TW: panic attacks and sh*tty parents(our Snowflake Boy is also an anxious boy :/)

Weeks went by, and before Sophie knew it, it was the week before Christmas. Weirdly enough, the first snow of the season still hadn't fallen, even though snow by the beginning of December was the usual pattern of weather in the city of Eternalia. She was disappointed, and hoped for snow to come before the 25th so that she could enjoy their usual white Christmas.

Edaline had looked around, and after weeks of waiting, finally managed to snag an appointment at the clinic.

As nerve wracking as going anywhere with Brant was, that wasn't the reason why her palms were slick with sweat as she smoothed down her wrinkled sweater and her hands were trembling so hard she had to sit on them.

It was that the name of the shrink was Dr. Sencen.

And "Sencen" wasn't a very common last name.

Edaline hadn't mentioned the first name of the doctor, but she had referred to them as "him". So unless Keefe had an older brother she was unaware of...

She was almost positive that it was Cassius. Meaning... she would have to face Keefe's dad? Their first meeting had been incredibly uncomfortable, and under these circumstances she couldn't imagine that today's would go much better.

"Sophie!" Edaline's voice jolted Sophie from her thoughts of possible impending doom, making her jump from her bed and tumble to the floor.

The sudden movement made Iggy, who was curled up near the window, bark excitedly and pad over to her. He nudged her with his nose, his breath fanning across her face. She shoved his head away, groaning. "Iggy! You know your breath stinks! Why would you do that?"

The dog blinked down at her innocently.

"You're lucky you're so cute," she grumbled, scratching his head. He panted, tail wiggling happily, and she had to smile.

"Sophie?" Edaline called again. "We have to leave to pick up Brant now if we want to make it on time."

Sophie gave Iggy one last pat before standing up. "Sorry! I'm coming down, Mom." She yanked on her socks and a pair of worn boots, quickly checked her hair in the mirror, and then bounded down the stairs. Her parents stood at the foot of the stairs expectantly, bundled up from head to toe to protect from the cold.

Edaline tsked when she caught sight of the old hoodie Sophie had thrown on. "Put on other jacket. You'll freeze if you go outside in that. Didn't I tell you to throw out that old thing?"

Sophie laughed nervously. "What? No, must've been a different one. I'll go put another jacket."

Grady dangled a coat in front of her face before she could dash back upstairs. "I had a feeling you'd forget." Sophie took it from him gratefully. "Why'd you want to come, anyway?"

Sophie shrugged the jacket on, zipping it up to her chin. "I don't know... I guess it's still hard to believe. That Brant's getting help, I mean."

"Well," Edaline said, checking her watch. "Brant needs to get to the clinic on time for that to happen, so we'd better get going."

The three of them piled into the car and set off for Brant's place.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Grady flipped on the radio. The car filled with soft sounds of music, and Sophie could feel her tense limbs loosening. She turned her head to the window, getting lost in the dreary grey clouds blanketing the sky as she watched the world pass by. Mundane car rides would always be one of her favorite things. Something about the steady motion of the car, the humming of the engine, the quiet music pouring out of the speakers, and the view racing by created an inexplicable feeling of safety. There were very few places that could make her feel that way, and she treasured those fleeting moments of calm. They reached the house, and as Grady turned off the car, everything stilled.

Sophie noticed that Brant looked more dead than usual as he got in the car, his movements sluggish and eyes glazing over their faces. He didn't even blink at the sight of her. He just slowly pulled on the seat belt and sat back, waiting for Grady to start the car. He seemed... defeated.

Now, with the music shut off, the sound of the engine was overwhelming, and the rapidly moving trees outside made her feel sick. The steady pace of the car was no longer soothing, but a reminder of their fast approaching destination. By the time Grady had pulled into the clinic's parking lot, Sophie had forgotten how to breathe.

Grady put a light hand on Brant's shoulders, guiding him to the doors of the clinic, with Edaline and Sophie close behind. Sophie followed Grady's back numbly, until suddenly they were in the check-in area. Edaline squeezed her shoulder and moved in front of their little group.

