The harsh rays of afternoon sunlight shone without a waver on a summer day. Fukase sweated profusely as he toiled under the glares from the sun. He had been gardening for quite some time and was just about ready to call it a day once he finished cutting the overgrown grass in the backyard.
He had to do the garden work alone since Oliver had a fever. Fukase wanted to surprise his boyfriend with a groomed garden once his illness subsided; however, he realized that it was neigh impossible to complete all these tasks—especially in this sweltering weather.
Fukase sighed as he approached the last square meter of lawn to cut. As he got closer, clumps of the grass swayed; this alerted him since there was no wind to create such a movement. He advanced with caution and readied himself to shoo away whatever wild animal it was.
Once close enough, he slowly peered over the tips of the grass so as to not startle it. A bunny—brown from being covered in dirt—was sprawled among the verdure that just barely shielded it from the severe sunlight. Other than the occasional twitches on the ears, the animal was nearly motionless—possibly from dehydration.
Fukase rolled his eyes and attempted to refocus on his task; he just wanted to be done and go back to check on Oliver. He disliked rabbits for ruining his vegetable garden in the past, and this was just a wild animal anyways— so there was no need for him to care for it.
As he snipped away at the vegetation, his mind kept going back to the imagery of a helpless animal dying from neglect and malnourishment. Guilt kept resurfacing in his thoughts, and Fukase decided he had enough of it. He sighed in annoyance, and with some reluctance, he abandoned his work to take the bunny indoors for a drink of water.
In the kitchen, he turned on the faucet and filled a small bowl with water. Fukase had to bring the bunny's face directly to the surface of the water for it to start drinking. After some moments, signs of life appeared on the tiny creature once more.
Next, Fukase adjusted the faucet to low pressure and carefully rinsed the bunny. Occasionally, he gently scrubbed the fur and dirt washed off quicker, filling the sink with mucky water. Once the mud was completely cleaned off, Fukase grabbed a hand cloth to dry the rabbit's fur. Fukase discovered that its coat was a light golden-brown rather than the chestnut brown he had seen earlier.
His expression softened a bit as the bunny nuzzled its face against his fingers in appreciation of his efforts. "What am I going to do with you?" Fukase asked, half to himself. He petted its head and gave a light chuckle.
He decided for the interim, he should keep the bunny with him. It would be far too cruel to let it back into the heat, especially since it was likely abandoned by its mother. With that settled, Fukase figured he would bring it to the animal shelter tomorrow or the next day—all without Oliver's knowledge of these events.
Fukase grabbed a small cardboard box and padded it with some blankets, creating a makeshift home for the little animal. He filled another small bowl with water and placed it into the box so that the bunny could drink at its leisure. As the box was placed at the corner of the living room behind the couch, Fukase was assured that Oliver wouldn't see it during the few times he must get out of bed during his fever.
For the rest of the day, he completed some minor errands regarding housework and finished the task he forsook earlier—all while juggling between tending to his sick boyfriend and checking up on the bunny. It was a tiresome day for the redhead, and he was more than glad to finally be at the comfort of his bed after he had showered.
However, before Fukase could let himself go to sleep, he wanted to make sure the rabbit had everything it needed for the night. In the box, the tiny animal was cuddled up among blankets and slept soundly. Fukase sighed as he ran a finger along the animal's back.
It had only been a day, but he already had some fondness for the creature; it reminded him of a certain needy blond. He admitted that it was quite cute as it slept peacefully. Fukase was a bit conflicted on whether he should give it up for adoption. He knew Oliver would be glad to finally have a pet, but it was uncharacteristic of himself to want one too. As the thoughts swirled in his mind, Fukase yawned—signaling he needed some rest as well. He supposed he'd think about it in the morning.
Fukase made his way back to the bed; he smiled and ruffled Oliver's hair as the blond had slumbered soundly just like the bunny. With the entire house at peace and weariness dragged on, the redhead dozed off at ease.
The next day, Fukase awoke to rays of sunlight that penetrated the slits of the curtains. The spot beside him in the bed was empty, but he figured that Oliver simply went to the bathroom. After he stretched and yawned, Fukase dragged his tired feet as he made his way to the box in the living room. In the corner of his eye, he noticed the blond huddled behind the couch.
There was no doubt that Oliver found out about the bunny.
Fukase approached him nervously. "Oh, Oliver, you're up early today," the redhead spoke with a slight tremble in his voice.
"I'm feeling much better now, thanks to you," Oliver said, gaze still glued to the little animal. "I was about to go see what you did with the garden, but then I saw this in the corner of the room."
"About that…" Fukase trailed off and laughed nervously. "I was tending to the garden yesterday and found this little guy abandoned and in need of help." He paused and glanced at the rabbit that stared back. "You've always wanted a pet, right? We could keep him if you want."
Oliver blinked at the redhead in disbelief. "Are you sure? I thought you hated rabbits after what they did to the garden before."
"I had a change of heart…" Fukase started to murmur.
"Oh? Why?" Oliver asked, smile evident in his tone. He turned to face the redhead as he waited for the answer.
Fukase averted his gaze to gather his bearings. "It reminded me of you." His face became nearly as red as his hair.
Oliver giggled and wrapped his arms around the redhead's shoulders. "That's so sweet! This is already a wonderful day."
Fukase sighed in relief and hugged back. "Well, what should we name it?"
The blond tilted his head and considered for a moment. "How about James?"
Fukase pulled away from the embrace and picked up the bunny to eye level. "Welcome to the family, James."