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It had only been a week since Bunny’s fight with Jack, but it felt more like a month. Bunny gave a sigh as he poured himself a cup of tea. It felt more like he and Jack had broken up, but that technically wasn’t right since he and Jack had never taken part in a proper courtship. At least, Bunny didn’t think they had been courting, but perhaps Jack had thought so and that’s what had sparked the argument.
Bunny moaned as he sat and buried his face in his paws. He had to patch things up with Jack, but he wasn’t sure how. It wasn’t an easy problem to fix, well at least not to Bunny.
The issue? Bunny had liked Jack, not just as a friend, but romantically for a long time. As Bunny had come to learn as of last week, Jack had apparently felt the same way. According to North, apparently he, Tooth and Sandy had been taking bets for the last few centuries on when he and Jack would finally get together.
Of course, there was no hope in that now. As much as he loved Jack, wanted him for a mate, they couldn’t. Them both being male was hardly an issue. In all of Bunny’s travels, he had only ever seen humans take issue with a person falling in love with someone of their same gender.
Them both being male was, unfortunately, the only thing they had in common. There were far too many differences between them. Jack was much younger than Bunny, but that wasn’t as big an issue as some would claim. While Jack looked like a teen, Bunny knew he was hardly a child that needed protecting.
There had been plenty of times Jack had wished he could at least grow a mustache so some spirits would stop viewing him as a kid. Honestly, at least in the world of spirits, after the first hundred years no one bothered keeping track of age with regards to courtship and mating.
No, age was not what bothered Bunny. Them not being the same species, that was an issue. The fact was that Jack was a human and he was a Pooka. Appearances were hardly an issue in their world, and he did find Jack attractive, but Pooka and humans were very different in other aspects.
Humans kissed with their lips, Pooks nuzzled their mates with their noses. Pookas would groom each others fur, while the most a human might do for the other is brush their hair. And Bunny didn’t even want to think what would happen to Jack during a mating cycle.
Pookas could barely control themselves during that and it could last for days. Poor Jack would be sore top to bottom within the first hour. It wouldn’t work. Bunny could easily see the small details adding up over time, and leading to everything falling apart.
He had learned that harsh truth from experience from the few attempted relationships he had in the past. They could pretend all they liked, but Bunny couldn’t act any more like a human than Jack could act like a Pooka. There was no point, and that was what he had told Jack.
The winter sprite had gone silent and with an icy blast of wind, had flown off and Bunny hadn’t seen him since. Bunny felt horrible. He could feel Jack’s heart breaking, but it had to be done. It was for Jack’s own good.
Jack would be far better off giving up on Bunny and finding happiness with another more human spirit. He was certain there were a few Tooth could recommend.
“Maybe I should just ask her to play matchmaker,” he mumbled as he sipped his tea.
Suddenly, there was a knock at his door. "Bunny, it's me. Can you let me in?"
Bunny choked and quickly sipped his tea to clear his throat. “Jack?” Bunny asked as he rose. “How did you get into my Warren?” He hadn’t even sensed Jack coming down his tunnels.
“North let me use one of his snowglobes,” he heard Jack tapped against the door. “In fact he gave me a few in case you tried to toss me out. He agrees with me that you’re being an idiot by the way.”
Bunny rolled his eyes as he approached the door, but didn’t open it. “That’s his opinion and I do want to patch things up with ya.” He leaned against the door. “But if ya here ta try to change my mind on being more than friends, ya might as well go.”
“Why?” Jack said as he heard him stomp his foot. “You’ve made it clear we feel the same way about each other!” Jack gave a growl. “And you SERIOUSLY think that you being a giant kangaroo thing is an issue?”
Bunny banged his forehead against the door. Why was Jack so stubborn? “Trust me, Jack, it is. We’re different species! It be too hard for both of us to adapt to the other. It never works!”
"Funny," said Jack, with a snort. "People don't seem to think different species is a problem for the Beauty and the Beast story."
"If ya recall that story ends with the beast turnin' human," Bunny sighed as he leaned his forehead against the door. "And I can't do that, I'm sorry Jack, but as the last Pooka I owe it to my people." The most he could do was perhaps shape shift to a human form, but that was taxing and would only last a few hours.
There were potions that Bunny could drink to become human, but as much as he loved Jack that was a line he couldn't cross.
Bunny heard Jack give a frustrated grunt as there was a bang on the door. "I know that you stupid kangaroo! That's why I figured I should be the one to change!"
Bunny paused as he raised his head. "What?"
His ears twitched as he heard the sound of Jack shuffling his feet. "I went to see Cupid, he is an expert in these departments and he gave me a potion."
Bunny swallowed, afraid to ask. “What kind of potion?”
