An Umbrella for Two (Lumity AU)

10

"You don't have to tell me everything."

Amity nodded again, her grip loosening a little.

She turned and faced Luz, their faces a few inches away.

Luz moved just a couple of millimetres back.

Those tired amber eyes were searching for something in Luz's expression. They were searching for trust.

Luz didnt know what to do suddenly. She wanted Amity to trust her-
Wait, do I really?
But she didn't know what to say or do.

Luz backed away a little. She let her hand droop off the witches shoulder and the Latina looked towards the side.

"Sorry, I-" Amity started.

"Don't be." Luz risked a glance at her.

The witch sniffed and gulped down her emotions.

"That was stupid of me to be selfish like that." Amity spoke. Luz could see that she was trying to keep herself controlled.

"No it's not." Luz replied, watching Amity lose eye contact.

The witch's body language was closed off. She crossed her arms and slightly hugged herself, her head dipped a little low, facing away from Luz now.
"Why am I like this?" Amity asked. "Why the fuck am I ranting to some random stranger I met less than a day ago. i just- I'm just-

I'm struggling to hold everything together," her voice cracked, "I'm supposed to be perfect. Why can't I be perfect like everyone wants me to be?" Her voice turned higher in pitch and Luz could tell she was this close to bursting out into tears. "Everything is so so hard. It makes me want to stop existing anymore, because the reason i'm here is because i've got to- to do everything better than everyone else."

Luz's gaze fell onto Amity's back. She wanted to comfort her. She wanted to reach out and rub her back and get closer.
It was a strange, unexpected thing. But Luz couldn't do anything. She just sat and watched, too scared to show physical affection.

Wow, physical affection. How long has it been since I've had any?

Luz felt a sudden pang of loneliness.

She tried ignoring it and reached to help the witch.
First calm her down, and then confirm Luz's questions she had.

"It's okay, I promise. You're not there anymore. You're here."

Amity looked again at Luz.

"Stop." she started. "Stop trying to comfort me!" Rainclouds started to thunder; sadness turned to anger. Luz watched with a little fear. "What good reason do you have to treat me like this?!"

What?

Luz was only helping her. After all along, when Luz starts to put time into caring about someone, everything's gotta be ruined.
For a good amount of hours Luz thought she was doing good: actually talking to someone new, helping someone, worrying about someone.

Stupid. Fucking stupid idiot.

Just when Luz was doing so well.

She should just give up trying.

She took a glance at the now stood up witch, her hands outstretched, palms towards the ceiling, indicating at Luz.

No... but she's suffering.

Why should she try help her?

She'd suffering... like me.

It would be easier if Luz would send her off.

No! I'm not thinking straight.

"...what, treating you like a human being?" Luz answered Amity.

There's a reason she asked me this, Has this girl really never experienced comfort?

"What?"

"Has no-one ever treated you properly?"

"i-"

"There's a reason you react to stuff like this. Peop- witches can care about other beings, you know. Or maybe not. It's okay if you don't know."

"I... Of course i know! ... it's just that...no one's really treated me like this much."

"Oh..."

A bit of silence lay in the air between them.

"We can earn each other's trust, then. We can talk more."

Amity relaxed a little.

"Really?"

"We both wanna know about each other and the worlds we come from, right?"

Amity nodded. Luz noticed Amity used to do this without a reply but this time she spoke more confidently with her physical response.

"Then we should try... and be friends." Luz edged a tinsy bit towards Amity, tapping her knee with her finger as she awaited the witch's response. The greenette blinked.

"O-okay. I think...

I think I'd like that."