"We're here for an appointment with Dr. Sencen..." she murmured. Sophie tuned out the rest of her words, letting her eyes wander. Her gaze passed over an elderly couple holding hands, a woman nervously watching two little girls who looked identical, a young boy who was biting his nails, a guy with messy blonde hair...

Wait. She knew that messy blonde hair.

"Dad," Sophie said hurriedly, tugging on his sleeve. "Dad, I think I see someone I know. I'm gonna go say hi."

"Okay," Grady said distractedly, eyes trained on Brant.

Sophie quickly walked past the other people checking in, nearly bumping into someone as she sped over to the sitting area where the guy was located. He stood up, just as she was about to reach him. She reached out her hand, snagging his sleeve with her finger. He turned around, and-

"Sophie?" Keefe's eyes widened as he came face to face with her. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Sophie panted.

Keefe looked away. "My, uh, dad works here. You?"

Her suspicions were confirmed. "Brant's got his first therapy session today. And probably his last, given how stubborn he was about it."

"That's great," Keefe whispered, practically boring holes into the ground with his eyes.

Sophie frowned. He was talking quietly than she'd ever heard him. The Snowflake Boy she knew was never so... timid. "Yeah... are you okay?"

"I'm... fine," he said unconvincingly.

Sophie raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Really." Suddenly, his head shot up. "Wait, therapy? Who's his therapist?"

Sophie locked eyes with him. "Doctor Sencen."

Keefe's own eyes filled with dread. "Oh no." He grabbed her wrist, tugging her towards the elevators. "No, he can't see you here. With me. If he does, he'll-" His voice faltered. "He'll find a way to use you against me." He punched the down button forcefully. "More than he already has, anyway."

Sophie looked at him curiously, but then the doors were opening with a ping and Keefe was ushering her in. Other people started to pile in, and Keefe tapped his foot anxiously as they waited. She turned around, catching sight of her parents and Brant standing in the waiting area on the opposite side of the floor just as a blonde man came out to greet them. Keefe's dad smiled at Sophie's family serenely, his gaze shifting to the elevators and meeting hers.

The widening smile on his face as he caught sight of her was the last thing Sophie saw before the elevator doors closed.

She looked back up at Keefe. His face was pale, and the hand still curled around her wrist was clammy. When the excruciating elevator ride finally came to a stop and the doors opened, Keefe was the first one out, rudely brushing them past people in an effort to get out of the small space. Keefe continued to pull her along even after they escaped, and Sophie had to lock her knees to get him to stop.

"Hey," she said softly, pulling him to sit at a bench and carefully extracting her wrist from his hold so that she could hold his wrists in an attempt to get him to focus. "You're panicking. Take a deep breath. You're safe now."

Keefe nodded rapidly, his breathing ragged. Sophie counted steadily, listing random numbers and coaxing him to repeat them with her.

"Seven, twenty, six, two," she said.

Keefe's hands trembled in hers. He hung his head and muttered the words under his breath. "Seven... two..."

"Nine, eighty one, thirty seven, five."

"Nine, eighty one... thirty seven, five." His words are shaky, and he was still pulling in shuddering breaths, but the numbers were clear.

"Twenty two, ninety eight, seventeen, sixty."

Keefe pulled his wrists away from her, dropping his gaze. "I, uh, I'm fine now. Thank you... for dealing. With that."

"It's fine, Keefe," she reassured him. "I think we should talk about it, though."

Dread seeped back into his face. "Not here."

"Not here," Sophie agreed. "But where?"

He groaned out of nowhere, letting his head fall back against the wall behind him. "The coffee shop just across the street."

"Okay." Sophie nodded slowly. "But why do you sound so upset about it?"

"It's nothing." Keefe sighed, and then pushed himself up. He offered her a hand. "Come on."

Sophie took it and pulled herself up, letting go awkwardly just a second too late. Even when it was trembling and slick with sweat, Keefe's hand was nice to hold. Not that she would ever admit it.

She sent her parents a quick text about where she was going, trying not to think about Brant and how his session must have started by now.

When they arrived at the cafe, a little place called Loamnore, Sophie was glad to find that it wasn't too crowded. Focusing on helping Keefe with his anxiety had momentarily made her forget about her own, but now it was back full force. She wasn't sure she'd be able to deal with lots of humans today, let alone coffee addict and sleep-deprived ones.

