White Rabbit

Trickster Kitsune: Ahh! Cliffhanger! So evil. ^_^ I\'ve been reading this all night trying to catch up and I finally have! Very good story so far. It\'s the first I\'ve read with a bunny-boy in it. ^_^ I like the \"relationship\" Ashi and Garnen have, and I\'m hoping it will turn into something more, right? ^_~

Well, please update soon! And thanks for the review on my story (\"Surrender\")! Reviews make me happy. ^^

I love cliffhangers...so much fun to leave people hanging...though I usually try to finish with a complete thought at the of my chapters. I feel honored! Reading all night? ^_^ I feel specieal! I read another with a bunny-boy once, only once, but she kinda inspired me, though Ashi was in my head before that, it ended up nudging me into publishing. Oh yes, Garnen and Ashi, it will make me so happy when I can turn it into something more...*evil smirk* But at the moment...they only content to fuss and deny. You\'re welcome for the review! As an author, I think we all come to the mutual understanding that reviews are such a wonderful and inspiring thing. I try to review all I read, and your stories are great! I\'m glad to review them. ^^

elisabeth chase: thank you for a truly engaging story. i\'ve read all 6 available chapters in the last 2 hours. i am extremely invested in the story. i am very curious about tray... about the professor... about the chief. the bar, the school.. i can see all your interiors very clearly, i can see garen\'s house and the police station. your writing leaves very few holes, but is not excessively wordy. thanks again. i look forward eagerly to the next installment.

Thank you so much! Two hours. O_O My goodness! I\'m so glad you like it! I work hard to get the wording right, and I\'m glad you think it turned out ok. Thanks for the review, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Falcon Bertille: *Swoons* Garnen to the rescue! I\'m such a sucker for knights in shining armor protecting damsels in distress. (Okay, Garnen\'s armor is a little tarnished, and Ashi\'s one foul-mouthed damsel, but you know what I mean...) I loved the way you described the rain in this chapter -- the way it feels against Ashi\'s face, and how it interacts with the lamplight, and the way it falls like waterfalls from the gutters. Very evocative. Really pulled me into the setting. I can\'t wait to find out what happens next!

Love,
Falcon

Yes! My favorite author returns again! I am, I\'m sure, one of the worst in that department, I swear, so if you like the knight in shining armor...my writing\'s good for that! I love getting the pretty one\'s in trouble, and yes, despite Ashi\'s temperment I think he definately needs a little rescuing every now and then. Evocative...that\'s a cool word...I need to remember to use that sometime...[/babbling]. Thank you for reviewing again! I appreciate it so much! (and you added me to your recommended readings! *faints* I swear I\'m speechless, thank you! ^_^)

Chapter Seven


“Put the gun down and step away from the whore.” Ashi blinked and struggled to register the low order through the haze of his tumbling thoughts. Steady, hard, commanding, and somehow...familiar. The gun left the side of his head and he felt the near crushing weight lift from his body. He choked in breath and shook, coughing and sputtering as the rain and swarming water threatened to drown him in his upturned position.

“Put your hands behind your head...and pray I don\'t shoot you.”

Ashi rolled to his stomach, propped up on his elbows and spat, the tint of blood in the liquid washing away near instantly as he struggled again for more air. He felt so dizzy, shaky, his body struggled after each command, barely following.

“Get up.”

He knew the order came directed at him this time, and struggled to comply. Forcing himself. Up, onto hands, wavering, shaky, he felt about to fall, not even standing and his stomach churned. He cursed. Sick, spinning. The world felt slanted, off, twisting before him. A hand gripped the back of his shirt, lifting him plainly to stand though his legs felt like giving any second.

“What-...\" His voice sounded weak, horse, faded. He hated it and frowned. Swallowing another breath and choking back the pain his throat left, he pressed again, louder, trying to get over the course of the rain. “Garnen...what-“

\"Shut-up and stand still.” The larger man’s voice came loud, perfectly steady, his focus pinned on the man down the alley.

