Awkward. That was the word to describe the room. Sandy and Tooth pretended not to stare at Bunnymund but it was quite obvious what was on their minds. Nick had tried to make a conversation dealing with their guardian duties while Jack simply looked away every time Bunny looked at him. It was very awkward.

"Nick," Bunny interrupts him. "Is it okay if I go use the restroom?"

North eyes him curiously, "Ah...well, yes go ahead."

Bunny had walked away quickly. Everyone was paying attention to him. It was known that Nick had told them that he was staying at the pole for a while and now they all were wondering why. He quickly stepped into the hall and found the nearest bathroom.

He was nervous.

He couldn't stop looking at Jack. The boy was afraid of him. His heart thumped in his chest painfully remembering his confession, then it skipped as he thought of Nick who was worried over him. Did Jack ever tell Nick? Was that what they were talking about when Jack had come over? What did Nick say? All of Bunny's questions came to a halt when he heard the restroom door open.

Small footsteps.

Not large, not tiny.

Jack's. They were Jack's feet.

"Bunny? Are you in here? North asked me to check on you." Jack said as he entered the restroom. "Look, I know you don't want to talk to me but I need to tell you something."

"Tell me what?" Bunny finally answered as he stepped out of a stall (his hiding place). He was annoyed and anxious.

Jack shook a little, a little overwhelmed, and dared to look the rabbit in his eyes. "I'm not suppose to say anything but he really likes you."

"Who?" Bunny asks crossing his arms.

On the outside he remained calm and cool but in the inside he was bursting with emotions.

Jack rubbed his arms. "He told me about your break down-"

"I didn't have a breakdown!" Bunny snapped before he knew it, making Jack jump. His nose flared and breathing ragged, "Who the hell told you I did?"

"He said you came over crying and-"

"North didn't say that." Bunny growled. He felt his heart breaking in half. North just wouldn't go telling the others his personal business? Would he? Nick wouldn't go and tell everyone everything. Would he? No, he wouldn't do that.

Jack wasn't backing down, "He told me about you trying to court him and how he rejected you-"

"He...He didn't say that." Bunny says lowly.

"But he likes you!" Jack says when he saw Bunnys expression change. "The night in his room and you and him-"

"The night in his room?" Bunny says then pauses. "We didn't do anything! It was an accident! And only an accident!"

"Are you sure about that?" Jack asks stepping closer. "Because North doesn't think that."

"What does he think then?" Bunny asks angrily. "Does think I'm stupid for actually coming here for his help? Does he think I'm a fool? A game? You guys were laughing at me!"

"When had we laughed about you!" Jack yells. "We weren't laughing! No one laughed at you!"

"How many of you know." Bunny's voice was shallow. "How much did he tell you?"

"Not that much." Jack answered. "But he told me liked you. And that he's planning to ask you out."

Bunny was quiet. His mind jumbled and heart beated loudly. These were the last few days of summer and he had been planning to leave soon and forget everything that had happened.

"I won't accept it." he mumbled quietly.

Jack stared. "What?"

"I won't accept it." Bunny shook his head. "He's just doing it because he feels sorry for me."

"Are you kidding me?" Jack angrily spat. "Are you telling me that after all those years of pining after North that you aren't gonna take his offer? He's going to give you his heart and you're going to say no?!"

"He doesn't love me."

"What the hell makes you think that?!" the winter spirit's face was flushed with anger. "How can the guardian of hope be so hopeless?! Just last night you and him had dinner together! North told me that he loved your company!"

Bunny gritted his teeth. He wanted to snap. He wanted to yell, scream out all the emotions he had bottled up inside. He wanted to cry and go yell at Nick for breaking his heart. He wanted to curse at Jack and told him to mind his own business. But he was stronger than that. He had more dignity and he didn't want to make a scene in Nicks home.

"How could you-!" Jack was cut off.

"Bunnymund, Jack, are you alright?" Nick says slowly opening the restroom door. As he entered, all things were quiet. Everything was quiet. His eyes automatically went to Bunnymund. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm sick." Bunnymund says. Suddenly the rabbit didn't look so well, "I'm going to be leaving in the morning and-"

"You're leaving?" North asks incredulously. "You can't leave-"

"Nick, I don't feel too well." Bunny says clutching his stomach. The world was spinning around him,like walls were closing on him.

