A/N: wow this took forever (life, life is chaotic), but it felt a little bit like it needed closure and I felt bad I couldn't fit any ships in so this fits around the end of the last chapter and the epilogue.

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Buffet

There was a large, long table stretched in the middle of the room. Guests, wearing various shades of grey or black or white mill around holding paper plates and gathering their goodies for the night.

Tooth was next to North, waving rapidly at Jack. "Over here!" She mouthed.

Jack looked over, already poised to run out of the room when an arm dropped onto his back. "San -" Jack started in surprise, spinning around to see Bunnymund.

"You," Bunnymund cleared his throat. "You got this Jackie-boy."

Wordlessly, the two made their way over to the buffet table where Jack grabbed some grapes, a cupcake that he didn't touch and eventually tossed, some celery and a piece of bread that he only really ate half of.

"Thanks Bunny," Jack told Bunnymund, after the buffet. "Thanks."

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2. Mixer

Nibble nibble go two mice, struggling over the crumbs of a piece of bread.

They are hungry, so they eat.

Chop chop chew swallow goes to people at the table.

"Happy Birthday Jack!" The banner reads.

Jack hasn't arrived.

The conversation two nights ago had gone something like this:

"Jack!" Tooth cried "You're birthday celebration is tomorrow -"
"You mean my surprise birthday celebration with everyone invited taking place this Friday night?" Jack pleasantly interrupted.

Tooth waved her hand sideways, dismissing Jack. "Yes. What would you like to eat?" Tooth winces internally as she finishes asking but Jack doesn't seem to mind.

"I don't know." He shrugged. "Pasta of some sort, maybe?" He laughed as he walked out.

Two days ago that was the conversation.

Then this was the conversation:

"Go look for him, Bunnymund. He needs you."

Now this is the conversation:

"I could jump, you know," Jack started off casually on his favorite roof, right near the edge.
"Jack!" Bunnymund's voice was deep and desperate as Jack continued.

"Because, you know, it's just so hard. And. Because it's never going to get better. And because I can't go down there with you but I can go down here and that says it all."

"Don't."

"I can't go to that party Bunny, I can't."

"Don't. It's not an either/or .. come on, we can play stupid video games at my apartment where -"

"No, I can't I can't I can't I can't I can't -"

Bunnymund stopped him as he starts to speak. "When I was 17 I was suffering from major depression and I didn't know it.

"When I was 20, I was an alcoholic (it was self-medication).

"When I was 26, I was sober three days and twenty-seven minutes.

"When I was 27 I tried to kill myself. Again.

"When I was 27 and three months I went on meds. They gave me horrible side effects sometimes but worked. But helped me recover.

"When I was 27 and four months I could be happy.

"When I turned 28 I was grateful for every single day.

Bunnymund took a breath and paused. "But that's not my whole story," he said.

"When I was 17, my art was purchased and used in a children's book cover for the first time.

"When I was 20 I came out of the closet and got my first boyfriend and together we started Rise, just before I turned 21.

"When I was 26 I had been in a four year relationship and Rise had really taken off.

"When I was 26 and two months I wasn't.

"When I was 26 and two months he died in a car accident.

"When I was 27 I met you.

"And when I turned 28, all this shit started coming down on us. Probably your fault, somewhere in there.

"Jack," he said, "anorexia isn't your only story. Come down because anorexia isn't' your only story and suicide isn't your only choice. Come down and beat me at stupid video games."

"Okay," Jack responded in a subdued voice, wiping tears from his eyes. "Okay Aster."

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3. Brunch

. Jack thinks there may or may not have been sex this time.

"It either happened or it didn't," grumbled a sleepy Bunnymund. "Make up your mind frostbite."

Jack gulped and blushed and then froze.

Bunnymund ordered room service. Calmly. Rationally. Without speaking his every thought out loud.

On autopilot, Jack was too flabbergasted to even notice the large amount of food he'd consumed in some cheesy hotel room with Bunnymund (Dear God).

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4. Cafe Opening

Jack almost didn't go.

"Jack! It's the opening of my cafe!" Babytooth cried out in his most unattractive wail.

"But-But-" Jack stuttered out. "But -"

"What," Babytooth put her hands on her hips to properly demand, "could be more important than my cafe opening?"

"I've never -" Jack waved his hands in the air and then ran them through his hair, pacing the floor. "I've never -"

Babytooth, having sensed that Jack was clearly struggling with something - and not just something but something as compelling as a secret.

