Chapter Text
For a rare instance, Amity found herself alone in the house, left doing dishes. She didn’t mind, in fact, she berated herself for the fact that this was the first time she actually did the dishes herself. Feeling stuck as a burden on Camila’s shoulders for the longest time made her eager to help in any way she can. So, if she should do everyone’s dishes while they go out to the farmer’s market or to mess around in the garden, she would.
After a month or so living in the Noceda household, she had familiarized herself with the living space. She recalled Vee and Camila telling her where each piece of silverware goes and put them away accordingly: forks, butter knives, and small spoons go in the far left drawer. Big spoons go on the right. Plates and cups go in the cabinet above. Bowls go in the cabinet underneath. Hours of building memorization and testing skills in school would not fail her now. Nevertheless, while drying and putting away a tupperware, her workflow was interrupted by the hiss of school bus brakes outside.
Amity dropped what she was doing, bringing her attention now to the door. Sure enough, Luz’s lethargic figure stood dreary-eyed and mousy in the same place it always stood at 3 pm every weekday.
Routinely, she stepped inside, slipping off her shoes, shooting a “Hey,” to the girl from across the living room. Amity returned her greeting, watching her as she came over to the kitchen sink. She was pleasantly surprised when Luz leaned in to plant a small kiss on her cheek.
She giggled. “Ooh, that was nice!”
“Yeah, still a little scary though.” The human girl smiled sheepishly, but genuinely.
A nice moment short-lived, she went back to staring at the ground. Amity, still in her vicinity, set the towel down to free her hand, bringing it to take Luz’s beanie off her head and run her fingers through her outgrown curls.
“We just had lunch. Your mom left with Vee to go get more groceries. Hunter, Willow, and Gus are outside in the backyard.” she informed her. Her voice took on a softer tone. “Do you want me to make you something?”
“That’s alright, I ate at school.” Luz replied dismissively. It was also a lie.
The witch still watched her with tender eyes as she moved about, placing her bag at the kitchen table, taking out her lunchbox and laptop, picking up her shoes to line up with the array of sneakers and sandals by the front door.
Amity probed on. “Are you sure you don’t want anything? I don’t mind making you something to eat.”
Amidst her movements, Luz just shook her head.
“You look tired,” was then said sympathetically, plainly.
Luz faltered. She looked back at Amity, whose face was careworn.
“Maybe I am a little tired,” she agreed quietly.
A wordless moment passes between them. Amity came over to Luz this time, pulling her into a hug. Luz let her, still looking past her as the witch wrung her arms around her neck. Two small hands stroked her back, and a thumb with chipped black nail polish caressed the nape of her neck. Luz closed her eyes to her girlfriend’s gentle touch.
The real subject was left hanging in the back of both of their minds. Ever since their unplanned visit to the human realm, which has extended to Titan knows how long, the two girls had become increasingly comfortable with each other, as everybody living in the same house as them have. It wasn’t an uneasy, awkward thing, as if they were reluctant to be so close with other people. It was just a byproduct of sharing the same space for a long time. Hunter and Gus have been found huddled together on the small couch of the basement surrounded by Cosmic Frontier books. Willow and Amity have shared the bathroom sometimes when the other one is occupied. Vee often takes naps coiled up on Luz’s belly while Luz is doing homework in bed.
And once or twice, Amity has woken up in the middle of the night to find Luz upright in bed, or vice versa. They’ve developed an unspoken pact; a unanimous agreement that those sleepless nights shouldn’t be suffered through alone. It’s become common for them to end up together, staring at the top of Luz’s bunk together, or curled underneath the blankets of Amity’s bed together, barely whispering, seeking the company of each other in the dark.
Amity realized that on those nights where she’s able to get close and hold Luz, the restless, grief-stricken girl ends up falling asleep faster.
Back in the present, she drew back from Luz, laying her hands to rest atop her shoulders.
“Do you maybe wanna take a nap with me..?” she said tentatively, wondering if it was too early to ask directly.
But Luz found life, raising her eyes. She seemed to think hard. Amity caught a glimpse of her familiar silly demeanor in her concentrated face, and breathed a laugh, amused.
“Hmm… actually, that does sound good..!”
The two smiled warmly at each other before Luz took Amity’s hands, bringing them to her sides.
