Greetings, Owl House fandom! I was fully expecting my first fic here to be a Lumity piece, but meeting Raine and Hunter changed everything. I'm honestly still reeling from the fact that one of my favorite shows has an actual, significant, onscreen nonbinary character. When Eda first used they/them pronouns when talking about Raine, I actually had to pause and go back to make sure I had heard correctly. I struggle on a regular basis to be acknowledged as nonbinary and feel a small thrill whenever a book mentions a character with they/them pronouns, even in passing. I hardly ever see characters like me, so when Raine appeared, I knew I'd be writing about them a lot!
I also fell in love with Hunter. I'm starting to think I have a weakness for sandy-haired himbos with awful father-figures. *glances at Soren from TDP* He is my child, and he must be protected. I have also decided, along with much of the fandom, that he should be Raine's child.
This fic takes place post-canon. Emperor Belos is gone, no one is dead, Luz is traveling back and forth between Earth and the Boiling Isles, Raine and Eda are together, and Hunter has been adopted.
Enjoy!
It was the early afternoon on a school day when Raine's scroll was suddenly bombarded with messages from Luz, Principal Bump, Willow, and several other concerned parties, stirring them from their afternoon nap. The wording varied, but the message was the same: Hunter was gone, and no one knew where he was.
Immediately, Raine was on their feet, causing a dozing King to jump from his spot on the couch with a startled "Weh!"
Before they could open their mouth to call for Eda, their partner came bolting from her room, hair bedraggled and shirt on backwards. "What's going on with Hunter?!" she asked, forcefully trying to push the sleepiness from her brain as she frantically flipped through the messages on her scroll.
Both scrolls then buzzed with a new message from Luz: "Got exam results before lunch. Hunter got quiet and went 2 bathroom. Hasn't been in class since. Plz tell me he's home!"
Raine pulled their boots on with a grim set to their jaw. "His grades must not have been what he was expecting. He's probably having an anxiety attack somewhere."
"Probably." Eda already had Owlbert in hand. "Where should we start?"
Raine considered for a moment. "He likes walking in the woods when he needs to calm down. Maybe I'll find him there. You and Owlbert should check the library."
"Hey, uh, what about me?" King climbed up onto the arm of the couch, eyes wide with concern. "Can I help? Since Hunter's my big brother now, I should be looking too!"
Despite her worry, a warm smile came to Eda's face. She walked over, placing a hand on King's head. "If you wanna help, hold down the fort with Hooty. Hunter might come home, and he'll need someone to keep an eye on him till we get back. Let him know he's not in trouble, okay?"
King's tail drooped a bit, but he nodded. "Okay. I'll make sure he doesn't run off."
Eda touched a kiss to King's brow and pecked Raine's cheek as she hurried out. "Text me if you find him!"
"Will do." Raine started toward the door when a thought occurred to them. They turned back to King. "If you and Hooty want to help more, maybe make some snacks for Hunter. Luz's text says he missed lunch."
Hooty perked up at this. "Hoot hoot! One batch of fresh scones coming up!" He stretched out toward the kitchen, followed by an eager King.
Raine ran outside, scroll in hand as they dialed Hunter's number. It went straight to voicemail. Their heart sank. "Hunter, it's Raine. Please call when you get this. Whatever happened at school, we can work through it. I promise you won't be in any trouble. Just let me know you're okay. I love you."
They had taken to ending every message with an "I love you," because Hunter was a kid who needed constant reassurance of that fact.
After switching sides and aiding in his uncle's defeat at the Day of Unity several months ago, Hunter had been taken in by Eda. Raine had also been brought to the Owl House to recover from their torture and enchanted sleep at Emperor Belos's hands. During this time, Raine was able to rekindle their relationship with Eda and, to their surprise, establish a tentative bond with Hunter.
This bond slowly grew from Hunter quietly listening to Raine practice the violin from the hallway to him actually being receptive when Raine and Eda suggested looking for a therapist. When Raine asked if he wanted to enroll in Hexside, he seemed genuinely excited about the idea. With help from Luz, Amity, Willow, and Gus, Hunter was able to settle into a somewhat-normal school life.
Then, during the holiday break, Raine had been nearly moved to tears when Hunter came to them asking if he could change his last name to Whispers.
"I-I mean, since you're s-sending me to school, and everything," Hunter had hurriedly deflected. "It's no big deal. I just thought it'd be easier, you know? Probably a stupid idea, huh? It's no-"
Raine had interrupted him with a warm hug. Their heart broke a little at how Hunter still tensed at most initial moments of contact. "I would be honored."
