Book Two: KOTLC One-shots and More

Stellarlune 37 AE (take 2)

A/N: @thebookwasbetter651 requested this different approach to an AE for this chapter.

She had to knock a second time before footsteps slowly started plodding toward them, and the door opened just enough to let a familiar blond boy peek out.

His ice blue eyes were droopy with sleep, but they widened when they focused on Sophie, and for a moment he just stared at her.

Then his lips curled into a smirk, and he whispered, "Foster?"

Sophie had known she'd missed Keefe. But with him standing there, looking way too cute even with bedhead and human pajamas, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders.

Just being around him eased her anxiety.

And she just acted.

She didn't think.

Before her brain could catch up with her heart--or her actions--Sophie jumped forward and threw her arms around Keefe...and kissed him.

Keefe gave her no time to regret it. No time to feel self-conscious or back away, blushing and apologizing.

He had to have been surprised--Sophie sure was!--but without hesitation, his arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her right up against him as he kissed her. For a few seconds, it was absolute bliss, with his hands warm and strong as they pressed into her back, keeping her close, and her hands slid from his shoulders to his cheeks, and--

Someone cleared their throat.

Sophie and Keefe broke apart, and Sophie's sense finally caught up with her as she saw Dex and Tam staring at them, Dex's eyes wide in surprise and Tam, his arms crossed, rolling his eyes.

Sophie bit her lip, feeling herself blush, and looked at Keefe, who suddenly looked like he'd been clubbed over the head. He shook his head slowly and mumbled an apology as he stepped aside, ushering them into his room.

"Sorry," he said again as he closed the door. "That was...not what I expected to happen if I ever saw you again."

Sophie frowned. "If?" She couldn't help but ask. "You really didn't intend to come home, did you?"

Keefe locked eyes with her. "I tried to make that clear in my note," he whispered. "But...I wasn't happy about it. And I'm not sure I'd have been able to stick to it as time went on." He gave her a small smile.

Tam let out a long, loud sigh of impatience, and Keefe tore his eyes away from Sophie. "So, Dex, how, um...how's your family?"

Dex looked torn between laughing or running away after watching Sophie and Keefe kiss, but the mention of his family sobered him up. "Pretty much the same," he said shortly, stealing a glance at Tam.

Tam just shrugged. "I won't ask. I'm super happy not knowing."

Keefe lead them over to the sitting area of his surprisingly large suite, and Sophie succinctly explained the situation with the shadowflux. Kissing Keefe had been...really incredible. But she really wished she had waited, because now things were super awkward and it was hard to focus. But the look of pain and disgust on Keefe's face when he realized he had shadowflux in his heart drove Sophie to reach out and take his hand. His expression softened into something much warmer as he looked up at her.

"So...Tammy Boy is here to remove the shadowflux, right? So Mommy Dearest won't be able to track me down?"

Tam nodded and stole a furtive look at Keefe before asking Sophie to enhance him. "I just...I've never done this before," he explained, looking guiltily at Keefe again as Sophie switched on her enhancing and reached for Tam's hand.