Author's Note: Ello~ This is a Wolf children fanfiction I started to write a long time ago, like right after I watched the film. It's probably been months since then, so I'll have to recollect my thoughts on the story before I can continue after the first two chapters. It's, like explained in the description, a story about what would have happened if someone showed up and was able to encourage Ame not to leave school and become a wolf for good. It's an OC, so yes, it is an OC x Ame, and also Sohei x Yuki. Also, I am aware that by the age of thirteen Ame was already long gone from school, but let's keep it that he's thirteen so that the ship isn't weird.
Like I say in all my other fanfictions: let me know if you see any errors and/or have any ideas for future chapters.
Disclaimer: I don't own Wolf Children or any of its characters.
Chapter 1
Ame was currently in school, being around the age of thirteen, but he wasn't very fond of it. At all. He had gotten so sick of school; the bullying and loneliness; almost to the point where he had given up on school completely.
What's the point anymore? He thought to himself. All they do is bully me. I have no friends to talk to, no interest in the learning experience. I'm better off living as a wolf anyway.
That is, until a certain someone came into his life.
It was a rainy, gloomy afternoon. The bell for 7th Period, Biology with Mr. Saito, had been rung a short four minutes ago, at 12:45 PM. Ame was hurrying, knowing he had only a minute left to get to class.
I can't be late again, Ame thought. The last time I was late to Mr. Saito's class, he made me explain why in front of the whole class just to humiliate myself. Surely, he'll give me a detention this time! Mom will be disappointed in me. I'd miss the bus, and mom would have to drive all the way here. There's just no way I can be late!
Ame's 5th period was very far, on the corner of the other building. To make things worse, Ms. Ito would always hold them back a minute for talking, even though Ame hadn't said a word throughout the entire day.
"Well, well, if it isn't measly little Ame," Someone says mockingly. A group of menacing boys appeared directly in front of Ame. He knew these people. They were those who always bullied him just because he was quiet. The boys had blocked his path to the classroom, and Ame was panicking worriedly, looking at his watch and realizing he only had twenty seconds left.
"W…What do you want?..." He mutters, though he had predicted the outcome already. It had happened many times before. No one bothered to help him. This in general just wasn't fair, it made his school experience even worse than it already was.
"Is that any way to speak to your upper classman, kid?" One of the boys asks, pushing Ame to the floor. Though is sentence made no sense; they were all in the same grade. They most probably thought they were "better" than Ame, since he was very timid and soft-spoken.
I'd never want to be a human, Ame thought. All they do is hurt you. Argue. Fight. Except mom, of course… I want to go home.
The bell rings, sending a shiver down Ame's spine. He tries to get up in order to get to class as soon as possible, but in doing so, however, a boy grabs his collar and pulls him dangerously close to his face.
"You annoy me with your sense of quietness and shyness. Why not get out and enjoy the world? Meet new people while you can?" He whispers dangerously, a wicked smirk on his face as he noticed Ame shivering from fear. "What's wrong? Could it be that little, fragile Ame is afraid? Awe, that's adorable."
The sound of rapid footsteps becomes highly audible, causing all of them to turn in curiosity.
"Leave him alone, you low lives!" A girl screams furiously, dashing up the hallway with an angry and almost murderous expression. Her speed was remarkable, surpassing most average runners.
"Oh, crap! It's Leilah! Run!" One of the boys say, causing the others except the one who yelled and Kol to flee.
"G-Guys, wait for m-" The boy who yelled says, but is interrupted when the girl kicks his face violently, grabs his collar, and pulls his face threateningly close to hers.
"Listen to me, loser. If any of you lay a finger on him ever again, I won't hesitate to kill you all in the most agonizing way." She threatens, and her face somehow changed, though Ame couldn't spot how.
The boy screams in complete terror and fear, removing himself from the girl's grasp and running clumsily towards his fleeing "friends".
The girl glares at the boy who had grabbed Ame's collar, seemingly the leader of the group of boys who had abandoned him without a second thought.
He left, walking casually with his hands in his pockets.
"You okay?" The girl asks Ame, offering her hand and smiling brightly.
Ame hesitantly accepts and grabs her hand, being pulled up by surprising strength. He dusts off his pants and looks at her, inspecting everything about her and even smelling her. If he was going to quit school and just be a wolf, he'd better start practicing.
"Y… Yeah… I-I'm fine." Ame mumbles, embarrassed that someone had to protect him. Somehow, though, she didn't smell right… "T-Thank you."
The girl only smiles at him.
"Don't mention it! Where are the teachers when you need 'em, huh?" She jokes, laughing. "I'm Leilah! Nice to meet you!"
She extends her arm out for a handshake.
"I-I'm Ame…" He says, shaking her hand timidly. It was the first time he spoke with someone in a long time.
He observed her for a long while, inspecting and smelling her some more. He was curious as to why she didn't smell correctly. It's not like she was a wolf too, right?
Ame laughed softly to himself at the thought.
