Toying with Tech and Emotions

Chapter 2

((R.I.P. Dex, also it's Keefe's pov now))

Dex rolled off the beanbag and curled up on the floor as Keefe let go of his hand.

Well, now Keefe could add that to his list of Weird Things That Never Happened to Normal People.

Things on that list: joining a secret organization, his best friend being impaled by a giant bug, getting a crush on someone he had never even noticed before, and... and that someone liking him back.

Sure, Keefe flirted with people all the time, but he hadn't really liked anyone until meeting Sophie in Year 4... but she obviously liked Fitz, and it wasn't like Keefe could ever deserve her.

And then there was Dex. Really, Keefe had been worried about both of them when they disappeared. Sophie with her unusual brown eyes, and Dex with his genius inventions. Plus he could apparently pick locks. It was ridiculously, annoyingly cool.

His only hope was that maybe this crush just looked like his normal flirting.

And then this happened.

And for once, the confident, witty Keefe Sencen was at a loss for words.

Dex whimpered.

"Hey, um..." Keefe cleared his throat and noticed Sophie looking back and forth between the two boys. He cleared his throat again.

"Has someone got a cough?" Physic poked her head in.

Dex shrieked and flailed around in a mostly successful attempt to sit up, and Keefe noticed that his face was redder than anything Keefe had seen. Even more red than Sophie around Fitz.

"Oh, um-" Keefe smiled up at Physic. "Just clearing my throat."

She squinted and tossed them all bottles of Youth. "Make sure you don't get a cough."

Physic left the room and Keefe's smile froze on his face. He stood up abruptly, staring straight at the wall to avoid looking at his friends. Then he ducked into his room, closed the door, and collapsed on the bed, shaking.

Dex? Liked- him? Dex liked the mess that was Keefe? The world had been turned upside down and Keefe didn't know what to do with it.

Before Keefe could somehow manage to sort out his emotions, there was a knock on the door.

He rolled onto the floor on accident. "Wh- who's there?"

"It's Sophie," came a muffled voice through the door.

Keefe groaned. "What is it?" he mumbled, rolling over to stare at the ceiling.

"Can I come in?"

He sighed. "If you must."

He sat up as she opened the door and slipped in, enough for Keefe to see Dex leaning over to try and see through the door. Keefe snatched a pillow and buried his face in it to hide his blush.

"So." Sophie plopped herself on the floor in front of the flustered boy. "I'm guessing from your reaction that either you have no idea how to react, or you like him back."

Keefe let out a series of frustrated noises into his pillow. 

Sophie waited.

Keefe finally looked up to see Sophie break out in a grin, most likely at how incredibly red his face was. 

"You do like-" she started. Keefe threw the pillow at her, and she tossed it back with a laugh. "You should talk to him, you know."

Keefe sighed. "I... I know. I probably should." But he didn't feel like it. It was just... feelings were complicated. And that was coming from an Empath. Alright, then. He had to do this at some point. Might as well be as soon as possible. He accepted Sophie's hand to get up, taking a deep breath as he stepped out into the common room - 

And no one was there.

Looking over, Keefe noticed Dex's door hanging open the tiniest bit. He looked back at Sophie, and she gave a thumbs-up. 

He took another breath as he pushed open the door, stepped into Dex's room, and closed the door behind him.

Then his heart fluttered and skipped a beat, because the strawberry-blond boy sitting on the bed was in just the perfect afternoon lighting, and he looked stunning. Keefe took a few steps and tossed himself onto the bed, nearly starting to cry. 

Dex looked down at him. "Oh my god, Keefe." He took the other boy's face in his hands. "Hey. Stop crying. You're too pretty to cry."

Keefe leaned into him, crying more. "I'm sorry. I don't deserve you. No one could." 

"Keefe Sencen, you stop that right now. If anything, I don't deserve you. You're the most amazing, unselfish, kindest, and yes, handsomest guy I know. So you can stop crying, and give me one of those beautiful bright smiles." Dex made Keefe look him in the eyes. "Smile for me?"

Keefe wiped away the messy tears and smiled, leaning forward to peck the other boy on the nose. "You're too precious."

Dex laughed. "Well, if I have to deal with everything amazing about you, I think you can handle that," he teased. 

Keefe melted into his arms, enjoying the still evening light from the window. Then someone knocked on the door.

"Well, I hope I'm not missing anything too important," Fitz said from the doorway. 

Dex threw a pillow at his face. "Oh, come on!"