Chapter Text
Belos was gone.
Everyone was free, everyone returned to their families, finding relief in each other's arms. Gus smiled as he hugged his father, and Amity greeted her siblings cheerfully. Luz had Eda and King, and Hunter's hand slipped from Willow's shoulder as she ran into her father's arms. And Hunter...was left alone. A shadow of sadness crossed his face as no one was waiting for him. He had no one to return to. And yet, feeling a hand on his blond hair, he realized...that maybe his life wouldn't be so hopeless anymore.
This new life and adjusting to living with none other than Darius was... difficult and full of surprises. Hunter quickly learned that the apartment always had to look clean and pristine, and Darius was a perfectionist. Always elegantly dressed, precise in everything... even something as simple as turning the pages of a newspaper or making tea.
Hunter never expected to end up living with him, yet here he was. He had nowhere else to go and had to start learning his new teenage life. He was given a room, which he tried to decorate in any way he could, since it contained only an empty wardrobe and a bed, and he began studying at Hexside. As a result, he began spending more and more time with his friends, and life slowly crept back into the Boiling Isles as its inhabitants tried to rebuild their former lives.
Hunter came down for breakfast quietly that morning. He'd always been a rather quiet person, but now he was almost too quiet. Darius, still unaccustomed to his new, small, blond-haired roommate, didn't look up from his newspaper. He sat at the table, a mug of green tea in his hand, his eyes intently following the text on the paper. Living with someone was... different. More chaotic, but at least less lonely.
"Good morning," Hunter said, quickly approaching the cupboard to grab some cornflakes.
"Good morning..." Darius grumbled reluctantly and yawned quietly, pushing the newspaper away from his face for a moment. "Don't forget your math book from the living room."
Hunter poured the cereal into a bowl and grabbed the milk, sitting at the table across from Darius. The blond sometimes wondered how the man managed to look so good and elegant so early in the morning. Hunter sometimes woke up in a ball of fury, with his hair disheveled and books scattered everywhere on the floor.
"I know...I hate fractions." He wrinkled his nose, rubbed a tired eye, and began to quickly devour the bowl's contents so he wouldn't be late for school.
But he didn't look at Darius. The man flashed his green eyes and, resigned, returned to reading his newspaper. Hunter raised his eyes uncertainly and glanced at him briefly. He looked a bit like he wanted to ask something, but decided against it at the last minute.
They hadn't lived together long. They hadn't had any close relationships yet, so when Hunter disappeared without a word, bidding him a hasty goodbye, Darius wasn't surprised. He simply muttered something and returned to his daily routine.
And when the day flew by faster than expected and Hunter returned from school on a warm afternoon...he decided to wander around the house like a ghost. Literally. And Darius, damn it, couldn't figure out what he was trying to do.
First, he went downstairs and into the living room, where Darius was sitting, checking a book. He pretended to be looking for something, and when he couldn't find it, he simply...left. Darius frowned but said nothing.
Later, Hunter entered the kitchen while Darius was making a salad. The blond slowly poured himself some juice, stealing nervous glances at the master of abomination. He tried to look ordinary and, with a glass of juice, he leaned back against the counter.
"Nice weather today, isn't it?"
Darius sighed dramatically and stopped chopping for a moment, looking up at the teenager.
"It's evening already, Hunter."
The blond laughed nervously, said something timidly, and...disappeared through the door as if something had burned him. Darius knew perfectly well the blond wanted to ask him something, but he simply decided not to interfere. He didn't want to pressure him and knew that sooner or later, Hunter would come to him and ask what he wanted to ask.
So he wasn't at all surprised when, late that evening, while sitting in the living room, relaxing with a cup of tea, he heard a soft knock on the doorframe. A faint smile crept across Darius's lips, but he didn't look up from his book. He'd been reading too much lately.
"Hunter, if you want to ask me something, just do it." He said, then looked up at the teenager standing a few meters away.
The blond was a little red in the face and stared at him silently, fiddling with the hem of his sweater. He took a breath...then exhaled, and stammered out as if it took a tremendous effort:
"Willow's birthday is coming up..." he began.
"I'm listening," Darius said calmly, closing the book, setting it aside, and crossing his legs.
"I want to give her a gift. She's special to me. I already have an idea, and I'd like to buy her something, but..." he cleared his throat quietly and looked away from the older man.
"But you don't have any money..." he finished calmly for him.
"...yes," Hunter muttered, staring at the wooden floor.
It was humiliating. Asking for something he wasn't entitled to. He worried Darius might get...angry at him for it. Just like Belos did, at every opportunity, even when Hunter was breathing too loudly.
Darius said nothing, which only served to further stress the boy. The man stared at him for a long moment, then opened his mouth slightly, making a peculiar clicking sound with his tongue.
"You know...you could have just asked instead of following me around like a ghost all day. Honestly...it was actually quite funny."
"You know?!" Hunter felt like his ears were about to burn off, like in a bonfire.
The dark-haired man rose from his comfortable seat, setting down his cup of hot tea, and slowly walked toward the dresser. He pulled out a pouch and looked at the younger one.
"Just tell me how much you need. And don't take it as a favor. It's normal," he said simply.
The next day, Hunter was able to go on a little gift shopping trip for Willow. And it was all thanks to Darius. He was incredibly grateful, even though he didn't yet know what he would make for the girl who had recently stolen his heart. The only idea in his head was to make a bracelet: simple, plain, with elements of her favorite colors. Meaning...one that Willow would definitely like.
After school and a little shopping, he sat down at his desk and began making a bracelet, carefully weaving green threads into it.
Unexpectedly, he heard a soft knock on the door. Darius appeared in the doorway to his room, holding something. Hunter looked at him questioningly, and when the older man approached him and placed a few gold coins on the desk, Hunter tensed.
"What? Why...? But yesterday I..." he began, embarrassed, but before he could say anything more, Darius snapped:
"That's different. I figured you'd get pocket money every month now. Your teenage mind has its own...teenage needs."
Hunter looked at him silently. He wouldn't have said it aloud, but he felt a strange warmth in his heart, and gratitude washed over his face. He smiled brightly at his caretaker, revealing his gap-toothed form, and Darius smiled weakly back.