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Darius stood up straight, walking through the street with a disinterested look.
Meanwhile, Hunter was vibrating with energy, but trying to hold it in for Darius' sake.
It had been a few months since everything happened and over those months Darius and Hunter got closer and closer until Darius said “screw it,” and legally adopted Hunter.
Darius wanted to have "bonding time" with Hunter and asked if there was anything he wanted to do.
That apparently included going to the Bonesborough Night Market because the human had been talking about it.
Darius was a little wary, yes logically he knew that wild witches were never actually a thing, Belos had made it all up, but he didn't trust these shady witches selling their products entirely either.
Darius stayed close behind Hunter, hardly letting the teen have any breathing room but Hunter either didn't notice or didn't care.
He pointed at a bird themed booth and ran over, Darius quickly behind.
The booth owner grinned a shaky grin at Hunter as the teen picked up a small cute wooden bird sculpture that looked much like his palisman.
"Ah, interested young one?" The owner asked and Hunter nodded.
"This is my first time here, and this is so cool! How much is it?" Hunter asked.
The owner's eyes gleamed at the mention of it being Hunter's first time here.
"Well, it's normally 2 hundred snails, but I'll discount it for you, 150." The owner said and Hunter went to clumsily pull out his money when Darius put a hand on his shoulder, leaning down to look the booth owner in the eye.
"It may be his first time, but it's not mine." Darius said the owner gulped. "Sculptures like this normally sell for 30, 50 at most and you have the audacity to charge over a hundred?"
Hunter looked at him then the owner and frowned, brows furrowed when he realized what was happening.
"How do you think the new security would like it if they found out you're scamming new customers?" Darius asked.
The security was Eberwolf, once the covenheads were dismissed, they all found new jobs and Eberwolf took up a lot of security jobs.
"You know what?" The owner said and shoved the bird into Hunter's hand. "It's yours! Free of charge!"
Hunter smiled brightly at that and took the precious sculpture and he skipped off, Darius close behind.
"Thank you," Hunter mumbled and Darius smiled and ruffled his hair. "No problem kid, it's horrible they would try and take advantage of you like that."
~~~
Darius stared the counselor down, arms crossed as he shuffled papers around.
"So, uh, I've called you down to talk about your son." He informed and Darius hummed nonchalantly.
"He's... been a bit of a distraction at times."
"How so?"
"Well, he gets mad if he can't be partners with his friends for things, or mad when we try to put him in the proper grade levels, he seems to have a strong attachment to his friends and that- it will do him no good if he keeps up like this."
Darius stared at him for a moment and then pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Are you aware of Hunter's past living and learning situation?" Darius asked.
"Yes, with Belos-" "Exactly, with Belos . Belos, who put that kid through years of torment, who traumatized that kid, who made him feel like he didn't deserve friends, and now, I know this may not mean much to you , but after sixteen years he's finally allowed himself to have friends, to allow himself to need those friends, and you're gonna look me in the eyes and try and make me take that away ?"
"That- That is not what I am saying! I am just-" The counselor stammered. "I am just trying to make sure he gets the proper education he needs! He's much older than them all and he could benefit from working with people who aren't his friends!"
"Those friends are basically his family, okay? And up until now Hunter has had no education so I see no sense in moving him to his "proper" grade level when he's doing just fine with the others. I think this conversation is done, don't you?" Darius asked.
The counselor sighed and rested his head on his desk. "Yes, it is, you're free to go."
~~~
Darius was pacing the living room, Hunter had left to go on a mission with Luz, Eda and Raine, something about gathering stuff from Belos’ chambers to try and learn how to connect to human and witch realm to create peace and balance between the two, whatever, it was taking too long.
Darius had only felt comfortable with Hunter going off without him because he knew Raine and Edalyn were there, as reckless as they both could be, they’d rather die than let Hunter get even a scratch on him.
But it was two hours after Hunter said they would be returning.
He gave up and opened his scroll, calling Willow. “Hey Darius!” The girl greeted, obviously in the middle of working out and Darius admired her dedication.
“Hey, has Luz or the others come back yet?” He asked, wringing his hands together. Willow and Gus were on Owl House patrol until everyone got back.
Willow paused. “No, not yet, why?” she asked and then paused and assumedly looked at a clock somewhere. “Oh no, they were supposed to be back a while ago, okay, uhhh, try calling Alador, we’ll send Hooty to check on them.”
Darius internally groaned at the idea of messaging Alador but nodded, closing the message and beginning one with the other abomination witch.
