Discussions By Witch Light
The Owl House glowed merrily in the dark forest, warm light spilling from the windows. Luz had been happily chatting to Eda about her day at school and she'd been listening with her usual feigned reluctance, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that the Owl Lady was tired. She was sagging into the sofa, her eyes drooping and Luz decided it was probably time to free her of her maternal duties for the night. She had learned the hard way not to push Eda when she was sleepy so when Eda begged for an early night Luz easily agreed.
They were saying their goodnights and Eda had begun making her way to the stairs when loud, frantic knocking interrupted them. Luz shared a curious look with Eda. Their home was well hidden and very few people ever came to visit as it was. Who would ever think to drop by after dark? Before Luz could move to check though, Hooty, the magical wooden owl living in the door, began squawking wildly.
"Hoot hoot! Scary girl! The scary girl is back! Hoot!"
Scary girl? The only person Hooty had ever been scared of was… Did he mean Amity? Why would she be here? The Boiling Isles weren't safe in general and Amity was far too smart to travel alone at night. It didn't make any sense.
Had she come to see Luz? A thrill of excitement ran up her spine at the thought that Amity had braved the dark and dangerous woods just to see her and Luz made her way hurriedly to the door, yanking it open with a big grin.
"Amity! What are you…" Luz trailed off and her smile faltered at the sight of her friend. Amity looked terrible. Pale and exhausted, her kept eyes darting nervously behind her as is if she were afraid she'd been followed. She was twitching and shivering and was that blood on her lip? She was hurt!
She looked up at Luz and her entire body sagged with relief against the door frame as their eyes met. Luz's brow creased with worry and she reached out tentatively to lay her hands gently on Amity's shoulders.
"Are you ok? What happened?" She asked, her stomach tightening when Amity flinched. She had never seen her look so terrified.
"Luz…" Amity whimpered. What should she say? How could she explain why she was there? Luz's fingers tightened against her shoulders and her obvious concern broke something in Amity. Unable to hold back the flood of pain clawing its way up her throat, she crumbled into Luz's arms with an agonized sob.
"Amity!" Luz yelped with a startled cry. "It's… It's okay. You're gonna be okay." She tightened her arms around her anxiously but Amity didn't seem able to hear her.
She clutched desperately at Luz's back, trembling fiercely. She couldn't think. Couldn't breathe! She was almost certain that if Luz hadn't been holding her together, she would shatter into a million tiny pieces.
Luz was desperately forcing down her own growing sense of panic at seeing Amity this way. She had to keep it together! She couldn't freak out when Amity clearly needed help, but she had no idea what to do. Eda appeared behind them, looking much more awake and stared down at the sobbing girl with a concerned frown.
"Don't just stand there, kid. Get her inside," she said, motioning with her head and Luz didn't need to be told twice. She scooped Amity up into her arms and carried her into the house while Eda closed the door behind them.
Amity clung to Luz and buried her face in the crook of her neck, fighting to regain control of herself. Luz was safe. She should be safe! Why did it feel like someone had their hands around her throat? Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears and her entire body was clenched painfully tight. Blind panic clawed at her mind as painful sobs wracked her body.
Luz sat with her on Eda's tattered old sofa, setting Amity in her lap so she could hold her as close as possible. She rocked them gently, unconsciously murmuring little words of comfort to her in Spanish, the way her mother had done whenever Luz had been upset as a kid. She knew Amity had no idea what she was saying but it seemed to be working as her body finally slowly unwound and her sobbing eased into shuddery, uneven breaths.
When she'd calmed down a little, Luz pulled back and carefully shifted Amity onto the sofa beside her to give her room to breathe. She had to swallow back the tears gathering in her own eyes as she watched her try to gather herself. Seeing her like this was killing Luz.
"I… I'm sorry," Amity finally stuttered out, taking a deep gulp of air now that she didn't feel quite so close to flying apart. "I didn't know where else to go. My parents, they… they kicked me out and I…" She felt another sob bubble up her throat and she buried her face in her hands, fighting not to lose the little bit of control she'd regained.
Luz latched onto her friend in shock, gathering Amity to her chest. She'd been kicked out? What the hell had happened?!
Eda knelt down in front of them and set her hand gently on Amity's knee but drew it back immediately when Amity flinched at the touch. Luz gave her a desperate, pleading look for help and Eda stood with a heavy sigh.
