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bicsbec · 1 year ago

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The Most Mundane Slice-of-Life Date Ever (ao3 link)

Luz had been planning this for months. Well not this particular date under these particular circumstances, but a date with Amity. Any date with Amity.

Planning was a big word, too. It was more like daydreaming. She had a list she went through in her head of different dates.

Bowling, brunch, a movie, a picnic, the beach, roller skating, going for ice cream or milkshakes like in those old teen romance movies, or going to a bookstore, or—

"Luz? Hey, hello, where are you?" Hunter waved a hand in front of her face. She swatted it away.

"I'm right here."

He raised an eyebrow. "Right. Stop thinking about Blight for two seconds and focus. What can we get Camila?"

Luz scrunched her nose at that. "Just call her Mom already, sounds weird when you use her name."

Hunter blushed at the suggestion. "That's—that'd be disrespectful."

"You calling her Mom would be better than getting her something," Vee said from the cutting board. "Or we could make her dinner, like a nice one."

They were already making dinner, but it was just because it was their turn to cook that week. Gus and Amity had cleaned the common areas and Willow had been hanging up the laundry. Mamá would find the house spotless once she got back from work.

"If that's the case, Hunter should stick to peeling and cutting, and only what we hand you," Luz said, pointing a spoon in his direction. Last time he and Gus had been left in the kitchen alone, they'd created an abomination, the affront to nature kind not the magic kind.

Hunter shrugged. "It wasn't that terrible."

"Glad you could digest it," Luz shot back. "Now, el cumple de Mamá."

"I think it should be a small thing," Vee said, bringing Luz the diced potatoes and pumpkin for the beans. "We're already a handful, don't wanna stress her out more than necessary."

"Right, so dinner, maybe game night? Or a movie. And cake."

"No ghouls?"

"No ghouls, Hunter. She doesn't need one to follow her around the whole day, telling her how many years she's got left."

He raised his hands defensively. "It helps you appreciate your remaining days, that's all I'm saying."

"It is effective," Vee agreed. "But it might give Mom a heart attack, so no."

"Thank you, I like my mothers alive," Luz said playfully. But the phrase only made her think of Eda. Her stomach swooped anxiously, an itching desperation crawling down her nerves. She could only hope that Eda was okay. That King was okay.

She ran a hand down her face, trying to ground herself. It was easy to spiral. Her friends were safe. She was with Mamá. They were doing everything they could to get back. These things were enough.

They're not, but they have to be.

"That smells good," Amity's voice snapped her back. She looked back to see Amity smiling at her from the entrance to the kitchen.

"Thanks," Luz brightened."It still needs like 20 or 30 minutes so las viandas can soften."

"Sounds good, I'll tell the others."

She watched Amity walk away, getting excited all over again. After dinner she was gonna ask her out. Mamá had already okayed an outing as long as Luz kept her up to date on their location. Easy enough.

"Are they becoming less gross to watch or am I getting used to it?" Hunter asked Vee.

"Hey! We have toned it down a lot," Luz said defensively.

"You're getting used to it," Vee told him. "It's the eyes, Luz. It's impressive, really."

"Bah, you two just hate love."

Vee and Hunter shared a look. She flipped them both off. It wasn't as satisfying when they were still learning human gestures, especially learning the difference between the ones that you only use with friends and the ones you definitely shouldn't use outside of those circles.

"This one means 'screw you' and it's a 'between us' one," she explained, mostly to Hunter. Vee had started to get the hang of them faster since she had her summer camp friends. They'd been slowly reconnecting after Vee got her new face.

"Got it," he said dutifully. "Well, screw you, too. We're the ones that have to put up with it."

"How tragic for you, I have a girlfriend and we like each other."

"It gets obnoxious. You're flaunting."

"Cry me a river. Just tell Willow already."

Hunter's eyes widened. "Lower your voice."

"Tell Willow already," she whispered, smug as all hell.

"Tell me what?" Willow entered through the backdoor with a basket full of laundry, setting it on the table.

Hunter's face was red, Luz wasn't sure if he was blushing or angry at her, his posture stiff and awkward.

"That's my bad," Luz covered easily. "The guys wanted to surprise you with a Flyer Derby match. They've been trying to find a good spot where you could play without worrying about being seen."

Willow brightened immediately. "Aw, that's really sweet. I miss playing, just tell me when."

"S-sure thing," Hunter gritted out, only slightly less stiff.

She smiled at him, picking up the basket and heading into the living room to fold.

"I hate you," he turned to Luz.

"You're welcome."

Flapjack chirped from Hunter's pocket, wiggling out and perching on his shoulder.

"But she—Flap! Fine. Thank you, Luz."

"What was that? Did it sound like he meant it to you, Vee?"

"No, not really," Vee said, playing along easily.

He looked between the two of them, murder in his eyes. He took a breath, relaxing. "Thank you for not telling Willow, Luz."

"Nah, don't worry, bro. That's for you to do," she shrugged, ready to stop teasing him. "I, unlike you, am a sucker for romance."

"Yeah, okay," Hunter chuckled.

After dinner had been served and Mamá told them about her day, Vee and Gus headed over to the Swap to play Mariano Go-Kart as Hunter and Willow watched, transfixed by the tiny people in their little cars. They all sucked terribly at the game, always looking at the wrong split screen when playing. At least they always had a good laugh about it.

