Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ibuki walked through the halls of the old building. There were cages on either side against the walls with a small pathway through the middle, the dead bodies of herbivore kids all scattered in the cages. By the looks of it, most of them probably died of starvation.

Hino and Dolph were just a few paces behind him. The group that owned this livestock market suddenly disappeared about two weeks ago and they still owed the Shishigumi money, so the boss sent them to check on the situation.

"Why d'you think they just up and left?" Hino commented, glancing into a cage with a bunch of dead rabbit kids. The place smelled of decay and dried blood.

"That's what we're here to find out, dumb fuck, keep up," Dolph commented, clearly annoyed at having to be here.

They made it to the end of the hallway and found an elevator and stairs beside it. The elevator looked rickety and like it would fall if just one of the three lions got into it, so they took the stairs and followed it down to the floor below.

To no one's surprise, it was filled with cages similar to the floor above them. They walked through, checking the cages absently. Quiet pattering caught their attention and made them stop in their tracks for a moment. It was too light to be any sort of carnivore.

Ibuki sighed and walked towards the sound. They might as well investigate. In one of the cages, sitting opposite of some dead bodies, sat a little fawn. Ibuki quickly realised it was a deer fawn, no older than 3 maybe. The little fawn stared back at Ibuki with big amber eyes, like most of these kids probably did when someone shows up to buy them.

Dolph and Hino soon caught up and spotted the fawn as well. They frowned when they saw the kid. "Should we kill it?" Hino asked, looking at Ibuki. Dolph went over to the door, grabbed the bars and pulled it off it's hinges. Placing the door against the wall, he said, "Might as well have a snack while we're here."

Dolph reached in and tried to grab the kid. The fawn started flailing and jumped up, running away from the massive clawed hands. "Ahoo," the fawn cried out. Ibuki wasn't surprised, most of the livestock kids were illiterate.

"Hold still! This'll be over quicker that way, kid." Dolph finally grabbed the kid. He seemed underweight, but still flailed and kicked. "Haaah!" He cried out. Dolph moved away from the cage, the fawn now trying to bite his hand but his blunt teeth did little to the lion holding him. It was a mild annoyance rather than what the fawn probably hoped it would do. Ibuki noted the kid was a fighter. Even if he was outmatched, for some reason he still tried.

Ibuki caught sight of the kid's eyes and something in him jumped, not his instincts but something else. The intensity and hatred in those eyes surprised him. Glancing to his clanmates, he realised Hino was disinterested and Dolph was looking at him to see if he got the go ahead to eat the kid. Honestly, Ibuki wasn't sure why Dolph was doing that. The latter didn't need his permission to eat.

"Hold up a second, Dolph," Ibuki said, voice level as usual, even the kid seemed to calm down at the sound of Ibuki's voice and the fawn's attention was on the lion. "Isn't it strange he's still alive when the others are all dead? We haven't found a single other live kid here."

Hino hummed, pointing into the cage, "Look at his buddies." The other two lions looked over and their eyes land on something they hadn't noticed before. There were bites taken out of the other bodies, dried blood pooling underneath them and some organs hanging out. They then looked back at the little fawn, who now looked guilty. There was some dried blood smeered on the clothes he had on and on his hands.

Ibuki stepped closer, meeting the fawns eyes again, "Did you eat your friends?" They knew the truth, but wanted to see if the kid would admit to it. "Aah!" The fawn yelled, head nodding. "Oh, so he does understand us? He's smarter than most livestock kids then," Hino commented.

Ibuki grinned, moving to take the fawn from Dolph. Dolph let him. "I say, we give the little cannibal a second shot at life." Hino's eyes bugged out. "What? You can't be serious! What are we gonna do with a fawn?" Dolph nods in agreement, "If we drop him at some orphanage, they're gonna assume the worst and I don't think the boss'll want an herbivore running around the base."

Ibuki shrugged, "I'll take responsibility for the little guy, and if the boss has a problem, he can take it up with me." The other two shared a confused look but shrugged and moved on. They trusted Ibuki's judgement. "Now c'mon, we've got to check this whole place before we head back."

The fawn settled on Ibuki's hip when the group started walking. He seemed to be trying to absorb the heat radiating off the large feline. Ibuki didn't comment on it, this tower was rather cold, even for them, so he couldn't imagine how cold the fawn must be.

A couple floors down, they realised there was nothing else apart from the bodies and smell of decay. Going up the stairs this time to explore the upper floors, Hino soon found files on the kids. It was number organised, so he reached over and grabbed the fawn's leg. Usually the numbers were under their feet. The fawn started kicking in response.

Hino sighed, moving a piece of mane out of his face, "Hold still, I'm just trying to see your number." His voice held clear irritation. The fawn reluctantly let the lion lift his foot. "Four," he mumbled, letting go of the kid and moving to check the files again. Dolph leaned over his shoulder to see as well. Hino read aloud so the other two could hear as well.

"Number 4... male Red Deer fawn... parents dropped him off in trade for money shortly after birth... worth 7 million yen.... 5 years old... stubborn." Hino cleared his throat, "That's all they have on him, interesting." Dolph huffed, "What now?" They looked to Ibuki, who shrugged. "I'm going to keep him. The little cannibal seems amusing."

With that, the three head back over to the entrance. Ibuki tossed Dolph the keys to the car they came with. The wordless message got across and Dolph got into the driver's side of a black sedan. Hino took passenger and Ibuki got into the back with the little fawn.

He'd taken notice of the frail, skinny body and looked down at the kid, who was now fast asleep against his side and clutching at his suit jacket with all his tiny might. It was honestly cute and Ibuki allowed himself a moment to question why he had taken a liking to the kid and why it felt to natural to hold the kid, as if he'd had kids before.

He scoffed and looked away from him and out the window at the passing buildings. He had a couple lovers and girlfriends before but never kids. The thought never crossed his mind, but this seemed so natural.

The drive over to the Shishigumi mansion felt quicker than it was when they left earlier. Dolph parked the car and followed Hino into the mansion, heading to the boss' office to report their findings. Ibuki made a beeline for his room instead.

It was nothing special. The walls were empty, apart from a couple paintings that had already been here when he moved in and the closet on the right wall, where all his clothes, shoes and belongings were stored. The bed was in the center of the wall opposite the door with dark brown sheets and more pillows than was probably needed for the single bed. The black carpet was soft under his studded shoes.

There was so much he'd have to do if he actually planned on keeping the kid. He really didn't think this through, but when he put the fawn down on his bed to figure out what to do next, he already knew he didn't and wouldn't regret it.

"Maybe start with a name," he mumbled to himself, still standing beside the bed and looking at the kid. "Wilson... no... Carson... sounds stupid... you need something more elegant... William?... hell no..." he perked as an idea hit him. "Louis, that sounds good." He smiled slightly. Then he started thinking of how he was going to explain this at dinner. He had a couple hours until then, so he might as well think it over.

30 minutes later

Louis was still sleeping when a knock sounded at Ibuki's door. The lion went rigid, not knowing who was on the other end. "Ibuki?" Came Hino's voice. "Can we come in?" Dolph asked after a beat passed. Ibuki relaxed a bit, "Yeah, come in."

The door creaked open and in stepped the two aforementioned lions. They closed the door behind them. "So Boss isn't too happy that we didn't find anything at the tower." Ibuki hums, having expected as much. He's been part of the gang for a while now, so he has a good concept of the Boss and his moods.... and his weird love of pure white herbivores. Thankfully Louis was a reddish brown colour.

Gesturing to the fawn sleeping on his bed, he asked, "And what about him?" Dolph let out a sigh. "We didn't mention the kid, something told us not to." Ibuki let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding. "Then we keep him a secret for now." "How long is that going to last?" Hino raised an eyebrow, slightly nervous. "I'm not sure yet." They all knew the repercussions of keeping something like this a secret, if the boss found out.

"Well, we'll have to do something about the smell. The scent of iron and decay is clinging to him. It might attract the attention of the others." Ibuki glanced between his friends and the fawn, letting out another sigh. "I was planning on giving him a bath once he wakes up." Hino chuckled, "I want to see that. Kid has probably never had a bath in his life." "They spray 'em down with hoses from what I could tell." Ibuki's nose scrunched up before he looked back to the other two lions.

"We'll need to find him some clothes though, that scrub of an oversized shirt he's wearing is already too thin." The other two nod. "There's an orphanage like 10 minutes from here," Dolph noted. Ibuki pinched the bridge of his nose "I'm not stealing from an orphanage." Dolph shrugged.

Ibuki sighed, getting up and grabbing some of his stuff to put in his pockets, including his wallet, phone and gun. "Can I trust you two to watch him while I'm gone and NOT eat him?" Hino nods "of course. Don't worry." "Besides, he's too scrawny to be a decent snack," Dolph comments, getting smacked over the head by Ibuki the moment he finished talking.

"I won't be gone long," Ibuki gave them a pointed glare before leaving to the nearest store that sold clothes for herbivore kids. This would be interesting

Chapter Text

When Ibuki returned, he had to cover his mouth to stop from laughing. Hino was standing at the far end of the room, hands lifted in the air and a slight frown on his usually neutral features.

Meanwhile, on the floor beside Ibuki's bed, sat Dolph, with little Louis having two handfuls of his mane in his little hands and trying to climb up onto his shoulders. Dolph looked mildly annoyed, but did nothing to stop the kid. "Ah!" Louis called when he heard the door creak.

Louis quickly let go of Dolph's mane and ran over to Ibuki, making a cute noise as he did. "Awoo!" He grabs hold of Ibuki's leg and stands with both bare feet on the lion's spiked leather shoes. He barely reached Ibuki's knee in height, so the lion moved rather easily across the room with the little fawn clinging to his leg.

"It looks like you were having fun," Ibuki comments as he places the bag in his hands on the end of the bed. Dolph moved to get up onto his feet with a sigh, "He kind of woke up and started making a lot of noise, maybe cause he didn't see you."

Hino finally made his way over, "Then he grabbed Dolph's mane and started pulling." Hino chuckled. They were careful not to make too much noise in the while Ibuki had been out, the walls weren't completely soundproof after all.

Ibuki leaned down slightly and picked Louis up, the fawn not fighting him when he did, and placed him on his hip. "How about a bath, you smell like death." Louis just tilted his head in a confused manner, while Ibuki offered a closed mouth smile. He didn't need to scare off the kid when he was still trying to form trust between them.

Ibuki grabbed the bag he brought and gestured to the other two lions to leave. Hino and Dolph nod and head for the door, deciding they would ask if the kid had a name later.

Ibuki pushed open the door to the en suite bathroom and kicked it closed behind him when they are inside. He put the bag and Louis down before he heads over to the bathtub to fill it before turning back to Louis. Usually, Ibuki would just shower, it was quick and easy but the kid would probably do better with a bath.

Louis, meanwhile, had clambered onto the counter with help of the toilet and seemed to have discovered his reflection. Ibuki walked over and Louis' wide eyes shift from his own reflection to Ibuki's as the lion approaches. "What are you up to, little guy?" Louis points to the mirror, "Ahoo!" Ibuki chuckles, "I'm going to have to teach you to talk." He made a mental note and got back to the task at hand.

Louis seemed adamant because Ibuki hadn't said anything about their copies. "Hoo!" Ibuki laughed again, "That's a mirror. It shows you what you look like to others." Louis tilts his head, but seems to understand it a little better when he looks at his reflection again.

Ibuki leans over and closes the tap before pointing at the cloth Louis had on. "You need to take that off." Louis still seemed confused, so Ibuki reached over and slowly started lifting the rags off Louis. Louis didn't fight it, seemingly understanding he needed to be cleaned.

When he was undressed, Ibuki picked up the little kid and put him in the tub. He took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves and sat on his knees beside the tub. Louis seemed confused, but slapped at the water and then burst out in a giggle when the water splashed Ibuki's face. Ibuki ran his hand over his face to rid of some of the water but then smiled at Louis. Is this something all parents went through?

"You think that's funny?" Ibuki asked, moving his hand and gently splashing some water on Louis. "Aah!" Louis yells before making a cute noise that sounded more like a huff than a laugh. Ibuki figured the kid didn't know how to express laughter, so he noted to teach him that as well. Louis kept splashing, albeit not at Ibuki anymore, and seemed to be enjoying the warm water.

It took a good thirty minutes before Ibuki finally finished washing Louis, using some child fur soap he'd bought while out earlier. A lot of filth washed out of the kid's fur and it made Ibuki question how the kid wasn't constantly itchy. Ibuki grabbed a towel and picked the kid up out of the water, wrapping him up for a second so he could pull the bathplug.

Louis stood still in the towel, liking it's warmth and softness. It took another few minutes to properly dry him off and get him out of the towel. Louis was a little confused by the shirt and shorts Ibuki had bought for him to dress in, but Ibuki managed to get the little fawn dressed and back in his room, sitting on the bed. Louis still seemed confused that clothes came in his size.

That's when Ibuki was hit with a sudden urge to smoke. He grabbed a cigarette and opened the window, lighting it before he inhaled the nicotine. He noticed Louis perk up when the smell traveled over to him. "So you're familiar with cigarettes?" "Ah!" He called back, nodding.

Ibuki chuckled, at least Louis was somewhat talkative, despite not having any words.

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When dinnertime rolled around, Ibuki was caught with a dilemma on what to feed the kid. He knew Louis could survive off meat, evidently, otherwise he would've been dead by now, but basic biology told him the fawn needed a proper herbivore diet, some vegetables and fruits and whatnot. He'd have to look into that more later.

The other thing was where he would get this. Most of the food at the mansion was catered towards carnivores, so it was mostly meat and alcohol, with little vegetation that they sometimes added on the side.

He turned to Louis, who was now jumping on the bed, having found the matress allows him to hop, and walked over. "Louis" he said gently, immediately getting the fawn's attention. He seems used to the name now, rather than having to be called by a product ID. "You have to stay here while I go eat, okay. I'll be back in just a little bit." Louis pouts and crosses his arms as he settles to sit on the mattress but after a moment, he nods.

Ibuki, hoping the kid will listen, leaves his room with the door firmly closed.

Their boss had decided to eat his dinner in the office, a white teenage alpaca that Jinma and Sabu had caught earlier. The rest of them were in the dining room as usual, thankful they didn't have to watch the grotesque display of how their boss prepared his dinner. Ibuki shuddered.

Conversation was going around between all the large felines, until what sounded like soft shuffling came from the hallway. Ibuki took another bite of his steak before turning his head towards the door. The conversation had quietened considerably. Ibuki knew that was one of two things and he almost hoped it was the alpaca trying to escape rather than Louis wandering around the halls.

His heart sank slightly when Louis appeared in the doorway. Louis looked nervous at the sight of all the lions in the room but once his eyes landed on Ibuki, he dashed over to him, not caring that one of the other lions could grab him if they wanted to. The lions were all just confused as to why there was a live fawn in the room, except of course Hino and Dolph. They shared a look of worry with Ibuki.

Louis dashed his way over and jumped into Ibuki's lap, grabbing hold of his shirt. "Aha!" Louis said as he reached Ibuki. The latter put a protective arm around the kid on instinct and then glanced around the room. All eyes were on him.

Sabu was the first to speak, "Uhm, care to explain the uh... kid..." Ibuki steeled his nerves, glanced at Dolph and Hino one last time and then spoke in a level voice, "We found him in that tower." Ibuki noticed how Louis eyed the leftover steak in his plate and without thinking much of it, cut off a small bite and held it towards Louis. No doubt the fawn was probably hungry.

Louis took the bite and slowly chewed it while Ibuki kept explaining. "He appears to have eaten his friends to survive, so I thought I'd keep him." A small shrug followed from him and he noticed the surprised faces of his clanmates.

They had evidently not expected an herbivore, much less a child herbivore, to eat meat so willingly and seemingly have no problem with it.

Then the group seemed to regain themselves and Miguel was the one to speak the question on everyone's mind, "And the boss approved of this?" Ibuki chuckled, a little nervously now. "Not exactly." Hino inserted himself into the conversation to help a little, "For now, the kid's our little secret."

The lions shared a look, while Ibuki swore he was sweating bullets, before they all nodded. "Alright, we'll help ya hide the kid, if only to see if a pride of lions can raise a deer." Ibuki, Hino and Dolph visibly relaxed. Some of the clan members didn't look all too thrilled, but they didn't argue either because, like Jinma had said, they were curious.

Sabu looked down at the kid, who was stealing a piece of carrot from Ibuki's plate, and asked, "So, does the kid have a name?" Ibuki offered a smile, "Louis" the cats all nodded and Louis looked up at Ibuki when hearing his name.

This made things a little easier for Ibuki though, knowing the others would help him hide the kid.

"There's some carrots left in the kitchen if he wants to eat." Sabu said, glancing at the kid again. Being the oldest, he knew it wasn't wise for herbivores to be on a meat diet. Louis nodded and called, "Ahoo!" It made some smile, since it was cute, and others confused. "That's a yes," Ibuki inserted, having somewhat become used to how Louis  communicated.

Sabu left and soon returned with a small plate of chopped carrots. He handed it to Ibuki after seeing Louis try to hide in Ibuki's jacket when he got closer. It was no surprise the kid would be afraid of large carnivores.

Ibuki tapped Louis' head gently, effectively getting his attention before he put the plate within reach. The fawn looked up at Ibuki and then to the plate before grabbing a handful of carrot slices and eating like a starved beast. No one seemed all too surprised.

So with Louis sitting in Ibuki's lap, the dinner continued as it usually would.

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After dinner went okay, Ibuki took Louis back to his room to try and get the kid to sleep. He was hit with the sudden realisation that the fawn has probably never slept in a bed before, despite using his as a trampoline earlier.

He took Louis into the bathroom again, placing him on the sink to sit there and found a new toothbrush from a pack of extras he kept in the counter. It was way too big for the fawn, but it would have to do for now. He put some toothpaste on both toothbrushes and hands one to Louis. To no surprise, the fawn had no clue what to do with it and just held it awkwardly.

"Try to do what I do, okay?" He gets a nod "Ahoo!". Hoping a monkey see monkey do situation would happen, Ibuki slowly shows how to brush his teeth and soon Louis is copying him in a somewhat successful attempt. The toothbrush, as thought, is far too big for his mouth and he seems to not like the taste, but keeps at it. They spit into the sink and rinse their mouths with water, Louis still copying Ibuki, before heading back into the room.

It took a bit of patience to explain the concept of sleeping clothes to Louis and then get him changed into some pajamas, but once they do, Ibuki helps the fawn onto his bed and turns to get dressed as well. He could feel those big eyes on him the whole time he was changing into some sweatpants and a soft tanktop.

He turns the lights off, leaving his curtains open to let in some moonlight so the fawn had a little light to see, before Ibuki moved over and got into bed. Even in the low light, Louis eyes were trained on the silhouette of Ibuki.

Ibuki gestured the kid over, "It's time to sleep, kiddo." Louis looked like he understood some of that and crawled over to Ibuki over the covers. Ibuki pulled the cover open slightly and Louis crawled in, laying down carefully against Ibuki's chest. He probably used to sleep against the others for heat in those cages.

Ibuki pulled the blanket over them again and felt Louis settle. For a while, Ibuki couldn't fall asleep, so he just watched the boy sleeping. Louis didn't kick or roll around like most kids, he was curled into a tight little ball against Ibuki's chest. When he felt sleep finally approach him, he carefully wrapped an arm around Louis to give a little more warmth before he fell asleep as well.

        ____________°•○●○•°_____________

About a week has passed now and all the lions had been pitching in to try and teach Louis stuff, easy stuff that most kids his age could do.

Louis had somewhat settled into life with the lions and although his presence still annoys some of them, Ibuki had made a point of not letting Louis realise this. And somehow, their boss still hadn't found out about the fawn. Louis still refused to be left alone with any of the other lions except Ibuki and Hino, not even Dolph, and Ibuki figured it may have something to do with how Dolph looked. That x-shaped scar made him intimidating.

That's why they got into this situation. Louis was most comfortable with Ibuki and Hino, which lead to the two sitting on the foot end of Hino's bed with Louis in front of them, trying to get the fawn to say actual words. They needed a better way to communicate than indefinite sounds and any amount of words would be better than none.

"Try saying 'deer', it's an easy word," Hino supplied, pointing to a picture of a deer in a children's book they had gotten a few days prior. Louis just placed his palm on the page and glanced to the mirror Hino had on his wall, probably never having seen one other than himself.

Ibuki gently turned the page to a picture of a dog standing in a park. "How about you try saying 'dog', instead. It's three letters, c'mon." Louis looked between Ibuki and the picture, but didn't seem to understand quite what the lion was asking of him. He let out a sigh "How do normal parents do this?"

Hino shrugged and stood up, popping his back. "It usually takes months for kids to pick up words from their parents, he's only been here for a week," Hino shrugged. "Well fuck it, I'm going for a smoke." Just as he tread over to the door to leave, Louis jumped up onto his feet, still on the bed and yelled "FUCK!" Hino's ears wiggled and he glanced to Ibuki, who seemed unsure if he should be surprised, annoyed or angry. He settled on glaring at Hino, who chuckled nervously in response and then left out the door quickly.

Once the latter was outside, Ibuki looked at Louis, who was beaming at finally being able to say a word. He sighed and decided to not stop the fawn because any words are better than none. He mentally noted to just explain to Louis later in life that swearing wasn't acceptable in company. He figure he'd have to send the kid to school at some point, but wasn't sure how well that would turn out. He'd deal with it when they got there though.

Chapter Text

Almost two months have passed since Ibuki brought the fawn to the hideout and most of the lions have taken a liking to the kid. The only trouble was, with more words in Louis' vocabulary and him being properly fed, lead to the kid being more active and that makes it harder to hide him from their boss.

Louis had learned by now that the old lion with the light marks around his eyes and a cane was one he should be avoiding. He'd usually only seen him from afar before one of the other Shishigumi members hid him away.

On one such occasion, he'd been following Sabu through the corridor to the bathroom from the dining room, the bandana wearing lion seemed to be walking ever so slightly slower to allow Louis to keep up. Heavy footsteps and wooden clicking came from the opposite side of the hall, where a much older looking lion with a cane exited a room.

Sabu had momentarily flinched a little and then shoved Louis into the hallway closet. The small fawn, caught off guard by the action, was frozen in place as he sat on the floor of the closet between dusty blankets and other things he didn't recognise.

The heavy footsteps of Chief lion passed by, along with the rhythmic clanking of his cane, and the lion merely regarded Sabu in passing, "What are you looking for, Sabu?" He had a gruff voice to him, Louis noted. "Just checking for more cleaner, we ran out and my blood stained shirt from the other night is still in horrible condition." Sabu answered with a grunt. This seemed to be enough for the leader, since he made a noncommittal hum and moved into the direction of the kitchen.

Sabu waited until he couldn't see Chief anymore and then opened the closet, offering his hand and softly asking, "You good, kid?" Louis nods and takes the offered hand, eyes fixated on the very long, very sharp looking claws. He kept hold of that clawed hand, following the masked lion through the halls again. Sabu was bent at a slightly awkward angle for walking, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to pull his hand away from Louis, who was clutching one of his fingers very tightly.

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Another such time, Chief had come in during the usual dinner routine, which Louis now attended, and Jinma promptly grabbed the fawn by the midsection and pulled him into his jacket. For a second Jinma realised how truly small the fawn was, since his whole hand had wrapped around Louis' midsection for a split second.  Louis seemed to get the idea and stayed as close to Jinma's side as he possibly could to make himself as small as possible. Jinma also hunched forward a little to create a little more cover. Louis was completely covered by the jacket.

The group was thankful for Jinma's quick thinking and also the fact that Louis didn't panic, scream or make any noise in general if any of them grabbed him suddenly.

When Chief left the room again, all eyes turned to Jinma, who sat upright again and moved his jacket to let Louis out. Louis giggled and got down from where he stood on Jinma's thigh, clutching the lion's shirt, sitting in his previous spot and eating further, as if nothing had transpired in the first place.

They didn't actively feed him meat at meals, but wouldn't deny him a bite if he asked it from them. They found it odd, but cute, so they kept up with it.

Ibuki wondered, between bites of steak, if Louis had gotten used to the group of lions way too quickly or if he just saw it as some game and was playing along.

  
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By the third time it happened, Louis seemed to have picked up on it. The heavy footsteps approached again, this time to the livingroom, where the lions had been relaxing after a busy day in the market.

After hearing them, Louis promptly jumped down and ducked in under the low couch, staying very quiet and still. Ibuki shrugged off the idea that the smell of herbivore would reach Chief because Louis smelled like a mix of all their scents at this point.

Chief just watched the group for a moment before commanding, "Get something bigger for tomorrow's dinner, that sheep wasn't enough." With that said, he left once again. Everyone let out a breath they didn't appear to be holding at first.

It took a moment, but once Louis was sure he didn't hear the footsteps anymore, he clambered out from his hiding spot and tapped his hands on Miguel's knee. "Up?" Louis asked.

The action surprised Miguel, since he's one of the biggest of the gang and known as the brawn of this Gumi. A lot of animals feared him just for the amount of muscle he packed, and yet, a tiny little fawn was completely unafraid of him.

Miguel smiled at the fawn and picked him up, placing him in his lap before picking back up the conversation the others were having and joining in.

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One morning, while Ibuki was still going through his morning routine and Louis was still fast asleep, a knock sounded at his door.

He'd heard the heavy footsteps but was still a little too sleep muddled to figure out if it had been Dolph or Chief and since he didn't have his suit jacket on yet, he threw it over Louis to hide the sleeping fawn before going over to answer the door.

To his relief, it was just Dolph. "Boss wants us to get him another herbivore." Dolph all but sighed. Ibuki raised an eyebrow but let Dolph into the room and closed the door behind him. "Can't Jinma and Miguel go as usual?"

Dolph pinched the bridge of his nose, "...unfortunately not this time. Jinma is handling weapons coming in from the docks today with some of the lesser important lackeys and Miguel was sent to gather Intel on the Dokugumi, who have been pushing the boundaries of their territory bordering ours."

Dolph casually moved the jacket and gave a small smile at seeing Louis still fast asleep. "What about Sabu?" Ibuki asked, clipping on his watch. "He's over at East Pavillion to check in on the drug operation going on there. That leaves just the two of us for this job... unfortunately," Dolph finished.

Ibuki sighed and looked at the sleeping fawn. Even in the two months and all the close calls they had, usually at least one of them were left at the mansion to watch over Louis, with this situation they either had to take him along or leave him here alone, with their boss being the only one else in the building apart from some lower lackeys, who also didn't know about Louis yet.

-A couple hours later-

Louis knew he promised Ibuki and Dolph to stay in Ibuki's room until they returned, but he was starting to become bored and hungry. He'd fiddled with a lot of things and even jumped on the bed and ran around the room, but he'd gotten bored of that fast.

"Come Mr. Roars, we find food," Louis said, picking up the little lion plushie Hino had given him and heading for the door. It took Louis climbing on the dresser and jumping at the door, grabbing the handle on the way down, to open the door successfully.

He carefully listened through the crack and when he didn't hear anything, he stuck his head out into the hallway. He remembered Ibuki warning him about moving around on his own and kept his ears sharp for any sounds.

Sneaking around barefoot, with the plushie tucked tightly in his little arm, he quietly made it to the kitchen. He went straight to the massive fridge and started pulling on it. The door was heavy for him, but eventually it budged and he was thrown off balance, falling to the floor onto his butt.

He stood up, looking at his plushie, "You okay, Mr. Roars?" And then went to the now open fridge. The lions have been placing fruit on the lower shelves of the fridge so Louis could reach them and snack on them whenever he wanted. He grabbed an apple and started eating it, shutting the fridge door with a grunt.

He sat in the corner and ate it before disposing of the core. Grabbing a barstool that stood by the island, he pushed it over to the counter and climbed up onto it, using his hand and the sink faucet to drink some water. Just when he got down again, he heard the now familiar heavy footsteps. It set off warning bells ringing in his mind.

Panicking slightly, he looked around and then booked it into one of the cabinets that were on the floor. He made himself as small as possible in the back corner between some pots and pans. The kitchen door creaked open loudly. Louis focused on breathing as quietly as he possibly could.

The heavy footfalls moved around the kitchen and then suddenly stopped. The clanking of glasses and glass bottles were heard, then a belt buckle hit the cabinet door he'd come in from and shut it the last bit. The glass stopped moving and for a moment Louis could feel ice flowing down his back.

The door opened again, letting light into the dark space and Louis completely stopped breathing. His senses went on high alert and the air around him felt heavy with silence. The door closed and with a grunt, another one opened up, closer to the corner were Louis was hiding. The fawn heard his heartbeat in his ears.

The second door closed and then the kitchen door abruptly creaked open and Louis recognised Jinma's voice. "Yo Boss!" Jinma said, distracting the old lion. "What is it, Jinma?" His tone was snappy, as usual. Louis let out a slow, silent breath of relief. With Jinma there, he would be safe, right?

"We just finished unloading the weapons into our armoury. Some great stuff came in this time." He started naming some of the heavier duty weaponry they got and in an attempt to move the conversation along, Chief grabbed his earlier glass, filled with whiskey, and started walking towards his office.

Louis waited in strained silence before he dared to leave his hidingplace. "Quiet now," He said to the lion plushie and placed a finger to his lips in a universal sign to be quiet. He snuck over to the door, which was still cracked open slightly.

Not seeing or hearing anything outside it, he made a beeline for Ibuki's room. He was halfway there when he heard a door open. All the hair on his neck stood on end as he ducked into a random room that was closest to him. He didn't even wait to see who was exiting into the hallway. He didn't want to. The door clicked shut, with Louis leaning his back on it. He felt his heart beating in his throat like a wild thing.

Recognising Hino's room, he ducked under the dressed and squeezed into the far back corner, away from the door. He was too scared to move from there, clutching his plushie to his chest and biting it's ear in worry.

He stayed there until he fell asleep, too tired from his little adventure to have the energy to try and get back to Ibuki's room.

-Two hours later-

"Little guy?" Louis woke up to a familiar gentle voice calling to him.

Hino had entered his room, looking for the fawn. Ibuki had let him know earlier that Louis was left alone and to check in on the fawn once he got back from whatever he was doing. Problem was, when he got back, Ibuki's room door was open and Louis was nowhere inside. Asking Jinma, who'd been back for several hours, proved no help since he hadn't seen Louis the whole time and had evidently thought Ibuki had taken the fawn along on his job.

That had Hino worried, so he started searching. He'd caught Ibuki's scent once he entered his own room, hoping the fawn had run off to there, and knowing Ibuki's smell was the strongest one on Louis, he hoped he was getting closer.

"I-Ino?" He heard a small voice call to him. He turned around and saw Louis peeking out from underneath his dresser. Once Louis saw Hino was alone, he ran over to the beautiful lion and clung to his leg, shivering slightly. That told Hino enough. Shutting the door properly, Hino bent down to pick the fawn up into his arms, or rather, arm. He was still very small compared to the lions that surrounded him.

He carried him over to the bed and sat down on it. Louis clung to him, holding a handful of his mane tightly in his little fist. Hino took note of the lack of claws, just short nails and despite the white knuckled grip on his mane, it didn't hurt him or even register as there. "What happened? You look shaken up?" Louis proceeded to explain to Hino, to the best of his ability and limited vocabulary, what transpired earlier.

Needless to say, Hino kept Louis in his room until Ibuki and Dolph returned from their job a couple hours before dinner.

Chapter Text

This wasn't supposed to happen. It was a small slip up on Ibuki's part. He thought Chief was out and let Louis walk a few steps ahead of him. The door had swung open and the anger that crossed Chief's face was horrifying, even to a lion as big as Ibuki.

He'd grabbed the fawn by the back of the shirt and while Louis did struggle, it did little to deter the old lion. "Get the others and join me in the meeting room. NOW!" The way he roared it made Ibuki scramble to find the other lions that were in the mansion at that time. He had given Louis a quick glance that showed his regret before moving as fast as he could. He didn't trust that Chief wouldn't hurt Louis if Ibuki didn't immediately obey.

It wasn't even a full five minutes before Ibuki had everyone in the meeting room. Some looked tense, others worried, whether it was for their own safety or Louis', Ibuki could not tell yet. The air was thick enough to cut through.

Louis had grown tired from all the struggling and now just sat where Chief had placed him on his knee, looking afraid for his life. His eyes kept skittering between the faces of the lions, silently begging one of them to get him away from Chief. His eyes would linger just that second longer on Ibuki, which made him that much more upset. The lions have never seen that look on the fawn before and they hoped they never would again. They would ensure it never cursed his features again.

Chief broke the tense silence, his voice booming as he spoke, "Care to explain this little pet?" No one dared to answer, trying to keep themselves in check, but they all knew they were in deep trouble.

Chief looked over everyone's faces before settling on Sabu. "Sabu, how long has it been here?" Sabu had to force himself to not wince at the way he was spoken to, Chief's voice held an ever underlying threat. "Six months, sir." He thanked his years in the market for his voice staying level as he spoke. Louis made eye contact with him and Sabu mentally swore at himself. He could have lied or thrown Ibuki under the bus, but that thought didn't sit right with him.

Chief's gaze shifted over the group again and landed on Dolph, who was having slight trouble in keeping his composure. "Who brought it here?" The scarred lion bit his tongue. He didn't want to point it out and put his clan member and friend in the line of fire. "TALK, Dolph," Chief all but roared. Dolph flinched and his eyes flicked to Ibuki.

Their boss grinned and Louis was absolutely shivering at this point. Ibuki was focused on the fawn alone, trying to silently convey they would not let him get hurt. He just wanted to take Louis and cradle him in his arms and assure him he was in no danger. Dolph had given the answer without ever having to say it though.

Chief's attention landed solely on Ibuki, who had managed to keep a straight face until now. "How curious..." The old lion let his words trail off, his hand absently petting Louis, as if he wasn't in complete danger. Louis shrunk in on himself. "You've always been a loyal soldier, Ibuki." Ibuki stayed quiet, face neutral. He wasn't sure where Chief was going with this but it was best to not give any movements or imply anything.

"I knew Venison was your favourite, but I never thought you'd want it still living." The words cut into Ibuki's psyche and rage heated his whole being. He didn't take Louis so he could make a meal out of him, he made peace with this already. His fists clenched and he moved them behind his back.

"It looks a little thin for food though, maybe a light snack." Chief's claws were tracing dangerously close to Louis' throat now. Those words made Ibuki see red and without even uttering a word, he attacked the old lion. Louis had been thrown off by the large carnivore's quick movements and landed a few feet away from them. He hastily scrambled away until his back hit the wall.

Ibuki's reaction seemed to snap everyone into the moment and Dolph and Sabu jumped in to help him in the fight. Everyone else either backed off, in fear of incurring the wrath of either side, or tried to help and despite his age, Chief still put up one hell of a fight.

Louis stared with wide eyes, whether in horror or morbid fascination was anyone's guess, as blood ended up everywhere and the lions tore at each other with claws and fangs alike.

Chief struggled free and made a beeline for the window, breaking through it to get out and run off. For a moment everyone paused from the sound of shattering glass and all that could be heard in the room was the heavy panting of several large, blood covered lions.

"Should we go after him?" Someone asked. Dolph, Ibuki and Sabu shared a glance, seeming to realise what just happened. "No, let him run. I don't think he'll be returning." Ibuki said, voice frighteningly level. He picked up his glasses from where they fell on the floor during the struggle and then looked around the room for Louis.

Everyone was standing still now, looking for the fawn as well. In the unplanned fight, they'd all but forgotten about the small deer among them. Louis sat right where he'd been against the wall the whole time, a couple drops of blood splattered on his face. His eyes trained on Ibuki now that the fight was over.

Hands, face and clothes covered in blood, his own and otherwise, Ibuki slowly walked over to Louis. He wasn't sure how Louis would react after seeing the event that just went down. The others made way for him, their curiosity now set on seeing how their charge would react.

Ibuki bent down onto one of his knees, holding his hand out for Louis to take. Louis' gaze never faltered from the lion he'd come to know as safe and loving. Slowly moving his eyes from Ibuki's blood covered mouth down to the outstretched hand, claws also as bloody as his face, Louis couldn't bring himself to be afraid of him. Something whispered to him that he should be in a world of fear, but it just wasn't there.

Shifting a little, he took the outstretched hand and Ibuki let out a relieved sigh as he pulled the fawn into his chest for a gentle hug.

He stood up with a look of victory on his features. The other lions let out a breath they didn't realise they were holding, smiling at the lion and deer combo.

"We should probably get cleaned up," Hino ventured to say, glancing at everyone and the blood all over them and the room. "Good idea." They all filtered out of the room, giving glances to the window and occasionally the too-calm deer. It had surprised a lot of them that the kid was that calm and trusting of a bunch of dangerous lions, now that he knew they were dangerous at least.

  _______________°•○●○•°_______________

Dinner started as per usual, all of them sitting down at the table, Louis between Ibuki and Hino. All of them were cleaned and bandaged by now. Luckily no one had any serious injuries, mostly just cuts and bruises, somehow Hino had completely avoided getting clawed and looked as perfect as ever.

The silence wasn't uncomfortable per se but it also wasn't the usual chatter. Miguel swallowed his bite and let out a sigh. "Alright, we need to address the elephant in the room." Beside him, Jinma nodded and added, "As glad as all of us are about Chief fucking off, we need a new boss." The other lions agreed. Louis seemed like he was listening as well, but Ibuki wasn't sure how much of that the little deer understood.

"So who then?" Hino supposes, glancing around the table. "How about Sabu? He's been here the longest," Miguel suggests and immediately Sabu shakes his head. "Be that as it may, I refuse to take a position like that." The statement was simple, but it already pulled him from the possible list.

Naturally none of the lackeys or lower ranking members would get the chance, because out of the 30 of them that were left, only about 6 of them held the rank and knowledge to take over.

"What about Dolph?" Hino asks, deciding to add his two cents. Dolph shook his head and pointed to Ibuki, "How about Ibuki instead? He was the one to start the fight back there and that fight chased Chief off." All eyes turned to Ibuki, who frowned. He was only 22, the idea of becoming their boss never even crossed his mind.

The others looked between each other, since Ibuki didn't exactly protest the proposition. "All agreed then?" Dolph asks the group, who nod and then face Ibuki again. They bow with their heads to him and he isn't sure whether to be honoured or worried.

Since it was settled, they all went back to eating. Louis finished first, having the smallest portion and stood up on his chair to be a bit more eye level to the big lions. "Does that mean you're in charge now, Dad?" He asked Ibuki, having gripped onto the lion's shirt. Ibuki offered Louis a smile, his teeth sticking out slightly. "It looks like it, kiddo."

Louis smiled back, not sure how else to react but he was happy for his dad. None of the other lions commented on it, but you bet they all noticed the fawn calling Ibuki 'dad' and they would keep that in their back pocket to tease Ibuki about later. Guess now they had a new boss and an heir.

Louis jumped down from his chair and ran to the kitchen, where he struggled open the fridge, just like months ago, and grabbed the bottle of milk they kept around for him. Due to his clumsiness with holding onto anything heavier than his plushie, they still kept a baby bottle for him. He wasn't complaining and definitely didn't know any better. Now that Chief was gone, he didn't have to be glued to the other lions' sides anymore and on some level, he understood that freedom and he liked it.

Chapter Text

It's been a month since they chased Chief off and Ibuki had settled into the role of Leader surprisingly well. News had also spread fast about the new leader since the Shishigumi was operating a little differently and it was noticeable.

With Chief gone, they no longer had to be grabbing white herbivores from the City streets and they started appearing more in the Market, which was a scarce sight in the last couple years.

Louis had also adapted to the new way of living. He was no longer hidden and confined all the time and could move around the base as he pleased. By now, he'd learned their usual pattern. Most, if not all, of the lions would be out in the afternoon and would come back just before dinner. Sometimes they even left him home alone and he would end up watching TV until they returned.

Ibuki, now more than ever, realised how easily pleased a formerly abused child could be. They still didn't have a lot of toys for Louis, but the fawn had picked up quite the vocabulary from watching TV, and more specifically mellow dramas.

Ibuki woke up as the morning sun shone through the curtains, bathing his room in a warm orange light. He stretched and got up. Louis wasn't in his room, but that wasn't a problem anymore. These days Louis had the habit of picking one of them at night and falling asleep on that lion's lap, subsequently ending up spending the night in said lion's room. None of the inner Shishigumi minded though, they liked the kid. It had become somewhat of a competition to see who he'd fall asleep on.

Ibuki got dressed and walked to the dining room. Louis arrived shortly after with Dolph, a big, tired smile on his face. Ibuki was sat at the head of the table and Louis sat wherever the others left a seat open for him. Some of the lions were still half asleep so talk around the table was slow and far between, as usual in the morning.

Only difference of today was, Louis would be going out with them. They weren't all too worried about Louis getting hurt or taken since most of the Market's inhabitants were too afraid of the Shishigumi to pull something as incredibly stupid as that. They were worried, however, about how Louis would take the outing. He hasn't been outside the mansion since he was brought here 7 months ago. It was just a simple business meeting with the Dokugumi and their leader's kid would also be around. As they had come to learn, the kid was always in the sight of his grandfather.

Hino, for the better part of the last month, has insisted that they find Louis some friends his age. He couldn't just be spending all day everyday with a bunch of fully grown lions. It would also help with his development and while another gumi kid may not be the best idea, it was the best they could do. They couldn't exactly take the fawn to a park, one look at that mixture and people would be calling the cops, worried Louis was in danger.

Sabu offered to help Louis get dressed as all the lions set off back to their rooms to get ready for the meeting. Louis did his best to make it easier for Sabu to dress him but he was still awfully clumsy. Afterwards, Louis sat on Sabu's bed, his lion plushie held in his lap, as he watched Sabu getting dressed as well.

It was nothing new to see the lion hide knives and extra ammunition on him, nor was the shoulder holster packed with two semi-automatic pistols. What was new, was when Sabu picked him up and carried him along to the rest of the group. Usually they just said goodbye and left. Ibuki saw Louis' confusion and decided to explain to him with a soft look in his eyes.

"You're coming along today, kiddo." Louis seemed to perk up at that. "Really?!" He asked happily, wiggling in Sabu's arm. The group laughed and then exited out to the cars.

In the few times Louis had been allowed outside, under supervision of course, he'd seen the fleet of black cars, all lined up and shiny. Today, they were taking one of those cars to wherever they were heading.

Sabu was driving, with Hino in the passenger seat and Ibuki and Dolph sat in the back seat with Louis in between them. The windows were tinted but they didn't want anyone to see little Louis and get ideas. The two in the backseat lit up cigarettes and cracked the back windows open just a little.

Twenty minutes of driving with idle conversation and Louis asking a million questions about the things he could see out of the windows as they drove by, they finally arrived at the Dokugumi mansion.

Dolph took Louis and the fawn didn't seem to mind, holding onto Dolph's jacket as he sat on his hip. Ibuki lead the group with Sabu right behind him and Dolph and Hino trailing in the back. One of the Dokugumi members, clad in their usual style, lead the gang through the base to where they would be meeting. Louis seemed surprised by how wildly different the komodo dragons dressed compared to the Shishigumi.

The door swung open and an intimidating Komodo Dragon was looking over at them from his seat. Three of his men were standing behind him and off to the side, in the corner of the room but very much within view of everyone, was a small wolf pup, playing with some wooden blocks on the plush carpet. How a gang of komodo dragons ended up with a wolf pup was beyond them, but the Shishigumi couldn't exactly judge, seeing as they had a fawn in the midst of a gang of lions. The pup didn't even look up when they entered, seemingly used to keeping to himself when his grandfather had company.

The komodo dragon gestured towards the seat across from him and Ibuki sat down with the other three lions standing behind him in similar fashion to the komodos. He glanced at the fawn in Dolph's arm and offered a small smile. Meanwhile, Louis' focus had zoned in on the wolf pup, ignoring everyone else in the room. He seemed interested in the only other small animal here and Dolph took notice of this.

So while Ibuki started talking to the Komodo Dragon, Gosha, as Dolph overheard, Dolph set Louis down on the ground. Louis pulled on his clothes a little bit before carefully and slowly making his way over to the pup. Every few steps, he would glance back at the lions, who would subtly nod to him to go on. It gave him a little more courage.

When he was just a few feet away from the pup, said pup looked up at him. They stared at each other for a tense moment before the pup broke the stare and picked up a block, holding it out to the fawn. Louis took it, noticing the small claws on the little wolf's hand and the way his tail started wagging. "Wanna play?" Louis nodded, "Yeah!" The pup scooted over and Louis sat down beside him.

As they stacked the wooden blocks, they would sneak glances at each other. "I'm Louis, by the way," The fawn said as he reached beyond the pup for a triangular block. The pup's ears flicked in all directions, taking in the fawn's voice. "I'm Legosi," he said as his tail wagged a little faster, which Louis just quietly watched for a moment, appearing confused. "What?" Legosi asked with a giggle. Louis snapped out of it and looked at Legosi's face again, "Sorry, I've never seen someone do that."

Legosi tilted his head, "You mean wagging their tail?" Louis nods, "Yeah." Legosi giggled, his tail wagging faster. "I've never seen someone like you before." Louis seemed confused by that, "What do you mean?" Legosi poked Louis in the ribs. "Herbivores, silly. And even more a kid one." Louis frowned. "I'm not just a herbivore. I'm a deer and little deer are fawns." Legosi nodded, seeming to take in what he's been told, all while his ears flopped around cutely. "Cool."

They went back to just playing with the blocks, moving around each other and bumping into each other every now and again, the latter making them giggle and the kid who was bumped into would bump the other one back. It was all gentle, like they were testing the waters with each other, though it became more playful as time went on.

Gosha and Ibuki had stopped talking by now and were looking over to the two boys, small smiles on their faces. Their eyes met and with a nod, they looked over to their respective men and gestured for them to leave the room. They did as their respective leaders asked and the door closed behind them, leaving the two kids and their adults alone. It was best not to question these orders.

The two looked back over to the kids. "They seem to be getting along," Gosha commented and Ibuki hummed in agreement. The two kids suddenly started gently shoving at each other, rather than just the light bumps, and then they were full blown rolling on the floor, throwing light punches and shoving each other, all while giggling. The two adults knew they were being gentle because neither of the kids were complaining or seemed to be in pain.

"Is that normal?" Ibuki asked quietly as he looked back to Gosha. Honestly, they may be part of opposing Gumis but Gosha had more experience with kids, from what Ibuki could tell in previous meetings, and even now, so it wouldn't kill either of them if he asked. Gosha smiled, "Of course it is. They are just rough housing and as long as no one gets hurt, they'll be fine, see?" He gestured towards the two again, who were now laying on the ground, side by side, and out of breath but still giggling every now and again, the wolf's tail moving so fast one would assume he was going to take flight.

A couple hours passed before the Shishigumi finally left the Dokugumi mansion. Louis was fast asleep in Hino's arms and back inside the mansion an asleep wolf pup was tucked into the komodo dragon's side, equally as tired and also fast asleep.

Getting into the car, they all knew they could've left hours ago but the kids were having so much fun that neither Gumi wanted to break that up and tell them they had to leave, so when the two finally clutched out after tiring each other, the two Gumis parted ways, but not without the invite that Louis and Legosi were welcome to have another little playdate, even if it was under the guise of another business meeting.

Chapter Text

He walked the hallways of the Shishigumi mansion, taking note of everything and mentally mapping out the place. His stuff was already packed out in his new room, now he was curious enough to go explore the place.

Despite only being 18, he'd been deemed worthy to move up in ranks, however, in no way was he new to any of this. He's been carting drugs and weapons and whatever else for the Shishigumi for almost two years now and it had surprised him when he was called in by their leader, Ibuki, who offered him a place in their higher ranks.

Now, Free was wandering the hallways, trying to find the kitchen for something to drink and wondering what the hint of scent was that just smelled off. It was feint but he could still pick it up and it sure as hell wasn't lion in any shape.

Small pattering behind him caused him to stop and turn. In the hallway, just out of his reach, stood a small fawn, probably no older than 6, with a lion plushie clutched in one hand. The fawn stared up at Free, and Free, for all his might, wasn't sure what to do with himself.

He knew about the rumors that the inner Shishigumi had a fawn amongst them, presumably the leader's adopted kid, or maybe a delayed snack, none of the lackeys were really 100% sure of the validity of it. He bit his lip, wondering if how he looked was off setting with his plain white eyes.

Louis watched the new lion, knowing this was no one he was used to, but hadn't Papa said there would be a new member? Louis' hazel eyes scanned the lion, young looking and lacking pupils, with a shorter mane than any of the lions Louis was familiar with.

"Are you the new guy?" Louis asked and Free had to wonder how this kid was so innocent when he stood in the halls of a mafia hideout. "I suppose so, yeah." Free said, scratching his neck. He didn't know why, but he knelt down to be closer to the kid's height. "I'm Free," he said, voice gentle. If this was the Boss' kid, he wasn't about to make said boss mad at him. The fawn stepped closer, to his surprise, and with confidence, stated, "I'm Louis. Are you lost? You seem lost."

Free chuckled, "Actually, little guy, yeah, I'm a little lost. I was looking for the kitchen." Free watched Louis' ears perk up and then his hand was grabbed and he was being dragged behind a fawn, presumably leading him to the kitchen. His back was at an odd angle, but he kept up easily with the little guy. He couldn't help but notice while they walked, that this kid had to be the rumoured son of the boss, seeing as he just grabbed an almost fully grown lion's hand and showed him somewhere without an adult deer in sight. Free's clawed hand rested half open around the small fragile hand of the kid, though that didn't seem to deter him.

They reached the kitchen, where Louis finally let go of him and he straightened out his back. By the counter stood a lion with an x shaped scar on his face. Louis just ran up to him, "Hey Dolph!" Dolph smiled down at the fawn, having been busy with something. "Hey Louis, what are you doing?" Louis pushed a chair over and got up on it before speaking, "I found the new guy." Dolph turned towards where Louis was pointing and his gaze landed on Free.

Free awkwardly waved, before moving from where he stood in the doorway. He felt small under the gaze of the older lion. Dolph didn't seem to notice, since he just nodded at Free and turned back to what he was doing. He handed Louis a stick of celery and the fawn ran off with it in his tiny hand. If it hadn't been confirmed earlier, it was now. That was a mafia child.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Free grumbled as he woke up to a weight on his lower back. He was laying on his stomach in his bed. Groaning when he heard giggling, he twisted around to lay on his back, effectively throwing the weight off.

Louis giggled as he was slung to the side, bouncing a little as he landed a foot away from Free on the bed. Free grumbled, "It's 6am, kid. What do you want?" Louis moved to stand on the bed and said, "Food!"

Free grumbled more as he rolled onto his side, facing Louis, though he was still half asleep, "But you are food." Louis giggled again and grabbed his hand, just like the day before and through his sleep muddled mind, Free wondered yet again just how brave or ignorant this kid was.

Louis pulled on the giant hand, but without Free's cooperation, they weren't going anywhere. Free chuckled as he sat up, not pulling his hand away from Louis. "Fine, fine. I'm up, let's get you something." Louis smiled, "Yay!" He let go of Free and moved to jump off the bed.

Free stood up and yawned as he stretched a little. Once he had his bearings a little better, he had to wonder for a second how the fawn had even gotten onto the bed. It was way too high for him to simply have jumped up or climbed it. He didn't dwell on it, seeing how Louis was already halfway down the hallway.

In the kitchen, Free checked the fridge and found the celery sticks Dolph was busy with the day before. He took one and handed it to Louis, who started eating. He also handed the kid a sippy cup that was on the higher shelves of the fridge, it looked to have orange juice in it.

Louis happily took it and started eating, watching Free with those big eyes. Free moved to make himself some strong coffee. Once he was up, he was up and sleep wasn't something he'd find again easily. As the kettle heated, Free turned to see Louis still watching him. "You know, if you wake me up this early again, I'll eat you." Louis just gave him an innocent smile before biting the celery stick again. This kid was staggeringly calm after just being threatened by a carnivore.

By the time his coffee was done, Ibuki walked into the kitchen. It had been barely twenty minutes since Free was woken up, he couldn't fathom why anyone would be up this early. Ibuki smiled at the two and chuckled, "Seems he chose you this morning." Free mumbled the words mockingly under his breath, not realising he was doing it until Ibuki laughed. He'd just mocked the leader and the guy was laughing, frighteningly odd. Free would have expected a different response, being threatened or hit in some way.

Louis ran off to somewhere, leaving the two lions alone. Ibuki moved to make himself some coffee too, and Free, albeit surprised, just moved out of his way. He chalked the calm reaction up to Ibuki probably being half asleep and didn't want to risk asking.

"Louis does that. Every morning someone random gets woken up to get him his breakfast. Later someone will be followed to dress him and at night, he chooses a random lion to sleep in the room of. He doesn't have a room for himself yet. It's really cute." Free rolled his eyes, but had a small smile, "Yeah, cute."

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

About a week has gone by since Free joined and it had become a joke between himself and Louis that he would threaten to eat the fawn and Louis would just giggle at him. He'd also gotten more used to living here and the way everyone did their thing despite the fawn in the mix.

Half the lions were out today and the other half was somewhere on their own in the mansion, which left Louis alone with Free. The fawn was playing with some toys in front of the TV, but both of those things were annoying Free, even if the teenager wasn't sure why.

He placed a cigarette to his lips and lit it, hoping it would dull whatever was annoying him. It was a habit he wasn't proud of, but he picked it up while here. Everyone smoked, everyone drank, some would use some strange drugs, the latter was mostly just Sabu though.

Free found himself staring at the back of Louis' head. His fingers twitched and he had to swallow a good bit of drool. The kid was right there and no one was around to see him. He threw the cigarette butt into the ashtray on the sidetable and looked around. He didn't hear anyone else, didn't see anyone else.

He slowly moved and got up, crouching as he snuck closer to Louis. His jaws slowly opened. The kid had no idea, ignorant to the danger right behind him.

Heavy footsteps and a voice calling, "Free, where you at?!" snapped him out of it. He quickly moved back to the couch, pretending nothing was happening.

Miguel walked into the room a moment later. "Got stuck on Louis duty, huh?" He laughed. Free noted how big Miguel was. He was the brawn of the gang, Free knew that, but this guy was built like a brick wall of solid muscle. "Uh yeah. Did you need me for anything?" Free asked, but Miguel just shook his head, "You're watching Louis, I can get someone else." And with that, he left again. Free sighed in relief and noticed Louis was looking at the door where Miguel had been.

He felt a little bad for what he was about to do a minute earlier. Those big eyes shifted to him and it made what was left of his heart clench. He got an idea and even if it was a little risky, he was willing to take it. "Hey kid, wanna go out for ice cream?"

Louis' ears flicked in confusion and he tilted his head to the side. Free had to wonder where he learned that. "What's ice cream?" The question completely caught Free off guard and he had to think for a moment to find an answer to that. "It's sorta like a candy, but cold. C'mon, I'll take you to get some, I'm sure you'll like it." Every kid likes ice cream.

Louis ran to grab some shoes and Free reluctantly helped him put them on. Joining a gang never had a kid involved, at least in his mind. He'd become a glorified babysitter, he swore. Louis walked beside him to the front door and Free had noted the kid took like 6 steps for every one he took.

Knowing what went on outside that door, Free picked Louis up and put the kid on his hip. He was feather light, again catching Free off guard, but Free took a brisk pace as they crossed the lawn and entered the street below. He took a path he figured few would use in the market and soon found his way to where he wanted to go.

He and some friends used to frequent this shop in middle school. It was always less busy due to it's proximity to the Market. The shop was literally across the street from it. He glanced around and saw few people were around, thankfully. He didn't need suspicion from anyone about Louis' safety.

Louis was looking around at everything, clinging tightly to Free's shirt. He'd barely been allowed out in the Market, much less ever been outside of that.

Free entered the small shop and was relieved to see there was no one else there. It may have just been the time of day, but he chose not to worry about it. The shopkeeper smiled at him. "Free! Good to see you again!" He smiled at the old badger. The guy had always been really friendly with him and his friends, despite how frightening they may look to others.

He walked up to the counter and saw Louis eyeing the containers of ice cream behind the glass. He figured with what Louis ate, he could guess a decent flavour. "One rum and raisin scoop and one strawberry." He asked and the old badger got right on it. "Whose your little friend?" He asked as he handed Free the strawberry cone first. Free handed it to Louis, who looked at it contemplatively.

"This is the kid I'm babysitting, Louis. Need a little extra cash, ya'know." Free thanked the fact he could lie like second nature that the answer was convincable. The badger laughed and nodded, "Of course, I just never took you for the type who'd watch children, much less herbivore children." Free just shrugged and paid for the two cones when the badger handed him his cone. He wasn't sure how to respond to that implication, especially after remembering what he almost did earlier.

Free walked over to one of the tables and put Louis down carefully on one of the seats. He sat down beside him. Louis watched Free licking the ice cream for a moment before replicating it with the cone in his hands. Free couldn't help but laugh at how wide blown Louis' eyes went at the taste. "You seem to like it." He commented, making Louis turn his attention to him for a second.

Louis nodded vigorously and Free chuckled. "It's great!" The fawn said before going back to enjoying the treat. Free laughed softly to himself and he could see the old badger behind the counter trying to hold in his own laugh as well.

For a moment, Free could pretend the two of them weren't part of some dangerous mafia. They were just two kids in an ice cream shop, enjoying their day. He also couldn't help but feel guilty again for almost killing the kid. Who the hell knew the fawn would grow on him so much.

They sat in relative silence while they finished their cones. Some others came into the shop and bought ice cream, but other than some weird looks and whispers, they didn't confront the two, thankfully.

Free helped Louis clean his sticky hands with napkins once he was done eating. He was thankful Louis didn't get it all over his clothes. When they got up and Free went to pick Louis up again, Louis asked, "Can I sit on your shoulders on the way back?" Free was once again caught off guard by it, but he shrugged and agreed. "Just don't mess up my mane, kid." "Okay!"

He picked Louis up and placed him onto his shoulders. Louis kept his legs still and placed his hands on top of Free's head, grabbing a handful of mane without realising it. Free sighed, but the grip wasn't enough to hurt, so he let it slide.

The badger smiled at them as they walked out of the shop, Free being careful not to hit Louis' head on the doorframe. Free somewhat wanted to take the fawn to more places, but few would be as chill as the badger was upon seeing that mix and he might get into trouble with the gang for parading Louis around the City.

The walk back was just as fast and animal-less as it was here. Again, Free thanked the time of day. Market business wouldn't pick up until hours later into the afternoon. Louis didn't talk much, at least for someone his age, which was something that annoyed Free about other kids, but still struck him as odd in Louis. Everything about this fawn was weird.

They stepped back into the mansion and Free put Louis down, who giggled a "Thank you!" and ran down the halls to who knows where. He just heard an "Oh hey, Jinma!" As Louis turned the corner and a moment later, he saw the aforementioned lion. Jinma gave him a look with a raised eyebrow. "Where have you two been for the last hour?"

Free shrugged and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Just out to get ice cream." Jinma sighed, "You can be bloody thankful no one interrupted you guys. Wouldn't want the kid to get hurt, unless you want to incur the wrath of Ibuki." Free chuckled nervously and Jinma left with a grin.

Free found himself wandering back to his room, having nothing else to do now.

Chapter Text

It had been a slow day in the market, so Ibuki called up their 'friend' in the Dokugumi and arranged a time to meet so the kids could play.

It had gone similar to the last time, Louis and Legosi were playing in the corner with some toys the pup had and Gosha and Ibuki were sitting across from each other on plush couches in Gosha's office, while their closest Gumi members did whatever they did outside the office.

The two had just been watching the kids play in comfortable silence until Ibuki cleared his throat and effectively caught Gosha's attention. "You've been in this position longer than I have, and I've been wondering something." Gosha offered a small smile, but his eyes examined Ibuki's features for any signs of malintent. Their kids were friends, that didn't mean they were.

"Hmm?" Gosha hummed, giving Ibuki the go ahead to ask. "Louis' been catching up with his age, which makes me wonder if it'd be a good idea to send him to a school?" Gosha thought for a moment, then shrugged, "In my experience, children aren't too good at keeping secrets. There aren't any schools back here and it could cause a great fuss if they mentioned anything about the Gumis."

Ibuki frowned but he had to admit the old lizard had a point. "Then what would you suggest? I can't leave the kid uneducated." Gosha nodded, "I never said that. My plan with Legosi is to homeschool him until middle school, where he can be taught to properly keep a secret. I'd suggest you do the same." Ibuki was quiet for a moment as he considered this.

Louis could easily accidentally let slip who they were and then there'd be trouble and all that shit. Then again, did any of them have the ability to homeschool the fawn? If it was only until he started middle school, like age 12, then it was possible. Most of them finished middle school, even if almost none of them did the same with high school.

He let out a sigh and nodded in agreement, "That may be the best course of action." Now just to decide who had the patience to teach a fawn, evidently Hino didn't, remembering what happened when they tried to teach Louis to talk.

More questions about raising a kid from his side, and Gosha answering them to the best of his ability was exchanged. "Doctor wise, where'd you suggest we go?" Gosha frowned, which caused Ibuki to elaborate, "I found him in the livestock tower, I'm pretty sure he isn't vaccinated or anything and in the long run, there's a chance he'll still get sick."

That seemed to be enough for Gosha, who took out his phone and gave Ibuki the number of the doctor he had on payroll. "Since there's no doctors back here, this one is deeper into the City, however, he's chill with families whose kids aren't the same species as the parents." Ibuki nodded, thankfully. That was another thing he could tick off that wasn't a worry anymore.

The conversation went on like that.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Meanwhile, Louis and Legosi had built a 'castle' with Legosi's blocks and Louis had a small blanket tied around his neck like a cape while Legosi had a toy sword hooked in the loop of his pants.

"King Louis declares you the top Knight, Legosi. Now, go slay the dragon in the mountains!" Louis declared, pointing randomly into the air. Legosi giggled but playfully bowed, "As you wish, King Louis!" They both giggled again before Legosi ran a lap around the room, toy sword extended in front of him.

Legosi could hear the adults laughing at them, but didn't think much of it. They were friends and it was fun to play pretend with Louis. When Legosi finished the lap and returned to Louis, he held out a small plushie that looked like a dragon and said, "I have slayed the dragon, my King, and as proof, here is it's head."

Louis took the plushie and placed it on one of the walls of their castle, proclaiming, "Well done, my Knight!" They giggled again.

The two adults assumed the 'mounted' head of the dragon was some sort of a childish, more innocent, version of how they'd string up bodies at the gates of their respective mansions and the mounted skulls of fallen leaders on the walls of the offices. It was cute, in a morbid sense of the word.

The two had changed their game now. They seemed to be playing tag, after Legosi explained the concept of the game to Louis. Louis ran first, Legosi just short on his heels.

Legosi allowed Louis to get away for a solid few minutes before he tagged him, and then in turn, ran a little slower than he knew he was capable of, so Louis could keep up with him. He purposely let himself get tagged, and so they kept on for a while.

They didn't stop until Louis got winded from the exercise and they sat down to catch their breath.

Ibuki noticed this and wondered just where the pup had learned to be so considerate of someone less capable. He chalked it up to childish antics, figuring it would grow out of him later in life.

Legosi popped his head out of the door to the office while Louis was still catching his breath and then zoomed to the kitchen. He returned a minute later with two plastic glasses, half filled, with orange juice. He handed one to Louis and sat down beside the fawn once more.

Gosha smiled at the action. Legosi was thoughtful of others and while Gosha knew someone most likely helped Legosi pour the orange juice, it was a sweet gesture. When the boys were both done drinking, Louis seemed to have caught his breath.

Next thing he knew, Legosi was on Gosha's lap, tail wagging ferociously as he asked, "Can I take Louis to my room? I wanna show him my other toys!" Gosha chuckled and glancing towards Ibuki, who has been nothing but protective of the fawn the whole time, giving him his answer.

"Sure, Legosi, but keep him with you at all times, okay. DON'T lose him." Legosi nodded and then jumped back down to run over to Louis. The warning/order was abundantly clear.

He offered his hand to the fawn, who happily took it once he saw the adults agreed and allowed the wolf pup to pull him to his feet.

Legosi kept ahold of Louis' hand as he lead the fawn through part of the mansion to get to his room. Some of the gang members, burly komodo dragons of all ages, gave the kids a sneer, but because the fawn was with Legosi, they left them alone. Hell knew they didn't want to incur Gosha's wrath if any of them hurt the pup.

Two flights of stairs and several minutes of walking to the other end of the long winding hallway, they reached Legosi's room. The pup jumped up to reach the handle and open the door, only letting go of Louis' hand to do that, and then invited the fawn inside.

Louis took a glance at the room. It was bigger than the office was, with a large bed pressed up against the far wall under the window. Some other furniture stood around, along with a bookshelf and the floor was littered in toys of all kinds.

"Wanna draw?" Legosi asked from beside Louis, who nodded, "Yeah, we can draw." Legosi grabbed a bunch of paper and a pencil case full of crayons and pencils and markers. He cleared them a spot on the plush brown carpet that covered the floor and put everything down. Louis smiled as he walked over and sat down beside the pup.

They drew several pictures while talking about anything. Their favourite foods and TV shows, their favourite gang members excluding their parental figures. After about an hour of this, they put the papers aside and moved on to something different.

Legosi had a playful look in his eyes and his tail wagged in intervals of control and faster than Louis could comprehend. Legosi bumped his shoulder against Louis' shoulder a couple times and giggled when he poked Louis in the ribs three times. Louis giggled at the behaviour, not sure what to make of it. Then, Legosi nudged him on the neck really fast with his nose and jumped to his feet.

Louis clicked the pup wanted to play tag and jumped to his own feet quickly. He chased after the pup, laughing when Legosi would use quick turns to escape being caught. Legosi let Louis tag him and then turned to chase the fawn. Both of them were laughing and squealing in high pitched tones.

After a couple rounds of them tagging each other back and forth, Legosi tackled Louis to the ground instead of just tagging him. They landed softly on the carpeted ground and kept giggling as they went on to roughhousing.

Louis rolled them over so he could pin Legosi to the ground. Legosi's tail wagged like crazy and if it was moving any faster, it would cause them both to fly. Legosi rolled them and got up, grabbing Louis around the stomach and picking the fawn up off his feet. Louis squealed in delight and held onto the wolf pup's shoulders, kicking his feet.

Unbeknownst to the two kids, right outside the door stood Free and Savon, both having been tasked by their respective bosses to check on the two kids. "You think he's gonna accidentally hurt Louis?" Free whisper asked to Savon, who shrugged. "I doubt it, Legosi is gentle with kids his age." Savon whispered back.

They moved a step back from the door, which was open a crack that had allowed them to look inside. The giggling could still be heard. Free took a moment to just look at the young komodo dragon that stood with him. They were close in age, give or take a few years, and seem like the youngest of the gangs. Savon was well built and dressed in the same gear as the rest of the Dokugumi.

The giggling subsided to soft panting, the kid's seemingly catching their breath for a moment. Another Dokugumi member walked by and gave a little too long of a look at the door. Savon and Free both glared at the older male, who realised the situation and cleared off the floor quickly.

Sudden pattering footsteps had the two ducking for cover. Savon jumped and latched onto the ceiling while Free slipped in behind the door just as it swung open. The two kids ran in a direction quickly, Legosi holding onto Louis' hand and each having papers in their free hands. Neither of the older males made a noise nor were they spotted by the kids.

Once Legosi and Louis slipped around a corner, Savon landed on the ground quietly and Free moved out from behind the door. "Should we follow them?" Free asked and Savon shrugged once more, "Probably. Let's go."

They followed behind the kids quickly and found they went back to the office. Legosi let go of Louis hand once they reached the door and knocked firmly.

Gosha knew it was Legosi knocking due to how low on the door the knock sounded from. "Come in," He said and a moment later, the two kids ran inside and towards their respective adults. "Look what we made!" They yelled at the same time and handed their drawings to the adults.

Ibuki smiled at the cute drawings, most of them of people Louis knew, including the Shishigumi, Legosi, what Ibuki assumed is Gosha maybe, and it was really cute to the lion. It made his chest warm in a way he didn't know how to express. "These are really pretty, kiddo." Ibuki said, patting Louis' head and making the fawn giggle.

Gosha smiled at the pictures as well, Legosi having drawn himself, Louis, Ibuki and Gosha, as well as some of the other Dokugumi members. He pet Legosi's head, the pup's tongue hanging out and his ears flopping to the side. "You keep getting better. These are well done." Legosi's tail wagged.

Outside the door, Free and Savon were calmly leaning against the walls. They weren't sure if they should leave or stick around, so they waited for orders.

"Can I show Louis the roof garden?" Legosi asked and Gosha nodded. "The same thing applies as earlier. Don't lose him." Legosi nodded happily and waited for Louis to finish showing Ibuki the drawings before then taking the fawn's hand again. "Let's go to the roof garden!" Louis nodded and followed Legosi.

Legosi kept aware of the speed he was going, as to not trip Louis on accident. They made it to the roof garden quickly, unaware of the young adults following them.

Free and Savon followed the kids to the roof garden. Once the kids went outside, Savon gestured towards another set of stairs and Free followed him up. They ended up on a part of the roof that was higher than the garden, from where they could watch the two without the kids seeing them. Free was quickly learning komodos were animals of few words.

Meanwhile, Legosi was showing Louis all the plants. "That's a Venus flytrap and the vine one over there is watermelon. Want a strawberry?" Legosi rambled, picking a ripe strawberry and holding it out to Louis. Louis smiled at Legosi's excitement. He knew from TV shows that canines could be energetic but he found he could barely keep up with the pup at best.

He took the strawberry and bit into it, the action making the wolf smile and wag his tail again. Legosi kept talking and at one point even found a ladybug, carefully picking it up to show to Louis. The little bug crawled around his fingers and Legosi listed off facts about them.

Louis listened with half an ear, finding the the way Legosi got a bit more relaxed and serious when talking about bugs interesting. When Legosi was done and put the little bug back on a plant, something else had caught Louis attention.

"What's that?" Louis asked, pointing to a plant with dark leaves and small purple flowers and even smaller black berries. Legosi quickly dashed over and grabbed Louis' wrist tightly.

From the roof, the two adults tensed for a second, but relaxed when they realised what plant it was.

"Don't touch that!" Legosi yelled, Louis flinched a little but stayed still. Legosi realised he startled him and lowered his voice consciously, his ears flattening against his head. "Sorry, but don't touch that." Louis seemed to recover from the initial startle and curiously asked, "Why not? Are they not ready or something?" Legosi let go of Louis wrist and the fawn pulled his hands against himself. Legosi fiddled with his claws.

"No, that's not the problem. That's Belladonna. It's poisonous and could kill you. I don't wanna lose my friend," the last part was said in a quieter tone and Louis looked at the pup sympathetically. "Okay, I won't touch it, I promise. What other plants are up here?"

The two on the roof above let their features soften for a second at the cute way the wolf pup acted and then found themselves surprised at how good Louis was in redirecting the situation back into a favourable one. It may be subconscious, but it was there.

Legosi lead Louis around to show him more of the plants, returning to his earlier energy and happiness. He gave Louis some fruits to nibble on as they walked and even ate some himself. Louis found he liked the strawberries and blueberries best out of all of these.

They eventually sat down under a tree on the far edge of the garden. The sun was starting to set and they were getting tired.

Up on the higher part of the roof, Free glanced to Savon, who seemed to be enjoying the last rays of the setting sun. He himself enjoyed the bit of lazing in the sun they'd done all afternoon as a side effect of watching the two kids.

It wasn't long until said two kids fell asleep under the tree in the soft grass. They were cuddled up together and it was a rather cute sight, if the two young adults had anything to say about it. Their phones buzzed and they checked it. It was their respective bosses asking how the kids were doing. They sent quick replies and then stood up to go get the two.

Savon just climbed down the wall into the garden, while Free leaped over the side and landed on the grass below. Savon mentally noted Free was reckless. They walked over to the kids and picked up their respective mob heir.

As Free picked Louis up, the fawn stirred and clamped his arms around Free's neck, grabbing two handfuls of mane.

Savon was in a similar situation, with Legosi clamping his little paws over his shoulders and resting his snout against the artery of the komodo dragon's neck.

They shared a look and then quietly went on their way back to Gosha's office.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

It seemed like the two leaders really did end up doing business once the kids left earlier and both seemed just about ready to throttle the other into a not so early grave.

The young adults knocked and then entered the office with the sleeping kids in their arms.

Gosha took Legosi from Savon, the pup settling comfortably in his grandfather's arms and clutching his shirt in the process. He was at peace in his grandfather's presence.

Ibuki just smiled at Free and got up, patting Louis' head gently before saying their farewell and gesturing for the other lions to follow him to the car. Its been a long day for everyone and they just wanted to return to their own mansion and clutch out for the night.

Chapter Text

Ibuki found himself driving out into the City on a decent day with Louis being the only other animal in the car with him.

While it was odd for the two to be out alone, simply due to the Market and it's customs, the other lions had all agreed it would be less suspicious if only one lion appeared with the fawn in the City.

Ibuki was dressed as a normal civilian and Louis looked presentable, so as to not give away who they were to any onlookers.

The drive wasn't awfully long and there wasn't much traffic due to the time of the morning. Once he parked the car, he and Louis got out. Louis ran around the front of the car, far from other moving cars in the parking lot and made grabby hands at Ibuki. "Up?" Ibuki picked him up without much care for who was staring at the odd father-son duo. 

He walked inside the office and notified the lady at the reception desk. She had them sit for a moment in the waiting room. She seemed nice enough and hadn't said anything about the two, however Ibuki's grip on Louis tightened a little upon seeing how some of the others in the waiting room glared at them.

Louis seemed to pick up on how the others were looking at his papa and looked around the room too. Most of the others had moved on by now, but an Arctic fox was glaring at them while her pup played by her feet. Louis was standing on the chair beside Ibuki with his hands on the lion's shoulder and the lion's hand draped around his back gently, deciding his next move. He could be a little shit and make a scene, or...

A frown crawled onto his forehead and the subsequent glare that followed was enough to speak his entire mind. Ibuki noted if looks could kill, that lady would be a pile of dust. The fox seemed to realise this too and quickly looked down at her phone with an uncomfortable shift in her chair and her tail tucked in against her legs.

Louis' glare relaxed to his previous nervousness and he moved closer to Ibuki. "It's okay, kiddo. Nothing to worry about," Ibuki said quietly to the fawn. Louis nodded, "Okay." He trusted Ibuki and if the lion said it would be fine then it would be fine.

Not long after, the lady at the reception desk called them and Ibuki carried Louis into the back where the doctor's office was. Ibuki hoped for the best, after all, Gosha had recommended this doctor.

Walking into the office, Ibuki was only slightly surprised that the doctor was a dog, though he didn't show it. The doctor greeted them with an excited but friendly smile and a handshake. "Hello, I'm Dr Terry the Border Collie." Ibuki offered a gentle smile back and shook Terry's hand, "Nice to meet you, Terry. I'm Ibuki, the Masaai Lion and this little one is Louis the Red Deer."

The doctor kept smiling as he bent down slightly to look into Louis' eyes, "Hello Louis." Louis, albeit a little skeptical, tilted his head at the dog, "h-hello." Terry laughed softly. "Never seen a dog before, huh?" Louis shook his head and the doctor just smiled more. "That's okay, I promise I'm friendly."

Terry gestured towards the seats and Ibuki sat down with Louis in his lap. Terry sat down behind his desk, opposite them, and got to business. "So, what's the reason for today's visit then?"

Ibuki cleared his throat, "Just a general check up and maybe get him his vaccinations." Terry seemed a little confused by the latter, so Ibuki elaborated, "I adopted Louis from a sketchy place, I doubt he's ever been to a doctor, much less gotten the necessary shots." Terry seemed to understand then and relaxed a little more.

Once some more information was exchanged between Ibuki and Doctor Terry, the latter asked Louis to get onto the examination bed. With a small step stool and a little help from Doctor Terry, Louis managed to climb up onto the flat bed. The check up went quickly, as Louis was weirdly compliant, despite being nervous, and soon the fawn was back with his lion dad. Terry sat down behind his desk and offered Ibuki another smile.

"Everything looks to be in check, sir. Apart from being slightly underweight, Louis is in good health," Terry said and Ibuki felt relief flood his veins. He was way too thankful for that statement. Terry wrote something down on a piece of paper and handed it to Ibuki. "There's a clinic that does the vaccinations just around the corner from here, this slip explains the situation to whichever nurse will be helping you and Louis will have to get his shots over the course of the next six months. Unfortunately we can't give him all of them at once, as that could effect him negatively."

Ibuki nodded, that much made sense to him. "Thank you," He said and picked Louis up. The Border Collie waved them goodbye and watched them leave with the same sparkle in his eyes that he had through the whole visit.

Ibuki glanced at Louis as he sat on his hip on the short walk to the clinic. He wondered what Louis would do in response to a needle. Only time would tell now.

Once inside the clinic, Ibuki was surprised to find there was only one other parent there and she had a baby in her arms. Ibuki handed the slip to the nurse who greeted them, a female golden labrador with kind eyes. The lab gestured for them to follow her and Ibuki noticed Louis eyeing her with wide, curious eyes.

They were taken into a sideroom with cabinets lining the walls. It looked rather bland with it's white walls and beige cabinets, the grey flooring not helping, despite the attempt to make it less so with the colourful stickers on the walls and floor level cabinets. Ibuki put Louis down on the counter where the nurse had gestured and watched as the nurse grabbed everything needed. Louis seemed to be getting more and more nervous the more the nurse moved around.

He looked about ready to jump through the roof when Ibuki offered his hand and the fawn took it without hesitation. "Focus on me, kiddo, it'll be over quickly," Ibuki attempted to sooth the kid. He gently ran his thumb over the top of Louis' hand and could tell by how white the knuckles on the small hand were that he was holding on for dear life. Ibuki could barely feel the grip and chalked it up to being much bigger.

The nurse lifted Louis' shirt sleeve up a bit and prepped the area, saying, "It won't hurt one bit, okay buddy." Louis nodded and gulped, turning his head to look at Ibuki when the nurse inserted the needle.

Ibuki frowned as Louis' grip seemed to freeze and his whole body stopped in place, eyes blown wide. The nurse was already done and had put a band aid on the injection spot with little cars on it. Ibuki didn't pull his hand away but gently shook Louis' shoulder with his other hand, though still didn't get a response from the fawn.

"Uhm?" He mumbled as he looked at the nurse, who saw his confusion and giggled before saying, "The figurative 'deer in headlights'. He froze up, plenty of young fawns do when they get their shots. He'll be fine in a moment." Ibuki sighed in relief and nodded. "Okay, thanks." She offered a smile and reached into one of the cabinets to pull out a jar, taking something from inside.

Louis seemed to be regaining himself, his eyes returned to normal as he blinked and looked around the room, spotting the band aid on his shoulder. He pouted at it and released Ibuki's fingers. Ibuki ruffled Louis' head, "See kiddo, not so bad." The nurse held out a lollipop to the fawn, who took it and opened it quickly before popping it in his mouth. "I'm still mad," He mumbled around the sweet, making both the adults chuckle softly.

The nurse wrote something on a card and handed it to Ibuki. "This is his shots card, it should be filled in everytime he comes for a shot as proof he has them." Ibuki nods, but Louis jumped to his feet on the counter, yelling, "I have to get more?!" Ibuki offered a small smile, "Only a few. They'll be done and dusted before you know it." Louis pouted even more than before, which was incredibly adorable to Ibuki.

Taking the fawn and the card, Ibuki walked back to the car they came in. He put Louis in before getting in as well and starting to drive. He noticed the way Louis was glaring at him, so he cleared his throat and said, "If you stop being so angry, you and Free can go get Ice Cream again." It took a moment, but that promise made Louis calm down his anger a bit.

The drive back to the Market and the mansion was quiet apart from the radio playing. Louis listened to every time the radio cut out and it changed to static. He had learned by now that signalled the dead zones, where phones wouldn't have reception and radios were just buzzing. He'd been warned to not be caught alone in those zones, but that could be difficult, seeing as sometimes places weren't dead zones and other times they were. The market was weird in that way.

They soon pulled into the parking spaces of the mansion and immediately after the car stopped, Louis jumped out and ran inside. Ibuki rolled his eyes, figuring Louis was still a little pissed at what happened and moved on. He entered the mansion a few minutes after Louis did.

....

Free woke with a jolt as something dropped onto his back. He groaned and pushed himself up on his elbows so he could turn and see what it was.

A frown creased his brow as he noticed Louis sitting on his lower back, looking upset as all hell and staring intensely at the young lion, who'd previously been taking an afternoon nap.

"Ice cream." It was short and simple and it took Free's still half asleep brain a couple minutes to process the meaning of the fawn's words.

"Do you want ice cream?" Free asked him, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was barely past lunch time. "Ice cream," Louis answered him firmly once more. Free sighed and his shoulders slacked a little. "Alright, but will you get off my back so I can get up?" Louis pouted at him, crossing his arms. Free sighed, "If you don't let me up, we can't leave for ice cream."

The fawn's ears wiggled as he thought and then he crawled over Free's back and sat on his shoulders. Free shook his head, the nerve of this kid, but that would work. He pushed himself up and Louis seemed to adjust to the stance in the process, holding onto the young lion's mane.

Free took a moment to grab his wallet and phone before they headed out. Ibuki and Dolph were talking just beyond the foyer and Free tried to move passed them without being noticed. That, however, was a challenging feat when you had the resident child with you, the one that everyone was always on the lookout for.

