Chapter Text
"i guess i have to face.
that in this awful place.
i shouldn't show a trace of doubt."
-escapism
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hunter knows that people normally always try to kill him.
lilith clawthorne tried to when she was a part of the coven, eda clawthorne attacked him, and ambrose did try to kill him when they first met. though to be fair, eda the owl lady was attacking him because hunter attacked her and her kid. the human...what was her name again? lilith tried to kill him and ambrose during training, which hunter hated about the younger clawthorne. belos tried to kill him too. more than once, hunter found himself at the hands of the mad masked man.
"hunter," ambrose whispered, turning over to face the boy. the faint lights hanging on the ceiling lit the elf's face. light pink eyes met scarlet, causing some of hunter's worries to disappear. ambrose's expression was calm but hunter knew that underneath the soft covers of hunter's bedsheets were arms and legs littered with training and battle scars. "tomorrow's the palismen ceremony for hexside...:"
hunter sighed, bringing his knees to his chest. ambrose shifted in the bed, so that hunter had room. "i know." he looked away from his friend. "i just - it doesn't-"
"sit right?" hunter watched as ambrose wrapped his arms around him, whimpering softly. "we don't have a choice, hunt. he'll kill us..." hunter knew that ambrose was right. of course he was right. the pinkette was always right about belos. belos. belos. belos. the name was sour, even in his head. " 'nd i hate it when he touches you."
hunter wished his friend hadn't said that.
━
the loud screaming that came out of his mouth as belos ran his hand across his face terrified him. the hand mark hadn't left his face. hunter gripped his face whilst belos screamed at him, telling him that the only reason hunter could do magic was because of him. he's right, hunter thought to himself. he's always right. but hunter didn't want belos to be right. he wanted belos to leave him alone.
"stand!" belos roared, the sound-proof walls of the throne room masking any sort of doubt that the infamous golden guard was crying. hunter did as he was told, though he couldn't bring himself to remove his hand from his face. hunter couldn't see belos' face, but hunter knew the older man was glaring at him. "now, what have you learned?"
"don't speak without being spoken to," hunter responded, forcing the ball in his throat down. he tried to make eye contact with the masked man but it was hard, knowing that the emporer was as unstable as they come. just don't piss him off, hunter reminded himself through the pain in his chest.
belos grunted and turned in the opposite direction. he waved for hunter to be dismissed. hunter winced as he put on his helmet. the cool metal irritated the fresh bruises and wounds on his neck and head. hunter cleared his throat and opened the door out of the thrown room. ambrose stood on the other side of the door, leaning against the gold doors with a worried expression on his face. everyone knew better than to bother the two boys when they were work uniform.
"hunter," he murmured as he lead the golden guard back to his room. the door shut instantly and ambrose tugged off hunter's golden helmet. ambrose gasped softly, as he saw the new wounds from below. "oh my titan, are-nope, you aren't okay. i need to stop asking you that." a white handkerchief dapped at the bloody cuts, wiping them with some kind of antiseptic. ambrose wasn't a healer, though he wanted to learn, just for hunter.
"don't stop asking..." hunter replied through pained grunts, the antiseptic burning him slightly. "makes me feel better." ambrose placed his hand on hunter's cheek and muttered something underneath his breath. the faint pinkish spell circle glowed brightly in hunter's peripheral vision. the handprint still remained but one look from ambrose calmed down the heavy stream of tears that had begun to fall moments earlier.
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"-hunter! hunter?" he felt ambrose's voice snake into his ears, warming the boy to his toes. "are you okay? you started crying and i know it's probably because of - the emperor (he tried not to notice the hesitant to speak hunter's uncle's name. hunter hesitates too). but you can't scare me like that," ambrose begged, holding the golden guard in his arms. ambrose was warm. hunter elected to ignore the taut muscles underneath the long-sleeved shirt.
"i'm sorry," hunter mumbled, pressing his head into ambrose's shoulder. he couldn't think about his uncle. he can't bear to even utter the name. "i just couldn't stop my brain from going back and i don't know how to control shit and he's always-"
ambrose huffed, the spicy scent of mint filled his nostrils. ambrose's light pink eyes shined with a mixture of emotions. hunter couldn't put his finger on it. the other boy's hair hung in a crazy unruly mess, but it wasn't like a rat's net. it was soft and perfectly taken care of. hunter sometimes combed ambrose's hair down, so that it'd fit in the helmet he'd have to wear as a uniform. "never apologize, hunt." the bitterness in ambrose's tone was far too serious for a sixteen-year-old boy who normally was pretty goofy. "it's never our fault." hunter noticed that ambrose said our instead of your. ambrose never spoke about the times belos had hurt him. if it was even belos who hurt him. "promise me that you'll never apologize for belos hurting us but most importantly, you."
hunter looked up from his position in ambrose's arms. he sniffed, the stinging in his cheek bothering more and more. ambrose smiled at hunter, and kissed his forehead. the display of affection warming the light-haired boy. "i promise, ambrose. i promise.