As of a few weeks prior, Hunter was Raine's legal son. The hesitant spark that had started showing up in those young eyes was steadily growing into a light that very much resembled hope. So much progress had been made.
Still, Emperor Belos's shadow continued to linger over the Boiling Isles, as well as the heart of his former ward. There were times when Hunter would unconsciously shrink away from Raine or Eda when they made a sudden move, times when he'd withdraw into himself and lash out at any attempt to talk, and times when a gesture or word of affection would be met with a confused, disbelieving stare.
It broke Raine's heart each time while simultaneously making them all the more determined to be the best parent they could be and help Hunter heal as much as possible. Whatever had caused him to flee Hexside that day, whether it was a bad grade, a meltdown, or an incident with a bully, Raine would not let him deal with it alone.
They started down the familiar trail leading into the woods. "Hunter!" they called. "Hunter! Are you here?"
Just when they were considering calling Lilith and asking her to do a scrying spell, a familiar chirp sounded in the trees. Letting out a gasp of relief, Raine held out their hands, allowing Lil' Rascal to land. "Rascal! What happened? Where's Hunter?"
The cardinal palisman fluttered onto Raine's shoulder and chirped frantically into their ear.
Raine's eyes widened. "He's digging a what?!" Their heart thudded like a coffin lid. "Lead me to him, right now!"
Needing no further prompting, Rascal took off.
Quickly, Raine sent Eda a text: "Found Rascal. Will talk to Hunter alone. Stand by."
Rascal led Raine deeper and deeper into the forest, well away from any marked trails. Raine bit the inside of their mouth. This was a dangerous area if one wasn't sticking to the pathways. It seemed as if Hunter had run or flown haphazardly into the forest before landing in a random location.
Raine slowed down as Rascal led them toward a tiny spot of sunlight in the otherwise unbroken treeline. Hunched underneath one of the trees, digging his fingers numbly through the shadow-dappled dirt, was a trembling, sniffling Hunter.
There was a sizeable hole forming under his bleeding fingernails. His eyes were wide and glazed, staring at nothing at all. His lip trembled occasionally, and a tiny hiccup escaped his mouth every few seconds, interspersed with his irregular breaths. His hands were coated with dirt, as were his knees and several other patches of his uniform. His scroll and bookbag had been thrown to the side, supplies scattered across the grass. He barely reacted when Rascal landed on his head.
Raine felt a familiar tightness in their throat along with a stinging sensation behind their eyes, but they were determined to keep it together for Hunter's sake. They took a few slow steps closer, stopping ten or so feet away from their son. "Hi, Hunter," they called softly.
Hunter flinched, his shoulders tensing and his teeth clenching together as Raine's voice brought him back from the numbness he'd been trying to sink his brain into. They're here! They must know. Stupid, stupid, stupid! I didn't hide well enough, and now they had to come looking for me, and why are you so stupid and worthless and-
"What are you doing?" Raine asked, keeping the same gentle, neutral tone. They desperately wanted to give Hunter a hug but knew that any physical contact would likely scare him just then. So, they settled for sitting down in the grass and watching.
Hunter's fingers flexed. He was faintly aware of stinging at his fingertips where he had ripped his nails on some stones. "Digging," he muttered, staring fixedly at the ground.
"I see." Raine tried to make their sitting position as casual as possible. "What are you digging?"
"A hole," Hunter answered, his voice taking on a sullen tone. He felt soft feathers on his cheek as Rascal nuzzled against him. I don't deserve this… I'm an idiot. Raine should take Rascal and leave me here.
"Okay." Raine nodded. "What's the hole for?"
"M…m…" Hunter couldn't hold back a sob. He dug his hands into the dirt and tightened his fists. He was shaking again. He couldn't control it. His breaths came in short bursts as yet another wave of panic and despair crashed down on him. The shudders, which had subsided in the face of his self-deprecating digging and forced numbness, came back in full force.
Raine closed the distance between them in a second, kneeling in the dirt next to the shaking teen. They held out their hand. "Do you need to hold my hand? O-or do you need me to back away?" they asked, trying desperately to keep their voice steady as they tried to figure out how best to help.
Hunter looked up at Raine with disbelieving, watery eyes. After a few seconds of staring into Raine's gentle face, somehow absent of the slightest trace of anger or disappointment, the doubt faded and was replaced with more tears. Hunter threw himself against Raine's chest, wrapping his arms around their middle.
