Chapter Text
It had been a year since Luz and her friends had defeated Belos, and of all days, it was Halloween night. Luz and Amity had dressed as Suletta and Miorine, respectively. Vee, while in her human disguise, was rocking possibly one of the most Goth outfits in history, probably to match Masha’s drip since they were hanging out more and more. Gus convinced Matt to tag along, and both dressed up as Snake and Otacon from Metal Gear respectively.
While they were getting ready, there were two people noticeably absent from cosplaying: Hunter and Willow. Luz turned to her newly adopted brother with a concerned look.
“You sure you both wanna stay home?” She asked, still adjusting her headband.
The grimwalker sighed and gave a nod. “Yeah, I feel like after last year, I’m not up for a spooky adventure outdoors.”
“Besides,” Willow said, filling an enormous bowl with candy for trick-or-treaters. “As much as I love inflicting chaos and disorder upon the world. None of us want to have something happen to him. Nor do I want to watch him die in my arms again…”
“To be fair,” Hunter chuckled. “Having constant near-death experiences is pretty normal for all of us.”
“…I don’t think you’re funny, sweetheart.”
“Alright,” Gus said, putting on the costume store quality ‘bullet-proof’ vest he got for his costume. “But if you guys wanna join us at the party, you can.”
“Eh,” Hunter shrugged. “Mom said she got a big collection of old horror movies we could watch tonight. I think we’ll be fine.”
“Wait,” Vee asked. “How old?”
As she asked this, Camila entered the room. “Universal Monster Movies, mija. Dracula, the Wolfman, Frankenstein.”
“We’ll be fine, guys,” Willow smiled, shaking out her short-trimmed hair. “You can have fun without us.”
As the teens gathered at the front door with Camila, Gus walked over and extended his fist towards the towering grimwalker.
“You’re gonna let me know how those movies are, right?”
“Hell yeah, I am, bro,” Hunter smirked, giving a proud fist bump to his best friend.
The front door shut behind everyone, all of them were thrilled to go to a Halloween party at Gravesfield High. As they did, the smiling face the former Golden Guard was wearing melted into a depressed grimace. His shoulders slumped as his head practically buried itself in his girlfriend’s shoulder.
Willow hugged him and ran her hand through his hair. “Let me guess? Thinking about Flapjack?”
He took a heavy breath and nuzzled into her. “Yeah… I still can’t believe he's gone.”
The plant witch nodded. “Well, I know you and I are gonna head to that graveyard tomorrow morning to do something for him. Maybe that will help you find some catharsis.”
“Yeah,” Hunter said as a faint smile turned his lips upward. “Thank you, Willow. It means a lot for you to stay with me.”
She chuckled, pulling him into a kiss. “Of course. I’d rather have a stay-at-home date with you than go into a dark room with loud music and flashing lights. And who knows? Maybe watching movies and snuggling with me will make you feel better.”
“True,” the grimwalker said with a half smirk. “And we get to eat all the leftover candy, too.”
“Hee hee, yeah,” his girlfriend replied in her usual mischievous snicker.
“Alright, you adorable little gremlin. We should probably get everything set up for when Cami—I mean, when my mom gets back.”
And so, the couple put the candy bowl near the front door and turned on the lights near the entrance as well as the outdoor light. Hunter had set up a curtain going to the living room so the light wouldn’t bother them while they watched the movies. Naturally, they got another big bowl for popcorn with some non-dairy topping.
As this all happened, Hunter had to keep telling Willow to stop poking and grabbing his butt. However, that’s what you get when you go out with a girl who stole a plastic pitchfork from a costume store AND delights in teasing her boy with it. He didn’t mind her doing it so much as he didn’t want his mom to get mad if she came back and saw Willow being a little TOO playful.
After a little while, Camila came back, seeing her adopted son’s eyebrow twitching. The mother gave Willow a side eye as she addressed her son.
“What happened?”
“Nothing, mom,” he grunted. “Just tossed a plastic pitchfork into the backyard.”
