FSE

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Altu marsh was a wetland hanging off the side of a main road. It wasn’t too far off from the big city but far enough that no one really wanted to step in there themselves. No one really had much business in there except for a few merchants taking things out of the town located deep within. Everybody left the place alone because most didn’t find the idea of diving deep into haunted wilds very fun. There were trees that obscured the light and threatened to pull you in, areas where solid ground suddenly dipped down into murky water, and strange chirping things in the darkness. That being the case, there was a town within the marsh, and one that got along just fine. There were blank lanterns dotted throughout the town on a well-maintained path. The town was situated atop the driest piece of land. Even then, the air was muggy as could be and warm, even though the sun never quite managed to filter through the thick canopy of leaves above. Mist trailed the grounds and was especially thick at night with a particular glow to it thanks to certain insects fluttering about and a few odd spores. Still, the buildings were in fine condition with one or two carrying a bit of patchwork here and there, and the people wandered through the town without much care except for the occasion complaint about the heat. However, there was a stirring in the town. An unusual murmuring running through the crowds pocketed around the little town. Mentions of a witch out in the wetlands by the woods. A user of the arcane that hexed anyone that came too close. A shadowy figure walking nude in the moonlit night, collecting all sorts of strange and possibly devious fungus. As strange as it all was, the town had become concerned enough that the alderman had called in a specialist to investigate things from the city down the main road. Detective Vincent.

The detective was speaking with the alderman at the edge of the swamp, the short dwarf explaining in a quiet tone, “Living plants attacking people. The elements rising against us if we wander too far away. It isn’t natural. Thought to myself it was one or two people with a bit too much of the drink, sir, but more and more talked about it.” The old dwarf then quietly added, “Figured I could make it a reason to visit the town, but that can’t be the case if it is a serious issue.”

An elf stood at his side with almond skin and amber eyes, hair dark and tied back. His arms were crossed, and he wore a long coat. Unfortunate attire for the weather, but it kept the bugs out and it was pretty much a uniform. When the alderman looked toward him, Vincent rubbed the back of his head and blew out, “I’ll take a look out on the path you pointed out. It does sound like a bit of a rumor more than anything else, but never hurts to be safe. If there’s anything else you want me to know about, then by all means.”

“Nothing else to say. Just follow the path around the wetland and head into the woods and you’ll see yourself.” Said the alderman while stroking his beard, “Now, if you need anything yourself, we’ll be around. General store is always open, and the tavern will happily give you a good deal.”

He smiled a bit and tilted his head, “Offering a man on duty a drink isn’t a wise call, sir, but I appreciate the hospitality all the same. Especially considering I’m not from around here.”

“No one has given you trouble, have they? Don’t think anyone would pester someone out from the city, but you never know.” The alderman rumbled.

Vincent brushed aside the thought with an idle gesture and sighed, “Not at all. They’ve been all too polite. If I don’t find anything, then I’ll at least be able to give you folk a better night’s rest knowing that suspicions are only that. I’d rather things just be rumors. Never a good thing when someone goes crazy with magic, or when some sort of natural disaster starts forming.”

The alderman grunted, “If I still had a bit of molten metal flowing through my veins then I might head on in with you, but my hands shake when I hold a butter knife.”

He put a hand on the old dwarf’s shoulder and chuckled, “Relax back at the tavern and I’ll be back before you know it. Might even have a drink, depending on how the work goes.”

That seemed to bring a genuine smile to the old dwarf’s face as he nodded. Vincent started his trek into the marsh now while wondering what fantastic stories he’d be able to bring back from all this, or if it would just turn out to be something small and even silly. Usually, he didn’t take jobs like this so far out of the city, but he needed the distance, and needed something to work on. An arranged marriage usually never worked out, and it wasn’t working out in his case either. He still wore the ring, still remained loyal as can be, but there was nothing in it but a bargain between two families that he had nothing to do with. He could file for separation, but part of him still felt like he had a duty to his parents, and to the rest of his family. Tradition and familial obligation should not stop him from enjoying life, and thankfully, he enjoyed work wherever it was. Even in the middle of a murky swamp.

The path that had been laid out seemed well maintained. Stone markers, a cobbled path that was clean enough right up until it got to a thicket of trees. An area more densely packed and where he assumed the woods really started. The marsh itself had a lot of trees that created a thick canopy above them that kept the sun from making too much of a presence. Here at the edge, he could take a few moments to think about what he was dealing with, or well, what he might be dealing with. It could be a genuine witch situation. Could actually be a practitioner that was getting a bit of an ego. Thought that they could establish a territory. If it was a simple thing like that, then he could give a slap on the wrist and leave, but often these sorts of cases involved other issues. Hexes and familiars patrolling could mean that they were hiding something. Harvesting strange mushrooms in the night didn’t exactly sound good either. Could even be eldritch dealings. A dangerous dance with forces that could make life miserable for anyone around, or it could just be a naturally occurring elemental going wild. If it was of nature, then well, he figured he could deal with it well enough. He did, however, smile a bit as he thought of a naked witch wandering through the woods. Whether man or woman, that’d be a sight to see.

After that little pleasant thought, he headed on through the thicket and into the woods themselves. Like he figured, the footing was a bit more unstable, but it wasn’t all that bad. There was still a path to follow, and it was around where he had been told. He could even see wooden stakes in the ground that separated the path from the more soggy bits of the wilds. For the most part, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but his well-tuned senses might as well have been useless. Well, he could tell there was magical activity, but that was just the norm out in nature this old. He didn’t have to see the small mushrooms turning their heads toward him to know that they were alive, didn’t need to see the leaves rustling in strange ways to know that they were responding to his own magic. At the same time, this wasn’t a cursed place. It didn’t feel uneasy. Didn’t feel as though he were drowning. He had only been in a hexed place cursed by a heavy miasma twice, and the first time he had lost his lunch from the immense pressure and feeling of illness that came over him.

There were no monsters, no fiends or creatures that attacked travelers. It was a mostly peaceful place with some larger creatures out deep in the bogs, but supposedly he’d run into a hex or some sort of weird familiar, or hopefully a naked witch. Really, he should have stopped hoping for that one. What good would it do to see a naked witch if he was already married? Especially if it was a man. He wasn’t exactly into other men, or well, he had never given it a try. Vincent gave his cheek a little pinch as he kept on heading deeper through the woods. No sense in thinking about that kind of thing when he was working. Something shifted in the air. A subtle little change and a rustle. Vincent froze and from his cheek his hand moved through the neck of his vest to grasp onto something cold. He had been getting distracted, had let himself think that this would be a routine inspection instead of something possibly dangerous. Even with all the magic in the air, he could feel something creeping in closer.

He darted forward just as shadows fell from the treetops. When he turned around, he had his gun in hand. Six arcane infused rounds. The first creature that rose appeared to be a mass of bramble and vines that had two glowing eyes in different places looking toward him. The other one was a similar sort of creature, but it had not risen to full height yet, and neither of them seemed to register what he was holding in hand.

