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Chapter Text

Character Info

Shelter Characters

• Hunter Hearst Helmsley; 45

- The more stern and serious of the two, Hunter makes sure the kids are well-protected when they're within his walls
- Says he doesn't have favourites but he has a soft spot for Roman, Seth and Jon
‐ The one kids would go to if they needed help with homework or to complete a task, he isn't usually the first choice for comfort

• Shawn Michaels; 49

‐ The more fun yet outwardly caring of the two, Shawn usually ends of patching up most of the injuries the kids have sustained
- Also says he doesn't have favourites but has a soft spot for JD and Dominik
- The one kids would go to after a bad dream or for comfort, he isn't usually the top pick for homework assistance

• Randall 'Randy' Orton; 17

‐ A volunteer at the shelter, forced into it by his dad who was friends with Hunter and Shawn to help 'build character'
- Pretty spoiled; does not want to be there
- His dad has been trying to get him a space in anger management because he has some anger issues that he, thankfully, doesn't unleash on the kids
- Randy has a soft spot for Cody and views him as his younger brother, he's babysat before and Cody is the one child Randy genuinely cares about

• Karrion Kross; 17

- The newest volunteer at the shelter, helping out for his probation and to prove he isn't a dangerous or violent boy
- Was in juvie for theft; he allegedes that authorities discovering his dark and violent poetry is what got him deemed as a threat
- In a very happy relationship with his girlfriend, Scarlett, who he sent letters to whilst in juvie
- Very fond of poetry, tattoos and ravens; Shawn swears he saw him speaking to the birds once

• Finn Bálor; 15

- One of the oldest kids that frequents the shelter
- His parents are divorced and he lives with his dad who drinks heavily. He's never hurt Finn but he's never sober enough to properly look after him.
- Has been crushing on Damian for at least a year and is constantly getting teased for it
- Considers JD his younger brother and cares for him as such

• Phillip 'Punk' Brooks; 15

- Another one of the oldest kids that bounces between the shelter and his foster home
- His parents were substance abusers which made him very anti-drug/anti-alcohol or straight edge
- He tends to preach to the others kids which gets on some of their nerves but he means well
- Has a rivalry of sorts with Seth and is always making comments towards Jon, though he does care for all the kids around him
- He has very... Complicated feelings towards Drew McIntyre

• Damian 'Priest' Martinez; 14½

- Another one of the older kids at the shelter
‐ His home situation isn't toxic, despite his parents divorce, but he stays with his mother who often can't afford to look after him. His dad isn't really in the picture anymore so he comes to the shelter to eat and just relax
- Has started crushing on Finn but would never admit it out loud
- Views Dominik almost like a younger brother and gets pretty protective of him.

• Jonathan 'Jon' Moxley; 13

- Jon doesn't like being told what to do, this often gets him into rough situations
- All he's known from a young age is substance abuse and violence, so that's what he shows first but he does have a softer side
- Picked up smoking, a bad habit from his father
- In a sort of on/off relationship with Seth. Nobody knows what they are and neither do they

• Seth Colby Rollins; 13

‐ Seth is very out there, it's not hard to tell how he's feeling because his face gives it away
- He grew up around homophobic parents so the shelter is his safe place where he can be himself without fear of pain or judgement
‐ Seth is the resident matchmaker and shit-stirrer, he likes causing chaos
‐ All he wants to do is escape his home with his younger brother, Nathan, but his parents won't leave them alone together long enough

• Roman Joseph Anoa'i; 13

- Roman and his cousins are some of the newest kids around the shelter
- He is quiet and soft-spoken, but incredibly protective of his younger cousins. He can always tell what they want or need
- Roman came from a large family, though his household was only his mother and older brother before he passed away. His dad left when he was young and never came back so his mother worked often so she sent him to his uncle most of the time - Most of the abuse was delivered to his cousins but Roman got his fair share, especially when protecting them, but never told his mother - He's not very social and is surprisingly anxious around the shelter, but Roman has found at least some comfort with Seth and Jon
- Roman has a locket containing a picture of his older brother Matt, he looks at it when he's nervous and needing guidance; Roman misses him dearly

• Sami Zayn; 13

- New to shelter life, still trying to find his footing and unsure if he should really stay
- Was found and essentially adopted by the Usos who insist on helping him however they can
- Sami is a calm and kind boy, who wishes harm on nobody and nothing. He's the one that helps bugs outside before they can be squished
- The only part of his life Sami talks about is his friend 'Kevin', the one he came to the Haunted House with and neither Hunter nor Shawn have found any way to get in touch with him.

• Rhea Ripley; 13

- Rhea is a neighborhood girl who is in the same class as Dominik; she has a crush on him but she thinks she's pretty good at hiding it
- She views Damian as an older brother figure and he thinks of her as a younger sister, just like he does with Dominik
- Rhea, despite her cool and tough persona, is very sweet and caring. She's high-energy and chaotic, but she's got a big heart
- A more recent addition to the shelter because of her parents arguing and issues; she came with her two half-sisters and is very protective of the younger girl, Roxanne

• Jey Uso; 12

- Jey and his twin brother Jimmy are attached at the hip and you can almost always find them together or with Solo
- He used to be happier before his father became violent, he was significantly less trusting after that
- Jey is the quieter twin, often glaring at people from behind his brother, but once he's comfortable he is very loud and energetic
- While always confrontational in appearance, Jey never gets angry.. Unless one of his brothers is upset. Then it's on sight

• Jimmy Uso; 12

- Jimmy and his twin brother Jey are attached at the hip and you can almost always find them together or with Solo
- After his father became violent, Jimmy became a lot more protective than he was before even as the eldest of his siblings
- Jimmy is the more outgoing twin, but he puts on that confident front to hide his insecurities and anxiety
‐ He always tries to act strong in front of his brothers, but Jimmy really needs a hug and hides away whenever he needs to cry

• Jordan 'JD' McDonagh; 12

- JD is one of the most troubled kids at the shelter
- His mother is abusive but CPS refuses to do anything, despite very clear evidence of JD's worsening condition
- He's becoming less verbal and quiet, only really speaking to Finn, his main source of comfort
‐ JD looks up to Finn and thinks of Finn as his older brother and never wants to be away from him

• Dominik Mysterio; 12

- Dominik doesn't spend as much time at the shelter as the other kids, but he does hang out there often
- Dominik started staying with Hunter and Shawn while his dads, Rey and Eddie, worked out custody. He wished they didn't fight as much
- Dominik is the middle child of three sons; His older brother, Santos, hasn't been heard from in a while and his younger brother, Lee, still stays with Rey - While visiting, Dominik found an older brother figure in Damian and started crushing on the girl he'd started hanging out with, Rhea
- He is a very picky eater and gets JD to eat whatever he doesn't want, which the hungry boy often will

• Joseph 'Solo' Sikoa; 7

- Solo is the youngest kid at the shelter, and he isn't very verbal
- He is always with one of his brothers of Roman to help him communicate or figure out what he needs, especially when he's upset
- Solo likes to sit and draw and is often wearing a pair of noise canceling headphones because loud noises upset him
- He refuses to sleep alone or in his own bed, usually cuddling in with Roman

Non-Shelter Characters

• Cody Rhodes; 12

- Cody is the son of Dusty Rhodes, the local plumber and handyman, and has become fast and close friends with the twins, Jimmy and Jey
- Cody has a lisp, and struggled making friends with other kids and being bullied
- Dusty is often working late or long hours and his older brother isn't in contact with him, he's been absent from Cody's childhood, so he is often left home alone
- Cody views Randy as his older brother and gravitates towards him whenever he needs comfort

• Nathan Frazer Rollins; 8

- Nathan is Seth's younger brother, he still stays with their parents
- Nathan adores and looks up to his older brother and wants him to come back and save him from their parents
- He tries to spend as much time as he can with his best friend from school, Axiom, but Nathan is often stuck at home with the doors to the outside locked

• Andrew 'Drew' McIntyre; 15

- Drew recently transferred to the school the kids go to and almost instantly became the rival of Phil, hating how preachy he was
- Drew is a smoker, something his dad passed onto him
- His mum passed when he was thirteen and Drew has struggled coping with that, often acting out
- Drew is close with Sheamus and Wade Barrett, his two best friends (though Wade is more of a frenemy) and he and Sheamus often go out together to cause trouble/have fun
- He has very.. Complicated feelings about Phil Brooks

• Sheamus O'Shaunessy; 15

- Another more recent transfer to the school the kids go to, but he was moved there before Drew; also quickly became a rival of Phil
- Sheamus is a smoker, mainly doing do because of Drew and can always be found with a lighter on hand
- His parents are still together and very loving, they often worry about his behavior and his knack for getting into fights
- Sheamus is very close with Wade, despite how Drew hates it, and Drew is his best friend who he goes out with the cause trouble/have fun
- Sheamus has the biggest crush on Drew and has for years now; refuses to tell him because he's scared

• Wade Stuart Barrett-Regal; 15

- Attends the same school as the kids, though doesn't speak to any of them (aside from Sheamus and Drew)
- Wade only smokes or drinks every now and again, using it moreso as an act of rebellion rather than an addiction that needs fed
- His parents are divorced and he stays with his dad, Mr Regal isn't the most loving father but Wade denies that he's ever physically laid hands on him
- Close with Sheamus and Drew McIntyre (even if Drew is moreso a frenemy), often ends up trying to keep them out of trouble
- Wade has a crush on Sheamus and has so for, well, probably the same amount of time that Sheamus has liked Drew for

• Jacob Fatu; 8

- The younger cousin of Roman and the Uso family; His favourite cousin is Solo
- Jacob gets very protective of Solo and will do everything to keep him safe, including attacking his own family members if they pose a threat
- Known biter; often in trouble
- Very wary of other people; only really trusts Solo and the Tongans

• Tama Tonga; 10

- Another younger cousin of Roman and the Uso family; his favourite cousin is Solo
- He has two brothers, Loa and his younger, yet almost taller, brother Hikuleo
- Tama is a pretty wild kid, uncontrollable unless your name is Solo, and has an affinity for climbing on and up things
- He's sort of touch-starved but also touch avoidant; in other words, he hates being touched unless he's able to touch Solo
- Tama, especially when nervous, makes quite a lot of noises involuntarily; he can't help or control it, sometimes it just happens

• Tanga Loa; 9

- And yet another cousin of Roman and the Uso family; his favourite cousin is Solo
- He has two brothers, Tama and his younger, yet almost taller, brother Hikuleo
- Loa isn't the brightest kid and struggles with school, unlike his brother, and even simple things trip him up like spelling
- He and Tama bicker about nearly everything, but are still inseparable and don't particularly like when the other is out of sight; they'd never admit that though

And... That's our colorful cast of kiddos! This chapter will be updated when I think of more or if I'm given suggestions I like and want to include. Let's see how Shawn and Hunter manage to look after their kids.

Chapter Text

Shawn was just finishing off tidying in the lobby, something Hunter usually did, but he had decided to take care of while Hunter patched up Seth and Jon. They weren't technically supposed to have favourites and didn't, they loved their children equally, Shawn and Hunter did have a soft spot for some of the kids. For Hunter, it was Jon and Seth and for Shawn it was-

"JD- Christ, kid, are you okay?" Shawn turned to see JD in the doorway, completely soaked and not wearing a jacket.

Shawn expected JD to come in further, but he didn't step over the welcome mat, presumably so he wouldn't get the floor wet. Even from where he was stood, Shawn could see that the twelve year old was dripping and trembling. He wasn't sure where JD lived so he couldn't be sure how far he had to walk in this weather, but it was too far in Shawn's eyes, too far dressed like that.

"Hunter, can you bring me some towels? And Bàlor, I think we'll need his help." Shawn called to him before turning his attention back to JD,"C'mere, kid."

JD hesitated but be did approach Shawn who brought him to his room and began looking him over. At least he was wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt, he thought, but that was practically the bare minimum in stormy weather. That's when he found them, more marks on his body, particularly around his neck and on his face. Shawn hated this, trying to help these kids but not being able to do anything about it. Every time he'd tried to call the police or social services, they've come back with absolutely nothing and Shawn didn't understand how these parents could keep getting away with all this.

That's when Hunter walked in, towels in hand and a tired Finn trailing just behind him,"I've got what you asked for, Shawn. Is it JD?"

"It is." Shawn sighed, taking a towel,"JD, can you take off your shirt for me so we can get you dried off?"

"Mm.." JD shook his head.

"I know you probably hate being wet more than you want to hide what's under the shirt." Shawn told him,"Do you want me to close my eyes?"

JD thought about it before nodding and slowly but surely pulling off his shirt after Shawn closed his eyes. But Hunter didn't. He saw all the bruises that JD was trying to hide, as did Finn, and it really pissed him off. Although they were quickly hidden by the towel that Shawn wrapped around him, starting to dry him off.

"What happened, hm?" Shawn asked him.

"Outside.." JD mumbled.

Communicating with JD was.. Difficult, at the best of times. He used to talk more but day by day he became less verbal, only saying a few words at a time unless he was with Finn.. He got him to speak, at least a little bit more than Hunter and Shawn, and they hadn't figured out how. Even if he wasn't saying a word though, Finn always seemed to know what JD wanted and what he was trying to say.

"How about you stay here tonight, yeah?" Shawn ruffled JD's wet hair.

"Finn." JD pointed.

"You want to stay in Finn's room?" Shawn asked.

"Finn." JD nodded, looking over at him.

"You can stay with me, bug." Finn hummed, holding his arms out,"I'll even let you wear one of my shirts too. Does that sound good?"

"Finn!" JD grinned, walking or more accurately limping into Finn's arms.

"You're hurt.. Will you show me where it hurts?" Finn asked quietly.

JD buried his face in Finn's shoulder,"Mhm.."

"Good boy." Hunter gently patted his shoulder,"Take care of him, okay?"

"I always look after my brother." Finn stated, pulling JD closer to him and opting to carry the smaller boy back to his room.

Once Finn and JD were out of earshot, Shawn made his way over to Hunter and leaned against him. Hunter rubbed his back, trying to give his partner some reassurance. It was hard, their line of work, but they were going what they could to help these kids.

"Shawn, it's-" Hunter began, although he was quickly silenced.

"Don't tell me this is okay, Hunter." Shawn pointed,"This isn't okay, and you know it. Why won't CPS do a proper investigation when we've given them evidence?"

"You trust CPS to do a good job. That was your first mistake." Hunter sighed,"We're doing what we can to help. We'll get them all safe as soon as we can, we have to be patient."

"I can't be patient- Just look at JD. He's getting worse by the day! They aren't helping him and you know damn well he needs that." Shawn crossed his arms,"And Jon, he's started smoking and gotten more-"

"Snappy?" Hunter raised a brow.

"Something like that." Shawn looked down,"Hunter, I want to do more."

"This is all we can do." Hunter told him, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his head.

The pair then heard the front door again and shared a look of worry before going out to see who was there. In the lobby they were confronted with four children, all boys and all of which they'd never seen before. The oldest appeared maybe fourteen with the youngest, God, he must have been around seven or eight. The other two looked practically identical and- Bleeding. They were bleeding.

"Hey, boys." Hunter took a step towards them, bending down,"What happened?"

"My uncle, their dad, got drunk.. And he hurt them." The eldest explained,"I tried to help but I couldn't- And I panicked and.. And we're here now."

"Okay, how about you and your little cousin come with me while my friend helps patch up the other two." Hunter suggested, trying to keep his tone calm.

"..Can't I come with you?" He questioned, the panic clear behind his stoic expression,"They're my baby cousins- I was supposed to protect them."

"And that's very brave of you, okay? But they need some medical care right now and depending on how bad they're hurt, they might need a hospital trip." Hunter told him,"Right now, you need to get some rest. You must be tired."

"I don't get tired." The eldest snapped back, his hand squeezing that of the youngest who was cuddled into his side.

"Let's slow down, okay? Would you trust us more if you knew our names?" Shawn asked as he walked forward, kneeling by the twins.

"Ro.. I'm dizzy." The twin closest to the eldest tugged on his sleeve.

A look of fear flashed across the eldest's face, a big decision lying in his small hands. He eventually guided the two boys forward to Shawn, his hands starting to tremble as he did so.

"Jimmy, Jey.. The nice man is going to help you, okay? He'll make it better, I promise." He assured them, looking to Shawn,"You will, right? Because if you hurt them-"

"I'll take good care of your little cousins, I promise." Shawn scooped them up, one in each arm, before speeding off.

The eldest let out a little whine, reaching out before shrinking in on himself,"..I want to help."

"You can help right now by telling me your name, kid." Hunter told him,"Look, I'll go first. My name is Hunter, and my friend who took your cousins, his name is Shawn."

The eldest still seemed reluctant but he nodded slowly,"I'm Roman."

"And your baby cousin?" Hunter looked down at him.

"That's little Joe, but we call him Solo." Roman told him, keeping a close hold on Solo.

"And how old are you all?" Hunter raised a brow.

"I'm thirteen, Jimmy and Jey are twelve and Solo is seven. But his birthday is coming up." Roman stated, still seeming uneasy.

"There are two boys around your age staying here tonight. I'm sure one of them wouldn't mind letting you stay the night." Hunter held out his hand,"How about I take you to them?"

Roman backed away from his hand but nodded regardless. So Hunter lead Roman and little Solo to Seth's room, finding Jon also there and sprawled out on the floor. Great.

"Boys, this is Roman and his cousin Joe." Hunter introduced them,"Is it alright if he stays here tonight?"

"Found another stray?" Jon smirked, gaining himself a kick from Seth.

"Of course they can stay." Seth hummed.

"..Thank you." Roman mumbled.

"I'll check in on you three later, okay?" Hunter looked between them.

"Tell me when you have news." Roman grabbed his wrist,"About Jimmy and Jey.."

"I will, kid. Just try to relax, okay?" Hunter told him before leaving.

Roman didn't get a moment of peace because as soon as Hunter was gone, the questions began rolling in from the other two.

"So, who are Jimmy and Jey?" Seth asked.

"My younger cousins." Roman nodded.

"And where are they? Seth questioned.

"..Shawn took them." Roman shrugged, scooping up Solo.

"Why?" Seth blinked.

"Seth, let the kid breathe." Jon sighed,"You don't need to answer him, he's an idiot."

Seth scoffed,"Am not, I just like knowing things."

"Their dad hurt them, he got drunk.." Roman bit his cheek, giving Solo a squeeze.

"..Did he hurt the little guy?" Jon turned his attention to Solo.

"No. No- He was sleeping in his room, told me he didn't hear anything." Roman shook his head.

"Right." Jon nodded slowly, almost like he didn't believe him.

"Come." Seth patted the bed beside him,"Sit here."

Roman looked around, sitting down slowly before being pulled into a hug from Seth. He immediately tensed, squeezing his eyes shut tightly before.. Realizing that it was okay, he wasn't hurting. And ever so slightly, he began to relax. Solo had already fallen asleep, curled up against his chest and at the behest of Seth, a stubborn Jon joined them. It was.. Actually quite nice being cuddled at either side, the other boys protecting him for once.. Was this what safety felt like?

Later that night, Hunter peered through the door and saw all four boys fast asleep there. And he smiled, glad that Jon hadn't started a fight and that Roman seemed to be settling in nicely.

"The twins are alright, they needed stitches but they aren't too badly hurt." Shawn told him, resting a hand on Hunter's back,"Should I tell Roman?"

"No, let him sleep." Hunter shook his head,"I think the kid has needed this for a long time."

Chapter Text

"Are you sure about this, Shawn?" Hunter asked.

"Of course." Shawn shrugged,"I'll take some of the younger kids with me to the park and we'll have a nice day out."

"Which kids are we talking?" Hunter raised a brow.

"Solo and the Usos, probably Dom and JD too." Shawn told him.

"You're taking JD and Solo out without Finn or Roman? Good luck with that." Hunter shook his head.

"..Okay, I'll bring them too then." Shawn nodded,"And that's quite a few kids... Is Randy here today?"

"I don't know." Hunter turned to his office and called out,"Randy, you in there?"

"What is it now?" Randy groaned, the teenager slowly emerging from the office.

"He is here today." Hunter pointed.

"Great, he can come with us." Shawn grinned,"Come on, Randy. Get yourself ready."

"Ready? Shawn- Where the hell are we going?" Randy questioned, looking between him and Hunter.

"Well, you and I are taking some of the younger ones to the park." Shawn explained, already walking off,"Now, where did I put that football.."

"Hunter, come on.. He isn't serious, is he?" Randy looked to Hunter.

"Afraid so, kid. Now remember what we talked about?" Hunter asked.

Randy huffed, crossing his arms,"Don't swear in front of the kids, don't yell at the kids, don't be an asshole.. That all?"

"You forgot one." Hunter patted his head,"Try to have fun."

"Have fun? Yeah, right." Randy scoffed.

"You better head after Shawn, he'll need your help carrying stuff." Hunter nudged him.

"Wh- The park is like five minutes away, what the hell is he bringing?" Randy rolled his eyes as he followed after Shawn.

That question would answer itself. Shawn was bringing a bag of snacks and a first-aid kit because kids are clumsy. Randy didn't want to carry that so he was given the ball, not the football that Shawn had been searching for, just a regular ball. Perfect for a game of catch, although Randy wasn't too interested in playing with a bunch of twelve year olds. With his supplies gathered and helper in tow, Shawn then gathered the kids in the foyet.

"Now, we've never really done this before so I'm trusting that you'll all be on your behavior." Shawn looked around at them,"I don't want to see anyone wandering too far and we are crossing a road, so I want everyone holding someone's hand."

"We won't run off, Uncle Shawn." Dominik assured him, quickly taking hold of Shawn's hand.

"Good man, Dom." Shawn smiled,"Are we all ready to go then? You've all been to the bathroom?"

"We're all ready, Mr Shawn." Jimmy told him.

"Then let's go." Shawn hummed and they all began the short walk to the park.

Thankfully, even crossing the road went well for Shawn and his gaggle of children. All of them listened to Shawn the whole way there, not leaving his eyesight which, even Shawn himself found that impressive. He loved his kids and wanted them to have a good day, God knows these kiddos deserved it. Once they arrived at the park, Shawn opened the gate and in they all went with Randy taking up the rear, practically dragging his heels.

"Alright." Shawn looked around at them all,"I'm gonna set up camp at this bench, you can come sit with me when you've had enough or need a snack. But now, you're free to go have fun."

"Yes!" Dominik cheered before running over to Finn and grabbing his hand,"Finn, can I play with JD?"

Finn chuckled,"You don't need to ask me, Dom, ask him."

"Oh- JD, do you want to play with me?" Dominik looked down at him,"You can bring Finn too and he can push us on the swings."

JD seemed to think on it for a moment before smiling softly,"Okay."

"Okay, let's go!" Dominik grinned, tugging on Finn's arm,"Come on- Come on!"

"I'm coming, Dom." Finn shook his head as he let the two drag him towards the swings.

"What about you four, what do you want to do?" Shawn turned to them.

"Well, I was going to take Solo to the sand pit." Roman spoke up first,"It's messy, but I think he'd rather that than running around."

"You don't need to explain yourself, go knock yourself out, kid." Shawn hummed.

Roman nodded and took Solo's hand, gently leading him towards the sand pit. And Randy stood at Shawn's side, brow furrowed. Solo? Was that seriously his name? Weird name for a kid.. But then Randy remembered Hunter told him not to judge. So he wouldn't... But he was definitely still judging.

"And you two?" Shawn asked, looking to the Usos,"I do still have the ball."

"What do you say, Jey?" Jimmy gave him a little nudge,"You want to play with the ball."

Jey shrugged,"Fine with me."

"Can we have the ball, Mr Shawn?" Jimmy asked, holding his hands out,"Uh, please?"

"Of course you can." Shawn passed over the ball,"Have fun, okay?"

"Okay." Jimmy smiled at him.

Once the Usos ran off with their ball, Randy turned to Shawn,"So.. What now?"

"What do you mean?" Shawn raised a brow.

"Like- What do I do now?" Randy questioned.

"Well, we're gonna sit on the bench, or at least I am." Shawn told him,"We can keep an eye on all the kids from here, and they'll come back if they need something."

"That's.. It?" Randy blinked,"You brought me here to sit on a bench? Couldn't you have done that yourself?"

"There's quite a lot of kids here, Randy. I didn't want to risk looking one because I lost sight of 'em." Shawn sighed.

"Whatever." Randy huffed, crossing his arms as he sat beside Shawn.

"Can you at least try to think positively about this?" Shawn tried.

"Hey, we both know I didn't sign up for this." Randy pointed,"I'm not happy about this whole 'character-building' thing."

Shawn sighed, shaking his head and deciding to just drop the subject. There was really no point trying to reason with a stubborn teen like Randy. So they sat in silence on the bench while the kids all played. Finn seemed to be enjoying himself as he pushed Dominik and JD on the swings and then helped them with the roundabout. Roman was content sitting and watching Solo play in the sand, watching him with a small smile on his face. And both Jimmy and Jey were happily passing the ball between one another before, of course, Jimmy shot it a tad too far.

"Oh- Sorry, Jey." Jimmy called to him.

"It's fine, I'll go get it." Jey assured him, wandering off in the direction of their ball.

It rolled just behind a tree, so Jey headed over to grab it. Although as he bent down to pick up the ball, there was.. Another kid sat by the tree. He seemed a little surprised to see Jey, but neither of them spoke. The kid stood out to Jey, so he was a little surprised he didn't see him before, because of his bright dyed blond hair. Jey glanced behind him and noticed that Jimmy had already gotten distracted and was sat beside Roman. He wasn't the one to start conversations with strangers but.. This kid seemed harmless, and lonely.

"Hi." Jey spoke quietly, holding the ball close.

The blond boy nodded, pulling his knees closer,"Hi."

"Have you got a name?" Jey titled his head,"I'm Jey."

"..Cody." He looked away.

Jey raised a brow as he sat beside Cody,"You don't talk much, huh? Well, that's okay. My little brother doesn't talk much either. We went to a doctor once and she said she thought he was.. Uh.. Artistic? I think that was it."

"Autistic." Cody corrected, although Jey noticed quite a prominent lisp as he spoke.

"Is that why you don't talk much?" Jey asked him,"You have a lisp?"

Cody visibly shrunk,"The other kids keep picking on me.. But I can't help it."

"That's okay." Jey shrugged,"Do you want to play with my brother and I? He's super nice."

"You want to play with me?" Cody blinked, his eyes almost seeming to light up.

"Sure." Jey nodded as he stood up, holding out his hand,"Come on."

Cody took Jey's hand and smiled as he stood up,"Thank you."

"My brother Jimmy hates people being left out and.. I'm trying to be more like him." Jey nodded, leading Cody out to Jimmy,"Big Jim! Is it okay if my new friend plays with us?"

"Hm?" Jimmy turned, looking between Jey and Cody,"Sure, why not."

Cody smiled,"Thank you so much."

"I'm Jimmy." Jimmy held his hand out, not noticing or just not caring about the lisp.

"Cody." Cody shook his hand.

Jey snickered,"Shaking hands? What are you, middle-aged?"

"Just trying to be formal." Jimmy shrugged.

"Formal." Jey rolled his eyes,'Now, come on. Let's play."

"We'll tell you the rules as we go, we usually make up new ones as we go anyway." Jimmy hummed.

"That's just another word for cheating, by the way." Jey nudged him.

"Wh- Is not." Jimmy groaned,"Just throw the ball."

From the bench, Shawn grinned as he watched the twins and their new friend. He recognized Cody, a neighborhood kid that didn't really have many friends. Hunter knew his dad, Dusty, a plumber who could do any job that was asked of him. He did some work for them, and brought Cody along when he couldn't get childcare. He was a good kid.. Randy had a soft spot for him too, which was honestly quite sweet.

"Looks like your little buddy finally found some friends." Shawn nudged him.

Randy glanced over and a small smile creased,"Huh.. I guess you're right."

"Think you'll say 'hi'?" Shawn asked.

"At the end." Randy looked away,"Just.. As long as he's happy."

"He is." Shawn assured him,"The Usos are good kids, they'll look out for him."

"If they look after him, I'll.. Look, I might keep an extra eye on them." Randy spoke quietly.

Shawn smiled,"It's nice seeing that you care."

"Shut up." Randy muttered.

Chapter Text

"Randy?" Hunter hummed as he walked into the office.

"Hm?" Randy responded, although he didng look up.

He found Randy sat at his desk, spinning on his chair as he scrolled through his phone. Whenever Randy wasn't particularly fond of doing any work, this was typically where Hunter and Shawn would find him. That or he'd try and hide in one of the unused rooms with the lights off. But regardless of how he felt about working, he had to. There was no real way about it.

"I'm cleaning the shelter today and need an extra pair of hands." Hunter told him.

"Go ask Shawn." Randy shrugged.

"Nice try, he's at the dentist with Damian, Finn and Punk." Hunter told him.

Randy groaned,"Ugh, fine. What am I doing?"

"I want you on floors." Hunter pointed,"I've already made a start on bedsheets and the other rooms. All you need to do is mop the floors. Can you handle that?"

"Can you handle that that?" Randy scoffed,"Yes, Hunter, I can handle that."

"Just making sure." Hunter sighed and held out the key,"The mop is in the cleaning closet, and here is the key so you can lock it once you're done."

Randy nodded but sighed as he made his way to the cleaning closet. He grabbed the mop, a bucket and some cleaning chemicals. The bucket was filled up with water and he mixed in some cleaning chemicals before Randy got started on his mopping. Randy really didn't enjoy cleaning, but he supposed he would rather be doing that than watching kids. It wasn't helping matters that he and his dad had gotten into an argument before he even came to work so he was already in a pretty shit mood.

Now, Randy loved his dad. Of course he did. The only thing they ever really argued about was this, this volunteering that Randy had to do. He never wanted to do it, it was all his dad's idea. It wasn't even volunteering since his dad essentially forced him into doing it. Sometimes he just didn't want to do it and other times, like today, he'd woken up in a bad mood and the argument he had with his dad wasn't helping matters. He knew these kids, or at least some of them had issues, and it wasn't a good idea for Randy and his.. Problems to be near them. It sounded like a responsible idea to Randy, but his dad assumed he was just trying to get out of work. It was like he knew Randy had anger issues, and believed that, but didn't take them incredibly seriously. Randy punched holes through walls and got into fights at school frequently, he didn't want to lose his shit around the kids. Still, he was forced to come.

Thankfully, Randy managed to get through most of his cleaning uninterrupted. Good. He just wanted to finish this and return to his office hideaway. In fact, he was just about done as he entered a room where little Solo was painting supervised by Roman and Seth who were chatting nearby. He was just about done, ready to go put the mop away before.. Solo knocked over his paint water and it spilled all over the freshly cleaned floor. It was almost like time stood still as Randy stared down the mess. He knew he should keep calm, knew he was supposed to just breathe... But he couldn't.

"You've got to be kidding me." Randy cursed, throwing his mop to the side,"I just cleaned this floor!"

"Hey- Don't yell at him." Roman pointed, almost immediately at Solo's side.

"Don't yell? What, I'm not allowed to be a little ticked off?" Randy crossed his arms.

"It was an accident." Roman told him.

"Was it? Was it really?" Randy scoffed,"Or was it on purpose?"

"Roman." Seth sighed, looking over at him.

"No! He's seven. If you asked, I'm sure he would've been okay helping you clean up." Roman shook his head.

Seth, noticing that Solo was getting upset by the noise and yelling, carefully lead the young boy out of the room as Roman and Randy continued yelling. He was hoping to find one of the Usos to drop him off with or that Hunter would overhear the yelling and get involved before things escalated. Randy.. Seth and Randy could talk, hell, Randy could talk with most of the older kids no problem. He didn't seem overly fond of the younger ones but he'd never lashed out like this before, not at them. Thankfully, Seth spotted Jimmy and Jey and didn't even need to bring Solo to them as he practically bolted into Jimmy's arms.

"Woah, little Joe, what's up?" Jimmy asked, holding him close.

"Too loud.." Solo hid his face in Jimmy's shirt.

"What's too loud, Uce?" Jey knelt down, patting his back.

But Solo didn't answer, just clinging onto Jimmy as he cried. That left both Usos to look to Seth, the bearer of bad news.

Seth sighed,"Randy's been cleaning all day. He must've been having a bad day cause.. Well, Solo accidently made a mess with his paint water and he just.. Lost it."

"Did he yell at Solo?" Jey questioned.

"Yeah.. But Roman got the attention off Solo pretty quick, got Randy to focus on yelling at him." Seth told them.

"He better not-" Jey began, but Jimmy stopped him.

"Roman's handling it, Jey." Jimmy rubbed his back,"We have to look after Solo, okay? Can you do that?

"..I can do that." Jey nodded slowly.

Seth went to speak again before he heard a thud... It came from where Randy and Roman were. Shit. Seth gave the Usos a smile before hurrying back towards the room, trying not to worry them. When he got there, Roman was on the floor trembling and Randy was stood over him, clutching his arm. Within a second, Seth had crouched by Roman's side, getting in between the two of them.

"Randy, what the hell, man?" Seth looked up at him,"What did you do?"

"He attacked me- Could barely get him off." Randy shook his head, showing his arm now brandished with scratches.

"Roman? Are you okay?" Seth turned his attention to his friend, who had fallen silent,"Roman?"

"Safe.. Keep them safe." Roman mumbled.

"What's going on in here?" Hunter questioned as he walked in, looking between the three.

"Randy started yelling because Solo made a mess and then he and Roman started yelling, so I took Solo to the Usos and when I came back Roman was on the floor and Randy was holding his arm." Seth explained.

"Randy?" Hunter turned to him sharply.

"..I didn't mean-" Randy tried to explain.

"Did you yell at the kids?" Hunter asked.

Randy nodded slowly,"I did."

"Did you hit them?" Hunter raised a brow.

"I shoved him, okay? But that was-" Randy couldn't get much more out before Hunter stopped him.

"My office. Now." Hunter pointed.

Randy paused, but he didn't argue like Seth expected him to. He nodded and walked out, brushing against Hunter as he left. Hunter sighed, kneeling beside Seth and in front of Roman.

"Roman? Can you hear me?" Hunter spoke softly, reaching out to him.

But Roman flinched, his eyes shut tightly. He was still trembling and Seth managed to rub his back. Roman.. He didn't want to go back- He couldn't let his cousins go back. His cousins. Were they okay? Roman had to protect them. He couldn't force any words out and he started to struggle with his breathing, clutching his head as he curled in on himself.. Please make it stop.

"Roman, your cousins are okay. Seth made sure of it." Hunter assured him,"Nobody got hurt, nobody's going to hurt you."

"Matt." Roman forced out, his tears starting to fall,"Matt- I'm.. Please, I can't.."

"Shh, everything's okay." Seth continued trying to comfort him,"You're okay."

Roman choked back a sob,"I.. I'm okay.."

"That's right, you're okay." Seth smiled softly,"And so are your cousins. Do you want me to take you through to them?"

"Please?" Roman nodded.

Hunter watched as Seth helped Roman to his feet, the poor boy still shaking as he stood. Seth was gentle, unlike his usual boisterous self as he escorted Roman out of the room, still reassuring him. Hunter shook his head as he stood, continuing to watch the pair from the doorway as Roman was wrapped in a hug from his cousins and Seth, a confused-looking Jon watching from the sidelines. It was that moment, seeing Roman broken on the floor.. That's what made Hunter realize how much stress and pressure the poor boy was under to protect his cousins. Now he needed to speak with Randy and Shawn would need to be told but.. For now, he just wanted to see the small smile that creeped onto Roman's face as he was embraced. Hunter was going to look after him now, that was a promise.

Chapter Text

Hunter sighed, lingering outside his office. He knew he needed to speak with Randy but was still waiting for the return of Shawn. That and he just wanted to give the teen some time to calm himself down so they didn't end up having a screaming match. They'd never get anywhere doing that. Although that's when Seth walked up to him, tugging on his arm.

"Yeah, kid?" Hunter looked down at him.

"..I have to go home now." Seth told him, although he didn't let go of Hunter's arm.

Hunter sighed, rubbing Seth's back,"Please be careful, kid. I don't want you coming back hurt."

"I'll try." Seth nodded slowly,"But I have to go, or he won't get fed."

"I know." Hunter kept his hand on his shoulder,"You come back as soon as you can, bring him with you if you're able."

Seth bit his cheek,"Is Shawn back yet?"

"No, he got stuck in some traffic on the way back." Hunter shook his head before pulling Seth into a hug,"You'll always be safe here, okay?"

"I know, Hunter." Seth held onto tightly, part of him not wanting to let go.

Hunter sighed and held Seth until he was ready to let go. Seth making trips between the shelter and his home.. Both of them hated it and really, Hunter wished he could keep Seth safe here with him. Unfortunately, it was something Seth wanted to do every morning and every night. Well, wanted wasn't the right word.. He felt like like he had to. Eventually, Seth did leave the safe embrace of Hunter and headed out of the shelter, wandering down the road and along the street until.. He found his way back home. Seeing the house made him nervous but.. But he'd be super quick and nobody would see him.

Seth looked around the house and found what he was looking for, a rain-damaged wooden crate that sat underneath the open kitchen window. He climbed on and used the crate to enter the house, squeezing through the kitchen window. Awaiting for him, colouring a picture at the kitchen table, was his younger brother Nathan. Upon seeing Seth, Nathan gasped and smiled up at him.. Seth wished he got to see him smile more.

"Seth!" Nathan grinned as he jumped off his chair, practically running into Seth's arms,"I missed you.."

"I missed you too, little buddy." Seth sighed, ruffling his hair,"You hungry?"

"Mhm, can you make me something?" Nathan asked him.

"I'll make you something like I always do." Seth nodded as he began looking through cupboards,"Do you know what kind of food they've got in here?"

"Not a lot.." Nathan shook his head,"They've not been to the store because daddy's too tired."

"Of course he is." Seth scoffed,"Hm.. What about toast and eggs? Is that good?"

"Yes, please." Nathan nodded.

"Alright, you sit down, okay?" Seth titled his head,"I'm gonna get your food sorted."

Nathan happily sat at the table once more as Seth began to make him food. Granted, Seth wasn't a master chef or anything but he wasn't going to let his baby brother go without just because his parents were 'too tired' to remember to feed him. He was sure they did it on purpose, just to piss Seth off. They knew the easiest way to get to Seth was through Nathan. They couldn't hurt Seth anymore.. So they took it out on his brother. Seth shook his head, trying to get rid of those thoughts as he continued to cook.

"Seth.." Nathan began slowly.

"Yeah, kiddo?" Seth hummed as he put the bread in the toaster.

"When you go away... Will you take me with you?" Nathan asked, looking up at Seth with teary eyes.

And those words broke the almost unshakeable Seth. Please.. He wanted nothing more than to scoop Nathan up and bring him back to the shelter. He'd probably get along with Dom or the Usos or anyone, really. Sure, he could be a little wild at times but Nathan was a good kid.. Seth knew that he was good. Seth knew that he deserved better, much better than this.

"I want to, buddy.. I really do." Seth swallowed as he plated Nathan's food, sitting it in front of him,"But knowing them they'd.. They'd twist what I'm doing and-"

"I understand.." Nathan looked down at his plate.

"No, please don't give me that look." Seth cupped Nathan's face,"I'm sorry- I am so sorry.."

"It's okay, I know you.. You love me." Nathan rubbed his eyes.

"I love you so much, kiddo." Seth whispered.

And Seth just sat by Nathan as he ate, just talking with him. He let his brother tell him about his day, things he was looking forward too.. And he actually got a gift. Nathan excitedly handed Seth the picture he was previously colouring in, a drawing of the pair of them complete with a smiley sun in the corner. It was perfect. Seth was going to add it to his collection, one that he kept hidden underneath his bed and out of sight of Jon. He didn't tell anyone, aside from Hunter, about his 'home life' and he intended to keep things that way.

"Oh, figured you'd waltz back in here?" A gruff voice scoffed from the kitchen doorway.

"Dad." Seth swallowed, quickly standing up,"I was just leaving."

"Sure. Done some cooking, hm?" He raised a brow, grabbing Nathan's empty plate.

