A/N: Hello, again everyone. I just need to say. I absolutely hate this chapter. I really do. But there was no other way for this thing to work. Anyway. I hope you guys enjoy and I also need to say that I am working on another story! I have no idea why, but I thought it was a good idea (an extremely bad idea actually). I don't know when I'll post the first chapter of that one but it probably won't be soon. I won't be able to write anything for awhile since school is getting ready to end so that means finals week and also the first 2 weeks of my summer vacation I will be in Virginia/New York with my aunt. So that means. No real computer access.

Welp, that's all my ramblings. Sorry for being gone so long! I'm still writing for you guys I promise! Please review! I like to know what you guys think of my writing and it helps me not feel so self-conscious /paranoid about my writing and you guys not liking it.

Amalgamating Flesh & Pixels

Chapter 10:

Bunny, what have you gotten yourself into?

That night I couldn't get any sleep. I even so much as got up to tinker with my computer a little just to pass the time. I couldn't stop thinking about whether or not Tooth and her sister were okay, or if anyone was okay. Then that made me think just how many sisters she had and feel partially grateful that not all of them played The Game. I was starting to hope that they never would either.

I thought about logging on again just to see what was going on but didn't feel all that into it. I just signed in but didn't go with the full avatar and stayed on my homepage. The guys had sent me friend requests shortly after I had agreed to join them as a Guardian.

Tooth was still offline. I decided to send her a quick message asking if everything was alright. After sending the message I moved on to the others. Sandy's status said idle and his icon looked as though he was sleeping. Bunny was still logged on along with North. Under North's name it said he was still located in his Home and under Bunny's name it gave the coordinates to where he was located and from the looks of it, it seemed like someplace I'd never been to or at least someplace I didn't venture to very often. Feeling a little curious and with the excuse of not having anything better to do I slid the headset over my head. I slid the visor over my eyes and leaned back against the wall and logged on.

The logging in process never bothered me. Okay that was a lie, it bothered me the whole first year I had The Game. The neuro-sensors felt like needles were sticking into my brain and my eyes and it both bothered and scared the crap out of me because I couldn't do anything about it. There was a warm wave that flooded my veins which quickly turn icy cold and I couldn't do anything because my senses were all transferred into the game and I couldn't move or feel my physical body anymore. After logging on it felt like my virtual body was real and everything was fine. A bit surreal and little dream-like at first but after while if felt… natural. Kinda like a second body. I always had this small fear that someone would find me here and try to do something to me without my knowledge or tear my headset off while I was still playing. That wouldn't end too well either.

Now logging off was a whole different story all together. That wasn't something I ever got over and I actually think it isn't something I ever will. Once you log off your nerves and senses just come rushing back into your body and it always knocks the wind out of me because of how sudden it always is. At first I had the worst headaches and migraines but after becoming accustomed to the process they subsided. After a particularly intense gaming session (this is usually when I play for days on end or when I spend a lot of time fighting) when I log out I am covered in blood that is steadily running down from my nose, and on rare occasions my ears, or I get a bloody nose right after I log off. Maybe even sometimes I'll vomit but that doesn't happen as often as the bloody noses. I have to keep a trash bin and Kleenexes nearby for just in case emergencies. I even keep a notepad stuck to the wall to keep track of how many days have gone by since my last 'incident'. It's been a few weeks.

I don't know if it's different for everyone and I don't know if I should be worried because this was something that has always happened and hasn't eased up in the slightest since I bought the game years ago. It could have something to do with the fact that I hand built my computer and my headset but who knows. I don't worry about it too much since it isn't anything severe and I definitely don't have the money to afford a visit to the doctors.

I blinked my eyes open to find myself in my Home, the last place I was at when I logged off. I breathed in the cool air and opened a hologram window before me. I entered in the coordinates to where Bunny was supposedly located and teleported there.

The area was going through its night-time phase. I let my eyes adjust and looked around and saw that it was a grassy spacious closed in area that had moss or some kind of plant life covering every surface. There were ledges that climbed onto high grounds but also had pathways that led upwards too. Large trees scattered about here and there. I searched around from where I stood trying to see if I could see Bunny. I saw him sitting on a huge grassy hill.

