Recovery

[badbutsadboy]

Who: Hunter badbutsadboy and his CR
What: Hunter recovering
When: After he gets out of the hospital
Where: Jason's Safehouse
Content Warnings: N/A for now

[He's only in the hospital a few days. Vascular injuries are bad but the artery wasn't completely severed, the muscle was only nicked, and the rest was mostly a flesh wound. It was a low speed, small caliber handgun of some kind.]

[Hunter spends a lot of his recovery sleeping on the pull out couch where he can be checked on. At some point, he plans to ask Nico if Will can heal him (though he wouldn't be shocked if Nico brought him around soon on his own) but Flapjack chases away everyone so he can sleep first.]

[So he spends a lot of time just knocked the hell out on pain meds, until one day he feels like he's rested enough.]

[And then he's left at a crossroads. Huvrye wanted him to stay with someone and he knows he meant an adult. But...]

[But he's still feeling so unsure about it. Even with adults rushing him to a hospital, even with them staying by his side while injured.]

[So whenever he gets a visitor they find him sitting up on the couch, in sweats and fuzzy socks, his arm in its sling packed with ice packs. He sits, staring forward at the TV, expression troubled, lost in thought.]

[The TV is off.]

[Flapjack is squished next to his thigh on the couch and the fingers of his good hand gently pet his fathers.]

Comments

[robintohood]

[As soon as it was decided that Hunter was going to stay at the attic safehouse to recover, Jason's been making sure the place is well-stocked and comfortable for him. He lets him sleep and doesn't mind at all the visitors coming to see Hunter.

Finally, Jason catches him conscious enough after another check-in. He also sees the lost and troubled expression on Hunter's place]

Hey. How're you feeling?

[He stands at the doorway, waiting to see if Hunter's in the mood to talk at all or if he wants to be left alone]

[badbutsadboy]

[It takes him a second to register that someone is talking to him.]

[Normally he's fairly hypervigilant, but he's been in a daze since he got released.]

Okay. It doesn't hurt much. The medicine they gave works well.

[robintohood]

Good. Do you need anything?

[Jason gets the sense Hunter might try to downplay some things to be a "good" houseguest but he should at least ask and work from there]

[badbutsadboy]

No. I'm okay.

[He looks at his phone, expression somewhat tense, scrolling through something.]

The times I was out...

Did the doctors mention anything, uh, that I should keep in mind? About recovering? That they might have forgotten to tell me when I was awake?

[He tries to make it sound like he's just casually asking so he knows if there's any self-care he missed in his discharge talk with the doctor and corresponding papers.]

[It's very obvious that he's fishing, though.]

[His texts with Dana and the articles he's read have clued him in that there were some similarities with humans he had that his friends might have found out about.]

[robintohood]

[Jason immediately knows Hunter is fishing for something. It sounds like he's suspicious about what he is. It's a topic Jason's been wanting to talk to him about anyway but was waiting for the right opportunity. Hunter has had a lot to process]

Not exactly but you needed a blood transfusion. Luckily, my blood type was compatible. The thing is though, the donor has to be the same species as the recipient.

[codicies]

[ As the days pass, there eventually comes a point where Dylan can't ignore school anymore, no matter how much he protests. But after class, Dylan comes right back to the safehouse, wanting to be there in case Hunter needed anything.

A little much? Maybe. Especially when Dylan knows what he feels might not be reciprocated by Hunter. But he can't just... ignore a friend's suffering, right?

Hunter is sleeping when Dylan arrives. After swearing up and down to Flapjack that he'll be quiet and let Hunter rest, Dylan sets up at the table in the safehouse, spreading out his books and getting to work on some algebra.

If Hunter were to stir at some point, he'd be met with the soft sound of pencil on paper and glossy pages periodically turning. ]

[badbutsadboy]

[There's a slight problem with any noise when he's sleeping and it's that he's been alternating between a mix of dazed and hypervigilant since he got home, and needing less and less of the slightly sedating pain medicine.]

[The shuffling of papers suggests "person" and his brain immediately launches into "maybe friend? but what if ENEMY" that practically launches him awake, gasping and looking around as if he's expecting a fight.]

