Preparations
Barton's internal alarm clock was frequently more reliable than the one by his bed. This particular morning, he wasn't too worried about getting up with the proverbial chickens; Malik would open the salon at nine, the rest of the crew would shuffle in, and patrons would begin arriving about ten. The old badger said he'd be in at noon or thereabouts; he figured it was about time for him to put in an appearance, as he'd taken quite a bit of time off over the last several days.
He was reluctant to move, enveloped as he was by a light blanket and two perfectly warm bunnies. Dear, sweet bunnies who, he realized, were going to have to deal with an attorney in several hours. He thought it might be best to give them time to prepare themselves, including having hot showers, a good breakfast, and some reassuring talk before going through all the mess.
Tenderly, he squeezed Lyal's shoulder, whispering a kiss to his ear. "Abou' time t' wake, lad," he whispered.
The young buck screwed up his eyes and mumbled, "Bummer...!" He held tighter to Barton's chest as the badger chuckled softly.
"C'mon, then, help me wake Lyris. I want t' make sure she's okay."
Lyal opened one eye in mock irritation, then opened both and smiled. Into Barton's ear, he whispered, "Keep holding her gently. I'll go round the other side."
Even as the male twin started getting out of bed, he and Barton turned toward the soft, female voice. "Not like I don't have really big ears."
The badger tried to stifle a laugh, as Lyal said, "G'morning, Lyss."
Lazily, the doe rolled over toward Barton and her brother, smiling. "G'morning. I'm guessing our big strong badger carried me to bed?" She laid her head on his shoulder. "Thank you. I really needed that sleep, especially if we're gonna..."
Barton felt her hesitation, felt the shudder go through her, and he squeezed her gently. "I'll be there every second. I swear it. It's gonna be tough, I'll nae lie t' ye, but he won't be treatin' ye badly. Won't let him, and neither will Firecat. I think he's learnin' not to be so ... thick-headed."
Slowly but resolutely, Lyris nodded. "I'm glad you're going to be there. You will, won't you?"
"I promised ye, di'n I?" The old badger smiled as the doe hugged him, the slightest sound of a whimper from her, then let herself gently out of bed.
"I've got to go like you wouldn't believe. I'm going to take a shower too, if that's okay?" She looked back at the two males, the look on her face possibly one of mischief.
"We'll take seconds and thirds," Lyal said, grinning. "The water heater works just fine!"
The doe bounced toward the door, stripping off Barton's t-shirt as she went. The old badger was hardly fazed by it, at this point; he chuckled to himself in spite of it, or because of it, whichever. He turned slightly as the buck crawled back under the covers with him. "What's this in aid of?" he asked, his brogue lilting happily.
"Well, we'll have to wait until the water heater recharges, right? I figure it gives us a few minutes of quiet time. If you don't mind." The buck leaned over the badger's muzzle and kissed him tenderly, lips to lips, as the older male reached up to stroke the bunny's cheek. The moment lingered, long and sweet, and Barton noticed the buck's ears shifting gently, not in that style of "speaking" that he used with Lyris, but in a slow and expressive dance that told of deep longing and happy loving. Were he not lying atop it, Barton's short tail might have been echoing the sentiment.
His forepaw traced upward to Lyal's head and ears, where his skritching was rewarded with a deepening of the kiss, as tongues began to join the pleasurable skirmish. The buck's forepaw moved over Barton's broad chest, wandering idly in slow, smooth movements over his belly. The badger let out a soft moan that sounded of desire and need and just a little fear. It had been so very long, and the young rabbit's attentions were far from unwelcome. He broke himself out of the swoon, reluctantly, placing his forepaw atop Lyal's.
The look on the buck's face was slightly confused, and Barton rushed to reassure him. "Tha's nae a 'no,' lad, just a wee pause. I'm thinkin' we mightn't do this ri' now."
"Why not?" Lyal asked softly.
"If nothin' else, yer sister takes quick showers!" The badger grinned a bit, then sobered, looking the bunny in his chocolate brown eyes. "I want ye, lad, no mistake. Truth tol', I've fallen more'n a little in love wi' ye. Tha's prolly why I'm thinkin' our first time should be a bit more special. An' more important, I'm worried what Lyris is thinkin', especially with all this truck ye both'll have t' get through t'day. So fer now ... an' jus' fer now ... let's not."
Barton reached behind the bunny's head and pulled him down into a short, emotion-filled kiss before looking back into his eyes. "Tha's t' seal the promise. Let's put all o' this behind us, an' then we'll take some time an' make it sweet."
The bunny's tenderly-smiling muzzle shifted into an impish grin. "How do I know you'll keep your word?" he teased.
