"You know, it's been... awfully quiet without them around."
For a moment, as Vix's words echoed back to him, it was almost like all other sound in the forest abruptly fell away. The other three members of the patrol stopped dead in their tracks.
He immediately regretted voicing the idle thought aloud.
Pad, the patrol leader, turned to face him. Pad--a dark-haired buck with slightly floppy white bunny ears and a gaze as forgiving as a knife--raised an eyebrow. "You think so?"
Vix felt his cheeks heating up. He cleared his throat, clasping his hands in his lap. "I-I just mean, you know, since we... sent the last of the Ivies away, it's been quite uneventful, is all." He felt his tail twitching with nerves. "Not that that's... a bad thing."
"Right. Uneventful since 'we' sent the alraunes off." Up at the front, Heff, Vix's peer, rolled his eyes. "Were you involved in that? Only I don't think I remember you being in much state to help last week."
Vix's cheeks grew hotter. The bunnyboy ducked his head from the judgmental stares of the pair. "I, ah--"
"I do remember a
certain someone
letting the first one in to begin with, though," Pad remarked. Vix wanted to shrink into a little cottonball. "
And
breeding her until she split into four more in one night!
And--
"
"Oh, be nice to him."
All three bucks froze as the fourth member of the patrol raised her voice. Vix's head shot up in surprise to meet the soft misty eyes of Disti, the only bunnygirl in the entire Heavensway Warren.
Disti... was
painfully
gorgeous. She was one of the tallest members of the warren, standing at nearly five-foot-even, with moonlit silver hair rolling down to her shoulders and perky white bunny ears. Her cheeks were dappled with pale freckles, complementing a cute button nose and delicate heart-shaped face. She was looking right at Vix.
Vix opened his mouth and tried to sputter something out--some sort of retort to the others, some sort of feeble defense for his blunder last autumn--but looking at Disti always got him hopelessly tonguetied, and he quickly snapped his mouth shut.
Disti smiled at him briefly in what he thought was sympathy, then shot Pad an annoyed glance. "It's not like any of us would have been much better. You think those pheromones wouldn't have gotten to you, Pad?"
Pad's eyes widened, and he blushed bright red. "I... erm... well, I would like to think..." He trailed off.
Vix knew nobody in the whole Heavensway Warren was able to stand up to Disti.
They were too busy crushing on her.
Disti's eyes flicked to Heff. "And you, Heff. Wasn't it you who let him bring the ivy in to begin with?"
"I--I, um--" Heff cleared his throat. "Well, um, that's a, um--that's a good point, Disti! A very good point."
Pad nodded quickly.
Disti rolled her eyes with a wry smile. Vix knew she was used to being treated this way nowadays, ever since she'd transitioned. He also knew she didn't like it, which was why he tried very hard to hold her gaze when she looked back at him, even if his dumb instinctive buckbrain just wanted to--to--
no, don't think about that, don't don't don't--
She smiled at Vix. "The patrol splits up here, right, Pad?"
The patrol leader snapped to the attention. "R-Right! Ah, Heff and Vix, you two--"
"I think I'll go with Vix."
Pad went as red as a poppy field. "I. Mmf."
"What? I'll be best at keeping him out of trouble." Disti rolled her eyes. "Considering
Heff's
record on that count."
Heff cleared something like a "sorry" from his throat.
Vix wasn't sure what was happening. But Pad gave a reluctant nod, and when Disti flicked her head for Vix to follow, he didn't really feel able to hesitate.
Blushing hot, he finally escaped her gaze and followed after.
* * *
He walked behind Disti in silence for a bit, trying very, very hard not to glance at her butt, even though she was wearing a skirt today and it was just a
little
shorter than really felt fair and he could almost see her panties hugging that plump bubble butt. Were Heavensway bunnygirls even allowed to wear skirts that short? Not that he was going to be able to do anything about it. Not that anyone in the warren would be.
Gods, I'm hopeless. Buckbrained. Weakling. But... oh, her ass bounces so cutely with every step... nnff...
He tried to focus on their surroundings. The warren normally never opened up this early, and the atmosphere of an ebbing winter frost was so... peaceful. Birds chattered up above, males releasing lonely serenades, dancing to impress their mates. Clumps of melting snow dotted the woodland meadows, reminding him of the patches of the thick meadowfoam that would flood the mountain pass later in the year.
It wasn't quite springtime yet. They'd had to open up early to persuade the Ivies to leave. At least, so he'd heard.
He'd been a bit... occupied at the time.
His cock twitched at the thought, and his cheeks burned.
Again, Vix refocused. It was beautiful out. Strange purple buds poked up through the snow here and there. They weren't tulips, nor daffodils. Those bloomed later in the year, anyhow, right? Were they crocuses? He'd never seen one in bloom before.
