Rabbit In A Rush

'Oh, dear Buddha, Jesus, Krishna, Monks...anyone on duty. Help me, please,' Xion muttered, eyes squeezed shut, his palms pressed together tightly as he crouched in the dark cupboard.

He prayed desperately to any god or divinity he could think of. For the first time, he thought that he knew very little about divine beings!

He also recalled a few of the Olympian gods. However, the thought of praying to Zeus did not sit well with him. Who made him watch all those movies where Zeus was always the scary one?

So, for the sake of his personal safety, Xion stuck to the other gentle gods.

Perhaps those gods did not exist in this new world or Xion did not pray fervently enough. In the next second, the cupboard doors swung open.

Xion froze, his dark blue eyes went wide as he met the scrutinizing gaze of a foreigner, he had only seen in animes and movies.

He openly gawked at the taller male with tousled sunshine-blond hair and a pair of prominent blue eyes. Unlike his darker ones, those in front of him were more like the color of the clear sky.

Now forgive Xion for calling the stranger foreigner, he could only come up with this adjective with his limited vocabulary.

He glanced at the muscular male who appeared to be some sort of knight.

The idea of hitting him in the head with the skirt tangled in his fingers and running away did not sound that impressive anymore.

Ray's eyebrow lifted slightly. A smirk tugged at his lips as he looked at the pale-faced boy huddled in the corner.

"Next time you want to hide," Ray said casually as he pushed the many random clothes away from Xion's body, "try jumping out of the window. Either you survive, or you're rid of your troubles altogether. Beats being found, doesn't it?"

Before the petrified Xion could stammer a response, Ray hoisted him up by the armpits as if he weighed nothing and deposited him onto the nearby table.

Ray dragged a chair over, before casually seating himself in front of Xion. Even with the table being slightly higher, his gaze was perfectly levelled to small framed Xion's dogging eyes.

He leaned back with an appraising look that made Xion squirm.

"Um...do you, uh, mind if I...get down?" Xion asked, barely trying to keep his voice from stuttering.

The knight across him seemed far too relaxed considering the trouble Xion had stirred in the hallway, which somehow only made him more intimidating.

Xion might not know much about fighting, but he certainly knew when it was time to run. Yet, for now, it would be best if he did not offend this peculiar blonde.

"Why the rush?" Ray narrowed his eyes as he assessed the petite boy from head to toe.

"You can't run away. At least not now. So, I suggest you stay put in this room. Master won't be returning from his meeting until evening and... I am bored out of my mind."

Ray sighed exaggeratedly while a tiny, amused glint lit up his eyes. "So, little rabbit. Amuse me for a while, yeah?"

Xion, who was still wondering if he could knock this blonde male with the vase on the table, was left speechless.

So, to say... This person was just here to entertain himself? Like those melon eaters?

Xion, "..." I know I should be relieved, but I still want to hit someone!

Was there any need to scare him this much just because this person needed gossip? He almost had a heart attack earlier, okay!

"What do you want?" Xion asked.

He was not the brightest when it came to human interactions. He had spent most of his time burying his head in the books and hence, lacked the social experience.

However, he had a special sense, call it his intuition if you may, that let him judge if the person was good or bad.

His senses were screaming at him to run away the moment he saw Caspian. Yet, he felt fine when this blonde male picked him up.

Although he was weirded out by the sudden intrusion, his heart was still calm enough to judge the looks of the knight who somehow seemed familiar to him.

"What were you doing in the cupboard?" The knight asked, his head tilted slightly to one side, and the action somehow reminded Xion of one of his mentors in his old world.

"Hiding from the perverts." Xion did not feel the need to hide. From the commotion he had caused, it was not that hard to guess.

"Ah, so I assumed," Ray's smirk widened. "Well, you've got half the estate in a panic. Congratulations."

Great, Xion thought, as a rush of worry swept over him. It was the last thing Xion needed at the moment.

If his ruckus reached the ears of the Marquis Roberto Vaelis, he was sure to be wrapped in a pretty gift box and sent to the Halos even before he reached the age of sixteen!

Xion bit his lip, his eyes filled with anxiousness. For a brief second, Xion thought of running away right that instant.

Taking the same vegetable cart and never returning to this damned estate.

Nonetheless, with the security tightening around the estate, it would be harder than before.

Not to mention the two perverts sniffing my track, Ren pondered.

"Umm, Mister. Can you help me? Just take me out of here, and I can handle the rest."

"It's Raymond Eldritch, but Ray will do." Ray's gaze lingered on his face, as though weighing something in his mind. "Now, about getting you out...why should I? Why would I?"

Getting help from a stranger was never easy, not in his old world and not in this new one, Xion thought as his brows furrowed.

It was not like he had any money to offer, and by the looks of the man dressed in a gleaming breastplate and fine, embroidered clothing, he sure wasn't lacking in wealth.