#dadrius fanfic

[sillysistersusi]

Masterlist

"&" means a platonic relationship

"x" means a romantic/sexual relationship

The Silmarillion:

You are more than that (Curufin & Celegorm)

The Smell of Love (Fingon x Maedhros)

Understanding (Fëanor & Finarfin & Caranthir & Celegorm)

Slipping through my fingers all the time (Fëanor x Nerdanel)

Be Yourself (Mahtan & fem!Fëanor / Nerdanel x fem!Feanor)

Smile Again (Nerdanel x fem!Fëanor)

Warmth and Love (Glorfindel x Erestor)

By Your Side (Elwing x fem!Eärendil)

Everything is to normal to be real (Fëanor & Curufin)

Keeper Of The Lost Cities:

Someone To Feel Safe With (Keefe & Elwin)

The Owl House:

Style It The Way You Want (Darius & Hunter)

Whispers of Uncle's Ghost (Hunter & Eberwolf)

[blvvewolf]

WE DESERVE THIS REUNION

also on the same topic here's a ✨fanfic✨

Summary:

"They're back!

"What?" Darius barely lifted his head from the papers spread in front of him.

"The kids. They're back."

Darius was out of the door and running before the chair could hit the floor.

Or

The kids returned to the witch realm and Camila doesn't have to worry about Hunter being alone anymore.

[jennaray143]

Hunter’s favorite bed

Hunter loves the texture of Darius’s abomination shirts, They’re so soft and perfect for snuggling.💜

[kipkoh]

Effortlessly My Baby by Kohpon on AO3

The boy behind the mask did not exist. He was nothing but a shell, a pawn to be used in a cruel man’s dangerous game. That was the only reason he was alive, the only reason he was allowed to take up space in a world that otherwise would refuse him, discarding him as if he were nothing more than a broken toy. The boy behind the mask was not worth anyone’s attention, worth anyone’s love, and he had been conditioned to believe that as fact since the day he was born.

And yet it wasn’t true. Despite all odds, there would always be at least one person in the world who considered him more than deserving of their love, whose heart he had burrowed himself so far into that it would be impossible to disentangle himself. No matter how long it took, how difficult of a task it would be, Darius would make sure to change his mind because even if no one else in the world loved him, Darius would. That was the only fact Hunter needed to believe.

[sokkas-first-fangirl]

Prompt - Darius almost forgets his wallet in his bedroom and asks Hunter to grab it for him.

Have some silly family shenanigans!

Hunter had grown up in a castle; in a way, he was used to opulence. The palace corridors and throne room had been gilded with gold. There were intricate tapestries and paintings everywhere and big stained-glass windows. However, his own bedroom had been small and quite plain.

Living with Darius meant everything was fancy. Even the guest bathroom had special fancy soaps. Every room was spacious and utterly spotless.

So, when Darius asked Hunter to grab his wallet for him, Hunter was left staring dubiously at Darius's room. Everything was in its place...Except the wallet. It wasn't on the bedside table.

Darius's room was huge. He even had a walk-in closet. In theory, everything being so neat and tidy should have made the search easy, but Darius was such a stickler for "a place for everything and everything in its place," that Hunter couldn't begin to guess where to start looking.

He checked under the bed. No dice. The drawers? Nope. On the windowsill? Nada. He checked the walk-in closet, the handbag by Darius's desk and under the many many pillows on his bed.

Nothing.

"Uh, Darius?" Hunter poked his head out of Darius's room. "I can't find it."

"What?" Darius blinked, his scroll held loosely in his hand. "It's by the bed."

"It's not."

"You're sure?"

"I even checked under the bed. I checked your bathroom! It's not there."

"Oh dear..." Darius's eyebrows furrowed. He typed quickly on his scroll- likely a message to Alador- and hurried up the stairs. He brushed past Hunter, saw that his wallet was indeed missing from its usual spot, and groaned in dismay.

Darius checked all the places Hunter did. Hunter went downstairs and searched the living room and kitchen. The wallet did not magically appear for either of them.

"Well, did you leave it in one of your jackets?" Hunter asked and Darius ran back upstairs. The muffled cursing told Hunter it wasn't in Darius's jackets.

Just as Darius looked ready to explode, Eberwolf strolled into the house, whistling.

He was holding Darius's wallet.

"Eber!" Darius's hair swelled and rippled. "What are you doing with that!?"

Eberwolf frowned. "You told me to use your card, remember?" he asked. "To buy the kid-"

"No, no, no, no, not another word!" Darius cried, frantically waving his arms. They both looked at Hunter and winced.

"...Buy me what?" Hunter asked.

"Nothing!" Darius said quickly.

"Good surprise," Eberwolf promise.

"Eberwolf!"

"What? Surprises freak him out!"

Rolling his eyes, Hunter swiped Darius's wallet from Eberwolf's hands and shoved it into Darius's hand.

"I'll be snooping later," he said. "For now, go enjoy your date; you're late."

[neoncherryblossom]

Day 1: Puppet

@sergeantsporks

The dreams start the same way it always does. He’s on his knees, his neck creaked at an uncomfortable angle. His arms are limp on his side, and he doesn’t have the energy to lift them. His muscles are tense, but he can’t relax them. There’s a wide smile on his face, but he’s not smiling. (Because sometimes he forgets, that he was used as a puppet once too. Because sometimes he forgets, that the dreams are always the same.)

[possibly-a-table-or-just-gay]

You'll Be Okay Kid, I Swear

Darius barely lifted his gaze enough to see that it was not in fact some insufferable fellow teacher teetering at the threshold to his room but a student, although not one of his own. He recognised him though, the mop of blond hair and black face mask not quite clicking into place until he saw the shiny silver badge pinned to his shirt.

Head boy. That was it.

"Can I help you?" Darius drawled out, his disinterest evident in his tone.

"Um. Well, uh, I can't do this French assignment and Luz has you for Spanish and she told me to come to you-"

(Human Au where legendary lawyer turned French and Spanish teacher Darius Deamonne (no he doesn't know how he made that career change either) becomes attached to a blond traumatised student who is absolutely awful at languages.)

