Archive of Our Own

Luz plopped down on a stool next to the kitchen phone and hummed happily to herself as she started flipping through the phone book. She had finished the ‘A’s yesterday, so she turned to the start of the ‘B’s and hummed, looking at the names. 

Bird, A. 

Luz giggled, shaking her head. “Birds can’t talk!”

She kept moving her finger down the page until a new name appeared and started punching in the numbers. She held the phone up to her ear, kicking her feet back and forth as it rang. Eventually, she heard a click, and a girl’s voice, probably about her age, came through the receiver. 

“You’ve reached Blight Manor.”

“Hi!” Luz practically shouted. “Do you want to talk about the Good Witch Azura with me?!”

There was a pause on the other end for a moment before the girl hummed. “Yeah, okay!”

“Wait, really?!” Luz squealed, almost falling from her stool. “No one has ever said yes before! Don’t you wish you could do magic too?”

The girl giggled. “Yeah, I do!”

Hours went by before Luz’s mom came home and saw her on the phone, listening in to hear her happily chatting with whoever was on the other line. She stepped into the kitchen, watching Luz curiously before the girl noticed her.

“Oh, my mom’s home! I gotta go,” she said, standing up on the stool to hang the phone up. She stumbled slightly, scaring Camila, and held the phone back up to her ear. “Can I call you again tomorrow?”

“Sure!” The voice on the other side replied. 

“Great! Bye!”

Luz hung the phone up before hopping off the stool, wandering to where her crayons were, and bringing them back to the phone book. She started to doodle on the page she was on, and Camila walked over. 

“Who was that, Mija?”

“Oh! They talked about Azura with me!”

Camila rolled her eyes with a smile. This girl. “I meant who were you talking to?”

“Oh, um…” Luz tapped a crayon to her chin thoughtfully before shrugging. “I don’t know their name. I think it was Manor.”

“You need to be careful talking to strangers, mija…” Camila started but Luz just nodded.

“I know, mami! That’s why we only talked about Azura the whole time!”

Camila sighed. “Just remember what I taught you, okay, Mija?”

“Si, mami,” Luz replied as she finished her Azura doodle. It covered the name, but that didn’t really matter. Now she knew which number to call!

—

Every day, for at least two hours, Luz talked to the girl. She didn’t know her name, and never gave hers out (like Mami said), but she was easily the best friend Luz had ever had.

She was also the only friend Luz had ever had, but that wasn’t the point!

Like always, she pushed the stool in the kitchen over to the phone before flipping to the Azura drawing and dialing the number beside it. It rang a few times before Luz heard a click, but the voice that answered wasn’t her friend’s.

“You’ve reached Blight Manor.”

“Oh, um…” She frowned. “I wanted to talk about the Good Witch Azura?”

The voice sighed, leaning back and shouting down the hall. “Mittens! Phone!”

Luz waited for a moment as she heard some shuffling on the other line before hearing the voice she was used to.

“Hi, sorry, that was my brother,” the girl apologized.

“No problem!” Luz smiled, kicking her feet. “So is your name Mittens?”

“Ugh,” the girl sighed, “please don’t call me that.”

“Oh, okay!” Luz shrugged. “So we got to book three yesterday, right?”

“Right!”

Hours passed in a flash, like they always did when Luz was talking to her friend, and eventually she realized how late it was when her mom came home. It always gave her mixed emotions- she loved seeing her mami again but hated having to stop talking to her friend.

“I’m home, my little light!” Camila called into the house as she stepped in.

“Okay, mami!” Luz called back. “I’m on the phone!”

“Little light?” The girl on the other end asked.

“Oh, yeah!” Luz smiled. “That’s what my Mami calls me, and what my Papi did before…” Her smile fell and she stopped kicking her feet. She frowned at the ground before shaking her head and leaning into the phone again. “Anyway, I need to go. Talk to you again tomorrow?”

“Of course!”

Luz hung up the phone with a smile, hopped off the stool, grabbed her Azura and Hecate doll, and started to play out a scenario she had talked about with her friend. Her mom watched with a fond smile. She didn’t have many details about Luz’s ‘friend’, but she seemed to be a girl about her age that liked that fantasy book Manny had given her, and that was enough for now.

—

Luz dragged the stool over to the phone, climbing up like usual and dialing the number for her friend. She kicked her feet a few times as it rang and rang before someone finally answered.

“You’ve reached Blight Manor.”

The voice on the other side sounded much older than her friends, and kinda mean, but Luz didn’t think too much about that.

“Hi, are you Mitten’s mom?”

There was a pause on the other side that Luz assumed meant the woman was getting her friend.

“Who is this?” The woman hissed, making Luz jump. 

“Woah, your S’s sound just like a snake’s!”

“Listen here, you insolent brat,” the woman responded with vitriol in every word. “My daughter has better things to do with her time than wasting it away talking with you. Never call this number again.”

The line hung up and Luz blinked, tears forming in her eyes. There was no way her friend wanted to stop talking to her, right? Her mom was just a big meanie. She started dialing the number again, but when she finished, all she heard was a loud, monotone beeping.

She tried again, to the same result. Later, when Camila came home, she found Luz sitting in the living room alone, obviously upset.

“Mija, is everything okay?”

Luz told her mom everything that happened, and Camila felt rage boiling in her stomach. But that could wait. Luz needed her right now, and that came first.

“Do you know your friend’s name? Maybe she goes to your school?” 

“She doesn’t,” Luz frowned. “No one at school likes Azura.”

Camila frowned. “Well, how about we get some ice cream? Would that cheer you up? Then you can try calling again tomorrow.”

Luz sniffled, wiping her nose as she looked up at her mom. “Can I get sprinkles?”

“Yes, Bebe, you can get sprinkles,” Camila replied with a chuckle, picking Luz up off the ground with a grunt. “You’re getting big, mija.”

“I’m going to grow up to be strong like you and Azura!”

Camila smiled, grabbing her keys as they walked through the door. Hopefully, Luz could talk to her friend again tomorrow.

—

The next day, Luz called, but the same beeping met her through the receiver. So she waited and called again the next day. And the next. And the next.

