Owl house college AU
(modern world)
Amity slid into her usual seat by the window, placing her bag neatly on the chair beside her and her cup of coffee on the table. The café smelled like roasted coffee beans and a faint sweet smell,, a scent she had learned to associate with focus and routine. It was quiet enough to work, quiet enough to drown out the background chatter, and she liked it that way. She set up her textbooks, tapping each one into a perfect stack, flipping open her notebook to the section she had labeled "Week Five: Advanced Theory."
She had a system here. Always the same seat, the same side table, the same cup of black coffee from the barista, Willow, who remembered her order without her having to ask. It wasn't about comfort, it was about control. Everything else in her life was unpredictable enough and at least here, she could be exact.
A laugh broke through the soft hum of conversation. Sharp. Too loud. Not quite obnoxious, but enough to make her glance up from her notes. Someone at the counter was talking animatedly, waving a hand as if the world had to see it. Amity frowned and looked back down, willing herself to ignore it. She arranged her highlighters in a perfect gradient along the edge of her notebook, lining them up by color like little sentinels. Her pen hovered over the page, ready to underline the next important point, when the laugh echoed again, closer this time. Settling back into her chair, she took a deep breath and reminded herself why she came here in the first place. Focus. Work. Finish. Nothing more. For now, at least, the world outside this little corner could stay exactly where it belonged.
A few minutes later the door swung open with a chime, Amity barely glanced up as someone walked in, stumbling and seeming like they were running late. After making their way through the cafe a young woman's voice rang out from behind the counter, "Oh, you must be Luz." She said as Luz awkwardly approached the bar. Amity started tuning out their conversation, Luz's voice ringing out across the cafe.
A few minutes later Amity was snapped out of her focus as a fit of laughter rang out across the cafe.
"Luz!" One of the other baristas said, "You're just getting a little ahead of yourself." The dark haired girl, Willow, said as she was wiping up a mess. Amity had come to learn Willow's name after coming here so much to study but she had never seen this Luz girl behind the counter before.
She tried to return to her work, tapping her pencil across her notes in a measured rhythm. But every laugh, every exclamation from Luz, every clatter of cups seemed to find its way into her periphery. She frowned, tightened her grip on the pen, and leaned over her textbook as if sheer focus could block it out.
Then Luz noticed her. Amity felt it before she saw it, a glance that didn't look like a glance, like someone had spotted a curious creature they couldn't help but observe. Luz tilted her head, eyes bright and questioning, and Amity froze, caught off guard by how personal the attention felt.
She looked down quickly, pretending to study, but the small, deliberate smile Luz offered in passing lingered in her mind. Something about it felt impossible to ignore, even as she clenched her jaw, reminding herself that she didn't come here to be distracted.
She didn't come here to notice anyone at all. Amity buried herself in her school work, refusing to look up again. Before she knew it, several hours had passed and the cafe had pretty much cleared out but she continued to work, taking notes and highlighting the important parts.
Luz approached Amity's table as she was busy writing. Amity didn't notice at first that someone had set a cup down on the edge of her table. She was focused on her notes, highlighter poised, trying to make sense of the mess of formulas and annotations in front of her. It wasn't until she heard a soft, "Hey," that she looked up and froze.
Luz was standing there, smiling like it was the most natural thing in the world to intrude on someone's meticulously organized study session. "I brought you a drink," she said, holding out a small cup of coffee with a little swirl of foam on top. "Thought you might need a break." Luz nodded to the empty coffee cup sitting next to Amity's laptop.
Amity's pencil paused as she was writing, "I… I didn't order this."
"I know," Luz said cheerfully, leaning on the table just a little. Her eyes sparkled, bright and insistent, and Amity immediately felt that same irritation prickling at the edges of her focus. "You've been staring at that page for like.. twenty minutes straight. You look like you might explode if you don't get some caffeine."
