And the second part! In which Keith makes a total mess of himself and later vows never to do drugs again. Don't know when I'll update this story next, but I have a few other ideas for installments, including something with Krolia and something with Regris. We'll see where I go from here!
when your black cat and space pollen don't mix
part two
"Do I even want to know how you got yourself into this mess?"
All Keith had to offer her in response was a pitiful sounding meow. Heaving a sigh, Pidge hung her head, longingly looking back towards her latest experiment. She had finally been on the verge of making a breakthrough when Keith had started to make a fuss, and all too late, she realized why he had been so quiet for the past half hour.
She should have known it was too good to be true.
"No offense Keith," Pidge began, staring down at him, "-but I think that pollen has knocked your IQ down to below even Lance's level."
Keith had nothing to say in his defense, instead just staring at her with yellow, cat-like eyes. She was positive he didn't understand her right now, so that didn't exactly come as much of a surprise. What did come as a surprise was just how badly he had managed to get himself tangled up- maybe bringing him with her to her lab hadn't been her best idea.
Grumbling, she began the arduous task of untangling her fellow paladin. Fortunately he hadn't managed to tangle himself up in a way that looked dangerous, so she could take her time with the task. Keith wriggled in his self-imposed bonds, producing another, equally pitiful meow.
"This would be a lot easier if you would just stay still." Pidge snapped, causing Keith to freeze, his ears going flat against his head. Maybe he didn't understand what was being said, but he did at least understand the tone with which it was being said.
It was just her luck that she would be the one stuck with the first shift. Shiro had wanted to take full responsibility for watching over Keith while he was in this state, but they had managed to talk him out of it. If Coran's estimation of two days was correct, then he was going to need a break at some point- it just made more sense for them to watch him in shifts.
"I still can't believe you managed to find space catnip." Pidge said.
Keith just chirruped in response, staring at her almost pathetically. She couldn't get used to how differently he was acting from his normal self- typically Keith was more distant, almost aloof. At first she thought he'd just been keeping his distance because of his secret, but even after they all learned the truth, he still gave off something of a loner vibe.
And now here he was, acting like somebody's idiot cat.
Ugh. He was their idiot cat, she realized.
"You know," Pidge began, continuing to talk to him even though she knew full well he didn't understand a word she was saying, "-this would be a lot cuter if you were an actual cat."
Keith yowled, squirming in his bonds again, much to her annoyance.
"Right." Pidge huffed. "You probably think you are an actual cat."
Keith's ears flicked in response, before he slumped against the floor. At least he'd stopped squirming, she thought, taking the chance to make as much progress as she could, even if his heavy limbs made it hard for her to get the wires free.
Part of her was fascinated- not just with Keith's severe reaction to the pollen, but also how his body had adapted to more feline features while still largely maintaining a human appearance. She hadn't even known he could do that- she'd assumed it was either one form or the other, claws not withstanding. But unless this was just a result of the pollen too, it didn't seem like that was the case.
Not to sound too much like some kind of weird mad scientist, but frankly Keith in general was just plain fascinating. She couldn't decide if he was an entirely new (or new to her, at least) species, or if he was somehow a combination of two already existing ones. Was he a human who could turn into a cat, or a cat who could turn into a human, or something somewhere in between? And the fact that there were even more of these Shifters back on Earth? Shifters who had been there for generations, possibly for as long- or maybe even longer- than humans? How could she not be interested?
She wasn't too ashamed to admit that she had barraged Keith with questions after his secret had come out. Probably too many questions, since at some point, Keith had clammed up, pretending like he didn't know the answers to them. She'd been miffed at first, but once she calmed down a little and examined her behavior, she realized that she'd probably been a little too enthusiastic about her inquiries.
And okay, to be fair, she'd realized that only after Shiro had pulled her aside and talked to her about it. But still!
"You know," Pidge began, "-maybe if you had answered my questions more honestly, we could have figured out that there might be a space equivalent of catnip sooner."
Keith just huffed, turning his head. He squished one of his ears in doing so, but he didn't seem too bothered by it. Frowning, Pidge took a break from wire duty to poke the end of one, the black furred ear flicking at her touch.
"Where did your human ears even go?" Pidge asked.
Keith just uselessly meowed, shifting his head so that it was practically in her hand, his current dilemma of being tangled up in wires seemingly forgotten. Pidge just arched a brow- thus far she had avoided the temptation of petting him, on account of the fact that this was still Keith, and the idea of stroking one of her fellow paladins was just super weird to her. Besides, she was more of a dog person anyways.