"You two going out?" Ibuki asked and Free almost jumped out of his skin. Despite how much time he spent basically babysitting Louis, he didn't have a lot of interactions with the boss. "Uh yeah, he wants ice cream," Free said, making Ibuki smile and Dolph give him an amused look.

On top of his shoulders, just barely sticking out from behind the pompadour style his mane was in, Louis was pouting and sticking his tongue out at Ibuki. The two older lions found it adorable, with Dolph trying hard to not laugh at the kid's face.

"Don't get caught," was Ibuki's words before he and Dolph moved to wherever they went. Free looked at them incredulously, but didn't question it. He wasn't sure when him taking Louis out of the base became a normal thing around here, but it was surely better than getting into trouble for it.

The same quick route as last time was taken and they crossed the familiar street just outside the market to the ice cream shop. The shopkeeper greeted them again, as friendly as last time, and Free noted how empty the place was yet again. He ordered the same as the time before and took the cones and Louis to go sit down at one of the tables.

Apart from the two words at the mansion, Louis hadn't said a single other thing on the way over. Free coaxed him into getting down to sit on a normal chair, not wanting melted ice cream in his mane, and Louis reluctantly complied.

"So, you gonna tell me why you're so pissed?" He asked the fawn, who gave him a side glance while he licked his ice cream, less pouty now that he had the frozen treat in his hand. He seemed to think about it before he started talking.

"Papa took me to this doctor guy, he's a Border Collie, really friendly, and then we went down to another place and some lady poked me with a thing and it hurt, look!" He lifted his sleeve to show Free the band aid. Free was trying hard to not laugh at the reason. It was so stupid to him, but Louis looked so serious saying it.

He reigned in his amusement enough to say, "Well, ain't that shitty of him." Louis nodded, glad to see someone agreed with him. "Yeah! And turns out I have to get more! This sucks! It's absolute bullshit!" Free almost lost his composure at Louis swearing. Apparently the fawn has a colourful vocabulary when he is mad. The shopkeeper was also looking at Free as if he's the reason Louis knew these words. He wasn't. Louis spoke like this when Free arrived to the mansion, but no one would ever admit who among them is responsible for it.

He offered a lopsided smile to the fawn, "Well, at least you got ice cream out of the deal." Louis nodded, in a better mood now that he vented and went back to his cone. For a little extra consolation, he bought Louis a second cone, this time a different flavour, Peach, which the fawn was grateful for and enjoyed as well.

When they were done, Free made sure Louis cleaned his hands before picking the kid up onto his shoulders once more. No matter how many times he had to deal with Louis, he was not dealing with sticky hands in his fur.

On the way back, Free noticed Louis' grip loosen a bit and then soft snores came from the bundle on his head. It would forever confuse Free as to how the fawn, a small herbivore, could feel safe enough to fall asleep in the Black Market and moreover, on a lion. The rest of the walk took a little longer, because Free didn't want to wake Louis by walking too fast.

Back at the mansion, Free carefully shifted Louis into his arms and took the sleeping fawn to his room. In no means was Free's room anything special, but he'd gotten yelled at last time he went into anyone else's room. He put Louis in the bed and tucked him in before heading to the dining room for dinner.

The conversation was as casual as it usually was and the steaks were good. Free had gotten used to good eating since he entered the inner ranks and it was one thing he swore to never complain about. Then the question arose and he was caught in the spotlight that he wanted to avoid.

"How'd the afternoon with Louis go?" It was Jinma who'd asked, but everyone's attention turned to him because it included their favourite deer child. He cleared his throat and shrugged, "As normal as it could go. Ran into no trouble, but he did vent in some colourful language and fell asleep on the way back, so he's currently napping in my room." They nod and Free saw Ibuki and Dolph give him a smile before returning to their previous chatter.

Miguel elbowed him in the side and before Free could ask, said, "Can he even breath in the chaos that is YOUR room?" It was nothing more than a playful jab, so Free scrunched his nose at the older lion and said, "For your information, my room is clean enough, thank you very much." This caused both Miguel and Jinma to laugh. Free noted it wasn't all too unpleasant.

Chapter Text

Louis woke up cuddled in a warm embrace. Ibuki's arm was wrapped protectively around the fawn as the lion slept and it was where Louis felt safest to rest. He smacked his lips and realised just how dry his mouth was, so the fawn ever so carefully moved out of the arm wrapped around him, a lot harder to do when said arm was bigger and thicker than his whole body.

He jumped off the bed, landing quietly on the plush carpet of Ibuki's room, his lion plushie landing on the floor beside him. He picked it up and tucked it in his arm before heading for the door. Using the little step stool Ibuki kept for him, Louis opened the door easily enough and slowly started walking down the hallway.

He'd been living with them for over a year now and he'd learned the layout of the mansion pretty well, the nightlight Dolph put in the hallway for him helped too. He walked close to the wall, keeping his free hand on it to guide him a little more. It was no secret his night vision was piss poor compared to the rest of the inhabitants here. Louis hand made contact with an old rusted screw that stuck out of the wall, signalling he was a few feet from the stairs.

Louis crossed the width of the hallway and made it to the stairs, taking hold of the railings. They wiggled slightly as he clung to them with one hand while slowly going down. He feels like one day these railings will just fall off, but his want for something to drink was greater than his need for adult help right now.

Louis gasped as his foot slipped and he grabbed hold of the railing tightly, narrowly avoiding falling down the stairs. His heart pounded from the sudden adrenaline rush and safe to say, he wasn't all too sleepy anymore. It didn't help that these stairs were made for adult large carnivores, not herbivore kids.

He steadied himself and started descending once again. Halfway down, his bare foot touched something solid and soft and he almost jumped back in surprise. Holding onto the rail with one hand, he bent down on his haunches and stuck his other hand out a little ways, still keeping the lion plushie in his arm somehow.

His hand made contact with something big, warm and soft. It appeared to be moving, breathing. Confused, Louis moved a little closer and once he had both hands on the form, he could hear the breathing just a few feet away from him. He followed the sound and the form, only to realise it was Hino, fast asleep on the stairs. Louis laughed softly, wondering how the pretty lion had managed to fall asleep on the stairs of all places.

He sat down by Hino's head and messed with his mane, noting that it was indeed as soft as it always looked. He stuck his little hand in as far as it would go, until he touched solid structure, which was almost shoulder deep for the little fawn. He shook Hino's head a little in an attempt to wake the sleeping lion, but it didn't seem to work, so he just pulled his hand back out.

He was about to move around Hino and head down to the kitchen, when a door somewhere downstairs creaked open and slammed shut a second later. Two sets of footsteps could be heard coming towards the stairs. Louis listened closely, holding onto a strand of soft, white mane for comfort.

A set of heavy footsteps started up the stairs and a much lighter, but more clumsy sounding set was close behind. Louis recognised the heavy footfalls as Miguel's due to everyone being able to hear whenever he goes up and down the stairs. He was big and had a lot of muscle, so when he walked around, it was loud. The other set was still unnamed, until the owner of them unceremoniously tripped and cursed in the process.

"Fuck!" The voice yelled before a loud thud followed. "You good, Free?" Miguel asked, stopping his ascend of the stairs to look back at his comrade. "Yeah, landed on my feet... ow.." Free grumbled profanities in drunken slurs as he got back up and reattempted the stairs. "That's what you get for being so drunk, you reckless teenager." Miguel commented as he started going up the stairs once more.

Louis had the afterthought to move to the side, not sure if they would see him on the stairs at this hour and he didn't fancy getting kicked accidentally by their spiked shoes. He did just that, shuffling back until his back was against the one side of the railings, with his little plushie in his hands. He didn't know why he was nervous, it wasn't like he would get into trouble for being up.

"Yeah yeah! Laugh it up!" Free drunkenly mumbled while Miguel laughed. "You should ease up on thaAH-" Another thud and a loud groan came from the very muscular lion and Free cackled right behind him. Miguel recovered and glared at what he just tripped on. "Shut up, Free! You'll wake the whole damn compound!" This only served to make Free cackle more, causing him to bend over in laughter and having to hold onto the railing so he didn't fall again.

Louis smiled at the display, trying not to laugh along with Free. Miguel stood up and sighed at the lump of white fur on the stairs. "How the fuck did you not wake up from that?" He mumbled, nudging Hino with his foot. His eyes moved to where Hino's head was and then followed to the smiling fawn. His eyes widened, and finally Free calmed down from his laughing fit, before Miguel bent down slightly and said, "What are you doing up at this hour, Louis?"

The fawn shrugged, "Wanted to get some water and almost tripped over Hino, just like you just did." He giggled, making Miguel sigh. Louis couldn't see Miguel, but he knew he had to be close if he tripped over Hino, who was on the steps around him. "You shouldn't be on the dark stairs alone, you could fall," Free mumbled, moving to all fours to climb over Hino, who was still fast asleep, and went up the rest of the stairs like that, only getting back upright when he reached the top.

Miguel groaned, but agreed, "He has a point." "I'll be okay, I promise," Louis said, standing up and holding onto the railing again. Miguel watched Louis very slowly make his way down the too big stairs and disappear around the corner to the kitchen, before he turned to Hino again. "I get you have a lot of work, we all do,  but you can't sleep on the stairs, I've told you this before." Miguel groaned, bending down and picking Hino up like a bag of potatoes.

He carried the white lion up to his room and dropped him on top of his bed before leaving to head to his own room. Hino didn't so much as move to a more comfortable position, just lying exactly as Miguel left him.

Meanwhile, Louis had made it down to the kitchen, pushing open the door and flicking on the lights for the first time that night. The kitchen lights won't bother anyone, he hoped.

He jumped up on the counter, with help of his step stool and drank some water straight from the tap with his hand, something he'd become accustomed to doing. Once he was done, he jumped back down, shut off the lights and followed the wall back to the stairs, a creaky floorboard letting him know he was in front of said stairs. He wondered if he really wanted to head up the steps again, seeing as they were so big and he was tired.

Sudden shuffling beside him, on the ground floor, made Louis jump. "Just me," Sabu commented, though he was sure Louis couldn't see him. He didn't know why the old lion was up at this hour, but he didn't care either. "Help me up the stairs?" He asked, looking in the direction he though Sabu was in.

Sabu let out a sigh and rolled his eyes but agreed, "Okay, I'm gonna reach over to pick you up." That was as close as Louis was going to get to a 'don't get scared when I touch you' from the old lion.

Two large, clawed hands wrapped around Louis and picked him up, he rested his own hands on top of them, liking how warm Sabu was. Sabu put Louis on his hip and made it up the stairs quick and easy. He put Louis down at the top, the fawn thanking him, before going their separate ways.

Louis assumed Sabu went to his room, while Louis used the wall and the faint light from the nightlight on the wall to find his way back to Ibuki's room. He yawned loudly as he closed the door and went over, clambering back onto the bed. He settled in against Ibuki's chest and let the warmth and steady heartbeat lull him back to sleep. Ibuki's arm curled around Louis once more, despite the lion still being asleep.

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The next Morning while everyone was slowly waking up and making their way to the kitchen, Louis sat cross legged on the counter with a tiny cup of tea in his hands. Dolph was making coffee for himself and Ibuki, and whoever else walked into the kitchen.

Miguel walked into the kitchen loudly, still in trackpants and a tanktop, having evidently just returned from his usual morning run.

"Coffee?" Dolph asks, not waiting for an answer before grabbing Miguel's cup and making him some. Miguel just gave a noncommittal grunt and sat down, still trying to cool down from the run.

A growl came from down the hallway and Jinma was the next to join them in the kitchen, looking rather irritated. "Whoever put that single lego at the bottom of the stairs, I will have their tail!" He grumbled as he threw a single four block lego out the open window. Everyone in the kitchen laughed, including Louis, who had a sneaking suspicion it had been Sabu the night before. After all, Louis didn't own legos that small, so no one could blame him.

Sabu joined them next, followed by a still half asleep Free, who handed Louis his lion plushie. "Careful 'bout leaving your toys on the stairs, Fawn, someone could fall over it," Free mumbled as he ducked into the fridge to dig out leftovers. Louis giggled, "Thanks for finding Mr. Roars!"

Free flinched, probably getting over a hangover, as Sabu implied, but Louis didn't really know what that was.

Hino was the last to join them, his mane was a mess and his eyes barely stayed open, but he took the cup of coffee Dolph handed him with a thankful smile before sitting down. "Who dragged me to bed? I remember passing out on the stairs, so who did it?" He mumbled over the rim of his cup.

Miguel sighed and put his now empty cup down, "I did, you really can't be sleeping on the stairs, Prettyboy, someone is gonna trip over you." He grumbled.

"Like you did last night?" Free quipped from where he stood, squatted like a gremlin, in front of the fridge, scarfing down leftovers. Miguel's sneaker hit him square in the back of the head a second later, causing another flood of laughter in the kitchen and grumbling from Free as he rubbed the inflicted area.

Louis had long since finished his tea and smiled when Free handed him a stick of celery from the fridge before returning to his weird gremlin squat eating. Louis liked to notice which mugs the lions had their coffee in, cause everyone had an unofficial mug that only they used. No one would admit this though, so it went unspoken.

Obviously, Louis' mug was the smallest, green with little golden antlers on it. Ibuki had a simple transparent brown glass mug and Dolph had a dark blue mug with the words 'don't talk to me until I've had three coffees', on it in silver. Miguel had a black mug with the words 'my warmup is your workout' on it in white print and Jinma's mug had a little blue brain that was half coloured with the words 'knowledge loading'.

Sabu had a black mug with purple fangs that only appeared when it was heated up, while Hino had white mug with little golden feline pawprints all over it. Free had a white mug too, with the word 'UNT' on it in black and the handle was black too. Louis didn't really understand that, but figured to each their own.

After breakfast, everyone dispersed again to go get ready for the day. They had stuff to do and places to be. Free found Louis almost all the way up the stairs and picked the little fawn up, carrying him up with him.

An idea popped into Free's mind at the top of the stairs and he gently threw Louis into the air and caught him again. He wasn't throwing him very high, just a few inches (see three feet) above his hands and catching him again. Louis found great entertainment in this, giggling and squealing loudly.

Free finally put Louis down after a few throws and the kid ran off to go get dressed, still giggling happily. Free was so focused on Louis that he didn't notice Hino moving like a ghost up the stairs. The same ghost that smacked Free upside the head. "Hey! What was that for?!" Hino scoffed, "You could've dropped him and he would've gotten seriously hurt." Free grumbled, "But I didn't drop him, so it's okay!"

The glare both were getting from Sabu, who was coming up the stairs behind them, made them stop their bickering and split off fast.

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Thirty minutes passed before everyone was done and heading off into their respective jobs for the day.

Louis, now fully dressed, sat at the bottom of the stairs and watched as everyone left, noting their looks and jobs, the latter being based on just what he could overhear them saying.

Free and Miguel were off to deal with some rough ups for information or cash that whoever owed them, armed with guns, claws and bronze knuckles. It was a familiar sight for them.

Hino and Jinma were off to strike deals and negotiate jobs, apparently Hino's looks were good for jobs. If Louis hadn't heard their voices, he would have never known they were coming down the stairs due to how quietly they were walking, despite their spiked leather shoes. Louis really wanted a pair of those for himself in the future.

Sabu had a bag with him and was heading to East Pavillion to check up on the drug trade there yet again. Louis could distinctly hear the roar of Sabu's motorcycle as he left, along with two more apparently following him. He listened to the engines until he couldn't hear them in the distance anymore.

And lastly, Dolph and Ibuki were off to talk to the Madargumi, something about the upcoming day of depravity. Louis didn't understand what that meant, but thought it better to ask at a later time.

It wasn't unfamiliar to Louis to be left alone in the mansion for a couple hours, so he had things to keep himself busy with. For a second, Louis wondered if Legosi was ever left alone at the Dokugumi hideout and decided to ask him the next time they spend time together.

A thought crossed his mind and he made his way up the stairs again, cursing their size for the umpteenth time this week. He quickly ran to Ibuki's room once he reached the top and searched through the box of toys he had up there.

Finding what he wanted, he took the colourful spring and bag of rubber balls, his lion plushie being grabbed by the tail on the way out. He sat at the top of the stairs and placed his plush lion beside him. "Watch this, Mr Roars!" He exclaimed, placing the slinkie at the top of the stairs and nudging it. He giggled loudly when it moved down the stairs, making a brightly coloured worm form as it did. It amused his little mind.

Next was the little bag of rubber bouncy balls. He dropped them down the stairs, finding amusement in how they bounced and hit the wall at the bottom. He dropped several one by one and then just tipped the whole bag to let out at least 20 more. He laughed and clapped his hands.

"Wasn't that great, Mr Roars?!" He said, quickly getting up to head down the stairs and pick up his toys to repeat the action.

This continued until the lions started returning, Sabu being the first one and narrowly sidestepping a bouncy ball that flew passed his face. He raised an eyebrow at the giggling fawn, who was sat at the top of the stairs. Louis couldn't see it, but under that bandana, the old lion was smiling.

Chapter Text

It happened too fast for the fawn to even realise. One moment he was following Legosi into an alleyway, the pup following a blue butterfly that caught his eyes about ten minutes ago in the Dokugumi mansion grounds, and the next Legosi pulled Louis behind him against the wall.

Legosi was on high alert, the fur on his neck raised and making a sound somewhere between a hiss and a growl that only a hybrid like him could ever make. His eyes were focused on something, or rather someone, big and he made sure to stay between them and Louis.

Louis, with one hand on Legosi's shoulder, leaned up to see around the wolf pup and then froze in place. A full grown male Hyena was standing at the entrance of the alleyway, eyes dull and teeth bared. Though, that wasn't what scared Louis, what scared him was the chunks of missing fur and flesh on the hyena's arms and shoulders. He looked deranged, meat drunk, as Louis had learned from the lions he called his family. Legosi knew this too by the looks of it.

Legosi moved his hand to his pocket but realised he didn't have his gun, it hadn't been necessary to have it earlier cause it would just be a playdate, now he regretted not having it on him at all times. He sized the other guy up, barely being able to hear what the hyena was saying through it's snarling. He was small and wouldn't put up much of a fight but he'd be able to cause enough distraction for Louis to run away and that's all he cared about.

The hyena got closer and Legosi backed more into the wall, moving Louis with him. The fawn was still frozen, absently letting the pup guide him. "Lou, you okay? You gotta run when I storm him, alright?" Legosi said, keeping his eyes on the meat drunk carnivore. He knew they were easy targets, but he'd at least try.

Not getting an answer from Louis, Legosi dared a glance over his shoulder and then remembered what his grandpa had taught him. Deer could freeze in place when in shock or scared, something he was told in case it accidentally happened on one of their playdates. This was bad.

He shook Louis a little and the fawn seemed to come back to reality. Louis looked around the alleyway and then beyond the hyena, seeing a familiar lanky form. "FREE!" He called out, startling both the wolf pup and the hyena for a second before the hyena jumped at them. Legosi braced himself for an impact that never came.

A feline snarl and komodo hiss startled both kids as a blur of yellow brown fur and green scales came down on the hyena. Free and Savon had evidently been looking for them and when they heard Louis call, jumped into action.

It was the first time since the fight in the office that Louis witnessed just how vicious these beasts could be. He clutched at Legosi's shoulders, curious to see the outcome, the wolf pup seemed unfazed by the blood and gore. The hyena screamed as venom ate through it's arm and then a loud crack followed as a mix between Free's brute strength and Savon's venom caused the hyena's head to be ripped clear off his body.

The body dropped, followed by the head, then two panting beasts looked at the kids against the alley wall. Free wiped the blood on his hands off on his pants, heading over to get Louis. Legosi watched the lion closely. When the pup saw no danger from the teenager, he moved away and allowed Louis to be picked up. Free was, thankfully, understanding of the wolf's choice of actions.

Savon also came over and when Legosi held out his hands, picked the pup up. At least if Ibuki ever wondered if Louis was in danger spending time with the wolf, this would put his worries to rest.

The two walked back in silence with the kids, glancing at each other from time to time. This would warrant some explaining.

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A week has passed since that close call and the lions had made a decision on how to handle this. They would have had to train Louis to fight at some point, it just came earlier than they expected.

It would start simple. Ibuki always saw how Louis eyed their guns, but until now, they'd kept the guns out of the fawn's reach. Now, Ibuki and Louis stood in the underground shooting range that resided under the mansion, Ibuki holding a gun out for Louis to take.

Louis was hesitant, glancing between his father and the gun, but carefully took it from the lion. Ibuki offered a smile and Louis nervously returned one. The lion allowed his adopted son to look over the unarmed gun for a moment.

Louis saw it had no ammunition yet, so he tested it's weight and noted how it felt in his hand. It was a small gun, made to fit small delicate hands, though it still held some weight to it. The safety was on, despite no ammunition being in it yet.

Ibuki sat on his knees behind Louis and said, "From now on, this is your gun. I want you to have it with you at all times outside of the mansion walls, got it?" Louis looked into his dad's eyes and nodded. "Good," The lion smiled.

They spent the whole afternoon there, with Ibuki explaining to Louis how to properly handle a gun and the right way to holster it. He was all too aware they were giving a 7 year old a gun, but in the Black Market, it had just become a must.

To Ibuki's absolute surprise, it took only three shots for Louis to get used to the gun's recoil and he was a natural at it. The kid had good aim and switched magazines as if he had years of practice. The fawn was all too happy to receive praise for how good he was at this.

Ibuki showed him how to properly holster it and warned Louis to always keep the safety on unless he was 100% sure he wanted to hurt the animal it was aimed at. Louis took it all in and memorised what he was taught. He understood why he was being taught this. If Free and Savon hadn't showed up, both he and his friend would have been hurt or killed that afternoon. The memory stuck with him vividly.

----------

A couple days passed and Miguel invited Louis to go train with him. Like all the other lions, Miguel chose to give Louis the freedom of deciding whether he wanted to train or not. They didn't want to force him, knowing the fawn was a stubborn kid when he wanted to be.

So, Miguel found himself in the training room with Louis. It was sort of a homemade gym that was hidden somewhere in the mansion, though it served a good purpose. Miguel noted to maybe involve Legosi for some sparring with Louis in the future, seeing as it would be too unfair for the fawn to attempt to spar with anyone in the Shishigumi. 

He sat down on his knees, a sparring mat below them and Louis in front of him, with some equipment nearby. Using a punching bag within their reach, he demonstrated a simple couple of punches. Louis watched him intently and attempted to copy him.

Miguel had to bite his tongue to keep from admitting how cute it looked. This was not the time. He had Louis stand with his back against his chest, to show the fawn a better perspective of what to do and showed him again.

This time, Louis had a frown on his forehead as he focused and attempted to do the same. He didn't move the punching bag nearly as much as Miguel had when he punched it, but Miguel was more focused on the fawn's form. "That's good, Louis. Keep going," He encouraged the small fawn.

Again it was times like this where Miguel realised how truly small Louis was compared to any of them, especially himself. He was built like a brick wall and could hit someone square off their feet without even using his full muscle power, yet the fawn leaned back against his chest and Miguel could tell he was relaxed in his presence. It would forever surprise him.

The afternoon was spent teaching Louis the basics of fighting and ensuring he could keep his balance and form while he did it. By the time dinner rolled around, Louis was tired and sweaty, but he had a proud lion looking over him and his progress. Even Miguel would admit, Louis was a fast learner.

Dinner that night was a hearty beef stew and Louis couldn't eat enough of it.

----------

Two months of physical training and gun training from the two prior lions passed before Free roped Hino into giving Louis a little bit of a different form of training.

They'd chosen a day when Legosi was over, with permission from Gosha and Legosi agreeing beforehand. It wasn't strange for Legosi to be over on training days anymore. He was a little more experienced than Louis with fighting skills, but would dial it down so Louis could learn from the sparring as well.

So the four of them stood in the training room, Hino a few paces behind Free, who was doing what Louis referred to as 'the gremlin squat' before the two kids. Legosi stood beside Louis, hands folded behind his back and a goofy smile on his face.

"Training today is going to be a little different," He began to say, glancing between the two kids. "No offense Louis, but you are small and scrawny and Miguel's methods alone aren't going to always work." Louis tilted his head and frowned at Free, which made the teenager continue to explain. "Being scrawnier than your opponent isn't necessarily a bad thing though. I wanna teach ya how to use your scrawniness to your advantage. Hino and Legosi is gonna help me."

Louis clicked what Free meant and glanced between the other two animals in the room. He nodded, "Okay, makes sense." He'd begun seeing Free as an older brother and was happy the lion was still looking out for him.

The kids were gestured to step back a bit and the two lions demonstrated what to do after Free explained it. Louis watched intently as Hino grabbed Free from behind with one arm around his neck and the other around his stomach. This was a hold Louis had seen a couple of times.

Free twisted and moved, slipping out of Hino's grasp and continuing to escape the larger and older lion for a full ten minutes. Then they stopped and Free explained a couple more things to Louis before saying, "Okay, so now, Legosi is going to try and pin you down, you have to escape that for as long as possible." Louis nods and the two lions moved to give the kids some space on the sparring mats.

Legosi had gotten similar training from Savon and some of the other younger members of the Dokugumi, as well as offensive fighting. He and Louis nodded at each other before they started. Legosi moved fast, using his speed to his advantage and grabbing Louis in a similar hold as the one Hino had originally gotten Free in. It took a good minute but Louis managed to wriggle free and get on his feet, facing Legosi with a smile.

The pup jumped at him, sidestepping the hit Louis threw at him and got behind the fawn, grabbing him around the chest and under his arms, locking him in place. At this point, Louis remembered something. Back in the stockmarket cages, he once saw a bunny go limp in one of the guy's arms and slip out of his hold by having her body become like jelly before running to get away from him. Louis quickly threw this into his tactics and went limp, sliding out of Legosi's grip like soap, before jumping to his feet and facing the pup again.

Legosi seemed utterly caught by surprise, which made the fawn grin devilishly. Their sparring went on for a while, until Louis started getting winded and Legosi managed to pin him to the ground with Louis' one arm behind his back.

Louis panted and could hear Legosi do the same, though the pup still had plenty of energy left in him despite his own heavy breathing. Free's voice shook them both out of their concentration, "That's enough, take a break."

Legosi looked at the lion, letting go of Louis and moving to sit back on his haunches, standing up as Louis rolled around onto his back to properly catch his breath. Legosi offered a sweet smile and held his hand out for Louis to take. The fawn took it and welcomed the help getting up. He was tired as shit.

Free handed each of them a small bottle of water and the two drank it down like dehydrated plants. This made the two lions laugh. "Shall we go see what the others are up to?" Hino suggested, getting a nod from the kids. Free picked Louis up onto his shoulders and Hino chuckled softly when Legosi latched onto his leg and stood on his shoe. He would be able to walk no problem and that seemed to be the pup's intention.

----------

Another month passed, the four previously mentioned lions all taking turns to train Louis in their spare time. It was paying off rather well so far.

Today Dolph had decided to get in on the action while he and Louis were alone in the mansion. "Hey kid, want to learn to fight with knives?" Louis' eyes immediately lit up and he agreed not a second later.

The two found themselves in the now familiar training room, Dolph handing Louis two knives that would fit his small hands. Louis messed with them a bit, getting used to the weight in a similar fashion as he did with the gun. To Dolph, they were mere throwing knives, small and light, but in Louis' hands, they looked more like daggers. For a second the realisation made Dolph stare at the fawn, but then he shook his head and regained himself.

Since they were a crime syndicate, they didn't really have fake weapons that they could train Louis with. Dolph had to give him actual knives and hope neither of them got too hurt during the training.

Dolph started out similarly to how the others did, showing Louis a couple easy moves and then watching the fawn attempt them. He gave some advice and stayed just outside of Louis' reach as he moved with the knives.

This method went on for a while, Dolph showing Louis easy beginner moves and Louis slowly but surely learning to do them. Notably, the fawn was much better with a gun and not so much a natural with blades, but it was a necessary skill to learn.

Once they were done, Dolph went to take the knives back from the fawn but Louis hid them behind his back with an innocent look. "Can I try something?" Louis asked the scarred lion. Dolph blinked but nodded, "Sure, what do you want to do?"

"I saw it in a lot of movies, it looked cool," Louis commented, glancing around the room and having his eyes settle on a practice dummy that he was too small to use. He brought the knives out and Dolph watched him quizzically. His eyes widened drastically as Louis threw one of the knives and it planted squarely in the dummy's stomach.

Louis giggled and held the other knife out for Dolph to take. "I didn't think that would work!" The fawn giggled and stepped out of the room to go wash up for dinner. Dolph followed him with his eyes until he couldn't see the fawn anymore. Some of the recruits couldn't even do that after proper training. What was this fawn's deal? "Maybe Ibuki was right about you back then," Dolph reminisced, remembering the day they found and subsequently adopted the kid.

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Two weeks later found Sabu and Louis in the livingroom, sitting on the ground around the coffee table in the middle and playing a card game.

Sabu was quiet and intimidating, so card games were a good bonding time between them and one Louis absolutely loved, even if Sabu always won.

Quietly throughout the game, Sabu's tail would flick and smack gently against Louis' leg, it was his way of telling the fawn he could read his hand through his facial expressions. It was the oldest lion's way of attempting to teach Louis to mask emotions when he needed to. It would be an utmost important part of life back here in his future.

Louis smiled when they finished a round without the tail smacking him and he could tell Sabu was smiling back at him by the way his eyes wrinkled. The bandana hid the rest of his face.

A few rounds passed with minimal tail smacks and Louis started picking up on the shift in Sabu's eyes and would attempt to mimick them. It was a subconscious thing the old lion did as an attempt to intimidate his opponent, even if it never worked on Louis, for one reason only and that was that Louis simply wasn't scared of lions anymore. Arguably, he never was, but no one could prove that.

Sabu chuckled at the look Louis imitated and it caused the fawn to scowl. "What?!" He asked, hopping to his feet. Even standing up fully, the kid wasn't eye level with his guardian. "Just that face you made," Sabu chuckled again before adding, "Don't move your lips as much." Sabu had been taking note of how Louis copied him and it was adorable to the old lion.

Louis frowned and tried again, keeping his mouth neutral and mimicking how Sabu's eyes had been. Sabu smiled gently at him, "Better." Louis nodded and sat back down, "It isn't fair though, I can't see your mouth, only your eyes!" He half argued, not expecting anything from it. It was rare to see Sabu without a bandana covering his maw.

Sabu chuckled and then glanced around the room. He didn't hear anyone else moving around the mansion either, so with a sigh, he pulled the bandana down to rest around his neck instead.

Louis' eyes grew wide but he didn't say anything. It wasn't like it was the first time he'd seen Sabu without something covering his face, but it was always a surprise when he did see the lion without it.

One side of Sabu's maw pulled into a small smile, "Another round?" He asked,  noticing how Louis focused on the teeth visible through the scarred side of his face. Without missing a beat though, Louis said, "Yeah! One of these rounds I'll win too!"

It made Sabu laugh a little, which in turn caused Louis to giggle. The older lion shuffled the cards and dealt them each a hand to start another round.

Louis would occasionally glance at Sabu's face to try and read his emotions, but kept from staring to ensure he didn't make Sabu uncomfortable. This went on for a couple of rounds before shuffling could be heard from somewhere in the mansion and Sabu covered his face again. Louis didn't have to ask why, he already knew.

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Three months passed and Louis found himself sitting on Jinma's neck as they walked the quiet streets of the market. It was well passed 3am and even the market had gone mostly quiet, except for the random night owl that prowled around, though even those were too afraid to approach the lion and fawn pair.

Louis held onto the mane and looked over Jinma's head, almost too short to see passed him. Neither of them could sleep, so the lion suggested they go for a night walk. Jinma offered Louis a sip of his energy drink, the fawn immediately took some and smiled at the sweet taste. Ibuki would be upset with them for it, but they didn't care.

Louis listened intently and looked wherever Jinma gestured as he talked. Jinma was explaining good places to hide and go to if Louis ever found himself alone outside of the mansion without any of them to help him. It was unlikely, but still not fully impossible.

"If all else fails, climb a fire escape up to the roof of a building and try to spot someone familiar. You know the Dokugumi are all aware of your friendship with Legosi, so they'll help you find one of us too if you can't find us on your own." Jinma said, getting a nod and hum from Louis in response.

As he talked, Jinma couldn't help but notice this felt surreal. He was out in the Market in the dead of night with a fawn on his shoulders, explaining to him where to hide and how to navigate the market alone. It shouldn't have been this comfortable of a task, but he found he would not want to be doing anything else right now. 

He also noticed the gun holster that pressed against his shoulder right next to Louis' leg. The kid really was taking Ibuki's advice to keep the gun with him at all times. It made Jinma crack a momentary smile.

The lion purposely walked them into a quiet dead end and when he heard the confused noise from Louis, he turned around to face the entrance of the alleyway and said. "Now, we've been out for a while. I want you to try and get us back to the Mansion as best you can."

Louis nodded, "Okay, Jinma." He took a moment to remember how they walked and then said, "Go straight and take a left once outside the alley." Jinma did as the fawn said.

Louis lead them pretty well, only getting confused once or twice and backtracking a street. If Louis was quiet for too long, Jinma would stand still and wait for the fawn to talk again. He took note of how Louis would mumble when he saw familiar landmarks and felt Louis shift to look around better before he would talk.

At some point they both got a little hungry from the outing and Jinma stopped at a random vendor, getting a small chicken kebab for Louis and a bigger one for himself. They ate as Louis guided them down a couple more streets.

By the time they finished their food, Louis hummed nervously and messed with Jinma's ear softly. "Louis?" The lion asked and noticing Louis shift, he himself glanced around them. "I'm a little lost now, sorry," the fawn admitted and Jinma let out a soft chuckle.

"It's okay, kid. You did good for it being the first time," He said, gentle running his clawed hand over Louis' left leg. The kid had gotten most of the path back to the mansion correct, just the last couple blocks escaped him. Jinma made the rest of the way back with a quiet Louis on his shoulders, the fawn watching the surroundings and taking everything in again.

By the time they reached the mansion, the sun was starting to rise over the horizon and Miguel passed them to go on his usual morning run. Louis was fast asleep on the lion's shoulders and Jinma opted to put the kid down on the couch.

Needless to say, whenever the two of them couldn't sleep, they would go on more such late night/early morning outings and Louis kept getting better at navigating the market.

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As the year went on, Louis' training continued strong. By the end of it, Louis could shoot at least 5 different guns and could put up a good fight both physically and with blades. He got better at controlling what emotions he expressed, to the chagrin of some lions and the impressment of others. He'd also been able to navigate himself and Jinma all over the market without any trouble and was treating all of it more as bonding time than actual training, despite all the things he had and was still learning.

Chapter Text

Louis yawned as he stared out at the courtyard of the mansion. He liked to watch the gang from time to time, perched above their heads on the balcony of the room he now called his own.

Ibuki had insisted Louis start having his own room, even if he didn't sleep there at night. So they cleaned out one of the spare rooms and put all Louis' belongings inside, toys, clothes, everything. He even had an en-suite bathroom.

The bed was small compared that of the lions, and had navy blue sheets on it. The brown carpet that covered the floor was soft, almost as if it was barely ever walked on and the walls were an off white colour. His clothes were in the closet and his toys and colouring stuff was littered around the floor, except for his old lion plushie, which sat on his bed by his pillows, staring at the wall. He refused to throw the old thing out, so it had a few patches of random fabric to keep it in one piece, courtesy of Sabu. Louis didn't know why the old lion could sew, but he didn't press on the matter.

He watched curiously from the balcony, as a young, unfamiliar face spoke to Sabu at the gates. He couldn't hear what they were saying, curse his herbivore ears, but he could see the younger lion wasn't one of them, at least not officially. He wasn't dressed in a suit, like the rest of the Gumi, and he looked too young, a baby face in a sea of dark brown fur. Louis silently thought the young lion looked kind of cute.

He relaxed a little when he heard shuffling behind him, knowing the familiar footsteps of his father. The large lion settled beside him, looking out at the others in the courtyard. Louis ventured the question, "Who's that young looking guy?" Ibuki hummed as he watched the dark furred kid scurry off with a brown package.

"One of Sabu's recruits. The kid is 16 and really just carting stuff around for us, for now at least. He's cute, but he doesn't seem cut out for the gangster lifestyle." Ibuki mused. Sabu had told him about the kid, reporting the boy's interest in joining them once he turned 18. In hindsight it seemed a little funny.

Louis hummed in response, taking a step back to stretch. "Is it time for lessons yet?" He asked quietly. As much as he didn't like having to sit and learn for several hours on end everyday most days, he also wasn't fully against it. He knew it was for the best, at least that's how his dad explained it.

Ibuki offered the fawn a smile, "That's exactly why I came to get you. Let's head to my office, kiddo." Louis nodded and followed the much bigger lion. He closed the doors to the balcony once they were inside and jogged to catch up to Ibuki as he exited the fawn's room.

The walk up a flight of stairs to reach the floor with Ibuki's office went fast. Louis had learned how to get up and down the giant stairs easier as the months ticked on.

He jumped into the chair he always used when in Ibuki's office and Ibuki shut the door, placing a language book on the armrest. A lot of the walls of bookshelves have become covered by the books the lions were using to teach him certain subjects or books of subjects he would learn in the future.

Louis flipped it open to where they were last and Ibuki sat down behind his desk, watching the fawn. As it was, these days Ibuki taught him language, including some basic level Seaspeak. He wasn't the best at it, but he had to start somewhere, even if he would barely use it in the future, if ever.

Dolph had taken to teaching him basic maths, since there wasn't really much to teach an eight year old beyond language and easy sums.

Louis looked over to Ibuki, who passed him a thin storybook. The activity in the book said he had to read a short story aloud. It didn't seem too complicated. Louis put the handbook away and picked up the storybook, jumping off his own chair to walk around the desk and clamber onto Ibuki's lap.

He'd realised by now, if he struggled with a word, it was easier for the lion to help him, if Ibuki was reading over his shoulder. So he sat down and started reading.

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By the time lunch rolled around, Louis had a headache and Ibuki decided the kid had done enough schooling for the day. "After lunch, you can do whatever, kiddo. I have some business to sort out." Louis nodded, jogging down the too big stairs to the kitchen.

He went straight for the fridge, ignoring whoever else was in the kitchen at the time. He heard a chuckle and glanced over his shoulder once he grabbed a bowl of leftover beef stew, from the previous night's dinner, and stuck a stick of celery in his mouth.

He closed the fridge door and raised an eyebrow at Miguel, who for once wasn't busy doing some workout off in the mansion's gym. "What?" Louis asked between bites of celery. "Are you really that hungry?" The muscular lion asked jokingly. Louis shrugged, "Food will probably make my headache go away, so yeah." It was childish logic, but Miguel wasn't about to argue with an 8 year old.

He glanced between the microwave and the lion in the room and gave him a pouty look. "Could you heat this up for me?" He asked, holding out the bowl of cooled stew. Miguel chuckled again but got up and gently took the bowl from the kid's hands, placing it in the microwave and starting the timer.

Louis smiled and jumped up onto a seat by the table, sitting down on the table and crossing his legs. Since he was too small to sit on the chairs and reach the table top, the lions had gotten used to him just sitting on the table and crossing his legs when he ate. It was actually really cute, but they didn't tell him that.

"I assume you and Ibuki are done with schoolwork for today?" Miguel asked, getting a hum as answer while Louis ate the last part of his celery stick. The microwave dinged and Miguel grabbed a fork, handing that and the bowl to Louis. "Thank you," the fawn said, digging into the leftovers.

Miguel sat back down in his prior seat, wondering how they had gotten three years into this whole caring for a fawn situation. It didn't feel like that long, at least not to him, despite everything that has happened in those three years.

"You gonna go train after lunch?" Louis suddenly asked between bites, bringing Miguel out of his thoughts. The lion shrugged, "Not today, kid. I've got a job to get to, but we can train together again tomorrow." Louis smiled brightly at that, "I look forward to it."

Once lunch was done, Louis jumped down from the table and ran off to the livingroom a few doors down the hallway. Miguel had left a couple minutes ago.

Louis wasn't surprised to find Free in there, relaxing on one of the couches with a beer in one hand, staring at the TV that seemed to just be on a random channel to create noise. Free wasn't paying much attention, so Louis got a devious idea.

He creeped over to the young lion, trying to not make noise on the carpet, and once he was close enough, he jumped out and grabbed ahold of Free's tail. Free jumped, almost dropping his beer and twisted a little to look at the fawn, who was now attached to his tail and giggling gleefully as he got swung around by the appendage.

Free let out a sigh, putting his beer on the side table and moving his tail over. He took Louis off his tail and gave him a playful glare. "One of these days, I'm going to eat you for doing that." This only made Louis giggle, which in turn made Free smile.

He threw Louis a few feet up in the air, making the fawn screech a giggle in response. It gave Free a weird warm feeling in his chest at the cuteness of it. After a few throws, Free firmly grabbed hold of him and sat down on the couch again.

"What's got you in such a playful mood, Fawn?" He asked. Louis wiggled out of his grasp and stood up on the couch with his bare feet, leaning against the lion's chest and bouncing slightly on the cushions. "I don't know, I'm bored!" His previous headache had completely been forgotten at this point.

Free wiggled his tail in front of Louis again, tickling his nose with the end of it and making him giggle again. Before Louis had shown up, Free had been a bit down due to having to work late the previous night, though now he had a strange playful itch in his spine.

He moved too quickly for Louis to react fast enough, grabbing the fawn by the back and chest, as to not hurt him, and pushing him down on the couch, immediately going to his sides and tickling him. Louis was shocked, but fear never crossed his eyes, instead going straight to a gleeful scream, which turned to loud giggling.

Free was relentlessly tickling the fawn, almost looming over the small body on the couch, though he'd barely moved in actuality. "S-stop!" Louis yelled between giggling and high pitched screeches, his small hands holding onto Free's wrists, though it did little to deter the lion.

After a few minutes, Free heard Louis' breathing become heavy, so he finally back off, leaving a panting fawn laying on the couch beside him. He chuckled softly, "You okay there?" Louis, albeit heavily breathing, pushed himself into a sitting position and answered, "Yeah."

The loud screeches and giggling wasn't something that happened in excess at the hideout, so Free wasn't surprised when a few minutes later, Hino appeared in the doorway to check up on them. "Louis, you okay?" Louis jumped up to stand on the couch again, smiling. "Yeah! Free just tickled me, is all." "Did he now?" Hino asked, his gaze turning to Free, who was looking at the TV and taking a sip of beer, pretending he wasn't part of the conversation.

Hino rolled his eyes, "Alright, as long as you aren't hurt." Louis shook his head and soon the pretty lion left, leaving Free and Louis alone again. "Wanna play some games with me?" Louis asked, gesturing to the game console that sat beside the TV.

Mostly just Louis and Free used the console, the others claiming they were too old to understand the controls or the games.

Free shrugged, "Sure, I have nothing better to do for the rest of the afternoon." So he got up and plugged it in, handing Louis one of the controllers and sitting down on the couch again.

They played a couple rounds of a racing game, before Free remembered he still had a half empty beer. He took a sip while Louis upgraded the car he was driving with. A moment passed and Free felt those big eyes on him, so he looked over, "What?"

Louis pointed at the beer in Free's hand, "What's that taste like? You and the guys are always drinking it." Free thought for a moment, frowning as he thought how to describe the taste, then an idea hit him.

He quickly listened to their surroundings, not hearing any of the others around. He held the bottle out for Louis. "Take a small sip and see, but don't tell the others I gave you beer." Louis giggled at the uncharacteristically stern voice Free used, taking the bottle carefully.

It seemed so much bigger in his clawless hands than it did in Free's. He tipped it back and took a sip, cringing when he pulled the bottle away. Free laughed, taking the bottle back. "Yeah, it never tastes too good the first time, but you get used to it." Louis coughed, wiping his mouth. He didn't see how anyone could like the bitter taste.

It made his throat and stomach feel warm though. He picked up the controller again to keep playing. Free won a lot of the following rounds, making him wonder if even just a sip was a little too much for a fawn as small as Louis. He got his answer when Louis fell asleep thirty minutes later.

He stuck around until Louis woke up close to dinner time, just to be sure he was okay, but that stayed a secret between the two that neither were willing to share with the older lions.

Chapter Text

Louis yawned, trudging down the stairs slowly. He was surprisingly tired this morning, despite yesterday having been no different than any other Tuesday always was. He'd done training as usual, homeschooling as usual and then roughhousing with Free just for the fun of it. He was only 9, but this has been  normal ever since the incident.

He was surprised to see the lions all heading out, since according to his knowledge, they shouldn't have any jobs today. He grabbed onto Dolph's hand when the lion walked passed him. Dolph stopped and bent down onto a knee to be more level with the fawn.

"Hey Louis." He said, offering a smile without a care if his fangs showed. Louis offered a sleepy smile back, "Where are you guys going? I didn't know you had jobs today." His sentence ended with a yawn. Dolph found the sleepy kid as cute as ever.

"It's actually not a job this time. We're taking a new recruit for initiation. Ibuki and Free are still going to be here though, if you need anything." Dolph ruffled Louis' head with his free hand, but didn't stand up until Louis let go of the occupied one. He offered Louis one more smile before walking off to join the others.

Louis watched the lion leave and then trudged to the kitchen, as was his original destination. He wondered who the new recruit was as he gathered some things to make tea. He pushed a chair over to the counter and hopped up, starting the kettle.

Halfway through the kettle heating up, Free came into the room, a slight sideways sway and squinting  accompanying his steps. He opened the fridge and did his famous gremlin squat, rummaging for leftovers.

"Hangover?" Louis asked the young lion, receiving a hum in return. Louis chuckled, but noted to keep his voice down when he saw the way Free flinched at the sound. He was no stranger to the lions having hangovers some mornings. They drank both for leisure and sometimes for jobs.

Louis made his way around on the counters, getting stuff for another cup of tea and paintablets they kept in one particular cabinet, and jumped back down onto the chair. He poured the two cups of tea and finished them up before taking the extra one over to Free.

The young lion raised an eyebrow at the offered cup and pills, mouth full of leftover ribs. He swallowed the meat and asked, "What's that?" He still took it, only due to Louis' insistence for him to do so. "It's peppermint tea. It's supposed to help for headaches and hangovers. Oh, and painkillers." Free scoffed but took a sip anyway, watching Louis turn to grab his own cup of tea. He swallowed the painmeds quickly, while the fawn's back was still turned.

"Where'd you even learn that?" He asked quietly between sips. Even if it was malarkey, at least it tasted nice. "Hino told me. Apparently he has constant headaches and the peppermint tea helps." Free frowned, not having known that, but shrugged and kept drinking. Louis smiled at him, happy the lion was accepting his help.

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By the time the sun started setting, the lions had long since returned, a joyous air to them. Apparently the new guy had passed his initiation and was welcomed into their inner ranks.

Louis had caught a glimpse of the teenage lion as Dolph showed him to his room. Louis was on his way to his own room to play with some toys he had there, when the new guy exited his own room two doors down from Louis'.

They shared a look for a tense second and then Louis smiled at the lion, shocking him. "You must be the new guy. What's your name?" The lion seemed surprised at the bravery of this fawn, though most of the lions had that reaction to him initially, even Free.

"Dope. What's yours?" He asked and Louis took note of the gentle, calculating voice he had. "Louis." The teenage lion hummed and Louis took a moment to take in how he looked. He was a little smaller than the other lions, not as scrawny as Free though, and looked good in his own regards. He was wearing the usual Shishigumi uniform and had his mane gelled back. It fit his face. 

"Well, see you at dinner." Louis said before continuing on to his room again. Dope blinked for a second but then nodded and headed off to go find the others again. He'd been informed there was a fawn amongst them, but he hadn't believed Free, thinking the slightly older lion was crazy. Guess he wasn't after all.

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When dinner rolled in, Dope was inwardly surprised to see the fawn, Louis, sitting right next to who he assumed was the Boss, who was at the head of the table.

Dope had just quietly sat down in the chair Free gestured him to, since Free had been the one to show him to the diningroom. Free sat down next to Dope as a silent kind of comfort. Free knew being the youngest lion in the mansion could be frightening, so he tried to alleviate that slightly for Dope.

Dinner had gone normal enough, all the lions talked happily amongst each other. Dope even had the chance to talk to Ibuki, who welcomed the young lion into their pride and assured him this was their normal. After that, his attention had shifted to Louis again, all while still making conversation with Jinma.

He'd been surprised to see a piece of sirloin on the fawn's plate, though much smaller than any of the servings the lions had and with some equal amount of veggies. It seemed off, but the fawn looked to be enjoying it. Free noticed Dope staring and chuckled, successfully catching the younger lion's attention.

"Yeah, that's a real surprise at first. As strange as it may seem, he likes it and as long as he still gets some greens, the kid is healthy." He shrugged and took another bite of his own steak. Dope blinked, glanced at the fawn once more, and then returned to his food. He apparently had a lot to learn about the inner circle of the Shishigumi.

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After dinner, Louis suggested some of the lions join him for a movie night. Some, like Ibuki and Dolph, still had work to handle, so they passed, others, like Hino and Miguel claimed to be too tired to stay up for a movie and passed as well.

That's how Louis ended up sitting on the armrest of the couch with Free, Dope, Sabu and Jinma, all watching Nightmare on Beast Street. It was a simple slasher movie, which made it a little more funny than actual horror and suitable for Louis as well.

At some point the killer, Freddie, a burnt gazelle, popped out after a tense second of silence and the four heard an undignified yelp, turning to look at Free, who was now crouched behind the couch, shivering. Louis and the other three lions burst into laughter, making Free glare at them. "It's not funny! Jumpscares are cheap scares!" He stood at his full height and pointed his clawed finger at them. This just served to make them laugh even harder at his misfortune.

Free sighed in defeat and sat back down on the couch, pouting at the sidesmile Dope would show his way everytime they slightly turned their heads.

Louis did find it peculiar though, while he himself jumped a little, he also noticed Dope and Jinma flinch, but not as bad a reaction as Free completely ending up behind the couch, and then there was Sabu, who had been as still as a brick wall. He also didn't think he's ever heard a sound like the one Free made come from one of the lions and found it funny.

Almost completely through the movie, Louis turned to face Jinma, his big herbivore eyes curiously shining, "Jinma, what's the chance you know a place that'll custom make me a set of those?" He asked, gesturing towards the TV. The killer being a herbivore that had leather gloves with artificial claws made of blades. Jinma thought for a moment, "I might know someone, but if you're serious about getting something like that, we'd had to run it by Ibuki first."

Louis nods happily, "Great! I'll ask Dad in the morning!" With that, they finished the last bit of the movie, both Free and Dope wondering if that would be a good idea. Louis was already armed with a gun, at such a young age nonetheless, should he really be allowed to have something like blade claws?

Once the movie was over, Sabu just quietly left and Free, Dope and Louis walked to their rooms, which conveniently were all in the same hallway.

"Night guys!" Louis called before shutting and locking his bedroom door. Free and Dope looked at each other and Dope cleared his throat first. "Should we be worried about our own personal Freddie Cougar?" Free's eyes shifted to Louis' room. "I don't think we have a problem unless he actually gets those gloves... which... knowing Ibuki, he probably will."

Dope sighed but bid Free a goodnight and entered his room, the latter doing the same.

Chapter Text

Louis and Legosi stood side by side at the Shishigumi mansion's gate, waving at a retreating black car. The Dokugumi had a big job that required most of them, so Legosi would stay with his friend and the Shishigumi until his own Gumi returned. It wasn't the first time and both the fawn and pup would argue it probably wasn't going to be the last time.

Louis grabbed Legosi's hand and started leading him inside. "Still remember where my room is?" Legosi nods, "Of course!" Legosi had a backpack slung over his shoulder with the things he'd need for the night, assuming the job wouldn't take longer than 24 hours.

Some lions greeted Legosi as the two passed them in the hallways, and Legosi would smile and wave with his free hand as greeting. They dropped his backpack in Louis' room and went off to find something fun to do.

They found the gaming console in the livingroom to be free, so Louis plugged it in and the two sat themselves on the carpet in front of the TV to play whatever.

Louis won most of the rounds, causing Legosi to whine about it only being because it was different than the gaming console he owned. Louis would just laugh whenever he brought it up.

The afternoon passed in the blink of an eye and soon someone knocked against the door frame. Pausing their game, the two kids looked over their shoulders to see Dolph.

"It's dinner time, you two." Dolph spoke tiredly. Louis got up to his feet and stretched, Legosi doing the same. Louis pointed to the wolf pup and Dolph seemed to get the question, without it having to be spoken. "Yes, Ibuki said your friend can join, now c'mon."

With that, Louis took Legosi's hand and pulled the pup along to the dining room. Once there, Louis noticed an extra seat was set up next to his own, which made him smile. The two sat down and waited for Dolph to catch up.

Considering how many times Legosi has spent the night there, the other lions didn't pay him much mind when they noticed him at the dinner table. Dinner continued as usual, with comfortable conversations and recalling of what has happened during the day. Free and Dope even roped Legosi into their conversation about motorcycles, which the wolf pup happily joined in on.

"If Ibuki let's us, maybe Dope and I can take you and Louis out for a night drive," Free offered at some point, making Legosi's ears perk and Louis' eyes to get that wonderous shine to them. Louis grinned, jumping in on the conversation, "I'll make sure Dad agrees. Just give me a few minutes after dinner to talk to him." Legosi's tail wagged and Free and Dope chuckled.

They knew the fawn had Ibuki wrapped around his little finger, and it was frankly adorable, not that anyone outside the inner circle of lions, and Legosi, would ever know that. Legosi and Louis started plotting at how they would get their way, their voices staying below the drone of conversation.

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After dinner, as everyone split their separate ways, Legosi and Louis ran up to Ibuki and fell into step with him, or maybe the older lion slowed down so the two could keep up. Who knows? They did have short legs compared to him.

"So Dad, I was wondering. Could Legosi and I maybe join Free and Dope on the motorcycles tonight?" Ibuki raised an eyebrow, to which Louis did his best version of puppy eyes, with a pout and fluttering lashes. Ibuki blinked and looked over to Legosi, who was doing the same thing, but more effectively.

He sighed and adjusted his glasses, running his massive hand through his mane. "Fine, fine. Go have fun with the teenagers." He chuckled at the end. Louis and Legosi cheered and quickly ran to Louis' room to put on better shoes and grab their respective jackets.

They ran down the stairs, almost tripping several times, and out the front door, right towards where the motorcycles were lined up. Just like the fleet of black cars, there was now a fleet of black motorcycles. It was an idea brought up by Free and since everyone agreed it could be a good idea, three months ago a load of motorcycles were bought.

Free and Dope were both leaning up against their own motorcycles, cigarette smoke wafting into the dusk air. "You two actually managed it?" Louis nodded and walked up to Free. "Told you, just let me talk to Dad, and all goes well."

Dope chuckled, "I should get this kid to help out with negotiations." Free shook his head with a laugh of his own. "Don't give him any bright ideas." Free caught a glimpse of Louis sticking his tongue out at him, which he just did in return. That caused a round of laughter between all four of them.

Dope and Free got on the motorcycles, helping the two kids up in front of them. Ibuki and Dolph would have their heads if these two fell off at high speeds, and Hell knew they didn't care what a speed limit was.

The two lions took off, driving wherever they felt like driving, having nowhere specific to be. Louis leaned back into Free a bit, the lion leaning over him. He realised he liked the wind in his fur and the speed didn't bother him, in fact, having Free's arms on either side of him and feeling Free's chest and stomach press against his back, made him feel so safe and comfortable.

Meanwhile, Legosi was in a similar position with Dope. Although he didn't trust the young lion all that much, Louis did, and that was enough for him. He focused on the neon lights passing by them as they speed down a random road, people in the market jumping out of their way as they did. He giggled and leaned forward a little, taking hold of the handle, more to the middle so Dope  could still properly maneuver them.

At some point they took a sharp turn, not slowing down, and found that the kids just flowed with them, despite how low to the ground they had made the turn. Free and Dope shared a grin and picked up more speed, causing the kids to squeal in excitement.

Late into the night, when the moon hung high and the cold clung to their bones, they stopped for a moment, Free claiming it was a smoke break. They dismounted the motorcycles and stretched a bit, glancing around. Animals in the back alley street gave them a wide berth, knowing what the Shishigumi are famous for. No one gave the kids a second thought.

Dope and Free smoked, loitering around for a while. Dope checked his phone and then sighed. "Dead zone. Do you know where we are?" He asked Free, who frowned and checked his phone as well. "Guess it is a dead zone then." He put his phone away and glanced around, before shrugging and chuckling. "No clue where we are, prettyboy." Dope glared at Free for that nickname, making the older of the two laugh.

Louis stood next to Legosi, both checking they still had their concealed guns on them before they started talking. "So they're lost." Legosi commented, making Louis nod. "Yeah, they really aren't smart." Louis shook his head, then looked around as well. Legosi sniffed the air, then cringed. "What is it?" Louis asks, turning to the pup. He couldn't smell much over the scent of booze.

"There's a strong smelling perfume around here," Legosi said, covering his mouth as a sneeze caught him off guard. "Red Door." Louis frowned, "What?" "It's a perfume that causes hay fever-like reaction. Red Door." Louis suddenly remembered something. "Then we have to get out of here." "What, why?" Now it was Legosi's turn to be confused.

Louis grabbed Legosi's hand and took him over to Free, who bent down to be more level with the fawn. "Something up, kid?" Louis nods, "I know where we are, and we need to go." Free frowned, but nodded anyway. "Mind telling me why?" He asked, getting on the motorcycle and helping Louis up. "Jinma once told me if there's a strong smell of perfume in the air, it's Inari territory, and to get out."

Free's eyes widened, "Yeah, we gotta go, now." Dope nodded, getting on his motorcycle and helping Legosi up. "Do you know the way out of here?" Free asked Louis, who glanced around and then pointed towards a tall building in the distance. "Go towards that big building over there. It's in Dokugumi territory, Legosi should be able to get us around from there."

Free nods, starting to drive at speed towards the aforementioned place with Dope short on his heels. "When did Jinma tell you that anyway?!" Free asked over the wind. Louis shrugged, "On one of our midnight walks in the Market." Free didn't know how to respond to that, but mentally noted to thank Jinma for teaching the fawn that tidbit of information.

When they reached Dokugumi territory, Dope moved to drive in front and Legosi pointed them in the right direction. It wasn't until things got familiar again that Free took the lead once more, Louis recognising the familiar area as well and made sure Free took them the right way.

They pulled into the mansion yard, parking the motorcycles. "We don't tell Ibuki about where we were." Free said, the other three nodding in agreement. "Deal." They said simultaneously, before getting off the motorcycles and heading inside. They waved at those who were still awake, Louis taking Legosi to his room again.

The two kids took a bath together and then slipped into their pajamas, falling asleep all cuddled up in Louis' too big bed.

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The next morning, they awoke to rain and thunder. It created a rhythmic thudding on the windows as they got dressed and decided what they wanted to do for the day.

They went to the kitchen for breakfast first. Louis made tea for them while Legosi searched the fridge for leftovers. They settled in two chairs at the kitchen table, nibbling on leftovers and sipping tea.

Eventually Free joined them, in true goblin style, merking the rest of the leftovers and making coffee before joining them at the table. "Morning Free!" Louis said, sipping his tea. Free grumbled, "Morning." Dope eventually joined them as well, just making some coffee, not bothering with food.

"Where's the rest of the guys?" Louis asked, getting up to put his cup in the sink. "Apparently there's a new guy. Something about initiation. Until further notice, it's just us four and Ibuki." Dope informed them. Free nodded.

"What exactly even is the initiation?" Louis asked, making the two lions pause. Legosi put his cup in the sink and returned to his chair to listen as well. "Well, it's different for everyone, but it boils down to proving you are serious about the claim to join a Gumi." Free said, surprisingly awake enough, Dope nodding in agreement. The answer seemed to be enough for Louis.

"So who's the new guy?" He suddenly asked again. Free shrugged, "Remember that kid hanging around? The one carting drugs for Sabu." Louis nods, "That one." "Oh, the cute one with the dark fur?" Free nodded, but added, "Yeah, but you're one to talk about cute." He rolled his eyes, "Anyway, I don't know if any of the others told you, but don't bring up the dark fur thing if the kid joins, yeah?"

At this both kids tilted their heads in confusion. Free sighed, but elaborated, "In normal society, a dark mane is supposedly a sign of being smarter and more powerful, generally better than your peers. It's a stupid stereotype, but can cause some shit, so don't bring it up unless the kid does." Dope seemed surprised that Free was even aware of this, but nodded in agreement.

"Okay," both kids stated, taking in the information. They may be part of two Gumis, but they weren't assholes to their own kind. After breakfast, the two disappeared to go play video games again.

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It wasn't until late afternoon, far after lunch time, that the rest of the guy's reappeared, a new face among them. Legosi and Louis ignored the group for now, not wanting to interfere yet, or rather, not wanting to pause their game yet.

They waited until the commotion died down, before Louis went to go get a look at the new recruit. Lo and behold, it was the cute dark furred lion Louis had been seeing hang around the mansion yard. "Hi, you must be the new guy?" Louis said, walking over to him. Up close he could see light spots around the lion's eyes, adding to his cute look. "Uhm, yeah, I guess."

Louis stuck his hand out, "I'm Louis, and you are?" The young lion seemed taken back by Louis' calm demeanor. "Agata, nice to meet you." Agata took hold of the small hand, shaking gently and smiling at the fawn. Louis smiled back. Agata had been informed by Sabu that there was a fawn in the mansion, and a wolf pup for the day, respectively, before they entered earlier. He didn't expect it to be true, but this was the BAM, anything was a possibility.

What he also didn't expect, was Louis' grip to tighten, and to get dragged through the mansion by the fawn. Agata could have stopped, but something in him was curious enough to follow the kid. Louis dragged him to what looked like a livingroom. "Do you play games?" Louis asked, gesturing to the TV. Agata nodded, "Used to, haven't in a while though."

Louis still dragged him over and handed him a controller, gesturing for him to sit. Confused, but compliant, Agata sat down next to a wolf pup, who was fiddling with his phone. "That's Legosi, my friend. Legosi, this is Agata." Louis stated, picking a game that all three of them could play. Agata and Legosi shook hands as a greeting, then paid attention to the game. It was a drag racing game.

Several rounds of this passed before Dolph showed up in the doorway again, looking for Agata, but stopped in his tracks at the sight before him. It looked too adorable to disrupt and he opted to fill Agata in later. Knowing the resident heir already befriended the young lion made Dolph smile as he walked back the way he came from silently.

Chapter Text

Legosi slowly opened his eyes, the light shining in through the crack in his curtains and onto his arm and back. He rolled over onto his back and then sat up, shaking his head to rid of the muddled feeling. 

He yawned and got up to stretch. His ears swiveled, hearing the other guys in the mansion shuffle around. The night guards would be heading to bed while the rest of the facility were waking up.

He got dressed and made his bed, ignoring shoes and heading out of his room. He didn't even need to think about where he was walking, just following the smell of food that wafted through the air. He was kind of thankful there was a cook in the mansion, since it meant he didn't have to figure out his own version of whatever to eat every morning.

When he walked into the kitchen, he mumbled a, "G'morning", to the Komodo standing by the stove, who just turned his head slightly and then held out a plate to Legosi. Legosi took it with a smile and reached over the counter to start up the kettle.

He put the plate of food on the table, jumping onto a chair and digging in. It was the usual breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast. The cook soon put a cup of tea beside Legosi's plate on the table. "Thanks" He mumbled between bites. Legosi noted to learn the guy's name at some point while he chewed.

After breakfast and tea, Legosi was more awake and found himself running through the mansion, sniffing the air and following a familiar scent of cigars and old books. He smiled when he spotted his target walking alone in the hallway.

Jumping once he was in reach, Legosi latched onto the old Komodo Dragon's back and giggled. "Morning Grandpa!" He said happily. Gosha chuckled at his grandson's antics and reached over his shoulder to pet the pup's head. "Morning Legosi." The pup giggled and let go of his grip when Gosha picked him up over his shoulder by the scruff.

Legosi reached for the cigar hanging off Gosha's lips but Gosha held him out of reach with a 'nice try' kind of look on his face. Legosi giggled again and wiggled so Gosha would put him down. The older male did so and Legosi's tail wagged, saying, "I gotta get to my lesson with Garth, but I'll drop by after lunch!" Gosha nods and watches the pup run down the hallway and around a corner, going to his office to deal with the usual affairs.

Legosi jogged off to his study, meeting Garth there. Garth was slightly less muscular than Gosha and the others but he was more of an academic and had the time to teach Legosi. Garth offered a smile to the pup, opening the door to the study and letting the pup run inside first.

"What's today's lesson?" Legosi asked, jumping up on the chair behind his mahogany desk. The walls were lined with all kinds of books, from academic to fiction and all things in between, a lone window on the right side. Garth pulled one from the far right bookshelf and put it in front of Legosi, pulling a chair up to the desk for himself. "Someone's in a good mood," Garth's gentle voice commented, making the pup's tail wag. "Anyway, we're working on Seaspeak today, you need more practice."

Legosi's tail slowed but didn't stop completely. He had trouble with Seaspeak and his running theory was because his tongue was too long for his mouth to properly form the sounds, but thankfully Garth was a patient animal.

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After his lesson, Legosi made a stop at the kitchen for lunch. He was a little early, but the cook didn't mind, handing him an egg sandwich and some juice.

He sat on the counter, eating his lunch and watching the cook make lunch for the rest of the Gumi. He put his dishes in the sink and jumped down once he was done but before he could leave, the cook leaned down and held another plate out to him.

"Take this to Gosha, please. I don't think he's coming out of his office anytime soon." Legosi nods and takes the plate, heading towards his grandpa's office. He knocked three times with his foot and entered when he heard a 'come in' from the other side.

Gosha sat behind his desk, sifting through paperwork, the heavy smell of cigars in the air told Legosi that Gosha had been concentrating hard before he arrived. "Oh Legosi," Gosha says, a wide smile suddenly on his lips. Legosi smiled back, walking over to the desk after kicking the door shut with his heel.

Legosi has seen Gosha go from mob boss to grandpa in seconds before and the pup could always tell which mindset was active simply by looking at the older male. He put the plate on the desk and jumped up to sit on the desk with his legs hanging down. "The cook says you need to eat." He said when he saw Gosha eyeing the plate.

Gosha shrugged and placed the paper in his hand down in favour of food. He may have skipped a couple meals now and it was catching up to him. Legosi just sat in comfortable silence while his grandpa ate. As much as they both had to do everyday, they always made time to spend these fleeting moments together.

Gosha swallowed the bite he was busy with and then said, "Are you doing anything after dinner?" Legosi shook his head and Gosha nodded, "Good, I want you heading out with Savon, Ronan and Morro on patrol tonight." Legosi nodded, his tail wagging faster. "Okay, Grandpa. Any specific reason why?" He asked curiously, head tilting to the side ever so slightly.

Gosha shrugs, "We need as many eyes watching the perimeter. Some of the guys have caught a Madara spy in the area this morning and we'll be dealing with him tonight." Legosi nods. So that was why there was so much noise this morning, they had caught someone and most likely dragged them down to the interrogation room in the basement.

Gosha didn't want Legosi around the mansion when they dealt with interrogations, claiming the pup was too young to be exposed to that, even if it was just hearing it. Legosi didn't complain, since it meant he was allowed out with Savon and the other two.

Lunch passed and Legosi waved to Gosha as he left to head down to the training room. Morro was already waiting for him inside. "Good afternoon, Lego." Legosi's tail wagged, walking up to the muscled Komodo. "Hey Morro!"

Training was the usual, warmup was running a couple laps of the room, then stretching, followed by working on his fighting form and once Morro is satisfied, he and Legosi spar. Its not too serious, but it is quiet as usual, and Legosi knows Morro is going easy on him since he's only 10 and wouldn't yet be able to fully take on a full grown Komodo Dragon, but it does tire the pup out considerably.

Once they were done, Morro hands Legosi a bottle of water. "You're getting better, tomorrow we can work on your speed." Legosi nods, tail wagging tiredly as he listens and sips his water. Morro then adds, "Now go hit the showers and meet Ronan at the shooting range afterwards." Legosi nods and runs off to the gym showers.

One refreshing shower later, he changes into some spare clothes he kept in his locker down there and then runs off to the shooting range out the back of the mansion. He didn't know who did the laundry in the mansion, but he didn't really care to ask either.

Ronan stood by a table that had a Tommy gun and extra ammunition splayed out on it. "Afternoon Legosi," Ronan states calmly. Legosi offers a smile, glancing at the gun on the table as he said, "Afternoon, Ronan." Ronan nods at the response and gestures Legosi over to the table.

Ronan explained the components of the gun, as was customary when he taught Legosi to shoot new guns, then had the pup put the components together and insert the round clip. Legosi ensured the safety was still on before he even dared to move away from the table.

"Good, now remember Pup, this isn't a toy. That is live ammunition in a 45 calibre gun, it'll fuck up anything it plants itself into." Legosi nodded and Ronan proceeded to properly explain how Legosi was supposed to hold the gun and aim it. "Now, you'll most likely never need to use one of these in a fight, but they are the best guns to use when it comes to turf wars or if someone dares to attempt to infiltrate the compound."

Legosi nods in response, adjusting his hands slightly to hold the gun more comfortably. The thing was too big for his child sized body, but not to such an extent that it would be impossible to use.

"Now, see the target down there by the wall?" Ronan pointed to a target on the far end of the shooting range, it looking small due to the distance but in reality being the size of the average large carnivore. Legosi nods. "Good, now take off the safety and fire."

"Firing!" Legosi called out over the yard just in case someone was around. It kept accidents from happening and ensured if someone was downwind of the range that they would get out of the way before bullets were fired. A safety measure Ronan drilled into him ever since he learned to shoot for the first time. Legosi saw Ronan's lip perk up ever so slightly in a small smile but didn't pay him much more attention.

Legosi carefully clicked off the safety and took proper aim, pulling the trigger once he thought his aim correct. It took a couple tries and Legosi having to remind himself the gun was semi automatic and not to hold the trigger down for long if he didn't intend for more than one bullet to fly.

Ronan had him aim at other targets as well and taught him how to adjust his aim mid fire, in case the need to fire all 800 rounds in rapid succession was ever needed.

After a couple hours, Ronan was satisfied with the day's work and signalled for Legosi to stop. "That's enough for today, kid. Take out the empty clip and put the gun down." His voice remained level and Legosi did as told.

He switched the safety on first and then took the clip out, placing the gun and the now empty clip back on the table. He smiled to Ronan before starting to make his way back towards the mansion. He stuck his hands in his pockets so Ronan wouldn't see how much they were shaking. Legosi wasn't sure if it was due to how loud the gun was or if the thought of needing that many bullets at once was what had him on edge, but he didn't want to dwell on it.

He'd have to take over the gang one day and he would need to know these things when he did. He swallowed and made his way to his room to grab a jacket. The setting sun created a cold tinge in the air and he was heading out with Savon after dinner, so he might as well grab it now. He also put on black leather shoes to match his leather jacket while he was at it.

He ran up the stairs to the dining room to join the inner circle for dinner. His tail wagged as he saw Gosha sitting at the head of the table and took his own seat next to Savon.

Even amongst themselves, in a comfortable environment, the Komodo dragons did not talk a whole lot. Legosi used to think it was normal to have comfortable, silent dinners, until he'd spent his first night at the Shishigumi mansion some years ago and found the lions to be very loud and talkative around each other.

Some quiet conversation went on here and there, but otherwise, the only sounds in the room was that of chewing and cutlery scraping on plates. Savon passed Legosi a glass of wine with a wink while the others poured themselves varying glasses alcohol as well. Gosha didn't approve of Legosi drinking or smoking yet at such a young age, but Savon figured a little bit wouldn't hurt the kid.

Legosi gave him a thankful smile and took sips throughout dinner. After dinner, Legosi fell into step with the well built male, Morro and Ronan trailing a few steps behind them. It seems the three already knew he was joining them, since they didn't ask him why he was accompanying them.

The Komodo Dragons each got onto a motorcycle and Savon helped Legosi up in front of him. Legosi took note how much bigger Savon's motorcycle felt in comparison to the ones the Shishigumi had. He made himself comfortable and nodded to Savon that he was ready.

All four fastened venom masks around their mouths. It was just an appearances thing in this case, especially with Legosi. Legosi didn't have venom per se but the mask signified he was part of the gang and that was what was important.

Legosi's hand traced over his hip to check that his pistol was still in place and relaxed forward to hold onto the handles. His furred paws looked small next to the scaly ones on the handles, but he didn't have time to dwell on such things. He had to stay aware.

The three drove together at first but once they got to the outer ring of their territory, they split up. Savon and Legosi went east while Morro and Ronan took west. It was thankfully a quiet night so far.

Other animals would get out of their way as they passed through the streets, some would give them nods or even wave and Legosi noted those were the ones they did the most business with.

Once they got to a quieter street, Savon decided the night was quiet enough and slowed down to a leisurely pace. He placed his hands over Legosi's and moved the pup's hands to the correct places. At first, Legosi was confused, but then Savon spoke and the pup became excited.

"You good to take control?" Savon asked and Legosi nodded. By all means the pup was too short to reach the gear pedal on the footrests but he could reach the handles and that made for good practice in and of itself already.

Savon hummed, trying to ignore the long wolf pup tail wagging against his stomach, and sat back a little, letting go of the handles. Legosi smiled under his mask as Savon let go and started driving them a little faster, but not by much. They even took a couple turns down other quiet streets.

It wasn't until 20 minutes later that they reached a busier street and Savon took over again. Legosi let him without complaints. This was another thing Savon had been letting him do when they were alone and the pup loved it. He would never admit to it, but he saw Savon like an older brother.

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It was well passed midnight when the four met up again and started driving back to the mansion.

They stopped, took their masks off and Savon helped Legosi down before getting off the motorcycle. Morro and Ronan walked inside ahead of them and Savon hung back a bit to smoke in the cool night air. Legosi stayed with him, though the pup's focus was on the stars above them.

"You're getting better at driving," Savon commented, dark tendrils of smoke leaving his mouth as he does. Legosi looked over to him with a smile. He was always happy to get praise. His attention turned to the cigar in Savon's hand and he stared for a minute. Savon chuckled, "What, want some?"

Legosi felt a little shy all of a sudden, but nodded hesitantly. Savon chuckled before taking another drag and then holding the cigar out to the pup. "Take one or two drags. Not too much, got it?" Legosi smiles, "Okay!"

Savon glanced around to make sure no one was watching them as Legosi took the cigar. Legosi held it up to his mouth and took a slow drag. Even if the smell was bad, he liked the calming feeling it gave him. He breathed out slowly again, not even coughing. Savon was lenient with him, which meant this isn't the first time he's shared a smoke with the young Komodo.

Another drag and he passed the cigar back to Savon. Savon gave him a nod and patted Legosi's head when he exhaled the smoke. Legosi stuck around until Savon finished his cigarette and then both went inside.

They split off to their respective rooms and Legosi took a moment to take in how deathly silent the mansion was. He caught a glimpse of Garth and Gosha coming up the stairs from the basement, some blood on their hands and clothes.

He waved at them as they passed and then entered his room to get ready for bed. He slipped into some pajamas and shut off the lights, climbing into bed and snuggling into the covers. He slowly drifted off to the sound of the wind howling around the bend of the mansion and the rhythmic footsteps of the night shift patrolling the floors.

Chapter Text

It was early in the morning, Louis having woken up from a commotion almost an hour ago and the sun was just barely rising in the distance.

The 11 year old had settled on his balcony in the crisp morning air, still in his pajamas. He watched the switch between the early morning and sunrise, the quiet streets within his view were getting busier by the minute and the rest of mansion was waking up slowly, or settling in if they were on night patrols.

His eyes followed a bunch of lions, some five lower ranking ones, who were heading out to the main gate with something. Louis soon realised it was a body, but found he didn't really care. Some tiger fellow, probably deserved it though. You don't mess with the Shishigumi.

He stayed quiet, watching the group string up the body from the main gate. It was nothing new to see fresher bodies strung up every now and again. It showed other gangs and whoever passed by the mansion that the Shishigumi meant business. He's usually not up early enough to watch it happening though.

Once they were done, they head back inside, most likely for breakfast or to start their usual routines.

As the crisp morning air turns warmer from the rising sun, Louis closes his eyes for a few minutes, just focusing on his breathing and the feeling of the sun hitting his face. It was relaxing to start the day this way.

He let out a slow breath once the sun was fully in the sky and opened his eyes again, getting up and heading back inside. He got dressed, brushed his teeth and pulled on some shoes before he finally left his room.

He passed some of the lions in the hallways and greeted them as he did. The stairs weren't as much of a nuisance these days, since he was bigger now. He made it to the kitchen and smiled when he saw Dope there, setting up the cups for everyone's morning coffee.

"Morning Dope," Louis said as he walked up beside the lion. Dope jumped a little and looked down to see Louis, letting out a small breath. "Morning Louis. You're way too good at sneaking around this early in the morning." Louis laughed, "No, you're just still half asleep."

Dope chuckled and handed Louis his mug of tea, "Maybe I am, don't tell anyone though." Louis smiled and moved his hand over his mouth as if to zip it shut. The fawn moved to the kitchen table and sat down in one of the chairs, drinking his tea.

He had the day to himself, since it was technically weekend, so he wondered how he would spend it. Maybe he could spend some time with the younger lions, if they didn't have other things to do.

On that note, he finished his tea and checked the fridge, grabbing a few celery sticks and chewing on them as he left the kitchen to go see where everyone else was.

To the surprise of no one, he found Ibuki and Dolph in the office, doing their usual planning and work. He waved to Dolph and ran up to give Ibuki a quick hug before leaving the two lions to their devices.

Miguel returned from his morning run, evident by the heavy footsteps and door slamming downstairs. Jinma was still fast asleep, Louis could tell by the loud snoring coming from Jinma's room as he passed it.

He couldn't find Free and figured the gremlin was still sleeping. He did find Agata in the livingroom though, the young lion being dressed in casual clothes for once and just watching TV. Louis jogged over and hopped over the back of the couch, landing in a sitting position beside Agata.

"Morning, Agata!" He chirped happily, causing the teenager to smile at him. "Morning kid. What are you doing?" He asked good naturedly. Louis shrugged, "I was bored, needed something to do."

Louis noticed the bandages covering Agata's upper arm and leaned over to gently touch it. Agata glanced down at the small hand on his arm and offered a smile, "It's nothing to worry about, Lou. It's just a cut." Louis frowned but removed his hand anyway. He didn't like it when his lions got hurt.

Agata noticed this and decided to change the topic. "Have you chosen a school yet? Ibuki last said you were still deciding." Louis perked up at that, "I've narrowed it down to two so far. Either Cherryton or Redmington. The other schools are either speciest or segregated and I don't want to deal with that."

Agata nodded, adding a smile, "I used to go to Cherryton, it's a good school, big enough to make plenty of friends too." Louis tilted his head at that, "Why would I need more friends? I already got you guys and Legosi." Agata scratched his neck and chuckled nervously, "I don't know, maybe you'd want some herbivore friends? You might be able to relate to them more. There's also no guarantee that Legosi is going to end up in the same school as you." Louis laughed at that, and it caught Agata off guard, if he was being honest.

Louis offered no explanation, but calmed down and glanced between Agata and the TV. "Want to play some video games?" Agata smiled again and nodded. "Sure, kid, that sounds like a plan." "Will your arm be okay?" "Yeah, it'll be fine."

...

They ended up playing round after round until late into the afternoon. Louis won another round and jumped to his feet, laughing triumphantly. Agata laughed at the antics.

Their heads turned towards the door a moment later, however, when they heard two sets of footsteps approaching, one quiet and calculated and the other was stumbling quite a bit. They could also hear the familiar sound of Free talking, but it was slurred nonsense, instead of the usual nonsense.

A moment later, Sabu and Free came around the corner. Agata frowned at the state Free was in. The slightly older lion was hanging off Sabu, one arm around the old lion's shoulders and eyes looking blown out and far away. "What happened to him?" Agata asked, heading over to grab Free from Sabu, the latter seemingly very annoyed at the younger hanging from his shoulders.

"A good amount of drugs exploded in his face. Watch him for a while, I have shit to do." Sabu said simply, before leaving again. Agata now held Free up, one arm around the older lion's back. He guided Free to the couch and had him sit down. "Hah, you're really cute, 'Gata." Free mumbled, falling into a fit of giggles a moment later. Agata's fur puffed up from being called cute and Louis couldn't tell if it was out of embarrassment or something else.

Louis tilted his head, climbing onto the couch beside Free. Agata seemed to be checking him over. "What's up with him?" Louis asked, standing closer to get a better look at Free's dilated pupils, the normal brown almost being invisible.

"Do you know what getting high is?" Agata asked, skeptical if he should explain it to Louis, on the off chance that the fawn didn't know. Louis shrugged and nodded, "Yeah, is that's what's happened here?" Jinma had explained the concept of being high to Louis on one of their late night walks, including how bad the aftermath of such actions are.

Agata nods, getting a little worried when Free's eyes shifted and focused on Louis with an unreadable look. "Maybe stand back a bit. Out of his reach preferably." Agata said, making Louis confused. "Why? Free wouldn't hurt me." Agata hesitated to say, but swallowed and did anyway, "Maybe not under normal circumstances, but he's not in his right mind at the moment."