“Just lemme go shower first. I’m stinky.”
“Hehe, alright.”
Luz disappeared into the hallway as Amity finished in the kitchen. She then went to fix up Luz’s room. The human had left her bag on her bed and dropped her clothes onto the floor in an attempt to throw them into the hamper. Amity picked up Luz’s shirt, which was left hanging off of her chair, and led it to its intended destination.
Once she checked again to make sure the blinds were drawn and the door was closed, she pulled off the clothes she wore during the day and rummaged in the closet for the sweater that she thrifted. She also pulled out one of Luz’s shorts that she was lent her first night here, figuring her girlfriend wouldn’t mind if she used them again, and opened the blinds, if not only just a little. Then, she grabbed the one of three outfits that she bought for herself in the human realm and threw it in the hamper.
She shuffled about, putting stray clothes away in the closet, fixing up the comforters on Luz’s mattress, before eventually settling down into bed herself, changed and ready to lie down. Now, the only thing that was missing was Luz.
Amity sat upright for a while, listening closely to the water running through the pipes that reached some other corner of the house. It was shocking to her just how close in proximity everything was in Luz’s house. She had spent such a long time in a huge mansion with her distant family, she forgot what it felt like to share a home with other living, breathing people. 6 other people, to be exact. By now, the sounds that they all made had blended into the background of their daily ambiance, and Amity had become accustomed to hearing footsteps down the hall, or clattering in the kitchen, or voices in the living room. She laid down, pulling the covers up to her shoulders, breathing in her human’s scent from the bedsheets, being lulled to sleep with the trickling sounds of the plumbing.
Luz was met with cold air as she stepped out of the bathroom. She shivered, pulling down her pant sleeves that stuck to her skin, rubbing her arms to warm herself up. She figured Amity must’ve fidgeted with the thermostat while she was in the shower.
She unraveled the towel from her head and used it to shake her hair off, trying to dry it as much as she could as she went over to her bedroom. The door was left open just a sliver, and because her hands were occupied, she stuck out a foot to open it further. She slipped into her room, expecting to find commotion as Amity preoccupied herself with chores as she typically did when she was bored, but surprisingly, it was quiet. Luz looked around curiously, pushing her damp hair from her eyes, before she realized that something had settled itself into the blankets of her bottom bunk.
Luz raised her eyebrows. Laying her towel over her chair, she tip-toed silently over to the bed, and lavender locs that splayed over her pillow came into view. The human looked on in surprise, then smiled softly at the dozing witch. She bent down to Amity’s level and leaned over her, her elbows sinking in with her girlfriend’s sleeping form on the comforter. Sticking out ever so slightly from the covers, facing the wall, Amity’s face was barely visible, both her hands cupped at her cheek, her nose pressed into the pillow, her bangs casted over her eyes, closed and restful in slumber. Her breathing deepened and the tips of her pointy ears twitched as Luz came close.
The human debated on whether she should climb in or not interrupt Amity and let her sleep by herself, but she was so dreadfully tired, and Amity looked so invitingly comfortable, and she had even made space beside her and placed a second pillow just for Luz, and oh well, Amity was the one to suggest them both nap together anyway.
Luz reached out and swept away strands of her girlfriend’s hair from her face. Amity’s eyelids fluttered as she took in a deep, rousing breath. She raised her face from its concealment, cheeks swollen, brows furrowed, eyes half-lidded. Once she saw it was not some random nuisance shaking her awake, but instead her human smiling sweetly above her, she sighed contentedly and closed her eyes again.
Moving slowly, Amity pulled back the covers and flipped around to face Luz. A long, grumbling hum slipped from her lips as she stretched, scooting over towards the wall to make room, small hands with dainty fingers reaching out towards the human at her bedside. Luz couldn’t help grinning wider, swooning at how adorable the witch was when she was sleepy.
She got up on her hands and knees and crawled beside Amity, who welcomed her with open arms, nestling underneath the covers with her, entering the bed of blankets that had been warmed up with their bodies. She shimmied herself closer to her girlfriend, seeking intimacy, and Amity delivered, gathering her in an embrace, wrapping her arms and legs tightly around Luz. Once they had gotten comfortable, they pulled the covers back up to their chins and buried their faces in whatever cozy crevices they could find.
