Hey, it's FandomQueen713
I'm discontinuing this fic, which I was planning to post a couple months ago, but I decided to post just cause. So uh, yeah, enjoy?~
Slamming his door shut with a resounding thud, Keith Kogane scanned the small dorm room, dropping his admittedly small luggage bag onto the ground. He sat down on the bed, turning towards the window slightly, the bed creaking at the shift in weight, before going back to surveying the pretty empty room.
Somehow, Keith had managed to be convinced that coming here was a good idea. To be fair, the people seemed pretty nice and the campus was welcoming. Not to mention, the art program here was great, and so were the literature courses. When Keith had finally gave into his best friend's pushing and taunts, agreeing to come to the college, while he still had a smidge of skepticism, he had believed that this was a good choice.
But then, after he had finally arrived to this place, after an awkward two-hour car ride with his foster parents, he was starting to regret this whole idea. For one thing, he hated change; yes, as a kid, he had moved between different foster homes, Keith had gotten used to change and moving, that wasn't exactly the problem. Plus, it wasn't like he really had much to lose each time he ended up somewhere else. No, it was more the lack of control Keith hated. Or perhaps, the sense of abandonment.
Several buzzes in his pocket interrupted Keith's thoughts. Taking out his phone, he saw a swarm of rapidly increasing notifications on the lock screen. He unlocked the phone, smiling slightly as he scrolled through the messages.
[CarrierPidgeon - Sh00Keith]
CarrierPidgeon: How much longer?
CarrierPidgeon: What dorm r u?
CarrierPidgeon: keith r u here yet?
CarrierPidgeon: that was ur car ik ur here
CarrierPidgeon: yes you didn't bail! I was kinda expecting ur emo ass to just break our deal and join an online school or smth
CarrierPidgeon: That's not an option btw
CarrierPidgeon: KEITH I KNOW YOU SAW THIS BC YOU HAVE READ RECEIPT ON SFGFD ANSWER ME OR I'LL HACK INTO YOUR SCHEDULE AND CHANGE ALL YOUR CLASSES TO MORNING ONES AND TRUST ME WHEN I SAY YOU DON'T WANT THAT. DONT TEST ME ASSHOLE
Keith smirked to himself as he relaxed into the mattress, his fingers grazing over the keyboard as he started typing out a response to his best friend. They had been friends for years, and a definite upside to coming to Altea University was getting to spend college with Pidge.
Sh00Keith: Yes, I'm here, stop freaking out Pidge it's only been like 15 minutes I'm not bailing yet
Sh00Keith: Where are you?
Sh00Keith: Didn't you say you wanted us to do something idk
CarrierPidgeon:…You're actually not freaking out?!
CarrierPidgeon: Your gay ass is cALM ABOUT THIS?!
CarrierPidgeon: we're in college! Together!
CarrierPidgeon: stop denying it you love it already don't you Kogane
Sh00Keith: Shut it Pidge
Sh00Keith: Where should we meet?
CarrierPidgeon: Ha I was right ;))
CarrierPidgeon: hey, you'll love it here, just wait.
CarrierPidgeon: And u know where the coffeeshop right by campus is? Meet there in 10?
Sh00Keith: See you there
Sh00Keith: tiny gremlin
CarrierPidgeon: Ur so gonna regret that bish
Keith felt the smile tug at his lips as he put his phone away and got up. That was definitely a good thing about being here. He hadn't seen Pidge since the beginning of summer when they had come to do some summer tech program here. He wasn't close to his foster parents, and while they tried their best to care, Keith always felt like they viewed him as more of an obligation. But Pidge, his neighbor was reason to like his life; they befriended each other, and though Pidge was more of a nerd and Keith an outcast, they made an unlikely pair of good friends. Plus, Pidge was there for Keith during many of his panic attacks, and was there to calm him and keep his anger in check plenty of times, yet they never pushed or pressed Keith too much, understanding when he wanted to be more isolated about some issues. In return, Keith made sure to step in and fight any bullies stupid enough to try and go after Pidge- whether because they were 2 years younger than the others in their grade, or due to Pidge being an open aro/ace nonbinary.. either way, Keith never let anyone lay a finger on his best friend.
Making sure he had his key before leaving, Keith exited the dorm building, heading to the shops outside the campus, ignoring the excited chatter between different college students who had no doubt just gotten back and met up with old friends. He saw a familiar light brown haired head sitting at a table outside a small coffee place, and he instantly sped up, smiling slightly as he closed the distance. When he was a few feet away, they looked up and with surprising speed launched themselves at Keith, trapping him in a hug. Pidge was the only person he'd ever allow hug him.
Keith had certainly had experience with being left by people, and Pidge was one of the few things Keith viewed as a constant in his life. He trusted that they wouldn't leave him, and his life had changed from the better once he let Pidge in.
"Keith! You're here! Ooh you're going to love it at Altea Uni, it's awesome. Plus, the robotics club is incredible, the programming style is so much better than the one our high school had." Keith pulled back from their hug, nodding to show he was listening, though it was a little hard to follow considering the speed that Pidge was rambling. When Pidge has something to say, they usually let it rush out; after all, their mind moved quickly enough that if they didn't say something when they thought it, there was a good chance they would forget it later, already thinking of something else. "My roommate over the summer was pretty chill too, but yeah. I know it probably doesn't seem like it now, but you'll love it here, mark my words. I'm always right." Pidge added with a smug look on their face. "Not to mention, there's some cute guys who I'd say are definitely your type- Keith!" They exclaimed, cutting themselves off when Keith teasingly shoved them, huffing.
"Pidge, I never said I hated the place, no need to try and convince me how great it is. We'll see how I feel about it, and knowing you, I won't be able to drop out anyways without facing the wrath of your revenge, so let's just hope I didn't make the wrong choice by coming here." Blunt as always, but Pidge seemed to be okay with that.
"Yeah, yeah, alright, Kogane. Whatever you want. Anyways, let's go inside, I'm caffeine deprived." Pidge might be small in stature, but they had surprising strength. They dragged him inside Mocha Heaven, before shoving him towards the counter. Keith scanned the menu above the counter, ignoring the worker's greetings to figure out what to get. What the hell was the difference between a macchiato and a mocha? Or a cappuccino and a latte?
"I'll take a medium regular black coffee." He finally decided. Safest bet, he guessed.
Pidge rolled their eyes. "Laaame. I'll get a cinnamon macchiato, and… ah a blueberry muffin." They ignored Keith's mutter of 'I'm lactose intolerant'.
The worker behind the counter nodded, tilting her head. She had silvery hair that was black near the roots, and large lilac eyes that were looking inquisitively between Pidge and him. Keith was extremely gay, but even he could admit that she was pretty. "So, are you paying separately or-" She even had a slight British accent.
"Keith's paying!" Pidge hurriedly called out, quite literally shoving Keith forward against the counter and grinning with an evil glint in their eyes. He felt the counter edge shove into his gut, and Keith sighed, accepting this fate. After all, this had always been their system: whoever was slowest in calling out ended up paying for whatever it was- food, gifts, coffee, movie tickets… Keith seemed to pay more often than not, to be fair, but he didn't mind. Nevertheless, he fixed a scowl on his face at Pidge, before digging into his pockets for a few crumpled up bills.
The worker – her name tag said Allura – smiled graciously, calling out the order to someone, and handing Keith change before Pidge dragged Keith over to a small booth against the wall. He took the moment to scan the room, taking into account the small circular tables scattered around the room and the many cozy cushioned chairs crammed into the shop, despite it being fairly small. There was even a window seat lined with pillows- the kind you would see in a stereotypical sitcom. Keith incessantly tapped his fingers against the table, his eyes flitting around while Pidge was grinning and typing rapidly on their phone. Keith's eyes landed on the back of a dark haired man, who seemed sort of familiar..
"Takashi?!" Keith muttered in confusion and a bit of fear, standing up suddenly and moving forward to check and see if it really was him. Keith caught a glimpse of the guy's white bangs - it had to be Takashi, what was he doing here?! - but sadly, that was about as far as the reunion went.
Oh so gracefully, Keith had jolted forward, and collided into someone.
A someone holding a cup of steaming hot coffee, said coffee that ended up all over Keith's shirt at the collision. He yelped in shock, pulling the shirt away from him, trying to avoid the hot coffee seeping through and touching him.
There was a moment of silence as Keith, with mouth agape, stared at the guy's brilliant blue eyes, eyes that were some shade between ocean blue and sky blue. (Damnit Keith, stop being your sappy gay self! An inner voice that was suspiciously similar to Pidge said around this moment).
Keith had never been the best at social interactions, and he couldn't help the sudden laugh that bubbled out from his throat, despite the fact that he was the one drenched in coffee, breaking the silence.
And that's when the guy's eyes narrowed, lip twitching, before bursting into a rapid fire mix of Spanish and English, Keith's laugh dying almost as soon as it started. "¿Te acabas de reír? What the hell?! Solo estaba tratando de tomar una taza de café y tú, el cabrón, ¡Solo tenía que molestar! People like you are the reason humanity is so idiotic nowadays! ¡Ya no tengo mucho dinero! ¡¿Y ahora tienes el valor de reírte de mí?!" Keith cut him off, his arms raised in a surrender motion, ears still ringing as he tried to process the situation.
