Chapter Three

Keith and Shiro spent the morning setting up the bakery/cafe: Cozy Corner and Shiro teasing Keith mercilessly. Despite being tired and the constant heckling from Shiro, Keith was enjoying his morning.

The smell of baked treats and sweet warm drinks filled the building as Keith counted the money in the till. He was closing the till when he heard the front bell jingle signaling that someone had entered.

This confused Keith as he checked the time… 7:35 am. The Cozy Corner didn't open for another 25 minutes at least. Keith looked towards the door and froze.

"Sorry I'm late! I know you wanted me here early because Allura can't come in due to nausea, but you won't believe what….." Lance looked over to the till and stopped gushing. His smile broadening at the sight of a frozen Keith behind the counter.

Keith wheeled around and stormed into the kitchen where he found Shiro kneading the dough for today's bread. He grabbed his brothers arm and dragged him to face him.

Taking a shaky breath he tried speaking evenly. "Why is Lance in the store saying that you expected to see him?"

Shiro knit his brows in confusion for a moment before he began questioning Keith. "How do you know Lance?"

"I met him at the bar last night and talked….a lot." Keith answered looking awkwardly away to the dough on the counter.

Shiro shot his brows up in surprise at Keith's uncharacteristic honesty. Keith blushed hard realizing what he he had just said. Covering his face in his hands. And backing away slowly bumping into something big and solid. Keith stiffened and froze in horror. He did not need to look behind him to know what, or rather who he just backed into.

Lance stood there grinning down at the small figure tensely pressed against him. Lance just couldn't get over how adorable Keith was being. He had almost forgotten about Shiro standing in front of him watching the two men in both amusement and shock.

Shiro cleared his throat to get there attention. "Well I think I can handle everything for one day by myself. Lance why don't you show Keith the local college and town?"

Keith and Lance began to protest leaving Shiro alone with all the customers, however Shiro wasn't having it pushing the others out the shop.

"If Keith is going to make an opinion on the local college I want him to see it with a current student." Shiro sternly told them. "Besides I would rather Keith transfer then drop out of college."

"I'm not dropping out of school!" Keith protested.

"Then you can transfer. Allura and I are going to need your help with the baby." Shiro countered closing the front door on them.

Lance glanced at the violet eyed beauty standing beside him. "So how do you know Shiro?" Lance asked casually.

"Wha….?" Keith looked up into the deep azure eyes studying him. Keith's breath caught for a moment and he looked away.

Lance eyed Keith with and approving stare. Keith had begun to blush again, a dark rosy color covering his pale cheeks.

"He's my cousin." Keith answered flatly.

"Oh so your the little brother Shiro's so proud of!" Lance squealed like a teenage girl. Lance grabbed Keith's hand and began walking down the street away from Cozy Corner.

After a moment of being dragged, Keith unconsciously laced their fingers together with Lance's. Lance however had noticed and began to blush ever so slightly.

After walking for quite some time Keith decided to question Lance on where they were going. Only to be shut down with vague answers. They continued to walk until they were outside what appeared to be an old run down fire house.

"Why are we at the fire station?" Keith inquired.

Lance looked back at him with an amused and cocky smile. "It's not a fire station anymore it's my friend's house it's been converted." Lance laughed pulling Keith through the side door into what appeared to be a small kitchen.

"Hey Hunk!? You decent!?" Lance called out. Closing the door behind them.

Keith felt more than heard the movement of the person Lance had called Hunk as he made himself decent and rushed into the kitchen. "What the hell Lance? Do you even know what time it is?"

Keith watched as the two friends bickered a bit about the unexpected arrival. As they settled in their arguing Keith remembered that he was still holding Lance's hand, and intimately at that. Quickly but gently Keith pulled his hand from Lance's grip. This earned Keith a sad glance from Lance.

