#and i glanced at it and saw the vackers

[bookwyrminspiration]

hey um wait a minute important question do you pronounce it AL-den or ALL-den. al like alvin. or ahl like all. because I think the world is crashing down around me

[kale-of-the-forbidden-cities]

Della Vacker post

I made this doodle of her while i was supposed to be working on artfight refs, but not to worry! i finished those just in time today :>

notice the Vacker registry pendant and prime sources chain. Notice how anxious she looks!

and now for the playlist which will make more sense after you've read the headcanons. You don't have to think it's perfect or in character, that's okay, it's just stuff i came up with

and now under the cut is my 15 page google doc thoughts of Della Vacker, from when she started dating Alden to Legacy-ish?? warning i think they get worse as they go, don't focus on the stuff after book 1 time, i'm not sure if i like it as much as i do the other as far as writing and wording goes and stuff

if you do take the time to read this, comment on it as much as you want!!! it feels good when people point out specific parts hehe

TW: mentions of eating disorders and ~uncomfortable age gaps~

Alden and Della had sort of an arranged marriage, with Alden on Della's match lists when she was sixteen, and her parents saw and were delighted to see a Vacker as her number one, but Della tried to argue, saying he’s a hundred years older, but by the time Alden got his next list she was nineteen and invited to his Winnowing Gala. Della was standing among all these girls who were mostly at least 30 years older than her, and she was terrified. She didn’t feel good enough to be there. She felt out of place. But Alden’s parents seemed to really like her, though she couldn’t tell if that was because they actually did or if it was just because she and Alden were each other’s top matches. She felt super weird about it, and he felt weird about it too, but despite the age gap, they were kind of pressured into getting together. 

And at first it was sooooooo awkward. They didn’t feel comfortable around each other, and Della still felt like a kid next to him. Not to mention the sheer perfection of him, and the other Vackers. This is where some other headcanons start coming in, with Della not feeling perfect enough, and she began to develop an eating disorder. 

This whole thing is so stressful for her, but her parents are happy, and Alden seems happy, who is she to ruin it? She was once an enjoyer of gossip, but now she's part of it, there were speculations about her from the very first date with alden, and she's not used to it! She's not used to being in the spotlight! 

Della: (surprised) I'm... I'm in the news? 

Alden: Oh... Yes, that happens. 

Della: ... But I only just started dating you- is- is that even public yet? 

Alden: No, but we did go out yesterday... 

Della: ... but I'm not a Vacker... I can't... (trails off) 

Alden: ...

Della goes for a walk in Atlantis and feels everyone watching her, and she can't take it, she feels like she's crumbling under the pressure (even though not that many people were actually looking or saying or thinking anything bad, but she saw a few people glance her way, someone pointed at her and whispered) and she breaks down, tears start to well up, and she tries to get somewhere to be alone, but it's Atlantis, she can't just leap away, she has to go back the way she came, and she's crying and she can't breathe and people are really staring now and really talking about her and someone tries to come help but she doesn't think that's what they're there to do, she runs away, she's running through crowded streets until she finally makes it out, and once her bubble thing lets her go she sits on the ground and sobs.

And of course people saw this whole thing, and they were talking about her all over again, but this time it wasn't just speculation about her relationship with Alden, this time it was people saying she wasn't fit to be a Vacker, that she was unstable and unpredictable and mentally ill for... crying? Well then, she can't let anyone see her cry ever again.

And at some points she wishes Alden would leave her or break up with her or something but after the stories and stuff about her were published he just hailed her and asked if she was okay. And this was before she'd read them. He seemed to care about her, and Della just thinks she's bringing shame on him, but he assures her that she isn't, and it's okay, and that it will blow over and that there's no reason to worry.

She becomes very familiar with that phrase, and learns to take it to heart. She's okay. He's okay. Everything is okay. even when she feels like dying, even when she realizes she hasn't eaten in three days and almost passes out in public and she feels terrified whenever she goes out with him and everything feels like too much and goddamnit why won't he leave her what does he still see in her why couldn't she have just enjoyed her after-foxfire years normally why why why???

But then as Alden cares for her and he doesn't leave her and he smiles for real, his smile is so unlike all the pictures she's seen, it's so soft and small and hesitant and his eyes look so gentle and happy and oh prime sources, after three years she's really falling for him and oh no this is awful, she feels so conflicted. She wanted him to leave her but now she doesn't want to leave him. 

After four years they finally share their first kiss, and it's... real. 

It's by no means a long kiss, but it feels like forever, time slows as thoughts race through Della’s mind and she thinks oh no. And then they pull apart, and she's tearing up, and mentally beating herself up for it, which only makes her need to cry more, and she can't breathe but Alden doesn't seem to get it, he's confused, he looks hurt, he asks whats wrong, so she chokes it down and tells him she's okay, just... really happy. I get emotional, she says with a forced laugh. 

And she accepts her fate. 

She’s trapped. 

Unless Alden ever has a sudden change of heart, she can't go anywhere.

Della was raised religious, but it wasn't nearly as strict as the Vackers. That's another thing she has to get used to - she has to carefully learn every ritual, all the history she might need to know, she doesn't want them to think she's not good enough. She has to fit into this family, and if she's a square in a circle hole, then she'll just have to cut off her own corners to fit. 

She didn't really expect it to go this long - she had three boyfriends when she was in Foxfire, but they all went by super fast, obviously. And they were never serious. But Alden was serious. Her parents wanted her to be serious. the Vackers were serious. 

Alden and Della obviously took things very very slowly, mostly due to the age gap and how uncomfortable they used to be around each other. They'd kissed twice after five years of dating, and it still feels so... new. They're careful in public, Della isn't herself anymore. She used to be so much happier. Now she's an empty shell, and sometimes life doesn't feel worth living.... but she's okay, she's okay, she's okay. There’s no reason to worry. Everything is perfect! She learns how to force a smile when people begin speculating about her mental health again... and she's not eating. She doesn't feel perfect enough. She hates her body, her face, her hair, she hates how ugly she feels standing next to Alden, her boyfriend, though that word feels wrong on her tongue. Even after a decade, she still messes up, says the wrong things and gets weird looks and she feels like the world could swallow her up, she could get murdered and it would be her fault.

Alden of course notices this, because, duh, he's not blind, but he doesn't know what to do. He waits for a few months, trying to let it pass because he's not good with words and... maybe if he pretends she's okay, she'll be okay. he just has to believe it and treat her as he has been - he does care, he just doesn't know what to do. He's trying to believe, but it's getting so hard to pretend because oh god she just collapsed in the middle of the room and she's not waking up and he's not very strong but he can pick her up easily and take her to the couch and he sits by her as he waits for a physician and he's trying so hard not to cry, but maybe she's worth crying over, he's so scared for her. Pretending everything was okay wasn't what she needed at all. He should have done something.

Della obviously ends up fine, but she doesn't talk to Alden about it. He apologizes and asks if she's okay, and she assures him he is, she says sorry, she promises to do better.

And she’s okay. 

She takes a deep breath and forces herself to eat. 

To prove she’s okay. 

She even hides the scale from herself for a few months. She's okay.

Well, now that she knows her limits she can be even better than before. 

Time flies by, and Alden and Della are closer than ever. They're not as close as the average couple that has been dating for a year, even though they've been together for ten, twenty, thirty. They love and care about each other, but there's.... something. Della gets better! She makes friends with some of Alden's friends, Grady and Edaline. They're also much older than her, but she's older now, too, so age shouldn't matter like it did when she was nineteen. Still, she feels the need to be polite in the same way she is to Alden's family. Despite that, it's... nice to be around them. To have conversations with Edaline while Alden is out, to have friends! She hasn't had those since the world started to judge her! Nobody wanted to be caught up in that kind of drama. She meets Edaline's sister, and they get along even better! Until she runs into her in the street and they talk for a while, and then the next day there's a picture of them in the news! Juline is a bad match, how could Della forget how could she mess up so badly how could she be so selfish to want anything for herself, how could she have slipped up like that!!!

She apologizes to Alden as soon as she sees him, then stops talking to Juline. Edaline has seen the article, and while this kind of thing doesn't matter to her, she understands why it would matter to Della. She's observant. She can tell that Della isn't okay. She and Juline talk, and they agree to let her go without asking questions. She clearly doesn't need more stress. Della is anxious to talk to Grady and Edaline for a bit after that, but when she does, they don't even bring up her suddenly cutting Juline off. Della wonders if she should bring it up, but she doesn't want to start trouble. So she pretends everything is fine and resists the urge to ask Eda how her sister is doing. 

This would be the time where Della would start visiting the Forbidden Cities and learning how to defend herself - going to the human world is freeing, but it comes with its risks. She's cautious not to get caught, and she's careful not to get hurt while she's there. In the Forbidden Cities, nobody knows her. She learns both how to hold her Vanishing for a long time, but also how to resist the light passing through her with each step she takes. Humans definitely don't blink in and out of sight as they walk. She learns a human language (in my headcanon it's Spanish, which she later teaches to her kids, while Alden teaches them English). She’s interested in human culture.

Luzia gifts Everglen to Alden, and he has it rebuilt, because the pressure to make things permanent with Della is starting to grow - he's been in relationships before, and they've all gone by so fast compared to this one. He feels differently about Della, he's actually gotten to know her, he thinks he's seen her at her worst. Della hears the whispers about marriage and gets terrified. She could really be Radelle Vacker. It's not the name she tried on at thirteen, fantasizing about marrying into the family, just for fun. It's an actual possibility.

Della had been living in an apartment since her twenties, she never felt like she could handle getting attached to a house the way most elves do. Besides, she liked the limited space - there was less to do with it, less options, but so many ways to decorate and make it hers. Unlike everything else in her life. Just because she appreciates beauty and fancy things, well, it doesn't have to be big to be beautiful. That was her place of peace. But then... Alden suggested she move into Everglen with him, after it gets rebuilt. And how could she say no? She can't. She hasn't said no to Alden once in all these decades. Not like he was too sure of what to do, either. Their relationship was the best pace it could have been for the two of them. And so Della moves into Everglen, and... gives up her apartment. And Everglen is big. It makes her feel small and anxious. But she'll get used to it. One time she had to cross the house to get a cup of water in the middle of the night - it was so eerie. She kept a cup by her bed from then on.

Another thing she gave up was her trips to the Forbidden Cities. She still wanted to go, and definitely could have, but she just stopped being able to find the time to visit as frequently, and eventually stopped going altogether. 

Now that they were living together, of course, people found out and started saying things and making more assumptions about Alden and Della's relationship, things that Della did not even feel nearly ready for - and they're not even married! They don't even share a room, let alone a bed! She feels kind of gross when she thinks about it for too long. but she's okay. She's getting good at this.

Until, to "celebrate" or whatever, Alden's parents suggest a family gathering at Everglen. Of course, Della is there. She already felt uncomfortable around Alden's parents, so she didn't expect it to go that well, but she wasn't expecting the sheer number of fancy intimidating and perfect Vackers that were there - she felt like scum next to them. And with the way some of them looked at her, she might as well have been. She made herself eat so they wouldn't go making assumptions about her health or mental well being, but after dinner, she excused herself and threw it all up in the bathroom. It wasn't even on purpose, she just felt that nauseous. She couldn't stay away for too long, though, because this was Alden's house, and being Alden's girlfriend, she'd surely be missed. So she gathers herself and returns for dessert, which she isn't able to stomach much of. She didn't notice until that night, but Alden seems so... stiff. And unnatural. Around the rest of his family. He's smiling, but that's not his smile. Della knows his smile! And she starts to wonder if Alden ever feels like she does. Despite how much he truly seems to belong here. Unlike she does.... she's not good enough.

And then Alden stands up and says he'd like to announce something, and he talks for a bit, then he mentions Della and she's forced to focus and listen and she doesn't even remember what he said, just that he wasn't looking at her, he was looking at his parents, while talking about her, and then he reached into his cape and turned around and kneeled down and

“Della, will you marry me?” 

And she freezes up and everything stops and her heart pounds in her ears and she feels like she might throw up again and then she chokes up and looks Alden in the eyes and the tears come before she can stop them, but she doesn't stop them because.... people cry at proposals all the time. It's normal. It's... an emotional moment. That's why she's crying. She's just. so. happy.

So she covers her mouth with her hands and says what she knows she has to say.

“Yes.” 

Except it's muffled and squeaky and choked so she nods to get her point across, she slowly stands up and steps towards Alden, and something in his eyes changes as he wraps his arms around her. Understanding, maybe? He's just as trapped as she is, isn’t he?

She cries into his chest, but they're definitely not happy tears. She can force a smile and pretend they are, but that doesn't make it any better. For a moment all she hears is herself sobbing and Alden's heartbeat, pounding much too hard for someone who could be truly at peace. Then the applause starts, and she cries harder, making herself feel even sicker. But this is the first time she's let tears fall in - no, has it really been a year? Has it been more? Less? She doesn't know. But it's been a while. And it's all coming out at once and the rush of hands clapping is taking over but she has to breathe. breathe. breathe. Alden rubs her back, and she focuses on that, she focuses on his smell.

And she breathes. 

In, out. 

She’s okay. 

She’s crying, but she’s happy, right? 

How could she be anything but happy? 

She’s… engaged. 

To Alden Vacker. 

So many people would give anything for this. People would crash weddings for a chance at marrying Alden Vacker. The world envies her. She even loves Alden! And she knows she does!

So why isn’t she happy??? 

Where’s the feeling she’s been missing for so long? 

She stands by the door as the Vackers leave, squeezing Alden's hand as she nods and smiles at each of the Vackers leaving. She's never even seen most of them. She recognizes Alden's parents, and of course Luzia Vacker, Fallon Vacker, Orem Vacker, and a few others she's read about in elvin history. She really is a part of them now.

But she doesn’t feel good enough. 

Her smile falls as soon as the last ones leave, and Alden isn't looking at her, and they need to talk about what to do, they need to talk about what happened, they need to celebrate, they need to...

Alden speaks up first. 

And he says,

“I’m sorry.” 

And he walks away. 

Della stares after him, feeling the light pass through her. She doesn't know how to feel. Alden just apologized... for proposing to her? She should feel hurt, but... she gets it. She's sorry, too.

She goes back over to the table to clean up all the plates left there, with the intent of getting her mind off of things, but... it's a giant table. It's overwhelming. She sits down and takes a half empty glass of wine that isn't even hers. She takes a deep breath and releases it in a long, slow, sigh.

She doesn't even finish the glass, but she feels sick like she's had five or ten. Or, she feels like what she thinks it'd be like? She's never actually gotten drunk, but she knows it can make you throw up. In any case, she knows she will not be getting drunk tonight. She needs to keep it together. She's okay.

The next morning, they act like they normally do, but they both know of the unspoken tension, the hurt and guilt and shame because of that disaster of a proposal that neither of them wanted to do yet. Especially not like that, in front of the Vackers. Della used to fantasize about her dream proposal - it would have been somewhere beautiful, maybe under the stars, remote and quiet. Certainly not in a well-lit room with every Vacker looking at her. She imagined tears, but she also imagined being happy. She imagined looking into her lover's eyes and smiling softly, and kissing them. Not whatever happened last night. 

But who is she to complain...

For a week, they try to pretend everything is like it was, like it has been... But then they both realize that it will never go back. They can’t go back. So they start planning the wedding. And we all know how that went. 

If you look closely in pictures taken when Alina was trying to get Alden to run away with her, you might see a glimmer of hope and desperation in Della's eyes, mixed with the shock and anxiety that was there already. For a moment Alden looked like he was about to leave and go with her - but then he snapped out of it. He was being beguiled. 

Of course, it could have just been the angle of the picture that painted that look on Della's face.

The Vackers are all freaking out after the wedding, but most pin the blame on Alina alone, and most are pleased with the end result of it - and they almost seem genuine when they smile at Della now. For once she's done something right? Do they think she handled it well? 

And honestly? Della is much happier in the week following the wedding - it's their "honeymoon period," in which they mostly just stay in Everglen where it's quiet and the world can't get to them. They invite Grady and Edaline over for tea, but that's the extent of their social interaction. For a short while. Then they're expected to go back to normal. They have to go out to work, they have to talk to people, and of course endure the speculation on what other things they could have been doing during that time. 

Now Alden and Della aren't great at communication but at this point with all the rumors and expectations to continue the Vacker family line, they do have to talk about it at some point. They just.... might procrastinate a bit.

Until finally, Della is the one to bring it up. 

She asks if he wants kids and he blinks, then says he doesn't know. He asks if she does, because if she does, he'll go along with it, of course. But she says she doesn't know either. They sit there at the table for a few minutes, neither looking at the other. They're not used to talking or making decisions together. Most of their decisions had been made for them until now.

So they wait a bit longer, until the pressure from their families and society becomes too much and they agree that they do want kids, even though they're still not sure. Except they've never even slept in the same bed... so they start there. And it's nice, actually. They no longer feel awkward just being around each other, and sometimes they cuddle, without saying anything. They'll lay down, and by morning Della is curled up in his arms and they're sharing a blanket. It's nice.

But they know they have to take it a step further eventually... and there's a big difference between cuddling fully clothed and... having a child. The last time Della had ever done anything remotely sexual was when she was a teenager, and Alden has even less experience. They don't even feel comfortable changing with the other there. They don't know how they're going to do this.

Okay, so they think, "well, Grady and Edaline have a kid, maybe we should talk to them.” And so they do! Which is like, really big for them, opening up and communicating and talking about their relationship with someone else - it's big. And scary. But... they're in the same boat. They're in this together. And soon, almost a year after they said they would... They have a child.

Both of them are really scared, because they didn't exactly have the best relationship with their own parents or the best childhood, and when Della finds out she's pregnant, she tells Alden immediately, and... he cries. He tries to pretend he's just happy, but Della has pulled that trick too many times for it to work on her. She sits by him, takes his hand, closes her eyes, and quietly admits that she's terrified. She tells him her fears about not being a good parent, and Alden is nodding along. He feels the same. He takes her hand, kisses her forehead, and promises that they'll do this together. But they have to talk about things, just like they're talking now. Della touches his cheek, wiping off a tear, and says, "I like it when we talk like this. It feels good." she leans on him, and he holds her.

And Della learns to take better care of herself, because it's not just her. She's actually eating every day, especially since Elwin noticed that she was a bit underweight when he first checked her. She grows more and more anxious the more time passes, and is constantly hailing Edaline to ask if x thing is normal for pregnancy. Edaline helps calm her by telling her baby stories about Jolie. She even gives her some of Jolie's old baby things, and Della is very grateful. Alden is just as stressed, and spends lots of time taking care of Della and figuring out what to prepare. When it was too early in the pregnancy to really start setting up a room yet, he tried to baby proof the entirety of Everglen, which is obviously impossible with all the wide staircases and tile floors and fancy crystal and sharp corners. But he tried. He settled for baby proofing the part of the house where Alvar's room was going to be, right by Alden and Della's room, then adding a baby gate in the hallway. This was not his idea, he was still trying to do the whole house when Edaline had to stop him.

Grady and Edaline bring Jolie over a lot and she tells them all about all the stuff that used to be hers, and when they knew Alvar's gender they let her help choose names. Being a brutally honest child (I think like 9 or 10, correct me if I'm wrong) she made a face at one of the names Alden suggested.

Of course, preparing for Alvar wasn't the only thing stressing Della out. They tried to keep it on the down low for a while, but of course the world found out about Della being pregnant. And there were so many predictions and speculation and people were even bringing up her "mental health struggles" (not that she doesn't have those, but they literally just saw her crying in public once) and wondering how she could be a good parent and how her child would turn out as an adult. Edaline saw how this was getting to her and told her to stop reading them so she wasn't as stressed, and finally convinced her by saying it'd be better for the baby if she could like. chill out a bit. 

And then Alvar is born, and everyone cries, and yes, Della is stressed and anxious and scared but they are happy tears! She can't help but smile as she looks at Alvar, so small and fragile and she wants to shield him from the harsh reality of the world. Alden seems almost scared to hold him, like he's afraid he'll break him if he messes up or does something wrong. He sits down by Della so she can help him make sure he does it right. Grady, Edaline, and Elwin are there to help if needed. Jolie is at Brant's house (I believe they’ve met by now). Della closes her eyes and breathes, and the moment is so... perfect. really, truly, perfect.

For a long time, things are great! they really couldn't be better... Alden and Della aren't perfect at parenting, but they're doing their best. They're managing a balance between their work and family fairly well. Like I said, they're not perfect. They do mess up. A lot. And they're super hard on themselves. But... they're trying. Alvar is growing up fairly happy, and when Jolie is old enough, she (and sometimes Brant) babysit him sometimes. Alden and Della are closer than ever with Grady and Eda, and Jolie, too. For the Vackers, the Ruewens are the first example of a healthy family that they've gotten to see.

Now, they say all good things must come to an end. 

Della is the happiest she’s been. Ever. 

And then Jolie dies. 

Everything fell apart then. the Ruewens were like family to Della and Alden, and Jolie was almost like a daughter or niece to them. And for Alvar? She had been a part of his life before he was even born. His special stuffie belonged to her, and he couldn't even fully grasp the concept of death yet. He kept asking where Jolie was, and Della couldn't explain it to him. Alden couldn't either, he'd never been good with words. Della had to keep telling him that she went away and she's not coming back, trying to explain death while still reeling from the shock of the news herself. At one point she got up and locked herself in the bathroom for a while, away from Alvar's questions and away from everything. Alden spent most of his days in his office, working. Della, on the other hand, had to take a break from work for a while. She knew the moment she left Everglen, she would be judged for grieving, grieving wrong, not grieving enough - whatever she did, it would be wrong. And it wasn't even her child who died. She wanted to comfort or help Edaline and Grady somehow, but she couldn't. She couldn't even get out of bed for a while. Alden didn’t really know this, because he'd been sleeping in his office.

All of this really affects Alvar's little child brain, but we can talk about his trauma another time. The planting happens, and the Vackers are right at the front. Alvar has finally gone quiet, and he seems to realize that she's really not coming back. He tries to go over to Brant after the proceedings, but he's kinda... unstable. Alden tells him it's time to go, so Alvar gives Brant a hug and goes back to his parents.

Even though they got that bit of closure, they're still broken. There's a wound that cannot be healed. A hole that cannot be filled. Della's mental health plummets, and for a bit, there is nobody taking care of Alvar. He plays alone in his room until he gets bored and goes to his parents room, where Della is usually curled up in bed, thinking too much and not thinking at the same time. Alden comes in one night and lays down next to her, reaching out his hand like they did when they were still figuring out how to be comfortable together. Della places her hand on top of his, and they sit there for a long time. Alvar comes in and crawls between them, placing his tiny hand on top of Della's. The three of them fall asleep there. 

Slowly, they recover. In a year they're seemingly okay again. But nothing is the same. Della and Alden are more distant from both each other and Alvar. And the wound never healed, only scarred over.

And whether that feeling of something missing affected their decision to have another child is up to speculation, but they did have another child. Part of it was also because Della felt like she had failed Alvar, that she had let him down when Jolie died, and she didn't know how to talk to him or fix things. He wasn't doing bad in Foxfire, he was actually doing better than Della had. But Alden didn't seem to think it was good enough. Or rather, his parents didn't. Alden didn't really seem all that bothered by anything Alvar was doing. He had a habit of getting too wrapped up in work, especially after Jolie died. But Alden's parents sometimes hailed him or came over, mostly to tell him how disappointed they were in how he was raising Alvar. And Della heard them blaming her, a few times. But she didn't know how to fix it. And he was still a level one - surely he had time to turn out okay?

They end up having Fitzroy Alden Fallon Avery Vacker, whose initials they did not think through (Jolie would have thought about it). But this time they feel like they're having this child alone. sure, it's their second one, but there's still no one to just... be with them. Help them. Della is still anxious, but she has no one to stop her from looking at the news, no baby stories to look back on except Alvar's, though even his have turned sad. Jolie was there for so many of them... 

