KOTLC Sokeefe One-Shots, Alternate Endings, etc

Coming Home (Keefe POV)

Tam's purpose in being there became apparent pretty quickly.

Keefe couldn't believe what he was hearing. The creepy shadowflux was in his heart? How could he not have known it was there? What did it say about him that something so dark and scary and creepy was in his heart and he couldn't tell?

And it also made him angry to realize that he'd run away and hidden in order to protect everyone when apparently his mother could have just shown up at any time and taken him.

And his friends wouldn't have known.

There would've been no one to save him, no one to help.

But...if he hadn't left, he might've done more damage with those unbelievably awful abilities.

So Tam removed the shadowflux from his heart.

And then they explained that there was potentially a third step to Stellarlune, and something about Elysian and a mysterious and dangerous sounding power source.

He could tell by the look on Sophie's face that she was hanging her hopes on finding that source before his mother did.

He had to tell her that if she managed it--and she probably would, because she was incredible--then she had to destroy it--all of it.

He wanted to take her by the hand, but something held him back.

There were so many unspoken words between them.

Neither of them was addressing the note he'd left. She was acting strangely, and he couldn't read her emotions well enough to discern why.

She seemed confused, but also still a little fluttery.

Or maybe it was just flustered.

He couldn't tell.

So instead of taking her hands, like he would have done before everything fell apart, he placed his hands on her shoulders as he told her they would have to destroy the power source.

The contact made her emotions a little clearer, but not much. She felt determined...and definitely confused. And that crease between her eyebrows was back and oh how he'd missed seeing that.

Sophie's insistence that they would need the power source in order to help Keefe made his heart swell with affection and gratefulness for this girl who always wanted to take good care of him.

And she definitely avoided promising him she'd get rid of it all.

He knew she'd try to hold some back.

For him.

And he really wanted to kiss her for that.

Nope, can't do that.

Although it might be worth it, even if she smacked him away, just to make Tammy Boy over there uncomfortable.

Instead, he did the only sensible thing.

Or maybe it wasn't sensible at all.

He just knew there was no way he could let her leave without him now. There was a reason he'd taken the cowardly route and left her a goodbye note instead of giving her the actual goodbye she deserved.

She'd have tried to talk him out of it. And she'd have succeeded. Not from the pep talk, but from the cute little worry crease between her eyes and the concern that surely would have been coming off her in waves.

He wouldn't have been able to leave her behind.

And he couldn't stand to let her go now.

But he also instinctively knew he'd have to make sure she didn't try to hold on to that power source for his sake. It had to be destroyed no matter how badly he might need it.