You get home later that day and told Viney about what happened with the plant glyph when you were with Hunter.
She could not stop laughing and you kept getting angry at her.
"Are you sure he doesn't like you??? I mean if it was roses Y/n come on... flowers have meaning... you know that as a plant specialist don't you?" Viney winks.
"Yes I know! I know! That's why I'm freaking out because what if he does?" You blush.
"Girl it's not even an if at this point if there were straight up roses! Ooohhh forbidden love~" Viney giggles.
You grab a pillow and throw it in her face.
"Shut up!" You say embarrassed.
She doesn't say anything just continues laughing.
"He knew Steve apparently too! I wanna ask Steve about him. He said Steve was his best friend." You say.
"NO WAY!" Viney exclaims.
"Maybe you should ask Steve about him if they were really friends." Viney says.
"I kind wanted to, I was planning on it." You say.
Viney grins.
Later that night you ended up seeing Steve like you promised. Eda has already set up his own little place to stay, and it's not far from your home in the guild which is convenient.
Viney was home with you as well as Rowan so he could meet your older brother.
"So how long has this facility been up for?" Steve asks.
"About 5 years now, back when I was 16." Viney says.
"Viney introduced me to this place a few months ago." You say.
"I've been here a year, my brother too ." Viney nods.
Rowan nods as well.
"So you and Y/n are room mates? Damn! I haven't seen you Viney since you were 15! Y/n used to bring you over to the house a lot." Steve grins.
"Yep! It's so fun living together!" Viney grins.
"And you're close with Y/n as well?" Steve asks, smiling a little at Rowan.
"Yes, I'm her boyfriend." Rowan nods.
You look over at Rowan with furrowed eyebrows. Rowan looks back at you confused.
"Woah, you guys made it official now?" Viney asks.
"Uh... well.." You begin talking
"Well... I kissed her, so that pretty much sums it up right? Heh." Rowan smiles, and slides his hand into mine.
I reluctantly take it and nod. It's not like I really can't rebuttal anything right now. Maybe I'll tell Steve about this whole Rowan thing when it's just the two of us.
"Eda said she's gonna make me a guid scout like you Y/n." Steve says.
"Really??" You grin.
"Yeah! I mean it makes sense since I have the experience from the emperors coven." He says.
"I didn't even know that was your position in the guild until Eda told me. That's amazing, you just be a hard worker." Steve smiles.
"I am, thanks to someone who finally notices." You say eyeing Rowan.
Rowan glances at you and looks away.
The doorbell rings.
"Pizzas here." Viney says and stands up to get it.
"You ordered pizza?" You ask.
"Yep." Viney smiles.
Vineys goes to the door and gets the pizza. The rest of the night you all talked and got to know more about one another. Steve talked about what it was like in the emperors coven and Rowan talked about going out in the surface collecting things for wild witches who can't really go up to the surface to get it themselves. Viney of course was very passionate about her role as a magical beast veterinarian.
Rowan eventually had to leave that night because he had to get up early in the morning. That left you and Viney with your brother.
He tried to give you a kiss goodbye but you sort of dodged it and have him an awkward hug instead. You shut the door and walk over to the couch back with Viney and Steve.
"You seem uncomfortable." Steve says.
"He's kinda annoying?" You say.
"Rowan?" Steve asks.
"Yes? I mean he doesn't really support my work, and he only talks about himself and his ideologies. It's so much to handle." You say.
"Then whyd you agree to be boyfriend and girlfriend?" Viney asks.
"I didn't! When he said that he made it up!" You say.
"I just wanted to label us as "dating" like you know we're seeing eachother? But we're not official?" You say.
"So he just pulled that out of his ass right now about you being boyfriend girlfriend?" Viney rolls her eyes.
"Yep." You nod.
"Break up with him." Steve shrugs.
"I've been thinking about it, but at the same time I don't know... it's just... it's not like I'm ever gonna have anyone else is the thing. He's the only person who "cares"." You say.
"Who cares??? You don't like him! So maybe stop holding on for a pointless relationship?" Viney says.
"And if he gives you shit, I'll beat him up he's my brother." Viney smiles.
"I'll... think about it." You mumble.
"I'm sure there's someone else out there, who loooooves you." Viney winks.
"Shut up." You roll your eyes.
Suddenly the thought of Hunter rushes through your mind and your eyes widen. You look at Viney and then at Steve.
"Uh... Steve I actually wanted to ask about something." You say.
"Sure, what is it?" He asks.
"Well I was wondering if you know the golden guard well throughout your time in the emperors coven." You ask.
Steve looks up at you and smiles a little.
"I did! He was actually a good friend of mine! He was the coworker I told you who I said is probably gonna miss me" Steve laughs.
