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Thick rods of rain pelted the world beneath the heavy grey sky. The wolf cub Oliver had never seen weather like it, let alone been caught out in it. What's more, he had been at the mercy of the elements for a good while now, having spent the afternoon wading through a quagmire of a field for the sake of his beloved school soccer team. What's more still, it was all in a losing cause. Now he was soaked, and tired, and mudded, and altogether glum. He hugged himself tightly to abate his shivers, bowing his little head against a bitter wind that picked up around him and whipped through the thin, sodden fabric of his sports kit. His dripping face turned up the street for any signs of his ride - but the bus home was nowhere to be seen. Oliver sighed. Just the shelter it would provide would be welcome now. God knows he held little regard for his destination anyway... What did he have to look forward to? Tuesday night at the orphanage - which was much the same as any other night in truth. He'd get dry (which right then felt like it could take all night) and hide away in his room, maybe read a few comics, or even do some homework - anything to feel like a normal kid... anything that would allow him to pretend that Mom is just downstairs fixing dinner, or Dad is in the garage fixing his bike. He might cry a little... he might not. He's learned it doesn't make much of a difference. Either way, he'd put himself in bed early, already waiting for school again - and another chance at playing a normal little boy...

The boy's melancholic train of thought was derailed suddenly as a car sped past and sprayed a dirty road-puddle all over him. He squeaked upon being coated in a fresh layer of muck. It was something of a final straw that broke him emotionally for that day; he felt tears well in his eyes, which were wiped even wetter by the back of his paw.

*Excerpt from The Lonely Orphan Cub, by Floki

"Gods, pup, are you alright?" Oliver looked up at the voice that came from nowhere. A red car had pulled to a stop nearby and another wolf was getting out, looking right at him.

"N-n-n-no," he stammered, barely able to get the words out between the shivers and the heart-wrenching sobs. "I'm c-c-cold and wet and d-d-d-d-dirty!"

The older wolf knelt next to him. "C'mon, let's get in my car. I've got the heat on and it'll get you out of this rain."

At this point, Oliver would do anything to get some shelter. He nodded, and then yelped when, without concern for himself and his clothes, the other wolf picked him up and carried him over to the car.

The stranger made a point to make sure Oliver was settled and the heater was blowing directly onto him before moving back into the driver's seat. "This rain is ridiculous," he said, adjusting his own heater vents to blow warm air to him. "And it came out of nowhere." He smiled over to the cub. "I'm Jamie."

Try as he might, Oliver couldn't stop crying. The sudden turn of fortune had done a number on the poor wolf's mind and he was now overcome with tearful gratitude. "O-O-Oliver." He managed to stammer out. "T-t-thank you."

"Hey, now, please don't cry." Jamie reached over and gently wiped away the fresh tears. "I always feel like I did something wrong when cubs cry."

"C-c-can't help it-t-t." Miserable as he was, Oliver was desperate for affection and couldn't help leaning into the touch.

"Let's get you home, Oliver." Jamie was now scratching behind Oliver's ear. "You look like you could use a nice hot bath. Where do you live?"

Despite how much he was enjoying the attention, Oliver's ears drooped. "The orphanage," he mumbled.

The scratches paused. "Oh," Jamie murmured. "That's not possible right now. That part of town is flooding. News reports said that entire place was evacuated a couple hours ago."

Oliver looked up at him, but before he could reply, he let out an enormous sneeze. Jamie pulled away and put the car in drive. "I'll take you to my place. You'll at least get out of the rain and a bath, and maybe some hot food while I try to figure something out." He glanced over at the still shivering cub. "Unless you'd rather be taken to the police station."

Shaking his head, Oliver sneezed again. Jamie glanced over again. "How long were you in that mess? I don't think all that mud was from that jerk."

"S-s-soccer p-p-p-practice." Despite himself, Oliver couldn't help the hint of contempt creep into his voice. "F-f-first game t-this w-w-weekend."

"It wasn't cancelled?" Jamie sounded outraged. "It's been raining all day! The first game won't matter much if all of you get sick! It sounds like you already are. I'm glad my apartment isn't far away. Hang on."

Pulling into a parking lot, Jamie quickly parked and opened his door. Oliver tried to open his own, but his shaking hand would not wrap around the door handle. The door opened and there was Jamie, reaching in to pick him up. Oliver wanted to protest, to say that he could walk himself, but he honestly didn't think he could walk, especially if stairs were involved. Plus it felt good to be carried. So he just wrapped his arms around the older wolf's neck and buried his face in Jamie's shoulder.

