The Sleepover {really bad ngl}

Base Quest "Strategies"

A/N This chapter is the cheesiest cheese in the history of cheese. Sorry to anyone who vomited from all the stereotypical cuteness. (I'm actually pretty proud of this chapter because I've never written anything more than stories with a Sokeefe undertone) Also... MAJOR Lodestar spoilers in this chapter!!!!!! Beware... *cue scary music*

"What should we do now?" Dex asked.

"How about Base Quest?" Fitz said. "I know this cool variation where we can play with more than two teams, so we can just pair up."

Sophie noticed he was looking directly at her. She wasn't sure whether she liked that or not.

"I call Foster!" Keefe said, raising his hand excitedly. He leaned closer to Sophie and muttered in her ear, "I need to talk to you."

"Fine..." Sophie agreed grudgingly. "Just this once."

She supposed that Keefe would be a better partner than Fitz at the moment. He usually was... wait, what?

"Sophie. Sooophie!" Biana said, waving her hand in front of Sophie's face. "You spaced out there for a second."

"Probably just daydreaming about me," said Keefe.

Sophie blushed furiously. "Shut up!"

"Told ya," Keefe muttered to Fitz.

"Anyways," Biana said, pretending to ignore Keefe's comment. "Fitz and I are together, and Tam and Linh are together. Dex doesn't want to play."

"Lost control of my levitation in PE," said Dex. "It really hurts, but my dad says it's not bad enough that I have to call Elwin. It should clear up in a few days."

"Tam and Linh are going to hide the flag," said Biana. "When I say go, we all need to go outside and talk strategy with our partners. Ready, set... GO!"

Sophie and Keefe raced outside, finding refuge in a cave on the outskirts of the extravagant lawn.

"So, I think that I should track Linh's mind while you scope out Fitz and --"

"I like you."

"What?" Sophie said urgently. He didn't mean it in that way, did he? She straightened herself out, reminding herself that Keefe could feel her panic. "Of course you do. We're friends."

Keefe smirked. "I think we both know that's not what I mean."

"Than what do you mean?"

Keefe sighed. "You still haven't figured it out, have you?"

"You like me. Like, like like me," Sophie said quietly.

"Yep."

"Oh."

"We both should have seen this coming," Keefe said. "If you haven't noticed, I've been trying to tell you for years."

There was a long pause, and Sophie wasn't sure what to think. She felt a little weirded out, but as Keefe had said, they both had expected some sort of confession, but only to some degree. She guessed that she had known that Keefe had feelings for her, but had never wanted to acknowledge it. She just didn't know how she felt about him.

"Keefe," she said in the smallest voice possible. "Can you, um, take a reading of me? I can use my Enhancing to make it clearer."

"Why?" Keefe asked carefully.

"I... need to know how I feel about all of this."

Sophie carefully slipped off her gloves, and lightly grabbed Keefe's arm. Keefe's eyes closed and his mouth went into a hard line of deep concentration. Sophie tugged out an eyelash and tried not to think about how close they were. After about a minute Keefe opened his eyes and his mouth stretched into the widest smile.

"Wait. No. Nonononononono!" Sophie replied in an urgent haze.

"No trying to deny it, Foster. You like me," Keefe said, grinning like an idiot.

Sophie sat down on a rock, trying to comprehend the new information. She liked Keefe. Keefe, whose grin had quickly faded, sat down next to her and asked, "Wait, am I really that bad?"

Sophie turned to face Keefe, giving him a huge hug before saying quietly, "Of course not."

"Then why are your emotions so freaked out right now?" Keefe asked, still looking hurt.

"I just... you're the first person I've had a crush on since Fitz. And I... and I don't want us to end up that badly. Have you seen us? We say there's no hard feelings, but he clearly still likes me, and we both don't have a bond as strong as before the breakup."

"Trust me, we're not going to end up like you and Fitz. We're not Cognates, so you don't have to tell me whether or not you like my hair. Although you do," Keefe said.

Sophie wrapped her hands around Keefe's head and mussed up his perfectly tousled hair.

"Hey!"

"Sorry that I'm not sorry that I messed up your hair."

Keefe grinned softly and then leaned closer to Sophie, putting his arm around her and resting his head on her shoulders.

"What was that for?" she asked, confused at the sudden change in mood.

"I dunno," he said, breathing in the scent of Sophie's hair. "I'm just happy. I mean, you're the first person who's ever liked me."

"We both know that's not true."

"No. Really liked me. Not just for my looks, or the way I act on the outside. For who I am."

At that moment, Sophie realized how truly alone Keefe had been. She had a feeling that he was not only talking about how she was the first person to like him, but how she was the first person to care about him, truly care about him, love him, even. His parents had emotionally abandoned him, so he had taken refuge with the Vackers. But they were not his real family, because they were still perfect without him. But when Sophie had come along, he had felt wanted, needed. They were their own little group of outsiders.

"I'm sorry," Sophie murmured, pulling him into a hug.

"For what?" he said, wrapping his arms around her neck.

"I don't know. I'm sorry that I'm the first person that has ever liked you for who you are. You deserve better," she said.

"I've always liked that about you," Keefe whispered absentmindedly into her hair. "You want people to feel wanted."

They stayed like that for a while.