White Rabbit

Juxebox: Was too lazy to sign in, heh. Wow great chap!! The verbal sparring was all kinds of fun but I was feeling so bad for the bunny boy at the end. Poor baby, I just know he couldn't stop tears from falling with those nasty words thrown at him. I just wanna give him a hug. I hope Garnen feels guilty at some point for what he said. Looking forward to the next chapter. And thank you for reviewing my GW fic *smile*


*chuckle* I've had several of those times (laziness that is ^_^). Thank you! I do bunches of the sparring thing...I just love the way people can get so riled up, but yes, poor Ashi. Garnen does feel fleets of guilt but denies them until quite a bit later...(happy parts which I am impatient for!). Here's your chapter! I almost posted Sunday but...yeah. You're welcome! I'm reading some of your other stuff to, I'll be sure to review when I finish! Thanks so much for continuing to read!

Chapter Four

Light shone, bright, and determined, across Garnen’s unwilling eyes as a fading pleasant dream left his thoughts. He blinked awake, once, twice. He never remembered his dreams, always losing them to the swarm of morning duties and intricacies of life before giving them any true thought.

Passing that off, he grumbled slightly and sat up, likely not putting even four hours behind him. It felt like less. Finally, he shrugged off his fatigue for morning drowsiness and climbed from bed, forcing himself to a standing and wakeful position before searching for and dressing in the closest clean and comfortable pants he could find.

Seven o’clock, Wednesday. The department didn’t need him till nine. He could check in with the chief then... All these thoughts passed through again as a morning ritual of sorts, blank, by instinct before he made his way downstairs for coffee.

He froze.

Halfway down, in the middle of his own stairwell, Garnen Evans stared, rooted to the spot, at the one thing he’d forgotten about, the one thing that now lay, genuinely spread, across his livingroom couch. He cursed silently.

The curled, pink and white bundle, as it appeared to be, lay calm, rising and falling steadily with the eased rhythm of sleep. Slender, pale legs lay half bent and exposed across his navy couch, the large, white shirt he’d provided riding up dangerously high on the boy’s calf. A single, partially clenched hand lay up and above his head, the other clutched at his chest.

Garnen frowned, not all to comfortable as the full swing of memories returned from the previous night.

Pinkish-violet locks tossed lightly, as if sensing the eyes on him and the tinted morning hue, escaping his window currently, gave them a golden hint, and returned that look of fresh bubble-gum to their color. Garnen shook his head roughly. Being around the man in his fully conscious state was bad enough, but watching him sleep?

A single white ear gave a twitch and Garnen’s thoughts spun automatically to a mental image of a rabbit, and he briefly wondered, before even considering the thought, whether Ashi possessed a matching tail to his follow his ears, but shoved the question off instantly on contact. That, was the specific moment when Garnen decided it he most certainly could not, for his sanity, keep around the albiri much longer and needed a talk with the chief. Ashi was unsafe.

Directly on the downfall of this last conclusion, Garnen had made it, quietly as possible, to the exact boundary between kitchen and living room, and a drowsy, sleep induced voice froze him on the spot. “Enjoy the view, officer?”

Apparently, Ashi harnessed a greater early morning memory than he, and, not surprisingly, good ears. The man cursed at his foolishness and forced his tone out calm and as little nerve racked as possible. “When did you wake up?”

Garnen waited through the pause, listening to the silence as the rabbit debated with himself. Debated between messing, pushing around his words, before he finally decided on perfect truth. “Just a few seconds ago...I heard you heading for the kitchen.”

“Oh.” He instantly knew his relief came to evident and again cursed silently.

“So you were looking at me?”

Now Garnen held the debate. Truth? Or should he simply lie, move on, make his life easier. Finally, he shrugged.

“Yes.” He said it carelessly, just as his shrug and didn’t wait for an answer, moving into the kitchen and somewhat hoping Ashi wouldn’t press.

The albiri waited for an excuse, some great, justifying reason why the all conservative, law abiding and god fearing police officer would possibly find himself staring over the form of a sleeping, male, hooker. None came. Finally, he added, from his place in the kitchen. “You really should get dressed, though. I need to talk to the chief about what to do with you.”

“Yeah. Well my class is at noon, and-“

“You were serious about that?”

“Yes I was serious! Dammit, you’re about as brilliant as a brick wall, you know that?”

Garnen placed water on the stove. “What classes are you taking?” Ashi frowned as he glanced over his slimly covered form and down to his previous night’s wear.

“Why do you care?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe I’m trying to decide if it’s even possible to hold a decent conversation with you? Depending on how all this falls out...we may be spending a lot more quality time together, and I thought it reasonable we know a bit about each other.”

