Chapter 10
Lance wasn't really given many places to hide, maybe if he'd been quick he could have fit under the kitchen sink, but he'd been too dumbfounded to really do anything. Well guess this was how things were going to go now.
"I didn't know you had a friend over Keith, or even another friend beside Pidge." Shiro put down the bag of what looked like White-Spot take out.
He really should've been able to hear Shiro come in, or at least if the sink hadn't been on. He couldn't fault Keith since he could only hear from one ear. At least he'd made up the bed.
"Hi, I don't think we've met, I'm Lance." Lance stuck out his hand, and Shiro took it a bit cautiously. When he finally shook hands with him his grip was very firm.
Shiro gave Lance a look over. "Actually, I think we did meet—weren't you in Allura's building, that one time."
Colour drained slightly from Lance's face, he forgot about that moment. "Oh yeah, I'm in her music festival, I'm closing the show." Lance scratched the back of his head. "You have a good memory," Lance said, hesitating slightly.
"How did you even meet Keith?"
Keith jumped into Shiro's question before Lance could even make a move. "He was my actor, actually he's been acting a lot for me, and helping compose a track for a latest film project, and well. . .we've just been hanging out a lot now." Keith put down his mug, which he'd been clasping so hard his fingers were a little white.
Shiro raised his eyebrow slightly, the semi-truth kind of getting to him. "So why are you here now Lance?"
A shiver ran down his spine, the way Shiro said his name unapprovingly. Not the start Lance wanted.
"Well actually Shiro sir, Keith called me over in hopes to ask me to come with him this weekend." Lance knew it was a little bit of a long shot, and almost very un-approving of him to just say something when Keith hadn't even agreed, but he still wanted to be a part of this. He needed to see why Keith was like he was, and Pidge had asked him to help. He wanted to help Keith, plus Shiro now knowing he actually existed gave Lance a better shot at being able to stay with Keith.
"Did Doctor Holt even say you were allowed to bring friends?" Shiro asked now avoiding Lance's gaze.
Keith shrugged. "Well actually yeah he did say I could, and what's the problem Shiro." Keith stood up. "I mean aren't I allowed to have friends involved in my life?"
Shiro gave a side eye glance over to Lance, "well yes, but you haven't even told me about making a new friend."
"For your information Shiro, I have lots of friends—I don't have to freaking tell you about every aspect in my life just so you know." Keith picked up his mug and drops it into the sink. "I am an adult."
"Keith?" Shiro said, now entirely focused on him.
"Let's just get this over with," Keith mumbled, heading into the next room. "Lance you already packed a bag, right?" Keith raised his eyebrow trying to give his own sort of signal before he went inside.
Tilting his head Lance understood the underlining. "Yeah, I did." Going over beside the guest bed, Lance grabbed his school backpack and grabbed his PJ's and some underwear from his box hidden in the last shelf of the bookcase.
Keith comes out of his room with his own backpack. "Come on Shiro let's go." Keith looks over at Lance. "He'll drive us." Keith's already heading for the door, probably expecting Shiro to lock up behind them. Lance fixes the backpack over his shoulder, Shiro giving him a strange look as he followed after Keith.
The three boys walk down the stairs to Shiro's car, and he's starts driving them toward White Rock where Doctor Holt's main residence is, also a forty minute car ride away. Keith goes to turn on the music, and Lance was actually generally happy when it turns out to be Ariosti Sonata No.7.
"So Lance," Shiro started as they go over the first bridge. "Do you study music at Cap as well, or. . ."
Lance fixed at his shirt. "No actually the music college downtown."
Shiro tapped the stirring wheel. "Oh, so what do you want to do with that degree?"
Keith frowned. "Shiro," he mumbled.
"I'm just asking Keith, there can't be many possibilities with a music degree." Shiro looked back and Lance gave an awkward smile.