The same monotone beeping.

She turned to reading the books again and even started writing and drawing on her own to fill the time she used to talk with her friend. Slowly, the calls every day turned to every other day.

Then once a week.

Until one day, she just stopped calling, a small hole in her heart that her friend used to fill.

—

Luz sat in class, doing her best to pay attention and inevitably doodling in the margins of her notes. It was fun sharing a class with Willow, but she just didn’t get biology.

Well, except for dissecting stuff, that was fun.

There was a knock at the door while they were filling in worksheets, and the teacher went over to answer, stepping out to talk with the principal. Luz looked through, spotting a girl she had never seen before standing behind the principal. She was pretty, with dyed green hair and bright amber eyes. Luz couldn’t help but stare as her heart fluttered slightly, but she pushed that down. 

Too many rejections in her life, and this girl was definitely out of her class.

She heard Willow suck in a breath, and looked over, seeing her also staring at the girl. 

“Willow?” She asked, breaking her friend’s gaze. “Everything alright?”

“I-” The teacher walked into the room with the girl behind her, and Willow shook her head. “I’ll tell you later, alright?”

Luz frowned but nodded. The teacher cleared their throat, getting everyone’s attention. 

“Students, we have a new student joining us today. She’s just transferred in, so make sure you give her a great Hexside welcome to Miss Amity Blight!”

Luz hummed, chewing on her bottom lip. Why did the name Blight sound so familiar? The second she saw the girl sit down next to Boscha and talk to her as if they had known each other for a while, she let that thought drift from her mind. Any friend of Boscha’s was no friend of theirs.

—

“Sooooo…” Luz started, nudging Willow lightly as they walked to their lockers.

“So,” Willow sighed. “I guess you want to know why I got so tense earlier?”

“I never miss the chance for a good backstory! But,” Luz rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “If you don’t want to talk about it…”

“No, it’s fine, Luz,” Willow grunted, taking a deep breath. “The truth is, Amity and I used to be friends, but one day, she threw me out of her birthday party and never talked to me again. I thought I was done with her brand of bullying when my dads moved, but I guess the universe had different plans.”

“Oh…” Luz said, glancing up the hall where a head of green hair was bobbing. 

Someone bumped into Amity ahead of them, and the girl snarled. 

“Watch it, nitwit!”

The student scrambled to apologize, but that just opened them up for Boscha to knock the books out of their hand with a laugh. Luz ducked her head so as not to be seen and turned to walk in the opposite direction. They’d probably be late for their next class, but it beat running into Boscha, especially now that she seemed to be empowered by the new girl.

—

Amity Blight was not a good person, Luz had decided. She must have known Boscha before, and the two of them, along with their small group of friends, were just the worst. Boscha was the captain of their rugby team, something that Hexside was incredibly proud of, which just let her get away with more, but it felt like she had been even more encouraged by Amity’s presence, and the green-haired girl had risen to the occasion.

Luckily, Luz, Willow, and Gus had avoided them for the first week, but Luz knew it was only a matter of when, not if, the girls would spot them. It figured that it would also happen on the day she got an F on her math exam when she was already feeling down.

Boscha walked by them, slamming her shoulder into Willow roughly before scoffing. “Watch it, plants.”

Luz helped Willow stand straight as Willow just grumbled, rubbing her arm.

“Sorry, Boscha.”

“Yeah, you should be,” Boscha laughed, pointing at Willow with Amity. “Get a load of her, Ams.”

Amity looked taken aback for a moment before her face morphed back to the one Luz had seen so many times. It reeked of superiority.

“Oh, if it isn’t Half-Wit Willow,” Amity said with a smirk.

Willow blushed in embarrassment at the old nickname, her shoulders shooting up to her ears. “Hey, Amity…”

“Nice to see the school still lets in the scraps,” she laughed before turning to Boscha. “She failed all her classes at our old school- her dads had to move just to give her a chance.”

“Who would have thought nerds like you could also get bad grades,” Boscha laughed, poking Willow harshly in the shoulder. “That’s an embarrassment to nerds everywhere.”

Willow bristled under the attention before letting out a huff and looking straight into Amity’s eyes. “At least here, my friends are real. Come on, Luz.”

Willow turned and stormed off, and Luz watched as hurt flashed across Amity’s eyes. Amity blinked a few times before schooling her features back to neutrality, and Luz turned to follow her friend, glancing over her shoulder with a confused feeling about the mint-haired girl.

—

Later that day, Luz was held after class when her English teacher wanted to give her praise for the short story she had turned in for their assignment, though Luz didn’t have the heart to tell her it had originally been an Azura fanfic she had written the night before the assignment was due before realizing she had homework. 

She had been walking down the empty hallways before she saw a green head of hair standing by one of the lockers, and before she could realize what she was doing, her legs were stomping toward Amity.

“Hey!” Luz shouted, making the other girl jump and turn to face her. Amity’s shock quickly turned to confusion as Luz continued to storm up to her. “Why are you so mean to Willow?!”

“Uh…” Amity blinked a few times, her brain trying to process what was going on. 

“She told me you used to be friends,” Luz continued when Amity didn’t seem to have anything to say. “But even if you had a big fight that doesn’t excuse the way you’re treating her!”

Amity frowned, and Luz thought she was about to yell at her, but instead, Amity just sighed.

“You’re right.”

“I am?” Luz asked, perplexed by the turn of events. 

“I don’t want to be mean to Willow, it’s just…” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and shrugged mechanically, her eyes distant. “It’s just how it is.”

“That doesn’t make sense…” Luz frowned, crossing her arms.

“Mittens!”

Two voices called from down the hall, and Luz turned to see two older teens, both with green hair a little darker than Amity’s, smiling brightly as they walked up. Their eyes matched Amity’s, and their faces looked eerily similar, save for mirrored beauty marks on their cheeks. Luz swallowed as she felt her cheeks heat up the closer they got.

This family just had good genetics, it seemed.

“We’ve been waiting for you before going home,” Amity’s older brother, Luz assumed, said.

“Who’s your friend,” the other girl asked, looking at Luz with a flirtatious smile. “She’s cute~”

“We were actually done talking,” Amity replied curtly. “Let’s go.”

