Work Text:
Duke knocked twice and opened the door to the small classroom. This evening, the usually noisy room of the village school was quiet and occupied by one person - Mr Everett, the teacher. He was the class manager. Mr Everett stood to greet Duke as he entered.
"Hello, Mr... Duke," he said, shaking his hand. "Thanks for coming. I have several questions about your sons."
"Of course, of course," said Duke. "If there's any problem, just tell me and I'll beat the mess out of them. Well? Who's the biggest idiot of all?"
"Well, normally there’s nothing that bad, but still..."
Mr Everett sat back at the table. Duke took a seat opposite him. The teacher folded his hands and began.
"Let's start with your oldest - Peter Sam."
"What did he do?"
"Nothing really bad. Actually, I wanted to praise him, he's the best in class. He's good at maths, languages, and other subjects. But the problem is connected to your middle one - Sir Handel."
"What have these two done? Huh? I'll scold them!"
"Nothing too catastrophic," the teacher said, calming Duke. "But Sir Handel cheats on his homework almost all the time. I can tell - it's Peter Sam doing his work - I know his handwriting. Also, Peter Sam is a year older, so he solves maths tasks in a different way than I teach in the lower year where Sir Handel is."
Duke huffed.
"Thanks for telling me, Mr Everett. I'll handle it."
"I have no doubt. Well, he gets high marks for homework and fails tests. He won't learn anything that way. So... What about your youngest..."
Duke sighed. Mr Everett sighed too. Because of Smudger, Duke was called to school at least once a month.
"What has this dumb boy done now?"
Instead of answering, Mr Everett fished a piece of paper out of a pile on the table. It was probably a test, judging by the clumsy inscription on top. In addition to a couple of incorrect answers, there were two chicken paw prints on the paper.
"This is what he handed in. I don't know how he dragged the chicken into the classroom, and how it sat quietly is also unclear. But when I was collecting the work, it fluttered out from under his jacket. Mr Duke, something needs to be done about this."
Duke looked at Smudger's shameful test with disgust, then folded it and stuffed it into the inside pocket of his coat. He stood up. The teacher stood up too.
"I am very sorry for my three blockheads. I'll do everything necessary so it will never happen again," he apologised.
"Thanks. Was glad to see you."
Duke returned home tired and angry. He walked to the house and inserted the key into the lock. As soon as it turned, he heard a commotion behind the door: someone shushed, someone ran, there was a tumble, a scuffle.
The door opened. Peter Sam, Sir Handel, and Smudger appeared, all three looking as if they had flipped the house upside down. Judging by Peter Sam's rolled-up sleeves and the wet rag in his hands - it was exactly that.
"Hi, Duke! You know, I cleaned all the floors! And the windowsills!"
"Duke, I too, I pulled all the weeds from the garden!"
"You’re probably tired from your walk, Duke, so I made you some tea!"
"Enough!"
A bark and the silence fell. Duke squinted at them.
"Trying to bribe me?" he asked.
"Who - us? Nonsense!"
"We did it out of the goodness of our hearts!"
Duke shot a dark look at Sir Handel, who had said that. Then he sighed and gave him a light slap on the back of the head.
"Ouch!"
"Explain," he began, and his tone immediately silenced everyone. "Why should the teacher call me to school? Why should I have to hear about your misdeeds? How are you really behaving? Peter Sam!"
"Me!" the latter flinched.
"Why are you helping Sir Handel cheat? You can assist - not do his work. And - Sir Handel! What is this even about?! Your grades jump like a rabbit over a fence. When is this going to stop?"
"Right now!"
"Good. Now, Smudger."
Duke fell silent and stared at him. Smudger didn't know what to do with himself under that piercing gaze, feeling glued to the floor.
"Erm, I’m sorry, Duke... If the teacher said that I broke the window - it wasn't me!"
Duke said nothing.
"And if he said that I missed class yesterday - it was an accident! Or if he said I called him names? He misheard!"
Still silent, Duke reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, slowly unfolding it in front of Smudger's face. Chicken prints stared back at him. His cheeks flushed, and his brothers nearby burst into laughter, only to be instantly silenced by Duke's hiss.
Then Duke gave them a disappointed look and a heavy sigh. Everything felt suddenly uneasy. Something had shifted in the air.
"Why are you doing this?” he asked them. "Why should I blush for your misdeeds?"
This tone made all three boys feel truly guilty. Each of them thought it would be better if Duke yelled at them.
Seeing how they drooped, Duke sighed. Perhaps he had gone a bit too far. Some other priority should always come first.
"Hey," he called softly this time. The brothers lifted their eyes to meet Duke's smile.
"Come here."
Peter Sam, Sir Handel, and Smudger didn't need to be told twice. They brightened instantly and rushed into his arms. Duke hugged all three. They stood like that for a while. He gently brushed Sir Handel's hair, then tugged Smudger by the ear.
"I love you all, even without perfect grades. Shame on me if I didn't. But that doesn't mean you can forget about studying or behaving properly. So, please - can we, from this day, never return to this conversation? No distracting the class with chickens. And if homework is difficult, don't copy it - better to ask for help. Got it?"
"Of course, Duke!"
Duke smiled even more. He tightened his arms around this three boys, who, by the ways of fate, had become his beloved sons.
***
"Ugh, Smudger, let's try again. If you have five apples, and Peter Sam gives you twice as many, then you eat a third of them - how many apples do you have left?"
"Erm..."
"Well?"
"...two?"
Duke covered his face with his hand.