A Heart of Gold~ Sandman x Reader: Chapter 29

                     Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Return

         The golden man stepped out of the glowing sand, his eyes locked on Pitch. The tall dark spirit’s eyes were wide, his mouth hanging open. He was completely speechless.

         Still being attached to the whip, Sandy gave a harsh tug, making the dark figure and him come face to face, merely inches apart. Sandy continued to glare down at the ‘All Powerful Boogieman’. All Pitch could do was stare in disbelief and fright up at the short legend. The pudgy man smirked evilly and wagged his finger at the dark spirit, lightly scolding him.

         Suddenly, the Sandman revved his hand back and uppercut Pitch right on the jaw, sending his flying up into the sky, but being held back by the golden whip. Jamie and the children gasp in delight, watching Pitch scream up into the night.

“The Sandman!” Jamie cheered, making the golden man turn his attention to the children. With a soft smile, he produced a bowler hat and tipped it towards the kids, making them laugh. He then averted his eyes back up to the villain, and gave another sharp tug of his whip. Pitch came crashing back down hard into the earth, making everyone cringe at the harsh impact. As the dust cleared, there lay Pitch, golden butterflies flitting around his head.

The Boogieman was knocked out cold.

         Laughter and cries of excitement suddenly erupted from everyone. The Guardians, after watching Pitch being destroyed by the little man, raced towards Sandy. They all embraced him in a tight, loving hug. Sandy couldn't help but smile and laugh, his comforting, tingling sound echoing in the sky once more.

         Tears streamed down Tooth’s face as she tackled the man. North lifted him high in the air and bellowed out Russian praises. Bunny tried to act as cool and tough as possible, not wanting his emotions to show. But everyone could tell his eyes were slightly glossy. He smirked down at the Dream Guardian and patted his back.

“You’re a sight for soar eyes mate,” the rabbit spirit chuckled, earning a cheeky grin from the Sandman.

         You watched the scene before you, still sitting on the cool ground beneath. His back was still facing you, the distance between you mere meters.

         You were stunned. You wanted to scream out to him. To run up and embrace the man like everyone else had. But you were frozen. Your mouth hung open like a fish out of water gasping for air. Your shooting star… He was here. It actually worked! You had brought Sandy back to life! He was here now, and he seemed like his regular, shining self. And with the help of the children, they made you discover a very important lesson.

         The power of belief and love truly is the strongest force on the face of the earth, no, the universe. A soft smile rose on your face as you continue to watch your golden Guardian, taking the time to enjoying the scene playing out before you.

         Sandy continued to laugh and beam at his old friends, their happiness being contagious. However, a realization swept over the golden man, and his features instantly fell. His eyes grew cloudy, his head starting to fall and his shoulders drooping. The Guardians quickly took notice of this, worry starting to grow for their friend.

“Sandy?” Tooth chimed in, placing her hand on his shoulder. “Is… Is everything alright?”

         The Dream Guardian lifted his head slightly, the spark in his eyes now gone. He tried to hide his heartache, but it was clear to everyone that Sandy was mourning something. A deep, shaky sigh escaped his mouth, breaking the hearts of everyone.

         Slowly, a blob of sand floated over his head. Then, three figures formed from the blob, two standing on a cloud, one off in the distance. On the cloud was a tall, mini Pitch, and a girl… You forgot how to breath when you realized who it was… you.

         The one in the distance seemed to look exactly like Sandy. Suddenly, the tall man on the cloud pushed you off, sending the mini you falling to the ground. The mini Sandman frantically tried to reach you, but couldn't seem to get to you in time.

         The golden Guardian’s face was scrunched up in pain, his bottom lip starting to tremble. His heart was breaking at the memory. Before the mini you reached the ground, the images quickly vanished, the sorrow being too unbearable. Sandy lowered his head, his eyes and fists clenching in agony. You inhale sharply.

Of course…

Sandy still thought you were dead.

         The last thing he saw was you falling to your doom, but he didn't know that Pitch caught you before you crashed into the earth. You continue to watch the golden man, your own heart breaking for him. You tried to call out to him, stop the pain he was facing and let him know you were all right. But your voice was caught in your throat, your body lacking strength. All you could do was watch helplessly.

