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2 years. 5 months. 3 days.
That was the time between now and the day when Sophie read the letter that Keefe sent to her, along with a newly dyed Iggy. The day when he left.
Keefe.
That stubborn yet adorable elf that she could trust more than all her friends.
Even Fitz.
Her mind trailed to the day she had first read the darned letter. She was with Dex and Fitz as Sophie walked into her bedroom. It was Dex who noticed it first.
"Hey, who dyed Iggy?"
Sophie looked up. Dex was right; Iggy now had splotches of purple, teal, and green. She could barely spare her pet imp a glance, though, as her eyes were focused on the sealed letter next to her imp. A letter from the Black Swan? Surely...
Frowning, Fitz grabbed the envelope and paled.
"It's from Keefe," Fitz murmured, unfolding the paper. Sophie inhaled sharply as Fitz passed it to her.
Sophie read it, creasing her eyebrows as she read the words Keefe wrote to her. The closing of the letter clung to her, though:
Love,
Keefe.
Sophie froze as Dex and Fitz read the letter, their reaction similar.
"'The same way the Black Swan hid you'? Did he go to the Forbidden Cities?" Fitz mused, returning the letter to Sophie.
Sophie gripped the letter, her knuckles white from the pressure.
"That," Sophie ripped the letter in half, "Stupid," Sophie crunched it into a tight ball, "ARSE!" Sophie flung it into the fireplace, watching the stationary crumble to dust, "I told him not to- Keefe-" Sophie choked on a sob as she collapsed on her bed.
Fitz grasped Sophie's hand reassuringly, "He'll come by. It'll- it'll be ok. For now."
Sophie stared at Fitz, and for once, her heart was no long fluttery by the teal eyes, flawless anatomy- all she could think was about Keefe. She had sat next to Keefe as he was unconscious, hoping that he was still intact- she had comforted him as Keefe apologised to Sophie, she had stayed with him when Keefe was in his best and worst.
And this was how Keefe responded. By leaving her. By leaving all of them.
"That arse," Sophie spat bitterly, "He-"
"He'll be fine," Dex promised, "We can look for him. We'll find him. We'll-"
"No," Sophie replied sharply, dragging her hands down her face, leaving tight red lines on her cheeks.
Dex recoiled but didn't say anything.
Keefe- where are you now? Sophie thought desperately, We need you, more than ever.
So they waited.
Then days passed.
Months.
A year.
Then two.
Keefe didn't come back. They didn't hear anything from him. Where was he?
And even though Keefe and Sophie never dated or had anything more than a friend, why did this feel like a break-up to Sophie?
***
The Neverseen was destroyed, hunted down, dethroned. Lady Gisela and Vespera was immobilised, sent to custody, and was no longer a threat. Sophie Foster no longer meddled in a confusing battle of who she was.
It was all over.
She had her friends. She had Grady and Edaline with her. She had a place in Foxfire.
But there was one thing she didn't have.
She had ended her romantic relationship with Fitz a week after Keefe went missing, and she herself was still confused why she had decided to stop the relationship between Fitz and herself. Fitz had done nothing but to comfort her and try to smooth things out, but her heart was no longer aching for Fitz.
Even after Gisela was out of the picture, Keefe Sencen still hasn't made an appearance in Foxfire, and Sophie was getting worried. There was no point in telling Grady and Edaline that she would be travelling illegally to the Forbidden Cities to find him, but Tam, Fitz, Biana, Linh, and Dex had convinced Sophie to bring them along with her to find Keefe, regardless of the sacrifices they would make.
With a hastily written letter that said that she was going on a short vacation and that they didn't have to worry about her, she slung her packed bag with provisions like Obscurers and food (props to Dex for providing the magical interfering machines), the group of 6 met outside of Everglen. They had to rely on Sophie's teleportation to get to the Forbidden Cities, but no one knew where to go first to find Keefe. He could've been anywhere on Earth.
"France? We were kidnapped there," Dex murmured. Sophie tried not to recollect the memory of the kidnapping, but a flash of sweet cloth and darkness flickered in her memory and died out like a lightbulb. She flinched.
"I don't think- Keefe probably won't be in Paris," Sophie mumbled, not looking at Dex.
Biana seemed to sense their hesitation, so she said, "It's better than nothing? Everyone, hold hands," Biana commanded, grasping Dex's and Tam's hands immediately.
Sophie reluctantly grabbed Fitz's and Linh's hands and concentrated on the tower of bronze and lights as hard as she could, trying not to think of Keefe's blue eyes as they disappeared into the void.