Jack's eyes widen. "Are you o-"

"Jack go get the yetis!" North ordered as he came by Bunnys side. "Bunnymund are okay? I'll have the yetis give you a check up-"

"Nick, I'm hurting." Bunny breathed.

North wrapped an arm around Bunny's waists to keep him standing (he couldn't help but savor the moment with his arms touching along Bunnys sweet curves). Bunny was shaking, looking as if he were to...break.

"Calm down Aster." North whispered, wrapping his other arm around Bunny's waist. Bunny felt himself tense then a sudden relief came through him. North gently rocked him back and forth, "It's okay. You don't have to leave, you can stay with me."

"I'm a bother." Bunny breathed.

"No," Nick whispered in Bunny's ear. "Is that what you have been thinking these past few days? That you are bother? You certainly are not and you are always welcome here, in my home, and to me."

Bunny looked around sadly. Then he met North's eyes, "Nick we can't do this."

"W-what?"

"You know what I'm talking about Nick. I can't do this, you can't do this. Stop acting like you like me." Bunny tried to move out of the man's grasp but North had a strong hold. "Nick let me-"

"I want to do this." Nick says unclearly. He shook his head then gave a sad smile to the rabbit, "I'm sorry for what I did last time but I want to make it up to you."

"Nick." Bunny bit his lip to hold in a sob. He let out a shaky sigh instead. "No, no, no-"

"I was quite jealous you know." Nick mumbled. Bunny was silent. The man went on, "When I heard that you had asked Jack to be yours….I couldn't control my anger, my jealousy… I thought I had missed out- that you had moved on. I've never been so selfish in my life."

"Nick?"

"I thought…" Nicks grip tightened on the rabbits waist. Bunny felt himself stumble a little. It was still summer after all, and he did suffer from heat.

North buried his head in the hollow of Bunny's neck. "I thought I had missed my chance….that I was no longer good for you...for your eyes and body to want, since you were over me. I-"

"Don't." Bunny grimaced.

North lifted his head and was going to speak but Bunny cut him off.

"Stop." Bunny's words came out in short pants. "You have no idea what I went through after that. How humiliated I was? You would never know that feeling!" Tears prickled at the pookas eyes. "I-"

North stopped him. Bunny felt the man's lips upon his own and did nothing. He couldn't believe it. After many dreams of kissing North, Bunny couldn't bring himself to do it.

But Nick was persistent.

The kiss was deepened, Nick turned him, so he was in front. Bunny was against the wall and held onto Nick for support. The man forced his legs apart and wrapped them around his waist.

"Nick!" Bunny screamed when North pushed his legs opened. He broke away from the kiss and tried to get him away. "Nick-"

"Just calm!" Nick says forcing Bunny to look at him. The rabbit paused in his movements to stare at the man. North looked wild. The man took a deep breath then finally released his grip on the rabbit, "I….I am sorry Bunnymund."

Bunny looked around, "For god sakes we're in a bathroom!" he looks back to North sadly. "Look, Nick, I know…"

"Will you go on a date with me?" North asks. He pressed closer to Bunnymund. His eyes were filled with hope, "Please?"

"I'm sorry Nick." Bunny says looking away. He couldn't stand the way Nick was looking at him.

North pushed down the feeling of hurt in his stomach, "If...if that is what you want."

They broke apart slowly. North turned away from Bunnymund and began to leave the restroom. He paused to look back at the rabbit who was still against the wall.

"Do...do you need help?" He asks watching Bunny struggle for a moment against the wall.

Bunny looked up for a split second then looked down shamefully and nodded. He still felt sick. His feet wouldn't move and his heart was heavy.

"Aster," North says as he walks over and wraps an arm around the rabbits waist to help him. "You still aren't leaving."

"I-"

"You are sick, Aster." North states as the walk towards the door. "You cannot fend for yourself."

