The Owl House Oneshots

Waiting - Hunter AU

A/N: This is an AU about if Emperor Belos never found Hunter and took him in. There's also that one chance he might be a clone but I mean for the sake of this let's say he isn't for now. Also witches know how to hug in this 'cause why not

(Hunter's seven in this btw)

TW: Death

"Bye, Hunter!" Hunter's father called. Hunter lifted up his head from his pillow. Yawning, he stumbled up and ran over to his door.

"Bu-bye, papa." Hunter said, giving his father a hug. The seven year old's dad grinned and ruffled up Hunter's hair. 

"See you in a couple of hours, kiddo." He said, taking his hand off Hunter's head. He opened the door, and called out to Hunter's mother.

She ran downstairs and crouched beside Hunter. "See you later, baby. Stay safe, okay? Remember all the rules." 

"I will, Mama. I love you soosoosos much!" Hunter gave her a hug too and let out a little happy squeal. 

"Oh, I love you too Hunter." His mom smiled brightly. "If you feel unsafe give is a call, okay?"

"Alright, Mama." Hunter said, nodding. He remembered how to do that. 

"Bye, honey! See you later!" She stood up and walked out the door with Hunter's father. Hunter stared at the door for a bit, then turned and walked over to the couch. He grabbed a piece of paper and some crayons and started drawing a picture. As a special surprise for his parents when they got home. 

He finished the picture a couple of minutes later and giggled in delight. He picked it up and, smiling big, he ran over to the door and sat down criss-cross, waiting excitedly for them to get home. 

An hour passed and Hunter got bored. He put the drawing down and walked over to his room, grabbing his favorite stuffed bird, a cardinal, and running down to the door again. He played with the toy, making it hop around and making little chirping noises as he imagined it talking.

He did this for a couple of hours. Soon, it started to get dark out. Hunter noticed when an owl hooted outside.

"Mama?" He said curiously. "Dada?" They were usually home by now. No answer. Hunter thought maybe they were just being held back. He scooted over to a wall and leaned on it, closing his eyes and cuddling the drawing and his cardinal to his chest. He slowly drifted off to sleep. 

He opened his eyes the next morning, stretching and yawning. He looked around, and spotted his door. It was closed.

Assuming his parents had gotten back and hadn't wanted to wake him, Hunter got up with his drawing and stuffed animal and walked around the house, calling out, "Mama? Dada?" There were no answers. 

Why weren't they coming back? Hunter wondered. Maybe they were just very busy. Or maybe...they were going to get him a present? They'd been a couple of minutes late once because they'd stopped to buy Hunter a special prize to show how much they loved him. Excitedly, Hunter ran over to the door and dropped his stuff, standing in front of it and eagerly, waiting for them to open it. It must be a big prize, seeing how they'd been gone for a while.

Soon his legs got tired and he sat down. Then his back got tired and he leaned on the wall. His eyes got tired and he closed them. And then he got tired, and fell asleep. 

He woke up when he heard a loud bang from outside. It was very dark out, and there were a lot of creepy noises. 

"If you feel unsafe give is a call, okay?," his mother had said. So, walking over to the nearest scroll, Hunter did what they taught him to and called his parents.

"Mama?" He whispered into it. Silence.

He tried again. And again. "Dada? Mama? Where are you? I'm scared..." 

Nothing.

Suddenly he heard a voice from the living room. Delighted, Hunter ran to it, then stopped. It was just the crystal ball with some news. 

"Yesterday a masked man blew up half of Bonesborough, killing many people. The Emperor says the Titan..." The news reported blabbed on. Hunter just turned and walked back to the door.

Confused and afraid, Hunter sat down and waited. And waited. And waited. He was confident his parents would come back, though. They always had, after all! He knew he could trust them.

...right?

He sat there for days, slowly getting weaker and weaker, more tired, more hungry, more scared, more hopeless. 

Hunter's cardinal was tucked under his arm. Hunter looked down at his drawing. His gift. It was a picture of all of them—Hunter's dad, mom, and Hunter—in a peaceful field, something very rare to find in the Boiling Isles. They were all holding hands, and smiling.

 Hunter began to cry. He cried and cried, and cried and cried, until he eventually cried himself to asleep.

And he never woke up again.