You Fall, I Fall

twenty two

Looking over at him, she asked, "You know I think you're the most incredible elf in the whole world, right?"

Taken aback, he stuttered, "I-I-Yeah, of course. Why would you think that I don't?"

"Cognate's intuition," She rolled over onto her side to face him. When he stayed quiet, with one hand, she took one of his [hands], and laced her fingers with it, clasping the other side of it tightly. "Fitz, you are the most important person in my life, the person I most respect, the person I most trust, and the only person in the entire world that I could ever imagine being cognates with. Remember that."

He nodded, and smiled, his eyes shining, "Thank you. I couldn't agree more."

"Good," she smiled back, and snuggled against him, only for Fitz to let go of her hand, shifting his arm to be around her instead. She blushed as he pulled her close, and savored the moment, making sure her photographic memory got every detail.

The comfortable silence fell again, and stayed for a long time. It may have lasted the whole night if Fitz hadn't broken it, with good reason. "Okay, I'm sorry, but can we talk about Keef and Biana for a second?"

"Yeah, it's so weird how they just... got together! And after what he did... I'm worried," admitted Sophie.

"Me too. I thought she was over Keefe and into Dex."

"I know, right?" Sophie sat up, and leaned over him so they could talk face to face. It made it a little hard to stay on topic, because Fitz just looked so beautiful in the moonlight. "They've been spending so much time together, that I was preparing for Biana to announce that she was dating Dex, not Keefe... Do you think something happened between Biana and Dex?"

"No, they were still making plans to hang out, another reason why it doesn't make sense."

"Maybe they're confused," she offered, "I mean, maybe they are in love with each other, but they don't know what it feels like, or they're afraid that the other is too good for them, or that they won't like them back..." Sophie stopped herself, this was starting to get too personal.

"You could be right, but still, after what Keefe did, why him?"

"They're number ones, maybe they want to try and make it work, to start over."

He sighed, "True, and Keefe has had a total 360 turn around of his attitude. Maybe he promised to clean up his act, and he's keeping it. Maybe this is a good thing."

"I know, but poor Dex..."

"I know, I hope he finds someone incredible, even if it's not my sister."

"It'll all work out," Sophie promised, "it always does."

"Right you are, Soy Bean."

She giggled, "Soy Bean?"

"I thought I'd take it up, your human parents are smart cookies," he laughed. "Because you're a total Soy Bean."

"What are you? A bean-nickname connoisseur?"

"Yes, yes I am," Fitz said proudly, and she kept giggling.

"Tell me more Mister Connoisseur!"

"Well, you're a soybean, Biana is a jelly bean, Keefe is a kidney bean, Dex is a lima bean, Dad is a-"

"What kind of bean are you?" Sophie asked, cutting him off.

"I don't know, probably a black bean..."

She burst into a fit of laughter, "Oh Fitz, you're too cute."

Fitz pouted, "I'm not cute, I'm dashing."