Staying true to his word, Keefe headed to the Healing Center to visit Foster.
She'd been very unhappy that he hadn't checked in after going to Tiergan's.
Somewhere in the recesses of his mind, distracted as he'd been, he loved how upset and feisty she'd been about it.
She cared.
But he also hadn't wanted to break his concentration when she'd hailed him, and almost didn't answer when she started transmitting to him.
Thinking about it now, she probably should've realized how serious the situation was, how important, if he ignored her.
But of course, she didn't catch the significance because she remained oblivious to his feelings for her.
But now, it was time to check in with her and keep her company now that Fitz had gone home.
And he could feel her angst before he even walked through the doors to the Healing Center.
"Wow, it's like walking into a cloud of sulk in here," he teased, fanning the air away from his face as he walked toward her. "I mean, I figured you'd be feeling a little lost without your Cognate buddy, but trust me: Fitzy isn't worth this much angst."
"I'm not pouting about Fitz," she told him.
He didn't detect a lie, at least not outright.
So maybe she wasn't only sulking about Fitz.
"Ah, so you admit you are pouting?" he continued, throwing himself onto the edge of her cot.
She shrugged, but said nothing.
"Hmm," he said, considering her. "This might be more moping than Krakie can handle--I guess it's a good thing I brought him a friend!" He reached into his cape and pulled out the kraken pin--their kraken pin-- which he'd taken when they were searching his mind, along with a fresh box of Prattles. "Let's see what we got this time."
He fished out the tiny pouch and uncovered a blue, scale-covered kitten. "A murcat! Gah--that's tricky to name. We already have a Scaley Butt. How about Drifty? Or Sea-Whiskers?"
Foster sighed, holding on to her angst. "You don't have to do this."
Yes I do.
I promised Edaline.
"If you're talking about being adorable, I really can't help myself." He smirked and winked at her.
He felt her mood improve slightly, but also watched as she stubbornly refused to smile.
Bolstered by the fact that it hadn't taken much to begin the work of improving her mood--in fact, there had been a slight uptick in her demeanor the moment he'd walked in--he merely laughed and reached for her left wrist. He pinned Krakie back into place on her makeshift bracelet before adding the murcat next to the kelpie.
"Okay, so you have two choices," he told her. "You can tell me what brought on the Foster Funk. Or I can guess--and I have some pretty interesting theories."
Ignoring Ro as she agreed--and then stole the Prattles--he warned Foster, "three seconds to decide. Then it's guessing time!"
"It's not a big deal," she told him, having to talk louder to be heard over Ro's obnoxious eating of the Prattles. "I'm just...really sick of being in this bed."
"Okay. then let's get you out of it! I hear you can do that now!" He hopped back to his feet and held out a hand to help her up. "I promised to show you a secret cafeteria, didn't I? Perfect way to end your Foxfire slumber party!"
Foster contemplated him for a moment before smiling slightly and throwing back her covers.
Revealing the rather sparkly Happy Shadow Thoughts tunic she was wearing.
"Hang on--what are you wearing?" he asked in disgust. "Is that a Bangs Boy reference? Because you know I haven't let him into the Foster Fan Club, right?"
She rolled her eyes at him. "It's an inside joke--and Linh made this for me."
That did make him feel better.
Fitz was enough competition to be dealing with, especially since Keefe was currently losing so spectacularly.
"Yeah, well, it still breaks the fan club rules. As penance, I'm getting you a tunic that says, Empaths Give Me All the Feels, and I expect to see you wear it twice as often as Bangs Boy's."
Ro snorted. "Subtle."
Foster didn't take the bait, but merely corrected Ro by saying, "ridiculous."
"I try," he told them as she took his hand and let him help her up.
"You good?" he asked, holding her steady when she wobbled.
"I'm up," is all she managed to say--and he could tell she was editing what she said.
"You are. It's pretty amazing."
"Isn't it?" Elwin asked as he emerged from his office and helped Foster strap her arm into a sling. "Bring me back some butterblasts, okay?"
See, this was why Keefe loved Elwin.
He wasn't going to stop Keefe from going somewhere students weren't allowed.
He merely asked for snacks.
"Done!" Keefe told him, bending his elbow to offer Foster his arm. She hesitated, but took his arm and let him lead her toward the door. "TO THE SECRET CAFETERIA!"
Her demeanor changed as they wandered the quiet halls. It was almost fearful. He figured the semidarkness, casting shadows, was an uncomfortable thing for her now.
But he definitely didn't complain when she tightened her grip on his arm.
And it didn't escape his notice that she seemed to have heightened anxiety every time they approached a corner, and let out a relieved breath every time they rounded it and found nothing there to attack them.
This poor girl.
He hated so much that he hadn't been able to protect her from this.
"So, you going to tell me what's really bothering you?" he asked her after a moment.
"I don't know," she countered. "Are you going to tell me why you're trying so hard to act like everything's normal?"
"What makes you think I'm acting?"
"Uh, the last time I saw you, you'd just found out that your mom had some of your memories shattered. And then you ignored me the next day--and then told me you were close to a breakthrough with Tiergan. And now you show up the day after that, don't mention it at all, and you're in this, like, Ultra Knight in Shining Armor mode--"
If only.
