Keefe walked with his normal "effortless" fake confidence towards Sophie's locker, soaking in the whispers and giggles as girls stopped what they were doing to watch as he walked by. He had no interest in them, but it definitely felt good to hear them mutter about how hot he was, especially when they mentioned his hair. That put a bounce in his step. But as far as his looks got him, as much effort as he put into his hair every day, he knew it wouldn't always help him, and this was one of those times…
Today was the day. He wasn't going to back down again. He had tried so many times to tell Sophie how he truly felt, but every time she looked up at him with those big brown eyes and he lost it. But not today.
Today was the day.
The dark amber walls reflected back at him as he walked into the level three atrium. Trying to keep his confident appearance up, he nervously watched his reflection stare back at him. He didn't look like the cocky, suave, bad boy everyone always seemed to think he was. To him, he looked like a scared child, hiding under his covers as he waited for an eternity for his mother to save him from the monsters under his bed… He forced himself to look away, his heart dropping as he realized he couldn't possibly tell her. The worries and doubts filled his head, roaring at him like the giant wooly mammoth statue he almost walked into, jumping as it stared into his soul, taunting him.
Gulping as he noticed how close he was to the large curled, very sharp tusks and a taking a step back, he fought the urge to tug at his uniform and try to fix his hair. His father's voice sounded in his head, telling him not to be so fidgety, to hold his chin up.
So he did.
Taking a deep breath to settle the storm inside him heart, he turned around sharply to leave.
Two, big brown eyes stared up at him when he did, looking right into his soul. A gurgled choking noise spilled out of his throat, but luckily she didn't seem to notice She smiled as giddy happiness and a tinge of confusion filled the air around her.
"Hey Keefe, what are you doing here? You're not planning some kind of giant, slime explosion here, are you?" Sophie laughed, meaning it as a joke, but he could feel a sudden doubt and nervousness spring up.
Giving his best smirk, he shoved a hand in his pocket, his fingers forming around a stupid leather cuff with his name and a few flowers carved into it. He stayed up all night perfecting it, the twenty or so before it just weren't good enough. It was Sophie after all.
As he cursed himself over and over for being an idiot, not even realizing he had forgotten to answer her, his heart felt like tiny knives were attacking it. Concern began to radiate from her in heavy waves that reminded him of the star light leaping incident a year or so ago. A shudder ran through him at the memory, for more reasons than one…
Sophie cocked her head, bringing Keefe's attention back to the present. She had taken a few steps closer, peering up into his eyes while frowning. As his heart turned into a mariachi band, Keefe silently thanked the universe that she wasn't an empath, at least yet.
"Are you ok Keefe? Did something happen?"
He forced his smile to be even brighter as a panic alarm went off in his head. "You're losing your touch Foster. Everything's fine!" He waved the air in front of his face and rolled his eyes. "I can see you don't believe me. But can you at least try to calm down? You're going to make me sick! Not joking." He wasn't.
"Of course I don't believe you!" She took a step back, arms crossed as she gave him a worried glare. Wow was she adorable when angry. Keefe tried to suppress the smile that spread across his lips, but it wasn't possible. She glared even more… "You're distracted, you have dark circles under your eyes, and your hair is messy! The last time I let it go-" Her voice caught in her throat as her eyes began to water. A sickening mix of emotions that made Keefe want to crawl into a ball and vanish hit him like a rock
"But I'm here now." He muttered quietly, watching as the gold flecks in her eyes quietly shimmered within the unshed tears. "And I'm not going anywhere. But," He started with a louder, much happier voice, "back on my hair, isn't it always perfectly messy?" He smirked, though the light didn't reach his eyes. Seeing her so sad made it feel like a hammer against his stomach.
"That's not what I meant." She sighed, wiping one of her eyes before grabbing his sleeve, sending a shock wave of warmth up his arm and straight into his heart. He could feel a tinge of the same emotion in her, but… it was hard to tell where his stopped, and how strong her's actually was.
He let her drag him behind the statue, away from sight. His heart started going out of control as her voice filled his head, pushing away the whirlwind of thoughts and cascading him with warmth.
"If it's about your father, you can tell me. I won't tell anyone, even Fitz. But you can't keep this all bottled up Keefe. It's not healthy, and I'm really, really worried. I know it's been a while," she added, "but… I'm still scared you'll disappear."
