Chapter Nineteen

As Hunter flew back to the precinct from his day with Willow, the warmth rising in his chest was hitting a roadblock. Not just of the dread from his uncle's ultimatum, but something else, too.

Willow had asked him to have dinner with her and her dads tomorrow night! Considering he'd already met her parents — a few times by now — this was officially Meeting the Parents! As in, make-or-break like he'd read about in books!

Granted, he was pretty sure Eun liked him, and Gilbert didn't hate him … probably … and he was sure Willow cared enough about him to keep things going anyway. But the idea of making a fool of himself in front of her dads and earning their disapproval was not something he was prepared for!

And then there was the inevitable interrogation. The Parks had been kind enough not to pry in their first few meetings, but a Meet the Parents dinner was the time to ask him big questions about his future. What did he want to do with his life, what were his goals for his relationship with Willow, what was his family like …? That last one made his belly feel like it was full of heavy, razor sharp icicles.

As he reentered his chambers, Hunter started pacing, Lil Rascal shrinking down to his true shape and perching on the foot of his bed. No, not even his bed! His bed requisitioned from this precinct! His real bed was in the Emperor's castle! Where he led the Emperor's Coven, the very thing Willow was most afraid of!

And he had a week to find a non-existent teacher and convince Willow that covens weren't bad at all, despite the opinions of her best friend's mentor whom Willow seemed to care about like a crazy aunt.

Dread started weighing down on him like a physical burden and Hunter stumbled to the ground, hyperventilating as he struggled to reconcile his situations. Images of Belos's displeasure warred against Willow's fear and disgust in his mind's eye, both of them turning away and casting him aside.

No … His chest clenched with pain. He couldn't lose both of them! The man who had saved him from death and mediocrity — the girl who had shown him the joys of love and friendship. The weight grew heavier, his breath becoming more and more labored.

What could he do?

'Hunter!'

He sat up in shock, his ears ringing. Hunter looked at the bed and found Lil Rascal watching him carefully. That had been his voice that knocked him out of his panic. Panic that was starting to well up again …!

Rascal twittered and perched on Hunter's head. 'It will be okay,' he tweeted. 'Just breathe, my friend. Breathe … In ...'

Hunter took a deep breath.

'And out …'

He let it out.

'And in …'

And so it went on for some time. When Hunter finally felt like his situation wouldn't crush him under his own weight, the light in his window was orange. He stood on shaky knees and stumbled to the bed to try and think. How was he going to do this? The Belos thing was further away, in theory, so he should focus on the dinner first, right?

Lil Rascal perched on Hunter's lap and he started absently petting the cardinal. 'I think your biggest choice here,' Rascal chirped, 'is whether to lie outright or … tell a version of the truth.'

Hunter blinked in surprise. "You are suggesting I lie?"

'No!' Rascal tweeted, with no small amount of heat. 'I'm saying you tell the truth without telling them who you are! Tell them as much of the truth as you can without naming names like Belos or the Golden Guard.' He ruffled his feathers. 'Isn't that what you've done up to this point, anyway?'

Which was … an excellent point. He'd been misleading Willow and everyone except Luz ever since he'd set foot in Hexside. He was surprised to realize exactly how transparent he'd been with the human, though it had helped him out when Luz had woven that story about their first meeting. Which meant this couldn't be totally wrong if Luz did it first. He was only following her lead … right? He sighed and decided it was his only chance.

With that, he stood and snatched a notepad and pen from the room's desk. He needed to answer as many questions as he could and memorize the meat of his own answers before tomorrow night.

Also, he had to, ugh, go shopping for suitable clothes. He quickly messaged Willow on his scroll about color schemes. Might as well make a good impression, right?

"You're having dinner with the folks?" Luz said, her grin wide and her hands clasped in joy.

After Hunter had left, Willow had changed into casual clothes and flown off to the Owl House. Girl talk had never been something she could do before she'd met Luz and, though she was bound to be embarrassed at some point, she wanted to indulge.

