Sokeefe story: Hope

Chapter 7

Sophie blinked as the scene came into view.

It was a huge house. a little bit bigger than Havenfield. 

It would have been beautiful if it wasn't in ruins. 

"Sophie," Keefe said. "Welcome to Firelight Gables."

"What is this place?" Sophie asked.

"A place where I would escape too," Keefe said. "When my dad became Annoying, and Fitz wasn't around, I would escape here. I came here a lot after I learned that Lady Gisela was the Neverseen leader. I've wanted to show you this place for years."

 Sophie was speechless. 

"I'll show you around," Keefe said, grabbing her hand.

Keefe lead her into bedrooms, the dining room, the kitchen, the living room, and every room in between.

He led her up some broken stairs, the upstairs, wasn't much. there were barely any rooms.

Just before Sophie could fall through a floorboard, Keefe yanked her away. "Careful." Keefe warned. "this place burned down a couple of years ago. So tread lightly."

Sophie grabbed Keefe's hand.

"Don't step there!" Keefe said before Sophie could place her foot down. 

"Where are we going?" Sophie asked, stepping over a hole in the floorboards. 

"It's close," Keefe said. 

Sophie saw a little area closed off with red curtains. 

In front was a huge hole. 

Sophie looked down. She got a little dizzy looking down at it.

"How about you jump over first," Keefe suggested. "It's not as scary as it looks." He said when Sophie went pale.

"Or you could go first, and help me over it," Sophie suggested, taking a step back.

"If you say so," Keefe said, he jumped over it in one long jump.

Keefe reached his hand across. "Take my hands." Sophie went over to the ledge and slid her hands into his. "Now, jump."

"What!"

"Jump."

"NO!"

"Jump across and I'll pull you over it." Keefe waited. Sophie was looking incredibly scared. "I wouldn't take you here if I didn't think you could do it."

"Please tell me there's some other way."

"Nope."

"It's a ten-foot drop!"

"We could've been done with this by now!"

Sophie slid her hands out of his. "I can't do it."

"Foster, You survived getting kidnapped, came back from fading, and flew on Silveny's back over the open ocean at night, to get your abilities fixed. with no idea where you were going or how long it would take to get there, you swore fealty to the black swan, you went to Exillium, You reached out to me every night when I was with the Neverseen, You went into the nightfall faculty, knowing how dangerous it was, You helped with the birth of two alicorn babies, faced newborn mutant trolls, you ventured into a human city, you still hung out with me after the whole legacy shadowflux thing, Burned a Neverseen storehouse to the ground, And you kissed me, and you're scared of jumping over a hole, that's about eight feet long."

Sophie blushed. he had a point. 

"I was there in every one of those moments, except the first one, and I'm still here now," Keefe said. "You jump and I promise nothing will happen. You trusted me then, so trust me now."

"Okay," Sophie said. "I'll jump."

"On the count of three. one... two... three!"

Sophie closed her eyes and jumped. Sophie opened her eyes. She wasn't going to make it. She closed her eyes again,

Before she could fall through, Keefe grabbed her waist and pulled her to the ledge. 

Sophie opened her eyes. and looked up at Keefe. 

"Told you so," Keefe said, Kissing her cheek.

Sophie smiled.

Keefe led her through the red curtains. 

Inside it was dark. the lights suddenly went on. it had beautiful fairy lights inside. and it was huge inside. but the most amazing thing was all the lifelike drawings of Sophie. But the thing about the fort is that there was an entire wall of Keefe's drawings. There were so many drawings of Keefe's memories. And every drawing had Sophie in them.

Sophie walked over to the wall and looked at each one of them.

"This is the moment I realized how much I love you," Keefe said, pointing to a drawing, of when Sophie and Keefe were flying on Silveny, to get her abilities fixed."

Keefe sat down. Sophie sat down beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. Keefe pulled out two glasses filled with fizzleberry wine. 

"Really?" Sophie asked.

"We're not breaking any laws!" Keefe said.

Sophie sighed. She took a glass from Keefe and drank some of it. 

"Foster," Keefe said. "You've made me the happiest Elf alive ever since I first met you. There are so many of our moments that make my heart sore. I love you with everything Sophie. And I made this drawing for you." Keefe handed her a piece of paper.

It was a side view that showed Keefe down on one knee, holding out a ring. and it showed Sophie gasping. it was so lifelike.

Sophie gasped.

She looked at Keefe.

He had a small box open. inside was a ring.

"Sophie Elizabeth Foster," Keefe said. "Will you marry me?"