"FOSTER! Wait up!" Keefe shouted from behind Sophie.
Sophie and every prodigy on the Foxfire fields turned to watch the blonde boy run towards her, pathfinder in his hand. She stopped and let her home crystal fall back around her neck. Keefe came up beside her, panting.
"Hey, Keefe. Is everything okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, I just don't want to go home. Can I pleeeeeeaaase come with you?" he asked, sticking out his bottom lip out and giving her puppy dog eyes.
Sophie rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, letting their fingers intertwine. She held up her home crystal and the two kids stepped into the beam of light.
They arrived at Havenfeild to Grady and Edaline feeding Verdi. Edaline looked up and saw the two kids and immediately ran over. She swept Sophie into an enormous hug and once she let go of Sophie, she gave Keefe a Mama Bear hug. Sophie expected him to try and squirm away, but he hugged her back. Once she pulled away, she asked Keefe, "So, what do I owe the honor to have a visit from Lord Hunkyhair?"
Sophie giggled as Keefe's face glowed with pride. "I just didn't want to go home, so I tagged along with Foster here."
"Well, I have to feed Iggy. C'mon Keefe," Sophie said, grabbing his hand and starting to walk towards the golden gates of the house.
"Actually, I have to ask Edaline something. I'll meet you up in your room," Keefe said, letting go of Sophie's hand. She raised a skeptical eyebrow but didn't say anything.
After she fed Iggy, Keefe came in and sat on Sophie's bed. Sophie sat next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"So, what did you ask Edaline?" she asked.
"You'll see, don't worry," Keefe said, turning his head to look down at her. He flashed his trademark grin, which made Sophie's heart flutter.
"Wait, does that mean there's a surprise?" Sophie asked, suddenly sitting up, hope filling her eyes.
Keefe laughed and replied with, "You'll see."
Sophie nodded and got up, racing to her desk. She came back with a laptop and laid on her bed. Keefe laid next to her, watching her open it and put in the password.
"What are you doing? And what is this thing anyway?" he asked, intensely staring at it.
"It's a laptop and we're going to watch one of the greatest movies of all time, Harry Potter."
Halfway through movie four, Keefe glanced out the window and hit the pause button.
"What was that for?" Sophie asked, following him into her bathroom.
He grabbed her hand and led her into her closet. He turned around and said, "I've got a surprise planned but it might be cold and I don't want you to get too cold."
"Okay. Only if you use an extra cape, too. I don't want you to get cold either," Sophie said, grabbing two navy blue cloaks.
Keefe clipped hers under her chin and she did the same to him. He then took her hand and led her outside. He took her to the back of the house where the ledge looked out onto the ocean. But right in front of her was a blanket with pillows, another blanket, lit candles that were scented vanilla and cinnamon, and a picnic basket.
Sophie gasped and squeezed his hand. "Did you really do this all for me?" she asked.
"You've been so stressed lately that I thought it would be nice to take your mind off and just relax. So, I asked Edaline make us some food and get some candles so we could watch the sunset and stargaze for a bit," Keefe said, taking both of her hands and smiling his feature smirk.
Sophie giggled and ran over to the blanket, pulling Keefe along with her. She laid down on the blanket, resting her head on one of the pillows. Keefe did the same, but he laid an arm over her waist, pulling her closer to him.
They ate massive amounts of mallowmelt while watching the sun dip behind the horizon. Soon, the stars came out and when they did, Sophie was breathless.
"You know, I heard there's going to be a meteor shower tonight," Keefe said, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear with his free hand.
"Now I'm more excited," Sophie said, turning her head to look at Keefe.
She looked into his ice-blue eyes and suddenly realized how close her face was to his. She looked his face up and down before she closed the small gap and pressed her lips onto his. He grabbed her face and deepened the kiss a bit. She felt him smile so she let go and smiled at him.
"I knew you couldn't resist me," Keefe said, propping himself to sit on his elbow.
Sophie shook her head but laughed. "Keefe Sencen, you're impossible."
Keefe started to say something else, but it got drowned out by Sophie's gasps. He turned to look at the sky and gasped, too. Comets were soaring across the sky and, in Keefe's words, it was magical.
Sophie laid her head on Keefe's chest, watching the meteors fly past. Without looking at him, she said, "Thank you, Keefe."
"For what?" he asked, not taking his eyes off of the sky either.
"For this. And for being by my side at all times."
She couldn't see it, but Keefe was blushing a smiling a goofy smile.
"I'll always be here for you, Foster."
This short story is dedicated to my favorite group chat, the "support each other cult" You guys are the best.
