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It wasn't a big deal to Bullfrog that Y/N was always touching him or always had a hold on him in some way. In fact, he was never bothered by it.
The first time they ever touched him, it was a pretty normal moment, nothing out of the ordinary.
"Hey, Bullfrog!" Y/N yelled from across the room, interrupting the frog's conversation with the pig hybrid. Bullfrog looks to Pey'j, bowing his head, and says, "Excuse me for a moment." "Go ahead." The other said with a smile, walking away to go hang out with Jade, which left Bullfrog to go walk over to them. They were sitting down on the floor, next to the bed that Laserhawk used to be lying in. The team didn't have anything to do at the moment, with the Warden giving them time to themselves (thank whatever lord there is), which just made them default to hanging around until given a mission.
"What do you need, mon ami?" Bullfrog questioned them, crouching down to their eye level. Y/N smiled at him and raised their hand before his face. "Wanna measure hands with me?" Bullfrog raised an eyebrow, confused by the random question. "Measure.. hands?" He repeated and Y/N simply nodded. "Yeah! It's just a simple activity I do with friends when I'm bored." They explained, putting their hand down for a moment as they looked in another direction but quickly raised it back up and smiled at him. "Soo.. wanna measure hands?"
"Hm, sure, why not?" Bullfrog smiled, sitting down in front of them and crossing his legs as he held up his hand. Y/N quickly put their hand against his, and realized how small his hand actually was. "Wow!" Y/N giggled, using their free hand to muffle their laughter, "You've got such small hands." Bullfrog smiled, slight embarrassment washing over him, "Yes, yes, so I've been told."
Y/N slowly intertwined their fingers together, watching how their fingers could basically hold Bullfrog's entire hand. "Y'know, for a cold-blooded hybrid, your hands are pretty warm. And soft." Y/N mentions, their eyes fixated on their hands held together. Bullfrog chuckles. "It is just the gloves." He noticed how their fingers slowly started tracing his own, as if to feel how soft they were. "Am I really that soft?" He asks, to which their eyes move to his fingers to his face, "Yeah! Have you never felt how soft you were?"
"Well, no, but probably because my skin is normal to me." He says, with slight sarcasm laced in his tone. Y/N nervously chuckled, "Haha, yeah, stupid question to ask.." The two laugh together, proceeding to talk about other topics, but never letting go of the other's hand.
Another time, it was when he had gotten hurt.
Bullfrog laid against the wall, trying to steady his breath. Cuts and blood were all over his clothes and skin, blood slightly trailing from his mouth and down to his chin. He could hear running nearby, and hoped it was a friend instead of a foe.
Familiar eyes met his tired ones. "Bullfrog!" Y/N practically shrieked his name and rushed over to him. They practically slid on their legs as they dropped down in front of him. "Holy shit, what happened?!"
"It was.. nothing, mon ange." Bullfrog muttered, placing a hand on Y/N's arm to give reassurance. They bit softly on the side of their mouth, looking over the hybrid's wounds. "You literally have blood on your clothes, what do you mean it was nothing?!" "Don't worry, it is not mine." Bullfrog gives a weak smile, which only makes Y/N groan from worry.
"Alright, you're getting on my back." Y/N says, turning around while crouching, "You're clearly in no condition to walk." Bullfrog quickly rejected, trying to stand up against the wall. "Non, ange, I can wa-" He tried to reason, but unfortunately, his knees couldn't support him and he ended up falling. Falling straight into their arms. Bullfrog looked up at Y/N, expecting to meet disappointed and annoyed ones, but were instead only met with worried, gentle ones. "I got you, okay?" Y/N says, and Bullfrog can only accept being lifted into their arms and lying his head against their chest.
He blinked, and for a moment, he found himself back where the Warden held them captive. He blinked, confused, but felt someone wrapping something around his arm. He looked to his left and saw a concentrated Y/N, seeming like they were currently spacing out and in their own world. He noticed their eyes trace back to his hand, and they placed theirs on top of his. Their fingers wrapped around his palm, their thumb tracing circles on the top of his hand.
"..Mon ami?" Bullfrog's voice rang them out of their daydream, and their hand quickly removed itself from his. "Bullfrog! Are you feeling okay?" They asked, and a worried smile graced their features. "Ah, yes I'm feeling better. Did you do all of this?" Bullfrog asks, gesturing to the many bandages wrapped around him, some loose and some slightly tighter. They rubbed the back of their neck, "Well, I had to ask Jade to help me bandage you up, but kinda. Wait, here, I got you something."
They scavange through their pockets, pulling out a juice box and handing it to him. He examines it, seeing that it was not open. At least he knew they weren't trying to poison him, but then again, what would they gain from that? He chuckles, "Thank you; how did you get this?" "I may or may not have stolen it. But hey, were technically ghosts," They used their fingers as quotations, using the words from the Warden, "so where's the harm in it?"
