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“Cub!” Wolf yells from the kitchen.
In the living room a bundle of blankets moves on the couch with a groan.
But no one gets up and the curtains remain drawn.
The teenager sleeping on the couch, stubbornly refusing to get up, is supposed to be getting up soon to go to school.
Wolf is already preparing breakfast for both of them and some lunch for Cub.
Jokingly he adds an Avengers juice box to Cub's lunchbox.
“Cub, come on, breakfast is ready!” He says loudly, looking vaguely in his kid's direction to check if he gets up.
Surely enough the bundle of blankets gets up and waddles over to the kitchen.
Bleary eyes blink at Wolf a few times.
“Morning.” Cub mumbles.
With a small grin Wolf walks by his kid, ruffling his hair and dragging the blanket off of Cub.
The teenager immediately shivers and curses in several languages as he walks over to the kitchen island to eat.
“Morning.” Wolf says as he puts a plate in front of Cub.
They eat in relative silence until Cub finally wakes up enough to have any sort of conversation.
“So, me and Tom were talking about going to the comic book store after school today.” He starts talking while he's chewing.
Wolf rolls his eyes at Cub's behaviour and yet, like always, cannot help but feel fondness for his kid.
“Those still exist?” Wolf questions.
Cub laughs and nods excitedly, “Yup, we're regulars.”
“More like Tom's a regular.” Wolf says with a snort, causing Cub to laugh even louder.
“Okay, he might be the only one who buys anything.” The teenager says as he shoves another bite of bread into his mouth.
“Ugh, you heathen,” Wolf chuckles as he smacks Cub's hand softly. “Who raised you?”
With a mouth full of bread his kid smiles at him widely. “Not you.” Two pieces of food fall out of his mouth and then Cub almost chokes on it.
Quickly he chews and swallows, then he coughs for several seconds.
Wolf is cackling as he rubs Cub's back.
“I'm okay!” Cub says with a laugh, “I'm okay.”
They eat the rest of their breakfast more peacefully, as peaceful as it can get in Wolf's house really, and talk about the rest of the day.
Minutes after finishing their breakfast and Wolf cleaning the dishes Cub walks back into the kitchen in his school uniform, his backpack slung over his shoulder and his hair in a somewhat tame look.
Wolf grins at the blue tips in Cub's hair, hopefully it'll piss off that Blunt that the two teenagers kept bitching about.
From what he's gathered Blunt is the boss of whatever organisation Cub and Fox are tied up in and according to Fox, the man is an absolute bastard of a human being.
They're out the door and in Wolf's car seconds later.
They pick Tom up as well, who rushes out of his house and into the car so fast he barrels into the backseat.
“Go!” He yells.
Calmly Wolf brings the car back on the road.
“What now?” Cub asks as he looks back at Tom from the passenger seat.
Tom groans, sits up and puts his seat belt on.
“My mum was trying to bribe me with several things while my dad yelled at her.”
“Ugh, I wish they could grow some fucking eyeballs.” The teenager next to Wolf says angrily, he's about to correct Cub on his language when he remembers how much good that's done Fox in the past.
They're a little early which is nice even if Tom is complaining about his reputation being tarnished.
“What reputation?” Wolf and Cub ask at the same time.
They then grin at each other and Wolf gives Cub a high five as he gets out.
“See you after school!” Wolf calls out through the rolled down window.
“Comic book store first!” Cub reminds him with a wave.
Four hours of peace pass before Wolf's phone starts ringing.
He pauses his documentary on sharks, suggested to him by Cub, the absolute nerd that he is, and picks up the phone.
He didn't recognize the caller id but it's too late now.
“Yes?”
“Is this.. Wolf?” A voice, it's a deep voice but not something Wolf would call manly, it's also full of concern that the caller seems to be hiding.
Some alarm bells start ringing in Wolf's head.
“Yes, this is him.” Wolf sits up straighter.
“Hello, I'm calling on behalf of Brookland Comprehensive School, Al-” The voice gets cut off by a frantic voice on the other side.
But Wolf already knows who it is and he's been up and getting his keys since the man said the name of the school.
“Sorry.. Cub? Yes uhm, Cub is being suspended for two days, we need you to come pick him up.”
“I'll be right there.”
What the hell?
Suspended? What's brought this on? Cub looked absolutely fine this morning, no trace of teenage angst or anger on the horizon.
But, Wolf guesses, that can also change about as quickly as the weather.
He rushes over to the school and a very nice lady with too long of a last name points him towards the principal's office.
After two knocks he opens the door and walks in.
Immediately he checks Cub over for any visible wounds.
But all Wolf sees is a dejected and slightly trembling version of his kid sitting with his head bowed in front of the principale.
Wolf takes the chair next to Cub.
“What happened?” Apparently the principale wasn't expecting Wolf to react in such an angry way if the man's flinch tells anything.
“I must apologise, we couldn't reach Miss Starbright and-” Wolf cuts the man off.
“That's not what I asked.”
“A-”
“No names.” Wolf and Cub say at the same time, a lot less funny than when it happened this morning.
“Right, sorry… Cub punched a fellow student.” The man types something on his computer.
“According to the teacher they were just about to dissect some animals when.. Cub punched the other student.”
Cub's head hangs low, he won't even look at Wolf.
