So, I started this thing on Tumblr called Keith Gen-Uary and I decided to post my first one-shot. Hope you like it.

Sam and Colleen Holt

It was ridiculous. Keith didn't need a babysitter. But apparently, Shiro didn't trust Keith alone after last week's... incident. He was fourteen! He was highly capable to be alone in his dorm room without getting into a fight. But, Matt overheard their conversation and got all excited. He suggested that he brings Keith over to his family so that he could finally meet them. Meeting his sister, Katie, wouldn't be possible though. She was in school and by the time she'd be back, Keith will be well on his way. But right now, he was crammed into the backseat of Shiro's car, reading one of his favorite books. Matt took the front seat, bubbling in excitement.

"Are you sure you can't stay for a little while?" Matt asked, for the third time that trip. Keith rolled his eyes.

Shiro chuckled, "Maybe after the meeting. But no, I am afraid not Matt. I will say 'hi', but then I'll be on my way."

Matt pouted, "Oh well. Keith and I will have loads of fun! Won't we Keith?" The boy turned around to face him. Keith glared up at the grinning boy. If they got in a crash, Matt would not survive the fall.

But the boy wouldn't stop staring if Keith kept his mouth shut, so he looked back at his book with a sarcastic, "Yay."

"C'mon, Mr. Grouchy! Where is your spirit?" Matt asked, facing forward again. Keith replied with an audible huff. He sighed dramatically, opening a magazine. Of course, it was all about robotics. "It seems I am the only enthusiastic person about this situation."

Shiro sighed, "Keith, it's not that bad. I know Matt's parents. They are really nice people. And if I am late, I am sure you will like Katie. From the stories I've heard, she is really into conspiracies." Matt made an inhuman moan but Shiro ignored him. "And Sam also likes conspiracies -" another pathetic moan from Matt - "Like that Mothman book your reading."

Keith blew his hair out of his eyes, "He better not touch this."

Matt kicked at the glove compartment, "He has a copy of it. And some notes. Mom is the only normal person in the family."

Shiro laughed, "Matt, don't be like that. I have seen some of your conspiracy boards."

Matt blinked, "Well... yeah, but it isn't as ridiculous as a huge, flying mothman."

Keith glared up at Matt, "There is photo evidence, Matthew Holt. Do not speak a word against it. You know it's real." He turned his attention back to his back. "And it is not fake either."

Matt poked his tongue out at Keith and turned back to his magazine. There was silence in the car after that, until Keith felt the car pull up to a stop. He only knew it wasn't a traffic light when Matt shrieked and hopped out of the car. Keith sighed and pulled his knees higher onto the seat. He heard voices from outside of the car. The sound of new people spiked his social anxiety. It finally sunk in that Keith was gonna be alone. In a foreign house. Without Shiro. Shiro always helped him around in the Garrison when the crowds got too much when too many people were around. Maybe if he was just really quiet, Shiro will forget he's there and drive off with him.

"Hey, buddy," He heard Shiro's voice from the front seat. His head snapped up and he became more aware that he was hyperventilating. "Calm down. I will walk with you inside. Matt will be there. If it gets too much, just go tell him. He knows about your anxiety."

Keith blushed, "I'm fine."

Shiro pouted, "Keith. I don't wanna be pulled out in the middle of my meeting cause you were getting a blackout panic attack."

Keith glared at Shiro, "I don't -"

"Keith, please. I promise it will be fine. I will be back at one, and then you will be at the Garrison again with Matt," Keith looked away from Shiro, playing with the pages of his book. "Tell you what, when I pick you up, I'll bring a chocolate cake. Your favorite? Besides, you will have a great day with the Holts." Keith looked up at Shiro and shrugged.

"I... I guess so," He mumbled. He heard the car door open and looked up in time to see Shiro open his door. He pushed off the door before he could stumble out. He put the bookmark in place and accepted Shiro's hand. Shiro helped him out of the car and patted his shoulder.

"You won't regret it," he smiled. Keith couldn't help it, he smiled back up at Shiro.

"Mom! Mom! Mom! I brought my dorm mate over! C'mon! You have to meet him!" Keith heard Matt scream from the other side of the car.

Keith hid behind the car, "Nope. Nuh-uh. No, I regret it already."

