How It Should Have Been: Sokeefe AU

Episode 39: (Keefe's POV)

Before:

Fitz's door.

The door had always symbolized a kind of escape for him, as much as his dad's beach house and his mother's apartment. It represented freedom, love, or basically anything except his tower.

The unfamiliar feeling of dread now associated with the door didn't only make Keefe nervous, it made him sad, missing the simple times now long in the past.

His hand lifted, slowly. He watched it rise, watched it land on the door in three short cracks.

The door opened.

Fitz's eyes were wide with surprise, but, to Keefe's surprise, he wasn't angry. There was a hint of annoyance, or frustration, but not any anger at Keefe.

Choosing to take that as a hopeful sign, Keefe found his voice.

"May I come in?"

Fitz stood aside without a word, letting his friend (former friend? rival?) into the room. Keefe stood in the doorway a second, stunned. There had been a small part of him that expected Fitz to slam the door in his face.

Progress.

Keefe stepped inside, instantly bombarded with memories of the times when they'd done homework together, teased each other, wrestled, practiced their abilities and skills on one another, and talked about silly, unimportant things that somehow meant everything.

Keefe hadn't been in the room in a while.

"Why did you come over?" Fitz watched him carefully from across the room as if he was afraid Keefe was about to spew out a load of insults and put-downs.

"I wanted to talk to you," Keefe told him. "I think there might have been a... misunderstanding."

Fitz raised his eyebrow. "No. I didn't misunderstand anything, Keefe. At least, not about you."

The blonde hesitated. "What-"

"My understanding is that you have a massive crush on my girlfriend... or, ex, now?" A flash of pain and regret shadowed Fitz's face before he regained his composure. "You were trying to win her over, and even if you weren't consciously trying to flirt with her, you definitely did. Maybe it was just instinct, or habit for all I know, but you flirt with her more than any other person I know."

"I..." Keefe stopped himself from defending his actions. To be honest, there really wasn't a defense. "You're... right."

"I am?" Fitz was clearly surprised that Keefe had admitted it.

"Yes. I flirted with your girlfriend, and... I was trying to win her over. While you were dating... and I'm sorry."

"A sorry doesn't fix it," Fitz pointed out, turning away (perhaps a tad dramatically). "We're still broken up, and I have a feeling it has something to do with you."

"You know, there are other reasons Sophie might've broken up with you beyond me," Keefe told him with a surge of annoyance. "Maybe you just weren't right for each other."

Fitz bit his lip, turning back to face him. "Look, Keefe. Sophie was acting strangely the last few days. And... I know something happened between the two of you the day I came over and Grady went upstairs to get you. I know you were there. And Sophie started acting weirdly that day."

Keefe felt a twinge of guilt. "Okay, so maybe that... was my fault."

"Not your fault," Fitz sighed. "You don't need to feel guilty about it, because it... isn't really your fault."