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(TW: brief mentions of previous schoolyard bullying/name calling)
David was at the end of his last frayed nerve. The next Pack Meeting was happening the next day, and he felt it important enough that ALL the pack be there, and that included the most stubborn wolf he'd ever met. Grumbling, he picked up the phone and pressed a name in his contact list. The line connected, and began to ring.
On the third ring, an annoyed voice answered at the other end. “What?”
David let out a short breath from his nose as he replied, “Hello to you too.”
A snort came from the other end. “You know, or maybe you forgot, I don't do pleasantries. So, what're you calling for? I don't need a lecture. I've been staying outta trouble... mostly. Least I'm not getting the pack involved in anything.”
David pinched the bridge of his nose. They were even more exasperating and stubborn as an adult than they had ever been when they were a youngster. “Yeah, well, like it or not, you're a part of this pack. And I need ALL pack members there tomorrow. You included. Understand?”
Another snort from the other end. “Well if you want all the pack like you say, Sam's got clan business tomorrow. So, he's not gonna be there.” The sing-song manner in which the last statement was said sounded almost like a taunt than a statement.
A low rumble emitted from David's throat. “That's fine. I just need the pack there. Mates and partners aren't obligated to come. But pack members are. So, I'll see you tomorrow, even if I have to get over there and drag you there myself.”
An obvious smirk resounded from the other line. “I'd love to see you try,” was all that is said before the line abruptly disconnected.
David just stared at the phone in his hand, as if contemplating about giving it a squeeze, but he just swiped over to his most recent calls, and hit another name.
The phone rang once, and was answered before the second ring completed.
“Hey, hey, David. What's up, buddy?”
“Hey, Ash. I need you to do a favor for me. There's someone I need you to pick up before the pack meet tomorrow. Might want to take Milo along too. Just in case.”
“Sure thing, Boss. So who is it? We gonna have to bring in someone from one of the other packs around here? Has Chrissy gone and made more trouble than he can get himself out of, again?” The teasing, lighthearted tone of his Beta's voice was apparent, but David was in no mood to appreciate the humor.
“No. no other packs are going to be involved. And Christian, ” (there was a slight edge to David's voice as he said the name) “as far as I'm aware...” (and he hoped his assessment was correct) “...has not been stirring up trouble, with other packs or anyone else. No, what I need is for the pair of you to go to Tank's place. They haven't been to a pack meeting in quite a while. I've just informed them of the fact that there is a pack meeting tomorrow, and their attendance is not optional. So, I want to see them there, and on time. Even if you and Milo have to carry them between the two of you.”
Asher's voice maintained its light tone, but he had an uncanny ability to sound serious and not so serious at the same time. “Aw, is that all? And here I thought you were gonna be sending me and Milo out on a real tough assignment.”
“Yes, that's all.” David cut him short. “I've already told them to be on time. You might get to their place a little early, perhaps remind them that they are expected to be at the meeting, and that they are expected to be on time. No last minute delays.”
Asher gave a small chuckle of amusement. “You got it, buddy! I'll go ahead and call Milo, one less thing you have to worry about! See ya tomorrow, David!”
“You do that,” David said as he gave a small nod of approval, though his Beta wouldn't see the gesture. “ Let me know if they give you any trouble. Thanks, Ash. See you tomorrow.”
Next day, about 5 hours before the pack meeting...
Tank had decided that since David didn't really give them much of a choice, they would show up to the pack meeting, but they'd show on their own terms. David had only said he wanted them there. And on time. He didn't say anything at all about the dress code...
About 2 hours before the pack meeting....
There was a knock at their door.
Tank kept their head under the running water in the bathroom sink. Sam, if he were home, would probably have scolded them for either ignoring the door, leaving it unlocked, or more likely, a combination of the infractions. But Sam wasn't home, as he had Clan affairs to attend to, and so, Tank decided they had more important things to do than stop in the middle of what they were doing to answer the door. Besides, it wasn't as if their guest was unexpected.
Another knock, followed by a tentative check of the doorknob. They could just barely hear Milo's voice call out from the opening door, “Hello?” followed by Asher's more boisterous voice, “Hey, you're here, yeah? We saw your bike in the drive, and figured we'd check and see if you were ready to go!”
Guests, then. Plural, not singular.
Tank didn't even bother with a reply, instead stayed focused on rinsing the water through their hair. They could always pretend they hadn't heard the knock. But knowing those two, the pair of visitors would soon be wandering through the halls of the house, following the sound of the running water.
