The Boy in the Tower

by Sirenfox

Chapter 11: In Which a Hug is Had

By the next morning, Jack still hadn't made up his mind about what he wanted to do. He desperately wanted to learn, he wanted to know how to use his magic, how to prevent horrible things, like what he'd done to Bunny, from happening again.

But he was also terrified of meeting someone new. His father had made it abundantly clear how dangerous it was for him to socialize with anyone other than him. One little slip would have him in the hands of the Big Four. And that was the last thing Jack wanted.

He knew the human would never do anything that would potentially harm him or put him in danger. This person Bunny wanted him to meet was his friend. Bunny trusted him. And Jack trusted Bunny.

But what if Bunny's friend didn't like Jack? Bunny had known this person a lot longer than he'd known Jack, what if he decided Jack wasn't worth staying with if Bunny's friends didn't like him? He'd leave.

He said he would come back! He did come back, that was a promise already kept, and he hadn't made any new ones. He hadn't said he would stay with Jack forever. But he came back everyday he could; at this point, Jack had seen him more than he'd seen his own father in a month. That had to mean something.

What if he told Bunny that Jack was useless? That he couldn't be taught. What if Jack was unteachable, and that was why his father had never bothered to try.

Father had said it was because it was too dangerous. but Jack already knew he was the dangerous aspect, his magic wasn't dangerous unless he did something to make it dangerous. Maybe he was just untrustworthy; he was keeping secrets from his father. If he was willing to do that, maybe he couldn't be trusted with the control of his powers. What if his father was right and it was dangerous to even teach him, to give him that much control on something so powerful.

He didn't want to accidentally hurt Bunny's friend either, it was bad enough Bunny himself had been on the wrong end of his magical outburst. What if Jack lost control while he was teaching him?

A shiver crawled up his spine and he felt himself shrink down onto the floor, his back sliding down the rough wall of his bedroom scraping up his back through his thin white shirt. The pain radiating from his back went unnoticed as his breathing came faster.

Bunny would hate him.

He could feel bile climb up the back of his throat and tears prickling in his eyes, which he squeezed shut, tight enough to hurt. Nonononononono. His clenches fists found their way into his hair, tugging harshly. The pain was enough to ground him for long enough to wrestle his breathing back under control.

He was still gasping for breath, but the threat of hyperventilation had passed. He still refused to open his eyes.

He...he couldn't think about it. It was too much. So he forced all his swirling thoughts into a little box and shoved it as far back in his mind as he could before dragging himself to his feet.

He needed to do something, couldn't just sit here in the dark and let himself wallow. He needed to keep busy.

And that thought was more terrifying than the prospect of meeting someone new. Bunny would hate him, and if he hated him he would leave Jack and never come back.

Jack would never see him again. His heart ached just thinking about it.

Bunny, on the other hand, was very obviously excited when he entered the tower looking for his young friend. He found Jack on top of the tower, tending to his garden. Jack's heart skipped when he saw his visitor and the small gift in his huge paws. The human had taken the time to extract the newly bloomed flower that had sprouted upon his arrival before heading up to present it to him.

Jack granted him a small, nervous smile upon receiving the gift. His nerves had left him feeling a bit nauseous and he couldn't quite muster up the usual enthusiasm Bunny's visits typically inspired in him. His thoughts were whorling in his head like a blizzard. He murmured a quick "thanks" and set about getting his new blossom situated amongst its siblings.

Bunny watched him work in silence for a long while, which Jack was grateful for. He spent the time trying to get his thoughts to settle, but it was a futile attempt and ultimately unsuccessful.

He finished working, but couldn't bring himself to turn around to face the human, not with this torrent of emotion twisting him up inside and his indecision sitting heavy on his shoulders.

Bunny spoke up a few moments later, his voice coming from directly behind Jack, whose breath hitched involuntarily at the close proximity. "North said he'd love ta teach ya." Bunny said, his voice ringing out in the almost suffocating silence that encompassed the valley.

Jack winced, his mind racing as he slowly turned to face the human. Whatever Bunny saw on Jack's face caused his ears to droop and before Jack had time to fix it the human was crouched down in front of him, at eye level with the much shorter Jack. "Hey, it's alright. If ya don't want ta do it, that's fine too." He soothed, one of his large paws coming to rest on Jack's shoulders, a heavy, comforting weight, "North will understand completely. It's a big step, and a terrifying one too, ahm sure."