As quietly as I could I floated up to where he was. Sitting myself in a tree a couple meters away I saw that Bunny wasn't doing anything. A window was open at his side, it looked like he was messaging someone (or was about to), but he wasn't paying it any attention. He was staring out at nothing in front of him and I briefly wondered if he had fallen asleep. I contemplated whether I should just leave or do something (something annoying just to get his attention) but I thought better of it. I was still thinking of how to get his attention when he called out my name which his voice scared the crap out of me and made me almost jump out of the tree. The reasonable idea of fleeing the scene seemed like a good one at that moment since being caught stalking your kinda sorta maybe, maybe not crush didn't seem like very good situation to be caught in. I had stood up and was just about to mumble some sort of half assed excuse and apology and book the fuck out of there but his gravelly voice stopped me.

"You're not very good at bein' stealthy, mate." He said with a chuckle.

I made a face as I turned around to face where he was sitting. "Hey, I'm amazing at being stealthy it's just nothing seems to get by those giant satellite dishes on your head." I gestured to his ears and jumped down from the tree and sauntered to where he was sitting.

I had hoped for a laugh or at least another chuckle but he just smiled but even I could tell there wasn't much behind it. He realized the hologram was still up and quickly closed it. I quirked an eyebrow but didn't say anything about it.

I rubbed my hand absently on my thigh and cleared my throat. "So, uh, what are you doing out here Mr. Creeper?"

"You're the one who not only came here but sat there and watched me and I'm Mr. Creeper?" I felt my neck and face warm up and began to stutter lame excuses. He shook his head with a smile. "I came out here to get mah mind off things."

I took a seat next to him. "Why here? Why not just log off and do something in the real world?"

He shrugged his shoulders with a sigh. "I either sit 'ere and bask in the illusion of cool night air or sit in my room studyin' for classes. I like the first option betta; could do without the worry even for a few hours."

I felt like there was more that he wasn't saying, but I'm trying to nice at the moment so I let it go.

"Classes?" I asked.

"What?"

"You've mentioned classes, like, two times now. What kind of classes are you talking about?" I elaborated.

He looked at me and let out a chuckle in disbelief. "Why do ya care about what kinda classes I'm takin'?"

"What? Can't a guy ask for the sake of asking?" He just stared at me which caused me to fidget a bit and look away from him and I added quietly to the end. "Just tryin' to make conversation…"

He eventually let out a sigh. "College classes. Majoring in business." His nose twitched.

I sniggered a bit. "Business? Really. You don't seem like the type." I eyeballed him.

"Doesn't matta." He rolled his shoulders.

"So… do you like these classes?" I asked with a small smile, watching his expression

"They're alright I suppose." He shrugged his shoulders, nonchalant, at the same time his nose twitched and I finally understood what it meant. "What 'bout you? You're like in the 2nd grade or somethin', right?" He looked at me.

Even though I knew he was joking, my jaw couldn't help but drop at the comment. "Excuse me? I'm a senior in high school thank you very much!" I crossed my arms in defiance and sat up a bit straighter. "How old are you anyway? Like 30?"

His eye twitched and the smile that appeared on his face at my reaction quickly vanished at my comment. "I am not 30, ya little snow pixie, I'm 19!" He wasn't hunched over anymore. With me sitting next to him he just but all towered over me and probably made his glare about x10 more effective than my own. As if that was going to make me back down.

"Are you sure about that? You don't sound like any 19 year-old I've ever met, 'cause you sound like you've been smoking 2 packs of cigarettes every day for at least 30 years." I smirked, pleased with my comeback and even more pleased at the response I got for it as I leaned back on one arm.

"Well, then what about yerself then, eh? You've got to be what 10?"

"I am not 10!" I huffed indignantly crossing my arms and paused. "Why do I feel like I've had this conversation before?" I muttered under my breath and paused as I thought for a second. "Oh, yeah. Now I remember." I rubbed my hand over my face, tiredly.

"You've had this conversation before?" Bunny gave me this face and look as though I had lost my mind or something to that equivalent.

"No, I had this same type of conversation with Jamie a while back. I was supposed to be helping him with his homework but then somewhere along the way he couldn't believe I didn't know a single word of what he needed help with and said I was 20. But then again I'd much rather be called 20 than 10!" I grumbled.

"Jamie..? You mean that kid yer always hangin' around?"

"Yeah." I drew out the word. "Why?"

