Chapter 11: Keith Speaks Spanish on Christmas

There's a heavy weight on Keith's rib-cage, a familiar weight he experiences every year on this day. Opening his eyes groggily he looks up to stare at the grinning girl on top of him, resembling a gremlin.

But not the cute version. The gremlins after you feed it passed midnight or douse it in water.

What is the name?

Lance would know. It's his nickname for her.

"Merry Christmas, Keith." She greets and he can't help the tired smile that slides easily across his face.

"Merry Christmas, bane of my existence."

"Oof, you wound me." Pidge clutches her heart dramatically before toppling over onto the bed when Keith sits up. "...Literally." She grumbles as he gets out of bed. "It always baffles me how I'm up before you on Christmas," The brunette begins, sitting up cross legged in his bed as she watches him gather clothes, " I know damn well you are just as excited as me to go see the family." She grins "To hang hang out with big bro Shiro."

"First of all," Keith begins, turning to the girl in his bed, "He's told you a million times not to call him that." He comes up to Pidge and tilts the little gremlin sideways to get a pair of socks from beneath her, "And second of all, no matter how excited I am, sleep is still important."

Pidge just laughs from her lopsided position, "Oh yeah? And when did you get to sleep? Because I'm pretty sure when I finally passed out at 4 your ass was still awake in here."

"Shut up." He huffs before turning and going to their bathroom.

Of course he's excited, he's always happy to see Shiro, Matt, Sam and Colleen. They are the only family he has left now, after all. The Holt household, and their old childhood home next door that Shiro and Matt took over feel like home.

Doesn't mean he doesn't want sleep, though.

It's hard enough to come by as it is.

He sighs to himself and turns on the shower, thinking back to the Sallie House. It got a lot of hits, comments, subscribes. Basically in that one visit they bumped their YouTube page up in the public's eyes from a way to pass time to a true form of entertainment. Honestly, he and Pidge are pretty proud and excited, but they are both unsure about telling their brothers.

Matt will want in and Shiro will give Keith a lecture about going out to random places for the night. A lecture that he has already received from Shiro about four times now in his life.

He also doesn't want them to see him interacting with Lance. For some reason when he's with Lance he becomes an even bigger shit. The fact he said 'buckaroo' at the Sallie house still haunts him.

There's a lot of shit he did at the Sallie house that he regrets. Well, maybe not regrets, but doesn't understand why he did it.

Like allowing Lance to crawl into his sleeping bag and cling to him so he could fall asleep, an act Lance luckily seems to have forgotten. There's also him holding Lance in return and how fast he fell asleep in his arms it is NOT okay .

Everything else he stands by, though.

Even the weirdly open and honest conversation between them that night, because that's how you make friends. Or so he's told.

He actually hasn't heard a peep from Lance since he and Hunk went home that...night? Morning?

Whatever.

Hunk has messaged him a few times, teasing him with things he's going to bring to them after Christmas.

In fact…

He gets curious when he gets out of the shower and looks at his phone to see exactly what he was looking for; a big long message from Hunk.

Hunk:

(8:47) Merry Christmas, Keith! I just want you to know,

man, I'm so happy you decided to join us in our ghost hunting

adventures. I know you didn't want to at first. But look at us now!

In the week since we posted, we've gotten so many comments

and subscribers, it's incredible!

(8:47) You're great, dude, and I'm really glad we're all friends now.

Look forward to some delicious food when I get back!

Keith finds himself blushing a little, staring at his phone for a few minutes before setting it down and getting ready. What does he say to that?

Thanks?

Same?

Are you crazy there is nothing about me to enjoy?

He wants to write something long back, but it's not his style. All his writing is concise and to the point. It's also damn near impossible for him to pull off heartfelt.

Pidge is even better at that stuff than he is.

"You almost done in there? We need to head out soon!" She calls from the other side of the door and Keith groans, grabbing his phone and coming out.

"I'm ready, calm down. They don't live far away and I packed last night."

"I know, I know, I'm just really excited. We haven't seen them in forever."

Keith laughs a little as he grabs his stuff, "Sometimes I feel like we're an old married couple."

Pidge just grins at him, "The 'old' is a bit offensive, but, yeah. Me too." They head out to Pidge's little green car, "But I don't have a penis or an interest in that stuff so it's impossible."

"Even if you did have one," Keith begins, his face scrunching up in disgust at the thought of being with a male Pidge, "You would basically look like Matt when he was a teen and, believe it or not, my brother and I don't have the same taste."

"Well obviously," Pidge pulls out her keys and they chuck their bags in the backseat, "Since he also like girls."

