Willow slept soundly in her bed; the morning rays of the sun were just now peeking into her room, and steadily moving upwards to where her head was. She turned to her side to avoid the light getting into her eyes. But even Willow knew she couldn't stay in bed all day. So, with a small amount of reluctance, she threw off the blankets, exposing her nude body to the air. Willow sat up on the edge of her bed and stretched arms as she gave a yawn, she grabbed her glasses from the nightstand, put them on, and headed over to her dresser to start putting on some underwear.
"WILLOW!"
"AAH!"
Willow quickly covered her breasts and crotch with her hands, just in time as Amity passed through the wall, landed in her room, and began pacing the floor.
"A-Amity?"
"Willow, I'm sorry to come here at the crack of dawn, but something really…really unthinkable happened last night and I need to talk to you about it because I don't know what else to do!" Amity ranted.
The teen blinked a few times, she could hear some distress in Amity's voice, and the Soul Reaper never barged in like this. That was more Luz's thing. With all that in mind, something major happened last night, but not major in the way of a battle, she hoped.
"Um, Amity, I'd be happy to listen and talk with you, but I do have one question first," said Willow.
"What?"
"Do you prefer that we have this conversation in my birthday suit, or can it wait a few minutes while I get dressed?" she asked.
Amity, confused, took a moment to really look at Willow. Her face went bright red when she finally took notice of her friend's lack of clothing.
"AAAH! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I-I'll wait outside!"
Willow watched as Amity passed through her front door in a rush. She gave a light sigh and decided to get fully dressed, depending on what she heard, Willow had some inkling that this was Luz related, and that she might need to go and see her best friend soon. After a couple of minutes, Willow opened her bedroom door and ushered Amity back in. The Soul Reaper sat down on the edge of Willow's bed, still blushing from having seen the reincarnation of her old best friend naked.
"S-Sorry, again," said Amity.
"I sleep nude, Amity. It's not like you intentionally barged in knowing that. Anyway, forget about that, what's wrong?"
Amity gripped fistfuls of her kosode as she kept her gaze downcast.
"Last night…Luz and I…we…we did something…something that should've never happened," said Amity.
"Oh…" Now Willow was concerned. "What was it?"
"…I…I had sex with Luz…"
Willow went silent as she tried to process that. Her best friend had sex with Amity, the Soul Reaper.
"Before I start making any assumptions…This was consensual right? Luz didn't force you into something, right?"
"No…I accused her of such at first, though. That wasn't just rude but insensitive of me, considering what she went through."
"Okay, please start from the beginning, how did this all go down?"
Amity went into her story about how Luz received an invitation from a girl named Zoe to go to a house party.
Well, that was the first red flag, Willow thought.
Amity informed Willow of how things went when they got to the party. Willow noted that Amity did smile a little as she recalled the dancing she did with Luz. Then, it seems, things took a turn for the sour. Amity was led away by the more popular crowd at Luz's behest, where they managed to convince the Soul Reaper to drink beer, another red flag. Amity's recollection became hazy at that point, as she did remember Luz bursting into the room and stopping the people in the room from trying to exact some revenge against Luz by using Amity as a means to do it.
Willow made a mental note to ensure Zoe had a nasty run in with some poison ivy very soon.
Amity did acknowledge that she was acting quite immature and had selfishly asked Luz to continue their party night, which Luz obliged by bringing her back to the Noceda house. Again, things got a little hazy, but she did recall Luz asking Mrs. Noceda to bring something to them.
"It was something called… 'Tequila'?"
"Ah, yeah, that'll do it. Beer and then tequila. Normally not a good combo. I think I'm starting to understand what's going on here. You two got drunk and one thing led to another, right?" Willow questioned.
"Not right away, we just sat down and drank that liquid fire she calls a drink. We started talking, and Luz kind of opened up to me, she just seemed so…vulnerable. It was like when she told about how she became a Hollow. But…I felt hot…I felt…UGH!" Amity released her hold on her kosode and pressed the palms of her hands into her face. "After that…we had sex…and when we woke up I accused her of molesting and using me. And when I recalled what happened, I ran out of there and left my Gigai at her house…"
"Ooh…so, right now, Luz has your lifeless Gigai in her room?"
"I'll have to go back and get it; I can't just leave it there. I know it's going to be an issue to try and explain to her mother why I'm not waking up," said Amity.