When it looked like Jack might still be freaking out about it the human dragged Jack forwards, into his chest. Jack went stiffly, eyes wide and mind whirling wildly, before he melted, sinking into the larger man's embrace. His arms wrapped around Bunny's skinny waist and his face buried in the impossibly soft fur of Bunny's ruff.

"Ah know this is hard for ya, mate, and I don't want to pressure you into doing something you don't want ta do. But ah do think it would be good for you." Bunny's voice was the softest he'd ever heard before, it was nice. "I think ya'll like North, he's a bit loud and annoyin', like someone else I know." He teased gently, causing a giggle to bubble forth from Jack's lips, unheeded.

The strength of his own emotions, and reactions, was frightening. Jack could still feel himself shaking, fine tremors sweeping through him as he fought back the overwhelmed tears even as more giggles built up inside his chest, aching to burst forth in a very inappropriate display of hysteria.

It was embarrassing, but Bunny held him through it all, allowing him to remain snuggled up against him until Jack was able to think past the panic. "I want to." He murmured at length, his voice swallowed up by Bunny's fur, "I do." He insisted, more to himself then Bunny. But he was just so scared.

At his words Bunny pulled away, and Jack couldn't help the way his heart seemed to sink with the increased distance. "Ah will be there with you." The human promised, "The whole time, ah swear it. Nothin' bad will happin." His large warm hands smoothed up his back in a reassuring pattern and Jack allowed himself to relax, even if just a tiny bit, at his words.

Feeling much steadier now, Jack pulled out of the Bunny's arms completely when an idea struck him. He'd been so stressed about Bunny's suggestion he hadn't thought of an alternative, but now that his mind was somewhat clear it seemed like the obvious solution. "Why can't you teach me?"

Bunny looked taken aback, as if the thought hadn't even crossed his mind.

Jack bounced excitedly, warming up to the idea, "You know magic too. You can open those holes in the ground and grow flowers in a place they have never grown before. That should be impossible here, it's too cold and too dark. But you did that." He really was starting to get excited now, this idea was perfect.

Bunny could teach him magic and he wouldn't have to leave the tower; he wouldn't, technically, be disobeying his father. "It's perfect!" He continued, his excitement causing him to talk over any attempt Bunny made to reply, "You can teach me everything." And Jack wouldn't need to risk hurting Bunny's friend and scaring the human away.

Unfortunately Bunny wasn't as happy with Jack's perfect plan, which Jack realized some moments later when he caught a look at the human's face. He was frowning, his thick brows furrowed and ears pressed back against his skull as he watched Jack bounce around in his enthusiasm.

Jack's heart sank, his body feeling like lead as he gazed back into those unhappy grass green eyes.

He was so stupid! Of course Bunny didn't want to teach him, why would he? Bunny was probably a very busy human, and he was already taking so much time out of his day just to visit Jack. Which was a sacrifice not even Jack's father was willing to make. Not everyday and for hours at a time, Jack was lucky if his father stuck around for an hour. And Bunny always stayed with him for as long as he possibly could. He was too nice. And now Jack had ruined everything.

Jack shouldn't have said anything. But before he could take back his idiotic suggestion Bunny was talking. "Ah can't Jack." And his voice sounded so wounded that Jack had to swallow thickly passed the emotion welling up inside him, threatening to choke him.

When Jack couldn't hide his upset, the cloying emotions thick and bitter on his tongue, Bunny was there grabbing Jack's shoulders, "Jack, look at me, mate." He ordered, gently but firmly, and Jack reluctantly tipped his head back and locking eyes with the other man, "It's not that ah don' want ta. Ah would in a heartbeat if ah could, but it's not possible. Our magics are too different, they come from different places and work differently. The most ah could teach ya is ta meditate and find yer Center."

"Oh." Jack breathed, his whole body seeming to deflate with the words. It made sense, and soothed his growing disquiet, easing the pain and calming the panic his racing mind had thrown at him. "But you'll stay, right?"

