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“We all know I’ve been holding in a lot of feelings, but what about you, Hunter?” Willow asked, so gently squeezing his pinkie finger with hers. “It’s your turn to be honest. Is there anything I can do to help you?”
Hunter’s face was still blushed and his eyes were teary from Willow’s initial reciprocation of care, but he let his shoulders relax and wiped the corners of his eyes. “I still don’t know what I need,” he whispered. He couldn’t even bring himself to look Willow in the eye. “Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” she whispered, lacing his five fingers between hers. “Some time might do you good. I’ll always be here.” She placed her other hand atop his chest and felt a gentle heartbeat that hummed back to her softly, just like Flapjack used to. “He’ll always be here.”
That seemed to be the finishing blow for Hunter. Their hands intertwined atop his painfully alive chest and something caught in his throat.
“Hunter?” Willow asked, bringing her face in just a little bit closer as he hiccupped on his own emotions.
“I miss Flapjack.” He choked on the words. They were bitter like the medicine he was so often denied in the coven. He was told time and time again to tough it out, but with Willow’s soft hands in his and the encouragement from seeing his very own captain cry, he was finally ready to take the mask off once and for all.
“I know you do,” Willow whispered. “He wanted you to live on.”
“I know, but-...” He stopped to sniffle while the first tears rolled past his waterline and down his cheeks. Pressure swelled in his chest until the only thing that could relieve it was coughing up sobs. “I still wish he didn’t have to go so soon.”
Willow snaked her hands onto his back and eased up onto her tippy-toes so she could pull him into a hug. “There’s not much I can tell you that you don’t already know,” she sighed, pressing their cheeks together. “But just cry for me. I know you need it bad right now. No shame. You know I won’t make you feel bad when you need a shoulder.”
Hunter gave her a slow nod before squeezing her waist and resigning himself to letting everything loose in her arms. His entire body trembled and he felt like throwing up. It was like that was about the only thing that could clear him of everything going on inside his head.
And yet, his heart soared on crimson wings that he had the pleasure of holding between his hands so fondly only a day prior. Once the tears had passed, he realized that Willow was cradling his shoulders just like how he held Flapjack. He pressed his forehead to the crook of her neck and let out a shaking breath.
“There, there,” Willow cooed, running her hand down his back.
“That felt really good,” Hunter admitted. “I-...”
“Shh...,” Willow soothed him. “You’ve already proven yourself to me.”