Twilight had set on the two girls before they even knew it. It was easy for time to escape them as they sat underneath the Grom Tree whispering sweet nothings to each other, cuddling, and kissing. But Luz didn't want to waste a single second of it. In her time on the Boiling Isles, she'd seen and learned more spells than she could count. But by far, the greatest magic she'd found since coming here was the magical feeling of being in love. Luz knew the two probably needed to head home soon, but she didn't want to leave Amity's side, not after all she'd done for the human today.
Luz couldn't begin to express how grateful she was to have someone like Amity in her life. After she'd gone and mucked things up so much today, she'd completely expected Amity to be furious at her. Luz had braced herself for the worst once she saw how much her lie about the Abomaton had hurt her girlfriend. Of course she had to go make some stupid mistake and sabotage the best thing that had ever happened to her. Typical Luz. She was sure Amity wouldn't want to be with her anymore, and in her mind, she deserved that.
But when Luz found her sitting at the Grom Tree, something completely different happened. Instead of yelling at her or breaking up with her like Luz expected, Amity was concerned for her. And when Luz finally opened up, Amity just…forgave her unconditionally. When she told Luz that they would pick flowers for her dad together, that was the moment Luz realized that her feelings ran deeper than just enjoying spending time with Amity. The lavender haired witch had a way of making Luz's heart soar every time she was near, and when they were together, it was as if the entire world faded away and that all that was left was Luz and Amity.
It was the moment Luz realized she was completely, hopelessly in love with Amity.
And now, after another heartfelt talk, confessing their feelings, and finally kissing, Luz was completely certain about how she felt. She loved Amity Blight, and Amity loved her too. And in spite of everything that had happened earlier in the day, that simple fact made everything alright. She knew that whatever the world threw at her, she could take it on, so long as Amity was by her side. Her presence made everything better, and Luz was going to make sure to show how much she appreciated her.
She leaned in towards Amity and rested her head on the witch's shoulders. But, as she snuggled into the crook of her girlfriend's neck, Luz became unfortunately aware of how heavy her eyelids were getting. She tried and failed to suppress a yawn, prompting Amity to ruffle her hair a bit and say, "Maybe it's time we get you home. Besides, I don't want to risk Eda sending out a search party for you." Luz laughed at the thought before replying, "Yeah, it is getting late, isn't it?"
As they got up and started making their way back to the Owl House, Luz found herself drifting off into her own thoughts again. She wondered how her mom had handled today; if she was having as hard a time getting through the day as Luz was. She thought of Camila kneeling down at her husband's grave and placing a single flower at the base of his tombstone. Vee was probably there with her, but still, Camila was now separated from both her husband and her daughter, and the thought sent a wave of guilt crashing over Luz.
Luz just wanted to curl up into a ball and cry and scream until the thought of leaving her mother alone in the human realm went away, but she remembered her talk with Amity. The witch wanted to be there for Luz, and it was about time to start letting her. "Hey Amity?" She asked, "I… uh… I really don't wanna be alone tonight. Do you think you could… stay?" She almost flinched as she finished her question, afraid to look Amity in the eye. It was stupid, she knew, but a part of her head still refused to let her guard down even around the one person she knew she could.
Amity pulled her into a tight hug before answering, "Of course, darling. Anytime."
"Thanks," Luz said. Her entire body loosened up. Her constant insecurities seemed so silly to her when every word out of Amity's mouth was so assuredly and undeniably sincere towards Luz. "Te quiero, hermosa."
Amity took Luz's hand as they continued walking toward the Owl House. "Does that mean what I think it means?" She asked.
"That depends. What do you think it means?"
"I think it means that my girlfriend feels the same way about me as I do for her."
"Well, maybe if she heard how you felt again, she could tell you if you're right," Luz winked.
"Titan, you're ridiculous," Amity teased, "And that's why I love you so much." Even in the dark, Luz could see Amity's face flush beet red, and she felt herself blushing too.
"I love you too."
The walk back to the Owl House was filled with more gentle teasing and I love yous, with the two never letting go of each other for a moment. By the time they made it to the front door, fatigue had well and truly set in for Luz. Were it not for her feeling Amity tense up when Hooty poked his head out the door and began asking the usual invasive questions ("Where have you two lovebirds bee- OW, okay, I get it! Hoot! Why is it always in the eyes?"), she might not have even noticed him. Amity grumbled something about him still not being forgiven for eating her and the two stepped into the living room, where Eda was on the couch waiting. She was already in her pajamas, and King was curled up next to her fast asleep.
"Luz! Oh, thank Titan you're back! I saw you two leaving the tournament and when you didn't come home I started getting worried, but-"
"Sorry, Eda. We just needed some time to talk. I didn't mean to worry you," Luz replied before letting out a long yawn.
"Hey, it's alright kid. You're here now, and that's what's important. Now go on and get to bed, before you pass out on my floor," She joked. "And we should probably be getting you home soon too, Boots."