---------------------------------

I wrote most of this in one sitting after reading Mon Horrible Chéri by ghostrat on ao3 and getting really attached to the idea of a teacher Au, so here we are!!!

I have ideas for more chapters, but right now this is all I got. Hope you enjoy!!

----------------------------------

Darius's head was pounding, the scratch of his pen ticking, circling and underlining never-ending lines of I woke up, I brushed my teeth, I ate my breakfast  not aiding his headache in the slightest. His fault for assigning three paragraphs from every student, he supposed.

A hesitant knock on his classroom door sent his train of thought grinding to a halt, being replaced with a haphazard tornado of insults for whatever colleague thought it appropriate to bother him after hours.

"You can come in."

Darius barely lifted his gaze enough to see that it was not in fact some insufferable fellow teacher teetering at the threshold to his room but a student, although not one of his own. He recognised him though, the mop of blond hair and black face mask not quite clicking into place until he saw the shiny silver badge pinned to his shirt. Head boy. That was it.

"Can I help you?" Darius drawled out, his disinterest evident in his tone.

"Um. Well, uh, I can't do this French assignment and Luz has you for Spanish and she told me to come to you-"

Ah yes. Luz Noceda, 2C, third row. He liked her mother, the woman knew how to pick a good bottle of wine (he thought fondly of the bottle of Pinot Noir he received after Luz got a perfect exam result last Christmas).

Darius refocused his attention back to the student in front of him, and the well thumbed sheet of paper in his hands.

"I'm not a tutor."

The boy's face dropped as he began fidgeting with the corners of the page.

"Right. Yes, I know that, it's just- well if I fail another foreign language exam I can't be Head Boy anymore a-and if I lose my position my uncle-"

Darius noted the way the kid picked at the seams of his jumper, his face ashen with dread in a manner he had seen many times before in his students the morning of exams, although this kid in particular looked like he might crumble into a thousand pieces at the drop of a pin. He was studying the floor as though if he looked hard enough, it would swallow him whole.

Christ almighty. He sighed, shuffling the pages off the table and held out a hand expectantly. He wasn't going to finish grading all of those now anyway.

The kid shifted his gaze to Darius's outstretched arm, staring at it like a deer in headlights for perhaps a second too long before snapping out of it and handing him the assignment.

Darius examined the paper for a second, immediately recognising Mrs Hallsted's illegible handwriting. The old bat still hadn't figured out the printer, instead continuing writing out 20 worksheets by hand.

Beneath the other French teacher's scrawled instructions, it was clear the student had written, crossed out and rewritten his answers about fifty times, explaining the paper's condition and rendering it unusable.

Pulling out a fresh sheet from a drawer in his desk, Darius picked up his pen and began writing the assignment title and date in impeccable cursive, pausing for a second when he remembered he had forgotten a rather crucial detail.

"What's your name?

"Hunter."

Darius resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Hunter what?"

"Oh, uh, Hunter Wittebane."

Wittebane. Hm. The name was familiar, and not from the boy it was attached to. No, Darius felt like he had heard that name before, in a past life. He shrugged it off, adding Hunter Wittebane to the top of the page.

"Right, so this all looks fairly manageable, if a bit cryptic. Where are you getting caught?"

Hunter leaned over the desk, his brow furrowing as he attempted to read the paper upside-down. Darius waved a hand over his shoulder, indicating for Hunter to move behind the desk. He followed suit, pointing hesitantly at the first question, the letters barely distinguishable from eachother in Mrs Hallsted's poor penmanship.

"I didn't know how to format the answer."

Clicking his tongue, Darius rewrote the question again, explaining as he went.

"So since the question is asking for an account, you can leave out the name, date, address etc," he began, tapping a crossed out scribble on Hunter's page with the end of his pen. "What you'll need to start with is a general statement, remember you're trying to show off your ability to understand tone as well as your grasp on the language."

Hunter nodded, taking it all in as Darius described the difference between formal and informal vocabulary in clear detail.

"You should be able to figure this all out with a good set of notes, Mrs Hallsted did give you some, right?"

"Yes, she did, I don't really understand them though."

Darius nodded, reaching into his desk drawer to retrieve a fresh set of notes. Pulling out a highlighter, he gestured for Hunter's attention and started marking out sections of text.

"This is all stuff I recommend just rote learning, it's not ideal but you're better off just having it memorised. Here," Darius continued, circling a title in purple highlighter, "are the grammatical rules, and the exceptions which again, I would just learn off."

He noticed Hunter nodding along in the corner of his eye, his eyes gleaming with new-found understanding. The clear explanations were definitely doing something for his demeanour, his fingertips tapping on the desk in excitement rather than anxiety.

"These are just examples of formats, and here's just a worksheet if you need it when you're studying. The front is all short refresher questions and the back has the complicated stuff that needs lengthy answers," Darius finished, stapling the pages together and handing them to Hunter with a flourish. "Is that okay?"

Taking the notes from his hands, Hunter did one last flick through before nodding again, his thank you muffled by the face mask.

Darius waved him out, satisfied smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Oh and Hunter?"

The student in question paused in the doorway, eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Tell me how you got on, when you get the chance?"

Hunter's expression changed, a lopsided smile forming under his mask from the way his eyes crinkled. He gave one last awkward wave before disappearing into the hall, leaving Darius to the pile of papers on his desk, which he was debating putting off just one more day.

--------------------------------

:DDDDD

Take none of the advice I wrote here to heart by the way, I made all of it up on the spot.

This was mostly written to lament about my hatred for French and unclear instructions but instead now we have my first ever published Dadrius fic!!!!!

If you liked it please let me know, I am but a simple lad that needs constant attention or I explode/j

---------------------------------

[angelcloves]

also!!!! i am here for a DOUBLE FEATURE with @sergeantsporks dadrius week ! thank you sergeant for putting this together again !

[iamchaos1234]

Day 7 June of Doom: What Happened? (Stumbling) (tw panic attack, identity crisis)

This had to be a nightmare... this couldn't be real. But that way Belos had looked at him, the branches snapping under his feet, the underbrush snapping at his legs and tearing holes in his pants. This wasn't a dream. This was all too real. All Hunter could do was run. Run as far as he could. His legs stung and ached, and he was struggling to breathe.