"Jack?" Babytooth tried. "What the fuck's going on?"

There was a deep breath from Jack. "I've never had sex -" he started.

"You've never had sex?!" Babytooth interrupted.

"No! I've never had sex with Bunnymund before!"

"Sorry," Babytooth started. "I didn't mean to - wait, what? Before? You've had sex with Bunnymund?!"

"Yesterday," Jack responded immediately. "I mean, technically, two days ago. Yesterday he ordered me brunch. I think I ate it."

Babytooth's jaw dropped. "But." was all she managed to get out.

"Yeah." Jack replied.

They sat on the bench outside of Babytooth's cafe for almost ten whole minutes before Babytooth sighed and said, "Yeah, well. I got to go set up this opening. You," Babytooth clapped a hand on Jack's shoulder, "my friend, are excused."

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5. Celebratory Dinner

At the end of every year, Guardian threw a celebratory dinner. It was, North warned in a vaguely terrifying manner that demanded compliance, tradition.

"And you do not," North continued in his same threatening tone, "mess with tradition."

In other words: North was sorry but Jack was going to be there and there were no valid exemptions this time.

In other words: Bunnymund was going to be there. Bunnymund was coming. Jack was going to have to talk with Bunnymund.

Bunnymund, whom Jack had been almost frantically avoiding for the last three weeks.

Bunnymund, with whom he had exchanged no more than seven 'hellos' and one 'how's it going?' on his way up the stairs, a situation so utterly unexpected that he lost his footing and actually slipped, after which the conversation descended into this:

"Are you alright?" Bunnymund had asked.

"Didn't feel a thing! Really!" Jack had desperately insisted, and then attempted to annoy the (sexy) (shut up!) artist away. "You can be on your way now, chip chip, cheerio!"

Fondly, Bunnymund had informed Jack that he was Australian not British and oh god, Jack had thought, I'm losing it! The tables are turned! Instead of getting under Bunnymund's skin, he's getting under mine! Just because they had sex and everything - sex wasn't supposed to be that much of a game changer! Was it?

Jack thinks he might have mumbled some of that out loud, but all he really remembers doing is sprinting his way up the stairs wildly like a madman.

That was the last time he'd seen the man. And tonight, in like, seconds, he was going to see him again.

Jack almost wanted to start apologizing to North and everyone in advance because he was quite certain there was going to be a scene.

Nervously, Jack crammed a passing shrimp in his mouth. It tasted - surprisingly good, so Jack allowed himself to nervously cram a second shrimp down his throat but then was done eating and nervously paced around the lovely outside venue.

There was no alcohol. Jack couldn't tell if the lack of champagne was a blessing or a curse (probably the former) but it gave him less things to dramatically consume. Water, obviously, didn't have the right effect to really work.

Jack drank glasses of champagne in his mind (nervously) until Babytooth came over and smacked him.

"He's not going to be here until they start serving food you know."

"Who?" Jack asked, pretending to be in the dark.

Babytooth rolled her eyes. "Remember that this is your fault when I call the Calvary," she told him as she left.

Babytooth left, leaving Jack time to only two mental champagne glasses when Tooth wandered her way over.

Jack thought he definitely miscalculated when he went for the unaware and innocent angle with Babytooth.

He used to be so good with words. Charismatic. Charming. What happened? (Oh, right, gay things! Sexual things! With a colleague! That he cared about! He had no idea what even threw him the most in that list!)

"Jack, is something the matter? And don't lie, because you're pacing. And not like a tiger but like a chickenshit field mouse who is about to get eaten." Tooth's voice had gotten quite loud near the end. She finished gently, "I don't want you to get eaten, Jack. What's going on?"

Jack opened his mouth. Finally, he said, "Are you going to tell North?"

"He might be my husband," Tooth patiently explained, "but that doesn't mean I'm going to tell him everything."

It wasn't a yes or a no but Jack took it. "Okay," He readied himself, grabbed Tooth's arm and began walking away from the party. "This thing happened, and it's wigging me out," Jack explained.

"What?"

"Answering that would require telling you what happened, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, Jack."

Jack sighed. He bounced from foot to foot, debating. "I couldn't just entertain you with jokes? Maybe some juggling? How about puns? Poorly construed attempts at break dancing?"

