Archive of Our Own ^beta

Luz is currently sitting on the back porch watching the stars.

The others had gone to sleep early due to their long day of researching and experimenting with ways to open a new portal. They had gone to the library to buy books, hoping to find results faster by researching the human realm (she knew it was practically useless, but she let them try and feel useful). Although she didn't get much information there, she had bought a book titled "Stories of Gravesfield" in hope of finding some clues on building a portal. Hunter had gotten himself a book about previous Witch hunters, hoping to learn more about himself (she wonders how he's doing with that, hopefully, he learned useful information).

It's only ten at night and the stars twinkle brightly as Luz tries to name constellations from the back of her hand. She's been having trouble sleeping ever since they got back to the human realm- scratch that, ever since she learned about Belos' plan for the day of Unity- and found that staring at the night sky like she did when she was younger helps.

It's times like these when she's happy she lives further from the city, with no air pollution getting in the way of stargazing. She pulls her knees closer to her chest, wraps Eda's jacket tighter around herself, and sighs contently. She feels way more relaxed here under the stars than she does during the daytime, and for once lets her worries wash away for just a few moments. 

Her moment of silence lasts not more than a minute when she hears the quiet footsteps that she recognizes to be Hunter's approaching the back door. 

He slides the door open carefully and asks to sit down next to her, to which she nods and pats the empty area to her right. 

She steals a glance at him and the first thing she notices is his hair. Instead of the long, grown-out hair she's been getting used to seeing in a ponytail, it's cut shorter than she's ever seen on him. They sit in silence for a few minutes before Luz speaks up.

"So uh, new haircut?" 

Hunter practically snorts at her poor attempt at conversation, "Yeah, Willow helped me cut it".

He's twirling a hairpiece where his front lock would usually be, its absence seems unusual to both of them.

"Was there a reason?" If anything, Luz is the master of impulse haircuts, literally cutting her hair with a sword when she was 11. He picks at his fingernails anxiously, and before she can add that he doesn't have to say anything unless he wants to, he beats her to it.

"I looked too much like him- like them."

She doesn't ask who, Titan she already knows the answer, but instead lets him talk. He's looking at the sky and takes a deep breath before starting again.

"I was um, in the bathroom with the book when I looked in the mirror, I don't know if I was just, Hallucinating or something, but instead of seeing me, I saw-" he swallows shakily, "I saw them. Both, B-Belos and um," he struggles.

"Caleb?" Luz adds on quietly. She knows he has a harder time saying their names as if it'll spawn them if he says them too loudly. It's a habit she's picked up, when Hunter can't finish sentences, Luz will do it for him. 

"Mhm '' he nods, "And I guess I panicked? I was cutting my hair before I knew it and Willow saw me when she was getting water. I guess I looked pretty bad before she helped since she had to stop herself from laughing too loud." He chuckles slightly, and if it wasn't obvious before, it's absolutely obvious now that Hunter has a massive crush on the plant witch.

Knowing he didn't even know what a crush was until the solid age of 16, It's honestly really sweet seeing him go head over heels for someone. The way he plays with his hair and hands when he's talking to Willow, how he babbles to Luz later about her ('She brushed my hair!' 'Did you know Captain's hands are super soft?' 'Willow helped me plant flowers today!!'), or even how he'll go out of his way to make her happy. It all reminds her of how she was (sometimes still is) with Amity before they started dating. It's nice seeing him heal slowly, learning to trust people, and having the experiences a normal 16-year-old should have.

"I let her do whatever she wanted, and I think she did a pretty good job." He smiles at the stars, "I like it, it looks like- like me."

She can't stop herself from having the stupidest smile on her face, because words cannot express how much seeing Hunter, her brother, actually happy means to her.

"Yeah- yeah it does fit you."

He detaches his gaze from the sky to look at her, "You really think so?"

"Mhm! You look like you, like Hunter.  Listen-” she inhales, “-no matter what anyone tells you, you're your own person. You're you because you like wolves- you're you because you like to sew- because you like to stay up late with me and watch ‘the good witch Azura’ when I'm feeling bad." she looks back at him again, "You're Hunter, nothing ever changes that okay?"

She guesses she said the right thing by the way his eyes soften and his lip quivers slightly but still smiling.

"Yeah- Yeah you're right," he pauses to breathe "Thank you, I needed that."

She smiles softly again and lifts her right arm. "Do you need a hug?"

He nods and burrows himself in her side, also wrapping his arm around her shoulder. When she lays her head on his shoulder, he follows suit by doing the same thing.

They stare up at the stars together, the shuffling of the tree leaves, the croaking of toads, and the chirping of crickets filling the silent air. They sit there for titan knows how long, before Hunter pipes up quietly.

"Hey, Luz?"

She hums quietly, acknowledging him.

"Thank you- for everything. For staying with me and still believing in me even though I was a massive ass to you. For still trying to get me out of the Emperor’s coven when I wouldn’t even listen to you. For not thinking of me differently after learning the truth. For well- saving my life essentially, I don’t think I'd be where I am without you."

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, thank you for sticking by my side. I'm really glad I met you."

She smiles so wide she's sure the whole world could see it, "I'm really glad I met you too Hunter".

They squeeze each other tighter, spending however long they need to in the comforting space that is each other's arms.