A/N: so if this happened or was mentioned somewhere in the magicians manual: idk, i havent read the manual yet, ordered it from the library so i'll read it later. But here's Walt's mom reacting to him still being alive and not dead like she would've thought. I kinda wanted to know and I was only 1% salty that his family wasn't included in his decision to host Anubis. Seriously! I got over it like a min later. But yeah, here's my interpretation of how it would go down. No 'angst', only relief.
To say Walt was nervous would be an understatement.
His hands were slightly shaking and the crease his forehead made when he frowned wouldn't go away.
I don't know much about families, Anubis said. But trust me when I say this will be fine.
Anubis was right: he really didn't know much about families.
Well screw you too.
Walt exhaled. I'm sorry. This just...means a lot.
Mean a lot it did. Here he was, sitting on a bus on its way to his childhood home. It was a week after the whole apocalyptic-snake-tried-to-swallow-the-sun ordeal and there was the nerve-wracking task of informing his mother of his decision to host a god and stay alive.
Walt wasn't going to lie: he hasn't been the best at calling his mother these past few weeks. It was hard on both of them. He didn't want her to see him in near deathly pain and she was all too aware of what was happening.
And now he was going to arrive home, still very much alive and in perfect health.
He didn't know how they would take it.
I can see your memories you know, Anubis spoke up.
What does that have to do with this?
It has everything to do with this. I can see how much your mother loves you, how much she cares. She doesn't seem like she would turn you away.
Walt smiled slightly. You mean us.
Ah right. We're a package deal now. I hope she likes me.
Walt snorted and said nothing more. Well, he didn't have to. He and Anubis were one, whatever he thought or tried not to think went through Anubis's head anyways. His mother wouldn't react too badly. At least he hoped she wouldn't.
"Okay, okay." Walt breathed out, standing outside the front door. "You can do this."
He still had his key. Should he knock? Or should he just go in?
Just walk in and say hello. How bad could that be?
Although tempting, not something my mother would appreciate very much.
Do it anyways.
Walt was grateful that Anubis was withholding control. This was something he had to do on his own and he was glad Anubis was remaining sort of dormant.
Walt reached into his back pocket and took out his house key. He took another deep breath before he unlocked the door and stepped inside.
The smell of home hit him like a truck. The smell of the cherry scented air freshener (which his mother always claimed had a "stronger" kick than the others), his mother's lavender scented perfume, the smell of laundry detergent in the air...that's right, it was laundry day. Gods, he missed this.
"Hello?" A voice called out warily. "Who's there?"
Go on, Anubis urged.
Walt closed his eyes and took a step back, hitting his back against the front door. This is it. He opened his eyes. "Mom?"
Silence. Then:
"Walt?"
Walt turned around to face the kitchen, watching his mother come out slowly. "Hey, mom."
She didn't answer right away; walking towards him, her eyes trailed his body from top to bottom, watching for any signs of injury or pain. Her brows scrunched in confusion.
She placed one of her hands on his face, the other rubbing his arm soothingly. "You look thin. What have you been eating over there?"
"What I wanted to eat," Walt laughed, slowly relaxing. "I'm eating good, don't worry about that. You don't have to examine me."
His mother gave him a sharp look. "I'll check up on my baby when I want to. Now come on, you haven't visited in a while. Catch me up."
Walt knew his mother was deflecting. He could see the curiosity burning in her eyes after she took him in but she wasn't pushing him.
Why isn't she asking questions? Anubis wondered. Aren't humans naturally curious?
Walt slightly shook his head, smiling in his mother's direction. Nah, I know my mom. She's overbearing but even she knows when to let me come to her.
Sounds familiar.
"So…" Mother started. "How's Hogwarts treating you? You learning all types of magic? You said that there was something new you were trying to learn last time you called."
"Yeah." Walt said, taking a cup out of the cupboard. "I can do all sorts of things. That other thing is actually what I wanted to talk to you about."