He's only looking at his own bloody knuckles and trembling hands.
His breathing is quicker than it should be but Cub seems to be trying to wrestle it back under control.
“So he's suspended for two days, we do not tolerate violence in this school.” Wolf nods along with the man but can't stop staring at Cub.
“And the other student?”
“He's alright, says it was an accident, that Alex didn't mean it.”
At that the kid's head whips up and he stares at the principale with wide eyes.
Slowly he turns to look at Wolf.
Who tries his best to give his kid a reassuring smile, “So.. Alex huh? It suits you.”
And in any other circumstance Cub would have smiled at that, would have made another joke or quip and they would've moved past it.
They're moving past it now too but it leaves a sour taste in Wolf's mouth when all the kid can manage to do is nod and lower his head again with wide eyes.
“I- oh, gosh I'm sorry-” Once more Wolf interrupts the principale.
“It's alright, I'll just take him home now, me and Jack will have a talk with him about this.”
The man nods and watches them go, Cub is leaning heavily against Wolf's side, who's got an arm around the kid and the other arm carrying his bag.
And just before Wolf can close the door the principal says, “I'll ask Miss Bedfordshire to add your information to the contact list.”
Wolf doesn't say no.
The ride home is quiet, Cub just kind of stares out of the window but his eyes don't seem to be processing much.
The tension is thick in the air as they step into the house and take off their jackets.
Together they trail into the kitchen and Wolf turns on the kettle.
He leans back against the counter and looks at Cub, who's already cuddling Yassen close again.
The kitten has steadily been growing bigger.
“What happened?” The question hangs in the air.
But Cub refuses to answer.
“Goddamnit Cub! What happened?” Wolf asks again, stepping closer to the kitchen island the teenager had situated himself at.
“I punched Tom.”
Oh.
Finally Cub looks up, there's tears streaming down his face.
One drops onto Yassen's forehead but the kitten is worrying too much about his saviour to notice.
“And he's not even mad at me.” The kid makes a choked off sound that Wolf hates.
Then he laughs and looks up at the ceiling for a few seconds.
When Cub lowers his head there's nothing but hate in his eyes.
“I hurt Tom, who does that? Who punches their best fucking friend over some stupid dissection?” Cub spits out.
Aggressively he rubs at his cheeks with his sleeves as he keeps ranting. “He doesn't hate me but he should.”
“He's better than that.” Wolf says, he remains a safe distance away, not willing to set off Cub in an even worse way.
“So, dissection?”
Cub glares at him but it's watered down by the fact that he's still holding an incredibly cute kitten.
“I thought I was fine.” Cub's shoulders slump with such a force Wolf fears the kid breaks something.
“He just threatened me, he never actually got the chance to do it! But I saw that poor animal, already dead and about to be cut open and all I could-”
Cub's voice cuts off and he takes a deep breath.
“All I could think about was that that could've been me.”
Okay, Wolf should get a parenting book or maybe write one on severely traumatised teenagers being used as spies and how to help them cope.
“Who threatened you?” For some reason this, probably so he can hunt the bastard down, is all Wolf wants to know.
“Dr. Grief.” Cub mumbles as he places a kiss on Yassen's little forehead.
Alright, easy, that man's already dead.
Wolf can just disrespect his grave for the rest of his life.
“He said his ‘children’ had been begging to see a life human get dissected and that I was his perfect candidate.”
Okay, that is truely fucked up to say to a kid.
“But you escaped.” Wolf gestures at Cub's very much alive body like the teenager wasn't aware.
“Yeah, but like I said, I just saw that poor animal there and..”
“And you switched places, mentally.”
Wolf finishes.
Cub nods and doesn't say much else so Wolf takes it as his cue to sit next to him and hold him close for a bit.
The kettle has finished a bit ago by now but Wolf doesn't really care, if the water cooled off enough he can always just turn it on again.
Right now his Cub needed some comfort from some truely fucked up scenarios and Wolf is happy to give it to him.
“Tom's going to hold this above your head for months.”
Cub groans and nods, “At least he doesn't hate me.”
“I don't think Tom could ever hate you, plus he's probably going to show off his probably black eye to all the ladies.” Wolf jokes as he squeezes Cub even tighter.
Cub laughs and it makes Wolf proud to know he put it there.
“I'll buy him his new comic.” Cub mumbles with a small smile as he pets Yassen.
“Also a fair trade, I think.” He says as he lets Cub go and finally starts making the tea.
A few minutes later he sets down a cup in front of Cub who thanks him with a small tired smile.
“No but seriously, I am going to have to talk with Jack about this.” Wolf's serious, he's going to have to tell Jack.
Cub nods in understanding and takes a sip of his tea, then he snorts and looks up at Wolf, “It's like having divorced parents and one of them already has a new partner.”
“Listen, I can stop bringing Fox around if you don't like it.” Wolf jokes.
Cub laughs and shakes his head, “But he makes you so happy.”
With his own laugh Wolf shoves Cub's head sideways lightly and takes his seat next to his kid quickly.
They drink their tea together in comforting silence, broken by idle chatter every once in a while.
And when Wolf finds both Cub and Tom passed out and cuddling with Yassen between them on the pull out couch not even three hours later, the other sporting a bruised eye, he only throws a blanket over them.
And takes a picture, of course, Jack loves putting them on the fridge.