#interactions; hunter and kat 001

[manybcdthings]

cross home

hunter and kat @ofwrxth

Cache Creek was a dead end and the drive back seemed longer than when he and Elliot headed out. If it wasn't for the bulk of supplies they managed to salvage, Hunter's mood would've been more dower than it already was. Still, there were young boys he needed to see even as his heart twisted in his chest that Elliot had to return to a quieter cabin. He trailed through the door with an obvious defeat over his features, forcing them to lift at the sound of Jude and Oliver's excitement. "Would ask if they been good but, doubt it." he grinned to Kat, taking hold of her waist with one arm and pulling her towards him for a greeting kiss even while the young boys were adamant for their father's attention. "Jesus Christ, calm the fuck down. Let a man get some once in a while." he scolded them through a laugh of his own, moving from Kat to plonk his hand on each boys head. "Right, come on. Show me this thing you done or whatever the fuck." he scrunched his nose, not knowing if he heard them right so he glanced to Kat. "What they done?" he mouthed to her in confusion.

[manybcdthings]

"No, you don't get it." Hunter matched her volume, knowing he'd be paying the price of a sore throat later. "How the fuck do I treat him like he's not good enough? Think I'd even waste my time with him if I thought he couldn't actually make it as a man?" Hunter pointed back to Kat's trailer where he assumed Ash was dwelling, probably overhearing everything but Hunter didn't care much. These were things he'd say to his face. "He tell you I was trying to prove a point? Because that's a bold fucking lie and he needs to get his ass out here right now if he's been lying." he warned angrily, staring Kat down as if this was all her doing. She was to blame in Hunter's eyes. They were young and had no idea what they were doing and instead of wanting to make a weak baby stronger, Kat thought smothering him with love would do the trick. An alien concept which meant it was wrong by Hunter's standards. "You know I make excuses for him more than enough. He's young or I think he'll figure it out. He'll wise up and wanna make sure he's not walked all over but if he's lying, that's another fucking story Kat. What the fuck you even do with him when I wasn't around?"

Hunter thought for a moment that there was a clearing in the argument, that they might settle down from spiteful words but he was wrong. Kat's words confused him again and Hunter was scoffing, spitting even as he stammered over his words while he tried to make sense of them. Every bit of his confusion turned into bitter anger until he couldn't take it any more. "Kat, you got three seconds to fuck out of here if you're not gonna talk properly." he pointed at her, a deep frown settling on his face with his warning. However, the warning was too late even for himself. Before he could think about his reaction, Hunter made a grip for Kat's chin as if his fingers could clamp down her jaws and stop the incessant noise. "Fuck me? No, fuck you Kat. Every damn time I try and step in and do something that will help him, you got a fucking problem with it. So go on. You do it yourself. I'm done. Let's see how far he gets in Center Hill, bitch."

Kat can’t help but laugh – what else is there to do? She may as well be on a separate planet from him for all he understands. “You. Don’t. Get. It.” she yells back, like volume will make a difference. If it did, she’d buy a fucking megaphone. But at this point, she’s just pissed off and frustrated and feels like she’s talking to a brick wall for all the good it’s doing her. “I don’t care if you fucking spar with him! I care that you treat him like he’s not good enough and then you punch him in the face to prove your point!” Asher’s anger had been palpable yesterday, as had his hurt. Not even over the physical pain. He tried to conceal it with layers of indignation but Kat knows what it looks like. Regret and resentment bubbling up in her son and she wishes she could give him a solution. But Hunter’s unwilling to see any perspective other than his own, which means Kat has no solution to offer Asher. She hates it. “I know that,” she teems with silent anger now because she knows that Asher will want to join, and she can’t blame him. And she can’t keep him from it either. Both she and Hunter were in. It makes sense. “I know he’s gonna want in, Hunter. Anyone with eyes can see that.”

She glares at him when he steps back, still rooted in place because she doesn’t know that she won’t launch herself at him if she moves. He makes her so mad, his stubbornness and hers colliding at full force when they’re like this. “Jesus! You know what, forget it. I keep telling you the point but, like fucking always, if you don’t like it, it’s not worth noting. Big fucking surprise,” Kat spits, any attempt at trying to reign in her anger evaporates. “No, you know what – the fact you care about being right than if our son died is fucked, Hunter.” She twists his words, wielding them like a knife, “this isn’t about you! I don’t fucking hate you, I hate that you make Ash think he’s a worthless piece of shit to you.” That’s the point. And the solution? Hunter throwing the kid a fucking bone. Saying those stupid words. Good job. I’m proud of you.“But you don’t give a shit, which is just shocking!” She actually sees what he’s trying to do. And though she won’t admit it now, she does want Asher to be prepared and able to defend himself. She does think Hunter can get him there. But she knows that he’d actually be willing to learn something if his dad didn’t act like he was the weakest link. If he didn’t try to prove that every time they were together. But standing there now, breathless and irate, hands curled into fists at her side, Kat doesn’t think Hunter will ever see reason. “So, you know what, just – fuck you, Hunter.”

[temilyrights]

The Bold Type Kadena Jack Sloane

001 | Send me a fandom and I will tell you my: The Bold Type

Favourite character: Sutton Brady

Least Favourite character: Ryan

5 Favourite ships (canon or non-canon): Sutton/Hunter, Kadena, Jacqueline/Jane (guilty pleasure). Can I add none romantic? Cause then Kat/Sutton/Jane and also Sutton/Oliver.

Character I find most attractive: Jacqueline

Character I would marry: Jacqueline

Character I would be best friends with: Sutton and Kat

a random thought: totally underrated show!! deserve’s so much more love<3 Also Andrew and Sage deserve more screen time!

An unpopular opinion: Idk if it’s unpopular but Ryan needs to GO. FOREVER. 

My Canon OTP: Sutton/Hunter

My Non-canon OTP: Jacqueline/Jane

Most Badass Character: All of them??

Most Epic Villain: I don’t think there is one tbh

Pairing I am not a fan of: Ryan/Jane

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): Hmm... I don’t know. I don’t think they have (yet).

Favourite Friendship: Kat/Sutton/Jane

Character I most identify with: Jane?

Character I wish I could be: Sutton or Kat

002 | Send me a ship and I will tell you: Kadena

When I started shipping them: The cute scene when they were packing sex toys together.

My thoughts: Cute as hell and I enjoy their friendship outside the romance.  

What makes me happy about them: They way they love each other and how they both fight to make the world a better place. Also, the airport scene and their first kiss scene cause it was beautiful.

What makes me sad about them: The tension between them in season 4. Also not a fan of the back and forth between dating and not. 

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: I’ve never read a Kadena fic.

