#so of course luz is going to avoid her girlfriend and best friends because they would not agree with her

[smokestarrules]

People who complain about Luz only really talking to Hunter and Camila in Thanks to Them are just. so close to getting the point

#like yess!! it's almost like she's avoiding everyone who wouldn't contribute to her guilt trip <333 #she goes to camila and specifically asks why aren't you mad at me? #!!!!! and then she doesn't have another emotional conversation with her again after that til the end BECAUSE CAMILA DIDN'T FEED INTO HER #SELF-LOATHING AND THAT'S WHAT LUZ IRONICALLY WANTED TO HEAR #and hunter's got so much of his own shit going on that he also lowkey feeds into it #not on purpose ofc but because He Understands the guilt and agrees with it to an extent #so of course luz is going to avoid her girlfriend and best friends because they would not agree with her #and they'd try to help #which she doesn't think she deserves. #thank you for coming to my tedtalk #toh #the owl house #luz noceda #camila noceda #hunter #hunter noceda #gus porter #willow park #amity blight #smokey speaks #500

[sergeant-spoons]

Darling, Swing, and a Sapphire Ring

What is it about George Luz that inspires me to write friends-to-lovers fics? Oh, wait, no, I’ve got it. It’s those big brown eyes and that big cheeky smile.

Luz, you’ll be the death of me yet.

Pairing: George Luz x Female OC

Word count: 11,003 (well goddamn)

Tone: Best friends to lovers, flirting/banter, postwar reunions, dancing around feelings, quite a lot of pining

Summary: He’s got an engagement ring and a reunion to attend—now all he needs is a real, live, not-so-genuine fiancée.

Taglist: @tvserie-s-world​ @thoughpoppiesblow​ @victoryrollsandredlips​ @now-im-a-belieber​ @50svibes​ @mgdln97​ @tina1938​ @drinkwhiskeyandsmile​ @ask-you-what-sir​ @indecisiveimpatience​ @whovian45810​ @brokennerdalert​ @holdingforgeneralhugs​ @onlyyouexisthere​

"You want me to pretend I'm your what?"

"My girl!"

"I still don't get it."

"My girl! My beau! My beloved!"

"Yeah, George, I understand that part, but why?"

"I need you to pretend to be my girl for the reunion this weekend," George Luz repeats patiently, then pouts when all he gets in response is a deepened frown. "Why are you lookin' at me like that?"

"Because-" Magdalena Saas splutters, flapping her hands in emphatic circles. "Because that's nuts! It's absurd! Totally asinine!"

"Really pulling out the thesaurus for that one, sweetheart."

She shoots him a dirty look, and his smile starts to drop.

"You really think it's a bad idea?"

"I think it's an awful idea, George, and there's no way in hell I'm going through with it."

He looks genuinely baffled.

"Now why would you say a thing like that?"

"Let me think." Maggie ticks off her impressions on her fingers. "First off, charades like this never work out the way you think they will. Secondly, everyone plus your mother knows you and I are just friends. And thirdly—well, thirdly, it's a lousy idea!"

"That's only two valid points," George declares. "The third's more of an unproven opinion."

"Well, isn't two enough?"

"I mean..."

Maggie's head falls back and hits the bedframe with a thunk. She's managed to avoid blushing up until now, when George sucks in a breath through his grimace and tucks his hand between her head and the hard wooden frame, his palm caressing her hair.

Thirdly, this is not at all the kind of proposal I wish I'd get from you—and for the cherry on top, you're clueless.

"Fine." 

"Fine?"

She crosses her arms and turns her head towards him, and just when he's thought he's won her over, she adds, "My third point is that you've clearly not thought this through."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"What if I prove you wrong?"

She sits up and squints at him. He flashes that lopsided grin she adores and she sighs, slouching again as she waves for him to go on.

"I'm listening."

"I've been thinking about this for two and a half weeks."

"And you're only just letting me in on your little scheme the day before?"

He waffles. "If I told you I kinda had to work up the nerve to ask, would you believe me?"

Seeing the crease of his brow and the sheepishness in his gaze, she glances aside, shushing the fluttering of her heart, and tells him she would.

"Good, 'cause it's true."

"Uh-huh. So what's your plan, anyway?"

"Huh?"

"If you really have been thinking about this for two and a half weeks, surely you've got some semblance of a plan."

"Yeah! Yeah, sure I do."

Maggie reaches over and taps his knee. "Then let's hear it."

"Well, to make it short and sweet—like you-"

"Of course, you had to go there."

"-you come with me to the reunion tomorrow, we pretend we're together, everybody is completely awed because they've never seen a more perfect couple-"

"Debatable."

"-and we go home happy and a little bit drunk after a night of fun!"

Maggie presses her lips together on one side of her face and thinks about what he's asking from her. On the surface, it's not much—pretend to be his girlfriend for four or five hours—but there's a lot she knows he probably hasn't considered. She loves George, but he's not the best with foresight. For one, it probably hasn't occurred to him that she's not going to know anyone there.

"But I will," he says happily when she brings this up, "and I'll introduce you to every single person there, if you want, and then you'll know everybody, and everybody will know—and adore—you."

"If you say so," she blusters. "Well—then what about getting there and back?"

"We'll take my car."

"Really? How close is this reunion?"

"A two-hour drive. One-and-a-half if we don't hit any traffic."

"Oh." This is a likable detail. "Alright, that's reasonable."

"I wouldn't be asking you if it wasn't."

She tries to be skeptical, but he's right. He's never asked anything of her he didn't think she could do. And this is the first ask she can think of that she's been hesitant to agree to.

"You do have a good track record," she admits, and he beams, knowing he's starting to win her over.

"Any other questions?"

"What's the expected attire for this thing? Am I good in jeans or should I wear a dress?"

"A dress," he answers, and she can tell he's being honest, not just picking and choosing what he himself would prefer. "As good as you look in those Levi's-"

"Stop looking at my ass."

"-it's a bit more of a formal event. Not suit and tie fancy, but button-up shirt for me and a dress or a skirt for you."

"Or a pantsuit?"

He grins. "Or a pantsuit."

"Hmm..." She pictures her wardrobe. "Yeah, I can work with that. Are we gonna be dancing?"

"All night long."

"My comfortable pumps it is, then."

"Pumps?" He scrunches up his face. "I don't think there's gonna be any tires that need inflating at the dance hall, sweetheart."

"It's a type of heel, darling."

"Oh." He laughs at himself. "Well, in that case, definitely go with the comfortable option."

"I mean..." She gestures to the pumps, sitting on a shoe rack across the room by the closet door. "They're a beat beaten up, I've had them for so long-"

"You think anybody's gonna be lookin' at your feet?"

He tickles her socked foot and she shrieks a laugh, careful not to move too sharply as she kicks his hand away. He grins and leans back against her bedframe, and when she tries to remember how they ended up sitting on the carpet like this instead of on her bed where the gin rummy game is still spread out, she can't remember.

"Are we talkin' a dinner party, or just dancing?"

"We usually go out to eat in a big group after everybody's tuckered out—usually, we get tired of poker, but this time, it'll be dancing, so my guess is we'll all get hungry quicker."

"And will there be drinking?"

"You know it."

Maggie laughs. "Well, you know me. So long as there's good beer, good company, and the potential for good food, I'm happy."

"Then I think you'll really enjoy yourself tomorrow."

"Only if I agree to this batshit crazy idea of yours."

"It's not that crazy," he insists, and though she knows he's probably right, she holds out a little longer.

"It's a little crazy."

"Yeah, maybe a little."

George adjusts his seated position, turning to look at her more fully, and Maggie half-wishes he hadn't—it's much easier to deny him when he's not mooning at her with those big brown eyes.

"There anything else you wanna know?"

Yeah—what am I supposed to do when we come home and I'm not yours anymore, because I never was yours, and probably won't ever be yours? What the hell am I supposed to tell my poor heart then?

She swallows back the premonition of regret and flashes a smile. 

"Nope. Not unless you've got more to tell me."

"Well, there is one more thing..."

Maggie sighs dramatically, tossing her hand upon her forehead. "Oh, will the demands ever end?"

He snorts a laugh. "It's just one thing. One relatively small thing. I think."

"Alright, spit it out. Do I have to wear a wig? Fake teeth? Dye my eyebrows blonde?"

"What? No." He shakes his head as if clearing a startling image. "We gotta get engaged."

"What?"

George laughs, but she can tell he's nervous, very nervous, and she gets the sense he thinks she'll rescind her agreement now that this particular detail is out in the open.

"When I told the fellas, I may or may not have boasted about, um, my girl. A lot. And then Guarnere—love the guy, but he likes to run his mouth—started blabbin' about how he didn't believe me, and I just sorta blurted it out, and that got them impressed, so I ran with the bit, and now..." A sheepish smile is paired with a shrug. "They wanna meet my fiancée."

Maggie sighs yet again and pinches the upper bridge of her nose.

"Oh, George, darling George, what am I ever going to do with you?"

"Marry me?" His cheeks pinken. "I mean, only hypothetically, for this very specific event, and maybe for the next time you pretend to be my girl-"

"The next time?!"

"Forget I said that!" He gulps, studying her expression with wide eyes. "Well? Will you still go with me?"

Maggie considers. She could get something out of this, make a deal of it. She deserves something in return, really, for all the heartbreak this is no doubt going to cause her. After a moment's more thought, she nods, just once, and George beams.

"I'll do it on one condition."

He flashes those puppy-dog eyes and Maggie wonders for a moment if she should do this simply because she loves him.

That's exactly why you shouldn't be doing this, you cretin.

"Yeah? What is it?"

She squints at her best friend, then tosses her hair, feigning ignorance.

"I get to be the best woman at your actual wedding."

George seems relieved. "Oh, thank God."

Maggie gives him a curious look. "What did you think I was gonna say?"

"No idea," he laughs, "I'm just glad you picked that. I mean, you're a shoo-in for the position anyway-"

"Then maybe I oughta ask for something else."

"No, no, that's perfect," he says, laughing anxiously. 

"Too late! I've changed my mind."

"I just had to run my mouth, didn't I?" He tugs at his ear. "So... what else?"

"It's... a secret."

He gapes at her, and she reaches out and shuts his mouth with her thumb and forefinger on his chin. She almost believes it when he swoons, and she leans back, rolling her eyes.

"Alright, Drama Queen, you've had your fun."

"I'll grant you your wish," he swears, rolling around to kneel before her. "Anything you want, my dearest Magdalena, is yours."

"Oh, yeah? Anything?"

"Anything."

"I wish you would find yourself a real fiancée instead of roping me into your bullshit."

George grimaces. "Okay, I can grant any wish except for that."

"Damnit." She scrunches up her nose. "Um..."

His smile turns into a smirk. "You don't actually know what you want from me, do you?"

I do, actually, but it's something I don't think you'd give.

"I do," she bluffs, "but I'll keep it a secret until the morning after we get back. Then you'll really squirm."

"Oh, yeah. Lots of squirming to be had right here."

"Shut up," she groans, then pushes at his arm when his smirk grows "Hey, watch it, buster, I could still change my mind. If I want to keep my payment secret—don't look at me like that, you know I don't want your money—then that's my prerogative."

"Fine, fine—but you'll do it? You'll go with me? As my fiancée?"

Rationally, she knows it's not for real, but when he looks at her like that, asking her to be his...

Don't think about it too much.

Too late. Her heart skips a beat.

"...Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes, I'll go with you. As your... fake fiancée." 

"Yes!"

George throws his hands up, then grabs her face and plants a wet kiss on her nose. Maggie makes a face and rubs her sleeve across her face, but George is beaming so wide she can't help a small smile of her own.

"Oh—and you're driving."

Her best friend stops his preemptive celebration to pout. 

"But Maggie-"

"Here we go."

"-all the guys'll be drinking, and it's a reunion, I can't just pass up a party-"

"Fine. You're driving on the way there."

"Yes!" he hisses through his toothy smile, pumping the air with his fist. "You're the best, you know that, Mags?"

She sighs, but lets him wrap his arm around her and kiss the top of her head regardless.

"Yeah, yeah. Just put on a ring on it and let's get back to gin rummy."

"Alrighty, I will."

He produces a small velvet box from his back pocket, and Maggie has to stare at it for a solid four or five seconds before she believes it's actually real.

"Sweetheart?"

She rolls her eyes to hide how her heart has started skipping all around her chest and holds out her left hand almost flippantly.

"You really have been planning this for a while, haven't you?"

"Two-and-a-half weeks."

"How'd you know my ring size?" she starts to ask, surprised that it fits so well, but he interrupts, rambling the way he does when he gets excited.

"Well, now that we've made that decision, we gotta figure out what you're wearin'! Not that you don't always look pretty, but I wanna make you the star o' the show, y'know? Everybody's gonna be so jealous o' me, sweetheart, just you wait..."

As Maggie watches George pick through her dresses and blouses and two pairs of work overalls she hasn't worn in a month, she leans her head against her hand and wonders what on earth she's gotten herself into. The metal of the ring on her finger presses to her temple, a stark reminder that the stakes for this are high.

And I bet they'll just keep getting higher.

"You know, you've got two—three—of the same dress in here. Different colors, same cut."

"Yes, I do know. It's my closet, smartass."

She moves her hand in front of her face and examines the ring while he's got his back turned to her. It's a silver band with an inlaid sapphire. Nothing too fancy, but certainly elegant. It's beautiful. It's perfect.

"Do you prefer blue or brown?"

"What?"

"For the dress. Blue or brown?"

Lifting the ring to her face, watching the sapphire twinkle in the orange-tinted light of her bedroom lamp, she can't conceal a small, giddy smile.

"Definitely blue."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Why did I let you talk me into this?"

George puts the car into park and leans over the side of the seat, his signature, surefire grin flashing across his face.

"That is not a very reassuring look."

He attempts a sympathetic pout, but when he bats his eyes at her with those downturned lips, he resembles a basset hound so sufficiently that she snorts a laugh.

"Now you just look extremely regretful."

He tries again, emphasizing the pout, and Maggie starts giggling (and it's only half from nerves).

"George Luz, you are the picture of remorse."

"Ah, but I made you laugh," he says, smiling again. "You wanna head inside?"

She hesitates, and though she tries not to look down at her hand, feeling the ring where it has hugged her third finger ever since last night (she didn't have the heart to part from it even while sleeping), she does. Softening, George reaches across the gearbox and lays his hand on Maggie's knee. She draws her lips between her teeth and pretends she’s hardly noticed the feeling of his palm against her skin.

"This is gonna be great," he vows. "It's you, me, all my buddies, and all their girls—good people, remember? And good beer, or so Perconte promises. And dancing! You like dancing."

"Yep," she chortles weakly, swinging her fist across her chest, "I do love me a good shindig."

George pauses, then squeezes her knee, his thumb brushing a little higher up her thigh. Maggie almost squeaks but manages to catch the sound behind her teeth.

"You know what we're gonna do, Mags?"

"What?" She coughs lightly into her fist. "What are we gonna do, George?"

"We're gonna dance a whole lot, so you won't hafta talk much if you don't want to."

A smile creeps onto Maggie's lips, and as she pats George's hand where it remains on her leg, she fails to notice the relief that sags his shoulders when he sees she’s relaxing.

"It's not all the people that's got me nervous," she admits. "It's... Well, it's that I'm afraid I won't play the part right."

"Pfff," he scoffs, fondly wrinkling his nose up at her. "People'll take one look at us and go 'Yup. That's George and Maggie. Always have been, always will be'."

"You think so?"

"Sweetheart, I know so."

They share a smile that lasts a bit too long for friends (but just right for the relationship they're supposed to have) until a bird flying straight past their windshield startles them and they look away, laughing awkwardly. They get out of the car. On one side, George locks the doors and takes a deep breath. He can't let it on, but he's starting to have doubts about this ruse—is one afternoon of pretending worth the sting of tomorrow, when they'll go back to how they really are and laugh about this later? He's not so sure anymore. On the other side of the car, Maggie straightens her blue dress and looks up at the four o'clock sun with a smile, her confidence revived, oblivious to George's fresh uncertainty.

"Ready to go, sweetheart?"

He offers her his arm and she gladly takes it.

"Ready as I'll ever be, darling."

Once the excitement of their arrival has subsided (Maggie is unsurprised to learn George is very popular among his former Company), George takes her up beside him and grins at the friends who've come up to greet him first.

"Fellas," he announces, "I'd like you to meet my gorgeous fiancée." 

He turns and shows her off on his arm, proud as a peacock, and for all the ridiculousness of their ruse, Maggie can't deny she feels rather special with him going on like this. 

"This is Ms. Magdalena Saas-"

"Call me Maggie."

"-soon to be Mrs. Magdalena Luz. Can you imagine that?"

"Yeah, Luz, that's usually how matrimony works," teases a friendly face out of the already amicable crowd. He takes George's hand to shake, then Maggie's. "Harry Welsh. Great to meet you, at last, Maggie. Luz here hasn't stopped talking about you for weeks—not that I'm any better about my own wife."

Flustered stupid, Maggie can only nod and blurt out a meek, "Oh?"

"Oh, yeah. Every time I call, it's Mags this and Maggie that." He chuckles. "I think he talks about you more than I talk about Kitty."

"Now that's saying something."

A smart young woman with a brilliant smile has appeared; she beams at Maggie, brightening up visibly when Welsh wraps his arm around her.

"I'm Kitty."

"I figured."

As they shake hands, Kitty laughs. "You do seem like a good fit for George—at least, from the stories Harry's told me."

"Better than good!" George declares, and the mystery of his sudden disappearance is solved when he hands Maggie one of the two beers in his hands. "She's absolutely perfect."

Maggie can feel her face heating up. Luckily, before she's forced to make a witty quip to deflect what she takes for a lie, Harry makes a face and jokes a complaint at George.

"Hey, what about my beer?"

"And mine?" Kitty laughs.

"I'm goin', I'm goin'," George laughs, waving off their teasing. "You stay put, Mags, I'll be right back."

He leaves them again, but not without planting a quick kiss on Maggie's knuckles, the left hand that blatantly bears his ring. She can feel her face heating up. Not for the first nor the last time tonight, she wonders if she's made an irrevocable mistake in agreeing to this mad plot. George gets a fiancée and points with his friends out of it, and she gets—what? A place at his side at his wedding to another woman and the whatever-it-is she's calling a secret but can't even decide for herself. Her throat gets tight, but she swears she won't cry, not until she's home and alone and this unreal night is over.

"Maggie, was it?"

It's Kitty, looking at her with growing concern. 

"Sorry if I'm being nosy, but are you feeling alright?"

Maggie shifts on her feet, wishing she had pockets or a handbag or really any place to put her hands. She fiddles with her fingers and averts Kitty's well-meaning smile.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine."

"You sure? That's the same kind o' shifty-eyes bullshit-"

"Harry."

"Sorry, love. The same kind of shifty-eyes nonsense I pull when I'm not feeling well." Welsh frowns. "Come to speak of it, I usually come down with a cold this time of year..."

"Oh, no-" Maggie forces a laugh. "-I'm in good health."

But are you heartsick? Kitty asks with her eyes, and as much as Maggie wishes she could hide it, she's never been much good at camouflaging her heart. Just as she's about to mutter some excuse and run away to sit in the car until the reunion is over, George resurfaces. Once he's passed along the second pair of beers to his friends, he wraps his arm around her waist and tucks her against his side as if she belongs there. After a beat, she relaxes, reminding herself who she's doing this for.

"Hope you didn't miss me too long," George says, and when he steals a fleeting kiss on her cheek, he scans her gaze to make sure she approves. She puts on a smile and nudges his shoulder with her own, and his smile grows just enough for her to relax.

"Miss you?" She turns to Kitty and laughs. "I couldn't get rid of him if I tried."

She giggles. "He does seem rather attached."

"Hey," George pretends to complain, "I brought you a beer!"

Maggie giggles. "Oh, darling, you know I'm just as bad about you."

He looks astonished, and Kitty and Harry both laugh, not knowing how she has offered this confession like it's a known fact. George puts on a smirk and winks at his 'fiancée', who doesn't have to fake the blush his affection brings to her cheeks.

"That's right. Who could ever get enough of the one and only George Luz?"

He tickles her waist with the arm he's got around her, and as she almost spills her beer laughing, she has to remind herself he is her best friend and nothing more, no matter how affectionate he is tonight.

"Oh, stop it, you," she protests, pressing herself against his side to get away from his wicked fingers, and he grins.

"You know you love me."

"Uh-huh."

She expects him to drop the matter, but he persists.

"What? You mean to say you don't?"

"Oh, brother. Here we go again."

"Stop the party, there's been a murder—of my heart!"

"Kitty, S.O.S."

Kitty, who has been laughing this whole while, sobers herself up enough to pat Maggie sympathetically on the shoulder and then promptly lapses back into laughter.