Eventually he couldn't run anymore, stumbling to a stop before collapsing onto the floor. He was crouched down on the muddy ground, breathing heavily. Everything was fuzzy and he felt so light headed and overwhelmed. Belos he... he never cared... all these years... all the people he hurt, *killed* for that man...

Everything was a lie. He had never given two shits about Hunter. He was just a replaceable puppet, something once Belos was done playing with he could cast away without another thought. Hunter felt sobs wracking his body, hot tears running down his face. He could feel Flapjack nuzzling against his neck, trying to get him to calm down, and while he appreciated it it only helped a little. Not enough to stop his hyperventilation and the tears running down his face.

He had no meaning. He wasn't some important "Golden Guard", just a replaceable pawn. Hunter wasn't even a *witch*, just some monster that shouldn't exist, just like the basilisks hidden in the deepest cells of the palace. He couldn't even go back to that palace. Belos knew he was in there. He would kill the boy the moment he got back, that was fully what he had intended to do back in his mind. He had nowhere to go, no one to turn to, nothing to-

"Breathe, little prince." A voice said, and Hunter felt a hand on his shoulder that gently pressed him down to be sitting. "Breathe with me, yeah?" Darius said in a voice Hunter hardly recognized from his usually mocking voice. Hunter looked up slightly, tears still running down his cheeks, still shaking a ton.

Then he felt arms wrap around him, and he came to the realization Darius had hugged him. He felt Darius's breathing, felt his heartbeat. Hunter let out a choked sob, burying his face into Darius's shoulder. It was hard to steady his breathing, but the sound of Darius's heartbeat was weirdly grounding, and once the boy could think straight he started trying to match his breathing to Darius's.

Darius gently rubbed the boys back, a look of concern on his face. How long had it been since Hunter had ran from the Owl House? How long had it been since his life came crashing down on him? He had no idea. He just stayed in Darius's firm embrace, his panic subsiding into fear and guilt. Then Hunter hugged back, sniffling quietly, never wanting to move from the new embrace.

Never wanting to face the truth.

@juneofdoom

[drabbles-of-writing]

Pretending Not to See Your Ghost

AO3

Chapters: 1, 2

Summary: Darius has begun to notice a  few...𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 between Hunter and his old mentor. From  appearance, to speech, to the smallest of characteristics, he always  swears he'll blink, and his mentor will be standing right where Hunter  once was, as though nothing had ever changed.

But he's sure it's only a coincidence.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Penstagram, unfortunately, had become more of an eyesore than it used to be.

The Emperor clearly had no understanding of technology, and it became evident to many Coven members that places like Penstagram were practically free-range to do pretty much whatever they wanted. Of course, plenty still used it to find the locations of wild witches, but for quick communications or revealing faces, barely anyone batted an eye. There would be no punishments for it.

Darius tried to use Penstagram for normal things. Occasional pictures, deleting DMs he very much did not want to see, passively aggressively shit-talking his coworkers, and shooting a few quick, non-incriminating messages between himself, Eberwolf, and Raine when needed be.

And then there was Hunter’s account.

He’d only followed it to keep an eye on him. He knew the intricacies of what was and wasn’t allowed on Penstagram, but Hunter might not have. He found it ludicrous to suggest the kid would blurt Coven secrets on his account, but he was still paranoid. The boy thought sunlight was optional on functional growth, he didn’t know what else he’d assumed about life.

Much to his increasing migraine, most of Hunter’s posts were about Flapjack. His profile picture was of his own face, covering only one of his scars, in his Golden Guard attire.

Darius had nearly gotten a heart attack before he saw just how many people assumed Hunter was a fake account. Or some otherwise young child dressing up to pretend as the Golden Guard. He suspected the fact that most of Hunter’s posts were blurry disasters (that, to his credit, did exclude anything else that could be directly linked back to him or the Coven) did quite a bit to aid in this doubt.

No one would find his account on accident, it was far too obscure, and never tagged properly. Darius still monitored it, of course, but he was a little more at ease, figuring they were all in the clear. Even if he wanted to take the boy by the shoulders and plead him to be at least semi-functional with technology.

Then, as though Hunter had sensed Darius staring in dismay at his most recent failure of a post, the boy himself poked his head in through his office door.

“Uh, Darius?” Hunter asked, unsure, and Darius jerked his head up. 

He tried not to feel that old ping of nervousness when Hunter was slipping off his mask before he was fully in the office. Everyone knew Hunter’s face in the Coven, this was a normal, good thing. This was not something he had to be wary about others seeing.

“Don’t you have work to be doing?” Darius raised a brow, though he did set his scroll down. 

“Uh, well, y-yes, I was just doing that!” Hunter said quickly, and when Darius glanced down, he saw him holding his scroll up to his chest, walking over to his desk. “But then I started getting some messages, and I just wanted to…I wanted to see if these would be of interest?”

Darius, brow still raised, held out his hand. Hunter willingly handed it over without a second thought, Titan below this kid really needed to learn how to be a teenager, and Darius took a look at whatever he was talking about.

It was a DM, with what looked like a conversation between two hex-bots. Darius raised a brow, scrolling up—nope, that was Hunter’s texting. Good grief, it was atrocious.

The other one was a bot, at least. A very obvious one, in fact.

LIke.fabriCS? to muhc woRk ? CLICK HERE!

Hunter seemed to have been trying to respond to the bot, interrogating it about details. To which it fell apart into incoherent, insane texts.

“Hunter, this is a scam.” He deadpanned, though he supposed he could only be so exasperated. The kid had no phone, of course he didn’t know about people trying to hex scrolls.

“Gus said that, too.” Hunter frowned, ears pressing back. “He told me not to click a link?” He added, frowning, face scrunched up. 

“The underlined words. Of which he is correct.” Darius said, deciding not to ask who that was as he handed the phone back. “You’d get hexed.”