Raine immediately returned Hunter's desperate hug, holding him tightly while slowly rubbing his back. "It's okay," they whispered. "I'm not mad. You're okay. Just breathe. I'm right here."
They raised one hand, drawing a circle in the air and humming the beginning notes of a favorite lullaby. It was a familiar calming spell; one they used sometimes on the younger BATs and more frequently now that Hunter was in their life. This one took effect slowly, allowing the shaky teen to steadily recover from his panic rather than instantly losing all feeling in one second.
At first, Hunter could only feel the stinging abyss his mind had dug for itself. He was swirling in a whirlpool of thoughts that just pulled him deeper and deeper. You'll never become worthwhile. Even when you try your best, you're an idiot. Just give up. Stop being a burden to everyone. Push Raine off and get in the hole!
His hands clenched at Raine's shirt, preparing to shove them away but stopping short as a soothing tune began to surround him. It gently nudged at the walls in his brain, softening them until they began to crumble.
Raine held Hunter as he gripped at their shirt, as he continued to sob. Slowly, the lurching of his shoulders weakened to a slight tremor. A few hiccups interrupted a genuine attempt to regain control over his breathing. Finally, his muscles loosened and he slumped against Raine, wholly exhausted.
After another minute of humming, Raine allowed the calming spell to dissipate. They stroked Hunter's hair gently as they spoke once more. "Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"
Hunter sniffed, pulling his head back a little to look up at Raine. He couldn't understand how his parent could look at him without any disgust after that embarrassing display. The panic was gone, but the loathing remained. He noticed the fresh stain on Raine's shirt and winced. "S-Sorry… I got snot on your shirt…"
"It'll wash out," Raine said dismissively. Of course, he's concerned about my shirt of all things… "What happened?"
Hunter took a slow breath. His lungs were finally taking in air at a normal rate, but he was still a little lightheaded. "I…I suck at everything…" he muttered.
Raine took a handkerchief from their pocket and carefully wiped at the tears that were still making trails through the grimy film of dirt and snot on Hunter's cheeks. "Well, I know that isn't true," they said. "What makes you think you suck at everything?"
Hunter grimaced as his cheek was rubbed but didn't move away. Part of him was ashamed that he was letting himself be babied like this after doing nothing to deserve it. The rest of him wanted to just stay in Raine's arms and forget everything else.
"I'm useless," he sighed. "I keep messing up. I'm trying to do good in school, wake up on time, and do chores when it's my turn, but…" His vision started to blur. "I keep needing to be woken up. I forget to do stuff. And…and I can't even pass an exam, no matter how much I study."
He started shaking again. "You adopted me, and you take care of me, and I can't even do the basic stuff I'm supposed to do and I'm not the Golden Guard anymore so there's nothing left I can do because no one needs the Golden Guard anymore and- and-" He choked on another lump growing in his throat and dissolved into a new wave of muffled sobs.
Raine tightened their hug, letting Hunter cry this time instead of using a spell. They had to hold back tears of their own as they listened to just how scared and broken their son still felt.
Hunter let out a pathetic-sounding mix between a whimper and a cough. "I even sucked as the Golden Guard. I kept failing at everything and made Uncle Belos mad. Sometimes, when I was little, I'd try…try hiding under trees or in ditches." He sniffed loudly. "He told me…if I ever hid in a hole again…I shouldn't bother coming out…that it might be better to just replace me after all…"
A hot, fierce coil of anger burned in Raine's chest. They gritted their teeth as they continued to listen.
"When I failed to get the Titan's blood at Eclipse Lake, I didn't see a point in living anymore, because I was useless, and I just…" He glanced toward the hole he had dug. "I dug a grave for myself."
Raine's heart broke and they were unable to hold back their own tears. "Oh, Hunter." They drew Hunter closer as they started to shake.
Hunter stiffened when he realized that Raine was crying. His brows furrowed as confusion and guilt warred in his mind.
"Listen to me," Raine murmured, running their hand through Hunter's hair as they spoke, taking in a bracing, shuddering breath. "You never have to hide from me, and I would rather die than see you in a grave."
Hunter drew in a sharp, shocked breath at the intensity of Raine's words.
"I didn't adopt you because I wanted you to do housework for me or bring home perfect grades for me to brag about in parent-teacher meetings, or wherever it is parents brag about stuff," Raine continued. "I adopted you because I love you. I want to help you become the best young man you can be. I want to keep you healthy and well, so you can figure out what you want to do and how you want to live your own life as you grow up."