Over time, they become a lot stricter with Alvar. And as Fitz (and Biana) grow older, both Alden and Della begin trying to force them into perfection. Alvar is so different and so unwilling to fit into what their family is supposed to be that Alden and Della have all but given up on him. And for Alvar, well it obviously doesn't feel great to be given up on, which really only makes him further apart from the others. He feels out of place everywhere. At home he isn't perfect enough, he has too much of an attitude, he's placed last in priority. At school, he's a Vacker. He can't escape it. It's who he is.

Prentice's mind break (if I'm mathing correctly) happened while Della was pregnant with Biana. And Alden was never really the same after it. He'd never been very talkative, but he became more distant than ever. He barely left his office, kept forgetting to eat or drink water or sleep. He got better over time, but he still smiles much less than he used to.

When Biana is born, the public doesn't really know how to feel about her. Two children is fine, but three? Isn't that pushing it a bit? So Biana grows up with people asking everything of her, but half expecting nothing. She was so scared she wasn't even going to manifest (which is a bit unrealistic but with the way things were exaggerated, she thought being talentless was very likely. Della was also very afraid of this possibility).

The happiest years for anyone in this family were from when Alvar was born to when Jolie died. Things don't seem like they'll ever be better.

Alden is forcing Fitz and Biana to be perfect to protect the family legacy. Della is forcing them to be perfect to protect them. She knows how cruel the world can be. But her “protection” doesn't come across in the best way. At home, she subtly brings attention to all their little flaws, and when they go out, she makes sure they hide them all. When they cry, she gently tells them not to, that it's okay, that they're okay, everything is okay.

After Alden recovered from the mind break, he suddenly started talking to Alvar (who was struggling a lot with Neverseen stuff and depression and an eating disorder at the time) more. And he wouldn't let Della know what they were talking about. Della stopped trusting Alden. Not that she ever truly had, but this was different.

And Alden and Della grew further apart. Nobody would know, of course, since when they're out in public or when others are around, they act as in love as ever. But sometimes they go all day without talking to each other. Della spends time with Fitz and Biana, takes them places, teaches them how to survive in this family. She teaches them how to be the best version of themselves. They are 3 and 5. Alvar is at school most of the day, and out doing... whatever until nearly sunset. Della could ask, but Alden seems like he has it covered, so it doesn't really matter. She knows she's starting to be apathetic again, and she doesn't want to be, especially when it comes to her kids, but it's so hard not to.

But then Alvar enters the elite levels, and Alden starts spending more time with Fitz. He keeps him in his office all day, but then Della goes in once and Alden is alone. Where is Fitz? She asks him, and he informs her that he's at a friend's house. Where did Fitz get friends? She should be happy for him, but something about all of this feels so wrong. But she doesn't press further. If she shows that she doesn't trust Alden, will people use that against her too? So she doesn't even question it, and instead works on becoming closer with Biana, so Alden can't take her away, too. Maybe she's being overdramatic about it, but that wrong feeling hasn't gone away. Maybe it's just anxiety. Maybe she's fine. No, she is fine. It's not a maybe. She's okay. Their family is okay.

This also creates a divide between Fitz and Biana, who used to be close as little kids. But now Fitz is disappearing every day, and Della is keeping Biana away from him and Alden, and Alvar never comes home, except briefly during breaks and weekends, but then he goes to stay stars know where. Fitz and Biana have vastly different personalities. Biana has learned to be confident and defensive, while Fitz... well, he doesn't know how to act around people. He's learned to depend only on Alden, because nobody else trusts him and he can't trust anyone else. The golden years of this corner of the family are far behind them, and now all they have is perfectionism, distrust, and a facade.

Della thinks that by bringing attention to all Fitz and Biana’s little flaws and imperfections, by pointing them out in subtle ways, she thinks that will give them a chance to "fix" them before the world notices and attacks them for it. She tells herself she wishes someone had done this to her before she had to learn for herself to be perfect. 

Fitz started going to foxfire, and Della can tell he's not really okay. Did they ever get him enrolled in tutor sessions? Maybe that's where he's been going off to? She hasn't been paying enough attention. They used to have dinner together as a family every night, but then Alden got busy, Fitz started bringing his food up to his room when he started school and became swamped with way more homework than what can be good and normal for an eleven year old. So Della usually ended up sitting at the table with Biana after making some food. She figures this is a good meal to skip. Two meals a day is more than enough.

Suddenly, everything changes. Suddenly, Sophie is there, and Fitz seems so much less tired. He seems less stressed. He joins Biana and Della for dinner, and sometimes even Alden sits and eats with them as well. Things are far from perfect, but Alden is smiling genuinely again. Only sometimes, but it's there. Della decides she likes this change. But she also realizes something...

Fitz was always either away or sick, Sophie was in the forbidden cities, where there are lots of human illnesses (she knows from experience). Alden never told her why he had Fitz get up so early to talk to him alone, Alden never talks to her anymore, goddamnit- what was Fitz doing? Alden couldn't have found Sophie. He couldn't have, she knows for a fact he never leaves! He was meeting with the council right before Sophie arrived with Fitz, in her strange human clothes, and Fitz was wearing human clothes and prime sources, she's thinking about this too much and she can't breathe - this has been going on for so long?? How could she not have seen?

No, she needs to stay calm. She... needs to talk to Alden about this. He's been busy today, but she takes two plates of food to his office in the evening, gently opens the door, and sits by him. Alden clearly thinks this is unusual, but she can't tell if it's in a positive or negative way. But that's not important. They need to talk. After a few bites of food, she prepares the question. Were you sending Fitz to the Forbidden Cities? she prepares it in her mind, has it on the tip of her tongue, she opens her mouth to speak, but what comes out instead is...

“How was your day?” 

Alden blinks, like that's not what he was expecting. It's not what Della was expecting either. But she's not ready to confront his lies, she's not ready to face the reality of the danger Fitz was in for quite possibly eight years? And that's how Alden and Della end up sitting in Alden's office for hours, having the longest, most normal conversation they've had in years. They sit together and watch the sun set. Della leans on him. She missed having someone to hold her. Alden missed the feeling of being loved.

Alden and Della sort of work on mending their relationship after this, but they don't really talk about Fitz and what Alden had him do. Della never feels ready to bring it up, and eventually she puts the whole thing out of her mind. After all, Fitz is fine, it's like it never happened. But it did happen, and she doesn't notice the ways this affected Fitz because she's too busy pretending everything is fine and forcing him to do the same! Sometimes it's less pretending and more just. lying to herself. Trying to trick herself into believing. One of the ways she's done this for herself these past decades is telling herself that other people have it worse. If someone is suffering more than her, her pain doesn't matter. going to the Forbidden Cities kind of ingrained this in her brain more, as she saw people who were literally starving to death on the street, and here she was, living in this fancy mansion with a good husband - after all, he's not abusive or anything, and she really loves him. Things are just… weird, sometimes. And she sort of ends up passing this mentality down to Biana and Fitz? There's a time in Flashback where Fitz says it's only fair that all this is happening - because everyone else in the friend group had a really hard time at least at one point in their life, and usually over a long time - he's fine! He's had it good. How could he complain?

Alden went to Exile with Sophie in book 2, but nobody knew about it. Well, nobody was supposed to know, until Sophie transmitted to Fitz and got him all freaked out. All Della really knows is that he got hurt on a mission from the Council, and he really didn’t seem to want to talk about it. When she tried to ask, he used the “no reason to worry” phrase three different times in that conversation. He was clearly stressed and upset about something, but he convinced her to drop it. He ended up falling asleep in his office that night, but that happens sometimes. Everything was looking bright for everyone else, until the Opening Ceremonies. You all know what happened there, so i’m not gonna go into it, but when Alden’s mind broke, Della was devastated. As far as everyone knew, he wasn’t coming back. He was dead, they had a planting for him. She didn’t eat for days. Alvar was basically taking care of the whole family, because Alden was gone and Della spent most of her time by Alden’s side, trying to bring him back. Alvar tried to convince her to leave every day, until one day he snapped and yelled at her, he’s gone and he’s not coming back, stop hoping. It was the same kind of thing she had told him when they lost Jolie. 

But unlike Jolie, Alden did come back, and the Vackers tried to erase the phase of their life where he was gone. They wanted to pretend that Keefe was right, that everything had gone back to perfection in Vacker Land. But this kind of thing leaves a lasting effect. They were afraid to even talk about what had happened with Alden, for fear that he’d break from the guilt of being gone and affecting them like that. Della still visits his Wanderling sometimes, not to mourn, but... for some other reason. There’s something surreal about looking at the tree, knowing full well Alden is okay at home. 

Another quick thing I want to touch on is in book 3 when Alden and Fitz went to help with Fintan’s mind healing. Della and Biana spent the afternoon and evening together, trying to do fun things to take their mind off of things. But then they heard about the fire and saw pictures before Alden and Fitz had even come home, and they understandably freaked out. The fire had consumed half of Eternalia, how could they have gotten out? How could they be okay? But they were, and both Vackers were strangled with hugs as soon as they got back. 

Della went with Fitz and Biana to join the Black Swan, partially because she wanted to, partially because she felt she should keep an eye on them and keep them at least semi in line, and partially because she wanted to escape the world and their pressing stares. And Everglen, a little bit. Juline was there, of course, but Della didn’t really know it was her. 

When Squall wasn't busy and didn't need to rush home, Della actually ended up talking to her a bit. Della was a little more honest (key word a little) with her because she obviously wasn't like the general public - she's a Black Swan member. At one point Squall actually thinks Della is about to call her out on being Juline when Della tells her she reminds her of someone she used to know, and hey, she's a Froster, too! But Della seems genuinely unaware as she sort of explains what happened with this old friend of hers - she's a bad match, and Della was seen talking with her... and she felt like she had no choice but to cut her off. Squall listens, but only half processes it because she's waiting for the "you're Juline aren't you?" But it never comes. 

After Alvar’s betrayal, Della knew a lot of people blamed her for how he ended up. After all, how could Alden Vacker have gone wrong? It was clearly Della’s influence that caused this. And she blames herself, too. She gave up on him. She didn’t talk to him enough. This whole thing also made the distrust in the Vacker family a lot worse - either Fitz or Biana said in Lodestar that it was like their parents wanted to know everything they’re doing, every place they go. They didn’t trust them. Fitz and Biana were growing closer after everything that had happened the past few years, but Della and Alden didn’t trust them, didn’t trust each other. This led to a lot of arguments between them and the kids, maybe not screaming matches, but raised voices and slammed fists and fighting back tears. When Keefe joined the Neverseen, Fitz shut himself in his room until school started again. He got quieter, and started to feel like he couldn’t trust anyone, even his sister, who he’d been taught to keep secrets from at a very young age. Della wanted to fix this somehow, she didn’t want to lose them like she’d lost Alvar - She wouldn’t give up on them. But she ended up just becoming overbearing and seemingly nosy. She thought she was helping. 

If I remember correctly, the others got told that Squall is Juline in Lodestar when they came to pick up their kids from Rimeshire. Juline gathers everyone and says she has to tell them something, and when she reveals it, Della's smile drops faster than it ever has and she feels blood drain from her face. Juline never looks directly at her, and Della is panicking, thinking about how Juline must hate her. She wonders if she should try to push her away more, but... at this point what does it matter? Fitz and Biana already spend lots of time with Dex, and they just slept over at the Dizznees- she joined an illegal organization with them for stars’ sake! So... it's fine. It's okay for her to be here, at rimeshire, talking to Juline. The world is changing, and people have bigger things to talk about than Alden Vacker’s wife sharing a conversation with Juline Dizznee. As they leave Rimeshire, Juline meets her eyes and offers a small smile. Della nods in return. 

When Alvar had his memories wiped and returned to Everglen, Della was determined to help him. She had this second chance, she wasn’t going to ruin it. She wanted to really believe he’d changed. But then Alvar got his memories back, and in front of the whole world at the celestial festival, he told everyone how his parents had given up on him. Della and Alden were watching that entire thing, as the world watched them, and Della couldn’t breathe. She watched Fitz threaten to kill Alvar, and for a few horrifying moments she thought she was about to lose both of them. And it was her fault, wasn’t it? That’s what everyone said. They blamed her. Alvar blamed her. She wouldn’t be surprised if Fitz and Biana blamed her, too. 

Ever since what the world has canonically deemed the “Scandal at Everglen,” things in the Vacker family have not gotten better. Alden had been talking to Fitz about matchmaking for a while, encouraging him to pursue Sophie as a romantic interest. Eventually they do get together. Della tries to be happy for him, but she still sees this and thinks, maybe give them time. If she could go back, she would have wanted to enjoy her life before committing to the Match forever. She’s almost relieved when Sophie and Fitz don’t work out. She thinks it’ll be better for Fitz in the end. She knows he’s been isolating himself from his family, from the world after the Scandal at Everglen, which is understandable. They all seem to think he’s crazy. He’s seventeen, and he almost killed his own brother, right there. But Della was watching, too, and she saw that it was Gethen doing the manipulating. Using the right words, would they make Fitz turn out like Alvar? The thought still chills her to this day. 

I don’t really have a good way to wrap it up other than I don’t think anything good will be happening to the Vackers anytime soon (except Biana, she seems to be doing relatively good compared to the rest). But yeah those are my Della thoughts :) 

Lastly, art tags:

@cutebisexualmess @void-kill @lemon-girl-in-devil-town @keefe--sencen @tastetherainbow290 

@myfairkatiecat @awful-amateur @aspenaspenaspenaspenaspen @necromycologist @cosmxc-ars3hol3

[alaydabug2]

Dexiana one shot cause I have issues 🤭

Dex (pov)

Dex attempted to straighten his tie, but when he looked into the mirror, it was still crooked. He fiddled with it a moment more before giving up and ripping it off.

It was the night of the Foxfire Ball. He wanted to ask Biana to it, but he kept chickening out. Now it was too late and he didn't have a date to the dance. But he couldn't just bail because he was sulking about it. So he continued to get ready, finally clipping his cape around his shoulders.

Thankfully, it was only for the older levels, so the triplets wouldn't be there to embarrass him. He was more than capable of doing that all on his own.

He stepped into the leapmaster and called out "Havenfeild". Everyone was meeting up there before heading to Foxfire. When he glittered at the pastures, Sophie, Keefe, Tam, and Linh were already there. He was almost relieved Biana wasn't there yet.

He went to go greet his friends. Linh was jumping up and down with excitement, which was understandable. She had never had the chance for something like this before. Sophie, on the other hand, looked miserable in her frilly yellow dress. Dex couldn't help but laugh.

Unfortunately, Biana and Fitz showed up a moment later. He couldn't even look her in the eye without breaking out in a nervous sweat.

She was dressed in an extravagant lavender gown. Her hair was swept back into a half up half down hairstyle. Pink lip gloss on her lips. She looked gorgeous. Meanwhile, he hadn't even managed to put on a stupid tie!

Maybe it was for the best he kept chickening out. She was totally out of his league. There was no way he'd be able to compete with the other guys who'd want to be with her.

Plus, she was a Vacker. He was just a Dizznee. Both their families had reputations, but for the exact opposite reasons. There was absolutely no way a mix like that could happen.

He realized he'd been staring a second too late when Biana turned and made eye contact with him. Her beautiful smile lit up, but thankfully, Marella appeared in the pasture next, saving him from coming up with an excuse on why he was staring.

Everyone lept to the dance after that, and he was stranded in his own again. Biana went off with Marella, Fitz and Tam went straight to stuff their faces with food, and Keefe took Sophie by the arm, dragging her onto the dance floor with her laughing.

He was almost jealous watching them laughing and giggling with each other. He'd gotten over his crush on Sophie a long time ago, but he still wanted a relationship like they had. With a certain someone in particular.

Dex glanced around the room but stopped himself.  Someone had probably already asked Biana to dance. He wasn't going to make a fool of himself, so he went to go join Tam and Fitz by the punch table.

He took a sip of his punch but nearly choked on it when Fitz asked, "So, when are you asking my sister to dance with you?"

Dex coughed the juice out of his lungs and placed his cup on the table. "You said what now?"

He eyed him. "You heard me. When."

"I-I don't think I know what you're talking about."

Fitz took a sip of his juice. "Mm-hm. Fine then, play dumb if that's what you want. That's not going to get you very far, though."

Dex rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Wonderboy." He walked off to the middle of the crowded dancefloor.

He saw Biana out of the corner of his eye. She was talking to some brunette boy. Exactly what he was expecting. Stupid to think he had a chance.

But Biana said something and turned away, with the boy looking slightly disappointed. She smiled when she spotted Dex and quickly made her way over to him.

"Oh, hey," he fumbled. "Watcha up to."

She shrugged. "That dude asked to dance, but I wasn't really interested. I appreciate him shooting his shot, but I've never seen him before in my life. If I actually knew him, I'd probably give him a chance. I feel like everyone deserves a chance. Well...as long as that's not the only time I've ever seen you in my life, you know."

Dex nodded with flushed cheeks. He wanted to kick himself for thinking he had an opportunity. She obviously wasn't talking about him. But...it wouldn't hurt to get the humiliation out of the way, would it? Then it could be done and over with.

"So...Biana." He looked into her sparkling teal eyes.

She tilted her head, studying him. "Yes."

He cleared his throat. "Would you...wanna give me a chance to dance with you, perhaps."

She processed that for one second. Two. By the third, he wanted to accept he'd been rejected right then and walk away.

But then a grin that brightened the room spread across her face. "I'd love to!"

She took his hand and brought him out to a spot with fewer people as a slow dance turned on. They locked hands. Biana leaned her head onto his chest, tucked under his chin. They swayed together until the song was over. Dex was probably the happiest guy on the planted in that moment, with Biana tangled in his arms.

After they pulled away, Biana had a slight blush on her cheeks. Dex was sure his were pink, too. It got even brighter when Biana leaned in on her tip toes and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you for the dance. I'd like another one before the night is over, if you don't mind." She winked at him and walked away. He was too dumbfounded to respond.

He stumbled to the punch table. Keefe must've joined at some point because he stood with Tam and Fitz.

Keefe had a smirk on his face and held out his hand for a fistbump. "Nice job."

All the color drained from Dex's face as the realization hit him. "Don't tell me you saw any of that, did you?"

"All of it."

"Yup," Fitz agreed, laughing. "So much for not knowing what I was talking about."

Dex could help but laugh either. "Yeah, yeah. Now can it."

Keefe gave him a look. "You realize that Biana is probably uploading all of that to Sophie, Marella, and Linh, as we speak?"

"I can dump juice on his head if you'd like," Tam offered.

"Please do."

But in reality, Dex was over the moon. He didn't chicken out. He should've manned up a while ago, but he was just grateful it worked out in the end. And that's all that mattered.

[fruitjedi]

Unmatched Chapter 5

That cliffhanger I wrote really made me want to write more so like expect possibly chapter 6 today too. Anyway, this chapter is a break from the normal Sophie/Fitz pattern and for... reasons is from Dex's perspective like always if you haven't read the previous chapter here's the link:

and each chapter links the one before it so just follow the links to find where you left off last (this is like my third chapter today)

Dex

Dex Dizznee was astounded. Fitz Vacker liked him. Fitz Vacker! Fitz Vacker?!? Whenever someone caught him glancing at the Vacker siblings Dex always said he was looking at Biana but in reality, every time he was looking at Fitz, and now apparently all of those times Fitz had been looking at Dex too.

Dex was amazed. He was amazed Fitz liked him and most surprisingly he was amazed Fitz was able to admit it (Dex suspected Sophie helped quite a bit). The Vackers are known for being the picture-perfect family so Fitz being able to put all of that aside and admit he liked a boy was truly incredible to Dex.

“Your sure?” Dex replied to Fitz after a while

Fitz beamed “I’m positive”

Dex gulped. This was real. This was happening. Fitzroy Vacker liked Dexter Dizznee. Fitz liked Dex. Fitz! The Fitz Vacker liked Dex. Dex,  the nerdy techy kid who’s a child of a bad match with triplet siblings. Fitz liked him.

Dex must have looked like he was about to explode or combust or turn into silly putty or something because Fitz took one look at him, chuckled, and said “Hey Dex you alive?”

Dex nodded. “Ye-yeah I’m fine sorry. It’s just wow”

“Good wow or bad wow?” Fitz asked nervously

Dex smiled at the poor obvious boy on the other side of the imparter screen “Good wow, one hundred percent good wow” Dex was just about to suggest he come over when he remembered the time “I have a Team Valiant thing with Counselor Noland but I’ll talk to you tomorrow before school, ok?”

Fitz nodded smiling.

Dex turned off the imparter and put on his Team Valiant cloak before light leaping over to Eternlia.

The next day before Foxfire classes started Fitz was leaning against Dex’s locker and smiled when Dex saw him and came up.

“Whatcha doing here?” Dex asked

Fitz smiled “Waiting for you, also be warned the DNA sensor flavor tastes like some of the worst-tasting medicines I’ve had. Keefe’s theory is Elwin picked it”

Dex laughed and when Fitz moved out of the way licked the sensor that tasted… like yeti pee “Wow that’s horrible, Sorry I had to go yesterday. Regent stuff”

Fitz shrugged “It’s fine, really. You had to go be important.” he smiled at Dex while saying the last part.

“So what’s the deal on your winnowing gala? Dex asked nervously 

Fitz sighed “I tried to call it off yesterday after you had to go but my dad wouldn’t let me cancel it without a reason and I wasn’t really equipped to give him one”

“Oh, that sucks. It’s uh cool you tried to cancel it”

Fitz smiled “Yeah of course I did” he gestured between the two of them “Both Sophie and Keefe said something could be happening here and that something can’t really happen if my dad’s trying to set me up with like my entire match list”

Dex laughed nervously “You think something could happen here? Between you the schools “wonderboy” and me a geeky nerd whose family is already laughed at”

Fitz nodded, then glanced around to make sure the hallway was empty, before taking Dex’s hand “I hope so”

Dex stared into Fitz’s eyes. He and Keefe had always teased Sophie and Fitz about the staring but now he saw what all the fuss was about. Fitz’s eyes were mesmerizing, the perfect shade of teal that could transport you straight to Atlanis with a glance

Dex took a deep breath and then leaned forward and kissed Fitz. It was just a gentle quick peck but it was everything, it was electrifying it was so much better than kissing Sophie. He pulled away, just barely, just close enough to see Fitz beaming at him.

Fitz moved a strand of Dex’s hair out of his eyes “Wow, that was Wow”

Dex smiled and copied Fitz’s words from the previous day “Good wow or bad wow?”

Fitz grinned and kissed him again. It was everything and then some “Good wow, Definitely, absolutely a good wow” 

Fitz glanced around the empty hallway “I have telepathy but I’ll talk to you later, kay?”

Dex nodded “Kay”

Fitz kissed him one last time then turned in the other direction and sprinted to his first class. Dex just stood there stunned in the hallway.

[kindling-of-sorts]

looking for the shapes in the silence

a/n: if you squint hard enough this is the prequel to my kam superpower au that i haven't posted yet,,,, enjoy!

[ao3]

pairing: keefitz

TWs: none

summary:

“I swear that I loved you,” Fitz blurts, words nearly incomprehensible but determined nonetheless. For a moment, Keefe wonders if he’ll crumble. He hesitates a moment longer, and finds himself intact. “I know,” Keefe says, because he does.

Or: Keefe and Fitz are exes and Eternalia's greenhorn superheroes. They go out stargazing with their friends, and talk about their past.

word count: 1.5k

Their eyes meet, and the world does not end. 

Keefe and Fitz pause as the rest of the group stumble out of the van excitedly. The night sky is brilliant and sharp, and half a year ago, it would have reminded them of the other.

They smile at each other, and not at the reflection of themselves in the other’s eyes. If they rip their gaze away quickly enough, the mirror inside is easier to ignore.

Keefe looks away first. It doesn’t feel like victory or defeat, but quiet understanding. Silence is kinder to him, these days.