Hunk turned to Keith knit brow as if he had just noticed that Keith was standing there. It quickly faded into a warm welcoming smile. "Oh I'm so sorry! Where are my manners? My name's Hunk and welcome to my home." Hunk glanced at Lance and smiled knowingly. "Would you like breakfast?"

Lance perked up at the mention of food. Lance placed a long arm around Keith's shoulders and pulled the smaller close to his side. "Definitely!" Lance turned to Keith. "Hunk's cooking is the best!"

Hunk blushed at the compliment. And turned to start breakfast. It was then Keith saw her. At first he thought it was Matt standing in the archway on the other side of the room. But the person standing there was definitely female and definitely shorter.

Lance noticed as Keith stiffened under his arm, following Keith's gaze to where pidge stood. "Hey Pidgeon. Did you enjoy your night?" Lance winked at the bemused woman.

She was shorter than Keith by at least a foot and a half. Her strawberry blonde hair fell over her shoulders in a tumbled mess of bed head. She was identical to Matt Holt in almost every way except the eyes hers were a vibrant green. Matt's we're a baby blue.

Lance jolted Keith from his thoughts with a squeeze to Keith's hip. When had Lance moved his arm to Keith's waist? And why did it feel so natural and warm?

"Um…" Keith wasn't sure what to say he had zoned out of the conversation.

Lance chuckled. His laugh soft and warm sent chills down Keith's spine. "I said this is my other best friend Katie Holt. She and Hunk are bunnies together."

Keith panicked again. Was she in any way related to Matt? Keith feared that answer but he had to know. "Any relationship to a Matt Holt?" The words had left his mouth before he could stop them.

Katie frowned at Keith her warm smile disappeared. Keith wasn't sure what to make of that. Lance stepped in before it got awkward though. "How do you know the asshat?"

Keith didn't want to divulge the whole situation to anyone, however the glare on Katie's face deemed the story of the previous day necessary if he was going to escape her wrath.

It had taken all of 10 minutes to rehash all the sordid details of his catastrophic day prior. By the end of Keith's awkward tale Lance was noticeably hurt but still did not move away from Keith, Hunk had a thoughtful expression as he finished up another omelette, and Katie looked as though she was sorry.

Keith shifted under the many gazes all directed at him. He really didn't like this sort of attention. It made him nervous.

Katie was the first to speak. "I'm sorry. My brother has always been an ass especially after his crush married someone else."

Lance quickly shushed the small girl. Keith wasn't sure why though. Clearly Lance was trying to keep who these people were from Keith. But why?

"So are you ever going to properly introduce him to us Lance? Or are we just going to ignore the fact we haven't been given a name?" Hunk set breakfast down on the kitchen island as he spoke.

"Keith, my name is Keith Kogane." Keith blushed realizing the simple mistake and beating his inner self up over it.

Katie looked as though something big had just dawned on her. "Oh my God! Your Shiro's kid brother!!"

The reaction to his name was confusing for Keith. Katie just waved off the confusion and continued on. "Call me Pidge! Everyone does!"

"Foods ready!" Hunk stated as they gathered around the island to eat.

Lance had been modest when he had said Hunk could cook. Hunk was a genius in a kitchen. However Keith was having a hard time enjoying the meal. Pidge was staring intently at Keith over large rimmed glasses, which Keith wasn't sure was a good thing or a bad thing.

"So why aren't you at work Lance?" Hunk inquired after a few moments of silence.

"Shiro kicked us out and told me to take Keith out for of the college." Lance replied enthusiastically.

Pidge turned her attention onto Lance. "Is he thinking about transferring because of what asswipe did?"

"No! Shiro wants me close to help with Cozy Corner and the baby!" Keith interjected rapidly trying to steer the conversation away from Matt.

"ALLURA'S PREGNANT!?!?" Both Hunk and Pidge bellowed towards an unsuspecting Keith.

"...ye..s?" Keith responded nervously.

Lance couldn't contain the laughter that he was trying to smother. Watching as his friends interrogated the very nervous Keith.