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It was an eventful night to put it.
Gus was asleep, his head laying on Hunter's lap, and Willow slept next to him, Amity was sleeping right next to Luz who finally drifted off to sleep a few minutes ago. But Hunter stayed awake. No matter how tired his body felt, no matter how much his eyes begged for sleep. He couldn't. He had to stay awake for everyone. To keep them safe. Gus had cried himself to sleep, and it broke Hunter's heart (Gladstone?) To see a boy so young, go through all of that. He didn't deserve it. He was only a child. So are you. During his time staying with the porters Hunter had learned to love Gus talking about the Human realm, he loved everything he talked about, and it truly fascinated him.
"Did you know humans have ink they mark on their skin?"
"Like sigils...?"
"Yes! But it can be any design you want, it doesn't limit anything and you can remove it! I saw a photo of someone having paw prints on their shoulder!"
Sigils.
The draining spell.
The pain on the right side of his body was unbearable. It felt like his arm was being ripped off, burned, frozen, and boiled at the same time.
"Are you okay?"
Darius's limp body was on the ground, the markings from the sigil covering his entire face. He looked dead.
He couldn't be dead. The spell stopped. He had to be alive...but he wasn't with him. Darius was nice to Hunter. He laughed at his jokes and helped him sew. He treated Hunter like a person.
"Witch are you okay?"
And then Belos. The man he viewed as family. The man who he would die for. Who took him in as a child and raised him, who gifted him the honor of Golden Guard at 13 years old. Died. In front of his eyes.
"You don't look good at all!"
He had to run through his melted corpse. He felt sick.
Flapjack tweeted quietly as Hunter moved Gus's head off his lap, covering his mouth, quickly scrambling out of the mattress and sprinted out of the room, throwing open the door he remembered as the bathroom and practically lunged at the toilet, throwing up the remains of food he had for dinner.
He let a shaky breath out, painting. Hunter moved to flush the toilet, the same way Luz taught him, his stomach-churning. Back in the castle, Belos had no time for sickness. If he did however get sick he was told to deal with it himself. He was 16. He should act like it. Belos had said.
Flapjack's voice grew louder, and soon she was perching on the counter, frowning at her witch.
"Hunter?" Luz whispered softly from the doorway, cutting him out of his thoughts "Are you okay?" To be honest, Luz hadn't fallen asleep at all, she just hoped to close her eyes long enough that sleep would come, but she was wrong.
So when she saw Hunter spring up and sprint out of the room, she knew something was up. Throughout the whole night, Hunter barely made a sound. The Hunter she knew. The Golden Gaurd, never shut up to put it nicely. He was annoying, blabbing on about his mission and saying that they would rue the day, blah blah blah. It was agony hearing him talk. Then she met Hunter. He was quieter than the Golden Gaurd but still talked. He talked about wild magic, how it amazed him, and he talked about his life. (Which were all lies now.) He loved talking to those he cared for, especially seeing the way he was with Gus. (She never did get around to asking what happened that week.) He talked to his palismen Flapjack, the two having the closest bond she's ever seen before. Even in times of distress Hunter always seemed to put others first.
But the Hunter she met tonight was a new Hunter. Only speaking when someone spoke to him. (Besides Gus. He always spoke to Gus to make sure he was doing okay.) He sat in silence while eating, and if Luz looked close enough she would see his trembling body. He was the last to take a shower, in that time of waiting Hunter had helped wash the dishes, help set up the mattress for everyone, and tend to wounds Camila or Vee could have missed. The ones that cut deeper than any claw could. She has never once seen him rest. Or cry. He never had time to process anything. Never gave himself time.
And so here they were. Hunter on the floor of her bathroom hunched over on the toilet, and Luz, unsure how to help the teen.
"I-" Hunter was cut off by his stomach, bile rising more and more until he hurled into the toilet again his body heaving. Flapjack tweeted, glancing over at Luz worriedly.
"Hunter!" Luz gasped walking over to the boy. "Yep okay. Throwing up twice. Not a good sign. Are you feeling sick?" She asked moving to sit down next to him. "I don't know how human food would react but-"
"Leave- me alone Luz" he gritted his teeth. Not here. Not now. He couldn't break here.
"...Should I get my mom?" She asked wearily, stepping back from the boy. It was fine. Hunter needed space. Luz wasn't going to intrude on that.
"No!" He snapped, more angrily than he intended. "I'm fine...Luz." Hunter breathed out looking up, sweat dripping down his face as his eyebags seemed to be even deeper. "Please. I'm fine."
"You don't look fine at all!" Luz frowned, looking over the teen. He looked horrible. The new clothes were loose on him, and let her see areas she had never seen on Hunter before. This was his privacy. But she couldn't keep her eyes away from an old claw-like scar running down his shoulder.
She shuttered.
They looked just like the marks on Hunter's shirt. The claw marks coming from Belos.
"Im fine-" Hunter stammered. "I-
He got cut off by another turn in his stomach, gritting his teeth and wheezing. Everywhere he looked he saw his uncle. In the food. In the light green wallpaper for Titan's sake! The puke. It was all Uncle. He couldn't get away from him.