***
5 months of searching. Chalk up the 28th day of the month.
Linh and Biana had split up with the team to find Keefe, so Linh, Tam, Dex, and Sophie were in another group looking for Keefe. After scanning the whole perimeter of Paris, they had teleported to multiple destinations, including Los Angeles, Tokyo, Spain, and Venice. They were now in Florence, near the place where they had tried to search for the Black Swan 3 years ago. It was in the afternoon, so the sun was high in the sky and the weather was scorching.
Sophie's hair was longer and unkempt, but she didn't mind the imperfections that she held. It was a sacrifice to find Keefe. The group of 4 were now in a shopping corner, where multiple shops decorated the ally.
Italian Cuisine! Florence Gelato! Fine Clothing! Beauty Salon!
Wait...
Florence Gelato: Europe's Best Ice Cream!
It reminded Sophie of...
"Wait here," she said hastily, running toward the gelato ice cream store. Keefe had deeply relished the gelato in this same shop ages ago- it was too much to hope for, but it was her only lead to find him.
Fitz grabbed her wrist, stopping her from reaching the store, "Nuh-uh, we're coming with you. Where to?"
Sophie pointed to the gelato store, "There, in the shop. He might be there."
Tam gave a confused look but shrugged, "Fine with me. Let's go."
Sophie was originally surprised that Tam had even volunteered to go find Keefe- after all, Keefe and Tam were never on a first-name basis.
They navigated through the crowd of people and slipped into the store. The store, just like she remembered, was heavily decorated with photographs and artwork of different varieties. The sweet smell of caramel and chocolate flooded the room as Sophie looked around the room.
Linh followed behind, her silver-tipped hair flying in the wind. The manager of the store gave them a weird look but didn't question Sophie as she walked around the store.
In her peripheral vision, she saw a flash of blonde and blue. Surely not... it could've been a coincidence. Just someone who looked like Keefe. But just in case it was Keefe... she had to try.
Before she could chide from acting that way, she ran toward the figure. He was wearing a maroon sweatshirt with overgrown hair, but if it was Keefe-
"Excuse me? Sir?" Sophie asked, trailing him. The figure didn't reply, "Excuse me, sir?"
No reply.
Only one attempt left...
Sophie didn't want to use her telepathy in the Forbidden Cities, but it was the only way to confirm that the figure was Keefe.
KEEFE? KEEFE? Sophie transmitted her thoughts out loud, trying to reach Keefe, Keefe?
The blonde boy hesitated but continued walking. Sophie choked on a sob as she tapped the figure's shoulder, "Please- excuse me?" It had to be Keefe. Only Keefe would hesitate when Sophie slipped into his mind. Only Keefe could-
Wiping a tear, Sophie dropped her arm, "Please, Keefe- if it's you-"
The figure turned.
Sophie paused and looked up at Keefe's face, watching the smirk crawl up to his face. First surprise. Then a smile. Then a grin. Just like the Keefe she knew.
"When have you ever called me sir?" Keefe joked, stretching his palms towards Sophie.
***
She was afraid that Keefe changed. That he would never speak to her ever again, too scared to use his voice. That-
But when Keefe gave that shy yet heart throbbing smile and the teasing comment, Sophie's doubt melted. Sophie replied, "You- you left us."
Keefe shrugged, "It was the only thing that seemed reasonable."
Before she could open her mouth to retort, Sophie hears footsteps rustling behind her. A tired Fitz and Tam ran into the ally they were in, clutching into a stitch in their chest.
"Sophie, where were you-" Tam's voice faltered as he noticed Keefe standing next to Sophie.
Keefe grinned, spreading out his palms to Tam, "Nice to see you too, Bangs Boy."
Sophie couldn't hold it in anymore. Ignoring Tam's horrified looks and Fitz's mixed expressions between Sophie and Keefe, Sophie threw her arms around Keefe, her tears staining his sweatshirt. Keefe hesitated but wrapped his arms around Sophie warmly as Sophie tried to control her tears.
"Keefe- you disappeared-"
Keefe didn't let go of Sophie, even as Biana and Linh blinked into sight. Biana's expression turned from surprised to sour to grateful as she examined Keefe.
The only words Keefe could pull out was, "How?"
Sophie sobbed into his sleeves, "Gelato. R-Remember Florence?"
Keefe grinned as Sophie unlatched herself from Keefe's grip, "Of course. The humans have good taste in deserts," Keefe whistled, jabbing a thumb at a nearby tourist.