"Harry, are you hearing this?" George gasps, clutching his beer to his chest and almost spilling it down his shirt.

"Loud and clear."

"She's trying to turn Kitty against us!"

"You are such a drama queen."

Maggie grins and tips her hand at Welsh. "Thank you. Agreed."

George sighs and droops his head, sipping forlornly at his beer until Maggie gives him a pitying look and nudges a kiss onto his cheek. He lifts his chin and sniffles.

"I hope you know that I, at least, love you."

"I love you, too, George."

Pretending not to mean it is difficult, and when his grin finally returns in full force, she has to look away lest he realizes the truth to her words—or, worse, he gets the idea to confirm their played-up affections with a real kiss. Hiding in her beer, she listens to George chat with Harry about this and that for a minute more before they part ways, her and George going to meet other friends while Kitty and her beau try to find a spot at the packed bar.

"You think they bought it?"

Maggie's smile flickers, but she nudges George's arm and scrunches up her nose at him playfully. "Of course, they did. We're two peas in a pod, you and I."

He beams. "Yup. We go together like peanut butter and jelly."

"Sunshine and summer!"

"Rainstorms and cuddles!"

Maggie laughs. "I dunno about that last one..."

"Pfff." He loops his arm around hers as they walk. "The only good thing to do on a rainy day is cuddle up with blankets and popcorn and a good movie—and especially with good company, if you've got it."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah." He shoots her a smile a bit fonder than she expects it to be. "Next time it rains, I'll be sure to call you up."

Maybe this time it's not so unwarranted when her heart gives a tremble.

"I'll bring cookies."

"And I'll pick the movie?"

She quirks a brow. "Just so long as it's not Seven Sinners again."

"What, you didn't like it? I mean, I've only seen it fourteen times, I could go for one more."

"Fourteen?! You've really seen it fourteen times?!"

"Sure have." A cheeky grin. "Viewing number fourteen was with you. And I, for one, wouldn't be opposed if you were there to make it fifteen..."

"Jesus Christ Almighty." Maggie shakes her head. "Watch it again on your own rainy day time, not on mine."

He snorts a laugh. "Oh, fine."

"But hey, if you're gonna watch Meet Me in St. Louis again—don't watch it without me!"

"Wouldn't dream of it, love."

Before she can wrap her head around the new pet name, he's started cheering a name, and he drops her arm (not unkindly) to embrace a trio of men who are all grinning to see him.

"If it ain't George Luz!"

"Babe Heffron! How you been?"

"Good, good. Bill and I joined a pool team." Heffron wiggles his auburn eyebrows. "You oughta see us on a good night—we rock the damn house!"

"Yeah, playin' with my techniques," grumbles another who's grinning just as much as smirking. "Still never got that game from you, Luz."

"That's 'cause I beat you at darts one too many times and you never wanted to play me in anything again, Johnny."

The group howls with laughter, and just when Maggie thinks now would be a good time to slip away and maybe find Kitty again (or a stiffer drink), George steps back and takes her hand.

"Fellas, this is the love o' my life," he says, and when he stumbles on the last word as if realizing what he's just said, Maggie doesn't notice, too caught up in the second use of 'love' in reference to her over the last few minutes. "'Member when I told you 'bout my fiancée back at that poker night last month? I know you couldn't make it, Malark, but I bet one o' these two fools mentioned it sometime."

"Johnny did," chuckles the second ginger of the trio. "Said you talked about her the whole night."

George grins. "Sure did. Drunk and sober."

As the other two grin, remembering the circumstance likewise, Maggie finds the courage to step forward and offer her hand. She means to shake and introduce herself, but her left hand is her dominant, and all eyes go to the ring. The one George has called Malark lets out a low whistle as they all crowd around.

"That is one helluva ring."

"That's a sapphire, right? Pretty."

"You musta saved up for months for that, Luz."

Maggie draws her hand back, self-conscious, only to realize what they're saying is not just complimentary but their honest revelations. Her face feels warm. She thought the ring was just a costume piece George had bought or borrowed from a friend in the theater business (of whom he has many). Knowing he went out of his way to buy a real genuine engagement ring for her—well, for tonight—has her feeling all kinds of ways—but no, she ought to focus, not break the facade. While she's been reeling, George has been telling the story of where he got the ring, and though she regrets missing most of it, she catches the last bit about seeing the ring in a shop in New York City and knowing it was perfect for her. Malark whistles a second time and (perhaps a little belatedly) extends his hand to shake. Maggie, embarrassed enough as it is, almost blurts out an apology when the ring in all its glory grazes his skin.

"Donald Malarkey, ma'am," he says without batting an eye. "Pleasure to meet you."

The other two echo the sentiment (while looking her up and down appreciatively) and she repeats it back to them as she learns their names. Malarkey's fellow redhead is Edward Heffron, who they all call Babe—"'Cept for my girlfriend, funny enough."—while the man with the perpetual smirk to his smile is John Martin.

“Admire while you can, gentleman," George encourages, squeezing Maggie's hand where he still holds it between them. "You'll never see such a beautiful woman again."

Maggie has to put her beer down on the nearest table before she sips at the wrong time and chokes on it. 

"George!"

"What? It's true."

"It is most certainly not true."

Maggie swats his shoulder harder than she means to, but his smile doesn't even falter and he grabs her hand to kiss the finger with his ring on it.

"Says who? Says you? 'Cause if so, you are very wrong, like super-duper levels of wrong-"

"George!"

"Mags!" He bats his big, brown eyes at her, and she melts. "Can't I be proud of my girl, too?"

"He sure can—and should."

"Bull!"

A tall, broad man with a cigar perched in his crooked smile shakes George's hand heartily, then does the same to Maggie, adding a kiss to her cheek for good measure.

"Pleasure, ma'am," drawls the tall man. "Denver Randleman, at your service."

"Charmer," George grumbles, wrapping his arm around Maggie's back, and she wonders for half a second if he's jealous.

"It's a good thing I like the charmers," she teases him, testing the waters, and when his brow bends down, she hurriedly adds, "I wouldn't be marrying you if I didn't."

Immediately, the frown is gone. He lights up like the star map in her living room, the one he nearly knocked over just a few hours ago when he burst into her house with a dozen roses and a cheery promise that he'd make tonight worth it. For the most part, he's lived up to that pledge.

"Marrying him!" Malarkey whistles for the third time that night. "Never thought I'd see the day."

"What?" Maggie chortles. "Did he used to be a- a playboy, or something?"

 Heffron bursts into laughter, and George, a little disgruntled, pushes him into Martin. They have a brief joking spat before tuning back in to what Malarkey's been saying about George.

"-was a bit of a flirt, sure, but honestly? I thought it would take longer for him to find somebody who lived up to his expectations."

"Oh, yeah?"

"He's really a hopeless romantic," Malark goes on, oblivious to the squinted, disapproving look he's currently receiving from George. "But hey, so am I." He raises his glass. "To love!"

"To love!"

They all drink, George and Maggie a bit more than the rest for the same undisclosed reason.

"And thank God he tripped over you," Heffron jibes, nodding to the sapphire on Maggie's finger. "You're a saint for takin' him off our hands."

George grumbles a retort, but then Maggie kisses his cheek, and all his discontentment vanishes in an instant. It doesn't go unnoticed by either of them that this is the first time she's been the one to initiate physical affection tonight. George hands his beer to Heffron and fans himself with his hand, spouting nonsense about how hot she is until she takes him by the arm and drags him away to—as she excuses to his friends—"find a better use for his stamina on the dance floor".

"My beer!"

Grinning, Heffron raises it in a toast and takes a sip—it's his beer now. George pouts, but the look lifts when Maggie bumps his hip with her own.

"You can have mine," she laughs, picking it up off the table, "just stop gushing about how great I am!"

He scoffs. "Now why would I do that?"

"Because, um..."

They've found a spot on the edge of the dance floor, but they can't go out there with the beer still in hand, so they trade it back and forth as they talk.

"Because?" He prompts, his smile turning a little devilish. "You can't even think of a reason."

Maggie makes a face. "I do have a reason."

"Then what it is?"

Passing back the glass as it quickly empties, she leans in and whispers in his ear, coming up with an excuse on the spot. 

"Think of how many guys have brought their girlfriends and wives here."

"So?" 

"You don't wanna offend anybody by saying rash things like that. I certainly don't wanna offend anybody."

"By bein' your pretty self?"

"George," she murmurs, but she's blushing, and there's no hiding it from him.

"Hey, I'm not the outlier here." He nods toward a couple across the room, raising his voice. "Look, Bill's over there showin' off his wife."

The man George refers to is standing with a crutch on one arm and a very pretty, very pregnant woman on the other. Maggie hums under her breath.

"Wow, they sure didn't waste any time once he got home."

George chokes on his beer. Stifling his laughter into snorts as Maggie rubs his back, trying to coax the breath back into him, he gasps, "Guess not."

"Heya."

Malarkey, along with Heffron, has followed them over after a detour to the bar. He glances between the pair, a brow quirked amusedly. 

"What'd I miss?"

"They're flirtin', ya dingus," Heffron reprimands jokingly. "Leave 'em alone."

Maggie's face suddenly feels hot. George sighs, leaning close to whisper a reassuring joke in her ear that's meant for her and her alone. When his breath tickles her ear and she shivers, she wonders if there is some universe where this isn't a charade and he feels a chill when she comes so near. She giggles belatedly, and Malarkey chuckles, sipping at his drink.

"Say, how'd the two of you meet? From what I heard, they tried coaxing it outta Luz the last time some o' the guys met up for poker, but no dice."

"It's not a very remarkable story," Maggie deflects bashfully, and George pouts.

"Aw, c'mon. It's remarkable to me, sweetheart."

"Sorry, darling-" Without thinking much about the familiarity of the action, she draws her thumb across his upper lip, ridding it of a thin layer of foam. "-I guess it is a little bit remarkable."

He beams and pleasantly surprises Maggie when he holds her closer, practically hip-to-hip, his arm snug around her back.

"You know, you really were the talk o' the night." Martin quirks a slight smile. "All good things, of course. 'Luz's wonderful fiancée' and all."

"Of course," Maggie gasps, baffled, and when George kisses her cheek, she turns to him beseechingly. He pats her hand and turns to his buddies with his typical grin.

"We met at Cape Cod last summer, on the beach."

"Right," Maggie breathes. "I remember it like it was yesterday."

Heffron, along with the others, grins. "Yeah? Do tell."

"It was about a year ago—last June."

Maggie glances at George, hoping he'll let her take charge of this lie of theirs for just a minute, just for the part that is completely true. He seems happy to oblige, his smile widening as he nods for her to go on.

"It was a very hot day, so I was out with some friends on the beach. I'd just come in from the water—I like to surf, see—and I was just getting ready to sunbathe when darling George here-" She jostles her pretend beau a little, pleased when it makes him laugh. "-was running to catch a baseball and tripped right over me."

"He what?" Malarkey gasps as Heffron throws his head back in laughter. 

“When I said you tripped over her, I didn’t actually mean it, Luz!"

Malarkey’s laughing now, too. "I knew you were clumsy, George, but holy hell!"

George hits his arm in a friendly punch, mumbling that his balance is just fine, thank-you-very-much, but when he looks back at Maggie, there's an affection creeping into his gaze that surprises her. Sure, they're friends, and they've been friends for a while, but he's looking at her with the kind of tenderness she'd expect him to show to—

To someone he really does want to see walking down the aisle to him one day.

"What can I say?" George quips, taking over when he sees Maggie has hit a standstill. "The minute I saw her-" He lays his hand over his heart. "-I fell."

Malarkey, Heffron, and a newly resurgent Bull Randleman all groan, but when Maggie laughs, they light up with smiles fonder than she expects.

"Wow. Somehow, Luz, you've managed to find the one person who actually laughs at your crummy jokes."

"They're not crummy," George and Maggie chorus, and Malarkey and Heffron share a grin.

"Uh-huh."

"They're not!" George insists with Maggie nodding right along, glancing up and down his face while he's too indignant to notice.

"Fine, they ain't crummy," Heffron concedes. "But hey—what happened next?"

"I took one look at her and told her I was gonna marry her someday."

Maggie can't help a laugh. "I think it went more like 'Sorry for tripping over you, can I marry you? Today?'"

Even Randleman rumbles a laugh.

"And what did you say?"

"No," Maggie admits, stifling her own amusement. "I said no."

"I'm pretty sure you hesitated," George insists, trying to maintain some of his dignity, and though Maggie shrugs mildly, willing to accept this, Heffron is apparently not.

"You sure it ain't 'cause you were helpin' her to her feet after knockin' her clean over?"

Malarkey jumps in on the action. "And then the first thing you said to her was 'sorry, marry me now'—jeez, Maggie, your head must've been spinning."

"It was," she giggles.

"If I'm hearin' this right-" Even Bull inputs his two cents. "-sounds like you were still strangers at that point."

"We were."

"But now," George interrupts, reclaiming the floor, "we're not. In fact-" He wiggles his ring finger as if it's Maggie's, grinning like this story really is the beginning of a happily ever after. "-we're engaged!"

"And congratulations for that!" Malarkey exclaims, beaming. "Say, would you mind if I took your girl for a spin on the dance floor, Luz?" He nods at Maggie. "If you want to, of course."

"Yeah, alright," she agrees, and George echoes the phrase, though a little more breezily than she would have expected. She gives her hand to Malarkey and they step out onto the dance floor, joining the multitude of veterans and their beloveds already two-stepping the night away.

"You sure can dance!"

As her partner twirls her, Maggie laughs. "Thanks! So can you!"

"You think so?"

"Yeah!"

"I'm glad!" He nods over at the other side of the dance floor. "I'm tryin' to catch the eye of the girl behind the bar over there, and my buddy Perconte—he lives kinda local—told me she likes to dance, so..."

"You want me to help you look good?"

Malarkey shrugs, too sheepish to confirm it, and Maggie grins.

"Any friend of George's is a friend of mine!" She clicks her heels, takes his hand, and kicks their dancing up a notch. "All you had to do was ask."

They jitterbug and jive out on the dance floor for a good ten minutes. About halfway through, Maggie twirls Malarkey three times and mutters in his ear with each pass that the pretty girl from the bar is looking their way. He straightens up, shoots her a grin, and dances some of the best swing Maggie has seen in years—not that she would give up George as her permanent dance partner for the world. They even get a small round of applause when the song on the radio trumpets its last riffs, and Maggie pushes at Malarkey until he takes a small bow. In return, he has her curtsy, and when she looks up, her cheeks warm, the first thing she sees is George looking at her from a dart game he doesn't seem all that involved in. There's a gap in the crowd that fills in an instant, but the look on his face has her heading for him immediately.

"Are ya winnin', champ?" she teases, coming to hang nonchalantly off his arm, and he gives her a crooked grin.

"'Course, I am."

A man Maggie doesn't yet recognize lands a perfect shot, and amidst the cheering of other onlookers, he turns to the pair, grinning.

"That'll be one lovely pack o' smokes, Luz."

"Damnit."

Maggie snickers as George puts down his beer to free one hand, and he wrinkles his nose up at her. She kisses the corner of his mouth and he beams until his darts opponent clears his throat.

"Aw, c'mon, Buck, didn't we used to play together?"

"Yeah," Buck chuckles, "used to." He takes his tan cap, the words 101st Airborne emblazoned in white on the front panel, and tips it at Maggie. "Evening, ma'am."

"'Evening, ma'am'," George mimics, fishing the cigarettes out of his pocket, and Maggie laughs as he hands over the goods.

"I'll reimburse you."

He waves her off. "Nah, you don't hafta-"

"Shh," she says, perking up, and when he follows her gaze over to the bar, he tenses up.

"Malarkey? What about 'im?"

"Just watch."

George's shoulders are still stiff, but he complies, and together, they spectate as Malarkey leans on the counter, stalling the pretty bartender. She seems interested, glancing him up and down, and when he jabs his thumb back toward the dance floor, Maggie grabs George's hand and squeezes. 

"What-"

"For good luck."

George goes quiet, leaving Maggie unaware that the thought of his mere self being a sort of good luck charm to her has left him in a real tizzy.

The bartender Malarkey is flirting with glances over his shoulder at the dancers, then back at his smiling face. Maggie squeezes George's hand a second time.

"Moment of truth."

After a beat, the woman sets aside the glass she's been wiping with a dishrag and starts to nod, a smile creeping onto her lips. Maggie doesn't realize she's grinning twice as wide until she looks back at George and sees him visibly ease, uttering a laugh that betrays his relief.

"Didn't think you'd be playing matchmaker tonight, sweetheart."

"And I didn't think we'd be so good at being engaged, so what's the bigger surprise here, darling?"

He blinks at her, whatever tease he'd been about to toss back dying on his lips, and her cheeks heat up.

"Forget I said that."

"Yeah, nope."

"George-"

"Absolutely not forgetting that." His grin is infectious. "You're right, sweetheart, we are excellent at being engaged."

Maggie is still embarrassed, but as he holds her by the hips and sways her a little, her own lips start to turn back up.

"I guess we really do go together well."

"A little too well." His mouth turns up on one side, but his usual confidence is missing from the look, and it catches Maggie's attention. "You know, for a minute there, I was a little afraid Malark was gonna steal you away from me."

She laughs lightly. "Who, little old me? I'm lucky as hell I somehow managed to get you, George, no way I'd leave you in the dust like that. Besides-" She wiggles the fingers on her left hand. "-I'm clearly quite committed."

He doesn't banter back as she expects; in fact, he's fallen completely silent. The seconds pass and her cheeks heat up as he just stares at her, the beer in his hand dripping condensation down his wrist, all but forgotten.

"Don't talk like that," he says quietly, and she glances aside, chuckling awkwardly as she reaches for a counter napkin.

"Right, right, sorry. This isn’t real." She pats his wrist dry. "Where'd you-"

"No, not that."

"What?" She looks between his damp skin and the napkin, confused. "Did you... want your hand to be wet?"

"No, no-" He shakes his head, but she only glances up briefly. "-don't talk like that about you being lucky."

Maggie eases, laughing gently. "Why? I meant it. There ain't nobody out there like my George Luz."

He quirks a small smile, but it's fleeting, and she realizes she's misunderstood him again.

"Thanks, love-" He's frowning, and it makes her sad. "-but it's the 'somehow managed to get me' bit that I'm stuck on."

"... Yeah, I kinda figured that out as you were sayin' it."

"It's not true, Mags. There's no 'somehow' in there. You-"

"Didn't really get you," she reminds him for her own sake more than his, forced to check her overeager heart. "But, uh..." 

"What?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, you're kind of the only guy who talks to me... on a regular basis." She clears her throat. "Who's my friend, I mean."

"That's stupid."

"That you're my friend?"

"That men aren't falling over themselves for you like you deserve."

There's such righteousness in his gaze when she meets it that she can't help but blush and stumble over her words. He takes this as if he's said something wrong and sighs, looking away. After a beat of uncomfortable silence, he turns back to her with a smile plastered on his face and downs the rest of his beer in an impressive swig.

"Wanna hit the dance floor with me?"

She can tell he's faking his enthusiasm, but she matches it, taking his hand when it is offered and letting him lead the way.

"Hey, George?" she asks as he finds them a spot on the edge of the floor, not far from where Malarkey and his pretty bartender are dancing with stars in their eyes.

"Yeah?"

She lifts up her hand only to discover it's still holding George's. They share a brief laugh as they find a rhythm in the music.

"Where did you get this ring, anyway? Was it really in New York City?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

He's distracted by something, but what, she can't tell. As they keep dancing and he trips over his feet more often than usual—noticeably so—she starts to worry. Then he almost knocks over another couple and she drags him off the dance floor, brushing off his apologies for windmilling his arms like that.

"I don't know what's gotten into me tonight," he says, and though she can tell it's a lie to make her worry less, she pretends to believe him, only worrying more.

"That's alright—I think I've had enough dancing for now," she replies, pretending she's tuckered out, and he nods, quickly leading her away from the epicenter of the music and chatter. They find a table near the back, one of the only empty ones, and when she sits down, kicking up her feet, she's not surprised that he doesn't join her.

"Why don't you go socialize?" she suggests, deciding that must be what's on his mind.

"You sure?"

"These are your people. Go make 'em realize just how much they've missed ya." A smile as she reaches up and pats his cheek. "You're a real hoot, George Luz. Life o' the party."

He's smiling again, but still, he hesitates. 

"I don't want to just leave you here."

She laughs. "I think me and my aching feet will survive."

A wince. "Sorry about that."

"Don't be." Sincere, her smile grows. "Really, you should go talk to people. That's what we're here for, George—not for this song-and-dance with you and me but for you to catch up with your buddies."