"I-I'm getting my mom- I don't want you puking your guts out..."
But it was good he was dead. Right? He was dead! Hunter should be laughing and crying in joy! Sing songs about how the emperor was dead!
But he was family.
No matter the lies
No matter the pain
No matter the hits
Belos was still his family.
And he just watched him get splattered by a child!
"Luz...? what's the matter-...oh..." A voice rang out. He knew that voice.
Hunter glared at the doorway again. His eyes widened. It was Luz's mother. Why did she bring her!? He was fine. He just needed time to compose himself. Everything was fine.
"Leave me alone-" Hunter stiffed as she walked closer, his body shaking even more. She reminded him of Belos.
She shouldn't.
Hunter covered his mouth again as he leaned over the toilet, feeling his stomach rise.
"El cariño...It's alright" Camila said quietly as the boy hurled again, more stomach acid than food this time. He was gripping the sides of the toilet so tightly that his knuckles turned white under his gloves.
"You're okay..." she said, moving to rub his back, Hunter flinched at the hand, but a part of him saw it comforting. It was something he had never gotten before from an adult. Sure Darius took him in and made sure he was safe but the Day Of Unity was approaching. There was no time to sit and cry together... Soon he had stopped throwing up, and Camila offered a towel for him to clean his face.
"Are you feeling sick?" She asked, helping Hunter sit up again, and lean back on the wall, "Here, drink this, it's just water" Camila said handing him the glass.
"I'm-I'm fine," Hunter whispered, slowly drinking the water Camila gave him. He had to hold it in two hands, due to him shaking so much. Hunter worried he might drop it and this comfort would fade immediately.
"I'll make tea for you tomorrow morning, you're stomach still needs rest." She hummed, taking the glass and setting it aside on the counter. "Now, is everything alright?" She asked worriedly.
Hunter was different from the rest of the kids. While they all were grieving being away from their home. Their life! Here was this child. A year or two older than Luz who had not shed a single tear. He was the first to help her with anything. Clearly helping was a distraction.
"I'm fine."
"You keep saying that." She frowned. "Is the food making you sick? I don't know how food is made in the...other realm but if you teach me some recipes I can try my best to match it" Camila chuckled, smiling.
Hunter squeezed his eyes tightly. She was too nice. There had to be a catch. Offering to make food he's used to? Helping him while he was throwing up? Giving him a place to stay in? What was the catch?
"It's the food" He breathed out finally. "The-the soup specifically."
"Oh. Well, I-"
"It reminds me of him."
"Him...?"
"My-my un-Belos," Hunter whispered out. "He-"
He felt sick again. The image of his uncle is clear on the wall. "I can't-" His breathing began to pick up.
"Hey hey, bey it's alright..." was all she said. Camila frowned. "Deep breaths remember?"
Hunter nodded at that, taking breaths himself in hopes to calm himself down. It was embarrassing. He can't break with her here.
"Can you stand?" Camila asked quietly.
"I got it." Hunter nodded, attempting to stand on his own, but his legs betrayed him, and he felt himself falling to the ground again.
"Woah!" Hands quickly grabbed his arms, lifting him again. "I got you." Camila said, adjusting her hold on Hunter as she moved him out of the bathroom. His bird followed him as well worriedly, and Camila only smiled at the gesture.
They made it to the living room, sitting down on the couch, Hunter laying his head back on the couch sighing. He felt horrible. Flapjack, immediately flew to his hair, making a nest in it, and began to preen his hair.
"Now, I would offer food, but we need your stomach to go down for a few minutes okay?" Camila hummed.
"Yeah..." Hunter frowned, he looked down at his hand, grabbing it with his other as he tried to stop the shaking. Nope. He was fine. Even after throwing up. He was fine. Why should he be crying even? He didn't deserve it. Gus lost his dad, Willow lost her dads, Amity lost her whole family! And Luz lost Eda and King. What did Hunter lose? An abusive uncle A man who he should be glad is dead-
"Hunter?"
The voice snapped into his mind and he shot up, wide-eyed.
"Hey" Camila smiled weakly at him. "You know...You are allowed to process all of this..."
"What?" Hunter swallowed.
No no. Shut up. Just shut up. Please shut up.
"All of this...him..." She said moving to place a hand on Hunter's shoulder. He flinched but didn't pull away. He just stared wide-eyed at the women. "He was your family, no matter how horrible he was you can still grieve. I..don't know what happened, but I can tell he wasn't good to you."
Hunter looked away, taking a shaky breath. "I just- I know he wasn't good to me. He was horrible to me. But I just-" He stammered, Flapjack being the only thing that stopped him from spirling. "He hurt me. I've accepted that." Hunter gritted his teeth and balled his fists. "I mean he tried to kill me anyway. So that kinda proves it."
Camila frowned, shaking her head. It was good this Belos was dead. Cause she would make sure to kill him ten times worse than he originally died. "Hunter. I am so sorry" She frowned watching as the boy tried oh so hard to hold himself together.
"Why are you apologizing?" He laughed weakly. "You didn't do anything."
"Neither did you," Camila spoke. "You're uncle hurt you. But he raised you as well. He was still your family and you are allowed to mourn him."