"S-sorry, I didn't mean to, I just- I'll buy you whatever it was, just please calm down!" Keith managed to stutter out, still a little in shock from the whole incident. "It's not that big of a deal either.." He muttered under his breath, anger that he was barely restraining furiously boiling inside.
The guy continued glaring at him, before nodding slowly. "It was a small peppermint Frappuccino with whipped cream." Keith's eyes must have widened in shock at the order (who the hell could handle that much sugar in one sitting?!), and the taller man continued glaring, his lips pressed closely together as he crossed his arms, scanning Keith coolly, face pulled into an overly disinterested attitude. Keith spun around, hoping Pidge would step in and help out- they were really good at keeping everything calm, with their factual way of presenting everything - but they were simply grinning cheekily at him, eyes twinkling in amusement.
Oh god, nothing good ever came from that look on Pidge's face.
Keith scowled at them, resisting the urge to flip Pidge off, and settled with a scowl and glare, before he heard a snort behind him. He turned curiously, still a little flustered (and that adorable sound wasn't helping), to find the guy bent over, clutching his stomach in nearly silent laughter.
"You should've seen your face- thought I was serious- looked terrified-" the guy wheezed out, the accent he had had before not quite as strong, straightening as his shoulders continued to shake. He was grinning widely, eyebrow quirking, looking extremely self satisfied as he caught his breath. Keith stood in silence, trying to sort out what happened. Pidge had begun cackling from the booth behind, no doubt at Keith's sputtering.
Keith took a breath as though that would let him get control, fixing a cool stare at the Cuban boy in front of him. "What?" He questioned calmly, piecing together what had just happened.
The guy smiled cheekily. "I wasn't mad, just a joke, bro. Lighten up, dude. Oh, and I'm Lance, Lance McClain, by the way." He outstretched a hand, smile a bit more sheepishly now. "I just can't believe you fell for it."
Keith narrowed his eyes, but that was the only indication of his emotions. "You started having a yelling meltdown about your coffee that's more sugar than anything else spilling all over me, making a huge dramatic scene in front of everyone, as a joke," he deadpanned, avoiding the handshake. Lance awkwardly jerked his hand back and scratched the back of his neck for a second to cover up.
The guy, Lance, tilted his head as though thinking about it, before grinning. "Yup. Planning on introducing yourself, mullet, or do you want to keep being all mysterious and emo?" Keith felt his lips pull into a scowl, angry, but he kept his emotionless expression going, shrugging slightly.
"I don't intend to see you anytime soon, so why should I give you my name, Lance?" Keith tested the name out on his tongue. It was unfamiliar, but not in a bad way.
The taller boy squawked indignantly in response. "Whatever." His face was now scrunched into a glare that was surely reflected onto Keith's face.
Keith scoffed, saying nothing as he turned back to Pidge, hoping he wasn't blushing as much as he thought he was, for whatever inexplicable reason. Anger probably. Suddenly, Lance whipped his head and shouted loudly, full of glee. "Pidge!" Lance darted into the seat across from them, greeting them with excitement. Pidge reciprocated the sentiment, shoving Lance slightly as he attempted to ruffle their hair. Keith started. Pidge and Lance knew each other.. that possibly explained why Pidge was so amused at Keith's expense earlier.
It dawned on him that if Pidge, his best friend, was close to Lance, Keith and Lance likely would spend plenty of time around one another. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing, but Lance seemed like the type to turn everything into a joke. He carried himself with such confidence, he was probably arrogant and self centered. Pidge wouldn't usually befriend someone like that, maybe Keith was reading this wrong? Keith glanced back at where Takashi was sitting, key word was, for he was no longer sitting there, nowhere in the small shop anymore actually. Keith had probably missed him leaving during that whole commotion with Lance. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not yet. Maybe it wasn't Takashi... the past wouldn't haunt the present like that, right? Keith didn't have to worry about this, all he needed to worry about was Lance at the moment.
Speaking of Lance.. Keith let his gaze graze over Lance, trying to get a read on him. He was thin and several inches taller than Keith, with long limbs and a wide grin gracing his face. His eyes were a beautiful blue and now, as he was talking with Pidge, they seemed to twinkle with joy. He had a slight dimple in one cheek, and his skin was really smooth and tan. Sure, he didn't have much muscle but all in all, Lance was fairly attractive. Objectively. Not that Keith personally was attracted to him.
Especially considering his personality. Who made such a huge scene in a small coffee shop full of college students, just for their own amusement?! Not to mention Keith was prone to anxiety attacks, not that Lance knew that- or ever would know- but still. And afterwards, he was smug about making Keith freak out!
Plus, what kind of person used 'dude' and 'bro' in the same sentence? Keith was certain that he himself had never even used the word 'bro' in his life. Lance was just.. something. Keith didn't know what exactly yet. He didn't intend to find out anytime soon either.
It seemed that the universe had other plans.
~ o ~ o ~
Lance poked Pidge, cutting them off in the middle of some ramble. Whenever they were talking about something tech related, Pidge did have the habit of starting some incomprehensible rant. Well, incomprehensible to all non-geeks, of course. "Hey, who's that guy?" Lance gestured vaguely to the guy, who was still standing awkwardly, coffee stains on his shirt that would surely be a hassle to get out. Lance lived in a chaotic family with 4 other kids- he knew a thing or two about getting stains out, and from what he could tell, that coffee wasn't coming out anytime soon.
Not that anyone would notice the coffee, considering the guy had a freaking mullet! Who even had hair like that anymore? He was handsome enough, seemed fairly strong, and while he was a little on the short side, he was well built, Lance could give him that. He had that whole mysterious attractive emo thing going. (He even had the douche-y fingerless gloves, for God's sake!) But damn, that mullet killed any chances of the guy getting any girls, that was for sure. It seemed like the guy didn't even comb his hair, no wonder it was such a mess.
Lance was too busy examining Mullet Guy to catch Pidge's response. He cleared his throat. "Um, sorry, I was distracted, what was that?"
Pidge glances curiously at Lance for a moment, then looked at Mullet Guy and back, before a smirk danced on their face. "Why don't you ask him?" They asked innocently. Clearly, Pidge was up to something. Lance had not known them long, to be fair, they'd only met during the summer because Lance's current roommate and best friend from the age of 11, Hunk, was in the same robotics program, so they had all kind of formed a friend group, but even with the small amount of time they had known each other, Lance could tell that Pidge was up to no good.
"I trieddd," Lance whined, adding an over dramatic pout to the act. He threw his hands into the air to complete it. If there was one thing Lance was good at, it was adding flair. After all, what better way to cover up pain and failure?
Lance, no, now is not the time to self deprecate.
"I'm sure you have.." Pidge commented, now openly smirking widely as they shoved their glasses up their nose.
Lance huffed, looking to the side at Mullet Guy, before calling out. "Yo, Mullet!" The guy glanced over, now with coffee- he must have gotten it at some point- raising an eyebrow, before making eye contact with Pidge. The two seemed to have a silent conversation, before Mullet sighed and came over, sitting down next to him, sliding over one cup and a muffin to Pidge as he looked questioningly at Lance.
"So you know each other?" Mullet asked bluntly.
"What- oh, yeah, Lance and I met over the summer. One of his friends, Hunk, I told you about Hunk right? Yeah anyways, they're roommates, we all ended up hanging out a lot. This one's not in tech or anything though," they added, jabbing a finger towards Lance as they swallowed a bite of the muffin and continued. "Astronomy major or somethin'."
"Yup. Way better than boring old computer science, or whatever."
"Now I don't know, Lance. Ah, computers. The language of the future." Mullet said with a completely straight face as he mocked Pidge- they did say things like that a lot, admittedly. Pidge muttered something under their breath that Lance didn't quite catch. Mullet clearly did, however, as his face reddened and he kicked Pidge sharply under the table, effectively cutting off Pidge's cackles.
"Fuck you too, Keith." Pidge rubbed her ankle, before glancing at Lance sheepishly. "Crap, killed the whole anonymous thing you were using on your- damnit Keith, stop that, would you?!" Pidge glared, though it was clearly teasing, as it wasn't difficult to see in their eyes how much they cared. It took Lance a moment to catch up with them. Keith, that was his name.. even his name was douchey.
Lance cleared his throat before a shoving match ensued (He really didn't want to get kicked out of this place, the coffee was to die for). "So, Keith," he tested out the name, "What's your major? Are you a techie like Pidge? Philosophy like Shiro?" Keith seemed to perk up at the name, bewildered, his head whipping towards Pidge before he responded.
"Double majoring in English and astronomy." Keith hesitated, shifting his weight slightly as if unsure to add something else. Lance interrupted.
"Oh sweet, we might have some classes together. That could be fun! I'm astronomy too."
Keith muttered softly, trying to force enthusiasm into his voice but clearly failing. "Yeah.. fun."
Pidge was doing their weird evil eye glint thing, and Lance tried to steer the conversation to anything that could stop that look from crossing Pidge's face. He had no idea why they were grinning so wickedly in Keith and Lance's direction, but he wanted it to stop. It put him on edge, and he barely resisted the urge to check and make sure Pidge hadn't programmed another drone to fly above Lance and then crash into his face.
Yes, another. It had happened twice just this summer, and while Pidge claimed it was accidental, Lance had caught that sly satisfied look on their face. To be fair, once you had seen it once, it was impossible to forget: lips pressed tightly together, a smirk tugging on one edge of their lips, golden brown eyes crinkled along the edges, amused, and a strange eyebrow quirk that was both endearing and teasing.
