Part two, as was requested~
You knew the air in the Boiling Isles had felt different from home when you first arrived, but it had been so long since you'd gotten there, you'd forgotten why.
The air in the human realm felt lighter in your lungs, like it didn't take as much effort to breathe. You had chocked it up to the anxiety you felt when you found yourself somewhere unfamiliar, but you still noticed the difference through your tension.
King had forced you all through the door and stayed behind, and everyone you cared about was there with him.
With no way to get back, Luz had led you through the rain to her home, and her mother handled the situation as gracefully as she could. One by one you had all gotten dried off and into new clothes, and everyone split up to take time to themselves to try to process what had happened.
The weather hadn't changed, and you didn't think it would anytime soon.
You were human, and part of you should have felt some relief at returning home after being gone for so long, but all you could think about was the kindness that had been shown to you by complete strangers who you now held close to your heart. They had housed you, fed you, educated you, and had done everything in their power to keep you safe.
The more you thought about it, the more your chest hurt.
You stood from your spot in the living room, walking...
Nowhere inside sounded appealing.
You found the back door in no time at all. You could hear the rain hitting the canopy before you even opened it, so you knew it would be safe to sit outside for just a minute to get some fresh air.
You didn't know you weren't the first to have that same idea.
You blinked at Hunter's wide-eyed look as you stepped outside, his shoulders tense as if he had just been caught doing something he shouldn't.
When he realized it was you, his face and the tips of his ears turned red.
"Hi." He greeted awkwardly.
You felt your own face beginning to heat up. The two of you hadn't had a chance to discuss anything since the airship, what with the world falling apart. You told yourself you'd bring it up when things finally calmed down.
It felt entirely inappropriate now.
"Hi." You said back, trying not to show how nervous you suddenly felt. "Room for one more?"
He didn't say anything, instead stiffly scooting over to give you room on the top step next to him. You did just that, turning your attention to the rain directly in front of you.
You had hoped the air outside would give you some relief, but the atmosphere was just as depressing, and you felt no different.
"Did you know I was out here?"
His question surprised you.
"No, I just didn't feel comfortable inside anymore. Sitting still doesn't feel right."
You should be doing something, anything to find your way back to help.
But where could you even start?
You looked at him out of the corner of your eye. He looked so out of place in the human clothes Camila had scrounged up for him, but part of you thought that was due to you always seeing him in something resembling a uniform. You had never seen him wearing casual clothes, and you never imagined you'd ever see him wearing a hoodie of all things, but here he was, going against your expectations.
You could still feel the sense of familiarity, though, in how lost he looked.
His hands, still gloved, were resting on the wooden stairs on either side of him, and he was looking at the ground at the bottom of the porch. Whether it was to avoid looking at you or because he felt too low to look anywhere else, you weren't sure.
"Is it what you thought it would be?"
He blinked and looked at you, confused.
You motioned to the dismal view in front of you. "The human realm. Is it what you imagined it would be?" You clarified.
Hunter didn't answer right away, thinking over his answer.
"Belos told me about the trees, and said the nights were quiet. He said the rain didn't boil, either." He replied, tilting his head up to look at the sky. "So far it seems like it was true."
You nodded, looking out at the thick band of trees not far from you.
"He told me a lot of things that weren't, though."
You had been there when Hunter had learned about being a Grimwalker, and even though you didn't necessarily know what that was, you knew it upended his entire life and everything he knew about the world and himself. You hadn't seen him for over a week, and you would be surprised if he hadn't experienced some sort of identity crisis in that time.
It was another reason you wanted so badly to keep him out of Belos' clutches when you thought he'd been captured.
You wished you could tell him something that would put him at ease, but you weren't sure what to say. He'd told you and Luz once that everything had been laid out for him and he knew his place, and you remember feeling pity for him in that moment. You couldn't imagine not being able to figure yourself out or making your own choices.
A thought occurred to you.
"Did he tell you what your favorite color is?"
Hunter looked even more confused by that question than your first one.
"I-- No, of course not." He answered.
"Well, what is it? I don't think I ever asked."
He paused, but you waited patiently as you offered him a smile.
Your smile widened knowingly. Anyone with eyes could see how much he cared about Flapjack.
"Did he tell you you like flyer derby?" You continued.
He shook his head. "No. I didn't even tell him about that day."
"Did he tell you how you feel about me?"
His face bloomed with red again and it took a lot of effort for you not to laugh at his clear embarrassment.
"Do you regret not getting those answers from him?"
You nodded again. "Things are calm now, but it's still just as scary as when we were still back there. Not knowing what's happening or how to go back, or if our friends are okay, it's terrifying. But for now, you're somewhere totally new where you don't know how anything works. When Luz and I went through that, we had the time of our lives figuring it out, even though we didn't know if we were always going to be safe."
You looked at him again. "You may not know who you are yet, but that doesn't mean you don't know anything. There are things about you not even Belos knew about, things only you know and can tell other people about."
You held out your hand to him.
"I don't regret learning about you, not even the parts you might wish I didn't know about. And I'm excited for you to tell me more about who Hunter is."
He visibly swallowed before taking your hand and allowing you to pull him to his feet. You didn't let go of his hand and continued to smile at him.
He nodded, gently squeezing your hand as he looked down at it. "Yeah. I can do that."
You squeezed back. "Good."
You noticed the draw strings of his hoodie were uneven, so you reached up to pull the shorter end to straighten it out.
"So, what kind of things does Hunter like?"
You were surprised when he grabbed that hand, too, looking straight at you with the confidence you remember from the first time you saw his face.
