Chapter Text
Once the initial shock had worn off, Ferdinand’s eyes scanned everywhere for the source of that blast. Just as the creature attempted to stand up again, the dark violet aura came hurling back at it, throwing it down once more. Ferdinand heard footsteps, and when he pivoted behind him, he came face to face with none other than Hubert, whom he noticed was enveloped with energy.
Hubert, courtesy of his monarch butterfly, had sensed that Ferdinand got himself into danger, and therefore rushed to save the other, thankfully not too late to do so. Apparently a rogue aswang, the shapeshifting-to-werebeast-kind, had taken an interest in the redhead as its next meal. Frankly, Hubert not wanting Ferdinand to become prey to this beast was an understatement.
As he looked on at the current scene before him, Hubert’s eyes met Ferdinand’s. Despite his light green eyes glowing violet from his powers, they were gentle enough to let Ferdinand know that he was only meaning to protect him.
“Hubert...” Ferdinand began. “You’re...”
“Later.” Hubert raised his hands, gathering energy in them. “Just stay back; I’ll handle this.” Then he turned back to the creature, who was slowly getting back up from the ground, snarling at its new foe.
Hubert wasn’t going to take any nonsense from this being whatsoever, waving his arms back like had an imaginary long coat behind him.
The creature’s eyes widened when they realized just who they were facing against. “You...aren’t you...the Butterfly of Death?!”
“I don’t call myself that, but I’m touched that some are even aware of my reputation in the modern day.”
Then Hubert, with a wave of his hands, summoned threads of white trailing on his fingers. At first, Ferdinand had no clue what Hubert was about to do with them, until the latter flicked the strings like whips, and ensnared the aswang’s arms.
Then the string slowly turned red as Hubert unleashed one of his spells. Said spell involved beetles suddenly crawling all over the aswang, incapacitating it as it tried to swat them off. While the monster was distracted trying to fling off the pesky beetles, it didn’t notice Hubert summoning a moth that led itself into the aswang’s body through the string entering its ear.
Hubert gave a wicked smirk, one that he hadn’t used in a while since the old days.
“My, my...it would be very bad if an insect already entered your system, now, right?”
With that, the Aswang’s eyes widened by the realization, and attempted to lunge at Hubert in retaliation. “Why, you—-!”
“Now, my little ones...”
Hubert then waved his hands again, this time clenching his fist as a finishing gesture for his magic. Next thing Ferdinand knew, the aswang abruptly exploded from the sudden influx of moths flying out from all over.
Beetles also exited from the creature’s chest, giving it no chance to revive itself from that move.
It was accompanied by a resounding magic blast, and the light coming from it further illuminated Hubert’s face. Frankly, being able to eliminate someone, while at the same time protecting Ferdinand gave him a sense of...something new, one that seemed to be indescribable by his own mind. Whatever it was, Hubert concluded to himself that he liked it.
Meanwhile, Ferdinand saw the victorious smirk Hubert had on his person, and his cheeks turned a fair red. He didn’t know why, but what he did know was that the ravenette looked positively radiant with the magic’s light against him. Added to that was Hubert being the one who saved him to begin with, well...
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Once the magic died down, the remains of the aswang laid crumpled on the sidewalk, rendered itself dead. To ensure that it wouldn’t come back, Hubert took out a small pouch from his pocket, and sprinkled some salt on its corpse. The aswang’s flesh hissed from the silver grains; a testament to how truly demonic this being was.
“That aswang won’t be able to bother you anymore...” Hubert turned to look at Ferdinand. “You alright?”
Ferdinand had taken his time to fully gather his thoughts on what he just witnessed. On the other hand, he uttered out, “I’m fine, but...what was that back there? I’ve never seen something like that until just now.”
Hubert sighed. He supposed that it was about time Ferdinand knew the truth.
“That was an aswang...one of the creatures of the night that target humans for their flesh.” Hubert explained. “And I...well,” His eyes trailed downward, to his palms, where Fernando and Remedios were summoned, resting on them. “I’m a sorcerer.”
“One that controls insects?”
“...Yes. I’m what’s known as a Mambabarang.” Hubert continued. “I’m the only one left from my clan; there are other Mambabarang clans out there, but I’m the last from the Vestra line.”
“Oh...” Ferdinand nodded; while he had plenty of other questions, he chose not to raise them when he saw the monarch butterfly on Hubert’s palm. Which reminded him. “Then you must be the one who sent me all of those letters?”
“I...I did, yes.” Red became the color of Hubert’s cheeks in an instant. Eyes gazed to the side, for once unsure of the outcome. “If you don’t reciprocate, it’s fine, but...just know that ever since you gave me a pen to borrow, it led me to plenty of things. But most of all...” Hubert exhaled with a gentle smile. “It led me to you.”
Ferdinand’s face became stuck in catatonia, speechless as his face slowly turned red again. He was surprised that Hubert managed to remember their first meeting. It gave him a hint that the other was definitely serious about his feelings.
Ferdinand could’ve gone on thinking about it, when he saw Hubert still standing there, gazing at him this time, expectant. Coming from the high that was getting his life at risk, and with Hubert saving his life among other good things he did, might as well give him a response.
Hubert feared the worst when Ferdinand didn’t give a verbal reply, hence he was ready to step away just as the most unexpected thing happened:
He felt a small peck on his cheek.
Huh?
Looking to see the source, Hubert’s eyes met with Ferdinand close to him, eyes closed, bestowing him with a kiss on the cheek. Ferdinand was even grasping Hubert’s hand, clearly intent on giving this to him. A second more, and Ferdinand pulled away, nearly blushing by the end of it.
“There. That’s my answer.”
“Is that a yes?”
Ferdinand resisted a laugh from that, smiling. “Didn’t you get it the first time? It is! And since you took the extra mile to protect me, well...I could consider a date.”
“...Make it two.”
“Deal.” A peck on the cheek again.
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Lysithea walked by the sidewalk, reading her newest spellbook to get a head start to train her magic, when she saw Hubert and Ferdinand in close proximity to each other, blissfully smiling. Hubert’s two butterflies, Fernando and Remedios even flew around them in the shape of a heart.
As if the outcome of their conversation needed to be ever so blatant, Lysithea mused.
She cupped a hand around her mouth. “Finally, you two!”
Both Hubert and Ferdinand jumped from her call, both trying to collect themselves.
Lysithea laughed, resuming her walk. “Ah, romance...”