"Obviously." Keith repeats, hopping in the passenger's seat and setting up the music.

It's a three hour ride. Just long enough to make it impossible for weekly visits, but short enough to (usually) get there for important stuff. They would never tell Lance, but they missed thanksgiving with the family so they could afford Sallie House.

Honestly they don't regret it. The trip was fun and now they have more subscribers. It was definitely worth it, although they did miss their families on Thanksgiving. That's what Skype is for, though.

Soon they pull into Shiro and Matt's driveway, quickly greeted by Matt who come rushing out in his Pajama pants, followed by a bundled up Shiro carrying his boyfriend's coat.

"Pidge! Keith!" Matt exclaims, pulling them into a hug before Shiro pries him off so he can put on his coat.

"How was the trip? Roads good?" Shiro asks, squeezing Keith's shoulder with his good hand.

"Yeah, I mean everyone and their brother is out since it's Christmas, but my expert driving skills got us here safely and on time." Pidge brags and Keith looks Shiro dead in the eyes.

"She almost got us stuck in a ditch trying to pass a tractor trailer."

Shiro rolls his eyes and gives his brother a fond smile, "I'm pretty sure your lead foot has passed more tractor trailers than anyone on the block."

"Probably the town, really." Matt teases with a grin and Keith rolls his eyes.

"You going to your parents in your PJs?"

"It's only noon, man, that's still legally PJ time. Especially on vacation."

Keith shrugs, "Can't really argue with that." He admits and Matt grins before ushering his sister inside as Shiro and Keith grab their bags.

"So are you guys planning on telling us what made you ditch Thanksgiving for Kansas?" Shiro asks as they head inside and a knot forms in his stomach.

Ugh, he doesn't wanna explain this.

"Um...we'll tell you at dinner."

"Alright, but you better not try to lie again." His brother warns and suddenly Keith sees his mom in front of him, the same playful yet serious smile on his face as she used to get.

He misses her.

Dad, too, but Shiro doesn't remind him of his dad, since Shiro has a different one.

It's why they have different last names. He doesn't know what Shiro's dad looks like, and Shiro doesn't either, really, but since Shiro's build resembles his dad's he imagines the man was muscular with a square jaw.

Guess his mom had a type.

"Alright, I'm all dressed, just drop your shit in the living room and grab your gifts so we can go see mom and dad." Matt says, coming out in a nice pair of jeans and the ugliest Christmas sweater Keith has seen.

It reminds him of Lance and the strange butterflies that kept popping up at the Sallie house are back now. He wonders briefly if the sweater Lance made for his brother is uglier and smiles to himself at the ridiculousness of the gift in general.

"Ohhh? What's this expression?" Matt asks, smirking at Keith who goes bright red.

"What expression?"

"Someone looks moonstruck ."

Shiro rolls his eyes, "Would you quit using that expression already? Just because the movie is on Netflix now and you've seen it like ten times…"

"Look, I don't know about you, but if I ever pass up a chance to watch a Cher movie, I demand to be shot immediately." Matt says, his eyes never leaving Keith, "So, is the reason for this expression also the reason you guys went to Kansas? Dating someone you met online, maybe?"

Keith's eyes go wide and he looks to Shiro who is gearing up for a talk, " No, I'm not dating someone online, I'm not moonstruck or any sort of struck, and I know the dangers of online dating Shiro so fucking unsquare those shoulders immediately."

Shiro's shoulders immediately drop and he sighs in relief. "Alright. Good. Matt has been watching that Web of Lies show on ID and I seriously don't think I could take it if you said you were dating someone online. Let alone going across country to meet them without telling me ."

"I'm an adult , Shiro. I know how to take care of myself." Keith groans, briefly wondering if Lance's family was this uptight when he was dating the Russian boy online.

God damnit he needs to stop thinking about Lance today.

After settling that mess the four of them head across the driveway to the Holt's family home, where Sam and Colleen are waiting at the door. They pull Pidge and Keith into hugs that linger a little longer than normal, probably because of Thanksgiving, before they all head into the living room.

Where Bae Bae is.

The best dog.

Keith immediately goes to him and smothers him in hugs and kisses.

"I swear he cares more about the dog than us." Matt teases and Keith looks over at him with a smirk.

"Damn right."

Colleen and Sam just laugh as they gather everyone around the tree where the presents are. As usual the Holt parents went all out. For all of them.

Everyone has five gifts for them, including Bae Bae. Of course, as high paid astronomers it's no big deal to them.

He still remembers when they bought him Red, his precious motorcycle, one Christmas without batting an eye. Keith, on the other hand, was in tears.

"Alright! Everyone open up your gifts!" Colleen calls after setting up a camcorder to get it all.

