So the following weeks came and went without incident. At school, Jason avoided me at all costs, as did his miserable friends. I wondered if Pitch's nightmares had done the trick, since they had only started after the event at prom. Pitch had visited Jason regularly, slowly increasing the number of sharks attacking him in his nightmares until he had a full shark swarm tearing his dream body apart every evening.

As for Pitch and I, our relationship was going well so far. Not much had shifted between us, other than the fact that we were more expressive with our emotions than before. Neither one of us had any reason to hold back what we were feeling, and it felt like a great weight was lifted from my shoulders to be able to confide in Pitch wholly. Often times we would explore the town together, or he would accompany me while I walked Artemis around the block. Other times we would ride through the forest on Onyx's back or dance around together in his ballroom. We were never bored together, always learning something new about the other person. I continued to fall deeper in love with the Nightmare King, to the point that I knew if he were to ask me to give him the world, I would do whatever it would take to make it happen.

One particularly rainy day, Pitch and I were laying in my bed, both of us on top of the duvet, listening to classical music on the radio as we watched the thin sheets of water plummeting toward the ground outside. Sparkling droplets shimmered on the outside of the window, casting a dotted pattern on the carpet of my bedroom. The gray clouds swirled lazily around the sky above, content in their duties as water continued to pour from them and soak the earth. The tree branches swayed in the wind, casting large shadows inside the room every few moments.

I curled into Pitch's side, my head resting against his chest. His fingers ran through my hair lovingly, both of us silent. It was a perfect moment. The type of day meant for staying in and spending time with your significant other. And there was only one other thing that would make it better. I slowly tilted my head up, the crown of my head just under my lover's jaw. Smiling, I leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss to the cool skin. I felt his breath hitch, and watched him look down at me with interest.

Knowing I had his full attention, I purposefully licked my lips, wordlessly inviting him to kiss me. Getting the hint, faster than most human men did, he reached down and cupped my cheek in his palm, stroking his thumb over the soft flesh. I leaned into his touch, eyes still glued to his. He swallowed and shifted closer, pressing his lips to mine cautiously. He was still so proper, always giving me time to push him away or change my mind. I smiled into the kiss, tangling my fingers in his hair to keep our mouths together in the warm embrace. I felt the arm around my waist pull me upward, so that my head was even with his, our chests touching from the close proximity. My grip tightened on him as I allowed myself to fall into a state of bliss, practically intoxicated from the feeling his kiss brought to me. I draped one leg over both of Pitch's, pulling him even closer as our lips moved together slowly.

Something changed between us at that moment. There was a sense of desperation that sprung up, engulfing the two of us in flames that made me feel as if I was melting every time his fingers grazed my skin. I tentatively opened my mouth a little, feeling Pitch do the same. I felt something warm and slick run over my lips, and I realized it was his tongue. The bold action surprised me, especially coming from the Nightmare King, but in no way was I disgusted by it. In fact, it only served to excite me more. I opened my mouth wider, allowing my lover entrance. God he was an amazing kisser. He slid his tongue between my lips teasingly, making me want him even more, which was nearly impossible.

Seductively, he weakened my already loose resolve, exploring my mouth deeply for the first time. My senses were buzzing from the new experience as I wrapped tighter around him. I felt one of his hands trailing up my spine until he was holding the back of my head, supporting the angle my head was tilted in, while the other hand moved down my body until it rested on my lower back. I moaned quietly as our tongues met for the first time, connected as though they were dancing. In the midst of it all, Pitch rolled us over until I was on my back against the mattress, and he hovered above me dominantly. His mouth pulled from mine, causing me to whine at the loss until I felt his soft lips gently brush over each eyelid, my forehead, chin, and down my neck. My eyes rolled back in my head as I took in the sensations.

