Rating:

General Audiences

Archive Warning:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Category:

M/M

Fandom:

Game Changers | Heated Rivalry - All Media Types

Relationship:

Kip Grady/Scott Hunter

Characters:

Kip Grady, Scott Hunter (Game Changers), George Grady

Additional Tags:

Bunny Scott Hunter, Shapeshifting, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Animal Shifter Scott Hunter, Fluff, Rabbits, Meet the Family, Kip Grady loves Scott Hunter, Scott Hunter Loves Kip Grady, Bunny Shifter Scott Hunter (Game Changers)

Language:

English

Series:

Part 2 of rabbit heart

Collections:

Bunny!Scott Fest

Stats:

Published: 2026-09-05 Words: 2,920 Chapters: 1/1

and turns me to gold in the sunlight

Summary

The TV is on, showing the Admirals game, but there’s no answer from Scott, and when Kip rounds the corner by the shelving unit that separates the foyer from the living area, he can see why: Scott, in his bunny form, is sitting on the carpet, eating hay out of a small bowl.

“Oh,” Kip breathes quietly as he realizes what must have happened. “Oh, sweetheart.”

-
For the Bunny Scott Fest challenge: After the gala, Kip doesn't hear from Scott for a few days and goes to his apartment to investigate.

Notes

Scott doesn’t text first. Which is fine. They’re not fighting, not exactly; Kip just needed some space after the gala and their conversation, and Scott has been giving him space. Clearly. For three days.

Which isn’t really all that long, but they never just didn’t talk for three whole days since Kip went home with Scott the first time, and it feels wrong.

So Kip texts first. When he doesn’t receive a reply, he thinks maybe Scott is busy. It’s game day after all.

But when he turns on the game only to hear the announcer inform the viewers that Scott won’t be playing today, he knows something is wrong.

Flimsy excuses made to his dad and his coat and scarf pulled on, and Kip is out the door and on his way to Scott’s place. He can’t sit still on the subway, bouncing his knee and annoying the lady in the seat next to him with it, but it barely even registers.

He lets himself into Scott’s apartment and calls out his name, taking his shoes off at the door in what is almost muscle memory. The penthouse holds some difficult memories of the last time he was here, but it also feels a little like home. Scott feels like home.

The TV is on, showing the Admirals game, but there’s no answer from Scott, and when Kip rounds the corner by the shelving unit that separates the foyer from the living area, he can see why: Scott, in his bunny form, is sitting on the carpet, eating hay out of a small bowl.

“Oh,” Kip breathes quietly as he realizes what must have happened. “Oh, sweetheart.”

When shifters are under great emotional or physical stress, sometimes an involuntary shift can be triggered. It’s a protection mechanism of sorts, the body’s way to find comfort. There can be issues with shifting back into human form though, if stressful conditions persist.

Scott shyly hops towards Kip, as if he’s not entirely sure he’s allowed, and stops a few inches away from Kip’s socked feet.

There’s food and fresh water for him, so someone must have come in to take care of him. Probably someone on the Admirals staff; it can’t be the first time this happened, with the pressures of being a professional athlete always looming. They probably have some sort of emergency protocol for it when one of their players can’t shift back.

“Hey,” Kip whispers, crouching down to pet Scott’s head, his fingers softly stroking over the silky fur. “I’m sorry I upset you.”

Scott pushes up onto his hind legs, front paws balanced against Kip’s knee and sniffing him all over.

“Up?” Kip asks and Scott licks over Kip’s knuckles to confirm, letting himself be scooped up and held against Kip’s chest.

He’s soft and warm as always, and Kip presses a kiss to the top of his head and rises to his feet. He carries Scott over to the couch and they lie down together, Kip on his back and Scott stretched out on his chest, cuddling close and licking excitedly all along Kip’s jaw and under his chin.

It’s easy enough to understand what he’s trying to say with that, even if Kip hadn’t learned all about rabbit mannerisms and behaviors since that first time Scott shifted in front of him. It's become a common occurrence after that, and Kip really loves spending time together like this.

“I missed you too,” he says quietly, and Scott thumps his back foot against Kip’s chest just once before he catches himself. Emotions are always close to the surface in bun form and Kip has witnessed one or two pretty adorable little tantrums during their time together.

“Yeah, I know you didn’t like when I left.”

Kip rubs his fingers between Scott’s ears, definitely a favorite spot to be pet, and he settles a little, stretching so he can press his head against the side of Kip’s cheek.

“I didn’t like it either. And I really want to talk to you, but – well, I guess I can talk anyway.”

The game is still on in the background but they’re already on the second intermission and the Admirals are up 3:1, so it’s probably okay to hog Scott’s attention a little bit. Not that he seemed to mind Kip interrupting much anyway.

Scott rubs his head against Kip’s cheek and then goes very still, ready to listen. Kip strokes his back, deliberating his words. He doesn’t want to get into it too deeply when Scott can’t answer him, but there are some things he does want him to know.

“I know that when I left, it must have kind of looked like I was breaking up with you, and I’m very sorry about that. I really just needed to clear my head for a few days. And there’s a lot of stuff that I think we need to talk about and figure out. I underestimated how hard it was going to be on me. But I know I don’t want to lose you, and I love you so much.”

