closet.’ –Huh? Chris, what’s wrong?” for she suddenly noticed Chris with his hands over his eyes and whimpering. “Chris dear, come out, I promise I won’t take another picture of you today,” she said with concern in her voice.

“How about promising never to take pictures again?” Jeffery muttered. “AHH! Mom!” he yelled as Melissa sent another camera flash his way. “Are you trying to blind me or something?” he asked, rubbing the spots out of his eyes. “I wasn’t wearing my glasses, ya know.”

“Sorry dear, but I did warn you about wisecracking my camera.” Melissa said, her eyes twinkling in the direction of her son. “Now I got another cute picture of you to add to my vast collection.”

Kit walked around his aunt and tried to coax Chris into coming out of the closet.

“Come on, Chris, she’s done taking pictures, you can come out now.” Kit said, hugging Chris and steering him out of the closet.

Chris looked nervously around as Kit brought him out of the closet. When he spotted Melissa’s Mad Camera of Doom in her hand, he let out a whimper and ducked behind Kit.

“Chris, are you okay?” Kit asked in concerned.

“…Hate camera…. eyes hurts ….” Chris muttered, his face pressed against Kit’s upper back.

“Oh, Chris.” Kit said sympathetically, turning around to face Chris and embracing him. “It’s okay; she’s not going to take another picture of you today. Calm down…”

“My eyes still hurts...” Chris said in a small voice, his face buried in Kit’s chest to shield his eyes from the light in the living room.

“Uh-oh, Aunt Melissa… I think Chris’ eyes are too sensitive to flashes of light from your camera.” Kit said with deep concern for his brother.  He had his hand on the back of Chris’ head, pressing his brother’s face to his chest, trying to protect Chris’ eyes from the brightly lit living room.

“That’s what we were trying to tell you, Mom.” Jeffery said, gesturing toward Chris.

“Oh my—I’m so sorry, Chris!” Melissa cried, tossing her camera aside, which landed safely on the sofa. “Hold on, you poor dear, I’ll see if I have some sunglasses.”

“Mom,” interjected Jeffery. “He might need some eye drops too.”

“Yes, of course, Jeffery dear.” Melissa said, going into full nurse mode. “You get the sunglasses and I’ll get the eyes drops.”

 And they split up, each going in different directions, leaving Kit and Chris alone in the living room.

Kit wrapped his arms around Chris’ waist and lifted him a few inches off the floor and carried him over to the sofa, reflecting to himself how soft and cuddly Chris felt in his bunny rabbit costume. Carrying Chris wasn’t so hard, considering Kit was strong for his age and Chris was underweight. He sat down after tossing Melissa’s abandoned camera into the armchair opposite the sofa. He laid Chris down on the sofa, laying his brother’s head in his lap.

Chris whimpered and had his eyes shut tight as Kit stroked his hair sympathetically.

Kit then had an idea; he took off his baseball cap and laid it on his brother’s face, shielding his eyes from the sunlight pouring in through the window.

“Is that better, little brother?” he asked kindly.

“Mm-hmm.” Chris nodded from beneath the cap.

Kit continues to stroke Chris’s hair through his rabbit hood until Jeffery came back into the living room with a pair of sunglasses.

“Here you go, Chris—hey…” Jeffery said, noticing Kit’s cap on Chris’ face. “That’s a good idea, cuz,” he said approvingly to Kit.

“Thanks,” Kit said, taking the sunglasses and removing the cap from Chris’ face.

Chris flinched and moaned, covering his eyes. Kit quickly placed the sunglasses on him.

“There, is that better, Chris?” Kit asked anxiously, helping his brother up into a sitting position on the sofa while Jeffery went to close the curtains over the window, darkening the room slightly. 

 

“Yeah, big brother, that’s much better. My eyes aren’t hurting anymore!” Chris said happily, flinging his arms around his brother's neck hugging him. “Thank you!”

 

“You’re welcome, Chris. I'd never let anything hurt you.” Kit said comfortingly, joining in Chris' embrace. “I love you, little bunny,” he added, chuckling as he patted Chris on top the head between his rabbit ears.