He looks at the label, seeing Rayman's face on it as well as a few fruits on the box. Tropical-flavor, his favorite. "Oh yeah, I remembered that your favorite flavor was tropical so I tried to find that.. or whatever." Y/N half-assed explained, looking away from the frog. He snickers, enjoying the uncertainty in their voice. He thanks them in a hushed tone.
He pulled out the straw and poked it through the hole, humming in satisfaction as he drank the juice, not realizing how parched his throat was. "It's.. still cold." "Yeah, not holding onto a cold, stolen item and just placing it in your pocket does that." Y/N simply nodded, turning their back towards the bed, laying their back against it.
"Hey, Bullfrog? Can I ask you a favor?" Y/N asks, and Bullfrog hums in response. "Don't do what you did back there ever again. Don't go alone.. I know you are an assassin, and you're probably used to going on your own, but what you did really scared me. At least take Pey'j or Jade with you, or even that lame-o Laserhawk..." Their voice trailed off as they looked at him, and their hand found his again. This time, Bullfrog was the one to squeeze their hand first. He heaved a sigh, blinking before responding, "Bien sûr, ange."
He gives a soft smile, and they give it back to him. After a few seconds of unbreaking eye contact, Y/N lets out a small chuckle, "'Ange'? What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means Angel. I see you as an angel." Bullfrog admits, and the smile on Y/N's face grows. "An angel? That's a bit exaggerated." "But it is true."
Y/N giggles, using their other hand that wasn't holding Bullfrog's to playfully push him, causing laughter to come from him, "Hey! I'm still healing!" "Oh, hush, I didn't push you that hard!" "Yes you did.." Bullfrog playfully whimpered, making Y/N laugh harder at him. He watched them laugh and felt his smile grow as well, a chuckle coming from him as he squeezed their hand again.
Jade looked back through the mental gallery that is her mind. She carefully looked back at how the two were always keeping a hand on each other. The little nicknames too, and how they always seemed to know more about stuff than the other Ghosts did. It made Jade question their relationship. She looked over, seeing Y/N fast asleep on the floor while Bullfrog was sharpening his blades not so far from their resting place. She decides to walk over to him, sitting down at his side.
"Hey, Bullfrog." a casual approach sent the frog's way, and he smiles at her. "Hello Jade, did you need something?" "Kind of, yeah. You don't mind if it's somewhat personal, yeah?"
"Er, well.. it depends." Bullfrog hesitated, stopping his sharpening for a moment before quickly resuming as he awaited the girl's question.
"What's your relationship with Y/N?" Her question made him raise an eyebrow, placing his arms to his side. "What do you mean?"
"Don't play dumb!" She whisper yelled. He.. really wasn't though. "I've seen the way you two touch. Always holding their hand, them always having their hand on your shoulder.. Hell, even to have a simple conversation, their head will literally be on top of yours." Jade lists off her reasons, while Bullfrog blankly stared at her.
"..And what you're getting at is..?" His hand clasp together, pointing at Jade. She softly groans, her hand meeting her face. "Are you two dating?" She boldly decides to ask, tired of Bullfrog's shit already.
"Eh, what? No, non! We are just friends, that is it. Y/N just enjoys contact." Bullfrog waved his hands to defend himself and his friend. "Really? Would friends always be holding onto each other, one caressing the other's face before going separate ways? One always finding an excuse to hang out with the other? Long hand-holding that, despite the other apologizing for their sweaty hands, the other continues to hold their hand and say that it doesn't bother them?"
The more Jade listed off what Y/N and he did together, the more it slowly became a realization to him. Did they actually like him like that? Does he even like them like that? Many questions were now swarming in his head, and Jade noticed this immediately. She shuts herself up, and sighs, putting a hand on Bullfrog's shoulder. "Look, just think about it for a while and ask yourself what you think about them. Think about how they make you feel now that you're kind of, just now, realizing they may have certain feelings for you."
She walks away from the hybrid, leaving him alone in his thoughts. She hopes she wasn't too harsh on him.
The more he spent time thinking about he and Y/N's relationship, the more he accidentally removed himself from them. He didn't lean into their touch like he used too, didn't hold onto their hand and let his fingers lay weak in their embrace. He didn't really realize he was doing this, his head in the clouds, more than he would've liked.
At night, or what he assumed could be night since the lights turn off in the space, he'd stare up at the ceiling while fiddling with his hands. It was what Y/N used to do when they were bored.
"Hand-holding.." He whispered, and he looked at his hands. He slowly makes them intertwine, imagining his other hand being Y/N's. He noticed how his heart beat moved a little faster when thinking about that, making his leg jump a bit. He brought his hands back down and onto his stomach. His stomach felt like there were multiple flies swarming in there, but in a good way..?
He looked to his right, seeing Y/N fast asleep on the floor next to him. He always chuckled at how easy it was for them to fall asleep anywhere. He noticed their body first, how it sprawled out and their arms looked like it wanted to hug someone. Their lips were partly open, snoozing softly in their sleep. He moved to lie on his side, facing them now. He slowly reached for their hand, hoping that it wouldn't wake them up. He wasn't sure why he was doing this; his mind was a mess thinking about how he felt.