Luz thought about buying more controllers so they could all play instead of taking turns. She'd never needed more than two before.

She leaned behind the couch, next to Amity, watching as Vee fell off the map, pulled up by a turtle in a cloud.

"Oh, I thought that was me! Ha!" Gus laughed, even though he was in 10th place.

"This game is weird," Amity commented. "Where does the Snaggleback get that long hook?"

"I…actually don't know, it's probably something crazy, though," Luz said. The Mariano Siblings lore always was a little unhinged. "Hey, can I steal you away for a bit?"

"Uh, sure," Amity smiled. "Where are we going?"

"Just out front. It's a little more quiet," Luz said, taking her hand.

"Okay."

They sat down on the front steps of the house, lit mostly by the lamp above the entrance and the streetlights. The night was cool, the first wisps of autumn chilling the air. Amity sat close to Luz looking for warmth as her hands were enveloped in her abomination mittens, but they weren't quite right. The color had begun to change the more time they spent in the Human Realm. It wasn't less magical, Vee could assure them of that, but it was less of their world, more of this one. That by itself made Amity and Willow especially more homesick.

Luz took her hand, slime mitten and all. This was exactly why she wanted to take Amity out on a date. Something totally normal to balance out the insane.

"I've been thinking a lot lately," Luz started.

"You always are," Amity pointed out good-naturedly.

"Right," Luz smiled. "But I was thinking more about us. I had promised you a date when all of this was over and, if I recall correctly, you seemed eager for a tour of the Human Realm when we were looking for, y'know, uh, Philip's diary, so, uh…"

"Yeah?" Amity was smiling, encouraging Luz with her little speech.

"I know that things are still crazy, even though it doesn't feel that way. I mean, you're stuck here and I'll do everything I can to get you guys back, but we don't know how long that'll take and what I'm trying to say is: this is the new normal, for the foreseeable future at least."

"Uh-huh."

"You can totally say no if it's too weird or too soon or you're not in the right headspace for it, but would you wanna go on that date?"

Amity kissed her cheek. "You're so silly. Of course I would."

"Oh, okay," Luz relaxed, she hadn't realized how tense she was. This was Amity after all, she didn't need to be so nervous. "When?"

"You're the one asking, you should know," Amity said with a playful smirk. "I don't have school or extracurriculars or anything. I'm free whenever."

"Right, right." As it turned out, enrolling kids without birth certificates or any kind of documentation into a human school was insanely difficult. Especially if they had pointy ears and didn't grasp human social cues.

"We could go this weekend or tomorrow after I get back from school," Luz suggested.

"Sure," Amity leaned into her, hugging her arm. "Anything in mind?"

"Uh, y'know, just the most mundane slice-of-life date ever."

"Right," Amity giggled, dispelling her mittens and lacing her fingers with Luz's. "I can't wait."

Luz blushed, really wanting to kiss Amity. Properly kiss her. She'd been trying to work up the courage ever since the Day of Unity, but she always chickened out. The crowded house and her mother hovering in the background didn't help either.

But she could try right then, ask Amity or lean in or—

The door slammed open.

"Luz. Luz! I beat your high score!" Gus announced excitedly, ramming a steel bar down Luz's spine.

So, this is how Hunter must've felt.

"Ooh, am I interrupting something?"

"Nope!" Luz stood quickly, almost dragging Amity with her. "We were just heading inside. Wait—" Gus' words registered. "How did you beat my high score?"

He hadn't. He was reading the scale backwards; it was the lowest score. Luz didn't have the heart to tell him.

It was always hard to concentrate at school. Before the Demon Realm, her mind wandered during class, spacing out and daydreaming about fictional worlds. She had tried to pay attention but it never stuck. Only two subjects were interesting enough, English and biology; one for the stories and one for her taxidermy projects.

After the Demon Realm? Her attention had never been more all over the place. How could she go to school when King was in the hands of a terrifying little god and she could only hope Eda was some semblance of alright? How could she go to school when all her fantasies and nightmares were real?

At least today she was distracted for a different reason.

She couldn't wait to go home and get ready for her date with Amity. She was excited to be able to look forward to something for once. She had stayed up late planning their date, laying out the schedule to make sure they had time for everything.

"For next week, I want you to bring in a paragraph. Work in a prompt that could lead to a grander story. It could even be a single sentence," the teacher was saying as the class came to an end. Luz absently scribbled down the reminder as most of her classmates began to pack their things. "We'll work on story structure next week, so you'll need your paragraph to expand upon. Please don't plagiarize! And do it yourself, don't ask a classmate; it'll be easier if it comes from you."

The school bell rang and half the class was already on their feet and out the door. Luz packed her things, eager to head out.

"Luz, do you have a minute?" her teacher, Ms. M, said as she passed her desk. Luz stopped, unsure if she was in trouble or not. Her teachers barely talked to her if it wasn't to say she was doing poorly in class or needed to apply herself more. "I heard that last semester you were distracted in class, but from what I've seen this semester, you've been…well, depressed, frankly. Has everything been okay at home?"

"Yeah, everything's fine, Ms. M," Luz said, confused but trying to be reassuring. Her teachers had never expressed concern for her specifically, just concern for her grades.