As if he heard Wallace tell him to do it, Barton took the bunny's forepaw and planted it open-palmed on his tented undershorts. Lyal meeped cutely, his eyes registering that he'd not expected either the badger's actions or the respectable package that his paw had encountered. He and Barton chuckled together, and the badger gathered the young buck into his embrace and hugged him as tightly as he dared, reminding himself that his ribs were still a little tender.
"Are you sure you're old?" the bunny laughed. "You don't act like it."
"Well, they do say yer as young as ye feel ... or who's feelin' you!" Another quick kiss to the kit's muzzle, and Barton started getting up. "C'mon," he said. "Time for real life; the romantic bit comes later."
"You can hear the water's still running," the buck said, completely logically, as his forepaw squeezed the obvious bulge in the badger's shorts. "We could have a few minutes..."
"An' I'd like t' take a few hours," Barton said, making himself sit up in spite of the huge temptation to lay back and let the rabbit take full charge. He chuckled and looked Lyal in the eyes. "Just want t' have a nice lingerin' time t' love ye in, lad, that's all. Think ye c'n wait that long?"
"We gonna send Lyris out to the store or something? It could get loud, you know."
"One could only hope," the badger deadpanned. A thought struck him, and he glanced at the clock. "How long's she been?" he asked.
"What do you..."
As the buck paused in his sentence, Barton could see that he was just as concerned. The sound was wrong. Someone taking a shower moves around, shifts the water as it strikes off the body and hits the wall, the curtain, the tub. It doesn't just maintain the same steady hiss, the way that...
Lyal rolled over in an instant, bounding to his hindpaws, and the badger was barely a second behind him as they moved as one to the bedroom door. The buck reached the bathroom first, tapping gently on the door. "Lyss? Save some hot water for us!" The silence made him look back at Barton, who reached past him and tried the door handle. It didn't budge.
The badger reached past Lyal and rapped a little harder on the locked door. "C'mon now, lass, I'll need yer help gettin' breakfast on th' table..."
Still no change from within. The buck began to get frantic, pulling on the doorknob, as if willing it to move, demanding that it no longer be locked.
Moving quickly, Barton found his way to the utility room down the hall, casting up quick thanks that Wallace was so completely organized. Opening one of the cupboards, he found the spare keys to every room in the house and garage, neatly labeled and hung on hooks. He grabbed the slim metal rod that fit the hole in the hallway-side door of the bathroom knob - just enough to free the pushbutton courtesy lock. He caught Lyal on the rebound of trying to knock down the door with his shoulder. The look on his face told the badger that the buck felt that one in his ribs, no matter how panicked he might feel.
"Here, lad, let me at it..." It took him three tries with nearly nerveless fingers, but he finally fitted the rod into the hole and pushed. The snap was audible, and he twisted the knob easily. The door opened inward, and steam began to billow out at once. Before Barton could stop him, Lyal had already burst into the room and was pushing the shower curtain aside.
Barton forcibly expelled the breath that he wasn't aware he'd been holding. He had been terrified that Lyris had hurt herself. The running shower, the locked door... all the clues were there, but praise the Saints, he was wrong. She was huddled into a small wet shaking ball of bunny, but she was very much alive and otherwise unharmed.
Lyal turned off the water and reached into the stall to take hold of her, wincing as his ribs reminded him that it was still a little too soon for such acrobatics. The old badger grabbed towels and helped the buck wrap his sister up in them. "Lyris," he said, "can ye hear me, lass? I need t' bundle ye up back t' bed; will ye let me take ye?"
The doe trembled still, not making any move toward or away. "I'm here, Lyss," Lyal told her softly. "I'm right here. I can't lift you up, please, let Barton do it." He began to sing, that old lullaby, softly, slowly, his forepaw to her cheek. After long moments, she managed to open her eyes and look at him, then to Barton, starting to regain herself more quickly than before. She squeezed her eyes shut a moment, willing herself back. A quick nod. Barton took that as his cue and maneuvered carefully to lift her, praying his back would hold out just one more day. She seemed to recover herself enough to wriggle her arms out of the towels and place them around his neck; the balance helped him to lift her, and he carried her out of the bathroom and back to bed.
The buck pulled back the covers, and Barton set her down, wet towels and all, letting Lyal cover her up to her chin to stay warm. It was shock, more than anything else, and the old badger could almost bank on what was causing it. He glanced at the clock; the grand inquisition would be starting in just a few hours, unless he called to cancel it. On the one paw, best get it done; on t'other, the poor doe wasn't going to be able to take much more of this.
