Swan Song

Chapter Twenty Seven

This chapter is mostly triangle stuff- bleh! I crammed the second Fitz and Keefe scenes in here, just to get it out of the way. After that, we have a plot development chapter, a filler/triangle-ish chapter, the chapter where Sophie chooses, and then the plot stuff starts getting intense. I can't wait!

Enjoy!

Team Valiant decided that they would reconvene in a few days. Stina and Sophie had worked out a plan to each make a list of questions to ask Blur and Axel. Sophie was under the Panakes tree, brainstorming ideas for the interrogation, when Fitz walked up. Glad for the distraction, Sophie set down her paper and pen and invited him to sit next to her.

Fitz handed Sophie the box he was carrying. She examined it, face brightening as she realized what it was. "Ripplefluffs?" Fitz nodded, smiling adorably. His teal eyes sparkled with excitement. Sophie laughed. "Oh my gosh, Fitz, with all the treats you bake me, I'll turn into a blimp!"

His movie star smile grew wider. "In that case, let me take some of that off your hands."

Sophie swatted him playfully. "Not a chance!" Fitz laughed, shrugging. Sophie opened the box and shoved a ripplefluff into her mouth. It was good- nowhere near mallowmelt, but still good. The dessert was gone in only a few seconds. "Thank you," she said, mouth still full.

"No problem." Teal eyes bored into her own brown. Her heart was fluttering, face approximately the temperature of everblaze- and somehow, she blushed even deeper when his gaze turned to her mouth. Why was it so difficult to chose? The amount of desire she was feeling right now should have made her instantly forget about Keefe and go kiss her teal-eyed wonderboy, especially considering the fight she'd had with him, but something held her back. Again, why was this all so hard? Fitz's crisp voice brought her back into reality. "You got a little..."

"Oh." Her face cooled as Sophie attempted to lick the icing off of her lips. "Am I getting it?"

"Here." Fitz very delicately touched his finger to the corner of Sophie's mouth, and wiped it away. His fingers lingered on her cheek. Sophie's blush came back with a fury. Sticking it into an oven would feel icy compared to this. She wouldn't be surprised if she melted on the spot. Softly, Fitz whispered "You know... we're still waiting for you to make your choice. It's been a while."

Sophie squeezed her eyes shut, wanting to block out the ever-present stress about the love triangle. "I know. I'll choose eventually-"

Fitz's fingers dropped from her cheek and tore through his hair. Somehow, it made him even better looking- but it was hard for her heart to flutter when he was looking so angry. How did the perfect moment between them get ruined so quickly? "When, Sophie? You know I love you, but I can't stand-"

Her heart fluttered and broke at the same time. "That's not how the first 'I love you' is supposed to go," Sophie whispered.

They said nothing until Sophie was called back into the house.

"And that was my first 'I love you'- romantically, at least- and it was ruined! My first kiss didn't really count, my first declaration of love doesn't, am I cursed or something!" Sophie buried her face into her pillow, grateful that her girl friends were willing to listen to her rant about all of her relationship problems, but so, so frustrated.

Biana handed Sophie some consolation mallowmelt. "Ugh. That sucks. You can bet I'll be yelling at Fitz tonight- or better, throwing him back into the chandelier." Sophie barely cracked a smile, even though any other time she'd be rolling on the floor laughing.

"It's just- Keefe wouldn't stop flirting with me. Fitz told me he loved me. Why can't boys realize that I just need time before it's okay to do romantic stuff like that?"