Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Darius Deamonne was in his living room at the late hours of the night, sitting in the pitch black, tired to the bone, and unable to sleep.

It has been a long day, and a couple of long years before that if he wanted to be honest. And it took a lot out of him. But what mattered was that he was fine; he managed to get out on the other side fine and alive. The whole Boiling Isles, as a matter of fact, was safe and sound, and in the end, nobody could ask for anything more.

Well, it was a little worse for wear.

Darius looked around the living room. It looked as if a gorenado came through here. The whole place was a mess, but once in his life, he couldn't really bring himself to care. He had spent three months as a puppet, so he could cut himself some slack for 'letting the place get like this.' It still bothered him, just a little bit. Not like it would have before the whole Day of Unity went down - but what can you do?

They couldn't fix the place up on short notice, anyway. Not on their first day back home. There will be enough time to rebuild everything - the house, the island, all the mess they have been left with courtesy of their late Emperor. But tonight, they cleaned out the bedroom and the guest bedroom, which would suffice.

Darius looked up at the ceiling.

What was he supposed to do now?

For the last couple of years, Darius lived with only one mission at the forefront of his mind. Now that the Day of Unity had been stopped, he felt... purposeless.

Not completely, of course. He knew that the Boiling Isles needed to be rebuilt, and if he wasn't going to step up to the task, then hardly anybody was going to. And he wasn't going to stand by and watch some of his former colleagues make a mess of the whole thing. He knows that he only needed to say the word, and Eber would join him on an instant. Maybe Whispers, too. But Titan, he didn't have the energy to think about that right now.

His gaze drifted from the ceiling into the vague direction of the stairs behind him.

He should be sleeping.

Or maybe figure out what they are going to have for breakfast. Whatever was in the fridge was probably a nasty, moldy mush by this point. He wondered if he could justify throwing the whole thing out, because he was not going to clean that. Probably not. 

Then, as he was musing on how he could bribe Eber to take care of the biohazard that was the fridge, he heard light, almost inaudible footsteps making their way down the stairs. He immediately knew who it was. There were only two people in his house, and one of them would have been running around on all fours.

"You can't sleep?"

Darius had no idea how Hunter could see him in the dark. He could barely make out the kid standing in the hallway. Maybe he just had better eyesight than Darius did. Maybe he heard him come down, and since he couldn't sleep either, and decided to come talk. Maybe he was getting old. Ugh, one more thing he didn't want to think about.

He shrugged, then remembering where he was, he added, "Yeah, I guess."

"...Me neither."

"Do you want to sit down?" Darius patted the couch beside him encouragingly. He did his best to dust it down so that there was at least a clean surface for them to sit in this mess.

Hunter didn't say anything for a long time, then he slowly sat beside him.

"Aren't you tired?" Darius asked.

He felt rather than saw the boy shrug. "Yeah, I just can't seem to fall asleep," he said. "I'm just..."

Darius waited for him to continue. "You are not used to it?" He guessed when he didn't.

"I guess."

"It's a shame," he decided to say. "You know, the guest room used to be very comfortable. But we will get it up to standard in no time."

Unfortunately, whatever force decided to rampage through downstairs didn't spare the upstairs rooms either. It's going to take months. Of course, the places where they sleep will have to come first. Or maybe the kitchen? He could figure it out later. Then the bathroom, of course. What he would give for a nice hot bath right about now.

"It's fine," Hunter said quietly. 

"It's most certainly not fine," Darius gave a humourless laugh. "I can't have you sleeping in a derelict room. If nothing else, then my pride won't allow it."

He meant it as a joke, but the silence that followed made him mentally kick himself. Obviously, Hunter wasn't in the mood. Heck, Darius wouldn't be either if he had been through what the kid had been.

"Can I ask you something?" Hunter suddenly said, his voice a bit louder than before. As if he just found the courage to speak.

"Sure."

"What's going to happen?"

Darius sighed. "In general or...?"

He once again felt Hunter shrug, the motion moving the couch cushion behind them. He allowed himself to lean back and even slide down a bit.

"To be honest with you," Darius started. "I'm not sure."

"... Really?"

Darius ran a hand down his face. "The list is a mile long, and it will take years to put everything into order. And there are so many things that cannot wait that I couldn't even count them on two hands. Meanwhile, our home is in shambles. And we can't neglect that either." He allowed himself an exasperated sigh. "But you don't have to worry about any of that. We will figure it out one way or another."

Only now did he notice that Hunter seemed to go stiff as a board beside him. Did he say something wrong? But what?

"Little Prince?"

"Our home?" he asked. Darius almost didn't hear him, and when he did, he wasn't sure what he was referring to.

"...Well, yes, I... I assumed it was clear when I asked if you wanted to stay with me."

"Oh, yeah, right."

"If you would rather stay with somebody else-"

"No, no, that's not what I meant, I- It's stupid, forget I said anything."

"It's not stupid, Little Pri-"

"I'm sorry!"

"You don't have to apologize either."

"I know!"

Darius was about to say something, but the sound of what he assumed was Hunter burying his face into his hands stopped him.

The boy let out a drawn-out sigh. "I don't know why I am like this."

Darius, wisely, kept whatever comment he could have made to himself.

"I just feel so... aimless," Hunter said. "I don't know what I am supposed to do. What's the next step?"

Oh, Darius didn't want to admit how much he understood that.

"Maybe," Darius started carefully. "The next step should be what made the most sense."

He could almost see Hunter nod.

"We should clean up the house," he said.

Darius chuckled. "We should go to sleep."

Hunter laughed at that as well. It was a small and tired little thing, but Darius considered it a victory nonetheless.

Chapter Text

Flyer Derby was not a violent sport. At least that's what Darius was telling himself, often, as he and Eberwolf were watching the intense match between the Emerald Entrails and the Glandus team that he couldn't bother to remember the name of.

Hunter was doing well, as far as Darius was able to tell. He seemed to have picked out one of the tougher flyers and did his best to keep them away from the rest of his team. The Glandus team was playing clean, despite some collisions here and there that seemed rougher than they should have been. Darius glances at the referee when that happened, but she didn't seem to be bothered by it.

He told himself that it was fine. Hunter could take care of himself. He was a tough kid and a skilled fighter. Waffles was a new palisman, but she was eager and a fast learner. So everything should be fine.

'Relax,' Eber lightly growled out.

"I am relaxed."

Eber scoffed.

"It's just the crowd," he lied, "and the sun is shining too much." He wouldn't be lying; a lot of people turned up for the game, and he started feeling a little claustrophobic. The sun was not making things better; he should have brought sunglasses. Not to mention the bugs. Those were the worst. But even all these distractions weren't enough to keep his mind off what was before him. He couldn't take his eyes off of Hunter, who just blocked an attempt on Gus' flag. So far, the Emerald Entrails were in the lead with two flags already taken. Glandus managed to snag one, and Hunter seemed determined to keep it that way.

