It was 5 months to the day since the battle with Pitch when Jack got all of the children to believe in the other guardians again and Bunnymund was just about to give up the search for the teen who had been missing for that long when he heard a muffled sob from nearby. He slowly hopped towards the sound until he found it coming from a cavern. He knew that there would only be one person in an icy cavern in the Antarctic but he drew his boomerangs nonetheless, not willing to take any chances. He walked in as slowly as he could bring himself to do, which admittedly was quite fast still as the desire to get out of the cold was too strong, although more importantly the desire to find the missing teen.
He was expecting to have found the boy there, and he was expecting the crying as he could hear it from a distance, but what he was not expecting was to find the child in the condition that he was in. Tear tracks were frozen down his too pale cheeks and his thin body was shaking with each sob. As Aster went nearer he realised that Jack's arms were wrapped protectively over his protruding belly, his hoodie having being pulled up as it clearly couldn't stretch far enough to cover the boy anymore.
"Jackie?" Hands quickly scrubbed at his face before trying to hide his stomach once more as he looked over his shoulder at the person who had found him.
"As-Aster?"
"Yeah Jackie. We've been looking for you."
"And I've been hiding from you guys."
"I realise that snowflake, I'm just not too sure why."
"You all hate me."
"We wouldn't have searched daily for 5 months if we hated you, would we?"
"I don't know, you all made it pretty clear that most everything that went wrong in our fight with Pitch was because of me, because I refused to let any of you take back Sophie. If it makes you feel any better I wish I hadn't insisted, then maybe you guys would still like me and I wouldn't be in this mess," Jack whispered while gesturing at his stomach.
"It wasn't your fault, we were just all very stressed. What do you mean Jackie, what mess?"
"What mess? The mess where I am 5 freaking months pregnant."
"What? But-"
"You all assumed I went with him to get my teeth back, my memories. I was with him because his nightmares attacked me at Jamie's house and took me to Pitch. I was with him because he wanted to break the Guardian of Fun for siding with you guys. I was with him because he decided to rape me and then give me my teeth as if paying me like I was some cheap hooker."
"Oh snowflake, I'm sorry. Why did you leave though? Why hide?"
"Because you were all blaming me for being raped, as if I had a choice in the matter, even if you didn't know that's what happened, none of you gave me the time of day to explain."
"Come here Jackie," Bunnymund whispered as he pulled Jack into his lap, curling his arms around him in a tight protective hug. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry snowflake. I'm never leaving you again, never letting you go off like this."
"You're warm kangaroo," Jack whispered as he snuggled closer into Aster's chest, icy finger wrapping themselves in the long fur.
"Oh I really am not warm in this snow, how about we head back to the Warren?"
"Don't- don't tell the others, please? Not yet."
"I won't Jackie, I'll just let them know that I have found you but that we aren't to be disturbed by any of them. Is that alright?" Jack nodded into the warm chest as he closed his eyes. "Come on then snowflake, to the Warren." Aster stood up with Jack in his arms and thumped his foot twice to create a tunnel down to his own home. Immediately he placed Jack down on the bed and went to walk away.
"Don't go please, don't leave me."
"Calm down Jackie, I'm just going to tell them that I have found you and get you some warm clothes that'll fit properly. I'll be right back to you, I promise. I told you I'm not going to leave you again, didn't I?" Jack let go of the arm he had gripped on to and allowed the bunny to leave while he shut his eyes. Bunnymund went to the pole and told Phil to report to the others that Jack was safe but not to be disturbed, and to tell North that he had stolen one of his tops but that he would get it back soon. With that he quickly hopped into the man's room and took the comfiest looking top he could find, safe in the knowledge that it would be ample enough to fit Jack until they could find him his own fitting clothes and a pair of pyjama bottoms from Jack's room at the pole. Another double tap of his foot took the bunny back to the Warren and to the awaiting boy.
"You awake snowflake?"
"Mmm, wait'n for you."
"Well isn't that sweet."
"Just wanted to make sure you weren't leaving me."
"I told you that I wouldn't. Now, come on, I've got a change of clothes here for you, then you can sleep. You're pyjama bottoms should fit fine but I had to steal the shirt from North so it'll be rather big on you, but at least they'll be warm and keep you covered. Here you go." Bunnymund held out the two mentioned items and Jack made a move to take them but it was clear that he was shaking too much to even manage that task.
"Umm, Bunny?"
"Yes snowflake?"
"I, well, I hate to ask but-" Jack trailed off as he looked away in embarrassment.
"You need some help getting changed?" Jack nodded shyly.
"I mean, you don't have to! I'll be fine as I am. Never mind, it was a stupid request."
"Hey, it's okay snowflake, I'm here to help, top or bottoms first?" Jack shrugged as much as he could from where he was curled up on the bed. "I need you to sit up for me, can you do that? We'll change your top first, protect your dignity a little." Jack forced himself up on shaking arms and sat cross-legged on the bed trying not to shiver so violently.
