Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Finn sat with Fern’s tree for a few hours, even after Jake left with BMO and NEPTR. His brother simply told him to come over to Lady’s when he was ready; Finn appreciated his understanding.

However, it was difficult for the human to process what had really happened that day, sitting alone and surrounded by the rubble that was once his home. Finn almost felt paralyzed—every nerve in his brain was begging for the whole ordeal to be shoved in his vault, but with its consequences literally surrounding him everywhere he looked, he couldn’t stop the memories from playing over and over in his head. He felt a flood of emotion building up inside of him, just waiting to spill over. Finn knew he was getting way too soul-searchy at this point, but it seemed inevitable considering the day he’d had. So he just sat there, looking at Fern and trying to comprehend everything that just went down.

“Hey Finn.”

Finn screamed, suddenly snapping back into reality. “ AAAAAAA- oh hey Huntress Wizard,” He said, after turning around and recognizing the figure standing behind him. He cleared his throat. “What’s- uh, what’s up?”

“Nothing much. Just..checking in, I guess.” HW bit her lip nervously. “Because that’s what you do. With people you care about. Right?”

Finn smiled tiredly. She was trying really hard, and he appreciated it. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m okay, I think. What about you?”

“I’m fine,” Huntress replied.

A couple moments passed, and Finn nearly thought she was gonna leave. But instead, the wizard silently walked over and sat down next to him.

She looked at the tree. “He was a good fighter. I’m glad I got to meet him as himself, at least once.”

And of course, that was what finally broke Finn. “Yeah,” he said, failing to keep his voice steady. “I’m- I’m glad too.” Soon enough, the human sniffled, and buried his face in his hands. “Sorry, sorry-“ he mumbled. “I know this stuff makes you uncomfortable.”

Finn couldn’t see it at that moment, but Huntress Wizard furrowed her brow and looked away. “Finn, I..” She trailed off, failing to find the words.

“No, really.” Finn took a couple of deep breaths, after a few seconds, had mostly composed himself. “You don’t have to deal with my junk. That’s not your problem,” He said genuinely.

Nearly a minute of silence went by, until it was the wizard’s turn to take a deep breath. “Well, what if..” she looked down. “..what if I want it to be my problem?”

A beat passed.

“..huh?”

HW stood up immediately and started to walk away. “Nevermind. Forget about it.”

“Wait, H-Dubs-“

Stupid, stupid, stupid, she was so stupid. Of course he wasn’t interested. She just had to ruin everything, didn’t she? She really was going soft.

Before her thoughts could spiral any further, someone suddenly grabbed her wrist, and the wizard nearly growled. But when Huntress Wizard whipped around with an animalistic look of fear and fury on her face, Finn didn't even flinch.

“I just want to talk,” he said calmly, and Huntress blinked, lucidity rushing back to her eyes. His grip wasn’t even that strong, she realized, as he pulled his hand away.

“Sorry,” She mumbled.

“It’s okay,” He replied, and for some reason she felt inclined to believe him.

“So..since when..” Finn glanced sideways, trying to find the right phrasing. “I..thought you didn’t want to be in a relationship. Exceptional beasts, and all that.”

“I didn’t.” Huntress confirmed. “And when I said that, I truly believed it. But I also thought that whatever weird thing I had for you would go away within a month.” She sighed. “In reality, I was basically stalking you for nearly a year before I worked up the nerve to talk to you again. Sorry about that, by the way. That’s probably kinda creepy.”

“Oh.” Finn’s eyes widened. “I’m actually...weirdly not upset by that, for some reason. It’s all good.”

“Anyways,“ Huntress continued. “I was just gonna try to ignore it, for...forever, I guess. I didn’t want to give my emotions any leverage over me. But then we hunted the Grumbo together, and you kissed me, and I just...” She huffed. “You’re too donking likable, Finn. I was doomed from the start. And then your birthday happened, and a war was on the horizon, and before I knew it I was watching you jump in GOLB’s mouth.”

“Oh, Huntress…”

“I guess I figured you were already dead—it felt easier to just assume the worst. But I wasn’t expecting it to...hurt so bad. I had done so much to avoid that pain, and yet it hit me anyways. None- none of my avoidance was worth it, in the end.” She admitted, voice shaking ever so slightly. “I really thought I had wasted all the time we had together, all because I was scared of my own feelings—because I was a coward .”

Finn stared at her. “You’re not a coward, HW. You did all that stuff for a good reason. You didn’t want to go mad like Betty or Simon or any of the other wizards you know.”

