To the Tunes Under the Moon - A Goldric Fic

Chapter 5

How can a single boy be so soft and gentle and kind? How can he always know what to say? How can he not need anything but the assurance of Hunter being there?

Hunter lies awake with butterflies rampaging his stomach as he stares up at the stars above. They begin to fade as a result of Ed falling asleep. Next to him. With his arm wrapped around Hunter's chest.

The ice pack against his eye melts into a baggie of water. He knows he should fall asleep and get some rest, but he forces his eyes open. He can't stay here forever. Belos will find him, just like he had tracked him before.

"Hey, you little sleep deprived dork." Ed murmurs next to him. "I can see your eyes open."

Hunter humphs, trying to fight back a smile. He supposes he could worry about it tomorrow. With the pain in his gut turning into a dull ache, he falls into a deep slumber.

*****

It was the best sleep he had ever had. A combination of Ed's comfy bed and Ed himself had lulled him to sleep for... who knew how many hours. All Hunter knows is that once he woke up, sunlight was already streaming in from the window.

He can feel Ed moving around near him. Prising his eyes open, he spots the boy across the room. Sitting up, Hunter yawns and reaches for his pyjama top, which had fallen to the floor.

"Goldie!" Ed beams. "Alright listen, I can probably sneak in some breakfast with a duplication spell to trick my parents, but in the meantime, you'll have to hang out here." He's dressed in his school uniform, a light blue undershirt with a grey tunic on top. "I'll be skipping school as usual with Em, so maybe we can go hang out in the library?" Attaching a black coat that covers his shirt, Ed makes a beeline for the door. "And I'll illusion the door to disappear, so no one can bother you."

Hunter blinks. "I should leave."

Ed falters with the doorknob. "What?"

"I mean..." Hunter glances towards the window. "I escaped, sure. But Belos is going to look for me. He tracked me here, somehow. So I need to leave."

"No way!" Ed scoffs. "You're injured, sleep-deprived, and I don't want you to be alone out there." He scratches the back of his neck sheepishly. "Wherever you go, I go."

Hunter cracks a smile. "Even if it's right back into Belos's hands?" He deadpans.

"Especially that!" Ed says, not catching the joke.

"Woah," Hunter stands up, the smile from his face gone. "I'm not letting you follow me that far. There are some things that you don't want to see, ever." He folds his arms.

"Well, it'd be worth it if I could be with you." Ed says smugly, folding his arms back. His eyes widen with realisation. "What I mean is be there with you emotionally-"

"Aw, save it." Hunter chuckles. "After last night, it's clear that..." He fumbles with pointing between the two of them. "Uh..."

"Yeah." Light blush is spread across Ed's cheeks. A yell from Emira comes from somewhere else within the manor. "Well, anyway, I have to go pretend to my parents that I definitely don't have a boy in my bedroom, so uh, see you later, Goldie." Ed says, opening his bedroom door.

"Ed!" Emira rushes around the corner and practically runs into the half-open door. Her eyes flash over Hunter and she grins. "I knew it! But anyway, you've got to leave. Emperor Coven guards are here along with Kikimora for a 'routine check up' but they're coming up the stairs." She says rapidly, grabbing Hunter's wrist and dragging him out. Panic spreads throughout his body, properly waking him up.