Then I felt the distinct brush of teeth along my throat, before his lips returned to press against the spot right behind the bottom of my ear. He sucked softly on the sensitive flesh there, chuckling darkly as I carded my fingers through his silky black hair. Soon he leaned away, grinning at me wickedly. By the satisfied smirk he gave me, I knew that I would likely have a rather dark mark I would need to cover up with makeup later. Despite this, I smiled back up at him, running my hands along his chest and resting them atop his shoulders. "Was that your way of claiming me as yours?" I teased my lover. Pitch nodded slyly. "Perhaps. We wouldn't want any of those young men believing that you are single." He admitted, lowering his mouth to mine once more. We parted a moment later and I took the opportunity to somewhat copy his previous actions, pressing soft kisses across his face lovingly. "Well then, I must do the same to you, my love. After all, you were quite the catch at Jade's Halloween party," I pointed out. I allowed my lips to glide over his smooth skin until they rested on his pulse point.

I pressed my mouth against the spot a bit harder, starting to suck on the area to leave my own mark on him. I heard Pitch hum contentedly, something like a purr seeming to rise in his throat, serving to encourage me further. His fingers tangled in my hair, telling me he was enjoying the sensation as much as I had. When I finally released the skin, a dark ebony splotch began to form against his gray skin, making me grin as well. When I looked back up at Pitch, he was already staring at me, his eyes reflecting the same emotions stirring within me. Our mouths joined in another heated kiss, Pitch's grip on my body tightening while I wrapped my arms around his shoulders.

Unfortunately, Pitch pulled away again in only a few short moments, both of us breathing heavily. A dark blush crept up my cheeks, "W-we should stop..." I murmured. Pitch nodded, releasing a deep breath. "Yes, I believe you are correct. I fear I won't be able to control myself if we continue..." He confessed, swallowing hard. "You totally sound like Edward Cullen right now, but yeah, I feel the same way." I told him. My boyfriend made a face of disdain at the mention of the fictional vampire's name, but gave me a soft smile. "You are too...delicious...for your own good. I can't get enough of your touch, your voice, of any of you..." He whispered, brushing my tangled hair away from my face. "Me too. Everytime we kiss, I lose myself in you. I never want to leave your arms. It's problematic in the best way." I told him. Pitch chuckled again, rubbing his nose against mine lovingly. "Indeed..." He murmured, lying on his side and wrapping a long arm around my waist, pulling me close once more. Smiling contentedly, I cuddled against my lover once again.

A few days later, Jamie's mother requested for me to babysit the preteen and his sister while she and her husband attended a charity event for her work. I agreed without hesitation, already thinking of fun things I could do with the children to keep them busy for the day. I figured I could take them outside and we could play hide and seek in the backyard, or do some kind of nature themed scavenger hunt in the neighborhood. I leaned more toward the latter option. Jamie greeted me as he usually did when I walked into the welcoming home, giving me a toothy grin and high five. Soph ran over and tackled my leg, hugging the parts of me she could actually reach. I giggled and greeted them both, offering up my ideas for the day's activities.

As I suspected, the brother and sister were more interested in the scavenger hunt than the other ideas I presented to them. Thankfully, I had prepared the lists already, having a couple copies in my purse. Pulling them out, I gave each child a pen and a list that was different than the other. "This is awesome Anara!" Jamie exclaimed. "Can we go-go-go?" Soph begged, tugging on the bottom of my shirt. Giving them a nod, I watched their eyes light with excitement as they barreled out the front door and onto the sidewalk. "Stay where I can see you!" I shouted, not wanting them to get too carried away. In this day and age, a child should never be left to wander the streets, even for fun. Jamie was older and more introverted, so I worried a little less about him, Soph was the more curious and outgoing one. And granted, both had grand adventures far from home before now, but they had been under the protection of the Guardians when that had happened. This time, I was their protection.

Thankfully, the pair only walked a couple yards ahead, their heads swiveling around as they searched for the miscellaneous items on their lists. These included things like green caterpillars, red cars, specific neighborhood pets, street signs, crows and pigeons, certain types of trees and flowers, and even more. It was really just a list of ordinary objects or animals no one would pay any mind to if they weren't intentionally looking for it. I trailed behind the children, humming while I listened to their excited shouts and giggles as they found an item on their list, or their frustrated groans when they thought they found something and didn't. It was actually quite entertaining.