'Look.'

Eber pointed somewhere in the field. Darius couldn't really concentrate on what he wanted to show him. He didn't really care; he instead turned back to following Hunter as the boy made a dive, fending off another bold attempt at Gus' flag. It seemed that the opposite team decided to pick on the smaller boy, judging him to be an easy mark.

Eber growled again, trying to get his attention.

"What?" Darius grumbled. "I told you, I am fine, now quit bothering me."

The demon shook their head. 'Look closer.'

Darius sighed. That's all he had been doing since he sat down on the bleachers.

'Team works well,' Eber said.

"Of course they are," Darius said with some pretend indignation.

He wouldn't know the first thing about Flyer Derby. He tried looking into it, but he only got so far as the basic rules. Not as if he needed to do homework to appreciate how much work Hunter and the rest of the kids put into it. But it was clear even to him that the Emerald Entrails were giving the Glandus team a run for their snails. They hadn't managed to get another flag since their beginning of the game, and he was sure that would stay the same until half time was called. And this was Hunter's team, of course, they were good.

But flying around at such speeds. And actively pushing and getting pushed around. And the reckless maneuvers Hunter pulled off. Sure, the other team was playing nice, but for how long until they get tired of being snubbed and decide to do something rash? And- he could go on. The point was that he had a point to worry. A fall from that height could be bad at least, and fatal at worst.

That said. He decided to give the field and the team a closer look before Eberwolf decided to chastise him further.

Willow fell behind, while the others fanned out before her, simultaneously keeping her flag safe while giving the other team 'easier targets' to focus on. Meanwhile, she would command the team, calling them away or forward, as it was necessary. As Darius previously noticed, their opponents were ganging up on Gus. And if he managed to notice, then the Emerald Entrails certainly did.

Gus managed to keep out of grabbing range, making wide circles on the field. Two Glandus players pursued, only for Hunter to step in and push one of the players to the side and away from Gus. The other witch decided this was their time to swoop in behind Gus and reach for his flag.

That's when Skara came in from below and snatched the flag right off their staff while they weren't paying attention.

The witch shouted in rage at the deception, only now understanding that the Entrails used their strategy to set a trap for them. They turned and flew after Skara, only to be blocked by Viney.

Skara raced to the tree and tied the flag. Mission successful. She made a victorious circle before flying over to Willow and giving her a 'high five' - a human thing that was catching on fast with the kids, or so Darius observed.

The referee steps in then, whistle screaming out, calling halftime. Both teams gathered on their own side and touched ground. The Emerald Entrails celebrated; they were only two flags away from victory. Meanwhile, the Glandus team was understandably upset about the last-minute trickery they had fallen for.

'Told you,' Eber said. 'Team's good. No need for worry.'

"Of course," Darius said. "Nobody was worried."

Eber snickered. Of course, they knew he was lying.

Darius sat a bit easier. Even if he still tensed up when the game started up again.

They won. Of course they did.

Darius watched on with pride as the kids celebrated. Viney delivered the final flag and therefore got the 'privilege' to have a bucket full of… whatever that thing was, poured over her. In turn, Viney grabbed the first teammate who approached her, who just so happened to be Gus. She picked the boy up into a hug and spun him around. Getting him filthy as well.

At least they were happy about it. Darius made a point to keep a respectful distance from both of them. Good thing to, because in that moment, the girl's griffin was finally let off its leash, and happily pounced onto its witch. The other kids stepped away in the nick of time, so the only casualty was Viney. Of course, she didn't mind being left to the tender mercy of her pet.

Darius stood to the side, arms crossed. He would have all the time to congratulate Hunter. For now, he let the kids enjoy the moment. They more than earned it.

Then Hunter turned to him, and nearly tackled his guardian to the ground with the force he ran to hug him. Darius wasn't complaining.

Chapter Text

He didn't mean to stare.

Truly. But it was hard not to with the way the scars wrap around his arms, his neck, - his face.

They were everywhere.

Dear Titan, he doesn't want to think about them.

He couldn't stand them - ugly, hurtful things that shouldn't be there, should have never been- the mere sight of them filled him with this bitter, petty, useless feeling that had nowhere to go, except somewhere deep into his chest. He would feel it swirl in there before he pushed it down, because he didn't know if what he felt would be showing on his face.

It didn't. He was sure of it because Darius became the caliber of an actor that people could only dream of becoming.

He would never let his control slip away. He was sure of that.

Some nights, Darius stayed up late, lying in bed, staring at the ceiling and fantasising about revenge.

Some kind of revenge, at least. Because the monster - the bastard - responsible was long gone. Not bloody fantasies, no, after all, Darius would never hurt anybody. Ever. But he saw his hands wrap around the Emperor's neck, and he allowed himself a little satisfaction.

Rage boiled quietly as he all but glared a hole into his ceiling.

That's all that anything would ever amount to.

Time was supposed to heal every wound. But all Darius felt was the days, months, and the inevitable years piling on top of the hurt. It's weighing him down.

He should tell this to his therapist.

Later. When it didn't feel this sharp. And he could put it into words without feeling his fists clench.

"Can I ask you something?" Hunter asked one morning over breakfast. He twirled the spoon in the bowl of cereal, the metal loudly clanking against the side.

"Sure," Darius said, missing the soft, cautious tone that Hunter spoke with. He was too busy - in one hand, his scroll, reading through his messages from his collegues, in the other his fork, attempting to bring his griffin eggs to his mouth instead of poking his eyes out. Who would have thought that running the Isles came with this much work?

There was a thin silence before Hunter shifted on his chair. The thing made the slightest creak in protest.

"Are you... alright?"

Darius looked up from his eggs.

Hunter was almost studying him, cautious as if Darius were something to be handled with gloves. He had no idea what brought this on, but he got a bad feeling about it.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused. "Did something happen?"

"I don't know. Did something happen?" Hunter turned the question around, and Darius racked his brain for anything that would make the boy think that there was anything wrong.

He came up empty-handed.

"I, uhm... no, I am fine," Darius decided to answer after some fumbling.

Hunter didn't seem to believe him, for some unknown reason. He looked him over, measuring him up, squinting his eyes as if somehow that would help him find whatever he was looking for.

"Are you sure?"

Darius frowned. "Of course."

"It's just... No, never mind."

"No, no, you can ask."

Hunter looked back into his cereal. "It's dumb, forget I said anything."

Darius wanted to ask, to push, but he didn't know what was bothering Hunter. He was sure it would come up later. It always does.

And he was right.

Hunter was waiting for him when he came home. Now, that wasn't strange; he often waited for Darius if he finished his homework, and dinner time was just around the corner. They cook together as often as possible. But this was different. Hunter stood in the hallway with his arms crossed, as if Darius were a child in trouble and he was about to deliver some well-deserved scolding. It took everything in Darius' power not to laugh.

"I want some answers," Hunter stared the moment Darius closed the door.