Tooth just looked at him. Jack scowled. "Alright, so maybe Bunnymund and I had sex and maybe it's wigging me out a bit."

Tooth was speechless for a few seconds. "Well. Just drop it on me all at once, why don't you."

Jack shrugged. Smirked impishly. "Why? Were you looking for more … details?"

"No!" Tooth practically screeched. She held her hands up in defeat. "So what's freaking you out about it?"

Jack shrugged noncommittally and scuffed the ground with his toe. "Just does."

Tooth glanced up and then again at Jack. "Well, then," she announced, guiding Jack back down the path, "I think I've found you the perfect solution."

"What?"

"Talk to him," she said, shoving Jack in the direction of the recently arrived Bunnymund. Jack whirled around to curse Tooth sudden but inevitable betrayal, but she is gone and by the time he's turned back around, Bunnymund is grabbing his arm and whispering, "We need to talk."

"That sounds intimidating," Jack whispered back.

"That's 'cause you're a little shit," Bunnymund affectionately growled as he dragged Jack out to the woods.

They walked until they couldn't see the chairs of the dinner party before Bunnymund finally stopped walked.

"Mate," he finally said, "what is your beef with me?"

Jack looked left and right and then did what he always did: just got on with it. "We had sex. We've never done that before."

Bunnymund looked a bit like he wanted to punch Jack. "And?"

"Well." Jack rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't know what to do?"

There was a pause, a moment, in which Bunnymund looked at Jack and Jack looked back and then there was another moment where they were making out.

Jack finally tore away. "What's happening here?"

"'m kissing ya," Bunnymund explained.

Jack threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. "No, really? I thought we were herding – sheep or something like that one movie with the cowboys that had sex, okay bad example but my point is: I know we're having sex and you know what I was asking and you're not answering, why aren't you answering?"

"I forgot ya were such a tosser," Bunnymund remarked. "I'm o'viously trying t' date ya."

"Oh," Jack replied faintly. "Awesome."

They returned to the dinner after that and sat next to each other and it was significant enough that Jack forgot, for five minutes, about the food and the eating.

And then he remembered, and he remembered his sessions with Dr. Bennett and thinks it's been enough time. And thinks this is the home stretch. And thinks he might actually be able to really beat this.

And when he comes back from the buffet table, Bunnymund is still there.

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+1. Wedding

There are several different menus open in front of them (and by several, Jack meant eighteen because of course he counted) and he was excited.

Sandy, a connoisseur of fine things and best man of sorts was sitting on the floor and not speaking and listening to Jack talk.

"You'd think, you know, after everything, I'd be all – no, no, Bunnymund, you pick the food but I really wanted to face this and everything. I wanted to prove to myself I could do it and I thought it'd be so hard but it isn't. I'm so used to everything being so hard and now it's like: this is what food is really about. Happiness and people you love." He paused. "You know?"

Sandy reached out and grabbed Jack's hand gently.

Jack smiled sadly. "It's been so hard. Will it be hard again?" he asked and still Sandy doesn't answer.

Instead, he pushes three menus into their growing no pile and gestured for Jack to do the same.

It's a good distraction.

Jack stared deeply into the pile because it had to be and couldn't decide.

Look. Again.

Sandy's card read. He held up one more that said:

"Happiness and people you love".

"Wow," Jack joked, "who knew I was actually wise?"

Sandy smiled at him and this time, Jack only took twenty minutes to find his restaurant. His caterer.

And he was absolutely, genuinely excited. About food and about happiness and people he loved and he was going to call Bunnymund and tell him, tell him about happiness and people you love and how he thought he was going to make it and "I love you."

"I love you too," Bunnymund responded. "Marry you later?"

"With pork rolls and mini desert platters," Jack had happily agreed. "Oo! And my we can get some of those egg nog elves North seemed to have lying around!"

"But no fruitcake?"

"Oh god," Jack moaned, "No fruitcake ever again! I ban fruitcake from the world by the power vested in through our epic love and -"

Bunnymund silenced him with the age old classic: scorchin' hot smoochies.

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A/n: and yes, I am certain I want the last words of this entire saga to be 'scorchin' hot smoochies'. smoochies is a GREAT word. Say smoochies out loud. Then say kisses. Then agree with me about which one is better. (hint: smooooooochies).

Thank you all so much for being the freaking awesomest reviewers ever and keeping me going I love you all so much!