“You got back just in time,” Willow said, walking into the living room smugly as she placed the popcorn bowl on the coffee table. “I was THIS CLOSE to biting him.”
“Don’t I have enough marks on my body, woman?”
“…No.”
Hunter sat down next to her, also giving her a side eye. While this happened, Camila put in the first movie; the 1931 version of Frankenstein starring Boris Karloff. A true movie classic if there ever was one. No computer-generated graphics, no fancy ultra high-definition cameras. Heck, there wasn’t even color, the movie was in black and white. The couple cuddled on one corner of the couch while Camila sat on the other side. She occasionally glanced over to see how enamored they both were with the old flick.
Eventually, Trick-or-Treaters came by. Little kids all the way up to just about low middle schoolers. The trio took turns handing out candy; Hunter gave a big, warm smile as he commented on the costumes of the kids. Willow chuckled at the kids being silly and always grabbed her boyfriend to see any of the sci-fi cosplays. Camila did what any mother would, fawn over the cute little kids as she handed out treats. Of course, out of respect, Camila would pause the movie whenever Hunter or Willow had to get up.
As the movie played, Hunter scoffed. “Oh wow, making a person out of the parts of dead people. Why does that sound familiar?”
“At least they got hurt out of misunderstanding rather than outright malice,” Willow said, kissing his jaw. “Well, at least until the end.”
“Oh, I know. Personally, I think Fritz was the one at fault for all of this.”
“Yeah, what a jerk.”
After the movie concluded, they popped in the 1931 Dracula starring Bela Lugosi. As much as the previous movie irked Hunter because of his own origin story, watching a seriously played cheesy movie about a vampire delighted him and his girlfriend. Of course, this didn’t stop Hunter from throwing popcorn at the screen when Dwight Fry’s name came up in the opening credits.
“BOO!” He shouted. “Gonna torment someone in this movie, too?”
Camila scowled at him. “You better clean that popcorn up later, mijo.”
“…Yes, mom,” he replied meekly.
The movie went on. Neither witch was phased by Renfield eating the mice and spiders. For them, that was just a normal day on the Isles. Meanwhile, they kinda got why Dracula could get away with everything for so long because of his charisma and commanding presence. It was just like another person, who used charisma and a commanding presence to take over the Isles at one point. Eventually, they got to the first biting scene, and the plant witch’s lips curled upwards.
“Willow, no…” her boyfriend grumbled.
“What?”
“Willow! No!”
“I wasn’t saying anything.”
“Yeah, but you were thinking it loudly enough…”
The flier derby captain shifted herself until she was nose to nose with Hunter. He looked at her and the big smarmy smirk on her face. He then let out an angry huff and glared at her.
“My mom it literally sitting right there, you goblin.”
Willow looked back toward the human mother, then back to Hunter. She leaned in close and kissed his jaw, then went back to cuddling his chest, much to the annoyance of the grimwalker.
“Why am I going out with an agent of chaos like you again?”
“Because you looooooooove it.”
Hunter blushed and huffed again, knowing she was right. They got past the introduction of Van Hellsing and up to Renfield escaping the asylum, and the grimwalker chuckled.
“So, is Dwight Fry’s only role in these movies to be the guy who screws everything up?”
“Only in these two,” Camila said with a mouth full of popcorn. “He was in a lot of roles outside of horror.”
“He seemed like a great actor,” Willow said, unwrapping a peanut butter cup.
“Si, he was,” the older woman smiled. “I remember Manny and I loved watching these movies all the time, and a bunch of others.” Camila paused for a moment, thinking about all the kids. “You know, I think you and the girls are old enough for another movie, but we can wait for they to get home.”
“And that is?” The plant witch asked.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” Camila beamed. “Manny and I went to the local live show every year. I wish I could still fit into Columbia’s outfit… I bet his Eddie jacket might be in the box of cosplay stuff in the basement.”
“Let me guess,” Hunter said sternly. “It’s probably got much darker themes?”
“Well, that and some…” The older woman tried to think of the best way to put it. “…Less PG things in it.”