Free's lips curled into a smile, his eyes never leaving Louis, but he spoke to Agata, "Who says? There's only one head, mask... mind, MIND in my head." He was heavily slurring his words. Louis knew he should listen to Agata, since the teenager seemed on edge at the situation, but he couldn't bring himself to be afraid of the lion he loved like a brother.

He went to slowly back away, but before he could properly take a single step back, Free's eyes narrowed on him. "Where ya going?" His voice sounded wrong. Two large hands suddenly grabbed Louis and pulled him into the embrace of a large body.

It took a moment for Louis to register that Free had grabbed him and he glanced over to Agata, who seemed just as confused and worried. Free was holding him close to his chest, but not tight enough to hurt the fawn. Louis glanced up at Free, who looked either deep in thought or a hundred miles away, Louis wasn't sure which one.

The kid risked slipping one arm free from the grip he was being held in and gently running it over the arm around his stomach. "You okay, Louis?" Agata asked, still frozen in place a few steps away from them. "Yeah, nothing hurts, so I think I'm okay." Louis said, freeing his other hand to run along Free's other arm.

Free placed his chin on top of Louis' head, seemingly just cuddling him. "Should I go get one of the others?" Agata asked, worry still evident in his eyes. "No, I think it's okay, but please stay." Louis said, a little nervous but not quite scared yet. Agata nods and sits down beside Free, watching as the latter shifted to hold Louis away from the dark lion.

A deep rumble started up in Free's chest, practically vibrating Louis' whole body in the process. His large hands were making kneeding motions where they touched Louis' back. Louis kept petting the fur on Free's arms, figuring it was a good reaction.

"Uhm, Agata? What's he doing?" Louis asked, his eyes glancing around Free's limbs to look at the young lion. Agata seemed to relax a little bit, "He's purring. Never thought I'd hear that sound come from him though." Agata said with a chuckle. Louis joined in with a little laugh of his own. He kind of liked the sound.

Louis dared to slink his small hands higher, into the mane on Free's neck, and running his small hands through it. Free slightly tightened his grip on Louis and the purring continued, giving Louis the idea that Free liked it.

Louis wiggled to get more comfortable, never stopping. Free eased his grip slightly to give Louis enough space to move, but not enough to get away from him.

This went on for a good fifteen or twenty minutes before Dope walked into the room, saying, "Sabu said Free was high, is he-" He cut himself off halfway through the sentence, staring at the scene. Louis, sitting in Free's lap, small hands tangled in a mess of a mane, Free holding him loosely and purring with his head leaned back to give Louis more access to his neck.

Dope blinked and looked at Agata expectantly, "What. Is. Happening. Here?" He asked, voice level but evidently confused. Agata shrugged, "I have no idea. All I know is Free is high and seems to like whatever Louis is doing." Louis laughed softly, "It's kind of sweet, don't you think?" "Oh definitely, but he'll 'eat' ya if you tell him that when he's sober later," Dope commented, making all except Free laugh, the latter still purring.

All of them were by now used to Free jokingly stating he'd eat Louis every other chance he gets, and the fact that Louis always laughed as a response meant they didn't think much of the little empty threat.

"How long is he going to be like this?" Louis asked, making Dope shrug. "Sabu can't tell me what Free got in his system, just that it was a damn big amount. It'll probably wear off in a couple hours, at the latest probably tomorrow morning when he wakes up." Louis nods, then asks another question, "Is this gonna be like his hangovers?" Louis had seen the lions have hangovers a lot before, but as hard as it may be to believe, none of them had ever been high enough to act out of character like Free was doing right now. "Something like that, but maybe a little worse or a little easier. It's hard to say."

With that, Dope left Agata and Louis alone again with the still very high Free.

Chapter Text

Louis hugged his dad before nervously getting out of the car. Ibuki offered him a smile, "Have fun, kiddo. One of us will come pick you up this afternoon, okay?" Louis nodded, pulling his backpack over his shoulder. He shut the door and walked towards the gates, listening to the car drive off into the distance.

This was it. He was starting his first day at an actual school. A middle school, but an actual school. He walked inside to go find his first class, seeing students of all species and sizes walking around. It felt so odd to see Herbivores his size, after spending the last 7 years among large Carnivores. He found his class easily enough and took a seat. The steady sounds of voices murmering in the background and all over wasn't so unlike the voices of animals in the streets of the BAM, however, these were all his peers and not adults.

Earlier in the week, Ibuki and Dolph had taken every opportunity they got to remind him that they were technically a criminal organisation and that there were certain things he wasn't allowed to share with other kids. He had to be careful how much he told others and what he told. For instance, he was allowed to say he was adopted, and that it was by carnivores, but not say their names or mention the Gumi. He also wasn't supposed to say anything about his family's meat diet or even his own. Apparently people outside of the market didn't like that notion.

The teacher, a Cheetah with a kind face, told them her name and took roll-call before she explained some things to them about how their first day of middle school was going to go. Louis was as excited as he was nervous.

°°°°°

The lunch bell rang and Louis followed the horde of other kids. Some went to the cafeteria, others went outside. Dope had made him lunch, so he followed the group that was running for outside.

Stopping just outside the door, Louis looked around the grounds to see if anyone looked approachable. Agata hadn't stopped talking about him making friends with other kids, so he thought he might give it a try. It wasn't as easy as the young lion had made it seem though.

He frowned when he saw a familiar face in the distance, accompanied by a not so familiar face. He quickly made his way over, careful not to run into anyone, especially the smaller kids like the rabbits or rats.

"You could come join me and my friends. The more the merrier!" The Golden Labrador stated, his tail wagging as he held a ball in his hands. Louis couldn't help but notice how much different the golden paws looked from the familiar grey ones. They were smaller, chubbier and somehow fluffier. "No, it's okay. Thanks for the offer though," the wolf pup stated, waving off the labrador with a fake smile.

"Who's that?" Louis asked, causing Legosi to jump and spin around on his heel. "Oh hey, Louis. That was just some kid in my class. Jack, I think his name was." Louis nodded, glancing in the direction the dog had gone. He was just a little ways away from them, talking to a group of other canines and happily wagging his tail. Occasionally they would glance over at Legosi and subsequently Louis before going back to whatever they were talking about before.

"Anyway, what are you doing here? I thought you were younger than me," Louis asked as he and Legosi sat down on the grass and started on their lunches. Both of them had packed lunches, supposedly a precaution from their parents.

"I mean, I am, but I'm a year ahead on my studies and the school said I could join early, as long as I can keep up with the work." His tail wagged idly as he spoke. Louis felt a familiar sense of comfort wash over him from being in the wolf's presence.

They talked all through lunch and were a little disappointed when the bell rung and they had to return to their classes. After a promise to meet up in the same place the next day, they left in their respective directions.

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Two weeks have passed and Louis met up with Legosi at their usual spot in the schoolyard. It had become their little thing to meet up and enjoy lunch together. The golden labrador, Jack, had tried multiple times more to get Legosi to play with him and his friends, but no one else approached the wolf, presumably afraid of him for some reason or another. Some other deer have approached Louis, but they turned their backs on him soon after because he wouldn't take part in their trash talking of carnivores. He did try befriending other herbivores, but whenever he wanted to introduce them to Legosi, they would run off and call him crazy.

This did lead, however, to some students bullying the two for being friends. Louis didn't really understand what was so inherently wrong about being friends with carnivores and Legosi seemed to just ignore them for the most part, especially since the majority of the bullies were herbivores. Louis would forever lament Legosi for his patience with these ignorant assholes.

As they sat and ate, a certain tiger cub came up to them. Legosi rolled his eyes and focused on his lunch. Louis shifted closer to Legosi. "Sup freaks. I see you two are still hanging out." "Fuck off, Bill." Louis grumbled, but this just seemed to anger the tiger and two of his friends were approaching fast from the sides.

"What did you say?!" Bill reached over and grabbed Louis by the arm, pulling the small deer to his feet. Legosi reacted almost immediately, jumping to his feet and grabbing Bill's wrist. "Bill, don't cause a scene," Legosi said in a quiet tone, glancing at the already forming group of onlookers. "Shut up, mutt!" Louis glared at the tiger and without thinking much of it, punched the tiger straight in his jaw.

Bill let go of Louis and stumbled back a bit. His lip was split and bleeding, but he seemed more surprised that Louis could hit that hard. His two friends circled in on them and Legosi and Louis turned back to back. The other two tigers threw the first punches and then all hell broke loose.

Legosi tackled the one that had tried to hit him, easily pinning the tiger to the ground in a chokehold. He'd get a lecture later for fighting on school grounds, but right now it was about not getting beaten up by some high strung cats.

Louis was faring similarly. A couple punches and strategic blocks and he'd knocked the other tiger cub out. Free would be impressed, he mentally noted. Bill was about to storm the two when a teacher finally arrived and picked him up by the scruff. He struggled in her hold.

The teacher started lecturing the three about fighting and Legosi finally let the other cub up. Another teacher took the unconscious tiger to the infirmary, while the other four followed after the first one, well three, seeing as she was still holding Bill by the scruff.

It turned out that the three tigers were all cousins and their parents had come to pick them up, scolding the cubs loudly all the way to the cars. Legosi had just gotten a warning, since it was the first altercation he'd been part of and just had to have his guardian sign a note. Louis had been given a note to sign as well and a lecture about getting into fights with carnivores.

They walked side by side afterwards, laughing softly. "They didn't know what hit them!" Louis exclaimed, making Legosi laugh. "Evidently, you did." They laughed some more. "And that teacher, if only she knew the truth, she'd be lecturing them to not fight me, not the other way around." Legosi smiled, "Yeah, no shit. They can be glad we aren't allowed weapons to school." Louis nodded in agreement. They kept happily talking as they made their way to their next classes.

Louis would have a bruised shoulder from where Bill had grabbed him initially and Legosi had a couple cuts, but other than that, the two were no worse for wear. Those tigers though, they'd be feeling it for a couple days.

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Two days passed and what happened, along with some other rumours spread across the school fast and soon the other kids were either too afraid to approach the two, or too weary to try and bully them. Evidently they were not to be messed with. This didn't bother the two all that much.

Despite the news and rumours though, Jack still tried, at least once a week, to get Legosi to be his friend, even going so far as to offering that Louis could join the group as well. Legosi still shot the idea down and he and Louis remained in their own little world.

Louis had decided, with much finality, that the herbivores were too full of crap to befriend and carnivores now avoided him after the Bill incident. Legosi had decided he didn't want friends outside of the Market, seeing as they could dig too deep and discover the truth. A truth that he was not willing to share. So the two of them stuck together instead.

Chapter Text

It was a cloudy Friday afternoon and Hino offered Louis a tired smile when the fawn climbed into the car. It had been a long week for the fawn and he was evidently exhausted.

Louis slouched in his seat and let out a sigh that could only spell eternal relief. He didn't even bother with the seatbelt as Hino started driving.

"I'll take that as you've had a long day?" Hino asked through his own yawn. "The longest by far. By the time lunch rolled around I could've sworn the day would never come to an end." Louis groaned, making the white lion chuckle. "Do you have any projects for the weekend?" Hino asked as they turned into a hidden road. "Thankfully not. Legosi seemed just as bloody tired. He was asleep by second period!" Hino nods at the fawn's explanation.

They listened to the radio in relative silence for the rest of the ride, while Hino expertly maneuvered the car through the thin streets towards the mansion. He was vaguely aware of Louis humming along to some kind of song on the radio, grumbling every now and again when the signal would cut out in a dead zone.

They made it to the mansion and as soon as the car stopped, Louis hopped out and grabbed his bag, heading inside. Hino followed after him a few seconds later. Louis would wave to the lions he passed on the way in and most waved back or nodded at him to acknowledge his presence.

Once inside, Louis made a beeline for his room, dropping his bag and quickly changing out of his uniform and into some more comfortable clothes. Once that was settled, he ran up another flight of stairs and towards Ibuki's office. He stopped by the door and listened through the keyhole. When he confirmed there was no one talking, he knocked.

Ibuki called for him to come in. Louis opened the door and smiled up at his father, the latter sitting behind his desk. Louis trotted over and hugged Ibuki, who offered the kid a smile and hugged him back gently. "How was school, kiddo?" Louis stuck his tongue out and scrunched up his nose, "It felt like it would never end. I've never been this tired, and that's saying something!" Ibuki chuckled at how Louis chose to state that, ruffling the fawn's head.

In the back of his mind, Ibuki wondered at what age deer grow their first set of antlers, since Louis wasn't even showing signs of any antlers yet and he was already 12. Louis laughed and once Ibuki stopped, he stood back. "I should probably leave you alone to finish that up?" Louis said, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Ibuki nodded with an apologetic smile and soon Louis was out of the room.

Louis ran down the stairs and to the livingroom, wanting to play some games on the console and maybe try out something he'd learned today. The teacher had explained how some noises, objects or words could cause certain reactions in certain species. The examples were how canines would follow commands like staying in place or sitting when told to, even if they didn't want to and how bulls got angry at the sight of large pieces of red material. That made Louis wonder and he intended to test it. After all, Legosi had listened to the stay command during lunch, much to Louis' amusement and Legosi's annoyance.

Louis made himself comfortable on the couch, surprised none of the others were there already, and started playing a game. This would be his cover, in case the others got mad. He waited until he heard two sets of footsteps in the hallway outside. He turned down the game volume and at his normal volume, said, "pspspsps"

He had to keep from bursting out in laughter when Free and Dope wandered into the livingroom. Free's pupils were massive and it almost looked like he was high, while Dope was frowning in confusion. "Why did we come in here?" Dope asked, successfully pulling Free back to reality, who seemed just as confused. Louis bit his lip to try and keep the laughter in.

Free spotted Louis and his mind clicked what happened. He rolled his eyes, a little peeved at being caught off guard by it, but figuring Louis was only playing. "Hey twerp, whatcha doing?" Free asked, walking over. Dope frowned as he watched but didn't leave yet. Louis paused his game to look up at Free, "Just playing a game." Louis said in his most innocent voice.

Free gave Louis a mischievous look and then grabbed the kid, picking him up and throwing him over his shoulder. Free immediately went to tickling Louis, who squealed and kicked his feet. "So you think calling us like cats is funny, do ya?" He said, continuing the anslaught. Dope seems to have caught up as to what happened and then just chuckled at how Free was handling it. To Dope it was no big deal.

Free eventually grabbed Louis under his arms and held him out in front of him, causing the fawn to dangle in the air. Louis caught his breath and smiled widely at Free. Free offered a smile back, "You are something else, Louis." Louis giggled in response and Free dropped him back onto the couch for a soft landing. Louis giggled more, grabbed his controller and unpaused his game. Free decided to plop down on the couch beside him and watch, since he had nothing else to do. Dope left the two to their own doings.

Dinner rolled around and Free and Louis made their way to the dining room. Taking their usual seats, they dug into the meal and relaxed into the usual chatter that happened around the table at dinner time. Louis did take note, however, of one missing lion. Agata's seat was open and Louis knew the young lion didn't usually skip dinner.

Louis leaned over to Sabu, who was sitting next to him, and asked, "Where's Agata?" Sabu glanced at the empty seat and with a shrug, said, "He's out on a job, should be back later." Louis nods and turns back to his food.

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Later that night, Louis was wandering around the hallways, trying to find something to do before bedtime. He just passed the stairs when he heard a grunt from just out of his sight. He stopped and walked to the edge of the stairs, his eyes widening when he saw Agata slowly make his way up them, hand clutching his shoulder.

"Hey Agata. Are you okay?" Louis asked, making Agata look up quickly. He had a sheepish look in his eyes. He got up to the top of the stairs, before he removed his hand from his shoulder. Louis could see blood seeping through the fabric of the suit. "I kinda... yeah..." Agata said with a sigh. "Don't tell the others though!" Louis shook his head.

"Can I help you with that?" Louis asked, following the young lion to his room. "I won't tell the others, but it'll be easier if someone helps." Louis insisted when he saw the skeptical look Agata gave him. "You're 12, what do you know about bullet wounds?" Agata said as he entered his room, Louis still following. "More than you'd think," Louis says simply, running into the bathroom attached to Agata's room. He dug around under the sink until he found the first aid kit.

Running back into the room, he found Agata had just finished pulling his suit jacket and tie off. Louis gestured to the bed, "Sit." He ordered. Agata frowned, but figuring that Louis grew up with this kind of thing, so he listened to the fawn and sat down on the side of his bed. Louis jumped up on the bed and sat on his knees behind Agata.

"Shirt off," Louis ordered calmly. Agata hesitated. Was he really about to just let a preteen tend to a bullet wound? He sighed, pulled off his shirt and let it drop to the floor. Louis got right to work, cleaning the wound of the worst blood before he spotted metal reflecting the overhead light.

"The bullet is still in there, so you might want to bite down on something," Louis stated. Agata glanced around the room and grabbed his worn out belt to keep within reach if it was necessary. While he did that, Louis couldn't help but notice just how buff Agata was. The young lion had muscle that could rival that of Miguel and Ibuki, not to mention his deceivingly childish face made for an interesting, but not exactly unappealing look. Louis shook himself out of his weird thoughts when Agata sat back down.

Louis took a pair of tweezers from the first aid kit, said, "Heads up" and stuck the tweezers into the wound. Agata hissed something fierce and stuck the belt in his mouth to bite down on it. Tense silence passed and with a gross squelch, Louis pulled the bullet out. He placed it on the lid of the kit and gave Agata a moment to breath and recover from the pain while he grabbed a cloth and cleaning alcohol.

He doused the cloth and glanced over at Agata's face. As well as he knew how to do this, he also knew to wait until the pain simmered out a little before he continued, especially if he was working with carnivores. He was all too aware of the fact that he was a small herbivore in a mansion of carnivores and if he pushed his luck too far, especially when it comes to pain, he could risk his life.

Agata seemed okay, but he asked before continuing, "You okay?" Agata glanced over his shoulder, as if suddenly remembering the fawn was there and took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm good. You can continue." Louis nodded and cleaned the wound again.

"I'll, uh, have to stitch it a bit. Do you want me to call one of the lions instead?" Louis asked timidly. Agata looked at him again before his eyes flashed to the door. He shook his head. "Can you do it?" Louis nods and Agata seemed to relax, if only a little bit.

For the life of him, Louis wasn't sure why Agata didn't want the others to know. Maybe it was an ego thing or maybe he just felt embarrassed for having gotten shot. Louis wouldn't know.

Louis primed a needle and syringe, pulling up some numbing drug and then resting his free hand on Agata's uninjured shoulder. He needed to keep a steady hand for this. "Heads up. Needle incoming." Louis said, carefully sticking the needle into Agata's shoulder. Agata flinched a little with the first one, but the second and third injection went by relatively easy.

While Louis disposed of the needle and syringe, he knew the numbing agent was kicking in. He grabbed a different type of needle and some stitch thread, getting that ready while the wound numbed completely. He gently touched the area around the wound and since Agata didn't seem to take notice of it, he assumed it had worked. He made quick work of putting the stitches in and then bandaging up the now stitched up wound.

When he was done, he started packing everything away again. "I'm done. Are you still okay?" Louis asked, closing the kit and taking it with him as he jumped off the bed. "A little dizzy, but otherwise fine." Agata mumbled, carefully testing the mobility of his shoulder with it now taken care of. Louis put the kit back in the bathroom where he'd found it. When he returned, he saw Agata swallowing some pain meds.

"Might want to eat something and then sleep. Can't take those on an empty stomach," Louis stated as he heads for the door. He remembered Sabu teaching him that. Agata nodded and just before Louis left, he said, "Wait, uhm, thanks Louis. I appreciate the help." Louis offered him a smile, "Anytime, Agata. I care about you, don't forget that." He saw Agata's eyes light up with something he couldn't recognise in that moment, but he didn't stew on it, quickly leaving down the hallway to his own room to settle in for the night.

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It was close to 1am when Louis groaned at the realisation that sleep wouldn't grace him tonight. His mind had been too busy wandering back to what one of his classmates had said.

-That wolf and that so called family of yours if just buttering you up, getting you to trust them so they can just eat you later. You're nothing but prey to them!-

It had been another herbivore that practically yelled it at him and it hadn't bothered him at the moment. Now, in the dark of his room, where his thoughts wandered and where the tattoo under his foot ached like a phantom limb, it was a different story. He sat up and rubbed his foot a little, trying to alleviate the pain that he knew wasn't really there.

He wondered if Ibuki was still awake. Getting out of bed, Louis quietly made his way out of his room and down the hallway. Ever thankful for the nightlight in the dark hallway, he used that and the pale light of the full moon to guide him towards Ibuki's room.

Just as he thought, Ibuki seemed fast asleep. Louis didn't want to bother him, but he also had the urge to stay with his dad. He quietly closed the door behind him and snuck over to the bed. Making his way onto the bed, he wiggled his way under the covers and turned to lay facing his dad.

Ibuki made a grumbling noise before his eyes slowly opened. They focused on Louis, laying just a few inches from his own face. Louis' eyes were following the natural curve of Ibuki's mane and face, ending up staring at the slightly exposed fangs in his mouth.

Ibuki cleared his throat, "Hey Louis, what are you doing up?" He asked, his eyes slightly squinted to focus on Louis without his glasses. Louis let his hand rest between them, a silent plea for Ibuki to hold it. Ibuki did, half asleep and all, lift one of his hands out from under the blanket and gently took hold of Louis hand. Louis watched the clawed appendage dwarf his own.

"I couldn't sleep," Louis mumbles in a small voice. Ibuki gave him a look to elaborate, so he did. "Do your, uhm... do your tattoos ever ache?" Louis asked, sneaking his free hand down to touch the tattoo on Ibuki's arm. Ibuki frowned but shrugged, "Sometimes, but it's a dull nuisance more than anything. Why?" He seemed to be waking up a bit more now.

"The one under my foot has been cramping all night," Louis said, bringing his free hand up from Ibuki's arm to instead rest on top of the large hand engulfing his. "Did you exercise more than usual?" Ibuki asked, trying to reason what the cause might be. Louis shook his head and tucked his legs up against himself.

-You're just their prey for later-

Louis foot flared up and he flinched. Ibuki immediately became worried. "Louis?" Louis looked up at his dad and what he asked next surprised both of them. "Dad, was I meant to be your prey? Or the prey of any of the others for that matter?" Louis asked in such a small voice that Ibuki felt his heart twist and shatter.

He let go of the small hand and wrapped his own around Louis' back, pulling him against his chest. Louis tucked his head against the large chest and felt himself relax at the familiar position. "No, of course not. Honestly, it was a long shot and a dangerous gamble to bring you here in the first place, but you were never meant to be anyone's prey."

Ibuki swallowed a lump in his throat and continued, "Nor will you ever be anyone's prey. You're the bravest herbivore I've ever met. If anything, you'll be the one who makes prey out of some unsuspecting animal." Louis allowed himself to giggle a little at the last comment. Ibuki smiled at the sound and pulled the fawn tighter against his chest.

"Who gave you that idea anyway?" He asked hesitantly. Louis tucked his head against the broad chest and sighed, "Some herbivore kid at school yelled it at me after I said I wasn't going to stop being friends with Legosi." Ibuki sighed again. Kids were something else. He spread his hand out to cover more than just Louis' back and settled it. "Are you afraid right now?" Louis actually did a double take at the question, but the answer was blaringly obvious to him.

"No, I feel safe. I feel like this is right where I should be and where I belong," his voice was steady, though still quiet. Ibuki hugged him and then gave him a little more space. "See, that means you aren't prey, you're family." Louis smiled, "Thanks Dad. I love you." Ibuki smiled, gently tracing a thumb over Louis' back, "I love you too, son. Good night." Louis mumbled something in response and then fell asleep soon after. Ibuki laid there, listening to Louis breathe for a bit before he drifted off again as well.

Chapter Text

The sun was setting and the streets of the Back Alley Market were starting to get darker than usual. Free and Louis were returning from one of their unnual trips to the ice cream shop in the city. The neon lights would soon start turning on and they were casually talking, as if the low light wasn't making it hard for Louis to see.

They turned down a familiar alley and were stopped by a group of leopards blocking the exit. They turned around, only to see the other end blocked as well. Neon lights nearby turned on, glinting off the leopards' guns. Louis immediately went for his own gun and Free wasn't far behind. The two moved to stand back to back, each facing a side of the alley and a group of leopards. Free was still much taller than Louis, but it was nice to know the fawn had his back.

"Looks like an ambush," Free said, just loud enough for Louis to hear. Louis nods. Of all animals to get stuck in a shootout with, Louis was thankful it was Free.

A tense second passed before bullets ripped through the air. Free and Louis fired back without hesitation. Two leopards dropped from Louis' shots, though three appeared in their place. Could it be the Madaragumi? If so, what could they gain out of ambushing the two of them?

Louis heard Free hiss as a bullet sunk into his shoulder. The squelching sound of flesh ripping open being too close to Louis' ears for the 13 year old's liking. Free reloaded and Louis heard three bodies drop to the floor. Louis felt a bullet graze his cheek, but ultimately miss him. He shot four more Madara and watched more step into their places. Free tapped Louis' free hand with his fist, crouching into a more feral stance, as if about to pounce. He handed his gun to Louis and then moved away from the fawn's back to attack the offending leopards head on. Louis took the larger gun and duel wielded the weapons, even if one was comically large in his hand. It felt almost too natural, but Louis didn't want to think about that right now.

A seering pain shot through his arm and a momentary decision found him ducking behind a bunch of trashbags. He glanced at his arm and just as he though, a bullet had lodged in his bicep. He wasn't sure why he hadn't frozen up and chalked it up to adrenaline. He still had some bullets and his arm was numb enough to ignore the wound for now.

He stuck his head out of his hiding spot and sunk three more rapid fire bullets into the leopards before ducking away again. The rest of the shootout went by in a blur of gunshots and red splattering the alleyway. When the last leopard fell and several were heard running off, shouting obscenities, Louis cautiously turned to face Free. He could hear Free's laboured breathing.

Free was crouched on all fours, blood on his hands, dripping from his claws, and a bloody maw, pearly white teeth stained with red. Louis wasn't sure if he should be afraid or not, but he didn't feel afraid. He took a deep, slow breath and whispered, "Free?" Free slowly looked over to the fawn at the mention of his name, his shoulders relaxing. He seemed to be coming off the adrenaline rush as well.

"Shit! You're hit," Free scrambled over, still on all fours. "So are you," Louis said as Free looked over his arm. "I'll be fine, but you- we need to get you out of here." Free threw his jacket over Louis' shoulders and picked Louis up like the fawn didn't weigh anything, which to him he probably didn't. Then the lion took off at a quick pace towards the Shishigumi mansion. It wasn't too far from them luckily.

Free was worried that some carnivore would either smell the herbivore blood and try to take Louis, or that Louis could bleed out or fall unconscious before they reached the mansion. Both of those scenarios were unfavourable.

Louis listened to Free's heartbeat where the lion held him against his chest, trying to stop the way his sight was spinning. Free's heartbeat was irratic, sometimes slowing before he'd swallow and then it would pick up again to a speed that would be expected for an animal running this fast. Was it fast? Or was he just losing consciousness? Louis wasn't sure.

"Ibuki! Hino!" Louis heard Free call out as they busted through some doors. He felt much larger hands take him away from Free, all while listening to Free quickly telling whoever it was what had happened.

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Louis woke up in his bed, feeling tired and sore with a headache beyond belief. He groaned as he rolled onto his back, the action making him aware of a bandage on his arm and something on his cheek, maybe a plaster. He was still half asleep and his mind was foggy.

Trying to move the bandaged arm caused him pain, but it wasn't as painful as when the bullet had hit him. He hissed as he pushed himself into a sitting position, trying desperately to remember what happened after Free started running with him.

"Oh thank fuck you're alive," A voice breathed in relief and Louis looked over to the left side to see Free sitting on a chair by the side of his bed, looking like he hadn't slept in a while. Louis took note of the bandages covering Free's shoulder, lower arms and the plaster over his right eye. A little busted and blue, but alive.

"Yeah I'm alive, why wouldn't I be?" Louis asked, his mind still catching up with his body. Free let out a sigh and Louis couldn't remember ever seeing Free look so guilty and serious before.

"You got shot, that's why!" Free said with a frown. Louis sighed, "It was just one bullet. I'm okay. You, on the other hand, look like shit." Louis laughed as Free gave him an indignant look, "Excuse me?! Have you seen yourself lately?" At that both of them laughed, a little strained from their bodies disagreeing with the action.

"How long have I been out?" Louis asked, glancing to the balcony door, which showed him it was late night. The only light in the room was coming from his bedside lamp. "Just a couple hours. Hino patched you up and put you in your room to rest. You passed out when we got here." Louis nods, taking in the information. So that's who the large hands belong to that took him from Free. "Who patched you?" Louis asked, knowing the answer already. "Jinma," Free said, getting a hum from Louis.

The latter relaxed back onto his bed, "What's the time?" Free glanced at his phone, "4am." Louis nods, "Have you been sitting there all night?" Free looked to the door, "Maybe... Look, I feel guilty for what happened. I should've been able to keep you from getting shot." Louis sighs and turns on his side to face Free, "Listen, we were outnumbered. It isn't your fault. We were bound to end up hurt to some extent."

"I know, but-" Free began, only to get cut off by Louis. "No buts." Free sighed in defeat and got up to leave. "G'night." Free mumbled, happy now that he knew Louis was fine. Louis watched him get almost to the door before he said, "Could you, uh, stay for the night?" Free was surprised by the question. Its been a couple years since Louis spent every other night with one of them. It happened very seldomly these days. He shrugged, flinched at the movement, and then turned around.

"Alright twerp, make space," Free said, heading for the other side of the bed. Louis shifted so there was enough space for Free and once Free laid down, Louis snuggled up against the lion, somehow not disturbing either of their wounds. The fawn fell asleep not too long after that. Free watched him sleep for a while and eventually drifted off into sleep as well.

When Hino went to check on Louis the next morning, he just smiled tiredly at the two, who were still fast asleep. He may have snuck a photo of the scene to show Ibuki and to keep for blackmailing purposes in the future.

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Louis wasn't allowed to head to school for two weeks so he could properly heal, and not have to explain why he'd gotten hurt. That just lead to Legosi coming by every afternoon to give him the homework and catch him up on what they'd learned that day, just to ensure Louis doesn't fall behind. The fawn appreciated it and the lions didn't mind the pup being around so often.

After the two weeks had passed, Louis was in good enough health to go back to school and they'd used the excuse that he'd had a cold or something. None of the teachers asked how he was somehow up to date with all his work, assuming it had something to do with Legosi picking up extra worksheets in some of their classes. Thankfully the uniform covered his bicep where the scar was, though Louis still preferred to keep a thin bandage over it just to keep it from rubbing against the uniform and getting irritated.

Another week passed before Free and Louis were playing videogames and talking. "I wanna get a tattoo. I already have something picked out," Free said, making Louis perk up. After the round ended, Free pulled a notebook out of his pocket. He showed Louis the tattoos he was wanting to get, two lion paws on his shoulders, one to cover the bullet scar and the other just to balance it out, with the words 'cat teaser' down his chest and stomach.

Louis laughed, "You know what, that'd fit you perfectly." Free beamed at him. There were some other designs for tattoos in the book as well, which gave Louis an idea. "Say, Free? Would you design a tattoo for me too? For when I'm older, obviously, but still." Free offered Louis a wide smile. "Of course!"

By now, they'd gotten used to the scars from that exchange. Free looked badass with the scars over his right eye and luckily the cut on Louis' cheek hadn't been deep enough to scar, so it disappeared once it healed over. The bullet scars they both had wasn't visible most of the time, unless they wore tanktops, which wasn't very often.

Another week passed, now making it a month since the shootout. Miguel and some of the other lions had gotten quite a bit of revenge on the Madara for that little shootout. Free had gone to get his tattoo and Louis decided to accompany him just out of curiosity as to how tattoos were done and to gauge how painful they were. Some of the lions claimed tattoos were very painful, while others said it didn't really hurt that much in comparison to something like a bullet wound.

Much to the surprise of Louis, and the tattoo artist, Free had fallen asleep during the appointment. Louis just chuckled and the tattoo artist had shrugged and went on with his work.

Louis wasn't sure if he was supposed to know, but he knew that Dolph had followed them and was stalking around outside. Maybe the older lion was just cautious to let them head out alone again, or maybe he was just cautious for Louis' sake. Louis didn't really mind, it made him smile.

Overall the situation was something that happened and Louis had made peace with it. In fact, he was surprised it took until he was 13 for him to be involved in a shootout, an event that's so common in the Back Alley Market that it wasn't even funny anymore. He was surprised, however, to find that he didn't get nightmares over it and that the scar was now just a reminder of the trust he had in these lions, after all, Free could've easily left him to the mercy of the leopards, but he hadn't. He'd stayed and fought alongside him. Thinking of it that way made Louis' chest all warm.

Chapter Text

Louis was no stranger to smoking, at least secondhand smoking and the lingering smell of nicotine in the mansion and on everyone's clothes and fur. Everyone smokes, all the lions, most of the animals they deal with. Nicotine is ever present and Louis has been noticing a severe lack of that familiar smell in places like the school.

So when he woke up one fine Saturday morning, he wasn't sure if the splitting headache that pounded between his ears and down to behind his eyes, was from secondhand withdrawal or something else entirely.

He stayed laying in his bed, rolling onto his stomach and burying his face into his pillow. It brought the slightest bit of relief, giving him the chance to think for a while. He'd eaten the night before, so it wasn't that. He hadn't been around any loud clubs or places with strong perfumes. He knew it wasn't a hangover since the lions never gave him more than half a glass of wine and Sabu would die three deaths before Louis ever touched drugs. So what was causing this?

One of the lions passed by his room and knocked on the door as a wakeup call. Louis groaned but slowly got up, getting dressed with the curtains remaining closed. Sharp morning light was a bad idea with headaches, or so Hino says. The white lion apparently had a lot of those in the mornings and Louis trusted his words on it.

His curtains remained closed as he left his room and went to the kitchen to grab some tea and see if he could keep some food down. He wasn't sure about the latter because the headache was making even just the idea of food seem nauseating. Louis decided he'd have to ask one of the lions about it later, when he felt like talking.

Breakfast passed by quickly and Louis had found that he could still keep a couple celery sticks down. It was a lot less than he usually ate, but it would have to do. Free had just popped into the kitchen for leftovers and the others were all apparently busy by now.

With some tea and food in his system, the headache became a little more bearable, so Louis heads to the livingroom. He could just laze around the room if he wanted to, he didn't necessarily have to watch TV or play games. The lions did that a lot too.

He found Free there, just messing with something on his phone. He seemed on edge, but paranoia was also not something unfamiliar, especially in this business. Free was smoking a cigarette, his pack and lighter laying on the coffee table in front of the couch. The smell was somehow comforting.

Louis climbed onto the couch and laid down with his head propped on the arm. Free gave him a glance, but nothing was said between them.

Louis was nodding off slightly, half asleep when Free suddenly got up and ran somewhere. It startled Louis back to full awareness, making the fawn frown. The frown disappeared quickly when Louis noticed it worsened his predicament though.

His eyes traveled to the coffee table, spotting the cigarette pack and lighter still residing there. Free must have forgotten them when he left so abruptly.

An idea popped into his mind and Louis glanced at the door once more. He couldn't hear anyone and he wasn't supposed to be anywhere specific today, so no one would be looking for him. Just one wouldn't hurt, right?

He shuffled over to sit closer to the pack and when he was sure he was still clear, he reached out and picked it up. He pulled a cigarette out before putting the pack down on the table where he'd found it. Still no sound of anyone.

The lighter made him shake his head. The picture on it was a bit suggestive, but what else was to be expected from Free? Louis had seen the others do this countless times, so he lit the lighter and put it to the end of the cigarette, slowly inhaling to light it. It worked and Louis quickly put the lighter back down.

It was a lot stronger than when he just caught the smell when the others smoked. It did slowly bring some relief though. Louis exhaled and leaned back against the couch. This was going better than he expected.

Halfway through the cigarette, someone cleared their throat from the doorway. Louis froze and felt a cold chill run down his spine. The deep voice belonged to no one else but Miguel. "Care to explain yourself?" He asked and Louis whirled around, cigarette still between his fingers, now behind his back, looking sheepish. He chuckled nervously, grey smoke leaving his mouth in puffs.

"I bet Ibuki would just love to hear about this," Miguel said with a chuckle. Louis then panicked, "Please don't tell Dad!" He flinched at how loud his own voice sounded. "Too late, put that out and come over here," Miguel stated casually. Louis sighed, but did as told. He looked for the nearest ashtray and put out the cigarette in it. He'd stomp it out like the others usually did, but the livingroom had a carpet.

He wasn't too surprised that Miguel picked him up when he walked over. He was so used to the lions doing it, despite him being a teenager now, that he just leaned into Miguel's body to make it easier for him. "Why did you smoke anyway?" He asked, surprising Louis with how gentle his tone was. Maybe the lion had noticed the flinch earlier. "I thought it might help get rid of my headache," Louis mumbled, placing his forehead against Miguel's warm shoulder, seeking relief once more.

"Secondhand withdrawal?" He asked as they went up the stairs. Louis shrugged, "I don't know. I woke up with it but I don't know what caused it." Miguel nods, "Alright then."

A knock on a door made Louis lift his head away from the large shoulder. Ibuki called for them to enter and they did. Miguel put Louis down on one of the chairs and said, "We talked about the smoking risk the other night." Miguel pointed to Louis, "The little tyke was smoking in the livingroom." Ibuki sighed and nodded. Were they expecting him to sneak a cigarette at some point?

Miguel stepped to the side to stand by the wall and close the door. It was then that Louis noticed Dolph was in the room as well. Was he here the whole time? Or did he just appear when he heard Louis was misbehaving?

Dolph was standing rather closely behind Ibuki, as if they were about to co-parent him. He's been wondering for a while if that was, in fact, the case and the two maybe had a secret or just quiet relationship going. This wasn't the time to think about it though.

"Care to explain, Louis?" Ibuki asked and Louis felt that cold chill from earlier return. Ibuki was using his dad voice, that soft but stern tone that would make any child admit every wrong thing they've done in the last few weeks. Louis sighed.

"I woke up with a headache today. Nothing could've caused it and it's been really bad. I ate and drank water and it's not a hangover cause I'm not given enough wine to cause one. I don't know, I thought it might be withdrawal since no one at school smokes, so I thought a cigarette would help. I'm sorry," Louis admits, his voice turning to a whine at the end as he grabs his head when another wave hits him. Ibuki frowns.

"You could've just asked for a painkiller or something," Dolph says. "You guys all seemed busy, I didn't want to bother anyone," Louis says, blinking a bit as the wave passes. "Come on Louis, no one is too busy to spare the two minutes it would take to give you a painkiller and some water," Ibuki says in a disappointed tone. Disappointed at Louis or that he thought they were too busy for him? Louis didn't know.

"Sorry," Louis says quietly, making Ibuki sigh. The way Louis' ears went down seemed to cause Ibuki to ease. He reached into one of his desk drawers and pulled out a bottle, rolling it over the desk towards Louis. "Take one of those, get some water and go take a nap. Tell someone if it doesn't go away afterwards, okay?" Ibuki said and Louis hesitantly took the bottle of painkillers.

Dolph looked at Ibuki with a glare, as if trying to say he was going too easy on the kid. "And if we catch you smoking again before you're old enough, you're grounded until you're 35," Dolph adds when he looks back to Louis. Louis nods, still looking sheepish and gets up to leave. Miguel opened the door to let Louis leave.

Louis could hear Ibuki and Dolph talking about something as he walked down the hallways to get to his room. Miguel seemed to follow him, maybe less trusting of the fawn to not overdose. Ibuki did kind of leniently just hand him a full bottle of painmeds. It seemed stupid to just trust a 13 year old with something like that. He couldn't hear what Ibuki and Dolph were saying, just their voices.

He could however, hear Miguel hanging around outside his bedroom door while he took one of the painkillers and drank it down with water from his bathroom tap. No use in going down to the kitchen just to come back up to his room. It didn't take long to kick in, making his limbs feel like lead.

So Louis did as told and got into his bed again, letting the medication pull him into sleep the moment he rested his head on the pillow.

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Louis slept until nightfall. He woke up and noticed it was almost dinner time. His headache hadn't completely left, but it was dull enough for him to ignore it for now. He noted to read the label on those pills after dinner and maybe take another one before he went to sleep.

With that thought, he made his way to the diningroom. Apparently, the three lions had told the rest about him smoking, if he were to guess by the mischievous grin Free was giving him when he sat down.

Dinner seemed normal, by their standards, for the most part. Almost by the end of it, Free leaned over and whispered, "Next time you want a cigarette, just ask. I'll cover you." The statement made Louis smile. Free sure was something else. He nodded that he understood and went on to finish his food.

The general buzz of chatter around the table had made his headache slowly come back to full force during dinner, so Louis just planned to head straight to bed. He had asked and Ibuki confirmed it was fine if he took another one of the pills, but insisted that it was just one and no more. Louis wasn't planning on taking more, he knew the risks, but the reminder wasn't entirely unwelcome.

He'd made it up the stairs and halfway to his room when the wall looked really comfortable. He had an itch in his mind to just push his forehead against it, so he did. The pressure helped to illeviate the pain some and the cold temperature of it seemed to soothe his burning skin. He let out a soft sigh.

He didn't know how long he was just standing there, when he heard footsteps approach. Probably Agata or Dope retiring to their rooms for the night. It was too heavy to be his gremlin brother, Free.

"Louis, you okay?" Agata's sweet voice rang out. Louis glanced at him without taking his head away from the wall. "Just a headache kicking my ass, I'll be fine, 'Gata," Louis mumbled.

Agata felt bad for the little guy. From what he remembers from biology class back in school, fawns grow their first set of horns when they are 13 or 14 and it causes anything from minor headaches to unbearable migraines for some. That might be what's been bothering Louis, but the fawn just didn't know that. Agata would tell him at a different time, for now, there had to be a way to illeviate the pain.

Then a memory came to the front of Agata's mind. One of his previous relationships had complained about chronic headaches and how his purring had helped to ease it to some extent. He looked at Louis, "Can I pick you up?" He asked in a gentle tone, confusing the fawn a bit. Most of the lions didn't really ask, they just picked him up randomly. Louis had long since made peace with it since he was the smallest in the mansion. Louis pushed himself away from the wall and nodded slowly, wondering what Agata's deal was.

Agata reached down and picked Louis up in such a way that he could tuck the fawn's head under his chin. Louis was a bit confused, but didn't complain as he felt the soft mane tickle the fur on top of his head and ears. He always liked the lions' manes. He felt it before he heard it, a deep rumble vibrating Agata's chest and out his throat. Agata was purring and the deep gentle rumble, combined with the chin putting a bit of pressure on his head, brought almost instant relief.

Louis sighed in relief, reaching his hand up to gently run through Agata's mane, at least the lower parts that he could reach of it. Louis could feel Agata's face pull into a smile, rather than having to see it. The young lion slowly started walking towards Louis' room, continuing to purr as he did. It was a soothing sound and soothing gesture. Louis noted to remember this helped for future reference. The question just remained of which lions would be willing to purr for him.

Agata sat at the edge of Louis' bed and kept purring until Louis' breathing evened out and his tensed muscles relaxed. His smile never left, as he gently moved Louis and tucked the fawn into his bed. Agata, just glad the purring had actually helped, turned the light in the room off and closed the door behind him when he left.

He passed Free on the way to his own room. "Is he doing okay?" Free asked in a quiet voice, as if he was trying to hide his worry for Louis. Everyone knew that Free was almost as protective and worried about Louis as Ibuki was. "Yeah, I think his horns are just starting to grow in and that's what's giving him the migraine. It shouldn't last too long," Agata said with a sweet smile. Free's shoulders lowered at that and he nodded, "I hope you're right, kid."

With that, they parted for their own rooms to settle in for the night. Hopefully Louis' headache would either be gone or more bearable by the time morning arrived.

Chapter Text

The migraines didn't stop for a couple days and Ibuki was even considering as much as taking Louis to a doctor in the city. Course there are doctors in the Market, but you don't just trust them to deal with a herbivore.

Some of the lions seemed worried, others treated it like a normality, and Agata was often seen slipping Louis painkillers and Free giving Louis the occasional bit of alcohol or a cigarette. All of the above seemed to work and as long as the older lions didn't deem it excessive, they didn't interfere with this arrangement.

A week of this passed before Louis woke up one morning with a strange feeling in his head. No... on top of his head, actually. He scratched an itch by his ear and touched something that wasn't there the night before. He practically flew out of bed with the speed he was going and jumped up onto the counter in his bathroom to look in the mirror.

To his surprise, and slight horror, two stubs were there between his ears. He carefully trailed a hand over them, feeling the odd texture of the skin over it. Was this why he was having migraines all week? He had to talk to Ibuki.

Thinking of migraines, his head thudded in familiar pain and he scrambled to swallow some painkillers from the bottle in his bathroom quickly. If he snuffed it before it got too bad then he'd be able to bare it.

He made quick work of getting dressed and then ran to go find Ibuki. He found Ibuki and Dolph in the kitchen, after almost tripping twice down the stairs.

Running over, Louis forewent greetings and jumped onto the chair beside Ibuki, flinching at the screeching sound the chair made as it skidded over the linoleum floor. "Dad! Dad! Help!" Ibuki immediately turned his attention to Louis.

"What's up, kiddo?" Ibuki asked, trying to not flip out over his son being in distress. "Look at this! What is this?!" Louis all but yelled in a panic, pointing to the stubs on his head. They were no bigger than a couple sentimeters above his skull.

Ibuki stared for a moment and it even took a solid minute for it to click in his own head. "Louis, calm down, it's okay," Ibuki said, gently cupping Louis' face and lifting his chin to look up at him. Louis sniffled, looking years younger than he was. Ibuki couldn't remember the last time Louis had such a fragile look in his eyes.

Ibuki gently wiped a tear away from Louis' cheek and had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. "Louis, what are you?" Louis blinked, confused but still fragile looking. Ibuki sighed, he should rephrase that.

"Louis, what species are you?" Ibuki asked, trying to get Louis to connect the dots for himself. Louis blinked again, clearing his throat before saying, "Red Deer. What does this have to do with anything?" Louis watched as Ibuki and Dolph exchanged a look and Dolph also seemed to be holding back a laugh.

"And what's own to deer species in the male department?" Louis blinked, now just confused as he tried to think it through with a still muddled morning brain. Then it seemed to click and Louis blushed so brightly his fur actually seemed red. "Antlers," He said in a voice just above a whisper, even his ears now tinted in blush.

Ibuki let out a soft chuckle, "Exactly. Your antlers are just growing in. No need for panic." Louis let out a sigh of relief, accompanied by a nervous laugh. "That explains the constant migraines," Dolph quipped and suddenly it made sense to Louis as well.

Before he could think too much about it, Louis flinched and grabbed the left side of his head in a spot between his eye and his antler stubs. "Ow!" He hissed. Dolph sighed and got up to make Louis some tea.

If anyone had been paying attention, they would've noticed Dolph's tail unfurling from Ibuki's as he got up.

While he was making tea, Free came into the kitchen in his usual gremlin fashion, squatting in front of the fridge to dig out leftovers as he did every morning. Louis groaned and Free grumbled, "Same to you pipsqueak. Still got migraines?" The lion asked between bites of leftover pork ribs.

When he didn't get an answer beyond a groan, he turned around on his haunches to see Louis with his head rested on his arms on the table. He swallowed the bite he had and stood up to walk over. Ibuki was giving Free a look that suggested if he made Louis' migraine worse he'd have Hell to pay.

Free spotted the little stubs on Louis' head and made a chuff sound that caught almost everyone off guard. Add that to the list of sounds they didn't think Free could make. "Ah, so those are finally growing in? I was wondering how long it'd take." He commented before thankfully then taking the offered mug of coffee from Dolph.

Louis only lifted his head slightly to take a sip of tea when Dolph softly placed the mug on the table in front of him. "Thanks," the fawn mumbled.

"You were expecting this?" Ibuki asked Free, who just shrugged. "Agata had actually been the one who originally suspected it was Louis' antlers starting to grow in and I think Hino just likes having someone to bitch along with about headaches, so he isn't too concerned." Free sipped his coffee, "Speaking of," He pointed to the doorway, through which Agata walked a second later.

No one were really sure how he'd heard the young lion with everything else to concentrate on, but they didn't ask either. "Yo 'Gata, his antlers are finally showing," Free said, turning his full attention to his coffee now. Agata grumbled at the nickname but then suddenly was beside Louis.

He cooed at how cute the little stubs were and Louis was somewhere between annoyed and flustered by the action. After a few minutes a large, soft hand started gently running over his skull between his stubs and Louis let out a noise that could only be described as relief.

Ibuki raised an eyebrow at Agata, his tail now tangled with Dolph's once more, and the young lion offered a smile. "Some of my horned friends from back in school always used to say it helped, so I figured it was worth a try," Agata said with a shrug.

After Louis seemed to doze for a minute, Agata let go and stepped over to the kettle. "On that note, he should probably not be in the middle of the hustle and bustle if he's still dealing with migraines." Agata made himself some coffee too. Free grunted, "Hino is usually in the middle of it." Agata bumped Free's shoulder with his own, "The difference there being, Hino is 28 and Louis is 13." Free shrugged his response and Agata sighed. Ibuki couldn't help but notice that the two were acting like brothers in the way they treated each other.

Once Louis finished his tea, he got up from his seat, mumbling, "I'm gonna try to sleep some more." Ibuki and Dolph hummed their response. Free glanced at Louis, only to see the fawn tap the side of his lip. Free scratched at his ear and averted his gaze once Louis left the room. No one else caught on.

That was their little signal that Louis wanted a cigarette and Free agreed to give him one. Louis couldn't outright ask, since the older lions were in the room and Ibuki would string them up by their tails if the conversation was ever spoken out loud. Free gave it a couple minutes, finishing his coffee, before he silently slipped out of the kitchen too.

Going off of what Louis had said, Free assumed the fawn went to his room and walked the familiar path to it. When he arrived, the door was slightly ajar and Free walked in to see Louis sitting on the balcony, head resting against the metal railing. He walked over and sat down beside Louis.

No words were exchanged, Louis just shifted his head to look in Free's direction. Free fished his cigarettes and lighter out of his pocket and held it out to Louis. The fawn took one and placed it to his lips, allowing Free to light it for him. Free lit his own cigarette a moment later.

After putting both items back, Free glanced out over the Market. You could see a lot of it from Louis' balcony. He exhaled slowly, listening to Louis breath in the smoke without even so much as coughing. He kind of felt responsible for letting it become a habit the fawn has.

"Don't expect more than one a day," Free commented quietly and Louis almost laughed. Who thought Free could be calm in some situations? "At that point, I'll start buying my own, thanks," Louis snarked back, causing Free to huff out a quiet laugh.

Silence settled between them and Louis rests his head against the railing again. Free remained with Louis after their smokes were done, at least until Miguel called for him. They had a job to do after all, no matter how much he'd rather stay and make sure Louis was okay.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Two weeks into the antlers growing, Louis had gotten used to the migraines and with the help of strong enough painkillers, he was able to ignore their presence most of the day. After all, he had school and couldn't just avoid it because of a headache.

He'd noticed most of the other deer students already had their first set of antlers and one had even made fun of him for his own growing in later than theirs, and apparently slower too. He'd overheard them talk that it only took a week or two to have their antlers grow and then the headaches ceased, yet his own were still threatening to split his skull in two.

So he was a little slower than them. He was also shorter and more feminine in most aspects, but he knew if any of them tried to physically get him, he'd best them all. He wasn't big, but he was all muscle and that was probably thanks to being raised by carnivores.

Legosi, when he found out about Louis' headaches, has not left his best friend alone if he could help it, such as during lunch. Today, yet again, Louis found himself sitting in Legosi's lap during lunch with the pup's snout resting on top of Louis' head in between his stubs and his arms wrapped around Louis' abdomen.

Louis didn't mind, in fact the pressure from Legosi's head weighing on his own illeviated some of the pain. Legosi also kept lookout for him so that Louis could sneak a painkiller without any teachers or other students noticing. It was still mainly just them during lunches, since herbivore students seemed afraid of Legosi, while carnivore students avoided the pup like the plague for being friends with a herbivore like Louis. The two didn't mind it though.

Louis took a bite of his celery from his packed lunch and held a separate stick up to Legosi's mouth. Legosi would take a bite, lift his head just enough to chew, and then settle back into the spot he nestled his jaw into, giving Louis a gentle squeeze around his abdomen as thanks. Other than that, they were quiet for the sake of Louis' headache not worsening.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

It took a full month before Louis' antlers were fully grown in and he finally woke up for the first time without a headache.
He stretched and ran his hands along the antlers. They sat in a manner that didn't effect how he held his head when he slept and since they grew in over such a long time, he had gradually gotten used to the extra weight it put on his neck.

A couple days ago, however, he had a startling discovery. The soft velvet that grew with the antlers would come off in bloody chunks. Apparently it was normal, but it gave himself, Hino, Dope and Ibuki a massive fright. Apparently no one was prepared for the velvet to come off. Agata had laughed at them and Free had just apprehensively nodded along to the sight, as if avoiding the blood and gore. Louis couldn't blame him, he was aware lesser carnivores would've made an easy meal out of him with the smell of blood coming off the velvet.

He felt the bone and the way it twisted up into sharp ends. He found himself in his bathroom once more, admiring the new additions now that they weren't causing him any pain. Louis hoped to Rex that he wouldn't have to go through all that again every year when the antlers dropped. He'd done some research, but none of it had yielded that answer, so he could only hope.

He did however, stomp his foot in annoyance when his antler caught on the bathroom door, and the turn on his way down the stairs, and accidentally nicked Sabu, who had just chuckled it off. Apparently the ends of them were very sharp and could easily cut flesh. He would need to keep that in mind.

Chapter Text

Another year, another day at school and another attempt from other animals trying to befriend them. Legosi and Louis had agreed that morning before school that they would give it one last go and if one failed, then they could just join up with the other again.

That's how Legosi ended up where he was now. Jack had, once again, approached him during lunch, with the usual puppy eyes. It was odd to see a 13 year old doing puppy eyes. "Would you come play with us today?" Jack asked. Legosi pretended to think about it and then rolled his eyes, "Sure, why the hell not."

Jack barked happily and grabbed Legosi's wrist to drag him over to the rest of the group. The same group that Jack has been with the whole time. They were all too happy that he agreed and introduced themselves. Legosi learned their names pretty quickly.

Collot, Jack and Miguno were the most hyper of the bunch and Legosi enjoyed throwing the frisbee between them and occasionally talking to them. Durham was sitting to the side, strumming a guitar the whole time. Legosi had no idea how the coyote managed to sneak that into the schoolyard, while Voss was someone he hadn't noticed until he'd been close to them and saw the fennec fox on Collot's shoulder.

Speaking of shoulders, when Collot decided to make a mad dash after a tennis ball that flew over the group, Voss had been wise enough to jump over to Legosi's right shoulder. It had been an odd sensation, having someone standing on your shoulder, but he was light and his shoes somehow didn't track dirt all over his uniform, so Legosi didn't mind. He did, however, make up some excuse that his left shoulder hurt a bit to keep Voss from moving over to that side. Truthfully, Legosi was just nervous the fox would notice the concealed throwing knives he hid along the inside of his shirt there. Voss was kind enough to listen though and stayed on his right shoulder.

Legosi had noticed their differences very quickly though, even if it seemed like they didn't. They were a lot more energetic than he was. They ran around constantly and didn't stop once. When he was younger he could do that too, but he didn't have such outwardly busy energy anymore. He noticed that despite them being the same age as him, he already towered over them in length and his teeth and claws were way bigger than theirs. Not that he showed his teeth, but they smiled so wide that theirs were obvious.

He also noticed that they were very expressive, while his own emotions were more muted in how he expressed them. He chalked everything up to not being around canines much and growing up among reptiles, who were known to be less expressive and energetic. The group of mixed canines didn't seem to think much of it though.

At some point they started playing tag, Voss occasionally switching between their shoulders in the middle of the game and clinging to their ears to not fall off in the process. Legosi was a lot faster than them, whether his training or lineage was the reason for this, he wasn't sure, but it did make it more difficult for them to tag him.

At some point, they all decided to be "it" and team up against Legosi. Legosi took this as a challenge and grinned closed mouth at them as he took off at full sprint. Miguno split off from the group and Jack and Durham moved out wider. Legosi chuckled as he took a sharp turn that effectively made Collot slip when the sheepdog tried to copy his movement.

Jack appeared from around a corner and Legosi gracefully sidestepped him, much to the labrador's surprise. Durham was trying to help Collot up, who was laughing so hard he could barely stand and Voss had seemingly disappeared. As Legosi ran on, Miguno appeared out of nowhere and tried to tackle him, but Legosi ducked, successfully causing the hyena to go over him and roll onto the soft grass, tripping Jack in the process.

Voss suddenly dropped down from a tree, but instead of the successful sneak attack he hoped for, Legosi caught him instead and threw him at Collot, who caught the fennec easily enough. Eventually the group of five, all still laughing, cornered Legosi against the building. Legosi was panting but smiled anyway, even if their excited demeanors were a bit overwhelming, this was fun.

The wolf held his hands up in mock surrender, panting out a "Alright alright, you've caught me." He held his hand out and four other paws tagged his own. He couldn't help but notice how soft their paws were compared to his large ones.

"My turn," he playfully said, wagging his tail a bit. It looked a bit stiff compared to the wild fans that were the others' tails, but he didn't care. They all laughed as they took off and Legosi aimed to go after Jack.

The labrador had wider shoulders than Louis, which Legosi mentally realised may be a weird thought, but Louis had been his closest friend for so many years, and the only one he really roughhoused with or played tag with.

Miguno was just ahead of Jack, so when Legosi jumped to tackle the labrador, they took the hyena down with them. They rolled over the grass and ended up in a pile, which was then joined by Collot, Durham and Voss flopping down on top of them.

They laughed and eventually parted from the pile, laying on the grass to catch their breaths. Legosi still had no idea why this group in particular had been so adamant to befriend him, but he would admit that this had been fun, though now their energy was starting to annoy him, so he sat up and scooted back against a tree, pretending to still be catching his breath while the others moved on to another game.

He just wanted a breather to be honest. They were a lot for someone used to much calmer company.

°°°

Across the schoolyard, Louis chuckled as he watched the group of canines drag Legosi off and play with a frisbee. He then turned to look over his surroundings, looking for someone who looked approachable enough to try and befriend, preferably someone who was newer to the school.

He didn't see anyone that fit that description, but he did see three herbivore girls acting like complete assholes to a rabbit girl. He walked over to interfere, knowing the teachers won't, even if one was literally ten steps away from the altercation and clearly watching it.

"What seems to be the problem, ladies?" Louis asked as he walked up to them. It seemed as easy a way to get their attention on him for a second. He could visibly see two of the bullies swoon and had to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

What seemed to be the leader of the bullies spoke. "Haru here stole my boyfriend!" The patched rabbit said, hands going to her hips. Louis raised an eyebrow. Weren't all of them too young to be dating? They were the same age as him. "Well it isn't ~my~ fault your boyfriend didn't like your attitude." Haru fired back, hands on her hips.

Louis breathed in deeply. This was a weird situation to handle. He decided Haru, with all her sass, could make for a good friend, so he chose her side. Not to mention she was alone against three others.

"How about you three run along and leave Haru alone, hmm? There's still plenty of time to get a better boyfriend," Louis said with a shrug. The other rabbit blew her mouth up in a pout while her friends snickered behind small hands. Haru laughed as well, covering her mouth while she did so.

After a moment or so, the other rabbit stomped off with her friends in tow. Haru let out a laugh and then sat back on the bench behind her. Louis sat down as well, considering she didn't walk off, he took it as an opportunity.

"You didn't have to do that, you know. I had it handled," Haru said, looking up at him. Louis immediately realised that Haru had a very childlike and innocent face to her. She looked too young to be here.

"What if I told you I wanted to help though?" Louis countered. Haru raised an eyebrow, "And why would you want to do that?" Louis offered her a gentle smile, "Because I want to befriend you."

Haru laughed at that, "Yeah right! No one wants to be my friend." Louis rolled his eyes and leaned back on the bench to give her a playful look, "No one wants to be my friend either, so why don't we be friends then?"

Haru glanced to where Legosi was playing tag with other canines. "Your wolf friend is right over there, don't lie to me. Or did he leave you behind for canines?" Louis shook his head, "No, we're trying to make more friends than just us two. I want a herbivore friend too, ya'know." It wasn't a complete lie.

Haru stared him down for a bit, frowning and studying his face. "You don't seem to be lying, so sure, we can be friends." Louis offered her another smile, this one somewhat relieved.

Haru offered a smile back and glanced over his side at Legosi, who was now chasing the other canines. She only knew the wolf's name because so many herbivores whispered it in fear. She looked back to Louis though and blushed as her stomach growled. She threw a glance at an upturned bowl with spilled salad on the ground. "Too bad those bullies threw my lunch away."

Louis tapped her shoulder with the edge of his lunchbox. "Wanna share? My dad always packs more than I can eat in a day," Louis offered. Haru glanced at the lunchbox, seeing mostly what looked to be a salad with some celery and carrot sticks on the side. She shrugged and took a carrotstick, nibbling on it while Louis chewed on a piece of celery.

"If you don't mind me asking-" Haru said between bites, getting Louis' attention, "How did you and that wolf become friends? It's a little odd, you know?" Louis shrugged, taking the time he was still chewing to think up a believable explanation. He very well couldn't just say the truth.

He swallowed with a shrug, "We actually met at a park when we were like 4 or 5 and have been friends ever since." He stated simply. Haru nodded, seeming to believe him. He may just have to tell Legosi about that so their stories line up, but it would work for now.

They talked more, Louis holding out the lunchbox to Haru every now and again to share his lunch with her. She was nice enough to be around and sassy enough to keep his interest. After a while they were kind of just making fun of other herbivores for being so skittish.

They watched as herbivore kids practically dived out of the way of the canine group while they were playing some game, but Louis noticed Legosi wasn't among them anymore. He glanced around a bit more and saw his friend sitting by a tree, looking either tired or annoyed, maybe both. That group must have tired him out.

Haru quietly took notice of the way Louis was looking at Legosi and a mischievous grin played onto her features. Obviously something was up with these two. Haru was also a bit confused. All those other canines were a year younger than them, but she's seen Legosi in some of her classes before lunch, so he was in their grade. Was he not the same age as they were?

Louis glanced back at her and continued the conversation where they'd previously left off. Haru joined in comfortably. He was good conversation and she could admit that. At least now she was less lonely.

Chapter Text

A knock sounded from the other side of the office door. Ibuki sighed, taking his glasses off to rub at his eyes and move some strands of mane out of his face in one fluent motion, before saying, "Come in!"

The door swung open and Louis offered a small smile as he stepped into the office, careful to not catch his antlers on the door. Closing the door behind him again, he said, "I don't mean to bother you. The others are all out on jobs." Louis watched as Ibuki's tired expression turned into a soft smile, making his own smile relax.

"You aren't bothering me, Louis. I'm just checking over some stuff," Ibuki said, trying to keep things vague. Louis' ears perked a little at that and he moved over to stand beside Ibuki's desk. "Maybe I could help?" Louis offered. Ibuki shrugged and gathered a stack of papers. "It's market business, you don't have to worry about that yet."

Louis pouted, "I'm gonna have to do it at some point, I might as well learn as early as I can." Ibuki pursed his lips, trying to think of something to discourage the teen. Louis was 14, he didn't need to be involved with the specifics yet. Ibuki was about to say something else to try and dissued Louis, but when he looked at his son, Louis was looking back up at him with puppy eyes.

"Did Legosi teach you that?" Ibuki asked, both surprised and not so much when Louis nods, keeping the eyes in place and jutting his lip out in a cute pout. Ibuki all but melted, though mentally noted to like Legosi just a little less for teaching Louis that. Ibuki sighed.

"Fine, I'm just sorting out the income of the gang. We've been losing some money somewhere and I'm trying to figure out where. It's too complicated for you, you really shouldn't be worried about this yet," Ibuki said. Louis shrugged and jumped up to sit on the edge of the desk with his feet dangling off. Ibuki has long since started leaving a spot for Louis to sit on at the side of the desk after the fawn did it for 7th time.

He picked up some of the papers and scanned over them. Louis took a moment to read before asking, "If I have it correct, money means more control, medical and weapons in our hands, yes?" Ibuki nods, surprised Louis has already picked up on that.

"So we need to get more control of our assets. What do we have on grounds of businesses so far?" Louis asked and Ibuki found himself wondering when Louis had become this smart. He quickly made a mental note of their assets before telling Louis. He wasn't sure how much the teen could understand or help with but it wouldn't hurt to hear him out.

"We've got two weapons vendors, five bars, three meat vendors and a specialty goat meat vendor. We also deal in cocaine and blood. There's the hyperdrug clinic, but it's a but of a shitshow right now." Ibuki listed off and Louis listened intently, mentally pacing the information. Ibuki allowed him time to come to a conclusion, watching the fawn glance over the paperwork again.

"So the specialty shop and weapons dealers need more money to run their operations. We can send Dope to negotiate lending them some cash to do renovations and stock up. That way they'll puff up a bit and we'll make more money in return." Louis commented, switching the papers in his hands around and putting some down.

"Maybe get Sabu and Free to run a tighter ship on the drug trade, lean more towards the blood trade, cause everyone wants it, while only some want cocaine. Don't throw the cocaine trade out the window though, just scale down on it slightly." Louis puts another paper down, glancing at Ibuki with a strange spark in his eyes that the lion hasn't seen before.

"You, Dolph, Hino and Miguel can go check in with the meat vendors and bars. They should be turning a quick profit, if I know anything about the market, and I do, so if they aren't that means they aren't being run correctly. We'll need to fix that, even if it requires some brute force." Louis puts down the rest of the stack of papers, honey brown eyes meeting the dark eyes of his father.

"Everyone should strive in the long run. We invest to get results and if they don't deliver them, we remove them from the picture and put someone else in charge of those establishments." Louis noted.

"And last but not least, we can have Agata and Jinma look into the hyperdrug clinic to figure out what's happening there and then we can decide on a course of action to deal with that shitshow, as you put it," Louis finished, looking just a tad bit smug.

Ibuki took a moment to weigh those ideas as well and found himself baffled in the best way possible. Louis was a natural at this stuff and it may be because of his exposure to the market over the years. He was sure none of the Shishigumi lions were this intelligent at 14, so he assumed it was something that was all Louis.

"I'll take those into consideration and tweak the finer details, but those sound like good ideas," Ibuki said, smiling at Louis, who returned the smile with a sparkle in his eyes. "Thanks, Louis." Louis grinned at that, "I told you I could help." Ibuki chuckled at that, but he couldn't disagree.

"Well, while we're discussing market business, I wanted to tell you about something else as well." Louis looked up and nodded, showing he was listening. "Near the edge of the market, there's a new problem that kicked up, or well, we're not sure if the guy is a problem yet."

Louis watched his father intently, listening to any details he could file away in his mind.

"It's this panda, Gouhin, I think his name is. He's taken over one of the abandoned apartment buildings around the edge of the market and turned it into a 'recovery' clinic for meat addicts that he pulls off the streets of the market."

Louis frowned. That sounded frankly ridiculous. He's seen a lot of weird or odd things in these back alleys, but someone trying to rehabilitate meat addicts was a new one.

"He's pretty much very forceful with his so called 'patients'. We're not sure if he's a threat to the Gumis yet," Ibuki continued. "I'm telling you this, because I want you to be careful around the outer edge of the market. I don't want to hear he's captured you, just to find out he's a problem." Louis nods, biting the inside of his lip.

"Do you think Legosi knows about him?" Louis asked, a little nervous for his friend. Ibuki shrugs, "He does most likely because Gosha knows about Gouhin and I have no doubt he'll warn Legosi about him." Louis nods.

"Now, don't get me wrong. You're still free to move around the market on your own, like you've been doing in recent months, just be on the lookout for the panda. You can't really miss him, he's massive." Louis nods, giggling a little at the last comment.

"Okay, Dad. I understand," Louis says, glancing at the window. The sun was starting to set, which means the others would be returning to the base soon enough. Ibuki followed his gaze and allowed a moment of silence, before speaking again.

"Enough about formalities, how was your week at school?" Ibuki asked, tucking the paperwork from earlier away in one of his desk drawers.

Louis perks up a bit, turning to face the lion again. "It was actually decent. See, Legosi and I agreed that we'd give the whole 'making friends' thing another go and see what happens." He smiled, making Ibuki's heart melt.

"And? How's that been going?" Ibuki asked, watching Louis' legs swing. "Oh wonderful. I've befriended a rabbit girl by the name of Haru. She's fun to be around and decent conversation, though Legosi is still my best friend," Louis said, feeling the need to add on that last bit. Ibuki chuckled.

"I assume you two get along well then?" Ibuki asks. Louis nods, "Yeah, she isn't just blindly afraid of carnivores, which already makes her more bearable to be around." Ibuki laughs and shakes his head. That was an interesting mark to meet when it came to friends.

They heard the others return to the mansion, some of them at least. They heard Sabu and Free's motorcycles pull up and park outside. They heard Agata enter the mansion, talking Hino's ear off, who was probably tuning the young lion out.

Ibuki glanced at the door, "Should we head out and see how they're doing before dinner?" Louis nodded, "Yeah, I should also probably check that Free is still up for our rounds tonight." Ibuki stands up from his chair, stretching and allowing his joints to pop back into place.

"Oh, are you two on patrol tonight?" He asked, looking down at Louis, who was still sitting on the desk. Louis smiled, "Yeah, Jinma is coming too." The teen held his arms out in a grabbing motion and Ibuki picked him up with an eyeroll and a chuckle.

It may be an uncommon thing for most teenagers to do, but Louis was still at such a size that he could sit on the lions' shoulders comfortably and they carried him like he weighed nothing, which to them, he probably didn't.

Ibuki put Louis on his shoulders and smiled as the teen's hands found their way into his mane, down to his skin. As they walked out of the office, Ibuki remembered to crouch ever so slightly to make up for the space that Louis' antlers took up. Louis was thankful for that.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

After dinner, Louis ran to grab a jacket and then met up with Jinma and Free on the way out of the mansion.

As usual, Louis got on a motorcycle with Free and leaned back into the lion's chest as they took off. He was still small enough for Free to look over his head and as long as he didn't move his head too suddenly, his antlers wouldn't be a problem. He only had to learn once that sudden movement meant he would smack or poke Free with his antlers.

They were taking the usual path tonight with Jinma in the lead. Once they got to the outer ring of their territory, they slowed down considerably. That was a queue to Louis and once he leaned forward and took hold of the handles, Free let go of them, placing his hands behind himself instead. It may not be the best method, but this was how Free chose to teach Louis to drive one of these.

Louis smiled as Free gave him full control of the driving, easily keeping up with the pace that Jinma had set ahead of them. Most animals didn't even give the three a second glance anymore and those who did, either ignored them or looked a little surprised that Louis was among them. The latter group must be new to the area, Louis thought, but didn't dwell on it too much.

As they drove down the street that split their territory from Dokugumi territory, they spotted some of the reptiles with Legosi, also on motorcycles, possibly doing patrols as well. Legosi and Louis waved at each other, while Free and Savon just gave a nod at each other to show they were acknowledged.

They passed each other and moved on to the rest of their patrol. They drove for another few hours before they stopped for a quick break. Louis got off and stretched, wincing a little as the scar on his arm ached. He hasn't gotten used to that yet, but he's sure he will eventually.

Jinma and Free both lit cigarettes and with some well placed words, Louis mooched one off Free, who made the teenager promise to not tell Ibuki before he handed one over. Louis grinned at his big brother and lit the cigarette.

A comfortable silence fell around the three as they smoked their cigarettes, letting the cold night air remind them of the hour. They still had some hours to spend out here before they headed back. Louis found himself comfortable with that, despite the looks some of the passerbies were giving him.

Chapter Text

The early Sunday afternoon found Legosi and Louis walking side by side with the last of their things in their hands for their new dorms. The Dokugumi and Shishigumi's respective black cars have already left, now they just had to get comfortable in the new spaces.

"It's total bullshit that Cherryton is forcing us to live in dorms this year. I don't care how 'convenient' it is for others, they don't have to force everyone to stay in them!" Louis grumbled to Legosi as they walked.

The two Gumis had ensured the two had private dorms, even if it cost a little extra, rather than having them room with others. This way there was less risk of their true identities coming to the forefront. And luckily, the private dorms weren't split between carnivores and herbivores due to how little amount of animals actually bought the private dorms.

"Let's just be glad our parents decided we don't have to suffer through sharing dorm space with five roommates." Legosi comments with a chuckle. Louis groaned, "Thank Rex!"

They split into their dorms to finish unpacking before the school year officially starts.

Legosi puts his backpack on the floor, sitting on the bed to get a good look at the room. The bed was a double size, there was a built in closet where most of his things were now packed and a wooden desk with a chair under the large window. The private dorms still had a shared bathroom just down the hallway, but Legosi was sure he could make the space comfortable enough.

His bed has already been made, the blue sheets looking pristine as ever and his laptop was set up on the desk. He double checked that his schoolbag was correctly packed for the following day and then checked his phone. No messages so far.

Once Legosi finished off with his stuff in his room, he locked it and popped into the dorm right next to his own, which happened to be Louis'.

°°°

Louis put the box in his arms down on the table and flopped backwards onto his bed, which was a decently big size, though not as big as the one he had at the mansion. It had been made with his usual savannah sand coloured covers and hidden beneath the one pillow was his old stuffed lion toy. He never could bring himself to get rid of it.

He had a desk in the corner with a chair, right under the window, which had curtains that matched his bedsheets, his schoolbag was dropped haphazardly by the door and the other wall had a closet that held most of his things. He checked the bag under his bed and sighed in quiet relief when he saw his gun was still there. On one hand, he hadn't wanted to bring it onto schoolgrounds, but on the other, he felt safer in general with it so close by.

A familiar knock on the door made him put the gun back under the bed in it's bag and call for Legosi to enter the room. Legosi glanced around playfully before sitting on the chair behind the desk.

"What irks me is that they're forcing us to join at least one club this year. Don't they know we have better things to do?" Legosi grumbled, continuing their conversation from earlier. Louis sighs, "That too. Apparently, it's to keep us out of trouble, Agata claims." Legosi groaned again but before either of them could complain further, their attention turned to the door, where an envelope just got slid through. Another one slid through a minute later. Not even a knock on the door, how strange.

They looked between the envelopes and each other, before Louis got up to retrieve them. He read the names on the front and passed one to Legosi.

The wolf frowned, "How'd they know I was in here too?" Louis shrugs, "Beats me. It looks official though, so..." Louis trailed off, using a knife he has on him to cut open the envelope. Nothing funny inside, just a normal letter. Legosi seems to have gotten the same.

They shared another look and one more shrug before quietly reading their letters. Legosi's ears perked and one of Louis' ears twitched as they read through them.

"Scouted to join the Drama Club? What does that even mean?" Louis asks as he flops backwards onto his bed again. Legosi had a small pout on his face, his brow furrowed so low that it made his eyes look even smaller, his ears were also flicking in slight annoyance now.

"Do you think we should go? They're first meeting of the year is already tomorrow after school," Legosi half mumbles. He really didn't want to take part in some club, but at least this way, he didn't have to go through the trouble of finding one that wouldn't give him away.

He was physically in far better shape than most would think of a 15 year old due to his rigorous training back at the compound and most carnivore clubs had physical activity, which would raise questions.

Louis seemed to think the question over as well, biting his lip and fiddling with his left antler. He's been doing that since they grew in, it's a nervous tick he has from time to time.

The herbivore clubs all seemed too boring for Louis, either not interesting enough or outright just sounded like an excuse to pretend to be busy. He'd be risking his sanity sitting around so many herbivores in a confined space for more than ten minutes.

"I say we check it out, if we don't like it, we can always leave and never go back," Louis offered. Legosi nodded, his tail wagging slightly behind him. "That sounds like a plan to me, Lou."

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Classes were as slow and boring as ever, but Legosi noted to thank Morro for drilling Seaspeak into his brain in the past.

After school, Legosi and Louis met up outside the closest class to the Drama Club, falling into step with each other. "Let's see what this Club is all about, shall we?" Louis asked and Legosi nodded.

They made it to the door, seeing several older students walk into the room. They paused, took a collective deep breath, and then entered the room side by side. They saw some other students their age and went over to stand by them.

It appeared the leader of the Club was a senior year Dall sheep student. He looks like he uses too much woolspray and dresses just to get attention. Maybe he does, Louis didn't know. He threw a glance at Legosi and thought maybe Legosi was thinking the same thing by the way his lip twitched ever so slightly.

The leader welcomed everyone and explained the roles in the club. The Actors, the Dancers and the Stage crew.

Legosi went over to the stage crew, waving as a greeting to the others. He always liked working with his hands, so this should suit him just fine. They all smiled and greeted him back in varying ways. Dom may be a year older, but he was nice, so Legosi stuck close to him.

Louis went over to the actors team, which was mostly older students and then a small sheep and a familiar cocky tiger his age. He couldn't dance, so that was out the window, and he liked attention, so being on stage would be no trouble for him.

For now, everyone was just getting used to the new members and explaining what they do in the Club, so there wasn't anything serious for them to work on yet. That would come later this week when the leader and the teacher running the club had decided what their first performance of the year would be.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Legosi and Louis met up again after the Club was over and walked together back to their dorms.

"Well, that wasn't too bad," Louis shrugged. Legosi mimicked the shrug, "Yeah, it seems nice. At least we don't have homework yet." Louis sighs, "At least, yeah. By the way, have you seen Haru today?"

Legosi nods, "Yeah, she's in my Biology class. Is she not in any of yours?" "Not that I've seen yet. I haven't had Seaspeak yet, so maybe we have that together tomorrow." Louis says.

Legosi mentally noted that he had Biology with Haru, PE with Louis and so far he hasn't seen his canine acquaintances yet, but maybe they were just busy, just like his own day had been.

They made it to their dorms soon enough and split up to try and do their homework before dinner. They planned to meet up for dinner again and if they are done with their homework, they might spend the night together, at least until curfew, then they would split for the night. It was at least nice to know that the other was nearby.

Chapter Text

The first month had flown by and classes almost felt like they were getting faster and easier to deal with. It was the last class of Wednesday, PE. Most students dreaded this class, but Legosi and Louis didn't really mind it.

They were just doing the normal stuff, some running, situps and pushups. "Alright, three laps of the field!" The PE teacher called. He was an older looking kangaroo with an angry set to his brows.

Legosi and Louis let some of the other carnivores take the lead, then started running a few meters behind them. They set an easy pace, keeping just behind the carnivores, who seemed to be trying to show off.

Halfway through the second lap, those same carnivores started slowing down and struggling to continue the run, Legosi and Louis overtook them and kept at their pace. The smaller herbivores were running in the back, kind of confused how a deer kept up so easily with a wolf.

Louis smiled at Legosi as they turned into their last lap, the wolf smiling back. They were still the same height, if you didn't count Louis' antlers making him appear taller.

They ended their third lap easily and caught their breath while they waited for the small animals to finish up and the cocky carnivores to catch up. Several of the latter looking a bit more than just peeved at the ease which they were doing this with.

Once everyone joined the end, the teacher allowed them a minute to catch their breaths before moving on to the situps. "30 each, do them however you please, but do 30."

Legosi and Louis picked a spot to the side of the group and sat down across from each other. They hooked their feet with each other and laid down backwards to begin the exercise. They timed their movements to be in sinc so they could count them at the same time.

Once they were done, they shifted to sit next to each other and watch the rest of the group. Legosi's ears twitched as he heard some of the herbivores speak ill of them for varying reasons. He didn't pay them much attention, knowing they'd be in the same place if he hadn't had Ronan to train him and Louis hadn't had Miguel to train with.

Soon it was time for the pushups and they did them as well, maybe slowing down a bit just to make it more normal looking.

As easy as this was, that didn't mean the sun hadn't caused them to sweat as well, so they were looking forward to a good shower after school before they tried to attempt homework.

The final bell rang and Legosi and Louis grabbed their bags, heading straight for their dorms. On the way there, Jack had seen them and stepped into pace with them.

"Hey Legosi," Jack greeted, his tail wagging. Legosi offered a tired kind of smile, "Oh hey, Jack." Jack smiled at him and Legosi wondered for the umpteenth time how the labrador seemed to glow when he did that. "So, uh we were wondering if maybe you'd want to come hang out with us later in our dorm?"

Legosi had to think of that for a second, then shrugged, "Sure, buddy. Let me just grab a shower and I have some homework to do but I'll come over once I'm done." Jack yipped happily, doing a little jump that made Legosi chuckle. "Which dorm is yours again?" "701!"
With that, Jack practically skipped off.

Legosi caught the look Louis was giving him and just shrugged, "What? I'm supposed to socialise with canines at least a little and everyone is usually so awkward in the Biology room." Louis rolled his eyes with a chuckle, "Oh nothing." Legosi just huffed in response, playfully smacking Louis' lower back with his tail.

They soon reached their dorms, dropping their bags and grabbing their shower supplies before heading for the communal bathrooms down the hall. No one else was there, so they took their sweet time to properly get cleaned and not worry about anyone seeing any scars or whatever out of place.

Legosi gave Louis a playful look, his tail wagging slowly, as they plugged in their furdryers. "What?" Louis asked, raising an eyebrow. He knew that look all too well.