Ashi gave a slight pause, considering, as Garnen left the decision up to him. Finally, out of lack for anything better to say, he gave in. “I’m studying for a major in literature and journalistic writing...a minor in art. I have a class in Shakespearean Concepts and Greek mythology as side courses currently. It’s fascinating really...how they talked about sex hundreds of years ago? Shakespear was a real pervert.”

Garnen stared ahead blankly, puzzling, thinking carefully over the words. “What do you do in art, model?” He knew the bite to the words before they even came out, but just couldn’t stop them. Despite his efforts, each time he tried for a decent line of talk, the fact of who he spoke to jumped in, and he couldn’t hold back his hate for that.

“You know what? I don’t know why you bother! It’s obviously not possible, so why do you try? If all you’re going to do is snap to me about who I am, than you can forget cooperation from me, whatever your stupid department wants, I’m not giving it! Take me back to my apartment, go back to your precious, godly life, and leave me out of it!”

Garnen heard the other’s abrupt rise from the couch, his clink for clothes, and, before he even thought on it, left his kettle and made to the other room. Just as Ashi stood form grabbing his clothes, he snapped the man back, gripping his arm tightly to prevent movement. “Stop.”

“Why?” Ashi snapped irritably, glaring up with remarkable spite considering the other man literally towered over him. The large frame made his already minuscule size only deminished in comparison, but he didn't back down from it. “You obviously don’t care enough make even the slightest work for a conversation. Give me one reason why I should.”

Garnen could have said something calming, soothing, but the tiny arm in his grip felt so breakable, so small, and Ashi’s determined ferocity only made him more tempted to crush. He wanted all the control. “Because you have no other choice.” His words were low, almost growled and violet widened slightly, taken aback, wavering for a second before they narrowed and he tugged back for escape.

“Let me go! You can’t-“

“You are in my house! And I...most definitely...can.” Only then did Ashi truly begin to worry, struggling with more abandon to escape the ever tightening grip.

“L-let me go! Get off! Drop me!! STOP!” Ashi screeched as the hold, for a brief instant, felt bone-crushingly tight, grinding at his skin and his body shook in the helpless struggle. Garnen watched, almost from a distance now, felt as the struggling body pressed against him, the only thing separating him and the tiny albiri being that thin layer of white cloth, Ashi’s T-shirt, as his movements brushed to his chest, ground against him.

A wave of panic hit him, like a rush from Ashi’s body to his, and it triggered a sudden realization of his situation, slamming him back to the present. He dropped the man instantly, like burned.

The panic left his body, but still shone in violet as the rabbit tumbled backwards to the floor, eyes wide and shining with fear, and confusion. But then it was gone. Ashi covered it in an instant, turning to a glare and curling back to himself protectively as he stood.

“Bastard.”

Garnen watched him, still in partial shock. “I...didn’t mean...to do that...” Ashi shook his head and looked away.

“Whatever. Just...I need to change.” Only then did Garnen really pay attention to the other’s dress. That morning, he couldn’t see the full effect, more of a crumpled clod of white than anything else, but now, as Ashi stood before him, he saw the true enormity of the difference.

Ashi, covered only in the enormous white cloth, looked more draped than dressed, and it hung from his tiny, slender form like a blanket, a large, white sheet. Looking on, Garnen got the instant impression of a child, dressed up half-way as a ghost and rabbit for Halloween. It hung so loosely, in fact, he near worried in would fall off, and finally frowned at the thought.

“Yes...right, change.”

“Uh...hello?”

“What’s the problem now?”

“What do you expect me to change into! You didn’t approve of last nights clothes...and I certainly can’t go anywhere in this...”

“Err...you can...borrow...mine?”

Ashi groaned and dropped his head in his hands. “Remind me again how long my life depends on your intelligence? These are your clothes!” He snapped, looking up with a glare and indicating his current attire. “They fall off me!”

“Yeah? Well I don’t know! Run around naked for all I care! I-“ He near choked as Ashi determinedly reached for the base of the shirt. “That was sarcastic!” He got out just in time and the other stopped, cloth already half-way up in his hands.

“Oh...really? Couldn’t tell!” He dropped it with a glare and crossed his arms.

“I don’t see you coming up with any ideas...” Garnen grumbled and Ashi raised an eyebrow.

“Oh? Me? Now you want my ideas? I thought I was incapable of thought? Apparently I couldn’t possibly be in school...I couldn’t seriously have any talent besides whoring, and oh, I most certainly don’t have an inchworms sense of self-worth and must, obviously, being in my situation, want to kill myself, right? Because I’m so stupid and worthless?”

