Budding

Universe: Garrison!AU

The drops hit the asphalt with fury, wetting her boots on the surface when she walked with pause through the streets of the city, thanked internally that her mother insisted put them on before leaving in the morning to go to school, now they kept it adequately isolated from moisture. At least, having her feet dry while her body was soaking wet from the rain was a good thing, she thought.

It had been raining all week and it didn't seem to have any intention of stopping soon. Not at least while Katie was walking home, with her notebooks soaked in the backpack, her face wet, her hair a waste of how much it cost to fix it in the morning. And especially, with a pain in the heart that made her eyes sting in frustration.

She wasn't going to cry.

It is what had said herself before leaving school, after finding the umbrella that her father had given her completely shattered in the entrance, while distant laughter was heard around. But at that moment, where she was completely alone and destroyed, the vulnerability became palpable.

At least the water that ran down her face made the tears not be noticed.

Katie was so tired that they messed with her for being, practically who she was. She had never found a valid reason why they bothered her so much that she barely related to her classmates. And it couldn't end worse when her father told her that he couldn't pick her up because of an emergency at work, by half-telling what happened with her umbrella, and Matt was out of town to come and comfort her later.

Katie kicked a stone in his path and sucked hard, stopping her tears in the process.

Damn nature, I'd be lucky if she got sick with pneumonia that night, so at least she wouldn't have to go to class.

''Pidge?''

Katie listened from the side of the street, stopping her abruptly. When she looked up, she could see a familiar face that wouldn't expect to see so soon. She frowned when he came closer, covering it with a black umbrella, in which its interior had patches of colors that resembled the constellations. Katie's heart contracted with grief. It was the same design that her father had given to her.

''I already told you before, I don't like you call me like that, Keith.''

''Sorry.'' He answered dryly, without taking care of her annoyance. ''What are you doing here so late? You're soaked.''

''No shit, Sherlock.''

''You always have to be so nasty?'' Keith approached her, intimidating. Katie just looked away. ''Have I ever done anything to you?''

''Right now.''

''What did I do to make you behave like an asshole?''

''You're being intrusive, and I don't need you to cover me with that stupid umbrella!'' Katie hit it with her hand to get rid of her, scaring Keith for a moment.

''Be careful, it's a gift from my mother!''

''I don't care!''

''You fucking gremlin ...'' His fists pressed hard on the handle of his umbrella, biting his lip frustrated. ''Fine, go home alone! It's not like I have to put up with you when Shiro is not with you!''

Katie turned on her heels and walked with a hurried step toward her home, without looking back, where she had left Keith grumbling alone in the rain. It wasn't necessary anyway; she knew he wouldn't go on her quest after being rude with his gesture of help.

However, that wouldn't prevent guilt from growing inside her having rewarded her frustration with someone who didn't deserve it, he had no moral obligation to help her.

Keith wasn't her friend, it was just, coincidentally, the person who was near Shiro at opportune moments when she visited him in Garrison while waiting for her father. And who was accompanying him when her mother invited Shiro to dinner to celebrate some news.

Whenever she saw Shiro, Keith was by his side, accompanying him or conversing with Matt in his absence when he was busy, who seemed to have enough confidence to talk to him about anything.

Katie, for her part, didn't address him unless it was necessary, they had a difference of three years and there seemed to be no common ground between them when they were alone. So simply, they were accompanied in silence.

Katie had met him a couple of months ago, after a celebration in homage to the latest technological advances in Garrison with the help of the Daibazaal empire. Shiro, his personal hero and best friend of his brother had presented him as one of the most promising pilots in recent generations.

But as quickly as they exchanged glances and a slight handshake, they had realized how different they were.

Keith loved the danger of training ships, caused fights inside and outside Garrison, and it was a headache for Shiro and Iverson most of the time because of their zero tolerance for frustration. When they were in the same room, Katie wasn't interested in anything that Keith was found of, and he wasn't interested in understanding Katie's scientific interests.

The only thing that seemed to have been congenial was when both had heard a comment from her father that both seemed to have an implicit competence on which of the two would give his first cardiovascular attack to Iverson for his bad behavior.

Samuel had made them laugh out loud that day, being accompanied by a clash of fists between them to have an enemy in common, after that things hadn't changed between them.

Katie didn't care too much about having anything in common with him, Keith was like all the other boys of his age she knew, except that he at least didn't bother her, cause of her intellect.

Keith simply respected her and gave her space.

A strong current of wind settled on her bones despite the thick gabardine that gave her some warmth on her soaked body. It was already getting dark and the cold became more noticeable when the minutes passed outside. Katie sighed defeated, but slightly calmer before leaving school. The walk had made her think about her attitude. She would give Keith a well-deserved apology when she visited Garrison over the weekend, and about her umbrella in case, she accidentally broke it. Even though his intentions were honest, she had behaved like a bitch.

''Katie!''

She turned in dismay as soon as she heard her name, thinking she had imagined Keith's voice in the distance. However, she saw him running in the rain completely soaked. In less than five minutes there he was, next to her, with his umbrella closed and a slight blush at the trot he was carrying before finding her.

Katie waited for the air to return to his lungs before speaking.