As he considered what to do, he noticed Lyal nodding at him briefly. Lyris looked up at him also, still not quite able to speak, but her eyes regarded him softly and with affection.
"Ye had us worried, little 'un," he said softly. "Thank ye f'r lettin' me carry ye here. Think ye could stomach a little juice, or hot chocolate or sommat? Been a long time since dinner."
She hesitated a bit but finally managed to ask for some apple juice. Lyal added an order for himself, and Barton went to fetch it. In the kitchen, he poured two comparatively small glasses, figuring there'd be more if they wanted it. Perusing his refrigerator, he snorted a brief derisive laugh at himself. He'd need to make better use of his grocery dollars if he was to support the kits for a while. You could tell he was a bachelor; even gay males are still males, and shopping was...
He blinked. His train of thought nearly derailed entirely as it jumped to a new track. Gay males are still males. What an idiot he had been! "Nae fool like an old 'un," he mumbled and reached for his cell phone. Firecat's number was on a speed dial, and the connection took no time at all. Barton quickly outlined what had happened this morning and his thinking on the reasons, and he could almost hear the big lion face-palming himself.
"And that's one of the first rules we're supposed to remember!" he said, almost moaning with the sheer size of the mistake he'd made. A quick conversation to one side, and he returned. "I should have known; she's ahead of us all! We'll be there on time. Bring anything?"
"Nae at all sure we'll be fixin' a proper breakfast. Fresh veg for the kits, t' be sure, and if ye've got anythin' unhealthy fer an old fart, bring a couple of 'em. See you soon."
Back in the bedroom, he saw the kits cuddling each other protectively. It took a moment for them to notice him, bearing the two small glasses. When they did, they smiled softly at him and reached out to him like children a third their age, wanting to be fed and taken care of. The old badger sat on the edge of the bed, close enough to touch the doe through the blanket that covered her legs. "Hope tha' juice'll make ye feel a wee better."
"It does," she said softly. She looked more like herself now, even though she still appeared frightened. "May I ask you something?"
"Always, lass. Always."
"Do we have to do this?"
Barton didn't have to ask what she meant. Lyal moved to squeeze her shoulder gently. "Two parts t' that answer, pretty bunny. The first: Yes... sadly, ye do have t' do this." He leaned forward a little, his eyes looking into hers. "The second: Ye don't have t' do it alone. And more than that - we're bringin' in more help, especially f'r you, Lyris. Because in spite o' all good intentions, we've been doin' this wrong."
"What do you mean?" Lyal asked.
"Too much testosterone in here," the badger smiled softly. "You and I are both males, Firecat's male, that lawyer is male... d' ye really think we c'n know what this poor lass has gone through?"
The buck blinked, his ears drooping a little as he looked at his twin. "Lyss, have I...?"
She leaned against him to quiet him. "No. It's okay."
"But it's not really," Barton spoke in gentle tones. "There are questions ye have t' answer, and we males can be pretty stupid about that. So we're gettin' expert help. Lady Jayna is Firecat's mate, a lioness, and she's goin' t' talk wi' ye first, before we let that lawyer feller back on t' ye. She knows. She'll tell ye herself." He paused to let his next words sink in. "She's a survivor."
Lyris reacted almost as if struck. Her twin held her close, their ears almost folding in on each other as they held each other close. Barton squeezed the doe's calf through the blanket, held his words back for a few moments.
"She c'n help. She'll be here soon, wi' some fresh veg from her gardens an' whole buckets full o' understandin'. I'm really sorry that ye have t' go through this... but nae alone. Never alone."
The doe squeezed her brother briefly, then turned to reach out for Barton. He took her in his arms, held her, rocked her, kissed her cheek softly. He felt Lyal's forepaw on his. Looking at the buck over Lyris' shoulder, the badger saw him smiling with a tear in his eye. The bunny's ears moved briefly, and somehow Barton was sure that he had just said "thank you."
With Lyris all wrapped up in towels and blankets, Barton told Lyal to go take his shower. "But he can't wash his own hair yet, not with his ribs still so sore!" She started to get out of the bed only to have the badger's hand fall on her shoulder gently.
"An' ye think an old mane-dresser canna handle one young buck's hair?" He winked at her and tickled under her chin to make her giggle a little. "That is, unless ye think I'm nae good enough t' touch his beautiful curls." He affected a sad look and sat back as if she'd already told him he wasn't good enough.
She played right into his hands, "Oh no, Barton, I know you're good enough, I just... well, I've done it for him for so long now..." Now it was her reaching out to comfort the older male, her forepaws resting on his in earnest supplication, "Please, Barton, would you wash Lyal's hair for him, so he doesn't hurt himself anymore? He'll need help with his back as well, and his shoulders." It was then, with a slight sinking in his middle, that Barton realized he'd walked right into showering with the buck.