Jamie was warm, especially with the cold rain on Oliver's back. And he was gentle even as he jogged as quickly as he could to his apartment. Oliver was almost sad when the older wolf opened the door and set him down. "Lean on me," Jamie murmured, kicking off his shoes. "I'm going to get your shoes."

Oliver just leaned against Jamie, absorbing his warmth as the other wolf eased off one cleat, then the other. Then he was picked up again and taken into a small bathroom. Jamie set the cub on the toilet and turned on the bathtub faucet. "You still with me, pup?"

"Mm-hm," Oliver mumbled, feeling drowsy.

"Hey, don't go to sleep on me," Jamie said, gently patting the younger wolf's muzzle, instantly getting his attention. "You don't want to drown in the tub. You still feel cold?"

"A bit," admitted Oliver, watching as Jamie turned on a small space heater. "Not as bad, though."

"Then just soak for a bit before you start cleaning up." Jamie told him, watching the water. "I don't have the water too hot, but still pretty warm. Should get you warmed up fairly quick."

When the tub was half full, Jamie stopped the water and turned to the pup. "Can you manage yourself, or do you need some help?"

"I can do it," Oliver said, trying to suppress a sneeze. "I'm 10. I'm not a baby." And then the sneeze he'd been trying to hold back got out.

Jamie looked amused at that. "Maybe so, but it looks to me like you're getting sick. There's no shame in asking for help if you need it." He got up. "I'll leave you to it. Just leave your kit on the floor and I'll get it when I come check on you. Just shout if you need anything."

He left, leaving Oliver to his own devices. The pup got up shakily, wondering if maybe he could use some help after all. Undressing almost proved his undoing, nearly overbalancing just taking off his shirt. He was shocked at the amount of mud on it and immediately felt bad about getting it all over Jamie's clothes.

Finally stripped, he turned to the tub. Easing himself down, he sighed in absolute rapture. He hadn't had a hot bath in such a long time that this felt like heaven. It was all he could do to not just collapse into the tub. Even better, the chill in his bones that had been there since soccer practice started began to vanish.

He wasn't sure how long he lay there just soaking, but the next thing he knew, there was a knock on the door. "Oliver? You okay in there?"

"Y-yeah," Oliver half-moaned.

"I'm going to come in for a minute. Is that okay?"

Loathe though he was to move, Oliver crossed his legs, covering his boy bits before answering. "Okay."

Jamie came in, carrying a folded towel and some clothes. Oliver couldn't help but notice he had changed clothes himself. "Here ya go," said the older wolf, placing the bundle on the sink. "Got you a fresh towel, and I managed to find some of the clothes my brother left behind last time he visited. They might be a bit big for you, but I think it's better than walking around naked. How are you feeling?"

"Much better," moaned Oliver in pleasure. "Thank you so much."

Jamie smiled. "You're very welcome, pup. I'm glad I could help. I'm going to put our clothes through the wash and get us some food. I'm thinking chicken soup. Sound good?"

"Sounds wonderful," answered the pup.

"Great. I'll come and get you if it's ready before you're done in here." Jamie gathered Oliver's clothes from the floor and turned to go before calling over his shoulder. "Just call if you need anything."

"I will." With Jamie gone, Oliver began to focus on getting clean. The mud in his head-fur had dried and was starting to itch. He moaned happily as he lathered shampoo deep into his fur, feeling like he was truly getting clean for the first time in a long time. Rinsing off felt just as wonderful, though he balked as he saw just how dark the water was becoming. Suddenly wanting out, he finished his bath as quickly as he could and stood up.

Fortunately his shaking had mostly gone, and it was much easier getting out of the tub than it was getting in. Getting out and draining the tub, he quickly dried off and got dressed. The clothes Jamie had provided were a bit big, but not so big that they slid right off him.

Leaving the bathroom, he could instantly smell the soup Jamie mentioned. Following his nose led him straight to the source: a small kitchen that barely had enough room for the stove, fridge, and tiny table that was in it. Jamie was slowly stirring the pot on the stove while speaking into his phone. "No, ma'am, it's no problem," he was saying, throwing a smile at Oliver has he came in. "I'm willing to look after him as long as you need me to. Yes, ma'am, me too. I'm just glad I saw him and he's not still out there in that downpour. You have my number? Alright then, I'll let you go. Good night, ma'am, and take care."

He hung up the phone and set it on the counter. "That was Miss Dominique," he told Oliver, naming the director of the orphanage he stayed at. "They've been evacuated to La Rosa." Being the nearest town 30 miles away. "They're full up where they're staying as it is, so she asked if I was willing to take you in for a while. Breach of protocol for sure, but she didn't really have any options. You hungry?"