"Can I at least take off my boots before the interrogation?" He joked.

Hunter shrugged.

So, with permission received, Darius took off his boots, slipped into slippers, and followed the boy into the living room. Hunter gestured for him to sit, and he did, still finding the whole interaction rather amusing.

"You have a problem, Darius," Hunter said, making it sound like an accusation.

Darius put his hand on his chest, then put on his most indignant expression. "Me?"

"Yes, you." He crossed his arms again. "Now out with it."

"I don't know what you could be talking about."

"You are not as subtle as you think you are."

"I'm innocent of any and all accusations," Darius said, although he couldn't help his joking tone. It annoyed Hunter to no end, if rolling his eyes was anything to go by, which only added to his amusement. 

Still, this was serious, semi-serious? Either way, Darius didn't expect to be sat down, in his own house, by Hunter of all people. To have what? A talking to?

Hunter gave him an unimpressed look. "You have been staring," he said. "Mostly when you think I can't see it, but I noticed. I thought you would stop, but you didn't. I want to know what's going on."

If he weren't in the crosshairs, Darius would have been impressed with him standing up to him like that. Hunter had been working on his confidence for so long, and it finally started to show. He wanted to tell him how proud he was, but then he was pulled back by the confusion that slowly overtook him.

He didn't understand. Staring? Why would he do something like- oh, right. 

How could he have forgotten?

It seemed that Hunter was more perceptive than he had given him credit for.

Or he had become rusty.

"So, what's that about?" Hunter prompted. And Darius realized that he might have stayed quiet longer than it was advisable when trying to conceal guilt.

Now, he had two choices here. One was to brush it off and quickly go and find something to occupy himself with. Dinner would suffice, and if he played his cards right, then he could also rope Hunter in and they could quietly forget about this. He doubted that Hunter would let it go that easily, but he also thought that if he ignored it enough, then he would drop it sooner or later. But he couldn't really do that. Not when he was standing there, determined to get Darius to talk.

It was the second option then: he had to talk.

If he wanted to be honest, he would much rather have his teeth pulled than talk about what was on his mind in the past couple of days.

"Well, I don't- It's," Darius took a moment to collect his thoughts. "It's not about you, I just want you to know that."

"Alright." Hunter nodded in acknowledgment. However, Darius noticed a hint of hesitation.

This is going to be awkward, he knows. But the sooner he got it out, the better.

"You are right." He said after a deep breath. "I have been staring at you. And I am sorry for that. I know it's a step out of line."

"Why?"

"Why is it out of line?"

Hunter shook his head. "No, I mean, why were you staring in the first place?" he asked. "You always seemed so... mad? Upset? Something like that. I thought you would either get over it or tell me, but..." He shrugged then. Darius should know the rest.

Right. Darius wasn't prepared for the sudden shame he was feeling. This thing didn't only involve him. Not since he had failed to keep it to himself. But on the other hand, he had no idea what sort of insecurities he could cause Hunter to manifest. Well, staring was bad enough; he shouldn't have done that to begin with.

"I have been looking at your scars."

There it was, he said it, blunt and simple, before his brain caught up with him and talked him out of it.

Hunter, on his part, looked surprised first, then confused second. He unfurled his crossed arms to stare at one of his scarred hands as if there was something there he hadn't noticed before.

"Oh," he said quietly.

"Little Prince." Darius was about to stand up.

"I... didn't think that other people would be bothered by them," he said, looking anywhere but at the witch. "Or that you would be."

"No, no, no, it's not that, of course it's not." He was on his feet faster than Hunter could blink. He took him by the arms, then leaned down so that they could be at eye level. "I am not bothered by them. I swear."

But wasn't he? 

The nights he stayed up thinking about what he would love to do to Belos. The subtle way Hunter avoided looking at his reflection. The stares and whispers that followed them on the streets. These things that got under his skin, and refuse to leave him in peace.

How could he say that he wasn't bothered?

"Don't lie to me."

What hurt wasn't that Hunter called him out like that, but the resigned tone his voice took on.

Darius looked to the ground.

"Okay, alright, they do bother me, it does bother me," he said honestly, then turned to look the boy in the eyes again. "But it's not because of you, or- or because they are ugly, or- I don't even know. It's not that."

Hunter hesitated for a moment. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." He nodded, his voice doing a little teary break.

Darius tried to put on a reassuring smile. "Can I hug you?"

Not trusting his words, Hunter just nodded.

Hunter was in the downstairs bathroom, staring into his reflection.

The door was left wide open, but Darius wasn't sure if that was permission for him to intrude. He really should just go and mind his own business, but concern won out. He knocked on the door frame. Hunter only looked at him in the mirror.

"Are you doing alright, Little Prince?"

He shrugged. "It's a six out of ten."

"Ah," he said with a nod. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Hunter hummed. "Not now."

"Right."

"You want to go make dinner?" Hunter asked, turning away from the mirror.

Darius smiled. "I was just looking for you."

"Why don't you like my scars?"

Darius sighed. "I don't like that you even have them."

Hunter gave him a tired, half-shrug. "I always had scars. Not like these," he looked from one arm to the other. "But you know, I got used to them. I didn't feel one way or another about having them."

"I understand," Darius said.

He didn't want to accept it. But he couldn't force him to see things differently.

"I don't like these scars," Hunter said, staring at his hands. "I hate how I got them."

Darius nodded.

They sat in silence - one minute, two, three passed by quietly. Darius waited; he would sit there for as long as he was needed. Even if he wasn't doing anything, being here mattered. He was telling this to himself, as he wanted to reach over and wrap his arms around the boy. But he couldn't, not when Hunter had a faraway look in his eyes.

"They will never go away," Hunter said.

"No, they won't," Darius said softly. It was the truth after all.

"I will never feel right, will I?"

He didn't know. Darius realized that he was probably right. You don't go through the things he went through and not be changed by it. Even if there weren't scars to show.

"You will," he decided to say instead. And he did believe it. He saw him getting better every day.

"Maybe."

"I know you will."

Hunter shrugged. "Maybe," he repeated. At least he wasn't denying it. Darius counted that as a victory.

Chapter Text

"What was he like?"

He didn't expect that question. But he understood that it was inevitable that he would come up, sooner or later. So, in a seemingly innocent morning, with nothing to do, the two of them were sitting in the kitchen just passing the time. Hunter asked this one simple question. Darius was caught off guard.

What was he like?

Hunter looked up at him shyly. He got the idea that he should probably say something before the boy gets the idea that he said something wrong.

"Well," he started, only to fumble.

To tell the truth, Darius didn't know what to say.

He loved his mentor dearly. He wouldn't be where he was in life if it weren't for him noticing something special in him and deciding to take Darius under his wings. And then, before he could even think of a way to thank him, he was dead. Just like that.