Lyal smiled at him his eyes brightening in a way Barton hadn't seen before. "Don't worry, Barton. I won't expect you to help the same way Lyris does." He winked lewdly at the startled badger, then leaned down carefully to kiss the doe on the cheek. "I promise to be careful, Lyss. You know I don't want to make it any worse; it's been sore long enough already." He stood up off the bed and headed for the bathroom, shedding his boxers on the way and twitching his tail to settle his fluff back in order.
Trying to deny what felt like a blossoming full-body blush, Barton's eyes nevertheless followed the buck out of the room. It was Lyris' soft giggle that pulled his eyes back to her in time to see the smile that grew across her muzzle. "Let me give you some advice. He likes it if you lick the tip. Don't spend too long with it all the way in your mouth, though; he'll pull out on you." She patted his forepaw and settled into the bedding with a look of utter contentment on her face. "Oh, and play with his balls! You guys and your balls..." She grinned at the stunned badger, making a shooing motion with one forepaw. "Well, you better get going; his showers can take a while..."
"Now ye tell me...!" He shook his head a little. "Yer nae doin' m' self-restraint a jot o' good, ye know!"
"Why are you holding back?"
Barton looked at the doe for a moment as if she might have somehow mutated from an adolescent into a wise old sage. "What...?"
Lyris sat up, her forepaws in her lap, looking the badger in the eye and speaking softly. "Barton... I'm still a little crazy right now. Maybe you noticed! But I'm crazy, not stupid. You want him. You've even said so. But you keep holding back, because of... I don't know why. There's one thing you should know. Maybe two, but they're connected." She shivered a little, but kept looking at him. "You're the first adult male in months ... maybe years ... who's ever touched me softly. I mean, you never asked anything from me; you just hugged me, or carried me, or cuddled up with both of us all night long. Maybe it's because you're gay, but I don't think it's just that. I think it's because you really do care. You love us. Both."
"I do, lass," he nodded slowly. "I really do."
"Sort of like a parent, but not really." She still shook a little, but more out of old memories than anything else, Barton thought. "Daddy was never naked with us, and he..." She spit out the word much as Lyal had on other occasions "...it was never about love. That's why I didn't... it's why, with you, that I was so..." The doe reached out a forepaw and placed it on his arm. "It's why I was afraid to trust you. One reason."
"T'other is th' lad. Yer brother. Yer lover."
"Barton, is it wrong? We keep hearing that it's wrong..."
The badger moved up on the bed and cuddled the rabbit closely, petting her ears tenderly and shushing her with the softest of sounds. "Tha's nae summat t' be thinkin' aboot today, Lyris. Not today. Ye've got a lot t' get through, and there's another time fer all that..." He silently cursed himself. The one thing she didn't need right now was equivocation. Tenderly, he pulled back from her, his finger lifting her chin so that she could look him in the eye. "Lyris... I love ye. An' I love Lyal, too. An' to love ye both proper, that takes acceptin', an' understandin', and nae doin' somethin' t' hurt ye. That's what love is, lass - an' there's no one I've ever met who c'n say different. I've seen the two of ye kiss from time t' time, and nae, I've not known other sibs who seem t' have that much passion in a kiss... but tha' dinna make it wrong. There's little enough love in th' world, Lyss... I'm nae gonna be responsible fer takin' any oot." He paused, felt the ticking of his heart, and nodded a little. "I said from th' start I'd nae try t' separate ye. An' I won't. Even if he wants to make a lover outta me as well. I dinna ken how that would work out, lass, but I'll stand by it. Love's all that's worth fightin' for... howe'er it may show itself."
Tears appeared in the doe's eyes. "Lyal was right. Right about you. And I'm so happy he made me trust you. And I do. And that's why..." She smiled, and it took Barton a moment to realize that she was looking over his shoulder. He turned and saw Lyal standing in the doorway, a towel around his waist that failed to conceal his condition. The lad seemed to be blushing a little, and Barton guessed that it wasn't about the morning wood. The doe tugged at his arms a little, made him look at her as she grinned up at him through her tears.
"Remember what I told you," she whispered, and again made the shooing motion with her forepaw.
Barton caught the paw and brought it to his lips, kissing it lightly. "You rest here, lass," he said. "We won't be _too_long."
She giggled as she caught the emphasis.
The badger stood, moving to the doorway and teasingly nudging the buck down the hall toward the bathroom. He found himself hoping that the rest of the day would hold as much promise as the next twenty or so minutes did...