Rating:

General Audiences

Archive Warning:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Category:

M/M

Fandoms:

Heated Rivalry (TV), Game Changers Series - Rachel Reid, Game Changers | Heated Rivalry - All Media Types

Relationship:

Kip Grady/Scott Hunter

Characters:

Kip Grady, Scott Hunter (Game Changers), Carter Vaughn

Additional Tags:

bunny!scott, Shapeshifting, Fluff, Slice of Life

Language:

English

Series:

Part 1 of The Shape of Us (a Bunny!Scott AU)

Collections:

40 ducks birthday bash

Stats:

Published: 2026-07-18 Words: 1,484 Chapters: 1/1

Stay a Spell?

Summary

Just a very normal morning in a world where everyone has their special days.

Notes

This is my very first fic. I have been wanting to write about Skip and shapeshifting for a while. The occasion of @woodenducks birthday encouraged me to finally post something. I am super late for this, but it's the thought that counts, right?

Kip woke up to the cool morning light filtering through his eyelids, rumpled sheets and a distinct lack of warmth on his skin and chest. He felt around blindly with his arm, squinting against the bright winter sun, and found only the firm mattress and expensive bedding. It was definitely unusual for Scott to voluntarily leave the bed before the morning cuddles after a win the night before.

Kip had dutifully watched the game, flinching when Scott was checked into the boards and breathing freely again when the Admirals won on enemy ice.

He then went to bed satisfied with the knowledge it was not required of him to wait up, what with the interviews, the celebrations and the flight back home.

Now though, if Scott wanted to waste the little time they had with an unnecessary early morning workout it was entirely his loss. Come to think of it, Scott was also robbing Kip of his lazy morning sex before a day of lectures. Rude.

He got up feeling disgruntled but determined to not let it ruin his day. He pattered to the pristine kitchen and started rummaging in the fridge for his overnight oatmeal. As always it somehow got buried under the load of greens and turnips that constantly took up a good third of the shelves.

With mild annoyance Kip had his breakfast alone in the empty kitchen, silently staring at his mirror image on the spotless marble surface and feeling all in all quite abandoned.

After a quick shower and getting dressed, when he was trying to tame his curls into something presentable, he started feeling more and more annoyed at the lack of an awaited boyfriend-shaped human presence. Scott hadn’t texted since before the game and the day before Kip was too far gone to notice him coming back home. All in all they had not spoken in almost three days and the silence was starting to get on his nerves.

He was lost in his own musings when something small, warm and unmistakably hairy brushed his calf and Kip all but tripped over himself in the effort to avoid stepping in the direction of the fluffiness.

Oh.

He lowered his gaze and sure enough, two brown beady eyes were staring back at him from the top of a black vibrating nose and under two long, definitely rabbit like ears. Kip closed his eyes and cursed his dumb self.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

He scooped the bunny from the floor, holding it in both hands, and strode back to the kitchen going straight for the calendar. On the way he glanced at the kitchen clock. Kinda late, but manageable if he was efficient.  He quickly scanned the dates for Scott's time of the month.

Could he possibly have missed it?

Instead, the big red crosses had been dutifully drawn on the days of tomorrow and Sunday with a double s neatly written underneath.

Curious and curiouser.

Once again, Kip’s eyes went to the digital clock on top of the oven and he tried not to panic. He had time, and Scott’s spell was only a day early.

He took Scott’s phone from the charger and used the bunny’s fluffy paw to unlock it. He quickly searched for Carter’s contact.

WhatsApp

Vaughny

Today

Hey, it's Kip. Sorry for the random question, but I thought you were all on the pill? It looks like Scott's one day early or something. Any idea what could've happened? Could you tell coach he's on sick leave? _7:39

The text was read almost instantly at least. Three pulsating dots appeared and disappeared.

