"Obviously." Tobi rolled his eyes. "Give me some credit. I got plastic sheeting to put down and everything." He paused, then added with a grin, "Though maybe don't mention the explosion part to Layla."
Tyr narrowed his eyes, studying his twin's suddenly defensive posture. "You're not... using the kid to get closer to Layla, are you?"
Tobi's head snapped up, genuine hurt flashing across his features. "What? No! How could you even think that?" He slammed the box down on the counter with more force than necessary. "Yousuf's a great kid. Smart as hell, curious about everything. And yeah, maybe I want to show him some cool science stuff, help him feel safe and have some fun. Is that such a crime?"
"Did you know what happened to him? He was four years old - four - when they crept in and stole him from his mother's side while they slept." Tobi's knuckles went white against the counter. "Snatched him and a bunch of other kids in the dead of night, loaded them into trucks, and drove them out into the Moroccan desert in the blazing summer heat. Dumped themthere to die because they weren't 'worthy' of growing up to breed more caracal shifters."
His face contorted with a fury that stripped away his humanity, revealing the dangerous apex predator beneath. "They left babies to die in the desert, Tyr. Four-year-olds. Like garbage." His voice turned deadly quiet. "So, yeah, if I want to spend an evening making volcanoes explode with glitter and showing that sweet kid that not all men are monsters, I'm going to do exactly that."
Tyr flinched at the broken fury in his brother's voice. He'd known the basics of what happened at the compound, but hearing it laid out so starkly...
Clearing his throat, Tyr sought to change the subject to something lighter. He picked up a box from the counter, turning it over in his hands. 'Brownie mix?'"
Tobi shrugged, continuing to arrange his science experiment supplies. "Kids like that stuff. Figured we could make them together after the volcano thing."
"But you don't bake." Tyr stared at his brother in disbelief. In seven centuries, he'd never seen Tobi so much as boil water.
"Well, how hard can it be?" Tobi grabbed the box back, gesturing at the instructions printed on the side. "There's directions on it and everything. Add eggs, oil, water, stir, pour in pan, stick it in the oven." He grinned. "Even I can handle that."
"Says you, who once managed to burn soup," Tyr muttered, remembering their early attempts at maintaining human appearances by pretending to cook.
"That was almost seven hundred years ago!" Tobi protested.
Tyr picked up a printed sheet covered in colorful diagrams, scanning the instructions. "Volcano Science Experiment for Kids" blazed across the top in bold letters, followed by step-by-step directions and safety warnings.
"I found a different version using yeast and hydrogen peroxide," Tobi said, arranging bottles of food coloring. "But I figured vinegar and baking soda would be safer for a kid his age. Less chance of anything going wrong."
Tyr nodded absently, still reading. The diagrams showed how to build a volcano base from Play-Doh, then create the chemical reaction inside. Simple but effective. His interest piqued as he noticed additional variations listed - different combinations of ingredients to create various effects.
"This is actually pretty clever," he admitted, looking up at his brother. "Mind if I tag along? Could be fun to help out."
"Seriously?" Tobi's face lit up. "Yeah, that'd be great! Between the two of us, we can make sure nothing gets too out of hand." He grinned. "Plus, having backup means we can try multiple versions. See which one makes the best explosion."
"Controlled reaction," Tyr corrected automatically, but he was already mentally calculating the best ratios of vinegar to baking soda for maximum effect.
Tyr helped Tobi load the last of the supplies into the cardboard box, carefully arranging the bottles so nothing would spill during transport. Through the kitchen windows, they could see snow beginning to fall outside, coating everything in a pristine white blanket.
"Truck's probably smarter tonight," Tyr said, glancing out the window. "These roads will get slick fast."
"Plus we've got all this stuff to haul." Tobi grabbed the keys from the counter. "I'll drive."
The twins made their way to Tobi's black pickup, their boots crunching through fresh powder. The truck's headlights cut through the swirling snow as they headed toward the pack house where Layla and Yousuf lived.
Warm light spilled from the windows when they pulled up. Before they could reach the door, it flew open and Yousuf bounded out onto the porch.
"Tobi! Tyr!" The boy's face lit up with excitement. "You both came!"
"Careful on those steps," Tobi called as Yousuf navigated the snow-dusted porch. "They might be slippery."
Layla appeared in the doorway, wrapped in a thick sweater. "Come in, come in! It's freezing out there." Her smile was warm and relaxed.
"Thanks for watching him tonight," she said as they stomped snow from their boots in the entryway. "It means so much to have a night out with my friends."
"Our pleasure," Tobi assured her while carefully setting down the box where Yousuf couldn't peek inside. "We'll have a great time."
"What's in the box?" Yousuf tried to peer around Tobi's legs.
"Just some stuff for later," Tyr deflected smoothly. "It's a surprise."
