Forbidden Cities

Dinner

"So the steak is made of like... animals?" Keefe whispers, swiveling his head both directions like asking that question is a crime. Sophie nods, smirking when his eyes go wide. "Do they eat people too?" 

Sophie chokes on her water. Trying to keep it from spouting out of her nose in laughter, she grits out, "No, they don't eat people."

She thinks of all the true crime podcasts she listens to nowadays, trying to keep up in current events. There are cannibals. "Actually, I lied. Some people eat other people." 

"What?" 

"Yeah, cannibals. Humans can be messed up sometimes." Sophie takes another sip of water, waiting for Keefe's reaction. He just sits there, staring at the drink in front of him, haunted. He obviously won't be ordering the steak. 

Sophie does know how cruel it seems to someone who doesn't live in the Lost Cities. Killing animals for their own benefit. Even to her it sounds disgusting, despite growing up here. Alden says its for her own good, that she was raised here. He says that it brings a whole new perspective to their world, and they are lucky to have her. Lucky to have her, the horse girl. Just another reason why she doesn't belong there. 

Keefe starts drawing little smiley faces on the outside of his water glass, "Does it ever feel weird?" 

"Does what ever feel weird?" 

"Being in the Lost Cities." Keefe looks genuinely curious, but there's a hint of some deeper emotion that Sophie can't make out. 

She blinks a few times, "Yeah. Yeah, it's weird sometimes. I think it'll always be like that though." 

Keefe looks up and smiles at her thoughtfully, urging her on. 

"Well, you know. I obviously don't belong in either world. Some days it feels like I never will, in the Lost Cities or the Forbidden." Sophie pauses, taking in the way Keefe is staring at her. "Sorry, I'm rambling."

"No, keep talking. You're cute when you get all serious like this." 

She blushes, ducking her head so he can't see the stupid grin spreading across her face. Why is she even smiling at that? "It doesn't matter, Keefe."

"Come on, let's get to know the infamous Sophie Foster!" Keefe speaks into an imaginary microphone. 

Sophie raises an eyebrow, "Infamous?"

"You do run with a bad crowd, Foster." Keefe waves a hand up and down his body, winking. She rolls her eyes, still grinning like an idiot. Why does Keefe always have that effect on her? Sophie can't remember the last time she had a full conversation with Keefe and ended up not blushing and giggling like a fool. 

Sophie clears her throat, averting his gaze. "Well here, I'm an elf. I'll never be a human. But in the Lost Cities, I'm the moonlark. I'm the weird horse girl. I have a target on my back at all times, and I'm tired of it. That's why I'm so grateful to have you."

"Y-you... have me?" Keefe's voice wavers. If no one has said that to him before, she is happy to be the first. 

Sophie smiles timidly, "Don't I?"

"...You do."

She pretends to act like the words don't have as much as an impact on her as they do, so she turns her head to the side, blinking rapidly. Sophie clears her throat of all the thickness building up before speaking again, "I'm so gr-grateful to have you because you don't care about any of that. You don't care that spending time with me has almost gotten you killed, multiple times might I add. And... being with you... It makes me forget about all of that. When I'm with you, I belong."

Sophie swallows a big gulp of water at the end of her speech. She can't meet Keefe's eyes. 

"Sophie?" Keefe says quietly. She shakes her head rapidly, staring out of the window. There are people buying flowers from a stand across the street, most likely for a loved one. Keefe repeats her name again, and when she doesn't budge he gently guides her chin toward him using his index finger. 

His smile is warm. Welcoming. "I will always be here for you if you ever feel like that. Always come to me. Always. Got it?" 

Sophie nods, but she can't keep a certain thought from her head. "But you tried to leave me, Keefe. If I didn't catch you, you would have come here without me." She hates how small her voice is. 

"Sophie..." Keefe trails off, rapidly searching her eyes. His finger is still resting comfortably on the bottom of her chin. She wills the tears not to come, but they do anyway. Keefe catches them before they drop, eyes flooded with guilt. 

"I-I'm so sorry, Foster. I just... wanted to keep you safe."

"I know the feeling." 

Keefe smiles and gently trails his fingers up, tracing her jawline. Brushes a piece of stray hair from her forehead and behind her ear. And with that, his touch is gone, leaving her an empty, cold, shell. Sophie swallows down all feeling, trying to regain her composure as they eat their food in silence. She can see Keefe's gaze snap to her every once in a while, but she doesn't look at him. She can't.

Keefe coughs, "Alright, Foster. Let's spill some more of those juicy secrets, shall we?" 

"I think I've talked enough tonight. Maybe enough for the rest of my life."

Keefe smirks, "Foster, don't be like that. Come on, I'll ask you a few questions you ask me a few."

Sophie nods, knowing full well this game will end with her being embarrassed and Keefe teasing her relentlessly. She has no idea why she looks forward to his jokes and teases sometimes, despite how annoying they can be. "Hit me."

"Hmm. Who do you like?" 

Sophie raises an eyebrow, "What is this, second grade?" 

"Just answer the question, Foster." There's a weird light in his eyes, but it's probably coming from the moon outside the window. She racks her brain for someone she likes, but can't come up with anything. Ever since Fitz, there hasn't really been anyone else. Unless... what if all those times she blushed and giggled around Keefe is because she... likes him? 

Sophie coughs, "No one." Her cheeks are flushed the deepest shade of red, hoping he doesn't notice. But of course, he does. "Is there a reason you're blushing like that?" 

She rolls her eyes, "It's hot in here, that's all." 

"So you do have a crush on someone..."

"That isn't what I said!" Sophie fumes, glaring at his amused expression. Keefe puts his hands up in surrender, still grinning annoyingly. She tries not to think about how cute his smile is when he's amused. 

Sophie ducks her head, hiding her embarrassed blush, "I don't like anyone, Keefe." 

"Keep telling yourself that, Foster."

Sophie rolls her eyes as Keefe continues, "Okay, next question-"

Just then, the French waiter comes over, putting a thick black leather case on the table. Keefe picks it up and examines it, acting like he knows how to pay a check. Thankfully, Sophie was there to help him sort out the bill and leave a respectable tip for the waiter. They walk around until they're outside of the hotel. 

"Foster?" 

Sophie stops right before she opens the glass door, looking behind her shoulder at Keefe, who hasn't moved an inch, "Yeah?"

"This was really fun. We should do it again sometime." He says with a wink, slipping inside the door Sophie hasn't closed yet. She sits there for a long time after, contemplating what just happened. Are her and Keefe... going on dates?