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“Heyyyy uh…Hunter?” comes a tentative young voice, making his ears twitch. His heartbeat picks up speed.
“Wuh- oh heyyyy Gus! Gustopher! Buddy! Hi.” Hunter says, scrambling to hide the book on Grimwalkers beneath his sewing materials. He’s been totally practicing his sewing this whole time, nothing else.
“Hey…um. Are you…okay?” the young witch asks him, brow furrowing in an expression he now knows to be worry concern love I want to help-
He doesn’t seem to notice the book. Perfect. Yes. Good. So-
“Okay? Me?? Why wouldn’t I be, I’m doing great! Awesome!” he affirms, smiling widely. He’s bouncing his leg, being sure to avoid the sewing machine pedal- he did not need to make that mistake twice- “I have sooo much energy since I had that “coffee” stuff- have you tried it? It tastes kinda gross but wow I have not needed to sleep in a while and-”
“Yeah dude, I can see that. You look like one of those raccoons we saw at the park last week.”
“Those guys are cool, so I’ll take it as a compliment. So I’ve been getting alot of practice in and I haven’t even pricked my finger at all and I’m almost done with this shirt for Luz and the scarf for Willow and oh this hat is for you by the way it has your Palisman on it and-”
“Hunter-Titan, how much of that coffee have you had??” Gus asks, and Hunter is suddenly very aware of his hands on his shoulders. He’d been so focused on the sewing projects he didn’t even register his friend coming closer, but now- “You’re….shaking. Like, alot. You sure you’re okay?”
And Hunter- he takes a deep breath. It’s shaky-was the air thinner? Weird. His heartbeat is getting really loud, and wasn’t that funny? Since he wasn’t even sure he had a real heart, or real blood, at least not in the way that his friend does -does a Galdorstone even pump blood???- and it still feels like it’s going to burst out of his chest. He bounces his leg faster, trying to drown out the pounding, rushing noise.
“Totally sure. I’ve never had this much energy before!” and that’s good because he really, really, really didn’t want to sleep. Sleep meant nightmares, and thinking about them made his heart beat even faster, and wow was the room tilting…?
The hands have not let go of him. He kind of wants them to. He can feel them so….loudly? It reminds him of Belos, and how the fingers would dig in sometimes; the feeling was so vivid it’s only a matter of time it felt like that again and- he’s on the ground, he’ll get in trouble for lying down on the job-
Someone’s shouting his name. Something red circles his vision, he sees it so clearly and yet can’t do anything about it. He wants to calm him down- Flapjack? Flapjack it’s okay. His hand shakily reaches forward, and the bird nestles to it. The feeling of feathers is loud too but not in a bad way.
He can’t- breathing was hard. He keeps shaking. He wants to finish that cat shirt for Luz, it’ll make her smile, she hasn’t really smiled in awhile-
Where’s Gus…? He lifts his head but the room lurches sickeningly to the side. He groans, and lowers his head back down to something soft on the ground.
His stomach hurts though. And every time he tries to get up, the room kinda….spins. Huh. They should really get some non-tilty rooms, it could be dangerous. Human houses are so weird-
Then someone is in front of him. Someone bigger than Gus. Larger hands are on him, sitting him up, and his breath hitches- no- he’s sorry he was just a little dizzy he didn’t mean to-
But a voice shushes him, and he quiets. He knows better than to disobey an order. He just works on breathing, and focuses on Flapjack tucked into his neck-
Wait if Uncle sees Flapjack he’ll–
He tries to jerk away, but another set of small hands hold him still, and he makes the most undignified, fearful noise. Shameful. Pitiful.
Easily replaced.
His face is wet. He doesn’t remember when that happened. Something is being pressed to his lips, and someone- a woman? Is telling him….something. He’s pretty sure he’s supposed to- to drink this?
Maybe it was more coffee. Maybe it would stop him from being dizzy and weirdly hazy and he’d stop shaking so much-
He swallows what’s given him. There’s a strange….round thing that goes down with it. But it’s definitely not coffee. Still, it’s still being held to his mouth, so he drinks more water.
He’s leaning up against something soft, and another hand is wrapped around his wrist. Someone….Gus? Is counting in front of him on his fingers, trying to get him to do something- oh.
Oh.
The breathing thing. That- that might help.
In 1 2 3 4
Out 1 2 3 4
In 1, 2, 3, 4….
Out 1, 2, 3….4…..
In…… 1…..2…………
………………….
—-----------
The world comes back to Hunter in small bits and pieces. It’s filled with softness.
Of course he first notices Flapjack nestled in his hair. His presence alone was a relief.
He can breathe now, easily. He wonders why it was so hard before, why his heart thundered away in his chest….
He feels a small body slumped against him, breathing deeply. A month or so of sharing a room with him, and Hunter already knows it’s Gus.
He also realizes he’s exhausted. Man. Coffee wore off then. He hums in mild disappointment.
“Are you awake, mijo?” a voice asks, somewhere….oh. He’s leaning on-
“Ms. Camila….?” he asks, his voice rough with exhaustion. Titan, what happened….
“Please, just Camila, remember?” Luz’s mom says, notes of humor and tiredness of her own in her voice. Hunter takes in a sharp breath, going to sit up but-
He finds he doesn’t really have the strength to, and Gus was sleeping on him too, he didn’t wanna wake him up, and something really soft and warm was wrapped around him…..they were all on the couch. When did he get here….?
“M’sorry, I’m in your way-”
“Not at all. I wanted to talk with you actually, and this is a good spot.” she says, and he can’t stop his shoulders from stiffening. He’s in trouble for something. “Ay, no, shhh, it’s just a little thing. For your own safety and comfort more than anything.” Quieter, in a tone probably not meant for him, “I should go over this with all of you soon, actually.”
A hand runs through his recently cut hair, gentle, soft. No malice or anger evident in the voice of the person holding him up. He loosens up a little. The hand keeps moving through his hair and….it’s nice. Uncle’s never done something like this, but he’s seen Camila do this to Luz when she’s upset, and it does feel nice, so he can see why….
“Mijo, before you go to sleep again, which I do recommend; your body dearly needs rest-” he blinks, eyes half lidded. Was he sleeping….? “I need to talk to you about….hmmm….how much coffee it is safe, or healthy, to drink.” The hand pats his head softly when his face heats up. “And perhaps what kinds of effects caffeine can have on a Witch….how many cups did you drink, anyway?”
Hunter’s face heats up more. “S….six….?” he mumbles, and Camila sighs deeply. He winces, but at least she doesn’t sound mad. Hunter likes that about Luz’s mom; she gets angry sometimes, sure, but she’s always made it clear it was never at him, or any of them.
And she’s never hurt him. She’s never hurt any of them.
It took awhile to understand, but it was good to know now.
“Ay mijo…..did you know if you drink more than 4 cups of coffee, it can be very bad for your health?” she asks, with all the patience a tired, worried mother can muster.
Hunter winces.
“Uh….I guess I do now.”