[He immediately winces as his arm protests.]

Owww.

[codicies]

[ Dylan's brain is desperate for any kind of reprieve from graphs and variables, so Hunter's stirring caught his attention right away — but not quite fast enough to stop Hunter jostling his arm. ]

Oh, shit.

[ Dylan's on his feet the instant he hears Hunter gasp, and is instantly at Hunter's side, kneeling in front of the couch. ]

Hunter. Hunter, it's just me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.

[badbutsadboy]

[The sigh he makes is one of total relief and the tension melts out of his body.]

[It's okay. He's safe.]

[He's not in an alley with his back pressed against the wall, vision almost whited out with pain, desperately trying to stop bleeding out.]

[And he's with someone he knows he can trust completely. Dylan got him help. Dylan has feelings for him (for reasons Hunter can't entirely understand). Dylan stayed by his bedside in the hospital for hours and hours with a bloody shirt and blood still under his fingernails.]

[He nods, an acknowledgement of yes, it's okay, he understands it's him, he understands he's safe.]

[The trust is total.]

[He lays back on the sofa bed again, putting his arm back up on the pillows that were propping it up. He was laying along the edge of the bed to begin with, so it puts his head near where Dylan is.]

It's okay. I know you were just trying to keep me company.

[The look is just a little bit on the edge of adoring. He doesn't realize it's that obvious because he's still a tiny bit loopy from the pain meds.]

[codicies]

[ The stress and panic visually melt away from Hunter's body, and Dylan's sigh of relief echoes his. It's good to see Hunter relaxed and comfortable; Even before the gunshot, he was always... tense. Alert. Which wasn't a bad thing by any means, but this is still a nice change of pace.

Dylan leans against the couch's armrest just as Hunter settles back down to face him, and Dylan gets a good look at Hunter's adoring expression.

The sight makes him blush just a bit, especially with their faces so close in this position. The room is silent, save for a dryer running somewhere in the attic and the blood rushing in Dylan's ears. A warm smile stretches across his face.

He wants to kiss Hunter. That's not a new realization, but a pretty powerful one in this exact moment. But he can't do it now, not like this — not with Hunter compromised and doped up on pain meds. Hunter trusts him, and Dylan doesn't want to gamble with that trust.

Dylan shifts against the couch, leaning in to find a more comfortable position — one that brought his face just a little bit closer. ]

I'm glad. Is there anything I can get you while you're awake? Some food, or a book?

[ He glances back at the table with his algebra homework before turning his gaze back to Hunter. ]

Maybe I can regale you with the exciting process of finding points on a graph.

[ That last part is a little dry, but Dylan's still smiling. ]

[effiomsfavorite]

[Huvrye is planning on staying in the safehouse - now that he knows there's a safehouse - until Hunter fully recovers. It's Flapjack who makes him leave, time and again as he tries to check in, until the day that he doesn't - which means that Hunter is awake, or at least well enough to see people, in Flapjack's opinion.]

[So he leaves, and comes back later with a large takeout bag. He figures a hot meal will help Hunter, he's due for a meal himself, and pho can be eaten one handed. He comes back to the safehouse and opens the door, pausing to make sure Flapjack isn't going to chase him out again, and heads in, holding up the bag a bit.]

Hey, buddy. Brought you something.

[He doesn't miss that look, but he's not going to bring it up just yet - unless Hunter does first.]

[badbutsadboy]

Oh.

Thank you.

[He sounds genuinely grateful. Jason's been keeping him fed but it's not like he cooks every single type of food. Restaurants know how to pull out all the stops sometimes.]

[It's something he's learned after living here and something he missed after losing the guild credit card.]

[He'd never gone to a restaurant until he came to this world. The food at the palace was serviceable, but a bit...plain. Meant to fit the tastes of someone that grew up on boiled food without spices, and pease porridge. And out in the field, he usually just ate rations.]

[It's why he'd managed to put up with the nonperishable food he'd set up in caches for himself and knew he'd be able to do it for a long time. Peanut butter tastes a lot better than coven scout rations.]

[Something extra good from a restaurant would still hit the spot right now, though.]