“Ah, it’s a thirsty movie,” Willow chuckled.
“…Si.”
They popped in the third movie, which, of course, got the grimwalker giddy with anticipation; The Wolfman starring Lon Chaney Jr. from 1941. The natural progression of Hunter learning about wolves to learning about werewolves was to be expected, as was his absolute adoration of them. It also gave his girlfriend prime opportunity to tease him for it.
Without warning, she rubbed his belly and chest. “Who’s a good boy?!”
Normally, the young man would have been grumpy about her flirtations and teasing in front of his family or their friends. But when it came to werewolves, Hunter’s first instinct was to stick his tongue out, pant, and/or howl at the moon. Willow, of course, delighted in this, because she loved seeing this boy happy.
The couple kissed as the movie began, and the plant witch whispered in his ear. “We gotta take you back to the dog park again.”
“I knooooow,” Hunter whined softly. “That and I want to volunteer at mom’s clinic again.”
Willow kissed him again and giggled. “I love my animal-loving prince.”
“Yep! Next, I’m gonna sing a ballad and wear a shiny dress…”
The couple chuckled and watched the movie. It started reasonably enough; funeral, meet a pretty girl, get their fortune read, fortune teller is really a werewolf and bites the main guy. Hunter found himself absolutely captivated. Especially during the first transformation sequence. Even for an older movie without CGI, it looked so good and it enthralled the grimwalker.
“Ok,” he proclaimed. “One year, I have to do a werewolf costume.”
Willow nodded and bit her lower lip, writing a trashy romance story about her and her werewolf lover in her head.
‘Note to self: Talk to Amity and Luz later. They know how to write these things,’ she thought, burying her face in his chest to hide the ever-reddening face.
When the movie concluded, Camila left to get everyone, and the joy on Hunter’s face went with her. Willow sat up and cupped his melancholic cheek, rubbing it with her thumb. As she did, the young man sighed and nuzzled into her.
“Mom told me it takes a long time to ‘get over’ the loss of a companion animal,” Hunter grumbled, sitting up and pulling his knees to his chin.
“I know,” the plant witch nodded. “And Flap was your first friend, so it must be especially tough for you.”
“Yeah…”
Willow looked at him for a second, then laid down on the opposite side of the couch. Her arms and legs were open and she beckoned him with a wave of her hands. Hunter didn’t hesitate; he moved over and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her chest. Her limbs coiled around him as she kissed his forehead and ran her hand through his hair.
“Hey, Willow,” Hunter’s words muffled into her shirt.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you. Like, I know I’m probably just holding you back from having fun, but I really appreciate you being here for me.”
“You’re not holding me back, Hunter,” she kissed his head again. “I love you, and I was being honest when I said I’d rather be here. ‘You mean a lot to me too,’ remember? I can miss a big party if it means making sure my boyfriend is ok.”
While she talked, her palisman floated through the house, landing on top of the grimwalker’s head. It caused Willow to chuckle.
“See? You’re not alone. Even Clover is here to support you.”
He gave a chuckle and half-hearted smile, adjusting himself until he was comfortable. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” The plant witch said, kissing his head again.
While his heart was still heavy with grief, his girlfriend’s embrace eased his mind. She was warm, comforting, safe, and her heartbeat was pulsing right into his ear. Hunter closed his eyes and just accepted his surroundings as the world around him melted away.
After a moment, he was startled by a person plopping down on the couch next to them. He somewhat sat up and looked around, seeing Luz on the other side of the couch. She had swapped her costume out for pajama pants and a tank top, and she gave him a concerned look.
“Oh, sorry if I woke you, bro…”
“Huh? Oh, don’t worry about it.” The young man stretched as he looked at the bespectacled witch beneath him. “How long was I out for?”
“Not long. Like, 20, 25 minutes at most.”
Hunter yawned as the couple sat up, giving Amity just enough room to sit down between the grimwalker and her girlfriend. Eventually, Camila came back in with another bowl of popcorn and the grimwalker looked around, confused.
“Where’s Vee and the guys?”