Whatever these were, he couldn't be sure they were edible. That was what mattered: tracking down food sources so the warren could replenish its supplies before sealing up again next week. Not thinking about Disti. Not thinking about Disti's ass. Not thinking about Disti's plump, bouncing hips swinging back and forth with every careless step...
Vix shook himself. He needed to speak up. Needed to break the silence with some kind of conversation. Focusing on the surroundings wasn't working. All the birdsong up above was just making him think about what exactly they were singing
about
. Fuck, springtime was always so... intense for bunnyfolk.
Especially bucks. Springtime was when the Heavensway Warren's haven status was most critical. If anyone knew they were here, if word got out of how many vulnerable bucks were gathered in place, they'd be overrun by heat-scented, breedable bunnygirls within a day.
Disti paused in her stride to give a leisurely stretch. Vix saw her arms raise into the air, flexing as she let out a groan of relief that was almost a moan, and his eyes drifted to her sides, and her... her...
"S-So!" he burst out, desperate to drown out the birdsong and his own perverted, traitorous thoughts. "Um, th-thank you. For, um, ah..."
"Ugh, they're such
jerks
!" Disti burst out.
Vix blinked. "What?"
"They're always picking on you just because you're, like, a
little
weak." She lowered her arms and shot him an annoyed look, and he flinched before registering that it wasn't meant towards him. "But they're total hypocrites. It's like they think I don't remember they teased
me
just as bad last year. Right up until I realize I'm a girl, and suddenly it's..." She gestured irritably.
Vix's head tilted to the side. "W-Well... I mean, it can't have been
as
bad."
She stared at him. "Thanks."
"N-No!" His face went hot. "I-I just meant, ah, you're... you've always been quite good at your job. It's not like
you
let any alraunes or rogue does get past the gates."
"Oh." Her cheeks seemed to redden at the memories. "So... you mean you think you deserve it."
"Well, um..." Vix bit his lip and ducked his head.
"Vix, you're... you're
fine
." He wasn't meeting her eyes, but he heard Disti let out a sigh. "I mean, it's not like you can help it. You're doing your best."
He nodded meekly. "Th-Thanks, Disti."
Gods, look her in the eye! You're being rude. Buckbrained.
"You're, ah... really quite nice."
He lifted his head. Disti had the funniest smile on her face.
"You know, you're the only boy in the warren who at least makes an effort." She turned away again. Her white tail flicked slightly. "Even when I take those stupid herbs, I might as
well
have pheromones anyways, the way the boys act around me now."
"O-Oh?"
Disti with pheromones... no, no, focus, focus--!
"You know, I do notice when you're staring at my butt~"
Vix felt his heart stop. His eyes widened as flames licked at his cheeks. "I-I--"
"It's kinda cute." She gave her butt a little wiggle, then giggled. "You really can't help it, huh~?"
"Mm!" Vix squeaked out the reflexive agreement before he registered the embarrassing meaning behind her sugary-sweet voice. He tore his gaze away from it. "S-Sorry," he added quickly. "I... I, ah..."
"Don't be." Disti smirked back at him. "I wore this skirt on purpose, buckbain~"
Vix was starting to feel dizzy. He blinked rapidly.
"Hey, Vix, I was thinking..." Disti's voice was sweet and playful, but there was mischief lacing her words. "You don't have any duties tomorrow, right?"
"Um. Well, sweeping. But after that..."
"After that~?"
"N-Nothing."
What is she getting at? Nnf, her smile feels so nice...
"Well, I honestly don't have much to do right now with the gates being left open. So, when you're done with sweeping..."
Vix's heart was thudding in his little chest.
Disti smiled down at him. The doe stood nearly half a foot taller than Vix on his tiptoes. "You know the pond? I bet it's
so
pretty this time of year. I really wanna see it before we seal back up for the spring."
"O-Oh?"
"Mm-hm. It's very... secluded."
Oh.
Disti turned away from him, humming a pretty melody to herself, hips swinging indulgently with every skipping step.
Vix kept his hands over his lap as he followed, desperate not to show how... how weak he really was.
His heart was galloping so loud he knew any bunnyfolk would be able to hear it. And Disti's humming sounded so... smug...
Tomorrow. The pond.
Songbirds were singing in his chest as he followed after.
* * *
Vix was pretty sure he'd never done as quick nor as thorough a job sweeping as today. He refused to allow even the tiniest risk of getting called back to redo it.
He could barely breathe for his giddiness.
The gatekeeper let him through without a word, although a little envy in his eyes told Vix that he had his suspicions over why his coworker had asked him to let Vix through today.
Vix gave him a big smile. He couldn't help it.
The mountain pass was truly beautiful this time of year. He had to stop the spring in his step from turning into full embarrassing skipping. Something about late winter, the birdsong, the fresh, floral scents, the way the frosty grass prickled his feet...
He couldn't wait to see Disti. His heart fluttered a little at the thought no matter how he tried to quell it.
Stay normal. Stay focused. She likes you because you keep control of yourself better than the other bucks! Don't get all...
