Honey Isn't Always Sweet

Ari pulled the kettle off the stove before it could start whistling, flicking the element off before setting the kettle aside while he prepared the mugs. 

He could hear Drukyl’s gentle voice reading out loud, the sound carrying easily in their small house, especially since Mosaic always left his bedroom door open. The two of them had been reading some book or another together since the day of their first date, so Ari was used to it at this point. He’d just gotten back from Manis’ with some new honey she refused to let him leave without, so he’d decided to make Mosaic and his new partner some tea to try it out with. 

It wasn’t because he wanted a reason to lurk, honest. 

Regardless, the thought of leaving Mosaic alone with a near-stranger brought up an unbidden - but not wholly unwelcome - memory. 

~~~

It was a really nice day out, so Murmur had sent everybun outside to get some fresh air. Ari and Mosaic were sitting next to a small bush. The wind carried laughter from other buns all around the yard, as well as the smell of cookies that had been handed out by Murmur as they ushered the buns out the door. 

Mosaic was telling him a story, waving his cookie around like a flag. Ari had absolutely no idea what he was talking about - something about a new kind of flower, maybe? - but he listened with as much attention as he could give. Ari hadn’t seen Mosaic so energetic in awhile, so he would’ve been happy to listen to his littermate talk about dirt if he’d wanted to. Mosaic was so into his story, in fact, that he didn’t even seem to notice Ari switching out his brand-new cookie with the mostly-gone one Mosaic had.

“Ari! C’mere for a second!” 

Mosaic trailed off as the two looked in the direction of the familiar voice. Manis, the third of their unofficial trio, waved at them, another bun that Ari didn’t know very well standing beside her. He turned to look at Mosaic, but he was already nodding. “You promised to listen to me though, so come back soon!” 

Ari grinned down at the blue bun as he stood up. “Obviously! Wouldn’t miss your stories for the world.” Ari trotted off towards where Manis waited. “What’s up?” 

“Taihen told me a joke that reminded me of you, me, and Mosaic!” Manis turned to the rusty red bun beside her, his teal spirit motes floating around him. “Tell Ari the joke, Taihen!” 

“Okay, okay, ready?” Taihen hopped around in excitement, gold eyes gleaming. “Three friends go exploring an abandoned burrow and get caved in. They’re scared, so they go digging and digging until one of the buns finds a shining rock. They bring it back to their friends, and they all look at it when poof! The shining rock turns into a taaaaall glowing demon! The demon says, ‘thank you so much little bunnies for setting me free! Now I will grant each of you one wish.’ The first friend says, ‘I want to get out of here.’ And the demon grants her wish. The second bun says ‘I want to get out too!’ and the demon grants her wish. The third bun looks around, all alone in this empty burrow except for the glowing demon. She starts crying, and says ‘I’m so scared, I wish my friends were back here.’”

Manis started laughing, and Taihen joined her, his laugh sounding almost like a cackle. Ari smiled, laughing softly to be polite, but he didn’t really see how it was a joke. 

“Don’t you get it? The first one is you, and the second one is Mosaic, and the third one is me!!” Manis explained, joining Taihen’s amused bouncing. 

“Oh, yeah! Haha, I -” Luckily, Ari was interrupted by another bun running up. But the news they brought was unlucky.  

Someone is bullying Mosaic??? 

Ari looked over so fast it hurt his neck. Manis and Taihen were forgotten as he watched Flint, an orange and black bun, snatch the cookie out of Mosaic’s grasp. He snapped it in half, taking a bite of one and holding the other one out to Daisuke. The pretty pink bun had his hooves on his hips and seemed to be talking to Mosaic. He took his half of the cookie from Flint and then reached down and pulled on Mosaic’s ear. 

Ari was moving before he could stop himself. He was across the yard in seconds and flung himself at Daisuke, snarling. His front hooves held on tight as his back ones battered the other bun’s tummy. 

“Get OFF of me!” Daisuke squealed, doing his best to fight back. 

But he didn’t have any sort of protective rage fueling him, so Ari was winning. He was just about to lean down and bite him before he and Daisuke were both plucked up by Murmur. Ari’s tail lashed, but he had a small sense of satisfaction as he watched a few tufts of Daisuke’s beloved pink fur falling to the ground. He wondered if Murmur could feel Ari struggling to stay still and not throw himself at the hand holding Daisuke; the demon caretaker gently curled their fingers around both buns, protecting one and restraining the other.

“Okay, who is going to tell me what’s going on?” 

“Ari’s crazy! He attacked me for no reason, I was just -” 

Ari’s vision flashed red. “HOW DARE YOU? YOU HURT MOSAIC.” Every bit of his body puffed as his fur stood on end and he struggled against Murmur’s grip for a moment before surrendering. 

Murmur kneeled amongst the group of buns that had gathered to witness the drama. “Okay, I need everybody’s help to get the true story.” They followed Daisuke’s gaze to Flint, and raised an eyebrow.

Flint stared up at Murmur in silence for a moment before dropping the cookie and holding his hooves up. “It was Daisuke’s idea!” 

Murmur looked over at Mosaic. Manis was beside him, rubbing his ear tenderly while the blue bun sniffled. “Mosaic, what happened?” 

Mosaic opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off.

Daisuke pointed at Mosaic accusingly “Why is he more special? You gave him an extra cookie!” 

“That’s why you pulled his ear?” Ari burst out, incredulous. “The extra cookie was mine, furbrain!” 

Murmur shushed the arguing pink buns, looking back down at Mosaic and waiting for his story. 

“Manis wanted to talk to Ari for a bit, so I was sitting all alone, and Flint and Daisuke came up.” Mosaic’s eyes flicked over to Flint, who seemed to want to pipe in but thought better of it. “They wanted the cookie I was holding… I didn’t realize Ari had given me his cookie until then. So I said no, because it wasn’t mine to give away.” He sniffled, looking up at Ari before focusing back on Murmur. “I’m not very strong, so Flint was able to take it from me… And Daisuke was saying some mean things about how I don’t deserve - “ He trailed off, sniffling again. “He said some mean things and then he pulled on my ear and that’s when Ari got mad.”

When it was clear that Mosaic was done speaking, Murmur sighed heavily and held Daisuke up to their eye level. “Daisuke, I’m very disappointed in you. Every one of you is special in your own way. Next time you want a cookie so badly, you can ask Mosaic if he’ll share with you. And if not, maybe you come ask me if I have extras, okay? There was no need for you to touch another bun without their permission. Now, I need you to apologize to Mosaic.” 

Ari’s tail lashed even harder as Murmur put Daisuke down, but held his tongue.

Daisuke got his footing and looked at Mosaic. Ari didn’t think he looked sorry, but: “I’m sorry for hurting your ear, Mosaic. And -” he turned to Flint. “Sorry for making you steal his cookie…” Daisuke glanced back up at Murmur, who nodded, and the pink bun ran off. 

Now it was Ari’s turn to be held at the demon’s eye level. “Ari?” 

Ari met Murmur’s eyes, emboldened. He was in more trouble; that meant he won the fight. “I won’t jump on Daisuke again as long as he doesn’t touch Mosaic.”

~ 

Later that evening, Ari, Mosaic, and Manis were eating dinner together. Everybun had gotten a sandwich and some fresh fruits. The two more energetic buns listened patiently as Mosaic finished the story he’d been telling earlier. Then Ari spotted movement out of the corner of his eye, and a low growl built in his throat. 

Flint slowed, then stopped a few steps away from the three littermates. He held a couple small orange slices. “Hi Mosaic… I didn’t get the chance to say sorry earlier.” He looked down at the fruit in his arms and held them out in Mosaic’s direction. “Oranges are my favourite, but I want you to have them.” 

Mosaic looked at Flint for a moment, studying, then nodded and held out his arms. Flint moved forward, eyeing Ari and Manis cautiously as he did so, and moved to give Mosaic both slices of fruit. Mosaic refused however, making Flint take one of them back. “I forgive you, Flint. Please don’t do it again though.”

Flint looked surprised at the easy forgiveness, but nodded several times before retreating back to his friends.

Ari turned back to Mosaic when the frail blue bun said his name. “I need to learn to stand up for myself, Ari… I know you won’t always be there to protect me, and -”

“Yes I will.”

“Even when we’re all grown up? You can’t spend your whole life just -” 

Ari interrupted him again, his voice uncharacteristically serious. “I can, and I will. I will always be there when you need me, Mosaic, I swear it. I swear it.”