"Okay, that's good to hear. You have seemed a little brighter these last few days, still distracted, though," she smiled like she was in on a joke with Luz. Luz was waiting for the Your grades have been slipping or aren't looking so good. "That was all, just worried. Just know that you can come to me if something isn't okay at home. I don't want to keep you, you can head on out. You seemed excited." Weird. She was a relatively new teacher, maybe she didn't know Luz's reputation yet.

"Alright, thanks, miss."

Luz thought about the interaction on the bus ride home. It was a little comforting; it was a sign of change, that she'd changed. Nothing much around her had indicated that time had passed, that she'd been in the Demon Realm at all (except for its actual residents currently living in her house). Her teachers resented her past disruptions, her classmates were just that, classmates; even Bosha had held longer conversations with Luz.

It'd usually been the case that she didn't give much weight to what her teachers thought, unless it worried Mamá as well. But Ms. M taking notice felt nice, a recognition she had never craved before. The approval of a teacher.

Eda.

Eda was more than a teacher or mentor or guide to the Demon Realm. But her approval had always felt like earning an A-plus. Her first banned poster, her first wild glyph, her first heist; Eda’s eyes shone with pride after each one. Eda loved teaching her and caring after her, and Luz loved being under Eda’s wing. She missed her.

She was at her stop.

"Hey, what's that look? Everything okay?" Willow asked as she came into the house. Gus' air mattress was still out, Willow and him huddled in the blankets. Hunter still had his nest of pillows and comforters on the couch. The explosions from the TV paused, what sounded like a Flare Strikes movie binge. They must've had a very late morning. The scene alone was enough to brighten up Luz a little.

"Just, uh, missing Eda," she sighed, dropping her bag against the mattress and slumping across Willow's lap. Willow was always a calming presence, being able to soothe her frayed nerves with a giggle and an encouraging pat.

"Aw, I'm sure she misses you, too," Willow said with a reassuring squeeze. "We're all missing family, but we're not alone at least. And your mom is awesome."

"Yeah," Gus said with a half smile. "We're gonna see them again, one way or another. It's unlike us to just quit."

They looked up at Hunter, waiting for him to say something.

"What? I'm starting to like it here, I'm not exactly eager to—"

Gus and Willow smacked at his feet.

"I mean, of course we're gonna get home," he said like it was obvious. "We're getting you guys back to your families, yes, obviously. Just sayin' it's not a crime to like it here. After all, Luz liked the Demon Realm."

"Yeah, that's fair," Luz sighed. "Just wish we'd have a big break or something, or just got lucky for once."

"It'll be fine," Willow patted her head. "Hey, isn't today your big date with Amity?"

Willow was an awesome friend, always knowing exactly what to say to course correct Luz's spiral.

She immediately perked up. "Yes, it is. I have to go get ready," Luz said, crawling out of the air mattress.

She found the door to her room (or their room, given that it was being shared with Vee, Willow, and Amity) closed. Luz knocked, lesson learned a few weeks ago.

"Come in."

She opened the door and was yanked in by the arm. There were two Amitys in the room, the one clinging to her arm in her pajamas, looking a little disheveled and anxious, and the other with her arms out in a very cute yellow day dress.

"Willow, I need your opinion before Luz gets home. Do you thin—" the anxious Amity finally looked over at Luz. This was her sweet potato.

Vee shifted back with a smirk.

"Luz!"

"You are so friggin' cute!" Luz pulled her into a hug, making her giggle.

"I'm still in here!" Vee said, fake grossed out, walking towards the door. "Wear the dress, Amity. Luz's eyes sparkled when she saw it, okay? Sparkled."

Luz felt her face heat up.

"It was very pretty!" Luz said defensively.

Amity was blushing.

"Okay, I'm out. Have fun on the date," Vee said, closing the door behind her.

"I'm guessing you need the room," Amity said, moving to pull out her box of clothes from under the bed. Storage was becoming an increasing nightmare; when at home, they usually just wore whatever fit, but Willow and Amity had separate boxes for going-out clothes and underwear.

"Yeah, I'll just change real quick."

Amity pulled out the dress she'd been looking for. "Okay, I'll be downstairs."

She kissed Luz's cheek on her way out, her lips like a spark that left a soft, wild thrumming under Luz's skin and stomach warm.

Luz got ready in a flash, grabbing her phone, the tote she'd prepared the night before, and her spare keys, all while smiling. She couldn't really stop. She rushed downstairs to find Willow spinning a laughing Amity as Vee and the boys voiced their approval of her outfit.

"Es que mira, they're a matching set," Vee said when she saw Luz by the stairs. Luz had picked out her nicest graphic tee layered with a violet flannel and denim straight pants; the colors, she now realized, went nicely with Amity's dress and hair.

"Give us a twirl!" Gus bounced from his slightly deflated mattress and conjured an Illusion Gus next to Luz, taking her hand and spinning her, too. Luz felt her smile grow to the point it was a little painful. She hadn't really smiled in a long time.

As Gus' illusion dispelled, Luz felt something melt away from her chest. Like a weight that had been dragging her heart through rocks. She felt lighter, the laughter and voices of her friends dusting her off and chipping away at the debris.

They were doing everything they could, not just to get back, but to be normal kids. And for once, it felt like enough.

"Bueno, hermosa, we should get going," Luz said, extending her hand out to Amity. She was already blushing, linking her arm with Luz's.

"Have fun on your date," Willow called.

"Bring her back by ten," Gus said in a silly voice, like a dad in a movie.