“He said it was some kind ‘Happily Ever After’ potion, apparently bought it from a fairy godmother a few years ago-”
Bunny cut him off as he swung the door open. Jack was silent and nervously gripped his staff as Bunny took in what he currently was. What he saw before him was Jack, but not a human Jack. He still wore his beloved blue sweater, however, the Jack that anxiously dug his toes into the ground was a furry white Pooka.
“Jack,” Bunny said as he forced his voice to remain calm and not sound horrified. “What did you do?”
Jack raised an eyebrow as he gestured to himself. “I thought the fur and fluffy ears would make it rather obvious.”
“Ya turned yaself into a Pooka,” Bunny said as he shut his eyes. He wasn’t going to shake Jack in a panic for making such a stupid decision. No, no. He was going to keep a cool head and not give in to the sudden terror he felt in the pit of his stomach. “Jack, no, I can’t ask ya to do this. We need ta get ya back ta normal-”
“You didn’t ask me, this was my choice,” Jack said as his ears dropped over his eyes and Jack flicked them away. “Err, how do you get ears to stop flopping?”
“Practice,” Bunny said as he fingered the tip of Jack’s ear. It had been so long since he was able to touch a fellow Pooka. It was tempting, but... “Jack, I am touched, but I can’t let ya change yourself like this for me.” He narrowed his eyes. “Do you have ANY idea what you’re givin’ up here?”
Jack held up a paw. “Relax Longears, I’ll only be Pooka for spring and summer.”
Bunny frowned. “What ya mean?”
“It’s a bit tricky,” Jack said as he flicked the ear back again from his eyes. “But Pookas are natural shape shifters and unlike you, I was born a human.”
Bunny mulled this over in his head. “So, it’s easier for ya to take back ya human form than it is for me to take one?”
“It takes a lot of energy, but I can change into my human form for all of fall and winter.” He leaned on his staff. “Then, to recharge, I change into my Pooka form for spring and summer. Figured, this would be a way to make us both happy.”
Bunny shook his head. “Changing bodies is one thing Jack, but living as a Pooka is entirely different from living as a human.” He counted on his paw. “Grooming, sleeping, ya can’t even eat meat unless ya want to be sick for a week. This anit a decision to make on a whim.”
Jack chewed his bottom lip. “Cupid thought so too, so this spell I’m under isn’t quite permanent yet.”
“How ya mean?” Bunny replied.
“Cupid had a condition that I need to live like this for one whole year,” Jack said as he leaned on his staff. “If I find I can’t stand being a Pooka at all, then the spell just wears off.” He gave a grin. “But in a year and a day if I do find I can live as a Pooka, all I need is a kiss from a one true love.”
Bunny rolled his eyes. Course that would be the condition by Cupid. “Need I remind ya, Pookas don’t kiss?”
“Nuzzle in our case then,” Jack replied as looked to Bunny hopefully. “So, would you say that’s fair?”
Bunny still couldn’t help but feel doubtful. He couldn’t live with the guilt that Jack had changed himself just to be with him, especially if Jack soon realized he hated his new Pooka life. Course, Jack was stubborn and he had already drunk the potion. So Bunny couldn’t stop the test run. That didn’t mean he couldn’t at least make sure Jack made sure this was what he wanted.
Bunny could live with the guilt as long as it was Jack’s choice with no influence from him. “One year and a day, and I’ll help ya get use ta being a Pooka,” Bunny said, but stopped Jack before he could speak. “But, as friends NOT as a couple. If ya serious about this, then I want ya to make ya final decision with no influence on whether or not we would be together.”
He folded his arms over his chest. “So, no nuzzling, cuddling or anything, got it? I refuse ta feel like I’m blackmailing ya into something ya only goin’ ta regret.” And honestly, if Jack was only becoming a Pooka to be with Bunny, that was the kind of relationship that could only end in disaster.
Bunny expected Jack to protest, but he only gave a sigh. “I had a feeling you would be saying that and that’s fair.” He raised his paw. “I swear, no dating or anything on my part until I decide if I actually like being a Pooka.”
Bunny gave a nod and fingered one of Jack’s ears again. “With that said, do the others know about this?”
“Yeah,” Jack said. “Tooth squealed over my Pooka teeth for a good hour, and both Sandy and North said it was a good condition Cupid gave the potion.”
Good, at least everyone was on the same page.
“With that said,” Jack said as he tucked his staff into the back of his shirt and moved it like a back scratcher. “Can you tell me how you deal with fur this itchy? It’s driving me nuts!”
“That’s often a side effect when ya first shape shift.” Bunny gave a chuckled and gestured Jack to come in. “Come on, I got an oil ya can bathe in that should help with that.”
Jack gave a grin as he entered as Bunny tried to fight the flickering ember of hope he would be holding for the next year.