“Oh, hello Darius.” Alador said and he was upside down but Darius ignored it because if he asked why the hell Alador was upside down the inventor would go on an hour talk.
“Edalyn, Raine, Luz and Hunter haven’t come back from their mission yet and they said they would be back two hours ago.” Darius said quickly, he was trying to remain cool but failing a little.
“Oh dear, just a moment.” Alador flipped upside right and something loud crashed, Alador looking to the side bored before turning. “Amity, can you call your girlfriend for me? Check how she’s doing?”
There was a beat of silence and then Amity came into scene, holding her scroll up so Darius could see Luz.
“Luz! Where’s Hunter?” He asked and Luz’s eyes widened, looking to her side. She ran a hand down her face and gave him a sheepish look. “He’s… He’s right here but… You might want to come get him, he’s not doing too well.”
Raine came into frame now. “It- Dare, it was worse than we thought, he- You need to come over now.”
Darius had already summoned an abomination to grab his jacket and was using his powers to teleport to their reported area, closing his scroll.
When he finally came into the clearing, he saw Eda crouching but a small ball of white cloth, whispering and she stood up when she saw Darius.
“He’s here.” She said and Darius slid to the cloth, picking at the edge and lifting it up to reveal hunter curled in a ball, trembling.
“Oh titan, what happened?” Darius asked, awkwardly hugging Hunter and the teen fell into his embrace, dry sobs hidden in his chest.
“We went to get Belos’ old text files and stuff, but Flapjack flew down to the bottom, right?” Luz began informing. “So naturally, Hunter went down too and it was- There were probably hundreds, thousands? Of skulls and old golden guard masks.”
Darius sucked in a sharp breath and brought Hunter impossibly closer.
“It was a graveyard,” Raine informed sadly. “Probably eons old but it- It gave him a good scare.”
“Okay, thank you guys, we’ll take our leave now. Luz, call Willow to tell her you’re on the way back.” Darius said and with a flash of abomination, he and Hunter were back in his cottage.
They fell onto the couch and Hunter shifted so he had his arms wrapped firmly around Darius, shaking.
“Hey, hey,” Darius said, running a hand through his hair. “You’re safe, Hunter. Belos is long gone and will never hurt you.”
Hunter sniffled and still shook but nodded small into Darius’ chest. Flapjack looked worried, twittering as they flew nearby, picking at Hunter’s cape every now and then.
“I’ll never let anyone hurt you,” Darius whispered and held Hunter tight.
“Don’t ever leave,” Hunter mumbled and Darius nodded. “I won’t, promise.”
Both refused to move from their spot and eventually the two fell asleep, Hunter cradled as small as a 16 year old could get on Darius lap, Darius’ head tilted back against the couch but arms wrapped tight around the teen, as if daring the world to try and pry him from his arms.
~~~
"Hunter, please, it is just the dentist." Darius said.
"THEY'RE GONNA STEAL ALL MY TEETH!" Hunter yelled from behind his bedroom door which was Darius was currently locked out on the other side of.
Dairus deadpanned. "What."
"LUZ SAID THATS WHAT HAPPENED THE LAST TIME SHE WENT!" Hunter screeched. "THEY TOOK HER TEETH!"
Darius rested his head against the door and inhaled deeply.
"Hunter, it is just a check up. You haven't gone to the dentist in sixteen years. They need to make sure your teeth aren't going to fall out." Darius said, exasperated.
The door unlocked and opened immediately, Hunter sitting on the ground next to the entrance with wide eyes.
"My teeth are gonna fall out?" He asked and Darius groaned and practically melted as he sank to the ground.
"That's not what I said." Darius corrected. "We need to go to make sure that isn't the case."
Hunter frowned and looked very contemplative.
"If you go to the dentist," Darius began. "And you don't bite their fingers off or freak out, I will take you to see that pro Flyer Derby game next week."
Hunter was on his feet in seconds and grabbed his jacket and Darius almost laughed.
They arrived on time for their appointment (not that it apparently would've mattered since they seemed to be the only ones there) and Hunter was taken quickly.
Darius didn't know what the human had told Hunter, considering as much as he's concerned, there was almost no difference between their dentists and human dentists.
Everything was going smoothly until a nurse came out to talk to Darius.
"Uhm, we have a few questions that came up." She said and Darius nodded and gestured for her to go on.
"So, he has some plaque on his teeth and it requires cleaning, but he refuses to let us go near him with any tools unless you're there. He's scared." She said and Darius nodded.