“I don’t suppose either of you talk?” He asked quietly before adding, “Or maybe can the one who made you hear me? I’m not here out for blood. Not here wanting to kill anyone. I just wanna make sure everything is fine, and that there isn’t any foul play.”

The creature or familiar that had gotten up lashed out toward him, sending its body racing forward. He hopped out of the way with a grunt and trained his gun on the one that was rising up before taking a shot. The trigger was pulled, light and powder firing off as a line of light pierced one of the familiar’s eyes. It stopped for a second, but began running toward him.

Cursing to himself, he started to run just as the other one that he had turned his back to crashed into the ground he had just been standing in. He clapped his free hand over the barrel of the gun and wished for heat above all else. When he turned around again, he held the gun with both hands and took another shot. This time, a ball of flame spat from the mechanism and hit one of the creatures dead on, eating into it until it was nothing but cinders. His hand already felt the singe of using the gun as a catalyst, but he took aim again and fired just as a vine cut across his cheek. The last familiar was blown back where it burned into ashes just the same as the other one. With that done, he replaced the bullets that he used and holstered his gun. His fingers felt as if he had touched a hot stove top and his cheek stung, but it had gone as well as it could have gone.

As he was considering calling in backup, he heard a voice appearing from the trees, “Gracious. Both of my little friends were no match for you and it seems I made an error. I sensed a stranger wandering in and thought to send two constructs to chase them off. Little did I know that I’d be accosting what appears to be a detective. Well, I can’t see you very well, but I can see the coat, could see the revolver as well before I could speak up, or command my little vines to stop.”

The source of the voice could not easily be ascertained, and when he tried to sense where the voice was coming from, Vincent noticed that everything had become static. A cloud appearing over everything, dampening the magic in the air and making him feel a bit duller for it. Most likely, the witch didn’t trust him and was probably watching him through a bird or even a scrying eye. Still, the witch admitted to a mistake, and he wasn’t here for blood, so he figured that he might as well see if he could solve things peacefully.

Instead of pulling out his gun again, Vincent simply blew, “All right. You made a mistake, fair enough. Can we talk face to face? The locals have expressed a few concerning things that make me believe that there might be a problem. I’d rather believe that it was all a misunderstanding.”

He heard a cluck of the tongue and a sigh, “The locals. I suppose I haven’t been the best neighbor, but I didn’t expect to have neighbors when I moved into a little cottage out in the middle of nowhere.” A chuckle then punctuated the statement before slipping into a softer tone, “But where are my manners? We should get to know one another now that I know that you aren’t going to be trying to use that thing on me. Follow the path of flowers and thorns, oh handsome knight. You’ll find my cottage up a little hill.”

Vincent held his tongue. Better not to laugh at someone’s jokes when you didn’t know how genuine they were, and better to push down the slight warmth he felt in his cheeks from being called handsome. He could be walking right into a trap, but a chance to meet face to face and talk was better than spending time out here killing weeds and hoping to get somewhere. For a moment, he looked around until he caught sight of where he was supposed to go. White flowers and thorns appeared along the side of a tree leading him to a portion of the path heading up a hill. It wasn’t long before he actually saw the aforementioned cottage. Oddly enough, he hadn’t seen this path until it had been pointed out to him. Illusions. Creating living vines. Scrying. Flattery. What else did this witch have up their robes?

He stopped at the front door and reached up to touch one of the chimes. The cottage itself was something cute that he might expect to see in a countryside getaway rather than a swamp, except the roof either looked like a giant mushroom cap or it actually was a giant mushroom cap. Vincent figured that being polite was better than not being polite, so he reached up and knocked on the door instead of barging in or yelling. The door creaked open not long after and standing there was who he assumed to be the witch. A white-furred hare with spots of black on the hands and cheek, eyes a deep jade glowing amongst black sclera. The hare wasn’t nude and was a rather curved fellow wearing robes. What he couldn’t help but notice was that the robes were cut in a way where the legs were exposed, as if they were panels inviting anyone to touch. After the first look, he kept his eyes firmly on the hare’s eyes, but his wandering gaze had not gone unnoticed as caught sight of the witch’s smirk.

“I assume that you’re the witch? Either way, name’s Vincent. I’m with an investigations unit out in the city. There’s been a few odd rumors that I’d like to clear up and that maybe we can clear up with the alderman and the rest of the locals.” He said while clearing his throat to get past the awkward first step.

In the doorway, the hare looked at Vincent up and down before simply beaming, “Sure. No harm in answering a few questions.” And as the hare took a step back, he said while touching his chest, “My name is Cedric. A pleasure to meet you. Would you like a drink? Whiskey maybe?”

He smiled a bit and stepped through the doorway while rubbing the back of his head, opening his mouth to answer but stopping as the door shut. What he found wasn’t a quaint little shack, but a proper home. There were crystals hanging over the entrance providing light, and he found that the interior reminded him of what he might see back in the city. A proper modern home. There were even a few places that he could spot brass pipes. A magician’s home with a magician’s touch, he supposed.

Finally, as he opened his mouth to answer, “No. Uh, no thank you. I just need you to answer a few questions and I can be on my way.”

“Really? I don’t bother with company usually and it seems like such a shame to not have something, at the very least. And such a handsome guest as well.” Cedric sighed.

Well, a little bit might not hurt. In fact, it might help things along. Sometimes it was better to play the good guest instead of relying only on what the big book said, and so he put a hand out and gave in, “All right. One drink wouldn’t hurt.”

“Lovely. You’ll love the brew, I’m sure, and a cold touch will make it easier on the throat.” Said the hare while clapping his hands together.

Before he had a chance to ask any important questions, the hare turned tail and started to walk. He rubbed the back of his head wondering if this was a mistake, but instead of questioning it too much, he went along with it. Vincent was taken to a quiet dining room and told to sit and wait for just a moment before a bottle was brought out with two glasses. An entire bottle? He was poured about half that glass and the hare did the same before taking a seat with a big smile.

When offered the glass, he took it and was surprised to find it cool to the touch, “Seems like you’ve got a way with magic, and well, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. Tell me, though. The locals all talk about hexes and whatnot, but no one that I talked to actually had any hexes on them, and none of them seemed to be harmed. They were frightened of the constructs you made. Why’d you move out here and just settle down without talking to anyone?”

The hare tapped the rim of his glass while Vincent took a sip of his own, “I came out here for materials and privacy, mostly. The city is very loud and the price of certain ingredients found out in the wilds is very expensive. I used to make the trip yearly, but no one would notice because I was just a random traveler in a cloak.”

He thought about it for a second before smiling, “And, the uh, naked jaunts through the woods?”

