Archive of Our Own ^beta

The Blight-Deamonne family was all in the living room, Alador leaned into Darius side as he tried to nap before work, Darius writing up some reports for Eda while the kids were all on the floor, watching a movie and doing idle things, such as making bracelets or practising sewing.

Hunter was way better now, able to create consistent stitches and new patterns and he decided it was his big brother duty to teach Amity how to as well. Emira and Edric were making bracelets but they came up with a stupid idea to make them while they were on their arms and it was not going too well. Hocus Pocus 2 played on the television set they’d gotten from the human realm.

It had become somewhat of a ritual for them to all hang out on Saturday mornings before Hunter had to go off to a Flyer Derby practice, before Alador had to head into the shop, before Darius had to go off with Raine and Eberwolf, before Amity went on her weekly Earth trip with Luz and before the twins did whatever it was they wanted to that day.

They liked spending time as a family, even if they weren’t doing anything in particular with each other, it was nice to just be in each other’s presence.

They’d been a sorta family for almost a year now and the kids had begun suspecting Darius was going to propose soon but knew the older man was still hesitant.

Things hadn’t ended well with him and Alador the first time, so it was fair of him to be cautious even though Alador had reassured him he wasn’t going anywhere this time.

They enjoyed their time together, though.

They all sat in mostly peaceful bliss minus the television and occasionally Hunter instructing Amity on something.

But then something suddenly made a strange sound.

At first, no one reacted or heard it. Not until the sound came again, somewhere from Darius’ direction but still, there was hardly any reaction, just an eyebrow raise or confused expression amongst the children.

Darius sighed loudly though.

“Not right now,” He said and now the kids looked up, all exchanging confused expressions and that sound from before happened again. It was like a chittering sound. Darius sighed deeper and his shoulders sagged.

“Fine, only for a bit.” Darius said and the kids turned to him.

Just in time to see his hair leaving his head.

Well.

Not his hair, they all knew the abomination mass on his head wasn’t his hair, that it laid over it in some sort of protective style.

But to say none of them were expecting it to form into a small abomination creature and jump into his lap was-

Well, for lack of a better word, very surprising.

“What!?” Edric shouted and all the kids eyes were glued on the thing.

Darius looked up at them and raised an eyebrow. “”What” what?” He asked and Alador, who apparently was not sleeping, grins smugly, keeping his eyes shut.

“You have hair?!” Emira shouts and Darius makes a face, mouth dropping open and he tilted his head.

“Did you think I didn’t?” He asked and Hunter shook his head.

“ I knew you had hair!” Hunter shouts and then frantically points at the abomination. “I didn’t think it was alive! ” 

“All abomination mass is alive.” Darius states, like it’s a fact because it is. Amity is staring fascinated at the abomination that is now trotting across the table. It’s all wobbly because its legs are very short and stubby. Amity seems to find this very amusing.

“Yeah,” Edric says and shakes his head. “But we didn’t think it was an abomination! Just excess mass, like the stuff that teleports us!”

Darius shakes his head. “We’ve been living together for months, did you just never see me without the little guy on?”

“I guess?!” Emira shouts and shakes her head frantically. “My mind is blown! I feel like I’ve been lied to! How can I even call you Pops if there’s betrayal and deceit?!” She’s being dramatic and not at all serious and Darius rolls his eyes at her.

“Did Ala never tell you guys about it?” Darius asked.

All the kids turn to their other father, who is failing at pretending to be asleep because he’s laughing to himself and hiding his face in Darius’ shoulder.

“Al,” Darius said sternly, trying to hide his own smile and Alador sat up, grinning wildly and Darius was reminded that Edric and Emira got their sneaky and sly traits from the inventor.

“I completely forgot about it,” Alador obviously lies and Darius shakes his head.

“You’re a menace,” Darius states and Alador shrugs. “It takes one to know one.”

Darius kisses his forehead and turns back to the kids.

“I don’t know why you’re all so shocked, I mean, Bump also has his palisman on his head and-”

“THAT’S YOUR PALISMAN?” The four kids all shout in unison and Darius closes his eyes and stays frozen for a moment, reigning in mild shock from their sudden outburst.