But man, that ear was soft.
And well... he was kind of asking for it, wasn't he? Obviously he wanted to be stroked.
"Maybe just a little." Pidge muttered to absolutely no one.
Tentatively, she scratched Keith's ear, right where the base of it met his skull. She convinced herself that she was doing this for science- the fact that Keith could shift into this weird halfway form only added to the growing list of questions that she had about Shifters. All she was doing was trying to find out more.
Keith shut his eyes, purring loudly as his expression transformed into one of pure contentment. And if Pidge was going to be perfectly honest...
"Okay," Pidge softly conceded, "-maybe you're a little cute."
Keith peeked one eye open, tilting his head towards her questioningly, like he wanted to know why she had stopped. Glancing behind her, she checked to see if anyone was around, before she reached out, scratching the base of his ear some more. Delighted by this, Keith purred even louder, sounding like he had a little motor somewhere in his chest.
And Pidge? Pidge was not that strong.
By the time Shiro came to collect Keith for the next shift, she had her hands buried in his hair, and was scratching his head without hesitation.
"Uh, Pidge?" Shiro's voice snapped her back to reality, her cheeks turning a deep shade of crimson. "Is there any reason Keith's tangled up in wires?"
Snatching her hands back from his head, Pidge ignored Keith's yowls of protest, springing to her feet. "I was just- I was just getting around to freeing him!"
"I can see that." Shiro just arched a brow. "You do know he's going to remember all of this when he goes back to normal."
Pidge's flush deepened. "He is?"
Shiro just nodded.
Never before had she felt more tempted to just throw herself out the airlock. Giving into temptation and scratching Keith's head was one thing, but she'd called him cute.
And he was going to remember that.
"How about I just help you get Keith untangled, and we never talk about this again?" Shiro asked.
"Deal." Pidge said quickly.
Hunk, on the other hand, didn't hesitate to pet Keith at all.
He knew he probably should. Keith was completely out of his mind, so he should probably hesitate at least a little before taking advantage of that fact. But look- it had been way too long since he'd had something soft and fluffy to pet, and the realization that Keith had been Blackie all along had done nothing to quell his desire to pet said cat.
Only said cat no longer wanted anything to do with him.
He got it, he did. He'd been under the impression that Blackie- Keith- had been you know, a normal cat. But no, no, turned out he'd actually been one of his fellow cadets all along. And not just any cadet either! Nope, he was the same cadet that Lance had zeroed in on since like, day one and declared his rival. Which, honestly he knew he should be a little more weirded out by, but after a few days of flustered half-avoidance, he'd pretty much decided that he didn't actually care all that much.
Look, Hunk was a weak man. If he saw something soft and fluffy, he wanted to pet it. That was just how things went. It was the natural order of things!
But ever since he'd found out that Blackie wasn't Blackie, Keith was no longer inclined to let him pet him, not even a little. And Hunk? Hunk was never one to take animal rejection well. He'd mourned, complaining to Lance about it on more than a few occasions, even if all he got in return was an odd look from his friend.
Honestly, this whole space catnip thing? A blessing in disguise.
You know, for him. Probably not so much for Keith. And it wasn't that he didn't feel sorry for him, it was just...
...look, he could make as many excuses as he wanted, but at the end of the day, all Hunk wanted to do was pet a cat. Even if said cat wasn't really a cat. Even if said cat didn't look like a cat- or at least, didn't look all the way like a cat.
The baby talk was just habit.
"Who's a good kitty?" Hunk crooned, beaming as he dug his hands into Keith's incredibly fluffy hair. "It's you, that's who!"
Keith purred like a motorboat, an expression of pure contentment on his face. In Hunk's defense, he'd been the one to approach him first. And what was he, some kind of monster? He'd have to be if he was willing to deny a cat begging for scratches.
Pidge just stared at him blankly from her perch on the kitchen stool. She'd followed Keith and Shiro in here, though in reality she had probably been dragged here by Shiro so that she didn't end up skipping a meal again. She did that sometimes when she got too engrossed in her work. Usually Hunk would just bring food to her, but this worked too.
"You know he's going to remember all this once he's back to normal, right?" She asked.
"I've come to terms with that." Hunk said simply. "Trust me, it's worth it."
Pidge just arched a brow, the faintest of tint to her cheeks that suggested that maybe she had given into temptation too. "If you say so."
