Heart of gold (𝕘𝕠𝕝𝕕𝕖𝕟 𝕘𝕦𝕒𝕣𝕕 𝕩 𝕗𝕖𝕞𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕣)

22- Empress, impress me.

(A/n: This may or may not be a reference to my very first Hunter fanfiction that I posted and then deleted because it was trash. I might rewrite that actually...)

Today Lilith and Darius wanted to show Hunter and me the new system they came up with for running the boiling isles. They walked us around the castle and showed us the improvements. Darius mainly bragged about how amazing his decor skills were.

"Excuse me if you don't mind me asking..." I started Darius and Lilith looked at me "But why are you showing me this? It's not like I'm going to be Emperor or anything." I laughed a little, Darius and Lilith looked at each other and then at Hunter who started to sweat.

"Hunter you didn't tell her?!" Lilith accused him. Hunter rubbed the back of his neck "It slipped my mind!" I looked between the three confused. "Tell me what?" I asked. Darius sighed, "Hunter said you agreed to be The Empress of the boiling isles alongside him." 

My heart started beating rapidly as I looked at Lilith then Darius then Hunter who was now sweating and avoiding eye contact. "Darling, can I talk to you in private?" I said trying not to lose my cool. Hunter looked even more nervous as he nodded and we walked out of the room. 

As soon as the doors shut I started talking. "In what world would you think I would know how to run an entire kingdom!!!" Hunter shrugged. "I don't either! We will learn together. I'm only interested in a life that has you with me. If that means not being emperor, then so be it. So if you don't wanna do this then I won't make you." He said in a serious tone. I sighed "You'll help me learn?" He nodded excitedly. "And I can wear cool Empress clothes?" Hunter started to nod then looked confused. "I guess...?" I laughed "Ok, I'll do it." 

Hunter's face lit up and he pulled me into a hug lifting me into the air and swinging around a little. "Thank you thank you!!!" He said. I smiled as we walked back into the new and improved throne room. "So...?" Lilith asked. "I'll do it. I'll be Empress" Lilith put both her hands together, pleased. "That's wonderful!!" Darius was gone. "Where did Darius go?" Hunter asked Lilith. She looked nervous and then quickly said. "Oh nowhere just some important business to attend to!" 

When we got back to the owl house everything was dark and eerie. "Oh, no did someone get sick again?" Hunter said starting to get panicked. Then, Luz, Eda, Darius, King, and Hooty all jumped out from some kind of hiding spot and yelled, "SURPRISE ADOPTION!!!!" I stepped back a little and got my staff out of self-defense. 

Hunter did the same with his palismen, then put it away when he saw there wasn't a threat. "What?" That was all Hunter said. Eda walked up to him holding a stack of papers. "You know kid, I hate you. I thought you were a chump. But you really have grown on me quite a bit and so I wanted to make this house a home for you permanently. So what do you say?" Eda asked not really clarifying the question. 

"To what," Hunter asked confused. Eda looked like a little bit of her spark died when he said that. "To being adopted by me!" Eda said as she held the papers out to Hunter. He looked up at Eda and then back down to the papers. He wrapped Eda in a hug and then said with tears running down his face, "Of course!"

After he pulled away from the hug he signed the papers and then gave Eda one more hug. "Y/n can you believe it!! Eda adopted me!! Isn't amazing!!" I pulled Hunter into a big hug and then whispered "It really is Darling." When the hug ended Darius walked up to me. "I'm not good with speeches I usually only tend to go the extra mile when it makes me look good and I hear that going the extra mile here will make me look cringy so I'll just ask. Y/n, I want to adopt you. Is that ok?"

I was taken aback by the question. I guess I didn't have a legal guardian and Darius is probably the best parental figure I have. But still felt weird that part of me still believes my parents are alive when they aren't. I looked up at Darius and then took the paper and signed it. I wrapped him in a short but sweet hug. "thank you, Uncle." I said softly. "You're welcome chipmunk," he said as he smiled sweetly.

"Well look at you two! Everyone is getting adopted tonight!" Luz said nudging me and Hunetr on the arm. "Hah yeah..." I said unenthused.

The rest of the night was terrific. We partied and we ate some really good food. Apparently, Darius is an amazing chef. "Would you like to continue to live in the owl house?" Darius asked as it was getting time for him to leave. I shuffled my feet and looked to the side. "Only if it's ok with you..." Darius wrapped me in a hug. "Of course, it's ok with me. This is the single safest place you can live in the boiling isles"

"Thank you, Darius." Darius nodded then left. It was pretty late so I went to my room to prepare for bed. I was brushing my teeth when Hunter came in and wrapped his arms around my waist as I faced the mirror. 

"Today was amazing wasn't it, my love." I blushed at the nickname and finished brushing my teeth. "Yeah... It was." I tried to sound enthusiastic about it but I couldn't. "You don't seem like you are doing ok. What's wrong." Hunter asked as I sat down on our bed. I sighed, I don't really like talking to people about my emotions while they are happening, but Hunter is really good and finding out when I'm not ok.

"I- I don't know. It felt like not too long ago when my Mom died. I guess it's just weird to think about that up until today, I was an orphan." I said staring at the wall. Hunter came and wrapped his arm around me. "I get it. You don't want to accept that your mom is gone. Your mom truly was an amazing person. She really loved you, -I mean she trusted me enough to protect you just because you trust me- and I know that no one can fill that spot. But I think that Darius adopting you will be good for you."

Hunter leaned in and rested his head on my shoulder, "Yeah. Yeah, you're right."I said wiping a tear away from my eye. Hunter was right this will be really good for me.

"Come on let's go to bed Empress," Hunter said teasingly as he fell back into bed. I sat there and stared up at the wall for a moment before falling back too. I then stared up at the ceiling, 'Was it really right to be throwing my parents away like they are nothing to me anymore?' I thought I turned to face Hunter who had his eyes closed.

I moved his hair swoop out of his face ad he opened his eyes. "Love, are you ok?" He asked. "Oh sorry, I didn't mean to wake you.." I stared into his eyes. "No no, I wasn't sleeping, you are thinking about your moms some more huh?" he asked. I slowly nodded and he wrapped me in his arms. I held my head against his chest and I listened to him breathe.

As I focused on his heart beating my eyes slowly drifted to sleep.

|Narrator's POV|

*out to lunch*

(1297 words)

A/n: short again I know. But I'm getting to a resolution I promise. Also, the Mystery X Reader is done, I'm gonna publish it on April 1st. Also, I'll have you know I hate this chapter.

drink water. 

-Coraline<3