happilyeverbeginning | POTENTIAL PLAY POST WITH CRIM

Antoine still laid there, but many of his bandages had been removed. During Bunnie's mysterious vanishing act, the doctors and nurses at the hospital had made great strides in regards to his recovery. His body was still wracked with scars, but at least his face was mostly visibly now.

His breathing was slow, but no longer in a pained or strained way. Now this was the breath of exhausted rest, the machines by his side quietly doing their job with the occasional beep echoing across the empty room.

The door opening was announced with a slow creaking sound.

Some part of her hoped that she'd open the door and be met with the sight of an empty bed. She could then go look for Antoine at home, where he undoubtedly be waiting for her. But instead, her husband lay in the same hospital bed that she'd left him in.

Bunnie stood at the entrance. She could feel the pain and frustration that she had tried to quiet slowly rise from her chest up to her throat. 'He still.. ain't woke up..?' She tried to swallow the sadness in her throat but all she managed to do was choke back a sob.

Bunnie quietly walked to his bedside and put her hand on his. "Don't you ...worry, Darlin'." She managed through her cracking voice. "I'm not--" Bunnie paused and took a deep breath, "I'm not gonna leave you again."

Someone like Doctor Quack would have said what happened next was a result of inevitability, thanks to modern medicine and Antoine's own strong will. Someone like Amy Rose would have said it was thanks to true love.

Either way, as Bunnie's hand rested on his, a slight sound begin to stir from Antoine's throat. It was a mix of a groan and a struggle, as facial twitches started appearing here and there. But slowly, ever so slowly, whatever he was fighting against lost, and his eyelids started to move. He was opening his eyes, the world initially blurry to him, but then they slid over to the most important person in the world.

Bunnie had busied herself by clearing away tears with the heel of her palm. Though as she glanced down she was more than surprised to see the person in the hospital bed looking back at her.

Looking at her. He was looking at her!

"Antoine?!" She shouted in sheer surprise. The tears continued--this time for a much happier reason. She threw her hands around he neck and pressed the side of her face against his. "Antoine! Darlin'! Ah 'm so--" sniff, "--happy to see you again."

A small grunt escaped him as he was nearly tackled down, but he wasn't going to complain. His memories were jumbled, and some of the medicine was starting to wear off, but these things seemed inconsequential in the presence of his beloved. It took effort, but he managed to nuzzle his cheek against hers, taking in her scent. It'd felt like ages since he'd known her embrace.

"Such a... beautiful angel." His voice was a whisper at first, needing to regain strength. "... I am in heaven, no...?"

Yes, even after waking up from a coma, Antoine could not resist serving up the suave. Mostly because it served as an excellent distraction from asking what had happened.

Bunnie gave a broken laugh into his pillow, "Always such a sweet talker." After such a long time it was just nice to hear the sound of his voice again. It didn't have to be flattery to make her happy.

She lightened her hug and craned her head to meet his gaze. "How are you feelin'? Should ah get you a nurse?"

"I am fine, fine, fine..." He cleared his throat in an effort to stop sounding so hoarse, but even that still needed some work. His arms were heavy as lead, but even so, he tried to move them, straining to touch Bunnie's soft hair.

"How about you, mah chérie?" He murmured, also trying to look her over as best he can. "... I am... having trouble recalling... all of ze events... Were you harmed?"

"Ah'm fine, Antoine." Though her voice still sounded teary and broken, she was smiling all the same. She was just happy to be able to talk to him and to have him talk back; It had certainly been a long time since she was able to hold a conversation with the person she loved most.

"Now, " Bunnie gave her husband a quick peck on the cheek, she kept it light since he still seemed tender around that area. "You don't need to be fussin' over li'l ol' me me when you're lyin' in bed as ya are. You just worry 'bout gettin' back on your feet again. I'll be here helpin' ya every step of the way."

Antoine gave an indignant little snort at that. "I shall be leaving here in no time. Eet will not be long before I am out and about and fighting and..." He was trying to prove this by getting up, but when someone's been in a coma for a while, the muscles take a long, long time to wake up. So the most he accomplished were his arms pathetically stretching for a few good seconds, before he gave up and resumed grooming his wife.

"Maybe a bit longer zan zat." He admitted. As of the moment, he was so concentrated on her face, he had yet to notice anything else different about her. He never would have guessed what she had done while he had laid in silence.

Though she wouldn't force him to lie back down for fear of not wanting to injure him further, worry was all over Bunnie's expression as Antoine tried to sit up. She sat up herself and watched with baited breath breath. He didn't nearly look well enough to take such a big step all of a sudden.

She sighed in relief as he decided to lie back down.

"Take all the time you need." Bunnie put a hand on his. "After all this, ah'm in no hurry to see you fightin' again. Besides," She looked down. "Ah made sure that I won't be left defenseless again. You don't need to worry 'bout it."

Antoine was a little annoyed that he was helpless, but what else could be done? he squeezed her hand, listening to her.