"I do." Hunk said. "Besides, this could be good for Keith. I mean, not the whole losing his marbles part-"
"-not to mention several IQ points." Pidge chimed in.
"-but I can't be the only one who's noticed how tense Keith has been lately. He's been super moody ever since the whole Ulaz thing." Hunk finished, largely ignoring Pidge's interruption. Cat Keith wasn't stupid, he just had a different kind of intelligence from normal Keith, that was all. The fact that his brain was responding to his feline instincts yet his body was still largely human probably didn't help matters much.
The extent to which it had adjusted was honestly fascinating. Shiro had managed to get him out of his armor and back into his day to day clothes somehow. Or well, close enough- there was no jacket because the stiff leather that it was made of wouldn't work well considering the fact that his arms had essentially altered their structure enough to serve as forelegs, and no boots because there was no way they would fit over his pseudo-paws. Which, by the way, were also covered in a thick layer of fluffy black fur. His pants were actually the Altean equivalent of sweatpants, to allow for the altered structure of his legs. So really, the only thing Keith was wearing that actually belonged to him was his shirt- and presumably his boxers.
(At least, Hunk hoped. Keith deserved some dignity.)
The running theory was that because this was space catnip, and not regular catnip, some of Keith's wires had gotten crossed. Hence the partial transformation instead of the full one that Shiro had said happened the last time Keith had been exposed to the regular, Earth-bound stuff.
"He does seem more relaxed now." Pidge admitted.
"That's what I'm saying." Hunk said. "Who knows? Maybe Coran can find a way to dilute this stuff. Could be good for him."
"Are you implying Keith needs to be drugged in order to relax?" Pidge asked.
"No!" Hunk protested, even though yeah, that was kind of what it sounded like. He couldn't deny that. "I'm just saying all that tension isn't good for a guy."
"Please," Pidge rolled her eyes, "-I'm pretty sure Keith thrives off of tension."
"Nobody thrives off tension, Pidge." Hunk said. "They just learn to live with it."
Pidge just frowned, looking unconvinced. It wasn't apparently a point she was willing to fight him on, which was fine by him. Instead, he turned his attention back to Keith, who was staring up at him with curious eyes, wondering why he'd stopped paying attention to him. As far as Hunk saw it, there had to be some kind of meaning in how attention-starved Keith was right now, and some reason that he had sought out affection in feline form back at the Garrison, before any of them knew the truth about their resident stray.
Maybe Keith was just lonely.
Then again, he didn't exactly know him well enough to say for sure. Maybe it didn't mean anything. Maybe it was just an effect of the pollen. Maybe Keith was perfectly fine with being alone most of the time. He didn't know, which was kind of the problem. None of them really knew Keith, even now that his big secret was out in the open.
Well, he guessed Shiro did. No one knew Keith better than Shiro did.
"How mad do you think Keith's going to be with us when this stuff wears off?" Pidge asked.
That, on the other hand, was a question Hunk had the answer to.
"Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if he avoids us for like, the next few days." Hunk admitted, humming a little as he scratched underneath Keith's chin. He had rolled off his back, and was now sitting up, a slightly more dignified posture even if he was sitting like a cat.
"And yet, you're still petting him." Pidge observed, arching a brow.
"Do as I say, Pidge, not as I do."
This, Lance thought, was the moment he had been waiting for.
He had been worried when he had been given the shift after Pidge and Hunk. What if the effects of the pollen wore off before then? Sure, he wanted it to wear off, but not until he had the chance to have a little fun with it. Fortunately, his worries were for naught, because Keith was still totally out of it.
Thankfully, Coran had known exactly what he was talking about when he'd asked for a laser pointer.
Whistling to catch Keith's attention, the drugged out werecat's ears perked right up. He had been curled up on one of the lounge sofas, one of his weird paw feet dangling over the edge. Someone, probably Hunk, had tied that ugly mullet of his back into a ponytail, but it was already starting to slip out of the hairband. According to Pidge, it was because Keith had just shoved his face into the bowl of food goo that Hunk had given him for lunch, though regrettably, she didn't have any pictures of the event.
That was okay. He was about to have more than enough fun to make up for it.
Pulling out the laser pointer, Lance smirked, switching it on. A blue dot- because apparently Alteans were just as attached to the color blue as the Galra were to the color purple- appeared where he aimed it, just a few inches shy of Keith's current resting place. Giving it a tentative wiggle, he watched as Keith's eyes followed the dot, the tip of his tail twitching slightly.