He made quite a scene, and Ashi briefly wondered how he found him, out in the dead middle of night, pouring rain, and hazing fog.

Garnen contrasted everything. Instead of undefined, rickety, and tumbled as the buildings around him, the crashing weather, and his own shaky form, he stood as a firm base. Instead of confusing and lost, he felt like familiar ground, and Ashi couldn\'t explain it, but he felt safe. Ashi, for once in his life, felt secure, and protected, in the arms of a man he barely knew.

The other man kept beside him, despite his wavering form, and held a hand to his back, waist, holding him up and steady. After briefly noting Ashi’s continued inability to stand straight, and the unlikely possibility of getting a safe journey to the car if the other got a hold of his weapon, Garnen took up all new plans for the other man\'s gun.

Taking the pistol under his foot easily, with a reasonably well-aimed kick back, he successfully slid the gun behind them, and Ashi heard the drop of metal over the concrete, down the rush of water, and the final crash into the gutter below.

He almost chuckled, but felt little energy to do so as the man in the alley instantly objected. Loudly.

“That’s my gun! How can-“

“Guns are illegal to unauthorized personnel, and hand-weapons may not be taken from the regions of one’s home, legalized only for self-defense on a residence.” Garnen explained plainly in a low, lecturing, and almost bored tone, as if he’d explained it so many times before. “If you protest again I’ll be forced to put you under arrest for rape, theft, illegal possession of a firearm, endangering-“

“A’aight! I got it...shit, man...I won’t say nothin’...just...back away with the gun thing...I didn’t hurt the kid, really-“

“Keep your hands on your head.” Garnen repeated as the man had begun to move, lifting his gun just enough to keep it freshly on the man\'s mind, and the addressed man quickly followed up on the order.

“Right. Of course, sir. Right, jus’...this ain’t goin’ on no record thing, or-“ His eyes looked glued on the gun, obviously wary, but Garnen interrupted his speech.

“Remember that right to remain silent? Follow it, and we can both leave happy.” The officer never dropped his gaze, leaving his attention forward even as he began backing up. Ashi still lay heavily on his support, regardless of the struggle to get good standing.

“What all did he do to you?” The officer questioned quieter, under his breath, but over the rain as he half-dragged the stumbling albiri back.

Ashi shook his head vaguely with a frown, trying to reduce his use of Garnen\'s brace as they moved, and failing on near every turn despite his insistence. “Nothing. I’m fine. Just a little...mm...just a...little off tonight... He didn\'t do-”

Garnen snorted, unconvinced as he glanced back to the man in the alley before back down to the obviously shaking figure beside him. “You\'re shaking, you’re not standing straight.” He shook his head. “You expect me to believe nothing happened? I’m not quite that stupid, Ashi. Can you walk?” Their eyes locked as violet snapped up, the small voice tight and determined.

“I told you, I’m fi-“

“Ashi! I don’t have time for crap!” Garnen near shouted, keeping the gun up with one hand and using the other to assure the albiri\'s stability, placing it behind his back as he stumbled and still surprising the rabbit with his continued assistance. “I need to know, right now, Ashi.” Violet wavered. “Can. You. Walk.”

“I...” His gaze tossed in indecision, reflecting the falling droplets in uncertain debate. Finally, he bit his lip and glanced away with a glare, forcing his body up and off of the other, and ignoring it’s instant rejection as he defiantly stood alone. “I’m fine.”

Garnen watched him, the pouring rain and crashing lighting silhouetting the tiny drenched figure, lavender narrowed in defense despite all, and heated cheeks flushed with fever, body still shaking behind even his greatest attempts to stop it. At that moment, he couldn’t explain it, no more than he could explain his reasons for getting out here as he did, but looking at that perfect defiance, he wanted nothing more than to ignore Ashi’s every protest and scoop him into his arms, carry him home if he had to. But he said no such thing, simply nodding curtly. “Good. Get in the car.”