"Well I hope to become a pianist, or even a composer of sorts. Really I'm not sure what yet, I just know I love music, and want to pursue it." Lance twiddled with his thumbs. "My parents were skeptical at first when I told them I wanted to pursue music, but well they're supporting me." Though not finically since they can't afford it, Lance wanted to add. He wasn't bitter at his parents he was understand, but looking at Keith and how his brother was paying for basically his rent, school and groceries, well Lance was a little jealous.
"Your parents from here?" Shiro asked, as they reach a jam of traffic, it wasn't even rush hour yet.
"No actually from Vancouver Island, but we're originally from Cuba, or well my parents, I was born here in Canada—though I've visited my extended family there." Lance felt nervous, it felt like he was hiding something or maybe he was doing a job interview or something with Shiro. He wasn't sure, but either way things felt a little chaotic.
"Shiro stop pestering Lance, he's my friend you don't have to ask him a bazillion questions" Keith pushed the shotgun seat back, leaning his feet up on Shiro's dashboard. "He's a nicer guy then me okay," Keith put out there.
Lance blushed, not sure where the compliment came from. "That's not true Keith; you're such a nice guy, if anything I should be saying that about you."
It took a few seconds and Lance really wondered how Shiro was going to act toward his own compliment, but instead he burst out laughing. "Keith, a nice person." Shiro let his laughter die. "Wow, have you got this guy fooled."
"Shiro!" Keith shouted, pulling his feet off the dash. "I can be nice to people I like."
"Uh huh," Shiro said while shaking his head.
Lance let out his own laughter. "Well I do admit that Keith can be a little hot-headed sometimes."
"Hotheaded!" Keith looked back, his eyes in a glare.
"Only a little, come on Lance, you can be honest it's more than a little."
"Shiro!" Keith repeated at a higher octave. He shrunk back, throwing his hood over his head. He grabbed for his phone and put the earbuds in, clearly done with this whole conversation.
Shiro gave a soft smile looking over at his brother, Lance saw the love that Shiro had for Keith, it was the same he shared for his siblings, and that's why Lance could also understand why Keith didn't want to tell Shiro why he was in pain. But it made him also wonder what Keith's backstory was, and where their parents were. Based on everything Lance presumed they were dead, but he hadn't heard the full story. Something told Lance it was tragic, and that the reason Keith was keeping things from Shiro was because he didn't want to lose anyone else.
After another twenty minutes of driving, the car pulled up to the driveway of a moderate size house, Lance can smell the ocean as soon as he stepped out, the driveway a slight edge into the garage at the bottom. As Lance was exiting the car, an older man came outside with a scruffy aftershave and glasses, his hair a little messy.
"Shiro, Keith. . .and you must be Lance, Pidge said Keith was going to bring a friend." The man hugged Shiro and roughs up Keith's hair a little, he sticks out his hand for Lance. "Nice to meet you, I'm Doctor Samuel Holt, you can call me Sam."
"Pleasure," Lance said as he shook hands with him.
The group head inside and Lance takes off his shoes with Shiro and Keith, the air of the house smelling homey and reminding him of his own house. Even the décor had the picturesque feeling of any upper-middle class home.
Putting down his backpack next to Keith's by the front door, Lance followed the brothers into the living room. "Pidge here?" Keith asked as he came inside, he looked to be familiar with the space.
"Katie's still in Vancouver—Matt's back though tonight, he plans on spending the night but Pidge has stay for her shoot." Sam headed into the kitchen and turned on the kettle. "Now Shiro you can stay in the guest room, and Lance you can stay downstairs in the basement with Keith, that's where I plan on setting him up."
Keith fidgeted with his hands, and Lance can sense his nervous tension.
"Your wife cooking us dinner tonight," Shiro asked as he goes to get some mugs from the corner cupboard.
Sam smiled. "Unfortunately I'll be the one cooking, since she's at a spa retreat for the weekend. But don't worry; if I fail at least we have you to come save us Shiro." Sam bumped Shiro on his shoulder, and they both give off a slight laugh. "Now I hate to rush things, but Keith we should probably get you set up downstairs."
