KOTLC Sokeefe One-Shots, Alternate Endings, etc

The Talk (Keefe POV)

"Well then, how long?"

Keefe looked him in the eye. "From the moment I met her."

Fitz's eyes narrowed. "You can't be serious."

"I'm completely serious, Fitz. There was just something about her. And it's just grown since then, gotten stronger. If you don't believe me you can look at my memories. I have nothing to hide, not anymore."

Fitz cringed. "I really don't want to see you kissing her."

"I'll try not think about it."

But Fitz shook his head. "You don't have to show me your memories."

"I just...need you to know I didn't do this lightly. This wasn't on a whim, it's been years in the making, years of waiting and hoping."

"You seriously just liked her for years without saying anything to her?"

"Just look at my memories," Keefe insisted. "You can see for yourself. I'll just bring a few to the front of my mind."

So Fitz agreed. And Keefe showed him the moment he first saw Sophie, and how she would be protective of him without pitying him, and the day they played Base Quest and she did that crazy leap and landed in the mud.

And how she looked when she came downstairs in Biana's clothes.

Hmm, Fitz told him. I thought she looked really pretty that day, but my reaction was nothing compared to yours.

I know, Keefe replied.

So then he showed Fitz a few other moments—the flight on Silveny, the sweet way she cared for him in Alluveterre—particularly the way he felt when she came to his room and forced him to get some rest, pulling down all his manic notes off the walls.

He showed him a few moments through the years where he'd almost told her, but had been interrupted. Showed Fitz some of those times when he'd felt Foster's heart swoon over Fitz—and how painful it was.

And he showed Fitz the way it felt when Sophie, with tears in her eyes, threw her arms around him and thanked him for the paintings he'd given her. His burst of emotion, exploding like fireworks, as he felt her emotions.

Whoa, Keefe, Fitz said. That's intense. I had no idea.

But when he showed Fitz his memory of Fitz telling him they'd confessed their feelings—and would have kissed if Silveny hadn't interrupted—Fitz wrenched his mind away and stumbled over to his bed, putting his head in his hands.

Keefe cautiously grabbed Fitz's desk chair and dragged it over, sitting down.

Fitz looked up at him. "I don't know what I'm supposed to say now. I had this whole big speech planned about how best friends don't steal each others' girlfriends and then you were going to apologize and I was going to tell you that of course I just want you both to be happy, and I'm not going to stop talking to either of you over it. But...judging by everything you've just shown me—and a whole host of other moments that you probably didn't show me—I think I've lost the moral high ground on this one."

"The moral high ground?"

Fitz shrugged. "I've been assuming you just snaked her away from me. I didn't realize that you'd liked her for years. I mean...I've suspected, before, that maybe you liked her, but didn't think it was serious. And then I sometimes thought...I don't know, you two have always been so close...so I asked her about you during our Cognate Inquisition. But I didn't really think...well, I guess I hadn't suspected how strongly either of you felt about each other. But the pain I just felt in that last memory of yours...and I caused you that pain..."

"Yeah...it's been hard. But she preferred you, she was so ignorant of her feelings for me until recently, and I didn't want to get in your way. Fitz, I can't be sorry that she chose me—I've wanted it for so long—but I am sorry that you've been hurt in the process."

Fitz nodded. "I believe you. And...I'm sorry too. I wouldn't have been bragging about getting together with her if I'd known what it was doing to you. I would've handled it more carefully. And...oh, no," he said suddenly, blushing and eyes going wide. "Oh, I can't believe I did that."

"Did what?" Though Keefe thought he knew what Fitz was thinking.

Sure enough, Fitz mumbled, "I paid you to finish that picture I gave Sophie, from my memory of us under the Panakes...I had no idea."

Keefe laughed darkly. "Yeah, that sucked some major mood candy."

"Yeah well...so does this." Sadness crept back into Fitz's features.

"I'm sorry."

Fitz shrugged. "She chose you. And...you guys are really close. You always have been. You'll be good together. I just...don't think I can handle hearing about it."

"I understand. We already decided to tone it down, at least when we're all together. We don't want to flaunt it in your face."

"I appreciate that. But...don't hold back because of me either. I mean, don't let worrying about me get in the way or slow you down. I know you just got together, but based on what I saw in your memories and in everything you're saying...it sounds like it's already pretty serious."

Keefe smiled softly. "I'm in love with her," he said quietly.

Fitz nodded. "I know. Does she?"

"Do you really want to be talking about this?"

"No, but...you can still answer my question before we change the subject."

"No, she doesn't know. We've only been together for a few days, I feel like it might be a bit early for me to drop that bomb on her. I don't want to scare her off."

Fitz considered that for a moment. "I don't know. I don't think it would scare her off. You should tell her."

"Maybe. When it feels right, I will. But...are we okay?"

Fitz smiled at him. "Yeah, we're okay."

"Good," Keefe said vehemently. "I didn't want to lose my best friend."

"You didn't really think you would, did you?"

"I thought I might temporarily. Until you calmed down."

Fitz shook his head. "I overreact sometimes. And I'm working on it. But no. You're not getting rid of me that easily."

Keefe smirked at him. "Glad to hear it."