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Gester had been hunting up on the hill for hours now, ducking between trees and staying low to the bushes as they stalked foxes with practiced ease.
They tried to stay far from the house on the hill, keeping it in the corner of their eye as they followed the scent they'd caught, but as the fox weaved about, they found themselves focusing, their blood rushing in their veins. The ground got further away, their claws sharper, the world quiet and dark, all but for the soft glow of the soul they would snuff out.
They hadn't noticed they'd stepped past the property boundary until the clicking of a crossbow forced their attention from hunting to self preservation. The rotting face of a soulless pig came into vision, glaring down at Gester's monstrous form.
"You'll leave her alone." The pig grunted, breath steaming from his snout, broken tusks capped with gold that shone in the sunlight. The glint caught Gester's eye and they stumbled backwards, their form shifting and bubbling as they struggled between the two thoughts.
"Who?" They growled, levelling the pig with a steady glare as they stepped out of the light. He readjusted his weight as he aimed the crossbow, staring down the sights as he prepared to shoot.
"You'll not be huntin' the lady of this house, not on my watch." He let the bolt fly and Gester only just managed to jump away in time, eyes wide as they watched the bark of the tree behind them splinter and shatter, evidence of their would-be death still level with their pulsing blue eyes.
They whipped their head around to growl up at the pig, rising up onto their back legs. If they stretched out, and stepped closer, they could almost look the piglin in his good eye. With bared teeth, they rumbled out a warning. "That was as close as you'll get. Rose's affection will only protected you so far."
This only seemed to enrage the pig further, and he let loose another bolt. It flew wide as Gester bobbed and launched with their powerful legs. All it took was a beat of their wings and they were atop him, thick claws digging into the fat of his shoulders as he struggled against the stone landing. The piglin jerked his arm, thrusting the butt of the crossbow into Gester's cheekbone. "You talk o' Rose's affection as you hunt her mam?" He barked out a rough laugh, shoving as hard as he could.
Gester stumbled slightly, crashing into the wall as black ichor dropped from the new cut on their cheek. Their fur bristled at the accusation, reaching up to lash out, blood roaring through and drowning out any thoughts of consequence.
And then a sweet voice rang clear through the air.
"Oh, Charlie! Won't you join us for dinner?" Gester snapped back, their form like an elastic band as they shrunk into something smaller and less dangerous. Cat beamed as she climbed the stairs, lighting up at the sight of the bunny. "Gester! My dear, it's been too long!"
The fox reached out, pinching Gester's cheeks affectionately. Beside them, Charlie, the piglin, huffed and pulled himself from the floor, dusting himself off. He inspected his now splintered crossbow with a loathing he wished he could redirect to its proper place.
"If you're looking for Rose, I'm afraid she's still out, but you're welcome to wait." Cat hummed, smirking knowingly at the warmth gathering on Gester's cheeks beneath her paws. In return, Gester watched as the same blush dusted her cheeks as she glanced to Charlie.
"I shouldn't…" Gester fidgeted, paws shuffling against the stone. "I mean, I… Been away from the factory too long now, and- and Heiko's gonna need checkin' in on and-"
"And yer a coward." Charlie finished for them, dumping the useless crossbow to the ground and leaning against the outer wall of his home. He quirked a brow in challenge when both fox and bunny stared at him in shock.
"Charlie!" Cat gasped, playing up an offense she didn't feel.
"I'll show you a coward-" Gester began, fur bristling as their anger flared.
"You spent all day on this hill, and ya spend most days 'ere." Charlie only rolled his eyes, too bitter and misplaced to care much about manners. "Do ya think no one sees ya flying off the second she arrives? Do ya think no one sees you two coming back to the den before dawn?"
Gester pursed their lips, mind racing with a way to retort, but they were far too flustered by the truth of the matter to truly say anything. Cat could only look away awkwardly.
"Oh, leave them be, they're no harm." She tried to wave the topic away again, desperately wishing she could get back to the berry pie she had been making.
"No 'arm?" Charlie scoffed, leaning forward until his snout was inches away from Gester's face, staring them down until they shrunk away. "They're plenty 'arm. If ya liked her as much as Miss Cat says ya do, you'll leave well enough alone. She deserves someone who don't hide from how they feel."
There was a long silence, and for the first time in a while, Gester felt… ashamed. Or embarrassed, they weren't sure. They rustled their wings, feeling the need to flee, to be the prey they were and run from the fear.
"Don't you think you're being too harsh?" Cat tried, placing a paw on the pig's broad chest, trying to push him back away slightly.
"I really should go." Gester muttered, slipping past the two until they could spread their wings. "Thanks for the invitation, but… I really am busy."
They couldn't meet anyone's eyes, their emotions swirling in their chest until they wanted to rip it out and leave it in the snow. With a beat of their wings, they were gone, soaring aimlessly and leaving behind the pig and the fox.
Cat swatted at Charlie's arm, glaring up at him. "You're one to talk!" She hissed, disapproval clear as day in her expression. "All that about hiding how you feel… Don't make me laugh."
"What?" Charlie furrowed his brows, shrugging in confusion. When she only shook her head and walked away, he followed, calling after her, trotters moving quickly against the stairs. "What? I don't get it?"