Hi everyone some quick notes before we start the story.

1:Everyone is aged up in this story by about four or so years.

2:Hunter is adopted while Vee is blood-related.

3:Hunter was adopted when he was about 8 years old, Luz was 6 and Vee was 5.

That's all everyone, enjoy the story!

"Are you guys excited? I can't wait for you guys to meet them!" Luz cried joyfully, dragging her girlfriend along with their friends in tow all wearing similar expressions. A mix between nervousness, excitement and exasperation. Well, the nervousness was mostly Amity thinking about every possible thing that could go wrong. After all, she was meeting her girlfriend's family! How could she not be nervous? Willow and Luz practically carried her out of her house to go with them.

Luz's family has recently moved since she had to travel so far away for school. It pained all of them when one of the family wasn't with them and after months of planning and talking about the subject, the Noceda's finally decided it would be best to move closer to Luz. She had left to study across the country a few months ago and moved in with some family friends, they adored each other so Camilla saw no problem with the matter when Luz brought it up.

Though it hurt her more than she'd like to admit, Luz leaving had affected them all deeply. Her siblings were attached at the hip since they were small, and Camilla loved her dearly...but she knew that leaving would do her good. And who was she to stand in the way of Luz finding herself? Not to mention her other babies were also branching off and growing up. Her siblings cried so much that day but were ultimately happy for her, and the three always made them call each other at least three times a week.

The separation had hurt true but it granted them all the chance to grow, Camilla as a mother and her babies to grow into the strong, independent young adults she knew they would be.

They had all grown since then and despite the distance, we're still as close as ever. And today their separation would finally end. After months of consideration and dwelling on their next step, they finally decided that they would move to be closer to Luz. Her children had even gotten their acceptance letters to the same school, though for their own courses and apprenticeships.

And today was the day Luz could finally introduce them to her new friends. She had let them settle in for the first few days as she helped them move in but once that was all over she arranged for all of her friends, and awesome girlfriend to come over and meet them.

"Well, amity? Are you~"

"Yeah~ super excited...he he" Luz tightened her grip around the girl's hand, giving her a silent sign of reassurance. Amity had the tendency to overthink things until she sent herself into a downward spiral of anxiety and panic. It reminded her a lot of her brother. But Luz wouldn't let that happen today, today was reserved for happy thoughts only!

"Not worry Amity, my family will love you...all of you" she gestured to her friends along with her. While they weren't nearly as panicked as Amity, they all shared the sick pit in their stomach feeling. The group continued to walk in silence until Willow decided to break the tension with a question, hoping to create some form of icebreaker.

"So Luz, remind me who we're meeting again?" Luz perked up with a grin, and started her famous Luz rambles, effectively destroying the silence like a sledgehammer to a glass window.

"Well there's my Mama and my hermana and hermano, which are my little sister and my older brother"

"What are they like?" Willow asked curiously.

"Well my sister is a little more on the quiet side but she is the sweetest girl you will ever meet, she carries the family trait of adoring books and is really into animal conservation and biology, aww the little eco queen" Luz cooed over her sister like she did when they were little, bring a smile to all their faces.

"What about your brother?" Gus asked.

"Well...actually he's a lot like if you mixed all of us into one" Luz tried to explain, effectively confusing the group and creating more questions.

"What do you mean by that?" Luz tried again.

"Well, he kinda shares a lot of traits with all of us, it's kinda hard to explain but you'll understand when you get to know him, but in general I guess I can say he's really into sports, reading obviously, wood carving and he's seemed to take an interest in mama's veterinarian career. Honestly, he's a jack of all trades so they say, but to me, he'll always be a dorky big brother"

"What sports does he play?" Luz raised a brow at Willow's question. It was an innocent one but to her shipping brain, it was a call to action.

"Well he mostly does fencing and martial arts but I'm pretty sure he's played about everything. Why the interest~? Planning to snag my brother for yourself?" Willows's face instantly flushed at the implication as she started shaking her face vigorously in denial and embarrassment. Gus, Amity and Luz all snickered and decided to have a little fun with this.

"Yeah, I mean from what Luz has told me, he seems right up your alley Wil" Amity said nonchalantly.

"True, hey Luz, would Willow find his appearance as attractive as his...personality" Willow kicked Gus in the shin, who collapsed in both laughter and mock pain. Luz smirked even more than what Willow thought was possible, rivalling that of the Cheshire Cat.

