Back in Keefe's room, Sophie settled herself into his desk chair while he sprawled out on his bed. She saw his sketchbooks and began to rifle through the pictures, just as amazed as ever at his incredible talent.
"Which pictures are you going to put on your walls?" she asked after a moment.
Keefe got up and came to stand behind her, bending over to reach the book in her hands. "What about this one?" he asked as he flipped the pages.
"You...drew Iggy?" Sophie started laughing.
Keefe shrugged. "I'll draw just about anything." He turned the page.
Sophie just started laughing some more when she saw that he had also drawn the Gorgodon, Ro painting her claw-like nails, and even Sandor standing with arms crossed, looking grumpy.
"Okay, so maybe not the best things to put on my wall. But in all seriousness, how about this one?" He flipped to another part of the book and showed her a sketch he had done of her dozing under the Panakes tree.
"You want to put a picture of me on your wall?" Sophie blushed.
"Yup, and it'll go in a place of honor. Right under the most important picture of all." He pointed to the next page.
Sophie just stared for a moment, then snorted. "You actually took the time to draw a plate of mallowmelt??"
Keefe nodded, unabashed, and moved back to his bed. "Not just any mallowmelt, that's Edaline's mallowmelt."
Sophie rolled her eyes and picked up another sketchbook before moving to sit next to Keefe.
"I just started this one," Keefe commented. "There's only one picture in here and it isn't finished. I think you'll like it though."
Sophie gasped quietly when she opened the book.
It wasn't fully painted in yet, but was very nearly done.
A beautiful painting of Dex and Biana, standing side by side, holding hands. Angled slightly toward each other and looking intently at each other.
Keefe's attention to detail and his ability to truly see people never ceased to amaze Sophie. The way they were smiling. Dex's dimples. Biana's pink panic switch ring—the one Dex gave her—on her finger. Even, faintly visible, he'd drawn her scars.
Keefe smiled and leaned in to take the sketchbook from Sophie's hands, tossing it aside. "I told you you'd like it," he told her before putting an arm around her and pulling her in closer. "Now I just have to decide which one of them I'm giving it to when it's finished. Or I guess I could make a second one."
"They'll love it too," Sophie whispered.
Keefe laughed quietly. "Why does that picture have you swooning over me more than the one I made of you?"
"It just reminded me of how well you see people. You act silly and funny and goofy but you pay attention and you really get to know your friends. And things like this," she gestured toward the sketchbook. "You're so willing to show your friends you care." She tilted her head up to kiss him lightly on the lips. "Well...except Tam."
Keefe jumped up off the bed. "Uh, Bangs Boy definitely doesn't count. And I think I need to make a new rule for us."
"What's that?"
"Never mention Bangs Boy while we are kissing, ever again."
Sophie just giggled. "I'm sorry, Keefe. How can I make it up to you?"
"Just give me a do-over?" He pouted.
Sophie rolled her eyes, but stood up, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again.
"So...you think they'll like how I chose to paint them?" Keefe asked after a moment.
"Yes, I know they will."
"I wasn't sure if I should include Biana's scars. It's accurate, but I didn't know if it might bother her that I painted them."
"I don't think so. That might've been the best part. You don't hide imperfections, you draw us as we really are. Those are her battle scars. And she doesn't try to hide them, she wears them proudly."
Keefe smiled warmly. "She has changed and matured so much the last few years. Battling the Neverseen forced all of us to grow up, and toughen up." He lightly fingered the small star-shaped scar on her hand. "She's not the only one with scars."
"No, she's not," Sophie agreed. "Though some scars may have been unnecessary," she pointed out, gently placing her hand over his abdomen, right where he got slashed by King Dimitar. She could almost feel the scar through the thin fabric of his shirt.
Keefe closed his eyes briefly at the touch of her hand. "Sorry about that one," he said, his voice suddenly sounding husky. There was a slight flush on his cheeks that hadn't been there before. "I try not to be that stupid anymore."
"It all worked out. If anything, I should have realized that day how I felt about you. Sure, I wouldn't want any of my friends to get in a sparring match with an ogre, but I definitely think the level of hurt and betrayal and disappointment I felt that day only made sense if my feelings went deeper than just a friendship. It took me way too long to see it, but I loved you even then."
Keefe's expression was full of warm tenderness as he inched closer to her and reached towards her face, weaving his fingers into her hair as he slowly closed the empty space between them. "Sophie," he whispered fervently right before their lips met.
The intensity of the kiss nearly took Sophie's breath away. She was worried about what the school year would bring, about her time with Keefe being limited, about their circle of friends falling apart now that they were in different parts of the school and not being constantly brought together to fight the Neverseen. But in this moment? With her arms wrapped tightly around Keefe, his hands buried in her hair as he broke the kiss just long enough to emphatically whisper "I love you" before kissing her again, in this moment it felt like maybe it would all be okay.
YOU ARE READING
KOTLC After Stellarlune-A Sokeefe Story
Fanfiction"Keefe. Even if I hadn't been unmatchable, even if Fitz and I had been on each other's match lists, I need you to know that eventually, it still would have been you." -Excerpt from "Triumphant" All she knew was that this time, she and Keefe were s...
