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“I’m not sleeping in that bed with you, idiot.”
“Why? You scared of me, Blight?”
The other girl just scoffs and rolls her eyes, turning her body around and throws the covers above her shoulders. “Good fucking night, Noceda.”
“Good fucking night to you too, princess.”
Luz laid on her bed, staring at her room’s popcorn ceiling with no sign of sleep coming soon, the summer storm resuming outside her window, the thunder roaring with no sense of time as it cuts through the night. She finds herself regretting that the whole conversation even happened.
She regretted telling Amity that she had a roll up bed stored in her closet. She regretted taking it out and setting it up for her to sleep in. She would’ve stayed with or without it anyway—there’s no way she would risk herself to go home in that storm. If only you hadn’t! Luz curses herself. If only she hadn’t. Maybe Amity might’ve been in bed with her right now, laying down beside her. Then maybe she’ll have an excuse to touch her. Caress her hair. Stare at her for hours and hours—
Luz clenches her eyes shut.
No, no no—fucking hell, Noceda. Don’t do that. Don’t do that.
Maybe she should just go to sleep.
She sighs heavily, turning face the opposite side from where Amity is and pulls her covers over her head, just like the girl had before she went to sleep hours ago. I’m gonna need a shit ton of coffee in the morning tomorrow, that’s for sure, Luz thought to herself before she closes her eyes.
Then Amity screamed.
Screamed, as if she was hurt or scared, a scream Luz had never heard coming out of her before. She jumps up to sit in surprise, eyes wide, clenching her sheets, turning over to her other side and leaned off her bed to see if Amity was okay.
She is, of course, technically—Luz was about to grab her pocket knife on her nightstand before she sees her still sleeping and untouched. Amity was sleeping on the roll up bed, rocking around violently and screaming, as if she was possessed.
For a moment Luz thought she was, with the amount of Spanish ghost stories her mother used to tell her when she was little. But then she decided to think more rationally for the moment and understood what was happening immediately.
Nightmares. It must be.
She approaches her, putting a steady arm over her shoulders and hauled the girl into her arms. “Amity!” Luz exclaims, trying to hold her still as she trashes around, screaming, crying. “Amity! Hey, hey, it’s me, Luz, I’ve got you you’re okay—”
“No!” Amity yells, with a voice so broken and scared Luz couldn’t believe it came out of her. “No, let her go, let me GO—”
“Amity you’re okay, it’s a dream, it’s a dream—hey! Wake up for me,” Luz begs her, tapping her cheek gently. “Come on, Blight, wake up for me. You’re okay. It’s a dream. Wake up. Wake up.”
The other girl’s eyes shot open, her golden eyes opened wide in terror. She stopped breathing for a second as if she was holding them, and Luz panics. “Amity,” she calls, trying to look at her in the eyes. “Amity, hey, breathe. Breathe. Come on.”
Amity shook her head. She lets out a sad, heartbroken whimper, lips quavering under the threat of more tears. She opens her mouth to speak, but no words came out, just more tears flowing out of her eyes and into her cheeks.
“Shh, hey, hey, you’re okay, princess,” Luz held her tighter, trying to stabilize her breaths to coax her into breathing. “I’ve got you. It’s just a bad dream, okay? A really, really bad dream. It’s not real.”
“It felt—felt real,” Amity breathes, trying to hold down a sob. “You were—you were in it, you were—they were—”
“Okay,” Luz nods, guiding her head to her shoulder, “Okay, Amity. It’s okay. We’re both okay. I’ve got my arms around you,” she hold her tighter at that, “your head is in my shoulder and my hand is going up and down your back. You feel me?”
“Yeah,” She stutters, nodding. “Yeah.”
“Good.” Luz tells her. “Follow my breathing. In and out. You’ve got this.” She breaths in, held it down, then lets them out slowly. Amity follows suit. “Good,” she praises. “You’re doing so well, Amity. You’re okay.”
Amity nods, head finally relaxing into her, still following the same breathing pattern. Luz took that as a win. “Geez, you’re soaked, Blight. I’m gonna get you one of my shirts, okay—”
She screams when Luz loosen her arms around her. “Don’t GO—”
“Amity, I’m not, I’m not! I just—”
“Don’t go, Luz, don’t go—”
“Shit, okay, okay,” Luz settles back into her place. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m here. I’m not letting you go, I’ve got you. Just breathe.”
Amity grasps on her shirt, trying to control her breathing again, just like she had moments ago. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell like that, I—”
“No, no, it’s okay,” She tells her. “You were startled and I scared you, it’s okay. I just wanted you to feel more comfortable… do you prefer your shirt off?”
Amity nods. “Okay.”
“Alright.” Luz helps her take her shirt off and throws the sweat-soaked thing beside the bed, not caring much about it. “Let’s get you to bed. Do you want some water? I could get you—”
“No,” Amity shook her head quickly. “Just—stay.”
“Of course.” She pulls the covers above their shoulders, inching closer into her, tucking the other girl in her arms. “Stay. I can do that, yeah.”
“Thank you.” The other girl muttered, already drifting off to sleep before she could process her own words.
Luz stares at her long after she does. Looking out for her breathing, making sure she doesn’t fall into another unforgiving nightmare again.
The curls in her hair, how the brown meets the unnatural teal color. How she looked like she’s shining every time lightning hits outside the window. How soft her skin felt as she held her, imagining how it would feel like to kiss her soft lips one day.
One day.
The raindrops patters on the window rhythmically along with the occasional thunder that sounds so, so far away, now. But they’re safe here, under the covers, in each other’s arms. The thought was comforting, to say the least.
The summer storm could go on forever and Luz wouldn’t mind it one bit.