"Where are we going?"
"Shhh!"
Luz giggles as she pulls her half asleep girlfriend down the street, glancing over her shoulder and lifting a finger to her lips to make a shushing sound when Amity lets out a tired groan. "Just a little further, mi amor, I promise."
Amity just hums her acknowledgement and Luz gives her wrist another gentle tug, Amity obediently follows, despite knowing she could pull her hand away with little to no effort.
Even exhausted, the other girl was the most beautiful sight she's ever seen; the way her messy brown bangs fell into her eyes, heavy from rainwater, the sparkle in her sleep-deprived eyes when she looked at her, the way her wet, mint green and brown hair sticks to her exposed shoulders and neck, how her creamy white skin practically glows beneath the streetlights.
Her orange, white, and pink tank top clings to her thin frame, while her lighter pink sweatshorts sag from the gathering rain. She's walking bear foot, the soles of her feet softly splashing through the puddles of water as Luz pulls her along.
The wind gently blows through the street and Luz feels a subtle shudder, reminding herself to change out of these soaking wet clothes as soon as possible.
But, cold wind or not, the rains during a hot summer night was one of the perfect times of the year. This time, she has someone very special to share it with.
"Where are we going?" Amity asks, stopping in her steps and wrapping her own fingers around Luz's wrist. Luz barely has a moment to turn around before she's jerked towards the now more awake brunette. "I am tired, it's dark, and it's raining. Why couldn't I bring an umbrella?"
Well, they should be far enough now.
"Because!" Luz chirps, "We couldn't go out into the rain earlier today because of the secret, but we can play now!" She laughs and jumps back, her feet gliding over the street before landing on the wet pavement. Amity tilts her head in a silent question, Luz giggles and bows down, spreading her feet apart and mimicking the human version of a dog's play bow.
A tiny smirk crosses her girlfriend's lips, mischief flickers through her bright golden eyes and Luz pushes off the soles of her feet and towards Amity. Droplets of water fly up from beneath her shoes and splashes in front of her as she skids one shoe through a crevice in the side of the road, stopping herself just in front of the brunette. She looks up at Amity again and a wave of shame hits her when she notices that the girl hasn't flinched.
"Hmm." Amity raises a brow in amusement and leans down, taking the few inches of height that the sidewalk gave her towards her advantage. Delicate fingers take Luz's chin and tilts her head up to meet Amity's golden eyes, Luz smiles sheepishly and the other girl grins devilishly. "Ah, so she wants to play?"
Luz knows that the expression her girlfriend is wearing is meant for subtle intimidation, but she can't help but to focus on the droplets of rain caressing the girl's face. Her heart is soaring, affection spreading through her chest as another realization courses through her being, clouding her thoughts.
This beautiful, goddess of a girl, loves her. She wants to be with her. Out of all the other girls in the world, Amity had chosen her. What had she done to deserve Amity?
Luz is ripped from her thoughts when a sweet, but momentary, wet kiss is placed on her lips. Soft fingers drop from her chin and the world begins rebuilding itself around her, she turns to look at Amity as the girl skips away, Luz remains in a daze. The brunette pauses and looks behind her, giggling and copying Luz's playful stance from only a minute prior.
"Well, come on!" Amity invites with a musical laugh. There's light in her eyes, any exhaustion she'd been feeling since they left the house has been forgotten. "You're the one who wanted to play, dunce!"
Seeing Amity so carefree was strange, but the look of absolute joy on her face in this very moment will be permanently imprinted into Luz's memory.
So, she followed her.
She splashes through the water and a light-hearted shout escapes her when Amity spins around on her heel to run, grinning at her from over her shoulder as Luz lunges for her. "Try again!" Amity's bare feet collide with the wet ground with a loud clap, signaling to Luz that she was just behind her.
"Not fair!"
Luz whips around as quickly as she can, seeing Amity standing behind her with a wide, victorious smile; the tanned girl reaches for her again, groaning in false annoyance when her fingers brush across Amity's side as she dodges the grab.
The sound of the rain hitting against the cement and rolling off the shingles of the roofs intertwine with the happy laughter being carried in the soft wind blowing around them.
They break into a chase.
Amity races down the street swiftly and Luz immediately follows behind her, "Hey!" She calls to her, increasing her pace to catch the other girl. "I'm not as fast as you, you dang jock!"
Amity doesn't look behind her and Luz's jaw drops when the brunette slams one foot onto the ground firmly and kicks off with a new burst of speed, slinging water up behind her like dust.