Hunter listened, his lip trembling as Raine said that they loved him. Belos had never said that he loved his nephew, not even once. Hunter had fought every day to earn the love of his only family for so long. Now, he was being offered love freely while he was at his most useless. It just didn't make sense.
"Don't-" His voice came out thick and he swallowed before trying again. "Don't I need good grades for that?"
Raine rubbed his shoulders, glad to feel that some of the tension was going away again. "They help, but they aren't everything. A lot depends on what you decide to do with your life. I can promise you this: A few failed tests, even big ones, won't make or break your future. You're at school to learn, and I know you're working hard and trying your best. If you're having trouble, we can figure out other ways to study, or get you a tutor. Whatever it is, we can work through it."
"I just…I thought I could prove myself to you." Hunter rested his head over Raine's chest, feeling that strong, comforting heartbeat against his ear. "I was doing better for a bit. That's why I had the guts to ask if I could use your last name. I thought I'd be able to earn it."
"You don't have to earn anything," Raine said firmly. They gently pushed Hunter back so they could look him in the eye. "Look at me." Once their son's wet red eyes were finally locked on theirs, they continued. "I love you because you are Hunter, and I always will. You don't have to earn my love or our name. They're already yours."
Our name… They said it so easily. Hunter looked long and hard into those kind, warm, teary eyes and wondered why it was so hard to believe them. He let out a dry sob. He was running out of tears. His throat was beginning to feel rubbery. He opened his mouth to speak, only to start coughing.
Raine waited for Hunter's coughs to subside before standing up and holding out their hand. "Shall we go? You need water, and I didn't grab my canteen on the way out."
Hunter nodded sheepishly. "Y-Yeah. Okay." He accepted Raine's hand and caught Rascal as the cardinal turned into his staff form. As he gathered himself, he watched Raine pick up all of his things and return them to his bag. His ears flushed when he realized how close he had come to just leaving his scroll and schoolbooks in the middle of the woods. I am such a mess. Why does anyone even bother with-?
"Ready to go?" Raine shouldered Hunter's bag and walked back over, placing a hand on their son's shoulder. They noticed Hunter blinking rapidly before looking up at them. He's going down so many mental spirals today…
"Ready," Hunter muttered. He allowed Raine to control Rascal as they flew back toward the Owl House. By the time they got back, he felt wholly drained and ready to fall asleep on the most available patch of floor.
"HUNTER'S BACK!" Hooty wiggled happily as the two landed. "Scones are in the oven, and you'd better eat up! No missing meals on my watch, hoot hoot!"
Despite everything, Hunter felt something close to a laugh escape his lips.
Upon entering the house, Hunter was immediately tackled by King. "Big bro!" After crawling up the front of his shirt, King got an eyeful of the dirt that caked Hunter's clothes, as well as his bloody fingernails, and his expression fell. "You…You didn't try digging a grave, did you?"
Hunter's throat tightened as he looked at his adopted brother's watery eyes. It added another stone of guilt to the weight in his chest, right alongside the one that formed when he had made Raine cry just a little while ago.
"I…I didn't get too deep…" he hurriedly whispered, not wanting Hooty or Eda to hear. He wasn't sure if he could handle sad, pitying looks from everyone at the same time. "I won't do it again." I hope…
King's claws dug deeper as he glared up at Hunter. "You'd better not! If you bury yourself, I'm just gonna dig you up and drag you back by your hair, and that'll be super embarrassing for you, so…weh!" He let out a huff before burying his face in Hunter's chest.
Hunter felt a tiny upturn of his lips as he stroked the fur on King's back.
Raine watched the two with a soft smile, sharing a glance with Eda as she came in from the kitchen.
"Hey, kiddo," she greeted, ruffling Hunter's hair. "Hooty made food, and I got a kettle on for tea. Why don't you clean up, then take the rest of the day off? We'll call Principal Bump and straighten everything out, kay?" She eyed his hands, brows furrowing. "And pay special attention to those fingers. I'll get some healing junk out for you."
"O-Okay." Hunter noticed Eda's backward shirt and messy hair. She must've been sleeping before hearing from Luz…
He walked down the hall to the bathroom, hating his stupid, broken brain for refusing to give him even a moment of peace. Every second, he felt like he was about to fall into yet another black hole. He teetered as he gently pried King from his shirt and took a quick drink from the water bottle by his bed. He skirted the edge as he entered the bathroom, hung up his pajamas, shed his filthy clothes, and stood under the hot water, watching dirt swirling down the drain.