Finally, he gives in, his smile growing where he had not before allowed it to. He leans down, kisses her right on her lips, and as he steps back, he tugs fondly at a loose curl by her ear.

"Thanks, love."

He's gone into the crowd before either of them has realized what he's just done wasn't supposed to happen, and Maggie's startled gasp almost makes her fall backward, chair and all. Kitty Welsh—savior that she is—steadies her and pulls up a chair, but Maggie is so bewildered that she hardly registers Kitty's teasing greeting.

"Hello? Maggie? You with us?" Kitty frowns. "Frannie, did you happen to catch how much this dear's had to drink?"

The very pretty, very pregnant woman that Maggie recognizes as Bill's wife huffs as she lowers herself into the next available seat. "Nope," she replies once she's settled in, "but I know drunk, and pretty Miss Dazed here ain't drunk."

"He kissed me."

Kitty and Bill's wife—Frannie, her name's Frannie—share a look.

"Yeah, honey—is that... unusual?"

"Well, I mean, we're engaged... I just can't believe it."

"Ah." Kitty relaxes. "Young love." 

Frannie rubs Maggie's shoulder, and it's quite soothing, enough so that Maggie snaps out of her shock.

"You're still in the honeymoon phase, aren't ya, sweetcheeks?" Frannie supposes. "Still can't believe you got that happy ending?"

"Yeah," Maggie sighs happily, using the better part of her willpower to keep herself composed and play along with their assumptions. "Yeah, that's about right."

Kitty's smile grows. "That's sweet. You really love him, huh?"

"I do. I really do."

It's such a relief to admit it after all this time that the admission comes out louder than Maggie means it to. She covers her mouth and giggles when the two wives fondly echo the sentiment for their own husbands.

"Bill's a handful, but he's my handful." Frannie giggles. "Not that I'm an angel, either."

"Oh, hush. You're better than he deserves."

"Kitty!" Frannie playfully swats her friend's arm. "What if I said that about you and Harry?"

"Then you'd be wrong."

Frannie rolls her eyes. "No justice for the wed."

"She's married, too," Maggie points out, nodding to Kitty, and Frannie lets out a booming laugh that has her husband grinning broadly at her from all the way across the room.

"I knew I'd like you, sweetcheeks." A small smirk as she reaches over and pats Maggie's hand, the one with the ring on it. "I think you'll enjoy married life."

"Oh, and speaking of," Kitty chimes in, "congratulations!"

"Oh—oh, thank you."

Both women are now beaming at her, and Maggie isn't sure how she manages to keep her chin up and pretend she's really one of them.

"When's the wedding?"

"It's, uh..."

"Late October."

"George!" Maggie clasps her hand to her chest, playing off the shock he's given her as a joke. "I thought you were mingling."

"Yeah, I was, but I missed you."

She blushes, and Kitty and Frannie share a knowing look.

"Well, we'll leave you to it."

They get up and start to leave, and Maggie isn't sure she wants them to. She can't find it in herself to say so, though, so she faces her heart—otherwise known as George Luz—and acts as if he left her with his usual smile and not a very unusual kiss.

"You didn't have to come back so soon-"

She gives a start as soon as she looks up.

"George, what's the matter?"

"Matter?"

"You've gone pale."

"Oh." He glances to and fro. "I... I think I need some air."

She's seen this before. Sometimes the memories from the war will hit him out of nowhere and Mr. Life of the Party will need a minute to himself. She's not surprised it's happened here, with all his buddies from the service, so when he looks at her imploringly, she takes him by the hand and scans the venue for the closest exit.

"Alright. Let's go get some air."

He heads for the back door, and though she tries to tell him it only leads to an alleyway, her words fall on deaf ears. She squeezes his hand, trying to remind him she's right here by his side, where she'll always be, no matter what, even when it hurts to know she can't promise him any of that out loud. He knows she cares, right? She wouldn't be here with him tonight, with this beautiful, damning ring on her finger, if she didn't care.

She just hopes he doesn't see all the way through her. No coming back from that.

The door hasn't finished shutting behind them when George drops Maggie's hand. He leaves her on the stoop, crossing the few short strides to the opposite wall of the alleyway. He leans against the tattered bricks, crosses his arms, and takes a few slow breaths. Patient, she sits down and waits for him to ask anything of her, anything at all.

"God, this was a terrible idea."

She knows what he means as soon as the words are out of his mouth. It still doesn't lessen the sting—but there's no shock to the admission. After a few seconds of waiting for him to go on, maybe to take it back, she leans her elbows on her knees and sighs.

"If it helps at all, I was kind of expecting this to happen."

"Expecting what to happen?"

"You to figure out you didn't want... this." A faint chuckle. "I mean, it was your idea, but sometimes impulsive things like this-"

"Impulsive?"

"Yeah. Impulsive."

"No."

"No?"

"Seven months and one day."

This timespan does not ring a bell anywhere in her memory. She looks up at him, her confusion evident in her expression. He's still leaning on the brick wall, but he's straightened up, and the color is returning to his face.

"Sorry?"

"Seven months and one day. That's how long I've had the ring."

"... Okay?"

She blinks. If there are dots to be connected here, she can't find them. George groans and rubs his face with his hands. Maggie starts to rise, but he shakes his head, and she sits back down.

"So you've had the ring for seven months."

"And one day."

"And one day," she amends. "Is... something about it bothering you?" She curls her hand into a fist and hides the blue gemstone against her skirt. "I can take it off. If anybody asks I can say I didn't want to drop it dancing and put it away for safekeeping in the car."

He's still quiet, and it's so unlike him, so unnerving, that she wants to cry.

"George, it's alright, I'll take it off-"

"Don't!"

"Don't?"

"Please don't," he says, and he's begging, and she doesn't understand.

"Why not?"

"I- I can't see you without it."

She balks. "What? What does that mean?"

Maggie can count the number of times she's left George Luz speechless on one hand. Beholding the terror in his eyes as he gapes at her is the most frightened she's been since the war ended. Steeling the last of her nerves, she jumps up, stamps her foot, and, for the first time since this lie of theirs started, stands her ground.

"Christ Almighty, George, if you don't tell me what the fuck is bothering you so much, I'm gonna go back in there and drag Malarkey away from his pretty bartender for another dance!"

"Oh, please don't do that."

She throws her clasped hands out at him like a last-resort prayer.

"Then tell me what's wrong."

He drops his hands to his sides. They hang there, empty, until she steps forward and takes them to hold. Finally, he draws his gaze up to meet hers, but it doesn't last long before his attention falls to her lips. Twice.

"I want it to be real."

This, combined with how he licks his lips before glancing at hers for the third time, knocks the breath out of her.

"What?" she tries to ask, but all that comes out is a whisper—and worse, her voice breaks.

George takes it the wrong way. He steps back, drops her hands, and presses his back against the bricks as if he can blend in, hide from her there. Unfortunately for him, his shirt is not red but a pale blue. She helped him pick it out not six hours ago. She would have gone with a nice forest green—she thinks he looks especially excellent in the color—but she was worried it would remind him too much of his Airborne uniform, especially today.

"I shouldn't have said that."

She startles back into the moment. They've been staring at each other; only now has one of them (him) broken the silence.

"George-"

"Just- just go back in there and tell them I went out for a cigarette break, they'll get it, they know how it gets, with the nicotine—and jeez, it's June again, did you know Normandy was in June? It must'a been in the papers, you prob'ly read all about it-"

"You really did buy the ring for me, didn't you."

It's not a question. It's all clicking into place; the more he rambles, the more anxious he gets, and the more she hears threaded between his buzzing. Knowing she's come to understand makes him fall silent and look away. She feels as though she can feel his heart beating against her very own. He's afraid. She wants to tell him Don't worry, I am, too, but when she steps toward him, he turns his gaze further away, looking down the long alley at the quiet street. 

"Did you? Buy the ring for me."

He tries to take a deep breath, but it shakes, and they can both hear it.

"George, please."

He nods, just once, but it's enough.

"You bought the ring for me because you actually did want to marry me."

"Did?" He chuckles hoarsely. "Whoever said it was a 'did' and not a..." 

He trails off, but they both know what he almost said.

His voice drops and his head goes with it. 

"God, I really wish I had you- shit, I mean, a smoke right now..."

"A smoke?" she asks skeptically. "You want me to go ask that Buck fella for one for you? I'm sure if I was nice about it, he'd-"

"No!" 

He lurches toward her, then freezes as if he's forgotten he's supposed to be walling himself away from her. He swallows; she watches his Adam's apple bob.

"No?"

"Don't go."

"Alright, then do you want a smoke or do you want me? Because I can give you one of those things, but probably not the oth-"

"You!" he cries, and it's as if the words have been ricocheting around his chest all night, made louder every time his heart skips or flutters. "Always- always you."

He scrunches up his face as if he's trying not to cry, and Maggie drags her knuckles under her eyes, trying to diminish her own tears. 

"Goddamnit," he whispers. "I'm sorry, Mags. I'm real sorry."

She sniffles. When he shuffles a step towards her, it's instinctual; he's quick to retreat again. Finally brave enough, she goes and wraps her arms around him. It takes a moment, but he returns the embrace, a bit clumsily but no less earnestly than he might have yesterday, before this all began.

"I'm sorry, too."

"For what?" He snorts derisively at himself. "What in the hell could you possibly have done that's more insane than buying your best friend a goddamn engagement ring-"

"Falling in love with him the day I met him, how about that?"

He gapes at her.

"You what?"

She sighs. His nose flutters; his breathing is still unstable.

"George, when you asked me to marry you that day on the beach, I didn't freeze up 'cause it was such a startling thing to ask a stranger—even though it definitely was-"

"You didn't?"

"No. No, I froze up because I looked at you, with your big, brown, puppy-dog eyes and your smile all stricken by something that I think might have been awe, and my first instinct was to say yes and marry you on the spot.”

"It was?"

"Yeah, it was." 

Maggie shrugs, running her hands up and down George's arms, hoping to soothe him. Her touch, accompanying her confession, seems to do the trick.

"It took all of five minutes for me to fall in love with you then and I'm still in love with you now. Now, I dunno if that's crazier than buying somebody an engagement ring before you've asked 'em out on a first date... But hey, if our standard here is longevity—whether it be two and a half weeks or seven months and one day—then I'm pretty sure I win."

They share a faint laugh, always watching each other's expression, worried one will frighten the other off if they say just one thing too much.

"Only by a few months."

"Aw, there's that smile." Maggie reaches up and caresses his cheek, and to her continued delight, he leans readily into her touch. "I love that smile."

"Sweetheart?"

"Yeah?"

He turns his head and nuzzles a kiss into her palm, and the warmth that fills her chest is more comforting than he could ever know.

"What was that secret you wanted from me? After this was all over?"

"Honestly?" Her smile turns a little shy. "It was you all along."

His grin falls, and for a moment, she's terrified he's only now come to realize all she's been saying. And yet, he doesn't turn away, he steps toward her, and his lower lip is trembling when he murmurs:

"You really do love me."

"I really do," she confirms, still a little afraid he's going to run despite the ring he's now taking off her finger—

"George? What’re you-"

"I know this might not be the best place, but I wanna do this right before I lose the nerve."

He drops to one knee. She gasps, and again it sounds strangled, but this time, he takes her surprise at its harmless face value.

"Marry me, sweetheart?" He's choking up, she can hear it in his voice just as much as she can see it in his eyes. "Marry me for real?"

"Yes," she whimpers, "yes, I'll marry you for real—but for the love of God, George, kiss me."

He surges up to meet her, and they embrace like they've been waiting an aeon for this moment. It kind of feels like they have, even though they've known each other for only a year. He kisses her dizzy and she returns the favor. His hands on her face, caressing her arms, bunching up the back of her dress at the small of her back to pull her flush against him—it's all she's ever imagined and more. When she twirls a brown curl around her finger and accidentally tugs, he groans into her mouth. She nearly has a heart attack from all the things it—he—makes her feel. When they stumble back into the dance hall, drunk off each other, they beeline first for the bar. A celebration is certainly in order—be it two toasts or ten—and if they get too drunk, someone here will get them a hotel room or a taxi. Maggie spots Kitty and Frannie and breaks away, murmuring apologies when she sees the pout already forming on George's face.

"Meet me over there," she mumbles against his lips, delaying to kiss them several times before making her departure.

"You look happy," Kitty remarks as Maggie floats on over. "Happier, I should say, happier than you've looked all evening."

"I am, and for jolly good reason!"

Maggie's two new friends lean over the table towards her, pleased that she has come to them first with her shiny news.

"Oh, go on," Frannie urges, "Spill the beans!"

"It's George- well, it's both of us, really!" Maggie blurts out, hasty in her elation.

"What about you?"

Triumphant at last, Maggie raises her left hand and shows the ladies that magnificent ring and the real, genuine promise it comes with.

"We're engaged!"

While Frannie looks confused—

"Weren't ya already?"

—Kitty's smile quickly turns knowing.

"Frannie, I think our friends Maggie and George might have been fooling us until, say, five minutes ago?"

George reappears—it seems he has missed Maggie just as much as she has missed him in the forty-five seconds they've been apart—wrapping both arms around her torso and cuddling her to him. Where the drinks he was supposed to get have gone, Maggie doesn't know and doesn't much care.

"More like seven," he mumbles into her shoulder blade, and she giggles, placing her hands over his on her stomach. They sway a bit, and Maggie turns her head to feel his glorious kiss again. He pecks her neck—mostly innocently—and little flares spark fire through her stomach.

"Love you, darling."

"Love you, too, sweetheart."

Frannie looks at the fawning couple, then at a very satisfied Kitty, then back at Maggie.

"We love you, too, Frannie," Maggie giggles, a little delirious. "And Kitty, of course."

Kitty raises her glass in a mirthful toast. "Why, of course."

Frannie shuts her gaping mouth, blinks several times, then leans back in her chair.

"Mhmm. Okay."

She takes a deep breath, then hits the table with a soft open palm, and fixes her incredulity directly on Maggie and George, who couldn't be bothered less.

"What in the flying fuck did I miss?"

#band of brothers #george luz #fanfiction #band of brothers fanfiction #band of brothers one shot #band of brothers fic #hbo war show #george luz x oc #one shot #george luz fanfiction #hbo war show fanfiction #hbo war show one shot #hbo war show fic #long shot

[l-egionaire]

This is something made from a chat between me and @ordinaryschmuck.

Just imagine Vee attending Luz's human school and on her first day, she notices how everyone either avoids her on sight or mocks her. Whenever she tries to talk to people they scoff just call her a freak. Then she runs into one of Luz's old bullied who makes fun of her and even tries to take the hexes-hold um cards she had on hand. Vee is so scared and panicked that she punches the bully hard, but she's the one who gets in trouble because the teachers don't believe her due to Luz's bad reputation and the bully pretending to be innocent

Bully: Come on Noceda, We've been doing this since 4th grade. You should know how this works by now.

Of course, unlike Luz, Vee tells Camila and when she hears about all of this, she knows she has to have a talk with Luz.

Assume that this take place in an AU where Luz is domehow able to contact the Human World using titans blood and a pair of mirrors)

So, the next time Luz contacts home, her friends standing off to the side as she speaks with her mom Camila reveals what Vee had told her about what the kids at school did.

Luz has no choice but to admit that those kids had indeed been bullying her for years and they even made sure that the other kids all ignored her or thought she was a weirdo by spreading terrible rumors about her.

And Camila ends up asking the obvious question: Why had Luz never told her about this?

Luz admits that she saw how long and hard Camila worked and didn't want to burden her with her problems after she already made her deal with so many issues due to her getting into trouble. She also, tearfully, admits there was another reason.

Luz: Whenever I tried to tell a teacher or someone else they....they never believed me. They always took the bullies side. I was just scared that... maybe you wouldn't believe me either. That you would take their side too.

Camila: Mija, I would always take your side

Luz: Then why did you send me to summer camp?

Camila falters.

Camila: Because...Because you kept doing such reckless things! The snakes, and, and the fireworks-!

Luz: I DID THOSE THINGS BECAUSE I WANTED SOMEONE TO NOTICE ME! I just..wanted one person to look at me and not just ignore me or call me a freak. 😪

Luz finally breaks down and admits she doesnt want to go back to Earth to have to face that.

Luz: "Here I have friends and an awesome girlfriend and...and people who care about me besides just you! Mom, I'm sorry. I love you, but I don't want to go back to being that weirdo freak who no one wants to be around! I...I can't go back to being alone."

Camila: But you're not alone. You have me!

Luz: And that's not always enough!

Camila looked at her in shock.

Luz: You're gone so much at work. And, even then, you're the only one who actually cares about me! If I vanished or something happened to me, no one else would care!

Luz begins crying heavily, her whole body shaking with her sobs.

Luz: I just wanted to be able to get someone else to care about me and, and LOVE me. Like you did. But...but I never could. And after a while I started thinking maybe...maybe I just wasn't someone other people could love.

A tear drops from Camila's eye. She wanted nothing more to hold her daughter and help her but she was stuck, both on the other side of the mirror and an entire world away. Hearing Luz say things like that-that no one else cared about her, that she might not be someone that could be loved- shattered her heart into pieces.

But then, Amity comes over and hugs Luz from behind.

Amity: I love you.

Then Willow comes over and hugs her.

Willow: I love you too.

Then Gus.

Gus: Me too.

Next Eda comes and holds her.

Eda: Don't even think for a second I don't too kid.

King hops onto Luz's head with tears in his eyes.

King: IVE NEVER LOVED ANYTHING LIKE IVE LOVED YOU!

And seeing Luz crying into her friends arms, as she was finally getting the love and appreciation she'd craved all these years, it finally hit Camilla. How her daughter had felt so alone and unlovable for so long. How she'd failed to notice how much Luz was hurting. How the bright light of her life who's smile always made her feel better was now so sad and crushed, and in pain and it was because she was so ignorant, Camila just...cracks. she falls to the ground and starts brokenly crying, beating herself up inside for not seeing this before it had become such a problem.

Vee put an arm around Camila to comfort her and once Luz sees her mother crying, she immediately feels guilty because she thinks telling her about all of this made her feel bad.

Luz: Mom, I'm sorry! I-i shouldn't have said all that! I shouldn't have told you-!

Camila: NO! Don't you dare say that! I needed to know that! Don't ever apologize or feel upset about how feeli g how you do!

Luz: But...but I made you cry.

Camila: And I made you feel alone. Unloved.

Luz: No. You didn't. Everyone else made me feel like that.. You were the only person that made me feel like I actually mattered.

Luz wipes away her tears and gets a genuine smile on her face.

Luz: Coming home to be with you after being ignored and bullied at school were the best parts of my days. Hanging out with you, and watching movies with you, or going out into the woods with you to play...those were the times when I never felt alone. Mom, you were never why I left. You're the only reason I even think about going back home.

Overwhelmed by their emotions, Luz and Camila stamp themselves against their sides of the mirror and cry into them. The others just watch in silence as they whisper "I love you" and "I'm sorry" and the like to each other. Letting out all their love for each other and soothing the stings of the past caused by lies.

#The Owl House #Owl House #ToH #Luz Noceda #luz owl house #toh luz #luz noceda #camila owl house #camila noceda #the owl house camila #toh camila #vee noceda #vee owl house

[pyroclastic727]

Luz is kinda right to be oblivious

I know you all are relentlessly teasing Luz for being completely oblivious to Amity’s clear romantic advances. And while you definitely have a point, Luz isn’t entirely wrong to do this. Luz’s assumption that her and Amity are just friends is her way of protecting herself and Amity.

Let’s start by laying out the scenario from Luz’s POV. You’re a human from another realm who visits a magic realm. There you meet a bunch of amazing people, but one lettuce-headed blushy mess sticks out to you. You start doing all these favors for her, things you would only do for Eda and King in the past. She returns a few of them. Then she starts getting comfortable around you, where she feels good enough to hug you and stuff. Well, then there’s this dance, and she doesn’t ask you out, and she feels bad because she’s afraid of being rejected by the person she does want to ask out. 

Well, duh, of course Amity likes her! But Luz has quite a few things to disprove that.

First off, we’ll start with the psychology that makes this possible. (This is what happens when the analysis blog takes a psych class). There’s this thing called confirmation bias, which I’d say a good proportion of you are familiar with. For those that aren’t: if you have a preconceived opinion, you’re more likely to look for things that support that, rather than those that disprove it. Everyone uses this all the time. Usually it’s fairly harmless, but when in the wrong hands, it is a powerful tool that can be used to influence elections and such.

In Luz’s case, her confirmation bias comes from good evidence. Any wlw who has actually lived on Earth knows that it’s dangerous to assume your friend likes you. First off, there’s the selfish aspect of it (you know, the “who am I to assume that I’m cool enough for someone to have a crush on me? You can’t control those things!”). Second, there’s the fact that straight girls on Earth can be very affectionate. One of my straight friends kissed me twice until I asked her to stop because I did not want to fall for her. In Luz’s mind, Amity could easily be one of those touchy straight girls. So of course she’s looking for evidence to stockpile and convince herself that Amity doesn’t like her like that.