Sure enough, Milo and Asher appeared within moments in the open doorway of the bathroom. They paused to see Tank, bent over at the waist, head in the sink with the running water splashing over the back of their head. They were wearing a tank top and a pair of shorts that came to their mid-thigh, showing off their very hairy legs. They had stopped caring about nuisances like body hair when they were still a young teen, barely out of adolescence, even though taunts like “Gorilla Kid” or “Bear Cub” rang through the schoolyard. A couple of fistfights and a split lip later, the school kids eventually left them alone. Sure, they got one lecture from Gabe about “starting a fight vs finishing one”, as well as another from their father on the “difference between self defense and being on the offense”, and even Marie wasn't above giving a lecture while she mended yet another hole in one of Tank's shirts (as well as the nasty scrape underneath), but their reputation followed them through the rest of high school, and even into college. No one dared to comment on their physical appearance, even as the body hair on the arms, legs, and face, became more prominent than that of their peers.
It was Ash who spoke first. “Hey, don't tell me that you didn't hear us come in.”
They didn't even bother giving an answer as they turned the tap off and reached for the towel that was waiting on the edge of the counter. They draped it over their dripping hair, gave it a good squeeze, then stood up, arranging it into a wrap as they turned to look at the pair who were lurking in the doorway. As they did so, two things were made apparent.
First, was the collection of bottles and bowls arranged on the counter, that was partially hidden from view as Tank had stood at the sink, bent over.
Second, the hair under their arms was now a very vibrant shade of hot pink.
Milo and Ash both wore identical looks of disbelief. They both knew Tank to be independent but this was.. not expected.
Ash spoke first after sizing them up, taking in the outfit and the fresh under-arm dye job, and gave a genuine grin. “So, ya gonna be ready for the pack meeting, yeah? There's still a couple of hours before it actually starts.. we just thought, y'know, we could hang out here and go together?”
Tank couldn't hide their smirk. “Oh, so this was just a 'we thought we'd drop by and maybe carpool together' kind of visit? Or did David put you up to this?”
Milo gave a chuckle. “Saw right through our ploy, then, huh? Well, something like that.”
Tank shook their towel-adorned head. “I figured David would probably wouldn't let yesterday's reminder of his go unheeded.”
They started unwrapping their head and gave it a squeeze with the towel as they continued, “Kinda surprised he didn't show himself, but lemme guess.. he's busy with meeting preparations, so he sent the two of you to collect me?” They looked between Asher and Milo, who shared a brief glance between one another. then started unwrapping their head and gave it another squeeze before removing the towel from their head. As Tank gave their shoulder-length hair a toss, a head of brilliant neon purple hair was revealed. “Yeah, I'll be ready.. just gotta finish drying my hair.”
Asher's eyes widened at the new color change. “Say, uh, you don't happen to have more of that dye left, do ya? That color looks AWESOME!”
Tank glanced at the bowls next to the sink, then back to Ash, nodding contemplatively and grinning even more, “Yeah.. think I have just enough left...” they glanced at Milo with an impish grin, “..for the both of you.”
“Oh, hell yeah!” exclaimed Asher, becoming more animated with eagerness. “This'll be great! And to see the look on David's face... hah!”
Milo never was one to show quite as much enthusiasm about such antics as Ash, but he still allowed himself a chuckle as Tank guided him over to the sink and asked him, “So which do you want? Pink or purple?”
“I'm thinking purple would be a better look for me, just a couple inches though, don't want my whole head to be purple.. Maybe just, what do they call it, frost the tips?”
Tank grabbed the brush in the purple dye bowl, and with a grin said, “You got it!” and started painstakingly slathering the dye onto the tips of Milo's hair, careful not to let any stray dye get on his skin or his clothes. They seemed more relaxed as they worked, Milo couldn't help but notice. He didn't make small talk, the silence and the anticipation both seeming to be more comfortable than awkward conversation.
While Milo's color was processing, Tank turned to Ash. “And how about you, pink or purple?”
Ash grinned widely as he looked at the amount of color in the bowls and replied eagerly, “Why not both?”
They laughed, actually laughed in amusement. It was in that moment that Milo and Ash both realized it was a sound not frequently heard from Tank. Maybe this impromptu hair session was going to do more for Tank getting comfortable with the rest of the pack than anyone had realized.
Less than 15 minutes until meeting was to start...