“Are you sure?” Hunter sounded truly disappointed, looking down at his scroll screen. “I thought more fabrics would be nice, ‘cause you have your own…”

“I have money to get more, just borrow mine.” Darius sighed, pressing his fingers to his forehead. He tried not to feel too twisted up when Hunter looked at him with pure shock. “In the future, just don’t talk to any messages you get that aren’t from your friends.”

“But how could I get hexed through some…underlined words?” Hunter squinted at his scroll, holding his phone up to his face.

“It’s a link, Hunter.”

“Like a chain?”

“Titan’s sake,” Darius groaned, dropping his face into his hand, “it’s like teaching an old man.”

“I’m not old!”

(“You’re such an old man.” Darius snickered, looking from the crystal ball to the face smooshed up against it.

“Hey!” Jasper barked, finally tearing away from it to send a pouting glare, of which Darius could only barely restrain a laugh. “I’m not old! I’m practically your age!”

“Oh, so now you’re my age?” Darius scoffed, rolling his eyes and leaning back, smug. “Is that why you hate being called ‘sir?’”

“I’m as spry as a fox-spitter, I’ll have you know.” Jasper huffed, placing a proud hand to his chest. “These crystal thingies are just needlessly complicated.”

“It’s only kind-of new tech.”

“It’s confusing, is what it is. I’m convinced you’re just messing with me.”)

“Figure of speech,” Darius waved it off, sure his mouth was pulling at an uncomfortable angle, “just be more careful in the future. Titan’s sake, you don’t need to fret about getting your own things.” He rolled his eyes. “I have more than enough to share. I already gave you a scroll.”

“Well…yeah.” Hunter hunched his shoulders a tad, looking from his scroll to Darius. “I-I just…you already got me the scroll, so…you’ve gotten me enough.”

“I’ll say when I’ve gotten you enough. This is not even close to the limit.” Darius said, firmly, if only because it made him feel…odd. This didn’t sound the least bit like a spoiled brat. “Now, scurry back to that important work you were having with your friends on Penstagram.”

“Acquaintances.” Hunter reminded, more of a grumble, than anything, neatly tucking his scroll underneath his cloak and into a pocket.

“No, they’re not. Run along.” Darius waved his hand, going back to pretending he was working on his own papers. “I’m sure teenagers like you have much to talk about.”

“I’m…working on that.” Hunter hummed, frowned so thoughtfully like he was solving some secret that it had Darius snorting, watching him turn away and pull his mask back down again.

Hunter’s fingers lingered, he noticed, over the nose. The tips scraping down slightly, pausing as though thinking something over. It was so painfully familiar he half expected to see a tangle of uncombed, wild hair when Hunter turned back to him.

But it was only his normal, somewhat-combed hair. Of course it was.

“Um, thank you.” Hunter mumbled, nodding jerkily. “For-for the assistance.”

“Happy to help.” Darius said, and if anyone said he sounded softer, they were a liar. “You can continue checking-in sometime in the future.”

It sort of slipped out. Not that he didn’t mean it, but he hadn’t really thought about saying it. The words were simply out there before he could think much. Though, he couldn’t really find himself regretting it when Hunter perked up, just the tiniest bit more interested.

Perhaps that should’ve been harder to tell, with his movements so subtle and face covered. But Darius liked to think himself an expert in such mannerisms.

“Thank you.” Hunter repeated, sounding suspiciously genuine, bringing his hood up. His small strand of hair still hung free, uncovered as he pulled open Darius’s door.

It looked a lot like Jasper’s, he noticed. There was always that one strand of hair poking free, refusing to obey the chaos of the rest of his mane. Hanging right in front of his face, bothering him to hell and back.

Then, Hunter was out the door, and Darius was alone in his office.

He shook off the weight on his chest, though it lingered like fog, and reshuffled his papers.

Perhaps he should do some real work.

[kihteyu]

Effortlessly My Baby

Close ups under cut

[sillysistersusi]

Whispers Of Uncle's Ghost

This is my work for the dadrius week prompt "Uncle Eberwolf"

@sergeantsporks

I hope you all enjoy this ♡♡

Hunter had his arms wrapped around his legs and sighed for the third time in just a minute.

The day had actually started quite well. Darius, Eberwolf, and he had had their usual calm breakfast and then they all had gone for a walk in the woods. Since Eberwolf had found out that Hunter had never had a chance to really see nature and all its facets during his time in the coven, he had suggested some of his favorite places in the forest, to which the whole family now regularly took short hikes.

Hunter loved spending time with his family and all morning he had been filled with joy and happiness. However, it had come to an abrupt end when Darius had said something that made his blood run cold.

Eberwolf had unpacked some of their bags for hiking and Darius had said with a grin to Hunter, "Go help your Uncle Eberwolf, I'll make some hot tea and get some cookies from the cupboard."

The problem had been neither the cookies nor the tea, no, Darius had called Eberwolf Hunter's uncle. And even though Hunter definitely saw the little demon as a family member and he was incredibly fond of him, the word 'uncle' awakened a queasy feeling in him.

He had become quite dizzy and without another word he had disappeared upstairs in his room, where he now sat in a corner and had to hold back his tears.

Did Eberwolf expect him to address him as uncle? Did Darius expect him to do it?

Hunter didn't know if he was ready to call someone else uncle. Not after everything that happend. The last one he had called that was Belos and whenever he thought of him he got scared and his knees started to shake.

But would Eberwolf be disappointed in him if he didn't call him uncle? Especially now that he started to call Darius Dad from time to time? Would Eberwolf feel bad or left out? Hunter didn't want to be the reason he felt hurt, but he didn't think he was capable of saying it without panicking.

He tried, but as soon as he just thought of the word, his throat seemed to tightened and he was unable to say it. A tear ran down his cheek.

Would Eberwolf and Darius be disappointed in him that he couldn't even say that simple word? It was just a word. It shouldn't be so hard to say it, right?

There was a sudden knock at the door. Hunter let his face sink into his arms and sighed a soft, "Come in."

The door was gently pushed open and from the footsteps Hunter knew it must have been Eberwolf. He toddled over to him and gently placed one of his small hands on his upper arm.

Hunter sighed and sat up straight. He raised a hand, wiped the tear from his cheek, and looked over at Eberwolf with sad eyes.

