Chapter Text
In which even the Boogeyman grieves:
“Pitch!” Jack shouts from the air when he finally spots the Boogeyman down below. Finally. Jack hasn't seen the man all week. Not to say that they saw each other every week, but, well, they saw each other at least once every week by now. Sometimes, depending on how much their paths cross and how busy they are, it's more or less frequent. But still.
The boy is use to seeing Pitch. He finds that he misses the older spirit when he isn't around too often. The other Guardians may not exactly like it, but he's become... friends with Pitch. Maybe even more. He hasn't admitted it, not even to himself yet, but he's starting to see Pitch as, well... family. A father or an older brother, or something. The wind was his first friend and Pitch definitely means as much to him as she does.
Pitch doesn't move. He doesn't even look at him. Jack feels a slash of hurt until he realizes where they are. A cemetery. Or, more accurately, a specific stone in the cemetery. A new one. The dirt is still fresh in front of the marker. No grass, or even weeds, have started to grow yet. Jack gets a bad feeling about this.
As he lands and stands next to Pitch, he looks at the stone himself. A knot forms in his stomach. No, it's not good. Not good at all.
Emma Mason
June 12 th 2009 – November 28 th 2014
A small picture of an angel is carved above the words.
Jack doesn't know what to do. It's obvious this was one of Pitch's children. It's also obvious that Pitch is upset. But Jack has no idea of how to comfort the older spirit. Sure, he's good with kids, but he doubts Pitch will appreciate that particular approach. Awkwardly he lays a hand on Pitch's shoulder. He still doesn't respond. At this point, he wonders if the spirit is even aware that Jack is there. But then, he speaks.
“She died in my arms,” he says simply and Jack can't help the horror or the shudder that passes through him. He knows Pitch can't save everyone. Logically he knows that. It's like logically he knows that his storms can cause chaos and harm as well as fun. But that doesn't mean he has to like it.
Most of the time he tries to ignore it. Because Jack and strong emotions do not go particularly well together. He's caused a number of blizzards that way. No one wants a depressed winter spirit. Spring never comes that way. He's gotten crap from the groundhog for that. Anger isn't any better. And the less said about '68, the better. So no, he acknowledges his dark side, but he tries not to dwell on it.
Now though, that is hardly going to help. Jack tightens his hand, fidgets and debates and then throws caution out the window by hugging Pitch instead. He wraps his arms tightly around the older spirit, burying his face in Pitch's chest. He hopes Pitch doesn't push him away. It's not as if Pitch has never hugged him before, but this would be the first time Jack started it. But, no, Pitch wraps his arms around Jack in return. Jack melts into the embrace. As embarrassing as it is, he sort of adores Pitch's hugs. A lot.
“She bled out before I could stop her parents,” he continues darkly, “That will be the last mistake they will ever make.”
He shivers at the fury in Pitch's voice, but he understands. He doesn't know exactly what Pitch is going to do to them, but he can imagine. He can't say he disapproves either, truthfully. Winter itself is fierce and Jack is rather protective of his children. Even ones he's never met before.
“I'm sorry,” Jack tells him, feeling useless. He knows it's a stupid thing to say. It never helps, but he doesn't know what else to do. He is the Guardian of Fun. He should be able to do something. But he thinks Pitch might actually find a way to murder him if he throws a snowball at him right now. And his heart isn't exactly in it right now either.
So he continues to stand there, hugging the Boogeyman and being hugged in return. He has to snort to himself at just how odd that statement sounds, taken out of context. Who would expect the Boogeyman to be the type to hug someone? No one other than his children, that's for sure.
“It is the way of things,” Pitch replies, “there will always be darkness in the world. There will always be death and violence. No matter how we may wish otherwise, evil always exists alongside the good.”
“Doesn't mean it sucks any less,” Jack mutters.
“No,” Pitch sighs, “it does not.”
They stay like that for a long time.