Work Text:
When Luz awoke that morning she immediately knew it was going to be a bad day. She could feel it in the weight of her bones, the heaviness of her chest.
She rolled onto her side reaching blindly for her phone in the darkness.
The tiredness of the dark sky hummed above her, a sign that she had woken up far earlier than intended. A glance at her phone told her it was 4am on August 22nd.
That would explain it.
She placed her phone back onto her bedside table, rolling onto her back and staring up at the ceiling for a moment. She didn’t feel like moving, but she knew that going back to sleep wasn’t an option for her either. She let a sigh slip through her lips as she threw her covers off of her and made her way out of bed.
Her comfiest hoodie and some fuzzy socks were an immediate comfort as she grabbed her phone and slipped down the stairs as silently as possible.
What she was not expecting was to find Eda also awake, seated at the kitchen table. Her mismatched eyes shot up at the younger girl as she made her way towards the kitchen.
“Luz?” Eda’s voice was soft and hoarse, letting Luz know she too had just woken up. She held a mug of tea between her hands as she spoke. “What are you doing down here?”
“Couldn’t sleep.”
“Is everything alright?”
Luz just looked up at her, unable to form the words to express how bad she felt at the moment. All she could do was shake her head slowly, pointing off to the calendar Eda had hung on the fridge not too long ago.
She watched as Eda’s eyes scanned the calendar slowly, confusion growing over her features before they immediately softened.
“Oh.”
Luz just stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Eda’s waist. Immediately Eda scooped her into a warm hug, squeezing her tightly against her body.
“How does some tea sound? I already have some water warmed up? And maybe we can hang on the couch and watch some bad tv shows again?” Eda’s voice was soft and kind and it made Luz want to curl up and cry.
She simply nodded into the fabric of Eda’s pajamas.
“Ok, let’s go.”
Luz didn’t want to release the older woman, instead opting to hold tightly onto one of her arms as she maneuvered around the kitchen. Soon enough a warm mug of tea was placed into her hands and Eda was guiding her into the living room.
Eda settled into the couch first, pulling Luz down with her so she was almost in her lap, her legs tossed loosely over Eda’s. Eda held her tightly as she switched on the crystal ball on the table and put on some shitty drama. Luz’s head tucked into the crook of Eda’s neck, her arms still holding her tight.
“I love you Eda, you know that right?” Luz murmured.
“I do. I love you too, kid.” Was her reply.
Soon enough, Luz could feel Eda drifting off beside her, clearly the older woman had not intended on staying out of her nest for as long as she did, but just being in Eda’s arms was enough for Luz, so she let the woman slip off into sleep as they stay cuddled on the couch. Her eyes felt glued awake, however, and she found herself watching the show for hours, the thudding call of sleep banging against the back of her head.
It was 7am when Raine came into the living room. They looked confused for a moment before their eyes settled on their sleeping wife cuddled up with their daughter.
“Good morning, Luz.” They gave her a gentle smile.
“G’mornin.” She replied half heartedly. Even she could hear the weight in her voice.
Raine visibly paused, looking over the young girl. Their face dropped.
“Is everything alright?”
Again, Luz didn’t know how to put her feelings into the right words. Tears pushed against her eyes in frustration. Why did this have to be so difficult? It happened ages ago.
“Yeah, uhm, today is just a hard day for me, so…” She trailed off at the end, nuzzling deeper into Eda, who stirred slightly at the movement but didn’t wake.
It was a moment before Raine nodded understandingly.
“How does some breakfast sound? I’m sure you’ve been up for a while.”
Raine and Luz loved each other, definitely, but Luz was still growing her bond with her newfound parent, and she really appreciated how they knew when she needed her space.
“That sounds fantastic, thank you Raine.”
Raine just nodded, making their way towards the kitchen.
Just a short moment later, Lilith made her way down the stairs. She didn’t have that same peaceful look that Raine carried a few moments ago, instead she looked sad, concern weighing down her brows.
“Good morning Luz, how are you feeling?” She asked, making her way towards the younger girl. She settled on the edge of the couch beside her. It was so like Lilith to check the calendar in the morning and already be aware of what this day meant for Luz.
“I’m doing.. okay? I guess? It’s a lot.”
Again Lilith smiled understandingly.
“I know you like art, I find that painting always helps me process my emotions and make hard things feel a little better. Obviously there is no pressure, but I’m always open to painting with you today, if that’s something you’d like.”
Luz gave her a half-hearted smile.
“I’ll think about it. Thank you, Lilith.”
“Of course.” She nodded, and with that she swished away to the kitchen.
It was 8am and Luz had just readjusted to make herself comfortable on Eda when Raine and Lilith returned from the kitchen, plates in hand. King had scurried down the stairs a few minutes ago, joining Eda and Luz’s couch cuddle session.
