WARNING: idk what happened with this chapter so idk... just go with it. also read a/n at end for explanation. 

Chapter Eleven 

"So, how did your first date with Linh go?" Sophie asked Fitz while they sat under Calla's tree. After hanging out in her room for a few minutes they decided they'd rather go outside. It had been a while since the two sat under that tree, the last time they had sat under there was the day Sophie received her matchmaking scroll. 

"Pretty well," he replied, smiling. "I just really like her, I'm hoping this works out." 

"Me too," Sophie told him, grinning. "You two are perfect for each other."

"Speaking of perfect for each other, how are you and Keefe? Have you guys been together since we all hung out?" He looked to her expectantly. 

She shook her head, frowning. "No, we've been busy," she told him. "But we talk every night before we go to sleep and sometimes in the morning he'll call me." 

Fitz nudged her shoulder with his own. "That's at least something. At least you make time to talk everyday." 

Sophie nodded. "Yeah, I just wish I was able to see him as often as everyone else gets to see their people. Dex and Biana literally see each other everyday."

"The last thing I want to talk about is my sister's love life," Fitz replied, groaning. 

"You know, you never told me your take on that," Sophie replied. "How do you feel about Dex and Biana?"

"I mean, Dex is one of my best friends. I wish he had told me he was going to ask out my sister before he did," Fitz stated. "But, besides that he treats her like the princess she deserves to be treated. You can totally tell the dude is in love with everything she is, and that's what my sister deserves." 

"And she's completely in love with him, so it works out," Sophie added. 

"Um, no. Who said she was allowed to be in love?" Fitz rolled his eyes, making Sophie let out a loud laugh. 

"Honestly, I think the two are so cute together. I also think it's funny they ended up together considering when we were younger, Dex hated your family. Now he's working up to joining your family." 

"Please don't word it like that," Fitz complained. 

Sophie laughed once more. "Honestly, I don't understand why it effects you so much. He's one of your best friends and she's your sister. Not only do you know it's a person who's going to treat your sister good, but you also know that it's a person who's not going to let your friend down. It's a happy match." 

"I feel like you'd have to be in the situation to understand," Fitz told her. "How would you feel if one of us guys got together with your sister."

She pictured each of her friends with her sister and almost cringed. "Okay, I guess I see your point. But it also is different." 

"How?" Fitz questioned. 

"Well, my sister is way younger. Also, Dex and Biana have been friends for years." Then she smirked and added, "And they're in love." 

"Listen, until I hear from her mouth that she loves Dex I'm not giving into that statement," Fitz informed. "Can we change the subject, talking about my sister and her boyfriend isn't exactly my favorite thing." 

Sophie rolled her eyes, but nodded. "Well, what do you want to talk about?"

"Well, I need your opinion on something." Fitz sighed. "I don't know where to take Linh next. Do you have any date ideas?"

Sophie shook her head. "No, Keefe and I usually hang out here or his place." Keefe was currently living in Atlantis, far away from both his parents, and the two decided that when they eventually moved in together they would get their own home instead of living in Atlantis. 

Fitz shrugged. "Well, I mean that helps a little," he assured. 

"Ooh, one thing I recommend is communication," she suddenly stated. "Like, talk about what you're doing before you do it. Plan together, let her help with plans." 

"Thanks for the advice," Fitz said, smiling at her before a thought came to mind. "Wait, today's your day off and I know it's Keefe's day off too. Why didn't you hang out with him today?" 

"Because we already made these plans," she told him. "Friends before boyfriends. Besides, I talk to Keefe everyday. I don't talk to you everyday. I've missed you, you know." 

Fitz grinned at her. "I've missed you too, Soph. It feels weird thinking I don't talk to you everyday." 

"I know, right?" She grinned. "At least we make up for it by hanging out as much as we can. It's been relaxing to just sit here and talk with you. It feels like centuries since I've done something like this." 

Fitz hummed with agreement. "We used to do this all the time, we should start doing it again." 

She nodded, agreeing instantly. "Yeah, I miss this." They both grew silent after that, and Sophie found herself closing her eyes and almost about to fall asleep. Sleep was a guessing game for her since her childhood, even years after everything had calmed down it was almost as if her dreams refused to let her forget the horrors she'd been through. It wasn't something she talked to her friends about, although they were aware. She wondered if any of them went through the same problems. 

But their past was the past, and as a group they had agreed to keep it there. 

