KotLC Oneshots

"Do you love him?" Sophitz

Sophitzforlife requested this one. It's an ending to NuelaChik's one-shot (the second one). I'll admit, I put off writing this for a while because I wasn't sure how I wanted to end it. But, finally, here it is!

"Keefe, I–" Sophie's voice cracked. She knew she was in the wrong – she was engaged and she had just kissed her ex-boyfriend – but she was confused. She was in love with two people, and the only thing she knew for sure was that she couldn't bear to lose either of them.

"Can I please talk to you?"

Keefe clenched and unclenched his jaw a couple times, the veins in his neck popping out.

"Please?" Sophie repeated, grinding her teeth to keep her emotions from boiling over.

Keefe jerked his head, leading her into a different bedroom. He turned to look at her, remaining silent.

"Keefe, I'm sorry, I'm just so confused–"

"Do you love him?" he asked, his voice surprisingly even.

"I love you–"

"Do you love him?" he repeated.

She nodded, her lower lip quivering. Keefe nodded, leaving the room.

"Keefe!" she called, chasing after him. She grabbed his arm. He spun around, shrugging out of her group.

"Look, Sophie. I'm trying to be understanding. I know this is a lot for you to take in. You're finding out the love of your life is still alive. Don't deny it. If he hadn't left, you and I would never have gotten together. You never stopped loving him. You only told yourself you were over him because you thought you needed to be. I'm grateful for what we had, Sophie, and I will always care about you, but it's over. You have to accept that."

He left her alone in the hallway. She collapsed against the wall and finally let herself cry.

Eventually, Fitz came and sat next to her. He didn't say anything. He didn't touch her. He didn't try to comfort her at all. He knew exactly what she needed, which was to not be alone. And even though he was the person who had started this mess, he was the perfect person to help her out of it.

He knew her better than anyone else. They had been Cognates, and although they no longer had that kind of trust, they had had that bond when it was most important. They had grown up with complete trust in each other, and now they still had an aspect of that in their relationship. He knew exactly what she needed, because forty years ago, she had told him.

She leaned her head on his shoulder. Keefe was right. He always was. And no matter how much she hated herself for ruining a relationship with a wonderful person, it wouldn't have been fair to marry Keefe. He deserved someone who would love him, and only him. And as much as she wanted to, she couldn't be that person.

"I love you."

Those three words could never possibly express what she was feeling. Confusion, relief, anger, guilt, joy, self-loathing, contentment. An infinity of words in an infinity of languages couldn't express how she felt.

But that was okay. Fitz understood anyway.