Amity went right back to showering the girl in her arms with affection. Her hands drifted up and found themselves in Luz’s hair, fingers running through her dark curls, scratching at her scalp. The human hummed softly, happily closing her eyes, before she realized that the hair she pet was still very much damp.
“Crap,” she murmured. “I probably shouldn’t sleep with my hair wet.”
“Hm? Mmwhynot?” Amity’s voice was just as quiet as hers.
“I… I dunno, actually. My mom says I’ll get sick if I do. ” Luz thought for a moment, then shrugged it off. “Whatever, it’ll probably be fine.”
Amity made a small, indifferent sound in response, never opening her eyes, never taking her hands away from Luz. As she ran her fingers through her hair, the human girl groaned in restrained half-delight.
“I might get your clothes a bit wet though,” she crowed guiltily.
“It’s okay. I don’t mind,” Amity whispered back to her, pulling her closer.
Luz was unconvinced, worried about inconveniencing Amity even just the slightest bit. But the thought left her quickly the longer that Amity held her close. With every passing second in her arms, the clutter of her thoughts began to disappear, each one by one, leaving nothing but the warm feeling of serenity that had become so rare for her as of late.
Right now it was just them. Right now was their time. Their time to breathe, to lay, to retire, to rest. And rest calls for peace of mind.
Luz drew in a breath, feeling her lungs expand and contract. Amity’s breathing followed, and Luz could feel her animated body against hers, could feel its every movement, every function, every shift in focus. She listened closely, and her heartbeat entered the picture, strong and resounding. The human never thought too hard before of the differences in their anatomy, but she realized now, while listening closely, just how unique Amity’s heartbeat was, two thumps followed closely by a quieter, aboriginal rumble.
Luz’s attention went from the sounds of the witch’s heart to the sounds made by the hands that stroked her hair, loud in proximity to her ears, yet still enchantingly soothing. Paired with the light and lovely sensations of Amity’s nails brushing against her skin, she fell quickly into a state of bliss. Luz let out a deep yawn, slowly blinking her eyes closed, starting to feel the weight of sleep coming to take her.
As her body went limp, Amity nuzzled herself further against the girl, starting to plant small kisses onto whatever surface of her skin her lips would reach — on her scarred eyebrow, her round nose, her temples, her shoulders, her chin, her cheeks. Luz, half-awake, offered no resistance, reaching out to the witch. She smiled through the thick haze of their weariness, tiredly soft, sweet giggles leaving her as Amity kissed her face, and the two held each other, both of them muddled over with sleep, warmed by the proximity of each other, soothed by each other’s touch.
Amity shared her smile, dropping her head back down on the pillow. She looked on at Luz, whose smile slowly loosened as she fell asleep, whose expression previously devoid of joy and filled with trepidation now lay finally at peace. She looked on at her even as she quieted, as her breathing evened, deepened, even as her body became still. She raised her hand to the girl’s face absentmindedly, caressing her cheek with her knuckles. Her gaze dropped to her lips.
The witch felt herself starting to fall deep into fantasy, one so familiar to her at this point. Ever since their reunion at Blight Manor, one which was quickly turned sour by Amity’s parents and the foreboding doom of the Day of Unity lurking above their heads, the fantasy accompanied her often. She had mapped it all out in her head from the start; of the girls’ time to themselves, where they can do properly — without the dread of the ongoing apocalypse and the awkwardness of their first time — what they did that day on her balcony.
But she just seemingly never had the time… or confidence.
Amity brought her hand from Luz’s cheek to her chin, ghosting over the corner of her mouth with a knuckle. With the pad of her thumb, she traced her lip as lightly as she could. Luz remained still.
Her hand stayed there for a long time. Amity’s gaze deepened, her eyes glazing over with trepid thought. She looked longingly at her girlfriend, wondering if she’d ever share another kiss with her again, finding, as she does so often, that she craved it more than anything.
Amity drew her hand back. She sighed, closing her eyes, settling for just planting a kiss against Luz’s forehead for now. She then wrapped her arms back around her, settling back in against her, becoming unmoving herself.
—
Luz woke up to the muffled sounds of chatter downstairs. The house shook slightly and the things on her desk rattled as the front door opened, then closed.
Although awake, she waited to open her eyes. She knew what would come next when she did. Get up and out of bed, get right back to the swing of things again, become alive and animate again. And despite just waking up from sleep, she was still exhausted.