"Of course." Bunny agreed, a gentle smile curling his lips upwards at the corners.

Jack took a deep steadying breath and straightened his spine. Bunny's paws slid from Jack's shoulders to settle back at his side while the younger male tried to appear brave. "Alright, Let's do this." He glanced briefly behind the human, before asking, "Did you leave him in the tower, or is he waiting at the bottom of the stairs?" Inside would be more comfortable, of course, but it might be better (safer) to hold the lessons outside in case something went wrong.

Bunny's ears cocked back at the question and he tilted his head in confusion. "E's not 'here Jack. We're gonna go meet 'im."

Jack's eyes opened so wide he thought they might just fall out of his skull if they weren't physically attached to his body. "Wait. You mean leave?" For some reason, that prospect had not even occurred to Jack. Bunny just inclined his head in answer, expression patient. Jack felt like his mind was reeling, shock cementing him in place. "But I've never...Father-" He was so flustered by the suggestion that he couldn't put his thoughts into words, almost stuttering over them.

But Bunny didn't seem to need Jack to be particularly articulate to know what was worrying him, "Doesn't need to know." Bunny finished for him, "You said e'll be gone fer a few days. As long as we git ya back before then e'll never know ye were gone." There was something almost mischievous about the human's smirk, as if they were playing some grand prank on Jack's Father and it pulled a matching, if hesitant, grin onto Jack's face. It was exactly what Jack needed to to hear to encourage him into disobeying his father and disregard the possibility of future punishment.

Bunny was right, if they got back before his father returned then nothing bad would happen. His father would never know, and since he always kept a very strict schedule in visiting Jack he knew exactly how many days he had before needing to return home.

He could feel a curl of excitement blooming in the pit of his stomach at just the thought of leaving the glade. He'd always wondered what it was like Outside. How many times had he dreamt about this? About not just exploring, but that someone would come and whisk him away.

He smiled to himself and shook his head to rid it of his wandering thoughts. He read too many fairy tales if he was likening himself to a princess locked away in a tower in need of rescuing. Despite the similarities he was not a princess, and he didn't need saving. The tower was his home, no matter how boring it got.

And that was exactly the reason he was going to allow Bunny to take him with him. The tower was boring, lonely, and he wasn't a prisoner. He could leave.

He could totally leave.

Father couldn't be mad if he never found out. Besides, if it got him more time to spend with Bunny, he was all for it.

"Okay." He agreed with a nervous smile, and Bunny's answering smile was downright blinding.

"Eggcellent. We'll just pick up yer staff an' head out. North's real excited ta meet ya." Bunny said, excitement dripping from his voice and twitching his whiskers. It was adorable how enthusiastic he was to introduce Jack to his friend. It brought a shy smile to Jack's own lips as he led the way down into the tower, heading for the closet he had stashed his staff in.

He'd stuck it in there hoping that the old adage of 'out of sight, out of mind' would prove true.

It hadn't.

Losing his staff had been like losing a limb. He had often found himself clenching his empty fist against the phantom sensation of bark against his palm. As hard as he tried to forget about it, it was always there at the back of his mind, taunting him.

To make matters worse Wind had refused to talk to him the entire time his staff had been locked away. He knew that Wind had taken the abandonment of his staff as a personal betrayal, and the loss of his -only?- oldest friend had been particularly devastating.

He stared at it now, as if it might reach out and bite him any moment. He couldn't seem to make himself move, terrified of what would happen if he touched it.

A gentle nudge from Bunny had him feeling a bit braver, "Go on. Take it." He urged in a gentle, understanding voice.

Slowly, Jack reached out a tentative finger, poking at the stick, afraid it might explode any second.

Nothing of the sort happened. No ice shards lanced outwards. No whirlwind storm crashed through the room. Nothing bad happened at all. Instead, Wind gently ruffled Jack's hair, laughing at his nervousness.

Jack let out a relieved laugh of his own, his hand settled into a comfortable grip around the familiar contours of his staff. He'd been so afraid Wind would never forgive him. It felt like a missing puzzle piece had been slotted back into place. It eased something inside him that he hadn't even realized was tense.

A heavy paw settled on his shoulder, and Jack turned to grin up at his friend. Emotion crashed into Jack hard as he stared up at the man. His friend. Who was trying with all his heart to just make Jack happy and safe.

