kiss iv.

disclaimer: i do not own kotlc.

○

pairings&characters: sophie, fitz, sophitz

genre: fluff, hurt, comfort, romance, au

rated: t for strong language

summary: sophie mysteriously goes missing for 6 months.
fitz is determined to find her.

a/n: sophie and fitz are still elves, but it's only canon compliant up to nightfall (because i wrote this directly after nightfall was released, in november of 2017)

of course, that's just me and it even seems weird for myself to try and imagine that, so if u wanna just think of it as if all of the stuff in the series did happen, go right ahead.

oh! and i imagine fitz being 20, and sophie being 18.

○

Fitz had always loved and been fascinated with the stars. They gave off gentle, reassuring light and were always there - a symbol of peace and serenity. They always returned, no matter how many times they left. Now Sophie? Sophie left.

But she didn't come back.

He kept telling himself that maybe tonight was the night that she'd show up at his door, moonlight glistening on her hair and shoulders as she waited outside the gate at Everglen for him. Even though he had since moved out of Everglen, he still imagined himself there in all of his dreams.

Dreams.

Each night it was the same one over and over: Sophie showing up out of the blue and hugging him, holding her arms around him tight and burying her face into his chest as she began explaining what happened. Why she left with no reason or warning, blindsiding everyone who cared about her and her well-being.

Of course, with every dream her explanation for her disappearance changed, since Fitz didn't actually know the real reason she had left.

After months of sitting around and expecting Sophie to just show up at his doorstep, he'd given in and had decided to look for her on his own. The Council themselves had been trying and the more Fitz looked into it, the more he noticed they had been losing hope and had gotten very slothful in their search for her.

But he was determined to find out what happened to her and to find out where she was.

After weeks of sleepless nights and caffeine as his only companion/motivator, he'd scrounged and scowered over every human police record he had thought possible, (with the help of Dex retrieving them, of course). He'd guessed that Sophie wasn't in the Lost Cities, because someone would have noticed her by then. She was much too easy to spot with her golden hair and chocolate eyes.

After grueling hours and days and weeks of endlessly trying to find some trace of her, he'd finally pin-pointed a promising lead.

The girl in their stolen records had showed up in the bustling large human town right around the time when Sophie had gone missing, getting a cheap apartment and getting employed at a small shop nearby. She was even around Sophie's height and age, too.

Dex had called up camera feed for him from where the girl lived and worked, such as the traffic or parking lot cams, and Fitz had found that dressed in dark, baggy clothes as if to avoid attention. Her head was always cast low as if she knew someone was looking for her.

As if she didn't want to be found.

There was a plethora of other supporting facts and arguments for the case, so Fitz decided to make his move and find out what was really going on. If it wasn't Sophie, he'd just ramble off some lame excuse on the spot and say he thought she was someone else. Then they'd go their separate ways and Fitz would keep looking, feeling a little peace on knowing that he'd at least narrowed down the list of "suspects".

And if it was in fact Sophie. . .

That was what he didn't have a plan for.

Part of him wanted to take her by the arm and drag her home, wrap her in a blanket and lock her away in a room so she would be safe and wouldn't get herself into trouble. The other part of him wanted to shout and demand answers and cry and hold her and ask her why she left. Why she hurt him so much by disappearing without so much as a simple "goodbye" written on a piece of paper.

So, here he stood outside of the small brick building where the girl lived, pondering how he should approach the situation. He knew he would either have to buzz in or get approved by some person at a front desk, so he toyed with the officers badge in his hand. Fat droplets of rain plopped onto his shoulders and sloshed all over the ground, but he didn't even care that his uniform was going to be soaking if he stood there much longer.

All he had to do was walk in, say he had been sent to search the place or investigate her or some crap, and then he could find out if it was really her. Easy, right? Just in and out.

In one scenario he'd leave with Sophie, the other he wouldn't. What was he so afraid of? If it didn't end up being her, he'd just keep looking. It was as simple as that.

He sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets, walking up and swinging the door open. He entered the apartment complex, running a hand through his damp hair and settling his teal eyes on a man who sat behind a counter. He had salt and pepper hair and round glasses that sat on his pudgy face, but part of him still gave off a "don't mess with me" type of vibe. Fitz couldn't place his finger on what it was about him, but he knew the man was fierce and determined and passionate when it came to the right things. He was good reading people like that.