And there sure is a lot of evidence to stockpile.

To start with, Luz doesn’t think she knows Amity that well. I mean, the girl has been to Luz’s house twice. They haven’t had a lot of time to spend together. And even their dates have been sporadic: Luz took her top student badge so Amity watched her get dissected, Luz and Amity fought to what should have been their death, Luz almost got Amity killed at the library, Luz almost got Amity’s friends killed at the Knee, Amity almost got Luz’s friend killed, and then they danced. That’s it. As for the rest of Amity’s life...that’s largely a mystery. Luz didn’t figure out that Amity’s parents are abusive until last episode! Amity was actively avoiding her on the first day (hiding out in the halls and such), so who knows what she was doing then? And she spends a lot of time with rich kids: what if one of them was her crush? There’s a lot of Amity’s life that Luz can leave up to her imagination.

Secondly, Amity has shown Luz explicit proof of liking non-girls. Particularly, Malingale the Soothsayer. While their gender was never confirmed, Malingale seems to be male or nonbinary. With Luz, this could be some extra proof of not liking girls.

Okay, well how has she not even noticed all of Amity’s blushing? She has. But here’s the thing about white people: we blush a lot. As a blush-prone white person myself, I will blush when I’m angry, when I’m humiliated, when it’s too hot, when I exercise, when I’m uncomfortable, when I’m insecure...the list goes on. From Luz’s point of view, Amity really has permanent redness. I mean, she’ll hold her breath when she’s angry and her face will go red. She could be always angry to be around Luz. And especially in the past two episodes, whenever she so much as looks at Luz, she blushes. With how red her face is, Luz could even think it’s how her face always is. Or, that it’s a skin condition she got recently. Yeah, a lot of that evidence is grasping for straws, but remember that Luz has confirmation bias working against her.

How about all those times that Amity did heroic things? Luz’s love language is literally acts of service, and Amity has done those several times. Like when she caged Luz because “you’ll only get hurt.” Or when she burst from the trees as the leaves formed a heart around her and T-posed in front of Luz. The truth behind that is that Amity is starting to pick up on how Luz shows affection and is reciprocating it in her attempts to be the type of person Luz can love. But there’s another interpretation, which Luz could easily be using. 

Luz was the one who started the acts of service. She was the one who decided to befriend the Amity, to burst in as Luzura and save her, to say she’s not actually a witch, to save her siblings, to learn an extra spell and be in Amity’s class, to go fix Willow’s memories...the list goes on. So for Amity to reciprocate that? Maybe she’s just making it up to Luz. Amity probably feels bad about all the times she has let Luz be the hero, and wants to make her feel better about it.

Amity has also shown Luz proof of liking another girl. Right before Grom was Understanding Willow, which was an episode about Amity reminiscing over her childhood crush and fixing the damage between them. Sounds like friends to enemies to lovers, the trope that She Ra showed us to be an emotional and rewarding trope. Since Luz is a fanfic type, she could totally be looking for that trope.

And besides, you saw Luz in Willow’s mind. She literally watched Amity and Willow hold hands, gaze into each other’s eyes, apologize, make up, and look like they were going to get married. Sure, Luz wanted to go in there and claim Amity, which is part of why she put her hand on Amity’s shoulder there. But she is big enough to know that when her crush likes someone else, she should back off and support it. She would rather see Amity happy than see Amity with her, if those happen to be mutually exclusive. Which she thinks they are.

Going off that, Amity’s last words before her fear was revealed were a bit suspicious. She said “I’m sorry.” Who the hell would apologize as she was saving her friend?

As audience members, Amity’s reasoning for this is clear to us. She did this because she thought Grom was going to out her in front of everyone. She thought Luz would see her crush and hate her for it. Which makes sense if you assume the point of view of Amity’s repressed self, where her only crush was literally removed by her parents, and proceeded to hate her for years afterwards. If Luz knew that a monster like Amity liked her, she would remember what happened to Willow and cut Amity off like she was a long hairstyle.

From Luz’s point of view, it’s much worse. Deep down, Luz knows that she likes Amity and wants Amity to like her back (although she might not have the words for it). And think about it: if Amity’s fear is romance-related and she’s apologizing to Luz for something, wouldn’t it be for not liking her? From Luz’s point of view, she has been pretty obvious about her crush. She literally risked her life countless times for her. She even faced her worst fear for Amity, even though Eda strongly cautioned her against it. And besides, it wouldn’t even occur to Luz to hate Amity for liking her. So Luz thinks Amity is apologizing because Amity knows that Luz likes her, and she knows that her crush will hurt Luz. That also explains why Luz didn’t recognize her own mudsona: she was looking for someone else’s face to be reflected in it, so she could maybe help Amity by being her wingman.

Also, Luz can’t even stay in the Boiling Isles. Let’s say that everything goes perfectly. Luz falls for Amity, Amity falls for Luz, they date, they kiss, they face the Emperor’s Coven together, they face whoever’s writing notes to Luz’s mom together, they call each other girlfriends...all that won’t last, because Luz has to go home. 

Luz knows this. She already knows that making attachments is bad. That’s why her mom is her worst fear: it means she loses her real mother figure Eda, her best friend King, her love interest Amity, and her friends Willow and Gus. So of course she wouldn’t want to fall in love! She’ll only end up breaking Amity’s heart, and breaking her own. She saw how Amity reacted to having to leave Willow. Do you really think she would do that to Amity?

So can you blame her for the pain in her voice when she said “that’s what friends do?” She knows that’s not what friends do. But she has to put up that wall or risk hurting everyone.

#the owl house #lumity #toh #luz noceda #amity blight #owl house #the owl house analysis #the owl house meta #toh analysis #toh meta #owl house analysis #owl house meta #luz noceda analysis #lumity analysis #luz noceda meta #lumity meta #originalpost #oblivious luz

[vegalocity]

(I’m probably gonna send you a few of these so brace yourself) Hugs #35. Hunter experiences his first ever cuddle pile when he hangs out with Luz and Her friends. - Pixel Anon

affection meme

35. cuddle pile

Pixel (adnd basically anyone lol) send me as much as you want, my computer is busted rn and i can't draw writing is all i've got.

sooo you wanted like a shitton of words about Hunter being touch starved yeah? Good here's the Extended Friend Group (Extended to include the Former Detention Kids) having a sleepover

--

Luz called him touch starved. He thought the idea was ridiculous when she'd first said it; as people touched him all the time, He had the scars to prove that people touched him all the time.

But when he'd come down the stairs of the Owl House to see her and her friends (and girlfriend) spread out along the sleeping bags and cushions, and the girl with the glasses gently placed a hand on his upper arm to keep him from bumping into her as she called back to the others that she was going to go check on the Moon Lillies Eda had let her keep here, and it felt like lightning across his skin. But like... good lightning? It made him jolt and gooseflesh rose up on his skin but it wasn't unpleasant. It felt nice... Like... really nice.

The faintest whisper of her fluffy hair brushed his shoulder as she passed him and his heart was pounding in his chest. He didn't even remember the girl's name and for a moment he was sincerely convinced he'd fallen in love with her. The moment passed and he'd recovered from his temporary insanity, but the memory remained.

Luz called him over, claiming the lot of them were having a sleepover tonight, and if he wanted to join he was welcome.

'Lot of them' was at the moment Luz, King, her friend with the glasses, a younger boy, her girlfriend, a girl with her hair tied up in a bramble scrunchy, a taller boy whom towered over him, and a four legged demon whom also wore glasses.

He only joined because he had nothing better to do. He was introduced to her extended friend group (those being Viney, Jorbo, and Barkus) Luz going on to the others he didn't remember the names of with 'and you already remember the rest of these guys'

He sat apart from the others and avoided eye contact with the glasses girl (Willow, as Luz called her upon her return) wondering idly if as a plant person she'd somehow doused herself with some sort of plant pheromone to make all boys make fools of themselves around her, but then again, Jorbo Barkus and the younger boy (Gus as he'd spoken in third person for a but while telling a story) all seemed to be unaffected.

Then Jorbo slung an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer in one arm, Barkus under his other and claimed loudly that 'the guys get to choose the game' and Hunter's brain stopped working altogether until He let him go to insist that Gus doesn't count as 'the guys' because he always sides with Luz and Willow on games anyway. And for another very stupid very insane moment he'd convinced himself he'd fallen in love again.

Though this time he'd barely had a moment to recover from his temporary bout of insanity as the two began to bicker before Barkus sighed and placed a paw on his knee in solidarity and he was sent reeling again.

This kept happening on and off all day, someone would touch him, and his insides would positively lurch and he'd fell at once like he both needed to get as far away as possible, and lean into whatever the touch was and cling to whomever was providing it. But thankfully after those first two his brain had stopped taking the exact wrong conclusions about his reactions, so he'd stopped having to talk himself down from the worry that Luz's friends were all sirens and he was falling for their trap.

But it did mean he was now acutely aware of the lot of them as they continued about their games. Amity and Luz were play acting a scene and Amity dramatically fell backward, her upper half and head resting for only a brief moment in his lap and his knees felt like jelly for almost a full hour afterward.

Gus dramatically leaped in his direction and out of reflex Hunter caught him, and he... didn't want to let go. He was able to get away with carrying Gus around for a little bit, as there were no complaints from him at least, but he let the kid drop before it got suspicious.

Viney pulled him aside and while he was getting used to people touching his arms quickly, he was NOT used to another person's hot breath on his skin as she whispered a plan to prank the others into his ear.

King was perched on his shoulders for the longest time after he'd carried Gus around for a bit, insisting that if anyone deserved to have a personal chauffer it was him. He made sure to play up how annoyed he was, but the warm fur on the back of his neck was comforting.

But Luz, Oh... Luz was the worst. She already knew his reactions to being touched before going into this, so she made sure to do it as much as possible. sitting herself right next to him and swaying side to side so sometimes she'd brush up against Amity, and sometimes brush up against him, and she was single handedly the reason why he was getting used to people touching his arms.

But then she kept upping the game. Dramatically insisting that He was too cool for this or that dumb game that she clearly just wanted him to agree to play, putting a hand on his shoulder and pressing her cheek to his, and wathcing his brain promptly shut off as he reeled over how squishy her cheek was against his. sitting o the couch as he sat on the floor, and grabbing his head, tilting him back so that his head was essentially in her lap and smiling like the cat that ate the screamerfly at his reaction as she told him something or another he suddenly couldn't pay attention to. She even got Eda involved when she appeared briefly downstairs! She called in some sort of 'owe' and Eda pulled him aside, looking put upon and sighing.

And he didn't almost cry when the Owl Lady wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him to her chest. He didn't. Her gem dug into his forehead and her nails were long and sharp as she gently brushed them through his hair, and he'd somehow never felt so protected in all of his life, the downy feeling of feathers that still clung to her dress and the soft silver hair that brushed against him in odd places, and he only put his arms around her middle and squeezed back because it was the polite thing to do. Her chin brushed the crown of his head and-.... he just didn't know he was allergic to feathers until then, okay? It just also happened to feel really really good and he didn't want to let go. That was unrelated.

Hours had passed, he'd been shocked with physical affection enough times today that he could barely remember what they'd been doing the entire night, his memory only clinging to those moments where his brain had been so thoroughly flooded with endorphins that the rest of the night was a blur.

And he HAD to go back to is room. He wouldn't be able to sleep at all in the little 'cuddle puddle' Luz and the others had arranged. If he was so distracted by which body parts were in contact with other body parts sleep would elude him entirely, and sure he used to rarely sleep at all, but that was by choice back then!

But he-

He couldn't detangle himself.

Willow used his stomach as a pillow, he watched her head rise and fall with his breaths and felt the whisper of her fluffy hair against the smallest sliver of skin where his shirt had ridden up a bit. Gus and King were curled up to one side, Gus using his shoulder as a cushion and King beside his head. Viney had grabbed his arm in her sleep and clung to it like a stuffed animal. Barkus curled up in the space between his legs and Jerbo was using HIM as a pillow. if he even moved either of his legs one or both of them would be disturbed.

And Luz of course was curled up on his other side. a hand thrown across his shoulders and breathing softly into his neck. Amity was cuddled up behind her with her arms on her waist, and she was using his other arm as her own pillow.

He was effectively buried under the entire sleepover.

The pressure of others resting on top of and near him, the softness, the warmth, he didn't even need a blanket for all the heat the other bodies were providing. A shiver crawled up his spine as Luz hummed in her sleep and he could feel it in his chest as she did so. and Hunter had to concede defeat because this felt too damn good to even want to try and pull away.

--

Eda walked in about an hour after to a silent living room save for periodic snoring, she nursed a mug of Apple blood as she inspected the effective dogpile atop of the former Golden Guard.

Wow, it was days like this where it was really damn obvious how young the kid was. She could see even from here the freshly drying tear tracks on the boy's face, all that from just some cuddling? Sure Eda wasn't the best with handling physical affection either but she hadn't cried from something like that.... ever. (though if they managed to save Raine from whatever it was Belos did to them Eda couldn't be certain that that record would keep)

When Luz had approached her about their newest 'house guest' and insisted that Hunter needed a social circle, and probably just needed affection after living most of his life under Belos' thumb, Eda had assumed that would make him cagey and aggressive at the idea of being treated softly. But... eh... She supposed people always had a tendency to surprise you.

"Gettin' soft Owl Lady..." She muttered to herself as she approached the top of the cuddle pile and placed a hand on the boy's forehead, moving just slightly to comb some of his hair from his face. Hunter let out a quiet whimper but didn't stir. She watched as a sleepy smile lit up the boy's face.

--

Send me stuff

#The Owl House #The Golden Guard #OH Hunter #Luz Noceda #Willow Park #Agustus poter #King Clawthorne #Amity Blight #Edalyn Clawthorne #OH Viney #OH Jerbo #OH Barkus #vega writes stories too #affection meme #letters to vega #Genfic but if you want to see any of the 'Hunter freaks out at someone being affectionate even unintentionally' moments as pre-ship #i won't stop you

[multimilfs]

Lilith Clawthorne x Fem!Reader: Derailed

Summary: Seikalice requested “Can I request a Lilith x reader version of the heated kisses with Eda?” and phoenixmakesjams requested “How about Lilith and reader making out.. But Eda keeps interrupting as some form of payback before things get to far?” 

A/N: I took a little break from writing yesterday to clear my mind and enjoy the calm. This is a friendly reminder to let yourselves rest every now and again!!

Writing these are so worth it, but there is only so many ways to describe kissing someone lmao. I’m trying my best. If it’s a little repetitive in that way, just ignore it, okay? 

Warning(s): Slight NS*FW at times

“What are you doing?” You asked, feeling a pair of arms wrap around your waist from behind.

“Helping.” Lilith said. As if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

She was most definitely not helping. Not one bit. But you were enjoying the kisses being placed on your neck, so you weren’t going to complain. If you complained, she would stop. So instead of saying anything, you just let out a contented hum.

The Owl House, for once in many months, was quiet. It was a pleasant change. After defecting from the Emperor’s Coven, Eda had been kind enough to let you two move in. It had been a big adjustment, but it had been surprisingly easy to navigate. For you. Lilith had been on thin ice with the residents of the Owl House for cursing Eda. Which was rightfully deserved. You’d been furious for weeks after you found out.

More recently, the residents of the Owl House had been trusting Lilith more in small ways; letting her help with meals, offering solutions on certain scenarios, etc. She was taking to it surprisingly well. For the afternoon, Eda had even let her stay back at the house with you, to help prepare lunch. Usually the witch dragged Lilith with her, making her help with something illegal that she knew her sister would hate. It was her punishment. And though you found it amusing, you’d never tell your girlfriend that.

The plus of the house being so quiet was that it meant you and Lilith had the whole place to yourselves. If you prepared lunch in a certain amount of time, you could enjoy it. But Lilith insisted on distracting you.

“Are you trying to make your sister angry with me?” You asked, realizing that you hadn’t done anything but enjoy your girlfriend’s kisses for the past five minutes.

“What are you talking about?”

“Eda left me in charge of lunch and you are distracting me.”

“I thought you liked being distracted?” Lilith asked. You could hear the grin in her voice.

“I never said I didn’t, but I also don’t want to upset everyone by not having lunch ready.” You said, turning around in Lilith’s arms to look at her.

“They will survive.”

Lilith attempted to pull you into a kiss, but you expertly avoided it, giving her what Luz and King called ‘the look.’ It was a mixture of a few things, but the most obvious emotion on your face was annoyance. Luz compared it to the look her mom gave her when she hadn’t done what she’d been asked. Seeing your expression, the witch sighed, rolling her eyes slightly.

“You can sit down while I finish this.” You said, turning back around, resuming your task. But Lilith didn’t budge from her spot. In fact, she just resumed what she’d been doing before.

“What if I… don’t do that- but I promise to be on my best behavior.” Lilith said softly, lips hovering over that spot that drove you crazy. As much as you wanted to tell her ‘no,’ you weren’t sure you had the strength.

“Fine. Just this once.”

You tried to make it sound like you were confident in your decision, that you’d been the one to make it. The both of you knew it was because Lilith knew your weak spots. She was infuriatingly good at using them against you. Not that you minded it too much.

Lilith kept her promise for a while, allowing you to finish the majority of what needed to be done. You still had a few vegetables to cut when her hands started moving. It was fine at first, before she began to get bolder, drawing your attention completely away from the vegetables. Which was not a good idea since you had a knife if your hand.

“What happened to your ‘best behavior?’” You asked, embarrassed at how breathless your voice was.

“My promise expired.”

“Well, you better renew it, or I’m likely to lose a finger trying to finish this.”

That got her to back off for a little bit. You finished the vegetables with a speed that surprised even you. And as soon as you’d put all of it away, Lilith spun you around, claiming your lips in a kiss. You couldn’t help but let out a whimper as her hands gripped your hips.

As if spurred on by the noises you were making, she wound her legs under your thighs, before lifting you up and sitting you on the edge of the counter. Her lips never left yours, causing you to let out a surprised noise in the middle of your kiss. You could feel her smirk. In retaliation, you nipped at her bottom lip. It wasn’t much of a punishment though since she seemed to enjoy it.

So caught up in the heated kiss, you barely registered her attempting to undo your shirt. It was a remarkably clumsy effort. Neither of you wanted to break the contact, so she was attempting to undo the buttons blindly; she only succeeded in accidentally brushing her hands against your chest, causing you to let out a startled noise.

“Sorry.” Lilith muttered against your lips, before trying again, more carefully this time. She failed once again.

“Oh for Titan’s sake,” You exclaimed, breaking off the kiss, frustratedly fumbling with your buttons, “I chose the worst possible day for this damn shirt.”

“You really did.” Lilith agreed, trying to help you.

Giving her a glare, you swatted her hands away. You weren’t any more successful than she had been. Shaking with adrenaline and sweaty from excitement, you couldn’t get a good grasp on the plastic buttons.

“Oh, screw it. You can just go under it.” You growled. Lilith nodded, before you pulled her back in for a heated kiss.

It was then that the front door opened and Eda bounded into the kitchen.

“Hey, something smells goo- Oh, seriously? In my kitchen?” Eda said, loudly.

The two of you broke apart quickly, attempting to look somewhat poised. But it wasn’t going to happen. Eda had just caught you making out like teenagers, your clothing crumpled in places and hair mussed. The bright blush you were both sporting didn’t help either.

“Sorry, Eda,” You muttered, hopping off of the counter like a scolded child.

“Seriously, Lily? I let you stay home one time and you don’t know how to act!” Eda said, trying not to crack a smile at the situation. Lilith was the last person she expected to find in a compromising situation.

“If you could stop scolding me like a child, that would be much appreciated,” Lilith huffed, “Not to mention she finished her task. So you have nothing to be upset over.”

“You mean besides getting freaky on my kitchen countertops?” Eda deadpanned.

The blush quickly reached Lilith’s ears. Eda couldn’t take it anymore, letting out a loud laugh. You couldn’t help but crack a smile of your own, much to Lilith’s annoyance. With a very dramatic eye roll, she left the room, leaving you and Eda laughing.

——

As you watched the children dance around in the room, illuminated by the disco-snaggle, you were really glad you’d agreed to help. Lilith however, did not share your sentiments.

When Luz had asked the two of you to help chaperone Grom with Eda, you’d given her an enthusiastic ‘yes.’ It was adorable how excited Luz and her friends were and you weren’t going to let them down. They’d even roped you into helping with their preparations beforehand. All of which Lilith had been mysteriously absent for.

