Archive of Our Own ^beta

Jingyi’s papa had the best job. He was Bunny Chief number 1. It was his job to know where all The Bunnies were and who their companions were. The Bunnies job and the companion’s job and whether they worked well together. He was the decider of whether the Bunny and people were making a happy home. Jingyi wanted to be just like him when he got his own Bunny.

It was much better than his friend's papa's job being 1 and 2. It sounded boring. Just walking around and bowing whenever people said 1 and 2 sounds exhausting. Lan Yuan disagreed but they are his papas, and he has to have at least one flaw for him to be his friend. It was in the rules. Well, Jingyi’s rules of friendship anyway.

Jingyi was tucked up in bed with his parents Bunnies lying next to him and his parents either side. It was time for his bedtime story, and he was not sure which one to choose; The Wen and the picnic, Lan Qiren’s bath time adventure, Lan Yuan down the rabbit hole, oh wait his parents didn’t know that one.

“What story do you want tonight? “His papa asked.

“Can I have the one where you met. At the picnic the Wens invited you too?”

“Of course,” his mother replied tucking him in. “It’s one of my favourites too.” She whispered and ticked him.

“But you've heard it hundreds of times” His papa tried to reason “What about the First and Seconds secret marriage.”

Jingyi looked at his papa scathingly “that one is boring, and I love this one!” Exclaimed Jingyi.

His papa gave him an indulgent smile and started “Oh, all right. It was a beautiful day for a –“ he looked at Jingyi “- a tea party and the Wens were looking to - play -, their leader Wen Rouhan was a tough challenger and though we had already defeated his sons he was eager to join in. We were all ready to -defea- win. It had been a long week and I was looking forward to getting back to my debate team, about whether rule number 1543 still applied – no reading outside (in case of a paper cut). I set up my picnic blanket, my book, and my Baby, my Bunny I named after you” he tickled Jingyi.

“Paapaa, I wasn't even born yet. He couldn’t have been named after me, you are silly.”

“No, but I knew I was going to have you someday and you would be my baby. I was just being prepared. I always wanted to name my Bunny after you!”

“Paaapaaa, the story.” Jingyi whined. He wanted to get to the good bit before Mama got weird like she always did during this story.

“Right, so I was setting up my picnic blanket when I noticed Baby itching to go play with another bunny who was hovering nearby. I gave her a cuddle and a kiss and told her to have fun and be back in time for tea and set her off towards the Wen who were already prepared and were getting impatient. We were with the Nie’s that day, but they spent most of it hugging their sabers and crying. Something to do with blood." He looked at Jingyi, "Nie’s are babies remember that." Jingyi nodded seriously. "They look and act all tough but they are terrified of the Bunnies for some reason, except Nie Huiasang, he's so brave once he just plucked a Bunny up and cuddled it.”

Jingyi gasped, "What did the Bunny do?" He knew never to startle a Bunny as sometimes there was a lot of blood and not fun screaming when that happened.

"Nothing, the bunny just snuggled into him and he just smiled and carried on walking like a Badas-"

"Honey," His wife interrupted, "your drooling."

“Ah, anyway one with the story, there was a lot of screaming at this picnic. That was, errr, fun screaming and during that, it was hard to concentrate on my book so I looked up to see if anything interesting was going on and there she was. Your mother, a great beauty, cheering her and my Bunny on as they –“Glancing a Jingyi face for the hundredth time, parents were weird
“- played with the Wen. I was completely enchanted, this must be the companion to the Bunny I saw earlier I thought so I made my way over. We talked all through the rest of the picnic and when the Bunny returned all covered in bl-mud. We went and washed them in the river together. We were together every single picnic since then and never looked back.” He smiled lovingly at his wife.

“In fact, you were made at one of those picnics, the Wen's picnics got a bit boring after a while so we made our own fun.” He looked up to see his wife making a violent stopping measure and looked down at Jingyi’s face, “That’s a story for another night.”

“Like tomorrow?” Jingyi asked.

“We’ll see” His Papa replied quickly.

Jingyi sighed, he knew that meant never. He liked hearing stories about the olden days when the Wen seemed a lot more fun than the ones they have now. They were all flinchy and weird. Especially those with missing limbs.

Jingyi sighed “I wish the old Wen would invite us to a picnic, they sound like so much fun.”

“Er yeah,” his Papa said.

“Mama” Jingyi said thinking deeply. “Did you say anything to your Bunny before you sent it to play?”

“Why, yes, I said to her if her teeth weren't stained with blood and her fur not dripping red when she came home, she wouldn’t be allowed to sleep in my bed.” His mother cheerfully exclaimed.

She looked up and saw both her son’s and husband’s shocked faces, realising what she said she carried on “Ha-ha just kidding, I said be home for dinner. Right bedtime night, night, don’t let the bed bunnies bite.” She gave him a kiss on the head and whipped his papa out of the room like usual.

Why would the Bunnies bite, he looked at them wearily but then shrugged. He listened to his parents and heard them slam and lock the door to their bedroom. He realised they were going to play 'The Loud Game'. Where if they played loud enough Jingyi could have a sibling. He was not sure he liked the game, he didn’t want a sibling, but his parents seemed to enjoy tying.

“I want a Bunny” he murmured to his parent Bunnies as he drifted off to sleep. “They sound like so much fun and I can be the best companion. Maybe tomorrow I'll go looking for one. Lan Yuan has four!”