Pre-AU

[winter_wisp]

 "No, no, no, out!" Winter said, still protesting his little glass prison as he fluttered around in circles. Huffing, he landed hard at the bottom, kicking up a cloud of pixie dust that nearly turned the jam jar into a snow globe.

He had been trapped for days now, only settling down when the blonde man came and offered him bits of fruit. He disliked being trapped, disliked not knowing where he was going. It was rude, in his opinion, to just take pixies without asking if they wanted to come.

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[petty_dabbler]

John opened the lantern glass, then got up to go to his cupboard. He had a bit of butter cake with dried fruit, which would do. He also pulled the kettle from the fire.

A pot of tea steeping, he cut the cake and put I slice in front of Winter.

"You were a good trade for a truth stone, but I don't know what to do with you," he finally said.

[winter_wisp]

Winter landed in front of the cake, taking a good chunk in hand and sitting to eat.

"Why'd you want me then? Not that I wanted to stay with that dumb pirate. They all smell like fish."

[petty_dabbler]

"You're what he offered. I need the gold more...but I figured you'd rather not be locked up on a ship. It was a fair trade," he shrugged.

"It's always nice to have guests."

The tower looked like John hadn't entertained guests. Maybe never.

"Tea?"

[winter_wisp]

"Please!" Winter peeped, nodding a little.

"So I live here now? Do I have a bed? Do you have a bed? Do you have pets? Kids? Partners?"

[petty_dabbler]

"I live alone," he grumbled as he poured the tea for Winter.

"I've lived alone for a very long time. I have a raven who visits, and an owl in the rafters..."

[winter_wisp]

"But I live here now, so... Not alone!" the pixie cheered. "We can eat cake and talk about pretty people, and our dreams. It'll be exciting, yes?"

He ate a bit more cake, then took off to fly around and explore a bit. Can my bed be by a window? I want to share your room," he decided. "Do you snore? I bet you do," he grinned.

[petty_dabbler]

"You're not sharing my room," he grumbled more strongly.

He was mostly upset at himself for not thinking through what might happen if the pixie wouldn't leave.

"Look, don't you want to go back to pixie town with your friends?"

[winter_wisp]

"But that's a whole ocean away," Winter said, smile fading as he landed. "I can't fly that far... I would die."

He hadn't wanted to think on it, the fact that home was something he wouldn't see again, but he'd known it the moment he'd been trapped on that boat.

"Please don't kick me out, I will be alone. Something could eat me. ...I wont be a bother. I'm a good pixie."

[petty_dabbler]

John scowled deeply. He was quite content in his lonely tower with his books and spells. People came by far too often, in his opinion.

But he wasn't about to send someone so small to their death. He wasn't a monster.

"Fine," he sighed heavily. "I imagine you'll have to sleep in my window sill."

[winter_wisp]

Winter looked like a wilted lily, aware he wasn't wanted.

"No, I will just go," he said quietly. "Better to be eaten than unwanted," he decided, taking off and fluttering towards one of the windows to escape out into the woods.

[petty_dabbler]

"It's not that I don't want you. I don't want anyone. I'm perfectly happy with the birds," he said.

"Come drink your tea. Let me think. I have a portal to King's realm. Maybe we could find another ship..."

The very thought of leaving his lonely acreage made him sick. Being around people. Noisy, needy people...

But he couldn't let him die. And he could get him home...it was the right thing to do.

[winter_wisp]

"No more ships," Winter said quietly. "I will go alone."

He pushed on the window, trying to open it, then fluttered to the next and tried again. He was starting to get upset, and he let out a little whimper as he fluttered to yet another.

Captured, taken, now unwanted. Pixies were fragile little things, and this was all a lot. He tried one more, then sank to the floor as he started to sob.

[petty_dabbler]

Oh.

Oh, no.

John watched as the little thing positively wilted and began to drown in its own tears.

"Oh...aw, come on now," he said. "You can stay. You won't like it here. No one does, but me."

[winter_wisp]

"I'm a good pixie," Winter said, rubbing his face to rid himself of the tears, but only leaving himself looking even more blotchy. "Why does no one care for me?"

[petty_dabbler]

"Care for you? Love, I just met you. Buy a bloke dinner first," he said.

Comfort was not his strongest skill.

"I just mean...I mean...at least stay the night, hmm? I've got an extra blanket."

He was going to regret this.

[winter_wisp]

"No. You do not want my company. Just open a window so I can be free," Winter said quietly. "I will not bother you again. ...I just do not understand why you would buy a pixie you did not want."

[petty_dabbler]

"I wasn't going to leave you with Bond!" he said. "If he didn't trade you, he'd have figured out he could shake you dry on his ship and make it actually fly. I didn't really have a plan..."

[winter_wisp]

Winter still looked unhappy, fluttering back over to the window and looking out.

He did not know these woods, and the air here was different. Resting his forehead against the glass, he felt something awful in his chest, a new feeling he'd never felt before. ...He didn't have a name for it.

Silent, he lay down on the cold windowsill, no longer feeling any desire to fly or speak. An odd thing for the usually energetic pixie.

[petty_dabbler]

John was at a loss. Comfort wasn't his strong suit. But seeing the sad little creature tugged at his heart.

"Why, ahh...why don't we see about a bed?" he asked. "You can't sleep there on the sill. You'll catch your death."

[winter_wisp]

"Who cares," Winter sighed. "I'll just die here."

[petty_dabbler]

John clapped his hands sharply twice.

"Enough of that. No dying in my tower," he decided, then walked to him and unceremoniously picked Winter up.

"Stop it now," he said. "You're going to be fine."

[winter_wisp]

The pixie squeaked, but after a moment settled in on his palm.

"Can I sleep in your room? Can I have a pillow?" he asked.

[petty_dabbler]

"Yes," he nodded. "You don't have much choice. I don't have a huedt room. Come...Come on," hecsaid as he took the stairs. His hand burst into flame and he carried a hovering ball of fire to light the way.

His room was just as cluttered as downstairs. B7r there was a lovely deep window sill just opposite John's modest bed.

He put Winter on the bed.

"I have a pillow in the cupboard, I think," he said absently, wandering to it to open the door and hunt for spare bedding.

[winter_wisp]

Winter fluttered around the room curiously, exploring, then landing on John's shoulder.

"You live all alone? That's sad."

[petty_dabbler]

"I like it alright," he said as he pulled out a blanket.

"No one bothers me. I do as I please. It's quiet..."

But it was lonely. He didn't particularly like that Winter seemed to see the truth and wasn't shy about noting it.