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Everyone in Savanaclaw knew Ruggie Bucchi, the sneaky hyena whose clothes hung loosely on his too-thin body and would take your lunch money if you’re not paying attention. The Spelldrive player who will win with a smile and hissing laughter. The one responsible for making sure that the lazy Housewarden wakes up and attends class so he can finally graduate.
Everyone knew Ruggie Bucchi.
But everyone has their secrets.
——
Ruggie entered the hut with a rucksack in hand.
“Bibi, I’m home!”
Grammy Bucchi turned the corner in her small home and saw her grandson in the doorway. She went up to him and gave him the tightest hug she could.
“Ruggie, welcome home,” she scratched him behind the ear before releasing the hug. “You must be eating well at that fancy magic school, there weren't just bones in that hug. I can even pinch your cheeks again.” To demonstrate, the older hyena woman pinched Ruggie’s soft cheek, resulting in his iconic hissing laugh.
“Bibi, stop it, I’m not a baby anymore.”
Grammy let him go, a soft smile on her face. “Speaking of babies, there’s some cubs that are missing their mama.”
“MAMA!”
As if on cue, a little blonde hyena girl, age 3, ran out and hugged Ruggie’s legs, her little tail wagging. Ruggie bent down and hugged her before ruffling her hair.
“Hi, Rufaro! Where are your sisters?”
“Playin’”
The little girl dragged her mother to the single bedroom, much too small for five people, but it was all they had. On the floor sat two other little girls, also 3, playing with wooden blocks. Both of them had blonde hair, but one had darker streaks more similar to Ruggie’s, and the other had darker freckles. When they caught sight of Ruggie, they gasped and their eyes widened. They both dropped their blocks and ran over to him.
“MAMA’S HOME!”
“Yeah, Mama’s home,” Ruggie chuckled.
——
Everyone knew Ruggie had a rough childhood, growing up orphaned in the slums of Sunset Savanna with no one but his grandmother. He relied on stealing food and money just to survive, but that wasn’t always enough. He was desperate for money, so when he was arrested for the first (and only) time he fully accepted the offer for a job as an escort recommended to him by one of the officers.
Ruggie was only twelve years old, not yet presented, when he was bought by his first client.
He would continue this for two more years, never telling his grandma, not wanting her to worry, until the worst happened. He had his first heat right before he turned fourteen, unexpectedly, and without any sort of blockers or birth control, he wound up pregnant. With triplets.
Feeling scared and helpless, Ruggie ran to his grandmother and cried to her, telling her the truth about where he was getting money from the last two years. He saw her face twist into anger when he explained his current predicament. But, she wasn’t angry at him.
Never at him.
She was angry at the society where a twelve-year-old boy had to resort to selling his body to put food on the table.
Grammy Bucchi promised that they would get through this. Ruggie didn’t want to give the babies up. He didn’t want them to grow up orphaned like him. The older woman agreed.
They both took up babysitting. The families bringing in the little ones would often provide their own food and supplies to help out. Some regulars even brought in extra food for the elderly hyena and her grandson.
Ruggie was very small and skinny, and being pregnant with triplets left an obvious bump early on. Ruggie didn’t leave the main bedroom during drop-off or pickup, wanting to avoid judgment.
Word must have gotten out somehow, probably one of the children telling their parent, because someone anonymously sent two packages to the Bucchi household. One package was a crib they would have to assemble, and the other had baby essentials including bottles, baby slings, clothes, diapers, pacifiers, a small crib mattress, a can of formula, and a breast pump (Ruggie blushed at that last one).
With the packages was a note reading “Thank you for your help. I wish you luck with your little one”.
Ruggie went into labor at 32 weeks. He gave birth at a small family clinic that wouldn’t charge him an arm and a leg. After 20 hours and an emergency c-section, his three daughters were born. Rufaro, Chipo, and Furaha Bucchi.
Ruggie panicked when he finally brought his cubs home. They were so small and he was so young and he didn’t know the first thing about taking care of newborns. He’s taken care of babies but never a newborn, let alone three of them. He just wanted to be a good mother.
He got embarrassed whenever he tried to breastfeed. Grammy went out of her way to either leave the room or be turned away, sensing her grandson’s discomfort with exposing his chest to her.
Ruggie got a job after he fully healed from the c-section. He hated being away from his babies, but he needed the money. He started working at a grocery store. His days were repetitive, the customers weren’t always nice, and his paycheck was meager, but he wanted to provide for his kids. He was always happy to see them at the end of the day.
The triplets were 18 months old when Ruggie got his acceptance letter to NRC. He was reluctant to go. For one, he didn’t want to make his grandmother take care of three infants full-time if he’s expected to live on campus, and for another thing, he wasn’t sure how they would feel once word got out that he’s a teen mom. He didn’t want to go just to get kicked out just for having kids.
Grammy Bucchi begged him to go, saying it would be a good opportunity for him and it will help him in the future. She assured him that she had no problem taking care of her great-grandbabies while he went to attend school. He cried and told her he would keep in touch.
——
Ruggie brought the few belongings that he had to his dorm room in Savanaclaw. The dorm’s style and atmosphere reminded him of home. The bed was nice and comfortable, and it already came with sheets and a comforter. There was a wooden wardrobe against the wall, and a desk by the window. It was a nice space for someone to come and study and do homework.
The Housewarden came to greet Ruggie once he was settled in, and at first the hyena was intrigued. Leona Kingscholar was tall and lean, smooth, dark skin over lean muscle, long black hair that shone slightly orange when the light hit it just right, sharp green eyes, and a long tail swishing lazily behind him. He was beautiful. He was also lazy and unmotivated. At least, that was Ruggie’s first impression.
