The Insider ~ A Fitzphie FanFic KOTLC

Chapter 9

Thanks for sticking with me. No matter how much of a pain I may be. I know you're all wondering, so here's that answer to Fitz's remark from the last chapter. This honestly feels like the Polar Express. When that guy on the roof is like "WAKE UP, Kid!" and that kid (I've just now learned that his name is literally Hero Boy) is drowning himself in snow to wake up. Also!: JOSH HUTCHERSON PLAYS HERO BOY. How did I not know this? I'm never escaping that man. I've just found out he's in Epic. One of my all time favorite animated movies. There is no escape. Save yourself while you still can. Also: Thomas Day released an album, and 1: I think he sounds just like Fitz would, and 2: I think most of those songs sound like Fitz singing about how he misses Sophie. Go check it out now. I dare you. I double dog dare you. Enjoy this long 3434 word chapter, you've earned it.

"Wake up?" Sophie was very confused.

"It didn't work." Something left Fitz's eyes as he spoke. Sophie wasn't sure what it was but she knew it had to be bad.

Fitz dropped his head back into his hands and began to cry. Sophie had never seen Fitz like this before. Usually, his anger was accompanied by feelings of sorrow but there was no anger here.

"Hey, wait. Stop crying and look at me." Sophie said as she tilted Fitz's chin up and out of his hands. He looked at her and more tears trailed down his face.

"You have to tell me what's wrong, Fitz. I want to help you, but I can't if you won't tell me what's up."

"But I can't tell you. I wasn't even supposed to say anything." 

Sophie stood up and offered Fitz her hand. When he took it, she wrapped him in a hug as he sobbed into her hair. 

"I don't know what I'm going to do." he said through a quiet voice as Sophie stroked his hair.

"Well, I don't know what you're going to do either." Sophie said, still not sure what he was talking about.

"I've tried everything, and I've gotten closer each time. I thought this would do it. I thought I had it the last time."

"What?" Sophie asked, pulling away from him so she could get a good look at him. His eyes were red and filled with tears, more tears stained his face with small trails going all the way to his chin. 

"You need to wake up." Fitz closed the difference between the two of them and kissed her. That feeling hit her again. The one where everything was whisked away. Sophie knew what would happen next. She would wake up on the floor in a heap of blankets. 

The feeling slowly went away with the feeling of Fitz's lips on hers. It was slower than the last time, she noticed. She opened her eyes not to see her bedroom from her floor, but instead, she saw a pair of teal eyes looking into hers. 

"Sophie?" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sophie couldn't respond because the owner of those teal eyes was strangling her in a hug so tight she could barely breathe. She patted him on the back to let him know to let go. 

Fitz didn't let go until he had whispered three words.

"I missed you."

"You missed me?" Sophie asked as she took in her surroundings. She was in the Healing Center. There were a bunch of people in the Healing Center too. Tiergan was sitting in a chair on her right. Alden was behind him with Grady and Edaline next to him, who both looked ready to burst into tears and had dark circle under their eyes. Keefe was pressed up against the wall across from her bed with Dex flanking his right. Elwin was standing by her bed on her left right behind a chair. Fitz was sitting in that chair looking at her like he hadn't seen her in years. His hair was messy as if he just woke up, and his navy tunic was a rumply mess. Maybe it had been years.