SOKEEFE VS FITZPHIE, kotlc

reassesment

"You saw Keefe and Sophie kissing?" Biana demanded, looking horrified as Fitz grumpily barged into her room, sulking onto her bed.

"Yup," Fitz said lowly.  "And even worse, they said that they were dating.  My best friend- your ex-crush, don't think I didn't notice that -is dating your best friend, my ex girlfriend." He shook his head and then told her, "Wow. This is really confusing."

"Only when you explain it," Biana promised sweetly.  She hurried over to sit down next to Fitz.  "Well.. if you ask me, your big mistake was the matchmaking fest. You made it seem like you prefer your reputation rather than her, and that got her neglecting you and spending time with Keefe. And then that just made you more mad- so out of fear, she made promises that she knew she wouldn't end of keeping."

Fitz blinked at her. "Wow, when you put it that way, you make me seem like an even bigger jerk than when I tell myself in my head."

"You are a jerk," Biana told him.  "But... every time you get the chance to not be one, you just get jerkier."

Fitz rolled his eyes and slid off her bed. "Thanks for the nice, encouraging talk that boosted my self-esteem and made me feel a lot better about my break-up."

"Your welcome," Biana said.  "But.. just next time..."

Fitz waited. And waited. And waited for her to finish the sentence.

But when she didn't- just left it out there for him to finish -he left without saying a word.

________

After the fiasco with Fitz that could only be described as "fun", along with a side of heavy sarcasm, Sophie decided she needed to take a break, go back to Havenfield, and maybe get in some baby alicorn snuggles along with a nice warm cup of mallowmelt.

Keefe didn't even look hurt, which she appreciated. He just kissed her again, asked if she would be okay, and when she promised- or maybe lied -that she would be, he let it go and helped her dig out her home crystal.

But... but.. a part of her kept feeling that it was wrong.

Wrong to like Keefe when she'd liked Fitz before.

Wrong to like Keefe, knowing that Keefe was Fitz's best friend...

But then again, both those things happened in the real human world, and she knew that she loved Keefe- so why give that up for Fitz?

Edaline took one look at her as she stumbled into the doors and asked her, "Anything you want to tell me?"

Sophie considered lying. Or avoiding the question. Or just feigning exhaustion- which wouldn't be too hard to do -and insist on Sandor bringing her up to her room without any further interrogation for her usual over-protective adoptive parents.

But...

"Fitz knows," Sophie said quietly.  

Edaline just asked her, "Anything you need us to do?"

Sophie looked at the seat where Grady usually sat, and Edaline caught her gaze.  "I'll tell Grady to stop picking on Keefe," Edaline offered.  "I know it probably brings up... mixed feelings when he talks about Fitz and Dex like..."

"Yeah," Sophie mumbled. "Thanks."

And then she went up to her bedroom- to what she hoped -to sleep for eternity.

___________

"Fitzey looked soooooo mad!" Ro teased, prancing around and utterly unenthusiastic Keefe who sat sulking on the porch swing, still staring at the place that Sophie had leaped away.

"He looked like he was going to baaaaaarf!" Ro taunted, continuing to skip around him. "Eeeeew!"

"Just shut up," Keefe said grumpily.

"But what's the fun in that?" Ro asked innocently, bopping him on the nose with one of her sharp, painted claws.  "I have to teeeeaaaaaseeeee you!"

Keefe stared into the distance, trying to ignore Ro's dancing, and replaying that moment of disgust and horrified surprise on Sophie's face as Fitz caught them kissing...