Things I look for in fanfic: ...

My wishlist: I love them but I also enjoy their friendship and I hope they continue working together as friends. I’m not necessarily hoping they get back together romantically. 

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: There’s no one else in the picture for either of them but I’d be fine with them getting with other people.

My happily ever after for them: Them continuing to fight the world together <3 

003 | Give me a character & I will tell you: Jack Sloane

How I feel about this character: She deserves the whole world. She’s a literal ray of sunshine despite all the trauma she’s faced in her life. Total badass angel and I love her. 

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: None. I appreciate Slibbs but I don’t really ship it. I feel I could definitely ship her with Hollis if she were to return. Ok and also low-key (don’t hate me for this) but some of her’s and Abby’s scenes...Just sayin’ there was an energy. 

My favourite non-romantic relationship for this character: Her and Gibbs. I like their friendship I just don’t ship them. Same with her and Vance. Also would love more scenes with her and Ellie cause I enjoy them together.

My unpopular opinion about this character: Okay call out on the NCIS fandom but y’all know she’s her own person and not only around to be Gibbs’ romantic interest, right? Cause a lot of the time it feels you only care for her because of Gibbs. Also, I wish they’d have her interact with more characters outside of Gibbs and Vance more. 

One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character in canon: I hope we get some Faith/Jack/Baby scenes because my heart requires them. I want more Jack going into the field!! And more Jack & guns! I’d love to see a sneak into her life outside the office (Also I’d love to make her canonically into women but y’know...that’s never gonna happen:/)

Favorite friendship for this character: EH. Jack and Vance? 

My crossover ship: Hmm...Jack Sloane and Helen Sharpe from new Amsterdam. POWER COUPLE. Would be cute as hell. Or with Alex Blake from Criminal Minds. Or Teddy Altman from Grey’s Anatomy. :)

[zutaralesbian]

001: Euphoria, Black Sails. 002: Rue/Jules. 003: Eleanor Guthrie, Jules Vaughn.

Already answered Black Sails! :)

Euphoria:

Favorite character: Jules. This was initially born out of spite because of all the ridiculous hate she got but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that she really is my fave. Despite what a lot of people say, I think she's genuinely one of the nicer people on the show. But she just has a lot of her own issues and is still trying to find herself. I feel very protective of her lol. Rue is a close second fave though.

Least Favorite character: Probably Cal Jacobs

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): Rue/Jules, Cassie/Maddy, and Kat/Ethan. That's it really.

Character I find most attractive: None of them really. I think Rue and Jules are both really pretty but they're minors. And Zendaya and Hunter are also both a little too young for me.

Character I would marry: None of them. They're kids.

Character I would be best friends with: Lexi is probably the one I'd get along with best, honestly. But I also kind of feel like Jules is one of those extroverts who would adopt introverts as her friends and that's how 99% of my school friendships started, including the one with my best friend lol.

a random thought: I can't believe they really made Zendaya read L*rry fanfiction out loud lmao

An unpopular opinion: Eh....I can't really think of anything other than loving Jules and believing that she isn't any more "toxic" than most of the other characters lol. But idk how unpopular that is. There are a lot of Jules haters but she also has a good amount of stans.

My Canon OTP: Rue/Jules. I just want them both happy :(

My Non-canon OTP: Cassie/Maddy. Maddy needs to ditch Nate and date her soulmate.

Most Badass Character: Rue. Her confrontation with Nate in the finale was iconic. I hope she wrecks his shit next season.

Most Epic Villain: "Epic" is a strong word but I actually do think Nate is kind of interesting as a villain. He falls into the "love to hate him" categories of villains for me. I think it's partly because I think Jacob Elordi is one of the strongest actors on the show. It probably helps that other than following certain blogs and venturing into the Jules Vaughn and Rue x Jules tags, I'm not too involved in the fandom. So idk how rampant Nate woobifying is other than the fact that there are some freaks who ship him with Jules.

Pairing I am not a fan of: Jules/Nate 🤢 Luckily I don't think it's THAT rampant yet

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): Kat's characterization got a little crazy for a while there but I don't think she was screwed up per se.

Favourite Friendship: I'd say Cassie/Maddy but I also ship it romantically lol. Um....I'll go with Rue/Fez even if I do find it kind of problematic considering he was her drug dealer.

Character I most identify with: Kat. I didn't really grow up as a fat girl (though I'm far from being skinny) but the whole thing with her getting lost in online fandoms and fictional worlds to cope with her loneliness is something that I think a lot of us can relate to.

Character I wish I could be: Eh....none really lol

Rue/Jules:

When I started shipping them: I think it was 1x02 that sold me on the ship. It was strange because they met, became friends, and started developing feelings really fast and I usually can't get into ships like that. But something about their chemistry and dynamic really speaks to me and makes me melt.

My thoughts: They are an unhealthy relationship but NOT an abusive one. And they have potential to become healthy if they both work out their own problems as individuals. It's clear that they both care about each other a lot and when things are good between them, it really is good. They have a lot of potential to make each other happy and give the other what they need. And their chemistry is so good and tender. They make me soft in both the best and worst ways.

What makes me happy about them: That they get so much screen time together, more so than any other pair.

What makes me sad about them: That they're both so lost and troubled atm :(

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: There isn't a ton of Euphoria fic yet and I've only read like two Rue/Jules fics lol. So nothing.

Things I look for in fanfic: I'd love to read some established relationship fics with the two of them that take place where they're both in healthier places. I have an idea in my head of one taking place during their college years where they're both juggling school, their mental health, and having a relationship with each other. Maybe one day I'll write it lol

My wishlist: For them to both grow and heal and characters and then eventually come back together stronger.

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: I don't really ship either of them with anyone else. For Rue I might have said Lexi if the shippers didn't make me resent the pairing so much.

My happily ever after for them: The two of them finish high school and go to college while attending therapy. Somewhere down the line, they move to New York City and get their own apartment together. They also get a cat. (It's Jules' idea. Rue is initially kind of grumpy about it because cats could have fleas and they have to clean the litter box. But she eventually grows to love it just as much as Jules). And they're both happy.

Eleanor Guthrie:

How I feel about this character: I love Eleanor so, so much and I'm sad about her always. I loved her right from her very first appearance on the show and I so wish she had gotten a better ending.

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: Max. I don't know how I ended up loving a ship that broke up romantically in the second episode of the show so much but I do. And I loved that they became friends again before the end and that their importance to each other was never truly forgotten. I also dig Miranda/Eleanor as a crack ship. And Eleanor/Mrs. Hudson.