Like always, Keith makes out like a bandit. Matt bought him the entire series of The Simpsons so far, a show that Matt himself got Keith into, showing the little eight year old episodes when their parents and Shiro weren't around. Shiro got him some stuff for his bike, more safety gear to be precise, because Shiro is basically a super buff mom.

The Holt parents got him and Pidge a year long membership to some meal delivery thing, getting them the once a month package. He's pretty excited at the idea of Hunk making any good recipes they find. The rest of the stuff from them is clothes and stuff for his bike until the last one. It's a small box and when he opens it he sees a picture he'd forgotten about.

Standing there and grinning like a mad woman was his mom, Krolia, holding a baby Keith in her arms while his dad held Shiro. The boys had ice cream on their faces, mostly Keith, and their parents looked exhausted but overjoyed.

They tend to do this every year, the Holts. At least one present for Shiro and Keith is related to their parents, it's a sort of way to keep them involved in the holidays. The first year after their deaths the Holt family had set up a big christmas celebration at Keith and Shiro's, doing the Kogane family traditions for it with his mom and dad's pictures by their side through the day.

Keith cried the entire time, but had a death grip on the pictures when Sam and Colleen offered to take them away if it was too much.

Since then it's gotten easier, so as he stares at this photo there are no tears...from him. Shiro looks on the verge of them, though, which never happens.

"Shiro…" Keith mutters before Shiro excuses himself, leaving to stand outside for a minute. "Um...I'm gonna…?" He looks to Matt who nods.

"I can't help with this one." Matt says and Keith looks at him confused for a moment before getting up and heading outside.

"Shiro, are you okay?"

"No, Keith, I'm not." Shiro looks at him, "I...I feel like we're growing apart. I know I'm your brother, not your parent, and I knew when you moved you would be going out and having your own life...but...what are you doing that you can't tell me?" He asks and Keith can hear the pain in his voice, "You didn't even want to tell us you were going to Kansas, if I didn't call you out on your lie you were going to leave it at 'work won't let us'. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you are getting out and seeing new places, I just don't understand why you can't tell me why."

Keith let's out a heavy sigh, "Shiro, it's not like that. I told you we would tell you at dinner…"

He was really hoping Pidge would tell them at dinner, honestly. It's too humiliating to say.

"Last time you two waited to tell us something until a family dinner, it was that you were moving three hours away ." Shiro points out and Keith winces.

Oh.

Shit.

"We're not moving to Kansas, if that's what you're worried about. It's nothing bad, or dangerous...it's just...embarrassing…" Keith mutters, his face now flushed, "I just don't wanna tell you because it's quite possibly the dumbest thing her and I have agreed to." The look on Shiro's face quickly goes from pain to terror and Keith cringes.

Right.

The paranoid mother over here definitely won't settle for that answer.

"Keith, what on earth-?"

"Ghost hunting," Keith says quickly, refusing to look at his brother, "We...ugh, we're...well, I mean, Pidge and I aren't ghost hunting, we don't believe in them, but her new friends Hunk and Lance asked us to join them. Well, asked her to join them and she dragged me along and then they asked me to stay. Okay, not them , just Hunk." He looks up to see the bewildered look on his brother's face, "But, um, yeah. That's what is going on. I guess once a month from now on we are going to be going to a random place looking for ghosts."

"I…" Shiro begins before laughing, "I thought you two were moving again, but you dorks are just ghost hunting ? Jesus, Keith!"

Keith quickly finds himself laughing as well, "It's not my fault you're so damn paranoid!"

Shiro let's out his own heavy sigh and places a hand on his shoulder, "So, this Hunk, tell me about him." He says, smirking at Keith.

"That's actually his name, don't get the wrong idea."

"Just a friend?"

"Yes."

"Not into dudes?"

"Dunno, but he's currently very into a nice girl who works at the ER. She's always he-" Keith stops himself, deciding it's best if Shiro doesn't know of the fairly frequent visits he's had to the ER since moving away. "Helping him out with stuff. I actually got him to ask her out." He says proudly and Shiro laughs a little.

"How about Lance? Is he available? Or is he strictly into women?"

Keith goes bright red, "He's not-! W-we're not-! That's not a-! Ugh! Damnit , Shiro, I'm not dating anyone!"

"I know," Shiro looks at him with a strange glint in his eye, "But I'm not stupid. Ghost Hunting ? You and Pidge have spent literal days worth of time shitting on that. I know you are both the type to do this sort of thing for a friend, but you said her friends, so clearly they are new to you and you definitely wouldn't do this for new people. Not unless they really mattered.

