"You should laugh more, Kogane"

Water dripped from Keith's hair to his forehead and sliding down to his face. It has been on his mind ever since he first heard it. He closed his eyes, feeling the water flowing down to his face. All he sees is Lance, his goofy smile and his mesmerizing blue eyes.

Keith smiles at the thought of him.

No! Snap out of it! Keith smacked the sides of his face, shaking his in disbelief. He's not feeling for Lance, not in a million years. He couldn't be. Lance was the total opposite of him and was adored by so many others. Unlike him, Keith couldn't get anyone he wants.

"Keith! Dinner is ready!"

Keith snapped out of his daydream. He tugs after his towel, wiping himself bone dry. What was he doing? He puts on his clothes, his hair untouched as he swung open the door. Shiro stood tall in front of him. "Keith…"

Keith was sidetracked from his shameful daydream. He refuses to look at Shiro because he knows Shiro had a face of disappointment. Keith feels sick. He doesn't want to let Shiro down, especially after all the things he had done for him. He respects him, too much that he's embarrassed to say that Shiro has a horrible brother like him.

Keith ignored him. "Keith, please…" Shiro pleaded, following him down the staircase. "Can we please talk?" Keith feels the sadness in his voice and doesn't understand why he feels that way. Shiro doesn't deserve a brother like him.

Shiro finally gives up after trying about only a hundred times.


Lance cooked for today. His mamá was working a night shift, again. Lance frowns, pulling open a bag of frozen peas. They ran out of vegetables today. The only option for Lance is to make some fried rice. He defrosted the peas, wondering if they had expired. One of the peas looks weird…

"Marco!" Lance calls after him. Marco made the longest groan he's ever heard and dragged him lazy feet to the kitchen.

"Can you get some veggies for me?" He says, tossing the spoilt peas into the trash can. Marco held his hand out, yawning with his mouth so wide ten flies could have easily flown in. Lance smacked 10 dollars in his hand and ushered him out of the house.

"Hurry up and get home!"

"Shut up, you're not my mom!" He shouts back.

Lance chuckled softly, that little piece of shit. Lance turned back to the boiling pot of rice, eyes widening when he sees bubbles appearing from within. "Shit!" He said, repeatedly as he tried to switch off the stove. Steam blew to his face, and he cried as it makes contact with his skin. It burns.

There was nothing enjoyable about cooking.

He bumps into the cupboard, almost knocking over a pile of plates. That was close. Lance held his breath as he opens the pot, hoping that the rice wasn't burned. It didn't smell that way, that's for certain. But you could never tell these days. He squints his eyes at the pot of mush, grinning wildly at his success.

It wasn't burnt!

It was too wet though. It's porridge at this point.

Damn.


Keith can't get it out of his head. That voice haunted his brain, replaying it like a broken record player. "You should laugh more Kogane" He tugs his hair in frustration, bumping his head on the wooden desk. The soft yellow light shone only on his assignments, but it was bright enough for him. Lance's bright light though, he'll never get enough of that. He couldn't concentrate, getting side-tracked by flashbacks to Lance.

'You're in love, idiot.' A voice inside him says. He denies it, shoving the voice aside. He wasn't. He couldn't. Keith squeezed his eyes shut, leaning his head against the hard wood. It hurts. Everything hurts.

Make it stop.

"Keith?" Shiro stood by the door, being in between his room and the outside. His shoulders slumped, his gaze filled with misery and longing. Keith didn't move. He stayed still, refusing to even respond to him. Shiro shuffled in, his feet sliding across the carpeted floor and making an annoying sound. He sat on his bed, eying Keith who only pretended he wasn't there.

"I'm sorry, about that day" He started. Keith flinched, his hands twitched slightly.

"I'm just scared for you, and I feel useless watching you throw your future away."

Shiro sighs. "I miss talking to you, Keith. I want you to talk to me, don't keep all of it inside."

Keith flutters his eyes open, turning around to face Shiro. "I miss talking to you too, but I don't want your pity. It's the last thing I want now." Keith answered, pushing aside the chair and leaving the room. He walks downstairs, into the kitchen for some alone time. He notices two heads in the kitchen, whispering in hushed voices and talking all secretive. He just wants to be alone. He looks out to the garden outside the house, imagining himself running to the park he always goes. He could go there.