Dex ran into sight, his expression blended, his words slurred, "Fitz said- Keefe-"
Dex's strawberry blonde hair was dishevelled and crumpled after he released the brotherly embrace from Keefe. Keefe cocked an eyebrow at Tam as if he was expecting a greeting. Instead of a positive remark, Tam punched Keefe lightly on the chest, "Glad you're alive. I think."
Keefe smirked as he returned a light punch at Tam as Biana collided into Keefe, punching Keefe at every corner of his chest.
"Oh- ow- nice to- ugh- see you too, Biana," Keefe winced as Biana pulled away, "Dude, when could you punch so hard?"
Biana pinned Keefe to the wall, "2 years. 8 MONTHS! You've been quiet for so long! We didn't hear from you FOREVER! Just a pity note and a dyed Iggy- DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WE SACRIFICED OURSELVES TO LOOK FOR YOU?" Biana yelled, "Don't. Ever. Do. That. Again."
She released Keefe, vanishing and reappearing next to Fitz. Keefe awkwardly adjusted his sweater, "I take it that you're mad at me? Oh, and also, Dex, I finally found a way to talk-" Keefe pulled out a small black device from his pocket, "-so yeah. Grady told me-" Keefe paused. clamping his hands over his mouth.
"Grady? How did Grady talk to you- oh," Linh asked, sliding her hand through Keefe's pocket and pulling out an Imparter, "You had an Imparter."
This got Sophie fired up again. "You mean, after 3 years of searching, we COULD'VE HAILED YOU?" Sophie raised her voice, grabbing her backpack, "That's why Grady didn't have an Imparter for weeks until the Councillors reassigned him one-"
Sophie pulled out a small slip of paper. It was the only remains of Keefe's letter-
Love,
Keefe.
She had preserved the end of his letter from the fire and pocketed it, swearing to find Keefe eventually.
Keefe seemed to understand what it was because he thought, My letter?
Sophie had no choice but to transmit, Yeah. I'm still thinking of a punishment for leaving us like that. You're not off the hook, Sencen.
Aw, I missed you too, Foster. Keefe replied. Sophie rolled her eyes in response.
You said- Sophie's nose flared, You said after you recovered you would come back to me and-
Yeah, I know, Team Foster-Keefe forever, blah blah.
"Ok, no private telepathic sessions," Fitz sighed, waving his arms for attention, "Keefe, we're glad to have you back. You've missed the past 3 years, so..."
Keefe listened in awe as the 6 of them described the fall of the Neverseen, how Gisela and Vespira was no longer a threat, how the fantasy world was safe... for now. Sophie made a great deal when scolding him for not returning or contacting them for months, but Keefe merely returned a smile.
"So... yeah. You can return to Foxfire now," Tam murmured, kicking the dirt with his shoes, "Oh, and your da- I mean, Lord Cassius is fine. Worried, but ok."
Keefe tried to ignore the sudden slip of words and turned to Sophie. She had never seen Keefe so insecure as he asked Sophie, "Do- Do I still have a place in E-"
Sophie gave a simple, sweet answer, "Of course. You're always welcome to stay in my- I mean, Grady's and Edaline's house until your, um, family matter is settled out."
Fitz gave a small hmph but for some reason, Sophie didn't heat up or start radiating flustered vibes like she usually would. The only feeling Keefe could feel was appreciation, genuine concern, and open arms for one of her friends.
Keefe, warmed by the thoughts, replied, "Maybe. How're the alicorns?"
It was Linh's time to radiate blissful feelings, "Oh, Luna's growing like a weed," she gushed, "Silveny misses you."
Fitz and Dex each hooked a hand through Keefe's arms, "See? C'mon, let's go back home. Sophie?" Dex grinned, his dimples flashing for the first time in days.
"Mhm?" Sophie replied, looking up and meeting Keefe's eyes. For a moment, her brown eyes sparkled in the light and Keefe's heart throbbed.
"Bring us to Everglen. I have a feeling that Della and Alden would love to see Keefe again." Dex declared
Sophie grinned and took Dex's and Linh's hands, and Keefe felt the familiar tugging sensation as Sophie made a rip in the endless void, bringing them to Everglen.
***
When he first saw Foster, he'd been hoping for a mischievous grin and remark. Instead of that, Keefe saw a sobbing blonde. Keefe was expecting it: he had disappeared from them without a word for over a year.