"Yeah. We are," Willow said, cheeks already pinking at the thought. She knew her dads, particularly Papa, were going to tease them both, but she still wanted this! She wanted Hunter to have a good relationship with her parents. Her ears turned down a bit. Especially since it seemed he had a poor one with his uncle.

"Willow?" Luz asked.

She gasped and shook her head. "I'm okay," she said with a shaky smile. She brushed some hair behind her ear and tried again, this time her smile was still. "I'm just worried about him."

Luz looked … guilty for a moment before she sighed. "Willow, you know I'm a sap," she said with a self-deprecating smile. "I jump at the idea of romance and matchmaking and all that craziness." She turned on the couch to face Willow. "So I'm gonna push all that to the back of my head and speak the honest-to-God truth."

"Who's-?"

"Nevermind that," Luz cut her off, waving her hands in front of her and then grabbed Willow's. "Girl, I have never once seen two people more perfect for each other than you and Hunter."

"Not even you and Amity?" Willow said with a smirk.

"I said seen and I can't see myself," Luz replied quickly. "But that's not the point. Willow, I honestly believe that love conquers all. And whatever crazy bad stuff is going on in Hunter's life, which I can only guess at, I think you're the one helping him through it all." She tightened her grip. "You may be the only one who can help him, Willow."

Willow felt something uncomfortable squirm in her belly. "No pressure or anything," she said unsurly.

Luz giggled. "You're right, no pressure. You know why?" Willow tilted her head in confusion, then yelped as Luz clapped her hands on Willow's cheeks and drew their faces so close they were almost touching. "Because you've been doing it and didn't even notice, Willow! You're just what he needs just by being your kind, caring, understanding self!" She blinked. "... Understanding Willow …?" She shook her head and refocused. "Just keep being you, bestie, and you'll both turn out swell!"

Willow pulled back and began to consider Luz's words before her scroll dinged. She conjured it and checked to find a message from Hunter, smiling at his picture of him with Lil Rascal nesting in his hair, his expression patiently agitated. So … dress code for tomorrow? Nice or not? Formal, semi-formal, informal? I need HELP!

Willow giggled and then remembered she was with company and turned to find Luz giving her that odd cat-smile of hers. "Oh, be quiet," Willow said with dignity.

"I didn't say anything," Luz pointed out, somehow growing even more smug.

Willow scoffed and typed out, About like our first date. Main colors … Warm orange and brown!

Willow returned her scroll and rubbed her cheeks with her palms, pushing her glasses up to her forehead as she sighed.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Luz said. "I mean, it's stressful and stuff, but it hurts so good!" She fell back on the couch with an exaggerated sigh and Willow laughed at her friend's antics. Willow sat back into the cushions, too, as King wandered in with a box of Cap'n Crispers.

"He-Y, guys!" he said, his voice sharply cracking and making him cough on his crackers. "Weh! St-U-pid pubert-Y!" He coughed again and hopped up on the couch between the human and witchling. "Gah, it really stresses the throat," he groaned. "So, what's up with you and your new 'friend'?" King asked dryly.

Hunter knocked on the Parks' door the following evening with a feeling of butterflies warring in his belly. Lil Rascal, who was happily perched on Hunter's shoulder after the flight, had been instrumental in Hunter managing his stress over this, giving near-constant encouragement in the last twenty four or so hours.

Hunter ran his hands through his slicked-back hair as he tried to ignore the notebook containing the semi-genuine information he'd devised — after hours of writing, editing, and rewriting — in case he needed a quick reference. And if they asked a question he wasn't sure about, Rascal would be there to help make something up on the spot.

The door opened to reveal Willow in a deep orange dress, the high-necked bodice tight against her frame and the calf-length hem cut in the style of birch leaves, with her hair in a high bun and a golden hair clip holding back a single strand of bangs that framed one side of her face. Hunter blushed at the sight of her, as he tended to do, and gave a dreamy sigh.

Willow smiled brightly at the sight of him and took in his dark shirt and slacks, tawny waistcoat, and deep orange cravat that almost perfectly matched her dress. His gloves were on and his ash-blond hair swept back except for that one adorable forelock that mirrored her bangs.