Lilith placed two on the table in front of them, presumably hers and Raine’s. Raine carried three more, placing King and Eda’s on the table and handing another to Luz.
She could hear a gentle “Sweetheart, wake up.” from Raine beside her as they woke Eda, but she was too distracted by the plate in front of her to pay it much mind.
On the plate in front of her sat a spread of pancakes, eggs, sausage, and fruit. A human style breakfast. Raine had taken the time to make her a human style breakfast.
She couldn’t help the sob that escaped her lips as she stared at her plate. The familiar warm smell, the smell of her other home, of her mom's arms, of her parents bed late at night after a nightmare, on the nights her dad insisted on breakfast for dinner.
Quickly Raine was on their knees in front of her and Eda had a hand on her shoulder.
“Luz? I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to upset you!”
She threw herself forward, lunging into Raine’s arms. The bard's arms hovered awkwardly in the air, unsure of what to do at first, before they finally settled on stroking the young girls back softly.
“Thank you.” Was all she could get out, too choked up to speak.
She felt Raine’s sigh of relief under her.
“Of course, Luz.”
“It really means so much.”
“I’m glad you appreciate it.”
The feeling of Raine’s arms around her felt safe and for a moment she wished she could stay there forever. She could hear the sound of running off somewhere, faintly in the background. Raine held her tightly, comforting her until her tears finally stopped. She hid her face against their neck, trying to finally even out her breathing.
“You should probably eat soon, before it gets cold. I’m no human food expert, but I know it probably doesn’t taste as good when it’s cold.”
Luz let out a throaty chuckle and made her way back to her seat on the couch, wiping her nose with her sleeve. When she looked back up, King was in front of her, Francois tucked in his arms.
“Uhm, Luz,” He spoke. “I don’t know a lot of details, but I do know today is a day that’s a little hard for you. Well, Francois always helps me get through my bad days, so I thought, for today and only today, you have to promise to give him back, you could spend some time with Francois?”
Luz thought she might cry again. She scooped King up into her arms, holding him tight.
“Thank you King.”
King just hummed nonchalantly, trying not to sound bashful.
The food ended up being fantastic, it was warm and soft and why didn’t Raine cook more often?
“Thank you again, Raine, it really means a lot.”
It’s 10am when there’s a knock on the front door.
Eda and Raine have since slipped back up to the bedroom, with Raine muttering something about Eda needing to sleep somewhere more comfortable. Lilith had made her way to her room to do some work, leaving King alone with Luz in the living room.
Luz felt like she was rotting away. She hadn’t moved from her spot in the couch since breakfast and Titan, had this show always been this bad?
She rolls off the couch and pulls her hood up over her head, holding Francois, making her way to the door.
The door creaked open to reveal Amity, holding a singular white flower.
Immediately Luz stepped into her arms, relishing in the way Amity comforted her.
“Hey hey hey, it’s alright. I’m here.” She murmured.
The tears were coming again, softer this time. Amity shifted her weight so she could bear Luz’s as well, stepping into the house and shutting the door without ever letting go of her girlfriend.
“What time did you get up this morning?” Amity asked softly, her eyes following King as he rushed upstairs to leave the two girls alone.
“4” Luz groans.
Amity is kind and she scoops Luz into a bridal carry, bringing her up the stairs and back towards her bedroom.
“Well it looks like it’s naptime then.” She said as she placed her down onto her bed. Luz watches as Amity pulls off her shoes quickly, tossing them off to the side before climbing into bed alongside her.
Immediately Luz latches onto her again, tucking her face against her neck and throwing one leg over both of Amity’s.
The warmth of Amity’s skin against her, coupled with the soft sheets in her bed, and the feeling of Amity’s hands stroking up her arms is enough to send Luz to sleep almost instantly.
It’s 5pm when Luz wakes, disoriented but warm. Francois is tucked in one arm, the other wrapped around Amity.
“Good morning Batata,” Amity’s sweet voice rings out. “How are you feeling?”
“Blegh.”
Amity chuckles and Luz can feel the vibrations of it in her chest.
“Well, you slept for quite a long time.”
Luz glanced over at the clock, catching the 5pm time. Her heart sank.
“I’m sorry.” She whispered.
Amity’s hands moved up to cup her cheeks, forcing the girl to look up at her. Her eyes were wide with concern.
“Hey no, there’s no need to apologize for anything. You seemed like you needed the rest.”
Her thumb brushed across Luz’s cheek as a hot tear rolled down.
“I mean just in general. You shouldn’t have to waste your day with me just because I’m having a bad day.” Her voice cracked as she spoke, tears coming down faster now.
Amity just sighed softly, tilting her head down to press a kiss to Luz’s forehead.
“You do so much for everyone, batata, it’s only right that people do things for you sometimes. There are so many people here who love you, who will do whatever you need because they love you that much. I’m here out of love, because you deserve to be loved, especially on your hard days. Ok? So no apologizing.”