"Also, you have been sort of spacing out every now and then since you got here. Then there was that weird moment with the ugly sweater Matt had on, and Pidge may or may not have said you were flirting with someone lately."

Keith's left eye twitches.

God damnit, Pidge.

Her and her big fucking mouth.

"I'm not flirting with anyone, the sweater reminded me of something that someone I'm not into told me about and we are now dropping this and going back inside because I'm cold as fuck out here."

"Fine, fine," Shiro relents, ushering his little brother inside, "But I would like to meet these boys."

Keith groans, "This is another reason I didn't want to tell you."

"Too bad, me and Matt will be coming up for a visit to meet these guys. It's decided." Shiro says as they head back to everyone in the living room.

"Could you be more of a mother?" Keith groans, plopping back down next to Pidge.

"Don't tempt him." Matt sighs as Shiro sits back down next to him.

"You boys okay?" Colleen asks and they both nod.

"Great! It's dinner time, then!" Sam cheers, heading to the kitchen first. "Time to get my hands on some of those delicious peas your mom makes!"

Colleen sighs, "A table full of all kinds of food I work hard to make and your father obsesses over the garden peas . The one thing I don't really have to do anything to."

"Maybe he's trying to tell you something." Pidge teases, earning a fond but exasperated look from her mother.

"You're lucky I missed you so much, Katie."

"I know."

Dinner starts off pretty normal, everyone's chatting to catch up while Pidge and Keith are busy stuffing their faces with Colleen's cooking, because despite Pidge's teasing Colleen is easily tied with Hunk in culinary skills. Keith misses this, if he's being honest. He wishes they were closer to their family, yet at the same time he knows if they were they would be too spoiled by them to really get out there and live for themselves.

It's nice and peaceful here, though, and he plans to enjoy the lack of ghost hunting shit before they return home after New Years.

Until his phone vibrates in his pocket.

He briefly wonders if it's Hunk again, since he never got back to him, and is shocked to see it's actually a message from Lance.

Lance:

(2:15) Hijo.

Keith:

(2:15) Did...you just call me son?

(2:15) Or do you have some secret lovechild

who is old enough to read text messages?

Lance:

(2:15) Shit! No, sorry, I didn't, I meant to say hi,

but had it on my spanish keyboard so I could

text mi abuela.

Keith:

(2:16) ….You're grandma can text?

Lance:

(2:16) AHA! You know Spanish!

(2:16) Also, yes, she can text but only in Spanish.

She's still not great at written English.

Keith:

(2:17) Yes, Lance, I know Spanish. I took

it for five years, I should know it.

Lance:

(2:17) Five years? How did you do that?

Keith:

(2:17) Our school started it in 7th grade, and

gave you the option to take an advanced

Course Senior year.

Lance:

(2:17) Entonces sabes lo que estoy

Diciendo.

Keith:

(2:18) Lo que tu estas escribiendo, pero, si.

Lance:

(2:18) ¿Acabas de corregir mi español?

Keith:

(2:18) Si, chiquito. ¿Qué vas a hacer al respecto?

Lance is quiet for a while and Keith is kinda worried he scared him off. What he last wrote was vaguely flirty, or dickish, depending on your stance.

Fuck.

He finally hears from Lance and he fucks it up. Ignoring the looks from everyone at the table, he sinks into his chair to wallow.

Until he feels his phone vibrate.

Lance:

(2:30) Dios, Keith, no puedo hacer eso.

Keith:

(2:30) Lo...siento? Que eres haciendo?

Hace tu hermano le gusta su suéter?

Lance:

(2:30) Omg, Keith, no tienes nada idea. Mira esta.

Keith bursts out laughing when he gets the picture. Of course, Lance's brother Luis is sort of pretty attractive, but it's admittedly diminished by the bright blue, green and red sweater he's wearing. His wavy chin-length brown hair is depicted as an afro and his nose is the size and shape of a carrot. The scowl on his face is pretty great, too.

"What are you giggling at?" Pidge asks, smirking over at him like she knows.

Which she might.

"Lance sent me a stupid picture." He admits, showing her and making her burst out laughing.

"It actually puts Matt's ugly sweater to shame!" She says and Matt gasps.

"How dare you! Let me see!" Matt grabs the phone and pretty soon it's being passed around the table, shiro giving him an odd look when it reaches him, before finally Pidge hands it back to him.

"That's one of your new friends?" Colleen asks and both Pidge and Keith shake their heads no.

"That's our friend's older brother." Pidge explains, "If you wanna see our new friends, and what we've been up to-"

"Pidge no." Keith warns, but she ignores him. Naturally.