"That kid messaged me a few days ago askin' if I could help him with his homework because he said you didn't want to." He gave me an amused look and I just smiled at him and hunched my shoulders. He then got this look as if he had just remembered something. He turned bodily facing me and gave me a more firm look but you could clearly see the smile behind it. I lifted a quizzical eyebrow and kept myself ready for anything when he said, "He also told me that we were best friends." I looked away from Bunny and looked in front of me as I began to worry my bottom lip and remembered that I told Jamie that Bunny and I were best friends. "You know what else? He said you told him that." The pure amusement was practically pouring out of Bunny's voice at this point.

"Damn it, Jamie…" I muttered, but I couldn't keep the laugh out of my voice either. I lifted my hands and hunched my shoulders again in a gesture that said 'you got me'. "Yup. I told Jamie that. But I only told him that because I wasn't expecting the kid to turn to you for help when I refused to do that blasphemy you call 5th grade homework."

Bunny laughed now and, man, it was nice to hear it again and the pleasure that filled me knowing that I had caused it. "I just can't believe the kid went to you for help in the first place, mate."

"That's what I said." I chuckled. "I hope you did help him out though."

"Oh, I did. Mere child's play that kid's homework was. Even though I suck at math." He winced. "Maybe it would have been betta if the kid had asked his mum."

Now I laughed. "Jamie's gonna want your head on a platter if he fails his test I hope you know that."

"I think I can endure the wrath of an 11 year-old." I shook my head. Jamie might not be able to beat you up, but he can certainly send you down a long, agonizing trip of guilt. He has that ability down to a tee and it may be fun watching other's get the fire but not so much once you're in the line of fire. Bunny has no idea what he just got himself into.

"I'm sure you can. But that kid is special to me." I said fondly.

"Like you are to me?"

It was deathly quiet. He said that so quietly that I didn't think I'd heard it at first. That maybe my mind had just made it up, but no. He really said that.

We both said our own exclamations of 'what?' and looked at each other as though we hadn't even seen each other before. There was another short pause until Bunny cleared his throat.

"Sorry. That, uh, wasn't supposed ta come out like that." He blushed and wouldn't look at me.

I could feel myself blushing too and my God! I have never felt like such a girl before! Welcome back to the torturous years of Jr. High. "N-no no. It's fine I understand." I stuttered. Ugh. Great. On with the stuttering.

It was quiet again and so very awkward. I kept thinking of what could very well happen in the next few seconds. I knew I liked Bunny. Although I could never get the fact that I had a crush on a anthromorphic rabbit out of my head and not think that I'm some kind of weirdo, but it wasn't just that. It was the dude's damn voice! The gravelly, Australian accent that could send shivers up my spine without even trying! Jesus. And I could only imagine of what could be on the other side of the avatar. Would it work out? Well, another big question is does he even like me? Scrawny, annoying, little Jack Frost? Unlikely, but it's always good to have hope. Right?

"Jack."

I was already becoming hopeful again when Bunny finally spoke up, the confidence back in his voice. I looked at him and saw that he was looking back.

"Jack, look. I like you." I couldn't believe it! Where's the catch? This is too good to be true. I was just about to say something, my heart in my throat and skipping beats, until he made a gesture for me to stop and I snapped my mouth shut. "I like you. A lot. But, the thing is…" Oh, there it is. "This isn't the time to be settin' up relationships and things like that what with all this Pitch nonsense." He looked at me with the most forlorn look and I knew I was giving the same look back because I understood all too well what he meant. And as much as I didn't want it to be true it was. He was right. This was no time. "We are each other's liabilities and Pitch could use that. You might not know anything about him but he could and he certainly would. I just dun want anything to happen to you especially if I was the cause of it." Who knew you could become so disheartened in less than 2 minutes. I felt his soft paw lightly grip the side of my face, bringing my eyes back up to him which I didn't even notice and fallen downward. "Hey, just because we can't be togetha now, doesn't mean we won't eva be. After Pitch is gone it'll just be us two. Alright?"

I nodded my head tried to regain my composure and man he was so close! I wanted more than anything in the world in that moment was for him to just lean forward and… He kissed me on the forehead. He backed away and stood up before I could do anything. "Go get some sleep, Jack. I know it's somewhere in the early morning for you." And he logged off.

I stayed where I was for a moment to catch myself. I got a kiss from Bunny! It wasn't a kiss kiss but still a kiss nonetheless. I jumped straight up and let out a jubilant shout and maybe did a little festive dance because I just scored myself a boyfriend! Hell yeah! Of course, we aren't technically "dating", but he said he liked me and that he'd go out with me just not right now. Who could sleep after such a revelation? Whoo!

Oh, Bunnymund just what have you gotten yourself into now.