True, Willow figured Luz could pass it off as Amity sleeping off a hangover, but if she stayed for too long and didn't wake up that would be an issue. But back to the more pressing issue.
"Okay, so, I think we need to establish a few things first."
"Such as?"
"For one thing, are you mad at Luz?" Willow asked.
Amity shook her head in the negative.
"No, everything that happened started due to my own actions."
"Well, that's a start. So, my next question is, are you upset that you had sex with Luz because she's a girl? Or because she's a Hollow?" Willow inquired.
"I don't know…both maybe? You don't understand, Willow, I can't like girls!" Amity insisted.
Willow raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"What's wrong with liking girls? I told you I'm pan."
"No, it's not…I mean…Ugh!" Amity got off the bed and began pacing the room again. "Willow, I come from a noble family, and because of that, there are certain expectations I'm supposed to uphold as the youngest member of the Blight family! One day I'll have to marry someone and produce an heir, I can't do that with another girl!"
Willow crossed her arms and asked, "Okay, I think we need to dig deeper here. Forgetting that Luz is a Hollow for a second, tell me, did you like having sex with her?"
"Willow!"
"Just answer the question, Amity. Forget it's Luz, forget she's a Hollow, and for a moment, forget that you're a Blight. Did you, Amity, enjoy having sex with another girl? Yes or no?" Willow pressed.
Everything in her mind told Amity to say "no", and yet she hesitated to do so. Her face turned red; she could practically feel the heat radiating off her face as she gave the question some serious thought for the first time. Did she enjoy having sex with a girl?
"I mean…I…I did…but it's not as if I have anything to compare it to…" Amity rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed. "That was my first time…my first real sexual experience with another person…B-But I was drunk, so…"
"Amity, being drunk is one thing. But unless you had some attraction, it wouldn't be conflicting you as much as it is right now," Willow pointed out.
Amity couldn't deny that. If it was just a simple matter of a drunken one-night stand then this wouldn't be an issue. Well, it would be an issue, but it wouldn't be making her have such an identity crisis right now. Amity sat back down on the bed and slumped her shoulders as she came to the realization.
"I liked having sex with a girl…I…I think I do like girls," Amity admitted.
"Have you ever felt anything towards a girl or boy before?"
"I can tell you if a boy is conventionally attractive, but I've never…felt anything. At least not the boys my mother has introduced me to, nor the ones in the eighth division. Some of my division's female members do have a crush on the Captain, and I will admit he is a handsome man, but I never felt attraction to him," Amity confessed. "As for girls…I have felt strange around some, but I never really thought much of it."
Willow smiled at Amity and patted her shoulder.
"Welcome to the queer side, Amity. It's confusing sometimes, but well worth it when you discover yourself. Now that we've established that you do have an attraction towards girls. Let's get back to the main issue concerning Luz. Do you by chance…like her?" Willow asked.
"WHAT?! Me? Do I like Luz Noceda?! She's perverted, crude, she barely takes anything seriously, she strips in front of me, gropes me, and-and-and–!"
"Sounds like Luz likes you, Amity."
Amity gave Willow a look as if she had just grown a second head.
"I won't deny Luz does those things, but when it comes to me and Gus, she doesn't do it to the degree that she does it with you. It may be strange, but I think this is Luz's subconscious way of showing that she likes you. This is just my opinion; I could be way off the mark."
"Even if she felt that way towards me, or me her, we couldn't be together."
"Why? And other than your whole noble family tradition stuff."
"She's a Hollow, Willow. A Soul Reaper and a Hollow, together, romantically, it just doesn't happen!" Amity exclaimed.
Willow crossed her arms as she sighed.
"Is there some written or unwritten rule that says you can't?" Willow questioned.
"No, because it's just common knowledge! Hollows and Soul Reapers don't mix, Hollows are the enemy of all souls, living and dead. To be in a relationship with one…it's just not even a something anyone thinks about," said Amity.
"But Luz isn't like other Hollows, you know that now. She may have the body and powers of a monster, but she is still human on the inside. She still has her human soul. Luz's existence is something unprecedented in your world, so, I think you should approach it with a different point of view," Willow informed.
"And what point of view is that?"
"See Luz as a girl. See Luz and not the Hollow. I'm not telling you to go out with Luz, but I think you might be missing out on a good opportunity to learn more about yourself."
