words: 1915
- no, i can't really say I proof-read this one -
"Hunter!" you gasped. After running through a good portion of the woods, almost falling a couple of times, and having your cloak get snagged and ripped off of you, you finally caught up with the fleeing boy. "Hunter, stop."
He stopped in his tracks but didn't turn around. "Go away," he spat, voice trembling. You knew he was only acting angry to try to scare you away.
"Why would I do that?" you challenged, taking a step forward.
"You saw what happened in there. You saw what Belos did and you know I helped him my entire life!" Hunter turned away from you, hugging himself and hunching forward.
"So what? That means that I should just toss you aside and never speak to you again?" you shot back as you threw your arms down in frustration.
"Yes! You should hate me!" Hunter fell to his knees, hugging his sides tighter. You gazed at his shaking frame for a moment before kneeling down and you placed a hand on his shoulder slowly in an attempt to comfort him in a way you knew words couldn't. He flinched at the touch but relaxed quickly. "You should hate me," he repeated again, this time in a much quieter tone.
"If I should hate you... then why didn't you hate me?" Your voice assumed a softer, more comforting tone. "You warmed up to me pretty quickly after we saw each other again. I didn't expect you to warm up to me at all."
"I tried to hate you... I tried so hard, but I just couldn't do it."
"Exactly," you said, causing him to look up at you. You held out a hand to help him up. He wiped his eyes before taking it. "Now... we need a place to hide. Somewhere up high might be good. If we go to the knee, we could see people approaching for miles," you suggested. "The height would give us an advantage."
"But once they search Bonesborough, Latissa, and any other nearby towns the knee would probably be where they would check next," Hunter pointed out. "All the refugees go there."
"Okay... what sort of place do you suggest?" you prompted, formulating a plan.
"Somewhere far away from people so no one could report us that isn't a very well-known place... The ideal place would be somewhere Belos doesn't know about... but that's impossible to achieve."
"Somewhere far away from people that isn't a well-known spot? Anything else?"
"It also should be a very open area so that we can see people coming, or an area very easy to escape unnoticed."
"Alright... I know where we should go."
"Where?"
"Hexside!" you said while making a faint jazz-handy motion.
"But that completely contradicts everything I just said!" Hunter argued, seeming a bit alarmed.
"Exactly... Why would Belos expect someone like you to hide in such a seemingly terrible place?" you said with a triumphant smirk. Belos would never expect him to hide in a place like that.
"Seemingly?"
"If we're at Hexside... even if people see you, you're likely to be mistaken as a student out of uniform."
"What about you? You used to go there. Staff would recognize you," Hunter pointed out.
"Not to brag, but I was the top student in every class I took... Teachers still love me. They'd let it slide..." Hunter seemed worried about how confident you appeared. "Besides, I can just say I'm visiting if not," you hastily added.
"Okay, but wouldn't it still be better to go somewhere else?"
"I also have friends at Hexside, remember? And so do you! I think..."
"Oh, allies!" Hunter gasped.
"Yes! But... we need to get there before sunrise. So we need to start going now."
/// /// ///
"This doesn't feel very legal," Hunter hissed. "What if we get caught?"
"I lived with Eda for months... I'm pretty sure I can pick a simple lock undetected." Sure enough, the door creaked open without any trouble. You stepped into the dark school and closed the door behind you softly. It still made a jarring sound in the silence of the empty building. "I'm gonna lock it back up now to avoid suspicion, then we'll get going," you said in a whisper despite no one being there to catch you.
"It's so... weird seeing a school after hours. I mean, it was weird seeing a school in general, but... This is... kinda nice."
"Yeah, I spent a lot of hours studying after school here," you murmured, reminiscing in the nostalgia of the dimly lit corridors and the way the sound of your footsteps bounced off the walls of the empty school.
"So... where should we hide?" Hunter asked as you pushed open the door to a classroom you thought you recognized.
"I was thinking the old potions room, but... this is it, and I don't think it's the old potions room anymore. Everything seems like it was rearranged since I last went here..."
"Well, some things had to stay constant, right?" Hunter said hopefully.
"Yeah, it's not like they can just move the gym to the abomination homeroom or something..." you murmured. "But those rooms are frequently visited..." At the end of the hallway, something covered in caution tape caught your eye. "There!" you gasped, pulling Hunter forward. You were a bit surprised to see that the auditorium hadn't been fixed since what you assumed was the basilisk incident.
"You sure this will be okay?" You could tell that Hunter was just as nervous as you were with all the questions he was asking, but you knew he was trying to hide it, just like you were.
"Yeah, for sure! It's under construction right now, but it's been under construction for a really long time, so I'm pretty confident no one actually works on it."
"Alright..." Hunter followed you into the room and you cast a light spell. Let's see what we have to work with...