[He gets up from the couch and wobbles heavily over towards the table. He didn't exactly grow up in a "taking your meal sitting on the couch" kind of home. Meals were usually silent, refined and at a long table in the palace's dining hall. He's eaten a few on the couch here but now that he can (sort of) walk he defaults to thinking he has to take them at the table.]

[effiomsfavorite]

Hey, whoa- we can eat on the couch if you want. It's probably more comfortable.

[He was fully planning on bringing the food to Hunter, and the kid definitely doesn't need to be up and about unnecessarily while he's still recovering.]

[badbutsadboy]

It's fine.

[He manages to slip into a chair without falling over.]

I don't want to spill anything on Jason's couch.

[Even while injured, he's still trying to be a perfect houseguest. He'd had to be stopped from trying to do his own laundry at one point.]

[effiomsfavorite]

If you're sure.

[He heads to the table himself, setting down the bag and setting out the food. There's pho for each of them, and iced coffee, and something called flan that he'd been assured is a dessert. He takes care of everything that would normally require two hands - taking the lid off the bowl, putting the straw in the coffee, anything to keep Hunter from using his injured arm - before having a seat himself. At least he'd remembered to ask for forks.]

[He nods at the food.]

Go for it.

[He's definitely going to keep an eye on Hunter for the first few bites - just to make sure sitting up at the table isn't too much to handle - before starting on his own food.]

killed gritty 4 u, hope you like it

[harageous]

( the days following that little impromptu reunion with the ex-golden guard have felt like little more than a blur. well, both a blur and excruciatingly long at the same time. there was a lot that she needed to do, in a very small window of time, and she didn't have even half the tools she could have had in the demon realm.

what she had instead was elbow grease, a new addiction to something called monster, and a few leads as to where to start. it's just boring, grueling, and nothing she actually wanted to deal with. except—

there isn't really an option. she, and everyone else, is going to be here for a while. she needed to do more than just get by until she could get back to the demon realm.

for more than just her own sake.

still, she's taken the time to drop by the safehouse a few times already. hunter had been too groggy to hold a coherent conversation, but that hadn't stopped her from telling him about small exaggerated tidbits about her day. it's fine. he probably won't remember. so what if she told him about betting on bird fights? or dramatic alleyway encounters?

today when she slips in, he seems to be actually out and about. probably for the best. she should save her mailman biting story for another time. eda makes her way over towards the couch and unceremoniously drops a large ball of brightly coloured fabric on the empty space beside him. it's a blanket that has been sloppily rolled up. )

Here. You should have your own.

( traditionally, most people say "hello" or "hi" or "how are you doing?" when they enter someone's living space. it's the polite thing to do even if you did arrive with a gift. eda, however, had at some point stopped bothering while she was visiting his resting body.

then she glances back to the television and then back at hunter once more. )

You're supposed to turn it on.

[badbutsadboy]

[He does remember. It had been very kind and solidly what he assumed the Owl Lady would've done for anyone falling under the category of "Luz's friends." Like what she might have done to keep Willow, or Gus, or Amity company if they'd been hurt. Talk and keep them company, even when they were out of it.]

[It felt nice to have people around, and he'd been so sleepy that any panic over "someone is in the room with me??? Alert!" was muted.]

I was just...lost in my thoughts.

[It's an explanation of the TV.]

[It takes him a second to register the gift. He lifts it a little with his good hand, taking it in. It's very...orange.]

[But also very soft. He hadn't grown up owning many soft things. Everything had been practical and as rigid as his upbringing. A somewhat hard bed, scratchy blankets, a pillowcase he'd patched up more than once to avoid having to ask Belos for...anything. The only soft thing he'd owned was Sprig, his stuffed frog, worn into the deepest levels of softness by years of cuddling when it was the only cuddly thing in his life.]

This is for me?

[The surprise over getting a nice soft gift is way more pronounced than it should be.]

[harageous]

( it's not surprising in the least to see the kid be taken aback by a small gesture. even with knowing everything she knows, it still makes her chest feel heavy to see it in front of her. rather than comment on it, she winks and makes a loose gesture towards him with a bony finger. )

That's right, kid.