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: Flint. I loved how much respect they always had for each other, even when they were technically on different sides. I also really wish we had gotten some sort of Eleanor/Anne dynamic outside of those scenes in S1. Even if the dynamic ended up not being entirely positive, I wanted some more interaction between the two of them lol.

My unpopular opinion about this character: She was killed at least partly for manpain. People can argue all they want but they literally made her pregnant just to make her death more painful for Rogers.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: That she hadn't died. I also would have liked to see her with another woman if we couldn't get more Maxanor. It's unfair that after Max (which didn't last long) we only got to see her with two shitty men.

Favorite friendship for this character: I liked her scenes with Madi in late S4 and I wish we could've seen more of that dynamic. Eleanor died trying to save her :(

My crossover ship: I don't do crossovers. But I've seen the fandom pass off the idea of Eleanor/Elizabeth Swann from POTC a few times and I think that's sort of intriguing.

Jules Vaughn:

How I feel about this character: I love her a lot and I feel like she's very misunderstood. As I said before, I believe she's one of the genuinely nicer characters on the show but has a lot of her own shit and problems to deal with. I think some people are way harder on her than they are other characters and that annoys me.

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: Rue and that's it.

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character:  We don't see a lot of it but her friendship with Kat seems cute. I also like her dad.

My unpopular opinion about this character: Whenever people bring up Rue/Jules being unhealthy, they always cite Jules as the only reason it's unhealthy and I don't think that's fair. Rue literally makes herself dependant on Jules to stay sober and that's a lot of unfair pressure to put on a teenager, especially one that's dealing with her own problems.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: That she hadn't slept with Cal Jacobs. That scene was so gross and made me uncomfortable. I get that hooking up with married men is a by-product of a self esteem issue for her but at the very least, I didn't need to see it.

Favorite friendship for this character: Kat again.

My crossover ship: NA

Thanks! :)

[manybcdthings]

"This is different and you fucking know it." Hunter yelled, trying to interrupt Kat because he knew where this was going. He was going to be likened to his father and Hunter believed he was nothing like him. "You know I'd never hit him outside of the fucking ring, for fuck sake. Can you stop acting like I beat on him because he burnt some toast or something?" Hunter was erratic, not even caring that Katherine had flinched at his outburst. It took a lot for Hunter to see red and remarkably, he wasn't anywhere near that now. Heated was the best word for it, but he still was unable to digest anything being said to him or recoil from the sight of a startled woman. In fact his hand had made a grab for her arm again to try and keep her in place. "How the fuck do I treat him like nothing? You're starting to piss me off, Kat. You're wanting fairytales or some shit. I don't even wanna fucking talk to you right now." he shoved her into the trailer again, forgetting his own strength in the process. "He's my kid of course I give a fuck about him but sorry I'm not a fucking ball of tears or whatever the fuck you two do to bond. How the hell did you even cope when he was inside, Kat? Sending him letters like be strong little prince mommy will hug you soon? It's pathetic."

The more Kat fought against Hunter the tighter he gripped her, and soon enough he was standing in her space again with an attempt to try and lower the argument. There was no way of reeling back the anger now though, even if his voice had quietened down. "You," he started. "Need to fuck off back home for a few hours and stay the fuck away from me." he warned her, disgruntled by the fact he couldn't see a clear answer even if it was waved under his nose. Katherine sounded like she was going around in circles in Hunter's eyes, just arguing for the sake of it. "Is this even about Asher or are you pissed off at something else?" he accused her, thinking she was an Anderson after all. Not one of them could handle their grievances properly and it didn't feel like a leap to think this was one of those situations. "Is this about Lia or something? I gave Nash a few more fucking bucks or something stupid like that?" he continued scoffing slightly. "No see, if Ash was a man he'd be here even with a fucking bruise on his face wanting to solve it like men do. Not hiding behind his fucking mother. That's the exact reason why I hit him in the first place." Hunter breathed out a sigh, chest tight because he'd been yelling too loudly. "You ever think it'd be easier if you just tried making sense for once in your fucking life?"

Center Hill born and bred, Kat never thought she'd get out. But when Asher was born, she'd hoped he could. She hoped that she could love him hard enough into wanting a better life for himself. She'd meant fuck all to her parents, and she promised herself that Ash would never feel that way. She'd broken that promise more times than she can count because can't force Hunter to show he cares in any way their son can understand. Kat knows he's angry, she knows she's pushing buttons she shouldn't – questioning his actions, criticizing them. But she doesn't back down. She's a fucking Anderson, after all, and they never knew when to quit. "Fine! I’ll say it. I think you have the emotional capacity of a fucking teaspoon because Jeff fucked you up so bad that you think hitting our son means you're teaching him to be a man!" She screams with all the outrage she feels, "I never expected you to be fucking father of the year. I'm not delusional." though she probably sounds it, all but spitting her words at him. "But you treat him like he's nothing and that he should be okay with that.” Okay. Calm down. Just. Say your piece and be done. Just. Be. Done.”You treat anything you don't agree with like it's bullshit when you've got the IQ for a fucking fifth grader!” Well…not great. But can he hear himself?! “You need feelings to be a fucking person, Hunter!” She’s almost laughing as she yells, like she can’t believe they’re having this fight again. 

Kat lets out an indignant sound as he shoves her back towards the trailer. “Maybe I should have!” she shouts back at him, wrestling with his grip. “At least he’s not a fucking sociopath!” She never thought Hunter was anything other than what he was, but the older Asher got, the more she saw how that very fact wounded him. Hunter’s tough love just felt tough to Asher. It made him resent his father for resenting him. She can’t remember the last time she heard so much as a good job coming from Hunter and she can see how Asher suffocates on his need for those two words. Just two words. That’s all he fucking wants and Hunter refuses to give it to him. Kat’s breathing heavily by the time he’s backed them around his trailer and she moves to yank her arm free as she stares up at him, fury surging forward like a wave. It consumes her and it’s only in times like these that she understands her father’s rage. The white hot anger that can so easily blind her to everything else going on around them. “I wish I could!” And yet…Asher still needs Hunter in his life for whatever it’s worth (at this very moment, she doesn’t think it’s worth much at all), but she won't be responsible for Hunter's decisions. So she clenches her jaw instead, gritting her teeth together, seething as her chest rises and falls with ragged breaths. “Yeah, well, maybe if you hadn't fucking hit him, he'd be here instead.” 