Nearly a half hour passed, Soph resorting to finding random things and writing them down on her list, while Jamie has completed about two thirds of the items I had listed for him. We finally stopped at the park nearby to take a breather, relaxing in the cool air under a slowly darkening sky. I glanced at my phone to see the time, knowing I would need to be taking the children back home soon. Even small towns are not always safe at night. Right as I placed my phone back in my purse, a cold hand clamped over my mouth, causing me to release a scream of surprise. My first reaction was to make sure the children were okay, and to my relief and terror, they were tumbling on the ground a few feet away, oblivious to what was happening behind them. I reached up and attempted to pry the hand from my lips, until a familiar voice cooed in my ear. "Really, love. You must be more careful. I could've been any monster..." I breathed out heavily, glaring at Pitch out of the corner of my eye. From the look I knew I gave him, I would've been surprised if he didn't know I was internally cursing him out for scaring the life out of me. He hummed and shivered in pleasure, clearly pleased with my momentary fright.

When he finally released my mouth, I turned to look at him in annoyance. "Was that necessary?" I hissed. He shrugged, "No...but it was fun..." He winked at me, running his hands along my arms in an effort to calm me down. Rolling my eyes at the Nightmare King's antics, I attempted to turn my attention back to the children wrestling on the ground. "You know I adore you, my nightflower. I would never intentionally harm you." He murmured, pressing a soft kiss to the top of my earlobe. I sighed, nodding. "I know...although you are a pain in my tail." I smirked at him, letting him know he was forgiven. Pitch grinned mischievously, leaning forward and turning my head with his fingers so that he could place a chaste kiss on my lips.

He gently broke away from me, "We'll finish this later, my love. That's a promise..." With a final smile, Pitch pulled away and sunk into a nearby shadow on the ground, leaving me alone with the children once again. I bit my lip, blushing after him. A shrill shout of alarm caused my head to snap toward the sound. It was clearly coming from Jamie. "What was that?" The younger male squeaked out, going pale. "What was what, Jamie?" I asked in panic, worried that my brief distraction had caused me to miss some catastrophe. "Why did you let him kiss you?" There was pure horror in Jamie's voice. Oh crap...

I swallowed anxiously, knowing it would be pointless to lie to Jamie. But I also didn't feel like telling him the truth was a good idea either. My mind spun as I debated how to handle this problem. I also wondered how Jamie saw Pitch since he didn't really believe in him anymore. At least, Pitch had promised that he hadn't visited Jamie since he had been in my company. I had hoped that he had forgotten about the sand in my hoodie all those months ago. We hadn't discussed Pitch Black since. Maybe it was because he knew Pitch was still lurking around nearby that he had maintained his belief in him.

Clearing my throat, I opened my eyes to meet the boy's gaze. "I am sorry that that may have grossed you out Jamie, I thought you were still playing with Soph. But, yes, I did let Pitch Black kiss me. The reason I let him do that is because we are...well...he's my boyfriend...We fell in love with each other. We've been officially dating for almost two months now." I explained. Jamie just continued to stare at me with wide eyes. "Listen, Jamie, I'm sure that's a lot for you to hear and it is probably very hard to understand. I still don't fully understand it myself. But I promise that I will never put you or your sister in danger. Pitch has changed more than you could imagine." I kept my voice calm, trying to keep the situation under control. "But he's a villain!" Jamie almost shouted, his voice squeaking slightly at the end of his sentence. "Not anymore, Jamie. I promise, just please, trust me. I've never lied to you have I?" I quizzed him.

The young boy still stared at me in disbelief, clearly full of unease about his newfound knowledge. Then he slowly shook his head, sighing deeply. "I'm not lying to you now either. I promise Pitch is good now, or, at least he's trying to be better. I wouldn't be with him if I didn't think he was. Just please, don't tell the Guardians yet..." I added, standing up to gather the children together. "Come on, it's getting late out. We need to get you home. How does pizza sound for dinner?" I asked, taking one of their hands in each of mine. Soph started giggling happily about having pizza for her meal, while Jamie nodded, a troubled look resting on his face.

