I feel like for the first few years of guardianship Darius and Hunter really struggle to figure out how to refer to each other.
Like it's easier for Hunter, he pretty quickly settles on "guardian" for explaining their relationship to other people and just referring to Darius by name when talking to the man himself. Overtime the phrasing gradually warms, becoming "foster parent" and eventually, once Hunter's already an adult old enough to move out, "Dad".
(Sidenote: he doesn't move out til he's in his mid to late twenties, bc he's under no obligation too, Darius low-key doesn't want him too, and the two of them want to make up for lost time in a sense, since Hunter only had 2 years of legal dependency on Darius before aging out of the system. Darius adopts Hunter retroactively as an adult)
Darius on the other hand has a real conundrum on his hands for those first few years. He has a lot of options! But "ward" is too formal and makes it sound like Darius picked him up off the street like after his parents were murdered, "apprentice/student" isn't really accurate considering the focus of Darius and Hunter's relationship has less to do with Hunter learning magic and more to do with Hunter being housed and fed. "Kid" and "foster son" are there...but...
Look, Darius isn't going to refer to Hunter more familiarly than Hunter refers to him! He's not gonna make it WEIRD. He's not a dad, because Hunter doesn't want/need him to be (and also parenthood is scary <3). Darius doesn't know the first thing about being a dad, despite how his friend group teases him.
Eda and Eberwolf are the two who are worst about it. They torture him with how 'fatherly' he's allegedly being (allegations Darius will DENY til his GRAVE!!!) And Eda specifically compares his journey to hers, saying it always starts off with you referring to them as your apprentice (again, Darius doesn't plan on doing that), as your roommate (...kinda weird in Darius' opinion? But okay Eda), or even your pet (????HELLO???). But eventually, they always become your dumb kid when you least expect it.
She's had a couple cups of appleblood by this point, but Darius knows on some level she's right and he's steadfastly ignoring that fact, even as Eber continues to refer to Hunter as his "cub" (kinda cute but Darius doesn't know how Hunter would feel being compared to an animal). The only people who are even remotely reasonable about all this (besides Lilith who's a bit disinterested in kid talk) is Raine and Alador, who both sort of neutrally, a bit awkwardly refer to Hunter as Darius' Boy.
Darius referring to Hunter as "my boy" is funnily enough what sticks the longest before it evolves to son boy. Hunter's crushing it at a derby match? Darius is whooping and cheering, yelling "THAT'S MY BOY!!!" At the other parents in the stands. Hunter is doing something dangerous or inadvisable where others can see him? "Darius, your boy-" "AHH! MY BOY". Hunter, a year into his stay with Darius finally comes clean about everything to do with him being a grimwalker, and is afraid that he's going to go back to seeing him as just an inferior replacement for Darius' beloved mentor? Darius (who has just had to process some of the most bonkers, emotionally heavy information in his life) gently, hesitantly puts a hand on his shoulder (the 'good' one Hunter doesn't mind people touching), and says that Hunter's much more than that. He's Darius' Boy and he's not going to kick him out or get angry or love him any less for things out of his control. It's good. They're good.
Like I said, it evolves over time and 'boy' becomes somewhat obsolete as the two get caught up in the joy of finally feeling able to explicitly refer to each other as family. But unlike "guardian" or "ward" the word never gets fully retired. Even when Hunter is 30 and is arguing that he's more of a man than a boy now, he is still getting referred to by Darius as "his boy", the way some parents never really stop calling their adult kids baby or kiddo (Camila and Eda respectively btw).
Hunter makes one of those corny matching shirt sets at some point for a father's Day gift when he's 17/18, where the two shirts say "if lost, return Boy to me" (Darius) and "I'm Boy" (Hunter). Hunter mostly did it so he could own a funny shirt that says "I'm boy". Darius openly weeps upon seeing them. Like Oh my Titan he's boy. He's my boy. Oh wow
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I know how lucky I am
*******
written for the prompt: Eun Yoo and Yichan praising Eun Gyeol and making him blush (from @inardentdaylight)
setting: New York City, post-canon
note: spoken lines are indicated by “quotation marks” and sign language is indicated by ‘single quotes’
*******
“Ahjussi,” Eun Yoo ventures, waving for his atention. ‘Can I ask you something?’
‘Of course.’
‘Do you… remember Eun Gyeol’s voice?’
Yichan seems a bit taken aback by the question, and Eun Yoo wonders for a moment if she’s made a mistake.
