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He didn't know why he kept texting her.
They were enemies after all.
They shouldn't have to be able to see each other happy without constantly trying to put an end to their ambitions.
Yet he was unable to follow that hatred.
Hunter was lying in his bed, wearing pajamas and glasses as he lovingly touched Flapjack's little head when the phone vibrated with a new notification of a text.
He saw the hologram alerted him that the new message was from Luz who as usual wanted to talk.
She usually texted him at that hour of the night. Usually when she finishes studying and had some time to relax.
She often asks about his day. Or sends to him a new picture that she took that day or, more often now, she sends him what she calls 'memes' (rarely Hunter laughed at those. He didn't get them).
He thought they were stupid but anyway he still adored every text from her.
He got out of bed, and the cardinal with him, to read more about what she had sent him this time.
THEOWLLADY: Hey, do you want to call?
He saw the reflection and his heart skipped a beat.
..call? What does she mean?
Luz and Hunter had never called only texted, and the fact that she now had asked to call made him worry. Has something happened?
THEOWLLADY: I was given something fantastic and I would like to tell you about it and show it to you
He let out a sigh of relief. At least nothing serious had happened but a small concern kept being in the back of his mind.
For a moment he looked himself in the small mirror he kept on his desk.
His hair was completely messy and he had forgotten to get the dye so some of his strands were brown.
His glasses, prescribed by the ophthalmologist to rest his eyesight at the end of the day, made him strange. Nerdier. And Hunter hated it.
He wanted to take them off but he would go against the orders to wear them in the evening and he wasn't capable of it.
The pajamas were simple.
Due to the heat of that evening, he wore a short-sleeved t-shirt, and long gray trousers similar to those of the suit but of a much lighter and more elastic fabric.
Overall, Hunter hated the reflection he was seeing in the mirror.
Fortunately, he thought that they should not be seen but only spoken.
...Hunter opened his mouth to paraphrase random words and hear his voice.
He sounded too shrill and, as others said to him before, annoying as well.
He came to realize that he didn't like anything about himself.
He thought he wouldn't talk much anyway. As usual, he would get her to talk and say a few words of support or complete denial.
He took his phone and opened the social where she had texted.
Rulerzreachf4n: ok .
He went back to bed waiting for the call.
Flapjack landed again on his lap and his hand unconsciously returned to caress him.
It rang and Hunter picked up, unaware of the obvious sign that the camera was automatically activated.
After all, Luz was making a video call.
"Heeey !! I seriously have to show you this new book Amity got for m-
Do you wear glasses??"
Luz's content voice opened the call and then suddenly changed tone as she saw the witch wearing glasses.
He suddenly noticed himself reflected in the little box below and was frightened to see it.
He was so scared that his blood froze in his veins. Not only for seeing himself but also to see her.
He didn't even have time to take a good look at the human that suddenly hung up the call.
Flapjack was also frightened by how Hunter suddenly reacted and flew off his lap.
He wasn't prepared for that.
He was not mentally prepared for it, although less physically.
The panic and partly embarrassment of how he showed himself for a few seconds to Luz began to upset him.
Before then he had no interest in his aesthetics but since he met the human he tried to show himself in front of her eyes always in the best way possible.
In his panic, the phone vibrated with a new notification.
THEOWLLADY: yo Hun
THEOWLLADY: what happened?
THEOWLLADY: since when do you wear glasses???
One message came after another, leaving him no time to think about a correct answer.
He visualized but still not replied.
The blush of embarrassment kept reaching his ears.
He was about to text her when he saw the three dots on the other side which meant she was writing.
THEOWLLADY: Uhh, ,
THEOWLLADY: ..all good?
THEOWLLADY: Sorry if I called you at this hour
It was unusual for Luz to apologize over texting. This meant she felt sorry for a fault that wasn't hers.
Rulerzreachf4n: n0.
Rulerzreachf4n: I g0t intetrnet probl3ns
He texted a small lie.
He certainly couldn't tell her he hang up because he didn't like how he looked.