The older girl shrugged, blowing Luz a kiss as she walked off, while the boy winked at her.

“Bye, cutie!”

Luz blinked a few times, her heart beating erratically as she tried to process the entire interaction. Outside of the cute older teens flirting with her- at least, she thought they were flirting? No one had ever really liked her enough to flirt with her before- Amity had seemed… Remorseful. Like she regretted what she was doing, but kept doing it for some reason.

There was something else that was bothering her, though.

Had they called Amity ‘Mittens’?

Luz hummed as she exited the school and started walking home. Mittens… 

The name brought back a ton of memories, though even the good ones felt sour with how things had ended…

It didn’t matter, she had other friends now, real friends, who liked her for who she was. Yet, hearing that name… And something about Amity’s last name had been bothering her since the girl had arrived. Something that felt familiar, but until now hadn’t had the context for her to put it together.

What had her friend always said when she called? ‘You’ve reached Blight Manor’?

Blight.

Luz stopped on the sidewalk, chewing her lip. Amity couldn’t… Could she?

Luz glanced behind her, back toward the school, her brain a flurry of thoughts. She’d just have to find out.

—

The next day, Luz hadn’t gotten any closer to figuring out how to approach Amity. What was she supposed to say? “Hi, I think you’re a friend I used to have when I was like eight, but I never knew her name and we mainly talked about Azura!” 

Amity would think she was crazy, and honestly, Luz wouldn’t blame her if she got bullied after something like that.

No, she needed more information, and so far, watching Amity out of the corner of her eye hadn’t really gotten her any closer. So she considered herself incredibly lucky that they shared a lunch period- something that Amity never showed up for.

Luz told Gus and Willow she had to go talk to one of her teachers, letting the two go get lunch without her. She tiptoed her way around, watching Amity carefully as she walked to the library instead of the cafeteria. Luz waited a moment before following her in, doing her best to keep her eyes on the mint-haired girl while maintaining enough distance to not be spotted. 

Unfortunately, the further they got into the library, the harder it was to keep hidden, and eventually, she lost her. Luz cursed under her breath as she wandered through the aisles and aisles of books. The library wasn’t that big- why was it so hard to find one girl?!

After a few more minutes of searching, Luz found her sitting at a table deep inside the library that Luz had honestly never seen before. She did her best to peek at Amity from around the corner, but she was just reading. Luz was about to give up when she looked at the book in Amity’s hands and her eyes went wide.

The Good Witch Azura.

“You like Azura too?!”

Luz slapped her hands over her mouth, but the damage had been done. Amity yelped, jumping from her seat as she tried to hide the book, almost dropping it in the process. Luz blushed in embarrassment, shuffling from foot to foot as Amity sat back down and looked at her, bemused. 

Luz scuffed her toes against the floor, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly as Amity continued to stare at her.

“What did you say?”

Luz jumped, expecting Amity to be mad, but the girl seemed seriously curious. 

“I, um, asked if you like Azura, too?” Luz stated again, this sounding like even more of a question than her actual question. Amity regarded her for a moment before nodding almost imperceptibly, and Luz decided to take the plunge. “Did… did you have a friend that used to call you every day to talk about Azura?”

Amity’s brow furrowed at the weird question before her eyes went wide and she blinked at Luz, as if seeing her for the first time. “L-little light?”

Luz blushed at the old nickname her parents had called her when she was younger but nodded. “When I heard your siblings call you Mittens yesterday, I hoped, but…”

“I can’t believe it,” Amity breathed out, looking at Luz with glassy eyes. 

Luz smiled and struck a pose, waving jazz hands before letting out a sigh and walking over to sit at the table with Amity.

“I knew there had to be more to you than just being a mean girl, but…” Luz looked down at the table, almost afraid to meet Amity’s eyes. Too many emotions were going through her mind right now, but one question stood at the front. “What happened?”

Amity put her hands on the table, fidgeting with her fingers as she chewed her lip, glancing at Luz nervously. There was obviously a lot to unpack, and even if they used to be best friends, at least in Luz’s eyes, she was little more than a stranger now.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, I’d understand,” Luz said gently, the isolation of the library feeling like their own personal bubble.

“No,” Amity replied, nodding to herself. “No, you deserve to know. I- I never wanted to stop talking to you. But…”

“But?” Luz prodded gently.

“My mom,” Amity sighed, running a hand through her hair. “She- she decided that Azura was too childish and that I should be studying instead of ‘wasting time talking about a children’s book’,” Amity said with an accent that Luz associated with one of her worst memories. “She didn’t seem to care that I was, you know, a child.”

Luz hummed. “Yeah, she wasn’t really that nice to me the last time I called…”

They sat in silence for a bit, unsure what to say, when something clicked for Luz.

“Was that the same time you stopped being friends with Willow?”

Amity jumped, almost as if scolded by the memory, but nodded. “My mom told me they’d make Willow’s family suffer if I kept talking to her, but… I didn’t know how to explain that to Willow. So I pushed her away. If she didn’t want to talk to me, then she couldn’t get in trouble…”

Luz frowned. She didn’t like it, but she could see how an eight-year-old would think that way. “But you’re older now- you can choose your friends and how you act.”

“No, Luz, you don’t get it,” Amity shook her head, green hair falling in front of her eyes. “My mom’s word is law. I- I have to do this. To be this way.”

Luz opened her mouth to reply, but the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch and popping the bubble that had shielded them from the world. She sighed, standing up from the table and taking a few steps before turning back toward Amity.

“You’re not your mom,” she said, making Amity jump. “You can be better. I know you can.”

She watched Amity for a few more seconds before walking away, leaving the library with answers to questions she had wanted for longer than she could remember. She had finally found that friend again…

So why did it still feel so sour?

—

When Luz got to school the next day, there was a pretty large crowd out front. Over the din of the crowd, she heard Willow’s voice, followed by Boscha’s, and immediately started pushing her way to the front. Nothing good ever happened when Boscha was the center of attention.

“Boscha!”

