(Disclaimer: APH is not mine. Also, French translations can be found at the end if needed)

"Bonjour, mon petit lapin," France said cheerfully, swooping down and picking England up, giving the squirming Nation a kiss on both cheeks.

"Put me down, jerk!" England yelled, managing to kick the older Nation. France dropped England in surprise, absently rubbing a spot that would surely bruise in the morning. Fuming, England crossed his arms and turned away from France.

"Mais, mon lapin~, you're just so fun to hug~" France whined, struggling to hold in his laughter, his injury already forgotten.

England turned and glared at France. He had called him that word again. "What the hell does that mean? Why do you keep calling me that, jerk?"

"Keep calling you what?"

"L-lapin. What does that mean?"

France chuckled and ruffled the younger Nation's hair. "It means rabbit, mon petit."

"Rabbit? What's that?" England jerked away from France, his glare as strong as ever. "…Are you insulting me you…you…you frog?"

"Frog? That's new." France shook his head, studying England for a moment. "You don't know what a rabbit is? They're small and cute, comme toi. Tu es un lapin mignon, mon petit angleterre." He moved to ruffle England's hair again, but the smaller Nation pulled further away, skillfully avoiding France's hand.

"Of-of course I know what a rabbit is! And I am not cute, frog!" England shouted before running off, leaving the amused French Nation alone.

---

A few weeks later, France returned to England, a bundle of brown fur carefully tucked in his arms.

"Bonjour angleterre! I have a present pour toi~" He held out the rabbit to England, who stared at it, eyeing it warily. He was loathe to admit it, but he had never seen such a creature before, and wasn't sure what it was or why such an annoying Nation would be handing it to him.

"What's that, jerk?" England asked, annoyed that his curiosity had snuck into his tone, softening the insult. The animal was kind of cute, once you got past the large eyes and the fact that France was the one holding it.

"A rabbit…pour mon petit lapin."

England glared at France for using that name again, but reluctantly took the rabbit from the older Nation, his eyes widening in shock the moment he touched it. "It's…soft."

"And it's yours. What are you going to name it?" France smiled, pleased at seeing England's grin. It wasn't often that the younger Nation would show such happiness in the older Nation's presence (unless France happened to be in pain, but that was another story entirely).

"None of your business!" England snapped, his grin disappearing in a heartbeat. He ran off again, but stopped a few feet away, his back turned to France, and muttered a "Thank you, frog," before disappearing into the forest with his new companion.

--

Over the years, France would occasionally ask England what he had ended up naming the rabbit, but England always refused to tell him, changing the subject and ignoring the blush that quickly spread across his face. It wasn't until they were drinking together centuries later that England finally let out that his rabbit's name had been "Francis."

--

Bonjour, mon petit lapin – Hello, my little rabbit

Mais – But

Comme toi – Like you

Tu es un lapin mignon, mon petit angleterre – You are a cute rabbit, my little England

Pour toi – For you