“The boys went to bed. It’s really late,” Camila said, not adding that they were still a bit too young to watch Rocky Horror.
“And our sister got rizzed by an extremely dapper enby who carried her off in the moonlight,” Luz chuckled.
“Dapper is an understatement,” Amity sighed as she wrapped her arms around her human. “That suit Masha wore would give both Darius and I a run for our snails.”
Hunter laughed. “Don’t say that too loud, Ams. Darius might have a heart attack knowing someone has greater fashion sense out there than him.”
“Oh, speaking of the guys,” Luz chuckled. “Talk to Gus in the morning. He got video of someone dressing up in a super cool Metal Gear RAY costume.”
“DUDE!” The grimwalker said to the ceiling. “Was it like those elaborate raptor costumes?”
“Yeah, it was pretty sweet. It lit up and did the scream, too.”
“DUUUUUDE!”
The couples adjusted on the couch as Camila got the next movie out. As she put the disc into the player, Amity nudged the grimwalker beside her.
“You alright?” She asked. “Like, you can go to bed if you’re that tired.”
“Eh, I’ll be fine,” he said with another yawn and stretch.
“Do you need anything, babe?” his girlfriend said as she held his hand.
Hunter looked around the room. The love of his life was kissing each knuckle on the hand she was firmly clenching. One of his best friends was on his other side, wrapping her arm around his shoulder. One of his sisters was on the couch, looking like she was about to jump up and tackle him affectionately. And his mother had put the DVD in and already turning to see the pride in her eyes as she stared at her son.
Taking this scene in and still feeling his lingering survivor’s guilt, the young man stood up, turning to face the girls on the couch.
“Honestly, I think what I need most right now is a hug…”
There was no hesitation. Four of the most important women in his life got up and threw their arms around him from all directions. He did what he could to hug Willow and Amity back. Nuzzling into the latter’s shoulder as the tears formed at the edges of his eyes.
“Thank you,” he said meekly. “Thank you for being a part of my life. For making me feel like I’m worth something.”
“We love you, too, Hunter,” Luz hummed, rubbing his lower back as best as she could. “We know today has been hard for you. Especially given what happened last year.”
The grimwalker felt lips press against the back of his head. “I’m so proud of you. You’ve come so far and grown so much in the past year. Me alegro de que seas parte de esta familia, mijo.”
“And this beats fighting to the death in a dry lakebed, right?” Amity snickered, getting a weak laugh out of the former soldier.
“Yeah, yeah, I shouldn’t have attacked you and stole the key…”
“And?”
“…And I shouldn’t have taunted the child of our god…”
“AND?!”
“…And now I have much better excuses to threaten Luz.”
Hunter then let out a pained cough as the abomination witch kneed him in the abdomen. Amity sat back down on the couch with a growl as the grimwalker gave her a scornful look.
“You literally have twin siblings, Ams. You know why I said that.”
“She’s still my girlfriend, dickweed.”
“Yep, I sure am a dickweed. That’s why I’m still picking hay out of my bed two weeks later.”
“Oy!” Luz grumbled in protest. “Vee was just as much responsible for that as I was.”
“Mija, please don’t do that to him again,” Camila sighed. “I don’t want to give him a flea and tick bath again.”
Hunter grumbled, remembering being stripped down to his boxers to ensure he was bug free. “And I had to spend three days making sure the basement didn’t have bed bugs. You two are evil.”
The worst part of the conversation wasn’t that Luz shrugged as if she was going to do it again. It was Willow doubling over and cackling on the ground. Part of him thought that she helped the Noceda sisters with the hay bale that they managed to get into the basement. Or that she was thinking of doing something similar later. Either way, he huffed once more at the beautiful bundle of chaos he fell in love with, and they both sat on the couch again.
They began the movie as Hunter wrapped his arms around Amity and Willow. He still felt there was a bird-shaped hole in his heart, but the people that mattered most to him were keeping him emotionally above water. And the young man pondered that for the rest of the night… You know, while trying to learn the lyrics to every song in the movie…