What A Lover Doesn't Know … Can Be A Surprise
"Hunter?" Willow asked, her voice rough from sleep as she wandered out of their room wrapped in a robe. She lifted her glasses to rub the grit from her eyes — grus fairies who fed on dreams were harmless, but their leavings were annoying — and looked at the folded cardstock in her hand that had been sitting on the nightstand when she had woken up alone.
"Greatest morning, Captain! Planning a surprise, but need time to prepare. I'm sorry, sorry, sorry and will make it up to you! Love you to the ends of the Isles! — Hunter."
"You're lucky you're sweet," Willow sighed with exasperated amusement. She loved Hunter and deeply appreciated that he always tried to be romantic, but waking up alone in bed hadn't been ideal. She wandered into the kitchenette and found a skillet of scrambled eggs, schvine sausage, and gashbrowns mixed into a casserole, steaming over the oven's small pilot light. A plate and silverware sat next to it and another piece of cardstock sat on it reading, "Favorite breakfast for my favorite witch!"
Willow smiled with delight and scooped the breakfast from the skillet onto the plate, carefully saving the card, before turning off the oven flame and moving to the den area to find Steve in a robe of his own over his pajamas sitting on the couch, nursing a steaming cup of scoffee, and reading the newspaper. He looked up and smiled jovially, nodding at her steaming plate.
"I found a note saying to keep my hands off," Steve said. "Thing was booby trapped to shock anyone who tried to take from the skillet."
"Oh! I'm so sorry," Willow said, offering the plate, but Steve waved it off.
"Ah, I think it's sweet." Steve grinned. "Kid's got it bad for you, in case you weren't aware."
"Very," Willow giggled, her cheeks pinking, and she plopped down on the couch to eat as Steve returned to his paper. They sat in companionable silence for a while before Steve spoke up again. "Katya figured out Hunter's surprise and wants to help him out, so they'll be busy for a while," he said nonchalantly, turning a page. "Any ideas on how to spend the day?"
"You tell me," Willow said, nodding to the paper as she bit into a sausage link.
"I saw this," he said, turning the paper to show her, "but it's an evening thing. Figured we could all do it as a group."
"I have to say, I like all of the double dates," Willow laughed, eyes crinkling. "I never thought I'd get the chance growing up."
"Teen years suck for most," Steve consoled. "I was a skinny, acne-encrusted mess my first year in the Construction track at Glandus."
"You grew out of it, didn't you?" Willow lightly accused.
"Mostly, yeah," Steve admitted. "I filled out really fast after that and my magic kicked into high gear." He stroked the stubble on his chin and folded the paper. "Why don't we try checking out the town market?" he suggested, eyes glittering. "Maybe you'll find something for Hunter?"
Willow smiled and traced a spell to float her dishes to the sink to clean later. "That sounds like fun," she replied.
Katya smiled to herself as she watched from the doorway of one of the resort's many open ballrooms. She held a pamphlet of the resort's activity directory in her hand and leaned a shoulder against the doorframe, arms crossed over her chest as she watched what most would call a trainwreck in progress.
"Remember to not step on their toes," the instructor, an elderly Arachne demon woman leaning on a cane, said as Hunter stepped on the toes of yet another class partner. A partner for a lesson in dance, of all things. Off to the side, a line of men and women sat on a bench massaging their feet. Hunter's previous learning partners.
"Sorry," Hunter said through set teeth, his anxiety obvious. He was dressed in a simple charcoal button-up and slacks, yet he'd clearly collected some admirers.
"It's okay," a witchling girl in her midteens said, her flirty smile jarred by a wince of pain as Hunter once again mashed her toes. "Anything for a Hero of the Isles," she continued, eyes fluttering as Hunter misstepped again. "And a handsome one, too-" She yelped and fell back, Hunter swooping into a dip to catch her and gently lower her to the floor.
"I'm sorry," Hunter said, clearly oblivious to the girl's best attempts at flirting. "This was a mistake." He bowed at the waist to the instructor with regal manners and turned to leave, a picture of downtrodden disappointment. Katya could almost see a rain cloud hanging over his head.
