KOTLC Sokeefe One-Shots, Alternate Endings, etc

Alternate Ending: Lodestar 70 (part 2)

As soon as Sophie and Keefe reached the Panakes, Keefe sat down with his back against the trunk, looking up at the blossoms in their varying shades of pink, blue and purple.

"I'm glad to be back," he said in a contemplative voice. "I miss Calla. It's nice to be here with her Panakes."

Sophie smiled. "I miss her too."

"She believed in me, you know," Keefe told Sophie quietly. "She told me once. After you took all those papers off my walls and made me sleep. She came to see me and told me how much everyone needed me, and said she could see how worried you all were about me. She said that she knew I had the strength to overcome everything I'm going through." He smirked. "And then, of course, she told me that her moonlark needed lots of help and support so I'd need to be strong for your sake. You were definitely her favorite."

Sophie felt tears fill her eyes. "She was incredible."

Keefe picked up a few of the blossoms that had fallen to the ground, observing them. "She still is." He looked at Sophie, and something in his expression made her heart change rhythm. "And I've decided that she was right. I can come to terms with everything that's happened. I can be strong enough to help you."

"For Calla? Or for the sake of our cause?" Sophie wasn't sure why she'd asked that.

"Both, for sure. We're fighting the good fight here. But it's not just that. It's..." he dropped his gaze. "It's for you."

Sophie didn't know what to think of what he'd just said. He must have picked up on her confusion, because he looked up at her again and flashed that crooked grin she'd missed so much. "I wasn't kidding about how you eventually needed to sort out the triangle-that's-actually-a-square."

Sophie blushed. She tried to hide her hopeless crush on Fitz, but she knew Keefe was aware of it.

Empaths.

She also suspected that Keefe knew something she tried not to let herself see. In fact, Keefe validating it just made her heart sink.

She'd had reason, before, to wonder if Dex viewed their friendship differently than she did. She dreaded the day that came to a head and fervently hoped the situation would resolve itself.

But then...who was the fourth person? Keefe had seemed pretty antagonistic toward Tam, and told him he couldn't be in Sophie's so-called "fan club". But as much as she liked Tam, her feelings were only friendly, and she was pretty sure it was the same for him.

But then Sophie realized she had her answer.

If Keefe thought Tam might be interested in Sophie...was that why Keefe didn't like him?

But that would mean...

No. Sophie had known that right from the start. Keefe was a good friend. He was kind and loyal and knew how to make her laugh, but also seemed to know when she needed him to be serious. And he knew he could rely on her to comfort him too.

But that was all. A cute, popular, attention-loving boy would never be interested in an awkward, genetically-altered girl with freaky brown eyes.

Even if some of the things he'd said to her would make more sense if he was. Even if it explained why sometimes the way he would act or the way he would look at her made her feel fluttery.

Even if it explained why he was always teasing her.

Could he have actually been flirting?

Sophie stole a glance at Keefe and was surprised to see that he looked...sort of bashful.

"You?" She asked quietly, not really believing it.

"Me," he confirmed, his voice barely above a whisper.