Author's Note: My attempt at Castiel/Lysander fluff for MellaTheKnightmare. I hope it's alright and whatnot. If it's not, lemme know how I can try to fix it.
Demon had been outside for well over two hours now and hadn't scratched at the back door or barked for "in" at all. It struck Castiel as odd. Demon usually stayed outside for hours on end when the weather was nice, running up and down the fence or rolling around in the grass. But today the ground was frosted and bitter breezes whipped flurries from one direction to the next. And when it was that cold, he usually didn't stay out any longer than he needed to.
Somewhat curious, the redhead rolled off the couch and padded to the back door. He cracked it open and poked his head out, charcoal depths searching the yard. Demon was nosing at something under the naked shrub, his bludgeon of a tail whipping back and fourth.
"Hey!" Castiel let out a quick, distinct whistle. "What'd you find over there, huh?"
Demon lifted his head and looked back to him, ears swiveling and onyx eyes sparkling happily. He gave a low bark and then went right back to snuffling at whatever was under the shrub. Even more curious now, Castiel shuffled out the door and walked over. The thing turned out to be a tiny mass of tawny fur, completely dwarfed by the massive brown-black snout that gently nuzzled it.
The mass's ears stuck straight up and it had a tail that very much resembled a cotton ball.
A bunny.
Castiel breathed a laugh and nudged Demon's shoulder. "Lynn's right, you're terrifying. Just look at yourself, snuggling with a rabbit. How dangerous." He patted the dog on the head and took a closer look at the bunny. It was probably a baby, judging by how small it was. And it was shivering. Castiel wasn't sure if it was cold or if Demon was scaring it, but felt inclined to pick the latter.
He stood up and tugged on Demon's collar. "C'mon. That bunny isn't as happy to see you as you are to see it." The canine lowered his tail and whined in protest as Castiel led him back to the house.
He pushed the door open and ushered Demon inside. He started to follow, when something moved in his peripheral. Glancing back, he rose a brow.
The little bunny was hopping along, following in Demon's paw prints. Well, well. Little fella wasn't scared of Demon after all. The determined creature made it all the way to the door and scratched against the crack.
Sighing, Castiel bent down and scooped it up. It fit right in the palm of his hand, blinking up at him with deep chocolate eyes too bulbous for its teeny head. He cupped it charily and sidled inside. Brushing the flurries out of its fur, he set it in a shoebox with a little green dishtowel. It sniffed at the dishtowel and squeaked out a little oinking sound, nestling into the corner of the box. It seemed comfortable, though Castiel wasn't sure he'd done the right thing.
Its mother might be missing it, after all.
But then again, it followed him to the house. And if it had a mother and a den to live in, why was it outside in the first place?
At any rate, he wasn't going to kick it back out again. Though that decision did little to help the situation. Castiel didn't know the first thing about rabbits. Not even what they ate. Carrots, right? Did he have any of those? He was leaning towards no. But Lysander might have some. Lysander liked—
Oh! Hell, why didn't he think of Lysander in the first place? Lysander loved bunnies! He got all weird and melty-eyed whenever he saw one, and he always fed the ones at the park. In fact, forget asking Lysander how to take care of the bunny, Castiel would just give it to him. He'd probably jump for joy.
Though the minuscule mammal was already curled up, Castiel put another small towel into the box to make sure it wouldn't freeze on the way. He threw his own coat on and sauntered to the door. Demon followed every step of the way, eyes on the box that held his discovery. Castiel smirked and scratched him behind the ears.
"I'm gonna go see if my friend wants your new friend. Watch the house, okay?"
Demon gave an assertive sneeze in response and the redhead took his leave. The walk to Lysander's apartment was predominantly uneventful. The bunny was thankfully well behaved and didn't make any attempt to jump out of the box. It simply poked its head out from under the towel and switched its ears and thumped its hinds every now and then.
"What's that?"
Castiel nearly jumped as the girlish, buoyant voice spoke from behind. He glanced back and offered an irritable grunt in greeting. "I see you're still stalking my boyfriend."
Nina folded her arms indignantly. "Lysander may be your boyfriend, but he's my future husband. And I am not stalking him."
"Right." Castiel started walking again. "You just so happen to be hanging out outside his building."
"You never answered me. What's in the box?" she peeked her head over.
Castiel lifted it before she could see, over his head and well out of her reach. It didn't exactly matter if she knew he was bringing Lysander a bunny, but it was pretty fun to mess with her. "Ah, ah. I can't let you look in there. It's a secret."
"No fair!" She leapt up and made a grab for the box. Her fingers managed to snag one cardboard wall and it tipped, flinging the baby bunny upward and sending it flying. Pure Hell was the sound it made. A thin, shrill bleat of terror. Castiel gasped and rapidly made a dive for it. He smacked the ground stomach first, hands desperately outstretched, chin and cheek skidding on the frosty concrete.
It landed perfectly in his grasp. Its tiny heart pounded violently into Castiel's fingers. He looked at it in disbelief, his own heart hammering as though it were going to explode. He could see the whites all around the bunny's eyes and its ivory buck teeth as its petrified screaming finally stopped. Its flanks were heaving, but it was unharmed.
