About The Roses | Lumity Soulmate AU

Chapter 8 - Soulmates

"Okay." She took in another deep breath and let it out. "Luz, you're my soulmate."

Luz froze, her eyes growing wider than Amity had ever seen them. Oh no, I broke her, she thought. They sat there in silence for a while, both processing the information. 

"You're a really amazing artist," Luz murmured after a few minutes. Amity looked up, surprised. She expected to see Luz upset or confused. Instead, there was a soft smile spreading across her features. Amity didn't think she'd ever actually seen Luz look so gentle.

"Wh... What?" 

"I really like your roses," she said.

"Oh uh, thanks..." Amity responded, sure about how to proceed. "So you aren't upset?" 

Luz leaned forward and took the witch's hands in her own. Amity could feel her warm breath against her skin and smiled. "Why would I be upset, Amity?" Luz whispered. "I'm glad it's you." The two girls stayed there for a moment, both feeling like a weight was lifted off their shoulders. There was no strange tension, no uncomfortable blushing, just a natural and affectionate silence. After a minute or so, Luz pulled her face away, still holding her hands. "So, how long have you known?" 

Amity smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "About a week?" 

"You waited a WEEK TO TELL ME WE WERE SOULMATES?!" Luz exclaimed. She glanced towards the door, remembering that she had to be quiet so they didn't get caught. "Why did you wait so long? And how did you find out?" 

Amity explained the situation. She told her about the anxious doodles, about seeing the ink from under her sleeve, about talking to Ed and Barcus and Jerbo, about the tiny heart. She talked about what Em and Ed had said, her anxieties and fears, her parents and their reaction to Edric being with his soulmates, her sister hiding her relationship out of fear, and she talked about the oath with Boscha. In telling her story, she found herself telling Luz things that she had never told anyone before. She talked about her parents, the real version of them and not the fake version she had to tell people to uphold their image. She talked about her real fears and anxieties. Her deepest secrets found themselves dancing across her lips without the weight they usually held. And Luz listened. Amity worried that she might overwhelm Luz with everything she unloaded but the girl held onto every word, listening carefully and intently. She was an amazing listener; that was one of the countless things Amity loved about her.

When she found that she had run out of things to say, she instead found Luz's eyes. She looked into them, searching for a reaction, and held her breath, waiting for Luz to run out the door and never come back. But she didn't. Instead, the human girl just smiled. Not that pitiful smile that Amity got when she accidentally told too much truth. Not that fake sympathy smile she got from adults. Not that nervous smile followed by an excuse to leave she got when she rambled. A real, genuine, understanding smile full of care.  She didn't find herself questioning if she had overshared or worrying that Luz hated her. That smile was all the reassurance she needed and for once, she felt safe. After a few moments of thought, Luz met her eyes.

"So what do you want to do?" She asked simply. She didn't try apologizing for things she couldn't change like people usually did. Her eyes did all of that for her. 

"I... I really like you, Luz. Like, a lot." Amity had been waiting to say those words for a long time. She had spent wakeful nights picturing every scenario in which she finally admitted to her feelings. She never expected to be able to say them so easily and safely. Though she had made her feelings clear from the beginning of the conversation, it felt good to state them so clearly.

Luz's eyes sparkled and she laughed, scrunching her eyes up in that cute way she always did. "This must be a dream because I think you're finally going soft on me, Blight," she said, recalling their interaction from grom night.