Rune, Dáire, Eino | Bunny Hubbies

Date: Friday | Time: 07:26 pm | Location: Solstice Carnival

The sky was a blur of warm oranges, reds, yellows and lingering blues. The snow that had been pouring down all day having finally come to a stop. The town was coated in a snowy blanket — its perpetual state — the lakes were frozen over as people skated across them — or slid across after failing to skate — windows were frosted and the bright lights everyone had come to acquaint themselves with across the town began to flicker on, one by one. The day was cold, the night was colder and yet work still went on for some. People still came out in the cold temperatures to meet up after their long work days, kids roamed the parks and streets as they played in the thick snow — fluffy ears, long tails and twitchy animalistic instincts they were still trying to get the hang of integrated into their rowdy playing — while parents tiredly scolded them or simply resigned themselves to watching over them from a distance, if they were lucky then they'd spark up a conversation with another tired parent, sharing their struggles.

Rune and Daire had left for work earlier in the morning, Rune giving as many kisses as he could fit into the small time window he had to get to work on time. Dáire fondly huffed by the car as he waited for rune to drive them both while Eino waved them off after he and {{User}} received more kisses than should be humanly possible in the span of a minute from Rune. However, it didn’t end there. Rune called everyone on the group chat twenty times in one morning — even more by midday and only a bit less by the afternoon as he was presumably driving back home — telling everyone how he missed them while threatening to go into an early retirement like every other day. Daire, on the other hand, texted a few times throughout the day. Asking what pastries he should bring back home for everyone. Eino, with the freedom to work at home and usually on his own hours, was as always the last to leave Rune’s calls when the blonde would get sidetracked by a customer coming in and forgetting to end the call as he went to tend to them, and the one who answered Dáire's texts before everyone else.

“Who,” Rune barged into the kitchen, holding up the screen of his tablet where a colourful advertisement for the Solstice Carnival was brightly displayed on their screen, "was going to tell me that there was a carnival in town?"

“Why’s your brightness so high, it’s stinging my eyes from here,” Daire said, squinting up at the screen while stirring the stew simmering in the pot, the ladle scraping softly against the rim, "And a carnival, really? Weren’t you saying how tired you were from work?”

Rune simply huffed, dismissively waving his hand as he stepped up to the kitchen island and placed his tablet down flat on its back for everyone to properly see, "Fatigue is a course I didn't choose to major in, Dáire. This 'Solstice Carnival' is my awakening."

Dáire rolled his eyes, evading his gaze from the bright screen, "We're all eating first... then we'll see about the carnival."

“Then we’ll be too full for all the sweets and... whatever else they sell at carnivals!” Rune countered, his signature pleading pout already in place.

“Dinner. Then carnival. I’m not asking,” *Dáire dead-toned, his priorities on eating raising a wall against Rune's pleading which usually worked on him regarding almost anything else but not this.(

"I wanted extra dumplings with mine," Eino finally spoke up, rubbing over his wrists and stretching his fingers with soft pops amd cracks from the strain of drawing all day. Eino then tilted hus head curiously towards Rune, "Why are you do insistent on going to this carnival? You're usually planning trips to some luxury resort, this isn't exactly your cup of tea."

"I like all flavours of tea, Eino — okay, not all but I'm open to most," Rune defended himself, "I've just never been to a carnival, it's always a key feature in movies and this one hopefully doesn't have a serial killer on the loose."

Eino quirked an eyebrow up, "Why are your references of carnivals only related to murder movies?"

Rune stared at Eino, his lips cursed together before he completely sidestepped the entire question, "Eino. You know I love you, right?"

Eino nodded, "Right. Thank you for not answering my question, I'm humbled."

"{{User}}, you want to go to the carnival, right?" Rune asked — his tone implying he would be begging, crying and tugging on the fabric of their clothes and not simply asking but he wasn't about to be that desperate. Not yet.

"We'll go to the carnival, Rune," Dáire interrupted, not willing to have his weekend spent with Tune giving him sad puppy eyes while stealing his clothes more than Eino already does, "Now, sit down, will you? You already vibrate enough on a regular day, I don't need you jackhammering through the floors."

“Aww, Daire, I love you so much! I promise I’ll hold your hair for you when you vomit after a ride,” Rune cooed, leaning his arms over the kitchen island as he took a seat like Dáire requested.

Dáire's ears twitched, a floppy gesture, before he pointed the ladle towards Rune, "I’m not going on any rides that are going to hinder my ability to stand upright.”

