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The lights around them were far too bright for their own good. Hunter's eyes shut on instinct.
There were few things he was aware of. Willow's hand sat on the small of his back, and Hunter himself being sat in front of a toilet, stomach rolling around with nausea.
"...okay?" Willow had asked him a question, and he hadn't even been able to hear it.
"... Mm… Huh…?"
"Hunter, are you okay?" She repeated, her voice holding a nervous twinge to it.
"... M'Fine…" That was such a lie. One huge and horrible lie. But if it could keep Willow calm and happy, it was worth the lie.
Hunter wasn't fine, and Titan, he knew it. Images leftover from his nightmare flooded his mind, and no matter how hard he tried, they were impossible to get rid of.
Willow clearly saw right through his horrible lie. Her face saddened, and she gently leaned him into her shoulder without warning.
Hunter was taken aback. His lips a gap. Nothing like that ever really happened to him, he didn't know he was supposed to react, what he was supposed to do.
"You're not fine… It's okay… you can answer me honestly…" Her hand fluttered down his back, softly rubbing at it.
Hunter had to admit, that sort of helped soothe the sickness.
"... No… not fine…" He didn't want to admit it. He knew he was only causing her trouble with this. She only wanted to hear his true feelings because she knew it was the kind thing to do.
Another memory from his nightmare came as he did admit his true state. Him being stood before Belos, hid behind the Golden Guard mask, having just returned empty handed from one of his first ever missions. His third one he believed. The Throne Room filled with other Coven members, but it was like none of them were even able to see Hunter.
He retched at the memory, and Willow began rubbing at his back even more.
"Hey… it was just a nightmare…" She comforted.
But Hunter knew it wasn't. It wasn't only a nightmare.
That nightmare had really happened. Happened long ago, but happened nonetheless.
Belos had hit him. He had ended up on the floor, it was such a hard hit. And no one could see his fearful expression, because it was hidden behind that mask.
No one could see Hunter whatsoever at all.
Belos just continued hitting at him. Some of the worst pain Hunter had ever felt, he remembered. He had screamed and begged, but just as no one could see him, it appeared no one could hear him either.
The mask was blocking their view of Hunter, as well as muffling his voice.
When he realised this, he began grabbing at the mask, desperate to get rid of it.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get it off.
It didn't matter how much he screamed, didn't matter how much he cried, the mask wouldn't budge. Belos continued to beat him, whilst everyone else just stood and didn't even see. Didn't even hear.
Hunter hadn't even realised he had thrown up. That he was suddenly laid across Willow's lap as she ran her fingers through his hair.
"Hunter!?"
"Ugh…"
"You… you were completely zoned out…"
Oh. He hadn't even heard her calling his name either.
"... Do you feel any better now?" Willow asked hopefully.
No. He didn't.
Hunter wasn't even sure how he felt.
There was a part of him that was so tempted to lie again, to tell Willow he was completely fine.
But he knew that for some strange reason, she wouldn't like that.
Usually people liked it when Hunter would pretend to be okay. Horrific bleeding after an injury during training would just be a small scratch, and everything would be fine after. A bad blow to the stomach which would leave terrible black and blue bruises behind as cruel decoration were mere "a couple marks."
And everything would be perfectly fine.
He wasn't sure why that didn't seen to work with Willow. How this post nightmare nausea, which made his stomach churn and head pound couldn't work as "a small ill feeling. That would pass by in about five minutes."
"... Not better…" He managed to say.
Willow carefully sat him upright, and Hunter had to resist the urge to screech at the light.
"We should get out the bathroom… you should try and get comfy…"
Hunter had no strength left to argue with her on why she should just leave him alone. Go back to sleep, forget any of this had even happened.
Willow didn't deserve to put up with Hunter.
She was far too amazing for him. She didn't deserve to sit with him and put up with him desperately trying not to be sick all because he had a "somewhat bad dream."
Well, at least that was what he had told her it was.
But she clearly did not buy it at all. Which he hated because for Titan's sake Willow shouldn't have to put up with him—
She had sat him down on the living room sofa.
And then vanished.
Hunter's heart did a leap. Had she realised there wasn't any need to deal with him after all? Finally went back to bed—
A waste bin was suddenly placed beside him.
"Just in case you're sick again." Willow spoke, with a reassuring smile.
"... Thanks…"
Now she had to be leaving.
But Willow didn't leave. Instead she got up on the sofa beside Hunter, and took a hold of his arm.
He was confused, and even more so when she began rubbing some sort of circle into his wrist.
Willow seemed to catch eye of this confusion, she kept her reassuring smile at Hunter. "It helps fight off nausea. And it can prevent vomiting."