Grief was eating him alive. It settled under the skin and wasn't leaving any time soon. He knows that if he were here, he would call him dramatic. Or that he was wasting his time thinking about a dead man who could not be helped anymore.

He would tell him to pick himself up, get his feet under him, and move on.

Or maybe, just maybe, he would put his hand on his shoulder. And say nothing.

"... He was one heck of a talented witch, for one," he started, and it wasn't even a lie. Lucas cast spells with a proficiency that Darius hadn't seen before. "Diligent, hard working. He always expected the best from me, and by the Titan, he pushed me until I couldn't feel my feet or couldn't lift an arm anymore."

It seemed harsh, but Darius couldn't help the fond smile.

"Wasn't that a bit much?" Hunter asked.

Darius shrugged. "He just wanted me to live up to my potential."

Hunter's expression changed then, from carefully cautious to well-practiced neutral. If Darius hadn't had eyes on him, he might have missed it.

"And, after all," he continued. "It was his job. To train me, I mean. That's what we were there for, so I was not surprised that he wouldn't cut me any slack."

"Did you train often?" Hunter asked.

"Oh yeah, a lot. Seven days a week," he said. "Except when he took me on missions."

Hunter perked up at that. "He took you with him?"

"Only twice," Darius added. "Once we went to hunt down a Slitherbeast harassing some little village in the middle of nowhere on the Knee. Or, it's safer to say that he hunted it. I was just cold and miserable and generally useless."

"You? Useless?" Hunter raised an eyebrow at that. "That's a bit hard to believe."

"Well, thank you for the compliment, Little Prince." Darius resisted the urge to reach over and ruffle the boy's hair.

He became bitter. So incredibly bitter in his loss that he chased off everybody and anybody who would have been there for him - his parents, what little friends he made in the coven, the newbies foolish enough to approach.

Except Eberwolf, who held on with tooth and claw that Darius never managed to shake loose.

He tried. He was glad he failed.

It was probably the only thing he was glad he failed at.

"And the other time?" Hunter pressed on. Some curiosity peeked through that neutr, careful mask he put on.

"Well, that one was mostly a bunch of walking around," Darius said. "It was nothing special."

Hunter didn't look impressed. "You are lying to me, aren't you?"

He shrugged. "Yeah."

"You can tell me. It couldn't have been that bad."

"No, it was very boring actually. Worst mission ever. Trust me."

"Darius."

The man rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not lying, it was really nothing to write home about. It, well, it was…" He thought about what he was going to say next. But the best thing was just to say it, before Hunter could come up with an explanation by himself.

"We went to find wild witches."

Hunter almost choked on air.

"You need water, Little Prince?" Darius was already reaching for a cup and standing to fill it.

"No, no, it's fine, it's nothing."

He did get him a glass, and he graciously drank it.

The new Golden Guard was a kid. Darius told himself that he didn't care. And he didn't, only he felt himself on the verge of a breakdown.

He hadn't allowed himself to think about Lucas for years now.

Now there is this kid, who, by the Titan's will, was to take his place, - his title, his position beside the Emperor, his duties. Everything.

Deep down, Darius knew that it was only a matter of time until it happened. The Emperor needed a second in command, his right-hand man. But as the years went on and there was still no sign of any new candidates for the position, he started to believe that maybe there wouldn't be a new Golden Guard.

It was his own fault that he was upset.

He stared at a banner until the ceremony was over.

"Was he... mean?"

Hunter asked this so quietly that Darius almost missed it.

"No, not at all," Darius said. "He wasn't the most sentimental guy around. And he had his quirks. But he was never unfair."

"You just said that he demanded a lot."

"Yeah." He agreed. "How else was I supposed to live up to my potential?"

"... Right. Sorry."

Hunter looked away then, as if he couldn't look Darius in the eyes anymore.

"Little Prince…?" Darius tried gently. "What's the matter?"

"... Nothing." Now he looked very much like a pouting child. Sometimes, Darius found it amusing how much he wore his heart on his sleeve. Now he was just glad that he couldn't hide that something was wrong.

"That wouldn't be the worst lie you ever told, Little Prince." Darius teased, hoping that it would lighten the mood.

Hunter glared at him.

"So," Darius challenged. "Snail for your thought?"

The boy shrugged. "I just thought that-"

"Yes?"

He looked away again, seemingly already regretting what he was going to say. "I guess I just assumed that he was, a little bit like, you know," he hesitated again. "My Uncle."

Sometimes he wondered what Lucas would think of him. Probably nothing good.

Above all, the former Golden Guard was loyal to his Emperor. Nobody who knew him could claim otherwise. Not even Darius, who, after so many years of digging into the shady dealings of the Empire, could deny. No matter how desperately he wanted to.

There were nights when he imagined that he managed to dig up the most convincing evidence, and Lucas was still alive, and he would show it to him. How different things could have turned out? Would he have believed him? Maybe even joined him in saving the Boiling Isles? Darius wanted to say that, 'yes, of course, in the blink of an eye.'

But the truth was that he didn't know. And he would never find out.

"Uncle- Belos used to demand a lot, which is understandable. He has been preparing me to be the Golden Guard since I can remember," Hunter started to explain. "It is a lot of responsibility, and he needed to make sure I could take that responsibility."

"Little Prince-"

"And I know that it was bad," he quickly added. "I know, you don't have to remind me or anything. I understand that. I just thought that since he was the Golden Guard before me, and Belos was responsible for my training, and both of them are- were pretty strict- at least that's the impression I am-"

Darius put a hand on Hunter's now-fidgeting one. That effectively shut down whatever spiral Hunter went on.

"Sorry," he said, pulling his hand away and hiding it under the table.

"You don't have to apologize," Darius reminded, but he quickly moved on. "What were you trying to say?"

It took some coaxing and a lot of reassurance, but Darius managed to get some answers out of Hunter. He was shy about it, mostly because he didn't know Lucas - obviously, he would have been around three or four when he died - but the impression he got from Darius reminded him of how it used to be with Belos. Strict, demanding perfection, and expecting more than you were capable of.

Darius didn't know how to respond to that. He wanted to reject even the idea that Lucas and Belos could be remotely similar. In his opinion, the two of them couldn't be more different. 

But then again, if Belos was also responsible for Lucas' training, which Darius wasn't sure if it was the case, but at this point, he wouldn't be surprised. He could have taken that into their lessons. The longer he thought about it, the higher the possibility became.

"Sorry for ruining the mood," Hunter said suddenly.

"You did no such thing," Darius said nonchalantly. "It just caught me off guard, that's all."

"Oh, alright." He blushed a little with embarrassment.

"I just, well, I guess I never thought about Lucas like that," Darius admitted.  It was clear that Hunter needed a break from this whole mess, so he generously offered to change the topic. Hunter was more than grateful for it.

Chapter Text

His hands moved, and it's not him anymore.

He was speaking, but the words washed together - unintelligible and half-remembered in some underwater haze.

It's so dark that it was tempting to forget it altogether.