Sighing in relief, Castiel stood and cradled it close to his chest. An appalled Nina was still staring, her gloved hands over her mouth.
"It's fine," he promised her breathlessly, though he felt like he should have been yelling at her and made a mental note not to have animals in boxes in her presence ever again.
She picked up the shoebox and put the fallen towels back inside, tentatively holding it out to him. He took it and gingerly lowered the frightened animal back inside.
"Do you play sports?" she asked offendedly, voice shrill as her horror trickled away. "That was a really good catch."
"No." And with that, he gave a smoldering glower that scared her away and ducked inside the building. The elevator wasn't crowded and he was rather grateful. Crowded elevators were the worst thing next to crowded buses, and a throng of people might've made the bunny nervous when it was just starting to calm down.
"What happened to your face?" was the worried greeting he got when Lysander answered the door.
"That's unusually insensitive of you," he replied, grin lacing the words. "It doesn't matter, I—"
"It does matter, you're bleeding." Lysander sighed and pulled him inside by the shoulders, mindful of the box but not looking inside. He started to kiss down Castiel's scratches. His lips caressed every cut from his cheek to his jawline, attentive and smooth. They genuinely removed the sting and Castiel found himself blushing when Lysander was done.
"How did that happen, hm?" The silver-haired male cupped Castiel's face, thumbs delicately stroking his skin.
"I slipped outside," he muttered, not keen on admitting that he'd almost caused the demise of a helpless baby bunny. "Anyway, I brought you something." He cracked a grin and held up the box.
Lysander broke contact and stepped back, curiously peering inside. A minute tawny head lifted and peered right back at him. He breathed a soft gasp of surprise and reached inside, gently stroking the bunny with his fingertips.
"Oh Castiel, look at her. She's just delightful." Bicolored orbs melted with adoration.
"Err...You can tell it's a girl?"
"Of course I can, I grew up in the country." A nostalgic note rose from the back of his throat and he picked the bunny up with care. "Does she have a name?"
"Nope. You can name her. I mean, I was kinda hoping you were going to keep her." Castiel sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.
"Keep her? Oh no, I couldn't do that. Not permanently. She belongs outside, free to graze and go where she pleases. Not stuck in some cage in an apartment." She let out a faint, barely audible chirp of enjoyment as Lysander continued petting her. "Where did you get her?"
"My backyard. Demon found her. I think she's alone. It didn't look like there were any more back there, anyway. And she followed Demon back to the house." Castiel blinked. "Maybe you could just keep her until the weather gets nicer? Or until she's grown up?"
Lysander paused and glanced down to the furry bundle of cuteness in his palm, expression considering. "Well...I don't see why not. Leigh won't mind, seeing as she's so docile. Speaking of Leigh, the box from his last shipment of lace would be a perfect temporary spot for her. I'll go get it." He put the bunny back in Castiel's care and disappeared from the room.
Said box was about three times the size of the shoebox and Lysander decided to keep it in his room. He chopped up some carrots and lumped them in the corner of the interim habitat, next to a small bowl of water. He introduced the bunny to it gently, with soothing murmurs and more petting. Castiel watched with a little grin, finding it all endearing. Lysander gave off a refined impression, but he could be such a cute dork sometimes. Like when he going all melty-eyed for a fuzzy little bunny.
"This will only do for a night or so," he breathed. "I'll have to get her a proper cage, bedding, alfalfa, nutrient pellets. Perhaps one of those little igloos."
"Wow. I didn't think bunnies were that much work." Castiel sat on the edge of Lysander's bed and propped his chin in his hands.
"It's not as much as it sounds, and in any case its worth the work to have a healthy bunny. I think I'll call her Eris. Do you like that name?" He glanced to Castiel with a subtle smile and a tilt of the head.
"I don't care what you call her. She's your bunny." He gave a shrug.
"Eris it is then." Lysander gave the tiny mammal one last light pat and stood up, stepping over and plopping down beside Castiel. "Thank you for thinking of me." He pressed a warm kiss to the corner of his mouth.
"I'm always thinking of you," he remarked teasingly. He returned the kiss full on and playfully snagged at Lysander's lower lip with his teeth.
Lysander hummed in amusement, jonquil and shamrock irises shining fondly. He laid his head on Castiel's shoulder and absentmindedly intertwined their fingers. "To be honest with you, I'm surprised you got Eris here in one piece. You must be more careful than I'd have given you credit for."
"Heh, what do you mean? I'm always careful." He gave Lysander's hand a gently squeeze. Sure, he almost caused the bunny to splatter. But it was a pretty big almost.
In the first version, the bunny went splat and there was a cute little funeral. But then I wasn't sure if that was fluffy, so I asked my wifey what she thought and she said it wasn't and smacked me upside the head ._.
So like, I dunno DX
Sorry, MellaTheKnightmare. Fluff is like my crappiest, weakest weak spot. So this just like totally sucks. Like I said though, you can just tell me to redo this and whatnot, if you want. It'd still probably come out as suck, but it might be a little less suck o.e'