But it was still Foster: beautiful, pure, and, well, Sophie. He felt massive waves of fear, sadness, pain, and, surprisingly, affection crashing toward Keefe as Sophie leapt toward him. She wasn't wearing gloves, so the Empath feelings felt 10 times stronger.
He felt small tails of confusion, a bit of pity, and a lot of concern radiating from Sophie as she embraced Keefe. Meeting Alden was... much different than that. He felt surprised, but it quickly morphed to open arms as Della fussed over his overgrown hair (the last haircut Keefe had gotten was from some crude barber) and dirty sweater (it was cheap yet comfortable).
It was a lot to absorb: Mother Dearest officially eradicated from their worries, Tammy being as annoying as always... but it didn't matter anymore. He was back. When he had left Foster and the rest alone, he didn't regret the decision. It was the best decision: the only decision.
But now that he was in Everglen, seeing all his friends (and frenemies) again, leaving Eternalia seemed a pretty, well, stupid choice to begin with. He had left them to stop Mommy Dearest (props to the world's best mom) alone, and it had costed more than a couple of innocent lives.
The Everglen family room was more tidy than usual (without Biana or Fitzster making it messy), with a small table with a basket of warm cookies. Candles lit the room, as it was getting dark, and the pillows were fluffed and placed flawlessly on the sofas.
"Uh, did you hear anything I just said?" Fitz sighed, waving his hands over Keefe's face, obscuring his view.
"No," Keefe admitted meekly, swatting Fitz's hand away.
Linh ran a hand through her hair, "Well, it wasn't very important anyway. Have you gotten a place to stay?"
Fitz opened his mouth to speak, "Maybe at Everglen? He could-"
"Actually, I kinda wanna go see Glitter Butt," Keefe said meekly, interrupting Fitz.
Fitz paused and closed his mouth before replying, "Oh, well, I guess we can take a visit to the Sanctuary?"
It was Sophie who replied to Fitz, "Actually," Sophie murmured, barely a whisper, "She got relocated when we were in Paris. Edaline hailed me, telling me that Silveney was relocated to, um, Havenfield. Apparently, after the whole Neverseen things were over, the Councillors let Grady and Edaline bring Silveny to Havenfield."
Della gave Keefe a warm smile, "Of course, you could just stay at Havenfield with Sophie. Silveny and her children would love to see you again."
Keefe opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted by a loud SLAM in the doorway, "Hunkyhair's staying with Blondie? Finally!"
Keefe glared at Ro, "Why is Ro here?"
Ro blew a kiss at Keefe, "You can't get rid of me that fast. I've been staying with that doctor. Elvin? Wait no, his name was-"
"Elwin," Sophie groaned, "We get it." Sophie turned to Keefe, a small smile embroidered in her, "I'm about to leave to visit Grady and Edaline- they might be freaking out by now. You're always welcome to come."
Keefe was tempted to say no since Fitzster was eyeing him weirdly, but Keefe replied, "Yeah, I'd like that. But Ro-"
"Will follow you wherever you go," Ro smirked, "Sandor's been freaking out, by the way."
Sophie paled, "Oh my gosh- I forgot to tell him..."
Alden rested his hand on Sophie's shoulder, "No worries, I contacted him a couple of months ago. He's infuriated that you didn't bring him and that you managed to slip out of sight, but he's fine."
Sophie exhaled in relief, and to Keefe's surprise, took Keefe's hands into hers, squeezing it gently. Keefe felt a rush of emotions enveloping him from Sophie's touch, but he didn't retract his hands.
Tam coughed, "Well since that's settled- am I allowed to try some of those cookies?"
***
The snow was already piling up as they approached the pen gates with Grady and Keefe. Winter was becoming harsher, so they had bundled up into thick coats with the Ruewen crest stamped on it as they walked towards the alicorn family.
"Silveny's right here," Grady grimaced, pulling the iron gates to the left as he unlocked the door, "She'll be very happy to see you."
Sophie snuck a glance at Keefe. Grady never really approved of Keefe, but Edaline had insisted to let Keefe stay in Havenfield for the night. Grady agreed (if not reluctantly), but he had been kind to Keefe. Keefe was nervously looking around the penthouse, no doubt trying to see Silveny. She couldn't blame him; he hadn't seen his alicorn friends for over 2 years.
Sophie? Fly! Friend! Keefe! Silveny transmitted through the gate, Fitz! Fly! Keefe! Keefe!
Sophie grinned as she replied, Keefe. Friend. Safe.
Keefe unknowingly reached out for Sophie's hand, and she took it, squeezing it lightly before whispering, "It'll be alright."