"Let's get you cleaned up, kid. Then you can tell us what happened," she said, in the gentlest voice Luz had ever heard her use. She watched as Eda moved to the kitchen, gathering things to make something they couldn't see.
When King, who had been awoken by the noise, poked his head into the living room, he was instructed to fetch warm water and a towel. He glanced curiously at Luz and Amity huddled closely on the sofa together before scampering off to do as he was told, for once seeming unwilling to argue.
When he came back he stoically held out a soft, clean towel, which Luz accepted gratefully. She gave the furry little demon a smile as he set a bowl of slightly steaming water on the little table beside the sofa, shoving some old, dusty books out of the way in the process.
"Thanks, King," she murmured. She pulled back from Amity just enough to look at her and tentatively slid her hands down her friend's arms to gently pry her fingers away from her face. Amity's eyes were wide with fear and she looked terribly pale. Luz's heart clenched painfully at the sight.
"Amity, is it ok if I fix you up a bit?" She asked with a sad little smile and a comforting squeeze of her hands. "You're kinda filthy."
Amity looked up from her trembling hands, held so gently in Luz's soft warm ones and inspected herself, startled at what she saw. The sleeves of her Hexside uniform were shredded and there were a few long, thin scratches scattered on her arms and legs. She was also covered in dirt, her forearms and knees muddy from a fall somewhere in the woods that she couldn't remember. She looked awful.
Grimacing, she gave a small nod and Luz's smile softened. She carefully eased the ripped sleeves up Amity's arms and dipped the towel into the bowl, wringing out the excess water before moving to clean her up. Amity was prepared to wince when Luz set the towel to her arm, but her normally boisterous friend was surprisingly gentle. She followed the soft white cloth with her eyes, watching it numbly as Luz took care of her in a way no one else ever had.
She'd never experienced such tenderness from another person. Never felt so cared for. It was almost overwhelming. Tears swam in her eyes as her emotions swirled, but Amity found herself calming down as Luz worked.
The loud buzzing in her ears faded, her heart finally slowed and the urgent tension flooded out of her. She felt suddenly woozy. Had the world started spinning a little or was that just her? Shutting her eyes against the building dizziness, Amity tried to focus instead on the sound of Luz murmuring and tutting at her worriedly. On the feeling of gentle hands and soft warmth dancing across her skin, clearing away the dirt, grime and lingering fear from her run in the forest.
"Amity?" Luz whispered hesitantly and Amity managed to crack open an eye to see that she had the towel raised to her face. "Is it alright if I…" She trailed off, shifting the towel a little closer, asking permission.
Amity let her eyes drift closed again and managed a weak nod that she regretted instantly, her queasy stomach roiling from the movement. Thankfully she was distracted by the cloth brushing carefully at the dried tears on her cheeks. At the sweat on her forehead and neck. By Luz's fingers trailing worriedly over her cheek and into her hair to clear away bits of foliage that had gotten tangled there.
Under any other circumstances, this moment would have turned her into an incoherent, blushing mess. After the night she'd had though, Amity couldn't find the energy to feel anything but appreciation for how much Luz cared about her. The tears that had been steadily building behind her eyes finally began to slip down her cheeks and she heard Luz suck in a small breath.
"Oh, Amity, did I hurt you? I'm so sorry! Please don't cry," Luz said desperately, brushing at the tears on Amity's cheeks with trembling fingers. She sounded so broken. So worried for her. Amity sniffed pitifully and scrubbed at her eyes with the heel of her palm.
"S'not you…" she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. How could she tell Luz that she was having an emotional meltdown because no one had ever done something like this for her before? No one had ever been there to hold her when she'd been hurt or just had a rotten day. Not since she'd lost Willow as a friend.
Vague memories of the twins trying to comfort her when she'd fallen down lingered somewhere at the back of her mind but they had been so young then and things had never been great after they'd grown up and grown apart.
She'd been so alone for so long.
When she met Luz's eyes, she saw only empathy there. Of course she didn't have to explain. Luz understood. Amity sagged into the sofa and let out a soft, shuddery breath. She was still a little dizzy but she felt so much better. Calmer. She reached a tentative hand up to Luz's and pulled it away from her face, giving her a small, tremulous smile.