"Right," Keith said rubbing at his wrist.
"I'll get the tea started, Lance why don't you help me." Shiro handed Lance a mug, and he nodded as he watched Keith walk into the basement with Sam. Keith gave a quiet plea look back before heading down the stairs.
"Sorry," Shiro mumbled when they were out of earshot.
"Why?" Lance asked.
Shiro shrugged. "Keith doesn't like people to see all this medical stuff that has to be done, I'm surprised that he's even letting you come."
Shoving his hands in his pocket Lance decided what the best course of action will be. He wondered if he should lie about it, but at the moment that didn't feel right, not when he was hiding so much from Shiro.
"Actually he didn't invite me, Pidge asked me to go with him. I-I. . .well he actually told me not to come I think, or that's what it sounded like he was going to say this morning, but then you showed up and the next thing I know is he's telling me to come with." Lance shrugged. "Who knows what he actually wanted."
Shiro sets the tea bags into the mugs, and goes to reach for the boiled kettle. "Keith's a little complicated, so go easy on him okay Lance." Shiro filled the last mug. "But I'm actually happy, Pidge is more of a family friend than anything since I work with her older brother, and well in high school Keith didn't have friends. So I'm glad that he managed to get you to be his friend."
Lance grabbed two of the cups of tea. "Well I'm glad for him actually; he's essentially the one who's helped me out, more than I've come close to helping him."
Shiro grabbed the other two cups. "Right, well they should be done setting up." Shiro headed for the basement stairs, and Lance followed after as he takes the steep carpet steps to a large basement complete with a flat screen, playstation and Nintendo 64, plus a pool table shoved in the corner.
Keith was seated on the couch, a small heart rate monitor set up on what looks to be an Ipad beside Keith. A wire was sticking out of it, and it seems to be attached underneath Keith's shirt. Another little ear piece was hooked up to his left ear, attached to a small clip monitor that's attached to the back of Keith's shirt.
Besides that there's some clips attached at both Keith's temples, though there's no wire attached.
"Oh I see you brought the tea." Keith turned around noticing the look Lance was giving him; he turned away as if embarrassed. Shiro didn't seem fazed.
Lance took a seat on the arm rest of the couch; Shiro takes a seat in the love seat at the side. "Now Keith you're only allowed to move from this couch to go use the bathroom down here." Sam points at a door to the side. "Now I know the pool-table is tempting, but in order to not mess up the readings I need your body to stay relaxed."
Keith nodded slowly, reaching to touch one of the monitors on his temple, but he stopped pulling back.
"Tell me if anything is too tight, or if you need any more liquids, it's best we keep you hydrated." Sam wrote onto a piece of paper some notes. "If at any time you feel uncomfortable or want to stop just let me know, but all the devices we've put on are strictly for monitoring your vitals."
"I understand," Keith said fixing himself on the couch.
"Now I have board games, and a ton of books here—but well there is the playstation and Netflix if you guys want to use that, I see Lance is here to keep you occupied as well, and we'll have Katie here to hang out tomorrow for a little bit. If at any point you need to get up just tell me so I can remove the monitors briefly, and if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask."
Lance listened intently to Sam, his voice soothing and better than his old lady family doctor back home. But despite all that Lance saw the nervous look on Keith's face, Shiro noticing it to.
"It's all to try and help," Shiro said, in a soothing matter. "All of this is, maybe after we can find what's wrong."
Keith leaned back on the couch, his eyes so distant. "I know," he mumbled, but it was so inaudible only Lance might have heard.
Something about the way how Keith was pale, the way Keith looked so small there on the couch, with the monitors with the slight beeping, with those temple stickers. Lance almost wanted to pick him up and walk him away. To hold him, to hug him and say it would be okay. But here he was, just watching as Keith sat back frightened to death by a problem that had yet to be answered.
It seemed Lance too was now plagued with that problem, the worry in his stomach probably equal to that of Shiro.