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A red plastic cup of soda was in Willow's hand as she stood in a dimly lit corner of the room. Her legs ached from standing, and the music that violated her ears gave her a headache. She was never one for parties - not like she'd been invited to any beforehand. Willow favoured more peaceful settings, preferably a place where teenagers weren't screaming over the already painful music. She sighed, her fingers playing with the hem of her dress. Willow had been following Gus and Hunter but lost them in the mob of people, so she retreated to a corner of the room, where she would stay until she spotted one of them. She had seen Vee talking with someone in the kitchen earlier but, she didn't want to butt into their coversation and judging by the lack of order that Amity usually enforces, Willow could only assume that she and Luz had snuck upstairs. She glanced around the living room of Blight Manor, which bustled with activity. Party decor such as balloons and streamers hung from the walls and the ceilings, and a long table stood proudly at the back of the room, lined up with all sorts of food and drinks.
The reunion of families, along with Odalia being kicked out of hers, was the perfect opportunity for Luz to throw a party, and she took it, inviting everyone she could from the students of Hexside to ex-coven scouts. Of course, the Owl House was too small to hold the large crowd that was attending, and with the recent boiling rain, it looked like an outdoor party was out of the picture. Luckily for Luz, her awesome girlfriend, who also happened to be rich, was generous enough to host this event.
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"Hey man, do you know where Willow went?" Hunter asked Gus. He swore Willow was behind them mere seconds ago.
"I thought she was following us," Gus answered, as the two boys glanced around the room. Gus then shrugged. "She probably went to the bathroom or something."
"Yeah, I'm sure we'll spot her eventually," Hunter replied.
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"Not much of a party girl, huh?" A voice beside Willow asked, causing the girl to snap out of her thoughts and turn her head, her eyes meeting with Emira Blight.
"No, not really," Willow replied, taking a sip of her soda. Emira nodded.
"I get it. You seem like the type to enjoy a more chill setting." Willow chuckled softly at Emira's reply.
"I like your dress, by the way, it's really cute," Emira added, glancing at the floral dress Willow wore.
"Oh...thank you!" Willow replied, dazed at the sudden praise. If she was being honest, she wasn't used to wearing dresses this low cut. She had seen this dress while shopping with Luz and Amity and after much encouragement from the two, she bought it. Wearing it made her feel even more confident than usual and when she chose this dress for the party today, she was hoping Hunter would notice.
"I wasn't sure how good it looked on me, honestly. But, of course, when I met up with Hunter earlier today, he started nervously blurting out a bunch of compliments on how pretty I looked..." Willow giggled, stars in her eyes. The older Blight listened with a knowing smirk on her face.
"Someone's in loveee", Emira finally teased in a sing-songy voice after Willow forced herself to shut up, he face flushed from embarrassment.
Willow fidgeted with her fingers.
"Yeah, I...I think I am..." Willow sheepishly admitted for the first time out loud.
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Hunter and Gus stood near the back table, deep in discussion, the topic being Cosmic Frontier, of course. Gus spotted a dash of green which stood out against the purple walls.
"Oh, there's Willow!" Gus exclaimed happily as he finally spotted Willow in her green floral dress. Hunter looked to where Gus was pointing, his thick eyebrows shooting up at the scene in front of him. Willow and Emira?
He watched as Willow laughed at something Emira said, as the Blight's fingers brushed against Willow's arm.
'Was that an accident, or was it intentional?'
Hunter suddenly felt a pit of jealousy form in his stomach, his clenched fists causing his nails to dig into his palms.
Ever since they returned to the Isles, ever since they interlocked pinkies, confessing how they meant the world to each other, Hunter had allowed a spark of hope to ignite in his heart. He allowed himself to believe that this strong, beautiful, funny girl could somehow love him. But clearly, he was wrong.
'Of course, it was stupid of me to think she could actually have feelings for me.'
Hunter felt absolutely helpless as he watched the girl of his dreams flirt and laugh with someone else. Someone who wasn't him. He desperately wished that it were him, but he knew that was selfish to think. He could never, ever be good enough for someone like her. Not like she'd return his feelings anyway. Hunter had concluded long ago that he was lucky enough to have her as a friend, especially after he tried to make her join the Emperor's Coven when they first met.
'Why am I getting so worked up about this? It's not like she's my girlfriend. She can be with whomever she wants.'
Yet, Hunter could feel the sadness engulf his body, swallowing him whole as his world collapsed around him. Was he being overdramatic? Maybe. But he was in love with this girl, and the sliver of a chance he had with her had just flown out the window. It had been crushed to pieces, broken beyond comparison. His heart felt heavy in his chest, and it ached, mourning a loss - the loss of hope. Hope that Willow would love him back.