Cedric laughed, a pleasant sound that caught him off guard. When the laughter slowed down, Cedric breathed out, “I was only gathering a few things just outside of my cottage, so I thought it wouldn’t matter. Nudity feels nice, after all. So, I kept my boots and went off to fetch what I needed. A few herbs, a few mushrooms and whatnot. I had no idea that the townsfolk would come out so far.”

“And some of those mushrooms are poisonous?” He said, while trying not to get swept up in the good nature of the hare sitting near him.

Instead of denying it, Cedric nodded, “Yes. Dangerous toadstools with the capability of ending a life. I sell tinctures back to the store in the city that alleviate certain maladies. The mushrooms are dangerous, yes, but they make a fine medicine when used correctly.”

“That checks out.” But of course he had to ask before taking another sip, “Mind if I take some of your product with me to get it tested?”

The hare produced a vial as if from out of nowhere, a trail of mist coming off of it as he placed it down onto the table. As he reached over to take it, Cedric explained, “I thought that you might be curious as to what I’m doing here. I promise you that my intentions are perfectly innocent. You see, though I like my privacy, I had planned on introducing myself to the town nearby to establish a business with a closer proximity to me. Unfortunately, I was too caught up in my own work and it seems that there’s been quite the misunderstanding.”

He thought about it for a second before nodding slowly, “Sounds like I don’t have much to do here then. Of course, since you’ve got ties with a business in town, you wouldn’t happen to have a card I could see for said business?”

Again, something appeared in the hare’s hand and this time, it was a card. It was offered to him and he checked it with a small frown. Address, name of the business and everything. After pocketing that as well, he swirled his glass a bit before downing the rest of what was inside. A bit of a foolish move, seeing as it left a subtle burning on his tongue and throat, but it felt like the right move, seeing as his work here seemed to be done.

He cleared his throat as he set the glass down, “Guess that’s it then. There’s no foul play, nothing to say that you’re planning on doing anything crazy, and I have a report to make. Thank you for having me and for cooperating.”

As he got up, Cedric sighed, “Must you leave so soon? It isn’t often that I get guests ever since moving out here.”

“I thought you liked your privacy.” Vincent said while quirking a brow.

“For my work? Of course! But I still enjoyed having my friends over, as well as a lover or two.” The hare said, punctuating their statement with a dangerous chuckle. Cedric then turned his hand while humming, “I planned on being more sociable as things went on, but I was just so focused on establishing my production here that I didn’t think to introduce myself, nor ingratiate myself to the locals. Now I suppose I’ll have to settle for the infrequent visitor from the city, or heading to the city myself for a bit of rest, relaxation and a dive between a man’s legs.”

He coughed while the hare snickered. As a response, he touched the band around his ring finger and spoke steadily, “Well, I don’t think I’d be too much of a good guest in that sort of way. I’m a married man, after all.”

A smirk cut across the hare’s expression as he leaned back in his seat and put one leg over the other, humming while doing so, “Is that right? Swore I saw you staring. Either way, the company alone would be nice and your responses are fun enough. Won’t you humor me for a bit, handsome?”

Vincent hadn’t met a man that had called him handsome, and often didn’t find himself getting those compliments too often in general due to the nature of his work and his marriage life. It made his head a bit fuzzy. Eventually, he slowly settled back in his seat and cleared his throat, “Guess I could stay for a bit more as compensation for your garden creatures that I uh, trampled.”

The hare’s ears perked, and he got up to pour him another drink. Once he sat back down and once the business of rumors had been solved, Cedric moved on to talking about his passions. Gardening, brewing potions, and other little things that encompassed what he was doing out here, but in a more personal manner. He could see that Cedric had been a bit stiff compared to now, and he could only tell that due to the fact that the hare’s body language had changed entirely. His hands moved a bit more when he spoke. He tilted his head and laughed a bit more while fixing him with certain stares that made his chest grow warm. The alcohol had to be strong, or maybe he was just enjoying the positive interaction. Now that he thought about it, he didn’t really have any drinking buddies and he either worked on his work life or his marriage life, one of which was significantly easier to manage than the other.

Breaking him out of his thoughts was a sudden question, “And what about you? Tell me about yourself.”

He thought about it for a bit before looking up while humming, “Born and raised in the city itself. My family were traditional in the sense that most of them came from straight out of the forest. They still had a lot of the same rules, a lot of the same interests, but I never really took to it since I grew up around metal and stone. I like the chaos of the city, a bit.”

“Oh? Sounds like you’re not too big on your family.” Cedric said quietly.

Vincent closed his eyes and sighed, “Ah, is that how it sounds? Maybe. I don’t share the same values and don’t act the same way. Not for a lack of trying. I do really care about what they think and what they feel, but it is hard to satisfy them. Even my marriage is a matter of tradition, but I’ve been thinking lately that I should ignore that. Whole reason I took this assignment was to have an excuse to step out of the city. Away from the family. Away from the wife. Don’t live with them anymore, and I can certainly afford to ignore them.”

“But you still feel that connection to them.” Cedric finished for him.

He swirled what he had in his glass and opened his eyes to look at the hare while smiling just a bit, “Got it in one. Yeah. I’m a sucker for familial connections, or maybe that’s just the way I’ve been trained. Used to try my hardest to impress my parents by reciting old songs or history, and they’d love seein’ their kid taking an interest, but it wasn’t my world. That being said, I’ll probably end things with the wife when I get back. She’ll probably be happy that we didn’t have to conceive and my family will get back to trying to convince me to marry some other connection for one reason or another.”

Cedric huffed, “Of all the things. If any family of mine tried something like that, then they’d get an earful. Then again, I’ve been lucky with mine. They never tried to stop me from loving so freely. Now that I’m outside of the city, I suppose that they’ll have to be fine with letters and other little communications letting them know that I’m just fine. Lonely now, but just fine.”

“Aw, isn’t my company good enough?” He said with a snicker.

The hare looked at him for one second or two, foot bouncing as he leaned back. He almost regretted what he said as the hare actually seemed to be sizing him up, and before long Cedric turned his head away while smirking, “Hm, it’d be better if you took the ring off.”

As much as he found himself enthused with the hare’s company, there was still a little problem with that thought process. He held his hand up to the air and said aloud, “I might, but uh, I’ve never exactly been with a man.”

When he set his hand down, he saw that Cedric’s cheeks had grown pink and the hare had put a fist to his mouth to cough, “Oh gracious. I should apologize then. I thought that when you were looking at my legs that maybe you were interested. Hearing that you were having trouble with your marriage and possibly sounding like you were going to end it; I just thought that maybe it would have been nice.”

He shook his head and breathed out, “Relax. I did look at your legs. I was surprised to see your outfit and surprised that you cut such a good figure in them but uh, like I said. Never been with another man, never had any thoughts about it, really. Give me a few drinks and we’ll see.”

