Forbidden Cities

Convince

Today is the day Keefe estimated Ro and Sandor would wake up, and sadly, he was right. Keefe slept on the couch and Sophie slept in the bed again, because they didn't want to leave the bodyguards unattended and couldn't cuddle each other right in front of them. Sandor is already going to kill her for kissing him. 

Sophie puts on a pair of shorts and, of course, Keefe's hoodie. The one he wore yesterday because the smell is stronger. Why the heck am I even writing this? She slowly walks to the living room, hands out like Sandor might tackle her any second. 

"It's okay, Foster. They agreed to do no clobbering until we've finished explaining," Keefe smirks. Sophie sighs in relief before taking a few seconds to study Ro and Sandor. The latter is obviously upset, with a death grip on his dagger and a sneer plastered on his face. Ro looks more... disappointed? Her arms and legs are crossed, but she still smiles when she sees Sophie enter, "Blondie!" 

Sophie musters up all her courage and sits next to Keefe, thighs pressed together tightly. He rests his hand on the top of her thigh, lazily stroking her skin with his thumb. 

She clears her throat, "How did you... how did you find us?" 

"Well, since you asked so nicely, Miss Foster," Sandor says bemusedly, "We made your little friends hack into all the security cameras here. He basically solved all of it, and sent us to get you." Sophie wants to break into tears and laugh at the sound of his high pitched squirrel voice, and when she looks at Keefe he has the same expression on as her. 

"So... everyone knows where we are?" Sophie asks, ducking behind her hair and staring at her feet. "All our friends?" 

"Just Dex, for now. As soon as we bring you back home, everyone will know." Ro chimes in, staring at the hand on Sophie's thigh giddily. Somehow, she's managed not to make any Sokeefe references yet. Yet. 

Sandor growls under his breath, "We will be taking you home in 5 minutes. Gather your things and... Miss Foster give me the melder you stole."

"Would you rather I came here without any source of protection?" 

"I would rather you didn't come here at all!" 

Sophie lets out a noise of pure frustration. Did Sandor not notice how overwhelmed with everything she was? How close she was to breaking under all the pressure of being the moonlark? Not like he cares. "The only reason you want me home safe is because you don't want the elves to break your precious treaty." 

"Excuse me?" 

Keefe rubs his hand in smooth circles, "Hey, Foster." Sophie looks at him and all the anger melts away. He smiles reassuringly. 

Sophie turns back to Sandor, not quite done with him yet. "Did you even notice that-" Her voice breaks, and the tears are threatening to come once again, "That I was so close to breaking? Under all the pressure?" 

Sandor's mouth snaps shut, and he looks away. 

"Do you realize the amount of stress I dealt with before I ran? I am the moonlark, and I have the entire weight of two different worlds on my shoulders, and millions of lives. Do you know what that's like? That's what I thought." Sophie adds when Sandor shakes his head. 

Ro's gaze snaps toward Sophie, "I hate to break it to you, Sandor, but I think Blondie has a point." 

"What?"

"Come on. All the elves value is their sparkles and hospitality and crap like that, and they just let this teenager deal with all of it. They don't check if she's okay, do they? The only people that really care are her friends and family, and even that's stretching it. The Council puts her in impossible situations, and can't even care enough to help her through it!" Ro winks at Sophie when her jaw drops. 

Sandor grits his teeth, "How could you possibly know all of that?" 

"Because Keefe is always with Sophie. And 'where Keefe goes, I go!'" In the last sentence, she raises her voice a few octaves to match Sandor's squeaky one. 

Keefe nods, "I love the impression, Ro-" 

"I'm still mad at you!" Ro snaps, jutting a finger at Keefe's chest. "I'm not mad at Blondie, though. She's the one that got Team Foster Keefe together." 

Sandor finally snaps, "Can we put teenage feelings aside? If we don't get these two home, the Council, as well as all of their friends and family, will put themselves at risk to hunt us down. We need to get them back to the Lost Cities!" 

"What if we don't want to go?" Keefe whispers, staring at the floor. 

"I'm afraid that isn't a choice, Mr. Sencen." 

"Look at all the progress we've gotten since we came here, guys! Keefe can talk, I can shoot a melder without even looking, and we're doing fine! I'm happier than I've been in a long time, and as soon as I go back there the pressure will just keep building. I'm not saying we never go home, I'm just saying maybe we postpone it?" 

Ro giggles, "She's feisty tonight. But I think it'll be cool, camping out here in London, don't you think?" 

Keefe coughs. More like chokes, actually. "You'll be living here with us?"

"You need protection. Blondie can't go shooting every threat she sees, and you can't... paint your way out of everything." 

"Real creative, Ro." 

"I try." 

Sandor's eyes are wide and panicked. Sophie thinks they might pop out of his skull at any second, "You expect me to disobey direct orders? If we disappear, people will get worried. They'll think the Neverseen struck again, and they will put their lives in jeopardy for us-" 

"Sandor!" Ro yells, flicking his nose with a bright orange fingernail. "Chill. I thought this might happen, so I asked Dex to put a letter in Keefe's room if I'm gone for more than 3 days. I've already wasted that much time of my life," She shoots Sophie a wicked grin, "So everyone already has the letter. Now we have to stay." 

Sophie smiles. Even though she missed home a little bit, at least Keefe will be there. And Ro to comment on her every romantic gesture towards Keefe. 

Ro is the best third wheel, change my mind.