She had almost made it to the front when a new voice joined in, making everyone who could see gasp. Luz capitalized on the momentary surprise to push forward so she could finally see-

And she tripped slightly as her eyes fell on Amity practically snarling at Boscha as she stood between her and Willow.

“Leave her alone!” Amity held out her arms, blocking Willow behind her, who looked just as surprised as everyone else at the change. 

Boscha blinked, bewildered, before her face contorted in anger. “Why are you siding with this half-wit?!”

“Because some of us actually have more going on than throwing a ball semi-decently,” Amity replied, placing her hands on her hips as the part of the crowd who could hear her gasp. She cocked her eyebrow, frowning at Boscha. “Or did you forget that you’re only the captain here because I was too busy to try out for the team?”

Everyone around them gasped, and Boscha looked around with worry in her eyes before her face turned red as she glared at Amity, sputtering for a reply. 

“W-well, at least I didn’t…” She growled, huffing as she turned a darker shade of red from anger and embarrassment. “At least I didn’t ruin my social standing!”

Amity glanced behind her toward Willow before spotting Luz a few steps away, her gaze softening. “Nah, I think I made it better.”

Boscha grumbled, turning away and stumbling off without another word. Without any spicy fights to watch, the crowd started walking to class, leaving Luz, Amity, and Willow on their own.

“What was that about?” Luz asked, glancing between the two.

“I… was wondering that myself,” Willow replied, looking at Amity with confusion. “Why did you help me?”

Amity’s eyes went wide and she visibly swallowed, but she nodded to herself, taking a deep breath as she nervously wrung her hands. 

“Willow, I- I know I don’t really have the right to talk to you after everything I’ve done, but I just… I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry for, well…” She let out a deep breath, tucking a strand of green hair behind her ear. “For everything. You were one of the best friends I ever had, but my mom-” She frowned, cutting herself off and shaking her head. “There’s no excuse for how I’ve treated you, and I wanted you to know that I’m truly sorry. I- I don’t expect you to ever forgive me, but I can promise you now that it will never happen again.”

“I… don’t know if I can forgive what you’ve done, but… thank you.”

Amity nodded, seeming to expect that answer, and turned to Luz who was looking at her just as confused as Willow had. Her chinks pinked and her mouth went dry, but she stepped forward, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she looked at Luz shyly through her lashes. 

“I- thank you.”

Luz blinked, her brows furrowing. “For what?”

Amity tried to fight back a smile as she twisted left and right nervously. “For helping me remember who I am.”

Luz smiled at that, her own cheeks darkening as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “No problem.”

Amity shuffled from foot to foot awkwardly before shoving her hand forward with more force and stiffer than she intended. Luz blinked a few times before reaching out and tentatively taking the proffered note, blinked when she saw ten digits staring back up at her.

Amity’s face was bright red, only growing redder as Luz looked back up at her with furrowed brows. 

“I- I was hoping that maybe we could talk… like we used to?”

Luz felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach as she looked at Amity breathlessly, and nodded as she felt her legs growing weak. Amity squeaked, nodding back before turning and rushing into the school, leaving Luz and Willow alone outside as the bell rang. 

“What was that?” Willow asked, stepping up next to Luz as they watched Amity rush away.

Luz looked down at the paper in her hand, her heart fluttering at the numbers looking back at her under Amity’s name written in beautiful looping handwriting. 

“Something wonderful,” she breathed out, a warmth in her chest blossoming.

—

Throughout the rest of the day, Luz barely saw Amity. Even in their shared classes, Amity turned bright red whenever she looked at Luz, and she wouldn’t linger around too long if she could avoid it. So on the walk home, Luz found herself staring at her phone screen, looking at the new contact she had put in and typing out a message.

Then deleted it, and typed out a new one.

To only delete that one and she used to talk to Amity all the time, right? And it had been pretty easy the other day, so why was this so hard now?

Eventually, she sighed, sending, in her mind, the lamest text she could have settled on.

[4:13pm]Luz: hi

She was about to put her phone in her pocket when it buzzed and she jumped, almost dropping it in the process. 

[4:13pm]Amity: hi

Luz felt her heart flutter in her chest before the dread of figuring out what to say settled over her again. Luckily, it seemed like Amity had something on her mind.

[4:15pm]Amity: thanks again

[4:15pm]Luz: for what?

[4:16pm]Amity: giving me a reality check

[4:16pm]Luz: anytime :)

Luz smiled giddily at her phone, biting her lip as she tried to think of what Amity might want to talk about.

[4:19pm]Luz: you still like Azura, right? You weren’t secretly burning the book in the library or something?

[4:19pm]Amity: that would be sacrilege!

Luz burst into laughter, and soon the two fell into an easy conversation. At first, they only talked about Azura. Then, one night, she got enough courage to ask Amity if she could call her. She stood in her room with red cheeks as the phone rang until the other girl picked up, and she was hit with such a wave of nostalgia that she forgot how nervous she was about the phone call. A few hours later, she went to bed with a smile so big her cheeks hurt.

A couple of nights later, she called Amity again, and things moved on from Azura. They started to catch up on the things they had missed after their forced departure, as well as learning more about each other. Soon enough the calls started happening every other night, then every night as Luz started to look forward to the hours she would spend listening to Amity. The conversations had grown, and while they still talked about Azura, they both realized they just wanted to talk to the other girl.

As Luz went to bed at night, her chest full of warmth and thoughts full of Amity, she didn’t notice that a hole in her heart that had been there for years had finally started to mend.

—

A few weeks later, at Lunch, Luz was sitting at their table, eyes scanning the door until Amity walked in, and Luz felt her cheeks flush. She swallowed her nerves as she watched the other girl get in line to get her food, and turned to Willow, desperate for advice. 

“Willow, I-”

“Have a big fat crush on Amity?” Willow asked nonchalantly, glancing up at Luz with a smile as the brown-haired girl started to sputter.

Eventually, the only noise Luz could let out was an eloquent squeak. “How did you-”

“Please,” Willow rolled her eyes, motioning at Luz’s face. “You make goo-goo eyes every time she walks by- heck, even when you just say her name!”