"Amity!"
Did she just become faster?! There's no way she can catch her! Amity was definitely a jock, and she seems to keep herself in shape, judging by her toned, athletic legs.
'Nope!' The tanned girl abruptly jerks herself from her thoughts before they could descend further and she looks up, slowing down when she sees that Amity has stopped under a street light. The girl's chest is barely rising and falling with shallow breaths, she doesn't even look tired.
There's a mist in the air now, rising from the warm pavement. The few trees on the road and the flowers growing across the sidewalk are a bright green, contrasting the seemingly gloomy colors that the street lights and the night rain gave them. It makes the girl standing in front of her far more stunning.
"Tired?" Amity asks quietly as Luz approaches, she gasps an affirmative answer and Amity giggles. The sound is angelic. "I'm sorry, it's been a while since I've been able to just…" Her eyes are glowing. "To just run."
In that moment, Luz swears that Amity was an angel sent from the skies above. She sees movement and is shaken out of her thoughts when Amity walks slowly, the way the girl moves is like a slow dance, hypnotizing, seductive yet playful. Her mind can not comprehend as she once again goes into a subtle daze.
A pair of arms embrace her from behind and Luz lets out a small yelp, startled, while another body is gently pressed against her back, sending cold chills up her spine while she slowly recovers from the shock. She can feel her heart thundering loudly in her chest, overpowering the rain. The only other sound she can hear is soft breathing and affectionate whispers from the girl pressed against herself.
"Amity?" She asks, worried.
"I'm alright," Amity reassures her with a sweet kiss to the back of her neck. The rain has decreased to a drizzle, and the fog is rising up to their knees. "So," her arms tighten around the girl's abdomen, "why'd you bring me out here?" her voice barely a whisper against her girlfriend's neck.
Luz hums and intertwines her fingers with Amity's, bringing one hand up and placing a kiss to the back of her warm fist. "Exactly for this..." she answers, looking up at the dark sky and grinning at the sight of the grey clouds.
"I've always wanted to just… Play in the rain with someone. A friend, a lover, it didn't matter." she says in a gentle manner as she turns her head to look at Amity, but stops noticing a girl with pink hair watching them around the corner.
She blinks, about to mention her to her girlfriend. But when she gestures towards the girl, she finds that she has disappeared.
A loud clap of thunder causes a tremor to race up Luz's spine and Amity jerks away from her abruptly, their eyes ascend to the skies above them to see the grey clouds darkening. The drizzle of rain was beginning to pick up again.
"Come on," Amity whispers, taking Luz's wrist and sending butterflies through her stomach again, "my apartment isn't far from here. We can rest there."
Luz follows obediently, mesmerized.
They reach the apartment building just before the rain begins to pour down, Luz can feel the spray from the rain crawling up her soaked back as she races towards the doors.
Amity, having reached the door before she did, manages to get it unlocked and Luz charges inside, only breaking her speed when her wet shoes skid across the marble floor.
She falls with a loud crash and a shout of surprise as the door shuts, she hears quick footsteps across the floor and she sits up, her vision clearing just enough to see Amity kneeling above her. Luz's bangs are brushed out of her face as Amity cups her cheeks, worriedly speaking to her in a rushed voice that Luz can barely understand.
"Estoy bien, amor, cálmate." Luz reassures. Although Amity cannot understand, she registers the calmness in her words and visibly relaxes.
"You startled me." Amity murmurs worriedly, pressing her forehead against Luz's. One of the other girl's hands finds her hips, Luz readjusts her sitting position so that their position is more comfortable; Amity leans in for a loving kiss.
"I'm alright." The tanned girl repeats as soft kisses begin to pepper her wet skin.
Luz can feel her warm breath against her collarbone when she rests her forehead against her shoulder. Amity's voice is sweet and delicate, "Let's get out of these clothes, you look cold."
Seconds tick by like hours and the day progresses slowly, the world seems to be moving in slow motion and minutes feel like an eternity. Luz holds her breath for most of the day, constantly checking the time on her phone while the anxiety in her chest swells as she impatiently awaits the scheduled time for the photo to be uploaded.
Tapping her fingers across the desk, she can feel her classmates' eyes boring holes into the back of her head. They're giggling and sniggering about how she's 'so afraid of what will happen when they figure out she's not really dating Amity Blight'.
In reality, it was the complete opposite. She's already had a few people make a few snide comments towards her regarding the topic, she swears one of them was a subtly implied threat, but she dares not to report them in case it was empty.
