The Sencen Solution (Keefex)

The Questioning

Keefe was so glad when it came time for lunch.
He grabbed his bag and practically sprinted out of the classroom, feeling his shoulders relax and headache lessen as he got closer to the cafeteria... that is, until he rounded the corner and made eye contact with a very uncomfortable looking Dex sitting across from Sophie, Biana, and Fitz. Dex's eyes widened, and he gave his head a tiny shake, eyes seeming to scream run.
Keefe took the hint and turned to go, but before he could hightail it out of there, Fitz caught sight of him and dragged him to their table.
"Hey, guys," Keefe chuckled nervously as he reluctantly sat down. "What's up?"
"Oh nothing," Biana replied flippantly. "Just asking Dex here how his weekend was."
She put an arm around the aforementioned boy, who looked ready to either shove Biana off a cliff or jump off one himself.
"Oh, yeah?" Keefe tried to keep his voice level and unaffected despite the sudden lack of oxygen entering his lungs.
"Yeah." Biana said, giving Keefe a pointed look.
"Anything good?" Keefe asked with a slightly strained smile, not making eye contact with the her.
"Totally," Sophie piped up with a smirk. "He was just telling us all about your little, ahem, pyramid scheme."
Keefe's eyes widened and he shot a panicked look at Dex, who just shook his head.
This little exchange didn't go unnoticed, and Fitz stood up suddenly, eyeing both boys with suspicion.
"Okay, something is obviously going on here. At first, I just assumed you were nervous about the prank being traced back to you... but when has Keefe Sencen ever been nervous about getting caught?"
Keefe almost laughed out loud. You'd be surprised he thought, remembering how Dex's lips felt against his. His cheeks flushed, and he only had to glance at Dex to know he was thinking the same thing. He also didn't miss how Dex's eyes were trained on the floor, resolutely avoiding Keefe's gaze.
Keefe felt his heart sink as he caught a whiff of Dex's swirling emotions. Unease. Embarrassment. Regret.
Suddenly Keefe couldn't be there anymore. He tried to push down the lump that had formed in his throat and stood up abruptly.
"I just remembered! I have to get to... a... uh... class thing that's happening right now."
Biana wrinkled her nose.
"Class thing?"
"Yes, class thing! That I have to be at. Now."
Keefe shouldered his bag and took off, trying not to look back at his confused friends and the poor boy whose friendship he'd most certainly ruined before it had even begun.

                                          •••
Keefe let out a heavy sigh as he slumped against the huge ornate doors of Candleshade. Avoiding his friends had been a lot harder than he'd anticipated, and after a long day of dodging Sophie's concerned glances, Biana's surprise appearances, and Fitz's general confusion, he was exhausted.
He ran a hand down his face and pushed himself off the door, heading to the stairs to reach the privacy of his room.
"Hello son, how was school?"
Keefe stopped in his tracks and slowly turned to face his father.
"S'fine I guess." He said a little too quickly.
His father frowned, setting down the document he was reading.
"What did I tell you about mumbling Keefe?"
Keefe fought the urge to roll his eyes.
"One must always speak so they are understood. An elf who isn't understood isn't respected." He replied, mimicking his fathers voice as he spoke.
Lord Cassius raised his eyebrows, but said nothing; begrudgingly impressed with his son's skill.
Keefe shifted his feet and looked expectantly at his father.
"Is that all?"
Lord Cassius nodded stiffly and went to sit back down.
Keefe let out a relieved sigh and started up the stairs, when his father voice rang out once more.
"Oh, and Keefe?"
Keefe turned around again. "Yes?"
"I heard about Dame Alina's office. Make sure it can't be traced to you." There was a menacing undertone to his words and Keefe felt himself gulp.
"Understood sir."
"Good." He went back to reading, and Keefe retreated as quickly as possible to the safety of his room.
Once the door was shut, he let out a shaky breath and collapsed onto his bed, suddenly overcome with exhaustion. He shuffled around a bit trying to find a comfortable position, before relaxling into the soft mattress below him.
As he drifted off, he found himself too tired to fend off the pleasant thoughts of soft lips and periwinkle eyes that flooded his mind.
He fell asleep with a small smile playing on his lips.

Authors note: as always, any corrections are much appreciated. Thank you for reading and being patient with the erratic updates!! I'll try to work on getting them up more consistently :)
-L