Title: Black Painting

Summary: Is hope too much for him to handle? And the truth behind the tragedy.

Pairing: Human!Bunnymund/Pitch

Rate: T?

Disclaimer: I own nothin'~! But, well, if you insist, I'll gladly accept Jack and Bunny and Pitch to be my property. No? Okay. Still own nothing.

Pointless Rambling: Finally, I've done this chapter~! *is crying tears of joy*

I don't know, even though this didn't turned out as I wanted it, it just made my heart went all lighter. Maybe because this is no tragedy. Well, yeah.

So, do you also have the 'story corner' in your school's paper, or is it only here? Because, I don't really know, and I'm sorry if there's a mismatch with the reality.

Other than that, enjoy~! :D

With a satisfied smile, Jackson Overland Frost stared at the copy of the newly printed monthly school papers. With a proud sigh, he hugged the book close to his heart. It was until the loud banging of the door with a very red-faced Aster standing by the entrance.

"Oi! What the 'ell 'r ya thinkin'? Ya can't just use someone's name withou' permission! And Ah've nevah given ya tha' permission!"

"Oh, chill out, Ast. It's not like you hate the story," he replied.

"Ah 'ate it!"

Jack shot a hurt look. "You hate my story?" he asked tearfully.

"No, yes… it's—argh! Yes, Ah 'ate it! Why d'ya hafta use mah name?"

The white haired boy pouted when his teary act didn't work. "It's so obvious that you two would make a good couple."

"Ain't the case, Frostbite! An', no! We won't make a goo' couple!"

A knock on the already opened door. They looked at the entrance almost as instantly. "Excuse me… uh… do I interrupt something? Should I just—"

"No, no! Welcome! Come in, and please take a seat, Clifford!" Jack offered the black haired student.

"No, Jack, it's fine here. I just wanted to say that I like your story, but if possible, do you mind stop using real people's name in your future stories?" he asked with a tone that was like making sure the other wouldn't be offended, but his expression was flat.

With a wide annoying grin, Jack nodded. "Thank you," the other said and quickly took off before Jack could stop him. And Jack caught Aster staring at the spot where the black haired student previously stood.

"Aw… someone's got a crush~!" Jack teased rather loudly and it snapped Aster back to reality.

"No, Ah have not!"

"Really? Both of you shot each other googie-eyes at the exhibition!"

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not!"

"Did too."

"Did not!"

"Ditto~!"

"Did—"

"Did to—"

"Shut yer trap!"

And the grin on Jack face only grew wider as the red on Aster's face grew deeper. "Admit it. You've got a crush on him since the day he moved here."

"Shut up."

"And you didn't really mind that he beat you, right?"

Aster's face gave it away as it became softer and softer until only a pout left. "Thought so."

The gray-silver haired teen only rolled his eyes as he made his way out of the editor's room. "We still have a class," he said.

Jack followed with half-running-half-skipping steps. The mischievous grin still on his face, and Aster couldn't help but to wonder if Jack ever felt his face muscles cramped from all the grinning.

He groaned.

His passion was painting. But for the first time in his life, he felt like taking the art club was a big mistake.

A big mistake he couldn't cover with sticks and leaves, and even with concrete cement.

The British was in it too, and he could feel heat crept up his face every time he found himself staring at the other. And he mentally slapped himself when Clifford caught him staring and smiled at him.

"Now, I want you to make a project," the blonde teacher said with a childish smile on his face, "I don't care what it is, be it sculpture, painting, sketch, whatever. And the best two will be put in the gallery for the next exhibition on fall. And I will only give you two weeks."

"Oooh, I like project," Jack giddily did a fist pump.

"And—this is the best part—I want you to do it with a partner." Students started to chatter at each other to find themselves a partner. "And we decide the partner by taking a ballot. You on my left, write your name in these pieces of paper put it into that box while you on my right will have to pick a name. And no cheating."

"Whaat?" Jack asked in disbelieve. "Oh, come on, Sandy. What if I end up with him?" Jack retorted and shot a look to a bald student wearing a tight shirt and a pair of cargo jeans.

"Shut it, Frost! If someone has the right to say that, it's me!" the student snapped back.

And while Jack and the not-so-important student were throwing each other's names, Aster only wrote down his name and hoped in his mind that he wouldn't be paired with the British bloke who was now smiling at him again after catching him staring for the second time that day.

"Okay, now, get up and take a name," Sanderson said again.

Jack quickly ran and took a name from the box before the other had the chance to. He opened the rolled paper and read it out loud, "Aster."

Unison of disappointed groan was heard as the girls were grieving that they couldn't get either Jack or Aster. Well, at least they could hope for—"I got Jamie Bennett," Clifford said with a slight smile on his face—more reason to groan in disappointment.

Aster sighed in relief. Until Jack ran to Jamie and Clifford with his fake teary eyes. "Please? Can we just swap partners? I want to be with Jamie so, so, soooo bad," he plead to the British.

"Wha—'ey, Jack!" he called. But the fate was being cruel today.

It looked like the black haired student just had a soft spot for fake teary eyes. "You've gotten yourself a fine young man, James," he said with an amused glint on his eyes as he swapped partners with Jack.