"Dad, listen-" Seth began, although he flinched as the plate was smashed against the wall, shards landing at his feet.

"I thought I told you not to come back!" His dad snapped,"I don't want a fag like you in the house influencing Nathan."

"I just came back to feed him, o-okay? He was hungry." Seth told him, although he couldn't look up at his dad.

"Get out." His dad pointed.

"No- I don't want Seth to go away." Nathan shook his head, quickly getting in between the two,"Seth's good."

"Nathan, that kid isn't good. He's a faggot and I don't want him influencing you." Their dad grabbed Nathan by the arm, yanking him away from Seth.

"Daddy, that hurts.." Nathan winced.

"Oh? That hurts?" He scoffed.

"Don't hurt him- Please!" Seth begged,"I'll go, you'll never have to see me any more.. Just don't hurt him."

"I won't." His dad hummed,"I don't want to hurt Nathan."

"Thank y-" Seth began, silenced as a hand came hard and fast against his cheek.

"But you.. You aren't my son. I have no issues with hurting you." His dad spat as Nathan cried, desperately reaching out to Seth,"Now.. Get out."

Seth nodded slowly, looking down as he opened the door and walked out of his old house as Nathan cried.. But Seth didn't cry. He just went on his way, heading back towards the shelter. Meanwhile, Shawn had just arrived home with his three boys and spotted Hunter stood outside their office, arms crossed. He sent them on their way to their rooms before he approached his partner, placing a hand on his arm.

"Hey.. You alright?" Shawn asked him,"You said there was an incident but.."

"Randy." Hunter stated.

"Randy? Is he okay?" Shawn questioned.

"He's fine now but.. He yelled at Solo and then he got in an altercation with Roman." Hunter sighed,"He must have triggered something because the kid could hardly breathe.."

"Holy shit." Shawn blinked,"And have you spoken to him since?"

"Not since I sent him to the office." Hunter shook his head,"I've been letting him cool off in there and I've just been waiting for you to get back."

Shawn nodded slowly,"Is Roman okay?"

"Seth was really good with him, comforted him and then brought him to his cousins. He's still with them and he's doing a lot better, thankfully." Hunter told him,"Are you ready to handle this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Shawn sighed, pushing open the door.

Inside the room, Randy was sat on his usual chair but he didn't look up at them. He had his knees pulled up to his chest, looking uncharacteristically small as he sat there in silence. Randy wasn't even scrolling on his phone, he had no sparky comment or dirty look just.. Silence. He knew he fucked up. Hunter was going to speak first, to go in on him, but Shawn stopped him and sat in front of Randy.. Opting for a more gentle option.

"Hey, Randy." Shawn began, his voice calm,"Do you want to talk to me about what happened earlier?"

"..I fucked up, Shawn." Randy shook his head, a strange softeness in his voice.

"I know." Shawn nodded,"What happened in there?"

"I'd had a bad day. I was nearly done cleaning when the kid made a mess and.. But I didn't mean to. Everything just.. And it pissed the other one off and that made me defensive and.." Randy forced out, still struggling to explain himself and his feelings.

"I understand that you didn't mean to yell, but you know the types of kids we take in here." Hunter sighed,"You're supposed to be learning patience, kindness.."

"Hunter, you and I both know that being here was never a choice I made." Randy finally looked up at him, biting his cheek,"I don't want to be here."

"Look, if you really don't want to be here, I don't want to force you to be here." Shawn shook his head,"I don't want you accidentally hurting one of the kids."

"I know." Randy swallowed.

"Look, Randy, here's your chance. You can either stay here and learn self-control or you can leave." Hunter pointed.

"..I'm leaving." Randy stood up,"Thanks for.. Having me, I guess."

And like that, he left. Once Randy was gone, Hunter sighed and sank into his chair. Shawn wasn't able to comfort him because almost as soon as Randy left, Seth entered the room quietly and he practically jumped into Hunter's lap. Hunter was taken aback, but didn't say a word as Seth buried his face in his shoulder.

"It didn't go well, huh?" Hunter tilted his head, running his hand through Seth's hair.

"No.." Seth sniffled.

"Oh, buddy, did you go home?" Shawn asked.

Seth nodded and looked up at Hunter,"I tried.. I was scared."

"I know, buddy." Hunter was quick to cup Seth's cheek, noticing the red mark forming,"Seth.. Did he hit you?"

"..I didn't want him to hurt Nathan." Seth's his tears fall, hugging onto Hunter,"I-I have to protect him, Dad!"

"I know, Seth, I know." Hunter rubbed his back, trying to comfort him.

"I'm.. I'm so tired." Seth's grip lessened.

"Shh, just get some rest, okay?" Hunter hummed softly.

And.. Seth did end up passing out in Hunter's arms. But Hunter didn't take him to bed straight away. No. He sat in his chair, cradling the young boy that called him dad. Dad. Seth probably wouldn't remember that when he woke up but.. Hunter would. Because Hunter loved his son. Of course, all the kids at the shelter were his kids but.. Seth, especially. Seth was his son.

Chapter Text

Roman sat on the edge of his bed, staring down at his locket. He hadn't been wearing it recently, hiding it away safely in his hoodie pocket, still with him but out of sight. The locket contained a picture of his older brother and.. It made him feel safe. For a while after moving in to the shelter, Roman didn't feel like he needed Matt's protection as much. But after his confrontation with Randy... Roman swallowed and put on his locket, holding it tightly. He could really use his big brother right now.

"Roman~" Seth hummed as he waltzed into the room,"Are you ready for school?"

"..Do I have to go?" Roman asked slowly, turning to look at him.

"We all do." Seth nodded as Jon appeared in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe,"Don't worry, if you hang with me and Jon, you'll be just fine."

Yet Jon scoffed, shaking his head,"Yeah, right. Just fine."

"Are you saying Roman won't be fine with us?" Seth swiftly turned around, clearly offended that Jon contradicted him.

"Seth, we sit alone at lunch. It's literally just us." Jon rolled his eyes.

"Well- Yeah, but nobody bothers us." Seth pointed.

"Because they're either scared of me, don't care about us or they get stuff from me." Jon shrugged,"If you don't mind being a social outcast, you can sit with us."

"Doesn't sound too bad, I don't want people bothering me." Roman shook his head.

"Trust me, they won't." Jon approached the pair and patted Roman's shoulder,"If you need anything handled, I'll do it."

"I.. Appreciate that." Roman nodded slowly.

"Good." Jon hummed,"Now come on, we've got to head to the bus stop."

Roman bit his cheek, nodding slowly as he followed after both Seth and Jon. The pair were chatting, sort of flirting, but Roman stayed quiet. He was busy worrying.. He didn't want to be apart from his cousins, but he knew they wouldn't be together at all until they came back to the shelter. Shawn had explained to him how their school days would work. For the first half of the day, they'd go to public school and the second half of the day would be spent in a program that helped them learn and develop their life skills and attend therapy sessions to talk through their trauma and, well, heal. Or at least try to.

"Roman!" Cried a little voice.

Roman stopped, abruptly turning to the sound of the little voice calling him. Solo. Before Roman could blink, Solo was in his arms and clinging on tightly. He looked down at his youngest cousin, the poor boy practically in tears.

"Don't leave.." Solo quickly shook his head,"You- Please don't go."

Roman swallowed,"I'm coming back, kiddo. We're all going to come back."

"But why are you leaving?" Solo sniffled.

"We're all going to school." Roman told him,"You don't have to go because.. Someone's going to come here to help you learn."

"But I want you.." Solo buried his face against Roman's stomach.

"I know.. I know, I want to stay too." Roman sighed softly.

"So.. Stay with me." Solo looked up at him again, his tears rolling down his cheeks.

"I can't." Roman ruffled his hair,"I have to do this so I can.. Keep protecting you, okay?"

"What about Jimmy? Can Jimmy stay?" Solo questioned,"Or Jey? Can.. Can Jey stay?"

"No, Solo. They can't stay either." Roman shook his head.

"I know it's scary, little buddy." Seth knelt beside him,"But you'll have fun with JD and Shawn. And, well, whoever it is they bring along to help you learn."

"But Roman.." Solo pointed.

"Roman's going to miss you a lot too." Seth assured him,"But he's going to come back after school and tell you about all the cool things he learned."

"..Mm." Solo looked down.

"Do you want one last big hug? Would that help?" Seth suggested.

"Hug." Solo nodded.

Roman smiled softly and pulled Solo into a tight hug. It took a moment or two before Jimmy and Jey ran over and joined the hug. It lasted for a few minutes before Hunter interrupted, calling everyone so they could head for the bus or they'd be late. Despite not wanting to, Roman and the twins let go of Solo and continued out to get the bus. Finn had to say goodbye to JD, who cried as well, before joining Damian and Dominik, the small boy holding his older brother's hand. Jon had to stand in between Seth and Punk as they walked, stopping his friend from getting into a disagreement with the other boy before they'd even gotten to school. Roman.. Stayed quiet. The twins seemed excited, chatting beside him, but Roman couldn't stop thinking about Solo. He wanted to turn and run back to him but he just kept walking forward.. He wished Matt was still here to give him advice. Matt was always good at advice..

Shawn tried to comfort JD and Solo while the others left to get the bus, but the two were practically inconsolable. Eventually, JD was calmed, but only because Shawn assured him that he would stay right there with him. JD was currently clinging onto Shawn's side while Solo wasn't calmed at all. No reassurance that Roman and the Usos would be back or trying to distract him with all the fun things he'd learn was helping. Poor thing.. Fortunately, Stephanie was able to calm him down with some of her breathing techniques. She was who Hunter called to help homeschool the kids that might need extra help, so they can work at their own pace in a way that works for them. She was actually specifically trained in helping kids on the spectrum, but was more than willing to help JD as well, letting him sit with them because of his anxiety. Honestly, Stephanie was a godsend and Shawn was glad that she was here to help.

As Shawn and Stephanie worked with the kids remaining, Hunter did work in his office. He was looking through his papers when there was a light knock at his door. Who..?

"Come in." Hunter looked up at the door.

And someone he didn't expect to see walked in, a dejected look on his face and a busted lip to match.

"Randy?" Hunter blinked, quickly standing up,"You're supposed to be at school? What are you doing back here? Are you-"

"I'm sorry, Hunter.." Randy looked down.

"Randy, what happened?" Hunter asked him, slowly approaching.

"My dad and I.. We had a fight. We both said some things we aren't proud of." Randy swallowed,"He.. He told me not to come back until I sorted myself out."

"Randy, did he-" Hunter went to speak.

"No, that was from another fight." Randy shook his head, gesturing to his lip,"But.. I don't have anywhere to go so.."

"So you came back." Hunter nodded slowly.

"I'll stay away from the kids if you want me to, I won't leave my room and-" Randy tried to speak, but Hunter stopped him.

"Randy, I'm going to help you. I'm giving you another chance." Hunter told him,"I'll get you into anger management, you can stay here for as long as you need."

"Is.. Is Roman okay?" Randy bit his cheek.

"He's doing.. Alright. He's still more than nervous than before, but Seth's been taking care of him." Hunter nodded.

Randy finally looked up at Hunter, resting his head on the older man's shoulder. Hunter sighed and patted his back, trying to provide some comfort to the teen. He still wasn't happy about how Randy had acted, but it went against everything he believed in to turn away a child in need. Randy was troubled, though not in the same way as the other kids, and Hunter was going to help him. They stayed in his office, stayed in that embrace until Randy had calmed down. Everything would be okay.

Eventually, the rest of the kids returned from school but Randy and Hunter remained in the office. Damian and Finn headed to collect JD and Roman was immediately at Solo's side, the younger boys holding onto each other tightly. It was cute seeing the little reunion. The Usos seemed to hurry off to their room however, so Shawn walked through to check on them. He heard hushed whispers just beyond the door that fell silent when Shawn knocked on the door.

"Are you boys okay in there?" Shawn asked.

"We're okay, Mr Shawn." Jimmy called back to him.

"Was school good?" Shawn raised a brow.

"Super good, we met up with Cody again." Jey answered.

"I'm glad you've got a friend." Shawn smiled,"Well, I'll leave you to it."

"Thank you, Mr Shawn." Jimmy hummed.

As the twins listened for Shawn's footsteps leaving the door, they almost immediately broke out into a fit of giggles. They got away with it! Honestly, neither of them believed they could sneak anyone in and not get noticed but... Cody crawled out from underneath Jimmy's bed, a huge grin on his face.

"That was awesome." Cody clapped, looking between the twins.

"Hell yeah, it was." Jey nodded, ruffling his hair,"Now, what do you want to do?"

"Huh.. I don't know." Cody blinked,"I've never hung out at a friend's house before."

"Us neither.. But we've brought cousins over before, that's basically the same." Jimmy nodded,"I could grab us some paper from the other room and we could, I don't know, draw stuff."

"You like drawing things?" Jey looked to Cody.

"Sure, drawing is fun." Cody nodded.

"Give me two minutes, I'll be super fast." Jimmy pointed before hurrying off.

Once Jimmy was gone, Cody leaned against Jey and hugged onto him,"Thank you."

"Uh.. You're welcome." Jey hummed,"Why are you thanking me?"

"Just inviting me over." Cody told him,"If I wasn't here I'd be at home by myself until super late.. My dad's always working."

"Oh." Jey blinked, wrapping an arm around Cody,"So.. There's nobody to take care of you?"

"No- But it's okay. Because my dad is super nice and.. And sometimes Randy comes over to hang out and he makes us dinner." Cody told him, a small smile on his face,"Or mom, but she isn't always home either."

"You can always come over here if you need to." Jey assured him,"Mr Hunter and Mr Shawn are super nice."

"I know." Cody nodded slowly,"I guess I was just.. Scared I wouldn't be able to make friends here."

"Well, now you've got at least two." Jey pointed,"And when we introduce you to everyone else, you'll make tons of friends."

"You think?" Cody asked hopefully.

"I don't think, I know." Jey smiled at him,"Nobody's gonna pick on you for your lisp, I promise."

"I've got the paper!" Jimmy announced as he hurried back over to the pair,"Now, what do you want to draw?"

"Hm.. I'm gonna draw something for my dad." Cody nodded.

"That's nice, my drawings going to be for Roman." Jey added.

"Hey, I was going to draw something for Roman." Jimmy pointed.

"You can.. Both draw Roman a picture." Cody looked between them.

"Oh. Yeah." Jimmy blinked,"..Mine's going to be better."

"Is not." Jey pointed.

"Guys." Cody sighed, this was going to be a long night.

Meanwhile, as Hunter was explaining the Randy situation to Shawn, his phone rang. He took it out and raised a brow, looking at the number. Dusty? What could he need so late? Hunter shrugged, deciding to just answer the phone and ask.

"Dusty, what's up?" Hunter asked, Shawn and Randy both exchanging a confused look.

"Hunter, is Cody down there with you at the shelter?" Dusty questioned.

"Well, I didn't see him, but I can go look if you want." Hunter nodded slowly,"Is he not at home?"

"Michelle just called to tell me he wasn't back yet." Dusty shook his head,"He's always talking about the friends he made from the shelter, so I was just wondering.."

"Don't worry, I'll get Randy to go check right now." Hunter assured him, moving the phone and turning to Randy,"Go see if Cody's somewhere in the shelter, okay? Dusty's looking for him."

"Uh.. Okay." Randy looked to Shawn before he left.

It took him only a few minutes to return, with Hunter making idle chat with Dusty in the meantime. They were good friends, but with their schedules they never really had the time to just talk. It was.. Refreshing. And thankfully, Randy returned with the answer they wanted to hear.

"He's with the Usos." Randy hummed.

"I knew they were up to something." Shawn snapped his fingers.

"They snuck a whole kid in and you didn't notice?" Randy raised a brow.

"I didn't check." Shawn sighed.

"We've got him, Dusty." Hunter assured him.

He heard Dusty let out a sigh of relief,"Good. Can you keep him there until my wife or I can pick him up?"

"Of course." Hunter nodded,"Every kid is welcome here."

"Thank you, Hunter." Dusty smiled.

"It's no problem." Hunter told him,"We'll make sure Cody is safe and that he has fun during his stay."

And Cody did have fun, so much so that when Hunter came to check on him later in the evening, he'd fallen asleep with the twins. The pair had even snuck some of their food back to their room, obvious by the single dirty plate, so that Cody would have dinner. He was fast asleep, curled up on Jey's lap, with Jey leaning against Jimmy in turn. Despite how adorable the scene was, Hunter heard the door open and scooped up Cody as he assumed it was Dusty. He walked out and he had assumed right, seeing his friend's face soften at the sight of his son.

"There's my boy." Dusty smiled softly.

"He even got his hair dyed to match you." Shawn commented.

"Cody insisted." Randy nodded.

"Found him fast asleep with the twins, he made you a drawing too." Hunter told him, handing over Cody and the paper signed with his name.

"Thank you for looking after him." Dusty looked around at them, running his hand through Cody's hair,"I know he struggled to make friends."

"Well, he's made two very good friends in Jimmy and Jey." Hunter assured him.

"Those two would probably try and beat up anyone who made fun of him." Randy commented,"Hell, they nearly went for me when I walked in and found him."

"I'm glad to hear that." Dusty nodded as Cody stirred, opening his eyes slightly.

"Dad.." Cody mumbled, clinging onto him.

"It's me, little man." Dusty chuckled,"Come on, let's go home."

"I didn't.. I have to say goodbye." Cody yawned.

"I'm sure your friends will understand." Dusty hummed,"Now come on, it's way past your bedtime."

Cody nodded sleepily,"Bye Mr Hunter, Bye Mr Shawn."

"Goodnight, kiddo." Shawn chuckled.

"Night night, Randy." Cody waved.

And Randy smiled, still a strange sight to see,"Goodnight, Codeman."

The trio watched as Dusty walked off with Cody, the twelve year old almost immediately falling back asleep on his shoulder. While this had been a one-off incident, they didn't expect it to stay that way. The twins were definitely going to sneak Cody in again, but they weren't bothered about that. Cody was a sweet boy and was more than welcome to spend time with them or at the shelter. Their job was to help and protect kids and if this helped Cody with his social struggles, then they were doing their job right.

Chapter Text

"What do you mean it's Dominik's birthday soon?" Hunter asked groggily, watching as Shawn hurried around the room.

"I mean it's Dominik's birthday soon." Shawn pointed,"I've had five messages from Rey apologizing that he won't be here and one from Eddie thanking me for looking after him."

"How old is he going to be again? Thirteen?" Hunter rubbed his eyes.

"Thirteen." Shawn nodded.

Hunter sighed as he got up, shaking his head,"You think Dom's going to be upset that they're missing his birthday?"

"They missed last year too, remember? He came and stayed overnight with us and Damian gave him his bandana so they could match?" Shawn reminded him.

"I remember." Hunter smiled softly,"I'm glad he has Damian, he needs someone like that in his life."

"The kid needs stability." Shawn added,"We'll always be here if he needs us but.. Rey and Eddie need to sort out their issues. You know things have been unstable since he was little, he was only up to my knee when they started-"

"I know, I know.. And they will." Hunter assured him.

"And what about Rey's other kids?" Shawn questioned,"I haven't seen Santos in years, and it's only a matter of time before Lee starts staying here with Dom."

"Shawn." Hunter sighed.

"Three kids and he isn't parenting any of them- How am I supposed to look Dominik in the eyes and tell him that his father's are too busy to look after him on his birthday?" Shawn cursed,"Is he going to get a card at least? A phone call? Maybe a text-"

"Shawn!" Hunter grabbed him by the shoulders,"It's a shitty situation for everyone, I know. But getting angry about it isn't going to help Dom."

"..You're right." Shawn looked down.

"Hey, we're gonna make sure he has a great day." Hunter gently raised his chin,"That sound good?"

"Sounds great." Shawn nodded slowly.

Birthday preparation.. This was probably one of the first birthdays that Hunter and Shawn were actually celebrating at the shelter. Some kids, like Damian, went home for his birthday and others, like Jon, refuse to acknowledge their birthday at all. Some of the older kids just didn't want to celebrate, but Dominik was still young enough to get excited about and want to celebrate his birthday. Seeing him all giddy, reminding Damian that he was going to be turning thirteen, warmed Hunter's heart and he even came over to speak to them taht day.

"Uncle Hunter, did you know that it's my birthday soon?" Dominik asked him.

"We did, Dom, and we're planning to make you a nice cake to celebrate here." Hunter told him.

Dominik gasped,"Really?"

"Really." Shawn nodded.

"Wow- So, uh.. I actually have a question." Dominik hummed, rocking back and forth on his heels.

"And the question is..?" Hunter raised a brow.

"Well, I have this friend that I met and.. Well, I was just wondering if she could come over for my birthday? Is it.. Okay if I asked her?" Dominik bit his cheek, looking a little embarrassed by his question.

Hunter chuckled, ruffling his hair,"Dom, the Usos have been sneaking Cody in to have sleepovers without asking. I don't mind you inviting over a friend to stay for a while."

"Thank you, Uncle Hunter. She's super nice, I promise." Dominik told them,"And Damian thinks she's cool too."

"How old is she?" Shawn asked.

"She's already thirteen, but her birthday is in October." Dominik told him.

"And what's her name?" Shawn raised a brow.

"Rhea." Dominik hummed before lowering his voice to a whisper,"She's really pretty."

"You like her a lot, huh?" Hunter smirked.

"Shh, Uncle Hunter." Dominik tried to hush him,"Don't let Damian hear you, he's already teasing me."

"Aw, isn't that cute?" Shawn giggled.

"He's even got JD in on it." Dominik huffed.

"JD? Teasing you?" Shawn blinked.

Dominik crossed his arms,"It's like he trained him- He pokes me to get my attention and then winks at me."

"That's honestly quite funny." Hunter smiled at him,"You go have fun now, okay?"

"Okay, Uncle Hunter." Dominik sighed, running off to probably go find JD.

That left Hunter and Shawn to spend the rest of that day and the next trying to figure out a gift they could get Dominik... And how to bake a cake. Now, both of them could cook decently well, but baking was a different story. Honestly, both of them were pretty nervous because they'd never really done this before and they wanted this to be nice for Dominik. The other kids were also excited as they made or, in Jon's case, stole for his birthday. Seth had already reprimanded Jon for being so reckless but he wasn't caught and Seth never snitched to Hunter or Shawn. Hunter didn't know they were making gifts until he found the little origami swan JD made hidden in the back of his medicine cabinet.. And then proceed to trip over the gift the Usos made that had been hidden behind a bookshelf. Two glass jars, decorated with funny faces. Hunter wasn't sure what Dominik was going to use two glass jars for, but he was sure he would appreciate them.

It was the day before Dominik's birthday and, after all their research, they began to bake their cake. They wanted it to be as fresh as possible but didn't want to be making it they day of, obviously, they just wouldn't have time. Things were already off to a.. Less that ideal start with Shawn spilling some of the box cake mix on himself. Still, most of it made it into the bowl. That was good enough, right? They continued, trying to not make too much of a mess before they heard the door open and then.. Laughter? But not that of kids, at least not any of their kids.

"Shawn? Do you mind checking that?" Hunter asked, looking down at the state of his shirt,"I'll try and clean myself up and check if you don't come back."

"I can handle it, it's probably Paul again. Oh- Or another foster parent, I've got some lined up to see if they're suitable." Shawn hummed.

"Thanks, Shawn." Hunter smiled before turning to the sink.

"No problem, babe." Shawn winked, garnering a snicker from Hunter as he left the kitchen to see who had entered the shelter.

But Shawn slowed down once he realized who was stood there waiting for him, in shock but.. Wow, was it really that time of year again? Shawn nearly laughed. That time of year? It's not like this happened at a particular time of year just.. Once a year. Once a year, the two men that were currently laughing and joking around with one another in the entrance area of the shelter showed up to.. Convince Shawn and Hunter to join them on the road again. These men were, of course, were old friends of Shawn and Hunter back when they were.. Less than savory characters. Not their only friends, mind you, they had others but.. They were certainly very close to these two. Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.

Nash was tall and burly, always had been, but his long dark hair was now cut short, and was greying. At least it wasn't dyed blonde anymore. Despite being around 6'6 himself, Hall looked almost small beside the giant that was Nash. 6'9. If they weren't friends or smiling together, Shawn would honestly feel quite intimidated by their visitors. Hall wasn't as tall as Nash yet was still fairly muscular, and dressed more like the 'cool biker guy' that they both loved being. His dark, curly mullet was also cut short and turning grey, but kept his signature curl at the front. Shawn.. Really wished he mentally prepared himself for this conversation.

"Guys." Shawn cleared his throat, alerting them to his presence,"Nice to see you."

Nash smirked, almost immediately approaching and ruffling his own tidy hair,"Look at you, dressed all professional."

"Jon already laughs at me for how I dress." Shawn shrugged.

"Never thought we'd see you all.. Y'know, like this." Hall gestured to his attire.

"Like this? Guys, you've been to the shelter before. You know we do this now." Shawn sighed, shaking his head.

"Michaels, it's not a bad thing just.." Nash tilted his head, crossing his arms,"Where's the 'Heartbreak Kid'? The 'Showstopper'? Where's the HBK that I know?"

"He's.. Right here." Shawn answered, subconsciously rubbing his chest, his hand trailing over the cross he was wearing.

"You know what I mean, Shawn." Nash shook his head.

"Come on, you can't seriously what to spend your life looking after kids." Hall pointed,"I mean- You never wanted kids, that's why you stayed single and wore protection."

"These kids need someone to care for them." Shawn nodded,"I've matured a lot.. Since we stopped being on the road with you two."

"Loosen up a little. Actually, hang on, we brought you a little something." Nash grinned before pulling out a can of beer and.. Holding it out to him,"Take it."

Shawn swallowed harshly, his eyes locked on the can,"I'm clean."

"So? You can have one, it won't hurt." Nash told him,"It's one beer."

"No, Kevin. I'm not going to drink.. I don't want to be the man I was twenty years ago." Shawn crossed his arms, digging his nails into his shirt.

"Shawn, you've been out here for a while. Who is it?" Hunter called through as he entered, stopping when he saw the other two,"Hall? Nash?"

"Hunter." Hall smiled at him,"Come on, Nash brought beer. Shawn won't take it though-"

"Because Shawn is sober now." Hunter stepped forward, shielding his partner from their former friends,"We aren't coming back on the road with you. End of story."

"Hunter, I-" Nash went to speak, but Hunter silenced him.

"No, we're happy here. Now I recommend you put that away, some of the kids here might be triggered by that can." Hunter stated,"Matter of fact, I suggest you leave."

"Aren't we your friends?" Hall furrowed his brow.

"Your best friends?" Nash added.

"We were." Hunter nodded,"But we grew up, and you two still think you're twenty-five. Now get out of my building before I call the cops."

"You wouldn't." Nash shook his head.

"Would I not?" Hunter raised a brow.

"Fun's over, Nash. Let's head." Hall sighed, heading for the door,"If you two ever reconsider, you've got out numbers."

Once the pair were gone, Shawn quickly hugged Hunter from behind. Hunter sighed, turning in his arms and holding Shawn tightly. He'd worked so hard to get clean and stay clean. No more drugs, no more smoking, no more alcohol.. Shawn was better now, but it didn't mean moments like this still didn't hurt like hell.

"I'm sober.. I- Hunter, I wasn't.. You know I wouldn't-" Shawn stammered, unable to get his words out properly.

"I know, you worked so hard." Hunter rubbed his back,"If they were really our friends, they'd support you.. Support us."

"I don't want to be that man again.. Ever again." Shawn let out a shaky breath,"Promise me that- Hunter, promise me that you won't let me become him.."

"I promise, Shawn. I promise." Hunter kissed the top of his head, just holding Shawn close for as long as he needed it.

"Thank you.." Shawn sniffled.

He seemed close, but Shawn didn't cry. No. He wiped his eyes and plastered a small smile on their face as they continued their cake. By the time it went into the oven it was, well, a little lopsided and wonky but they were sure nobody would notice. But, oh god... When they took it out of the oven, they could certainly notice. Maybe decorating it would distract everyone from how ridiculous the cake looked... But they made it so much worse. They tried to make it sort of look like the purple devil emoji, Dominik mentioned that it was his favourite and often drew it in the corner of his drawings. It, uh.. Well, it was purple. The face did not look like it was supposed to and so they just decided to hide it away in the fridge, praying it would look better in the morning.

That next morning, Dominik was practically jumping up and down and Shawn had a feeling it was because he was having one of his friends over. Although first, each one of the kids that made him a gift gave them over and excitedly waited for Dominik's reaction. Shawn and Hunter watched from a distance as Dominik's little smile lit up when each of his friends gave him one of their homemade crafts. They also watched as Jon slipped the little car he'd stolen into Dominik's pocket, not wanting him to know that it was from him and.. The new teen was none the wiser. And while it wasn't time to eat it yet, Hunter did get out the cake to let them see.. Also to make sure it wasn't frozen solid when they tried to cut it.

"Wow." Dominik gasped.

"You uh.. You made that, Hunter?" Seth looked up at him.

"Shawn and I did, yes." Hunter nodded.

But Jon was busy snickering,"That's a cursed funking cake."

"Jon." Seth nudged him.

"You know you were thinking it." Jon groaned.

"It.. Certainly is a cake." Damian bit his cheek, trying to sound polite.

Finn had no such qualms as he blurted out,"I'm not so sure, Damian."

"Are you sure you didn't sit on it?" Jey asked.

"Jey- Mr Hunter wouldn't sit on the cake." Jimmy pointed.

"Oh." Jey blinked,"Mr Shawn, did you-"

"Neither of us sat on the cake." Shawn assured them,"We.. Just aren't very good at baking."

"I love baking, you could've asked for tips if you needed them." Damian hummed,"Me and my mom used to bake together a bunch."

"It doesn't matter what the cake looks like, I like it." Dominik announced.

"Well, guys, you heard the kid." Jon shrugged.

"I'll help you with the next one." Damian whispered to Hunter.

Then.. The waiting game. Shawn and Hunter waited with Dominik, just sitting and talking with him as they waited for Rhea. They assumed she be there soon but they didn't want Dominik waiting by himself, not on his birthday. Shawn was pretty adamant, too.

"Thank you." Dominik looked up at them,"Both of you."

"You're welcome, Dom." Hunter ruffled his hair,"It's an important day and we wanted to make sure you had fun."

"Are.. Are they coming at all?" Dominik bit his cheek, almost hesitant to hear the answer.

"..I'm really sorry, kid." Shawn sighed, rubbing his back.

Dominik leaned against his side,"It's okay.. I know they still love me- And maybe they'll send me a card or something tomorrow."

"Yeah, maybe." Hunter nodded.

"It won't be as cool as Damian's card." Dominik hummed.

"You got a lot of cool things from your friends today, didn't you?" Shawn commented.

"Mhm, and-" Dominik began before.. They heard her.

"Uh.. Hi." A young teenage girl walked in, her hands behind her back,"I'm here for Dominik?"

"Rhea!" Dominik grinned, immediately on his feet and running to hug her.

Rhea chuckled and hugged Dominik back,"Happy birthday, Dom Dom."

"I'm so happy you could make it." Dominik hummed.

"I'm happy I'm here too. Oh- This is for you." Rhea handed him a stuffed Koala.

Dominik blinked,"You.. Got this for me?"

"Mhm. Two weeks of pocket money and doing.. A lot of housework." Rhea hummed, very proud of herself,"Do you like it?"

"I love it." Dominik grinned,"Thank you so much."

"You're welcome." Rhea smiled at him.

"We can head to my room now- If you want, or we can-" Dominik stammered out.

"Your room sounds nice." Rhea nodded.

"Right, it's um.. This way." Dominik pointed, gently taking her hand and leading her off towards his room.

"Oh my god." Hunter chuckled.

"Hunter, that was absolutely adorable." Shawn looked up at him,"We need to bring Rhea over more often, this is so sweet."

"I'm sure Dominik feels the same way." Hunter hummed.

Chapter Text

Finn yawned and rolled over in bed when he heard.. Sniffling. He blinked open his eyes, quickly rubbing away the sleep.. JD. His little brother was stood in front of his bed, his little hands trembling and his eyes filled with tears. It hurt seeing him hurting like this- He was sure that he'd had a nightmare and wordlessly opened his arms for the small boy to climb into bed with him.

"Hey, bug." Finn spoke softly as JD snuggled against his chest.

"Finn.." JD sniffled.

"Did you have a bad dream, hm?" Finn asked.

"Mhm." JD whimpered,"D-don't let her.. She's gonna hurt me."

"She's not going to hurt you with me around, I promise." Finn assured him, rubbing his back,"I just.. You don't need to go home. I'll keep you here me."

"She'll be angry." JD whispered.

"Let her be angry." Finn shook his head, holding JD close to his chest,"Nobody is going to put their hands on you."

"Promise?" JD looked up at him.

Finn sighed softly, wiping away JD's tears,"I promise."

"Thank you.." JD curled up against Finn,"You.. Can you sing?"

"Bug, I don't sing." Finn chuckled softly.

"Please?" JD gently poked his chest.

Finn hesitated but he quickly relented,"Okay, okay.. I'll sing."

Finn was being honest, he didn't sing and JD knew that. But Finn also knew that an actual song wasn't what JD wanted. He just wanted to hear Finn's voice as he tried to get back to sleep, curled right up against his chest. So Finn spoke to him while rubbing his back, eventually just humming to him until JD fell asleep in his arms. Only after he was sure that JD was soundly sleeping, Finn let himself relax and rested his head on top of JD's. His poor boy.. But Finn would protect him, he had to. He had no choice.

When he woke up the next day, despite usually being a restless sleeper, Finn was laid in the same position with JD cuddling him. Finn gently kissed the top of his head, smiling down at his little brother. He really loved him. Even just in his arms, JD looked so small.. So precious. Finn didn't understand how anyone could be capable of hurting JD. Sure, he had some weird interests, but he wasn't a bad kid, not in the slightest. JD liked reading, like finding things out about his interests and then excitedly telling people what he'd learned.. At least he used to. Nowadays, JD was more quiet, but if Finn asked, he could eventually get JD to open up and talk about human anatomy or whatever he was fascinated by that week.

It took a little while for JD to wake up as well, but they eventually got ready for the day. Finn even sat and brushed through JD's messy hair, making sure to be gentle so he didn't end up hurting him. That took a good while and JD still didn't seem to like the hairbrush, but he and Finn went and sat in the little activity room together. He smiled, watching as JD made his drawing, occasionally looking up and speaking to some of the other kids, mainly Damian and Dominik. JD didn't though, he gave Damian a small nod and gave Dominik a smile, but he didn't really speak. He'd nod or shake his head if asked a question, but nothing much more unless it was Finn. This, however caught the attention of the Usos.

Both boys were sat with Solo as he flipped through a picture book. They hadn't been at the shelter for very long, but the Usos quickly picked up on certain dynamics, on instinct really. And they noticed how JD didn't really speak to any of the other kids.. Except for Finn. They didn't see it as a bad thing, no, they were moreso just.. Curious. This was mainly because of Solo. Sure, Solo was younger than JD, but he was similar. Solo was very shy and didn't speak to anyone other than them, mainly because he was scared. But that could also be apart of his artism. Or.. Or was that autism? Something like that, okay?

"Should we just.. Go ask?" Jey looked over at Jimmy.

"Hm.. But what if Finn thinks we're judging and gets mad?" Jimmy asked,"He gets super protective, like Roman."

"Well, then we'll just tell him that we aren't judging." Jey shrugged.

"Think he'll believe that?" Jimmy raised a brow.

"Yeah." Jey nodded,"We just tell him.. We're curious, because we have a similar situation and wanted to know if it's the same."

"Huh, good idea." Jimmy blinked, patting Jey's shoulder,"You don't usually have good ideas."

Jey scoffed,"I do, what about sneaking Cody in to see us that first time?"

"Your idea, but we used my plan to get him in." Jimmy hummed.

"What about my cake plan?" Jey questioned.

"We're never talking about that again." Jimmy pointed,"I thought dad was gonna kill us for that."

Jeu shrunk but quickly shook his head,"Let's just go ask, okay?"

"Jey, I-" Jimmy began, but Jey was already walking towards Finn and JD.

"Finn, hi." Jey waved to get his attention as Jimmy hurried to catch up with him.

"Hi." Finn nodded, squinting slightly,"Jey, right?"

"Hey, he got it first time." Jimmy pointed.

"JD's been teaching me how to pay attention to detail more." Finn hummed, rubbing his arm,"Haven't you, bug?"

"Mhm." JD hummed, not looking up from his drawing.

"That's, uh, actually what we wanted to ask about." Jey told him,"JD."

"What are him?" Finn furrowed his brow, tensing slightly.

"Well, we noticed that he doesn't really speak to anymore bar you, not even Dominik. And we wanted to know.. Why." Jimmy explained,"Because we have Solo, and he doesn't really talk unless it's to one of us or Roman."

"Because of his artism." Jey added.

"Autism." Jimmy corrected.

"Shut up." Jey nudged him in the ribs.

Jimmy huffed, rubbing his ribs,"We're not trying to judge, we just.. We want to know."

"No, it's okay to be curious." Finn assured him,"I think JD just feels.. Safe with me. At home, he was discouraged from speaking a lot and I think he gets worried that people will yell at him or tell him to shut up."

"I get that." Jey nodded slowly,"We'll try and make sure he feels safe."

Finn chuckled softly,"I'm sure he'll appreciate that. I've been working on him with anxiety, but it just gets bad again when he goes home.."

"You're super safe with us, JD." Jimmy pointed.

And JD finally looked up from his picture,"..Okay."

"He spoke." Jimmy gasped,"Jey, I did it!"

"Relax- You'll scare him if you don't chill out." Jey held onto Jimmy's shoulder.

Finn smiled at the pair softly. It was adorable, and he really appreciated the twins being around in the shelter. Of course he wasn't happy that their home life was bad, but he was glad that these two awesome kids always went out of their way to help others. First Cody, now JD? Finn knew JD was a little different, that he needed extra help sometimes and now he was growing his own little support group. Finn, Damian, Dominik, the Usos.. JD was going to be just fine, as long as he stayed here with him.

Meanwhile, as that was going on, Punk was grabbing his bag and sorting through his flyers. They were homemade pamphlets that Jon mocked him for making warning against abusing drugs and alcohol. Just because Jon didn't care about his body didn't mean Punk couldn't try and protect other people. Every other night, Punk went out and mailed his little pamphlets through mailboxes to try and inspire people to get sober or stay sober. Unfortunately, this time Punk ran into someone on his rounds.. Someone he recognized all too well.

"Drew." Punk rolled his eyes at the sight of him,"You shouldn't do that."

Drew just glanced over at him, moving the cigarette away from his mouth,"What? Smoke?"

"Yes." Punk sighed, approaching him cautiously,"You're killing yourself slowly with those things."

"What? This little thing." Drew blew the smoke back in Punk's face,"So what? What if I want that?"

Punk coughed, turning his face away and trying to wave away the smoke away from him. The smell made him feel sick- He hated it and cringed at the smell of smoke. He glared back up at Drew who just smirked smugly in return.. Fucking asshole.

"Cant handle a little cigarette?" Drew smirked.

"Just put it out, okay? There are kids nearby and I don't want you influencing them." Punk cursed.

"Influencing them? Phil, I'm a great influence. I'm tough, I'm funny, I'm good-looking." Drew hummed, shoving Punk back,"More people would rather talk to me than read your shitty leaflets. You've put three through my door in the past week."

"And have they been working?" Punk questioned.

"What do you think, dumbass?" Drew rolled his eyes,"Just piss off back to that shelter that your foster daddy dropped you off at."

"..Shut up." Punk swallowed.

"What? Did he get sick of those leaflets too?" Drew chuckled to himself, grabbing his shoulder,"Or was he sick of your constant preaching-"

"For God's sake- Shut up, Andrew!" Punk yelled, shoving and pining the larger teen against the wall.