Rulerzreachf4n: abput the glasses...itz nit yout business
THEOWLLADY: Oh
THEOWLLADY: okayy
THEOWLLADY: I was scared for a moment I thought that someone was in your room and found us
THEOWLLADY: or something like that
THEOWLLADY: anyway, uugh I understand you for the internet problems. My actual phone doesn't work here
THEOWLLADY: Anyway the glasses fit you. I love that frame
They also look good on your face <33
Hunter smiled as he read the line of texts.
But above all, his smile was for the last message.
He opened the phone's camera to take a closer look at himself.
The square black glasses seemed too small for his face.
How Luz could find them good was a mystery to him.
A pleasant mystery because he felt a slight fire growing in his chest.
He continued to stare at the camera.
He tried to smooth his messy hair.
Bringing them back even if the usual tuft returned to his forehead.
Another text came. This time with an attachment.
THEOWLLADY: Anyway, that was what I wanted to show you
was written under a short video.
Hunter turned the phone around to get a better look before playing.
The preview was blurry. He could assume that she was framing the ceiling before.
The video began with an adjustment of the phone to a solid floor so that it could stand without her support. While she was trying to find the right balance, Luz began to speak. Her face could be half-seen and then totally out of focus.
"Okay, so, then, basically I went this afternoon- No. It doesn't work. Wait." she said.
He felt like he was getting a stomach ache from the constant movements.
Finally, she managed to find the right position by placing a couple of books on the ground behind the phone and in the end showing herself cross-legged in front of it.
"Okay we did it." she said, applauding herself.
Hunter couldn't help but smile at this little exultation of her.
Until he looked at her.
If the video was taken right after the failed call then Hunter didn't need to worry about how he looked.
Luz's hair was also totally messed up. If not more than his.
She was wearing a purple T-shirt and shorts with several small kittens drawn.
She too was probably in her pajamas but unlike him, she wasn't ashamed. Indeed it felt natural, normal. The smile on her lips was proof that she didn't care. And to him it was cute. She was cute.
"So I went after school, this afternoon, with Amity to the library. I mean I was walking with her since she works there," she said, rocking a bit as she talked.
"And so when she arrived she was about to go and prepare all the books to read for the children
Buut before that we were talking about Azura and guess what? Tadà !! "she said enthusiastically while showing a book.
He did not seem to recognize the cover despite already knowing all the books of Luz's favorite saga.
"It's new !! Well no actually the date of publishing is old but it has never been sold in the human realm... AND AMITY GAVE IT TO ME !!" she almost screamed. Her smile looked like it was about to go out of frame for how big it was.
The dimples could also be seen.
Even behind a screen, Hunter could feel all the energy and happiness Luz was feeling.
But despite this, he couldn't help but feel a small pang in his stomach to hear that the young Blight had given her a book and that it was her reaction to her.
A small thought nestled in a part of his brain where it said that he too had to give her something to see Luz smile for him as well. If not even bigger and better.
"AAH!! I can't wait to read it !!
To be honest that's why I wanted to call you before, I wanted to start reading it with you...or to you in this case...
And also partly to see you since you haven't come to the owl's house for a week to experiment with glyphs together..." she said looking at the book instead of the camera. A sad smile took the place of the previous one.
The pang of jealousy in his stomach seemed to disappear taking place again the heat in his chest when he heard the real reason why she wanted to call him.
He didn't even wait to finish the video, which was only a few seconds before he started texting her again.
Rulerzreachf4n: do you want to call.?
He no longer cared if he was good-looking or not.
Watching the video he remembered who he was talking to.
He didn't have to worry about Luz and what she might think of him because he knew she would never hurt him or think badly of him. Not even voluntarily.
THEOWLLADY: Are you sure? Don't you have to wake up early tomorrow?
Rulerzreachf4n: Don't worry. I want to knw thus new booj
And this time it was Hunter who first called.
Luz didn't take long to pick up. He did not even wait for the two rings that she immediately answered, showing half of her face already smiling.
"Okay, are you ready?" she asked him. Pulling the phone away from a little so that she could take the book and open it to start reading the first few pages.
"Wait," Hunter said, setting the phone a bit far away to frame himself too. Flapjack came back to him, this time resting on the pillow. He was also eager to listen to her.
He placed his back against the pillow too so that he could stay comfortable while listening.
"Okay, ready."