“You’re terrible.” Cedric said with a snort, “That’s not what anyone wants to hear, except for maybe the compliments. You’re a fair sight though, y’know? Can you blame me for trying?”

“Not at all and, well, I’m flattered. My wife is entirely mute on the subject of my looks. I don’t think she hates me, and I don’t really hate her, but neither of us really have the personality or the knowledge of each other to be in what one might call love.” He said before taking another sip.

Cedric hummed while leaning in, “Then you’ll be happy to know that I’ve been drinking in the sights every moment we’ve spent together and hope to continue doing so.”

Damn. The way his voice change felt like honey on his tongue. Sweet. Smooth and oddly warm. He cleared his throat after a bit to get that warmth off of his cheeks before he managed to answer, “Feel free to keep on looking.”

They raised their glasses to one another and turned to emptying the bottle. He shared a bit more of his own passions and felt boring for it. Vincent liked maintaining his equipment, and he liked magic for practical purpose. Taking apart guns. Fixing small things. He mentioned that it might be nice to set up a garden. Work with his hands. Hell, maybe his family would even take his interest in plants as a callback to the past, where elves were bound to the forests. Cedric was all smiles during their conversation. Batting eyelashes on occasion, and little slips of decorum that he couldn’t help but notice. One ear flopped over, his leg still over the other occasionally shifting giving him a good look of inner thigh that he shouldn’t have been looking at, and shouldn’t have found all that interesting. By the time the bottle had been cleared out, he felt warm and fuzzy but he had a very high tolerance. Cedric, on the other hand, had put his cheek on the table in defeat.

“Hm, maybe we should have taken it easy.” He murmured.

Vincent got up while unbuttoning his coat. He took a few testing steps to make sure he wasn’t going to fall over before he headed behind the sitting hare. His jacket went over Cedric’s shoulders gently and he took the bottle and glass away. It took him a bit, but he found the sink, and found himself coming right back to the slumbering hare. He had a glass of water in hand, and put it far away from the hare’s reach for now before he went back to look at Cedric. He touched the man’s cheek and found himself marveling at how soft it was, how pretty and peaceful he looked. Well, as it turned out, maybe he did like men. He took the shoulder holster he had on and set it on the table, along with his gun, before he stretched. The thoughts still didn’t go away, and so he took a glance at the hare. Vincent could still spot those pretty legs, could still see that the robes barely clung to his body. It had to be loose, had to be a thin material for this sort of heat. Even then, it was his own touch that revealed more.

He leaned down and pressed a finger along the hare’s thigh, pressing against that supple plumpness before trailing upward to brush aside the panel. What was revealed to him was more of that beautiful thigh, and what seemed to be a thong rather than what he might usually see on men. A fruity and pretty man who liked to dress to impress. How many men had been seduced by this hare? As it turned out, maybe he really should have taken up the hare up on that quiet offer. No experience with men. What did that matter? Cedric was pretty, and now he found himself with a heavy bulge pressing against his pants and nothing to do about it. Well, there was something he could do about it.

For a moment, he took his hands off of the rabbit in order to tend to himself. He fumbled with the belt of his pants, struggling enough that he wondered just how much that alcohol had gotten to him. Apparently, it wasn’t enough to stop him from getting hard. Pants unzipped, undone, and the fly gotten out of the way. His underwear pushed down to let his shaft out into the air. So firm already. All it took was a pretty set of legs and a cute face? Huh, a cute face? He started to pass his hand up and down over his shaft while looking down at the rabbit’s slumbering features. Soft and peaceful. A bit angled and picturesque. He wondered how it would look marked by him, and so he leaned up to let the heat of his shaft press against the rabbit’s cheek.

While his heart beat a bit faster, he rolled the tip of his cock along that softness in little circles before trailing it over to the lips. He pushed against that soft mouth and shuddered, a hand coming down to stroke one of the hare’s ears while he muttered to himself, “What am I doing?”

Indulging in something terrible while the alcohol was used as an excuse. Pumping away his lust and frustration with each movement of his hand, his eyes shutting to look away from what he was doing as he imagined his cock between those beautiful legs, while images rushed on through of the hare’s maw open and a beautiful tongue working every inch of his cock and balls. That pleasant waking dream built enough heat in his head that he had to hiss as he doubled over, as his grip tightened on his cock and his eyes opened to see a clear and sticky line firing out of his shaft and onto Cedric’s cheek. Damn. The sight of that both turned him on and sobered him just a bit. He couldn’t stain the rabbit’s face, but his hand kept on pumping. Even with the cloud of alcohol slowly fading the more excitement he felt pumping through him, his lust was still there to direct his hand, to guide his cock against those lovely lips and cheek. He couldn’t just keep up like this. It wouldn’t be enough to grind and rub himself against something so beautiful. Vincent needed more.

Leaning down, it felt like his tongue was on fire and only one thing would quell those flames. He touched the hare’s cheek to bring his face up, to let their mouths connect for a quick kiss before he muttered, “Wake up.”

He pecked again and again. At the same time, he grabbed onto the hare’s thigh, fingers passing up through the robes to grab onto his waist, to tug the strap of that pathetic piece of underwear he felt waiting for him to tear. The kisses were getting more firm as time went as well, tongue slipping between those lovely lips begging for entrance, his hand holding on now to make sure that the slumbering hare did not go away.

It seemed that his desperation was being rewarded now as Cedric’s eyes began to open slowly. He kept his lips locked against Cedric’s mouth, and for a second, the hare’s gaze grew wide with surprise before he shuddered. When their mouths parted, Cedric asked in hushed tones, “What do you think you’re doing?”

Again he kissed, but this time he aimed his lips at the neck, dipping in closer while tightening his hold on cheek and thigh while rumbling, “I need you. Is it the alcohol, or did your seduction work? Either way, I didn’t want to wait until you woke up, so I’m telling you to get up.”

It seemed the heat of his words sparked something. Suddenly, he found his mouth closed as his lips were sealed by a firm kiss. Two hands grasped his cheeks, perhaps a bit more sluggishly than intended, but they still formed a solid hold on his face to keep him in place as their mouths melded together before parting. It was at this point that Cedric muttered with a bit more gusto, “You pervert. I can feel that stickiness on my cheek. What were you planning on doing if I didn’t wake up? Were you just going to fish around until you found lube? Or maybe you were just going to pretend like nothing happened after painting my face?”

He shuddered and answered quietly, “Probably that second part. Don’t see how I could have found any lube, but I just needed you awake to hear you, and to feel more of you.”

The hare drew himself up, and Vincent took a step back. He looked down for a second and seemed to tremble before he turned his attention back to Vincent’s gaze to address him, “Come with me.”