But it would never leave, not fully, not ever. It was always there in the back of his mind when he closed his eyes on a cloudy day.  Or when he ran his fingers through some soft material, reaching for something that wasn't there anymore.

Then his hands moved.

No matter how hard he tried to stop them.

He felt his claws - his fingers - dig. Deep. Deeper.

His hands were all green.

Satisfaction rushed through him.

Finally.

Hunter woke up with a hand shaking his shoulder. He jerked away before remembering where he was. On the couch, back at Darius' house, the crystal ball was running the credits of some movie he can't remember, and his scroll was lying forgotten on the coffee table.

He ran a hand over his face. He must have fallen asleep.

"Hi there, Little Prince." Darius had stepped back to give him space. He sounded concerned, and once Hunter looked at him, he looked just as worried.

Words didn't come to him. All Hunter could think about was how stale his mouth tasted.

"Sorry for waking you up," he continued just to break the silence between them.

"It's fine," Hunter eventually managed to stammer out. "Just- I didn't mean to fall asleep."

Darius frowned.

Hunter knew that he wanted to ask.

He hated that palisman. It felt like a mockery, shaped like a bird from their home realm. Ever since he laid eyes on it, he wanted it gone. For years, he thought it had perished somewhere, and then here it was, popping up after so long. Just when everything was going his way - just when everything got ruined.

These weren't his thoughts - he would never - but he felt it all the same.

He wanted it out. Out of his head, his body, his life.

"I can tell that something is wrong, Little Prince."

The teraphiest told him that he shouldn't push things down. It might be easier in the moment, it might come as second nature, but out of sight is not out of mind. It stays there. Under the surface.

Hunter scooted over, and Darius took the opportunity to sit down beside him. A smile played on the man's face.

He took a seat beside him. Hunter focused on the way the couch dipped instead of the dream he had just had.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He didn't have to. Alongside the 'not pushing things down' talk with his therapist. He was also told that he was allowed space to just feel his feelings. Somehow, that felt harder. Talking was difficult; heck, every time it came up, he would much rather face some wild beast in the woods instead. But he could do it, even if it felt like he didn't have all the right words to describe what was going on in his head. It was proactive; he could tell himself that he was doing something.

"I don't know," he said. "I had a bad dream."

Darius nodded, asked if he wanted a hug, and pulled him in when Hunter asked for it, gratefully.

He thought about how good it felt.

Flapjack waited for him in his room. It was hard to convince the palisman not to follow him around constantly. Especially in the castle. He had enough stress in his life as it was.

The window was left open. Like always. Yet Flapjack wasn't leaving. And every time, Hunter suggested he get as far from the castle as possible, the palisman just called him silly. At this point, he gave up.

He got in and locked the door.

Flapjack was delighted that he was back. Hunter shushed him. The last thing he needed was him chirping up a storm and getting them caught.

Then he would fly on this shoulder and peck and nuzzle him until Hunter gave him the pets he was fishing for.

'Love you,' he would chirp, randomly, without any reason.

Hunter often wondered if this is how all palismen were, or just this one.

'Let's go fly!'

"We can't," Hunter said, letting his staff rest against the wall.

'It's fine, let's go,' he tried.

Hunter just put the stack of paperwork he had been carrying onto his desk. Flapjack's insistence died down at the sight of that.

He missed him so much.

There were days when he couldn't think about anything else. 

Darius was there for him, and he couldn't even put it into words. He shouldn't have to deal with him, a nearly grown adult, having mental breakdowns. He should get it together. He should be better by now. But he can't stop them, and he is left feeling so stupid after. 

Then Darius would talk to him gently, hug him if he asked, or just hold his hand. And Hunter would feel the ground under his feet again.

He didn't know what he had done to deserve this. To have Darius in his life.

It was silly, and if Flapjack were here, he would agree that he was being foolish. 

There will be easier days. He will have impossibly hard days. Grief hovered in the background, sometimes ever present, sometimes a passing thought. It was always there. Sometimes it felt that it would never leave him. 

One day, he will make peace with it. Until then, he tried his best to remember the good parts.

Chapter Text

Hunter has never made an abomination before. Considering that Hexisde is about to hold classes again, and how he planned on taking all tracks, it seemed like a good idea to practice.

Darius didn't even try to hide how excited he was. He was more than proud of his magical expertise and the skills he had gained in his chosen track. And, even if that wasn't the case, there was no way that he would miss sharing his knowledge with Hunter.

Thankfully, Hunter knew the theory, down to the t in fact. So they didn't have to start from zero, although Darius would have been more than fine with that as well. It simply meant that they got to start with the fun part, actually mixing the abomination.

Darius set up in the living room, making sure to cover everything vulnerable with a trap.

Sure, they had a professional on sight. Somebody who prided himself on working clean despite the nature of his magic being far from it. That didn't mean that accidents couldn't happen, and he was not going to risk the couch. Or the carpet. Actually, he wanted to tape something to the wall as well, but Eber would have made fun of him, so he begrudingly decided against it.

Speaking of Eberwolf, he was here too.

He watched them form their spot on the bookshelf that he had commandeered - he also kicked off some of the books that were in their way, much to Darius' annoyance.

Hunter brought the ingredients. He had a bounce in his step as he laid everything out on the coffee table.

He was excited too.

Back in the castle, he wasn't allowed to experiment with the different tracks. Since he couldn't do magic, Belos deemed it a waste of time that could be spent doing more productive things. He learned the theory part, and in his free time, Hunter did his best to educate himself on the different types of magic.

"Alright, uhm, what should we start with?" Hunter asked with a giddy, eager tone.

"Well, this is your brewing session," Darius said. "What should we start with, in your opinion?"

Hunter looked around. His eyes landed on the bucket of clean water innocently standing next to the cauldron.

"We should add the base liquid and start heating it," he said with confidence, already reaching for the handle.

"Ah ah, not so fast," Darius stopped him. "I think you are forgetting something."

Hunter looked at him with confusion. "Like what?"

Darius allowed him a little time to think. When he came up short, he chuckled.

"You are right that you add the base ingredients first, Little Prince," he said, making the kid glare at him, as if he was asking if Darius was messing with him. "But before you can start work, there is a crucial step."

"Oh," Hunter said. "Which would be...?"

"Tool inspection."

Hunter looked at him with a frown. 

"While it is true that abomination matter is made mostly out of rotting materials, and it is not as delicate as, let's say, certain potions would be. A clean environment still greatly improves the materials' overall quality." Darius explained patiently, gesturing to the cauldron, then at the different ladles, knives, and measuring tools they had laid out. "Not to mention that there are things that could destabilize an abomination altogether."

He handed a clean rag to Hunter.

"That's why we put away our tools clean, then wipe them down before use."

Hunter nodded, soaking up the wisdom that was glossed over in the books. He took the rag and got to cleaning.

With the preparations done, they could finally start.

