Set A Torch To Flame | ✔ | #1

Chapter 13-

Chapter 13- Keefe POV

Keefe held the door open for his girlfriend as he walked in. Partly because he wanted to please her, but mostly, he'd rather she softens Grady up for him. "Ladies first."

Sophie knows him too well, exchanging a look with him as she obliged. "I'm home!"

He heard Grady and her start conversing, and Keefe slipped in, hoping her father wouldn't notice him too soon. When he raised an eyebrow at him, he only greeted, "Hi, Grady!" with his trademark smirk.

Instantly, his face morphed into a scowl. "We need to have a talk."

"We do," Keefe agreed. Everyone else in the room seemed surprised, and he heard a sharp intake of breath from Sophie.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"

She was sweet to offer, but Keefe needed to handle this himself. "Nah." He gave her a kiss on the cheek, then gently pushed her towards the stairs.

Grady sighed, glancing at him. "You know, I'm not actually worried about you with Sophie. I know you'd never hurt her willingly."

"Wow, what a vote of confidence," he tried to joke, but his mouth felt dry with surprise. Somehow there was no sarcasm in his voice when he said this, and he gulped. "What is it then?"

"Fitz," he said bitterly. "That boy has issues—it's a wonder the rest of the elvin population doesn't realize this."

"Oh, Linh needs to realize that too...she's dating him...and he's using her to...make Sophie jealous." Keefe snuck glances at him, watching with amusement as his face got redder and redder.

"What?"

"Don't worry, Gradester," Keefe said causally. "We're going to try and break them up without Linh getting hurt...it includes a few pranks."

The hard edges of Grady's face softened considerably, but he still wore an expression of anger. "Keep him away from my daughter."

"You gotcha!" Keefe winked with his trademark smirk before starting up the steps. Knocking on Sophie's door, he heard some shuffling noises as she tried to hide whatever it was. "Coming in, Foster." He threw open the door dramatically, only to see Sophie with her shirt halfway on. Awkward.

Her face was super red now. "I didn't know you were coming back up," she squeaked adorably while trying to keep her dignity while wriggling into a tunic.

"The Keefester is unpredictable," he stated simply, sitting next to her on the bed. "For instance, I wasn't beat by Grady."

"Whoa—Keefe—really?" Happiness shone on her face as she jumped up and gave him a hug.

He laughed. "I love you too, Foster."

She let go, her face burning.

"Why'd you stop?" All of his confidence drained, and he was worried that he'd done something wrong. "The Keefester is irresistible." His words sounded hollow, even to him.

"It's just, I feel like it's so early for you to be telling me that you love me." Sophie looked at her feet. "I mean, we haven't even really explored that zone yet together, do we really know that we mean it?" Anguish was coming off of her in waves.

"Hey." Keefe nudged her. "If you don't want me to do it, I won't." He felt kind of hurt that she felt like that, but he could do it.

Foster yawned. "So....sleepy." She leaned against him, her eyelids drifting shut. She was asleep in seconds.

Keefe held her against his chest, sharing the warmth that he had to offer. "Sweet dreams, Soph." Somewhere in his mind, he faintly remembered Biana and Linh saying that they were coming over. Taking his imparter, he hailed Biana.

"What's up?"

"Sophie can't have you over; something came up." He talked softly, even though he'd left the room.

"Oh, alright." Biana smoothed her hair. "Tell her that we'll fill her in tomorrow, while we're preparing." Before he could ask what exactly they were preparing, she'd hung up.

Tucking the device in his pocket, Keefe made his way back inside her room, picking Iggy up. "Hey, little guy."

The imp purred, nuzzling his hand in greeting.

He ran his hand over the small creature, small strokes going through its fur. Iggy had been dyed blue with sparkles, to Biana's insistence. These days, Dex would do anything for her.

It was becoming clear that those two had feelings, or something, between them. Tam and Biana, on the other hand were becoming increasingly awkward around each other.

Keefe glanced at Sophie now, who's breath was softly coming, making no sound at all. Her small chest rose and fell, and he found whatever relief he could in the simple motion. Shaking his head, he opened the door, shutting it quietly with telekinesis to make sure he wouldn't wake her.

Turning around, his heart leapt to his throat. Edaline was literally one inch from his nose. "You almost gave me a heart attack," he hissed under his breath.

She laughed. "What's a heart attack?" Her gaze drifted past him to her daughter's door, and she stepped closer in that direction.

"She's sleeping," Keefe whispered quietly, putting his finger to his lips.

"You didn't prank her?" Edaline's eyebrows shot up as he didn't reply, or say that she would find out soon. "Wow, I've never heard of you not pranking someone."

Heat rose to his cheeks, and he hoped it wasn't showing. He would've pranked any other person. Really. Scratching his neck, he turned, covering for the light blush splotching his cheeks. "I have to go now," he forced out in a rush, before taking his crystal out and leaping away.

...

"I'm home!" Keefe's voice echoed around the huge house, fading into the last corners of the top of the floors in who knows where. His eyes narrowed angrily, but his fists unclenched. It wasn't as if he actually expected his dad to come rushing down the staircase, asking him about his day and stuff like any other dad would. Sighing, he flipped open his back pocket, slipping a bomb bag under the woven furnishings of his dad's chair. Payback. Sophie would be proud.

Now he started upstairs, climbing up two at a time, like he'd seen Sophie do. It was surprising, this was actually way more fun than doing it the normal way. Grinning like an idiot, he stopped, heading to the Vortinator on this floor. Carefully avoiding the first step, he called out, "133!" The machine spun to life. Soon he was on the right floor, and not even a bit dizzy.

Keefe smiled in memory. If Sophie were with him, she would be stumbling off, holding her stomach and clinging to him as she tried to get her bearings.

His smile vanished. He couldn't get that girl out of his head. In the last three minutes, he'd thought about her at least three times. Groaning now, he stepped off, making a beeline for his room.

Grabbing his sketchpad from one of the other hidden pockets on his pants, he sat down, sketching the outline of Sophie without realizing. His mind started to wander, and Keefe started questioning why he cared so much. Without pausing, he looked down, smile softening as his eyes met her brown ones on the paper.

Flipping to a new page, he made a new sketch, not letting himself fully comprehend what he was doing. An actual smile stretched across his face when he looked down. It was a drawing of Sophie and him, his arms lifting her high above his head as she stared him down, a rare smirk appearing on her lips.