"Of course, sir," Amity played along, hand to her chest in sincerity.

"Remember what Mom said," Hunter's voice followed them to the door. "Location on!"

"Chill out! I'm on it," Luz called back, pulling out her phone. She first texted Mamá, letting her know they'd gone out and sent her a live pin that would last a couple of hours.

"Okay, ready?" She asked putting away her phone as Amity closed the door behind them. Luz heard a small sniffle and stopped cold. "Amity?"

"Yeah, sorry," she looked up, her nose red and eyes a little watery. "It's just—" She took a steading breath.

"What's wrong?" Luz brought a hand to her cheek, wiping away a stray tear.

"It's just nice, y'know? For a second there it felt like being back home. Ed and Em were—are a lot like that. Whenever one of them went on a date it was always a big fuss. The teasing and hyping up and all that…I always thought they'd do the same with me."

"Oh," Luz smiled, easily imagining Ed and Em's banter and cooing over their little sister. "I'm sure they still will, when you tell them all about your date with your awesome girlfriend." Luz nudged her playfully with her elbow, getting a smile from Amity.

"Yeah," she agreed, linking their arms again and starting down the sidewalk. "I'm sure they will. By the way, did I hear that right? Did Hunter call Camila 'Mom'?"

"He did, didn't he? She's gonna be so excited."

"Think she hasn't heard him?"

"I think he's practicing."

"Cute," Amity said and immediately scrunched up her nose. "Never thought I'd say that about the Golden Guard."

Luz laughed. "Well, I think it's safe to say that he's hardly the Golden Guard anymore. He's more like a—"

"Dorky older brother?"

Luz tapped her nose. "That's what it is."

"I already have one of those, you can keep this one," Amity joked; Luz giggled.

"Yeah, okay. I think Mom likes him anyway. It works out."

"So, what are we doing? For the date, I mean."

"I would say it's a surprise, but I really wanna tell you," Luz said brightly. She could tell her face was gonna hurt after today. "Okay, so, first I thought about doing like a thousand things, but I realized we only had an afternoon and I really wanted it to be perfect. I promised no monsters and no duels so the movie theater was out, they only show scary stuff in the fall. Next I thought—"

"Luz," Amity shook her arm impatiently, amused by her girlfriend's rambling.

"Okay, okay. Big clichés, so first we're going for milkshakes."

"Like smilksnakes?"

"But without snake straws."

Amity nodded, maybe a little disappointed. Luz knew how it felt to have something so familiar become incredibly foreign because of a few letters. She remembered how Amity lit up at the mention of rugby, but increasingly lost her enthusiasm as she saw a match progress.

"Where's the scarab? Where's the peril?" Amity had asked. Luz didn't want to imagine the severity of her disappointment if Amity had actively liked grudgby.

But Amity remained excited. "And then?"

"Up to you. We could go to the bookstore or—"

"Bookstore."

Luz chuckled. "Okay, bookstore. And last, Gravesfield Park. How's that sound?"

"Perfect," Amity sighed, leaning on Luz's shoulder.

"Perfect," Luz smiled, kissing the top of her head.

Luz had stumbled her way through the Demon Realm, making mistakes and offenses she had no idea about, with no one that could stop her overexcitement in time. She was glad she could be there for her friends as they navigated through the Human Realm. An odd fumble in the Demon Realm just meant someone that was slightly weirder than the rest, nothing too out of the ordinary. In the Human Realm, they would stick out like a sore thumb, like Eda had, calling a lot of attention to themselves.

"Just follow my lead," Luz said reassuringly as they sat down in a window booth. She scanned the QR code on the table with her phone. "Here, this is the menu. If you have any questions, let me know."

Amity had a lot of questions. It was a fun challenge trying to help Amity figure out the flavors.

"Milk chocolate is the same as chocosmilk, only a little sweeter."

"Ooh, how about a banana split?"

"It's very much not a public dismemberment of a banana."

Amity sat back defeated. "The Human Realm is so mild."

"Yes, it is." Thankfully.

A waitress approached them. "You girls ready to order or do you need more time?"

Luz looked over to Amity, who seemed uncertain. "A little more time, please."

"Sure." The waitress moved over to another booth, unfazed.

"Look, this one's kinda like Ghoul Aid, but a little less awful. And boba is like boiled firebee eggs."

"Got it. I think we can order now," Amity said, handing Luz her phone back. "Do you know what you're getting?"

"Yeah, Papi took me here once, the day after we finished moving. He'd ordered pistachio and I ordered mint," Luz smiled at the memory. "I took a sip from his drink by accident and made a face, he couldn't stop laughing. So I always kinda get pistachio now."

Amity took her hand, interlacing their fingers. "That's really cute."

The waitress came around eventually, happy to interrupt their conversation.

"Ready to order, girls?"

"Yes, I'll have a pistachio milkshake, please."

"And you?"

"Um, a mint milkshake."

"Mint. Okay, anything else?"

"No, that's all, I think," Luz smiled pleasantly. "Thanks."

"Yep." The waitress walked away unceremoniously.

"Is it me, or is she rude?" Amity asked in a hushed voice.

"Nah, she just has to deal with people all day. We're tipping big before we leave. It's rude otherwise."

"Is that human etiquette?"

"I guess so."

"What else is considered polite?"

"Oh, that all depends on context and even then, it's easier to point out what's rude."