Sure, he was highly skilled in killing and stealth. His words were wise and helpful to the ones he surrounded himself in. But no words could help him now in this situation. He never focused on love, never having the time to do or want to do so. So now that he had time to actually get to know someone without losing them so quickly, he was thinking about his feelings for them. "Je crois que je t'aime bien, ange." His words fell on deaf ears, his fingers slowly locking with their loose ones.
He smiled, quickly closing his so that he could try and get some sleep. Before he heard, "Do you mean it?"
His eyes shot open immediately, making eye contact with Y/N. A soft and genuine smile they had, their eyebrows raised. "Y/N-!" Bullfrog accidentally yelled, before his mouth was covered by Y/N's hands, his hands supporting his and their weight. As Y/N looked behind them, to see if the frog had woken anyone up, Bullfrog focused on how they were positioned. They were on top of him, their hands softly placed on top of his mouth, it was making him go crazy.
Y/N gave a sigh of relief and released his mouth, moving backwards a little. Bullfrog shook his head, "..Wh- Why are you up, ami?"
"I could be asking you that same question, especially with how distant you've been." Y/N shot back, slight annoyance in their voice to which Bullfrog winced at. He knew he was slightly avoiding them, but was it really that obvious..? Silence filled the air between the two, both resting their backs against the wall of the enclosure. He looked down at their hands still held together, trying to separate them but when he did, they held his hand in place.
"So, did you mean it?" Y/N repeated their question, looking to Bullfrog.
"..Mean what?" Bullfrog knew better than to act dumb, but it felt like there was something in him wanting to avoid this confrontation.
Y/N gave him a look, one he was familiar with whenever he got himself hurt.
He let out a breath, quickly gathering himself as well as his confidence before speaking.
"..Of course I meant it. I could never lie to you, colombe." He spoke, and although he was confident in his words, he wasn't confident enough to look them in the eyes. It felt like his heart could leap out of his chest, his leg bouncing as he continued to speak. "I apologize for my behavior for these past few days. It wasn't the best way to go about it, but I needed to rethink my.. feelings for you. Jade had opened my eyes to how close we always are, and I just needed time."
He closed his eyes before finally turning his head to look over at Y/N, noticing how their eyes slightly sparkled from the very dim lighting in the room. Bullfrog could feel heat on his face, and slowly moved his hand towards their own. Y/N looked down, smiling at seeing his hand trying to hold theirs, and immediately grabbed his hand. They snickered, "I always loved how small your hand was compared to mine.."
He looked up at them, surprised they actually said something, before chuckling, "Yes, I recall you saying it was your favorite feature about me." "You remembered?" "Of course I did, ange."
The two sat in silence, a comfortable one. Their hands holding the others and now they were closer together. Y/N spared a glance to Bullfrog, not expecting him to already be looking at them. When he was caught, he quickly turned his head away while listening to Y/N's hushed laughter. He felt their head lie itself on top of his, and he relaxed into their touch, just like how he used too.
"..I like you too, Bullfrog. That's why I guess I was a little butthurt you kept avoiding me." Y/N silently admits, rubbing their thumb on top of his hand. Bullfrog simply nodded, feeling a smile make it's way onto his face. "Again, I am sorry, mon colibri."
"Another new one? Where do you keep coming up with these?" Y/N quietly laughed. Oh, how different their laugh sounded now that he realized his feelings for them. It made him feel queasy but in a good way. So many new feelings...
"I learned them from my maman, she was very creative with them." He smiled, adoring the warmth of their body. "Hm.. I love your silly nicknames." Y/N smiled, moving their head away from the top of Bullfrog's own to look at him. Were they always this close? Why was Y/N leaning in?
Bullfrog felt his face burn, but raised his free hand to softly hold Y/N's face, his eyes closing as he felt their lips finally land on his. It was only for a moment; it didn't even seem like a second, but to Bullfrog, it felt like time stopped for them. Y/N quickly moved back and couldn't supress their silent laughter. "Wow, that was really stupid of me. I'm sorry."
"What are you apologizing for?" Bullfrog questions. "You kind of looked.. confused when I was leaning in. I just assumed you knew how to kiss someone- Oh my god, am I your first kiss?? Shit, I am so sorry-" Y/N seemed like they were about to nervously ramble and apologize, which made Bullfrog chuckle. He gave them a quick kiss on the cheek, causing Y/N to stop talking and look over at Bullfrog.
"I liked it, you don't have to worry." His other rant rested upon theirs, reassuring them with a calm smile.
Y/N sighed, a love-struck glint in their eyes as they rest their head on top of his again. He had a dopey little smile, leaning into their warm body.
"Love you, Bullfrog." Y/N whispered, closing their eyes to fall back to dream land. Bullfrog looked up at them and chuckled, closing his eyes too. "I love you too, mon ciel étoilé."