"Hey, Willow," Hunter whispered.

"Hi, Hunter," she replied. "Care to come in?"

Hunter shrugged. "Since you ask so sweetly," he smirked and followed her inside.

"When they start talking," Willow whispered, "just go with it, okay?" Hunter raised an eyebrow in confusion, and the mischievous gleam behind Willow's glasses didn't help matters.

The Park fathers glanced toward the witchlings as they entered, dressed up in orange-and-brown sweaters and slacks. "Ah, welcome, young man," Eun said, placing a bowl on the dining table and approaching with an outstretched hand. "It is so nice to meet you. I'm Eun Park," he gestured at Gilbert, "and this is my husband, Gilbert." Gilbert nodded and greeted him neutrally, if pleasantly.

Hunter glanced at Willow, who turned her hand in a "move on" gesture. "Uh, I-I'm Hunter Strong," he stammered. "Nice to … meet you? Sir?"

"Manners," Eun said with a wide smile, his bespectacled eyes as lively as his daughter's. "I like you already, son. Come, take a seat. Everything's ready."

Hunter stared blankly as he pulled Willow's chair out for her, receiving a chaste kiss on the cheek in thanks that brought him back to the present. He took his own seat and started playing with his hands. "Uh, Willow-?" he started, but she took a hand in her own and smiled.

"It was Papa's idea," she said quietly. "Something about a clean slate and having fun with it."

Hunter mulled that over and shrugged. Okay, sure, whatever. He could … work with this. Right? Lil Rascal was twittering as if in giggles, and Hunter sighed through his nose. "Shut it, Bird," he growled with no heat behind the words. Surprisingly, Lil Rascal sobered up and flitted to perch on the table with Clover and Needa.

"Dinner is served," Gilbert said as he and Eun took their seats. "Dig in!"

Hunter looked over his options and felt his mouth water. The central dish was a roasted cockatrice, surrounded by fluffy foe-tatoes, boiled scarrots, scream bean bundles wrapped in schvine belly strips, thick bloodberry sauce, and what looked like a crumpkin pie for dessert.

He flashed back to a similar, smaller fare from many years ago, the smells vivid. He sat at a larger table and two blurry figures were looking at him with joy and love in their eyes. Hunter shook his head, banishing the image back into the depths of his mind and forced a wide smile. "It looks delicious. Thank you, sirs," he looked at his girlfriend, "and Willow." His smile was warmer as he finished and he served Willow before himself.

Eun and Gilbert subtly traded stunned looks about Hunter's reaction. He'd looked like he was in genuine pain. And then he'd covered it up and quickly reverted to a goofball who was feeding their daughter bits of cockatrice as she fed him bites of scarrots. Then they both seemed to remember where they were and blushed, looked at the adults, and returned to feeding themselves.

When everyone was served and settling in, Eun started the conversation. "So, Hunter, what do you plan to do with your future?"

Hunter choked on his bite and coughed before he could bring himself to answer. He found Willow giving him an apologetic look and smiled tightly at her before answering. "My uncle … really wants me to join the Emperor's Coven," he admitted.

"Oh my," Eun replied. "That's … quite ambitious."

"Do you not want that?" Gilbert asked.

Hunter pressed his lips together. "I … don't really have a choice, honestly. It's what's expected, and my uncle is the only family I have left." He felt his hand trembling. Dammit, he rehearsed this! Why was he getting so worked up?! "I can't- I can't let him down."

At the sight of this young man faced with such a situation, the fathers traded a pained look. Hunter was clearly under immense pressure, but also … they had done something not dissimilar in placing Willow in the Abomination track at school.

"Out of curiosity," Gilbert said, "what would you want to do, given the choice?"

Hunter blinked at them as if they'd spoken another language. "Ah-hum, uh …" His gaze grew a bit distant, as if in deep thought. "I don't, um …"

"Well, it's perfectly fine to still be working on a plan at your age," Eun encouraged. "You still have some time left in school, plenty to work out your own desires." He tapped his finger against his lips. "Hmm, what do you do for fun, Hunter?"

