DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THEY ARE ALL BY SHANNON MESSENGER FROM KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES.
A/N: This chapter will be on Keefe's POV the whole time, so enjoy <3
----------
KEEFE'S POV (1st person)
----------
I
've been awake for the past hour, but my body refuses to do anything. It has been a week since the Valentine's celebration, and today is the last day of midterms.
Meaning, I get to see Foster again.
To say that I'm so hang up over what happened that night is a complete understatement.
I'm totally still living in that moment.
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
"What's wrong?" I asked her. Her mood shifted from happy to doubt, then to something else.
She smiled and shook her head. I wanted to make sure that nothing's really wrong, but she suddenly said "Hey, you have a leaf stuck on your hair."
"What?!" I exclaimed. A leaf? On THE HAIR? "Remove it before it destroys The Hair!" I half-shouted.
Foster was wearing heels that time, but I still bowed my head a bit so she won't have a hard time.
At first, she did look like she was taking a leaf out of my hair, but then she did the unexpected.
Her hands slowly went down and cupped my cheeks. She closed her eyes as she slowly closed the space between our lips.
She kissed me.
What? Am I sure this isn't a dream? What if I'm just imagining things? Sophie Foster? Kissed? Me?
My mind went into chaos, as my heart went into hummingbird pace. When I felt that she was about to pull away, I also did the unexpected.
I pulled her in, kissing her back.
The moment felt so right, with all her emotions practically surging towards me.
Her hands slowly went around my neck, playing with some strands of my hair. My other hand traced her back, slowly pushing her more closer to me.
This is what I've been waiting for so long, and I know better than screwing it up.
It lasted for a couple more seconds, none of us wanting to pull apart. But, at one point, we'd have to.
Her lips separated from mine, which already made me feel different. I can't go a day without imagining us kissing, and now it's more impossible.
If this means I'd die today, then let me just enjoy the moment before I do.
She slowly opened her eyes, and I could see pure bliss in her eyes. She smiled, the smile I've always wanted to see from her.
"So, was that you doing the command earlier?" I asked, not expecting for more.
She looked at me with a puzzled expression, asking "What command?"
"What? You kissed me without remembering the King's orders?" I said, not being able to hide the shock in my face.
Her eyes went wide over the realization, which calmed down almost immediately. "No, I have completely forgotten about that."
If you're playing with me Foster, I swear you're doing it right.
"I'm serious." She said, pouting.
"Back the T-rex up." I said, releasing her from my arms. "You just read my mind?"
She sheepishly smiled and said "I'm sorry. Not going to happen again." She raised both hands in defeat, keeping the smile on her face.
"But, it's true." She said, her face going serious.
Ba-thump.
It's not a lie. I can feel it.
But, I thought it was never me?
"You know, I've been pretty much the oblivious person around here, but for an empath, you're being too oblivious right now." She said as she giggled.
Damn that laugh, it makes me fall deeper than I've already had.
"I wouldn't even do the command if I don't want to." She said, shrugging. I laughed a bit, before stepping closer to her.
"So, can I claim that command now?" I said, gaining back all the confidence I have.
She smiled as she whispered "I'd do it even if it was not a command." before closing in the distance again.
I don't think any kiss can top up the first one, but I was proven wrong.
Every kiss with this girl brings the butterflies in my stomach.
Every touch of this girl gives me shivers in every part of my body.
Every second I spend with her keeps me alive, making me look forward to the future.
"So, what are we now?" I asked after the kiss.
"I don't know." Sophie said. "I can't exactly date without graduating first. Parents' rules." She explained.
More like Grady's rule, but I didn't push it.
I held her close to me, then whispered "Then, I'll wait for you. In 3 years time."
We just stood there in each others arms, for the rest of the night. None of us dared to destroy the moment, and we won't let anyone do as well.
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
I finally found the strength to get out of bed. I took a bath and changed into my level 8 uniform.
"You're finally done with your last midterms, handsome." I said, pointing to the reflection in my mirror. I went over to my desk and carefully placed all my gifts for them.
Of course, it's always mood candy.
Okay, others get a different gift, depending on their affinity with my prankster self.
Only Foster gets a special gift, made out of love.
I can't wait to meet her again. I mean, all of us have never seen her, except for Fitz who had their midterms at Telepathy together.
I've only seen her running around the Silver towers, and she looked so busy that I didn't want to call out to her.
She was studying all the time, too. Since she needs to catch up to her level 6 lessons, after basically forgetting all her lessons.
I went down and walked over to the leapmaster. "Foxfire!" I shouted, and I stepped into the light.
----------
I walked over to Fitz's locker, placing my gift into his 'full' thinking cap. I then went to the twins locker, placing one gift on each of their caps.
If you're wondering why I'd dropped a gift for Bangs boy, I don't know as well.
I might have gotten a soft spot for him after seeing their closeness with Foster.
Besides, that dude has his own girlfriend already, so I'm confident that he won't join the Foster Fan Club.
I went next to Biana's locker, dropping off the annual mood candy. I know she hates it, but she still accepts and eats it anyway.
I walked over to Dex's locker, dropping off a book about elixirs. Of course, prank related.
Finally, I walked over to Foster's locker.
I can't see her locker, nor her thinking cap.
It was full to the brim! There's even a bag next to it, where the gifts that didn't fit the cap were placed.
I'm different though, because I can open her locker. I will not disclose the information, all you need to know is that I opened it and placed the gift inside.
Now, it's time to act like an obedient son before my father comes.
