KOTLC Sokeefe One-Shots, Alternate Endings, etc

The Fight

A/N: A bonus chapter from my main story. This depicts the fight described in the "Trust: Keefe POV" chapter but falls chronologically somewhere between  the "Everglen" and "Promises" chapters.

"You look tired today," Sophie noted.

"Yeah, well, today I had Empathy training and training for this stupid commanding ability that I refuse to name," Keefe replied. "It's really draining. And here I always thought it was so cool that you had multiple abilities."

"It comes in handy, but I wouldn't wish it on anyone," Sophie said sympathetically.

Keefe was sprawled out under Calla's Panakes and Sophie was making starkflower stew.

"Just the smell of that stew still takes me back to those days living in Alluveterre," Keefe said with a sigh. "I have pretty mixed emotions about that time."

"I'd think they'd mostly be unpleasant. Considering...everything."

"Yeah, but...it's also the first time my home life was pleasant. Living with friends in a giant tree house was a major improvement compared to Candleshade. But mostly, it's because you and I grew a lot closer then," he told her. "Even when I was angry at everyone, at the whole world, you wouldn't let me spiral. You were there. Those window slumber parties meant more to me than you knew."

Sophie smiled. She remembered feeling relieved when he didn't shut her out.

And yet...he hadn't confided in her his plan to try to infiltrate the Neverseen. She hadn't had a clue that he'd been thinking about it.

Until it was too late to stop him.

"What was harder?" Sophie asked him, suddenly curious. "Being in the Neverseen with half our group convinced you were a traitor, or being alone in the Forbidden Cities?"

"Both sucked," Keefe said immediately. "But the Forbidden Cities were worse. At least when I was with the Neverseen, I got to talk to you most days. And I hadn't manifested these abilities, and I fully intended to come home. Being in the Forbidden Cities helped me in some ways, to get over what happened in Loamnore, but...it was also horribly lonely. Like the only way I could protect everyone was to sacrifice my own happiness and live an eternity in hiding. I was so tempted to hail Grady with the Imparter he gave me and just ask how things were going, ask him about you."

"Wait, what?" This was the first Sophie was hearing about Grady giving him an Imparter.

The look on Keefe's face clearly said 'oops'.

"Um..." Keefe bit his lip. "I guess I never told you that. When he caught me in your room, leaving that note, I kind of thought he was going to kill me, but...he told me about how you'd burned down the storehouse and asked me not to leave. I told him I had to and he gave me the Imparter and made me promise I'd answer if he hailed me."

"Why wouldn't he tell me?"

She was shaking slightly. Keefe had been home for a few weeks now and the danger was slowly passing, but his disappearance was still a bit of a sore spot for her--one she tried to ignore, because she knew he hadn't done it to hurt her but rather to protect her.

"I asked him not to," Keefe said.

"Still." She frowned. "He asked you to stay, for my sake, and you still left?"

Keefe looked down at his hands and mumbled "don't word it like that."

"I tried transmitting to you. I just wanted to know you were okay. And he didn't tell me he could reach out just to check on you. That would have helped a lot."