Amity's head was spinning. Until last night, everything was simple. She was a Soul Reaper who protected the souls of the living and the dead from the evil Hollows. No, if she was being honest, things haven't been simple, and that all started the moment she met Luz Noceda, the Hollow with a human soul. Luz was a living contradiction; she went against everything Amity was ever taught when it came to how Hollows are supposed to be. Amity had slain her fair share of Hollows in her time, some were formed from the souls of a good person who had just lost their way, and others were born from the wicked souls of evil people. But Luz? She had undergone a rushed form of Hollow evolution that made her into one of the most powerful Hollows imaginable. And yet, with all that power, she decides to live her life as a normal human while protecting this town from other Hollows.
Amity pinched the bridge of her nose as she released a deep sigh of frustration.
"Until I came here, everything was much simpler, but now…things are getting confusing, I…I feel things right now, things I-I've never felt before, and…and it's all because of Luz! Is this…Is this really what it means to be attracted to someone? To have an interest in them?" Amity questioned.
Willow stood up from her bed and gently patted both of Amity's shoulders, shooting her a comforting smile as she did.
"I can't really tell you yes or no. You have to be the one to decide, but like I said, you should at least follow these feelings and see where they end up," Willow suggested.
"…I think I still need some time to process this."
"That's fine. In the meantime, let's figure out a way to get your Gigai back."
Just then, Willow's cellphone rang. She went over to her nightstand and smiled as she said, "Speak of the devil."
Amity watched as Willow turned the phone around to reveal Luz's caller ID.
"Hey, Luz, morning," Willow greeted as she answered her phone.
{Hey, Willow…Um…can we talk? Like, sooner rather than later? Like really soonish?}
"Oh, what's wrong? You sound kind of down."
{It's about Amity…and something I did with her…It's better if we talked in person. Do you mind meeting up at our "club house"}
"Sure, I'll see you there," Willow promised before Luz ended the call. She then turned to Amity and smiled a little. "Good news, Amity. Luz will be out of the house, so you'll be able to get your Gigai back while I talk to her."
"Are you sure she won't be there? I don't think I can look her in the eye right now," Amity admitted.
"I'm positive, you can tag along with me and break off to Luz's house when we get there."
Willow parked her car in front of the sidewalk of the Noceda home. Amity was sitting in the passenger's seat next to her, and of course, no one could see her. Willow had instructed Amity to head up to the room while she headed off to meet Luz. Amity looked up at the house, worried that Luz might still be there despite Willow's assurance that she wasn't.
Still, it's either this or have Eda make me a new one, Amity thought.
Deciding to trust in Willow's words, Amity jumped into the air, and solidified the reishi in the air to create a platform for herself. She then jumped straight ahead and passed through the walls as she entered Luz's room. Amity feared what she might find, thinking Luz might've done something with her Gigai. But that wasn't the case. When she entered the room, Amity saw that her Gigai was placed in Luz's bed and was positioned to sleep on its side. Amity carefully peeled back the blankets and saw that her Gigai – which she expected to still be nude – was in fact fully clothed, wearing an oversized t-shirt and boy shorts. Most likely both belonged to Luz. She glanced around the room and saw that her outfit from last night was on Luz's desk.
"She…She dressed my Gigai and tucked it in." Amity shook her head. "Of course, she did. It…It would just seem strange if I was completely naked all day. Still…"
Amity went ahead and merged with her Gigai, opening her eyes as she sat up. Thankfully, the hangover effect seemed to have dissipated during her time separated from the shell of a body. Amity pulled back the blankets and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, her mind recalling some of the things she and Luz did in this bed not too long ago. She rubbed her hand over the sheets, as if recalling the sensations through touch alone.
There were still a lot of conflicting emotions in Amity. There was a part of her that felt disgusted that she allowed a Hollow to violate her. Another part that felt shame for getting so inebriated that she couldn't control her own actions. A third part that was confused as to why she initiated it in the first place. And the last part, which almost begged her to do it again.
Amity sighed, she was doing that a lot today, and got up. She headed over to the desk to start putting on her clothes from last night but froze when she saw the door open. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for the Soul Badge, but forgot that it belonged to Luz, who more than likely had it with her. She quickly searched her clothes for her Gikon dispenser, but it was too late. The door opened fully and much to her relief; it wasn't Luz.
"Amity, mija, you're awake," said Camila.