"So, uh, who's Shiro? You mentioned him?" Keith asked, wearing an overly casual expression.
"Well, Mullet, he's our friend. Doing something philosophy related, I don't exactly know honestly. Why do you ask?"
"It doesn't matter."
An awkward silence formed between the three, Pidge's head tilted questioningly towards Keith. Good, so it was not just Lance confused.
Keith suddenly cleared his throat, mumbling something about unpacking his stuff in his room, as he pushed himself off the chair, eyebrows scrunched and his mouth pulled into a pout. He looked so innocent, and Lance couldn't help but snort once he remembered how easy it was to trick Keith. That confusion and fear, actually concerned and apologetic? Priceless. Quite literally priceless, considering the coffee had been on the house from Allura this time.
Pidge smiled innocently. "I'm sorry Lance interrupted our whole plan to catch up on everything. Though, I don't think you need my apology, probably not too regretful or upset with me about the interference.."
Keith narrowed his eyes at Pidge, discreetly flipping them off while the tips of his ears started turning pink, a light flush spreading across his cheeks. "Bye, Lance. I'll see you around I guess. And bye, gremlin." Keith added, before heading away, still holding his cup of untouched coffee in one hand.
"Hasta la later, Keith." Lance heard a loud sigh, probably irritation, from Keith as he walked out.
Lance glared at Pidge, finally making sense of their words. "Are you implying I need to apologize to him?!"
Pidge snorted, as though in disbelief. "What are you talking about, McLame?"
"You said he didn't need your apology! As though he needs mine? HE'S the one who bumped into me and spilled my coffee!"
"Mm, Keith usually isn't that clumsy, I can assure you. But no, I wouldn't say he needs an apology from either of use, though I'm sure he'd love a talk with you."
Lance felt his insides boil. "He's going to lecture me about interrupting?! Is it really that big of a deal that I saw my friend and talked? God, he has such a big ego, as though he's the only friend you'd want to talk to."
Pidge cackled, for whatever reason, probably at Lance's anger towards the other. "You'd certainly know a thing or two about a big ego, but then again, you're also extremely oblivious. This is going to be an interesting year, that's for sure."
Lance stared, confused, unsure why Pidge had insulted him, but deciding not to comment on it. Pidge started talking about some assignment they were looking forward to, and Lance did listen, though he did not really follow- after all, following Pidge's rambles is a feat anyone would struggle with.
Plus, it is hard to fully concentrate when you are fuming about an egotistical emo with an awful fashion sense.
~ o ~ o ~
Keith did not know why his face was flushed with color. He did not know why he was consumed with irritation and simultaneously with interest. Nor did he know why he felt so flustered and out of sorts.
What he did know was that he did not like it. After heading back to his dorm, he, to his word, started unpacking. There really wasn't much to unpack; not that his foster family was poor, just that Keith did not have much worth bringing.
Which left Keith with a lot of free time to overthink the conversation with Pidge and Lance. Keith was not an idiot, he knew Pidge was implying that Keith had a crush on Lance. Keith usually only had a crush on someone after a lot of time of knowing each other, or after some pretty big moment. Sure, Keith had been in several short, not very important relationships- he never really wanted to commit to something major, especially considering he usually drifted between foster homes. Yes, he had been in enough relationships to make certain that he was gay, but he really was not the kind of person to get a crush this soon. Yeah, Lance was attractive, objectively, and sure, something about the way his eyebrows quirked and a smile always seemed to tug at his lips was maybe a little endearing, but Keith was not attracted. So no, it wasn't a crush. Lance was just... a good looking asshole. That described it fairly well.
Keith flopped face first on his now-made bed. He sighed. Somehow, Keith found the guy attractive, and they had spent what? 15 minutes tops in the same place?
He swallowed, before taking some deep breaths for a bit. The other half of the roomwhere his supposed roommate was supposed to live in was still unoccupied (maybe Keith would be lucky enough to not have a roommate!), so Keith let out an annoyed scream to let out some emotions. A few more moments passed before he hesitantly sat up. This was stupid, he wouldn't let something as stupid and juvenile as a crush screw up this year. Pidge was right, Altea University was a good college, and Keith could always avoid Lance. Everything would be alright.
He pulled out his phone, popping his earbuds in, and stopped thinking about Lance and being in a new place as he listened to his favorite alternative rock music.
About half an hour later, as Keith was still bobbing his head to the beat of "My Demons" by Starset, his phone buzzed with a notification.
As always, it was Pidge. Though what did he expect, it wasn't like he had other friends. Keith sighed as he opened up the message, preparing for some more teasing.
[CarrierPidgeon - Sh00Keith]
CarrierPidgeon: sooo what do you think of Lance ;)?
Sh00Keith: What do you mean?
Sh00Keith: He's okay I guess.
CarrierPidgeon: mhmm, sure u don't know what I meant
CarrierPidgeon: "okay"
Sh00Keith: What, was I supposed to hate him?
Sh00Keith: He's ok. I don't know him well enough to decide anything else about him.
CarrierPidgeon: Riiiight
CarrierPidgeon: Yknow how I said theres some hot guys here that are definitely your type
Sh00Keith: Where are you going with this?
CarrierPidgeon: Well, I was referring to a /certain/ friend of mine when I said that
CarrierPidgeon: and it seems I was right when I assumed u would like him
CarrierPidgeon: ;) hint hint, if you're going to act oblivious, it was a certain guy you met todayyyy
Sh00Keith: ...No.
Sh00Keith: I can't believe you shipped me with Lance before we even met.
Sh00Keith: Betrayal, right there *clutches gut*
Sh00Keith: Besides he's so cocky.
CarrierPidgeon: That's why he's your type right? "Cock"y
Sh00Keith: Oh my fucking god, Pidge stop wtf
Sh00Keith: You just
Sh00Keith: why the fUCK
Sh00Keith: Just because I'm gay doesn't make me automatically attracted to assholes smh
CarrierPidgeon: Wow Keith pulling out the acronyms, this is serious
CarrierPidgeon: and ahah u shouldve seen that coming
CarrierPidgeon: But hey he'll grow on you
CarrierPidgeon: I wouldn't befriend someone awful
CarrierPidgeon: He's great where it counts
CarrierPidgeon: yeah it takes a bit to get used to but he really is a nice guy
CarrierPidgeon: I do think you 2 are goid together no joke
CarrierPidgeon: *good
CarrierPidgeon: trust ur heart, u wouldn't like someone who wasn't deserving
CarrierPidgeon: ... keith did u just block me or are u igboring me
CarrierPidgeon: I stg keith
Sh00Keith: 1) I know acronyms, I just choose not to use them because whY?
Sh00Keith: 2) Rolo
CarrierPidgeon: how dareth you use such language around me
CarrierPidgeon: Tho why'd u bring him up?
Sh00Keith: You said I wouldn't like anyone who wasn't deserving. There, proved ya wrong.
CarrierPidgeon: He's an exception. plus even ill admit that rolo did have some good qualities at first at least
CarrierPidgeon: And srsly lance /isn't/ a bad guy
Sh00Keith: Not being bad doesn't make him good.
Sh00Keith: I dont even like Lance
CarrierPidgeon: mhmmm ;))))
Sh00Keith: Whatever, it's just stupid attraction I'll get over him.
Sh00Keith: Mind you, not a crush
Sh00Keith: he's annoying and selfcentered and dramatic
Sh00Keith:He's just mildly attractive
Sh00Keith: Objectively
Sh00Keith: .
Sh00Keith: Please tell me you didn't tell him
CarrierPidgeon: First lemme just say that even my aro ass can tell its a crush
CarrierPidgeon: you got a crush on him in 1 day you sap
CarrierPidgeon: ans second
CarrierPidgeon: * and
CarrierPidgeon: I tried
CarrierPidgeon: He's so oblivious
CarrierPidgeon: gah just like u
CarrierPidgeon: But k message received ill change the subject
CarrierPidgeon: Remember, you can always tell me if I went too far
CarrierPidgeon: How were things w the Sencens
CarrierPidgeon: when they dropped u off
Keith sighed at the reminder of his foster parents, Lucien and Giselle, sitting on his bed with crossed legs as he typed out a response. It wasn't like they were bad necessarily- they certainly were not the worst of the foster families he had had... though certainly not the best either. They just were not exactly the most fit at taking care of a child, from what Keith could tell.
God, that one time when they forgot to get me from the movies and I had to walk back 7 miles across a freeway in the middle of the night to get home... yeah, great parenting... Keith shuddered at the memory. He internally praised himself for starting to build a motorbike, soon enough he wouldn't have to depend on anyone for transportation. Especially not incompetent foster parents..
[Sh00Keith - CarrierPidgeon]
Sh00Keith: They tried. But they're glad to have me out of the house, and when they dropped me off, they didn't bother coming in to help me find the room or anything. I still think they aren't ready to raise a kid, good thing they got me when I was 16 so I wasn't as dependent.
Sh00Keith: I'm glad they are trying. But.. I don't think I'll be going back for the holidays.
Sh00Keith: Or the summer..
