Reality Check - A Huntric/Goldric Based Fic

The Desolation Tango (CHP 25)

And I remember when she was laughing, she never seemed so happy. But it could have been for show, I guess you never really know.

-TV Girl

As it turns out, there isn't much to do when your own safety is in fear unless you go out with some crazy old lady and her violinist. 

At the least, a solid schedule was set up for the work shifts. Luz and Amity often took Mondays and Tuesdays. 

Gus would go with Raine to put on a show at a local bar or open mic night... Gus always had the most showmanship and creativity of the group, and Raine could use that to their advantage. 

Willow would always go to the market on Wednesdays and Fridays.  Thursdays were something Eda could manage on her own.

On incredibly rare nights Eda decided to set up at the Night Market, Edric and Hunter were always the ones who took that responsibility. Since they were the oldest, they'd each take turns going to the Night Market, every other shift.

None of the kids left the house unless it was with one of the older witches. Sadly, that meant Edric had not gotten his library date and Hunter was no closer to finding out what he was, and what the Wittebanes were.

The group found themselves, scattered around the living room as they normally were. Gus was picking out older show tunes and sheet music to try and put a show together, WIllow by his side doing research on plants in the Boiling Isles. Luz and Amity were laying side by side on the floor, talking about Azura as they redrew some of their favorite scenes, now they didn't have the physical books anymore.

Edric was laying on the couch, Hunter directly on top of him. The pair was half asleep, Edric's hand absentmindedly running through Hunter's blonde locks, and Hunter's face buried in his boyfriend's chest. They were peaceful, in the chaos of the group, not caring about anything except the rising and falling of each other's chest.

"Everyone, stay inside! Boiling rains!" Eda called from outside, where she had been booking it to the house. Raine rushed from the kitchen, throwing open the door to see the commotion. Immediately, the group dispersed from their activies.

Books were left lying open on the floor, music and art scattered around. Hunter groaned, raising himself off of the comfort of his boyfriend. Edric pouted at the absence but understood, sitting up and looking at the door. He stood, following after Hunter towards the door.

Eda casted a spell, a golden shield casting over her to protect herself from the rain. Raine stepped out with a sigh, casting a reddish, nearly identical shield over themselves as they helped Eda out with whatever she was trying to build.

Hunter scoffed, it was just rain... he had handled worse. He stepped out, standing under the sky. Luz followed after him, taking a deep breath.

"I've always loved feeling the first few raindrops in my hair.." She sighed, kneeling by a flower.

Hunter stayed standing, looking up at the warm, grey clouds gathering in thick bunches around them. It hadn't seemed any different than human realm rain.. why were the witches panicking and protecting themselves so heavily?

"I bet you do too, little buddy!" Luz spoke to the flower with a cheesy grin.

Just then, a drop of water fell from the sky onto the flower. However, it sizzled, singing the petal and causing the flower to wilt into a sad bunch. Luz's eyes widened as she fell back, immediately scrambling back inside.

"Luz, it's just water, you're gonna be-" Hunter had reached his arm out to feel the droplets. Just then, a few fell onto  his arms and he hissed in pain. He yanked his arms back, stumbling back into the house.

"Hunter!" Ed called out, reaching for him and pulling the boy back inside. He reached for the arm, pulling it away to look at.

Splotches in the shape of water droplets had begun to form in red patches. Burns... Hunter had just been burned by rain water and it had already began to leave blisters. 

"I think I just got a second degree burn.." He winced, looking down at his arm.

"DID I NOT SAY BOILING? THE RAINS HERE LITERALLY BOIL." Eda called out to the group, taknig her staff.

She place the head of Owlbert into the center of the orange colored magic she and Raine had created. The magic was cast at the house, creating a shield. 

"Finally, hoot hoot! That rain was getting much too close to my stucco!" Hooty remarked, causing a wave of discomfort in everyone. They had completely forgot he was there...

The older witches came back to the house, hand in hand. While Eda was hot-headed and was quick to begin scolding Hunter about not listening to her, Raine took his arm to examine the burns and see what magic or potions they could use on him

"You kids nowadays, thinking you know EVERYTHING about this realm when you haven't been here over a couple weeks! Back in my day, if you even-"

"I think we have some boil cream, freshly made by Eda... you mentioned knowing first aid, haven't you?" Raine's voice was soft, Hunter being caught off guard by the amount of  care. He nodded.

"Good. I don't know much about healing, but I have confidence you can get yourself wrapped up... and ignore Eda, she just enjoys pretending like she's in charge." They winked, leaving him to go grab the boil cream.

"-but you need some of my homemade boil cream! I'll go have Raine grab it, I can never remember where I put it.." She finished the rant no one had been paying attention, immediately looking around for her spouse. "Rainstorm?" 

"Right here, Eda... I got that boil cream." They showed up behind her quietly, handing the cream and a wrap of bandage to Hunter.

"Thanks, Raine." Hunter took it gratefully, going to go sit on the couch.

 If it hadn't been for his unnecessarily high pain tolerance, Hunter probably would have been in tears. Instead, he was calm. His hands shook a bit as he went to wrap his arm after the cream was applied, but his hands nearly always shook.

King showed up on the couch besides him, watching the process. "Did you go out in the rain?"

"..yeah, I did."

"Ha, you're kind of a dum-dum... Bap." King laughed, smacking his paw onto Hunter's face and skittering away, probably to go eat something else for the day. Hunter groaned, just finishing the wrap.

"You doing okay, my love?" Edric asked, his voice filled with concern as he sat down on the couch.

"...love? That's a new name.." Hunter mumbled, his face heating up.

"I- I'm trying some things out, alright?" Edric went red as well, looking at the freshly bandaged arm. "Are you doing alright? Feeling okay and all that?"

"I'm doing fine, nothing I can't handle.." He shrugged, moving his arm to test the mobility. The bandage stung slightly as it rubbed on the blisters, but it was otherwise fine.

"Alright, tell me if you want anything... okay?" He smiled sweetly, kissing his forehead.

"Okay.." Hunter turned his face away to hide how flustered he had become, causing Edric to smile.

Edric grinned at the reaction, wrapping his arms around Hunter's waist and pulling him down, towards the couch. Hunter squeaked in surprise momentarily, but Edric was just moving the both of them so that they were cuddling each other. Hunter sighed in content relief.

Swapped from their places before, Hunter now had Edric's lanky body on top of him, the green head of hair buried in his neck. Hunter traced light circles on Edric's back, slowly closing his eyes as he became more comfortable with the boy on top of him. He could have stayed like that forever, unable to focus on anything but how he felt underneath such a perfect boy and the way he could smell the sweet, Bath and Body works perfume Edric always wore.

It was all he had ever dreamed of.

1303 words.