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Darius stormed into the house, taking his cape and throwing it onto the couch with carelessness.
Hunter watched the movement and furrowed his brows. He didn’t comment on it though, just leaned over the table and continued writing his homework.
Darius went into his room and changed out of his outwear clothes, into more comfortable lounge clothes and grumbled at the wrinkles on his shirt, smoothing them down with his hands.
“Where’s the iron?” Darius asked and Hunter jabed with his thumb at the kitchen closet and Darius grabbed the iron, sitting on the floor and taking off his shirt, ironing it but grumbling because something about the iron wasn’t working right.
“How was the mission?” Hunter tried, seeing the man was clearly upset by whatever had happened.
“It went horrible,” Darius said but offered no further explanation. Hunter swallowed and nodded, his hand not holding his pencil opening and closing in a fist.
Darius finished ironing his shirt and unplugged the iron, slipping the smooth shirt on before putting the iron away. Darius began to rummage through the fridge and grab out food supply until he paused, staring and then rummaging more, but with determination.
“Where’s our milk?” Darius asked and Hunter’s head shot up. “Uhm we used it all.” Hunter said.
Darius leaned his forehead against one of the fridge shelves before speaking. “Who is “we” Hunter?”
“Gus and I.” Hunter mumbled. “We were making cookies for Luz, cause she taught us how to make them. We wanted her to have a nice snack for when she visits her mom in the Human Realm.”
“Why didn’t you message me so I could pick more up when I got home?” Darius asked, voice sharp with something that made Hunter a little restless.
“I guess… I just didn’t think of it?” Hunter mumbled.
“Yeah, of course, because you never think things through, do you?” Darius bit out harshly as he began putting everything back.
“Wh-What?” Hunter stammered out, hand tightening on his pencil. Darius just waved his hand around.
“It’s a simple task, Hunter, why couldn’t you do something as simple as that?” Darius barked out, standing up.
“I- Darius, calm down. You had a bad day… You’re- You’re not thinking right…” Hunter tried to reason and Darius scoffed loudly.
“I’ve had plenty of bad days Hunter, just go to your room. I don't want to deal with this right now.” Darius ordered and turned.
Hunter stared at him with wide eyes, tears brimming his eyes and chest moving fast, hands opening and closing over and over again. Darius’ expression softened immediately and he took a step forward, causing Hunter to flinch violently, falling out of his chair.
Darius’ heart dropped and his previously angered state of mind vanished in moments, replaced with heavy guilt and regret.
“Hunter-” Hunter jumped to his feet, grabbing his (new) cloak off the back of his chair and rushing away, grabbing Flapjack who laid in staff form by the door and quickly hopping onto it, flashing away in seconds.
Darius groaned and rested his forehead against the counter. “Shit, shit, shit, shit,” He mumbled, hitting his forehead against the counter each time.
Hunter didn’t come back until the next morning, Darius only not having freaked out because Raine messaged him that Hunter was staying over at the Owl House.
When Hunter walked in, Darius sitting up from where he laid on the couch, he froze, staff in his hand and he looked ready to bolt again.
“Are you out of your mood?” Hunter asked bitterly and Darius sighed, sitting up and running a hand down his face. “I am, I’m- I’m sorry for what I said yesterday.” He apologized.
Hunter set his staff down and hung his cloak up, not saying a word as he disappeared to his room.
Darius buried his face in his hands and sighed. Flapjack tweeted at him and he turned his head, the small cardinal glaring at him.
“Yeah, I know, I know,” Darius mumbled. “But how am I supposed to make it up to him?”
Flapjack offered no help other than being cute and Darius just sighed, leaning back on the couch.
Suddenly, he had an idea and used his abomination to teleport, making it look a lot like he was sinking right into the couch.
Hunter stayed in his room all day, messaging Willow, Gus and Luz all day on Penstagram, occasionally responding to Edric, Emira or Amity when prompted. At some point, he got bored and just rolled over in his bed, pulling the blanket over him.
He bit his lip harshly, curling in on himself, one hand fisting in his hair and pulling roughly at strands. His lip broke where he bit it slow drips of blood falling onto his pillow and a small sob broke free from him, his whole body suddenly shaking as his body wrecked through with sobs.
Flapjack flew into his room and twittered at him, pecking at the hand gripping his hand and trying to get him to let go but when it realized Hunter wasn’t going to let go it stopped.
Stop hurting yourself! Flapjack twittered and Hunter just sobbed more, turning his face into his pillow but he released his hair. Hunter tore off his gloves and picked at the old scars and scabs there.
Flapjack panicked when Hunter began to bleed again, trying to push his hands apart.
Why are you crying? Flapjack asked and Hunter slowed his sobs a bit to explain.
“Darius- Darius is ma-ad with me. He’s disappointed- I-I disappointed him and- And now he’s gonna- He’s going to be upset with me cause I- Because I left and-” Darius won’t be mad! He’s sorry he yelled!
Hunter gasped shakily before breaking into sobs again. “I didn’t mean to make him feel bad, he shouldn’t feel bad, I messed up.”
The door pushed open and Hunter covered his mouth, trying to swallow down his sobs but failing as his body still shook heavily.