David was going over his notes for the third time, periodically glancing up either at the clock at the rear of the meeting room, and/or the door below it. He would have expected Ash and/or Milo to be here by now, and they should be walking through that door at any moment. As his gaze flicked to the three empty seats on the first row of the chairs on the left side of the room, his mind began to run through the possibilities.
Had Tank decided to change their mind after all?
Were Milo and Asher now trying to track Tank down to wherever it was that they got to when they skipped out on previous meetings?
Had they run into any unpleasant surprises along the way?
Should he call Ash and make sure they were all okay, at least?
With these questions and more racing through his head, David had finally made up his mind to give Ash a call, just to see how things were. Though really, he knew if they'd run into difficulties, he'd heard from either Milo or Ash by now. But as he flicked his gaze to Angel from the aisle seat on the right side of the room, who gave him a reassuring smile, he felt his panic subside. Next to them, Asher's Babe and Milo's Sweetheart were grinning at their phones, occasionally nudging each other and then Angel to show off another text and suppressing quiet laughter. David shook his head slightly, but gave an inward smirk. If the three mates were relaxed, no reason he shouldn't be as well. He returned his focus to his notes once more.
Less than 5 minutes before the meeting....
David was just about to make his preliminary greeting when the back door swung open.
Milo entered the room, grinning slightly as he walked down the aisle to take his seat on the left hand side, second from the aisle. David nodded at him in silent greeting, then noticed that there was something a little different about him... his normally dark hair seemed to have a … was that a purple sheen on the tips? David caught the way Milo's Sweetheart gave a little wave at him and nudged Asher's Babe, who then turned to look at the door as Asher walked in, his usual strawberry-blonde hair now a damp mess of pink and purple streaks and splotches.
David was caught off guard at first sight of Asher. What the heck had these two been up to?! Who had put them up to this, and where was--
The final thought didn't even form completely, as in walked Tank, as if on cue. Their head held high, the bright neon purple hair done with neat and tidy spikes pointing every which-a-way. To see the change of hair color and style was a statement, to be sure.. he'd never known them to give much more attention to their hair than to simply run a brush through it, or pull it back into a basic ponytail when it was long enough.
But then he took in the rest of their attire: A fitted tank top that accentuated their arm muscles and various scars--most old, some more recent; instead of the over-sized shirts they usually wore. He couldn't help but notice the arm hair appeared to have been at least combed, though not thinned or trimmed like many in the shifter community to better fit in with their non-shifter counterparts.
Then, he took in the fact that they were wearing a pair of mid-thigh length shorts, instead of the knee-length cutoffs or ratty jeans that they typically wore.. no, these shorts were meant to draw obvious attention to their untamed legs, bushy and unkempt as he'd always remembered. He could see them watching him steadily, their gaze never wavering from his face, as if trying to read his thoughts through his stony façade.
As his eyes glanced from Tank to their empty chair that was waiting next to Milo, Tank just gave a broad yawn, and stretched their arms over their head, revealing the final part of their look: The florescent pink hair under their arms.
He glanced at the clock..
One minute to go, and it was obvious Tank had no intention to take their seat. They gave the slightest grin with a hint of defiance, as if to say, “Yeah, I'm here, on time, just like you said. But that doesn't mean, I'm going to take my assigned seat” And without a word, Tank pulled an empty chair from the back row, and plunked it down in the middle of the aisle, daring David to say or do something, anything.
David, for the first time that any of the pack had known, was trying his best not to look at anyone in the room for very long. Not at his Beta, grinning widely on the first row; not at Milo wearing an equally broad grin; not to his mate and their conspirators who were giggling under their breaths; and definitely NOT at Tank, if he could help it, for every time his gaze seemed to dart anywhere near the back of the room, Tank made it a point to keep stretching and yawning.
Not out of boredom, he knew, but to show off the full look, to get a reaction out of him..
David groaned inwardly and tried to pick up where he was going to begin.. 1 minute late. Everyone else not in the front row or in the very back of the room had begun to shift uncomfortably in their seats, murmuring with one another as they watched David flounder. It wasn't like him to be rattled by anything, and this was, as far as everyone knew, just a routine meeting, nothing alarming or newsworthy.
As David carried on with the usual business, Tank just sat at the back, contemplating just what they should do for the next meeting. Maybe they could get Sam to wear the shorts and tank top, next time he was able to be free to come to one of these things? The thought just made them grin even wider as they stretched out their arms once more.