Drew dropped his cigarette as he was forced backwards, the dim light snuffed out by a shallow puddle. They stayed like that, unable to speak as they glared at one another in silence, breathing heavily. Their faces were inches apart, practically breathing into one another's mouths. They were.. So close. Punk and Drew's eyes locked and- And Drew softened, only slightly. It was weird and Punk felt.. Weird. His face felt warm and he felt all tingly and before it could continue, Punk let go of Drew. And still, they remained there in silence until Drew adjusted his jacket and walked off in the opposite direction. Punk looked down, gripping his hoodie and just feeling his heart almost.. Racing.

"What the fuck..?" Punk swallowed, unsure of his new feelings.

Punk quickly shook his head and hurried back to the shelter. No. No- He didn't like that feeling too much. He shoved past Seth as he entered, gaining a strange look from him.

"What, gave up on the flyer business?" Seth questioned.

"Shut up, I'm not in the mood." Punk pointed as he hurried to his room, closing the door behind him.

"Whatever you say." Seth shrugged.

And in the quiet of his room, Punk let out a shaky breath. Shit. No, shit, what the hell was this? He threw off his hoodie and ran his hand through his hair, trying to calm himself down. This was wrong- So wrong! Anyone but Drew.. Please, God, anybody but fucking Drew McIntyre.

Chapter Text

"It's perfect." Shawn sighed as he stepped back, admiring his newly designed chore chart.

It was something that was mainly Hunter's idea, something to help teach the kids at the shelter responsibility and independence. They waited until Roman and his cousins got properly settled before officially adding them to the chart which Shawn had just done. His chart had been expanded and freshly decorated with each child's chores beside their names. For each chore completed that day, they got a sticker beside said chore and if they got a certain amount of stickers, they'd get a reward.

Shawn and Hunter had their own little chore chart, this one Shawn's idea. It was mainly to make sure they kept track of everything they needed to do, so they could balance them out while still looking after the kids. Obviously a lot more work got done on school days, but that was besides the point. It was another fun thing for Shawn to decorate and hey, Hunter wasn't going to stop his partner from having fun. Hunter just stood back and watched as Shawn hung up the charts, standing proudly in front of them.

"I like the colours." Hunter nodded,"Very bright, y'know, like Summer."

"The kids are gonna have a great Summer this year." Shawn pointed,"We can go to the beach, or the pool or the park- Oh, there are so many things we can do."

"I know." Hunter chuckled softly,"How about you go make a list in the office of things you think the kids would like?"

"Oh- And then add which kids it would be suitable for and which ones are feasible." Shawn added,"You're so smart, Hunter."

Hunter blinked and just nodded,"Yeah, I know."

"I'll go start on that list." Shawn nodded as he headed into the office.

Hunter just shook his head, just barely able to stop himself laughing at his antics. Oh, Shawn.. And eventually, the kids all came in to check out what chores they'd have for that day or week. They were all different, depending on their age and skill and they changed each week depending on behavior the week before. For example, how well they followed the shelter rules or if they got all their homework and school assignments done. Some kids didn't like this, mainly older ones, but Hunter just reiterated that if they made bad choices, they would have to deal with the consequences.

Roman took Solo up to the chart, holding his hand as they found his name. Because he was only seven, Solo didn't have that many difficult chores and Roman wanted to help him out regardless. His baby cousin was only small and he wanted to help him out the best he could. The Usos didn't let him help, mainly so they could compete with one another on who did their chores the best or the fastest. That week, Solo had to pick up his toys, put his clothes in the washing hamper and attempt to make his bed. Roman thought Solo could probably manage two out of the three, but he would help him with his bed, again, Solo was only small.

"How about we start by making your bed, then I can make a start on the rest of my chores, hm?" Roman tilted his head as they walked towards Solo's little room.

"Mhm." Solo nodded, gripping Roman's hand tightly.

"One day you're gonna be able to do this all by yourself." Roman told him,"But I'm gonna help you these first few times, just so you know how to do it properly."

"Okay, Roman." Solo looked up at him.

And so that's what Roman did, he helped Solo make his bed. It wouldn't be a thing that he always did, but he thought Solo needed help, at least the first few times so that he knew how to do it. And hey, if he needed help afterwards, he could just come and ask him. Roman didn't mind. He was never going to turn down his baby cousin, Roman didn't actually think he knew how. He struggled to much having to just say goodbye when he had to go to school, saying no was.. Hard. After they made his bed, Roman ruffled Solo's hair.

"Right, you've made your bed. How about you put your clothes in the hamper so they can get washed?" Roman nodded,"Can you do that yourself?"

"Mm.. Yeah." Solo answered, starting to scoop up his clothes from the day before.

"Good boy." Roman smiled at him.

Roman headed off to start on his own chores while Solo continued gathering up his clothes. He carried them out to the little hamper where he heard.. It was Seth and Jon, they were talking to Hunter. He knew shouldn't listen in but, well, it was hard to ignore them, especially since Seth wasn't the quietest... And especially since he heard them say his name- That got Solo interested and nervous, mainly nervous.

"I just don't think it's fair." Seth shrugged.

"How so?" Hunter asked him, arms crossed as Solo ducked behind the hamper.

"Well- We've got all these chores and Solo only has three." Seth pointed,"And they're super easy ones too, why can't we have super easy ones?"

"Yeah, he has to put his clothes away and we have to clean the craft room?" Jon rolled his eyes.

"Boys, you both know the chore chart has a lot of factors put into it." Hunter reminded them,"Solo is seven, do you really expect him to be doing something like loading the dishwasher?"

"Well, no, he might get hurt." Seth shrugged,"But still-"

"And he's done very well adjusting to the change in environment, he did all the work Stephanie set him." Hunter continued,"He wasn't caught stealing either, and didn't get in a fight with Phil at school."

Jon crossed his arms, looking away as Seth looked down. They both understood why their chores were different, but it felt like they had so much to do- And they really wanted to go out together that day. Well, Seth had planned it all and Jon agreed for his.. Sort-of boyfriend's sake. Looking at the chore board for that day just made it feel impossible and Seth was moreso upset at their choices than Solo.. God, was he really upset over a seven year old getting age-appropriate chores?

"Listen, boys, I think you're both mature enough to understand the chore chart." Hunter sighed, kneeling down to their level,"Tell me what's actually bugging you about this."

"I'm just- Hunter, I planned out this day for Jon and I and, well.." Seth trailed off.

"With the chores you have, you won't make it?" Hunter raised a brow.

"It'll take all day to get all that done." Seth huffed.

"I know, but this is the third fight you've had within however many weeks, Seth. You can't just go for Phil whenever he says something you don't like." Hunter told him.

"But he's so annoying." Seth groaned,"I can't help it."

"You need to learn, buddy." Hunter sighed.

"Finn got-" Seth began.

"In a fight at school, I'm aware, but he has the same amount as chores as you, Seth." Hunter informed him,"And he's currently doing them."

Solo had long left his eavesdropping.. He had to do more? Roman liked Seth and, well, he thought Seth was nice and didn't want him being angry. Maybe.. Maybe if he did some of Seth's chores too then he'd like him again, yeah, that would work. So Solo put his clothes in the hamper like he was told too and quietly made his way to the chore chart. Clean the craft room.. Jon complained about that one, so that's what Solo would try to do.

He wandered into the craft room and it had, well, clearly been used recently. Solo decided to start with the easy things. He picked up the pens and pencils that were scattered across the floor, putting them all in their place, organized by colour. He really liked doing that. Solo wondered what he could do next.. Then he spotted the box of paints, one that Shawn always had put on a higher shelf and that he brought down to them. It needed put away. Solo pushed a chair in front of the cupboard and lifted the box, struggling slightly before managing up on the chair. It was.. Heavy. But still, Solo tried to lift it up onto the shelf- He was so close... But the chair wobbled and he fell. For a moment, Solo just closed his eyes tight but.. The impact never came.

"Jesus- Solo, are you okay?" Shawn asked, holding Solo in his arms.

Shawn.. Saved him. Solo looked at the fallen chair, the box on the floor- Thankfully having not spilled any paint. Solo whimpered, clinging onto Shawn and hiding his face in his shoulder.

"Yeah.. That was scary, huh?" Shawn swallowed, rubbing his back,"What were you doing?"

"Helping." Solo sniffled.

"You were helping? Helping who? " Shawn asked him.

"Seth.." Solo told him.

Shawn nodded slowly,"Let's go talk with your brothers and Roman. Does that sound good?"

"Mhm.. Roman." Solo looked up at him.

Shawn held Solo close to him as he carried him through to the office, asking Hunter to collect Roman and the Usos. He knew Roman would probably be able to get an explanation out of Solo because Shawn didn't want to believe that Seth would intentionally endanger a child. He wouldn't, right? Soon enough, the others joined him in the office and Roman was quick to offer a now teary-eyed Solo a hug.

"Mr Shawn, what happened?" Jimmy asked him.

"I'm still trying to figure that out, kiddo." Shawn sighed,"Solo.. He was trying to clean up the art room, putting away the paint box on a high-up shelf. But he nearly fell from his chair and I caught him- He could've gotten seriously hurt."

"Solo, why were you doing that?" Roman questioned, petting his hair,"You only needed to put your toys away."

"But Seth wasn't happy." Solo spoke softly,"I wanted to help more.. And make him happy."

"..What?" Roman blinked, his voice low.

"Damnit." Hunter cursed,"Kid, did you hear that conversation?"

"What conversation?" Jey looked up at him.

Hunter sighed,"Seth and Jon weren't happy about all the chores they had to do, but most of those were consequences for their behavior last week."

"Did you hear that, Solo?" Shawn softened.

Solo nodded, sniffling,"I.. I wanted to help."

"Just because some people have more responsibilities than others doesn't mean you, or anyone else needs to put themselves in harms way to prove a point." Shawn shook his head.

"..I'm sorry." Solo clung onto Roman as he cried.

And Roman froze. Jimmy and Jey were hugging onto his sides, trying to comfort Solo as he stood holding him. Seth.. Nearly got his baby cousin hurt? Hunter and Shawn reassured Solo that it wasn't his fault, but he had to be careful in the future and not do things that were too much for him. Roman spent the entire rest of that day with Solo. He helped him put his toys away and then Solo sat with him as he completed his own chores. When he tried to get to sleep that night.. Seth tried to speak to him.

"Hey, I.. I heard about Solo." Seth began.

"Mhm." Roman hummed.

"Look, Ro- I'm sorry, okay?" Seth tried to speak, but Roman wasn't listening.

"He nearly got hurt because of you." Roman spat, curling in on himself.

"Roman, I didn't-" Seth touched his side, but Roman flinched away.

Roman... Despite longing for Seth's touch, his embrace, his comfort- Roman didn't want it. He couldn't want it, not after what he did. It may have been an accident, but that accident nearly got Solo hurt. He was supposed to protect his cousins.. Roman would do anything to protect his cousins, even if he ended up alone.

Chapter Text

It wasn't his fault. Really. It wasn't Seth's fault. At least, that's what he kept telling himself over and over again- Because it wasn't! It was an accident and Solo wasn't even supposed to hear him, it was- He was an example, Seth wasn't targeting him or anything. Why would he? Seth liked Roman, a lot, and he liked his younger cousins. And now, because of one mistake, Roman wouldn't even look at him.. But Solo did. Solo still looked at him, still gave him a small wave here and there. But Roman was ignoring him.

"You still being all huffy over this?" Jon asked, nudging Seth's shoulder.

"I'm not being huffy." Seth huffed.

"You are." Jon pointed,"You've got your arms crossed and you're sulking."

"This isn't sulking, Jon. I'm just- I'm thinking." Seth rolled his eyes.

The pair were sat outside because Jon wanted to smoke and he knew better than to do so inside. They were on a bench, a little away from the shelter to avoid Shawn or Hunter catching them since they had been trying to convince Jon to quit. He didn't want to. Seth loved Jon, but there were times when he couldn't stand him. Whenever Seth tried to hide his feelings, despite wearing his heart on his sleeve, Jon could always read him and call him out. Seth didn't like that.

"Why don't you just apologize?" Jon raised a brow, taking a draw of his cigarette.

"You don't think I've tried that, smartass?" Seth groaned,"How am I supposed to apologize when Roman won't even breathe in my general direction?"

"Huh.. He spoke to me." Jon hummed.

"Wh- He did?" Seth blinked.

Jon snickered,"No."

Seth sighed and shoved Jon,"You're such an asshole."

"I know." Jon smirked,"And your ass loves it."

"..Shut up." Seth looked down.

"Look, in all seriousness, you need to sort this out. I know you, I love you, but it's getting ridiculous." Jon told him.

"I know." Seth bit his cheek,"But I don't know how."

"Talk to Hunter, ask for advice." Jon shrugged,"I'm sure he'd love to help resolve this."

"See- That's some actual advice." Seth pointed as he stood up,"Thank you."

"Guess you're leaving me here then, huh?" Jon raised a brow.

"Yeah, but you like your quiet time anyway." Seth hummed.

"True that." Jon nodded,"Go sort your shit out."

"I will." Seth grinned.

And Seth jogged right back to the shelter, reinvigorated and ready to fix his mistakes. Although, all of that newfound positivity was immediately gone when he spotted Punk leaving the building. They locked eyes and both stopped. Seth clenched his fists and bjt his tongue, trying to keep himself silent. Thankfully, Punk spoke first.

"Seth." Punk hummed.

"Phillip." Seth spat.

Punk rolled his eyes,"Been having fun out here then?"

"Obviously." Seth shrugged,"So much-"

"With Jon, I assume, I can smell him from here." Punk sighed,"He's supposed to be trying to quit."

"I know that, Punk." Seth groaned.

"I'd say a better boyfriend would stop him from slowly killing himself, but you can't even control yourself around other kids, can you?" Punk raised a brow,"A little birdie told me you've upset the new kid."

"We're not talking about this." Seth shoved Punk back, having to step forward to do so.

"Wh- I'm being honest here." Punk shoved him back,"What? You don't like the truth now?"

"No, because I don't need this." Seth stated.

"You? What about the kid that nearly broke his arm, or worse, because you couldn't learn to keep your mouth shut and accept that your actions have consequences!" Punk snapped.

"Oh, I'll show you consequences!" Seth countered.

And he lunged at Punk who stumbled back and fell to the ground. The pair threw punches at one another, both rolling around on the floor as they struggled to gain an upper hand. The fight was.. Mostly a blur- But Seth remembered a fist connecting with his nose, mainly because it was still stinging, and bleeding, as Hunter pulled the boys apart.

"Seth, enough." Hunter looked between both boys, holding the still adrenaline-filled Seth back.

Seth crossed his arms, looking at the bruised face of Phil and frankly not caring what had been done to himself. Sure, Punk's words set him off... But it was the anger over being ignored by Roman that fueled that fight. Hunter was lecturing him, disappointed, but Seth didn't care and he didn't listen. The next thing he knew, Seth was sitting on his bed. Alone. Not even Jon was there and there was no point wondering about Roman who, for the most part, had been sleeping in the Usos room.

You should run away.

The thought hit him suddenly and made him stop. Seth tried to dismiss the thought immediately. He'd already tried running away from the shelter in the past and, well, he always ended up coming back.

Why stay? Who would want a bad kid like you?

Seth, for once in his life, shrunk. Nobody. Nobody would want to look after and raise a bad kid like him, not even Shawn or Hunter.. Who would want to be friends with a bad kid like him? None of the kids in the shelter, not even Jon- Jon would probably get sick of putting up with him. Maybe.. Maybe Seth did need to leave. Maybe everyone would be happier that way..

Don't you want Roman to be happy again?

Roman... Seth nodded slowly. Yes. Yes- He wanted Roman to be happy again. After everything he'd been through, Roman and his family deserved to be happy, and for that to happen.. Seth had to leave. So, Seth made up his mind. He pulled his school bag out from underneath his bed and packed up the belongings that he'd acquired over his time in the shelter. His clothes, his old and somewhat broken phone, the few photographs he had of him and Nathan and the lighter Jon gifted him even though he didn't smoke. It was.. Sentimental.

And with that, Seth crept out of his room. The shelter was.. Oddly quiet. Huh. Most nights weren't like this, out in the hallway you could usually hear something, be it a kid crying over a nightmare or the hushed whispers of those staying up past lights out. He couldn't even hear Hunter and Shawn in their office discussing plans for the next day or what had happened during the day. It was pretty dark, but not blackout levels. There were tiny nightlights on most walls so there was still some light remaining at all times, just in case someone needed to find someone or something during the night and couldn't find or reach the main light switch. It was cute.

Seth would miss this place, he really would.. But he had to do this. The question really was, where the hell was he gonna go? Seth couldn't go back home, it would be torture, but.. He had nowhere else to go. He didn't know what to do, but Seth would.. Figure something out. He always did. And as he grabbed the key hidden behind the desk, he slowly approached the main door and.. Hesitated. No- Stop it! Don't think about it. Just go. So Seth unlocked the door and stepped outside, only making it a few steps down the street before he heard a little voice.

"Seth!"

Seth stopped. He slowly turned around, recognizing the voice and.. Solo? Seth rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating and, yes, Solo was stood a few steps behind him in his pajamas. What..?

"Solo, what are you doing? You should be in bed." Seth pointed.

But Solo didn't speak, just.. Pointing back at him. What? Yeah, he was supposed to be in bed too, but that was besides the point. Great, was he going to end up in trouble again because Solo followed him? Just- But Seth's train of thought was shattered when Solo was suddenly in front of him, holding his hand.

"Come back." Solo looked up at him.

"I.. Kiddo, I can't." Seth sighed,"Roman hates me-"

"Nu-uh." Solo shook his head.

"You-" Seth began before letting out a sigh,"He won't let me apologize- He won't talk to me. Of course he hates me."

"Ro-Ro likes you. I do too." Solo hummed,"But.. You made him sad."

"Him ignoring me makes me sad too." Seth admitted,"..I didn't mean for you to nearly get hurt, I just.."

"I know." Solo nodded,"Ro-Ro just needs a hug.. Lots of hugs."

Seth chuckled softly,"Lots of hugs, yeah?"

"Lots of hugs." Solo repeated,"He doesn't ask, but he wants them."

"I see." Seth smiled slightly.

"His hugs are the best." Solo whispered.

"I'm sure they are." Seth ruffled his hair.

"Come on." Solo yawned,"You have to go to bed so you can grow big and strong."

"Yeah.. How about we go do that?" Seth suggested.

Solo smiled and he lead Seth back onside by his hand. Seth.. Had never heard Solo speak this much and now, God, now Seth couldn't leave. Just thinking about the interaction made Seth start to tear up a little so.. He wandered into Hunter and Shawn's office and curled up on Hunter's chair. Seth.. Seth was a bad kid, so why was Solo still so nice and sweet to him? He just.. Seth didn't understand.

Chapter Text

"Thanks for doing this, Mark." Hunter told him, shaking his hand,"Really."

"It's really not a problem, Hunter. I'm more than happy for the kids to come have some fun." Mark hummed.

Mr Mark Calaway, better known as the Undertaker for his job running the funeral home a few blocks down from the shelter. Despite being an overprotective brother and constantly giving off bad or scary vibes, Mark was actually quite pleasant. He liked the kids, even though they always ran when they passed the funeral home, and he understood why some or all of them were scared of him. He worked at the scary place and looked like a 6'7, walking Deadman.

"So.. How many of these kids are you sending my way?" Mark asked.

"Is nine okay?" Hunter questioned,"Because I don't think some of the younger kids will enjoy a haunted house, even some of the older kids might be a little iffy."

"Nine is perfect." Mark nodded.

"Technically one of those nine is our volunteer teenager." Shawn added,"And I'll come along too, that makes two groups of five."

"Don't you just love even numbers?" Mark hummed.

Along with being the owner of the funeral home, Mark also owned a local haunted house that, while busiest at Halloween and during October, was also open year-round as long as it was booked in advance. Hunter decided that it would mainly be the older kids, plus Randy, so Punk, Finn, Damian, Seth, Jon, Roman, Jimmy and Jey.

Dominik and JD were also a little older, around twelve and thirteen, but Dominik was not a big fan of Halloween and paranormal things and JD would need someone he trusted to stay with. Hunter wasn't putting JD in a haunted house, even if he was with Finn constantly, and he didn't think it was right for Solo. Unfamiliar location, loud noises and smoke machines? Not a good mix for him. Hunter knew Cody would probably enjoy it with the Usos but he was at his dad's house that day, much to Jimmy and Jey's disappointment. They liked their weird and polite little friend.. That they occasionally kidnapped.

So, that afternoon, Hunter gathered up the kids that would be going. Solo, of course, got a little upset by Roman leaving, so he got to say his goodbyes. They sat a little away from all the others to say goodbye while Hunter explained what they were all going to do, splitting them into groups.

"I'll he back soon, okay?" Roman assured him before holding up his hands,"It's a ten minute journey there and back and it only lasts for about five minutes so when the clock looks like.. This. I'll be back."

"Promise?" Solo looked up at him.

"I promise." Roman nodded,"And if something changes, I'll get Shawn to call Hunter so he can tell you, okay?"

"..Okay." Solo nodded slowly,"And- Can you give Seth a hug?"

"What?" Roman blinked.

"Seth needs a good hug." Solo stated,"Last night, he tried to leave."

"..Leave?" Roman furrowed his brow.

"Because he was sad, but I stopped him. Because you like him and he likes you." Solo pointed.

"Well, I-" Roman swallowed.

"Roman, time to go, kiddo." Shawn hummed, beckoning him over.

Roman looked between Shawn and Solo, getting one last hug before he was brought to his group. At least Solo wasn't in complete devastation over him leaving, although he did still cry as Roman walked out the door. His group consisted of himself, Finn, Damian and Seth since he couldn't be with Punk and then accompanied by Shawn. The other group he noted would have to be Punk, Jon, Jimmy and Jey, accompanied by Randy. Great. That meant, hopefully, Roman could speak to Seth. He didn't want to but.. Roman also didn't want Seth to go away, not because of him. Of course Roman was angry but... He didn't hate Seth. Roman didn't think he could hate Seth, even if he wanted to.

Mark.. He had an easy voice to listen to. Roman could understand why many people, especially younger ones, were scared of Mark but.. Roman was okay. Mark was intimidating, certainly, but he wasn't outright afraid of the Undertaker. He seemed.. Nice. Despite trying to get close, Roman ended up stuck behind Finn and Damian as the pair.. Sort've flirted, sort've made fun of each other. Roman didn't fully understand what was happening and he would rather be confronting Seth but.. Oh well. He could cope for now.

When they got to the haunted house, the other group entered first and they waited a minute or so before letting the other group in. Jey and Jimmy were excited, and doing their best to ignore Jon and Punk who made little jabs at each other as they walked through. Randy wasn't even bothered with stopping them, he was watching the Usos more carefully just to make sure he stayed on Roman's good side... And they were Cody's friends, so he wanted them to be alright. Although, when something popped out, the group split up, heading into different rooms. There were three options, left, right and straight ahead. Punk went left, Jon went right and the Usos went straight ahead with a stunned Randy freezing in place, forcing himself not to accidentally strike someone out of fright.

The twins panted, hiding behind a large chair as they laughed to themselves. They weren't actually that scared now that they thought about it. This was.. More fun. They were scared, yes, but not scared for their lives. They'd been through way worse back- But then they heard a noise, sniffling. The twins looked between one another before they searched the room to find the source of the noise, discovering it pretty quickly. A boy, probably around their age, with fluffy ginger hair was huddled up in a corner, crying. Was he an actor? Or.. Another kid? Was he lost? Scared?

"Hey." Jimmy spoke softly, kneeling down.

The other boy jumped, looking between them in surprise,"..Hi."

"Are you okay?" Jimmy asked him,"Are you lost?"

The boy shook his head, trying to rub his eyes,"I came here with my best friend but.. But I can't find him anymore."

"Well, we can help you out." Jimmy offered.

"Yeah, you can finish the haunted house with us and our group instead." Jey agreed.

"Y-you mean it?" He asked, his little eyes lighting up.

"Of course." Jimmy held out his hand and helped him to his feet,"I'm Jimmy and this is my brother Jey. What about yourself?"

"Sami.. Sami Zayn." Sami answered.

"Well, Sami, welcome to the group." Jimmy hummed.

"Do you think.. Mr Shawn will be upset that we're bringing another kid?" Jey questioned.

"Nope." Jimmy shrugged, holding Sami's hand tightly,"Mr Shawn loves helping kids, he'll be proud of us for rescuing Sami."

"Rescuing?" Jey chuckled, getting a little giggle out of Sami too.

"Uh-huh. Rescuing him from the super scary haunted house." Jimmy nodded.

Meanwhile, Roman's group had begun their traveling. Still, he tried to get to Seth but something always jumped out at them and.. Well, about halfway through, Roman realized something was wrong. Seth was no longer with the other four of them.

"Shawn." Roman tugged on his arm,"Shawn- Seth is gone."

"..Oh." Shawn quickly looked around,"Look, maybe he took a different path and.. Met up with the other group, like a shortcut."

"Maybe." Roman nodded slowly.

"There are plenty of workers here, so he won't be in trouble if he gets lost. They'll help him." Shawn assured him.

"..Whatever you say." Roman looked down.

"Hey, kiddo.. Seth's a tough kid, he'll be okay. Then when we get out of here, you two can talk." Shawn patted his shoulder.

"Yeah.. Yeah, okay." Roman nodded.

Seth was not as tough as Shawn thought. He got spooked pretty early on by something, cobwebs and fake spiders, falling in front of him and he darted off to the side instead of continuing forward with the group. No. Seth ended up alone in the dark, trying to hurry through corridors and rooms, only for something else to jump out at him and send him down another wrong turn until.. There was nowhere else to go. Seth was stuck at a dead-end as a figured slowly loomed closer- He shrunk, cowering and hiding his face when.. A large hand rested on his shoulder.

"Lost, huh?" The large man asked him, his voice sounding.. Weird and distorted.

Seth nodded quickly, trying to hide how he was trembling,"Mhm.."

"Most of your group has made it to the end. Want me to take you there?" He offered.

"Please..?" Seth looked up at him.

The large man, who was wearing a red and black mask, scooped Seth up like he was nothing and carried him through the employee only entrances until they reached the big, red door at the end. Seth, thankfully, was sat firmly on the ground before being lead inside the safe room by the worker, hearing Mark utter a soft 'Thanks, Kane' as they appeared. Everyone else was already there, including some other kid that Seth didn't recognize that Shawn was speaking to the Usos with. Seth was just able to rub his eyes when he was pulled into a hug by..

"Roman..?" Seth asked quietly.

"Don't go away." Roman forced out, holding onto him tightly.

"We're talking again?" Seth smiled slightly,"Look, I promise I'm sorry, I just-"

"..Don't talk yet." Roman shook his head,"Just.. Just stay."

Seth wrapped his arms around Roman and hid his face in his shoulder,"I'll stay as long as you want me to."

"I was just.. Angry- But I don't hate you." Roman looked down,"And I don't want you to leave me.."

"I won't, Roman. I.. I won't leave you." Seth assured him, trying to hide how his tears were falling.

Roman swallowed, suppressing a few tears of his own,"Thank you.."

Chapter Text

"I could've handled it, Uncle Hunter." Dominik huffed.

"Dom, Mark's haunted house is super scary. Shawn told me that even he got spooked by some of the actors in there." Hunter explained.

"Mm.. I think I could handle it." Dominik insisted.

"Dominik." Hunter sighed.

"Dom." JD spoke up from beside him, his hands clasped.

"JD- You think I could've handled the haunted house with Damian and Finn?" Dominik looked to JD.

JD hummed, seemingly debating his answer before holding out his little hands. Dominik tilted his head before JD opened them up and... A spider. Just sitting in his hands was a decently-sized spider and Dominik jumped, hiding behind Hunter, much the older man's amusement.

"Where did you get that, JD?" Hunter asked him, holding back chuckles as he knelt into front of him.

"Bathroom." JD answered.

"Well, how about we put it outside together?" Hunter suggested,"Then we can do some fun stuff while we wait for the others to get back."

"Okay." JD nodded.

So that's what they did. Hunter lead JD to the main entrance where the spider was released. JD gave it a little wave before they headed back inside where Dominik was waiting for them, arms crossed and looking away from them. Hunter knew he wasn't happy about not going to the haunted house, but he would rather Dominik stayed with him and had some fun rather than him ending up in tears, clinging onto Shawn.

Hunter suggested that, if he knew where to find her, Dominik could invite over Rhea and she could join in with their fun. That immediately caused him to light up and Dominik was quick to put his shoes on and hurry out the door, Hunter barely managing to get his coat on him before he was gone. This would all be worth it, he thought, waiting patiently with JD and eventually Solo for Dominik to return. And he did, with Rhea, surprisingly.

"You actually found her?" Hunter hummed.

"Of course. It's Friday and Rhea always hangs out at the park on Friday." Dominik stated.

Rhea chuckled softly,"You remembered?"

"Of course I remembered." Dominik nodded,"We're friends- Like, almost best friends."

"You'll have to have words with Tiffy about that, she's already claimed 'best friend status." Rhea told him.

"Well- I can be your best boy friend." Dominik shrugged.

"Best boyfriend?" Rhea smirked.

"I- No, I just.. Well- Uh.." Dominik stammered, much to Rhea's amusement.

"It's fine, Dom. I know what you meant." Rhea giggled, patting his back.

After that, Hunter went and pulled out the old box of Halloween costumes that he and Shawn had accumulated over the years. Some were new, but a majority were old ones that Hunter and Shawn had saved. He sat the box out for the kids and let all four of them have a look through and pick our their own costumes. Rhea picked out Batman, a costume Hunter remembered a younger Damian wearing one year and, to match, Dominik found and put on the joker costume, still a little big on him. JD ended up as a little devil, red-horned headband and all, and Solo picked the oldest costume for himself. The ghost. Hunter would be lying if he didn't think he was absolutely adorable in what was a glorified bedsheets with eyes drawn on in black marker.

Hunter took a picture of them before setting them all down in front of the TV to watch some Halloween movies, kid friendly of course. The most obvious choice was 'Nightmare Before Christmas'. He brought in a bowl of popcorn for them and a few sweets that he and Shawn had stashed away in a hidden cupboard. As the movie played, Hunter got out some crafts for the kids to do as they watched. They had the choice to do them afterwards too, but he could tell that Solo was itching to do some craft activities. Hunter sat with him and helped him cut out pieces of black card to make a spider on a purple sheet of paper.

"Hunter." JD whispered.

"JD, what's up?" Hunter looked to him, genuinely happy to hear JD speaking this much.

"Dom is asleep." JD told him.

"Really?" Hunter blinked.

And as he looked, JD was right. Dominik was slumped against Rhea's side as she happily braided his hair. Hunter decided to leave him to it as he helped Solo and eventually JD with their crafts, making pictures of spiders and making little 3D ghosts. Hunter was actually quite proud of himself for being able to successfully follow the tutorial he found on Google.

By the time Shawn returned with the boys, both Dominik and Rhea were curled up one the sofa asleep with Damian sitting at their side. JD hurried to Finn's side, cuddling him tightly and Solo met up with Roman who walked in with Seth.

"Ro." Solo looked up at him,"..You and Seth friends again?"

"Yeah.. Yeah, we're friends again." Roman nodded.

Solo smiled and handed out his crafts,"Here. I made these."

"For me?" Roman asked as he took the ghost and the picture.

"For you." Solo nodded.

"Aw, cute." Seth hummed,"My brother used to make stuff for me."

"You have a brother?" Roman looked over at him.

"..He's still at home, yeah." Seth swallowed, hating how his shoulders tensed.

Roman bit his cheek, rubbing his back,"Sorry, I.."

"No, it's okay." Seth shook his head,"I'm planning to bring him here eventually."

Solo looked between the boys before hugging them both. Roman smiled softly, pulling both Solo and Seth close and Seth did seem to melt into his side. Wow. Solo was right.. Roman really did give good hugs. Meanwhile, Hunter and Shawn were talking about the haunted house and the new boy that showed up with the group.

"So.. Was the haunted house good?" Hunter asked him.

"It was great, always is." Shawn hummed.

"So good that you stole a kid?" Hunter smirked, raising a brow.

"I didn't steal him." Shawn pointed,"The Usos did."

Hunter chuckled,"Always the twins."

"They're always adopting friends." Shawn shook his head, unable not to smile,"It's genuinely quite cute."

"What's his name?" Hunter questioned.

"Sami." Shawn answered,"He's very quiet, soft-spoken, seems like a sweet kid that ended up lost."

"Well, he's free to stay for as long as he needs." Hunter nodded slowly.

In the Usos bedroom, Jey had given Sami some of his clothes to sleep in. They'd already decided that he was staying the night and Sami wasn't arguing, quietly changing and sitting on the end of Jey's bed. He still seemed nervous, a little shaky and he rested against Jey's side as soon as he sat down.

"You feeling okay?" Jey asked him.

"..I miss Kevin." Sami looked down.

"Well, we can always help you try and find him tomorrow." Jimmy told him,"Mr Hunter and Mr Shawn could call him or his parents."

"They could?" Sami blinked.

"Of course." Jimmy nodded.

"But you can sleep in my bed tonight, or Jimmy's, or wherever." Jey nodded.

"I don't.. As long as I'm not alone." Sami sighed softly.

"You won't be alone with us." Jimmy assured Sami and hugged him.

But.. Sami tensed. Jimmy almost immediately let go, quick to apologize to Sami. But Sami.. Didn't know why he tensed. Why was he scared? Jimmy.. Jimmy was good, right? And Jey. Was Jey-

"You'll be safe here, I promise." Jey spoke to him softly, gently putting a hand on Sami's shoulder.

He swallowed, slowly hugging Jey's side as he laid down. Eventually Jimmy joined the duo and they curled up under the covers together. Safe. Sami just had to trust the twins... And he did. Sami was safe, nobody would hurt him here. After all, Jey promised.

Chapter Text

"Uncle Shawn." Dominik whined, trying to wriggle out of his grasp.

"Dominik." Shawn sighed,"It's hot and sunny out, if you want to play outside then you need to put on sunscreen."

"But I don't like it." Dominik huffed.

They'd been at this for at least ten minutes with Damian and Finn watching on, the pair amused by the encounter. Even in Autumn, it was a surprisingly warm day and Shawn was not having one of his kids getting sunburnt, not on his watch. Finn and Damian had no issues, applying sunscreen themselves, but Dominik was having issues. Even JD was still and quiet enough for Shawn to apply sunscreen to him. But Dominik? No.

"Dom." Shawn looked down at him.

"Uncle Shawn, it smells weird." Dominik pointed,"And it feels icky."

"I know you don't like it, kiddo, but can you try and be a big boy for me?" Shawn asked,"JD has sunscreen on. Don't you want to set a good example?"

"Well.." Dominik trailed off.

"The younger kids like Solo and new kids like Sami are going to look up to you." Shawn reminded him,"They might be scared or shy, but you can show them that they don't have to be scared. And you can show them that these things are good for them, yeah?"

"Yeah." Dominik nodded slowly.

"Thank you, Dom." Shawn ruffled his hair.

And like that, Dom stopped struggling and let Shawn help him put on some sunscreen. He knew Rey would be pleased at that, always the type to be concerned if his kids were eating right or hydrated.. But clearly not concerned enough to call more often. Shawn was actually debating calling Rey or even Eddie at some point to see how things were doing, and to ask about Rey's youngest son, Lee. He had another son, Santos, but Shawn hadn't heard from him or about him in a while.. Maybe he ran away for good and found a new family. Shawn wouldn't have blamed him, although Dominik did occasionally ask about his older brother..

"See? Was that so bad?" Shawn asked him.

"No.." Dominik mumbled.

And JD hugged Dominik, giving him a small squeeze,"You did it."

"I.. Yeah, I did do it." Dominik nodded, smiling slightly.

"You're a bit of a wuss." JD added quietly.

"A- JD." Dominik groaned.

Finn grinned,"Jordan has a point."

"Looks just go, okay? Damian said he was gonna show me how to play basketball." Dominik pointed.

"And I will, now that you're properly prepared for the sun." Damian hummed.

"And you boys are sure you have everything?" Shawn asked.

"We're sure, Shawn." Finn nodded, quickly and carefully taking JD's hand,"And Damian and I are gonna make sure Dom and JD stay safe."

"Good." Shawn pointed.

"Come on, nugget." Damian wrapped his arm around Dominik's shoulder and began guiding him along,"We've got some basketball to play."

Shawn smiled as he watched them leave, trusting both Damian and Finn to look put for their younger brothers. Although he was mainly happy to see JD gaining his little attitude again. Most people wouldn't want a child to develop an attitude but for Shawn, that just meant JD was starting to feel safe and recover with them. If they needed any more proof that JD was safer with them, this was it. JD was safe and loved.. And Shawn was glad he knew that.

Meanwhile, Roman and the rest of the older kids were waiting to help with the yard work. The shelter didn't have a proper yard, per say, at least not a big one. It was a fenced off area behind the shelter with some grass, a small shed and the odd toy strewn around. Not really a big enough space to run around in and not get hurt, but enough for the younger kids to play, hence why they frequented the nearby parks. Jon was a little peeved that Damian and Finn managed to get out of this but he had Seth and Roman to cool him down. And Punk.. Yeah, Punk was there too. He was more than happy to help out with yard work, but he was less enthused to be doing it with Jon. If Damian and Finn were there, he would be able to evade him easier but he could cope with this. Maybe.

"They get out of this for basketball?" Jon groaned.

"Well, Damian did quite a bit of yard work during the summer." Seth reminded him.

"Yeah, he's good at it. He could help us out." Jon pointed.

"He's allowed a break, asshole." Punk rolled his eyes.

"The hell did you say to me?" Jon turned sharply to Punk and Roman immediately sighed.

"No." Roman stepped between them,"Please, not now."

"Yeah, Jon." Punk glared at him,"Calm down.. I was just saying that Damian deserves a break considering he does more work than you."

"You are such- God, man.. You're insufferable." Jon snapped.

"Woah, boys. I, uh.. Think you should probably calm down." Came the hum of an unfamiliar voice.

All four boys turned and saw.. Two strangers, both older middle-aged men, not Hunter or Shawn. One man was tall and burly, with short greying hair, although they could see that it used to be brown. At least it wasn't dyed blonde or something like that. The other man wasn't as tall as his friend yet was still fairly muscular, and dressed more like a 'cool biker guy'. His dark, curly hair was also cut short and turning grey, but he had a cool curl at the front. Who the hell were these guys and why were they in the fenced off yard of the shelter? Punk eyes them suspiciously, stepping back and behind the others. He could probably smell the smoke off the leather they were wearing. Roman certainly could. And Roman was uneasy, almost puffing his chest out as he made sure Seth and Jon were behind him.

"Woah, we're not here to hurt you boys." The shorter man assured them,"We're just.. Here to help."

"Likely story." Punk eyed them suspiciously.

"As much as I don't wanna agree with that guy.. He's right." Seth nodded slowly.

"Look, we're old friends of Hunter and Shawn, you know them?" The taller man spoke up,"We.. We want to help out."

"You could've tried the main entrance then instead of hopping a fence." Jon pointed out, leaning over Roman's shoulder.

"Yeah, how are we supposed to trust that you aren't two old guys trying to rob the place?" Seth questioned.

"Old? Damn, do we really look old?" The shorter man asked, looking up at his partner.

"I thought we looked good for our age." The taller man shrugged.

"And your age is..?" Seth raised a brow.

"Fifty-three and fifty-five, respectively." The shorter man told them.

"Yeah.. You're both older than Hunter and Shawn." Roman nodded slowly.

"And you look it." Seth added.

"Seth." Roman nudged his ribs.

"I'm just saying, they don't exactly look young for being over half a century old." Seth rolled his eyes.

"Damn, he's got us there." The taller man shook his head.

"Alright boys, are you ready to.." Shawn trailed off as he soon saw the two men stood in their yard,"..Nash. Hall."

"Huh.. Guess they weren't lying about being old friends." Jon blinked.

"Going by Shawn's face.. I'm not sure they're so friendly anymore." Punk stated, looking between the grown-ups.

"..Shawn?" Roman looked to him, seeking comfort and guidance in this situation,"Who are these guys and why are they here?"

