The Realization (A SoKeefe/Keephie story)

Chapter 2 - Keefe's POV

"Sooooooooooo," Ro drawled out, grinning at me.

"So what?" I asked, leaning back slightly as my pencil scribbled furiously on a page of my notebook.

"Sooooooooo," She said again. This really is getting annoying, I thought, then gritted my teeth as I erased part of the drawing for the thousandth time.

"Sophie and Keefe, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G," She sang. "Too bad she's still our little miss oblivious, right?" I shrugged, trying to ignore the slight pang in my heart when she said those words.

"It doesn't bother me," I said, slamming my notebook shut. "She's..." I paused, not sure what I had wanted to say. Ro snickered.

"What are you going to say about your little girlfriend next?" She asked, smirking at me.

"Nothing," I said flatly. "And for the last time, she's not my girlfriend!"

"Why not?" She asked, watching me closely. "She's not taken by Pretty Boy anymore, so why not try for once and be honest with her for once?

"I am honest to her," I said, giving up on the drawing and staring out the window. The aqua blue waves washed peacefully on the black sand beach. The Shores of Solace would live up to its name, except for one little thing...

"Keefe Sencen!" My father boomed as he swept into my room, almost on cue. "I just got your Foxfire results back from the midterm, and you only got a 99% in elementalism! THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! You're a Sencen, you should be 100% in everything!" I tried to cut in, but once Dear Old Dad's rage with me got rolling, virtually nothing could stop him.

"I am DEEPLY disappointed in you! I expect better of you next time!" He turned to go, then spotted the notebooks and crumbled pieces of paper scattered around my room. He sneered. "Have you been drawing again? When you should be working on your scores?" My father shook his head, as if it was too much for him, and walked out without another word. I stared blankly at the doorway of my bedroom, listening to the sounds of his most likely expensive shoes thudding away. But then he heard another set of footsteps.

"Keefe?" A strand of blond hair first came into view, then Sophie's concerned brown eyes appeared.

"Hey Foster," I said, trying to summon up a smirk. She only frowned, then took a step into my bedroom like she wasn't sure if she should come in.

"It's fine, you can come in," I said, sweeping my arm around.

Sophie hesitated for a second, then crossed my room and sat on the bed with me. She put both of her warm hands on mine, and asked, "Are you okay, Keefe?" She hesitated for a second, then continued. "I... heard your father. Is that what your home life is really like?"

"Yeah," I laughed bitterly. "Jealous, aren't you?

"No, really!" She gripped my arm tighter. "Stop trying to pretend that everything is okay, Keefe!" I felt her emotions wash over me. Worry, pity, concern...

"Whoa there Foster," I said, pulling my hand back a little bit. "That was a strong wave of emotions you just hit me with." She ignored me, staring at me fiercely.

"This isn't a joke, Keefe!" She said hotly, dropping her gaze to the sheet on my bed and fiddling with it. "You're one of my best friends, Keefe," she said quietly. "I want you to be happy."

I would be happier if you loved me back, my brain thought, but I pushed the thought away. "YOu don't need to worry about me, Foster," I sighed.

She opened her mouth, ready to argue back, but I put up a finger, stopping her. "And don't say you're not worried about me, Foster." I gestured to myself. "Empath, remember?"

I cleared my throat then continued in a softer voice. "You also don't need to feel sorry for me. Do not feel sorry for me. Please," I added quietly.

"But—" Sophie began to say, but I put my finger on her lips, instantly silencing her. Then, realizing that I was touching her lips, I quickly dropped my hand.

Before I could dwell on the softness of her lips, Ro called out, "Smooooooth, Hunkyhair!" Sophie and I both jumped. We had clearly both forgotten that there were bodyguards in the room. Now that I knew of their presence, I could no longer ignore the glare Sandor was sending me. He must have gotten lessons from Grady.

"Did you two forget that you weren't alone?" Ro asked, smirking while making smooching noises. I cringed and looked at Sophie, not sure how she was going to react to Ro's obnoxiousness. Her face was red and she had bent her head so that her hair was hiding her face.

Just then, Sophie's Imparter buzzed, and we both jumped again.

"Who is it?" I asked, bending over to take a look.

"It's... Fitz," She said. There was almost no trace of emotion in her voice, but I could feel the different feelings she was sending my way. There was worry, anxiety, frustration, then... guilt?

"Sophie, you don't have to answer, you know," I said softly, taking her shoulders and carefully turning her towards me until we looked at each other. I stared intensely into her brown eyes, my own ice-blue eyes searching out every single gold fleck in the brown pools.

She finally pulled back and blew out a breath. "Okay, but... What if it is my fault that we broke up? Then I have to call him and apologize! maybe he wouldn't have been so angry and I just escalated the situation! Maybe I should have just told him who my biological mother was. Maybe—"

"Maybe it's not your fault and you did the right thing!" I interrupted loudly. Sophie jumped slightly. "Sorry. But seriously, it's not your fault," I said quietly, reaching for her hand. "It's not," I repeated firmly.

Sophie let out a breath. "Okay, I suppose, but..." She carefully took her hand away from mine. "I think that...I just need some time to think this through." She walked towards the door, but before she got there, she turned back and threw herself into my arms.

I was surprised, but I hugged her back. "It'll be all right Foster," I breathed, barely able to speak when her arms were wrapped around him, for two very different reasons.

I patted her back, and then she left. "Goodbye Keefe," was the last thing she said before she walked out the door.

a/n: Since the first-person narrative isn't really working out, the next few chapters are going to be in third-person, though still separate POVs. Also, I'm hoping to bring in more characters like Fitz, Biana, Dex, Linh, and Tam. Thank you everyone for reading this!