"Keith Akira Kogane" A stern voice hollowed in the room, followed by a thundering beat in his chest. He didn't respond, his shoulders tensed up in a way it hasn't before. His father calling to him, his mother glaring fiercely at him was the worst thing ever. Keith's fingers twitched, his legs moving against his will to grab his keys from his jacket. He fumbled the jacket to find them, hearing his heartbeat drum in his ears. He swings open the main door, pushing aside the wooden mahogany door, stomping on the carpet outside. He ran and ran.

It's all he does, anyway.


Marco comes back finally, with not only beans, and some ice popsicles. Where did he get the money for the ice pops? Lance snatched the beans, giving looks of suspicion to his brother. "Fucking finally" He mummers, sliding to the kitchen to finish making his dish. Rebecca rolls around in the living room, hugging a giggly Luis close to her. Marco jumps to the old, worn-out couch, flipping open his comic book and peruse over the black and white drawings.

Lance cleans the table, sets the plates out nice and tidy. He called for his siblings to the meal, carrying little Luis and setting him on his lap comfortably. "I hope it's better than the last time" Rebecca jokes, a smirk showing on her face. Lance huffed, "Shut up". Luis chomps on his food, his mouth sometimes missing the spoon entirely, and the baby food splattered everywhere. Babies are so stupid. Lance quickly fed Luis and excused himself from the table to bring Luis to sleep.

He cradled him, singing soft lullabies to lull him to sleep. Lance sees Luis's eyelids getting heavy, and soon he falls asleep. He puts him down gently into his crib, drawing the curtains and switching off the lights. "Good night, Luis," He says, turning back to look at Luis one last time. Luis answered by turning away from him and pushing aside the blanket.

Lance returns to the table, glancing at the empty plates left for him to clean. He sighed and slid over his plate of rice.


Keith shuffled against the twigs, feeling them poking his arms. He lies to himself, telling himself he's comfortable and that he would rather be here than his own home. It was definitely pride. He couldn't just go home and forget that ever happened. He had hurt people who genuinely cared for him, pushed people away because he felt that he would open up to them and they wouldn't accept him.

He's a complete asshole.

Well, he always was. Keith chuckled at his self deprecating statement. He thinks of all the times he broke rules, destroyed his health and future. All because he wanted to escape. He got addicted to smoking, he smoked less now, but he still uses a pack every week.

Maybe he can still turn his life around. He hoped that he would lead a good life, and not live as miserable as he lived now.

Maybe all hope was not lost yet.


Shiro paced the living room, almost pulling out all of his hair in panic. Keith ran away again. And it was his fault that he did so. Oh, why was Shiro such a terrible brother?

What if Keith gets kidnapped on the road, or gets murdered like those crime shows he watched?

He pauses as he hears jiggling of keys at the door, and he peers over to see the silhouette of his brother. He came back.

As soon as Keith steps into the house, Shiro grabbed him by his wrist and pulled him into the tightest hug. He rambled on about how worried he was, about how he really thought he was going to lose him for real. He hears Keith sniff, then hears he laughing softly and crying. He hasn't heard him laugh in so long.

"I'm sorry too, Shiro. For being such a shit brother" He said, laughing uncontrollably in between words.

"I was a shit brother too"

"No, you're not. You are the best brother I could ever ask for, so stop saying that. " Keith said, his hands squeezing tighter onto him.

Keith eventually releases himself from Shiro, when he sees his parents standing across him. They were huddled against each other, they were just at the bottom of the stairs. His mother didn't look angry anymore, and his father, his expression was unreadable.

"Keith-" His father started but never finished his sentence.

"I'm quitting" Keith declared.

"What?" was the reply he got. Keith held his breath, and let it all out. "I'm quitting smoking."

The look on his parents' faces was priceless, and Shiro smiled like he was the proudest parent ever. Keith smiled, lifting up his shirt to reveal a nicotine patch on his stomach.

"Starting today," He said. He was cut off short with a big hug from his mother, not a single word leaving her mouth as she did so. His father gave him a reassuring, small smile, subtle but Keith could see it.

"Proud of you, Keith," He said, in his thick Texan accent. Keith nodded back to him.

Maybe he could change his life after all.