Luz grumbled, stirred, and was surprised when something beside her moved back. Opening an eye, she saw Amity’s sleeping form behind her, the both of them still intertwined. Her mood brightened slightly.
Amity no longer had Luz to her chest, and instead cradled her comfortably from behind. An arm anchored Luz’s waist securely to hers. Another was folded, tucked beneath her pillow. Luz didn’t often wake up with Amity so close, a direct result of the fact that she always had school to attend and would typically get out of bed before her girlfriend, so opening her eyes to find herself as a little spoon made her cheeks darken. She quickly forgot all about why she was so upset in the first place.
Careful not to disturb Amity, she reached a hand slowly above and around her for her phone on her desk. She checked the clock; they had been asleep for an hour. By now, everyone would’ve been back home.
While her eyes were still on the time, Amity stirred. Luz looked down at her, trying her best to keep quiet. She strained to twist her body around and set her phone back down without waking the witch, but as she lowered it back on her nightstand, Amity’s breath hitched with a quiet groan, and she was moving, the covers rustling.
Luz grimaced, briskly retrieving her hand, inwardly apologizing profusely. She waited for Amity to sit up or open her eyes, but she never did. Instead, she just pulled her girlfriend closer to her chest, nuzzling her face into her still-damp hair, taking in a deep, rousing breath, and Luz shivered pleasurably as she felt the warm air of her lungs tickling the back of her neck. Amity’s hand ran in small circles on her side, and Luz gathered it in her own, rubbing her knuckles with a thumb.
At length Amity shook off sleep, peaked over Luz’s shoulder, eyes coming into focus. She opened her hand, and Luz ran her fingertips in, lightly tracing every line on her skin, every divot in her palm. Amity swooned, enamored — Luz touched her so softly.
The human’s fingers interlaced with hers. She closed their hands together, and, after hesitating for a bit, brought it up to her lips. Amity gasped quietly and watched with intrigue from behind as Luz planted a long, gentle kiss on the back of her hand. The human broke into a smile once she could feel the warmth from Amity’s cheeks pressed against her shoulder.
“Awake yet?” she whispered into her hand. Amity murmured in response.
After a bit of silence filled with measly, distant chatter, she whispered back, “Everyone’s downstairs.”
“I know.”
She dropped her hand, and Amity cradled it around her chest.
“I don’t wanna get up,” she admitted wearily.
“Then don’t,” Amity spoke softly. “Stay a little longer.”
She surprised herself with how quickly and earnestly she said it.
Luz didn’t respond, just stretched and stirred. Amity realized she was turning and broke off and made space for her to do so. The human stuffed both hands underneath her pillow and laid facing Amity. They looked at each other for a moment, beaming, unsure of what to do but still wanting to prolong their time together.
Then Luz glanced away, the contemplation returning to dull her features, pull her down to the earth.
“I would stay here forever with you, if I could,” she confessed quietly. If Amity were not so close to her, she might’ve not even heard.
“If I could just lay here and not have to get up. Not have to live.”
Amity, both touched and a bit concerned by the sentiment, sighed. She searched for something to say, reaching out to touch her again, as if to anchor herself to Luz, as if to halve her sorrow through contact. She knew this feeling would be transient; Luz never sulked for too long, and they would both have to get up eventually. It was simply a matter of one of them finally gathering the will to lift themselves, instilling the incentive in the other.
“Don’t worry,” Amity finally whispered back. Her hand moved to caress the face she had cradled to sleep not long before. “I’ll be right behind you. We can just take it easy today.”
And Luz found the energy to smile softly, astonished at how much the witch could empower her with just a few words. Amity always seemed so sure of her. So ready to love and support and advocate for her through anything. In the few times where Luz did not shrink back or feel ashamed to be exalted so much by her loved ones, to be the beholder of so much of their faith, she was instead enlivened. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, pressing her cheek into Amity’s palm.
Together they came again, but just for a short while, Luz thought to herself, since they were still waking. She decided that sooner rather than later, she would make herself get up for her own sake. The day would not be wasted entirely in bed. But for right now, the covers were still so warm, and the room was still so quiet, and Amity’s touch was still so tender, and… maybe she was right. Maybe it would be best to just take it easy today.