Darius did his best to stick to the sidelines, letting Hunter do most of the work and explain what he was doing. He gave some tips and tricks along the way.

Eberwolf had fallen asleep along the way. Neither of them minded it.

"They always thought that this was boring," Darius said, feigning offence. Hunter chuckled.

Finally, the abomination matter had solidified into the consistency it should be.

"Could you take a look?" Hunter asked, pulling out the ladle and stepping to the side anxiously. 

"Let me see." Darius leaned over the cauldron. The sludge kept swirling with the momentum, and for a minute, he wondered if it was still too watery and they would need to add more ingredients into it. But it soon calmed down and stilled. He took the ladle and gave it an experimental prod.

He hummed. "Feels just about right."

"Then are we going to raise it?" Hunter asked, and Darius could practically see stars shine in his eyes.

"We can," he agreed. "That is, if you don't want to hear a little trade secret."

"Trade secret?"

Darius gave him a mischievous smile. "Now this abomination had come together very nicely. Any abomination track student could be proud of it."

Hunter glanced at the cauldron and then back at Darius. He raised an eyebrow as his suspicion started to grow.

Now, Darius understood what he must be thinking. They did everything by the book. And what he said was true. A good abomination witch would be able to tell just by sight alone. So what could he be talking about?

He pulled out a vial of what looked like a clear, viscous liquid.

"What's that?"

"Oh, nothing special," Darius said nonchalantly. "Just a little trick I learned from an old abomination witch back when I first joined the coven."

Hunter looked at the vial as if it held the secrets of the universe. Darius handed it over.

"But what's in it?" he asked.

"Go on and take a closer look," Darius urged him. "Don't worry, it is perfectly safe."

Hunter still gave him another suspicious glance. He raised the vial and swirled it around. Then he uncorked the vial and took a whiff of the contents.

"This is?" He seemed confused. "Griffin egg?"

Darius nodded. "Egg whites. Fresh from the fridge."

He didn't say anything else, waiting for Hunter to figure it out for himself. 

"You put this in as a what? A bonding agent?" he asked. "To keep the abomination solid?"

Darius nodded with pride. "It will make it last longer."

Hunter added this last ingredient and stirred the matter for the last time. Then he raised his training wand - the best Darius could find on the market, one that thankfully worked and responded to Hunter's unique circumstances - and drew a spell circle. 

A hint of doubt danced in his eyes.

The material shimmered, then ripples ran through the surface, and slowly, surely, the abomination raised its arms. It grabbed the edge of the cauldron and steadily clambered out. It stood, made a groaning noise, and then turned to Hunter, awaiting instructions.

The boy, in turn, watched with his mouth open. Then he turned to Darius, who was grinning ear to ear.

"I did it," he said breathlessly, as if he couldn't truly believe it.

"You sure did."

Darius' smile might as well have been contagious.

"I did it!"

Eberwolf yawned from the bookshelf.

"Eber! Look what I made!" Hunter turned to them.

'Good job,' they said while stretching.

"You didn't even look."

'Don't have to. Knew you could do it.'

Hunter was this close to snatching the demon off the shelf and showing the abomination to him. Then he looked at said abomination, standing there, patiently waiting for an instruction.

"Abomination," he said with a smirk.

The abomination perked up, eager to complete the order.

"Pick up Eberwolf."

Eber, out of pride or stubbornness, jumped up and fled. The abomination wasn't going to stand for that; it had an order and was about to accomplish it, even if that meant chasing the demon around the living room. Darius, on his part, crossed his arms and stood off to the side. It wasn't often he got to lean back and enjoy the show.

Chapter Text

Hunter slowly handed the paper back to Bump. His face was burning red with what Darius guessed had to be embarrassment. Bump, Titan bless him, didn't say anything as he read it over. But he did glance up, slowly, contemplatively looking from Hunter to Darius. His gaze lingered on him, and Darius could tell that he was measuring him up, and probably remembering all the times Darius himself was in this very office as a kid in deep, deep trouble.

The principal gently laid the paper down before them.

"Hunter," Bump started.

Darius raised an eyebrow at that. Usually, he would have addressed people by their surname, as it was the proper thing to do. Carefully, he glanced over the paper.

It was jaw-droppingly bare.

"Is there a reason why you couldn't fill out the application completely?"

Hunter was staring at the floor. "I filled it out," he muttered.

"But not completely," Bump concluded, his tone still kind.

"I filled it out as much as I could."

Darius glared down at the paper. If that was the truth, then this was painting a bleak picture.

Hunter wrote down his first name without a problem, but left his surname empty. But that wasn't all, he left his date of birth blank, only the year was scribbled down in tiny numbers, with a hesitant, wobbly question mark beside it.

The address was confident, steady. It was Darius' house, where he had been staying for months now, and he must have memorised it quite well because Darius doesn't remember having to tell him a second time.

What gave him pause was the parent/guardian section. It was left empty as well.

The principal hummed. "I understand." He quickly glanced over at Darius. "Now, I understand that it might be hard to write all of these things down."

Hunter frowned. "I wrote everything that I could," he repeated with indignation. 

"And I understand that," Bump continued. "Now, most of these," he waved over the paper. "It's just procedure, it's not a big deal if some of them are missing."

He once again looked over at Darius, subtly communicating that this was damage control. Darius wondered when the old man became this tactful. Maybe it was the end of the world that did it, or maybe just the tragic state of the application that shocked his system.

"However, I need a guardian's name, Hunter." His tone was still kind, understanding. Eye going from child to adult as if he was prompting either of them to step up and say something.

Hunter, on his part, stayed silent.

Darius suppressed a sigh. "Can we get a moment to talk, Principal?"

Relieved, Bump nodded. "Of course."

Darius was about to offer to leave, but instead it was Bump who stood up and left the office.

"I will give you a minute," he said, slipping out the door. "Take your time."

Alright then. Darius took a minute to collect his thoughts before turning to the boy sitting beside him. Hunter was committed to staring at the ground. His face was still the deepest red Darius had ever seen.

"Little Prince...?"

"I don't know what I have done wrong," he said immediately.

"You haven't done anything wrong," Darius said.

"Well, apparently, I did." He tried to keep his tone even, but some frustration still slipped in.

Darius shook his head. Hunter seemed to be taking this as a personal attack. He needed to redirect his attention to something else. Unfortunately, there was only the application in front of him. Well, they might as well try to get this over with.

He picked it up, read it over carefully.

He could see Hunter glancing up at him.

Darius didn't know what to say.

"I... don't know most of these," he quietly admitted. "... Belos never told me."

"I understand," Darius said, nodding. He didn't want to think about Belos right now, not when his eyes couldn't leave the empty dotted line at the parent/guardian section.

The silence made a return with vengeance.

"You know that," Darius started, but shut up. What did he know? Apparently, not the same things that Darius was thinking about. Because if the two of them were on the same page, then they wouldn't be here. 