Amity listened with rapt attention as Luz began to list things she knew to be rude and different quirks in human etiquette. Luz thought that perhaps Amity didn't like the Human Realm like she liked the Demon Realm, but she seemed to like learning about it. Or maybe hear Luz talk about it.

They'd somehow ended up talking about the spork as the superior utensil, when the waitress brought up their order.

Luz thanked her and slid Amity her milkshake.

"Oh, I see," Amity said, inspecting her glass.

"Hm? Oh, the color, yeah."

"Does it taste much different?"

"Wanna try?" She offered her a straw. Amity took a sniff of her own drink and tried it. Her face revealed nothing. She waited for the taste to wash out and leaned over to try Luz's.

"Oh, these are both something," Amity said nodding, clearly fighting to keep her face pleasant and making Luz burst out laughing. "Yeah, I don't know how you drink that. I'll stick with the mint."

Amity chuckled at Luz's laugh, then let out a cute little snort and started laughing in earnest, Luz's laugh too contagious.

"Ay, batata," Luz managed after calming down. "So, are they much different?"

Amity stuck her tongue out at her playfully, sending them into another fit of giggles. Luz could've kissed her there, her cheeks pink from laughing, golden eyes bright as she looked at her. But she didn't, it had to be perfect. She had a plan. And they were having fun, conversation was easy, laughter bubbling at the surface.

They finished their drinks with jokes and silly antics in-between, like showing Amity "human magic."

"Check it out," Luz said, holding her straw over the crinkled paper straw wrap she'd carefully extracted. Amity's gaze was focused, her curiosity getting the better of her skepticism. Luz dripped over a couple of melted milkshake drops onto the paper, making it expand rapidly; she'd always loved that trick when she was a kid. Amity's eyes widened as the paper worm slowly halted its stretch.

"Is it alive?"

"Nah, it's just magic," Luz wiggled her fingers for emphasis. "Paper absorbs water, so it expands when it's all squished together like that."

"That's hardly magic," Amity said with a raised eyebrow.

"But you were amazed, weren’t you?" Luz said, wiping the table and tucking the tip under the napkin holder. She held out her hand for Amity. "Come on, we got places to be."

Old Gravesfield was still a walkable town square, with old family shops and newer establishments lining the sidewalks. The roads were narrow, originally built for carriages instead of modern cars, and the pavement was an old mix of its original cobblestone and repaired patches of cement with imprinted brickwork. Luz had never really appreciated the curiosities that Old Gravesfield had offered her, but now she saw the town with new eyes, and saw its potential for answers on a way back to the Demon Realm, Hunter's Golden Guard sigil being the most taunting and infuriating.

But this time she was walking down the sidewalk with her girlfriend, on their way to the quaint bookshop in the town square. No monsters, no mysteries, no deadly duels, no questing for answers. Only showing her girlfriend around the town she'd partially grown up in.

"Where is it that Mrs. Noceda works?" Amity asked as she looked around the shops, occasionally nudging Luz when they passed a place where Eda was banned.

"In the new part of town, it's less cramped over there, but there's more car traffic," Luz said, stopping at the entrance of the bookshop. "Here we are."

"Surprised Eda isn't banned from here, too," Amity said inspecting the sign. It read Hoot's Books, a little owl with glasses as its mascot.

"She'd first have to step inside," Luz said good-humoredly, opening the door for Amity.

The shop smelled old, like the smell came from the building itself having existed a long time, a little dull, a little humid, all shrouded in an unshakable layer of dust.

Amity started pulling on Luz's arm urgently. "Oh, it smells like, it smells like—"

"The Forbidden Stacks."

"—the Forbidden Stacks."

Amity's eyes were bright, a little part of home in a sea of unknown territory. The bookstore had been the better option.

"Wow, I had a stupid big crush on you back then," Luz said, recalling the day and her stomach-turning nervousness around Amity.

"So did I," Amity said, her cheeks turning red. "I could've phrased it better, about being stupid and all that, but being around you sorta short-circuited my brain."

"Hm, can relate," Luz said playfully, kissing Amity's cheek.

Amity eagerly perused the shelves, dragging Luz along by the hand. There were no titles she could possibly recognize, but she still seemed to be searching for something.

"Do you think they carry the Azura spin offs?"

"Oh, maybe," Luz said with a start, eyes scanning the genre labels. "It could be a special order, too. They're not super popular."

"Why not?"

Luz shrugged. "People don't know how to recognize good literature."

"Someone there?" A voice came from the aisle over. He peeked his head around the side of the shelves. He was surprisingly young, but had a tired look that aged him. "Hello there. Let me know if I can do anything for you or if you have any questions."

"Yes, do you carry the Good Witch Azura's spin off series?" Amity perked up.

The guy wrinkled his nose like he was thinking about it. "Doesn't ring a bell. Let me check the system."

He made his way over to the counter, booting up a computer that had seen better days. Amity looked back at Luz.

"Do I follow him or…?"

"Yeah. If they don't have it, he'll probably ask if you want to place an order," Luz said. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, it's fine. I got this." Amity seemed determined to conquer this aspect of the Human Realm by herself. Books were something she would know, magical or not. Luz smiled as she watched Amity walk up to the counter, her stoic Blight-in-control mask in place.