WhatsApp

Vaughny

Today

Hey, it's Kip. Sorry for the random question, but I thought you were all on the pill? It looks like Scott's one day early or something. Any idea what could've happened? Could you tell coach he's on sick leave? _7:39

Hi, man. Yes, we figured. _7:42

He was feeling queasy yesterday on the plane so, you know. Happens. _7:42

He took a pretty bad hit and that can accelerate it. Something about your body healing faster when shifted. _7:42

But thanks for the heads up. Can't talk too much atm. Winter spells are tough 4 me. _7:43

Ask coach in case? _7:44

Kip felt a sympathetic pang for anyone turning into hibernating animals and all the connected sleep cycle problems they had to deal with, and made a mental note to ask Scott about it.

He typed a quick thank you and went on to the next task.

He gently put down the bunny - Scott, really - pointed a finger at him and looked into his dark eyes.

“Stay close, no hiding.” he said softly and clearly, in the same way he would speak to a toddler or a student who wasn't having his smartest day.

Then he got to work taking the materials out of the guest wardrobe and building Scott’s enclosure. Man, he was late. Kip gritted his teeth and started the practiced motions of building the shelter under the supervision of Scott’s attentive, shiny eyes. He interlocked the protective fence, rolled down the gripping mat and placed a couple of pre-made hiding spots and amenities. It looked more like a guinea pig habitat, but it was important Scott wouldn't feel too trapped.

“There, done. Not my most artistic work but we’ll have to make do. I really gotta run, babe.” He tried to sound as apologetic as he felt.

Scott crooked one ear and hopped very pointedly between Kip crossed legs, burying his head under Kip's knee and offering to the view only his fluffy, perfectly round back. His fur was white as snow, peppered with black spots. He was clearly less than impressed. Great.

Kip wiped the sheen of sweat that had formed on his brow with his hand and gently extracted Scott from his hiding spot. He bit his cheek trying not to smile  at the spiteful air his sweet snout had assumed. He could swear Scott was narrowing his eyes at him.

He tried again, slowly and enunciating each word, because he was trying to reason with a creature that was still 100% the man he loved, but rationally speaking had a bunny sized brain.

“Scott. Love. You have to. Anna is coming soon and you are afraid of the vacuum. Blink if you understand.”

One blink. Good.

“I cannot stay. I have to go.”

Head tilt. Not great.

“You need an enclosure if you are alone at home.”

Kicks at his finger with hind legs. Struggle to escape.

Kip started petting circles with his thumb on Scott's forehead to sugarcoat it a bit. If he was being honest he wanted nothing more than to spend the whole morning sprawled on the couch with Scott keeping his feet warm, academics be damned. But they would have tonight and probably part of the next day if his calculations were correct.

He tried to make his reasoning as straightforward and fair as possible.

“When I turn and you take me out I have a leash. And a collar. For my safety.”

Blink. Okay, right call.

“A dog needs a leash and a bunny needs a shelter. That's how it works.” Kip went on. There, analogical reasoning.

Reluctant blink. Thank God.

"This is also the bougiest enclosure a bunny ever had. You have a gym." Kip pointed at the tunnel and grass ball. "A nap area." He nodded at the hardwood den with light-blocking curtains. "And a no-slip mat for your sweet little paws."

Kip finished, tapping his finger once on Scott’s footpads and receiving a confused look and head tilt for his trouble.

“Yeah. TMI, I think. Let's go choose your food.”

They got up, Scott still firmly held in Kip's hands, and went for the fridge.

“I should have guessed it was time when this place turned into a farmer’s market wet dream. I’m sorry, really. I don't know where I leave my head sometimes. Carrot or kale?” Kip asked, pulling out one handed a carrot with its top and a couple kale leaves.

Left ear flick.

“Carrot it is. You already eat enough kale in human form for a whole colony anyway. Now greens. Clover or dandelions.”

Head tilt and nose wiggling.

“Both? Fine by me. We only have apples for fruit but I'll try to bring blueberries?”

Scott gave him a headbutt to the shoulder and Kip counted that as a win.

He brought Scott back to his enclosure with food and water and tried to keep it brief and sweet. Still, goodbyes were always hard when one of them was so helpless and unfairly soft.

He left his boyfriend with a loud kiss between his long ears, feeling as guilty as Peter Rabbit hopping the fence. He vowed to himself to come back as soon as possible with a dinner of milk, bread and blueberries. Extra banana.