Luz’s cheeks darkened, but she couldn’t find a way to deny it. “I just- I know you two have a lot of history, and-”

“Luz,” Willow interrupted gently. “I won’t be upset if you want to ask Amity out. My baggage is mine.” She smiled at Luz gently before glancing over her shoulder as Amity started to walk toward them. “Besides, you’ve been a good influence on her, and she makes you happy.”

Luz sniffled, reaching up to wipe a tear from her eyes. “Thanks, Willow.”

“No problem,” Willow replied cheerily. “Now- are you going to eat your apple?”

—

Luz shuffled her feet outside the kitchen, peeking at her mom from around the corner. She seemed to be in a good mood, spinning around as she cooked dinner, so Luz figured if there was a time to strike, it was now.

“Um, mom?”

“Hmmm?” Her mom glanced away from the pot on the stove, turning the radio down as she faced her daughter. “What is it, bebe?”

Luz blushed, looking at the ground. “C-could I get an advance on my allowance?”

Camila sighed, shaking her head as she turned back to her cooking. “Mija, I’m not giving you more money just so you can go buy another Azura figurine.”

“No, Mom, it’s, um…” Luz swallowed nervously, biting her lip. “It’s to go to dinner and a movie. With someone.”

Camila perked up at that, turning back to look at Luz and noticing how bashful and quiet she was being. “Like a date?”

“Like…” Luz nodded, her cheeks getting darker. “Like a date.”

Camila cooed, stepping over to Luz and pinching her cheeks before hugging her. She stepped back, placing her hands on Luz’s shoulders, being careful with the wooden spoon she hadn’t put down. “Who’s the lucky boy?”

“It’s a girl, actually,” Luz admitted. She had come out as bi to her mom a while ago, but this was the first time she had ever done… this.

“Who’s the lucky girl?” Her mom asked without missing a beat. 

“Amity…” Luz replied, her shoulders shooting up around her ears. 

“Ah…” Camila hummed knowingly, nodding her head. “With the green hair?” When Luz nodded Camila smiled. “So she’s the one that’s been wracking up our phone bill…” Luz yelped at that, and Camila hummed with a smile, deciding she had teased Luz enough. “I think I can bump your allowance up this week.”

Luz’s eyes went wide and she ran up to her mom, squeezing her tight. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She stepped back, her brow furrowing. “Uh… what’s a good restaurant for a date?”

—

Luz stood at the end of the hallway, leaning around the corner to peek at Amity for a second before darting back against the wall.

“Okay, Luz, it’s easy: just walk up and ask the pretty girl on a date.” She clenched her eyes, puffed out her chest, and took a deep breath.

Then groaned loudly, bonking her head against the wall behind her.

“Why is this so hard? We talk all the time! Maybe I should do it over the phone…” She shook her head, making a face. “Ew, no, Luz, come on! Romance! Intrigue!”

She took another deep breath, looking down the hall again to see most of the other students gone. She swallowed, and tried to get the lead out of her shoes, but found herself unable to take a step.

“Oh, gosh, what if she says no? Would she want to stop talking to me? Why am I only just now thinking about this?”

“Thinking about what?”

“WAGH!” Luz screamed, jumping away and holding her hands up as if she was going to karate chop whatever snuck up on her, only to see an amused golden gaze watching her with mirth. “Oh, um… Hi, Amity!”

“Hi, Luz,” Amity giggled. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, I just saw you looking down the hall and figured I’d come see what you were up to. Do you need help with something?”

“No,” Luz sighed, deflating. She glanced up at Amity who was just waiting on her so patiently and perked up. “Actually, yes. I do need help! Something only you can help with.”

“Oh?” Amity asked, tilting her head in very much the same way a cat does. 

Luz felt her heart stutter and a heat formed in her cheeks.

“Um, yeah, so…” She took a deep breath, putting her game face on. “Well, you see, the i-issue I have is, um… my wallet is too full?” She ended, looking at Amity just as confused as the other girl was looking at her, before shaking her head and nodding. “Yeah, my wallet is too full, and, um, i-it would b-b-b-be r-really nice- oh my gosh this is so hard,” she muttered as she took a deep breath.

Amity seemed to catch on, her face growing redder by the second as Luz looked back up at her, the blush on her cheeks just as apparent. 

“I was h-hoping that you, Amity Blight, w-would accompany me… On a date?”

“Yes!” Amity practically shouted once Luz finished asking. Her face darkened even more as she heard her voice echo off the walls around them, and she cleared her throat, glancing everywhere but at Luz. “I mean, I would really like that, yes.”

“Oh, wow,” Luz replied, looking at Amity with wide eyes.

Amity finally met Luz’s gaze and let out a small yelp, looking off to the side immediately as she felt warmth in her cheeks. “Soooo?”

“Oh, right!” Luz smacked her forehead, before pulling out her phone and pulling up a picture. “I got us a reservation at The Owl House and tickets to see the new Azura movie tonight. I-I’ll pick you up at six?”

Amity quirked an eyebrow as a teasing grin grew on her face. “You can drive?”

“N-n-n-no!” Luz sputtered. “But my mom can take us? O-or I can just meet you there if you want…”

Amity watched Luz with a smile as she shuffled around before a fit of courage took over and she leaned forward. A featherlight touch of her lips pressed against Luz’s cheek, but it left both of their faces burning as they made eye contact.

“Pick me up at six,” Amity managed to get out, the suave words being only slightly dampened by the fierce blush covering her face. She turned and walked away stiffly, heart beating a mile a minute no matter how far she was from the brown-haired girl.

Luz reached up, touching the spot on her cheek Amity had kissed before her legs gave out. She sat there for a bit, watching where Amity had disappeared down the hall, and sighed happily, her cheeks still a bright warm red.

Then her eyes shot open wide- she needed to get home! She needed an outfit- what if they kissed? She should brush her teeth a few times just to be safe… It wasn’t too early to think about kissing, right? Amity had just kissed her cheek!

In a panic, Luz jumped to her feet and bolted down the hall and out of the school, and while her nerves were flaring up, there was an underlying warmth following her everywhere she went.

After all, she had a date with Amity!