"Oh, uh, y-yes." Amity removed her hands from her clothes and gave a slight bow towards Camila. "I'm sorry for inconveniencing you like this."
"Oh, Amity, it's okay. Luz told me you were knocked out before she left, and to just leave you alone to sleep. I was going to check on you to see if you were okay, but it looks like you are."
"Yes, I am. A-Anyway, I should get changed and get going, Aunt Marilyn's probably wondering where I am," Amity said.
"Oh, wait, why don't you take a shower first? I can wash those clothes as well before you put them back on," Camila offered.
"Oh, no, I-I don't want to impose!"
"Disparates (Nonsense), it's not an imposition. And you'll definitely feel better afterwards. Trust me."
Amity rubbed the back of her head; a hot shower did sound really good right now.
"Alright, thank you Mrs. Noceda."
"Ah-Ah, Camila."
"Sorry, thank you, Camila."
The older Latina showed Amity to the bathroom and brought her some towels. The Soul Reaper removed the clothes that Luz had dressed her in and folded them neatly before placing them on the sink. After turning on the shower she stepped in and allowed the hot water to cascade over her body, soothing her muscles and washing away the fatigue of last night. Amity looked down at herself, gliding her left hand over her body, remembering all the things that Luz did to her, all the things she liked that Luz did to her.
"I…I can't be like this…I…I have a duty to my family," Amity reasoned. "A-And she's a Hollow, it's unheard of! Why am I even contemplating this?!"
The young Soul Reaper returned to bathing herself, working the shampoo into and conditioner into her long lilac hair, followed by lathering her body with soap. After a few minutes, Amity exited the shower, wrapping the towels that Camila had provided around her head and body before leaving the bathroom and returning to Luz's room. While Amity dried herself, she heard a knock at the door.
"Come in," Amity responded.
"All clean, mija." Camila placed the outfit on the bed next to Amity and asked, "Do you want to eat anything? You must be hungry by now."
"Oh, no, I'm–"
*Growl*
Amity's face went red as Camila chuckled.
"Um…perhaps I could use a quick bite," Amity relented.
"I'll make a little something light, just in case your stomach is uneasy."
Amity watched as Camila exited the room, closing the door behind her. She couldn't help but smile in the older woman's presence. Camila was so warm, so loving, and caring. The complete opposite of her mother. Amity finished drying off and got dressed before heading downstairs and entering the kitchen. She could see Camila humming along to a song being played on her phone, gathering some ingredients together while she was doing so.
"Ah, Amity, give me a few minutes."
"A-Actually…could I help?" Amity asked worriedly.
"Only if you want to, I don't want you overdoing it after drinking so much last night," Camila reasoned.
"I promise I feel okay, but I'll let you know if I start to feel bad," said Amity.
Camila smiled and nodded her head for Amity to join her in the kitchen. Together, Camila and Amity put together a small meal. It wasn't anything fancy, nor was it made with the finest ingredients in the Seireitei, but when Amity sat down and ate it, the meal tasted so good. As Amity ate, she paused and glanced at Camila.
"Um, Camila, can I ask you a question?"
"Of course, what is it?"
Amity fiddled with the food on her plate, pushing it around with her fork for a few seconds before asking, "When…When did you first learn that Luz, um, that she liked both boys and girls? No, that's not it…I guess…I'm wondering how you felt about it?"
Camila leaned back in her chair as she answered, "When you become a parent, you prepare for a lot of things the best you can. You run all kinds of scenarios for what kind of questions your child will ask you. What solutions you can up with to fix their problems. And of course, advice when it came to things like romance and falling in love. Not a lot think about how to react or how to help their child when they come out to you as being queer."
"Was it that shocking?" Amity inquired.
"I was prepared for Luz to talk to me about boys, and we had before. But when Luz came to me and said that she had those same feelings whenever she looked at another girl, well, I won't lie, I was taken aback. However, I made sure Luz knew that I wasn't judging her, but that if that's how she felt, I wasn't going to scold her for it. But in all honesty, when I was alone, I was panicking!"
"Oh…?"
Camila chuckled as she recalled her panicked state about finding out Luz was bisexual.
"I mean, I was prepared and had talked to her about what to do and not do when it came to crushing on boys and dating. But I was at a loss when it came to other girls. Sure, some things are universal, but not everything. After she came out, I started looking up as much as I could regarding bisexuality, articles, books, whatever I could get my hands on. I wanted to be able to help Luz, so I educated myself so I could better understand her."