It was less an invitation now, and had less of that sweetened tone he had used before in his attempts to flirt, but it was still dripping with something irresistible, and so he followed as soon as the hare turned tail to start walking. He was still in a bit of a haze and surprised that he was taking it this far, but he really wanted more. Cedric himself seemed to have a bit of trouble moving, and he was near the hare’s side to make sure he didn’t fall. Both of them were drunk but the excitement seemed to have dulled the effects of the drink enough for them to both be able to head on through while knowing what awaited them. They headed up a set of stairs that rounded the building and dipped into a bedroom that seemed tailormade for a witch with a green thumb. There were flowers and herbs on the windowsill, adding a fresh scent to the room, as well as a large bed near the center. Cedric was distracted and bent over. The panels of the robe had split apart enough that he was given the perfect view of those beautiful legs, right up to a rear that was barely covered by anything at all. It was at that point, that Vincent decided to strip out of what he was wearing fully.

By the time Cedric had turned around, he was standing there without anything on at all. The hare’s cheeks burned with color under the pale light of the crystal lanterns, and he nearly dropped what he was holding in his hands. While fumbling, he managed to say dryly, “Well, it seems you’re certainly not shy.”

He held up his ring to the light and took it off slowly while not looking at the hare for a reaction, “Hard to be when I already had my tongue in your mouth.”

When he had the ring off, he turned it from side to side before tossing it. He didn’t care about it right now. Cedric’s ears had twitched, but other than that, he moved to place something on the bed while breathing out, “You’re right. I wore this little number, hoping it might catch your eye. I suppose it was a desperate thing, but it seems like it worked out just fine. Here I was internally panicking that I had insulted you, or that I had somehow crossed a line.” Cedric then snickered, “But then I woke up with pre-cum on my cheek and a man’s mouth on mine.”

When Cedric stood up straight, he started to shift out of his robes, leaving him to approach. A condom sat on the bed alongside a vial, and he was pretty certain what the vial was. When he picked up the glass, he tilted it from side to side to check it out before he hummed, “Honestly, if you had called me handsome a few more times, I might have had my awakening a bit earlier. In fact, just as you were about to pass out, I figured I wanted to admit something to you. And that’s just how damn beautiful you are.”

And when he saw Cedric standing there in the nude, it reaffirmed that thought. Cedric was not the thinnest rabbit, but his body was curved in lovely ways and was defined by soft shapes interrupted by strong and angled legs. The soft pink of his cheeks had turned a lovely shade of red as he managed to mutter while placing a hand on his chest, “You’re too kind, but you haven’t seen anything yet. Let me give you what you were so desperate for while poking at my lips and cheek.”

The hare dropped to his knees and let his tongue hang out of his mouth, hands to the floor as if he were preparing to bow deeply in prayer. He shuddered at the sight and set aside what was in his hands to focus on the offer before him. Part of him wanted to know how rough he could take things, and at that thought, there were a few other questions that touched his mind. Just how should he handle this situation? The alcohol had faded enough to let fresh anxiety in through his heart, but pumping behind that was the warmth and lust he felt. It wasn’t enough to cut away at that anxiety, but what managed to do it was the mischief he saw in the man’s eyes, and the utter delight glinting off of that pretty gaze. He supposed he’d treat Cedric like he would any other sexual encounter, right up until he had something new to learn. For now, he took a few steps forward before slapping his cock onto the hare’s snout.

“Wasn’t sure how I was gonna handle this sort of thing. Never been with a man, but I see I don’t have to worry about that. You’re hungry for cock just the same, and you’re beautiful all the same too. I didn’t get a good look between your legs, but the thought of you getting hard just because you’re staring at my dick has me riled up.” He said in low towns and growls.

Cedric shut his mouth for a second before breathing out, “Gracious. I thought I’d have to guide you like a frightened lamb. How long has it been since you’ve emptied these lovely balls of yours?”

The hare’s lips planted a soft kiss at the spot nearest to his cock on his balls while Vincent sighed, “Too long.”

A tongue slid along his balls from the spot the hare’s lips had been to the side, a hand coming up to grasp his shaft to move it to the side a bit while Cedric focused on other things. The warmth he felt from the tongue passing along his balls was something divine. A gentle and caring movement that pushed on his orbs carefully, grazing through the hair before pulling away. Every pass of the tongue added another trail of heat that turned cool as sweat was replaced with loving drool.

In between licks and kisses, he heard Cedric’s voice humming joyfully, “Elements. What a beautiful thing you’ve given to me. Just from seeing me sleep. Just from seeing my legs. Bigger than mine. Thick and dark, with such a lovely feeling. Warm and twitching as if you’re already prepared to blow. Please, please don’t hold back. You’ll have all night to do whatever you want to me, handsome.”

The compliments turned his head to fuzz just as much as those soft touches on his cock, the hand at his shaft starting to move up and down while he responded quietly, “Don’t hold back? Would you really want me to grab you by the ears and stuff your throat?” And when he felt the grip on his cock tighten, when he saw the hare tremble, he blew out to continue, “Would you want me balls deep inside of you from behind? Biting on your neck and clinging tightly on to you until you can’t hold yourself up anymore?”

“Fuck yes, sir.” Cedric said before his tongue took a long lap of the left side of his balls.

Vincent shivered and took a step back, soft fingers trailing off of his shaft before moving back down to touch the floor. Vincent took hold of the rabbit’s ears by the base and squeezed just a bit to test it. Cedric simply shuddered before opening his mouth wide, the invitation given yet again. This time, he took that invitation with no regrets. He slapped his cock on the rabbit’s tongue a few times, tugging him as if he were going to dip deep into that inviting maw, but instead he pulled back just to grind his cock back and forth on that warmth. Vincent let Cedric get a good taste. He took his time because he had been told to do whatever he wanted, had been told that he could stay here until the next day simply using the hare, and he planned on capitalizing on that invitation.

While he rocked his hips and teased the hare’s tongue, he rumbled quietly, “Tempting men with that beautiful body, with those curvy hips and strong legs. How many husbands have fallen for that? How many men have blown their loads on your face, on your tongue, on your ass when they should have just walked away?”

He was tempted to pull back to let Cedric say something, but as he did so, he decided to do something else instead. Vincent bucked his hips to bury half of his shaft inside of the hare’s maw. It was a test thrust, a smooth motion that came with a gentle tugging of the ears. When Cedric remained in place, he thrust again and heard a little gag, but the hare’s hands remained on the floor instead of his hips. Encouraged by the rabbit’s resilience, he began to push and shove until his balls kissed Cedric’s chin. Smooth warmth coated every inch of his shaft, his mind mired in warmth and fog that threatened to drown his senses while he mindlessly began to pull his hips back before thrusting. He humped and ground his frustrations and desires away inside of that warm maw, each gag and noise the hare made only encouraging him. When he did feel those soft hands at his thighs, when he did feel them coming around to his rear, he thought about stopping. Cedric corrected that pause by yanking him closer, harder than he had been thrusting.

“Fuck, is that how you want it?” He asked through growls and huffs.

