#director fugue

[hold-your-applause]

I never was the type to fall for Slytherin boys

And yet...

Warning: Spoilers for Hogwarts Legacy

Vulnerable

Many things had changed in the few short months Ominis had been back at Hogwarts, and while he had initially found them to be overwhelming, enough time had passed to allow him to grow accustomed to them.

Somehow, you were not one of them.

That wasn't entirely true. When you had first appeared in his life, it had all felt rushed, what with his dear friend Sebastian spilling one secret after the next to you in his attempt to rope you into his search for a cure for Anne. At first Ominis had felt almost betrayed when he discovered you coming out of the Undercroft, despite your attempts to defend Sebastian by lying and saying you had found it all on your own.

He had responded harshly to you, and it was something he would quickly come to regret.

He wasn't one to partake in frivolous gossip, but his lack of sight either blessed or cursed him with excellent hearing, depending on how one chose to look at it. It didn't take long for news to spread of you helping anyone who so much as sighed within earshot of you. You had become hard to locate most days; if you weren't attending classes, you were off running errands in Hogsmeade or rushing around the Highlands doing... whatever it was you got up to in the little spare time you seemed to have.

He shouldn't have been surprised when you approached him to speak about the Scriptorium on Sebastian's behalf, and in truth, part of him wasn't. What did surprise him was how easily you quelled his anxiety over entering such a place.

It was even more shocking how you had gotten him to speak Parseltongue after so many years.

After the three of you had ended up trapped just as poor Noctua had, he could no longer pretend he could not understand why people got so attached to you so quickly. You had taken in the hand you were dealt, and you considered every angle before making the decision to allow Sebastian to cast the Cruciatus Curse on you. You took it in stride despite their concerns, and it wasn't much later that you would admit to him that you had partially made your choice because you thought it would easier for him to listen to your cries over Sebastian's.

If anyone were to ask him now, he would say that you had been wrong.

He could feel himself losing Sebastian with each day that passed. The boy wasn't as sly as he believed he was, and Ominis caught the two of you with an item that would only spell trouble.

If he hadn't been so furious, he would have been touched to hear your attempts at getting Sebastian to include him.

But he was distraught; the idea of losing the only good thing he had away from home, the only person he trusted with his darkest secrets and his scars and his baggage was becoming a reality, and there was nothing he could think of to stop it.

And yet, with nothing to gain for yourself that he could tell, you had offered a solution. A means to protect what was left of his relationship with Sebastian with the hopes of being able to salvage it once the dust had settled.

And he let you.

He tried to convince himself it was because he was desperate at the time, but he could not ignore the obvious truth once he had found his way back to the castle: you always knew what people needed to hear.

But it wasn't just that. You were so painfully genuine with your eagerness to help, to support, to fix, that you made it impossible to not trust you. Your intentions weren't just worn on your sleeves; it was imbued in every word, every touch, every move that came from you.

If he didn't already witness it for himself, he would have thought you were incapable of lying.

But you didn't need to. Somehow, your brazen honesty didn't work as a detriment to you. Instead, it was its own armor that protected you from the worst of the world, allowing not just you to be open and trusting, but the people around you as well.

He was no different.

There was still much he didn't know about you. You never spoke about your life before Hogwarts, and while he couldn't be sure, he didn't get the sense that your life had been anywhere as miserable as his. He wondered if maybe that was what allowed you to do as you pleased, so unafraid of what harm may come to you. While he was so guarded and afraid to engage with most people, you were the complete opposite; something that would normally irritate him.

Yet here he was, sitting with you in the safety of the Undercroft, attempting to study while he did his best to ignore the warmth of your head resting on his shoulder, your steady breathing telling him you were fast asleep.

This was a brand new development. One he was not prepared for.

He had told you of his sins, of the crimes he had committed in his past that he planned to spend the rest of his time atoning for. The pain he inflicted on people undeserving of it was something he knew he could never take back, but he also found himself unable to forgive himself for it. While it wasn't your place to forgive him, you hadn't so much as flinched at the confession, instead trying to assure him that the fault wasn't his.