Bunny stared down at him with a warm, approving smile; a smile that caused Jack's insides to twist together in a fluster of snowflakes. He turned just slightly so Jack could see behind him, and gestured towards the door with a tilt of his head.

As Jack stepped out onto the balcony he felt his magic surge out, icing the stairs into their usual slide. It startled him into dropping the staff, which clattered onto the balcony floor as he reeled backwards colliding with something warm and soft. His breath caught in his throat and all he could do was stare in horror at the thick sheet of ice in front of him.

"Breath Jack." A thick, accented voice broke through the fog encasing his brain, a heavy paw settling at his waist, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Jack sucked in a sharp breath of air, soaking in the warmth and comfort of that giant paw pressing through his shirt, "There ya go, Jack." Bunny said soothingly, "Nice an' easy. You're fine. Ahm fine. Nothing's wrong." The paw moved from his side to his hand as he moved to stand in front of Jack, focusing the boy's attention on him and not what was so obviously stressing him out. "Look at me, mate, just look at me."

It was easier to breathe, staring down into the human's spring green eyes. The tight coil of anxiety in his chest loosened a little bit. He gave a tremulous smile to the human who was once again easing Jack through his tumultuous thoughts. "The ice." Jack stammered, something urging him to explain himself, "I didn't mean to…" He could feel tears stinging his eyes, and wiped them away angrily. This was a stupid thing to be crying over! He shouldn't-

Bunny caught his other hand and pulled it away from his face gently, clutching both of his hands in front of him and giving them another gentle squeeze, He knew Bunny wanted him to look at him again, but he fixed his gaze on their hand instead and refused to look up. "It's fine Jack. It's overwhelming, ah know. But ya didn't mean ta do it, that's why we're leaving, remember? North's gonna teach ya control." Aster's soothing voice helped calm Jack down, his racing heart slowing to a steadier tempo.

He nodded slowly, finally lifting his chin to glance up at the tall human's face. Bunny was crouched in front of him once again; he did that a lot, Jack noted idly. The human was watching him with a gentle concern that Jack was becoming intimately familiar with.

He didn't hate it.

The human reached down beside him, and never breaking eye contact, pressed the staff back into his hands. Jack's fingers curled around his crook automatically. He could see nothing but Trust in Bunny's eyes and that was all he needed. As unsure as he was about his magic, Bunny believed in him and that was more than enough for Jack.

Jack wasn't one to let a sour mood spoil his fun, and he quickly shoved the unpleasantness of the past few minutes out of the way and pulled his inner child to the surface. He didn't allow himself to overthink his next move, he'd been doing too much thinking lately and all that did was cause him pain. He wanted to feel like himself again, wild and carefree, even if only for a few breathless moments.

He grinned at Bunny before darting around him and flinging himself at the slide. He didn't have to worry about falling off the tower, Wind would catch him like always, so he was perfectly safe.

Behind him he heard a startled, "Oi!" Before Bunny's laughing voice chased after him, "Slow down ya bloody show pony."

Jack's delighted laugh echoed off the ice to dance in the air around them as Bunny gave chase, following Jack down the slide, much to Jack's delight.

Jack cackled loudly as he flew off the stair-slide, tumbling to a stop a few feet away. He lay there, laughing freely when Bunny came catapulting down after him. Jack's blue eyes locked on the human, widening in shock and horror a split second before Bunny crashed into him.

They slid across the ground, Jack's magic supplying a nice slippery surface for them. When they finally came to a stop Jack was giggling into Bunnies abdomen, curled against his side, where Bunny had automatically tucked him in an attempt to keep him from being injured.

A moment later Jack fell back onto the ground, propped up with his hands behind his back and grinned widely at his friend.

That had been wonderful. It felt like forever since the last time he had laughed, and he'd been so preoccupied with his out of control magic, moping, that he hadn't had time -or energy- to do anything fun.

Bunny too flopped backwards, only he didn't bother catching himself on his elbows, his long furry ears perked up and tilted towards Jack's buoyant laughter. There was a soft, affectionate look in his brilliant green eyes as he watched Jack.

