𝗌𝗈𝗄𝖾𝖾𝖿𝖾 𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗍𝗌

『𝗅𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖺 𝗅𝗂𝗍𝗍𝗅𝖾, 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾.』

A/N: this chapter is giving.....keefe being hella attractive..i guess?? idrk ok?????? ALSO TOTALLY COPIED "THESE HOLLOW VOWS" BTW SO CREDITS HERE!!!!

-rosie :)

Sophie heard a knock on her bedroom door as she was working on homework at her desk.

"Come in!" She looked up and expected to see Grady or Edaline, but instead she found a handsome smirk leaning against the doorframe. Sophie's breath hitched at her forever crush looking so beautiful at the foot of her room.

"Sup Foster" Keefe said, striding in her room. Sophie couldn't help staring at his attractive features. His broad shoulders, his strong arms, his tousled hair. Keefe had aged in the few years it had been since they defeated the Neverseen. Sophie and some of the others were now 17 while Keefe was 18. Keefe was in his last year of the elite levels, and he was now (according to human rules) an adult. And it showed. He looked way more mature than before. And way more hot.

"What are you doing here?" Sophie blurted out. 

damnit, sophie. what are you doing??

"Are we past hellos now?" Keefe raised an eyebrow and plopped on her bed.

"Hi." Sophie's voice came out kinda squeaky. 

since when did she suck at this? it wasn't this bad with fitz, right?

"Relax, Foster. I'm not here to kill you." He said, fanning the air. He must've sensed her panic, but thankfully he didn't guess the reason right. Keefe looked her up and down, taking in her pajama shorts and cropped, loose shirt. Sophie flushed red and spun in her chair so he couldn't get such a broad view of her body. She continued working on her homework. 

"What are you doing here again?" She repeated

"Why? Am I a disturbance?" Keefe asked.

"I mean, yeah. You're kind of a distraction" Sophie cursed herself right after the words came out of her mouth. She went rigid as she thought about what her words would imply.

"Oh?" Keefe said, and Sophie could here the smirk in his voice. She cleared her throat.

"Yeah." She wrote faster, and kept her eyes on her paper, but she could feel Keefe staring.

"Thankfully, I do have a reason to why I came here." He said, standing up and walked over to her. Sophie froze; she could feel him hovering over her. She then remembered the rumors that someone told Keefe how Sophie felt about him. 

oh no no no no no. he's here to blow me off!!!

Keefe spun her chair around so that their faces were almost touching. He chuckled slightly at her flustered expression. Then he grabbed her hand and pulled her up. Pulses shot up her arm at his touch. She wanted to smash into him, pull him into an embrace that would never end. Keefe probably sensed Sophie's emotions, because he looked back and smirked at her. Sophie suddenly became very invested in her shoes. But a thumb pushed her chin up, and she found Keefe pulling out a leaping crystal and sweeping them into the light.

"What are you doing?" Sophie hissed.

"Don't you want free staff food?" Keefe asked, his voice low. Sophie took notice of their surroundings. Keefe was pulling her into the back entrance of Foxfire. Her mouth watered at the thought of the staff food. But she shut them down.

"Keefe, we can't steal." She said, pulling on his arm. It was really no use, though, because Keefe was way stronger than Sophie. He pulled her closer to him and whispered,

"Live a little, love." while putting a finger on her lips, telling her to be quiet. Sophie melted at the feeling of his soft fingers on her lips. Sophie wanted him so bad. 

They walked to the cafeteria and entered the staff room. It was food galore. But, unfortunately, before they could snag any, they heard a voice from the lunch tables. Sophie cursed in her head. On the outside, however, she shot Keefe a 'save us' look. He raised his eyebrows at her and then gave her a sly smile. He then pulled her against him, backing into the dark corner of the room. Her back was flush against his front, and his hand was splayed against her stomach. His hand was cold, but also comforting. Sophie's heart pounded at his gentle touch. Keefe began slowly tracing his thumb in circles across her stomach, making Sophie tense.

"What are you doing?" She whispered.

"Hmm?"

"You keep teasing me, acting as if you like me or something." Just before Keefe could respond, the person walking around in the cafeteria turned the corner, leaving them alone again.

"Well?" Sophie asked. She was getting a little annoyed that he was totally gaslighting her into thinking he liked her. Keefe's lips brushed her ear as he said,

"Trust your gut, Foster" He laid his hands on her arms as he said it, then immediately released. Sophie wanted him back. She had to admit that she loved the way he always teased her.

"And remember to live a little." He said. Sophie felt a sense of urgency take over, and she spun around. She looked Keefe in the eye and said,

"I-" breathe "I like you, Keefe." She held his gaze to see his reaction. His face didn't change. He only displayed a smile on his lips. He chuckled.

"I know." Emotions shot through Sophie's body. That wasn't what she expected.

"Well?"

"Well what, love? You've got to be specific." He placed a hand on her jawline.

love.

"Well do you like me back?" Without answering, Keefe leaned forward, and kissed her. Sophie's emotions surged as she kissed him back. Her arms went around his neck and his hands were placed on her waist. He continued to tease her with his thumbs grazing her skin. They pulled apart, and Sophie turned very red. How did Keefe look so calm?

"Does that answer your question?" He said.

"Yeah." She breathed. "Definitely."