Biana calls for Fitz’s help on setting up the blankets, and the magic evanesces, if there was any at all. He’s getting better at letting go.

“I’m never trusting any of you ever again,” Stina announces loudly. “Stargazing, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. We literally drove twenty minutes to my backyard.”

“We asked you and you said yes,” Biana calls out, laying down on her back.

“I was playing Candy Crush!”

“No, you were supposed to be doing paperwork.”

“Shut up!”

Sophie sighs wordlessly, head in hands as she pulls Stina and Biana apart. Keefe thinks she might be tired of babysitting in case they start bickering. She’s running on three hours of sleep, which she excitedly told Keefe this morning, much to his chagrin.

“You guys are kind of killing the stargazing vibe right now,” Keefe says, thinly veiling a grin. The city sky is brilliant, but also just as bare as it has been for its very polluted history.

Once everyone settles down, Keefe sees Fitz has been kicked out from Biana’s. Fitz doesn’t fight back, even with Sophie’s equal, if not slightly less, exasperation across his face, though it’s hardly malicious.

Keefe doesn’t hide his smile this time. He’s never stopped being jealous of the Vackers, even after the tense glances and tenser arguments. As one of the rare insiders—if barely—Keefe saw their picture-perfect frame whole, then shattered, and then he realized the fractures were always there.

Still, the jealousy never dissipated. He’s a lot less ashamed of admitting that, now.

Fitz and Biana are a lot happier than they were half a year ago.

He’s proud of them, really. As heroes, as friends, as the closest thing to family he’s ever known.

He’s proud of Fitz. He loves him still.

They never stood together. That’s okay. One day, they will.

Keefe waves Fitz over when he catches him staring. Fitz’s eyes widen, a little, and tilts his head. Keefe recognizes the habit perhaps a moment too quickly.

Yet he doesn’t look away. He shouts, “If you stay there you’re gonna get your ass wet again!”

Fitz huffs, like the huff he always makes when something mildly amuses him. He rolls his eyes, even. Keefe counts it as a win.

Just as Keefe is about to speak again, Fitz stands up and stumbles his way over to Keefe’s blanket. 

“My jeans are already wet,” Fitz almost complains, but his tone is light enough that it sounds like an observation. It’s actually a bit more disconcerting that way. “Biana is ruthless.”

Keefe snorts. “We all know.”

When their laughter fades, they let their friends’ quickly moving attention span entertain them. Their current debate topic is the validity of the artificial cherry flavor. 

“The city’s most promising up-and-coming heroes,” Keefe muses, “arguing over whether cherry flavored Twizzlers actually taste like cherry or not.”

“You would be there waxing poetic about your burning passion for Twizzlers right now if I wasn’t here,” Fitz mutters, head tilted back to observe the spanning, empty night.

“You’re wrong, I hate Twizzlers.” Keefe flashes his teeth unabashedly. “You haven’t left me yet.”

Fitz’s gaze softens, and Keefe might just melt with it. He did, not too long ago, a lifetime before tonight.

“Yeah.” Fitz gulps. “I haven’t.”

The following silence is awkward, but not cruel. It follows, yes, but it doesn’t chase.

They never stopped talking. It’s hard to, when they’re both in every other mission together. Their friends are the same, though that’s kind of inevitable, considering their group is the only heroes around their age.

“Do you remember when we went stargazing in the countryside when we were eight?” Keefe asks. 

Fitz’s expression brightens in recognition. “Of course I do.”

“You were so excited, you fell asleep by the time we could actually see the stars, and I had to wake you up.” Keefe nudges Fitz with his arm. The touch doesn’t spark anymore.

“I lived in Eternalia my entire life and couldn’t leave! Of course I was excited,” Fitz says.

Keefe tilts his head. “You weren’t wrong. It was one of the only interesting things in that town.”

“It’s your hometown.”

“Exactly,” Keefe drawls. “Not my home anymore.”

Fitz offers an indecipherable hum. “It was beautiful. I remember it being beautiful.”

“You went home crying. I think that was, like, a life-altering moment for eight-year-old you.”

Fitz drags his hand across his face, but the sheepish smile is impossible to miss.

“Why do you think I came here today in the first place?”

“Uh, Biana manhandled you across the city?”

“Stina’s house is not across the city.”

“Did I lie?”

Fitz doesn’t dignify that with a response, and shakes his head. That smile hasn’t left. “No, I—I wanted to think, I guess. Just sit down and think.”

“Me too. I guess.” Keefe is at a loss for witty responses. Fitz has a way of making people lose their words.

The reminiscing pauses, and the quiet feels tenser. Keefe fidgets, drawing the blanket closer to himself. He opens his mouth to say something, anything—

“I swear that I loved you,” Fitz blurts, words nearly incomprehensible but determined nonetheless.

For a moment, Keefe wonders if he’ll crumble. He hesitates a moment longer, and finds himself intact.

“I know,” Keefe says, because he does.

“I still think about you.”

At that, Keefe laughs. It sounds more genuine than any he’s shared today. “I know.”

Since they gave up.

Fitz’s eyelashes flutter against his cheek as he studies a particular star, or so Keefe guesses. Keefe is following Fitz’s eyes again. Old habits die hard—but slow.

“I still miss you.” Fitz looks like he musters all of his courage as he fixes his eyes on Keefe’s. There’s resolve in the stare. Strength. Not walls between them.

Keefe opens his mouth, and finds it dry. Still, he speaks. It is the only thing he knows.

“I know.”

“And I know I’ve said it a hundred times, but I’m—I’m sorry.”

The desperate boy in front of Keefe is not Fitzroy Vacker, but something more intimate. Perhaps more than the one he kissed.

He still remembers how Fitz’s lips felt on his own. Everyone marvels over their softness, but Keefe remembers them chapped and trembling.

Keefe has ruined so many secrets. He won’t let this one become one of them.

“You’re an idiot,” Keefe declares, “and I love you.” Now. Present tense. Because it’s true.

Fitz looks at him again. Shit, those eyes. Keefe can’t forget those eyes, burning, hurting, exciting. He doesn’t want to.

“And we’ll be okay.” Keefe grabs Fitz by his shoulders, limbs twisting oddly in the uncomfortable position. “Promise.”

A minute passes, then another, and Keefe has half a mind to start shaking Fitz. He worries he said something wrong. Fuck, did he cross the line? He shouldn’t have—

“I can’t really give you my pinky like this,” Fitz mumbles, and there’s that huff again.

Keefe smiles. “I don’t care. Promise.”

“I promise.” Fitz doesn’t hesitate.

“You’re going to be so good, and I’ll be right there cheering you on,” Keefe says firmly, because it’s easier than, I won’t stare at your back all day anymore, or, I’m sorry I can’t let you go, or, I hope I can love you in a way that matters.

“We’re going to be so good,” Fitz counters, “most promising heroes, and all that.”

“I think I might have heard you say more run-on sentences today than in the past sixteen years.”

Fitz sputters. “You have a way of making people ruin perfectly good grammar.”

“I think you’re just easy to make fun of.”

Fitz laughs, not huffs, vivid and lilting. Keefe breathes, and decides Fitz is the brightest star he could ever gaze at tonight.

“Linh Song, you are a filthy traitor.” Dex seethes, who Keefe finds to be drawing twenty-four. “I cannot believe I ever trusted your innocent act.”

Linh shrugs with a polite smile. Dex continues wallowing as everyone groans and finished their round of Uno. The champion is Linh. Again. For the fourth time in a row.

“Oh, I am going to obliterate everyone,” Keefe says.

“I’m sure you will.”

“You are literally the worst at every board game ever.”

Fitz’s eyes gleam. For all the prim and proper facades he’s managed to plaster, his competitiveness has been left untamed.

“Thank you,” Fitz says, gentle, and the words unsaid are not hidden.

“Me too,” Keefe whispers, and corrects himself: the magic never left.

[axels-corner]

Chapter 5 of the coffee shop au

summary: the tour finishes

Notes: this chapter is a little shorter, but the next one is longer.

you can find chapter 4 here

Characters: Oralie, Kenric, and Terik

Words: 884

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48995623/chapters/125459422

Oralie didn't seem phased, she just stood there for a few moments before asking

“Who was that?”

“That was Dimitar, we call him King Dimitar though because he owns one of the tattoo shops next to ours called Ravogog.”

“Is there another one?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well you said one of, that implies there's more than one.”

“Oh, yeah. On the other side of us Hylda, but we call her Queen Hylda, runs a tatoo and coffee shop. That's one of the reasons he and Queen Hylda have such a rivalry because they both run tattoo shops.”

“What's the other reason?”

“It's good for business, gets the public interested in what's going on, it's how they skyrocketed their businesses popularity.” Kenric leaned into whisper to Oralie “Don't tell anyone but their actually really good friends.”

“Sounds cool.” Before Oralie could ask about what he and Dimitar was talking about again he changed the conversation

“Speaking of them the next part of the tour is the other main shops.”

“Who are they?” Oralie asked falling into step with him

“Didn't you got to Foxfire?” She shrugged

“It's been a while, plus its interesting to listen to you explain it. And before you ask I don't often come to this side of town I usually stay more towards the Vackers part since it's where my family is.” That was actually going to be his next question so he just nodded

“Well you've already met King Dimitar who runs Sadlitzagvatka-”

“I thought you called it Ravagog?”

“That's what it's called now, but when it first opened that's what it was called.”

“What are the other cities called?” She asked

“Well there's Nymtyranyth which is called Loamnore which is run by King Enki, he has a temper though so watch out. They're the building left on the mall, I'll point them out when we get there. They sell rocks and minerals and stuff like that also tools.”

“So kinda like a home improvement store like Home Depot.” Kenric considered it before nodding

“Basically. The building in the center right there is Serenvale, the best flower shop around.”

“I can smell them from here, it's amazing, it reminds me of when Ke- when an old friend would get me flowers.” Everything in Kenric wanted to ask so badly why she acted like they didn't know eachother, but he was able to shove it back down and to put the lid back on he immediately changed the subject.

“The building to the right of the mall was originally Weeriiduulooaa but is now called Marintrylla. It's a gym, but they also have classes on self defense, and cycling and stuff.”

“What's your favorite class?” Oralie asked as the walked out of the mall

“I enjoy doing the water aerobic, or yoga classes, I find them relaxing, occasionally Terik will go with me to then we'll go out to eat.”

“That sounds fun, I'll have to check it out.” Oralie said

“I would recommend it you can make some good friends, it's where I met Kesler in our high school years of Foxfire.” They started walking back to the Council Cafe as it was nearly closing time.

When they walked in they where greeted by a very long line and an even more relieved Emery. Turning his head to look at Oralie he asked

“Ready for your first rush hour?” She looked nervous but nodded nonetheless. The rest of it was a blur though he could see how desperately Terik wanted to talk to him as every time there seemed to be a lull in the crowd he would pull him away only for them to get slammed by customer again. Kenric had been working there for a couple months but he'd never seen so many people before, when he glanced at Emery, Bronte and the other older councilors they didn't seem to be stressed about the rush hour, they seemed relaxed and happy about it.

Finally the rush was over the day was ended and they where closing up shop. He saw Terik power walking towards him, but before he got there Oralie grabbed his arm and pulled him to the couch to talk. When he looked back at Terik he looked like he was going to explode, and Kenric thought he was supposed to be the strawberry.

“What did you want to talk about?” Oralie opened her mouth like she was going to say something but changed her mind at the last minute and asked

“Is it always that busy.” He filed the moment away in his brain with all the others and shook his head,

“Not usually, at least not in the time that I've worked her.” Oralie nodded

“Well, I won't keep you. See you again to do it again tomorrow?”

“Yep.” and she walked off, and immediately Terik took her place linking there arms together

“We have so much to talk about.” Terik said

“We do.” Kenric agreed, before stopping “Wait I have to get the caramel and chocolate chips.” Terik tugged lightly on his arm, limping a little as he did, his achilles had been giving him problems again Kenric knew. He just hopped it wasn't anything to serious.

“I already got them, we're going to Kesler's to see if we can figure this out.”

Coffee Shop au taglist: (if you want to be added or removed just let me know)

@winterfireice @official-kenralie-fanbase @antisocialdork

[icycoolslushie]

Focused - Kit x Ty One-shot

“I only use black, Kit,” Ty said. “The other colours—they make me unfocused. Some are too bright, some are too dull. The black is stark, fixed. It keeps me steady.”

Kit could agree. Sometimes people made things way too flashy—and he could only imagine how much it hurt Ty, who saw everything sharper and more vivid than it was.

“And the font too—I like to keep it plain and simple. Did you know Comic Sans MS is a dyslexic-friendly font?”

Kit stole a glance at Ty’s straight black hair, falling into his eyes. How soft were his locks? he wondered.

“Kit?”

Suddenly Kit realized he hadn’t been saying anything—to Ty it would look like he didn’t care. And Ty thought most people didn’t care. Kit wasn’t one of them. “Sorry—yeah. I like using Calibri.”

Ty’s eyes lit up. “Really? That’s my favourite font too!”

Kit couldn’t believe two Shadowhunters were having this conversation—about colours and fonts, which he doubted even the mundanes talked about. Never in his school days had anyone mentioned an interest in how their text looked. They just hurried to finish it.

“I—I also designed my lock screen with the words you liked,” Ty added shyly.

Kit mouthed Oh.

“Back when Livvy—Livvy was alive,” Ty started, and Kit thought how hard it must be for him to talk about his twin in the past tense, “she made a home screen for my phone. It was the words I liked. We said them to each other in the dark. The words on a screen—they were steady. They helped. But after she—died, and you left, I changed them with the help of Dru. She wanted to add skulls to the outline”—a bit of humor and love had crept into his voice—“but in the end, we left it plain. Just black words on the colour of the sky.” Then he added softly, “The colour of your eyes.”

Kit felt himself melt.

“What are you saying?” Kit asked finally, not sure if it was all right to ask, but unable to help his curiosity. Ty glanced up at the moon through his lashes. They were thick and dark, almost childlike. They gave his face a look of innocence that made him look younger—a strange effect, at odds with his almost frighteningly sharp mind. “Just words I like,” he said. “If I say them to myself, it makes my mind—quieter. Does it bother you?” “No!” Kit said quickly. “I was just curious what words you liked.” Ty bit his lip. For a moment, Kit thought he wasn’t going to say anything at all. “It’s not the meaning, just the sound,” he said. “Glass, twin, apple, whisper, stars, crystal, shadow, lilt.” He glanced away from Kit, a shivering figure in his too-large hoodie, his black hair absorbing moonlight, giving none of it back. “Whisper would be one of mine, too,” said Kit. He took a step toward Ty, touched his shoulder gently. “Cloud, secret, highway, hurricane, mirror, castle, thorns.” “Blackthorns,” said Ty, with a dazzling smile, and Kit knew, in that instant, that whatever he’d been telling himself about running away for the past few days had been a lie.

—Lord of Shadows

A scene in TWP, a headcanon that I have

Find lockscreen/header here

Taglist: @della-vacker-supremacy @themadhatter999 @writeforjordelia @theenchanteddreamer @shadowhuntingdemigod-blog Lmk if you wanna be added or removed!

[hanmegumi]

YOUR WOUNDS BLEED ON ME, written by your irresponsible and overly charming Ginny

Chapter 1

Pairing: Sokeefitz

Summary: 19th century, London, Fitz Vacker finds himself in a difficult situation: He's taken it upon himself to charm his best friend, a young lady named Sophie, who comes from a well-known family, and is at risk of being hurt by the cruel society. Trouble comes with artfully disheveled blonde hair and ice blue eyes: Keefe Sencen, who not only will stick around for a while, but who also can charm both Sophie abd Fitz in no time.

TW: None :D

A/N: BRIDGERTON SUPREMACY- No but for realsies, I actually carried this out and im proud qkkajsjjsjs hope you like it (also amsterdam keeps going dw, i will update it on weekends)

-

@introvertedscarecrow @sunset-telepath @chocolate-mallowmelt @an-absolute-travesty @letmefangirlinpeace @atlxsperalta @artemiassamos @lemontarto @fire-sapphics @itstiger720 @theobliviouswhale @persassabeth-shipper @summer-waves9764 @bianavacker-is-bi-as-hell @aw-fuck-i-dropped-my-crossaint @valkyriesofvelaris

1: THE BEGINNING OF A SEASON

Fitz stared out the window of his chambers, both hands behind his back. Today, it started a new season, where all the ladies his age would start looking for a husband, and all the boys his age—including him—would try to get a wife.

His mother had always said he had to marry for love. No one could be able to force a Vacker into marriage, it was only up to them to choose who to spend their lifes with.

Fitz pursed his lips. He loved Sophie. He enjoyed the afternoons they spent together, reading in the vast library of his father. He liked dancing with her when alone. He adored her.

But never had it been romantically, not in the past, not now. Yet as the season had approached, Fitz grew anxious. Even if she was his age, Sophie had always looked young—too young to marry, and too young to get hurt.

He didn’t wish to get engaged so soon.

But perhaps his plans would have to change. Perhaps, he would have to get in the game.

“Fitzroy.”

He turned. “Yes, brother?”

Alvar cocked his head, standing under the threshold. “Our carriage is here. Mother has been shouting for you to make haste.”

“Oh.” Fitz glanced at his reflection to see if he looked good, and then smiled. “Let us leave then.”

As he and Alvar made their way to the first floor, his brother said, “You are wearing fragrance.”

Fitz’s eyebrows shot up. “Mm?”

“It smells like pines.”

“Ah.” Fitz cleared his throat, suddenly self-conscious. “Yes.”

“I thought you didn’t like it?”

“Things change.”

“... I thought you did not wish to marry, either.”

“All the same, Alvar. Things change, most of the time for the better.”

Alvar opened his mouth to argue, but his words were drowned out by Biana saying, “Finally! I thought you would never come!”

“It took you hours to get ready,” Fitz replied.

“I am not the one who has to be there.”

“No bickering,” Fitz’s mother, Della, said. She walked in the hallway, wearing a bigger version of Biana’s teal dress. “It is time. You better be prepared.”

“We are,” Fitz, Biana and Alvar said at the same time.

“Then, let us get going.” Della sketched a snowy smile. “This one will be a night to remember.”

On the neighboring house, the Dizznees were just starting to get prepared—quite the challenge, considering the triplets were a mess. Not far away, the prestigious Ruewens were already on their way to the soiree, hosted by the queen and king: Oralie and Kenric. The Songs were already there, chatting with the Heks—and avoiding the Redeks. Such luxurious family would never acquaintance a family that was followed by rumors as if they were shadows.

Fitz got out of the carriage. He heard whispers by his side, and soon realized they were whispering about him.

He forced a smile and, with his family tagging along, walked inside the palace in which the soiree was being held.

And The Waltz Goes On was being played by the king’s orchestra. On the tables rested several golden plates that offered food, and by their side stood tall fountains. Laughter and chatter filled the room.

“Who knew so many people would attend?” Fitz breathed to himself, and smiled when he spotted a blonde hair. He turned to Alvar. “Take care of Mother and Biana. I will...” He gestured toward the Ruewens.

Alvar pursed his lips. “Well, then. Am I to remind you that you are not the only one seeking marriage?”

“Look after them. As a viscount, that is your job.”

And he rushed away before his brother could argue. When he reached the Ruewens, he grinned and touched Sophie’s shoulder.

His best friend gave a little jump before looking at him. She broke into a wide smile. ”Fitz. I did not expect to see you here.”

“Do you think I would leave you alone?” He grabbed a grape from a plate. “How do you find yourself to be?”

“Nervous,” Sophie admitted. “Why are the Dizznees not here yet?”

“The triplets.”

“Ah.”

“Would you like to dance?” Fitz blurted out. It was not hard to know she was not in love—yet—but to know that he was not, either. Looking around, there were many pretty ladies and boys. He was throwing a life away for her.

“Miss Foster,” he added when he realized her father was listening.

Sophie blinked, then snorted. “Dance?”

He nodded.

“With you?”

He nodded again.

“Fitz, I will dance with a suitor. If I dance with you, they will believe I am taken, and I do not...”

She trailed off, staring at something. Or at someone. Fitz followed her gaze, and felt a tiny surge of anger when he saw a certain family.

Ah, he thought. The Sencens are here.

[malewifegradyruewen]

Ceux Qui Ne Meurent Jamais, Chapter Two

i swear i didn’t mean for this to get so long so fast-

previous | next | masterpost

trigger warnings: religion mention but it’s not explicit and also it’s a religion i made up so it’s complicated but read at your own risk, ask to tag

word count: 1814

tagging: @fire-sapphics @zoyyanazyalensky @dirty-racoon @della-vacker-supremacy @raiinyrxse @lucat13 @tiergan-andrin-alenefar @genyyasafin @cadence-talle @thewhiteblades @gay-otlc @brilliantblindinglights @enbies-and-felonies @love-pyramus @silver-war @pencilwritesshiz47 @littlemisscupcake lmk if you want to be added/removed!!

The sky outside was dark when Nathalie opened her eyes, and it took her a moment to remember where she was. She wasn’t in the small dormitory of the children’s manor, but sprawled out on the cushioned expanse of her new bed in Marchant Manor. She looked to the clock across the room next to the door. Seven-twelve.

Supper. She had just over fifteen minutes to change and fix what she knew was a rat’s nest in her hair. Nathalie leaped out of bed, tore open her bags, and grabbed a midnight blue skirt, along with an off-white blouse. She threw them on as quickly as possible and slid on the grey shoes she’d kicked off before climbing into bed. She checked the clock again. Seven-twenty. Grabbing her brush, she ran to the vanity and started pulling her hair back into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. No time for makeup, not that she had much to begin with.

The clock read seven-twenty-seven as she ran out the door and down the grand staircase. Lady Lucie had told her where the kitchen was, but not the dining room, and Nathalie had no idea where it was. At the children’s manor the dining hall had been connected to the kitchen with a swinging door. Maybe it was the same at Marchant. She ran down the hall towards the kitchen, and burst through the first doorway she came across.

Unfortunately, the room she burst into wasn’t the kitchen. Fortunately, her search was over. She’d found the dining room with- according to the clock on the opposite wall -not a moment to spare. The room was empty, but the chandelier had been lit and there were three place settings on one end of the long, ornately carved table. Lady Lucie was nowhere in sight, but neither was the third lady of the house. She wasn’t sure what else to do, so she walked to the table and took a seat.

The room was large and drafty, and eerily quiet. Nathalie noticed the whole house was like that, for the most part. Lady Lucie had said that they had been alone, just the two of them, for eight years. It was no surprise that the manor was as dilapidated as it was, but it still, to be alone in the dining room was terribly frightening, and Nathalie hoped it wouldn’t be that way for long.

Just then, a small door near a corner of the room swung open and Lady Lucie bustled in, carrying two platters and a bowl. “Ah, there you are! I was wondering where you went off to. I checked your room not long ago but I didn’t see you there.”

Nathalie looked at her, baffled. “How long ago did you check?”

“Oh, maybe an hour or so? How come?”

“I was...taking a nap. I was in my room the whole time.”

“Oh,” Lady Lucie said. “I must have missed you.”

“Yeah,” Nathalie agreed, although she was skeptical.

“Have you seen the other lady of the house yet? She’s late,” Lady Lucie asked as she placed the platters down in front of Nathalie.

“No, I haven’t,” she admitted.

Just then, the door to the hallway flew open, and there stood a slender lady with a tight bun and a floor-length black skirt. She didn’t look up from the book she was reading, the title of which Nathalie couldn’t make out. Even though she wasn’t watching where she walked, she moved with speed and grace, as though she’d done this a million times.

“I’ll take my supper in the library, Lady Lucie,” she said, flipping the page with her bony fingers.

“Lady Brigid, we have a new lady in the house. For one supper, you can put the book down and engage in conversation.” Lady Lucie walked towards her and grabbed the book. Lady Brigid cried out and reached to grab it, but Lady Lucie had already tucked it away into the folds of her own skirt. “Come, sit. Set a good example for Lady Nathalie.”

