Feelings and Things: A Keefitz Oneshot

= Feelings and Things | Keefitz Oneshot =
=== By Keeper of the Forbidden Cities ===
=== |-Unlocked Spoiler Warning-| ===
Keefe watched his breath turn to fog in the evening autumn air. He had given Fitz a crystal to this exact location, hoping he would come. Even though Keefe had come back from the Forbidden Cities, he still visited this random forest sometimes. A quiet spot, that was perfectly normal, unlike everything else he had ever experienced. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his human hoodie, which was surprisingly comfortable. He often found himself wearing them in the Lost Cities, even though his dad said he looked like he was curled up in a kernelfruit. But who cares what--
“Keefe?”
Keefe’s head snapped up, and he looked right into the aquamarine eyes of none other than Fitz, who was standing close enough to make Keefe’s face flush. “Oh, hey.”
Fitz smiled his perfect smile. “You’ve been zoned out for a bit.”
Keefe shrugged. “That’s what happens when reality is stupid.”
“You okay?” Fitz backed up a little and stood beside him.
“As okay as I can be,” Keefe admitted. His ability still bothered him, but some days were better than others. Today, he couldn’t even feel Fitz’s emotions through the air, which was a good thing.
“Yeah,” Fitz agreed. “Is there anything you wanted me to come here for?”
“I--” Keefe stopped himself. He had almost blurted out the truth. But he couldn’t be sure what Fitz would say to that. He began fumbling for an excuse. “Well, we haven’t really gotten to spend a lot of time together, you know, just the two of us. And with all the stuff going on… I just miss Fitzy.”
“Hey, if you call me that, I’ll have to start calling you Keefey,” Fitz teased.
“Fine by me… Fitzy,” Keefe added.
Fitz’s laugh rang in the empty clearing. Keefe had missed that sound.
“Wait, how often do you come here?” Fitz asked.
“Sometimes when I need to get away from all the craziness of our world, I come here. Humans have it so much simpler,” Keefe responded.
“There aren’t any humans around here,” Fitz observed.
“There are sometimes a few in the day. It’s a public place,” Keefe shivered in the cold. “But yeah.”
“Woah, wait!” Fitz gasped.
Keefe jumped. “What?”
“Look at the sky!”
Keefe glanced up. “Oh yeah, it’s always like this at night.”
“Still. I’m used to seeing stars, but I’ve never seen them so clearly,” Fitz breathed. “They look so close.” He reached up as if to snatch one out of the air.
They stared up into the endless, sparkling blackness, neither of them saying anything else. Keefe moved a little closer to Fitz, so close that their shoulders almost touched. Keefe felt a few waves of different emotions, awe, happiness, and--
That one feeling.
The same feeling Keefe had been feeling for a while.
He didn’t let himself think about the word. He didn’t want to jinx it. He wanted this to be something that was actually there.
He glanced over at Fitz. Their eyes met, and Fitz stepped a few inches away, meaning Keefe couldn’t feel his emotions anymore.
“Fitz,” Keefe whispered.
“Yeah?”
“I lo--”
“There you two are!”
Keefe whirled around to see Ro, Grizel, and Della.
“You can’t just run away like that! Again! After what you did before!” Ro stomped towards Keefe and grabbed his arm.
“We had to track your registry pendants down to this forest in the Forbidden Cities!” Della crossed her arms. “I was worried sick about both of you.”
“Sorry mom,” Fitz mumbled.
Della put her hands on Fitz’s shoulders, examining him as if checking for damage. She sighed. “Well, I’m glad you’re okay. Come on, let’s go home.”
Fitz glanced at Keefe and smiled.
Keefe laughed. “Yeah, let’s go.”