CarrierPidgeon: so better but not great
Sh00Keith: Exactly
CarrierPidgeon: Agh
CarrierPidgeon: oof the new roommate I got is back
CarrierPidgeon: She seems like a snobby princess or smth
CarrierPidgeon: ,Shes kinda familiar huh
CarrierPidgeon: G2g I'll maybe talk later keith
CarrierPidgeon: Try and actually sleep tonight yeah?
CarrierPidgeon: Don't stay up too long w anime
Sh00Keith: Shut up.
Sh00Keith: Plus it's usually video games
Sh00Keith: But good luck, Holt.
Sh00Keith: I'll see you tomorrow.
CarrierPidgeon: K xx
[CarrierPidgeon has logged off]
Keith flopped back down, closing the messaging application and scrolling through some conspiracy theory articles absentmindedly.
How bad could this year be?
~ o ~ o ~
Pidge knocked harder on Keith's door, grumbling under their breath until the door finally swung open, revealing Keith, in all his exhausted glory. He glared at Pidge, breathing in shuddering breaths.
"What do you want." It didn't even come out as a question, completely void of feeling or inflection. He collapsed onto his bed, running a hand haphazardly through his hair.
"Is it a crime for best friends to want to spend time together?" Pidge asked cautiously. Keith didn't seem okay.
Keith sighed again, shifting so Pidge could sit beside him. "Sorry, Pidgeot. I'm glad you're here, really. It's just.." he cut himself off as he curled in on himself.
Pidge jabbed at him until he moved towards them, and wrapped him in an embrace. Keith was not good with conversations a lot of the time, many people knew that. But what people automatically assumed was that he just didn't want to talk to others, which was wrong. Keith ached for attention and love, for people he could trust. Pidge definitely was not the best person at communicating either, but somehow, they found a way to be there for Keith, and he did so in return. Sometimes it was platonic cuddling as Keith caught his breath after a particularly bad panic attack. Other times, it was Keith coaxing out a rant from Pidge of whatever was bothering them, when they closed themselves off. Pidge could without a doubt say that Keith was their best friend, and the one they trusted the most. They knew that Keith would talk about whatever it was soon enough, now was just providing the comfort and sense that he wasn't alone, that he still had Pidge and that they were not going to leave him.
Keith sat up slowly, inhaling and exhaling as he gathered his thoughts. "Sorry I've been avoiding you and, well, everyone," he started. "It's just.."
"Yeah?"
"You know how I had other foster families before the Sencens?" Keith didn't wait for a response, that was self explanatory. "I saw- I've been thinking about some of my past ones." Keith not so subtly changed what he was about to say at the last second.
"You okay?" This wasn't the only time Keith had struggled due to his past in foster homes. Not all of them were the best, Pidge had learned, one late night hangout. Pidge never really understood what happened with Keith's biological parents, though it definitely contributed to Keith's abandonment fears and trust issues. But Pidge did know about a bit of Keith's past with some foster families... well, to say the least, Keith had had to deal with emotional and physical abuse several times. Just the thought alone made them want to hug Keith tighter and hold him close. Keith should not have had to deal with that. No one should have to.
Keith seemed to have sensed where Pidge's mind was going, and he pulled back a little. "I'm fine, Pidge. It's not anything about those foster families. I- there was just this one- before-" He stumbled over his words, before staring deeply at Pidge. "Please don't tell anyone.."
"Of course."
He took another deep breath. "I've definitely had my share of bad foster parents. But.. not all of my ex-foster parents were bad. When I was 12, I- I lived with the Shiroganes. Hideo and Akari were the best foster parents I had ever had."
Pidge bit their lip. "Shirogane..? Like.."
"Yes. Takashi Shirogane was my foster brother." Keith closed his eyes, voice choked a little. "I stayed with them from when I was 12 to when I was 14. I went through one more foster family after them, and then ended up with the Sencens. But, the Shiroganes were the best foster family I ever had. They cared about me, they did what was best for me. They pushed me to be the best, and when I made them proud, I felt so accomplished. And Takashi- Shiro, as you know him... he was the best brother. I wasn't an easy kid. I got into even more fights back then. I think I once punched my science teacher, Iverson. God, he was such a homophobic asshole, he had it coming for all the things he said." Keith gave a dry chuckle, clearly falling apart as he continued to explain. Pidge waited patiently, knowing Keith would keep going, letting him take his time. "I thought.. I thought they were going to be the ones for me forever. They definitely made it seem like they wanted to be. But then.. the accident.." Keith was shaking now as he talked about it. "Some drunk driver crashed into us. Hideo and Akari were okay. So was I. But Shiro- they had to amputate his arm, Pidge. The car crashed right where Shiro was sitting." Keith shuddered, breathing heavily into Pidge's shoulder, as Pidge stroked his back. "The Shiroganes weren't the richest family. I overheard them when Shiro was in that hospital. They couldn't manage to get a prosthetic arm for Shiro with all the other costs. Shiro was 20 and had already went to a community college rather than a more expensive one, though he probably would have gotten in. The Shiroganes were already struggling, and I- I was expensive. I know that."
"Keith..." Pidge whispered softly, not knowing what to say, but wanting to comfort him.
He continued on, eyes full of unshed tears. "I ran away. I called the foster services, refused to say anything, told them I wasn't going back to the Shiroganes. That I wasn't going to be with Takashi's family. I don't think they ever knew what happened to me."
"Oh my gosh, Keith..."
"And now.. I saw Takashi here, it was definitely him.. you and Lance mentioned him too that day in the coffeeshop.. what is he doing here, Pidge?" Keith looked up at them, indigo eyes reflecting his soul, the broken boy inside.
Pidge placed their hands on their friend's shoulders. "He's part of our friend group. He's 24 now, and he got a scholarship here. He's majoring in psychology. And I think you should talk to him."
"I- I can't. Not yet.. please.." He looked down, as though embarrassed. Somehow, this brave idiot who went through all of this was ashamed? Pidge could never understood how someone could think so lowly of himself after everything.
"It's okay. Take your time, Keith. You deserve it. Do you want to talk about something else?"
A nod.
"Want me to talk?"
Another nod.
"About Lance?" They accompanied this with a teasing grin, trying to lighten the mood.
Keith glared at them and shoved them halfheartedly. The fact that he was trying though meant he was feeling better. And that was what mattered.
"Fine, let me tell you all about Hunk then. He's the biggest sweetheart you could ever meet. And according to Lance. he's head over heels for some girl, I forgot what her name was. Either way, he's been pining for years," Pidge paused, letting a shit-eating grin cross their face. "Hopefully that won't happen with you and Lance."
Keith let out an exclamation and whacked Pidge with his pillow, threatening to use knives next time, while Pidge laughed gleefully. Soon enough, they had moved on to cuddling under a blanket, watching the newest video by their favorite conspiracy theorist on YouTube. Keith wasn't 100% yet, but he was getting there.
When Pidge had felt themselves start to drift off later on, after they helped Keith set up more stuff around his room (still no roommate, so Keith had decided that both sides of the room were now his), Keith looked straight into Pidge's eyes, saying a heartfelt thank you.
Queerplatonic relationships were the best, Pidge mused, as they entered their dorm and called out a goodnight to their roommate. As they curled up into their bed, Pidge decided that life at Altea University was going to be great. Everything was going to work out. They would do anything they could to make it that way.
~ o ~ o ~
Bad.
Lance hurriedly threw on some clothes, raking his fingers through his hair in a last minute attempt to look acceptable.
Dios mío, this was bad.
Calling out a goodbye and thank you to his roommate, who had reminded Lance that he had a class- bless Hunk, what would Lance do without him- Lance grabbed his bag and ran out of the dorm. He sprinted his way to the small lecture hall for his astronomy class, internally freaking out. It was all the way across campus, to be fair, but still, he was such an idiot.
After all, who was late on the first day?!
Not Lance, he thought gleefully as he dashed into the room and collapsed into one of the last few chairs. He caught his breath as the teacher started, introducing himself as a Dr. Zarkon or something. He had broad shoulders, a face that seemed to always be purple in rage, and he cleared his throat loudly, making all those in the room fall silent.
Lance pulled out his stuff, hand holding a sharp pencil tightly, prepared to jot down as many notes as possible. He refused to get any bad grades; after all, his family was already against Lance being in a college away from the family, and they didn't exactly want to pay the tuition either. Lance was not going to give them any reason to make him leave Altea. Lance loved his family, yes, but being in a household with so many siblings for so long... to say the least, Lance craved a little more freedom. And Hunk, his best friend from middle school on, was going to Altea, so why not join him?
Not to mention that Lance's dad was not exactly the most supportive when Lance's twin sister, Veronica, had come out as lesbian.. Lance had been too afraid to mention that he wasn't opposed to the idea of liking guys, Though, Lance was certainly not gay, but still. If Lance stayed so close to his family throughout the year, he would continue to be on that leash, and never really get to explore and figure out himself. Though, who at this rate, of any gender, would ever want to date Lance, the flirt with little to no experience who simply wanted love, the nerd who was at the top of many classes and still never the best..The try-hard who never seemed to end up victorious.
Not to mention that Lance's dad was not exactly the most supportive when Lance came out as bicurious two years ago.. If Lance stayed so close to his family throughout the year, he would continue to be on that leash, and never really get to explore his possible bisexuality more. Though, who at this rate, of any gender, would ever want to date Lance, the flirt with little to no experience who simply wanted love, the nerd who was at the top of many classes and still never the best..The try-hard who never seemed to end up victorious.
