Work Text:
A SWEET CHILD SIDE SCENE
Back to the beginning. There's one way back to home again. To where I feel forgiven
From Human -- Civil Twilight
*******
It's only love, it's only pain
It's only fear that runs through my veins
It's all the things you can't explain
That make us human
I am just an image of
Something so much greater
I am just a picture frame
I am not the painter
Where do I begin? Can I shed this skin?
*******
“I can take care of myself.” Hunter had insisted.
The skies were clear. Everyone was back in witch and demon form as the Collector apologetically relented, restoring all the puppets to full sentience.
King was taking care of the god-child.
And everyone was getting reunited with their families!
Hunter had stood with his arm at the small of Willow’s back. She was so worried about her dads. He needed to help her find them. He knew how much they meant to her. And Willow? She meant the world to Hunter.
Hunter had no dads. No family.
Well, Luz had called him family. And that was something he still had not fully processed. Hunter would have thought she was just being nice – too nice – but she was simply being Luz. And while Luz was in fact “too nice, yet not nice enough to save Belos from being melted by Boiling Rain and then curb stomped by Eda and company,” Hunter knew that Luz was always sincere. But even knowing all this didn’t quite scratch the itch in the back of his mind.
(Now that this is all over, where do I belong?)
Before he could let his mind spiral further, he caught a glimpse of two familiar figures.
Harvey and Gilbert Park. He’d met the Parks briefly during the time he’d been hidden from the Emperor’s Coven. After the Battle of Hexside.
Hunter had hidden in the Park’s basement. They had been welcoming enough, if not a bit jumpy from his presence, so Hunter made himself scarce, frightened and small with only Flapjack for comfort.
Flapjack. I miss you. I’m sorry. He thought.
I’m right here. Always with you. The fluttering in his chest seemed to answer.
Hunter felt a tightness tug in his chest every so slightly and he leaned down and pointed Willow towards her dads. She gasped and ran towards them. Hunter smiled – but it was a tired smile. He felt the muscles in his face begin to droop as he watched this girl who hours ago he had held tight to his chest embrace her fathers.
Then a hand fell on his head, messing up his hair. Slightly annoyed, Hunter turned to see Darius Deamonne with Eberwolf on his shoulder smiling down at him.
“Good to see you made it through Little Prince!” Said the Abomination witch. “And I must say, that shirt is quite impressive.”
“Darius! Eber!” Hunter exclaimed. He pulled on the bottom of his shirt to give them a better look. “These are wolves! Mystical beasts from the human world!” With a “RAWR RAWR.” He made claws with his hands and began to mimic the gestures of the creatures he loved so much.
But as the day went on, Hunter became more concerned. Willow had pulled him over to her dads.
“Dad, Papa, you remember Hunter?” Willow blushed and she interlocked her pinky with his own. “Well, we…. He and I are… ummmm….”
“You two are what?” Gilbert asked quickly.
“Willow, are you two….” Harvey began.
“WE ARE FRIENDS SIRS!” Hunter yelled out awkwardly. Willow reached for more of his hand and squeezed gently. She gently gazed at him and blushed. He felt his own face flush right up to his ears.
“Just friends, huh?” Gilbert grinned knowingly at his husband.
“Well….” Willow began. She looked hopefully at him. Hunter let out a breath.
“Advanced friends?” He added. Titan, he really wanted to say “Boyfriend…” but he just wasn’t there yet. If Willow would let him, he would make it there. One day when it felt right. Oh, did he hope she would let him.
“Well, we would be very happy to have our daughter’s ‘Advanced Friend’ over for dinner when things get cleaned up.” Harvey smiled.
“Yes sirs! I would be honored.” Hunter added. He imagined himself in a homemade suit, hair slicked back neatly, arriving at the Parks with flowers in hand for their daughter. His blush deepened.
The thing was, even with all of these moments, with Perry Porter greeting Hunter and thanking him for being such a good friend to Gus. With Eda the Owl Lady checking up on him. With Darius and Eber and Raine asking him about how he’d made it here, and a few quiet comments about his new scars which he tearfully explained he was not quite ready to discuss. Even with Hunter’s own reunions the question still remained.
Where do I belong?
He quietly peeled away from the crowds, finding a place by the balcony of the archives where he could look over the Boiling Isles and take in the new terrain, changed by Belos’ corruption.
