Another request from 32waystoAutumn; I took some inspiration from Adventure Time and the Ice King Story!

He was a lost man. He wasn't always this way; but curiosity in this case, did kill the cat. He was not exactly dead but part of him thought he may was well be. He had lost himself and the one he loved along the way of his journey. They one he had lost always told him to never get greedy on curiosity but he had and the prize wasn't for what he had lost, he traded his soul for research for a crown but didn't feel like a king. He felt more wealthy when he was surrounded by love and comfort, now he had what he wanted and felt poor. He just wished he'd realized that before this happened.

;

Some could say that he had a previous life, when he was not so cold. That would be true, he had. A scientist and weatherman, very curious and naive. Mark, always craved adventure and daring things that made him stick out, an example of this was when he dyed his hair bright red just because he could and he thrived on the way some old ladies would look at him, like he needed Jesus. He thrived on the eyes that widened because how bright it was. He liked to be different.

So when he met Jack, a no fucks given loudmouth Irishman; it was the prefect match. Mark liked his own company because little people understood him but when he met Jack, he didn't want to be apart from him because this man, this man, got him. One thing Jack never could get though was the curiosity burning in Marks bones, but he enjoyed the crazy three am decisions that Mark made, because the man just wanted to live.

But Mark was an addict to the adrenaline and the thrill, doing crazy shit was like his drug and he couldn't get enough. He was doing some research on Verkhoyansk, Russia which is considered one of the coldest places to live in the world and how it has a 'cold crown' in which legend says, if you wear it you yield the power to freeze things and become an Ice Prince of sorts. Although Mark didn't much care for legends, he was of course; curious. Had someone ever stolen the crown for the sake of the 'powers'? He had to know.

Perhaps, that is where he began to get lost. If only he knew how lost he would become.

He got so lost in the legends and didn't sleep for days. When Jack saw him with bags under his eyes, he handed him the coffee which was warm an odd feeling as he was used to being colder these days but he accepted it with open arms. "Thank you."

"You look awful, Mark. When was the last time ya slept?" Jacks accent always had a comforting undertone to it, at first when they met Mark couldn't hear it but now he had listened to him carefully taking in every word he always knew it was there even when he was screaming at a video game or when his accent was ten times thicker in the morning; everything he said felt comforting. Like a hug, in voice form. "I'm just caught up in work stuff, its okay." Jack smiled at him, nodding. If only he knew why he was kept up at night. Mark would eventually tell him what he was planning, it would take some convincing he knew; but Jack always came round to his bizarre ideas. This one was perhaps, the craziest of them all though an idea he knew it'd take more than just some sweet talk to get Jack to warm up to it.

He was being late to work, scrambling to get on camera so he could tell the weather like he was composed and wasn't able to concentrate on the formulas and everything else in his lab. He couldn't stop thinking about this idea he had, how exciting it'd be to pull it off. He had to tell Jack, to share the excitement.

;

"You're crazy." Came the Irish accent, riddled with disbelief at what he had just heard but Mark did not stutter, he never did when it came to things like this so stubborn and set on his ways. Foolish in many people's eyes. But here he was with a map of the place in which the crown was kept, how he could steal it; How they could pose as authority. Jack thought he was truly, out of his mind but that only gave him drive a wildfire in his stomach.

Jack sat down, head in his hands this was the last thing he was expecting from Mark. He said it so casually. "Hey, lets go to Russia so I can steal a probably cursed crown just for fun!" The man was bonkers, Jack adored it.

But despite everything here he was, flying miles and miles above ground in the clouds to Russia and one of the coldest places on the entire planet. Even Jack, was surprised this was happening.

;

Yet, taking the crown and having a fake identity, Sean; Was the most fun he had ever had and seeing Mark shake with adrenaline with the crown in his hands as they ran as fast as they could, it was all worth the risk. Jack didn't stop to think about the risks for a moment because when Mark took his hand as they were running away to catch the quickest plane; everything seemed oddly okay.

The crown ruined everything.