Hunter smiled, though it was strained. "Well, I, uh- I read a lot," he said. "About anything and everything." He scratched his cheek. "I train with my magic as much as I can, I, uh … do parkour …" He lowered his eyes. "Yeah, that's pretty much it."

"What about your job?" Willow asked innocently.

"You work?" Gilbert asked. "While in school?"

"I, uh, I work for my uncle." He chuckled nervously. "He's … a real taskmaster."

"What do you do for him?" Gilbert asked.

"Odd jobs," Hunter replied, his tone guarded.

The following quiet was a little awkward as everyone just continued eating while struggling for some new direction for the conversation. Finally, Eun's eyes sparkled with mischief. He waited for just the right moment before asking, "So, Hunter. Have you had another girlfriend?"

Hunter choked on his drink, water spraying out of his nose as he was wracked with great, hacking coughs as he cleared it away. His eyes were streaming tears and Willow was patting his back before he settled down again. On his part, Eun had his mouth covered in shock, guilt rising for causing such a situation.

"Wh-Wha-?" Hunter gasped.

"Papa!" Willow scolded. "Why would you ask that?"

"I was just curious, sweetie," Eun said nervously. "He treats you so well, I just wondered if we should be concerned about any rivals."

"No, sir," Hunter said firmly. "I've never had anything close to a girlfriend. Never even-" He blinked as his reason caught up with his voice and he looked away with an embarrassed flush.

"Never had any real friends?" Gilbert asked intently. As Hunter faintly shook his head, lips thinned with discomfort, Gilbert was wondering what this boy's homelife must be like.

"I'm sorry for such a personal question, m'boy," Eun said, his tone regretful.

"S'fine," Hunter said, hoping to smooth things over a little. He glanced at Willow, hoping she had anything to get the head rolling — as they said on the Boiling Isles— in a safer direction.

"Oh, Dad," Willow piped up, "how's Mr. Slithers doing?"

Gilbert gratefully launched into the tale of his employer's battle with the common mold, though his tone was a little guarded as he addressed it. Mr. Slithers was an old man, and Gilbert cared for his boss like an uncle-figure. As he told the story of Mr. Slithers's bedridden ramblings, he shared a glance with Eun … who nodded.

"Are you sure they don't need our help?" Hunter asked as Eun invited him to the top of the apartment building that supposedly held a lovely open-air sitting area. Eun had invited him up, Gilbert offering to clean up and roping Willow into it, as well. Willow had given her dads a suspicious look before agreeing, leaving Hunter with a kiss on the cheek as Eun led him away.

"They'll be fine," Eun said. "Though I truly just want to talk to you alone."

Hunter winced at the idea, just a little. Of the two Park fathers, he usually felt more comfortable around Eun, but then again … "If this is another 'hurt her and I'll kill you' speech, you don't have to worry. I'd rather tear out my own heart than hurt her."

"That is so sweet," Eun said with a proud grin … one that faded into obvious melancholy. "But that's not it."

By now, they had arrived at the apartment building roof and found an awning built into the building above the doorway that shaded several lawn chairs and ended in a railed, knee-high ledge that looked out over the town of Bonesborough. Eun gestured to a pair of lawn chairs and Hunter took the cue to sit. Eun took the seat squarely in front of him.

"Hunter …" Eun started, choking up for a second and removing his glasses to brush his eyes. "I believe you when you say you care for my little Willow." He replaced his glasses and looked Hunter in the eyes, dark meeting magenta. "Do you love Willow?"

Hunter paled at the question, his dominant rational mind struggling to come up with a response that encompassed his feelings for Willow and was honest enough for her father. He sighed and lowered his face into his hands. "I don't know," he replied, the most honest answer he could muster. "I don't … have a lot of experience with love." He lowered his hands and settled his elbows on his knees. "I do know that I care for her so much …! But I don't know if it's love yet."