Keefe led the way to order, and thankfully the line wasn't long. She didn't come to this place often, since it was far from her house and she wasn't in the clinic area often, but there was something very quaint about its simplicity. It definitely helped that it smelled like coffee and warmth and everything wonderful on a cold winter's day. When it was their turn, Sophie ordered a small latte, and Keefe ordered some complicated fruit tea with a name Sophie lost track of about two words in. The short girl with long messy hair wearing a name tag that read Nubiti's smile grew more and more strained as Keefe rattled off the impossibly long title. Sophie stifled a laugh as Nubiti responded through her teeth when he was finished. Keefe gave the girl a wrinkled twenty, tucking the change into his jacket pocket.

"Wow," Sophie said, nudging him playfully as they waited for their drinks. "I'd never have pegged you for the 'fancy exotic fruit tea' type."

Keefe laughed weakly. "It's not for me."

"Oh?" Sophie frowned. "Is someone joining us?"

"Something like that."

Nubiti called Keefe's name with the drinks in hand before Sophie could press further. He came back with the drinks, placing the latte in her hand. She went for one of the tables for two, but he headed to the back where the booths were. She followed him with confusion, but decided not to question it and slid into the seat opposite him.

She took a sip from her latte, wincing as the hot liquid touched her tongue. "Ouch."

"Careful." Keefe smirked. It looked strained, but at least he was being Keefe again.

"Laugh at my pain," Sophie retorted. She rubbed her hands together as they sat in silence. She waited, but then took it upon herself to start conversation. "So. What was all of that about?"

Keefe heaved a sigh, but didn't bother protesting. "Just my dad being his horrible self. Nothing new." He tried to play it off as a joke, but failed miserably.

"Maybe not, but you were acting... scared. You had a panic attack! That's definitely new."

"It was not a panic attack," Keefe protested. Sophie gave him a look, and he relented. "Okay, fine, it was a panic attack."

"So?" Sophie prodded.

"My dad knows how to get under my skin. I try not to let it stop me, but it's better not to risk it. If he knows my friends, he uses them to guilt me. If he knows my interests, he exploits them. If he knows my weaknesses? Game over." He ran a finger down the tea absentmindedly. "I didn't want him to see you and realize how important you are."

The unsaid to me hung in the air, but they both refused to acknowledge it. Sophie willed away the blush that was surely painting her cheeks.

"And more than that," he continued, "I didn't want you to see me like that. Helpless, and scared, and quiet, and... weak." He spat out the last word with disgust.

"Keefe..." Sophie's hand ghosted over his, but then he looked up at her and she snatched it back with embarrassment. "It's not bad to feel weak sometimes."

"Maybe, but not with him. Never with him."

"I know your dad probably drilled into your brain that "weak bad", but the reality of it is that weakness is what makes us all human." She chuckled, recalling the bittersweet memory of Dex knocking sense into her and making her see that feeling sad wasn't a bad thing. "As someone who had to be taught that the hard way, trust me."

"I do trust you." Something about the way he said it made Sophie feel warm again.

"I trust you too." Sophie held her breath as the atmosphere shifted, and she thought maybe Keefe was too. They both waited for someone to make the next move, whatever that may be.

And then she had to go and ruin... whatever it was by hitting her cup and spilling the hot coffee all over her hand.

"Ow, ow, ow," Sophie said, shoving her cup away. Keefe hurriedly handed her a napkin, which she accepted gratefully and used to dab at her burning fingers.

"Foster, I will never understand how you manage to be this clumsy." He shook his head mockingly.

Sophie glared at him. "I hope you know that I would have slapped you for that if I wasn't burned, you unsympathetic monster."

Keefe just kept shaking his head, grinning wryly.

As she took a sip of her latte with her uninjured hand, something he'd said earlier occurred to her. "Who's the tea for then, anyway?"

Keefe blanched. "About that. It's for-"

"Me." Sophie whipped her head to find a well-dressed blonde woman looking down at them, a small smile on lips painted burgundy. She raised an eyebrow at them. "Keefe. You didn't mention that someone would be joining our meeting today."