While Amity waited, Luz went down the aisles, skimming over the title and waiting for something to catch her eye. She'd always been pulled into the fantasy section before, but was now being pulled into the history shelves. Gravesfield near the Deadwardian Era, witch hunts and hunters; she'd gotten so used to research that she naturally gravitated toward anything remotely connected to returning to the Demon Realm. Stories of tricksters and deals gone wrong, crossroads and alluring fiddles. They couldn't afford to pass anything up.

She scanned the shelves, an odd assortment of old books that seemed to have sat there since their first printing and newer books, editions she realized were brand new and the clerk had been shelving, a cart with more copies by Luz's side. She'd already read some of these books from the library, but the titles that caught her eye made their way into her hands. Gravesfield's Witch Hunters,The Witches of Gravesfield: Suspect and Trialed, Witch Hunter General Wittebane: the Legend and Disappearance.

Luz stopped in her tracks. She scanned the back of that one more carefully than the others. Caleb Wittebane, Witch Hunter General, and younger brother Philip… it was Belos. And a brother. Caleb. Belos had called Hunter that name when they were in the Titan's head. They'd lived in Gravesfield. Luz's heart was racing, hope soaring through the roof.

It was a break. Something. It wasn't a way back to the Demon Realm, but it was evidence of…sanity. Philip Wittebane, a guy with a paper trail, an actual person, not a boogeyman or specter haunting the shadows of her nightmares. A guy that vanished in the 1600s. Something tangible.

Amity appeared beside her with a bounce in her step. "Gary said I can pick up the order next week," she announced excitedly. "Next week!"

Luz jumped, startled, but couldn't help but smile. "That sounds great. Can't wait to read something other than old newspapers and fake apothecary manuscripts."

"Find anything interesting?"

"Not terribly," she handed over her small pile, still searching the shelves.

"Wittebane?" Amity murmured, flipping opened the book for its summary. A shock of cold dread ran through Luz. She'd been distracted, she hadn't realized what she'd handed over.

Luz felt frozen to the ground, waiting for Amity's judgment to come.

"Philip was a witch hunter? Look, he had an older brother too. Was he trying to get back to him with the portal door?" She seemed to be musing to herself. "Or maybe they got lost together. But his journal never mentions his brother. Huh."

She looked but from the book to find Luz petrified and looking guilty of something.

"What's wrong?"

"N–nothing, I just, um—" But there was nothing to give her away. The book wouldn't say that Philip was Emperor Belos, it wouldn't say that Luz had taught Philip the light glyph, it wouldn't say her friends had been living with the monster that had enthusiastically aided Belos in meeting the current reigning terror of the Boiling Isles, it would say nothing beyond the story of the brothers Wittebane and their sudden disappearance. Anything else was trapped in Luz's conscience, edging to get out and confess, but finding every excuse not to.

Not the first week, they were all terrified; not the second week, they were buried in research, not this week, it had been good and Luz had never heard Hunter laugh that hard before; not that week, Gus had a bout of homesickness; not this week, they'd been plagued with nightmares. Next week, next week, next week…

"Did you know?" There was no accusation in her voice, but Luz flinched anyway. "Did the Echo Mouse show you a page or…?"

"Um…okay," she took a calming breath, the guilt that had been coiling in her chest released. She was not about to lie. "Okay, okay. I did know, but it's a little more complicated than that."

"Okay," Amity said easily. She really had no idea how terribly it'd been weighing on Luz. And that was the point, Luz's best kept secret. Her self-loathing and guilt.

"I can explain it better once we get back and I'll explain everything, too. I just—I want us to enjoy this date."

"Hey, yeah," Amity ran a soothing hand across her shoulders. "Of course, don't worry about it." She kissed her cheek. "Unless there's reason to be worried." The words tilted into a question, verification of Luz's well-being.

"No, no," Luz said, a little tired, a little relieved. "Or at least, I don't think so."

I certainly hope not.

"So," Amity nudged her good-naturedly. "How about we pick something more date-like instead of research we're always doing?"

"Yeah, that sounds good," Luz said, trying a smile. "I am going to take these home, though." She pointed to the pile.

"I know," Amity said, not unkindly. "Come on, batata."

No questing for answers.

They continued to browse through the shop, picking up titles and avoiding plots that sounded a tad too familiar. Slice-of-life, mundane, peaceful, boring. Boring would be great right now.

Amity had suggested they pick a book to read together, something new, a clean slate. Luz loved the idea. As anxious as she was to get back to the Demon Realm, having something that was theirs from their time in the Human Realm was charming. Not that it wouldn't be laced with anxiety and the uncertainty of being able to return to the Demon Realm, the beginnings of their relationship was tainted with a similar anxiety. But there was a devastating sense of calm in Gravesfield, they weren't being hunted, they didn't have to dismantle an empire, everything was…quiet. Like still water. Anticipating a disturbance that usually never came.

Luz was happy to give Amity however many moments of reprieve from that anxiety as she could manage, even if it meant shouldering it by herself for a while.

Amity settled on a contemporary YA that had come out a few years ago. Luz had never deigned to pick it because of its lack of fantastical elements, but now it seemed like the most compelling storyline she'd come across. A sweet coming-of-age story, growing pains only experienced through harmless school shenanigans and misunderstandings. Peaceful and boring.

They checked out with their little pile of books and a reminder that they'll receive a phone call when the Azura books arrive. Luz tucked them away in her tote and led the way to Gravesfield Park.