He nodded, and darted his head away in a sheepish manner.
"... Are you cold?"
He was. Hunter was incredibly cold. He couldn't even bring himself to think about lying that he wasn't.
"... Yeah…"
"There's blankets on the other couch, I'll go bring some over."
"I'd much rather you just leave me be. You shouldn't be dealing with me." Hunter thought.
But despite that, Willow went over and picked up some of the blankets, handing some of them to Hunter.
Some.
She kept some for herself.
Hunter freaked out when he realised that. That meant she was planning on staying.
He just kept to half-heartedly hugging the blanket, not bothering to properly drape it over himself.
Willow noticed this, and she frowned, concerned. "Want me to help put it round you?"
"..."
He did, and he hated it. He wanted Willow's help. He wanted her to be there really.
But he knew she didn't deserve to be there, and that she probably didn't even want to be there, and that this was her way of being nice.
Something Belos had always taught him was; that if someone had to look after him like this, he was pathetic. And not worthy of it at all.
Of course lately, all Hunter had been learning was how wrong Belos had been the whole time.
He wasn't sure what to think, or what to believe anymore.
Hunter his whole life had always been taught about the dangers of Wild Magic. How awful it was and how harsh the taboo was.
Now he had learned that every little word Belos had said was nothing but a lie. Even his whole life.
"Hunter…?" He saw Willow's face twist into a frown as he felt water running down his face.
When had he started crying?
"Hey…" Willow pulled him into a hug, and she pulled one of the blankets around the both of them.
Hunter hated how instantly he leaned into her. How safe she made him feel.
Willow was so perfect to him. So kind to him, and Titan he knew he didn't deserve it. He had done so many horrible things in the Emperor's Coven. All because he was too foolishly blind to see. And now he got to sit and cry in the arms of someone as caring and sweet as Willow, like he was the one who suffered…!?
How selfish could he get, he thought, as he held tighter onto Willow.
"... What happened? Why are you crying…?"
"...Stop… just stop… please…."
"Hunter? Hey—you're making me nervous… what are you talking about?" Willow's voice was soft and gentle. And he hated it. Hated it because he knew he didn't deserve to be spoken to so kindly. He knew he really deserved to be treated like dirt, like scum. Like he didn't matter at all.
Because he didn't. He really didn't.
"... I don't deserve this…! I—I hurt so many people… and for Titan's sake—! I didn't even realise… I was too stupid! I was too blind!" His voice cracked.
"..." Willow kept silent, but she squeezed his hand.
Hunter sniffled. "I'm so stupid! Stupid stupid stupid! I—it's all my fault! I—I helped Belos! I—!"
"Ssh… ssh…" Willow put an end his rambling. "Hunter… Calm down, hey, calm down…"
Hunter did manage to suck in a deep breath whilst she stroked his cheek with her fingers. But asides from that, his breathing was fast-paced and raspy.
"... Gus taught you that trick, didn't he?" She slowly pulled away from their hug ans held up three of her fingers for reference, and he nodded.
"Great! Okay…" She started counting down on her fingers, and Hunter remembered to take breaths in time with them.
It took about six minutes for him to completely relax.
"There we go, that's better… Last thing we need is you upsetting your stomach more…"
Hunter let a ghost of a smile hint at his face, not finding it in him to properly laugh at Willow's joke.
"... You're not stupid, Hunter…"
"... You… you don't have to lie to me… I know you just wanna make me feel better, Willow, but—!"
"I'm being genuine. You shouldn't talk so badly about yourself."
"..."
Willow held out her arm, offering him another hug, this time from the side, and Hunter obliged.
The blanket still laid around them both, which Hunter did find comforting, in a way.
"How can someone with flying skills as sick as yours be stupid? How can someone as amazing at Flyer Derby as you be stupid?"
"... I still fell for all of Belos's schemes… still—!"
"That's because he manipulated you, Hunter… That's not your fault… You've spent your entire life up until now around Belos and the Emperor's Coven, you couldn't have done anything…"
Willow held him even tighter.
"None of this is your fault. None of it. Don't act like any of it is."
"..." Hunter could feel himself getting ready to cry again.
He found the confidence to burry his face into Willow's shoulder. And it was clear she understood, because readjusted her arms so she could hold him more properly.
"You couldn't help doing thoss bad things, because you didn't know that they even were bad things. There was no one to tell you otherwise. It's Belos's fault, Hunter. Not yours, Belos's."
"... I… I feel kind of sick again…"
She helped him to sit back upright again, as well as began rubbing those circles in his wrist again.