The rabbit gave a short return attempt at confirmation, but said nothing. Glancing back briefly to the man in the alley, he gave a smug look, making a quick rude gesture out of spite before following, if not slightly unsteadily, into the vehicle. As soon as he shut the door, Garnen pulled out and, as even as he bit his lip in frustration at the task, Ashi muttered quietly. “I suppose I should thank you, officer...”

“Don’t waste your breath.”

A single violet eye glanced up, a small frown in place at the comment. “You don’t think you deserve thanks? Am I such a worthless save?”

Garnen laughed. Humorless. Undecided. “I’m sure you would have been...fine...without me.” He glanced over, a matching frown in place, though his looked almost curious, inspecting. “You do do quite fine on your own...don’t you?”

Ashi snorted and closed his eyes, leaning back into the seat and refusing an answer. “You should have accepted thanks while I felt like giving it...you’re still the same bastard I met yesterday.”

Garnen chuckled, honest this time and his eyes shone with a twinkle of humor. “Did you really expect me to change so fast?” Ashi shrugged sleepily yawning in spite of himself and curling into the seat. “You really should put on that seat belt...”

“I’m trusting you to drive safe, all right?” The albiri muttered tiredly, but not unpleasant, fogging already with oncoming sleep.

He glanced over quickly at this comment, but Ashi’d curled in fully now, eyes shut and ears following the circle of his curled form. Garnen hastened to look back to the road with a frown, realizing his distraction with displeasure. Right. Drive carefully.

By the time he made it home, Ashi lay fast asleep, chest rising and falling to the slow, rhythmed beat of peaceful slumber, and eyes fully shut. Garnen sighed with a small grumble as he watched before finally getting out and moving to the passenger side.

The rain had lessened, falling as a light drizzle now more than anything else, and the man hung briefly in the doorway with indecision, looking over the sleeping figure. “Ashi...Ashi, wake up...” He prodded, not really wanting to mess with him, but knowing he had to get him at least from the car.

The rabbit made no notice. “Ashi...” He reached out to stir him, but withdrew quickly in surprise the instant he made contact. Ashi’s skin felt afire. Not that Garnen claimed himself any sort of doctor, but the man’s skin looked flushed, despite the cold, he still shivered slightly, even in sleep, and his temperature did feel, unnaturally, hot.

He frowned in displeasure. That couldn’t be good. Glancing around, he even less now wanted to wake him and finally bent, circling down to slip his arms under and supporting the tiny form as he lifted, easily cradling him up and out of the car.

Ashi barely stirred, face curling by instinct to his chest, still fast away in sleep. “Dammit, Ashi...you’re a feather...” Garnen muttered distractedly to himself, and it was true. In all honesty, the rabbit felt more like a human sized rag-doll than any real weight, and, inspite of all the banter on how little it mattered, the fact worried him. “Maybe you did need those doughnuts after all...”

He made it to the door easily enough, and even in, but once inside, the problems began to come up, namely, how to get himself, and Ashi, dry, and where to put the man afterwards. He had no idea what time of morning they made it to by then, but didn’t really care by that point, and actually, felt no worse for the wear, perhaps just to intent on the current situation to think of sleep.

After some minor decision making, he took the other up the stairs, wrapped him as best as possible in several layers of towels, and left him on his mattress, arguing that he didn’t really need it anyway, and he wanted Ashi better and back out of his house again, right? Right.

The fact that the other still wore drenched clothes, chilling and cold against an already fevered body (which he figured couldn’t possibly help the state), worried him, but he felt in no position to remove them, so he left it as was.

Once out, he settled downstairs, on the same couch he’d so recently given to the rabbit above, turning off all lights and again trying to work for the sleep that had so eluded him as of recently. The instant he closed his eyes though, all events of the previous days swarmed him, and it felt so much more than the truly little time that had actually passed. He frowned, realizing suddenly, with surprisingly vivid assurance, a steady fact.