Ruggie quickly attached himself to Leona, essentially becoming his little errand boy. He cleaned for him, woke him up for school, and made sure he ate properly. Not without compensation, however. Leona did pay Ruggie for doing his chores, and if he ever saw the hyena swiping some extra cash from his wallet, he never said anything.
Leone gave Ruggie his old uniforms since they didn’t fit him anymore. They were too big for the hyena, having to roll up the pants and sleeves, but it almost felt nice wearing clothes that used to belong to the lion.
——
December rolled around, as did the triplets’ birthday. Ruggie felt bad that he couldn’t be home to celebrate his daughters’ second birthday, but he made it up to them when he came home for winter break. He got them each a stuffed hyena plush (bought at Sam’s shop, but haggled way down) and helped his grandma make the birthday donuts, since they’re big enough to eat them now. He cried when Chipo called him “mama” for the first time.
——
His first year at NRC went by without a hitch. No one found out his secret. He was disappointed to find out that Leona was being held back again. Ruggie decided to make it his mission to make sure Leona graduated.
Leona wasn’t dumb. He was actually incredibly intelligent, he just never showed up for class and missed assignments.
Ruggie wasn’t sure when their relationship went from professional to romantic. He was cleaning Leona’s room one day and suddenly he was sitting on the desk, hand in his hair and tongue down his throat. Ruggie shut it down quickly when the lion got too handsy, muttering an apology. Leona didn’t ask any further questions, just backed off respectfully.
Ruggie didn’t speak to Leona for three weeks after his Overblot. Barely looked at him. Why would he? Not only did Leona try to turn him into sand, but he basically revealed that he only saw Ruggie as a servant.
Ruggie still did the tasks he was used to doing for Leona. It didn’t matter how mad he was, he still needed the money. He didn’t wake up Leona as nicely as he used to, and didn’t acknowledge him if he tried to talk to him. He continued this until Leona did something that surprised him.
Leona apologized .
Leona Kingscholar, someone so stubborn and prideful, apologized to Ruggie.
Ruggie did feel bad. He knew Leona was deeply depressed, which is why he acts the way he does. He knew he had festering anger for something out of his control, which is why he lashed out.
Ruggie accepted the apology. He fell asleep in Leona’s arms that night.
——
Leona’s rut was coming up, and he asked Ruggie to help him through it. Ruggie was on birth control and suppressants, but he was still reluctant to have sex with Leona, pushing him away whenever he tried to initiate. He told him he would think about it.
They were making out on Leona’s bed a few days before his rut when Ruggie told him. The lion had him pinned on the bed, kissing and nibbling down the hyena’s neck, when Ruggie suddenly told him he had kids.
Leona stopped what he was doing and told Ruggie to repeat himself.
“I got kids. Three of ‘em.”
Ruggie gave a brief summary about how he had to sell himself from age 12-14 just to feed himself and wound up pregnant with triplets. He explained that that was one of the reasons why he hadn’t had sex with Leona yet.
Leona looked upset and mortified, but also understanding. He said he wasn’t upset at Ruggie, just upset about the situation. He told him that that was something he’d wanted to fix if he were ever king. No one should ever be so impoverished that they resort to prostitution just to put food on the table, he said. He didn’t try to convince Ruggie to have sex with him, and even told him he understood if he didn’t want to help with his rut.
Ruggie didn’t help Leona with his rut, and even laughed at the whiney texts the prince sent.
He did have sex with him afterward, after making sure Leona still wanted to when his brain was no longer clouded with rut and now knowing Ruggie is a single teen mother. Leona was gentle with Ruggie and wore a condom to make him feel more comfortable. He admired the light stretch marks and the scar under the belly button. He let Ruggie know he found his body beautiful, the praise making Ruggie blush redder than the dirty talk did.
It was the best sex Ruggie ever had.
——
The year was very stressful, with an Overblot happening every month. But at least it is over now, and Leona is actually progressing to the next grade!
Leona told Ruggie he’d be busy over the summer (royal shit) but promised to text whenever he could.
Now Ruggie’s home for the summer. Two and a half months to spend with his daughters and grandmother.
“Have you guys been good to Bibi?” Ruggie asked.
“Yes, Mama,” the girls said in almost unison.
“Anything exciting happen while I was away?”
Ruggie listened as his daughters excitedly babbled on about their adventures. He played princesses with them (he has the princess, Rufaro and Chipo were dragons, and Furaha was the knight), acted out some of his Spelldrive games, and told the story of the King of Beasts before laying them down in bed. He kissed them each goodnight.
Grammy Bucchi was waiting for him in the living room. She patted the seat on the couch next to her. He cuddled up next to her.
“I’m so proud of you,” Grammy smiled.
“I know.”
“I mean it, Ruggie. I know you’ve had some obstacles thrown at you but you’ve pushed through and you’re doing so well now.”
Ruggie took her word for it. He was sure if anyone else were in his position they’d probably have died a long time ago. He was proud of how far he’d come.
“Also,” Grammy continued. “Rumor mill says that Prince Leona is dating a certain hyena. Any idea who it could be?” She looked at him with a knowing expression.
Ruggie blushed red. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Grammy hissed a laugh and ruffled Ruggie’s hair. “I don’t care who you’re dating, just make sure he wears a condom and eventually puts a ring on your finger.”
“Bibi!”