Back in Ireland, were everything was almost too normal again that's when he first put the crown on and it had the way of hypnotizing you. Mark, with his raven hair a beautiful contrast to the shining golden crown with three rubies in it the middle on larger than the rest. He looked like a prince in every way and began to keep journals on everything, how he stole it; how it felt upon his head how it made his finger tips tingle with power something he had not felt before.

;

He didn't take it off though; "Its for research." He'd tell Jack and that was true, but the more he wore it the more he wouldn't be able to take it off, if only he had known.

It was 2 in the morning when the Irishman rose, shaking and freezing Mark was not beside him like he was when he had went to sleep. Jack walked down the stairs freezing and it only seemed to get colder. Mark was in the kitchen hunched over in the kitchen shaking hands writing as fast as they could. Only they did not look like his hands. They were blue, ice blue; When Jack tapped him on the shoulder, he jumped raising those icy hands and shot an icicle; it missing Jack and getting lodged in their wall.

Please tell him this was a dream, wake him up now.

"Jack, I'm-I'm sorry." The familiar voice he loved so much usually saying something helpful but now it was asking for help.

The crown.

Jack reached out for it, his fingers gripping one of the points he went to tug to get this item as far away as possible from them but alas a cold hand upon his.

"No." He snapped, jerking Jacks hand away from the crown and nearly sent him tumbling.

;

It was not just that occasion that they'd fought, no. It happened as often as night and day. Jack would try to remove the crown and each time Mark would see to get more aggressive then, he'd black out and wake up with normal colored hands and almost no memory to what had happened. He looked more different each time, his skin more blue or his hair turning white. He was in every shape of the word, cold. The opposite to Mark normally.

It wasn't until he saw Jacks eye black, that he had to leave. Jack protested, told him that he could get him help, they could put the crown back. But Mark insisted he couldn't be helped and that was true. Jack had to let him go.

It was anything but easy.

;

Years, it had been. Jack had been doing some research of his own from Marks messy notes that almost had to be translated because damn, these scribbles were hard to make out. Jack didn't even know where Mark was but he was trying to find him a cure and had been since he left. He hoped, prayed he was okay.

He was, as it happens. Just a little lost. He did not know who he was, he just know he possessed power and the name Jack haunted him everywhere he went.

;

When Jack did find the possible cure, he had to find his guinea pig. He searched the notes for hours, for something; a place anything. Then he found it; in code? Whatever it was he didn't know what it meant so after more searching, he de-coded it.

"Where it happened"

Russia. He didn't make it easy did he?

But faking another identity to back into Russia seven years later was the easiest part, even though Jack did feel uneasy being back here.

Perhaps he was not ready to spot Mark, or what he was; as quick as he did. But the only reason he knew, was because that stupid crown. Mark didn't look anything like he did, his hair was white and overgrown with the beard to go with and skin blue. He knew Mark wouldn't recognize him and he wouldn't agree to tests so he had to figure out something.

He did, and caught him off guard, mumbling an 'I'm sorry' as he stuck the needle and purple serum into the blue flesh; the effect was immediate and he blacked out. Jack then had to take him back to his hotel and small lab set up and the clock was ticking.

The serum he kept injecting into his skin; And after awhile he was able to pry that crown from his head which was the hardest part and, with a loud clutter and smash, it broke into little golden pieces. It was satisfying to say the least. It had felt like somebody took a mountain from his shoulders then.

When Mark woke, he was fading in and out between personalities; the cold icy one he left with and the warm one he once was. He would ask questions when he was in his warmth and snap angrily at him. Then, nothing.

Jack waited for hours, passing until finally, he rose. His hair was still white and long, his skin still tinted blue but not as bad as it once was.

"Jack," There was the warmth; all at once.

He hugged him, the first contacted he'd had with the man since seven years ago. It was almost like, he had never been cold.

;

Jacks researched helped many and upon getting funds, he worked in a lab Mark at his side and helping others which had been dealt with a curse of sorts. Marks skin didn't fully go back to normal, but he was Mark. He was warm and free of his own curse. As was Jack, free of lonely nights and thoughts swallowing him whole.

Mark wasn't cold anymore; Once an ice prince, now just a prince.