"But you know why I did it. To protect you. I don't want you to bottle everything up either! It seems like, when you actually do talk, it's always to Fitz. I'm always a third wheel…" He didn't meant to sound bitter, but it was hard. He always felt so, small compared to Captain Perfect, oblivious as he was.
"He's my Cognate Keefe, I have to. But there are plenty of things I haven't told him that you know."
Keefe gave a loud sigh in his head when she said Cognate. That was always the excuse. "Oh really, like what?" He raised an eyebrow, arms crossed. So much for the romantic confession.
She paused for a second, sighing as she thought. Could she even come up with any? Probably not.
"I never told him I used to have a crush on him." Keefe's eyes grew as a pang like one of his drawing pencils being stabbed into his heart made him take a step back. He knew, of course he knew. But… actually hearing her say it was a million times worse. Because now it was real.
"Or that I ate that drugged swan cookie." She quickly added, her face growing brighter than a tomato.
"So it's true." He gave a curt laugh, too shocked to contain his loud accusation inside his head. Several prodigies turned their heads towards them. For some reason he could feel sadness and guilt flooding the air, but what made him feel even worse was the regret. Of course she regretted saying it. He wasn't exactly subtle about his emotions, but after what almost happened under Calla's tree…
"Keefe, calm down. I think you misunderstood-"
"How can I misunderstand you saying that you like him!"
"Used to. I used to like him. That's why I regret it, because it was a silly stupid crush that has caused more trouble than it was worth. It helped me get through a really hard time, and I'm glad for that, but that's all. That's why I never told him. Also he tired to kiss me! And yes, I can still hear your thoughts."
He began speaking, his mind clutching onto the words, used to, silly, stupid, letting them swirl around his head like a giant whirlwind. He started speaking, but quickly thought better of it. "So,"
I still have a chance.
And then he made a huge mistake. His mind flashed to a familiar scene, one that happened every night for the past few weeks. Sitting in his room, he carefully carved the cuff bracelet, trying to make it perfect as, over time, tiny cuts formed on his fingers as the knife dulled. But still he worked, determined to make it perfect, determined to make it the best one anyone had ever seen, the kind anyone in school would be madly jealous over. Because, after everything he had put her through, and ever before that, she deserved the best.
Sophie's eyes grew as shock covered the air like a suffocating blanket. The cuffs were an elven tradition. She had to know… As feelings of worry and, something like nausea, seeped through the air and into him, his heart dropped, only to quickly spike up like a rollercoaster when she grabbed his hands are stared at the cuts.
"We are definitely going to Elwin, and you're going to tell me how things with your dad are going on the way there."
Giving her a dumbfounded look, he let her lead him through the halls. "You're not worried about the bracelet? Curious even? Cold Foster." He dramatically grabbed his heart, trying to bring some light to the situation.
She glanced back, her brow furrowing slightly in confusion. "Is that what it was? Why would I be?"
"…No reason." Could she really not know?
"So how are things going with your dad?" Sophie asked as they walked through the hallway. He'd managed to get about halfway to Elwin before she asked, distracting her with various topics like book reports, upcoming tests, and if Elwin would choose the taste of the metal strips tomorrow.
"Oh come on, that question again? Don't you want to hear something awesome, like the prank I'm planning? You're becoming predictable Mysterious Miss Foster. Oh, by the way, pack lunch on Wednesday. You'll thank me." He winked, watching the way her eyes twinkled slightly as she sighed but smiled back, still pulling him along by the wrist. So close, if only he could find an excuse for her to hold his hand instead…
She stopped walking as if to say 'we aren't moving until you speak.' "I'm serious Keefe. I want to know. It's important to me."
Her chocolate brown eyes stared up expectantly at him, making his heart skip a few beats. He rolled his eyes, knowing full well he couldn't not tell her after she looked at him like that. "I don't know why it's important to you, I'm the one that has to live with the man." He laughed.
Sophie just sighed, disappointment and a bit of frustration wafting off her. "Because you're important to me Keefe."
That took him back a step. He quickly forced his eyes to go back to their normal size, though he couldn't control the way his cheeks caught fire, or the way his heart pounded.
"Ya know," he started with a smirk as his blush only deepened and his heart's thump thumping rose into his throat. "If you hold my hand I might tell you." He shot her a wink while his thoughts ran around in his brain screaming bloody murder and throwing tables and chairs. Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes.
She rolled her eyes, a blush forming on her cheeks, causing his smile to brighten. "Fine, but if you don't tell me I'm leaving you here."
