Only the Bunny Knows
"Shut up!!" Pillows, books, shoes, everything went flying across the room. Kubota had fled an hour earlier, he'd been hit by one too many PS2 controllers for his liking and been called "fucking moron" one too many times as well.
"Toki, why are you freaking out? I told you I'd get you another one tomorrow when I go into town." He hollered from the kitchen, the only 'safe' place in the apartment. He heard the stomping of his very angry cat and ducked his head, this was turning into a very dangerous situation, he thought.
"No! It has to be that one!" He glared at Kubota over a stack of boxes. Kubota groaned inwardly, those were their winter clothing which had been, ever so neatly, organized and put away since it was Spring now, that was until just a moment ago, right before Tokito dumped them all over the couch and started flinging pieces here and there.
He had offered to help search, but every time he moved something Tokito had snatched it out of his hands and examined it himself, so there really wasn't any reason to try anymore. He checked the clock on the wall, 11:34am, well, it was a bit early still, but it was probably safest to get out of here for a bit.
"Hey, Tokito, I'm gonna go down to the 7-11 and grab us lunch." The door closed on the sounds of something else hitting the wall, he cringed, that was definitely a breaking sound, not a thwacking sound. *sigh*
He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his camo sweatshirt and started off down the stairs. They were located on the second floor of their building, two rooms off from the staircase that led first to the bike parking and small grass area, and then on to the street. He liked their building, it was old, but it was comfortable; close to the 7-11 and the trains, but far enough off the main streets that people left them alone.
He was just rounding the bottom of the stairs when he heard the warning growl. Pausing, he stooped down and checked under the stairs.
"Yo." The little Shiba Inu puppy was growling at him, fur up, ears down, paws covering a bright pink leopard print stuffed bunny. Kubota let out a long whistle and rocked back on his feet, clicking his tongue lightly he slowly shook his head.
"Man, he's gonna be so pissed." He dug around in his pocket for his cell. Hitting speed dial he punched in 1 and let it ring for a few minutes.
Eventually he picked-up, "What?! I'm busy!" The very aggravated voice of one Tokito Minoru shouted across the lines.
"Come down stairs and be quiet, I found it." He hung up as he heard the door slammed open above and footsteps pounding down the stairwell.
"Where, where the hell is it!" Tokito about fell over the side of the banister trying to see.
"Umm…I did say 'be quiet,' didn't I? Ah geez, now you've spooked him." Kubota stood up languidly, glasses reflecting the sun sharply into his mate's eyes. The other boy squinted and then saw the dog.
"You! Where the hell'd you get that?! Give it back, give it back right now you fuzzy piece of shit!" Shaking his finger at the puppy he screeched like a crazy person. Kubota just shook his head and leaned back against the railing, staying away from the chaos.
"Kubo-chan! Why does he have it? Get it back!" He glared at his partner, outrage coloring his words, his body shaking from anger.
"Ungh, ungh, your toy, you get it." He tapped out a new cigarette and slid it between thin lips. A quick snap of fingers and a bright orange flame leapt free, singing the white paper.
Smoke wreathed his head as he watched as Tokito first demanded that the dog release his hostage, and then when that obviously didn't work, got down eye level with the dog and proceeded to pounce on him. Every bit a cat, Kubota thought ruefully.
"Haha! Got you!" A triumphant squeal from the ground caught his attention. He quickly turned his back on the scene, "Ah damn it! Kubo-chan!!! What the hell am I supposed to do now?"
The while was half plaintive and half frustrated, composing himself he turned back to his cat. Tokito stood there, squirming dog in one arm, ripped bunny in the other. Missing one ear, Kubota also saw the extreme amount of dog drool literally dripping from the stuffed animal, a disgusted looking Tokito holding by its one good ear.
Draping his arm over Tokito's shoulder he took the dog from the boy and dropped it back into the garden area. He leaned heavily on the younger boy before steering them towards the stairs. As they climbed side by side he ran his thumb down the side of Tokito's cheek.
"Well, guess you'll have to sleep with out tonight. You can hold onto me if you get lonely." He opened the door and slid sideways as one gloved hand swatted in his general direction.
"Moron."
Kubota stopped dead in his tracks. Oh…My…God.
"Hey, Toki?"
"Yeah."
"Remember sleeping?"
"Yeah."
"Until this place gets put back the way it was, I'm keeping the rabbit."
He grabbed the squishy rabbit from his partner and raced outside, the door slamming in his wake.
"Ku..bo..-chan!!! NOOO!!!"
He could hear Tokito through the door, hell, everyone on the block could hear him, but he didn't care, "That…that …what the hell did he do to the place?!"
"Kubo-chan, no, give it back!!" again the wailing.
"Clean first, rabbit second. Even I can't live in there now!" He called back.
Bargaining, it was all he had left.
"Ok, ok, but at least let me clean him up first! Please?"
He had to stay firm, he'd blown-up yakuza offices, he could handle this.
"No, I'm going to Kou's, call when it's clean again. You can have the rabbit back then."
"But, but!"
"No, now clean!"
Footsteps on the metal stairs quickly faded as he fled the building. Tokito slumped to the floor and stared at the disaster he had created. Sighing, he drug himself to his feet and stared back towards the living room, resigned to his fate.
"So, what's the story with the bunny?" Kou slid up next to the wiry young man at the sink.
"You find this funny, don't you? Me washing a pink bunny in the sink of an illegal arms dealer's shop?" he looked up long enough to see the broad smile plastered on Kou's face.
"Yes, well, when you say it like that, absolutely."
Kubota sighed and dropped the rabbit onto the towel on the counter.
"He won it."
"What?"
"He won it; last new years at the carnival. It cost me $50, but he was all bouncing around and begging me, took us over an hour, and finally he won it."
He slumped down on the stool, murmured thanks for the tea Kou offered and absently played with the toy's one good ear.
"So, he won it."
"Yup."
"And he destroyed your place looking for it?"
"Yup."
"And you're going to hide here until he cleans the place up?"
"That's the plan."
"I'll get the spare futon out."
"Thanks."
As Kou wandered off into the back room Kubota heard "pink bunny," "sleeps with," and "moron" waft back to him. Shaking his head he could only agree with him.
It was going to be a long week.
Fin.
