#dhdhsh

Buggy sat by the few unconscious survivors, watching anxiously yet patiently for the person he missed the most. He was a bit worried, but was sure he’d wake up fine, he had checked his pulse multiple times while waiting. He lay his head in his arms and sighed. He’d stay there with him even if it took hours.

A small shift in movement was the first thing one could’ve noticed. Apoccy had slowly begun to stir, his eyebrows furrowing together in his lighter sleep. Buggy flinched a bit in surprise at the sudden movement, watching closely. At the sight of his boyfriend starting to stir his heart fluttered.

“...Apoccy?” He said quietly, a spark of excitement teasing his voice. He hesitated before inching closer. The arsonist slightly pushed himself up a bit, rolling over and making small, mumbly noises as he awakened.

As soon as he could, Apoccy’s hand quietly fumbled to meet his beloved’s, gently squeezing it. His eyes slowly fluttered open as he looked up at Buggy, who was peering down at him with an anxious gaze. Buggy’s eyes watered a bit seeing him awake and alive. He quickly blinked away the tears and cupped his hand over Apoccy’s.

“A-Apoccy, you’re awake!” He said, voice trembling a bit.

Apoccy raised his other hand’s thumb, index, and pinky finger to sign “I love you”. Buggy looked down and the sign, and once it had processed in his brain, it broke down the little emotional wall he had built around himself. He leaned in and pulled him in for a hug, gently yet with loads of love, squeezing him and sobbing into his shoulder. “Oh my god, I thought I’d never see you again...”

Apoccy weakly rubbed Buggy’s back with his free hand, hoarsely mumbling sweetness into his ears. However, due to the strain his voice had been under for the past few days, it was barely audible. Tears were beading his eyes, but Buggy held him close, clutching onto him as if he’d be swept away from his arms any minute now. His sobs were only small cries and hiccups by now as he took in his presence, listened closely for any words in the faint mumbling he let out.

“I’m so sorry, Apoccy,” he finally choked out, voice hitching. “I never wanted you to get hurt...” He cried.

Distraught by his lover’s distress, Apoccy murmured as best he could.

“It wasn’t your fault...I should’ve been more careful.” He continued to rub his dearest’s back, attempting to blink away his tears. “I‘m never leaving you again.” Buggy shook his head, lifting his arm to hold the back of Apoccy’s head.

“I don’t ever want to leave you,” he said. “I don’t ever want to lose you again. That was the worst experience of my life, Apoccy.” He rubbed his head against Apoccy’s cheek and squeezed him gently in a warm embrace. “I’m so glad I got you back. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you were gone.”

Apoccy voicelessly choked out a sob, squeezing Buggy tightly as he shook them both with his weeping.

“M-Missed you...” he got out before the painful crying overtook what remained of his broken voice. Buggy joined him, chest hurting hearing his lover, who he had always seen behind a confident, chill compsture, start sobbing. He held him close and nuzzled against him.

“I missed you too,” he gasped in between sobs. “I’m here now, love, it’s going to be okay....”

Apoccy shook harder as he quietly whispered “I love you, I love you,” over and over again, not being able to find the right words to say to apologize to his boyfriend for being so foolish in falling for the disguise.

“I love you too,” Buggy said quietly back, patting him gently on the back of the head, “I love you too...It’s going to be okay,” he repeated. “It’s okay...everything’s okay now. We’re okay.”

“I‘m sorry...I was a stupid idiot...fell for the disguise.”

“You aren’t stupid, Apoccy...that thing had no mercy and it tricked me, too.” He averted his eyes downwards, still patting him gently. “It’s okay, Apoccy...I’m just glad you’re here...”

Apoccy let his eyes slip shut, trying to focus that he was here, he was alive, and he was with his boyfriend, his love, his beloved. He subtly leaned into the ministrations as his sobs quieted down to muffled hiccups. “I l-love you...”

“I love you too, honey,” Buggy whispered, voice sounding the warmest it’s been in a while. “We’re going to be okay. We’re gonna be alright.” He fondly wiped a tear from his lover’s face before he gave him a gentle smooch on the cheek.

“We’ll be o-okay,” he hiccuped, arching his face just enough to where he could plant a gentle yet meaningful kiss on Buggy’s own cheek. While he was not squeezing as tightly as he had been before, he was still holding onto his dearest, both for comfort and to hide his shaking.

Buggy leaned his head against Apoccy’s, rubbing his back like he did to him in an attempt to comfort him. His crying had reduced to meager sniffling as he held his boyfriend close. “I love you so much. We’re going to be okay.” He nuzzled against him. “We can stay and rest with the group until everything’s cleared up, and then we can go back home. I want to help you clean up.” He spoke softly.

Honestly, Apoccy felt a bit nervous about the high probability of seeing the scene of his death everywhere, but he swallowed down that fear for the sake of his boyfriend, whom he held back. “I love....you very...much...” He took a deep breath. “Sounds good...”

“And it’ll be good as new by the time I’m done with it.” He rubbed Apoccy’s back gently. “I might have to spend the rest of my life rebuilding the town, but it’s okay as long as I have you.” He reached around for his hand and took it gingerly. “I love you with all my heart.”

Apoccy snuggled into Buggy as he murmured, “I love you with all of my soul. You make the worst days bearable, and I’m so glad I have you in my life.”

“Everything’s going to be okay....” He let out a small sigh of relief. “What happened to your voice, by the way?”

“.....I screamed. Loudly. Inside the....” He coughed into the crook of his arm.

“Oh, jeez. I couldn’t even hear you, every time we saw the thing.” Buggy pat his back. “I’m sorry again, Apoccy. It must’ve been terrible in there. You’re safe now, though.”