"Deal." He smiled. "Well, first things are going really… strange. Ever since my- well you know, since she left, my dad actually seems to care. Maybe it's because he realizes I'm all he's got left, and he's too grumpy to get another wife." He laughed, but imagining his dad with someone else was more than he could handle, and Sophie's emotions seemed not too far off from his.
"I actually don't hate talking to him," he said with serious tone. "He actually comes to me, asks me how my day is going. Once he even complimented a picture I drew of you. It was… weird, but, nice. I guess I can't really ask for more, but, things finally seem like they might turn around."
A bright smiled crossed her lips, making his heart leap again. "Good! That's really, really good! And, you drew a picture of me? Can I see it?"
"Uuuuh…" Keefe froze. "It's, uh, not quite right yet."
"That's ok," she smiled. "I'm sure with how amazing you are, it will look even better than me." She laughed, her eyes sparkling like the stars they used to talk under all night.
Not possible. Definitely not possible.
After Sophie took him to Elwin, Keefe followed her back to her lockers. They missed a class, but it was totally worth it in his mind.
She pulled out her books while he leaned behind the door with a nonchalant cool look he had practiced a million times before in the mirror. He was determined to give her a blinding smirk when she closed the door, to catch her off guard. After finding out she didn't like Fitz, and holding her hand through the hallways (score!), he wanted to feel the way her feelings would spike, if she felt the same way he did. Plus, it was always fun to tease her. She was just too adorable! As her emotions flew around her, slowly changing here and there as her thoughts wove around what he guessed was class, homework, and probably what was going to happen on Wednesday, he closed his eyes. It was better than a lullaby, wrapping him in a soft warmth. So when she slammed the locker door, causing him to jump, he mentally choked. There he went looking lame again in front of his crush. Great going Keefester.
But the emotions were far from what he had expected. He took a step back as they hit him like a flood. It felt like she was eating Mallowmelt while looking at an adorable puppy who learned a new trick. But, the amount of flustering sprinkled into the mix, and the way a warm, red streak streamed through it all of what he hoped the emotion he thought it was, he decided once again to tell her. Now. Before he lost his nerve again.
And then she just had to lay the back of her hand against his forehead, brushing his hair away as she stared right into his soul again with those brown eyes. He watched as they flashed with concern, the gold flecks dimming just slightly.
"Were you having a hard time sleeping again?"
"I like you. A lot. I think it might be love actually. I'm not quite sure because I've never felt this way, but I really, really like you Sophie."
Smooth Keefe. Really smooth… Perfect timing. Just blurt it out.
Sophie opened her mouth a few times, only managing to choke out a "what?" The panic filling the air made him feel sick, and like a thousand knives were plunged into his chest.
Before he knew what was happening his voice was laughing as he clutched his stomach in an excuse to look away. "You should have seen your face Foster!" He accidentally yelled, making several heads nearby stop and turn.
He didn't, couldn't, meet her eyes, because if he did he knew he would probably do something stupid, like cry, and he would look like even more of an idiot then he already did.
"It, was a joke…" She flatly stated.
"Yeah, I'm going for a record Foster." He smirked and shot finger guns in her general direction. "Most number of pranks in a day. Thanks for playing!"
And then he dashed out.
Study hall was hell. He tried to pretend like it wasn't a big deal, but Sophie wouldn't even sit near him let alone look at or talk to him.
"What happened?" Fitz asked, eyebrows raised as he looked from one to the other. Sophie must have told him telepathically through their stupid connection, because he wasn't able to form words for a while. He didn't sit with Keefe either. No one did in fact, and he was left alone, again.
He spent the time fingering the stupid leather cuff he put so much effort into and wishing he wasn't such a coward.
The rest of the day went the same. He couldn't focus on his studies, he was ignored by all but Linh, Dex, and Biana at lunch, who thought bringing it up and trying to reason with him was a good idea. Only Linh pretended like everything was ok. As he trudged toward the Leap Master, not even caring if the rain got his hair wet, he figured the next day would be the same. When he got home, his brain was still in a daze, Foster's not-quite-as-cute angry at him face stuck in his mind. She was all he could think of, what she must be feeling, what she thought about him now, if she would ever forgive him. He sat at his desk, homework and textbooks untouched as he tried to perfect the stupid picture he had drawn of Sophie. He figured maybe he could give it to her as an apology gift, though he still kind of wanted to hang it in his room… Then, his father actually came up to his room, with was only slightly less surprising than the green looking guest following behind him.
