Stardust and Snowflakes: A Sotam story

Chapter Twelve

I know you guys have been waiting for this, so here, a real chapter! They'll all be like this from now on :)

Tam waited as patiently as he could for the love of his life to appear at the diner. He checked his watch for what must've been the thousandth time. It was still early. They had planned to meet up at 6:30, eat, and then go watch the stars until ten. It was only 6:23.

One of the waitresses caught his eye and smiled. She had caramel hair and piercing blue eyes. Her nametag read "Alyss" (shoutout to John Flanagan, author of Ranger's Apprentice, who created the original Alyss, giving me the name idea).

"Waiting for someone?" she asked. She wasn't trying to be nosy, she had merely noticed Tam's frantic pacing and thought he might be set at ease after a little conversation.

He smiled briefly. "Yeah."

"And who might that be?"

He paused his pacing for a moment to meet Alyss's eyes.

"My girlfriend."

Alyss smirked, unsurprised. "She's late? Taking her sweet time getting ready, I presume?"

Tam laughed. "Sophie? Never. I'm early. She's..."

The door swung open behind him and he instinctively turned to face the noise.

"Sophie!"

The pair ran towards each other, and Tam wrapped his arms tight around her.

"Sorry I'm late," Sophie mumbled into his tunic, which was one of the nicer ones in his wardrobe.

He laughed, more easily now than earlier with Alyss. "You're not late, Sophie! I'm fact, you're still early!" He showed her his watch, which read 6:28.

He backed away from her a little, studying her outfit. She'd had Biana's help, or maybe Vertina's. She was wearing a dark red dress that complemented her eyes beautifully, with black lace at the hem of the sleeves and skirt. It had a squarish neckline that was modest enough, but also showed off a fair amount of skin that Tam's eyes couldn't help but wander to. Her eyelids had been dusted with gold, and her hair was swept up into a fancy bun, making it look both elegant and practical at the same time.

With a bit of a struggle, Tam tore his eyes off of her, instead training them on Alyss, who was leading them to a table.

"I take it this is the Sophie you were talking about earlier?" She asked as he and Sophie sat down across from each other at the table. Sophie looked at him skeptically, but he answered without hesitation .

"Yes," he told her, then turned his focus back to his companion. "My Sophie." He reached across the table and took her hands, tracing a circle around her left hand ring finger. Someday, he thought, there'll be a ring right here.

Alyss smiled, noticing the gesture. "Well, what can I get you two lovebirds to drink?"

 ~·~

The dinner went perfectly, which was a big jump from Tam's last attempt at a successful Valentine's Day. They said their goodbyes to Alyss, who had been an amazing waitress, and promised to keep in touch with each other.

And now, Tam thought, for the best part.

Fingers interlaced, they left the diner, and as the last rays of sun hit his face, Tam lifted the leaping crystal he had made himself, and they glittered away, reappearing in the place that someday, they would call home. Just a small, simple house, about the size of a human house, in the middle of a memory. They didn't need all the extra luxuries that most elves went on after. Just a home with enough room for himself, his future wife, and a few kids. And that's when they'd start adding new memories.

Tam had spent long nights with his stellarscope making everything perfect, and that's what it was.

 "Wow..." Sophie whispered, spinning in a slow circle, taking in all she could of her breathtaking surroundings. Small, round bottles of silver and gold starlight surrounded them, glowing dimly in the setting sun. When the sun set, they would show their full beauty.

 "You did all of this?"

Tam smiled, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Anything for you, Sophie." He placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"But this-?"

He put two fingers against her lips. "Anything. Now come on. Let's go watch for shooting stars."

Tam knew Sophie had never seen a shooting star, and that she'd always wanted to. Similarly, Tam hadn't, either. He and Linh stayed up all night once, waiting for one, so they could wish for a way out of the family they were dropped into. Long claimed that Tam had dozed off and she had spotted one then, making the wish for him, but Tam thought that was just to make him think they were saved.

There was a blanket spread out in a clearing in the forest, and the two of them lay down on it. Watching. Waiting.

~·~

The hours passed slowly, but pass they did, and soon enough Tam's eyelids started to droop. Sophie muttered something incoherently beside him, and he realized she must've fallen asleep. She rolled over, pressing her body against his. Tam's cheeks flamed, but he draped a protective arm over her, cuddling closer to her. It was late, and her soft breathing tempted him, but he didn't dare let himself sleep. That wouldn't go over well with Grady. They lay there beside each other for a few minutes, until Tam just couldn't keep it together anymore. He sat up and checked his watch. It was nearly ten. Time to go.

Gently, he shook Sophie awake. "Did I fall asleep?" She mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"Seems like you did. It's almost the to go," Tam told her in a quiet voice.

"Was there a shooting star?" Sophie asked, laying her head in Tam's lap.

He shook his head. Sophie sighed.

"This was really sweet of you, Tam. Thank you."

He smiled down at her, stroking her cheek.

Sophie took it all in for a moment more, then say up with a little grunt, taking out her home crystal. "Well, I best get going. Grady will kill you if I'm late."

As she held the crystal up to the moonlight, Tam's head raced, trying to remember what he had forgotten. Kiss her.

 "Wait!"

He stumbled as he stood up, setting fire to his face, but he ignored it, wrapping his arms around Sophie and pulling her close to him. His hands wandered off to explore.

Sophie smiled. "I love you, Tam."

"I love you, too. Goodnight..." He leaned closer. Their lips touched and an electric-like shock rushed through Tam's body. Sophie stumbled backwards, into the beam of light created by her crystal.

She disappeared.

But her voice rand loud and clear in his head.

I love you, Tam. Don't forget it.

She was speaking tellepathically. Tam opened his mind up to hers.

Why would I?I

I'm fading.

No!

I love you.

Stay with me, Sophie!

I can't. I'm sorry. I love you...

As the last traces of her voice faded from his mind, Tam saw a single star steak across the sky. At the sight of it, he burst into tears, whispering to no one but himself, "That's her... that's her on her way to Heaven."

~~

Yes, I just killed off Sophie in the first real chapter of the book. Please don't kill me! I promise the story will find a waybit get interesting, even when one of the main characters is dead.