Now you see me: A Keefe x Tam story

Part 1: Discover

-------Keefe-------

The boy was back. He had been returning to the same filthy, disgusting, rat-infested alleyway for the better part of a month. New York was a very easy place to disappear in: especially when half the police force were off for the Christmas break. the downside was that it was so cold, the boy was barely holding on. He could escape, run away to some warmer place, but what would that get him? New people, new police, and a search for a new backstreet to call home. So instead, he stumbled into his alley; luckily it was a little more sheltered from the icy wind and falling snow. He slumped down behind one of the larger skips, where his bed – which was really just a large cardboard box stuffed with as much old cloth and material as he could find – and backpack were hidden.

This is how he had been living for the past 2 years, granted in different cities and different weathers, but it was lots of the same; wake up, look for food, find none, pickpocket, get home, cry, sleep. It was a simple routine that the boy rarely broke. However, if you have the ability to control people with your voice, occasionally you let something slip.

It always happened eventually. Some rich snob and their child kick you and laugh at you, so you make them cut their own tongues out. Some creep is hitting on a girl in your alleyway, so you make him fall backwards and snap his spine. The usual stuff. Mostly it meant he had to move on. He used to think the guilt would shatter him, but after a while, he began to enjoy it. Their pain... It gave him a boost of adrenaline and pure joy he couldn't explain, and it terrified him to his very core.

Because the boy saw himself as a problem.

Dangerous.

A monster.

Keefe Sencen was so far gone from his old life; he barely even remembered his own name.

So, when it was used to name him for the first time in two years, he could hardly believe his ears.

"Keefe?"

Keefe did a double take. How? How did they find him? Had he not covered his tracks? Had he not taken every precaution to avoid being found.

"You – You shouldn't have come." He whispered to the wall. His voice was cracked and hoarse from lack of use. From a fear of his own words. He didn't know who the voice belonged to, and he didn't want to turn around, every part of him was shaking. Yet he couldn't help himself. When he turned around, he saw the last person he expected to see, standing in the snow. He expected Sophie, Fitz, Dex, someone from the Black Swan. He even expected to see his father more than who was standing there.

Because why would Tam Song care about him?

-------Tam-------

"I'm here to get you, you big stupid idiot" Tam said, sweeping his silver-tipped bangs out of his eyes. Keefe had changed so much since the last time he saw him. His once perfectly styled blonde hair hung in greasy, shoulder length strands, and his once bright, happy face was colder, his eyes sadder, and his face was covered in rough stubble. Still, he was gorgeous: he was really handsome. Tam had searched all over the planet for him, in every nook and cranny, in every city and town, everywhere. It was really quite poetic if the circumstances weren't so dire. "I need you help" he added.

"You need my help" Keefe scoffed. "Yeah right, I'm sure as soon I turn around the corner, the entire Council will be waiting for my with their bodyguards ready to sedate me. Genius plan Bangs Boy, just I'm confused why they'd pick you to be their messenger boy. Surely, they know I hate you right?"

Tam took a step back, eyes widened in shock. It was like a punch to the gut for him, and his eyes stung. But he had to keep up his appearance in front of Keefe.

"That will be quite difficult, considering the 'entire Council' is currently tied up in some Neverseen hideout somewhere." He muttered, almost wanting to slap Keefe. It was his fault that-

"What?" Keefe asked, interrupting his thoughts. "Nah, you're joking, right?"

Tam gave him a look which said: I'm deadly serious you moron.

"Ok, so you need me to help you save the Councillors. Still not interested. Why didn't you ask the Black Swan, or Foster, or... Oh no." the realisation dawned over Keefe like the morning sun. "They- They didn't, did they?"

"Oh yes they did," Tam said bitterly. "They took all of them. Sophie, Fitz, Dex, Biana, the Collective, Linh..." he broke of then, his voice cracking. It was all his stupid fault, if Keefe hadn't run off like a lunatic, they wouldn't have gone looking for him, wouldn't have left them vulnerable, none of this would have happened. He wouldn't be on the run again. All his friends wouldn't have been captured. Tiergan and Dex and Della wouldn't be –

"B – But why me? Of all the people you chose me?"

"Yes, you moron I chose you. You are the only one I can trust anymore, everyone else is either captured, evil or dead. You have all this power, enough to defeat them all, and I need you with me. I couldn't stand the thought of you out here all by yourself, I care about you and-" he had said too much.

"You what?" Keefe asked, puzzled.

Tam took a deep breath before beginning. "I just – I really like you Keefe, I always have. When we met in Wildwood, I couldn't take my eyes off you, but I saw how you looked at Sophie, and how she looked at you. I tried to keep it quiet, I didn't even tell Linh. Sometimes I slipped and nearly told everyone, including you. I was just so embarrassed because I'm... Because I'm gay." He spat out the word, like it was poison in his mouth. Keefe walked up to Tam, but Tam either didn't notice, or didn't care. "I know I would be shunned and hated even more than normal if I told anyone, so I've kept it secret, even since I was a kid. Then you show up and ruin EVERYTHING! I hate you Keefe Sencen. I hate you because I love you." Tam broke down in tears so ashamed of himself, until he felt two thumbs wiping the tears off his face. He opened his eyes to find that Keefe's ice blue ones were staring right back. They were so close; Tam could feel Keefe's breath on his face. Now, Keefe was holding Tam's face in his hands. Then, without warning, Keefe leaned forward and kissed him. And reality faded...

-------Keefe-------

Keefe didn't know why he did it. Perhaps he felt sorry for Tam, crying there in the cold alley. Or maybe, deep down, Keefe knew that he did care about Tam. No matter what happened. Though after two years, he saw Tam in a much different light. Keefe always knew he was bi, but he had been waiting for the right moment to let everyone know. Though for now, Tam was enough.

He could feel Tam's hands, one running through his hair, and one clinging to his shirt, as if it were the only thing keeping him alive. Keefe held on just as tight, running his fingers along Tam's jawline. As they broke apart, and their eyes met again. Keefe looked deep into Tam's pale blue eyes, as if they held all the secrets in the universe. Tam then leaned forward and rested his head on Keefe's chest. Keefe wrapped his arms around Tam, holding him together.

"P – Please come home Keefe." He snuffled. "They need you. I need you..."