KOTLC Sokeefe One-Shots, Alternate Endings, etc

Alternate Ending: Legacy 11

She punched one of her pillows, but it wasn't nearly satisfying enough. She needed something more destructive, so she twisted and tugged and clawed at the silky fabric, hoping for a dramatic rip and a spray of feathers.

But pillows were a whole lot tougher than she realized they could be.

Keefe gave her another reassuring shoulder pat--but when she flung the pillow aside and buried her face in her hands, she heard him growl something that sounded like "screw it". Then his arms wrapped around her and she sank into the hug, not realizing she was crying until she felt her tears soak into his tunic.

"It's okay," he murmured into her hair. "I promise you, it's all going to be okay."

"How can you say that? Nothing about this is okay."

Keefe's arms tightened slightly. "You don't have to go through with this. We can stop searching. I promise, you don't have to do this."

"And if I don't, what then? I would stay unmatchable. It's not only Fitz, it's anyone. I'll be stuck single forever."

"I already told you, anyone who really cares about you won't care that you're unmatchable."

"That's easy for you to say," Sophie argued. "But I imagine if it actually affected you, you would care. It's so much worse than choosing not to register on principle. No one will want to be with the unmatchable girl."

"I would."

The words were so tentative, his voice so quiet, Sophie almost didn't catch them.

She straightened up to look at him. "You would be with a girl even if she was unmatchable?" She asked incredulously. "What, just to make your dad angry?"

Keefe stared at her for a moment, his cheeks faintly pink. "Not just any girl," he mumbled, looking away.

"I don't understand," Sophie said.

Ro's quiet "ugh, seriously, Blondie?" made Sophie jump. She'd forgotten Ro was there.

Keefe shot a glare at Ro and removed his arms from around Sophie. He looked down at his hands. "I would be with you. I don't care about the match. That wouldn't stop me."

Sophie's mind was blank. He couldn't possibly mean that how it sounded.

"I appreciate you trying to make me feel better," she began.

Keefe met her eyes at last. His face was set, determined, but also sad. "I do hate seeing you so upset," he said quietly, reaching out to wipe the tears off her cheeks. "But mostly I just felt like you should know. You do have options. I would choose you. Why do you think I told you I haven't registered? If you wanted to be with me I wouldn't have any need. I wouldn't bother. And I wouldn't even think twice about it."

Sophie blinked. And stared. And tried to make sense of what he'd just said.

She knew he could feel her confusion but must have decided to give her a moment to try to process what he had just told her.

Ro was less patient. "Seriously? Hunkyhair finally admits he's in love with you and you don't say anything?"

"I—" was all Sophie managed to say. She couldn't even form words. Love? Ro couldn't be serious.

Keefe sighed. "The part of you that believes me is in shock. The other part of you is still trying to come up with some other explanation for what I just told you."

"You mean...if you were Fitz, you would choose to stay with me?"

Ro groaned.

"Well...I would like to think that my best friend has enough sense not to lose a good thing because of matchmaking, yes. But Sophie, I'll make it clear."