"Actually, Ms. Eda, I was sort of planning on…" Amity trailed off, and Luz could see a puzzled expression on her face, as if she was figuring out how best to explain to the Owl Lady that she was planning on spending the night with Luz. Eda squinted, and Luz recognized that face from the number of times that she'd done something ridiculous to provoke Eda's ire. Luz quickly interjected, "I asked her to stay, Eda. I… need someone to stay with me tonight." Eda raised a finger as if to protest, but a quick glance to Luz, and then to Amity, and finally to their hands still clasped together seemed to make her reconsider.
"Oh, alright. But only for tonight. And I better not hear any funny business going on in there!"
"Thanks, Eda," Luz said with a faint smile. She started trudging upstairs, but stopped when she felt Amity's hand separate from hers. She looked back and saw Amity turning to face Eda, who had a hand on the young witch's shoulder. Amity gave her a soft smile and said "Go ahead, I'll be there in a minute." Luz nodded and made her way up the stairs. Behind her she heard Eda ask, "Is she gonna be okay? I know things were a bit messy today."
"Yeah, they kinda were. There's a lot going on, and it's not my place to talk about most of it, but…" Amity's voice faded away as Luz reached the top of the stairs and made her way to her room, where she all but instantly collapsed onto her sleeping bag, not even bothering to change into her pajamas. She slipped under the covers, and her mind began to wander again.
She thought about Eda, who was practically another mother to Luz at this point. She felt terrible for not talking to her about everything going on, but at the same time, she just didn't feel like she could. It was similar to how she felt towards her mom, really. It wasn't that she didn't trust them or that she thought they would be disappointed in her for not having a perfect life. The real problem for Luz was that she didn't want to cause them to feel worried about her. She thought that if she let them know how much she was hurting at times, that they might blame themselves for her own pain, so it was best to shield them by bottling everything up.
But that doesn't really work, she thought. I did that with Amity too, and I still ended up hurting her. She curled up in her own guilt again. Why had she done that to her? Amity was the only person Luz had met who seemed to truly know her. Camila and Eda were amazing and were always there for her, but it often felt like the two didn't really understand Luz all of the time. Maybe it was a generational thing? They still did their best to be supportive, Luz knew, but they didn't seem to just understand her like Amity did.
The sound of the door to her room creaking open interrupted Luz from her thoughts. She looked up and saw Amity enter the room and take her concealment stones off. With a poof, the dress that Luz found so perfectly pretty on Amity was gone and she was back in her usual attire (which, if Luz was being honest with herself, was also incredibly pretty). Luz opened up her sleeping bag and patted the space next to her, where Amity happily climbed in and snuggled up to Luz.
It was nice, being able to be with Amity like this. She could feel the warmth of the witch right next to her, could still smell the faint notes of the hair dye she'd used (thankfully, her dye was the kind that smelled heavenly and not the boxed stuff that reeked of ammonia), and could hear her soft breath next to Luz. She took a moment to just enjoy the experience before asking, "So what were you talking to Eda about?"
"She just wanted to make sure you're okay. I told her that today was kinda rough for you and that you needed someone with you tonight, but I didn't really go into details. I just said not to press the subject and that you'd tell her when you're ready, and she seemed to understand."
"Thanks, querida. You're the best," Luz said, giving her girlfriend a soft peck on the lips.
"Any time, my love," Amity responded. She softly placed a hand on Luz's cheek and began drawing little circles with her thumb, and Luz melted into the touch. Maybe keeping her guard up and closing herself off emotionally had worked in the human realm. But here, with Amity, all it had done so far was push her away, and Luz emphatically did not want that. It wasn't going to be easy to break such an ingrained habit, but for both Amity and for their relationship, Luz had to try. And it started with talking.
"I know I've already said it a dozen times, but I'm so sorry about everything that happened earlier. I didn't realize I was hurting you by not being more open with you, and I wanna make it up to you."
"Sweetie," Amity said, her voice barely above a whisper, before planting a soft kiss on Luz's lips, "it's okay, Luz. I understand." She paused for a moment. "And while I still meant what I said about wanting to be there for you, I also understand if you need some time before you feel comfortable talking about things. I don't wanna pressure you or anything, just-"
"No, I do want to talk to you, Amity! I love having you in my life and I want to be open with you! And it felt… relieving, being able to get all of that out. I'm really glad you listened. I'm just not used to being able to do that. I got picked on a lot by people in the human realm, so I just sort of built up walls to protect myself from getting hurt more." Amity's hand on Luz's cheek moved to the back of her head and started gently combing through her hair, and the witch gently pressed their foreheads together.
"I know how you feel, batata." Luz snickered at Amity's pet name for her, but let her continue, "I did the same thing for years. And I probably still would be today if some wonderful human hadn't come crashing into my life."
"Well she sounds like a catch. Should I be worried about her?" Luz asked, playing oblivious.
"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response." Amity was trying to sound stern and serious, but she could barely hold back her laughter. Luz, however, thought she was being too cute and funny not to start giggling, and that was all it took to break Amity's focus. The two broke out laughing in each other's arms, and when they finally calmed down, Amity let out a soft sigh and said, "I love you, Luz Noceda."