Lance scolded himself internally, forcing his thoughts to shift to something else. He was Lance McClain, he could cover up any insecurity, cover it up with jokes. No one needed to know about this, get the chance to exploit his weaknesses. Well, aside from Hunk, Lance would tell Hunk anything. Hunk never judged, he just hugged and supported and made delicious food.
God, if Lance didn't love Hunk in only a brotherly way, and if Hunk wasn't straight, things would be so much easier. Plus, Hunk would have no competition for Lance, at the moment..
"McClain!" Zarkon's booming voice barked out, echoing in the small lecture hall, his scrutinizing glare catching Lance not paying attention. How did teachers always have that inane ability to find and call on the person who wasn't paying attention at the very moment? "What do you think the answer is?"
Lance subtly gulped, his head spinning in attempt to recall what they'd been talking about.
It seemed Lance had been a little too distracted with his own thoughts, as he turned up blank.
Covering up his hesitation with a small coughing fit, he cleared his throat. "Well, Professor, um, you see, I think that the answer is... erm..." Lance fumbled for a response. Someone coughed out "7" behind him and Lance reminded himself to thank them after class. "Seven, sir."
There was a moment of dead silence, before Zarkon scowled. "This is not a basic math class, Mr. McClain. I am an astronomy teacher. Perhaps pay attention if you would like to succeed in my class." After pursing his lips, he carried on with his lecture, walking back across the room as he droned on monotonously. Lance took that moment to whirl his head around to find whoever had made a fool of him. The culprit was easy to find, snickering quietly as he continued taking notes, indicating he had clearly been paying attention, and had only said it to mess with Lance.
The culprit was- Lance felt his jaw drop as he looked at the guy sitting behind him. Keith.
"He's going to hate me now, thanks a lot, Mullet!" Lance whispered angrily.
"Your fault, you're the one who didn't pay attention."
"You're the one feeding me wrong answers! I made a fool of myself, thanks to you!"
"Pretty sure you did that on your own." Keith had the audacity to smirk at him.
"Well you-!"
"Is everything okay, Mr. Kogane and... McClain again? If you wish to play around, Mr. McClain, I must ask you to leave this lecture hall." The professor stated, glaring slightly at Lance. Okay, so maybe they had raised their voices... and by they, he meant Lance, but... Lance could not think of a good argument otherwise, other than how easily Keith got a rile out of him. Lance would show him. When he was not distracted, Lance was actually a good student. Lance would prove Keith wrong, and that Mullethead would not be able to mess with him again.
Leaning back pleased with himself and the idea, Lance started actually paying attention slightly, oblivious to the scowling boy seated behind him. If Lance had turned around, he would have seen Keith sitting with his arms crossed, a smug look on his face. A few times, Keith answered a question from Zarkon, effectively redeeming himself. Lance was too afraid to try and mess up, honestly. Better to just stay under the radar, listen and take notes, and plot Keith's demise.
Zarkon excused the class and Lance hurriedly shoved his stuff back into his bag. Stupid questions and stupid parents and stupid getting distracted and
Stupid Keith.
For whatever reason, the asshole was standing there, all packed up and simply hesitating by the door, eyes flickering between Lance and outside, before he stared at him. His eyes drifted over Lance, a slight scowl on his lips. Wait... was Keith checking him out?! Wait, but he was scowling so..
No, that couldn't be. As soon as Keith made eye contact with him, his eyes narrowed, scowl intensifying, cheeks flushing slightly with rage. Though, to be fair, Keith still did not leave, standing there as Lance approached him.
Lance immediately cut to the chase, jabbing a finger accusingly against Keith's chest, anger apparent.
"Why the hell did you screw with me like that, mullet?!"
Keith stared coolly back at him, neither boy realizing they were the last ones in the room.
"Why weren't you paying attention?"
"My focus drifted, that's all!" Keith smirked slightly. Lance could not let him feel victorious in this- argument or whatever it was, so Lance strung on another retort. "Why is your hair so stupid looking?" Maybe not the strongest insult, but it worked well enough.
To Lance's satisfaction, the shorter boy's hand drifted towards the back of his neck, tugging his hair lightly. It seemed silky- no. not silky, of course not silky, Lance meant greasy- and the dark raven black color certainly fit in with his stupid emo look. Lance was man enough to admit that the whole emo thing... almost worked for Keith. Almost. And then, the emo had to ruin the chance of the two being on okay terms. "I could ask you the same." Keith almost seemed at ease with this whole conversation, that idiot. Though, by the way his hands fidgeted, he was apparently slightly self conscious.
"I spend enough time making sure my looks are amazing, so my hair is perfectly fine, unlike yours, McMullet."
Keith had the audacity to smirk. "Keep telling yourself that, pretty boy." The venomous sarcasm dripped from his words. Lance realized that his hand was still on Keith's chest, and pulled it away at once, glaring more intensely at said mullet-head. The idiot didn't even seemed fazed, continued to smirk lightly, his hand on his cocked hip.
"Yo, loser, I have someone I want you to meet." A familiar voice reached Lance's ears, cutting through the silence. Keith shoved past Lance as Lance turned to face where the voice had come from, and Lance's eyes locked on two figures: Pidge Holt, and none other than his best friend Hunk Garrett.
None of them seemed to notice as Lance lankly made his way forward, following Keith to listen in on the conversation. Keith had reached Hunk already, and after a brief introduction from Pidge, he outstretched a hand towards Hunk. Hunk, as he customarily does, ignored Keith's offer of a handshake, instead yanking him forward and engulfing him in a hug. Keith's shoulders tensed, but he soon melted into it. After all, Hunk's hugs were the best, that was a fact of life that no one could ignore. Hunk might have been huge in size, tall and widely built, but he was the nicest guy Lance had ever known. Not to mention, Hunk's bright innocent smile... so much better than Keith's asshole-y tendencies and small smirks. They couldn't be more different. Though, it seemed like they were getting along pretty well. That was Hunk for you, able to befriend even the most coldhearted. (Read: Keith).
"- and so when Pidge told me about your bike and also how you two first met, I knew we would get along great." Hunk was saying, grinning down at Keith. Lance never realized how short Keith was until he looked at the comparison between Hunk and him. "Not to mention, you're friends with Pidge, and you know what they say: a friend of my friend is a friend of mine."
"Pidge has told me plenty about you too. I had a feeling we'd get along. Though, please correct me if I'm wrong: is it true that you don't believe in aliens?" The corner of Keith's lips twitched with amusement, and Lance couldn't help but find it distracting. The mulleted guy was...smiling? He was capable of smiling? Keith was able to smile and not just mope like the emo persona he portrayed?
Hunk scratched the back of his neck. "I mean, I want to be an astrophysicist someday, and I have looked into a bunch of stuff about space. It's just, if aliens existed, why haven't they invaded, assuming their technology is superior to ours? And why isn't there any definite proof about them?"
"Why do we assume they're hostile? I think that between humans and aliens, we'd be the ones to try and stupidly start an intergalactic war, rather than work together with them. After all, the government is already trying to hide the existence of aliens from us, there's plenty of blogs explaining that." Keith and Pidge highfived at that, and Lance came back to reality with that. Keith was such a nerd, who knew? No wonder he and Pidge were friends.
Hunk seemingly agreed. "I definitely see why you and Pidge are friends. They keep trying to get me to the alien believing side."
Lance entered the circle and the conversation, as he stared intensely at Pidge. "Wait, you believe in aliens too?! How come you didn't tell me, we could have fought Hunk about this months ago!"
"How was I supposed to know you'd believe aliens? Up until then, Keith was the only person outside of my family that I knew who believed in 'em."
"Well, Pidgeon, you forget that I am a logical man-" (Pidge snorted at that, "I don't know what's harder to believe: you being mature enough to be a 'man', or you being logical") "-and clearly space is big enough that something has to be out there."
Keith interrupted. "Wait, you believe in aliens too?"
"Duh." How come everyone doubted Lance?
Hunk tried to cut in before things became hostile. "So pretty much all of my friends are alien believers. Figures."
Keith grinned. "Can't help it if your friends all have common sense." He paused. "Even Lance."
Lance nodded furiously, before processing Keith's words. "Hey! What do you mean by 'even' me?" Keith shrugged in response, now full on smirking, and damn that shouldn't have looked so good on his face.
Pidge and Hunk erupted into laughter with Keith, and the four of them started walking together, away from Zarkon's classroom (read: hell) and most likely towards Mocha Heaven. Lance had to admit... when Keith wasn't being all insulting and emo, he seemed like an okay guy. So basically, when Keith was talking to anyone else, he was not that bad. Pidge, Hunk, Keith, and Lance.. this could make a pretty good group of friends. Maybe Lance could even forget about the rivalry between Keith and himself that had started forming. Pidge and Hunk explained that all of them were pretty free for the rest of this Tuesday, and that the four were going to hang out. (Pidge had fixed a look at Keith, adding "no exceptions", at that.)
Keith bumped his shoulder as Pidge and Hunk moved ahead, talking about some new robotics team. "For the record, I don't think you're stupid. You seem like a pretty smart guy, and not just because you believe in aliens, unlike some people." He called out the last part, his mouth curled into a smile as Hunk teasingly snarled and Pidge cheered.
Yeah, maybe Keith wasn't so bad... he might have been an asshole sometimes, but that didn't necessarily mean he was awful.