"Thanks, Luz. I think… I'm ok now." That simple statement flooded Luz with relief and she beamed back at Amity. Eda returned then, with a steaming cup in hand that she carefully passed to Amity while Luz placed the cloth into the bowl of, now murky, water.
"Drink up, kid. It'll make you feel better," Eda said. Amity held the cup up to her nose and took a hesitant sniff. It smelled good but Luz eyed the cup suspiciously. Eda was a potioneer by trade after all (when she wasn't being a swindling con artist or running from the law), so there was no telling what she might have cooked up.
"What is it?" Luz asked, levelling Eda with a flat look. She snorted in offense at Luz's accusatory tone before flopping onto a chair she'd pulled in front of the sofa.
"It's tea, you numbskull. What did you think it was?" She scoffed indignantly. King, who had just finished taking away the bowl and towel, pulled himself up onto the sofa beside Amity and pointed at Eda with a paw.
"Knowing you it could be anything! I've seen what you keep in the pantry," he sniggered. Amity stared down at the cup in her hands as Eda and King bickered. The warmth of it spread into her fingers and soothed some of the lingering shivering there. Glancing up, she noticed Luz was watching her anxiously so she lifted the cup to take a tentative sip. It was sweet and comforting, settling her swirling stomach almost instantly and she felt the last of the built up tension leave her with a small relaxed sigh.
"See? All better," Eda said triumphantly before giving Amity a sympathetic look. "You ready to talk, kid?"
Her grip on the cup tightened and Amity took a deep breath to steady herself. It didn't help.
How was she supposed to tell them? What would they think of her? She glanced at Luz again, mortified at the thought that she might learn the truth about her. A truth she'd been very eager to hide from her friend at all costs. That she was now going to have to tell her. Amity swallowed the lump building in her throat before looking back at Eda, grasping weakly for some sort of deflection.
"I have a name . It's Amity." Oh sure, be rude to the people helping her, that was nice. Why had she said that? She glanced away, ashamed, but Eda just gave her a patient look.
"While I appreciate the sass, you're stalling. You're safe here, kid, but we can't help you if we don't know what happened," she said simply and Amity was glad she didn't seem to have taken offence. There was no deflecting then. No getting around it. She would have to tell them.
"Sorry," she mumbled. Deep breath. She could do this. "My parents… they found out something… bad… about me." Not the most eloquent response but it was something at least. Eda didn't seem impressed though.
"You wanna elaborate on that?" She asked, brows raising and Amity grimaced. She really, really didn't. Could she do this again tonight? It hadn't exactly gone well last time. She looked up when Luz rested a hand on her shoulder and smiled supportively at her. Maybe she could.
She owed it to them to tell them the whole truth, she supposed, after barging into their home with no warning and ruining their quiet evening. She just needed to get the words out. Even if she was terrified.
"My mother found out that I'm…" She started trembling again. Stars, this was so hard. Why did Luz have to be staring at her with those big brown eyes? She could do this. She had to do this! "She found out that I… I like girls."
A deep flush spread across her cheeks as the words spilled from her lips and she couldn't quite meet Luz's eye, choosing instead to stare into her tea.
Luz, for her part, was stunned. She would never have suspected that her best friend had been hiding something like that. She knew she could be pretty oblivious sometimes and that she had a tendency to overlook certain things but Luz liked to think she was pretty good about spotting things like this. She was a seasoned fan fiction writer after all, not to mention bisexual herself, so she knew the signs. But she had really had no idea Amity swung that way.
A light blush bloomed across her cheeks and a glimmer of hope flickered to life under all of her worry and concern.
Amity liked girls.
A little voice in her head began jumping up and down excitedly, waving its arms and screaming the phrase 'I'm a girl' as if Amity would somehow notice. She felt instantly guilty at the thought and stamped it down hard.
Amity was having an awful night. Even now while she was safe with Luz, she'd had to reveal a very private secret. This wasn't the time for Luz to be focusing on herself.
She cared too deeply about her friend to be that selfish and she vowed to herself she would do whatever it took to make her feel better. But still, that treacherous little voice hummed quietly at the back of her mind. She might have a chance…
The tension in the room pressed heavily on Amity, so she plowed ahead before anyone could speak and she lost her nerve entirely.
"It turned into a big argument and father, he… he told me to leave," she blurted out.
