"A student grabbed your ass?!"
"You ripped off someone's hair?!"
Arthur was startled as both Aunt Kelly and Uncle Kevin shouted, their expressions filled with shock.
"W-well... I know I was supposed to tell you if something bad happened, but I handled it myself. Uncle Kevin is right, it's way easier to pull hair than to bite."
Arthur grinned like an idiot and didn't quite understand why Aunt Kelly was glaring at Uncle Kevin.
Kevin groaned and leaned down to explain to his wife in a whisper.
"Okay, let me explain. I tried to teach him to fight just in case. He picked up a few things, and I just taught him how to do his best with what he can."
"Really? Pulling at hair?"
"Yeah. You remember that patch of missing hair on my scalp? That's thanks to your dear son."
"...Wow. Really?"
"Seriously? You're proud of him now?"
"Well, he is really strong, isn't he?"
"Yeah, yeah."
Kevin grunted, rolling his eyes again, but then returned to the topic.
Of course, he was proud that Arthur stood up for himself. But what kind of person would dare to do something so inappropriate? How did a student get the courage to do that?
"Arthur, sweetie, I'm not upset, okay? But I really want you to tell us if something like this happens. Incidents like this need to be handled very seriously."
"I know, but I don't want to bother you with every little thing. I'm a grown-up now, after all."
Arthur didn't sound mean or overly independent, he just stated his facts without any filters.
He really was an adult now. He wanted to stop making Uncle Kevin and Aunt Kelly worry about everything.
Kelly was actually speechless, realizing her son was maturing. But she still felt a fear. This little guy was eye candy to all those alphas out there. He needed protection, especially since he wasn't marked and didn't have an alpha yet. Alas, Arthur rarely took things seriously, and that also worried the couple.
But now, Kelly could see that Arthur had at least learned a few things, just as Kevin had said.
'Haa....'
"Listen, Arthur. We know you're an adult. But know that it's not a bother that you would come to us with your complaints or problems. We're actually happy to help you. I am proud of you. Never let anyone treat you poorly. You did great. But I want to go and smack that bastard's face too. How dare he even touch my son?"
Kevin grumbled, his voice rising as he ended his rant with a thud on the table.
He was angry. Really angry…
But he was glad that Arthur hadn't just let the incident slide. What he would have feared most was Arthur grinning like an idiot and saying it's okay or apologizing with tears when something like that happened.
Because Arthur was the guy who once apologized to a disgusting alpha who touched him inappropriately. It was then that Kevin actually realized they were raising a literal target for bullies.
Kevin wanted Arthur to be safe when they weren't around. They couldn't protect him forever. So, he decided to drag Arthur out of his comfort zone to teach him self-defense.
But oh God, did it all go wrong.
In the end, Kevin's motivation to teach him self-defense disappeared faster than anything. Arthur was just terrible at it or rather, very uninterested, even when Kevin sent him to classes taught by professionals.
So Kevin decided to buy him a few safety items, or weapons you could say. A pen that could stab, a pepper spray disguised as a chewing gum box, and many more. Arthur couldn't carry visible weapons at school since there was a no-weapons policy; not even those safety tools were allowed. So Kevin had to buy him discreet options.
At least he would have something to fight back with.
Thinking back to what Arthur had just confessed, Kevin guessed that Arthur used hair-pulling because he couldn't use any weapons at school.
'He is not an idiot after all.'
"I'm sorry, Uncle."
Kevin came back from his daze as his anger faded while looking at Arthur.
"Don't be sorry. We're going to let this go. But if something bad happens, or you want to talk about it, don't hesitate. Your problems are our problems too."
Arthur nodded with a slight smile, and Kelly affectionately rubbed his hair.
It turned out their son wasn't such an easy target after all. This realization brought them a little relief.
'So he has the students scared? Wow... But I hope he never has to be in such a situation.'
Kelly continued to rub Arthur's hair, who was now smiling widely, enjoying the affection.
Arthur felt relieved for having shared the incident with them, even if by mistake. He wasn't going to lie but it was reassuring to hear his uncle show how serious they were about the incident.
At that moment, he had been terrified. It was pure instinct that made him turn and pull the male student's hair. That student was taller, stronger, and very intimidating. Surprisingly, Arthur managed to rip out a good chunk of his hair, causing the alpha student to back off in pain. To this day, Arthur still wonders how he did it, considering it seemed impossible to just rip off that much hair. Yet he had done it, and the student was screaming in pain.
Perhaps the fear had made him stronger in that moment.
If not, Arthur knew he could never have done that. He wasn't that strong, so he acted tough now. He couldn't let others see his fear, or they would take advantage of it. That's how he managed to present himself as professional and strict to the students who thought they could mess with him just because he was an omega.
When Arthur sees his quiet and seemingly obedient students now, he feels a little proud of himself. That incident made many things easier at school, but it still left him feeling uneasy for a whole week. He often felt like crying and wanted to go to his aunt and uncle to tell them everything- or at least to cry about it. But he didn't.
"Sigh..."
Arthur was relieved the topic had changed when Uncle Kevin talked about Shawn, who, of course, had not yet arrived.
"Your friends are so lazy."
"Come on, love. Don't say that. Am I lazy too?"
Arthur couldn't help but shout a yes, simply... because he could.
"Brat."
Arthur smirked as his uncle muttered under his breath, while his aunt gave him a knowing look.
It was so much fun to mess with them.
"Ah, right. Since Natalia is here today, I plan to make her favorites for lunch. You have to help me, Arthur, okay?"
Arthur nodded without hesitation, even though he had a lot of complaints in his mind.
'At least she would be able to smile a little after tasting some good food', he thought, trying to picture her smiling.
No...
He couldn't do it.
Her eyes were far too sharp for a smile, and her lips were just...
"They would look really good when she smirks."
Arthur felt himself blush involuntarily as he imagined Natalia, her eyes on him, that smirk on her face locking his eyes on her lips...
And then it happened again...
That strange feeling in his stomach...
'Gosh, I am so weird.'