How It Should Have Been: Sokeefe AU

Episode 22: (Keefe's POV) (Tw: verbal ab/se, us/lessness, being unloved)

"What is wrong with you?" Cassius shouted. "Why do I get the useless son? Why aren't you good at anything?"

A tear trickled down Keefe's cheek before he could stop it. He didn't dare wipe it away for fear his dad would notice.

But Gisela stood quickly and laid a hand on her husband's arm. She still said nothing, but Cassius hesitated for a second.

Then he shook off her arm. "What do you want?" he snapped.

Her eyes flashed. "Are you done? Have you had enough, yet?"

Cassius inhaled through his nose, his eyebrows pressing together. Just when Keefe thought he was about to blow, he spun on his heel and marched away to the leapmaster instead of his room, likely heading to his beach house or Atlantis apartment.

Keefe turned to his mother. He opened his mouth and closed it again.

It was a rare moment when he didn't know what to say, but this was one of those moments.

"I-" he started.

But Gisela turned and walked away, never seeing the hand Keefe stretched out behind her.

The hand he dropped, thirty seconds later, the hope that had rekindled in his heart fizzling out like the bubbles in Cassius's champagne.

...

Keefe stretched out in the meadow, trying not to think about his messed-up life.

He mostly wanted to forget about the afternoon before.

He'd chosen not to bring his notebooks that day, not wanting to stir up even more painful memories.

There was nothing for him to do.

No homework (not that he'd do it anyway), no drawing, no games, no friends.

His imparter had been going off all day. First, it was Cassius, then Fitz, then Biana. But Keefe wasn't in the mood to talk to any of them.

Keefe stared at the sky. There were fluffy clouds drifting across the blue expanse. It stretched on forever, the sky. If he could go that far, he could escape from all the pain and rage of his life. No one could bother him, not Cassius, not Gisela, not Fitz, not anyone.

His imparter went off, interrupting his daydreams. He groaned and rolled over, but his lips curved into a smile as he saw who it was. He answered, making sure his hair was in place.

"Hey, Ruewen," Keefe grinned, blinking to clear the last hint of pain from his eyes. "What's up? Get bored of Fitzy?"

Sophie's face contorted; it almost seemed as though it was in pain. It smoothed out a second later, but Keefe had already seen it.

"Hey, what's wrong? What did I say?" Keefe asked. If he'd messed this up too-

Sophie shook her head.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" He knew his face was showing too much concern, but he couldn't make himself put his mask back on.

She shook her head again. Her face was still shadowed with sadness and anger.

"Okay... do you want to come here? Or should I come there?" Keefe knew that he needed to read her emotion to help her, and he couldn't do that over the imparter. Plus, he needed her as much as she needed him.

"Are you at your house?" Keefe saw her squint, trying to take in his surroundings.

"No, I'm in a random meadow. I like coming here sometimes. It's... peaceful. Away from... you know." Keefe cursed himself for saying too much, for bringing up his own problems. This was about her, and she didn't need to hear about his crappy life.