~ o ~ o ~
Pidge glanced backwards, seeing Keith and Lance shoving each other, light insults flying back and forth. Grinning cheekily to themselves, Pidge continued to engage Hunk in a conversation, letting the two 'rivals' have a bit more space.
"Okay, fine. You don't believe in aliens, despite the crop circles and everything, sure, whatever. But what about other cryptids? Loch Ness Monster?"
"Fake. There's been supposed sightings in places far away from each other, and "Nessie" would probably be dead by now anyways."
"Unless the Loch Ness Monster is a species?"
"How would it even breed if the others of its species are so far away?" Hunk exclaimed with a bout of curiosity.
Pidge hmphed. "Okay, whatever. No Nessie. What about Bigfoot?"
"Just people in costumes."
"Chupacabra?" Pidge was starting to sound desperate, but they couldn't help it. Their friend had to believe in something, right?!
Hunk hummed. "I didn't believe in it, but Lance's family has been convincing, and I guess there's more solid evidence there."
"Hm.. so evidence is what convinces you?" If evidence was what Hunk needed, he should have believed in all of the above! Pidge definitely had to force him to read more of those blogs.
"Yep. I try to think like a scientist, not a conspiracist. That's a word right? Or conspiracy theorist?"
"I'm pretty sure conspiracist is a word, and conspiracy theorist works. But okay, what about Mothman? There's plenty of sightings that seem to add up."
Hunk paused, tilting his head in confusion. "Who?"
Pidge let out a gasp. "You don't know about Mothman?! Oh god, what uncultured swines.. I have so much to explain to you." They sighed. "I had such high hopes for you, Hunk."
Hunk awkwardly chuckled, stopping and gesturing to the coffee shop. "I guess we can finish this conversation for later? 'Cause we're here." Hunk spun around, waiting for Keith and Lance to reach. Pidge followed where he was looking, and caught sight of the two. Lance was rambling about something by the looks of it, gesturing wildly and eyebrows shifting constantly. Keith had his arms crossed, fingerless glove clad hands tucked close to him. He rolled his eyes at something Lance said, replying with a no doubt snarky comment. Lance retaliated by elbowing Keith in the stomach, which led to a shoving match between the two as they sped up.
Pidge would never ever consider themselves sappy, not at all. Romance movies were the worst genre of movies to exist, books with a romance plot line were practically always trash, and Valentine's Day was disgusting in high school. They cringed at flirting- so basically half the time Lance talked - and visibly gagged whenever they passed a couple kissing. But when Pidge thought about it, they wouldn't mind seeing Keith and Lance like that. Maybe they just wanted Keith to be happy, maybe it would be nice to see their flirtatious Cuban friend tied down to a relationship— Pidge had no idea why, but they really hoped that things between Keith and Lance would work out. And not just so Keith wouldn't stay in denial over his pining. It had been less than 2 weeks, but it was pretty clear Keith had a crush, even though he wouldn't admit it.
"So Hunk, we're here. Are you hoping to see Shay?" Lance dramatically winked at Hunk as he and Keith approached. Keith exchanged a glance with Pidge, but they too were confused. Though, Pidge had their suspicions..
Hunk's face reddened, and he muttered a "shut up" before leading the group of 4 inside. Pidge has memorized Keith's schedule as soon as they'd found out, and nearly memorized Hunk's and Lance's as well. They were all free for at least 3 more hours, and while Pidge wasn't the most social person, they intended to spend as much time with this group as possible. See if the group's dynamic worked out and all that.
A tall girl greeted them at the counter. She had dark brown hair, a round build, and a chocolate skin color. She had one earbud in as she nodded her head to the beat of the music, and her name tag read "Shay". Pidge glances over at Hunk - the big softie seemed super nervous and the blush had only intensified, interesting- before Shay smiled brightly at them. "Hey, my favorite customers! What can I get for you all?"
Lance's eyes were searching around, as though looking for someone. He glanced back at Shay, giving in and asking her. "Where's 'Lura?"
Shay rolled her eyes bemusedly, shaking her head in response. Turning back towards the other three, it seemed she just noticed the two shorter and newer members of the group: Pidge and Keith. "Ooh, new friends? I'm Shay! Lance, Hunk, and I all went to the same high school."
"I'm Pidge. Hunk and I were in the same robotics program over the summer." Shay's face brightened- if that was possible- and she let out a noise of recognition.
"Ah, you're the one Hunk was telling me about. I can't believe we hadn't met until now! But I'm glad we finally got to." She paused. "Though you don't seem quite as evil or 'gremlin-y' as he described."
Keith snorted, arms crossed as he nodded to Shay. "Just wait, you'll see." Pidge kicked him in the shin, as the bitch should know better than to insult them, though Keith was so used to it that he didn't react. "And I'm Keith. Pidge and I were friends in high school too." He glanced around, and seemed to stiffen, turning back to the group, pouting slightly.
Shay nodded, making sure to make eye contact with Keith. He fidgeted under her gaze (literally under, Shay was really freaking tall, even a bit taller than Hunk). Shay fixed him with a motherly smile, before turning back to Hunk. Clearing her throat, she glanced down at the register and hesitated. "Hunk, Lance, I'll get you your usual? "
Lance hummed his affirmation, and Hunk blushed a little more and managed to get out a yes. Keith shook his head, gaze fixated on the ground, so he probably wasn't in the mood for anything. Pidge would have to check up on him, hopefully he was okay..
"Whatever has the most caffeine." Pidge said to Shay, who laughed. Pidge grabbed Keith by the arm and dragged him over to a table, Lance trailing behind them, leaving Hunk to pay. Pidge turned towards Keith, raising an eyebrow to ask if he was okay.
Keith nodded. "Just thinking." He said evasively. Pidge wanted to push him on that, but they knew that if Keith didn't want to talk about something, he should not be forced to. They just had to trust that whatever it was, it would be okay.
Lance grinned widely. "Hunk is so in love, it's hilarious." Hunk was clearly flustered, but smiling brightly as Shay and him conversed. The two were sweet and adorable together, even Pidge couldn't deny that. "Man, I wish I had a girlfriend." Lance sighed, resting his chin on his hands.
Keith straightened up beside Pidge as they responded. "You flirt with like every other girl within your age range." They deadpanned. "So it's pretty clear that you're desperate for a girlfriend, Lance."
Lance groaned. "I don't like any of 'em though. Not in that way."
"Isn't the point of flirting to try and date someone?"
"No- well, yeah, but it's more that I just want to scope out who could be interested."
"So you just try and build up your fuck boy reputation and hope that will make people like you?"
"I do not have a f-boy reputation, excuse me!" Lance exclaimed, straightening and slamming a palm to the table. As soon as it made contact, he yelped and cradled it in his other arm, cursing under his breath. Apparently, the idiot had hit the table too hard. Pidge couldn't hold back their cackles once Keith released the first laugh.
Lance glared at them, letting out a hmph while rubbing his hand. Hunk joined them after, and the conversation turned from insulting Lance to talking about classes. Somewhere along the way, they all seemed to have agreed to hanging out together as much as possible, already making plans to study together and binge watch movies.
This group was going to work out. Pidge could feel it.
~ o ~ o ~
"You're telling me you believe in a giant moth creature thing? That's been supposedly sighted once?"
"No, Lance. I believe in Mothman, who's had several sightings, the first few sightings we know of all within the same week!"
"Dude… a giant moth. What the hell? I believe in a goat sucker, aliens, ghosts, heck, even mermaids. But you.. you believe in moths."
"I believe in Mothman! There's a difference!"
"What does he even look like?!" Lance threw his hands up, letting his head back against his mattress. What the hell was Keith on, honestly?!
"We don't know for sure, but there's several theories. A common belief is that he's half moth and half man." Ah, and there was Pidge joining in, supporting Keith's insanity.
"You know why you don't know?! Because he's not real!" Hunk hummed in agreement as he walked in with a bag of tortilla chips and some homemade dip. Hunk's food was the best, and Lance lunged for it, despite the fact that it was only dip. Anything Hunk made was to die for.
The four were in Hunk's and his dorm, sitting on the floor and eating. At the first bite of the dip, Keith's eyes widened and he sighed at the greatness of the food. With his eyes closed, a light smile on his face, he didn't look as mean as Lance had though originally. Pidge was more blunt about their love for the food, shoveling more and more into their awaiting mouth. How they could eat so much and still stay so tiny was beyond Lance, though to be fair, he ate a lot and stayed pretty thin too, his height accentuating that.
Keith was the first to speak again. "I would fuck Mothman."
Lance choked on his chip, as Pidge grinned and nodded. "Same."
Hunk looked at them in confused shock. "You would fuck a giant moth?"
"Yep." Keith was so weird.
"Who might not even be real?"
"If I can fuck him. I'd say that's proof enough that he's real." Pidge highfived Keith for that one.
"Guys, you can't just have sex with cryptids!" Hunk cried out exasperatedly.
Keith raised an eyebrow teasingly. "What, want me to take him out on a date first?"
Pidge cackled, shoulders shaking with laughter as they burying their head against Keith's shoulder, while Lance and Hunk stared in disbelief at the pair. Eventually, they too dissolved into laughs.
~ o ~ o ~
LanceLanceRevolution: hunk
LanceLanceRevolution: hunkkkkkkk
HunkOfLove: what lance
LanceLanceRevolution: do you ever think about how clapping is just u hitting yourself because you like something
HunkOfLove: ...