There's no way she's a wolf, Ame thought. I'm just lonely; I just want a friend who's like me; so I'm thinking up these crazy causes. It's not the same with Yuki, I know for a fact she wants to be a human.
Now Ame paid attention to her features; She had long, flowing coal black hair, tan skin, and brown glistening eyes.
"Don't worry about the formalities, alright? Just call me Leilah, and can I call you Ame-kun?" She asks.
Ame only nods, being the timid guy he is.
"Hey, you two. What do you think you're doing in the middle of the hallway? Class has already begun, well over ten minutes ago." Their teacher asks, walking towards both of them. His voice wasn't raised in the slightest, but there was a hint of bitterness in it. The kind that would scare you.
"Mr. Saito! I had to use the bathroom really bad, but I didn't know what way it was. I just dragged Ame-kun along to help me find it! He insisted on going back to class, though." Leilah lies, smiling sheepishly.
"Is that so?" He glances over at Ame, as if awaiting confirmation. His voice was deep but demanding, well composed no matter what happened.
Ame panics; what is he supposed to do in a situation like this?
"Of course it's 'so'! Ame wouldn't do something that'd get him in trouble!" Leilah reassures.
"You do have some reason in your claim." Mr. Saito says. "Ame is a quiet, collected student. He certainly wouldn't do something that'd put attention on him. Very well, Leilah please meet me after class."
Ame wonders how his teacher knew so much about him; it's like he knew every single aspect of him. The thought made Ame a bit angry. Mr. Saito didn't know anything about him!
"You got it!" Leilah says, taking Ame's hand and skipping over to the classroom with the teacher walking behind them.
Ame blushes as they enter the classroom.
"Took you long enough, Mr. Kuch- Huh?! Leilah and- Wait, who's that?" A kid asks.
"This is Ame, everyone! He's actually really fun to be with, but he's just shy at first!" Leilah says, giving Ame the desk next to hers.
They handed each other little notes all throughout class, though Ame couldn't help but hesitate because of Leilah's strange smell.
He felt alive for once though, he was having fun!
After class, the bell rings dismissing all of the students, except Leilah.
Ame hesitantly puts on his backpack on, sending glances at his savior, Leilah.
She smiles, and gestures toward the front door, telling him he can go home. Ame worriedly walks out the classroom, but instead of heading for the school bus, he waits outside the room for Leilah. He had this quenching pain in his heart that it was his fault Leilah was in trouble.
If only I was stronger, he thought. Leilah wouldn't be in this situation.
"Leilah, you've gotten into trouble too many times. Three boys came to class, claiming that you scared and threatened them, one of them even having a bump on his head. You cannot go around harming boys for any cause." Ame hears Mr. Saito scold. He could hear because of his wolf powers.
Then, suddenly, someone's hands land hard on the teacher's desk.
"Listen here, Mr. Saito. Are you really going to believe those pesky little boys?! You have no idea what happened! You want me to just stand around while someone is getting bullied?!" Leilah growls, her voice somehow changing as it did when she was threatening those boys.
"That is no reason to be threatening and hitting people. I understand you have no control over your actions at times, but you could have easily come and fetched me. I would have handled the problem without confli-"
"Ame, what're you doing just sitting around? You know that the bus won't wait for us!" Someone advises. Ame looks up, since he was sitting against the wall of the classroom, and sees none other than Yuki.
"I'm waiting for someone." He mutters.
"You know as well as I do that if the bus leaves us behind we're totally screwed! Our house is really far, and a teacher probably won't be willing to take us back home!" Yuki says, frowning.
"Yuki, I'm not leaving until Leilah comes back!" Ame says, raising his voice, which he almost rarely does. There's silence between the two.
"Listen, Leilah. If you cause any more trouble, I will have no choice than to expel you from this school for good. It was enough trouble to enroll you in this school in the first place; don't make me regret my choices." They hear Mr. Saito say.
Yuki sighs, hearing this, thinking that one of Ame's friends probably got in trouble, though she was glad that he made a friend.
"Fine. You're so troublesome, Ame. I'll tell the bus driver to wait for us." Yuki notes, running off towards the bus.
Then there is more talking inside the classroom.
"Whatever. Expel me from this school if you feel like. Why don't you go ahead and make me unable to attend any of the public schools in this state? Do what you want. See if I care." Ame hears Leilah spit before she slides the door open and spots him.
"Ame? What're you doing here? The bus is going to leave you, you know!" Leilah says, facepalming. "You little idiot, waiting for me."
Ame smiles, and gets up.
"D-Don't worry. My older sister, s-she told the bus d-driver to wait for us." Ame informs, glad that Yuki had stopped by.
"That was nice of her, huh?" Leilah says, taking Ame's hand and basically dragging him over to the school bus outside, where it was sunny and humid.
As she dragged him along at a fast pace, looking a bit pale and dehydrated, Ame was glad he waited for her. For some reason, he knew she was special. He wanted to get to know her, because she might as well be the iris he's been waiting for.