"Darius has been worried ever since you ran away," Eberwolf said softly, gently brushing another stray tear from Hunter's cheek as it escaped his eyes, "What's wrong?"

Hunter tried to look at Eberwolf as he said it, but was unable to. "Darius- Darius said something. Nothing- nothing bad or anything, but well, I- I don't know- it felt- weird."

Eberwolf waited a moment to see if Hunter had anything else to add before saying softly, "I heard what he said. Do you want to tell me what didn't feel good about it?"

"That word Darius used," Hunter said, frustration in his voice. Frustration that he still couldn't say uncle.

"Uncle?" Eberwolf asked softly, giving Hunter one of his typical smiles. Hunter nodded slowly and looked to the ground.

"Belos was the last one I called that." he admitted, "I- I see you as part of the family, I really do, but that- that word just feels wrong. But I don't want to disappoint you or exclude you from anything really."

Eberwolf slowly spread his arms and Hunter had to smile softly as he stepped closer to him, climbing onto his lap and snuggling gently against him. "You don't have to give me a fancy family name to show me you love me, cub. I know that just the same. I'm sure Darius wasn't fully thinking when he said that. We both just want you to be okay."

"Okay, " Hunter said whose heart was now so full that tears came to his eyes again. He nuzzled his face into Eberwolf's incredibly soft mane of hair and sighed, but this time out of relief.

When Darius came into the room a few minutes later, presumably to see if he was all right, he smiled softly as he found the two of them snuggling.

"Hey," he said to Hunter, "is everything okay?"

Hunter nodded. "Yeah. Love you Dad."

Darius smiled softly and came over to them briefly to give them both a gentle kiss on the forehead. "And I love you guys. You are the best family in the world."

[therivergirl]

eantChapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Owl House (Cartoon) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Darius Deamonne & Hunter | The Golden Guard, Darius Deamonne & Raine Whispers Characters: Darius Deamonne, Hunter | The Golden Guard (The Owl House), Raine Whispers Additional Tags: Dadrius Week 2024, Dadrius, Darius Deamonne is Hunter | The Golden Guard's Parent, Good Parent Darius Deamonne, But he's still struggling, He's not perfect but doing his best and it really shows, Sewing, Family Fluff Series: Part 2 of Dadrius Week 2024 Summary:

As much as Darius loves having Hunter spending time in his sewing room, because he loves working with his son, it's not always perfect. Hunter's occasional carelessness, while somewhat endearing, can lead to frustration which doesn't help either father nor the son. So, Darius figures out what do do about it? He's just not entirely certain whether splitting his sewing room in half, letting Hunter use over of the halves, is the right choice...

Dadrius 2024, Day 2 Puppet

Belated entry, but I hope it still counts @sergeantsporks

[jennaray143]

Darius: Eber put him down, he’s not a toy.

Eberwolf: HISS *Mine!*

[kipkoh]

Owl House prompt!

Human Darius carrying baby Hunter in a chest carrier. I love the art you did of that and would love a fic for it.

Also available on AO3.

The winter air was brisk as it caressed the visible skin on Darius’ face. He took a sip of his coffee as he waited for the bus, sighing at the warmth spreading throughout his body to combat the chill threatening to overtake it from the outside.

Thankfully, Hunter didn’t seem to have a problem with the cold – all bundled up and swaddled in the warmth his father radiated, comfortable enough to have fallen fast asleep with his cheek pressed to Darius’ chest. He was getting a little too old for a carrier, but Darius couldn’t deny how easy it was to carry around an overactive toddler in a sling soft enough to frequently knock him out. The positive reactions he’d experience from those observing him wasn’t exactly a downside either.

“Aw, how cute!”

“What a good dad.”   “That baby looks so sweet…”

Darius took another sip of his coffee, choosing to pretend he didn’t hear the whispers. If someone wasn’t talking directly to him, then he wouldn’t insert himself into the conversation unnecessarily.

“I wonder where the mom is… That poor baby.”

“That child is going to freeze to death! Clearly that man isn’t fit to be a father.”

Of course, not all the whispers were always good. Darius especially went out of his way to ignore those kinds. He didn’t need baseless critiques from strangers to cloud his mind and ruin his day.

He finished his coffee, threw away the cup, and checked his watch, starting to grow impatient at how late the bus was that morning. It was a good thing Hunter was asleep or Darius might have felt bad for having to feed him a later lunch than usual. 

When the bus finally arrived, Darius clambered on with the rest of the crowd, frowning at how little space was available for him to squeeze into. The seats were filled and so he stood up close to the front, hand gripped onto the handle above his head, trying his best to make sure no one bumped into Hunter by angling him away from everyone as much as possible. The jostle of the bus as it sped through traffic made that goal that much more difficult, and Darius considered himself lucky when at one point, Hunter’s carrier accidentally bumped one of the seats, but aside from a small murmur, Hunter did not make any indication his sleep was disturbed by the contact.

As dense as the crowd was, Darius would have held Hunter anyway had he not been in a carrier, but having his hands free to play defense against the bombardment of movement and people was a lifesaver. It would be a shame to have to get rid of it eventually, but Darius was going to make sure to use it for as long as he possibly could – whether that be when Hunter outgrew it or when Hunter was no longer small enough to want to do anything but run around in blissful freedom, unconfined to a fabric prison.

Darius exited the bus when it reached his stop, sighing in relief at the fresh air and unoccupied space all around him. He began walking to his destination, steps careful and calculated to make sure the stride was as even and uneventful as possible so as to not disturb Hunter. The last thing Darius wanted was to trip on a crack in the sidewalk and frighten Hunter awake with a fall.

It was a short walk, but the way the breeze picked up made him worry, and so just to be sure, Darius pulled his glove off just enough to press a finger against Hunter’s cheek. It wasn’t warm, but it didn’t feel to be uncomfortably cold, and Hunter’s sleep still appeared to be peaceful enough to where Darius could assume he was fine.

Being a father was a strange experience, and before, Darius never would have imagined himself in the position he was currently in – a single man with a toddler dangling from his chest that brought him constant worry alongside an overwhelming love. It wasn’t as if Darius hated kids in general, but parenthood had never been something he considered for himself until Hunter came along.