Luz could feel her throat growing right as she cried, Amity just holding her tight and whispering sweet nothings into her hair.
“I love you.” Luz whispered.
“I love you too.”
It was 6pm when Luz finally felt well enough to get up from bed.
“How do you feel?” Amity asked.
Luz raised her head, sitting up beside her girlfriend.
“I think I’m doing pretty ok.”
One of Amity’s hands carded through Luz’s thick hair, brushing it away from her face.
“I’m glad.”
Luz looked over the witch, taking in her features. She was so grateful for the girl in front of her. Amity’s face grew red under her gaze.
“How about we go and get some flowers?” Amity suggested.
Her sentence immediately sobered the brunette up, reminding her why she was even here admiring her girlfriend in the first place.
“Oh, uh, yeah let’s do that.”
She slid off the bed, holding a hand out for Amity to take. They made their way downstairs.
“We’re heading out!” Luz called as they left.
The two walked hand in hand to the tree they had grown during grom, its soft pink petals lining the grass in front of it. The same place they had spent this day the year before.
They sat near the edge, their bodies leaned against one another. Francois was seated in Luz’s lap, overlooking the view. Luz traced the glyph into the dirt slowly, watching as it glowed underneath her hand. A bouquet of white flowers blossomed from the dirt, beautiful and rich with life.
Luz pulled them from the ground easily, looking up towards her girlfriend. Amity created a balloon, tying it around the flowers. Luz’s hand met hers and they released the balloon into the sky.
Tears pushed to Luz’s eyes again and Amity held her shaking body as she sobbed.
“I’m here love, I’m here.”
It’s 8pm when the two girls return to the owl house; the faint sounds of bustling audible from just outside the door. Luz looked at her girlfriend questioningly before pressing the door open slowly.
The door opened to reveal Lilith, Eda, Raine, and King bustling around the house, working at the table.
The young couple stepped further into the house, finding Lilith and Eda placing plates and utensils around the table, Raine working hard at cooking with King on their shoulder.
“Uh, guys?” Luz called.
Eda’s head shot up.
“Oh, hi Luz, Amity. Come take a seat at the table, dinner‘s almost ready.” Eda smiled, motioning towards the table.
Luz’s forehead was tight from her eyebrows drawing together. She and Amity took their seats, watching as Eda and Lilith followed shortly after. Raine came by a few moments later to set large plates of food on the table before settling down in their seat next to Eda, King on their other side.
“Eda, what’s this all about?” Luz asked.
“Well, it’s been so long since we’ve had a family dinner and I know todays been… hard… so we figured it might be nice to take some time to eat together. Maybe we can all watch a movie together or something later too.”
Luz could have glowed with happiness.
“Thank you so much, all of you. It really means a lot.”
There was a series of ‘I love you’s and ‘Of course’s.
Dinner was delicious and warm and wow Raine really needed to cook more at home. They had made some type of soup that made Luz feel warm inside.
“This is amazing Raine, thank you.”
The older witch chuckled.
“Of course, Luz. And King helped me out a lot too.”
King smiled with pride, nodding vigorously.
“Well thank you too, King.”
It’s 9:30pm when they all retire to the living room. The dishes have all long been cleaned, and Luz and Amity have tasked themselves with making the most comfortable bundle of blankets and pillows and stuffed animals possible.
Layers of sheets and blankets have been spread across the floor, pillows lining the edges with a few scattered about as well, beside the stuffed animals. They looked at their work proudly.
“This looks great guys! Go get yourselves ready for bed.” Eda spoke upon entering the room.
The young couple nodded, making their way to Luz’s bedroom.
“Are you ok to spend the night tonight? Luz asked, digging around to find her usual pajamas.
“Oh yeah, I told my dad to not expect me home until tomorrow anyways.”
Luz tossed her a pair of black shorts and a t-shirt covered in stars. She herself found her usual pajamas, this time adding a comfortable hoodie over it.
They headed back towards the living room, finding everyone in their own pajamas. Luz and Amity settled directly against the back in the center, Raine and Eda to their left and King and Lilith to their right. Eda had set up some cute animated movie for them all to watch.
It was 11pm when Luz finally felt herself beginning to drift off to sleep.
Amity’s warm body was tucked into her, their legs tangled under a massive fuzzy blanket. She could hear Eda’s faint snoring from her position against Raine, said witch spooning Eda, their arms holding her to them tightly. Lilith was tucked into a corner, a blanket in her lap and Hooty’s head beside her. King was curled up against her, his tail moving faintly as he dreamed. She could feel the lull of sleep pull at her, finally letting it overtake herself.
Today was hard. She would always have bad days, they were inevitable, but they were a hell of a lot easier when she had her family by her side.
Somewhere, in a little house in Connecticut, Camila Noceda lay asleep on her couch, an animated movie blaring on the tv, a single white flower resting in a vase on the table in front of her.