Kip turns his face to the side to press into soft fur, blinking away the tears that are trying to slip out. Scott starts licking him again, a little frantic now, and Kip pets his head.

“I know, I know. It’s okay.”

They cuddle on the couch a little longer, quietly watching the rest of the game and then the interviews and commentary, and Kip startles when their moment together is disturbed by a key turning in the door. Scott’s ears pop up, instantly alert, and he jumps off the couch to hop over to the front door.

“Hey Scott, that was some game, huh?”

A tall, blonde woman in an Admirals hoodie comes inside, bending down to give Scott’s back a little pat to say hello.

“I’m sure – oh. Hi.” Kip’s blood runs cold for a second when she spots him on the sofa. It’s not like he’s doing anything untoward – he’s sat up, fully dressed, the TV still on. Everything looks as normal as it can be. He’s not sure Scott will feel the same way about it, however.

“Uhh. Hi. I – I’m Kip? I’m a friend, I came over because – well, I hadn’t heard from Scott for a while and then saw he wasn’t playing…”

“I’m Debbie,” she introduces herself, “I’m on the Admirals’ Shifter Care Team. I know this is dumb, because you don’t seem like a crazy stalker or anything, but I’m gonna need to see your ID and check to see if you’re on Scott’s list of visitors he’s approved. Security stuff.”

Scott is back by Kip’s side, sitting by his feet and looking at Debbie as if he also thinks it’s a little dumb, but it’s the right thing to do, of course. It scares to Kip to think of what could happen to Scott, stuck as a bunny, if someone got into the apartment.

“Oh, uh, sure.” And Kip hopes Scott put him on the list anyway. He takes his student ID out of his wallet and hands it to Debbie. She checks something in her phone and gives it back, smiling.

“All clear, thank you. You guys enjoy the game? Vaughny’s first goal was crazy.”

“I’m sure Scott would have much preferred to be on the ice, but yeah. Great game.” Not that Kip’s mind was really on it that much.

They chat for a bit, Kip feeling a little more at ease because Scott seems largely unperturbed, now stretched out on the floor by his feet. Kip assures Debbie he’ll refresh food and water for Scott before he leaves for the night, and then she says her goodbyes, cheerfully telling Scott she’ll be back the next afternoon to check in again. Apparently he’s her easiest and, secretly, favorite client among the Admirals, which Kip finds very understandable.

So. They survived being seen together by someone else. By someone on the Admirals’ payroll, no less. Kip figures Scott must trust her a lot anyway, given that turning into a bunny is almost as big a secret in his life as his sexuality, so maybe that helped. And, obviously, not having the experience in human form.

“Hey, so…you can totally say no, but I just had kind of a crazy idea,” Kip starts. He doesn’t even know how this hasn’t occurred to him before. “I understand why we can’t really go anywhere together and you can’t just be over or my house or anything, but I could – I could bring a bunny home.“

Scott seems a little hesitant, but definitely curious. He hops back up onto the couch where Kip is still sitting and puts his chin on Kip’s knee.

“Uhm, I mean – you could see where I live, if you want. We could say hi to my dad, and he wouldn’t know it’s you.”

That gets Scott up onto his hind legs, his nose twitching rapidly and his little front paws now propped up on Kip’s leg. He blinks his big, round bunny eyes up at him.

“Yeah?” Kip asks softly and Scott hops up onto his lap, cuddling close again. It’s a yes. Scared, but yes.

They get packed and ready, bringing some food for bun Scott and, just in case, some clothes for human Scott, though Kip is aware he’s currently doing very little to help Scott calm down enough to shift back.

He's considering the practicalities of bringing a rabbit on the subway out loud when Scott hops off the couch and thumps his foot against the floor in quick succession. Yeah. Maybe not. It doesn’t smell very nice down there even for Kip’s human nose, and he doesn’t want to imagine what it would be like for Scott. Not to mention the crowds and weird strangers on the train probably wanting to pet him.

“Okay – cab?”

With their mode of transport agreed upon, he bundles Scott up into his jacket, held against his chest and zipped up so only his head pokes out. The scarf is stuffed inside for extra comfort, so Scott doesn’t hurt himself on the sharp edges of the jacket’s zipper, and he burrows into it, surrounded by warmth and Kip’s smell.

It still doesn’t seem completely safe, but Kip tells the driver to take it slow and they’re off to Brooklyn before he can think twice about it. Scott really should get one of those carrier boxes for pets, though he probably wouldn’t enjoy it much. At least not when the alternative is being tucked close to Kip and having his head stroked for the entire ride.

Scott grows a little restless once they get to the house, head whipping back and forth to take in the new surroundings, the smells and sounds of their neighborhood and Kip’s home. Kip holds him close in what he hopes is a comforting way, covering his head with his palm like Scott has shown him to do for these little moments of bunny overwhelm.

“You’re okay,” Kip whispers to him, “you’re safe here. There’s nowhere safer than my dad’s house, I promise.”