Next thing he knew, Legosi had turned the furdryer to him and turned it on full blast. Louis shut his eyes and laughed. "HEY!" He turned his own furdryer towards Legosi and turned it up to blow in the wolf's face.

This turned into a game and by the time they stopped playing, both of them were dry and really fluffy, which made them laugh once more as they got dressed. "You're such a child," Louis said between chuckles, playfully pushing Legosi's face away. Legosi laughed as well, his tail wagging, "Not childish! I'm a wolf!" Another fit of laughter hit them.

They giggled all the way back to their dorms, then finally properly split up to do their homework.

°°°

Once Legosi finished his homework, he checked his phone for the time. It wasn't too late yet, so he placed his phone in his pocket and went over to the normal carnivore dorms. He climbed up the stairs to the seventh floor and checked the door numbers until he reached 701.

Rolling his shoulders and somewhat expecting an immediate dogpile, Legosi knocked on the door. He heard some shuffling from inside before the door opened and Jack smiled happily up at him. "You actually showed up!" The labrador yipped before pulling Legosi inside by his arm."Of course," Legosi managed to get out while being dragged.

Once inside, the expected dogpile happens in the middle of the room, tails wagging like crazy, then everyone moved away slightly.

They started off with videogames, most of which Voss won. No one knew how, since he was barely bigger than the controller he used. Legosi would laugh every time that Collot acted like a sore loser and he took some pride in beating Jack in several rounds of the game.

The group eventually got bored of that, which made Miguno go searching in the closet. "How about some jaw wars?" Miguno offered. Legosi frowned. Tug of war? Was there a use to that? He decided he'd either sit it out or just go easy on them.

The group agreed, all except Legosi, who was quiet, but they've gotten used to his bouts of quietness.

Miguno and Durham went first, being pretty much equal in size and probably strength too. It had taken quite a bit of time but eventually Miguno had gotten tired and Durham had gotten the upper hand.

Voss said he'd sit it out since it was mostly unfair to him, seeing as he was much smaller than the rest of them.

Durham challenged Jack next, so Jack sat down across from him and they started. It was a simple enough game, but Legosi couldn't remember ever really playing it. It wasn't exactly a game one of the guys back home could play with him, since their venom would eat right through the rope.

Jack had somehow won against Durham, something Legosi wouldn't have guessed and then actually challenged the wolf in question.

Legosi shrugged and sat down across from Jack, who's tail was going crazy again. Legosi tucked his tail against his side and took the other side of the rope in his mouth. Collot did the countdown for them and then they started.

Legosi put on a bit of a show, pretending like it was at least somewhat not the easiest thing he could've done today and making it look like Jack might have a chance. Their eyes met and Legosi got that mischievous shine to his small pupils. Jack gulped. Next thing Jack knew, he was pretty much in Legosi's lap from how hard the wolf had tugged on the rope unexpectedly.

Jack let go of the rope, laughing a little nervously and when Legosi laughed as well, the rest of the room joined. It seemed like a completely normal end to their round, at least Legosi hoped so. He knew he could be intimidating and he could see for a second there that Jack was scared. It passed quickly enough, so he tried not to dwell on it too much.

"I wanna try!" Collot called as Jack moved away from his earlier spot. Legosi nodded, "Okay, then I'll challenge Collot." Collot whooped and practically jumped over to sit where Jack had sat earlier. He took the other side of the rope in his mouth and Voss did the countdown for them.

Legosi would admit, Collot had quite a bit more strength than Jack did, but none of them seemed to be strong enough to have any meat in their diet, which by all means is probably what was giving him the ability to do this so easily. Once again, he put on a show and made it look like a challenge as to not draw suspicion, before getting a little bored and suddenly jerking his head backwards, which sent Collot forwards and almost caused him to fall onto Legosi like Jack had done earlier.

They laughed again and once they calmed down, Collot said, "Wow, dude. You wolves are strong!" Legosi shrugged, "If you say so, Collot."

After that, the six of them ended up watching a movie and just lazing around the room in varying places. It was a nice calm end to the little hangout. Legosi would head back to his own dorm after the movie.

°°°

Meanwhile, Louis had been going through the pictures on his phone since he finished his homework. He was feeling weirdly homesick, despite having been back to the mansion just the weekend before. He wanted to talk with the lions, have dinner with them and just hear his dad's voice.

He sat upright in his desk chair and moved over to his contact list. He hoped Ibuki wasn't busy, he really didn't want to bother him if he was in the middle of something. His finger tapped the call button and he listened to the ringing.

It didn't ring long before Ibuki answered. "Hey Louis." Louis visibly relaxed at the sound of the big lion's voice. "Hey Dad. I'm just calling to say hello." Ibuki chuckled on the other side.

"It's good to hear from you, son. How has your week been?" Ibuki asked and Louis immediately knew the lion wasn't busy with anything if he was making small talk. "Oh, it's alright. We've been rehearsing something in the Drama Club that'll be performed in about a month," Louis said, closing his eyes. "Ooh, we'll all be there to come watch. I'm sure everyone is excited to see you on stage."

Louis chuckled, "Dad, it's just a minor role since I'm still new to the club." "Doesn't matter, we'll be there." Louis smiled happily. Damn, he loved his lions.

"Otherwise it's going just fine. I'm kind of tired from all the work, but it isn't too bad," Louis added. Ibuki hummed on the other end, "Hey, you're already doing better than most of us, so there's that." Louis' ears twitched and he fiddled with his left antler. "What do you mean, Dad?" Ibuki let out a sigh.

"Most of us haven't completed high-school, Louis. Agata is the only one and I think Free is a close second. He at least did until year 10, then dropped out," Ibuki said. Louis let that sink in, then frowned. He wanted to ask but was a little afraid that it would push a button he didn't want to deal with.

"And... what about the others?" Louis asked carefully. Ibuki moved on the other end and said, "Well, Dope did until year 8. Hino and Dolph did until year 9. I have no idea about Sabu, since he was born and raised in the Market. Jinma did until year 6, Miguel never officially went to a school and I dropped out in year 6. It's kind of ironic to think about."

Louis was stunned to say the least. He didn't know why, but previously he'd just assumed the others had done like Agata. Finished school and then joined the gang... except for Ibuki. He'd known Ibuki's story since he was very young.

"Louis?" Ibuki asked, snapping Louis back to the present. "Sorry, zoned out there. Dad, I didn't realise..." Louis trailed off. "It's not that bad, don't worry about it, Louis. We've taught ourselves a lot since joining the gang, so there's no trouble about it." Louis nodded, "Okay."

°°°

Louis was on his way out when he passed Legosi, who was returning to the dorms. "Long afternoon with the canines?" Legosi shrugged, "You have no idea."

Louis offered a sympathetic smile, "Wanna go for a smoke?" Legosi perked up a little, "You bet your pretty ass I do!" Legosi turned to walk beside Louis.

"Pretty ass, huh?" Louis teased, making Legosi blush. "Shut up!" Louis laughed at the flustered face the wolf was making and patted his shoulder.

Chapter Text

The day of his first proper stage performance had finally come and Louis was nervous, to say the least. He and Legosi had decided to eat on the roof at lunch to get some peace and quiet from all the Drama Club talk and excitement in the general cafeteria.

"You'll do fine!" Legosi states after swallowing a bite of egg salad sandwich. "See, you keep saying that, but I don't know if that's true. Is it weird that I'm more nervous about this than any shootout the Market could ever throw my way?" Louis asks, worrying the bottom of his blazer with his left hand.

Legosi shrugged, "It's not, and I know why. You've been trained to fight and how to survive the Market for 10 years now, but you've only been practicing this play for like a month and a half. It's natural to be a bit nervous, but I assure you, from what I've seen at practice, that tonight is going to be fine."

Louis took a bite of his salad and pouted, half glad no one could see them up here. He sighed once he swallowed it. "The inner 9 are coming to watch tonight. I don't want to disappoint them," Louis mumbled.

Legosi shrugged, "Nothing you do will ever disappoint them. They seem to think you are the reason the sun shines every day. They'll be amazed and support you through everything you choose to do."

Louis blushed a little and looked down at his salad. He knew that, he really did, but it didn't make him any less nervous for it. "Is any of your people coming?" He just had to ask, get something else to focus on other than his lions and nerves.

Legosi shrugged, "Granpa is coming. I'm going to sneak him in to sit beside me up by the lights. I already gave the other student on lights a heads up but Granpa will be sitting next to me on the wall's side." Louis nods as he listens. The rest of the schoolday was going to feel like forever.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Legosi smoked a quick cigarette out back by the parking lot the school had while he waited for Gosha to arrive. Initially it had been an odd request from his grandfather to come to the show, since Legosi was just going to be working one of the lights. Gosha had still insisted he'd wanted to come and Legosi didn't have the will to argue with him, so here they were.

The familiar black car pulled up and parked, snapping Legosi out of his thoughts as he quickly put the cigarette out and threw the stub in a nearby trashcan before his grandfather could see it. He hoped Gosha was at least dressed somewhat normally, like society normal, not Market normal.

Thankfully, when Gosha got out of the car, Legosi exhaled a relieved sigh. His grandfather was dressed in faded blue jeans and a light brown flannel shirt, looking very much like a normal grandfather would. The gentle smile on his face also told Legosi the old komodo dragon was in granpa mode. Legosi's tail wagged slightly behind him as he walked over.

His granpa was one of the first people there for the show, so Legosi didn't have to put up too much of a scene to show the komodo wasn't dangerous. He hugged Gosha and said, "Want to go inside so long?" Gosha nods, "Sure, did you at least warn the rest of the Club?"

Legosi chuckled, "Just the puma working on lights with me. He's fine with it though, a little apprehensive, but fine." Gosha chuckled and followed the 14 year old into the auditorium.

Legosi had let Gosha climb up first and followed up after him, indicating to the left side where they'd be sitting, the shadows up here would block them from the general view of almost everyone.

Gosha sat down with his feet dangling off and rested his arms on the protective railing up there. Legosi sat down beside him and right behind the large light that he'd be maneuvering tonight.

It was a few minutes later that the puma clambered up and took his position behind the other light. More people were starting to come in now and finding seats for the show.

The puma looked a little apprehensive, but offered a small smile and a wave towards Gosha, who just smiled and waved back. Who knew his grandfather could project such a gentle exterior when he wanted to? Legosi hasn't seen it often enough, but he didn't mind it.

The puma reached for the panel between them and shut the house lights off. Gesturing to Legosi, he did a countdown with his fingers and then the curtains drew and they turned the lights on at the same time, focusing on the swan head actor in the middle of the stage.

Just as the auditorium went dark, Gosha could see nine lions slipping into the back of the crowd and standing against the back wall but very clearly watching the stage. He rolled his eyes with a knowing smile and shook his head. That bunch wouldn't miss this for the world.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

It was finally time and Louis was standing backstage with the rest of the actors, already in their costumes and makeup. Legosi and the other student on lights were already up there and Louis could just barely see Gosha's figure hidden in the dark corner beside Legosi's shadowed form. The other student up there would cast a nervous glance at the two, but seemed otherwise unbothered by the extra animal sitting there.

The lead actor finished up his pre-performance speech and then left them to their thoughts and devices as they waited for the last few minutes to pass before they started. Louis could also see nine prominent lion figures standing in the back of the auditorium against the wall, near the door. They had come to watch and support him and it made him smile.

The crowd quietened as the houselights turned off and the curtains slowly slid open. The lights came back on and the lead actor was in the middle of the stage. He started the scene and it seemed to be going great. All eyes were on him as people listened intently.

Other actors entered the stage and played their roles well. When it was Louis' turn, he took a deep breath and stepped out on stage, hiding his nerves like he was taught over the years.

His scene went well, the words flowing out of him automatically and his movements coming as naturally as one would expect from him. No one could see his legs shake under the baggy pants of his costume or feel the itch in his hand that wanted to fiddle with his antlers so badly. He kept it under control and played the scene like they had rehearsed so many times in these last two weeks.

After the scene was done, he returned backstage again and breathed a sigh of relief. One of the other new actors clapped him on the back, "That was amazing!" They whisper-shouted, showing a thumbs up. He smiled happily at them. "Good, cause that was nerve wracking." "I know." They shared a quiet laugh before parting again.

The rest of the actors did their scenes and soon enough time had flown by and the play was done. The curtains drew shut and the lights turned off. The older students took the younger ones out onto the stage once more. The curtains drew open again, along with the lights turning on and everyone bowed while the audience clapped and whistled for them.

Once the curtains closed again, everyone went backstage. Some stayed and talked to each other while others went to the locker rooms to change out of their costumes. Louis had gone to change out of his costume, because he had promised to meet up with his family after the performance so he could go home for the weekend.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

The lions moved out before the houselights were turned on again, hanging around outside in inconspicuous places and small groups while they waited for Louis like they had promised.

The crowd fizzled out as most of the parents either went home, already got their child and left, or students returned to their dorms. Once the crowd was much thinner, Legosi and Gosha exited the auditorium, side by side and talking about something.

Ibuki had to do a double take at how Gosha looked and he was sure his comrades did too. Gosha looked gentle... like he wasn't one of the biggest horror stories that echoed in the Alleys and which were hidden from the City. As they passed the group of lions, Legosi talking animatedly, Gosha glanced at them and for a split second, he gave them a grin that sent cold shivers up their spines, before reverting back and talking with Legosi like he hadn't just caused the fear of Rex in nine lions. Ibuki could've sworn he saw a glint of venom on Gosha's fangs when he grinned at them.

That was reminder enough that the Komodo Dragon may be on the older side and he may be a parent and a grandparent, but that didn't make him any less of the frightening beast they knew him as in the Market.

Their attention shifted when they heard Louis coming over and they turned and smiled at him. "Ready to go, Louis?" Dolph asked and the deer nodded.

Louis spotted a concerned looking sheep with her daughter across the parking lot as he was getting into the car with his lions. He shrugged and offered her a genuine smile, which seemed to confuse her greatly but she didn't kick up a fuss, so it probably worked. He'd sort of forgotten how the general populace viewed it when a small deer was around a pride of adult lions. What she didn't know was that he was in fact a part of the pride and would always be.

They started to drive and Louis realised he was in the middle of the backseat with Free and Agata on either side of him, Dolph driving and Ibuki sitting up front. It felt nice to be with them again after the stressful week he'd had. The other five were probably in the other car that was up ahead of them.

"That was bloody good, Fawn," Free complimented from his left, throwing an arm around his shoulders. "Yeah, you'd swear you've been acting for years with how good that was," Agata added, bumping his shoulder against Louis'. Ibuki and Dolph started dishing out compliments as well, which made Louis chuckle, his ears wiggling happily.

He was happy that they'd come, even if it had caused him some nervousness earlier in the day. Knowing they were in the crowd had been the best feeling to him and he noted to invite them to all the performances from there on out.

He leaned into Free's side as they made the drive home, enjoying the smell of nicotine that clung to them and the car. Not to mention, after all the excitement of the performance, Louis was tired, and Free was essentially a living heater, radiating warmth off himself that soothed the teenager.

Was it weird that he was this close with them? He'd always heard teenagers fought with their parents and didn't like their families all that much, but he was a teenager and he didn't do those things. He'd occasionally have a sort of sibling rivalry going with Agata and Free, but other than that, they didn't argue or fight or anything. He shrugged it off as he started drifting into sleep, the smell of meat coming through the car aircon notifying him they had reached the Market and would be home soon.

Chapter Text

Everyone in the Shishigumi could drive to some extent. Everyone, except Louis, so the moment he'd turned 16, the lions had taken it upon themselves to teach him how to drive.

While learning to drive a motorcycle had been a breeze for the deer, courtesy of Free, driving cars was a whole different story. It didn't help that the cars were supposed to be for adult lions and Louis is an underweight teenage deer.

°°°

Sabu had tried first, since he wasn't easily spooked by bad driving and would only give the necessary information for a beginner.

"That one is the brakes, that's the clutch and the last one is the gas. Step in the clutch and brakes before you turn the key." Sabu said and Louis did as the lion told him. He'd had to move the seat so far forward to reach the pedals that it wasn't even funny and Sabu had helped him adjust the mirrors so he could see.

"Good, now move into first gear," Sabu said, pulling his seat belt on in the passenger seat. Louis did as told but almost jumped out of his seat when the car revved high. Sabu sighed next to him, "That's third, move the stick to the far left and up."

Sabu was at least straight forward about the mistake and told him how to correct it. That made Sabu one of his favourites when it came to teaching him how to drive.

"Brakes," Sabu said sternly and Louis slammed his foot on the brakes before they hit a wall. The car stalled and turned off.

"I didn't mean that hard. Just a gentle step will do," Sabu said, scratching his ear. "And next time, step on the brakes and the clutch, then the car won't stall."

Louis nods and turns the car back on like Sabu had said earlier, "Okay, Sabu. Sorry about the sudden brake." Sabu shrugged and they started again.

°°°

Miguel was the next to try and it went well for all intents and purposes, but he almost lost his shit completely when Louis took a turn a little too fast.

"Slow down," Miguel said as they approached a sharp turn. Louis, with his hands clamped to the wheel of the car, said, "I am slowing down."

"Slow down more!" Miguel said, grabbing hold of the handle above the door with a panicky look.

"I DID!" Louis yelled back, swinging the wheel wildly as they took the turn at 60km/h and Miguel let out a very undignified sound.

Louis found himself laughing as they drove back to the mansion and parked the car there, while Miguel looked somewhere between embarrassed and worried.

Needless to say, the brawny lion refused to get into the car whenever Louis drove from there on out.

°°°

Jinma seemed largely indifferent but didn't like Louis going too fast. His definition of fast, though, was far different than that of Louis. Jinma also had the ability to distract Louis with something in the area and then suddenly pull him back because they are about to have a meeting with a wall.

"See, there's that nice sushi place I told you guys about. We should go there sometimes," Jinma said, pointing at a sushi restaurant they passed.

Louis glanced at it in the rearview mirror, his hands staying on the steering wheel.

"Wall!" Jinma suddenly yelled, pulling Louis' attention ahead of him to the street. Jinma also grabbed the steering wheel and yanked it sharply left, making the car turn and almost causing them to run over three tigers, who luckily jumped out of the way.

"Okay, now floor it before they decide to pick a fight," Jinma said, glancing at the aggravated tigers. "You hate when I go fast though."

"Right now, I don't care, so GO!" And with that, Louis floors the gas like he's told and they make several fast, sharp turns down random alleys.

°°°

Ibuki seemed by far the most skeptical about teaching Louis, evident by the pillow he had strapped between his chest and the seatbelt and the fact his hands were already holding onto the handle above the door and the one on the centre console before Louis even started the car.

"C'mon Dad, it's not that bad," Louis complained as he started to drive like Sabu had taught him. "We don't know that yet," the lion said.

It took a couple times of driving with Ibuki in the passenger, giving him hints and telling him how to do certain stuff before the lion calmed down enough to leave the pillow at the mansion and not hold onto, what Miguel had lovingly dubbed, the "Oh shit"-handels.

After he calmed down a bit, Ibuki got on the list of favourite driving teachers amongst the lions. He wasn't at the top,  but he was there.

°°°

Hino was as calm as Sabu, if not more during the driving lessons. It put him up at the top of favourite driving teachers, right under Sabu.

"Bit fast on the turn, go down a gear before you make a turn that sharp," Hino said, leaned back and looking tired as usual, but his tone was level.

"How are you not freaking out?" Louis asked, shifting into the next gear. "I get in a car with Free driving it. This is nothing."

Louis chuckled at that and relaxed a little bit. No matter how many times he's driven by now, he keeps getting stressed and a little shaky from it. Even if he hasn't yet, the idea of accidentally causing a collision or something was still at the forefront of his mind because the Market had plenty of sharp turns and streets that barely allowed for one car, let alone two that has to move around each other.

"You're doing good, relax kid," Hino said, noticing Louis tense up again. Louis nods, "I'm trying."

Hino talked to him until he relaxed, still slipping instructions in between the normal talk.

By the time they returned to the mansion, Hino had gotten Louis to properly calm down and become comfortable behind the wheel. Seriously, the others and their nervous behaviour of Louis driving was rubbing off on Louis at this point and that wouldn't help the deer at all.

°°°

Dolph was next and while his exterior seemed calm, Louis could tell the scarred lion really wanted to be doing what Ibuki had done. Louis tried not to read his true demeanor as a way to keep himself calm.

At this point, Louis was decently good with the driving bit and he had to learn reverse parking and three-way-turns.

"Right, keep checking the side mirrors to ensure you're within the lines and glance at your rearview mirror to make sure you don't hit the wall," Dolph said, glancing in the mirrors as well. He couldn't see anything through them though, since Louis had adjusted them for his own height.

"Okay," Louis mumbled, copying Dolph's calm facade and doing as he was told. The first few tries had been anything but straight, but Dolph had patience and would reassure him that at least he was between the lines of the parking, even if it wasn't straight.

"You'll get there. This is the first time we're doing this, so don't be too hard on yourself," Dolph reassured, making Louis give a small smile. Those reassurances really helped.

°°°

When it came to be Dope's turn, he'd used plenty of excuses to get out of it and for the most part it worked.

"I've got to get to a meeting with the hyperdrug clinic," Dope said, getting out of the room quickly.

"Maybe another time, the bar on 35th is fucking up and I need to go remind them of their places," he excused himself from the dining room.

"I can barely drive, how am I gonna teach anyone anything?" He asked the last time, so Louis just shrugged it off and asked Ibuki not to bother Dope about it again.

Whether he was just too nervous to be in a car with Louis driving or couldn't actually drive at all was still up in the air, but Louis didn't want to pressure the second youngest lion about something so trivial.

°°°

Agata was weirdly helpful. His cheerful demeanor and willingness to help Louis for all the times Louis had helped him, made the teenager smile.

Agata had been helping Louis with parallel parking ever since the deer brought up that he'd like to eventually legally get his license, even if he does plan to spend most of his future back here in the Market.

Agata had put out two potted plants to park between with just enough space for the car. This way, if they did hit the plants, then there wouldn't be too much damage to the car and a plant was easily replacable.

"Good! Now reverse until you're almost touching the plant at the back," Agata praised and instructed. Louis did as told, keeping an eye on the plant in the rearview mirror. He really liked Agata's happy energy during these lessons, since it made him quite a bit less nervous.

"Great! Now move forward slowly and straighten the car out," Agata instructed again, his eyes glancing to the gearshift before looking forward. Louis did as told again and straightened the car out.

One more move a little backwards to centre the car between the plants and they were done.

"That went great, Louis!" Agata said, his face pulled in a big smile. "This is like the hardest thing for most animals to get the hang of when they learn to drive, but you did it so well," Agata praised, always being the one for positive reinforcement.

What he did next though, made Louis' heart race more than it probably should have. He'd placed his hand on Louis' knee and patted it as he spoke but Louis could barely hear anything over his beating heart. This childhood crush of his really needed to end soon or he was going to lose it.

Agata didn't quite understand the blush that creeped up to Louis' ears, but shrugged it off and let the deer collect himself before they pulled the car out of it's position and parked it in it's normal spot again.

Louis had to stop himself from physically running into the mansion once they got out.

°°°

Free had purposely been left for last, for when Louis was already more confident in his driving ability and wouldn't easily cause a collision behind the wheel. Why? Because Free was known as the most reckless driver in the gang. He usually drove when they needed to get somewhere fast with little regard for speedlimits or control.

That's why, when he and Louis got into the car, no one was surprised to see them speed off with blatant disregard for any animals in the streets.

Free cackled out a laugh, holding onto the handle above the door with a giant grin. Louis laughed along with him.

"See?! Ain't this fun!" Free said above the blaring music. Louis laughed, "Of course it is!"

They didn't really stop until it was getting late and they both wanted a cigarette. Louis parked by the beachfront that was hidden by all the Market buildings. He'd found it years ago and liked to move his and Jinma's midnight walks to it for a more calm atmosphere.

The two ended up sitting on the roof, each smoking their own cigarette. "We should do this more often, that was fun," Free commented, blowing out a plume of grey smoke. Louis smiled, "If they ever let us take one of the cars alone again, then sure." They shared a laugh at the implication and went back to their smokes.

°°°

All in all, the lions had done a good job at teaching him, no matter how reckless some were in their attempts. They had taught him for 4 months and in a matter of three weeks, Louis had his learners, his motorcycle license and then his car license.

The lions had been so impressed at that, they took him out to his favourite restaurant in the Back Alley Market and they'd all indulged themselves. Even Louis had eaten himself cripple on the restaurant's amazing mutton biryani.

Chapter Text

Legosi made his way towards the familiar clubroom. He was already tired from the day, so he'd taken the long way around the back of the school to get those few extra minutes of silence to mentally prepare him for the chaos that was this Club.

He didn't expect to hear someone yelping and calling for help. With a sigh, he straightened up to his full height as he approached the two male students that seemed to have someone on the floor.

"C'mon, show us your teeth wolfie!" The raccoon taunted, pulling on an arm. "No!" A female voice yelled back. Legosi walked up behind them and then cleared his throat.

Both the eagle and raccoon swerved around quickly, letting go of the girl. "Do you have no decency? Treat a lady with a little more respect," Legosi said, keeping his voice even but slightly deeper than usual. At his full height, he was taller than both the other males.

"Sorry sorry, won't happen again!" The raccoon called, scrambling off. The eagle pulled an odd face but nodded and walked off quietly. Legosi sighed and turned to the girl, who was still on the floor.

"Are you okay, miss?" He asked, extending a hand to help her up. She took it gratefully and he pulled her to her feet. The wolf girl offered a shy smile, "y-yeah, thanks. I didn't think anyone would help me there." Legosi shrugged, helping her pick up her books.

"We wolves have to stick together, don't we?" He said more than asked. Her tail started wagging, "That's so true~" She sounded like she was swooning and Legosi already started figuring out ways to get her to stop doing that.

"My name is Juno, by the way," She said, tucking her books back into her bag. Legosi nods, "Legosi." She smiles even wider at him. "You wouldn't happen to know where the Drama Club is, would you? I got an invitation, but the directions are very vague," She asked and Legosi shrugged, "I was just on my way there. You can follow me and I'll show you where it is."

Juno nodded happily and follows after him, tail wagging. Legosi just tried to ignore her blubbering as they walked. She seemed to never shut up. Maybe it was just the same thing as with the 701 dogs? Lots of energy and expressiveness and he just wasn't used to that energy. Even after this long of a friendship with those canines, Legosi could only take so much of that energy at once.

Thankfully they reached the Drama club quickly and he could slink off up to the balcony to fix one of the lights while Juno got distracted by the acting team.

Legosi was acutely aware of Juno watching him multiple times throughout the half hour that it took for him to fix the light and put it back on it's rig.

The other carnivores didn't seem too busy and signalled him to join them once he was done. He jumped down and joined them to see what they were up to.

Apparently, they were playing a dare game to pass the time. The herbivores were busy doing something else entirely.

Legosi didn't pay them much mind, but he stayed with the group. Juno had siddled up to his side and he couldn't help that realise she was the size of a normal wolf. She barely reached his shoulder. He hadn't paid it much attention before, but now he was aware just how much bigger than the average wolf he was.

She tried to tangle their tails together but he moved away from her rather quickly. This was getting a bit much for him. She was being awfully obvious.

"Bill, I dare you to pick Legosi up," Riz dared the tiger. Legosi frowned, tuning in just in time to hear the dare, before Bill suddenly turned and grabbed him, picking him up bridal style. Legosi's ears twitched as he tried to compute what the hell just happened.

"I told you, I could!" Bill happily said, tail happily swinging behind him. "Uh Bill, I think you short circuited Legosi," Tao mentioned, pointing at Legosi, whow as still frozen in place with his ears twitching.

Bill chuffed happily and put Legosi down, "Sorry man, I probably should have warned you instead of just grabbing you." Bill scratched behind his head. Legosi sighed, "Yeah, a warning would have been appreciated." Bill shrugged, looking sheepish.

The dare game went on and after a bit, it came back to Bill again, "I dare you to say the My Warmup line to Louis," Sheila dared. Bill glanced over his shoulder and Legosi tilted his head as he watched Bill, somewhat apprehensively, walk over to Louis.

"Hey Louis," Bill called and Louis looked over at the tiger, seeming to size him up, which set Bill on edge slightly. He still hasn't forgotten how those two handed his ass to him years ago.

"What is it Bill?" Louis asked, slightly impatient sounding. Bill cleared his throat, putting on the false bravado that he so loved. "You know, my warmup is your workout." He wiggled his eyebrows at Louis for a little extra incentive.

Louis rolled his eyes, very clearly unimpressed. "Well, Bill. My casual drinking is your blackout drunk." Bill's mouth fell open, stunned by what he just heard. Louis chuckled, almost condescending, and placed his hand under Bill's jaw, closing it for him. "Careful, you'll catch flies doing that~"

With that, Louis turned back to talking with the herbivores, some of which snickered. Bill returned to the carnivores, who were either in a similar state of shock or laughing. Legosi chuckled behind his hand, shaking his head. He hadn't exactly expected that comeback either, but Louis was still as snarky as ever.

After the Club time was over, Legosi and Louis walked side by side. "Want to go shoot out some frustration?" Legosi offered, seeing Louis was just as annoyed as he felt. Louis sighed, "That would be great, but we promised Haru we'd help her at the gardening club after drama club ended." "We can always go after?" Legosi offered.

"If it isn't too late, then sure," Louis agreed and Legosi nods.

The rest of the walk to the gardening club was done in comfortable silence.

Louis knocked on the door to the gardening club, Legosi standing a few steps behind him.

A senior year Doe opened the door, and while she smiled at Louis, she seemed to almost jump when her eyes landed on Legosi.

"What can I help you two with?" She asked, strategically keeping her face kind and her eyes focused on Louis.

"We promised Haru we'd help out moving some heavier stuff," Louis says, offering a well mannered smile.

The Doe turned to face someone inside the club, "Haru, give us a warning next time you invite animals here." Haru's voice could be heard from somewhere inside, "I told you guys some friends were coming over to help out."

The Doe stepped out of the way and allowed the two to come outside onto the rooftop garden. "Excuse my bluntness, but I was expecting more rabbits, or maybe small herbivores," A badger girl said, not looking away from the petunias she was tending to.

"No worries, Bella. Most people don't expect me to be friends with anyone at all, so," Haru said, shrugging. Louis and Legosi walked over to her, offering their small friend smiles.

They helped out until the sun started to set over the horizon. Legosi would just smile in a gentle manner whenever the two seniors would throw him cautious looks. He didn't mind them much, just helping move the larger plants and heavy pots as Haru asked him to. Louis helped out with the heavier stuff too, while casually distracting the two seniors with smalltalk or carefully laid questions to get their attention off the only carnivore in the immediate vicinity.

When the sun started to set, they helped pack away the tools and greeted the club's animals before heading back to their dorms. At least, that's how it looked.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Legosi lead the way, Louis short on his heels. The full moon illuminated their way. Another gap showed up and Legosi jumped it, followed by Louis, who didn't even pretend to hesitate. They landed quietly on the other roof, but kept moving.

No one would see them. No one was up this late, but there was always the chance. Good luck to that animal in catching them though.

The school rooftops had turned into a playground for the Gumi heirs. Another jump, higher this time, a short climb over the crest of the roof and sliding down the other side. Their soles hit the gutter and they used their momentum to launch themselves onto the last and farthest roof of the school buildings.

Legosi landed quietly, Louis landing just as silently right beside him. They shared a smile and took a seat against the short knee-high wall that surrounded the rooftop. They were out of breath but as happy as they've ever been.

Louis pulled a cigarette out of his blazer pocket and lit it, Legosi did the same with a cigar.

"I can't believe the week we're having," Louis breathed out smoke as he talked. "I can't believe we have two more years of this shit," Legosi supplied, thick smoke spilling past his lips as well.

For a while, as they finished their first cigar and cigarette respectively, they just stared up at the sky, watching the stars and the moon creep higher.

"How about that Juno?" Louis asked, making Legosi's eye twitch. "How about that Doe from gardening club?" Legosi jabbed back, making Louis sputter. "Never!" "Exactly."

"She likes you though," Louis added, lighting another cigarette. Legosi pulled a disgusted face, "Be that as it may. In the longrun it's not going to work."

"Why not?" Louis asked, somewhat sarcastic, but Legosi couldn't really tell. "Because, she's from the City. I can't drag her down into the Market to be some Gumi queen for a bunch of Komodo Dragons." Louis let out a soft chuckle, watching Legosi light another cigar. He wondered how many of those the wolf had on him.

"I get what you mean though, I don't want to drag some herbivore down into the Market to be the wife of a Gumi heir either. It feels like it would be a punishment for them." Legosi nods solemnly.

"On that note though, Free has not stopped asking me when I'll get a girlfriend... or boyfriend," Louis sighed, taking another long drag. Legosi chuckled, "I'm in the same boat with Savon."

Another long silence fell over them. It was nice to know they've spent so much time together that even just quietly sitting together was enough.

"Hey Lou, I've been meaning to show you something," Legosi quietly says. Louis sits upright to show he's giving him all his attention. Legosi sits upright too, moving to sit in front of Louis.

"Remember how I said I don't have venom, and probably never will?" Legosi asks. Louis nods. "Well, our guys in the lab figured something else out," Legosi added.

Louis swallowed as he watched Legosi stick his hand into the back of his mouth and pulled something out from between his teeth and lips. A small vial with a purple liquid inside.

"They've figured out how to contain venom in these special vials. It's small enough to be hidden in your mouth and all I have to do is bite them. Boom, mouthful of venom."

Louis looked at the vial tentatively but didn't try to touch it. He knew better. "Woah, that's both amazing and terrifying," Louis said, a shine in his hazel eyes.

"Yeah, they have started selling them, but only to hybrids that are immune to venom," Legosi added once more. Louis smiles and nods, "Maybe a very good precaution to not cause mass hysteria."

"That's the main reason for the precaution, yeah," Legosi said, placing the vial back in the back of his jaw where he'd taken it from earlier.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you guys even figure out that you were immune to venom? It must have been a bit of a shock, no?"

Legosi smiled, "Well..."

°°°

"You sure about that, Boss? I mean, if he isn't..." Ronan trailed off, standing in front of Gosha's desk, occasionally glancing to the wolf pup playing in the corner of the room with some toys. He was just under 2 years old and Leano had dropped him off here two weeks ago, shortly before she passed.

"Leano is dead and she claimed he was hers. Logically he has to be immune," Gosha said with finality. "If he isn't, we'll know it was a hoax. Whether her health was in trouble or not, it's ridiculous that she saddled us with a child," He added, putting the stub of his cigar out in the ashtray on his desk.

"Legosi, come over here," Gosha called, sounding more calm than he had with Ronan to avoid having the kid run away from him. Legosi stood up and made his way over to the desk. Gosha picked him up and placed him on the desk, sitting in front of him, watching Gosha with big cute eyes.

"You can go play again in a minute. I just have to see something really quick," Gosha said calmly. Ronan took a step back and looked the other way, staring out the window. He didn't like the course of action that was about to be taken, but he couldn't exactly stop it.

Gosha stuck one of his scaly fingers in his mouth before sticking it into Legosi's. Legosi seemed confused by the action, but he stared up at his grandfather. He was unharmed and at the shocked expression on Gosha's face, Legosi said, "It tastes like bitter marmalade!" Legosi giggled.

Ronan looked about ready to pass out, his face mimicking that of Gosha. Legosi didn't wait for either to reply, just climbing over into Gosha's lap and cuddling up to the large reptile, as if no matter what Gosha would do, the pup would not fear him.

Gosha let out a sigh and wrapped his hand around the pup to keep him safely in his lap. Legosi fell asleep there. This was his grandson alright, no more doubts about it.

Not then and never since then, has Legosi ever had any reaction to venom. It could burn through his clothes, but he would always remain unharmed.

°°°

"Woah, just woah," Louis said, swallowing hard. "That's a bit of a rash decision. I mean, if you weren't immune you would've died!" Louis added.

Legosi shrugged, lighting his third cigar of the night, "I suppose, but grandpa was never against killing anyone younger than him if they posed a problem."

That left Louis thinking. Chief was close to killing him years ago, if it hadn't been for Ibuki losing his composure at the old asshole. They were both crazy lucky, apparently.

Chapter Text

It was well past 2am and Gosha found himself standing on the roof of abandoned apartment building in the Market, smoking a cigar under the moonlight. It was seldom that anyone would find him out this late at night, but he had a reason to be up tonight.

The unmistakable thudding of running shoes hitting the roof made his lips quirk in a small smile that disappeared soon after. He didn't turn, but he spoke evenly, "To what do I owe the pleasure of meeting the devil tonight?"

Steady footsteps walked up behind him and stopped to his left. He could see Yafya in his peripheral. The stallion was carefully eyeing his every move, though Gosha just kept on calmly smoking. He wasn't here for violence tonight.

"The Market is quiet and the Dragon is out of his den," Yafya answers calmly, eyeing Gosha from his peripheral.

It's been 10 years since they last spoke. They don't have much to say to each other when they're kingpins sitting on warring empires. A gut feeling alone had brought the two together again tonight. This hadn't been planned.

°°°

Gunshots fired in every direction. Gosha, barely 20 at this point, ducks into a nearby building for cover. It was barely standing but the outer walls should allow for some cover. If he can get to the roof he'd be in a better vantage point.

Turning a corner to look for stairs, he finds a black stallion pressed up against the wall, shoulder bleeding and clearly in pain.

They just stared at each other for a tense moment, gunfire still raining outside, before Gosha grabbed a random piece of cloth that was in the old building. He didn't see a herbivore then, he saw a wounded animal.

"That was ridiculous. You can't just interfere with turf wars!" Gosha said. The stallion had jumped in the middle of the turf war as a third party and tried to fight every carnivore in the vicinity. It was reckless at best and a deathwish at worst.

"I can, I did, I will and I'll do it again!" The stallion yelled. He looked young, younger than Gosha. Gosha managed to stop the flow of blood and tied the cloth securely.

"Let's get out of here," Gosha stated as another wave of bullets could be heard outside. "And go where?!" The stallion yelled. "To the roof and out of the line of fire," Was the simple answer he got from the komdod dragon.

The stallion, somewhat reluctantly, followed Gosha up to the top floor, out a back window and onto the roof. They could see the whole battle from up here, if not half the Market. It was somehow morbidly beautiful.

°°°

"The carnivores are becoming less meat drunk, any idea on why that is? The meat vendors haven't exactly become less," Yafya asked, sticking his hands in his jean pockets, his tanktop shifting in the evening wind. Gosha rolled his eyes. Always straight to business with this guy.

"There's a panda near the edge of the market who catches them and tries to rehabilitate them. Don't know how successful he is," Gosha calmly answered. Silence fell over them for a little while.

This guy was a variable outside the control of the Gumis, so Gosha didn't have a lot of information on him, for now. They could always change that.

°°°

They made it to the roof and Gosha pulled out another gun, holding it out to Yafya. "Can you shoot?" He asked. "Can I what?! You're crazy!"

Gosha stuffed the gun in his hand anyway, "Help me and I'll ensure you live." Yafya rolled his eyes but did as asked and started aiming at the cheetahs in the battle. He was a surprisingly good shot for someone who barely ever used a gun, maybe it was the police training helping him out.

°°°

"Those two heirs in Cherryton are something to behold," Yafya comments. "Physically impressive and quite intelligent too." Gosha glances over at the stallion. "If you so much as pretend to throw a hit in either of their direction, this little truce turns to a war."

Yafya lifts his hands in mock surrender, "I wouldn't dream of it. They seem competent enough to not cause trouble with Uptown." Gosha breathes out a plume of black smoke, "Can't say the same for the Inari and Madara heirs."

"Maybe this panda needs to get ahold of the latter two then," Yafya quips and both of them let out a quiet chuckle. When had they moved closer to each other?

°°°

Yafya had gotten into the police force, working for them to his utmost best ability. Gosha had climbed the ranks of the Dokugumi and was sitting as his father's right hand man.

They still had the occasional bit of contact or random run-ins. Those were few and far between.

That dilapidated building had become their meeting grounds.

"Aiming for Sublime Beastar, eh?" Gosha joked. Yafya rolled his eyes, "Says the Gumi heir." They shared a quick laugh and Yafya accepted the cigarette he was offered.

They were well into their 20's now and no one knew they had contact with each other.

Yafya sighed out a plume of smoke, "They plan to raid the docks this Wednesday." He informed casually.

"I'll let my people know." Gosha said, breathing out smoke as well before adding, "The Shishigumi want to start pushing into City territory. Be on the lookout for that." Yafya nodded.

They never gave more than vague warnings, but that was enough to ensure few lives were lost in this game. No one needed to know the names of the ones giving them this information.

°°°

They watched the late night crowd walking through the streets below. Everyone seemed so calm, except the occasional alcohol drunk animal. Those were none of their business.

Gosha elbowed Yafya and before the stallion could complain, Gosha pointed somewhere to the left. Yafya's eyes turned in that direction and his jaw tightened.

A panda was on the roof with a large net in one hand, stalking the late night crowd, probably watching for his next catch, or rather, victim. Yafya seemed suddenly interested in the panda, more than he probably should be.

They watched him move around until he got out of their sight. "Let's follow him," Yafya said, jumping to the roof one building over. Was he really going to do this again? Gosha had to wonder.

Gosha sighed and put out his cigar. Once Yafya got three roofs away, he shook his head and followed after the stallion.

°°°

He didn't know how the stallion had gotten him to agree to this, but here they were, stalking the Inarigumi again.

"I'm telling you, Ten isn't going to bother," Gosha whispered. "Doesn't mean I have to let them get away with grabbing little kids off the streets," Yafya whispered back.

They went quiet as they snuck around corners to follow the gang. "That's part of the market, it happens," the komodo dragon hissed. Yafya rolled his eyes, "I'm the Sublime Beastar, bitch. If I don't do something, it'll reflect badly on all that a beastar is," Yafya hissed back.

Gosha rolled his eyes. Seriously, Yafya needed to reevaluate his choices. There's better ways of doing this kind of thing than just outright going to the base.

°°°

Gosha landed quietly beside Yafya on a lower building. Yafya was watching the panda in the alleyway below, catching a very meatdrunk weasel.

The weasel attempted to bite the panda, who sidestepped him and whacked the weasel in the back of the head with the net.

Once he'd knocked him out, he picked the disheveled weasel up in the net and started heading off in a direction.

Yafya signalled to follow after him and Gosha reluctantly did. They followed the panda back to his clinic and only once Gouhin was inside, did Yafya talk again.

"He knows what he's doing, I'll give him that," Yafya muttered. Gosha shrugged and hummed his response. "Is he going to be a threat or a friend, I wonder?" Yafya mused and Gosha allowed his mind to wander down that same road for the umpteenth time since Gouhin first appeared in the Market.

°°°

Gosha had to stop Yafya several times from just going in and attacking the vixens. He'd admit the stallion was strong, but it was reckless to just jump into a fight and he didn't think the stallion had learned that yet. What a difference upbringing and two years could make.

Gosha made quick work of incapacitating the one fox that found them, leaving her hidden behind a crate of whatever.

Yafya just kept pressing on and Gosha reluctantly kept following him, if only to keep the stallion from getting himself killed.

°°°

They returned to a higher roof to talk further. It was still strictly business, as it always is, but it was a nice change for Gosha compared to doing business with the people of the Market.

The sun had begun to rise over the hidden docks when Yafya finally decided it was time to call it a day and return to the City.

Gosha had slipped him a card with a number and the stallion had tucked it away in his pocket for safe keeping.

This isn't the last time they'll meet, that much is for sure.

Chapter Text

Louis straightened his tie as they pulled into the parking lot of the meeting place. It was a bar that none of the Gumis had a handle in, a place smack in the middle of all four territories and mutual ground.

Sabu stayed in the car while Free and Miguel placed themselves at the bar. Louis followed Ibuki up to the meeting room.

In the middle of the room was four chairs across from each other with a small coffee table in between them. Louis and Ibuki were the first to arrive.

A few minutes later, Legosi and Gosha appeared. Gosha and Ibuki greeted each other, nodding to acknowledge the other heir. Louis and Legosi greeted each other as well. "You ready for this?" Legosi whispered. Louis let out a soft sigh, "Ready as I'll ever be."

Legosi gave Louis a nod and a gentle smile, before schooling his facial features into a neutral look. Louis did something similar.

Not five minutes later, the Madaragumi arrive. Mercia greeted the other two leaders. She was a slender, yellow leopard with sharp brown eyes. To her side stood a male that appeared to be a Gazelle-Leopard hybrid, judging by the horns and tail. Mercia introduced him as her son, Melon. He looked somewhat older than them, maybe in his early twenties, but it was hard to tell.

Shortly after, Ten arrived, the red fox vixen looked done up as usual. By her side was a younger red fox vixen, possibly 14 at most, introduced as her daughter, Sora.

After everyone was greeted, they took their seats. With there being only four seats, the heirs had to get creative. Their choices were very telling of their positions in their respective Gumi hierarchy.

Sora sat on the left of her mother on the chair's armrest, her legs crossed one over the other and hands folded in her lap. She looked like a right lady.

Melon sat on his haunches on Mercia's right side on the floor, his eyes and horns just sticking out over the table. He seems less than enthused to be there.

Legosi stood behind Gosha's chair, to the right side, arms crossed and knees locked. He was in it to stand the whole time, it appeared. With his stature, he appeared more like a guard than an heir.

Louis had taken a seat on top of the backrest of the chair Ibuki was seated in, his one foot on the right side armrest and the other one crossed over it. He'd checked with Ibuki earlier, who had said it was fine if he chose to sit like that. He hadn't wanted to cross any boundaries he may not know about, but he was assured he wouldn't.

One of each of their respective people had come in and brought them drinks. Miguel had given Ibuki a glass of whiskey and handed Louis a glass of his favourite red wine. Ronan had appeared to hand Gosha a bourbon and Legosi had what appeared to be whiskey. Mercia had white wine, with Melon drinking a beer and Ten had a cocktail, while Sora sipped a cider.

Once the others had left, the Gumi bosses got straight to business.

Louis surveyed their words carefully. Everything they said and every way their eyes moved during those sentences. It told him a lot more than one would think.

Sora seemed lost at what was happening, staying quiet as her mother handled the negotiations and business. Ten was deadset on getting the smaller gangs out of her territory and was mildly furious that they didn't seem to be a problem for any of the other Gumis.

Melon wasn't interested, instead playing with the notches in the floor next to where he sat. His mother's tail would whack him upside the head every now and again to get him to pay attention. He would scowl at her, try to pay attention for a few minutes and then go back to fiddling with the floorboards. Mercia was still hung up on the shootout years ago, about how a kid and one young lion could take out half her Gumi alone. Ibuki simply shrugged and commented that the ones who died were subpar if they couldn't even win against a child and a teenager.

Legosi kept his stance the whole time, not saying a word, but watching everyone's body language closely. He would fix them with a death glare if anyone got angered into wanting to make this a physical thing instead of a talk, or seemed to be reaching for their weapons. Sora had cast him a nervous look more than once before turning her eyes to focus on the coffee table instead. Gosha was as calm as ever. He seemed perfectly in control and handled any threats or accusations easily.

Louis could admit, everyone at this sitdown was intelligent enough to hold their own, though Gosha had seniority over them all and knew the most, so when he spoke, and as quietly as he spoke, everyone shut up and listened.

At this rate, it would be an all day endeavor.

Despite none of the other heirs saying anything, no one seemed miffed when Louis added his two cents on a topic and Ten had even agreed with him several times. He would glance at Ibuki, who would give him subtle nods, indicating he was in the right when he spoke. Even so, Louis made sure to not overstep his status and kept all statements blameless. He was aware he couldn't challenge anyone here, not unless he fancied starting a war.

As the adults went on, Louis picked up that something had caught Legosi's attention outside of the window. Louis followed his gaze and noted that Sora had seen the same thing. On a roof across the way, was Gouhin, with a telescope. Melon looked in that direction too and then bumped his head in the direction of the window across the way. There was a black stallion on that roof.

Legosi moves as nonchalantly as he could towards the window. When the adults glanced at him, he offered a shrug, his ear twitching towards the window. "The sun is at an awkward angle. I'm just going to close the curtains." Gosha saw the ear twitch and glanced out the window, spotting Gouhin as well.

"Go ahead, do the others as well while you're at it." Gosha stated simply. The others seem to have caught on as well. Melon had gotten up under the guise of helping Legosi and closed the curtains to the stallion's side as well. The two resumed their earlier positions again once all the curtains were drawn. It cast an earie yellow glow in the room, but no one commented on it.

The meeting had continued on after that, almost as if it had never happened. The sun was starting to set behind the tall buildings of the Market when the meeting finally came to an end.

They left in the order that they had arrived in. Ten and Sora first, claiming they had other things to see to before the night was done, then Mercia and Melon, who just greeted and left without much else.

Gosha and Ibuki shared another drink, allowing their heirs to sit in the two -now open- chairs. Louis had dropped the mask and Legosi had finally allowed his shoulders to relax. Gosha and Ibuki discussed some things regarding the Dokugumi and Shishigumi alliance and what measures to put into place when the Madargumi and Inarigumi eventually formed an alliance as well. It was only logical that they eventually would.

Legosi had taken a quick look out the curtains to see if Gouhin and the stallion were still around. Neither were, but the two adults had decided to take the long routes back to their bases to ensure no one followed them.

Eventually Gosha and Legosi left as well, stating their goodbyes before heading downstairs. Ibuki allowed himself a moment to sigh with a frown while finishing up his drink. Louis slunk over and sat on the armrest, one hand going up to massage the spot in Ibuki's mane where he knew his father held his stress. Ibuki let out a soft sigh at the sensation.

"That was eventful," Ibuki commented. Louis chuckled, moving his hand down to the back of Ibuki's neck, still in his mane. "Indeed it was. I learned a good bit about the opposition though." Ibuki offered him a tired smile, "Is that so? Like what?"

Louis glanced at the door and shook his head, "Let's talk more at the mansion." With that, they too left the building. Miguel tossed some money on the counter to cover all their drinks for the night.

Once in the car, on the way back, Ibuki said, "Any news from the others?" Sabu shook his head, "Same old same old." No doubt the other Gumis had someone waiting in their cars as well and Sabu had gotten some chatter from the older members of each gang. There weren't any strange things to report though, so Ibuki let the old male drive.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Ibuki looked up when a knock sounded at his office door. He called a "come in" and Louis entered, shutting the door behind him again.

"Is now a bad time to talk?" Louis asked, glancing at the stack of paperwork on the desk and Ibuki shook his head. Louis had said earlier they would talk back home, so it was about time.

Louis smiled and sat on the desk where Ibuki always left him a spot. Ibuki noticed the deer's tie was gone and the top three buttons of his maroon shirt had been undone, along with his sleeves being rolled up to his elbows. He must have stopped at his room to get rid of those things, not to mention, Louis was barefoot as well, something he often did when he was at the mansion.

"So, what did you pick up about the other two heirs?" Ibuki asked, successfully breaching the topic. Louis offered a smile and spoke, "Well, for one, Sora seems sorely unprepared for this."

When Ibuki raised a questioning eyebrow, Louis elaborated. "She got lost or confused several times during the normal conversations, nevermind the things that were discussed and bargained about. She was content to let Ten handle all the business. It was obvious in her eyes." Ibuki hummed.

"I suspect she's either been sheltered from the reality of Gumi life or is new to it. Maybe Ten had gotten custody of her not too long ago." Ibuki took a moment to process that. It is a possibility, since, considering how old she looked, not once has anyone heard about or even seen her with the other Inari members.

"And Melon?" Ibuki added, thankful for Louis having given him a moment to process the new information. Louis cleared his throat.

"Melon seems largely uninterested. He wasn't paying attention most of the time and when Mercia hit him in the head to get him to focus, he'd scowl at her." Louis said, adjusting his legs. He was sixteen, but his slender legs still dangled off the side of the desk.

"So when he takes over, he's either going to disband the gang and go off to do something else that interests him more, or he's going to run the Madara into the ground. As of now, it doesn't look very good for them if he takes over," Louis finished. Ibuki had to properly think that over.

It was true that the hybrid hadn't seemed all that interested and you don't see him out often with the Madara, if at all. He is an unsure player on the board right now, but unless he pulled his act together, he wouldn't get far down the road.

"Legosi seemed awfully quiet throughout the whole thing too. You were the only heir that really spoke along with the issues at hand," Ibuki comments. Louis shrugs, "I thought I had something worthwhile to say, otherwise I wouldn't have spoken either." Ibuki smiled at him, "Worthwhile indeed."

"Anyway, and I'm not just saying this because Legosi is my friend, but he was actually paying attention. He seemed largely focused on the body language of those in the vicinity, reading them and ensuring they didn't make the altercation a physical one," Louis said. Ibuki nodded at him, a gentle smile on his face.

"You seem more ready to take your place than I may have previously thought," Ibuki said, putting a stack of papers away in his desk drawer. Louis flushed a little in his neck and shrugged, "I suppose I am. Not yet though, I want to learn more and finish my schooling first." "A wise choice if I've ever heard one."

Louis laughed and jokingly kicked Ibuki's arm, making the lion laugh. It hadn't been a hard kick and Ibuki playfully swatted at the thin ankles. How had they gone from Gumi business to familial fun in such a short time? It was simply baked into their being at this point and balancing that was an interesting feat to accomplish.

Chapter Text

Legosi sat by the side of the stage, messing with the new lights they got to ensure they'll work for the next performance. He'd gotten good at adjusting electrical wiring since joining the Club. Most of the rest of the stage crew were either painting props or sewing the costumes. Legosi had learned the prior year that he sucked at sewing, so he never tried to help with that anymore.

Every now and again though, his eyes would turn to watch Louis on the stage. The lead actor, another red deer named William, had all but demanded the Drama Club do a performance of Macbeth.

William was some rich CEO's son, which one, Legosi didn't know, but he'd overheard from all the girls in the Club that swoon over William about it. Legosi could admit William was good looking, he'd come to terms with his bisexuality years ago, but the prick didn't have much personality beyond hating carnivores and having money.

Louis and William were up on stage, with Ellen and Els, practicing one of the scenes. The way William and Sanu had decided, it would almost appear like a sort of dance around each other.

Legosi forced his eyes off Louis and back to the stagelight. He's known Louis for most of his life, so why was he suddenly so fascinating to look at? He shut the panel on the side of the light and set it to the side.

Before he could grab the next light to adjust it, he looked up as the stage creaked a little louder than usual. What happened next is more like a blur of motion and slowed time.

William had shoved his foot in front of Louis' and hooked it back, tripping the younger deer near the edge of the stage. Louis was heading for the ground and Legosi's body moved of it's own accord.

Louis landed in strong grey arms, grabbing hold of a shoulder that was attached to one of them. He had a shocked expression for a moment and so did everyone else who'd just seen that happen. Legosi had moved faster than anyone would've expected a wolf to be able to.

Louis forced his heart to calm down, relief washing over him at Legosi's quick reflexes. He sighed and patted Legosi's arm gently. Legosi bent down and placed Louis on his feet, though the arm around his lower back stayed there, hovering ever so gently.

Some of the herbivores backed away as Legosi's hackles raised and a low growl erupted from his throat. "Watch it, prettyboy!" He growled out. Louis blinked at him, even he was surprised at the metaphorical venom in Legosi's voice. He didn't feel any fear though, pride maybe, since Legosi was worked up over him. The wolf has always been very protective.

Seeing the scene escalate, and William backing away in fear, Louis turned to face Legosi fully and placed his hand gently on his shoulder. "Legosi, please calm down." Legosi frowned, "He tripped you off the stage!" The wolf replied incredulously.

Louis sighed and whispered, just loud enough for Legosi to hear him, "This isn't the Market. If you start this fight, we're both fucked." He patted Legosi on the chest this time. Legosi sighed, pulling his anger back in and letting his tail and hackles settle down, but not moving away from Louis.

Louis nodded and patted Legosi between the ears, an action that only Louis, Gosha and Savon were allowed to do. Louis then turned to Sanu, "Even if my friend's reaction was a bit... extreme, William is still responsible for this. I could've broken something or gotten a concussion!" He knew how to play this herbivore role by now, even if he still sucked at it sometimes.

Sanu nods and walks over to the stage quickly, standing beside Louis. "I-I do agree, Louis. William, you do not injure your fellow a-actors." The pelican sounded a little scared to speak out against the rich kid, but at least he tried. "Next time, you'll be suspended from the club." Sanu added firmly.

William seemed thoroughly pissed at that, but when he turned to whip out a tongue lashing at Louis, he realised Legosi was still standing next to him and he rethought his whole spiel. That was a massive wolf and he wouldn't stand a chance.

Meanwhile, in the back of the Club, against the wall, stood Juno, her cheeks puffed up, arms crossed and hands clenched. She wished Legosi would have a reaction like that for her!

How could the perfect, big, strong, grey wolf like him want a deer over her?! There was no other way, that moment between Legosi and Louis had definitely been more than just friendship. Do they like each other? How can Legosi like a male deer over her? Especially one so small and petit?! Maybe he liked small and petit, or maybe he just liked herbivores.

She was going to get to the bottom of this, and if she has to scare off a herbivore, then so be it!

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

The club had resumed like normal afterwards, though everyone, including the carnivores, were more careful of the quiet wolf working on the lights.

When she heard that Louis would stay behind for his turn to sweep after the Club, she volunteered to help him. Of course, Sanu had been all for it. The enthusiasm was a welcome thing, too.

That is how Juno and Louis ended up alone in the club with the lights set to low. Once they got into distance of each other, Juno turned to face Louis with a large smile. She noted that even though her teeth peaked through her lips, Louis seemed unbothered by the display, watching her with an uninterested look.

"Louis! Could you maybe help me? I'm struggling to get this one part of the dance down and I thought maybe you could help me!" She spoke excitably, making her face and body language as cutesy as she could.

Louis gave her a once over, as if judging her intent before shrugging and agreeing. "Sure, but let's not take too long, I still have some homework to be doing." She grinned at his response, her tail wagging fast.

Louis noticed the reaction and couldn't help but realise the differences between her and Legosi. For one, she was somehow smaller than himself, where Legosi was steadily growing bigger by the week, already half a head taller than Louis at this point.

She slid her hands into his and pulled him closer into the position for the dance. Her hands were soft, compared to large, rough ones, and she was less careful about her claws than Legosi is. Her face and tail are also more expressive than that of her male counterpart. Louis chalked it up to Legosi being raised by komodo dragons and not canines.

The dancing went just fine, Louis only had to correct her in minor ways. He felt her hook his leg with her foot and found himself laying on his back on the floor below her. Getting tripped twice in one day? This has got to stop happening. She seemed to get a threatening aura about her. Louis slowed his breathing, watching her for what she was about to do. He wasn't stupid, and Free had taught him many times how to get out of a situation like this. Louis was willing to bet that Free was a lot stronger than Juno too.

Her tail was wagging slightly, so he turned his attention back to her face. She was playing a game, and maybe he could play it even better. "Trying to sneak a kiss, are you?" Her grip on his wrists tightened, "Of course not," Juno said, voice lowered somewhat. "You are not the one I love, Legosi is."

She stretched her limbs, moving Louis' arms up higher. "This is a declaration of War, Louis. I will be the next Beastar AND then Legosi will be all mine." Louis had to resist rolling his eyes. So that's what this is about, is it?

She seemed done with her little ultimatum, so Louis tucked his legs up and with a 'my turn' look in his eyes, he flipped them over, pinning Juno's wrists to the floor and hovering over her. He grinned at the shocked look on Juno's face. She clearly hadn't expected a herbivore to be so strong.

"If that's what you're getting at, then sorry to spoil the fun, but I'm not trying for Beastar and I never will." Louis spoke calmly while Juno struggled in his hold, trying to break free. She seemed scared now rather than mad like before.

"And second off, Legosi clearly isn't interested, so good luck with that," His tone became slightly biting and for what reason, he wasn't sure. Legosi had complained to him plenty of times that Juno was a nuisance in her advances, but he also felt kind of spiteful in the fact that she thinks Legosi likes him in that way. Maybe he does, that doesn't mean she gets to dictate who the other wolf likes.

Louis didn't say much else, just stood up and sauntered to the door that lead out into the hall. Juno stayed laying down, but he didn't dwell on that. "Finish cleaning up, would you?" Louis said teasingly before leaving, closing the door behind him.

As he walked down the hallway, he couldn't help the grin on his lips and he wanted to tell Legosi all about what had gone down. He was sure the hybrid would just love to hear about this.

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The evening breeze blew through their fur as they sat on their motorcycles and talked. They had taken them out for a spin through town to clear their heads and returned to campus, but didn't really want to go inside yet. Not like any of the staff was chasing them inside or anything.

Louis took his cigarette out of his mouth to laugh. He'd just finished retelling the story of what happened with Juno earlier that day. Legosi was folded over his motorcycle, cigar hanging from his fingers, laughing from his stomach with his ears twitching in amusement. Louis had been right, Legosi wanted to hear about it and found it hilarious as well. Juno was something else. Neither of them knew why she was so hellbent on getting with Legosi, but he couldn't exactly tell her the truth to get her to back off either.

They kept up some light conversation while they finished their smokes, allowing the breeze to take their stress, annoyance and worries with it. After a while though, their attention shifted to a figure in the distance. Bill was stumbling his way back onto campus, seeming slightly out of it.

"Meat?" Louis asked. Legosi lifted his head and sniffed the air, then nodded to Louis, "Can't mistake that smell for anything. He was down at the Market, armadillo and mutton stall." The tiger had been bragging about going to the Market nonstop, all day, to anyone who would even pretend to listen. It slightly irked the two, but they didn't say anything to avoid blowing their cover. It was annoying and reckless nonetheless.

"He seems a little out of it. Wanna mess with him?" Legosi asked, that sparkle of mischief in his eyes. Louis chuckled softly and nodded.

They started up the motorcycles and shared another grin before speeding over to Bill, making a great bit of commotion to set the tiger on edge.

Bill turned to look at them, his eyes going wide in fear. He must have thought they would barrel straight into him. Instead, the two circled him in a tight sphere, closing in with every round. Bill couldn't see who was on the motorcycles, just that they seemed malicious, at least to his half drunk state. They were fast too, too fast for him to process much.

Bill grabbed his shoulders, making an x over his chest and started to hunch down. After a solid few moments, he was on the floor, covering his head and hunched over, muttering something about Rex not killing him.

"I-I-I didn't do a-a-anything wrong!" Bill stuttered out, struggling to stay on his feet. "It was just a little taste! Just a bit! I swear! I wouldn't hurt the others! I'd never eat my friends! Rex, please have mercy," He rambled on.

Legosi and Louis came to standstill on either side of him, idling the motorcycles. "Hey Stripes, did ya piss yerself?" Legosi called, sharing a chuckle with Louis about the state the tiger was in.

Bill kept cowering, apparently not recognising Legosi's voice immediately. "You clearly had too much, maybe next time you'll have learned more self-control," Louis said, patting the distraught tiger on the head.

Bill looked up at the touch and it took a moment for him to register that it had been Louis that touched him. He looked to the other side and saw Legosi. Remembering that afternoon at the Club, he gulped and nodded towards Louis to show he understood. He was still shaking, but he didn't seem to be too messed up over it.

After that, the two drove off again, not paying attention to whether Bill stood up or stayed down. They didn't want to drag it out longer than that, since, as rude as they can be, they aren't the type to mess someone up psychologically for giving in to pressure. He was sufficiently frightened into easing up on meat now, which would help everyone in the longrun.

The weeks following that encounter, Bill would eye the two skeptically and would avoid being left alone with either or both of them. No one thought much of it, shrugging it off as the aftermath of what happened on the stage.

Chapter Text

Biology class on this Monday was going agonisingly slow. Legosi would usually be somewhat excited at least because afterwards there would be Drama Club, but not this week.

Legosi and Haru were passing a note between the two of them every time the teacher wasn't looking, just writing about anything more interesting than what was going on in the class.

'Do you have drama club meeting this afternoon?' One of Haru's questions said as she passed the paper back. 'Club is on break this week. Why?' Legosi wrote back.

'Need some help in the gardening club today. Wanna help?' She wrote back. Legosi offers her a gentle smile and writes back 'sure, we can go straight after class ends.' Haru smiles back at him. The rest of their passed notes were just random stuff after that.

When the bell finally rung and let them out of class, Legosi let out a quiet sigh. He pulled his bag over his shoulder and followed Haru out of the class. He hadn't really realised it yet, but he tended to slouch even more than usual when he was around Haru, just to make it easier for them to talk, despite the height difference.

"So why's the drama club on break? Did something happen?" Haru asked as they passed students, all of which were going to their own respective clubs. "Nothing bad happened, at least, if that's what you're asking,"Legosi answers. "The Macbeth performance had gone so well that Sanu gave us the week off to rest. It had been quite a job getting that play ready," Legosi adds, the two of them chuckling.

"Oh, that's nice at least. Do you think Louis would join us too?" Haru asked. Legosi shrugged, "I have no idea, maybe. If you want, I can always ask the boys to come help out too, they'd be delighted." At some point, Legosi had taken to calling his canine friends 'the boys' and since no one corrected him or had a problem with that, he just kept doing it.

Haru smiled and nodded, "That would be nice, if they have the time." Legosi nods and stands upright again, texting something on his phone. At some point Jack had put him on the 701 group chat.

On the way to the gardening club, Louis had fallen into step with them and was idly talking to Haru while Legosi texted with the canines.

Haru sighed as Mizuchi and her two friends turned the corner and heads towards them. Legosi just glanced at Mizuchi over his phone, Louis seemed to straighten up somewhat, glaring at the harlequin rabbit.

"Are those two still friends with a slut like you?~ Or are you going to sleep with them too!" Mizuchi said, her friends laughing like crows behind her. Legosi just rolled his eyes at the rabbit, though he did straighten his posture to his full height and glared at her over his phone.

Haru was biting back some response when Mizuchi tried to get physical. Louis sighed and stepped forward, "Listen bitch, do you never learn to back off?"

Mizuchi looked offended at being called a bitch and lifted her ears to look a little bigger, saying, "Oh, and what are you going to do, deer boy? Sick your guard dog on me?" Her friends cackled again.

Louis shrugged, "I don't need Legosi to do anything. It'll be easy enough to make a light snack out of you, myself." His voice had lowered to a threatening tone and that seemed to scare the three small bullies.

"I'll- I'll tell the Dean!" Mizuchi yelled, shaking but with her hands clenched at her bag's strap. "He'll never believe you~" Louis said in a low rumble. That got the three bullies to back off and run in the other direction. Louis and Legosi shared a laugh at their reactions.

Haru started walking again and they followed after her, "You were just joking right?" She asked Louis as they climbed the last staircase to get to the club. "Of course I was. I just read somewhere that before civilisation, deer were opportunistic and would eat meat when presented with the opportunity," Louis said with a shrug.

"Well, it worked in scaring the shit out of them," Legosi commented. They may know it wasn't just a fake threat, but that didn't mean Haru had to know that.

"Okay, what did your friends say, Legosi?" Haru asked as they entered through the door to the club. "Jack, Durham and Voss are coming. Miguno has band practice and Collot is at the boxing club until later tonight." Haru nods.

The three set to work, seeing as Haru was now the only student who was in the gardening club after the other two had graduated, there was a lot to do. It took about ten minutes from their arrival, for the three canines to show up. They readily helped with any and all things Haru asked them to.

When the sun started setting, they started putting things away and getting ready to leave. "Hey Legosi, do you and Louis wanna join us for movie night tonight?" Voss asked as he jumped onto Legosi's shoulder from Jack's.

Legosi glanced at Louis, who just gave a shrug, "I don't see why not." Legosi nodded to Voss, "Sure." "Cool, you can walk with us straight from here!" Jack interjected. Legosi offered the happy labrador a smile and a nod.

They said their goodbyes to Haru and walked to the carnivore dorms. Voss stayed on Legosi's shoulder the whole time and Legosi could only hope the fennec didn't notice the knives he always hid there. He didn't know how he'd explain it to them if Voss asked.

When they reached room 701, the other two were already there and they were happy to see the extra two joining them for movie night.

Collot set up the TV while the rest of them threw pillows and blankets on the floor in front of it. Then they all settled in on the soft blankets, with Collot, Legosi and Louis sitting at the back as to not block the others views of the TV.

Legosi noticed Jack eyeing them every now and again, when he though they weren't paying attention, and it was making him slightly on edge. Jack seemed to know something and Voss was glancing at them often too. If it had anything to do with the smell of dirt and sweat on them, then they could grow up, cause they smelled similar after the afternoon spent tending to the garden.

After the movie ended and everyone was basically in a cuddle pile at that point, Jack cleared his throat. "I don't mean to be rude, but what's that smell lingering on you two?" Jack asked, looking at Louis and Legosi. Both frowned at the question. "I mean, it's probably dirt and sweat. You have that smell on you too," Legosi said, purposely keeping his voice level.

"No, not that smell," Jack said and Legosi became aware of the other guys shifting slightly, as if they are uncomfortable. "Look, I'll level with you guys and don't take this the wrong way, but you smell like meat," Jack said, fiddling with his hands.

Shit.

Voss pretended to be interested in something outside the window, while Miguno and Durham pretended to be busy on Miguno's phone and Collot seemed to find his hands very interesting.

Legosi thought up a quick excuse, "I live close to the market and the smell clings to the apartment buildings around there." Jack seemed to buy that explanation, thankfully, and looked over to Louis expectantly. "I live with lions, it's kind of a given," Louis said. Jack seemed to perk at that and the others were suddenly very interested in the conversation again.

"I've been meaning to ask about that, but wasn't sure how to approach it. I hope this doesn't sound rude. Uhm, how did you end up adopted by lions? That's kind of sketchy, don't you think?" Collot asked and Louis subconsciously shifted closer to Legosi. He had to think fast.

"Oh, see, Dad wanted kids but was struggling to find a lover, so he turned to adoption instead. Some of the paperwork got janked or something and he ended up with my two lion brothers, Free and Agata, and me. It was a mistake by all means, but the system is so fucked up that he just decided to keep me as well," Louis said with a shrug.

That seems to have taken the canines by surprise and Legosi slinked an arm around Louis' stomach in a half hug. That explanation was fully reasonable. The canines seem to process that and then nodded, "Okay, that's actually kinda cool. Aren't you like afraid sometimes or at least when you were younger? I mean, you did kinda just admit they have meat in their diet," Voss asked.

Louis rolled his eyes and sighed,"No, why does everyone always ask that? No, I am not afraid of my family. I love them very much and they love me just as much, if not more." That seemed to get the dogs to shut up.

"Oh crap, look at the time," Miguno said suddenly, showing the group his phone. It was well passed curfew now. "We should probably get back to our own dorms then," Louis said, sitting up and stretching, Legosi followed suit.

"You guys could always stay the night? We have an extra bed in here and Voss can share with one of us for the night," Collot offered. "Just so you guys don't get into trouble with the dorm mothers."

Legosi and Louis shook their heads and chuckled, "Don't worry about us, we've gotten good at sneaking around the school at night." Jack raised an eyebrow, maybe Collot did too. Legosi got up and offered Louis a hand. Louis took it and allowed Legosi to pull him to his feet.

"Maybe we'll have that sleepover at some point, but not tonight. Goodnight guys," Legosi said, heading to the door. He cracked it open just a smidge and placed his ear to the crack, listening for anyone. "Night guys," Louis said, standing beside Legosi.

"Okay, it's clear, let's go," Legosi said, moving to leave. Louis followed his lead. The canines said their goodbyes and goodnights before the door shut.

Instead of going down to the ground floor and to their rooms that way, they snuck up to the roof. They knew well how to navigate the school from up here in the dark, so getting back to their dorms would be easy. It was just a couple roofs over.

"That was a close call," Louis commented as they entered their dormhouse and started down the stairs. "No kidding, that was way too close," Legosi sighed. "What do we do if they figure it out?" Louis asked before listening for any sounds down the hallway they reached. Nothing. They took that cue to walk towards their rooms.

"Lou, we'll either have to convince them to keep it a secret or deal with them like we deal with traitors," Legosi said, though Louis could hear the lump in the wolf's throat. There was one in his own. Neither of them wanted to do that, but they couldn't risk their own safety like that.

Legosi pulled Louis into a hug once they reached their rooms. Louis hugged back, enjoying the warmth that radiated off his friend. "Goodnight Lou." "Night Gosi." With that they parted, though there was a moment where one could almost swear time stood still as their eyes met.

The dim hallway lights caused Louis' figure to have a somewhat ethereal glow to him and his bright eyes stood out. Legosi wanted to move closer. Louis' lips parted slightly, maybe to say something.

The spell broke at the sound of footsteps and the two ducked into their respective rooms for the night very quickly and quietly. The footsteps passed the door without hitch and Legosi let out a sigh of relief.

He flopped back onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. What was that tense moment just now? No, it wasn't tense, it was magnetic, as if something was pulling him to Louis. He wondered if Louis felt it too, or if it had just been in his head. He sighed and rolled onto his side, slipping his shoes and shirt off, along with his belt before deciding it was probably time to sleep.

Chapter Text

Legosi paced around Gosha's office, his hands gesticulating wildly as he talked. Gosha sat and watched him with a fond smile, paperwork long forgotten. "Young love~" Gosha teased, firmly in granpa mode. Legosi groaned and dropped into one of the chairs opposite Gosha's desk, running his hands over his face and sighing loudly.

It took a month for it to properly click and sink in that Legosi had a big fat crush on Louis. He's come to terms with that, but was afraid of ruining things between him and his longest standing friend, so he'd come to Gosha about it, asking for advice.

Gosha had been all sweet about it, though not so sure how to help his grandson. He didn't mind that it was Louis or that Louis was male. As long as Legosi was happy, then he didn't mind who he was in love with.

Legosi groaned, "What do I do?" He dragged his hands over his face again and Gosha chuckled at him once more. "Look, just tell him. The worst that can happen is him saying no." Legosi glared at his grandfather from between his fingers, small pupils holding more venom than the vials tucked into his jaws. "And then he doesn't want to be friends cause I made it weird!" Legosi grumbled, throwing his head back to lean on the backrest of the chair.

"I'm sure you're overthinking this, big pup. Louis wouldn't react that harshly. At worst things will be a little awkward and then it'll pass over," Gosha offered again. Legosi sighed, "I suppose you're right, but that doesn't make this any easier, you know." Gosha shrugged.

Gosha could offer moral support, but he couldn't offer much in terms of love for another animal. Toki had been a brothel girl that accidentally got knocked up and Leano hadn't gotten involved with him until she was 15. She also hadn't told him anything about her one night stand or why she had Legosi in the first place.

So for now, Gosha just offered an ear and a gentle smile to try and calm the wolf's nerves.

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Legosi and Louis were sprawled out in Louis' dormroom on the bed, halfway tangled over each other and with books surrounding any open space that the bed would've otherwise had. The Seaspeak exam was coming up and they've been cramming the damn thing for days in worry that they'd fail the stupid class.

The teacher wasn't very good at his job, which left the students to teach themselves. Legosi luckily had Garth to help him out with the subject and apparently Sabu spoke Seaspeak like it was his first language, so he'd been helping Louis with it.

Legosi got an idea as he went over sentence structures and it made his tail wag, slapping Louis' calves in the process. He had some doubts about it, but this was as close as he was going to get with a confession.

"Hey Louis?" Legosi asked and once Louis looked over and gave him his full attention, Legosi said something in Seaspeak, his hands fiddling with the book in his hands as he did and his tail curling around his thigh.

Louis' face turned redder than his fur usually was, spreading to his neck and ears, which wiggled in response. Legosi was sure the burning in his own cheeks was causing quite a blush as well.

"Legosi... I'd love to be your boyfriend, and a date sounds lovely," Louis responded, a smile on his face. This wolf was absolutely adorable when he wanted to be.

Legosi's tail went wild in a manner that Louis hadn't witnessed since they were very small. It was rather endearing. Before Louis could brace himself, Legosi had grabbed him into a full body hug, their limbs thrown around each others, legs tangled and the books they previously held in their hands now on the floor. Louis relaxed into the hug, tightening his arms around Legosi's shoulders. He managed to tuck his head against Legosi's shoulder without nicking him with his antlers. It felt right.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

That night, once Louis was alone in his room again and he'd settled in for the night, he couldn't help but think about what had happened that afternoon.

Legosi asking him out came as a bit of a surprise, but in the last couple weeks he's come to terms with the fact that he liked Legosi in that way, so he had no qualms about accepting and agreeing to a proper date once the exams were over.

His mind wandered to his lions and how he would tell them about it, as well as their reactions.

Could he just outright say it? No, he'd be beetred and find himself the center of familial teasing for the next month. Would he tell just Ibuki and then go from there? He could, that may be a safe route, but would Ibuki tell the others before he had the chance to do so himself? He wasn't sure. Should he just get them all together in one area and tell them?

He groaned at his own overthinking and rolled onto his side, shivering as his antlers scraped against the headboard. He shifted half a foot down on the bed and let out a sigh. His brain wouldn't stop though.

Agata would probably be excited and scoop him up in a hug, as the youngest lion often did. It had taken a while, but thankfully he'd gotten past his childhood crush on the cute feline.

Free would probably make some crack about how it finally happened. Speaking of, how had Free, one of the only straight members in the Gumi, known his sexuality before he did?

Ibuki and Dolph would likely smile and lowkey threaten to off Legosi if he hurt Louis, which was sweet but frightening to think about. They wouldn't have any problems with him dating a male, he was sure. He just didn't want them to do that typical parenting thing where they threaten the lover.

Dope and Jinma would probably not really care, just be glad Louis found a lover as loyal as the wolf and he could imagine Sabu warning him about the dangers of dating a member from another Gumi. It was something he'd thought about quite a bit since he realised he liked Legosi. Would dating another Gumi heir be dangerous or difficult? Probably. Proper communication would make that easier though, right?

Miguel would most likely remind Louis of how carnivores instincts can impact relationships like the one he's getting into and Hino would most likely just ask him to notify him before he goes on a date so the beautiful lion could help Louis get ready for the date properly.

Honestly, now that he thought about it, Free and Sabu were the only straight guys in the inner circle of the lions, and Sabu was heteroflexible. The rest of them didn't really care what sex or gender their partners or lovers or one night stands were, as long as everyone was into it and consenting adults.

He smiled at the realisation and pulled a pillow tightly to his chest. He was honestly giddy and excited about the whole prospect of dating Legosi.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

A week after the exams were done, Legosi and Louis were finally going on their date. It was a Wednesday night and neither of their families knew about it.

They had talked about places and ideas in an attempt to ensure both of them liked it, which wasn't a hard decision to make, or at least, it wasn't supposed to be.

They had to avoid the Market for now, since they weren't ready for word about their relationship to get out yet, and if the wrong people saw them acting like a couple, word would spread faster than wildfire.

They also had to be careful about picking a place in the City, seeing as many establisments were either rude to carnivores, didn't allow non-straight or interspecies couples and most places were herbivore-only spaces.

They eventually settled on the ice cream shop near the Market, the one Louis and Free used to frequent when they were younger. They don't go there as often anymore. The old badger was still running the shop, now with their teenage grandchild helping out as well.

Legosi knocked on Louis' door and Louis opened it with a smile. They linked their arms and made their way outside to the parking lot of the school. The nights were more quiet than one would expect when thinking of a school with dorms. They took Legosi's motorcycle to the shop, if only because it was bigger than the one Louis had and would fit both of them comfortably.

It wasn't that late yet, only 7pm, but the streets were already buzzing with the nightlife. Louis gestured and Legosi would wordlessly follow the instructions. Surprisingly, he's never been to the place, which only made Louis more adamant about going there.

Legosi parked the motorcycle and allowed Louis to get off from behind him before he got off. Legosi skeptically brushed their hands together and Louis took the large paw with a sweet smile and a sparkle in his eyes. Neither of them have really been on dates before, so they were just guessing and going off of what felt right.

Once inside, the old badger greeted them happily. "Good to see you, Louis! And who's your lovely friend over here?" The old badger was kind as ever, their tone sweet, small round glasses sitting on the edge of their nose. "Oh, this is my boyfriend, Legosi." Both Louis and Legosi blushed up to their ears at that, but the badger just smiled at them. "That's so sweet!" They offered, hands folded like a grandparent who is pleased with something their grandchild did.

Louis ordered some elaborate sundaes for the two of them, paid and then went to sit at one of the booths. The place was empty, much like Louis remembered it being, so he had to wonder how the place was still in business. That train of thought didn't last long as they slid into the booth and got comfortable, their hands finally parting.

"I was worried there for a moment," Legosi said in a soft voice. Louis chuckled, "No need, Everett is cool. In fact, they'll chase off anyone who makes bigoted comments against anything." Legosi nods, glancing over to where the old badger was making the sundaes. They did seem like a very friendly animal. Smiling, he looked back over to Louis.

"So what do most animals talk about on dates?" Legosi asked, looking nervous at the prospect that he didn't know. Louis smiled, "Well, I think they get to know each other, but we've known each other for 11 or 12 years now, so that's out of the basket." They shared a laugh at that.

Legosi reached a hand over the table, palm up, an invitation for Louis to take it. Louis smiles, his eyes still soft, and slides his hand into Legosi's larger one.

The badger's grandkid was the waiter and they brought the sundaes to the table. Both Legosi and Louis thanked the teen before they left to go back behind the counter.

As the night went on, more customers came and went, but Legosi and Louis had gotten into comfortable conversation while they ate their ice cream. It had quickly gone from a little awkward to a very relaxed atmosphere. Once their sundaes were done, they ordered some coffees to warm up.

