First Published: September 20th 2017

Pairing: none

Genre: hurt/comfort, fluff, comedy, human au, high school au, dad!pat au

Word Count: 1100

Warnings: fight mention, An Injury

Summary: Patton's sons get suspended and Patton gives the school hell.

A/N Set before all the others.

-

Patton had been warned it wouldn't be easy. The kids had a rough childhood, so a few mishaps were to be expected. It was just, he never expected... this.

Standing in front of him was a sheepish Roman, a fuming Virgil and a black-eyed Logan. The first two were commonplace – Logan's injury, however, was not. Nor was the call from the principal earlier that afternoon warning him about this.

Now that they were home, Patton rounded on his sons. "What on earth happened?"

"Well," Roman started off, lifting a hand to rub the back of his neck awkwardly.

Virgil glared at him and took over. "Your dumb asshole of a son-" (and Patton had to stop himself from squealing because this was the first time they had called him dad, indirectly and full of swearing or otherwise) "-has been tormented and teased for the past week over him joining the fucking drama club, and only when I fucking catch the dickheads in the act does he decide to spill the beans! Of course, I told Logan right away and he straight up decked the motherfuckers who did it. They had it coming, but then they decide to retaliate. Now Logan's got a black eye, two guys were absolutely thrashed by my tough-as-shit big brother – seriously, Lo, where did you learn to fight like that? – and also the three of us are suspended for three weeks."

"Well, first of all, mind your language. Second of all, I'm proud of all of you sticking together but- wait, suspended?!"

By the time he comprehended what this meant, the three were already sneaking out of there. Over his shoulder, Virgil called, "Bye, Dad! Love you!"

They thought they had made it until Patton came up behind them and scooped up him and Roman. Logan had enough common sense to stalk back in, plonk himself onto a nearby armchair and brace himself for the scolding.

Patton placed Roman and Virgil on opposite ends of the couch, but he didn't miss how they scooted closer, Virgil throwing a protective arm around his older brother. Patton almost awed out loud before he reminded himself that he was supposed to be scolding. Cuteness wouldn't save his sons now.

"Once again, I'm proud of you three for sticking together..." The sons collectively sighed in relief. "...However, you can't just punch whoever you feel like. Whilst the person – or people," (a bout of rage shot through him as he remembered that two teenagers had been picking on Roman for a week beforehand, but he composed himself quickly) "may have hurt Roman, the first step is always to tell a trusted adult."

The three squirmed uncomfortably in their seats. Virgil shifted forward, biting his lip. Eventually, he blurted out, "You're not going to send us back to the orphanage, are you? I know you've only had us for a few months but I swear I didn't mean to get them suspended! Besides, Roman and Logan didn't do anything wrong. It was all my fault, so you should punish me and only me." The older two cried out in outrage, but were immediately silenced by a glance from Patton.

"I'm not mad."                                                                                                                      

There was a certain calmness to his voice that none of them trusted. They had messed up and Patton was supposed to yell, wasn't he? Was he tricking them? Why wasn't he yelling?!

"I understand that actually trusting someone with something big like bullying is hard," he continued. "I'm not going to punish you for sticking up for each other outside of assigning extra chores, no matter how rashly you went about this. I'm not going to send you back either, and if you allow me too, I will never give you three up, no matter what stunts you pull. However, the principal expects you to apologise. All three of you."

"That's bullshit!" Logan cried out. "Roman didn't even do anything!" He sat back down and adverted his gaze. "Sorry," he murmured, pink dusting his cheeks.

Patton's expression softened and he moved towards them. They flinched back, making his heart ache, but they relaxed into him as he wrapped them in a hug. He didn't mention how Roman was crying into his shoulder, nor how both Virgil and Logan were clinging to him like a lifeline, but he did make himself a promise to give that principal hell for allowing this to happen.

After a few minutes, he pulled back. "Now, let's get some ice for you, Logan, and then you can tell me your point of views in depth – minus the swearing, please." He shot a pointed look at Virgil, who blushed and ducked his head. "Perhaps we can even convince the principal to lessen the suspension and that the kids who were involved should apologise too."

-

The next day, Patton exited the principal's office with his usual cheery smile on his face. His sons, as well as the students there, watched him in shock and something akin to horror.

"I think this calls for some ice cream!" He pulled his sons out of there, and it was only when they were in the car did Patton answer their wordless questions. "Now, kiddos, never shout at an adult. Unless they treat your kids unfairly, in which case, a few choice words may be exchanged. Oh, and also, the suspension has been lifted."

Virgil was the first to crack. He clapped his hands in joy and burst out laughing. "That," he begun, "was the single most badass thing I've ever heard."

"I do believe you used ninety percent of Virgil's... creative and somewhat foul vocabulary in there," Logan noted with a grin.

Roman was about to join in with his own witty quip before he remembered something. "Wait! Before you start the car, I have a gift for you. From me!" Virgil elbowed him. "From all of us," he hastily corrected.

Patton twisted in his seat to watch as Roman reached into the boot and fumbled around, until he held up... something. "Okay, close your eyes- no peeking!"

Roman undid his seatbelt and climbed into the front seat, then wrapped soft material around Patton's neck. He tied the knot and climbed back to where he was before.

"Okay, look now!"

Patton opened his eyes and gasped. Wrapped around him cape-style was a brand new grey cardigan.

"Kiddo, what's this about?" He asked, wiping away the happy tears gathering at his eyes.

"Because you're our hero... Dad."

Patton smiled to himself and caught the three of them grinning to themselves in the rear-view mirror. Oh, he loved his strange sons.