Winter (hunter/willow) Oneshots

Gloves

Willow and Hunter are out walking on a warm sunny day. Willow had invited Hunter to come with her to the Bonesburrow community garden to find some inspiration for her next school project. Willow invited Hunter because Luz, Amity, and Gus were each busy with their own things that day, but also because she's been talking to Hunter for awhile through penstagram and she's really started to warm up to him. In fact, they've been talking quite a bit, and even though Hunter doesn't get much time off, he managed to fenagle a bit of time to help Willow with her project. Of course, he's just excited that he's made a friend, someone who actually wants to hang out with him.

     Willow and Hunter walk side by side down the sunny streets of Bonesburrow chattering carelessly about trivial topics, debating who has the cuter palisman, and just having a nice time. Soon, their walk approaches the garden, as fantastical as all aspects of the Boiling Isles, the garden is filled with wild crawling vines of all sorts, beautiful and dangerous flowers adorned in every color you could imagine, tangling roots and looming branches intermingling every inch of the garden.
     They descend a few shallow steps towards the entry of the garden, and Willow absentmindedly grabs Hunter's hand to lead him forward. She notices that he's wearing thick leather gloves and they're quite hot to the touch. She realizes that she's never really seen him without them.
    "Hunter aren't your hands sweaty with those gloves on all the time?" She questions. "It's a really warm day today, maybe you should take them off before you over-heat."
   "Oh uh- don't worry- it's fine." Hunter stammers.
   "Are you sure? We'll be going into the greenhouse you might get pretty hot." Willow insists.
    "I just- I don't ever really take them off." He states.
    "Why?" Willow asks lightheartedly.
    "I- don't really wanna talk about it." He trails off.
    "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was a sensitive topic. It's ok you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. Let's go see if we can find some interesting plants." Willow shifts the topic in order to relieve the tension.
    Hunter lingers for a moment, considering whether or not to open up to Willow. They had been growing closer ever since they started chatting through penstagram, and even though they still hadn't known each other very long, Willow was always so kind and genuine, and Hunter honestly felt comfortable around her.
    "Wait," Hunter catches up to Willow with a few brisk steps and grasps her hand gently in order to grab her attention.
    "Actually..." He pauses briefly, looking down at his gloved hands, before slowly pulling one off.
    Willow looks down as Hunter's severely scarred and calloused hand is revealed from the dark leather. He then slides off the other glove and tucks them into his pocket before holding out his hands for Willow to see more clearly. His hands tremor ever so slightly.
   Willow gasps silently as she gazes at his damaged palms and battered fingers. They are covered in scars from healed cuts and gashes, even punctures.
    "I just- I'm self conscious about them so I pretty much always keep them covered." Hunter explains.
   Willow gingerly reaches her hands towards his as if to hold them, but then hesitates, as she doesn't want to make him uncomfortable.
    "It's alright you can touch them." He reassures.
    Willow then tenderly grasps his hands in hers, gently caressing on of his more prominent scars with her thumb.
    "Where- where did you get all of these?" She asks still staring at his hands, with a look of intense empathy on her face.
   "Mostly training, we did a lot of dangerous exercises- and I was probably the youngest one to ever go through the emperors coven training, so I had a difficult time." He explains, attempting to keep his tone of voice nonchalant in a subconscious effort to negate the seriousness of the topic.
    "Some are from Belos, but I mean really It was my own fault anyways..." He trails off.
    "Hunter I'm so sorry." Willow breaths, shifting her gaze to Hunter's face.
"It's fine." Hunter sighs defeatedly.
Willows face sinks with sadness, but she doesn't really know what else to say. She knows it isn't fine, but she doesn't want to push him.
"Thank you for showing me. I know how hard it can be to open up sometimes, especially to someone new." Willow smiles empathetically.
"Well, you've always been so nice to me, even after the whole emperors coven recruitment thing, and ever since we've been talking I just feel like I can be comfortable around you." Hunter admits.
Willow smiles.
"Good, that's what friends are for, right?"
Hunter laughs softly.
"Thanks Willow."