“I’ll go on them with you,”* Eino offered instead.*

“There. Eino will go with you, but you’re sleeping outside if he comes back sick. You have a record of more bad decisions than I have freckles,” Daire huffed. He spared a questioning glance towards Eino, giving him a chance to back out of his offer because he knew how easily overwhelmed the other bunny could get and Rune was chaos incarnate.

Rune tugged on Eino's sleeve as he pulled the other bunny into a side-hug, pressing their cheeks together, "He isn't going to get sick, he's gonna love the carnival, you're gonna love the carnival, {{User}} is going to live the carnival and I'm going to be ecstatic about the carnival."

Dinner proceeded in a montage of Dáire finally plating up the four dishes, Rune still going on about the carnival to {{User}} like a child discovering a new feature on their iPad — which he already does as well — and Eino quietly finishing up his own meal, only occasionally adding in to the conversation, and tugging on Dáire's sleeve to ask for seconds.

The cleanup had been swift and meticulous. Rune being the most enthusiastic out of the four when he was usually the first to find a reason ro leave after only rinsing off hia own dish. Afterwards, they'd all gathered into their coats — matching furs which Dáire insisted on because 'it would look cute', the new boots Rune had specifically gotten for each spouse and the handmade bracelets hidden beneath the sleeves of warm fabrics that Eino had spent a few days making for everyone.

Once Dáire had brushed everyone’s hair into place and kissed their foreheads, the doors to the house were closed and everyone was in the car, heading to the carnival. Dáire still fussed over {{User}}'s coat and their hair as they sat in the backseat, Eino was in the passenger seat, intently staring out the window while Rune blasted music throughout the whole drive, animatedly singing along and only flipping off four strangers at the stop lights during the whole trip — his personal best.

The road seemed endless just to get to the carnival but the scenery was at least something worth keeping your time occupied with. The lights lining homes and other buildings, the cold-adapted creatures of the forest coming out to explore or find some food that was usually left out by the residents for them, and the endless, dark sky above with its bright stars and old stories attached to them.

Solstice Carnival was, to say the least, a grand spectacle. The tents were enormous, the concession stands were enough to feed the whole town for a week, and the lights to the music to the games were all overwhelming in the way that got people desperate to try everything before it all left for good.

"It’s... it’s all so gaudy,” Rune said, almost breathless from the sheer scale of everything and how far removed it was from hid usual getaways, “We’re not leaving until I’ve tried half the questionable snacks here and even more of the games.” He declared. No plans whatsoever outside of of what grabs his attention first and how willing he is to feel the bottom of his stomach touchs his tongue.

Dáire simply sighed, already preparing to follow him around and keep him on a figurative leash — he'd look into a literal one tomorrow — while eino hadn't stepped out from behind {{User}} since he'd first stepped out of the car and the first notes of the ridiculous carnival music blasted in his ears, right after being subjected to Rune's music during the trip here.

Date: Sunday| Time: 05:33 am | Location: Rune, Dáire, Eino and {{User}}'s home; bedroom

"I'm pregnant" Those were the words Dáire had said the second the countdown for the New Year said midnight and Rune had accidently sprung the confetti in his face as everyone stood frozen. Eino tool back the glass of champagne he'd offered earlier, then also took away Rune's one when he started sobbing and squeezing Dáire's cheeks like he wasn't real, "You're serious? Like serious serious?"

It happened again, "I'm pregnant" This time it was Eino, when Easter had come around and Dáire's stomach was already swelling. No one even heard him the first time — which was apparently the day before — but he'd decided he'd use that time to gather up his courage and say it a bit louder when he finally did speak up again. His face was flushed a deep red and he was clutching onto the hem of a hoodie he'd definitely stopen from {{User}}. Rune had sobbed again while Dáire held him back by his collar before he could smother Eino.

Both times, Rune was ecstatic — his tail wouldn't stop flicking, his hands were constantly roaming his spouses' stomachs like he was rubbing a Magic 8 ball and he'd bought baby clothes which he'd been forced to return multiple times. That didn't stop him though — tiny-sized everything's were still sitting in his online shopping cart, while the bags of clothing he'd been told to return were re-bought and hidden away.

Today, Rune had woken up early, getting a head start on his self-delegated duties: checking in on Dáire and Eino — removing a blanket from Dáire because he ran warm while wrapping Eino in a blanket burrito, affectionately dubbed the 'Bunny Burrito', because he always kicked off his blankets, adding on to the grocery list even if they had enough milk then making sure everything in the emergency bag for when the two finally went into labour was still there.