"Oh?"
Walt made a noise of confirmation. Opening the fridge, he peered inside and took out an orange juice carton. "It's...new."
Pouring the drink into the cup, he wondered why he had to say that of all things. 'It's new', that wasn't a very good opening. What he didn't want to do was delay the reveal like he'd done with the Kanes. Still, he couldn't help but be cautious about it.
Anubis, on the other hand, was amused. To be fair, it is new. Don't beat yourself up over it, you still haven't even told her the half of it.
Mother frowned at him, wondering why he tense all of a sudden. "What do you mean 'new'?"
"I mean it's probably never been done before." He took a sip of juice before continuing. "And it's also what led me here today."
"Walt, you know how much I don't like beating around the bush. You're making me nervous, what is it?"
"I've been able to...turn objects into dust for a while now. Since March, actually–"
"Around the second apocalypse?"
"–Yeah. I didn't know where it came from or how I've been able to do it but then I started, y'know, talking to this god."
His mom held up one of her hands. "Let me guess: the god of death?"
"Well, he's technically the god of funerals."
"Oh. That's better then."
"Anubis isn't bad or anything!" Walt quickly said. "I was just talking to him, to see if I could...you know–"
"Get more time," His mother finished, sighing deeply. "Yeah, I know. It makes sense, I guess." She trailed off for a moment, a look of apprehension on her face.
Ms. Stone knew her son well. She knew when he was lying, when he was angry, when he was happy, and, like right now, when he was about to tell her something difficult. She'd been overbearing ever since she gave birth to him. The idea of knowing, with horrible certainty, that your child wasn't going to live past their twenties was terrifying on its own, let alone actually living it. A parent should never outlive their child.
Yet, here he was. Healthy, happy, and–dare she say it–glowing. There was that spark in his eyes again, one she couldn't recall the last time she'd seen. He no longer walked like he was in constant pain and had grabbed the juice carton with ease. Something was so obviously different. The last time he visited was back in July and he had looked the exact opposite of how he was now. He always declined to speak about it but she knew he was getting worse every day.
Refocusing, she smiled reassuringly at him. "What else? Did he end up helping you out?"
Walt studied her for a moment before continuing. "Yeah. Yeah, he was helpful. Kind of; he couldn't really grant me extra time but we were thinking of ways to beat the curse."
"Beat the curse? You beat the curse?!"
Walt winced at the pitch in her voice. "Kinda–"
"Walt Stone, if I told you once, I've told you a thousand times. Don't play with me. Spit it out already."
"Mom, it's not that simple. I can't just blurt it out–"
"You're holding back and walking on eggshells. You always do that when you did something bad or when you did something you didn't want me to know about."
"It's not something I can just say outright–"
"Just say it."
"I'm hosting him."
Silence.
"What...what did you just say?"
Walt closed his eyes, trying to force down the wave of fear threatening to bubble up. "I'm hosting Anubis."
"As in possession?"
"No, as in we share the same body." No, this wasn't how he planned this to go. This was too much, she doesn't like it, she doesn't approve, oh gods, she's never gonna want to speak to him ever again, what if–
Walt. Breathe. Just breathe. You and I both know your mother. She was always going to try and push. Relax, she hasn't said anything yet.
Walt exhaled the breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding. His mother still hadn't said anything. She was just there, staring at him with a blank expression.
He had no idea what she was thinking.
"His aura is keeping me alive," he tried again. "It's not something you would like but–"
"May I speak to him?"
Walt stopped short. "I–what?"
"Is that how it works? Is he there in your head, hearing and seeing everything and just observing? I want to ask some questions."
Walt swallowed. She's not gonna go easy on you.
Anubis didn't care. I was bound to meet the mother someday. Though, I won't do it if you're not comfortable with me doing so.
No no, you can do it. Just...I don't know. You know what I mean.
Walt smiled at his mother and held out his hand. Or, rather, Anubis did. "Hello. Lovely to meet you, Lady Stone."