Just thinking about that kept her awake, and suddenly she found herself in the state of panic she was usually put into when she thought of her younger years. "Hey, are you okay?" Fitz asked, frowning at her. 

Usually she'd call over Keefe to help calm her down, due to his heightened abilities when her gloves were off he had the ability to calm her emotions. "Uh, can you call Keefe over?" She asked. "Sorry, my mind traveled and when my mind traveled it traveled too far."

Fitz immediately nodded. "Yeah, I'll go get him now." 

It didn't take long for Keefe to get their and immediately he held her ungloved hand and calmed her emotions the same way he'd been doing for years. "Sorry you were there for that," Sophie apologized to Fitz. "Usually this only happens at night." 

"Does this happen often?" He asked, confused. 

"No," Keefe answered for her. "But as she said, it usually happens at night. It's why I make sure we talk every night, so if she needs me I can be there." He smiled gently at her and she gave him a sad smile back. 

"Sophie, how come you've never told us about this?" Fitz frowned. "Especially me." 

"It has to do with the nightmares I'd get, which you did know about," she stated. "Thinking about my nightmares puts me in a bad place. But it's okay, I'm fine. It's actually been two or three months since this last happened. Two months before that. It used to happen almost every night. I've talked to everyone I've needed to talk to about it, it's all good." 

Fitz stared at her for a while, as if waiting for her to say something else. She didn't want her friends to think of her differently because of the issue she had, and it scared her now that Fitz knew. But, she hadn't lied. She never hid the problem, she only wasn't vocal about it. 

"Are you sure you're fine?" Fitz asked for clarification, to which she replied with a nod. Then he turned to Keefe. "Do you believe she's fine?" 

Keefe sighed. "I can tell it's getting better. It used to take longer to calm her down and, as she mentioned, it used to happen a lot more. I'm honestly surprised she never told you, though. I assumed everyone knew." When he stated the last part he looked to her. 

"It's kind of weird, so I don't talk about it," was her reply. 

"Well, actually now that that's over I just realized it's time for me to go." Sophie frowned at Fitz, confused. "Remember when I told you about," he looked at Keefe for a split second, "thing thing." 

Her eyes widened. "Oh! Oh, I almost forgot you mentioned you'd have to leave early for that." She gave him a large hug before pulling away. "Go, go. Go have fun." He waved goodbye to Keefe before walking away to leave. 

"Okay, you need to tell me what just happened," Keefe stated immediately, sitting back down. "What was it this time?" 

She sighed, taking a seat beside him and leaning her head on his shoulder. "It was kind of everything this time. I know usually when it happens it's because I focus on one really scary event and think of all the bad outcomes, but this time it was sort of thinking of everything. Thanks for coming to calm me down, you know how much it means to me. Especially since it's not required." 

"You're the love of my life, why wouldn't I come?" He grinned at her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. 

She grinned, staring at nothing particular in front of them. It was still unbelievable to her that someone was in love with her and she was in love with someone else. Love was fickle. Love was a strange emotion, one that was almost a myth to many. So many didn't believe in love, and those that did worked too hard to find it. 

Growing up with all her peers hating her, she never believed she would find something like love. With her human peers hating her for being smarter, and her elvin peers hating her for bringing out the dangers of the world. Being different wasn't always kind, but being different brought her where she was today. Sitting against a tree with the love of her life. 

And she suddenly her past didn't seem so scary anymore. 

---

this was a whole rollercoaster. yikes am i okay? becca don't answer that. 

yikes i think i might rewrite this later but i needed to get something out. don't be surprised if i take this chapter down and change it. but idk you give your opinion. 

chapter questions

1. is this chapter too weird? different? i wanted to go more into the emotional side of sophie. i realized that i didn't address what happened to them enough and the effect it would lead to them as adults, it was something i've wanted to do for a while but idk now that i've written it i kinda want to not do that again lmao. idk i've been listening to broadway musicals all day i'm rough today 

2. on a lighter note, ig shameless plug any social media you have here. i wanna follow you guys lmao. 

3. okay so i was going through your profiles (like profiles of commenters haha) to look at readinglists for some kotlc fanfics to read cause i've been wanting to read some good ones lately. any recommendations? 

also, sorry i didn't post friday. my school's equivalent of junior prom was yesterday and i was freaking out about it all friday lmao but ringdance (what it's actually called) was so much fun

here's a picture of me and my best friend, lizzi, who was my "date" since i don't have a boyfriend: