The Most Mundane, Slice-of-Life Date Ever (A Lumity Fanfic)

Part 1 - Amity

Amity's footsteps creak lightly on the wooden floors as she walks down the hallway. The morning is still young, and shards of orange light from dawn are cascaded onto the walls and floor of the Noceda's home. In the kitchen, Amity can hear the sound of frying oil, and as she continues down the hallway, she catches a whiff of whatever is being cooked. She's still getting used to all these human terms, but after a week of eating Mrs. Noceda's cooking, she can at least recognize the scent of onions, and—she lifts her nose to catch another whiff—tomatoes, she realizes.

Turning the corner, Amity quickly notices Mrs. Noceda and Vee standing side-by-side in the kitchen. Vee is in her basilisk form, stirring something on the stovetop while Mrs. Noceda drops something into a pan of frying oil. Watching them hand ingredients to each other and chat quietly, Amity imagines they've grown used to cooking together by now in the months since Luz left for the demon realm. Briefly, Amity images Luz standing in the basilisk's place, helping her mother cook with the same smile on her face as Vee.

As quiet as Amity attempts to be, her foot lands on a particularly creaky floorboard, and Mrs. Noceda's head spins around.

"Ah, Amity, dear. You're awake early," she says. "Did the nighttime tea not make you sleepy enough?

Amity clutches a hand to her arm and awkwardly steps out into the kitchen.

"I fell asleep okay," she says. She keeps her tone quiet, seeing that Hunter, Willow, and Gus are still passed out in the living room. "I just have a hard time staying asleep," she admits.

How could she, Amity thinks, when Luz is tossing and turning all night above her in the bunk bed, leaving Amity to lay awake wondering if her brother and her sister, her father, and even her mother, are doing okay back in the Boiling Isles.

"Too bad, we were going to surprise you all with breakfast," Vee says.

Amity manages a weak smile in response. Breakfast isn't much of a surprise these days. The first few days that Luz's mother took them in, she was constantly in and out of sleep, trying to recover from the sheer exhaustion of escaping from the demon realm. Whenever Amity awoke, there was always a meal waiting for her, whether she was hungry or not.

"Thank you," Amity says. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asks.

"No, no. You've all been through enough," Mrs. Noceda assures her. "Vee, why don't you make Amity some hot cocoa?"

"On it," Vee says, navigating toward the cupboards to grab a mug.

As a kettle of hot water heats on the stove, Amity looks down at the kitchen table and traces her fingers into the wooden grooves. She remembers also sitting here the first morning at the Noceda's home. Her heart was pounding out of her chest as Luz explained to her mother that Amity was more than a friend. Once the initial shock wore off on Mrs. Noceda's face, Luz's mother had swept Amity up into a big hug, and Amity had sighed a big breath of relief. Since then, Mrs. Noceda had been nothing but kind and comforting toward her, making Amity grieve the relationship she had never had with her own mother.

Amity is almost too lost in her thoughts to notice Vee setting a warm cup of cocoa next to her on the table.

"Drink up," Vee says.

Amity thanks the basilisk and takes a sip. The chocolate beverage leaves her feeling warm and content. However, as she watches Mrs. Noceda and Vee cook, she wishes she could be more of help. Lately, she's felt nothing but useless.

"Is Luz awake?" Camila asks.

"I don't think so, Mrs. Noceda," Amity says. "And if she is, she probably wants to be alone."