The Titan’s arm reached out towards the sky, as if trying to touch some impossible thing, always out of reach.
Can relate. Hunter thought to himself.
The feeling in his chest stretched slightly more.
The days went on. No one really slept. More so, they all just moved around between short periods of rest.
There were meetings, there were more embraces, questions of what would come next. Promises to meet up again soon and keep up on Penstagram until everyone was better settled.
And then Hunter had arrived at the Owl House. The Collector had restored the portal. Camila and Luz were hugging Eda, King and Amity. Tears flowing from their eyes, they looked back and took Hunter’s hands gently.
Hunter! His friends tried to pull him through the portal, but the slime … the remnants of his uncle… of BELOS. They were all over the ground. The walls, the top of the arch. Hunter tensed up, but Willow and Gus managed to move him forward.
“C’mon Hunter.” Luz said cheerfully as she pulled him through the portal. Stepping over the doorway, they were once again in the human realm. Hunter followed Luz and Camila to the Noceda’s house where Vee had been waiting anxiously.
Hunter sighed. He ducked his head and quietly as possible, he made his way down to the basement. All around the room he saw traces of what had been left behind. A blanket on the couch. Fabric remnants from sewing projects. A little gold birdcage…
Flapjack…
His chest fluttered as if to say, “I’m still here Hunter. I’m here.”
He sighed deeply.
Always the responsible scout, Hunter knew what had to be done. He knelt down and began to clean up. Methodically, he rolled the sleeping bag tight. He picked through the carpet for threads and scraps that he had left when sewing costumes for Halloween.
So focused on cleaning duties, he was that Hunter didn’t even hear the creaking of footsteps descending the staircase.
“Querido?” A voice softly whispered.
And then hand was resting gently on his shoulder. His reflexes kicked in. His body tensed. Hunter spun around on his guard, to meet a pair of soft brown eyes.
“Camila!” Hunter gasped. She smiled at him. He turned his lips up in a smile as well.
“Hunter! I’ve been looking everywhere for you, mijo.” Camila said.
Mijo.
My son.
The tightening stretched a bit more.
“Oh! Hey Camila!” Hunter gave her an enigmatic smile. “I hope you enjoyed your time on the Boiling Isles? We are going to be under construction for a while.”
Camila chuckled. “Yes, well, I could see that there is so much work to be done. I am glad I can experience them the way Luz has now.”
Hunter felt his throat catch. “Are you here to say ‘goodbye’?” Hunter asked mildly.
It made sense. Camila was human. Luz was her daughter. They were both back in the human realm.
“Goodbye? Mijo, why would I be saying goodbye?”
Mijo.
A sharp pain crept up Hunter’s throat. He swallowed.
“Well,” he said. “You went with Luz to do what she needed. I figured you’d be …”
“Removing my daughter from a place where she feels happy and confident where all her friends are and closing the door behind us? Is that the kind of Mama you think I am?”
“No.” Hunter admitted. “Of course not ma’am.”
Camila chuckled. “So we are back to ma’am? Is that it, mijo?”
Mijo.
You like it when she calls you that. Flapjack fluttered within his chest. It makes you feel like you …
Belong
Hunter felt his knees give out. He crumbled onto the floor in exhaustion. Camila sank down with him. She reached for his hand.
Maybe she would let him stay just one more night.
“Cariňo, can I touch you?” Camila sighed. Hunter nodded and responded. Their hands touched. Camila gave his a gentle squeeze. They sat like this for a few minutes. Camila let out a breath as she began to run the back of Hunter’s hand with her thumb.
She cleared her throat before she spoke again.
“Remember when I first showed you downstairs, where you and Gus could sleep? And you chose the floor and the sleeping bag?”
This basement. This room had become a home. A refuge where Hunter had first experienced anything close to a good night’s sleep.
His eyebrows shot up.
“Oh no! I understand!” Hunter gasped. “Um, I’m cleaning up my stuff, ma’am!.”
“Querido…”
“I mean your stuff! Titan, I’m sorry.” He closed his eyes tight and shook his head. “ I didn’t mean to be so rude. You gave me this stuff. I can clean it up and give it back.”
He opened his eyes. She was looking at him with wide eyes from beneath her glasses.
“Hunter, you don’t… That’s not…” Camila was stressed. He didn’t want to cause her stress.