Why am I still like this? he thought, closing his eyes. Why did I run? I should know Raine and Eda would never kick me out or hate me because of a bad grade. Why does my mind do this? Why can't I just enjoy what I have now?
When Hunter left the bathroom, he nearly stepped on King, who had curled up next to the door. "Weh!" He jumped up, then folded his arms sternly. "Just making sure you don't sneak off again."
Hunter cracked a smile, scooping his cranky, endearing little brother into his arms and scratching under his chin. "Oh, yeah? Think you could stop me?"
"I c-could…Hn…" King flailed for half a second before flopping against Hunter's chest, making contented chirping noises as his chin and belly were rubbed.
"Sure, you could," Hunter chuckled as he returned to the living room. He froze when he saw both Raine and Eda sitting on the couch, staring expectantly at him. "Uh…Wh-What's wrong?"
Raine smiled, patting the spot next to them on the couch. "Absolutely nothing. Have a seat."
Hunter sat down slowly, letting King settle into a familiar position on his lap. He glanced from Raine to Eda. They didn't just look happy, but…proud?
"Hunter," Raine began. "I just called Principal Bump to tell him you're okay, and he told me about your exams."
Hunter felt himself starting to sweat.
Raine noticed the beginning of a tremor in Hunter's arm, and quickly placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your scores in the practical portions for all of your classes were perfect, as were your presentations and oral responses. It was only the multiple choice and exam questions that caused your grades to drop."
Hunter glanced to the side, his face burning as he thought back to the tests. Even though he had studied diligently, everything seemed to fade away when he was faced with those rows of circles. They blurred together in front of his eyes, which freaked him out, which led to him missing a number when filling in his answers. By the time he noticed the problem, he was running low on time. He quickly erased and tried to refill the right circles. Then, he had to scribble out an essay with his shaking hands.
Everything melted together. Words. Circles. Pencil and eraser marks. Everything. Every time. Every exam.
"Hunter," Raine scooted closer, wrapping an arm carefully around Hunter's shoulders, prompting the teen to look back up at them. "You will be able to retake the written portions in a different format. I arranged for us to go to school early tomorrow to talk about different options."
Hunter's eyes grew wide. Retake the midterms? That's a thing I can do?! There are actual redos in this scenario? Of course, another shadow quickly arrived to try and snuff out the hope that had flared up: "Wait… Is this special treatment, or something?" Because I'm stupid?
"Not at all," Raine soothed. "Plenty of students have trouble with test-taking."
"Case and point!" Eda declared, pointing proudly at herself. "I can't write an essay to save my life!"
Raine's ear twitched as they spared Eda a fond, nostalgic smile before looking back at Hunter. "It's clear that you understand the material, judging by the practical tests and your grades on your homework and other projects. Some schools try to force kids into a box, but Principal Bump knows a school's job is to make sure its students learn."
They glanced at their violin case. "Most bards with my anxiety and stage fright would have been discouraged from following their path, but Principal Bump made it possible for me to evolve as a musician and as a witch. He recorded my performance pieces to be graded and would darken the lights surrounding the audience when I absolutely had to go on stage. I still had moments when I fled or failed, but I was able to persevere."
They gently ran their fingers through Hunter's damp hair. "And so will you. You are doing so well, Hunter, better than you think you are. I'm not just talking about school."
For the first time since getting his exam results, Hunter finally felt his mind starting to relax. The buzzing wasps that kept coming back to jolt him from comfort seemed to be finally getting tired. A hesitant smile came to his face, the corners of his mouth lifting along with the weight in his chest. "Really?"
"Absolutely." Raine hugged Hunter into their side. "Just remember: If something goes wrong or you get scared, don't run away again. Come home or talk to your friends. We all care about you, and we will help you."
"Like me!" King piped up, curling against Hunter's chest. "If anyone messes with you, I'll blast them with my soundwaves!"
"I can eat your homework for you," Hooty called over. "Especially if it's potions homework. Tasty…"
Hunter laughed a little, hugging King against his front while leaning into Raine. After a moment, he sat up again, reaching for the jar of ointment that had been placed on the coffee table and rubbing some on his red fingertips. He glanced at Eda as she got up to take a steaming kettle off the stove and put some scones onto a plate.
