I guess I still haven't got them out of my head. Which means I'll still be here, writing these fics.
BlackIce, mentioned Jack/Aster
Pitch attempts to court a disinterested Jack.
It all started simple enough. Pitch would often visit Jack, bringing him dead rodents and snakes, and spending long hours simply talking to him. They would sit in the trees, Jack watching Pitch preen glossy black feathers, intrigued, but not terribly interested. The younger would politely decline offers to go flying, and instead head to the waterfall, to spend time with Aster, or Toothiana.
But as the weeks passed, Pitch grew more aggressive in attempts to spend time with Jack. He would show up at the younger's nest at obscure times, fluffing his feathers and bowing, cawing quietly, golden eyes shining in the light of the moon. Jack would ignore him, sending Pitch scornful looks and settling back down in his nest, trying to block out the sound of smooth calls as he attempted to sleep. Jack would wake up in the morning, white hair and white feathers ruffled, bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. And he would find a pile of dead mice waiting by his nest, no indication that anyone had been there except for stray black feathers. There was no mistaking whose feathers those were, unless there was a new bird in the forest. And Jack knew there wasn't.
Pitch really got on Jack's nerves when the older bird decided to start building a nest in a tree only wingspans away. Which meant Jack got to see Pitch night and day, even if the elder wasn't below his nest, shaking his feathers and trying to impress Jack. Jack was seriously considering building a new nest, just to get away from Pitch. He liked the man, but Jack really didn't think he had interest in that type of relationship. Even though it was very obvious what Pitch wanted, Jack wasn't sure he was exactly ready. For one thing, Jack had never exactly been interested in a long-term relationship. He had already been in one failed courtship with Aster, and though the two still talked, their interactions were brief, and Jack didn't want to go through more heartbreak. Especially when Pitch made such aggressive moves.
It was late one evening, the sun setting and fireflies starting to dance through the trees, when Pitch landed on the branch under Jack's nest, a dead snake clutched in his talons. He set it down, dipping and fluffing his black tail feathers, stomping one of his talons on the branch. Jack's head appeared over the side of his nest, blue eyes glaring down at Pitch.
"Go home! I'm trying to sleep!" Jack called, narrowing his eyes, feathers rustling. Pitch didn't respond, only dipped again, fluffing his glossy feathers even more, and let out a rattling sound. Jack huffed, standing, flapping his wings and landing on the branch, staying his distance from Pitch. "I said go home! I'm not interested!" Pitch turned his head, piercing golden eyes meeting narrowed blue ones. He hopped towards Jack, making that odd rattling sound again and dipping into a bow, wing feathers brushing against the tree. Jack shook his own feathers, not exactly in the mood for this. He picked at the snake with his talons, looking up in time to see Pitch puff out his bare chest, spreading his large wings and shaking his tail feathers. Jack turned red, turning away and preparing to fly back up to his nest and attempt to sleep. Pitch hopped in front of him, however, puffing out his chest even more and drawing his wings around Jack, who stumbled back, biting his lip.
"I am not interested in mating with you, not now, not ever!" Jack snapped, flapping his wings and folding them as he kicked the snake off the branch, trying to make Pitch leave. Pitch looked hurt, feathers slowly going back down. Jack sighed. Finally. "Please, Pitch, just...no." The younger flapped white wings, landing in his nest and closing his eyes. Pitch stared up at the nest, a slight smile on his face. Maybe Jack just wasn't ready tonight. Pitch ducked his head, smoothing a glossy black feather back into place, then took off, back to his own nest.
Another BlackIce MonsterBird Fic for Meggin, because for some odd reason, I'm obsessed with writing about them. Maybe because I like birds? And I like writing? But anyways, here's a more angsty oneshot of them, featuring all their children as well, and I'm sorry Meggin. Because I listened to sad music while writing this.
I had to. Sorry it ended kind of in a rush, it's like 2 in the morning.
"Black Frost, you get down from that branch right now!" Jack scolded, looking up as the young bird hopped back, looking extremely guilty. On the branch, next to Jack, Tim and Jack Black giggled as their brother hopped back down, fluttering his wings as he gave his brothers a look. Jack gave a sigh of relief, ducking his head down to smooth one of Black Frost's feathers back into place. "Stop scaring me like th-where's Pitch Jack?"
Jack stood, blue eyes looking around in panic. The three beside their parent tittered, big eyes looking around for their fourth brother.