You were now watching over your part of the room, grinning as you watched Luz dance with Amity, Willow, and Gus. They all looked so lovely. Internally, you gave yourself a pat on the back. You’d helped Willow and Amity with their hair. And if you could toot your own horn - which you did, silently - they looked fantastic.

Out of the corner of your eye, you caught sight of Lilith’s dress, disappearing behind a corner. It was a lovely shade of green that complimented the color of her hair and eyes. You’d told her so, but she’d brushed it off, not very good with compliments.

“Eda, can you cover this spot for me? I’m going to go find your sister.” You said.

“Yeah. Cause a little trouble for me, won’t you?” The witch asked, the two of you sharing a grin.

“Of course.”

You left the room with a smile on your face, keeping a keen eye out for your girlfriend. It would be hard to not spot her, with her dress being so different from her surroundings. As you walked down the hallway, passing a door, a hand suddenly shot out and pulled you into the small room. You let out a slight shriek, before a hand was pressed over your mouth.

“Darling, calm down, it’s me.” Lilith’s voice penetrated the dark, making you relax from where you’d been trying to lash out. She removed her hand from your mouth.

“What is wrong with you?” You hissed.

Instead of giving you a verbal answer, her hands ghosted over your hips, and you understood immediately. Trust Lilith to choose the most inappropriate place for a tryst.

“Here? Really?” You whispered, squinting into the darkness. Your eyes couldn’t make anything out, since there was not even a speck of light.

“You can’t tell me you never thought about it.” She whispered back.

“I mean, of course I did, but I never expected you to go for it- Miss rule follower.”

“I may like to follow the rules, but bending them has its… rewards.” Her voice dropped in that way that drove you crazy.

You knew she’d done it on purpose, but you couldn’t help but give in. It had always been a fantasy of yours to have a steamy makeout session in one of the closets, but you’d never had anyone to do that with during your time at Hexside. You wouldn’t let it go beyond heavy kissing though, lest someone happened to open the door.

“Fine. We’ll discuss this later, now where is your face? I can’t see a thing in here.” You asked.

In the dark, Lilith’s hands slowly found your jaw, guiding your face forward until your lips met hers. She tasted like cinnamon and you had no idea why. Something on the refreshment table, maybe. But you couldn’t help but enjoy it.

She kissed you slowly, dragging each kiss out in a way that made you silently beg for more. You and Lilith were very passionate with one another, so a lot of the kisses you shared were a bit frantic, but you never liked it more than when she took her time. It made you feel like she’d been made to love you. Like you’d been made to love one another and only that.

When she seemed confident that she could find her way around without her sight, her hands slipped to the small of your back. She gripped your dress in her hands, pushing you forward, into her. No space was left between the two of you. You couldn’t imagine anything better than this. So you couldn’t help but sigh, almost dreamily, against her lips.

Her hands slowly, but surely, began to slip downward. And though the idea of it all was intriguing, you remembered the limit you’d set for yourself. You grabbed them and placed them back where they’d been before, pressed against your back.

“Hands above the waist, Clawthorne.” You muttered, pulling away for a moment.

“Yes, dear.” She replied dramatically.

You rolled your eyes, though you knew she couldn’t see it. It was the thought that counted. A snarky quip was on the tip of your tongue, before her lips found your neck. You went limp. There were spots on your neck that were remarkably sensitive and she knew every single one. You let her work her way around before her hand came up to cover your mouth. It was then that you realized you’d been making all sorts of unholy sounds. You couldn’t help it, though you did try. So you let her hand stay where it was.

There was a sudden crash outside of the door before the two of you were bathed in light, letting out startled shrieks. You covered your eyes while trying to peek through your fingers, hoping to get a glimpse of who had opened the door. It was then that you heard a very loud, very distinct laugh.

“Oh Lily, you are so predictable.” Eda cackled. You heard your girlfriend splutter next to you.

“I am not!”

“You so are! This was my spot, of course you couldn’t be bothered to find your own,” She said, still laughing every few moments, “How ya doin’ there, Y/N?”

Upon Eda opening the door, you’d gone into a slight panic. You had been terrified that one of the teachers or even Principal Bump had found you. The conversations that would inevitably come from that would have scarred you for the rest of your life. So you were infinitely relieved when it was only Eda.

“Yeah, just recovering, you scared me.” You said, giving the woman a smile.

“I’d say sorry, but I would probably be lying. Lily’s face was just too good.”

You watched Lilith glare at the other witch, frustration and annoyance clear in her face. Despite being the older sibling, it was always Eda who had the fun, risky experiences. Making out with girlfriends and boyfriends in storage closets, raising an army of abominations, the works. Lilith had been so eager to try it out since it was something the both of you never had during your time at Hexside. And now her sister, who’d done the same thing many times, was finding extreme amusement in the scene.

“You’re insufferable, Edalyn.” Lilith said, pushing her way past the witch.

Worriedly, you followed, grabbing at the woman’s arm gently. She nearly yanked it away before realizing it was you. Then her demeanor softened.

“She means well,” You said softly, “You know that don’t you?”

Lilith nodded stiffly, not meeting your eyes.

“And I liked it, even if we did get caught.” You smiled, giving her a quick kiss, “Now, I’m going to go chaperone the kids like we came here to do. But later, I expect you to finish what you started.”

She watched you go, a slight grin tugging at the corner of her lips. Grom night was always full of fun.

----

“That’s it, I want a divorce.”

“We’re not even married!”

“Good, then it makes it easier.” You snapped, crossing your arms over your chest.

Luz and Eda were watching the exchange with thinly veiled confusion. They were standing in the doorway, looking between you and an annoyed looking Lilith. Then they looked at one another.

“What is happening?” Eda asked cautiously.

“Your sister decided it was okay to throw away my leftovers.” You said, refusing to look at your girlfriend, who threw her hands up in annoyance.

“I told you I didn’t know they were leftovers! Everything is piled on top of each other, how would I know?!” Lilith asked.

“Use your brain, ex coven leader!”

Luz let out a relieved sigh. You weren’t actually fighting, it was just a squabble over leftovers. That made her feel a lot better. After becoming more comfortable with Lilith’s presence, she’d started to see you two as another set of guardians. The idea of you two breaking up was not an idea she was fond of.

“You’re being irrational.” Lilith said.

“It had my name on it and everything. I have a right to be mad.” You said back.

“Okay you two, go to your room and work this out. I’d like a little peace and quiet after the market.” Eda sighed, pushing the two of you towards the stairs.

Almost in unison, the two of you glared at the owl lady, who just gave you a grin and a thumbs up. You trudged ahead of your girlfriend, refusing to make eye contact. In truth, you’d been having an awful day. The only bright spot had been the leftovers waiting for you. So when you found them missing, you’d blown up at Lilith. You felt horrible about it. She didn’t know, you knew that, but you weren’t sure how to explain all of your emotions now.

Entering your shared bedroom, you left the door open for her to follow you in. You hurried over to the big window; hoping that watching the world outside would calm you down. And then maybe you could find a way to explain to Lilith how you’d been feeling.

You heard her enter the room, closing the door gently. She let out a sigh when she saw you facing away from her. Instead of worrying over what was going through your head, she sat down, pulling out a book and sliding on her glasses. She knew you’d talk to her eventually. It was just a matter of time.

Silently, you commended Eda on her choice of property. You were sure that this had to be the most beautiful spot in all of the Boiling Isles. It had beautiful views of the water and the forest. A property like this was something certain witches would pay mass amounts of money for. Not that you would tell Eda that, or she’d probably try to sell it and move the house.

As the sun was finally dipping below the horizon, casting playful rays of light across the water, you felt yourself calm fully. You had a handle on your emotions and an understanding of them. Most of all, you were sincerely ready to apologize. It wouldn’t make up for all of what had happened, but it was a start.

You stood up from your seat next to the window and walked over to your girlfriend. She looked up at you, raising an eyebrow. Gently, you extracted the book from her hands, marking her spot. And then with a little less grace then you would have liked, you perched yourself in her lap. She accepted the contact without question.

“I’m sorry, Lilith,” You said softly, gently cupping her cheek in your hand, “I woke up in a foul mood this morning and I hinged my happiness on those leftovers. It was wrong for me to get angry with you like that. I’m sorry.”

Lilith let out a deep sigh, before turning her head, and pressing a kiss into your palm. It felt like her way of saying ‘it’s okay.’

“I don’t appreciate how your outburst made me feel, but I accept your apology. I’m still hurt by the situation, however, I did instigate it as well. I’m sorry for that. And thank you for apologizing.” She said softly, placing another kiss against your palm.

You gave her a nod and a timid smile. She returned a small one of her own, before leaning forward to place a gentle kiss on your lips. It filled your chest with warmth. But quickly, one kiss turned into two, three, four… Until the gentle kisses became heated and passionate.

Her hands began to roam and you did nothing to stop them. You didn’t want to. She tugged at your shirt, so you raised your hands above her head, letting her remove it. The move forced you to separate for a moment. You could see her pupils dilated with desire, lips swollen from your kisses. She was so beautiful that it hurt.

When you came back together in another kiss, you couldn’t help but let out a small moan. She was skilled at exciting you without having to do much. And the noise must have ignited something in her because she lifted you up, carrying you across the room before laying you on your back on top of the bed.

As she hovered over you, you didn’t care about anything else. There was nothing on your mind but her. Which turned out to be a problem, when Eda burst through the door unannounced, making you realize that Lilith hadn’t locked it.

“Dinner time, love birds.” She said, sounding far too cheery for someone walking in on their sister and sister’s significant other.

You frantically threw your shirt back over your head, but it wasn’t necessary. Eda had covered her eyes before coming in. She’d known what was going on and had interrupted, simply for the opportunity to annoy the two of you.

“I hate you.” You said, sighing.

“Cute, thanks!” Eda said gleefully.

“Tell me why I shouldn’t hex you?”

“Because you live in my house.”

“She’s got a point there.” Lilith agreed, grinning when you swatted at her.

Eda may have interrupted, effectively ending your brief attempt at a tryst. But she wouldn’t be so lucky later. You’d be extra careful to lock the door. And if the two of you sported smug grins the next morning, that was between you and Lilith.

#lilith clawthorne #lilith x reader #the owl house #lilith clawthorne x reader #lilith toh #the owl house x reader #lilith the raven lady #lilith the owl house #the owl house imagine #wlw #wlw imagine #lilith clawthorne x fem reader #oct2020 #multimilfswritings

[3laxx]

Beneath Hexside High

When Boscha accidentally trashes the gym in Grudgby practice, Luz panics and pulls her in Gus' tunnel to avoid getting in trouble. Unfortunately for them, that only gets them in more trouble, as they discover some dark secret beneath Hexside...

Luz and Boscha fall through the floor into their rival school's ruins, Glandus, and discover that they aren't alone down there. Begrudgingly, they have to work together.

The summary is a little questionable but I'm tired xD I'm glad it attracted you anyway! Also I'm very open for summary suggestions, just shoot them in the comments!

In any way, have fun with this Oneshot, I had a lot of fun writing it and will hopefully be able to write more over summer.

Ao3 / FF.net

---

Grumbling, she leaned against her locker and let her head knock against the hard surface. How these things were actually alive while feeling so much like metal was still a mystery to her, even after the four years she had spent on the Boiling Isles.

She was nearing graduation now, and her choice to take all tracks took its toll now. Nowadays, she was hurrying from one class to another, trying to perfect her glyphs skills while also trying to cram as much theory into her head as possible.

Her ADHD wasn’t making her life easy, with just scribbling down notes while listening to professors droning on about something, but usually, it helped when the magic theory showed itself in the more practical lessons. Naturally, she had a lot more trouble getting all the history right, since the Boiling Isles had an entirely different chronology and events from the human world.

Here, nobody knew about the invention of the printing machine, the World Wars, or John F. Kennedy.

Instead, she was learning about the Savage ages, the emperor’s version of the history of the Boiling Isles (while Eda was teaching her all about the true history) and the different laws and establishments made over the past fifty years.

Well, her friends kept an eye on her at least.

Eda always made her eat enough, so much that she started reminding her of her mom back in the human realm by now, and King always managed to make her smile.

Willow and Gus helped her with Plants and Illusions and when Boscha had started being a little more open to the friendly human, her clique had started helping Luz along as well. With their help, Luz had managed to find a lot more glyphs still, and now at the age of eighteen, she had mastered plants and ice magic, as well as discovered useful glyphs for abominations, oracles, lightning, teleportation, and her personal favorite, mist. Well, it was more of a combination between fire and ice glyphs, which she had first discovered by mixing up drawing her glyph in class and accidentally created the mist glyph, which held properties of both the fire and ice glyph.

She could also summon clear water and had even managed to find a shield glyph, making it a lot easier on Eda and Lilith to protect the House from boiling rain.

She had even been able to find a healing glyph, which she had immediately given to the Healing Coven as well because they had a deeper understanding of their magic, and paired with the glyph, Luz had been able to learn advanced healing outside of Hexside classes together with some glyph interested healers.

By now, she could easily attend to scratches, wounds, lacerations and even ease the pain of broken bones. The healers over in the Coven loved using the glyphs as a first-aid painkiller.

The best aspect of staying here on the Boiling Isles was, of course, her chosen family and friends, but one person had managed to make her stay way sweeter.

Her girlfriend.

Opening her eyes, Luz smiled towards the chattering group of her friends closing in on her locker and locked eyes with Amity. The young witch smiled back and, upon reaching her, leaned next to her on the lockers, not minding the eye above her head blinking sleepily before closing again, and took Luz’s hand to interlace their fingers.

“Hi babe.”, she greeted and got a small meep! in return, making her smirk. Amity was still so easily flustered, she almost felt bad.

“Hi. You look tired.”, there it was. Luz hummed when she gave a noncommittal shrug, then she turned to Willow who was waiting for her attention to talk about the upcoming test in plants.

Amity and she had started dating two years ago when they had confessed during their Azura Book Club meeting. Or well, Amity had confessed, Luz had awkwardly laughed and kissed her hand.

Fond memories.

She bit back a chuckle before answering Willow while squeezing Amity’s hand softly.

“Hey Willow, by the way. I’ve had some trouble with the speed of growing flowers. Either I grow them too fast and they break or I grow them too slow and can’t get them to full bloom. What’s up with that?”, she asked, getting Willow’s full attention – and enthusiasm – for her question.

After Willow had switched to the plant track, it had become evident that the plat witch not only had quite some skill to show for this track but also the enthusiasm and interest to study hard for it. She had caught up with theory a lot faster than Bump would’ve anticipated.

Her girlfriend rested her head against her shoulder before answering Skara who had been gushing about some up-and-coming singer she heard about, and Luz couldn’t help but overhear the mini yawn she tried to cover. Apparently, she had studied all night again, and then she was calling her tired.

Luz nodded to the answer Willow gave about managing to bring the flower up to full bloom before keeping it right there, when the bell screamed and she reached down to shoulder her bag again, waving the others goodbye and tugging Amity along who was just laughing about a joke Gus made before turning back to her.

Another little yawn.

Luz hummed at that, kissing her temple. She didn’t even get a chastising clap on her shoulder, just a quiet, satisfied hum. Normally, Amity was pretty adamant about keeping public affection to a minimum, especially while they were nearing graduation. But sometimes, Luz couldn’t resist.

“I look tired while you’re dead on your feet.”, she mumbled and Amity tried to bite something back but instead, a big yawn now sounded. She grinned at that and lifted their hands, pressing a soft kiss to her fingers and coming to a stop in front of the abomination’s classroom.

Luckily, they would attend a practical class today. She was sure Amity would doze away otherwise with the state she was in. Humming, Luz turned to her and softly took her in her arms, resting her chin on the side of Amity’s head. Thanks to her heels, Amity was just tall enough for Luz not to reach the top of her head, but she was still small enough for Luz to cuddle her in properly. The abominations professor would still take a while, Luz had heard about some hold up in the oracles hallways and he had been called there to keep whatever it was under control.

Amity sighed and buried her face in her girlfriend’s uniform, before nuzzling her way up to Luz’s neck, breathing against her brown skin. Luz loved the way she was snuggling up to her, like a little cat. Whenever she was given the chance, Amity would take up any and all physical affection. Preferably in private, since she wasn’t a big fan of being observed doing so, but with her sleep deprivation, her boundaries had seemed to be somewhat adjusted.

Not that Luz minded. She loved affection from her, and she didn’t care about being in public. Sometimes she even liked it, because she could show people how much Amity was her little girlfriend.

“… Mm md m stud all nmmght…”, she mumbled and Luz strained her ears but couldn’t actually make out what Amity had meant.

“… What did you say?”, she asked and the witch huffed, before turning her head a bit so her mouth wouldn’t be pressed up against Luz’s collarbone and muffle her words.

“Mom made me study all night.”, she replied, now much clearer and Luz grumbled at that, “For the last test I got.”

Furrowing her eyebrows, Luz held her tighter, genuinely confused.

“Your last test was an A, how could she be angry with that?”, she asked and Amity huffed.

“I don’t know. I think she had a bad day.”, she sighed, then she pressed a small, hidden kiss to Luz’s neck and shook her head.

“No talk, more hug.”, she demanded and Luz knew exactly why. After this class, she would have to go to the gym to train for Grudgby and Amity didn’t like hugging her when she was sweaty. She assumed her girlfriend just didn’t like the smell. And after lunch, they both had some extra activities, which meant no Azura Book Club for the afternoon.

Luz already missed her until tomorrow.

Even after two years of a happy relationship, the longing for close proximity hadn’t lessened. Even a weekend occasionally was too long, resulting in some snippy, well-meaning comments from Eda until Luz would see her again on Monday.

The witch nuzzled closer to her and Luz leaned her head against hers, experimentally blowing some tiny baby hairs that stood away from her little ponytail, observing how they fluttered in the wind. Amity had tried resisting her mother’s demands to dye her hair again about a year back but had quickly lost the fight. Luz wondered what her hair would look like now since Amity had let it grow out a little more and kept it wilder and unruly. She would really like to see her naturally brunette hair on her. Maybe as soon as Amity turned eighteen, she was allowed to let it grow out.

Humming, Luz let herself fall back against the wall, pulling Amity with her and letting her rest on her chest due to the slight angle they stood in now, but Amity didn’t seem to mind. They waited for another bit until it became clear that the professor wouldn’t turn up anymore, so Luz coaxed Amity into following her to the communal space of the graduates, a room that was reserved for the grad class only, where they lied down on a couch together.

Sitting down against the backrest, Amity immediately slumped against her and Luz adjusted accordingly for her girlfriend to sit comfortably, before nuzzling her nose into her hair.

“What class you got after abominations?”, she asked softly and Amity hummed, a little strained.

“Runes. Can you just hide me?”, she asked and Luz had to smile about that, softly kissing her temple. Amity wasn’t even bothered by the handful of other students in the room, which painted a full picture of her exhaustion for Luz.

“I don’t think I have room to hide you in my Grudgby uniform.”, she timidly replied and Amity let out an exasperated groan, before turning to Luz and throwing both her leg over her lap and her arm around her chest.

“Pleeease, I’m so tired, I don’t wanna go to Runes.”, she whined and Luz decided she had never heard anything more adorable than her girlfriend’s whining.

“You’re top of the year. You’re not allowed to say stuff like that. Others are looking up to you.”, she jokingly mumbled, to which she finally earned the well-deserved jab in her ribs.

“You’re not allowed to say that to me, you’re my girlfriend.”, Amity grumbled and Luz giggled, somewhat sliding to the side so she leaned against the armrest instead and put her legs up on the couch after kicking off her shoes and coaxed Amity to follow her suit. Which she did and a minute later, they were lying down on their sides, cuddled up together.

“Sorry, Mi Amor, I won’t do it again.”, she mumbled, then Amity pressed her cold nose into the crook between her jaw and neck, which made her shiver. Amity loved to do that because she always had an exceptionally cold nose tip.

“Good. Accept defeat.”, the young witch huffed and Luz couldn’t help but giggle at her sleepy voice, softly kissing her forehead, before nudging her so Amity would look up. She looked up blearily, her eyes barely opened so Luz couldn’t even make out the molten gold of her iris, then she kissed her nose tip before Amity was allowed to lie back down on her chest, her nose pushing right back to the junction of Luz’s neck to her jaw. She supposed she wouldn’t ever be able to get Amity to stop that. Honestly, she didn’t want to, anyway.

“I accept defeat, oh almighty overlord.”, she softly mocked the girl in her arms and got an indignant, but nonetheless content huff back. Smiling, Luz listened to her breaths getting longer and calmer, while she kept her nose buried in her hair, enjoying smelling Amity’s very own scent paired with the shampoo she was using. Humming, the Latina finally closed her eyes as well, smiling to herself.

It didn’t take long until Amity fell asleep against her and Luz was just glad that the twins didn’t attend Hexside anymore since they had graduated two years ago.