Shiro patted Keith's shoulder. "It's gonna be okay."

Keith jumped as Matt jumped up over the hood of the car, grabbed his hand, and pulled him around the front. Give only heard a distant 'come on' before he was standing at the front door. A woman was looking down at him with curious eyes. Her hair was the same color as Matt's and her eyes were much similar as well. "Mom! This is Keith Kogane. My roommate from the Garrison! Keith, this is my mom. Her name is Colleen. But you can call her Mrs. Holt if you feel the need to."

Colleen smiled warmly down at Keith. She held out her hand and Keith felt electricity shoot down his spine. He wasn't sure if he should shake her hand or back off. He nervously raised his hand and was surprised at her firm grip. "It's nice to meet you, Keith. Matt has talked a lot about you."

Keith just gave an inaudible, "uh-huh", before ripping his hand away. Quick enough to get away from her, but slow enough not to come off as rude. He broke eye contact from the woman, looking down at his boots. He heard Shiro approach and stand next to him. Keith stepped behind Shiro a bit. He didn't like this already.

"Hello, Colleen," Shiro said, shaking her hand. "How are you?"

"Shiro!" Colleen said, her smile going brighter. "I'm just fine. From what I've heard, you adopted young Keith here, huh?" Shiro chuckled and nodded his head. "Tell me, was I overreacting about being a parent?"

Shiro crossed his arms over his chest. "I still think you were. Sure, it's hard, but Keith is much calmer than Matt." He leaned in and whispered, "For the most part."

Yeah, sure. I'm not standing right here.

"Do you wanna come in?" Colleen asked.

Shiro shook his head, "No, no. I'm afraid not. I have that meeting to attend to. Just try and keep Keith calm. He's a bit anxious in social situations."

Keith blushed and slightly elbowed Shiro in the hip. "Shiro."

"Keith."

It was a losing battle already. Keith crossed his arms and nervously played with the cover of the book. He didn't even notice Shiro was leaving when he felt a hand on his shoulder and heard him say:

"See you at one?"

Keith grimaced and kicked the back of his shoe. "Er - yeah. B-bye."

Shiro hugged him.

He.

Hugged.

Him.

Right in front of Colleen and Matt. "Shiro," He argued trying to push away. Shiro had the heart to give a soft chuckle and pull away.

"You'll be fine, Keith," he said. "Bye."

Keith watched him walk toward the car. He watched until Shiro drove off. When the car was out of sight Colleen turned to Keith, "So, Keith." He turned to her and immediately felt uncomfortable. "What do you wanna do first?"

To be honest, he wanted to call Shiro and fake a panic attack. He wanted to go back to the Garrison and hide from the Holts forever. Not meet Mr. Holt. As in, Matt's dad.

He followed Colleen down the hallway to the kitchen. Sam Holt was standing at the stove, making, what seemed like, french toast. At the first glance of his dad, Matt hurried forward and tackled his father's waist. "Dad!"

"Woah! Matt?" Sam immediately turned off the stove and laid the finished bread on a plate. "When did you get here?"

Matt laughed, letting go of his father. "Just now. And look!" Matt hurried over and grabbed Keith's wrist again, pulling him over. "This is Keith Kogane. Shiro's little bro."

Sam smiled down at Keith, "Ah, yes. The name's Sam. I'm sure you know that already?" Keith shook his hand and nodded his head, still not speaking a word. "I have read some of your Garrison files. You have impeccable piloting skills." Keith couldn't help the small smile that came on his face at that. He wasn't exactly cocky, but he was proud of his piloting skills. He wasn't used to praise from other people than Shiro, though.

He felt tense standing in front of Sam and maybe Matt sensed it, because the next thing he knew, Matt was steering him out of the room. "I'm gonna show Keith my bedroom! Then we'll come back down."

"Alright!" came the reply from Colleen and Sam behind their back. They hurried up the stairs and past a couple of doors. Keith noticed one of the doors was plastered with radiation and large blaring 'KEEP OUT' signs. He took note not to look at the room. They entered the room right next to a bathroom and for a second, Keith thought he was entering their dorm at the Garrison.

There were robot magazines everywhere and study work on the desk. A 'Garrison Rules' banner was displayed on one of his walls.

