Book Two: KOTLC One-shots and More

Crush Cuffs

As the weeks passed, Sophie finished filling out her packet and turned it in to the matchmakers.

In only one year, she'd be able to pick up her first list.

For some reason, a year felt incredibly close yet terribly far away all at the same time.

It was all starting to feel so real. Like things were moving way too fast.

And yet...a year of growing closer to Fitz without knowing, for sure, if they would even see each other's names on their lists...

If they didn't...what then?

The thought made her queasy with heartache.

And if they did?

The thought—and Fitz's assurances that it would be so—was comforting.

But also, strangely unsettling, for some reason she could never quite put her finger on.

When they were together, Fitz was sweet and encouraging and it all felt so easy. Alden and Della were both thrilled with their relationship. They had always—literally from her very first day in the Lost Cities—treated her and loved her like a daughter. They had even wanted to adopt her. So knowing that she was dating their son, that they were hopefuls, just meant that she might actually become their daughter after all.

Sophie couldn't imagine being so lucky as to be able to claim the Ruewens and the Vackers as her family.

She also couldn't reconcile thinking about marriage this young.

When she confided that in Fitz, he'd laughed. "We're not talking about getting married, not yet," he assured her. "This is just how it's done in the Lost Cities. Being matched just means the Council and society will approve of it if and when we do." Then he'd leaned in and kissed her, whispering assurances that they didn't even have to talk about marriage and weddings at this stage. That they could just enjoy dating.

But she knew that he fully intended to find her name on his list and then, at some point after she graduated from Foxfire, marry her.

Which was really, really sweet, and she often marveled at how she had assumed for so long that her crush was hopeless only to discover that he shared her feelings. And she thought she might be ready to consider marriage by the time she completed her Elite levels.

But it also caused her no end of undetermined anxiety.

When Keefe had fled the Lost Cities, Fitz had been a comfort, assuring her that Keefe was capable of looking after himself, and that Fitz would be right by her side as they fought to stop Gisela and bring Keefe home.

But she found that Keefe being gone was almost unbearable. She missed the way he completely changed the dynamic of their friend group, keeping everyone laughing. He always managed to calm her even when life was spiraling.

And things felt like they were spiraling. She'd accidentally discovered that Oralie was her mother, and it made it really hard to have Oralie as her point of contact as the leader of Team Valiant. Not to mention no one seemed to believe her about the importance of discovering Elysian, and she couldn't stop worrying about Keefe, and he was completely ignoring her when she reached out telepathically.

Fitz had caught her tugging out some itchy eyelashes, and had stopped her before wrapping his arms around her, placing soft kisses on her cheek and her forehead before capturing her lips with his own. "We'll figure it out, Sophie," he murmured after he pulled away, arms still around her. "And trust me, no one wants Keefe home as much as I do. Dex is cool and all, and I'm glad he finally stopped hating me, but Keefe is my best friend for a reason. I miss him too."