Well he does, you know that for sure.
"Woah." You say.
"He's... actually not that bad of a guy as you'd think." Steve says.
"You really think so?" You ask.
"Yeah, I feel kind of bad for him honestly though, dudes been through so much pressure ever since he's came here. He's not allowed to talk to most people, and he's already stressed and overworks himself a ton, I can only imagine how depressing that would be, so about 5 years ago when I was already a year in, I pulled him aside one day and started talking to him and telling him how good of a hard worker he is." Steve nods.
"He seemed to really appreciate hearing that, me and him have been talking ever since. He's a good guy in my opinion I think he's just misunderstood." Steve smiles.
"Even though he follows all the covens terrible rules?" You ask.
"Okay, let me tell you something." Steve says seriously.
"And... I mean really tell you something... that you can't tell anyone else okay? If Belos knew at all, I don't know what would happen." Steve says.
You start getting nervous.
"I was stationed as a castle guard one night so I was roaming around the castle, minding my own business, until I overheard this conversation." Steve says.
"You know the coven head for abomination right?" He asks.
"Darius Deamonne." You say.
"Yes, I heard him talking to another coven head the beast keeping coven head, Eberwolf." Steve continues.
"This was no ordinary conversation... it was about Hunter, the golden guard, that's his name, incase you don't know it." Steve says.
"I already know his name." You say.
"Wait- you do? How?" Steve says.
"Well.... I actually wanted to ask about him because... well... me and him made this deal a while ago.. and so I see him every so often." You say.
"Deal??? What deal???" Steve asks.
"He asked me if he could learn wild magic from me, in exchange to return Viney back because she got captured at the time." You say.
"Titan, no way!" Steve says
"...shit you must be... that girl he was telling me about." Steve says connecting all the dots.
"Oh my Titan!!!" Steve exclaims.
You stare at Steve in curiosity.
"What? What did he say about me?" You say curiously.
"Ah- uh... nothing he probably wouldn't want me going off and telling you, but it's nothing to be worried about." Steve smiles awkwardly.
You look at him curiously.
"Anyway, as I was saying, Darius was saying something along the lines of Hunter and Grimwalkers, ever heard of a grimwalker?" Steve says.
You shake your head no.
"... seriously don't tell anyone I told you this, and you better not tell Hunter either, I'd rather him figure this out himself rather than to be told..." Steve frowns
You nod.
"A grimwalker is basically... a clone, a clone of someone else, most likely someone who is dead." Steve says.
Your eyes widen and you glance at Viney, Viney glances at you.
"Darius said something about how Hunters predecessors looked exactly like him as well, so my guess is that they were also grimwalkers, and Hunter isn't the first one." Steve continues.
"Makes me wonder who the big original really was and their relation to Belos." Steve says.
"When did you find this out?" You ask.
"I found out about 2 years ago." Steve says.
You sit there wanting to say so much but not know how to say it. You look down on the ground and hold your hands together. Steve notices your concern and puts his hand on your shoulder.
"I'd say keep teaching him wild magic, I'm surprised he wants to learn in the first place, why does he?" Steve asks.
"He said... it was to maybe learn about the dangers of it. He said that maybe if he learns about it he'll find a cure for Belos's curse since it originated from "wild magic"" you say using little quotation signs.
"I think the more he learns about wild magic he'll know that it's not as harmful as he thinks it is." Steve says.
"The question is if he will do anything about it and leave the coven or not. But I have a feeling it's gonna be hard for him to budge." Steve shrugs.
You frown and glance at Viney. Viney looks over at you and frowns back as well.
Steve leaves later that night and as you try to go to sleep that little fact about Hunter being a grimwalker sort of haunts you. Not in a bad way where you dislike him though, in just a concerned way for him.
You toss and turn in your bed just thinking about it. If only Hunter knew this about himself, maybe he could leave the emperors coven, maybe you both could actually be friends?
You blush and roll over onto your stomach. Why are you thinking that? Friends? You must be crazy.
You kind of wish to see him again. Just for a moment, maybe speak to him. But you don't even know what you would say. What even is there to say?
You get out of bed and head to the kitchen. You feel kind of hot and that's when you touch your face, and it's sort of warm, mainly in your cheeks.
You grab your crow and dial his phone in.
Hunter POV
I set my things down on my floor, I had to keep patrol near the library because there's been reports of wild witches stealing some books from the forbidden stacks.
I take my boots off and let out a relieved sigh and lay against my bed. My face goes pink a little because I notice this smell.
It still smells like her, that night she spent here.
I blush and shake my head. Geez... so what if it does it's not important.
Suddenly my crow goes off and my eyes widen. I grab it quickly.