"I can't be here-"

His words were cut off. They had walked out of the bathroom to be greeted by the rest of the guardians and a few yetis.

"Are you okay?" Jack asks placing a cool hand against Bunny's forehead. From the corner of his eye, Aster could see the flash of jealousy in North's eyes. In an instant it was replaced with a frown. Bunny felt his body heat up at the sight of Nicks anger.

It made him...hot.

Jack snatched his hand away, "You're burning!"

"I'm...oh god I'm hurting." Bunny moaned clutching himself. "Nick!" he cried feeling his body tense. "Nick help me!"

North instinctively grasped Bunny and held him in his arms, "What's wrong? Where are you hurting?"

When Bunny had not answered, North looked at the yetis and gave them a nod which meant to prepare a bed in the infirmary.

Tooths wings fluttered feverishly. "Is he going to be okay?!"

Jack shrugged, freaking a little. "I-I don't know."

North had carried Bunnymund to the infirmary and hadn't left his side. He had gently placed Bunny on the bed, watching as the rabbit cringed. His heart strings pulled when he saw Bunny cry out in pain.

"Aster, my love, what is wrong?" North asks crouching beside his pooka.

"I'm hurting!" Bunny cried out. He tried taking deep breathes but it only intensified. "My stomach...Nick, my stomach!"

"I will get you anything you need, please be patient for a few minutes." North pets Bunny on the head softly, hearing the rabbit groan underneath him. "Please, only just a moment."

"No!" Bunny yelled grabbing North's arm as the man rose to leave. "Don't leave me."

Something had made the pookas stomach less tighten. His eyes glazed over with tears and face flushed with red hue.

"Bunnymund, darling-"

"Gods Nick!" Bunny yelled angrily. "Don't call me that! Don't call me 'My love' or 'darling'! I'm Aster, I am your Aster!"

"My Aster?" North repeated. Bunny began to yelp in pain causing his grip on North's arm to tighten. The pooka started mewing and scratching. North rubbed circles on his Asters back, "It will only be for a moment. I can bring you medicine."

"I don't want you to leave." Aster moans. "Don't leave me."

"What do you want Aster?!" North asks suddenly feeling mislead. "You do not want me as a mate, you have asked Jack to be yours, and now you wish for me to be by your side?"

Bunny looked at North in pain. All the anger the man has had disappeared when he saw that look.

"I'm...I'm sorry Aster."

"Now you know I how I had felt." Bunny said through clenched teeth. "I was so confused and hurt when you wanted to remain friends after my confessions."

"I'm truly sorry."

"Stop apologizing! Let's forget it!"

"Is that what you do?" North asks taking Bunny's paw into his hand. "Do you try to forget your feelings?"

"Nick." Bunny says tiredly. "I don't want to do this again."

"Did these weeks together mean nothing to you? What about our dinners? Our conversations? You can't say they meant nothing." North pushed. He squeezed the pookas paw, "I have tried my best to open to you and I wish you'd do the same."

"I loved being with you…" Bunny admits. "But it was only as friends."

"Friends? What can I do to win your interest again? What exactly drove you to Jack? Tell me so I can get you back."

The determination in North's voice made Bunny shiver on the cot. His stomach muscles finally relaxed. His ears perked up right and so did his fluffy tail.

It didn't go unnoticed.

North chuckled, "You like that idea?"

Bunnymund blushed. "It will take to you a lot."

"I'll do whatever you want."

Bunny felt himself zing. The undertone Nick had was….oh mim, it was sexy.

"Anything?" Bunny asks with the same undertone.

Nick smirked then kissed Aster on the forehead, "Anything."

"I need to speak with Jack….in private." Bunny says as North pulled away. The man's expression changed from loving to angered. Though North didn't speak on it, it was clear to Bunny that Nick was upset. The pooka gave a small smile, "It will only be for a minute. Don't worry."

"Fine." North sighed giving his rabbit a rub on the head, "But don't be long."

The man rose to his feet. Bunny watched in silence as Nick left the room to go fetch the human boy.

Bunny put his paws to his head.

What the bloody heck happened today?!