ALEXIS' POV

Several days had passed and since Kenshin told me he'd come again, he's made time for short visits every day. Today, he sat on a folding chair in front of my chair, as usual, but, he looked disappointed.

"Why don't you smile or sing anymore? I mean you've got Sora there, shouldn't you be happy about that?" Kenshin asked as I petted Sora's head.

"I don't have much to smile about and I'm not really in the mood for singing," I said as I glanced away from him.

'I'm not being stubborn, it is actually pretty miserable in here. A fake smile wouldn't fool either of us and if I make an attempt to sing now, it'll sound miserable too. Kenshin is still vague about why I'm in here, as long as he is, I don't know when or if he plans to let me out.'

I thought to myself before I looked back at him.

"I'm glad you came to see me."

'That is true if we can just keep talking, I think I'll reach him again. The way I did before.'

"But, that doesn't matter if it doesn't make you smile," Kenshin told me before he stood up and I feared he was leaving already.

"Going so soon?" I asked him.

"I'll be right back, I just figured out what will please you."

Kenshin left determined and he returned shortly. 

"I'm back," Kenshin told me as he came back to my cell.

"Welcome baah-!! what the frig is that?!" I shouted in a shocked tone.

It looked like Kenshin had brought an avalanche of snow back with him. Sora was just as shocked as I was when he saw Kenshin again.

'No way, those are all rabbits!'

I thought to myself as I watched the colony of rabbits hopped obediently along behind him.

"They're so cute! oh my gosh! are they your pets?" I asked as I let one of the rabbits sniff my finger through the bars.

"No I don't keep them, they just started following me around."

When he stopped, they crowded around his legs, their furry bodies snuggling against him.

'They love him!'

I thought to myself as I watched the rabbits curl up at Kenshin's feet.

"They're so sweet."

"I'll let them in for you."

"Really? can I pet them?"

"Of course you can, I brought them here to make you happy. I can't let you out but I can let the rabbits in."

Kenshin unlocked the cell door and waved the rabbits inside.

"Enter," he commanded the rabbits.

One by one, they hopped inside an orderly fashion. After the tiny last rabbet entered, Kenshin ducked inside the cell too, followed by Sora.

"Oh, I didn't realise you'd be coming in with them."

"Do you want me out?"

"No, not at all."

Sora barked in agreement before he wagged his tail happily.

'I'm happy to have you this close. Finally, it's been a long time since we've been in touching distance.'

My heart squeezed tight as I looked Kenshin over, free from the dissecting lines of the bars.

"Rabbits, make a path."

They dutifully moved to the edges of the cell so Kenshin could approach.

"What are you standing for? sit."

"As long as there's room, I don't want to sit on any of the bunnies. Sora, don't chase them and don't attack them."

Sora barked at me before sitting in the corner of my cell and then Kenshin and I sat on the cover of my futon, the rabbits immediately pressing in around us once we were settled.

'Oh my gosh, they're so fluffy and wow! they're plushy too!'

Dozens of pink noses nudged me and Kenshin until we'd scooted even closer together.

'This is the closest we've been to each other since the battlefield and yet, under the circumstances, this dank cell, my being caged here a mystery...it's hard to enjoy.'

"What's wrong? don't tell me you don't like the rabbits? you looked excited to see them."

"No, I think they're great."

'Dank prisons aside, I'm surrounded by rabbits! I should get to petting!'

I thought to myself as I ran a hand over the soft fur of one.

"I'm glad you like them."

Satisfied once more, Kenshin picked one of the rabbits up.

"Here, hold one if you like," He placed it on my lap, where it settled itself peacefully.

"Yay, thanks."

'You're such a sweet thing, yes, you are. So sweet and fluffy.'

I pet it slowly, so I didn't alarm it. 

"How many do you have?" I asked Kenshin as I scratched the back of the rabbit's ear and it seemed to like it. 

"I don't know, I don't keep count. There might be more in the castle."

"You think you have MORE? have you named any of them?"

"I named the first three, once I noticed more and more started following me, I stopped. The one sitting on your lap is Ume. Matsu and Take are her older sisters. Well, they might be."

Ume, upon hearing her name, bounded off me and over to Kenshin's lap.

'Aww, bye bun-bun.'

I thought to myself with a disappointed look. Two more rabbits separated themselves from the fuzzy crowd and went over to Kenshin.

"Those must be Matsu and Take? they came when you called, what good girls they are."

"Yes, they are."

Kenshin looked at Ume critically, she raised her pink eyes to him.

"Ume, go back to Alexis. I didn't order you to leave your place."

"It's ok, she obviously wants to stay near you."

'Plus, you look so cute surrounded by an army of loyal rabbits. That's...unexpected and unexpectedly adorable.'

"I never tried to tame them, they just started obeying me, silly creatures."

Kenshin began to absentmindedly stroke Ume's ears.

'Maybe you think they're silly, but, I can see the way you're petting Ume that you like them.'

Seeing Kenshin petting his bunny was just so cute, I couldn't stand it. The other rabbits because jealous and began to crowd around him.

"Disobedient rabbits, I brought you here so Alexis could pet you."

"It's okay, I can reach them from here, let them stay on your lap."

"If you're happy with that."

"Yeah, that will be fine."

I turned to Kenshin and ran my fingers through Ume's cottony fur.

