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Not for the first time, Willow thinks this must have been how Luz felt in the Demon Realm. Lost, confused but curious and amazed. Even the similar aspects of their respective homes were somehow vastly different. The rain didn’t boil, the grass was green, apples had juice instead of blood and the daily rituals of humans were familiar and foreign at the same time.
If it were any other time than when the Boiling Isles was in mortal peril, Willow thinks she would love it here.
The Human Realm is strange but beautifulー it’s just hard to fully appreciate it when you have no idea if your family is even safe.
If anyone is safe.
The members of the Emerald Entrails.
Her old classmates in the Plant Track.
Eda and King.
Dad and Papa.
Willow feels her eyes bordering wet and hot at the thought of her parents.
“Willow?”
Her surprise is quickly washed away with relief. She knows that voice.
Blond hair and magenta eyes stare back at her in the dim light of the hallway. “Can’t sleep?” Gone is the mud that was in his hair and he had changed into what is becoming his favorite pair of pajamas. Hunter is always a welcome sight.
“Not really,” she smiles at the boy with a sheepish chuckle. “I guess I’m too… fascinated by the human rain to sleep. What about you?”
“Feeling better now that the mud is out of my hair,” Hunter passes his fingers through his hair as he stands beside her by the window and Willow giggles. “Gus better sleep with one eye open because I’m definitely gonna get him back.”
A comfortable silence falls between them as they stare outside the window.
You really came at the right time , Willow thinks to herself, a warmth settling in her chest. Thanks, Hunter.
A lot had changed since they first met the day she recruited him for her flyer derby team and Willow was glad she gave him a second chance. His presence is more comforting in this situation than she could ever have predicted.
“If,” Willow stops herself. ‘If’ is too uncertain. 'If' feels too much like she'll never see her dads again. “ After we go back to the Boiling Isles and we save everyone, I wanna visit the Human Realm again.” When there is no Collector to worry about and her dads are safe. When they’re safe. When he’s safe. “It’ll be a lot better when there isn’t so much to worry about. Camila was telling me about the botanical gardens in Gravesfield, I’d love to take my dads to one. I’ve been learning all about Human Realm plants and it’s so amazing.”
Willow has been steadily adding to the collection of plants in the Noceda household since their arrival several months prior. There were a plethora of plants the Boiling Isles had in common with the Human Realm, but the differences were as fascinating as ever to someone who specialized in plant magic. “Stag ferns here don’t actually have any deer anatomy in them and the venus flytraps are much smaller. Humans even have ZZ plants like we do but instead of making people fall asleep to eat them, the Z’s just stand for Zanzibar.”
But to Willow, it is the plants that only the Human Realm could call its own that is her current obsession. She almost wants to run over to the other side of the house and grab one right now. “The plant I bought the other day is called a calathea white fusion, the care guide says that it can be a bit of a diva but after having to learn to deal with how fussy hissy crocuses can be, I think anything the Human Realm has will be pretty easy toー” Willow stops herself when she finally notices Hunter’s expression.
The tender look on his face as he smiles at her like he is listening to her every word.
“Sorry,” Willow blushes and looks out the window. Suddenly, the sight of rain softly pelting green grass is much more interesting. “Plant witch stuff. You can take a witch out of the Plant Track but you can’t take the Plant Track out of the witch.” Oh my Titan that sounded so dumb. She is more than thankful that there is enough darkness that hides her embarrassment.
“No, don’t apologize,” Hunter replies immediately without missing a beat. “I like hearing you talk about plants.” He does, Willow can tell. It's that very fact that makes her want to soar on Clover while simultaneously wishing to scream into the hollow of a tree. It's confusing; crushes are confusing.
“Maybe we could go to one now,” when Willow looks at him curiously, Hunter elaborates. “To a botanical garden, I mean. I don’t think Camila would mind taking us if we asked. That way when you bring your dads, you can tell them everything you learned about the plants here.”
“I would love that.” It’s not a date, Willow tells herself. Everyone else will be there. Dates should be the last thing on her mind when life on the Boiling Isles as they knew it is at stake. Still a large part of her can’t help imagining that maybe she and Hunter would be left on their own.
Gus would be drawn to the souvenir shop, skipping off to see what cool human stuff it would offer.
Vee and Camila would probably scurry after him, hoping to keep the excited boy out of trouble.
Luz and Amity could even sneak off themselves, hand in hand to make a date out of a building full of flowers.
Then suddenly the two of them would realize they were alone, surrounded by green eaves and blossoming foliage.
Just the two of us.
Willow knows her face is warm and that it shouldn't be but even with the crisis that is their collective lives, a witch can dream about going on a date with her crush. It felt too soon to tell him. They were stuck in a foreign realm with no guarantee they’d ever make it home. But maybe, once things were over, she could finally tell Hunter that he made her feel like a flower was blooming in her chest when he laughed and like she wanted to hide in the grass when he looked at her like he wanted to be with her too.
But for now, this is enough.
“Wanna go back out there?” Willow thinks about holding out her hand and taking Hunter’s in hers. Instead, she gives him a playful nudge with a wink. “There’ll be less mud this time, I promise.”
The Human Realm is strange but beautiful and certainly came with less of the hazards that came with daily life in Bonesborough. Willow can’t fully appreciate it, not yet.
Not when she doesn’t know if her family is safe.
If anyone is safe.
But right now, she can just be Willow and right now, Willow can go outside in the rain with Hunter. And that is more than enough for me right now.
Hunter grins, “I’m trusting you, Captain.”