Sophie 2.0 - Keefe x Reader

A Fraud and an Empath Walk into a Training Ground

"Hey, over here!"

You took a deep breath and tightened the cloak around yourself. Keefe rubbed your shoulder as the two of you looked down at the training grounds below. A perky girl with dark hair was waving at you. Biana. The name floated into your mind as if out of water, but it was there. With her was . . . Dex the redhead, and . . . Fitz. A lot of memories flooded your mind unprompted and you blushed. Great.

"Hey, you're gonna do great," Keefe said, and you wondered for a moment if he could read your mind as well as your emotions. He gave you a lopsided grin and offered you his hand. "Just remember to respond to Sophie's name and use the memories you have. You've got this."

"Part of that won't be very hard," you murmured as you took his hand and followed him down the hill. He'd been calling you Sophie ever since breakfast just to get you used to it, and so had Grady and Edaline when you'd gone to get clothes and Keefe had "explained" the situation. They'd seemed to believe it, but you hadn't interacted with them much. Your friends would be a much different playing field. 

"Hey, guys!" Biana said, smiling uncertainly. "Keefe, who's your friend?"

"Sophie," he said simply. The others stared for a moment, then started laughing.

"No, really, who is she?" Dex asked. 

"We're not supposed to bring outsiders here," Fitz said. He wasn't laughing, and his cold demeanor was incongruous with Sophie's memories of him. You furrowed your eyebrows, confused.

"No, this really is Sophie. She's using those weird potion things—you know, like Dex's dad makes. It's the latest plan to throw off the Neverseen."

"I don't get it," Dex said, frowning. Wind blew your hair into your face, and some of it got caught in your mouth. You pulled it out rather self-consciously and stared at the reddish rock walls surrounding the area, rather than the people in front of you.

Fitz looked suspicious. "How do we know you're not just pranking us?"

Keefe sighed dramatically. "Guys, come on. Do you really think I'd sacrifice a super secret training area just to prank you? This is serious."

"I guess—"

"Prove it." Fitz interrupted Dex with a hard stare aimed at Keefe, and then at you. You tried not to shrink back under the heavy weight of his gaze. He was completely overbearing. How had Sophie ever liked this guy?

Keefe sighed. "Fine. Sophie, would you tell him something only the two of you know?"

You gulped as everyone looked at you expectantly.

"Tha-that night," you said, saying the first thing you could think of. "When . . . Silveny had her babies." The name felt foreign on your tongue, although you remembered it all so clearly. "You—we—just before she told me—" you felt yourself blushing and instinctively tugged at an eyelash. That was weird.

"Okay. I believe you."

"What??"

"She didn't even really say anything!" Dex exclaimed.

"She doesn't need to. It's Sophie." His entire demeanor changed. He wasn't cold towards her anymore, but instead was calm and warm and inviting. The Sophie part of her wanted to smile and lean into him, but the Y/N part of her still felt uncomfortable and unsure. It was hard to tell what he was really like, and you weren't sure if you trusted or liked him.

"Alright, fine. Maybe she is Sophie. We still have stuff to do," Biana said. "Can we get moving already?"

"Yeah, yeah," Keefe said. "Let's get training, or whatever it is the kids say these days." He grinned and your heart skipped a beat. He looked down at you and winked. "Don't worry, Foster, I'll help you with the scary stuff."

"Oh, whatever," Fitz said, snatching your hand and pulling you away. "If anyone's gonna help her train, it'll be me."

"Actually," a sweet voice cut in. "I think Sophie and I will stick together this time." Biana wrapped an arm around yours and tugged you towards her. "Why don't you two go paint your nails or something?"

"What'll I do?" Dex asked as Biana turned and left the other two in shock.

"You can come with us," she said, smiling gently. "You're nicer than they are." She laughed like a tinkling bell, and you knew immediately that everything Sophie thought about her was true. She was kind and sweet, smart and sociable, and she could definitely hold her own. In any other time and place, this was a girl you might have looked up to. If you didn't already know she was the most popular girl in school, you could have deduced so within a matter of seconds.

"Come on, dear," she said, smiling and patting your hand as she tightened her arm around yours and led you across the dusty ground. "We have some dummies to kill."

~~~

A/N: HIIII!! happy new year and such!! i have been dying to get this (admittedly and regretfully short) chapter out but if you aren't caught up with my oneshot book, college and work have been super intense for me. i have so many ideas and little notes for this book (seriously, you should see my private discord server with all the plot points i have written down) and i'm so excited to get back to writing more regularly! i hope you can forgive the long unexpected hiatus i took, and that you enjoy this chapter and the ones to come! i have big plans here; i promise :]