The locker clangs closed, the pristine metal locking under Will’s hands. The boy slings a black backpack over one shoulder after checking the insides for his belongings.

Reassured of everything's place in the sturdy pack, he pushes his way out through the heavy glass front doors of his school. The front desk ladies wave to him, small smiles ghost across their faces as they notice him, then go back to work.

“Have a good afternoon, Ms.Lindsey, and Mrs.Jill.” He chimes at them as he speed walks out. Excited to get home and read.

Will had gone to a bookstore with Oakley a week ago but hadn’t had the chance to just read for a couple of hours. Assignments, work, and stress bogged him down before he could get very far.

Hopping down the many stairs and almost completely ignoring the railing, Will excitedly stumbles over to the sidewalk. But just before he can cross the parking lot, he hears someone address him.

“What’s got you chipper, Mutt?” Another mocking voice spat.

“Did your mommy and daddy finally say you could sleep inside the house?” Snickers prattle out the third's mouth as he turns around slowly.

He has half a mind to compare them to hyenas but finds that wouldn't help whatever situation this is. Besides, they're wolves, rabbit hole thoughts aside, he should get going before they start circling.

“Look, as much as I would love to stay and defend myself, I have other things I'd like to get to.” Will quickly gestures over his shoulder with his thumb.

“Why don't you guys harp on someone else?” He reasoned, apparently with the air, as the voices-now identified as the 3 wolves he saw yesterday-crowded closer to him.

“Yeah, no, out of all the wolfdogs in this school, you're the one who's the loudest about how much you don't care to keep to yourself.” One of them steps forward, with the rest moving to make a triangle with him in the middle.

“Do you feel better about yourself because you hang out with people like Hawthorne, Dean, and Blackwell?” He knows better than to answer their taunts, but it doesn't change the fact that he wants to.

For how docile Will is in front of most people, he's loyal to his friends, so loyal that he'd get hit for them. Then he remembers what Eve made him promise, and he has a feeling it wasn’t meant to apply in this situation. So he holds his tongue and tries to back up.

“What, does the puppy not know how to talk back?

Afraid his master’ll

hit.

him.”

The boy punctuates his words with two shoves to Will's chest. The taunt strikes a nerve deep in his buried memories. At this point, Will is this close to just hitting him, but he isn't rabid, so he speaks first.

“No. This puppy just doesn't want to put a dog down.” His voice puts emphasis on the puppy part. His voice gravely as he stops backing up.

“You-.” At that the first Wolf to speak rushes at him, fist colliding with Will's face. The impact is sure to leave bruises on his cheekbone.

Will brings up his arms to defend himself against another assault. Making his own strike at one of the wolves' shoulders. They wince before moving to gang up on him again.

Another hit comes in the form of the third wolf kicking at his shins in a sweeping movement to take him to the ground.

Almost dropped, Will stays planted on the ground, having braced for the hit. The wolf looks surprised and moves to change stances quickly.

Will took the moment to spin around quickly and hit the third wolf on the side. He kicks them while they're recovering, the wolf backing off a little.

Sharp gasps for air come from the wolf’s mouth, likely having the wind knocked out of him.

Will stumbles a bit, the previous attack on his shins throbbing. An angry bruise that was only furthered by his attack on the wolf.

From his left, the first wolf came back into focus, and a quick fist laid impressions on his ribs. A choked sound spilled from his mouth, involuntarily.

Heavy breaths fizzled out, and eyebrows furrowed. The second wolf snuck up while he was catching himself, the heavy weight of a knee against the back of his ribs leaving him to quiver.

His arms pull up defensively as he backs up towards the second wolf as they push off him, and with his eyes still watching the first and third.

He sends a harsh stomp to the second wolf’s foot. Said wolf curling in on himself. With possible fractures blooming in his foot.

Will steps away from the momentarily inactive wolf. The first wolf hops closer again, the same fists coming again.

Defenses failing as they pound his stomach, a wet bit of saliva spilling out of his mouth as his stomach is impacted. His eyes are watering as he tries to hold steady.

Rocking where he stands, and while he’s still reeling, he feels red spout from his nose as the first wolf clocks him in his face.

His eyes water like runoff on a mountain, and he blinks away the tears. Licking his upper lip of dripping blood, more fists rain as he adjusts his stance.

A punch came to his shoulder as the others hit previously battered limbs and skin.

The wolf’s offensive attacks exhaust for a second. long enough for him to deliver a good hook to the first wolf’s chest. The wolf breathed heavier at the hit but seemed to cease his attack on Will’s blood vessels.

“You’re a mutt, no wonder not even the headmaster likes you.”

His knuckles ache and his body bruises, fists disconnect from his body, and he’s confused. If a little dazed.

His ribs hurt, his shins buckle, his arms are tired, and he feels done. But at the same time, he’s left feeling like he lost something.

The connection between what the boy said and what it meant fizzled out before it got to him. The wolves seem to howl and woof at him as they leave, high-fives and jokes traded between them.

Some sort of sense of accomplishment among them. He has no idea what for when they left after beating him up. He’s just… confused.

left unsatisfied.

He doesn’t know what he was expecting in the first place, but his arms drop to his sides, and his body sags.

He’s left by himself to adjust his clothes and saunter home. Post-fight reflection, he wonders if Eve will tell him he did well. If she even finds out.

