Welcome to the story, I hope you enjoy! This my attempt at a WBB Human AU.
For once I don't have an awful lot to say about the story...
(Anik= Ice Bear)
Disclaimer: I do not own WBB!
The streets are cruel and unforgiving. It is a sad, but well known fact of life. Should you wind up stranded in the endless sea of people, it is unlikely that you will ever get your feet back on the ground. The streets in San Francisco are no different. The rough waves of homelessness swept up seven year old Anik last year. After the incident occurred, the child took his well-being upon himself. His mother was no high profile woman either, which made it easy for him to slip out of any social worker's grasp. On the streets he was no different. He was transparent, insignificant and overlooked. A fact that was ironic considering his looks. The child had choppy, snow-white hair that clung to his face, contrasting mocha skin and the most intense pair of crystal blue eyes. Anik was rather tall for his age as well. He was a boy of incredible looks and talent, but it was all irrelevant. What does that matter when society pegs you as that nameless kid that passes on the street? Well that was how Anik chose to look at things. Not that those strangers' thoughts bothered him. No, Anik was not very emotional or expressive. That part of him was lost to tragedy last year, but in return he gained a thicker shell. A tool as strong as the red axe he carried in his bag, a tool he used to survive.
Anik slipped through the crowd with both hands stuffed in his pockets and blue hoodie pulled down over his eyes, despite the warm weather. The sun's heat was the last thing on the boy's mind. It had been a day since he had eaten anything and he craved food. The very thought of it made his mouth water. There was nothing he could do now, but pickpocket some cash or something he could sell. It was a task he had done many times before, so honing in on a suitable victim was effortless. A man in a black suit caught his eye, he stood on the street rummaging through his briefcase and talking loudly on a phone he had wedged between his shoulder and ear. Anik lowered his eyes only to see the beckoning flash of green sitting openly in the man's pocket. The boy darted his eyes to the left and then to the right, hovering near the target. Luckily, everyone was caught up in their own business. Anik lunged forward and in a swift motion, plunged his hand into the exposed pocket and pulled his reward out.
Anik's heartbeat quickened, the rush of adrenaline propelled him forward. He spun around only to crash into something. His eyes opened to see an irritated man staring down at him. The fear that he'd be caught caused him to shiver. He took a few cautious steps back. Behind him the man he stole from seemed to catch on. Anik was trapped.
"Hey watch it, Kid!"
"Come back here!"
Anik did not dare to look backwards. Instead, he did the first thing he thought of. He pushed the angry man out of his way and took off in a sprint. The man in the suit shouted for someone to catch him, but Anik would not make it easy. With pure determination, he expertly weaved his way through the crowds and streets. The more distance put between them, the better off he would be. He ran until his legs throbbed in protest and he could not run anymore. The unfortunate man was somewhere far behind him, but so were the streets he knew. None of the street names around him were familiar. What good luck he was having. Anik walked around aimlessly, trying to find his way back, but he had no idea how many alleys and turns he had taken in his panic. The boy let out a frustrated sigh and kicked a stone. Since when had he become so careless? The poor boy was now both starving and exhausted. A faint noise and two voices drew his attention, with rare curiosity he moved to follow. Anik followed the sound to an alleyway and peered around the corner. If he squinted he could make out their silhouettes. Their voices lowered to a whisper, and the boy furrowed his brows in concentration to hear them. Suddenly, they stopped speaking and they seemed to turn towards him.
Did they know? He wasn't going to wait to find out, but before he could take off yet again, a hand grabbed his arm. His breath hitched and he turned to see a ... teenager? The guy looked about that age anyway. Anik noticed his kind eyes before anything else. His hair was a messy, chestnut brown colour and he had warm, brown eyes. The guy's skin was tanned, but not as dark as his own. Just behind him was a boy who looked a little younger, maybe around ten or twelve years old. He was Asian and had black hair and lighter eyes than his friend. Anik noticed he lacked the confidence of the other.
"Woah, you alright?" The guy's voice was as warm as his appearance. Anik, still unsure, gave a slight nod of his head.
The teenager crouched down to Anik's level and flashed him a toothy grin. "You lost or something?"
Anik's eyes narrowed in denial and he shook his head with more force. The teenager's dark brown eyes looked him up and down critically and gave a humorless chuckle. Something seemed to have clicked in his head.
"Ah, I get it. You're a street kid, huh?" Both of them seemed sympathetic and yet understanding. Anik gave no reply and they took that as a yes. The other boy edged closer, wearing an unsure smile. He did not have to crouch, he was quite short.
"Are your parents around?"
He shook his head.
"Do you have somewhere to go?"
Another shake of the head. Meanwhile, the two of them seemed to be having a conversation with their eyes. It made Anik feel uncomfortable, so he averted his gaze and shuffled his feet. The taller of the two turned to him with a renewed smile. The other still seemed weary.
"You can stay with us if you want. We're not scary, I promise!" He gave a cheerful chuckle. "My name's Greg, but I go by Grizz," he pointed at the younger, "And that's Pan, my brother." Anik raised a brow. They did not look like brothers to him. Blood probably had nothing to do with their bond.
"What do you say?"
Anik was unsure, but one night would be alright. Maybe they could bring him back in the morning. The boy gave a shrug instead of voicing his thoughts. Grizz seemed unfazed by the lack of conversation. "Great! It's not much, but it's home for now," he explained with a gesture to the alley. Looking a little closer, Anik saw a makeshift shelter and some old furniture strewn around it. It looked better than the bridge he had slept under last night, their place had a more homey feel. Grizz and Pan lead him over to their 'place' and let him sit on one of their chairs. Grizz ruffled Anik's hair, "Welcome to our humble cave." A slight frown came across the boy's face, his hair was everywhere now.
"Hey Pan, the kid looks starving. Do you mind getting something for him to eat?" Grizz rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a single note. Pan took the money and gave Anik another kind smile. "Not at all. I'll be back in a few minutes." Anik felt a pang of guilt for their trouble, especially when his finger brushed against the money in his pocket.
It wasn't long before Grizz tried to strike up another conversation. "So, what's your name?"
When Anik failed to reply, Grizz stared at him curiously.
"Can you speak?"
A cautious nod.
"Man, you're an icy kid aren't ya."
