Summer was pretty uneventful. Keith got his Garrison costume, and participated in a few tours so that he could learn to navigate about the building. He was assigned an engineer and communications officer named Jeff and Ginger.
Shiro was busy preparing for the new school year. After all, he was an overseer in many of the simulators, understanding what appealed to the children and making nearly everything exciting.
Despite his busy schedule, at least once a week he was able to escort Keith out, though it was mostly so Keith would know he wasn't alone in the large world. They hardly ever talked heart-to-heart, and would often times drive out to the edge of the desert to gaze out over the landscape.
It was one of these times when Shiro had a bright idea, taking Keith to the Garrison's parking garage.
"Keith." Shiro told him, tossing him some safety goggles. "Put these on."
"What for?" Asked the boy as he strapped them on.
"Racing." Shiro told him, putting on his own goggles. "Oh, yeah, your goggles might need to be adjusted."
"Okay…" Keith frowned, managing to make them fit without Shiro's helping hand. "Racing what?"
Shiro pointed to the hover bike behind Keith, tossing him the keys. "Let's go, huh?"
"Isn't this Adam's?" Keith asked, swinging one leg over it as he started it up.
"Indeed it is." Shiro smiled. "He said you can borrow it, just as long as you don't steal it."
Keith chuckled lightly as Shiro swung himself onto his own bike, starting it up in a flourish.
"Let's go." He smiled, chucking a small pebble at a button on the wall. Upon impact, the doors to the hanger opened up, and both speeders rushed out into the sunlight.
Shiro easily sped ahead, giving Keith a confident smirk as he stayed in the lead, the younger boy rolling his eyes fondly.
They stayed like that for a while; Shiro in the lead, Keith in the rear.
Shiro spared him a glance, surprise flashing across his gaze as Keith suddenly sped up, passing him.
The boy turned the speeder onto its side, narrowly missed clipping it's thrusters on two rocks. The move slowed him down just slightly, and Shiro passed him once more, chuckling.
Keith snarled, still smiling, however.
Shiro jumped off the cliff he had been on onto a cliff parallel the first one. Keith followed in suit, suddenly slowing his speeder down immensely when he saw that another cliff was approaching, one that would go straight down. Shiro, however, let his speeder go down the cliff, pulling up with practiced ease and rocketing off. After another mile, Shiro glanced behind him, surprised when he found Keith missing. Slowing to a stop, he glancing behind him, expecting Keith to fly out of nowhere and catch him off guard. As it was, Keith didn't putter up to him for another half-hour, a happy, yet tired, smile pasted on his face. "Ha, ha. Okay, you win. I'll get you next time, old timer."
"I don't doubt it." Shiro agreed as Keith hoped off of the speeder to the ground next to him.
"How were you able to do that dive?" Keith inquired.
"It's all about timing." As Shiro explained, he could see Keith's smile drop. From lack of interest or because he was thinking, Shiro couldn't tell.
"Do you think I'm ready for that?" Keith inquired, raising his eyebrows.
"What do you think?" Shiro responded evenly, crossing his arms.
Keith thought for a moment, then slowly smiled. "I think I should be patient…and just focus on the basics."
"Ooh, somebody's learning." Shiro chuckled, turning his attention to the sunset. "You grew up out here, right?" Shiro asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yep." Keith nodded. Then, slightly more quietly, added, "just me and my Pop."
"He was a…fireman, right?" Shiro questioned, positive he knew what the response was going to be.
"He was a real hero." Keith murmured, slumping as his eyes drifted to the ground. "Everyone told him not to go into the building…but nobody could tell him anything."
"Sounds like someone I know." Shiro smiled, trying to make lightheartedness of the situation. Suddenly, his wrist device beeped, and he froze, glancing at it. He must have overtaxed his muscles.
"What's that?"
"Oh," Shiro quickly thought up an excuse. "It's just something to keep my muscles loose." It wasn't exactly a lie. He just bent the truth, which he knew wasn't good, but this was for Keith's own good. He swung into his speeder, avoiding looking Keith in the eye.
"Why? Is there something wrong with your muscles?" Keith asked, suddenly worried.
"No. It's just something that happens when you get to be an old timer." Shiro jokingly shrugged, starting up the speeder. He couldn't tell him now, not when Keith just talked about his own father dying. He would be heartbroken.
The look that Keith gave him, so full of sadness and doubt, just about crushed Shiro's soul.
Keith crossed over to the other bike, fishing the keys out of his pocket as he plugged them into the ignition lock. There was still a look of sorrow in his face when they started, and Shiro knew he suspected something.