Once he was certain he had his attention, Lance jerked the dot away- and had to bite down on his tongue to keep himself from exploding into laughter when Keith leapt after it. Oh man, this was even better than he had expected. He couldn't even fight back the urge to snort as Keith moved one of his hands- paws? he was just going to call them paws- a perplexed expression on his face when he realized the dot was gone.
He didn't waste time moving it back into his line of view, Keith's ears perking up the second he noticed it. He watched it carefully this time, approaching it slowly. Lance had to hold back his laughter just to keep the dot as still as possible. He wished he'd had the forethought to record this, because Keith circling a tiny blue dot on the floor like it was some kind of prey animal was way funnier than it had any right to be.
When Keith pounced, Lance moved the dot away again, leaving the werecat to yowl in protest, chasing after it. He launched himself off the sofa, clambering over it in an attempt to follow it, even throwing himself up against the wall to try and grab it as Lance darted it upwards. Hovering it just beyond Keith's reach, Lance didn't even try to fight back his laughter as the pollen-addled werecat glowered up at it, all but stalking it as he moved it across the surface of the wall.
Oh man, this was priceless. He should call Pidge. Or maybe Hunk.
Definitely not Shiro though. In fact, he was pretty sure Shiro would just get mad at him.
Snickering, Lance brought the dot back down into Keith's range again. He wasted no time in swiping at it, growing more and more annoyed when he just couldn't seem to catch it. His tail was puffed out, and even the hair on his head seemed like it was raised up, having completely escaped from the hairband.
Wiggling the dot along the floor, he kept snickering to himself as Keith chased it. Which in hindsight, probably wasn't the best idea.
Keith was out of it, but apparently not so out of it that he didn't realize when he was being laughed at. Coming to an abrupt halt, Keith looked at him, then back at the blue dot. Making another experimental swipe at it, his frown deepened as he ended up with the same result. Tail twitching, he turned to look back at Lance again- which honestly, should have been a warning sign.
Lance maneuvered the laser pointer so that the dot was back in front of Keith again. Though his gaze briefly flicked downwards towards it, it otherwise stayed largely fixed on Lance- and at the gleaming silver device in his hands. Something in that pollen-addled brain had clicked, putting two and two together. A low growl picked up in the back of his throat, and it was only then that Lance realized something might be wrong.
If he couldn't catch his prey, then he'd have to settle for taking out the source.
"Uh, Keith, buddy?" Lance hesitantly began, recalling the way Keith had torn after him back in the jungle. "Everything okay there?"
Keith shifted slightly on his back feet- that was all the warning he got before he launched himself at Lance. A yelp escaped him as Keith slammed him to the floor, hissing lowly as he glowered down at him, his yellow eyes almost seeming to flash brighter...
...and then he carefully leaned down, plucked the laser pointer from Lance's hands with his mouth, and snapped what definitely wasn't a fragile device in two using his teeth. Spitting it out, Keith huffed, curling back up on the sofa like nothing had happened.
Lance lay there for several minutes, until he was absolutely certain Keith wouldn't try and bite his head off. The werecat watched him warily as he sat up, but made no move to do anything. His heart still pounding in his chest, Lance glanced over towards the remains of the laser pointer, already trying to think of a way to apologize to Coran for being unable to return it.
But honestly?
Worth it.
"Are you certain this was such a good idea, Coran?"
Allura kept a wary eye on Keith even as she turned her head towards her father's advisor. He was watching her just as warily, from the other side of the room. In fact, he hadn't stopped watching them ever since they had changed shifts with Lance.
Given Keith's earlier reaction to them, she had assumed that she and Coran would be left out of the watch arrangement that the paladins were setting up. In fact, she was quite certain that had been Shiro's initial intention, but Coran had gone ahead and volunteered the both of them regardless. Shiro had been about to turn them down, but Coran had insisted.
"Oh, it'll be fine!" Coran assured her. "We just need to give the lad a chance to get used to us."
Allura frowned, biting back a comment that he should be used to them already. It wasn't as if he had forgotten any of the paladins, so he likely had some idea as to who they were. Enough that he should be able to trust them, at least.
"If you say so." Allura said, sounding rather unconvinced. "That still does not explain why you had Shiro bring him to the bridge."