"It wasn't exactly a planned thing," Keefe muttered.

"I see." The woman sat down next to him, diagonal from Sophie. She extended a hand toward her, an ice blue gaze the same shade as Keefe's pinned on Sophie. Somehow, Snowflake Boy's eyes looked so much colder in this face. "Hello, in any case. I'm Gisela Sencen, though you may call me Gisela. I'm Keefe's mother. And you are?"

Sophie blinked at the outstretched hand. Keefe's mom? Of all things she could have imagined, that certainly wasn't who she would have guessed Keefe was waiting for. She'd never even heard him mention his mother, come to think of it. She shook Gisela's hand warily. Judging by Keefe's behavior and past meetings with his parental figures, she figured it was best to be cautious.

"I'm Sophie. Foster. Sophie Foster. It's nice to meet you."

"And you as well." His mom took her hand back, and placed it on Keefe's shoulder. It's nice to meet another one of my son's friends. The only other person he's ever introduced me to is that Vacker boy. Fitz, I think his name was."

Keefe flinched at the name, and his mom's nails curled into his shoulder ever so slightly. The tension suddenly shifted, from subtle to very hard to ignore, and Sophie took a drink from her latte nervously. Gisela Sencen was definitely not to be trusted.

"Oh," Sophie said quietly.

Gisela flicked her wrist, the light above their heads bouncing off the gold of her watch. "Unfortunately, I can only stay for a few minutes. Business meetings stop for no one."

"It's alright, Mom," Keefe said, his voice hard. "We understand."

She reached for the tea Keefe had ordered and took a sip. "It's perfect."

"It's what you always get."

"I'm lucky to have such a perceptive son."

"Mmm," Keefe hummed.

Sophie fiddled with her hair, trying not to tug out an eyelash or three. When she met his eyes across the table, she could see the defeat swimming in them. It made her stomach turn.

Gisela's phone rang, breaking through the thick silence. When she checked the caller ID, she let go of her tea. She stood, finger hovering over the button to accept the call. "I really must be going now. It was lovely meeting your friend. I'll see you next meeting." Gisela was out the door of the cafe before Sophie could muster a goodbye.

She slowly turned back to Keefe, who was raking his hands through his hair. He threw aside the unfinished tea, nearly spilling it on the table.

"Well... she was certainly... something." Sophie's phone pinged as she said it, and she unlocked it to find a text from Grady.

Things went surprisingly well, and Brant hasn't said no to another session yet! He looks better than when he went in. I think things are starting to look up for us :)

Sophie looked up at the disheveled boy who was slowly falling apart in front of her. How was it possible that things were finally starting to get better for her family while his only seemed to get worse and worse?

"Ha," Keefe finally breathed out. "That's one way to put it." He was barreling on before she could ask. "My parents divorced when I was fourteen, or maybe fifteen. It all blurs together." He blew out another harsh breath. "As much as I hate her, I have to do this."

"Do what?" Sophie questioned. "Why?"

"I only agreed to do these... meet ups because she wouldn't stop bugging my dad about it, and my dad wouldn't stop bugging me about it. Besides, it's only once a month, and she sees these more as mandatory meetings that she's obligated to do than anything. Another one of her duties that need to be attended to. Another box to check off her 'being a good person' list." His first clenched. "As soon as I turn eighteen, I never want to see either of their faces ever again. I'd be happy if they were never mentioned to me for the rest of my life." His fist unclenched. "But for now... I deal."

"I'm so sorry," Sophie said hesitantly.

Keefe chuckled bitterly. "Why? You haven't done anything wrong."

"Yeah, but your mom and dad clearly have," she said firmly. "And it doesn't look like you're getting the apology you deserve anytime soon, so I'll say it for them. I'm sorry."

The corners of Keefe's mouth quirked up in the first real smile all day. Sophie grinned back. They sat there, just smiling together, and even though their families were messed up and broken and their hearts were too and it was nearly Christmas and it still hadn't snowed, things were alright, if only for a moment.

A/N: I swear these aren't getting longer on purpose-