"Here he is." came a deeper voice, and with a flap of black wings, Pitch landed, clutching a white-feathered child in one taloned foot. Jack let out a cry of relief, enveloping Pitch Jack in his wings once his father had released him.
"Stop running off!" Jack said sternly, an affectionate look in his eyes as he nuzzled Pitch Jack's white hair, "It's only going to get you in trouble!" Pitch Jack struggled in Jack's embrace, pouting.
"Let go, Mommy! You're embarrassing me!" he whined, finally getting free from Jack and fluttering over to his brothers. Pitch looked at Jack with amusement, rubbing against his mate affectionately.
"He was heading towards the waterfall." Pitch said, gold eyes meeting Jack's blue eyes, "I'm guessing he wanted a bath, or perhaps to socialize a little." Jack chuckled, smoothing one of Pitch's black feathers into place.
"I guess the children haven't been out of the tree in a while." Jack admitted, looking over at the four, who were listening to their parents intently. "And I suppose they're getting restless. All right, we'll take them out for a bit tomorrow."
"Yay!" the four cheered, clustering around their parents in a mix of blue, black, and white feathers. Jack laughed, folding his wings around the four young birds, Pitch joining his mate and offspring a moment later. Tim was the first to break free from the family hug, squawking cheerfully as he fluttered his wings. The other three began pulling away a few minutes later, following their brother down the branch, hopping and fluttering their little wings in excitement. Pitch and Jack straightened up, still nuzzling one another.
"I'll go hunting tonight, and then we can get a bit of sleep for tomorrow." Pitch murmured, smiling as his mate pushed his head against the older man's chest.
"Good. I've been itching to stretch my wings a little, go see our friends." Jack replied, a wide smile on his face as he pulled back. "And I"m sure they'll be glad to see the children." Pitch nodded, looking down at his mate.
"Then I"ll be back with dinner soon." Pitch said softly, stretching his wings and preparing to take off. Jack nodded, moving back and folding his wings as Pitch took off in a whirl of black feathers, off into the jungle.
~X~
It was late, close to midnight when Tim woke up, blinking blue eyes as he yawned, adjusting to the darkness. He shook himself, looking over at his sleeping family, his parents next to one another, his brothers snoring in a colorful heap. Tim blinked, wondering why exactly he had woke up, the only clue a horrible feeling in his belly. Slowly, Tim crawled out of the warm heap of young birds, hopping over to his parents. Swallowing, he moved closer to his parents, wide eyes staring at them.
"Mommy." he whispered, poking his mother's cheek. "Mommy. Wake up." One blue eye opened wearily, and a groan issued from Jack.
"Dear, do you know what time it is?" Jame murmured, closing his eye and pulling Tim closer with his wing. "If you had a nightmare, we can talk about it in the morning, and you can sleep beside me." Tim shook his head, pulling out from under his mother's wing.
"I didn't have a nightmare." Tim whispered loudly, shaking his head again, "I just...I feel like something's wrong." By this time, Pitch had woke up as well, looking groggily at his mate and son.
"What's going on?"
"Tim had a nightmare, Pitch." Jack murmured, eyes still closed. "He'll be fine. Go back to sleep." Tim groaned, rolling his eyes. He stomped his little taloned foot.
"I didn't have a nightmare!" he whined, louder than before.
"Shh!" Jack and Pitch both hissed, but they could hear little yawns and whispers of confusion as the other three children woke, wondering what was going on. Pitch sighed, turning his gaze back to Tim, who turned red under his father's stern gaze.
"All right, Tim, what's wrong?" he asked gently, draping a wing over Jack and settling back down in the nest. Tim bit his lip, shuffling his feet, suddenly wondering if the feeling in his belly was really that important.
"Um....I just..." Tim whispered, big eyes looking down, "I had...I had a bad feeling." Pitch sighed, laying his head down by Jack's.
"A feeling? About what?" the older man asked, looking up at Tim. Tim shrugged, opening his mouth to reply, but a chorus of chirps from his brothers stopped him.
"Sunrise! Sunrise!" Pitch's head shot up, and Jack's eyes opened in surprise.
"What are they talking about? It's not even midnight." Pitch said, narrowing his eyes as he looked into the trees. Jack's head rose as well, eyes widening.