Amity opened her mouth to protest, but no words came out. She didn't like being watched. She didn't like someone thinking they could read her like this. She didn't like being interrupted.
And yet… the cup smelled good. Rich, warm, the kind of coffee that hits the right notes without any extra sugar. She couldn't help but notice how carefully it had been placed so it wouldn't spill, the little foam swirl perfectly centered.
"I don't… take drinks from strangers," Amity said finally, her voice clipped, though a tiny part of her was curious why someone would bother.
"I'm not a stranger," Luz said, grinning like that explained everything. "I just started but I work here. I'm Luz. And you are…?"
Amity stiffened. She wasn't going to tell her name. Names implied relationships. Relationships implied interruptions. Interruptions implied chaos.
"I.. don't.. need one," she said awkwardly, gesturing vaguely at the coffee.
"Suit yourself," Luz said with a mock sigh. She hovered just long enough for Amity to feel her presence, her easy energy pressing against the carefully constructed walls around Amity's focus. Amity turned back to her notes, fingers tightening around her pen, determined to ignore her. She could work here. She would work here. She didn't need anyone—or anything—disturbing her perfect study session. But she noticed, despite herself, that her eyes kept flicking toward Luz when she thought no one was looking.
And that was… infuriating.
Luz moved to the table next to Amity's, wiping down the surface with quick, efficient motions, humming softly under her breath. She didn't glance at Amity, at least not openly, but every so often her gaze flicked in Amity's direction. Amity's stomach tightened.
She tried to focus on her notes, fingers gripping the pen, eyes scanning the page. But every swipe of the cloth, every scrape of a chair across the floor, punctuated the silence in a way that made it impossible not to notice. Luz moved around the empty tables methodically, yet with an ease and energy that seemed to invade Amity's careful bubble of concentration.
"Excuse me," Amity muttered under her breath when Luz leaned down slightly to adjust the chair across from Amity, her loose hair brushing against the tabletop. "I-" She froze mid, realizing she sounded harsh even to herself.
Luz straightened, giving a small, almost apologetic smile, but didn't stop moving. "Just tidying up a bit," she said lightly. "Hope I'm not getting in your way."
Amity's jaw tightened, "I'm trying to focus." She said flatly. You're definitely getting in my way, she thought, but she didn't say it aloud. She couldn't. Something about the way Luz moved, so confident and unbothered, made it impossible to speak the words without sounding ridiculous even to herself. Luz quietly moved on to clean other tables and the condiment bar.
By the time Luz had finished with the last of the nearby tables, Amity realized her notes had gone mostly unread. She blinked, trying to recenter herself, but the rhythm of Luz's presence lingered. Every time she glanced up, Luz was there again, wiping down a counter, picking up a stray napkin, or rearranging sugar packets, nothing intrusive, and yet… impossible to ignore. Amity huffed silently and returned her gaze to her notebook, trying to force focus. It was infuriating. And somehow… oddly distracting in a way she couldn't quite admit.
After a short while Luz had moved far enough away for Amity to be curious about the drink she brought her. She stared down at the cup in front of her. The foam was still swirled in a tiny, perfect spiral, untouched by the bustle that had carried Luz away. Amity hesitated, fingers hovering over the paper sleeve. She didn't need this. She didn't want it. And yet… the smell of the coffee reached her anyway, warm and inviting.
Carefully, she lifted the cup and took a small sip. Her eyes narrowed, almost instinctively evaluating it: the roast, the hint of caramel sweetness, the subtle balance that made it smoother than she expected.
It was… good.
Amity blinked, lowering the cup as if she might scald herself just by holding it. She frowned, confused by the unexpected warmth that spread across her chest. The caffeine shouldn't feel like this. The drink shouldn't feel like… like something beyond coffee.
She took another sip, smaller this time, her hand shaking just slightly, not from the caffeine but from the sudden awareness that she actually liked it. She scowled at the cup, as if it were guilty of some kind of trick.
