Circadian (Hunter angst the owl house)

Circadian

Hunter had never really gotten along with the concept of "sleep". He'd grown up in the Emperor's Coven, where Belos and the other coven heads worked him to the bone, day and night. From a very early age he'd gotten used to functioning on very little sleep. He was a master at navigating through the unending exhausted fog that plagued his every waking moment. This was his normal, and 16 years of living like this had never allowed him to develop anything even bordering on a healthy sleep schedule.

Of course, The Day of Unity was a disaster. Hunter had betrayed his Uncle, fled, (or rather, was forced) into the Human Realm, far away from his home, his life, his routine, and of course, Belos. However, being a whole dimension away from the beastly Emperor was a beast in its own. The first week in the Human realm, though jarring, was full of new and wonderful experiences. He spent his days searching for a way to portal back to the Demon Realm, eating new foods, staying up watching movies, and exploring Gravesfield.

During this first week, he conformed to the same sleep schedule as he had when he was in the Emperor's Coven, regardless of the fact that his friends eagerly slept until long after the sun had finished rising. His waking hours began at 5am, and ended at about midnight.

With the arrival of the second week, Hunter found himself waking up a few minutes after 5am. The first time this happened, he shot up off the mattress and was absolutely shocked that he had actually slept beyond his normal five hours.

Losing your strength so soon, Golden Guard? A voice echoed in his head. It sounded eerily like Belos. Hunter rolled his eyes at the intruding thought, and set about starting his day. He bid good morning to Flapjack, did some quiet exercises (wary not to wake Gus), showered in their shared bathroom, scrubbed the upstairs kitchen, and read a book quietly on his mattress pad. Domestic simplicity, he supposed.

A small part of him missed the structured routine that the Coven provided. A large part of him did not miss the grueling daily training he had to endure.

Today's task was to continue the beginning of refurbishing the abandoned house down the street. Luz affectionately called it the "off-brand Owl House". Whatever that meant.

A full day of ripping up rotting floorboards, cleaning away cobwebs, and clearing out a few unwelcomed critters, they'd returned back to Mrs. Noceda's house, eaten dinner, and settled into the living room couch to binge popcorn and whatever TV suited their liking. Tonight, Luz had convinced them to watch old DVD's of a show called "Spongebob Squarepants", which she referred to as a "Human Realm Classic" and if they wanted to fit in here, they "NEEDED to watch it."

As Hunter sat beside his friends, all sandwiched onto the couch between Willow and Gus, he began to feel the beginnings of something he rarely felt... Contentment . Dinner had been delicious; rain pattered on the windows outside. The daily chores were done, and the blanket he shared with his friends made him feel warm and cozy. The soft glow of the TV was oddly comforting as Luz's ridiculous human show played quietly and playfully.

Before he'd realized it, his eyes had slipped closed.

Willow felt a weight on her bicep, as Hunter's shoulder slid down to gently rest against her body. Another moment later and his head had fallen against her shoulder. His mouth was cracked open and he breathed soft and even.

Willow couldn't help the bright, open smile that quickly formed on her face.

"Gus! Oh my gosh, look!" She exclaimed, as quietly as she was possibly able to. Gus, along with the others, turned their attention to the sleeping teenager.

"Woah..." Luz exclaimed quietly, fascinated. "I didn't even know he could sleep!"

"He always wakes up before any of us, and goes to sleep way after we all do," Amity said, peering at the dark lines carved into Hunter's bottom eyelids.