"You know that you can write me down as a guardian, right?" he finally managed to say.

Suddenly, the ground was very interesting again. Hunter gripped the fabric of his pants so tightly that Darius feared that he would rip them.

"I didn't want to assume anything."

Darius stopped. He turned the words over in his mind. Hunter didn't want to assume anything. Suddenly, everything made so much sense, and he realized that the only person he could blame was himself. He should have told him, nicely and clearly, what grounds they were standing on. 

"That's alright," Darius said. He reached for a pen. "I can fill it out for you, if you want."

Hunter was still not looking at him. "I don't know."

He paused. "What do you mean, Little Prince?"

"I don't know what we are."

"..."

"Are you my guardian?" he asked. "Is that what we are?"

Darius' mouth suddenly felt really dry. Maybe this is why they didn't talk about this until then. Well, first because he thought it was obvious what they were the moment he invited Hunter into his house. But he should have sat down and talked about it. Lay it out on the table. Leave no place for doubt to take hold and grow like weeds.

"Do you want me to be?" It was the only thing he could muster up to ask.

Hunter went very still. For a moment, Darius feared what would come next. Then Hunter nodded, first slowly, then more confidently.

"Alright."

"Can you fill it out?" Hunter asked. 

Darius looked down, and he thought his hand might be shaking.

"Of course." He picked up the pen and got to work.

Chapter Text

On a slow Saturday afternoon, Hunter had been sitting at his desk, finishing up the last of his homework. There was no reason for it, but suddenly he had a strange feeling that he couldn't really explain.

He tried ignoring it, but it only grew until he had to put down his pen. He leaned back on the chair and looked out the window before his desk.

What was this?

He felt oddly... empty? No, that wasn't the right word. Settled, maybe.

Calm, relaxed. He had felt this way before. Many times in fact, - back in their time in the Human Realm, then after everything quieted down and he came to live with Darius.

Hunter tried to think about a reason why he would be feeling this strange. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't pinpoint a certain thing that could be responsible for it.

It was a warm, beautiful day, and it was a shame to spend it at home. Or so that's what came to mind. Unfortunately, all his friends had something to do or somewhere to be - they even had to cancel Flyer Derby training earlier that day.

Hunter roamed around the house. All his chores were done, his homework finished, and everything was in order.

The strange mood he found himself in still persisted.

Maybe he was bored? Could be. After all, he didn't have anything to do. Maybe that was why he was feeling out of sorts all of a sudden.

In the past, he would get uncomfortable if he didn't have some sort of work or chore to occupy his mind. Even his hobbies, be it Flyer Derby, sewing, Cosmic Frontier, or watching wolf documentaries, were there to fill out the space that the sudden freedom he was granted. And he could do any of them right now. But he didn't feel like it.

Which never happened before.

Darius came home soon after. He did a little grocery shopping, and Hunter didn't even ask to help put it away; he just took some of the bags off his hands. It felt good to help, although the strange feeling still lingered.

"Is something wrong, Little Prince?" Darius asked. Looking at the man, he seemed more amused than concerned. "You have something on your mind?"

"What?"

"Well, I have asked about your day three times already."

Hunter blushed. "Oh, sorry. I guess I'm just distracted."

Darius frowned. "By what?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"That doesn't bode well," Darius said, then stepped closer to Hunter and put a hand on his forehead. "At least you don't have a fever."

"How would I catch a fever in this heat?"

"Stranger things have happened." He shrugged. "What exactly do you think is wrong?"

Hunter thought about it. "I don't know," he admitted. "I just, well, I guess I am feeling calm? Relaxed even? Which is strange because I have been doing well for a long time now. But only now did I realize it, and I guess it threw me for a loop. Something like that?"

Darius waited for him to finish, then he raised his hand and put it onto the top of his head.

"Little Prince, I am saying this with love," he said. "But you are being dumb right now."

Hunter scoffed.

He chuckled. "Don't be like that, this is a good thing."

"Yeah," Hunter agreed. "I'm not denying. I'm just..." he shrugged again.

Darius gave him a fond smile. He then ruffled his hair before Hunter batted it away. It's not as if he can do that much damage, with how unruly his style has become.

Hunter thought for a minute, glanced out the kitchen window at the bright sunny day out there.

"Darius?" he suddenly asked.

"Hmm?"

"Do you want to go out?"

Darius gave him an amused look. Hunter could imagine why. He had become braver and more open to putting himself out there. But taking initiative? That was something he still struggled with.

"Really? You have anything in mind?" Darius asked, and Hunter could hear the playful challenge in his words.

"I don't know, we will find something on the way," Hunter said. "Or just go on a walk."

"You know what? Let's go on a walk then."

That stupid little feeling still persisted. Hunter decided to let it be.

It wasn't so bad. Sure, it will take some getting used to, and he was certain that it won't be the last time that it would catch him off guard. He still needs to sit with it, get used to it. But he found that he was fine, at the moment at least.

And slowly, peace started to feel more familiar. Routines settled. Life gently and ever surely moved on.

Chapter Text

The Day of Unity is tomorrow, and they have a plan to stop it. Tomorrow, they are going to find out if they are going to live or die. All things considered, Darius was doing pretty good. At least he isn't breaking down crying, - oh, he very much felt like it, but he is holding it in - so he is doing pretty good.

Hunter finally managed to fall asleep.

Darius was worried about him. Oh, so incredibly worried. After all, the boy had a coven sigil, so he couldn't even try to calm his nerves with the notion that if everything goes wrong, at least he was going to be fine.

He should be sleeping too. But he wanted to enjoy what little quiet moments he still had.

'Chirp.'

Darius was so surprised that he jumped. The palisman, Flapjack, he quickly reminded himself, gave him an amused look.

"Don't scare me like that, bird." He chastised him.

Flapjack didn't seem to care about it. Instead, he flew up to him and landed on his shoulder. It didn't bother him how casual he was with him. Hunter had brought the palisman to their sewing lessons, so the creature wasn't a stranger. In fact, Darius loved to spoil the little thing whenever he could, bringing him seeds and nuts to snack on. 

He missed his palisman.

It was another pain, another loss that was in the past. Darius didn't often allow himself to think about it.

He patted Flapjack on the head. He chirped in a way that told Darius that he was saying something, which of course he couldn't understand.

"You had taken good care of the Little Prince."

Flapjack puffed up his feathers in pride. Every palisman worth their snails would take care of their witch. The bird wasn't any different. Still, Darius couldn't have been more grateful.

He didn't want to admit it, but he had grown to care about the Little Prince more than he wanted to - more than he thought it was wise.

'Chirp!'

"Can I ask something?" Darius said. "Although I can imagine that you are going to do so, no matter what I want to ask of you."

Flapjack let out a series of chirps that sounded indignant. The witch chuckled.

"I haven't the faintest clue of what you said."

'Chirp! Chirp!'