A red and orange glow shone through the trees, growing brighter by the moment. There were shrieks coming from the monkeys, shrieks of warning as Pitch's eyes widened. Jack looked up at his mate, face filled with confusion.
"Pitch?" he asked slowly, watching as his mate moved out of the nest, still squinting at the glow. Pitch swallowed visibly, silent for a moment.
"We need to go." he said quickly, "Now!" Jack scrambled into a sitting position, wrapping a wing around Tim, pulling the young bird close.
"Pitch, what is it?" he asked frantically, eyes wide with panic and confusion.
"Now!" Pitch shouted, pushing Jack towards the edge of the nest. Jack squawked in alarm and annoyance, but the reason of Pitch's urgency became clear as a roaring noise grew, and flames appeared in the trees, thick black smoke filling the night sky. Jack let out a cry, wings flapping as he flew out of the nest, talons closing around Tim and picking him up out of the nest. Pitch flapped his wings, grabbing Jack Black in his talons.
"Come on, kids! Hurry!" Jack called down to Pitch Jack and Black Frost, face filled with fear. The flames roared closer, thick smoke filling the air, causing the two young ones in the nest to cough. Jack let out another terrified cry, reaching out with his other clawed foot, trying to grab another one of his children as more smoke closed around them. Pitch coughed, as more flames spread through the treetops, branches starting to crash down around them. None of them could see that well, and Jack took off, two children clutched in his talons. Pitch was right behind him, trying to avoid branches and other animals trying to get to safety.
After some time of flying through the burning trees, Jack finally landed in the water at the base of the waterfall. He dropped his children on a rock, gasping as he tried to get air in his lungs. Blue eyes looked up as Pitch landed, Jack Black coughing as he splashed in the shallow water, free from his father's grasp. Pitch immediately rubbed against Jack, closing his eyes in relief.
"Are you okay?" he gasped, coughing lightly. Jack nodded, breathing heavily. He looked over at the three children, all dripping wet. Jack's eyes widened in horror.
"Where's Black Frost?" he asked quickly, staring at his children. They all looked at each other, big eyes staring up at their parents in worry. Jack turned to Pitch.
"Did you grab him?" Pitch shook his head, staring at his frantic mate.
"I thought you had him!" Pitch replied, watching as Jack shook himself, water droplets flying everywhere as he prepared to take off again. "Jack, no! You can't go back in there now!"
"One of my children is stuck in there! He'll burn to death if I don't go get him!" Jack cried, trying to get past Pitch. Pitch shook his head, pushing Jack back.
"I can't lose you too, Jack!" Pitch shouted, black feathers ruffled as he tried to block his mate from flying away. "Please! Please." His gold eyes were pleading as he held Jack close. Jack swallowed, eyes filled with tears as he collapsed in Pitch's embrace.
"Pitch, he's our child...my little...my poor baby.." Jack sobbed, letting Pitch hold him close.
"He'll be okay, Jack...maybe he managed to get out, or someone picked him up." Pitch said quietly, reassuringly. They both knew that it was a slim chance. Jack sniffed, closing his eyes. Pitch reached out with one wing, gathering their children close.
"Daddy? Is Black Frost going to be okay?" Tim whispered, staring up at his father. Pitch sighed, bending his head down to nuzzle Tim's dark hair.
"Shh, Tim, everything will be okay." Pitch whispered, avoiding Tim's question about his brother. Jack let out another sob, holding all of his offspring close. The family held one another close, scared of what had happened to their precious son and brother.
~X~
The next morning, the fire was gone, burned out, leaving nothing behind but burned trees and blackened grass. Animals moved slowly, looking at what had once been their home. Pitch and Jack left their three remaining children with a good friend, Toothiana, a lovely young hummingbird, and had went in search of their home. They searched for a long time, and finally found their burned nest, the tree surprisingly still standing, the bark blackened and peeling. And there, the two had found a tiny, burned body, curled up in the remains of their nest.
Jack was the first to reach out, letting out soft sobs as he cradled the burned, broken body of his son, rocking Black Frost's body gently in his arms. Pitch joined him, wrapping a wing around his mate and whispering words of comfort as they held their son's body. Jack refused to leave Black Frost, lying in the remains of the nest, wings folded around his child's body, as if he could still protect him. Pitch lay down beside him, holding his mate, and they stayed there, a few hours earlier a happy, content family. And now they were broken.