"I think it's sweet," Katya said as Hunter drew nearer. He looked up in shock, clearly too lost in his dance lesson and then his feelings to notice her presence.
"Katya!" he yelped. "Wha- Um! H-How long have you been there?"
"Since the start," Katya replied easily, revealing the itinerary between two fingers. A dance workshop was circled in Hunter's messy scrawl. "I found this on the suite's bar last night."
Hunter groaned and snatched it from her fingers, the motion more sullen than frustrated. "It was a bad idea," he sighed. "I'm hopeless."
"No," Katya said with easy confidence. "You're just nervous." She leaned her head a bit to look over his shoulder at the continuing dance workshop and flicked a thumb backward before turning and leaving. Hunter blinked and followed. Katya led him back to their suite, where she summoned her tambourine and shook out a high-paced tune on the zills to move the furniture to line the walls and leave a large open space.
"As it turns out," Katya said proudly, "I'm a pretty accomplished dancer." She began to stretch, casually emphasizing the loose lavender blouse and dark undershirt and tights she wore with dancing flats. "It's often a part of bard training."
"Are you offering to teach me?" Hunter asked, eyes wide. He flicked a thumb and said, "I mean, you saw what I did back there."
"You're nervous," Katya said, continuing to stretch her legs now, and gesturing for Hunter to do the same. "That's why you're stiff. You're wracked with doubt, thinking about hurting the other person getting hurt, thinking about hurting or disappointing Willow, and just all over the place in your head." She moved on to stretching her arms. "But you know me, Hunter." She smiled brightly. "You know I'm honest and I'll help you for you, as a friend." Her smile turned into a fanged grin. "Besides, I ship you two so hard that I'll find a way to drum ballroom dance into your head if I have to actually drum it."
Hunter snorted at the bad pun, hiding a small smile, and thought it over before shrugging and beginning his own stretches. "Screw it. What do I have to lose?"
"That's the spirit!" Katya said. When Hunter was done, Katya guided him through how to stand and hold her waist and hand through the dance before guiding him through some beginner steps with a four-time count. She gave clear and deliberate instructions on how to move, her eyes narrowed shrewdly as she kept a close eye on his footwork and movements. She offered suggestions and gave adjustments as needed — each one incorporated immediately and with almost frightening willpower — until his motions became less stiff and more fluid.
Just as she'd silently predicted, having an instructor that he was familiar with allowed Hunter to relax and for his natural athleticism to rise up and have him spinning Katya around in mere hours as if he'd been doing it for years. Katya called for a break after that revelation and they headed down to one of the resort's bistros for light lunch.
"So," Katya said as she took a bite of her … meal. It was supposed to be a salad, but was so heavy with meat that it evened out, at least. That was one thing Hunter respected about her: complete body confidence. "Dancing, huh?" she continued. "What made you want to learn?"
"Willow likes to dance," Hunter said briefly, perusing his own much greener salad. "I was terrible at it for all three of her Groms. She's asked a few other times over the years and I always feel bad turning her down due to my own ignorance. She smiles through it, but I can tell she wants to share that experience outside of a school event." He looked down and to the side … and Katya smelled romance in his look. It was the same look Steve had gotten every now and then … between the time he'd bought the rings and popped the question.
"Any other reason?" she asked with a knowing smile.
"Not that you're going to learn," Hunter said, eyes narrowed.
"Fine, whatever," Katya said, holding her hands up and palm outward in surrender, tilting her head to look at him through the side of her eyes. She sipped her spring water and smiled more warmly. "If it makes you feel better, I'll have you able to sweep Willow off her feet by tonight."
"That fast?" Hunter asked in apparent honest surprise. "I still feel stiff."
"You really don't get the process, do you?" Katya mused. "You're a natural, Hunter. Trust me, you've picked up more in one lesson than most do in six."
"I just have a good motivator," Hunter deflected, his cheeks pinking. Katya wanted to squeal at how cute that was. She'd long since mastered the art of making Steve blush, but he was always just as confident as he was bashful — though she certainly wouldn't change that, ever. But Hunter was usually more bashfulness than confidence, and Katya had a feeling that it plucked delightfully at Willow's stolen heartstrings.