“Hunter?” Darius spoke. “Oh titan, kid, kid I’m sorry about yesterday.”
Hunter threw his blanket off and turned, eyes dripping with tears and he sniffled.
“ You shouldn’t be! I messed up, I should apologize!” Hunter insisted. Darius set a bag down next to the bed and grabbed Hunter’s hand, the teen squeezing Darius’ hands to try and ground himself.
“Hunter, you did nothing wrong, I- I was in a bad mood, my mission failed and I should not , under any circumstances, have yelled at you.” Darius said. “I am so sorry I yelled at you, you don’t deserve that. You should be upset with me that I took my anger out on you for no reason.”
Hunter was slowly steadying his breathing and he squeezed Darius’ hand before letting go and turning away. Darius’ eyes fell to Hunter’s hands and Darius looked at his white gloves, eyes wide upon seeing the brown turning blood.
“Hunter, are you okay, you’re bleeding?” Darius said, taking off the dirty gloves, careful not to touch the drying blood with his bare hands. Hunter looked at them, biting the inside of his cheek. A few cuts had opened and there was a small amount of blood, but not enough for Hunter to think it caused concern.
“It’s fine,” He mumbled and rubbed them together a bit before pulling his gloves over the open cuts. Darius frowned at that once more.
“I’m not… I’m not mad Darius.” Hunter mumbled.
“But you should be,” Darius insisted. “You’re allowed to be, okay?”
Hunter looked where Flapjack was resting and sighed. “Fine, fine, okay , I’m mad. I’m upset. I’m displeased. I’m mad that you yelled at me. I’m upset that you took your anger out on me. I’m displeased that it made- It made me feel like I was back with Belos.
“You promised you’d be nothing like him! That you would protect me and take care of me! That was the agreement when you adopted me. That you would never be him and you would make sure I was your priority and you- You ignored all of that just because you had a bad day! You treated me like a kid again, like you still didn’t care and I was just an annoying teenager.”
When Hunter finished his rant, his shoulder sagged.
“I’m mostly upset that you didn’t come find me yesterday.” Hunter mumbled.
“I thought you needed alone time.” Darius admitted and Hunter was silent for a second before laughing wetly. “Oh geez we’re so bad at this.”
“Yeah,” Darius said. “But we’re both still new. I’ve- I’ve never had a kid before, or a younger sibling or even older siblings. And it’s been so long since I was a kid I can’t remember how my parents raised me. I’m sorry I yelled, I really am. And I promise , cross my heart and hope to die and all that, that I will never yell at you again. If I’m ever mad again I’ll step out of the room, okay?”
Hunter nodded. “Yeah, sounds- Sounds good.”
“And you can still be mad about this, just because I apologize doesn’t mean you have to forgive me.” Darius told him.
“I do forgive you though.” Hunter said and exhaled shakily. “I’m new at this too. I’ve never- Never had someone care for me before. And it’s all new. And anytime anything scary happens I just- I feel like I’m standing in front of Belos again, awaiting orders.”
Darius nodded, pausing and inhaling deeply before he reached up, hugging Hunter and the other returned it awkwardly. The hug didn’t last long, both too awkward to hug the other as long as they wished too.
Hunter finally noticed the bag and furrowed his brows. “What’s that?” He asked and Darius’ ears turned red.
“I, uh, I felt bad, so I wanted to get a gift? Maybe, to cheer you up some? To apologize? It seems dumb now-” Hunter leaned over the edge and grabbed the bag, pulling the item inside out.
It was a (very plump) stuffed cardinal. There was fresh stitching that didn’t match the rest of the plush over the eye and Hunter glanced down in the rest of the bag, seeing a needle and black thread.
Hunter couldn’t help the smug smile that took place on his lips.
“And you make fun of me for my sewing skills.” Hunter commented. “Hey! Sewing is one thing, matching someone else’s stitches is a little harder!” Darius defended.
“Uh-huh, suuuure, keep using excuses, this stitch is crooked.” Hunter said and Darius gasped. “I was in a rush! It took longer than I thought to find that, I had to visit the Human Realm and-”
“You visited the human realm and couldn’t ask anyone there for help?”
“Look I was in a rush to get back! I wanted to give it to you as soon as possible but if you don’t want it I can just-” “Oh, I never said I didn’t want it. I love it, I’m keeping it forever.” Hunter said but the smug grin on his face made his statement seem sarcastic.
“You’re fucking with me.” “Should you really be cursing in the presence of a child?” Hunter teased.
“You are not a child.” Darius said and Hunter just laughed before looking at the plush. “I’m serious about keeping it forever though.” Hunter clarified and Darius relaxed a bit.
“I’m sorry the stitching is so crooked.” Darius mumbled and Hunter shrugged him off, inching the plush towards Flapjack.
Flapjack stirred from it’s sleep and looked at the plush, eye wide and then at Hunter. Hunter cackled loudly at the reaction and it made Darius smile.
They were both new at the whole family thing Hunter still had trauma and he always would, it was never going to magically go away, and Darius still had no clue what he was doing, but he was trying.
They both were trying, so naturally there would be a few bumps in the road, but the path at the end is smooth, so it doesn’t matter how long it takes to get there, the point is they will .