In the past two days, Garnen had experienced more emotion, frustration, and life in general, than he had over the past ten years.

~

Ashi woke slowly. Foggy. His head pierced with a stabbing pain and he felt on fire, quickly pushing back as fast as possible at the many heavy layers of cloth surrounding him. Great. The first puzzle came to his mind instantly. Where was he?

A bed. Not a surprise, this he could deal with.

His brow furrowed as he pushed back through the headache, trying to remember. The bar, Toni, loud noises, crashing, the rain, his walk home... The person in the alley. He never made it home. He cursed, and only then did it hit him. Garnen. The whole scene of the night before came back in a rush and he groaned as it returned, falling back to the pillow in frustration. Terrific.

Back with Garnen, just perfect. The pillow beneath him was comfortable, the bed big, and the reasonable surrounding quite pleasant if one thought about it, but he didn’t notice, only glaring ahead to the wall in displeasure. Someone had plotted this against him. He knew it.

Finally, with another grumbling mutter and a bit of strenuous effort to get out from the bed, he forced himself down and up again, shivering slightly at the cold of the floor before moving out of the room.

The stairs came annoying, frustrating, and slow, as each drop gave a stab to his head and an ache through his body. “Dammit, Garnen...had to have stairs...” By the time he made it to the bottom, he felt like going to sleep again all over again, but ignored it and moved forward, looking for his ‘captor’. A sudden voice from behind startled him and he near jumped.

“Feeling better?”

Ashi glared heatedly. “I feel like shit. What did you poison me with?”

“I could have left you in the rain to be raped and murdered...” Garnen pointed out bluntly, not much intent in it as he took a sip of coffee. Violet kept up the glare.

“Thanks for that, but I doubt you would have.”

“Really?” Garnen looked up, meeting curiously with that violet vision. “Is it just beyond any consideration that I may not have felt the urge, or perhaps, not even had the luck to find you at such an hour? It was very dark...I may never have found you had you not screamed so loud...”

Ashi’s cheeks burned all the brighter and he only snapped louder, though the single effect seemed to be a continually worsening head pain. “What do you want? The title of brave knight....shining armor? For your information, I don’t need a hero. I do perfectly fine. On. My. Own.”

“Sometimes, Ashi...you don’t have to be a helpless princess to need a little help on occasion. The day you admit that...you’ll be a lot better off.” He paused briefly, glancing passingly over the figure before continuing. “Even if you make a pretty sorry princess.” The smaller man glared. “I’m assuming you still have a fever? You look terrible. You shouldn’t have gotten out of bed. I’ll bring you up some medicine in a bit if you get back upstairs.”

Ashi snorted but looked away. “Yeah...whatever. I don’t feel like taking those stairs again.” Garnen glanced up from his drink.

“Would you prefer me to carry you?”

Ashi flushed and sincerely hoped the fever covered it. “I’ll make it.” He mumbled, turning from the other quickly but catching his head at the dizzy feel and growling. Bad day. He pushed that back though and set his determination only to glance up the stairs with an all new dread.

By the time he made it, he near literally fell to the bed, rolling over and sinking his head miserably in the pillow, and by the time Garnen arrived, he’d fallen asleep again. The larger man sighed, frowning over the exhausted figure and cursing whatever Ashi did get in that state. Any number of things caused illnesses, and Garnen suspected he’d likely run across near ever cause possible.

Shaking his head, he grumbled again lightly about Ashi’s skills in taking care of himself before deciding on making a few phone calls on the subject of what to do about it. Firstly though, he called his boss, ready for explaining to the chief all the many reasons for his absence that day.

The instant he finished dialing, or so it seemed, the other had him, loud and clear on the other end. /Evans! Do you have some-/

“I have an unconscious Albicean whore laying in the middle of my bed, chief.” Garnen interrupted snappishly, a bit more than fit for a talk with his boss he supposed, but he felt in no mood to argue about his absence conditions at the moment. “Got any handy tips?”

