Chapter Text
Hunter looked at the lady in front of him. So, this was going to be his new foster parent. She had very pale skin and long grey hair, that was styled away from her face. In her hand she was holding a sheet of A4 paper with what he recognized as his picture on it. The woman looked to be between 40 and 50, he guessed. She was about four inches taller than him, but that might just be the high heels she was wearing. It's nothing surprising for him. Hunter wasn’t exactly tall for his age.
“So, you're my new kid, eh?” she said.
“Yea, that seems to be true.”
“My name is Eda. You're |DEADNAME| right?” She held up the paper. “I’m just checking I’ve got the right one.”
Hunter cringed internally, but didn't say anything. He didn't know if it was safe to out himself yet, so instead he nodded. He hoped his discomfort wouldn't show on his face.
“Okay kid. Let's go to the car, I’ll get you home.”
Hunter grabbed his belongings and followed her out the building. The crisp spring air greeted him. The sun felt warm on his skin but the wind was still cool enough to cause chills. His bag wasn't very heavy, save for his sketchbooks. Moving around a lot meant having tons of belongings wasn't very practical. He had never stayed in one place for long and he didn't expect this time to be any different.
After shoving his bag in the small car’s backseat he sat down in the front, next to Eda. He could hear her curse under her breath when the motor refused to start. She shoved her keys in second time and now a rumbling sound followed.
“Hah!” She snorted. “I knew you wouldn't give up on me, old buddy.” She tapped the steering wheel affectionately before driving away. Strange.
Most of the drive was silent, which Hunter appreciated. He stared out of the window, zoning out. Not long after leaving the city they took a turn away from the main highway, onto a nearly empty road surrounded by trees. Eda spoke up while they drove through the patchy shadows.
“So, I know what your legal documents say, but I also know that doesn't always align with someone's actual identity. This is why I always make sure to ask my kids this. Is there another name and/or pronoun set you would like to be called by?”
“I’m Hunter. He/him.” He swallowed. Why did it feel so awkward to say this, even if he has just been handed acceptance on a platter?
“Okay Hunter, nice to meet you.” She smiled, shooting him a glance before returning her attention to the road.
“Sorry for earlier, by the way,” she said. “We could get it changed, if you like.”
“You’d do that for me?”
“Yeah of course! Oh, I think you'd like to know this; my significant other is nonbinary. You’ll meet them later today, they're at work right now.”
“Okay.”
Hunter averted his gaze back to the car window, staring mindlessly at the trees flashing by. Eventually they reached a small town. They drove past a high school, a grocery store, and then stopped by a small house. It looked old, but well taken care of. The porch was filled with little potted plants and next to it stood a large tree. It seemed like this might turn out to be one of the better homes, but he refused to get his hopes up yet. Eda seemed nice, but he had yet to see all sides of her.
-
Luz had been waiting on the couch for half an hour while aimlessly scrolling through her phone. She had already neatened everything and then walked the dog. Now there was nothing for her to do and she was bored. The drive to the city should take about 20 to 25 minutes depending on traffic, so she calculated that it would take Eda about an hour to get back including the time she needed to pick up the new kid. All she knew was that they were 16, so two years older than her. Eda and Raine always worked with teenagers. The last one had been a 17 year old girl who stayed for a month until turning 18 and leaving to go her own way. She had been polite enough, but very closed off. Luz hoped the new kid would be more friendly, but she knew this wasn't usually the case with foster kids. Still she tries to be as nice as possible, emphasis on tries.
She sighed and threw her phone against the cushions.
“I’m so bored!” she said to no one.
As if the universe had heard her call, King started barking. Luz shoot up from the couch and picked up the tiny grey dog. She rushed to the door, waiting impatiently while she could hear Eda struggle with her keys outside. Eventually the door opened. Eda appeared, followed by a boy with blond hair, dark eye bags and a prominent scar on his cheek. In his hand he was holding a duffel bag. King growled at him.
-
“Hi!” A smiling girl with brown hair greeted him. “I’m Luz, nice to meet you! I would shake your hand, but my arms are filled with dog right now.”
Hunter stared at her, at the angry furball in her arms, and back. Usually the foster homes he went to didn't have any children close to his age. The one time they did, they didn't get along to the point the other boy threatened to stab him. His parents were kinda weird too, he stayed there even shorter than usual.
“Don't worry!” Luz says. “King just doesn't like strangers. He will calm down as soon as he realizes you're not scary.”
“I’m not afraid of your dog.”
“Okay, that's great! Can you tell me your name?”
“I’m Hunter.”
He could see her trying and failing to hide a laugh. Was she making fun of him?
“Why are you laughing, is there something wrong with you!?” Hunter said defensively.