"Aren't canines supposed to not drink coffee?" Louis asked once the steaming cups arrived. Legosi shrugged, "No one at home knew that and it never affected me, so I didn't know until we hit middle school biology class. I was very confused, as you can imagine." They chuckled at that. "It hasn't stopped me though and the caffeine does wonders during exam times," Legosi added. "Tell me about it," Louis comments, making them laugh again.

"What about other things then? Like onions and chocolate?" Louis asked, now curious about something he never really thought about before. Legosi shrugged, "Onions are fine, but I can only have small amounts of chocolate. More than a few blocks and I get stomach problems. I'm not really sure how it all works." Louis listened intently, his eyes focused on the pinprick pupils Legosi had, which were focused on the deer across from him.

This gentle, loving back and forth was something they could settle into happily, even if they weren't sure how often they'd be able to act this way in the coming years. They'll worry about it when they get there.

Chapter Text

Louis swayed slightly, ending up leaning against Legosi's side, their hands intertwined. Legosi was swaying a little as well. Maybe walking was a bad idea.

They'd been to a Club with a bar in the Market for their 6 month dating anniversary and may have gotten a bit tipsy. Their respective parents had dropped them off and since it was so late, they didn't want to wake anyone by calling them, so they decided to walk.

The cold air had hit them as soon as they left the club and the alcohol in their system had taken it's toll on them. Walking was a bad idea, but they were already halfway back home and didn't want to turn back or call now, so they kept on. It's not like alcohol drunk animals weren't prevalent this time of night, so they should be alright.

At least, that's what they hoped.

"Well lookie what we have here~" Someone said to their left. Legosi turned his head to see an older looking eagle with two other large birds with him. Louis raised his head off Legosi's shoulder and looked at the three as well.

"You two seem a little out of your element," One of the others jeered. Louis reached for his gun, which was tucked in a shoulder holster. Legosi discreetly reached for a knife he kept on his hip. "Don't pick fights you can't win," Legosi hissed at them and they seemed taken aback by the reptilian sound of it.

That reaction didn't last long though, because one of them stormed the two. Legosi pushed Louis away and moved to the side as well to dodge the machete the bird had. When had he pulled that out?

The other two jumped into action then and joined the fight. Even slightly tipsy, the two heirs were good fighters. Legosi knocked the one guy out before jumping the one who tried to blindside Louis. A sharp pain in his wrist made him hiss again and he bit down on one of the vials in his mouth. He allowed the venom to seep through his lips and burn the bird's shoulder. The smell of smouldering flesh made Legosi release the guy.

That bird sunk to the floor in pain, just as Louis knocked the last one out. They stared at the scene for a moment.

Louis started swaying more and the deer reached for a nearby wall to lean on. Dread seized his chest as he sunk to the floor, nausea blocking him from doing much else. This wasn't the alcohol. Had one of those idiots drugged him? He didn't have much time to mull it over as darkness swallowed his vision.

Legosi saw Louis drop and went over to see if he could find the reason. Nausea was pushing it's way out of his stomach and he sunk to his knees beside Louis as his legs gave out under him. He knew the feeling of drugs and he was worried that sharp pain in his wrist earlier was a needle with something. He managed to drape himself over Louis, a last attempt to cover his unconscious herbivore lover before darkness took him too. The last thing he was aware of, was the sound of heavy feet dropping to the cobblestone beside them.

He could only hope they'd wake up again.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

He first becomes aware of a ringing in his ears, then the rest of him starts to wake up. His limbs feel like lead and his head throbs painfully. What happened?

Louis struggles to make his cemented eyelids open to see where he was. Despite his limbs not correlating with his mind, he was aware of a sharp pain in his shoulders and something heavy around his neck.

When he finally manages to force them open, he groans at the light and tries to cover his eyes, but his hands get stuck on something. Memories of what happened last night returned to him in quick flashes, making his foggy mind wake up more. He blinked several times before being able to take in where he was.

It was a small room with a table on the other end, beside it stood a chair. The walls were bare and there was a thin rug under him. To his left, Legosi was unconscious and tied up, his limbs tied to the pipe in the middle of them. Louis' wrists were also tied to it, as well as the chain around his neck. This was ridiculous. Where even are they?

At least it didn't seem like either of them had injuries, maybe a couple bruises from that fight and the restraints, but nothing major. He was close enough to bump Legosi, which he leaned over to do in hopes the wolf would wake.

Legosi groaned, rolling his neck to the side. He had a muzzle on that Louis noticed was not on himself. With his knee and his shoulder, he bumped Legosi again. "Legosi, wake up!" He whisper-yelled, his voice refusing to be any louder. Legosi grumbled some more, but his eyelids cracked open and he seemed to slowly come back to himself, most likely through a similar process that Louis had.

Louis allowed his boyfriend to wake up fully and when Legosi started to frantically look around, Louis bumped him again. Legosi focused on Louis and the deer could tell the other teenager was calming down. Legosi tried to say something, but the muzzle blocked him from moving his mouth. He let out an annoyed grumble at the damn thing.

Louis tried to figure a way out of the binds, while Legosi tugged at his own ones, attempting to break them with his freakish strength. Louis didn't pay him much mind until the wolf grew still. He looked over to his companion to see if the drug had taken him under again, but instead, it seemed he had an idea and was moving something around inside his mouth.

Shifting his hands to pull himself up towards where his wrists were bound, Legosi tilted his head at an angle and spat at the metal. Of course, he couldn't talk, but he could open his mouth just wide enough to spit. The metal fizzled and soon the cuffs around Legosi's bruised wrists came undone. He made quick work to get the muzzle off and moved his jaw to rid of the tight feeling. His next move was to pry his neck free of the metal collar, which he broke rather easily. Then he moved on to help Louis.

"You're insane, but smart," Louis mumbled as Legosi leaned up to lick the cuffs around Louis' wrists, careful to not touch his skin. He didn't want to hurt his deer. Some venom dripped off his tongue and ate a hole through the thin carpet and the cement floor below it. Pulling the collar off, Louis exhaled in relief. "Thanks," He said as he rubbed at the bruised places. Whoever put them in those really didn't have any mercy for their limbs, did they?

Legosi got to his feet, somewhat unsteady, and started looking around the room. Maybe he could find something that told them where they are or how late it was. Louis, on the other hand, checked himself for his usual weapons. It seems most of them were taken, so he checked his shoes and grinned when he pulled a hidden knife out of the sole of his right shoe.

"Uh Lou, we've been out for a while," Legosi said from the other side of the room, getting Louis' attention. "Why do you say that?" The deer asked as he got to his feet. His antlers felt heavier than usual. "This clock says it's 10am, we left that club at 2am." Louis groaned and started helping Legosi look for a way out.

"Then we have to get out quickly, before the Gumis start searching. They'll tear the Market down to find us, we both know that," Louis said, checking the window. It was sealed and had bars on the outside, so that was a no-go.

The door chose then to swing open violently, making Legosi and Louis jump towards each other and get ready for a fight. A panda stood in the doorway, now with a crossbow pointed at them in his own attempt to probably protect himself. "How did you two get out?" He asked after a tense moment of silence passed. This must be the Gouhin they've heard so much about.

"Nevermind, I saw the damage the wolf did to that bird. How and why do you have venom?" Gouhin growled. Legosi didn't say anything, just hissed, like the hybrid he was. Louis noticed over the years that Legosi preferred to hiss rather than growl, even if he could do both. Not the time to think about that right now though.

"Why'd you bring us here?" Louis asked, keeping his voice level and his eyes trained on Gouhin's hands where they were in contact with that crossbow. Gouhin's hands relaxed a little as he bit out, "Would you rather I have left you in that alley?!" Louis frowned, "Yes!" Gouhin scowled at that, "You both would've been killed!" "Or our people would've found us and we'd be home right now!" Louis scowled back.

Gouhin actually did a double take at that sentiment, though his scowl did not fade, but his crossbow did lower in response. "What? Those lions would eat you in heartbeat, kid!" Louis growled -actually growled- at Gouhin for that one. "For the last fucking time! If they wanted to do that, they had 12 years to do it already! I wouldn't be here!" In his anger, Louis threw the blade he had right at the panda. It embedded in Gouhin's shoulder with a sickening crack. Gouhin grabbed the handle with a hiss of pain. He hadn't expected that and may now be regretting his decision.

Legosi was a little surprised at the sheer anger coming off Louis, though he at least didn't show it like the panda was doing. The taste of bitter marmalade still remained in his mouth, so even if its not as potent, he could still do some damage with it.

"Calm down!" Gouhin yelled, still clutching the knife, but evidently knowing better than to pull it out. "You're the one that kidnapped us and barged in here with a crossbow pointing at us! You calm down!" Legosi growled out.

The room froze like that for a moment, both sides just staring at each other and ready for an all out battle, if it were to happen, though neither side engaged it first.

Legosi wasn't the type to try and talk things down, but he felt like he needed to or this standstill would go nowhere. "Gouhin, put the crossbow down and no one else has to get hurt. Just let us leave and we can keep the Gumis from starting an all out war with you," Legosi tried to reason. Gouhin focused on him and frowned again, despite his obvious pain, "War?" Legosi sighed.

"You have two Gumi heirs in your building, which may I remind you, have been missing for about 8 hours. If we don't turn up soon, they are going to find out you're behind it and start a war, maybe burn this whole section of the Market to the ground," Legosi tried further. Gouhin seemed to be contemplating that case, while Louis seemed to be coming off his anger, both of which were a relief to the wolf.

Gouhin set his crossbow down fully, looking at Legosi, "Those birds still drugged you two, at least let me make sure you two are in the condition to be leaving on your own." While Legosi was skeptical to accept the offer, the lead in his bloodstream was something he was still very aware of. Louis glanced at Legosi, as if to see his reaction.

"Maybe worry about yourself first, it sounded like that lodged in the socket," Louis said after a moment. "And where's our shit?" Gouhin stepped aside and pointed to a table in the next room. On it, they could see all the things they had on them the previous night, some artillery, their phones and wallets, extra ammunition for their guns. It was all there.

Gouhin let them pass to get their things and Legosi and Louis skeptically did so, putting everything back where it was usually. Legosi felt a little more relaxed with all his knives back in his possession and Louis hooked his gun to his belt instead of placing it back in his shoulder holster, probably for ease of access if Gouhin tries something else.

While they were getting their things, Gouhin had carefully removed the knife from his shoulder and popped it back into it's socket with another disgusting sounding crack. Legosi glanced over at that, just in time to see Gouhin grab some bandages to cover the wound. He shook his head, the guy was really asking for that when he pissed Louis off.

Gouhin made quick work of bandaging that wound, then he was already up in their faces again, shining a light into their eyes and checking their pulse. He let go immediately when Legosi growled at him, pinprick eyes meeting hidden black ones. Louis just sighed as Gouhin checked him over.

"Say kid, what are those?" Gouhin asked as Legosi tucked a couple extra venom vials into his jaws and set the others away. He only had six on him most of the time, seeing as that would be enough. Legosi chuckled, "If you handled them with your bare hands, all I can say, is good luck once the burning sets in." Gouhin frowned, but his brows lifted in worry as it seemed to sink in.

Legosi's phone rang and he checked it automatically. Gosha. He frowned. Was he going to be dealing with his boss or his grandfather? It's anyone's guess. He took a deep breath and answered. "Hey... no no, we're okay..." He said, glancing at the panda and deer in the room. "We uh.... look, I'll be honest, we got wasted and didn't want to bother you guys. We also, kinda... uh, couldn't stay on our feet for more than two seconds, so we got a room in a random motel near the club. We should be back before midday... okay... see you then," He let out a relieved sighed when the call ended.

Glancing over to Louis, he said, "We better get our asses back to the bases soon." He glanced at Gouhin, only to scowl at the panda, "And if you do that again, I'll personally tear this place and you to the ground." Legosi spat at Gouhin for extra measure, since his mouth still tasted of marmalade. Gouhin's skin turned bright red, as if hit by scalding water, but didn't melt. It still made it's intent clear.

Legosi and Louis set out, walking at a brisk pace. They probably looked as shitty as they felt, but that wasn't going to stop them. They hooked their arms together once they were a good ways away from the clinic and Legosi let out a sigh. "Nice throw." Louis chuckled, ignoring the faint headache it caused, "Nice aim with the venom there." Legosi chuckled back, sticking his tongue out at the deer. "I'd kiss you, but I don't want to hurt you," Legosi shrugged. "Another time, Gosi, another time," Louis said in response, walking a little closer to the wolf's side.

Let it be known that they slept for most of the rest of the weekend, only moving enough for their respective Gumis to know they weren't dead. Whatever those birds had drugged them with had made them heavy and sleepy beyond comprehension and while the feeling was still vaguely there the Monday when they returned to school, it wasn't as prominent anymore.

Chapter Text

The end of the month had finally arrived and Louis was a little more excited than he probably should have been. This was the first month that the Shishigumi was going to allow him to take part in the Turf Wars alongside them. He may have mentioned it to Legosi and now Louis was aware that his friend would be there too, alongside his own family.

As soon as the bell had gone to signal the end of the last class, Louis and Legosi had practically run to their rooms and were out the schoolyard within ten minutes, on route to the Market. They'd told Sanu they wouldn't be showing up for Drama Club due to "important family stuff" so they dodged any problems there.

They drove side by side on their motorcycles until they had to split into their respective territories.

The blood drawing thing, however, was rather strange to Louis. He knew they did that and that it was suppose to be lit on fire to signify their Gumi, but he's never seen it first-hand. Ibuki had given him the option to not take part in the ordeal, but Louis had stood his ground and said he would anyway.

It did take watching that scene for Louis to learn that apparently Dope is scared of needles and Free had to talk the young lion through the situation. When it was his turn, Louis had admitted that he wasn't sure how to draw blood, so Hino stepped over to help him, saying he had to pay attention because the next month he had to do it on his own. Louis was fine with that and watched Hino work closely.

The pretty lion had wavered a moment, not wanting to hurt Louis, but the deer was so much smaller than the rest of them, even now that he was almost fully grown. It went over well though and Free pulled Louis to his feet afterwards, helping to stabilise the deer, who had become a little woozy. "Remember when you were younger and had to get shots? You were always so pissed afterwards," Free told him as he lead Louis to the kitchen to get him some coffee and maybe convince him to eat something.

Louis chuckled at the memory, leaning his head on his hand, "Yeah, and you ended up taking me for ice cream every time after we returned from the doctor." Free smiled and passed Louis the coffee and a bowl with celery. They always kept some in the fridge, ever since Louis moved in 12 years ago.

°°°°°

Legosi lit a cigar as he stood next to Gosha in the cooling evening air. Gosha had tried to put it off for as long as he could, but when Legosi himself had asked to take part in the Turf Wars, there wasn't much he could do to stop the inevitable.

The rest of the gang had practically dragged Legosi off to go do the blood drawing and while Legosi wasn't particularly fond of needles, he'd gotten through it just fine.

"You looking forward to tonight?" Gosha asked, grey smoke rising from his maw as he spoke. Legosi glanced at the older male, trying to figure out if he was speaking to his boss or his grandfather, because the answer would differ accordingly. Gosha's face was neutral, making it difficult for the wolf to decipher. He sighed and made a quick decision, "A little nervous, but I'm looking forward to it." Gosha nodded, one corner of his lips perking up in a small smile before it vanished again.

"Remember the pact with the Shishigumi," Gosha said as they finished their cigars. Legosi nodded, "Wouldn't dream of disobeying it."

°°°°°

The gangs kept to their own as they waited for the new gang to finish their pseudo gameshow against the Inarigumi. The newcomers were a smaller gang calling themselves the Okamigumi. They apparently wanted some official territory of their own instead of just existing within the Inari territory.

Louis glanced over the opponents he could see and checked his gun over once more, before ensuring his Freddie Cougar claws were properly fastened to his hands. He had them made about three months prior and was happy to finally be able to use them in a proper battle. It had taken Miguel quite some time to teach Louis how to fight like a carnivore with the claws, since Louis wasn't used to the techniques. He got it eventually though.

He didn't see Melon between the Madara, so he assumed the hybrid wasn't taking part in tonight's events. He couldn't see the Inari from where they were but he assumed they wouldn't make Sora fight, since she was still so young. He'd cast Legosi a smile that the wolf returned with his eyes. Legosi had a Dokugumi mask on to show he was part of them and to ensure no one confused him for one of the new wolf gang members.

Free sniffed at some silvervine and Ibuki whispered to him to not overdo it. "It's always good before a big fight." Free had said, wandering over to Louis. "Want some?" Free offered but Louis shook his head, just before Dolph slapped Free over the head. "Do not give that stuff to Louis." The mentioned deer chuckled quietly at the exchange. The evening air was getting colder as the wind came in from the ocean nearby. The sun was starting to set as well, so they'd be starting soon.

°°°°°

Legosi checked himself over again. He was wearing similar attire to the rest of the gang and even had his own mask on. He didn't want to be confused for one of the small gang's members. He was no less muscled than the rest of the Dokugumi and he had his own versions of their signature bombs tucked into his outfit.

Savon was smoking something that didn't smell like any type of nicotine, it had a distinctly sweet smell to it that Legosi couldn't quite place. It was probably a drug of some kind, but Legosi didn't want to ask.

As the sun started to set, the Inarigumi returned from the pseudo gameshow and the gang of wolves also appeared, standing away from the rest of the gangs but clearly part of this. The Inari looked pissed and the wolves looked smug, but what specifically happened, none of the other gangs would ever truly know.

The torches were lit and the Gumis all approached each other, as was the tradition. Legosi went a little cross-eyed when the mixed blood smells hit him. He blinked and Savon whispered something to him, "You good?" Legosi just nodded. It took him a moment to get used to it, but it wasn't obvious unless you knew him.

°°°°°

Once the spell had broken, the Gumis went at each other with all they had. There was a clear alliance between the Inari and the Madara, seeing as they weren't fighting against each other, just against the other three.

A white Inari fox went for Louis, who sidestepped her easily, planting his elbow in her back and sending her sprawling to the ground. He was holding his own very well, if anyone asked.

A Madara tried to jump him from the side, but a quick twist out of the way and a well placed hit with the mechanical claws, he ripped half that leopard's side to shreds and let him drop to the ground.

Usually something like these claws wouldn't be allowed, but he was the exception since he didn't have any of his own. The blades were also no longer than the average length of lion claws, so they were easy to maneuver and work with without it seeming unfair.

Sabu tucked against his back as the Okamigumi tried to corner them. He'd admit the wolves put up a good fight, but it didn't matter in the end, because they were faster and more skilled in these situations. The four that tried to take them on met the floor soon after. It's been a while since Louis has witnessed this much blood.

°°°°°

Legosi huffed as he slammed a Madara's head against the ground, hearing a satisfying crunch before he finally let the poor fool go. He was really putting that komdo dragon strength to good use tonight.

A quick bomb, no bigger than a golf ball, between three oncoming Inari gave him enough time to slip out of their sight. He was fast, he knew it, and he loved it.

One of the Okamigumi wolves engaged against him and while said wolf put up a good fight, they didn't stand much of a chance against his enhanced speed and strength. That wolf went to the ground and Legosi twisted to block the claws of another. This one was different for some reason, he seemed too unmarred to be in a gang.

Their eyes met for a split second and it seemed to give the other wolf pause, but not his hybrid counterpart. Legosi used the moment of hesitation to throw the other wolf to the floor in a flurry of blood and claws. The wolf hybrid didn't dwell there long and moved on from his downed opponent as quick as he did with the rest. That wolf's face stayed in the back of his mind though.

°°°°°

The Turf Wars had stretched late into the night and by the time they ended, everyone collected their own, whether injured or dead, and returned to their respective hideouts.

Louis leaned against Jinma's side, steadily guiding the lion to one of the bathrooms so they could stitch up the lion's side. Louis had a couple bruises and surface level cuts that would need no more than light cleaning, but Jinma had some nasty cuts just under his ribs.

The others had also split into groups of two to help each other clean up after the night's events. Jinma immediately pulled his shirt and jacket off once they reached the bathroom, opting to smoke while Louis took care of the cuts under his ribs. He didn't even so much as flinch when Louis stitched him up.

Jinma was too busy staring at the mirror, more specifically, the reflection of Louis' cheek turning black and purple. The blood on the deer's antlers from where he impaled someone with them were in his peripheral.

Once Louis was done, Jinma insisted on helping him clean his antlers off as a way of returning the favour and Louis had no problem sitting still and allowing the old lion to clean off the ends of his antlers. It helped in the longrun because he couldn't reach the furthest ends of them on good days, much less when his ribs were bruised to all hell.

After they were done, they parted to see if anyone else needed some assistance with anything. Louis stopped at his room to drop off his guns and the claws, before wandering off to find the others.

Free was nursing a headache, if the ice pack against his head meant anything and his calf was bandaged up, while Sabu was stitching up Agata's arm in several places. The youngest lion was grimacing at the pain of the stitches but otherwise seemed to be doing well. Sabu had a blackening eye, but otherwise seemed unharmed.

Louis left to check on Ibuki and Dolph, who seemed just fine to take care of each other. He didn't want to bother them, so he just snuck off, and Miguel and Dope were dealing just fine, Jinma was cleaning a particularly deep cut on Miguel's back but they didn't seem to need any more help.

Louis felt his stomach clench and headed for the kitchen with a shrug. He liked the adrenaline that was still going through his veins. He hasn't felt so alive in forever. He grabbed some leftover venison and popped it in the microwave to heat it up. There was no doubt in his mind that the mansion will be very quiet tomorrow as everyone recovered from the evening's events.

While they were worse for wear, they hadn't lost anyone tonight, besides, the Inarigumi were in a worse state. He chuckled quietly to himself as the microwave dinged and he took his reheated food out. He just started eating when Free wandered in with a chuckle, "Haven't lost your cannibalistic appetite, I see," Free teased. Louis shrugged, "What? Venison is good, ya dolt." Free chuckled, "No arguments there, Fawn. Is there any left for me?" "Yeah, it's in the fridge."

With that, Free got himself some leftovers too and the two returned to silence as they ate.

°°°°°

"Those wolves didn't know what hit 'em!" Morro laughed, making Legosi chuckle. They'd decided to grab some drinks after they'd all jumped through the showers.

Most of their injuries had already healed or would heal before morning came. No one had injuries bad enough for stitches or anything else. A couple of them had used their tailbombs, but those would grow back within the next two weeks, just like the chip that had been taken out of Legosi's ear. It wasn't big, no more than 2cm off the top, it would go unnoticed, even if it doesn't grow back. They weren't sure if it would or not, they could only wait and find out.

The younger members were drinking and joking around and Gosha had allowed Legosi to join them for the night. The older komodos had either returned to their usual jobs, gotten something to eat  or just went to catch up on some sleep before the sun would rise again in a couple hours.

Ozone slung an arm around Legosi's shoulders, laughing jovially as he recounted a couple of the wolves' reaction to seeing Legosi fighting alongside the Dokugumi. Legosi laughed along with him, but it brought up the memory of that one older wolf that he'd fought. Why had the other one hesitated and why did he look so familiar?

Legosi was sure he hasn't personally met or talked to any wolves outside of those in Cherryton and they were all too young to have been that guy. Maybe thay wolf is the father of one of them. Yeah, that had to be it. He'll look into it at a different time, for now, he wanted to enjoy the bonfire and the celebration.

°°°°°

Ten was fuming as Sora patched her up. They'd lost a considerable amount of territory tonight, as well as almost a third of their vixens. She growled as Sora started on the stitches, feeling a slight sense of satisfaction when Sora shrunk into herself and flattened her ears.

"I mean, what even was those claw things the deer had?! That was ridiculous! A deer fighting like he was just another one of the carnivores!" Ten vented. The mention of artificial claws made Sora perk up some. "Claw things?" Sora asked carefully.

They could distantly hear some of the other vixens mourning for their fallen companions. Kate had taken the death of her wife very bad and has been in pieces since.

"Yeah, these mechanical claws that kind of look like gloves! How the fuck did he even come up with that?!" Sora blinked at Ten's outburst and finished bandaging her arms. "I think I know where the idea came from," Sora whispered, making Ten glare at her. "Where?"

Sora did a quick search on her phone, then turned it to show to her mother. "There's a movie called Nightmare on Elk Street, where a herbivore makes these claws and kills animals in their sleep. They sound very similar." Ten grabbed the phone from the smaller hand and scrolled through the pictures. They did in fact look similar, but some things differed. No doubt the Shishigumi ensured the claws were more practical than the prop ones looked.

Interesting...

°°°°°

"Mama, please calm down. I'm sure we'll get them back next month," Melon said, carefully stitching up Mercia's shoulder. Thankfully this time, she'd only taken her shirt off. He didn't like when she'd take her bra off in these situations. Maybe he was just selfish, she seemed rather comfortable doing that, but it always gave him the creeps.

Mercia swiftly turned and backhanded Melon off his feet. He landed a few meters away on the ground. Melon backed up until his back touched the wall and covered his face and head with his arms.

His mother was going off about something again, but he couldn't hear her words over the ringing in his ears. Everything was too loud and he could hear the other Madara members grumbling on the floors below them. They didn't like him.

"We'd have won if YOU were out there!" Mercia yelled, throwing a knife at Melon that embedded in the wall above his head, right between his horns.

"But mama, I don't like the Turf Wars! Please don't make me go!" Melon begged. Mercia strode over and reached down, pulling him up by his shirt. Melon shivered, expecting a blow or a bite or claws cutting him up, but Mercia instead pulled him against her chest in a sort of hug.

"Don't worry baby, Mama's gonna make sure this NEVER happens again," Mercia said, almost gently and as much as Melon wanted to run away from her, pull out of her grip and hide in his room, her scent so close to him made him relax into her touch. His mind and body were at war and he was just frozen in her grip.

"Come on, baby. Finish the stitches and we'll go to bed," Mercia said again, much gentler this time. She finally let go of Melon and returned to her dresser chair. Melon reluctantly followed to finish his job.

°°°°°

"Sir?" Butch, a large grey wolf with a bandage over his left eye, asked. The Okami leader turned to face his underling and hummed. "What is it?" Butch cleared his throat, "I wanted to ask about that kid with the Dokugumi."

"The wolf one? I'm aware," their leader said. One of the others perked up as well, Shane was a technical genius, though he'd taken the worst beating of the night because he didn't have a lot of muscle to him.

"He kinda looks like ya, boss," Scrappy, the youngest one in the gang, a white wolf with a single black ear, said. He didn't have many filters to speak of.

Their boss glared over at Scrappy. "What are you insinuating, puppy? Come on, out with it," He growled. Scrappy perked slightly, despite the derogatory nickname.

"Maybe he's one of yer kids, boss. Ya did say ya had a couple over the years," Scrappy supplied. "And how do you suppose one of MY illegitimate kids would end up with a bunch of reptiles?" Their boss asked.

"Well, Miyagi, there could plenty of reasons, " Shane supplied. "I don't remember ever getting within reach of those beasts, if you're suggesting I slept with one!" Miyagi growled. Butch shrugged, "Maybe not, that wolf seems more wolf than anything else, even if he is a lot bigger than the average wolf. You might have possibly slept with a hybrid that you didn't know was a hybrid." Miyagi frowned at that and tried to think.

He had a faint recollection of a teenager some years ago that insisted they keep the lights off, even if she was such a beautiful specimen of a wolf. He had to wonder....

Chapter Text

As Louis had suspected, Saturday and Sunday, the mansion was crazy quiet as everyone slept off their exhaustion and injuries from the Turf Wars. They'd only really show their faces to get something to eat.

Ibuki and Dolph, despite well roughed up too, were in the office all weekend and Louis, despite his protesting bruised ribs, spent most of the weekend curled up on the couch, playing on the console they had there.

Free had joined him for a bit, smoking a silvervine joint while he did, but eventually the scarred lion moved on to do something else with less flashing lights. His concussion didn't like the lights.

Hino had at some point showed up in the livingroom and curled up on the beanbag in the corner, watching Louis play videogames for a while before falling asleep there. Louis didn't think much of it.

After a while, Louis had gotten tired too, so he paused the game, turned it's sound off and grabbed one of the throw pillows on the couch. With the way his cheek and ribs were bruised, he couldn't really find a comfortable sleeping position, that's why he ended up here, so he just crossed his legs on the couch, put the pillow on them and folded forward to place his head on the pillow, face down.

He fell asleep like that, surprisingly comfortable and painless, folded in half on the couch. He was vaguely aware and half asleep, when Agata decided to saunter in and cuddle up against his side, resting his head on Louis' lower back. Both of them were consumed by sleep again soon after.

Sabu had found them like that when he was looking for the three of them before dinner that Sunday night. He may or may not have taken a picture of Agata and Louis sleeping like that before he even attempted to wake them up.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Usually Legosi and Louis would walk together to the cafeteria to grab breakfast before they head to their first classes of the day. Today, though, Louis had Legosi go ahead and he'd catch up later.

The wolf seemed to have recovered overnight from any injuries he'd gotten at the Turf Wars. There were no bruises or cuts, or anything for that matter, to insinuate he'd been in a fight just days ago. Louis chalked it up to the komodo dragon genetics.

Louis could hide the bruised ribs and handful of healing cuts just fine. The bruise on his cheek was a different story though.

He was walking on his way to his first class of the day, when a gasp sounded from somewhere around his feet. Did he almost step on a small classmate? Looking down he spotted Haru and relaxed a bit. He also wasn't close enough to have stepped on her feet or anything, which meant the gasp had been for another reason entirely.

"What happened to you?" Haru demanded, arms crossed like an angry mother. Louis chuckled, "Well hello to you too." Haru crossed her arms, "I'm serious, Louis. What happened?"

Louis sighed and tried to move around her, only to get his wrist grabbed and dragged into a different direction. "Haru, our class is the other way." Haru scoffed, "I know!" "Then where are we going?" Louis grumbled. His ribs were really protesting the angle here. "To the garden club so I can use the makeup I have there to hide your bruise. You're bloody lucky I have red eyeshadow."

He rolled his eyes, but didn't resist. He didn't completely follow why that was necessary, but he didn't argue it, if only to avoid making her cute face angrier.

°°°°°

She had him sit down on the chair in the shed while she grabbed a small bag from under the table. After climbing onto the table, she sat in front of him and got to work. He wasn't exactly sure what she was doing, but at least she wasn't poking at the bruise, so he didn't stop her.

"So, are you going to tell me what happened to your face or do I have to make assumptions?" She asks, brushing something powdery over the blue bruise. "Please don't," He replied, fully knowing they were skipping their first class.

"Then talk, Bambi!" Haru said, making Louis chuckle. She grabbed his chin to make him hold still and continued with her makeup. "Fine, fine. My brother and I were playing and sometimes he forgets I'm not a lion and gets a little rough. It was an accident and Dad already gave him an earful for it," Louis says smoothly. It was the most believable lie he could come up with for if anyone asked.

"You're crazy to be roughhousing with lions, even if they are your brothers!" She scolds him, much like a mother, he thinks. "But Haru~ It's fun!" He says in joke-whiny tone. She rolls her eyes and sighs exasperatedly at him. 

A few minutes of silence pass between them before she puts her makeup stuff away and hands him a small mirror. "Done, what do you think?" She asks. Louis checks the mirror, even if it was way too small for him, then gives an impressed look. She'd completely hidden the bruise, as if it was never there to start with. "Damn, you're good at this," Louis comments. Haru gives him a satisfied (see smug) look.

"I'll drop by your room tomorrow morning and every morning after that until the bruise goes away. This way the others won't have more reason to bug you about your family," Haru says as she jumps off the table and puts the makeup bag away. "Thanks Haru," Louis shrugs.

She had a point, other animals were constantly bothering him with stupid questions whenever his family was brought up, as if he was in danger from them.

They walked to their second classes after that, just waiting for the bell to ring before they would enter. No one asked why they missed the first class, just assuming they may have slept in or something, after all, it was a Monday morning.

°°°°°
Drama Club went fine. Juno was unusually quiet, but other than that, things were as usual.

Legosi was up in the lighting area, messing with the electronics panel. He didn't know why Sanu, or anyone for that reason, thought it was a good idea to allow a 16 year old to work with electrical wiring, but here he was. Apparently if he couldn't fix it, then they'd get an electrician to come fix it.

Sighing, he switched out some fuses and had to attach some wires that have come loose over the years. He hissed as a bolt shocks his hand and shakes himself to rid of the static feeling in his fur.

"You okay?" Tao asks from where he's stitching up a costume a few feet away from Legosi. Legosi shrugs, "Yeah, just didn't expect that spark." Toa nods and continues on with his sewing.

Louis and some of the other actors were either practicing for the newest production, or trying to keep up with the dancers.

William was still keeping his distance from Louis, only getting within reach when they had a scene together. Legosi was happy that what happened has apparently stuck with the asshole.

Once club time was over, Legosi waited for Louis by the door. Louis joined them and as they walked to their dorms, they linked hands without even really noticing.

°°°°°

"Haru really is a wizard with makeup," Legosi comments that afternoon when the two are doing homework together. "Yeah, no kidding. She said she's gonna drop by tomorrow morning to do it again," Louis mutters as he writes down the essay they got for Seaspeak.

Legosi writes a couple sentences too before he speaks again. "So how's the rest of the lions?" He asks. They hadn't had time to talk or message over the weekend for obvious reasons and Legosi has become fond of some of those lions, though he'd never admit to it.

"They're doing fine, back to business as usual today. Couple bruises and cuts here and there, nothing life threatening. What about the dragons?" Louis replied, fiddling with his pen.

"They're doing fine, recovered fast as usual and was back on their usual routines by Saturday afternoon," Legosi replies. He was itching for a cigar but he had to finish his homework first.

Legosi's ear twitches towards the wall on the right and he frowns as he turns to stare at it. Louis seems to catch onto this, but try as he might, and let it be known he did try, he couldn't tell what had so suddenly caught Legosi's attention.

"What's up?" Louis asked after another minute. Legosi turned to him and gestured to the wall with his head. "I think there's something or maybe someone in the walls." Louis frowns and gets up, walking over and placing his ear against the wall. He still couldn't hear anything.

"What do you mean by that?" Louis asks, still trying to see if he could hear anything. "A sound like rice rattling and something scraping the cement sounded. I'm surprised you didn't hear it," Legosi shrugs.

Louis sits down on his chair again and leans against Legosi's shoulder. "Turns out the walls have ears here, huh?" Louis whispered to Legosi, barely a sound but he knew the wolf heard him. "Apparently," Legosi mumbles, angling his chin between the antlers.

Chapter Text

It was the first night of their senior year and Legosi and Louis had decided to take to the rooftops again. They'd been bored since returning to the campus that morning.

As they were passing over the main school building's roof, Legosi stopped dead in his tracks. Louis stopped a moment after. "What is it?" Louis asked in a whisper. He knows to trust Legosi's hearing over his own. Then he heard it too.

Someone was running and panting like crazy in the halls of the building below. Someone else was following them, much bigger but a lot quieter in their steps. The two heirs shared a look, then a nod and headed into the building.

Legosi moved down the side of the building using a drainpipe and popped in through an open window quietly. Louis used the door that lead from the roof to inside and quietly snuck down the stairs.

They used different routes and were quiet enough to go unnoticed, until they were just down the hall from a classroom where the altercation had ended up.

A large bear was banging on the closed doors. A voice from inside the classroom yelled, "You'd really eat your classmate?! I thought we were friends!"

Legosi and Louis shared another look, signing to each other to communicate without the other carnivore hearing them. 'Tem?' Louis asked and Legosi nodded.

'Should we interfere?' Legosi asked back, glancing around the corner again. Louis shrugged his reply.

The doors to that classroom slammed open and they could hear Tem thudding to the floor and rolling some distance down the staired floor.

Legosi glanced back at Louis and shrugged back. Louis sighed quietly. 'Let's help' he signed back, taking the lead towards the classroom. Legosi followed close on his heels, keeping his ears perked.

The two snuck into the room, going to the side. Louis had one hand ready to grab his gun at a moment's notice and Legosi's focus was zoned into every single movement the bear was making.

The bear didn't look to be in his right mind. His eyes were too wide, pupils too small and breathing weirdly. Legosi readied himself for a fight against someone less skilled, but hocked up on instincts and hunger.

"YOU CARNIVORES ARE ALL THE SAME!! YOU'RE MONSTERS!!" Tem yelled and just as the bear was about to jump him, Legosi sprung into action. The speed he had when he collided with the bear was enough to knock them both to the floor, into a struggle of instincts vs trained fighting skill.

Tem stepped back when another dark blur knocked the bear away from him and accidentally stepped on something. That something happened to be the remote for the projector, which turned on, showing the last slide of the class that had been taught there earlier in the day. 

Tem stood frozen in horror as he finally saw what the other dark blur had been. A wolf was now in a full out fight with the bear.

Louis ran over to Tem and placed a hand on his elbow, where there wasn't any blood and hopefully no injuries either. "Let's get you out of here," Louis said in a whisper. Tem just nodded in a daze and followed when Louis started pulling him in a direction.

Louis was leading them down a hallway to get outside when Legosi came running up to them from behind. Tem seemed to panic and want to rush faster, but Louis wouldn't let him.

They stopped right by the exit door and Tem turned to hide behind Louis as Legosi caught up to them and stopped as well. "And?" Louis asked. Legosi rolled his shoulders, "Knocked him out, left him for security to deal with." Louis nodded.

"What do we do with Tem then?" Louis asked, glancing around the hallways. "I don't know. Take him to the nurse's office?" "She's not gonna be there." "Well, we can't exactly let him bleed out!"

Tem was trembling something fierce by now. "Fine, I've got a first aid kit in my room, let's take him there," Louis grumbled. Legosi nodded.

Tem wouldn't move though, and try as they might, nothing worked. Legosi tried to pick him up, but the alpaca went crazy, kicking and flailing. After a moment of struggling, Louis decided to try instead and Tem was a long ways calmer about being carried by Louis.

They moved through the night like ghosts and soon got to their own dorms. Entering, Louis grumbled, "Don't bleed on the carpet." It was aimed at Legosi, but Tem mumbled an apology anyway.

Louis put Tem in his desk chair, grabbed the kit and started cleaning him up. He threw a rag at Legosi, who wiped the blood off his face and arms. It doesn't seem like the bear, Riz as Legosi had pointed out, had done much damage during the fight. Louis watched for a moment as a cut on Legosi's cheek knit itself together without leaving so much as a scar in it's place. Sometimes he forgot just how much Legosi's genetics took after Gosha, even if his external features didn't.

As Louis cleaned Tem up, Legosi though through what had happened that night. They were used to this stuff, it happened a lot around town and even more so in the Market, but they've never interfered. This was nature, this happened, so why had they stepped in tonight?

Maybe it was because Tem is only 17 and had a lot to live for. Maybe it was because it was inside the school grounds, a place that's supposed to be safe. Maybe it was in an attempt to not lose the Drama Club. It could be a lot of things and none of them at the same time.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

The next morning, after way too long of convincing Tem to keep the previous night a secret, they threw their laundry together so Legosi or Louis could deal with the blood on it later. Tem was skeptical of being around even just Legosi after the encounter, but he calmed down severely after Legosi changed his bandages.

The schoolday went fine, apart from Tem being a little sore and sneaking painkillers every now and again, painkillers that Louis had given him. The bandages were hidden easily enough by his blazer, so no one saw anything.

The classroom from the night before had been boarded up and the teacher was occupying a different class. The teachers could tell something had happened, but they had no proof if it was students or not. All they knew was that the classroom was thrown all over, there was a lot of blood on the floor and obvious brute force had been used around the place.

When it became time for Drama Club, Tem had the jacket on, just claiming he was cold or something. He stayed a ways away from Riz, who was with the backstage team again. Legosi kept throwing the bear glances and Louis did the same. They made sure that at no point the two were anywhere near each other.

Sanu had called Louis to the back, where the lead actor office is and appointed Louis as the new lead actor, which shocked the deer for a moment, then he offered a gentle smile and thanked Sanu for the position.

The actors went on to do auditions for the new play that they would be doing. Adler, to welcome the new students or something like that. Louis got the role of Adler easily, to the surprise of very few animals. Tem got a role too, despite his slightly clunky movements from the pain in his limbs.

Legosi was working on the lights quietly, with Tao glancing nervously at him every now and again. He was aware that Tao was skeptical due to how big of a wolf he was and just how many times he's had his grandpa up in the lighting rig during performances. It was always there, so Legosi didn't even pay attention to it anymore.

After the roles were fully announced and everyone was given a script, Sanu let the groups do what they wanted or needed to do for the day. Legosi watched with a small smile as Tem gave Els a letter.

Despite Legosi's dislike for anyone in this school who wasn't Louis, Haru or the 701 boys, he knew everyone by name and had observed them all closely over the years. He knew more than anyone in the school thought he did.

Els had been excited and had grabbed Tem around the neck to pull him into a hug. Legosi zoned in on their voices to hear them planning a date over the coming weekend. Glancing to Louis, Legosi saw the deer also had a smile on his face at the scene. It was cute, if nothing else.

°°°°°

On the other side of the school, Haru yelped as her mattress was thrown out the window just above her, almost crushing her. Two of her roommates laughed and yelled that she needed to ask a boy to help her.

She sighed, clenched her hands, unclenched them and breathed out one more time. When were these girls gonna leave her alone? She hasn't even been in a relationship in three years, Mizuki was just spreading unwarranted rumours now since her boyfriend broke up with her and she thinks it's Haru's fault for some reason.

Haru picked her books up, put them on the mattress and started pulling the mattress back into the dorm.

"Sally, why didn't you stop them?" She asked as she dropped her mattress in through the door. "They're a little pissy today, just try to avoid them," Sally muttered, focusing on her homework. Haru sighed, "Would've appreciated that warning earlier." "Sorry," Sally giggled.

She didn't bother dealing with them for the rest of the evening. Instead, she went to the Garden Club to look after her flowers instead.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Dinner time rolled around and Tem ended up sitting with Louis and Legosi today. Usually he would sit with Riz, but he was still too shaken up to go anywhere near the bear.

Haru joined them soon after with a tired look to her big, dark eyes. Legosi and Louis shared a look. "Rough day?" Louis asked. Haru rolled her eyes, "Don't get me started. Mizuki is throwing another fit and the girls in my dorm are being bitches." Louis nods, glancing around at Legosi, then to Tem. "Sound like this year isn't starting on such a bright note, huh," Louis commented. The other three around the table all nodded in agreement to that.

That night, Tem had gone with Legosi and Louis to the private dorms again and Haru had decided to sleep in the shed of the gardening club. She was way too pissed at her roommates to head back for the night.

Tem had allowed Louis to change the bandages again and check the stitches the deer had done the previous night. All looked fine and Louis told him he'd be good to head back to his own dorm again.

"So, do we just stay quiet about the whole thing? I mean, Riz almost devoured me!" Tem said, fiddling with his hands while he sat on Louis' bed. Louis was busy with his homework on his desk, Legosi was doing his homework on the floor just left of the desk and Tem had started on his homework on Louis' bed.

Legosi and Louis shared a look before both turning their gazes to Tem. "Well, you can always talk to us about it, but just not anyone else," Louis said. Tem frowned, "And just let Riz get away?" The alpaca looked a little downtrodden by that idea.

Legosi shook his head, "No, of course not. We'll deal with Riz. Trust us, he's not going to try this with anyone again." Tem seemed to calm down slightly at that promise, giving a nervous smile to Legosi. Legosi gave a small smile back. The smile Louis gave was much bigger and more reassuring though.

Chapter Text

A month had passed since Tem was almost eaten. He'd been clinging very closely to Louis and Legosi in that time. No one really took notice of it, writing it off as Tem being his usual friendly self.

However, with the healing wounds and sore muscles, Tem had struggled to keep up during practice for the Adler play. So he'd asked Louis to help him perfect the last couple scenes.

Louis had called both Legosi and Tem into his office during Club time to talk about it. "So Tem and I are going to be practicing after curfew. Legosi, do you mind keeping lookout for us?" Louis asked, addressing the wolf who had been standing close to the wall.

Legosi shrugged, then nodded, "Sure, but we can't take too long." Louis nodded, a grin spreading over his thin lips. "Good, we'll meet up just before then and head to the stage," Louis finalised.

Tem looked a little apprehensive about the idea, but the fact that Legosi would be keeping lookout for them made him relax a little more. He's come to trust the wolf as a safe place to hide by.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

They met up in Louis' dormroom before curfew and they got themselves ready, making sure everything else like homework was done before they had to do that.

When they were sure the dorm mother was done with her rounds for now, they made their way out of the building. With Legosi leading the way, they made it to the auditorium without ever being visible in the lights sprinkled around campus.

Louis and Tem went inside and Legosi took a seat on the steps outside, glancing around and keeping his ears perked for any movement. It was a quiet night, more so out here than usual.

When half an hour passed, he lit a cigar and placed it to his lips. He might as well smoke while he was out here.

He heard something scratch from beyond the fountain. A shadow barely moved, small but sure footed. It wasn't a herbivore. Snuffing out his cigar bud on the steps, he focuses in on the movement.

They seemed to have heard him too, cause they were holding their breath and standing still.

Statistically, Legosi had the upper hand here, he was bigger, faster, and trained in this kind of stuff. He shifted to his hunches and got ready to pounce.

Slow breath in, slow breath out. The other let out a squeak and then bolted. Something from his instincts sparked, but it wasn't his instincts that caused him to give chase, that was his own decision.

It only took a couple leaps and a jump to pin the other to the ground. This close, he could tell who it was and he kept her securely pinned, in case she tried anything.

"Don't kill me!" She squeaked out again, causing Legosi to move the hand holding her head down to cover her muzzle. "Shut up!" He hissed, glancing around to make sure no one saw or heard them.

When he was sure no one else was around, he let out a low growl and returned his attention to the small red fox. She was rattling like a chihuahua. "And just what the hell are you doing here?" He asks, moving his hand just enough so she could talk.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Mom wants to send me here and I just wanted to get a look at the place, please don't kill me!" Sora rambles, trying to hide her head in the cement below them.

"Legosi!" The sudden yell sent ice through both of their veins. He looked over to where Tem was on the stairs. The alpaca clearly couldn't see him but he knew he was here.

"Tem?" Legosi asks, loud enough for the alpaca to hear. "We need help in here!" He called, squinting to try and see Legosi. Legosi bent down over Sora and whispered, "Consider yourself fucking lucky. Stay down."

He got up and ran over to Tem, following the alpaca inside. Legosi could vaguely hear Sora run off after they closed the door.

Shaking his head, he followed Tem down to the part between the stage and audience chairs. Louis was on the floor, his leg bent at an awkward angle. "Louis?" Legosi asks, just above a whisper.

Louis sighed, relief flooding his shoulders. He gestured Legosi over and Legosi went without second thought. Louis allowed Legosi to help him upright.

"He stopped me from getting hurt. It was dark, so I misstepped and got too close to the side of the stage. I fell and he caught me, but we both ended up on the floor!" Tem rambled, looking nervous, as if he'd done something wrong. Louis sighs and Legosi glances at him.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Tem asked nervously. Louis tested his weight on the foot and then nodded. "I should be fine by tomorrow, it's just a sprain." Tem sighed in relief.

"I think it's time we call it a night. See you in the morning, Tem," Louis grumbled and soon Tem runs off to get back to his own dormroom.

Once he was gone, Louis slumped against Legosi. "You think you can get us both back unnoticed?" Louis asks. Legosi nods, steadying Louis before bending down some. "Get on my back and I'll take us back," Legosi says. Louis gingerly gets on Legosi's back and grabs ahold of his shoulders when the wolf rises.

"Sorry," Louis mumbles as they make their way through the shadows. "Why?" Legosi asks, not understanding his boyfriend's means. "You couldn't have predicted this. We'll fix ya up before midnight comes and see what happens from there."

Louis chuckles and relaxes against Legosi's back, careful to not nick him with his antlers.

They made it to Louis' room without being seen and Legosi gently dropped Louis on the bed.

_______________°•○●○•°______________

It took half an hour for the two of them to fashion a decent splint to the buck's ankle. He seems to have cracked it, since it wasn't broken, but it was too bruised to just be a sprain.

"You sure you'll be okay with it like this?" Legosi asked from his position on the floor beside Louis' bed. He place his head on a thin red knee. Louis chuckled and nodded, a few painkillers in and blissfully painless. "Yeah, I'll take tomorrow on like this and if it feels like it needs it, I'll go to the nurse and claim I fell down the stairs or something."

That got a chuckle out of the quiet wolf, his tail wagging slowly behind him. Louis chuckled along and ran his hand through the fur between Legosi's ears, a privilege only Gosha and himself had without getting told off.

_______________°•○●○•°________________

They'd spent the night in Louis' room and the next morning Legosi had helped him change the bandages before they were off to breakfast.

By the time Club rolled around, Louis was tired and had enough painkillers in his system for someone three times his size to be high off it, but he was fine and striving.

Legosi found himself up by the lights, with Tao, as usual. They were looking over the banister at the actors and dancers below. The actors were moving on stage with Sanu belting orders for refinements, Bill and Kai were practicing their fight scenes with each other and bamboo 'swords', while the dancers had just turned on the music and was going through the moves again.

Tao turned his head to Legosi and gently nudged the wolf with his elbow. "Ever thought of being an actor? I mean, it looks fun, doesn't it?" Tao asked, gesturing towards the stage with his nose.

"Me? No thanks. I don't like the spotlight," Legosi said casually, moving away from the banister to fix the height of one of the lights. "Then you must have been surprised when they scouted you, huh?" Tao said, slowly following after the wolf.

"Why?" Legosi asks, adjusting the light with practiced motions. "You can only enter the Drama club if you were scouted. Its exclusive to those they consider worthy of representing it." Tao said, gesturing slightly with his hands as he spoke.

Legosi shrugged, "Okay, what do they judge you on then?" Tao seemed caught off guard by his nonchalance about it. "Don't tell me joined without knowing any of this!" Tao grumbled. Legosi just shrugged. He was already losing interest in this topic but it didn't seem like Tao was going to drop it anytime soon.

"F-for instance. Look there! Mina can't look at her own body because she has tripophobia, Moro believes he can see his guardian angel, but it's just his horns in his line of sight." Tao went on to explain. Legosi only listened with half an ear, keeping one eye focused on Louis to make sure he was still holding up okay.

"Kai is a mongoose that was raised by hyenas and Sheila, before she was scouted, worked in a bdsm club in the Back Alley Market," Tao went on. The last name caught Legosi's attention though. She was around the Market at some point? Would she recognize either of them then? Did they need to keep a closer eye on her from now on? Did this club scout know that he and Louis were Gumi heirs?

Before Legosi could think about it too much, Toa was way too close to him and up in his face, still talking. "I wonder, what's your secret then?" Legosi frowned and backed away from the panther. That was a loaded question and Tao had no way of even knowing that.

"Maybe it's because I've been friends with Louis since Kindergarten," The lie rolled off his tongue easily and Tao seemed to buy it, finally backing off. "That would explain it, you two are really close," Tao said, fiddling with a costume they had to adjust before the performance in two days.

"The Drama Club is a mixture of strange characters. It operates with the general theme of exposing life for what it truly is." Tao said with a flourish.

He stopped talking there though, noticing that it looked like Legosi had zoned out. He was staring at the stage absently.

Nearing the end of the club, Legosi went to go check on Louis in the leader's office. He knocked their code and Louis called for him to enter.

Just as he closed the door behind him, his tired eyes landed on the deer in the comfortable looking chair. Louis offered him a tired smile and Legosi returned it.

Legosi stepped over to the chair and took Louis' hand of the armrest. He placed a kiss to it before kneeling in front of Louis. He never let go of his gentle grip on the smaller hand, but his free hand came to rest gently on the injured leg, making gentle circular motions to sooth the ache that no doubt resided there. Louis let out a quiet breath. Of pain or relief, Legosi couldn't quite tell.

"How's your ankle?" Legosi asked in a gentle tone. He was relaxed, even from his position on the floor, because he knew Louis would watch his back for him. Louis allowed himself to relax as well, for the first time since he left his room that morning.

"Right now, just an annoyance, but I may be a little high on painmeds," Louis answered goodnaturedly. Legosi chuckled softly and rested his chin on the deer's knee.

"I like what you did with the spotlight at the end of the final scene," Louis mentions. He wanted to get Legosi talking, to be able to listen and get distracted by his boyfriend's voice.

"Oh, I focussed it in a bit more in the final scene and let it linger a little longer than Sanu had originally said, to add some final dramatic effect," Legosi started, falling into a casual manner of explaining the technical stuff. Louis didn't understand half of what the wolf was saying, but he still liked to listen to him talk so animatedly.

When he was done, Club time was almost over. "Who would've thought someone like you could be so cute~?" Louis said, playing with one of Legosi's ears. Legosi flushed slightly, "I'm not sure if I should be apologetic or insulted by that statement." His blunt reaction got a chuckle out of Louis.

Legosi's hand on his ankle slows it's gentle motions and for a moment something sadistic in Louis wonders if he's going to tighten his grip and hurt him. He doesn't dwell on it too long as the hand playing with his ears slip down his cheek and finds a place around the wolf's neck. He doesn't squeeze, but the intent is there.

Legosi swallows carefully and finds Louis' other hand had moved to his shoulder. The deer pushed him over onto his back, following suit to pin him to the ground.

Admittedly, the position spiked Legosi's interest, so he didn't try to stop the hand tightening ever so slightly around his neck.

Louis' eyes sparked in that mischievous way he's always had and the hand pulls off his throat all too quickly for his liking. Only to be shoved into his mouth a moment later.

From muscle memory, Legosi's tongue darts forward to lick at the hand, making Louis chuckle. "Show me those beautiful fangs, Legosi~" Louis all but purrs, pushing Legosi's mouth open to expose his fangs. He would've never thought a deer could purr, but here they are.

The school had a rule about carnivores exposing their fangs to herbivores, but Louis wasn't any old herbivore. He was Louis, fully in control of a situation where he would usually be at risk of losing an appendage.

Legosi played along and gave the smallest bit of force to where Louis' fingers were between his teeth. The blush creeping onto Louis' face made Legosi store this away for later use.

A sudden knock on the door had the two practically flying apart in a second. Louis got himself back into the chair, adjusting his tie and blazer, while Legosi got to his feet in a split second and adjusted his shirt as well.

"Are you two sleeping or something?! Club is over, you gotta leave!" Bill yelled from the other side of the door. Louis rolled his eyes, "Yeah yeah, ya big oaf, we're discussing important things for the performance tomorrow. We'll leave once we're done!" Louis yelled, thankful his voice held firm.

Glancing at Legosi, he couldn't help but wonder just how far they would have taken that moment if they hadn't been interrupted. A mystery he'd have to unravel at another time.

Chapter Text

Just before the end of the school day, they announced it was biology day again and that everyone had to do their mandatory 1 hour.

Legosi grumbled as they headed for the side of the school with the biology rooms. Tem was happily skipping a few steps ahead while Louis kept pace with Legosi.

"Why so down? Biology hour is nice!" Tem said, having brightened up to his more cheerful demeanor since this morning.

"It's not so nice when you don't like the other students," Legosi grumbled, just wanting to get it over with. Despite being friends with the 701 boys, he wasn't too fond of other canines and much less other wolves. They were a bit too pushy for his liking and he chalked it up to being raised in a gang of solitary animals.

"Oh, you some kind of lone wolf, Legosi~" Tem teased and Legosi had to suppress a sigh. He had a nagging to be alone, yes, but it wasn't for the reason Tem was thinking. Louis, however, gave Legosi a sympathetic look. Louis knew the truth at least.

They dropped Tem off at the alpaca room and started towards the next closest room, the deer room. "We need to get him to leave us alone," Legosi mumbled. Louis just shrugged, "It's kind of like with Haru and the boys, isn't it?"

Legosi shook his head, allowing his ears to flop around a bit. "Haru and the boys aren't as clingy, and that's saying something because Jack clings like a flea." Louis chuckled, but he understood why Legosi had proposed the idea. Louis just kind of liked having another non stuckup herbivore as a friend.

The next room they stopped at was the deer room and Louis waved and entered, albeit a little reluctant too. It's not that he didn't like the room or the tall grass, he just didn't like how stuck up other deer were. Most of them refused to talk to him anyway since he refuses to badmouth carnivores.

He picked a spot on an open bench by the wall and sat there, just looking around. His ears tuned in on a rustling in the nearby tall grass and he kept that spot in his peripheral. A couple others moved around, who were a lot less worried about making sound than the one nearby.

It didn't take long for the nearby rustling to make itself known. It was a young buck, maybe from the middle school side of Cherryton. He jumped out and yelled "Boo!", trying to scare Louis. Louis just chuckled and shook his head. It was kind of cute honestly.

"Aw! Damnit!" He grumbled. Another young buck popped up as well, barely as tall as the grass. "Told you it isn't possible to scare a senior!" His friend laughed, shaking the first one. "Besides, I heard he lives with lions!" His friend says again, pretending to roar and making his friend laugh.

"That can't be true!" The first replied, turning and getting closer to Louis. "Is it?" Well, this was definitely a different approach to what he was used to. "Yeah, they're really nice, and a lot better at whatever this game is you're playing." The kid seemed surprised. "Prove it!" Another kid popped out of the grass, a girl this time.

Louis chuckled again, "How about this. You three go into the grass and try to hide, I'll count to ten and come look for you guys." They looked at each other, considering it. With a shrug they agreed. "Sure, I'm Terry by the way, that's Alex and the girl over there is Whitney," Terry, the one who tried to scare him, introduced. Louis nodded, "Louis, nice to meet you three." With a chuckle, the three ran into the grass to hide.

Louis admittedly wouldn't do this usually, the deer were stuck up and maybe it was a little weird to still be playing at 18, but Agata and Free haven't gotten that memo yet. He mentally counted to ten and then snuck into the grass, using his skill at stealth to not be heard. Maybe it was cheating, but it would make their surprise when he finds them even funnier.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

In hindsight, playing for an entire hour with three middle schoolers was a bad idea when you have a bruised ankle. Louis bit his lip as he stood backstage and Legosi helped him into the Addler mask and worked his antlers through the holes in the hat.

"Are you sure you're okay to be performing?" Legosi asked quietly, taking notice of how tense Louis' back was. "Even if I wasn't, we go on stage in ten minutes, it's too late to back out now," Louis shrugged. Legosi adjusted the fake skull mask a bit as he spoke, "Promise me you'll get off that foot right after this is over." Louis nodded.

With curtain call, Legosi disappears to join Tao up in the light rig again and Louis rejoined the actors. His ankle was killing him, but if he kept most of his weight on his other leg then he'd make it through the performance at least.

Legosi watched Louis' every move closely throughout the performance. If you didn't have an eye for spotting it, you wouldn't be able to see the subtle signs, but Legosi clocked every one. He moved the spotlight through muscle memory alone, something which surprised Tao, who was a little unnerved by the way Legosi looked zoned in on Louis alone.

For a moment when Louis was off stage, Legosi dared a glance at the 8 lions sitting at the back. He could pick up Agata whispering to Free about the fact that Louis is a little off. So at least they've noticed, that'll help him to convince Louis after the show.

Gosha wasn't there tonight, something had unexpectedly popped up on the border of their territory which had kept them busy and would continue to keep them busy for a few more hours after the performance. It suited Legosi just fine, now he didn't have to explain why he was a little pissy after biology hour. Juno still can't take a hint and some of the other wolves look at him like he's somehow a danger, even to them. He hasn't figured that out yet, but he thinks it has something to do with Juno's obsession with him.

Louis held up well, doing his stunts with most of his weight on his other leg, and sometimes his hands. Ellen hasn't even seemed to notice yet. Good. Louis' voice held firm as well and Legosi mentally followed along, having accidentally memorized the whole script from all his watching of Louis during Club hours.

Louis held firm until the final curtain closed after the cast bowed to the audience. That's when his ankle caused a violent throb that had his whole leg shaking under his weight. He leaned against a wall backstage to get some weight off it, but he could tell that if he tried to walk any farther that his leg would give out under him.

Sanu found him there, "Is something the matter, Louis?" Louis looked down at the pelican and weighed his options. He could either lie and risk falling or he could tell the truth and probably get taken to the nurse. He decided a somewhat truth would do the least damage to his ego.

"Not really. I misstepped on the stairs between classes and I think I twisted my ankle," Louis finally said. Sanu looked worried, glancing down at the foot that Louis seemed to be favouring. "Should I call someone over to help you to the nurse?" Sanu asked, worry leaking into his voice as he glanced around for anyone nearby. "Just call Legosi down here," Louis conceded.

Sanu nods and calls Legosi over the mics the stage grew has. Tao had climbed down and agreed to leave Legosi to finish up with the electric panel and lights. Legosi immediately knew why Sanu called him, even before the older male could explain it.

Legosi spotted a shortcut to avoid going through the crowd. The rafters were open from up here all the way to backstage. He aimed carefully and jumped onto the nearest one, stepping over them like they were nothing, until he spotted Sanu and Louis near a wall.

He grabbed onto the next rafter and swung himself down, landing quietly a few meters behind Sanu. The bird almost had a heart attack at his sudden appearance, but Legosi didn't even acknowledge him, going straight to Louis. Sanu sighed and left them to it, trusting the wolf would help his friend.

Legosi ended up carrying Louis to his dressing room, since Louis insisted on getting out of  the costume before they went to nurse. He was tired and the costume was heavy.

Legosi put him down on the chair and started to help him out of the mask, it was the heaviest and most intricate part of the costume. "What now? If we go to the nurse then she won't let you perform tomorrow," Legosi said as Louis sighs in relief when the mask comes off.

"Well, someone else will have to take my place, but let's deal with that later. Do you think anyone noticed?" Louis asked, shrugging off the cloak and starting to deal with the shirt. Legosi couldn't stop his eyes from landing on the old bullet scar. He gestured with his hand a half and half gesture, which made Louis grumble.

"I mean, I noticed and Agata and Free noticed, but I dont think anyone else did," Legosi offered, which made Louis relax a bit. "Okay, I can handle my lions realizing there's something up." He shrugged on a plain shirt and Legosi crouched down to gently help him out of his shoes.

Again, Louis sighs in relief when the shoes come off. He wasn't putting shoes on again until that swelling went down. Louis then used Legosi as a hold to pull himself up and change out of the costume pants and into his jeans from earlier.

Legosi blushed a little, but he was glad the lowlight hid it well.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

They waited in the dressing room until almost everyone was gone, then Legosi picked Louis up on his back and started towards the nurse's office.

As they exit the auditorium from the back, Free, Agata and Hino fall into step with them. Legosi didnt even blink, but he did notice Louis relaxing a bit more now that the other three were there.

"So, amazing performance," Agata starts and Louis looks over to him. "But we just have to ask, what the hell is up?" Free finished for them. Louis glanced between the three of them and the look Hino gave him told him they'd find out whether he's the one who tells them or not. He sighed.

"Fine, the guy who plays as the water spirit and I were practicing late and I misjudged where the edge of the stage was. I fell off and cracked my ankle," Louis conceded, hiding his muzzle in Legosi's neck.

"Correction, we think it's a crack. It's not broken, but it was way too bruised to just be a sprain," Legosi added.

"It might be broken after that stunt," Hino says, for the first time since they started walking with them.

They reached the nurse's office and the three lions seem to hesitate about entering. Louis rolls his eyes and gestures them inside. If the nurse wanted to give them shit then he was about to yell at her like no one ever has.

Legosi put Louis down on the bed the nurse gestured to. She looked a little apprehensive of the lions and wolf being around while she treated a herbivore, but one look at the glare Louis was giving her made her stay silent about it.

She examined his ankle and confirmed that it was just cracked and would heal, if he stayed off it for a few days. The lions seemed to visibly relax at that news. They had long ago decided the getting shot incident was the last of major injuries Louis would ever have.

The three did eventually leave when Sanu came in to talk to Louis, albeit Agata threw the pelican a look that could kill. A look that made Louis laugh internally.

"The rest of the club wants to see you too. Turns out Ellen overheard and told the others," Sanu said, looking sorry. Louis grumbled. He was tired and absolutely did NOT want to deal with them, but he conceded and nods. "Not too long though, I want to get some rest."

Sanu nodded and called to the door, "Come in!" The whole club practically fell into the room, stumbling over each other. They at least had the decency to pretend to be concerned.

They all spoke over each other, trying to find out what was wrong and what happened and what they were going to do about tomorrow's show. Louis got more and more annoyed by the second. He discreetly grabbed Legosi's hand and squeezed it. Legosi seemed zoned out but he focussed on Louis the moment their hands touched.

With a shared nod, Louis pulls his annoyance together and calls, "Hey! Shut up!" The group went silent and turned their attention to Louis. He discretely took his hand back from the large grey one.

"One injury and your heads roll off? You're all ridiculous. Calm down, think it through, the logical response is just to get someone else to fill the role," Louis spoke, crossing his arms. They glanced between each other.

"Who'll be able to learn all the lines in one night?" Sanu raised the question on everyones mind. Louis glanced between everyone in the room, noticing Bill and Kai were trying very hard to get his attention. His attention, however, ended up on Legosi.

"Legosi, you've been watching the whole team this whole time. Think you've memorized the words?" Louis asks. The club falls silent. Legosi has been on the stage crew since first year, he wasn't an actor. Legosi shrugged, "Sure, the costume might just need some adjustment." They both chuckle at that and then Louis nods, turning his attention back to the rest of them. 

"Legosi fills in for me tomorrow night. Now, can you leave me alone. I'm tired," Louis says and his words ring final. Those words stunned the group for a solid minute, before they started to file out of the room. Legosi stayed behind for a while longer though.

Chapter Text

The actors had agreed to practice during Club time so Legosi could at least get one full run through practice before the show that night. The time would have otherwise been given as off time so they weren't too tired during the show, but this was an exception.

Bill seemed a little upset that a stage hand got to take over the lead role, but he kept it to himself mostly, instead being happy that for his scene, he got to swordfight with another carnivore. Bill seemed convinced he didn't need to hold back in that case.

That mindset suited Legosi just fine. His forte might have been knives, but a sword was just a long knife with a longer range.

Bill seemed to be venting some frustrations, and subsequently making Sanu nervous, but Legosi wasn't even paying attention to his words, more watching his body language.

Bill let his guard down for a moment and Legosi used that to push him back several feet. A few quick swings and Legosi had Bill knocked off his feet and laying on the ground, the wooden sword pointed at the tiger's throat to keep him in place.

Bill swallowed, looking a bit nervous. "Okay dude, calm down," Bill said, trying hard, and failing, to keep his voice level. Legosi moved the sword away and held his hand out to help Bill back to his feet. "I'm perfectly calm, Bill. Just got into the scene a bit too much," Legosi said, pulling the tiger to his feet. Bill let out a nervous chuckle as he pulled his hand back.

Sanu had them move onto the next scene very quickly after that.

Something Legosi picked up on quickly, was that Ellen was a bit unnerved about him having to be in contact with her for several scenes, even if it was just holding hands. He'd made extra sure to not scratch her or dig his claws into her skin. He'd be wearing gloves during the performance anyway.

She seemed especially skeptical during the last scene, where she had to 'die' in his arms. When Sanu got tired of her jerking back from Legosi's hands, the pelican called for a 5 minute break.

Legosi stretched his back out, the hunched over position causing a cramp in his lower back. Ellen was fiddling with her hands and Juno seemed to be glaring the zebra down.

Legosi took the chance to approach Ellen, keeping his hands behind his back and his shoulders hunched to come off a little less frightening. She still seemed skeptical, but a little less so.

"You know, I'm not going to hurt you or anything like that. You can trust me," Legosi said in a gentle voice. Ellen seemed to consider it, fiddling with her hands still. "My instincts just kick in and I get kinda scared," Ellen admitted.

Legosi could understand that, he knew herbivores had their instincts too and it was usually to run away from danger, which he seems to be in this situation. Not that she was wrong, but it was working on the others nerves, even if Legosi didn't react to it.

"If it can't be helped, then if anyone asks, say it's just your character's fear of dying kicking in as they pass away," Legosi offered as a solution. Sanu seemed taken back, but it could be an easy excuse if they couldn't get it to stop before the show.

"Okay, take it again from the last scene!" Sanu called to get everyone back to their places. Legosi caught the jealous look Juno was throwing towards them when they did the scene again. It took a couple more goes, but Ellen wasn't flinching as much anymore.

About an hour before the performance, Sanu sent everyone to go change into their costumes and get their makeup done. Dom went with Legosi to make sure they let out the costume enough for the wolf to fit into it without it looking off.

°°°°°

About 15 minutes before they went on, Legosi perked up at hearing the uneven gait of crutches and one quiet footstep. He watched Louis approach in the mirror and found his tail wagging slightly.

"You'll do great tonight, love," Louis said in a quiet voice, knowing Legosi will hear him but no one else would. "I hope so, I've never been the center of attention, or liked it either," Legosi says with a small chuckle.

"Is someone helping you with the mask?" Louis asks as Legosi got up to head out and join the rest of the actors backstage.

They talked and Louis gave Legosi a couple tips, which Legosi appreciated since he's not been on stage before. They join the rest of the group while Sanu gives them a pep talk.

As soon as Sanu finished talking, Bill ran out claiming he needed the bathroom real quick. Legosi glanced after the tiger, sniffing the air to confirm the smell that he'd picked up.

They weren't being paid attention to, so when Legosi looked over to Louis, Louis quietly asked, "Did you catch the smell of iron too?" Legosi nods, "It's rabbit too. You think it's from one of the students?" Louis shrugs, "That's not our problem, we've established Bill has a problem years ago." Legosi nods.

Both of them just watched as Bill returned, looking a bit less tense in his shoulders. The curtain call came and Legosi had to get on stage, letting Dom help him into the mask just before he went out.

Louis watched proudly from backstage as Legosi delivered his lines flawlessly and moved as fluent as a seasoned actor would. If you didn't know any better, you'd think he did this more often.

Bill stood beside Louis, waiting for his cue. "Why the blood?" Louis asked quietly. Bill almost fell off his feet in surprise. "You can smell that?" Louis shrugged.

"Okay, it goes without saying but it's not a students' blood. One of the seniors gave it to me last week. It's justifiable doping," Bill rambled. Louis just shrugged again, "I couldn't care less if you drink a small animal's blood to dope up before a show. Just don't make a fool of yourself. Blood does many strange things to a carnivore." Bill swallowed

Meanwhile, on stage, Legosi was giving his best, Ellen working just as hard by his side. It was a bit of a challenge to project his voice to the back of the crowd, but he managed.

He was glad the mask covered his face because he couldn't help the small smile that slipped onto his face when he spotted his grandfather and self proclaimed brothers in the back of the crowd, 9 lions sitting next to them. It helped his nerves if he was being honest.

He could hear some students whispering that he wasn't the same actor from the night before, because he was taller and didn't have antlers. He ignored them to the best of his ability. He was good at pushing his nerves down, he's done far worse than just perform on a stage.

He spotted a long scaled body up in the rafters above Gosha and the guys, but he couldn't focus on that. He was sure his family could deal with whoever that was. He had to focus on the play.

Louis was very proud of his boyfriend for how well he was doing. He knew he chose right. At the same time, Louis became aware of just how still Bill had become. The tiger was never that still. Glancing at him from his peripheral, Louis took note of how small Bill's pupils were, almost nonexistent in the pool of brown that was his irises. He was focussed in on Legosi. He took too much then, but Louis couldn't warn Legosi beforehand. He could just hope Legosi would realise fast enough.

Bill's cue was given and the tiger walked out onto stage, earily quiet, as if he was hunting. Louis watched the two carefully, aware of his concealed gun. He wouldn't want to use it so openly, but if he had to then he would.

Legosi seemed to pick up on it as well, though he kept focusing on Bill, sticking to the scripted lines. Bill spoke his lines as well, then their fight kicked in.

It started as scripted, though this time they had blunt metal swords instead of the wooden ones, so the sounds would be authentic, Sanu had said. Legosi kept his focus on Bill's body language again. Two clanks, three clanks from the swords, and then Bill lost his control.

Legosi shifted and moved lighter on his feet, stepping around Bill and blocking any and all blows, looking for an opening. The students sat at the edges of their seats, intrigued by the action in the scene all of a sudden.

Legosi knocked Bill back, causing the tiger to stumble and drop his sword. Legosi hooked his own sword to his belt when the tiger came at him with claws and fangs bared.

He blocked the first hit, kicked the tiger in the stomach and spun around as Bill hit the floor on his hands and knees. Louis bit his lip, but he had no doubt the wolf had the upper hand and knew what he was doing.

Bill stormed him again, taking both of them to the ground this time. Legosi thought fast and slammed his forehead against Bill's, stunning the tiger for a second. Legosi used that moment to flip them over and pin Bill to the stage on his stomach. There was a thin stream of blood flowing from Bill's nose.

"Stay down, or I will kill you and make a show of it," Legosi hissed into Bill's ear, quiet enough for only the two of them to hear. Bill grunted in agreement and as Legosi got up, he spoke to the crowd again, "Demons have no power over the Grim Reaper! In the end, I'll put you in your place like every time before!"

The two who were playing the other demons, Kai and another student, snuck over and dragged Bill off stage, as if it had been scripted. Legosi turned, the cape billowing behind him and exited stage left.

He made quick work of catching his breath between scenes and was back out as if nothing happened for the next scene with Ellen.

Sanu and Kai were giving Bill an earful for that little stunt the whole time.

Louis' breath caught in his throat during the final scene where Ellen died. It was beautiful.

The actors bowed, some side glancing Bill while they did, before the final curtain closed and they could head backstage again.

As soon as Dom helped Legosi out of the mask, the wolf rounded on Bill, pinning the tiger against the wall. "What the actual fuck was that?" He asked Bill, dangerously close, his voice even and threatening. Bill was shaking while the other actors stood back from the two.

"S-sorry man, I lost my control, I didn't  mean anything by it!" Bill nervously answered, trying to get away from Legosi, something in those pinprick eyes warned Bill he was dangerously close to the line between living and dead. "No fucking kidding you lost control. Be thankful the audience thought it was an act," With that said, Legosi throws the tiger to the floor and walks off to the dressing room.

Louis followed after him a moment later, a little slower since he was still on crutches. As he passed Bill, he mumbled, "You were asking for that. Either handle your doping better or don't do it at all." With the the deer was off.

Sanu happened to have heard the deer, something that may have been on purpose, so the pelican rounded on Bill this time to find out what this was about.

Louis entered the dressing room and walked up behind Legosi, who was sitting with his fingers pressed to his head and eyes closed. "You okay?" Louis asked, resting a hand on Legosi's shoulder. Legosis nods, "Yeah, just have a headache from the suppressed adrenaline. He didn't hurt me."

Louis placed a kiss between Legosi's ears and rested his chin there. He remembered Legosi doing that for him when he was stressed before and hoped it offered some comfort. "You did great, both in acting and making that fight looked staged."

Legosi let out a breath and relaxed from the action, "Thanks, I never thought acting worked on the nerves so much." Louis chuckled, "Yeah, I make it look easy." "That you do."

Louis stood a step back at a knock from the door. Dom stuck his head in and glanced between the two. "Is it safe to come in?" Dom asked in general. Legosi shrugged, "I'm just about to change into civvies again, but if you mean my demeanor, then yeah." Dom nods and steps in, closing the door behind him.

"Sanu sent me to check if you got hurt, that fight looked rough, not to mention what happened afterwards," Dom explained, stepping closer as Legosi took off the cape and gloves. He didnt want to change in front of Dom, in case the peafowl asked about the many scars he was littered with.

"I'm fine, apart from a slight sting when we hit the stage on that fall, I didn't get hurt. I also tried not to hurt Bill too badly, but he got what was coming for him," Legosi shrugged. Dom nodded, "I'm not going to disagree with that. He did deserve that, and apart from a bruise on his shoulder where you slammed him into the stage, and a minor bloody nose, Bill is uninjured."

Legosi nods and Dom excuses himself. Louis sighs and plops into Legosi's chair when the wolf gestures for him to do so. Legosi makes quick work of changing and then the two are on their way out to the parking lot. They didn't want the crowd or paparazzi that was no doubt in front of the auditorium to see them.

They were going home for the weekend, which would give them some much needed rest from the crazy week.

Legosi said goodbye to Louis as the latter joined up with his lions and got into the car, then went on to join his brothers and grandfather by their own car.

CO2 handed Legosi a cigar and Savon lit it for him. He breathed in the smoke thankfully. Gosha gave him an approving look, but it also said they were going to have a chat about this on the car ride home.

Legosi glared down a family of goats that were giving the six of them the stink eye. He refused to hide his family from the world, even if the world was rude towards komodo dragons.

Ozone threw his arm over Legosi's shoulders and pulled the wolf closer to him, quietly talking about how proud they were of their little brother's first performance. Gosha watched them fondly, still in grandpa mode. He didn't see the other four as anything more than coworkers, in a manner of speaking, but Legosi was close to them and he wasn't going to force his grandson to distance from them.

In the distance, Bill was watching the six and was becoming increasingly confused about how Legosi was so calm around a bunch of poisonous monsters. He became even more confused when Legosi got into a car with them.

Chapter Text

Legosi hadn't gotten into any trouble for the fight onstage, Gosha and the other four just wanted to know what it was about. They could tell a real fight from a staged one easily, despite most of the crowd having been convinced.

He just mentioned that Bill was a little high on blood and lost his discretion because of jealousy. Other than that, it hadn't been a problem.

Over the course of the weekend, Legosi went with Gosha and the others to several meetings where deals were made and conditions were placed. It was awfully boring to the wolf, but he paid attention for when he had to take over in the future.

His brothers had taken full advantage of having him back for the two days to do all sorts of things. They had been to a nearby bar for drinks both Friday and Saturday night, were practicing their shooting skills over beers by a bonfire on Sunday night and had been chasing each other down on motorcycles through their territory just for some fun.

It had been Saturday night, just before Legosi joined the others at the bar, that he'd stopped for a snack at a chicken vendor and happened to be within earshot of an Okami member. He was on the edge of Dokugumi territory, so it wasn't an uncommon thing, however the conversation was.

"You're that kid with the Dokugumi, right?" The wolf asked. He was lanky and wore grey slacks and a button up shirt. He didn't look like much, but Legosi recognized him anyway. He didn't know the guy's name yet though.

"Who's asking?" Legosi asked, ordering a chicken kebab from the vendor. Said vendor was looking at the other guy like he was insane for casually just talking to Legosi.

"Just my boss. He's interested in you, has been ever since our first Turf War," The wolf spoke. Legosi raised an eyebrow at him, only looking away to take the kebab from the vendor.

"Tell him I'm not interested," Legosi casually said, finishing the kebab and getting back on his motorcycle. "You don't even know what I was going to say!" The other yelled. Legosi tilts his head in a sarcastic manner, before replying, "You were going to try and talk me into joining you lot. It was written all over your overly expressive face, pretty boy. No thanks." And with that, Legosi was off to join his brothers at the bar.

They shared a laugh over that interaction later that night. Legosi found normal wolves were very expressive with their faces and tails and it made for an easily readable target.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Louis was having a relaxing weekend. He'd only needed to struggle up those stairs with the crutches once on Friday night, before Agata decided that wasn't going to cut it.

Ever since then, either Agata, Free or Dope would just carry him around, and despite how indignant Louis acted over being carried like a child, it secretly reminded him of when he was younger and the lions would randomly just pick him up and carry him to places. He'd never understood why, but that didn't change the fact that he enjoyed it as a child.

They would carry him to the kitchen or dining room for breakfasts, lunches and dinners, all while his crutches lay forgotten about in his room. They would then carry him to the living room, where they'd just hang out, play card games or video games and enjoy some time together. When midnight rolled around, one of them would carry him back to his room and leave him to his night routine in peace.

Work that weekend was low, so Louis had at least four lions in the room with him at all times and at least one of them leaning against him.

At some point on Saturday afternoon, Sabu had carried him outside into the garden for a beer and a smoke 'and some fresh air' Sabu had claimed.

As usual, Sabu had a pack of cards on him and they ended up playing three rounds of poker, two of which Sabu won, to no one's surprise. Louis had to admit that it was nice not being smothered by large lions all afternoon. As much as he loved them and knew they loved him, sometimes the giant cats could become a little overbearing.

They did not return inside the mansion until the sun had fully set and Louis couldn't see much anymore. Sabu had picked him up on his back and walked into the mansion casually.

The painkillers, mixed with alcohol, caught up to Louis as they were heading inside and before he could help it, he'd fallen asleep on Sabu's back, leaning his whole weight into the oldest lion. His antlers were on each side of Sabu's head, framing his face in a cluster of sharp branches.

Sabu didn't mind it, smiling under his bandana at the small reminder that Louis trusted him enough to fall asleep on him while they were alone. They'd passed Hino in the hallway, who offered to help Sabu put Louis down in his room so he wouldn't wake the deer.

It took them less than five minutes and once Louis was in his bed, he'd turned on his side and continued to sleep. The two lions smiled at the scene and quietly left their fawn's room.

By the time Louis had to return to Cherryton, his ankle was healed up enough from the lack of moving by himself, that he no longer needed the crutches or the splint and as long as he wasn't running around or straining his ankle, it would be fine to do those things within a couple days.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Monday afternoon during Drama Club, everyone was still talking about the performances. Thursday's performance because it went perfect despite Louis' injury and Friday's performance because of the fight between the two.