“I knew you’d say that.” The wizard laughed humorlessly. “That’s why I’m here. I didn’t want to waste what felt like a second chance with the only person who’s ever respected that." She coughed awkwardly. "But! If- if you're not interested, that's totally fine. I get it."

Finn silently pulled her into a hug, unable to help himself. After a moment of surprise, HW reciprocated, reaching her arms around him, too.

“I really like you, Huntress Wizard,” Finn muttered into her shoulder. “And if you want to, I’d really like to try making this work.”

“..But?” Huntress asked hesitantly.

“That’s it. No ‘buts’ about it.”

Could she really do this? Finn was right—she’d seen so many wizards succumb to the madness and sadness in their hearts, even those who swore to never let their emotions overcome them. How did she know that she wouldn’t be the same? What if opening up her heart, even a little, released something monstrous inside of her?

Was Finn really worth all that uncertainty?

HW took a deep breath, and pulled away. She truly looked at Finn—his eyes, his hair, all of the scars and scrapes he’d collected over the years, even that dumb shy smile that he wore now, still waiting for her response.

She closed her eyes and memorized it all.

He was here with her. He was alive. The world wasn’t ending anymore—everything was fine. 

“Okay,” She finally whispered. “Let’s do this, then.”

And then she kissed him for the third time.

Chapter Text

Jake was really proud of Finn. Just a few years ago, the dog would’ve had to come along on every dungeon crawl to keep Finn safe; but now, he could finally retire from adventuring, and rest easy knowing that his little brother could take care of himself. The kid had really grown into his own.

...Still though, Jake couldn’t help but feel lonely sometimes. Sure, he had Lady and the pups, but he’d spent over a decade raising Finn in that treehouse, and now that it was gone, it felt like the two brothers were drifting apart.

And that was why he decided to venture into the forests of Ooo. Jake knew that Finn liked hanging out in nature, and was probably camping somewhere close by. He was sure that Finn wouldn’t mind hanging out. Jake was his big brother, after all! He just had to find him.

Thanks to his dog-sniffer, Jake was able to catch a scent pretty quick. When he reached the source, however, he only found Finn’s backpack leaned against a tree. That was kind of weird—Finn would never just leave his backpack in the middle of nowhere. He had to be nearby, right?

“Finn?” Jake called out, but the only response he got was his own echo. He frowned, worried. “Finn? Where are you, man?” Suddenly, he heard a familiar scream, and squeaked in alarm. “Don’t worry bro, I’m coming!” Jake cried out, and ran in the direction the noise came from.

Meanwhile, Finn was busy trying to kill a lagoon monster, and was currently sprinting towards it while yelling, as was his usual strategy. His brand-new prosthetic arm was in its “weed-whacker” mode, which was kinda the best he could do without a sword. He still needed to get a new sword, by the way. He had the Night Sword, but it gave him bad jubies whenever he used it, and he kept getting splinters from the Root Sword-

“Finn, to your left!” Huntress Wizard shouted from the treetops, allowing Finn to narrowly avoid getting stomped on by the beast. “Sorry, thanks!” Finn shouted back, mentally slapping himself for getting distracted. 

They were just hanging out together by the creek, enjoying each other's company, when an invasive monster suddenly appeared and started destroying the wildlife. Obviously, they couldn’t have that, so now the couple was fighting off the giant beast.

Looking around, Finn managed to spot the tail, which was dragging across the ground, and immediately made a beeline towards it. Despite all the gross lagoon junk covering it, it wasn’t that hard to climb up all the way to the monster’s back, thanks to its rough skin. Finn leaned over and cut into the softer underbelly, barely able to hold on as the creature twisted in pain. Luckily, while it was stunned, HW used the opportunity to take a shot at its head. The monster fell to the ground, quickly finished off by the magically enhanced arrows, and Finn rolled off of it.

Huntress jumped down from the trees, and walked up to him. “You good, champ?” She asked, holding her hand out. He took it, and she pulled him up. Finn exhaled. “Yeah, I’m good, just kinda dizzy.”

“Want me to kiss it better?”

“What do y- mph!”

At that very moment, Jake rushed through the bushes. “DON’T WORRY FINN I’M HERE TO-” He cut himself off, as Finn and Huntress Wizard immediately broke apart and stared at him, horrified. “...save...you.” Jake finished quietly.

They just stood there for a bit, staring at each other, until HW glanced at Finn nervously. “Did we break him?” She whispered.