LanceLanceRevolution: or that an octupus is just a wet spider
HunkOfLove: lance its 3 am
LanceLanceRevolution: but if time is just a social construct then
LanceLanceRevolution: is it really?
LanceLanceRevolution: :0
HunkOfLove: lance
HunkOfLove: youve been on tumblr too long
HunkOfLove: go to sleep
LanceLanceRevolution: i cant sleeppppp
LanceLanceRevolution: the skys awake soim awakee
HunkOfLove: are you really quoting frozen rn
LanceLanceRevolution: ITS A GOOD MOVEI AND ANA ONLY wANTED LOVE
HunkOfLove: wait why are you even textiing me if we're in the same room
HunkOfLove: oh wow gonna pretend youre asleep when u litterally just texted me smh
HunkOfLove: get off ur phone lance dont u have that early morning astro class
HunkOfLove: w Zarkon?
LanceLanceRevolution: ig but sleep isnt always easy
HunkOfLove: ik that but i was trying to sleep before
HunkOfLove: correction
HunkOfLove: i was asleep before
HunkOfLove: and im really behind on sleep /
LanceLanceRevolution: oop sorryy
LanceLanceRevolution: sleep well bud 3
HunkOfLove: 3 ty gn
[HunkOfLove has logged off]
~ o ~ o ~
He didn't know why he had fed Lance that false answer. For amusement, sure, but he did not intentionally try to make Lance get upset or berated by the teacher. Plus, the idiot should have known better than to slack off in Zarkon's class. The professor definitely did not have a reputation as an easy going teacher. Quite the opposite, honestly.
What Keith didn't expect was for Lance to start some kind of rivalry between them. They shared math and astronomy together, and it seemed that Lance was trying to one up Keith in everything they did. Despite the fact that they were friends outside of class, some kind of rivalry definitely formed between the two. Keith had never expected that or thought anything of the sort would happen. He liked to think that he had done nothing to build up this rivalry, but Keith had to admit... he had risen to Lance's bait several times.. such as at the moment right now, a few weeks after Keith had met Lance.
"Mr. Kogane, why are you raising your hand? Do you have any thoughts on this matter?" Zarkon's slippery voice, soft but somehow still booming, reached Keith's ears. Lance had already turned around to listen. They were at their Thursday 6 P.M. astronomy class (they had 2 astronomy classes, Tuesday morning and Thursday evening) and Keith couldn't resist giving a smug closed lipped smile at Lance before he responded, speaking loud and clear.
"Yes, sir. With the most popular theory of how the universe originated, the Big Bang Theory, we consider it possible that the universe rapidly increased its mass within seconds. Yet isn't the multiverse theory more reasonable, for at least it doesn't contradict our defined laws on energy and gravitational pull, like the Big Bang Theory does." Out of nowhere, Lance's hand shot up, and he proceeded to argue with Keith, albeit in a more mature and logical way than their past arguments. Soon enough, the class had chosen sides and were offering their individual views and thoughts, while Zarkon hummed thoughtfully, allowing Keith and Lance to lead the sides. Lance kept stating that believing in parallel realities just meant Keith was reading too much into science fiction ideas. Keith countered that said science fiction would still follow the general laws of physics that humankind does know, rather than contradicting them. It became clear that neither side would back down.
When Professor Zarkon dismissed the class, majority of the students flowed out through the doors, but Keith and Lance stayed behind. Yes, this debate hadn't been irrational or a simple trade of insults back and forth, but it still made Keith's blood boil. The way Lance had glared and countered all of his points, rolling his eyes as though what Keith was saying was so impossible and unrealistic... yeah, to say the least, Keith had been riled up. It seemed Lance had felt the same, as his scoffed expression didn't disappear after the two stalked out of the classroom. Lance let out a long hmph, side eyeing Keith as they started the long trudge back towards their respective dorms.
"You're such a nerd." Lance said after a minute.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Keith's anger flared instantly.
"You believe in a bunch of conspiracy theories and unironically research them. You play video games like Overwatch and League of Legends and Starcraft." Lance had found that out when he walked into Pidge's dorm with Hunk and found Keith and Pidge playing and yelling at the incompetence of whoever their teammates were in the game. To be fair, Keith was a bit competitive, and if the goddamn healer wasn't able to stay alive long enough to heal their teammates, they deserved the yells. "And now I find out you're a sci-fi nerd who believes in shit like parallel realities."
Keith elbowed him hard in the ribs. "I'm not saying they're real, I'm just saying it's a possibility."
"To think," Lance continued, ignoring Keith and pretending not to flinch, "you put on this facade of being some huge emo rebel, and you're a nerd just like everyone else."
Keith scoffed, running a hand through his hair haphazardly. "First, I don't put on any kind of 'facade.' I don't care about what my reputation is, most people's opinions don't matter to me. And second, what's wrong with being a nerd? You're one too, I heard you arguing in astronomy class. Clearly you researched this kind of thing too." Keith paused. "Hell, you're an astronomy major, that automatically makes you a nerd."
"What?! I am not a nerd." Keith arched his eyebrow, stopping to give Lance the look. "Okay, so yes, my friends are nerds, and being a nerd isn't bad. I'm just sayin, I, Lance Alejandro Sanchez-McClain, am not a nerd at all."
"Have you read Harry Potter?"
"...yeah?"
"Congrats, you're a nerd."
"That's not- you - shut up!" Lance gave up, shoving Keith. Nearby pedestrians gave the duo a concerned look, which Keith paid no attention to. He was laughing openly, teasing his friend, and he felt free. In true Harry Potter nerd speak, all was well.
They reached Lance's dorm building, and they parted ways. Keith waited a minute after Lance's retreating form disappeared into the building, before Keith promptly turned around. Rather than continue towards his dorm, he made his way back towards the art studio buildings Lance and Keith had passed just a bit ago. Lance wasn't wrong when he called Keith a nerd, and it was true in more ways than one. Not only was Keith a conspiracy theory and sci-fi/fantasy nerd, but he was also an aspiring artist. Though, no one, not even Pidge, really knew that side to him. His foster parents didn't care what Keith did with his life, and Keith sure as hell didn't care what they thought of him, but he had this mindset that ditching everything to focus on art would be giving up his life. Yet, he could never really stop drawing. It was a part of him. The opportunity to do art in college was enticing, but in the end, he decided to get a degree in other majors. Keith was good at various subjects, after all, and he enjoyed them, so giving up everything to pursue his art hobby wasn't the brightest idea. Right now, Keith simply wanted to scope out the art studios, see if there were any empty ones he could use after hours.
He walked into the building, passing by closed rooms in the bland hallway. The walls were white and the mostly beige tile floor created a recurring mosaic pattern. Each of the doors were uniformly spread apart, and the building seemed oddly colorless despite being an art area. Keith paused in front of the last door of the hallway, which was slightly ajar. He pushed open the door lightly, taking in the sight. No one was in the room, and the lights were off, the only light source being from the window. Keith hesitantly sat by the window seat, tucking his knees close to his chest, as he took in the view. He sighed, not particularly for sadness, but simply from a sense of calmness that overtook him. He turned his gaze back towards the room, taking note of the table against the wall and the space he had for everything. Keith had brought his sketchbook and his paints with him, but he was generally lacking supply wise. Maybe he could order some stuff from Amazon, perhaps some pastels or better quality drawing pencils. God knows he needed some, if he wanted to keep drawing. The room was pretty spacious though, what could artists even need this much space for, it wasn't like they had a room full of supplies that they needed. Well, at least Keith assumed most artists did..
"Hey." A soothing voice spoke, and Keith swiveled his head in its owner's direction.
"Oh. Hi."
It was the pretty girl from the coffee shop- what was her name again? Alice or something? – and she had a bag, probably full of art stuff slung on her shoulder. Her long white hair was tied up into some elaborate bun, and her lilac eyes were scanning Keith curiously. "Are you a new art student? My name's Allura, I'm a fourth-year art student."
"Keith, first year. And no," Keith straightened up, moving away from the window seat awkwardly. "I'm just.. scoping the area." He didn't elaborate, letting his words end bluntly.
To his confusion, Allura gave a light smile. "It's nice to meet you. Are you interested in something art related? It's never too late to switch majors."
"What?! No. I'm- I'm a double major in English and Astronomy, and that's all I want to study."
"Ah. Those majors are quite different subjects, interesting for you to try and take both up." She didn't seem judgmental, only conversational, as she set her bag down. "This is usually my room, in case you were wondering why I'm here."
"Ah, I can leave."
"No, it's no bother. I'm just curious why you're here if you don't want to do something art related."
Keith flushed. "I do!" At Allura's puzzled look, he clarified. "I enjoy art and drawing and everything. But I.. uh.." He trailed off uncertainly.
She hummed in response, not pushing.
"Art was always more of a me thing. I don't plan on making a career or a life out of it. It's just a hobby, and I didn't want to give that up."
"I can understand that. But you know, these studios are really only for us art geeks."
"Why do I need to major in something to be a geek at it?" Keith crossed his arms. He didn't know why he was getting so defensive. She was merely stating facts that he had assumed by now. He started towards the door.
"Touché. Oh, and Keith?" He paused, not turning around. "Feel free to stop by again. You can draw here too, if you'd like. I wouldn't mind."