Bill was still avoiding Legosi religiously, despite the quick glances the tiger steals of the wolf every few minutes. Tao was giving him odd glances too, but he didn't think much of it until Tao cornered him while he was fixing a fuse that had blown in the fuse box up there.

"So we figured out your secret" Tao said, almost boasting. Despite how his heart lurched at that, he kept his face neutral and just raised an eyebrow at Tao. "What are you talking about?" Legosi asks, thankful he was trained to keep his composure.

Tao's tail did that swerve thing most cats' tails do. "The thing we were talking about last week, about why everyone is in the club. Your secret was that you live with komodo dragons!" Legosi let out a sigh. If that was all they knew then he was still safe. He shrugged, "Okay. How's it any different from Kai's situation?"

"That's all you have to say about it?! This is bigger than just Kai's situation, or even Louis'. How are you this calm about being in such a dangerous position?! They could kill you with their poison at any given moment!" Now Legosi understood why it pissed Louis off so much.

"You're overreacting, Tao. I'm perfectly safe," Legosi said, finishing with the fuse box and moving on to the wiring that had been fried when the fuse blew. "No, you aren't! That's crazy," Tao grumbled, crossing his arms.

Legosi sighed and ripped the wires out, which seemed to startle Toa into taking a step back from him. "If you really must know, I've lived with them since I was 2. I'm not afraid and I'm not in any type of danger. Now leave me alone about it." Tao swallows and backs off, heading down to the floor and over to where Bill was busy.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Louis and the actors were already looking over the characters and the sample script that Sanu gave them for the next play so they could decide who they wanted to audition for.

Some of them were surprised at how quickly Louis recovered, but Louis would just chuckle, knowing that he barely walked on his own for the whole weekend.

Everything seemed okay, except the fact that the carnivores were spreading rumours about Legosi living with komodo dragons. It was one thing that it was true, but Louis was noticing a familiar pattern as when animals realised he lived with lions.

Apparently Bill had seen it Friday night after the performance and Legosi wasn't denying it. Tao seemed to have confirmed it, but the way Legosi was handling the wires, Louis knew his boyfriend was pissed off about the approach Toa had taken over it. Stupid panther.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Halfway through club time, Sanu called for everyone's attention with two unknown students standing next to him.

"These are our new members, be nice to them as you are to the members who have been here for longer," Sanu says and leaves the two to introduce themselves.

One of them was a dall sheep male by the name of Pina that seemed full of himself and insulted the carnivores from the get go. Bill had to be held back by Aoba to keep him from yelling up in the sheep's face about his dislike for him.

The other, was a komodo dragon male by the name of Toby that had a venom mask on and looked way too uncomfortable with so much attention on him.

At the first chance they were given, Toby moved out of sight and toward the wall to catch a breather. Legosi's eyes hadn't left him since he'd walked into the room, though he didn't seem aware of it.

He'd agreed to be part of the stage crew, but even as Dom greeted him, the peafowl kept his distance. Legosi just finished with what he was doing before going down and approaching Toby.

"Hey, welcome to the club," Legosi said gently, not wanting to startle the kid, who already seemed on edge. Toby waved and uttered a quiet hello. "So you're joining the stage crew?" Legosi asked, trying to get the kid to relax.

"Yeah, who are you?" He asked, seeming to get more comfortable around Legosi and his relaxed posture. "I'm Legosi, I work the lights. That said, mind helping me get something from the storage room?" Toby nods and follows Legosi to the back.

Once they were alone, Legosi said, "You can take the mask off when we're alone. You look uncomfortable with it on." Toby seems to startle at that. "What if I accidentally hurt you?" He asked, hesitantly unclipping the back of the mask.

Legosi chuckled and turned to face the kid, "Believe me, you aren't going to hurt me." Toby hooked the mask to his belt and let out a sigh of relief.

Legosi turns to start looking through a nearby box. "You aren't used to those masks, are you?" Legosi asks, knowing well venom masks took a while to get used to. Toby shrugged, which Legosi could hear by the sound of rustling clothes, "Yeah, it's new since I agreed to come to Cherryton. Say, how do you know that?"

Legosi pulled several lightbulbs out of the box and a couple colour filters. "Now, don't tell anyone this, but I'm a hybrid of a wolf and a komodo dragon, and I live with my komodo dragon grandfather and some komodo friends of ours. I'm immune to venom, though I don't have any of my own."

Toby's eyes widened and he seemed to look Legosi over, closer this time and confirming something in his mind. Legosi chuckles, "That explains a lot, huh?" Toby nods.

"We can stay here longer so you can relax, I'm not sure how the others would react to you without the mask," Legosi says with a shrug. Toby nods again, "Thanks." Legosi frowns, "For what?" "For being nice and looking out for me. The other animals have all just acted like I'm about to go on some crazy killing spree any second," Toby answers, scratching at his neck.

Legosi's features relax in sympathy, "Well, let me tell you, that deer on stage, he's also safe to go to if you need someone, okay." Toby smiles at him and Legosi thinks he knows why some of the others adopted him as a younger brother.

"And if you ever need anyone, come find me, okay," Legosi said and Toby nodded happily.

After a deep breath and a few more minutes, Toby says, "We should probably head back, they might wonder what's taking us this long." Legosi shrugs, "They don't really care, but we should probably go."

With that, Toby puts his mask back on and follows Legosi out of the backroom.

"Why don't you help me change the lightbulbs in the standing rigs?" Legosi asked when he saw the looks some of the herbivores were giving Toby and the way Toby flinched at a harsh comment from Mina.

Toby hums and follows Legosi up to the platform to do as he asked. Legosi knew Toby was most likely aware of what he did there, but he wasn't going to bring it up if Toby didn't.

Louis smiled as he saw his boyfriend and the new kid walk out of the backroom looking more relaxed. He had a feeling Legosi would take the kid aside the moment he saw him walk into the room the first time.

While they had been out, Pina had joined the group of actors and gotten hold of a script as well. He was working on Bill's nerves immediately, while Louis just ignored him and paid more attention the script.

After a while, Ellen skittered up to Louis and said, "Do you think that's gonna become a problem?" She asked, gesturing to where Legosi and Toby was busy with the lights and Tao seemed to be hiding near Dom. Of course she'd ask who she thought was the wolf's best friend.

Louis shrugged, "Well, it shouldn't, unless someone fucks with Toby, cause it appears they've become friends." Ellen gulped and left again. Louis shook his head and let out a sigh when Pina stood next to him and leaned against his shoulder.

"What?" Louis asked as Pina knocked his horn against one of Louis' antlers. "Well, I've been told you're the lead actor of the club. Just wanted to meet you in person," Pina said in a smug tone. Louis rolled his eyes, "Well, now you have, leave me alone." Pina faked being hurt, "How cruel, I'm just being nice."

Louis shrugged Pina off, causing the dall sheep to stumble a step or two away from him. "If 'nice' is how you describe annoying, then yes, very nice." Pina looked offended and stomped off to go bother Bill again.

Chapter Text

With the rumours of Legosi living with komodo dragons spreading like wildfire, he's been getting a lot of unwanted attention from the students and teachers around him.

Some of the other males have been checking him out through the corner of their eyes in the locker room, whispering to each other about trying to see if he had any venom burns on him. It didn't help that he was friends with Toby and he, Louis and Haru would sit outside to eat meals with him so he could take the mask off without anyone making rude comments at him.

The guys in the locker room weren't as discreet about it as they thought they were and Legosi could hear them talking most of the time anyway, but they didn't seem to realise that and just kept talking.

Louis often jokes about it while they're doing homework together in one of their dorm rooms, to which Legosi would either laugh, be disgusted or get oddly flustered about it. He'd laugh when Louis mentions the herbivores might be checking him out and most of the time it disgusts him when Louis would joke about Bill or any of the other carnivores. The exception happened to be Aoba and some of the females, which would fluster Legosi, who then makes it a point to point out how the girls always ogle at Louis, which would then fluster Louis and they end up laughing it off and cuddling.

Sheila has especially been avoiding him and Louis lately, but they didn't pay it much attention. They assumed it might be because she recognizes them and decided that if she was smart and valued her life, she'd keep the truth to herself. She seems to have been doing the latter anyway, so she wasn't a problem unless she chooses to become one.

Kai was a whole nother thing entirely. They've barely spoken or interacted, but Legosi has overheard the mongoose defend him several times since the rumours started and he's been trying to get closer to Legosi in recent days. The wolf in question wasn't sure how to react to this. He's never had a lot of friends and preferred to avoid others if he could. Even in the club he often avoided anyone that wasn't Louis, or Tao but only because he and Tao worked together on lights. Toby was also a recent development.

The teachers were an odd thing to work around. They seemed to be scrutinizing his every move and word and it caused him to become even quieter in classes, even ones where he did well and knew the answers. He would take routes he doesn't usually take around the school just to disappear amongst the crowd of students and avoid teachers asking him questions about his home life, something they had no rhyme or reason to know anything about.

After the casting was done and Kai was a little peeved about not getting a role, Louis had called Tao and Kai in to his office, where they discussed switching the two. He wanted to put Tao in as a background character and wanted to move Kai to the stage crew. The mongoose hadn't been too happy about it, but when promised that he'd be working with Legosi, his tune changed to be a little happier. Tao was all for the change, secretly happy he didn't have to be around Toby in such close approximation.

Kai had almost immediately climbed up the ladder to the platform where Legosi and Toby were working when he came out of the office. The two had been talking quietly to each other, but that died down when Kai came into hearing range. Kai didn't take it badly though, knowing by now that Legosi was quiet around most animals.

After a while though, Toby heads to the backroom to gather some materials that Dom had asked him to get so they could start deciding about what to use for the character costumes. This left Kai and Legosi alone for a bit.

"Say, why do you get defensive about the rumours?" Legosi asks out of the blue. Kai startles a bit, but shakes it off quickly, "Well, they really shouldn't be saying those things. And I kinda get it, you know. I was raised by hyenas my whole life, so it makes me feel a kind of kinship with you. You know, carnivores raised by carnivores, but a different species of carnivore."

Legosi shrugged, "I didn't think of it like that." Kai nods happily, "Yeah, and I mean those rumours are stupid. You've obviously lived with your family for a long time, so we would've noticed if you were in any danger or got hurt at any point." Legosi shrugs as an answer, but he was at least thankful someone had some common sense. 

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Legosi stayed behind after club time to clean, wanting some peace and quiet to clear his mind, so he'd offered. He was humming quietly to himself while he was sweeping, when Juno suddenly came out of the female dressing room.

He could've sworn he'd seen her leave earlier. Legosi tried to ignore her, hoping she'd just leave the club and leave him be. It wasn't that simple though, it was never that fucking simple.

"Legosi!" She called, wagging her tail and coming over to stand in front of him. He sighed and blinked slowly at her, tired and annoyed to begin with, he didn't have the energy for her today.

"So I heard about the rumours! They're right awful," She said, trying to play the sympathy card. Legosi could see something behind that false sympathy though.

He shrugged at her and went on with sweeping, "I don't mind them much." Juno looked shocked at his answer, "How can't you?! They'll damage your reputation!"

Legosi shrugged once again, "Not like I had much of a reputation at Cherryton anyway." Juno bristled at his words and moved even closer to him,  leaning up against him.

"I know a way to stop these ugly rumours~" Juno said, more confident and a lot flirtier than before. Legosi raised an eyebrow at her, going still at the contact.

According to biology class, two animals of the same species touching should be relaxing, but Legosi was uncomfortable to no end with the contact and wanted nothing more than to get away from her in that moment.

"We could start dating! Then they'll see those rumours are wrong!" Juno said happily, tail wagging a hundred miles a minute and snuggling closer to Legosi's throat. Legosi flinched away at that, not liking that she was that close to his throat. "Absolutely not, I've told you before that I'm not interested in you," Legosi said, plain and clear. This wasn't playing around anymore, this was pushing the line.

"Why not?! We can be the perfect pureblood couple! We can have pure wolf pups and get money from the government for keeping our species pure!" Juno tries, stepping closer to Legosi again, who steps back and takes the broom in his hands like a staff. Legosi's eye twitched at her words, but he's still trying to keep his temper in check.

She didn't know he was a hybrid, but her ranting about purebloods was getting on his nerves. He had no reservations about being a hybrid, but what happens in her perfect little world when one of her kids ends up born with scales? Not to mention, the government wouldn't give them any money, since there is no paperwork proving he exists. A lot of stuff had to be forged or faked for him to even be put into a school. Legally there is no proof that he exists.

He was also dating Louis, even if it wasn't public knowledge.

With the way he was reacting, Juno took that as a chance to explain further. "Then, we can get married and move in together and you won't have to live with those deceased beasts!" Juno tried further, gesturing wildly with her hands.

Legosi's pupils dilated so much they were barely visible and his body became frighteningly still. "What did you just call my family?" Legosi's voice is low and dangerous. Nevermind pushing the line, she just used it as a jump rope and was now playing with the beast.

Juno flinched at the sudden change in his voice, "T-they're venomous, dangerous beasts. Death incarnated in the shape of zombies roaming the earth to kill us all! They are dangerous!"

The broom snapped in two places where Legosi had been holding it, sending splinters flying everywhere. Juno flinched back at the display. "W-what? I-it's the t-truth!" She tried again, but now Legosi was advancing on her.

Before she could stop him, he'd grabbed her by her jacket and slammed her against the wall harshly. Her head spun from the hit and that may have been the point in doing that.

A sound between a reptilian hiss and a canine growl erupted from his throat in the most terrifying sound that Juno could have ever imagined. "Do not insult my family. Do not insult my decisions and DO NOT think you can get away with spewing shit like that!" He growled out close to her neck, causing Juno to tremble in fear.

"One more word like that, and I'll ensure they never find your body," Legosi finished, his voice still low and dangerous. Juno stayed frozen in place as Legosi backed off. The latter grabbed his bag and grumbled, "Clean up the mess you made." Before he left the club, slamming the door behind him.

He was walking so fast that he didn't even notice Toby looking stunned outside the building when he raced out. Toby set out to follow him, though the first year was having trouble keeping up with Legosi's long, determined strides.

When Toby caught up with him, Legosi was sitting on the roof of the private dorms, smoking a cigar and looking ready to butcher someone. Toby swallowed and slowly approached the wolf, looking skittish.

Legosi had raised his head, in the means to chase whoever it was away, but his features relaxed when he saw Toby standing there. "Are you okay?" Toby asked, slowly daring to sit down a few feet away from Legosi, who just exhaled a cloud of thick black smoke.

"Juno just-" Legosi cut himself off, hissing and growling and gesturing. It would be incoherent for anyone who hadn't overheard the situation. He'd much rather be telling Louis this, rather than a first year he barely knows, but the two of them have come to trust each other.

Toby nods, "I overheard some of it, that was uncalled for." Toby pulls the venom mask off and exhales as well. "As much as I push her away, she just keeps trying. What can't she understand about the word 'no'?" Legosi grumbles, taking another long drag of the cigar.

Toby scrunched his nose at the smell coming off the cigar, but he didn't comment on it. "You guys didn't get into a physical fight though, right?" Legosi shrugged, "I don't think you can classify it as that, but no one would be able to tell anyway."

Legosi finished his cigar, exhaled and turned his attention to the sky. As much as he liked the last warm rays of sun in the evening, the darkness of night was about to settle over them and he appreciated the blanket of stars.

"Sorry, I shouldn't be venting this to you," Legosi grumbled, pulling out another cigar. Toby shrugged, scooting a little closer to Legosi, "You're allowed to be mad about someone insulting your family."

Legosi seemed to relax a bit when Toby ended up right beside him. Toby smiled at little at that, but it faded when he looked down at the hand that Legosi had been trying to hide in his blazer. He could see red slowly staining the fabric of his white shirt.

"Need help with that?" Toby offered. Legosi frowned and then looked at his hand where Toby was pointing. Oh, he hadn't noticed that, despite favouring the hand and subconsciously hiding it. "I have a medkit in my room, I'll take care of it when I've calmed down," Legosi shrugs it off.

Legosi's phone buzzes on the the ground beside him and he threw a glance at it before placing his cigar to his lips and keeping it there to answer the call. He placed the phone to his ear and hummed an answer.

Shifting the cigar to the side, he mumbled to the receiver, "Having a smoke on roof, Juno pissed me off." Toby didn't know who Legosi was talking to, but the relaxed look to his eyes and the way his tail picked up to slowly wag, told Toby the hybrid was happy.

"If you're coming up here, bring a medkit and that thing of berries from my room, please," Legosi mumbled around the cigar just before his tail wags some more and the call ends.

He shoves his phone in his pocket and continues to smoke in the quiet evening. Toby doesn't seem to mind the silence, even enjoying it to some degree. They were comfortable to just sort of exist near each other and it was nice.

It took about ten minutes before Louis opens the door to the roof and walks over to the two of them. Legosi had finished his cigar by now and took the berries from Louis, opening the container and offering some to Toby before putting it down between them for them to snack on.

Louis planted a kiss to Legosi's head before sitting on his other side with the medkit. Legosi holds out his hand and without asking, Louis leans into him and gets started on removing several dozen splinters from the skin.

"Why do you have Belladonna berries at school?" Toby asks, but accepts some nonetheless. Legosi shrugs, "They're just for me, if that's what you're worried about. I'm not gonna kill anyone, I just like them." Toby shrugs, followed by a nod. "How'd you even sneak them in?" Legosi offers a playful grin, "I'm sure you've noticed the 'security' around here. It's easy to slip things passed them."

Toby takes a moment to think about that but nods after a few more minutes. He did know and understand.

"Say, where's your dorm?" Louis asked after silence settled again, now cleaning Legosi's hand with disinfectant. "Uhm, well, I'm in a shared room, but I don't have any roommates, since others refuse to room with me," Toby says, a little down from that.

Legosi and Louis shared a sympathetic look before turning their attention back to Toby. "How about a sleepover in your room then sometime?" Legosi offered and Louis nodded in agreement. Toby brightened up at that, "That would be nice, we should really do that."

After a minute, he asks, "Is that even okay? I mean, having sleepovers on campus?" Louis and Legosi shrug again, "Well, we've had plenty of sleepovers in the canine dorms with some of Legosi's friends and we spend the night in each other's room often, so I don't think it's a problem unless the animals are different genders." Louis offers, bandaging Legosi's hand and putting the medkit to the side as he finished up.

They spent another hour up there, snacking on the berries, excluding Louis, and just watching the stars while talking about random things. Louis was happy to see Legosi calm at least, knowing for him to have hid up here, he was angered to the point of struggling to keep his composure. He'd be having a talk with the pushy little bitch the following day.

Chapter Text

"Just like last year, we were invited to participate in the Meteor Festival! Of course, we plan to accept as always," Sanu tells the club at the beginning of club time on a Monday afternoon.

It's been a month since their last performance and Legosi chalked their lack of more performances up to Sanu having expected this invitation. Everyone in the club seemed happy, celebrating that they would be aloud to walk around town unsupervised and be able to have some fun.

"Now remember guys! This isn't for fun!" Sanu interrupts their little celebration. "We're going there to help out with the festival!" The group still laughs happily.

Behind them, sitting near the mirrors, Dom muses, "Guess the art department is gonna be busy again this year." At least he seemed happy about it. "Let's discuss more in the storage room!"

The rest of the stage crew sigh, though Toby didn't seem to really catch on to the problem, but he got up and followed the others into the back anyway, sticking close to Legosi.

°°°°°

"We can't just use the same statue from the year before! We aren't lazy!" Dom chastised, much to the others annoyance. Speak for himself, Legosi thought.

"Why does it have to be a dinosaur anyway? Can't we take something easier?" Kibi asks as they look at the statue from the year before, half damaged and paint peeling off.

"Dinosaurs are the ancestors of ALL animals. Their very existence is significant," Dom starts lecturing, but Kibi interrupts him, "They say every year we welcome the ghosts of extinct dinosaurs, but no one really cares about that! What everyone is looking forward to, is the candle lighting ceremony at the end of the day!"

"Couples who put a lit candle on the meteor together, is said to live happily ever after. So they say, anyway," Kibi finished off. Dom puts them all to work a moment later.

°°°°°

After club, the stage crew walk together to the cafeteria. Toby was hanging near the back with Legosi, like he'd done during the whole club meeting earlier as well.

"It's just a time for people to have some fun," Kai grumbles as the sun sets over them. "The actors team will be goofing off with their boyfriends and girlfriends, while we're left with all the work!"

"The dance team too!" Kibi interjects. Dom rolls his eyes, "Oh come on guys, it isn't that bad. They're relying on the art department to come through with this."

Kai grumbled, "You guys don't get what I'm saying! They're probably putting all this work on us because we look like we're not doing anything and just slacking off!" Kai was being overdramatic about it, if you asked Legosi.

"They should give us a break, we have one member capable of taking down a drunk tiger and one that can melt animals faces off when they get angry," The red panda guy says, throwing a glance at Legosi and Toby in the back. Legosi never did learn the guy's name.

Dom quickly moved to the back to walk beside them though, "Not that we're worried about that!" Legosi and Toby stop walking though. 

With a sigh from Legosi, he says, "You guys go ahead and get dinner. Toby and I will meet up with Louis and grab dinner in a bit." Toby nods in agreement and they turn to go find Louis and Haru.

Dom smacks Fudge with his bag as he turns back to the group, "Nice going, you made it awkward for them!" He got a simple shrug in response.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

The four find themselves sitting on what could be considered the porch of the cafeteria building, off to the side away from the steps. They had their trays of food perched on their laps and were eating in the setting sun.

"So why's everyone making such a big deal of this meteor festival?" Toby asks. Legosi and the others shrug. "It's just an over glorified thing to get people to spend money on crappy food and trinkets. Make them think there's unity when they ignore the actual problems in the world," Louis supplied, taking a sip of his vegetable soup. Haru seemed to be enjoying hers as well.

Toby had his mask laying on the pavement beside where he was sitting and Legosi was slowly eating his food as well. He's noticed he needs to gets seconds these days with the school meals, they aren't as filling as meat is. He can't say that in front of Toby or Haru though, seeing as neither of them came from anywhere near the Market. That, and he isn't sure how Toby would react since meat is kind of a taboo outside the Market.

Legosi caught sight of Juno out of the corner of his eye, but she hurried inside the cafeteria quickly when she noticed them. He couldn't help the grin that got onto his face at that. It's been a month since that altercation and she has been avoiding him thanks to that threat.

"What did you do?" Haru playfully asks him, like a mother asking about a prank he pulled. Legosi chuckled, "I just put her in her place a little. She's been giving me a break ever since." Legosi allowed himself to laugh a little at that, Louis joining in. Toby just shook his head, but he didn't comment on it.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

"A local Thomson's gazelle was devoured today in midtown. The 22 year old was on her way to work this morning when she was attacked. The suspects are a gang of canines that have been seen all around town. They disappear off security cameras heading South, but then we lose sight of them. If you encounter these canines, do not engage, get as far away as you possibly can."

A news reporter reads off on the news that night. Jack and Louis were playing a game of chess while the rest of the 701 boys and Legosi watches the two, occasionally paying attention to the news.

Legosi and Louis shared a look, while some other students in the vicinity clear out, giving the canines a scared look. Legosi ruffled Jack's hair between his ears when he sees the labrador looking upset. "Don't worry, it'll blow over in a couple of days," Legosi shrugs. Jack nods, "I hope so, dude, I really do."

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

"A 40 year old duck was devoured in East town today. He was on his way home from the store for dinner when he became the target of a young panther, who swears up and down he didn't devour the old man. Camera footage and witness statements show otherwise."

The radio in Louis' room spouts the news like it's the most scandalous thing to ever happen. They shared a look, a shrug and then went back to their homework. This wasn't barely as bad as some places in the Market, so they didn't pay much attention to it.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

"Due to all of the recent devourings in town, I've decided that only the second and third year carnivores, along with Louis, are allowed to leave to get the stand permits for Cherryton from the fairground," Sanu said as everyone gathered for club the next afternoon.

"What?! Why only the carnivores?!" Ellen asked. She was one of those who were looking forward to going out. Sally piped up from beside her, "Yeah, we wanna have some fun too!"

Sanu sighed, "Haven't you seen the news lately? The herbivores will be working onsite for a while, at least until the devourings calm down in town."

"Louis' not a carnivore though!" Sally pointed out. Louis rolled his eyes and Sanu sighed, "Yes, but he's going with about five carnivores. I'm sure he'll be fine." Louis and Legosi share a look at that and have to stop themselves from bursting out in laughter. It was more like Louis would be protecting the other four carnivores. Legosi was all too aware Louis still had that concealed gun.

"And don't any of you dare go to the Black Market!" Sanu said. That statement got the carnivores and even the herbivores, to talk. Few of them have even heard of it, much less ever been anywhere near it. Legosi played dumb, acting like he didn't know of it's existence either. Louis just shrugged it off and went to go grab his things. They'd be leaving for the City in half an hour, which gave everyone just enough time to gather their things and change into clothes that weren't their school uniforms or tracksuits.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

The group walks up from the train station and glance around. The City was busy as ever and Legosi seemed annoyed with it already. Nevertheless, he and Louis trailed at the back of the group as Bill pretty much lead them to where they had to be.

Legosi usually avoided the place ever since he joined, only helping back at Cherryton and then conveniently disappearing. He didn't like the city much, especially because of how the animals there would treat venomous creatures. The closest he's really come to being out in the City was when he and Louis would speed around on their motorcycles, and when they stop at that ice cream shop near the Market.

Louis had usually taken the bus or a taxi straight to the festival grounds to avoid the crowds on trains, but this time they had to take the train since they were a group. So, neither of them really knew how to navigate from the train station to the grounds.

The others, Aoba, Tao, Bill and Sheila were discussing good places to grab a drink or a sandwich before they had to return to the campus that night.

°°°°°

Louis had taken the lead when it came to talking to the zebra who was in charge of the fairground. They got their permits and arranged everything that needed to be done. It took them 30 minutes, and then they had the whole afternoon to themselves.

"That wasn't so bad. Let's grab a snack or something," Tao suggested as they returned to the streets. It took them all of 10 minutes to decide on a place and get a seat.

Most of them just ordered a sandwich and a fizzy drink and sat down to talk over lunch. Louis checked his phone while Bill talked everyone's ears off. At one point he started talking about his latest hookup with a girl that hadn't gotten satisfied.

That got the group to talk about their own hookups. This was the kind of situation where Legosi regrets having been forced to sit next to Bill, because Bill then proceeds to throw his arm around Legosi's shoulder as if they are best friends and start talking bullshit.

The last thing Legosi would pretend to even care about was Bill's sex life. That kind of stuff really should be kept oneself.

"So, Legosi, when are you gonna lose your virginity?" Bill asked all of a sudden. Legosi frowned, this was a literal public place and they were in the middle of it. This is idiocy at it's best.

"Don't look so disgusted, I can smell that virgin stench on you from miles away," Bill went on, which caused both Legosi and Louis to break into contained laughter. "What?!" Bill asked. "Whose the lucky girl then?" Bill was way too interested in this shit.

"I'll have you know they weren't a girl," Legosi said, taking another sip of his drink. He was going to need a proper dose of whiskey when he gets home again after dealing with this twat.

"Woah! A guy then?! Did ya top or bottom?" Bill asked, getting even more up in his space. Legosi sighed and pushed Bill back into his own seat. "Both, actually," Legosi answered calmly, though he was very aware of the venom vial stashed in the back of his mouth.

"Now you have to tell us who it was!" Tao said, while Aoba looked a bit uncomfortable. At least one of them had the decency to look ashamed of this.

Legosi casually gestured towards Louis, who gave the carnivores a smug grin and a wave. Bill almost fell out of his seat and Sheila looked like her eyes were about to bulge out of her head.

Bill was sputtering a dozen more questions, but neither of them would budge and just watched in amusement as Bill lost his mind over the development.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

"We should probably get going," Legosi mumbles as the sun starts to set. "Yeah, the dorm mothers are going to have our heads if we're late," Louis comments.

"How far is it?" Tao asks, trying to look over Aoba's shoulder. They've been following the eagle, who was following Zoozle maps to try and find the train station, since none of them could remember where the damn place was.

"Dammit, there's no signal!" Aoba grumbles. Louis and Legosi instinctively check their phones too. Legosi sniffs the air, just to be sure, and then he signals Louis. They were in a dead zone, and with the smell wafting on the wind, Legosi could tell they were getting closer to the Market.

"Why don't you use your magnetic sense? You're a bird, aren't you?" Bill asks Aoba, who rolls his eyes. "Not a migratory bird, dumbass. It can't be far from here anyway," Aoba snarked at Bill, who bristles at the eagle, but keeps following him anyway.

The way Sheila seemed to be getting on edge told the heirs she was aware of where they were heading too. "This doesn't seem right, nothing looks familiar. Let's just head back," Louis tries to redirect the group.

Just then, a bus pulls away and they turn to look at it, revealing one of the entrances to the Black Market behind it.

"We really shouldn't be here," Legosi says quietly, trying to get the others to leave too, but it doesn't want to work.

"Are you kidding me?! We're here, let's just enjoy it!" Bill says, spinning around to face the group. Tao seems uncomfortable, but doesn't want to say anything, while Aoba was glancing between the animals in the group, not meeting anyone's eyes.

"Really guys, we can't go in there, we have a herbivore with us," Sheila tries this time. She isn't sure why the other two are trying to redirect the group, but she was going to help them in that endeavour.

"I'm sure Louis doesn't mind!" Bill says, throwing an arm over Louis, which the deer immediately shrugs off with an unimpressed look.

"Look, normally I would agree with you guys, especially if we were at school, but this is the real world, all carnivores will have to come here at some point to keep the peace," Aoba finally says and to say they expected better from Aoba was an understatement.

In the end, they decided to split up. Sheila, Louis and Legosi would leave and actually find the train station, while Bill, Tao and Aoba head into the Market to get their fill.

Once the three were off, the remaining three glanced between each other. Sheila looked uncomfortable now that she was left alone with the two, especially this close to the Black Market.

"So, we're here, wanna grab something to eat or a drink maybe? Those three are going to get into trouble, so we might as well stick around?" Legosi offered to break the silence.

Chapter Text

"So, we're here, wanna grab something to eat or a drink maybe? Those three are going to get into trouble, so we might as well stick around?" Legosi offered to break the silence.

Louis shrugged as an answer, slotting in against Legosi's side. The two glanced at Sheila, who swallowed nervously, but ended up agreeing with them, but only if they stopped by somewhere that had sushi, since she was a fan of it. They'd agreed and walked into the Market.

Louis and Legosi kept their heads up, since this was Shishigumi territory, while Sheila almost seemed like she was trying to hide behind them.

They decided on a place the two heirs favoured, one that served sushi, and went inside. They took a booth and the waiter gave them menus quickly, keeping very respective of the two.

Once they ordered their food, Sheila quietly asked, "So you guys don't seem too bothered that I uh, know about this," She gestured roughly at the whole place.

Louis and Legosi shrugged. "As long as you don't go blabbing about it to anyone, we don't really care," Louis answered for them. Sheila gave a nervous nod, "Of course, what happens in the Market stays in the Market."

Soon enough their food came and Legosi and Louis both ordered some form of alcohol, while Sheila just got water. Dinner passed quickly enough and just as they left the restaurant, Sheila's phone rang. It was Tao.

"What did we say about trouble?" Louis chuckled, joined by Legosi. They were still slotted closely together and just waited as Sheila answered her phone.

"Hey Tao... you've got to be kidding me... where the hell even are you guys?.... That doesn't help... We'll see what we can do..." She sighed as the call ended. "Apparently they were captured by some Panda guy, who is now interrogating them and has apparently slapped Bill hard enough to knock him off his feet."

Louis and Legosi shared a look and sighed, "Well fuck, seems like Gouhin has been busy," Legosi grumbled. "You guys know him?!" Sheila asked, looking worried and hopeful at the same time. Louis shrugged, "The guy is a minor nuisance at best, but apparently he's our nuisance today, so let's go get those three idiots."

The two heirs start walking in a direction, Sheila following them a few paces behind. They navigated the backstreets of the Market with practiced ease and soon found themselves outside the 'clinic' building.

"Wait in the lobby for us, we'll deal with Gouhin," Louis said as he got his gun from the holster under his shirt and Legosi pulled his sleeves up, priming his claws. They opened the door and head inside, Sheila following them, but stopping in the first room and closing the door behind them. She was worried, but had some trust that two powerful Gumi heirs could handle the situation on their own.

Louis and Legosi make their way upstairs to where Gouhin 'treats' his patients. They stalked into his office, to find Gouhin just coming out of the room attached to his office, wiping his hands on a cloth.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of having two heirs in my clinic?" Gouhin asks, clearly chastising them. Legosi rolled his eyes, but kept his mouth shut, Louis was better at handling the talking anyway.

Louis crossed his arms, the gun in clear view of Gouhin and ready to fire at a moment's notice. A silent threat. "You seem to have some of our classmates in your little cell over there," Louis chastised back, gesturing to the door Gouhin just came in from with his antlers.

Gouhin scoffed, "So what then? You two are bringing vulnerable teenagers here and getting them hooked on meat and drugs for your own personal gain?!"

"None of that now~" Louis grins, "If we wanted to do that, there's an abundance of better ways than just releasing them freely on the Market streets. This is a pretty safe bet they won't get involved with the worst of the scum back here, wouldn't you say~?"

Gouhin glares them down, but after several minutes of staring, and analyzing the situation at hand, he decided starting warfare with two Gumis was a bad idea if he wanted his clinic to remain active, and intact.

With a sigh, he kicks the sidedoor open, making it slam against the wall, and the two can hear chains being unlocked and what sounds like Bill yelling in a slurred voice.

Aoba and Tao exit the room a moment later, a bit hurried, and get behind Legosi and Louis. Bill staggers trough the door a minute later, followed by Gouhin. "I had to sedate the big guy, he was getting out of hand." Both of them shrugged.

"Good evening," Louis said simply, tucking his gun into his belt and taking the lead to leave the room. Gouhin glares at them again as they leave, either pissed or confused, they weren't too sure. Aoba and Tao follow, somewhat skeptical, glancing between Gouhin and the gun their supposed classmate now had.

Legosi grabbed Bill's arm and hooked it over his shoulder so he could lead the drugged tiger out without him falling over or hurting himself or any of them.

Tao almost seemed relieved to see Sheila in the lobby and pulled the cheetah into a hug, which she reciprocated. Once all of them were outside the building, Legosi grumbled, "Explain how you ended up in there, or you're getting dropped off at a motel to find your own way back to campus."

Tao gulped at the threat, while Aoba nervously side eyed the wolf and Bill tried to give some snappy answer, though he just ended up slurring his words into an incomprehensible puddle of noise.

"I-it's my fault," Aoba admits. "We were walking around the stalls when the smells and sounds got overwhelming and all I could think of was our herbivore clubmates and friends and I got nauseous. I ran off and these two chased after me."

Tao decided then to pipe up and add his side as well, "He passed out in an ally ten minutes later. Bill had a piece of steak he was chewing on, when a dart hit his neck and he just dropped. That panda guy showed up and darted me too, then we woke up in some crazy torture room, tied up and muzzled, where he interrogated us and slapped Bill for being bitchy-"

"Don't forget drugged him cause Bill wanted to try and fight the panda guy," Aoba added. The last part made both heirs snicker.

"Say uh.... why-... why's everyone giving us.... such a... a wide berth?" Bill slurred out and upon glancing around, they noticed he was saying the truth. "Maybe because you're clearly drugged, we have a herbivore with us and we're clearly underage to be here," Sheila quickly covered for them.

In all honesty, Legosi could bargain a guess it was because two well known Gumi heirs were with a bunch of outsiders that looked wholly out of place here, but three of them didn't know two were part of Gumis, much less heirs to the two strongest gangs in all of the Market.

"Oh what is Els gonna think when she finds out about this?" Tao teases Bill, who flushes and looks the other way. It was no secret that Bill had a crush on her, but he's been keeping it quiet because she is dating Tem.

"Yeah, and what's your plan with that magazine~?" Aoba teases as well, to which Bill freaks out. Luckily he was drugged, so he couldn't put up much of a fight, especially with the grip Legosi had on him.

"Magazine?" Louis inquired, knowing well of some methods Gouhin uses for his so called patients. "Yeah, he gave Bill a goat porn magazine because he claims Bill's so called crush is either a fetish, or some convoluted hunting instincts," Tao laughs, but shuts up soon enough when Sheila slaps him over the head, grumbling about the pain instead.

"So, uh, what's the plan for getting his high ass on the train?" Aoba asks, gesturing towards Bill, who was still struggling to stay on his own two feet once they reached the normal City streets again.

"No train, we'll take a taxi. It's much quicker and a lot less of a hassle," Louis shrugs, flagging down an oncoming car with a taxi light on it's roof. "We don't have the money for taxis!" Tao grumbles. "Oh please, if we all get into one then we can split the cost and it won't be as much," Legosi grumbled, haphazardly throwing Bill into the taxi and sliding in next to him.

Louis gets in and sets himself in Legosi's lap, leaning back against the wolf's chest to avoid catching his antlers on the roof. Legosi leaned his chin on Louis' head between his antlers. Aoba awkwardly slots in next to them and Tao takes the last seat, allowing Sheila to sit on his lap too. "Cherryton high," Louis says to the driver, who just shrugged and took off.

Legosi mentally noted that apparently the panther and cheetah were dating. He had no comments about it, but the two had just not been very public about it if that was the case.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

The next day at lunch, the two found themselves in their usual spot on the cafeteria porch. Haru and Toby were still waiting in line to get their food, so the two chose to wait for them outside.

"So, are we going to do anything about Riz?" Louis asked as he takes a bite of steamed vegetables. Legosi shrugged, "I mean, it's not really our problem, is it?"

Louis gave him an unimpressed look and smacked his head with the side of his antlers. Legosi shrugged again, not sure what the admonishment was for. "We made it our problem when we rescued Tem," Louis corrected the wolf, followed by another antler smack.

Legosi grumbled, "Okay, point made, but can't we just give him off to Gouhin somehow? I'm sure he can fix the problem." Louis shook his head, "No, you saw what his 'fix' was for Bill. That's not going to help an instinct driven brown bear."

They hushed down when Toby and Haru comes out of the cafeteria and walks towards them. The two sit down and a gentle conversation about the preparations for the festival rise up.

"Yeah, we're going after school today, we have to set up the statues and start building the stage," Legosi mused, causing Toby to groan. "They really are giving us majority of the work, huh?" This made the group laugh.

Louis caught Haru's attention after that, "On that note, will you be good to set up the flower stall or do you need some help? I'm sure Legosi can rope the 701 boys in to help you for a couple afternoons." Legosi nodded in the background, but Haru shook her head.

"I appreciate the offer, but I got three new members for the club yesterday. Two first years and a second year, " Haru admits with a wide grin. Toby nodded, looking impressed, "Wow, really? That's a heap of luck considering all the festival prep that has to be done." Haru nods her agreement and the group go back to finishing their lunches.

When lunch is done, Toby walks along with Legosi on their way to their next classes. "I'm not looking forward to biology hour again," Toby grumbles. Legosi tilts his head at the younger male as a question.

"It's so lonely. I have a biology room all to myself because there's no other venomous or poisonous reptiles on campus. It's quiet and boring," Toby grumbles, adjusting his mask into a more comfortable position.

Legosi's ears perked up in an idea, "What if I join you?" Toby frowned, but he did look interested in the idea. "Will they let you do that?" Legosi shrugs, "They don't check if everyone goes into the right biology room. I've joined my canine friends in the dog room plenty of times and sometimes Louis and Haru go into whatever room's occupants will allow them in. You don't have to be in the right one, you just have to lie and say you were." Toby laughs at that revelation, but he agrees to the idea, if only to have company in that big, quiet room.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Legosi was at the club early that afternoon. The plan was for everyone to meet up at the club and then go to the festival grounds together.

He was adjusting some lights as a means to keep his hands busy, the previous night still fresh in his mind. How would he explain to his family if word got to them that he was there during the week? Would the truth suffice or would he have to lie? It wasn't like he's never lied to them before, but something in him churns at the thought of lying to his grandfather.

The door clicked open, snapping Legosi out of his thoughts. "You're here early," Louis comments as he walks past him, but then the deer pauses, "Have you gotten taller since yesterday?" Legosi frowned and looked over to the wall of mirrors. To his surprise, it did appear like he grew another two inches in the night. The tips of his ears could almost touch the lights above his head.

He sighs and lays down, rather dramatically he realised when Louis laughs at his reaction. "Are these growth spurts going to stop anytime soon? Really, I get I have dragon genetics but this is getting out of hand," Legosi sighs again, raising his hands into the air above him and studying his claws. He was a hybrid, to an extent, so expecting a late sort of second puberty where his characteristics might change and he could grow even more was wholly possible, but also a hassle he didn't want to deal with.

A pair of brown hands join his in the air, smaller, but battleworn all the same. Louis had laid down beside him. "Uhm, Louis?" The deer in question just shrugged, "This way, it looks like we're stretching or something and not like you're doing some weird introspection in the middle of the Club floor." That actually gets Legosi to laugh softly, which makes Louis smile. He likes to see the wolf's features relax and not just be a neutral resting face all the time.

After a few more minutes of quiet thinking in that position, a third pair of hands join them, grey, almost purplish in colour. The two jolt up and to the side, "Uh, Juno!" They say at the same time, making the female wolf laugh. "Is that some kind of good luck ritual?" She asks them.

Louis leans against Legosi's side and for a split second there's jealousy written on Juno's face, but she hides it well a moment later.

"Yeah, so, how's things going with the auditions?" Legosi asks, trying to make smalltalk. He doesn't want to create some form of awkward tension by skittering off before anyone else shows up. Things are tense enough between them, but having Louis by his side helps him remain calm.

"Well, it's probably because I'm a carnivore, but I've been cast as the carnivorous dinosaur that hunts all the others. It's demeaning," She whines and Legosi has to hold back the urge to point out that it was only fair casting. It made sense to him, at least.

"I'm sure it was done as some sort of practical joke, but I don't care anymore! I've decided I'm going to dance my heart out, you'll see!" Juno says, suddenly very peppy, which threw Legosi for a loop at how quickly her mood changed from melancholy to happy. She really was one hell of an actor, wasn't she?

"Legosi, could you help me check my choreography?" Juno asks, getting close to them again, now standing. Legosi and Louis stand up as well. "I, actually don't know the moves for this show. Sheila would be more help," Legosi slinks off as he says that, thankful for the sudden break to get away from her. Louis just shakes his head when she looks from Legosi to him, then turns and heads for the lead actor office, to gather a couple things before the others show up and they have to leave.

Chapter Text

Building and painting a stage, dinosaur and meteor was more work than Dom had made it out to be.

Legosi and Toby were thankfully left to paint the dinosaur while the rest of the stage crew went to put the stage together. The actors were still on campus today, so Louis wasn't around the festival grounds, but that also meant that Juno was very far away from him, which Legosi was immensely thankful for.

"Hey, uh, we need more water," Toby mentioned, throwing a glance at Legosi, who nodded and got up. "Will one bucket be enough?" Legosi asked as he stretched his back enough for it to pop. Toby nodded and Legosi grabbed the bucket to go fill it by the communal taps.

Haru popped up beside him to get some water for her watering can. "How's preparation going?" She asked, getting a shrug in return. "Kinda boring, but Dom put me and Toby on painting duty, so at least we get some peace while working," Legosi grumbled, making Haru laugh.

"Well, it's a lot easier for me than last year, what with the new members," Haru smiles proudly. Legosi closed the tap and looked in the direction of the gardening club stall. "Who's who?" He asked. He was kind of just buying time to slack a little bit. The late afternoon sun was making him way too lazy for his own good.

Haru's ears perked up as she happily named the three underclassmen by the stall. "The doe is Asui, she's a first year and very helpful. The male goat is Steven, he's in second year. I have to stop him from chewing on the tulips every few minutes, but it's worth it since he is so driven to help out. And finally, that female alligator is Jessie, she's a first year and rather timid and gentle."

Legosi nods along as she speaks, unintentionally sizing up her new club members. He apologised after realising he's been there for a while and returned to where Toby was still busy painting.

They shared a laugh when they bumped into each other while trying to paint above their heads and ended up leaning back against each other while they worked instead.

"He's very calm to be that near to a dangerous creature," Someone commented and their friends agreed, unfortunately within earshot. Legosi threw them a glare, but noticed how Toby shrunk into himself. Legosi sighed and patted his shoulder, "Hey, ignore them."

Toby nodded, his eyes telling Legosi everything over the edge of his mask. "I'm used to it, but it still hurts, you know?" Legosi nods, "I understand, though, as long as I'm here, no one is going to hurt you." Then he got an idea.

Legosi reached into his shirt and pulled out a small glass ball from in there. Usually, they used these for small bombs, but it wasn't always loaded with explosives. Legosi grabs a tube of paint and fills up the little ball, closing the mechanism with an audible click.

He held it up so Toby could see, the kid frowning in confusion. "Watch this, kid," Legosi said with a grin on his face. A moment later, he pushes the button to activate the mechanism and throws it towards the group that made the nasty comment.

Confusion sounded, until the paint bomb went off and splashed the group full of orange paint. Legosi started laughing and soon Toby joined in, leaning against each other to stay upright.

Dom gave them a disappointed face as the group ran off, bitching, but Legosi caught a hint of a smile as the peafowl turned away to focus on the stage building again.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

It's been a couple days since the paint bomb prank and Legosi and Toby were almost done painting the entire dinosaur, they just had the top part left.

"Is this safe?" Toby asks, clinging to an intersection of scaffolding as they climbed up to the top. They'd brought said scaffolding from the school to help them finish the job. Legosi shrugged, pulling himself up another level, "Doesn't really matter to them, it's the two of us climbing this thing and I doubt they think we'll get hurt if we fall."

Toby sighed and followed up after Legosi. He wasn't sure how the wolf climbed the scaffolding so easily, but he was sure he would've fallen by now if he didn't have a natural ability to stick to things.

They made it to the top soon enough and set to work. From up here, Legosi could see Louis, practicing on stage with the other actors. He waved when Louis looked his way, almost falling because he wasn't focusing on keeping his balance. Toby laughed at him for that little mishap when Legosi suddenly grabbed the pipe again and practically wrapped himself around it to avoid falling.

This would be another great performance by the Cherryton Actors, Legosi could tell. Legosi was also thankful he wouldn't have to be on stage again this time. As fun as it was during the Adler play, he's had enough of it for a lifetime.

The scaffolding was also high enough for him to pretend he couldn't hear Juno yelling up at him from the ground. She was too afraid to climb the scaffolding and he wasn't going to head down anytime soon.

He could see Haru's stall from here too, and had to laugh when she slapped the goat student over the head for trying to nibble on some of the flowers.

"Sometimes I wish others would have just a little more trust in me," Toby said as the sun starts to set on the horizon. Legosi glanced between his friend and a hard to reach spot on the dinosaur, then navigated over to him. "Then let's show them you can be trusted," He suggested, making Toby tilt his head at him.

"Take my hand and anchor us to the structure, I'll lean out to paint that difficult to reach spot. As long as neither of us falls or anything like that, other's will see you're more trustworthy," Legosi explained. Toby blinked at him, but after glancing around and thinking for a bit, Toby agreed to the idea. He was confident he could anchor the tall wolf while he leaned out.

Nodding, they took hold of each other's wrists and Toby made sure he had a steady hold on the structure. When he gives Legosi the go ahead, Legosi plants his feet next to each other on a pipe and takes a paintbrush in hand before leaning out of the structure. He ended up almost parallel to the ground, with only Toby's grip on his wrist to keep him up there, painting as if he wasn't in possible danger of falling.

Sanu, as well as most of the dance team on stage, and the actors who were still hanging around, ended up staring at the two and their dangerous stunt. Some of the stage crew had gone closer to the dinosaur to be able to catch either of them when they fall.

But Legosi gives Toby a nod and the young komodo dragon pulls him upright again, not letting go of his wrist until he is sure Legosi is stable on his own again. They part and go on with other parts to paint, as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. The rest of the drama club were stunned, until Louis caught their attention with a clap and got them to continue practicing.

They kept throwing glances at the two from time to time, but they didn't see anything like that again.

Toby and Legosi ended up sitting at the top of the scaffolding once the sun was down, staring at the stars above.

"Everyone, listen up!" Dom calls from somewhere below them. They glance down to see where he is and listen to his next instructions. "It's already 5 o'clock! The mayor wants us all to head back to campus before it gets too late!"

"Is this because of all the recent devourings?" Kai asked, standing next to Dom. "Of course it is, better safe than sorry, huh." "I hope the festival doesn't get cancelled because of this," Aoba grumbles as they start packing up.

Legosi and Toby make their way down to join the rest of the group. Legosi had seen Haru leave with her club earlier, so they wouldn't have to wait for her. Louis stands beside the two of them as they wait for the others to gather their things.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Legosi and Louis lay curled up on Legosi's bed, finished homework thrown to the floor without a care.

"I'm telling you, I've only seen him from a distance, but I already hate him," Louis grumbled, making Legosi chuckle,  "He can't be that bad."

"I assure you it's worse! He's fucked up his face, he looks like a characature of a lion, not an actual living lion," Louis sits up, gesturing. Legosi frowns at the hint of distress there.

"Louis?" Legosi asks, but his boyfriend just goes on, "Apparently he did it to look less threatening to herbivores, but I'm willing to bet if I put Agata and the Mayor next to each other and asked animals who looked more approachable, they would choose Agata."

Legosi shrugs, "You could put Agata next to an akita dog and still have Agata win. I bet the mayor would kill to look like Agata." "Touché, but still," Louis says. Legosi sighs and pulled Louis down to lay down again, curling around him to keep him in place.

"I'm sure you're right and that the mayor is as unnerving as you say, but right now it's time to sleep, not worry over something so stupid," Legosi mumbled against Louis' throat and stayed like that until Louis relaxed enough to fall asleep.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Before they could go to the festival grounds that Friday, they had to do biology hour again. As Legosi had promised, he was going with Toby.

Legosi made sure no one was watching them when he slipped into the komodo room with Toby that afternoon. The humidity and heat of the room was oddly relaxing to the wolf.

The room reminded him of a tropical island, with shortish grass and plenty of trees. Humidity and heat were both high, but he could see Toby's shoulders visibly relax.

Toby took his mask off and set it on a hook by the door, which Legosi thought was a nice addition from Gon's side.

"Isn't it too warm for you?" Toby asked, fiddling with his hands. Legosi shrugged and offered the younger student a small smile. "My house is always very warm, I'm used to it."

Toby nodded and the two of them chose a spot to lay down on the grass. Their bodies were in opposite directions, with their heads side by side.

"Ignore me if this is an awkward or offensive question, but ever since you said you were a hybrid, I've been wondering a couple things," Toby said, glancing at Legosi from his peripheral.

Legosi shrugged and stretched his arms and shoulders out, before relaxing into the fake grass. "I mean, ask away. There's some things I'm not sure of either, so I can't answer everything, but I could probably give you a rough guess."

Toby laughed quietly and nodded, "Okay, uhm, well, since you aren't forced to wear a mask, it's probably safe to assume that you don't have venom?" Legosi shook his head, "No, but most komodo hybrids don't have venom. Only special cases have venom."

Toby nods, but then frowns a bit. "I've heard from my uncle that venom can be bought in the Back Alley Market. Would you ever consider getting some? For like self defence, you know?" Toby asks, quickly covering to make himself sound less ominous. It seems the Market was a sensitive subject to the kid.

Legosi was suddenly very aware of the vials he had hidden in the back of his jaws. He couldn't just tell Toby about that though. "Uhm, not really. Wouldn't that be a sight though? A wolf that can kill someone with venom?" Legosi tried to make a joke of it and it seemed to work, since Toby let out a little laugh.

"Yeah, I guess you have a point, that would be interesting." Toby smiles, looking up at the fake sky. "I've noticed you refer to yourself as a wolf most of the time, is there a reason behind it? I mean, I know hybrids are kind of frowned upon, but you don't seem like you mind being a hybrid at all."

Legosi turned his head to look at Toby. He wanted to gauge if Toby was asking a genuine question and not just mocking him. He's had some of the older guys in the gang mock him about it a lot. Those guys were now dead, curtesy of Gosha and Savon's tempers. That's how he knew he would always be allowed among them. There was no malition in Toby's words, features or facial expressions.

"Yeah, that's just because I'm ¾ wolf and just ¼ komodo dragon. I mostly look like a wolf too, so it's easier to just go with that, instead of having to explain it to everyone who talks to me," Legosi concedes. Toby nods, turning to look at Legosi as well now.

"But your eyes are a dead giveaway though, they're too small to be wolf. Not to mention, you're taller than most of the wolves in school by a full head at this point, that has to be some sort of sign," Toby theorised. Legosi chuckled, "Only the ones that know have realised that, but others seem to just write it off."

"Who all knows?" Toby asked then, before he could stop himself. Legosi gave him a look again, but answered anyway, "For now, just you and Louis, at school at least. Of course my family knows." Toby nods again, seeming to think about it. Does that mean Legosi trusts him?

They spent the rest of the hour just talking and relaxing and Legosi found he was actually relaxed for once after Biology hour and not as tense as can be.

Now they had to go do the final preparations for the festival tomorrow.

Chapter Text

It was finally the afternoon before the festival the following day. Surprisingly, the stage crew were done with their tasks.

The meteor, dinosaur and stage was built and painted and the first two could light up without setting fire to anything. As much work as that had been, they were thankful to be done.

Most of them had wandered off to go find someone else they could help with a couple last minute things. Legosi and Toby were not amongst that crowd, preferring to grab a spot in the sun, that was out of the way, but had a good view of the stage, where the actors were still practicing.

Juno has been seeming to want to approach him all afternoon, but since he hung so closely to Toby, she didn't approach, possibly in fear or possibly because she believed herself higher than being around venomous animals. Legosi didn't care, as long as she left them alone. He -will- skin her if she's a dick to Toby.

The sun was starting to set when Louis joined the two of them, a bottle of water in his hand that Legosi could smell had been spiked with vodka. Seems Louis was more tired than anyone had realised.

They just joined the drama club group to head back to campus, when the lights suddenly went out. Everyone started screaming and herbivores were running around. An armadillo almost ran into Louis, but luckily Legosi pulled him out of the way and the armadillo skittered off.

Legosi turned to place his back against Louis' to ensure they were both safe. The rest of the drama club tucked into a circle with the herbivores in the middle to protect them.

"Is Haru okay?" Louis asked and Legosi glanced over. Toby was standing in the circle with the other carnivores to create a shield. Legosi looked towards the stall that the gardening club had and grunted.

"They're fine, the alligator girl has pretty much curled around them in a protective shield," Legosi said, glancing around to see if the blackout wielded any trespassers or actual danger. He couldn't see anyone out of place.

"Is everyone here?" Bill asks, quickly doing a headcount. "We're missing two!" Bill grumbled, trying to figure out who's missing. "Where's Tem and Els?!" Kai asked in a panicked voice.

Legosi and Bill looked around to see if they could spot the two white animals. Everyone was still running a frenzy, with carnivores trying to avoid running into any herbivores.

The lights turned on again and the screaming and running suddenly stopped. Dom glanced around to see if he could count everyone. They had been right, Tem and Els weren't around.

"I'll find them!" Bill suddenly calls, running off into the treeline around the festival grounds. Legosi, Louis and Toby shared a look and a shrug.

With permission from Dom, the three of them went to check on the gardening club members. "You guys okay?" Louis asked as they approached. "Yeah, thanks to Jessie's quick thinking," Haru said, patting the timid alligator's arm where she could reach. The other two nodded in agreement.

"Do you guys want to head back with the drama club? It may be better to go in a bigger group. They nod and grab their things. Before long, the seven of them rejoin the rest of the drama club.

"Has Bill returned yet?" Louis asks Dom, who shakes his head apprehensively. "Not yet, and it's getting later," Dom said, getting worried, checking his watch again for the umpteenth time.

"Should we go get Bill?" Legosi asked, roughly gesturing towards the treeline where Bill had ran to earlier. "No, that's not a good idea. If we split up even more, we'll all just end up being lost," Dom said, grabbing his phone from his shirt pocket, "I'll call him and see if he answers, otherwise we have to wait or something until he or Tem or Els return."

Dom calls Bill's phone and waits as it rings. It goes dead after a few minutes and Dom tries again several times, but Bill never answers.

Just then, the Mayor approaches the group, "Juno, Haru and Louis, I'd like to speak to you three," He said. "In private," He adds when he sees the three glance around the group standing around them.

"I'm just outside," Legosi whispered as a promise to Louis when the deer started following after the lion.

°°°°°

In the tent, they all shift a little uncomfortably, not sure why he called them all in here.

"Two Cherryton students have gone missing, correct?" The mayor asks. Haru and Juno nod, while Louis frowns. Does this plastic asshole think he can play mindgames with them?

"Well, the kid who reported it, had a shoe and this card," He hands the card over to Juno, who looks at the symbol before passing it on to Louis, who passes it to Haru once he got a good look at it.

"Why are you telling us this, exactly?" Louis asked, distrust clear in his eyes, but otherwise his demeanor was neutral.

"Because you three are the Cherryton Beastar candidates. You'll have to know about these things. I have no doubt that calling card is from some gang in the Market and if it has anything to do with the Market-" the Mayor started. "The authorities aren't going to do anything," Haru and Juno finish for him. The mayor nods.

"I need you three to stay quiet about it though. We can't cause panic and mania over just two students," He finishes. Juno bristles at the mere idea, "So you're saying we should leave them for dead in the hands of monsters just so no one else panics?!" Haru got in on it as well, both asking questions and getting higher strung by the moment.

Louis snags the card from Haru without her noticing. If this actually has something to do with the Market, it may serve well to ask the lions about this. He hasn't seen this crest before, but it was definitely a gang's calling card. He hid it in his pocket and then chose to intervene.

"Okay, okay, calm down you two. Maybe he has a point," Louis internally cringed when he looked at the mayor again. Freak. "If it has anything to do with the Market, it's best if we don't interfere. Authorities aren't going to do anything, evidently, and we're teenagers, what use will it be to try and play the hero?"

The two girls grumble, but reluctantly agree and leave the tent. Louis is about to follow them, when a large hand lands on his shoulder. He tenses immediately.

"That's rich coming from you. Livestock turned Prince of the Market," the Mayor says, removing his hand when Louis turns on his heels to face him, now giving a look like he's sizing the mayor up.

"Don't give me that look, of course I know who you are. You and your little wolf friend out there. Is either of your gangs behind this?!" He growls and Louis wants to go for his gun, wants to make this lion into roadkill for even insinuating that, but then he remembers Chief and all the things the older lions have told him about that brute and their reputation back then.

He lets his eyes scan the older male, making himself look bored. 'Don't show them your thoughts' he hears Sabu say over a hand of cards. "No, but either one of them could be responsible for you being found dead in your bed. Suicide, heart attack? The world may never know," Louis says with a smug look at the surprise in the lion's face. Then he turns and leaves the tent, the card still tucked into his pocket.

_______________°•○●○•°________________

That night in Legosi's dorm, both heirs take a photo of the card and send it to their respective gangs, asking if they know anything about it.

They had to head back to campus eventually, despite neither Bill or either of the herbivores returning or being found. Those three didn't bother them, since it was business as usual to them, but the gang calling card is what has the two on edge.

An hour later, Legosi gets a call from Savon, which he takes immediately, while Louis is texting back and forth with Jinma and Hino.

"You're kidding.... this is a loada shit..." Legosi grumbles as Savon speaks to him over the phone. Louis could tell by the accent slip that this wasn't a good thing though.

They had some lazy, Market accents that they usually didn't care for, but usually in the City or at school, they were careful to keep those accents under wraps, or hidden to the best of their ability. The slip into it means that Legosi wasn't getting any better news than he was.

When the call ends, Louis leans against Legosi's side from where the two of them sat on the bed. "So, I'm taking it you got bad news too," Louis asks. Legosi nods, "Yeah, apparently that gang isn't very big, but they're the ones that caused that ruckus at the border a while ago."

Louis sighs, "So we have trouble on our hands? Hino tells me that gang has been hanging around our territory, not to mention, they are targeting white herbivores inside, close to and outside of the Market. That sounds familiar, doesn't it?"

Legosi nods, "Yeah, and it's trouble if this group gets bigger." Louis and Legosi sigh, going heavy against each other. "Let's just get through tomorrow and then we'll see what we can do to help the situation over the remainder of the weekend," Legosi mumbled.

Louis agrees, and soon the two are just watching videos on Louis' phone to relax a bit. The day had been tense enough as it was and it was a nice distraction for Legosi, especially after Louis told him about the interaction with the mayor and his veiled threats.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Juno paced back and forth in the alley between dorm buildings, the phone to her ear as someone speaks to her from the other side.

"I know, I know... I'm trying, I really am, but you don't know how he is..." Her tail tucks against her legs as the voice on the other side grows louder. "He's not interested, no matter what I do.... anything more would be considered assault and he's threatened me with death already..."

Her back hits the wall roughly, almost knocking the air out of her. An attempt to ground herself. "I think it's time to give this up, he isn't biting.... he sticks too close to Louis and now he's befriended this new kid in the club that's part of some scheme of Gon's to integrate venomous students into the school.... yes, it's a komodo dragon and the boy looks at him like he's a god.... fine, one last try... goodnight Dad."

As the call ended, she slid down the wall until she was sitting. "I'm going to be dead before I'm 18 at this rate," She mumbled, pulling her legs to her chest to sulk.

Plenty of boys wanted her, drooled after her in fact. She could have her choice in men but her stupid father keeps pressuring her to get Legosi. He and his stupid gang wanted Legosi so badly and she wasn't even allowed to know why that was.

She wished she'd just listened to her mother and skipped town instead of getting involved with her father's business.

Getting up, she straightens her back and heads back inside to her shared dorm. Her roommates are most likely sleeping by now, so she tried to be as quiet as possible while entering.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

"Look, Jack, I'm all for inviting Legosi and Louis for another sleepover, it's just-" Collot cut himself off, frowning. Their room was dark, but none of them were asleep yet.

"Just what?" Jack asked, turning on his side. "It's just the fact that he might ask to bring along that new friend of his, the komodo dragon kid he's been playing 'big brother' for," Voss interrupts, saying what's on all the other's minds.

"And why would that be so bad?" Jack asked, glancing around the room at the others. "Aside from him being able to kill us on accident?" Durham asked, leaning out of his cubicle.

"He wears a mask doesn't he?" Durham asked from his bed, halfway between being on Jack's side and on the side of the rest of them. "We can't expect the poor kid to always be wearing a mask, especially after school hours," Jack intervenes. What he didn't mention was that Legosi looked perfectly capable of killing all of them if he lost his temper with them.

"It must be so demeaning too, being forced to wear a mask just so others don't fear for their life," Jack added afterwards. The other four looked away from the labrador.

"That's exactly why it's dangerous," Voss calls from his bed, barely visible beside his large pillow. "Really now! Legosi spends every lunch with that kid, you know, where he isn't wearing a mask so he can eat, and Legosi is fine!" Jack calls, sitting upright and throwing his legs off the side of his bed.

"Legosi might just be lucky or special," Durham interrupts. "Legosi does have a lot of fur, he might just be good at hiding burns," Collot mentions, leaning up on his elbows.

"And I'm sure you've heard the rumours about Legosi's family. One of the Drama club members told me they secretly check Legosi everyday when they change in the lockerroom. Apparently he doesn't have any burns, but he does have a lot of scars covering him," Voss says, now standing on his bed.

Jack grumbles and falls back on his bed with a groan. Pulling his pillow over his eyes. "Guys, who cares about scars or burns? He's clearly happy if he's still living with his family and if he likes hanging out with that kid, then we can at least give him a chance," Jack grumbled.

"You can give him a chance, I'm not risking it," Miguno grumbled and turned on his other side to face the wall. "Maybe if you come out of it in one piece, I'll consider it," Durham sighed.

Chapter Text

Legosi was still tired when he left his dorm room the next morning, Louis by his side, sipping on an energy drink and giving Legosi the occasional sip.

They were on their way to the drama club room, where they would meet up with the rest and head to the fairgrounds together, when Dom runs towards them. Legosi catches the peafowl, who stumbles to a stop.

"Hey, what's got you in such a hurry?" Louis asks, helping to straighten the peafowl out. Dom pants for a moment before saying, "Bill's back. He's in the infirmary. Apparently he saved Tem and Els from whatever group kidnapped them." With that, Dom runs off again, presumably towards the nurse's office.

Legosi and Louis glance at each other. "Should we go check on him?" Legosi asks and Louis weighs their options before shaking his head, "If he really did go after that group, we can corner him later and ask him about anything he can tell us about them." Legosi nods and the two head to the club room.

Toby was already there and the kid seemed to brighten up when he spotted the two of them entering the room.

It took about an hour's wait for all the club members to meet up in the clubroom, including Bill, who'd apparently gone to his room to change into clean clothes.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

The sun was starting to set and the festival would officially start in a couple minutes, when Louis showed up by the tent where the stage crew were ensuring the last couple things were done for the festival.

Louis and Legosi made eye contact and Louis gestured for Legosi to follow him. The wolf got up and after checking that Kai would be okay with the lights on his own, Legosi followed after Louis.

"Theres still a couple hours before the performance. Why don't we walk around the fairgrounds for a bit?" Louis offered and Legosi shrugged before nodding. "That would be nice," Legosi said quietly.

Louis hooked their arms together and the two started walking through the stalls. Legosi found himself baffled by the concept of cotton candy. It looked like a cloud, tasted like pure sugar and melted when it touched your tongue. Louis had found Legosi's reaction to the confection rather cute and he'd told his wolf that, much to the blushing wolf's dismay.

Louis had played a couple games, one of which was a ring toss game, where he won several rounds, getting a wolf and a deer plushy, the latter of which he gave to Legosi, who couldn't stop wagging his tail, even if it was slow. Louis earned a kiss on the cheek for that one.

Some other animals were giving them looks, not only for being two males in a relationship, but also because they were a carnivore and a herbivore in a relationship. They ignored those animals though and just enjoyed their night.

"Your family going to come by?" Legosi asked Louis as they bought something to drink and sat on a bench nearby. Louis shrugged, "Free and Agata said they'd pop in for a bit around the time of the performance, but the others are unfortunately busy. How about yours?" Legosi shook his head, "It's unlikely, but one or two of my brothers may be in the shadows to keep an eye on something." Louis nodded and the two shared a couple quiet minutes to just drink their sodas.

Legosi noticed Collot with his girlfriend walking around and saw the rest of the 701 boys as a group, walking around and snacking on pretty much everything. He just smiled and shook his head at that.

Louis noticed Haru and her clubmates taking turns to watch the flower stand and go have fun. Terry and his friends were also running around, blowing all their money on rigged games. Eventually, he and Legosi started walking around again, listening to the bands and competitions taking place over the speakers from the stage.

Something crashed into Legosi's shin and he paused and looked down, wondering if he kicked a small animal. He hasn't exactly been paying attention to where his feet moved, assuming small animals would get out of his way.

He surprisingly found a toddler, a toddler which happens to be a komodo dragon. The kid was clinging to his leg like their life depended on it. Glancing at Louis, who just shrugged in response, Legosi bent down and tapped the kid's shoulder. "Hey kid, are you lost?"

The kid looked up at him, cheek still pressed to his knee and nodded. "Uhm, can I pick you up?" The kid let go of his leg and made grabbing hands at him. They didn't have a mask on, so they weren't old enough to understand those were mandatory these days.

Legosi picked the kid up and put them on his hip. "Do you have a name?" He asked, gently running a hand over the kid's head. It used to calm him down always, so maybe it would help the kid too. "Tilla!" She said before sticking her head into Legosi's shoulder.

"We should probably find her parents," Louis says, still standing beside Legosi, glancing at the kid that was clinging to Legosi like a koala to a tree.

"Are you here with your mom and dad?" Legosi asked Tilla, trying to get something out of the kid so they can return her to her parents. It was a bad idea for komodo kids to be running around freely amongst others. "Just mommy, and big brother. Dad doesn't show up most days," Tilla answered, still acting shy.

"You smell like dad though!" Tilla giggled, which made Legosi worry a little bit. "And how's that?" He asked with a chuckle. "Like iron and smoke," Tilla giggled again. That set both Legosi and Louis on alert. That is not a normal response outside the Market.

"Tilla!" Someone called and all three looked in that direction to see Toby running towards them, mask still on and looking both relieved and worried.

"Toby!" Tilla called and leaned over from where she sat on Legosi's hip to her brother. Toby took her and sighed in relief, his shoulders visibly relaxing. "Oh thank Rex you're alright. Mom would've grounded me until after college if I couldn't find you!" Tilla just laughed at his worriedness.

"You didn't tell me you had siblings," Legosi says in a gentle tone, trying to break the barrier of possible tension. "Oh yeah, uhm. I guess it never came up. She's also, like, 3 years old, so she's at home mostly anyway." Toby explains.

Legosi didn't mention it but he'd seen Toby sneak off earlier, thinking the kid just didn't want to deal with the discrimination that others would no doubt have at him being around. Turns out, he may have left for different reasons.

"Say, uhm, my mom would really like to meet you. She's really happy that I made a friend," Toby mumbled, scooting Tilla higher on his hip. Legosi shrugged and glanced at Louis, who shrugged as well. With a nod, the two heirs start following after Toby.

Toby lead them through the crowd of people, until they reached the treeline on the outer edge of the festival grounds. There stood a komodo dragon lady that couldn't have been older than Savon if Legosi had to estimate a guess.

"Mom! These are my friends Legosi and Louis," Toby said, introducing them as he came to a standstill beside the lady. She looked them over and smiled, even if it was hidden behind a mask, they could tell by her eyes that she was smiling.

"Hello dears. It's good to see Toby made some friends at his new school," She said, taking Tilla from Toby and letting the toddler sit on her lap instead. Tilla latched onto her mother and seemed to suddenly be shy, as if she realised the two animals were strangers. The lady chuckled.

"You two can call me Mariah," She said. Legosi nodded. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am." Louis nodded in agreement. "Legosi actually found Tilla first, or rather she seemed to run into him," Toby joked, making Mariah chuckle. "Always trust the youngest among a crowd to find the trustworthy ones," Mariah commented.

Louis covered his laugh as a cough, placing his hand in front of his mouth. She didn't know how complicated that statement was. "How have you guys found the festival so far? Cherryton's students have put a great bit of work into setting most of it up," Legosi asked, his tail swaying in a relaxed manner.

Mariah offered a sad smile, "A lot of the snack stands won't serve to us and Tilla wants to play some of the games but we aren't sure if any will allow us near." Legosi bristled a little at how accepting they are of the discrimination.

"That won't do at all. Is there anything specific you wanted to get? Trinkets, food, drinks?" Legosi asks. Mariah's eyes widen and she starts declining, "I can't ask you to do that-" but Legosi cuts her off, "You're not asking, I'm offering."

Mariah went quiet for a moment, seeming to think the proposition over. Toby was smiling, like he'd expected it, but in a way he had. He's come to know Legosi by now and knows when the wolf offers to do something he is serious about it.

Mariah lets out a sigh and finally agrees. With that, Legosi gestures them to follow him. "So, what did you guys want to eat or drink?"

Legosi made quick work to buy them the food and drinks they wanted, as well as some trinkets Mariah and Toby wanted to have. For the trinkets, he'd just accompany them to the stands and 'bargain' with the one helping them if they tried to give them shit.

As they passed a game with loud noises, the one where you spray water into a clown's mouth, Tilla started leaning towards it. By the dirty scowl the attendant was giving the group, they could tell he was going to chase them off.

Legosi sighed and held out his hands to take Tilla. At the questioning look Mariah was giving him, he said, "I'll take her and if he has a problem, then I'll sort it out. No need to keep a kid from having fun just because adults are assholes." Mariah chuckled and handed Tilla over to Legosi.

Said toddler just had eyes for the game. Legosi walked over with her, leaving Louis, Mariah and Toby to look on in curiosity. Legosi gave the attendant the money, and at first the attendant refused.

Legosi fixed the cougar with a glare, asking, "We're not gonna have a problem, are we~?" Legosi had casually covered his nose and mouth with his hand, making it look like a normal thing, but he's seen this cougar in their territory before and was making a point.

The cougar swallowed nervously and quickly took the money, handing the little toddler a water gun. Legosi smiled and it seemed to send the cougar's nerves on high alert.

He helped position Tilla so she could sit on the counter with the water gun and then just let her play the game to the best of her toddler ability. She was giggling and happily kicking her legs and even if she didn't technically win, the cougar still gave her a big lollipop when she finished.

"It's been a pleasure~," Legosi says as he picks her up again, making sure she doesn't drop her prize, and heads back over to the other three. "See, it only takes a bit of persuasion," He chuckles as he hands Tilla back over to her mother.

Mariah nodded, but seemed a little spooked, she didn't say anything though. Louis suddenly checked his watch and said, "Sorry, I have to go. The performance is in half an hour," with that, he pecked Legosi on the cheek and walked off to where the dancers and actors were getting dressed and doing their makeup.

"We should probably get going then, huh," Mariah said. Legosi shrugged and turned to face her. "Let's stand near the back, then you guys can watch and enjoy the show too and less animals would be rude that way," Legosi offered.

Mariah sighed but she was smiling under her mask. "You are truly something else, Legosi," Mariah said with a laugh, but they turned to go join the crowd that was beginning to form by the stage.

As the crowd started to thicken and the person on the stage talked and started hyping the crowd for the performance, Mariah leaned over and whispered, "So you are the Dragon Wolf then?" Legosi glanced at her from his peripheral but she didn't seem malevolent. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Ozone talks about you a lot," She added.

Legosi relaxed a bit at that, "So I take it you're the wife he talks about so often." That made Mariah blush quite a bit and Legosi offered her a smile. No wonder Toby looked so familiar when he first met him.

He didn't dwell on it too much though, the show had started on stage. Legosi's eyes followed Louis closely. "You really love him, huh?" Mariah asks and Legosi just nods his head in answer. Louis has always captivated him when he takes to the stage.

He did notice that Bill's costume was adapted last minute to hide his bandages though. It was an interesting choice after all that happened.

By the end of the performance, Tilla had fallen asleep in her mother's arms. Mariah smiled at Legosi as the crowd started thinning again. "I think it's time we head home, it's getting late, and rather cold. Tell Louis he was amazing on stage and have a good night," Mariah said. Legosi smiled at her again, "It was really nice to meet you, Mariah. I hope we can meet again." He waved as Mariah, Toby and Tilla leave.

While the actors and dancers were changing back into their civvies, Legosi got into line to get a candle. While he wasn't too concerned about the superstitious background to this, he and Louis had talked about it and thought it would be sweet to do anyway.

Legosi got the candle and a few minutes later, Louis joined him. "Good going on getting the candle so long," Louis said, giving Legosi another kiss on the cheek. Legosi chuckled "Yeah, thought I'd save us some time."

Louis takes Legosi's hand and leads the two of them towards the meteor. They stop near it and turn to face each other. Louis takes hold of the candle as well, not letting go of the hands they were already holding.

"Legosi, you've been my best friend, my confidante and my first boyfriend. Hopefully the only one too-" Louis said, winking at Legosi, "To the rest of our lives together," Louis finishes.

Legosi smiles, a look so gentle that's only reserved for Louis, "Louis, you've been my friend, my backup in battle and my first love. I can't thank you enough for the years we've already had and I want to have the rest of our lives together as well."

When they are both done, they share a quick, soft kiss and place the candle on a spot by the meteor.

°°°°°

On the other side of the crowd, Juno is shaking. Whether in rage, sadness or jealousy, she can't tell. She's never seen Legosi look at anyone the way he looks at Louis. It was unfair! He was supposed to be hers!

She thinks she should have suspected he had someone else when he kept declining her attempts to get into a relationship with her, but she hadn't expected a male deer of all things.

Does she tell her father and risk dealing with his anger? Or is she expected to now break them up because of selfish reasons that she wasn't even allowed to know. She turns and leaves with a sigh.

Chapter Text

Sunday morning found the two heirs making their way to the laundry room. Usually they aren't at school over the weekends and can wash their uniforms at their respective mansions, but not this weekend.

Almost all the way down the stairs, of course they'd run into Juno, who huffs and immediately turns her back. She doesn't move though, but she's blocking the way down.

"Why can't you just break my heart straight, instead of playing with my feelings like this?!" Juno whines, turning her head just enough to look at Legosi through one eye, tears slowly streaming down her face.

"Instead, I have to watch you love another from afar!" She looks down at her feet, really selling it. Louis would almost believe her, if it wasn't so obvious she was trying to keep her tail and ears still.

"Where have I played with your feelings? I've told you from the start that I'm. Not. Interested. You just can't seem to get it through your ditzy skull," Legosi said, plain and simple. His tone was level, bordering between disinterest and annoyance.

Louis watched as Legosi takes a few steps more down the stairs until he's on the same step as Juno. He grabs her shoulder with his free hand and turns her to look at him, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were the school slut instead of Haru, and somehow she's still better company."

At Juno's shocked expression, Legosi lowers his voice to a threatening growl, "Besides, you can stop this game now. I know what you're after, and like I've told your father and many others from that stupid little gang playing Gumi, I'm not interested in joining a bunch of wolves who pretend to be a mafia and have no actual clue of what they're fucking doing. So BACK. OFF. and stick to your own lane."

With that, Legosi passes her, Louis following right behind him with a smug look. Louis hadn't realised what a verbal beatdown Legosi could give until now and it was doing things to him.

Juno stared after the two, dumbfounded that she was figured out. Her 'tears' had dried up as well. Guess there goes her last chance.

°°°°°

"When were you planning to let me in on that knowledge?" Louis asks as they unload their laundry into two washing machines. Legosi shrugs, "I've had my suspicions for a while now, maybe two months, but Savon confirmed it for me last night."

Louis sighs and sits down on the bench that was already in the room. The place was surprisingly empty for a Sunday. He'd think more students would be doing laundry, but judging by the way some of them smell, he also isn't that surprised.

Legosi sits down beside him, checking his phone. He was aware what he just did could result in so much shit. He was too obvious, too straight forward, but he was also fucking done with Juno and her games.

Legosi looks at his hand when he feels a smaller hand there. Then he looks over at Louis, who seems concerned. "Are you okay? You're doing that brooding thing," Louis asks. Legosi sighs, "Just tired of all this shit. When this year is over with, I never want anything to do with normal society again." Louis sighs but nods in agreement. "I couldn't agree more, love."

°°°°°

Pina walks into the laundry room not ten minutes later, carrying his own basket and filling another machine with it. "Am I interrupting something?" He asks the two heirs, who are still sitting close to each other.

"Not at all," Legosi mumbled, halfway asleep from the wait. There was usually so very much to do over the weekends, so sitting still for so long, along with the rhythmic thudding of the laundry machines, he was getting sleepy.

Pina chuckled as he finished loading the machine and takes a seat on the other side of Legosi. Louis wondered what the dall sheep was up to. There was another perfectly good bench he could have sat on. He doesn't need to be this close.

Pina unexpectedly grabs Legosi's wrist, pulling it over to him and inspecting a scar that was halfway up to his elbow. "That must've hurt like a bitch! How many stitches?" Pina asks. Legosi blinks at Pina for a solid few seconds, trying not to rip his arm away from the herbivore. He didn't like strangers touching him.

"Uh, 36 I think," Legosi said, tugging on his arm a little to get the ram to let go. Pina did let go, placing his hands on his cheeks instead, "Oh that sounds horrible! I had to get my wisdom teeth removed and just that was too much~!" Legosi wondered if the dramatics were actually just this sheep's personality.

Louis moved closer to Legosi, glaring at Pina. He didn't know if the sheep was just this annoying or if he was actually trying to flirt with HIS Legosi.

Then Pina traced a scar on Legosi's shoulder, only visible because Legosi had chosen to wear a tanktop today. "Must have been quite the fight to get a scar like this~" Pina said, but recoils quickly when a lithe brown hand slaps his own away. Legosi just shrugged, as if he didn't notice Louis just slapped the sheep.

"What was that for?" Pina whines again, holding his hand as if he'd been shot. Louis moved to sit in Legosi's lap and wrapped his arms around the wolf's shoulders, still glaring the sheep down.

Pina seemed to click what was happening and straightened up, "Okay, don't touch what's yours, I get it~" Pina actually giggled at that. He seemed otherwise relaxed at their display, so they assumed he didn't really care.

°°°°°

Half an hour passes before Pina finally leaves with his finished laundry. He'd tried to ask questions, but neither heir would budge or give any indication as to anything about their relationship.

In fact, they didn't move from their position, until their own machines beeped to signal the laundry was done. They switched the laundry into the tumble dryers and decided to just sit on top of the machines this time.

Legosi's ears twitched, angling upwards, along with the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. Louis observed him as the wolf looked upwards to the ceiling. Aware Louis was looking at him, Legosi signs to the deer that someone is nearby, a familiar someone that's been watching them since they joined the high-school part of Cherryton.

"You can come out now! I already know you're there, you can't scare me," Legosi stated calmly into the air. For a second, silence just followed, then a heavy body dropped to the ground from a ceiling tile.

While Legosi didn't seem perturbed, Louis had the urge to make a run for it, instead he just reached for his concealed gun.

"Ah, so we finally meet young hybrid~" the rattlesnake said, curling into a heap and focusing solely on Legosi. Louis blinked at how calm Legosi was at someone knowing he's a hybrid and the fact said someone happens to be the biggest rattlesnake Louis has ever seen.