The setup reminded Fitz of a hotel lobby and he approached him, glancing at the wooden door that had a placard with a picture of stairs on it. Seeing as Fitz had never been in the place, he was sure he couldn't make it by bolting - no matter how fast he could run. He didn't even know what apartment number the girl lived in.

He studied the run-down place, looking at the frayed carpets and stained walls, coming to the conclusion that this definitely wasn't a state-of-the-art building. It wasn't even very modern by current standards, with the wooden doors instead of glass and the fact that there wasn't a placed to buzz in.

Fitz approached the front desk, pulling out the fake ID and badge he'd made just for the occasion. He was hoping the uniform, license, badge, and uniform would be enough to sell the lie, because if the man asked to see his patrol car, he was screwed beyond belief.

"Good evening, officer," the man greeted, standing up from his chair. "How may I help you?"

"I'm with the James County Brownsville Police Department and I'm going to need to ask you a few questions," he said smoothly, trying not to stumble over the words. No matter how much he'd googled how to introduce himself correctly as an officer of the law, he couldn't find the correct or official greeting for approaching someone.

The man tensed, but placed his hands on the counter and exhaled slowly. "Of course," he finally replied.

Fitz began putting his identification away as he asked, "Am I allowed to know what I'm involved in?"

He nodded and cleared his throat. "You're more or less involved," he admitted. "Rather, a person in your building. Do you recognize this girl?"

He tugged the fake missing poster out of his pants, unfolding it and revealing the black and white picture of Sophie. The man squinted at it and started taking it all in, so Fitz continued, "Subject is a Caucasian female, eighteen years of age. Blonde hair, brown eyes, 5' 2". She has a star-shaped scar on the top of her left hand."

The man massaged his forehead as if he suddenly developed a pulsing migraine and he sighed heavily, handing back the flyer with a sad look in his eyes. "What kind of trouble is she in?"

"So you know her?" Fitz asked, re-folding the paper and crossing his arms as he rose a curious eyebrow. He completely ignored the man's question, hoping he would answer truthfully so then he wouldn't have to drag it out of him. If he could just convince him to lead him to her apartment, or call the girl down to the lobby so he could talk with her, it would make everything so much easier.

The man nodded, much to Fitz'z relief. "I don't know if she's exactly who you're looking for, but I have a girl here who almost entirely matches your description. She get into something illegal, or. . ?"

His shoulders were stiff as if he was afraid of the answer, so Fitz quickly clarified, "No, nothing illegal. Subject ran away from home, we were lead here."

The man looked at him in a manner as if the answer was too simple. His eyebrows pressed together and his lips twisted into a frown. "I'm guessing he sent you here? He filed her as missing and wants her back home?"

The man lifted an eyebrow suspiciously when Fitz didn't answer. Rather, he stared and blinked as if it were new information.

". . .Her boyfriend?" he continued. "She lived with him? She told me he was abusive and that's why she ran off. Isn't he the one who reported her as missing?"

When Fitz nodded after a moment of silence and stillness, the man elaborated on the topic. "You can't bring her back to him. Not even if he claims he has custody over her."

Inwardly, Fitz wondered why the alleged boyfriend claiming he had custody over an eighteen year old human being would make any difference, but he decided not to ask him about it. He was supposed to be the officer that knew everything about the case, but so far he was blowing it.

"I need to see her," Fitz said, cutting to the chase. "Is there any way you could take me to her or you could get her down here?"

The man seemed to take a moment to ponder the request, thinking over every alternative possible. It seemed like an eternity before he answered, "I don't think it would be best for her to come down. I'll. . . take you up."

He started shuffling through some desk drawers underneath the counter and Fitz noticed how he always tried to keep an eye on him, glancing up briskly and then ripping his eyes away just as fast. He couldn't blame him for being wary, though - Fitz hadn't given very convincing forms of identification, and his performance had definitely not been stellar. But that didn't matter.

All that mattered was finding Sophie.