A picture of Matt and a little girl was on his wardrobe. Despite being younger than him, the girl was flipping off the camera. "Is that Katie?" the question forced out of Keith's mouth before he can stop it.

Matt jumped at the mention of her name. "Huh?" he looked at where Keith was looking at and he smiled brightly. "Oh, yeah! That is. For a second there I thought you meant in person. But yeah, that's my sister. She's the one with the 'keep out' door." He chuckled. "She isn't so big on social interaction either. Man, I really wish you could've met her today."

Keith shrugged. Meeting his parents were stressful enough, "One day perhaps."

"Yup," Matt nodded. They stayed silent for a while before Matt cleared his throat. "Okay, now for the reason I brought you up here. You seem a bit stressed. Look, if you feel uncomfortable, feel free to talk to me about it. Mom and Dad won't judge."

Keith nodded, "I - I know."

Matt put a hand on Keith's shoulder and smiled at him, "You'll do fine today. It's only for two hours."

Keith crossed his arms. "I know. I'll be fine."

Matt looked a bit skeptical but nodded. "Okay. But remember. If it gets too much, feel free to tell me."

"Yeah," Keith said. "I will."

Matt grinned, "Okay, we better get downstairs. Dad makes the best french toast."

Matt wasn't lying. He was a bit hesitant to eat at their house, but it was really good. Matt kept telling his parents about his month at the Garrison. Sam hadn't been there, so he was very intrigued into what his son had to say. Colleen made sure there were leftovers for Katie and smacked Matt's hand away every time he tried to snatch some.

Matt offered to help Mrs. Holt with the dishes, which left him and Sam alone in the dining room. He felt the comfort vanish within seconds and tried to keep his gaze off the man.

Keith was always uncomfortable when he saw someone's parents. It's why he always tried to stay away from people. Since he never had a mom or dad, he never understood how to behave around them. It left him confused and on the verge of a panic attack. Now that neither Shiro or Matt was here, he lost any escape code.

"I see you believe in the legends of Mothman?" Keith's head jerked up to Sam, to his book and then back again.

"Er... yes, sir," Keith said. He already didn't trust his own words.

But Mr. Holt only laughed. "Yes, Katie and I have been working on that mystery for quite some time. We believe it exists. And you?"

Keith cleared his throat. "Y-yeah. There is a possibility."

There was silence for a while until Sam leaned in with a smirk and said, "What if I told you that I met him personally?"

Keith looked up wide-eyed. Sam grinned, probably thinking that Keith believed him. But he did not believe him. Only luck itself can escape the terrible clutches of Mothman. It's what made it so fantastic. Uncomfort immediately turned into disbelief. "That's not possible. He would've swallowed you on first sight. You can't bargain with a legend like him."

Sam crossed his arms. "Just like the others. No one believed me the day I told them I met the legend itself."

"Because it isn't true," Keith said. "You can't just play around with him like he's a joke."

Sam chuckled, "Oh, he is no joke, indeed. My bargaining didn't help for as much as I tried. I was able to escape him, and no one believes me."

"Pff," Keith blew the hair out of his face. "You did not meet him. There is no way."

Sam got up. "Come with me and I will prove it to you."

Keith hesitated but got out of his seat and followed Sam upstairs. They walked past Matt's room to the last door. When they entered, Keith noticed this was Sam's office. On one side, was a bunch of science things. On the other, there were conspiracies. That caught Keith's interests. Apparently, Shiro wasn't lying.

"Look at this picture over here," Sam said. "Focus on that one thing."

Keith walked over and saw it was the bridge sighting of Mothman. He looked closely to the mothman figure. There was no way this was a fake image even though Matt has tried to prove him wrong. And then large red eyes replaced the image and cold wind shot onto Keith's side. He jumped back with a yelp only to hear Sam laugh from behind the board.

Mr. Holt came around the board and put down a picture of Mothman on his desk. He turned off his Russell Hobbs fan in one click. Keith glowered at the man. "How many victims have fallen to this prank of yours?"

Sam shrugged. "Colleen, Matt, Katie, Shiro, whoever comes over, really. They all fall for it."

"Well, if it makes you feel better," Keith said. "I believed you for a second there."