After about ten minutes of her doing this, she offered to go and get him a glass of water, which he accepted because his mouth felt like sandpaper.
Willow came back and she handed him the water. "Just take some sips, if you gulp it down you might make it worse."
Hunter only had strength left to nod, not speak.
Willow sat back down next to him, once again letting him lean his head into her shoulder.
"... Hunter, I promise, its not your fault. And if you really need, I'll repeat it as much as you need.." Willow was smiling at him still. It was making Hunter's heart do flips, and he wasn't sure why.
"... It's really late… You—we should go back to sleep…"
Willow's hand was running through his hair again. "Are you ready to go back to sleep…?"
He wasn't, but he didn't want to keep them both up anymore.
"... Um… I'm—.... I'm not sure…" He didn't know why, but he was beginning to stumble over his words.
"That's okay! Your nightmare must've been pretty rough on you…"
He closed his eyes, silently nodding in agreement with her.
"... Do you wanna maybe talk about some of the stuff that was in it?"
"..."
"…You don't have to if you don't want to…"
He didn't want to speak, truthfully. But re-living the details of his dream right now did not sound tasteful.
"... Willow…? What time is it?"
"Hm? Um, I think it's almost three AM."
He almost jumped before remembering the lack of a SIX AM wake up time. He would certainly take a while to get used to that.
"... Belos used to make me get up at six…"
Willow made an exaggerated horrified face. "How did you live."
Hunter gave a giggle, and Willow grinned, clearly glad she had actually been able to make him laugh.
Honestly though, he was sure either.
"... He would never have helped me after a nightmare like this…" He said as he sipped from his water.
"Well, don't worry. You'll never have to see Belos again…"
She rested his head under her chin.
"I'll keep you safe."
Once again, Hunter laughed.
But not because he found something funny.
Because he did feel safe.
He felt safe around Willow. It felt like nothing could harm him.
"..."
He realized he was ready to speak about his nightmare.
"... It—the nightmare I mean… it was about when I first started out as Golden Guard…"
Willow pat his back a few times. "I'm listening." She half-whispered.
"I… I kind of… failed my mission… and Belos really wasn't happy about it…"
They had both gone tense.
"But… the dream kinda put a different spin on it... there were other Coven Heads and members in the Throne Room, they could also Belos and how… how he was hurting me… but no one cared… no one tried to stop him…"
Willow's fingers brushed his hair again, Hunter decided he really liked that feeling.
"I… I was screaming… I was begging for help… but no one could see me… no one could even hear me…"
Willow just kept fidgeting with his hair, and the feeling soothed Hunter. It was the only thing stopping him from crying again.
"I—It was like The Golden Guard mask was suffocating me… I—I kept trying to pull it off but—it just wouldn't budge…"
Willow wrapped some of his hair around her finger.
"... I'm sorry, Hunter…" She said.
This time it was Hunter's turn to say: "It wasn't your fault…"
"Still, I'm sorry your nightmare was so bad…"
"..." Hunter wasn't sure what to say now.
But he did yawn.
"You tired?" Willow inquired.
"... Yeah… Little bit…"
Willow took his hand. "You wanna try going back to bed?"
"... Sure…"
Another reassuring smile.
"Want me to walk you back to… wherever you sleep?"
"..."
Hunter had been hit by such a strong wave of drowsiness, he literally couldn't move.
So he just feebly shook his head instead, and managed to say; "Tired… Too tired…"
"... Maybe you should just sleep here then…"
Hunter's energy-depleted body really liked the sound of that.
He pulled some of the blankets over himself, getting his head comfy on some of the sofa cushions, which Willow helped with.
Hunter felt a pang hit his heart when she went to leave.
"Are you… going?"
What kind of stupid question was that? Of course she was. She literally had to.
"... Do you not want me to go?"
No. No he didn't. He really really didn't. He didn't want to be all by himself again.
But it was selfish to keep Willow here. Selfish to—!
She sat back down, after grabbing some blankets for herself, and putting the waste bin back down on the floor.
"..."
He couldn't form any words, but he squeezed her hand as a thank you, hoping that she would get the memo.
Willow laid down next to Hunter's, draping her arm over him, holding him close and cautiously as if he were a precious item, and not himself.
He had lost count of how many times he had done so that night, but he leaned into Willow again.
"... Thank you, Willow…"
She ended up with her nose in his hair with the angle they were at.
"It's no problem, Hunter." And her voice had a caring tone to it that almost coaxed Hunter right into sleep.
Their hands were both still linked together, as both their eyes shut for the final time that night, and there were no more nightmares, and no more troubles. No Covens or Belos.
Hunter could just feel safe and at peace for once.