He unlocks the front door and takes off his jacket one-handed, keeping Scott close. There’s still noise from the TV coming from the living room, so his dad is still up.

“Hey dad?” Kip calls. “I’m gonna need you to have an open mind and just roll with it for the next ten minutes or so, okay?”

“I can roll with it. I go with the flow. I’m chill,” George calls back, and Kip shakes his head with a smile.

“Ready?” he whispers to Scott and Scott stretches up to lick at his face. Okay then.

“Dad…I want you to meet my boyfriend.”

They round the corner to the living room, Kip’s scarf still half hanging off his shoulder because Scott has managed to tangle the rest of it around himself into some sort of nest. George whips around on the sofa, eyes wide when he looks at Kip…then at Scott…then back at Kip.

“Oh, he’s a shifter!,” he finally says. “Jesus, kiddo. Could have led with that. I didn’t know how open-minded I was gonna need to be here.”

“Dad,” Kip groans. “Yes, he’s a shifter.”

George knows the basics of the situation, after Kip’s tearful return home a few days ago: big love, small closet, even bigger heartbreak. So he’ll have put the pieces together of why he’s meeting the rabbit and not the man.

“Well, hello there.”

Kip steps closer so Scott can sniff the hand George holds out for him while still being safely held in Kip’s arms. He can feel how nervous Scott is, but he’s powering through. He rubs his front paws over his face and ears, then carefully puts one on top of George’s hand.

“Hi,” George says quietly. He looks up at Kip, making that same face he does when Megan and Andrew come to visit with their puppy. But Suzy really is just a puppy, unlike Scott.

“So, the usual boyfriend routine is some moderately hostile interrogation over a beer,” he tells Scott. “But I don’t think that’s gonna work here.”

“I think we can do without the interrogation this one time, Dad,” Kip sighs and settles on the couch next to George, Scott in his little scarf nest now held in his lap. He peers over at George, careful but interested, nose twitching vigorously with how intensely he’s sniffing.

“Well, you’re definitely the cutest guy Kipper’s ever brought home, I can tell you that. None of them were small and fluffy like this. You got a name, son?”

Kip looks at Scott for confirmation and gets a tentative little lick to his fingers. It’s a common enough name anyway.

“Scott,” Kip says softly and his dad nods.

“Nice to meet you, Scott. I’m George.”

After some initial shyness on both sides, George ends up petting Scott’s back a little bit, full of praise for his beautiful fur, and Kip can see Scott preen under the attention. He’s really found the ultimate life hack to getting the in-laws onto your good side: show up as a cute animal, with the nice side effect of not being able to put your foot in your mouth because you can’t talk.

They sit and talk for a while, George trying his best to include Scott in the conversation (which Kip loves him for so fiercely) and Scott making sure to be extra cute to make a good impression, but it’s already very late.

After George is off to bed, Kip collects a couple of bowls from the kitchen, one for water and one for snacks, and takes Scott upstairs to his room. There’s much to sniff and look at and explore, but Kip can tell Scott is also really tired and, after the eventful evening they’ve had together, so is Kip.

By the time Kip comes back from the bathroom, Scott is already conked out, cuddled into Kip’s pillow. Something about seeing Scott in his bed like this feels right (though Kip might prefer seeing human Scott there, but – he’ll take what he can get, absolutely no complaints about a fluffy little bed mate). Scott’s paws twitch in his sleep when Kip climbs into bed and curls his body around him, fur soft and silky against Kip’s bare chest and his little heart pounding away beneath Kip’s fingertips where his palm settles against Scott’s belly.

His head is still reeling a little bit from the day they’ve had, but he falls asleep with his heart full of love.

---

They sleep in the next morning, with a day off from the Straw+Berry for Kip and no plans except to take Scott back to his apartment in time for Debbie to get there. But where Kip expects to wake up to a button nose and floppy ears, he finds miles of naked skin over hard muscle instead. And Scott, human again, clearly just having watched him sleep, smiling at Kip like he hung the moon.

“Hi,” Kip breathes, his voice scratchy. “Oh my God. Hi.”

Scott kisses him so wildly that it would have knocked Kip off his feet if he wasn’t already lying down, big hands holding his face and hot lips insistent on his own.

Kip’s bed gives an angry creak, definitely not made for two grown men to sleep in (let alone do anything more active than that), and Scott pulls back from the kiss, wrapping his arms around Kip instead to hold him close.

“I’m so glad you came back,” he whispers, and Kip nods into his shoulder, throat tight with emotion. “And that you took me here, I – I want to be in your life, Kip. I want to be there for your birthday and – I want to be part of it all, even if it’s difficult. I can't lose you.”

Scott sounds like he’s been dying to get those words out for days and Kip can relate to that feeling.

“Looks like we found one way to do that,” he says quietly and Scott strokes his hair, petting his head almost like Kip did with him last night.

“I’ll go anywhere with you,” Scott whispers. “Just...maybe not on the subway.”

“I could put you in a little bag.”

“No.”

“You could be like one of those chihuahuas in a handbag.”

“Absolutely not.”

“It would be so cute.”

“I’m not – okay, yes, I am cute.”

“Yes, you are.”