But Shawn, for once, was quiet. He looked at his old friends, tense, and felt his chest almost tighten. If he was any more focused on Nash and Hall, Shawn might have forgotten to breathe.. But his current breathing wasn't great, shallow and barely there. Shawn desperately wanted to put on a brave face and answer Roman's question, to explain who Nash and Hall were and question why they came back again. But Shawn couldn't speak, his eyes laser-focused on the two men in front of him.

"Shawn." Seth spoke up, his voice taking on that same softeness that he used on Roman as he walked over to him,"Hey- Shawn, are you okay?"

Shawn blinked, swallowing harshly as Seth gently touched his side,"..I'm okay, kiddo."

"Did these guys hurt you?" Seth questioned,"Because Jon can hurt them if they did."

"No- No, they didn't hurt me." Shawn shook his head.

"Shawn, it's okay." Hall sighed, unable to meet Shawn's eyes,"I know how we treated you when we came to visit was.. It wasn't just bad, it was wrong."

"Yeah, we came in unannounced again and shoved beer in your face like we didn't know how bad you struggled before." Nash continued.

"You did what?" Punk snapped at them,"To a former friend that you knew was sober?"

"Phil." Shawn looked over at him.

"Shawn, he's right. That's the reaction we deserve for putting you through that again." Nash pointed,"And Scotty and I.. We want to make things right."

"That's why we're here." Hall nodded quickly,"Big Kev figured you might need some help and we wanted to volunteer ourselves for the day to try and make it up to you."

"Well, can you handle a lawnmower?" Shawn asked, a small smile on his face.

"This lawn doesn't stand a chance against me." Hall nodded.

"Damnit, I was hoping you'd let me use it." Jon crossed his arms.

"No way in hell is Shawn giving you access to a lawnmower or anything of the sort, Moxley.' Punk shook his head.

"Come on, I'd behave." Jon shrugged.

"Don't kid yourself, Jon. The first thing you'd do is try and cut off Phil's toes or something." Seth hummed.

"Yeah.. Okay, fair point." Jon agreed.

Shawn was still.. Hesitant with Nash and Hall, but at the end of the day, they were some of his closest friends. If they were willing to put in the effort to fix their mistakes, then Shawn was more than willing to try and forgive them for overstepping boundaries and being general pains in the ass. Hunter, on the other hand, was less enthused about their former friends being around the kids. He walked out, saw them and immediately called Shawn back inside to talk.

"What the hell are they doing here?" Hunter questioned, staring at them through the window.

'They're here.. To make amends, to apologize." Shawn told him.

"And you're letting them out there with the kids?' Hunter furrowed his brow,"After how they treated us? Treated you?"

"They're our friends." Shawn stated.

"They were our friends. Were. The assholes they decided to stay are not my friends. The guys who shoved beer in your face despite you being sober for five years are not my friends." Hunter jabbed his finger into Shawn's chest, visibly seething.

Shawn swallowed,"They're trying to change.. Like we did. Remember, we were just like them."

"Shawn-' Hunter tried.

"No, we were. We were arrogant and drank and smoke like our lives depended on it.. But we grew up." Shawn sighed softly,"Sure, they're doing it a little later, but they're trying to change."

And Hunter faltered. Part of him was glad that Nash and Hall finally came around, but the other half was still pissed off. He remembered all the flack they gave them for starting up the shelter and leaving them, remembered each insult and especially remembered the way they treated Shawn on their last visit. Was it good that they were trying to change? Yes, but Hunter just wanted to protect his kids.. And protect Shawn. And, when he looked out of the window, he saw them and the kids working on the yard. Roman and Seth were pulling out weeds, Hall was mowing and Punk was showing Nash the proper way to water the flowers without drowning them.

"I don't forgive them yet.. But I'm trying." Hunter nodded slowly.

"And that's okay. They've still got a long way to change and grow.. But they're doing great." Shawn smiled softly.

They stood in the doorway to get a better look. Even small changes were visible. Nash was taking the criticism from Punk, and eventually Seth, and was joking around as he watered the flowers. And Hall was trying not to curse around Jon, which the latter was finding hilarious as the older man stopped himself mid sentence or stammered out a quiet apology for each slip up. It was weird.. But a good weird.

"Mr Hunter- Mr Shawn." Jimmy ran up to the pair, a nervous Sami waiting behind him.

"Jimmy, what's up?" Hunter turned.

"Sami's hungry, can you help us make some lunch?" Jimmy asked them as Sami quickly covered his ears to avoid listening.

"Sami." Shawn called to him,"If you're hungry, just ask. We're here to help."

"I'm fine- Really. I'm not that hungry." Sami insisted.

Unfortunately for Sami, his stomach disagreed. His stomach growled and he quickly tried to hide it, crossing his arms over his stomach and looking away. Poor thing. Jimmy immediately jogged back over to his side and rubbed his back but smiled softly.

"Hey, Sami.. No need to be scared or embarrassed. No kid goes hungry here." Shawn told him.

"Mm.." Sami looked away,"I don't want to be a bother."

"You aren't bothering anyone, kid. You've got needs." Hunter shrugged,"We can make you a sandwich, or a nice little fruit salad for you and the Usos. Anything you want.. Within reason."

"The.. A fruit salad sounds nice." Sami nodded slowly.

"Good choice." Jimmy patted his back.

"Come on, help me pick out some fruits." Shawn hummed, beckoning them over.

Hunter looked between the group in the kitchen and the ones outside and, while he didn't trust his former friends fully.. He was glad they were here. While they'd certainly been hard to deal with in the past, Hunter missed them. He just hoped they'd stay focused and truly change for the better. He could only hope.

Chapter Text

Sami held onto Kevin's hand tightly as they walked in the direction of the haunted house. He didn't want to go, he'd told everyone how he didn't want to go.. And yet, here he was on the way to said haunted house. Despite his fear, Sami was sure that Kevin would protect him. His friend had protected him from.. Everything, from school bullies to letting Sami sleep on his couch when things weren't great. Kevin was.. Well, he could be an asshole, but he was a good person.

"Come on, Sami. It's just a haunted house." Kevin assured him,"You'll be fine."

"..I still don't want to." Sami mumbled.

"Remember, they're not allowed to touch you in there. If they do, I'll kill them." Kevin pointed.

And that got a small snicker out of Sami,"I thought you promised your family you'd stay out of trouble."

"Yeah, but its worth it if it keeps you safe." Kevin shrugged.

"Kevin." Sami sighed.

"Fine, I won't kill them." Kevin shook his head, before almost instantly reaching back and grabbing his neck.

"Kev-" Sami tried.

"I'm fine, Sami." Kevin insisted, though it sounded forced.

"I told you that you need to get your neck checked out by a doctor, I'm really worried about you." Sami told him.

But Kevin just patted his back,"Sami, I'm fine. I'm always going to be fine. Just- I'll think about it after the haunted house."

While he would rather Kevin focused on his health, which had taken a toll due to many fights he'd engaged in to protect Sami, he could deal with the answer for now. Mainly because they'd reached the haunted house, an old, gothic-style building. It was old, but not visually worn down and they joined the group of teenagers outside. A large man who just exuded this.. Aura, greeted them and lead them inside and the horrors began.

The cobwebs and oversized spiders that fell from the ceiling didn't spook Sami, or the sounds from the obvious wind machine.. But Sami clung onto Kevin when things started jumping out at them- And then they were being chased. Sami didn't like this, he didn't want to do this and.. Anf the next thing he knew, he was alone in a dark corridor. Sami called out for Kevin, for anyone, desperate to be found. He wandered until he reached another room and curled up in a corner. Sami just wanted out- But he didn't want to go out there again, not with those people in masks jumping out at him and.. Kevin.

"Kevin!" Sami cried out one final time in the darkness.

No answer.

Sami sniffled, covering his ears as he cowered behind the couch in the corner. What Sami didn't know was.. That Kevin had an accident in the haunted house. He and Kevin got split up during the chase because the others went to the finish, Sami split off.. And Kevin passed out. Issues with his neck. Nobody came to find him, they didn't know he was there, his cries were mistaken as part of the soundscape. And he was left there crying for about an hour or two after Kevin was taken to hospital. Mark wanted to close the house for the evening, but angry parents harassed him until he inevitably decided to keep it open. That's when Sami was eventually found by the Usos.

And that's when he woke up.

Sami shot awake, both Usos at his sides and he froze, hopeful not to wake them. And he didn't. No. Sami really no choice but to lay back down as Jimmy cuddled him tighter and Jey groaned when he tried to get up.. But Sami was hungry. He didn't want to wake anyone though, so he remained laying in bed while his new friends slept. Sami silenced each little whimper that tried to escape his mouth whenever he thought about Kevin or thought about his hunger. He just-

"Morning, Sami.." Jimmy mumbled, slowly looking up at him.

"Good morning." Sami smiled softly.

"How long have you been up?" Jimmy yawned, forcing himself up onto his elbows.

"Oh- Not too long, but I didn't want to wake you." Sami told him.

"I wouldn't have minded- Jey and I are pretty heavy sleepers." Jimmy assured him,"Next time you get up first, just get up."

Sami nodded slowly, he wasn't going to do that,"Okay."

Jey was still sleeping and so Sami was quiet as he got ready, putting on whatever clothes Jimmy threw at him. Jimmy assured him that Jey wouldn't mind sharing, so he wore a mix of Jimmy and Jey's clothes. Size-wise, Jey's fit better but Sami felt like Jimmy's were more comfortable. Personal preference. That's when Jimmy mentioned lunch and practically dragged Sami to the kitchen to ask Mr Shawn or Mr Hunter if they could have some food. Sami didn't like how it was framed that only Sami was hungry yet.. His stomach growled and Shawn ended up making them a fruit salad.

"Thank you, Mr Shawn." Sami looked up at him.

"No problem, Sami. As I said, no kid goes hungry here." Shawn told him, gently ruffling hair.

Sami felt himself leaning into Shawn's touch,"It's nice here."

"And you can stay as long as you need to." Shawn assured him.

"Yeah." Sami hummed softly,"Yeah, I will."

Sami ate his fruit salad, grateful that he was fed before wandering from the kitchen. Jimmy went to wake up Jey, but Sami hesitated before following him. Something felt.. Wrong. Then he heard it. Crying. Sami quickly followed the sound of crying and sniffling outside and found.. Solo? That was his name, right? Just- Jimmy and Jey's little brother was on the ground crying, so Sami knelt beside him.

"Hey.. Little guy." Sami smiled softly,"Are you okay?"

And Solo kept crying, just shaking his head.

"I'm Sami- Jimmy's friend. Can.. Can I touch you?" Sami asked carefully.

Solo sniffled,"Jimmy..?"

"Yeah, Jimmy's my friend. He's just getting Jey up, I can-" Sami rambled.

But Solo crawled into Sami's arms, sobbing into his shoulder. Sami tensed, but he held Solo carefully and looked him over. He quickly discovered what was wrong, finding a scrape on his knee. So Sami scooped Solo up and carried him through to the bathroom, sitting him on the counter. Solo whined, reaching out to him, but Sami took his hand.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm going to clean up your knee, okay?" Sami told him.

Solo nodded, sniffling as Sami began rummaging through the cupboard. He found some cleansing wipes and carefully wiped Solo's knee. Solo chewed on his sleeves and Sami continued to gently reassure him, telling him that he was being so brave. Then, Sami finished up by putting a band-aid on his knee. There.

"There you go, buddy. All better." Sami hummed.

Solo hesitated before hugging Sami,"Uso."

"I'm not-" Sami chuckled before turning, noticing Roman watching him,"Oh- Roman, I-"

"Hm.." Roman studied him, quickly taking Solo from his arms and holding him tightly,"You're alright, kid. Solo thinks you're one of us, that's good enough for me."

Sami watched Roman leave the bathroom with Solo, the younger Uso waving at him. What was this.. Feeling? Sami felt warm and.. Happy. He was happy here. Sami smiled softly, being an Uso felt good. Sami Uso... It had a nice ring to it, didn't it? Sami chose not to mention what he did for Solo and that evening, he tried to sleep on the floor of the Usos room. Suffice to say, neither twin was having it.

"What are you doing?" Jimmy questioned,"Get up here."

"I just- I feel bad using a bed. What if someone needs it more than me?" Sami asked them.

"There are plenty of beds to spare, it's totally okay for you to use one." Jey stated.

"But if it's so much of an issue.. We could all just share." Jimmy shrugged,"I quite like it."

"It is super cozy." Jey agreed,"You in, Sami?"

Sami thought for a moment before giving in,"Okay."

Sami still felt bad about sleeping in a bed, but it was hard to feel bad with both Usos snuggling you. He leaned into their touch and the three of them were quickly put to sleep underneath their blankets. Sami Uso.. Sami finally found a place where he found like he belonged again, and he didn't want to leave.

Chapter Text

"A new kid?" Randy blinked,"Seriously?"

"Randy." Shawn sighed.

"What? Am I not enough hassle?" Randy questioned,"You think bringing a lid from juvie will help?"

"They said he isn't a danger to anyone anymore." Hunter assured them,"It's just for his probation, and then he'll be gone."

Randy crossed his arms,"I still don't like it."

"Just- I'm trying to give another kid a chance." Hunter told him.

"Hunter-" Randy went to argue.

But.. They heard a little knock at the door. Shawn turned and opened it, seeing Cody stood waiting for them. He looked tired and stumbled inside, hurrying into Randy's side. And Randy sighed, scooping him up and looking him over. Randy.. Furrowed his brow, immediately sensing something was wrong and pressing his hand to Cody's forehead.

"You okay, Code?" Randy asked, immediately worried by his temperature.

"I don't feel good.." Cody mumbled.

"Hunter, call Dusty." Randy looked to him.

"He's at work and Mama isn't home." Cody clung onto Randy,"..I wanna stay with you."

Randy pulled Cody closer to his chest,"..Hunter, what do I do?"

"Okay, we'll get him settled somewhere that he won't get anyone else infected." Hunter told him,"And you can stay with him while Kross meets the kids."

"I'll help with Cody." Shawn added,"Come on."

So Randy followed Shawn to their little medical room where Shawn did most of his first-aid. He laid Cody down on a bed but he immediately reached up to him, so Randy looked to Shawn.

"Randy, you can still touch him." Shawn reminded him,"What do you usually do when Cody's upset?"

And Randy thought before petting Cody's hair,"This."

Randy watched as Cody whined, leaning into his touch. He had tears in his eyes and Randy hated it, hated seeing his baby brother in all that pain. Although, Randy's touch did seem to calm him down and Shawn opened the window to let in a gentle breeze.

"Okay, Cody. How do you feel?" Shawn asked him,"Are you just too warm? Or do you feel sick? Does anything hurt?"

"..My tummy hurts." Cody looked up at him.

"Well, that's okay. I'll give you some medicine and some water and Randy will stay right here with you.' Shawn told him.

Cody nodded slowly,"Okay."

"Everything's alright, Codeman. I'm here." Randy assured him.

However, as Shawn and Randy were looking after Cody.. That's when the new volunteer arrived, met by Hunter at the door. This volunteer was a boy Randy's age, maybe a few months younger. Karrion Kross. He was just shy of Randy's eye level with long, dark brown hair that he tended to keep up in a small bun. He also wore dark, black clothing, in particular a black, leather jacket.

"Hunter." Kross nodded to him as the probation officer uncuffed him.

"Kross." Hunter crossed his arms.

"Look, I promise to be on my best behavior." Kross hummed, raising his hands.

"You better." Hunter pointed.

"We've been over this. I'm a thief and a poet, not a violent offender." Kross reminded him,"Just here to prove that."

"And you have the perfect opportunity." Hunter hummed,"I gathered all the kids aside from Cody in the main room."

"Why not Cody?" Kross asked as the pair began walking.

"He's not feeling well today." Hunter explained,"His parents aren't home so we're looking after him here."

Inside the room, everyone else was found. Finn was sat on the sofa with Damian and Dominik, with JD curled up on his lap. Roman was sat doing a puzzle with Solo while Seth looked over his shoulder and the Usos were sat talking to Sami. Punk was in a corner, working on more of his flyers and Jon? Hunter couldn't actually see Jon.. Until he walked back in from behind them with a sandwich he made.

"Alright, everyone. As you know, Randy is the main volunteer around the shelter. But now, we've got someone who also wants to help out around here." Hunter announced,"This is Karrion."

"Karrion Kross, but you can just call me Kross, with a 'K'." Kross introduced himself,"If you need anything, I'm here to help."

"Have you been to prison?" Jey asked first.

"Jey." Hunter looked at him.

"Hunter, he's just curious." Kross waved him off,"I haven't been to prison, but I've done a few years in juvie. I'm here to prove that I'm not, and never was, dangerous."

"What did you do?" Jon asked him.

"I'm a thief, I was caught stealing." Kross shrugged,"But they found my poetry book that happened to be.."

"Violent?" Jon raised a brow.

"Quite a lot." Kross nodded,"They deemed me dangerous from the stuff I wrote about."

"So.. You wrote about dangerous stuff, but you aren't dangerous?" Jimmy questioned.

"Yes." Kross nodded,"Part of me was trying to be edgy, the other part just got my anger out by writing things of that nature."

Hunter stood in the doorway and Kross walked further inside, answering each question he was asked and taking time to give a proper, thorough answer. He told them where he was from, that he had a girlfriend named Scarlett and after revealing the tattoos hidden underneath his jacket, Kross sat and talked about all of their meanings with the kids. Hunter.. Felt good about this. Kross was getting along with the kids just fine, much more so than Randy had on his first day. Randy not enjoying it as well probably played a part. Everyone seemed to be talking to Kross.. Aside from Sami.

"You okay?" Punk asked, sitting beside him,"You're pretty quiet today."

"..I don't trust Kross." Sami bit his cheek.

"Thank God- Me either." Punk sighed,"I thought it was just me being me but-"

"I'm.. Scared." Sami admitted.

"Hey, you're safe here." Punk pointed,"If there's anything that proves he's dangerous or unsafe, Hunter will get him out immediately."

"But what do we do now?" Sami asked.

'We play along." Punk patted his shoulder.

Of all people to be not trusting of Kross, Punk didn't expect it to be Sami. Although, he could see Roman eyeing him from the other end of the room so he wasn't wrong about Roman not trusting him. There was just.. Something there, something he couldn't explain. It had to be there, because why else would Sami, the sweetest person in the shelter, be afraid and suspicious of Kross. He is always willing to give a second chance, but not to Kross.. Why? That's what Punk wanted to know.

Seeing everyone getting along, Hunter turned and walked to the medical room. He wanted to check on Randy. When he entered.. Hunter smiled. What he saw was Cody fast asleep in the arms of Randy, snuggled right up against his shoulder. Hunter walked closer to stand at Shawn's side and Randy opened one eye slightly. Hunter just patted his shoulder and Randy closed his eyes, his arms tightening around Cody. He liked to act tough, but he was such a good big brother for Cody.. Hunter was proud of him.

Chapter Text

Sami was sat in the craft room by himself which was a strange enough sight in itself. He was usually with the Usos, sitting near them or quietly assisting in their antics. Today, though, was different. It was a beautiful day, warm and sunny, and quite a lot of the kids were outside with Kross. Sami didn't want to be outside with Kross, he didn't want to be anywhere near Kross actually. Sami just didn't trust him. Yes, he believed in second chances but something just felt.. Off. Sami couldn't even explain it.

"Hey, Sami." Punk hummed as he appeared in the doorway,"You not.. Going outside with everyone else?"

Sami shook his head,"No, I'd rather stay in here."

"The Usos are outside." Punk bit his cheek,"You three are pretty close."

"Yeah.." Sami looked away before mumbling,"Kross is outside too.

"Well, kid, I'll sit with you." Punk nodded, walking in and sitting in front of Sami at the table.

Sami smiled slightly,"Thanks."

They sat in silence for a little while, Sami doodling in the margins of his notebook. Punk occasionally peered over the table to look, but otherwise stayed quiet. There were things he wanted to say, of course, but Sami was still relatively new and the pair were essentially strangers aside from one brief conversation. But.. Punk didn't want Sami feeling unsafe. This shelter was a place for all of them to feel safe and Punk was going to make sure it stayed that way.

"Have you been.. Enjoying it here?" Punk asked after a while.

"Mhm." Sami nodded slowly,"I mean, I miss my friend Kevin and Kross being here makes me.. I don't know."

"Tell me about Kevin." Punk tried to change the subject, noticing Sami's discomfort.

"Kevin's my best friend.' Sami answered,"He can be a bit of a.. Well.."

"An asshole?" Punk raised a brow.

"Yeah, that, but he's really nice to me." Sami smiled slightly before it faltered,"He took me to the haunted house even though I didn't want to go.. We got separated and I- Then the Usos found me."

"Well, I'm sure Hunter and Shawn will find your buddy.' Punk assured him,"Do you stay with him?"

"He had been letting me sleep on his couch for a while." Sami nodded slowly,"My parents are.. Busy a lot."

"No, I get that." Punk shook his head,"I've been waiting a few weeks for my foster dad to pick me back up."

"You have a foster dad?" Sami looked up.

"Mr Heyman, or, Paul." Punk hummed,"He's fostered before and I liked staying with him, but he hasn't come back yet.."

"He will come back." Sami assured him,"You're pretty nice, Punk. I don't see why he wouldn't come back."

"You see the good in everyone, Sami." Punk nodded,"Except Kross."

"Punk." Sami sighed.

"Excuse me.. Do you mind if I sit in here with you?"

The pair turned to the door and saw.. Roman, all on his own. Like Sami, that was a strange sight. Roman was typically surrounded by his cousins, specifically Solo, but the younger boys were nowhere in sight. Sami smiled softly and nodded, patting one of the spare seats beside him. Roman quietly joined the two of them, sitting on the chair and looking away.

"You not happy about the Kross situation either, I see." Punk commented.

"No." Roman answered.

"I thought I was the odd one out, but seeing Sami not trusting him. Well.. It's not looking good for Kross." Punk shrugged.

"I don't even know what it is about him I just-" Sami groaned before he paused, noticing Roman's necklace,"Oh- Roman, I like your necklace."

"Hm? Oh. Yes." Roman blinked, looking down at it,"It was my older brother's."

"You have an older brother?" Sami asked, his curiosity peaked.

"Had." Roman swallowed,"I had an older brother."

"Oh- Roman, I'm so sorry. I didn't-" Sami quickly shook his head.

"No, no, it's.. It's okay." Roman gripped his necklace,"He was my hero, my protector, but he got sick. And then I lost him.."

"And now you're the protector, the hero, for your cousins." Punk nodded.

"They're like my baby brothers, all of them." Roman sighed,"And seeing them with Kross, getting along all happy and.."

"What was his name?" Punk questioned,"Your brother, I mean."

"Matt." Roman hummed softly,"I still ask him for advice sometimes, when I'm scared.."

"You don't need to be scared anymore." Sami smiled, patting his back,"We're all safe."

"And we're gonna make sure Kross isn't up to no good." Punk pointed,"If you're up to it, of course."

Roman thought for a moment before nodding,"I'm up for it."

Meanwhile, luckily for the trio, they weren't alone in their suspicions. Randy watched at a distance as Kross worked as the main supervisor for the kids. Randy wasn't the most.. Popular, but he was on good terms with everyone yet.. Kross got everyone on side so effortlessly. Some bullshit about poetry and wrongful convictions, but Randy wasn't buying it. Kross could act and pretend to be the tortured artist all he liked, but Randy was never going to trust it. Ever. At least he had one kid to watch, Cody, who was thankfully doing a lot better after resting. He caught Kross eyeing the pair a few times, but Randy was not about to let Kross get his nasty hands onto his baby brother. Not a chance. Unfortunately, the ex-con decided to approach them with a grin that.. God, Randy hated it.

"Hey, Cody, is it?" Kross hummed as he walked over.

Cody looked up from his puzzle,"Mhm."

"We didn't get a chance to meet when I first arrived. Are you feeling better now?" Kross asked him.

"Yeah." Cody nodded, being very careful with his words.

"That's good." Kross ruffled his hair, choosing not to notice how Randy clenched his fists,"Say, why don't you come play with everyone else?"

"No, thank you." Cody shook his head,"I want to finish my puzzle.. If that's okay."

"Oh, of course that's okay. What about after? I've got a few fun storytelling games we could all play." Kross told him.

"..Do I need to do a lot of talking?" Cody questioned.

"Not at all. You could write it down or get someone else in your group to talk for you.' Kross explained,"You don't like talking much?"

Cody shook his head and that's when Randy spoke up,"He doesn't. So you should probably leave him alone."

"Woah, Randy. Defensive much? I'm just trying to get to know him a little." Kross raised his hands in defense.

"You're up to something, I know you are." Randy pointed.

"Wh- Randy." Kross sighed,"I'm just doing what I have to do for my parole. I understand that you might be jealous but-"

"Jealous?" Randy scoffed,"The hell have I got to be jealous of?"

"Well, Hunter mentioned that you didn't immediately click with all the kids like I did. You're jealous that I've only been here a few days and I'm doing your job better than you could.' Kross shrugged, the beginnings of a smirk on his face.

"I am not jealous of you!" Randy snapped, shoving Kross back,"But Cody's my kid, not yours. Be everyone's best friend all you want but-"

"If he's your kid then why is he so afraid of you?" Kross questioned.

Randy paused and looked to where Cody was sitting, realizing that he was no longer there. Then, Randy looked around to where the other kids had been playing. Cody.. Jimmy was hugging Cody tightly and rubbing his back while Jey looked between Kross and Randy, no doubt judging them for frightening Cody with their argument.

"Randy, just think about it." Kross spoke softly, placing a hand on his shoulder,"If you can't even protect your brother, I don't know if you should be here."

Randy went to retort, but he fell silent. The words cut deep. He watched as Kross walked over to the three boys, saw him crouch down in front of them as Jimmy held Cody away and.. He started talking. Randy couldn't make out to the words, yet slowly but surely, Cody relaxed in Jimmy's hold and Kross.. Patted his shoulder. And Cody smiled. If Randy couldn't protect Cody from himself... Maybe Kross would do a better job. See? Cody was already happier, they were all gathering up to play some game so.. Randy walked back inside. He didn't see Cody looking back for him, didn't see Cody wanting him to join in.. Because Randy was gone.

Randy grabbed his bag from the, surprisingly empty, office and made his way to the door. He hesitated briefly before shaking his head. Clearly, he wasn't needed here. Clearly he wasn't wanted here. Why would they need Randy when they had Kross, the better one. And nobody noticed Randy was gone until.. Hours later. It had started raining and all the kids came inside to eat dinner, but Randy was still nowhere to be seen and now, Hunter and Shawn were aware.

"Kross.' Hunter called him over.

'Yeah, Hunter?" Kross asked as he approached the adults,"Something wrong?"

"Have you seen Randy?" Hunter questioned.

"Not in a few hours, no." Kross shook his head,"Why? Is he not hiding around here?"

"Shawn has searched the building." Hunter sighed,"What were you doing when you last saw him?"

"We were outside with the kids and, okay, Randy and I had a disagreement." Kross admitted.

"About what?" Hunter raised a brow.

"I suggested that Cody come play with everyone else, but Randy got defensive. He acused me of being up to something, I denied it and.. I pointed out that he was scaring Cody." Kross explained,"I comforted Cody but when I looked around again, he was gone."

"He'll be at the park." Hunter nodded,"Can you bring him back?"

Kross blinked,"How do you know he'll be at the park?"

"Shawn and I figured out that's where he goes to cool off after a fight." Hunter told him,"And I just have a feeling that he's not headed back home."

"Do I-" Kross began.

"Just go." Hunter gave him a look.

"Whatever you say." Kross shrugged.

Kross sighed and pulled on his jacket and an umbrella before heading out to try and find Randy. The rain was actually quite.. Peaceful. He'd missed the rain. Thankfully, it didn't actually take too long to find Randy. Kross walked down the street to the park and found Randy on one of the park benches. He was pretty drenched at that point and Kross could tell he was shivering, so he walked over and covered Randy with the umbrella. Randy quickly looked up but remained oddly quiet as Kross sat at his side.

"Hunter and Shawn tell you to come here?" Randy assumed.

"What? Didn't think I'd do this out of the goodness of my heart?" Kross furrowed his brow,"..Yes, Hunter told me to come get you."

"Why should I go back?" Randy scoffed,"They have you."

"And?" Kross raised a brow.

"You get along with all the kids better than I ever could, you just.. Click with them." Randy sighed.

"Randy, I'm just good with people. It's.. Like a game with multiple dialogue choices. I usually pick the one that makes the most people happy." Kross shrugged,"You react to issues, I observe them."

"Still sounds like you're the better one for this job." Randy mumbled.

"There is no 'better one', Randy. I'm not trying to be better than you." Kross stated,"We both have unique skill sets that help us with different situations."

"..What do you mean?" Randy asked.

"Well, I'm good with large groups of kids and you seem to be better suited to one-on-one. I like to comfort, you're more.. Aggressively protective." Kross hummed,"They need us both."

"Maybe.. Okay, maybe you're right." Randy sighed.

"I'm usually always right." Kross nodded,"Now would you rather sit out here in the cold or head back to the shelter?"

Randy sighed and the pair headed back to the shelter together. When the arrived, Kross lowered the umbrella and took off his jacket and Randy went to take off his soaking wet hoodie as Hunter went to approach him. Although Cody beat him to it, running up and hugging him. Randy paused before wrapping his arms around Cody.

"Hey, Code Man." Randy smiled.

"You're all wet." Cody looked up at him.

"I know, I just.. I had to go on a little walk." Randy told him.

"..You're okay now?" Cody asked quietly.

Randy knelt down, rubbing his back,"Yeah.. I didn't mean to scare you earlier."

"It's okay." Cody smiled, cuddling him.

"Cody, you're going to get wet." Randy reminded him.

Cody shrugged,"So?"

"Well, can't argue with your logic, huh?" Randy chuckled, ruffling his hair.

"Nope." Cody shook his head, a big smile on his face.

Yeah.. That smile. Cody's smile. That's what made it all worth it for Randy. He and Kross might not always see eye to eye, but Randy was going to try and stay out of trouble.. For Cody's sake.

Chapter Text

An intense staredown.. That's what was in the process of happening in the craft room. Solo at one end, watching Kross intently with big doe eyes, and Kross at the other, staring back at him. Kross knew he was supposed to be heading to bed soon, but this was far more entertaining. Truly. Then, there was a change. Solo stood up and wandered right up to Kross, looking up at him with a handful of colourful pens in his hand.

"What's up, little man?" Kross finally spoke,"You need me to grab you some paper? It's getting late but-"

"No." Solo shook his head.

"Well, what is it?" Kross asked as he crossed his arms.

And Solo pointed at Kross' arms. Kross blinked, not fully understanding what the small child wanted. Then Solo held up the pens and pointed again.. Oh. Okay, Solo wanted to colour.. His tattoos. Kross had time and all his more prominent pieces that he got done at totally legit businesses were black and white so he really had no issues with it. Kross situated himself on the floor, resting his arm comfortably as Solo sat down on a little chair and began to colour. They didn't speak, Kross just wordlessly allowed the kid to colour him in like a big colouring book. It was quite amusing to him, actually.

That's how Solo and Kross in particular got closer. Every now and again, Solo wpuld approach Kross with his bundle of pens and wait until he was allowed to colour him in. Kross liked Solo. He was quiet and kept mostly to himself, or his brothers, and was content to just sit and colour. He was also very good at following instructions, doing as he was told which Kross was thankful for. Solo was a good kid, so Kross had no issues doing something that made him happy. Unfortunately, not everyone saw it that way.

Roman in particular hated how close Solo was getting to Kross. Noticing how antsy it was making Roman, the Usos also started becoming wary of how close Solo was getting to Kross. They liked him quite a lot but.. They couldn't explain why seeing Solo with Kross made them nervous. Whenever Solo was with Roman, he took extra precautions to keep Solo far away from Kross. He distracted him however he could but still, Solo found a way. He would wander off and Roman would find him colouring in Kross' tattoos. Roman hated it but despite how nervous it made him, he never tried to forcibly remove Solo from Kross. He'd seriously considered it but.. Mainly because of Jimmy and Jey, Roman decided against it. He would play the long game, just like Sami and Punk wanted.

Although one afternoon, as Solo was colouring down his arm, Randy approached the pair. He hovered with his arms crossed like he wanted to speak, but said nothing as Kross looked up at him. What did he want? Kross figured he'd need to ask because clearly Randy wouldn't just tell him. No. That would be far too easy for him.

"Randy." Kross cleared his throat,"To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Randy rolled his eyes,"I've got an idea."

"An idea? Wow. Is that a first?" Kross hummed, smirking up at Randy.

"Shut up." Randy groaned,"Look it.. Shawn's birthday was coming up and I just-"

"Aw, look at you, Randy." Kross teased,"I'm sure Hunter would be very proud to hear about this emotional maturity."

"I really don't like you sometimes." Randy shook his head.

'I try my best." Kross nodded,"So, I'm assuming you want my help in planning something for him?"

"Yes." Randy sighed,"He always puts a lot of effort into birthdays for everyone here, but I don't think he's ever had a celebration for himself."

"How old is he?" Kross raised a brow.

"Fifty." Randy answered.

"Oh, a big birthday then. We need to at least try to do something then." Kross agreed.

"Cake." Solo spoke up.

"Yeah, we'll make the best cake, won't we?" Kross asked him.

"Cake." Solo repeated, quieter than before.

"We have Damian so.. At least our cake will turn out better than anything Hunter or Shawn would make." Randy told him.

"Not bakers then?" Kross tilted his head to the side.

"Oh, it tasted just fine but you should've seen the cake they made for Dom's birthday." Randy shook his head,"That thing was cursed."

"It was a demon." Solo looked up at Kross.

"A demon?" Kross blinked,"That bad?"

"They tried to make it look like the purple devil emoji." Rsndy explained,"But it was lopsided and.. It didn't look right."

"Well, if you believe he's up to it, Damian can be in charge of the cake." Kross agreed.

"He's probably the most responsible kid around here." Randy nodded.

Randy and Kross spent the next while planning out what they were going to do. Damian would handle the cake, Kross would help the kids setting up decorations and Randy.. Would be in charge or distracting Shawn for a few hours. And that's what they did. The kids made their own little cards with Kross' supervision and Randy kept Shawn in the office.. Almost the entire day. Damian, meanwhile, worked on the cake with Finn 'helping'. In reality, Finn just sort of.. Hovered around as Damian worked. Once it was in the oven, Damian turned and saw Finn leaning against the counter, staring off into the distance.

"So.. How's JD?" Damian asked.

"Hm? Oh, he's excited." Finn told him,"He adores Shawn?"

"More than you?" Damian smirked.

"Maybe not." Finn chuckled.

That laugh.. Damian bit his cheek and approached Finn, swallowing as he tried to think of what to say. God, how was he supposed to say anything? Finn.. His best friend. His.. More than best friend. It felt like they were just teetering on the edge of doing something, anything.

"Damian? You alright?" Finn asked, titling his head slightly to the side.

"Finn.." Damian hesitated before reaching down and cupping his cheek.

Finn went red, struggling to get a word out before reaching up and doing the same to Damian. They stood there for a moment or three just looking into one another's eyes, waiting for the other to break the tension. In the end, it was Finn who cursed under his breath before pulling Damian in for a kiss. It was everything Finn had wanted for so long, warm and comforting and.. Safe. Damian slowly trailed his hands down to rest on Finn's hips and Finn wrapped his arms around Damian's neck. Damian.. He'd never kissed anyone before, and neither had Finn, and he wasn't sure what to do.. But it worked.

When they parted, Finn rested his head on Damian's shoulder. He was giggling to himself and Damian couldn't help but smile at him. Wow. He really did that. Damian held Finn for a little longer before returning his focus to the cake. This time, he had Finn hugging him from behind, nuzzling against his neck which was honestly quite endearing. Eventually though, the cake was complete and was not a complete disaster like Shawn and Hunter's attempt.

When Shawn's birthday rolled around the next morning, he woke up to.. A quiet shelter. Even early in the morning, it was never usually this quiet which.. It made Shawn a little worried. He yawned and reached to his side but.. Hunter wasn't there. Shawn sighed and slowly got up, getting dressed and walking through to the office where he was soon met by Randy and Kross. Okay.. What was the catch here?

"Boys?" Shawn looked between them.

"Shawn." Randy turned to look at him.

"Good morning." Kross nodded to him.

"What's going on?" Shawn questioned, looking between the pair.

"Nothing- We just.. We planned something nice and want you to see." Randy told him.

"Something nice?" Shawn blinked.

"Come on, Hunter's already looking at it." Kross told him.

Shawn looked between them, still suspicious of the pair before agreeing to follow them out of the office. Randy and Kross lead him to the main room where.. It was all decorated for his birthday. A hand-painted banner, a cake and a room full of children with handmade cards for him. Shawn went quiet, unable to speak as he felt himself tearing up. God, Shawn loved his kids..

"Hey." Hunter spoke as he walked over, placing a hand on Shawn's waist,"You didn't forget your birthday, did you?"

"I.. May have been distracted by other things." Shawn shook his head, wiping his eyes.

"Don't cry." Hunter chuckled, patting his side.

"I just- I love my kids, man." Shawn sighed softly.

Hunter smiled and kissed Shawn, right in front of the kids. It was something they did regularly in private, but sometimes the kids forgot that they were married and stuff. That and they were father figures to a majority there... And nobody wanted to see their two dad's kissing. Eventually, Shawn ended up sitting and opening all of his cards, grateful for each one when.. JD approached with his card.

"Thank you very much, JD." Shawn hummed as he opened it.

"..You're welcome, dad." JD mumbled, curling up against Shawn's side.

And Shawn froze, seeing a similar sentiment inside of the card. Not addressed to Shawn, no, addressed to dad. Shawn sat the card down and pulled JD onto his lap, holding him close as he teared up once more.

"Shawn-" Hunter began.

"Hunter, I love my kids." Shawn told him, holding JD tightly.

"I know.." Hunter smiled softly,"How about I grab you some cake. Damian made it."

Shawn rubbed his eyes,"It'll be a lot better than when we tried."

"It's not even lopsided." Hunter told him,"I don't know how he did it."

Shawn nodded, watching as Hunter went to grab cake before.. Looking back at JD. A poor boy that had been through so much, happily snuggled against his side, playing with the buttons on his shirt. JD.. Called him dad. Was this how Hunter felt when Seth called him dad? Shawn assumed to and he understood Hunter's reaction a lot more. Shawn knew Finn had already promised him the same thing but.. JD was safe here, and he always would be.

Chapter Text

Shawn was, for lack of a better term, exhausted. He'd spent the day looking after the kids and then was up at night because some kids were having trouble sleeping. Usually it was JD and his nightmares that woke Shawn, even if he tended to go to Finn for comfort nowadays but.. Tonight it was Dominik, strangely enough. Shawn was making his rounds to say goodnight when he discovered Dominik in his room sniffling in bed. Dominik.. It was unusual to see the usually energetic and happy kid so.. Upset. He hardly cried unless he got hurt and Damian was like a magic wand when it came to that, soothing him so easily but..

"Hey Dom.. Is everything okay?" Shawn asked as he knelt beside the bed.

"No- Why.. Why didn't you tell me?" Dominik choked out, rubbing his eyes.

"Tell you what, buddy?" Shawn furrowed his brow.

"That they weren't coming back!" Dominik cried.

"Who's not coming back, Dominik? We're all still here." Shawn assured him.

"My dads- They aren't coming back!" Dominik forced out through his sobs,"T-they've left me here and they aren't c-coming back.."

Shawn froze before quickly shaking his head,"They will, Dominik. Your dads will come back for you."

"Then why haven't they? They don't visit or call or.. They didn't even send a birthday card." Dominik sniffled.

"Oh, Dom.. Come here." Shawn sighed, sitting beside Dominik and wrapping an arm around him,'Your dads didn't abandon you, okay? They both still love you very much."

"..I miss home, Uncle Shawn." Dominik's lip was still quivering as he tried to wipe his tears,"I miss sleeping in my bed and playing with Lee. I miss my Papi tucking me in and reading me stories.."

