KOTLC Sokeefe One-Shots, Alternate Endings, etc

Ability Reset: Keefe POV (part 2)

A couple of hours later, freshly washed and hair back to his artfully messy style, Keefe managed to slip back out of the Shores of Solace without having to deal with Lord Nosypants.

He sat with Fitz for a while, talking—and fanning themselves to try to stave off the heat—until Fitz headed home for dinner.

Edaline brought Keefe some dinner a little while later.

"Ro, you could feel free to go downstairs and eat in the kitchen with Grady. It's a lot cooler down there, and Keefe isn't in any danger from me," Edaline said with a wink.

Ro, thankfully, agreed and went downstairs.

Most of the time, Keefe was really grateful for Ro. She could be kind of obnoxious and frustrating, but she was also fun to have around and she proved a good buffer at The Shores of Solace.

Especially when she got irritated enough with his dad to slip something into his food.

She seemed to hate his dad about as much as he did.

And in her own way, he could tell she cared about him.

But it was increasingly difficult to be stuck in Sophie's stuffy bedroom listening to Ro grumble and complain about the Great Foster Oblivion and Keefe's unwillingness to push Sophie before she was ready.

So he couldn't help but tell Edaline, "thank you--for the dinner and the bodyguard break."

Edaline smiled at him, pulling her hair back in a ponytail as she did so. "It's so hot in here, I don't know how you stand it for so long."

Keefe shrugged. Because I'm so in love with your daughter I don't care how miserable it is, I just want to look after her.

Nope, can't say that.

"I'm just tougher than the rest of you, I guess," he joked instead, taking a bite of his dinner and idly wondering what human food Foster would compare it to.

Any time he saw her try a new food, he could feel the surprise coming off of her. He'd finally asked her about it once, and she told him that most of the things she'd eaten tasted exactly like really good quality versions of human foods she loved.

"Thanks again for feeding me the last few days. Your cooking is much better than my dad's." No joking this time, he was completely serious. Edaline's food was the best.

"It's the least I can do," Edaline told him. "For how much you've been here helping watch after our girl."

Something about the way she was looking at him made him nervous. She had a very knowing look in her eye.

Sure enough, after another minute, she quietly said, "Keefe?"

Uh-oh.

"Hmm?"

"I just felt like I should let you know...I kind of overheard part of your argument with Ro earlier."

Keefe grimaced. "What part?"

"Well, I heard her accusing you of being scared, and heard the rest from there, until Fitz arrived. I was coming up to check on you and then I was afraid to interrupt."

"Oh." Keefe didn't know what to say. With Alden he had gone with denial, but that wouldn't work with Edaline, she had overheard him.

Ugh, she'd overheard him admit that he was in love with Foster. Oh, no.

"Listen, Keefe. First off, I want you to know I'll keep your secret."

"Even from Grady?" Keefe did not want to incur Grady's wrath or have Grady banish him from Havenfield.