"I'm not his family," Hunter whispered, quickly wiping tears away. "I never was his family in the first place. He just-I'm not even real so why should it matter?" He sniffed, fighting back tears. "I'm not real. So." He laughed looking back down at his shaking hands. "I'm just some clone my- that Belos made to do his bidding. I was made to serve him. I shouldn't be feeling sad he's gone."
Why was he talking? Why was he telling her this?? He needed to shut up. She would hate him now. She gonna hate him she-
It broke Camila's heart. Here was this child. A child Luz's age, fighting back from himself as he spilled secrets he probably hasn't told anyone before. A clone. There wasn't a word in any langue that could describe Belos. But words didn't need to describe what she wanted to do to that man if she ever saw him again.
But first. She needed to help Hunter.
"Can I see your hands?"
"Wh-what?" He swallowed terrifyingly shooting up again.
"Your hands...can I see them?" She asked again, watching as Hunter stared blankly at his gloves.
"I...Okay...?"
Camila slowly took the gloves off, setting them next to her, gently holding Hunter's hands. Scars littered his hands. Ranging from small to big, wide to narrow. Burns scattered around as well, from mild to horrible burns. It hurt her. No child should ever have suffered this. "I don't see a monster anywhere" she smiled softly. "Can you feel that?" She squeezed gently.
Hunter nodded, as tears started to drip down his cheeks, no matter how much he tried to hide them. "That means you're real." She smiled, "And I'm a veterinarian. I can assure you, you don't look like any animal. So we can check that off the list" Camila chuckled. Gently tracing his palms. "I don't see any monster at all. Or any indication you aren't real. And Hunter. I can-"
Camila was cut off by quiet sobs, and looking up it was revealed that Hunter had been crying, quiet tears dripped down his face, no matter how much he tried to scrunch his face up, shrink away. They shine in the moonlight.
"Oh...Hunter" she frowned, letting go of his hands, and moved to hug the boy tightly. "It's okay. You're safe here. You're gonna be okay."
It was like that when a switch flipped in Hunter. All those years of walls being built higher and higher, all those years of practicing a cold face in the mirror. Days after days of learning how to cry with not a sound escaping him, it all just stopped. Like a dam crashing into him, he broke. Hunter started to wail uncontrollably at that burring his face in Camila's shirt as she only pulled him closer. It all felt overwhelming. The rush of emotions ran through his body as Camila hugged him. It was a new feeling for Hunter. And Titan he loved it.
He continued to sob into the mother, the only thing muffling his cries was her shirt. A part of him expected a hit to happen any moment. An echo of a voice tells him that "boys don't cry" and "The Titan isn't pleased with this Hunter."
But it never came.
The only thing that did come however was a gentle hand on his back, a familiar chirping sound to his left ear, and a hand that coursed through his hair, and it was oh so comforting.
The cries lingered until they didn't, and his breathing slowed down. Everything felt overwhelming, but this time it was in a good way. It felt all so new to Hunter, that once after his tears had long dried, the Golden Guard, the grimwalker Hunter took a new risk, and let his body relax in Camila, the soft chirps of Flapjack, singing to him as a lullaby lured him more into sleep.
He accepted it.
Camila continued to comfort the boy, even after he had stopped crying and his body went limp.
"Hunter?" She whispered after a few minutes, pulling away carefully and watching as he slumped forwards, his breathing rhythmically.
Hunter was asleep. Which was a good sign. He needed the sleep. She carefully lifted the boy up like in her arms an injured animal, smiling softly as the cardinal moved to fly on his chest. It was rather sweet.
Moving to stand up from the couch she noticed a head quickly darting behind a corner, and soft footsteps running up the stairs. (She would need to talk to Luz after this.) Slowly walking up the stairs as well she gently pushed open the room, Minding the pile of teens on the floor, Camilla laid Hunter carefully down on the mattress again. The youngest boy, as if he were awake (Who could tell) immediately rolled over, latching onto Hunter's arm as if he didn't want Hunter to leave again. It was a nice sight.
"Is he okay mami...?" A voice whispered out from the lower bunk. Camila turned her attention to see Luz sitting up, her girlfriend asleep next to her.
"Yes, Mija" she smiled at her daughter "Are you okay?"
Luz's face faltered at that but nodded. "Yeah...Yeah. I'm okay. Just tired.."
"Get some sleep okay?" Camila smiled "And if you can't, you can always come to me. Okay?"
"I know mami" Luz smiled "Thank you. For letting all my friends stay here."
"Of course." Camila hummed. "Get some sleep, it's late.”
Luz nodded at that, moving to stay down again and wrapped herself close to her girlfriend, hoping this time maybe, with everyone safe she could drift off into sleep.
Camila watched that, smiling to herself. She had sent Luz away to summer camp in hopes to find friends, and here she was, five months later, returning from a demon realm with three new friends and a girlfriend. Slowly moving out of the room again, she watched from the door, just to make sure everyone was asleep this time before closing it. Camila made her way back to her room and closed her door. Taking a deep breath, she finally wept. The dam that broke for Hunter, had finally broken for her for these kids.