It wasn’t that she didn’t miss their antics, but it sure made Amity a lot more comfortable not being annoyed by her older siblings all day long, since they still lived at home and she had them all afternoon still.

Luz was leaning against the side rest of the couch now and Amity had her arms slung around her torso, her cheek squished against Luz’s chest while she slept. The human smiled softly, before taking a picture on Amity’s scroll phone for her to find later, then she rested her head back against the cushion and hummed, closing her eyes as well.

She trusted the bell’s screaming to wake them up in time, so she let herself doze away softly, enjoying the feeling of her girlfriend in her arms and her head rested on her chest, their steady breathing aligning until they created a calming symphony.

Little did she know Gus found them as well after Luz had also dozed away, and taken another picture to send to them later, before sitting down on the couch next to them and starting to practice an Illusion spell he had been working on together with Luz, who had found the Illusion glyph just about a week ago.

 ---

Luz groaned when her head slammed into the stone floor and she opted to just stay on her back until the white spots of pain would stop dancing in her vision.

This decision wasn’t hers to make, though.

Because a rough pair of hands ripped her up and pulled her into a sprint. Or well, she was stumbling more than she was running actually until she regained her footing and was able to carry herself across the bumpy, uneven floor while behind them, a growl sounded.

“For fucks sake, Noceda!”, an incredibly charming voice yelled into her ear as if she hadn’t just taken the brunt of the fall for them both and she winced with the volume.

“Boscha, I swear, if it hadn’t been for you, we wouldn’t be in this situation!”, she grumbled, rubbing the spot where she had hit the stone, then she glanced over to the triclops girl.

The other teen didn’t spare her a glance while her seeking eyes followed the hallway they were running down, seeking a hideout or an exit or anything.

“That’s because you insisted on using that stupid tunnel the small faker dug to get away from Bump!”, Boscha growled and Luz finally ripped her hands away, so she could be running freely again.

“First of all, Gus is an Illusionist, not a faker. And it’s not my fault you trashed the gym just to show me off!”, she shot back and followed Boscha taking a sharp right.

“And it’s not my fault your stupid face makes me wanna throw things into it!”

The human groaned. They wouldn’t get anywhere with this.

After they had once again gotten into a fight in the gym, Boscha had absolutely trashed the place, leading to Bump demanding to speak to them and Luz, handling out of panic, pulling Boscha into the tunnel Gus had dug under the school.

The tunnel floor had opened up under the weight of the two girls, and given way to a hidden set of hallways, looking like the school floors above them. Luz had a bad feeling that they had been hidden and sealed off for a reason. Didn’t Grom live under the school or something?

She definitely remembered that Hexside had been built on the ruins of their opposing school, Glandus High. Were these ruins of the former Glandus school?

Well, it didn’t matter anyway. Because right after they had fallen into these forgotten hallways, something had started chasing them. Boscha had said it was something like rats, just essentially bigger versions from the human realm, but at the same time, she had been pretty uncertain.

That wasn’t anything like critters living off of crumbs down here. She was pretty sure it was a lot worse, maybe even Grometheus himself, but she absolutely didn’t want to find out. And to both their dismay, in their panic, Boscha and Luz had managed to find what was probably the only other hole in the ground and fallen through that as well. Now they were a long way under the school with no way back up.

Boscha took another aimless left and Luz huffed, still rubbing her head before running straight into a wall, along with Boscha who had looked behind them. Now, this was a dead end.

“Fuck. Any ideas?”, the three-eyed gaze found her and Luz quickly got up to grab Boscha’s sleeve in turn now and dart back to the hallway they had been coming from, before running again, away from the direction they had been coming from.

“I think these hallways are somewhat structured like Hexside above. If we follow this one and take a right, we might find some stairs and breakthrough.”, she rambled, her brain running a thousand miles an hour while she was trying to navigate through this maze. She hoped there would be some sort of stairs.

“Are you sure about this, Noceda?!”

Rolling her eyes, Luz shrugged and let go of Boscha’s sleeve.

“I’m assuming these are Glandus High hallways. I hope Bump somewhat resembled Hexside from it.”

Now it was Boscha’s turn to snarl.

“You really think Bump would resemble the infrastructure of our rivals?!”, she asked and Luz grimaced. She admitted, it seemed super unlikely, but if she was being honest, she had no idea. She just wanted to keep running for now. What was worrying her more was that the walls all along the hallways were somewhat lit. Which meant there was still magic lingering around here.

Was this a good or a bad sign? What if the creature chasing them was feeding off of it? Or even worse, it was the one keeping the magic alive down here?

Growling, Luz tried to keep her mind in the game instead of lapsing into theories.

They took another turn, running down a hallway and past a few abandoned rooms, but soon it became evident to Luz that if the hallways were somewhat close to Hexside above, they should’ve stumbled across some stairs by now.

“Maybe we can hide out in one of those rooms for the time being, until that thing forgets us!”, she yelped, pinching her aching sides, but Boscha didn’t lessen her sprint.

“That thing found us immediately when we fell down here! Pretty sure it uses magic tracking us!”

A nod was all Luz could muster. She groaned, taking a turn to some sort of communal area, then they sprinted into another hallway branching off of it, spending no time looking around. And sure enough, a few seconds after they left the room, she heard one of the old chairs cracking.

“Shouldn’t we find any sort of way upstairs, soon?!”, she questioned and the other teen growled, “I mean, we’re two levels below, somehow they had to be connected!”

After taking another turn, they stumbled into a big room, looking almost like an auditorium, and Luz had to break her sprint into a jog, favoring her aching sides.

“C’mon human! We gotta go!”, the witch yelled when she turned, but Luz was heaving. She couldn’t go on like that.

“I’ll try to block off here! Go around!”, she ordered and pulled a glyph, turning through the door they had been coming through. Boscha knew Luz was right. They couldn’t keep on running away like this, and she preferred the open space to the hallways as well. Grumbling, she jogged backward, then she turned and sprinted out into the hallway to go around. Luckily, they seemed to stretch all around this auditorium or gym.

Meanwhile, Luz tried to regain her breath as she threw the rock glyph, creating a wall underneath herself so whatever followed them would be confused first. Huffing, she crouched down on the ledge she had created for the beast to show itself. It had started chasing them down immediately after they had entered these halls and not let off of them. Maybe it was territorial, but it shouldn’t have found them as easily.

Groaning, Luz rubbed her sides. She was not used to sprinting that much, even after playing Grudgby for four years now. Against Amity’s endurance and Willow’s strength, she was still very much a nerd. Suddenly, silence filled the catacombs down here and the scratching and huffing from whatever had given them a good run for their lives stopped. For a short moment, Luz feared it had gotten Boscha, but she would’ve heard her screams. Probably.

Holding her breath, she fixated the door while she pulled the next glyph, a fire glyph, and remained quiet. Apparently, Boscha did the same, as she couldn’t hear a sound whatsoever anymore.

And then, hell broke loose.

Something was barreling through her wall and the next thing she knew she was falling down to the ground. Rocks of her summoned wall fell around her and dust filled her lungs before she roughly slammed on the tiles below, her elbow cracking and her head, once again, connecting with stone.

At this rate, she should consider wearing a helmet.

Quickly coming to her feet, Luz stumbled out of the dust cloud and for the first time, got a proper look at the beast that had been following them around for the past few minutes. It was big and scaly, but she couldn’t define what exactly it was. It almost looked like a mix of a rat and a lizard, just a lot bigger than was still acceptable. Its skin and scales seemed worn and battle experienced, but the beast didn’t seem old. On the contrary, it seemed quite full of energy.

A scream escaped her throat and the thing turned towards her. Where there should be eyes, there was just head. Her gaze flickering around, she saw no eyes. This thing had nothing that resembled eyes. Apparently, it was blind.

Figures why it found them so quickly.

It was completely relying on its hearing, judging by the big, mouse-like ears on top of its head. Luz breathed through. Maybe she could befriend and calm it down. After all, they fell into its territory, maybe they could satiate its rage somewhat and leave before anyone came to harm.

When it opened its big snout, though, Luz gulped and reconsidered.

These teeth looked very much made for killing.

She doubted this thing grew them for no reason. They looked like they could smash and swallow cows in whole. The thing started charging at her and she couldn’t move in shock until a fireball slammed into the side of its hideous head and she looked over to see a furious pink head between the rubble.

“Human! Do you have a death wish?!”, she heard and resisted rolling her eyes.

“How do we escape this?!”, she shot back and Boscha jumped over the debris of her failed wall, before joining her side, grumbling when she summoned fire around her hands.

“We kill it.”, she hissed and Luz slanted her lips, but she readied a glyph.

“I don’t feel like that’s the right thi-”, she began, but the triclops sent another fireball after the beast before grabbing her neck, her hand clasping too tightly she almost complained and forcing her out of the way while it charged.

“Either this thing or us!”, she called and the human sighed. Fine, she could see that logic. That still didn’t ease her mind.

“It’s blind! We could use that!”

Boscha shot her a glance and, while obviously heeding her useful information, she still seemed aggravated and annoyed with her. There was just no way to make Boscha happy.

Keeping their mouths shut and their feet planted to the ground, they held their breath. The beast shook its head after slamming into the wall, then it began sniffing around and Luz had to muffle a disgruntled groan of annoyance.

Cool, it could smell them as well. So much went for keeping quiet if it could still locate them.

Picking up her scent, it turned towards her and once again opened its snout, revealing its multiple fangs, before charging back at her and Luz could just so jump out of the way while it rushed past her.

“It can smell us!”, she yelled at Boscha who summoned some lightning to throw it at the beast, confusing it for a moment while she joined back up with the human.

“Alright then, new plan.”, the pink-headed witch shot her a glare, readying her stance, “We finally turn deadly.”

Grumbling, Luz pulled out a few new glyphs, furrowing her eyebrows.

“You do. I’ll try to cage it in.”, she held back and Boscha growled in frustration.

“Fine, you do you. As soon as you trapped it, I can kill it.”

She was just about to disagree when Boscha was already on the move. The witch sprinted towards the beast and sent powerful blasts after it, while Luz still pondered. She didn’t want to kill it. They had intruded into their territory. On the other hand, it was probably powerful enough to break out of everything Luz would cook up for it as a cage. And even if she could somehow capture it, it’d most likely starve once they left.

Huffing, the human gripped her glyphs tighter and ran after Boscha. She couldn’t prevent it and most likely, Boscha was right. They would either kill it or be killed and if she could choose, she preferred the first option to the second.

Slapping a glyph on the floor, she let a thorned vine shoot towards the beast but it smartly dodged the plant and instead opted for trampling Luz down in a big cloud of dust, while Boscha didn’t stop shooting it with everything she had.

Dazedly, Luz got back up after having felt her ribcage being compressed by about thrice her weight, then she threw another glyph to hinder it from reaching Boscha. An ice pillar slammed into its side just as it got ready to snap at the Grudgby team captain, then she huffed and propped herself up on her knees.

That had been close. The beast got back up way faster than she had been able to recharge and whipped its tail at the witch, but she managed to slam it back with a shield, causing an explosion where the tail connected with the shield.

“Human!”

Luz reacted fast and jumped to action, letting a plant glyph grow underground to resurface right before Boscha and foiling another attack, at least stalling the beast for a moment, until the witch could get herself a little farther away. She stumbled back, summoning lightning to disorient the attacker, then she made a run for it, past Luz and towards a wider space, so they could fan out and take it into their crossfire. The demon tried snapping at both of them but they were standing too far apart, both attacking it with the best they could muster until the beast managed to break through Luz’s defense and slam her into the wall behind her.

Groaning, she fell to the floor and immediately smelled the horrible stench of decaying organic material around her. The beast had her now.

She squinted her eyes and felt teeth snapping at her, yet the attacker was pulled back and only managed to bite onto her leg, dragging her with.

Opening her eyes, Luz saw Boscha having summoned a leash on which she had tried to pull it away from her.

“Fuck’s sake, Boscha! Let it go!”, she screamed in pain and gave it her best to punch and kick the beast wherever she could, but she had yet to find a weak spot.

“If you wanna be eaten, sure!”, the witch yelled back and despite the pain, Luz couldn’t help but groan in frustration. Sure, thank you, she was hanging onto that thing Boscha had caught.

Growling, she slapped a rock glyph on the floor and conjured a spike to impale the beast from beneath, but it jumped to the side. At least she had left an anchor to hold onto now, which she promptly did.

Immediately, the pull on her leg made her scream, and the beast snapped after her again in the hopes of getting more of her.

“LET GO RIGHT NOW!!”, she screamed and the pull stopped when the beast was released and jumped forward, ripping her in a different direction now, but she was prepared. A well-aimed blast from her explosion glyph shot the snout of the thing right open as the side of it had been exposed. Luz rolled away and tried coming back to her feet but there was no use.

“Strap it down!”, she yelled at Boscha who was already way ahead of her. The witch jumped past her and used the leash spell again to trap it, yelping when its razor-sharp teeth grazed her arm, then Luz slapped a glyph on the ground and a gigantic ice shard rose from the ground, impaling the beast right through the stomach and out its back.

Panting, the two teenagers watched its breathing stopping, then Boscha dropped down to the ground next to Luz.

“Titan’s fucking asshole, human.”, she fell flat on her back, panting, “Luckily for us I got skills.”

At that, the human could merely snarl as she sat up a little straighter, slapping a healing glyph on her impaled leg and making it a little better. She couldn’t quite heal up, but at least she had stopped the blood flow.

“Lucky for us I got enough glyphs packed for some reason. Oh wait, I know exactly why! Because I knew you would get us in trouble in training.”, she shot back and Boscha couldn’t do much else than laugh.

“… We’re actually a good team, Noceda.”, she finally said and Luz plopped down next to her before using her last healing glyph to stick it to Boscha’s arm, causing a low grunt from the witch as the pain subsided.

“We actually are, huh.”, grinning smugly, she turned back to the other teenager, “… ‘s that mean I’m off the bench?”

Boscha merely gave her a glare.

 ---

After a few minutes of catching their breath, they decided not to take their chances with the family of that thing.

Luz had discovered her arm that had taken the brunt of the fall from her wall was bruised and she shouldn’t move it more. At least she could move everything else. All over her body she was sporting scratches, smaller and bigger ones, and her leg had started bleeding again after the magic of the glyph had faded, even if the wounds had gotten smaller. The back of her head felt wet due to hitting it on the ground two or three times – she didn’t even remember anymore – but she didn’t dare to check if she was actually bleeding. For now, it was just a feeling and she couldn’t do anything about it anyway, because she had used up her healing glyphs.

Boscha looked just like her, except she had a laceration on her forehead from when the beast had decided to hit her force shield and sported some nasty gashes along her arm. Just like Luz, she was bruised all over.

Unwillingly, she still offered her support when Luz couldn’t put weight on her leg and let her wrap an arm around her shoulders before they could start to make their way towards the next hallway. Luz hobbled along to Boscha’s dragging steps and they made slow progress, but at least they couldn’t make out any other hostile noises for now. She didn’t suppose they could last another fight, Boscha’s bile sac was probably drained and her glyphs wouldn’t last them long anymore.

Luckily for them, they actually found a flight of stairs. It didn’t get them far, but at least they got back up to the level they had fallen into from Gus’ tunnel. Luz would really have to inform him of the maze down here, to mind when he would continue on his tunnel, not to fall down here on accident.

On the other hand, if she told him, he’d probably go down here on purpose to explore. Grimacing, she decided to tell Willow, so she could at least attempt to secure Gus’ tunnel enough so he wouldn’t do the same as Boscha and her.

Up here, the torches were all lit as well. In the dimmed light, they could see well enough to navigate around and watch for possible holes which they had been able to avoid on the level below. Which implied that this basement actually went down at least one level deeper than where they had been. At one point, Boscha requested a break, and Luz more than willingly agreed, groaning when she sat down and leaned against the wall. She had used her jacket as a makeshift sling for her arm and her leg was bleeding, not immensely, but she figured the amount she had already lost would be piling up in the future. It was just dribbling, but continuously. Boscha’s arm as well.

“Think we should just blast upwards? For all we know, Hexside’s halls should just be above us.”, the witch requested and Luz shook her head.

“There’s at least the height of Gus’ tunnel between us and Hexside’s ground level and the danger is too big that we’ll actually hit a wall and cause structural damage. Plus, we could be hurting other students.”, she quickly said while leaning her head against the wall, grimacing while she pulled her pants tighter around her wounds, in an attempt to make them stop bleeding. With just one hand that proved more difficult than she thought.

“Well, what do you propose, then?”, Boscha snarled and Luz sighed. She was not up for the snappy nonsense Boscha was pulling right now.

“We search the hole up to Gus’ tunnel and go up through there. We just took some lefts and rights. How hard can it be to find our way back?”

Boscha merely gave her a suspicious glance, then she sighed and shrugged, before helping the human back up to her feet.

“Fine, we can try that. I think it was a right, then left and two rights?”, she guessed and Luz furrowed her eyebrows.

“Wait, but wasn’t that left, right thing a dead end? Where we ran into the wall?”, she leaned against Boscha and the teenager groaned, closing her lower eyes in frustration while the third kept open, not to lose the direction of where they had come from.

“But wasn’t the big gym thing another left?”

“I think it was a right.”, Luz pondered, then she shrugged, “We’ll find it, pretty sure. We could follow some noises if you can hear some!”

Instead of broadcasting her frustration again, the Grudgby captain just started walking and pulled Luz along who tried to hobble the most balanced she could, before pulling a light glyph and activating it so it’d illuminate the way before them and help them have a little more sight than what the torches did. They bickered sometimes about the directions and ran into the wrong hallways quite a lot, but in the end, Boscha’s ears flicked when she picked something up.

“Hey, wait, I think there are some voices in that direction!”, she excitedly quipped and Luz considered this being the first time she actually saw Boscha being genuine. Just as quickly as that excitement came, she stopped it, though, “Thank the Titan, I was getting really fed up with you.”

At that, the human couldn’t help but snort.

“And what would you have done, huh? Just left me at some corner?”

Boscha shrugged non-committal and continued on until they finally saw a light that didn’t belong to the torches or the light glyph Luz had activated. Now she could also hear the voices of the students through the ceiling and let out a big breath of relief.

“Thank fuck.”, she sighed when they arrived at the hole up to Gus’ tunnel. Apparently, nobody else had discovered the hole down here. Which meant they couldn’t just pop up there looking like this.

Luz helped Boscha up into Gus’ tunnel and in turn, the triclops pulled her up. Deciding to follow the tunnel to the Grudgby field not to pop up somewhere in the school and attract any attention, they crawled their way to where Gus had shown Luz the tunnel ending beneath the bleachers. They emerged unseen and Boscha helped Luz hobble out towards the side where the bleachers were open, then they both breathed through. The sunlight hit their faces in what felt like hours to them when in reality, they couldn’t have been down there for longer than an hour.

“So, infirmary, huh?”, Luz finally broke the silence and Boscha nodded with a grimace.

“Maybe we can pretend we settled our dispute on the field.”, she added and Luz chuckled before agreeing. They made their way around the school and entered through the main entrance because that was the one closest to the infirmary when suddenly, a voice made them stop dead in their tracks.

“Stop right there!”

It sounded angry.

Luz gulped when she turned to see Amity stomping towards them, trailed by a furious-looking Willow and a guilty Gus. Trying a smile, she managed a small voice. Her girlfriend was looking like she could rip her up in the air. She was actually baring her fangs, and Willow wasn’t looking that much different.

“H-Heeey, Amity! Good that you’re here, actually, because-”

“Save it!”, she snapped and glared at Boscha who had shrunk just as much as Luz had, then she cupped her face, inspecting her up and down. When Amity pulled her fingers back out of her hair, they were tinged red, just what Luz had expected from her rough falls. Meanwhile, Boscha was arrested by Willow who was still trailed by Gus, with his shoulders pulled up, watching Willow grabbing Boscha’s ear and pulling her right to the infirmary while the Grudgby captain was weakly complaining and whining at the way she was being handled.

Luz fixated back on her girlfriend who was still looking at her red fingers, then she looked over the human once more, only now registering the injuries she was sporting. One twinge in her expression told Luz that their Grudgby lie would not hold up against her bitten leg.

“… Oh Titan, what happened to you…?”, she softly asked, so softly that Luz almost hadn’t heard her. Grimacing, she tried shrugging it off, even if her heart broke with Amity’s scared expression.

“I-I’m fine, Amity, I’m okay, it’s actually just-”, her girlfriend looked up to her and Luz cut her sentence off right when she saw her watering eyes catching her gaze.

The witch leaned towards her and pulled her head down with her hands cupping her neck, then their lips connected. Luz closed her eyes at that, savoring every little second she got of Amity’s kiss.