“It’ll be like I was never here!” He assured her.
“Mijo, is that what you think I want? Is that why you think I came to find you?”
Mijo.
She came to find you.
“Oh! You don’t need to worry about me, Camila!” Hunter put on his most confident face. Brave. Self assured. An echo of the cockiness that he had expressed as the Golden Guard. This is what was expected of him after all. “I can take care of myself.” He smiled. The muscles around his lips threatened to betray him. He wouldn’t let his smile turn down. He couldn’t.
“Baby, I know you can.” Camila sighed.
Baby. She had called him “Baby.”
Hunter felt his body shrink slightly as his chest pulled. He was 12. He was in Belos’ workshop. His uncle had lost control of the curse and slashed him through the shoulder with a muddy spike.
“I trust that you can patch that up yourself, Hunter?”
“Yes uncle.”
“I know you can take care of yourself.” Camila said calmly. “ I just want to make sure that you know that you don’t have to.”
Hunter pulled his head away. He felt fuzzy. Cold and warm all at once. And his eyes? No. Belos was gone. He needed to be strong now. He was a soldier. Not a –
Brat.
A crybaby.
A Little boy.
A scared child.
“You are strong and brave, mijo.” Camila continued. “And I know you can take care of yourself.” She paused and took a breath. “But you shouldn't have to. Not all the time. And it is okay if sometimes you don’t want to.”
“But –” Hunter opened his eyes. Camila was still looking at him.
The dam inside of him was so close to breaking. He felt his chest about to burst.
“Mijo.” Camila sighed.
Mijo.
Son.
Camila leaned in and gathered him up in her arms. He must have smelled awful. He hadn’t showered in so long. He must still reek of the swampy grave that she’d pulled him from. He inhaled deeply. She held him tighter, gently rocking him.
He felt his body shrink just a bit more.
Hunter was eight years old now. It had been a full day of training. He marched through the streets of
Latissa with the other recruits. From under his mask, he caught a glimpse of a young demon about the same size as himself. She was wrapped up in the arms of an adult.
Was that her mother?
The tenderness between them softened Hunter’s young heart and he lost the rhythm of his steps. His commanding officer would surely report him later.
“Hunter.”
She said my name…
Camila continued to hold him, whispering into his ear. “I came to find you to make sure you know that you have a place in this home.”
Hunter felt a squeak escape his throat. His eyes turned up to meet Camila’s.
Oh, Titan. She was going to cry. Camila was going to cry. He swallowed deeply.
“I mean. If you want it.” Camila smiled softly. “You can stay with me. With us. And our home would be your home too.”
Home.
“W-what? I-I’m s-sorry, I don’t…Do you…” He stuttered. She didn’t mean it. Camila was just trying to be nice. Too nice. Like Luz. Right?
And even if she did mean what she was saying, she would eventually regret it.
“Is that something you would want, Hunter?” Camila asked.
Does she know what she is offering? What if I wake her up every night with my nightmares? What if I eat too much and she can’t afford to have me in the house? What if I – what if —
“I will always take care of you, Hunter.” Camila said gently. “And you don’t have to do anything but just be you. Just be Hunter. That is enough, Mijo.”
Mijo.
Son.
“And baby?” Camila sobbed. She was sobbing. Titan, Hunter felt his throat begin to close. His chest was taut as she whispered, “Baby, the love in this home is not transactional.”
Love?
She said “Love…”
Only Flap had ever used that word with him. Other than the time when….
When…
Hunter’s body shrank once more in Camila’s arms. Now he was 5. He approached the throne where Belos sat. The Titan’s heart beat steadily above. The flames crackled all around.
“Uncle? Do …do you love me?” He had asked.
Silence.
“C-Camila…” Hunter whispered, “You don’t have to… I mean.. you …”
“Shhhh.” Camila tsked. She was crying harder now. She dropped a kiss on his forehead. A strong motherly gesture. Without words it told him all needed to know.
It said:
You belong.
You belong here, Hunter.
It was too much. He couldn’t begin to digest the emotions running through his body at this moment.
“Camila…” He began once more.
She shook her head and shushed him again. She was now holding him tight to her chest as Hunter sobbed with his whole body. And then Camila whispered the words that finally snapped the cord inside him.
She said.
“I love you…”
