#custardbursts

Biana was standing atop a step ladder that was dangerously shaky, but she barely noticed with all her determination. She was outside the Vacker Mansion in Everglen. The cold air bit into her skin but joy filled the air with the lunar festivities just around the corner. With all the crazy things that has happened, her family agreed it would be fun to prepare for the festivities themselves, and she gladly accepted. 

So here she was, trying to string fairy lights on the naked branches of the trees outside her house. She had done fairly well, she thought. But there was one freaking branch that was testing her patience.

She gripped the lights tight in her hand and stared at the slightly-too-far-away branch. 

“I’m gonna swing it,” she muttered. She took a deep breath and aimed the string right at the branch. Another deep breath. She squinted her eyes and... launch! She swung the string and it landed on the branch! 

But that was it. The ladder underneath her gave away. A scream almost tore through her throat.

“Biana!” Someone shouted. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her leg. The world stopped shaking as the ladder righted itsself. She was still at first, recovering from her shock. Then she looked down at the hand on her leg, and her rescuer.

“Keefe,” she answered breathlessly. He smiled at her sweetly and she let out a manic laugh. “I almost died.”

“You’ve had worse battles in snow,” Keefe reminded her.

She shrugged. “True.”

With that, she held a hand out. Keefe took it and helped her down. When she took her last step and was on the ground, she turned around and looked at Keefe.

He was in pants and a knit sweater. He was wearing a beanie that forced his blond hair down, but couldn’t completely contain it. Locks of blond hair escaped the beanie in wifts that framed his face nicely. Biana smirked.

“Your nose is red,” she remarked.

“Don’t feel the need to thank me.” He rolled his eyes. They were still holding hands, neither of them making the move to let go. “So, did you volunteer yourself for the job, or were you put up to it?”

“Guess.”

Keefe thought about it. “You volunteered.”

“Good job! What made you realize?”

“It’s to help make something more beautiful. I figured that’s right up your alley,” he said, and Biana felt her heart speed up. She glanced at their hands, then looked up at Keefe. His face was changing, like he was realizing something. Biana quickly pulled her hand away.

It wasn’t like she still liked him like that. But she used to --a lot-- and sometimes feelings rushed back that reminded her of that. She’s gotten over her crush, but there were still moments she wasn’t entirely sure.

Moments like right now.

Keefe was looking at her with a worried expression, so she plastered on a smile. “We should get back inside,” she said. He looked back at her seeming like he was ready to ask something. But after a while, he just nodded. He glanced at her hand, and then gestured to the mansion. She started moving, internally cursing her feelings as she walked past him.

A moment later, she felt him coming into step next to her. “What are the others doing inside?” she asked.

“Your mom is talking to the gnomes about something and your dad is in his office, so we left Fitz all alone,” he said. A mischievous smile spread across his face. “Race you!” he declared. Then he shot away. Biana didn’t even bother telling him he was cheating, just ran after him.

Keefe was in the lead for most of the way, but 10 feet away from the back porch, he fell --quite comically to Biana-- and she shot past him to the door. She turned around and let out a loud laugh.

Keefe grumpily sat up from the snow and pouted at Biana. “That isn’t fair.”

“Of course it is. That’s your punishment for cheating,” she said. He stood up, and started walking towards her, brushing snow off his clothes. She helped him him brush off the snow too as they walked into the house.

“Go find Fitz. I know you want to scare him.”

“You know me too well.” He smiled.

“Yet, none of you know to check if anyone’s around,” a voice said. Keefe and Biana looked up. Fitz was standing there, staring disapprovingly at the duo.

Fitz had been sitting alone inside the mansion for quite some time. He enjoyed the silence, really, but where was everybody? 

Keefe went to go check on Biana. He arrived not long ago. He had asked Fitz about everyone else, stalling before he finally got around to asking about BIana. When Fitz told him she was outside, he left.

And now he was alone, trying not to think about how his best friend’s interest in his sister seemed to be changing in a way that he wasn’t sure how he felt about.

A laugh rang out from outside, and Fitz stood up from his chair and looked outside.

Keefe was on the ground, looking up at Biana in mock grumpiness as she laughed at him. They talked about something involving cheating, and then Keefe stood up and started patting the snow off his clothes. Fitz took a step back from the window.

Finally, they let themselves in, and Biana was helping Keefe brush himself off.

“Go find Fitz,” she said. “I know you want to scare him.”

Fitz rolled his eyes.

“You know me too well.” Keefe smirked.

“Yet, non of you know to check if anyone’s around,” he said. Both their heads snapped up.

“Why do you have to ruin it for me?” Keefe asked.

“Are you here to help or be a menace?”

“Doing both is my specialty.” Keefe winked. Fitz sighed. “And we all know I’m mostly here for the food. Edaline’s coming, right?”

“Yeah. Her, Grady, and Sophie are coming over for the campfire and should get here not long,” he said, glancing at Biana’s hand on Keefe’s arm.

“Great,” he said.

Biana let her arm down, her expression vacant as she looked at the smile on Keefe’s face at the mention of Sophie.

“Sophie, do you have all the dishes?” Edaline asked. Sophie looked down at her arms which were filled with containers of food.

“Probably,” she muttered to herself.

“What?”

“Yes, we got it,” she answered loudly. She was standing next to Grady under the leapmaster, wearing a dress that was too long and also had a bodice that was too tight. She was wearing the usual cape over her shoulders, and the skirt of the dress cascaded down to the floor through beautiful purple frills. She looked up as Edaline walked to them, carrying even more containers of food.

“Not to complain, but wouldn’t it be easier to just make the food there?” Sophie asked.

“I like to work in my own kitchen,” Edaline said.

“After all the work we’ve put into it, I’m glad to hear that,” Grady quipped, earning a playful glare from his wife.

“Let’s go!” Edaline said excitedly. Grady grabbed a few of the items in her hands. Sophie stood between them, and she felt both their hands land on her shoulders at the same time.

Sophie could light leap just fine now, but her parents loved to hold on to her when they did it together, just to feel better.

“Everglen,” Grady called. A bright light enveloped them, taking over Sophie’s senses. 

Then, she wasn’t inside anymore, but instead was outside the gates of Everglen.

“You guys arrived,” a familiar voice said in greeting. Sophie turned around and spotted Fitz smiling at them.

“Fitz!” Sophie called, walking towards him. She was about to wrap her arms around him, but the impulse was stopped by her very full arms. And Sophie thought that maybe that was for the best. She stopped just in front of Fitz, grimacing at the load in her arms and glancing at him. Noticing the awkwardness, Fitz laughed at her. She felt a blush creep up her neck. He quietly took a couple of items from her, loading them into his arms gracefully and without even struggling with the weight.

“Thanks,” Sophie said as he leaned in to wrap an arm around her. She begged the containers to stay in her arm, and then she wrapped an arm around him too.

“No problem; I’m the one who’s setting up the table anyway,” he said as he pulled away. But he kept his hand on her shoulder... which reminded her.

With perfect timing, a throat cleared behind them. Sophie looked behind her. Grady and Edaline were looking at them. Edaline looked amused but Grady was squinting suspiciously.