[manybcdthings]

"You wanna talk about responsibility? When we had a kid when we were kids!?" Hunter yelled through a laugh, finding the circles hard to keep track of. "We both know what the responsible thing woulda been but you don't wanna talk about that, I bet. Just point fingers at me. As always." he mocked her. Were they yelling for the sake of it or was this a genuine concern Kat had? Either way, Hunter was sick of hearing about it. It didn't even cross his mind that his words were venomous or could soak into his every day interactions with Asher. He wasn't bright enough to realize words carried weight, and could be far more painful than any fist. "I'll do what the fuck I want when you're the one who headed over here." he said with a mean tone, arrogant with it too which wasn't often a trait he had. "Did I say you were fucking knitting? Don't start the shit where you say I said something I didn't, because this will be a whole other fight, Kat." he reminded her, not wanting to reach a level that he couldn't undo. He failed to see that it wasn't a good thing this was only his low volume of anger.

The insulting word, despite Hunter being used to being called a whole manner of things, made him slam his hand into the trailer with the flat of his palm. It wasn't the word that bothered him, he just had a strange complex about hearing women cuss. "You wanna call me that again, Kat? Say it a little louder, in fact say everything you wanna fucking say. You always do." he shouted, still not stepping out of her space but his hand was back on her shoulder with a shove to push her to the side of him so he could herd her back towards her own trailer. "Maybe I won't fucking need to, Kat. Ever think of that? Nash wasn't hooked up to a whole bunch of machines to help him breathe. I'm trying to fucking help Ash and for some reason you just want him to be a little baby boy all the fucking time. It's fucked up, Kat."

“I came here expecting you to take some fucking responsibility!” She’s not being fair but Kat has watched for twenty years as Asher waited for any fucking scrap of acceptance or approval from Hunter and him coming home with a nearly broken nose just because he wanted to say hi to his dad pisses her off. She shoves away Hunter’s hands as he manhandles her, pushing her into the trailer and she pushes him back, “don’t touch me,” she snaps, eyes ablaze now that they’ve crossed over into a full on-shouting match. She doesn’t notice the people peering out of their respective trailers and, if she did, doesn’t care. This isn’t anything they haven’t seen before. She doesn’t back up as he invades her space, glaring directly into his cool blue eyes as she stands her ground. She’d stare down a storm for Ash and his father may as well be that right now, crackling with electricity.

“And you think I was doing what? Knitting? We were both trying to put food on the table.” She’d had her father’s debts to contend with, a business to keep afloat and their son at her side always. Hunter provided more than she cared to admit, but they’d both stretched themselves thin. And, to Kat, it felt like it stopped there for him. Reluctance over spending time with Asher, long absences when he was in prison, distance and more money when he was out. Kat never spoke poorly about him to their son but she stopped making excuses on his behalf early on. I don't know when he'll stop by. They’d been kids when they had him, so there’s a part of Kat that never blamed Hunter for his distance, never expected more from him after he’d walked into the NICU and walked out. But now…now she sees what could’ve been and it’s like acid in her mouth. It makes her biter, not at Lia, or at Nash, but at Hunter. For withholding himself from Ash until it was too late.  “I’m not controlling, you’re just a cunt, Hunter. That’s all,” Kat spits before laughing at the idea that she was smothering Asher. “Right, okay. So I can’t be upset you nearly broke his nose? Because, what? It’s a right of passage or something? So like in 17 years you’re gonna give Nash a good ole punch in the face too to make him some sort of man? Happy 20th Birthday, bud!” 

[manybcdthings]

"What?" Hunter responded with a nonchalant tone as he slipped on his shirt, not stopping on his slow walk to his truck. "Who's nose? What the fuck are you talking about?" it was obvious the confusion was genuine, there were too many fights in Hunter's life for him to keep track off but he had no idea who Kat would be so passionate over unless... "Ash?" he laughed. "I didn't even go hard, he got straight back up again and gave me this." he pointed to the shining bruise getting ready to show on his own cheek. "It happens when men spar, Kat. You know that, right?"

+ HUNTER CROSS TRAILER

"What the fuck is your problem?!" Kat yells the moment Hunter steps foot outside of his family's trailer. She feels her blood boiling as she accosts him. Kat knows she should take a moment, maybe a few deep breaths while she's at it, but patience has never been her strongest virtue. "You almost broke his fucking nose, Hunter!" @manybcdthings

[manybcdthings]

Hunter let out a childish sigh to Kat, tutting under his breath. "We're not stoppin' at four so, get use to your legs bein' above your head again." he pointed to her, cackling as the mischievous grin flourished over his lips. "In fact, you're gettin' old. Dog years you're practically dead. Need to shit out a few more before you're useless." Hunter laughed in an evil note, watching as their boys escaped. He gave a serious nod at Kat's call after them. "Yeah, they heard that." he teased, giving her a little ok sign for a job well done while fighting back another chuckle.

As soon as he heard her mocking teases, Hunter's head rolled back in a sigh. "Real funny." he laughed back at her, nodding as if he was listening while still directing her backwards to the cabin with little disinterested "uhuhs" under his chuckle. He kept a knowing smirk on his face as Kat fell into full character, scoffing at her as he guided her to the steps of the cabin. "You're just bein' stupid 'cause you don't wanna look soft." he remarked, grabbing her into a quick hold to lift her and carry her the rest of the way. What followed next was nothing short of a rush to the couch, Hunter laughing as he dropped them both to it in a form of rough affection as his hands pinched at her hips. "You scared I'm gonna think you're in love with me or somethin? It's okay, it happens." he teased, landing a few quick kisses against her jaw before he pushed himself up and then away from her to sit against the couch. He waved a hand to the kitchen, an expectant nod. "I know you don't, 'cause if you did I'd have some damn food waiting."

Kat rolls her eyes and shakes her head as she helps the boys down from the truck to play with their new friend. "For your purposes," she waves a hand in his general direction, "I am a barren wasteland," Kat snickers. Though she loves her children, and doesn't regret them one bit, she's not sure she wants to make that sacrifice again. "So I guess we'll be sticking with one dog for now." Unless he wanted to bring up having another three kids with Lia. But Kat has a feeling the other woman might not be keen either. She ignores his statement and instead sighs when the boys giggle at his profanity. "He's yours if you help take care of him," Kat calls after them though they're no longer listening.

Now Kat snickers at his reaction while he tucks her fingers away and she pretends to listen. "An even better man?" she mocks with wide eyes and a smirking smile, "well, where is he? We haven't met yet." Kat jests with an amused look, catching his shoulder to keep her balance as he walks them backwards. "See, you pretend like you're joking so you can say what you actually think," she challenges with a light chuckle knowing him well enough that his words aren't fully in jest. But then she schools her expression into one she thinks is far more doting and adoring as she all but bats her lashes up at him. "You mean like Oh, Hunter, please don't ever leave us for that long again. I was so worried, I couldn't even sleep through the night without you here." She'd actually slept great. "I missed you so much." Kat tries to not to break character, though the slight twitch of her lips betrays her as she lays it on thick. "I'm just glad you got back safe. I don't know what we'd do without a big, strong man to protect us on this here homestead." She mocks with a wide grin and easy laugh.