The chief gave a coughing noise. /Evans...should I even ask what Ashi is doing in your bed?/

Garnen rolled his eyes and glared despite it’s uselessness across the phone line. “He’s burning with fever...dead tired. I expect a great loss of sleep. He got drenched last night, and I’m sure that couldn’t have helped but...I really have no clue what to do right now.”

/Ah. So it was Ashi./

“Yes. Right on point of gunshot.”

/Did-/

“He’s not hurt...just fevered.”

/Should I send over a nurse?/

“I don’t know...it couldn’t hurt.”

/You’re excused for absence then...and you have a new assignment./

“Sir?”

/Don’t let Ashi out of your sight. We need him alive, Evans./

Garnen near choked. “Chief! He’s fine! He’ll be fine! Just a little cough syrup
and-“

/They almost shot him yesterday! No arguments, lieutenant./ The phone hung up and Garnen glared accusingly to the figure on the bed, as if blaming him could solve all.

“Great. Seventeen years of service...and look what it get’s me. A rodent hooker.” He grumbled and turned from the room, leaving Ashi to his sleep to go find something cold and highly alcoholic.

A nurse did eventually get sent, leaving Garnen with several strangely coded pill bottles, and a long list of instructions for their use, times of day, hour period shifts, and the like, only leaving him in confusion and frustration. In the end, she explained their similarity to Tylenol and he just nodded, hoping they could be used interchangeably.

Ashi woke the second time to a hand on his forehead, and blinked up to focused, curious almond vision. He’d never seen the others eyes so close... “Molesting me in my sleep now, Garnen? That’s low...even for you.”

Garnen gave a slight frown, but no direct response to the comment, removing his hand after a brief instance longer. “You need to take these.” He took out two small, rounded pills, and nodded toward a glass on the bedside table. “There’s water there. The nurse said you should take one of these smaller ones...ever three hours. The bigger one should work for twelve.”

Ashi groaned. “I’ve been put in the hands of a blundering idiot for a doctor. My life is over.”

“Do you take theater?” The albiri blinked up in confusion and Garnen met his gaze. “You’re very melodramatic. Save it for the stage.” Ashi glared and stuck his tongue out indignantly.

“Fine. Be no fun. I’ll entertain myself just fine.”

“From the confines of my bedroom? This should be interesting.”

Ashi snorted as he lifted the glass and first pill, downing it in an instant. “So you’re gonna stay here now? Nurse me back to health?”

“No. I’m giving you the pills and leaving. Since you’re so very proficient at caring for yourself...” He smirked at Ashi’s glare as he took the second. “I’m going down to read. You need sleep, and rest.” He stood and moved toward the widow, leaving Ashi alone again on the bed. The albiri frowned as he thought over the last statement.

“Those are the same thing...”

“What?” Garnen looked back as he shut the curtains and Ashi persisted.

“Sleep and rest, those are the same thing.”

“No they’re not. Sleep is a required state of the body to live...the nervous system is inactive, or at least put on hold. Rest is simply a cease in work, recovering strength.” He glanced over the other man with a contemplating expression. “You need both, as I said. Now get to sleep, rest, and don’t bother me.” He left and Ashi simply glared after his retreating form.

“I never asked for a definition...” He grumbled lowly, even as the other disappeared from sight, but soon, despite his original intentions, succumbed to the call of sleep, and wondered briefly, as he faded, if he’d ever return to a ‘normal’ life, or at least his definition of the case. Somehow, he expected not. Even as he realized this, and his mind tumbled farther and farther into the inevitable darkness of his overcoming slumber, he knew, right then, he didn’t care, and in some way, he wanted the change.


Note: Please review! If I get bunches...maybe I can post another chapter tomorrow...I hate having so much more typed up than posted (well I do and I don\'t, it gives me lots of time for edit at least...) The main point being that I\'m writing chapter fourteen now and only posting seven. ^^\' Please review!