Sebastian had said the same thing countless times, but he was surprised to find how desperately he wanted to believe it when you had spoken it instead.

Damn you for making it seem so easy.

The year had been full of surprises for him so far, things that normally would have left him reeling, distressed. Things that would make him feel exposed.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was just how okay you made him feel about it.

[hold-your-applause]

Hi! I love your work, i was wondering if i could request a childhood friend! reader with akira from persona 5? they're visiting him in the city while he's on probation

Thank you for your patience, my love

Spontaneous

The man at the counter had told you it was alright to head up the stairs at the back of the café, but he didn't mention that there would be a group of people waiting for you when you got to the top of them.

The sudden silence had stopped you in your tracks. You weren't prepared for so many extra eyes to be on you, suddenly feeling like you had walked in on something much more intimate than you could probably imagine.

You had been in Shibuya for only an hour and you had already overstepped somehow.

You swallowed the lump in your throat, nobody else showing any intention of breaking the silence.

"Surprise..?"

All eyes were suddenly off you as they shifted to the person you came all this way to see in the first place. He was still staring at you, clearly still in shock at your sudden arrival in his room.

The cat sitting on the table meowed rather loudly, snapping your friend out of his stupor.

You couldn't hide your smile at the sound of your name slipping past his lips.

"Hi, Ren."

None of the other people in the room spoke a word as he rose from his seat, stepping away from it to approach you slowly.

"What are you doing in Shibuya?"

You only smiled wider.

"It's summer break! I thought I'd surprise you by coming in to visit you. I was thinking you might be feeling a bit homesick, so I wanted to check on you." You explained, watching him finally stop moving when he was standing right in front of you.

It had only been a few months, but you could have sworn he had grown taller since the last time you saw him.

The look on his face could only be explained as one of wonder, though you didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

It made you nervous, so you continued on.

"Besides, you haven't missed a single one of my birthdays, and I didn't think you'd want to start now." You said quietly.

You saw recognition cross his face, but it was gone just as quickly as it came.

You peeked around his frame to eye the group of teenagers watching the two of you. "But it seems like I'm interrupting something important, so I can just go back downstairs until you're finished here." You said, looking back up at him. "Unless you'd like to introduce me to everyone?"

His head whipped around to look at them for only a brief moment before he was looking at you again, suddenly grabbing your shoulders and turning you completely around to face the stairs.

"They're nobody."

"Huh?" You blinked, squeaking when he suddenly started pushing you towards the stairs. "Nobody? But--"

"That's right."

"They're in your room--"

"Lost tourists."

"Wh-- For real?!" You heard one of the boys shout from behind you. "Who's gonna believe--"

"Ren, stop pushing, I'm going to trip down the stairs!" You griped as he kept pushing you forward, doing your best not to slip as you grabbed hold of the railing. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to show you around." He reached for his bag that was on the table by the stairs, quickly leading you downstairs.

You frowned. Why was he being so pushy about getting you away from his friends? Did he not want to see you as much as you wanted to see him? You had been inseparable since before either of you could walk. Why was he suddenly so eager to rush you away like this?

Were you... embarrassing him somehow?

"We're going to be out until closing."

You blinked, not realizing he had moved you halfway across the café floor by now.

"Just don't cause any trouble." The man from before replied, offering you a short wave before you were suddenly out the door, the bustling of the people walking down the street hitting your ears.

You frowned again as you watched him sling his bag over his shoulder. "Are you mad at me?" You asked him.

He shook his head, motioning in the direction he wanted you two to walk, and despite your sunken mood, you walked beside him. "No, of course not. Why would you think that?"

That couldn't be a serious question, could it?

"What was all that back there?" You crossed your arms, ignoring the yowling of the cat that had followed you both out of the café. "You had guests, Ren, I'm not stupid. Why didn't you want me to meet them?"

This was never something that had been an issue before.

He seemed less than concerned as you two continued your walk to, you assumed, the station. "It's not that I don't want you to meet them." He said.

"Then why were you in such a hurry to get me out of there?"

He looked at you as if the answer should have been obvious.