He eventually pulled out a key and came out from behind the front desk, gesturing towards the door with the symbol of the stairs. They walked up a few flights of stairs before coming across the floor they needed. The whole way the man tried to make small talk and kind of explain how he had gotten to know the girl.

He said that she lived in 221 with another girl. Originally it had just been the one girl in the room, but then - a few months ago - he said that Sophie (or, Fitz wanted to assume that it was Sophie) showed up and moved in.

She had befriended him and he had gotten to know that she was 'on the run from an abusive relationship', as she had chose to put it.

Fitz soaked in the information quietly, taking mental note of everything the guy was telling him. He was trying to prepare himself for Sophie or whoever he was about to see, trying to steady his nerves and go over what he would say, but he just couldn't get a grasp on any of it.

All too soon they had stopped at apartment 221 and Fitz found himself holding his breath as the man put the key into the lock and it made a satisfying click after he turned it. He pushed the door open after one last wary look back at Fitz, and called out, "Lizzy!"

"Otis?" a female voice responded from inside the rather dark apartment. Granted, it was night out, but there were only a few measly lamps turned on. It did make the apartment feel cozy and warm, though.

Fitz studied the details of the apartment that he could see from the doorway. Otis stepped inside and Fitz decided to stay near the doorframe, because the guy looked about ready to whip out a knife and stab him if he made any quick movements. It was clear Otis didn't trust him one sliver, and was very protective of whoever was living inside the apartment.

His teal eyes scanned the small space he assumed the two girls called their living room, which was a small olive green futon and an even smaller coffee table. The kitchen was extremely tight and tiny, and he could barely imagine two people walking around in the space. It would be cramped and chaotic.

"Do you know when Remi is getting back? Peanut's been bugging me and you know how she responds way better to Remi's voice than mine, and I-"

Fitz's gaze snapped over to the doorway inside the room where a petite girl emerged. She halted, freezing in place when she saw Fitz.

She wore gray sweatpants and a tank top, complete with a olive sweater that ran down her. It was so long that she curled the ends of the sleeves in her fingers, and she blinked in pure shock as she stared at Fitz, who returned the gesture.

Her wild tendrils of hair splashed around her shoulders, a mix of vibrant colours. There was red beautifully mixed with gold and warm sunset pink and even a few strands of lavender. She was fairly short and her body language screamed timid and shy, but. . .

He'd know her anywhere.

Those eyes. God, those eyes had haunted his dreams every night for the past six months.

He was tempted to run up and hug her, but the way that Otis' protective eyes never left the girl's form made him re-think the wish. Fitz settled for starting out his pre-planned speech, so he straightened in the doorway and opened his mouth, readying the words. 

But before they left his lips, his eyes landed on Sophie's two hands, which had trailed down her body instinctively. The motion drew his attention and his jaw almost fell down as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing.

Was that. . . No. Surely not.

Her hands covered her plump stomach protectively and he saw heat bloom on her cheeks, since he had noticed.

She was pregnant.

"O-Otis. . ?" she asked slowly, her wild eyes not leaving Fitz.

Otis approached her and took her arm, rubbing it in assurance and comfort. "You're not in trouble. And you're not going to get dragged somewhere. He just needs to talk to you."

She looked from Otis to Fitz, Fitz to Otis, and repeated it once more before she squared her shoulders and whispered, ". . .I'll be okay. I know him."

That was all the confirmation he needed. 

This was really Sophie.

Otis blinked and looked back at Fitz. "You know him?" he repeated in pure shock.

"Lizzy" nodded slowly, watching Fitz with sad eyes as she took Otis' hand on her shoulder and squeezed it to prove her point. "He's a friend. I'm. . . I'm okay. Would it be okay if I talk to him privately? I just. . . I don't know. . ."

Otis seemed very skeptical still, but Sophie pulled a smile and Fitz thought his heart might implode right then and there. He'd been away from her for so long that it physically hurt him.

Otis, upon finally being convinced by Sophie, nodded to Fitz after holding the girl's eyes and walking out. Fitz strode in as Otis closed the door, sending one last look to Sophie.

And time held still. 

The room held it's breath. 

The world stopped spinning.