Though she had to admit, she found some small measure of amusement in the fact that Keith was currently glowering at them from the security of the red paladin's chair. Perhaps it simply smelled like him, or perhaps he had some vague recollection of his role as a paladin. He certainly had remembered where to find his quarters and how to get there, if not necessarily how to get inside. It was reassuring to know that should he slip away from them, he was unlikely to be able to get into any locked rooms and potentially put himself in danger.
He couldn't even figure out how to leave the bridge, though he had certainly tried. The look of betrayal on his face when Shiro had left him here with the two of them had nearly prompted her to open it for him, but she'd managed to restrain herself.
"Thought he'd be a bit more comfortable in an open space." Coran said. "Besides, if Earth cats behave anything like Altean cats, then the more you ignore them, the more curious they become about you."
"So what do you suggest?" Allura asked. "That we just work while he stares at us? We're supposed to be keeping an eye on him, not the other way around."
"Oh, I don't think he'll get into too much trouble here." Coran said.
Allura frowned, still unconvinced. But if Coran said so... well, she supposed she just had to trust him.
Glancing over towards Keith, he met her gaze. She had to admit, part of her was fascinated by the notion that there were humans out there who could shapeshift- it was such a rare trait! There weren't many races who were capable of such a feat, so it almost felt as if they had something in common even if the manner of their shapeshifting differed.
She couldn't deny that she'd always been... curious, about the paladin who had replaced her father. It still stung to think of it that way, but it was a reality that she knew she had to accept. Yet Keith had always remained distant- not just to her, but to the rest of the paladins as well. Like most of them, she had assumed he'd been simply attempting to safeguard his secret- though she failed to see how there could be an entire race of shapeshifters living on Earth in secret for so long- but he'd remained distant even after the truth came out.
She had made numerous attempts to speak with him, but most such attempts had been turned down or met with indifference. Perhaps then, she should not be so surprised that he was reacting to her this way- if this was a case of his more primal instincts taking hold, then maybe Keith had just never liked her to begin with.
She supposed she just had to accept that. Just because he was the new red paladin, didn't mean he had to like her. He seemed to tolerate her at any rate, so she supposed that was the most she could ask for.
Heaving a sigh, Allura tore her gaze away. At least Coran was right about one thing- it was unlikely Keith could get himself into too much trouble. Just to be on the safe side, she locked all other exits from the bridge- especially the one that lead to the red lion's hangar. While she doubted that Keith was in the condition to fly at the moment, she didn't want to risk it. It was impossible to say just what was going on in his head.
With that done, she returned to her work. She barely paid Keith any mind, assuming that Coran was keeping an eye on him, when a flash of something black caught her eye. Looking up, she noticed that Keith had left his chair, was now watching her from just beside it. His head was slightly tilted, though he looked no less wary than before.
Glancing over towards Coran, he merely pressed a finger to his lips, shaking his head. Frowning slightly, Allura cast the faintest of glances back Keith's way, before she resumed her work.
The next time she looked back towards Keith, nearly half a varga later, she almost yelped. He was much closer now, right at the edge of the control area. There was still a certain wariness to his gaze, but there was also a degree of curiosity to it. He tensed a little as their eyes met, but made no attempts to move away from her.
Shifting on her feet, Allura's gaze briefly flicked back towards Coran, who she was certain was only pretending to be too busy to notice. Looking back towards Keith, she decided to take a chance.
"...hello?"
Keith's ears perked up, but he didn't scamper away like she thought he would. He just... sat there and continued to stare at her. If she was going to be perfectly honest, it was a tad unnerving.
"Can I... can I help you with something?" Allura asked dumbly, knowing full well he couldn't understand her.
Keith tilted his head, drawing slightly closer- and then promptly leaned over and hacked up a hairball, right on her control station. Immediately afterwards, he scampered away, resuming his perch on his chair.
"Ah." Allura simply said, finding herself at a loss of words. "Coran!"
"Already on it, princess!"
Barring a few minor mishaps, the day had passed... well, maybe not smoothly, but it hadn't turned out to be a total disaster. Even if Keith had attempted to eat one of the mice, and then one of Pidge's caterpillars. He'd thankfully been convinced to spit them out both times, and now both groups of animals were giving the Shifter a wide berth.
It still could have gone worse. A lot worse.