"I've found that certainly helps it along," Katya replied neutrally. They finished their meals and headed up for more practice.
"By the way, do you know where the others are?" Hunter asked.
"Steve messaged and said they were in town," Katya said. "They're probably just seeing the sights."
"Oh, it's so pretty!" Willow cooed.
Rather than looking at the ocean, at the cliffs that loomed over the town, or at the town itself, the girl was on her knees in a sleeveless yellow Emerald Entrails shirt and green cargo shorts with her boots, hands cupped around a single flower that had grown from a crack in the extravagant, snow-white Titan Bone sidewalk. Steve stood a bit to the side, hands in the pockets of his leather jacket and a soft smile on his lips as he looked on, though part of him was also vigilant to their surroundings.
The flower had a tall, thin stalk that looked like it would be blown down by a stiff breeze, capped by a shimmering blue-white flower with a candle-like light shimmering within its throat. Steve was pretty sure it was a phantom lily, one of the few genuinely harmless flowers of the Boiling Isles.
"Hello, little one," Willow continued to say sweetly, brushing a thumb along wispy white petals on a thin stalk. "How strong you are to grow here." Her smile turned sad, yet determined. "How would you like to come home with me? We could make you more comfortable."
The wind whispered over the sidewalk and the thin flower seemed to dance in it, and Willow's smile brightened. "Brace yourself." She traced a spell circle that gently drew the flower by its whole roots from its place between the slabs of Titan Bone and tied the roots and around her wrist like a bracelet, the stem curling like a second band to settle the flower at the top of her wrist. A second spell circle drew wisps of green light from the soil that flowed into the roots and had them glowing faintly green.
"There you go," she said. "I'll have you in real soil and water when we get back."
"That was very impressive," Steve said with a nod of approval. "I'll admit, my Plant magic isn't the best." He gestured at her wrist. "I could never pull that off."
"You say that about every branch of magic except Construction," Willow noted, her eyes crinkling with a smile. "You're way better than you think."
"That's sweet of you, Willow," Steve shrugged. "C'mon," he gestured further along the beachfront. "The market's just up ahead."
Indeed it was. The market sprawled over the beachside mainstreet and spilled out onto a designated stretch of pebbled beach, full of stalls and stands hawking everything from fresh fruit grown on the coast to ceramic dishware to knick knacks. The latter particularly seemed to draw Willow's eye as they strolled through the market.
"Looking for something for Hunter?" he asked, confident in her answer.
"Mmm-hmm," she hummed, eyes still roaming. "He gets so little for himself."
"He was raised to be self-sufficient," Steve said. "Scouts were trained the same way. Anything without an immediate use was considered a trifle and not worth having." His smile faded into a faint frown as he looked ahead and chewed on his next words. "It also runs deeper, I think. He doesn't- Well-"
"…He doesn't think he's worthy to have things of his own," Willow finished, her voice lower and … almost angry. "He does," she asserted, "and I want him to know that."
"If anyone could teach him that, it's you," Steve said, smiling wide. He was more than aware that the sundry knick knacks, paintings, and other paraphernalia that filled Hunter's bedrooms in the Owl House and Noceda home were almost all from friends, and almost all of those from Willow herself.
They perused through the market, stopping often to look at various wares. Willow bought some hand-crafted vases and pots — one of which she planted her flower in with sweet reassurances — as well as some crafting supplies and small gifts for Hunter. In particular, she gathered tools for leathercrafting, which he had mentioned a new interest in.
Steve also picked up some odds and ends, such as an enchanted painting of a seaside that made ocean sounds for Katya or a set of paint pens for Matt. Some giraffe-styled tea towels were for his and Matt's shared mother, who had always had a fascination with the beasts.
They chatted as they walked, particularly about Plant magic and the flora of the Isles. Willow spoke of the flower on her wrist, confirming that it was a phantom lily, and explaining how they served as a symbol of resilience because of its power to grow in the most unexpected places, for its seeds to remain dormant for years waiting for a time to grow, and its general unwillingness to go extinct in spite of the many, many dangerous competitive plants of the Isles. They were named for their seeming ability to return from death after years of disappearance.