Keefe gave a small half-smile as he returned the reassuring squeeze. Grady glanced at their intertwined fingers but didn't say anything as he swung the door open.
Then there she was. Silveny. Sophie let go of Keefe and ran toward the alicorn, embracing it tightly as Silveny nudged Sophie back. Keefe lingered behind, but Sophie dragged Keefe towards the small family of alicorns.
Keefe tapped Luna on the nose gently as he gave a long belly scratch to Wynn while Silveny eyed Keefe warily, clouding Sophie's mind with KEEFE! KEEFE! KEEFE!
As if he could tell what Silveny was transmitting to Sophie, he gave her a small grin before turning his attention to Silveny. Sophie grinned at this sight: one of her best friends with three alicorns in Havenfield together.
As Sophie and Keefe were pampering the family of alicorns, she couldn't help but let her mind wander freely. She was 18 now. Old enough to find a real person to spend time with. She could try to get another Matching list since she (kinda) knew who her biological parents were now. Maybe Keefe could even get it with her.
Sophie glanced at Keefe. The wind blew his blonde locks in his face, and she could see his blue eyes glistening in the night sky. He had a huge smile on his face as he continued to play with Wynn and Luna, cooing and cuddling them. That was the Keefe she wanted to see, after all those months of endless searching and the worried feelings the had started to develop.
As Sophie was leaping Keefe with her to Havenfield, they started having a long chat, telling each other about what happened whilst they were separated.
Almost like they were in a long-distance relationship, finally meeting up after a long time.
Almost like they were a thing.
Almost like...
Sophie decided to test out her voice by clearing it before saying, "Hey, Keefe?"
"Yeah?" Keefe looked up from Silveny, prying off Luna from his back.
"Can we talk?" Sophie gulped, pulling off a loose eyelash before flicking it at the ground.
Keefe cocked an eyebrow at her but didn't hesitate as he scooted to the left, making space for Sophie on the bench. Sophie sat down, her hands nervously twisting her golden curls. Sophie took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves as she turned her head to Keefe. When earth met ocean, she decided to speak.
"I- was it hard? I mean, living in Florence? By yourself?"
Keefe fanned the air around Sophie, "Wow, Foster, those are some big vibes you're pulling off there," Keefe joked, "But not really. I kinda just moved along as I went."
Sophie brushed off a rebellious strand of hair that was obscuring her vision, "Improvisation. I like it."
Keefe grinned, but there was some sadness tucked in it, "At least Mommy Dearest isn't here to stir up trouble again. Best. Mother. Ever," he spat bitterly.
Sophie rested a hand on Keefe's, "Hey," Sophie whispered, "It's ok if you feel, um, sad or something that your family is now denounced- but you have us. Fitz. Dex. Biana. Heck, even Tam."
His cobalt blue eyes met hers, and his voice was hoarse but light, "You think?"
"Definitely," Sophie's voice was caught at the end, but she held back. Keefe leaned towards Sophie ever-the-slightest as he exhaled.
"I guess. It's getting dark, we should go back in," Keefe gulped, his grip around Sophie loosening.
Sophie was getting tired, but she wasn't going into her room to sleep until she was finished talking with Keefe. He deserved to know. Sophie took a deep breath and once again stared at the drowning ocean of Keefe's vast eyes. The blue seemed to swirl under the light emitted from the candle.
Before Keefe could get up, Sophie tugged on Keefe's wrist, "Wait."
Keefe paused and looked at Sophie.
Sophie lowered her voice to a small whisper and pulled Keefe closer to her, "Even after everything you did," Sophie whispered to Keefe, "I never hated you."
She took a quick breath and dipped her head vaguely and pressed her lips towards Keefe warmly.
And even though she was woozy from being so tired, or that her senses were numb from the gusts of winds, or that her mind was in frenzy, she was one hundred and ten per cent sure that Keefe had kissed her back.
As Sophie pressed her mouth harder to Keefe, she closed her eyes as the afterglow of the candle absorbed them into bright nothingness, slowly forming a white sheet of light around them.
When Sophie pulled her head back, Keefe's expression turned from shocked to nervous to teasing. A small smirk crawled to his face as he whispered back, "All right, Foster. You win."
We were love drunk, waiting on a miracle
Tryna find ourselves in the winter snow
So alone in love like the world had disappeared
Oh, I won't be silent and I won't let go
I will hold on tighter 'til the afterglow
And we'll burn so bright 'til the darkness softly clears