He could see Luz slowly breathe in and out, regaining composure. “Sorry, your name.”
“What? It is a completely fine name!”
“Kids, be nice to each other,” Eda interrupted. “Luz, you can show Hunter his room.”
“Okay Eda!” Luz said.
He followed Luz through the narrow hallway into the house’s main area. He could see a worn down couch and chair in front of a tv next to a dinner table with four chairs. He also could see part of the kitchen, but most of it was hidden behind a wall separating the two spaces. That wall and the others were filled with book cases, paintings, and selves holding various trinkets. It gave of a sense of organized chaos.
Luz crouched and gently set the dog back on its paws. It immediately ran away to hide behind the couch, barking loudly at Hunter. He and Luz walked through another hallway where the bedrooms were located. One of the planks creaked under his foot, which his mind instinctively took note of. Luz opened the door the farthest back and showed him in with a dramatic flair of her arm.
“Tadaa! I know it's not much, but this will be your bedroom!”
Hunter walked into the narrow room and looked around. Against the very back of the wall stood a bed with plain covers, next to it a bedside table. Next to the door stood a closet for him to hang his clothes, and pressed up against the small sliver of wall left was a tiny desk. Above it hung a bookshelf, where they already put his school books. The difference between this room and the rest of the house was shocking. The tiny room was whiter, cleaner, and less decorated, but also felt colder. Maybe it was just his imagination, or maybe he needed to put on the heating. He threw his bag down on the wooden floor.
“Do you like it?” Luz asked.
“It is fine, I guess.”
“Cool!” She answered. “Here is the bathroom, there is also another smaller one in the front of the house, but this is the only one with a shower. If you're using it please lock the door, it prevents awkward situations. The last door is Eda and Raine’s bedroom. Another important thing to know is that if you sleep with a stuffed animal -no judgement if you do, I have many myself- you should hide it from King. He will steal it. There's some more rules we will go over at dinner, but they're mostly just about basic respect. Eda and Raine aren't very strict. Anything else you’d like to ask me?”
Something didn't add up. “If there's only two bedrooms here, where do you sleep?”
“Would you like to see?”
“I don't really care, I just want to know where-“
Hunter looked at where Luz just stood, only to notice she had ran away.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Showing you my room of course!” Luz answered. She did wait for him, luckily.
They were back in the hallway where he first came into. Luz pointed out a narrow ladder, tucked into the corner next to the closet where the family hung their coats. He had previously missed it. Luz climbed it with practiced ease, opening a creaking trapdoor above her head and then disappeared through it.
“What are you waiting for?” he heard her say.
He carefully put his foot on the ladder and grabbed the wood with his hands. It felt smooth but sturdy. He decided he trusted it. He quickly followed her into the attic, which aside from him being able to see the shape of the roof didn't really look like one. The diagonal walls were filled with posters of fantasy book characters, polaroid pictures and drawings probably made by Luz herself. One space was made into a dormer where a desk stood filled with loose papers and art supplies. Against the wall the furthest back stood a bed, indeed filled with stuffed animals. Above it hung fairy lights and a small bookshelf.
“Do you like it?” Luz asked him.
He didn't answer her question. “You're lucky,” he said instead. “You live in one place, so you're able to decorate a space like this.”
“Well, if you feel lonely in your room, you can always ask me to hold a sleepover. I have lots of movies to watch, and I can paint your nails. If you want me to, of course, I know a lot of guys don't like that.”
He almost wanted to smile at the gesture, but he quickly repressed it. She probably acted like this towards every broken kid who came into her house. No way she was actually interested in befriending him.
“Look!” Luz said, shoving her phone in his face. The screen showed a picture of a hand with purple nails and bloblike drawings.
“I painted my friend Amity’s nails recently. I’ve been trying to do nail art, but it's really hard to get the tiny shapes right.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. “I can't really tell what they're supposed to be, it looks like you just globed on the paint.”
“They're cats and tiny gemstones! I didn't think I was that bad..”
“I think you should stick to traditional art.” Shit, that's too harsh. “Unless you really want to draw on nails, of course, go ahead,” he quickly added on, but he didn't think that made it a lot better.
“You're mean,” Luz stated.
Hunter crossed his arms defensively. “Get used to it.”
“Can you leave my room? I have to make homework.”
He nodded and climbed back down the ladder, leaving Luz alone in her space. He closed the trapdoor above his head.
Back in what would be his room he decided to be productive and unload his bag. Muttering to himself, he shoved his clothes into drawers.
“Oh yea, someone is nice to you and you tell them their art sucks. Makes sense Hunter. Such a talent for making friends!”
He sighed. “What does it matter anyway, I’ll probably leave this house in less than a month. That's what usually happens. I shouldn't care.”