KOTLC Sokeefe One-Shots, Alternate Endings, etc

Cat Statue (Tam POV)

"Well, you don't have to miss me. I'm right here. And I will go on snack runs with you if you want, you have your freedom, so it's not like you are stuck here."

Rayni smiled at him. "We'll have to do that sometime. It might be less fun, though, if we aren't sneaking out for it."

Tam had only recently seen Rayni's face unobscured by a Neverseen hood--had indeed only recently learned her real name--but now that he had, it was hard to stop looking. She was beautiful.

He had always preferred dark haired girls.

But aside from that, he found himself drawn to her because she understood. This was why he found Linh's mistrust so hard to handle--didn't she get that Rayni knew how they felt, to be abandoned by their parents? Only she hadn't had Sophie to pull her in, guide her to the right side of the fight.

But Tam had done that. And Rayni was going to help them win.

She understood what they had been through, but she also understood what it was like to be manipulated by someone like Gisela. She could see, like Tam could, that some things fell into a grey area of right and wrong.

He preferred black and white. But he also knew some things were harder to place.

"What's going on in that broody little head of yours?" Rayni asked, and Tam realized he'd been quiet for a little too long.

"Sorry," he said, hoping he wasn't blushing too badly. "Just...thinking about things."

"What kind of things?" She almost sounded...flirtatious.

"Like...how much this cat statue seems to mean to you and what you would do to me if I were to, say, hide it from you."

"You'd better not," she warned, clutching the statue more tightly. "And what were you really thinking?"

Tam shrugged. "I was just thinking about how alike we are, you and me. How we've been through some of the same stuff. Things most other people wouldn't understand."

"I think your friend Keefe would."

"Ugh. He's not my friend. He's not...not my friend or anything, but...he's not my friend."

"You were awfully concerned about him for someone who isn't your friend."

"Because it was the right thing to do, Rayni," Tam pointed out. "Even if I hated him, I still wouldn't have wanted to do that to him."

"I know, I know. After seeing how it turned out...that's why I defected. Well, and..."

"And what?" Tam asked, hoping she was about to say what he was thinking.

"And you," she added quietly, eyes on her statue. "I wanted to stay with you, fight by your side."

"So if I had chosen to stay with the Neverseen, would you have?"

Rayni considered that. "I might would have at first...but I think I would have started asking you to leave with me before long. Your perspective helped me see things properly for the first time. Or rather...see Gisela properly." She paused. "Thank you, by the way," she added at last. "For trusting me when no one else wanted to."

"You're worth it," Tam said. "Even if you have weird taste in decorations."

Rayni looked indignant. "Hey, don't insult The Statue!"

Tam flashed a grin. "What will you do to stop me?"

Rayni's eyes narrowed. She carefully sat the statue on her bedside table, leaned over until her face was very close to his, and said, "wouldn't you like to know?"

Then she got up and walked away.

Tam, of course--pulse quickening slightly--got up and followed her out of the room.

And couldn't help but watch the way her long dark hair swayed and bounced as she walked.

Tiergan was away--probably on Black Swan business, though they didn't know for sure--so the large kitchen was empty when they entered. Rayni had gone to grab herself a bottle of Youth.

But Tam pulled it out of her hand and set it down on the counter behind her.

"What I want to know," he said quietly, "is what that was about." Was she flirting, or just trying to get under his skin because that was just kind of what she did? She did seem to enjoy shaking things up.

Rayni stared at him for a second, contemplating him, studying him. Then she leaned back against the counter, offered a small smile--definitely flirtatious now--and said, "that's for you to figure out."

So Tam did the only thing that made sense at this point.

He stepped closer to Rayni, leaned in, both hands braced on the counter on either side of her, and kissed her.

He wasn't even sure what had possessed him to do it--though he knew he'd been thinking about it a lot the last few days--but was sure glad he had.

Because she was kissing him back. Something like triumph erupted in his stomach. He brought his hands up to the small of her back, pulling her in closer as her arms wrapped around his shoulders.

"Well," Tam said when he finally pulled away. "I think I should threaten your cat statue more often."

Rayni rolled her eyes. "Not if you value your life," she warned, reaching up to kiss him again.