Fostering Love

Chapter 7: Christmas

A/N:
This is not a filler chapter. I am not pausing the story to write this. I just felt the need to do something special for Christmas, soo... Happy holidays?

     "It's fine," Fitz insisted for what must've been the thousandth time. "I'm not going to get mad over little things like that, okay? Keefe is a friend. I get it."

     Sophie smiled. "Thanks." Still, she knew she should've been more careful or considerate or— Fitz stepped forward, and hugged her tightly. It wasn't as if he'd never hugged her before, but this hug felt . . . different. Chills ran up Sophie's spine when he released her.

     "Hey, is everything alright?" Biana peeked into the hall. Fitz gave her a thumbs up. She breathed it a sigh of relief and smiled. "So, what now?"

     After arriving in the observatory, which had become the official Rimeshire sleepover spot, Sophie picked up her purple backpack, the same one she'd use to flee the Forbidden Cities, then the Lost Cities. Rifling through it, she pulled out an elvin board game labeled “Fortresses and Follies”. Beneath it she spotted something colored red and green.

     A piece of wrapping paper decorated with tiny Christmas trees and snowflakes sat in Sophie's palm, peeled from the bottom of her backpack.

     Dex leaned over. "Is that really what humans think snow looks like?" He gestured over to the large, telescope-like contraption at the far end of the room. "I made that recently. Check it out."

     Sophie did as instructed, peering through the lense. An ultra-magnified bit of snow landed on the glass window, and Sophie was able to see every detail. It looked almost fuzzy, like those tiny spiky mineral formations.

     She was suddenly hit by a wave of nostalgia. Baking holiday-themed cookies with Amy, decorating their tree with her mom, bounding out of bed on Christmas morning to open presents. Although she hated the loud din of the minds of Christmas shoppers and the itchy sweaters she was sometimes forced to wear, she cherished the memories with her family of celebrating.

     "You okay Sophie?" Keefe was the first to ask, but the others followed almost immediately with concerned expressions and comments.

     "Yeah, I just miss spending Christmas with my family." Then, of course, she had to explain Christmas and its traditions.

     "Sounds weird, but fun." Dex flashed a dimpled grin.

     "Yeah. I have an idea," Keefe added.

     And that's how they ended up with a fake pine tree, a bagful of decorations, and a collection of very last-minute presents after a spontaneous trip to the Forbidden Cities.

     Their attempt to recreate a human Christmas turned into a full-blown party by the time Juline came with a tray of mallowmelt, custard bursts, and other elvin sweets.

     "Perfect!" Keefe leapt up and practically snatched the tray from Dex's mom. The rest of them rushed over for first pick, but Sophie was closest. She was about to lift a ripplefluff to her lips when Biana made a strangled noise behind her. Sophie followed Keefe's gaze above their heads.

     Taunting them from overhead was a small bundle of mistletoe.

     Sophie was stuck somewhere between paling and blushing, but paling won. "Who put that there?"

     "I did," a crisp, accented voice said coldly.

     Ro whistled.

A/N:
Sorry it was slightly late! And I'll be speeding up the plot soon, so sorry for it being slow so far.