Author's Note:First off, I'm not great at accents, so I won't even try to do Bunny's. Second, this can be read as slash or just as close friends comforting each other. Thirdly, I'm sorry if this is completely OOC.
Fourthly… I hope you enjoy!
E. Aster Bunnymund kneeled in front of a candle, head bowed and boomerangs, for once, not present. It was the middle of the night in his Warren, and he was unusually alone, not an eggling in sight.
His long, slender ears didn't twitch once, not even to the sounds of Jack's approaching steps or the soft crunching of grass as the Guardian of Fun kneeled next to him, looking between the candle and his fellow Guardian.
The silence, after what felt like hours, was finally broken by a softly spoken, "North told me I might find you here."
Bunnymund just nodded, green eyes closed as the candle continued to burn.
"This… This looks personal, Bunny… You want me to leave or something?"
This time, a shake of the head. Jack fell silent again, keeping his gaze on the bunny next to him.
Finally, just as Jack was getting twitchy at the silence, Bunnymund spoke up.
"It's her birthday." He whispered.
"Who's?"
"Arabella LeFleur. She was my first believer, you know. Little tyke saw me on my second Easter; followed me through the woods. The ankle-bitter wanted to go home with me…"
Jack slid closer to Bunny, offering silent support. The other Guardians kept his eyes shut, head still facing downwards. Jack chose to ignore the slow tears rolling off Bunny's whiskers.
"I visited her nearly every night after that. Brought her presents at least once a week. I even started stealing toys from North to give to her… Her da was a drunk, and her mum was dead… She was only six and already had to take care of her two year old brother. I made sure they got the best toys on Christmas. Begged North to give them more than usual, same with Tooth. At night, I'd watch over her to make sure Sandy visited her…"
Jack put his hand over Bunny's, rubbing circles into the thick fur of his paw.
"When she was ten, she took a job at the stables. Got kicked by one of the horses second day there. Broke two ribs and cracked a couple more. She was sick for days, but she still took care of her brother. I stayed with her the entire time. Problem was, back then, they didn't have proper medicines for infections…"
Jack tensed, his blue eyes widening, begging Manny that the story didn't end the way he thought it would.
"I watched her die, Jack! I watched her wither away and watched her da do nothing but drink! She was only ten! I… I was a Guardian, meant to protect the kids, but I couldn't even save one, couldn't even protect my first believer!"
Jack tightened his hold on Bunny's paw, burying his face into the other Guardian's heaving shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Bunny… I'm so, so sorry." Jack whispered into the Pooka's fur, freezing tears leaking out of his own blue eyes. Bunny turned in Jack's grasp and tucked the teen's head into his chest instead, both clinging on to the either.
Eventually, hours later, the two unwrapped themselves and went back to staring at the candle.
Jack called the Wind, commanding it to make shapes out of the smoke from the candle.
The two Guardians watched the smoke shapes rise to the moon until the sun started to rise, paw over hand in between them.