A/N: I'M BACK! YAY! I've been super busy with the hell of junior year, but I managed to get some time for writing this chapter in between and what better time to publish it than Christmas Eve?
Merry Christmas and Happy First Day of Hanukkah to everyone who celebrates it! Consider this a small present from yours truly!
And without further ado, here's the chapter! Hope you like it!
"Decorations?"
"Check!"
"Outfits?"
"Check!"
"Invitations?"
Biana frowned at her list. "We made them, but we haven't sent them out yet."
"What?!" Sophie shrieked, panic evident in her voice. "The wedding is in three days and we haven't sent out the invitations?!"
"Relax, Sophie," Linh reminded, playing with a tiny drop of water in her hands. "Elvin invitations travel really quickly. We'll send them by today evening." With a flick of a finger, she directed the water so it splashed on Sophie's nose. A teasing smile hinted at the corner of her lips at Sophie's astounded expression.
"Hey!"
Biana giggled, accompanying Linh's soft laugh. "Um, rings?"
"I'm the one reading the items," Sophie reminded, swiping at her nose. "But, that's Fitz's department."
"Right," Biana agreed, slowly checking it off of the list. "Well, that's it for us. As long as the boys finished their stuff as well, we should be good."
"I'm sure they did," Sophie managed, waving away the concern. "They're pretty responsible."
*~*~*~*~*
"Go left!"
"USE YOUR SHADOWVAPOR AND PULVERIZE HIM!"
"Dude! That is SO not cool!"
"WATCH OUT!"
All four boys slammed into each other, sending the teal crystal ball flying. If it hadn't have been for Fitz's telekinesis, it would have shattered on the ground.
"Phew," Fitz muttered, standing up and dusting off his pants. "If that had shattered, Sophie would've-"
"FITZ!"
Both Keefe and Tam shot up and managed to catch the now falling orb with their minds, their combined telekinetic power bringing it closer until it landed in Keefe's outstretched palm.
"Idiot," Tam muttered. "One thought about Sophie and you completely lose your concentration."
"Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?" Dex inquired. "I mean, you are Cognates."
"Not when the Fitzter is in looooove," Keefe teased, tossing the orb to him. "Then, all he can think about is her deep brown eyes and tinkling laugh and... mmph mrph mmmmmm!"
Fitz clamped a hand over Keefe's mouth and nonchalantly turned to Dex. "So what were you saying?"
Dex and Tam exchanged a look, stifling their laughter. "Maybe we shouldn't play bramble with precious wedding decorations," Dex suggested, taking the orb. "I'll go put it inside."
"Ah! Wedding decorations!" Fitz smacked his forehead and muttered a string of words that would've have surely gotten him in trouble at Foxfire.
Keefe grinned. "Someone's in trouble," he sang.
"All of us," Fitz corrected, his eyebrows furrowing. "We were supposed to get the rings and food ready. I've got the rings, but..."
A knowing laugh escaped Tam's lips. "I knew you'd both forget."
Fitz glared at him.
"Don't worry. Dex guessed the same thing, so the day after Sophie assigned all the responsibilities, we figured out all the logistics. Edaline is doing desserts while the gnomes and your mom are working on the entree and appetizer."
Dex jogged back to the hill they were on, smiling and digesting Fitz and Keefe's expressions. "They forgot, didn't they?"
"Yup," Tam confirmed, popping the p.
Fitz gulped and unclasped his hands, which were nervously twirling the Cognate rings on his thumbs. "Have I ever told you guys how awesome you are?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't get that?" Dex teased, putting a hand up to his ear.
Fitz rolled his eyes. "Thank you."
Both Dex and Tam smirked, holding Keefe and Fitz's gazes and punching a fist bump... with sound effects.
Keefe raised a challenging eyebrow with an amused smirk. "Handshakes, huh?"
As if it were choreographed, Fitz and Keefe broke into a complicated handshake ending with a double high five and crossed arms back-to-back. Tam and Dex gaped; it was like looking at two sides of a mirror.
"Dude, that's... incredible."
Keefe grinned. "It took us three years-"
"-but we finally got it," Fitz finished. He glanced at the afternoon sun directly above their heads. "I think the girls should be done by now and I promised Sophie I'd help her deliver the invitations. So I'll see you guys soon?"
The three boys nodded. "See you."
*~*~*~*~*
Sophie peeked through the window for the fourth time in the last five minutes. "Where is he?" she muttered.
"He probably lost track of time," Biana calmed. "In fact I bet he's almost here."
As if on cue, a panting Fitz burst through the front door, almost knocking Sophie over. He inconspicuously put his leaping crystal away, but Sophie didn't miss the detail.
"You just reached here?" she scolded. "Honestly, Fitz."
"Sorry, sorry," Fitz muttered, handing Linh a small box. He scooped Sophie up into his arms. "You're not allowed to see the rings yet," he teased.
His teasing smile and impossibly teal eyes melted the frown off of Sophie's face. "I sure hope I do."
"Enough flirting you two," Biana interrupted. "We have some invitations to deliver."
"Right!" Sophie remembered, extricating herself from Fitz's arms. "Ugh, this is so tedious."
Fitz nodded. "But, just think about it. In a few days, we'll be happily married and living in our own house!"
Sophie's eyes widened. "The house," she echoed slowly. "The house!"
"It's fine," Fitz consoled, fiddling with the rings covering Sophie's fingers. "I already looked at a few and we can pick them out after the wedding." He scanned the room and his eyes landed on a crumpled piece of planning paper. "You need to rest. Tomorrow's going to be all relaxation for you."
"No way," Sophie refused. "There's so much to do and-"
"And we'll do it," Linh told her sweetly. "Don't worry so much, Sophie, or you'll lose the fun of the wedding."
"Besides," Fitz added. "You have eternity to worry about things. A house, a job, kids, the future of the elvin world. When it comes to things about you, you should just relax."
Sophie sighed, her lips quirking up at Fitz's plan for their future. "I suppose so," she relented. "You want to get started on those invitations?"
Fitz nodded. "Where to first?"
*~*~*~*~*
After an exhausting evening of continuous leaping from house to house and delivering invitations, Sophie and Fitz made one final leap to Havenfield and collapsed on the couch. Linh and Biana were long gone, but Edaline greeted them with a soft smile.
"Finally finished?" she asked, handing each of them a warm drink. "You both look exhausted."
Sophie couldn't even muster the energy to nod and accept the cup, so her relief was immediate when Fitz did it for her.
"Too much leaping in one day," he agreed, setting Sophie's cup on the table and tilting her head onto his shoulder. "I can't feel my hands anymore."
Sophie sighed before finally giving in and closing her eyes, leaning into Fitz's embrace. "Thanks, mom," she murmured. "Goodnight."
Edaline bit back a smile. No matter how many times her daughter and boyfriend- now fiancé- ended up falling asleep together, whether from Cognate sessions late in the night or just dates in general, it was always adorable. "Goodnight sweetheart."
Once Edaline disappeared up the stairs, Fitz picked back up the mug and held it next to Sophie. "Drink something or else your stomach's unlikely to forgive you in the morning."
Sophie groaned, curling her legs up beneath her. "Too... tired..."
Fitz's grin was visible even in the dim light. He gulped down one last sip of the drink and leaned over to off the lamp beside them, sliding down the sofa and falling into a deep slumber.
"Goodnight Sophie. Love you."
"Love you too, Fitz."
Okay Sophitz is literally the cutest thing ever. Hope you guys liked the chapter, but idk when I'll be able to post one more. Nonetheless, I really have missed you guys so it's good to be back, even for a short while. See you all later!