In the two years of their relationship, they hadn’t kissed in public, just little cheek or hand kisses. But never real kisses, on the lips, because of the public display of affection that Amity wanted to keep at a minimum.

Luz leaned into the kiss and hummed softly, enjoying how Amity’s body was pressing against her despite the pain. Her arms slowly weaving around her waist, Luz pulled Amity even closer, feeling Amity pouring all her concern and fear into the kiss. She couldn’t imagine how worried Amity must’ve been. First, they trash the gym, then they vanish completely, and now Luz turns up bleeding and injured. She must’ve been worried sick and Luz was feeling more and more guilty the longer she thought about it. Their kiss came to a gentle stop, but Amity didn’t have enough yet. She nuzzled back against her human and Luz captured her lips back, sighing with the small love confessions Amity granted her. She tilted her head a little more, allowing Amity more control, and even felt her girlfriend whining a little, mewling into their kiss. This was more of a reunion than it was a make-out.

Her fingers softly weaved into the locks around Luz’s ears, before she pulled back and her gaze sought out her human’s gaze again. Only now did Luz realize that her eyes were actually wet and that a tear rolled down her cheek.

“Oh gosh, Amity, are you crying?”, she reflexively asked and her girlfriend’s expression very quickly turned into something else. Something very different. She almost looked angry again.

“Yeah, of course, I’m crying!”, she suddenly shouted and pinched Luz’s ear, causing her to flinch and yelp, “I was worried sick about you! Nobody knew where you went until Gus said you might’ve used his tunnel and Bump got all weird about that! And now you come back injured!”

“Ouch, Ami, my ears!”, she tried but her girlfriend wouldn’t listen, “A-And about that, could we actually-”

“No, you’ll be listening to me now!”, she snapped and Luz immediately sealed her lips, her shoulders pulling up, “What you did in the gym was irresponsible and childish, and then disappearing like that is just plain careless! Am I being clear?”

Luz nodded, then she tried suppressing a little groan but Amity had caught it, her eyes suddenly widening.

“Oh Titan, that’s right! We should get you to the infirmary, immediately!”

The human nodded to that again and managed a strained smile before her girlfriend summoned an abomination to scoop her up and carry her to the healers’ office.

“… You don’t wanna carry me yourself?”, Luz dared to ask quietly and Amity turned around to chastise her more, though she could recognize a little teasing glimmer in her eyes.

“You’re covered in questionable substances and I don’t wanna touch that. As soon as you’re cleaned up, I can carry you around.”

Luz grinned at that.

---

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#the owl house #toh #luz noceda #boscha #amity blight #willow park #gus porter #lumity #beneath hexside high #fanfic

[drabbles-of-writing]

First Class Mess

This is part of my Four Years AU

AO3

Masterpost

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Living with Edric and Emira had it’s ups and downs.

On one hand, Amity could finally get away from her parents. It wasn’t a permanent living space, and she always made sure to spend at least a few nights at her parents house, excusing her absence as being busy with the Emperor’s Coven. But it was far better than trying to hide at the Owl House where her anxiety spiked through the roof, no offence to the family.

On the other hand, her siblings were an absolute mess.

,

“Rule number five, I don’t wanna see any girlfriends here.”

“Wow, okay, no, I veto that rule.” Emira said immediately, leaning her head off the couch arm to look over at her brother, who was sitting on the kitchen counter.

“Yeah, what gives?” Amity agreed, sitting on her knees on the couch.

“Amity, is there something you’d like to share with the class?” Emira asked, glancing back at her with a raised brow.

“You and I both know he just means Viney and Luz,” Amity growled, crossing her arms. “He just prefers to use the term girlfriends.”

“I meant they can’t stay over for the night,” Edric said, raising his hands defensively. “This apartment can barely fit the three of us without falling apart.” He said, gesturing to the room around them, which, admittedly, did look pretty ghetto.

“I don’t need to be dealing with you two causing more damage with your little crushes. They’re kind of known for causing trouble.” He said matter-of-factly. “And yes, I’m spreading this to Emira because it’s rude to stick it only on Amity.”

“Wow, thanks,” Amity grumbled as Emira gave an offended gasp.

“Unless someone is dying, I don��t wanna see any dates in here, understand?” Edric said. “At least not until we’ve gotten everything together in some capacity.”

“I resent this rule,” Emira insisted stubbornly.

“Yeah? Well, I’m older, therefore I win.” Edric said smugly.

“Ed, it was by eleven minutes.” ,

And that’s how Amity came to the apartment in the middle of a thunderstorm to find Edric and Jerbo in the kitchen. Both a little too close to be casual.

The second they registered the door opening, Edric sprung back. Jerbo whirled around from where he was perched on the kitchen counter (seriously, that thing can only hold so much weight).

Both of them looked like King when he’d been caught stealing from the fridge for the fifth time that week.

Amity stared at them for a few moments, her brain a little fried from dealing with the pelting boiling rain earlier.

“You’re such a hypocrite, Ed.” She finally said, walking in and kicking the door shut behind her.

“It’s just Jerbo!” Edric defended frantically, looking wildly between Amity and a very perplexed Jerbo.

“The fact you immediately knew which rule I was talking about isn’t helping your situation,” Amity called back, throwing off her overly thick coat onto the hanger by the door, too lazy to take off her Emperor’s Coven cloak on underneath.

“And unless you want Emira to taunt you endlessly, I suggest Jerbo should leave soon. No offence,” She added, looking towards the upperclassmen.

“None taken,” Jerbo said with a wave of his hand. “Viney’s not much different.”

Edric groaned and slumped against the counter beside Jerbo, head hanging. Jerbo gave him a sympathetic pat on the back.

Amity kicked off her boots and flopped dramatically onto the couch, waving her hand above her where the boys could see.

“Either go make out downstairs or make up your mind, ‘kay? Cause I’m tired.”

Jerbo made a strangled wheezing-like noise that reminded Amity of a deflating squeaky toy. Edric sprung upwards, flushing brightly.

“We were not making out!” He exclaimed, voice strained. “We were doing nothing even remotely like that, even!”

Amity sat up on the couch, turning her head to look over at her brother with a deadpan stare. She looked like she wanted to say something, but resigned to just sighing and laying back down on the couch.

“Whatever. I’m blackmailing you with this later.”

“You suck,”

,

“Quick question,” Emira said, poking her head into Amity’s room. “I can still get away with doing something illegal here, right?”

Amity looked up from her book, giving her sister a look that said her question was the stupidest thing she’d ever heard.

“I’m only a cop when on the clock, Em.” Amity said. “Anything illegal you do when I’m not working is fair game. Legally speaking.”

“Nice,” Emira pumped a fist.

“Can I ask what you’re planning on doing?” Amity raised a brow.

“You gonna rat us out?”

“I’d be a hypocrite if I did. Like somebody in this house!” Amity added the last part notably louder.

“Amity, shut up!” Edric called back.

“...I’m gonna ask about that later.” Emira said, pointing a finger at Amity. “Anyway, Viney can’t afford the supplies she needs to help out some baby bearstripes she found. So we were just gonna steal it and stash the supplies here.”

“You’re whipped,” Edric’s voice floated from the main room.

“Shut it, Ed!” Emira snapped back.

“Yeah, sure, go steal some stuff.” Amity shrugged. “I’m not working till tomorrow.”

“So we can totally commit crimes now?” Edric asked, suddenly appearing being Emira, looking far too excited.

“I mean, yeah, but I wouldn’t recommend it.” Amity said.

“If it’s a bad enough crime I could be put on a mission to hunt the two of you down. Obviously I’m not going to raid this apartment but if I catch you on the streets it is on sight.” She warned.

“Oh, so your little Owl family gets a free pass, but we don’t?” Edric scoffed.

“I do not give them a free pass!” Amity protested. “I throw Eda in jail all the time. I’ve never even had to break her out!”

“Right, sorry,” Emira amended. “Ed meant that your hopeless crush gets a free pass, but we don’t?”

Amity growled and threw her book at the two of them. They quickly jumped back and swung the door shut, letting the book hit it instead.

“That’s a yes,” Edric snickered.

“I’m not the only one who gives crushes a free pass!” Amity shouted after them.

There were a few beats of silence.

“You have got to be kidding me, Ed.”

,

Emira knew the rules of the apartment. Which meant there were barely any and they fluctuated from day to day.

The two big ones were that anything that happened in the apartment was a safe zone, and to avoid bringing over anyone associated with the Owl House, which sadly, included Viney and Jerbo, seeing as they were friends with Luz.

They loved everyone in the Owl House, they really did. But everyone in that family was known to be very chaotic, and they’d probably break the shabby apartment or piss off the neighbors more than the siblings already had.

It was simply a precaution.

Emira, however, was a known rule-breaker.

So, it wasn’t a surprise to find Viney sitting in the living room, currently wrapping up Emira’s sprained wrist.

“You're a mess,” Viney sighed, slowly bandaging her arm. “Can’t you ask your parents to cover your medical bills?”

“Course I can, but at one in the morning?” Emira scoffed, keeping her voice low. “I’ll bug them about it later.”

“Only you would get a sprained wrist and say it’s not that big a deal,” Viney sighed, gently raising Emira’s hand and letting her hand glow, doing her best to ease the pain.

“Eh, I’d say it was worth it anyway,” Emira hissed, flinching as she felt a sharp pain in her wrist.

“Sorry, sorry,” Viney whispered, laying her free hand over Emira’s to hold her still as she slowly healed the sprain as best she could.

“I don’t have any healing glyphs, so you’ll just have to leave it be till morning. The splint should work for now, though.” She continued, looking up at Emira.

Emira was staring at where Viney was holding her hand, blushing with her ears lowered, eyes blown wide.

Though that last part might’ve been because the only light was the moon shining through the small window beside the two.

“Em?” Viney tilted her head, smiling.

“Huh?” Emira jerked her head up. “Sorry, did, uh, did you say something?” 

Viney giggled and removed her glowing hand from Emira’s wrist, though she kept holding up her arm with her other hand.

“You’re ridiculous,” She said, shaking her head.

“All the best people are,” Emira replied, dipping her head to properly meet the shorter witch’s eyes.

Viney smiled and lightly pressed her forehead against Emira’s causing the girl to freeze and stiffen up.

Emira’s face lit up and her eyes darted around, though she didn’t move away.

“S-so, sorry to hi-hide you out here,” She stuttered, shoulders hunched. “But Ed pre-pretty much broke...broke that rule s-so I’m sure it’s not...not that big a--”

“Em,”

Viney leaned forward more and squished their noses together, giving the Blight a rather amused look.

Emira quickly shut her mouth with an audible clack, meeting the witch’s gaze.

Viney slowly tilted her head forward, her eyes closing.

Emira did her best to calm her heart before leaning in as well.

Something clattered, loudly, on the kitchen floor.

Viney froze and jumped back, startled. Emira only slumped, thoroughly annoyed.

“It is one AM!” Emira snapped, leaning around the couch. “Ed, what are you doing--”

It wasn’t Ed.

Amity shut the fridge, a slice of bread in her mouth and a bag of snacks in her hands, along with the cup she had dropped.

She looked over, surprised to see Emira, before morphing into a look of understanding when she saw Viney peek out as well.

Amity took out the bread in her mouth, setting the cup down in it’s previous position by the sink.

“Carry on,” She said calmly, holding her snacks as she walked out of the kitchen and back to her room.

Emira glared in the direction where Amity left for a moment before she heard a snort behind her.

She looked back, seeing Viney was doing her best to smother a laugh.

“...what?” Emira demanded, raising a brow.

Viney broke into a fit of giggles then, barely able to smother a loud laugh that would definitely wake up Edric.

“I’m sorry, it’s just--I wasn’t expecting that!” She snickered. “What’s your sister even doing up this late?”

“I guess being up at ungodly hours just runs in the family,” Emira sighed, embarrassed as she picked up one of the pillows that had fallen off the couch with her uninjured hand and placed it in her lap.

“I take it that was probably my cue to leave,” Viney chuckled, standing up. “My dad will get worried if I’m not there in the morning.”

“Oh, yeah, right,” Emira said, visibly deflating.

“Keep off that hand, you hear me?” Viney said, gathering up her bandages and extra splints into her bag. “And go to the hospital to get it properly fixed in the morning.”

“I know, I know,” Emira muttered bitterly, looking up at Viney with puppy-dog eyes. “Do you have to go?”

“Sorry, Em. But I’d rather get at least some amounts of sleep.” Viney said. “I’ll check on you tomorrow, okay?” She said, leaning down and kissing Emira’s forehead.

Emira, somehow, lit up even brighter with her ears twitching downwards. She held her pillow tighter and buried her face in it.

“‘Kay,” She mumbled shlyly.

Viney giggled and stepped back, making her way towards the door. 

“Don’t lay on your hand too much,” She added, opening the door.

“‘Kay,” Emira repeated, lifting her head ever so slightly and watching Viney with one eye.

Viney gave a small wave before stepping out of the apartment, shutting the door behind her.

Emira only continued watching the door where Viney left, absolutely lovestruck.

“All I wanted to get was a drink,” Came a grumble behind her.

“Amity!” Emira gasped, sitting upright and looking around the couch again to see Amity had wandered back in to grab a drink. 

“I didn’t ask to see my sisters failing flirting attempts,” Amity muttered, pouring herself a cup of apple juice.

“Go back to bed!”

“I’d rather die,”

,

“Okay, okay, but what if instead of teeth, the worm had legs inside its mouth.”

“Ed, it’s like, ten. I’m not doing this right now,” Emira groaned, sitting on her bed as Edric sat on the floor beside her.

“Helps keep us awake, doesn’t it?” Edric shrugged. “Shouldn’t Amity have come back by now?”

“Maybe she just decided to sleep over and forgot to tell us,” Emira said, checking her scroll.

Sure enough, her last text from Amity, thirty minutes ago, only said ‘I’ll be back soon.’

“Doesn’t really seem like her, though.” Edric frowned.

The sound of a window opening caught their attention. Both of them scrambled out of Emira’s room and peered around the corner, curious.

Amity crawled in through the window, brushing herself off before turning back around.

Luz was outside the window, standing on her staff as it flew beside the open window. The staff lowered so Luz could learn her arms on the windowsill, giving Amity a smug look.

“See? I’m not that bad of a flier,” She said proudly.

“Uh huh, sure.” Amity said, sounding amused. “After the first couple of terrifying minutes,”

“You wound me,” Luz said with a dramatic sigh. “Why must I be cursed to be with such a cruel witch?”

“Oh hush,” Amity chuckled, batting at Luz’s arm. “You made me late!”

“Was it worth it, though?” Luz said, tilting her head with a grin.

“...yeah,” Amity admitted, turning her head away, a faint blush on her cheeks.

“That’s the Noceda charm for ya,” Luz winked.

“You’re impossible,” Amity grumbled bashfully.

“Yeah, but you like that.” Luz said, leaning forward through the window.

“Very much so,” Amity agreed, meeting Luz’s chaste kiss with a smile.

“Wha--”

Edric, who had been leaning too far out, fumbled and fell over with a loud thump. Much to Emira’s chagrin.

Amity broke the kiss and whirled around, face flushing even more when she spotted both of her siblings.

“When did you two get here?” She demanded, pressing back on the windowsill, where Luz was now staring in, startled.

“We live here, Amity.” Emira deadpanned, not bothering to help up Edric. “And you have some explaining to do, young lady!”

“I think I’m just gonna…” Luz slowly flew a few feet away from the window. “I think I’m gonna go…”

“Yeah, you probably should.” Amity sighed, looking back. “Bye, Luz.” “See you tomorrow,” Luz gave a shy smile before sitting appropriately on her staff and flying off in a flash, clearly embarrassed about the situation as well.

“Hold on!” Edric shot up from the floor. “Since when was this a thing?”

“It was recent,” Amity grumbled, shutting the window.

“Are you telling me our Mittens got herself a girlfriend?” Emira asked excitedly, spinning the girl around.

“I can’t believe she beat me,” Edric muttered, crossing his arms as he sat dramatically on the couch.

“Suck it,” Amity teased, sticking out her tongue. “And listen, I was planning on telling you, but it was pretty recent and we didn’t really--”

“How recent, exactly?” Emira raised a disbelieving brow.

Amity looked away, ears flicked back.

“Like a week and a half...?”

“...that’s reasonable.” Emira nodded, releasing her sister. “And it was about time, too!” She said, ruffling her hair.

Amity slapped away her sister's hands, embarrassed as Edric gave her a grin.

“Guess we gotta compete for second place, huh?” Edric teased.

“You and I both know you and Jerbo couldn’t ask the other on a date to save your sanities.”

“I never said it was Jerbo!” Edric squawked.

The sisters shared a knowing look but didn’t say anything.

“Anyway, I’m tired. I had a long day,” Amity said, walking by her siblings. “I’m gonna head to bed.”

“Try not to get lost dreaming about that heart-stealer of yours!” Emira called after her.

“Don’t make me come back out there!” Amity’s voice warned from around the corner.

“Whatever you say, Mittens!”

,

Amity wasn’t used to late-night shifts.

Coming to the apartment early in the morning was a pain. Her mask was pushed up on her head as she walked into the apartment on quiet feet, ready to collapse and sleep all day.

Edric was in the kitchen.

He was never up this early.

His elbows were leaning on the kitchen counter, and he was covering his face with one hand, his other clenched into a fist on the counter.

Amity blinked and took off her mask, setting it on the coat hanger and slowly walking over, worry evident on her face.

“Ed?” She asked quietly.

Edric jolted and jerked his head up, expression flashing to that of momentary fear.

He was crying.

“Mi-Mittens!” Edirc gasped, quickly wiping at his eyes. “I-I didn’t hear you come...come in,”

“Edric?” Amity rushed over around the counter, gently grabbing her older brother's arm. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” He said, giving her a sorrowfully forced smile. “Was, er, cutting some tear-peppers earlier and it hasn’t gone away yet.”

Amity sighed and looked up at her brother.

“Ed, that’s the worst lie I’ve ever heard.” She said bluntly. “What happened?” She asked again, her voice softer.

“You shouldn’t have to worry about it,” Edric insisted. “It’s my job to look after you, remember?”

“You're my brother, not my dad, thank Titan.” Amity muttered. “I’m not thirteen, Ed.” She continued. “You can tell me,”

Edric gazed down at his little sister for a moment. He swallowed before sighing and letting his shoulders slump.

“Just a little stressed,” He admitted, turning away to stare at the empty counter. “You know, what with trying to actually make a living without mom or dad's help.” He sighed.

“And then there’s the whole rebellion thing me and Em are working on. And that stupid tennant I hate. And trying to find a decent part of the Illusion Coven to join, since we definitely want to stick to that.” He continued.

“And…” He glanced down at Amity. “Well, let’s just say that fear of loneliness isn’t looking too irrational right now,” He said, sounding like he was seconds away from breaking down, hands shaking.

“Hey, that’s not true,” Amity said, squeezing Edric’s arm. “Me and Em aren’t gonna leave you.”

“Amity, you’re in the Emperor’s Coven. You're a spy. You're part of something big.” Edric shook his head. “You’ve got a lot ahead of you.”

“And Em…” He looked away. “Em’s got something going for her. You don’t become mom's favorite by being mediocre.”

“Who cares what mom thinks?” Amity demanded. “She isn’t worth either of our times. Last I checked, she was just as mean on Emira after you flunked the Emperor’s Coven tryouts as she was with you.”

“...she said a lot of things you didn’t hear,” Edric said quietly. “I’m grateful you were at the Owl House.” He murmured. “You deserve a place like that.”

Amity stared up at her brother, a sinking feeling in her stomach.

Just how long, she wondered, had Edric been hiding these things from her? From Em?

She leaned against his side, burying her head in the crook of his arm.

“You deserve it, too.” She said softly. “You were able to stand up to mom, you made your own choices and even let me live with you…I couldn’t do those on my own.” She shut her eyes.

“You never gave up, even after all that. That’s what I always liked about you, y’know?”

She felt Edric stiffen and shutter, trying to hold back cries as tears freely fell down his face. He drew an arm around his little sister, pulling her close and pressing his nose into her hair.

They stayed like that for a while. Holding each other in silent reassurances.

,

It was late in the afternoon, sunset fast approaching.

The three siblings were all at different places in the apartment, for once, having a moment of peace among them.

That was, until, the power cut out.

Amity raised her head from where she was reading on the couch. Edric paused making his sandwich and Emira poked her head out of her room.

None of them said a word for a few moments.

“Did you two seriously forget to pay the power bill?” Amity broke the silence.

“I swore I paid it!” Edric insisted. “They didn’t give a notice or anything!”

“You just keep forgetting to close the mailbox, you great idiot!” Emira growled, walking into the main room. “Maybe they just got lost or something.”

Amity got off the couch and opened the apartment door, peering out. 