The heat of what he had been told to do grappled with his mind and urged his body to start obeying. Each thrust carried him all the way, and would have jolted the hare’s head if not for the fact that he held onto those soft ears as tightly as he could. The hare continued to gag, continued to sputter, but the hands on his rear moved back down to the floor to allow him to continue however he wanted. It had been a long time since he had been given a chance to fuck someone, let alone fuck someone’s throat. His own hand hadn’t been in use either, considering he had busied himself with work, so everything that he felt was so damn intense.

A warm tongue grazing his shaft with every movement, a tight throat closing around his dick as he thrust in deep, and he could even feel those plush lips pressing against his balls whenever he hilted that lovely maw. He could feel his shaft throbbing violently, could feel the pressure in his body rising as the excitement kept on climbing up his spine more and more. Instead of blowing his load, he stopped. He pulled out slowly and took hold of his cock to start tugging on it while looking down at the hare. Cedric coughed and opened his mouth, panting, steam practically pouring out of his maw. He hooked a thumb in the rabbit’s mouth to force more of it open, his heart trembling as he saw that hazy gaze peering up at him. Underneath the pale light, he could see that lovely tongue waiting for him, sticky with drool and pre. Sharp fangs glistening. With a grunt, his orgasm began.

Hot lines of stickiness painted the hare’s tongue and fangs, staining everything it touched. He pumped out load after load, his body shaking in utter delight while pleasure erupted forth. One shot. Two shots. Three shots and then one more. The rabbit’s face was left painted by his seed, tongue and fangs dripping with it. Cedric kept his mouth open, kept his tongue out for a few moments until he swallowed and let him watch the process. When he drank down what was on his tongue, he kept his tongue out while Vincent continued to toy with his mouth. A sudden urge came over him as he took his finger out of the hare’s maw, and he didn’t follow that urge immediately but instead did something else. He let his cock rest on the hare’s tongue before he spat on it, and the hare brought his mouth over his cock to drink in that indirect kiss, pulling away only once his shaft was starting to twitch back to life.

“I need more.” Was all that he could say.

The hare planted one more kiss at the tip of his shaft before he got up to head over to the bed. He laid down on his back, legs hanging off of the bed before he brought them up and spread them. Vincent followed a long, fingers trailing along the hare’s thighs as Cedric breathed out, “Just as rough. If not more. It has been too long since I’ve been properly fucked.”

Vincent had the condom in hand, wrapper torn and the latex slipping over his shaft. He was about to pop open the vial, about to take Cedric up on that offer before he realized something. Treating this like any other sexual encounter was important, and that meant that he had to be good to his partner. Blowing his load had lifted a bit of the fog from his head so he could actually stop to think. He kept the vial in his hand and knelt down to grab onto the hare’s thighs. A twitching shaft sat above him that he found almost cute. It was big, hell, almost as big as his own with maybe a bit more girth, but he found the twitches kind of adorable. He’d eaten ass before, so why not now?

It seemed like Cedric had something to say, but that all ended when Vincent’s tongue came out to start dragging along those fluffy balls. He let his tongue move in a circle before heading down beneath the balls to the taint, kissing there for a second before getting it down to that pretty puckered hole. Instead of licking, he pressed his mouth against it as if he were giving a lover a proper kiss, and he repeated the motion with smacks of his wet lips before he dug his tongue inside. Cedric groaned and grabbed onto his hair with both hands, feet pressing down over his back as the hare clung to his head and brought him closer.

“You don’t have t—”

Regardless of what he had to do, he kept on licking and he even grasped the man’s shaft to start stroking it gingerly, and that was what really got Cedric to hush. With women, he had done things like this to show his appreciation for the body, and so why should he do anything differently now? He planted kisses along the spot he would be dipping into, the spot that would take every inch of his cock before he moved to the inspiration behind these events. His tongue dragged along those beautiful thighs, up and then around to the waist, where he bit down gently. Vincent then took his face away to look down at the shaft that was already throbbing so violently. He had never sucked cock before, but how hard could it be?

Vincent leaned down to plant a kiss on the tip and found himself shivering from the heat. He also had to smile. Cedric had squeaked, a surprised sound that made him look up to raise a brow. For once, he saw a bashful expression on the hare’s features, hands over his mouth as if to pretend that noise had not come from his lips. Vincent then turned his attention back to the hare’s cock, leaning down to take the tip in his mouth before he slowly dipped down. About halfway, he found that he was struggling, but he took his time with it, deciding that there was no need to rush. His tongue pressed against the shaft, twisting and occasionally adding a bit of pressure before he came back up. He bobbed his head up and down, taking a few more inches every single time, and what he couldn’t hold in his mouth, he stroked. Part of him was curious about something else. Since he couldn’t take in as much as the hare could just this moment, perhaps he could help things along in a different manner.

A deft hand popped the cork off of the vial containing the lube. He let a bit of it dribble onto his hand before he set the vial carefully onto the floor for later. Two digits pressed against the rabbit’s spit covered pucker, and he dipped them in slowly but they slid right in without an issue. He blinked as he heard the hare crying out in utter delight, and he suddenly found his throat full of cock. Vincent winced but managed to keep himself together as hot cum began to pour into his throat, as bitter and salty stickiness began to cling to his tongue and maw. He kept his mouth closed, and swallowed as best as he could while pushing his fingers in deeper, hoping that would produce a better effect. When the hare had finished, he kept on sucking for just a bit more, fingers rolling around while he let the panting hare ride out his climax. When the last drop had been drained, he pulled up slowly and took his mouth off of Cedric’s cock.

He coughed and cleared his throat while continuing to push his fingers in deeper, “Hope that wasn’t too awkward.”

When he leaned up to get a better look at Cedric’s face, the hare had one arm over his eyes, but a big smile touched his expression as he sighed aloud, “Gracious. Here I thought you’d just stick it in and skip out.”

A third finger slid in, earning a curse and a groan from the hare, and his own excitement only grew. When he pulled his fingers out, he moved up to get his hips between the man’s legs, to bring his cock to where it needed to go. The condom already had a bit of slickness to it, so he didn’t need any lube on that, and the hare’s rear had opened so easily that he figured it wouldn’t be a problem. He took the base of his shaft in one hand to bring the tip against that prepped hole, and at the same time, Cedric wrapped an arm around his shoulders and looked down as if they were both peering at the opening of a play about to unfold. The tip slipped inside nice and steadily before he started to push in bit by bit. His hips sliding forward was met by a gradual turn and roll of the hare’s hips as sighs and groans began to slip out into the air between them.

“That’s it. Nice and slow. Let me feel it all, handsome.” Purred and hummed the hare.

