How It Should Have Been: Sokeefe AU

Episode 14: (Keefe's POV) (Possible triggers- self deprecation/being unloved)

Before:

He still had to talk to Fitz about everything. But now was not the time. So Keefe let the warm feathers envelop him and carry him away to his least favorite place on earth: home. 

Away from anything fun, and choices, and pranks, and laughter. And worst of all, away from the beautiful turquoise eyes he could never get out of his head.

Keefe appeared at Candleshade, suppressing a sigh. Time to go have fun with the World's Best Parents. If they were even home. They probably didn't even know that he'd been at a friend's house. Or at school.

The tower looked extra creepy and dismal after seeing Havenfield with its bright colors and energy. Sophie's house was practically pulsing with love and laughter, while his was shrouded in darkness and disappointment.

When he opened the door and entered the kitchen, he kicked off his dirty boots onto the expensive carpet like usual, pleased when mud flaked off.

The grin was wiped off his face when he realized only two things made him happy anymore: ticking off his parents, and her.

Keefe dropped his bag onto his dad's favorite chair and listened to the sounds.

The creaking of the table Keefe had sat on a few times too many.

Wind rustling through the branches of trees outside.

But there were no voices or sounds of life of any kind, so Cassius and Gisela likely weren't home. Cassius was probably in his beach house or Atlantis retreat, and Gisela? Who even knew anymore.

Who even wanted to know anymore. It was the same old thing, over and over.

Keefe, alone for hours and sometimes days, cooking for himself, doing everything by himself. Occasionally, he went to school, or over to a friend's house. But that never lasted long enough. He always had to come back to the lonely tower that managed to not be large enough for the three of them. Whenever they were both gone, the grime and dirt piled up until Cassius and Gisela came back. Keefe didn't clean, because he knew that both of his parents hated messiness. The gnomes weren't allowed in the house, and they didn't like Cassius anyway because of his habit of treating them as less than intelligent species.

Although sometimes it was worse when they WERE there. When Keefe had to withstand Cassius shouting at him about his almost perfect but not quite grades, his detentions, his pranks, his art, his hair, his wasted potential.

While Gisela stood there, silent. Not interfering. Not adding to the insults, but not stopping them either. Escaping as soon as possible to go to her friends or her retreats. Or leaving to the room she didn't share with Cassius.

Not helping.

Not talking.

Not caring.

Just standing. While Keefe waited for the moment he could run up to his room, hiding the scars behind snark and jokes, hiding the wounds that hurt like broken glass.

He wished he had an escape that wasn't in the tower.

He wished he were old enough to move out.

He wished they weren't his parents.

He wished he could stop caring that they were.

Most of all, he wished that she would notice-

Nope. Keefe shut down that thought before it could go anywhere.

He was doing what any good friend would do. Which reminded him, he had promised to hail Fitz. But he probably wasn't done with whatever he was doing with Sophie. Was probably staying there for dinner.