Garnen looked slightly displeased at that. “I didn’t really mean-“

“Oh yes you did.”

The officer glared. “Do you have an idea then?”

Ashi bit his lip. “What size does your wife wear?” Garnen’s insides clenched. The rabbit had never asked, and therefore didn’t know, how long ago it had been since the woman lived there, and for that brief instant, he was glad.

He hadn’t touched her things, save packing a few boxes, and moving them from his room, out of sight. He never had sold them. But the thought of Ashi in them, in her clothes, disgracing her image... He knew it was a stupid selfishness before he even let the thought continue, and finally nodded curtly.

“She was a small woman...something should fit you...”

Ashi nodded his acceptance, following after the larger man as he lead down the hallway to, apparently, the guest room, or ‘storage’ room, as he previously termed it. As soon as he opened the door, Ashi knew the smell of abandonment, not rotten, or bad, but no one had disturbed this room for far to long.

Boxes scattered the floor. Empty, half-opened, half-full, overflowing. But each piece of jewelry, clothing, was in perfect order, neatly folded or stacked, nothing crumpled, nothing out of place, but like it had stood there, alone, untouched, for ages on end without wear.

“How long...has it been?” Ashi questioned quietly, glancing to the cobwebbed ceiling. Apparently Garnen had dusted, or something of the sort, as none of the scattered clothes had even a speck of dust, preserved.

“Ten years.” Violet eyes snapped up, but Garnen’s eyes looked distant, distracted, and didn’t meet him. He detected no lie and felt a sudden wash. A small shiver ran through him, though the room kept warm, not even a draft.

“That’s too long.” He muttered quietly and ebony focused, glancing down. Ashi expected something angry, defensive, or cold, but Garnen only replied softly.

“I know.” He hated to think the other might think him obsessive, or at least less than sane from the long duration, but somehow, he didn’t find it right to lie, and he knew it was to long. He had to start opening up, letting life in a little. This, in a way, was a first step.

Ashi, looking about the room, felt lost for a starting place. Clothes, perfumes, jewelry, purses, shoes, likely everything any sane woman could want lined the floors, window sill, closet. The morning light now shone brightly through the single window and he glanced to a single, faded pair of jeans, lighted by the sun, and displayed as if an omen for the taking. He started there.

Neither he, nor Garnen, could have assessed how much time they spent there. What began as a search for decent clothes turned into an exploration, an adventure, and an entire avenue of outfits as each thing Ashi explored brought about surprisingly little-pained memories.

Instead of hurting, stabbing, like the first loss and shock of her death, as Garnen had expected the sight would do, each turn the rabbit made, each new outfit, brought back only happy thoughts, and almost felt like lifting a giant weight from his chest. It turned out, her clothes fit him perfectly. Her tiny form matched his exactly and, excluding those with specific feminine attributes (such as dresses and fitting blouses, which he avoided anyway), most everything fit quite neatly.

Ashi now sat, cross-legged on the dusty floor, in a loose fitting but simple white T and that first pair of comfortable, slightly faded work jeans. His cheeks flushed slightly in the now greatly warmed room, and his hair tousled from the scramble. Garnen almost smiled at the look. For that instant, he could completely forget the leather bound playboy of the night before, and see a comfortable, honestly energetic young man, relaxed and chattery before him.

While Ashi didn’t fit the innocent look portrayed by the rabbit form, he did follow up on the energy quotient, and Garnen found that, when not turned against him, his continued flow of speech could actually produce some interesting intuition and conversation. Ashi was far from stupid and with his first small step, begun to change, unknowingly, the man’s original, more prejudice perspective of him.

Suddenly, as if struck in an instant with realization, Garnen snapped from his daze. “The chief!”

“Hm?” Ashi lifted his head from current inspection of a new box and the other quickly explained.

“We’ve spent almost two hours in here! Dammit, I’m never gonna here the end of this...come on! We have to go...oh, dammit, dammit.” Garnen continued his curses the whole way out, Ashi following lightheartedly after, in a quite satisfied and pleasant mood now, after one of the most cheering mornings he’d ever really experienced.

By the time the chief looked up to their final entrance though, they’d made it near an hour late, and returned to full out arguing.

“-and now look! We’re almost an hour late...all because-“

“Bullshit! We were late before we left your house! It’s not my fault you never gave me breakfast!” Ashi snapped instantly in reply and Garnen fumed.

“But you had to have...seven...different...doughnu-“

“Evans! Nice to see you join us this morning...” The chief interrupted, making Garnen note his now awkwardly precarious situation. Instead of just the chief, as he’d expected, he now stood in the doorway to at least twenty other officers of his own rank, many he could pick and choose by name as those he’d worked with previously in the field.