"Because you're here."

You shook your head, confused. "So?"

He reached over, draping his arm over your shoulder to pull you in close to his side as you both continued walking, his breath on your ear.

"So nothing else in the world matters."

[hold-your-applause]

Engulf

You had seen the dark clouds in the sky as soon as you had stepped out of the Three Broomsticks, and you knew there was some danger of getting caught by the upcoming rain, but you had foolishly convinced yourself that you didn't need to use the Floo network to get back to the castle. You were certain you could make it back in time, even if it would be a close call. And you had almost been right.

Your hopes were dashed, though, when the main archway to courtyard came into view. You fooled yourself into thinking you had made it, that you would stay dry, but no sooner had the thought entered your mind did the boom of thunder quickly remind you of your hubris, and before you could blink, you were slammed with what felt like a blanket of rain as it started to come down very quickly. You hadn't even had time to take another step, instead, just electing to stand still, allowing yourself to be pummeled by the raindrops. You smiled to yourself, shaking your head before tilting it back to allow the water to hit your face.

Leave it to nature to put you in your place.

You closed your eyes, deciding to just enjoy the cool rain for a moment. You were always so busy with studying, fighting poachers, and running errands for people that you never got a chance to just experience things for what they were.

When was the last time you allowed yourself to get wet like this, anyway?

You could almost hear the whispers that were inevitable once you planned to step inside the castle, anyway. They'd been constant since your arrival at Hogwarts, silly rumors and mostly harmless gossip that people thought you couldn't hear. You had learned to tune it out most of the time, but sometimes you needed a break from it.

Just for a moment.

You were brought out of your thoughts when you suddenly noticed the water was no longer hitting you, and just as suddenly wrapped in warmth and pulled into something firm. You opened your eyes and looked up to see a familiar mop of red hair and a kind grin looking back down at you.

"I can appreciate a good daydream, but I think it's best for both of us if we get inside before we catch our death out here, don't you think?"

Garreth had come out of seemingly nowhere, though you probably weren't hard to sneak up on, having let your defenses down for the first time since... You couldn't be sure. Not that you ever felt unsafe around the Gryffindor boy; on the contrary, you two were good friends, and he was always a welcome interruption on the days things just didn't seem to be going right. Even now, he had opened his robe to both wrap it around you and hold it above your head so you could be protected from the rain.

You couldn't stop yourself from grinning, and you moved closer to him so he wouldn't have to hold his arm out so far to keep you shielded. "When you're right, you're right." You replied, starting to walk with him towards the archway, and when another crack of lightning sounded, you both made a mad dash for it, spurred on by the sudden loud noise.

You two had made it in no time, and you leaned against the wall, giving yourself a breather after getting out of the cold rain. You two could Floo your way in from here, which was a relief, but you needed to take a moment to try to warm up a little before you thought about moving again. The cold was starting to seep into your bones, and your hands were beginning to shake a little.

"Well, that's the last time I take chances like that with the weather." You heard Garreth say, which caused you to look in his direction.

He was stood about two feet away from you, his hair falling into his face and almost covering his eyes as it dripped, making him push it out of his face, but he was still wearing that familiar smile of his as he looked back at you. His robes were soaked through just the same as yours, but he seemed to be handling the cold better than you were.

You felt yourself smiling at him despite the state you two were in, realizing just how ridiculous you both must look. "Do I even want to know what you were up to that got you caught in the rain?" You asked him.

His grin only grew wider at your question. "Shenanigans, what else?"

You laughed, and you shook your head at him. You reached out and lightly pushed his shoulder, your eyes darting over his face to take him in. There were torches on the wall of the archway, and the lighting seemed to hit him at just the right angle, allowing you to see the curve of his jaw. His eyes were off yours for a moment as they surveyed the weather, and as he tried to shake the excess water off his robes, you caught a glimpse of his uniform. He had forgone the suit jacket, instead wearing the customary white dress shirt and red vest.

You didn't know if the rain causing it to stick to his skin was the reason you felt a sudden wave of heat on your face, but you definitely noticed the shift in yourself either way.