Camila went silent for a long moment, which made Amity worry.
"Camila?"
"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking…I did all that research to understand her. But in the end, I still sent her to that maldita sea (goddamn) camp." Camila lightly pounded the table as she recalled the unpleasant memory.
"Luz told me about that place, you don't need to go into detail if you don't want to," Amity assured.
"Thank you. But the fact is I did all that research to understand her bisexuality, only to send her to that awful place just to get bullied and nearly molested…proves that I didn't try as hard as I should've. I didn't stand up for her or try to understand what she was feeling, what she was going through, and I almost lost her because of it, twice," Camila lamented.
"Sorry, I…I didn't mean to bring up that unpleasantness."
"It's okay, it's in the past. But why did you want to know?" Camila questioned.
Amity looked down at her food, wondering if it was okay to tell Camila that she had slept with her daughter.
Judging by how she's been acting, I guess Luz hasn't told her. Maybe I shouldn't…but…
"Camila…I…Last night, Luz and I…we did…things. What I mean to say is…I slept with Luz. I was inebriated and initiated it so don't blame Luz." Amity dropped her fork and pressed the heels of her palms to her forehead. "I had a fight with her when I woke up…I accused her of taking advantage of me. Of using me…I know I hurt her feelings…but the truth is I said that because I was scared…"
Camila moved her chair closer to Amity and asked, "Scared of what, mija?"
"Scared because…because I liked it. I liked what I did with Luz! I've never done anything like that with anyone! She…Luz was my first! But it's just not how it's supposed to be!" Amity exclaimed.
"And how is it supposed to be?"
"I…My family is very wealthy. Very well connected. And as the youngest daughter, I have a duty to my family to continue our line and marry a man of equal or substantial wealth and nobility and sire an heir. I…I can't do that kind of thing if I'm with a girl! I've been told that I'll have to one day marry a man, but I never contemplated–!"
"You never thought you'd discover that you were gay," Camila finished.
"I just don't know what I should do…I know I need to apologize to Luz for what I said…but how do I go forward from here?" Amity cried.
Camila looked upon the young girl with sympathy as she moved closer and brought her into a hug. Amity let out a little gasp as she felt the older woman embrace her.
"Pobre bebe (You poor baby). You've been told what you should be your whole life, haven't you? Not allowed to spread your wings and figure out what it is that you want. I can't speak for your parents, Amity, nor do I want to disparage them. But you have nothing to be ashamed of. Sometimes you can't help how you feel or who you love. Love takes all kinds of shapes and forms. It can be destructive and cruel, and it can be beautiful and create wonderful things. I know you're feeling confused, the image of who you're supposed to be is clashing with the image of the you right now. It's okay to be scared and confused, but don't deny what you are feeling," Camila advised.
Amity's heart was struck by the words Camila spoke to her. She was acting like a mother to her, this person was a stranger, and yet she treated her with the same kindness, love, and understanding as she would her own flesh and blood. It was too much for Amity, she broke down as she cried into Camila's chest. The older Latina made gentle shushing sounds as she sang a little song softly, allowing Amity to let it all out.
Willow walked through the woods, having memorized the way by heart a long time ago. Eventually, the path brought her to the "club house" Luz was speaking of. The "club house" was in fact an abandoned house out in the woods. It was an old wooden house, with a raised front porch, one broken column out of four. The front had broken windows, while the roof had some shingles missing and a hole in it. The roof was weathered from the decades of neglect, harsh winters, and harsh summers. Willow walked up the steps of the porch and opened the door. Inside she found Luz, sitting against the left side of the wall, and bouncing a ball against the opposite wall.
"Hey, Willow," Luz greeted.
"Hey, Luz." Willow walked over to where Luz was and sat down next to her. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
"I fucked Amity last night…" Luz answered without missing a beat of tossing and catching the ball.
"Oh…Um, yay?"
"Not yay…"
"Not yay?" Willow parroted.
"It happened like this…" Luz went into detail of the events that occurred yesterday, and last night. Telling Willow of how the popular girl, Zoe, had planned some kind of revenge against her by using Amity while she was in a drunk state. Then she told her what happened when she brought Amity back to her house. "Before I knew it, she kissed me. I should've stopped there, I wasn't that drunk, not as much as she was. But…I kept going, I took complete control of the situation and…"
"Luz, don't do that to yourself. You're not like them, what you did and what they almost did to you are not the same," Willow insisted.
