Foster | sokeefe

EIGHT: KEEFE

Keefe was having a staring competition with himself in the mirror and fun fact, he was losing.

Audibly sighing, he shook his head and looked away, unable to meet the reflection of the blonde in the mirror.

He heaved himself off the bathroom counter, smiling a little when he noticed the grinning cartoon fish on the shower curtain. 

His hand felt for the door, pushing it open quietly, as to not to make it squeak, in which he failed in as the door groaned and squeaked so loudly Keefe was sure that Elwin would have heard it.

Plonking himself down on the bed, he let the quiet thoughts creep in, echoing in his mind, getting louder by the second. Loud, loud, too loud.

Keefe pressed his hands against his ears as if by doing that he could block out the screams that replayed in his head.

Just then, Ro swung open the door, carrying a plate heaving with slimy green goo. She ran and jumped on the bed, somehow managing not to spill any of the goo.

"Food!" she exclaimed, "real food, not that sparkly stuff you elves eat. Elwin had some stuff he used for his elixirs, and he told me I could have a little, if I wanted to."

A little? Keefe wanted to ask, raising his eyebrows at the goo which seemed to be moving?

"Well," Ro admitted, "I didn't know when I'd get this again, so I took as much as I could. Besides, I'm a growing ogre."

Keefe rolled his eyes, thinking off what he would've said if he could speak.

"Keefe," Ro said quietly, which was a feat in itself, "please just say something, anything. It's really scaring me."

Keefe violently shook his head, to which Ro huffed angrily.

"Anyways," she said, looking out of the glass window, "looks like that Dex kid has just shown up."

***

Keefe could have sworn it was Kesler that walked into the room, his periwinkle eyes immediately surveying the general glitteryness of the surroundings.

"Hey," he said, sitting down next to Keefe when he didn't reply.

"Wow," he said, "you're really not going to talk. I figured Elwin was either exaggerating that part, or you were messing with him."

Keefe shook his head, knowing that nothing, absolutely nothing, could get him to risk talking. His mind flashed back to the blank gazes on his friends' faces and attempted to shake the memory out of his head.

Ro sighed and turned to Dex. "In case you were wondering, he's overthinking everything right now. I don't know what he's imagining, but I'm guessing it has something super melodramatic, like him single-handedly destroying the world with the sound of his voice. Who knew our Hunkyhair was an even bigger worrier than Blondie?"

Dex let off a small laugh, but quickly stopped himself when he saw the solemn look on Keefe's face.

"Elwin said you wanted my help?" he asked as Keefe nodded.

"Okay," Dex said slowly, "what do you want?"

Keefe gestured to his throat, trying to convey his thoughts.

"Some Nogginease?" Dex tried, making Keefe sigh.

This was going to be a long game of charades.

***

Dex promised he would try to come up with something. But somehow Keefe still felt like a safeguard for his new ability still wasn't enough.

He needed something else, something something more, something like...

Keefe cleared his throat, trying to ignore Ro's excited comments as he raised his head, trying to focus on calm, steady breaths.

"I need you to make me an ability restrictor," he said, in barely more than a whisper.

And woah, did he get hit by a blast of  worry, anger, and panic. His head throbbed and his ears rang as Dex jumped to his feet and told him, "I am never making one of those again."

Keefe had expected him to say that. Yet, there was a glimmer of hope in him that had been snuffed out by those words. But he had to keep trying.

"Please," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "You can find a way to key it to my DNA so that it'll only work on me.

Dex shook his head stubbornly. "The Council would crack it."

"Please," Keefe begged again, trying to wear Dex down with as little words as possible. But he achieved nothing, and if he did, he only made Dex's determination grow.

Unless.

No. No. No. No. No. No.

His heart started racing and a word began to itch at the base of his brain.

No. No. No.

Keefe refused to acknowledge it, but he didn't push it away either. This was the only way to ever safely see Sophie again.

To see anyone again. Those were his options. He had to make Dex understand.

Had to. Had to. Had to.

The command burnt on his tongue, yearning to get out, to be used, but Keefe pushed it back, coughing and choking as it got caught in his throat.

He bit his lip with as much strength as he could muster, and the sharp pain was enough to cut through the word and make it fade.

"Woah, easy, boy," Ro said, grabbing Keefe's arm to stop him from hitting himself. "It's okay. You're okay."

But he wasn't. What would've happened if the command had escaped? What if he had controlled Dex like he had controlled Sophie?

Tears smarted in Keefe's eyes and he clung to Ro as he collapsed onto her.

"Uh, I'm not much of a hugger," Ro warned.

But that didn't stop her from adjusting Keefe's head to it rested on her shoulder, away from the spikes on her armor. And mixed with her surprise and awkwardness was a tinge of anger and concern so tightly interwoven they felt almost solid.

Protective.

Which was good because Keefe couldn't let go.

Couldn't move.

Could barely keep his eyelids open, but he fixed his stare on Dex and pleaded, silently, with the full force of his plea translated into his ice blue eyes.

Ro whistled. "Wow, now that's what desperation looks like."

"It is," Dex agreed, "but you don't know what you're asking for, Keefe. You weren't in Magnate Leto's office when the Council put the ability restrictor on Sophie. Even with the adjustments I made, I could tell it was super painful. And I'd have to restrict all of your abilities."

Keefe didn't care. Whatever it took to make it safe.

"Please," he whispered, his voice so quiet he doubted Dex could hear him, "you have to promise me that if it all goes wrong, you'll help me."

Dex sighed. "I'll think about it. That's all I'll agree to."

Keefe bit hard on his lip again as the itch surged in his brain, the command so loud he could practically hear it ringing in his brain.

But he closed his eyes and managed to drown the command.

That was twice now.

Twice he had managed to keep control.

So maybe, just maybe, there was hope.

But if not...

Dex had to take the ability away.

By any means necessary.

A/N: hey look I updated! This chapter was really annoying to write because my phone keeps auto correcting Dex to DeX, so if there is a stray DeX somewhere there, it wasn't my fault because he persuaded me to trade away my cow for beans.