"So… I guess you aren't use to the stairs yet, huh." Keefe awkwardly stated after his dad shut the door behind him.
Sophie groan and plopped down on one of the white sofas, holding her head. "How do you ever get used to that?"
Keefe shrugged, "What can I say, I have a need for speed." He gave a small smirk, but the amount of anxiety radiating from her made his heart speed up, and not in a good way. Getting up, he carefully pushed the drawing away from him before walking over and sitting in a tall backed, plush white armchair not quite across from her.
"I, what I did, it was stupid. I'm sorry Sophie… I don't know what I was thinking."
She looked up, surprise evident in her eyes. "You called me by my name."
Keefe looked away, scratching at his neck. "I, yeah. It was, really stupid, so I figured a more formal apology was in order." He shrugged again, like it didn't matter. But it did.
Keefe didn't realize she hadn't pulled out any eyelashes until she pulled whatever she was fidgeting with out of her pocket. "I… found this on the ground by the leapmaster. Biana told me what it means." She rubbed her thumb over a few letters and a large rose painstakingly carved into the leather cuff while Keefe's heart jumped into his throat and got stuck, threatening to choke him. "I, you, made this, for me. Right? So what you said, it was all true?"
She looked up at him with those stupid mind melting brown eyes, the golden flecks twinkling like stars as her cheeks looked like his tube of Cadmium Red paint had spilled over her skin.
He took a deep breath as he checked his pocket. Empty. There was no way to pretend, no way to turn this into a joke and make a quick escape. She knew. He leaned back, closed his eyes, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He always tried to avoid that habit, since it made him look like "a little Lord Cassius" as people said, but… If he was going to give in, now was as good a time as any.
He always hid behind humor. But that meant he didn't know how to face the light. Even as his heart beat at a thousand miles per hour in his head, even as she sat there waiting for an answer, he didn't know what to say. He hadn't felt this helpless since- no, now was not the time to think about that.
"I love you Keefe." Sophie whispered, causing Keefe's eyes to flash open. "I really, really hope it wasn't a joke, because I can't imagine not having you around. When you left, I couldn't take it. If I hadn't been able to talk to you-" She shook her head, taking in a deep breath as she looked up, meeting his eyes and sending a shockwave through his heart. "Do you feel the same?"
Keefe opened his mouth a few times, but he wasn't able to form words. A strange, giddy happiness rose up through his chest like bubbles, pushing out tears and a loud, boisterous laugh. He had never felt this happy before in his life, but now that he had he never wanted to let it go. Without a thought he jumped up and grabbed her into a tight hug, and then the sobs came. It was strange, he had never cried because he was happy, but once he started he couldn't seem to stop. Everything ran through his mind, all of the hardships they had gone through, the late night sleepovers, how he survived the Neverseen with the sole thought of seeing her again, all of it was worth it. Even his mother's betrayal, as incredibly painful as it was, because it all lead him to her in the end.
"Yes, yes, it was real. I love you Foster. A lot."
She blushed even harder, the heat radiating through his shirt as she squirmed slightly in his hug. "I'm not done yet." She shyly muttered, her face redder than any tomato in the world could ever be.
"Wait," Keefe laughed, wiping his eyes as he let go. "So does that mean I can't go and brag to the whole school that, Miss Mysterious Foster, the girl who's supposed to save the world, is my girlfriend? Because too late! I'm starting right now!" Saying it out loud sounded even stranger, but whether it was that she was supposed to save the world or that she was practically his girlfriend, he wasn't sure which was weirder.
A giant smile light up her eyes, but something in her emotions was, off… Maybe sad even. He raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"
"Promise me you'll never leave again, you'll tell me everything, all of the plan and pranks, before you do it. And if you're ever upset, you have to tell me. I want to be there for you."
He smiled, but this time it wasn't crooked or cocky or dripping with mischievousness. It was real, the Keefe he actually was underneath all of the layers of humor and hiding. Because he didn't need to pretend around her, she always accepted him for who he was, but especially now that she knew his last secret, he was done hiding anything.
"I promise. I won't hide anything from you ever again, but the same goes for you. I don't want any secrets between us for now on."
"Deal!" She all but sang.
He stood there smiling at her for a second before racing for his imparter on his desk and dashing back.
She raised an eyebrow. "Already going to start bragging?"
