fifty sokeefe kisses

(24) reunion

Sophie's heart dropped when Wylie returned with the news.

She sank into a chair, brushing away Sandor's noises of concern as words from the surrounding conversations washed over her.

"... missing," Wylie was telling Mr. Forkle. "Then we lost communication with them." He looked to Sophie, and the frown etched into his face deepens ever so slightly, almost in a wince. "Including Keefe."

"How long did you wait at the meet-up point?"

A pause. "Half a day," Wylie responded.

Sandor's large hand was a comforting weight on her back. "Isn't there anything that can be done?" he asked Mr. Forkle.

The older elf looked solemn. "It was already dangerous to send out a mission party in this weather," he said, and as if on cue, a clap of thunder from outside rattles at the walls. "We have to wait until the storm passes."

Silence fell over the room. It took Sophie a moment to realize they had all turned to her, waiting for a response.

-

"I want to go with you."

"You're needed here," Keefe reminded her. He reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Sophie wanted more than anything to grab his hand and hold him there, to steady herself with his pulse against her skin.

She doesn't, though. "Be careful," Sophie said firmly.

His mouth curled into a smirk, which was both reassuring and unnerving. "You know how I am, Foster."

"I'm serious," she said, ignoring the fond smile that slips onto her face as she speaks.

"I'll be back before you know it, okay?"

He pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead, and then he was gone.

-

"Their crystals were supposed to leap them back here," Sophie declared. "I'm going to wait for h—them."

Mr. Forkle hums thoughtfully. "Fair enough. This base is secure enough for an overnight stay. I don't see a problem with it."

"Tiergan's out there too. I can stay behind with Sophie," Wylie told them, and only then does Sandor relent.

Sophie squeezed her eyes shut. Where are you, Keefe? she transmitted, her telepathic radius expanding and expanding until her mind is stretched too thin to properly transmit anything. She was met with nothing but the desperate, silent static of her own mind.

Where are you? Tell me you're okay.

"Sophie."

She glanced up at Wylie. "Yeah?"

He gave her a meaningful look. "Keefe's a smart kid. He'll be fine."

"I know," she sighed. "It's just..."

She trailed off, lacking the words to describe the knot of emotions curled up inside her. How do you describe the fear of losing someone you've already lost (once, twice, in more ways than one) before? 

Wylie looked as strained and tired as she felt, but he still managed to give her a warm smile. "I get it. Don't worry." He leaned over and ruffled her hair. "You should get some rest. I'll wake you if anything happens, okay?"

A soft blanket was draped across her shoulders, and Sophie suddenly can't find it in her to protest. Her exhaustion tumbles away into the tempting lull of sleep.

A distant crack of thunder startles Sophie awake. She blinked into the dark room, her consciousness already chasing away dreams of blue eyes and crooked grins.

"Wylie?" she called uncertainly. 

Wylie poked his head through the doorway, eyes widening when he saw she was awake. "Perfect timing!" he said. "They just got back."

He ducked out of the room again, leaving Sophie to scramble after him with her heart in her throat.

The entrance foyer was massive and sparsely decorated, save for a small group of people gathered at the doorway. Sophie scanned their faces one by one, looking for that familiar shock of blonde—

—and one of them broke off from the group and hurtled towards her, eyes wide and arms open, and the next thing she knew she was crushed against Keefe's chest. She buried her face into the crook of his neck and curled her fingers into his damp cloak, inhaling the smell of his rain-soaked skin and overwhelmed with relief and relief and relief.

"Hope you didn't miss me too much," Keefe chuckled, his tone light but tired.

Sophie didn't trust herself to speak just yet. Don't be stupid, she transmitted.

He drew back to cup her face in his hands, smiling. I missed you too.

It was infuriating, the way he made her feel sometimes. The knot of emotions in her stomach both twisted and unraveled all at once, giving way to her impulse to lean up and kiss him. 

Keefe's lips were still cold as they moved against hers, but his breath was warm against her cheeks when he drew away after a second. In explanation his gaze flicked back to Tiergan and Wylie, who were still wrapped up in conversation with the other party members.

"Sorry, I was just..." Sophie ran her hands over Keefe's shoulders, grounding herself in the knowledge that he was back, he was here, he was safe. "... you know."

"I know," Keefe answered, and she can hear in his voice that he does.