Lady Brigid scowled and sat down, her long skirt sweeping the floor as she did. She glared at Lady Lucie, but she seemed not to notice, serving Nathalie a helping of potatoes and a serving of mushrooms.

“So who is this?” Lady Brigid asked, turning her attention to Nathalie.

“I’m Nath- Lady Nathalie,” she said, remembering what Lady Lucie had told her. The title was still strange, and she was still getting used to it.

“Where did you come from?” Lady Brigid stared at her, as though trying to bore holes through Nathalie’s skull.

“Hazelford Children’s Manor in Toulliers, ma’am. First cycle.”

“So I see they’re sending just anyone here now, are they?” Lady Brigid remarked, as though Nathalie were the scum of the Earth.

“Lady Brigid, that’s quite enough,” Lady Lucie interrupted. “This is not a time for argument. I’m sure Hazelford does a fine job of educating the young ladies in their care, and Lady Nathalie is as good as any of the ladies.”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Lady Brigid said, still staring at Nathalie.

A moment of uncomfortable silence followed, broken by Lady Lucie declaring, “Well, we mustn’t let our food get cold. Eat, eat!”

Nathalie folded her hands to pray, but Lady Lucie and Lady Brigid had both started cutting into the duck meat on their plates. “Do we not pray?”

The other ladies stopped and looked at Nathalie. “I suppose we do,” Lady Lucie said slowly, putting down her fork and knife. Lady Brigid followed suit and they folded their hands and bowed their heads.

“Oh Lady of All Ladies, protect the ladies of the order and bless us this day, as you have and will forever, amen.” It was a short prayer that Nathalie knew by heart, having said it before each meal for as long as she could remember. After saying this, she placed her napkin in her lap and started cutting her meat, just as Lady Sylviane had taught her.

“A lady must act like a proper lady, otherwise her title is for naught,” Lady Sylviane had been fond of saying whenever she saw a girl whose posture was not perfect or took too large of a bite. Nathalie could still hear her reprimands, even at a meal she wasn’t present at.

She glanced over at her fellow ladies. Had Lady Sylviane been there, she would have been appalled. Lady Lucie was eating potatoes with her fingers, and Lady Brigid had somehow acquired a new book that she had placed next to her plate and she was poring over as she took a bite of her duck. She gaped at them for nearly a minute before they realised she was staring.

“Have you no shame?” Nathalie asked. “Have you no shame at all?”

They stared back at her for a moment before Lady Lucie said sheepishly, “It’s been a while since anyone else dined with us. We usually take supper independently, in the library.”

“If we don’t use cutlery, we don’t have to wash it,” Lady Brigid added. “It’s just us taking care of the whole manor. That’s why we closed so much of the house off, so we haven’t got to clean it. We try to make as little mess as possible, so we can dedicate more time to study.”

Nathalie stared at them. “Did you not receive proper education in the children’s manor?”

“We did, we just have a mutual, unspoken agreement that that’s too much trouble.” Lady Lucie looked at Nathalie as though she were stupid. “We can use proper manners, but it’s so rare we have visitors that we decided not to bother.”

With that, the pair of them went back to their meals, their manner the same as before. Nathalie stared a moment more, baffled at their logic. She supposed it made sense to close off parts of the house, as there was simply too much of it for the few people residing in Marchant Manor, but she’d assumed that all of the ladies would use proper table manners. Some small part of her had always hated Lady Sylviane’s rules, but she’d been too scared to try and defy her. But seeing as the ladies here didn’t mind…

She tentatively put down her fork and gingerly picked up a baby potato. Had she been using cutlery, she would have cut it in two, but it wasn’t too large as to not fit in her mouth. Before she could change her mind, she placed the whole thing in her mouth and started chewing it. She couldn’t entirely close her mouth, but it didn’t matter. The potato itself was nothing special, but the action was what made it truly special. It was silly, really, that something so small could bring her such joy, but it did. She ate her whole meal in that fashion, finally sitting back and licking her fingers.

“It’s nice, not to have to think about the rules, isn’t it?” Lady Lucie asked, watching Nathalie finish up. She nodded, and Lady Lucie smiled. “Would you like to see the rest of the house tonight?”

“Oh, no thank you,” she said. “I’m full, and I’d like to go to bed.”

“I figured as much. Lady Brigid, you’ll be returning to the library, I assume?”

“Yes, thank you for supper,” Lady Brigid stood up, not looking up from her book as she exited the dining room.

“Mysterious, isn’t she?” Lady Lucie remarked as she began to clear the dishes. “She’s nice enough, but she’s strange. Still don’t know much about her, and I’ve been here eleven years.”

“Really?” Nathalie asked, stacking up the supper plates. “How odd.”

“Yes, well, I’m not sure what else to do with her,” Lady Lucie said. “Perhaps we can discover things together. But it can wait until tomorrow. You should get some rest.”

“Are you sure you don’t need help cleaning up supper?” Nathalie asked.

“Oh, I’m fine. I clean up by myself all the time,” she said, taking the plates from Nathalie. “Truly, I can handle it. Go to bed, and I’ll see you in the morning. Breakfast is usually around nine, but I’ll make yours whenever you wake. Sleep well.”

With that dismissal, Nathalie felt she had no choice but to climb back up the grand staircase to her bedroom, where she shut the door behind her. Supper had been interesting, in more ways than one, but she was too exhausted to think about it. Instead, she removed the bun from her hair, replacing it with a long plait, and slipping into her nightdress before climbing into bed, under the heavy sheets. Tomorrow would be a day of education, in more ways than one, but right now, it was time to rest. Nathalie had no barely drawn the covers up to her chin before she was fast asleep.

[song-tam]

sobs and snuggles — fitz vacker x keefe sencen

Summary: Lots of Fitzy angst, though it becomes kinda fluffy at the end because just like Keefitz.

A/N: Okay this is my first oneshot (on tumblr at least) but there will definitely be more to come when I get around to it. This was based off of a mini headcanon that @sunset-telepath inspired and @stardustanddaffodils added onto. 

Warnings: this got pretty angsty. also, alden’s kind of an arse in this.

Taglist (I’m just tagging random friends for now): @psychopathicqueenly @dreaminq-out-loud @howyoulikethat237 @sunset-telepath @sencenforever180 @the-sky-isnt-blueee @totalkeefitztrash 

Fitz and his emotions seemed to be at war lately. 

No, not lately. It was just more clear that Fitz and his feelings were fighting now, but they’d always been battling.

“Why do I have to go into the Forbidden Cities, Dad?” Twelve-year-old Fitz had asked. “What if I get in trouble, it’s dangerous, I-”

“Fitz.” Alden said, stone-faced. “You are going to the Forbidden Cities. You are going to look for this girl and you are going to bring her here when you find her, and until that happens, you’re just going to keep going back.”

Fitz had shook his head. “But I don’t want to go. I’d rather stay home. I want to be... normal for once. Maybe play base quest with Keefe and Biana-”

“But you aren’t normal, Fitz. You are a Vacker, you have a legacy to uphold, and finding her is more important than playing base quest.” Alden had insisted, his face smiling but an icy edge to his words. 

Fitz’d gulped, nodding his head yes, all right, he would do it, when all he really wanted to do was cry. He didn’t even understand why his eyes were turning glassy, why there was a lump in his throat. After all, his father had asked one simple thing of him.

He’d obey. He did what he was expected to, looking for the elf among humans all while making time for his few friends and staying at the top of his class and doing everything else he, the perfect Vacker boy, was supposed to do.

Fitz leaned back against the bathroom wall, tears streaming down his face, holding Mr. Snuggles in his arms. “I’m so tired,” he whispered to no one. “Tired of trying so hard all the time to be perfect, tired of not being able to mess up, tired, just so tired.”

He thought about how perfect he had to be, how he had to wear his carefully created mask everyday, how by trying to be there for the people he loved he was stepped on.

Wonderboy. Dex had given him that nickname. Fitz wasn’t too sure what to make of it. That meant he was keeping up the perfect image, the mask he needed to wear. It was important that everyone saw him that way—at least that was what Alden had implied—but Fitz wondered what it would be like if he could mess up. Make mistakes and not have everybody gossiping about them, judging him and his family, wondering whether he was worthy of being a Vacker or not.

He wondered what it would be like to be normal.

But he, Fitzroy Avery Vacker, was never, ever getting that chance.

A new sob escaped him with this realization, even more coming after the first. Fitz tried to be as quiet as possible; he didn’t want Alden or Della or Biana hearing him and then coming and finding him bawling in his bathroom.

His shoulders shook and fury rose up inside Fitz. He was angry at his father for shoving all this pressure on him, angry at himself for not being able to deal with the pressure, angry at his entire lineage for creating such an impossible legacy to live up to, just angry at the entire world. 

Fitz hurled Mr. Snuggles against the opposite wall, along with a few other miscellaneous things from his bathroom vanity. He looked around for more things to throw, but his anger started to fade back into sadness and he curled up into a ball again, tears falling.

Hiccuping, Fitz reached for Mr. Snuggles again and rummaged around for something to blow his nose on. Glancing at himself in the mirror, he winced. His eyes were rimmed red and it couldn’t have been more obvious that he had been crying.

“Crap,” he muttered. “I can’t let Mom or Biana see me like this, they’ll ask too many questions.” Questions I don’t particularly want to answer. Questions I don’t have an answer to. 

“Fitz!” Fitz stiffened, recognizing that voice immediately. If there was anyone would press harder than his mom and sister—and actually get real answers—it was Keefe Sencen.

“Dude, where are you? I have something to show you,” Keefe’s voice grew louder and there were footsteps; he was coming up the stairs. Fitz splashed water on his face and rubbed his eyes as hard as could, trying to erase as much of the evidence that he’d been crying before—

“Fitz?” The bathroom door stood slightly ajar, and Keefe stood in the doorway, a hesitant expression on his face. Keefe’s eyes stared into Fitz’s with such intensity and concern that he felt a red flush creeping up his neck. 

“What happened?” Keefe said softly, worry laced into his words. “Are you all right, how can I help?”

Fitz shook his head. “No, it’s fine. I’m okay, it’s nothing to concern yourself with.”

“Looks to me like it’s definitely something I should concern myself with.” Keefe took a few hesitant steps towards Fitz, setting something down on the vanity. Fitz didn’t get a good look at because the next thing he knew, Keefe’s arms were around him and he started crying again, burying his face in Keefe’s shoulder.

Keefe’s arms around him tightened, and he sobbed harder. “You don’t have to explain,” Keefe whispered softly. “I get it. You don’t owe anyone, least of all me, an explanation.”

“Thank you,” Fitz mumbled into Keefe’s shirt.

“Don’t,” the blond boy replied automatically. “You don’t need to thank me. You’re my friend, and I... I care about you.”

“Well, you’re a good friend.”

Keefe laughed quietly. “You’re a better one.”

“I’m glad you’re my best friend.” Even if I wish you were more. Even if I wish you were holding me as my boyfriend and not as just a friend.

He’d settle for this, though, for now. What Fitz wanted wasn’t necessarily what he needed, and he was glad his sobs were countered and comforted by Keefe’s snuggles.

[a-lonely-tatertot]

Finding Home

First / Wattpad / Ao3

A/N: EYOO BOIS! told ya id post it today once again betaed by the amazing incredible @bookwyrminspiration!

words: 4860

trigger warnings: none please tell me if you find any!

Chapter 8: Kindling

Sophie stood still as stone. She knew she was staring, how could she not stare? Her girlfriend’s twin was standing in the doorway of her once home. His hair longer than she remembered, the top gathered in a messy bun, strands framing his face. Then Sophie realized it wasn’t just his hair that was different, he was wearing glasses.

Rounded bottoms, flat tops, glass that flared in the setting sun. Tam with glasses was not something Sophie was prepared for and she only managed to gap. They were silver-framed, and sat at home perched on his nose; it made him look older, and Sophie didn't know if it was good or bad.

"What's takin' so long Tam?" Mari called out from inside the house. A second later she appeared in the doorway, a cheery smile on her face that Amelia knew would be gone the moment Mari saw her. Obviously, she was right. Mari's eyes landed on the girl in front of her and her entire body went rigid, her face going through a hundred different emotions in an instant before stopping abruptly on blank confusion.

Oh. Mari was standing right in front of her, close enough to touch. Close enough that she could smell the chocolate and the familiar scent of cinnamon and apples and freshly baked bread and cookies that would melt in your mouth. Oh, how Amilia just wanted to run into her arms and cry and apologize and beg for forgiveness until her voice was hoarse. But all she could do was stand, and stare, without the courage to even think of saying something.

None of the group had heard the footsteps approach, or the small gasp, too entrapped by their own hurricanes of emotion.

"Sophie?" a timid voice asked followed by a smaller, "Linh?"

Both girls’ heads snapped up to look at who’d broken the unforgiving silence; Sophie's eyes found Fitz's and both of their faces split into comical grins. Fitz pushed past Mari, hurried and uncoordinated, stumbling his way into Sophie's arms. A startled laugh escaped her lips as Fitz wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her into the air like she was light as a feather. Oh, how she had missed her Fitz.

Eventually, he set her down and ruffled her hair with a grin before glancing back to the group still standing in the doorway. His eyes landed on Linh who raised her hands up in surrender immediately. "Nuh-uh, nope, don't you dare try to hug me," Linh said, her tone playfully serious.

Tam and Sophie finally locked eyes and he gave her a look that clearly said, this is what I have to deal with all the time; pity me.

Sophie didn’t.

Fitz let out a laugh before grabbing Sophie's arm and practically dragging her inside. "Come on! We've got so much to talk about!"

Giving him a weak smile, Sophie glanced back at Mari. The woman's eyes narrowed, "Yes, we really do."

Sophie prayed silently to whoever was listening that she wouldn't be dead in a ditch by the end of the day.

Fitz had pushed his way through the doorway with Sophie in tow, the rest following slowly, not quite sure what to do.

It felt weird, seeing Fitz so at home in a place the exact opposite of where he grew up. But the way he smiled easily, told everyone to take a seat, talked with Linh—if Sophie didn't know any better she'd say he’d lived here his entire life.

"So," Sophie started. The living room was crammed, not meant for the five people and all of the tension. "Can we talk?" She directed the question at Fitz (and tried to ignore the flash of emotion on Mari's face).

Fitz luckily got the hint and nodded, motioning for her to follow him into the kitchen. Oh, the kitchen. She remembered the time that Mari tried to let her make pancakes on her own, which ended with her almost burning down the house. Or the time that she and Tommy got in a food fight while Mari and Angie desperately tried to salvage dinner—until Angie got a face full of mashed potato and it became a full-out war. She missed those days. Everything was so much easier. But then she had to go and mess it all up.

"Hey? You still there?" Fitz asked, yanking her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry," she said hurriedly. "So how'd you end up here?" She already knew part of the story, that Fitz left and Tam tagged along.

"Mostly impulse decision. Decided I wanted to be more than 'The Next Vacker' or whatever the hell I was supposed to be. So I ended up leaving; Tam caught me at the last second and came along. We ended up in Europe, and—-after a few failed attempts—learned how to drive and made our way through the place living in this weird RV that always smelled like cheese for some reason. And then somehow we ended up on a plane here, decided more road-tripping was needed. But the car broke down and Mari ended up helping us and let us stay a couple of nights."

Sophie laughed, "Yeah, that sounds like Mari."

"Wait, so how do you know her?"

"Uh. Well, you see, I kinda lived here for a year after showing up at her diner and her taking me in," Sophie said, her hands moving as if she was trying to grasp the explanation out of the air.

"YOU'RE AMELIA?" Fitz yelled, making Sophie almost squeak. "I totally thought that she was Mari's daughter."

She paused at the words. Mari talked about her like she was her daughter? Oh. Sophie felt like she could cry. From happiness or guilt; the jury was still out.

"Well, I kinda ran away? In the middle of the night without telling her? But she caught me and we fought and haven't seen each other since," Sophie mumbled.

"You and your attachment problems."

Sophie gaped at him, "OH! I'm sorry that I got pulled into a random world at 12 and then got betrayed, hurt emotionally and physically, and had the people I cared about die!"

"Yes, but you've got to let someone closer than an arms distance away sometimes," he said with a sigh.

"I have a girlfriend; she's closer than an arms distance!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah I noticed that, but be honest with yourself, she’s not."

Sophie only glared at him.

"Look. You've got issues to figure out with Linh and Mari but I'm not gonna make you fix 'em," Fitz said after a beat. "But Linh and Tam definitely have issues that need to be talked about or this house is going to catch on fire-"

Sophie chuckled. Ignoring her own problems to fix someone else's. She could do that.

The tension in the room couldn't get any worse. Actually, it could, but if it did the house might've blown up. Fitz, bless his soul, seemed oblivious to everything. Asking question after question, talking to Linh, asking what Sophie was studying, and so on and so on until it got frankly exhausting to answer.

The Plan—she said plan, but it was more of a vague idea and a poorly put together execution— was to get the twins to talk and be together so that at least half of the tension would go away. But no, Fitz just had to keep fucking talking. Finally, Sophie had enough. "Suggest dinner dumbass," she eloquently texted Fitz.

When his phone went off he only rolled his eyes in her general direction.

"Why don't I make some dinner?" Fitz asked, getting murmurs of agreement that sounded like music to Sophie's ears.

"I'll help!" Sophie suggested, and Mari's face twisted into poorly concealed horror as she definitely remembered how it went the last time Sophie was in the kitchen unsupervised.

"Nuh-uh," Mari shook her head. "I'm going with; I do not trust you in there." Sophie only smiled innocently; it was all going according to plan. The twins, in almost unison, glanced at each other and back at the three, trying to find a way out. Sophie went over and kissed Linh on the cheek, squeezing her shoulder.

"Don't worry, it won’t be long and I'll come back if you need me," she whispered, trying to ignore the confused looks Tam was giving her.

"You better," Linh muttered back. Sophie gave her a reassuring smile before heading into the kitchen where Mari and Fitz were discussing what to make.

"We are not having breakfast for dinner just because it’s the only thing you know how to make!" Fitz argued playfully.

"It is not the only thing I know how to make; it’s just easy!" Mari retorted. Sophie watched the exchange as they went back and forth, finally deciding on chicken and waffles ‘cause it was sort of both; though, Sophie knew that Mari had really won the argument.

When both Mari and Fitz were distracted getting things out of pantries and cupboards, Sophie secretly reached out to Linh's familiar mind.

Yes, it was wrong; Sophie knew this, but she needed to make sure that Linh was going to be okay. Sophie needed to make sure she was going to be okay. What would happen if something happened and Sophie didn't react fast enough? What if Linh needed her and she didn't know? She said she would be there if she needed her and this was her way of being there for her.

Sophie distractedly did as she was instructed, doing the small tasks like cracking eggs and grabbing ingredients. She was not permitted, unless the world was ending, to touch the stove. Sophie only laughed, knowing that Mari was being paranoid, but it was something she had learned Mari was good at. Being paranoid gave her control, gave her all the angles, even if one of them was outrageous. Sophie tried not to think about the fact that she may have added to her paranoia with her run-away-in-the-middle-of-the-night stunt.

Quickly banishing the thought from her mind she focused on Linh's thoughts. Nothing had happened, there was a tension to Linh, a million thoughts a mile an hour running through her mind, what if after what if and quite a few cuss words.

"Soo..." Tam said.

"So," Linh responded, her tone flat, clearly guarded, but her mind was whirling like a tornado.

"We should talk." Linh internally scoffed at that.

"What's there to talk about?" Tam gave her a look of disbelief.

"There's everything to talk about!"

"You left."

Tam huffed, "You told me to!" Linh stayed quiet, and Tam stared at his hands. "You made it clear as day you didn't want me there; you still don’t want me. What the hell did I do wrong, Bubbles?"

Linh let out a heavy sigh. "That’s the problem," she whispered. "You didn't do anything. You were perfectly fine. You were fine doing the same thing for eternity. You were happy. And I went and fucked it up just because I couldn't stand it. I couldn't stand being there, being so lonely-"

What are you doing, Fitz's voice rang in her head and she stumbled out of Linh's mind.

Sophie's face steeled. None of your business.

Fitz let out a huff of annoyance, similar to Tam's (she wondered if they were rubbing off on each other), but ultimately went back to work. Mari didn't question the weird interaction, but Sophie got the feeling she would be interrogated later by them separately. God, she did not need an adult, a sister, and a Fitz on her back. Couldn't she just make bad decisions in peace?

Sophie was grateful for them though. The pestering of Amy keeping her in check, in the right mind, the hugs from Fitz that seemed to never stop, and the way that Mari looked at her now, conflicted between holding her and never letting go and opening the gates that kept her anger behind bars. Sophie didn't know what she did to deserve them, especially after she fucked up time and time again, but she was grateful nonetheless.

They finished dinner in silence, except for the occasional "Can you pass me that?" or "Here let me show you how to do it." It was eerily domestic and made Sophie's heart clench, even making her forget about the tense conversation happening a wall over. But she didn't dare listen in again with Fitz watching her like a hawk, annoying in his way of knowing exactly what she was thinking and doing.

Eventually, the food was placed on platters, and Sophie used her waitress skills from many long days wasting away carrying plates and large orders to customers and brought all of the food out to the dining room.

Tam and Linh had kept their distance, the tension only a little bit more breathable. At least they weren't glaring daggers, now they were just ignoring the others’ existence. Baby steps. Fitz tailed behind her, setting the table as she carefully placed the food.

They soon all sat at the table, quietly serving themselves, not quite sure what to do with everyone else. Fitz and Tam kept on sharing glances, seeming to have a silent conversation that really got on Sophie's nerves. Sophie sat on the opposite end of the table from Mari, ignoring her prodding stares. "So," Linh cleared her throat, "what have you guys been doing since you got here?"

"Oh, nothing much," Tam responded, a harsh edge to his words.

Linh leaned forward and narrowed her eyes. "Oh come on. It’s been forever since I saw you last; you had to do something."

Sophie, for one, was not liking where this was going. The annoyed tone, the poking, the insistence, it was suffocating. She could tell, glancing at Fitz and Mari, that she wasn't the only one.

Tam gave a curt laugh. "Well, we did do a lot, I just didn't know if you would want to hear about how much, mmh what’s the word, better it was without you."

That hit a nerve.

Sophie watched in horror as Linh's face hardened and the water in her glass started to shake. Desperately, Sophie reached for her girlfriend's hand, only for it to be pushed away as Linh stood, startling the rest of the table—except for Tam? who looked like he was getting exactly what he wanted.

"You liar," Linh spat.

Tam stood up to meet her, a glint in his eyes as the setting sun's light hit his glasses, "How would you know I'm a liar, Linh? You told me you wanted to go, so I went. You disappeared at night, and you came back looking like shit. But you told me not to ask, and you said you didn't need me. And guess what? I fucking listened, cause that's what good siblings do: they listen. So when you told me to leave, I left and caught a ride with Fitz. And he did a better job at being a brother than you ever did as my sister!"

Fitz looked like he wanted to melt into a puddle. "Guys-" he tried, but when both Linh and Tam sent him a withering look he stopped. Sophie didn't know what to do; she didn't know who to help or even if she could. It was all too much.

"Fitz isn't your goddamn brother, he didn't go through the shit we did," Linh snapped.

Tam huffed, "Linh, when is it going to get through your thick skull? I'm not replacing you, I couldn't do that even if I tried. I'm waiting, I'm waiting for you to realize you're not okay, and I'm waiting for you to ask for help instead of waiting for it to fall apart in front of you." The looking on Tam's face and the way Linh's posture sagged made Sophie feel horribly out of place. That the moment was too intimate for her to see. Granted, that hadn't stopped her before, but that wasn’t the point. The point was Linh's face going through a hundred different emotions before she walked out the door without another word.