—

Luz slicked back her hair for the fifteenth time in just as many minutes. 

“Mija, if you keep doing that you're going to start pulling hair out,” her mother chided as she glanced in the rearview mirror. “Relax, okay?”

“Si, Mami,” Luz replied, opting instead to tap her hands against her knees restlessly, making her mother roll her eyes.

How was she supposed to relax when the coolest girl she had ever known, twice, had agreed to go on a date with her? 

What she needed was a distraction- which she got when the door to Amity's house opened and Luz scrambled to go meet her. The entire house could fit Luz’s inside it at least twice, and Luz couldn’t help but marvel at the sheer size of the building. Home life wasn’t something Amity liked talking about much, which included how well off they seemed to be, at least if the neighborhood they were in was any indication.

Luz shook her head, turning her attention back to the pretty girl walking toward her. There would be time to learn more about their house later, for now, she had to wow Amity’s socks off!

“H-hi!” Luz called out smoothly, waving her hand awkwardly as she took in the beautiful dress Amity was wearing. 

Amity smiled, a red tinting her cheeks. “Hi, Luz.”

“May I?” Luz asked, holding out her hand.

“You may,” Amity giggled, slipping her hand into Luz’s as the other girl led them back to the car. 

It was a little bit more than incredibly awkward riding in the back seat of the car on a date with her mom glancing at them every so often, but the two girls talked about what they expected from the Azura movie, mostly so they could focus on anything other than the nerves that were shooting through their bodies faster than lightning.

Finally, they made it downtown near both the theater and the restaurant and shuffled out of the car. Camila couldn’t help herself, though, and rolled down her window, cooing at the two girls.

“Aww mi bebe is so grown up,” she said with a smile, eyes twinkling slightly. “Have fun on your date!”

Luz’s face flushed with embarrassment as Amity snickered, and she closed the door, shoulders up by her ears. “Goodbye, Mom!” She said with more than a hint of finality.

Camila nodded, driving off, and Luz turned, letting out a breath and slicking her hair back again.

“Sorry about that.”

“Oh, trust me, I get it. My dad and siblings would probably have done something similar,” Amity hummed, tapping her chin. “Actually no, my dad would have been the same, but Ed and Em would have been much worse.”

Luz laughed, turning and holding out her elbow. “Well, then, shall we?”

“We shall,” Amity replied with a smile, wrapping her arms around Luz’s as they started to walk. 

She looked around, trying to figure out where Luz was taking them for dinner when she noticed the theater getting bigger. 

“Are we doing the movie first?”

“What?” Luz blinked, shaken from her thoughts before humming in agreement. “Oh, yeah!”

Amity quirked an eyebrow at the brown-haired girl. “Isn’t it usually the other way around?”

“Usually?” Luz replied teasingly. “How many dates have you been on, Miss Blight? Do I have some unseen standards to uphold?”

Amity rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out at Luz. “I’ve read just as much Azura fanfiction as you have, dingus. You know what I mean!”

“Okay, okay,” Luz laughed, waving down the faux glare Amity was leveling at her. “I just always kind of figured… Like, if you watch the movie first, you can then talk about it at dinner! Right?”

“Oh,” Amity replied, blinking in surprise. “I’d never thought of that.”

“Well, Miss Blight, allow me to broaden your horizons,” Luz said as they got to the theater, motioning toward the posters, notably one Azura The Movie 3: Warriors of Peace 2: The Roads of Self-Reflection. She blushed as she glanced over at the poster before shrugging. “Well, broaden them slightly.”

The two went in, ordered some popcorn (because, as Luz said, even if they were eating after, it’s not a movie without popcorn!), and found their seats, preparing for the new Azura experience. The first two movies had been perfect adaptations of the books so far, and both girls had been talking about this movie since it had been announced, knowing that if they could get the underlying tension between Hecate and Azura down just right, as well as close the story for Villainous Lucy with the same reveal that led to the Gildersnake’s return, as well as Hecate’s reluctant betrayal as she walked down the path she thought was right, well, then the movie would be the perfect trilogy set up to the rest of the series!

—

The movie stank.

Hard.

“I can’t believe they brought Malingale back, just to force a love triangle!” Luz shouted, throwing her hands out.

“ I can’t believe they killed Villainous Lucy off in the first five minutes,” Amity growled, her eyes narrow beams of hate. “It was her story! The big reveal that she wasn’t the mastermind was supposed to be at the end!”

The two continued to grumble with each other about every detail the movie got wrong as they walked to the restaurant. And after they were seated. And after they got their drinks. And ordered their food.

Okay, so it was a pretty Azura-themed dinner conversation, which is what Luz had planned on, though she had originally thought it would be because of how good the movie was. Time flew by, and the two barely noticed. Lost in their own world of Azura, tortellini bolognese (for Luz), fettuccine alfredo (for Amity), and of course, lost in each other.

It wasn’t until the waiter put their check down that Luz realized how late it had gotten. She blinked, reaching for it at the same time as Amity, and scooping it up faster than the other girl. 

“Luz, come on, you paid for the movie and the popcorn, let me at least-”

“Nuh-uh-uh, missy,” Luz replied, shaking her head. “ I asked you out, I pay for the date!”

As Luz pulled out her wallet and meticulously counted out the bills her mother had given her earlier that day, Amity shook her head fondly, a smile playing on her lips.

“Fine, but then I get to pay next time.”

Luz perked up at that as the waiter came and took the payment, with tip, and the two stood up. “Next time?” She asked, wide-eyed and hopeful.

Amity stalled for a second as they stepped outside, stuttering slightly. “I-if you would like that, that is.”

“Yes!” Luz practically shouted, disturbing the peaceful street around them. She cleared her throat, cheeks darkening as she glanced anywhere but at Amity. “I mean, yes, I, um, I would like that a lot. Please.”

“Great!” Amity replied, beaming at Luz.

“So, um,” Luz started, playing with the hem of her button-down shirt as a black car pulled up behind them. “Does this… make us… girlfriends?”

Luz’s cheeks grew darker as she asked, her voice rising two octaves as she managed to get the words out, looking at Amity with trepidatious hope. 

