Frosted Memories

Afterwards

After the three returned to the Pole and got the drunken spirit inside, they didn't leave his side. North kept a bit of distance to work on blueprints and prototype toys in their private lounge room, away from the partying workers.

Jamie and Jack worked on making a blanket-couch-pillow-fort together. Jack often said some completely random things at times, even narrating himself and narrating what they were doing, but other than that, the slurring, and the hiccups, they had fun.

Jamie wouldn't let Jack stand up or walk very much, but the spirit shuffled around on his knees if he needed. Jamie didn't want his friend to fall and hurt himself, which was likely if he did stand. Once the fort had been finished, the two boys sat back and admired their work.

It was ginormous, it was like a giant two room tent. It could fit maybe 8 people if they tried. "North! Look'it!" Jack slurred excitedly, looking at the man at the desk in the corner while pointing proudly at the castle fort.

Jamie smiled with pride as well. North looked up from his work and gaped at the massive fort the two had built. "That is huge!" North exclaimed in awe. Jack giggled happily, wobbling a little as he sat while Jamie grabbed extra pillows and blankets for them to sleep with.

Jack had never really had any friends stay over like this, he'd never attended or had a sleep over with anyone but his sister, but that was different. "That is amazing, good job!" North exclaimed proudly, praising the boys for their efforts.

Jack giggled once more and shuffled into the fort as Jamie placed the pillows and blankets down. Jack curled up under a thin blanket, almost like a ball, with a deep sleepy sigh. North couldn't really see the boys anymore but smiled fondly at the two, then continued with his work.

Jamie sat next to Jack, getting under his own blanket. "Never did this before," Jack suddenly spoke with a happy, yet with a somewhat somber tone. Jamie looked down at his friend whose eyes were nearly closed.

The spirit wasn't really looking at him, just looking at the air in front of him as he continued. "Em and I had sleepovers sometimes- *hic* bu'not like this." Jack's eyes drooped closed as Jamie's smile grew softer.

"Never had-" he hiccuped and then yawned, "Never had friends to sleep over," and he fell asleep, snoring ever so softly. Jamie's smiled faultered. Did Jack mean he didn't have friends, or just didn't have friends sleep over?

Maybe he'd ask Jack about that later. Jamie sighed softly, pulling the blanket over his dear friend's shoulder more. It wasn't a thick blanket and they opened a window so the room was a bit chilly so the spirit would be comfortable.

Jamie huddled under a few blankets to keep warm and North wore his thick coat. "I will leave you boys alone, get some rest." North stood was a small, somewhat sad smile after hearing Jack's words.

Jamie couldn't see North but smiled, "Goodnight, North." He replied to the man. "Goodnight, thank you for all you've done for him." North replied to Jamie, turning and dimming the lights to nearly completely dark, and then leaving.

Jamie smiled at North's words and laid down to sleep. He stayed awake for just a while, thinking about things, mostly about Jack and his memories. He wondered if the damn in his friend's mind would break, and when it would break.

He didn't want Jack to go through that pain again. He looked at the boy next to him, sleeping soundly. Sighing again, he finally closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep.

The next morning, Jamie woke to an empty fort. Jack wasn't there. Jamie shot up in a groggy panic, but just as he did, Jack slowly walked in, holding his gut and groaning quietly. Jamie stared at him as he slowly laid back down next to Jamie, curling up completely under his blanket with a sniffle.

Jamie's mind finally caught up to him and he realized what was going on. Jack has a hangover and must have thrown up. Jack hadn't really even processed Jamie was awake when he'd come back into their fort, nor did he care at the moment.

He felt like absolute garbage and he wanted to stay under his blanket for eternity. Jamie put a gentle hand on Jack's shoulder and rubbed it, speaking softly. "How's it goin?" Jack let out a miserable groan at the question and Jamie chuckled quietly.

"Yeah, I know." The teen replied, recieving a sniffle as the spirit curled into a tighter ball. "Learned an important lesson?" Jamie whispered again, recieving a small nod from under the blanket.

Jamie couldn't help but smile. Though he didn't like that Jack was in pain and miserable, he thought some part of it was a bit funny. "I'll go make you something to eat to settle your stomache, get some more sleep if you can." Jamie didn't recieve a reply after that so he assumed Jack may have already fallen asleep again.

Before leaving, he set a trash can next to his friend and then left to make breakfast. Jack hadn't fallen asleep again, but was close. He'd woken up early on in the morning, before the sun even rose, feeling like sick.

He'd laid there for probably 2-3 hours with a splitting headache until an intense wave of nausea hit him and he spent the next 3 hours in the bathroom, switching between laying on the floor trying to sleep and emptying his stomache.

His stomache twisted and turned as he laid in his and Jamie's fort. He remembered some of the previous night, he remembered the sleigh ride to Jamie's, he didn't quite remember getting to the teen's home though.

He remembered arriving back at the Pole with the teen and building the fort, but thats it. Other than that, he didn't remember much. He hoped he didn't make too much of a fool of himself in front of the others, he absolutely dreaded seeing them now.

"Jack?" Came a quiet, yet gruff Russian accent. It was North. Jack felt too ill for words so he groaned in response. He heard someone trying to quietly and carefully enter the fort and felt them sit next to him.

He felt a large burly hand begin to rub his back with just the right amount of pressure to soothe him a bit. The boy let out a heavy sigh as his nausea began to subside and his body ached less.

North smiled as he heard the sigh and felt the small frame relax a bit. He just sat with the boy, rubbing his back in comfortable silence. Jack didn't mind this either, he enjoyed it actually.

Somehow the two of them knew what the other wanted to say. Jack wanted to express how sorry and embarrassed he was for what he'd done and North wanted to gently chastise the boy for not being cautious, but they would talk about it another time, they knew.

So they remained, North silently comforting the ill spirit, and Jack silently thanking the elder for his presence.

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Hello Snowflakes,

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'm sorry for kind of disappearing for a while without saying anything.

I hope you all are well  <3

*Jack Frost*