Sophie went to stand up, to go after her, to make sure she was okay—until she felt Tam's hand on her shoulder. He shook his head and smiled softly. "Let me talk to her," he said, and suddenly he looked too old to be the person she once knew. But she stayed where she was and let Tam go out the still-open door without an argument.

"What the hell was that?" Mari asked as soon as Tam left.

"They're twins," Fitz supplied.

"With emotional trauma and attachment issues," Sophie added. Mari only nodded and left it at that. The three finished up dinner without another word.

Light buzzes against Sophie's hand woke her up. She groaned in annoyance as the bright screen displayed Amy's name, knowing this was a call she shouldn't ignore. Slowly she found her way out of bed and Linh's arms, fumbling to answer the phone, anything to keep it from waking Linh up. She tiptoed down the hall, subconsciously taking the familiar path. Putting the phone to her ear, Amy's voice shrieked through the phone.

"HIII!" Amy screamed.

"You are way too awake at one in the morning," Sophie grumbled.

"I had a coffee around twelve in the morning, another an hour ago, and just chugged a Redbull," Amy explained as if nothing about this extreme amount of caffeine was concerning.

"And why, pray tell, did you do this?"

"Midterms." That explained everything perfectly. Amy was silent for a moment and Sophie spun around the room, eyes raking over the familiar scene she found herself in. A nightstand cluttered with chargers and books and random trinkets, a dresser void of any clothes, and a desk with the all too familiar pens she had collected and doodles she had etched into the smooth frame. On the bed, she found a familiar book that made her breath hitch and everything in her freeze. Against her will she was drawn towards it, opening the frayed frame displayed the first page of the scrapbook, a picture of Angie, Mari, Tommy, and Amilia outside of the diner.

Angie had given her the book the first and only Hanukkah she was there. It was during the middle of dinner, Amilia had her face stuffed with sufganiyot, and Tommy had come over. It was really a present to the both of them, knowing that neither would be getting anything from their respective families and a reminder that they would always have the home they had built. It was that night Amilia realized she had built herself a family, she had gained a brother and mothers. Her own makeshift family. But that had scared her to her core, being a part of something again. So she started to plan, and she gave into that horrible urge to run.

"Soph? Sophie are you okay?" Amy's voice tore through her thoughts like a light in the darkness.

"What if I fuck it all up again?" Sophie asks, her words shake, and she realizes her cheeks are wet from tears that had spilled over without her permission.

"You won’t."

"How do you know? What do I do when Linh finds out I've seen things I shouldn't have? That I've been keeping it from her? What do I do when Mari asks about who I was? What-"

"Stop." She stopped. "I need you to breathe," Amy spoke softly like Sophie was some wild animal. Over the next minute Amy counted while Sophie breathed, it was a routine at this point. Too many times had Amy walked in on Sophie barely holding herself. Eventually, Sophie's breathing calmed and so did the horrible buzzing of adrenaline in her system.

"I know that you're scared and that you have every right to be," Amy said finally into the empty silence. "But no matter what I will always be here with you okay? As you do everything I'm going to be here for you. No matter how much of a dumbass you are sometimes."

Sophie laughed dryly, "Thank you." She ignored how much it mirrored Linh's words on the bus.

They talked for a long time after, about anything and everything. About their friends at university to what Sophie's going to do about the boys. "It's weird, isn't it?" Sophie asked, watching the moon rise from the window from above her old bed.

"What's weird?"

"That we found each other so quickly that we all just seemed to be in the right place at the right time."

Amy was quiet for a minute, nothing but the sound of papers rustling to remind Sophie that she was still there. "Yeah, I guess it could be seen as weird. Maybe the universe was tired of seeing you guys dance around each other."

Sophie chuckled lightly and they left it at that as they jumped onto the next train of thought.

Sophie stepped out into the cold. Amy had hung up thirty minutes prior, leaving her in the dark next to Linh feeling ever so alone. She hadn't told her sister about the eavesdropping; she already knew what Amy would say. Sophie didn't need another lecture; it was too damn late for that. She ignored the guilt that had evidently arisen with the thoughts and had quietly snuck out of the living room, through the kitchen, and out the door. Eerily similar to the way she had the night she left, her brain unhelpfully reminded her. She winced at the steel in Mari’s voice, as she had told her not to be a coward stabbed deep in her heart.

She sat on the swinging bench outside, gently rocking herself back and forth on it. Her mind wandered, from how Mari did after she left, if she tried to go after her, she thought of Tommy and how he reacted, if he expected her to leave like the mystery boy he had fallen for. She sat and marveled at the stars and how clear they were. She thought of how the night, no matter how dark, never seemed to swallow her up, just sat like an old friend waiting.

Her thoughts surrounded her, infusing her so deeply she didn't hear the door creak open as Mari stepped through and cleared her throat, “Is this spot taken?”

Startled, Sophie shook her head, and her eyes found the plate that she was holding. It held her favorite dessert that Mari would make: a mini upside-down pineapple chocolate cake that never failed to make Sophie feel better.

They sat in heavy silence, staring off, avoiding looking at each other, instead of staring off into the trees, eating their respective mini cakes. Sophie didn't know how long it had been when Mari finally cleared her throat.

"I kept the stuff you left," she whispered.

"I- thank you," Sophie said even though she already knew because nothing else seemed to fit. A beat passed where Sophie grasped for something, anything to say to the woman next to her. Instead, she tore out an eyelash, reveling in the stab of pain she had become numb to.

"I thought you were done with that habit," Mari stated. So did Sophie. Until Linh showed up until the world decided to hate her once more.

"Old habits die hard," she shrugged.

Mari nodded, clearly having more important questions on her mind, "So...they call you Sophie, huh?"

Sophie's breath hitched. "Um yea," she stumbled. "It's a long story."

"We've got all night." And at that Sophie knew what the rest of the night was going to be, her spilling her guts about every fucked up thing that happened when she was a kid. She didn't even know how many laws she would break telling Mari everything but fuck it. Mari deserved to know.

"When I was five, I started to read minds," Sophie started softly. Mari didn't react, staying quiet for her to continue. So she did, and she told her everything. From before Fitz found her to when she left.

Mari was quiet the entire time Sophie talked, her face set in a mask, betraying none of her emotions, which made Sophie's entire stomach twist. By the time Sophie finished, fireflies had risen around the trees and grass around them. Their flickering lights were majestic, and Sophie wondered what it would be like to be a firefly. How simple it would be to be just one light in a million. She mulled over their similarities to stars, yet she remembered learning once how very far away each star was from another, what a lonely existence it must be.

They sat, Sophie still as a statue, Mari probably deciding that this random girl and her group of people were very very crazy. Finally, Mari cleared her throat, "You know I won't believe you without proof."

Sophie let out a harsh laugh, "If you did I would honestly be concerned about your sanity." Mari smiled small. Sophie cleared her throat, "So, uh what do you wanna see first?"

"Telepathy?" Mari asked, her face falling back into that mask counseling her. Sophie took a breath and closed her eyes.

She opened her mind to the world and reached forward for Mari. "Hello," Sophie transmitted and opened her eyes. Mari's eyes were blown wide and her mouth hung open slightly, her mask nowhere to be found. Sophie pulled out of her mind, closing her walls against the bombarding thoughts, and the world was quiet again.

"What the fuck," Mari breathed.

Sophie laughed, giggled more like. Maybe she was tired, maybe it was Mari's face, maybe she had hit her limit. She giggled till she was breathlessly holding her stomach. Mari only stared at her silently trying to gauge who the hell this kid was sitting next to her.

Arms were around Sophie before she knew what was happening, holding her, encasing her, like they were trying to protect her from the rest of the world. "What is this for?" Sophie whispered. It wasn't like she didn't appreciate it, honestly, she loved it, she missed motherly hugs and the way that Edaline would hold her at night when she couldn't sleep. Burying her head into Mari's shoulder, breathing in the smell of pineapple and chocolate and a home she missed so much.

"I am so sorry," Mari said. "For what they did to you, Soybean."

Sophie's eyes teared up at the name. She remembered when Mari told her about the nickname, they were in the diner closing up when Angie brought up the topic . For the next half an hour she’d smothered Mari in random nicknames, each one getting worse as the time went by. They were walking back when Mari asked her, and she said she was once called Soybean when the world was much easier.

They stayed there for who knows how long, in the cold, a thousand fireflies shining, and the warmth of a home Sophie always wanted around her.

"Sophie," a sing-song voice forced its way through her dreams, earning a grumble in return.

"She is impossible to wake up in the morning," another voice said.

"Hey, at least she sleeps," voice number three said.

"Sophiieeee, if you don’t wake up I am going to be forced to give you affection," the first voice spoke again; it was Linh, the more awake part of her brain supplied. Sophie only grumbled again, trying to bury herself under the covers once more. But in a blink of an eye the blanket was gone and she was curling around nothing, as hands were placed on her sides and kisses attacked her face. The fingers on her sides started to move and suddenly a bubble in her stomach popped and she was rolling with laughter trying to escape her girlfriend's tickles and kisses.

"I'm- I'm awake!" Sophie breathed between giggles.

Dimly, she registered who she thought was Amy say, "I think I'm going to barf," and Fitz agreeing with her while Mari ushered them out of the room with a fond look on her face.

Eventually, the torture stopped and both girls were breathless, but in the best way possible. "It's too early for this," Sophie said, flopping back down onto the bed. Linh giggled and the sound did something to Sophie's insides. Maybe it was love, she thought as she fought the shame that came from the secrets she kept (it’s not and she knows this, but maybe if she pretends it is, then it will be, then she'll be enough).

"Come on, love," Linh whispered, something in her eyes shining that Sophie didn't want to know. It would hurt too much to know.

Breakfast was a small affair; the tension had lessened. Much less like a nuke about to go off and more like a small bomb that would blow with the slightest move. Sophie and Mari's talk helped, and so did Amy's presence distracting the twins from each other.

It was nice, sitting, talking, fighting with no malice in their words. For once, Sophie felt like she was home. Sure it still needed healing, and work, and help, but it was still her home.

[tamsong]

pull you from the tide - keefitz

summary: in which fitz tries to hammer it into keefe’s head that he deserves to be loved. 

notes: this is half vent, half fix-it. this my first time writing fic for kotlc since i was like 13, so let me know what you guys think?

warnings: swearing, very vague references to homophobia and bad parents

***

keefe doesn’t come home.

a week passes, then two. a month. three. everything is weirdly silent on the neverseen front, despite sophie’s daring act of burning down the waterfall hideout. it feels like time is standing still- keefe’s absence hangs heavy in the air like ozone in the hour before it rains. 

fitz has barely spoken in those three months. in another world, he might’ve been angry like he usually is. in this world, though, no one’s around to be angry at, and fitz feels like his roots have been ripped out of the ground.

at the next black swan meeting, fitz quietly asks to speak to mr. forkle alone. the black swan leader nods resignedly, like he already knows what fitz is going to ask. sophie raises her eyebrows at him from across the room. i’ll tell you later, he transmits to her, but he doesn’t plan on it. sophie’s been hurt enough, and if she knows about this and it doesn’t work, she’ll be devastated.

mr. forkle walks him down the hall. he doesn’t say anythin

“i want to go look for him,” fitz says, trying to sound confident. but he’s anything but. he doesn’t feel like anything more than the desperate, frightened child that he is.

mr. forkle opens his mouth, but fitz cuts him off. “please,” he adds. “i... i don’t know what else to do. i know he said he doesn’t want to be found, but i- we can’t go on like this. i know the forbidden cities better than almost anyone, so i might as well try. please.”

“i can’t promise you’ll find anything, mr. vacker,” mr. forkle replies. “but if it’s really what you want, i can give you a leaping crystal.”

fitz sighs. “i know. trust me, i know. but if there’s any way i can get him back, i still want to go.”

the black swan leader nods in response. “very well. i’ll meet you at everglen tomorrow morning, and i’ll monitor you to ensure your safety. now, go on and meet your friends, and put this out of your mind for the rest of the day.”

he thanks mr. forkle profusely, then does as he’s told. only a few minutes after he leaves does fitz realize that his request was granted far too easily- mr. forkle, while certainly not a cruel man, expects him to fail. there would be a lot more lecturing and protocol if he didn’t.

fitz doesn’t blame him.

***

the next morning, fitz takes the blue crystal from mr. forkle, his hands trembling. he’s dressed in the same jacket, jeans, and boots from when he first found sophie. he thought the memories would be calming, but the sense of deja vu only unsettles him, really. on that pleasant thought, fitz holds the crystal up to the sunlight and steps into its path, holding his breath.

he arrives in an empty park, hidden between two trees. freezing rain is pouring down from the sky, a sharp contrast from the eternally pleasant weather at everglen. fitz shudders, puts his hands in his pockets, and steps out of his hiding place.

he roams the streets of san diego all afternoon and evening, ducking in and out of stores, cafes, and libraries, all of it to no sign of keefe. finally, when the sky is nearly dark and the rain has slowed to a drizzle, fitz stops in front of a building with sign reading san diego youth services. he shrugs and opens the door. it’s as good as anything, i guess.

“have you seen my friend?” he asks one of the staff in heavily accented english. “he’s tall and skinny, has blond hair and light blue eyes. about my age, doesn’t speak much english.” 

the woman squints and brushes her wet hair out of her eyes. “we had someone like that come in a couple months ago, and he comes here to sleep most nights. fidgety guy, looks sad all the time?” 

fitz pulls his jacket hood further up. “that's probably him, yes,” he answers, trying and failing to keep his voice steady. may i see him?” 

she nods. deep frown lines run down her face, like she’s seen too much tragedy in her short life. “sure. last i saw, he was out back.” 

the staff woman walks fitz through the building out to a secluded area adjacent to an alleyway, protected from the public eye. fitz doesn’t see anyone at first, but on second glance spots a flash of blond from further down the alley. he hurriedly thanks the woman and dashes over, heartbeat picking up. 

he skids to a stop when he sees keefe there, sitting on a step and dripping with rainwater. he looks up, startled, at the sound of fitz’s footsteps, and his mouth opens and closes in shock once he realizes who’s in front of him.

fitz expects a snarky comment, something like well look who we have here! or wow, guess i’m famous, but keefe says nothing. on one level, it’s terrifying, because fitz has rarely ever known his friend to be silent. on the other hand, though, he gets it. even without keefe’s strange new ability that makes speaking a risk, what else is there to be done in a situation like this? two years ago, they both would have laughed if told this would be their future.

they hover there for what feels like hours, neither boy knowing what to do.

finally, fitz breaks the quiet. “hi,” he says lamely, and then slaps himself mentally. really? is that the best you can give him? 

he tries again. “keefe. i...” no. that wouldn’t do either.

“you couldn’t even bother with a goodbye?” he finally bursts out, trying to muster up the anger he doesn’t feel. this isn’t the right way to approach it either, but fitz doesn’t know how else to communicate. “did you think i wouldn’t care? sophie’s not the only one who was fucking sad, you know. biana can barely do anything but cry. dex isn’t talking to anyone, and neither is linh. even tam- i know you guys never got along, but he wants you home just as much as the rest of us.”

he shakes his head. “i know this can’t be easy for you, but we want to help you. even if we can’t, then we can find someone who can.”

“i’m not even mad, really,” fitz continues, looking up at the sky. he can’t bring himself to make eye contact. “if you didn’t care to say goodbye to me, i get it. i haven’t exactly been best friend material lately, and i wouldn’t blame you for never wanting to speak to me. but i read what you wrote to sophie, and it’s the biggest bullshit i’ve ever heard. be happy? forget about you?” he scoffs. “do you even hear yourself? i- she- we could never do that. you’re giving yourself too much credit.”

he turns around, fists clenching so hard his nails cut through his skin. “so this is my goodbye, i guess. i meant to bring you home, but you deserve a choice after everything. stay away, if you must, just know that we- i care for you, keefe. you deserve to be cared about. and if you don’t come home... i’ll miss you. i want you to know that.”

fitz finally exhales. he’s said his piece, laid all his cards out on the table. it’s keefe’s move now, and fitz will respect it, even if it fucking kills him to do it.

“fitz.” keefe speaks for the first time since fitz arrived, his voice hoarse and miserable. fitz whips back around, searching for any sign in his best friend’s face that might signal a change of heart. 

“fitz,” keefe repeats. the expression he wears is downcast and resigned. “i want to come home, more than anything i’ve ever wanted. but i can’t. it’s not safe, not for you or anyone else.”

“then tell us how to make it safe,” fitz begs. his hands twitch, desperately wanting to reach out. “anything you ask. hell, we could even hide you in my closet at everglen like the time when we were little and your dad was coming to take you home.” 

keefe’s mouth twitches, and even if it’s not a whole smile, fitz counts it as a victory. “that’s... nice of you to say.”

fitz softens. “of course,” he replies, not hiding how choked up he is. “anytime.”

keefe taps his fingers against his thigh, looking down. after a long moment of silence that seems years long, he lifts his face and speaks again. “you’re not making this easy.” his eyes gleam with unshed tears. “maybe if you make it a little harder...”

fitz’s hands move of their own accord, resting on either side of keefe’s face. the other boy’s cheeks are warm despite the bitter, freezing rain.

fitz... actually has one more card he could play. it’s one he’s kept in his pocket since the middle of level three, never shared with anyone, not even with sophie. 

there’s never been a world in which revealing it would be acceptable, but maybe things are different now. more complicated and painful, yes, but if there’s even the slightest chance that this secret could bring keefe home, then he’s willing to accept that pain.

fitz lays his final card on the table.

he kneels in front of where keefe is sitting on the step, never breaking contact for a second. keefe’s wide eyes follow him as fitz lowers himself down, his expression open and vulnerable. fitz leans in close, but pauses just inches before his friend’s lips, giving keefe time to move, time to reject him and run away.

when keefe makes no effort to resist, fitz closes the distance and kisses him.

it’s a short, soft thing, the connection as fragile and fleeting as a candle flame in a windstorm. but to fitz, this kiss is everything. it’s a representation of his enduring care for keefe, the affection that sprouted when they were children and has only blossomed since. despite everything standing in their way, fitz has loved keefe and always will.

he just hopes it’ll be enough for keefe. 

fitz pulls away, not letting himself linger too long. he resists the urge to look away, instead gazing into keefe’s eyes and smiling gently. he’ll wait as long as it takes for keefe to make his move, and he’ll respect it. he just wants his friend to know the truth.

suddenly, keefe bursts into tears.

he throws himself forward, nearly knocking fitz over. he buries his face between fitz’s neck and shoulders, his body wracked with sobs. fitz hugs him back, running his fingers through his friend’s tangled hair. keefe cries and cries, holding tightly to fitz until his sobs fade to tremors and there’s a wet patch on fitz’s sweatshirt from his tears.

“okay,” keefe finally whispers, sending shivers down fitz’s spine. “i’ll take us home.” 

keefe shifts and moves his hand up between them to fitz’s shirt pocket where fitz always keeps his home crystal. he plucks the crystal out, scans the area, and raises it up to the last dim sunlight trickling through the rainclouds. 

fitz holds keefe close as the two boys dissolve into the light, leaving san diego behind.

[an-absolute-travesty]

Royal Screw-Ups

If you’re looking for the rest of the story, it can be found on my wattpad @ohwowhatethis, under the tags “kotlc fic” and “keefex” on my blog, or under the cut on my pinned post 

Tag list (tell me if you want to be added or removed, just for this story or as a whole):@you-are-the-vacker-legacy @ruewen-and-rising @lemontarto @a-lonely-tatertot @clearlykeefitz @percabetn {btw I’m sorry you haven’t been getting tagged dude! I kept messing up your user because I can’t read I’m super sorry} @holesinmyfalseconfidence @vibing-in-the-void @sewersewersewercouch @everyonehasthoughts 

Chapter 6:

Word count: 1,122

Warnings: descriptions of death, swearing, angsty boi 

King?! Sixteen was too young to be king! He had always known his fate but he thought his father would be too power-hungry to give up the role. It wasn’t like he could just do whatever he wanted either, Cassius would still have all of his own councilors in power, it would be nearly impossible to get them out of it.

Keefe paced endlessly around his room.

Air, air, he needed air. It was too hot in here. 

He couldn’t take the main door, that takes too long.

The window.

He shoved the window open and crept out to the ledge. He was on the second floor, but there were enough bricks sticking out of the side of the castle to use as a ladder. 

He ran across the sprawling lawn, not caring if a guard saw him. He...he had to talk to someone. He had to find Dex. 

~*~

Keefe banged at the door, not caring if he woke everyone up. 

A man, who he could only assume was Dex’s father, opened it. 

“Sir, can I talk to Dex please?” 

He hesitated, looking back at his family. "Um...I mean...sure...I mean yes, your highness...er-"

“Thank you, sir.”

Dex walked out from behind the man and closed the door behind him as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. His hair was ruffled and he looked both confused and tired. 

“I need to talk to you.”

“Yes, I heard that much.”

“C’mon, follow me.”

Keefe grabbed his hand and ran as he led him to the garden. He couldn’t tell if the anxiety he felt was coming from himself or Dex.

Despite not being particularly careful, no one stopped them so Keefe could only assume they had remained unseen. 

Keefe wordlessly heaved himself onto the wall and put out a hand to Dex when he was situated. The red head immediately grasped it, not hesitating at all. To be perfectly honest, it seemed like Dex would be completely capable of bringing himself up the wall, Keefe just...enjoyed helping him. And he brought up no complaints.

They hopped into the gardens, nailing the landing this time. 

“I have something to show you.” Keefe said, walking down a path he rarely tread upon. 

“Alright.” Dex seemed concerned but he followed without question. 

At the end of the path sat a stone. 

“Here lies former Queen Gisela Sencen

She died as she lived, fighting for what she believed in

Whether it be right or wrong.” 

They both stared at it for a good while before Keefe spoke up.

“They made me write the headstone you know. My father was supposed to do it but he was too busy. He was too busy to write his own wife’s damn headstone.”

Dex didn’t say anything, an invite to continue. 

Keefe sat down on the ground beside the grave, Dex joined him. 

Keefe’s eyes began to water in anger.

“What kind of selfish bastard can’t even write his own wife’s headstone? She was an awful person! She betrayed everyone! But he didn’t even have the decency to not make his eight year old son write her headstone.”

The tears poured now and he buried his face in his hands. 

Dex laid a supportive hand on his shoulder. 

“She- she was awful. I don’t know why I miss her. She betrayed the whole country and she was killed for it.”

The entire kingdom watched his mother get hanged for her treasonous schemes with the Neverseen. It was likely that even Dex watched, he would’ve been old enough by most people’s standards. 

Dex seemed to think for a long moment.

“What was she like?”

Keefe hesitated.

“...she was always loud. Louder than my dad wanted her to be, but she was the one with the right to the throne so he had no choice but to put up with her. 

“She was nicer to me than my dad was. Once my dad yelled at me because I said I never wanted to get married. She brought me a cake from the kitchen and told me that she never wanted to either. She hated the system, she just did the wrong things to get back at it. The really, really wrong things.

“She was...disgusting. She was a murderer. She was my mom. I miss her and I hate that I do. I hate that we’re so similar. I hate that one day I’m going to end up as angry as she was and I hate that I might get the same ending she did. I hate that I’m already on the same path that she was on. I’m getting stuck in a marriage at 16 with no say in the matter and a whole kingdom  to rule and I just can’t handle it.”

He completely broke down.

Dex was silent for a moment before speaking. 

“I can’t relate to what you’re going through...like at all. And I’ve never been very good with the whole emotional support thing. But it’s not too hard to go up from a murderer. I mean so far you’ve killed zero people that I know of so you’re already ahead.”

Keefe cracked a small smile.

“I know that you aren’t going to end up like her.”

“How can you tell?”

“You feel guilty about actions you haven’t even committed. She didn’t even feel remorse about what she did do.”

“Thank you, but…I’ll still be stuck as king in 4 months, and as a husband in 3. I almost can’t tell which one is worse.”

Dex chuckled. 