“Chris, are you okay, cuz?” Jeffery asked anxiously, feeling guilty that he hadn’t picked a better spot to hide his mother’s camera. “Chris?” he said slowly, approaching the Cloudkicker brothers. “I’m really sorry; I should’ve hid my Mom’s camera better. Please forgive me, Chris.”

 

He stood there, his emotional side starting to take over, causing him to whimper a bit, until he felt two pair of arms wrapping around him. His head jerked up to see that Kit and Chris were both hugging him consolingly.

“Don’t cry, Jeffery.” Chris said, hugging him from his right side. “I forgive you.”

Jeffery burst into tears while hugging both of his cousins and surrogated brothers tightly.

 

Chris blinked confusedly. “Jeffery, why are you crying? I said I forgive you.”

 

“Y-you mean it? Do you r-really m-mean it, Chris?” Jeffery sobbed, his emotional side was getting the better of him as tears were rapidly flowing down his furry cheek.

 

“Yes… yes, Jeffery, of course I do.” Chris said, hugging Jeffery tighter. He was really confused now, for he has never seen Jeffery in such a state before. “Jeffery….are you alright?” he asked.

 

“He’ll be fine, Chris,” Kit assured him, who, like Chris, was hugging Jeffery tightly on his left side. “He’s an emotional bear, he gets like this sometimes. I’m sorry you had to see him like this, he was hoping you’d never see this side of him.” 

 

“But, why would he hope for that? I would’ve wanted to cheer him up too.” Chris said looking a little sad that they’ve been keeping a secret from him.

 

“B-because, I was a-a-afraid that you’d think of m-m-me as a w-w-wimpy b-b-baby...” Jeffery sobbed between the two brothers holding him in an embrace.

 

Kit shushed him, trying to calm him down.

 

“But I don’t think you’re a wimpy baby, that’s me, not you.” Chris said, hugging Jeffery tightly. He didn’t really mean that about himself, but he thought that if he belittled himself, it would make Jeffery feel better. He was mistaken, however…

 

“N-n-no, C-C-Chris, you’re n-not, don’t ever s-s-say that about y-yourself.” Jeffery cried, letting go of Kit to fully embrace Chris. “Y-you are not a b-baby, Chris!” he continued to cry, hugging Chris tighter.

 

“But, I’m not very strong and I have bad dreams that make me cry.” Chris said miserably, bowing his head.

 

“Chris, just because you’re not physically strong, or that you have bad dreams, it doesn’t mean you’re a wimpy baby.” Kit told him firmly. “You’re just weak from malnutrition, you can’t help that.”

 

“Y-y-yeah, cuz, Kit is r-r-right.” Jeffery said; trying to sound firm but his overflowing emotion ruined the desired effect. “Y-you are not a b-baby at all! I-I have my b-bad dreams t-t-too.” Jeffery continued to sob but his tears were lightening up through the Cloudkicker twins’ comforting embrace. “A-and m-my worst n-nightmare is losing M-mom, y-you, K-Kit o-or any of my f-family. Y-you’re very spec-special to me.” Now Jeffery’s sobs were becoming more of a slight whimper, losing himself in Kit and Chris’ embrace.

 

“What is going on here and what’s with all the water works, Jeffery dear?”  

 

Melissa has entered the living room, holding a bottle of eye drops and looking concerned for her son, seeing him in tears.  

 

“What’s the matter, sweetie?” she asked Jeffery again, walking over to the three of them and pulling out a flowery pink handkerchief from her pocket.

 

“M-Mommy, i-it's m-my fault C-Chris's eyes w-were hurting. I-I s-should have h-hid your c-camera b-better somehow." Jeffery said sniffing as he gently raised his head.

 

“Jeffery, calm down, I could barely understand you, dear.” Melissa said gently, wiping his tears from his eyes with the handkerchief. “Blow,” she ordered, holding it to his nose. He blew his nose on the handkerchief with the sound of a horn honking. “Now then,” she said, throwing the handkerchief into a nearby bin in the corner. “Could you repeat that, more slowly, please? I believe you were saying something about it being your fault Chris’ eyes were hurting.”

                                         

“Mommy, I’m so sorry....” Jeffery started explaining slowly.  “I-I know how much you l-love taking pictures, but the flashes bother my eyes and they hurt Chris’,

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