"We have a youtube channel for our new ghost hunting gig."

" Oh. My. God. Pidge I want in." Matt says and Keith groans, deciding to go back to texting Lance.

Until he sees someone already did.

Keith:

(2:35) Nice to meet you, Lance, I am Shiro.

You are very skilled.

Lance:

(2:35) Nice to meet you, too, Shiro. Thank you.

Mi abuela taught me.

Keith:

(2:35) So why are you messaging my brother

On christmas?

Keith shoots his brother the dirtiest look he can, and recieves a smirk in response. Luckily it looks like Colleen snatched it away from him. Unluckily, she wrote, too

Keith:

(2:37) Ignore him, dear. He's overprotective.

Lance:

(2:37) Dear…? Um...who might this be, because

you sure aren't Keith, lol.

Keith:

(2:37) I'm Colleen, Pidge's mother. Don't worry,

I'm not going to chit chat with you, Keith will have

his phone back in a moment.

Lance:

(2:37) Haha, ok.

Keith:

(2:50) Shit, dude, sorry about that. Matt kinda took

the phone to see what Pidge and I were laughing

at and so the whole family passed it around.

Lance:

(2:50) No problemo, mi amigo.

Keith:

(2:50) Que generoso de ti.

For the rest of the evening Keith and Lance text each other off and on, always in Spanish, and it's honestly the most Spanish he's used in the last two years.

He kind of loves it.

His mother taught him Korean, since that's where she was from, and some Japanese since Shiro knew it in honor of his dad, but when he started learning Spanish in high school it just sort of clicked more that the other two. Maybe because it was a language he chose.

Still, it's nice to be using it again.

He shoots Hunk a message, too. It's not quite as long and sweet, just a simple 'Thank you, Hunk. I'm really glad we're friends, too. I couldn't ask for a better one. Merry Christmas', but it seemed to do that job. If the smiley face he sent after was any indication.

Of course he doesn't have his face buried in his phone all day, he is very much a part of spending time with their families until everyone goes to bed. He stays with Shiro and Matt, sleeping in his old room that they haven't touched, and Pidge stays at her parent's place in her old room. Laying in bed the two text even more until Keith works up the courage to ask Lance what he's wanted to know since he first texted him.

Keith:

(12:25) Why exactly did you text me today?

Lance:

(12:25) Idk? Luis made eggnog that was about

90% alcohol and 10% actual drink, and after a few

of those I decided I wanted to say hi to you.

(12:25) Wish you a merry christmas and all that jazz.

Keith:

(12:25) You never actually did wish me a merry

Christmas, but yeah, Merry Christmas, Lance.

Lance:

(12:26) Lol it's not really Christmas anymore,

so I guess we both kinda dropped the ball on

that one, but Merry Christmas to you, too, Keith.

(12:26) I've gotta get going to bed, los niños

estan preparados.

He sends Keith a picture of him in bed with his niece and nephew curled up on either side, clearly falling asleep.

Keith:

(12:26) Buenas noches, Lance.

Lance:

(12:26) Night, Keith.

Keith:

(12:27) Not even a 'good'? Fucking rude.

Lance:

(12:27) Take it, Mullet.

Keith chuckles to himself before setting the phone on the charger and getting in position to sleep. He's really glad he gave this ghost hunting thing a chance, his new friends are great.

Even if Lance is a little weird.

I haven't really used Spanish since senior year of high school, nine years ago. I'm pretty stoked I only had to use the translator to make sure what I was writing was correct. One useful thing high school taught me. Also I've reformatted chapters 1-3 (soon 4 and possibly 5) because they look horrible. The story and what happens didn't change, it's just written better. It's kind of ironic, I work in an office as a formatter and now I'm doing it at home.

There's no escaping it.

Translations: (sorry my Spanish is rusty)

(2:17) Entonces sabes lo que estoy Diciendo.=So you know what I am saying?
(2:18) Lo que tu estas escribiendo, pero, si.=What you are writing, but, yes.
(2:18) ¿Acabas de corregir mi español?= Did you just correct my spanish?
(2:18) Si, chiquito. ¿Qué vas a hacer al respecto?= Yes, little boy, what are you going to do about it?
(2:30) Dios, Keith, no puedo hacer eso.= God, Keith, I can't do this.
(2:30) Lo...siento? Que eres haciendo? Hace tu hermano le gusta su suéter?= I'm...sorry? What are you doing? Does your brother like his sweater?
(2:30) Omg, Keith, no tienes nada idea. Mira esta.=Omg Keith you have no idea.
(2:50) Que generoso de ti.=How generous of you.
los niños estan preparados.= the kids are ready.