"Yet," Eun noted with a smile. "You love her enough to be honest with yourself. And you assume that if it is not yet here, it will be."

Hunter looked up and blinked in confusion. "Well, of course. It's Willow — how could it not be?"

Eun looked at him with an emotion Hunter couldn't place. His eyes were … intent, focused, almost scarily so. "Hunter." He reached over and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Have you wondered about Willow's mother?"

Hunter reeled at the sudden question. "Um, well-" His cheeks were burning. "I've … wondered about how you and Mr. Gilbert had her. I mean, she looks too much like you to be adopted."

Eun chuckled. "Yes, I was married, once, before Gilbert. My late wife is Willow's mother." Eun's smile crumbled into grief and he removed his hand from Hunter's shoulder. Hunter noticed that he felt oddly cold without it, but didn't want to press. "Her name was Dahlia," he said, his tone seeming … fragile.

"She, Gilbert and I were inseparable during our Hexside days. Much like Willow, Luz, and Gus are now. We were the best of friends, and Gilbert and I eventually grew into more than friends." He smiled warmly at those nostalgic memories. "Dahlia was always supportive, even though I would later find she carried a torch for me as well. And I can't deny that I found her quite attractive, even if my heart lay with Gilbert."

Hunter narrowed his eyes in thought. "Wait, so if you and Gilbert were a thing, how'd …?"

"My parents," Eun said, his tone taking a ragged edge. "My family was well-off with a thriving family-wide medical practice and looking to rise up in society. And Dahlia came from an old family that was well-respected. Perhaps you've heard of the Menhir family?"

Hunter straightened up and his eyes grew distant for a moment. He recalled several encounters with a cold, stately couple who kept up with the Emperor's business and acted as something of a set of liaisons between the Emperor's Coven and the elite pseudo-aristocracy of the Isles. "I've heard of them," he admitted.

"They were my in-laws, once upon a time. Dahlia's parents," Eun admitted in turn. "They and my own parents arranged a binding marriage contract of mutual benefit," he spat those words like poison, and Hunter found himself shocked by it, "and … I had to break things off with Gilbert." He seemed to shrink in on himself. "I take the vows of marriage very seriously, and I couldn't betray my beliefs, even for him." He smiled painfully. "He understood and we agreed to remain friends." He chuckled, tears rolling down his cheeks. "And Dahlia threatened to kick us both between the legs if we let all of this come between us."

Eun took a rattling breath and let it out before continuing. "After we were married, Dahlia and I truly did become closer. I … I loved Gilbert just as I do now, but … It seemed there was room in my heart for two. Dahlia and I found love of our own, and it- it was wonderful. Willow was born almost a year later." He laughed, the sound rich. "And when she was swollen with child, Dahlia took Gilbert by the ear and told him he would be the godfather. And Gilbert was wise enough to agree." Then his smile faded into a look of such sorrow Hunter was almost moved to tears, himself.

"When Willow was a few months old … Dahlia contracted wyvern pox."

Hunter's hands balled into fists in shock. Wyvern pox, the most feared disease on the Boiling Isles. Almost every child would come down with its childhood variant, wyrm pox, at some point in their early years, long before the age of ten. It was uncomfortable, but almost universally survived. What was so feared was if the disease had not been purged … but lay dormant. Later in life, it could reemerge with a vengeance, stronger than ever. And what was most bizzare was that the younger one was when they contracted wyvern pox, the more deadly it was.

"When Dahlia came down with it so young … we all knew she wouldn't survive," Eun said, his voice hollow now, almost broken. "And on her deathbed, she called Gilbert and I to her side to talk. She … made us promise that after we had time to mourn … we would move on together. And that we would raise Willow together." He gasped a sob, the sound heartbreaking. "She made it her Deathwish."

Deathwishes were not some turn of phrase on the Boiling Isles. They were very real magical phenomena, the final act of magic from one who knows they will not live long. And to defy a Deathwish was not only to invite shame upon oneself, but to call forth the curse of the departed's wrathful will and spirit.