Would they send her away too? She had no idea what Eda thought of people like her and she was all but certain that she had just made things, at the very least, incredibly awkward with Luz. Her eyes stung with fresh tears and she took another sip of her tea to distract herself.
"And what exactly is so 'bad' about liking girls?" Eda asked, as if she thought it was the most natural thing in the world. Not something that needed to be cured. Something normal.
Amity's head snapped up to stare at her in confusion and Eda simply raised an eyebrow at her, waiting for a response.
"I… I don't know? Father said he had to… to fix me and he…" She was interrupted by the outraged noise that came out of Luz's mouth and Amity turned to see Luz staring at her with an utterly horrified expression.
"He said what?!" She half shrieked and Amity felt her already warm cheeks heat up even more at Luz's angry sputtering on her behalf. Eda held up a hand to stop Luz from building up any more steam though and levelled Amity with a very serious look.
"You listen to me, kid. There is nothing to fix here. There is nothing wrong with you, you got that?" She said firmly. Eda sounded so sure that Amity found herself unable to argue. Luz was nodding vigorously beside her.
"Your dad sounds like a moron," Eda continued. "Now normally I'm rather partial to rich morons, they're my bread and butter. But your father sounds like the kind of moron that doesn't know a good thing when he sees it and those aren't useful to anyone. So don't you listen to a word he says. Got it?"
Amity was dumbstruck by Eda's open sincerity and by the way Luz had wrapped her hands tightly around her arm in support. They didn't hate her.
They didn't think she was broken.
Raw emotion swelled within her again and all she could manage was a weak nod. Tears pricked at her eyes anew and she wondered how there could possibly be any more left in her as Eda's serious expression softened into something quite comforting.
"Good. Now that we've got that straightened out, I'd say we could all use a little sleep," she said, standing up with a groan. Cracking her back tiredly, Eda took Amity's empty cup and set it in the sink before turning back to look at her. "You're staying here tonight, kiddo. We'll talk more about this whole mess in the morning."
Exhausted, Amity murmured a quiet thank you, grateful that she wasn't being pushed to talk more about the whole mess. Luz, however, had another concern.
She'd been eyeing the bruise forming on Amity's jaw and the split in her lower lip since her friend had arrived and the sight of them made her ache with worry.
"Eda, can you heal her? Please? She's hurt!" She cried out, biting her lip anxiously but Eda sighed.
"Sorry, Luz. I hate to leave her like that but it's late and I'm tapped out for the night," she said sleepily. She swirled a finger in the air and, to Luz's dismay, the magic circle popped before it could fully form. Eda swayed a little on the spot, which was a stark reminder for Luz that she had actually been about to go to sleep when Amity arrived and was probably barely able to stand at this point.
Luz deflated sadly, knowing that there was nothing Eda could do when her curse was affecting her like that. With a regretful, apologetic sort of smile, Eda bid them a good night and lifted a squirming King off the sofa.
"Leave them alone, furball. The poor girl needs some space. Luz, make sure she's comfortable. We can fix her up first thing in the morning," she called as she made her way into the hall, King struggling under her arm.
"I demand you put me down, witch! Obey me!" His adorable angry squeal was the last thing the girls heard as the two of them disappeared up the stairs. Luz jumped up and nodded after Eda, determined to make sure Amity had everything she needed to feel safe. She turned to see Amity still slumped on the sofa, looking exhausted and reached out a hand to help her up.
"Come on, I'll get you something clean to wear," she said, smiling down at her gently. Amity accepted the hand up, swaying a little as she stood and followed Luz to what turned out to be a small bathroom. Luz sat her down on the edge of the tub and backed up to the door.
"Wait here, I'll be right back," she said, motioning with her arms for Amity to stay where she was before darting out of the door. She wasn't gone long and returned with an armful of pale purple shorts and a loose black shirt. Amity accepted the clothes gratefully and stood shakily to change while Luz sped out of the room to give her some privacy.
Alone at last, Amity carefully changed out of her filthy school uniform, trying to focus on anything but what had happened to her that night. She paused as the fresh shirt slipped over her head and fisted her fingers into the hem of the fabric. It was ridiculously soft and smelled familiar. Sort of vaguely lemony. It smelled like Luz.