He certainly didn’t regret it. That sweet little boy with his face tucked into the fabric of Darius’ jacket was Darius’ entire world. He tried to imagine himself in that instance without the weight hanging off him and had to stop at the sense of mourning the idea brought about. A life without his son was a life he no longer wanted now that he’d experienced the love his presence brought about.

“I love you,” Darius whispered, leaning down to kiss the top of Hunter’s head.

He wasn’t sure if it was coincidence, but just after, he heard Hunter mumbled something and watched as he slowly came to, opening his eyes and yawning as he reawakened to the world.

“Have a good nap?” Darius asked.

“Mhm,” Hunter hummed, still groggy as he looked around to take in his new surroundings.

Darius smiled and continued walking down the block until he reached his destination, opening the door to the bakery and stepping inside, immediately getting assaulted by the warm heat of the building and the smell of freshly baked bread. Hunter experienced it all the same, realizing where they were and wiggling to indicate it was time for him to be let out. It would have been impossible for anyone to tell he’d just been sleeping with how much energy suddenly engulfed him in that moment.

Darius obliged the silent request and lifted Hunter from the carrier, setting him down on his feet on the floor and watching as he quickly ran up to the display case to take in the sight of all the sweet treats Darius knew he’d try and get him to buy.

“I want that one, daddy!” Hunter practically yelled, just as Darius expected, while pointing to something inside the case.

“Are you sure you want that one? You’re only getting one so you might want to look at everything first,” Darius reminded.

“Two?”

“One,” Darius gently said again. Hunter wasn’t a big eater and probably wouldn’t even make it all the way through one pastry.

“One,” Hunter whispered to himself, his face so close to the glass his breath fogged it up. Darius put a hand on his shoulder and directed him to take a step back.

It took a few seconds but Hunter finally decided, pointing to a different pastry than the first and excitedly announcing, “That one.”

Before he could change his mind again, Darius bought him the pastry along with one for himself and ushered Hunter over to a small table by the window, watching him climb onto the seat and waiting in case he needed help. When Hunter was situated, Darius took his own seat beside him and handed him his treat, which he happily began to consume like he hadn’t eaten a big breakfast just a few hours prior. 

Darius loved moments like that – moments where he could just sit somewhere peaceful and enjoy a domestic moment with his son. He was a busy man with a busy job, so he wanted to be able to take every opportunity possible to be there for Hunter to make up for that. He wanted Hunter to grow up knowing what it was like to have a parent willing to take him out and just enjoy a small treat with him every so often. Darius was careful to make sure Hunter understood he was loved, but he wanted to make sure he expressed it in all the little ways he could think of and not with just a simple statement followed by an aura of indifference that might possibly suggest otherwise, because that wasn’t what Hunter deserved.

“Is it good, daddy?”

Darius was pulled out of his thoughts, his eyes drawn to Hunter’s finger. He was pointing to the pastry in Darius’ hand, only a few bites taken out of it.

“Yes, it’s very good,” Darius assured, taking another bite as if to prove that point further, “Do you like yours?”

“Mhm!” Hunter hummed after taking another bite of his own, smile wide on his face and his little legs kicking under the table in glee.

Surprisingly, Hunter did end up finishing his food, but didn’t ask for anymore. He just sat and chatted Darius’ ear off while Darius cleaned up the table and tossed their garbage into the bin behind him. Then, Darius helped Hunter out of his seat and made sure his winter wrappings were still snug and warm around his body as they prepared to once again trek through the cold.

“Do you want to walk or be carried?” Darius asked.

Hunter thought about it for a few moments before tapping his feet against the floor and reaching up to slip his hand into Darius’.

“Walk,” he announced, body practically vibrating with pent up energy, barely even able to stand still.

Yeah, the carrier was a long shot, but Darius could still try. Maybe once they’ve walked enough, Hunter would get bored or tired and request to be carried, but until then, Darius squeezed his hand as they walked out the door and journeyed onwards to their next destination.

[taruchinator]

🌳 General Audiences

🌳 3k Words

🌳 Written for the @tohgrimoire

🌳 Spot Art by @/biankatdraws

Alador smiled at the display.

To think that in a matter of months his children would become so strong, not only using the magic tracks he and Odalia had assigned to them at birth, but also other types that he'd never even considered before.

He was proud of them. So very proud. He could only hope it wasn't too late for them to know that.

“Alador Blight basking in the sunlight? Never thought I'd see the day.”

This is a story I wrote for The Owl House Grimoire about a year ago, so forgive me if the writing is a bit rusty.

I wanted to focus on the relationship between Alador and his children—have him reflect on everything he did over the years because he followed Odalia's lead, and now he fears the ones he loves most won't accept his apologies. Thus enter Darius! With his own traumatized kinda-but-not-really adopted kid, Hunter!

Thank you to everyone for supporting this project!

“We leave at sunrise.”

Raine Whispers ended the briefing with that statement, removing their hands from the single wooden table in the room and encouraging everyone to disperse and prepare for the battle to come. And so, they did.

Everyone did, except for Alador Blight.

Alador wasn't really sure of where he should go, or what he should do, if he was being honest.

He'd already given all the information he thought would be useful regarding the Abomatons before the briefing—everything from their strengths to their weaknesses. He was also able to work alongside the Construction Coven Head a few days prior on their hideout's defense system, which was quite lacking at the time. He'd even helped in mundane tasks such as treating the injured and scouting for supplies.

The man had given everything he could for this cause. It was the least he could do after aiding the Emperor in his conquest to erase magic. Unknowingly, sure, but still assisted in some way.

Before he could think much of it, he let his feet guide him to wherever he should go next, as he left the safety of the hideout looking for some fresh air, and eventually found himself in a small field behind the abandoned building. Patches of grass that hadn't yet been affected by the Collector's magic surrounded him, and reminded the man of home.

Suddenly he heard voices which immediately put him on high alert, until he turned to see who they belonged to, and his heart couldn't help but squeeze somewhat painfully.