"I know, kiddo." Shawn rubbed his arm,"But your dads.. They have some things that they need to sort out."

"Do they not love each other anymore?" Dominik asked quickly.

"No- Of course they do, buddy. And they love you too." Shawn told him,"Absolutely none of this is your fault, okay?"

"O-okay.." Dominik nodded slowly.

"I know you miss home and I'm sorry but.. Hunter and I will try and make you feel as home as we can here." Shawn hummed,"You aren't alone, Dominik. We love you and.. Well, we're not going anywhere."

Dominik was also quick to cling up Shawn's arm,"Uncle Shawn, can you.. Stay with me?"

"Of course I will, Dom." Shawn kissed the top of his head,"Try and get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay, Uncle Shawn." Dominik snuggled into his side.

"Need me to do anything to help?" Shawn asked softly.

"..Could you tell me a story?" Dominik looked up at him.

"I'll see what I can do." Shawn nodded.

And so, as Dominik settled into his embrace, still sniffling, Shawn began to talk. He began telling him a story, nothing planned out but.. He just kept talking. Shawn wasn't sure if his story made sense at all but it managed to soothe Dominik to sleep. Part of Shawn debated carrying Dominik through to sleep with himself and Hunter but he ultimately didn't have to. As Shawn went to stand, Dominik slid right out of his arms and curled up on his side, hugging his stuffed koala. Shawn sighed, ruffling his little mullet as he looked down at Dominik.

It wasn't fair. That's what Shawn thought as he left Dominik's room. It wasn't fair that Dominik was in tears, struggling to sleep because his dads couldn't get along. It wasn't fair that Dominik, or any of the kids for that matter, had to be scared of not being loved because of shiny parenting. It wasn't fair that Dominik had to be scared of being abandoned because neither of his dads cared to send a card or show up on his birthday. When Shawn walked through the office, he turned out the light before heading for he and Hunter's room, letting out a long sigh as he flopped onto the bed.

"Tired?" Hunter looked over at him, sat up and reading with the lamp light.

"Yes." Shawn sighed, rolling onto his side.

Hunter smiled and sat his book down,"Need any help?"

"I can get ready myself." Shawn mumbled, though he didn't move an inch.

So Hunter got out of bed and walked around to Shawn's side. He pulled him up into a seating position and pressed a kiss to his forehead before carefully undressing and changing him. Shawn didn't protest, almost leaning into Hunter's touch as he assisted the exhausted man with putting on his pajamas. Within a minute or so of being changed, Shawn leaned forward and rested his head against Hunter's chest.

"Shawn." Hunter hummed.

"Mm.." Shawn huffed, not moving from his position.

"Well, you leave me with no choice." Hunter shrugged.

And Hunter pushed Shawn backwards onto the bed before getting in beside him, pulling him close to his chest. Shawn mumbled something as he nestled against Hunter's chest. Hunter would've tried being more romantic, as jokingly suggested by Seth, but Shawn was clearly too tired for romance. Still, Hunter held him close and rubbed his back, pressing firm yet gentle kisses to his forehead. And Shawn smiled, his eyes still closed as he wrapped his arms around Hunter.

"..I love you." Shawn mumbled sleepily.

"I love you too, Shawn." Hunter gently kissed the top of his head.

And, of course, affection and protectiveness wasn't exclusive to Shawn and Hunter. No. There was another duo in the shelter, the Usos, and they were not pleased, not at all. Recently, Sami had gotten quite close with Punk and the twins didn't like that. They found him first, he was their friend.. Then again, Punk was also getting closer with Roman and as a result, getting close to Solo. Punk was stealing their family!

"He's our friend." Jey mumbled, arms crossed.

"Yeah, why's he hanging out with Punk? What does he have that we don't?" Jimmy questioned.

"A fake Pepsi tattoo." Jey grumbled, eyes focused on the floor.

"..I'm not tattooing Pepsi on either of us." Jimmy pointed.

"No, I just- He doesn't have anything special." Jey huffed,"Do I need to like.. Make flyers or something. Punk does that."

"You know what?" Jimmy began as he stood up.

"What?" Jey blinked.

"I'll go get him." Jimmy announced as he walked to the door, only for Sami to open it.

"Oh- Jimmy." Sami grinned, his signature smile illuminating the room,"I was just coming to-"

But Jimmy grabbed onto Sami quickly and hugged him. Sami seemed a little caught off guard, but he didn't seem to mind as he hugged back, chuckling when Jey too joined the embrace. It was warm.. It felt like home and Sami started to relax. Although that's when the trio got a little too relax and crumbled to the floor, still hugging one another.

"Guys." Sami giggled.

"Don't leave." Jey buried his face in Sami's hair.

"Leave? Why would i leave?" Sami raised a brow.

"We just.. Noticed that you'd been hanging out with Punk a lot and.." Jimmy trailed off.

"I'd never leave you guys." Sami assured them,"Sure, Punk and I get along but.. You guys brought me here and you're my best friends."

"We are?" Jey quickly looked up.

"You are." Sami nodded.

Jey grinned and tackled Sami in another hug as the Canadian laughed. That laugh.. So happy, confident. It was a struggle to remember the last time one of them laughed like that, laughed so freely, without fear. They made a silent promise that day that they were going to protect that laugh and that smile.. Untainted by the cruelty of the real world.

"I didn't realize how big a hugger you were, Jey." Sami commented.

"I'm not." Jey mumbled.

"You kinda are, Uce." Jimmy smirked, hugging Sami's side,"Little cuddlebug."

"Shut up." Jey groaned.

"Make me." Jimmy winked.

"Guys." Sami warned, though his voice held no anger.

Jey insisted nestled his face in Sami's shoulder and a smiling Sami held him close. Jimmy leaned against Sami's side and the trio just.. Got comfortable cuddling on the floor together. It was nice. Sami and Jey held one another as Jimmy played with Sami's hair before he too rested against him. They were safe here, all three of them.. And no matter what, they were going to stick together.

Chapter Text

"Dustin!" Cody quickly shot up in bed.

But as he looked around, tightly gripping his blanket, Cody realized.. That he wasn't in his bedroom. This wasn't his house. It was a small room that looked familiar but.. The shelter? Why was he at the shelter? Cody went to sleep in his own bed, why was he here? Cody struggled to suppress a whimper as he climbed out of bed and hurried out of the room. It was still dark and he hurried towards the office- Bumping into exactly who he needed. Randy.

"Codeman?" Randy yawned, rubbing his eyes,"What are you doing up so early?"

"I.. How did I get here? I wasn't here last night." Cody quickly shook his head,"Randy, what happened?"

Randy sighed, ruffling Cody's hair,"Dusty brought you here last night, bud. He had to head out on some emergency job and wanted you to be taken care of."

"..Oh." Cody nodded slowly.

"You were sorta out of it, so you probably didn't remember much." Randy sighed as he scooped him up,'It was pretty late."

Cody bit his cheek,"You'll stay... Right, Randy?"

"I'll stay with you if you need me, Cody." Randy furrowed his brow,"Is.. Something bothering you?'

"Dustin.." Cody clung onto Randy.

And Randy nodded, letting out another sigh as he walked Cody back to his room. Dustin.. He was Cody's older brother, like, properly older. Randy actually thought they were half-brothers from Dusty's first marriage. Dustin.. Due to his and Cody's age gap, he didn't really connect with the younger boy. He tried, of course, and made an effort when he could, but they weren't close. From what he heard from Cody, there was some argument before Dustin left and went no contact with Dusty. Randy didn't know why and, well, Cody was still too young to process and explain what happened. But every now and again, he woke up and cried out for his big brother.. His big brother who was never going to come back for him.

"Did you have a dream again? One about your brother?' Randy asked, his voice oddly soft as he laid down on Cody's bed.

"Mhm." Cody snuggled against his chest,"It was loud.. I don't think they knew I was there because I hid so good."

"Yeah.. Under the table, right?" Randy recalled Cody telling him before.

"Under the table." Cody nodded, his eyes already fluttering shut again,"And.. And I was scared. I thought you would.. Would save me."

Randy swallowed,"If I knew, I promise I would've gotten you out of there, Cody."

"I know." Cody smiled softly,"That.. That's why you're the best big brother ever."

And Randy found himself smiling too, cradling Cody in his arms. That was right, he was the best big brother ever. When Cody had a nightmare, it was Randy who comforted him. When Cody was sick, Randy was the one to help take care of him. When Cody was afraid to speak to others because of his lisp, Randy sat and talked with him. Anything. Literally anything to do with helping or looking after Cody like a big brother should, Randy did. Not Dustin. Cody was his baby brother.

Randy pressed a soft kiss to the top of Cody's head and rolled over onto his side, still holding the boy tightly. He wasn't originally going to sleep with him that night... But Randy couldn't leave him, not now, and decided he might as well get comfortable. And he did. Shawn was the one who found them the next morning, searching for Randy when he couldn't find him. It always made Shawn happy when he saw Randy relaxing and allowing himself not to be so tough and, well, not as much of an asshole. While he could wake him, Shawn decided against it, deciding to let the pair sleep in a little longer together. Besides, Kross could be trusted to do any of the jobs Shawn would usually ask Randy to help with.

And their morning started off normal. Most of the kids got up and dressed, only a few needing a little help with that before Shawn got breakfast ready. He found it so.. Endearing how the older kids almost instinctively went to help out the younger ones. Roman helped Solo cut up his food, Jon acted as if he wasn't helping at all as he grabbed plates for people that couldn't reach the shelves themselves and Damian went around asking and getting drinks for everyone, knowing that at least half of them would make a mess. Those were Shawn's kids and he was so.. Proud of them.

"Shawn.' Hunter hummed as he walked up to him, a paper list in hand,"Is there anything else we need from the store before I go out?"

Shawn scanned the list before shaking his head,"Hm.. Not that I'm aware of."

"Good. Is Randy up? I was going to bring him with me to help carry the bags." Hunter asked.

"Oh- No, he and Cody are still sleeping." Shawn shook his head.

"Can I come, Hunter?" Seth practically ran up to his side, grabbing onto his arm,"Can I? Can I?"

"I'm just going to pick a few things up from the store, Seth. You'd just be carrying a bag or two." Hunter told him.

"Please?" Seth huffed.

Hunter seemed to consider it before nodding,"Go brush your teeth, okay?"

"Yes!" Seth cheered before running off.

"Can't say no to him, huh?" Shawn smirked.

"You're the same with JD." Hunter gently nudged him.

"Yeah.. Yeah, you're right." Shawn chuckled as he agreed with his husband.

And so once Seth hurried back to him, he and Hunter left to go to the store. In fact, it was only a couple minutes after they left that Randy and Cody made an appearance, both dressed, with Cody still sticking close to Randy's side. Shawn didn't even remember what Dusty said this job was, only that it was out of town and they were willing to pay him well and.. Well, Hunter and Shawn knew that it was money that Dusty and his family needed. The shelter was for everyone, send they were willing to make sure Cody was well-taken care of in his dad's absence.

"Uh.. Shawn." Kross called to him from the main room.

"Something wrong, Kross?" Shawn questioned as he walked through.

Although when he entered, he saw Kross with a.. Small child, one Shawn recognized. Lee. Dominik's little brother, who he affectionately referred to as 'Dragon' at times, due to the face mask he frequently wore. He was dressed for the day, a plain red t-shirt and shorts and his signature mask, red with gold accents.

"Lee- Hey, buddy." Shawn smiled, trying to remain calm as he knelt down,"How'd you get here, huh?"

"Walked." Lee pointed.

"You walked? All on your own?" Shawn blinked,"That must've been pretty far."

"Mhm." Lee nodded, hugging onto Shawn almost immediately.

"Oh- Is everything okay?" Shawn asked, his arms immediately moving to hold Lee.

"Dom Dom.." Lee mumbled.

"You want to see Dominik? I can bring you to Dominik." Shawn assured him, standing up with Lee in his arms,"Come on."

"Shawn, who is this kid?" Kross asked in a hushed whisper.

"Kross, this is Lee. Or, well, he likes being called Dragon too." Shawn explained,"He's Dominik's little brother and.. Well, he's walked himself all the way here."

"Yeah, I didn't see any adults. He wandered in all by himself." Kross told him.

Shawn sighed. Of course. Of course the great Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero... Lost their fucking son! Shawn was genuinely bamboozled as he walked through to where the other kids were eating. He had twelve kids under his supervision. Twelve, currently, and even when he didn't have as many, he always had multiple children to watch at one time. Yes, he had Hunter and now Randy and Kross but still. Even when he'd taken a handful of kids on an outing to the park, on his own, he'd never lost one. How does a father lose the only child he has left in his custody from their own home? No. No, that didn't matter right now. What mattered was the safety of Lee.

"Dom." Shawn called to him as Damian took their plates to the sink.

"Uncle Shawn-" But Dominik stopped as soon as he saw his younger brother,"Lee!"

"Dom Dom!" Lee reached out to him, making little grabby hands at his older brother.

Dominik was quick to hurry over to Shawn's side, immediately holding out his arms for his little brother. And Shawn handed him over as the other kids slowly filtered out, leaving just Shawn and the brothers.. And Damian as he was doing the dishes that day. But he was essentially family to Dominik, so Shawn didn't mind. Lee clung tightly to Dominik and buried his face in his shoulder and just.. Staying there.

"Lee, are you okay?" Dominik asked him.

"No." Lee pouted,"I miss you.."

"Aw.. I've missed you too, little buddy." Dominik bit his cheek, resting his chin on Lee's head.

"Then come home." Lee looked up at him,"It's so loud and- And Papi is so angry all the time and-"

"Did he ever yell at you?" Dominik asked quickly, cupping his face,"Or hit you? Did he hurt you?"

"No." Lee shook his head,"But.. Papá made him sleep on the couch."

Dominik nodded slowly,"Are they here? Did.. Did one of them bring you?"

"Nu-uh. I walked." Lee stated, quite proudly actually.

"All by yourself?" Dominik asked slowly.

"All by myselfs." Lee smiled.

"Well- They'll probably come pick you up when they realize you're gone-" Dominik began.

"No!" Lee cried out.

"Dragon.." Dominik sighed sofly.

"No- No, I wanna stay." Lee insisted,"¡Te necesito, Dom Dom! Por favor.."

Dominik sniffled as he held his baby brother tightly, trying not to cry himself. Damian by this point had noticed what was going on and was quick to kneel beside the pair. His little brother was upset and Damian was going to try to make things better.

"Come here, Dom." Damian eased him against his chest.

"Dame.." Dominik whimpered.

"I know." Damian ruffled his hair,"This is a lot, isn't it?"

"Can we.. C-Can we sit in your room?" Dominik asked him.

"Of course you can." Damian nodded,"We'll all sit there and calm down, hm?"

"Mhm." Dominik sniffled, quickly rubbing his eyes.

"Shh.. You're okay." Damian rubbed his back.

Damian gently wiped away Dominik's tears and scooped him and Lee up in his arms. He held both boys close, giving Shawn a little nod as he brought them back to his room. Almost immediately after being laid on his bed, Dominik sat with Lee in his arms and held him close. Damian sighed and rubbed his back and ruffled his mullet, doing what he could to soothe Dominik. He knew he missed his family and home, he knew how desperately Dom just wanted for one of his dads to pick him up and take him back.. His little brother just wanted to be loved, and he wanted to care for him own little brother.

"That's a cool mask you have there." Damian hummed, looking to the boys,"Lee, is it?"

"Lee." Lee nodded slowly.

"Damian's good, Lee. I promise." Dominik assured him,'He's like.. Like a big brother."

"..Santos?" Lee put his hand on Dominik's chest.

"I.." Dominik stopped himself, struggling to find the words he needed.

"I'm not Santos, no, but I've been protecting Dominik like Santos used to.' Damian explained,"I love him like my baby brother and.. I'd love to take care of you like that too. Estás a salvo aquí, Dragón. Te lo prometo."

Lee nodded slowly and reached out to Damian, allowing for the teenager to scoop him up and hold him close. And Damian wasn't going to let Dominik feel left out either, holding his other arm open and allowing for his brother to snuggled against his side. Safe. Damian hated making promises, truly, he did but.. He was going to keep the promises he made to Dominik and Lee, the promise he made to protect them and keep them safe.

Meanwhile, Hunter and Seth were just finishing up at the store. They'd driven, which Hunter assumed was what Seth actually came for. Most things that they did with the kids were in walking distance, so they walked. Although they drove to the grocery store, which is why Seth excitedly tagged along. He loved going driving and.. And one of the things Hunter did to calm him down and get him to sleep when he first came to the shelter was going on night time drives. No matter how late or for how long, Hunter drove until he managed to soothe his boy. It worked a majority of the time and if it didn't, Hunter just went and held Seth until he fell asleep. He was, and still is, such a cuddler.

While in the store, Hunter actually ran into Nash and they had, well, a surprisingly pleasant conversation. He still wasn't happy about what had happened, but Shawn was adamant that they should give them a second chance. So he did. Turns out Hall was trying to get clean and wasn't doing so hot, so Nash was out getting stuff for him to try and make him feel better. And despite that nagging feeling in the back of his mind.. Hunter gave him advice and made recommendations, told him things he did to help Shawn on his road to recovery. Nash seemed to appreciate it a lot and they ended things that day on good terms.

"Now.. Where did I park the car?" Hunter muttered softly as he scanned the car park.

"Somewhere." Seth shrugged.

"Y'know, that was very helpful, Seth." Hunter gave him a look.

Seth chuckled,"I know, relax. I'll look for it."

But as Seth began looking around the car park... He froze. He watched as a familiar car pulled up a fair distance away and stated in shock as his brother was forced out of the car, dumped on the pavement and.. And left. His dad's car simply drove away. Seth watched as Nathan stumbled around, trembling, and he could see cars moving. And Seth ran.

"Seth!" Hunter shouted after him.

But Seth didn't care. His brother was in trouble- He was staggering towards the edge of the pavement. Seth's lungs had almost started to burn as he forced air into his lungs as he raced towards his younger brother. Seth- He wasn't thinking straight. Nathan. Hurt. Car. Those three thoughts repeated so rapidly in his brain that he hardly processed them as he reached out and grabbed his brother, pulling him close to his chest... Just as a car shot past them, far too fast for the parking lot speed limit.

"Nathan.." Seth forced out.

And he looked down at Nathan, tears still rolling down his cheeks and fresh blood leaking from his nose. His poor baby..

"It hurts- Seth, it hurts.." Nathan cried, desperately clinging onto his shirt,"I.. I c-can't breathe.'

"Okay, buddy. Can you try breathing through your mouth for me?" Seth rubbed his back,"Just in and out, okay? In and out."

"Seth." Hunter breathed out, having finally caught up to him,"What were you-"

"Hunter." Seth stopped him,"Please.."

And Hunter paused. Just looking over the boy, Hunter knew he needed help. His shoulder-length, dirty blond hair was tangled and even matted in some places and his nose was bloody, possibly broken. Not to mention how much he was trembling..

"This is Nathan." Seth swallowed,"Can we help him? Please?"

"I am never going to turn away a child that needs help." Hunter reminded him.

"My parents- They just dumped him and he nearly got hit by a car, that's.. That's why I ran." Seth explained himself,"Are.. Are you still mad at me for running in the parking lot."

And Hunter sighed,"No, Seth, I'm not angry. I was just worried because I didn't know what was going on."

"Okay.. Okay, Hunter, what can I do?" Seth asked quickly.

"Do you mind using your shirt as a stand in for a cloth? At least until we get back to the shelter?" Hunter instructed,"Just hold it against his nose, gently, and we'll figure things out from there."

And Seth quickly jumped into action, gently pressing his shirt to Nathan's nose as Hunter located the car. Both boys got into the backseat and Seth did his best to look after Nathan. When they arrived back at the shelter, there was no time for pleasantries as Hunter handed Nathan over to Shawn. A nervous Seth waited outside of the medical room door, anxiously pacing as he heard Nathan crying. Roman and Jon took turns waiting with him before Shawn opened the door. Almost immediately, Seth ran in and jumped onto the bed to hug Nathan whose nose was taped up.

"Nothing seems broken, thankfully. But he's going to need to be very careful." Shawn told them.

"Seth.." Nathan clung onto him.

"You're here, my little star. You're safe with me at the shelter." Seth cradled his brother in his arms.

"I.. I didn't mean to make him angry." Nathan whimpered.

"Nathan- Whatever he did to you, I promise you.. It wasn't your fault." Seth pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head.

And Nathan began to cry,"Seth.."

"I know, Nathan.. I know." Seth gently hushed him.

And Seth lead Nathan back to his room. He paid no mind to Jon or Roman who were patiently waiting on him as he sat Nathan on his bed. No. He took out his hairbrush and gently tried to detangle it. This only ended in more tears as even the slightest pull was painful. Seeing how Seth was getting stressed, Roman stepped in. He'd done this with the Usos before and had some detangling spray. Seth watched on as Roman, gentle and meticulous as always somehow managed to dematt Nathan's hair, just like he was one of his cousins. Wow..

"Such a natural, Ro." Jon smirked,"You mind fixing my hair like that?"

"What hair?' Roman asked nonchalantly.

And Jon stammered, ruffling his own short hair,"This hair."

"I'm kidding." Roman chuckled softly,"Grow it out a bit more so I have something to work with."

In his defense, Jon's hair wasn't too short. It was messy and fell like a mop over his eyes when he hadn't styled it. But Seth wasn't paying his two friends much attention as he carefully tried to change Nathan into some of his clothes to sleep in.. And he froze. Seth saw the bruises scattered across his younger brother's tiny body and broke down. His baby brother.. Roman gently rubbed his back and Nathan patted his head but.. But how could he let this happen?

"Nathan- I am so sorry." Seth looked up at him.

"It's okay, Seth." Nathan smiled softly,"Because I'm here now. I'm.. I'm here."

Seth nodded slowly and helped Nathan into one of his shirts that did sort of drown his small frame before Seth got into bed. Nathan snuggled against him and, like Roman's first night in the shelter, Roman and Jon got into bed at his side. Jon hugged Seth from behind, nestling his face against the back of Seth's neck. He liked being the big spoon. And Roman laid at his other side, acting like a shield of sorts for Nathan as he held onto Seth. Seth.. Was just happy to have his brother back and he was going to keep him safe. He may have failed him before, but.. Seth wasn't going to let him down again.

Chapter Text

Dominik didn't remember falling asleep, not really. He.. Remembered Damian tucking him and Lee into bed. Oh- And he remembered Lee snuggling into his chest as they cuddled. He remembered the warmth. But as Dominik slowly came to the next morning, that warmth wasn't there. It was gone. With his eyes still closed, he reached out, maybe hoping that he'd let go of Lee ans his brother had just rolled over. But despite reaching out into the darkness, all Dominik as able to grab was empty bedsheets.

"Lee..?" Dominik mumbled sleepily.

And Dominik slowly opened his eyes and saw- His Papá! He was holding Lee close to his chest as he walked towards the door. No.. No, please- Don't leave! Dominik practically threw himself out of bed and stumbled towards Rey, grabbing onto his leg and holding on tight. He couldn't let him leave again..

"Dom- Mi hijo." Rey sighed, looking down at him.

"Papá." Dominik looked up at him,"Papá, please.."

"Oh, mi hijo.." Rey gently ran his free hand through Dominik's mullet,"You're supposed to be asleep."

"Were you going to leave without talking to me?" Dominik asked.

"No, I just.. You seemed so peaceful." Rey told him,"I didn't want to wake you."

So.. He was. Rey was going to just leave without even saying goodbye. Dominik swallowed, not fully understanding the feeling burning in his chest. He hated it, it hurt.. Dominik had longed for so long to speak to his dad again and, well, now he was here and it was nothing like he'd hoped.

"I had my last birthday here, a few months ago." Dominik mentioned, almost struggling to find his voice.

"You did, didn't you? How old are you now, eleven? Ten?" Rey asked, although it seemed obvious to Dominik that he was edging towards the door.

"..I'm thirteen." Dominik forced out.

Trying to speak.. It felt like there was a pump in his throat. And his eyes had began to sting. His Papá didn't even know how old he was... Would his Papi know? No. Maybe.. Maybe Rey was just confused and forgetful. It essentially a very stressful situation and-

"I've got to get your brother home." Rey shook his head,"It's a school day."

"Wait- Take me with you." Dominik grabbed his hand as Rey turned to leave again.

"Dominik.." Rey bit his cheek.

"Please- Papá, you promised." Dominik choked back a sob as his hands started to shake,"Y-you promised you'd come back.."

"And I will come back for you, mi hijo.. It's just not safe for you yet." Rey explained,"You'll be safer here with your uncles."

"Why?" Dominik questioned, his vision becoming bleary with his unshed tears,"Why can't I come home? W-why don't you want me, Papá?"

And that made Rey stop as Dominik finally broke. His hands released Rey's and he covered his face as painfully quiet sobs escaped his lips. Even now, Dominik was trying not to wake his brother or Damian. Rey sighed softly and knelt down, again careful not to wake up the sleeping Lee in his arms. He placed his free hand on Dominik's shoulder, gentle and grounding and softly rubbed his thumb up and down his neck to try and soothe his son.

"Dominik, I know this is hard for you, okay? This situation is.. It's hard on all of us." Rey told him,"I love you, I promise I do but.. Your Papi and I have been having some issues."

"B-but-" Dominik sniffled, unable to stop the flow of tears.

"It isn't your fault, mi hijo, it's not the fault of any of you kids but.. Your Papi and I are considering.. Separation." Rey swallowed,"It might not be permanent, we haven't even decided properly but.. The option is there."

His parents... Were considering divorce? Rey put it nicer, but that's what he meant. That meant a lot of things that Dominik wasn't ready to think about or talk about. He didn't want to have to choose between his Papi and his Papá. Lee would definitely stay with Rey and if they ever found Santos, Dominik was sure Eddie would let him stay with him.. Leaving Dominik in the middle. Why couldn't they just love each other like they did before?

"I know it's scary, Dom, but you're brave." Rey smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead,"Can you be a big strong boy for me while we sort this whole thing out?"

Dominik nodded slowly, his breath still hitching with each repressed sob. Rey reached up and ruffled his hair again before cupping Dominik's face, his little boy leaning into his touch, desperate for the comfort it brought him.

"You look.. So much like your Papi." Rey hummed.

And it was true. Yes, Dominik looked like a younger Rey but.. His eyes. And with the mullet too? He truly was Eddie's spitting image. Dominik would be safer here, that's what Rey just had to keep telling himself, safer and happier. Looking at him filled Rey with so much joy, yet also so much hurt... Why did he have to look so much like Eddie?

"..Papá." Dominik whimpered.

"Shh.." Rey kissed the top of his head as he stood up,"I love you, mi hijo."

But Dominik didn't say anything back. He stood, silent, tears rolling down his cheeks and Rey.. Left. It hurt to see his son like that, but he knew he couldn't stay and couldn't take Dominik with him. Once Rey left the room, Dominik began to cry properly. His slender body was wrecked with loud sobs, cries that were certain to be heard just beyond the door and the same cries that woke up Damian. He groaned softly, blinking awake as he heard.. Well, wailing. It took a little for his tired eyes to adjust to the dark, but he could make out Dominik just in front of his bed.

"Dom..?" Damian called to him, his morning voice sounding more rough than his regular voice,"What's wrong?"

But Dominik didn't answer, crawling back into bed beside Damian and just.. Sobbing into his shoulder. Dominik.. Damian sighed softly and just did what he could to soothe his little brother, rubbing his back even as he began coughing and spluttering because of how hard he was crying. Eventually, poor Dominik cried himself back to sleep in Damian's arms but.. He just didn't understand. Dominik didn't usually get bad dreams and when he did, they weren't like that. If Dominik was to have a nightmare in Damian's presence, he learned that his younger brother tended to just snuggle against his chest and if he cried, it was always relatively quiet. What could have happened?

It wasn't like Damian got any answers in the morning either. He got up and ready for school, but Dominik refused. Even on his 'brattiest' days, which a stubborn Dominik did have occasionally weren't as bad as this. He wasn't even being a brat, it was.. Different. It wasn't a stubborn or angry refusal, it was quiet, almost numb. Damian could almost always coax Dominik into it. Not this time. Hell, not even the help of Finn and JD was enough to so much as get Dominik to stir. So.. They went and got Shawn. Shawn instructed the three of them to go wait with Hunter before they went for the bus and, if Dominik wasn't ready by the time the bus came, they were just to leave. So now, it was Shawn kneeling beside Dominik as he lay in bed.

"Damian said you had a rough night, buddy.. Is that true?" Shawn asked him, trying to keep his voice soft.

Dominik nodded slightly, though he refused to look up at Shawn. His eyes were focused on the ground.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Shawn raised a brow,"Was it a nightmare?"

"No..' Dominik mumbled.

Okay, that was progress. The only thing Damian told him that Dominik said was 'I'm not going'. At least Shawn got him to say another word.

"Okay, not a nightmare.. Were you feeling sick? Or did something else happen?" Shawn questioned.

Dominik hesitated before a quiet voice forced out,"..Papá."

"Papá? Rey was here?" Shawn blinked, looking around and slowly realizing the lack of Lee,"And he took your little brother back."

"Uncle Shawn.." Dominik sniffled, his eyes were already puffy from crying and it looked like he might just start again.

"Oh, buddy." Shawn sighed, carefully pulling Dominik into his arms and cradling him,"Did he say anything to you?"

"He t-tried to leave without saying goodbye, but I woke up." Dominik forced out,"T-then he.. He said that he and Papi w-were maybe gonna get a divorce.."

And that's what got Dominik to break down in Shawn's arms.. And what got Shawn to agree not to send Dominik to school that day. He was briefly reunited with his younger brother only to have him taken away, he'd waited so long to see Rey only for him to try and leave without saying goodbye and a suggestion of divorce? It was a lot for anyone, nevermind a thirteen year old. Even if Shawn did force him to go to school, he knew it wouldn't benefit Dominik if he sat around staring at the floor. So Shawn gently tucked Dominik back into bed, telling him that if he got hungry then Shawn was more than willing to make him something.

That wasn't even the only problem they had that day, far from it. Everyone else went to school just fine, even Randy, which was certainly an improvement. Seth was even more happy than usual, walking hand in hand with Nathan to and from school with a grin on his face. Jon playfully teased him for acting like a dork, but deep down he was happy that, well, Seth was happy. It just reminded Roman of Solo who, thankfully, had been getting used to being without him while he stayed and did his lessons with JD and Stephanie. He was even strtong to enjoy them, even sometimes telling Roman about what they did that day. Now, obviously, the bus waited until each of the kids was there with Randy making sure everyone was accounted for. Hunter even gave him a list. A few kids hung back with Seth, namely Jon and Roman, as he waited for Nathan so he could bring him home. Although once Nathan was spotted, the others did start to walk, letting Seth and Nathan have their moment before joining them.

"Nathan!" Seth grinned, crouching down to let his brother hug him.

And Nathan did hug him, practically throwing himself at Seth,"Seth- Axiom asked me to be his best friend today!"

"Wow, officially? That's awesome, little man." Seth chuckled,"Did you say yes?"

Nathan nodded quickly, grinning from ear to ear,"And he said he'd help me make my own mask so we could match."

"Y'know, I think you'd suit a little mask." Seth hummed,"What kind of colours are you thinking?"

"Red!" Nathan announced,"Or blue.. Axiom really likes gold too so-"

"There you are." Came a familiar gruff voice.

Seth could barely turn around before he was yanked back by the collar of his shirt. His dad. Nathan froze up, physically shaking as he stepped back.. But as Seth looked around, he realized his mother was there too. She was stood away from them, by the car, just watching. And Seth swallowed, he knew he had to protect Nathan, no matter what..

'The hell do you think you're doing?" Daniel spat.

"Taking my brother home after school.' Seth looked up at him,"I figured you'd be 'too tired'."

"Too tired?' Daniel scoffed.

"Isn't that why Axiom's mom used to drive him home?" Seth questioned,"Because you lot used to leave him here for hours."

"I was busy." Daniel insisted,"You're a fucking kid, you don't understand."

"Well, for a kid, I'm a better parent than you ever were." Seth snapped.

But that's when it got worse. Daniel shoved Seth and he hit his back hard on the fence. He winced, falling to his knees only for Daniel to repeatedly kick Seth in the ribs while he was down. Nathan.. God, Nathan tried to get involved, desperately trying to push Daniel away as he cried. But he continued. And soon enough, Alison came and grabbed Nathan, the small boy crying and struggling as he was dragged back to the car. Seth somehow struggled to his feet and did whatever he could to fight back against Daniel, scratching and biting.. Until he was punched in the face.

Seth fell back again, clutching his nose as a sour metallic taste began to drip into his mouth. Thankfully, the noise of the altercation alerted te nearby kids to what was going on. Jon and Roman ran back with, surprisingly, Punk in tow. Jon didn't know why he was coming along, but he decided he was going and couldn't risk an argument slowing them down. When Roman saw Seth on the ground, brushed and now bloody.. He snapped. He stormed past Jon who knelt beside Seth and shoved Daniel back.

"Don't touch him.." Roman practically growled.

And Daniel did hesitate briefly before chuckling,"You're another kid, I'm not afraid of a few little boys."

"You fucking should be, jackass." Jon cursed,"You out your hands on my.. Best friend."

"And you're going to pay for it." Roman threated.

As the pair stood in a face-off of sorts with Daniel, becoming.. His shield, a scuffle soon broke out between them, and Punk helped Seth to his feet. He put one arm over his shoulder and began.. Helping him back to the bus. Seth didn't understand and frankly, he didn't like it.

"I fucking hate you.." Seth muttered.

"Yeah, I hate you too. Now come on." Punk rolled his eyes.

Seth was too exhausted to push Punk away or even try and walk himself. He begrudgingly accepted the help, but he still didn't like Punk. Although when Randy saw the state of Seth, he immediately looked in the direction of the school. He made sure Punk and Seth got on the bus before hurrying back to the school where he found the still on-going scuffle. Nobody seemed hurt, thankfully, but Randy burst through and nearly knocked Daniel to the floor.

"Get your hands off my kids!" Randy yelled at him.

"What the-" Daniel blinked.

"Touch one of them again, I dare you." Randy spat,"Go on. Try and hit one of my kids."

"Yeah, try and hit me." Jon taunted Daniel, knowing Randy wouldn't let the fully grown man touch him.

And.. Daniel muttered something, cursing under his breath as he walked go the other side of the road and got in his car, driving off. Randy watched them drive up the street, satisfied, before walking Jon and Roman back to the bus. They were a little bruised, but nothing like Seth. A few scrapes but they'd be fine, really. Randy was just thankful to finally get his bus full of kids back to the shelter where Hunter was waiting for them, knowing how late the bus was. As the kids got off, Randy explained the situation to Hunter and Roman and Jon helped Seth off and into Hunter's arms.

"Seth- Jesus." Hunter pulled Seth close and lifted him up.

"Nathan.." Seth nestled his face in Hunter's shoulder.

"Nathan. Randy, where's Nathan?" Hunter looked to him.

And Randy bit his cheek,"Seth's parents took him back.. I couldn't stop it. If I could've I-"

"I couldn't save him.." Seth whimpered.

"Oh, Seth.. Buddy, this isn't your fault." Hunter sighed softly, rubbing his back.

"They'll hit him because they hate me and- and they won't feed him and-" Seth cried, loosing control of his breathing as Hunter brought him inside.

"Shh, breathe, okay?" Hunter tried to soothe him.

"Nathan.. My baby brother.." Seth struggled to stop his tears.

Hunter slowly passed Seth to Roman and Jon who sat on a beanbag and just.. Held him. Roman kept his arms around Seth, keeping him grounded as Jon just.. Talked. He told stories, much like Shawn did to try and comfort them. Happy memories, random facts, anything to distract Seth and, well, just so he could hear his voice. Jon was usually the one to comfort others, but Roman didn't have the words. Truly. Seth had to go through one of Roman's biggest fears and even the thought of that happening to the Usos or Solo...

"Remember when Roman got here and we promised to look after him like our brother?" Jon asked.

And Roman blinked,"You.. Promised?"

"Sure did." Jon hummed,"And when you first came here Seth, what did we promise one another?"

"T-to.. Protect each other." Seth sniffled.

"That's right." Jon nodded,"I'm always gonna defend you boys, even if it kills me."

"And we'd do the same." Roman nodded.

"You better not fucking die for me." Jon pointed.

And that got a small chuckle from Seth,"We both would, Johnny boy."

"Whatever." Jon huffed.

Hunter watched them from afar, a small smile on his face. It always warmed his heart to see his kids looking out for one another and developing these special bonds. Hunter was just glad they felt safe, and he was sure those three were always going to keep everyone else, but especially each other, safe.

Chapter Text

It was.. A strange time for Solo. Yes, his older brothers were still very protective of him, but they were also spending a lot less time with him. Obviously they were out at school, but even at that.. They now had time for friends, time they didn't have before when they were back home. The same thing was true for Roman. Because of his mother's work, after school he was made to stay with Solo's family and got roped into working or doing his best to protect them. But now, the Usos had Sami and Cody that they played with and spent their time with over him. And even Roman was spending less time with Solo, actively choosing Seth and Jon over sitting with him.

Solo wasn't angry. No. Well.. Maybe a little. But maybe that was just him feeling upset. He didn't like change. Just because it was happening slowly over time didn't make it less of a big change. He loved how he could spend all day with his big brothers without them tiring of him. Nowadays, even in the chaos that was the shelter, Solo was more silent than ever. He already didn't talk much at the best of times, but without his brothers and Roman there to push him further.. Solo just didn't speak.

At the very least, the others seemed happier. The Usos both smiled a lot more. Jimmy's no longer felt forced, not feeling the need to try and comfort his siblings with his smile. And Jey's was the smile he lost when things got scary in their house and they all needed someone to keep them safe. Solo was glad they were happy, but didn't understand why they couldn't be this happy with him. Was he just not good enough anymore? Now that they had proper friends, he assumed they didn't need their baby brother hanging around.

That's what left Solo where he was. He was out with Shawn and a few other kids in the forest by the shelter. It was JD's suggestion, but since they all liked the idea of going out and looking for bugs, Shawn agreed to take them. JD was the most excited, rocking back and forth on his heels as he rambled to Finn about each little thing he managed to find. Solo didn't ask his brothers to come, seeing as they were already busy with Sami. Besides, Finn seemed to be interested in.. Things like this. While JD seemed to bombard him with knowledge, Finn was always able to counter with a fact or two of his own, only exciting the younger boy. It was nice outside, but Solo wasn't really feeling people anymore and wandered a little further down the trail as Shawn showed Dominik and Rhea, who Dominik asked along, how to carefully check under rocks for bugs.

Solo wandered just until he reached a big tree and he sat under it, pulling his knees to his chest. He could still hear the others, hear them having fun.. But he wasn't having any fun. Instead, Solo curled up under the tree and watched as the sun danced in between the branches and leaves, watched as the patterns of shadows changed on the forest floor. Though, as he was watching he paused when he saw.. Two feet now stood where he was looking and when Solo looked up..

"Jake!" Solo grinned.

Jacob- His cousin Jacob! Solo hadn't seen his cousin in a while, not since he and his family came to the shelter. While his brothers had always been protective with him, Solo always felt like he was closer with Jacob. They were both around the same age and just seemed to get each other, understanding what the other needed. Solo often needed space and time for quiet, while Jacob often needed someone there to hold back his impulses and outbursts. Jacob wasn't a bad kid, Solo never trusted anyone that said that. He just.. Needed some extra help.

"Solo!" Jacob smiled, practically launching himself into Solo's arms,"I've missed you.. Where have you been?"

Solo bit his cheek,"Shelter."

"Shelter?" Jacob tilted his head.

"Mhm." Solo hummed as Jacob sat beside him, still holding onto his side,"Safe, no hurt."

"Good." Jacob nodded, clinging on a little tighter,"..Don't like it when your pops was mean."