That thought had her blushing to the tips of her ears and set her heart fluttering. She was being ridiculous. Now was not the time for this! Shaking her head, she patted her cheeks to get rid of that annoying rosy glow and turned to the sink to splash some water on her face. It helped cool her down but, when she looked up into the mirror, she grimaced at what she saw.
She looked paler than usual. Almost sickly. Her eyes were red and raw from crying, her hair was a mess and, worst of all, there was an ugly bruise forming across one side of her jaw. It wasn't big, thankfully, but it looked awful next to the dark red split in her lower lip.
Huffing at her own face in dismay, Amity turned her eyes down to the sink. She looked terrible. She wished Luz hadn't seen any of it. A simple comb was resting on the counter next to the sink and she decided that the least she could do was fix her hair a little.
It wasn't easy going. Her hair band had gotten tangled and she had to fight to remove it, choosing to leave it out when she finally managed to comb the knots out of her hair. When she was done, she scrubbed her face with cool water for good measure, hoping she looked at least a little better. She certainly felt a lot better.
Still… her eyes caught the green hair in the mirror and she looked away, running her hands through it self-consciously. Best not to dwell on that tonight. Just another thing not to think about. Pushing the dyed strands away from her face, Amity took a deep breath to steady herself and left the bathroom to meet Luz back in the living room. She found the girl in the process of covering the entire sofa with pillows and blankets like she was trying to build a nest and Amity couldn't help but find the gesture sweet. Typical kind idiot.
"Don't you think that's a bit much?" She asked, smiling at her lightly. Luz turned to answer and froze, her breath catching in her throat. Amity looked absolutely adorable in her clothes... and she had let her hair down! She'd never seen it like that before. It fell in her face and around her pointed ears so prettily that it set Luz's heart thudding. She had to force herself not to stare and smiled at her brightly to cover her blush.
"Nope! I dunno about you but when I've had a bad day, I like to curl up under the covers and snuggle with a bunch of pillows. It really helps!" She turned to fluff up said pillows before motioning for Amity to sit. "Hugging stuffed animals works too but King was sleeping on his stash and I didn't really wanna lose a hand," she added wearily.
Amity giggled at that and Luz hit her with another dazzling smile, delighted that she had made her feel better. She tilted her head as she looked Amity over and her smile melted into a lopsided grin that made Amity's stomach do little flips. Feeling bold, Luz decided to push her luck just a little bit.
"I like your hair down like that. It's really pretty," she said and Amity felt heat bloom in her cheeks all over again. She stammered out a shy thank you, fiddling awkwardly with the loose wisps of green hair around her ears. Luz had called her pretty. Well, she'd called her hair pretty but that was a part of Amity! Luz thought a part of Amity was pretty! Distracted by the internal screaming in her head, she failed to notice Luz was blushing right along with her.
Choosing not to comment on her friend's adorably pink face and how it made Luz giddy inside, she moved to turn out the lights while Amity got settled on the sofa. She needed to control herself. Focus on making Amity smile and not on how cute her smile was!
As Luz walked back past her, Amity sank into the pillows and pulled one of the many blankets over herself. She thought she heard Luz say something in the dark but the second her head hit the pillow she was struck with a wave of weariness that disoriented her enough to miss it.
Had she said goodnight? She wasn't in the room anymore so she'd probably headed up to bed and Amity felt bad for not replying. Laying there staring quietly at the ceiling, Amity's mind raced with everything that had happened. She was desperately tired but, with her thoughts swirling the way they were, She was sure she'd never get to sleep.
In this strange, dark house with its shadowy corners and unfamiliar sounds, she felt small and scared. Turning to face the back of the sofa, she curled in on herself, hiding from the dark like a child. She huddled under the blanket and squeezed her eyes shut against the shiver that ran up her spine. She'd been ok a minute ago, now she just felt alone.
Distracted by the tight ache that seemed to be twisting up her throat, it took Amity a second to recognize the sound of footsteps coming into the room. She peaked an eye open and carefully looked over her shoulder to spot a familiar little ball of light bouncing merrily through the air. Turning, she pushed herself up and watched as Luz set her sleeping bag and pillow down on the ground beside the sofa before casually plopping down on top of them. Relief at not being alone flooded Amity but she frowned at her friend.
"Luz, what are you doing?" She asked curiously and Luz grinned at her.
"I said I'd be right back, remember? I figured you could use some company. This place can be kinda creepy at night if you're not used to it," she replied brightly. Oh, there was that damn fluttering again. Amity huffed and shook her head.
