exclaimed with excitement.

"Lined up for hours," laughed another boy with a green crew-neck sweater. "You should all come over today, let's pull an all-nighter and beat this game!"

He also grew up to be quite a gamer, I pondered.

"Yeah!" agreed his friends in unison, with the exception of one. Jamie.

"Sorry, not for me. I'm expecting someone later on today," Jamie explained and scratched his face, seemingly feeling a tad awkward.

"Ooh, a girlfriend, I see," the same boy with the knitted jacket mocked.

"What?" Jamie's face reddened with embarrassment. "No, no, no! Of cou—"

"Hey now, look at yourself! Your face is like a pomegranate!" His friend interrupted. "Don't you lie to us. If she's not your girlfriend, at least it's obvious that you show interest in her!" My eyebrow twitched.

"Well…. I guess I do show a bit interest" He softly replied, hiding his flamingo-pink blush with his hands. Eyes growing wide, I took a step back. The gears of my mind were trying to process what he just said.

Jamie was attracted to someone? I guess it was one of the perks of being an average human— being able to undergo such a stage… but what was this restricting feeling I was experiencing? It was some sort indescribable burning sensation in my chest. "A bit interest," I mouthed. Those words lit a flame within my cold shell. Perhaps hate? Jealousy? I did not know myself, but I did know that this simmering sensation was going set me ablaze.

When I was finally able to collect my thoughts, I found myself outside the building. I guess my subconscious didn't really want to hear any more of those words escaping from Jamie's lips. Nonetheless, I was curious about the identity of the female.

For the rest of the afternoon, I was put in a pensive mood with mixed feelings clouding my mind. I hadn't even notice that the sun-lit sky was being consumed by nightfall. Today marked the first time that I felt an unparalleled fear. Once Jamie grew up, acquired a lover and a family of his own…

"Would he still continue to believe in me?" I directed the question to the soundless, tranquil moon that dangled in the vast night sky. Brilliant stars and incandescent light-posts illuminated the town of Burgess with a dim glow. The time was roughly around nine o'clock, just past an average household's dinner time. Sitting on the branch of a bare tree near the Bennett resident, I waited. For her.

"Jack?" A voice inquired. "Jack!" I knew this voice.

I darted my head towards the entrance of building that housed the Bennett family. There stood Jamie, clothed with a black jacket associated with matching earmuffs and mittens. "J-Jamie?!" I stuttered with surprise. His presence gave me quite a shock; I almost fell off the tree's branch.

"I was just looking for you!" A gleaming smiled traveled across his face. With eyes glittering of joy, he shouted, "come down!"

"Huh?" I was confused, but I complied and settled on the surface of the house's driveway. The teenage boy hastily turned towards his backyard, and opened the timber door before bolting inside. A series of snow-crunching sounds emitted from the other side of the door.

"There is something that I want to show you," Jamie returned, seated on a blue bicycle. The icy weather conditions seemed to have nipped his nose, transforming it into a rosy colour. "Want to go for a ride first?"

"Sure, I don't mind. But I thought you told your friends you were expecting someon—" I paused and remembered that Jamie was oblivious to what had happened in the afternoon. "Oops."

"Y-y-y-you were there?!" He gasped and gaped with disbelief. Redness highlighted his cheeks.

"Crap, sorry!" The guilt of eavesdropping stunned me. "I wanted to surprise you at school, and I kind of… overheard?" I faked a half-baked smile. "Forgive me?"

"Did you hear everything?" The flushed boy pushed further.

"Me? What? No, I didn't. I left after you said that you showed interest in that person."

"Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no," the red hue didn't depart his face. In fact, it saturated into a vivid blush. "No, no, no, no, no!" Jamie gripped onto the handle of the two-wheeled vehicle and pedalled away into the street deprived cars and people.

"Hey! Where you going!" I bellowed.

"No, stay away! I can't face you right now!"

I snickered and sprung in his vicinity.

Hovering above his bicycle, I added, "Did you really think you can escape from me?"

"I guess not," he exhaled a sigh, and peadaled to a nearby light-post of an unoccupied sidewalk. "Then what's your opinion on the topic, Jack?"

"Topic?" I inquired, unable to understand why my best-friend was so reluctant to share his secret with me. "You mean being in love?"

"Yeah."

"You're young. Puberty and all. It's pretty normal, isn't it?"

"I meant the fact that I'm in l-love with..." He avoided eye contact.

A furrow formed between my brows as I descended to the ground. "In love with who?"

"Don't you understand, Jack?" His chocolate eyes reflected a mixture of bitterness and sadness. "The person who I was expecting to see was you."

"Me?" The gears in my brain clicked; jigsaw puzzle pieces came together to form a clear image. In spark realization, a faint, barely apparent, blush tainted my ashen skin. "The one you're in love with … Is me?"

The chestnut-haired youth nodded, but kept his head gazing down on the wheel of his bike, "I never wanted you to know. I mean, it's abnormal. Both you and I are boys, and plus, I'm fine with the relationship we have right no-"

Before he was able to finish his statement, I pulled him into a tight hug. My heart hammered against my chest at the pace of a jackhammer, sending desirous passion coursing through my body. At that moment, I understood the origins of the overwhelming emotion I was trying to cope with. It was something that I had yearned and craved for all these decades. "It's mutual," I whispered, squeezing the teenage boy closer. "It's mutual." I repeated to ensure that Jamie heard me.

While the night air caressed our skin, Jamie and I stayed locked together in silence. Well, not exactly... I felt and heard every rapid heartbeat emitting from Jamie. Every one of those thumps was comprised of inexpressible happiness. "I want to hear you say it again," he finally spoke. "This time more elaborate."

I uttered a stifled laugh. With coherent words, I said: "I love you, Jamie Bennett. I love love love yo—"

My flushed counterpart broke the embrace with a light push. "That's super embarrassing!" A chortle followed his remark. White light from the post outlined the delicate features of my first-believer-and-lover's face. I examined the details on his face, admiring the curves of his pink-tinted earlobes, the delicate peaks of his Cupid's bow, and the softness of his silk-smooth sink. Shyly, the flawless brown-haired boy gazed intently at me. "Jack... about what I wanted to show you," he continued.

"Mm?"

"I originally made it to represent our friendship," reaching into his pocket, the teenage boy pulled out two similar blue and white patterned bracelets. "But..."

Unlocking a smile, I accepted his gift with elated bliss. "Guess it has a whole new meaning now, doesn't it?"