Fitz stared at Sophie - well, namely her baby bump - and he couldn't prevent his mouth from hanging open as he tried to form words. Eventually he squeaked, "You're pregnant."

Sophie chewed on her lip and affectionately rubbed her very pregnant belly, bobbing her head. There was a few more moments of silence and staring in awe before Sophie shook her head.

"You need to leave."

The words almost knocked him back a step. His eyebrows pressed together. "What? What for? You need to come home!"

Sophie's eyes narrowed. "This is my home. And I can't go back. Besides, even if I did go back, the Council would exile me. I've been in the Forbidden Cities for the past six months." She sighed as if she was already exhausted with the conversation. "Just go, okay?" she snapped.

"Go?" he repeated incredulously. "I'm not leaving without you. I'll talk to the Council. And they wouldn't exile you. Especially not if you're. . ."

He gestured to her hands coddling her stomach and face pressed in anger. "I can't go back!" she shouted, raising her voice. It startled him at first, even though he was across the room near the front door. "I'm better off here. And I can't just leave Remi."

"Remi?"

Sophie huffed as if she was annoyed that she had to explain. "Marella," she clarified. "Marella is Remi. She's been hiding here with me. She's a pyrokinetic and. . ."

"That's a forbidden talent," Fitz finished when she paused.

Somehow Marella hiding in the Forbidden Cities so then she wasn't locked up or something was way less of a revelation to Fitz in comparison to finding out Sophie was pregnant.

"Thanks Captain Obvious," she sneered, pulling his eyes away from her stomach. "Now get out. I'm not asking you again. Go home. And don't come back. Don't send anybody here, either."

She started to walk back into the bedroom and in a panic, Fitz started taking long strides towards her before she could slip into the other room and lock herself in the bedroom. "Sophie-"

She ripped her hand away when Fitz grabbed her wrist, taking a step back in terror. A wave of pain shot through his heart, but he almost couldn't blame her. She looked so different to him that it felt weird in its own way, and the hadn't seen each other in so long that being this close just felt unnatural. Maybe even wrong.

But he was going to fix that. He was going to bring her - and Marella - home and they were going to go back to living their lives like they had before. And he would get the story as to why she left and how in the world she got pregnant. . .

His mind flashed to all the cute, fun moments they'd had together before she had disappeared. Going on dates, cuddling, falling asleep with each other, bathing together, laughing, playing stupid, silly board games, watching movies together, baking together, kissing, holding hands. . .

And he instantly remembered the last time he had seen Sophie. The last time they had been together before she left.

That was also the first time they. . .

"Birth control doesn't always work you know."

Her voice was taut with drowsiness and her gorgeous half-lidded eyes gazed up at him as she rubbed her thumb in circles on his cheek.

He smiled. "Hey, you've been through a lot. The world isn't gonna do that to you, so don't think that way. I'll take care of you. Nothing bad is going to happen. You trust me?"

She blushed and fluttered her eyelids before whispering, "Okay."

Fuck.

Had that really. . ?

"Birth control doesn't always work," Fitz murmured.

Sophie said nothing, still caressing her belly with her hands.

Fitz let out a shaky breath, running a hand through his hair. "That - That's my kid," he stammered in absolute shock, gesturing wildly to her stomach.

Her face hardened. "No. This isn't your kid. Why would you even-" She cut herself off, rolling her eyes. "Just because you sleep with me doesn't mean this is automatically your kid. I took a DNA test and it's not you."

"Oh really? Then who is it?" Fitz asked, not buying it. Sophie wasn't the kind to just mess around or sleep around with random people - and she wasn't one to cheat. They were still together when she disappeared, and judging by how full her belly was, she was around five to six months. Which meant she had been pregnant when she'd fled.

The timeline added up.

She shook her head. "It's not you, okay?" she barked.

"Who is it, then?" he repeated, growing impatient with the fact that she had ignored his question int he first place. "Tell me whose kid you're having then, huh? Come on, then, if you're so certainly not lying. Give me a name!"

It sounded like a challenge, but Sophie bit her tongue as she scowled at him and his anger began to actually boil a little. She narrowed her brown eyes and they both stared each other down, not backing down from their ground.