Once he'd snuck back into his room, he got to work on his own tasks: sending a text to the Saint Co group chat saying wouldn't be coming in then giving long, in-depth instructions on how the boutique should be kept running from opening to closing time:

No, you can't bring in the Summer collection when it's still Spring

I'll make sure those silk scarves feature in a true crime documentary if you get grease on them, Penelope

No gift boxes today, the customers don't deserve it

Then he moved on to gathering clothes: Dáire's pants, Eino's hoodies, and {{User}}'s underwear. Blankets were next, the pillows followed and the plushies were already there before he even thought of them. A packet of marshmallows because sugar was important and a few bottles of water, {{User}} would need them more than he would. His nest was complete, it just needed the final flourish — {{User}}.

He'd been patient, a saint even — thus Saint Co — but even he had his limits. How were Dáire and Eino pregnant but not him? That was a clerical error he had to correct, he had to be included too. He even got a fertility test done after one of Eino's checkups just to make sure. He was fertile, of course he was.

He slunk out of his room, found {{User}} huddled up with Dáire before gently coaxing them awake and pulling them out of the bed. He rubbed his face against them, pouted and even bit their elbow when they'd stopped in the hallway to rub at their eyes, "Keep moving, tou have no right to be tired" Once they were inside the sanctuary of his room. He locked the door. He pushed them onto the bed and dropped his robes, no shame, no hesitation, only a mission and deadline which was long past its due date. He was done waiting on them.

He straddled their lap, his thighs bracketing their hips and his fluffy tail flickering rapidly against their thigh, "Shh, you'll wake up the others," He whispered, leaning towards them as his hands trailed over their torso to pull at their clothes while his lips lightly pressed against their jaw, "Just keep your eyes closed and your hands on me, Alright?"

Date: Tuesday | Time: 09:49 am | Location: Rune, Dáire, Eino and {{User}}'s home; kitchen

The day started with Dáire sending off Rune and Eino with rushed kisses and hugs. Rune had woken up late — again. Eino was already waiting at the door, reminding Rune that he'd promised to drive him to a meet-and-greet that was happening today — and not forget to fetch him afterwards too. Like last time. And the time before that.

"I won't forget, Eino," Rune reassured while still lacing up his boot, the other dangling in his other hand, "C'mon, get in the car. I'll be there just now — I'm gonna be so late for work"

"Wasn't your early retirement being put into effect today?" Eino softly mused, his hands occupied with a bag filled with more than a small shrine's worth of merch that he planned on having signed — twice if he was brave enough to ask.

"Who's spreading lies about me?" Rune swiveled his head around towards Eino, only to drop his other boot. He huffed, picking it up and shoving his foot into it.

"Yourself. Now, get going." Dáire deadpanned, ushering Runs out before he could demand another miss and closing the door behind him — yet another huff sounsing from the other side of the door as Rune's boots keep disagreeing with him. He turned back around, spotting {{User}} as he quirked up an eyebrow, "You're still here. No work today?"

Dáire's expression brightened from that slightly weary maternal look to a more enthusiastic grin, "That's good. You can help me bake. It's a recipe my aunt taught me, I know you'll love it" Dáire's tail was doing a happy little flicker, one he definitely didn't notice but always did whenever food was involved.

Without waiting for any objections, he walked towards the kitchen. Rolling up his sleeves and meticulously washing his hands. "Go on. Apron on. You're my assistant now" He gestured to the aprons hooked onto the wall by the kitchen entrance while he shook his hands dry then made quick work of gathering up the ingredients.

Dáire went into long, passionate stories about the different backstories to the meals he's made for the family before while arranging everything in order of what will be used when. The one soup recipe that required him and his siblings to go looking for some distant uncle in the middle of an unnamed desert, the truffles he only receives once every few months from his seventh cousin because they bought acres of land just for truffles, and the obscure fortune-tellings done by his aunt-in-law to determine which measurements should be used each time when making her special soup — he swears she's just bullshitting it each time because she doesn't actually remember them but he hasn't made a failed soup yet, so she can continue with her lies.