In the distance he could see his children, doing what could only be described as training, along with the human—Luz—and the Golden Guard—Hunter.

Edric and Emira were using their illusion magic to create multiple opponents for the others to fight, Hunter moving at high velocity as he evaded and went on the offensive when he saw an opening. Meanwhile, Luz was utilizing glyphs to amplify his daughter's attacks, which was a great strategy as multiple illusions were being erased in an instant thanks to the purple slime coming from Amity's pouch.

Alador smiled at the display.

To think that in a matter of months his children would become so strong, not only using the magic tracks he and Odalia had assigned to them at birth, but also other types that he'd never even considered before. Glyphs, Healing, Potions, Beast Keeping.

He was proud of them. So very proud. He wanted nothing more than to let them know that, and be sure that they knew it every day of their lives, and to apologize. Titan, he had so much apologizing to do.

He could only hope he wasn't too late for that.

“Alador Blight basking in the sunlight? Never thought I'd see the day.” A deep voice suddenly rang on his left side, which immediately sent the engineer into a fight or flight response as he summoned abomination slime from his pocket towards the stranger.

Before it could make contact however, another magical force interfered with a slime barrier of its own. The annoyed scowl behind the counterattack was one that Alador knew far too well. “Relax you buffoon, it's me.”

Alador must have been more tired than he initially thought. To not notice someone's presence so close to him would've been a mistake that could cost him his life, even if it was just an ally. That was probably the best word he could use to describe his and Darius' relationship: allies with a common goal. Still, that didn't mean he had to pretend to be friendly with him. “Leave me alone.”

Both men released their magic at the same time, with the brunet deciding to return to his previous task as if nothing had happened. He sat down on the patch of flora with his back turned away, yet he could already feel the indignant glare sent his way. “You know, most witches would at least have the decency to say hello. Although I suppose you've never been one for formalities.”

“I'm not in the mood, Deamonne. If something went haywire in the control room, I'll fix it once I'm back.” Alador let out a sigh as he combed a hand through his hair in annoyance. What other reason would Darius have to come and bother looking for him anyway? A moment of silence went by, and for a second he thought the other man might've actually left.

However, that option was quickly shot off the table as Alador dared to look to his side once more.

The Abomination Coven Head was still standing there, although if Alador didn't know any better, he seemed rather fidgety. His expression kept shifting from the ground the engineer was sitting on, to the view on the horizon. Seemingly making up his mind, Darius inserted a hand into his pocket and retrieved a lavender colored piece of cloth. He couldn't be serious.

“Really? A handkerchief?” Alador quipped with a hint of amusement in his voice as the other man placed the piece of fabric on the floor, and hesitantly, sat next to him.

Darius was not making eye contact, but the brunet could still see the blush tainting his cheeks. “I thought you weren't in the mood to talk. Make up your mind, hack.”

Taking that response as a small victory, Alador couldn't help but roll his eyes with a soft chuckle escaping his lips. Just like that, silence overtook the air once more as the sun began to set, leaving a beautiful glow in its wake for the duo to see.

Despite how much he hated to admit it, Darius was right. It had been far too long since Alador had taken the time to admire nature at its finest. The intricate designs in a flower's petals, the strength of a carnivorous plant while capturing its prey, the resistance of hard oak wood to the elements. It was all incredibly inspiring for an inventor such as himself.

It wasn't until Odalia convinced him to use his talents for machines instead, that he forgot how much he enjoyed experimenting with all kinds of materials in his youth.

There were plenty of things Odalia convinced him to do.

“So this is why you were so distracted during the meeting.” Darius broke the silence with a statement rather than a question, staring straight ahead and causing Alador to turn to where the other was looking.

His eyes landed once more on the young teens, who'd apparently decided to change their roleplay this time by having Luz, Amity and Hunter as the offenders, while Edric and Emira deflected. The twins were holding on surprisingly well considering they were outnumbered.

The engineer would have admired it more comfortably if he was alone. Yet alas.

“I wasn't distracted. I guess that nasty habit of sticking your nose into people's business is still going, then?” Alador replied with an unwavering gaze towards the training session.

Something similar to a snort escaped the other man's lips. “Please, an infant could tell that your mind was wandering. It also becomes my business when someone could potentially jeopardize the mission. We've spent too many resources on this for it to fail.”

“I am aware. I'm the one who was able to find the location of those resources.” Alador spared a side glance towards his companion just in time to see him roll his eyes. He carried on as if the engineer hadn't said anything at all.

“In any case, I should be grateful that my inkling was wrong. To think I thought the cause of your brain fart was something important, not your little ‘family drama.’” Darius vaguely gestured in the teen's direction with a dismissive hand.

The words he'd said, however, were anything but dismissive to Alador. A strange and impulsive feeling overtook him for a moment, causing him to turn around and face the other man with a scowl that could have terrified Emperor Belos himself. Anger caused his face to flare and his tone to rise. “My family is far more important to me than anything this rebellion stands for!”

Darius stared back at him with mouth agape, and it was only then that the brunet realized what he'd said. His own eyes widened as he turned to look at the ground beneath him instead, refusing to look anywhere else.

He shouldn't be dumping his problems on others. Especially on Darius of all people.

As for the Coven Head, he seemed to be fidgeting in that awkward way from earlier, playing with the hem of his gloves and tapping one foot quietly. His voice wavered for a moment. “I… I didn't mean to imply-”

“Don't. Just forget it. I don't need your pity.” Alador's voice mumbled firmly. If there was still any dignity left for him to defend, he didn't know. But he definitely wouldn't give the other man the satisfaction to see him like this.

Like the failure that he was.

“I… I know it's not exactly the same. But I can somewhat understand what you're feeling, Blight.” Darius didn't back off, because of course he wouldn't, and instead replied with that statement while trying to meet the engineer's gaze.

However, the words that were spoken served as more fuel to his rage, in which Alador scoffed and lifted his head to look at his old friend with furrowed eyebrows. He reached forward and took hold of Darius' collar with all the strength he had left. It wasn't much. “Understand? You're the last person who could understand what I'm feeling right now! I know I wasn't a good husband— Titan knows I wasn't a good father, either! But for you to be rubbing it in my face like that-!”