Keith hesitated, confused. All he could think was why? Why was she allowing him too, she owed him nothing. But Keith did nothing other than provide a quick nod and a shuffle out the door. Maybe, just maybe, he'd give into that offer.
~ o ~ o ~
AlluraTheStressed: hey katie
AlluraTheStressed: omg I'm sorry I meant pidge*
CarrierPidgeon: its okie dont worry
CarrierPidgeon: any reason ur texting me or just cuz?
AlluraTheStressed: mm just wanted to let my roommate know that ill be back late tonight
AlluraTheStressed: finishing up at the studio and it could take some time so dont wait up for me
CarrierPidgeon: k
CarrierPidgeon: dont you have a shift at the coffeeshop early tmrw though
AlluraTheStressed: shit u right
AlluraTheStressed: aaaaaaaaAAAAAAA
CarrierPidgeon: good luck lmao
CarrierPidgeon: ill leave some dinner for when u come, i might sneak out and hang w keith so dont be surprised if im not here
AlluraTheStressed: keith?
CarrierPidgeon: hes my best friend from hs
AlluraTheStressed: hm ok
AlluraTheStressed: and tysm, see you later Pidge :D
CarrierPidgeon: ya gl with your project bye Allura
[AlluraTheStressed has logged off]
[CarrierPidgeonhas logged off]
Pidge yawned, glancing over at the alarm clock. With tired eyes, they read the time, 9:23 P.M. They meticulously rolled their shoulders, working out all the cricks, before standing up and shoving their phone into their pocket. They didn't have any classes tomorrow until their physics one in the afternoon, so hanging out with Keith all night would be okay. Pidge scanned through their memory, remembering that Keith didn't have any classes on Fridays- that lucky bastard - so they figured there would be no problem if the friends were together tonight. Pidge looked around the room a last moment. They, along with Allura, had finished organizing the room, opting to have the beds on opposite sides of the room, split half and half. There were two desks pressed next to each other to create a long table, and even this was divided half and half, with a clear distinction on whose side was whose. Half of the room was fairly organized, everything in its place, the small closet each student was allowed color organized. There were a few sketchbooks strewn about, some textbooks, but for the most part, the left side of the room was neat. Even the bed was made, floral bedsheets not even having a wrinkle. The left side though- Pidge's side- wasn't quite as organized. It was the definition of organized chaos, textbooks and papers and notebooks on the most random places, from balancing halfway on the foot-board, to piled up on the black leather spinny chair. The desk had a computer, accompanied with a keyboard, two monitors, and many, many wires strewn across. Pidge's bed was clearly not made, pillows flung about, sheets dangling off the edge of the bed. At the moment, there were also some tools laying there (what, Pidge was just experimenting with their devices). To be fair, what was the point in making one's bed when it would only get ruined later? Besides the point. Either way, it was clear whose side was whose. Why Allura Ambers had chosen to ask to be roomed with some random student, a first year of all, rather than anyone else was one of the many questions Pidge had about their roommate.
Shaking their head to emerge from the daze, Pidge shoved on an old sweatshirt, before exiting. Once they got outside the building, they cradled themselvs in their arms, feeling the cool breeze brush past their neck. It's only fucking September why is it so damn cold?! They tugged on the neckline of their sweatshirt, hoping it would keep them warmer.
They slinked their way towards Keith's dorm, slipping into the hallways before knocking lightly on Keith's door. So far, no one had seen Pidge. There was a bit of noise inside, as though Keith were scrambling around. After a brief wait, Keith flung open the door, absentmindedly rubbing his eyes. Pidge raised an eyebrow. "You okay, Kogane?"
Keith shrugged, allowing them in before letting the door close snugly. "You spending the night here, gremlin?"
"Yeah, wanted to hang with you," Pidge remarked, already throwing themselves onto the empty mattress where Keith's nonexistent roommate would sleep on.
"Okay, want to play Overwatch or League or..?"
"I'm not up to it right now. You can play if you want, I just wanted to spend time with you."
Keith clutched his chest, eyebrow quirking. "Aw, Pidgee, it almost seemed like you had a heart there."
Pidge lazily flipped him off. "You're spending too much time with Lance."
Keith shrugged in answer, sitting next to where Pidge lay on the bed. The lack of awkwardness during silences was nice. Keith lay his head back on Pidge's bony legs, humming as he pulled out his phone and started scrolling through Instagram. For the most part, it was silent, as Pidge lay contently. Keith continued to double tap as he scrolled, not really paying much attention. A few posts he would stop and read, mostly theories, and the light 'tap tap' of his fingers against the screen every so often was almost comforting to Pidge. They scanned the room, smirking slightly at the board Keith had pinned. It was incomplete for now, but there were notes and some pics put up, random post it notes slapped on with little comments. The best part though? It was all on cryptids. Pidge always considered themselves the nerdiest when it came to conspiracies and cryptids, but after meeting Keith? It wasn't a contest; somehow, Keith out-nerded them. Pidge continued scanning the rest of the room. Keith didn't have much, but he had finally started making the room seem a little more... lived-in. Contrary to what one might think, Keith was actually extremely organized. Maybe it was about having control, maybe some other reason, but Keith always kept track of everything. His textbooks were all stacked the same direction on the corner of his desk, his writing utensils all lined up in an orderly manner. His bed wasn't made - he wasn't a neat freak, per se - but his bags and such were all casually leaning against his desk. And there were post it notes everywhere, reminders and side notes stuck on walls and books, doors and headboards of the bed. All were scrawled in Keith's small rushed handwriting. Pidge wasn't exactly surprised, he had been similar in high school in his room, but still. Pidge scanned some of the post it notes, some simply saying "out of almond milk, get next time grocery shopping" while others had near paragraphs scrawled, "integral = anti-derivative, 1/x = lnx C, C is constant...".
It took Pidge a few minutes to realize that the incessant tapping of Keith's fingers as he liked posts was no longer coming. Keith still rested his head against Pidge's legs, but his face was pink. Pidge tilted their head slightly to see what had caught Keith's attention, and then resisted the urge to cackle.
Keith had apparently come across a picture Lance had posted on Instagram a few months ago allegedly. From the picture, Pidge would assume that Lance was at some beach. he was grinning widely, arm around someone who was clearly his sibling, maybe even a twin. Lance was shirtless, with a towel slung over his shoulder, hair tousled, probably from the wind. The girl next to him had identical smooth tan skin, though her brown hair was long and in beach waves. She wore some oversized t-shirt and short shorts. Lance was positioned with his arm outstretched, creating a peace sign in front of his face, while his sister appeared to be shoving him. Both were smiling brightly, and the picture was simply captioned "Gonna miss my sis so much once college starts. Good luck V, don't fail, and have fun with your gf ;) 3".
Keith was staring steadily at his phone, not moving other than to gulp, his Adam's apple bobbing as he did so. Pidge smirked, sitting up with their legs still outstretched, before they ruffled Keith's hair. His blush intensified, and he dropped his phone, his hands going to his face to try and cover up his flush. Needless to say, it was too late.
"Whatcha looking at there, Keithh?" Pidge knew they were smirking too widely to convincingly pull of sounding innocent, but it didn't matter.
"Pidge."
"No, I want to know! What got your interest? Aliens? Cryptids? Hm?"
"Pidge, shut up and let my gay heart die in piece."
Pidge hummed, reaching over Keith to grab his phone. They typed in his password without hesitation (it was 'mothman', how predictable) the screen lighting up to show the picture again. "Holt, please have mercy." Keith tried one last time to try and reason with them.
"What's this? Oh, were you crushing because of your. huge. gay. crush. on. Lance?" Pidge accentuated each word with a poke to Keith's ribs. He squirmed away, pouting.
"Gremlin, please.."
"Hm, what an interesting picture. Maybe I should tell Lance how much you like it?"
"You're an asshole."
"Nah, just a gremlin who's having a great time talking with their best friend. Ooh, I now have your phone.. you know what that means?"
"What the hell are you going to do?"
"Oh, nothing, nothing... just realized I have the ability to comment anything I want on this post from your account."
Keith shot up, reaching for his phone, and Pidge responded instantly by shoving Keith back with their foot and simultaneously moving the phone away from him. Keith knew this wasn't some idle threat. He growled. "Don't even think about it."
"Already thought about it, might as well go through with my plan."
"PIDGE." Keith called out, his face almost as red as that cropped jacket. He successfully managed to snatch the phone
It was too late. Pidge had already typed out several comments as keith_k, and had deleted the app before Keith got his phone back. Lance would have already been notified, and if they were lucky enough, he would see it before Keith managed to delete anything. "You're welcome, Kogane." They added cheekily, at the way Keith's face had fallen once he realized what had happened.
"Pidge. What did you comment." His voice was quiet, tense, and had a dark undertone. His deep purplish eyes were locked on their golden brown ones, and he remained motionless as he stared them down.
Pidge was luckily accustomed to such, and simply shrugged. "Maybe you'll find out later. If you beat my kill streak next game." They pulled out their laptop, and Keith glared before giving a resigned sigh of acceptance.
"You're on." A pause. "I thought you weren't up to playing?"
"Nothing like screwing with a friend's life to get in the mood to slaughter character."
"... why am I friends with you?"
"Bitch, we're best friends, and you love it, so shut up."
"True."
~ o ~ o ~