         As Sandy continued to hang his head down in loss, the Guardians all shared a look of knowledge. Their eyes darted between you and the golden man, who still didn't know of your presence. Bunny suddenly stepped forward and placed a hand on Sandy’s shoulder. The golden Guardian slowly looked up, his eyes shining with unshed tears of grief. Bunny simply smirked down at his friend, making Sandy furrow his eyebrows at the rabbit in confusion.

“Turn around mate,” was all Bunnymund said. Still confused, Sandy slowly turned his body around, doing what he was told. As he looked up, his eyes widened incredibly as he locked onto yours.  

         He immediately froze and continued to stare, a smile starting to grow on your face. He continued to gape at you, his mouth slightly open in disbelief. You couldn't help but laugh softly at the Guardian’s reaction. You could feel your eyes sting with tears, your voice finally coming out of your throat in a soft whisper.

“Sandy.”

         The Sandman inwardly groaned and wavered under your voice, thinking it too good to be true. His name on your lips made him feel weak in the knees. Suddenly, the Guardian found his strength and came zooming towards you, the grass beneath swaying under the sudden blast of wind. You yourself finally felt power surging through your body, propelling you on your feet and sprinting towards your golden man. Your heart was beating rapidly as you got closer and closer.

         In an instant, your bodies collided in a huge embrace, sobs escaping your mouth. His body was warm and welcoming for you, like a blanket against the cold world. It had been so long since you were last in his embrace, and you craved it greedily. You wrap your arms tightly around him, and felt his own hands clinging to your back. He must have missed your touch too, for you felt a little light-headed as he desperately grasped onto your body. You felt your legs give out as you fall to your knees again, dragging Sandy down with you, but neither of you cared.

         As he sat on your knees, you could feel the poor, golden spirit quivering slightly. He burrowed his face into the crook of your neck, inhaling deeply and absorbing your scent. You could feel his tears soak your hair and shoulder, sobbing in relief. Though you could hear no sound, his breath inhaled and exhaled shakily, choking and hiccuping every so often. Sandy’s cries broke your heart, making you grasp onto the little man even more and surround him with your love. You burrowed your own face into the crook of his neck, letting his spiky hair tickle your skin. Your own tears soaked his golden robe, making him clutch onto you even tighter. You knew that the Guardians and the children were watching, but you were both in your own little world together.

         Sandy suddenly pulled away slightly, and brought his hands up to your face, locking eyes with you. Your faces were merely centimeters apart. His eyes scanned over you, checking to see if you were hurt. And to truly convince himself that you were here with him right now.

         You lift your own hands and cup them with Sandy’s face, making him close his eyes in bliss and lean into the touch. After a pause, he opened his shining amber eyes and instantly locked them with yours. You couldn't help but run your thumbs over his cheeks as you marvel over the spirit.

“... My shining star,” you barely whisper, your voice starting to catch in your throat again just by looking at him. He instantly whimpered and melted into your body, smiling through closed eyes and happy tears at the loving nickname.

         You quickly wipe the salty droplets on his cheek away with your thumb, your heart breaking, yet exploding with happiness. The Sandman then opened his eyes and leaned his head forward, gently pressing it up against yours.

And all he did, was look at you.

         He still couldn't believe that you were here now; you were alive! Sandy didn't know how or why, but he was too overjoyed to care. All that mattered was you were safe, and you were here with him. He felt as if he had to hold you close, or else you’d slip away through his fingers for good. He wanted to memorize this precious moment. This feeling that swelled up inside of him, making him feel weak, but also strong at the same time. You were everything to him; and he didn't want to let that go. Sandy never wanted you to leave his side again, and he planned on it never happening again.

         A sob escaped your throat as the man simply looked at you; his soft, amber eyes looking lovingly into yours. You lean your own forehead against his, feeling your body go limp. You though you had lost him… you thought he was gone for good… but he was here now, he was right in front of you.

… So why did you still feel so guilty?

         Suddenly, you found words poring out of your mouth, along with more salty tears. The Sandman watched in horror as you crumbled before him, not expecting such emotion to burst forth. All the pain, grief, and suffering you went through you was on your sleeve, clear for anyone to see. You stared to break down.

“Oh Sandy,” You sob, “I’m so sorry! This was all my fault. If it weren't for me, then you wouldn't have died. And it haunted me for days, knowing that I was the reason! And when I met your Guardian friends, I realized their loss was because of me too, and-!”

         That was all you were able to say. Because in that instant, the golden Guardian briskly pulled your face even closer to his, interrupting your sentence in a deep kiss.

~~~~~~