"Looks like it isn't going to let up anytime soon." He commented, and your eyes darted back up to his face so you wouldn't get caught looking elsewhere. He reached into his robes and stepped closer to you, smiling almost sheepishly. "I don't have a lot of experience with it, but I know the Hot Air Charm." He said. "I can get us dry."

You didn't answer him right away, your eyes looking him over again. You couldn't remember the last time you had spent time with Garreth, especially alone. Even though you always knew you had enjoyed his company over anyone else's, you had never given yourself permission to just enjoy it, instead opting to be helpful and filling all your time with productive things. And he was right, it would be better for the two of you to get dry before either of you risked getting sick.

But that's not what you wanted. What you needed.

Instead, you wordlessly pushed yourself off the wall, and before he could make a sound, your arms slid around his middle and you held onto him. Even though both of you were drenched, you could feel the heat of his body seeping through the chill, and when his arms came around you and pulled you closer, your mind completely shut off, allowing you to enjoy the embrace and the quiet.

You really should stop to enjoy the rain more often.

[hold-your-applause]

Can I request for a human!fem!reader who is friends with the owl house fam and has serious big sister energy but takes no shit and will throw hands w anyone who threatens her fam. But turns soft and real affectionate when she actually interacts w Hunter (when he's not in Golden Guard mentality)

I just wanted to say I really love your work and hope you continue. Your writing is really good!!!

My dear, I thank you for the praise. I apologize for the delay, but I would be more than happy to grant your wish.

Whiplash

It had seemed like only yesterday that Hunter had learned the truth about Belos and his entire world had been turned upside down. It wasn't accurate to say that he never knew fear before that night; it was more like he finally learned what true terror felt like. He knew he was taking a risk defecting, but if he could manage to stay hidden, he was safer than within his uncle's grasp.

That all changed when he helped the students of Hexside get rid of Coven Head Adrian Graye Vernworth.

Despite sharing what he knew with everyone to allow them to prepare for the Day of Unity, he refused to tell anyone what he discovered about his own identity. Gus and Willow accepted him as they currently knew him, but would that change if they learned the truth?

He couldn't be sure.

It had taken a lot of effort on his part to calm himself over the idea of them discovering who-- or what-- he really was, but he had managed to do it.

Only for his anxiety to spike again when they told him the humans were on their way.

Luz wasn't anything to worry about. The night everything happened, he recalled Luz wanting to offer a helping hand to him, but he was so frenzied that all he could do was run out the door.

You were a completely different story.

He'd met you a handful of times as the Golden Guard, and each one had been as unpleasant as the last. The first meeting had perhaps been the roughest, given he had captured your friend King and was holding him hostage in order to compel you to do his bidding.

The fight that ensued had him very worried that you would knock his head clean off his shoulders, and you didn't even need magic to do it.

Every meeting after that had shown you to be just as vicious, and he wasn't sure if that was your default state or if it was reserved for him personally, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't afraid to find out.

He felt his stomach churn as he watched you and Luz reunite with Gus and Willow, standing off to the side as he gathered his courage for the exchange he knew was coming.

Your eyes were on him before he had a chance to open his mouth, and he almost stopped in his tracks when you moved towards him. He flinched when he saw your arm move towards his face, closing his eyes to wait for the impact.

He yelped in surprise when he felt two gentle hands on his cheeks instead, his eyes snapping right back open to see your wide eyes staring straight into his.

"I can't believe you're okay!"

His mind was blank as you moved his head, looking him over.

"I was so worried about you. We thought they found you."

His mouth was dry, and when you threw your arms around him to embrace him, he felt his entire body begin to overheat.

For some reason, in that moment, he was suddenly very aware of the fact that you were a girl.

Where were his hands supposed to go?

It didn't matter, because you pulled away a moment later to look at him again. Your eyes held sympathy and your voice was soft.

"How are you feeling?"

He was so used to you shouting at him, he couldn't think of anything to say.

What was happening?

He finally coughed in response, his eyes still wide as he stared at you.

"F-Fine."

He mentally kicked himself at the way his voice cracked.