"She said goodbye to Gilbert, then held Willow one last time and told her how much she loved her, and we shared one last kiss, before …" Eun's face twisted with pain and he clearly could not bring himself to finish.

"I-I'm so sorry, Eun," Hunter said, the words lame even to his own ears. "Dahlia sounds like … an amazing woman." He couldn't help but smile sadly. "I can see where Willow gets that fire inside."

"Yes," Eun said, calming down and releasing a deep breath. "I think she would be very proud of the woman Willow is becoming." He smiled and looked directly at Hunter. "I think she would have liked you, too."

Hunter didn't know what to say, but his faint blush said it all. Eun thought Willow's mother would have approved of him, and he always seemed to approve, too. Hunter mused for a moment what it would have been like to meet Dahlia … and then a thought crossed his mind.

"Mr. Eun?" he asked blankly. "Did Willow have wyrm pox as a kid?"

Eun's eyes widened. "Yes."

No sooner had he replied than Hunter's seat was empty and the door to the inside of the apartment building was swinging shut. Eun was stunned for a moment before he took off for the door and the stairs, too.

He had to see this!

Willow smiled as she dried the last dish and placed it in the cupboard. "That's the last of it," she said cheerily.

"Thank you, sweetie," Gilbert said, drying his hands on a towel. "I know it must have been odd being whisked away from your," he seemed to choke for a second, "boyfriend, but I appreciate the help."

"Of course, Dad," Willow said, lifting on her toes to kiss Gilbert's cheek. "But speaking of, I think I'm gonna go find-" The door to the kitchen swung open and both Parks looked that way to find said boyfriend standing in the doorway, breathing heavily. "Hunter?" Willow asked in concern.

In a figurative flash, Hunter had crossed the distance between them and wrapped Willow in a full-body hug, his arms beneath hers and holding her up in his grasp as he buried his face in her hair. He was trembling as he held Willow tightly, almost feverishly, like he was afraid she would disappear.

"Hunter?" Willow asked again, her growing concern keeping her from melting into his touch.

"I love you, Willow Park," Hunter whispered hoarsely, and Willow gasped at the words. "I will love you until the day I die."

Willow was silent for a few long moments before she finally returned his embrace. "I love you, too, Hunter," she said back. They both knew it was still young love, untried and untested. But it was still real, and they reveled in it.

Gilbert and Eun watched from opposite sides of the room with stunned looks. Their eyes met over the lovebirds and they spoke without words as only long-married couples could.

Was that you? Gilbert asked.

Not my intention, Eun replied.

But with another look, they agreed that it was the sweetest thing either of them had seen in a long time. And so they waited just a little while longer before a pointed cough from Gilbert had them separate slowly, reluctantly.

"Anyone want dessert?" Gilbert asked dryly.

Chapter nineteen! Who expected a dinner with dads?

*The Park dads' little "Hi, we just met you" thing came to me and was just too fun NOT to add in.

*Hunter's incident with the water was inspired by "The Incredibles II."

*Hunter has shown a soft side, like when he seemed genuinely hurt when Luz said he wasn't her friend, just the Golden guard - and then told her his real name. I imagine Hunter has a poetic side that compliments it, and knowing and loving Willow has allowed that to ... blossom...!

*I thought of Dahlia's backstory very early in this story while trying to mix angst into the Park dads' story. I am so happy to finally be able to put it in in full!

*Dahlia's maiden name, Menhir, is a word for standing stone or monolith, as in something sturdy that withstands time. I thought it fitting for an old, semi-aristocratic family.

*Wyrm pox and wyvern pox are based on chicken pox and shingles, only made far more deadly. They're named after two types of dragons.

*The Deathwish is somewhat based on the concept of the "death curse" from Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files.

*And we got the three special words! I stand by my belief that true love takes time and work. But young love is a beautiful thing as long as it's kept under control, like a bonfire. And I speak from experience that three weeks can light that spark with ease, one that can grow into TRUE love.

If you have thoughts or insights, leave a review! I adore seeing them and reading about the impact of my stories. May your inspiration flow freely!