Alone - Jack Frost x Reader

You shout in frustration. You're in the barn - on one wall, the cages are divided into two breeds, and on the wall you're looking at - the back wall - there's the big boys. The Rhinelanders. And you're crouched on the bottom level, staring into a nesting box with the doe sitting in the shadow of the corner of the cage, startled by your noise. You're looking at the bodies of not two, not three, but eight - eight! - babies. All fully furred - this wasn't their place to die. "Stupid cold snap. Stupid Winter. Stupid... Frost - Stupid Jack Frost," you curse silently, hunting for things of Winter to curse and blame for the death of this litter. You didn't despise everything about the season, in fact it was rather nice. You'd simply lost three litters this winter so far, and it wasn't even mid-December. At that moment, that bizarre, enraged moment - this litter had been from the finest in the barn - you wanted to meet this "Jack Frost". You wanted to meet him so you could punch him squarely in the jaw.

For what?
For the death of three litters of baby rabbits and two adults. For the fact that your sister wouldn't be able to play sports as actively and vehemently as she should because of a bad crash involving ice. For all the crashes, all the cold, all the stupid, stupid winter weather...

You freeze, hearing something behind you. You turn, but nothing's there. You frown, then shrug, and pull the box out. What were you to do? take them in. Heat them up. See if any were salvageable, still alive, just very cold...

You silently curse Jack Frost again, vehemently wishing to hurt him. Then you trip, turning and falling on your back instinctively. Cement was far better than a nestbox. That'd be just awful.

You open your eyes slowly, and a concerned face peering down on you. He had a blue hoodie, frosted over, and pale skin, looking as if he'd been out in the weather too long. White hair. Blue eyes. Then you registered what that all meant - a total stranger was in your barn. Your personal rabbit barn. On your property. You jerk up, standing. "Get out! Who are you!?" you snap, looking around for anything that could be used as a weapon. You opt a tattooing needle.

"Hey, calm down! I've been here all evening," he defended. You were jarred by how much... older he sounded. But he didn't look it. You recover, though.

"You shouldn't be here! This is private property!" you shout, hearing all the cages rattle with checking rabbits. He flinched himself.

"Look," he began quietly. "I know, I know, but I'm sorry."
"Then why are you here, if you're sorry? If you're some kind of hobo, tell me, and I'll forgi-"

"Not that," he interrupts readily. "The babies. I... I didn't mean to."
"You didn't kill them," you seethe.

"Yeah, umm, I kinda did..."
"Are you suggesting you're Jack Frost?" you growl, rolling your eyes. As if.

"Um, not suggesting," he replies, leaning against his stick and, suddenly, you feel the air get colder. Looking down, you see the floor is covered with ice. You frown deeper, realizing he isn't wearing shoes. Or socks. "I am Jack Frost."
You have to admit it.

That can't just... happen.

So you drop the tattooing mechanic and punch him in the shoulder. "Ow-! What-!?"

"That's for the babies, Frost," you tell him sourly before hitting him again. "And that for the adults."

"Hey! I had no choice!" he defended. You pull back, looking puzzled.

"Yes you did. You control the weather!" You shoot back.

"Yeah, but that's the way things work." He shrinks back and leaned against a cage. He looks honestly rather upset, you have to admit. "I have to bring winter. And you'll always lose rabbits to it. I... I can't help it. I wish I could. I don't like killing animals anymore than I like being... Alone." Suddenly, his anguish melted away. You see it in his eyes. He slowly brings his gaze up to meet yours, suddenly warm and even... happy. "Wait. I'm not alone. You... You can see me!" He leaped up, smiling broadly. You can't help but flinch back as he dances around the open space.

"I'm not alone. I'm not!" He sprang forward and hugged you, completely overtaken. You freeze, shocked for a moment as realization creeps over him and he pulls away. "Er... Ahh, sorry. I got... carried away. I... I haven't seen anyone else able to see me in over two hundred years."

Your eyes widen. "Two-hundred?"