[manybcdthings]

Hunter chuckled and the forced smile tore into something more fluid and genuine as Kat peered for more dogs in the truck. "Nah, not yet. Maybe when we got more boys, we'll get more dogs. A dog for every four of 'em." he waved his hand to the cabin that could barely contain them already but that would never be a factor that could stop him. "Unless you're doin' that thing again where you're pretendin' to be barren wasteland." Hunter then pointed to her stomach which had remained flatter than his liking but he couldn't ignore the selfishness he felt when Lia shared the news of a new addition. Isla and Cece's absence making it difficult to feel any sort of emotion other than duty towards the growing baby. "More kids, more dogs. Fair deal. Since you like raisin' 'em both so much." Hunter grinned, under the firm belief he was in fact offering a favor and a form of prize.

Scoffing at the light elbow, he pushed her arm away and shook his head to his boys so they knew not to listen. "He's yours, boys. I don't know what the fuck she's talkin' about." he said clear as day, Ollie chuckling louder because of his language. As the boys then scurried with their new best friend, Hunter watched them with a smile but set his gaze back to Kat soon after. His eyes flicked between the two proud fingers she produced and he nodded with a small frown. "Whoever told you that was cute was a lil bitch and a liar." he commented, folding the fingers away as he chuckled. "You know I'd do anythin', that made you not worry that pretty little head of yours." he matched the drawl as he smirked down at her. "I know every good woman needs an even better man to look out for her. What's that Jeff used to say? Behind every good man is...a few other good men and then..." he waved his hand as if gesturing to the distance. "Somewhere back there's some good women givin' 'em boys." he laid on the tease thickly, hands anchoring to her hips to walk her backwards to their home. "Anyways, you're bein' a bad one right now. Where's the I missed you, glad you got back safe, woman?"

Kat doesn't really remember a time without Hunter's self-righteous, overly-confident nature. She can't say it never charmed her because, well, four kid said otherwise, but she could see through it more clearly now. She could see that despite the smile and the laughter, there was a storm lingering beneath the surface. But she knows that these moments with their youngest are important, gratitude running deep through her when she thinks of what Elliot's going through and how he can't laugh with Isla or Cece. Rolling her eyes, she scoffs at Hunter's words, a reluctant smile tugging at her lips because it's impossible not to relish the sound of her boys' laughter, bright and innocent when the world is the exact opposite these days. "You don't got another two in the truck, do you?" She asks with sudden concern. They'd had two before, but she thinks that one is enough. Even though she knows he'd get another if he wanted.

His reaction to her words is expected, typical behavior from a man who was brought up to look down on anything soft as the anthesis to strength. But she shrugs, standing by her sentiment. "What I'm saying is," she interjects, elbowing Hunter lightly, "is that we're all gonna pitch in so we can keep him." She bites back a so what if they want their nails painted because she doesn't actually want to ruin the moment for the boys, but she thinks it. So what? Watching as they run into the yard with the puppy, Kat returns her gaze to Hunter, huffing as he takes her hands. "Yeah, I got two right here," she says with a smirk, folding all her fingers but one on each hand. His mockery isn't missed, and neither is her sarcasm as she replies to his offer with a nod."You'd do that? For me? You're just so considerate, Hunt," she says, tone sweeter than it usually is, but with a derisive undertone. "How'd I get so lucky?"

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"Lia." Hunter answered with a devilish smirk. "Whole reason for gettin' a younger model, then with you gone, frees up a space for another one." he spoke with all the smug confidence in the world, trying to fight the grin on his face from breaking into laughter. The question about the dog was able to pull Hunter from the joke just enough and he let out a grumbling thoughtful noise. "Ahh, the abandoned facility. It's mama must've got in through a window but couldn't get back out. He was the last one alive." he explained, flippant almost before he touched his chest. "So next time you wanna call me an asshole, you think about that. Saved it's life."

Despite laughing at her words, he wondered if Kat knew how far from the mark she was. Hunter was convinced nobody could hate him as much as he hated himself. "Yeah? What does that make you then if y'stuck with me? An idiot?" he returned with a quick cackle. Amusement was lost quickly, and he tutted at the way Kat made herself comfortable with all the confidence in the world. He gave a light shove of her legs to put them down again and he nodded to the kitchen. "You know there's a damn 'nother mouth to feed, go on." he said, and then pointed to Lia's bedroom. "She asleep? I can ask her." he added before sighing about his brother which paused him from moving to his feet. He wasn't going to tell Kat how rough Elliot was feeling, even though everyone knew, it just seemed wrong to talk about. Like he was showing his brother's vulnerability for him. "'Bout what you expect. Another dead end don't feel good."

Kat swats away his pointing hand and laughs at his words, "oh yeah? and who's gonna take care of all these supposed kids if I'm practically at death's door?" She cackles at the thought of Hunter suddenly surrounded by an army of crying babies. Kat watches the boys run through the yard with the puppy and sighs, glancing back at him. "Where'd you find him anyway?" She's too begrudging to admit that the boys' bright giggles at the sight of the pup was enough to convince her, even before he pulled the nuclear you'll be crushing their spirits if you say no. Anything that adds joy to their lives these days is important to her.

She continues her act until he's swept her up and her resolve is disrupted by a bout of laughter as she squirms in his grip before getting tossed onto the couch unceremoniously. "I'm not soft," she insists with a scoff, even as she welcomes his rough touch, just a little. "Besides, I think you're more in love with yourself than anyone is with you," Kat suggests with a smug grin as she scoots back on the couch once he's sat up. Brushing back curls, Kat follows his gaze to the kitchen and nods. "I didn't know when you'd be home and you got hungry boys. Asher and Axe came through earlier. You can blame them for your lack of dinner, not me." She holds up her hands innocently before pulling her knees to her chest. Tipping her chin at him, Kat finally asking a question that's been on her mind since he stepped through the front door. "How's El?" She knows that she can get shut down for broaching the topic, especially after a run, but Elliot's still family and she misses Isla and Cece too. The sound of Jude and Ollie laughing outside tugs at her heart because Cece should be laughing right along with them and they all know it.

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"They were your idea as much as mine, Kat. Can't blame me for anything." Hunter grinned boyishly and his laugh was slightly louder when she pushed away his face. "Dumb thing to think all by yourself there, I never said we weren't gettin' another." he added in quick comment, grin as present as ever. And of course he thought it too, that it could've been Kat with Ollie out there. It managed to stir a hint of gratefulness somewhere in his subconscious but that gratefulness turned into self hatred, the more comfortable of emotions. It shouldn't have been Elliot who had to go through this.