Legosi was eyeing up the snake, trying to figure out if they were a threat or not. They had very peculiar markings that looked almost like six massive eyes along their body. "What's the reason behind you following us?" Legosi asked, rather calm and level. Louis still kept his gun in hand, loaded and ready to fire, but his finger not yet on the trigger.

The snake smiled and placed a guard hat on their head. "Allow me to introduce myself~ I am Cherryton's only security guard, Rokume~" They said, rattling their tail. That sound must have been what Legosi's been hearing.

They reached over, quick as a flash of light, and grabbed Legosi with their long body, curling around him. "And you~ are the brave hybrid that stopped a devouring on school grounds and managed to make a fight with a tiger look staged. How fascinating~" They spoke, curling around Legosi more.

Louis now had the gun pointed straight at them, but they continued to ignore him. He didn't want to fire and risk injuring Legosi in the process. Legosi, however, had enough space to still wiggle around, so he gestured for Louis to stand down for now. As skeptical as Louis was, he wanted to trust that Legosi knew what he was doing.

Legosi relaxed in the coil, running his hands over the smooth brown scales. It reminded him of his family and how their scales looked like emeralds. Rokume's scales had a different colour though. Rokume seemed to pick up on his slightly odd behaviour and curled so their head was level with Legosi's. 

"What are you doing? Are you actually admiring MY body?!" Rokume asked, now more dumbfounded than anything else. Legosi offered them a smile. "Your scales remind me of tourmaline gems," Legosi said gently, running his hands over the smooth surfaces again, careful not to knick them with his claws.

Rokume seemed surprised by this, then scared. They uncurled from around him, dropping Legosi in the process and instead curled up in front of the door to block it. Legosi groaned as he hit the ground, not having time to brace for it, but his eyes didn't leave the snake. They acted like it was unheard of to be admired. Maybe it was unheard of in normal society and Legosi was the one acting weird in this context. 

"You okay?" Louis asked, still sitting on the tumble dryer. Legosi hummed his affirmative and stood up. "You were there that night, in the rafters above my brothers and grandfather. Why?" Legosi asked, firm but not threatening.

Rokume rattled their tail again, but answered, "Gon asked me to keep an eye on them, since there were so many. Usually just the one sitting with you isn't an issue, but it caused a little concern. I found they were fine though and just stuck around to make Gon think I was doing as he asked."

Legosi raised an eyebrow. He wanted to ask why anyone thought they would do anything, but then he remembered society doesn't like komodo dragons much.

"I have not told anyone, but I know who they truly are, and you as well. Both of you," For the first time since they showed themselves, they looked at Louis as well.

"I have to admit, it fascinates me that two Gumi heirs are right in public and yet act so normal and kind," They said, glancing between the two. Legosi saw something shine through their eyes. It was times like this where he was thankful for his ability to read reptiles.

Legosi slowly walked over to them and gestured them to lower their head to his eye level. Confused, Rokume did and once they were within reach, Legosi placed a hand under Rokume's jaw and gently pet there. "You want an in, don't you?" He asked quietly.

Rokume's eyes worriedly searched his face and his eyes, settling after a few seconds. "I'm not sure what you mean. I simply want you to help deal with that brown bear," They whispered out, barely as loud as Legosi had spoken.

Legosi added his other hand to cup their large face and said, "You don't have to lie to me. If you're willing to play by our rules, I can get you an in." His voice was soft, gentle in a promise he wasn't sure he could keep but Rokume didn't know that.

They leaned into his touch, relaxing some, then hummed, "Yeah, you've figured me out." Louis stared wide eyed at the display, not sure what to make of it. Apparently Legosi is a snake charmer. When did he learn to do that?

"Then we have a deal? I'll talk with you again Monday after next," Legosi said. Rokume nodded and reluctantly moved out of his reach. They left through the door quickly after that, disappearing into the hallways.

Legosi collapsed onto one of the benches, arms and legs hanging off and sighed out in relief. "Let's never do that again," Legosi mumbled. Louis chuckled in relief, putting his gun away for safe keeping. "Tell me about it," Louis said.

Just then the tumble dryers beeped. Their clothes were done.

_______________°•○●○•°______________

Bill scratched at the bandages on his arm as he entered the roof from the main staircase. He seemed unnerved to be here, to be alone with the two heirs who have put him in his place multiple times.

"Hey guys, is something up? We don't usually talk alone. We don't usually talk, full stop," Bill asked and as much as he tried to hide the tremor in his voice, it was still blatantly there.

Legosi closed the door to the staircase and placed his back against it, crossing his arms and watching Bill closely. Bill whipped around to look at the wolf. "Look, if I did something wrong, we can talk about it, okay? I promise I won't do it again, whatever I did!" He was obviously getting more and more nervous.

It was an odd sight to see considering he was usually such a loud, uproarous and confident animal and yet, around them he seemed so meek.

Louis was suddenly behind him, "You aren't in trouble, Bill. We just want to ask you some questions about the gang you went after." Bill whipped around to face the deer this time and nodded.

"W-what do you guys wanna k-know?" Bill asked, keeping his claws close to his chest and fiddling with his nails. It was kind of cute if they were being honest.

Bill talked pretty easily, telling them any names he overheard, how some of it's members looked, any indication of their current location and roughly how many survived after he and Gouhin had gone in and fought.

"So Gouhin actually helped you?" Louis asked, leaning against the fence that split the empty swimming pool from the rest of the rooftop. "Yeah, he was reluctant at first, but I guess he wasn't going to let a teenager die because of a stupid decision," Bill chuckled.

The tiger glanced over his shoulder at Legosi when he finished telling them everything he knew, seeing the wolf busy on his phone. "Can I go now?" Bill asked. Legosi and Louis shared a look, followed by a nod and then Legosi moved over to stand by Louis.

Bill bid them a nervous good night before scurrying off down the stairs. Louis' phone vibrated and he glanced at it to see that Legosi had forwarded him a message with all the details they just got out of Bill. "Thought you'd want that, helps to remember everything," Legosi said, lighting a cigar and taking a seat on the side of the roof, legs dangling off.

Louis marked the message and sat down beside Legosi, lighting a cigarette as well. They watched the last part of the sunset as they thought through yet another difficult bit of information they gained.

The gang causing problems is made up of a pride of lionesses and one male lion running the gang.

Chapter Text

It was just another Wednesday afternoon at the club. Dom and Legosi were discussing which filters would work best for the next performance that they were planning. They were stuck between red and blue.

It was going to be a performance of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, with Louis playing as Jekyll and Pina playing as Hyde, juxtaposed to each other. It was a musical, but both the herbivores had wonderful singing voices that could travel to the back of the auditorium, so that wasn't going to be an issue.

Some of the actors and dancers were helping each other stretch by the mirrors and the stage crew was hard at work making the costumes and props they would need.

A high pitched scream rang out, getting the attention of everyone in the room. By the mirrors, in the middle of the floor, lay Kibi, his arm ripped clean off. Tao was a few feet away from him, frozen in terror and still holding the arm. It appears to have given way at the shoulder joint.

Tao spluttered, trying to explain that it was an accident as everyone comes closer, trying to figure out what to do. "Herbivores stand back!" Louis ordered as he jumped off the stage and came over to stand by Legosi.

Tao dropped the arm as the herbivores moved away from him, they instead went to Kibi's aid. Tao was clearly panicking and Legosi had to note that sometimes carnivores forgot just how strong they are by nature. Yes, it was an accident, but that doesn't make it any less gruesome to the herbivores standing by.

Tao grabbed Els by the shoulders and shook her, "You know I didn't mean it, right?! It was an accident!" Els looked two seconds away from screaming. Bill stepped in, luckily, and pushed Tao away, holding him in a way that pinned his arms to his own body and trying to calm the panther down. Sheila ran over to help calm him down too.

Tao wiggled out of Bill's grip and clasped onto Sheila in a death grip. She held him securely, alternating between rubbing his head and his back to try and calm him down.

Confident that Sheila could handle her boyfriend, the rest of the club's attention turned back to Kibi. Dom had tied the shirt around his shoulder to help staunch the flow of blood.

Legosi found the smell of blood didn't phase him and mentally noted to check that over later. Kibi was still writhing in pain, barely holding back tears. Legosi didn't imagine it was a pleasant feeling to lose a limb.

"We need to get him to the infirmary quickly! They'll get him to a hospital and be able to reattach his arm!" Sanu said, urging anyone to help Kibi get to the infirmary.

Aoba went closer, wanting to pick Kibi up to take him to the nurse, but Kibi caught one glimps of him and screamed, reeling away from the eagle.

"No! No carnivores! You'll take the other arm too!" Kibi yelled, shivering still from the pain. Louis gave Legosi a glance as Aoba backed away. "I'll take him," Louis said, tone gentle as he went over to Kibi. "Is that okay, Kibi?" Louis asked as he bent down. Kibi gave him a look and once he clocked that Louis was a herbivore, he nodded.

Louis adjusted Kibi into his arms and allowed the anteater to hook his legs around his back. To several carnivores' surprise, Louis got up with ease. He had a lot of strength from growing up in the Market, but none of them knew that.

"Someone needs to take the arm," Dom said, trepidation all too clear in his voice. The herbivores seemed afraid of it, while the carnivores seemed unsure. Legosi, noting his instincts were still not doing anything in accordance to the blood, decided he'd be fine to help. He threw his red tracksuit jacket over the arm and folded it up before picking it up. "There, so no one needs to see," Legosi said.

Louis gave him a nod and then the two took off to the infirmary, Louis moving with ease despite the extra weight. When had he gotten that strong?

Louis and Legosi made the trip to the infirmary as quick as they could without jostling Kibi too much. They knew well what shock and pain could do to an animal, especially herbivores.

The nurse's eyes widen at the sight, while Louis puts Kibi down on one of the beds and starts explaining as he does, "They were helping each other stretch and his friend accidentally hurt him, do call the ambulance quickly."

The nurse nodded and got to that call, while Legosi carefully placed the severed arm on the table beside the bed. "The ambulance will be here soon," the nurse informed them and the two heirs finally left the room while the nurse administered some IV painkillers.

As they made their way back to the club, Louis noted some specks of blood on his shirt, but he shrugged it off since he knew how to easily get blood out of clothes anyway.

When they reached the club again, Sanu was waiting for them. "I've already told everyone else that I'm cancelling club for the rest of the afternoon. Don't panic though, we're just going to get the room cleaned and then things will be back to normal," Sanu promised.

The two nod and head to the lead actor office to get changed back into their school clothes. No doubt everyone else was doing that too. Legosi has been changing in the office with Louis for a couple months now since he got annoyed at the other club members checking him over for what he could only assume was venom burns. He doesn't have those and never will due to his immunity, but it gets annoying very fast.

Fudge had gone to take Kibi's bag to the ambulance as they were loading the injured anteater, while Bill, Sheila, Tao and Aoba were sitting under the emergency stairs at the side of the Club building, trying to comfort Tao. It seems they had it under control, so Legosi and Louis returned to their dorms to clean up and get on their homework.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Several weeks after the Kibi incident at school, the weekend had arrived and Louis was out with Free and Agata at some strip club slash bar place that the two liked to frequent.

Agata was talking with another male lion that was heavily flirting with the young lion, while Free was making a bunch of females giggle and blush a few feet away in a booth.

Louis shook his head and sipped at his drink. He doesn't usually come with them to these places, but he'd been bored and had nothing better to do. Not to mention he wanted to drink.

"Well hello there, pretty stranger~" a sweet, female voice said. Louis glanced to the side and smiled when he spotted Cosmo. She sat down beside him, clad in comfy looking clothes. She must just have come from her shift.

"Haven't seen you in a while," Louis comments, ordering a drink for her. She smiles and places a soft kiss on Louis' cheek. "I thought I scared you off the last time," She said with a giggle. Louis chuckled, just as the barman gave her the drink.

"No, I've just been busy, not to mention I'm in a relationship now, and I can't cheat on them," Louis said, giving her a wink. To anyone around them, it may seem like they were flirting. "Oh, well that's got to be some special animal that managed to steal your heart~" She says, taking a sip of her drink. "Yeah," Louis breathed out.

Glancing around, he noted that Free was getting high with a bunch of strippers, while Agata had completely disappeared out of sight. When they both finished their drinks, Louis said, "Wanna ditch this place?" Cosmo gave him a smile and nodded.

Soon the two were walking the streets of the Market. "Are you sure it's safe to be walking alone without your lions~?" Cosmo teased. Louis shrugged, knowing she was joking, "If anything, it makes it less safe for other animals." This got a laugh out of her.

Despite Cosmo being old enough to be his mother, Louis had made good friends with her over the last two years since they met. She hooked her arm into his as they walked. Some of the residents were giving them odd looks, but Louis didn't care.

At one point, Cosmo trips, her heels not suited for the uneven streets of the Market. Louis caught her easily and both of them shared a laugh at the situation.

Once she was upright again, Louis got an idea. "Those have to be killing your feet by now." She tilted her head at him, "Yeah, but it's okay, we're not far from my apartment anymore."

Louis shrugged, "What size are the heels?" Cosmo blinked, "Huh?" Louis chuckled at her expression, "What size are the heels?" Cosmo glanced him over to see if he was being serious, and to her surprise, he was. "8, I think," She said.

Louis nods, then guides them both to a bench. "Let's switch then," Louis said, already toeing off his sneakers. As surprised as Cosmo was, she knew Louis a bit by now and wanted to see where this goes.

Cosmo found herself in relief when she slipped on the sneakers and stood to help Louis up. He's never worn heels and now he'd put himself in 12 inch stilletos. It took him a moment to find his balance and Cosmo was all too happy to help him find it.

She explained briefly how he was supposed to walk in them and then the two of them set off, Louis resting his arm on her shoulder to help himself keep balance. "It's no fair that you're taller than me now," Cosmo teased, making Louis laugh and almost stumble. This time Cosmo was the one helping to stabilise him.

By the time they reached the end of the street, Louis appeared to be strutting all too well in the set of heels. They got some attention, being quite a sight in the Market, but neither really cared, not to mention Louis' gun being very visible on his hip and it likely deterred a lot of assholes who may have tried something otherwise.

They walked all the way to Cosmo's apartment and she invited Louis in for some tea. The night grew long with their casual conversation and Louis ended up spending the night on her couch.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

"You know you can just ask them, right? They'd help ya," Legosi mumbles as he follows Louis up another flight of stairs. "I don't want them to get the wrong idea, you know. It's not like I want to leave or anything, I just... I wanna know," Louis says, flashing a small light down an empty hall of cages. Some cages still had bare white bones laying in them from long dead livestock kids.

Louis gulped and turned to head up another flight. He'd asked Legosi to come with him to the ruins of the livestock tower, in search of some information that he isn't sure they'd find anywhere else. Whether they'd find it here was a gamble in itself.

The railings on the stairs looked about ready to crumble to dust and the elevator had fallen years ago. They were sticking to the walls and stepping very lightly to avoid causing the floor to crumble below them.

Once they reached the floor that held all the information, they both quietly dive into separate folders to find any information faster.

After a while, Louis sat down on the creaky ass desk and sighed, "There's surprisingly little information on the products that came through here." Referring to the kids as products made it easier to talk about, it helped Louis distance himself from the situation.

Legosi nodded, putting down one folder to pick up another one, "I mean, they didn't expect to keep them here long, did they? It was kind of an in and out kind of thing." Even Legosi felt awkward talking about it.

The conversation petered off there and almost an hour of silence and papers flipping later, Louis finally came across something. He stares at the paper in his hands, frayed and yellowed by age, but still clear enough to read. There was a name, a familiar name.

He itched to throw something, but with nothing within reach, all he could do was just flex his free hand to try and rid himself of the tingling feeling there.

"You might wanna see this," Legosi said quietly, turning slowly and walking over to Louis to hand him another yellowed paper. "What is it?" Louis asks, taking the paper and momentarily forgetting about the name on the paper in his own hands.

Louis takes the paper and reads it over while Legosi looks away, looking apprehensive and a little uncomfortable. The hand holding the papers start to shake.

"Louis?" Legosi asks, voice quiet and worried. Louis sighs, "Thanks, I'll look into this some more." Legosi walks over and pulls Louis into a hug. Despite the deer not really wanting physical effection right now, Legosi's heat and weight felt good against him. Louis leaned into it and sighed out slowly. He needed a smoke after this, stronger than his usual brand though.

After a while they finally parted and left quietly out of the ruins. Louis tucked the frayed papers into a hidden pocket of his jacket. He'd like to look more into what he'd just learned. They shared a smoke once they got outside of the building and back into the warm night air.

°°°°°

Since Louis knew the youngest three lions joined after the point where Chief had been run off, he roped them into helping him with this.

He did have some explaining to do, not to mention reassuring Agata and Free that he wasn't planning to leave or anything, he just wanted to know because of curiosity.

Louis knew he could just ask them, especially Ibuki. Nothing can be a more awkward conversation than when he'd straight up asked Ibuki if he was supposed to be food that one night, but something in his gut felt like asking this was the equivalent of using a highwire as a jumprope.

He wasn't supposed to know this and yet, he just wanted it confirmed. He wasn't going to hold it against them.

Dope was checking the archived books from before Ibuki took over. Free was running through his contacts in the Market to see if he could find someone by the name Louis had gotten and Agata was asking around with old friends if they'd heard anything about a popular herbivore having a kid about 17 or 18 years ago.

The four of them were getting this done without the others having a clue, for now at least. Louis wanted proof before he took this up with the older lions.

Chapter Text

"At least try it out once, you won't know if you don't try," Legosi offers as he, Toby, Louis and Kai are on their way to the biology rooms that Friday afternoon.

Legosi has been alternating between the wolf room and the komodo dragon room every week, this week he is with Toby again, so they were both looking forward to just relaxing and talking again.

Kai is also known to jump between the mongoose room and the hyena room because of his upbringing and apparently one of the hyenas is his cousin, so they're always happy to be able to hang out.

Louis has only been going to the deer room, even though Gon has explicitly told him he's welcome to go to the lion room if he wanted to. The thing was, Louis didn't know any of the lions in the school and wasn't sure if they would throw him out if he tried to go in there.

Legosi and Kai were doing a too good job of convincing him to try though, so when they passed the lion room, Louis split off from the group and went inside, a little nervous but hiding it well.

The other three walked Kai to the mongoose room and then Toby and Legosi made their way to the farthest biology room, the komodo dragon one.

°°°°°

The lions became quiet when Louis stepped into the room. Of course everyone knew by now that he was adopted by lions, but to see him willingly enter a room full of lions still caught them off guard. Most of them were stuck between staying quiet or asking him to leave and in the end no one said anything, so Louis just stepped in further.

One of the bigger lions, likely a 3rd year, walked up to Louis, shoulders squared and looking about to throw the deer out. Memories of Miguel telling Louis how to instantly win an altercation with a lion popped into his mind.

"Your family may be lions but that don't mean you're allowed in here," the male said, every lion in the room's eyes were on them. "Principle Gon says otherwise, big guy," Louis says, a smug look in place and likely acting a lot bigger than he physically was.

The male lion bristled, "You're still a herbivore!" He says indignantly, trying to grab Louis, who simply sidestepped him and grabbed his tail, yanking it before kneeing him in the stomach.

The large lion ended up on the floor on his ass, wide eyed at the display. Those quietly watching were also surprised. "Nice try," Louis said with a grin.

It took all of ten minutes before Louis had that large lion mewling like a kitten while brushing his mane and styling it.

Some of the lionesses were making idle conversation with Louis, taking note of how to style manes and have their males enjoy the experience, while the males weren't sure how to react. It looked nice, if nothing else.

So the males took turns getting their manes brushed and styled by Louis, the last of which got into casual conversation with Louis while the lionesses tried to emulate what Louis did with their boyfriends.

"You're really good at this," the lion said. Louis noted he was maybe a year or two younger than himself. "I'm Airdo, by the way," Airdo introduces himself, purring quietly as the brush passes through his mane. Louis smiles, "I'm Louis. It's nice to meet you, Airdo."

Airdo made light conversation with Louis throughout the hour. Louis would answer back, the light conversation being a nice change of pace from the grumbling of the others who were apprehensive of letting him do this.

The deer had to admit, it was nice to just spend time with lions outside of his family. Maybe Legosi and Kai were right.

°°°°°°

Legosi laid down on the grass immediately, sighing out as he became aware of the dull headache that thrummed between his ears.

Toby took off his mask, hooking it on the wall before taking a seat on one of the benches that resembled a rock. The artificial sun and heat felt nice.

"Isn't the humidity too much for the summer?" Toby asked, stretching out and laying down lazily. Legosi hummed, "Not really, at least not for now. It will get worse as the summer reach less it's peak. It always does."

It wasn't a lie, he usually suffers during the summer, what with his fur being so thick.

"You need to be careful of getting heatstroke if you're planning to come in here in the height of summer then," Toby commented, only getting a grunt from Legosi.

"Are you okay?" Toby asked, rolling off the bench to lay on the ground next to Legosi.

Legosi covered his eyes with his arm and shrugged, "Just a headache, I'm hoping it goes away before Club because I don't want to deal with Bill and the others while already dealing with it." Toby nodded and Legosi found blocking the artificial light from his eyes helped ease the pain a bit.

"Can I ask you something?" Toby asked quietly, trying not to cause further aches, but also having something on his mind he needed to ask. "Shoot," Legosi mumbled.

Toby cleared his throat and Legosi could hear him fiddling with his clothes and scales as he tried to form the words correctly. Legosi gave him the time to figure it out.

"I uhm, I need to go into the Market, to visit an old teacher of mine. He wants to know how I'm doing and all..." Toby rambled after a few minutes pass, "And I was wondering if you'd.... uhm, if you'd... come with me?" Toby swallowed thickly as the question left his lips.

Legosi had no doubt the younger male was struggling to keep his venom from leaking everywhere, even without seeing him. The lack of immediate answer made Toby tense up and explain further, "I won't force you to go, but I'm scared to go alone and my mom is busy and-"

"Relax, there's no judgement, I get it. I'll go with you, you just have to tell me beforehand so I can make up an excuse to not be home that day," Legosi interrupted him, agreeing all the same.

Toby found himself speechless for a moment, then fell onto Legosi in a tight hug. Legosi huffed at the sudden weight, but wrapped his arms around Toby with a chuckle. The kid really wore his heart on his sleeve, didn't he?

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

That night had gone like every other last Friday of the month. As soon as Legosi got back to the mansion, he was swooped off to get blood drawn, then he had some time to get ready and maybe eat something before the real event started.

As they waited for the time to commence, Legosi took note of everyone like he always did. He spotted Louis easily enough, the latter checking that he had enough ammo for tonight and his artificial claws were sharp as ever. Melon was fidgeting with his claws, clearly not wanting to be there, but forced to be since a couple months ago. Legosi also clocked Sora among the Inarigumi, looking nervous and like she was about to book it. It was her first Turf War and Legosi could guess it was frightening for someone who isn't desensitised to the violence of this life.

He adjusted the strap of his mask and took a deep breath. It was just another fight for him, so when the clock chimed and the torches lit up, it was open season.

Legosi jumped in as usual, going through the motions. The adrenaline spreading through his veins felt as right as ever. He had to admit that Melon was a worthy adversary, anytime they got into the space to go up against each other, neither of them went down, but their blows were strategic and fast.

After a while, both of them would turn to other opponents, seeing they would get nowhere against each other. They were balanced powers.

Legosi caught sight of Louis from his peripheral, fighting off several Inarigumi, who had seemingly singled him out. Sabu quickly moved in to aid Louis, so Legosi refocused on the wolf in front of him. Arctic wolves were a lot smaller than him, Legosi realised as he planted a well placed kick and knocked the young wolf back several dozen meters. He stayed down once he came to halt.

Legosi turned to yet another opponent, a leopard male that seemed to be out for his throat. He dodged easily and planted blows to the ribs before slamming his head against the leopard's.

The leopard went down, nose bleeding profusely. Legosi turned and saw several leopards closing in on Garth, who was still healing from a bullet wound from earlier in the day, which caused him to be slightly slower than usual.

Legosi wasn't going to be able to block the blows, but he jumped in without thinking of the repercussions. 

A cold sensation gripped his spine, which soon turned to a seering burn that would put a wildfire to shame. Legosi spun around to turn his back to Garth, aiming for the throats of the leapoards. They dropped like flies and Legosi found himself cackling as adrenaline and pain drove his every following action.

The sound that escaped his throat, somewhere between a hiss and a growl, would haunt every animal within hearing range for the rest of their lives.

Drying blood itched his hands as he tore an Okamigumi wolf's head straight off, several vertebrates from the spine coming along. He'd barely turned and recognised Sora before she fled at the sight. He didn't give chase, she was a mere child in his eyes.

°°°°°

Sora hid behind a dumpster nearby, heart beating out of her throat and hands shaking at what she's seen tonight. She's barely fought, so much as run at every chance she gets.

If she thought she'd been afraid of Louis and Legosi before, this created a whole new level of fear. When had her breathing started burning her lungs?

Glancing around the dumpster, she saw Louis shoot someone point blank, half their head blowing off in a massacre of blood and gore. She ducked back behind the dumpster and tried to quiet down her sobbing. When had that started?

She looked up as someone stopped beside her, kneeling down. She barely recognised Melon before she jumped into his arms. As scrawny as he was, he picked her up and ran with her. She wasn't sure where they were going, but she would forever be thankful that he found her and took her away from all that bloodletting.

°°°°°

Louis didn't miss the way Legosi was swaying on his feet once the action died down and all the Gumis were gathering their own, but he couldn't go over due to him holding up Agata, who had taken quite a beating tonight and was struggling to stay awake. He'd worry about Legosi later, Savon seemed to have it under control though.

Louis took Agata to one of the cars, where Free, Dolph and Ibuki were getting into as well. Louis was the least injured, so he took the job of driving back to the mansion.

Dope, Miguel, Hino, Jinma and Sabu were in the other car, Sabu driving. Somehow he always got the least hurt in these things.

Pain and injuries were just another part of life in the Market though, Louis knew that and he was used to it, but that didn't change the fact that he was worried about the extent of Legosi's injuries. That much blood was worrying.

°°°°°

Savon hooked Legosi's arm over his shoulders when he saw the swaying. He couldn't get a grip on the wolf though, the amount of blood coming from his back made his fur slick. Legosi was laughing, barely staying upright and Savon realised the wolf may have lost a lot more blood than any of them think.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't catch the worried look Gosha and Smog threw their way as they made their way back to the cars and motorcycles. None of them were going to let Legosi drive, so the wolf ended up on the back of his motorcycle, while Ronan took Legosi's.

Legosi's grip would loosen or slip from time to time, but would quickly come back and Savon could only guess that the kid was fighting to stay conscious until they reached safe grounds.

Usually Dokugumi injuries didn't require too much attention, not even Legosi's, but tonight was different. Smog helped him move Legosi to his room once they reached the Dokugumi mansion.

It took a good hour, several hundred stitches and the bathroom being covered in blood, before they had finally cleaned and dealt with the cuts on his back. They had to shave a good bit of the fur on his back down to a white undercoat to ensure the hair doesn't cause infection. They helped him get out of his shoes and mask, and change into pajama pants, but didn't bother with a shirt, that would only aggravate the wounds.

Then Savon and Smog took turns to go clean themselves up in their own rooms while the other one stayed to watch Legosi, who was now sleeping on his bed. The others had come in as well to check on the wolf, their pup, to make sure he was still alive.

At some point Smog had left to go sleep, while Savon stayed up, texting back and forth with Free, who only asked because Louis wouldn't stop bothering him since the deer didn't get answers from texting Legosi. Savon cleared up that Legosi was just knocked out.

Savon started dozing at around 3am, when Gosha walked in, looking tired and bruised, but in better condition than everyone else.

"Go rest, Savon. I'll keep an eye on him," Gosha said and Savon had to wonder if the elder dragon was as worried as the rest of them, if not more. He couldn't tell between his own tiredness and the low light in the room. Savon sighed, but got up and left anyway. He knew better than to disobey orders.

°°°°°

Gosha sat down on the edge of the bed, looking Legosi over from head to toe. His other wounds, bruises or cuts, seemed to have healed, but the ones on his back were deep, slowly staining the bandages a dark ruby colour.

He lit a cigar and inhaled the smoke slowly. He knew they weren't always the best influence or the best family for the hybrid, but none of them ever wished anything like this on their pup. He wiped at his lips before venom could drip from them.

Legosi seemed peaceful though, and someone had brought him water at some point, and some food, which was placed on the bedside table. Smog had informed him earlier that there had been ten deep cuts spanning Legosi's back, clearly made by feline claws, several deep enough to see bone and barely miss vital organs, or maybe it hadn't but the organs had just already healed up by the time they returned.

The Dokugumi took turns over the weekend to watch Legosi and keep him company. He slept most of the time, only waking up to use the bathroom or eat something.

Savon would read to Legosi as he slept, or maybe he was awake because his ears moved to follow the flux of Savon's words.

Ozone would play classical music from his phone, which helped Legosi forget about the pain long enough to fall asleep again.

Garth would periodically bring Legosi food and painkillers, enough to knock three komodo dragons out at once, but it was based on what he knew from the years before and the extent of the injuries.

Morro and Ronan would take turns telling Legosi about the damage to the other Gumis and what they gained from the night in attempts to cheer the wolf up.

Spine had set out to make a soft undershirt for Legosi as a barrier for when he has to return to school, to wear under his uniform so it doesn't agitate the scars.

By Sunday afternoon, Smog and Savon changed the bandages again and found that the wounds had at least closed enough to stop bleeding, but they were still considerable welts and would tear open again if Legosi wasn't careful.

Legosi was still high off painkillers when he returned to the school and Gosha made a point of walking the wolf to his dorm to ensure he actually got there.

Louis had greeted Gosha with respect and promised to ensure Legosi takes it easy for the next week at the very least. Satisfied that his grandson was in good hands and would be okay, Gosha returned to the car.

He'd stopped on the stairs for a moment to discreetly talk to Rokume, and have them be their eyes on Legosi for the following week, before he properly left the school grounds. 

Chapter Text

Melon hadn't known what to do when he saw Sora running away from the area of the fights. He knocked the wolf back that was trying to blindside him and took off after Sora.

The look in her eyes made him worry if she was having a panic attack. He isn't even that in touch with his own emotions, but he could read her like a book.

He stopped as he rounded a corner and had to sniff the air to find where Sora had gone. Once he did find her, he noted he was upset to see her in a full blown panic attack. She barely looked up at him before she flung herself against him, arms wrapped around his neck and clinging for dear life.

He took a deep breath and picked her up, straightening up as he did. Despite how scrawny he was, he still had carnivore strength, so once she wrapped her legs around his back and he had a good grip on her back, he took off running.

He didn't know where he was going, as long as it was away from the fighting. That had been what caused this after all. In the back of his mind he swore he hated Ten as much as he hated Mama, because she forced Sora to fight in the worst clash that exists in the Market.

When he blinked, he found himself in an abandoned building, sitting on the floor against the cement wall and trying to calm Sora down. His years of studying psychology in his free time made him well equipped to deal with her.

She still clung to him, but if that made her feel safer, then so be it. He kept talking to her until she started talking back. Despite how cold and decrepit the abandoned building was, they stayed there until the sun came up, not wanting to return and face their mothers yet.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

It took all of two days, for Legosi to lose his cool about the heat. Jack and the 701 boys had joined him, Louis and Haru for lunch. Toby was absent, having some sort of species specific illness, so he wouldn't be at school for the week.

Legosi groaned and laid forward, placing his forehead on the cement in front of him, his lunch tray forgotten to the side. "Legosi?" Jack asked. Legosi grumbled as a response and Louis found himself worried.

"Is it the heat getting to you?" Jack asked, after all it was the height of summer and Jack knew wolves had thicker fur than most dogs. Legosi grumbled his response again. "Why don't you just trim your fur?" Miguno asked, which made Legosi's ears perk up.

"Yeah, wait, don't tell me you don't trim your fur in the summer!" Collot said, worried and confused. Legosi lifted his head up, feeling woozy and trying to focus through a headache. He shook his head, making all the canines stare at him.

"How in Rex name have you avoided heatstroke until now?" Jack asked, jumping to his feet. Legosi's back ached, so he moved as little as he possibly could.

"You can borrow my razor," Jack offered. "Maybe I could help you too?" Jack said. Legosi's ears perked then, but the frown on his face said everything. He truly couldn't let any of the boys see the fresh scars on his back and risk dealing with more rumours.

"I'll do it myself and if I need help, I'll ask Louis, but I would appreciate borrowing that razor," Legosi said, covering easily enough. Jack nodded, a little put out that he couldn't help, but it changed quickly enough when Voss brought up going to B-Strike at some point.

°°°°°

That night, after showering, Legosi asked Louis to help him cut his fur.

"Are you sure I should be helping you with this?" Louis asked, wanting to stop Legosi from making a potential mistake, after all, he was sky high on painkillers still, it was a wonder he could even focus in classes.

"I'm sure, it needs to be thinned out and shortened. You do the lions' manes so often, both here at school and at home, that I trust you to not mess it up," Legosi grumbled. Louis shrugged and got to work.

They trimmed off several bags of fur, enough to create a second Legosi for that matter. The cut went down to just above his undercoat, making the heat a lot more bearable, but his fur remained grey, though it was lighter than his usual grey.

By the end of it, Legosi felt a lot lighter and less like he was going to keel over from the heat. He ended up falling asleep sitting upright while Louis changed his bandages. At least things at the drama club were relaxed right now and he wasn't required to move a bunch of stuff. It would have no doubt ripped the stitches.

By Louis' judgement, another day would be enough and then they could remove the stitches.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

By Thursday, everyone in the club was starting to notice that Legosi was even quieter and more introverted than usual. Legosi didn't believe a word of it, but the painkillers also had him falling asleep in the lighting rig when no one paid him attention.

He was no use with the costumes, since he kept fumbling from the opiods in his system. Usually he was the best in the club at sewing, but he claimed he was just having an off week.

Louis had taken the stitches out the night before, with explicit consent from Savon to do so. Legosi was part komodo dragon, so he healed faster than most animals, but the speed at which he heals was unpredictable due to his hybrid nature.

The back wounds were healing faster than they would in any other species, but still slower than his injuries usually healed, so it had the ones that knew about the wounds on edge the entire time.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Friday came and went without issue and the two heirs were returning home. Louis was thankful the komodos were picking Legosi up instead of letting him go by motorcycle like he usually did. After all, even if he was on a lower dose of painmeds by now, he was still in no condition to be driving.

Savon checked his back again once they reached the mansion, even if Louis had been sending him pictures every night, and was happy to see Legosi was healing at a steady pace.

None of them were prepared for what befell them only hours later.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

"So we found more info during the week for your little search," Agata said, entering Louis' room just before the sun set.

Louis looked up to see Agata wasn't alone. Dope and Free were with him. They passed him some documents as they all took seats around the room.

As Louis checked over the documents, Dope spoke, "The bad news, is that the Shishigumi did in fact own the livestock tower all those years ago. Good news though, once it shut down it never resurfaced or opened again." Louis nodded, putting the old document detailing their income, input, output and outcome from the livestock tower, down.

He took a deep breath and pulled at his antlers while grumbling, but he found he wasn't upset at the Shishigumi for it. After all, they hadn't been the ones that put him there, but they did give him a second chance at life once it was shut down. He was mad that a place like that existed in the first place, and at his birth parents for leaving him there.

Then he took the papers with the information about his biological parents. Since he picked up what Agata found first, Agata took it as his cue to speak, "You might be upset to find out about your birth father, maybe jealous that you didn't have a life with him."

Louis looked over the documents and found way too many emotions going through him. Anger, disgust, confusion, but never jealousy. After all, he knew how William acted, so he doesn't think he missed out on anything by never knowing Oguma. Apparently the CEO was his blood father, but the male had never known about it.

Slamming down the document, making the three lions jump, Louis took a deep breath and brought his emotions under control. Dope noted that Sabu taught Louis very well over the years.

Once he had his emotions in control, Louis picked up the last document. "You aren't going to believe what we found about your birth mother. Look at the bloodline and species," Free said, hoping this would be better news to their fawn than the previous two things.

The picture showed a well kept doe in her early 40's, but her eyes were odd and her smile revealed a couple fangs scattered between flat herbivore teeth. Looking at the bloodline information, Louis' eyes widened.

"Wait, if she's ⅛ lion, then does that mean-?" Louis cut himself off. Free chuckled, "Yeah Fawn! You've got some lion in you! That explains so much!" Free absolutely cackled happily. Louis laughed, in nervousness or relief or shock, he didn't know yet. Later he would realise it was relief.

Agata and Dope were surprised too, both mumbling that it made so many things make so much more sense. For one, Louis' craving for meat and ability to stomach it. Herbivores couldn't do that. It also explained why Louis lacked the instincts to be afraid of any carnivore he comes across. It could also explain why he took so long and had such an issue when his antlers first grew in, his biology was deciding whether to grow antlers or a mane. He likely didn't have enough lion in his dna to grow both.

The whole group was laughing by the end of it. They had to tell the others at some point. Not tonight though, they've had enough emotions for one night. Not to mention they would have to explain the whole thing in the first place and how they even got ahold of the information.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

In all his years of life and all the things he's seen, this was something he'd never expected.

She looked so timid, grey hairs scattered all around her thick fur. He didn't think he'd ever see her again, much less at this age.

She offered him a smile, but he watched her with a passive face. What could she possibly want after almost 40 years?

Gosha takes a sip from his glass of whiskey. Something he has near constantly these days. Toki watches his hand, looking like she might make a run for it at the first sign of aggression. She was never made for a life in the Market and yet she used to have one.

Voice shaking, Toki broke the silence first, "It's been a while since we last met." Gosha breathed out slowly, "Enough with the niceties. Why are you here?" His voice was even and more gravelly than she remembers, likely due to years of damage from alcohol, cigars and violence.

She gulped, straightened up more and fiddled with the strap of her handbag. If he wanted to get straight to the point, then she'd play his game.

"I-I w-want to see my grandson," Toki said, stuttering but stern. Gosha raised an eyebrow, "Darling, I don't know what you think we do here, but we aren't in the business of kidnapping." Toki's eyes narrowed in on him in a frown. He remained neutral.

"You know that's not what I mean," Toki said, exasperation clear in her voice. "If you're looking for a gang member, I'd suggest going to the Okamigumi, we don't have wolves in our ranks, not to mention if you have grandkids they would barely be high-school age at this point and the youngest male here is in his late twenties." It wasn't fully a lie, after all Legosi was a hybrid, not just a wolf.

Toki seemed angered by his indifference and got to her feet. "I heard about this crazy Dragon Wolf kid who works with you guys. The only one with those genetics had been my daughter, -no, our daughter-, and she died 15 years ago. She had a baby boy named Legosi that was 2 when she died, but she gave him away. I'm willing to bet this Dragon Wolf is Legosi and I demand to see him!"

She'd gone red in the face, hands clenching her long skirt and was hovering halfway over Gosha. He thought she looked like she was about to pass out. As hard as she had tried to intimidate him, even hovering over him where he sat, he couldn't bring himself to even pretend to be intimidated.

It's been a long week as it is, he doesn't want to deal with an overly emotional female wolf. "Sit down," Gosha orders, remembering that tone of voice always worked on Legosi. Toki straightened her back, looking shocked, and backed up until she sat on her own chair again. She was still red in the face, but now she seemed more flustered than angered.

He still feigned ignorance about Legosi when he spoke again, "Even if this Legosi kid was here, why would I let you anywhere near him. For all we know, you're an Okamigumi spy." Toki frowned again, tilting her head in confusion. Gosha was struck for a moment at how familiar that gesture was, even if he didn't outwardly show it.

"I'm not sure what an Okamigumi is. I only know about the original four Gumis. Truthfully I haven't been this deep into the Market for 20 years now," Toki admits, back to fiddling with her hands and looking nervous.

Gosha watched her every move and tell, even if he doesn't know her personally anymore, he knows the signs of canines, even the ones that could lie by second nature. As skeptical as he still was to allow any of what she was asking, he could admit that she was telling the full truth. This wasn't a Gumi negotiation, he didn't need to be so strict and closed off.

Gosha took another sip of his whiskey, closing his eyes with an inhale. He swallowed, exhaled, and when he opened his eyes again, Toki could see something much softer than a Gumi boss hardened by years of violence and chaos. He looked tired, like a grandfather who's had to raise a child on his own. In many ways, he was.

"If we hadn't spent 15 years raising Legosi, I would've said you could take him and leave. I'll never understand why Leano decided that he'd be better off with a Black Market gang over his grandmother," Gosha's voice was still deep, but there was a parental softness to it now. Toki softened as well, because Gosha was opening up a bit.

"I'm not here to take him away, it seems like he's safe and well taken care of here, I just want to see him, see how he's doing, see for myself that he is alive," Toki admits, voice softer too now.

Gosha checked his phone for a second, sending a quick text to Legosi. Last he'd heard, the teen had gone up to the rooftop garden.

Gosha and Toki talked on, about Leano, about Legosi, about life in general, until Legosi got to the office. Gosha couldn't tell her much about business, for obvious reasons, but she didn't mind it.

A careful, but prominent, knock sounded from the door, causing the two inside to go quiet. "That would be him," Gosha said quietly and he could hear Legosi shifting around outside the door.

"Come in!" Gosha called while Toki straightened her skirt out again, just needing something to do with her hands. It's been 15 years since she's last seen Legosi and she was as nervous as she was excited to see him once more.

Chapter Text

A careful, but prominent, knock sounded from the door, causing the two inside to go quiet. "That would be him," Gosha said quietly and he could hear Legosi shifting around outside the door.

"Come in!" Gosha called while Toki straightened her skirt out again, just needing something to do with her hands. It's been 15 years since she's last seen Legosi and she was as nervous as she was excited to see him once more.

She didn't know what she was expecting, but this was not it. He was big, like almost the same height as a lot of the Komodo Dragons she passed on the way in. He looked gangly, the toned muscles of a wolf and long limbs to match, but too tall. The scars literring any visible skin was also startling.

Legosi glanced over the room as he entered, closing the door behind him and walking up to stand beside Gosha's chair. He wasn't sure who the wolf was but she didn't smell like Okamigumi members usually smell, so she likely wasn't one.

Surveying Gosha's eyes and expression made Legosi relax to some extent. The female wolf wasn't a threat if Gosha is in grandpa mode.

Toki silently admired the respect and trust Legosi showed towards Gosha, clocking the giant wolf relaxing as he took in Gosha's demeanor.

Gosha shifted to make space for Legosi on the arm of the chair, tapping it to signal to the wolf he could sit down.

Legosi carefully glanced between Gosha and the unfamiliar wolf, but ultimately sat down on the arm of the chair, leaning his side against Gosha's shoulder in the process. The old komodo didn't mind.

"I think it's about time you met your grandmother," Gosha said, taking note of how Legosi's muscles went rigid. Toki waved and smiled sweetly, but that didn't change anything in Legosi's posture.

Legosi tilted his head and waved back, still speechless, but at least showing a reaction. Gosha hasn't seen the teenager react like that in a while, creating a strange feeling of nostalgia tightening his chest.

Toki giggled at Legosi's tilted expression, catching the attention of both males in the room. Legosi's ears shot up as high as they could, aiming towards the sweet sound. Gosha supposes he should give the two a moment to sort out their visual investigation of each other in a way only canines do.

For a moment Gosha is worried Legosi would bolt out of the room, watching as Legosi slowly rises to his feet again. Toki seems nervous, but stays in place, folding her hands in plain sight so Legosi wouldn't perceive her as a threat. She doesn't know exactly what he's learned in 15 years, especially living in a gang this strong and influential, so she chooses to appear as non threatening as she possibly can.

Both adults watched as Legosi slowly made his way over to her, sniffing the air as if looking for something. Maybe something familiar? In good nature, Toki holds her hand out, palm up, towards him. Legosi glanced between Gosha and Toki one more time before bending down to sniff at her palm.

To Gosha's surprise, Legosi leaned his cheek into her palm and hunched down beside the chair she was in to not bend so much. Toki giggled again and fluffed the fur there. There's the puppy she remembers, hidden and almost gone from being raised in this harsh environment.

At Toki's giggle, Legosi let out a soft laugh too and Gosha sighed in relief, shaking his head. He hasn't seen Legosi act so canine in years. The teen has come to almost mimick the dragons perfectly in every aspect, but seeing him show some form of canine traits too made Gosha smile. It was good.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Ibuki calls for whoever is knocking to enter and Louis sticks his head into the office, narrowly missing the doorframe with his antlers. Ibuki can't help but notice they've become knarled and curled in a way he's only seen in some older stags before.

"Is this a good time to talk?" Louis asks. Ibuki glances over at Dolph, who is about to leave, but Louis shakes his head, "Pops can stay. I wanna have my brothers around too," Louis says as he enters the office, gesturing Agata, Free and Dope in behind him.

Ibuki raises an eyebrow, but let's them do it because he doesn't know what this is about, though it looks to be important if all six of them are around.

Louis feels braver for having the three young lions there as well. His nerves were stupid, as far as he was concerned, this was just his Dad and Pops he was talking to about something that isn't even that bad, but something in his shoulders still tingled with nervousness.

Louis walked over to the desk and placed the file with the things he and his brothers found on the table, closer to Ibuki's side so he can take it. "I did some research and got them to help me," Louis starts explaining.

As Ibuki glances through the papers in the file, he listens to Louis explain why he was looking for these things and what they found.

Ibuki and Dolph listened and once Ibuki was done with the file, he handed it to Dolph so he could look through it as well.

"So whats your next move?" Ibuki asked, surprising Louis, who had been expecting a lot of different questions, but not that one. He swallowed the lump in his throat before he spoke again.

"I dont care about the livestock market, I just wanted that confirmed. In terms with Oguma, I'd prefer to stay as far away from him as possible. However, I'd like to see if we can track my mother down," Louis explains.

Dolph takes the page with the information about Louis' mother and holds it so that both he and Ibuki can look at it.

"I hope you aren't mad," Louis said, scratching at his left wrist. Ibuki shakes his head, "I'm not mad, I am surprised you four found this information without anyone catching on though. Good thing it's not a problem." The three young lions and Louis swallow and Free and Louis laugh nervously.

They knew very well what happens to traitors, luckily those usually pop up in the general gang numbers and not within the inner circle, but the threat stands on all levels.

"We can ask the others to keep an eye out, but this is on you four. You are the ones looking for her, don't make it anyone's issue," They all nod and Louis watches Ibuki more closely now. This irritation is not common with his dad and he wants to figure out why.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

As the sun starts to set, Toki starts looking nervous. Gosha and Legosi both take note of this.

"Its been amazing seeing you two again, but it seems it's time to head home," Toki says, although she looks a little down.

"Why don't you make sure she gets back safely, Legosi," Gosha said, more an order than a question, but it sounded like a statement. Legosi nodded and got to his feet. Toki had a gentle look in her eyes at that, which made the hybrid and the komodo dragon slightly confused. Either way, it didn't matter.

Toki said her goodbyes to Gosha, blushing and tail wagging and allowed Legosi to escort her out of the manor. Some of the Dokugumi members were giving them an odd look, but Legosi gave them a signal not to worry. He'd be back.

Savon made quick work of slipping into Gosha's office to see if the Boss had any orders or new information that needed to be spread among the members.

Sundown, the time where the usual day visitors have gone home and the nightlife hasn't started up yet. They talked every now and again about new and old shops as they passed and Legosi even offered to buy Toki something to eat, but she politely refused, claiming she stopped after she move into the City. Legosi had no trouble with that.

"Would you mind if I smoke?" Legosi asked, itching for a cigar, but not wanting to disturb her if cigar smoke was too much for her nose. He knew well that sensitive noses were an issue sometimes with the slightest things.

"I don't mind, but does Gosha actually let you?" Toki asks as they turn down a thinner alleyway that divided the deep Market from the surface vendors. Legosi chuckled and lit a cigar he pulls out of his pocket.

"He didn't know about it until I was 16 and then it was too late. He was a bit mad, but as long as I don't get into silvervine or things like it, he said he wouldn't stop me. Besides, everyone there smokes," Legosi said, exhaling smoke as he spoke. It gave quite the image.

It hit Toki all over again that the puppy she knew was long gone. Legosi was a gangster, he smokes and drinks and has likely done things that other teenagers his age may not have even thought about before.

As they walked on, Legosi had to stop Toki from walking into streetsigns or other denizens. She seemed very high up in the clouds, but Legosi could guess it was from everything she may have learned today.

Legosi was somewhat thankful he was in casual clothing when they left the Market and got onto the sidewalk of the City. From here, Toki was leading the way since Legosi doesn't know where she lives.

Legosi puts out the cigar before they reach the City, not wanting to attract unwanted attention from the general crowds.

It wasn't a long walk from the Market until they reached the apartment complex that Toki lived in. "Want to come in for some tea?" Toki asked out of nowhere, surprising both herself and Legosi.

Legosi checked the time on his phone, shrugged, and agreed to the offer. The others wouldn't mind if it takes him a while to return, they know he'll come back eventually.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Louis corners Ibuki in the hallway between their rooms after dinner, and for a moment they are just standing there, staring at each other.

"Is there a problem?" Ibuki asks gently, straightening the mane fur on his neck. Louis sighs and nods, "Yeah, why are you annoyed? Did I do something wrong?"

Ibuki swallows hard and glances beyond Louis, down the hallway behind him. "You didn't do anything wrong... I'm just worried and it came out... kind of aggressive earlier," Ibuki admits.

Louis stepped closer to Ibuki, not having a care in the world that he's alone in a dark hallway with a lion.

"What's got you worried, Dad?" Louis asks. Ibuki sighs and leans against the wall, Louis can just about make out where his glasses are because of a thin stream of moonlight.

"Who says you aren't going to leave if you find your bio parents? We can't exactly force you to stay here if there's a better life for you in the City," Ibuki says with a deep sigh. Louis can feel the tremble coming off his father.

Fiddling with one of the lower ends of his antlers, Louis answered him, "Its been 13 years since you brought me home. If I haven't left yet then I never will. Besides, I'd never leave, not even if you threatened to eat me." They shared a soft chuckle at the joke, but it faded back to seriousness a moment later.

"You guys gave me a second chance at life and taught me everything I know. I'd be a real fuckwit if I left you guys for someone who literally sold me to be eaten. I'd like to meet her, yes, but I wouldn't stay. I want to show her the product of a proper family," Louis said, reaching his hand out in the dark, looking for Ibuki's.

Ibuki gave a smile, trying to hold back tears, and took Louis' hand, still small compared to his own, but so much bigger than that fawn they found all those years ago. They did good.

Once Louis had a good guess of where Ibuki was, he launched forward and hugged his lion, his dad.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Legosi sat on the couch as Toki made them some tea. Her apartment wasn't very big, in fact the entire thing was smaller than the living room at the Dokugumi manor. It was a bit startling to Legosi how small the place was, but he figured she lives alone and for one animal it was likely more than enough.

Toki returned with two cups of tea, which Legosi could tell was green tea, no caffeine to speak of. She's a canine and they technically can't ingest that. Sometimes Legosi forgets he's a special case in that he can ingest certain things that other canines don't.

Toki looked away for a second and Legosi spiked his own tea with some whiskey he had in a flask in one of the small bags attached to his belt. He needed some for the conversation that was undoubtedly going to come.

Toki smiled at the awkward way Legosi held himself. He looked so far removed from his comfort zone that it was almost cute how aware he was of the surroundings. She didn't miss the smell of strong alcohol wafting through the air when she looked away, assuming he had some on him.

At first she wanted to tell him he was underage and shouldn't be drinking, especially something that strong, but she was reminded of how much large carnivores drink in the Market and decided against saying anything. He likely has a high tolerance anyway.

"So, uhm, do you go to a school?" Toki asked, trying to get an easy topic to start off on. Legosi raised an eyebrow at her at first, but then took a sip of his tea and answered, "Yeah, I go to Cherryton."

Toki's eyes widen at that, "As in one of the most prestigious schools?" She was surprised the gang managed to pull enough strings to get Legosi into Cherryton.

Legosi shrugged, "Yeah, I mean, I've been there since middle school. I'm in my final year now." Toki almost choked on her tea. Where had Legosi gotten the brains to not only go to a school like Cherryton, but also be a year ahead of his age? She covered her shock though and swallowed the tea in her mouth.

"Uhm, how about you?" Legosi asks, "Do you work somewhere or are you retired?" Toki smiled gently at Legosi, finding it sweet that he asked something back.

"I work at the hybrid daycare. Maybe I could show you where it is at some point," She offered. Legosi's ears twitched and Toki took notice of the slow wagging of Legosi's tail. She hadn't noticed it before, but his tail was longer than a normal wolf's.

"I didn't even know a hybrid daycare existed. I'll see about maybe visiting it at some point," Legosi said. Toki noticed how little he expressed with his face, tail and ears compared to others as well. It made her smile to think he wasn't putting on an image of a perfect wolf.

"Do you have some canine friends at school?" Toki asked, now curious if he had any more luck with canines than his mother had. Legosi blinked slowly, then asked, "Does a ragtag pack of two dogs, a hyena, a coyote and a fennec fox count?"

Toki paused for a second, then giggled at the way he said it. "Yes, that counts." Legosi offered her a tired looking smile, "Then yeah, I've got canine friends. The wolves at school don't like me too much, but that's not an issue."

Picking up some bit of annoyance, or is it bitterness, in his voice, Toki had to ask, "Do you not get along with wolves?" She couldn't imagine the can of worms she just opened.

Legosi told her about Juno and how she never leaves him alone, even after he rejected her attempts multiple times. He told her about how the other wolves would avoid him, seemingly afraid of him and the trouble he's had to deal with involving the Okamigumi and their attempts to recruit him. He conveniently left out the part where he's killed a couple of Okamigumi wolves for the way they approached recruiting him.

Toki frowned, fiddling with her cup. She knew wolves could be pushy when they wanted something, but the fact that this Juno could just keep pushing and the other students thought Legosi was the one in the wrong for continuing to reject her was wrong on so many levels.

"But it's fine, between the 701 boys and Toby, I have enough friends," Legosi finished on. Toki tilted her head, ears perking up, "Who's Toby?"

The two spent a good chunk of the evening just talking. Legosi told Toki about his school life, though kept a lot of what he does in the Market or did while growing up there to a minimum. Toki would tell him about the last 15 years and what she's been doing as well.

When they realised the time, it was almost midnight. Toki invited Legosi to stay for the night, but he politely declined, telling her he had a job in a few hours and wished her a good night before leaving to return to the Market. No doubt his brothers were wondering what took him so long.

Chapter Text

Louis was on his way to his room after a long Saturday with his brothers. They had way too much to sort out recently on account of some turf changes and who controls where. It caused some confusion amongst the denizens, which spiralled into a bigger issue.

He was tired, his bare feet almost silent as he walked over the thinning brown carpets.

He'd just placed his hand on the doorknob to his room when a crashing sound made him stop in his tracks. That definitely came from the floor he was on. Most of the guys were in their rooms, but then a yell would've come from them that something broke or they fell or whatever.

Grabbing his gun from his belt holster, Louis slipped his other hand into one of his metal claws. More sounds were coming now, struggling and feline hissing filled the hallway. He followed them, quietly over the carpet, and stopped by Ibuki's office.

He heard an unfamiliar roar coming from inside and the phantom feeling of large hands holding onto him came to his senses. He shook his head and sent off a quick text to his brothers, then put his phone away and opened the door just a sliver.

Eyes going wide at the sight of Ibuki on the ground, fighting viciously against a long forgotten lion. Chief was back and seems to have blindsided Ibuki. Without thinking about it, Louis stood back and kicked the door open, gun and claw ready for a fight.

Chief stopped his assault on Ibuki, both lions looking over at Louis, who looked pissed. "Oh, so the precious little fawn did live?" Chief asked mockingly, rising to his feet.

"Louis!" Ibuki called, but received a kick to the jaw from Chief, an action that only served to anger Louis more. "Oh wonderful! It has a name!" Chief cackled. "Let's see if a herbivore really can stand among true carnivores!"

With that, Chief launched at Louis, who avoided the attack easily enough. Chief looked disheveled, likely high, and clearly getting too old for this lifestyle. He tried again, this time receiving a swift bullet to the shoulder. Hissing, he hunched down into a defensive stance.

Louis shifted on his feet, primed his claws and gestured with his antlers, as if teasing Chief to try his luck.

Ibuki had moved to lay against the wall now, out of their way. He didn't have the strength to get back up right now, but he couldn't help to think the scene was vaguely family, only now, their roles were reversed.

Louis was smart, preferring to tire Chief out before he went on the attack, defensive working well for him. Chief charged at him again, this time Louis ducked down, sticking his clawed hand up to pierce into Chief's stomach.

The old lion roared, rounding on Louis again, now bleeding from a large gash where the metal claws had cut. Louis returned to his feet, still standing tall. "You've lost your touch, asshole!" Louis jeered, eyes trained on Chief.

Chief laughed and charged again, panting in the process. He was getting tired. Chief's attacks were becoming irratic, leading to random and uncalculated attacks. He got a good cut in on Louis' shoulder with his claws and the kick to Louis' ribs would surely bruise. Nothing the deer hasn't dealt with before.

One such uncalculated attack allowed Louis to throw Chief over his head by skewering him with his antlers. As he landed on his back, Louis was quick to jump on his chest with his knees, knocking the air out of him violently.

Chief tried gasping for air, when Louis used the open jaw to jam the barrel of his gun between the large teeth. Chief stared up at him in fear. This deer, small and scrawny and covered in blood from their fight, was actually winning.

"Now beg! I wanna see a large carnivore like you beg for your life at the hands of an herbivore!" Louis demanded. Chief tried, actually tried, to beg for his life around the gun, but he couldn't get halfway through his first sentence before Louis pulled the trigger.

Louis dislodged the gun from the massive jaws, but he didn't move from where he sat on Chief's chest, trying to catch his breath and give his brain a moment to catch up with his body and the situation.

Ibuki pushed himself up on his elbows, stomach on the floor and just stared wide eyed at the scene. He was tired and bleeding from somewhere in his mane, but Louis had protected him, much like he'd chosen to protect Louis that night they ran Chief off.

In the doorway, Free, Hino and Dolph stood, shocked as well. They also looked like they'd been in a fight and later Ibuki and Louis would learn that Chief's gang of lionesses had attacked from downstairs, keeping the others busy so Chief could take on Ibuki by himself.

The office was covered in blood splatter on every visible surface, some of it Ibuki's, some of it Chief's and some belonging to Louis. None of the lions were even phased by Louis' blood anymore.

Once the tension broke, Dolph ran over to Ibuki to get him up and go help him patch up. Free went for Louis, albeit carefully seeing as he couldn't tell if Louis would be reactive and try to shoot anyone else.

"Fawn? Are you okay?" Free asked, gently placing a hand on Louis' uninjured shoulder. Louis seemed to jolt, but slowly turned his head to look at Free. Louis nodded and Free offered the deer his hand to help him up.

Louis' metal claws wrapped around Free's hand, not so much as nicking the lion, and allowed Free to pull him to his feet. Seeing how tightly Louis clung to the gun, Free carefully took it out of his hand and put it on the disheveled desk.

Louis' legs felt like jelly, making it hard to stand still, so as he tripped and caught himself, he spotted Dolph helping Ibuki up around Free's side.

Louis moved quickly and wrapped his arms around Ibuki in a hug, the claws digging into Ibuki's jacket, but not through it. "Dad? Are you okay?" Louis asked, voice too calm and level for how he was feeling.

Dolph had moved when Louis slung over and now stood in awe as Louis was basically holding up Ibuki's weight. Ibuki hugged Louis back, leaning most of his weight against him without even realising it. "I'm okay, thanks to you. You did it kiddo, you protected us," Ibuki said, not sure if it was even the right thing to say, but it came out of his mouth anyway.

It took some coercion from Free and Dolph to get the two to separate so they could deal with their wounds. Dolph took Ibuki to their room and Free carefully walked Louis to the deer's room.

Sabu looked over the scene and said to Hino, "This scene looks familiar, doesn't it?" Hino just nodded, eyes still wide at the dead body of Chief on the ground, a large puddle of blood still steadily growing bigger below his head. "He finished what we started 13 years ago," Sabu added.

Agata scurried after Free and Louis to see if he could help and the other four were left to decide how to clean up the office. The blood wasn't the issue, but Chief's body might be.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

After everyone was patched up and some of the lower members had taken care of the bodies, the inner circle found themselves in the livingroom. None of them were getting to sleep anytime soon after what happened.

Louis and Ibuki were leaning against each other on the one couch, while everyone else was spread out around the room.

Louis tuned out their conversation, not by choice, but he couldn't keep his mind in the present.

Why had Chief come after Ibuki specifically? Was he thinking he'd take over again if he won their fight. Why a gang of lionesses? Surely other males would have followed him, female lions were often as hard headed as their male counterparts, which he learned ever since he finally agreed to go to the lion biology room.

Their attack had clearly been planned, but damn did it take dedication since it's been a little over 12 years since they ran him off. Louis wasn't afraid of the lions then and he still isn't now, but why had he lost touch with reality after shooting Chief? It's not like he's unfamiliar to killing or even the situation in general. Maybe it was because his Dad's life had been at stake if he lost? Maybe it was because it was a one on one fight. He'd had several flashbacks to that night when he was 5 during the fight.

He tuned back in for a second just to hear Miguel and Sabu suggest that he take over as the leader. That pulled his mind back completely.

Louis looked up at Ibuki to see what he thought of the suggestion. Ibuki was looking back at him, as if asking him the same thing.

"How about just asking him instead of all this speculating?" Agata suggested from across the room, situated on the beanbag and looking a hair's length away from falling asleep.

Free turned up with beers for everyone just as the others' eyes all turned on Louis. Louis fiddled with the hem of his sleep shirt and looked at Ibuki again.

"I wouldn't mind stepping down if you think you're ready to take over," Ibuki reassured him with a gentle tone. Louis swallowed and glanced around the room again, making sure to meet eyes with every lion and read their body language before he makes a decision.

Louis sighed and slumped a bit, "I'll take over, but on one condition, I get to finish school first." The others all agreed in some way or another that it was fine. "There's only two months left, then one last vacation and I'll take over after that," Louis said with finality.

The others all agreed to his terms once more and agreed that Ibuki would remain leader until then, even Ibuki was okay with it.

Once that was decided and everyone's drinks were finished, Sabu and Miguel decided they would be doing patrol for the rest of the night, in case more of that small gang or other small gangs would try their luck. Free, Hino and Agata agreed they were going to stay up in the livingroom with Louis to play videogames and drink for the rest of the night. Ibuki and Dolph retired to Ibuki's room to try and get some rest, while Dope and Jinma left for their own rooms but we're unsure if they would sleep or just keep themselves busy.

The younger bunch that stayed in the livingroom decided to turn it into some sort of guys night. Free got more alcohol from the kitchen, while Agata set up the console and Hino grabbed a bunch of pillows and blankets that were lying around to throw on the floor so they could form a cat pile.

°°°°°

The four of them ended up in a pile with controllers and snacks and empty beer bottles strewn around them.

Louis ended up in the middle with Agata asleep on his left, laying very close to him, Hino asleep on his back to the right of Louis, cuddled close but not as close as Agata since Hino still liked his personal space, and Free was kind of passed out on top of the three of them, though careful to not put too much weight on Louis to ensure he doesn't worsen any injuries or bruises.

Louis was the last one still awake and could just reach the remote to turn the TV off, though he couldn't sleep yet, so he texted Legosi instead. The wolf had been awake due to a late meeting between Gosha and Miyagi and he'd stayed up to make sure Gosha returns afterwards.

Legosi was not happy about the news of the attack, but at least relieved when Louis told him they'd taken care of it and the Shishigumi were kind of on high alert for now, not to mention piled up in the livingroom.

Louis had sent him an awkward photo of the cat pile and Legosi had found some amusement in that.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Legosi chuckled at the photo Louis sent him about the cat pile, though did so quietly since he was outside on the rooftop garden.

Gosha wasn't back yet, but Savon had texted him that everything was going fine and he didn't need to worry, that didn't fix his nervous energy though. Instead, Legosi found himself snacking on Belladonnas and playing with some nocturnal beetles in the garden.

The bugs calmed him down and the noises of their wings created a gentle kind of white noise that calmed Legosi down even more.

As much as Legosi knew wolves were nocturnal, he still found it surprising how easily he stayed up this late. He's acclimated to the dragons diurnal lifestyle over the years. Everyone else in the Dokugumi Manor, except Gosha and Savon, were asleep by now, which meant the place was earily quiet.

A plus side of being up in the rooftop garden, was that Legosi could see very far out over the Market. He'd just plucked a handful of strawberries when his ears picked up mumbling. He went over to the side of the roof to see if he could spot whoever it was. They seemed too nervous to be familiar with the Market.

His eyes narrowed in on a familiar bear and he frowned. What the hell was he doing this far into the Market. Quickly finishing the strawberries, Legosi vaulted over the side of the roof and used his claws to slow his descent to the floor.

He landed quietly and started following after the mumbling bear. It was times like this where he was thankful to have canine hearing.

Riz seemed unsure of where he was going, but he was definitely looking for something.

Legosi followed the bear all the way into the territory next to theirs and ducked into an alleyway when Riz stopped at a building and knocked on the door.

"So you came after all~" The female voice made Legosi's ears shoot up from familiarity. What was Ten doing with Riz?

Once they went inside, Legosi moved closer to the building they entered. He found an open window and sat down beneath it, wanting to listen in on what they were saying. It wasn't his business if Riz chose to get involved with drugs, but it was his business if Riz loses control and he can put a stop to the bear.

It was barely 15 minutes of talking before Riz left again and Legosi had an itch to tell Louis about what he'd heard. He sent Louis a quick text saying they need to talk about Riz, before getting up and heading back to the Dokugumi Manor. He shouldn't be alone in other Gumi's territories and where he was would be risky to stick around in.

He'd just gotten back to the Manor and decided to light a cigar when the familiar black car pulled in and Savon and Gosha climbed out. They looked exhausted, but in a decent enough mood, so Legosi could guess it went in their favour.

He offered them a smile as they passed him, Gosha patted between his ears, making him smile wider, and Savon stopped to join him for a cigar and fill him in on what happened.

Chapter Text

The day was starting to wind down, everyone had just finished getting dressed after Drama Club was over and were leaving the dressing room one by one.

Tem didn't realise that it left him alone with Riz in the male's locker room though.

"Tem, can we move past this and be friends again? I miss our conversations," Riz tried, putting a bottle of honey away in his locker.

Tem's whole body tensed and he spun around to look at Riz, only now realising they were alone.

"Miss our conversations? Riz, after what you've done, there is no reconciling. YOU TRIED TO EAT ME!" Tem jumped up on the bench to be more level in height to Riz. The bear in question was quite shocked by the outburst. Where was Tem getting this bravado from?

Riz fiddled with his hands, looking down at the floor in front of Tem instead of at the alpaca. It's been too long since they've last talked. "Is there anything I could do to make it up to you, Tem? Please," Riz asked, hoping his old friend could forgive him if he proves he regrets what happened.

Tem stomped his foot on the bench and clenched his fists. "No! Again, YOU TRIED TO EAT ME!! I can't forgive that," Tem took a staggering breath, the adrenaline was starting to wear off since he wasn't in an otherwise dangerous situation that would keep it flowing.

"In fact, as long as Legosi is around, you can't do anything to me! He is the only sort-of safe carnivore around here!" With that, Tem jumps off the bench, grabs his school blazer and storms out of the dressing room, leaving Riz to stare dumbfounded at the door.

Riz gathered his thoughts and slammed his locker shut, a deep frown settled on his face. He was alone, so there was no need for his teddy bear mask and he could express his annoyance -no, anger- all he felt like.

An idea popped into his head right before he went to hit the lockers in the room. He could take it out on Legosi. After all, Tem claimed as long as LEGOSI was around, they wouldn't be friends again, so if he removed Legosi from the picture, then he'd have his best friend back!

With that idea solidified in his mind, Riz stalks out of the dressing room, putting back on the mask in case someone was still around.

°°°°°

For the rest of that afternoon, Riz followed Legosi around at a distance, watching where the wolf went and who he interacted with, that being mostly a pack of mismatched canines and Louis.

Riz needed a proper plan if he would pull this off, after all, Legosi had already bested him once, he wasn't about to let it happen again. He still had slow healing scars from the previous time they faced off, painful reminders of a strong enemy.

However, Riz couldn't risk approaching Legosi for a fight with Louis around, the herbivore might run off and get help in the shape of teachers or the cops or something like that. The issue was how he was going to get Legosi alone in the first place.

Through his following, he even knew where Legosi and Louis' dormrooms were in the private dormhouse. Riz returned to his own dorm after that, sure he won't see anything important after Legosi went to his room. It was getting late anyway.

°°°°°

The next day was much the same as the night before. Any time Riz could watch Legosi from afar, he did. He couldn't follow him into classes, since Legosi was a year ahead of him, but he could still watch him in the halls. How old had Legosi said he was? They were the same age, he was sure of it but Legosi did classes a year ahead.

During lunch, Riz had to look away several times because Legosi kept glancing in the direction of him and his roommates' table. He didn't want to be caught, but knowing that wolves were far slyer through biology, Riz had to wonder if Legosi already knew, and by extention, did Louis know?

He didn't have time to question it for long, since his roommates dragged him off to their own dorm kitchen so he could make them something that tasted better than tofu burgers.

He'd have to find a way to get to Legosi at another time.

°°°°°

Time had passed too fast for the bear's liking, but he didn't have to ponder about Legosi any longer, since the wolf showed up in the shared carnivore dorm bathroom that night.

"Say Riz, what's with the keen eye today?" Legosi asked, straight to the point as always.

Riz quickly swallowed a vial of red fluid he had kept hidden in his locker in the bathroom, before closing it and turning to face the wolf, dropping his teddy bear mask again.

He wasn't about to play dumb, suspecting Legosi had already caught onto him before lunch time. He shrugged off the towel around his neck and felt a familiar energy crawling up his spine. He grinned at his opponent, all teeth and wide eyes.

"I was wondering how to get you alone, but it seems you did that for me," Riz said happily, trying to reach forward and grab him, claws looking sharper than normal.

Legosi dodged the large hand easily, picking up on the way Riz' hackles raised and he was swaying from something. It seemed off, even for a carnivore with strong prey drive.

Riz tried to grab him again, Legosi dodged again, coming around the bear to knee him in the stomach. The hit caused Riz to stumble and back up, until he tripped on the little step up into the showers and fell backwards.

"Did you just want a rematch or something?" Legosi growled out. This was ridiculous. He'd been able to tell Riz held some form of resentment for that night in the beginning of the year, but this was a bit much.

Riz got back to his feet and Legosi followed him into the small, tiled shower room. "If I get rid of you, I'll have my best friend back!" Riz yelled, grabbing Legosi by the collar of his shirt and picking him up.

Legosi, glad he discarded his shoes in his room before doing this, planted his feet against Riz' stomach, satisfied when he could hear his nails pierce flesh. A familiar slippery feeling settled in just before Riz threw him back against the wall.

Legosi would be feeling that in the morning, but he got up without giving it much thought, Morro's words echoing in the back of his head. 'The floor means death'. He couldn't stay down.

Riz placed his hand on the cuts in his stomach, eyes widening as it came back covered in blood. This dog really wasn't playing.

"Tem isn't going to be your friend anymore, get over that! He avoids all carnivores these days," Legosi said, readying himself for another blow. He had a speed advantage over the bear.

Sidestepping another angered blow from Riz, Legosi got behind him, clamping onto his back and digging his claws into Riz' shoulders. There, he caught a sweet scent again.

"Are you high?" Legosi asked, just as Riz reached back and grabbed him by the scruff, throwing him forward over his shoulder. Riz must not realise that doesn't hurt. Legosi rolled out of the way of an incoming punch and sprung back onto his feet.

Now that he was aware of it, he could see how small Riz' pupils were, couples with the shaky limbs and seemingly frantic fighting style lead Legosi to pinpoint what the bear was on. Bloodbone, and he knew exactly where he'd gotten it too.

Another quick hit caused Legosi to slide back a few paces, but he braced himself on all fours to slow his descent. The taste of bitter marmalade surprised him though. He hadn't bitten one of the vials, so the hit must have caused the venom vial to burst and Legosi considered using it against Riz for a second, then shook that thought away. He couldn't kill a schoolmate with venom, on schoolgrounds, and expect to get away with it.

So he swallowed it down and aimed for Riz' head with his claws instead. The momentum threw them both onto the floor, Riz landing roughly on his back, causing a krator in the tiling and cleanly knocking the air out of him.

"Is someone still in there?!" A voice called from outside. Both carnivores froze in place, looking towards the door. Shit. They could not be caught in a such a violent fight on schoolgrounds.

Legosi swallowed and composed his voice quickly before saying, "Yeah, sorry ma'am. We're almost done, just a few more minutes!" Riz stared wide eyed at the sliding door. When had one of them closed it? It saved both of their reputations at the moment, but he couldn't help but wonder.

"Okay, but don't take too long! I'd like to be finished before midnight!" They heard soft footfalls go somewhere else in the room outside and Legosi exhaled slowly.

"That's enough," Legosi said, getting up to his feet again. There was blood all over the two of them and considerable damage to the shower walls and tiles.

Legosi discarded his shirt as he opened one of the taps. He'd at least stick his head under the water to rid of the blood on his face and head before he left.

Riz got up as well, grumbling as he turned open a tap as well. "We're not done here. Let's finish this at New Year's at midnight," Riz suggested as he started cleaning the blood off his chest and stomach. It was two weeks from now.

Legosi scoffed as he turned the water off and shook his head to rid the extra water from himself. "No, Riz. We're done fighting over something this stupid. Get over yourself and get some help," Legosi said, grabbing the extra towel Riz offered him as they both stepped out of the shower.

"What about the damage?" Riz asked, glancing back as he closed the divider. Legosi shrugged, "We run and claim innocence if anyone asks."

Riz turned to question the wolf on how that would even be viable, but found empty space where he'd been only a moment prior. The open window signalled how he'd left so quickly.

Riz sighed and got dressed, leaving before the cleaning lady returned.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Legosi returned to his own dormroom through the window, not caring in the slightest that it was seven floors up.

He found Louis on his bed, doing homework, and plopped down beside him. Louis immediately saw the patch of scabbed blood beside his ear and became worried.

"So what was Riz' deal?" Louis asked, gently running his fingers over the scab. Legosi's ear twitched, but he didn't otherwise show any reaction to the touch. "He wanted a fight apparently. He made no sense, but it has something to do with Tem again," Legosi sighed, turning his head to lean it against Louis' thigh.

Louis subconsciously moved to petting the back of Legosi's neck instead. "Oh, and get this, he was high on bloodbone," Legosi added. Louis frowned at that, but it did seem to fit the picture of what they knew so far.

"Did you two fight then?" Louis asked, gently tracing the scab again and noticing it was already chipping. Sometimes he forgot just how quickly Legosi healed.

"Obviously, but it didn't come to conclusion either way, cause the cleaning lady interrupted us. He wanted another fight on New Year's, but I declined. This is a ridiculous thing to want a war over," Legosi said, starting to settle in.

Louis put his finished homework on the nightstand and shifted down to lay next to Legosi instead. "Not to mention, New Year's is a Turf War night, you can't skip out on that," Louis said, settling in as fluffy arms wrapped around him. "Exactly," Legosi conceded.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Meanwhile, Riz was thankful his roommates were asleep already when he returned. He grabbed the shared first aid kit they had in the closet and used his meager privacy light behind closed curtains to clean and dress his wounds properly.

Legosi really meant to hurt him by the looks of it. He didn't even realise wolf claws were long enough to slice that deep. All things considered, he could see the bones of two of his ribs in the one cut on his chest.

He hoped Legosi's claws hadn't pierced any of his organs in his stomach, since he wasn't about to go to a doctor or a nurse to stitch the cuts up and they were too deep to just leave like that. He taped most of them shut with medical stitch tape and then bandaged himself before he tried to settle in to sleep.

Sleep was a more difficult feat than he expected though, with the cuts on his shoulders and front making him only able to lay on his back and stare at the ceiling of his bunk.

It gave him time to think though. Legosi was wrong, he had to be wrong. After all, Tem had said if Legosi wasn't there then they'd be friends again. Yeah, Legosi was the reason he couldn't have his best friend back.

He had to wonder where Legosi learned to fight though. A wolf should not be able to match and better a bear unless they have training or the wolf has eaten meat before. That just brought more questions than answers, if he was honest.

Chapter Text

It's been two weeks since the fight with Riz in the showers and Legosi had just finished packing his things for the weekend. He was looking forward to letting off some steam during the Turf Wars.

He knocked on the door between his and Louis' rooms before walking through. They usually left together on a Friday afternoon and drove their motorcycles side by side until they had to split off into their respective territories.

His first thought was that Louis wasn't there, then he began to notice all the signs of a struggle in the room. They were more like blaring sirens to Legosi though.

The bed was ruffled, Louis' sneakers were in two different places instead of neatly placed by his bedside like usual, and the window was wide open. There was a definite struggle that occurred here.

Legosi spotted the piece of paper on the floor between the bed and window and bent down to pick it up. He read it and couldn't decide if he was just pissed off or if he would unleash hellfire tonight.

'If you want to see your precious deer alive again, meet me under the bridge outside of town at midnight tonight. No weapons. No backup.
-R'

Legosi knew Riz was behind this, but he was sure the bear couldn't be working alone, he wouldn't have been able to pull this off so quietly if he was.

Legosi found Louis' phone still in it's spot on the bedside table and considered letting Free or Agata know about the situation, but he hesitated.

It was Turf War night tonight. If he told the Shishigumi, or even the Dokugumi, it would complicate things more than they needed to be.

Instead, Legosi put Louis' phone on 'Do not Disturb' and slipped it into his pocket. He did the same to his own cellphone and grabbed his things, heading down to where the motorcycles were parked.

He was going to deal with this and he was going to do it on his own.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Agata frowned down at his phone. He wasn't getting through to Louis. He just hasn't shown up at the Manor yet and they were an hour away from when the Turf Wars would be starting.

"Still worried about Louis?" Free asked, throwing his arm around Agata's shoulders. Agata slumped slightly, "We have to leave soon and none of us have heard from him."

Free sighed and took Agata's phone off him. "Look, calm down. Fawn can handle himself and if he really needs us, he'll call, or Legosi would call," Free said, patting Agata's back to try and reassure him. The look Agata gave him though, made it clear that it wasn't working.

"He's probably just in a deadzone somewhere, or running late for whatever reason. We'll see him before the end of the night is out, you'll see," Free said and just in time too, Miguel was calling for everyone to get to the cars.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Savon could tell the others also realised Legosi wasn't around. Their wolf was never late on Turf War nights, so something was up.

Unfortunately, they didn't have the time to go looking for him and they couldn't back out of the fights because that would lose them all their territory.

So, with everyone wondering where their illusive pup is, they made their way to the usual spot to wait for the Turf Wars to begin.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Legosi parked his motorcycle about a block away from the bridge. It was half an hour before Midnight and the Turf Wars were already going strong. He had no worries that he'd get out of this fight alive, but just in case he was badly injured, he turned his own and Louis' phone back to calls and placed them in the storage space under his motorcycle seat.

There was a box of venom vials in there too and despite Riz saying they weren't allowed weapons, Legosi still tucked two into his jaws. They weren't technically weapons if it was part of his biology.

With that decided, Legosi stuck his hands in the pockets of his jacket and started walking towards the bridge. The low lights in the area weren't an issue for the wolf, so he took in the sights as he walked. If he was correct in the assumption that Riz wasn't alone in this, then this setup might as well be an ambush waiting for him.

He sighed and lit a cigar as he reached the spot with 10 minutes to spare. He leaned against one of the beams that held up the bridge and waited for Riz to arrive.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Louis groaned as he woke up, immediately taking notice of the low lights and the rough floor below him. He slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position and flinched when his antlers caught on something.

He had to blink a couple times to clear his vision and then took note of where he was. The place was unfamiliar and he was in a small cage that barely allowed him to even sit upright on the floor. Checking his being, he found that his guns had been taken and he didn't have his phone or keys. That spiked some worry in him.

Following what Jinma had taught him over the years, he took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm. If he could pinpoint where he was, then he could start thinking of a way to get out. The distinct smell of perfume gave him a damn good idea though.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Riz showed up just two minutes before midnight, slightly stomping his feet and teeth bared the moment he saw Legosi. Legosi in turn, stomped out the cigar and pulled off his jacket. He had his Dokugumi uniform on underneath it, seeing as it would allow him the widest and easiest range of motion in a fight.

Riz' grin got impossibly bigger when he saw Legosi squaring up. Legosi looked the bear over as they walked within fighting range of each other. There was blood on Riz' tanktop and nose, sweetened sulphur on his breath and his muscles seemed about to break skin from all the straining.

"Like what you see?!" Riz cackled, "That deer of yours made for some amazing strength!" Riz gestured to the blood on his shirt and Legosi took another sniff of the air.

"Nice try, Riz, but that isn't even deer blood, nevermind Louis' blood," Legosi stated calmly, tail slowly rising. Riz laughed again, "Of course you'd know the difference! Canines have impeccable noses. No matter, prepare to die!"

With that said, Riz threw the first punch. Legosi dodged it easily, much like the times before. This is the third time they're fighting and Legosi was picking up a pattern, despite the fact that Riz was high and deranged.