"I'm sorry for making you do this bunny."
"Don't apologise. It's no bother, I'd rather you be healthy than cold and suffering. What's with that anyway, I thought that you were immune to the cold?"
"Thank you then. I was, baby was stealing it from me in the freezing climate, at least I know it was okay even if I were cold." Aster smiled softly at these words while placing a paw onto the protruding stomach, pulling away sharply when he felt the boy's gaze flick to his face.
"Sorry, I- sorry. Arms up." Jack lifted his arms as high as he could through the pain of the cold in his joints and Aster carefully pulled the boy's hoodie over his head and down his arms. Swiftly he pulled the stolen red shirt over Jack's frame and the teen relaxed his arms as the shirt fell loosely over his torso.
"I don't mind you know."
"Don't mind what?"
"You seemed as though you were being burnt when I looked at you earlier, I don't mind it, if a random person was touching my stomach I would protest but you- you're my... friend?"
"Yeah, I am. Trousers now, do you want to stand up or lay straight?" Jack didn't give a verbal answer but his answer was clear as he lowered himself back onto the bed and straightened his legs slowly and in obvious difficulty. "You alright Jackie, you seem to be in a lot of pain?"
"Fine, just achy I guess. Essentially the same position for months in the snow, you tend to seize up."
"Well, we'll have to fix that. First things first, get you warm and rested. Tomorrow we can go for a walk and stretch out those muscles a bit." Bunnymund slowly moved his paws to grip the laces of Jack's trousers and undid them before pulling them off the long, thin legs of the teen and quickly replacing them with the pyjama bottoms he had picked up. Bunny stood from where he had previously been sitting on the bed and gently pulled the covers from underneath the boy's body, lifting them up to his shoulders. "Nigh' night snowflake."
"Kangaroo?"
"Bunny, frostbite. What do you need?"
"Can you stay here with me? You're warm and I feel safe with you. I know it is pathetic of a guardian but, please?"
"It isn't pathetic snowflake. Budge up some then mate." Jack took the pillow from his side of the bed and placed it under his bump as he rolled onto his side. He felt the bed dip as Bunnymund led on the bed behind him and, clutching the pillow, he shuffled backwards until he felt his back press into the Pooka's chest. He went to put his head down on the bed only to find a furry arm placed under his head so it was at a comfortable angle. He looked over his shoulder at the Easter Bunny who shot him a small grin before taking a paw in his hand and wrapping his arm over Jack's waist until their clasped hands were resting on his belly.
"Mmm, you're nice and warm, thanks Pooka, night bunny."
"Sweet dreams snowflake." Jack snuggled further into the Pooka, relishing in the warmth of the other and the softness of the fur within his hand and under his head. For the first time in 5 months Jack didn't have a nightmare of the events that happened with Pitch, rather dreaming of spring and flowers with a certain rabbit running through the fields to him before Jack professed his love to the rabbit. He had thought it was just in the dream however Bunnymund did not miss the sleep-mumbled confession as he lay watching the teen.
"Love you too snowflake," he whispered into the crisp, spring air before closing his eyes and welcoming his own dreams. Dreams of a frozen wasteland, a winter spirit flying above it and a small child chasing after him.
Early the next day Bunnymund was woken up by slight shivering from the body within his arms and he curled tighter around the body, willing his body to warm up the other, using his centre to hope that it would work. The teen in his grasp rolled over until he buried his face into the furry chest of the Pooka, waking up slowly as he took a deep breath before scrunching up his nose as the fur tickled. When he looked up at Aster with bleary eyes he couldn't help but pout as the rabbit chuckled.
"You are absolutely adorable when you first wake up, you know that snowflake?"
"Not adorable, terrifying."
"Scrunched up nose and pouting lips, definitely adorable, like a little toddler who doesn't get his own way. I know people claim that toddlers are terrifying but they tend to be wrong. In this case they would definitely be wrong."
"I'm not sure I like you this morning."
"Do you normally like me then?"
"Hmm, I tolerate you. Normally. At this moment I'm undecided."
"Fine, oh terrifying one. He whose power holds awesome threat and terror. He who looks adorable when pouting at me. He who looks cute when angry."
"I'm not sure I like you anymore Kangaroo."
"Did you before then?"
"Yes I- well- yes I did." Jack blushed as he said these words, catching himself before he said too much.
"You alright there snowflake? You look a bit red, you sick? Hot? I'll leave if you're too hot," Aster teased the teen, having heard Jack's sleep-filled words the previous night he was not going to let him off easily.
"I- I'm fine, don't go." Jack's words were mumbled from where he was hiding his red face within Bunnymund's fur.
"Look at me snowflake," he paused waiting for the teen to listen to his words and lock eyes with him, "I'm just teasing, I'm not really going to leave. I promised you I wasn't leaving you again, didn't I?"
"Yeah, you did."
"Exactly. Trust me Jackie, you're stuck with me for the long run."
"I think I can handle that Roo."