He didn't know why, but the relieved smile that spread across your face made his pulse quicken.

"I'm so glad. We tried to find you after--"

His sudden and loud, nervous laughter cut you off. "After finding out Belos is evil? Don't worry, I'm A-Okay!" He almost shouted, feeling a quick wave of relief wash over him when Gus reached over to do their own special fist bump.

You blinked, and when his eyes looked at you again, he silently begged you not to say a word. Luck was on his side, because he saw the recognition on your face before you nodded and closed your mouth.

As Gus turned his attention away from the two of you to speak with Luz, Hunter lowered his voice to keep him and Willow from overhearing.

"I haven't told them about--"

"You don't need to explain. That's your secret to tell, not ours. They won't hear it from us."

He let out a breath and nodded. As reassuring as those words were, it did nothing for his nerves.

He was still terrified of you, but in a completely new way.

[hold-your-applause]

Another Hunter X Reader? you can come up with it your writing is so good omfg

You're so sweet, my dear. As you wish~

Amnesty

You'd started your day worried about Luz, who had suddenly gone off the radar and most likely into hiding.

By lunch, you had learned why.

Everything happened so quickly you hadn't had a chance to properly process it all. The Emperor's Coven had attempted to trick the students at Hexside into giving them brands, something that was thankfully thwarted by Gus. You'd spent the rest of the afternoon pushing back against the Illusion Coven Head, Adrian Graye Vernworth.

Thanks to the help of the former Golden Guard, Hunter.

The same boy who had previously attempted to force you to join a Coven against your will not that long ago.

It had quickly become obvious to you that his defection and Luz's disappearance were connected, even before he started dumping all the information he knew about what to expect in the near future. You could sense he wasn't telling the entire story, but you figured anything he hadn't mentioned wasn't necessary and you chose to let the matter go.

That's how you currently found yourself walking into the Paranormatorium with a fresh set of clothes.

He had clearly been in hiding for some time himself, and he desperately needed to clean himself up, but you didn't think having him change into his current grungy outfit would do him much good.

After all the help he'd provided today, it was the least you could do.

He was off in one of the wings when you stepped inside, busying himself with tidying up where you assume he'd been hiding. His back was to you and he didn't make any move indicating he knew you were there.

"Hunter?"

The way he jumped nearly a foot in the air told you your assumption was correct.

He whipped around to look at you, eyes as big as dinner plates as he hurriedly kicked something out of view, ignoring the sound of crinkling bags and clinking cans that followed.

"Am I interrupting?" You asked.

"N-No! Of course not."

His fists were clenched tightly at his sides and he stood as stiff as a rod, but sure, you definitely felt welcome.

You tried to ignore his terrified body language as you climbed onto the stage, holding up the clothes to show him.

"I figured you'd want something clean to change into, so I brought you these..."

He didn't answer you right away, so you thought maybe he didn't hear you, but when you opened your mouth to repeat yourself, he beat you to the punch.

"You didn't have to do that."

Quite the punch, indeed.

You hid your wince as you held them out to him, watching him hesitate before reaching out to take them from you, the tips of his gloved fingers brushing against yours for a brief moment.

"I wanted to."

He looked at the garments in his hands, studying them in silence for a moment. With his eyes off you, you somehow felt more exposed than when he was looking at you.

The awkwardness was palpable, and you weren't sure how to cut through it.

You took a step back when he continued not to say anything.

"Why?"

You stopped, surprised at how quiet the question was.

"Why what?"

His grip on the clothes tightened slightly.

"Why would you be this nice to me after the way I treated you?"

You frowned. "Do you mean after the flyer derby game?"

He didn't have to look at you for you to know that was it.

You tilted your head, slowly stepping closer as to not scare him. You felt like you were in the presence of a frightened animal and anything could send him running.

"You still feel guilty about that?" You asked him.

"Of course I do. I was no different than Graye back then, the only difference was I had you locked in a cage first. And I never even apologized for it."

You heard some fluttering before his Palisman flitted over to rest on his shoulder, and if you didn't know any better, it gave you a look as ashamed as Hunter probably felt.