"...Yeah. I've... lost count of the exact, really." You can't help but feel sorry for him, the rabbits forgotten. "Here. Let me take you for a walk, miss...?"
"(Name.)," you tell him. He smiles.

"Well, (name), let's go!" he cheers, whisking out the door. You frown, looking back at the rabbits. They'd be fine. You reluctantly follow the teen out. You step out, and gasp. The trees all around your house and barn are just covered in snow, sticking to them like leaves. The entire forest was white. You feel snow falling all around the bright area, and turn a few times. It had been totally dry when you'd gotten into the barn...

"No, don't think it's just for you," Jack tells you suddenly, breaking the muted silence. "This started when I got here."
"Oh, yeah, Frost," you reply ruefully. "Like I'd ever think you'd do anything just for me."

He flashed a pretty smile and began to walk. You hesitate, then he turns to watch you. You sigh and follow. You were compelled to do so for some reason.

As you walk, it's silent. You only really ever look over once or twice every few minutes, just to make sure you aren't alone now. You even look behind you a few times to be sure that he's really there.

Every time, you're struck by the fact that he's really... Not bad looking. Rather pretty, in a masculine way. Jack turns to look at you, and you immediately would snap your face forward. "We ought to turn back," you insist after awhile. Jack stops.

"What for?"
"Umm, the snow's thick enough that I don't know exactly where I am," you admit, "But I know these woods well enough, and I can tell you this - there should be a really deep ravine around here.

"How steep?"
"Fairly."
"Would it kill you if you fell?"
"No." You frown.
"Alright then. No problem. We're safe." he replies cheerfully. You shake your head.

You go on, but you occasionally stop to look around, trying to decide where exactly you are. Each time you note Jack stopping, looking a bit insecure a few steps ahead, so you shrug and continue. He seems very anxious that you plan to just leave. You can't help but feel bad.

Then, it happens. You suddenly drop, the silence splintered by noise. You forgot... the ground around the ravine is full of hollow tunnels. And you're in them, sliding down through them like a sled. You hear Jack jump in behind you, and laughing. You grapple at the sides, but can't stop as you tumble through, feeling like you're on a waterslide. You turn once or twice, and see Jack, looking as if he was on some kind of board. Then the light hits, and you tumble out onto the snow at the bottom of the ravine, the silence restored. Jack stumbles out next to you, and the two of you lay in the snow, panting - you from screaming, him from laughing. You find yourself laughing, too.

Despite it all, that was fun. You realize something - you really were happy to be there.

"Well! Didn't expect that," Jack says, smiling. He sits up.

You do the same. "It was terrifying," you tell him.

He leans close to your face, smiling. You can't help but feel your own face burn. He really was pretty. "Then why were you laughing?"
"I don't know!" you defend, pulling away. "Anyway, with all the snow, now I don't know how to get out of here."

"I'll get it," Jack tells you. He grabs you around the waist, resulting in your face getting a deeper shade of red. He leaps into the air, and you can just tell the wind is carrying him. Jack lands on the ground softly, letting you down. You immediately turn away to hide your face.

"I... I should go home," you say, turning to him. Luckily, no one else lived in your home - you'd broken away from your royally screwed up family legally a year ago. You saw Jack's face fall.

"Well, can I walk with you then?" he asks, looking down.

"Sure." you couldn't bring yourself to turn him down.

This time, there was some talk on the way, and you couldn't help but feel affection for him. He really was nice. As you reached your cottage, you turned, smiling. "Well, this is where I leave, I suppose," Jack said.

"Yeah, Frost, I suppose it is."
He turned to leave.

"And... Frost?" He turns back to you, and you hug him. "I just wanted to say that I don't hate you, or winter, or anything. It's just frustrating to lose progress, that's all... I mean, I didn't... I was startled and all when I saw you. I didn't mean to make you feel like I didn't want company, because I'm alone, too... I mean... Thanks, Jack." He pulls back with a smile, taking a step off the porch.

"I should be thanking you. For being willing to give me a chance. I'll be back soon," he promised. With that, he leaped into the air, and was gone.