There were no lights in the hallways, and she could see a few other tenants looking out in confusion as well.

“Nope, it’s a complex issue.” Amity said, looking back. “Whole place lost power.”

“Fantastic,” Emira grumbled. “In the beginning of winter!”

“At least there isn’t any snow yet,” Amity shrugged.

“We’re going to freeze to death in like half an hour.” Edric sighed, stepping out from behind the counter.

“I’m sure I could find some blankets,” Emira insisted.

“You guys know we could just like...go to the Owl House?” Amity raised a brow.

Both her siblings turned to stare at her, blinking dumbfoundedly.

“...right, you guys don’t go there as often.” Amity mumbled quietly. “Look, how about we just head on over? Eda will understand. This should only last for a day or so, anyway.”

“So long I’m not freezing, I’ll take it.” Edric said, already grabbing his coat.

“Isn’t it a bit late?” Emira worried.

“Someone in that house is always awake, no matter the hour.” Amity assured her. “They won’t mind.”

“Yeah, because you have special girlfriend status,” Edric teased.

“Jealous,” Amity shot back, a blush coming to her cheeks as she held the door open for her siblings. “The Owl House has its own power, anyway. So it should be fine.”

“And if not, you get to snuggle up to Luz,” Emira taunted.

“I’m going to let Fang bite both of you,” Amity threatened, walking out after her siblings and through the dark hallways of the apartment complex.

“Ha! Jokes on you, he already bit me.” Edric said proudly. “I’m immune.”

“That’s not how that works.” ,

“Hi, Amity!” Hooty greeted, well before the Blight siblings were at the front porch.

“Can it, Hooty.” Amity said with a sneer. “Tell Eda we’re here,”

“Oh, she already knows.” Hooty said cheerfully. “Luz saw you through the--”

The door was suddenly swung open, and Hooty’s face smashed against the side of the house, much to his complaints.

Eda stood there, looking over the two young-adults and teenager with a confused, but not unwelcome expression.

“Didja get kicked out of your apartment?” She inquired, flicking an ear.

“Power went out,” Emira explained. “Amity said you’d let us stay while it gets fixed?”

“What did I say about making decisions for me?” Eda scolded the girl. “I keep getting Luz’s friends showing up because you insist that I’ll let them in.”

“And yet, you never disappoint,” Amity said with a grin. “May we come in?”

Eda muttered under her breath about kids these days before stepping aside, allowing the three to wander on in.

“Amity,” Lilith greeted from where she was having a cup of tea on the couch. Amity swore that woman was addicted to the stuff.

“Amity!” Luz said at the same time, much more enthused as she rushed from the window and enveloped the witch in a hug. “What’s with the party?” She asked.

“Power problems,” Emira explained for her flustered sister. “We’re just gonna hang here for a bit. Don’t let us invade your mushy time,” She teased, stepping around them and looking at the house.

“Aw, come on!” King complained, crawling out from underneath the table in front of the couch. “Now I’ll never get sleep with a bunch of teenagers around.”

“Excuse you, we’re nineteen! Legal adults,” Edric corrected.

“Same difference,”

Lilith rolled her eyes and offered tea to the twins. Emira accepted it while Edric hung up their coats, watching as both his sisters seamlessly fit right into the discussions of the Owl family, despite their sudden intrusion.

He smiled to himself, slowly looking around the Owl House.

Yeah, they’d picked a good family.

,

It was late.

Amity hadn’t made it home.

Emira had called the Owl House to see if Amity was there. They said she’d left two hours earlier, and were surprised to hear she hadn’t made it back to the apartment yet.

They said Amity had left after getting a call from their mother.

It was nearly midnight.

Edric was beside himself with worry, pacing the living room.

They’d even called up Keene, the second-in-command of Amity’s Emperor’s Coven group. She had given his number to them for strict emergencies.

He hadn’t seen her either.

“I’m going to go look for her,” Edric said, breaking Emira out of her train of thought and storming towards the door. “Something must have happened with mom and dad.”

“I’ll wait for her here,” Emira nodded. “I’ll call you if she--”

Right as Edric was about to open the apartment door, it swung open very aggressively.

“Amity!” The twins exclaimed.

The seventeen-year-old stood hunched in the doorway, head hanging and bangs covering her eyes. She was shaking, violently. She was still in her Emperor’s Coven outfit, as she had visited the Owl House first and didn’t have a spare change of clothes.

“Where have you been?” Edric asked worriedly, crouching down. She was always shorter than them. “We were worried sick!”

“Did something happen?” Emira added, getting off the couch. “Mittens?”

The girl raised her head, and the twins gave a sharp intake of breath.

Amity’s face was stained with tears, her eyes red and swollen. She had a dark, angry purple bruise on her left cheek, and was rubbing at her left wrist.

“What happened?” Emira demanded, shutting the door as Edric pulled Amity into the apartment.

“I-I,” Amity stuttered, fresh tears already beginning to leak from her eyes as her siblings gently led her to the couch and sat on either side of her.

“I didn’t mean to,” Amity sniffled, shoulders trembling. “I didn’t mean to say it, I didn’t, I--”

“Hey, hey, shh,” Edric comforted, holding her hands to stop her messing with her wrist. “Just tell us what happened, Amity.”

Amity took in sharp, shaky breaths for a few moments, trying to calm herself down.

“M-mom wanted me to c-come home,” She explained, though the twins already knew. “She...she told me it was because I left something there. I-I went over and...and,”

She bit her lip, holding back a cry as Emira gently placed a hand on her back.

“She got mad,” Amity said, her voice rattly. “She...she said she talked to Keene and-and he said I wasn’t spending as much t-time at the Coven as I said...he...he didn’t know--”

“Hey, we know, we know,” Emira said softly. “What else?”

“Sh-she demanded to know where I-I’d been,” Amity sniffled, holding herself. “I did...didn’t want to tell her, so I,” She inhaled. “I got mad...I got mad, I told her it wasn’t...wasn’t her business…I didn’t even really li-live with her…”

The twins fearfully glanced at each other. Nobody talked back to their mother. Not unless they wanted a death sentence.

Edric raised his hand and Amity flinched, and he felt a stab of pain in his chest.

He slowly, and genty, brushed his hand by her shoulder, right below where her bruise was.

“It...it didn’t go well,” Amity murmured, pulling off her gloves and revealing she had a bruise around her left wrist, looking like she had been sharply grabbed.

“Did mom do this?” Emira demanded quietly, gesturing to the nasty mark on her face.

Amity didn’t answer.

“She said sorry right after,” Amity mumbled, almost inaudible.

The twins stared, horror striking them to the core. Edric wrapped his arm around Amity’s shoulders, pulling her closer. She let him, sniffling.

“...you’re not going back there.” Emira decided. “I don’t care how many laws we break. You won’t.”

“I already told them,” Amity murmured, glancing over at her. “I...I said I was a member of the Emperor’s Coven and they, they couldn’t tell me what to do anymore…”

She lifted her unhurt hand to her cloak and withdrew Fang, her palisman, who was curled around her fingers and looked up at the twins.

“Eda showed me a re-recording spell before I left. They know I can use it if, if they try to get me back.”

Neither of the twins wanted to know what that snake had seen.

“Good, because you were never going to go back there to begin with.” Edric said firmly. “Well, no, no, not good, that’s probably not--”

Emira punched his arm and he winced, but obediently went quiet.

“What if she finds out I live here?” Amity asked quietly, curling closer into Ed’s shoulder. “She-she’ll try to do something. What if she cuts you off?”

“We don’t want anything to do with her anymore, I assure you.” Emira growled.

“You-you need the money,” Amity sniffled. “I know you do.”

“We can start making our own--” “Please,” Amity turned her head, giving her sister a scared look. “Please don’t cut off mom. She’ll do something worse.” She said, voice going quieter. “Not yet. You need it now. I’ll be okay.”

Emira wanted to argue, she really did.

But she couldn’t.

Getting jobs in this time of the Boiling Isles, and in this region, was tough. Especially for illusionists. They’d made a bit of money here and there, but a lot of their support came from their mother and father, who grudgingly handed it out so to make their children at least look like they were surviving on their own, for the public.

And it wasn’t like any of them could go to the coven just yet. In a real court battle, they knew their parents would win. They always would.

It was their public image that worried them. And for now, the Blight children had the upper hand.

They’d have to let the spider come to them. As horrifying as the thought of waiting sounded.

“Alright,” Edric related, drawing circles on her arm. “But you aren’t going anywhere near them. Not ever again. Do you understand?”

Amity didn’t respond. She just pulled herself closer to Edric, shuttering with the strain to hold back sobs.

Edric pulled her into a real hug, and Emira wasn’t far behind. They both murmured words of comfort as Amity muffled her cries in Edric’s shoulder, tense with the effort.

If this was what the Blight name meant, they didn’t want it.

#four years au #the owl house #owl house #toh #drabble post #amity blight #edric blight #emira blight #amity #edric #emira #jerbo #viney #luz noceda #luz #lumity #jerbric #vinira #eda clawthorne #lilith clawthorne #king #eda #lilith #the blight parents #karen blight #chat blight #angst #hurt comfort #fluff #humor

[ramseyandrys]

we all need somebody to lean on

Book: Mother of the Year

Pairing: Thomas x MC (Meghan Day)

Word Count: ~1132

Summary: Thomas asks MC’s daughter and Luz for their blessing before he proposes.

Author’s Note: Hello! I miss Thomas, Luz, and the rest of the MOTY gang, so I decided to write this fic in case anyone else does too. Enjoy!

Tag List (let me know if you want to be added or removed): @x-kyne-x @universallypizzataco @ab1901 @mfackenthal @narrytheworld @ethandaddyramsey @eiko-helena-kamilah-medusa @mal-volaris @adrianadmirer @lifeof-liv @samihatuli @ninafont @stickydiplomatprofessorwombat @dimitriwife @pearlpangahn @50shadesofraleigh 

Thomas was driving to his house, Stella and Luz in the back seat, snacking on some pretzels. They’d just come back from Luz’s first soccer game of the season. Her team may have lost, but you couldn’t tell from Luz’s gleeful smile. The smile had been on her face since she first saw Stella in the stands. She wasn’t planning on coming, but, when Meghan called him asking to babysit, he couldn’t say no. According to his girlfriend of seven months, the boiler at the bar broke, and she needed to go and wait for the maintenance person. Thomas was more than happy to babysit Stella. He didn’t even really think about it as babysitting. Nowadays, she was just as much his daughter as Luz was. Speaking of Luz, Thomas noticed her smile fall in the rearview mirror. “Dad,” she said. Or rather whined. “We’re hungry!”

“We have food at home, Lulu,” Thomas said. Before having Luz, Thomas figured the thing he’d say most to his daughter was “I love you” or “great job”. Instead, it was “we have food at home”.

“No, we don’t,” Luz said.

“Yeah huh,” Stella said. “There’s still leftover spaghetti from last night!” Luz looked pointedly at her best friend. Stella caught her eyes, and she cleared her throat. “I mean, uh, let’s go to McDermott’s!” Thomas, who saw the exchange in the mirror, laughed.

“Okay, fine,” he said. “But we have to go through the drive-thru. I have… plans.” Luz raised one of her eyebrows.

“What kind of plans?” she asked skeptically.

“Plans with my friends,” Thomas said, not missing a beat. He was a lawyer after all.

“Your only friend is Meghan,” Luz said. Well, she got him there. The truth was Thomas had an appointment at the jeweler’s. He made the appointment weeks ago when he decided he wanted to propose to Meghan. The fact that he had to wait so long was more to do with the fact that he continuously cancelled his appointments. It wasn’t that he wasn’t sure about marrying Meghan. There were few things he was more sure about. He was just nervous about how the girls would react. He bounced back and forth from thinking he should ask for their permission to thinking he and Meghan should tell him once they were engaged— just in case she said no. He was nervous about how both of the girls would react, Luz because of Soledad and Stella because of Guy. He knew he couldn’t avoid telling them forever. He wanted their blessing and, with Meghan at work, now was the perfect time. 

“You know what,” Thomas said. “We can eat in.”

After Thomas and the girls placed their order and received their food suspiciously soon, they found a table next to the indoor jungle gym that Luz couldn’t stop eyeing. “So, girls, there’s something I need to talk to you about,” Thomas said. He figured he should tell them before he started suffering from indigestion from the greasy fast food.

“If it’s about that very small fire I started in the microwave-“ Luz began.

“What small fire?” Thomas asked. His daughter immediately closed her mouth. “Luz.”

“I just wanted to see what would happen if I put your old iPhone in the microwave!” Luz said. “It was a science experiment! Ask Ms. Eiko!”

“Technically, she’s right,” Stella said. “It’s the scientific method. She started with a question, formed a hypothesis…”

“Exactly!” Luz said.

“Luz, stop corrupting Stella,” Thomas said although he was unable to help the smile on his face. “Anyway, I wasn’t referring to that. I wanted to talk about me and Meghan and our future together.”

“Ooh, Meghan,” Luz said. Stella covered her mouth as she giggled, her mouth still full of fries.

“Yes, Meghan,” Thomas said. “As you both know, I love her very much which is why I want to ask her to marry me.” Stella gasped.

“Really?!” she asked.

“No way!” Luz said. She turned to Stella. “Yo, that means we’ll be sisters!”

“Cool!” Stella said.

“So, do I have both of your blessings?” Thomas asked.

“Duh!” both the girls said. Thomas grinned widely. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

“I can’t wait to be sisters!” Stella said to Luz.

“Yeah, and Dad’ll be your dad too!” Luz said.

“I will,” Thomas said. “I’ve always wanted another daughter, you know.” Suddenly, Stella’s exuberant smile fell. She quickly tried to recover, but Thomas noticed. He turned to Luz. “Hey, Lulu, can you get us some more napkins?”

“Why?” Luz asked. “We have plenty.” Thomas’s eyes shifted towards Stella. She was nervously twiddling her thumbs as tears welled up in her brown eyes. Luz, following his eyes, nodded. “Fine, but give me some money for a sundae.” Thomas sighed. He reached into his pocket for his wallet. He took out a wrinkly $5 bill and gave it to his daughter. “I’ll be back!” Luz stood up and ran towards the counter.

“You okay?” Thomas softly asked Stella. Stella sniffled and aggressively wiped her wet eyes with her sleeves. “Stella, if you don’t want me to marry your mom-“

“It’s not that!” Stella quickly said.

“Then what is it, sweetheart?” Thomas asked.

“It’s just… I wish you were my real dad and not just my stepdad,” Stella said. Thomas’s heart broke. After the custody battle, Guy became vindictive. He paid child support, but that was it. Every time it was his weekend with Stella, he’d claim he had to work or was sick. The amount of times Thomas had seen the little girl sitting on the couch waiting for him with her suitcase at her feet, only to be told he wasn’t coming, was heartbreaking. “You actually love me, and he doesn’t. You don’t hate spending time with me or think I’m a burden.” Thomas reached across the table and held Stella’s hand.

“Of course, I don’t, sweetheart,” Thomas said, squeezing her hand. “And neither does Guy. Your dad is just busy.”

“He’s always busy!” Stella said. “He hates me!”

“Oh, Stella,” Thomas said. He didn’t know what to say. Even if he did think Guy hated Stella, he didn’t want to get between them. Guy was a terrible dad, but he still loved her. Right? “Even though I’m going to be your stepdad, I’m still going to love you just as much as I love Luz. You’re my daughter, Stella. The specifics of how you came into my life don’t matter.” Stella sniffled.

“Really?” she asked.

“Really,” Thomas said. Stella smiled.

“Thanks… Dad,” she said. Thomas couldn’t help the tears in his eyes. Luz had started occasionally calling Meghan Mom, but he didn’t think Stella was going to start calling him Dad. Despite the tears in his eyes, he couldn’t have been happier.

#playchoices #mother of the year #thomas x mc #thomas mendez #choices fanfiction

[pyroclastic727]

I JUST HAD AN EPIPHANY

Anyways, so you know this scene?

We’ve been saying it’s the gayest scene of all time. It’s indisputable evidence that Lumity is canon. That Luz’s crush isn’t one-sided. That Amity’s facade for being a cool, confident tsundere has completely fallen apart at the sight of someone so sweet and funny as Luz.

But when it comes down to it? It doesn’t make sense. Why is she so concerned about this? They’re literally friends whose hearts race a little more when they’re around each other and who worry too much about impressing each other. How does Luz going to the same school as Amity change anything about that dynamic?

The most popular theory is that Amity is afraid of people assuming things about her. Like, that she’s not perfect because she’s close to someone. That she isn’t a top student if she has a weakness. That her gay panic is making her unreasonable.

Which is totally valid. But What If....

What if something happened before?--something with her and Willow? I mean, think about it. The Owl House doesn’t seem to have overt homophobia. Both Edric and Emira wink at Luz, even though in a heteronormative society, only Edric’s wink would be seen as blush-inducing. Viney has her own arc of warming up to Luz, getting her face next to Luz’s, making me paranoid that Lumity wasn’t going to be a thing since she was putting the Luv in Luviney. I think it’s safe to say that there is no explicit homophobia in The Owl House (Which we are all grateful for).

So why is Amity so concerned about this messing with her image?

I mean, other people can date. Amity has parents, so there’s at least one couple in this show (and who knows? maybe the majority of witches are aro/ace). Besides that, people flirt all the time (mainly with Luz). So romance doesn’t seem to be taboo here, at all. In fact, Amity having a girlfriend should make her more popular, and should be a status symbol, like it is for humans.

Besides that, what was it that Willow said about Amity? That Amity started doing better in school than Willow, so they drifted apart?

Why would she drift away?

[TW discussions of homophobia] As a Flaming Homosexual, there are two main reasons that I drift away from my close friends. One, they turn out to be homophobes and I realize later that I was better off without them (which is an entirely different story). Two, I had a crush on them and had to make sure that they wouldn’t stick around. Three, I went to a different school. That’s it. My purely platonic friends, once they get really close, don’t leave me, and if we do end up drifting apart, it doesn’t bother me like it does Willow or Amity. Since Amity’s life story and personality resonates with me profoundly, I can use my experiences as evidence.

And as for bullying old friends? I only do that in the first two scenarios, as a way of coping with the fact that my homosexuality made me lose friends. (Don’t worry, I don’t do it to their faces. Only ever around my family, actually. It’s usually me making fun of homophobes, so that’s justified.) [End TW]

So here’s my theory: Amity had a crush on Willow. And that changed everything.

Think about it: there are several different schools. Principal Bump mentioned Hexside, Glandis, and Epidermis, I think. (I know the other schools were named after skin). What if Willow didn’t originally go to Hexside? That would explain how she got her plant skills, only to end up at a different school. So she could’ve come to Amity’s school, and that made everything change.

If that’s not what happened, then there’s still the fact that Amity got good at school and used that as a way to run away from Willow. What if she was afraid of hurting her? Like, she got close to Willow. Willow trusted her to be her friend. But Amity started feeling things for Willow (who could blame her? I mean, it’s Willow we’re talking about), and she panicked. She couldn’t fall in love with her best friend! It would scare her. 

So Amity ran. She made a cult of mean girls, so Willow wouldn’t have any friends. Because if Willow had nowhere else to run to, she would run to Amity. But Amity was scared, too, because by that point she had ruined things. So she built a wall, swearing never to fall in love again. She would keep Willow away. She would become the perfect student, throwing herself into her studies and never questioning them, in order to forget Willow.

And she did. Almost.

But then Luz showed up. Willow finally had a friend, but more than that. Willow protected Luz, in the same way she used to use her plant magic to protect Amity. She hugged and high-fived Luz. Amity had lost her edge, lost her superiority. She had finally lost Willow for good. Her ex-best-friend had moved on.

So can you blame her for making an enemy of Luz?

Of course, then Luz had to complicate things. There’s a reason why everyone has cliques: people who can befriend everyone complicate things. They make you have to cooperate with people you don’t like. They make it impossible to run from your problems. Can you hate your friend’s friends? Amity needed to make sure that Luz never became her friend. 

But she failed. Not only did she fail to keep Luz away from her, but she got a crush. The same feeling she felt for Willow were back. And now Luz was associating with Willow, following the same path that Willow did. It’s no surprise that Amity is panicking. That Amity’s only first day interaction was to high-five her, something that only Luz, Gus, and Willow shared beforehand. And after that, it’s no surprise that Amity avoided Luz for the rest of the day, opting to hide in the hall and pep talk herself out of her gay panic.

And as for now? It’s only a matter of time before Amity has to face what she did to Willow. Two episodes, to be exact.

#amity blight #lumity #the owl house #willuz #toh #owl house #lumity analysis #amity blight analysis #the owl house analysis #toh willow analysis #toh willow #luz noceda #owl house willow #originalpost #the owl house meta #please show up in tags i'm begging you