By the time evening- or at least, evening as indicated by the Castleship's systems- rolled around, there hadn't been any signs of improvement. There hadn't been any indications that Keith was getting worse either, for which Shiro was grateful- but he couldn't shake the gnawing anxiety that maybe Coran was wrong, and that maybe this wouldn't wear off on its own. Granted, he had no proof of that, and it wasn't exactly so much a hunch as it was a paranoid fear, but...
A loud yowl of protest from Keith broke off that thought. He was staring up at him, his eyes transfixed on his hand- the hand that had stopped stroking his ear. Heaving a slight sigh, Shiro returned to doing just that. It was kind of funny- he couldn't actually remember Keith ever being quite so demanding about affection. Usually he tried to avoid it.
He tried not to read too much into it. None of them knew exactly what the full extent of the pollen's effects was on Keith, and they probably wouldn't until he snapped out of it. That said, knowing how Keith had reacted back when Adam had given him the catnip tea, he'd be surprised if he was willing to talk about it all- he'd never brought the incident back up after that.
He'd probably agree to a scan, but beyond that...
Keith yawned, dozing off again. Shiro yawned too, as if it was some kind of infection. In spite of his surprisingly relaxing mid-morning nap, he was exhausted. Today had taken a lot out of him.
"Okay," Shiro said, "-time for bed."
Keith blinked his eyes open, peering up at him with a frown as he got up. Ruffling his hair, Shiro yawned again, pausing to stretch. Surely Keith would be just fine if he left him in his room overnight.
Although... looking around, Shiro frowned. When he'd changed Keith out of his armor and into more comfortable clothes, he'd left his belt lying on the table, seeing as it would just get in the way of his tail. He'd noticed then that his knife wasn't in its usual place in its sheath, but he hadn't been able to find it. He wasn't sure he liked the idea of leaving Keith alone in here with it.
"Keith, where's-?" Shiro absently began, before looking down at Keith. Shoulders slumping, he huffed slightly. "Right. You probably wouldn't know."
He didn't exactly like the idea of snooping around his room, but...
Well, he couldn't let Keith get hurt.
Poking through Keith's things, Shiro frowned, wondering where he'd hidden the knife- and for that matter, why he'd hidden it. Usually Keith brought it everywhere he went, even on missions. But it hadn't been in its usual hiding place when he'd checked his armor earlier, which meant it had to be somewhere in the room. He knew Keith trained with it sometimes, but it wasn't like him to just leave it behind on the training deck. Whatever the knife was, it seemed important to him.
He was just about to check underneath Keith's pillow when the Shifter crossed the room in a flash. Firmly placing one of his pawed hands on it, he hissed at him, his ears pinned back, the fur on his tail puffed up. Jerking his hand back, Shiro reflexively took a step back, holding up his hands so that Keith could see them.
Guess he'd found the knife.
"It's okay," Shiro slowly began, "-I promise I'll give it back."
Keith just continued to hiss, watching him warily. He clearly didn't want him to take the knife, and somehow, Shiro didn't think that this was a fight he could win. He would just have to think of another approach. Could he lure Keith out of the room and take it then? Probably, but the idea didn't sit well with him. It just felt like he would be taking advantage of Keith's... somewhat limited facilities.
Maybe it would just be easier to settle him down for the night somewhere else. Safer, too.
"Alright, you win." Shiro conceded. "I promise I won't take the knife."
Keith's hissing died back a bit, leaving Shiro to wonder if he'd actually understood him this time. Maybe that was a sign that his condition was starting to improve- or maybe there was just something in his tone that Keith was able to pick up on. He didn't know.
What he did know was that he had an idea.
"Wow, never thought I'd see the day where you called us all over for a sleepover."
Shiro cracked a faint smile at Lance, the blue paladin already making himself comfortable on one of the lounge's couches. "Believe it or not, I've been known to have fun on occasions too."
Lance flushed. "I didn't mean-!"
"He's just teasing you, Lance." Pidge observed, fluffing up her pillow a little before she slumped back on it, her laptop resting against her knees. "You shouldn't take him seriously."
"How was I supposed to know Shiro had a sense of humor?" Lance grumbled- but it was clear it was something of a joke.
"It's okay, I get it." Shiro said, holding up his hands. "I'm an old man, nobody expects me to be making jokes."
"Practically a geezer." Pidge agreed.
Shiro just huffed slightly, taking a spot on the floor near Hunk, but leaving some room in between them. Patting the floor, he looked over towards Keith, who had been watching them all curiously from just beyond the ring of couches.
"Well don't just sit there," Shiro said, "-come on."