“I think you’ll be a great king. You care about your people, I think you’ll be able to fix  what’s wrong.”

“Even if I am some kind of great king, I’ll still be stuck with a wife I know next to nothing about.”

“...who would you rather be stuck with?”

Fuck it, it’s now or never.

“Well, there is this one person.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah they’re...amazing. They’re kind, and smart, and beautiful. Talking to them always makes my day better. I haven’t known them for long but they make me happier than any random wife could.”

“They sound pretty great.”

“Yeah, he is.” 

They both went silent. 

Keefe was expecting some sort of backlash, a ‘you’re disgusting!’ or ‘he?’. Instead, Dex carried on. 

“Do you have a shot of being with him?”

“I hope so, but he’s probably way too good for me.” Keefe didn't know how how Dex didn’t seem to be noticing the pointed glances he was giving him.

“I doubt that.”

“How so?”

“Well, you’re pretty great. Plus, I mean, you are the prince so that’s probably an unfair advantage.” 

Keefe laughed. 

“Yes but I hope that that has no weight in his decision, I would never use my power to force someone to do something they didn’t want to.”

“And right there is another reason you won’t end up like your mother.”

Keefe smiled.

He believed him this time. 

[coinsoup]

Do You Believe The Magic 8 Ball? I do

the keefitz fic... finally 

tw: minor injury and blood 

 Keefe glanced over at Fitz who was lying on his bed still attempting to complete the star map Keefe had finished ages ago. Keefe sighed heavily, pulling himself up from his spot at the foot of Fitz’s bed. He wandered over to a bookshelf in the corner of Fitz’s room. Gnomish culture and tradition was the first title Keefe saw. “Nerd,” Keef muttered, a fond smile creeping onto his lips.

 There weren’t just informational books on the shelf though, Fitz seemed to keep most of his little knick-knacks on the shelf too. Keefe smiled softly when he noticed one of his drawings was framed. It was one of his first ones too, so it wasn’t exactly a masterpiece. 

 Keefe picked up a strange black sphere. He brought it closer to his eyes, shaking it slightly when red words appeared in a small circle. The letters were written in a language he couldn’t understand which was weird.

 “Hey, Roy,” Fitz startled slightly, smearing the ink.

 “Keefe, this better be important,” Fitz said, glaring at his ink-stained hand.

 “What’s this?” Keefe managed to get out without bursting into a fit of laughter.

 Fitz looked up then, letting out an indignant huff at Keefe’s slightly mocking smile. Fitz’s gaze finally landed on the weird ball in his hand. Fitz looked as if he was racking his brain for a way to explain it, which quite frankly Keefe didn’t like. 

 “It’s called a magic 8 ball,” Fitz decided on, “It’s basically a fortune teller” Keefe gave him an unimpressed look. “It’s supposed to predict the future, or tell you the truth about something.”

 “Yeah, sure,” Keefe scoffed, “Where’d you get this from anyways?”

 “Father brought it back from the forbidden cities for me” Keefe winced at the word father and made a mental note to rant about his dad later so Fitz could vent.

 Keefe considered the object for a moment wondering if a human object could really do that, it wasn’t like the elves could so it’s not like the humans could either, right? Then Keefe had an idea, now let’s be clear most of Keefe’s ideas ended in disaster.

 “Is Fitzy in love with me?” Keefe asked aloud, shaking the 8ball. Most definitely it read, Keefe gave Fitz a smirk who was watching him curiously. Keefe tossed the ball to Fitz who caught it easily.

 “I mean you knew it wouldn’t work right?” Fitz asked. Huh, Keefe thought, he wasn’t even flustered. He had just denied it with no shadow of doubt in his voice. 

 Keefe was pretty damn sure that his feelings were mutual, but this, well, was unexpected, to say the least. There’s no way he could be that oblivious right?? And thus Keefe’s plan began.

 Keefe needed help for the last stage, so logically he asked his best friend’s older brother. So here Keefe was standing at the edge of the Ravagog braiding long grass blades as he waited for Alvar. Just when he was finishing his second braid he heard footsteps behind him. 

 “Hey kiddo, it’s been a while.” 

 “Alvar?” He was standing a few feet away looking as cheerful as ever, albeit a little tired. Keefe sat up quickly, then stood a little awkwardly unsure if a hug would be too much. Alvar just laughed softly hooking his arm over Keefe’s shoulder as they walked down the path.

 “It’s not that I don’t love seeing you, but what was so important it couldn’t wait till the end of the month?”

 “Well, about that” Keefe began, “I need your help with something.”

 “Okaaaay” Alvar drawled, “and could that something involve a little mischief,” playfully squeezing Keefe’s shoulder where his hand rested on it.

 “I mean I guess you could call it that, I need help with your dumbass little brother,” Alvar was just looking at Keefe, so he took that as a sign to continue, “I need you to lock us in a closet.”

 Alvar continued to stare for a second before he keeled over in a fit of laughter. Keefe felt heat rush to his cheeks as Alvar finally calmed down enough to look him in the eyes, doubling over once again

 “So you finally got your shit together huh? Or wait let me guess he’s still hopelessly oblivious and it’s not funny anymore.” 

 “Take a wild guess.”

 “I mean I guess it runs in the family,” Alvar said and his smile looked almost sad. 

 “Anyways,” Alvar said, clearing his throat, “basically you want me to be your wingman.” 

 “... well, when you put it that way-”

 “What do I get in return?”

 “Nothing,” Keefe said, putting on his best angelic smile, “You’re gonna do it ‘cause you love me.” Alvar smiled ruffling Keefe’s hair, “That I do, that I do.” 

 The two walked back to the front of Ravagog in companionable silence that was occasionally interrupted by a joke or two. Once they made it back at the entrance they stood there for a second before Alvar reached out to pat Keefe’s shoulder. 

 “I’ll see y-”

 “I missed you” Keefe interrupted. Alvar blinked at Keefe, smile falling from his face, in that moment he looked so full of regret and sadness that Keefe couldn’t even begin to comprehend it. Alvar pulled Keefe into a strong hug squeezing him tightly right before he let go.

 “I missed you too kiddo.”

 Phase one out of three began a few days later. Keefe and Fitz were sitting outside by the lake to do their homework. They were sitting pretty close already but Keefe sighed and shifted his textbook leaning a little closer to Fitz. 

 Keefe watched from the corner of his eye as he purposely pressed his thigh into Fitz’s. Fitz’s eyes widened and his hand jerked subtly enough that Keefe wouldn’t have noticed if he wasn’t paying attention. Good thing he was.

 Fitz tried to subtly shift away but Keefe was having none of it. Fitz gave up on subtly and crossed his legs so it would be painfully obvious Keefe was pressing their legs together on purpose if he tried again. Keefe waited a few minutes then flipped over on to stomach so that their arms brushed every time Keefe went to write something down. 

 Fitz let out a frustrated sigh next to him and Keefe looked over to where he was attempting to plan an essay for Elvin history. He could work with this.

 “Need some help with that ‘Roy?” 

 “Please,” Fitz said, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice. Keefe hummed as he sat up leaning over Fitz’s shoulder to read over his work. 

 “Pen?” Fitz held out the pen. Keefe pretended to still be reading over Fitz’s work as he skimmed his fingertips along Fitz’s knuckles, who shivered at the light touch. Keefe then pressed his chest into Fitz’s back reveling in his sharp intake of breath. 

 Keefe continued to stay pressed firmly against Fitz who seemed intent on keeping his breathing regulated while Keefe corrected his work. Keefe finished slowly putting the pen down. You know what, fuck it Keefe thought.

 “You’d think with all the books you’d read you would better, I guess it’s for the aesthetic, I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t suit you though,” Keefe said, lips hovering close to Fitz’s ear who was completely frozen in place.

 Keefe laid back down on the ground facing upwards this time so he could look over at Fitz every so often, who was still distinctly flustered the rest of the afternoon.

 Stage two had to wait until the night before Alvar would come visit. It was a Friday so the boys had decided to play basequest, they pestered Biana and Della into joining them so they could actually have a full team. By the time Keefe and Fitz finally gave up, it was dark. Going to plan so far.

 The two boys trudged into Fitz’s room drenched in sweat. Fitz started rifling around in his dresser. It had been a few minutes when he let out a muffled curse.

 “I think I lost my crest, I’m gonna go look around outside,” Improvising is never a bad idea, right? Keefe hummed in acknowledgment waiting for Fitz’s footsteps to fade down the hallway before he began. 

 Keefe peeled off his sweaty shirt and dug around Fitz’s shirt drawer. Keefe hesitated before putting it on, eventually throwing it back and walking into Fitz’s bathroom to shower.  When Keefe came out of the bathroom Fitz wasn’t back yet.

 Keefe then went back to the dresser pulling on a pair of Fitz’s more casual pants and throwing on a shirt that he knew was a little oversized on Fitz so it should fit him fine. When Keefe looked at his reflection in the mirror he felt his cheeks flush at the sight of him. If he was blushing, then Fitzy should have a fun time with this. 

 Just as he turned back around Fitz came through the door holding his Vacker crest triumphantly in his hand. His gaze lingered on Keefe’s shirt then realization seemed to set in. Fitz blinked and Keefe knew he’d be blushing hard if he could. 

 “I- Uh- my shirt,” Fitz managed after staring at Keefe slack-jawed for a couple seconds

 “Very observant,” Keefe teased, taking a step closer then wrinkling his nose, “please shower you reek.”

 Fitz was able to make it into the bathroom without much trouble. That was a lie, Fitz tripped over his feet seven times (Keefe counted), he didn’t tear his eyes away from Keefe’s frame longer than five seconds and stared at him for a solid thirty before shutting the bathroom door behind him. 

 Keefe chuckled going over to the desk to get a piece of paper so he could sketch. Keefe let his hand flow, graphite shading in hollows and lines. When Keefe looked at the rough sketch of what he had so far he wasn’t surprised it seemed to be Fitz of some sort, after all, that’s what most of his drawings ended up being. When Fitz stepped back into the room he seemed to be a little more, well, put together. 

 “Sorry, I didn’t ask but I can stay over tonight, right?” Keefe asked when he heard the bathroom door slide into place. 

 “Yeah sure, whatcha doing?” Fitz questioned as he randomly picked a book from the shelf.

 “Sketching,”

 They both laid there in silence for a while, Fitz engrossed in a book he had probably read several times and Keefe detailing his drawing. Keefe sighed in relief when he managed to get it to look somewhat like he wanted it. He leaned on the back two legs of his chair tilting it backward. 

 “Please don’t fall,” Fitz said, putting his book down on the nightstand. Keefe huffed, but complied standing up and walking over to Fitz’s bed. 

 “Move over,” Keefe said.

 “Huh?”

 “Scooch, I’m tired and clingy,”

 “Clingy?” Fitz repeated, squeaking. 

 Keefe somehow managed to maintain his bored expression as he turned off the lights and got under the covers. Fitz was still tense beside him minutes later so Keefe decided he needed to do something about it.

 “Fi?” Keefe whispered gently, “c’ mere.” Fitz seemed to stiffen even more and this was the first time Keefe truly felt like maybe he had been wrong after all. It’s not like it would have been surprising, Keefe wasn’t much of a catch, just a childhood best friend really.

 Keefe’s breathing began to become rapid but was held off by Fitz’s warm hand on his forearm. When Keefe got himself back under control he took it as a sign that yes, you can touch me it’s fine. 

 Keefe scooted over to where Fitz was lying down and threw an arm over his torso burying his nose in Fitz’s neck. Fitz eventually melted into the touch fully relaxing and falling asleep to Keefe’s steady heartbeat and soft breathing. 

 Keefe woke up to Fitz whispering, well, that’s what Keefe assumed it was supposed to be but it was a little too loud to actually be considered whispering. He opened his eyes to see the blurry frame of Alvar glancing back over his shoulder as the door closed behind him. Fitz sighed heavily pushing his fingers through Keefe's hair.

 Keefe tried not to give away the fact that he was awake but Fitz eventually felt Keefe shift. Fitz’s hand paused for a second then pulled away like he was burned.

 “Morning, Fitzy,” Keefe said into Fitz’s chest.

 “I- uh morning,” Fitz muttered, shifting in embarrassment.

 Keefe refuses to let go of Fitz for several minutes despite Fitz’s, albeit weak protests. The two boys got out of bed a little awkwardly and shuffled over to the bathroom.

 Keefe’s cheeks burned as they stood side by side brushing their teeth. Fitz was leaning back against the wall with his eyes closed humming tunelessly. Keefe willed his cheeks to cool down before Fitz opened his eyes.

 Fate wasn’t on Keefe’s side cause Fitz opened his eyes then cocked his head to the side wordlessly asking for an explanation.

“It’s too damn domestic,” 

 Fitz dropped his toothbrush back into the holder, and like the asshole he was, leaned back against the sink and let his head lull onto Keefe’s shoulder. Keefe finished quickly nudging Fitz so they could go down to the kitchen.

 They entered to, well, quite a scene. Della was standing at the stove burning breakfast as Biana made coffee off to the side warily side-eying her mother. Alvar was seated on a barstool, chin propped up in his hand staring into a mug.

 “Oh, hey boys,” Alvar looked up smirking at them. Keefe subtlety shook his head which Alvar frowned at but motioned for them to sit down. 

 “Fitzroy, be a dear and help me?” Della said a slight edge of panic to her voice. Fitz didn’t even have a chance to sit down before shuffling over to help. 

 “What happened?” Alvar said, leaning closer to Keefe.

 “Nothing, and that’s the problem, he really is clueless,” 

 “If the closet idea doesn’t work I have a backup plan.” Keefe didn’t exactly like the look in Alvar’s eyes, but you do what you have to do.

 Fitz managed to salvage enough food to hold them over until lunch. Alden came in and everyone started eating. The silence wasn’t tense per se but it sure as hell wasn’t comfortable. Alden excused himself after not too long, leaving a wake of awkward silence. 

 “We’re still making mallowmelt right?” Biana piped up.

 “Oh right, Alvar, Fitz, Keefe can you grab the ingredients?” Della asked. 

 The pantry wasn’t exactly the ideal size for a locked in a closet situation, it was a little too roomy but Keefe could make do. Fitz turned towards the shelf looking for the flour. Keefe turned towards Alvar who mouthed five minutes. Keefe nodded, handing the bag of sugar to Alvar who grabbed the flour from Fitz.

 “I’ll bring this out to mom, find the flavoring,” Alvar told the boys as he walked out of the pantry. Keefe heard the lock click behind him but Fitz was too busy reaching for the vanilla to notice.

 “Fuck it,” Fitz muttered which was never a good sign. Keefe glanced Fitz’s way to see him shuffling over some containers so he could step on one of the lower shelves. dumbass

  Fitz tested his weight, he must have thought it was sufficient because he pushed himself up on it reaching for the vanilla. Shit, Keefe thought a moment too late as the shelf started creaking. 

 “Fitz,” Keefe said lowly.

 “Almost there…” 

 Fitz had no self-preservation apparently because he pushed his other foot off the floor putting all of his weight on a shelf as old as the house. The shelf, as expected, collapsed with a dull snap. Fitz released his hold on the bottle of vanilla as the ground rushed towards him. 

 To Keefe it all seemed to happen in slow motion as he stood there, useless. The bottle of vanilla shattered sending glass shards in all directions. Fitz meanwhile was attempting to soften his fall by catching himself with his hands.

 “FuuUck,” Fitz screamed as glass impaled his right palm. That seemed to spur Keefe into action because he rushed to Fitz's side, hesitating before resting his hand comfortingly on Fitz’s bicep.

“Why is it locked?” Della’s voice could be heard through the pantry door as she tried the handle. When Della swung the door open she and Biana were gazing worriedly down at the pair.

 “I told you guys,” Alvar said as he casually made his way to the door, “they’re fin-”

 “I am fine,” Fitz said through gritted teeth, hiding his palm so his mom wouldn’t see it. Della muttered something about cleaning the mess up. Keefe’s eyes shifted to Fitz’s hand and he saw blood surfacing around the glass.

 “I’m gonna go check to make sure Fitz doesn’t have any cuts,” Keefe announced, dragging Fitz through the door by his uninjured hand.

 “Ah, good idea,” Biana said, grabbing an old rag from the cabinet. 

 Keefe pulled Fitz into the small bathroom at the end of the hallway shutting the door gently behind them. Fitz eased himself up onto the countertop wincing even though he only used the fingertips of his right hand.

 Keefe wiggled his fingers, a nervous habit he has had since he was little and bent down to open the cabinet. He held Fitz calf as he propped open the cabinet door searching for antiseptic and a towel.

 Keefe stood back up cradling Fitz's injured hand who winced at any movement. Keefe drummed his fingers nervously against the cabinet as he inspected the wound. Honestly, it was a nasty cut but not too deep, though the glass was still wedged in Fitz’s skin so that was gonna be a pain to remove.

 “Fitzy,” Keefe said gently, reaching out for his hand once more, “we need to remove the glass okay?” 

 Fitz nodded in response, biting down on his lip when Keefe opened a drawer to get some tweezers. Keefe positioned the tweezers above the glass, attempting to gather up the nerve to pull it out. 

 It was a lot harder to care for someone else’s injuries than his own. It’s not like his parents hurt him, but they didn’t care for him either so he had to learn how to clean a scrape when he fell from a tree around 8 years ago, Keefe was well practiced at this point.

 Fitz’s hand involuntarily flinched as Keefe gently started to pull the glass out. The tweezers dug deeper into Fitz’s wound drawing a sharp intake of breath from him. Keefe gritted his teeth and finished the job, pulling the glass out and placing it down onto a paper towel. 

 “Sorry, are you okay?” Keefe asked, placing his hand gently on Fitz’s knee. 

 “You’re overreacting it was just some glass Keefe,” 

 Keefe ignored that last comment grabbing a cloth and silently working at cleaning Fitz's hand. Keefe knew from personal experience alcohol stung but Fitz sat there stoically as Keefe used the alcohol wetted tip of a cloth to clean his wound. 

 “Keefe,” Keefe looked up from where he was tracing the lines of Fitz’s palm lightly. They were nose to nose and wow Fitz’s eyes were so much prettier up close. Keefe searched Fitz’s eyes for something, anything to indicate what he was feeling.

 Fitz’s uninjured palm came up to cradle Keefe’s jaw before his thoughts could spiral too far. Fitz’s thumb ran against Keefe’s cheek and any coherent thought he had flew out the window. 

 “Can I kiss you?” Keefe managed. Fitz’s eyes widened in surprise but a shaky nod was enough confirmation. Keefe leaned in slowly, still unsure if this was happening. Their lips touched and Fitz was warm, so warm. The kiss was sweet and innocent but enough for them. 

 “Oh,” Fitz said a little breathlessly after Keefe pulled away. Keefe blinked at Fitz in shock then burst into a fit of laughter leaning his forehead against Fitz’s shoulder. Fitz’s arm wrapped around Keefe’s back comfortably remaining there even after his laughter dissolved. 

 Keefe finished wrapping up Fitz’s hand and tugged him down from his spot on the countertop. The two boys walked back into the kitchen which was, well chaos at best. Alvar was stirring a pot, nose crinkled, and brow furrowed as he attempted to change the temperature on the stove. 

 When Alvar met Keefe’s gaze he raised his eyebrows to which Keefe responded with a thumbs up.

@never-ever-too-many-fandoms @loverofallthingssmart @comas-are-for-sleeping @you-are-the-vacker-legacy @clearlykeefitz @theofficialkai517

[the-keeper-crew]

Mia’s Sophiana fic

Whoever answers Mia’s new asks, please add the newest installment to this post, I can’t always do it. -Misty

story is under the cut because it got super long -dmitri

Knock knock. Sophie answered her bedroom door, to see Biana standing there. “Uhh hi Biana.” Sophie said awkwardly. “Come on in.”Biana sat down and smiled at her, making Sophie hug her tightly. “I just came to check in on you, with all the hectic stuff happening.”“I’m fine. Thanks for coming though.” Sophie said, “I don’t mean that rudely, sorry I’m really bad at speaking.” Sophie said. “I’ll stop now.”Biana laughed,“Will you go out with me?” Sophie asked, before she could stop herself. 

“Wait… you want to go out with me?” Biana looked at Sophie, her perfect face blushing a little. Sophie nodded, the butterflies in her stomach doing loop the loops. “Yeah.” Sophie said, a little shakily.“R-really?” Biana asked, looking up at Sophie. Her teal eyes seemed nervous, but happy at the same time. “Weren’t you like… dating Fitz?”

“We kind of broke up.” Sophie said looking at her feet. “It wasn’t a bad thing.” She added quickly. “We just didn’t like each other like that.”Biana didn’t respond, awkwardly twisting her hair.“It’s fine fine if you don’t like me like that, I don’t really care phht why would I? I mean-” Sophie said quickly, as red as a tomato.“I like you too.” Biana cut her off.“Wait… really?” Sophie asked, looking up at annoyingly perfect Biana.“Y-yeah.” 

After Biana had left, Sophie screamed into her pillow. She had just asked Biana fricking Vacker out. Now was officially time to panic. After the pillow screaming fest, she immediately hailed Dex. “Judging from the amount of happiness you are radiating, you asked Biana out?”“Yeeeessss!” Sophie nearly squealed.

“What happened?” Dex asked. “Give me all the details.”“Was I this pushy when you asked fitz out?” Now it was Dex’s turn to blush.“I specifically remember you telling me that if I hadn’t just gotten a boyfriend, you would strangle me for the details.” Dex said laughing“That’s different.” Sophie said, grinning “I still can’t believe you asked Biana out. How did you manage to do it without hiding under your blankets for the rest of your life?”

Sophie waited outside Aldens door, when she stopped in her tracks. “Dad, I don’t want to register for Match lists!” Biana said angrily.“Biana Amberly Vacker. I am simply asking for you to register.”“I don’t want to!” Biana said.“There isn’t one boy that you hope is on your list?” Alden asked.“No.”“No boys, not even one? What about Keefe or Dex?” Alden said“Ugghhhh dad!” Biana groaned.“Don’t you want to see what boys are on your list?”“What if I don’t want to date a boy?“ the room went silent.

“Biana...” Alden said warningly. “Seriously. What if I want to date a girl?” Biana asked defiantly. “I know you’re a rebellious teenager...” “no seriously.” Biana said. “Well then I guess you’d have to reconsider your place in this family.” Alden said quietly. “Alden...” Della said quietly. “Get out of here. Both of you.” Alden said and Sophie scrambled away.

Sophie sat on her bed, worrying. She knew the elves might not be as accepting, but the way Alden had talked to Biana earlier made her stomach twist. She stood up and paced the room. Why was this so hard? Couldn’t people just love who they wanted to love? She sighed. Knock knock. “Come in!” Sophie called. Edaline stepped inside, and looked at Sophie. “Are you ok? You’ve been acting upset.”

“Oh I’m fine.” Sophie lied.“You sure?” Edaline said, sitting next to Sophie.“I really am.” Sophie said, trying to convince herself.Edaline wrapped her arms around Sophie, and Sophie breathed in her scent of lilac. “You can tell me anything, you know that?” Edaline asked softly.“I know…” Sophie said. Could she really though. “ I love you mom.”“I love you too sweetheart.”

Sophie watched Edaline leave, her head swirling. Would Edaline and Grady even care? They’d always been so supportive of Sophie, would this change anything, but aldens angry words came back to haunt her. “Well then I guess you’d have to reconsider your place in this family.” She hugged her blanket around her. Why was this so hard? She closed her eyes trying to think about good things. Like how she was dating the most beautiful girl in the world, and that beautiful girl was strong and... zzzzz

The sun rose over the fields of havenfield, slipping under Sophie’s curtains. She woke up, and flopped back onto her pillows. It’s too early to be up… suddenly someone knocked on her door. “Sophie?” Biana called. Sophie nearly jumped out of bed and straightened the wrinkled tunic she had slept in. “Yes?” She asked, trying to force down the butterflies in her stomach. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah sure.” Sophie smiled at her, trying to forget that her hair looked like Verdi had licked it. Biana sat on her bed, smiling at her. “Did I wake you up?” Biana asked, concerned. “It’s fine, I should have been up anyway. What are you doing up so early?” Sophie asked. “I wanted to get out of the house. Dinner last night was awkward to say the least.” “I’m sorry…” Sophie said. “It’s fine. Dad’ll come around.” Sophie nodded, but still was worried. 