Steve offered his expertise on the geography of the Isles that complimented Willow's exposition, connecting to how environments impacted the local plant life. He'd traveled quite a lot during his tenure as a coven scout and told stories of the less oppressive missions he'd been on.
They even discussed lessons, with Willow offering to help Steve hone his Plant magic if he had no problem learning from a student. Naturally, Steve was fine with that. Not just because of Willow's power, but because of her clear passion for the art. Steve countered with an offer to teach her what he knew of any other kind of magic. That had given Willow pause, as she'd never seriously considered taking up another branch. After a long period of silent thought, she asked if he could teach her Healing. He'd agreed, but let her know that his skills were limited. Willow had smiled and wondered aloud if that was his humility talking.
They took a break to get some food from a vendor, snacking on the sea wall that separated the town from the beach, before continuing on their way. There was no real rush, as neither knew how long preparation for Hunter's surprise would take. It gave the two a chance to bond outside of mutual friendships. Though less so than with Katya, Willow rarely got the chance to spend time with Steve unless Hunter, King, Lilith, or Mattholomule were around.
Soon they wandered along the public beach, looking out for shells. Willow picked up several that she knew Hunter could either identify on the spot or would enjoy researching, while Steve used Construction magic to sift through the sand and collect several pieces of sea glass and a few more shells for himself and Katya.
Soon enough, Steve got a scroll message from Katya that Hunter was ready to surprise Willow, and he summoned his motorbike with a spell circle as wide as his stretch arms that he pushed forward, the grandiose machine settling in the circle's wake. Steve waved his hand toward it in invitation, and Willow had stars behind her glasses as she hopped on.
The citizens and tourists of Chadi were then exposed to the simultaneous terror and awe of Steve Malva's bike as he rode back to the resort, both he and Willow wearing sunglasses and feeling awesome as they did.
"Hunter, Katya, we're back!" Willow called, running her fingers through her now-short hair and marveling at how easy it was to brush back into place.
"Hey, you two," Katya said from the couch, still pushed to the side of the den, much to Willow and Steve's surprise. "How was the market?"
"We got some good stuff for everyone," Steve reported, putting down his and Willow's bags that he had offered to carry like a gentleman. "Willow here," he ruffled her hair, much to her amusement, "bought about half the market's wares for her Hunter."
"That's so cute," Katya giggled. She, too, was aware of why Willow bought so much for Hunter. "Speaking of doing nice things for your lover," Katya said, putting emphasis on the term as she rose gracefully and traced a spell that she triggered with a snap of her fingers. Willow's clothes flashed with red-gold light, the tank top and shorts disappearing to be replaced with a scarlet, knee-length, thin-strapped dress with white lace along the low neckline, her boots replaced by dancing flats. Katya whistled through her fingers, and Willow's hair was brushed and styled in waves by the magic vibrations.
With a final snap of her fingers, a gramo-crone lowered its needle to a record and began to play a soft tune on piano and strings. A tune that Luz had showed them in a movie from the human realm.
Katya moved to take Steve's hand and draw him back before spreading her arm at the closed door to Willow and Hunter's room. "Cue the love interest," she called, and the door opened to admit Hunter, dressed in a dark suit jacket and slacks over a crisp scarlet shirt that matched Willow's dress, his polished shoes clicking on the wooden floor.
"Captain," he said, his tone gentle and formal, his smile small and genuine, his eyes glittering as he bowed at the waist in a courtly gesture, "may I have this dance?"
Willow stared in surprise for a moment, her mouth hanging open, before she gave a faint nod and curtsied in reply to his bow. They stood together and approached, Willow holding her hands up. Hunter confidently took one in his own and placed the other on his shoulder before placing his free hand on her waist.
Hunter motioned to take the lead, and Willow let him. Part of her winced inside, waiting for him to step on her toes … but he didn't. His steps were smooth and graceful, confident and assured. His smile grew warmer, apparently having guessed her thoughts, and he spun them around before leading her into some quick, trotting steps.