''I ... I'm sorry.''

''Why?'' She whispered softly. Keith looked away to the side of the street, thinking carefully about his words.

''I didn't mean to be rude to you. When I saw you in the center, I really cared to see you in the rain with nothing to cover you ... You looked lost.''

''No, it's fine. I was just upset because my umbrella had broken...''

''Seriously? You were not upset with me?'' Keith was surprised, Katie nodded.

''Not really, you didn't do anything bad either, you just found me at a bad time. So thanks ... I mean, for trying to help me a while ago.''

They both smiled in relief, laughing slightly after a few seconds at the obvious awkwardness of their conversation. It was the first time; they had an exchange of more than three words. That reality had been evidenced by not knowing what to say after a few minutes. But soon Keith, with a light pat on the asphalt with the tip of his closed umbrella, buzzed in affirmation to accept Katie's apology.

''There's no need, but next time, hit me instead of my umbrella. It's something I really appreciate, you know?'' Katie huffed funny. Moving her hip to a more relaxed position and crossing the arms.

''Sure! Don't hesitate to say where you want to hit you the next time you find me angry.''

''I'd prefer on the shoulder if it doesn't bother you, it'll be hard from you to get there.'' Katie pretended to be offended, with one hand on her chest.

''Is that a joke on my height? You're shorter than Matt!''

They both laughed vividly for a few seconds. The atmosphere between them had turned to something more comfortable and safer. Keith opened his umbrella when he saw Katie remove some of the drops on her face.

Somewhere in Keith's mind, he saw Katie's face as something curiously lovely as the water fell on her cheeks, while small strands of her hair clung around her skin. It's not like he didn't think about it before while talking to Shiro. More than once, he had seen himself lost in those big eyes full of curiosity. It hadn't taken him long to understand why Shiro liked spending time with her.

Katie was someone interesting. But hardly accessible.

He stood for a few seconds contemplating how she arranged the hair to the side of her neck when he saw her raise her face with curiosity and her eyes met his.

''What?'' Keith realized that he had been watching her for too long. He cleared his throat briefly before covering her completely with his umbrella, approaching her to share his protection, smiling timidly.

''Do you want me to accompany you home? It's already dark, and I'd worry about thinking you're walking alone in the rain.'' He saw the indecision in her eyes, but after a moment, Katie nodded with a sweet smile. Keith's heart jumped abruptly.

''Of course, why not?''

The rain began to wane when they walked down the street in the suburbs, were only a couple of blocks from Katie's house, but even so, the protection of the umbrella was something that Katie greatly appreciated. The warm lights of the posts were the only thing that illuminated the path, the colors of the trees and shrubs around them felt clear and lived because of the rain.

It was a nice walk, and some nervousness appeared in Katie system when she was aware that was having time with Keith. He had kinder than she thought, and they had exchanged a couple of jokes naturally when they got over the anger of the moment.

When she turned her gaze away, Katie had to strain a little to see Keith's face. The difference in height wasn't much compared to Shiro or Matt, but even so, Katie was too low compared to anyone.

It took a few seconds for Keith to look her straight in his eyes when he realized that Katie was watching him. There, stopping simultaneously, as if he expected her to start talking, Katie saw violet, one that could be compared to the thousands of galaxies around her beyond the infinite universe, a single color, she thought. It was the first time she had seen him even though he had been by her side countless times. Although she had never been so close to Keith as at that moment.

Katie smiled embarrassedly looking away to the sidewalk, she felt ridiculously silly at that moment.

''Your umbrella.''

''What?'' Keith asked confused when he realized she had said something, her voice had been soft, almost inaudible.

''It's beautiful, I didn't want to hit it on purpose. It's the same umbrella that my dad gave me a couple of months ago. My classmates broke it before the rain because they thought it was ridiculous.''

''Still bothering you?'' Inquired severely, Katie only made a gesture with her hand, playing down the importance of the matter.

''It's not worth worrying about that, besides ... You saved me this day, right?''

Keith could agree with that, and he didn't want to spoil the mood by arguing about her classmates, they would have another day to talk about it. Keith knew what it was like to be discriminated against by his high school classmates, he had lived it even inside the Garrison before Shiro intervened directly.

When they arrived at the Holt house, he thought it was a good time to say goodbye. But before even taking a couple of steps away, Katie took his arm.

''Thanks for ... Everything, I suppose. It was good to spend time with you.''

Again, the heat in his heart burned when he saw that sweet smile directed at him, even with the rain around him it looked lovely through his eyes. There was something in Katie that had changed that day, perhaps the first time they had talked, the comfortable time in silence, or the fact that he could see her more closely than in the past. Whatever it was, it made his pulse quicken.

''No problem, Katie.''

''Pidge.'' She corrected, walking towards the entrance of her home. ''You can tell me Pidge.''

The bubbling sensation around his stomach increased when he saw her smile for the last time and open the door to take her dog into her arms as fast as she saw him escape.

The sound of the rain began to diminish gradually as Keith headed home and Katie dried the excess water and threw her wet clothes into the basket, it would soon stop raining. And with that, unknown feelings began to budding in the hearts of both teenagers.

Continue in Day 12: Sneaky.