Solo agreed. While Jacob didn't stay with Solo's dad often, he did spend a few days at their house and slept over too. Jacob was always more aggressive around adults he deemed dangerous, and that included his uncle. He was suspicious of strangers, quiet and judging, but he was always most violent when he deemed someone a danger to himself or family. Solo.. Remembered a time when Jacob got punished for defending him. He bit his uncle to get him away from Solo and the pair of them were shoved into a dark room together..

"Alone?" Solo looked to Jacob.

"Nah. Tama and Loa are here.. Somewhere." Jacob answered, his grip not lessening on Solo,"I was looking for 'em when I found you."

"Solo!"

And Solo looked up, spotting his slightly older cousin in the branches above him, a crooked smile on his face. Tama and his brother, Loa, were at a similar age group to Solo. They weren't as old as the Usos or Roman, but just a little older than Solo and Jacob, ten and nine respectively. While Tama was the elder of the brothers, it was only by a few months and.. He was a bit wild, if Solo was the one to explain it. Tama... He was like a baby Spiderman. A baby Spiderman that occasionally made weird nosies at people he didn't like or when he was nervous. But Solo didn't mind the noises Tama made, he knew he couldn't control it, especially when he was nervous or really excited.

"Tama." Solo hummed,"Where's Loa?"

"Hiding." Tama answered as he leapt down from the tree, landing haphazardly in a nearby bush before running over,"We were playing hide and seek."

"We were?" Jacob asked.

"Oh- I knew we forgot something." Tama shook his head,"We forgot to say we'd started."

"Again?" Loa chuckled, emerging from behind a pile of rocks.

"What do you mean 'again'?" Tama crossed his arms,"I told you to tell Jacob that we were gonna play."

"Oops." Loa shrugged,"You mad about it?"

"Yeyeyeye.." Tama muttered, subconsciously picking at his lip.

Solo sighed at the antics of his cousins before they took their place at his side as well. Jacob remained ever-present at his side, his head resting on Solo's shoulder and Tama was much the same. He liked being close to Solo and it seemed like he was always touching him. Loa was a little more distant, but that went hand in hand with an issue all three of his cousins had. And that was trust. There was only one person that the three of them trusted completely. Solo. They even had issues properly trusting Roman and the Usos.

But Solo liked this. He liked that his cousins payed all this attention to him. They followed him around, sort of like a puppy in Jacob's case, and were more than willing to play with him and include him. The group played a few rounds of hide and seek together, one of Solo's favorite games, before Shawn called on him. And while Solo tried to get Jacob and the Tongans to come back with him, they refused and headed off further into the forest and, possibly, back home. But that was okay, Solo had fun. And.. Roman was there to greet him when he returned.

"Hey, bud. Did you have fun today?" Roman asked, ruffling his hair.

"Mhm." Solo nodded,"Bugs."

"You saw the bugs, huh?" Roman smiled softly,"Did you hold any?"

And Solo shook his head,'Nu-uh."

"Good idea." Roman hummed,"Now, how about i get you washed up before dinner?"

"Okay, Roro." Solo smiled.

Roman was.. Good to him that night, really good to him. While he was becoming more focused on Seth and even Jon during the day, his focus was always on Solo at night. He made sure Solo was all cleaned up, helped him cut up his food and then made sure he was properly changed for bed. And.. Solo hesitated as he stood in front of his bed. Somehow, Roman understood.

"You want to stay in my room tonight?" Roman asked.

Solo nodded, turning and hugging onto Roman,'Cuddles?"

"Of course." Roman hummed, scooping Solo up in his arms,"We've not cuddled in.. A while."

Solo smiled softly as Roman carried him to his room and laid down. Solo snuggled against his chest, nuzzling against his neck as Roman cradled him close. Roman was asleep by the time Seth joined them and Solo was drifting off as Jon joined the cuddling, quietly urging him not to say anything as he wrapped his arms around the boys. And Solo said nothing. But he did smile as the troublemaker showed his softer side.

Solo chose not to mention his friendship with his cousins, he decided not to mention any of their encounters. Jacob, Tama, Loa.. They were almost like his little secret. It was a harmless secret too. And things remained the same, for the most part. Solo was still close with his brothers, but occasionally managed to sneakily meet up with his cousins and play with them. Then, one day, Shawn took the kids out to the park again. He usually only brought a small group out at a time, but he decided to bring all the kids since he had both Randy and Kross with him.

Solo was walking closer to the back of the group, tightly holding onto Roman's hand as they made their way towards the park. But as they drew closer, crossing the road.. Solo caught sight of something. No. Not something. Someone. Solo saw.. Jacob! And he immediately perked up.

"Friend!' Solo cheered.

"What's that, Solo?" Roman asked, holding back a small chuckle at his sudden outburst.

"Friend! Friend!' Solo grinned as he ran through the gate.

And Roman just stood and watched as Solo immediately ran up to Jacob, hugging him tightly. Roman smiled and looked to the Usos, watching as they both lit up at the sight of Solo.. Being happy, having his own friends.. It was a reminder to them, in a way, a reminder that everything was going to be okay.

"You okay?" Seth asked, resting his hand on Roman's lower back.

"Yeah- I just.. Solo's never had friends before." Roman sighed,"It's just.. Nice."

"It is, isn't it?" Seth nodded,"I was like that when Nathan made his first friend, Axiom."

"..Any sign of him?" Roman asked quietly.

But Seth shook his head,"Jon said he's been on the lookout whenever he cuts class but.."

"But nothing." Jon shrugged, trailing his hand across Roman's back as he walked past,"And I'll keep searching for him."

"Thanks, Jon.." Seth smiled softly.

"No problem." Jon nodded,"Now come on, I need someone to spin around on the roundabout."

Seth snickered,"Oh, so romantic."

"I know." Jon agreed.

But Roman wasn't the only one watching. No. Shawn was watching too, a proud smile on his face. Randy and Kross were at his side, supervising the kids but.. Shawn couldn't help but watch Solo and his new friend, Jacob. He was smiling and even starting to speak in sentences longer than one word and it made him so happy that his kids were happy and growing and.. Healing. And he was so grateful for Stephanie, knowing her lessons and therapy was probably helping him out too. Shawn.. Loved his kids.

Chapter Text

The sound of glass breaking. That's all it was. A crash. And it was enough to get a reaction out of Punk. He was in his room, he didn't know what broke or where it broke, but he sat up sharply and ran his hand through his hair. Fine. He was fine. Punk swallowed, trying to ignore the nervous pit building in his stomach. It was probably one of the younger kids like.. Like Dominik. Yeah. Dominik probably bumped into something and knocked over a cup.. Yeah.

"Phillip fucking Brooks!"

"No.. No, no, no.." Punk mumbled, quickly covering his ears.

Please- He didn't want to go back.. Shawn promised him that he would never need to go back there and both Shawn and Hunter assured him that Paul would be back. Paul. Punk just tried to think about Paul, his foster dad. While he was a known foster parent, Paul didn't actually care for the kids full-time because of his work. Punk.. Well, he wasn't sure what Paul did, but it was important work which is why he came back to the shelter so often.

And that's what Punk did. He pulled his hoodie on, zipped it up and pulled up the hood as he curled up on his bed, thinking about Paul. Of course he wasn't, y'know, the warmest or softest man ever, but he was caring enough. He showed more care to him that either of his parents, and that's all that really mattered to Punk. He thought about.. The warmth of Paul's house on that stormy night he was brought home, he thought about the good food that Paul fed him and.. And he thought about Paul's hands. Maybe it was weird for Punk to focus in on that but.. When a grown man's hands have done nothing but hurt you, Punk found it easier to think about the positives, about the hands that didn't hurt. Paul had large hands, slightly rough too that rested comfortably on his shoulder or side as Paul reassured Punk how much potential he had.

Punk let out a soft sigh as his eyes landed on his nag of flyers, freshly refilled. It had been a while since he'd gone out, focused moreso on Jon, Seth and Kross. Jon because, well, it's Jon and he was always poisoning his body somehow, Seth because, while he did dislike him and his ego, Punk was worried about him after the whole situation with Nathan and his father and Kross? Well, Punk, Sami and Roman were still convinced that Kross was up to something. In their minds, he had to be. He.. He had to be, right? Punk shook his head when another unwelcome thought hit him. Did Drew miss him? They'd.. Okay, they'd gotten into a strange routine of sorts, running into each other at least once a week while he delivered his flyers to taunt and threaten the other. In Punk's totally normal observations, he noticed how easily Drew got jealous and just thought.. No. No, he didn't think about anything.

"Fuck.." Punk groaned.

Was he really thinking about Drew McIntyre at a time like this? Drew? Fucking Drew McIntyre? First he was on the verge of a spiral because of a slightly triggering sound and now he was wondering if Drew was jealous or bored without him there? Punk hated that.. Having feelings all over the place was not fun and if he could make them go away, even temporarily he would. And.. Punk hesitated after that thought, curling further in on himself.. Because turning off his feelings, making them temporarily go away.. That's why his dad started drinking, to make him feel better after a long, hard day. And.. Punk felt the corners of his eyes stinging. Please.. Please, he didn't want to be his dad. Honestly, he would rather die.

"Phil! Where the fuck are you?" His dad yelled, stumbling around the kitchen.

Punk stayed quiet. Really, he had no choice. It was either stay hidden underneath the tablecloth or possibly get beaten. And Punk knew better than to try anything while his dad was present.

"Come on, you little prick.." His dad slurred, staggering against the counter,"This house was supposed to.. Be cleaned."

The house would've been clean if his dad didn't leave his beer cans and bottles laying around after he'd decided to have a drink. Punk cleaned what he could before his dad got home and started his 'session". His mother was no help upstairs. She'd taken.. Something and gone to bed. Punk didn't know what and he didn't think he wanted to know.

"You're not gonna like it when I find you." His dad threatened, like he loved to do when he was drunk.

And Punk held his breath, knees pulled tightly to his chest. His dad wasn't smart enough to listen out for his breathing, but Punk was too smart to allow something like a sob to give him away. And despite doing everything right- Punk squeezed his eyes shut tight as he was grabbed and dragged out from his safe space.

"There you are.." His dad practically growled at him, the back of his shirt held tightly in his hand.

"Dad." Punk swallowed,"Dad- Please.."

"Please what?' His dad scoffed, giving his son a little shake,"Please give you a sip?"

And Punk quickly shook his head,"No!"

"No? Why not? It's good." His dad shrugged, using his free hand to grab a beer,"Come on."

Punk struggled, truly, he did. He tried to hard to fight back, doing what he could to push his dad away as the beer can was forced closer and closer towards his face. Punk tried to keep his mouth shut- But his dad yanked his hair back and.. Punk coughed, desperately trying to get the foul tasting liquid out of his mouth. His dad.. He was relentless, spilling about half of the can down Punk's shirt as he tried to force more into his mouth. But Punk kicked and scratched until he managed to stagger his dad and scramble away.

Punk forced himself to run, hurrying up the stairs and into the bathroom, jamming the faulty lock to keep the door shut tightly. Letting out a shaky breath, Punk fell to his knees in front of the toilet, just barely able to pull off his shirt before he gagged. Out- Out! Get it out! Punk stuck two fingers down his throat, desperate to get any traces of the beer out of him and eventually.. Punk threw up. He whimpered as hot tears rolled down his cheeks.. He didn't want it. He didn't understand how anyone could want to voluntarily do that to themselves. The smell still lingered..

"Phil.. You okay?" Sami asked softly, his hand resting on his side.

And Punk swallowed, suddenly back in the present.. He was in his room at the shelter, laid in bed and, well, Sami was there to. He had a look of concern on his face, his soft brown eyes filled with worry. That's when Punk realized his face was wet and quickly rubbed at his eyes, doing what he could to wipe away any evidence of him crying.

"I'm fine." Punk swallowed.

Sami sighed, gently rubbing his side,"Punk.."

"I'm serious, Sami. I'm fine." Punk insisted.

"You aren't fine.. I'm not stupid." Sami shook his head,"What's wrong?"

"Sami, I just-" Punk spoked, but he paused when he realized how.. Harsh his tone was,"Sorry.. I- Something happened earlier and it reminded me of my home."

"In.. In a bad way?" Sami bit his cheek.

"Yeah.." Punk sighed,"The glass breaking, did.. Do you know what happened?"

"The.. Oh- The Usos." Sami told him,"Roman was getting a drink for Seth but they were running around and, well, Roman tripped."

Punk nodded slowly,"He okay?"

"A few cuts on his arm, but he's okay." Sami answered,"But he was a little shaken. He insisted on cleaning it and.."

Roman and the Usos.. Punk wondered if he was alright. And Sami pulled Punk close, rubbing his back and Punk.. hugged back. He was happy there, safe. Maybe that was just what Sami did. Punk wasn't sure anyone felt unsafe in the warm embrace of Sami Zayn, or Sami Uso as Roman referred to him. It was cute.

"I heard Mr Hunter on the phone earlier too." Sami admitted, his voice hushed,"I wasn't supposed to be listening but.."

"But..?" Punk furrowed his brow.

"Apparently someone's coming here later, something about fostering." Sami hummed,"I didn't catch a name."

And Punk perked up,"It might be Paul- My foster dad."

"Hey, it could be." Sami smiled at him.

"I could really use him after today.." Punk sighed,"He wants super cuddly and warm or anything.. But he always made me feel better."

Meanwhile, Roman was say quietly with Solo in his lap. He was humming to himself, an old song his mother used to sing him as Solo worried about his bandages. It was only a few little cuts, but Shawn insisted the bandage his arm just in case. Roman didn't mind. But Solo was easily soothe by allowing him to draw along his arm. Roman actually quite liked the sensation of the pen, the pressure of the pen against his skin, or, the bandage.

"Happy?" Roman asked.

"Happy." Solo grinned, not taking a break from his doodling.

"Good." Roman kissed the top of his head,"What are you drawing for me, hm?"

"Daisy." Solo answered.

"Oh, I do like daisies." Roman rested his chin on Solo's head,"Any other flowers?"

But Solo put his hand over Roman's mouth,"Be patient."

"Oh-" Roman blinked before snickered, initially shocked but ultimately amused by the statement,"Alright, little Joe. I'll be patient."

And Roman just sat quietly as he watched Solo drawing away, only tensing when.. He walked in. Roman didn't know who he was. He was a larger man, older too, with thinning brown hair. He had hair on the sides of his head and a little ponytail at the back.. But nothing on top. He was wearing a tailored navy suit and red tie with a black overcoat and matching black umbrella that he shook the rain off on the welcome mat. Roman tried to stay quiet, out of sight.. But unfortunately, the stranger had already taken notice of him.

"I don't recognize you." The man spoke to him.

And Roman swallowed, trying not to shrink under his gaze,"Me and my cousins got here a few months ago."

"Wow, a few months. Maybe I have been gone for too long." He sighed.

Roman subconsciously pulled Solo closer to his chest and his little cousin buried his face in Roman's shoulder. He could tell the small boy was nervous around the stranger and Roman didn't blame him. After all, he was scared too. But the man approached him, kneeling in front of the boys with a smile on his face, a smile Roman couldn't trust.

"Look, you don't have to be nervous. My name's Paul, I'm one of the foster parents that chips in when I can." Paul instructed himself, holding out his hand,"And you are?"

Roman swallowed, slowly looking at Paul's hand before he shook it,'Roman."

"Roman." Paul nodded as he studied him,"And who's this?"

"Solo, my brother." Roman answered, protectively cradling the back of Solo's head with his free hand.

"Well, it is a pleasure meeting you both." Paul told them.

"Paul." Hunter called to him, leaning out of his office,"You needed to talk, I'm in here."

"Oh, of course." Paul hummed as he stood up straight, looking down at Roman,"I just want to say, young man, you have a lot of potential."

And like that, Paul turned and walked towards Hunter and Shawn's office. Roman shook his head, holding Solo as close as he could to him, rubbing his back and trying to soothe both of them. He didn't trust Paul and was starting to get worried that he might try and take him from his family, his brothers. But that wasn't the only thing. An excited Punk had heard Paul's voice and darted out to see him.. Only to see Paul with Roman, smiling and offering the same praises that had once been offered to him.

"Phil.." Sami put a hand on his shoulder,"Is everything-"

But Punk shook his hand off,"No- I'm fine."

"Fine?" Sami crossed his arms,"Really?"

And Punk didn't have an answer, stubbornly trying to force out a response that he was 'Just fine' and that he 'Wasn't hurt'. But he was hurt. And Punk knew it wasn't Roman's fault. Hell, the kid looked genuinely scared of Paul and was wary of his presence but.. Punk was angry and he just.. He could feel a sob working up the back of his throat. Sami sighed, pulling Punk into a hug as he broke down, clinging onto tightly.. Punk was usually so good at not caring, or at least acting like he didn't care about what people felt about him or what he felt but.. What he needed now was a hug and to let it all out.

Chapter Text

"There's my boy." Sheamus grinned, hugging Drew from behind.

Drew attempted to let out a groan of annoyance, but he couldn't hide the grin on his face as his Irish friend wrapped his arms around him. Though he'd never admit it out loud, Sheamus was the stronger of the two, slightly taller too. And hey, even though Sheamus was easily irritable and a bit of an asshole, he was always incredibly sweet with Drew, even id they had their play fights.

"Your boy?" Drew mumbled.

"Are you not my boy?" Sheamus asked, a slight pout on his face,"My best mate?"

"I'm kidding, Shaunessy." Drew shook his head, his smile now undeniable.

Sheamus let out a small huff of.. Well, Drew was sure it was in approval and Sheamus buried his face in Drew's neck. From this action alone, Drew assumed Sheamus had been in a fight before they'd met up, it was the most blatant, tell-tale sign that he'd gotten into bother. Sheamus, while Drew poked fun at him for his clinginess in general, was always more clingy and affectionate after a fight.

"Go on, who'd you hit?" Drew asked him,"Hm?"

"No one.." Sheamus mumbled into his shoulder.

"Sheamus." Drew warned him,"Who did you fight?"

"I don't know his name.. John something, I don't know." Sheamus admitted,"But you didn't answer my calls all weekend and when he asked me about stuff I just.."

"Sorry, I've been.. Busy." Drew told him.

"Busy watching for Phil?" Sheamus raised a brow.

"Wh- No!" Drew quickly stammered out,"Well, yes- But that's so we can fight."

Exactly. Whenever Drew saw Phil or Punk or whatever he wanted to call himself, they got into a tussle. Punk tended to use his words while Drew much preferred letting things get physical. He'd try and put out his cigarettes on him or throw him around a little, the usual, but last time.. It made Drew feel strange. With Punk pressed up against the wall, his hot breath on his neck..

"You could've been hanging out with me, y'know." Sheamus commented,"I had to invite out Wade yesterday-"

"Wade? You invited Wade?" Drew turned to him, nudging Sheamus off him.

"Oh, see- There's a bloody reaction." Sheamus crossed his arms and looked away,"I only asked him because you had been patching me."

"Patch- Sheamus, I was gonna answer you back." Drew sighed.

"But you didn't, still haven't." Sheamus pointed out.

And Drew sighed. God, they both sounded like jealous ex-girlfriends. Sheamus.. Drew didn't think Sheamus was the jealous type, but clearly his best didn't think too highly of his confusing feelings for Punk. And Drew didn't take too kindly to Sheamus' new friendship with Wade. Because Wade was a prick. And English. An English prick, how much worse could he get? But, looking back at Sheamus now, properly looking at him.. Drew could see the aftermath of his fighting. Bruises on his face and arms, a busted lip..

"If you're here for Punk, I'll just go." Sheamus swallowed, trying to turn away,"You're clearly desperate to see him."

"Sheamus- Hey, look at me." Drew grabbed his arm.

And Sheamus tried, not really, to pull his arm free,"Drew, I-"

"Sheamus, I know things with Punk and I are.. Weird right now, its complicated and I need to see him to figure it out but.. You're still my best friend." Drew told him.

And while Sheamus did smile slightly after that, Drew noticed that it didn't fully reach his eyes. Sheamus was.. Holding back again. It was something he noticed that his friend tended to do, but he didn't know why this time. Sheamus was like an open book to Drew, they told each other practically everything. He had nothing to hide.. Right?

"Come here, you big baby." Drew held his arms open.

"Shut up.." Sheamus muttered as he sank into Drew's arms, squeezing him tightly.

"You don't mean that." Drew teased, ruffling Sheamus' hair.

"..You're right." Sheamus huffed,"I've missed hearing you."

"You're being all mushy. Did John kick your ass that hard?" Drew raised a brow.

"Drew." Sheamus rolled his eyes.

"Is that a yes?" Drew smirked.

"No.." Sheamus mumbled.

"He did!" Drew just barely held back a laugh,"Aw, Sheamus.."

Sheamus seemed a little annoyed by his teasing, but never pushed Drew away. Typically, Sheamus would shove him or argue back but.. He didn't. This was honestly one of the longest hugs the pair had exchanged. It was.. Nice. For a moment, Drew completely forgot about Punk, his attention solely on his best friend. Although, when they did part, Drew patted Sheamus' shoulder and they began walking off together. Where to? Drew didn't know. As they walked away from the park, Drew glanced back at the shelter one last time.

Punk.. How long had it been since Drew saw him last? A week? Two weeks? Surely it hadn't been a month, right? Surely.. It was weird not seeing Punk outside the shelter in so long and it felt like he was being avoided at school too. Drew wasn't sure he liked it, but he chose to stay quiet for once as he walked with Sheamus. And.. Sheamus held out a cigarette to him, one that Drew gladly accepted.

"Got a light with you too?" Drew asked.

"Always." Sheamus hummed as he pulled it out of his pocket,"Your dad take yours again?"

"Yes!" Drew groaned,"Just because he needed it, like, so I do."

"I know what you mean." Sheamus sighed as he lit his cigarette,"It's why I've always got a spare."

"Smart.. You aren't known for that." Drew smirked.

"I am so." Sheamus nudged his ribs.

Drew rolled his eyes,"Are we going back to mine? If so, I'm going to fix up your face."

"My face looks fine." Sheamus sighed.

"Your mum's gonna fuss over that black eye and busted lip if you don't let me take care of it." Drew reminded him.

"Fine.. Just be gentle." Sheamus pointed,"Not like last time."

"It's not my fault that it stings, big man. You shouldn't have cut yourself open on the pavement." Drew countered.

And while Sheamus grumbled, he didn't refuse care. He knew he needed it and didn't want his family to worry. While his dad could be tough on him, he wasn't a bad person and Sheamus knew that and.. They didn't need to be worried about him and his problems. He and Drew could handle it on their own. And.. Sheamus liked when Drew was the one to help him, even if he wouldn't admit it. Drew was usually so rough but when he was tending to Sheamus' injuries he was.. Gentle. Was it weird to want Drew to hold his hand? His face? Was.. Was it weird to hate being called his 'best friend'? Because that's what they were, right? Just best friends..

Though, there was a reason Drew hadn't seen Punk that day. He was planning on heading out but, well, after the whole Paul situation Punk spent the next few days in his room. He just didn't want to see anyone else or do anything really. Why would he? The one person he thought would finally love him and treat him as a son.. Was trying to replace him with someone he considered a friend. But that wasn't Roman's fault. No.. It still hurt. Maybe Punk should've trusted Randy more, agreed that Paul was untrustworthy but- He was desperate. Punk wanted that father figure that Paul offered to be.

"Punk." Sami spoke softly, gently knocking on the door as he pushed it open.

"Not now, Sami." Punk sighed, rolling over and looking away from the door.

"It's not just Sami, Phil." Shawn informed him, arms crossed.

"Shawn-" Punk sat up quickly.

"We're worried about you, kid." Shawn sighed as he walked in,"We've not seen you out and about in a while."

"Just.. It's been a bad couple days." Punk rubbed his eyes.

"Well, do you need to talk to anyone?" Shawn asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"No.." Punk looked down.

"He's been upset since that guy came." Sami blurted out.

"Sami-" Punk looked to him.

"Paul?" Shawn furrowed his brow,"What happened with Paul?"

Punk bit his cheek,"..Because he came here and.. He left without even checking in on me."

"I know you'd been excited for him to come back, buddy." Shawn nodded, rubbing his back.

Punk felt himself subconsciously leaning against Shawn's side as the older man comforted him. Damnit.. Punk could feel another sob building in the back of his throat and bit down hard on his lower lip to silence himself. But Shawn could feel him shaking, could see the tears filling his eyes and knelt down to pull him into a hug. But before he could, there was a crash in the main room and Shawn almost immediately turned. He felt Punk tense and freeze under his touch and Sami looked scared too..

"You boys stay here." Shawn pointed as he stood up.

"Shawn-" Punk forced out, quickly grabbing his hand.

"I'm just trying to keep you boys safe, okay?" Shawn told him,"I'll come back and.."

But Punk looked.. For lack of a better word, awful. His eyes were filled with unshed tears, his hair strangely unkempt and he was shaking. It would be best if Shawn made him stay, but.. Punk needed him. So against his better judgement, Shawn allowed Punk to follow him out into the lobby, holding hands tightly. That's when the pair found him. Shawn wasn't sure who the stranger was, but he was swaying on unsteady feet. He also quickly found out what caused the crash, noticing a smashed potted plant that he'd clearly knocked over.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Shawn spoke firmly, stepping forward and letting Punk lingwr behind him.

As Shawn approached the larger man, he paused. The smell of alcohol was almost overwhelming and it made him feel ill. Shawn hated to think what Punk was feeling, knowing the smell definitely upset him.

"You.. Where's my fucking kid?" The man slurred, grabbing Shawn to stabilize himself,"I know.. He's here."

"Sir, I can't have you in here drunk." Shawn shook his head, trying to stay calm.

"Where's- Phil. Where is Phil?" The man snapped.

Of course, Phil's dad. Shawn didn't dare glance behind him and risk giving away Phil and instead, stood his ground. This man, a man who dared to harm his own son, was not getting anywhere near Punk. Not on Shawn's watch.

"We don't have a Phil here at the shelter." Shawn stated.

"Bullshit!" Punk's dad yelled,"Now tell me where he is.. Before I break you."

"I don't know where your son is." Shawn insisted,"Look-"

But Punk's dad didn't seem to care for Shawn's words anymore, shoving him back against the front desk. Shawn winced as his back hit hard, hoping the commotion didn't alert any-

"Hey-" Yelled a little voice.

No.. No- No, no, no! Don't be- But of course it was. JD hurried out in front of Shawn, holding his arms out and trying to protect Shawn. Despite looking so skinny and almost frail, JD stood unwavering in front of Phil's dad.

"Don't touch my dad." JD warned him.

"Jordan-" Shawn forced out.

"Your dad, huh?" Punk's dad bent down slightly, a crooked smirk on his face.

"Leave him alone you.. You big bully." JD forced out.

Yet before Punk's dad could laugh at him, the cavalry arrived for Shawn in the form of Hunter, Randy and Kross. Kross and Randy hurried to the aid of Shawn and JD while Hunter.. Well, he was already glaring at Punk's dad.

"Shawn- Did he hurt you?" Randy questioned.

"I'm fine, Randy." Shawn insisted.

"He's a bully, Randy." JD grabbed onto Randy's arm.

"Yeah.. He is, isn't he?" Kross agreed, placing a protective hand on JD's shoulder,"But Hunter's going to make sure he's taken care of."

And they all turned to Hunter and realized.. That was probably true. He was quickly in front of Punk's dad, expression cold despite the anger he was clearly exerting.

"You put your hands on my husband." Hunter spat.

"Kill him, Hunter!" Randy yelled.

"Randy." Shawn gave him a look.

"What- I'm just saying." Randy shrugged.

But Randy wasn't just saying. He wanted Hunter to absolutely annihilate this asshole. But Hunter was 'responsible' and dragged him outside before he did anything. Shawn sighed, immediately looking to Punk. He was quiet, trembling..

"Phil.." Shawn's expression softened.

But Punk sniffled, struggling to force back tears,"..I.."

"Phil- Sorry, Shawn said to stay and-" Sami rambled as he walked out.

But Punk turned and hugged him, letting his tears fall as he broke down. Sami was quick to pull him close as Punk practically clung to him. He hated this, hated feeling like this.. Terrified. His dad found him- He found him and threatened to hurt the people protecting him. Would Shawn.. Or Hunter- Would they get rid of him to protect the other kids? But before Punk could spiral further, Shawn knelt beside the pair and hugged them.

"Hey.. You're okay, Phil. This isn't your fault." Shawn told him.

"Shawn.. Shawn, I-" Punk forced out.

"Shh.. I know, I know." Shawn rubbed his back.

"I'm sorry.." Punk cried,"Really- I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Shawn shook his head, easing Phil into his arms as they sat on the ground,"He can't hurt you anymore."

"He- But what if-" Punk stammered.

"I'll protect you. I always will." Shawn told him,"When you came to the shelter, you became one of my kids, remember?"

"Mhm." Punk nodded slowly.

"That means, its my job to look after you." Shawn kissed the top of his head.

Punk nodded, resting his head on Shawn's shoulder as he sniffled. Sami was more than happy to join the hug and JD just wanted to cuddle Shawn but.. Punk felt warm. Safe. He was.. Safe. Shawn.. Punk trusted Shawn to keep him safe and- Only then did Punk feel his stomach growl. He didn't realize how hungry he was, hed forgotten that he'd neglected eating while he was sulking and.. Wow- Okay, he was hungry.

"How about I go make us something to eat, hm? Some soup, maybe?" Shawn suggested.

"Your soup is great, Shawn." Randy hummed.

"Thanks Shawn.." Punk smiled softly.

"Of course, Phil." Shawn ruffled his hair,"I don't let my kids go hungry."

Sami chuckled,"Oh, I know."

"Shawn.. I-" Punk hesitated before hugging onto him again,"I love you."

And Shawn hesitated before smiling too, rubbing his back,"I love you too, kiddo."

Chapter Text

"Dad- Dad!" JD grabbed onto Shawn's hand, tugging on it excitedly.

"Woah, Jordan. What is it?" Shawn asked, barely able to hold back a chuckle.

"Bikes." JD grinned.

"Yeah- Uncle Shawn." Dominik nodded quickly as be hurried over to the pair,"Can we ride the bikes?"

Shawn hummed, ruffling Dominik's hair,"Of course you can. Do you just want to ride them in the backyard?"

"Damian said he'd come and watch us." Dominik nodded again.

"Well, as long as you boys wear your helmets I've got no issues letting you play with Damian." Shawn told them.

"Thanks, dad." JD smiled.

Shawn couldn't resist smiling, absolutely adoring it when JD, or any of the kids really, called him dad. Yes. He was their dad, their protector, their caregiver.. It just felt so nice hearing it out loud. And so Shawn went out to the shed and grabbed two of the bikes, unintentionally getting the attention of a few other kids. In the end, he ended up with two groups of kids. Dominik, JD and the Usos wanted to ride around in the backyard for a bit, supervised by Damian and Kross while Seth, Jon and Roman ventured out to the neighborhood, supervised by Randy. No issues... Except for one.

"Jon." Shawn sighed.

"Come on, Shawn. I don't need a helmet." Jon groaned.

Roman had already put on his helmet, rolling his eyes at the antics of Jon as he helped the Usos put on their helmets. Safety first. Always.

"Jon- You're not going out there without a helmet on." Shawn crossed his arms,"You know that's final."

"I'll be fine." Jon insisted.

"Hey, dumbass." Seth nudged his ribs.

"Wh- Hey." Jon snapped back at him.

But Seth was nodding to the kids watching, the impressionable kids that.. Unfortunately looked up to him. Jon despised it. No kid should want to be like him, he didn't want any of them turning out like he did but.. Well, when he saw Dominik looking between him and the helmet, thinking..

"I think its stupid too, trust me." Seth told him quietly,"But the littles look up to us. We have to set a good example."

"You're right." Jon sighed.

"Thank you." Seth hummed, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Jon went to stammer our a response but went quiet, clearing his throat as he put his helmet on. He could feel Seth smirking but said nothing, glancing back to Dominik who he watched put on his own helmet. Good. Roman walked up behind him, patting his shoulder and Jon let out a dissatisfied huff which made the other two giggle. Damian and Kross happily lead their group outside while Randy did the same with his, although Damian did have a few minor issues with Dominik.

"You've been riding for a long time, hombrecito." Damian hummed,"Are you sure you don't want to try without the training wheels?"

"I'm sure." Dominik nodded.

"JD's giving it a go." Damian pointed out.

And it was true. JD had been riding bikes for less time than Dominik, purely because he didn't have one at home and only really started learning until he'd reached the shelter. Although Kross was supporting the bicycle as JD attempted his first go without training wheels, with Finn watching on from the doorway as he worked on his homework. Dominik on the other hand.. Wasn't too keen.

"I'm just gonna fall." Dominik mumbled.

"So? If you fall, I'll be right there to catch you." Damian assured him.

Dominik still didn't look convinced, leaning against Damian's side as the older boy rubbed his side. Damian knew he would be able to convince Dominik eventually but.. As JD began biking around in a little circle without the assistance of Kross, the older teen approached and knelt in front of the pair, placing a hand on Dominik's shoulder.

"Hey, bud, what's up?" Kross raised a brow,"You seemed so excited to ride your bike with Jordan."

"Mm.." Dominik looked off to the side.

"Are you nervous?" Kross asked him.

"..I've never tried without training wheels." Dominik bit his cheek,"Everyone can do it, even JD.. I don't want them to laugh at me."

"Dom." Damian sighed softly.

And Kross offered him a smile,"They won't laugh, I promise. Even if you just try it with me then you can put those training wheels back on. How does that sound?"

Dominik seemed to think on it before nodding slowly,"Okay.."

"I'll be right here watching with Finn, okay? You'll do just fine." Damian told him.

"Dom!" JD called to him, slowly peddling over to him,"Come on- Come on!"

"I'm coming." Dominik told him as he approached the bike.

Kross, with the help of a spanner and his arms, removed the training wheels from the bicycle and held it steady for Dominik. He hesitated but looked to JD and the twins, the latter who had stopped what they were doing to watch and cheer him on. Dominik looked back at Damian who offered him a thumbs up and a smile before he climbed onto the bike, gripping the handlebars tightly.

"You promise I'll be okay?" Dominik asked quietly.

"I promise." Kross nodded.

And like that, Dominik began to peddle ever so slightly forward. Kross didn't let go. Dominik's breathing was shaky and shallow as he continued, his hands almost trembling as he gripped the handlebars. And as Dominik began to sail ahead, Kross let go and grinned as he watched Dominik peddling on his own, though he did still walk after the bike to catch Dominik if he did happen to tumble.

"You're doing it!" JD clapped,"Dami- Look!"

"I'm looking." Damian chuckled.

"I'm.. I'm doing it?" Dominik blinked,"I'm doing it!"

Although, Dominik did promptly steer himself straight into the fence, loosing balance and falling off the bicycle... Into Kross' arms.

"Well.. I'd say you made it pretty far for a first go." Kross told him,"Just need to work on that steering."

"I.. I did it." Dominik breathed out.

"Nice on, Uce." Jimmy called to him.

"Yeah, maybe once you've had a bit more practice, we could have a race." Jey suggested.

And Dominik smiled,"That sounds cool."

"I'd beat you." Jimmy looked to Jey.

"Shut up." Jey rolled his eyes.

"It's true." Jimmy teased.

"Boys." Kross gave them a look.

"Wh- Come on, it was him." Jey huffed.

"Sorry, Mr Kross.." Jimmy mumbled.

"Don't be sorry to me, be sorry to your brother." Kross told him.

"..Sorry, Jey." Jimmy sighed.

But Jey patted his back,"Nah, it's cool."

And for those four, everything else seemed to go well, with Dominik excited to try going again with less support from Kross. Randy's group though.. They had a different surprise coming their way. Shawn said they could only ride in front of the shelter or up and down the street as long as Randy was present but.. Well, Randy was clearly dealing with something. All three boys could tell that something was one his mind so they made a deal. Randy could wait for them just a bit outside of the shelter and they'd ride up the street, have a little peddle around where they were just out of sight but could still hear Randy and then peddle back to him. Then repeat. Randy agreed quite quickly, just needing some time to sit outside and think.. Something Seth thought was unusual for Randy. Thinking.

"Why are you so fast?" Seth groaned as he peddled over to Roman.

And Roman shrugged,"I'm just.. Fast."

"It's those calf muscles." Jon insisted, joining the trio last,"Come on, look at those. He's genetically gifted."

"Gifted?" Roman snickered.

"Exactly." Jon pointed,"You're born for athletics. But Seth? No, his knees start cracking after he walks up a flight of stairs."

"I gave you a kiss earlier and this is how you repay me?" Seth crossed his arms.

"Yep." Jon hummed,"Because I speak the truth. It's not my fault you've got grandpa knees."

"Grandpa knees?" Seth scoffed.

By this point, Roman was laughing yet trying to hold it back,"Jon- Come on, be nice."

"You can't even say that with a straight face, because you know it's true." Jon told him.

"Joseph?" Came a voice unfamiliar to Seth and Jon, yet all too familiar to Roman.

Roman froze at the sound of the voice, shoulders tense as he looked back. Seth and Jon turned to look at the man, a larger man with dyed blond hair, and then to Roman. Roman.. His face was hard to read. It looked like a mix of fear but also unbridled rage, a strange combination that just seemed to fit Roman's face.

"Uncle Kishi." Roman nodded, his voice firm and oddly low.

"Joe- Where have you been?" Rikishi asked, brow furrowed,"You and the boys have just been gone."

"They're safe now." Roman answered.

"Roman. Where are my boys?" Rikishi questioned.

"They aren't your boys. They're my boys." Roman swallowed,"And they're all doing a lot better without you there."

"Really now?" Rikishi took a step forward, raising his voice slightly.

But before he could get within grabbing distance, Roman was gone. He just started biking straight back to the shelter like an absolute speed demon, gone in the blink of an eye. Maybe it wasn't all genetics and.. Maybe it was moreso a lifetime of running away that garnered Roman his speed. And, not wanting to stick around with Rikishi much longer than they needed to, Seth and Jon biked back to the shelter as quickly as they could, ditching their bikes outside as they hurried into the shelter, a worried Randy just behind them. But by the time they arrived, their bedroom door had slammed shut. Roman..

Seth was the first to try, knocking on the door,"Roman? You okay?"

No response. Seth tried fiddling with the doorknob but the door had been locked. Dammit..

"Roman." Jon walked up an knocked as well,"You need me to go fight that guy? I can slash his tyres."

"Jon." Seth looked back at him.

"Right- Sorry. I'll key the sides too." Jon offered.

But still, nothing. Both boys were confused, but mainly concerned. Roman was very good at not telling them details. For example, Roman told them the twins were hurt by their dad when he first arrived and that he thought Solo was asleep when it happened. But Roman never went into any more details than that. He may have mentioned Rikishi being drunk, but no mentions of if he drank frequently. Neither could blame him, both keeping details of their own home lives private unless they had to but.. It made moments like this harder.

"Hey.. Take as much time as you need, kid." Randy spoke through the door,"I'll make sure to bring you some food later if you're still in there."

Considering how Randy used to act like and sometimes what he still acted like, it was weird to see him being.. Nice. Of course, he had his moments of protectiveness, but those were mostly saved for Cody. Then again, Randy did get involved when Seth's dad was an issue. He may have been spoiled and a bit of a brat with anger issues.. But he was getting better.

And that wasn't the only.. Surprise that evening. While most were either outside biking or spending time on their own, reading or doing crafts.. Punk was sneaking out. He didn't exactly need to sneak since everyone was distracted, but he did it anyway. Punk crept outside and made his way down the road and through into an alleyway, knowing he would be there. Drew. And Punk was proven right as he caught sight of the Scottish teen, a cigarette half-smoked in his hand. Though.. Drew cleared his throat and put the cigarette out at the sight of him, stamping it into the ground.

"Andrew." Punk swallowed.

"Phillip." Drew nodded.

"We.. I just- We need to talk." Punk stated, sticking his hands in his pockets.

And Drew nodded slowly, rubbing the back of his neck,"Yeah.. Talk."

Chapter Text

"Roman." Seth rested against the door, trailing his fingers down the lines of the wood,"You can come out, it's okay."

"It's not okay!' Roman snapped back.