...it's her? She's never called me alone before it's usually been me who's called her.
I pick up.
"Hello?" I say.
"Hunter, are you doing okay?" She suddenly asks worriedly.
I furrow my eyebrows. Why is she asking me that, what would be there to worry about?
"Uh- yeah, I'm fine..." I reply.
She goes silent on the other end.
"Why are you asking?" I say.
She stays silent for a moment.
"I... don't know I was um... thinking about you, so I wanted to uh... I wanted to make sure you're okay." She says gently.
My ears go red. Her? Worried about me? Her thinking about me??? I laugh embarrassedly.
"Why would you be worried? And why are you thinking of me? Are you drunk again?" I laugh slightly.
"No. No. I just couldn't sleep because I was thinking about you so I wanted to call you." She says.
My heart rate picks up and I bite my lip embarrassedly, and run my fingers through my hair. She's messing with me. There's no way she was tossing and turning thinking about me and decided to just call me.
"Um..I-I'm flattered? I'm.. I'm not sure what you want me to say here." I stutter rubbing my eyes
"Um... you don't have to say anything. I'm not sure why I called actually." She says sort of laughing awkwardly.
"Are you okay?" I then ask.
She goes quiet. I open my mouth about to speak up again and then she begins talking.
"I'm fine, sorry I um... I shouldn't have bothered you." She says.
"No! Well! I mean I don't mind- I um- we could- uh- um..." I blush.
"What?" she says
"We could keep talking. If... you want." I blurt out.
She goes quiet on the other side of the phone. Shit should I have said that? Maybe that was a bit weird of me to say.
"I'd like that." She says softly.
My face heats up. Hearing her say that feels as if she's actually whispering directly in my ear and a shiver goes down my spine.
"O-oh- Okay. Um... well... let's see.. uh... what's a good conversation starter... um..." I stutter and smile awkwardly.
"Oh uh- um- how about this! Uh- what... are your... hobbies?" I say sort of nervously.
I keep stuttering. This shouldn't be any different to how we normally talk, so why am I so nervous? Suddenly I can hear her giggle a little on the other end of the line.
"You seem to be nervous." She laughs.
"NO! NO! I'm not! I'm just tired! Well- I mean!- not extremely tired to the point I wanna go to sleep, y-you know, I-I'd love to keep talking with you- or I mean- I-I'd like to keep talking with you..?" I stutter.
Damn it I'm such a klutz.
"Well, one of my favorite hobbies are (fav hobby). What about you? Reading right?" She asks.
"Uh... yeah." I whisper.
"What do you like about reading?" She asks.
"Well.. I like history books, because it's filled with so many different understandings of the world. That's what I find so interesting because I can learn how others culture was like and how different kind of people perceived different kind of things. Like- for example theres a period before ancient witch time which is one of my favorite historical periods, because they used magic differently at the time, than how we do now. Did you know that before the ancient witches timeline witches we're actually referred to as elves?" I ramble.
"Elves?" She asks.
"Because of our pointed ears. Isn't that interesting? And this was before the Titan as well, so since there was no Titan we lived on actual farmland, actual ground instead of the titans carcass." I go on.
"Really? So we must have lived farther away..." she says.
"Yes! Well! Also no! Over time the land sunk in the boiling sea, because the titans death was so catastrophic there's not as many actual islands in the boiling sea as there used to be!" I smile, excited that she's interested in my rambling.
Sooner or later it's about 2 in the morning. We were talking for so long, and I could tell she was getting tired. I felt sort of bad because I think I talk a bit too much when it comes to my personal interests.
It's not like I didn't let her go unspoken though she talked to me about some of her hobbies as well and why she liked them. She also told me about her family, she has 2 brothers apparently, making her the middle child. One of them being her half brother, but she doesn't like to call him that because she considers him a brother. I thought that was sweet.
She told me Steve is older than her by 4 years, and she's older then her younger brother Matt by also 4 years.
Eventually she did get tired and we had to hang up. I don't want to keep her on the line forever. She was really tired, she seemed to already be dozing off because her responses were soft and short
"I'm going to let you go, I've been keeping you for a while I'm sorry." I say.
"..it's okay.. don't mind.." she replies sleepily.
"Have a good night." I say.
"Goodnight Hunter..." She whispers into the line.
I blush and scratch the back of my head.
"Have good dreams... sleep well..." she hums sleepily.
I blush again and open my mouth gently.
"Yeah- sleep well." I whisper.
"Mmhm~" she hums
And then she hangs up. I lay against my bed all red faced. "Have good dreams? Sleep well?"... no one's ever told me that before. I guess I feel really flattered again.
I really like this girl.