Jamie only laughed a bit at that before he too wrapped his arms around the smaller male clinging to him. "Yeah, just my luck," he said after waving a hand to the British.

Again, Aster mentally slapped himself when Clifford smiled to him and said, "So, do you really want to call me 'Pitch' like in your friend's story, or should we just keep it this way?"

"Wha' way?"

"I call you 'Langley' and you call me 'Bla—?"

"'Aster''s fine, and I'll just call ya 'Pitch'," he answered a bit too quickly and also a bit too eager.

It was a bit awkward for Aster. And Jack just had to come and said things like, "Aster and Clifford, sitting on a tree, k-i-s-s—mmph!"

"I'm sorry… I'll just drag him outside, yeah?" Jamie said as soon as he clamped down his hand on Jack's mouth.

Shaking his head, Aster could only sigh. 'Jack, why do you have to go and make thing even more awkward that it already was?' he scolded in his mind.

So, they ended up sitting in a coffee shop with papers and pencils scattered on the table. "How about using Halloween as the theme? It's for the fall after all," Aster said while sipping his hot chocolate.

"I think it's too… ordinary. And a bit weak. And probably some other team already had the idea since it's easy."

"Right…" he sighed and looked crestfallen.

Pitch stared for a moment before he opened his mouth again. "I'm too demanding, huh?"

"No. Well, yes, but not really, ugh… it's not that I don't like that, ugh. Yes, yer demanding, but… damn it. Yes. Ya are demanding, but it's a good kind of demanding, not the bad kind, and… oh, I'll just shut it."

With a soft laugh, Pitch said, "Oh, don't. I like your accent."

"Really?" Aster was up instantly, "Most people said it's annoyin'. And I had ta get mahself getting' used to not usin' slangs, and it was really hard to do tha' when ya've been already growin' up with it and… uh… I talked too much."

In the end, the concept was still not yet to be decided and they just sat there for hours and talked about things, ordering another cup, and just having a nice conversation. And they finally walked out from the shop and were walking home together since they actually lived only a block away.

"And, yes, he came to my house and had to stay overnight just to ask those questions. I think he will make a very good author."

"Yea, that's just how Jack is; always the serious one in takin' his work. If only he could do tha' in his study."

A sound of laughter.

"So… there is something that caught my interest when he talked to me, though."

"Wha' is it?"

"Jack said that you had a crush on me."

Aster almost choked on his own breath. "No, I don't!" he snapped with red face. "Jack was lyin'! He just really likes ta make fun of me!"

That amused glint again. "That's too bad," he said, head cocked to a side and cheek lazily resting on his shoulder, "I think I might have a crush on you too."

"Yea, that's—wait. You do?"

A sincere nod.

"Oh…that's… uh… heheh… I don't know wha' ta say…"

"Well, say… I don't know. Quote a line or two from Jack's story? It turns out that I'm quite fond of it."

"Uh…"

"Should I do it instead of you?"

"Don't…"

"Then you do it," came out almost like a purr.

"I…"

"Please?" was only as a joke.

Suddenly—and he didn't know where the urge came—he just pressed his lips to Pitch's slightly colder ones. It took the black haired teen by surprise.

They just stood there, lips were pressed against each other's. After what felt like eternity, they pulled apart. Pitch's breathings were more shallow and heavy compared to Aster's.

"Can I have the your second too?"

Pitch averted his gaze. "I… didn't think you would do that…" he said, not looking to Aster. He turned to a broken white colored house. "That's my house… I should just… well…"

Aster stood dumbstruck. He never knew he could do something as stupid as this. He was about to run away and hope the earth would nicely swallow him whole when a pair of lips, warmed from the kiss, pressed onto his. Only a second or so, but it just made his heart felt like it was about to explode.

"There… you have my second."

He almost screamed in joy as the British smiled warmly at him.

"Uh… I'll… see ya when I see ya, then?" he tried so hard not to stutter.

Another laugh. "I was thinking if you want to have a cup of tea, but we've drunk too much already, so… maybe you'll come over for dinner? It gets very lonely when I'm eating alone."

"What're ya makin'?"

"Potato salad, roasted ribs, and chocolate cake for dessert."

"Sounds good."

And they just walked into the warm building, hand in hand.

When his parents was scolding him for not giving them at least a message about him coming home late, Aster just smiled and hugged his mother and said sorry for making them worried. He didn't roll his eyes, or told them that they should stop treating him like a child, or laughed it off saying that there wasn't any reason to be worried.

Besides, the scolding was worth it.

END

Ta-dah~! I'm done grieving. This turned out more sappy and longer than I intended it to be, but I don't have regret.

There was another idea that I originally wanted to use, but in the end against doing so. I made Jack an author and somewhere between the lines, he just made the story and while Bunny didn't like being 'exploited', Pitch was quite fond of the story, except for the part that he didn't really die and his sickness was not as serious. That was the original plotline, but it just changed so much into this. *shrugs*

Well, mind giving me a review?

Love and chocolate cake,
Shirasaka Konoe