( besides there is no one else here right now. who else could it possibly be for? )

It smells a little too clean now. But once you stank it up a little, it'll be perfect.

( this kid probably doesn't know anything about this yet, but one of the most important parts of a good blanket is the smell. clean, but not too clean. familiar. comfortable. and she thinks that hunter could use some comfort. could have long since used some comfort actually.

and he's not going to get much by always sleeping in unfamiliar beds. having his own blanket should help make it a little easier. )

[badbutsadboy]

[He pulls a face.]

I think I'll avoid any...stanking?

[The expressions morphs back to gratitude.]

But...thank you.

[His voice is very soft as he says it and he immediately flings it partially around himself - as much as he can with one hand anyway - partly to show gratitude by using it right away, partly because she's right on the money about how having his own soft thing to cuddle and sleep with will make him feel more secure. It's not Sprig but...it'll do.]

[Paired with being able to cuddle Flapjack especially, it'll be pretty comfy and secure.]

[The softness of his voice gives way to something a little more urgent.]

We still really need to talk. I know you probably didn't want to worry me when I was hurt. But I still need to know what happened after me and the others left the Boiling Isles.

[harageous]

( right to it, huh?

guess it would have been too much to ask to put off the topic any longer. by now, eda has had enough time to gear herself up for the conversation that needed to take place between the two of them. she had thought about lying to him, about telling him that everything turned out okay, but she couldn't stand the idea. it didn't feel right and probably would do more harm than good.

he had a right to know what she did.

she lets out a heavy breath and flops into the nearby armchair. )

When I said that it wasn't a simple conversation—

( she starts then pauses, taking a moment to reconsider her phrasing. it's best to just say it outright, cut to the heart of it. )

I wasn't hiding anything. I don't know. The Day of Unity. . . It hadn't happened yet.

( at least. . . not for her. )

[demigoth]

[ As school is getting out, Nico sends Hunter a text. He knows that he has blanket permission to go to the little apartment, but he doesn’t make much use of it. If he were the one stuck recuperating, he’d be annoyed by people just conveniently stopping over. ]

hey do you know how to play wobbly werewolves? i got the base set but i never played it before

[badbutsadboy]

no butiif it hasd wolvres im willing to leanr

[He was bad at typing even with two hands. This is significantly worse.]

[demigoth]

[ The speak option on Nico’s phone reads that as “No beauty-aif it hast wolvers I’m willing to leaner”, which makes it less than helpful. He figures it out on his own, which he should do anyway, but won’t. ]

OK im taking the bus to central city

[ About ten minutes later, having ridden the magic school bus until it hit a familiar part of the city, Nico rushed after another student, as this is not his stop, and then made his way to the bar quickly.

It does occur to him that wandering Central City is how Hunter got hurt, but Nico doesn’t want to shadow travel if he can avoid it. Up through the secret passage and into the apartment with a knock, and Nico pops into the room looking icy and windstung because his only concession to the winter is zipping up his jacket and fingerless gloves with skeletal hands on them. ]

Hunter? I brought the game -

[ Nico doesn’t watch a lot of tv, but he knows that it’s supposed to be on.

He takes off his backpack and drops it - the cards rattle around in their box within, but the backpack sounds light as it hits the floor. Nico sits in a sprawling slouch on the sofa. ]

Did you want to watch something instead?

[badbutsadboy]

What?

No, I was just...lost in my thoughts.

[He turns to face him, getting more comfortable on the couch, assuming they're going to play the game on the cushions.]

Is this a card game? Or a board game? Or a video game? [Dylan introduced him to the last one.]

Or...

[He stops.]

Are there any other kinds of games?

[He honestly wouldn't know.]

[definecat]

One of the times Hunter wakes up, there's a cat watching him. Well, something that looks like a cat. Sleeper figured they owed it to Dylan to take a shift in helping out, especially when they'd done their level best to remove the blood so nobody would know anything bad had happened.

But Sleeper didn't come up on the bed like they might with Dylan or Jason because of the bird. It wasn't that they were scared of Flapjack, they just respected the Hunter clearly belonged to the bird and they had no intention of poaching.