KOTLC Sokeefe One-Shots, Alternate Endings, etc

Journals

Sophie nodded.

"Well, I wasn't being entirely truthful. I could've picked up different colors. I chose brown and gold for a reason." He reached out and stroked her cheek. "I chose brown because that's the color of your eyes, and I'm always happier when you're around."

Sophie smiled at him, feeling very swoony at that revelation. "I love that," she whispered.

He leaned in and kissed her sweetly. "I know you already saw some of what I put in here, including that moment we shared at Havenfield after you told me about your interview with Fintan. But there was one that I had just started sketching and I could tell you didn't know what it was. At the time I was really afraid you were going to ask, but thankfully you didn't."

As he started flipping through the book, Sophie asked, "the one that looked like it was in your favorite ditching spot at Foxfire?"

"Yep," Keefe said, showing her the picture.

It was the two of them, younger, Sophie looking wild-eyed and lost. She noticed the burn on her hand.

"This is...when we met." She said it in a whisper.

"Yes, it is," Keefe agreed softly. "And that's definitely a happy memory. Actually, it could've gone in the gold journal, but I opted to put it in this one instead. So much happiness came from meeting you, and not just memories with you—Fitz, Biana and I became friends with several others we never would've met otherwise thanks to you."

Sophie tore her eyes from the journal so she could look at Keefe. "I had no idea how much my life was changing that day," she said with a grin. "Didn't realize I'd just met the boy who would wind up my favorite troublemaker." She leaned in for a quick kiss. "Thank you for showing me this."

"Of course," Keefe told her. "But...that's not all." He pulled out the gold notebook. "So when I saw this one, I...well, I immediately thought of those gold flecks in your eyes. And I just had to get it."

"So what's in it?" Sophie asked curiously.

He handed it over so she could look through it, but scooted even closer and wrapped an arm behind her back, around her waist and looked at it with her. "This notebook goes a little beyond just 'happy' memories. These are...I don't know, it's hard to define. They're moments that really felt like they changed me. Moments so significant, so incredible, that I thought they needed their own space. A lot of these memories are ones that gave me hope, told me to hold on and not give up even when you were so crazy about Fitz."

Sophie opened the notebook.

The first painting was of her and Keefe, riding Silveny. She thought she detected a light blush on her cheeks.

"This was the first time you trusted me," Keefe told her. "And it was the first time I felt that warmth from you. The first time you seemed aware that there was potential between you and me."

The next one showed the two of them in Alluveterre, sitting outside as Sophie had just informed him that Gisela might be dead. He was crying and she was holding him.

She remembered it very clearly.

"This...is a special memory to you?" She asked him.

He nodded. "I don't know why you're surprised. This was a rough time for me and you were there for me like no one else ever had been."

Sophie nodded slowly, remembering those days.

That was when their friendship had really deepened—strengthened and solidified through trials.

Next came a painting of Sophie outside the Sanctuary. She had clearly just put on the beaded necklace he'd given her.

"If you conveniently ignore the fact that I completely ruined that moment by what I did next...this is one of my favorite memories. I could feel how touched you were that I'd given you that necklace. And...we had a moment then. Or, would have if Grady hadn't interrupted."