Warning: Mentions of violence and minor bloodshed among children.
Word Count: 1,327

Atlas was acutely aware of the kids running around him in the playroom, crashing into one another with resulting screams of delight. He was also aware of three kids in particular – kids who usually didn’t like that he didn’t get involved, and often went out of their way to give him trouble. Bullying in the orphanage was dealt with as it occurred, but kids were also capable of being mean, and isolating, and cruel.

What Atlas hadn’t expected was to be left alone. He was grateful for it, in fact. Atlas preferred playing in the corner of the play room, constructing things with his brick pieces or drawing plans of animals he saw outside without having one of the three bullies run over to kick his creations down, tear his papers, or generally harass him.

He didn’t know why he was being left alone, but he’d take it.

Across the room, the reason for Atlas being left alone was happily playing with dolls alongside another kid, growling under his breath as he reenacted an important fight of some historical renown. Or something. He was pretty sure it’d happened in the past, but if you asked for details, Titan would be hard-pressed to provide them. The aggressive little chomp hybrid was distracted, and despite previous warnings to leave Atlas alone (whether Atlas knew it or not, Titan was clearly his protector now), the bullies seemed to notice his attention was elsewhere.

Atlas should have known it’d been too quiet for too long. He tilted his head absently as a shadow fell over him, frowning a little and peering up. “Could you move—” He started to ask, the question dying on his lips when he realized just who was standing over him.

“What’re you doing now, Atlas?” The bigger of the three asked with a sneer, yanking the paper out from under Atlas and eying the drawing. Roman, leader of the Jerks. “What’s this supposed to be anyway? It just looks like a pile of junk!”

“Give it back.” Atlas glared a little, shrinking under the boys standing over him. They had the advantage in size and mass, and while Atlas was generally faster than they were, they’d crowded him in at the art table. “It’s not my fault you don’t know how to draw.”

Atlas really should have known better than to open his mouth.

He yelped when the second of the bullies – Trent, or Toby, or something like that – pushed him out of the chair, wincing as he hit the ground and growling a little under his breath. He knew he wasn’t strong enough to fight back, but if he just sat there and didn’t react, they’d get bored eventually.

With his eyes on the ground and his body tense in case he got an opportunity to run, Atlas definitely didn’t notice the oncoming storm until it was too late.

Trent-or-Something suddenly let out a yell as he was pushed, hard, into the table and away from the biggest of the perpetrators. Titan straightened up, glaring hard at the other two bullies. Atlas looked back, blinking a little at the horn-headed hybrid. He wasn’t much bigger than Atlas, and the leader of this little cult of bullying was certainly bigger than him. Atlas was stunned.

Titan didn’t seem to care at all that he was smaller. If anything, he looked like he could take them anyway.

It was probably the spikes.

“I’m pretty sure I told you to leave Atlas alone.” Titan growled, clenching his fists.

“I’m pretty sure you’re not my boss.” Roman growled in reply, squaring to face Titan. Atlas took advantage of the attention, skirting away from the fight and backing up against the wall. He’d seen the hybrid before, and he’d definitely heard about him getting in trouble for fighting.

“Yeah, well, you’re an idiot.” Titan snorted, glaring at him. “Leave him alone, or you’re gonna regret it.”

“What d’you think you’re gonna do about it?” Roman glared down at Titan, looming over him. Titan just grinned, a mouth full of sharp fangs at the ready, and barreled right into Roman’s stomach, slamming him to the ground.

The fight didn’t last long, of course. Caretakers at the orphanage were always on hand to stop an altercation before it got too out of hand. Career orphans like Titan, the ones who’d been there longer than others, knew how to take advantage of those precious minutes. In the confusion of the tussle, Roman left with a bloody nose, a bite, and the likelihood of a concussion. Titan was pulled away to talk to the director with a bruise forming under his eye, and the smuggest of expressions.

Atlas was left confused, and resolved to find the hybrid later to figure out why, exactly, he’d decided to protect him.


It wasn’t until nearly a week later that Atlas finally saw Titan enter the playroom again. They weren’t in the same room at night, and it seemed their meals were separate too. Either that, or Titan had been isolated as a punishment for his crimes.

Despite the punishment, it’d been effective. Roman and his goons had left Atlas well alone, and it seemed everyone else had opted to do the same after that fight. Atlas kept an eye out, vaguely, for Titan, and was relieved when he finally reappeared.

The litch waited until Titan was settled before he popped up beside him, fidgeting a little and squinting at the hybrid. If he squinted hard enough, maybe he’d understand why Titan had done it. He doubted it, but knowledge-by-osmosis sounded better than actually talking about it.

“Hey.”

Atlas jerked out of his thoughts, blinking a little, and was annoyed when he realized Titan had apparently been watching him for at least the last minute. “…hi.” He swallowed, and sat down next to him on the floor, eying the dolls Titan had picked out. “…’m Atlas.”

“I know.” Titan said, nodding a little and holding out one of the dolls with a smile. “Titan.”

“… Really?” He snickered a little. Somehow, that knowledge had escaped him. Atlas wasn’t really good with names. He’d likely forget it sooner or later. “Sorry.”

Titan shrugged, grinning a little at Atlas and eying him. “You okay? Roman and those other dummies left you alone, right?”

“Yeah.” Atlas nodded a little, taking the doll and fussing with its hair quietly. “… Why’d you stop them?" He looked over. “No one else did.” He shrugged a little. “It wasn’t their problem.”

“Doesn’t make it right.” Titan rolled his eyes, playing with his own dolls. “No one was stickin’ up for you. So I decided I was gonna.”

“Why?” Atlas pressed, frowning at him.

Titan looked over. “’Cause.”

“… Titan.” Atlas huffed a little, crossing his arms. “That’s not a reason.”

Titan grinned at the huffy litch, shrugging sheepishly. “You need someone to protect you ‘cause you’re small and you don’t always pay attention. So if no one else is gonna, it’s gonna be me.”

Atlas eyed him, frowning a little as he tried to sort that out in the limited world he operated in, a world where – until now – Atlas hadn’t wanted, needed, or had anyone in his corner. He was content to operate as a single unit, but suddenly being claimed by someone, especially Titan, made everything feel…warm.

And a little like he was going to throw up.

“I’m not gonna be able to protect you back.” Atlas pointed out, eying the toys. “’m not good at fighting. Not like you. And I’m not really good at… this.” He gestured broadly to the room at large, but especially the other kids in it.

Titan grinned wider, nodding. “Yeah, I noticed.” He shrugged, and dropped an arm around Atlas’s shoulders, yanking him into a hug. “It’s okay. I’ll protect both of us.”

“…okay.” Atlas mumbled, sinking into it. He could get used to this. He just hoped Titan didn’t change his mind later.