“Um. Maybe?” Finn whispered back hesitantly.

“Finn?” Jake finally spoke up, still staring wide-eyed. “Why are you covered in blood and seaweed? And making out with Huntress Wizard?”

Finn blushed. “Um.”  He shrugged. “Because...we can?”

There was more awkward silence, and Huntress just couldn’t take it anymore. “Jake, I’m courting your brother!” She suddenly blurted out.

“ Courting? ” Finn sputtered. “ That’s the word you’re using? He’s gonna think we’re getting married!”

“Sorry, I panicked! What else am I supposed to say? We’re betrothed? Mated? Going steady?”

“...aaannd that’s when you fainted.” Finn finished explaining to Jake, who was now in a hospital bed in the Candy Kingdom.

“Wow.” Jake blinked.

“Yeah.”

“So…you and Huntress Wizard are…”

“Dating? Yep.” Finn answered.

“For how long?”

Finn shifted uncomfortably. “Uhh...a few weeks, I guess? Basically since the Gum War ended.”

“And you didn’t tell me immediately?” Jake gasped playfully. “I’m hurt!”

“I was going to soon! I promise!” Finn protested. “But there was so much going on and I didn’t want to drop a bombshell like that so soon after-”

“Finn!” Jake interrupted. “Finn. I was just messing with you, it’s okay. You’re allowed to keep things to yourself.”

“Oh.” His brother sighed in relief. “Okay.”

“Maybe give me a heads up next time, though. That way, I won’t accidently crash your monster-murder date.”

Finn snorted. “Fair enough. Also, Huntress made you a card. She felt bad for nearly giving you a heart attack.” He handed over a folded piece of paper.

“Oh, how-” Jake opened the card to find a classic ‘Get Well Soon’ message inside, written messily in the blood of a lagoon monster. “...sweet.” He almost grimaced, but then he glanced back at Finn, who was looking out the window and staring at the forest, smiling absentmindedly.

Ah, well...in-laws. What can you do? She was definitely weird, and a little kooky—but who wasn’t, these days? She clearly made Finn happy.

Jake sighed affectionately. “I guess I’ll have to thank her, then.”

Chapter Text

Huntress Wizard had never asked Finn about his blindfolded-journey through her forest. After all, it had been years since then, and it happened long before they had started talking again. She remembered it being odd, but not anymore odd than the wizard was used to.

But then, one day, while greeting her a good morning, Finn was wearing a blindfold.

“What’s that cloth for?” She asked nonchalantly, leaning against a tree and carving an arrow.

“I’m stuck in a magic dungeon that resets my progress every time I open my eyes.” Finn explained casually.

HW stopped carving. “Since when?”

“A while.” The human shrugged. “I’ve lost count of the loops.”

Huntress Wizard stared at him silently, while Finn sat down next to her and started eating a sandwich. Was this what that strange trek of his had been about, so long ago? But if that was true, then how had he managed to get into this situation again?

“I mean, when did you get stuck in a dungeon? You were with me all of yesterday, and you weren't blindfolded then.” Huntress leaned forward, the unfinished arrow set down and long forgotten. Was this ‘dungeon’ really some kind of curse? She could fix a curse.

Finn didn’t immediately respond, looking like he wanted to explain it, but couldn’t find the words. “Um,” He finally replied, looking down at the ground. “I don’t really want to…” He trailed off.

Huntress furrowed her brow. Finn wasn’t ever shy about any struggles he had adventuring, at least not with her. He had asked her for help on a million things now, as had she. What was up with him? Why was he acting so weird and distant? It was almost like-

Oh.

It was almost like he wasn’t there.

HW let out a nervous breath and prayed that Finn didn’t notice. Was this like his roadblock when they were hunting the grumbo? Or one of her MMS episodes? What helped her during those?

“So, um.” Act casual, don’t freak him out. Ease him back in. How could she do that? “You know, I’ve been reading that book Betty Grof wrote about magic madness and sadness. It’s pretty enlightening stuff, to be honest. I was actually one of the wizards she studied to learn more about it, so I was kinda worried that she'd psychoanalyze me or something, but she’s actually pretty respectful about it. It's cool.”

The wizard looked back towards Finn. He was silent, but seemed to be passively listening as he finished his snack.

“It also sorta made me want to reconnect with some people back in Wizard City. I haven’t really kept in touch with anyone since moving here–it would defeat the whole point of becoming a forest hermit. But I guess it couldn’t hurt.”