And Seth straightened, blinking as he stared back at the door. He, Jon and Randy had been trying to get Roman out of their room for the past fifteen minutes and this was first they'd heard his voice. Seth.. Didn't actually expect Roman to yell, weirdly enough. Even when they weren't getting along, Roman never loudly or aggressively asserted himself. His anger was quiet, subdued as it bubbled beneath the surface. And.. This didnt feel like anger.

"If you don't come out, we'll have to get Hunter and Shawn." Jon warned him.

Though it wasn't malicious. Jon was concerned and more than willing to get Hunter or Shawn or both if he needed.. Jon didn't think Roman would destroy their room or try and hurt them, but he was worried his friend might try and hurt himself. He was scared and had locked himself in, Jon knew what happened when some kids did that..

"You hear me in there?" Jon knocked on the door.

"Jon." Randy sighed.

"Roman, you better be-" Jon fiddled with the doorknob until Randy pushed him back.

And Jon went quiet, his typical attitude.. Gone. He huffed, looking away from Randy and crossing his arms. He was just trying to help.. But Randy placed a hand on his shoulder, something that made Jon bite his cheek and grip his arms tight.

"Jon, I know you're just trying to help, but Roman doesn't need to hear that right now.' Randy told him.

"Like you know what he needs." Jon scoffed.

Randy shook his head,"Look, Jon, I'm not perfect. Far from it actually, but.. Roman's upset and this clearly isn't working, is it?"

"It's.. Weird seeing you have normal thoughts." Seth blinked.

"I'll keep trying to get him out, calm him down.. You two should go outside, try and take a breather." Randy instructed.

"Only if you tell us when he comes out." Seth pointed quickly before Jon could interject.

"I will." Randy nodded.

Despite Jon's attempts at protesting this decision, Seth lead him outside. Randy was seriously just debating going and getting Shawn or Hunter to help Roman, knowing he wasn't suited for this. But Randy was going to try. He could be.. Empathetic and good with emotional kids that weren't Cody, just like Kross. So Randy leaned in close, pressing his ear up against the wood to hear.. The smothered sounds of Roman crying. He wasn't sobbing hard, no, but he was sniffling and letting out the occasional whimper, all muffled by either his sleeves or maybe a pillow? Randy couldn't be sure.

"Hey, kid.. It's just us right now." Randy told him,"You wanna tell me what's up?"

"G-go away.." Roman forced out, his voice breaking with just those few words.

"Look, I'm not going to force you to come out of there." Randy assured him,"But we're worried about you."

Roman didn't respond to him that time and so Randy shook his head, making his way to Hunter and Shawn's office. Though, before Randy could get one of the responsible adults to handle things, Solo wandered right up to the door. He drew a picture for Roman and wanted to show him. That, and Solo just wanted to see Roman. They were really close and, well, Solo loved Roman. He may have been his cousin but he acted like a third big brother, someone who made Solo and the Usos feel safe for once in their lives.

"Roman." Solo called to him, trying and failing to open to door,"Ro?"

"Not now, Solo.." Roman forced out, trying not to let on that he'd been or was still crying.

"Got you picture." Solo told him, gently tapping the door with his hand.

"Show t-the twins." Roman told him,"Just go away.."

"Oh." Solo blinked,"Okay."

Solo bit down on his lower lip and tried to go find the twins, making it to their room before he began to cry. Unfortunately for Solo, neither Jimmy or Jey was in the room. They were helping Kross put away the bikes. However, Sami was just finishing up folding their laundry because the Usos didn't do a great job when Solo entered. He turned quickly at the sound of him crying and was soon at his side, rubbing his back.

"Solo- Are you okay?" Sami asked as he held the boy close,"What's wrong?"

But Solo couldn't answer, choked up by his sobs. His breathing was shaky and uneven, and Sami was struggling to keep him from spiraling into a full-blown panic attack. He held him and did his best to soothe the boy, but it was no use. Thankfully, the Usos showed up within a couple minutes and were immediately at Solo's side once they heard crying from inside the room. By that point, Solo had calmed down enough to get a few words out, but he still seemed devastated by whatever caused this.

"What happened, Solo?" Jey asked as Solo clung onto him and Jimmy, his picture on the ground forgotten and the edge crumpled from where he was clutching it tightly.

"Ro.." Solo cried, his face buried in Jimmy's shirt.

"Roman- What happened with Roman?" Jimmy questioned.

"H-hates me- He.. He.." Solo choked back a sob.

"Roman doesn't hate you, baby bro." Jimmy assured him,"I promise."

"..Does." Solo sniffled.

"Did he say anything to you?" Jey tilted his head.

"Mm.. I-I wanted to.. Show him." Solo pointed to his picture with shaky hands,"He said t-to go away.."

"That's.." Jey blinked,"That's not like Roman."

"Not at all." Jimmy agreed,"Sami, can-"

"Already on it.' Sami quickly nodded as he left the room.

As he was coming out of the room, Sami saw just who he needed to see. Hunter and Shawn, both leaving their office with Randy.. Leading them to Roman's room. Sami swallowed, clearly the Roman situation was bigger than he initially thought.. But he managed to snap himself out of his thoughts, making his way over to the pair and grabbing onto Shawn's arm.

"Sami, what are you-" Shawn began.

But Sami stopped him,"It's Solo. I think it has something to do with the Roman situation.."

"Alright." Shawn nodded slowly, glancing back at Hunter and nodding for him to go on before turning back to Sami,"What's wrong with Solo, hm?"

"He's crying and he's convinced Roman hates him." Sami explained,"Is.. Is Roman okay?"

Shawn sighed,"I.. Don't know yet. Hunter's going to try and get him out of his room."

Sami nodded before leading Shawn to Solo, still sniffling and trying to hold back his tears. Poor thing.. But Shawn knelt by the boys and held his arms open. In truth, he didn't expect Solo to seek comfort from him, no, that was usually reserved for Roman or the twins and, sometimes, even Sami. But this time was different. Solo looked at Shawn, looking him over as he struggled to regain control of his breathing before slowly walking over to him, letting Shawn embrace him.

"Hey, little buddy.. Sami told me that you're a little upset." Shawn hummed, rubbing his back,"Everything alright?"

Solo didn't answer, so Jey did for him,"He keeps saying Roman hates him.. But he doesn't- He can't.'

"B-but-" Solo looked back at him.

"Your brother is right, Solo. Roman doesn't hate you." Shawn assured him.

"He never says go away.." Solo mumbled.

"I know, but Roman's had.. From what I can hear, a bad day." Shawn began to explain,"He saw-"

"Saw who?" Jimmy questioned.

"Your father." Shawn bit his cheek,"From what Seth told me, he kept asking about you boys, but Roman refused to tell him anything and he bikes back as fast as he could before he could be grabbed."

"Dad.." Jimmy swallowed.

"He doesn't know where we are.. R-right?" Jey looked immediately to his twin, trying to hide how his voice shook.

"Da..?" Solo shrunk in Shawn's arms.

"Don't worry, boys. You're safe here." Shawn looked around at them all, cradling Solo in his arms,"Nobody can hurt you anymore."

"Mm... Promise?" Solo looked up at him, eyes still teary.

"I promise." Shawn told them, a small smile on his face.

Shawn ended up sat on the floor with Solo curled up in his arms and both Jimmy and Jey snuggled against his sides. And he continued speaking to them as they cuddled him, with Sami eventually joining too. All of his kids were safe with him around.. And Hunter was going to make sure Roman was okay too. Like Ramdy explained, the door was locked but.. Hunter had the key that opened the doors, for safety reasons like if one of their kids tried to.. Well, anyway, Hunter first knocked on the door.

"Roman." Hunter called to him,"Are you alright in there?"

"Why won't everyone just leave me alone!?" Roman yelled back.

"Roman, I'm coming in.. Okay?" Hunter warned him before slowly turning the key.

They knew he was at least conscious, but Randy still had his eyes closed as the door opened, only opening them slowly.. To find that the room was fine. No damage. Of course they didn't hear anything being broken but.. And then they saw him. Curled up in a ball at the foot of his bed was Roman. His body was physically trembling, his hair covering his face and his hands held tightly over his ears.

Hunter sighed and knelt close by Roman,"Roman.. I heard you met your uncle."

'He's here- I know he's here." Roman quickly shook his head,"W-We have to move."

"He's not here, Roman. He didn't follow you." Hunter told him.

"He did!" Roman finally looked up at him, his puffy eyes and tear-stained face visible,"He's gonna come for us- And- And we have to move and-"

"Shh.." Hunter pulled Roman close.

Roman panicked, initially trying to break away before realizing he was.. Safe. Hunter's arms were large and enveloped his entire body. Despite the urge to pull away, Roman couldn't stop himself from sinking into Hunter's arms and just.. Bawling. He just wanted to keep his cousins safe and he just felt like.. He was failing them. He was their protector. Some protector he was..

"Let it all out, kid." Hunter whispered as he continued to soothe him.

"I'm- Hunter, I'm sorry.." Roman sobbed.

"You don't need to be sorry, not for this." Hunter told him,"You're just a kid, remember?"

"But-" Roman tried.

"But nothing." Randy stopped him,"You're a kid, Roman. You may have taken on a lot of responsibilities, but at the end of the day.. You need taken care of too."

"I mean-" Roman began slowly.

"Roman!"

Hunter just barely released a still teary-eyed Roman before Solo threw himself into Roman's arms, fitting in quite comfortably. Roman immediately held him close, kissing the top of his head.

"Solo.." Roman smiled softly.

"You.." Solo looked up at him,"No hate me?"

"No- Little Joe, I could never." Roman quickly shook his head,"I just.. I needed a little space. I'm sorry."

But Solo seemed to have already forgiven him, snuggling against his chest as Roman held him tightly. No. He could never hate his baby cousin. Never. He hated that he made him feel like that way, but silently promised to never repeat that mistake again. And.. Even now, Roman could hear him, his brother, his voice.. A comforting voice within his mind. He missed him dearly but, well, Matt was never truly gone. No. Because he lived eternally in Roman's heart, his big brother, his protector..

Chapter Text

"Dom!"

It was that familiar voice that snapped Dominik out of his thoughts. He was just outside thinking when he heard it, her her. Rhea. Dominik swallowed and looked up, almost immediately smiling when he caught sight of his friend- He couldn't help it! But.. Rhea wasn't smiling for once, didn't look like she was plotting anything mischievous. No. Rhea looked.. Worried, almost, and that was making Dominik worried too.

"Rhea, is everything okay?" Dominik asked her, standing up.

And Rhea bit her cheek,"..Anyone's allowed to stay here at the shelter, right?"

"Of course. Is everything okay?" Dominik questioned.

Rhea didn't answer. She looked behind her before hugging Dominik tightly and.. Dominik tensed, not expecting the sudden affection before he returned the embrace. He held his friend close and only let go when she did, quickly rubbing her eyes. Dominik was now concerned because he'd never seen his friend like this, so upset and he just.. Wished he could make it better.

"Things are just.. A little stressful at home and my sisters and I needed to get away." Rhea explained.

"Sisters.. You've never mentioned them before." Dominik shook his head.

Rhea sighed,"Well, they're my half sisters. It's a long story involving my mum's first boyfriend who she's back to seeing again.. While with my dad."

"Oh." Dominik blinked.

"I know." Rhea hummed,"Guys- You can come out, Dom said we can stay."

Dominik stayed stood still as the other two girls walked around the corner. One, he presumed to be the oldest, was taller than Rhea and himself with long dark hair. Even now, she seemed to be judging him, assessing him and gathered she was closer to Damian's age and very protective as she held the hand of the younger girl. He assumed she was the baby of the trio, looking visibly a lot more like Raquel than Rhea which.. Yeah, half sisters made sense. And she was so small- Like, maybe a little bigger than Lee? In other words, very easy to scoop up.

"Dom, this is Raquel and this is Roxanne." Rhea introduced them,"Girls, this is my friend, Dominik."

"Friend, huh?" Raquel looked him over.

"He's nice, I promise." Rhea insisted as she took Dominik's hand,"He's a big sweetheart."

"We'll see about that." Raquel nodded, refusing to take her eyes off Dominik for even a second,"What do you think, Roxy?"

But Roxanne was still quiet, watching Dominik with her head tilted to the side. Curious, but smiley. She just.. Reminded him of Lee, how much he missed him. And Santos- But Dominik's thoughts were almost immediately interrupted by another hug from Rhea, one which he happily accepted despite the glare he received from Raquel. Though Dominik was quick to wonder something else.. No other girls currently stayed at the shelter and he was just a little worried about how it would work. Still, once Rhea released him, Dominik lead her inside by the hand while the other two followed close behind.

"Dom- I see you've brought Rhea and.. Some more friends." Shawn hummed as he turned and saw Dominik with the three girls.

"Uncle Shawn, Rhea and her sisters need somewhere to stay for a bit." Dominik informed him,"Can they stay here? Please?"

"Dominik, what have I told you about the shelter?" Shawn raised a brow.

"..All kids are welcome." Dominik repeated quietly.

And Shawn ruffled his hair,"That's right, now-"

"Dom, can you come here for a minute?" Hunter called to him from his office.

"Oh-" Dominik quickly turned, looking between Rhea and the office.

"Dom, I'll be okay. That's probably important." Rhea told him.

Dominik nodded slowly,"I'll come see you as soon as I'm done."

Rhea offered him a small smile and Dominik had to swallow, already feeling himself start to blush. He could hear Rhea giggling to herself as he quickly dashed towards the office and he hoped Raquel seeing him like.. This proved he was totally a sweetheart. Waiting in the office, sat at his desk, was Hunter. He looked tired, worried.. Things he'd seen on the face of his Papá many times before. That's what worried Dominik, but he tried to remain as composed as possible.

"Uncle Hunter?" Dominik asked as he approached,"Is everything okay?"

Hunter paused before he spoke,"Eddie called today Dom, your Papi."

"Papi?" Dominik breathed out, his face almost immediately lighting up.

"Yeah." Hunter nodded,"He.. Well, he and Rey want to visit today."

Dominik gasped,"They do? They.. They want to come see me? Really?"

"Really." Hunter repeated as he got up and knelt in front of Dominik,"But Dom, I just want to remind you that if.. If something goes wrong, it is not your fault."

"Uncle Hunter, I know." Dominik sighed.

"I know you do, but it's very important that you know that." Hunter told him, placing his hand on Dominik's shoulder.

And Dominik smiled slightly, tilting his head so he was touching Hunter's hand with his cheek,"..Thank you."

"Hey, I've known you since you were a baby, Dom. Shawn and I care a lot about you, and I hate seeing you get hurt because of your parents." Hunter shook his head.

Dominik nodded and hugged Hunter, making himself very comfortable in his arms. He'd never really seen Hunter or Shawn is his dads, no, because he had two of those. He'd always viewed the pair as his Uncles.. But every day, Dominik began to feel like Hunter and Shawn acted more like dads than Eddie and Rey did. Dominik felt bad thinking that- Because he loved his Papi and his Papá, he loved them so much! So.. Why did he just want to stay here with Hunter?

Meanwhile, Shawn was getting things sorted for the three girls. He wanted them to feel safe and as comfortable as he could make them. The girls were given their own separate room, away from the boys, and he was helping them put away their things. They didn't seem to have a lot with them, just stuff they could fit into their backpacks, but if they needed anything, Shawn was more than willing to go out and get things like clothes or anything else, really.

"Shawn.. Do the doors lock?" Rhea asked him.

"They do." Shawn nodded, looking over at her,"Every single bedroom door is able to lock, but Hunter and I have a key that unlocks them all, in case of emergencies."

"Emergencies?" Raquel raised a brow.

"Well, I'm case someone locks the door accidently and can't get out." Shawn began,"Or.. Worst case scenario, we believe one of the kids is going to hurt themselves."

"Right." Raquel nodded slowly.

"Do you have any other concerns?" Shawn looked between them.

"What about food?" Raquel questioned.

"Well, we have breakfast, lunch and dinner all together, unless you aren't comfortable with that and you're welcome to snacks whenever you're hungry." Shawn told them,"Though please come and get one of us if you need help or need something cooked."

Shawn studied the girls as they talked, all seeming nervous about this. Raquel was the oldest, Shawn felt like her fear was similar to that of Roman's, wanting to protect. And Roxanne looked to be quite young, so she probably hadn't slept anywhere outside of her home, without the security of one or both parents. Rhea's fear was more subtle, harder to pick up on, but it was definitely still there. She'd been to the shelter many times before, though she'd never stayed the night and Shawn assumed that was probably making her nervous.

"If that's everything, I'll leave you three to get settled and I'll come get you when lunch is ready." Shawn hummed as he went to walk away.

"Wait!" Rhea quickly hurried to Shawn and grabbed his arm.

"Rhea?" Shawn turned, watching as her grip immediately lessened when he looked down at her,"Is everything okay?"

"..Thank you for letting us stay." Rhea responded quietly, eyes layered in on the ground.

And Shawn smiled softly,"Hey, we're here to help any kid who needs it for however long they need us for."

Rhea nodded and Shawn looked between the girls before he left. Now alone in their room, Rhea let out a soft sigh and walked over to Raquel, resting against her. Raquel didn't take her eyes off the door as he pulled Rhea in, rubbing her back. She only came here because Rhea wanted them to be safe and she was still very wary around these new people. For the most part Rhea trusted or at least knew the adults and other kids, but Raquel and Roxanne were strangers in this building.

"Are.. Raquel are you.. Angry at me?" Rhea asked quietly.

"No." Raquel stated.

"But-" Rhea began, but Raquel cut her off.

"I'm angry at mom and dad." Raquel told her,"My dad sucks- He was never there for us and I.. She shouldn't be getting back with him."

"I know." Rhea hugged her tighter.

"But I'll keep you safe, chiquita." Raquel assured her before looking to Roxanne,"Both of you."

But Roxanne was laying in her bed, clutching her stuffed bear close to her chest as she struggled to keep her eyes open. She was tired and both older girls knew that. Roxanne.. Was the reason Rhea decided to stay here for a few nights. Neither her or Raquel minded too much if arguing kept them awake, if it upset them.. But when Roxanne came to their room in the middle of the night, teary-eyed and unable to sleep, that's when Rhea knew they needed to get away.

"Hey, Roxy. You can sleep." Rhea told her, walking over and rubbing her side.

"Mm.. Rhea." Roxanne looked up at her, her voice strangely quiet,"Are they fighting because of me."

"No, Roxy. Its not because of you. Mum and dad just- They need to sort some things out and we can stay with my friends while they do that." Rhea explained.

"Friends.." Roxanne yawned,"Like your boyfriend?"

And Rhea's face almost immediately flushed,"No- He isn't my boyfriend. Just a friend, a good friend."

Roxanne giggled before managing to wiggle into Rhea's arms so she could fall asleep there, safe with her big sisters. Roxanne loved her sisters. Meanwhile, Dominik was waiting in the lobby area with Hunter, barely able to stand still as he rambled on about how excited he was. Damian occasionally waited with him all while Dominik tried to fight the last interaction he had with Rey. This time would be different, he was sure of it.. Dominik was sure. And finally, his parents arrived.

Rey, Dominik has seen most recently and not much had changed. But he was smiling and that was new, he hadn't smiled a lot recently. Then Eddie.. Dominik couldn't remember the last time he'd seen his Papi before coming to the shelter and he almost immediately ran into his arms, nuzzling his face against his chest. He'd missed his Papi, even down to what he smelled like. That's why Dominik liked wearing Eddie's old clothes, because for a while the smell of his Papi lingered in the fabric. Whenever he'd had a bad day, whether it was school or a problem at the shelter, Dominik would always pull on his Papi's hoodie as it soothed him and made him feel better.

"There's my mini me." Eddie grinned as he ruffled Dominik's mullet, sporting a mullet of his own,"Dominik, my boy."

"Papi." Dominik breathed out, so glad to finally be back in his arms.

"It's been a while, how have you been? Not causing too much trouble for your uncles, eh?" Eddie smirked.

"Nope. I've been good for Uncle Shawn and Uncle Hunter." Dominik stated proudly.

"How about we go talk in the visiting room that Hunter mentioned? Do you know where it is, Dom?" Rey looked to him.

"I do- Come on." Dominik was quick to grab both of their hands and lead them away.

The visiting room was small, a repurposed room that Shawn and Hunter weren't quite sure what to do with because of its size. So.. They added some chairs and a little coffee table, occasionally displaying artwork done by some of the kids inside too. It was just somewhere to give families some privacy so they didn't need to talk out in the lobby or in Hunter and Shawn's office, essentially if things soured. Dominik was just happy to have both his Papas with him, Eddie and Rey. No Lee though, so Dominik assumed he was with one of his many uncles or aunts.

"How have you been, Dom?" Rey asked him as they sat together.

"I've been good." Dominik hummed,"But I've missed you, both of you.. A lot."

"I know, mi hijo." Rey sighed softly,"But have you at least been having fun with your Uncles?"

Dominik bit his cheek before nodding,"Mhm. Oh- Yesterday, Kross took us outside and helped me ride a bike without training wheels!"

"Did he? Oh, mi hijo, I'm very proud of you." Rey smiled and offered him a hug, one that Dominik gladly accepted.

This was.. Nice. This is what Dominik had wanted for so long, not the shit version he got when Rey came along in the early morning hours. Dominik tried to pretend that didn't even happen. No. He told his dads everything. His friends, what he'd been doing at school, what he'd done at the shelter and even Rhea, which Eddie had a fun time teasing him for.

"Just like me already." Eddie mused,"Already a little ladies' man."

"Preferably just one lady at a time, Dom." Rey muttered.

"What's wrong with speaking to multiple ladies, Rey? If nothing's official, nothing counts." Eddie shrugged.

Rey sighed, trying to ignore Eddie,"And you're happy here, Dom?"

"Yeah, everyone's really nice." Dominik nodded.

"Good." Rey hummed,"And hey, maybe you could come back and stay with us for a-"

"You're gonna ignore me and then suggest that, Rey? Eddie questioned,"Seriously?"

"Eddie." Rey shook his head,"I just want Dominik to know that we haven't forgotten about him."

"Dom knows that." Eddie rolled his eyes, looking over at him.

Dominik felt himself physically shrink, knowing there was only one way this was going to end. He lowered his gaze, avoiding eye contact as he felt his palms start to sweat. Not here, not now. Please.. Rey seemed to sense his upset and ruffled his hair, breaking him out of his anxiety for a second or two.

"Dom, your Papi and I just need to have a chat outside, okay?" Rey told him, managing to keep his own voice calm.

"Okay, Papá." Dominik nodded.

And Dominik sat and watched as Rey practically dragged Eddie out of the room and.. He covered his ears, letting a quiet sob escape from his mouth. Couldn't they at least pretend to get along for an hour or so? For him? But.. Dominik should've expected this. Part of him did expect this, but he ignored it because he trusted them, trusted that maybe the loved him more than they loved arguing. Dominik.. Was curious though. He hated their fights but he wanted to know what it was about, hoping it wasn't him.

So Dominik got up and slowly crept out of the visiting room and into the lobby, spotting his Papas outside. They were essentially right outside of the shelter arguing, so Dominik crouched behind the umbrella stand to listen in.

"Every time Eddie." Rey groaned,"We can't have one conversation where you don't bring up women or dismiss me and my concerns?"

"It's not that big of a deal." Eddie shrugged,"Besides, Dom was-"

"You are not going to blame your fuck-ups on your thirteen year old son." Rey pointed, jobbing his finger into Eddie's chest.

"Hey- Don't touch me like that!" Eddie snapped, raising his hand to strike.

And Dominik quickly closed his eyes.. But a slap never came. Both he and Rey flinched, but Eddie never struck. He sighed, putting his head in his hands and he tried to pull Rey close. Rey refused.

"Eddie, no- No. We're not doing this." Rey told him.

"Rey, I'm sorry. Really, I'm sorry." Eddie insisted.

"I don't even know why I let you back in the house." Rey shook his head.

"Rey, come on." Eddie pleaded.

"Eddie, you had a child without another woman while we were together!" Rey finally raised his voice at him,"The first time I forgave you since we were on a break but the second? I was at home with our sons while you were off with her!"

Dominik tuned out most of what happened next, feeling his eyes start to water. His Papi.. Was a bad man. He knew that they'd been fighting a lot, but Dominik didn't realize how bad it was. He even found it hard to be angry at Rey for forgetting his age because the cheating was probably taking up a lot of space in his brain. Dominik just.. He didn't understand how his Papi could do something like that. Did he not love his Papá? Did.. Did he not love Dominik? But Dominik's thoughts were stopped in their tracks by a warm hand on his shoulder. When he looked up it was.. Raquel.

"They're leaving." She told him, her voice quiet.

Dominik sniffled,"W-why couldn't he just be good?"

"I don't know." Raquel swallowed,"..I really wish I knew.."

Chapter Text

"Come on.. You can do this." Sheamus muttered to himself.

In his hands, a letter. A handwritten letter. Now, Sheamus wasn't a writer, he never claimed to be any good at that sort of thing.. But this was important. Sheamus was well aware that if he tried to articulate his thoughts properly, he'd stumble and probably struggle to admit what he was trying to. All he wanted to do was tell Drew how he felt about him, how he really felt.

Sheamus had done a lot of thinking, which wasn't normal for him, and he'd come to the conclusion he was most afraid of. He did in fact like Drew as.. More than a friend. While Sheamus was usually quick to blurt out his thoughts, he always kept those ones inside, especially after noticing how Drew acted around Phil. At first, it was nothing to be concerned about, why would it? Punk was just- Sheamus didn't think they liked him. Drew was always the first to suggest going out and messing with Punk but.. Now he always seemed so distracted whenever they mentioned Punk or even walked past the shelter.

But Sheamus just had to get this off his chest, he just had to tell Drew.. Because Sheamus wasn't sure how long he'd have to tell him before Drew thought about his feelings for Punk. Sheamus looked over his letter once more- God.. His heart was in his throat as he left his house, making his way out to he and Drew's spot. They hadn't agreed to meet up or anything but outside of school, that was the place Drew and Sheamus always hung out together. It was a little secluded area behind the park, shrouded by trees and difficult to get to. Sheamus thought he and Drew were the only ones who knew how to access it. There was a bench, a lone bench with overgrown plant-life running up the sides, and Drew and Sheamus used to sit there and talk.. Just talk and smoke together. Sheamus thought it was special.

Apparently not.

Because when Sheamus made his way through the trees, gently pushing a branch out of his path.. He saw it. Or, more accurately, saw them. Drew... And Punk. They were sitting together on the bench. Talking. Drew had not only brought someone else to their spot, he brought Punk. He couldn't hear what they were saying and frankly, Sheamus didn't want to know. If Drew could sit with Punk and talk- Not just talk, he was smiling! They were smiling at one another, oblivious to the fact that someone was watching them and.. Sheamus watched as Drew hesitantly rested his hand on Punk's as it rested at his side. Punk glanced at the touch and nodded, neither boy moving their hand away. Sheamus had seen enough.. Drew had made his choice.

Sheamus let the branches fall back into place, not caring if the sound alerted the other two to his presence. He turned quickly and made his way back through the trees, crumpling his letter- A fucking letter. What kind of idiot would write their crush a love letter and try to read it out to him? Useless. Just a useless piece of paper. Sheamus bit down hard on his lower lip as he marched off, haphazardly throwing his crumbled ball of feelings at the bin. It didn't go in, he knew by the light thud it made against the metal, but Sheamus didn't dare turn back. But.. Where was he supposed to go now? He didn't particularly want to go home, so he headed to the only place he could think of to feel somewhat better.

Wade's house.

Wade. Wade Barrett. Drew's frenemy and Sheamus' only other confidant. Sheamus and Wade got along quite well, even if he could be an asshole and a bit of a downer at times. That was just how Wade was. Drew didn't seem to be as big of a fan and often got into petty arguments with him. Drew also didn't like it when Sheamus hung out with Wade, especially without him there and not knowing. So Sheamus would do just that. Drew wanted to tarnish their spot by bringing Punk there, so Sheamus was going to spend as much time with Wade as he could. Was it some petty way of making Drew jealous? Possibly. And it probably wouldn't work, but Sheamus was doing it regardless. He just.. He needed someone to listen, someone to care.

So Sheamus headed in the direction of Wade's house, his angry march becoming much more of a dejected trudge. His anger had begun to wane, replaced with.. Sheamus wasn't quite sure. Disappointment? Sadness? He shook his head, burying his hands deep in his pockets as he dragged his feet over the pavement, occasionally kicking a few stray pebbles out of his way. Sheamus didn't know what time it was when he reached Wade's house, not a modest home by any means. Hell, it looked relatively out of place compared to every other house on that street. Maybe that's why it was carefully positioned at a distance from the other houses.. Still, Sheamus approached the house and knocked on the door, trying to think of what he would say when the door opened and a small, blonde boy opened the door.

"Oh- Charlie. Is uh.. Is Wade in?" Sheamus asked him, rubbing the back of his neck.

Charlie was Wade's little brother, though despite Charlie trying his best, they weren't all that close. Even Sheamus could see how much Charlie looked up to Wade.. And the teenager hated it. He didn't want Charlie to end up like him, but it only seemed to leave the kid feeling lonely in his own home. Sheamus tried to make an effort whenever he came over, knowing that their dad wasn't the type to coddle and care for his sons.

"He's in his room." Charlie told him before lowering his voice to a whisper,"You can come in, but we have to be quiet. Father's working."

"I will, I promise." Sheamus hummed.

So Sheamus let the nine year old lead him inside. He knew where Wade's room was, but was happy enough to let Charlie take him there. Though.. Charlie paused before they reached the stairs, his eyes fixated on the office door of his father. Sheamus could sense that he was nervous. He wasn't sure why exactly but Sheamus put a hand on his back, giving it a gentle rub. That seemed to snap Charlie back to reality and he sort of leaned into Sheamus' side as he lead him up to Wade's room. And what Sheamus wasn't expecting was the hug he received from Charlie before the kid ran off to his room.

It was customary for Sheamus to waltz into Wade's room whenever he wasn't the one to let him inside but.. For once, Sheamus hesitated. He didn't know why. Did he want to just walk in? Or knock? What if Sheamus just.. No. He was going to knock. So he did.

"Charlie, if its you again, no. I've got homework to finish, I can't play with you." Wade called out to him.

"It's not Charlie, Wade.. It's me." Sheamus cleared his throat.

Sheamus heard the almost immediate shuffle from inside the room before Wade opened the door. He was still dressed nice, though not as properly as usual. The top button of his black polo was undone and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. Wade was surprised, obviously, but he was clearly studying Sheamus as he leaned against the doorframe.

"Sorry for coming here all unannounced, I just.. I needed to talk to someone that I knew would listen." Sheamus told him.

"You mentioned talking to Drew today on the phone last night." Wade mentioned, his brow slightly furrowed,"Did things not go well?"

"No." Sheamus swallowed.

Clearly able to see the upset building inside Sheamus, Wade brought him into his room and shut the door. Wade's room.. Despite the more lavish decorations elsewhere in the house, Wade's room was kept rather sparce. His bed, a desk and a bookshelf were the mainstays. An array of books that Sheamus had never heard of lined the shelves and everything aside from a few brightly colored action figures were either beige, black or white in colour. Sheamus almost immediately slumped down on Wade's bed and slid off his shoes while Wade, ever putting up a gentleman's facade pulled his wooden desk chair over so they were sat face to face.

"Alright." Wade crossed his arms,"Talk to me."

Sheamus looked away from Wade, struggling to make eye contact,"He doesn't see me like I see him."

"Oh, Sheamus." Wade sighed,"I know you've liked him for years.."

"It gets worse- Way worse actually." Sheamus pointed,"You know that.. That Drew and I have our spot."

"The one that I'm not allowed to go to?" Wade raised a brow.

"That one- Well, guess what Wade, you get to come see it whenever you damn well please." Sheamus told him, trying to ignore the sob working its way up his throat,"Because Drew went behind my back and brought Punk there- To our fucking spot!"

The room went quiet. Wade's eyes widened in surprise at the mention of Drew and Punk in the same sentence, one that didn't involve physical violence. Wade also knew how special that place was to Sheamus. He treated it like a sacred hideaway, some place only for Drew and himself. He'd mentioned the spot to Wade a few times before and even if Wade asked about it, his entry was denied. He wasn't even quite sure where it was.. But it was clearly special.

"Sheamus.. Drew's an idiot." Wade told him, only to be met with a scoff.

"Trust me, I know." Sheamus pulled his knees close to his chest,"I just.. I thought I had a chance, y'know? Is that stupid?"

"It's not stupid, Sheamus. I mean, you've been there for Drew for.. Everything, really." Wade stood up and sat beside Sheamus on the bed,"But sometimes things don't go as planned."

"I was going to give him this.. This stupid letter." Sheamus admitted as he leaned against Wade's shoulder,"I didn't think I'd be able to say it properly and.. And it was just a waste of time."

"You wrote him a letter?" Wade smiled softly.

"..It doesn't matter." Sheamus sniffled.

"You can cry, Sheamus." Wade told him, placing a firm hand on his back,"That's okay.. You're okay."

At first, Sheamus tried to hold back his tears and act somewhat okay. But Wade saw how his shoulder were shaking, saw his lip quivering despite how hard Sheamus was biting down on it. Wade sighed and pulled Sheamus close to his chest, letting his friend sob into his shoulder. As Sheamus cried, Wade gently soothed him and rubbed Sheamus' back.

"Why..?" Sheamus forced out,"Why him? O-of all people to be chosen over.. Him?"

"Drew doesn't deserve you if he hasn't realized how much you care about him by now." Wade shrugged,"You deserve someone who wouldn't choose anyone else over you."

"Nobody would choose me Wade- Nobody." Sheamus mumbled,"I'm better off alone.."

Wade stayed quiet as he held Sheamus. He would choose him, one hundred percent. Even if his father disagreed, even if Drew hated him for it, Wade didn't care. He'd liked Sheamus for nearly as long as he'd known Sheamus liked Drew, but stayed quiet. He knew how Drew felt about him, frenemies at the best of times, and knew that he'd probably shatter a friendship if he dared mention his feelings, especially if Sheamus somehow reciprocated. Though his feelings didn't matter in that moment. Right now was about Sheamus and Wade was going to comfort him until Sheamus was okay.

Meanwhile, Punk returned to the shelter that afternoon, a small smile on his face. It wasn't often that an interaction with Drew McIntyre left him smiling but.. While things were still tense between them and they still ahd their moments, Drew had been.. Softer after their talk. Drew even brought him to this spot near the park, said it was his spot and he came there often. There was a lingering smell of smoke that made him anxious but Punk stayed. Drew.. Held his hand. They didn't really mention it, but he gathered that neither one of them particularly hated it.

"You look happy." Sami commented as Punk entered the kitchen where he and Finn were getting juice.

"Yeah, something happen?" Finn raised a brow.

"Oh- Drew and I just talked again today." Punk hummed as he leaned against the counter.

"Drew?" Sami blinked.

"You talked to McIntyre again? And you're happy about it?" Finn questioned,"Are we talking about the same Drew?"

"Finn.. I think I'm finally getting through to him." Punk admitted,"He didn't smoke once while we were talking and even though he argued with me that his friends weren't bad influences, we had a decent talk."

"Huh.. Well, I believe there's good in everyone." Sami nodded,"Some people just take a little longer to realize it."

"This is why we get along." Punk pointed.

"Drew and I can get along, trust me, but I know he's an asshole." Finn shook his head.

"I'll bring him over here once we've talked some more. I promise you, he's different." Punk assured him.

But Finn shook his head,"We'll see about that."

Chapter Text

"Austin, come on." Grayson groaned, practically dragging his friend along by his wrist.

"Grayson- Relax." Austin pulled his arm free, rubbing his wrist,"That hurts, y'know."

"I wouldn't need to do stuff like this if you'd just wake up on time." Grayson pointed,"I don't know why I even waited- I should've just gone without you."

Austin went a little quiet, almost thinking over his next words,"..You wouldn't leave me, right G?"

And Grayson.. Paused. He turned and looked back at Austin, his gaze fixated on the ground and his hands trembling ever so slightly. Of course. Great. Grayson rolled his eyes and reached out to Austin, patting his shoulder. He forgot how sensitive his friend was. For his height and size, since the thirteen year old was very into his fitness, everyone would expect some jerk athlete with no care for anyone. That's what Grayson expected his friend to turn out like. Instead, he became this.. Lovable meathead, if that was the right way to put it. Like- Austin was a total idiot, but he was well-meaning. He was forgetful, not that smart and would insult or compliment you without meaning to.

"No." Grayson finally spoke,"I wouldn't leave you."

And Austin smiled, quickly hugging onto Grayson and squeezing tight,"Thank you!"

"Okay- We're hugging." Grayson let out a slight grunt, instinctively pulling away from the hug but not outright pushing Austin away.

Austin didn't seem to get the indication that Grayson wanted out of this embrace, because he never seemed to get the concept of personal space. Austin could literally be sat on top of someone and not realize he shouldn't be doing that. He was weird.. But he was Grayson's friend and the only person that could make him feel bad for being rude. That's the main thing Grayson hated, the way Austin could make him actually feel bad for being, well, bad.

"Hey, school, remember? We're running late." Grayson cleared his throat.

"Right- Let's go!" Austin grinned once more, grabbing Grayson's wrist and starting to pull him along.

Grayson shook his head, muttering under his breath,"Dumbass.."

But Austin didn't hear. Either that or he didn't care, either worked. Eventually they did end up at school, only a few minutes later than expected. Hell, they would've been even later if Grayson didn't stop Austin from trying to pet some stranger's dog. At least they made it there and then, they were apart. Surprisingly, Grayson and Austin weren't in many classes together, especially not today which Grayson hated. Sure, he got more work done without Austin asking fifteen questions and asking to copy his answers but he didn't have anyone to goof off with. It was difficult being the cool class clown without the actual clown.

At least they'd see each other at the end of the day and they'd walk home together, Grayson would probably ask to stay at Austin's too. His parents were.. Well, they were nicer to Grayson than his own parents. They praised him, fed him well and Austin smiled as they sort of.. Treated him like Grayson did. It was weird thinking about it, so Grayson tried to avoid doing that. Though, he wondered where Austin could be. He'd been waiting for at least five minutes already. Usually Austin was incredibly eager to get out of school and can't with Grayson but.. He was nowhere to be seen. He hadn't left before him, right? He wouldn't, right? Then, Grayson spotted someone who might be able to help.

Johnny Gargano. A boy a year or two older than Grayson and Austin who'd had a relatively close relationship with Austin. Grayson hated it and couldn't help but roll his eyes whenever Austin mentioned him, but Austin adored him. It was always Johnny this and Johnny that, it made Grayson sick, but.. Johnny was also probably that only person who might have the slightest idea where Austin could be. Grayson had no other options and relented, though he approached Johnny with all his confidence and bravado.

"Oi! Johnny boy." Grayson called to the other boy, crossing his arms in some attempt at intimidation,"Where the hell is he?"

Gargano blinked, seemingly taken off guard by Grayson's approach,"What- Grayson, where's who?"

"Who else? Austin." Grayson scoffed.

"Oh." Gargano nodded,"I'm sorry, Grayson, but I haven't seen him at all today."

"Seriously?" Grayson furrowed his brow as he tried to scan Johnny for the truth.

"I'm serious, Grayson. I haven't seen Austin." Gargano insisted,"But if you've lost him-"

"I'll find him." Grayson cut him off.

"Waller, if you need any help-" Gargano tried again, but Grayson turned away.

"I don't need any help." Grayson stopped him as he marched off in defeat.

Gargano sighed, rubbing his face,"God, Austin.."

But Austin had been held back by a teacher and given some extra work to do at home, it wasn't using fault he didn't understand it. But he wouldn't tell the teacher that, they didn't understand why he couldn't do it and neither did he. Trying to ignore those thoughts, Austin went to the bathroom, coming across another friend of his after leaving. Dominik. Austin grinned and ran to catch him, hugging him from behind.

"Dom!" Austin hummed,"It's been far too long."

Dominik snickered as he looked back over his shoulder,"Austin- It's been like two days."

