Love Guardians Part 4: Love Bird

All This Time

"There is no way you're telling me the truth." Alex smirked. He moved his brown hair out of his face. "Do you know how hard it is to find the tooth fairy? I barely got a glimpse of the sandman, and he visits everyone every night. And aren't all of your baby teeth gone?"

I rolled my eyes. "I already said it was Ella's tooth that helped me see Toothiana."

Alex swallowed some of his soda and looked at me. He clapsed his hands and stared at the coffee table. "And she's a guardian you say?"

I nodded.

He scratched the side of his head. "All right. I believe you."

I smiled. "Thanks man."

He smiled. "So she kissed you."

I grinned, nodding.

"Dude that's your first kiss! And it's from the tooth fairy." He sat up straighter. "That's like being best friends with Santa Clause."

I paused, raising a brow at Alex.

He sat back. "Okay. Not the same at all, but still it's awesome. Are you seeing her tonight?"

I nodded. "Most likely."

Alex got his back off the couch. "So... if they're guardians, they must guard something."

I smiled. "The light of hopes and dreams of kids."

"But from who."

I paused, trying to recall if Toothiana said anything about that. She didn't. All I remembered was the laugh I heard the night Ella was having a nightmare.

Alex rested his head on the back of his hand. "Now that I think about all these figures, doesn't the boogieman kind of fit in?"

"Yeah." I grabbed my soda. "I think it's him."

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Toothiana knocked on the window of my room. I opened the window and let her in.

She looked back at Katy's house. "Why aren't you over there?"

I looked at my door then back at Toothiana. "My mom came back home." I sat on my bed, smiling at Toothiana. "How have you been?"

Toothiana rubbed her arm as she flew to my bed. "I've been... thinking."

I froze, feeling my heart beat. Oh no... What do I do?

She sat on my bed, playing with her hands. "Damian, how much do you like me?"

Taking a deep breath, I held her hand, thinking of something to pull off to make her want to be my girlfriend, my ANYTHING. I didn't want to stop seeing her. "Toothiana..." I could feel myself breathing hard, "when I hold your hand... it's hard to breathe."

Toothiana tilted her head.

My eyes widened, but I calmed down the more I spoke. "I mean... I feel the empty, childish part of me fill up with warmth. When I look into your eyes, I know I can be myself. I know that I can embrace the child within me and look at the world as you do. I don't have to change. I can feel my heart beat as fast as I could run as a kid. That means a lot to me, Toothiana."

Toothiana smiled, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. "It means a lot to me too, Damian." She kissed my cheek. "I've spent all day thinking about you as I said before."

She said that?!

Her smile began to fade. "That's why we need to talk."

My eyes widened. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "It's not your fault. It's Pitch's fault."

I raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

She sighed. "It's time I tell you everything."

I nodded, waiting and listening for Toothiana to speak.

"A few centuries ago, the Easter Bunny, Bunnymund, who is also a guardian like me, fell in love." She smiled. "She was unlike any adolescent of her time. She firmly held onto her beliefs even when the rest of her village lost all hope, even when the drought brought a very close end. She strongly believed and that was all it took. Bunnymund and June were able to be together after that drought. They fell more in love during that rainy spring. They would always be together. But then Pitch found out. He turned their love into a dark weapon. He tried to take June to use her against Bunny, but she wasn't taken because of one horrible accident that happened during the abduction. She died in front of Bunny, and he grew depressed, almost every piece of hope was leaving him. That's when he realized exactly what Pitch was trying to do." Toothiana looked from the floor to me. "He was trying to stop the guardian of hope from having hope." She placed her hand on mine. "That's why it's dangerous to love a guardian. He could use you as weapon towards me to destroy what I protect in children."

I lowered my eyes. "That's why you don't visit boys my age."

Toothiana weakly smiled. "More of they can't see me, but the point stands," she placed a hand on my cheek, "you can be used against me if Pitch finds out. I protect the important memories of childhood. Without that, children won't remember what's important. They won't cherish the things they already cherish." She looked out to Katy's house. "They'll fall into adulthood quicker than they should."

I looked down at the floor. "Does this mean... we can't be together?"

Toothiana didn't stop looking outside. "I don't know. I wish I knew, but..." She wrapped her arms around me. "Damian, I care about you so much. I know we met only a few days ago--"

"A few years ago." I grinned, wrapping my arms around her.

She laughed lightly. "I just care about you so much, and I don't really know why."

I stroked the feathers on the back of her head. "I care about you too, Toothiana." I smiled. "I've cared about you for years."

She moved back, locking gazes with me. "That's why you held Baby Tooth."

I nodded.

Toothina paused for a moment. "All this time you've..." She scanned my face as if she suddenly realized something about me. She instantly kissed me, wrapping her arms around my neck. I kissed her back, cupping her head and lightly stroking the feathers on the back of her head.

She moved back again, blushing. "Sorry about that."

I was wearing a goofy smile as I brought my hands back to myself. I had to look away. "Don't be. I wanted that." I poked her shoulder to let her know I was being very sincere.

She rubbed her arm. "I wanted it too." She hovered over the end of my bed. "See you tomorrow?"

I took her hand and softly kissed it. "Definitely."