A Cognate Thing-a sophitz story

thirty three

Sophie looked away embarrassed and confused.

“What would make you think I would be on a date with someone else?” Fitz asked a hint of worry could be heard in his voice.

“During my meeting after passing my midterms Magnete Leto said you were unavailable because you had dinner planned in Atlantis. Biana hadn't said anything about a family dinner all week and so I just thought you had plans with someone else.”

“Is that what your thought was about me changing my mind was during the sleepover last weekend?” Fitz asked tenativly.

Sophie nodded again.

Fitz grabbed Sophie's hand intertwining their fingers “I promise you there is no one else I want to spend time with, I like you a lot Sophie. You are the only one, ok?” The way his gorgeous teal eyes looked at her it was as if she could see the sincerity pouring out of them.

“Ok.” Sophie answered nodding her head, her eyes still locked with Fitz’s.

Sophie relaxed a little bit and started to giggle at the thought of Lord Cassius on a date with Lady Belva and running into Keefe. Fitz was happy to see her comfortable again but was intrigued by what she had said. “Why did they want me to come to your midterm scores meeting?” He asked, his eyebrows coming together pensively.

“Well I am doing really well with my extra tutoring help and Magnete Leto wants me to start ability training again. It is going to be 1 session a week and it will include a variety of mentors to kind of guest teach me. He wanted to see if you were interested in coming to the Telepathy lessons again, you would have to miss some of your regular sessions depending on when it falls.”

“You told him yes for me, didn't you?”

“I told him I would but I didn't want to cause any problems for your schedule and said that you would have to consider what classes you would be missing.”

“I don't care if I have to miss all of them, I would love to be able to see you at school again and train with you, even if it is only every so often.”

“Really?” Sophie asked her heart fluttering again with the thought of seeing Fitz during the school week.

“Absolutely, I would be crazy to pass up any opportunity to spend more time with you.”

The pair continued to eat and talk about training together again. Conversation varied from school stuff to more about Keefe and the dinner the previous night and they both felt comfortable just being with one another. The sun was dropping lower in the sky and the colors were changing from pink and orange to purple and deep blue. The stars were beginning to come out and the air was getting a little crisper. Fitz moved closer to Sophie and grabbed a blanket to wrap around them.

“I know you have all the star maps memorized, but I was hoping we could just lay here and pick out constellations together.” Fitz said the tone in his voice changing from his usual confident powerful voice to a softer more hopeful and longing for something voice.

“That sounds nice.” Sophie replied meekly. The past 6 weeks she had wanted to be closer to Fitz, she loved looping into his subconscious on the weekend and being near him in her mind but the comfort of being near him physically was a relief to her senses. The knot of emotions she had under her ribs melted away.

They quickly pulled some of the pillows that were scattered on the rug around them over and piled them up behind them creating the perfect nest to lay down to look up. It was new to be around Fitz this way but Sophie felt totally comfortable as Fitz wrapped an arm around her and pulled her head into his shoulder his arm comfortably resting on her arm.

“When I was 8 my parents took me out to the desert once to look at the stars, there was too much light in the city to see them and I had a science project for school. I tried to tell them I didn't need to actually see the stars and I could just look it up on the internet but they insisted. On the way out I remember seeing the first star of the night and my dad told me to make a wish, he had a funny poem that went with it. Later that night he pointed out the big dipper and insisted it was full of all the wishes children made and that every night it would be so full that some would spill out and those wishes would come true.”

“What did you wish for?” Fitz asked as he played with her hair.

Sophie paused for a minute, they had shared a lot of secrets and she trusted Fitz more than anyone but it was still hard to talk about her life before.

“That I would find someone like me that could hear thoughts and find a place where I would be normal.” Sophie said quietly, barely loud enough to hear.

“Well I don't know much about normal, you’ve always been the most amazing person I’ve known but I hope you realize you found the place you belong.”

“I do.” Sophie said.

They spent hours pointing out constellations and watching the stars move across the sky. It was getting late but neither wanted the night to end. Just being there and the comfort of snuggling into one another was the perfect moment. Fitz’s leaned his face down and breathed in Sophie's hair before lightly pressing his lips to the top of her head and pulling her in a little closer.

“Sophie, I should probably be getting you home, I don't want Edaline to worry and I don't want to get on Grady's bad side.”

Knowing that Fitz was right Sophie replied, “Yes I know, this has been incredible can we just stay a few more minutes?”

They stayed there a few more minutes before Fitz reminded Sophie that she still had her midterm gift waiting for her at home. She had forgotten he had gotten her something and now curiosity was getting to her. After extracting themselves from the pillows and blankets Fitz set the pathfinder to return them to Havenfield.

In an instant they were pulled into a beam of light and were standing outside the front steps, the house was dark and Sophie was sure Grady and Edaline had long since gone to bed. It was just the two of them standing close enough she could feel the warmth of Fitz's breath on her face, their fingers still intertwining from leaping. They paused for a minute, glancing at the door and each other not sure what was going to happen next.

“Sophie, can I” Fitz said shyly and paused. She looked up at his eyes and the intensity felt like it was pulling at his heart.

Oh man he was in trouble.