----------
"I don't know what to do with you anymore." My dad groaned. Well, my grades didn't drop. I basically aced every subject I had.
Except that he found out about my famous troubles from one of the mentors I always ditch.
My ears hurt from almost an hour of an earful scolding from him. Not that I care, I'd still graduate with flying colors.
Hold up, did I just say a human thing?
When my dad finally let me off the hook, I immediately went to the cafeteria to meet with them.
"Hey guys!" I energetically said.
"Hey." Dex replied, looking back at me.
Almost too instantly, I saw Foster was not yet there. "Where's Foster?" I asked, trying to sound normal.
"She was here first." Tam answered, munching off some cookies he got as a gift.
"Then, her parents came and congratulated her for passing. They left early, telling her that they have something to do, then she left us saying she has some business with the Silver Towers." He added.
Talk about talkative, Biana must be rubbing off him now.
"Oh, okay. I guess my humble self will pay her a visit." I said, dramatically running my fingers through my hair. Dex groaned and shoo-ed me away to avoid further gagging.
I went to the Silver Towers and stood before the Voltinator. "Now, what floor might you be?" I whispered to myself.
It looks like I didn't need to, as she herself bumped into me.
I'm glad that most of the progidies are out of the towers at this time, or else a rumor will start to spread again.
"I'm sorry." she said, as she tried gathering the papers that flew from her grasp.
She seems to not recognize yet that it was me, so when she looked up, I smiled at her.
Her face turned from frantic to happy, and it made me so glad to know that I'm the person that can quickly change her expression from something bad to something good. "Keefe!" she happily exclaimed.
"Hey there, Mysterious Miss F. You were gone the moment I arrived there." I said, pointing a thumb to the direction of the cafeteria.
"I know, I'm sorry. I have lots of paperworks for the upcoming Cognate Test." She said.
"Woah, you and Fitzy are gonna have it so soon?" I thought Cognates train for like, a hundred of years or more.
"Well, they believe that we can and should be Cognates before he graduates." She said shrugging.
"Oh, I just need to drop this off at that room, can you wait for me?" she pointed to the door with gold linings, which from my experience of pranking, know as an office.
"Of course. Always." I said. She flashed a smile and ran to the room she pointed.
"I'll be at my favorite spot!" I shouted before she closed the door behind her.
I sat by the bench I always go to whenever I ditch class. I was impatiently waiting for her, getting more excited to see her again, even if we literally just bumped into each other a while ago.
After some more minutes, I still can't see her walking in the halls, or anything that would tell that someone's coming.
Crap, does she not remember this place? I thought when a tap from behind made me flinch.
"Hey." She said as she sat beside me.
"Where did you come from? I almost peed myself from that." I said, placing my hand over my chest. It was still beating fast, I thought I was gonna die.
"Tried teleporting again. I actually failed landing, but you were in deep thought so you probably didn't notice." She explained as she scooted over.
I placed one arm over her shoulder, and she leaned on to my chest.
We still haven't told anyone about what happened, except for Fitz. He's my bestfriend, and her soon to be cognate.
It would really make sense that he gets to know about it, first hand.
I only told him yesterday, and I thought he was going to get angry. But then, he said that their midterms for Telepathy was to tell each other 5 secrets, and one of it included the aurenflare night.
Of course, he can't tell me the remaining four secrets, but I feel some negative emotions around him.
Sad, fear, and loss.
I don't know if it's about Foster, but he won't tell me unless she says so, so I just let it slide.
For now.
But, even in the middle of those emotions, he congratulated me from the bottom of his heart.
That was enough for me, even without having to feel his emotions, I knew it was genuine.
But I also know for a fact that his feelings toward Foster would also take years before it disappears, and I don't blame him for that.
"So, are you going to the sleepover tonight?" She asked. "What sleepover?" I answered.
She looked up and said "Biana didn't tell you?"
I shrugged and said "Nah, busy flirting with Bangs boy." That reply made her smile.
Everyone knows by now that Sophie helped the both of them, knowing for a fact that they liked each other. They became official on the aurenflare evening.
"Let them be. They wasted 2 years of thinking the other person doesn't like them back." She answered.
"What about me?"
"What about you?"
"For 4 years, I thought you don't like me back too." I frowned at her and she laughed.
"For 4 years, I have been in the middle of liking Fitz and not realizing my feelings for you." She answered, rolling her eyes. "But you're supposed to know that! You're an empath!" She countered.
I laughed before answering "Well yeah, but I'm always with Fitz, and I often disregard it when I feel it, assuming it was for Fitz- again. How the hell do you think I'd know who the feeling is for?" He asked. She just sighed and shrugged.
We stayed there for a couple of minutes before she said "Let's join them now." I still wanted a few more minutes, but I don't want to be selfish.
We're not even official yet, and the greatest hurdle of all time is still out there, protecting her.
An overprotective Grady.
Sandor already knew about it, and he already gave me and Foster a long talk. But, he said he's fine with it, as long as I don't break her heart which I really have no plans of doing so.
I must have been not responding for quite some time now, that's why I think she sensed what I really wanted.
She looked up and pulled my head, her lips meeting mine halfway. It was just a peck, but the sensation I felt the first time we kissed never went away.
"Is that enough compensation?" She asked, looking at me with those beautiful brown eyes.
Gosh, this girl really makes me go crazy.
"No." I replied. She pouted and me and looked sad. "Well, probably a few more." I smirked and it was my time to kiss her.
----------
A/N: Just a short chapter this time around. Someting to give you to look forward to when the saddest part is just around the corner. So sit back and relax, and enjoy the moments like this.