Book Two: KOTLC One-shots and More

Sweet Dreams

A/N: @WingARdiOmLeviOsa requested an AU of sorts, where a canon event takes place but Sophie and Keefe are already dating. As I was writing through Keefe and Fitz's POVs of some moments in Legacy, it got me wondering what Sophie's ability reset would have been like if she had already started dating Keefe. So for this AU, we will assume that Sophie and Keefe started dating when she was living in the Healing Center during "Flashback". This chapter will begin right after she woke up from having her inflicting reset in "Legacy". And confession: I'm already thinking of writing this chapter from Keefe's POV. I'm also thinking about writing a couple more chapters in this arc, chronicling more canon events as though they'd already been dating. We'll see if everyone enjoys reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Lastly—sorry this note is so long—I don't think updating three times a week is sustainable for me at the moment. I'm probably going to drop it to twice a week now and update on Mondays and Thursdays.

Sophie couldn't help but smile in spite of her pain when she heard Keefe's voice from across her room.

"Actually, it's called 'Fostering' now."

She should've known he'd still be there. She looked over and found him sitting in her desk chair. He looked tired, and his hair and clothes were both crumpled, but of course that just made him look adorable. He must've felt her mood shift, because the concern in his face switched to amusement.

"Don't worry," he continued. "I haven't just been sitting here watching you sleep for three days like a total creep." He held up one of his notebooks. "But someone needed to keep an eye on you, and I can draw anywhere. Everyone else has been here too."

"But you stayed the whole time?"

Keefe opened his mouth to speak, but Ro's voice came from somewhere in Sophie's closet before Keefe could get a word out. "We left once, but only because I made him go home and shower. You're welcome, by the way. Your boy was starting to stink."

Keefe's cheeks flushed as he and Edaline explained that they'd had to keep her room really hot to help her healing process.

So...how bad did she look?

And smell?

Edaline excused herself to to let Livvy and Elwin know Sophie was awake. The moment she left the room, Keefe stood and crossed the room toward Sophie. "So...you're finally awake," he murmured as he sat down carefully next to her on the bed.

"Yep." Sophie tried to sit up, but regretted it when pain shot through her arms and chest.

Keefe chuckled, but immediately reached over to help Sophie sit up, propping some pillows behind her to make sure she was comfortable. "Is that better?" He asked, reaching out and placing a hand softly over hers.

Sophie needed a moment to catch her breath. "I think so. But...ow. I really wish I could take some pain elixirs."

"I don't blame you." Keefe shuddered.

She'd forgotten he could probably feel everything she was feeling. "I'm so sorry! Do you want to go? No reason for us to both suffer."

But he shook his head and scooted even closer, his lips lifting into a soft smile. "No way. I'm not going anywhere."

She looked him over more carefully. He looked exhausted. She wondered just how frightening her reset had been for him--and how tiring and uncomfortable it had been to sit at her desk in her hot bedroom for three days.

"Uh-uh," he chided quietly, reaching out his free hand and pressing a finger between her eyebrows. "No need for that little worry crease. I'm fine. I want to stay by your side. Please let me."