Oliver nodded enthusiastically, making Jamie chuckle. "Alright, it's going to be a few more minutes. In the meanwhile, you need a fur brush. Hang on a minute."

He vanished for a moment, returning with a brush. Taking a seat at the table, Jamie beckoned Oliver over. Curious, Oliver did as instructed. "I do this for my brother a lot," Jamie said, gently turning the boy to face away from him. "Hope you don't mind if I do this for you."

The first stroke of the brush just about caused Oliver to melt. He couldn't even remember the last time someone had done something like this for him. And as Jamie continued to brush his fur, he leaned back, just soaking in as much of Jamie's affection as he could. He almost didn't want it to end, and found himself disappointed when Jamie eventually set the brush down.

"There ya go," Jamie said, gently turning Oliver around again. "You're a handsome pup without all that mud on you. I thought your fur was black at first but it's really just a dark grey, isn't it? I don't understand how someone hasn't picked you up from the orphanage yet."

Oliver didn't know what to say, so he looked down, blushing. Jamie got up. "Do me a favor," he requested, reaching into a cabinet. "There's not much room in here for the both of us so could you take these over there to the coffee table?" He produced a couple plates, bowls, and spoons, and nodded over to a small table in between the nearby couch and tv in the other room.

Oliver smiled and took the tableware over to the coffee table. When he got it set up and looked back, Jamie was carrying the pot with a couple small towels folded over his arm. "Could you take one of these towels and place it in the middle?" Once again, Oliver was happy to help, and once Jamie set the pot down on the towel, he set out the other one and went back into the kitchen to retrieve a tray of grilled cheese sandwiches from the oven, to Oliver's delight.

"Eat as much as you want, Ollie," Jamie said warmly, sitting on the couch next to the pup and placing the sandwiches on the other towel. "Want to watch a movie while we eat?"

Oliver glanced up. "Do you have Batdog?"

"I sure do," Jamie answered, turning on his Xbox and launching Netflix. "Or close enough, anyway. Just a secret," he leaned closer to whisper. "I am a huge comic book geek. I know almost everything about DC and Marvel comics, but especially Batdog."

Oliver actually giggled at that, and Jamie leaned back with a satisfied smile. He put on Batdog Begins, and they both began to eat. Oliver ate with gusto, putting away most of the soup and sandwiches. Jamie finished eating early and spent more time watching Oliver eat than the movie.

Food gone, Oliver sighed happily and leaned back, watching the movie through hooded eyes. He didn't even realize that he'd snuggled up to Jamie until the older wolf wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer. They cuddled for the rest of the movie, and when it was over, Oliver didn't want to get up. He whimpered when Jamie tried to do so.

"Hey, what's wrong, Ollie?" Jamie asked, concerned.

"N-nothing," sniffles Oliver, burying his muzzle in Jamie's shoulder.

Jamie seemed to catch on, as he hugged the cub even tighter. "Oh you poor pup. How long has it been since you've been hugged like this?"

"I-I don't remember," mumbled Oliver into Jamie's shoulder.

"Well, as long as you're here, I'll try to give you all the affection you clearly need." Jamie whispered in his ear, rubbing his back gently. "Cuddles, hugs, even kisses if you want." He finished with a gentle kiss on the boys forehead.

That just set the boy off even harder, crying into Jamie's shoulder as he was gently rocked and petted by the older wolf. Finally he pulled away, looking up at Jamie with swimming eyes. "Can I stay with you? Please? I'll be good, I promise!"

Jamie gently wiped away his tears. "I would love nothing more than to take you in for good, Ollie." His voice was soft and quiet. "Unfortunately, I can't. They would never approve of me adopting you, not with my current lifestyle. My apartment is too small and my job too new for them to even consider it. The fact that I'm single and have no plans to get married also works against that."

Oliver buried his face again, crying even harder. "But I'm not going to just abandon you either," Jamie continued, still rubbing Oliver's back. "I'll come watch your soccer games, and I'll introduce you to my brother Jack. He goes to the same school and visits me often, so it's not like you'll never see me again."

"You promise?" Oliver asked quietly, looking up.

"I promise, lil guy." Jamie said, kissing his brow again. "Now, no more tears. You've had a long day. Go to sleep, kiddo. Have peace until the morning. Heed no nightly noises. For nothing passes door or window here but moonlight and starlight, and the wind off the hill-top."

And, still gently held and lovingly petted, Oliver drifted off into oblivion.