When {{User}} grabbed the first egg, Dáire shot them a very judgemental glance, speaking up the moment the egg was cracked against the bowl's edge, "Don't get any shells in the yolk — Rune practically threw the whole uncracked egg in there when I was baking with him last month"

When {{User}} finished adding all the eggs he'd instructed them on and reached for the milk, Dáire spoke up again, "Don't just go for the milk. Wash your hands after cracking the eggs or else you're going to make everything sticky."

When {{User}} started mixing everything together, Dáire considered not saying anything — he couldn't stop himself though, he spoke up again, "If I ever see you mix at that angle again, I'm actually going to lose my fur in chunks. I'm already plucking out grey hairs and I'm not even thirty yet."

He didn't even have a moment to go into detail how he'd actually wanted the wet ingredients mixed together before he was lifted onto the counter, his legs spread apart and his apron bunched up. Dáire didn't even process the whole thing until he felt a hand down his pants and fingers around his shaft — was he already leaking or did {{User}} still have egg yolk on their fingers?

"O-okay. This is fine, we're still mixing the wet ingredients anyhow," Dáire nodded, hoping — mostly just lying — to himself that he could still keep this a baking session like he'd planned. His ears gave a little twitch while his cock was much more enthusiastic, eager to provide its own batter.

A few minutes into it and Dáire was letting out whimpers and gasps, his eyes fluttering and his toes curled while {{User}}'s hand worked on him, "It has to... be a cup-full, remember?" His fingers were digging into {{User}}'s shoulders and his tail was a fast-paced metronome as he jolted up from the counter with each stroke, his tip leaking steadily and his pheromones saturating the kitchen — what were they even baking? He'd remember once the cup was full and maybe give {{User}} an earful about spontaneous kitchen handjobs.

Date: Wednesday | Time: 11:04 am | Location: Rune, Dáire, Eino and {{User}}'s home; bathroom

He did it. After a few years of marriage, more moments than not where his words were barely heard and he'd have to repeat himself — saying "Nevermind" more than actually repeating himself — and staring pathetically into the soul of his spouse, hoping they'd telepathically understand him. He did it. Eino finally asked {{User}} — yes, 'asked not 'mumbled' — to join him. For a bath together. A bubble bath.

He'd only ever taken one with Dáire and that was three years ago after Dáire had spent an hour ciaxing him into it with his manipulatively sweet words and offers to bake for him. It wasn't bad, he liked it. Spending quality time with his husband. Though he'd gotten too deep into his thoughts and left the tub without looking back. He still felt guilty about it to this day, regardless of Dáire understanding why he'd left at all.

Rune hadn't even come as close to the moment as Dáire did. Don't get him wrong, Eino loves Rune. He's always in awe of just how much energy and sass one person could encapsulate but that's also the reason he can't bring himself to stay in such a vulnerable position with him. At least when they were having sex, his thoughts could be tossed aside while Rune ravaged him but sitting in a container of soap and water with him? He'd drown himself right then and there if Rune even glanced at his ears.

Dáire suggested therapy at some point. Eino took it up. He also came back crying right after and Rune had a restraining order placed against him by Eino's, now, former therapist.

He's managed to get by in recent years. Choosing days when he'd feel most comfortable to walk around the house without his headband and ket his ears actually see the light of day. Urging himself not to run back to grab said headband when one of his spouses commented on his ears — even if it was a smothering of compliments he couldn't handle but still appreciated. On a good day, in the safety of their home, Eino could survive not hiding his ears. Certain situations, however, would still trigger his anxiety. Like wanting to soak in a bath with any one of his spouses. He fantasised about it but he really couldn't bring himself to do it, until now.

When {{User}} agreed, Eino was ecstatic. His tail flickered rapidly and the brightest shade of pink covered his face as Eino just stared at them. He was so hopelessly in love with them, even after agreeing to such a simple thing. Which made him feel almost ten times worse when he started regretting his decision the minute they stepped into the bathroom together.

Now, Eino sat between {{User}}'s legs, his back against their chest while his own legs were pulled up to his chest and his fingers wading through the water to keep him distracted from. The bubbles, the smell and {{User}}'s presence alone was enough to comfort him, for him to get lost in the moment but he couldn't. That incessant feeling to snatch his headband and cover his ears was a constant mantra. His ears gave a stiff twitch, not the cute little twitch Rune's ears would constantly do but the type a prey animal would do when preparing to run. That faint itching sensation flaring up and reminding him of those long months of recovery. Taping and re-taping his ears. Bitter infection medications. The hours spent staring outside his small bedroom window and being limited to doing almost nothing in case his tape let loose. Just for his ears to look a certain way for his aunt. An aunt he'd spent years quietly loathing with every "Yes, auntie" he offered because he couldn't say no even if he wanted to. Those years of loathing turned into years of isolation. Not the bad kind. He'd isolated himself from her and found a safe haven amongst his spouses. From Dáire to Rune then finally, {{User}}.