"Okay, okay, am I allowed back there?" She nodded. "But first we had another issue." She said and Darius felt the “oh no” before it came.
"So he has no cavities, which is good, his teeth are a little more yellow than we like to see but with what you told us that's to be expected. Uhm, there is- a small matter? His wisdom teeth are already growing in. It's pretty early for most people but not unheard of. There isn't any room for them to grow in so... surgery is required. Not immediately but soon to remove them."
Darius cursed Luz for somehow manifesting Hunter having to get teeth removed.
"Oh titan, okay, okay, I'll schedule that appointment later on, let's just get today over with."
Darius entered and Hunter had a hand over his mouth, the dentist looking tired and both perked up upon seeing the abomination witch.
Hunter gestured for Darius to come near and Darius stood as close as he could.
"He's trying to steal my teeth!" Hunter claimed and Darius let out a low chuckle. "He's just going to clean your teeth. While they're in your mouth still. Just let him do his job, I'll be here the whole time."
Hunter looked at him worriedly and held out the hand that wasn't covering his mouth.
"Can you-" Hunter paused and looked around the room worried. Darius grabbed his hand and held it tightly, Hunter sighing in relief as he removed the other from his mouth.
The dentist seemed a little upset by Darius' closeness but it was ultimately better than the previous situation.
Each time Hunter frowned or tried to squirm away from the tools, Darius squeezed his hand tightly.
~~~
Darius was waiting at the school to pick Hunter up when he overheard a group of kids giggling and talking to each other.
“The new kid?” One asked and Darius tried to discreetly tune into the conversation. “Yeah! He’s so weird, always clinging to Gus like his shadow!”
“He’s older than us, right? Why does he act like such a baby?” Another kid snorted and laughed.
“Boscha, isn’t he friends with Amity?” One asked. “Ugh, just more proof she’s fallen off. He started crying the other day during class because of our lecture on Belos.”
Darius frowned. He had suspected who they were talking about but that confirmed it, Bump had called Darius to pick Hunter up early due to his breakdown in class and Hunter had been excused from any future lectures on Belos.
Darius strode towards them fast paced and they didn’t notice his presence until he was right next to him.
“How trashy of you girls to talk about someone behind their back like that,” Darius said and the head girl, Boscha he assumed, scoffed. “And who are you that you care?”
“Uhhhh, Boscha? That’s the old Abomination covenhead!” A girl squeaked and Darius didn’t like people fearing him, but he took a little pride in watching the color drain from Boscha’s face.
“You can’t expect to be successful by bringing others down, if anything it only buries you in the ground. You want to be better than people? Be better than them then.” Darius said and frowned. “And besides, incriminating people whilst not knowing anything about them is not only spreading misinformation but it makes you look like a fool.”
Boscha huffed and stormed off red faced, the other kids apologizing before following after.
“Yeah, Rainestorm is right, you’re soft.” A voice crooned behind him and Darius turned to come face to face with Edalyn and Luz, who stood behind the owl lady with a smirk.
“I have not-” Darius cleared his throat and stood up straight when he voice broke. “I have not gone soft, I just hate gossipy bit-” Eda glared at him and Darius cleared his throat. “Uhm, gossipy butts.”
Luz giggled at that and grabbed Eda’s hand.
“C’mon, I gotta show King what I learned today.” Luz said and Eda gave Darius one last look before leaving.
~~~
+1
Darius hadn’t been doing much since they all stopped witches from almost becoming non-existent, so whenever he was offered his own mission, he normally took it gladly.
Though, gladly this time wasn’t the word he would use.
The mission called for abomination witches.
Meaning him and Alador had to work together.
Darius complained about it to Hunter while the teen texted his friends, every now and then laughing at his mentor/friend/father’s antics until it was time to go.
Darius gave Hunter a quick kiss to his forehead before leaving and promising to be back by dinner.
That was a week ago.
Hunter had not stopped panicking the moment Darius had been a minute late and with each hour that passed, he got more and more scared.
Raine had ended up taking him and Amity to their own cottage for the meantime and Bump allowed them both to be excused from school until the return of their parental figures.
Hunter was having harsher nightmares and panic attacks each day and he felt bad for Raine who had no idea how to take care of him during these moments. Hell, Darius still hardly understood but it was better.
Raine had caught Hunter on the second day trying to sneak out and go on his own rescue mission and now Hunter was under plaisman watch, meaning Amity’s, Raine’s and Hunter’s palisman were all following him twenty four seven.
