Darren x Kit RP (Bunny Love)

[The Deceitful Rose]

Darren nodded. "Why don't you go to your room and relax until dinner?" By relax he meant take off the wig and give his ears some air. Maybe even let his tail out. Darren couldn't imagine having a tail and ears, hiding both from society. "There's still time. We can tell them that you're different after supper- That is if you still want to."

[Keith Ballard]

Kit nodded. "I think I'll do that. And yeah, I still do... I can't them kept up or stayed locked in my room all the time." He stood and stretched. "By the way... I am going to help you this evening with your work. You work far too hard." He then gave Darren one of his big smiles and wandered off to his room.

*** AFTER DINNER ***

Kit sat fiddling with his fork nervously. He kept playing all the scenarios over in his head about the reaction he might receive. Would Darren be angry at Kit if Lauri freaked out? Kit didn't want to cause more problems for Darren. He glanced at Darren.

[The Deceitful Rose]

Darren drank the rest of his wine and then cleared his throat. All conversations ended and Darren became the center of attention. "Lauri. Jacob.... There is an important secret all of us here keep. The only reason you will know this secret is because I think it will be more comfortable for Kit if you know it. This is where he can have complete freedom and I won't let that stop because we have guests. You are to speak of it to no one. If anyone asks you about Kit just say you don't know much about him other than him being my personal assistant."

Lauri slowly nodded. I can't tell if Darren is saying he trusts us or not. He's only telling us because of his freedom. Her dark brown eyes glanced over at Kit, looking him over to see just what kept Darren so attuned to him. Could he not take care of himself? Does he have to be at Darren side? A place I've wanted for so long?

Jacob sat up straight in his chair and stopped kicking his legs. "I understand Darren. I can keep secrets." He could do anything for Darren. The man was the closest he had to a father and he did everything possible to make sure he kept Darren proud of him.

"I know Jacob. I have complete faith in you." Darren said, sparing a smile for the boy. He turned to Kit and placed a hand over the one fiddling with the fork. "Are you ready? Nothing will change here. I won't allow it. This is your home. You understand?"

[Keith Ballard]

Kit listened to Darren, but his eyes were on the two newcomers. He looked over at Darren when he felt the other's hand on his. He resisted the urge to grab a hold of Darren's hand for strength and support. "I understand," he said softly, shaking a little. "Thank you..." He gave Darren a warm glance and a gentle smile before drawing a deep breath to steady his nerves.

"Please don't tell anyone," he said softly to Lauri and Jacob, looking at them with a pitifully pleading look. "I have to hide my true self away everywhere else, and this is the only place I can relax and be myself. I possess... a... few.... unique... qualities. I'm not exactly..." His hand shakily reached up and grasped his wig. It stayed there for a few moments before slowly coming off his head, allowing his rabbit ears to perk up a bit, thought they were drooping as though they were shy and wanted to hide. "... human."

[The Deceitful Rose]

"Wow! You have bunny ears!" Jacob shouted, standing up in his chair and leaning across the table to get a better look. "That's so cool! I want to be wolf! It's Darren's favorite animal. Do you have a tail too? Do you know Thumper?!"

Darren held back a laugh. "Jacob sit back down in your seat." He was tempted to rub Kit's ear. They were so soft and there was a chance it would cheer the bunny boy up. "Lower your voice as well. Kit can hear you just fine." He gave Kit's hand a soft squeeze. "Remember you have to keep Kit's ears a secret."

Jacob nodded his head and took his seat, but his eyes never left Kit's ears. The same went for Lauri. She had a hand to her chest as if to keep her heart from bursting out. "Oh my." She cleared her throat when she noticed Darren, Ms. Duncan, and her grandpa were waiting on her to say something. She forced herself to smile. "I promise to keep your secret."

Darren nodded. "Thank you, Lauri. This means a lot to us. I couldn't take away the only place Kit had freedom. This is his home now. I couldn't ask him to hide himself when he shouldn't have to."

[Keith Ballard]

Kit visibly relaxed once the initial shock, or in Jacob's case, excitement wore down. Unconsciously he had gotten a firmer fold on Darren's hand. Just holding it made Kit feel infinitely calmer.

The bunny boy nodded. "Yes, I have a tail too." Kit tilted his head. "Thumper? I don't know who that is, but I do know someone who is part wolf. His name is Ran, I think you'd like him, but I haven't seen him in a while..."

Kit turned to Lauri. "Thank you Ms. Lauri. I'm sorry if this troubles you... It's just I really don't want to go back to my owner... Donnovan was always so mean to me... And everyone here is really nice. I don't ever want to have to leave."

[The Deceitful Rose]

Darren laughed as Kit told Jacob he didn't know Thumper. "Don't worry Kit." He lowered his voice and leaned close although it was unnecessary due to Kit's extraordinary hearing. "No one knows Thumper. He's an animated bunny in a children's movie." He corrected his posture and relaxed into his seat. The tension wasn't gone from the room, but Kit's secret was out now. It was load off. "He is not your owner Kit. Forget about him."