“I-I think I’d like that,” Amity replied, her face a bright red. 

“M-me too,” Luz admitted, shuffling around on her feet. 

“So,” Amity started as the car behind them honked. She ignored it, the only thing that mattered to her in the world right now was Luz. “Do you want to go out with me?”

“Yes!” Luz shouted, but this time she didn’t feel any embarrassment. How could she, when someone as cool, smart, and classy as Amity was asking her to be her girlfriend?!

The car behind them honked again, and a familiar head of short green hair popped out of the window. “Come on, Mittens, it’s already late!”

Amity rolled her eyes, growling at her sibling before turning back to Luz. “I had a great time tonight, Luz. Call me later?”

She didn’t wait for a reply, instead leaning in to kiss Luz on the cheek for the second time that day and rendering the other girl momentarily speechless. 

As Amity ran to the car, Luz’s hand went up to her cheek.

“Yeah, I will,” she sighed dreamily, watching the car pull away as her mom pulled up.

Luz got into the car, her cheeks hurting from the smile on her face, her brain only thinking about Amity. 

“So, how did it go?” Camila asked, glancing at Luz out of the corner of her eyes. 

Luz sighed happily, leaning her head against the window and watching the streetlights fly by. 

“It was perfect.”

—

The next day Luz stared at Amity’s contact as she paced around the room.

“You’ve been texting the whole day- it’s not weird!” She shouted at herself, running her hand through her hair. “You’re g-girlfriends now,” she said, blushing at the word. “It should be easier to talk!”

She flopped down on her bed, looking up at the ceiling as she huffed.

“Right?”

She sat up, nodding at herself. “I’m not nervous! I’m a bad boy! I can totally make this call!”

She looked down at Amity’s contact again and swallowed nervously before tapping the call icon.

It rang a few times before Amity picked up, but before Luz could say hello, she heard shouting in the background. She couldn’t quite make out what was said, but then she heard Amity yell back.

“Who I spend my time with is mine to decide!”

She listened as she heard some shuffling on the other side before Amity sighed, holding her phone up to her ear.

“Hi, Luz.”

“Hi, Amity, uh…” Luz bit her lip. “Is everything alright?”

She heard Amity sigh again and winced, hoping it wasn’t the wrong thing to ask. They just started dating- she didn’t want to mess up already!

“I’d rather not talk about it if that’s okay?”

“Of course,” Luz replied gently, trying to think of how to take Amity’s mind off of whatever that was. “Oh! I don’t know if I told you, but I, um… might have written an AU last night.”

“Oh?” Amity replied, her voice already sounding chipper than before. “What about?”

“Well,” Luz replied, her cheeks blushing at what she was about to admit. “They went to see a movie and get dinner…”

“Sounds familiar,” Amity replied, the smirk apparent in her voice. “Tell me more.”

—

Over the next week, whenever Luz called, the chance of hearing Amity and her mom yelling at each other grew. She was getting worried about it, but whenever she tried to ask, Amity brushed it aside, and Luz didn’t know how to broach the topic without overstepping.

It made her more than a little nervous as she was going to Amity’s house for the first time. The green-haired girl had come to visit her several times, and they had gone on a few more dates, but Luz had only ever seen the outside of Blight Manor.

It was already intimidating just from that, but now going inside?

A chill ran down Luz’s back as she stepped out of her mom’s car, waving goodbye as she walked to the door where Amity was waiting.

“Hi, Luz,” Amity said sheepishly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Hi, Amity!” Luz replied cheerily, looking up at the tall building. “I know I’ve said it before but I can’t get over how big this place is.”

“Yeah…” Amity replied, rubbing her arm nervously. “It’s… a lot.”

“As long as I’m with you, it’s perfect,” Luz replied with a blush.

A smile broke out on Amity’s face as her cheeks darkened. She cleared her throat, stepping aside so Luz could step in, and followed her through the house. Luz looked around as they walked through, marveling at the sheer size of everything. How many rooms did a house need?

It wasn’t too long until they were in Amity’s room, though, and all of Luz’s thoughts proceeded to stall as she realized they were truly alone. Whenever they were at her house, her mom wanted them either in the living room, or Luz’s bedroom door had to be wide open, and Camila would make rounds.

Here, though, Amity’s parents were both at work and suddenly they didn’t have that supervision.

It would be weird to make out already, right? Not that Amity brought her here to make out… But what if she did? Luz’s eyes went wide. She hadn’t ever made out with anyone before. What if she was bad at it? Would Amity dump her for being a bad kisser? No, no, Amity wasn’t that shallow-

Luz shook her head, dislodging those thoughts as she realized she had missed whatever Amity had just said.

“I’m sorry, what?” Luz asked, her cheeks still red from her traitorous thoughts.

Amity giggled, tilting her head at Luz. “I asked what you wanted to do?”

“Oh,” Luz replied, her cheeks getting darker. “You found a new fantasy series you liked recently, right?” When Amity nodded, Luz smiled. “How about we cuddle and you can read to me?”

Amity lit up at that idea, rushing to grab the book before they jumped onto her bed and immediately cuddled together. Time flew by as Amity read aloud, something Luz had learned early on that she loved to do, and neither girl realized how late it was getting until Amity heard a car pulling up outside and froze.

“Everything alright?”

“Yeah, just…” She chewed on her lip, obviously nervous. “It’s kind of late, right? You might want to ask your mom to come get you.”

“Oh,” Luz replied, trying not to look disheartened. “Yeah, I’ll text her.”

Luz had just sent the message when a knock came at the door. Amity swallowed nervously, looking back at Luz before going to answer it.

Emira stood there looking much more solemn than Luz had ever seen. She gave Luz a smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes, before turning to Amity with a sigh. 

“Mom wants to see you.”

Amity’s eyes went wide before she nodded stiffly. Emira started to walk away, and Amity hesitated before waving at Luz to follow. Luz felt the tension in the air, but couldn’t help her curiosity.

“Is everything alright?”

When Amity didn’t reply, Emira glanced back, a nervous look in her eyes. “Mom… isn’t the most open person in the world.”

Amity snorted, barking out a mirthless laugh. “That’s an understatement.”