"You? Defenseless?" He scoffed - which caused him to cough a little - at such a silly idea. "I am never hearing such ridiculousness..." But there was something in her tone that threw him off. He looked at her once again to confirm what he was hearing. "... What do you mean... you 'made sure'...?"

Keeping secrets was never her goal, but as she looked over him in sprawled on on a hospital cot covered in cuts and bandages, it didn't seem the right time.

Bunnie squeezed his hand. "Ah'll tell you everythin' once you're feelin' better. You need to rest."

Something wasn't right. It was only hitting Antoine now that maybe he hadn't just been 'out' for a few days. He blinked slowly, searching her face over for any answers. His hand moved to her face, cupping her wet cheek.

"... What has happened,mon amour?" His thumb wiped away any remaining tears. "Please... I can't possibly rest while you are so upset."

She had managed to stave off being upset until Antoine mentioned her being upset. Even if she hid it so well--or so she thought--he was still able to tell so easily.

The corners of Bunnie's mouth tugged downward and her eyes began to sting. She buried her face into his chest so that he wouldn't see her collected expression fall apart. "You've been in here for such a long time... ah had to do something."

His heart began to sink. 'Such a long time'? Just how long had he been out? Just how close to death had he come? Fear began to crawl up his spine, but he swallowed those horrific questions. Bunnie came first. Bunnie always came first.

"Darling... Darling..." He repeated it, trying to adjust both arms and hold her. "Tell me what you did. You know... nothing will change between us. Why are you... so afraid?"

Even though she knew her fears were unfounded, a small corner of her mind reluctantly thought that he might leave if she was honest with what she had done. If not leave, then perhaps he would be eternally bitter or resent her? Would the trust between them be broken? Even the possibility of that happening caused the very heart in her chest to ache.

"Ah.. left your side.." She gripped his sheets in her hand.

"..I went to--" She swallowed. "--live with my Uncle Beauregard for a spell. Ah worked with him to try an' get weapons just like ah used to have. Ah know he ain't on the right side of things but he's the only kin ah got."

Her voice raised "And ah couldn't just sit and see you like this all day! All I could think 'bout was how I shoulda done somethin'! And ah just couldn't! I..!"

Antoine was quiet for a long time. At first, he couldn't remember who she was talking about, given his brain and memories had been jumbled from the explosion.

But then it clicked - her and Sonic returning from that one mission, how she had met her long lost uncle, only to find out he was working for their enemy... She had been in complete agony, and he had understood it entirely...

Weapons like she used to have - because she was whole flesh now - Ixis Naugus - it all slammed into his brain like a painful punch, and he needed to close his eyes to catch up.

"... You... You wanted so long..." He managed to find his voice. "... To have your old limbs, your old flesh and blood, and you tried to... to lose them?" There was no anger or bitterness in his voice - just tired disbelief. "... Bunnie, zere's no guarantee zat you'd ever be cured like zat again... To think, I had made you suffer so much... I am so sorry..."

"Here you are lyin' in bed and apologizin' to me." She said through a tone that very nearly almost sounded angry.

"You ain't the one that need to be apologizin' fer anythin' that happened or what I done." Bunnie looked off. "It's all that Eggman's fault."

He wanted to say she shouldn't have made such a sacrifice - but if the roles were reversed, wouldn't he have felt the same?

That went around and around in his head, and when he looked at her again, his fingers cradled her cheek. "Promise me." His voice was soft, close to pained. "... Promise me... you won't do zis again." His body was still so weakened that he couldn't even push her to make her look at him.

"Ah.." Bunnie put her hand on his. Even if she felt what she did was right, she still felt ashamed by what she'd done. Bringing it up now.. was that even the right thing to do? "Ah promise, I ain't gonna leave you again."

He wanted to make her promise never to do anything so risky, never sacrifice her happiness for his sake - but he couldn't bring himself to reword it. Not now, at least.

"T'ank you." He murmured, entwining their fingers in the open spaces, a thumb rubbing side to side. "My sweet chéri... I will not allow anyone, especially myself, to make you suffer again."

She nodded quickly in spite of a whimper escaping her throat. He always knew just the right thing to say to make her feel better in these kinds of situations..

After a moment taken to collect herself, Bunnie was able to give a small smile. "Now. You need to get some rest." He would only be able to get out of his bed if he took the proper amount of rest. "Go to sleep now, Darlin'. Ah'll be right here waitin' for you for when you wake up. Ah promise."

He had one more romantic gesture left him in before exhaustion wore out. He lifted her hand, kissed each of the knuckles, and then laid it on his chest, as if to make sure she wasn't leaving. He didn't want to doubt her - loathed himself at the very idea - but she had left once. All it took was the once.

He closed his eyes, and started to take deep, steady breaths. "... T'ank you, Bunnie. For... everything."

POTENTIAL PLAY POST WITH CRIM

OH. MY GOD. (good thing fyi)

;-;

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