Chapter Text
The first thing you notice about the Human world is how big it is. Even if you're all confined to the inside of Luz's house, it still doesn't escape you how much more of everything there is.
Giant flat crystal balls, and something called the in-tern-net that gives you too much information at once.
Gus slowly starts to open up to everything around, always being the first one to ask a question, or hum in intriguement. Hunter is always behind him, making sure he can catch the small boy if he breaks.
You are always next to Hunter, making sure to carry them both when they inevitably bounce their feelings off of each other and tumble.
The three of you have made a pack, you notice. Something strong formed by the days leading up to now.
Luz and Amity are mostly together too; always holding hands under the kitchen table, or hooking feet, or cuddling on the couch.
Your two groups are somehow together and separate, until night time hits and you all lie together on the floor of the living room, piled on top of each other.
Luz and Hunter on the outsides in an attempt to protect everyone. One of these days they'll realize they don't have to, but until then, you need to be ready to deal with the fall out.
Camila has been trying to give you all space, but you can see when she just wants to grab up Luz and whisk her somewhere safe.
She's been nice to all of you though, letting you borrow her clothes, and cooking weird dishes, and trying to give you all activites to distract your selves.
It's during one of these activities that your hair is brought to your attention.
Camila has let you take care of her garden, and even though Luz says it's supposed to be chilly, you still sweat under the sun.
Gus keeps company by swinging in a hammock, and when you take of your hat to wipe the moisture from your forehead, he immediately notices the rats nest in the back.
"Whoa Willow, when's the last time fixed your hair?"
"Huh?"
You reach behind to feel the giant knot.
"Oh"
Your dads had done your hair every morning, tying them tight into braids. But now that they're gone . . .
"I guess I forgot. Thanks for telling me Gus."
You pack up your stuff and go back into the house, not noticing the frown on his face as you leave.
That night, you take out your braids for the first time in a week and try to wash your hair. The stuff Camila has given you sort of works, but there are still knots at the ends.
The brush you used had gotten stuck, and a few of the bristles broke.
You try not to cry as you look at your hair in the bathroom mirror. Who would've thought that this is what breaks you. Everyone else is crying over bigger things. Yours is so small in comparison.
"Come on Willow," you slap both your cheeks and put on your glasses, "be strong."
You have to be strong.
There's a knock on the door as you attempt to hide the mangled bits.
"Willow, are you almost done?"
It's Amity.
Shoot.
Of all the people you would want to walk in on you like this, she's the last person. Don't get it wrong, you love Amity, really, and you've started to patch up the holes in your relationship, but that doesn't mean it's all fine.
She just recently has started to see you as you are, and if you open this door, she's going to forget all about it.
You'll just be her weak friend.
Half-a-Witch Willow all over again.
You start to panic. You have to open the door, but you can't. If you don't, she'll know something's wrong, but if you do, she'll know something's wrong.
"Gus told me you were doing you hair, I can help if you'd like!"
You bury you head in your hands. Dang it Gus, why do you have to care so much.
It's inevitable now.
You open the door.
Amity walks in and sees the mess you made, the empty conditioner bottle and a broken brush. She sees tears well up in your eyes.
"You're going to think of me differently now."
She wilts slightly in confusion and some other emotion you can't place right now.
You sink down onto the floor, knees brought up to shield your face from hers.
It takes a second, but you then hear the click of the door closing, and feel as she sits next to you, one hand on your shoulder.
"I'd never think of you differently. I never have."
You peek over your legs to see her smile sadly.
"I shouldn't be here crying, this is so small in comparison to everyone else. I'm the strong one, I can't be weak again."
She looks down for a moment at your confession, seemingly gathering her thoughts before she goes on with a new conviction.
"Half-a-Witch Willow never existed, and I'm sorry I made her up. Even before, when that illusionist guy came, I never thought you were weak."
"Then why did you make me feel like I was?"
She looks down again, eyes misty.
"I don't know how to talk to you Willow. Even now, I don't know how to get back to where we used to be."
"Amity, I don't think we can."
She uses her other hand to wipe a tear, "Yeah, I know. But we can try, right?"
Theres another pause before she starts again, "You've been so strong, putting up with how I was and what I put you through, that now all I want to do is protect you."
Oh.
You hadn't thought of it that way.
"And I've seen how you take care of Gus and Hunter. I'm happy you have people you want to protect too."
Does she think I don't want to protect her too?
"Before, I thought that if I could make you smaller, then I would be bigger. But it doesn't work that way."
She pulls you into a hug, squeezing you tight and burrowing her head in your shoulder.
"There is no bigger or smaller, and I'm sorry I made you think that there was."
You wrap your arms around her, weeping into her chest. Maybe all of this wasn't really about your hair. Maybe it was the fact that you knew the only person you could trust in this realm with it was still an arms reach away.
But now she's not.
Now your not.
"Amity, can you help me with my hair."
She laughs wetly, "Sure Willow, I'd help you with anything."
So the Human world is still big, very big even though none of you have left the house yet. But maybe it's not as bad as you thought.
Amity listens as you tell her how your hair got to the state it's in. How your dads aren't here now, and you were holding on to something for them.
She's quiet the whole time, just nodding or offering a hand when you need reassurance.
Your hair isn't as salvageable as you thought, and Amity has to stealthy get scissors to cut it. She goes shorter than you've ever had it, but you trust her. Even if things are still slow, still one break down talk at a time.
"Alright, I think I'm done! What do you think?"
You turn to the mirror again.
"Oh wow Amity."
You reach up to feel it. It's light and ruffles just right, and if you slick it back it makes you look cool.
There's a weight off your shoulders now, one didn't know you had.
Well, maybe you knew, but it was always in the background, always not big enough in your eyes.
You can see now that it was.
The haircut makes you feel braver, makes you feel better. You're still strong here, and the divide you felt between your two 'groups' was probably never there to begin with.
Amity shifts, uncertain at your reply, so you turn back to her, a smile plastered on your face.
"I love it."