However, she remains on edge, ready to defend herself if she absolutely needs to.
She clicks her phone screen on again and her anxiety spikes upon seeing that they have precisely ten minutes until the picture is uploaded for the world to see.
"Nervous, Luzer?" Luz doesn't bother to look up, recognizing the voice as Emily's. "Scared that we're gonna find out that you've been bluffing?"
Luz clears her throat, "I haven't confirmed or denied anything." She reminds her with a shaky voice, staring at her phone screen as her knee bounces anxiously. Her eyes widen in horror when her screen lights up again with Amity's contact picture at the side. Panic rushes through her like a lightning bolt and she slams her hand down over the phone, shielding it from being noticed by the girl standing over her.
"Who was that?" Emily demands suspiciously. Luz finally looks up and her jaw becomes firm, she doesn't cower under the annoyance in the girl's blue eyes. A smirk tugs at her classmates' mouth, "Awww, was it your Mommy?"
Oh, how badly she wanted to wipe that smirk off Emily's face by turning her cherry red lips into a blood red.
"That's none of your concern." Luz answers with a cool voice, lifting her phone front-face up and clicking it off.
Nine minutes.
"Miss Bowell!" The teacher calls from the back of the classroom, the student groans and pushes away from Luz's desk to approach.
They have two days until school lets out for the summer, which means she only has two days left to deal with her classmates. But, by how they take the news in the next few minutes, it would either be the worst two days of her entire life, or the most awkward.
Luz sighs and sinks down across her desk, letting her phone dangle from her hand as she tucks one arm beneath her chin. She stares boredly up at the clock in the center of the room, watching as seconds tick by and the small hand slowly glides behind it. The chattering in the classroom overpowers the ticking of the clock, so there's nothing to help cool her nerves.
'Amity.'
She pulls her phone back to her face, decreasing the screen brightness and glancing around before she opens her text messages.
Seeing the text from her girlfriend immediately brings a smile to her face.
'Are you ready?'
Eight minutes.
Her thumbs test their agility by quickly swiping over her keyboard to form a cohesive response, her heart thundering in her chest. They were really going through with this. The butterflies in her heart multiply by thousands and a dorky smile comes to her face, she knows that she has the expression of a lovesick idiot, but who wouldn't when they have a partner who genuinely cares for them?
Besides, Amity had agreed and scheduled for the public to know exactly who her romantic partner was. She cares not for one's money, prestige, or looks, but instead who they are.
Luz still can't believe that it was her. Only she has been allowed to see the girl in her most vulnerable moments, she's the one who makes her laugh. She's the reason that those golden eyes dance.
'I'm ready.' Luz replies.
Seven minutes.
She hesitates, typing another message.
'But, would you mind coming down here? I'm not sure if some will take the news well.'
Three little dots appear at the bottom of the screen almost instantly, Luz releases a grateful breath when she sees Amity's affirmative response, informing her that she'll be there in five minutes. Luz sits up and looks at the clock, mentally marking what time it was and starting the countdown for Amity's arrival.
"Hey! Who's ready for the reveal?" A boy shouts across the classroom just before the bell rings. Whoops erupt through the small room, Luz can hear the teacher laughing in amusement at the class's excitement. "Join me outside and we can watch the broadcast if you can't access it!" He calls as everybody scrambles to get their things.
Luz doesn't move, watching the clock intently without looking behind her. She can hear books being dropped into backpacks and papers being crammed into the smallest crevice in the bag, causing a slight irked feeling to sting at her chest. They could at least try to be more organized…
A hand claps on her back and she flinches, looking up to see Rogio and his crew standing above her. She keeps her expression unreadable, glaring into the boy's almost knowing, menacing eyes. She doesn't budge, matching the scowl on his face and snickering when he scoffs and turns, leading his friends away from her.
Six minutes.
Having everything already packed, Luz stands from her desk and reaches to grab her own book bag from the back of her chair in one motion. She slips it over her shoulder and swiftly walks out of the room, keeping to the side of the hall and navigating through the crowds of people stopping by their lockers. A few of them were found liplocked in the middle of the hallway.
"Get a room!" Someone shouts at the couples, Luz giggles in amusement. Ah, one of the perks of not attending a school with your girlfriend. No embarrassing stories about your highschool sweetheart to tell your kids.
Luz descends the staircase, her footsteps instinctively quickening and keeping her balanced as she needed. She looks up as she reaches the first floor, looking past the excited students and silently following them.
Five minutes.