"Isn't it though? It's not like Amity could fully consent to what we were doing. She just got swept up into it, her drunk brain could only act and feel rather than think rationally. I know I tease the hell out of her…but…I never intended to go that far…Dammit, I finally get her to stop seeing me as a monster, and now I go do something stupid like this!"
Luz threw the ball harder and ended up having the ball crash through wall. This would normally surprise most people, but Willow didn't even blink.
"Luz, be honest with me. You like Amity, don't you?" Willow questioned.
"What?! I mean…I…She's cute, hot, classy, smart, sexy, kind when she wants to be, strong–"
"You said hot twice," Willow mentioned.
"Nah-ah, being considered 'hot' is a completely different category from being considered 'sexy'," Luz corrected.
"And I'm sure you could give me a nice long lecture on the differences. But, for real, Luz. Do you like Amity?"
Luz brought her legs up to her chest as she hugged them.
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel attracted to her. But I know how uncomfortable I make her, so there's no way she feels the same way. What we did was just…sex. Drunken…hot…sex. But it wasn't as if she was in her right mind when we did it. And the way she looked at me after she woke up…" Luz pressed her right hand against her head. "She looked so panicked…so afraid…so angry…I really fucked up this time, Willow…"
Willow reached over and brought Luz into a half hug, offering her best friend some comfort.
"Luz, I know you don't want to hear this. But in the end I think you still need to talk to her."
"She could be halfway to Soul Society by now, calling up the other Reapers to come and end me…I wouldn't blame her," Luz said.
"The fact that they haven't shown up means something. Luz, she was your first, right?"
"Of course, she was. And…I was hers…"
Willow smiled and spoke, "Luz, call this destiny, fate, or a once in a lifetime opportunity, but maybe you and Amity are what each other needs. Did you stop to consider that maybe the reason she had that expression on her face wasn't just because of what you two did? You gotta understand, Luz, Amity comes from nobility and stuff. She's been told to act a certain way, feel a certain way towards others. I think when you two did that, it shook her worldview. Maybe you made her aware of something that she had either suppressed or just figured out?"
Luz thought about it for a moment, Willow did make a good point. She was blessed with a mother who was understanding, who was willing to understand her and made the effort to do so. Amity was raised in a family that told her how she was supposed to act, and who she was supposed to be.
"Do you…Do you really think that's the case here?" Luz asked.
"If it is, I think she'll need someone to help her through it. And while I'd be happy to, I think the person who screwed her senseless should take that responsibility," Willow stated.
Luz cracked a smile at Willow's light jab.
"Yeah, I should take responsibility for what I did. I can't give her back her first, but I can at least help her understand herself. Ooooor we can just avoid all of that and you and I could–"
"Luz, too soon."
"Right, right. Sorry."
Luz and Willow walked back to the house, coming in from the backyard. They walked through the backdoor, entering the kitchen and headed into the hallway to go upstairs. Luz still needed to do something about Amity's Gigai. However, as they were about to pass the archway to the living room, Luz paused, spotting Amity sitting on the couch with her mother.
"A-A-Amity?!" Luz gasped.
"L-Luz?!" Amity exclaimed.
The Latina chuckled nervously as she quickly replied, "Oh, you're awake! Good, I was worried you were too hungover. Guess all you needed was some time to sleep it off, heh-heh."
"Y-Yeah…thank you for dressing me in those pajamas of yours," Amity replied, awkwardly.
Camila glanced at Willow, and Willow met Camila's gaze. The two women seemed to have come to a silent understanding and decided to move this along.
"Willow, could you come with me to look at my flowerbed? For some reason the azaleas just aren't growing as fast as the others."
"Of course, let's go check on them right now."
Luz and Amity watched as Camila and Willow started to leave, while both teens started to stammer, trying to come up with a convincing excuse to keep them here. But it was a useless, Camila and Willow left through the backdoor, leaving Luz and Amity alone. The Reaper and the Hollow remained where they were, in awkward silence as neither of the two could look each other in the eyes.
"…Luz, I'm sorry."
The Latina looked up slowly and saw that Amity still had her gaze downcast.
"I…I accused you of taking advantage of me. Of using me. That was uncalled for. I…I just panicked," Amity explained. "It doesn't excuse my words, but I do mean it. I'm sorry."
