Xxx

“Luz?”

Luz twisted her new bi pin around on her hat with a small smile. “Hm?”

Hunter tapped his index fingers together. “Do you think… you could explain it again?”

“Explain what?”

“Being bi.”

Luz blinked. Weird request. Maybe it was different, but it was hardly the strangest thing she’d ever had to explain. Had she been unclear about something earlier? Maybe she’d been too vague? “Uhhhh okay, so, I’m attracted to more than one gender, right? Guys, gals, nonbinary pals—”

“Right, right, what does that mean?”

“What?”

“Being attracted to someone? Like, literally? You’re being pulled towards them?”

“Oh.” Luz hummed. “In a way, I guess? But not literally. More emotionally.”

“So… like how people were drawn towards Belos?”

Luz’s spine straightened. “No! Well, maybe, I don’t know what went on in anyone’s heads, but no, not like that, it’s… mmmm… okay, well, it’s like… you like them. Like a LOT. And you want to spend a lot of time with them, and be near them all the time.”

Hunter frowned. “So, more like how I want to hang out with you and Gus?”

“Uhhh I doubt it.” Luz let out a short hiss. “Wow. Okay. You know what, romantic attraction is weird to explain, let’s do something easier. Hunter, do you, uhhhhhh… do you know how babies get made? Not, like, however grimwalkers get made, the normalish way?”

He flushed bright red. “Of course I do. I’ve taken anatomy lessons.”

“Okay, well… attraction is… wanting to do that with someone.”

Hunter frowned. “Attraction is… wanting a baby with someone? That’s… weird.”

“No? I mean, yes, but you don’t have to… actually have a baby.”

“Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy would you do that if you didn’t want to make a kid? What would be the point?”

Luz’s cheeks burned, and she yanked her beanie down over her face. “Uuuuuuughhhhhh forget I said anything. Just… mmmmmmmmmm… yeah, forget it.”

“Wait—no—Luz—sorry, I’m sorry, I just…” Hunter took a deep breath. “I don’t think I understand it? And… I’m just… I don’t know if it’s just one of those things that I never got exposed to in the coven, like having friends, or if it’s… you said it yourself, grimwalkers don’t get made the same way, so maybe… maybe that’s why?” Hunter tugged her hat up, looking her in the eye. “Basically, is this something I’m going to figure out eventually? Or is it something I’ll have to pretend I feel so that they don’t realize I’m a grimwalker?”

Luz perked up. “Oh! Well, actually, good news on that, I don’t think it’s a grimwalker thing. Hang on.” She grabbed her computer, typing “asexual” into the search engine and clicking on the wiki. She handed the computer to Hunter. “Here.”

Hunter scanned the page, his eyes widening. He looked at the page, then back at Luz. “You want to make babies with Amity all the time? And that’s normal?!”

Luz choked, coughing and flushing red. She dropped down into her desk chair, burying her head in her arms. “Not all the time,” she whispered hoarsely.

“Does Amity know that? Have you told her?”

Luz clutched at her beanie, thumping her head against the desk. “Hunter! You can’t ask people that! Quit talking about me, talk about you. Obviously you don’t want to…”

“Nope. Not even a little. Gross, Luz.”

“It is not,” she protested.

“Very gross.”

“Hunter, that’s how 99% of people are!”

“99% of people are very gross,” Hunter insisted.

“Okay, okay. Whatever.” Luz spun around in her chair. “You want to make a powerpoint?”

“What? No, I don’t think it matters that much.” Hunter pointed at the computer screen. “I like this. I’m keeping the word. You know, technically, grimwalkers do reproduce asexually! So I’m asexual in all respects, yeah?”

Luz burst out laughing, gasping for air. “Yeah,” she wheezed, “Guess so.”

Hunter marched down to the basement with the computer, and Luz followed. Hunter plunked the computer down on an old card table and cleared his throat. Willow and Gus looked up from the earth book on plants they were looking at, and Hunter pointed at the computer screen.

“This is me,” he announced, “It is a totally normal thing for humans—and presumably witches as well—to be. There are no strange or hidden reasons for me to be this way.”

He beamed and gave Luz a thumbs-up over Willow and Gus’ heads as they examined the computer screen. Luz put her face in her hands.

Very smooth, Hunter. Not suspicious at all.

“Aw, cool!” Willow cheered, “Hey, maybe we could get you a pin like Luz’s! But with this flag instead!”

Gus drew a circle, and an illusion pin appeared on Hunter’s shirt. “It suits you.”

Hunter pulled his shirt out, going cross-eyed as he looked at the illusion. “You think so?”

“Yeah,” Willow agreed, “That looks good!”