Ears perking up, Keith slowly approached the group. He was warier than he expected, though the bulk of his gaze was directed towards Lance. Based on how frazzled he'd looked when he'd come to collect Keith from him, it wasn't hard to guess that the blue paladin had attempted something... ill-advised, to say the least. He just hadn't asked what.
Wedging himself between Shiro and Hunk, Keith pawed at the blankets that the yellow paladin had laid out. There was a pillow too, but he largely ignored it, instead focusing on kneading the sheets, an intent expression his face.
"Aw," Hunk squealed, not even attempting to hide his delight, "-he's making biscuits!"
Lance just snorted. "I can't believe it took mullet getting drugged out of his mind for us to have a group sleepover."
"Says the person who let him get drugged out of his mind." Pidge observed.
"Uh, I didn't let him." Lance said. "I'll have you know I saved his life."
"And we're very grateful for that." Shiro said honestly. "I'm sure Keith is too."
"I'm not even sure he noticed." Lance rolled his eyes. "Heck, I'm pretty sure the only thing he cared about was that stupid flower that was the source of all this. I am so never going back to that planet."
Yawning, Keith circled once, before he curled up on the blankets. His tail twitched a bit, before it settled down too, curled up around him. He was asleep within seconds.
"Wow," Hunk observed, his voice soft, "-guess he must be tired."
"How can he be tired?" Lance asked. "He's been napping like, all day."
"He's a cat." Hunk observed. "Cats sleep a lot."
"He's not a cat, Hunk." Pidge said. "I mean, he is, but he's not a real cat. Except when he is, I guess, but even then-"
Huffing slightly, she scowled at the sleeping Shifter. "This would all be a lot easier if he had just answered my questions in the first place."
"We talked about this." Shiro said, glancing up at her with a warning look. He knew she meant well, but sometimes her curiosity meant that she could get a bit carried away. "If Keith doesn't feel comfortable answering questions, he doesn't have to."
"I know." Pidge grumbled. "But it's still frustrating. There's so much I want to know."
"And it's okay to feel frustrated." Shiro told her. "But from now on, maybe you should let Keith come to you."
"Yeah, good luck with that." Lance huffed. "Keith's elevated being enigmatic into an art form."
Shiro frowned slightly. He wanted to dispute that, but Lance did sort of have a point. Even he had to admit that Keith had been keeping his distance from the other paladins a little more than he liked. He'd assumed he was just getting used to them, but maybe he should have a word with him about it in the future.
"I think he's just shy." Hunk said.
"Not the word I would have picked, but okay." Lance said, arching a brow.
"I mean... he's a cat, right?" Hunk asked. "Cats aren't like dogs."
"An astute observation." Pidge said.
Hunk just huffed slightly, giving the green paladin a slight look before he continued on as if he hadn't been interrupted. "They're social, but they're social in their own way. I'm pretty sure if Keith hated us, he would have avoided us all today and just stuck to Shiro."
"Hunk's right." Shiro said, giving the yellow paladin a small smile. "Keith's not... he's not great at expressing himself. I do think he wants to get to know the three of you better," and Allura and Coran, who had declined his invitation, perhaps wisely, "-but he just doesn't know how to go about it. You have to understand, he's spent most of his life having to hide who he is. Aside from Adam and myself, he's never had anyone to confide in."
Pidge frowned, her brows knitting together. "What about his parents? Can't he confide in them?"
Shiro stiffened. He hadn't realized up until that point that the other paladins might not know Keith was an orphan. He'd thought...
"Keith doesn't-" Shiro stopped himself short, because he did have family. He had him- plus Adam, who he was sure had kept looking after Keith even after their breakup.
"Wait," Hunk began slowly, seeming to catch his drift, "-is Keith an orphan?"
A hushed silence fell over the room. Ironically, the only one who seemed unperturbed by it was the person in question, who was still fast asleep.
"His father died when he was young." Shiro said. "I don't know a lot about his mother, other than that she's never really been in the picture. He was in the foster system for years before Adam and I became his unofficial guardians."
"Oh," Lance whispered, staring down at the floor, "-I didn't... I didn't know."
"Yeah, I thought-" Hunk began, staring down at Keith's sleeping form. "I guess that explains why he doesn't know much about Shifters."
Pidge frowned, staring down at her laptop, her fingers frozen in place. Behind the glint of her glasses, he could make out an expression of guilt. "It didn't occur to me that he just didn't know."