"Better," he smirked. Fighting off the nervousness, sweaty palms, and insane heart, he told himself that he didn't need to worry around her, that it was ok to be awkward or stupid, because she accepted him for who he was. Risking the chance of being an idiot, he wrapped his arm around her waist and lightly kissed her on the lips. Shock poured out of her for a split second, but it was soon replaced with the exact same feelings flooding him. They stayed like that for a few moments as Keefe felt their emotions become a bit blob that never ended or began. Because they were the same. For once he was happy he was an empath. It was almost better than the kiss. Almost.
Luckily, Keefe didn't forget the second most important thing. Raising up his imparter, he took a quick picture, and took a step back, laughing from pure giddiness too much to do anything but, well, laugh!
He pressed a few buttons on the imparter before showing Sophie the picture. She blushed even harder than he was, if that was even possible.
"You, should send that to me." She stammered.
"Already did." He winked. "And to our friends."
Sophie's eyes grew, though he could tell she wasn't mad. "You didn't!" She laughed, jumping forward to grab the imparter from him so she could check. He was having too much fun messing with her to just hand it over, but as she tried to wrestle from him, he was knocked off balance and over the arm of the couch. She fell with him, her lips landing only an inch away from his. Their eyes grew as a blush covered their faces. But just as they started to lean towards each other, overcoming the awkwardness the settled around them, Keefe's imparter rang.
Sophie quickly sat up as Keefe grabbed it off the carpet.
Keefe sat up. "Yo D-man!" He jokingly awnsered saw Dex's picture flash across the screen.
But it wasn't Dex.
"SOPHIE!" A very loud Grady yelled into the phone, causing Keefe to jump so hard he dropped it.
Sophie quickly fished it out of the tall, fluffy white carpet. "Hey Dad… Um-"
"GET. HOME. NOW." He growled from between his teeth.
In the background Edaline's face could be seen peeking through. "Don't worry sweetie, I'll talk to him! Just be home for dinner in an hour! That should give him time to-"
Grady slammed it off, leaving Keefe and Sophie in silence.
"So," Keefe started as waves of panic filled the air like a dark storm cloud around Sophie. "Your dad's super stocked to have me as a "son," huh." Sophie turned red.
"I'm sure he'll warm up to you" She nervously smiled.
"With my charming looks?! How could he not! But, hey," he added, "your mom likes me at least. And it might take a few years, but I'm determined to get on Grady's good side."
"A few years?" She blushed even harder.
"Ah, well, I mean if we are still dating then." He stared at the wall as his face caught fire.
"With everything we've been through together, I'm sure we will." She smiled brightly, scooting closer to him.
He couldn't help the way the blush intensified as he leaned closer, his hands growing clamy. "Don't you have to go?" He mumbled.
"I still have a few minutes." She placed a hand on his shoulder, leaning up to meet his lips. A giant smile spread across his face, burning his cheeks. He wasn't used to being so happy, but he was pretty sure he would get used to it very quickly.
A few more calls came through the imparter, but the two were stuck in their own world. Keefe at once point picked it up and chucked it across the room, accidentally answering it.
"Hello?" A deep accented voice called through a few times to no avail.
"Are they even there?" A girl's equally accented voice replied.
"Well, they did answer it. Maybe they, um, have bad connection?" A flowy girl's sweet voice said.
"I think that's just a human thing." A grumpy, sharp voice chimed in. "Wow, I really respected Sophie. I can't believe she's kissing that traitor now! Her emotions will get in the way of fighting…" He grumbled.
"But Keefe is nice!" The flowy voice defended.
"Umm, maybe we should turn this off." The accented girl's voice said. "They might be… busy."
"Busy? But they answered..." The other girl asked, an audible head cock and large eyes following.
"Busy kissing a traitor." The sharp voice said growled.
"Um, I'm just going to end this now…" The deep, accented voice interjected among the building chaos, a click following.
And once again two were left alone, and Keefe could finally tell Sophie everything. They spent the next hour just talking, about important things, about stupid things, just talking. And it was perfect. Keefe could finally see his life falling into place. He could see a future where he would be happy, maybe even a few hundred years from now with tiny Keefes and Keefettes who he would be a real father too, even teaching them pranks and giving them extra hugs and cuddle attacks and mallowmelt. Yeah, lots of mallowmelt. It was waaaaaay too soon to ever say that to Sophie, let alone anyone else, but it did cross his mind. For now, he just wanted to live every moment in happiness. And maybe eat some mallowmelt. But, he would share it with Sophie, probably.