Miles To Go Before I Sleep

Father Figure

Father Figure

...

For a long time Father's Day hadn't meant anything to Jack Frost. Unlike on Mother's Day, when he'd go and have lunch with Mother Nature (that is, until he remembered his human life and he found himself with one extra person to visit), he didn't really have anyone worth celebrating (because Father Time was definitely out of the question and Old Man Winter scared him…). Of course, that is, until now. As expected he went to his father's grave for a while to pay his respects and to chat to the guy he could barely remember, but there was one additional person who had recently come into his life whom Jack couldn't not consider a sort of father figure.

...

...

Nicholas St. North was a busy man, always working hard to make sure each Christmas was just as brilliant as the last, if not more so. If someone had asked him, he would have quite accurately given them the date, time and exactly how long it was until Christmas, down to the last second. Had you asked if there was any special event occurring on said day, well, that would have been a little harder.

North didn't really have a need to celebrate Father's Day, what with his father having been long gone by this point and his own lack of children, adopted or otherwise. Sure, sometimes he felt like the Guardians' newest member was something like the son he never had, but he was sure such a notion would make the boy uncomfortable and didn't want to press the matter.

So when Jack turned up of his own devices early that afternoon, North was a tad confused to say the least.

"Jack!" he greeted joyously, looking up from the clipboard he'd been signing. "What brings you to Pole?"

In that moment Jack was the epitome of awkward. He was fidgeting, avoiding eye contact and looked ready to bolt at a moment's notice. Suddenly thinking there might be an important matter to attend to, North handed the clipboard to a passing yeti and gave the winter spirit his full attention.

"Is everything alright?" he asked gently.

"Oh, um, yeah, everything's fine," Jack replied nervously, looking up to meet the older man's eyes only momentarily. He absently switched his staff to the other hand. "Just… I just wanted to come by and… say hi." He winced at his own words, as if that hadn't been what he'd wanted to say.

"Oh, well hello, then," North smiled anyway. "You know you are always welcome here."

"I know, thanks."

"How is off-season?"

"Not bad. I miss playing with the kids, though," Jack finally looked him in the eye, seeming to have relaxed slightly. North counted that as a win.

"Is only for few months, then you can go have all the snowball fights you like!"

"Yeah."

It was silent for a moment, neither really knowing how to carry on the conversation.

"So, um, you're probably busy so I'd best be going," Jack pointed weakly to the window he'd flown in through and started to slowly walk towards it.

North watched him go, trying to judge if Jack would reveal his true reasons for turning up and earlier uncomfortableness or if he'd have to try and drag it out of him. The latter proved unnecessary, however, as Jack paused mid-step and hung his head.

"No, wait," the boy sighed, turning back to face him. "That's not why I came here."

North smiled knowingly. "Is there something you wanted to talk about?"

Jack stopped before him and, looking steadfastly at the ground, reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out something wrapped in newspaper, holding it out to him.

"What is this?" North asked, gently taking aforementioned object, honest to goodness confused.

"Sorry about the wrapping," Jack said guiltily. "I used what I could find."

"Is fine, Jack," North said. Slightly bemused, he pried off the newspaper, letting its contents fall gently into his hand. It was a small photo of them all that he remembered being taken during one of their rowdier 'meetings', framed in wood decorated with paint, sand, feathers and frost. It had a very homemade feel to it, but North couldn't help but feel that just made it all the more special and beautiful.

"The others helped," Jack quickly explained, watching his expression intently.

"Is wonderful," North said, clapping a hand on Jack's shoulder. "And I should know."

His approval seemed to relieve Jack as some of the tenseness evaporated from his shoulders.

"But why sudden gift?"

And the tension was back. "Oh… um…" Jack awkwardly switched staff hands again and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well… you know today is Father's Day… and I figured you're kinda like a father figure… so…"

Jack didn't get the chance to finish before North swept him up in a bone-crushing hug that he was clearly not prepared for.

"Um… North," he wheezed, "I can't breathe."

"Oh, sorry," North smiled sheepishly, setting the boy back onto his feet. "Thank you, Jack. I will treasure it."

Jack looked pleased, but awkwardly so and made to step towards the window again. "Okay, well, I really should go."

"Come back anytime; you are always welcome."

Jack nodded and with a small smile flew off in a burst of wind.

North watched him go, then looked back down at the photo he was still holding. He knew the perfect spot for it. Setting the frame down on the desk in his office, he got back to work on double checking the list, glancing up every now and then to gaze at the photo and wonder what he had done to become so blessed that he deserved to have such a wonderful family.