"What do you mean you have to go?" Dex said in shock.
Keefe sighed, knowing this was going to be a hard conversation, and put his bag on the ground. "What I mean is, I can't stay in the Lost Cities right now. The black swan doesn't want me to do anything, my dad has been riding my ass, and I'm sick of it. I need to take some time to figure myself out."
The group looked at him with weary eyes, all of them understanding his struggle but not wanting him to leave.
Fitz took a step forward and made a stern face, "this is only for a little while, right? A week, maybe a couple?"
Keefe, hearing the anxiety peak through his best friend's voice, looked away and nodded. Everyone seemed to relax a little at that and relief fell over Fitz.
"Well, I guess you're ready to go. We wish you the best of luck Keefe!" Biana exclaimed.
Keefe made a noncommital noise, still looking away, "yeah almost ready. I just have one more thing I have to do."
Suddenly Keefe heard Tam start to laugh and snapped his head up, confused.
"You haven't told Sophie yet have you?"
His cheeks turned pink as he shook his head no, "I was going to tell her later."
"Tell me what later?" Sophie asked as she came into the room.
Keefe whipped around as Dex patted his shoulder, "good luck buddy."
"Sophie! You weren't supposed to be back yet!"
Sophie looked at him confused, "I finished my work up early and thought I'd come to hang out. Why, is something wrong?"
Keefe rubbed the back of his neck as he thought about how he should phrase his next words.
"Why do you have duffle bags?" Sophie asked, noticing them for the first time.
Tam laughed again.
"I..." Keefe started, "I've decided to move out of my Dad's house."
Sophie's eyebrows shot up, "Oh that's wonderful Keefe!" She looked around and noticed the pained faces, "Why is everyone so sad? What am I missing?"
"I'm not moving into the Lost cities, I'm going to go away for a little while"
Sophie looked at him confused, "Away from us away? Why would you do that?"
He sighed again, "I'm not needed here right now and I need some time to figure myself out."
"What do you mean you're not needed here, of course we need you here."
"No, you don't."
"Yes, we do."
"No, you really don't. All of you have been so helpful fighting back against the Neverseen and I have been nothing but a burden or a casualty," Keefe huffed, angry at himself.
Sophie stepped closer to him, "Keefe you have never been a burden to this group. You of all people should know how much we need you here." She glanced nervously at the other watching them and lowered her voice, "how much I need you here."
"Come on Sophie," Fitz said softly, "he's only going away for a couple of weeks, he'll be back."
She stared at Fitz and then looked down at Keefe's bags. "What, are you dumb? Look at his bags, have you ever seen Keefe bring more than one bag whenever we hide out somewhere with the black swan? He literally only wears 3 shirts and 2 pairs of pants. All the stuff that he needs for a month fits into a backpack. No," she turned to give Keefe her full attention again, "he's planning to be gone for a long time."
The group looked at him in shock, realization running through their heads.
Keefe gave her a look of anguish, "I knew I couldn't fool you, that's why I was going to tell you later, without the bags."
"Keefe," Sophie said seriously, "Please, please don't do this."
"I have to, there's nothing left for me here. That's not to say I don't like you all but I need to figure out who I am!"
The group was silent, even Tam didn't have a quick remark as they all realized this all became serious.
Sophie grabbed Keefe's wrists, "Look at me, Keefe."
He kept his eyes down.
"LOOK at me, Keefe."
His eyes met hers, "You are the boy who makes a joke when everyone needs a laugh. You are the boy who finds the good in every situation. You are the boy who skips class so he can help a fellow classmate find her way through the hallways. You are the boy who has helped this city countless times before. You are the boy who cares so deeply for others yet he doesn't know how to see that others care for him. You are the boy who laughs to hide his pain. You are the boy who's moral compass is so exact that I never doubt that you know what the right thing to do is. And you are the boy who has gotten me through this last year when everything else went to shit. I know that asking you to stay is selfish because I know that you need some time for yourself, and I'm not arguing that you shouldn't move out of your father's house because I think that's good too. But Keefe, you can't leave us forever. Just take a break. Like I said before, we need you. Without you, we would have never gotten to where we are today."