It was easy to see that he had been put through many wringers lately, a few of them probably self-inflicted.

"Well... No. You didn't apologize." You moved a bit closer. "You only found the airship we were on, distracted that Coven Head long enough to let us escape, and stopped him from taking us in when he caught up to us."

His eyes darted to your hand that was now reaching for his arm, his body tensing and making you stop. He stared, but he didn't move away from you, even when your fingers gently made contact with the skin of his bare arm.

"You did do something similar to what Graye did today. But you also tried to make things right, which is more than we can say for him. And it tells me everything I need to know about you."

He was looking at your face now, looking unsure.

"You don't need to apologize to me, Hunter. I forgave you a long time ago."

His muscles slowly unclenched and he swallowed, nodding as his cheeks and the tips of his ears turned a bit pink.

"But..."

He blinked, looking almost scared again.

You bit your lip before continuing.

"It was very sweet of you to worry about it."

You held your breath as you leaned in, gently pressing your lips to his cheek, careful not to bump against his Palisman. You stayed for only a moment before pulling away, seeing the stunned look on his face.

"I'll leave you alone so you can finish cleaning up."

You stepped away, heading off the stage and looking over your shoulder at him.

"Thanks for coming to our rescue again, Hunter."

You headed for the door, smiling to yourself when you heard excited chirping behind you.

[hold-your-applause]

Part two, as was requested~

Renewal

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?

"I know what you mean."

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.

You shifted to face him.

"Is it what you thought it would be?"

He blinked and looked at you, confused.

"What?"

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 winced.

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.

"It-It's red."

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."

You nodded.

"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.

"N... No."

"Do you regret not getting those answers from him?"

He hesitated.

"No... No, I don't."

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.

"Think you can do that?"

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.

"He likes you."

[hold-your-applause]

Warning: Non-Consensual Drugging

Palpitations

You had never seen a purple cookie before, but you weren't one to turn down free food, especially not when it was offered to you by the Royal Guard. Even though you didn't feel like eating, you appreciated Stan's attempt at cheering you up and decided that perhaps something sweet could at least help you feel a little more at ease with your current situation.

The black rocks had made your home uninhabitable, forcing you to flee with your family. The entire village had become overrun with them, so you saw the familiar faces of your neighbors around the kingdom as your parents attempted to get an audience with the King. You'd elected to try to distract yourself by taking a walk through the streets, not wanting to think about the state your home was in any more than you had to. The rocks seemed to have a mind of their own, destroying anything in their path.

You shook off the thought of what they would do to a person.

You forced yourself to take a bite of the cookie to avoid imagining it happening to one specific person.

You hoped Varian was okay.

The last you'd heard of him, the King had said that the boy in question had attacked Princess Rapunzel, and was now considered wanted by the kingdom. You couldn't believe it when you first heard it; that was completely unlike him. He and Rapunzel were friends, he had told you himself multiple times. He was also totally harmless, not counting the accidents he caused when his projects went differently than he'd planned.

Varian didn't have a mean bone in his body.

You were so lost in your thoughts that you hadn't even noticed that you'd wandered down an empty alley. Not that you minded, the chattering of the other citizens would probably frustrate you given your current emotional state.

You chose to sit on a crate for the time being, your legs suddenly feeling too tired to carry the weight on your mind.

So much for distracting yourself.

You sighed and closed your eyes, leaning back enough to rest your head on the wall of the building behind you. The hand that held the half-eaten cookie chose to rest in your lap as you tried to decide whether you wanted to keep eating it or just toss it.

"Psst."

You blinked and looked up, unsure of where the sound came from. You looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary; you were still alone.

Except, clearly, you weren't.

You cautiously leaned forward, slowly moving your way off the crate.

"Who's there?"

At first, you didn't get an answer, and there was no other sound save your own breathing. But after a moment, you heard shuffling, and something moved from behind a barrel that wasn't too far from you.

You couldn't believe what you were seeing.

"Varian?"