"They feel so nice, don't they?" I asked him as I petted Ume's fur.

I was sitting on my knees, completely lost in rabbit-petting. When I looked up, I was almost nose to nose with Kenshin.

'Oh wow, I forgot how beautiful he is sometimes, but...'

He was looking right at me, intently.

"Kenshin? are you watching me?"

"Of course."

His answer was emotionless, perfectly matter of fact.

"I'm waiting for you to smile. That was close, you seemed happy like you were just about there."

"You...you're really working this hard just to get me to smile?" I asked as I tilted my head in confusion.

'It sounds so silly when he says it.'

"I've heard women like animals, a good military tactic involves using your strengths while exploiting your opponent's weakness. Now stop looking at me and pet more of my rabbits."

'Military tactic? weakness?! THAT is now the silliest thing I've ever heard. I can't believe it, he's having to frame this situation like a war in order to figure out what to do.'

The God of War was now the God of Trying to Make Me Happy.

'And that's just...it's so silly that...'

I felt it bubble up inside of me, tingling warm in my throat and chest.

"Pfft..." I covered my mouth before I thought to myself.

'No one's ever gone to such incredible lengths to..'

"...bwhahahaha!! ahahahaha!!"

"Y-you..."

I knew Kenshin was staring, but I couldn't stop laughing. The surprised look on his face was only making it harder to control.

'I was so worried about whether he hated me or was planning on ignoring me or whatever else, but, he was just clumsily, awkwardly, inconceivably trying to please me.'

"You're finally smiling."

"...Yeah, I am. You're smiling too, you know," I said to him as I wiped away a tear of laughter.

'It feels so long since I last saw him smile so beautifully and he's smiling because of me, isn't he? That's just...'

"I'll bring the rabbits with me every day from now on."

"You don't have to do it every day but, I'll enjoy it when you do. It was nice to pet them, but they weren't made me smile."

"What did make you smile?"

"Hmm, keep coming by and maybe I'll tell you someday."

"What? how dare-"

"Hehehe..." I giggled a little as my imaginary fox ears popped out of my head.

'You're not telling me everything you're feeling, so it's only fair. This gives me a bargaining chip to work with until I can figure you and me and this situation.'

"That's annoying, but since you're feeling better I'll let it go."

Just then, Take began poking Kenshin insistently with her nose.

"What do you want? I'm thinking," Kenshin asked with a frown on his face.

"You stopped petting her, she wants you to start back up."

"Ridiculous creatures."

He stroked her and she arched her head dreamily into his hand.

'Someone's feeling good. I get that because it did feel nice when Kenshin touched me.'

It was a little awkward, yes, mostly because of the reason he did it but, his hand on me had been the most intimate caress we had shared...

"Alexis?"

"Huh? I wasn't thinking of-"

"What? I was wondering why you stopped smiling. Don't tell me you're jealous of a rabbit? here."

Kenshin placed his hand on my head and instinctively, I tensed up. But his was the gentlest touch, softer than snowflakes, yet warm.

"You remind me of the rabbits, in some strange way. The way you shivered in my hand when I touched you felt similar."

"You surprised me but, I'm not a rabbit, you know, they're easily startled, sensitive creatures."

'Strange, I thought it would feel good to have Kenshin pat my head...'

Tenderly, he stroked my hair and it was the kind of thing I would have enjoyed, under other circumstances. I didn't feel it was right, not in a cell, I turned my head away.

"Don't move."

I stopped and stayed but it wasn't his command that halted me. It was a voice, the way he spoke into my heart, telling me things I wasn't ready to hear.

"Not yet, please."

'The heat of his hand, his nearness. I don't want to want this, not here, not like this, but, God, I do.'

I trembled with the heat rising from his touch, his fingers were easily escaped, yet inescapable. Just then, one of the rabbits came over to me and then it climbed onto my lap. I was surprised by this and then a few more including Take and Matsu came over to me.

"Looks like the rabbits have taken a liking to you."

"So it would seem," I spoke with a smile on my face as I gently petted Matsu's head.

Just then I heard Sora whimpering and when we looked at him, he was laying down on his stomach and the rabbits were surrounding him and some of them were laying near his side or they were sitting on his back.

"Hahaha, looks like I'm not the only one," I spoke with a grin on my face.

"I'm surprised he hasn't tried to chase any of the rabbits."

"Well, the only time when he does chase  them is only when we go hunting."

"I see, you trained him well."

Kenshin told me as he glanced at Sora. Sora wagged his tail happily and then he shook off the rabbits that were surrounding him and then he walked over to Kenshin. Sora nudged his head against Ume to chase her away from Kenshin and then Sora rested his head on Kenshin's lap. I giggled at this and then Kenshin asked me.

"Uh, what just happened?"

"I think that's Sora's way of saying 'pet me next!'"

Sora whimpered a little at Kenshin and he gave him the puppy eye look. Kenshin carefully and gently ran his fingers over Sora's head and then he wagged his tail happily.

"Aw, I think he likes you."

"What makes you say that?"

"He'll go into the puppy hug in 3, 2, 1..."

Sora rolled onto his back and then he showed his belly to Kenshin. Kenshin was surprised by this and then he ran his hand over Sora's belly and then Sora's leg started twitching when Kenshin found his itchy spot.

I really enjoyed this moment with Kenshin and I had really hoped this moment would last forever.