One dodge allowed Legosi to clamp onto the cement pole that supported the bridge and stay latched to it like a reptile. Riz frowned, "How-" He was cut off before he could finish the question by Legosi jumping at him and landing a solid blow to his stomach.

Riz reeled back from the hit, only more angered by the fact that he let himself get distracted. He threw a punch and gave a satisfied grin when he heard ribs cracking from impact.

Legosi wheezed for a moment as he righted his stance to make up for the injured ribs. It was far from the worst injury he's sustained in a battle before, but it still knocked the wind out of him.

Using his speed against Riz, he got behind the bear and tore at his back with his claws, opening old scars and wounds in the process. Riz roared in response and turned around to try and kick Legosi. The latter got out of the way and instead started looking for an opening to strike again.

_______________°•○●○•°________________

Melon frowned as he cut through several wolves attempting to overpower him. Something was wrong, or rather missing, from this Turf War.

Blocking a blow from one of the Dokugumi, it finally clicked for him. His favourite fighting partner, Legosi, wasn't here. On the topic of heirs, that made Melon realise that Louis and Sora weren't there either.

Looking around, Melon spotted Ten and his mama fighting back to back and the Dokugumi and Shishigumi were all accounted for. Then why weren't the other heirs around?

Planting an especially heavy hit on one of the lions, he bolted when he was sure no one was looking. His attention was more on finding Sora, but if he ran into one of the others he wasn't going to have much of an issue with that.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

A well placed kick to the stomach sent Legosi careening backwards into a wall. His instincts kicked in for a split second when he sensed Riz storming at him and without thinking, he spun to the side and got to his feet.

It took him a moment to get over what was probably a concussion and leaning against the wall, he felt his ribs slip back into place and fix themselves. He was immensely thankful for his quick healing tonight.

Riz was also seemingly catching his breath, so Legosi threw a punch at the bear's nose to buy more time. Riz reeled back and groaned in pain, pinprick eyes focusing on Legosi with blatant hatred.

Legosi didn't have any bombs, but if this came to a life or death battle, he was going to use the venom he had. Licking over his lip where it had been split from a blow earlier, Legosi took a stance similar to his komodo family. Riz was fighting dirty and so would he.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

The door to the room clicked open and shut quickly and quietly. Louis turned his attention towards it and saw Sora's small figure skittering towards the cage.

She was bruised and looked beaten up, but if she was here then she hadn't been to the Turf Wars tonight. She pulled something out of her pocket and shoved it in the cage lock. A moment later the lock clicked open.

Louis frowned, suspicious if this was a trap or not. "Come on! We don't have much time!" Louis clambered out of the cage and took a moment to stretch his aching back. "Why are you helping me?" He asked as he followed her. She was leading him to another room.

"Because the bear is high on bloodbone and he's going to kill Legosi tonight!" Sora said in a small voice, as if she was afraid she would be heard otherwise. Louis couldn't hear anyone else in the building.

"I overheard the others talking-" before Sora could finish her sentence, another voice called her name from somewhere. They were in the other room now and Louis spotted his guns on the table. He grabbed them and checked that they were loaded.

Spinning around to aim at the door as it flew open, Louis wasn't sure if he should be relieved or worried to see Melon.

Melon didn't seem to even spot him at first. The hybrid rushed for Sora and picked her up as if she was a small child. "Sora! You're okay!" He sounded actually happy at that, which was somewhat alarming to Louis.

Sora hugged Melon, but then pushed him away a bit. "Nevermind that! We need to get to the bridge outside of town!" Sora said as Melon put her down.

"That's on the other side of town, why do we have to go there?!" Melon asked, seeming to take notice of Louis for the first time now. "I'll explain on the way, just grab the keys to one of the cars and meet us outside!" Sora said urgently.

Melon threw one last glance at Louis before he ran out, presumably to go grab the keys Sora mentioned. Sora grabbed Louis' wrists and started dragging him behind her through the winding hallways of the Inarigumi building.

Melon was waiting in the car for them when they reached the garden and they jumped into the backseat. Louis had though Free was a reckless driver, but he'd be damned if he ever gets into a car with Melon again after tonight.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Riz pushed himself up from the ground, growling, "How aren't you dead yet?!" And Legosi understood where the sentiment came from. He had taken quite a beating from the bear, but he'd also returned said beating twofold and healed in between hits.

Riz got himself to his feet again, standing shakily. He'd reached for something in his pocket and downed a small bottle of red liquid, throwing the bottle over the chainlink fence next to them.

Riz was coming around for another round of this and Legosi wasn't about to stand down. The clocktower in the distance chimed 1am and Legosi vaguely registered that the Turf Wars would come to an end not too long from now. If he was going to do something, he better do it now.

Jumping at Riz as the bear stormed, Legosi clamped onto him, tearing into his shoulder and neck with the claws on his hands and tearing into his thighs with the claws on his feet. Riz let out a roar of pain and Legosi felt a sick sort of pleasure run through him at the sound.

Screeching wheels made both of them flinch in their tracks and look towards the sound. They both jumped out of the way in different directions as a car came barrelling right towards them.

The car screeched to a halt, almost making a full circle as it stopped. Louis, Sora and Melon popped out of the car and Louis immediately trained one of his guns on Riz.

Riz roared at the group as he regained his balance and stormed towards them instead, clearly not in his right mind anymore. Legosi didn't even bother getting back to his feet, taking off on all fours and storming at Riz like an angry alligator.

Legosi jumped when he was within reach and latched his jaws onto Riz' neck, using his momentum to throw both of them to the ground. The two ended up rolling around, both trying to throw the other off or perhaps, kill them in the process.

Louis tried to get a clear shot, but the two carnivores were moving too quickly and too sporadically for him to get a good aim in. "Damnit! They're too fast. Do something!" Louis called to Melon.

Sora has been hiding behind the car since Riz stormed them with her hands over her eyes and Melon was watching the shitshow. "Do something? What do you mean do something?! I'm not that crazy!"

Louis rolled his eyes, about to fire a warning shot to see if it would pause the two long enough to get a shot in on Riz, when a familiar hiss whistled out over the fighting and both standing heirs looked over to see a scene they would forever remember.

Legosi had managed to pin Riz and in the height of the adrenaline and instincts, had bitten the vials that he'd had in his mouth, letting the venom drip from his jaws and onto the struggling bear's throat.

Riz seemed to be in great pain, but Legosi had him pinned in a way that didn't allow for an escape. The venom slowly ate through Riz' neck and the ground surrounding it and beneath it. When Riz stopped struggling and went limp, Legosi finally let him go, drawing himself to his full height and spitting on Riz' face for good measure, the remaining venom eating through the outer layer of skin and muscle.

It's been a while since he's been this violent toward an enemy, but he'd gotten fed up with Riz and his bullshit. Not caring about the blood on his hands, Legosi lit a cigar and tried to catch his breath, vaguely wondering how much trouble he'd get in for this.

Louis and Melon shared a look but Louis gestured for Melon to deal with Sora while he went to talk to Legosi. Carefully lowering his gun, Louis walked over to where Legosi was standing, the latter covered in blood and healing wounds. "Legosi?"

His name seemed to almost startle him out of his thoughts. He looked over at Louis but the lack of expression on his face startled him a bit. Legosi always smiled for him, even if just a little bit. Where he stood, purple venom slowly dripping from his mouth,covered in blood and expressionless, he looked every bit the Komodo dragon hybrid, Gumi raised beast that he is.

"You're okay?" He asked and Louis could hear the strain in his voice. Louis nodded, "Yeah, it's a long story, but Sora and Melon helped me. We've got a car, let's get out of here." Louis tried, but he didn't want to touch Legosi. He's never been afraid of the wolf, his best friend and boyfriend, but right now he wasn't sure what was going on in Legosi's mind.

"My motorcycle is just a block from here," Legosi said before inhaling more smoke. "I'll go get it, no way in hell am I letting you drive right now. Try to clean up a bit while I'm gone," Louis said, nodding when Legosi threw him his keys.

As he passed Sora and Melon, he noted that Melon has managed to calm Sora down a bit and she was now staring wide eyed at Legosi's back and the body of the brown bear she knew to be high on bloodbone prior to his death. Her fear and respect for Legosi has both skyrocketed and she clung to Melon, who nodded to Louis as he passed them.

Louis returned with the motorcycle a few minutes later and allowed Legosi to get on in front of him, since it was way too big for him to drive long distances. Legosi had seemingly jumped into the water nearby to clean off the blood and Sora was back in the car.

Legosi pulled the motorcycle up in front of the car. "Thanks for all your help tonight," Louis said. "Maybe we should hang out at some point," Legosi added at the end, though his lack of expression was still prominent, they could tell he meant it.

Sora nodded, looking small as ever and Melon nodded as well, quickly exchanging numbers with Louis. After that, Legosi sped off back to the Market, Louis clinging to him, tired but trusting.

Chapter Text

Legosi drove with his brain on autopilot and the vague understanding to not go too fast because Louis was with him. Even so, he wasn't wasting any time getting back to the Market.

He navigated familiar streets easily until he stopped in front of the Shishigumi Manor. Louis got off from behind him and he remembered something. "Did you take your phone?" Legosi asked, every word difficult to force past his tongue.

Louis frowned, "Yeah, I heard it ringing when I got to your motorcycle back in town. Thanks for bringing it." Legosi nods and let's out a slow sigh. "Good night, Louis," Legosi said and before he can take off to return to his own home, Louis places a kiss to his cheek, "Good night, Legosi. Drive safe."

The latter drives off afterwards, heading for his own Manor. He wanted to get cleaned up properly and check if he had any wounds that hadn't healed up already. He was going to have to listen to a lecture though, he knew that much.

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Louis walked into the Shishigumi Manor and closed the door behind him. He knew he wasn't just going to be able to slide by this, but he hoped he could. He wanted to rest after the weird kind of chaos that happened tonight.

He got about two steps in from the door before Agata grabbed him and pulled him into a hug, babbling about being happy to see him. Louis just let Agata go on for a few minutes before he was put down.

"Where were you?!" Agata asked. The commotion had drawn the attention of the others and Louis was almost thankful that he'd only have to tell it once.

Dolph ushered everyone to the livingroom so Louis could properly tell them what happened. Needless to say, they were mad at the very least and Ibuki and Free looked like they wanted to do what Legosi had done, but to the Inarigumi. The news about Sora and Melon had caught them off guard though. No one expected the two opposing heirs to have helped in any way.

After that was over and done, Louis was finally allowed to go to his room and get cleaned up. They were so worried about him, but all of them looked worse for wear after the night of fighting.

Louis was aware of the lions taking turns to watch over him outside his room that night and while it usually would have agitated him, he was relieved by the protectiveness tonight.

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Legosi parked his motorcycle next to the others and grabbed his jacket and bag from the compartment under the seat, before heading towards the Manor.

As he expected, Savon was waiting for him on the porch, smoking a cigar and giving him a questioning look.

"I'll explain inside," Legosi mumbled and headed in. As per usual, the younger guys were celebrating with alcohol and drugs and tabletop card games in the livingroom, though Legosi couldn't see Gosha or Ronan anywhere.

Swallowing, he went upstairs and he had enough time for a shower and to change into his sleepwear, when a knock sounded on the door. He answered it to Savon, who simply walked him along to Gosha's office.

"Where have you been? And then you get back smelling of blood and venom, as I've been told by Savon," Gosha said simply and Legosi swallowed. He was dealing with his boss tonight then.

He relayed the story of the night, starting from when he found the note in Louis' room that afternoon. Gosha watched him carefully as he talked, eyes scanning his face the whole time. By now Legosi had regained some smaller expressions. He wasn't sure why the shutdown had occurred, but it was a thing that happened and that he'd moved past.

By the end of his story, Savon seemed unsure if they should still be mad at him for what happened and Legosi couldn't read if Gosha was in Gumi mode or Grandpa mode. In the end, Gosha just dismissed him.

"I'll decide if you should be punished for this by morning, for now, you're dismissed," Gosha had said and Savon's face was enough for Legosi to know how the young gangster felt about the situation, but Savon stepped aside to let Legosi leave and Legosi made a beeline for his room. He wanted to sleep off everything that had happened tonight.

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The next morning found Legosi driving himself and Savon to the bridge where he'd killed Riz the night before. Gosha had agreed they didn't need to make a big scene about what happened and said he'd write it off as self defence, but Legosi had to get rid of the body.

Legosi readily agreed to those terms and Savon had volunteered to go with him to help him move the body, seeing as it used to be a giant brown bear. Those were usually heavy.

They idly listened to the radio and were surprised that the place wasn't flooded with police or other investigating forces. Legosi parked the car a few paces away from the body and both of them got out.

Savon whistled at the sight as Legosi rounded the car. "So, do we just drop his body off the pier in the Market?" Legosi asked as he walked over, unperturbed by the sight of what he'd done only several hours ago. Savon shrugged and walked closer as well, "I was thinking of something else, but that works too."

Legosi shrugged and reached down to pull one of the arms up, Savon taking the other arm and hoisting the dead weight up. It was a good idea to bring someone, cause the weight would've been too much for Legosi to do anything effective on his own.

They dragged it over to the car and Savon popped open the trunk, after which they dump the body inside and promptly shut it again.

"So, I know we supply you with venom and all, but nothing we gave you would've caused that kind of decay," Savon said as they checked around for anything that Riz may have dropped during the fight.

"What are you getting at?" Legosi asks, lighting a cigar before he bends down to pick up a small bottle that riz had dropped. The smell coming off it was oddly sweet with a mix of sulphur and calcium.

"You are a hybrid, what's the chance your emotions made it stronger?" Savon suggested and Legosi had to take a moment to think it through. It was an unlikely scenario, considering he didn't have venom glands and the venom wasn't his own, so it wouldn't or rather shouldn't react to his body's signals.

Legosi sighed and watched as Savon grabbed the severed head, damaged by venom to the point that the lower jaw was almost completely melted into nothing. He casually threw it in the trunk with the body.

"What were you thinking of doing with the remains?" Legosi asked instead, trying to change the subject off his potential hybrid chaos.

Savon shrugged and lit his own cigar, "I mean, sell it maybe, give the skin to Spine to make a jacket or something out of? We won't get a lot of money for it, seeing as it's venom damaged, but-" Savon cut himself off to shrug instead. Legosi could see his point.

"How about we let Spine skin it, then drop the meat off at the fighting rinks? Those lot aren't particularly picky over what they feed the fighters," Legosi suggests as they climb into the car and start heading back to the Market. "That could work!" Savon says with a laugh.

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Monday came and went with almost no one even picking up that there was a very large and visible student missing.

Every time someone would ask either Legosi or Louis if they've seen Riz, they would shrug and ask if something was up. No one would suspect that either of them knew anything and they thanked their upbringing in the Market for allowing them to be so nonchalant about the situation.

Tuesday, most of the teachers were starting to wonder where the missing student was. This caused some of the students that may have been friends with him to start asking around and try to contact him. Of course, they never got an answer.

Drama club was a little antsy, so used to Riz being around with his teddy bear face and quiet mannerisms. Between Bill and Legosi, they filled the gap of work that Riz would usually do without issue.

With Wednesday came the work of the school notifying Riz's parents about his absence. Rumour spread quickly that the bear apparently hadn't gone home last Friday and his parents had thought he'd stayed at the school for the weekend.

No doubt a missing animal report would be filed and put out but since Riz is a carnivore, the likelihood that it gets swept under the rug in a week or two is high, even quicker if they realise he had anything to do with the Market. Maybe they'll claim he was lost to it, something they do often with missing carnivores.

The school population started speculating, making up rumours, the dormmother searched his dormroom for any evidence of where he may have gone. They found nothing. Legosi and Louis continued on as if nothing was out of place.

Thursday, the Drama Club members could already tell Tem was a lot less tense. Some cops had come by to get statements from the dorm mother and his roommates, but they left as quickly as they arrived.

The club had almost completely moved on from his disappearance, except for a couple of his friends that were holding onto hope that he was just sick or got lost or something and would return. The heirs among them knew better, but didn't say anything.

Thursday night, Louis found Legosi curled into a ball on his dorm windowsill, smoking a cigar. The strong smell in the air told Louis that Legosi had gone through several cigars already.

Louis sat beside Legosi and lit a cigarette. He wasn't going to press Legosi to talk, but he'd be here in silent support if that was all that Legosi needed tonight. Louis was aware that Legosi's upbringing in the Market was tougher than his own, less sheltered and more aware, more first hand experience from a young age, so how he handled things like this were a world different than how Louis did.

It was one thing that the inner circle of the Dokugumi wouldn't understand if Legosi went to them with it. Maybe they'd even write it off or say he should be able to handle it better by now. The way his hand shook when he took the cigar out of his mouth told Louis enough. The deer leaned on his boyfriend, his best friend, and took his unoccupied hand in his own.

Friday saw Riz's friends trying direlessly to reach him once more, only to get nowhere. Most of the school was over it though, half of them because he was a bear (cough herbivores cough) the other half because they knew what the most likely scenario was when a fellow carnivore just disappeared.

The afternoon saw Legosi and Louis getting their things and setting out for a certain bar in neutral territory, partly to meet up with potential allies, partly to drink their stresses away.

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Late Friday night found the Black Devil approaching the Dragon on the roof of an abandoned skyscraper. Not their usual spot, but a sixth sense told them to be up here tonight.

Yafya walks up to Gosha until he's standing mere feet in front of him. He looks angered.

"You can't let them get away with something this public," Yafya simply spits. Gosha raises an eyebrow and asks, "Get away with what? Did something interesting happen in the City?"

Yafya steps closer, now up in his face, the tip of the cigar almost burns his nose at this distance. "You know what I'm talking about! That missing student from Cherryton!" Yafya continues. Gosha simply breathes out black smoke towards him, causing Yafya to hack and take a step back.

"Just because two Gumi heirs happen to be in the school where a student goes missing, doesn't automatically make them responsible," Gosha states and Yafya glowers at him.

"Who else would risk that?! And I know it's not some small gang that grabbed the kid, he's a brown bear for fuck's sake!" Yafya growls out and Gosha almost has to stop himself from laughing. Instead he exhales through his nose, causing cigar smoke to exit as well.

"The Inarigumi has been keeping a close eye on the school," Gosha states with a shrug. "You think they may have-" Yafya cuts himself off, Gosha answers him with a nod. "Why?" Gosha actually chuckles at that, "Why? Maybe to intimidate the two heirs going to school there. Or perhaps to frame someone?"

Gosha flicks his tongue out passed his cigar before offering another cigar to Yafya. The way the horse was eyeing Gosha's own gave him away. Yafya reluctantly takes it and they share a quiet moment on the roof, just smoking.

Thirty years ago, Gosha would offer him his first cigar and he'd take it to try and impress his friend.

Five years ago Yafya would start trying to stop smoking, with no luck, because a certain komodo dragon keeps offering and he keeps taking.

That night, two friends on opposing sides would smoke together on an abandoned rooftop, one pensive to figure out a case and the other just relaxing where no one would see them.

Chapter Text

Legosi pulled up and parked his motorcycle outside the building with a massive name written all over it. He was almost immediately swarmed by a pack of canines that were happily sniffing, talking and wagging their tails.

See, Legosi had agreed to go to B-Strike with the 701 boys on a Saturday for once. Usually he wouldn't be in the City over weekends, but he'd gotten permission from his grandfather and the added information that there wasn't much to do in the Market this weekend.

Legosi followed the five as they checked in and went to a specific room. Legosi followed the others to what he assumed was a locker room and changed into comfortable clothes to run in that wouldn't cause them to overheat. Then he followed them back to the original room.

There was a bunch of canine things that Legosi assumed was for playing, but half of the stuff he didn't even recognise and Jack seemed to pick up on it immediately when he saw Legosi frowning. Jack bounded over as the other four started playing with the automatic tennis ball launcher.

"What's got you confused Lego-face?" Jack asked and Legosi tilted his head down at the shorter canine. Legosi offered a chuckle that hopefully came across as awkward, before saying, "I just realised, apart from roughhousing, I don't know how canines play."

Jack offered a chuckle, placing his hand on Legosi's wrist to drag him over to where the others were running back with a tennis ball. "You've probably chased tennis balls before?" Jack offered and Legosi nodded, "Yeah, my brother tends to throw them at the most inconvenient times." Jack chuckled and soon Legosi was playing along with them.

Legosi was careful not to run into any of the others, unless he risks hurting them. He was bigger and had a lot more muscle, so he didn't want to injure them. Jumping over Durham and Miguno, Legosi grabbed the ball out of thin air. He had to twist and kick himself off the wall to avoid colliding with it before running back. Jack was closest to his speed, even if he wasn't running to his full capability.

When they all caught up and Legosi dropped the ball into the launcher, Jack let out a laugh, "See, you're doing great!" Jack almost tackled Legosi as he excitedly jumped next to the wolf, just glad that Legosi was actually playing with them again. He's been more distant from the group lately and Jack had started to become nervous that they would lose him as a friend.

The day was fun and all and Collot even convinced Legosi to play tug of war with him, or what Collot called jaw wars. Legosi won easily enough, but he gave enough leeway for Collot to have fun with it. Overall the day had gone by without trouble.

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"Do you think they'll be okay?" Sora asked as Louis directed the two of them down a small alleyway. "I'm sure they'll be fine. Worst case scenario is that they don't talk the entire time from their introverted tendencies," Louis answered, getting a chuckle out of Sora.

They were on their way to the ice cream shop just outside of the Market. Louis wanted to treat Sora to a somewhat normal afternoon, since she was still young and deserved a break from Market life, especially after what she's told him the last time the four of them went drinking.

"I hope so, they seem to get along, all things considered," Sora said as she followed Louis. She wasn't sure where they were going, but she trusted Louis enough to not be worried about it.

They were both casually dressed, so no one gave them a second glance when they entered the ice cream shop. The old badger was still running the till, but their kid now did all the waitering. Louis greeted them both with a wave as they entered the shop.

"An ice cream shop?" Sora asks as they get in line. Louis shrugged, "I thought you deserved an afternoon of doing something a normal teenager would. The last couple months have been hectic." Sora gave him a relieved smile.

Something she learned ever since becoming friends with them, was that Louis and Legosi understood that she wasn't as acclimated to the Market as they are. She's been slowly getting used to it and everything over the years, but a lot of things still bothered her.

Louis allowed her to order first, then ordered for himself and paid for their ice creams. They waited by the display fridge as the younger badger scooped their orders and got a seat by one of the windows when they received them.

They talked and laughed quietly, a little awkward since it's the first time they've been out alone. Every now and again they would text one or both of the hybrids to check in on if they were still doing okay and then they'd go back to talking.

"Hear anything from your dad recently?" Louis asks gently after Sora swallows a spoonful of rum and raisin ice cream. Her tail begins to wag as she tells him, "Yeah, ever since you guys helped me sneak out to his house last month, I've been there twice on my own. He's doing good!" She happily tells him about how much she's enjoying catching up with the old fox in secret.

They'd risked a lot in helping her sneak out of the Market and across town to see him, but after Ten had just stolen her away and threatened to kill her father if she doesn't behave, she hadn't seen him in some years. The other heirs had decided that it was bullshit, they had made a plan to get her to him and the reunion had been very emotional.

The man had invited them in for tea and afterwards, Legosi and Louis had kept guard around the house while Sora and Melon caught up and talked to him. All in all, it was nice and Sora has been a lot happier since.

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The first while after they split off from Sora and Louis, they were just quietly walking side by side. The two hybrids had no real end location in mind and so just kind of followed the wind, trying to think of something to talk about. This was about getting to know each other, after all.

"Uh, where are we?" Melon asks, looking around as if he can't recognise the place. Legosi shrugs and glances around, he's been moving on autopilot until now. "No worries, this is a neutral zone." Melon nods as they keep walking.

Melon hasn't really gotten the chance to just walk around without worrying he's being followed or being out because of a job with a limited timeframe.

Soon enough they reach the edge of the Market and the two were just about to turn around to avoid the City when voices caught their attention.

They stood in the shadows of the alleyway, watching as a rhino and a leopard picked up a kid from what appeared to be a daycare. The kid had a small horn on it's nose and while it was the grayish colour of a rhino, it had black spots and furry ears and tail like a leopard. The supposed parents picked the kid up and showered it in love.

Both of the hybrids just watched, one in awe and the other in surprise that a hybrid kid was that loved by both parents.

"Is that possible?" Melon asked, grabbing Legosi's attention away from the adorable scene. "What do you mean?" Legosi asked, trying to figure out what part of the scene was confusing to Melon.

"That-" Melon vaguely gestured towards the kid and their parents. He just kept gesturing and it took Legosi a solid minute to realise what Melon meant, after all, he only had one parent and she was very hostile towards him. Legosi could only assume that Mercia has always been hostile towards Melon.

"Uhm, I guess. A lot of parents shower their kids in love and effection," Legosi said with a shrug. "Not hybrid kids." If his hearing wasn't as sharp, Legosi would've missed what Melon said.

"What was that?" Legosi asked, trying to see if Melon would elaborate. Melon frowned at him before speaking, "Maybe normal kids get happy lives with caring parents but hybrids only get issues and pain and injuries."

Wow okay, that was a lot to unpack. Legosi wasn't sure what to say. His own first couple of years with the Dokugumi, he may have been slightly neglected because they had better things to do, but his grandpa had always cared for him and loved him.

Both of them just ended up staring at the daycare as a heavy silence fell over them.

"You know, staring is considered rude and creepy, especially if it's two adults staring at a daycare," A voice suddenly said to their left. It gave both hybrids a scare and they jumped back, Legosi going for his gun and Melon pulling out a knife in each hand.

A gentle hand settled on the one that Legosi had placed on his holstered gun. It was soft and smaller than his own by a lot. Following it up to it's owner, he relaxed almost immediately.

"There's no need for that," Toki said gently, followed by a nervous giggle. She wasn't exactly unaware of how dangerous Legosi was. "I wasn't expecting you to come by today," She added, hoping to break the tension.

That sent Legosi's brain back into function and he moved his hand away from the gun, instead gently taking her hand in one of his own. It was soft and small and he had to force himself to speak, "I didn't know this was where you worked, we kind of stumbled upon the place."

Melon immediately took notice of the calming demeanor that Legosi was showing and although he put the knives away, he didn't lower his guard. "Do you know her?" Melon aimed the question at Legosi, but the female wolf answered of her own accord, "I'm his grandmother, but you can call me Toki." Her demeanor was nice enough, but Melon knew better than to just blindly trust animals, especially older females.

"Would you boys like to come in and play with the kids? Some of their parents work very late and I've got the afternoon shift," Toki offered, gently tugging on Legosi's hand.

Legosi stayed in place at first and looked at Melon, giving him the chance to make the decision. Melon glanced between the two of them and the daycare and then nodded, albeit skeptically.

Toki lit up happily and started pulling Legosi after her towards the building. Melon followed, looking for all the world like a lost puppy.

Once inside, Toki introduced them to the kids as uncle Goshi and uncle Mel, the latter of which Melon chose before Toki could give some, in his opinion, demeaning nickname.

Legosi immediately got chosen by a kid who looked like a lizard and feline hybrid, having fuzzy ears be the only reason she doesn't look like a full chameleon. She showed Legosi some drawings and asked him to read, getting the attention of a bunch of kids who crowded around Legosi as he quietly read to them.

Melon seemed unsure about how to approach the kids, until he spotted a kid that was sitting separate from the others, playing with blocks quietly. Melon slowly approached the little boy, trying to see what the kid was. Curly fur suggested he was part sheep of some sort, but as Melon approached, the kid looked up and canine eyes looked back at him, the floppy ears suggested a domestic dog of some sort rather than their wild ancestors.

"Hey kid," the kid's ears perked at his gentle tone but didn't respond. They were both carni-herbi hybrids and Melon knew the kid picked up on it. After ten minutes time, Melon was sitting behind the kid and helping him build something with the wooden blocks.

Toki smiled gently from her spot behind the counter, glad the kids took to the two of them so easily. She laughed as an eagle and labrador kid settled on Legosi's shoulder to listen to him read.

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Toby lead the way nervously, hands never stopping their fiddling with the hem of his shirt. Legosi was following a few steps behind him, hands in his pockets and keeping an eye on their surroundings.

Legosi knew exactly where they were going, but he couldn't let Toby realise that. He'd managed to convince Toby to take off the venom mask when they entered the Black Market, otherwise Toby would look too out of place. He could also be mistaken for Dokugumi, since they were the only komodos in the Market that wore masks, but he wasn't about to tell Toby that and stress the kid out even more.

They passed some familiar places and faces and Legosi would simply nod or glare at anyone who stared too long or too closely. Toby was blissfully unaware of this the whole way.

"Why are you so nervous if you've been here before?" Legosi casually asks, lighting a cigar. Toby sputtered for a moment, before being able to give a response, "How are you so calm, walking through such a violent place?"

Legosi didn't really want to answer and instead just distracted Toby with a fight that was happening ahead of them, leading Toby through a side alley that would take them to the same place at the end of the day. If Toby wondered how Legosi knew the place so well, then he didn't ask.

They made it to a small building in Dokugumi territory that was minimally marked and worn down on the outside. Legosi knew it looked better on the inside. Toby knocked on the door and stood a few steps back, fiddling with his hands again.

Not even a minute passes before the door opens and the woman smiles brightly at Toby, inviting the two of them in for tea. She apparently didn't have a class right now, so they had time. She put tea on and guided them to the 'teacher's lounge'. Toby excused himself to the bathroom for a moment, leaving Legosi and the komodo dragon woman alone.

She looked nervous, but Legosi just offered her a smile. He wasn't here to cause trouble, but she didn't seem so sure of that. "How did sweet little Toby manage to befriend the fierce Dragon Wolf?" She asked sweetly as she brought in a tray with their tea.

Legosi gave her a playful look, followed by a gentle smile, "It's easier if you ask him that, ma'am." She seemed surprised at the respectful way he spoke, but didn't question on it.

They didn't speak much for the rest of the afternoon, in fact, because once Toby got to talking, he was talking nonstop at a steady speed. The teacher seemed happy to hear that Toby was doing good at his new school and had even managed to make friends with Legosi's help.

The two left late that night, to which Legosi took the lead to get them back to the City. Toby seemed lost with all the people and neon lights that were on in the dark night, but Legosi still navigated easily. Toby was all too thankful to get on a bus once they got back to the City and be away from all that meat. Legosi stayed behind and once he was sure Toby couldn't see him anymore, he returned to the winding alleyways of the Market.

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Louis and Legosi parked their motorcycles in the packed parking lot in front of the bar. They were familiar with it by now and since it's on neutral ground, no one had anything to say about it.

They entered the bar and glanced around, spotting Sora and Melon sitting in a booth off to the side in low lighting. Legosi offered a gentle smile and lead the way over, Louis short on his heels.

They slide in across from the other two heirs, gesturing to the bartender to bring them their usual. Sora smiled at the two of them and Melon nodded his hello.

They've been meeting up to hang out every first Friday of the month ever since what happened at New Year. They didn't meet up as heirs or for deals or anything official, it was off the books, just friends hanging out. Friends that could make head and toe about how rough life is as a Gumi heir in the Market. Their respective parents don't know about these meetings.

Sora sips at her cider and starts filling them in about what she learned this week. She'd recently discovered she had a knack for guns. She was a natural sniper and was all too happy to finally start fitting in.

Melon sipped his beer quietly, listening to her speak, analysing the way she stated things. He couldn't wait for the next time he and Legosi can go visit the daycare, but for now he's relieved to hear that Ten is easing up on Sora.

Louis told them about the new play Cherryton was putting on and filled them in on what they need to be on the lookout for. They were secretly hunting down the last remaining members of Chief's little posse.

Legosi didn't have much to tell, but during the evening, he passed Melon a small gift that Toki sent with him after their visit earlier. She had taken a liking to Melon, in all his awkward dislike of older females. Melon nodded his thanks to Legosi after checking what was in the gift. Some textured sweets and nice smelling soaps.

By the end of the night they'll split back to their own Gumis and no one will be any wiser about their outings. They'll see each other during the Turf Wars in another three weeks and then meet up at this bar again, but for the night, they were just catching up and enjoying themselves.

Chapter Text

It's a warm Friday afternoon when Louis and Legosi separate in the hallway to their own dormrooms for once. Tonight would be the senior dance and Louis had asked Legosi to accompany him to it about a week ago. They both wanted to get ready and meet up before going there together.

Louis let out a tired sigh as he walked through the threshold of his room, only to register movement outside of his own and immediately go for his gun. It was a trained response at this point. He registered the familiar faces before he got a hold on his weapon though and aborted the movement halfway through.

Closing his door, Louis locked it and threw his backpack on the bed, right next to Agata. "How did you three get in my dorm?" Louis asked, rubbing at his left eye. As if to answer, Free held up a lock picking kit and chuckled, as if the answer should be obvious and Louis found himself amused. Because of course it had been Free that picked his door open and let the others inside.

"What are you guys doing here then?" Louis asked as he shrugged off his blazer and took a seat at his desk, still glancing between the three lions. Hino spoke up then, his gentle voice soothing after a long day, "We're here to help you get ready for the dance, at least Agata and I are, I'm not sure why Free came along."

Louis and Agata chuckled as Free pulled a small camera out of his jacket, "Ibuki wants pictures."

The next two hours are spent with Hino and Agata helping Louis get ready. Hino started the whole thing by putting some kind of wax on Louis' antlers that made them look shiny and healthy. Hino smacked Louis' hand away when he tried to touch his antlers, claiming the wax needs to absorb before they do anything else with them.

Agata handed him a bag of clothes that they brought along and Louis ended up in a red dress shirt that worked well with his fur colour, with black slacks and black shoes and tie to match. Louis rolled the sleeves of the dress shirt up to his elbows and chuckled as Free snapped the umpteenth photo of the night.

Then Hino had him sit down again and pulled a small bag from his own pocket with a handful of makeup supplies. At the questioning look on Louis' face, Hino shrugged and said, "It's just eyeliner, trust me." Louis shrugged and let Hino do his thing, trusting the white lion wouldn't lead him astray.

Just before he had to meet up with Legosi, Agata tactfully spun a fine string of beads into his antlers and Hino handed Louis two rings, a square one with a ruby and a gold one that, when Louis got a closer look, he realised had the gangs emblem on it. A signet ring. Louis' chest fluttered from the gesture.

Free looked about to follow him out the door and Louis wanted to laugh and thank them at the same time. He wouldn't have put so much effort into his look tonight if they hadn't been around.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

Legosi entered his room and took a moment to blink at the two komodo dragons leaning against the wall by his open window. He chuckled and shook his head, locking the door behind him.

Spine nodded to the clothes bag that was hooked to the handle of the closet and Legosi dropped his backpack before he went over to it. He checked the outfit out before smiling, knowing Spine would have his measurements down to the millimeter.

Legosi rolled his shoulders and tried to relax. He'd agreed to go to the dance because Louis had asked him, but big groups, like this would be, was never his preferred place to be. He could hold out for a couple hours, for Louis, if nothing else. Once mentally more prepared for the night, he shrugs off the school's waistcoat.

Savon makes him aware of the small vanity case on his desk and as Legosi shrugs out of his shirt, he goes over to see what they'd brought him. He took a sniff at the bottle of cologne to decide if he could put up with the scent for the whole night and gave a slight nod as confirmation. He saw Savon and Spine fist bumping as they got confirmation that the smell wasn't too much for their pup.

Spine helped him into the shirt, it being a stunning light blue that complimented his fur, paired with black pants and a black waistcoat that hugged his hips in a way that was just short of too tight. Savon painted Legosi's claws in a blue that matched the colour of his shirt, while Spine was trying to tame the chaos that was the fur on top of his head and around his ears, though Legosi would joke it was just an excuse for Spine to mess with his ears.

Every now and again, Savon would take a photo with his phone of Legosi, acting like it wasn't out of place. Legosi chose to not point it out, instead enjoying the attention.

As they were finishing up, Spine grabbed his wrists and popped two beautiful cufflinks into the cuffs of Legosi's shirt. They were silver with sapphires embedded in them in the shape of a wolf paw.

Legosi smiled at them and stood still as Spine adjusted a bolo tie around his collar. The two clearly remembered that Legosi despised ties, so the thin piece of black leather rope with the ornamental clip was a more comfortable alternative that still looked good. The clip was oval shaped and silver with fancy embellishments around the outside of it. It had a turquoise colour with the Dokugumi emblem in silver in the center.

Savon took another picture before Legosi left the room, looking and smelling dashing. They followed him out into the hallway where Legosi and Louis would meet up. Just in time too.

_______________°•○●○•°_______________

The two heirs took a moment to just take in how the other looked. They both seemed a bit speechless at the sight of the other.

Free and Savon gave each other a knowing look and Agata beamed at the couple in between the two groups.

"You look stunning, Lou," Legosi said in a breathless sort of way. Louis smiled at him, "And you look beautiful, Goshi." Louis leaned up to steal a quick kiss on Legosi's lips and the wolf's tail slowly wagged behind him.

Once the two heirs had broken the silence, the groups behind them corralled them into a pose and took more photos, with Legosi and Louis oscillating between staring at each other and laughing at their families' antics.

°°°°°

Once the two heirs got away from their respective families and made it into the hall where the dance was being held, they linked hands.

Louis immediately got them some punch and they shared a knowing look when the taste wielded the familiar tang of alcohol. Someone spiked the punch and these kids would regret it in the morning.

The lights were kept low enough that everyone was comfortable, the herbivores could still see and the carnivores were at ease. A couple teachers milled around, watching the teenagers dancing and talking.

Legosi immediately spotted Haru with the alligator girl in her club, the white rabbit trying to teach her large alligator counterpart how to waltz. Louis clocked Tao and Sheila dancing in a darker corner and couldn't help but smile at the sight of Sheila clearly leading the dance.

The two heirs finished their drinks and Legosi offered Louis his hand as an invite to dance. Louis smiled up at Legosi and slipped his hand into the larger one. A slower song started playing and Legosi playfully twirled Louis as they got onto the dancefloor.

Louis let out a quiet chuckle and settled his hand on Legosi's snatched waist. Legosi settled his own free hand on Louis' shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. Even though Louis was leading their first dance of the night, he still allowed Legosi to twirl him a second time. The wolf's eyes watching Louis' antlers as the beads shone in the low light, creating an almost ethereal glow around the appendages.

Another song came on and Legosi was allowed to take the lead on this one. They accidentally bumped into Jack and Collot, making Jack trip. Without thinking about it, Legosi swung his tail out to catch Jack and put the Labrador back on his feet. Jack chuckled his thanks and went back to dancing with the sheepdog.

"You should be careful about doing that, normal wolves don't have enough strength in their tails to pick someone up," Louis whispered, leaning his cheek against Legosi's chest. Legosi easily avoided Louis' antlers as the deer did so, simply shrugging, "Jack either won't ask questions or will back off if I dismiss it. I'm not worried."

When the dance finished, the two heirs moved to the wall to take a break and grab a drink. They could dance all night, but just didn't feel like it.

Louis went to grab more punch for them when Legosi felt someone bump his knee. He looked down to see Haru, who smiled up at him. "You two look good tonight, both physically and the way you're dancing," She winked up at him and he playfully swatted her with his tail, not hard enough to hurt but just enough to jostle her a little. She let's out a laugh at it.

She gestures with her head to a quiet corner in the hall where Toby stands awkwardly, fiddling with his shirt sleeves. There was no one even near him, despite him still wearing his mask. Legosi sighed. This was really getting old.

Louis returned with their drinks and Legosi gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as thanks. As they stood, Louis noticed the glances Legosi was throwing towards Toby in the corner, one of the teachers now standing by him, albeit a few feet away.

"Go help him out," Louis said, leaning his shoulder against Legosi's upper arm. Legosi looked surprised for a moment before asking, "You sure?" Louis shrugged and reached a hand up to pet Legosi between the ears, "You still owe me a few more dances, but go settle the kid's nerves."

Legosi nodded at that, finishing his drink and then slinking over to Toby.

"Problem, Sir?" Legosi asked, noticing the teacher by Toby was in fact Gon. The tiger seemed relieved Legosi had shown up. "Not at all, just keeping a lone student some company," Gon answered. Legosi nods and hands Toby a cup of punch.

Gon disappears to go break up a dispute between a hyena and a dog. Toby glanced between the drink and Legosi. Legosi offers him an easy smile, "It's okay, no one's close enough to claim you pose a danger." Toby let out an awkward laugh at that, but carefully slipped his mask off to take a sip. Legosi casually moved to stand in a way that blocked Toby from the view of most other animals in the hall.

Thankful for Legosi blocking him from view, Toby also accepted some snacks that Legosi had grabbed on the way over. "So apart from the awkward space surrounding you, how's the dance been?" Legosi asked to break the tension a little bit. Toby gave him a tired smile, "Mostly awkward, but no one's been outright rude, so better than I expected." Legosi offered the komodo dragon a smile at that, glad it wasn't all bad.

After a couple more songs and quiet conversation between the two pass, Legosi offers Toby his hand as an invite to dance. Toby blushed and slipped his mask back on, "But aren't you here with Louis? Won't he be mad?" Legosi chuckled and glanced over his shoulder to where Louis was dancing a tango with Haru.

"I don't think he'll mind all that much," Legosi said and Toby finally accepted the offer, slipping his scaled hand into Legosi's furred one. Legosi pulled the young Komodo right into the crowd on the dancefloor and started leading them in the faster paced dance. Toby kept up easily and Legosi made sure they had enough space for turns so neither of them bumped anyone with their tails.

A couple students made startled noises and made space when the two joined the couples on the dancefloor, but most didn't mind since Toby still had his mask on. Toby chuckled as they danced, surprisingly good at this, and kept up easily with the rhythm that Legosi and the song had set.

As the song came to a staccato end, Legosi and Toby moved off the dancefloor again, sharing a laugh. Louis and Haru joined them in the corner where the two were talking before.

Halfway through the next song, Jessie, the alligator girl that Haru had danced with earlier, shyly approached the group, or more specifically, she approached Toby. She spoke fast but they could make out her words,"Would you dance with me?"

Toby gave a startled look at her and then glanced at Legosi. The wolf gave Toby a reassuring look and nodded. So when the next song started, Toby and Jessie went off to dance. It was kind of cute and Legosi felt a sort of relief that Toby wasn't completely ostracized, and some form of proudness that Toby was comfortable enough to even show up tonight.

Louis leaned against Legosi's side again once Haru wanders off once more. They share a smile and Legosi laces their fingers together. As much as he wasn't confident about tonight, he was glad he'd agreed to come with Louis. They went over to a snack table and happened to overhear something that they probably shouldn't.

Some students were making comments about Haru. A lot of it were old rumours about her 'habits' while some of it berated her for choosing to dance with a carnivore who was also a girl earlier and apparently now for dancing with a large carnivore male. Louis glanced over the hall to see if he could spot her and to his mild surprise, Airdo was dancing with her and they made for a rather cute sight, at least in Louis' eyes.

Legosi was a bit occupied with watching Toby and his newly acquired date to check for Haru. Louis wasn't sure what the chatty girls' problem was. Airdo was kind of a softy, and was acting very shy about dancing with a herbivore, while Haru lead the dance and seemed right comfortable and in her element. Louis shook his head, hoping it wouldn't amount to more than just gossip tonight.

A familiar song started to play, a jazz composition that the residents of the Black Market liked in shadier clubs. It was jazz, but it had a lyrical waltz sort of rhythm to it. Louis laced his fingers with Legosi's once again and pulled the large carnivore out onto the floor with him.

Legosi also recognised the song, Shostakovich, or something like that, but he easily settled into position with Louis, letting the deer lead them through a familiar dance.

For a moment as the song went on, it felt like they were alone in the hall and on the dancefloor, just them and the music. Their bodies slotted together perfectly, their hands placed perfectly and the low light casting them in a beautiful glow. Legosi slotted his jaw between Louis' antlers and rested it on top of his head, a familiar position by now and Louis moved his hand from Legosi's waist to around his back, letting it lay just above Legosi's tail comfortably.

It wasn't like the two of them to display such open affection, especially in the school where gay and interspecies relationships were still a slight taboo, even if not outright stated. The occasion was a nice one though and their gentle displays were far from the worst, considering there was a herbivore couple in the middle of the dancefloor that looked about to strip and fuck with the way they were going at each other.

When the song ended, they allowed themselves another quiet moment to take in their position and the night. They shared a quick kiss when they parted and shifted off to the side again as a faster song started playing once more.

°°°°°

They took their chance when they saw it and snuck outside of the building for a smoke. There were a bunch of couples making out by the fountain, none of which had enough functioning brain power to even glance at the two heirs passing them.

They found a quiet corner that was covered in a comfortable amount of darkness and each lit a cigarette. Louis leaned against Legosi's side, getting Legosi to put his arm over his shoulder and Legosi's tail started wagging, kicking up dust from the wall behind them.

The night had been good, now they just needed a small break to breathe and relax and then they'll be off back to the Market.

Chapter Text

The months since Louis graduated have started blending into one. When Louis had said he was ready to take over the Shishigumi, Ibuki happily stepped down. The lions were all eager to see what Louis does in his coming years as their leader.

Louis didn't change anything in the way the Gumi functions, he liked where they were at and in what direction they were heading. He still liked to involve the entire inner circle in important decisions, to hear what they thought about the situation and potential decisions.

Something that he didn't do on purpose, was that Agata and Free indirectly became his right hand men, almost like Dolph had been for Ibuki. No one seemed to have issue with this, but it was also never directly discussed.

With his skilled mind and years of experience in the Market, Louis racked in more and more shops and vendors that paid them for protection and he earned the name of the 'Horned Prince' among Market denizens.

It still wasn't uncommon to just see him out in the Market with just Legosi or even one of the other two heirs. It was as normal as seeing him with one or two or the entire inner circle's lions.

Louis also managed something that would mark his name as a cornerstone in the Market for years to come. He orcastrated a pushback against the Okamigumi, specifically during Turf Wars, that allowed themselves and the other three Gumis to completely take the Okamigumi's territory and remove them from Gumi status altogether, leaving only the original four to remain in control. Soon after that the canine group collapsed in on itself due to infighting and they disappeared into the denizens of the Market.

Six months into his rule, Free had taken Louis to get a tattoo, one that Free had designed like Louis had asked him years ago.

°°°°°

It was one of the quieter days in the Market when Louis decided he wanted to get tattooed. Of course Free came along and Agata was along for moral support.

They happened to land with the same artist that did Free's tattoos all those years ago, so the atmosphere was comfortable and while Louis made himself comfortable on the tattoo bed, Free was explaining the design to the artist, who dutifully listened.

It wasn't common knowledge, but Free often sold some of his sketches or drawings to the tattoo parlours in the Market. His style was a favourable one, so he made a good deal of money off it. Louis pretended he doesn't know about this because he isn't sure how many of the other lions knew.

Louis layed down on his stomach and let Free and the artist do their thing, resting his head on his arms and watching Agata out of the corner of his eye.

Agata was slowly moving about the shop, admiring the drawings on the walls, occasionally stopping to look at the files with dozens more on the small desks and tables around the place. They've effectively rented out the shop for the day to avoid any stragglers trying anything stupid. It also made for a calmer environment.

It didn't take long after they started for Louis to start dozing off. He wasn't fully asleep, still able to hear Free and the artist talk animatedly, but drifting enough that the sound of the machine was a relaxing background noise.

Nearing halfway through, Louis allowed himself to fall asleep, knowing Agata and Free wouldn't let anything happen to him.

By the time he woke up from the sudden lack of background noise, his tattoo was done. Free was joking to Agata about the younger lion getting a tattoo as well, which Agata refuted with the knowledge that he doesn't do well with needles.

Louis sat up and stretched, feeling a satisfying pop in his spine and then the ache of the tattoo on his back settled in. It was a nice kind of itchy numbness and he sort of understood why some animals got so many tattoos. He shrugged his shirt on and was thankful he opted out of wearing a waistcoat or jacket that day.

°°°°°

For a couple weeks following that, if Louis wasn't planning on leaving the Manor that day, he'd just walk around without a shirt on. It finally made sense to him why Free started going shirtless so often after he got his tattoos.

The lions liked to admire it too and to the untrained eye, it would look like they were sizing him up by the way they stared. Louis knew better, finding comfort in knowing they were watching him.

Every night, Free or Agata would drop into Louis' room and help him out with caring for the tattoo. They would check that everything was still looking right and help Louis put some tattoo balm on the spots he couldn't reach.

Free would not admit it, but he thought Louis' fawn spots on his shoulders, where you could still see them around the tattoo, was cute. Most deer grow out of their fawn spots but Louis' seems to be here to stay.

°°°°°

It was a mild surprise how easily Louis transitioned into running the gang, along with things settling into place, even though very little changed inside the Manor.

Outside of the Manor, in the Market, Louis exuded an air of perfection, in how he looked, worked and ran the gang. He had a natural charm that Ibuki had lacked before, so with Agata and Hino by his sides, he brought in more and more connections and jobs each week.

In a matter of months, he'd near tripled their income and was able to not only pay the lions more with each coming month, but also upgrade some very old things in the manor to something more lavish and in his words 'deserving of his family'.

With business and income skyrocketing, so did the paperwork attached to it, but he took it all in stride and Ibuki and Dolph were more than happy to sit with him into the early hours of the night to work through it all and organise it into files.

He still liked to get their input on some aspects of work, a lot of time pertaining more towards the other gangs and how certain things should be handled, but the more democratic approach, even if Ibuki had done something similar, made the inner circle even more involved than they ever thought they would be. In a good way, of course.

°°°°°

They've struck another deal with yet another bigger business in the Black Market and the lions were all hyped, some showing it more than others.

Most of them were piling at the front, talking and laughing, with Ibuki and Free hanging back with Louis towards the back of the group.

Louis lit a cigarette and allowed himself to chuckle at the dry jokes Free was making. Free slung an arm over Louis' shoulders as they walked, getting a gentle knock from Louis' antlers to the side of the head.

They walked by a quieter alleyway and just as Louis and Free were about to pass it, a rhino with a military gun popped out just far enough to aim at Louis and fire a shot.

Free's instincts were just a second faster and he twisted and ducked, taking Louis with him. Thanks to his quick thinking, the bullet missed by a mile. Before he could go after the rhino though, Louis had already jumped back to his feet and stormed at the larger herbivore.

Louis is short enough that if he stood to full height, his antlers would dig into the bigger creature's neck, so he used that to his advantage and twisted the gun out of his hands, shoving it in the direction of his lions. They had all responded to the sudden gunshot.

Ibuki stopped the gun with his foot as Louis shoved his antlers back hard enough to gore the rhino's neck and chin, with Free now just a step behind him, they get the rhino on the ground and pin him down.

Louis chuckled, sounding a little out of breath. It's been a while since he and Free got to work so openly to take someone down together. He didn't even realise he hadn't gone for his gun until he took it out of it's holster and shoved it to the back of the rhino's head.

"Got anything to say to yourself?" Louis asked, sounding almost deadly calm. He wasn't some suburbia kid who had no reason to be out here. He was the Market's Horned Prince and he liked that title.

The rhino was blabbering on about something that Louis couldn't really make heads or tails about. Debating if the guy was just a rando who tried to get lucky or if he needs to dispose of him, Louis cast a look at the rest of the lions for their input.

Majority of the Shishigumi gave him a nod, though that gave him a different idea. He looked to Free and gestured with his head to the two large horns resting on the rhino's nose. Free got the message and pulled out an overly sharp knife. Course he could just do it with his claws, but a cleaner cut meant a bigger price on it.

The rhino begged and cried but didn't dare move, the cold metal of Louis' gun still digging into his head. Once Free was done and out of the way, Louis flicked his gun to the side and pulled the trigger, taking a chunk out of the rhino's ear.

He got off the larger herbivore and moved to rejoin the rest of the lions, "Consider yourself lucky I'm feeling generous," Louis said, lighting another cigarette and getting the lions to leave the scene.

Free played with the ivory, throwing it between his palms, cackling as he did. If Louis wasn't mistaken, Ibuki and Dolph, and even Hino, looked proud of what he just pulled back there.

They piled into the car and made their way back to the Mansion, jolly and ready for a good party.

They'd barely been out the cars when Free passed Louis a silvervine blunt. A glimpse at Ibuki gave him all the go ahead he wanted and he let Agata light the joint as they all filed into the building.

_______________°•o•°______________

Legosi fiddled with his claws while Gosha looked over some plans the wolf sketched out, neatly written notes in the empty spaces giving a good idea of his plan.

He's been thinking of renovating a strip of abandoned buildings almost in the center of the Dokugumi territory and slotting it off into a small community space for hybrids.

Something like a safe haven for hybrids to go to when society casts them out, where they can find a community and housing if they needed it, in a place where they wouldn't be judged simply for being born hybrids.

The plan depended on Gosha giving his agreement because Legosi wanted to use some of the Dokugumi members as a form of security to ensure there wasn't any unnecessary threat to the space.

Gosha put the sketches down and looked at Legosi, a smile slowly starting to spread over his lips. "Get Savon and Garth in here, I think we need to discuss some of the finer details," Gosha said and Legosi almost immediately jumped to his feet.

That was as close to a yes as he was going to get. Garth's involvement meant it was already greenlit, now they just needed to figure out who was going to do what.

°°°°°

Two months later, the first couple buildings have been renovated, with Legosi at the forefront of the project and the first two houses already had denizens.

Legosi checked that everything was going smoothly at the renovation sites before heading to the occupied houses

He knocked and almost immediately the door opened. A large moose-bear hybrid allowed him inside and offered him tea.

"It's good to see you're settling in, Bronco," Legosi said as a greeting. Bronco handed him a cup with tea and they sat down.

"Oh yeah, it's great to finally have a place that doesn't feel hostile," He said happily. "My roommate is moving in next week, she's a dog-horse hybrid. She's gonna love this place!" Bronco finished off with a deep laugh, relaxing back into the couch. Legosi smiled, happy to see a hybrid being this happy to just exist.

They talked over tea, before Legosi moved to check in on the other house. It had some smaller animals, but they still welcomed him all the same.

A fleet of rat-cat hybrid siblings ran around, unpacking and sorting things. They were energetic, until the sun shone just right through the East facing windows, then they all gathered on the carpet in the sun and promptly took a nap.

Legosi chuckled at their enthusiasm, speaking with the capybara-gazelle hybrid that adopted the rat-cats unofficially. She was old enough to be their mother, and she took on the job happily.

Once he was sure they were settling in well, he moved to a nearby rooftop, one of the unoccupied buildings that weren't being worked on yet, and just watched.

Gosha appeared on the roof behind him and sometimes Legosi swears the old Komodo shouldn't be able to travel so quietly. Gosha handed him a lit cigar as he came to stand beside him.

"How are the new neighbours?" Gosha asked gently, voice barely above a whisper on the wind. Legosi's tail wagged slowly as his eyes scanned over the area.

"They are settling in quite nicely, I'm sure the other houses will be filled soon enough," Legosi said, allowing the smoke from the cigar to drift out of his mouth as he spoke.

"You're doing a good thing, I'm proud of you," Gosha said again, reaching over to ruffle the fur between Legosi's ears. Legosi allowed him to, smiling almost ear to ear at the acknowledgment. This felt like an important step in his journey in the Market.

Legosi leaned over against Gosha's shoulder and exhaled more smoke, "Thanks."

They had a ways to go to complete his vision, but every day he felt prouder about his contributions to his, albeit shady, world.

Chapter Text

Louis is smoking on the balcony attached to his room, watching the sun set, when a commotion by the Manor gate draws his attention.

Three of his lions seem to have their hands full dealing with a young buck. He doesn't appreciate their hesitancy, but at the same time he can understand why they seem hesitant to just manhandle the fear-rowdy deer.

Free manages to pin the young buck to the wall without getting gored by his antlers. They can both thank their personal sparring matches for that. Louis throws his finished cigarette into the nearby ashtray and whistles loud enough for the lions to hear him by the gate.

A simple gesture has them bringing the buck inside to Louis' office, where Free manhandles the kid to sit down, gentler than he usually is. Yeah, the kid is definitely too young to be this deep in the Market, but Louis also recognised the fear stricken amber eyes.

He's confident he can handle the kid on his own, so he dismisses Free and Miguel, knowing full well they'll just loiter around the office door outside until this comes to a conclusion.

Once the door closes behind the two lions, Louis allows the kid a minute to calm down a bit and get his bearings. He seems to be entirely running on prey instincts and that is never a good idea.

"Terry?" He asks, voice gentle but still carrying enough of an edge to get the kid's attention. It takes a tense moment, but Terry's ears flick in that way that shows he heard him and once the voice sinks in, he finally looks away from the floorboards and towards Louis.

Louis allows Terry another few moments to take in this information, a patience that he's only learned by growing up with sometimes very slow or emotionally constipated male big cats.

"L-Louis?" The kid manages to stutter out and Louis nods, offering the kid his glass of whiskey. Yeah, he's still a kid, and by Louis' calculation, Terry should be in second year now. It brings him right back to the biggest question he has, why he was in the Market.

Terry refuses the drink and Louis takes a sip with a shrug. Once Terry stops trembling, Louis let's out a sigh, "I'm not gonna pretend we aren't exactly where you think we are, so let's cut to the chase." The ice cubes in the glass clinked as he set it down firmly.

Terry's eyes watch his hand and then drifts up to look at Louis' twisted antlers, a sign he's both older and far more mature than the kid sitting opposite him at the desk. He swallows nervously and nods his agreement to answer any questions.

"What are you doing out here, Terry? The Black Market is no place for young herbivores," Louis asks, voice once again taking on a gentler tone. He has no need to ascertain dominance here, Terry already looks like he's still seconds away from bolting and Louis has been commanding the lions with ease since the kid got here.

"They grabbed me, b-but I got away. I-I don't know where I am or how to get home a-and I'm scared, s-scared to get eaten or-or sold or something worse," Terry rambles so much that he doesn't even notice Louis getting up from behind the desk, his eyes glued to the floor again.

A gentle hand lands on his shoulder and he goes quiet, eyes tracking up to Louis' honey eyes again. Louis offers him a gentle look, something akin to what a father might give his scared child and Terry can't help but place a hand on top of where Louis' rests, almost as if to check that this is actually happening.

"Who's 'they'?" Was the simple question Louis asked and Terry went into another stuttering reply. "Leopards! Strong ones with big hands and fancy swords and kimonos a-and-and..." Terry keeps rambling, tumbling off into incoherence, but Louis has already heard all he needed to.

He pats Terry's shoulder and takes his hand away again, only to be stopped by a trembling grip on his wrist. Terry mumbled something akin to not wanting Louis to go and Louis wondered if the warmth blossoming in his chest is what the lions felt when he was younger and would ask them to stay with him after particularly bad nightmares.

Louis shifts his wrist so Terry let's go of him and takes the younger buck's hand instead, internally wondering if his hands really are that much bigger or if his brain just wants to think that. Terry's hand feels small comparatively, but all of Terry seems small where he sits in the too big chair in Louis' office.

Louis leans his hip against the desk and calls towards the door, "Free, tell Jinma I'll be taking dinner up in my office. And bring something vegetarian up for our guest, I don't think he's leaving anytime soon." He hears a startled thunk out in the hallway and can't quite suppress his smile knowing Free had indeed been eavesdropping like he'd thought and been startled to realise Louis knew.

By the time Agata makes his way up the stairs with dinner, Terry has calmed down enough to be having a comfortable conversation with Louis, who has returned to his own chair. Terry goes quiet, looking almost bashful, when Agata puts their food down and excuses himself again.

Tonight Jinma made stir-fry with chunks of tenderised steak, but Louis is relieved to find that he'd made a salad for Terry and noted to later thank Jinma for his consideration. They dig in and a few bites in, Terry seems to pause and watch Louis as he takes a bite of the meat and eats it as if it's normal, which to Louis it very much is normal.

"You eat meat?" Terry asks carefully. Louis shrugs, but is relieved to see Terry continue to eat. "Yeah, deer can ingest meat just fine and if you balance with enough veggies on the side then you don't run the risk of long term repercussions," Louis answers, taking another bite.

"It doesn't make you sick? Do those beasts make you eat it?" Terry seems to be getting worked up and emotional again, so Louis takes a sip of his red wine and exhales slowly to keep his own temper in check. He hates when people judge his family.

"First off, no it doesn't make me sick and never has. Second off, they don't make me eat anything. What I eat is my own choice and to my own taste. And lastly, don't disrespect my family, I've killed far more important animals for far less of a reason, don't test me in my own home," while Louis' voice is calm, it carries a threatening edge once more and Terry pales at the last sentence, but he reels it in and they manage to finish dinner without further discretions.

°°°°°

Louis knows keeping Terry at the mansion for the night would be a better idea, followed by dropping him off at the school the next morning, but he also thinks it would be a disservice to the kid to keep him a lion den.

Terry is shaken up as it is and it isn't going to get any better if he has to stay here for the entire night. He gets up once the night has fully set in and gestures for Terry to follow him.

They pass Ibuki on their way out, who asks where he's going, completely ignoring Terry's existence. Even so, Terry practically hides behind Louis like a scared fawn just at the sight of Ibuki. Louis doesn't blame the kid, because Ibuki is a very large lion and rather intimidating when you aren't used to him.

"I'm just taking this one home, Dad. I'll be back later," Louis casually says, hoping his own calmness would calm Terry as well.

Outside, Free is smoking with some of the lower level guys in the Gumi. They wave but otherwise don't move towards the two deer. Louis overhears one of them tell Free that he thought Louis' was dating the wolf from the other gang, only to get a whack over the head from Free.

Louis rolled his eyes but the smile that tugged at his lips was tell enough about how he felt over the situation. When they reach his motorcycle, Louis hands Terry his extra set of goggles before putting his own on and getting on in front.

Terry is skeptical, but gets on behind him and once he starts driving the kid is clinging to him like he thinks he'll die at the slightest bump in the road.

Just outside the Market, by a traffic light, Louis pats Terry's knee to get his attention, "Should I take you back to Cherryton or is there somewhere else you'd rather I'd drop you off at?"

Terry mumbles something about the school, so Louis sets course for Cherryton.

_______________°•°•°•°•°_______________

Legosi is surprised when his grandfather calls him into his office that afternoon. He was sure he didn't have any jobs for the day and even more sure he didn't do anything to warrant getting into trouble.

He goes anyway, knowing it's best to listen and deal with whatever it is sooner rather than later. What he wasn't expecting to see, was Toby and Ozone also being in the office. He was about to apologize and leave, when Gosha stopped him.

"This is related to why I called you in," Gosha said, calm as ever. He gestured for Legosi to close the door and the wolf did.

"Seems little Toby here wants to be part of our Gumi," Gosha causally gestured to Toby, who poorly hid a flinch. Legosi doesn't blame the kid, Gosha was intimidating at the best of times. "And I think you're the perfect one to do his initiation," Gosha finished his thought, pausing everyone in their thoughts for a moment.

Usually family didn't initiate each other, something about going easy on them because you are related, the same went for friends made prior to the initiation. So why would he ask Legosi to do this?

Ozone seemed unsure, as if he thought Legosi might go too far with it or would purposely make it too difficult, because something that would seem easy to the wolf raised among dragons, could be near impossible for anyone that comes in from outside.

Legosi swallowed his sigh and nodded, "When should I take him?" His voice was calm, but his mind was already trying to figure out how they would go about this.

Gosha made a dismissive gesture towards Toby and turned his attention to the paperwork on his desk, "You're free to take him." That was all the dismissal they were going to get.

°°°°°

They are halfway across the compound grounds, on their way to the motorcycles, when Legosi asks, "Do you have a mask? Borrowed or otherwise, I don't care, I just need to know before we leave."

Toby nods and pulls a plain black mask out of his pocket. Legosi nods as Toby puts the mask on. Legosi has several masks, but today he opts to use a softer one, one that is black with painted wolf teeth in white, some lined with green or purple to insinuate he had venom of his own as well.

They got on Legosi's motorcycle, Toby sitting behind him because he's never driven one before. Legosi takes off, making up his mind to where he's gonna take Toby for this. It should be simple enough. He has never taken someone for an initiation before, despite long since being a permanent part of the Gumi. It just wasn't his job, until today.

Legosi pulls the motorcycle into an alleyway and they both get off it. He lights a cigar and watches the building. Toby just stands against the wall, fiddling with his hands but too nervous to actually ask what he was expected to do. He assumed Legosi would tell him soon enough.

Legosi spotted their target and decided to do this in his own way. He gestured Toby to stand next to him and slung an arm over the younger male's shoulder. Using the hand that was over his shoulder, he tilted Toby's head up and pointed towards an apartment that had no lights on inside but someone was definitely moving in there. "That's your target." He said, before moving a step away from Toby, giving him one last rough pat on the back.

"My t-target for what?" Toby asked, speaking for the first time since they left the compound. "I'm sure Ozone has told you how we deal with animals who run their mouths," Legosi answered, seeing Toby swallow nervously.

"So what do we do?" Toby asks in a bout of confidence that surprises both of them. Legosi leaned against the wall and shrugged, "Up to you, kid, I'm just here to guide you, not to force your hand." Toby nods again, looking up at their target's apartment window.

Toby, almost hesitantly, makes his way over to the wall. The apartment window was at least three stories up, so he had his work cut out for him. He starts climbing and once he was about two meters off the ground, he looks back over to Legosi, who gives him an approving nod.

Toby smiles under the mask and keeps going up. It's only once they are halfway up the building, that Toby notices two things, one being that Legosi was climbing the wall after him with ease, and two that Legosi wasn't wearing any shoes. He didn't question it too much, focussing instead on getting to the window, but the prior revelation did leave him wondering how long Legosi has been capable of that very reptilian feat.

Once they reach the window, Toby checks it, only to find it locked. He looks over to Legosi, who simply gestures for him to smash the window with his elbow. It took a moment to figure out how he'd do that, when he got the idea to use his tail instead. The window broke with one hit and Toby opened the window for them to climb through it, avoiding the shards of glass.

The easy part was now done, as they climbed into the apartment. Surely the tennant heard the glass shatter. The next 20 minutes or so goes by in a flash for Toby. The tennant, a middle aged tiger male, stormed at them and Toby fought back to the best of his abilities.

Legosi was standing off to the side, seemingly not going to interfere unless he has to. Maybe that was part of the whole ordeal. Toby, in all his natural strength and instinctual fighting skill, manages to pin the tiger down.

The tiger male is growling and hissing and spitting insults and pleas in a mixture that's near incoherent because of the rush in Toby's ears. He looks to Legosi, as if asking what to do next, unsure of himself yet again.

Legosi takes one of his guns out of his shoulder holsters and walks to the tiger pinned under Toby. The tiger grovels, but it doesn't seem to faze the wolf. He simply leans up to his full height and turns the gun around in his hand, holding the handle of it out to Toby.

Toby is confused for a moment before it sinks in. Legosi wants him to take it and kill the tiger. He second guesses his own ability to go through with that for a moment, before he reluctantly takes the gun. It's a simple 45 calibre, made for large carnivores, and Toby can still feel Legosi's body heat cling to it as he aims for the tiger's head.

Legosi's eyes give nothing away about what he's thinking, they are simply in a death stare, slowly traveling between Toby's face and the tiger's face.

Toby's hands are shaking, so much so the gun is near vibrating in his grip. He isn't sure he can do this, after all. One more glance at Legosi's calm, terrifying demeanor, somehow steels his own nerves and despite the shaking, he pulls the trigger. At this distance, no matter how unsteady his hands are, he can't miss, even if he tried to.

The bullet lands, the body goes still. Toby is still shaking and his ears are still ringing. He can still feel the effects of the recoil in his wrists. Legosi pats his shoulder and takes the gun away again. Toby is glad the cold metal isn't in his grip anymore and he follows Legosi almost automatically, like a zombie.

Legosi checks out the window to see if anyone was attracted by the gunfire, but the alleyway and subsequently the street outside seem unperturbed by their activity. He nods to Toby once more, before jumping out the window. Toby runs to the smashed window, just in time to see Legosi land flawlessly on the uneven alley pavement below.

Toby climbs out and down the wall more carefully, still shaken by what he'd just done. He'd agreed to this, his dad had warned him there was no turning back once he does this, but he hadn't thought it would shake him up this much.

Legosi pats his shoulder again when he gets to the ground, offers him an unlit cigar from his own pack. Toby hesitates, having never smoked before, but the ones Ozone smokes smell so nice, so he takes one and allows Legosi to light it for him. He mumbles his thanks.

In the back of his mind, he wonders if this is Legosi's way of helping him cope with his first kill. He's thankful Legosi didn't make him use his venom though, he wouldn't have been able to live with himself then.

He isn't shaking as badly when they get on the motorcycle again and by the time they reach the Manor, he's made his peace with it.

Ozone, Co2, Spine and Savon are waiting for them just outside the entrance when they return. Legosi pulls off his mask and the smile he gives them tells them everything.

That night they celebrate the new member with alcohol and cigars and the finest ribeye steak they can find. No one makes Toby eat the meat and he's still skeptical about it, but they don't care, he's welcomed here.

°°°°°°

Louis knew exactly when the other lions returned, not because they were on any type of schedule, but because they were jovial and loud and he could hear them from his office.

Louis, Ibuki and Dolph had stayed behind to clear up something while the rest of the inner circle went out to do Airdo's initiation. From their happy raucous, they could tell Airdo made it just fine.

Louis wasn't sure at first if the young lion could do it, seeing as he always seemed so timid, compared to the other lions at the Mansion and even the ones at Cherryton.

He's glad to be proven wrong. Airdo has been doing minor jobs for them for a good six months now and it's good to hear he'll be staying. He also took rather easily to listening to Louis when he dishes out orders.

Louis, Ibuki and Dolph went down to meet them on their way in. Free was happily telling them how it went, while Airdo seemed happy to get through this step in the process.

Ibuki and Dolph clapped Airdo on his shoulder and back like a father would as a form of congratulations. Louis met him with a smile and pat him on the shoulder as well, his hands much gentler than the older lions.

"Welcome aboard, Airdo," Louis said, giving him a quick scratch to the neck under his mane. That was a sure fired sign to the others that Louis allowed the new addition into their closer family. Agata and Free bumped their shoulders against Airdo's when Louis turned and called that they needed to have a feast to celebrate.

Airdo seemed comfortable with the other young lions treating him much like a younger brother, but only Louis knew that was because Airdo was the youngest of three siblings, so it made no difference to him, for now at least.

They went out to their favourite Market restaurant that night and got the private room, where Louis claimed there was no limit and for them to dig in and enjoy themselves. Agata and Free had pulled Airdo to sit between them, because Airdo was still eyeing Miguel and Sabu skeptically.

Airdo hadn't planned to drink too much, but every time someone ordered drinks, they handed him one as well and he didn't want to seem ungrateful, so he accepted the drinks and enjoyed them.

Airdo found himself giddy at the end of the night for what the future had in store for him with the Gumi. Free was laughing and leaning on Louis, while they both and Sabu were laughing about jokes they were drunkenly telling.

Agata had his arm slung around Airdo's torso to keep the young lion upright after all the drinking and Dope was a few steps behind them, swaying as he walked and bumping into them every now and again. Behind them, the rest of the lions were talking happily and he caught sight of Dolph and Ibuki holding hands and flirting like an old married couple.

Yeah, he would adjust to this family of gangsters just fine. Getting back to the Mansion when almost everyone is blackout drunk was an experience. He got to see Free and Louis make an example of someone who tried to attack them when they're drunk. Sober or not, they are effective and pack a strong punch.

Once they did return to the mansion, the younger lions, along with Airdo and Louis, collapsed into a cat pile in the living room, while the older lions had the wherewithal to head up to their rooms and sleep there, except Hino, who once again fell asleep halfway up the stairs and was somehow comfortable enough to spend the night there.

Chapter Text

The sun is just starting to set, a pleasant breeze coming in from the ocean and cooling the afternoon air.

Louis lights a cigarette, leaning on the railing of the highest roof in the Market, looking out over his world. The quiet click of claws on the cement behind him signals Legosi's arrival.

The wolf stops beside him, grabbing a cigar from one of his pockets. Louis flicks open his own lighter, lights it and holds it out to Legosi, who smiles and uses the flame to light his cigar.

Louis is in a red suit with a green shirt and Legosi feels like he could stare at him forever. He thinks Louis is the epitome of beauty. Legosi is in the Dokugumi uniform he wears most of the time these days, the scales on his shoulders shining like emeralds in the setting light. Louis adores them.

They share a quiet moment while finishing their respective choice of nicotine. The stubs are thrown over the railing, uncaring for where they land in the street below them. The nightlife is just starting to awaken, unbeknownst that the two most powerful Dons of the Market are watching over them.

Louis turns to lean back against the railing, perfectly calm and content. Legosi hops over the railing, choosing to sit on it with his feet dangling off the side of the building. His too-long tail twists around one of the wrungs for extra stability.

"All of this really is ours now," Louis comments, still in awe of all they've achieved despite being so young. There's a lot of great things still yet to come from their rule.

"It's hard to believe all we've achieved so far," Legosi says into the wind. Louis hears it as clear as if it were broadcasted to the world. He feels alive in a way he couldn't describe to anyone who didn't already understand.

"How's Ibuki and Dolph doing?" Legosi asks, tilting his head to face Louis at his side.

"They left this morning for a long overdue honeymoon. I don't think they'll be back anytime soon," Louis smiles as he says it, taking out his phone to show Legosi a picture of his lion dads on a beach somewhere several towns over.

Legosi chuckles, "Long overdue is correct. They deserve it." Louis smiles even wider.

"What about Gosha?" Louis ventures, getting a dopey smile from Legosi.

"He's reconnecting with Toki and Yafya, yeah like Yafya the previous Beastar, and making good on old promises. I can't believe I had to explain polyamory to them though. At least that stopped Toki and Yafya from beefing over grandpa's attention," Legosi laughs. Louis chuckles a little as well.

"He's enjoying his retirement though, so I'll take that as a win. Doesn't worry too much about everyone still hanging around after I took over."

"That's good to hear. Speaking of Beastar. Did you see who took over as Sublime Beastar from Yafya?" Louis leans back, halfway over the railing.

"No, should I have? Outer City politics aren't something we dabble in, usually," he acquests, meeting Louis' eyes while simply referring to the Dokugumi.

Louis chuckles again, "Of course not. Haru is the new Beastar, and from what I've heard, she's making fire under the police force to better focus on the City and less on the Market."

"Really? Good for her. They let a dwarf rabbit become Beastar though? That's surprising. Do you think she knows we're back here and about the things we do?" Legosi asks casually. It's not something to worry about at the moment, but may become difficult in the future if she knows and tries to interfere. It would be a shame to have to 'remove' her from office.

"I don't think she knows, but we can't be sure. She's always been a tricky one," Louis playfully waves his hand at nothing in particular. They laugh again.

"Juno skipped town after one of the Madara killed her dad. I think she's gonna try to start over in another town, just live her life by her own choices, ya'know," Legosi tags on. They haven't had trouble from her in a while now, just the occasional attempted takeover from the few remaining live wolves that used to make up the Okamigumi.

"That makes one less potential problem in our future," Louis comments, glad to be rid of the she-wolf. He may find wolves attractive but she'd been a pain in the ass for way too long.

Louis turns to face the railing again, scratching around his antlers. "Shedding season coming up again?" Legosi asks amicably. Louis' antlers shed at random, sometimes skipping a couple years and then shedding two or three times in one year. They've learned to just pay attention to the signs predating the inevitable shed instead of trying to time it or find a pattern in it.

"It would appear so. I usually give the clan my antlers once they've fallen off, but wanna come around when the felt on the new set peels? It's a surprisingly good snack," Louis offers, getting a smile and a playful shove to the head for it.

"Sure," Legosi offers his hand to Louis and the deer takes it before climbing over the railing to sit beside Legosi on it. They're in a playful mood tonight, it seems. Louis bumps his antlers against the side of Legosi's head in a friendly manner.

They settle down a little and lean into each other. The weather has been cooling down lately, so it won't be long until their rooftop dates become too much of a hassle to keep up at nights. Louis tends to be cold a lot and Legosi's been getting colder easier since he started growing patches of scales.

It's no matter, they'll move their dates to bars and clubs and diners instead, at least until the weather warms up again.

Sora waves as she runs past them on another rooftop, her dress hugging her figure while the skirt of it trails ethereally around her legs. She still refuses to wear high heels, her black sneakers poking out as she jumps to adjoining rooftops.

"She's grown a lot. Became a remarkable sniper," Legosi comments, turning his attention back to Louis. Louis nods, "The best sniper in the Black Market. She'll be an amazing Don when she takes over in a couple years."

"Cheers to that," Legosi mimes holding up a glass of liquor. Louis nods again, taking out a flask of whiskey from his inner pocket. He tilts it towards where she'd run off to and takes a drink before passing the flask to Legosi. Legosi takes a drink as well and hands it back to Louis who pockets it once more.

They both lean forward to look down in the street where Melon and some Medara goons are shaking down a wannabe gang. They look impressed at his restraint.

"He's been doing better since he killed Mercia in that fit of rage," Louis comments, leaning more into Legosi.

"It's miles better than what Mercia had going on. I'm thankful for the less annoying meetings," Legosi notes.

"I couldn't agree more. Not to mention the dwindling amount of deaths after Turf Wars. The injuries are fine, and it lets everyone get out their excess energy and disputes, personal or otherwise, without having to worry about losing anyone," Louis adds onto the comment.

"Hear hear," Legosi laughs, soon joined by Louis' melodious laugh. Damn, he really is still head over heels for the deer, even after all these years. The future of their relationship looks brighter than ever.

"Is Melon still getting help with his trauma concerning Mercia?" Louis asks, tilting his head up to make eye contact with Legosi.

"Yeah, his weekly appointments with Gouhin are going better with every talk they have. He's been less strung out lately. It turns out the rest of the Madara didn't know it happened at all and swore if they knew they'd have overthrown her a decade ago. The support is keeping him going," Legosi explains.

Louis leans his head on Legosi's shoulder, careful to tip his antlers behind Legosi's head. The sky has gone fully dark now and they can start seeing the stars shine above their heads.

"How's Airdo fairing?" Legosi ventures this time. It's been a busy couple weeks and they haven't seen each other in person in a while.

"He's doing good. He's fully adjusted to how we operate and do things and is on his way to becoming a great marksman. Sabu swears high and low the guy can curve a bullet mid air. He's also seeing one of the rabbit strippers from the Red Lanes club. They seem to be doing good but he's afraid of hurting her if they end up in bed. We've been reassuring him they'll be fine but I don't know if he's taken it to heart yet," Louis explains.

"That makes sense. He's always seemed to like guns. And he'll get that into his head eventually, he's got a good family backing him up," Legosi assures.

"What about Toby? Has his opinion of himself gotten any better?" Louis returns the question. He remembers how timid Toby was back in highschool and had been beyond surprised when he heard Toby did good at his initiation and entered the Dokugumi's inner circle.

"Yeah, he's slowly flourishing. It's doing him a lot of good being around so many other Komodos. He's more sure of himself with every day, especially since there no pressure on him to use his venom or even eat meat. He can just exist and the guys will be there for him. Savon has really taken him under his wing and Ozone seems more comfortable now that he can keep a closer eye on him." Legosi sighs happily.

"He's also become a great demolitions engineer. Better, safer and more efficient explosives have been made since he joined. He's doing great," Legosi finishes, his tail unwrapping from the railing to wag slowly behind them.

His tail rewraps around the railing just as they spot a hybrid couple comfortably walking the street below them. Melon and the Medara have cleared out by now. The couple, a female leopard-dog hybrid and a cockatoo-tiger hybrid, are walking hand in hand, cones of half eaten ice cream in their other hands.

Louis chuckles, "The old badger and their grandchild are doing better now with all the new customers coming around. They also adore all the hybrids that set foot in their little shop. It's very sweet."

"Yeah, I've been talking to them about opening a bigger shop, this time in the hybrid district. There's a lot of kids there that adore them. Sometimes I can't believe how well the idea was received. It's safe and flourishing now and they don't have to worry about prejudice there," Legosi muses.

Louis nods his agreement.

After a comfortable silence, Legosi meets Louis' eyes, something shining in them the deer can't quite place. "What?" Louis asks with a chuckle.

"There's a wolf-deer hybrid cub in the district that just arrived at the orphanage, barely two weeks old. I thought we might go and meet him," Legosi says with a shrug.

"You wanna adopt a kid?" Louis asks, a little caught off guard but not against the idea. He just never expected to be a father, much less this young. He'd be happy to be a parent with Legosi by his side though.

Legosi's cheeks flush slightly, "We don't have to adopt him, just go meet him. We can decide anything else afterwards."

"If we're gonna co-parent a fawn-pup, you've gotta agree to marry me," Louis says, booping Legosi on the nose. Legosi looks surprised at that.

"Is that your way of asking for my hand in marriage?" They share a laugh.

"Sure, but I'll ask again once I've gotten you a ring! We can make a whole dinner about it, have both of our families around for an official proposal," Louis grins.

"Oh, Louis," Legosi sounds dumbfounded and absolutely head over heels in love.

"So what do you say, Goshi?" Louis asks, leaning closer as if it was somehow possible to do so.

"Yes," Legosi exhales, his insides twirling in excitement and love and adoration.

Louis leans up and Legosi tilts his head down. They meet in the middle for a gentle, but meaningful kiss.

Night had fallen and the moon shone brighter in the sky than any light ever could. Their story was just beginning and it would be beautiful.