KOTLC After Stellarlune-A Sokeefe Story

Ro (part 2)

Thankfully, Lord Cassius did NOT appear to be home. Though not an empath, Sophie thought she could practically feel the relief coming off Keefe in waves. And she understood. An encounter with his father was the last thing Keefe needed right now.

Sandor, of course, insisted on inspecting the house before letting them inside. After looking thoroughly inside and out, he stationed himself at the front door as they went inside.

"Keefe," Sophie whispered softly, tugging on his hand. "Keefe, I'm sorry this is happening. I'm scared for her."

"Me too," Keefe admitted, pulling her in for a tight hug. "But I'm glad you're here to bear it with me."

So she followed him to his old room, watching as he went through and pulled out Ro's few belongings. Telling her about some of the conversations--and even arguments--he'd had with Ro in that room. Before too long, he had done all he came to do. He took Sophie by the hand and lead her outside to sit in the porch swing and look out at the beach.

"I'm just not ready to go face real life just yet," he said quietly, squeezing her hand tightly. "Can we just...stay here a little while?"

"Yes please," Sophie agreed.

"She'll be okay. She has to be okay. She still has a favor to call in for winning that bet. And she still has to beat me up for leaving," he said, trying and failing to laugh. "I can't stand the thought of her not getting to do those things."

"Can you imagine the look on her face when she finds out we're together?" Sophie said, trying to inject some hope into the fearful atmosphere engulfing them.

Keefe managed a light laugh this time. "She'll be beside herself. You know how many times she has lectured me for not putting myself out there and just openly telling you how I felt? She wanted me to stop waiting in the sidelines and try to force you to come to terms with your feelings. Told me sometimes you have to play dirty. And I admit, it was tempting. There were a couple of times I almost broke down and took her advice. She seemed to think if I just grabbed you and kissed you, then the battle would be won."

Sophie grinned. "That's the Ro we know and love. I wonder if she was right. Maybe you should have. You know, after you left, she told me how you felt about me, and told me I needed to work out my feelings, because she wanted you to be happy. She wanted us to either be happy together or for you to know the worst so you could move on." Sadness washed over Sophie again, worrying Ro would not live to know how it had all turned out.

"Don't," Keefe said in a choked voice. Sophie looked at him, goosebumps on his arms and fear in his eyes. "I can feel your sadness and your fear. Mine is already too much."

Sophie jumped up and backed up towards the door to the house, trying to put some distance between them. "I'm sorry!" she said. Man, it must be awful being an empath.

Keefe shook his head as he stood up to follow her. "I've told you before, a few feet won't make a difference. And I definitely don't want you to leave, I need you here with me."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to have to deal with my feelings along with your own, not if it's going to make things too hard." Sophie privately hoped he wouldn't change his mind and ask her to leave.

"I'm sure," he whispered. "We just need a distraction." He was standing very, very close now.

"A distraction," Sophie agreed, hardly knowing what she was saying. It was hard to think straight, sometimes, when those ice blue eyes were so close.

There was a desperate look in those eyes. Desperate for good news, but also desperate to forget, even if just for a moment, the high stakes they were all dealing with. Desperate for solace. Sophie understood that desperation because she felt it too.

They both seemed to reach for each other at the exact same time. How long they stood there, holding on to each other with tears streaming down their faces, Sophie wasn't sure. All she knew was that this time, she and Keefe were scared and broken together. This time, it wasn't just one comforting the other. This time, they had to draw strength from each other and simply be glad they weren't going through it alone.

Eventually, Sophie let out a small laugh. "I'm not sure this counts as a distraction," she whispered in Keefe's ear.

Keefe pulled away just enough to be able to look at her. "Not really at all, no," he said with a small smile. "But it did make the fear a little easier to bear." He brought one hand to her face, tucking her hair behind her ear and whispering "I love you" before leaning back in to kiss her.

This kiss was different, somehow. There was an urgency, as though they both realized they couldn't take even one breath for granted. Life wasn't certain. Oh, thought Sophie, her heart racing. Here is the distraction we were looking for. And as Keefe's hand tangled up in her hair while the other slid from her back to grip her waist so tightly she thought he must be clinging to her for dear life, she understood just how sufficient this distraction was. Nothing else seemed real in that moment. Nothing but Sophie and the beautiful blond boy holding her so tightly.

For a brief second, Keefe's grip on her tightened even more before he let go and took a step back. There was fire in his eyes and he was slightly out of breath.

But then, so was she.

Keefe shook his head back and forth as though to clear it. "Well...that was pretty intense too," he mumbled, still struggling to catch his breath. "The first time we kissed, my abilities were still messed up and I couldn't tell what you were feeling. But every day since Elysian my ability has returned more and more. And believe me, I LOVE that confirmation that you really do enjoy it." He grinned at that. "But just now, that was...something else."

Sophie found herself blushing deeply, but Keefe just smirked at her. "Don't worry," he whispered. "I love it." He winked at her. "Don't forget, you weren't the only one whose emotions spiked like crazy. That was definitely both of us."

Sophie rolled her eyes. "It's your own fault, kissing me like that."

"I know, I know. I'm irresistible," Keefe teased.
Then as silence settled over them, the little bubble of respite they'd so blissfully been enjoying began to dissolve. So Keefe leaned in for one more kiss, gentle and sweet this time, before taking her hand. "Come on, Foster. Time to go back to reality."