“Oh shut up and listen for once, you idiot!” Darius raised his voice in return and went to try and remove Alador's grip from his neck, eyes filled with anger of his own. “You really think I couldn't possibly understand?! The constant feeling of regret because you could've done more and yet you didn't?! Always wanting what's best for them, only to realize too late that what you thought was best wasn't enough!”

Alador's eyes widened at the sudden lashing of rage, but even more so at the words coming from Darius' lips. “How do you know that?”

Seeming to have realized what he'd said as well, the man pulled away from the brunet's grasp and turned elsewhere with an unreadable expression. Following his line of sight, Alador found himself even more confused.

They were staring at the kids in the distance once more, this time seemingly taking a break as they remained sitting down and exchanging drinks. Light banter and laughter could be heard, and the brunet had to admit that it was a lovely sight. But following Darius' gaze more closely, it almost seemed like he was looking at…

“The Golden Guard?” The question left his lips before he could stop it, but the way the other man's shoulders seemed to tense up in response was enough of an answer. It was perhaps against his better judgment, but he was intrigued. “Did you talk to him much when you were in the Emperor's Coven?”

Taking a deep breath, Darius proceeded to pinch the bridge of his nose as he let out a shaky sigh. “Only for official business. It wasn't just me— everyone just talked to him when needed or if they wanted to relay something to Belos. Completely unfazed by the fact that they were talking to a literal child.”

With a quick clench of his fists, Darius turned his attention to the sky above. The red and orange hues signaling the arrival of nightfall were breathtaking, but Alador could tell that the other man wasn't looking at that. His stare was long and far beyond anything the engineer could imagine, and if he was being honest, it almost looked as if there were tears in his eyes.

“After the previous Golden Guard disappeared, I grew curious.” Darius continued his tale, this time with a hint of what could only be described as melancholy in his voice. “By the time I found out the truth, Hunter had already been chosen as the next. I knew what that man was doing to him. I saw it every day, and I did nothing to stop it.”

A choked laugh went past the Coven Head's lips as he shook his head in disbelief. “I thought… as long as I was there, I could protect him if things got out of hand. And look how that turned out…”

Silence fell between them, and for the first time in his life, Alador didn't know how to fix it. The way the other man expressed himself and spoke about the blond boy was something the inventor never thought he'd see, and yet here he was, looking at a man who didn't seem like a Coven Head and instead resembled his old friend from many years ago.

A man who found something much more valuable than his pride.

A man very much like himself.

Before he could stop himself, the brunet reached into his left pocket and retrieved a folded piece of paper, which he wordlessly handed over to Darius sitting next to him.

He merely blinked as he stared at Alador's hand. “What is that?”

“Just take it.” He encouraged once more with his arm, and finally felt the other grab it after a few more moments of hesitation. After hearing the rustling from the paper being unfolded, Alador closed his eyes with a sigh.

Once he'd reunited with his children and learned of Amity's travels in the Human Realm, he was surprised with a gift from his youngest daughter in the form of that same piece of paper that Darius was holding.

It was a family portrait.

His dear Mittens wasn't the most artistically inclined, but he could tell that she'd done her best with what she had. Smiling versions of himself and the twins were staring back at him from the crinkly paper, and the way Amity excitedly talked about where she'd been and everything she'd seen just melted his heart on the spot.

Even now, thinking back on the purpose of the drawing was enough to get him choked up. “When the children were trapped in the Human Realm, they drew pictures of their families to give them the strength needed to not give up hope. Amity gave it to me once we found each other.”

Turning his attention to the sky, he carried on, finally allowing himself to let it all out. “My daughter spent months trying to find a way home to us. To me. Her poor excuse of a father who didn't dare stand up for her because he was too afraid of her mother, and left her to fend for herself. I could've stopped it— I could've stood up to Odalia sooner, but I didn't! And yet,” he raised his head to look at the smiling girl on the horizon, “she's still willing to forgive me. Titan knows why…”

These thoughts had plagued his mind for a while now, but he'd been dismissive of them and focused on his inventions instead, trying to avoid confrontation while convincing himself that it was all for a better cause. In reality, he was running away.

But he didn't want to run anymore. Not ever again.

“For what it's worth… they seem much happier. It doesn't make up for what you did, but I think it's a start.” Darius handed the family portrait back to its owner with the ghost of a smile. “All we can do is try harder.”

“And hope we get it right this time.” Alador found himself concurring with the statement, returning the friendly gesture as he held the poor picture of the people he loved the most in his hands. He couldn't help but chuckle. “Never in a million years did I think you'd be giving me parental advice.”

As quickly as it came, any hint of sympathy for the engineer was wiped off Darius' face as he turned to look ahead once more. “Well, don't get used to it. I just need you in top form if we're gonna pull this whole stunt off.”

“Oh of course, whatever you say…”

“Dad?”

Amity's voice resonated in Alador's ears, bringing an instant smile to his face as he turned to face the teens walking towards them. He quickly stood from the ground to receive them. “Kids! Nice training session! You're getting better every day!”

Emira sheepishly cocked her head to the side, the others only falling behind her by a few steps. “Wait, you saw all of that? Sheesh dad, how long have you been spying on us?”

“It's not like that, I-”

“We noticed you were missing from the rest of the group and came looking for you. It's getting late, so you shouldn't be wandering around by yourselves.” Darius quickly made himself known as he injected into the conversation, sparing Alador of any embarrassment. He'd have to thank him for that later.

“Please, we can handle ourselves just fine! We've been to the Human Realm, which for your information, is in fact very dangerous.” Hunter joined in as he glanced at Darius with skepticism.

“Oh I'm sure that you can, Little Prince! It was actually so nice of you to let the Blight kids overpower you like that! Give them the confidence they need by taking down an elite~” Ruffling the boy's hair affectionately, Hunter began squirming and swatting away with a blush decorating his features, complaining for the older man to cut it out.

As he looked around the laughing group, Alador couldn't help but sigh in content.

There was no telling what the battle to come would bring. But if there was one thing for certain, it was that no matter what, he wouldn't be going at it alone.