Why? Lauri forced her eyes away from Kit's and Darren's hands to her plate. Why does Darren let him touch him so intimately. I can't get him to hold my hand for a few minutes- Owner?! Perhaps Darren pities him! Lauri felt her spirits lift. That could be it.

[Keith Ballard]

"A movie?" Kit blushed and fiddled nervously, playing with Darren's fingers, still not having realized he was holding Darren's hand, and so intimately at that. "I guess there's a lot I don't know about stuff like that." Not that he had ever had the chance to learn.

Kit nodded. "I know, but I lived with Lucas Donnovan so long, it's not easy to change how I refer to him in just two weeks. Trust me, I don't want him to be my owner." Kit smiled up at Darren with the same warm affection he had had in his eyes in the kitchen earlier.

[The Deceitful Rose]

Darren sighed. "Forgive me. I wasn't trying to be forceful." He took no notice of Kit playing with his hand. However that doesn't mean others hadn't. The only one who remained oblivious to the intimacy of the act was Jacob who had gone back to eating his carrot cake. "For my sanity sake try to refer to him by his name or some idiotic title you can think of, but not owner. I have half the mind to go to his home now."

Ms. Duncan stood from the table. "I'm going to start cleaning up in the kitchen. Finish eating and I'll return for the dishes." She gathered her own dishes and left the others. William looked from Lauri to Darren to Kit and back again. He shook his head and stood. His chair screeched across the floor in his anger, but he had smile upon his face. "My apologies. I'm going to help Ms. Duncan with the dishes." His departure was quick.

"If you two will excuse me and Jacob, we will head off to bed. It has been a long day for the both of us." Lauri scooted her chair out and picked up Jacob. "I'll change him into his pjs and lie him in your bed Darren. Feel free to bring him to mine if he starts sleeping to wild." Jacob waved at Kit and Darren. "Night! "

"Good night to the both of you." Darren replied. "You better be asleep when I get to bed." Jacob didn't need the warning. The boy would be out like a light.

[Keith Ballard]

"Okay Mr. Darren, I suppose I can just call him Lucas." Kit jumped at the sound of William's chair. "Ah-" Kit started to say something but William left to quickly. Kit felt a knot in his stomach. William was smiling, but he wasn't acting happy. Kit had seen him so happy when Lauri and Jacob had arrived... so what had him upset now? His ears suddenly drooped. Had Lauri been more shocked by him than he realized? She had been pretty shocked, but he didn't think she was disgusted or upset by him. He had learned how to read William but he hadn't know Lauri long enough to do that. Was William mad at him for upsetting Lauri? He really liked William; Kit didn't want William to be mad at him...

[The Deceitful Rose]

Darren said nothing about William's departure, but he knew something was different. Never before had Darren seen William be so out of character. Perhaps he was upset because Darren and Lauri had yet to speak of their feelings. Darren couldn't lie. There was something between them, but he wasn't sure if it would ever develop into love. Lauri didn't attract him like that. "That night is young. Are you ready to retire for the night?" Not being able to resist Darren rubbed at the base of Kit's ears. "That couldn't have been easy for you."

[Keith Ballard]

Kit looked up at Darren enjoying the petting. "Ah, I don't think I'll go to bed... too much on my mind. I'll just stay up and help with your work." He looked down staying silent for a few moments. "Mr. Darren... Is Mr. William mad at me now? He seemed upset... Is it because Ms. Lauri is maybe upset about me or something?" His ears were completely drooped now. "I really like Mr. William... I don't want him to be mad at me. I don't wanna cause anyone any trouble."

[The Deceitful Rose]

Darren felt a sigh escape him before he had the chance to hold it back. "That is not the reason. It is because I am not reacting to Lauri as he-they- Lauri and him would hope. She has had feelings for me, but she has never come forward about them. I feel something for her; however, it is not love and I am unsure it could ever develop to be it. I have thought about marriage... I just never see myself marrying unless for my businesses sake. For the sake of a heir or to join companies. Never out of love. Lauri deserves love." His fingers rose up to begin caressing one of the ears. "Nor am I mad at you. There is no reason for you to call me anything but Darren."

[Keith Ballard]

"So Mr. William isn't mad with me?" Kit relaxed and smiled. Kit tilted his head. "You should tell Ms. Lauri that. That way she won't get her hopes up too high and if something does develop then she'll still be happy, but if it doesn't she won't be surprised or shocked by it. Just... if something does happen... please don't forget about me." Kit tightened his grip on Darren's hand. "Mr. Darren is my best friend and I really like you. So if something happens between you and Mrs. Lauri, please don't kick me out or forget me." Kit blushed a little at his request. Why did it make him sound like he had a crush on Darren or something like that? "And I'm just really used to calling you Mr. Darren."

[The Deceitful Rose]

"I like you as well and I wouldn't forget you Kit. No matter who I brought home.You are family now. This is your home." Darren gave Kit's ears a final rub before his hand retreated. There were was complete silence for a minute before Darren spoke again. "I have yet to figure out how to tell Lauri. From William urging her on I know she will still want to give us a chance, hoping that I will fall in love with her. She will still hope and hope isn't enough for a marriage or relationship." He have Kit's hand one final squeeze before pushing his chair back and standing. "It's time I finished my work."