It made her nervous.

"Well, he's a Noceda! Of course, he's attractive objectively I'm proud to say we're all blessed with good looks, tsk he was even considered the hottest guy at my last school. Though he hated that title, him and his damn self-esteem issues...I'm glad they've gotten better over the years, take that mental deprivation, fuck you!" They all laughed at Luz's antics and finally decided to leave Willow alone and give her a break from their teasing. After all, it wasn't long until they reached their destination.

Not long after they reached the door of the Noceda household, Luz knocked on the door quickly and pushed the door open announcing their arrival and dragging her friends behind her.

"MAMA! We're here~!" They all winced at Luz's volume but sighed, knowing they all should have expected that. It was Luz, she was not your average girl after all. After about ten seconds of waiting a woman walked through the threshold of the passageway, trailing behind her was a young girl who looked around their age. They must have been Luz's mother and sister.

"Luz!" The girl cried as she bolted towards her sister.

"Vee!" Luz threw her arms around her sister and gave her a little twirl before putting her down and ruffling her hair. Luz shifted to her side and gestured between her family and her friends.

"Everyone, this is my mama Camila and my little sister Vee" The woman stepped forward and gave a small bow as a greeting while Vee gave a nervous and polite wave.

"Nice to meet you"

"Yes, we've heard so much about you all and very much looked forward to meeting you, thank you for being so kind to my Mija" They all greeted the family and gave their introductions until Luz stepped up and very proudly introduced her amazing girlfriend to her family.

"And this is Amity, my awesome girlfriend" The girl blushed and pulled out her hand nervously.

"Hello Mrs Noceda, it's a pleasure to meet you" The woman smiled sweetly and kindly met grasped the girl's hand but surprised the girl by pulling her in for a hug.

"Just call me Camila, friends and significant others of my carinos are family in my book"

Amity never really knew what it was like to have a healthy mother figure in her life, and the fact that she was being so quickly accepted into Luz's family just like that was strange to her. That didn't mean she wasn't happy though, if anything it was quite the opposite. The simple hug from Camila was almost enough to bring her to tears, but she held them back it would be silly to cry right after meeting your girlfriend's mother, wouldn't it?

"Thank you, Mis- er, Camila"

"Wait! Mama, where's Hunter?" Willow perked up.

Did she say, Hunter?

"Oh you know that boy, he went directly to check out the library the second he got the chance, he also said he was getting something but I don't know what. He must have lost track of time" Luz let out an exasperated sigh. That sure did sound like her brother, and she knew full well that the second he remembered/realised the time he would be sprinting down the street and right through the door.

"LUZ~ I'm so sorry I'm late!" As if he were waiting for the perfect moment to make the most dramatic entrance ever, her big brother ran through the front door, narrowly dodging crashing into her friends and dropping all his books on the floor. He carefully placed his stack of books down by the counter and Luz took this opportunity to sprint at him and tackle him into the wall.

"Hermano! You are late! How dare you, this is blasphemy!" The boy, who was recovering from being successfully winded by the collision laughed and awkwardly returned his sister's hug, before pulling away to catch his breath. While he did enjoy hugs from his family he appreciated his space just as much, plus his sister was stronger than she looked. He wouldn't be surprised if there was a Hunter-sized dent in the wall behind him. Flapjack, his cardinal perched safely on his shoulder after the commotion.

"Yeah yeah I know, I'm sorry I'm late but I have good reasons, here" Hunter reached over to his enormous pile of books and pulled out a small book with a purple leather backing. He handed it over to his sister.

She screamed

"Oh my titan, Luz are you ok?" Amity looked over her shoulder to better see what she was looking at only to have the exact same reaction Luz did.

"OH MY GOD! Hunter, this is a limited edition signed copy of volume six of The Good Witch Azura, how in the hell did you get this?" Hunter smirked and dramatically tossed his hair, Hunter...ever the drama queen.

He spent way too much time with Darius

"Well, I managed to find this gem in a second-hand book store on the drive here and Darius, the ever-connected man he is pulled a favour to get it signed, consider it a reverse homecoming present" Luz tackled him in another hug which thankfully he was more prepared for and gently spun her around much like how she did with Vee earlier.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, you're the best brother ever!"

"I know, I try my best" The two separated after a moment and were distracted by Flapjack twittering over them and directly over to Willow, where he quite happily landed in her hair.

