Together?- A SOPHITZ fanfiction (UPDATES ON HOLD)

Pity party

She'd done it again. Her fight or flight had taken over and Sophie bolted, unable to face Fitz, after everything she had done to him. He looked so foreign, with his weak, twisted expression and jittery mannerisms. He was a different person thanks to wherever the darkness of his mind had pulled him, burying him in memories he just wanted to forget.

When Sophie made it home, she headed straight upstairs to her room and breathed in the familiarity of the place. Iggy squeaked happily when she arrived, having missed her, and she walked over to him, giving him a hello and a scratch on the back of his ears. She did not catch the indents in her flowered carpet when a voice spoke up. "Why hello, there, Foster."

"Jeez, relax, it's just me," said Keefe, as Sophie took a defensive stance, ready to drop her inflicting on the intruder at any moment. She relaxed visibly when she saw him leaning against her door frame, a smirk on his face, his hair perfectly tousled. "Keefe," she breathed, before barreling into him with a hug.

He hugged her back without a moment of hesitation and chuckled when she didn't let go. "What's got you in a tense knot?" he asked. Sophie let go and her face became somber. "Uh oh," Keefe started. "Something happened, right? Who is it this time? Biana? Grady. Dex?" Sophie shook her head. He must not have known. "It's, uh... Fitz," she whispered.

To her surprise, Keefe nodded and looked to the side. "Yeah, he's a mess. The Vackers called me over to try to help with his emotions. Wasn't able to do much..." he said. Sophie sat down on the edge of her bed. "I saw him for the first time today, since his accident, and, er... It's just... It's all my fault," she said quietly. Keefe's head shot up and he crossed the room before glaring at her.

"No," he said firmly. "We are not doing this. Nuh-uh. You are not wallowing in self-pity and placing the blame on yourself when you're for nothing. Fitz's mind was a mess, his emotions were worse. Everybody expected him to crack. It's not your fault, ok?" he said fervently. "Yes, but I avoided him, I could've been there, should've done something..."

"Could'a, should'a, would'a, this pity party is not going to help you. It's not your job to constantly take care of Fitz. He's strong, he'll make it through this, and team Fitzphie will go back to their happy fairytale faster than you can say my name like my boss does when I screw something up," Keefe said. Sophie shrugged halfheartedly at his attempt at a joke.

Keefe's tone made her spirits sink lower than the Mariana trench. His optimism masked a note of defeat when he mentioned their "fairytale", further reminding Sophie of what little time she had left. "What's wrong, Foster?" Keefe finally asked after a few seconds of awkward silence. "School's done. You were named a regent. Fitz will be fine. You just saw your parents again. You should be happy," he reasoned.

It wasn't that simple. She couldn't tell him that in 3 weeks' time she would be sitting on a throne in a faraway castle with more power than she had ever wanted. She couldn't tell him she was scared senseless that all of her friends, her family, everyone she knew would turn against her. So she shrugged and said, "I'm just tired, I guess."

Keefe tucked her into bed, not asking where Grady and Edaline were, her unconditional friend as always. He was about to leave, sensing Sophie's breathing getting heavier when he trudged back and gently pushed a strand of her hair out of her face. "It hurts, but I'm glad you picked him," he said gently. Then, he soundlessly left as Sophie sunk into sleep.

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I'm bad, bad, bad. No updates in 2 weeks! And a short one!

School has been soooo busy, since holiday is right around the corner. Speaking of which, I doubt I'll be able to update before Christmas- I'll try, but no promises!

Happy late Hanukah and happy early Christmas! I'll update again before the new year.

Stay safe!!

Love, OrbitAstra 💫