"I don't owe you a name, Fitz. It's not your damn child! Now get. Out."

"No," he said firmly. "I need to know why you left. Did you think I wouldn't help you with this?" he asked, voice growing a little soft at the end.

He expected Sophie to snap back with another, "It's not your kid! Leave us alone!", but instead she griped, "You're such an idiot, you do realize? God."

She shook her head and lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. "I just. . . I don't understand you sometimes! You're so - so - oblivious! I helped you! I saved your ass by leaving! Don't you see that?!"

Sophie glared at Fitz, who stood without saying a word. A solid fifteen seconds passed before Fitz blinked.

"I get it now," he said softly. When she looked at him, her face painted over with confusion, he elaborated for her, "The guy that let me up here - he said not to bring you back to him. And then he said, 'not even if he claims he has custody over her.' At first I thought he was referring to you when he said 'her', but he meant. . ."

Sophie's hard, angry face faded and she uncomfortably shifted and rubbed her hands along her swollen abdomen again.

"They're a girl," Fitz finished after a second of silence, some sort of awe in his voice as he looked at her in soft, adoring wonder.

Her anger vanished and she stuttered, "Yes, but. . . You need to go. I'm serious, Fitz. Stop side-tracking me."

She huffed a little and he took the moment to study her face, loving how adorable she looked whenever she pouted without realizing it.

". . .You said you were keeping me safe?" he prodded, causing her to look over at him.

She nodded numbly. "You're so dumb," she mumbled when he clearly didn't get it. "Don't you even understand what would have happened if I'd stayed? If I'd had the baby and people found out it was our-"

She cut herself off, watching for Fitz to react to the words. But he'd already known, so he stayed mildly quiet and waited for her to muster the courage to keep talking.

Her cheeks flushed pink as she muttered, "You're a Vacker, Fitz. If people saw you being held back by a knocked-up girl. . ."

The words drowned out as she looked away, avoiding all eye contact.

Fitz swallowed. "That was what made you leave? Public image?" he asked incredulously. A tight lump formed in his throat as he thought over the painful nights, the terrifying thought that she had left him or that she was dead, the recurring nightmares. . .

"Sophie," he whispered, voice tightening. It caused her to look over at him. "That's our kid. And you left. I loved you. Why would you ever leave because of a stupid social status? I don't care if people would have said bad things just because we're young - that's still a living being inside of you. That's a little girl we made. And you're my girlfriend. I love you. I wouldn't ever push you out of my life."

She sniffled suddenly, eyes welling up with tears. It fascinated him how they'd switched moods so quickly. They'd gone from semi-okay to angry to sad. Was this sad? Was she crying because she was sad? Or were these happy tears?

She shook her head miserably. "I didn't know what to do," she blubbered, voice thick as she wrapped her arms around herself. She choked on a sob. "I was scared. I didn't know if you were going to leave or how everyone would react. And what about us? Even if you had stayed with me, would it have changed us? Raising another living person is hard. And were you really ready to confidently tell me you could step up and be a dad? I have trouble taking care of myself - I don't. . . I don't know what I'm gonna do when s-she comes along. . ."

The rest of her sentence dissolved into tears.

"Sophie. . ." Fitz crooned. "Please don't cry. I'm right here. I'm not angry at you for leaving and I promise I'll help you. You're gonna be fine. Please don't cry. . ."

She covered her mouth, walking over and hugging Fitz. More than shocked, he tugged his arms out and wrapped them around her, holding her flush against his body. He didn't care that she was getting tears and snot all over his fake officer uniform, he was just. . . Overwhelmed with everything that was happening so fast. Too fast for him to process.

Sophie was six months pregnant, Marella and her had been living in a small apartment for that time, and the Council was not going to be happy or in any way merciful for the two.

Holding his sobbing girlfriend in his embrace, determination spurred in Fitz's soul and hope sprung in his heart like a coil. He had a family now.

And he was going to do everything he could to protect them.

Fitz tangled his hand in her dyed hair, leaning over and kissing the top of her head. "You're going to be alright, you hear me? We'll get through it all."

○

a/n: i ended it here bc i didn't like what i was writing jkskjsksj

it sucks omfg i want to end myself