The group murmured their agreement.
Keefe gave her doubtful eyes, eyes she knew hadn't decided to stay with them in the Lost Cities. She pursed her lips, her heart beat faster, and she decided it was time to say what she needed to say.
"Keefe," she put her hands on both sides of his head as she ignored how little space there was left between them, "If you truly believe that you don't belong here, even though we have all told you that you do, then you may leave." She looked into his broken eyes, "But I'm not letting you leave until you fully understand why I'm asking you to stay."
She pulled his face towards her and kissed him. It wasn't a quick kiss either, it wasn't shy. She kissed him because she knew this was her last chance too, because this was her only chance to let him know about the emotions she had previously tried to hide from him.
Keefe took a second to process what was happening, his mind going into overdrive, and then wrapped his arms around her as he leaned into the kiss, closing his eyes and pulling her against him. Sophie ran her fingers through his hair, the two not letting go until they pulled apart to take a breath. He stared at her in awe, color filling her cheeks as she stared back.
"How long have you felt this way," he asked curiously, his eyebrows knit together over his smile.
"It's been a while I just haven't felt like it was right to put you in that position with everything going on with the Neverseen and everything." Sophie brushed her thumb against his cheek. "I hope this means you feel similar?" He lifted her up and twirled her in a circle as she giggled. Bringing her down slowly as they met for another kiss.
"Yes Sophie," he said in a tone that mirrored exasperation, which confused her. "Yes, I very much feel similar."
"Um as sweet as this moment is," Dex interrupted as Lihn elbowed him. "Does this mean you're not going?"
Keefe and Sophie immediately broke apart as they remembered the five other people in the room. Sophie gave him a look with her eyebrows raised, questioning if Keefe wanted to leave still.
He shook his head at the group, "No, no I think I'll stay awhile." He grinned at Sophie and she gave him a smirk.
"I still think you should move out of your dad's house though," Sophie said as the group nodded their agreement.
"Maybe you can come to stay with us until you get settled," Fitz prompted.
"Ugh, just what I need another boy in the house," Biana teased.
Keefe rubbed the back of his neck, "Are you guys sure?"
"Of course man, you're like a brother to me!" Fitz exclaimed though he looked surprisingly comfortable with the whole situation.
"Well, I guess that settles that," Keefe noted as the group went silent.
Lihn was the first to get the hint and loudly proclaimed, "I think we should go get some food. Anyone with me? Dex, Fitz, Biana, Tam?"
"Yes! Food sounds perfect right now!" Biana agreed as she linked arms with Tam and Fitz to pull them out of the room.
"I'm actually not that hun-" Dex started but was interrupted by Lihn.
"No you're not," she said as she pulled Dex with her.
Keefe laughed while he watched his friends leave and turned back to Sophie.
"So, want to talk about the whole 'Keefe I'm actually in love with you and I have been this whole time!' confession. Pretty cute if you ask me."
Sophie whacked him on the arm, "Don't push it Sencen, that was hard for me. What did you think was going to happen, you were going to leave and I wouldn't find you?"
Keefe's smile faded, "No I just- I was falling apart and I didn't know what to do. I just felt like I needed to get away from everything and the thought of having to say goodbye to you... well, I just couldn't do it."
"Keefe, I know it's hard for you to talk about these things but you have always been there for me when I needed you. Hell, you've been there when no one else has. If you think I could have walked away from being unmatchable the way I did without your support then you would have found yourself wondering where your goodbye was years ago. I wish you could have told me that things were getting worse for you because," Sophie stepped closer once again, "I want to be there to support you, 100%. If you don't want to talk about certain things that's fine, but please don't let it get to a place where you are going to leave me. Give me a chance to make you stay."
Keefe leaned down to kiss her again but this time Sophie knew it was his way of telling her thank you. When she looked back on it, Keefe's love language had always been non-verbal. Sure he joked and teased but it was the drawings, the hangouts, and his actions that had always shown how much he cared for his friends. Of course, she was going to have to get used to kissing now being a part of that with her but it was a sacrifice she was willing to make happily.