As she steps outside, gasps erupt through the lot and her eyes quickly find a familiar girl with brown and green hair towards the other side of the road, leaned up against a maroon and black motorcycle.
Luz's heart skips a beat, noticing the new, red leather jacket Amity is wearing; she looks closer and recognizes the lesbian flag colors stretching down the sleeves in a meteor-like pattern. She's wearing a black pair of leggings and her hair is loose, falling beautifully around her shoulders. Her natural brown hair is beginning to fade the green tips, pulling her new look together in a stunning, asymmetric way.
Golden eyes locate her and the girl flashes a small smile, lifting a hand to her lips and blowing her a kiss before turning to another student approaching her, greeting the girl with a chipper 'hello'.
"Who was that for?" Luz hears someone ask.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Amity responds with a giggle.
Luz seats herself outside of the doors, out of the way of the students clambering through the halls to greet the internet celebrity. Word must've spread quickly. She can hear bits and pieces of rumors steadily being spread through campus.
Four minutes.
People gather around Amity like a flock of birds hunting for bread crumbs, some taking group pictures with her while others ask for a solo. Autographs are signed and questions go unanswered.
Not everybody approaches her, though. From where she's sitting, Luz can perfectly hear a few people from a grade below her talking bad about the pale girl, but she tunes them out and focuses on the crowd a few feet away from her.
Three minutes.
Suddenly, the crowd breaks apart.
Luz glances up to see Amity approaching her with a subtle sway of her hips, her hands clasped together behind her back; there's a playful, flirtatious glint in her eyes that prompts Luz's heartbeat to pick up.
The chatter decreases to intrigued whispers, all eyes watching them.
Her voice is high-pitched and flirty, almost musical. "Why hello, beautiful." Amity greets confidently when she stops in front of Luz, standing over her and leaning down; she's sporting a charming grin and making direct eye contact with her. One brow lifts in amusement when Luz doesn't respond, the tanned girl is waiting for her to make the first move.
"You're kind of cute, do you have a name?" That nearly silences their audience.
Two minutes.
Luz knows exactly how to answer that question. "Careful there, Blight." She replied with one hand curled beneath her chin, her elbow resting on her knee. "How do you know I like girls?"
"The bi flag on your shoulder," comes her playful response, Amity moves delicately behind her and Luz's eyes follow her as the pale girl circles her. She makes her movement slow, making sure to brush her fingers across her chin to her cheek, the pads of her fingertips are soft against her mocha-colored skin.
Butterflies explode through her heart at the gentle touch and she leans into it, relishing in the single moment that Amity allows to linger.
Luz giggles, giving the girl a wink when she stops in front of her again. Amity just giggles. "Touche."
Amity kneels down to her level, their audience long forgotten. She hadn't taken her for one to enjoy PDA. "Are you ready?"
Hesitation rises up again and she swallows hard, anxiety spreading through her being and causing a numbing feeling to overtake her.
Thirty seconds.
She shouldn't have agreed to this. The whole school will turn against her in jealousy.
Her knee begins bouncing and she averts her gaze, Amity rests her hand on the tanned girl's knee and soothes the fear pounding through Luz's veins. "Luz," her voice pulls her from her muddled thoughts, she looks at her again, "it's too late to turn back now. But, I'm here… Everything's alright."
She's right. Amity is right here for her. It doesn't matter what the others think. It's none of their business. Luz releases a shaky breath and relaxes her jittery nerves. "I'm ready." She murmurs after a long moment.
They hear notification tones going off around them and Luz impulsively glances at her own phone, opening the notification and glaring up at Amity when she hears her laugh at her.
The picture displayed on everyone's screens causes a chatter to grow amongst the students.
"Luz Noceda." She says loud and confidently, for sure knowing she has everyone's attention now. Amity smiles at her, affection dancing in her eyes. She starts leaning in, Luz doesn't move, allowing her to take the lead.
Luz's heartbeat picks up again, roaring in her chest and thundering in her ears.
"I love you."
Fireworks erupt through the girl and she abruptly reaches up, acting on instinct and pulling Amity down and closer to her by the collar of her red jacket; Amity's grasp on her knee becomes more firm, balancing herself above her. Their eyes meet and Luz chuckles, seeing the momentary confusion in her girlfriend's eyes.
She doesn't care about the others watching them in either wonder or complete, utter shock. The only thing she sees is Amity . Amity is the only person around her who matters .
Amity loves her. All she needs to do… is say it back.
"I love you, too."
One more chapter, and it will not be Luz/Amity focused.