The woman in front of them was no longer the sweet, overbearing mother. No, she was what any mother would be like in the face of a god who held the fate of her child in his hands: furious.
"Cut the crap," She snapped at him. Anubis reared back in surprise. "Pardon my language, I don't care much for pleasantries when my son's fate is on the line."
Anubis straightened and dropped his hand into his lap, getting the feeling this was less "meet-the-parents" and more of an interrogation. "I assure you his fate is no longer under the influence of the curse. As he mentioned previously, my aura sustains his life. He will most likely live a long, happy life."
Relief shone in her eyes but her face remained stone cold. "And what exactly do you get out of it?"
"Pardon me?"
"You heard me. I've heard stories from all over. The love of my life told me things too. Gods aren't gracious and merciful creatures. No, you only care for yourselves," She leaned towards him with an angry expression. "So I'll ask you again: What. Do. You. Get. In. Return?"
Anubis didn't know how to answer that question. On one hand, he did it for two mortals in his life. On the other, he also did it for the chance to experience the mortal realm and how it felt like to have a host.
I would help you out but I don't think she'd appreciate it if I took over and answered for you, Walt said, slightly embarrassed.
No worries. I'll just...tell her the truth.
Anubis cleared his throat. "I don't have cruel intentions with this arrangement, I can promise you that. Truthfully, I agreed to the deal for both selfish and unselfish reasons: I would've been helping out someone who'd become a dear friend of mine while also getting the chance to have a host, something I've never experienced that many other gods have. To actually be flesh and blood."
Miss Stone stayed quiet for a moment. Then: "There's something else."
"Uh, what?"
"There's something else," she was quieter this time, less angry. "What's the other thing?"
If someone had told Miss Stone years ago that she would witness the intensity of a fierce blush at work on a literal god, she'd have laughed in their faces. A little weird since it was on her son's face but it wasn't any less gratifying.
"I-I, um," Anubis stuttered. "I don't think–it's complicated. I'll let your son tell you that one."
She actually laughed. "Okay, I get it. I'll meet the lovely girl later on." Relaxed now, she sighed, leaning her arms on the island. "I believe you. Truly, I do. I'm just...worried."
"Any mother should be."
"So how does this work? Do you take turns talking? Decide who gets control today?"
"Today it was different but it's just us speaking like we normally would if we were in different bodies again."
"So how do I know when I'm talking to my son or when I'm talking to a god?"
"Mom, you're just gonna have to adopt the god," Walt joked. They were back in their mojo, speaking in tandem. As one. "Seriously though, you're not always gonna know who's talking. I...I hope you're okay with this."
"How could I not be okay with this?" Miss Stone asked disbelievingly. "After you were born, I knew you were going to have the same curse as your dad. I knew you probably weren't going to live to your twenties. You know I've tried everything to fight it, I took you to every professional I could find. I know, I know I've been overprotective and dramatic and I probably didn't make this any easier for you. I know and I'm sorry. This situation isn't conventional but I'm not about to complain about something that's keeping you alive and healthy."
Walt felt a weight lift off his chest, finally allowing him to breathe the way he needed to. His shoulders relaxed and he fully allowed himself to take comfort in his childhood home. "Thanks, mom."
"No need to thank me, just being a mother." Miss Stone leaned forward and smirked. "So, who's the girl?"
The blush was back in full force. "What girl?"
"Oh, come on, don't play with me. Who's this special lady who stole my son's heart?"
"Mom," Walt groaned.
A/N: yAY, two authors notes bc no one can tell me I can't do so! So I really upped my game here bc this one was actually 2.2k words, wowwwww. Part of it bc there was so much to say with a prompt like this (still think there's more to say) and another was bc i felt bad for not updating in a while.
Oooof, I can't go back to writing 500 word chapters anymore, can I? ;-; we'll see, but I really hope you guys enjoyed it.