But he purses his lips, closes his eyes, bows his head a bit. He thinks it over and finally, looking up, slowly answers, ‘Well, it has been 28 years. So if you ask me to remember it right now, I can’t imagine it.’
She nods, sipping on her raspberry lemonade. “Hmm.”
‘But that doesn’t matter, you know. I don’t need to know what he sounds like to…’
‘To be proud of him?’
‘Well, yes, that, but— This is something Cheong-ah taught me back in high school. I didn’t fully understand what she meant back then, but I do now. Even when you can’t hear someone’s voice, you can… see it. Feel it. Especially when it’s someone you love. So I see my son on stage and… it’s almost like I can hear him. I can see how he shines.’
“Oh, Mr. Ha.” Eun Yoo smiles, the beginnings of tears forming in her eyes. ‘That’s beautiful.’
He smiles, a bit bashful, and turns to his wife, realizing she’s been watching their conversation.
Cheong-ah grins at the two of them. ‘Has he been stealing my words?’ she signs with a wink to Eun Yoo.
‘Don’t worry, unnie. He credited you properly.’
They laugh together, and then Eun Yoo glances toward the entrance of the restaurant for the fourth or fifth time this evening. This time, however, she’s pleasantly surprised to see Eun Gyeol and his bandmates walking through the door.
With the brightest of smiles, she calls to him. “Jagiya, you’re here!”
He returns the smile and walks over after signaling to the hyungs.
“Hello, love,” he greets Eun Yoo, kissing her forehead, then turning to her parents with a small bow, “Mr. On, Ms. Choi. I’m sorry we’re late.”
They return the gesture, and the rest of the formalities are exchanged, seats taken and drinks ordered.
“What took you all so long?” Eun Yoo whispers to Eun Gyeol once he’s settled down next to her.
“I’m sorry. Dong Jin held us back to talk about our performance.”
“Oh? He wasn’t critical, I hope? You all did amazing.”
“No, no. Just encouragement.”
“Good,” she approves, patting his knee. ‘Mr. Ha, wasn’t Eun Gyeol incredible tonight?’
‘Stellar,’ agrees Yichan, making his son smile bashfully.
‘Thank you. I mean, it was just a few songs.’
‘Too few, if you ask me,’ signs his girlfriend. ‘I could have watched you up there for twice as long.’
He laughs. ‘Nonsense. I’m sure everyone else couldn’t wait for us to get off the stage.’
Eun Yoo gasps. ‘Bite your tongue. Everyone was enthralled. I know, they told me so themselves.’
‘I’d have to second that,’ puts in Yichan. ‘Even I could feel the energy in the room. They loved you.’
“Especially the girls,” adds Eun Yoo, leaning in to playfully poke Eun Gyeol’s cheek. “I do think some of them were eyeing my boyfriend a little too closely.”
“Stop it,” he giggles, cheeks turning a deep pink. “My dad is right here.”
“And?” She turns to Yichan. ‘You don’t mind, do you, Mr. Ha?’
‘Not at all,’ he answers with a fond chuckle.
‘He knows he did a great job with you, doesn’t he?’
‘Oh, some of my best work,’ he tells them with a very serious nod.
‘Your magnum opus.’ She separates herself from Eun Gyeol to lean across the table and look more closely at Mr. Ha. ‘Thank you for raising him into such a wonderful person, ahjussi. I don’t know where I’d be if you hadn’t.’
‘Oh…’ He gives a gentle chuckle, looking away for a moment. ‘After everything, I don’t know where we’d be without him, either. But be careful, young lady. You’re going to make me tear up before the food even gets here.’
Eun Yoo smiles, leaning back in her seat. ‘That’s fair. I’ll save the rest of my praises for the dessert.’
Yichan nods in agreement just as Cheong-ah touches his arm to get his attention. He turns to rejoin the conversation with Eun Yoo’s parents, but not before reaching over and giving his son’s hand a reassuring squeeze, and Eun Gyeol finds his eyes have turned a little misty, witnessing this exchange between his girlfriend and his father. He watches after his dad in awe for a moment — still not quite used to the peace and quiet joy he radiates these days — before he feels Eun Yoo resting her chin on his shoulder.
“Just accept this, Ha Eun Gyeol,” she whispers, peering up at him through her lashes. “You are… very loved tonight.”
He laughs, trying to lighten the mood back up. “Just tonight?”
“Well…” She smiles. “Always. But tonight I think there’s a little extra of it going around.”
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