Huntress Wizard kept rambling on for a while, as difficult as it was to think of things to talk about. She was verbally trying to figure out her favorite ice cream flavor when Finn finally signaled her to stop by touching her knee.

“Oh, thank glob.” She sighed in relief. “You back with me, man?” 

“I..think so? ” Finn replied, still wearing the blindfold and facing straight ahead. “I remembered that my right arm is metal now, so something is obvs different.”

“I’m Huntress Wizard, and I’m your girlfriend.” HW reminded him calmly. “We’re hanging out in my forest. The year is 1001. You’re 17 years old. The Gum War ended 3 months ago. We’ve been dating officially since then.”

“Right...right.” Finn muttered to himself, before speaking up again a few moments later. “Glob, this is so embarrassing. This hasn’t happened in forever, I promise.”

“What do you mean?” HW scooted closer to him.

“Thinking I’m still in Egress–the dungeon, I mean.” He clarified. “It kept messing with me a few months after I escaped, but I thought I’d gotten over it—I should be over it. It's been forever since them.”

“I don’t know, that seems like a pretty reasonable thing to still be messed up about.”

“I guess.”

“...Do you wanna take off that blindfold, now?” Huntress asked.

Finn opened his mouth, and then closed it. He bit his lip nervously.

“It's okay if you’re not ready.” Huntress tried to reassure him, but he shook his head.

“Why am I being so stupid about this?” Finn mumbled, burying his face in his hands. “I know I’m not there anymore. I know that.”

“Well, even though you logically know that, your subconscious might not be getting the memo. That book I was telling you about mentioned it. It’s some weird thing with brains not reacting to stuff correctly. Your nerves are probably all out of whack.”

Surprisingly, Finn snorted. “I didn’t know you were so into science.”

“I’m not.” HW shrugged. “How about I take it off for you?” She added after a short period of silence.

The human was quiet for a moment, before sighing and sitting up. “Okay.” He turned to face her.

Huntress leaned forward slowly. She thought she could feel the anxiety radiating off of Finn’s body, and wondered whether or not she was imagining it. “Just remember. You’re 17, you’re not in the dungeon, you’re safe,” She said, maybe trying to reassure herself just as much as Finn.

“Right. I’m 17, I’m not in the dungeon, I’m safe,” Finn repeated, clutching the grass underneath his hands. “I’m safe.”

A second or a century later, Huntress Wizard finally removed the cloth. Finn’s eyes were still shut tightly. Hesitantly, she touched his right arm, reminding him. “Finn, it's okay. You’re okay. Trust me.”

Finn forced his body to relax, albeit only slightly. “Okay,” He whispered, trying to focus on the cold sensation that Huntress' touch was spreading through his arm–his prosthetic, because he lost his arm, and he was 17, and he wasn’t in Egress anymore. He wasn’t . “I trust you.”

He opened one eye with a cautious squint, and when he made out Huntress’ fuzzy form, he almost cried in relief.

“See?” HW said, smiling. “I told yo- OOF-”

Before she could finish her sentence, Finn launched himself forward, nearly tackling her with a hug.

“Thank you,” He said shakily. “I love you.”

Huntress’ heart skipped a beat. Surprised, she hugged him back, though not nearly as violently. After a moment, she smiled and pulled him closer. 

“Yeah. I love you, too, dork.”

Chapter Text

It wasn’t unusual for Huntress Wizard to drop off the face of the Earth sometimes. Usually it was because of a hunt, or a particularly long mediation session. Sometimes she’d let Finn know in advance, but usually she’d get caught up in the moment and forget to give him a heads up. It freaked Finn out the first few times his girlfriend disappeared, but eventually he got used to it. HW had to do her own thing, and she came home safe every time, so there probably wasn’t any need to worry.

So when he couldn’t find her the first day, he didn’t panic. And on the second day, he assumed she’d be back that evening. But three days was a long time for Huntress to be M.I.A, and Finn was getting concerned.

That afternoon, he went to the forest and checked every place he could think off. He even sent a couple messages to the phone she barely used. But Finn’s efforts so far had been fruitless, and as he went deeper and deeper into the woods, his hopes dwindled.

The humans sighed, knowing that if he went any farther, he’d probably get lost. He was just being impatient, anyways, he reasoned. Huntress could take care of herself. There wasn’t any reason to get worked up over nothing.

But just as he was about to turn around, a bright green eye appeared in the corner of Finn’s vision, and he barely had time to react before something tackled him to the ground.