He'd take on that role for her gladly.
"Aw, you hear that, Ro?" he said instead of voicing that wish. "Foster thinks I'm her hero!"
"I think you're pretending to be, so I won't notice the shadows under your eyes. Or these," Foster corrected him, pointing to the faint bruises on his knuckles. "Been punching walls? Or people?"
Sometimes she was annoyingly perceptive.
When he didn't want her to notice things, she did.
When he wanted her to notice things he was too afraid to actually say...she didn't.
He was here to cheer her up, not drag her down his own miserable path.
"The floor, actually," he finally admitted.
She stopped walking and looked at him, her expression demanding.
Demanding, and adorable.
"Okay, so what'd you learn that has you punching the floor?"
Keefe looked away, choosing instead to focus his gaze towards the ceiling. "I didn't learn anything. That's why I punched the floor. Tiergan helped me find this tiny pocket of hidden memories, and I thought--this is it! But...it was all random, useless fragments. A sunset. A couple of trees. A bunch of black fabric. Empty glass vials. Stuff like that. The only useful piece was a pair of green eyes. But they're so blurry we can't even tell if they're from a guy or a girl or a kid or an adult."
"But you know they have to be human eyes," she reminded him.
Big flipping deal.
"Yep. That was my big breakthrough. A couple of blurry human eyes that could belong to literally anyone--plus a whole lot of proof that those memories are probably too smashed up to salvage."
"It's still something," she insisted.
"I guess." He looked at her at last. "So is the fact that you're up out of bed, walking around Foxfire--but it doesn't feel like enough, does it?"
"It doesn't," she agreed. "It should, though. It's still a victory." She let go of his arm, but did something even better--reached for his hand and laced their fingers together. "Come on. We both deserve some desserts!"
So he lead her into the Mentors-only cafeteria, thinking hard.
They each had a tendency to be way too hard on themselves.
While insisting that the other stop being so hard on themselves.
Adamant about protecting each other's heart and mind.
They needed each other.
He knew it.
And she knew it too.
Just...not the way he wanted her to.
He felt her awe as she took in the peaceful, cozy atmosphere of the cafeteria.
Ro grabbed a tray of ripplefluffs and began devouring them, sprawling out on one of the large chairs.
Foster had gone for the butterblasts. "Do I want to know how you found this place?" she asked him after a moment.
He smirked. "Of course you do. But I never reveal my secrets."
"Even to me?" she asked.
Ohhh.
That definitely went to his head.
She hadn't meant to, but had definitely just flirted a little.
And as he studied her face, trying to decide whether or not this was the moment--she began to blush.
She was so cute when she blushed.
But how many times could he have this argument with himself? He'd been on the edge of this so many times.
"Yeah, Foster--even to you," he finally told her.
But then...
She grabbed another butterblast, looking away from him, but he felt it.
Pain.
She was surprised and hurt that he admitted to withholding secrets.
But it was really only one secret, and...he couldn't. He couldn't tell her.
Could he?
He'd hurt her feelings, no matter how slightly, and he hated that.
But he couldn't.
As much as part of him wanted to scream I LOVE YOU!!!... he knew she wasn't ready.
He wasn't even sure he was ready to admit to himself just how far gone he was.
But he softened his gaze and continued to watch her until she looked at him again. "At least for now," he added in a whisper.
He didn't want to talk about it anymore, lest his resolve crumble--and likely end in his own heartache and humiliation--so he added a finality to his words. But he wanted her to walk away from the conversation without feeling hurt.
And it seemed to work. She wasn't hurt, but she was a bit confused. But at least she dropped it.
But he still allowed himself to quietly enjoy how cute she was while she ate stolen desserts.
Eventually, they'd eaten their fill, and he walked her back to the Healing Center. "Thank you," she told him. "Tonight would've been...pretty rough if you hadn't stopped by."
Which was exactly why he'd come.
"I know," he told her. "For me too."
Of course, Ro had to cut in and disrupt their moment.
"Awwwww, you guys are SO adorable!"
"You want to talk about adorable," Keefe snapped back at her. "I wrote another verse in The Ballad of Bo and Ro--and just think! Tomorrow, Foster finally gets to meet your long-lost love!"
"Do not share that verse," Ro told him before turning her attention to Foster. "Don't tell him about me."
"Why not?"
"Because he doesn't deserve to know."
Keefe leaned closer to Foster and loudly whispered, "you realize it's now your job to pester Bo for all the details Ro's trying to hide from us."
Ro didn't seem concerned. "Try it--Bo won't tell you a thing."
"Wanna bet?" Keefe countered.
"Bad idea," Foster told him immediately. "You've won twice now--that means you're pretty much guaranteed to lose. Especially since this bet relies on me again."
He grinned. He liked relying on her. "Exactly, Foster. You're always the safe bet."
Ro disagreed, but they agreed on the bet. The prize would be one guaranteed dare--the loser would have to do what the winner said, no matter what.
He had a sneaking suspicion of what Ro would force him to do if he lost, and he was not looking forward to it.
But a bet was a bet, and he was nothing if not a risk taker.