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"Willow, hi!" Gus waved, grabbing Willow's attention from her corner of the room.
"I was wondering where you guys went!" Willow replied, her face lighting up. She glanced at Hunter, who stood next to Gus and instantly melted. He looked so gorgeous against the bright party lights, which danced across his handsome features. She wanted to run up to him and pull him into a kiss, to tell him how much he meant to her, how she longed to be with him. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but notice an upset look on his face, and it made her heart tear into two. Hunter glanced up, his glassy eyes darting to Emira before meeting Willow's for a split second. His throat burned as if someone had poured acid down it, and his eyes were filled with unshed tears.
"Excuse me," He meekly muttered as he gently pushed past Gus and made his way through the mob of people as he headed for the door. Willow, Gus and Emira all glanced at each other.
"Hunter?" Willow called out, worry rising in her chest as she dropped the drink in her hand to the floor and headed after him.
The Boiling rain had subsided and been replaced with a gentle breeze that swayed Hunter's forelock side-to-side as he sat on the Manor's steps. Familiar footsteps approached him from behind, and he didn't need to look up to know who it was. He'd recognise them anywhere. He'd follow them to the ends of the Isles, if she'd let him.
"Hi," Willow's soft voice greeted, sitting down next to him. Hunter hesitated before replying.
"Hi," he replied, staring at his feet.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Willow asked so softly, as if worried she'd scare him away. Hunter finally mustered the courage to look Willow in the eyes. Willow's face was one of concern, her brows furrowed as she waited for him to reply.
"It's nothing."
"It's not nothing, Hunter..."
Hunter sighs.
"It's just..." He suddenly felt anxious, his heart beating out of his chest and his stomach doing somersaults as he realised what he was about to say.
"I kind of thought you had feelings for me..." Hunter muttered, his gaze returning to his shoes. Willow's eyes widened, her heart clenching.
"What? Who told you that?!" She blurted out, talking faster than intended.
"I don't know, I just...thought you were giving me signals, but I guess I was wrong." He let out a dry chuckle. " Clearly ."
"What? What do you mean by that?" Willow asked before realisation struck her. "Wait, do you...have feelings for me?" She added slowly. Hunter met her gaze again before giving a slow nod. His eyes were filled with tears that were begging to fall.
"Don't worry...I won't get in the way of you and Emira. I want you to be happy. Just...please, don't let this ruin our friendship." He begged, trying but failing to mask the hurt in his broken voice. He wiped a couple of rogue tears with the back of his hand before concentrating on his fingernails, picking at the skin as a distraction from the harsh reality he was facing.
"Hunter", Willow started. "I don't have feelings for Emira..."
Hunter's head snapped up, his eyes wide.
"You don't?" He replied, a beat of optimism returning to his voice.
"No!" Willow exclaimed. "Hunter...I..." She started, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I have feelings for you ". There was a small gasp from the boy, his eyes wide, as he stared at Willow for a few seconds.
"To be honest, Hunter, I'm in love with you." Hunter swore his heart was going to jump out of his chest. His eyes began to tear up again, but this time from happiness. The girl of his dreams just confessed her love to him. This amazing girl had feelings for a pathetic mess like him? He couldn't comprehend how this was possible.
"R-really?" He asked, unsure if it was true. Was it some sick joke? Some cruel prank? Was she just saying that because she pitied him?
"Yes!" She exclaimed happily. She didn't know how she managed to win over the sweetest boy she'd ever met, but she was so happy she had. Willow knew she'd do everything in her power to keep him, to make him happy, to give him the world because, after everything he's been through, he deserves nothing less.
"You're not playing a prank on me, right? You're not joking? You're 100% serious? Is this a dream, this feels like a dream, I think tha-"
"Hunter." Willow cut his rant off, her voice amused.
"Yes?" He replied, a blush across his face as she nervously stared at her, a dorky grin playing on his features. Willow took a deep breath.
"Do you want to go out with me?" She asked, glancing at him with love in her eyes.
"Yes!" He exclaimed, louder than he meant to. He cleared his throat. "I mean...Yes, I would." Hunter felt like he was going to explode from pure, unfiltered, utter joy. He couldn't believe this was happening. Willow chuckled, an uncontrollable smile spreading across her face as she pulled him into a hug.
"I love you, Hunter," She muttered as she played with some loose strands of his hair. Hunter's heart fluttered as Willow uttered those three words. He'd always play out scenarios in his head, imagining Willow confessing her love to him, and now, his wildest dreams were a reality.
"I love you too, Willow," He replied, tightening the hug as he inhaled her floral scent.