Creaking the door open, Will shuffles inside their apartment carefully. His steps were careful. Shutting the door behind himself, he listens around the apartment for any sign of Eve being home.

When he hears nothing but the hum of the refrigerator and a small fan somewhere in the room, he lets out a breath. Eve must be caught up in a student council meeting. His thoughts supply him with a memory of her letting him know in a hurry before he had walked to the front of the school.

With the knowledge that she’d be home sometime later that day, he resigned himself to trudge over to his room.

He shrugs off his backpack and whatever else would weigh him down. His ears droop low as he makes pained moves to flop on his bed. Rolling around for a second before situating himself with his back to the wall, leads him to grimaces as his back makes momentary contact with the wall.

The stationary thing does nothing but hold up the room. Yet it reminds him of the pain blooming there, the cold surface cooling him through his t-shirt. His uniform was discarded on his desk.

With a huff of an exhale, he sits up again and grabs one of his books. A stack of them on his bedside, sitting there for the past week, begging with their inanimate presence to be read. Despite the blooming pressure in his head, he’s completely content to not think about what just happened and continue what he wanted to do in the first place.

Will flops back on the bed with the book in hand. Fluffing and arranging pillows behind himself, he scoots in and starts reading.

About two or so hours later, Will can hear the familiar jingle of keys coming from the front of their apartment.

Sitting up and then walking over, he closes his bedroom door behind him as he hears her set things down. Her form gives soft breaths as she unloads her backpack and things onto the couch.

He folds his arms over his chest and leans on a doorframe. “How’d the student co meeting go? Anything you guys are planning?” He asked, a curious shift in his tail and ears as he asked about her day.

“Nothing much, mostly just prep for this new club they’re trying to put together.” She appeases him, still focused on her things.

Eve pauses for a second, patting around the couch like she’s looking for something.

“Hey, have you seen my-.”

She turns to look at him, her face falling from her usual stoic and gentle presence to one of quickly increasing worry and shock.

“What the heck happened to your face?” She might as well have bounded over the couch, completely ignoring obstacles in the way, as she quickly strutted over to him.

“What were you looking for?” He tried to distract, but before he could get very far, her hands came up to cup his face, pulling it closer to her.

It was Will’s turn to be surprised, and his mouth was agape at her assertiveness.

“Oh-, okay.” He stuttered at her proximity.

“Answer my question first. What happened to your face? Better yet, who did this to your face?” Eveline was incredibly caring, so caring that she veered into protective. William guesses he must be doing things to warrant that. He doesn’t know if he deserves it though. Her voice and face gave off a sort of soft yet stern care as she almost demanded it.

Then, a little less stern and a little calmer, she let go of his face but dragged him to the couch. Clearing off space as she went.

“Sorry-it’s just, I come home, and your face is… and you don’t even look like you care. I’m just… worried.” She huffed out, her dark blue eyes welling up a little.

“We talked about this. Don’t say it’s fine, just tell me what happened,” she rubs them a little, and gives him a small smile. Her gentle expressions back as she looks at him, slightly expectant.

He’s not put off by how much she cares; he likes it, someone to worry about him, someone who wants him to not just be, someone who won't talk around him, but with him, who won't neglect his presence.

“No, I’m sorry, I should’ve called you or something,” He starts, a little apprehensive, “I got in a fight with some pure wolves when I was about to head home.” He knows she would have come immediately, but he didn’t want to bother her. He knows, so he tells her so.

“I didn’t want to bother you…” He can feel her staring at him, but she doesn’t push it. Eve just stands up to retrieve a first-aid kit from under the bathroom sink. Settling back down, she dabs his face with a damp cloth.

“I can-.” He starts. At some point during the cataloging of his injuries, dark and angry bruises and abused skin, he almost offers to do it himself. He doesn’t feel like she should have to touch him, but her gentle and soft touch, and small shakes of her head give him the impression that she wants to do it for him.

So he gives it a rest and resigns himself to the help of his kind friend. “Okay.” He lets out a small noise of acceptance.

He could have been a large puppy, swinging his legs as he sat on the couch, looking around. Looking anywhere but where Eve was, bandaging and sterilizing his ribs and stomach.

Small gasps falling from her lips as she observes the skin that’s approaching a cool color palette. It’s quick but embarrassing. A small breeze blows over to him, licking his exposed back and sending a shiver down his spine.

“Turn.” Not really an order, but an ask of him, as he moves his body to allow her to wrap him. When he does, he tries not to be surprised when she sucks breath in again.

The sight of another big bruise was revealed. Exasperated, but resolute about her current intent to do first aid on him, her silky, fluffy, and black tail sways gently behind her in what he assumes is the satisfaction of being able to help.

She continues, but not after giving him another almost incredulous glance. The second time she’s done that. He holds onto the hem of his hoodie as he holds it up above where she works.

This goes on for a while, the wrapping and applying of ointment, antibacterial alcohols and etcetera. Eventually, the stinging process stops, and he’s freed from his place on the couch.

He takes this freedom and does nothing with it. Only grabbed his book from his room and returned to sit on the couch. Scooting in and getting comfortable across from Eve’s now lessening but still angry figure.

Reminding her that hes really okay with his own calmer personage, he smiles slightly and continues where he left off.

His tail idly wagging behind him, the long and fluffy dark brown appendage draped over the couch behind him.