There it was, the sweet kiss of a compliment on his ears urging him forward, bringing a quiet obedience to his body. He kept it nice and slow for now, just to let Cedric feel everything he wanted. Cedric could probably get away with a lot just by calling him handsome, just by filling his head with all of those honeyed words dripping down to his core. He took his time and would keep on taking his time as long as the pretty man underneath him kept wanting that. Of course, he wanted a bit more himself, but he had already blown his load once and was more than happy to take it easy with his head stuffed full of honey and fluff. The hare’s hands moved over to his shoulders, trailing around to the back, where the digits started to sink against his skin, claws pressing wherever they could to cling and bring him closer. A little gasp and a sigh escaped the hare, his hips slowing down a bit more as he found himself getting near the end of the road. A few more inches, a few more seconds, and that was it.

Cedric was leaning back with a fat grin on his face, eyes shut and chin tilted up as if he were drinking in a fresh breeze. He was also humming joyfully, his own hips swirling and rolling in such lovely ways while his own hands clutched onto the hare’s hips. When the hare didn’t seem to have anything to say, he started to move. Pulling out inch by inch before pushing forward. Each thrust seemed to earn a hiss and a groan from the hare, the claws at his upper back pressing in just a bit more, the hare’s body twitching. Vincent could even feel the legs around his waist kicking a bit, one of them rising before coming back down, punctuated by a huff.

“Let it all out, handsome.” The hare said with a purr.

Again, he found himself compelled to start moving. He thrust, and pushed, and rolled his hips with more of his strength. Cedric matched his every movement until he really began to drive inside of that tight ass. Vincent shoved harder, pushed in deeper, and refused to slow down for even a second now that he had been told to go all out. What he had been waiting for was right here. What he had been wanting was right here. He didn’t need to obey tradition, or wait for approval if he could find it himself, if he could hear those honeyed words coating him in delicious affirmations. That’s all he needed, all he desired alongside this fantastic sensation crashing against his gut. When he found himself getting close, he didn’t stop but instead held his gut in while slamming in harder in an attempt to calm himself down.

The hare was a moaning mess by now, groaning to his ear, one hand at the back of his head playing with his hair while the other remained at his strong back. Vincent had the hare in a firm embrace, his eyes shut as well as he buried his face against Cedric’s neck. He focused entirely on the pleasure, entirely on what felt right in this moment. He knew that his life would be changing, but it would be for the better. With this passion, he wanted to thank Cedric. This one foolish moment had given him a taste of freedom, and Vincent would never be able to let that go. With one more push, he began to fill the condom to the brim. Each twitch sent a few more ropes out into the condom, pushing heat and warmth deep inside of that tight hole.

“Take it all, you bitch.” He growled.

Cedric rumbled, hummed and purred while massaging his back in little circles, “Call me something more on the nose. Lay into me. Call me a whore. Something meaner. Something to dig the knife in a little as all this love washes over me. A spice to the sweetness of your heart.”

He kissed the hare’s ear and rumbled quietly, “Take it all, you sweet faggot. Take the man’s cock that you’ve managed to corrupt and drink it all in. It’ll take a bit, but I’ll be ready for you again in no time.”

The hare’s grip tightened on his back, and his entire body shook as he let out a low breath in a shivering hiss, “You know just how to twist that knife. Ugh, I love that little burn. You’re not exactly getting away from that rude little word yourself.”

Vincent pulled away just enough that he could look the hare in the eyes while touching his cheek gingerly, and before he let their lips meet, he muttered, “And I accept that fully. Whatever I am. Whatever we are. I love it all the same and wouldn’t change anything at all.”

Lips crashed against his own, two hands grabbing his cheeks firmly while he continued to bottom out. It almost felt like the condom might burst, but before that happened, he started to pull back. The world turned over and upward as they rose together, the hare’s hands moving down to his arms to clutch on tight while they got off of the bed together. Their lips were still connected, and he seemed to have little choice in the matter as Cedric kept pushing against him. A hand drifted down to his shaft to get the condom off and discard it before his flaccid shaft was given a gentle touch, a tugging that encouraged a bit of warmth out of him, but it would certainly need some time before he was hard again.

When their lips parted, Cedric breathed out, “I’ve got just the thing.”

Cedric didn’t bother to explain and instead moved to his nightstand to pull something out. He had no doubt that the witch could just bring the object into his hand as he had with the vial that rested somewhere in his shirt pocket, but he did enjoy the sight of the man bending over for him. He took a seat at the edge of the bed to take a breather while Cedric searched. Vincent wasn’t sleepy, but he did feel like he had been running a bit. Sweat dotted his body and had even made a bit of a wet mess of his hair. Cedric certainly didn’t seem to mind, as he came back to him with something in both of his hands.

“Catch!” The rabbit practically sang.

Vincent snatched the object from the air that had been so suddenly tossed at him. As it turned out, it was another vial. One with pink liquid glowing from within rather brightly. It had a strange fog to it as well, rolling around. Tilting his head, he asked aloud, “Another sort of lube?”

“Not at all. Something to give you that extra boost for when you’re still raring to go, but the body is giving out just a bit. Sure, we could wait a few minutes, or you could drain that and I could ride you raw.” Cedric said with hums and chuckles.

He was about to protest using a strange concoction before the word raw really registered in his head. Vincent clucked his tongue and got up while staring at the vial, “Raw, huh?”

As he sat back down, the hare placed both hands on his chest and eased him back just a bit more to let Cedric straddle his lap while he hummed, “Yup.”

Vincent stared at it before looking at the hare, raising a brow for a second before popping off the cork, “I should be asking if you’re allowed to make these and allowed to sell these, but that comes later.”

While Cedric chuckled, he drank down the concoction. It was a small vial, and the liquid went down easy enough. Sweetened strawberry and vanilla clutched his tongue and burned down his throat, that heat spreading in a wide wish of sensations that made him see pink for just a few seconds before everything was strangely clear. His cock was hard. His desires were back in full bloom, and he found himself wondering why he wasn’t inside of the hare immediately. Of course, there was a part of him that was also wondering if he had just ingested something dangerous, but as had said himself, that would come later.

Vial tossed aside, Cedric grasped his shoulders to raise his hips while Vincent grabbed onto his shaft. He got it into position and waited for a few seconds, watched as Cedric placed himself in the right location. The tip was pressed against that slick heat, that puckered hole that had already received him. Without the condom, he could feel the heat of the other’s ass calling him, but it also felt as though he were burning up himself in the best of ways. When he plunged inside, it was all he could do to stop himself from cumming right there and then. He groaned aloud and slammed in deep while grabbing onto the hare’s hips. Cedric yelped but soon was moaning as Vincent yanked him down before pulling him up.

Each time he brought the hare back down, he slammed his hips to meet those pulls, the hare breathing aloud, “Gracious! I didn’t expect you to be so ah—, aggressive!”

