Sophie stared at the supposedly art she created on her canvas.
It looked nothing like the memory she remembered through her photographic memory, and she rubbed her neck in frustration, wondering how Keefe always managed to make it look so easy.
Her painting looked horrible, she was sure even a three year old could do better than that.
She tried to peek over the canvas stand, which acted as a divider, to look at Keefe, trying to catch a glimpse of what he was drawing.
Today, Sophie actually decided to take a painting competition with Keefe, already knowing that he would win, but that wasn't the point.
Point being, he always did what she liked with her, like going to play with the animals in the preserve, going to her favourite candy shop in Atlantis and all.
It was about time they did something he liked together, since that's what couples do, right?
Keefe brought all the paint and brushes, while Sophie prepared the canvas.
They decided to do it besides Calla's panakes tree, to feel her warm embrace as they paint.
It wasn't exactly a competition, it was just for fun, but the paintings were suppose to be surprise, and the theme given was "happiness".
Sophie, chose to paint about the time where she and Keefe confessed their feelings on the swing at The Shores of Solace, which turned out to be one of their favourite hangout spots.
Before she could even catch a glimpse of his painting, he bent down to get another paintbrush scattered on the floor and Sophie immediately spun back.
She did catch a corner of his painting through, and it seemed like it was a sunset.
She gazed into the sky, realising that the sun was already half way in the sky, the soft pink waves already visible.
She sighed, glaring at her painting.
"Why is this so difficult?" She sank down to lean against Calla's tree, catching Keefe's attention.
"Can you come over? I need a break. You can see my painting," Sophie called out from the other side of the canvas.
His mischievous eyes peeked out, raising an eyebrow.
"I promise I won't peek at yours," she continued, hoping that would convince him.
In fact, it did, and he strode over to sit next to her.
"It looks terrible, doesn't it?" Sophie laughed as she leaned against him, looking at her weird piece of art quizzically.
"It looks perfect," he said, kissing her forehead.
"You're only saying this to make me feel better," she grinned.
"Maybe, but it's working!" Keefe laughed, and Sophie just couldn't glare at him.
"It really does look nice though, it can express your emotions too," Keefe started, and Sophie looked at him, a sign that she's listening.
"See the way you made the lines a little crooked? It could convey that you were pretty nervous, and notice you used mostly warm colours? It's all in your mind, and the painting helps you say it all out."
Sophie looked at her painting, trying to analyse it like how Keefe did.
No such luck.
"Well, when you put it that way!" Sophie laughed, and Keefe smiled at her.
"I think I'm almost done with mine, just let me touch it up. No peeking!" He quickly added as he stood up, leaving Sophie for a while.
She still tried to peek though, that ending up in failed attempts as he would change the paint every so often.
Still, after what felt for a whole hour, which probably was only ten minutes, Keefe exclaimed.
"Done! Wait don't come over yet!" Keefe quickly added just as Sophie was about to walk over.
She laughed as she walked over to cover her eyes.
"Is this necessary?" She asked, giggling.
"Yes Foster. Now shush, if not you would have a higher chance of tripping." Keefe laughed, and Sophie had to agree.
"Okay you can look!" Keefe declared as he uncovered her eyes, and she opened them, shocked to see a portrait of her smiling.
But the painting of her was like a splash of colours, vibrant and colourful, and she was painting...?
"Wait, you already saw my painting?" Sophie laughed, too happy and amazed to be angry for breaching the rules as the painting was too beautiful.
Her gold flecks in the eyes were brought out so nicely, it made her love them on her, and there was something about how he made her look that made her feel so special.
"It looks.. so pretty," Sophie finally brought herself to say as she hugged Keefe.
"Of course, it's you," he laughed as he hugged her back, her emotions never so high before.
"You know what, I love you," she said, not even caring about the way Keefe seemed to stiff up for a moment, and that she finally said it, after all this time.
It was her first time saying it in their relationship, usually just Keefe saying it and Sophie patting his hair.
"I know," that's what she would reply, then he would pout at how she didn't say it back.
Well, it wasn't intentional, she wished she could be more sure about it too, since her emotions thinks that it would make it real once she returned those feelings.
That would mean that Sophie Foster was in love, and she was not ready for that, not now.
Yet, she still said it.
Without any prompts.
Just said it as if she had a thousand times before.
"You do?" Keefe asked, as Sophie sat up straight.
Sophie contemplated for a while, then smiling as she met his breathtaking eyes, now filled with adoration.
"Yes, yes I do," she pulled him in, kissing him as she finished her sentence to add that special effect to it.
He kissed her back, with passion she wished would last forever.
She pulled him in, savouring every second of the moment, wishing every that passed would last a lifetime.
She didn't even need to be an empath to know he felt the same way, since it was through his every day actions he portrayed it for her.
"So, I'm happiness?" Sophie finally asked, smiling as their noses touched.
"My happiness," he replied, pulling her in for another kiss.
Sophie didn't hesitate to lean in too, since she was finally not scared of falling at last, knowing that he would always be there to catch her.
Because she knew with him around, her happiness would last forever.
・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
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