A round of chuckled laughter rose from the group and he felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment. A voice, which he recognized as familiar, called out from the group.

“Is this your new catch, Garn? A little...masculine...for your tastes...isn’t it?” Garnen forced himself to chuckle, and turned to the voice with a genuine smile as he looked over the perpetrator of the accusation, a young, reasonably handsome man with tanned skin and black hair, with some obvious Hispanic tenancies. His grin was wide, and unthreatening, friendly in all aspects as he leaned back in his seat among the others.

“Masculine, Jarod? This kid doesn’t have an ounce of testosterone in him...” The company laughed, including the addressed man, and the only one coming out short on the comment stood glaring violet daggers at the officer, arms crossed indignantly. Ashi, despite all will against it, felt his cheeks burn, but said nothing with all odds against him in coming out on top, the men severely outnumbering him one to twenty.

The chief though, interrupted any possibility of further agitation. “Lieutenant...would you care to take a seat with the rest of us, then? Assuming, of course, that you are...quite...finished?”

Garnen grinned but made no retort and nodded. For a brief second, the gesture took him aback and the man saw, for that fleeting moment, the man before Rosa’s death. Garnen looked happy. But then he turned and the connection broke, leaving the man with only a faintly curious expression as he glanced to Ashi, not failing to note the rabbit’s surprisingly conservative dress, before returning to his lecture.

“Actually, Evans, we were just discussing you.”

“Really? Anything new?” He looked honestly curious, smile still in place though it took more the form of a smirk now as he leaned back to his chair, watching everything with a careless, lazed attitude. The man at the front could have sworn he’d spent the last ten years with a completely different man.

“We’ve decided, considering you seem to get on so well with Mr. Tekieri here...” Another round of chuckles surfaced. “...and we are no closer to a conclusion on our killer, that you should take a more permanent role as his protector.”

“You mean his baby-sitter?”/”I don’t need his protection!” The two replies came spontaneous and fierce from both involved parties and, though not surprised, the chief did look curious.

“Is something the matter with that, gentlemen?”

Ashi answered first. “I don’t need a baby-sitter! And I most certainly don’t need him. I am a grown man and-“ A coughed mutter interrupted him.

“Didn’t get very far on the growing part, did ya?” Shi flipped off in the general direction of the voice but continued as if nothing happened.

“-and have a life to attend to! You can’t possibly expect to coop me up at his house until your lousy teams can track down Ca-“

“No. We have no legal precedent to keep you against your will. I can only suggest you make good decisions to your safety-“ As Garnen looked about to object, the chief continued quickly. “-but that does not necessarily include inhabiting Mr. Evans residence, only cooperating on matters with the department. Do you understand?”

Ashi snorted disbelievingly. “No legal precedent...what crap is that? Did you have precedent to drag me off to his house last night? Or precedent...to drag me up here this morning? I don’t give a fuck what you do with your time and your money, but keep me out of it.” The chief frowned.

“I don’t think you understand...Mr. Tekieri...there is a wanted murderer out there with every reason to-“

“Don’t you think I know that?! I had a gun pointed to my head last night! I slept...with the dead body...of his unrelenting bitch! Don’t you think...that I know?” Ashi shook his head and his cold look of dissatisfaction kept firm. “You know...I don’t care, ok? I’ve dealt with it before, I can handle it. I promise you, this little...testosterone-less figure...” He gave a passing glare to Garnen. “...can handle a lot more crap than anything you’ve seen in a lifetime.”

He stood up abruptly and turned for the door, with nothing to carry, and only himself to deal with, it proved simple to leave. The chief, surprisingly, made no move to stop him, and only frowned slightly as he paused briefly in the doorway. “I have a life. Keep out of it.”

Garnen’s discontent at the action deepened as the door shut and he looked back up to the standing man at the front as the group stood one man less. “You just let a prostitute walk out the door, chief. He’s probably liable for drugs, illegal-“

“We have no proof of any of that, Evans. The important thing is...that we just lost the cooperation of our only witness.” The chief turned his gaze to the seated man. “And if he doesn’t come back...his life’s on the line.”

Garnen couldn’t explain it, didn’t know why, had no reason for his feeling, but for some reason, those words wrenched something inside of him, twisting some gut instinct, and he knew, right then, he couldn’t let anything happen to the runaway albiri. He needed Ashi safe.

Note: Wheee! To be continued...and all that jazz. I've got more! I'm thinking on posting about every other day...or something on that basis. But I need 'at least' one review for each chapter...or I'll feel down trodden and defeated...and won't post anything! Ha! ^_^ Hope you liked it!