KOTLC Oneshots

Sokeefe~Depression~

A/N: this is Part 2! This one is about Keefe and his depression, a pretty sad one, I guess. I didn't even know how this would turn out, just wrote, and I didn't edit, so it might be pretty bad.

It all crashed down on him. All of the pain and regret and worry. His body wracked with heaving sobs as he sat there, crouched in a corner of his new room.

"My fault..." he muttered. "All my fault."

He was messed up. So messed up. His mother was the leader of the Neverseen. His father was a reputation-obsessed-jerk. He himself was a disappointment. A mistake. He would never be as good as Fitz. Never as talented as Dex. Never as important as Tam or Wylie. (A/N: he actually called Tam Tam. He's serious :(

Ro, his ogre bodyguard, was gone for the day, to help her father, King Dimitar, in Ravagog. So he was alone.

He wasn't bitter, no. He wasn't Alvar. He was just sad. Miserable that he was this worthless.

He hid behind his jokes and his infamous smirk. He was popular and had good friends. He knew that. But no one could help him. No, he was too far gone. His depression spiraled, the sobs coming harder and harder each time, tears drenching his clothes. He screamed and pulled at his hair, cried so hard.

He was glad the walls were soundproof.

His choices were foolish. His actions were predictable. He only made everything worse for everyone. The caches? Fake. Memories? Shattered beyond repair. And he could have resisted, or tried at least.

He was broken. Shattered. Despair gnawed at him, dragging him deeper and deeper under. But he wasn't broken with guilt. He was broken with depression. With pain. It was agonizing, really, to the point where everything was so numb. He kept weeping, but he couldn't feel it.

He stood up, pacing, shivering, and curled his hands into fists. He didn't know what came over him, but it did. He punched the walls, kicked and screamed. His knuckles were bruised and bleeding, his sleeves smeared with his own blood, but still the depression did not rise.

It hung over him like a black cloud, raining down on him and everything he saw.

Except for one thing.

Or one person, actually.

She was suffering, too. He knew it. He could literally feel it. But she understood him, even if it was only a third of what he was really feeling. She offered comfort, help, trust, instead of the usual disdain (his father) or pity (everyone else). She offered an actual solution.

She was the solution. But she didn't know it. And it tore him apart. To see her and Wonderboy... but they were perfect. Everyone knew they were. Besides, she was too good. Too great for him. He was a background character, a person passing by in a painting.

So he cried. Even harder. He almost didn't hear the knock on his door. It was probably his father, anyway. But it was fine. It would annoy him more. The door was locked, anyways. Plus, his current disheveled, sobbing state wouldn't be very impressive.

But then he heard a voice.

"Keefe?"

It was... her? But why?

"Keefe, answer me."

He couldn't bring himself to. He was hopeless, and no one could see him like this.

"Keefe Sencen, if you don't open this door right now, I'm going to smash it open!"

He cleared his throat, trying in vain to get his voice to work.

"Why are you here, Foster?"

He winced. His voice sounded strained and cracked, even to him.

"Keefe... let me in."

"... no."

"Why?" She asked, her voice full of worry. He could feel her worry even from here, her emotions were strong like that.

"... because you can't see me like this."

"Keefe, Sandor has a key."

Wordlessly, he got up and unlocked the door, then retreated back to his corner, facing away from the door.

He heard more rustling, before the door opened. He felt her sit behind him silently.

"Keefe, what's wrong?"

Keefe stayed silent again.

Sophie sighed and crossed in front of him. He lowered his head, but he still caught a glimpse of her face. The adorable crease between her eyebrows, her eyes full of confusion and worry.

She reached for his hand before noticing the blood.

"Oh my goodness, Keefe! Did you do this yourself? You punched the walls again, didn't you! Here, let me get Elwin, you need to get that bandaged-"

"It's fine, Foster. I have bandages in the bathroom."

"Then stay here, alright?" Not that he had the energy to move, anyway.

She came back with the bandages and a cup of water, rinsing his bloody knuckles carefully before wrapping them in bandages.

While tending to his hands, she glared sharply at him. "Why did you do this?"

"..."

"Answer me."

Keefe didn't even have the energy to make a joke. "I was sad."

"Sad?"

He nodded.

Finishing up with the bandages, Sophie tilted his chin up, looking at him; his bloodshot eyes and the tear tracks running down his cheeks; the disheveled state of his hair he hadn't even bothered to style.

"Oh, Keefe." She stared him for a moment, before suddenly, without warning, wrapped him in a hug.

"If you were like this, you could have told us! We could've helped, Keefe."

"No," he croaked. "Nobody understands. Only you do."

Sophie suddenly whirled on him. "Then you should have come to me! Don't keep running away, Keefe! You have friends, you have people who love you! You have me," she said, the last words coming out in a whisper.

Keefe stared at her. His heart broke as he saw the tear running down the corner of her eye. He was making her cry. It was him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Sophie sighed. "Don't be. Just promise me that next time you feel like this, you'll hail me immediately, alright? Promise me." She stared at him, squeezing his hand gently but persistently.

"Promise," she insisted.

Could he keep that promise?

"Keefe. I need to know you're alright, please."

Keefe hesitated.

"For me."

It was those words that did it. "Alright."he whispered. "I promise."

Sophie smiled, a genuine smile, and stood up. I need to go now, but I'll check in with you later, alright?"

Keefe nodded.

Before she left, she bent down, so that Keefe though she was going to say something in his ear, but instead, her lips grazed his cheek, and she waved goodbye, a light blush dusting her cheeks. And she was gone.

Keefe touched his cheek, dazed.

But if she was going to be like that every time, he wouldn't mind keeping that promise.

So! Anyone like that ending? Who am I talking to again, this thing has view excluding me XD

But really, if it was any worse, Keefe could be going through emotional abuse, which is a type of domestic abuse, inflicted upon him by his father. Abuse is still apparent in the Lost Cities, although it doesn't resort to physical.

Buuuut if anyone does read this, comment please! I welcome feedback!!