He watched Kat comfort the emotional response with an amused grin, fighting back a chuckle so he could nod seriously. Well, somewhat seriously. Just off to the side to her, whenever their boys looked to him, Hunter was rolling his eyes in a quick undermining movement. "What your mama is saying is, he's yours. Just don't fuck around and you can keep him." he cut in, watching Kat's expression as he said it but being smug enough to not adjust his tone. Then Hunter tapped Ollie's cheek with his palm before his other hand came up and did the same against Jude's. "Come on, sniff 'em up. If she talks to you any longer you'll be wanting to paint your nails next." he said with a contrasting adoring tone to them before he helped them out of the truck with their new pet. He saw her expression at his cooking comment and responded with a shrug. Another innocent grin beaming at her. "What? You got some lil cuts on your finger you wanna cry about? Let's see 'em." Hunter took both her hands, surveying over her fingers and palms with a gentleness underlying the obvious mockery. "Huh yeah. Damn battlefield in that kitchen. What the hell we gonna do? Want me to have words with it? Tell it to stop bein so rough on you?"

Kat always holds Ollie a little bit tighter whenever Hunter returns from a run without good news. Because she remembers holding Cece when she was born, and thinking the past three years that it could've easily been her and Ollie separated from their pack. "Ever think you make them even more tryin'?" Kat scoffs and elbows him back, before leaning on the side of the truck, watching as their sons laugh with glee. "Well, I didn't think we were gettin' another one so no. I didn't." She narrows her gaze at him, hand shoving his grinning face away as he lays it on thick for the boys. Bad guy her ass. If the boys weren't there, she'd have pushed Hunter and his stupid grin away entirely.

"That's not what I said." She says before seeing Ollie's eyes welling with tears and hearing Jude start to sniffle with a but I will help. I promise! Kat shoots a deadly glare at Hunter and resorts to pinching his arm petulantly, mouthing asshole before turning her attention to the boys. "C'mere," she says, opening her arms to both of them, squeezing tightly as Ollie sniffles into her shoulder and Jude looks forlornly at Buster 2.0. "You boys get all my attention, every day," Kat begins, glancing at the dog and Hunter, mouthing a silent, you're a dick, before continuing. "And a dog is a lot of work and needs a lot of attention." Kat pulls back, letting them both settle on the edge of the truck, looking at her with sad eyes that she'll whack Hunter for later. "So if you pinky promise to help give Buster the attention he needs...along with Asher and Axe too....then I think we can keep him." And she already plans on telling everyone he's their pack dog. Not just the family dog. But that's all the boys need to hear before they're squealing again, reaching for the puppy in Hunter's arms as she rakes a hand through her hair and gives him an unamused look. "Cookin' is hard work? Really?"

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"Ha, same way he gotta go for Ash's." Hunter laughed coarsely for a moment, nudging Ollie's chin with his knuckles in a quick show of affection. It was always the sound of his youngest's laughter that would make Hunter reset almost instantly. With his age so close to Cece's, it was all he could think of. He could see his brother's pride beaming from him when he held her for the first time, how suddenly there was a brightness to Elliot's demeanor. And then all he could think of was how hollow he had become again, sinking into himself with each passing day.

Hunter's brows just raised to Kat's suspicious look and it stirred another laugh from him. Shrugging with as much innocence as he could muster, Hunter gestured to their two boys and the happiness just seeing the dog had caused. "Come on, have a heart. These are tryin' times." he nudged her with his elbow, staving a cackle as he watched their sons petting excitedly over the dog's face and letting the thing jump onto it's back paws so they could cuddle. "What you wanna call him?" he called for their attention and without hesitation they both replied with an excited Buster! Hunter sighed at that and gave Kat a quick judgmental glance. "You ain't been teachin' 'em that there's other names?" he accused through a grin, ignoring her gripes with the situation easily. "Oh, right. No time to walk a dog or feed it, huh? I got you." he clapped his hands together to get the dog from Jude before it could be passed to Kat. "You heard your mama, boys. She don't got time, better see if Rory wants him or something." Nooo! Mom! "Oh, she's spoken boys. Can't do nothing about it." Hunter shook his head, nudging Buster's against his cheek as he peered to Kat. "She said she's too busy, so we gotta respect that. 'Cause cookin' is hard work."

Kat stands in the doorway of the small living room, watching as Hunter plays with the boys. She can guess what he’s thinking only because she's thought it before, too. Their lives would be upside down if one of their boys was missing. So she knows it must cost him to leave his brother in a much quieter home while he returns to Jude and Oliver. For as long as she can remember, Kat's known that Elliot was, oddly enough, like Hunter's first son. The first person he sought to protect. And even as he roughhouses with their boys, Kat knows he’s ever on a mission to keep Elliot’s head above water. She can't help the same way he can, but she can swallow her pride, and her desire to go out, and take care of their youngest instead, so Hunter can take care of his oldest. “I’m sure they’d love to fight y’all. Axe especially. You gotta for his ankles right now though,” she offers with a wry smile.

Sometimes, Kat has to reminds herself that though their childhood looks different, both boys are as cared for Asher and Axel ever were. Now their focus is protecting their youngest from the outside world, rather than their fathers. Raising a brow at Hunter's words, Kat gives him a suspicious look, not trusting his laugh. “Why do I have a bad feeling about this,” she says, prodding his shoulder once they're outside. She stops short when she picks up the scent, before hearing the yelp from the back of the truck. The amusement leaves her face as both boys squeal. “Are you serious?” She rubs a hand against her temple, leaning back from the kiss to peer up at him, a sigh escaping. “You’re so manipulative. I can’t –” believe you. But she could. Because she knows he knows when she hears the boys excited laughter, she won't snatch it away. Not these days. So she takes a breath, hitting Hunter’s arm. “This is stupid,” she relents, “and I’m gonna be doing everything,” Kat adds, fighting back a smile as Jude says I love him loudly. "You're the worst," she finally scoffs, gesturing for the boys to bring her the puppy.

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"Yeah, still time for that to change now we're back." Hunter chuckled but there wasn't much more time to talk. The boys took his attention, or rather stole it. He'd never say it out loud but there was an overwhelming sense of being undeserving of them. All he could think about was Cece, the smile on Elliot's face whenever he held her. The years robbed from his brother of watching her grow. And if someone as good as his brother had that taken, then why the Hell did someone like him still have this gift? All Hunter could do was reset his expression when around his younger boys, try and take the moments as graciously as possible. "Oh wow, look at that. Looks like the big one we got, huh?" he engaged, slowly getting to their level on the floor to watch the two of them under their fort. "Gonna be up there with your brothers when you're bigger. Kick their asses." he laughed as he packed a playful punch to Jude's chest and then Oliver joined in, causing a quick eruption of play fighting between the three of them where Hunter was outnumbered.