~~~

Ari was startled out of his reminiscence by a voice at his side. Druk was looking at him with a slight note of concern, their normally smooth brow furrowed slightly. 

“Are you alright, Reverie?” 

“You know you don’t need to call me that here.” Ari mentally shook off the remains of the memory. “I’m fine, just… was remembering something I hadn’t thought of in awhile.” 

Drukyul nodded, but only seemed partially satisfied with his answer. They gestured to the two teacups that Ari had abandoned. “Are you having a guest over?” 

“Oh, no, I - “ Ari reached over to turn the element back on to reheat the teapot. “I was in the middle of making you and Mosaic tea, with some new honey from Manis.” 

“Thank you, Reverie.” Druk looked at the teacups for a moment before turning to face Ari directly. “You are an admirable littermate.” 

“What?” Ari was caught off guard by the sincerity in Druk’s voice. “For bringing you guys tea?” 

“For caring about Mosaic so much. Those with weaker spirits may have abandoned him long ago, yet you continue to care for him just as much as you did when the two of you were kits, if not more.”

“Oh…” Another memory flittered to the forefront of Ari’s mind, one that was definitely unwelcome, but always around. “There was one time I… He doesn’t blame me, but there was a choice I made that led to him getting hurt shortly after we came to Burrowgatory. I’ll never be able to go back and change that day, so I try to make up for it every chance I get.” 

Drukyl watched him in silence as the teapot began to steam. As Ari poured the water into the cups. As Ari scooped spoons of honey into each one. Only when Ari turned to look at them did the other bun speak again. “Mosaic has others that care deeply for him now, myself included. He would tell you as well, that you can lower your guard now. Care for yourself a little more.” 

Ari couldn’t string together a sentence to respond with, so Druk continued. 

“You are a good bun, Reverie. Ari. You always have been, regardless of the mistakes you feel you’ve made.” They picked up the two steaming mugs and turned to carry them back to Mosaic’s room. They didn’t look back at him, but added: “You haven’t deserved any sort of punishment. The only one that feels such is you.” 

The next time Ari looked at the clock, the blinking lights of the stovetop told him he’d been standing in dissociative silence for fifteen minutes.

He dragged himself up to his room, deciding to go to bed early tonight.