"We can stay behind the curtains there," you said, pointing across the room toward the stage. You jogged up toward the stage, almost tripping on the last step. "And if we push... this..." you began putting all you had into sliding a stack of crates across the stage and toward the curtain. "We can block the gap, then just enter through the curtain."
"Okay... but what about food?" Hunter asked.
"We still have time to collect stuff before class begins and people arrive. Do you remember your way around the school?"
"A little bit..."
"Do you remember where the healing homeroom is?"
"Yeah, I do," Hunter confirmed.
"In the healing homeroom's storage closet, they have padding and pillows they use to cover the cots. You can grab a couple of those for something better than the floor to sleep on while I get snacks with the snails I have left over."
"Alright... I'll grab the stuff and come right back..." Hunter murmured seemingly more to himself than to you.
"Me, too."
You both left to go your separate ways. It took you longer than you would like to admit to find a vending machine, but when you did, it was out of order. Fuck! What now? You tapped your foot rapidly as you glanced around, hoping for an idea of some kind before you remembered an old teacher of yours. The oracle homeroom was always stocked with snacks before... If I'm lucky, the teacher hasn't changed...
You cautiously made your way to the oracle homeroom, still nervous despite knowing the school was empty. You pushed open the door and stepped up to the desk, reaching into the drawer. "Is this really okay..?" You shook your head. Of course, it's fine... I'm the best student the oracle track ever had... The teacher loved me...
Still, you were careful to take only what you needed. Alright... I gotta get back to Hunter...
/// /// ///
"I was only able to find one cover," Hunter said. Flapjack began to chirp frantically. "Shush," Hunter whispered to his palisman. It made you curious, but you didn't question it. "I was able to find two pillows and a blanket, though."
"That's okay. It might be kind of cramped, but as long as you don't mind it's not a big deal."
"Great!" Hunter exclaimed before clearing his throat and adding more, this time casually. "Because if it wasn't that wouldn't be... good..."
"I got snacks, but not much." You spread the bags of Hex Mix out a little in the corner. "If we ration it out well, it should definitely last us a couple of days, and then I can go get more."
"Alright... What should we do now that everything is set up?"
"Try to sleep," you responded, stretching out on the makeshift bed. "We both need it, especially you. Your dark circles are worse than ever."
"Yeah, okay..." he said, but he didn't move.
"You gonna actually sleep, or..?"
"Is it... actually okay to lay next to you?" His question caught you off-guard, but you tried not to show it.
"I wouldn't have offered if it wasn't okay. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time you've fallen asleep next to me," you said, remembering the time before your mission when he had fallen asleep on your lap. Despite your confirmation, he didn't seem convinced. "If it wasn't okay, I'd probably pull some excuse like keeping watch while you slept or something," you added.
"Yeah, that's... true," he admitted, finally allowing himself to rest beside you. He seemed to take great care in not getting so close that you were touching.
"If we're lucky, we'll sleep through the entire school day... Goodnight, Hunter," you said as you rolled from your back to your side, facing toward the curtain and away from him.
"Goodnight..."
Silence fell over the two of you as you listened to your surroundings. Normally, not being able to hear anything that was outside the room you were in would be great while trying to sleep, but it worried you. It would be so much easier to sneak up on us... You weren't about to tell Hunter that, though.
"Y/N...?" Hunter said uncertainly, breaking the silence. You turned to face him, the sound of your head moving against the pillow very loud in comparison to the quiet. "I... I'm worried about... I... What if..."
"I'd be more worried if you weren't scared," you said, letting him know you knew what he was getting at. He was worried the emperor would find you. "You've got me to protect you... And even if someone did find us, Flapjack and Scraps would alert us with plenty of time to escape."
"Yeah... Thanks," Hunter murmured. You could feel him trembling beside you without even touching him. Here goes nothing, you thought as you scooted closer to him and wrapped an arm around his head comfortingly. You ignored the strange burning sensation in your face and did your best to pay no mind to the fluttery feeling in your stomach. He seemed content hiding his face in the crook of your neck and soon the shaking stopped entirely as you realized he had fallen asleep.
The rhythm of his breath against your skin was very calming, and soon you felt yourself drifting off as well.
Who would have thought that I'd leave Hexside as a role-model student only to return four years later as I hid from the law with who may now be the Isles' most wanted traitor? Despite the grim circumstances, it made you smile a little.
Yeah, but it's all worth it.
??? POV
"I summoned you seeking information. I believe you already know what I'm going to ask."
"Yes, Emperor Belos. I do know where Hunter is."
"Go on..."
"He's hiding at Hexside, Sir."
"Hexside..? That's peculiar... though I can't say I'm entirely surprised. No matter. This actually works out quite well. Thank you... You're dismissed."