The walk back to the Bennett house was much quieter than the walk to the park. When we finally arrived back at the house, I called to place a delivery order for a pizza from a nearby restaurant and sat down with the kids to watch television while we waited for dinner to arrive. To my surprise, a sudden knock came upon the door, although the pizza was not supposed to be ready for twenty minutes. I walked over to answer the door, finding myself face to face with a boy with platinum blonde hair. "Hey Anara! Is Jamie around?" It was Jack Frost. The spirit's appearance took me off guard. "Oh uh, yeah. Come on in. They kids are right here." I gestured to Jamie and Sophie. Jack entered the room, swinging his staff around lazily. "Hey kiddos!" He called. Both children instantly ran to tackle the Guardian of Fun.

Nervously, I glanced at Jamie, hoping he wouldn't tell Jack about Pitch and I just yet. I needed time to talk to Pitch about what to do if the other Guardians found out about our relationship. Unfortunately, the moment Jamie met my eyes, he swallowed and mouthed the words "I'm sorry" to me from underneath Jack's arm. "Jack...I saw Pitch today." The younger boy admitted, looking away from me. Jack instantly froze, pulling away to look at Jamie. "Wait what? How? Are you hurt? Where was he?" The older boy questioned Jamie rapidly, eyes filled with worry. The tone of Jamie's voice grew even softer. "He was with...Anara..." He admitted.

Slowly, the frosty Guardian turned to face me, a strange mixture of confusion and fury filling his icy eyes. "Anara? Is that true? Was Pitch with you? Why?" He narrowed his eyes at me. I glanced at Jamie, annoyed that he had directly ignored the one thing I asked of him, but also knowing that he was still a child and Pitch was probably the most frightening thing he had encountered in his life so far. Groaning, I nodded and flopped back down on the couch, burying my head in my hands in exasperation. "Yes, Jack. Pitch was with me for a brief moment when I was with the children earlier. He had no intention of harming them though." I answered. "Then why was he there? I thought he was gone for good..." Jack clenched his fists, frost covering his staff. "Because Jack, Pitch and I are...together. He came to see me..." I tried to hint to him the extent of the situation.

It took a moment, but the Guardian's eyes widened in understanding. "You can't be serious Anara. You are dating that...that monster? Pitch is evil and cruel, and you are so kind and full of light. It doesn't make any sense." Jack shook his head, trying to clear it. "Jack, Pitch has changed. Over the past year we've spent quite a lot of time together, and slowly we fell in love. He is a different, gentler being now. He hardly scares children anymore, except when they have been nasty to someone. I love him, and he loves me, no matter what. We know it sounds crazy. But it's true," I met my friend's gaze evenly. "He's still the Guardian of Fear, Anara." He retorted. "Exactly. He's a Guardian. Just like you. It's sort of his job, the meaning of his existence." I pointed out. Jack moved to sit on the couch beside me, the air cooling around us as he made contact with the seat. "I still...I don't understand...how did this even happen?" Jack inquired, staring at me incredulously. "Are you sure you want to know?" I asked. He only hesitated a moment, then nodded, waiting for me to go on.

And so I explained to Jack, and Jamie, the (almost) full story about how Pitch and I had become friends and how we started courting. Of course, there were little things I left out, such as the full bargain that started it all, the more personal moments we shared, and the secrets Pitch had shared with me. Those were our business, not theirs.

By the end of my tale, Jamie was clearly very confused and Jack looked completely dismayed. Both were quiet for a long time, but then the frosty Guardian finally spoke up, choosing his next words carefully. "Anara...I still don't understand what you could possibly see in Pitch Black...but I also trust your judgement. I know you are a good person, I just worry that his darkness will corrupt you." He whispered, standing up. My friend appeared genuinely concerned now, unease and tension filling his lean frame. "I know it's a lot Jack. I'm still trying to understand it myself. But please, don't make this into a big deal." I murmured.