"Yeah, and I missed you." Austin huffed,"I didn't get to see you at the weekend and school is so boring when you aren't in my classes."

"Maybe someday you'll be in my classes again." Dominik shrugged as Austin let him go.

"Maybe." Austin huffed, still following after Dominik as he made his way to the bus area,"Hey Dom, where are you going?"

Austin had never had to think about this situation before. He knew where Dominik lived, he'd visited his house a handful of times when they were younger but nowadays, Austin was usually walked to and from school by Grayson. He hadn't seen Dominik going home at all within the last year but knew he'd never taken the bus before. He remembered that much at least.

"Oh- The bus comes to get all us kids from the shelter to take us back." Dominik explained.

"What's the shelter?" Austin asked.

"Oh, did I not tell you?" Dominik raised a brow,"Well, I've been staying at this shelter for a couple months now. It's.. A safe place for any kid who needs it."

"Huh." Austin nodded slowly,"Can I come? Are you allowed visitors?"

Dominik chuckled,"Of course you can come. I mean, the twins brought Cody over so often that now he practically stays there."

"Wow." Austin grinned,"This place sounds awesome."

"It is." Dominik told him,"Come on, Randy will start getting annoyed if he has to hold up the bus for too long."

"Randy? Like the scary guy that's always fighting with Cena?" Austin asked in a more hushed voice, though very much still audible.

"Yeah, he used to be scarier though. He still gets angry sometimes, but he's nice." Dominik assured him,"See? There he is."

Austin nodded, keeping his distance slightly behind Dominik as they approached Randy and the bus. He'd seen some of his fights when he was wandering outside of class on a bathroom break, he'd heard countless stories of Randy's anger and aggression but.. This was different. As they neared the bus, Randy turned to look at the boys with his arms folded again his chest and he smiled, softly and slightly. It was kinda weird actually..

"Dom." Randy nodded to him, turning properly to face the pair,"You bringing a friend back back today?"

"Yeah, this is Austin." Dominik pulled his friend forward and Austin was uncharacteristically quiet,"Come on, say hi."

"Uh- Yeah." Austin cleared his throat,"Hi."

Randy rolled his eyes and a chuckle escaped his lips,"Hi kid."

"Hi." Austin repeated, nodding slowly.

"Come on, you two better get on the bus. Shawn will have dinner on and I bet you don't want to be eating cold pasta." Randy told them.

"Oh, good point. Follow me, Austin." Dominik smiled, pulling Austin onto the bus.

Austin stayed close to Dominik, sitting beside him on the bus and not making eye contact with any of the other kids. He was new and wasn't sure if anyone even wanted him there. After all, Austin was sure they'd associate him with his best friend Grayson and.. Well, Grayson wasn't very nice sometimes. He was nice to Austin though! When they got off the bus, Austin continued to stay close to Dominik and they entered the shelter together.

The first thing he noticed was that it felt.. Homey. It wasn't his home, but he felt safe there. Austin felt the tension start to bleed from his shoulder and he began to relax. Then he was fed. Austin was given a plate like all the other kids and he ate dinner with them- And it was some of the best pasta he'd ever had. Austin was waiting for the other shoe to drop, for him to be yelled at for not being grateful enough or for doing something wrong but.. He wasn't. It was weird. But Shawn did want to speak to him after dinner and Dominik encouraged him to go.

"Shawn's really nice, I promise." Dominik assured him,"He probably just wants to get to know who you are."

"You're sure?" Austin asked.

"Of course I'm sure, Shawn's very welcoming." Dominik nodded.

"Can you come.. With me?" Austin questioned, holding his hand out.

And Dominik smiled, gently taking his hand,"If it makes you feel better."

Austin nodded and finally walked out to see Dominik's Uncle Shawn. He did have a welcoming face, this strange warmness to him that Austin wasn't used to. He was used to older men talking down to him or treating him.. But Shawn was nice. Austin slowly let go of Dominik's hand as he walked up to Shawn, brushing his sweaty palms over his trousers as he looked up at the shelter owner.

"Hey, Austin right?" Shawn raised a brow.

"Yeah- I'm Austin." He quickly nodded,"Dom's friend, from school."

"Dom has talked about you a bit." Shawn recalled,"I heard you play a lot of sports."

"Yeah, I'm only really good at sports.." Austin told him.

"Well, what brings you to the shelter? You just here for a visit?" Shawn asked.

And Austin hummed, nodding again,"Dom invited me over."

"Well, I'm glad Dom's got friends and that you've payed us a visit." Shawn told him,"What are you both planning on doing next?"

"Do you think Randy could put on a movie for us?" Dominik tilted his head.

"I'm sure he could." Shawn nodded,"How about you two get comfortable while I go get him?"

"Okay, Uncle Shawn- Come on, Austin." Dominik grinned.

Austin followed after Dominik as he gathered up a few more kids to watch this movie with us, namely the Usos and JD since they were all around the same age. They all squeezed onto the sofa with Austin ending up a little sandwiched between the twins and Dominik and JD. But he didn't mind, it was cozy. Then came Randy who asked what they wanted to watch, covering his mouth to mask a snicker as they all called out many names to him. Eventually, the group agreed on Moana and Randy sat on the floor with his back to the TV, 'not watching' the film. They all knew he was.

All the while Austin was having dinner and a good time, Grayson was not. He'd since left school and had been searching all over town for Austin, he checked the park, the alleyways and even peered through the occasional window in case Austin had gotten really lost. But as he walked, Grayson heard.. Whispers. People mentioned this 'shelter' for kids that needed help. Now.. Would a lost Austin be smart enough to sit and wait at some kid's shelter for him? Well, it was Grayson's only hope. He asked for directions from an old biker guy who knew the way and made his way there on foot, declining to ride with him.

When Grayson arrived at the shelter, nobody greeted him at the door, though he could faintly hear the sound of a TV playing. So he followed that noise as it grew louder and louder before opening the door to a room where five kids were watching some Disney movie... Including Austin!

"There you are- Austin." Grayson called out to him.

Austin quickly turned and almost shrunk in himself as Grayson sighed. Yes, he was ultimately relieved to have found his friend but his annoyance at having to search for him was outweighing everything else he was feeling.

"Grayson-" Austin began.

"Come on, come here." Grayson beckoned him over.

Austin bit his cheek as he stood up, with Randy pausing the film and standing as well. Grayson crossed his arms and waited for Austin to walk over to him, despite the protests of Dominik saying that he 'didn't have to go'. Yes, Dom, yes he does.

"Sorry.." Austin mumbled.

"Sorry? Austin, I've been looking for you for hours. You just vanished from school and you're telling me you've been watching movies?" Grayson scoffed.

"Well-" Austin tried.

"Come on, we've both got to get home. Do you really want to deal with your dad because you were late home?" Grayson questioned.

And Austin looked down, shaking his head,"No."

"That's what I thought." Grayson sighed, patting his shoulder,"Now let's go."

And so they did. Both boys turned to leave, hand in hand, but Randy stopped them. Grayson wasn't scared of some bully with anger issues, though he did subconsciously pull Austin a little closer to his side.

"You come back whenever you need to, alright?" Randy told him.

"I will." Austin smiled,"You were all super nice and-"

"And we're leaving." Grayson stated as he practically pulled Austin after him.

Randy sighed and shook his head as he turned back to the other four boys. He made himself comfortable on the sofa where Austin once sat and began to play the movie again. Though this time he was front and centre, watching intently as a song began to play.

"I thought you weren't watching." Jimmy smirked.

"I wasn't- I just.. I just want to know what happens." Randy told him.

"It's okay if you like Disney, Randy." Dominik hummed.

Randy huffed,"You boys are never going to let me live this down, huh?"

"Nope." JJ smiled.

"Of course." Randy rolled his eyes, reaching over and ruffling JD's hair,"Now be quiet, I want to know what happens next."

Chapter Text

"Roman- Are you okay?" Seth cupped his cheek as they got off the bus.

Seth had gotten on with Jon and Roman got on a little later. They didn't sit near each other so he didn't notice the bruise under his eye. It was purple and looked painful to the touch, but Roman didn't tense when Seth began to look him over.

"I'm fine." Roman shrugged,"I got hit in P.E."

"What did they hit you with?" Seth questioned.

"Someone was messing around with a baseball bat that they found and I was stood too close." Roman answered.

Seth sighed, nodding slowly,"Shawn will want to look over this."

"I know." Roman hummed.

Roman offered Seth a small smile as they walked inside the shelter together. If only Seth knew the truth, knew what he was hiding just under his uniform. But Roman wasn't going to show Seth and he most certainly wasn't going to show Hunter or Shawn. Why would he do that? He didn't want to worry them to get the school involved because, well, the school didn't care. The school was certain that Roman was at fault for everything that happened to him and they didn't want to hear him out.

He always fought back against his bullies, even if he was outnumbered. Roman was adamant he'd go out swinging. His bullies.. Roman didn't know their names or who they were really, all their faces blurred into one. All he knew was that they were a bunch of rich kids that targeted him because, well, he was a poor, essentially orphaned shelter kid who didn't really act like a kid. He acted like a parent. Truthfully, Roman didn't understand why they bullied him for being responsible and caring but.. Others kids were weird. And right on cue, Shawn was in front of him with a concerned look in his eye.

"Roman." Shawn knelt down in front of him,"Are you okay?"

"It stings a little, but I'm okay." Roman nodded,"Baseball bats hurt."

"Baseball bat?" Shawn blinked.

"Yeah, some kid was messing around with it and I was too close to him." Roman sighed.

"Good thing he wasn't trying to intentionally hit you with it. He could've easily broken something." Shawn shook his head.

"I know." Roman nodded,"It was basically a little tap compared to what could've happened."

"No other bruises?" Shawn looked him over.

"No, I'm good." Roman smiled softly.

"Alright then." Shawn ruffled his hair,"Dinner will be ready soon, okay?"

"Okay, I'll go get changed." Roman hummed.

And that's what Roman did, heading towards his room. Thankfully for Roman, Seth and Jon were elsewhere, giving him free reign of the room. That meant that nobody was around to see what was actually wrong with him. Roman removed his school shirt to reveal a mosaic of brusing along his skin.. It was just like what he did at home, before the shelter. He hid what he could and lied about the rest. Part of him was worried Shawn wouldn't believe him but.. For now, it appeared that he did. Roman pulled on one of his hoodies and some loose-fitting trousers. He was fine. Roman was always fine.

Nobody knew any better. Roman told them his lies and they believed him. He sat by his cousins and ate dinner with them. He watched how they were doing so well now, the twins with Sami and Cody and even Solo was seemingly doing well without him. His boys.. Roman was so proud of them for everything but he was also terrified. What would he do if they didn't need him anymore? Well- Roman liked protecting the other kids, regardless of if they were his or not.. He could just look out for someone else.

Though that week's torture only got worse as the days progressed. By Wednesday, it was in full effect. Roman made sure the Usos got to where they needed to be before walking towards his own classes. Unfortunately, that's where his bullies were waiting. It started as petty name calling, and Roman didn't care for it. He stood for a couple minutes, letting them get it out of their system before trying to walk away. Although, disappointed by his reaction, the leader of this group of kids grabbed Roman's hair and yanked him back.

"Where do you think you're going, huh?" Ted questioned.

"To class." Roman shrugged.

"Oh, hear that? He's going to class." Ted snickered,"Not on our watch, you aren't. We aren't done here."

"We should be. You've lost your touch." Roman rolled his eyes,"All you do now is reuse material. Get creative, Teddy."

"You don't get to call me that." Ted pointed before grabbing Roman's face and looking around at his friends,"What do you say we teach the street rat a lesson?"

"See? You're getting better." Roman hummed before shoving him back,"If only your daddy's money could buy you a better personality."

Now that got a reaction. Ted paused, almost trying to process Roman verbally fighting back against him before throwing the first punch, staggering Roman back. Roman hissed, grabbing his nose before launching himself at Ted. He didn't care who he was, he didn't care who his loser friends were, all Roman cared about was kicking their assets. Unfortunate, despite trying desperately to fight them off, Roman was overwhelmed. That and.. They were caught by a teacher and dragged straight to the Principal's Office, still bruised and bloody. Roman hoped that maybe, just maybe, this time he would be heard out.

Roman was wrong. He liked to have a little faith in the teacher's and more specially, their Principal. He was a man who hated bullying, someone who was tight on uniforms but all for individuality and treating people fairly. Though Roman was starting to wonder if this was just a mask he wore around parents and younger children to make them trustworthy and appealing.. Because he didn't seem all to keen on listening to Roman.

"Back here again, Roman?" The Principal's eyes instantly landed on Roman.

And Roman sighed, knowing exactly where this was going,"Sir, it wasn't my fault."

"Of course it isn't." The Principal muttered,"Roman, you have been in my office at least once every single week since you've arrived here."

"Because I've had to do your job for you." Roman stated,"Do you know how many kids are being bullied here?"

Roman knew. Because whenever Roman saw it happening, he handled it. He fought back, he defended the kids that couldn't predict themselves. When Roman started, it was mainly his cousins, then any kid from the shelter and now.. Anyone. Roman fought to protect anyone and he made sure they got to the nurse to be checked over too. Because Roman cared, the teacher and Principal didn't.

"Great, trying to play the hero." The Principal groaned,"You know what I think Roman? I think you're a troubled boy who likes the attention he gets from causing trouble."

"That's not true." Roman insisted.

"Is it not?" The Principal questioned,"Look at Ted's face, now look at yourself."

Roman scoffed,"He started all this. Its not my fault he starts things that his goons have to finish."

"Ted is an upstanding student with family members on the school board." The Principal pointed,"You, Roman, what do you have?"

And Roman went silent. He had.. Nothing. He had his family, he had his new guardians and friends but.. Truthfully, he had nothing. Roman didn't feel worthy, didn't feel useful.

"I have no choice to suspend you for this." The Principal told him,"Two weeks."

"Of course." Roman muttered.

"And your guardians at the shelter will be made aware of this." The Principal informed him,"Now get out of my office."

Roman bit his cheek to silence himself. He did as he was told, leaving the office quickly but also quickly leaving the school. Hunter and Shawn were going to find out about what he'd done- They were going to find out about his suspension and he just knew they'd be angry at him. No matter how many times they tried to drill it into his head that they didn't keep him around based on his usefullness... Roman didn't believe it, he couldn't believe it. It couldn't be true. Roman had to be useful, and that's why he knew he had to leave.

He walked all the way back to the shelter, quietly sneaking inside. Thankfully, nobody was there to greet him, but he overheard Shawn on the phone in the office. Hearing that, Roman quickly showed a few things, including his most prized possession into his bag before hurrying back out. This prized possession was.. His brother's superhero costume. Maybe it was childish to hold onto but it was Matt's. Matt used to dress up as a superhero for the neighborhood kids and he looked out for them. Roman wanted desperately to be like him...

But this was fine. Roman just had to get out, before he was kicked out. In his eyes, he was no longer needed, no longer useful. The twins were taken care of, they had Sami and Cody and, well, Roman was sure everyone else would keep an eye on them too. Solo had made so much progress and he felt safe with Kross, he didn't need Roman anymore. Even Seth and Jon didn't need him, they had each other. That left Roman without a use and in trouble.. He figured it would be easier if he just left. He didn't want to be yelled at and sent away. His idea of self-imposed exile would be better.

But his disappearance didn't go unnoticed. As Randy and Kross were getting everyone into the bus, he couldn't recall seeing Roman get on. He furrowed his brow, checking down the street and seeing.. Nobody else.

"We all good to go, Orton?" Kross asked, leaning out of the bus.

"No.. Have you seen Roman?" Randy questioned, his foot tapping anxiously.

"Roman.." Kross trailed off before scanning inside the bus, shaking his head,"No, he's not here."

Randy nodded slowly,"You take them back to the shelter. I'll stay here and look for him."

"You got it." Kross sighed,"You text me when you find him."

"I will." Randy told him.

Randy stood, looking towards the school and occasionally glancing at the bus as it drove off. Now, where the hell was Roman? Randy searched the school, looking in every room he could find. Roman didn't seem like the type to get detention, but Randy checked there anyway and still, nothing. He even tried asking teachers but.. Most of them said they hadn't seen Roman all day, and that made him nervous. What did they mean they hadn't seen him all day? Randy watched him get on and off the bus that morning and made sure all the kids got into school. Where the hell had he gone?

About an hour of searching later, Randy returned to the shelter alone. He wrapped his jacket around himself tightly, feeling the air start to chill as night began to fall. In the lobby waiting for him was Kross, Hunter and Shawn and all three turned to him expectantly.

"He wasn't anywhere in or around the school." Randy shook his head,"Some of his teachers said they hadn't seen him all day."

"He definitely went in. I saw him- We both saw him." Kross pointed.

"I know he was there briefly." Shawn nodded slowly,"The school called earlier and told us he'd been suspended for fighting."

"Roman would only fight for a good reason." Kross hummed, crossing his arms,"He's a protector, not violent by nature."

"Well, our school doesn't care about reasons. The only reason I've gotten away with all I have is my dad." Randy bit his cheek,"They'll take one look at Roman, see him as a no-good troublemaker and send him packing."

"We didn't even know he was getting into fights." Hunter shook his head.

"He came home with the occasional bruise but.. I believed him when he said it was sports related accidents." Shawn rubbed his face,"He could've been hurt so much worse and just-"

"Roman wouldn't have told any of us." Randy clenched his fists,"He hides his pain, his feelings, he's used to that.."

"Randy." Kross put a hand on his shoulder,"We'll find him. Maybe he's scared and will make his own way home."

"Maybe." Randy nodded slowly.

"I'll take the car out. You stay here with the others and keep them all calm." Hunter instructed.

"Hunter, I'm coming with you." Randy stated.

"Randy, no-" Hunter began.

"It wasn't a suggestion. I'm coming with you." Randy told him.

Hunter wanted to argue but he saw the look on Randy's face. The determination, the anger bubbling just under the surface and he sighed, agreeing to let him help. And help was exactly what Roman needed. He'd made his way surprisingly far from the shelter as it began o grow dark. For now, he was sat on a bench, out of the path of the main road.. But he let out a small wince, it was cold and he could feel his stomach growling beneath his hand. Maybe he should've brought some food- But the longer he stayed, the more likely he would've been caught and thrown out. But- Hungry..

Roman was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of laughter and he froze. No. How the hell did they find him here. Walking along the path towards him was Ted and his goons. Great. Just what Roman needed.

"Oh, look boys. The troublemaker himself." Ted smirked,"How's being suspended?"

"Fine." Roman shrugged, trying to avoid further confrontation.

"Fine? Really?" Ted grabbed his shoulder and pulled Roman to his feet.

Roman was quickly grabbed and his bag taken away from him. He tried to resist, to fight back, but Ted made it difficult. And.. Roman looked down as the rummaged through his bag, soon coming across Matt's costume.

"The hell- A superhero costume that's five sizes too big?" Ted looked Roman up and down,"Seriously?"

"Ted.. Just give it back." Roman swallowed.

"Give it back." Ted mocked him before rolling his eyes,"Shove him, boys."

And on command, Roman was dragged to the side and shoved backwards down the hill. He didn't even know there was a hill there! Roman rolled all the way down, landing in a shallow stream and- Crack. Roman took in a sharp breath as pain almost immediately shot up his arm. Fuck- Fuck. No. Please.. His bag was thrown down after him, landing in the stream beside him and Roman used his uninjured arm to toss it to the dry land. Roman practically dragged himself to shore, the cold water soaking his clothes and he held his arm close to his chest as he lost the feeling in his finger tips.

Roman was so.. Scared. He wasn't sure whether he was trembling in fear or due to the cold and he just wanted to go home. Roman wanted his Mama and Matt- He needed Matt to hold him. Please.. His arm was in agony and Roman couldn't even struggle to his feet, practically crawling to get to the path as he tried not to cry. He had to be strong and- and..

"What are you doing out so late, kid?" Asked a familiar voice.

Roman looked up, eyes brimming with tears,"..Mr Mark?"

"Yeah, you're one of Hunter's boys, aren't you?" Mark studied Roman, picking up on the fact that something was wrong,"You alright?"

"Fine, I.." Roman blinked slowly, shaking his head,"I'm tired."

Mark was quick to catch Roman as he collapsed forward, unable to stay conscious through the pain. So, Mark did what he knew he had to do. He slung Roman's bag over his shoulder and brought the poor boy to the nearest hospital. Once there, he told the staff all he knew about Roman, which wasn't a lot, and the hospital called Hunter as he was driving.. So Randy was the one to pick up the phone.

"Hello?" Randy asked slowly.

"Is this Mr Helmsley?" The person over the phone asked.

"Uh, no. This is Randy- Mr Helmsley's driving at the minute." Randy answered, looking over at Hunter,"Whay do you need?"

"One of his children has wound up at our hospital." The person Randy assumed now to be a nurse told him,"Are you currently missing anyone."

"Roman." Randy breathed out,"Is he okay? We've been looking for him for hours."

"It appears he sustained a broken arm, possibly from a fall. And he's got multiple bruises as well, but he should be okay." The nurse informed them.

"Great, we'll be there as soon as we can. Which, uh, which hospital are you at?" Randy forced out quickly.

"St. Michael's." The nurse stated.

"Hunter, we're close. Keep driving." Randy pointed before getting ready to hang up,'Thank you- So much."

Before he could get a response, Randy hung up the call and Hunter was already glancing over at him,"So? I heard Roman and hospital."

"Yeah, he's bruised and got a broken arm but he's at St. Michael's hospital." Randy nodded.

That's all it took for Hunter to practically speed down the road, just so he could get to the hospital faster. He was immediately at the front desk asking about Roman while Randy called Shawn to tell him the news. Then the pair were joined by Mark, the man who they learned brought Randy to the hospital. He explained how he found him all soaked on his late night walk and how before he could find out what was wrong, he passed out. Oh, Roman..

And Roman slowly woke up to.. The hospital. He stayed quiet, shrinking on himself as he realized he now had a cast on. How did he.. Where did.. Why? Roman gripped the sheets with his uninjured hand, trying to make sense of everything. Bag. Where was his bag. Roman's eyes darted around the room, letting out a relaxed sigh when he spotted his bag on a chair by the radiator. Safe. Matt's costume was safe.

"Roman."

Roman's head looked sharply to the doorway where Mark, Randy and Hunter were stood. He stayed quiet, his throat dry as he struggled to speak. Hunter was the one who began approaching first, his footsteps heavy and they echoed slightly in the near silent room. Hunter sighed as he looked at Roman, his face unreadable before he reached out. Roman flinched, closing his eyes tightly as he turned his head away. But no strike came. Hunter slowly lowered his hand and began to gently pet Roman's head.

"Roman.. You're okay. I'm right here." Hunter assured him.

"B-but I.. I got in trouble." Roman forced out.

"Roman, I know you and what you're like. You're not a bad kid." Hunter sighed,"If you were fighting, you probably had a reason."

Roman sniffled, nodding slowly,"Yeah.."

"How long has this been going on, buddy?" Hunter asked him.

"W-well, I started fighting to protect my cousins, t-then to protect any of the shelter kids.. But I've j-just been trying to defend myself." Roman told them, his voice shaky.

"Who hurt you?" Randy questioned, almost immediately at Roman's side.

"..Ted Jr." Roman admitted, unable to look at Randy as his tears fell,"I'm sorry- But he wouldn't leave me alone.."

"Shh, you're okay." Hunter gently began to soothe Roman as Randy stood silent.

Hunter gently pulled Roman closer to him, cradling the younger teen in his arms although he kept eyes on Randy. He knew that Randy was well aware of who Ted Jr was, he knew them as friends but.. Randy was pissed. He seemed to be almost trembling in anger, his fists clenched. Mark then approached, keeping a firm hand on Randy's shoulder to keep him grounded. He could beat up Ted any time he wanted but.. Right now, Roman needed comfort.

"S-so.. You aren't kicking me out?" Roman asked softly.

"Never." Hunter assured him,"We'd never kick you out, especially not for just standing up for yourself and others."

"Thank you.." Roman cried.

"It's all very brave of you, okay? But you need to realize that you don't need to be strong all the time." Hunter rubbed his back,"Shawn and I are here for you, to protect you. Just tell us what you need."

Roman tried to speak but he couldn't get any more words out, just barely choking back a sob as he clung onto Hunter with his good arm. Hunter was more than happy to hold Roman in his arms, comforting the boy as he cried. He was always going to be safe here, safe with him and Shawn. All Roman needed to do was let himself accept that help.

Chapter Text

Bringing Roman home the next morning was such a relief for Hunter. He hadn't wanted to leave Roman, but the hospital insisted he stayed just so they could ensure he wasn't concussed. Roman didn't want them to leave either and clung onto tightly, well, as tightly as he could with one arm until he received multiple reassurances that Hunter wpuld be back bright and early in the morning for him. And he was. Hunter got up early just so he could make it to the hospital just after opening to collect his boy.

Roman was actually still asleep when Human arrived, though he looked tired. Hunter assumed that he probably didn't get a lot of rest and part of him didn't even want to wake him up. So Hunter sat at Roman's bedside, letting him sleep and occasionally running his hand through his hair. Roman did eventually wake up, slowly, and he smiled at the sight of Hunter.

"Hunter." Roman smiled softly.

"Hey, kiddo." Hunter ruffled his hair,"You ready to get going?"

"Mhm." Roman nodded, rubbing his eyes.

"Well, I brought you some clothes because I wasn't sure if you packed any for yourself." Hunter told him.

"Thank you." Roman nodded.

"Do you want some help?" Hunter raised a brow.

"Yes, please." Roman nodded again.

So that's what Hunter did. He helped Roman get changed out of his hospital gown and into his new clothes. Roman did seem a little embarrassed that he needed help, but also seemed too tired to say anything. Hunter grabbed Roman's bag once he was changed and lead him out of the room, gently guiding him with a hand on his shoulder. Roman leaned into his touch and got into the front seat of the car when they reached it.

"Are my cousins okay?" Roman looked up at Hunter.

"They're all okay, I promise. A little.. Shaken up by you running away, but Seth and Jon were great with them." Hunter told him as he began driving.

"They really looked out for them?" Roman smiled softly.

"They did." Hunter hummed,"They slept in your bed last night, all three of them, and Seth and Jon stayed with them until they fell asleep."

Roman seemed.. Happy and that was what mattered to Hunter. All Roman needed to know was that his friends looked after his cousins in his absence just like the promised to look after him. But then Roman asked a question that Hunter wasn't expecting.

"Is Randy okay?" Roman questioned.

"Randy?" Hunter blinked.

"He seemed.. Angry yesterday." Roman bit his cheek.

And Hunter sighed,"Randy is.. Coping. I think he blames himself a little for letting you get hurt."

"But it wasn't his fault." Roman shook his head.

"No, but he was friends with Ted. Their dad's are friends, same with Cody, and well.. Randy.." Hunter paused, thinking of the right words to say,"You remember how Randy was when you first came to the shelter, right?"

And Roman nodded slowly,"..Yeah."

"Well, me and him were at odds a lot. His dad was forcing him to come help out for character growth and you could tell he hated it. He and Ted used to pick on everyone, but especially some of the shelter kids." Hunter explained.

"But he's different now." Roman looked up at him.

"He is and.. I'm very proud of him." Hunter cracked a small smile,"After he and his dad fell out, I think it might have put things into perspective and he's grown so much."

Roman let out a small hum, signaling that the conversation was over, at least on his end. He seemed to be doing much better than last night and just seemed happy to be heading back to the shelter. He even mentioned Shawn's cooking, saying how he missed it in his brief time away. Hunter knew Shawn would be very pleased to hear that. And Hunter continued to check up on Roman as he drove, making sure he was definitely okay. When they ended up at the shelter, Roman walked in with Hunter and saw Shawn already waiting in the lobby for them.

"Roman- There you are, kiddo." Shawn let out a sigh of relief.

"Shawn." Roman smiled up at him.

"Are you okay?" Shawn questioned, kneeling down,"Your arm- Is it-"

"I broke it." Roman hummed,"But it doesn't hurt anymore, and I got this pink cast."

"Well, you gave us quite the scare last night." Shawn sighed,"And I know Hunter's probably told you already, but we're not getting rid of you."

"..I know." Roman nodded slowly.

"I'm serious, kiddo." Shawn pointed.

"I won't do it again. I promise." Roman told him.

"Well, if you promise.." Shawn trailed off, ruffling his hair,"Now.. How do you feel about breakfast?"

"I would really like some breakfast.. Please?" Roman bit his cheek.

"Don't worry, I made sure we had plenty spare for when you came back." Shawn stood up, patting his back.

"Thank you, Shawn." Roman smiled.

"Hey, what have I said about you kiddos going hungry?" Shawn asked him.

"That we'll never go hungry here?" Roman looked up at him.

"Exactly." Shawn hummed as they entered the kitchen.

Awaiting them inside the kitchen was Randy, arms crossed and leaning against the counter and.. Seth. He turned sharply and his eyes widened at the sight of Roman, almost immediately running to him.

"Roman!" Seth cupped his face, already studying him,"God- What happened? Where were you?"

"I got.. Pushed down a hill." Roman cleared his throat, averting his eyes as he tried to control his racing heartbeat.

Seth's eyes remained on his cast,"..Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore." Roman shook his head,"I'm fine, honest."

"Are you sure?" Randy spoke up, refusing to look up at the boys.

"Randy, I'm okay." Roman assured him,"But.. Are you okay?"

And Randy.. Went quiet. He hesitated. Randy walked forward and let out a long sigh, putting his head in his hands. Roman looked up at him, at the older boy that once made him feel so threatened, looking so.. Sympathetic. Randy looked conflicted. Sad, confused, angry and hurt all in one ball of emotions and Roman wasn't sure what would show itself first.

"Roman, I.." Randy swallowed, struggling to find his words,"You know I'm sorry, right? That I'm.. I'm different now?"

"Randy, I know." Roman reached out to Randy, though the older boy flinched away,"I know you wouldn't hurt me."

"I wouldn't." Randy swallowed,"But he did."

Roman looked away,"It isn't your fault that your friend is.."

"An asshole." Seth finished.

"Seth." Roman looked back at him.

"I'm nothing if not honest, Ro." Seth shrugged,"Randy knows he used to be an asshole, he knows that Ted is still an asshole."

"He's right, Roman." Randy bit his cheek,"Ted is just- Well, he is his father's son."

Ted.. They had a weird friendship. Good friends, but not close enough to have that brotherly bond that he shared with Cody. And now they'd grown apart and Randy was sure as hell they weren't going to be friends ever again after this. Randy knelt down and carefully pulled Roman into a hug, making sure not to hurt his arm in the cast. Roman smiled softly and patted his back, leaning into the warmth of Randy's touch. Maybe.. Randy should give out hugs more often. If Roman hadn't gotten up just recently, he totally would be sinking into Randy's arms for a nap.

"So, kiddo.. Breakfast?" Shawn asked, lightly clearing his throat.

"Oh- Yeah." Roman looked back at him.

"Relax, I'll get some on a plate for you. You boys can stay like that for as long as you like." Shawn chuckled.

"Shawn.." Randy huffed, pulling Roman just a touch closer.

"Randy, relax." Shawn gave him a look,"Anyway, Hunter just told me he's planning to have a phone call with your school."

"Why the hell would he need to do that?" Seth raised a brow.

"Well, Seth, he's trying to get Roman's suspension lifted." Shawn answered, setting a now full plate on the table.

"My.." Roman blinked,"Lifted? Hunter is willing to try and do that?"

"You were unfairly suspended, of course he's willing to try." Shawn nodded.

"When you get sent back to school, early or not, I'm going to be right there with you." Randy pointed,"To and from classes, at lunch, to the bus.. I'm looking out for you."

"Thanks, Randy." Roman smiled, though he broke away from the embrace.

Roman was more than happy to tuck into breakfast. Seth sat beside him and chatted, while Randy lingered by the counter behind them. He wanted to be there but didn't care much for being an active participant in the conversation... Until Seth brought up how badly he wanted to punch Ted for picking on Roman. Randy had.. Opinions. That's what lead to Randy, Seth and later Jon discussing all the ways they wanted to kick the ever-loving shit out of Ted. Now, Roman wasn't a very violent boy.. But it did make him feel all fuzzy how protective his friends got of him, especially Jon and Seth. They just cared so much... And it was nice to see that side of Randy too, but.. Seth and Jon.

After finishing his breakfast and cleaning his plate, Roman headed back to his room. There he found his little cousins. Jimmy and Jey were awake but laying down, cuddling one another on his bed; Jey's head resting on Jimmy's shoulder with Jimmy's arm wrapped tightly around Jey. And Solo was sat upright, playing with his sleeves until he looked up and saw Roman.

"Ro!" Solo grinned, his face immediately lighting up,"Ro-Ro!"

"Hey, Solo." Roman smiled softly.

Solo quickly hurried over to Roman, sliding off the bed so he could run into his cousin's arms,"You back!"

"I'm back." Roman held him with his uninjured arm.

"Roman..?" Jimmy asked slowly, rubbing his eyes.

"I'm here, Jim." Roman told him, walking closer to the bed with Solo,"I'm sorry-"

"You left." Jey sniffled.

"Jey, I didn't want to hurt you-" Roman reached out to him.

But Jey sat up, trying to hide the tears in his eyes, and got up from the bed. He looked down as he pushed past Roman and out of the room. Roman hurt him. He swallowed, biting his inner cheek as Solo clung onto him a little tighter. It was never Roman's intention to hurt his cousin, he wanted to avoid hurting his family.. But running off without a word and seemingly abandoning them? That was on him. Roman did that and.. And he was going to fix it. Jimmy seemed hesitant but he got up too, walking to Roman and resting his head on his shoulder.

"I knew you'd come back." Jimmy spoke quietly,"I told him that.. That you wouldn't abandon us."

"Jimmy, I.." Roman sighed,"I never meant to hurt you boys- I'm sorry, I wasn't even thinking."

"I know and.. I was scared." Jimmy admitted,"Jey's just scared too."

"I'm going to make it up to him, however I can." Roman nodded.

Roman stayed with Jimmy and Solo, holding both boys as close as he could. And he remained close to them until they had to go to school. Roman watched the twins leave, watched Jey in particular as he left the building with Sami. At least he was in good hands. Roman stayed to the side as Stephanie arrive for Solo and JD, deciding that it would be for the best if he let them get on with their studies. That left Roman to sit in Hunter and Shawn's office while we worked on some of his homework. Was it easy with one hand? No. But.. He still wanted to be a good student, even if the school would never view him as such.

It was a quiet day and Roman couldn't shake the guilty feeling that crept up his throat as he sat in that office. He hurt Jey. He hurt his little cousin, his brother. He made him feel abandoned...

"Hey, kiddo." Hunter put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hunter." Roman looked up at him, trying to mask the feeling that rested in his chest.

"The school finally got back to me." Hunter told him,"They're willing to lift your suspension for a day to prove that you can behave well. Does tomorrow sound okay?"

"Uh.. Yeah." Roman nodded.

"And remember." Shawn began as he walked over,"Randy said he'd look out for you, so you don't need to be nervous, alright."

"Alright." Roman nodded again, turning his attention back to his homework.

"You'll be alright, kid." Hunter rubbed his back.

Roman tried not to spend the rest of that day worrying about going back to school. So.. He spent the rest of that day worrying about Jey instead. Roman didn't know how to make it up to him, how to fix it. But he would, he had to. When the other returned from school, Roman did make an attempt at talking to Jey but he ignored him, dragging Sami off to play somewhere else. Great. And Roman laid awake that night thinking about Jey, thinking about school and Ted.. Roman didn't want to admit how scared he was, even if he had Randy to protect him.

And protect him, Randy was ready for. That morning, Randy and Roman sat together on the bus and they waited together until everyone else unloaded before walking to school together. Randy kept his arm around Roman's shoulders and walked him into the school, waiting patiently as a few kids asked to sign Roman's cast. Then Roman was walked to his class, giving Randy a small wave as he entered the room. Now, of course Randy could go to his own class but.. He really wasn't feeling it that day. Instead, he wandered around the halls and hung out in the bathroom until it was time to collect Roman. This process repeated itself until lunch, where Roman sat at Randy's side at a table with Seth and Jon sitting across from them. There was two remaining seats at the table, one next to Seth and the other beside Randy.

"So.. Your days been good?" Randy looked between them.

"Nothing out of the ordinary, but Jon hasn't hit anyone yet." Seth pointed.

"Yet." Jon cleared his throat,"I still have time."

"Roman?" Randy looked to him.

"It's.. Been a good day." Roman smiled up at him,"Thanks for this, Randy."

"Hey, I said I was gonna look out for you so that asshole doesn't bother you anymore." Randy told him,"He's not gonna bother any shelter kid ever again."

"Uh.. Randy." Seth bit his cheek, his eyes looking just behind Randy.

"What?" Randy furrowed his brow and looked back.. Freezing completely.

Walking over, oblivious and nonchalant, was Ted Jr. Randy twitched slightly and Roman noticed, gently placing his hand on Randy's arm. But Randy didn't seem to notice. Ted Jr still had that smug smile on his face, glancing over at Seth and Jon before turning his attention to Randy.

"Orton, good to see you." Ted grinned,"Mind if I sit here?"

But Randy didn't answer. In fact, he quickly stood and turned to Ted, punching him right in the face. The other three boys sat in a stunned silence as Randy, for lack of any better words, began beating the shit put of Ted Jr. Of course the latter fought back and eventually this had become a full-fledged fight, one which Jon happily cheered on as Seth refused to let him participate. While both Seth and Jon wanted to fight Ted Jr for what he'd done, they figured that Randy wanted to handle this on his own... And Randy didn't stop until Roman physically pulled him off.

"Randy.. That's enough." Roman told him.

"He deserves all this and more, kid." Randy shook his head, going to swing again.

"I know." Roman held onto him tighter,"But I don't want you getting in more trouble."

And trouble, he did get into. Randy and, of course, Roman were lead to the Principal's Office once more. Roman would be lying if he didn't enjoy looking at Ted Jr's bruised and bloodied face as he sat beside Randy who didn't seem to give a care in the world. He sat with his arms crossed and a bored look on his face.. Until the Principal spoke up.

"So Roman.. You've been back a day and are already causing trouble again?" He shot a look at Roman, the blame all seemingly his to take,"What have you got to say for yourself?"

"Why are you looking at him?" Randy scoffed,"I got into the fight, not him."

"He's clearly influenced you to do it- Randy, we were friends before him." Ted pointed.

But Randy slammed his hand down on the desk,"Don't even speak to me!"

"Randy.." Roman looked up at him.

"No- Roman, he's not getting away with what he did to you." Randy shook his head.

"With all due respect, Randy, Roman is nothing but trouble. Ted is a-" The Principal began.

"Ted is a daddy's boy that pays other students to do his work- Hell, I'm sure he's been paying his girlfriend to stay with him." Randy rolled his eyes,"Ted is not a good person and he never has been, you just let him away with it because his dad funds the school!"

"Randy." The Principal warned him.

"What? You gonna suspend us both? Do it. I dare you." Randy spat,"I'm fine knowing I did the right thing."

"Violence is never the right thing, Randy. A boy your age should know this." The Principal sighed.

"Sometimes violence is necessary." Randy shrugged,"I protect my kids now, no matter what."

"You're serious?" Ted glared at Randy, the look of almost disgust clear on his face.

"I'm fucking serious." Randy glared right back at him.

"Get out of my office." The Principal ordered.

"Whatever you say, Principal McMahon." Randy hummed,"Come on, Roman."

And Roman.. Followed. He stuck close to Randy's side as the older boy patted his back, leading him out of the office with a grin on his face. Roman hugged onto his side and Randy let out a sigh as they reached the end of the hallway.

"You alright?" Randy asked.

"..I am now." Roman smiled up at him.

"Good." Randy patted his back,"Come on, I've got some cash on me. Let's go get ice cream."

"Ice cream?" Roman blinked.

"Yeah, we've got like.. Two hours until the bus arrives and I think we deserve a treat." Randy shrugged.

"Thanks, Randy." Roman grinned.

"Not a problem, kid." Randy hummed,"Not a problem at all."