The sun was only beginning to set, but the street lights flickered on, most of them thankfully working. Amity huddled closer as the evening cool settled around them. The walk was placid, everything it needed to be. Peaceful and boring.

Gravesfield Park was tragically close to the Historical Society, something that felt like the closest the universe will ever get to saying, Screw you specifically, Luz Noceda. But Gracefield Park was one of the few decent spots for a date, so it was something she was willing to put up with.

She pulled out a thick blanket from the tote and laid it under the fading shadow of a tree, strategically blocking the old building. She kicked a few leaves off and wiped away the grass blades as best she could, using the weight of the books to pin down one of the corners and sitting adjacent to it. She propped herself against the tree and patted the spot beside her.

Amity sat down, hugging Luz's arm and leaning on her shoulder. "So, is this a picnic?"

"Sure," Luz said with a shrug. "It's whatever you want it to be really. Wouldn't call it a picnic 'cause I didn't bring much food. But it's definitely picnic adjacent. It's…a quiet moment. With the best girlfriend in the world."

Amity kissed her cheek, that soft spark still there. "That's really sweet. I've loved today. It's a nice break from everything."

"Yeah," Luz agreed with a slow nod. The day was bleeding out of her, a soft wave of exhaustion washing over her. The night before planning, school, walking from place to place. It was nice to sit down for a while and just talk. "So, what do you think of the Human Realm?"

"It's just as strange as I thought it would be, a lot less," she paused looking for the word, her hand gesturing almost as if to aid her along, "violent? Dying seems a lot harder to achieve casually."

That made Luz laugh. "I mean, sure. The weather is less likely to pummel you to death, rainbows are a trick of the light, and the bees aren't on fire. Danger in the Human Realm is more intentional, I guess. Depending on where you are."

"It's a change of pace," Amity said.

"Definitely," Luz nodded. "That it definitely is."

"I like how you talk about it. Your home. You do make it seem less strange."

"Only because I know the Demon Realm," Luz smiled softly. "It's made me see home with new eyes. It's fun, finding the right words, the closest possible equivalent to it so my world seems more approachable. I want you guys to have fun when you can. New normal and all that."

"I like this new normal," Amity said with a sigh. "As much as I miss Em and Ed and Dad, I know I'm gonna see them again. That's not even a question. So I try not to feel guilty for liking it here. For enjoying the quiet. And your mom had a point, we should get to be kids. I don't want to feel bad about it."

Luz realized Amity was good at keeping secrets, too. Silent things they didn't share with each other, even though they understood it, felt the same compulsion to keep it to themselves. They all had their burdens and they still struggled to share the load. Selfish and possessive.

But then they had moments like this, where sharing was easier, where they realized the load would be lighter if they shared more often. Fleeting exceptions to their silent rule, but exceptions that were never ignored.

Luz took her hand and brought their interlaced fingers to her lips. "I really, really get that, hermosa." She wished she could do more, never realizing she did enough.

Amity brought her other hand to Luz's cheek, turning her head and leaning her forehead against hers. "I know."

Her thumb was soft against Luz's cheek, a gentle caress that coaxed her forward. Luz couldn't stop the grin that spread on her lips.

"You're so much better at this than I am," she whispered.

That seemed to startle Amity, pulling away a little to look at her. "W-what do you mean?"

"No, no, that was really smooth," she said quickly, blushing, her head finally catching up with what almost happened.

"I mean, it was," Amity was blushing, too. "I'd been trying to kiss you all day."

"Amity," Luz was laughing. "We've got to stop doing this. I've been trying to kiss you since we got here. To the Human Realm, I mean. I had a whole plan and everything and you just stumbled into the perfect moment like it was nothing."

Amity was laughing, too. "Wait, wait, what was the plan?"

"Okay, so, Gravefield Park has these fairy lights that come on an hour after the street lights, so I was waiting for them so I could give this big romantic speech about making the best out of a crummy situation and you making that easier and yada, yada—"

"No, not yada, yada. I wanna hear that speech."

"You'll get it later. Anyway, I was still figuring out how to transition from the speech to the kiss and then you just," Luz gestured uselessly, "you just nail it. No effort."

"Luz, my heart was hammering out of my chest," Amity said gravely. "I would not say, 'no effort.'"

"Okay, okay," Luz said with a shake of her head, steeling her nerves. "Can I kiss you?" She felt her face warm at the question, which felt silly since she was the one asking. And even sillier was that Amity, smooth as she had been, was blushing, too. They both laughed at themselves. Why was this so nerve-racking?

"Yes, oh, my Titan. Yes," Amity said, leaning against her forehead again, her hand returning to her cheek. This time, Luz took the lead, understanding why Amity's heart was hammering out of her chest. It was absurd. "You okay?" Amity whispered.

"Yeah, this is just terrifying," Luz said in a breathless chuckle.

"It's just me," Amity said gently. And she was right. It was just Amity. Her wonderful, patient girlfriend. The girl she laughed with, fought against and alongside, the girl that made butterflies flutter in her stomach and blush like she was sunburned. It was just Amity.

Amity, who gave her courage and support, who drove her forward and made her rest. Amity.

Luz leaned forward gently, her heart pounding in her ears. And just like that she was kissing her again, her stomach fluttering alive. Amity's lips were soft and a little wet, warm and electrifying.