“Yes, it is.” Darius holds out his hand and the abomination waddles into it, slowly turning into a long staff.

“I worked for Belos,” Darius said and shrugged. “I was never loyal to him, I had to figure out how to keep my palisman without it getting confiscated, disguising him as my hair worked best.”

Hunter stands up and looks at the staff. The abomination had it’s eyes closed in staff form, his little arms hugging himself.

“What’s its name?” Hunter asked and Darius smiled softly at his son.

“I… This is kind of embarrassing, I’ve never given him a name. And he was created for me so he didn’t have one previously. I’ve asked what it wanted to be named, but I never got a proper response.” Darius said and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “I just call him Squishy.”

Hunter laughs at that and pokes the abominations head. It slowly turns back to regular palisman form and Hunter silently asked Darius if he could hold it.

Darius hands it over and the palisman curls up in Hunter’s hands.

“Hey Squishy.” Hunter greets. Squishy chitters at him and Hunter laughs as Darius flushed right red.

“What?” Amity asked. They all knew because of weird Grimwalker powers, Hunter had the ability to understand all palisman. And Darius being the owner could obviously understand but the rest of them didn’t.

“He said I’m Darius’ favourite!” Hunter sang, grinning wildly.

“He’s lying.” Darius stated.

“Hunter or Squishy?” Emira said, grinning.

“Squishy.” Darius says and Edric cackles.

“So it’s true than.” He jokes and Darius scoffs.

“I love all of you equally.” Darius lies as Alador resumes trying to sleep and Hunter sits on the groun cradling Squishy.

“If we were all drowning, including Alador, and you only had time to save one of us, only one, no magic nothing, only one. Who would you save?” Amity asked, smiling and Darius looks at her.

“This is an unfair moral question.” He responds.

“Ignore morality and pick.” Emira said and Hunter is grinning up at him now too.

“Hunter,” Darius gives in.

“Wowwww,” Alador says, fake hurt and sitting up. He was too awake now to nap enough before he was needed for work. “And to think I love you!”

“Hun,” Darius said, in a “i’m so done with your crap,” kind of way and Alador just grins back. 

“Nah, if given the opportunity I’d probably save Hunter too.” Alador said and the Blight children all made noises of shock or hurt.

“ Kidding! ” Alador says standing and gives Hunter a look that reads “not kidding.”

Hunter looks back down at Squishy and hands him over to Darius.

“He’s very chill, you should let him roam more often.” Hunter says and Darius rolls his eyes.

“I would but he’s a menace.” Darius says. “Always messes up my paperwork, hides my pencil, stuff like that.”

“Oof,” Hunter said and laughed. “Almost like every person in this room or something.”

“You’re a menace magnet,” Edric claims and Emira nods viciously in agreement as Alador returns with a cup of coffee.

“While I deny any state of being a public menace and a menace to my boyfriend, I will say that most people you care for tend to be.” Alador said and Darius shook his head.

“Amity isn’t!” Darius claims and Amity smiles politely.

“Uh, that you know of!” Hunter scoffs. “She does stuff all the time, she just goes under the radar!”

“Oh really, like what stuff does she do?” Darius challenges.

“She pushed Boscha down a flight of stairs.” Edric says and Amity rolls her eyes. “I didn’t push her! It’s not my fault I high fived her and she stumbled backwards onto a pile of abomination goo that just happened to be there!” 

Her tone is very unconvincing and Darius gapes at her while Alador sips his coffee.

“She put screaming gum in Musek’s hair.” Emira says now and Amity waves a hand. 

“I tried to spit it out into the trash but my aim was off!” Amity says. “She was on the opposite side of the room.” Hunter deadpans.

“Oh I helped her get it out.” Amity says. “You cut it out when she wasn’t looking.” Edric adds on.

Darius rubs at his temple.

“Okay, fine, I take it back, you’re all menaces.” Darius said and the group all laughed. “My boyfriend, my children and my palisman are menaces, maybe I am a magnet.”