He dusted his apron off, standing up straight just in time to catch you when you threw your arms around his shoulders. You heard him yelp in your ear as he tried to keep you both upright, stepping back in surprise. Thankfully, he was successful, and you both stayed on your feet as his arms awkwardly wrapped around your middle.

You remembered yourself and quickly pulled away, your hands on his shoulders. He looked back at you, his eyes wide as his face flushed with color.

"It's really you! Do you have any idea how worried I've been about you?" You asked, eyes darting over his face to assess him.

He recovered and smiled almost sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry, I had no other choice. I'm kind of, you know..."

Wanted.

You winced, shaking your head. "You could get in trouble if you're caught. Why would you risk coming here?" You questioned, letting your hands drop from his shoulders.

But he didn't let them get far, catching them before they could fall to your sides. "I can't give too many details, but there's something I need from Rapunzel. She may be the only one that can help me. But..."

He trailed off, taking a deep breath before stepping closer. "I was also hoping I'd get to see you."

Your heart skipped a beat at the admission and your head felt light. Did he mean it the way you hoped he did?

Your question was quickly answered when he looked down at your joined hands nervously. "Did you miss me like I missed you?"

"Yes."

You pulled a hand out of his grasp to clap over your mouth in shock, your face heating up in disbelief. You couldn't believe how quickly it came out of your mouth.

The hopeful look on his face curbed your uneasiness, though. "Really?" He asked, gently squeezing the hand still in his grasp.

You nodded, clearing your throat. "I couldn't stop thinking about you. I had no idea if you were okay, and when they told us what happened, I had a hard time believing it could be true."

Varian shook his head. "It's not true. That's not what happened. That's why I need to talk to Rapunzel, to get this all figured out." He said. "Do you have any idea where she might be?"

Your mind faltered as you tried to remember if you had heard anything about Rapunzel when you were still in the castle, but your mouth, once again, moved on its own.

"She got in an argument with her father and went for a walk."

Your brow furrowed. You didn't even know you remembered overhearing that. How were you able to relay that so quickly?

Should you have even admitted something like that in the first place?

"What were they arguing about?" He asked.

"Something about rocks."

You began to feel nervous. It was unlike you to let your mouth run faster than your mind, yet you couldn't seem to get yourself to stop and think before speaking. This was something totally new to you, and it felt unnatural.

"So she's not in the castle? Where do you think she went?"

When did Varian get so pushy?

You willed your lips to stay closed, stopping short of biting down on them to keep them still, but it proved fruitless.

"Probably wandering around here somewhere, too."

Why wasn't your body listening to you?

He nodded, giving your hand another squeeze. "Then I should go find her while I still have the chance. Do you think I can see you again later?"

"Of course."

He finally let go of your hand, taking a step away from you.

Crunch.

He blinked and looked down, looking at whatever it was he had stepped on.

"A cookie?"

You blinked, looking down yourself. Sure enough, the purple cookie sat in pieces just under where his foot was now hovering.

"Oh, yeah. Stan gave me that before I left the castle. He was probably trying to cheer me up." You told him.

"Was it good?" He asked.

You nodded. "Yeah, it was. Maybe I'll go grab another one from Monty. Then I can ask what made him decide to make them purple today." You offered him a smile.

"He didn't."

You blinked. "Huh? What do you mean he didn't?" You looked down at the broken cookie again. "If he didn't make it, then who did?"

"Do you trust me?" Varian asked you, making direct eye contact with you, which was very out of character for him.

"To the ends of the earth." You admitted, once again feeling serious discomfort over how quickly you were responding to his questions.

He leaned forward just a bit, gaze unblinking as his tone dropped.

"Then trust me. He didn't." Was all he said.

Your mouth moved to ask him why he was so sure, but seeing the unfamiliar glint in his eye told you the answer, and you broke out in a cold sweat. Your train of thought came to a halt and your heart began stuttering in your chest, but you found yourself unable to move or look away from him.

He finally pulled back, moving past you to make his way out of the alley. "I'll see you later." He assured you, looking over his shoulder at you. "I really missed you."

"I missed you, too."

As honest as the words were, the taste they left behind felt toxic. You heard his footsteps lead him away from you, probably towards Rapunzel and whatever it was he wanted from her.