"Okay, wait wait. Chill out, God damn animals." he tried to stop the whack of arms to his face. "I got somethin' better than a castle, though. Wanna see?" he cackled, the boys quickly stopping to nod and laugh eagerly but not at all with any calmness. "In the truck, found it with your uncle El." Hunter explained, moving to his feet again and bringing Oli up into his hold with him. He trailed back out of the room, free arm guiding Kat with them because he was already predicting the look on her face. "Knew y'all was missin' having one so," Hunter prepped his sons as they reached the truck where a wet nose and a slightly wagging tail was waiting for them in the back. "He's lil, needs a lotta care but you can help your mom, right?" he dropped Oli into the back then before lifting Jude up so they could clamber to the dog and he shot a sheepish glance to Kat. "They seen him now so you can't get rid of him." he grinned childishly, bringing a hopefully excusing kiss to her lips. "Or you'll be the bad guy."

It's all Kat can do to keep the boys from barreling into Hunter the moment their father's in sight, Jude jumping on the couch by the window, saying he's back, he's back! And Kat feels the slight tension in her chest relax with the knowledge that Hunter, and Elliot, are safe. But the slight dip in his features before he fixes his expression for their sons prompts the slightest frown to flit across Kat's face when she's greeted by a kiss. She leans into him slightly, grateful he's okay, when Jude and Oliver practically wedge between them, clamoring for their dad's attention. "House isn’t burned down – seems good enough to me," she laughs at their insistence, squeezing Hunter's arm lightly. They'd talk about the run later if he wants but she knows that he feels his brothers grief acutely. They all feel Isla's absence, and Kat can't even think about Cece some days without tears springing to her eyes as she holds Ollie a bit tighter. So for now, she grounds herself in this moment, watching as Jude takes hold of Hunter's hand, trying to tug him along faster to show him the fort they'd been building. "It's the Castle," she mouths in turn, the two boys' words running together in rapid succession. "You wanna show your daddy what you been practicing at the Castle?"

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"Let me get this straight," Hunter let go of Kat then so he could rake his hand through his hair and breathe out an angry sigh. "You want what to happen? You're still not fucking telling me." he was right back to shouting again. "You want me to spar with our kid and expect bruises to not happen? Are you fucking crazy?" he mockingly and roughly tapped his finger onto her forehead. "Are you even fucking thinking straight? He needs to toughen up, there's gonna be a few fucking bruises. You think if he gets into shit they're gonna go easy on him and decide to talk about feelings?" he laughed sarcastically, unable to believe what he was hearing. None of it made sense to him. Preparing his son for the real world was a priority and it was clear to Hunter what sort of world that would be. Center Hill wasn't all holding hands around a campfire and Asher had already done a few months in jail, it was obvious what the future was going to hold. "You know he's gonna wanna be recruited, right? You're not pretending that's not happening at some point are you?" he seethed, shaking his head because he was done going around in circles. He needed clear cut and straight talking. "He's going to wanna run with the big dogs, he always has. And he's a fucking puppy that's not even learned how to piss outside."

Hunter's anger dispersed for a moment and he took a step back, just one as if getting a clearer view of Kat would help her words make sense. Instead he was just looking at her with a confused glare, the anger making it's way back again. It never stayed gone for long and Elliot had always been better at locking it away. Hunter just let it all out, made it everybody else's problem. "I'm missing the fucking point? You're not even telling me what the point is." he snapped, wanting to grab Kat's face and cover her mouth so she shut up. He thought about it for a second, eyes moving to their surroundings momentarily and then deciding against it. Behind closed doors, maybe. "The fact you think I'd beat him is fucking disgusting, Kat. You're gonna be the reason why he ends up dead when that day comes and he asks Bruce about getting in. And I want you to remember I fucking warned you. And remember that I was the one trying to fucking stop it. But you're too busy trying to hate me than actually fucking seeing what I'm doing here."

“But he doesn’t!” Even if Kat know it, Asher won’t see it that way. And that’s what matters to her. Not Hunter’s pissy feelings about being compared to his dad. Because the line between them makes no difference to their son. Maybe they're just saying words now but Kat doesn’t care. She’s angry and when an Anderson gets angry they lash out. She’s angry at herself for flinching, angry at Hunter for being so goddamn stupid. She’s angry because she thinks that Asher deserves so much more and she doesn’t know how to give it to him and now it feels like it’s too late. She laughs at Hunter's words, the sound caustic and biting as she still fights his grip.“Oh, I’m pissing you off?” another laugh because she feels almost delirious, drunk on her own anger. And when he shoves her shoulders, Kat swears at him again, “fuck you, Hunter! You’re such a fucking little bitch who’s stuck in the nineteen fucking fifties!” When showing a fraction of affection to your offspring was considered the woman’s job, absolving the father of all responsibilities but to put food on the table. Well, guess what? She put food on the fucking table too. 

Kat seeths as he refuses to relent, invading her space to prove he can. She gives him a defiant look, unwilling to shrink under his cool blue gaze despite their proximity. They may as well be speaking two languages for how much he understands. She’s not telling him to coddle their son. Maybe what she’s asking for is worse, arguably harder for Hunter to comprehend. She wants him to say the words. To tell Asher he cares, but it’s like asking a tiger to change its stripes as it’s chewing your head off. “I don’t give a shit about the money you give to them. But it’s not like I’m asking you to take him to a fucking baseball game,” she spits, anger slowly shifting from a boil to a simmer as she tries to reign it in herself. She refuses to be the crazy one here. What she’s asking isn’t much, but it’s clearly more than he can fathom. In that, she wants to apologize to her son, that his dad is the way he is. But she can’t regret Hunter the way she wants to. Because then Asher wouldn’t be Asher and she wouldn't change him for the world, even if Hunter seems determined to. “Oh, and how would you solve it? Telling him to suck it up? Making him go another round? You’re missing the point entirely,” she scoffs, hands going to his own still holding her shoulders, trying to pry them off as he keeps her in place, “Get out of my face, Hunter. This is like talking to a child.” 