Sam looked proud, "Good to know."

Keith laid down on his back on the couch. Matt was sitting next to him playing video games. Sam was busy with work upstairs while Colleen was cleaning up the house. It was one more hour until Shiro comes back. He hid his excitement behind his book.

The Holts were cool. Really. He was just really anxious.

Keith was so lost in his thoughts, he has read the sentence over four times. He decided to put the book aside and concentrate on his breathing. He was starting to get a panic attack. The quiet of an unfamiliar house was getting to him. He knew he could talk to Matt about this, but he preferred not to. Despite what Matt said, he felt like he was gonna bother him.

"I'm gonna go and get myself some water," Keith said, getting up off the couch. Matt nodded, too invested in his video game. Keith walked down the hallway into the kitchen. Colleen was there, wiping off the counters.

"Oh! Hello, Keith," Colleen said. Keith froze in his tracks. His heart raced a little quicker.

He cleared his throat, "H-Hi." He hated how awkward he sounded.

"Need anything?" Colleen asked. She was still smiling sweetly at him.

Keith looked away from her, "I was just - er - getting myself some w-water."

Colleen turned around and grabbed a glass from one of the cupboards. "Alright. Sit and wait over there."

Keith felt himself shaking. Colleen wasn't particularly scary, but his panic attacks spiked when he was around her. His dad was alive long enough to be a bit more comfortable around Sam. But he didn't even know you needed a mother until he was four. He sat down at one of the counters and looked everywhere but at her. He looked up with a start when she put the glass of water down in front of him.

"Th-thanks," Keith said, playing with the glass. The ripples on the water started to make him nauseous. He saw Colleen sit next to him and felt the nausea increase.

"You look a little paler," She said from her seat. "Are you alright?"

Keith nodded, "Uh-huh."

He felt her hand underneath his chin, tilting his face up to look at her. "You can tell me if something is bothering you. I won't judge. Katie also struggles with social anxiety."

Keith nodded, "M-Matt told me. About her. And uh... yeah."

Colleen smiled warmly again, "He does speak a lot about her. Ever since they first met. He always had a story to tell." Keith looked away from her again. Her hand has already fallen back to her lap. "You don't need to feel uncomfortable here, Keith. It's okay to talk. I'm all ears."

Keith shrugged, still not looking up at her. He didn't know why the words came out of his mouth, but he couldn't stop them. "I never had a mom. I knew my dad, but I don't even remember her. I - I don't know what to - um - say, I guess."

There was silence in the kitchen. The only sounds were the kitchen sink, the video games from the next room and the angry yells from Matt every time he lost. "I understand," Colleen finally said. Keith looked up at her. "I've never had a good relationship with my mother until two years ago. We finally made up and she passed away a month later. It got harder. But I was able to stay strong. And from everything Matt has told me, you are also very strong, Keith." Keith blushed but didn't look away. She wasn't getting emotional or anything, but she looked stronger about the subject. Keith completely forgot about his anxiety for a moment. "It's alright. You don't need to address me any differently than regular people. Just one rule: Do not call me Mrs. Holt. It makes me feel old."

Keith couldn't help the laugh that escaped his mouth. It felt great to feel the anxiety wash away so smoothly. Colleen seemed proud enough and went back to cleaning off the counters.

Time seemed to fly by since then. Keith helped Colleen clean the house and later joined Matt in a video game. When they were done with the game, Keith and Matt talked to Sam. Keith started to talk about the book he was reading and refused to believe Sam when he started talking about his autograph from Mothman. It was clearly the author! Keith wasn't stupid.

Matt had dozed off on his dad's work chair.

Shiro arrived five minutes late, but Keith didn't even realize. They said goodbye to the Holts and walked off to the car. Keith took the front seat this time since Matt was gonna spend a week at his family. As promised, Shiro had a chocolate cake in the back seat.

As soon as they pulled out the driveway, Keith saw a school bus stop at the side of the road. He could already hear Matt's complaints in his head. But he saw the girl climb off the bus and hurry up to the house before they turned the corner.

"And?" Shiro asked with a smile.

"And what?" Keith asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Did you regret it?" Shiro asked with a grin.

Keith huffed and looked away from Shiro, "It was fine." It was awesome.