Author's Note: One-shot, super fluffy songfic that came to me while I was listening to Fireflies by Owl City. (Actually, the Tanner Patrick cover of it, but still...) So, in my head, this immediately follows Day of the Sorcerers, and Sofia's having trouble sleeping because of everything that happened, but I don't reference anything directly, so go ahead and imagine it being anywhere in the show (or off in the future) that you want. As always, reviews/faves make my day and I really appreciate them.
"Why aren't you in your chambers, Sofia?" The sorcerer asked, surprised to see the youngest princess wandering the palace corridors in the wee hours of the night, barefoot and dressed in nothing more than a baby blue nightgown. She let out a small gasp and glanced up quickly, clearly not expecting to run into anyone, either.
"I couldn't sleep." Sofia replied, avoiding his amber gaze as her cheeks flamed. Her small hands curled into fists, twisting the sides of her nightgown up inside. Cedric silently held out his gloved hand to her, and she released the fabric to accept his offer.
Neither of them spoke as they walked through the empty palace until they reached the entrance, and Sofia glanced quickly behind them before allowing Cedric to lead her outside and across the grounds, finally reaching a lightly wooded section on a hill.
Letting go of her hand, Cedric sat down on the grass and patted a spot next to him, which Sofia was quick to occupy. The moon hung high above, illuminating the spot through the light canopy of branches, and all around them crickets chirped out a summer's evening chorus. Her eyes questioned what they were doing out here, but the sorcerer simply gestured in front of them.
Sofia shifted her gaze where he'd indicated and he discreetly slipped off the glove that covered his right hand, then watched as she realized why he chose this spot. A firefly glowed in front of them, then two, then five, ten, and so on, until it seemed like a curtain of tiny flickering lights swayed before them.
Sofia stood and tenatively reached out towards the phenomenon, so enthralled that she took no notice of the way his hand moved, drawing the insects to where they sat.
"This is amazing!" She exclaimed, glancing over her shoulder at him. Cedric smirked as a few landed on her outstretched fingers, but the expression was quickly replaced with one of concern as tears began to roll down the young girl's cheeks.
Scrambling to his feet, he allowed the embrace that followed, awkwardly returning the gesture for the first time since they'd met. He didn't press for explanations. Whatever the cause for her late night wandering, her tears, her obvious need for comfort, Sofia would tell him when she was ready, as she always did.
She pulled away with a sniffle, and he wrapped the long sleeve of his robe around the palm of his hand, using the fabric to wipe away the remaining tears that stained her face. The princess smiled up at him appreciatively, and Cedric laid his hand on her shoulder to turn her back to the bugs. They stood there, watching the fireflies seemingly dance around them, until Cedric broke the stillness.
"We should go in soon." He informed her, just now remembering that time hadn't actually stopped, no matter how much it might feel that way at the moment.
"I wish I could keep them with me..." Sofia mused, thinking back to the sleepless dark chasm that her room felt like tonight. With his hand still bare, it was a simple thing for the sorcerer to conjure a softly glowing blue jar, which he handed to her, returning to his spot on the ground to watch as she flitted about, capturing a few of the little lights.
Together, they made their way back to Sofia's chambers, where Cedric bid her goodnight.
"What if I have trouble sleeping again?" Sofia asked anxiously, imploring azure eyes studying him.
"I'll leave my door open a crack. You can come find me if you need to." Cedric answered matter-of-factly, and she worried her eyebrows in thought.
"Won't I wake you?" Leave it to Sofia to be worried about him when she was the one having a rough night. Cedric shook his head.
"Some things are worth being awake for." He answered with a shrug, and then he took his leave. Sofia entered her room and set the jar of fireflies on the table next to her bed before climbing in and making herself cozy. Their comforting auras were the last thing she saw as she finally drifted off to sleep.