Luz rubbed the back of her head as she replied, "Amity, you have every right to say that to me. Yes, we were drunk, but compared to you I wasn't as drunk. I could've stopped it; I should've stopped it. But I didn't, I just kept going. I understand if you don't want to see me after this, or ever."
"Luz…do you…do you like me?" Amity asked.
"Heh…Willow asked the same question to me, too." Luz sighed heavily as she stood up straight. "I do, Amity. I like you, but I never expected you to accept my feelings. I'm sorry for all the teasing, the, uh, the groping…"
"And the unnecessary stripping," Amity deadpanned.
"And the unnecessary stripping," Luz repeated. "I know it was awkward and uncomfortable for you. But I also did those things to try and help you get out of your shell. I understand that you're a Soul Reaper, I get that you have a job that's serious, and that lives are on the line the majority of the time you go out on these missions. But when I'm around you, I feel like you're too wound up, too wrapped up in being a perfect Soul Reaper and a perfect daughter. Getting you to see that I'm not a bad guy, that I'm not a monster, was my goal. At the same time, I wanted you cut loose a little, and not worry about being Little Miss Perfect."
Amity chuckled, it seemed that Luz was trying to help her, in a strange – Luz – way.
"Okay, well, if we're being honest." Amity raised her head to look at Luz and met her gaze. "I liked what we did. I think I like girls. But it's confusing for me…"
Luz slowly approached the couch and sat at the far end.
"I've been told that I need marry a suitable man of ranking nobility and wealth. To sire heirs for the continuation of our family line and the line of the man I would eventually marry. But…I was not prepared to awaken to these kinds of feelings…and I'd be lying if it I said it wasn't confusing."
Luz twiddled her thumbs as she replied, "I understand, it was a little confusing for me at first. And I struggled with the fear of what Mamá would think of me. Thankfully, she didn't hate me, she accepted me, and made an effort to understand. I can help you understand this, too, if you want."
The Latina flinched for a moment when she felt Amity's right hand rest on her knee.
"I'd like that, Luz. And…I'd like to give this a try."
"Wait…do you mean…you want to go out with me?" Luz asked with a shaky voice.
"I want to understand these feelings, I want to understand myself. And considering you took my first time, I think you have a responsibility to me, do you not?"
Luz smiled as she placed her right hand over Amity's left and answered, "I do, so, let me take responsibility. Do you want to go out with me, Amity Blight?"
"…I…I do."
"Guess we're each other's first girlfriends, huh?"
Amity blushed as she replied, "Seems like it. A Reaper and a Hollow…Never thought something like this would happen."
"There's a first time for everything, hermosa."
It had been a long day, but it seemed as if Luz and Amity were on their way to being something more. Willow was happy for both of them, Luz needed someone in her life that could keep her focused, play the "straight man" – metaphorically speaking – to her antics. While Amity needed Luz, someone who could help her enjoy life and have fun and give her a different perspective on things.
Despite all that, she was kind of exhausted, emotionally anyway. Willow started to wonder if she should pursue a career in counseling rather than botany. As she contemplated her future, Willow pulled up to her house and found Gus sitting on the porch, his left foot tapping rapidly. Curious, Willow parked her car in the driveway and went out to investigate why Gus had come to visit.
"Gus, what's up? I didn't know you were here," said Willow.
"Y-Yeah, I, uh, I kinda needed to talk to you in person. I've been trying to process this all day, but, heh, it's not working," Gus admitted. "I kinda saw something. Something I probably shouldn't have seen."
"Oh, Gus, what was it?"
"Okay, so, I got a text from a friend last night. They told me that they saw Luz and Amity at Zoe's party and that Luz was seen leaving, with Amity over her shoulder. I didn't know if it was anything concerning, so I decided to go and check it out. I went to Zoe's place first, but I didn't see Luz's car. I went to the Owl House, but Blight wasn't there. So, I decided to go to Luz's house. I was going to go through the window, but when I was about to…I saw…Luz…"
"Oh, no…"
"And Amity…."
"Oh, dear…"
"And Luz was…between Amity's legs…"
Willow sighed as she realized her counseling work was far from over today.
"Come on, Gus, I'll make you a cup of tea and we can talk."
"I saw things, Willow…I saw things…"
"It'll be alright," said Willow as she patted Gus on the back and led him inside.
Great, fix one relationship, and gain one traumatized Gus. Today has been so much fun.