Luz had no idea what to do with her hands this time so she just held on to the hand she was already clasping. She was also running out of breath, so she pulled back softly, breaking the kiss.

"How do people do this for a long time?" She wondered out loud, not really meaning to say it.

Amity giggled. "I think they just breathe on each other."

"Weird. Didn't expect a learning curve, or rather, I thought it would be different."

"It's not bad, though," Amity said with a shrug.

"Yeah, you're right," she said, her face heating up again.

"Luz?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I kiss you?"

"Hm, let me think about it," she said, making Amity laugh before she leaned in again. This time it was a little braver, her lips moving against hers once. Luz tried it, to see how it felt. It was weird but not unpleasant. Like it took a little getting used to. Amity pulled away, leaving Luz a little dizzy. She wasn't sure if it was the not-wanting-to-breathe-on-Amity thing or something else. She just knew they were both red-faced.

Just then, it got brighter above their heads and they looked up to see the fairy lights that were strewn overhead to poles and streetlights.

"Oh," Amity said with a little awe. It was mood lighting. Luz's plan would've been perfect, if she had followed through. But this was also perfect. It was clumsy and awkward and theirs. She wouldn't trade it for the smoothest pickup line or suave move. This was their perfect.

They got home just as the sun had finished setting, the sky an odd blue, the lightest residue of purple and orange scratching the horizon. Vee and Gus could be heard in the dining room, laughing, probably playing Hexes Hold'em by the sound of it. Hunter was passed out on the couch, his feet resting on Mamá's lap as she watched the news; Willow had stopped behind the couch to watch the TV too, her original destination seemingly forgotten.

It was Mamá and Willow who greeted them.

"Hey, how was the date?" Mamá asked casually.

They both turned red, suddenly bashful. One usually got to go home to gush about a date and it's small wonderful moments to one's respective household, but their current arrangement didn't allow that. A small oversight in Luz's planning.

"Oh, well," Luz started flushing more than she thought possible, "I thought it went well." She swung her arms back and forth, trying to release her nervous energy.

Mamá seemed to realize the mistake in her question a little late.

"I thought it was perfect," Amity managed in a casual tone, but her face was pink.

"Oh, that's lovely!" Mamá said, recovering.

There was a beat of silence, and it was the closest thing to actual Human Realm magic. A silent understanding, a still race.

Almost at the same time they blurted out:

"Dibs on Willow!"

"I get Vee!"

They laughed and raced toward their confidants, Amity dragging Willow up the stairs and Luz barging into the dining room, ready to gush about their date, a small semblance of different households for just a moment. A different type of normalcy.

The house felt lighter than it had in weeks, different corners alive with laughter and giggles and uh-huh, then whats. Luz's face did hurt from all the smiling. Then she got to the part in the bookstore and remembered the titles and her promise to explain everything. So she did.

She brought Gus and Vee up to her room and knocked.

Willow opened the door. "Luz, not now. Amity's getting to the good part."

"It'll have to wait," she said, determined to finally get this out. "I have to tell you guys something."

It felt like finally letting go of a long held breath, like releasing a terrible nagging knot in her back. It felt like stepping out from under a ridiculous weight, your feet skimming the surface of the floor.

She told them. About Philip and the glyph and the Emperor's mind and the Collector and how they found that Philip had a brother, a man with the title of Witch Hunter General.

Gus gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"I was wondering when you'd be ready to talk," he said with a sympathetic look. "You and Hunter have been killing yourselves with this, keeping it quiet."

"You knew?"

He shrugged. "I got a good look at that monster's noggin, it was really twisted in there. You know it's not your fault, right?"

"I-I don't," Luz said, defeated. "I don't know that. If I hadn't—"

"He would've found someone else," a voice came from the door. Hunter. "We've talked about this, Luz. You know he would've found someone else to trick. That's just how he was."

Gus nodded. "It's true."

Their words didn't do much to ease Luz's conscience, but it did help to hear that they didn't blame her. She had friends that loved her and trusted her, trust that had been earned through the same kind of kindness that had her tricked. Of course they wouldn't blame her for it.

"We'll always have your back, Luz," Willow said with a confident smile. "Just like you have ours. Now get out." She started pushing them out of the room. "Amity wasn't done."

Amity giggled at that, helping clear out the room.

"Done with what?" Hunter seemed disoriented, like he'd started to wake up just then.

"Ooh, stay. Amity will fill you in on their date," Willow said, pulling his sleeve.

"Nope!" Luz yanked him out of the room. "My brother, I get to tell him!"

"Yes! I'm in the sibling squad!" Gus jumped on Hunter's shoulders.

"Tell me how she tells you later!" Willow called before closing the door.

"Ooh, double agent. You got it, Willow!"

Luz couldn't help laughing, feeling as light as she ever had since returning home. She hadn't realized how she'd underestimated her friends. How unfair she'd been to them.

As they sat down at the table and Gus a Vee filled Hunter in on the details and Luz handed him the books they'd bought, she made a silent promise. One last promise. A promise to never doubt the people in her life, to trust them as they trusted her. To be fair to them.

One last promise.

#lumity #toh fanfic #the owl house #the most mudane slice of life date ever #human realm shenanigans #ao3 fic #8.4k words #complete version #this took me forever on my phone #im still figuring out how to format the rest of them #writing #fanfiction #bicsbec #the noceda house oneshots

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