Oh right, she was going to introduce them, wasn't she?

"Oh shoot sorry, Flapjack don't be rude-"

"Flapjack?" Willow questioned. The blonde shyly nodded and hesitantly reached over to pick up the bird from her hair. Sure he sounded all cocky and confident around his family but the moment he was around others, the shy and socially awkward Hunter stepped up to take the wheel.

"Yeah, that's his name, I'm sorry he's trying to be friendly. He doesn't usually leave my shoulder though" Willow's face morphed into a confused and shocked expression as she realised something but Luz spoke up before she could. Unbeknownst to her, Hunter seemed to be slowly reflecting her expression.

"Well now that the nerd is here, this is my older brother Hunter. Hunter these are my beautiful girlfriend Amity, the totally radical Augustus and the exceptionally exquisite-"

"Willow?"

"Ah...yeah? do you know-"

"Oh my gosh, it's you, Hunter!" Willow dashed over towards the boy, who surprisingly returned the action. What parallel world had they been transported into?

"Willow, it's you! I can't believe it" Hunter rushed over to the girl and embraced her pulling them both into a tight hug, Hunter placed his arms around her shoulders while Willow's circled around his waist due to their height difference. Hunter pulled her closer and snuggled his face into her hair while Willow reciprocated by cuddling into his chest.

There was longing and relief in their embrace as if they had longed to see each other forever but never could. Everyone stood in stunned silence as they watched the two happily hold each other until Luz finally decided to break up their little moment. Usually, she'd never break up such a beautiful moment but this was weird.

She was infamous for being weird, but this was something else. Hunter was never this cuddly with anyone but their family and that was far and in between.

"Ahem!" Hunter and Willow seemed to break out of their trance and rather quickly jumped away from each other, realising the rather...intimate positions they were in. They turned to the other occupants of the room who all seemed to be utterly bewildered by the sudden display.

"What the heck just happened? Someone, please explain what...this is? You know each other?" Hunter blushed and awkwardly rubbed his neck as to somehow find the words and/or calm his nerves. His family could read his expression like a book, they knew something was wrong the moment they saw a flash of panic spread across his face.

It was only for a second but they noticed it.

He only made that face when he remembered his past, before he became a part of their little family.

"Mijo?" Hunter took a deep breath and started talking.

"Don't worry...I'm good. As for everything else...Willow and I are old friends, way back from when I still lived with...Philip, she was the first friend I ever had aside from Flapjack of course" Their eyes widened while Gus clenched his head coming to his own realisation.

"Oh my titan, you're that Hunter?! Willow told us about you when we were younger but how? She told us you moved across the country?" Hunter gave a hollow laugh and nodded his head. They all decided with would be more of a story to continue while sitting down and all moved to the Noceda's lounge to sit down. Not only was this turning out to be a much heavier story than they thought but they could all tell if they didn't sit Hunter down somewhere solid, he was going to pass out.

"We knew each other when we were little, I would sneak out every day and we'd hang out. Once social services...got involved I had to move away, we never saw each other again, until now that is. It's been eight years since then, why didn't you ever mention her sooner Luz?!"

"Why didn't you?!"

"I thought I did!" Hunter and Luz yelled at the same time. They stopped and stared at each other for about five seconds then both burst into uncontrollable laughter. Luz almost fell off the couch if not for Vee and Amity holding her back and Hunter rolled backwards almost falling into Willow's lap who braced his shoulders preventing him from falling.

Not that she minded of course...

The two had successfully broken the tension and quickly settled the issue and drama. The group still couldn't believe that Hunter and Willow knew each other, especially from so long ago. But weirdly it kinda made sense. Weirdos stick together after all, even after years of separation.

Who'd have thought?

And their chemistry was undeniable too, it was almost scary how well they got along even after all these years. Hell, both Hunter and Vee seemed to have gotten along amazingly with all her friends. Hunter and Gus ranted about Cosmic frontier like the little nerds they were and Willow and Vee chatted about rare and extinct plants. Then the most nerdy, most pretentious golden child, most... Hunter and Amity thing happened.

They started to talk about their...grades? Not in an I'm better than you way, but in an Oh my god you're a prodigy too? No way! Wanna study together and swap notes? Sort of way. Luz really was surrounded by nerds, not only was she related to one, but she was dating one too.

The group continued to hang out and Camila offered to let the kids stay the night, which they all happily accepted. This led to the group all occupying the lounge and gossiping about their respective schools and outside cliques. They spoke for hours and all seems right and well until Willow noticed Hunter had disappeared from the group and left the room. She waited a few minutes until deciding to go check on him, so getting up and excusing herself she made herself across the room and down the hall. She wasn't having much luck until she ran into Camila who seemed to have noticed her concern.

"Oh mija, are you alright?" Willow nodded.

"Yes I'm fine, I was just looking for Hunter...he slipped away from the others and I got worried" Camilla smiled and gestured towards the back door.

"He's out there, he likes to tend to the garden" Willow smiled, they used to tend to her garden when they were little whenever they got the chance. It was sweet to know that he still continued the old hobby, much like she still did. Willow thanked Camila and quickly crept down the hall until she reached the door.

Hunter was sitting on the porch, the moon illuminating his figure as he calmly petted Flapjack's feathers who had happily perched on his shoulder. He looked so peaceful, it was a far cry from her memories of their childhood. Instead of the constant stiffness and tension that racked his body when they were children, she saw he was completely relaxed and seemed at peace, he seemed happy.

She stood there for another minute until Flapjack turned around and looked up at her, chirping in acknowledgment. Hunter peered over his shoulder, his eyes widening once he saw her and face flushing a delicate pink which Willow thankfully didn't notice due to the darkness of the back porch. The girl carefully walked out the door and walked until she was beside him gesturing if she could take a seat next to him. Unable to find words Hunter vigorously nodded, causing Flapjack to refuge on Hunter's knee instead.

"Sorry I didn't mean to spy on you, you just looked so peaceful I didn't want to disturb you"

"No no, it's ok...I just wasn't expecting company, why aren't you with the others?" Willow noticed he resumed stoking Flapjack, she figured it must be a calming technique, much like her breathing one.

"I came looking for you, you disappeared for a little bit there" Hunter smiled, same old Willow he thought, she was always looking out for him.

"Sorry about that, I'm ok I promise...it's just my social battery ran out, too many people I couldn't deal with it and needed a break...not that I don't like you guys! You guys are great, especially you- I mean-er...it's just- I... I'm going to shut up now" Hunter hid his face with his hands, shaking his head in embarrassment as Flapjack nested in his hair having been disturbed again. Hunter could feel the blood rush to his face, what the heck was he saying? He hated when his mouth worked faster than his brain, usually when that happened something went wrong.

Last time it happened he got slapped by a girl at school, he didn't mean to say she wasn't pretty...he just wasn't attracted to her.

Let's just say she didn't stay long enough to hear him out.

He waited for a few seconds and heard Willow shift, assuming she was leaving he felt his heart drop. He made her uncomfortable and insulted her friends, and his sister obviously, god why couldn't he just-

"It's ok, I understand"

"Really?" Willow nodded and moved closer resting her head on his shoulder, Hunter stiffened for a moment before relaxing into her touch. He wasn't used to affection that wasn't his family but he didn't mind this, he didn't quite know why though. What about Willow made him so comfortable?

"Yes really, I understand getting overwhelmed in crowds and you only just met us, well...most of us, it's normal to want a break. Ya know what?"

"What?" He asked in an intrigued tone.

"Even I need breaks from the group sometimes, honestly I do almost exactly what you do, I either tend to my plants or if I need to blow off some steam I'll work out for a few hours. Everyone needs a break from time to time, it's just some need more than others. Don't feel guilty or ashamed of it, it's just another thing that makes you, you" Hunter, unable to find the works simply nodded and rested his head against hers allowing his body to completely relax against her. They stayed this way for a few minutes, which felt like hours to Hunter before he finally found the words.

"Thank you" Willow's head shifted slightly.

"What for? Coming to find you?" He shook his head and tentatively placed his hand on hers, intertwining their fingers nervously as he let out a sigh.

"No...yes? well, not just that...when we were kids, you helped me so much. You became my first and only friend when I believed I had no one, I had Flapjack but even she knew that I was still lonely, that's probably why she found you" That's right, Willow thought. Flapjack had been the reason they met, the small little bird flew right into her and started tugging her hair to follow them. This led to Willow getting absolutely bodied to the ground as a small get surprisingly strong boy ran right into her sending them both into the ground below.

"She really is a loyal bird isn't she?"

"Yeah, she is...because of her I had the chance to meet you, and you changed my life for the better in so many ways"

"What do you mean? I didn't do much"

"Yes, you did! You gave me a friend when I need one most, you gave me affection and kindness when I thought no one would ever care about who I was. You showed me what my life really was and gave me the courage to take my life into my own hands, do you know how I was taken out of my uncle's custody? Willow shook her head. She was always curious about that subject but she never got the chance to ask.

"I reported him"

"What?"

"About three months after we met I started to think about everything you said, his actions...his words...everything screamed red flag, and I realised he was getting worse...that's when I realised I...didn't want that life anymore. I wanted a life I could live rather than a life a could watch from my uncle's shadow. So over the following months, I gathered as much evidence I could and reported him myself..." Hunter's voice hung in the air for a moment as if the next words were magically caught in his throat. At that point Willow had shifted his body towards him and was now hugging his side, rubbing his back comfortingly as she waited for him to continue.

"If it weren't for you I would still be stuck in that empty dark house cursed to be alone until I died. But now, I have an amazing family, the opportunity to make friends, I have the chance to do whatever I want and be whoever I want to be. You gave me that Willow...and for that I can never ever thank you enough" Now the two were gazing directly into each other's souls, Willow's eyes wide with surprise and Hunter's in absolute adoration and there was something in each other's gaze they couldn't quite place.

Willow was speechless, had Hunter felt this way all this time? She never knew how much of a role she played in his life until now, honestly, she thought that he had completely forgotten her once he moved, and she wouldn't blame him. She knew she'd never forget him though, he had played such a big part in her life too and allowed her the chance to gain confidence in herself that she had long forgotten she had. He had been her shoulder to cry on just as much as she was his.

They never fully knew just how much they had become each other's support system until they lost each other.

"I didn't do that much but I'm so happy that I helped you so much, that I helped you gain the courage to do what you felt was right. But at the end of the day Hunter, you were the one who changed your life, you took your life into your own hands, but I am so incredibly proud that you feel I played such a big role in that. You have nothing to thank me for, we're friends after all aren't we?" Hunter smiled warmly, revealing his adorable tooth gap, as tears started to fall slowly from his eyes. Willow mirrored him and before she knew it Hunter lunged over and embraced her tightly, wrapping his arms around her shoulders much like when they had reunited.

They remained in each other's arms for what seemed like hours, this time without the worry of Luz or anyone else ruining their moment. They didn't notice Camilla who had walked near the door give them a proud smile and walk back to the other kids, there was a reason they weren't being disturbed after all.

Estoy tan contenta de que la hayas encontrado de nuevo, Mijo (I apologise if this is inaccurate, blame google translate and my inability to speak Spanish)

After however long they had stayed in each other's arms Hunter pulled away slightly, not enough for them to pull apart but enough for Hunter to see her face and vice versa. Hunter was a blushing mess and could only pray that it was too dark for her to notice. Thankfully it was, if it hadn't he would have definitely seen that her face was in the exact same state.

"Um...Willow"

"Yes?"

"I was thinking, well- since it's been so long, that um maybe we- we could...doyouwannahangoutjustthetwoofus" Willow smiled, this time with a hint of playfulness. While Hunter has definitely kept some of his habits from their childhood he had changed so much and grown into a lovely young man, she wanted to show that she had also grown as a woman.

"Sure I'd love to, are you free tomorrow?" Hunter grinned, happier than she'd seen him all evening, he was practically vibrating his joy as he nodded vigorously.

"Yeah I am, feel like showing me around town?"

"Of course, it's a date" Before she lost her nerve she leaned over a gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, which lasted about four seconds before she pulled away, got up and walked inside, hiding her face in her braids repeating the same thing in her head over and over again.

Why'd I do that, why'd I do that, why'd I do that?

Meanwhile, Hunter simply sat there absolutely stunned, lifting a hand to his cheek where her lips had once been. He could still feel the lingering feeling against his skin, somehow stronger than the heat of his face. He sat there wearing a goofy grin, rocking his body completely in his own little blissful world. It took a good thirty seconds before the weight of her words hit him.

"DATE?!"

And I'm finally done! This was so much fun to write but god did it take time, I also had to stop myself from going so many dark routes but whatever. I love this ship so much and I hope you all enjoyed this story and please feel free to comment any ideas, constructive criticism and opinions. Thank you and have a great day everyone!

If you are interested in a sequel or prequel about Hunter and Willow's past, let me know.

~Luna