"Speaking of friends," Eda said as she returned with a plate of vanilla scones and a cup of tea. "Make sure you text Luz and everyone else. I let them know we found you, but they'll feel better hearing from you."
Hunter nodded. "I will." He picked up the mug and blew on the tea before taking a sip. It was his favorite chai tea from the human realm, a present from Camila. He tasted an extra appley tang and glanced at Eda, who winked before walking away.
Everything settled into a comfortable quiet. Hunter sipped his slightly-spiked tea. Raine tuned their violin. Eda fixed herself an afternoon snack in the kitchen. King dozed in Hunter's lap. Hooty stretched out to the table and pointedly tapped the plate of scones with his beak, giving Hunter a stern look. Obediently, Hunter popped a warm scone into his mouth. It was delicious. He said a muffled thanks to Hooty, who gave a "hoot" of satisfaction before returning to the door.
He turned on his scroll which, sure enough, was full of worried messages from Luz, Willow, Amity, and Gus, and even one from Principal Bump telling him to please get some rest and not to worry.
It was all so surreal. For over a decade, Hunter had been little more than a tool, someone who constantly had to fight for his place in the world, someone who was raised to fear the only family he had. Such conditioning was hard to overcome, even after several months of unconditional love and support. This hadn't been his first meltdown, and he knew it wouldn't be his last.
Still, under all the layers of doubt, self-loathing, and fear, a flame was growing. It pierced through the darkness to assure him that yes, Raine and Eda would come looking for him whenever he lost his way. Yes, his friends cared about him and wouldn't think less of him for being afraid. Yes, he mattered because he was Hunter. Not the Golden Guard. Not a cog in someone else's machine. Just Hunter.
As he finished texting his friends back, he noticed Raine watching him with a gentle smile. "Feeling better?" they asked, placing their violin on their lap.
Hunter nodded, allowing his own smile to grow just a little. "Yeah. It took a bit, but yeah. I'm good now. Thanks for, you know. Everything."
For the first time since getting those first few texts from Luz, Raine felt the tension in their chest finally unwinding. Hunter was home and, for now, he felt happy and safe again. "Anytime, Hunter. Anytime." they replied, hoping Hunter knew just how much they meant it. They glanced at King, who had fallen asleep on his big brother's lap. "It looks like you'll be sitting here for a while."
Hunter snickered, running his fingers through King's fur. "Yeah. Luz told me it's basically illegal to wake him up. Apparently, that also applies to cats in the human realm." He glanced at Raine's violin. "Are you gonna play?"
Raine responded by picking up the violin and placing it under their chin. "Any requests?"
"Raine's Rhapsody!" Hunter replied immediately. It was his favorite, after all.
Raine's expression softened even further as they placed their bow on the strings and began to play. They decided against enchanting the song and just let the familiar tune float through the house naturally. They watched out of the corner of their eye as Hunter let out a breath, leaning back against the couch, one hand still lazily petting King. His eyes drifted shut as he listened to his parent's song, looking wholly at peace.
Eda sat down in the nearby armchair, sipping her own cup of tea as she watched her partner and sons. She met Raine's gaze and smiled. No words were needed. All was well.
Hunter sighed as that familiar sense of exhaustion started to creep up once again. This time, however, he knew he'd actually be able to rest. The taste of vanilla scones, chai, and apple blood melded soothingly on his tongue. His parent's music was wrapping around him like a cocoon. The warm weight of King snuggled against his abdomen. Hooty and Eda were nearby, quiet and watchful as they listened to Raine's music. In a little while, his friends would come over to check on him, because they genuinely cared about him.
And tomorrow, he'd go back to school and keep doing his best. He'd see his therapist. He'd figure out how to keep pushing forward. As he felt himself drifting to sleep with his family all around him, he truly felt that everything would be okay.
This fic took a longer time than I thought it would, but I guess it's to be expected. I'm still working on writing on a regular basis. Also, I ended up channeling a lot of my own experiences with anxiety and depression when writing about Hunter. After he gets over his initial mistrust, I can see him becoming determined to prove himself worthy of the sudden outpouring of love he will inevitably get from his new friends and family, and freaking out at the slightest hint that he has messed up. He will need a lot of therapy, reassurance, and support.
I plan on writing other fics at different points in this post-canon AU, including one where Raine and Eda first rekindle their relationship, because Raeda is OTP!
Until next time, happy hiatus (ARGH!) and peace out!