He patted the bird on the head, and he nipped at his fingers. Thankfully, his gloves are made of a tough material, a little palisman isn't going to peck a hole into it.

"What I have to ask is, no matter what happens tomorrow," Darius said. "Continue to look after the Little Prince."

Flapjack tilted his head. 'Chirp?'

"I don't know if I am going to make it." He sighed. "Maybe none of us are going to survive. I can't promise that I will. But I am certain of one thing."

'Chirp.' Flapjack nodded. Once again, Darius didn't know what he said, but he had a good idea.

"Take care of the Little Prince," he said. "For me as well, alright."

Flapjack pulled himself out, nice and tall. 'Chirp,' he sounded confident.

Darius couldn't help but smile and give the palisman a grateful pat.

Chapter Text

It must have been a slow day on the Boiling Isles. A horrible, slow day in fact, if these were the articles that not one, not two, but several tabloids chose to publish. Not just the papers, oh no, it's all over the web. There was no escaping it. It seemed as if every paparazzi and yellow journalist woke up from their collective coma that morning and decided to one-up each other in who could come up with the most ridiculous combination of words. And about him and Hunter, nonetheless.

It's not as if they have kept their relationship a secret. Darius had been taking Hunter virtually everywhere with him. And he went to his Flyer Derby matches, and some of the trainings if his schedule allowed for it. Heck, he even posted about him on penstagram. So why are they only now writing about them?

And why would they even be writing about them? Didn't they have better things to report on? Glandus just finished reconstruction, shouldn't they be all over that?

Whatever, he didn't care. He was over it the minute it began.

They will get bored with their ridiculous little games and move on.

What he wasn't over, however, was Eberwolf sitting there, snickering at their scroll and not doing their paperwork.

'They get creative.'

"I don't care."

'Aw, should.'

Darius sighed, deep and full of disappointment. "Could you please focus on your work? I don't want to spend my whole day here."

Eber shrugged. 'Taking a break.'

Yeah, sure. More like wasting his time. Resigned that he was going to be the only adult in the room getting anything done, Darius turned back to his stack of documents.

It didn't take Eber long to pipe up again.

'Ooh, this one good,' he said in a teasing tone. 'Wanna hear?'

"I have a feeling I'm going to."

Eber cleared their throat. ''Many have observed that the illustrious former Coven Head of the Abomination Coven was quick to adopt. Seemingly out of the blue. This came to the surprise of many, if possibly not all, of the Boiling Isles' residents.''

Darius groaned. "Why would anybody care?"

Eber only waved their scroll. 'Them,' they simply said. 'Now let me read. 'The theories are endless, and the people are eager to speculate-''

Darius couldn't help but scoff.

''Some say that a brush with mortality and spending an eternity as a puppet was enough to soften the famously aloof man's heart. And in turn, he reached out to someone in need, adopting the boy he had seen in the past months or so,'' Eber continued, taking on a tone befitting the dramatic article he is reading. ''A tempting proposition, but there are those who think that Deamonne's relation to the teenager runs deeper. They favor the idea that the boy, who will remain unnamed to avoid litigation, is actually Deamonne's own, had in secret, and hid away to keep him safe from the tyrannical Emperor.''

"Are they writing fanfiction now?"

'Shush, let me read.'

"No, not another word." Darius felt himself this close to throwing something across the room.

'Would read it if it were fanfiction,' they said. 'Appreciate the drama.'

He sighed. "Please, stop."

It seemed that he managed to muster up enough exasperation for Eberwolf to finally put the scroll away. Or maybe his reaction wasn't funny enough to bother. Either way, they were hunched over their desk and continued writing.

He had a minute of peace before the office door opened, and Hunter slipped in with a timid smile on his face.

"So, have you guys seen what they are writing about us?" he asked, a finger running over the side of his scroll.

"Please, not you too." Darius was about to give up.

Hunter shrugged. His smile turned playful. "I mean, it would be a good fanfiction," he joked.

Darius slumped back against his chair with a groan.

Chapter Text

He is gone.

It wasn't meant to happen that way.

Nobody should have known about the ritual to get into the Emperor's mind. Nobody! They should have been in and out, just like that, like competent adults who know what the heck they are doing. How could they have messed it up so badly?

Now he is gone.

He couldn't find him anywhere, didn't even know where to start.

Maybe he shouldn't have run.

At the moment, all he could think about was escaping danger. And have Eber and Raine get away safe as well. Now he wished he had done something else.

He should have grabbed the Little Prince and explained everything to him. Even better, show him with evidence from Belos' own mind. He had no idea how that would have gone, or what horrible things they might have seen in there, but anything would have been better than the gripping anxiety that Darius felt at the moment.

For a brief moment, he feared that the Little Prince might sell them out, or worse. He would only be doing his duty, reporting his findings to the Emperor. But what if he thought that Darius betrayed him? That he was only playing him to get some information out of him.

That was a terrifying thought. After everything they have done, having their very lives in the hands of the Golden Guard-

Wait? Did he know that it was him? For a minute, Darius forgot that they were in disguise; there was no way that the Little Prince knew who was at the scene of the crime.

But he couldn't waste time thinking about that.

He had to find the Little Prince. Before anything could happen.

Chapter Text

Darius slumped against him, slightly. Hunter looked up only to see that he was fast asleep, even snoring slightly. He did his best to stifle a giggle that threatened to bubble up.

For a minute, he contemplated waking him up, but then decided against it. Both of them had a long day. Darius with work, and he with the first exams in Hexside, and a training session that the team decided to have to alleviate some stress. They were both exhausted coming back, and while sitting on the couch wasn't the best place to sleep on Hunter decided that it should be fine. At least until the movie ended. Once it wrapped up, he could wake Darius up, and both of them could sleep in their own beds.

However, if he falls on him, he is going to shake him awake. He had no desire to be crushed under him.

Hunter turned his attention back to the coffee table. Cosmic Frontiers was midway through on the crystal ball.

Before he could get comfortable and get immersed back into it, he heard the snap of a scroll camera.

The source was standing in the hallway. Eberwolf, with his scroll trained on them. He pulled it away from his face, which had a huge grin on it.

Without another word, Eberwolf jumped onto the couch and got comfortable beside Hunter.

'This is going into my favorites,' Eber whispered to not wake Darius up.

They showed him their scroll. Hunter could see both of them, illuminated by the light of the crystal ball, with Darius slightly slumped against him and Hunter looking content.

"You know that he is going to be mad when he finds out," Hunter said. And the thought didn't fill him with dread as it would have a long time ago. Instead, he felt more amused than anything.

'Let him,' Eber shrugged. Hunter watched from the corner of his eye as Eber saved the picture into a folder.

'Seen this one before?' Eber asked, pointing to the crystal ball.

Hunter shrugged. "Yeah, I just felt like rewatching it."

Without asking permission, Eber snuggled up next to Hunter.

'Want to wake Darisu up?'

"No, let him be."