"I don't… need this," she muttered under her breath, but the words lacked conviction. She set the cup down carefully, exhaling a long breath, and returned her gaze to her notebook.
Her notes were suddenly… dull. Dry. She couldn't focus. She tried to push it away, tried to ignore the lingering warmth of the coffee, the memory of the way Luz had smiled when she set it down. But the taste, the attention, the small disruption, she couldn't pretend it hadn't mattered. She took an annoyed drink of the latte Luz brought her and decided to grind out the rest of her homework for the evening.
About an hour passed and Amity's cup was empty but her highlighter poised, finishing up her work. The hum of the café was familiar, manageable, until movement at the counter caught her attention.
Luz.
She was leaning over slightly, laughing at something Willow had said while she expertly steamed a cup of milk. Willow's own bright smile mirrored Luz's energy, and Gus, standing beside them, had just handed over a tray of pastries, grinning like he'd just shared the world's funniest secret. Amity's eyes narrowed without her realizing it.
Luz started, gesturing with her hand, but Amity barely registered the words. All she could see was how natural Luz looked here, how effortless it was for her to fit in, to charm everyone without even trying.
Hunter, one of their regular customers and friends, had stopped by the counter, holding a laptop under one arm. Luz immediately greeted him, animated and warm. They were talking and laughing, leaning in like old friends, and Amity felt a strange, sharp twist in her chest.
What was this feeling? Irritation, definitely, but something sharper, something… unfamiliar. Amity had no claim to Luz. She didn't even know her, not really. She hadn't spoken to her, hadn't asked for her name, hadn't shared anything personal. And yet, watching Luz connect so easily with everyone else, feeling that effortless warmth radiate around her, made Amity tighten her grip on her pen.
She tried to focus on her notes, tried to force the formulas into her brain, but her eyes kept darting back to Luz. Her attention wasn't being stolen by the coffee, or the noise, or even the chaos of the café itself, it was Luz, the center of it all, standing there like she belonged everywhere.
Amity didn't understand it. Didn't want to. All she knew was that a small, unfamiliar knot of jealousy had taken root in her chest, and it refused to let her think clearly.
Her pen paused again, hovering over her page. She didn't even realize she was holding her breath.
And for the first time that afternoon, Amity considered that maybe Luz was a distraction she couldn't, and didn't want to ignore. That's ridiculous, when did I start thinking like that? It's late and I've had too much caffeine. Amity thought to herself as she shook her head, setting her highlighter down and closing her books.
Amity packed her notebook with deliberate care, stacking her highlighters and pens neatly in their case.. The café was quieter now, the bustle of the day dying down, leaving behind the soft hum of the espresso machines and the occasional clink of a cup.
She stood, adjusting her bag over her shoulder, and gave a quick glance toward the counter. Luz was still there, chatting with Gus and Willow, laughing at something Hunter had said as he left. Amity's chest tightened in a way that made no sense. She didn't even know this girl. She had no reason to care.
And yet, she did.
She exhaled slowly, forcing herself to look down at her shoes as she walked toward the door. Her mind was already running through tomorrow's schedule, reminders and deadlines, anything to push the image of Luz out of her head.
The door jingled as she stepped outside, the cool evening air hitting her face. She pulled her jacket tighter around herself, trying to get her thoughts to focus. But every time she blinked, she saw Luz's bright smile, and heard the hum of her energy echoing in her mind.
Amity scowled, muttering under her breath. "Ridiculous. She's just a barista. Nothing else." She said to herself, cheeks warming, and let out a small, frustrated huff.
She should feel relieved to leave, free from distraction. Instead, she felt… oddly empty, like a piece of the afternoon had slipped away with Luz's laughter and she hadn't noticed until it was gone.
Her steps carried her across campus to her dorm, precise and measured, each one a reminder that she was in control. And yet, the thought lingered, unwilling to be shoved aside, she was going to have to come back tomorrow and she wasn't sure how she felt about it.