He could respond in no better way than to simply chuckle. It felt wonderful riding this strange high, this odd cloud that had brought him into pure clarity. His mind wasn’t foggy, his ideas weren’t strange. Far from it. He felt so real right now. Everything did. Vincent licked the rabbit’s chest to catch beads of sweat on to his tongue before he planted little kisses all over those spots. Cedric’s arms looped around his shoulders and the man moaned and purred, sighing and even laughing at times while his insides were plowed. Vincent felt heat gushing out of his cock, meaning that he had probably blown his load, but he kept on thrusting and kept on pushing with the intent of not stopping. An effect of the potion? Well, he certainly didn’t mind.

The hare was his for the day, for the night, for the next morning if he wanted, and he planned on taking advantage of that fact. Sweating and panting, he had stopped enough to let the hare take care of the movement for now, hips rolling and rocking before coming down, body shaking and unable to move any longer, so he took back control. He got his cock out of the hare’s rear and urged him to turn around. With his beautiful back facing him, he pressed back inside and sat that lovely ass on to his lap while thrusting in hard. He held the hare by the wrists and yanked his arms so that his back was pressed against Vincent’s chest.

When his mouth was on the hare’s cheek he breathed out, “Move that beautiful rear. Tell me to fill you up. Tell me what you want.”

“Berate me, handsome. Tell me something mean and make it rough while you cum inside of me again.” He hummed joyfully.

At first, he was going to do that, but instead he slowed his pace and started to mutter, “You’ve given me a lot to think about. You gave me a choice for something sweet. Something liberating. Even if you treat me as a one and done, I’ll come back just to see you again, just for a chance at this again. I can’t ever forget the taste of this moment, and I suppose I’ll plan my life accordingly around that freedom.”

The hare whined and shivered violently, “Bastard. Saying such sweet things when you’re under the influence. I don’t think I have much energy left in me with all this pounding, and yet, I’m already dreaming with my eyes open. I’d rather have you call me detestable things to keep me awake, to keep everything sharp, but now I’m melting, thanks to you. And that isn’t so bad either.”

And so he kept on thrusting, kept on rocking his hips nice, and slowly before he let his lust take over. He bounced the hare on his lap over and over again, hands keeping a tight hold of the hare’s wrists. Vincent kept the hare restrained in part to make sure that he would never leave, but also in part to claim the hare fully. He couldn’t squirm away, couldn’t move, and his laughter had stopped. Instead, he only let out shuddering moans, his mouth permanently open as he peered up at the ceiling to let the steam of his breath out around them. Once more he slammed inside, and his shaft twitched violently to let out a climax that truly felt like the end of his little high. Heat poured forth and struck the insides of the hare staining them with his raw mark, and he truly realized that he had been going at it without a condom. Raw and uncontested, as if he were breeding a bitch in heat. Maybe he could even go on for more if he waited a bit.

Huffing and puffing, he leaned back while letting go of the rabbit’s arms to say, “Well, might be a good idea to take a break.”

Cedric leaned against him but didn’t say much. When he looked over, he saw that the hare had his eyes closed. Huh. Fucked until sleeping. Maybe he didn’t know his own strength under that stuff, or maybe the hare had just been tired beforehand. Either way, he helped Cedric out. Basic cleaning. Making sure that there weren’t any bruises forming or that he hadn’t left any marks. When that was done, he tucked the poor thing in bed and decided to just lie there next to him. Was that inappropriate? He wasn’t sure, but it felt like the right thing to do. Besides, it felt nice.

A couple of hours had passed, and the hare pushed himself from out of the covers while shaking his head, “Goodness. Did I fall asleep? Ah, that handsome elf must be gone by now.”

When Cedric opened his eyes properly, he paused. Next to him was the slumbering form of Vincent. He had opted to sleep without any clothes atop of the covers, allowing the hare to see every inch of him. A small smile touched his features, and he leaned up to touch Vincent’s cheek gingerly. The detective awoke slowly to the soft touch, but almost on instinct, he moved his head to plant a kiss against those gentle digits.

“Mornin’.” He said groggily.

Cedric chuckled, “I’m pretty sure it isn’t the morning.”

Vincent stretched before sighing, “Guess not.”

They shared a look, shared a smile, but didn’t say much else. It was time to get on the road. Both of them got dressed without much of a word, and when they were at the door and ready to part ways, Cedric handed him something, “Here.”

He looked at it, and it seemed to be a bracelet of sorts. Made of wooden beads. He held it up to the light and saw that there were quite a few designs on them. Instead of putting it in his coat pockets, he slipped it on and sniffed, “Looks nice.”

“It’ll bring you back here. If you’d like. You’re always welcome. A stiff drink is always better with a—” And then Cedric paused a bit before finally managing to say, “A friend.”

Vincent looked over at Cedric before smiling, “For now? Yeah, with benefits included. I need to sort my life together a bit and when that happens, we’ll talk more. As long as you’ll have me, I’ll come around to pester you. You don’t even know half the trouble you’ve gotten into.”

Cedric laughed, “Oh, is that so? Well, get everything in order and I’ll be around. Oh, if you do drop by the shop in town. Tell my brother I’ve got everything under control here. I’d do it myself, but I’m a busy bunny.”

“Get yourself a line of communication. If you can make a bracelet like this, you can certainly make somethin’ for conversation.” He said while brandishing the bracelet on his wrist.

The hare snorted, “I’d rather not. Now then, go off. I’m sure the locales are worried about their brave hero.”

Before he left, he leaned in and planted a little peck on the witch’s lips while muttering, “Thanks.”

While he walked off, he smiled. He had caught the rosy complexion he had left the hare with and he didn’t think that he’d be forgetting that anytime soon. As it turned out, the locales had been a bit concerned but were much more relieved when he told them what had happened. It didn’t take long to catch a wagon back to the city bound by shelled creatures. His office wanted a full report and it wasn’t very interesting. He told them mostly the truth. There was a witch making medication with ingredients found in the marsh. Had a business with his sibling out in the city and he’d go check it out himself later.

The doors of his home didn’t seem so heavy when he got them. He pushed them open with intent, and went to find his wife. They talked on the balcony and it felt like the first time that they had actually spoken to each other. Neither of them were happy with the situation, so he suggested a solution. A unified front. Separation would come as soon as it could, but they both needed to speak to their families to get them to understand that neither of them wanted to continue this tradition. They didn’t want to have kids either just to satisfy some sort of weird passing of the torch. Both of them didn’t want that, and in that conversation, he found that he had a friend. Another elf tired of tradition. He didn’t want her in that sort of way, and she didn’t want him that way either. They could simply treat each other as friends now, and maybe that was the start of something fantastic. A connection to his people outside of tradition, and one that he hoped would continue being healthy even after the separation.

At night, he stood at the same balcony looking up at the stars with a small smile before staring down at the bracelet around his wrist. He was tempted to go to the witch now. He could feel the magic almost teasing him to use it, but instead he held a hand over it and let himself have a quiet moment. Free from every little thing in the world except the beating of his heart, and the cool breeze passing through his lungs.