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"You know damn well as I do I'd not be a deadbeat, what the fuck do you think of me? You think I'm that bad?" Hunter's shout was oddly low, as if he was reserving the volume despite it hinting through his tone. "What are you trying to say to me Kat stop using stupid fucking words and just say it." he seethed to her. "Are you saying I shoulda just walked? Or what I did wasn't enough? What is it?" he wanted to know but even if Kat told him they needed more from him, he wouldn't have believed it. "I was there when I could be, Kat. I gave you money, food. I kept you both fucking safe. That's what men are supposed to do, what the fuck else did you want? Me to sit there reading bed time stories to him? Just because you coddle him every time he grazes his fucking knee doesn't mean I gotta be the same. I'm the one who tells him to stand back up so he isn't fucking weak. That's how this shit works." Hunter hadn't realized he lost control over his own yelling then, screaming hoarsely from one too many cigarettes. "He should wanna learn from me because I'm his dad, nothing else fucking matters. It's not my fault you've raised him to need soft little feelings at every point in his life. You know what, I wish I was there a little more. Maybe we'd not have a little bitch as a son if it was just me."

By now the argument had transcended into the physical realm and even as Kat writhed free and shoved him, Hunter just saw the opportunity to grab her arms and shove her towards his own trailer since she doubled back around. "I fucked up? How? You can't even fucking tell me because it's a load of bullshit. Sorry I don't hug and cry, Kat. If you wanted a fucking cry-fest as a dad, you shoulda made sure Wolf knocked you up." Hunter would never apologize for what or who he was, he didn't even know the nuances of those things. He just knew he was dutiful, and that was all that should matter. "If you want me to fucking back out and have nothing to do with either of you just say it. But it's funny how you're the one here yelling at me but Asher isn't? Stop fucking doing everything for him, Kat."

It’s Kat’s turn to laugh, a caustic sound that scratches her throat as Hunter talks. “I never asked you to do this with me!” she scoffs, twenty years of resentment surfacing because she recalls clearly how she knew she’d be on her own if she went through with the pregnancy, and how she'd accepted that reality with both eyes open. She’d told Hunter but hadn’t asked for a cent. He made that choice himself. “But you and your machismo, I bet you don’t even know what that means, bs about being the provider and working so hard and oh, don’t you see how I put food on the table for a son I didn’t want. But now I’m gonna toughen him up because he’s an adult and finally fucking tolerable!” Kat barely takes a breath, the anger she’d kept contained when she was with Asher yesterday comes to the surface. “Well guess what. I wanted him.” Hand to her heart, she feels it racing with thundering force as she speaks, “And if you’d actually spent time with him, he wouldn’t be fucking afraid of you hating him. He might actually want to learn from you. Because he thinks you hate him, Hunter! Don’t you care?” Or was it water off a duck’s back for Hunter now that he got a do over?

This time she does flinch at the force of his action and that pisses her off even more. “You’re a stupid fucking cunt!” she shouts back, indignant as he tries to shuffle her back to her trailer. She digs her heels in, trying to squirrel around his grip on her shoulder. Kat knows she’s playing with fire but she’s so angry that she’s okay with getting burned, especially when he says those next words. At first, all she sees is her son in that little box, tubes and wires keeping him alive. And where had Hunter been? To Kat, putting food on the table had always been an excuse to avoid the truth. That he thought something was wrong with Asher from the start. Then she sees red and doesn’t even think before twisting around in his grip to shove him, even if he barely moves an inch “You fucking bastard!” she screams at him, hand going to his hold on her arm, trying to shove hands away that are still moving them to her trailer. “You’re the one who’s fucked up. Not me. Not Ash. You’re just too much of a narcissist to notice. Sorry, let me dumb it down – your head is too far up your own ass to notice!” 

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Hunter hated when there were too many words for him to follow, he always closed down in an attempt to block them out. It was obvious by his face he wasn't listening, just staring at Kat with an intense glare in his eyes. It was easier to get angry at things he didn't understand and for the life of him, he could never understand what Kat's issue was. "Okay fine, I'll bite cause that's what you want, huh? You came here looking for a fight?" he reacted just as anybody would expect him to, taking Kat by the arm to move her away from his truck. Half to showcase his strength as he dragged her firmly and half because he had a vision of her putting the windows through if she got any closer.

"I didn't fucking make him go to jail, Kat. That was all him and I still don't know what the fuck he was doing around a cop car thinking it was a good idea. You can thank Danny and Dusty for that." he said harshly, letting go of her with a light shove into the side of his trailer. "Around more? Really?" he was puzzled by the words, but when wasn't he but this sort of confusion manifested into aggression and anger quite quickly. "Around more?" Hunter seethed, getting closer to her personal space so she stuck to the trailer. "I was fucking doing everything to get money on the table, Kat. I was there as much as I fucking could be. You really wanna talk about this right now? Seriously? He's a grown fucking man, Kat. And I'm trying to show him how to be a real one and maybe if you fucking let go of still trying to breast feed him like some twisted controlling bitch, he might have a chance." his voice raised enough for people to emerge from their doorways but it wasn't a new show. This cycle had continued for twenty-odd years. "You wanna talk about shitty dads? Take a number, Kat. We all got one. Maybe your shitty dad is why you smother our son."

Kat isn't crazy. If she was, she might actually lunge for Hunter and try to force him to see sense. To see that what he called toughening Asher up was actually him being a giant prick to their son. What the line is, she mentally corrects, knowing he'll say it the wrong way again regardless. "He went in and he came out fine. You know what would be better? If he didn't go in at all. But he's too busy trying to fucking prove himself to you," she gestures at Hunter rudely, "that he's literally willing to go to jail? That's so fucked up, Hunter. Why can't you see that?" Acting out to get approval that won't ever come. It breaks Kat's heart more than she cares to admit, certainly not to Hunter. So she hides behind indignation, which she's never minded showing to him. "Yeah, well maybe if you were around more, he'd have learned to bottle up all his feelings and never let them out," she deadpans. It's a dig but at this point, she's not even sure it'll land. This isn't the first time they've had this conversation, and she's sure it won't be the last but every time it makes her want to scream. He doesn't get it. "Six Flags is a waste of money, everyone knows that," she says bitterly, uncrossing and crossing her arms again before letting out a loud exhale, casting her gaze towards the sky as though there's an answer up there that'll get through to Hunter. "So what? Tough love? That's the answer?" Kat can still hear her mother's voice, telling her how she should've never had a daughter. How Kat ruined her life. She can readily recall her dad's anger. Telling his wife to stop crying when he hit her, telling Kat to stop flinching. To toughen up because life's hard. But she also remembers the moment she held Asher in her arms, promising him that he'd never be starved for love, that she'd never withhold her approval to make a point. The older he'd gotten, the harder it became to keep that promise. Especially when Hunter refused to change, and she watched history repeat itself. "Can't ever tell your kid you care because your daddy didn't tell you? That's how it's always gonna be?"