Jack's breath caught in his throat as he stared back at the human, caught in his gaze like it was made of honey. Bunny had stunning eyes, Jack was always amazed by just how bright they were and it was so easy to get caught up in them-

Jack blinked himself back to the present, confused and flustered by his thoughts and the human's unwavering attention.

They were just eyes. There wasn't anything special about them, no matter how pretty they may be.

Desperate to distract himself, and Bunny, he quickly rolled to his feet and went to collect his staff from where it had escaped his grasp when Bunny crashed into him, before turning to look at Bunny again. The human was already on his feet and waiting for him, another mischievous smile on his face.

Jack eyed him dubiously, unsure what to make of his sudden shift into a playful mood. He wasn't used to seeing this particular side of the usually stoic human. "Ya ready fer yer first road trip, mate?" He queried innocently.

"Bring it on." Jack challenged, unable to help himself. Moments later he thought to regret that choice when Bunny grinned evilly at him and tapped his foot against the ground.

Jack had a brief moment to think 'oh shi-" before he was swallowed up by the yawning maw that opened up right beneath his feet. The next thing he knew he was hurtled down another crazy slide, only this time it was one he had absolutely no control over.

He yelped in pure unadulterated joy as he was swept away. The slide continued like that for a good while before the tunnel started to widen and the ground evened out.

Jack's slide moved into a slight run as his feet found purchase and he was able to slow his descent.

He turned at the sound of pounding footsteps behind him just in time to watch Bunny round that last corner and come to a stop beside him. The human rose on his back legs to smirk down at Jack with an incredibly smug aura.

"Very funny, old man, but you might want to work on your delivery, it left a 'hole lot of ground' to work on." He teased, feeling awfully proud of his horrible pun.

Bunny snorted all the same, "Yer the one who stopped an' let me catch up. An ta think ah gave ya a head start too."

Jack huffed, pointing his staff at the offending party in mock offence, momentarily forgetting his apprehension of his staff and how unstable his magic currently was. "Oh! It is on." He crowed, pivoting and darting into the tunnel behind him, Wind easily lifting him off his feet.

Behind him he distinctly heard Bunny mutter something that sounded like "Ah, ya dun wanna race a rabbit, mate."

Jack's answering laugh tumbled around the stone walls of the tunnel as he raced to keep ahead of his companion.

Their race ended abruptly when the tunnel they had been traveling through opened up and spit Jack out into the open air.

Jack, caught off guard, did a weird sort of pirouette flip as he tried to register the jarring change in location. Wind then promptly dumped him into the largest pile of snow Jack Frost had ever had the pleasure of meeting.

He came up spluttering, snow falling from his hair and shoulders, as he squinted around himself in awe.

It was devastatingly bright, and he was momentarily blinded as his eyes attempted to catch up with the rest of him. It was so drastically different from the Tower.

It was amazing. Everywhere he looked was snow. A blanket of white fluff reached out in all directions, slowly melding with the dazzling blue sky in the distance.

Beautiful. And so different from anything Jack was used to.

He climbed to his feet and turned in a slow circle as he tried to drink it all in. His eyes, at last, came to rest on Bunny, standing off to the side as he watched Jack experience the moment uninterrupted. "Ah thought ya might like this." He admitted.

"It's perfect." Jack agreed. Bunny nodded and closed up the tunnel, the usual flower lost in an avalanche of soft snow.

Neither Jack, nor Aster thought about a similar flower that blossomed on the other end of the tunnel, sitting as the lone sentinel at the base of an empty tower.

An update! Finally. I'm sorry for the long wait but it's finally here. I hope you all enjoyed it, and are excited for the next chapter.

And for anyone interested in a more personal update, I've recently started a new prescription for my anxiety. I've mentioned it before, but I'm not sure I was able to stress just how bad my anxiety is. I have a panic disorder and it's effectively stopped any semblance of a normal life for me.

I've only started the pills yesterday but already I'm being more productive. I don't feel afraid of my shadow and I feel like I'm not drowning in depression anymore. I feel like a normal person. But, like I said I just started them so we'll see if this stays true. Wish me luck.

Especially since if these pills work I might be able to update faster.

Please leave a review and let me know how you liked the chapter. See you all soon.