Reprogrammed (Hunter Angst)

The Wind in the Grass

Hunter spent a few minutes decluttering upstairs before hopping into the shower. The water, once it finally got warm, was bliss. Darius's seemingly expensive soap was nice and smelled of flowers. Hunter did his best to use as little of it as possible while also getting himself clean.

Seven minutes later, he stepped out of the shower fully dry and clothed. Quickly, he headed back downstairs to find Darius chopping mushrooms.

"Hey Hunter, whatcha need?" Darius asked, turning his head to look at the teenager as he continued to chop the mushrooms.

"Oh, I finished with my shower! Just came back down here to help out with cooking."

"Dang, how did you shower that fast? It takes me forever to shower with my hair care routine."

Hunter shrugged before setting about to help with dinner preparations. Just as the sun disappeared behind the horizon, dinner was ready. It was a simple mushroom stew, but it smelled delicious. He'd managed to eat two overfilled bowls of it before he could stop himself. Darius glanced up between his own eager bites, and smiled. He was glad that the boy was eating.

"You can have another helping if you'd like. There's more in the pot, and I can always cook more."

Hunter wiped his mouth with a napkin and hummed noncommittally. "No thanks, I've had enough. I'm gonna do the dishes now, if that's okay with you." he said, pushing himself up from his chair. A few minutes later, the dishes were finished and drying on a towel next to the sink. Darius was frankly amazed at how efficient the boy could be.

"I'll be upstairs cleaning if you need me" Hunter announced before taking a step to leave.

"Hey, hey, there's no rush. Just hang out down here for a bit. Digest, relax. You've been fighting non-stop for a long time. Come sit on the couch and read a book or something. We can keep cleaning tomorrow after we've both had some rest."

Hunter stopped, and looked hesitantly back at the adult.

"I'll send a little abomination upstairs to make sure there's no glass or anything on the ground for us to step on. We'll keep cleaning in the morning, okay?" Darius finished, keeping his voice soft in an attempt to soothe the anxious teenager.

After a few more moments of deliberation, Hunter slunk over to a bookshelf, picked a novel out, and plunked down in one of Darius's plush armchairs with a huff. Darius heaved a quiet but affectionate sigh of his own before rising to pick out his own book.

For the next hour, they read quietly. Upstairs, an abomination puttered around organizing the rooms. The quiet rustle of pages flipping grew more and more infrequent on Hunter's side of the room until ceasing all together. The book in Hunter's hands sagged before eventually coming to rest on his chest. Hunter's eyes had slid closed, and his breathing deepened.

Finally , Darius thought. He stole a very quiet look at the boy across from him. The armchair seemed to almost swallow the teenager as he sunk evermore into it. Even in sleep, Hunter's eyebrows were still clenched together and his teeth ground quietly.

I will get this boy to relax. I'm going to teach him how to be a regular kid, damn it. He deserves it more than anyone. Darius swore internally.

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The next morning came quickly, the sun casting glorious golden light onto the floorboards. Darius had eventually fallen asleep in his own armchair. He opened his eyes to find that the chair across from him was empty. He stiffly pushed himself into more of a dignified sitting position before looking around to attempt to locate his house guest.