"It's not something he likes to talk about." Shiro said. "Just give him time. I'm sure he'll come around."
"Yeah," Lance slowly began, "-yeah, I guess maybe we should."
In his sleep, Keith purred.
Yawning, Keith slowly blinked awake. He didn't remember falling asleep, but he felt better than he had in days, ever since they'd met Ulaz. He hadn't been sleeping well lately, his nights plagued with bad dreams. But for once, he actually felt refreshed, if not slightly cramped. His bed seemed a little harder than he remembered it...
Something clicked, and his memories came back with a jolt, his eyes snapping open. He had been on a mission with Lance, when they had been ambushed by one of the creatures that Coran had warned them about. He'd taken a hit, and then...
Unfortunately, the rest of his memories came back just as quickly. Now fully awake, Keith jerked up into an awkward sitting position, his brain wanting to do one thing while his body wanted to do another. It took him a second to realize that his joints had all shifted, even as he stared down at one of his own paw-like hands. Memories kept coming back without mercy, causing him to turn a bright shade of crimson, as he recalled breathing in the pollen and the exact effect it had had on him.
And he thought drinking catnip tea had been embarrassing.
Face still bright red, he drew in a breath, trying to steady himself. First he had to shift- either back into a human, or all the way into a cat, but for a second, his thoughts were too scrambled to figure out which would be better. He didn't know what was more embarrassing- getting tangled up in wires, or chasing after a laser pointer, or the fact that he had bent over backwards for affection- when he wasn't hacking up hairballs in front of Allura or trying to eat one of her mice.
He'd done all of that. Oh god.
Forget shifting, right now he just wanted to slink off somewhere and die.
"Keith?" Shiro's tired voice broke his thoughts, the black paladin cracking one eye open. "What's wrong?"
Opening his mouth to reply, he didn't get the chance. Shiro propped himself up on his elbows, pushing himself up into a sitting position. The lounge was dark, dark enough that it probably hide both his flustered expression and the redness of his cheeks.
"Hey, bud." Shiro smiled softly at him, absently reaching out to scratch underneath his chin. "It's still pretty early. Why don't we go back to sleep?"
Ducking his head, Keith quickly realized that Shiro hadn't realized he was back in his right mind. Seized with embarrassment, all Keith could do was meekly lie back down, unable to confess that the pollen's effects had worn off, and he was back in complete control of himself.
Shiro just hummed softly, stroking his head. To Keith's further embarrassment, he heard himself purr in response, enjoying the sensation. It had been awhile since he'd had anyone pet him, not since Adam's occasional scratches...
Except that wasn't actually true, since he had been pet a lot today. All of which he had shamelessly asked for. Still, this wasn't... this wasn't that bad, he caught himself thinking, almost leaning into it. Maybe the pollen hadn't worn off as completely as he'd thought.
His thoughts did feel a little bit scrambled still. He'd apparently been under the impression that something was wrong, even while under the effects of the pollen, but he'd just thought it was the fact that his body was bigger than he was used to. Now he knew it was because his feline instincts were leading him around by the nose, and they were still sort of trying to convince his human brain that they were in charge. He wasn't too worried- it was just a lingering effect, nothing more.
In fact, he was almost positive that come morning, he'd be completely back to normal. Which couldn't come soon enough, he thought, reflecting back on the day's events. Burying his face in his blankets, Keith shut his eyes, wondering if it would be better for him to just pretend he'd gone back to sleep.
Shiro smiled, lying back down next to him. Hunk was curled up on his other side, and Pidge and Lance were fast asleep on either side of the couch. There was something about the sound of their breathing that was almost calming, and before he knew it, he felt the held tension in his body wash out.
Maybe... maybe it would be okay to stay like this for just a little longer. It had been awhile since he'd gotten a full night's sleep... who was to say he'd get another chance? Ulaz had raised so many questions, questions that he wasn't sure he even wanted the answers to, even if some part of him knew he needed them.
"Oh," unbidden, the voice of his distant cousin, name long forgotten if he'd ever known it, came back to him, "-you're the freak."
Just a little while longer, Keith thought to himself, curling back up.
He still woke before anyone else, fully shifting all the way into a cat and scampering off. It took a full week for Shiro to coax him out of the vents. If it hadn't been for the distress call on Olkarion, he probably would have stayed in them longer.
And then, of course, there just wasn't any time left to hide. Not from the paladins- or from the truth.