ALWAYS, kotlc

dont give up on me

"It's okay to hate me."

Those words stung deeper than anyone knew- because he'd said it before. But now it wasn't him saying that- it was Sophie.

He bit his lip, sliding off the bed to grab her hands. Sophie turned away, hiding the tears he knew was slip-sliding down her cheeks.

"Foster, I'll never hate you."

"Even when everyone else does?" Sophie whispered, her voice full of heartbroken bitterness that made his heart want to crack and crumble away.

Keefe squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to dive back into another painstaking flashback... but it was too late... he could already feel the cold wind and the sounds of screams...

"Keefe! Keefe come on, get out here! If Sandor catches me, I'm dead-"

"Coming Foster!" Keefe whisper-screamed through the darkness, glancing at a snoring Ro before quietly lifting up his window and levitating safely down onto the grass. He glanced around the darkness uncertainly. "Are you sure this is a good idea? What if someone catches us? What if something goes wrong-?"

"And since when did the Great Lord Hunkyhair worry about 'safety?'" Sophie teased, giving him a small grin. "Fitz should be leaping here any minute- you know if we're going to save Dex and Biana, we're going to have to take risks-"

"I'm with Keefe on this one though," Fitz cut in, startling them both as he fizzled into view. "Didn't Forkle say they had a plan?"

The memory jumped again- and suddenly he was inside the old deserted hideout where Sophie and Dex had been kidnapped the first time- but this time, it was Biana and Dex instead-

"Grab them!" Sophie screamed, leaping out of their hiding spot and lunging for her friends-

The blast of a Medler jolted Keefe out of his panic as he sprinted towards her- but it was too late- everything was turning darker and darker and-

His eyes opened to find an angry Forkle shouting at Sophie who looked like she was wilting in tears. He glanced at Fitz who looked so shocked and broken, he almost knew the answer-

FItz shook his head- they were gone.

The mission had failed.

"Foster... can I sing you a song?" Keefe asked, so quietly he wasn't even sure she could hear him. As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt as shocked as Sophie looked.

"You can sing?" she asked, looking slightly happier at this new revelation.

Keefe nodded and beckoned her over as she sank down onto his bed beside him. He ignored the humiliation burning in his cheeks as he opened his mouth to sing.

"I will fight- I will fight for you. I always do until my heart, is black and blue," he practically whispered. Keefe noticed the tiniest smile form on her lips as she curled up a bit closer to him.

"Keefe, I..."

"Sh," he told her softly, his hand grabbing hers. "And I will stay- I will stay with you. We'll make it to the other side, like lovers do."

Her eyebrows shot up as he sang "lovers" but she miraculously didn't object.

He opened his mouth to continue- but Sophie had already cut him off.

"I'll reach my hands out in the dark, and wait for yours to interlock, I'll wait for you. I'll wait for you."

Keefe was pretty sure neither of them had smiled this much since Biana and Dex had died. He glanced at Sophie, who was already looking up at him.

And what might have surprised him even more, was when Sophie finished his line. "'Cause I'm not givin' up, I'm not givin' up, givin' up, no, not yet. Even when I'm down to my last breath- even when they say there's nothin' left-"

Sophie hesitated, and he could see her wondering if she should go on. He squeezed her hand. "So don't give up on-"

"I'm not givin' up, I'm not givin' up, givin' up, no, not me. Even when nobody else believes- I'm not goin' down that easily. So don't give up on me."

Keefe stopped singing as Sophie's hand drifted into his. Keefe waited for the silence passing over them to get awkward- it didn't.

He glanced over. "Sophie-"

"And I will hold," Sophie interrupted, and even though she was still facing the window on the opposite side of his bedroom, overlooking the view, he could still see her smile. "I'll hold onto you. No matter what this world'll throw- it won't shake me loose."

"I'll reach my hands out in the dark, and wait for yours to interlock, I'll wait for you. I'll wait for you," Keefe finished.

Her eyes drifted off to the lake outside his window- and the sun barely rising felt like a new start -and maybe a bit of hope -as her hand clung to his like she never wanted to let go.

"Keefe... I need to tell you something. And this is going to sound crazy," Sophie mumbled, her cheeks flushing in the dim light.

Keefe was glad she didn't pull her hand away but...

"Go for it Foster."

"....I think I love you."

Keefe had been waiting all of his life- ever since the day he had met her -for Sophie to say that. Just those three words. And he'd always dreamed of all the jokes he would crack when she finally did.

But he just squeezed her hand a little tighter and leaned over to give her a kiss.

"I love you too Foster. No matter what."

And for the first time in the weeks since their death, Sophie finally looked at peace.

"So don't give up on me."

a/n - just fyi , this was a submission for a sokeefe one shot contest ! hope u all enjoyed <3