"You really don't have to do that. Won't you be uncomfortable down there?" She asked, but Luz just shrugged in that carefree way of hers, seemingly unconcerned.
"I already sleep on the floor. No big deal if I do it down here instead and this way you don't have to be alone. If that's ok…" She added hesitantly, not wanting to overstep when Amity had already had a bad night. But her friend just smiled gratefully at her and lay back down into the nest Luz had made for her.
"Thanks, Luz. This does make me feel a bit better," Amity murmured happily. Luz's smile grew and flopped onto her back so she could look up at Amity. As she moved, Amity noticed her witch light shift along with her. She followed the little glowing ball with her eyes and found herself marveling at Luz's strange magic.
"I still can't believe you figured out how to do magic like that," she said, slightly awed. Luz had fought all odds and done something everyone had told her was impossible. It was deeply impressive and Amity still found herself in awe of Luz's ingenuity.
"I've shown you how it works, right?" She asked, tilting her head up to look fondly at the little light as well. She had of course, but Amity loved seeing her do it anyway. Luz sat up again and pulled a notebook out from under her pillow, along with the gem-topped pen that she always used. She'd made a habit of keeping them on her at all times, just in case.
She set about drawing more light glyphs as Amity propped herself up on her forearms to watch. Each carefully drawn glyph curled the paper into a ball that floated up to bounce in the air above them. It wasn't the first time she'd seen Luz do it. Heck, she'd seen her do far more impressive things with her glyphs, but she couldn't look away. It was fascinating.
Amity watched the dozen or so little lights hover around them, their warm glow dancing around the room and a thought struck her. This was kind of romantic. Her eyes drifted down to Luz and watched as the light played across her cheeks, brightened her eyes and lit little flecks of gold into her dark, chocolatey hair. She'd never seen anything so beautiful. Crap.
Heat spread up Amity's neck and across her cheeks, sending flaming hot red to her ears. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Had her mouth been that dry a second ago? Oh stars, why. Why was she like this? She couldn't take much more of this tonight or she would implode, she just knew it. She'd been on the worst emotional rollercoaster of her life and she wanted off. Amity prayed desperately that the room was too dark for Luz to see her dumb red face.
She was so busy panicking over her own stupid, gay thoughts that it took Amity a minute to notice Luz had stopped drawing. She was staring down at her notepad with a hesitant frown, jaw working like she wanted to say something but didn't know how. Her hesitation lasted long enough that Amity's worry overrode her embarrassment and shed reached a hesitant hand towards her obviously nervous friend. Just as she was about to call out to get her attention, Luz spoke.
"Amity, would it be ok if… I asked how your parents found out?" Luz looked up at her, clearly worried that she'd crossed a line by asking and Amity stared back in surprise. She hadn't known what to expect but it certainly hadn't been that. Would telling her reveal too much? Maybe if she just phrased it vaguely…
"My mother came in when I was writing about… someone in my diary," she said haltingly. She flushed and swallowed hard. Well, that had been smooth. Luz didn't seem bothered by the cagey response though, so she continued. "She saw some of the things I'd written and then she took it and read it all. After that, she gave it to my father and…" She shrugged helplessly.
Luz knew enough to piece together what had happened next. She grimaced up at her friend and tilted her head.
" Wow, what is it with your family and reading your diary?" She asked, sounding so offended on her behalf that Amity couldn't help but smile. She certainly had a point. "I'm so sorry your parents are such jerks. I don't get why anyone wouldn't want you around! Do they not realize how awesome you are?" She cried out seriously, her fingers curling as if the answer would somehow drop into her hands. Luz seemed so genuinely certain that she was right that Amity's smile bloomed into a laugh and she didn't even care that her cheeks were pink.
Luz grinned up at her and reveled in having cheered Amity up. She loved making her laugh. Really laugh. Not a polite titter or a measured chuckle. A loud, free, openly happy laugh that made her snort just a little, though Amity would always deny that she had. It was the sweetest sound Luz had ever heard and she delighted in being the only person that seemed to bring it out in her. She was pretty sure Amity needed it more than most too; her life always seemed so stressful to Luz.
She hesitated a moment, not wanting to ruin her friend's good mood, but the curiosity was eating at her. Had been for a whole month! She just had to ask.
