18 Maybe It's Not So Bad After All?

A week had already gone by from the time where he received the compulsory mission from the Mainframe. If Alec was the type to cry, he would definitely be wailing by now.

Alec was not having a good day. He was not having a good week.

Every time he drew near the spot where he first met the bunny, he would take one glance, his heart racing, and promptly turn around when he realized that it wasn't there.

He couldn't do this. Alec always considered himself a particularly stubborn person, but he was failing to out stubborn his persistent phobia.

Ugh. He still wasn't sure if the Mainframe was just fucking with him, or if it genuinely thought that it was helping him to overcome his phobia from the fear of imminent death.

He paused. Who was he kidding? Of course the Mainframe was fucking with him! How could it be anything else?

The entire reason why he had been sent down in the first place was the Mainframe!

So, here Alec was, crouched behind a tree, almost hyperventilating. What had his life become?

Ever so cautiously, he peeked out from behind his trusty friend, the tree, hoping that the bunny was here, yet at the same time, he also hoped it wasn't here.

Something brushed up against his leg, causing him to flinch. He would have jumped had he not been too terrified to even move a muscle.

He slowly turned; his heart having accelerated so quickly he surprised himself.

Alec slowly looked down, dreading what he would find.

Grass. The wind had blown it, causing it to brush against his ankles.

Alec didn't know whether to laugh or cry seeing what he had become. Since when had he become such a wimp, that the mere thought of something caused him to feel uncertain?

Huffing at laugh at himself, he took a step out, only to freeze yet again when he spotted white fur. Brushing against his other leg.

He didn't move.

He didn't breathe.

Alec was frozen, almost sure he was hallucinating.

The bunny nudged more insistently against him, drawing a reflexive flinch from him.

Okay. Okay, he could do this.

It was a bunny. It was not owned by a demonic cultivator. It was. Just. A bunny.

A harmless… A probably harmless bunny.

Okay. He could do this.

Alec squatted down, telegraphing his every move.

Before he could think about chickening out, he put his hand on the bunny, both human and animal freezing at the touch.

Strangely enough, the sight of it's frozen, slightly shocked look gave him more courage.

Maybe… it wasn't so bad?

After all, his phobia was because of one particular bunny… and this one was literally the complete opposite of the black bunny he was so scared of. In fact, before those long, dreadful years, he had quite liked bunnies.

Then, it moved a little, and nope. There came back the fear. Instantly taking back his hand, he flinched when the bunny pawed at him again.

Like this, the two of them went through a series of touch and freeze, like playing a game of tag.

Alec wasn't sure how long this went on for before he finally called it quits, his nerves shot to hell.

He cautiously backed away from the bunny, but it hopped after him.

Alec paused.

The bunny paused.

Alec took a step forward.

The bunny hopped forward.

Should he be concerned?? Somehow, he had a feeling that the bunny was going to follow him around. Alec was met with a conflicting mix of amusement and wariness.

So far, the bunny hadn't done anything to him. It seemed relatively harmless, and Alec was slowly getting over his fear.

He still froze when it touched him, but when he touched the bunny instead, he seemed fine with it?

Alec silently evaluated this new development. But was he comfortable with it following him around everywhere? The answer was no. That gave him too many flashbacks.

But… he did need to befriend it. What if he couldn't find it again? Didn't that mean he was just waiting for his death, then? Better to bring it back to his house where he could keep an eye on it in his attempts.

As a matter of fact, what exactly was considered befriending a bunny?

How was the Mainframe classifying whether or not he befriended it?

Bringing it around with him?

Letting it sleep in his bed?

Keeping the bunny as a pet?

What??

This was such a vague and broad classification that Alec felt frustrated. He felt like he was fumbling around in the dark.

Alec felt a shiver go down his spine at that, but still picked up the bunny after much deliberation.

The white ball of fluff sniffed a little, rubbing its head against his hand.

The longer Alec stared at it, the less threatening it felt.

Alec squinted. Was it a boy or a girl…?

Alec checked. It was a boy. He… he wasn't quite sure what to do with that piece of information, but at least he could stop calling the bunny an 'it'.

Alec and the docile bunny walked back to their house; the bunny still cradled in Alec's palms. The more Alec looked, the more he felt like it was strange that he had been so terrified of such a tiny, docile thing.

Unlike the pitch-black rabbit that harassed him so, this bunny was rather nice and sweet. Patient too, with the way Alec kept being indecisive.

There. Now, he was friends with the bunny, right?

Right?

Mainframe?

There was no answer from the Mainframe.

What did the Mainframe want, damnit!? How was he supposed to complete his mission if he didn't know how else to do it?!

The bunny tapped him gently, drawing Alec's attention back down to him. Huh. Had he sensed Alec's stress? Was that even a thing?

Now that he wasn't drowning in his own fear, Alec felt his habitual calm come back. This wasn't so bad. The bunny was actually not completely horrible.

He opened the door to their apartment, his mother surprisingly not home.

Alec shrugged, putting the bunny down on the ground as he closed the door behind him.

For the sake of his life, he was willing to do this. Besides, this bunny wasn't like that devil spawn. Maybe they really would become friends. Alec was willing to give the bunny the benefit of doubt.

Alec hunted around for a basket or something similar for the bunny to rest in. He found an unused basket, and cut a piece of cloth, putting it inside the basket, placing the basket on the table.

Alec paused. No, that was dangerous.

He moved the basket to the floor, away from anything else.

Then, he put the bunny, which had been motionless on the floor since Alec had put him down, into the basket, leaving the top open.

He looked at the snug looking bunny with a sense of satisfaction. There.

"Now, this is your bed. I sleep there," Alec said pointing in the direction of his room. "Mother sleeps in that other room."

The bunny cocked his head, which Alec mirrored. "Don't come in at night, understand?"

-

Later at night, Annalise woke up when she heard a thump from Alec's room. Rubbing her eyes, she walked over.

Alec had fallen off his bed, dragging half of the blanket with him. He was furiously whisper scolding the little bunny, who was occupying a side of the pillow, which Alec had been sleeping on previously.

The sight of her grumpy son bonding with the little bunny made her want to laugh. So cute!

Annalise closed the door as quietly as she could, leaving the boy with the bunny, who looked uncomprehending about why Alec was scolding him.