“You ok? How did fitz react?” Sophie asked. “Oh, he brought me some mallowmelt, and told me that what I did was brave.” “And you didn’t save any mallowmelt for me?” Sophie asked, pretending to be indignant. Biana laughed. “You really think I would do something as vile as to not bring my beautiful girlfriend mallowmelt?” Biana laughed.

Later that day, Alden hailed Sophie to talk with her in his office. Biana told her to go, she’d stay right here and would most definitely not look through her old photo albums. “What did you want to talk about?” Sophie asked. “Nothing important. Amy haile to tell you happy birthday.” It took Sophie a minute to process that. “Oh!Yeah. Thanks.” Sophie says. “Was that all?”Alden shook his head. “Have you seen Biana? She’s going through a bit of a rebellious phase.” Sophie wanted to punch Alden. “No“

Alden narrowed his eyes but didn’t prod any further. “Well, if you do see her then tell her to come home.” “I will” Sophie said, lying through gritted teeth. She light leaped back to everglen, running into Edaline. “Oh!” Edaline smiled at her. “Biana just left, said something about going to Atlantis? She seemed flustered.” Edaline said. “Oh, it was probably nothing.” Sophie said.

“Oh, guess what? It’s my human birthday!” Sophie said trying to change the subject. “I know elves don’t really do birthdays but…” edaline smiled. “Do you want to have a dinner with a special friend or two? Just something small? I’ll ask the gnomes to make something special?” “That would be awesome!” Sophie hugged Edaline, breathing in the scent of lilacs, which is rare especially in a place where there’s more animal poop a day than animals. 

Sophie looked over her friends. “It’s my birthday guys, so I swear to all the gods if I even hear the word gulon at the dinner table, I will promise you will never want to cross me again.” “Jeez who you tryin to impress foster?” Keefe asked. “Probably her new girlfriend Biana.” Dex said. Sophie glared at him as Keefe dramatically opened his eyes wide. 

Keefe automatically broke into a grin. “You must tell me everything.” Sophie rolled her eyes. “Not now!” Keefe laughed. “Ok, note to self, remind Sophie to spill the tea about her dating the next Vacker sibling.” Tam snickers a little at that. They walk into the dining room, all still teasing each other. “Sorry I’m late.” Biana rushes in, and Keefe raises his eyebrows. Biana sits down next to Sophie, out of breath. “What’d I miss?” Keefe smirks. “Oh nothing”

They shared a dinner of traditional human food, vegetarian of course, which Sophie didn’t know how Edaline got her hands on. Grady even showed them a cool human card trick, which Keefe then had to try. Biana kept shooting her these adorable looks that made Sophie want to melt inside. Edaline raised her eyebrows at Sophie, but she just blushed and kept talking with her friends.

After Sophie tried to teach her friends how to sing happy birthday, and it just ended up horribly out of tune, she and her friends retreated up to her room to hang out. She sat on the bed, while the rest of them sat on bean bags on the floor. They had been one short, so Keefe “took one for the team” by sitting next to Tam on his beanbag. Link of course found this hilarious, and Tam just looked vaguely disgruntled but pleased with himself.

Slowly, her friends started to head home until it was just the Vacker siblings. “Hey fitz...” Biana said, standing up. “Could you head home and tell dad I’m having a sleepover with Sophie tonight?” “Biana, he’s not gonna like that…” fitz started to say. “It’s fine.” Fitz obliged, and soon the two girls were alone. “I’m sorry, but your dad can be a real jerk face sometimes.” Biana laughed. “Definitely. Oh!” She pulled out a hastily wrapped package. “Happy Birthday Sophie.”

Sophie took the gift, blushing a little. It was wrapped in a silvery paper with purple swirls, tied up with a lopsided bow. She opened the present carefully, trying not to rip the packaging. Biana looked a little nervous, but Sophie gasped when she saw the gift. It was a beautiful snowglobe of foxfire, with little mini people, so small you could barely see them milling around the campus. “It’s awesome Biana! I love it!” Biana blushed a little, making sophie blush more.

Sophie put it on her shelf carefully, and sat back down, stealing glances at Biana. The Vacker girl looked a little lost in thought, staring out the window. “Do you want to go for a walk?” Sophie asked “Verdi should be asleep so we don’t have to worry about a green feathered chaperone.” Biana giggled. “Sure.” They snuck outside, the light from the windows of the house half illuminating their features.

The moonlight made everything shine with a sort of silvery glow, making it feel almost dream-like. They started strolling side-by-side, along the fences of the enclosures. The animals were mostly quiet, which was good. Sophie wasn’t exactly sure how it happened, but after a few minutes, they were holding hands. They didn’t talk, but just enjoyed each other’s company, content with the silence. 

It could have been 2 minutes, it could have been an hour, Sophie didn’t know, she liked Biana’s company too much. They made their way up to the Panakes tree, and sat there, watching the moonlight filtering through the delicate flowers. “Sophie?” Biana asked, softly. “Yes?” Sophie whispered. “Can I kiss you?” Sophie’s breath stopped for a moment. 

Sophie didn’t bother responding, she just kissed Biana. In the back of her mind, she wondered how much Keefe would tease her, but that wasn’t important now. “So. That happened.” Sophie finally said. “It did.” Biana said, her cheeks flushed. They grinned at each other like idiots, unaware of the blue eyes watching from the window.

Sophie went to bed floating on a cloud that night, Biana sleeping on a pile of bean bags. She had a wonderful dream, about dancing and balls, and Biana in the most gorgeous dress. She woke up the next morning, adrenaline still there, making her feel giddy. She snuck past a sleeping Biana, and downstairs. Grady and Edaline were talking quietly over tea. “Good morning guys!” She said, and they abruptly stopped.

“Morning Sophie.” Grady said, nodding at her. “How are-“ he was cut off by a knock at the door. Edaline got up to answer. It was Alden, who looked like he hadn’t slept. “Is my daughter here? Fitz said she was sleeping over, I’d like to pick her up.” Edaline nodded. “It’s really fine, we don’t mind having her over.” Alden shook his head. “Morning Sophie, where’s Biana?”

“Umm… she’s still sleeping.” “Go wake her up for me, will you?” Sophie nodded and ran upstairs. She shook Biana awake. “It’s your dad.” Biana groaned and stood up. Sophie knew she shouldn’t think about how absolutely adorable Biana looked with bed head, but really, who was going to stop her. They headed downstairs to Alden sipping a cup of tea. “Morning Biana.” 

Biana awkwardly waved at him. “Well, we better be going now.” Alden said starting to turn. “Would Biana be able to stay for breakfast? I’m having the gnomes make something special.” Edaline said. “No, I don’t need her infringing on your family any more.” And with that, the two Vackers were gone.

Sophie sat down with Edaline and Grady. An awkward silence settled over them as they ate delicious breakfast pastries. Sophie finished hers first, and sat back. “I had fun last night. Thanks guys.” Edaline looked like she wanted to say something, but held it back. “I’m glad you had fun.”

Sophie headed up to her room, telling her parents she was gonna get ready for foxfire tommorow. She opened the door to iggy poking his head up from a pile of blankets. “Hey iggy.” She said, picking him up. “You’re adorable, aren’t you?” He didn’t respond, simply farting in her face.

“Life is easy for you, isn’t it? You don’t have a girlfriend who’s dad is just… and live in a world where there’s no chance you can ever be normal?” Iggy grinned at her and curled up in her hair. Sophie sighed. “And now I’m talking to an imp. Great.”

After an hour of moping, or as Sophie liked to call it, hiding under your blankets and looking through your photographic memory, Edaline knocked on the door. “Come in” Sophie called, sitting up. “Ok, so with foxfire starting tomorrow, I wondered if you wanted to go shopping in Atlantis?”

“Sure.” Sophie said, standing up. “You should get dressed and ready.” Sophie nodded. Edaline left gracefully, and Sophie quickly changed into a grey tunic and whatever else she needed. She headed downstairs. “Ready.”She said “Ok, do you want to bring your girlfriend?”

Sophie nearly choked. “I- what?” Edaline finished putting on her cloak. “Biana? Do you want to bring her?” Sophie blinked. “What? How? Huh?” How could Edaline know? They weren’t that obvious were they? What did she think? Why was this so hard?

“How do you know?” Sophie finally managed to spit out. Edaline sat down next to her. “You weren’t super subtle last night at dinner, and then I accidentally saw you by the Panakes. Sophie blushed, looking down. “Are you ok?” Edaline asked. “Yeah… I’m fine.” Sophie hugged her knees, not meeting Edalines warm gaze. “Hey… I’m here if you need me.” Edaline said, hugging Sophie.

The first day of foxfire came quicker than Sophie would have liked. But there she was, adjusting that stupid half cape in the mirror. She hadn’t seen Biana since that morning, but told herself it was because of school prep. She waved goodbye to Edaline and Grady, and headed to the Leap master. 

When she arrived at foxfire, she immediately looked around for Biana. She didn’t even realize Dex walk up beside her. “Hey Soph. You excited for classes?” Dex asked. She didn’t respond for a sec. “oh it’s you. yeah.” Dex faked indignation. “Oh, It’s you? That’s what your best friend gets? I’m offended.” Sophie snickered. “Sorry Dex…”

They walked together to her locker when she finally saw Biana. She was looking at Fitz, as if they were having a serious conversation. It took all of Sophie’s willpower to not go and interrupt. “Earth to Sophie!” Dex said. “Are you even listening? The gang is getting together after school to have epic snowball fights at my house.” Sophie laughed again. “Do you ever get sick of snow?” She asked. “Nope!” 

“Sophie?” Sophie nearly jumped out of her skin as she heard Biana behind her. “Oh, hi! I didn’t see you there.” Biana smiled at her. “Sorry for being so distant-“ she started. “It’s fine it really is, I’m sorry I interrupted you. I’m sorry.” Sophie said, stumbling over her words. Biana giggled. “You don’t have to apologize. It’s fine.” Sophie grinned.

“So how are you lovebirds doing?” Keefe walked up, grinning. “We are not lovebirds,” Sophie said. Biana raised her perfect little eyebrows. “I beg to differ” Dex jumped in. “Ok, then how are things going with Fitz Dex, and Keefe, what’s up with Tam?” Biana said. Both boys blushed, and Sophie laughed. “What classes do y’all have first?”

Their conversation was cut off by Magnate Leto’s voice coming from the large screen thing. “Happy first day of school my prodigies! I hope you are all doing well, and are excited for a new year of learning!” Keefe snickered. “And Keefe sencen I would like to ask you how you found it appropriate to stick a muskog in my desk drawer and since it technically happened before school started you will not get detention, but I do recommend staying out of your locker” “It wasn’t even me” Keefe said.

“My first class is… elementalism.” Sophie made a face. Biana looked at her. “I have Alchemy… I’ll see y’all at lunch!” Biana walked away, her floofy brown hair bouncing. Sophie was pretty sure her heart just melted. She walked to class, nearly floating.

Lunch time couldn’t have come fast enough. Sophie tried not to run down the hall, but she was going to see Biana at lunch and honestly that seemed like a good excuse to run. She sat at a table, Fitz and Linh were already there, talking about something. “What are you talking about?” Sophie asked. 

Fitz looked at her. “Not much, mostly just first day of school stuff.” He said. Sophie raised her eyebrows. “You seriously havent heard?” Fitz asked. Linh nodded. “I thought they told teachers to give the announcement.” Sophie shrugged. “Well my elementalism professor is a bit swiss cheesed brain, so what is it?” “Well…”

Suddenly Keefe burst up behind the table. “There’s a dance guys!” Sophie blinked. “Huh?” Fitz laughed as the rest of their friends sat down. “It’s called the first annual welcome ball!” Linh explained. “Both parents and students will show up!” “When is it?” Sophie asked. “This Friday!” Sophie blinked. That was not a lot of time. 

Biana showed up late to the lunch table, so Keefe excitedly explained to her the dance. Though Sophie suspected he just saw it as a way to annoy his father. Biana looked excited, and grinned at Sophie making her heart skip a beat. Why does she have to be so cute?

After lunch, Sophie managed to catch Biana in the hall. “Ummm soo I hope your dad wasn’t too bad…” Sophie said. “No, I just got a talk about the Vacker legacy, even though I’m only part of it when he wants me to be.” Biana said grumpily. “I’m sorry…” Biana rolled her eyes. “The one thing that made it better was Mom mouthing the words to it in the background, Im fairly sure she has it memorized by now.” Both of the girls laughed a little at that.

Sophie grinned. “So… the dance…” Biana said, tucking a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear. “The dance…” Sophie repeated. “Are you going?” Biana asked. “I think so?” Sophie said. “Is that a question?” Biana teased. “I mean yeah, probably.” Biana grinned. “You know what this means?” “What?” Sophie asked. “We get to go outfit shopping.” Biana said excitedly.

The first week of school was officially over, and Sophie was exhausted. She flopped on the couch of Rimeshire, surrounded by her friends. They had all agreed to stop invading Dex’s house, but he had made a surround sound 4K movie watching set up for his mom, and no one else had anything as good. They all settled in, and bickered about the movie. Dex wanted The Hunger games, Sophie Harry Potter.

On Saturday morning, Sophie woke up to iggy asking for attention. After giving him a few papers to rip up, she headed downstairs for breakfast. The dance was tomorrow, and today was when Biana would drag her dress shopping. Sophie ate a muffin, excited for the day. Generally she didn’t like clothes shopping that much, but if Biana was going to be there that made it better.

Atlantis was buzzing with activity, Sophie recognized at least four families from school, and tried her best to avoid their gaze. The twisting spires of Atlantis glinted in the light provided by the balefire. Voices echoed across the empty streets as the crowds bustled along. Sophie felt a little overwhelmed by it all, and stood close to Edaline.

Suddenly someone tapped Sophie’s shoulder, and she nearly jumped out of Atlantis. “Oh. It’s you Biana.” She sighed with relief. Biana was standing there, perfect as ever, with Della standing there. “Hi Della.” Della smiled at her. “Hi Sophie.” The two moms started walking behind the girls, talking about whatever Elf Moms™ talk about. Biana and Sophie walked side by side, watching each other out of the corner of their eye.

The four elves headed into The Atlantis Boutique, and Sophie thought Biana was in heaven. Her stunning teal eyes widened, as they looked at all the dresses. Before Sophie could process the ginormous size this shop was, Biana grabbed her arm, and dragged her down aisles of long dresses. Edaline laughed as she watched the two of them disappear behind the rows of sparkling dresses. Della ducked out of the shop, saying she was meeting a friend, and Edaline stood at the front watching the two girls.

Biana worked with a scary efficiency, picking up dresses, holding them up to her and Sophie, and putting them back or carrying them with her. Sophie followed in awe as Biana quickly broke down each dress based on what fabrics it was made of, additional materials, effectiveness to strangle someone with, and ability to kick someone. Sophie swore that if Biana weaponized her knowledge, they’d all be dead.

Finally they had narrowed the outfits down to two outfits. A red suit thing or a shining red dress for Sophie, and a long silvery dress for Biana or a purple dress with silver sparkles making it shimmer in the light of balefire. Sophie went into the changing room, and tried on the two outfits. They both looked stunning according to Biana, which was a whole other level of stress to choose the right one.

Finally, Sophie decided on the suit, and the lady running the store put it in a box. Biana also chose a dress but wouldn’t show Sophie which one. Della re-entered the shop, a little out of breath. “Do you girls want to go to a bakery in Mysterium?” Della asked. “Sure.” Biana said, and Sophie nodded. 10 minutes later, the four of them found themselves on the cobbled streets of Mysterium.

The four of them sat at a table, and a server brought them a plate of assorted elvin pastries, including rippleruffs, mallowmelt, and a whole assortment of things that were delicious and could most likely start wars. “Mmmm this is good.” Sophie said, chewing a butterblast. Biana nodded in agreement, and the two of them helped finish the pastries. Sophie stretched. “That was really good.” Edaline smiled. “I’m glad you liked it.”

The night of the dance came too quickly. Edaline told her everything would be perfect, and rumor had it the council themselves would be attending. That didn’t stop Sophie from worrying though. She’d never really been to a dance, what would she act like? She straightened her suit for the 43rd time, fidgeting with the buttons. She exhaled, and walked with Grady and Edaline to the Leap master.

Foxfire was decorated beautifully, though a lot of the decorations were fungi, and honestly Sophie was really annoyed at this point. Mold was not good decor. They headed into the gymnasium, which was beautifully decorated, and this time there was no fungus. Hip hip hooray! Sophie looked around, wandering through groups of students and parents.

“Sophie!” Biana called from the corner of the room. Sophie excitedly walked over to her friends. “Hi guys!” She smiled at her friends. “You look awesome!” Sophie said to Biana. Biana twirled in her purple and teal dress. “You do too” Sophie awkwardly straightened her suit. She caught Keefe shooting her a look and she glared at him. Their little group of eight laughed and poked at each other while more people filed into the gym.

“Sophie!” Biana called from the corner of the room. Sophie excitedly walked over to her friends. “Hi guys!” She smiled at her friends. “You look awesome!” Sophie said to Biana. Biana twirled in her purple and teal dress. “You do too” Sophie awkwardly straightened her suit. She caught Keefe shooting her a look and she glared at him. Their little group of eight laughed and poked at each other while more people filed into the gym.

The dance floor went silent as the 12 councilors appeared. They appeared regal as always, all wearing different colors, that shimmered in the lighting of the gym. After the initial shock of their arrival, things went back to normal, now with the councilors mingling with the students and parents. Sophie was pretty sure one kid peed himself when bronte started talking to them.  Slowly, their little group dissolved. Dex and Fitz went off into the crowd, and the. Keefe nearly dragged tam to the staff cafeteria “while it was unguarded” That left the four girls. Marella said something about checking in on her mom, and Linh vaguely followed her. Sophie looked awkwardly at Biana. “Umm…” Biana grinned. “I have something I want to show you.” Biana dragged Sophie out of the gym and down the hall way.

Biana opened a side door, and they walked through the grass. They could still hear the faint sound of music and chatter from the gym, and light flowed from the windows, half illuminating the world. Biana led her to a small clearing, filled with long weeping willow trees, and little flowers that glowed in the moonlight. “This place is beautiful.”

“Shall we dance?” Biana reached out her hand, and Sophie blushed, thankful for the darkness. Sophie took a deep breath, and took Bianas hand. The two girls started dancing, to the melody of the forest, the crickets song, and the moonlight symphony. Sophie couldn’t remember a time she’d been happier

The two girls danced, almost in their own little world. Time was irrelevant. They danced around the little clearing, twirling to their own tune. Finally, they slowed to a stop. Sophie had completely given up any hope of hiding her blush. Then, there under the moon, the two girls shared a kiss together, all worries forgotten.

Suddenly a boom echoed through the campus. The two girls stumbled back, shocked. Their eyes met, full of fear. They ran toward the campus, Sophie wondering if bianas extensive knowledge of how to fight in a dress would have to be used. They emerged from the forest, to see the gymnasium erupting in flames. It looked like most of the people were out of the gym, but Sophie could see black cloaked figures, even from the distance.

Magnate Leto ran up to them, followed by their friends. “You kids need to get out of here.” “But-“ Sophie protests. “Now.” Magnate Leto gives her a hard glare. Suddenly Linh pipes up. “Where’s marella?” Marella wasn’t with them. “I see her!” Tam says, pointing to their braided friend. She’s stuck in a crowd, surrounded by people. (i dont think this is the neverseen being antigay, just generic evil stuff. Decisionssss)

Before Tam could stop her, Linh was dashing through the crowd, shooting water at the flames. “Marella!” Linh calls, and marella looks up. “Linh?” Marella blasts another wave of fire at a neverseen member. Suddenly a wall of fire surrounds the crowd, and Tam’s breath catches.

Sophie feels herself start falling, even though she’s on solid ground. Linh… marella… they can’t be gone! She can’t lose more friends. She feels Biana wrap her arms around her, as she starts shaking. Nononono! Suddenly a figure starts emerging from the blaze.

Marella is there, seemingly unharmed except for singed hair. In her arms, is an unconscious figure, Linh. Tam immediately rushes to Linh’s side. “Ahem.” Magnate Leto says, “you all need to go. Take this.” He hands them a leaping crystal and dissapears into the crowd. Sophie holds the crystal to the light, and they step into the beam.

They stumble onto someone’s front lawn. Physic, or Livvy stepped out the front door and ushered them inside. They set Linh on the couch, and sat around a dining table. “What just happened?” Sophie asked. “How did no one know the neverseen were there?” Tam shrugged. “It happened out of the blue. Everything was fine, and the there was fintan trying to burn down the gym.”

Sophie knew that they shouldn’t be able to say things like that so casually, but they had been through so much, the unhinged pyrokinetic really had to try to surprise them. Livvy walked into the dining room, wiping her forehead. “Your sister is in a stable condition.” She tells tam, and sits down. “How much do you guys know?”

“Nothing.” Sophie said. “What in the world is going on?” She asked. Livvy sighed and shook her head. “The neverseen came for you a few days ago, Grady found shreds of a black cloak in the pastures. Verdi got to the member before they got anywhere, but we were on high alert.” Sophie narrowed her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me this?” Livvy sighed. “We wanted your life to be as normal as possible.”

“Well what happens now?” Sophie asked, a little annoyed. She wasn’t a kid anymore, she wanted to know what was happening in her life. “You’re going to pretend to be humans.” Livvy says matter of factly. The table burst into chaos. Sophie’s eyes widened, and the rest of them shouted various protests. Livvy quieted them. “For a while. You’re going to be visiting me, Aunt Olivias house. That’s what you’re telling everyone anyway.“ 

“What?” Sophie asked. “The eight of us don’t look remotely related.” Livvy sighed. “I told the fork man that, he said to figure it out.” Sophie giggled. “We’ll just go by a don’t ask don’t tell thing. Are we like actually going places and stuff?” Livvy nodded. “You will be normal teenagers, even going to school and doing homework.” The whole table groaned.

Three days later, and after almost dying because of Livvy’s driving, the eight of them headed into the front office to register for school. They all looked normal in tshirts and jeans, except for linhs arm in a cast. They got registered, and headed to their lockers. Sophie had to show them how to open them without licking them, and they headed to their individual homerooms, ready for the day.

By lunch rumor had spread of the mysterious eight new students who refused to talk to anyone outside of the eight. They all sat at a table in the corner of the cafeteria, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. Linh hated not being able to talk to the humans, but tam told her it was for their safety. They sat down, to talk about the first day.

Before they could settle in, a group of people came over. “Hi, we noticed you lot are new here, do you want to come sit with us?” Sophie looked at Biana and the rest of them, and they shrugged. The eight of them headed over to a larger table. “My name’s beau,” the first person said. “Mine is felony.” The person with lime green hair said, grinning. They all sat down awkwardly. “What’s y’all’s names?” Felony asked grinning. “I’m Sophia, this is Bianca, Dexter, Marin, Aylin, Tommy, Keegan, and Fred

Her friends hated the names Livvy insisted on calling them while humans, but played along. “Cool.” Another person at the table said. “This is Lia, Jojo, Lynn, and the rest.” “Oh wow I’m glad we mean so much to you that you’ll tell the newbies our name. I’m tater, call me tater.” Sophie blinked. “Great.” These humans were nice? Of course there were nice humans, but she had never felt welcomed by people outside her family

“So tommy…” Keefe said, scooting closer to Tam. “How did you like your first classes.” “Shut up Keegan” tam said glaring at Keefe. Sophie laughed. “Sorry about my friends.” Beau smiled. “Where’d y’all come from?” Sophie shrugged “San Francisco, we’re visiting a friend of all our families, we’re close.” “Yep” Biana agreed. Sophie though it sounded suspicious at best, but Lia and Lynn were nodding. “Cool.”