"So… were you writing about the person you wanted to invite to Grom?" The bright blush that spread across Amity's face made Luz feel instantly bad and she blanched. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to embarrass you. I mean, I already know it was a girl but you don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to."
She paused, chewing the inside of her cheek nervously before giving Amity a small shy grin. It seemed only fair that Amity got to know about her secret, since Luz had learned about Amity's.
"If it helps… I like girls too."
Amity froze and she stared at Luz in shock.
"You... you do?" She asked, flabbergasted. The blush that darkened Luz's cheeks did things to Amity's brain and she struggled to focus as Luz gave a little shrug.
"Well I've liked both before. There was this one guy when I first got to the Boiling Isles, but he turned out to be a creepy puppet monster and I stabbed him right in his pecs," Luz said, emphatically acting out the action with a jab of her arm. Amity did a double take at that.
"Wait… what?" She asked incredulously. Had she heard that right? Luz laughed happily at her clear confusion. Amity was so fun to mess with sometimes.
"Long story. Anyway, that was only for like, a day. I've been noticing… someone else, for a while now." The shy tilt to her head and the way she had glanced away made Amity's heart leap into her throat. Luz had a crush on someone.
'That's what friends do.'
She had a crush on someone else.
A disappointed lump lodged itself painfully in her throat and Amity had to work hard to hold back the warmth building behind her eyes. Of course Luz liked someone else. Amity had been fooling herself to ever hope the girl would like someone as cruel and broken as her. She should be grateful she was even lucky enough to be Luz's friend after everything she'd done. Putting on what she hoped was a brave face, Amity smiled at Luz weakly before she spoke.
"Ok first off, don't think you're getting out of telling me that story at some point, but… to be honest, I don't think I'm ready to tell anyone about the note yet," she murmured, carefully avoiding Luz's eyes and she was relieved when Luz didn't pry any further. She didn't think she could handle Luz actually rejecting her just then, if ever.
"That's ok. Sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable. I'm just really curious who was awesome enough to catch your eye," Luz said, giving her that lopsided little grin that she so loved. Amity blushed and she smiled, despite her crushing disappointment.
"You could never make me uncomfortable, Luz. You're my best friend," she said, with all the sincerity she could muster. It was the absolute truth after all.
Luz's face brightened like one of her little witch lights and she let out a happy squeal, launching herself up to pull Amity into a warm, tender embrace. She'd been so eager about it that Luz had half joined Amity on the sofa. She gushed at Amity's sweet sentiment, nuzzling against her cheek and it was all Amity could do not to burst into flames as she returned the embrace. She let out a sudden pained hiss when Luz's snuggling nudged the bruising on her jaw and Luz instantly jumped back, holding her at arm's length.
"Oh no! Amity, I'm so sorry! I should have been more careful!" She apologized frantically, but Amity just stared at her, half dazed. That had been a wonderful hug. Her mouth tilted into a small smile as she watched her friend panic and stopped her with a gentle pat on the arm.
"It's ok, it was worth it," she said happily and Luz's eyes widened like a puppy dog. She clutched at her chest and let out a long, drawn out "awe" that made Amity giggle. Her laugh somehow turned into a yawn and she felt her earlier exhaustion rear its head. Stars, she wanted to sleep for a whole year . Luz noticed and grinned at her.
"We should probably get some sleep. You must be really tired," she said sympathetically and Amity readily agreed. It had been a long, long night.
She eased herself down onto her front and folded her arms under her pillow, letting her eyes drift shut while Luz snuffed out the witch lights. With the room plunged into darkness, she crawled into her sleeping bag and settled down as well. A skittering shuffling noise from somewhere in the room made Amity's ears twitch and her eyes snapped open to look uneasily around the darkened living room.
"Um… Luz?" She whispered nervously. "You weren't serious when you mentioned 'night critters' before, right?" Luz let out a very loud snort and giggled gleefully.
"Oh my gosh, Amity, I was kidding! That was ages ago, how do you even remember that? You're adorable!" She grinned madly up at her friend, very much enjoying the glowering look Amity was giving her, pink cheeks and all.
"Not funny, Luz," she grumbled. Luz begged to differ.