Willow's cheeks flushed and she smiled widely as Hunter led her through a simple dance to the strings and piano. Memories of learning to dance with her dads from the time she was little arose from the back of her mind, carrying with them the lifelong desire to dance with her soulmate. Tears of joy gathered in her eyes as her body flowed through the familiar motions, following Hunter's motions with grace and confidence. Sweeps, spins, trots, and a final dip, and the music rose to a crescendo that had the duo twirling together, fronts pressed tight as they savored each others' presence.
The music eased and they slowed into a gentle sway in each others' arms, easing into a tight embrace as Willow rested her cheek against Hunter's chest, the thrum of his galdorstone heart soothing her just as a heartbeat would.
"Thank you, Hunter," Willow whispered, her voice rough with tears that began to fall down her cheeks and past her happy smile. The simple words didn't begin to cover her gratitude for such a heartfelt gesture, but it was all she could bring herself to say in this perfect moment.
"Anything for you, Willow," Hunter whispered back like a prayer, his voice vibrating through his chest for Willow to nuzzle against.
A loud sniffle broke the figurative spell and both of them looked over to find Steve openly crying with a happy smile of his own, his hands clasped in front of his mouth. "That's so beautiful," he said.
"Oh, come here you big softie," Katya cooed, taking his hands in hers and kissing his cheek. She whistled to get the gramo-crone working again, and a faster tune emerged, another from the human realm and also incorporating violins and piano, and Katya winked at Hunter, who nodded and swept Willow into a dance that complimented Katya leading Steve.
The couples danced to the song and to two more before the gramo-crone's record ended and they stepped apart, the men bowing and the women curtsying, as per tradition.
"Well, that was fun," Steve said, popping his neck. "I was gonna suggest we all go snorse-back riding this evening, but …" he looked over Katya and Hunter, who both looked exhausted from hours of dance practice, though also satisfied from a romantic gesture well done, "… maybe that's not for tonight."
"We could go in the morning," Katya said, drawing Hunter's itinerary from her cleavage and flipping it open. "There's a morning slot open. We could do that before we pack up and check out."
It went unsaid that their passes expired the next day. All good things must come to an end, and all that.
"I'm in," Willow chirped. "I've never gone snorse-back riding before."
"Steve and I were trained in it," Hunter mentioned, Steve nodding.
"That settles that," Katya said, tossing the pamphlet away and taking Steve's hand to lead him to their room. "Sleep tight, you two. It's an early morning to beat the heat."
Hunter and Willow looked at each other with soft eyes and smiles, leaning in for a long, luxurious kiss before making their way to their own room. They took turns showering and crawled into bed in sleep shorts and a thin shift, respectively, cuddling against each other and kissing deeply before deigning to relax into slumber.
They both suspected — correctly — that their chaperones were doing much the same.
Chapter five is here, and with it bonding between the last friendly pairings. It was really fun figuring out stuff for them - I hope you all liked it!
*Grus is Swedish for grit. I would have used the word for sand, but it is exactly the same between English and Swedish. Grus fairies are bug demons and essentially the idea of the sandman, but they feed on the positive magic of those who have pleasant dreams. They're annoyances, like gnats.
*An Arachne demon is like the baby class teacher at Glandus, named for their clearly spider-like appearance.
*The phantom lily is largely my own creation, to demonstrate Willow's gentleness more than anything. It was fun to devise.
*The paint pens for Matt are a reference to his job under Tibbles, implying he has an interest in painting.
*Steve and Matt's mom being interested in giraffes is a nod to my own mother, who has an entire room of her house dedicated to the giraffe decor she and the rest of us have collected over the years.
*Katya's spell to instantly change Willow's outfit is taken from "The Intruder" when Eda changes behind a screen with a snap of her fingers.
*The gramo-crone is a play on gramophone, the one Luz demonstrates in "Hooty's Moving Hassle" that cackles like a witch. I figure human realm music has been seeing a rise in popularity with the cultural exchange.
*The songs specifically described, both using violins and piano with the first slower than the second are in my mind and instrumental "Beauty and the Beast" - because what other Disney music would one ballroom dance to first? - followed by "Blood Moon Waltz" from "Star Vs The Forces Of Evil," which I also love as a hauntingly romantic piece.
As always, I hope this was a good read! Leave a review if you like! And may your own works be fun to read and to write!