Raine halfway through the week had gotten prepared to go on a solo rescue mission until Eda started calling them an idiot and telling them to stay safe because she doesn’t think she can take care of four kids while all her friends are missing.
Amity and Hunter started coming up with their own plan but Luz ratted them out, concerned for her girlfriend and sorta-brother’s safety (they both glared at her and called her a traitor).
Once one week had passed, everyone gave up.
“Okay,” Raine said, grabbing a cloak. “That’s it, I can’t stay by and do nothing, they could be in serious danger. All three of us are going together, okay?”
Amity and Hunter were on their feet in seconds, grabbing anything they may need and walking out. They got about four feet before they were stopped by another cloaked figure.
“You idiots really don’t understand “stay safe” do you?” Eda asked, stepping into the moonlight.
“Eda, please, we need to go get them.” Raine said and Eda grinned.
“Relax Rainestorm, I’m going with you.” She said and Eberwolf and Luz appeared from behind her. “So are we!” They chanted in unison and Hunter ran over to Eberwolf, picking him up and hugging the small creature tightly.
“Okay, so I gathered some info for you worry warts.” Eda said and pulled out a paper scroll. “They were captured by the Jelgans,” The Jelgans were a group of old covenheads or other witches who were trying to avenge Belos and set his original plan into motion still. “We got a general location of where they may be, but there’s thousands of hiding places in there that they could be.”
Eda gave them all a harsh look. “Stay in groups of two at all times, understand?”
They all nodded and Amity and Hunter went to team up and Eda shook her head. “No, no, I’m making the teams. One adult per kid, Raine you’re with Luz, Amity you’re with Eber and Hunter you’re with me.”
Raine, Amity and Hunter sighed but nodded.
The rescue mission went well, it took longer than they thought but they found Darius and Alador, alive but unconscious and ran to the Owl House as fast as they could.
Raine and Eda set about getting food and water for when the men woke up while Amity and Hunter sat by their sides.
Hunter held Darius hand tight, eyes wide as he stared at Darius’ face, unblinking and trying not to cry.
Darius’ face scrunched up a bit and he brought his free hand to rub his eyes, groaning. “Kid, stop staring, I’m not going to disappear.”
“You already did.” Hunter bit out, gripping Darius’ hand tighter. Any other time and Darius would’ve made a joke about him squeezing his hand off but for now Darius stayed silent.
“I’m sorry, but I’m back now.” Darius said and Hunter let out a wet and sarcastic laugh. “You promised you weren’t going to leave.” Darius tilted his head to look at the teen, brows high up and worried.
“You lied .” Hunter accused and Darius turned to wrap his arms around Hunter, the blonde weakly punching him in protest but Darius didn’t budge up.
“Kid, I am sorry, it was supposed to be a quick mission but the lead we got was wrong. They needed Alador and I because we’re the strongest abomination witches, they needed us to help them and when we refused they locked us up. All I could think about was finding a way back to you,” Darius said and Hunter was shaking in his arms.
“I’m sorry you went through that.” Darius mumbled and all fight left Hunter, the teen climbing onto Darius’ lap and sobbing into him.
“I thought I lost you,” Hunter mumbled. “I thought I deserved it.” He whispered even quieter and Darius held him even closer.
“No, no, Hunter, you don’t deserve that, you deserve everything good in the world.” Darius said and Hunter held him tighter.
“What happened to those guys by the way, how’d you get us out?” Darius asked and Luz jumped in now.
“Oh! Hunter and Amity went insane ! Their powers mixed work so well! Hunter was like, whoo, shaaa, blam! And Amity was throwing tiny little abominations to him and Hunter would chuck them onto the Jelgans faces! They never saw Hunter coming! He took down almost the whole army in like ten minutes.”
Darius’ eyes widened upon recalling the sheer size of said army and looked down at Hunter, who was red.
“Kid,” He said and Hunter scoffed. “I know, I know, it was reckless and foolish and-” Darius grabbed Hunter’s face, squishing it between his hands.
“I was gonna say that sounded pretty badass.” Hunter beamed and then tried pulling his face away but Darius only squeezed harder. “You’re grounded though, by the way.”
“For WHAT? ” Hunter shrieked.
“Leaving without permission, going on a mission with permission, probably killing a few people-” “Even if they deserved it?” “ Hunter . You’re grounded for a week, don’t make it two.”
Hunter groaned loudly and didn’t move away from Darius. “Fiiiine!” He whined.
“Maybe I should ground you too, Mittens.” Alador said tiredly next to him. Amity turned to Darius and glared at him causing the room to erupt into laughter.