"If it makes you feel better, here." She reached up to fish Amity's hand out from under her pillow and tugged it down, holding it gently as she settled back into her own pillows. An embarrassed flush spread across Amity's face in an instant. Would this torture never end? How did Luz do things like that so casually? Like it was the easiest thing in the world to just… hold a girl's hand. Luz seemed totally at ease though and somehow that helped Amity relax.
Luz was quiet for a moment, frowning thoughtfully as she idly played with Amity's fingers. While she was mulling over her next words, Amity was doing her best to stay calm and not yank her hand away from those warm fingers that were lightly tugging at her own. Luz Noceda had no idea she was killing her best friend. Why did her hands have to feel so nice? Had Luz noticed how small Amity's hands were compared to her own? Amity had definitely noticed. It was hard not to when Luz so easily curled her fingers around Amity's entire hand.
"I can't even imagine how awful tonight must have been for you," Luz said at last, her voice low and sad. "I really am sorry you had to go through all this." Their eyes met and Amity could see how truly upset Luz was. It sobered Amity's mindless internal screaming instantly. Apparently they weren't quite done talking.
"It's ok," she said quietly. It wasn't really, but Amity was so very tired and she would say anything to reassure Luz at this point.
"No it's not. Your parents were awful to you. You didn't deserve any of that!" Luz's fingers tightened around Amity's and she was touched by the tears in her eyes. Luz really cared about her. Amity smiled sadly.
"Don't get me wrong, this has been, by far, the worst night of my life. But it was probably gonna happen eventually. My parents have always been awful, controlling jerks and I don't think they ever would have accepted that I'm…" She found herself tripping over the word and bit her tongue. It was still so hard to admit out loud, even though she knew Luz already knew. She spotted the understanding little smile Luz was giving her and sighed, deciding to just move on. Luz knew what she'd meant.
"I have no idea what I'm gonna do or… or where I'm gonna go, but at least I'm free of that place." That thought made Amity feel a whole lot better all of a sudden. Luz gave her a playfully serious look and pressed Amity's hand to her heart.
"Well, you're safe here and I promise I won't let those jerks touch you ever again. As your sworn knight, it is my duty to protect my queen!" She declared, voice tilted in a silly accent Amity couldn't place and Amity was sure she would absolutely melt. That had been the sweetest thing she'd ever heard and wait... Had Luz seriously just called Amity her queen?
Don't overreact. Friends.
Instead of wallowing in that hopeless thought, she chose to smile at Luz and play along instead. She dipped her head in as close to a regal curtsey as she could get while lying belly-down on a sofa with her hand trapped in Luz's.
"Thank you, my fearless champion," she said haughtily and they giggled at each other's silliness. When they eventually fell asleep, Amity had almost forgotten that she'd had an awful nightmare of a night because they were still holding hands.
Bonus freeform observations and thoughts on the Blight family dynamic: in a house where affection is earned through achievements instead of given freely and unconditionally and appearances are held in such high regard, I imagine there is very little in the way of terms of endearment. This is why Amity only ever refers to her parents as mother and father. I doubt the words mom and dad saw much use in Blight Manor unless it was pretty sarcastic. And never to their faces coz yeesh.
Edric and Emira are a unit together. They were born and raised as a pair and I can see that aiding in their ability to rebel and still get away with it. They had each other to play and grow with and that solidarity and companionship probably helped them see how stupid their parents' ideas were so they just ignore them and do their own thing instead. Being able to illusion bs your way out of trouble probably helped. They're also the older, golden prodigy children, if what Amity has said about them in the show is true. Their apparent lack of responsibilities, or at least their lack of fucks to give about them, gave us the free-spirited, fun-loving, sometimes unnecessarily cruel twins we meet at the library. They're so used to not having to live with the consequences of their actions that they don't think about what their pranks must be doing to Amity.
Poor Amity grew up alone in the house with no support structure and all the pressures her parents couldn't apply to the twins heaped onto her very young shoulders. With no one around to show her affection the way the twins do for each other and with the twins actively ganging up on her at times, she clung to any tiny shred affection she could get from her parents. And this had to be earned through diligent study and effort. This led to the Amity we see at the start of the show. Tense, quick to anger, bitter about her siblings, their relationship and apparent freedom from the same stresses she has. Eager to prove herself because its the only way she knows how to receive what she perceives as familial love. Feels bad man. Thank goodness for Luz Noceda and her unending supply of unconditional love and affection.