“I feel like I know you guy...” felony said, narrowing their eyes “How could you know us?” Sophie said. “We’ve been on the west coast forever!” Sophie was panicking a little. Felony shrugged. “I have some family out there, might have seen you around. “Oh, ok…” Sophie sighed in relief. Sophie took a bite of the veggie roll Livvy had packed. She had made their lunches because vegetarian.

Brrrrriiinng! The cafeteria got noisy as people clamored to leave. “See y’all tommorow?” Beau called as they joined the crowd. Sophie nodded. She turned to her friends. “That wasn’t so bad.” “It really wasn’t.” Marella said in agreement. They all headed to classes, a little more confident.

The group got home, exhausted. They all flopped in the living room, sighing. “You kids tired?” Livvy asked “you had to give me the name Fred?” Fitz asked, sitting up. “It sounds so weird!” “It sounds normal.” Livvy corrected. Tam grumbled something about the name tommy, and Keefe laughed at him. “School was good. We even made a few friends.” Livvy smiled. “Friends are good. Now to celebrate the first day of school, do y’all want to get takeout?”

After a dinner of delicious pizza, which her friends devoured, Livvy came in. “I have a surprise for you guys!” Tam looked at her. “Is this surprise better than you making my name Tommy to the humans.” Linh giggled. “Yes, it is.” Livvy said. “I got everyone phones.” Everyone blinked, confused except for Sophie. 

“What is a phone?” Keefe asked. “Don’t ask me Keegan.” Tam said grumpily. Dex took it. “Oh gosh! It’s like an imparter, but like…” he trailed off, and started pushing buttons. Marella took hers as well, but immediately got confused. Sophie wanted to die laughing, this was hilarious. Keefe took to poking his phone cautiously, watch what happens, and repeat. Linh simply stared at it like telepathically telling it what to do.

A few weeks passed, and things seem to grow normal. The only reminder of the lost cities was when they hailed their parents/friends to check in each Friday. Repairs were made to foxfire, and the eight stayed underground. Finally, one Wednesday, at lunch with the kids from school, they had grown closer over the weeks, and Sophie realized felony was right. It did feel like they knew each other. Finally, Lia tapped on her shoulder one day in class.

“Hey Sophia, it’s my birthday party this weekend, I was wondering if y’all wanted to come.” Sophie shrugged. “I’ll ask the others, but can’t think of a reason to not go.” Lia smiled. Sophie was right, the others did in fact want to go. The day before the party was a mess of gift shopping, and Biana insisting they have perfect outfits. Livvy was also worried, they all were, the threat of the neverseen was still there, and they didn’t want their human friends in the crossfire.

Ding dong! They eight of them waited by the front door, the sun setting. “Hi guys!“Felony opened the door, and ushered them inside. They dropped their gifts off, and headed downstairs where chaos was already beginning.

Lynn and some others were aggressively… could you aggressively talk? Well, they were talking about some vacation to Amsterdam that Sophie was unsure whether it happened or not. Keefe automatically went to join them, and Sophie went off to find someone to talk to. She’d never really been to a human birthday party other than her sisters and her own. What was she supposed to do?

Suddenly Beau ran down the stairs. “Guys! Me and Tater got the fire pit going for s’mores! Come on!” Lynn looked incredulous, like she was saying “you trusted them with fire?” But Lia just shrugged and they all ran upstairs. 

They all settled around the fire pit, Biana and sophie shared a chair next to the fire, with a blanket pulled over them. Biana snuggled up next to her, which the others didn’t seem to kind as they violently stabbed marshmallows, and then set them on fire. Keefe, to no ones surprise found this process quite amusing.

Well… Keefe found it amusing until he decided to try and feed tam the marshmallow sandwich. Long story short, it ended with a marshmallow covered Tam and a hysterically laughing Keefe. Biana giggled and made her s’more, which was somehow perfectly cooked. The humans didn’t even seem that bothered, getting up to their own marshmallow related shenanigans.

The scene slowly devolved until it was a full on marshmallow war. Marella was secretly making her marshmallows meltier to throw at people, and Keefe was pelting everyone with half melted marshmallows. Fitz was trying to stop this of course, saying things like “guys, we don’t want to waste the marshmallows,” that was until Dex smushed and open s’more in his face, it just got more chaotic from there.

Finally, it winded down and people started floating to the back porch where there were traditional party games like pin the tail on the donkey. The elves found it hilarious, and Sophie giggled as Linh tried to stop felony from hitting the donkey. Biana looked up at her. “This is nice isn’t it?” She asked, the fire reflecting in her teal eyes. “It really is.” (No it’s fine, it’s your suggestions and feedback is why this is steadily growing, and not just ending.)

“Kiss kiss kiss kiss.” Sophie turned around to see Beau badly hiding behind a bush. She blushed and Beau laughed. Biana giggled. “We have to please the people, right?” Sophie blushed even harder as Biana kissed her. Beau laughed harder. “I knew it. JOJO! YOU OWE ME 15 DOLLARS!” Beau yelled. “Oh and lovebirds, cakes out.” Biana stood up and followed Beau. “You coming?

“Yeah one sec.” Sophie said, sitting up and stretching. Biana walked towards the porch, and Sophie looked into the bushes. She could have sworn she saw something moving. She looked over her shoulder. Everyone was too busy talking to notice her. She walked towards the bushes and looked down. There was a small scrap of parchment… she picked it up, expecting a black swan note. She opened it, and her heart stopped. It was the neverseen eye, staring up at her.

Sophie hasn’t slept since Lia’s party. She had rushed home as soon as the party finished, and told Livvy, who told forkle. Shockingly, he didn’t demand they relocate, they instead had some members on standby to defend the house, and they couldn’t go anywhere alone. Sophie stared out the window. The moon was rising and she knew she should be in bed, but the human world had coffee, so it was fine, right?

She scribbled in her notebook, running over that night in her head. Had anything been out of the ordinary? Her head hurt, and she groaned. She really should sleep… but if she slept she’d have nightmares and honestly no sleep was better. She paced her room, filtering through her thoughts. She froze as someone knocked on her door

She opened the door to see Biana holding two mugs of hot chocolate. “Fitz made these for you. Said he got the recipe from Beau, so it has to be good.” Sophie took a mug and sat down at her desk, Biana sitting on her bed. “How did they did they find us Bi?” Sophie asked, for the 345th time this week. “I don’t know Soph, but obsessing over it won’t help. When’s the last time you slept?” Sophie thought. “I think… a few days ago for an hour or two?” She sipped her cocoa.

Biana shook her head. “You need to sleep Sophie.” Sophie looked at her floor. “I’m fine Bi” Biana raised her eyebrows. “You’re not. Even the humans are noticing somethings up. If you won’t sleep for you, will you sleep to help protect us? Will you sleep for me?” Sophie hugged her knees. Biana wrapped her arms around Sophie, hugging her. “Please sleep…” 

Sophie woke up the next morning, to Biana still there, arms wrapped around her. Biana looked peaceful when she slept. Everything was peaceful. That was until she heard Keefe’s muffled screaming downstairs. She shot up and ran down the stairs. “What is it?! Neverseen? The council? Gluons?” Keefe laughed. “No, it’s snowing!” Sophie peered out the window. 

Biana was still asleep when Sophie walked in. “Biana?” She asked. “I don’t want bananas. They taste yucky.” Biana said, still half asleep. Sophie giggled and shook her shoulder gently. “Wake up, it’s snowing outside.” Biana sat up, still bleary eyed. “Really?” Sophie nodded.

Bianas eyes lit up. “I have a plan then.” She said, grinning evilly. Sophie laughed. “Should I be worried?” Biana smirked. “No, but fitz should be, I still haven’t been able to get revenge on him for dumping that flour on me back at…” she trailed off. The air was thick. Both of them knew they couldn’t be normal. “Hey…” Sophie said as Biana looked down. “What was your plan?”

Biana shook her head evilly. “You’ll see.” The morning went by quickly, when fitz got a call from Beau. “Hey guys, there’s gonna be a snow war at the park, you wanna join?” A shared glance from their friends, and they were in.

It took longer than expected to get ready for the snow, none of the elf’s were good at Velcro, and Sophie was too busy laughing to help them. Finally, they piled in Livvys car, and they headed to the park. Luckily, it wasn’t full on war yet. Felony and Lia waved at them, inviting them to sit at the snowy picnic tables.

Tam muttered something about being cold, but sat down with the rest of them. Felony started talking about how epic the war was going to be. Then, a wave a cold snow hits Sophie. She turns around to see Beau and Tater laughing, her and a couple others now covered in snow. “Oh it’s on!

[cadence-talle]

write livvy and della

hey, grace. how’re you doing?

Snapshots

Pairing: Della Vacker/Livvy Rothsdell

Wordcount: 2,875 

Other notes: Hopping on the Dellivvy train with this oddly-paced mess. It jumps around a bit, so be sure to read the headings before each scene! (I also have a timeline if you need it.)

Thirteen years after, thirty-one years before.

Della is married on a hot summer day, under a pearly arch. Her dress is spun lace, her flowers are delicate and white, and her fiance looks perfectly handsome. Della is so happy she could burst. 

Even the sudden outburst at the entrance to the garden, Dame Alina shouting about how she deserves Alden, can’t shake Della. She feels like she’s floating, like she could lift mountains right now without breaking a sweat. 

Alden takes her hands in his as the ceremony comes to a close, smiling at her. Over his shoulder, Della can’t help herself from glancing back at the audience, at the empty seat practically shouting at her. In the sea of tearfully smiling faces, it sticks out like a beacon. Something twists in her gut.

Della tears her attention away and focuses back on her new husband. This is what you want, she reminds herself. This is what you’ve always wanted. 

She pushes down the strange emotion building in her chest and pastes a smile on her face just in time to say, 

“I do.”

-/-

Six years after, thirty-eight years before. 

“Are you going to the Commencement Ball?” Della asks. It’s the biggest Foxfire event every year- a dance, for all those students moving up to the elite levels. She’s been excited for it for months. 

Livvy snorts from where she’s sprawled across Della’s bed, doing homework. “Can’t, remember? I’m not going into the Towers.”

“Oh, right.” Della flushes- she can’t believe she forgot. Livvy’s trying to hide it, but she’s upset she couldn’t go on to the Elite Levels, annoyed at herself for being Talentless. “Well, do you want to?”

“Does it matter?” Livvy asks. “I won’t be allowed to go either way.”

“You could come as my plus-one,” Della says before she can think. Livvy’s head snaps up, and she stares at Della. 

“For real? I thought you’d bring your boyfriend.” 

Della shrugs. “I think I’m going to break up with Caton, actually. And you’re more important anyway.”

“But-” Livvy sits up, waving a hand in the air. “Won’t people talk?”

“People will talk no matter what I do,” Della says. “Besides, it’s not even that incriminating. We’re just going as friends.”

“Friends,” Livvy echoes. “Right.” She offers a small smile. “All right. That sounds kinda fun, actually. I’ll go.”

Della grins. “Great.”

Two weeks later, they walk into Foxfire side by side. 

-/-

Ten years after, thirty-four years before. 

“Whoa.” 

Livvy glances around the large room, the tiny lights hanging on the walls reflecting in her eyes. She grins at Della, tiny name tag (Livvy Rothsdell, Guest) hanging off her dress. “This place looks awesome.” 

Della laughs, shrugging one shoulder up. “The gnomes did a great job. I’m still a little nervous, though.”

Livvy grabs her hand. “You’ll do fine. It’s just talking to people, right? You’ve been good at that your whole life.”

“I guess. I just- I wish I could do this later.”

“Uh, I’m pretty sure your parents are going to blow a fuse if you push this off again. They’re already worried to death about your ‘prospects.’”

Della gives a tiny smile. Livvy holds up their entwined hands. “And I’m here, okay? I’ll be here the whole time.”

“Thank you,” Della whispers, and the doors swing open. 

Della makes her rounds of the room, greeting people and making small talk. Livvy’s always there, hovering on the edges of the conversation, ready to pull Della out if she starts panicking. It’s actually not as bad as Della was expecting- she knows almost everyone there.

 She’s met almost everyone in the room when a man comes up (Alden Falaichte, #256, the nametag supplies), and sweeps into a low bow, kissing her hand. 

“Nice to meet you,” Della says. Alden gives her a charming smile. 

“The pleasure is all mine,” he responds. 

Looking back on it, that’s where everything went wrong. 

-/-

Fourteen years after, thirty years before. 

She’s surprised at how quickly Alvar arrives. They’ve been married barely six months before she gets pregnant, only a year when their son is born. Holding him is like looking into the sun- bright, warm, but somehow foreboding. 

Later, Della will know that it’s because that was the moment she knew she couldn’t get out. 

She keeps her soft smile and leans into Alden as the painter drags his brush across the canvas, memorializing this great feat. The three of them are a family now; a real one. One that will be looked up to, the newest branch of the great Vacker family. 

“It’s beautiful,” she says, looking at the finished painting on the wall later. The painter’s managed to capture all the details- the perfect color of Alden’s eyes, the tiny curls in Alvar’s hair, Della’s quirk at the corner of her mouth. It’s a picture-perfect family, an enclosed biosphere that will be put on a pedestal. Della’s been standing on that pedestal her entire life.

She asked Alden once, before they were married, if he was all right with all the attention. 

“It’s a lot,” she said, twisting a lock of hair around her finger. “People are looking at you, talking about you, all the time. It can be exhausting sometimes. I understand if you don’t want-”

“Della.” Alden tilted her chin up slightly, smiling. “This is all I’ve ever wanted.”

Della smiled. “Okay.”

“Okay,” she whispers, tracing the edges of the painting.

Somewhere, off in another room, Alvar starts to cry. 

-/-

Forty-one years after, three years before.

Della paces nervously back and forth across the carpeted floor of Fitz’s room, glancing back at the bed in which her son lies. He’s still unconscious, the venom slowly spiderwebbing its way across his chest. She shivers. 

The door flies open, and a tall woman in a gem-studded mask runs in. Della freezes. 

“Liv?” she whispers. It’s been years, but she’d recognize her old best friend anywhere. Even with a mask on. Livvy meets her eyes. 

“Hey,” she says sheepishly. “Heard you were here.”

“What are you doing here?” Della asks. “Since when are you a member of the Black Swan?”

Livvy shrugs, a gesture so familiar Della knows it like the back of her own hand. “I have been for a while, actually. Almost sixteen years.”

“Why didn’t I know?”

“We weren’t really talking when I joined.”

And that’s when it hits Della. She didn’t know Livvy had joined the Black Swan because she didn’t know Livvy anymore back then, still doesn’t know her anymore. She’s struck with a sense of longing, of missing what they used to have. 

But it wasn’t you, she thinks. It was Livvy. She broke things off, not you. “How’s Quinlin?” she asks as Livvy opens a bag and starts pulling out elixirs. 

“Oh, we filed a match fail,” Livvy says offhandedly. “Things didn’t work out.”

“I’m- sorry?” Della responds awkwardly. Livvy shrugs.

“Eh, you know. I only really married him because of you and Alden, you know? We didn’t really have much in common at the end of the day. I couldn’t talk to him, not like I can talk to you.” She pauses, tapping a fingernail against a glass bottle. “Could talk to you.”

Della flinches. “I think I’m going to wait outside,” she says, moving towards the exit. “Tell me if you need anything.”

“Goodbye,” Livvy murmurs, almost too low to hear. “I never got to say that.”

Della closes the door. 

-/-

Three years after, forty-one years before.

“And I swear, if one more person asks me how we became friends, I’m going to steal their kneecaps.”

Della laughs, adjusting her bag on her shoulder as they walk through the streets of Atlantis. They’re trying to find a gift for Livvy’s mom- it’s not going very well, though, since the only things Livvy can remember she likes are “music” and “those weird jam pastries” and neither of those things is very helpful. She peeks into another shop window as Livvy keeps talking. 

“Everyone’s just like, ‘oh, but you’re Talentless, how could someone like you be friends with a Vacker,’ and I’m like, ‘wow, I wasn’t aware that abilities dictated who you could be friends with.’” She groans. “Honestly. This would all be easier if I could just manifest already.”

“Hey,” Della says, grabbing her hand. “I don’t care that you’re Talentless, okay? You’re my best friend.”

“Well, duh,” Livvy says. “It would just stop the gossip mill.”

Della shrugs. She’s been around the gossip mill her whole life- if it’s not one thing, it’s another. Then she spots a tiny box in the storefront of a shop across the street. “Wait, what’s that?”

That, as it turns out, is a music player, a tiny instrument that plays the newest Song songs. Livvy takes one look at it and brings it up to the purchase counter. 

“My mom’s going to love it,” she says as they leave the store. “Thank you so much.”

“I just saw it in the window,” Della laughs. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Still.” Livvy leans over and gives Della a quick kiss on the cheek. A warmth and the scent of lilacs surround Della, gone as quickly as they’d come. “Thank you,” she says, stepping back. 

Della blinks, trying to quell the odd rising feeling in her chest. “You’re welcome,” she manages. “Um. Do you want to get butterblasts?”

Livvy’s face lights up, and Della reminds herself that this is normal. Friendship is normal. Livvy probably gives all her friends cheek kisses. 

“Yes,” Livvy says, hooking her arm through Della’s. “Let’s go.”

-/-

Seven years after, thirty-seven years before. 

Dear Livvy, 

I miss you. Everyone here is nice, sure, but they don’t have your humor or your looks. I have this constant feeling that everyone wants to be my friend because of my family, not because of me. You were never like that. 

Why were you never like that?

Anyways, my studies are going well. The Elite Levels are… harder, than normal Foxfire, but it’s fine. Not like I have much else to do. 

They were playing a song today in Advanced History, the one with all the birds; do you remember it used to be your favorite? You’d play it on loop, talking about how it “embodied nature” or whatever, until I had to tackle you to shut you up. 

Do you know how many times I almost kissed you last summer? How many times we were sitting so close it would have been easy to just lean forward? Because I do, and it’s a lot. 

How are you? How’s work? I heard you’re training to be a physician- that’s so cool! I hope that when I come home you can show me the stuff you’ve learned. 

I should go. Have a ton of work. 

I love miss you,

Della 

-/-

Thirty-one years after, thirteen years before.

Della and Alden don’t fight often. Della’s not one for fighting, honestly; if someone cares enough about a subject to actually come to blows about it, she usually assumes they’re right. Livvy always said that was a stupid mindset, but Della disagrees- in high society, it’s easier to just agree and move on than to argue. 

On this, however, she refuses to back down. 

“No,” she says, striding closer to Fitz and taking the six-year-old in her lap. “You are not sending our son to the Forbidden Cities.”

Alden sighs. “Honestly, Della, I’ve told you, it’s barely even illegal. And this is important-” 

“I don’t give a flying fizzleberry how important it is! He’s six years old, Alden! You can’t throw a six-year-old a melder and tell him to be careful. He’s going to get hurt.”

“I’m big!” Fitz objects. “I could do it.” He looks up at Della, eyes wide. “What am I doing again?”

Della glares at her husband. “See? He’s a little kid. He’s not going to be roped into your insane missions.”

“This is important-”

“Nothing is more important than our son!”

“Some things are.”

Della steps back, mouth hanging open as Alden scoops Fitz into his arms. He glances back up at her. “I’m trying to save the world, Della. You’ll understand when we find her.”

He heads towards the exit, and Della drops into a chair. Softly, she mutters, 

“I hope you never find that girl if this is what she’s being brought into.”

-/-

Forty-two years after, two years before.

Della marches into Alden’s office and slaps a pile of papers down on the desk. He looks up, raising an eyebrow.

“What’s this?”

“I’m filing a match fail.” Della says bluntly. “You just need to sign right there and I’ll ship it off.”

“And what happens if I don’t sign?” Alden asks. Della places another sheet of paper on the desk. 

“Then I bring the issue of domestic and child abuse to the Council, as well as telling them how long you were illegally going to the Fobidden Cities.” She smiles at him. “Your choice.”

Alden stares at her. “After everything I’ve done-” 

“Nope,” Della says. “You don’t get to do this right now. You don’t have the right. Just sign and get out of my house.”

“Your house?”

“It’s belonged to the Vacker family for generations,” Della informs him. “And you are no longer a Vacker.”

“Della-” Alden starts, but Della’s turning towards the door. 

“With all due respect,” she says, “I’ve had to put up with your bullshit for twenty-nine years. I’m done.”

And she exits the room. 

“Why did you want to meet me here?” Livvy asks an hour later. She’s sitting across from Della at a small coffee shop in Atlantis. This is, Della reflects, the first time they’ve seen each other- really seen each other- since she got married. 

“I filed a match fail against Alden,” she responds. “He’s leaving.”

Livvy’s eyebrows shoot up. “That’s- big.”

Della shrugs. “It’s been a long time coming. I wanted to tell you.”

“Oh. I- okay.” Livvy’s quiet for a moment, absentmindedly ripping flakes off of a pastry. “Why?” she finally asks. 

Wordlessly, Della hands her a folded piece of paper. She’s been doing that a lot lately- writing down her thoughts so she doesn’t have to articulate them out loud. It’s helpful, sometimes. 

The paper she’s handed Livvy has only three words on it:

I love you. 

Livvy looks at her. “What-”

“I think,” Della admits, “I’ve been in love with you for a very long time. Since school, even. I was confused, back then. Scared, of what my family would say.” She exhales slowly. “I’m tired of being scared.” 

She glances up and Livvy. “So- if you’d be okay with it, I’d like to try something.”

Livvy blinks and nods, and Della kisses her. 

This is nothing like kissing Alden. This is warmth and security and the smell of lilacs, so much like that cheek kiss in Atlantis all those years ago. This is home- Livvy is home- and Della loves it. 

-/-

Then, forty-four years before.

“Oh!”

Della runs straight into someone, knocking herself to the ground. A girl, clad in the same black uniform as Della, is standing over her, dark jewel-scattered braids hanging around her face. She smiles at Della. 

“Hey, sorry about that,” she says, offering a hand and pulling Della to her feet. “I’m Livvy, by the way.”

“Della Vacker,” Della responds. “And I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

Livvy laughs, flashing Della a bright smile. “Let’s just agree it was both our faults. Where are you headed?” 

“Elvin history,” Della says confidently. She’s had her schedule memorized since the day it arrived with the rest of her supplies. “You?”

“Uh,” Livvy bites her lip, rummaging through her pockets. “I’m not sure? It might be elementalism. Ooh, or ability detecting!” She shrugs. “I’ll figure it out. See you at lunch?”

Della blinks. “I- sure. That sounds good.”

Livvy flashes her a thumbs-up and takes off, calling behind her. 

“Great! Nice to meet you, Della Vacker!”

And Della, standing in the middle of the Level One hallway, has a sudden feeling that her life is about to change for the better. 

-/-

Forty-four years after, now. 

Della is married for the second time on a cool October afternoon, surrounded by her friends and family. Fitz is best man, Biana is maid of honor, and the rest of their friends are in the wedding party in one capacity or another. Keefe and Dex specifically requested to be flower boys. 

There are no interruptions this time, no shouting at the garden gates, no anger that they’re getting married. It’s just Livvy and Della, now Livvy-and-Della, and a lot of love. 

“I first fell for you when you fell for me, that first day in Foxfire,” Livvy laughs. “I looked at you and I thought, that’s her. That’s the girl I want to spend the rest of my life with.” She looks at Della. “That’s the girl I am spending the rest of my life with.”

Della takes her hands, twining their fingers together. “I love you,” she says simply. “I love you, and I’m never going to stop saying it.”

The priest drones on, the ceremony comes to a close, and Della says “I do,” for the second time in her life. 

This time, she really means it.