He tried to push the creature off of him, but the best he could do was keep it from biting him. While the beast hissed and clawed at his shirt, Finn was able to get a proper look at it, and his heart sunk.

Her hair and clothes were torn and tattered, and there was a wild, feral look her eyes that Finn had seen in every wizard he’d ever met–except for her.

“Huntress?” He mumbled. 

His resistance faltered for just a moment, and the monster- no, Huntress Wizard - took the opportunity to overpower him. She bit into Finn’s shoulder, and- Glob, were her teeth always always that sharp?

It took everything in Finn’s power to not scream, instead channeling his energy into pushing her away again. This time, his body’s near-death adrenaline gave him the advantage, and they switched places, with Huntress now pinned to the ground instead.

Huntress growled, watching her prey’s body shake with the effort of holding her down by her wrists. The smell of its blood, now spilling freely, was driving her insane. But then she caught a different scent, and realized that it was shaking because of something else, too.

She stared at the tears falling from its shocked eyes, not caused by pain or even fear, but something else, something her primal mind couldn’t recognize. And although she continued to struggle under its grip, she wracked her brain for the name of the pheromone, subconsciously knowing it was there, somewhere, until she finally found it, buried underneath all her madness—

And then she woke up.

Her pupils dilated, and she blinked a couple of times before her eyes widened in realization and horror.  “...Finn?” She whispered, and Finn’s grip loosened on instinct. She sat up and launched herself into his arms. 

“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” HW repeated, over and over again. Finn knelt there, frozen, still only able to hear the blood pumping in his ears.

Eventually, Huntress’ arm pressed against his bleeding shoulder, and he was pulled back into reality, wincing. Huntress immediately pulled away. “Oh my glob, did I…” She trailed off, staring at the bite wound.

“It’s okay, I’m okay-” Finn tried to reassure her, reaching his hands out, but she flinched away from him and squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head. He pulled back and looked at the ground.

After a moment, he spoke up again. “Are you okay?”

Huntress Wizard looked back at him in disbelief. “I just tried to eat you, and you’re worried about me ?”

“...yes?” Finn responded, shrugging. “I mean, Marceline tried to eat Jake once, and we’re still friends.” 

“Why- are you serious?!” Huntress suddenly yelled out. “I just tried to kill you man! Are you really just gonna move past that?”

“Well, what am I supposed to do?” Finn retorted.

HW stood up. “I don’t know, hate me? Break up with me? I shouldn’t be allowed to hurt you, Finn! That’s not okay!”

Finn blinked up at her. “...No, it’s not okay.” He admitted. “But its clear that you weren’t doing it on purpose, and you feel really bad about it, so I’m not gonna blame you for something out of your control.”

“But it should be in my control!” Huntress protested, voice shaking. “I’m supposed to keep myself in control, and I failed! I couldn’t even keep you away from me when I needed to!”

Finn stood up too, and stepped closer to her. “Hold on, where’s all this coming from?”

HW laughed bitterly. “I don’t know, my entire life? I swore I’d never let myself be overtaken by my madness and sadness. I was never gonna end up like Ice King or Magic Man or any of the other wizards in Ooo. I’m supposed to know better than them. I’m supposed to be better.”

Finn stared at her. “Huntress, everyone hurts people sometimes. That’s not just about being a wizard. That’s just being a person.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t want to be a person!” Huntress exclaimed. “That’s kinda the whole point of being a wizard, Finn!” After a moment, she sighed. “This is why I was scared of going soft. I knew that if I got close to anyone, I’d just end up hurting them. And I was right.”

“...Hey, look.” Finn put his hands on her shoulders. “I’m not stupid, H-Dubs. I’ve seen what magic can do to people my entire life. I knew what I was getting into with you. Sure, what just happened was really scary, but its a part of you. And I love every part of you.”

“Are you sure?” Huntress asked hesitantly.

“I’m sure.”

The wizard blinked, and suddenly broke the silence with a snort. “You must be crazier than me, then.”

Finn giggled. “Yeah, I can’t believe it took you this long to realize.”

He leaned in to hug her, before getting dizzy. “I might pass out in a sec, by the way. ‘Cause of the blood loss.” He mumbled into her shoulder.

“Oh, yeah. Do you think you can walk back to my house? I got potions there that could help.”

“Will you carry me if I say no?”

“I was gonna carry you anyways. I just wanted to see what you’d say.”

“Sweet."