"I love you too, Amity Blight." Luz wrapped an arm around Amity and pulled her into another kiss. There was a strange sort of desperation to the kiss. Luz wanted to show Amity her love for her in a way that she knew couldn't be achieved with mere words, and Amity was matching her energy. It would have been easy for Luz to just lose herself in Amity's arms like this, pressed against her soft lips. But she knew that she needed to open up to Amity. So, with great reluctance, she pulled away from the kiss.
"Thank you… for everything," Luz whispered. She trailed her hand down Amity's arm, finding the witch's hand and clasping it. "If you want, I think I'm ready to talk." Even with the darkness obscuring her vision, Luz could sense the soft and loving smile that came across Amity's face.
"Of course. What do you want to talk about?" she asked, and those were the magic words that opened the floodgates. It started as a trickle, but soon Luz was expressing all of the fears and concerns that she'd tried so hard to keep to herself. She was afraid of not making it back home, of letting Camila or Eda down, of not being good enough for Amity. Luz talked about how in the human realm, she was an outcast that never felt like she could fit in, but here in the Boiling Isles she felt almost normal, and how a part of her didn't want to go back. And then, how that feeling made her feel so guilty because that would mean that her mom, the one person who was always there for her back home, would be left without her, and how the whole situation made her feel like she was being tugged between two worlds and forced to pick one.
The whole time, Amity just let her talk, occasionally speaking up to soothe her, but never challenging or invalidating her. She just let Luz go on, even when she got to the point where she couldn't hold back the tears and her rambling turned into sobbing. Amity's response was just to pull her into a close hug and whisper that it was okay and that she was here for her. Luz had been struggling to hold herself together for so long, but she had finally found a safe place to fall apart in Amity's arms.
Luz let everything out, and Amity took all of it, never for a moment letting go of her. Eventually, Luz realized that she had stopped talking and was just incoherently sobbing. Her eyes were clenched shut; the only thing in the entire world she was aware of was Amity next to her, still gently soothing her. Luz was a puddle in her girlfriend's arms, and as her sobbing started to die down, the fact that Amity was still there truly sunk in.
Luz opened her eyes. In the faint and pale light of the moon, Luz could faintly see Amity staring back at her. Her eyes were wide and concerned, but so incredibly full of love. Luz had let herself shatter into pieces, and only now did she realize that the whole time Amity was picking those pieces up. Luz had shown Amity all of her flaws and imperfections, and Amity saw her for everything that she was. Yet she was still here, holding onto Luz like she was the most precious thing in the world. And that genuine love was all it took to put the shattered pieces of Luz back together and make her whole again.
Luz couldn't begin to find words to express her gratitude. She had never made herself so vulnerable before, and Amity showed such an incredible amount of love and care towards her. There wasn't a thing she didn't feel she could trust Amity with now, but she wasn't sure how to show how thankful she was. Regardless, she decided to try.
"Amity, I've never told anyone about these things before. Thank you for listening. Te amo tanto, Amity." She figured that Amity hadn't learned that one yet, but it was the closest way for her to convey how strongly she felt. "I love you so, so much," She clarified, giving the witch another kiss. Amity returned the kiss and said "I love you too. I'm glad I could be there for you, and that it helped. Are you feeling any better?"
"I don't know yet, but I do know that I will be. Especially if I have you by my side," Luz replied. However, venting to Amity had sucked what little energy Luz had out of her. Her eyelids felt as though dumbbells were attached to them, dragging her down. "But for now," she said groggily, "It's time to get some sleep. Good night, mi amor." With the last of her energy, Luz gave Amity a final good night kiss before sleep finally took hold of her.
Amity lay awake, her thoughts racing. She had never known just how much Luz always had on her mind. Still, she appreciated hearing everything, and she was going to keep making sure to be there for the human whenever she could. She loved that girl so much, and knowing just how much was always troubling her nearly broke Amity's heart. One way or another, she would help Luz find peace and happiness.
For now though, she needed to get some sleep. But how could she? She was right next to Luz, who was still so beautiful even when she was sound asleep. And what's more, the girl had cuddled up even closer to Amity in her sleep! Luz's arm was draped over the witch, and her face was mere inches from Amity's own.
Amity had tried listening to the rhythmic breathing of her girlfriend, but that just made her think about how much she wanted to kiss Luz again. She'd tried staring blankly at the ceiling, but that just allowed her imagination to run wild. Eventually, she decided that if this had to be a long, sleepless night, she might as well make the best of it. She accepted the flushed panic that she still always got anytime she or Luz showed the other affection and returned her cuddles.
Her heart started racing the moment she leaned in towards the girl, but after a few minutes she started to grow used to the feeling of being so close to Luz. Her mind and her beating heart were eventually able to calm down enough for Amity to realize just how exhausted she was. Her eyelids grew heavy, and the last thing Amity remembered was planting a gentle kiss on the human's forehead and whispering, "Goodnight, my sweet Luz," before she too fell asleep.