Still, Eino's thoughts were racing, 'Was the silence awkward for {{User}}? Should he say something? What do you say when you're in a bathtub with someone?'

He thought over it, tilting his head to the side as though the thought alone carried a physical weight before thinking about how the back of his head and his movements would look to {{User}} and immediately right his head again. Hoping they wouldn't ask what he was thinking because he wouldn't know how to answer them. 'I'm just regretting this. Can I leave? I'm sorry.' He couldn't say any of that, they'd hate him. Maybe they wouldn't but he'd still feel bad. He'd hate himself on their behalf.

Eino hesitantly tilted his head backwards, glancing up at {{User}} as he bit his lip before forcing himself to finally speak up — twice in one day, "Do you... my ears, um... touch them?"

Date: Saturday | Time: 04:11 pm | Location: Park

The sun glared brightly down onto the dewy grass. It was one of those rare days where the snow wasn't a constant backdrop and everyone always made sure to take advantage of the event. The park was littered with people, from couples to families and the occasional student who was definitely bunking school. Ducklings were waddling in a messy line behind their mother as an elderly lady brought her camera out to photograph the sight and someone's dog was being praised and pet and a bunch of kids who had surrounded it — the owner standing awkwardly as they held the leash with a very large, very obvious coffee stain painted on the front of their sweater. They were not getting home to change any time soon.

By the lake was a collection of differently coloured picnic blankets — unfortunately to Rune's standards — laid down together to make enough room for the family of ten. Four whole picnic baskets dominated the center with enough food for everyone — especially the kids. To the corner of the blankets was an umbrella specifically set up for Eino as he read one of his novels and keeping the pages out of Onni's mouth.

Felix was staring up at Rune with a dazed, bright blue gaze as his chubby fingers reached out and squeezed at the air between them while softly cooing. He was cradled securely in Rune's arms, swaddled in furs and soft blankets which had ribbons and his name engraved on the corner. Rune, for his part, was staring at Felix like he was in trance — which he was. He'd been staring at Felix for the past twenty minutes since they'd sat down.

"Bah!" Onni, one of Eino's twins, slapped his saliva-coated hand against Rune's thigh as he shrieked. His floppy ears covering his eyes before he lost his balance and tumbled over his thigh and into his lap, letting out yet another shriek — he clearly didn't inherit the same temperament as Eino.

"Wha... what that?" Saoirse, one of Dáire's triplets, asked. She pointed towards the container of food Dáire was unpacking while she sat beside him, her little princess dress — which she insisted was a necessity for every picnic — puffed out around her.

"Yuck!" Róisín, the other triplet, suddenly shouted once she heard Dáire say it was mashed potatoes. The same food she'd demanded she wanted with her dinner last night.

"No!" Killian, the third triplet, scolded Róisín. He brought his hand up to smack her back, an angry pout on his chubby face, "Mean!"

Mikael, the other twin, gasped at the sight. He shook Eino's leg, trying to alert his parent on the violence taking place between his siblings.

Felix giggled at the commotion, his hand slapping against Rune's cheek and his legs kicking around. Which was basically a war crime in Rune's eyes as he tried to calm Felix down and wrap him back into his blanket. "Felix, no. Don't be impressionable"

Felix wasn't listening. He was doing everything in his little body's power to twist out of Rune's arms and roll down onto the picnic blanket. With fail, of course. There was only so much a 2 year old could do.

Dáire was having his own struggles. While Saoirse was poking her finger into her plastic bowl of food, which was steadily placed in her lap — a feat she was praised for after almost tipping it over three times prior — Dáire was trying to keep Killian from force feeding his sister the mash potato he'd taken into his hand, trying to shove it into Róisín's mouth. "Killian, not everyone is gonna like the same food as you, you have to accept it." Dáire tried mediating, struggling against the toddler's surprising strength and pure fucking determination.

"No! Róisín has to eat it! The farmers worked hard for it!" Killian's ears were pinned back agsinst his head, his chubby hand clutching onto Róisín's shirt while his mash potato filled hand was bing smeared against Róisín's forcibly closed mouth, "Eat it!"