Luz nodded, her nerves on the rise. She hadn’t met either of Amity’s parents, but she knew Amity had been fighting with her mom a lot since they got together. Between that, being friends with Willow again, and fighting with Boscha, Luz had gathered her mom wasn’t very happy with Amity’s choices lately.

They walked down the stairs into the large main room where Amity’s mom regarded them with narrow eyes, tapping her foot impatiently as she eyed Luz up and down. Emira shuffled nervously next to them, trying to provide support for her sister while still feeling anxious, but her mother was having none of it.

“That will be all, Emira,” she said in an icy tone that offered no room for argument.

Emira nodded, giving Luz and Amity a look that said ‘sorry’ as she left. Her mother cleared her throat, bringing the two’s attention back to her. 

“Luz Noceda, is it?” She asked, obviously knowing the answer already. Luz nodded, and she hummed with distaste. “So you’re the urchin that has been feeding off Amity’s greatness.”

Luz blinked, taken aback by the statement as rage started to radiate off of Amity.

“Do not speak to her that way!” She growled, stepping between Luz and her mom.

Her mother shifted her gaze from Luz to Amity, her eyes sharpening. “Blights do not raise their voices, dear .”

“I don’t care! You won’t talk to my girlfriend that way!” Amity shouted back, her fists clenched tight at her sides.

“Girlfriend?” Her mother replied with shock in her voice, before tutting. “Oh, no, no, no, that won’t do,” she replied as if Luz was just an accessory. “No daughter of mine will date someone of such… status .”

Amity bristled, her muscles tense. “You can’t make that choice for me!” She motioned at Luz. “Luz is nice to me! She cares about me, and makes me think about the kind of person I really want to be!”

“Who you want to be?” Her mother replied with a laugh. “You have to follow a very strict plan if you’re going to lead the family business.”

“I don’t want to run the family business,” Amity replied, a deep frown marring her face. “All you care about are your precious investors, you don’t care if we have lives of our own!”

Her mom pursed her lips, her eyes narrowing further. “I’m glad you have an older sister,” she said, a sneer playing on her lips. “At least I have one successful daughter.”

Amity gasped and Luz froze, both unsure what to do.

“Odalia!”

A loud, booming voice filled the room and the three turned to see Amity’s dad standing in the doorway, having just come home from work. He glanced over at Amity, the hurt plain on her face, before turning back to his wife. 

“My study. Now.”

As Odalia turned and stomped away, Amity’s dad stepped up to the two, a look of remorse on his face.

“Has it been like this long?” He asked Amity, who nodded in reply as tears started to form in her eyes. He bowed his head, leaning against hers. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around for you,” he admitted, his voice shaking slightly. He turned to look at Luz, letting out a deep sigh. “I’m sorry you were made to feel this way as a guest in our home.” He stood up straight, narrowing his eyes as he looked toward where Odalia had marched off to. “I believe your mother and I need to have a discussion.”

Luz felt her phone buzz as Amity’s dad walked away, and pulled it out to see that her mom was there to pick her up. After all that, though, she really didn’t want to leave Amity alone…

An idea struck her, and she turned to Amity, lacing their fingers together as she texted her mom quickly with her other hand.

“Let’s get some air?” Luz asked, and Amity nodded, following her without a word. 

She led them to the car, opening the door for Amity to step in without asking. It wasn’t until they had pulled out of the neighborhood that Amity seemed to realize they had left.

“Where are we going?”

Luz smiled, lacing their fingers together and squeezing Amity’s hand. “Whenever I’m feeling sad, Mami always takes me for ice cream.”

Amity’s brow furrowed as she thought about it. “But you’re lactose intolerant.”

Luz shrugged. “Sometimes it’s worth it!” Amity made a face at that, making Luz laugh. “They have dairy-free options too, don’t worry.”

They rode in silence the rest of the way there, their hands only separating when they needed to get out of the car. Camila gave them space, and the two found an isolated spot to sit and eat their ice cream, hand in hand. 

“Thanks,” Amity muttered, eyes focused on the floor.

Luz leaned over and kissed Amity’s cheek, leaving a slightly cold spot on the girl’s pale skin. 

“Anything for you,” she replied as she turned back to her ice cream, not catching the grateful look Amity gave her.

—

A month later, the two were cuddled together on the couch, watching a new show about a girl showing up in a different dimension, one full of magic and demons. Things were peaceful, which they were grateful for after the last few weeks.

When Luz had heard about the divorce from Amity, she wanted to apologize, but the way her girlfriend said it with a smile made her think it might actually be for the better. Her dad had been more involved with them lately, and even though her mom had made the process as brutal as she could, it seemed like Amity and her siblings were much happier, finally feeling free enough to pursue their own wants instead of their mother’s whims.

Amity had actually only grown happier the more time she spent dating Luz. There were definitely still bumps in the road, like the far-off look Amity would get when Luz had a normal interaction with her mom, but both Luz and Camila made sure they did whatever they could to make sure Amity knew she was wanted and loved for who she was, and not what she could provide.

Now, though, Amity sighed happily, snuggling closer to Luz as warmth filled her chest. Luz turned over, pressing a kiss to the top of Amity’s head as the phone started to ring. Before she could get up, her mom walked by and motioned for her to stay seated, grabbing the phone and smiling at the girls before stepping into the kitchen to give them privacy.

She hadn’t even said a word before a voice started shouting at her through the receiver. 

“I demand you let me talk to my daughter right now!” The woman snarled, venom dripping with every word. “I know she’s spending time with that hoodrat !”

Camila frowned, a thousand different words passing through her mind before she remembered a story from her daughter, only eight, as she had to explain why she couldn’t talk to her best friend anymore. 

“Never call this number again,” she replied simply, hanging up and blocking the number. She shook her head, rolling her eyes before peeking back into the living room.

Luz and Amity were cuddled up on the couch, smiles on their faces as Luz started to doze off, resting her head on top of Amity’s, a warmth blossoming from their chests that only happened when they were with the other girl. They were happy and together, something that neither of them would have ever expected would come from a much younger Luz calling any number she could find in the phonebook.