Your eyes landed back on the broken treat on the ground directly in front of you, trying to fight back the tears beginning to well.

What had you done?

What had he done?

[hold-your-applause]

Rest well, Billy. You will never understand how many hearts you touched

Repose

The silence sat heavily over you, the sudden lack of the sounds of battle almost unsettling you more than the war itself. Just moments ago weapons clashing and soldiers falling were ringing loudly in your ears, but now the world hummed in its absence.

Whatever it was trying to tell you, you weren't ready to listen.

You wiped the sweat from your brow, your eyes darting around to try to process what this quiet meant.

The war was over, and you had won.

Caspar's cheerful yelling was a welcome break in the silence, but when he clapped a congratulatory hand on your shoulder and shook you before darting off to find the rest of your companions, you found your mind racing with only one thought.

Where is he?

With the danger gone, your legs now felt like they were made of lead, the effort to move them much harder than they'd ever been. You resorted to shuffling around, and after a few minutes of moving your body around, you realized just how exhausted you were.

It had been the longest of days.

You were happy to hear Linhardt's complaining about Caspar's volume, glad he was in well enough condition to gripe about anything. You spared them a quick glance, watching poor Linhardt being dragged to his feet to follow Caspar to wherever his heart led them.

Your tired eyes scanned ahead of you again, hearing soldiers assessing each other for wounds or discussing who had fallen, and each moment that passed filled you with more worry when you couldn't seem to find the man you were looking for.

You feared you would find him on the ground instead of on his feet.

What was most likely only a minute more had passed before you saw a familiar cascade of orange hair out of the corner of your eye, relief washing over you.

He was in fact not on his feet, but he was clearly upright and breathing. He and his trusted steed were sat out in the open, him leaning his back against his trusted partner as they both were attempting to catch their breath. You felt your feet lighten as they moved in their direction, bringing you before them.

"Ferdinand."

His head swiveled up ungracefully to look at you, and you had never seen his face looking so worn before. Despite this, his eyes lit up behind their lids when he saw you, a soft smile growing across his lips.

"I'm overjoyed you are alright." He said, shifting so he could stand on his feet. "You are... quite the sight for sore--"

He stumbled then, his legs giving out under him and forcing you to throw your arms out to catch him, his added weight bringing you both to your knees. Your arms were tight around him and you couldn't resist resting your chin on his shoulder.

"Sore what?" You asked cheekily.

He chuckled, his own arms loosely snaking around your middle. Normally he would reserve such public displays for behind closed doors, but you knew this was no ordinary day.

"Sore everything." He replied, giving you a gentle squeeze before pulling away to look at your face. He brought a hand up to cup your jaw, his thumb lightly brushing your cheek. "What about you?"

"I'm afraid to find out how much this is going to ache in the morning." You said, seeing amusement flash in his eyes.

He nodded, letting his hand drop. "I know what you mean. I don't think I have ever felt this spent in my entire life."

You nodded, taking a look around. "I don't think I can get us both standing, and something tells me your legs are done for the day." You said, looking behind him at his horse. "I know Linhardt and Caspar are around here somewhere. I'm sure they'll find us sooner or later. There's no rush to get moving."

"That is good to hear." He said, running his hand over his face. "I think you may be right. I am in no condition to walk."

You helped him lean back against his horse again. "Then we'll rest until then. Just you and me." You let him get comfortable before settling in next to him, taking his hand. You worried his horse would find it to be too much weight, but it seemed unbothered.

"I always imagined this moment to be much more jubilant. That the celebration would be much louder." He allowed himself to rest his head against yours. "Instead, I fear I may fall asleep here."

"Then sleep." You encouraged him, gently nuzzling him. "You've earned it, Ferdie. You fought hard."

He hummed in response, slowly lacing his fingers with yours. "Not without telling you I love you."

You smiled, gently squeezing his hand. "I love you, too."

No other words passed between you, and before long, you heard his breathing slow as he finally dozed off. You closed your eyes, focusing on the feeling of his heartbeat against your arm.

The world could wait.