Characters: Lance, Hunk, and Keith
Summary: Keith can't talk because Shiro disappeared. A bonding moment results.
Pairing: None
Theories: Keith and Shiro are siblings. Keith is autistic.
Warnings: None
Notes: Keith notes that he didn't speak until a certain age, but whether his recollection is accurate or not is questionable.
12. Maple – Pancakes
"I want pancakes." Lance's chin rested on the table. Keith sat nearby, leaning back in his chair, his mouth drawn into a frown. His legs were crossed, his eyes watching everyone. "Make pancakes Hunk. Make everything better."
"Well…" The yellow paladin's voice was slow, unsure. He glanced over at Allura, who sulked at the end of the table. "Is it okay. I mean, what with…"
"Just do it. We need something to get our minds off the fact Shiro's gone. And we need to eat." The princess stood up. "I'll go check on Pidge."
"Keith, help me out?"
The red paladin's eyes blinked, his legs plopping to the ground so he could stand up and follow Hunk into the kitchen. Lance pushed himself up, only for Hunk to hold out his hand. "Nope. You're the one who asked for the pancakes."
Keith blinked a couple of times, wondering why Hunk wasn't letting Lance into the kitchen. He glanced away when the blue paladin glared at him, but still followed the yellow paladin into the kitchen. His mouth opened to say something, anything, and yet no words came out. Every so often in his life, he'd lost the ability to speak, as what he wanted to say simply wouldn't come out. Shiro disappearing triggered that response.
"So, have you ever made pancakes before?"
The red paladin turned to look at Hunk, his mouth opening, but not words coming out. Keith clammed up, the corners of his mouth twisting in frustration, his eyes darting down to the ground. He didn't see the look of worry on Hunk's face. The other teen sighed, getting out his supplies.
"So, for pancakes you, of course, need flour. I've found this works well as baking powder, whatever it is. We got milk from our cow, thanks to Lance. A sugar substance, and butter. I've started the ship making butter from the milk to. It does the work for me, so it's not as good as hand churned, but it's still something I can use."
Keith shuffled from one foot to another, continuing to frown, unable to speak.
"Sorry. I was probably boring you there." Hunk pulled out a strange syrupy type of substance. "I've been working on perfecting my maple syrup substitute, and I think I've gotten just the right consistency."
"And I'm here because…"
"I want you to try it." Hunk dipped his finger into the syrup. "I want you to be first to try pancakes other than me? Is that okay?"
Keith opened his mouth to say something even though he knew no words would come out, only for the yellow paladin to shove his finger in. The substance on Hunk's finger tasted sweet, but the action also caught him off guard.
The yellow paladin pulled his finger away. "So?"
He tried opening his mouth to say something, but couldn't.
"Does it taste like maple syrup."
"That's not something I would know, as I've never had pancakes before." Keith's mouth pushed together, frustrated.
"It… did it taste bad? I'll just toss it then." Hunk turned, only for the red paladin to grab his sleeve. The yellow paladin paused. "Keith, are you okay."
He tried opening his mouth, but nothing came out.
"Hold on."
Keith didn't know what Hunk was doing until a small handheld computer was shoved in front.
"Well, this help."
He took the device and typed. Turning it to Hunk, he held it up. "Yes."
"I knew Shiro disappearing like he did upset you, but I didn't realize it was this bad. Has this happened before?"
Keith pointed at his previous answer.
"I see. Let's change the subject away from Shiro then. Did the syrup taste like maple syrup?"
The red paladin's fingers moved, then turned the device back to hunk. "Don't know."
"You've never had pancakes and syrup before."
Keith attempted to write the answer in, but he found himself unable to type more than an "n". His hands began to tremble.
"Keith?"
His throat tightened. He couldn't type either, a memory popping into his head.
"What's the matter?"
"Promise…" The word came out unexpectedly.
"Wh…"
"Shiro promised."
"Shiro promised you something?"
Keith turned the device and pointed at the screen.
"So, I'm going to assume that's a yes answer instead of a don't know answer. I am so sorry. I didn't mean to, I mean…"
He started typing again. "You didn't know."
"Can I ask what the promise was exactly?"
His fingers typed, as typing was easier even though he'd managed to briefly speak. He turned the device so Hunk could see. "He promised we'd go for pancakes after he got back from the Kerberos mission."
"You two were close. I mean, everybody at the garrison assumed as much, as Shiro was the only person you ever talked to."
Keith pointed at the screen.
"Yeah, the yes is gone now. And no! You don't need to type yes for me!" Hunk lifted his hands up. "It was really weird you know. Everyone thought you were stuck up because you only ever talked to him."
The red paladin frowned. "I don't understand."
"Well, because, you know, you talked to him because he was also an ace pilot, and everyone else was below you or something."
Keith tapped his finger against the screen.
"What's confusing about that?"
"Why?"
"Why? I'm not sure what you're asking."
Keith took a deep breath. "Why did they think that?"
"Why? Well, you only ever talked to Shiro."
"So?"
"You don't think that's weird?"
"No." A word finally came out, but he found himself moving from one foot to another."
"Dude. You made friends with Shiro, but nobody else."
"No."
"You're saying there's a different explanation."
"Family."
"That…" Hunk frowned. "Wait. You and Shiro are a family?"
"I thought people knew. He's my nii-chan."
"So, your older brother."
"Sort of."
"Keith, what does that mean. And you two don't have the same last name. Why?"
"I don't know."
"I'll assume that you're saying you don't know why you have the last name, but what do you mean by sort of?"
He took a deep breath. "Complicated. He's like a brother."
"That's kind of mean."
"Why?"
"Well, do you think Shiro likes you saying he's like a brother instead of is your brother?"
"He doesn't care as long as I don't say he's like a mother to me."
"Um… you actually told Shiro he's like your mom? Not that I see a problem with that." Hunk's mouth twitched.
"I know! I don't know why he was upset with me for saying that whenever I was younger. He is like a mom, just like he's like a dad."
"Oh. Well, I get that. It's still not a good idea to say he's like your brother to people."
"Why?"
"Well, because he is your brother?"
"Is he?"
"And what's that supposed to mean?'
Keith's mouth twisted in frustration. "His father randomly finding me in the desert when my mother abandoned me honestly feels a lot better than my mother stealing his dad away from his mom."
Hunk took the phone, reading the words carefully.
"I'm bored. Are you sure I can't help make pancakes?" Lance came in. "What are you guys doing?" His fingers plucked the device from Hunk's hands. Keith tried saying something, but couldn't. "What? If you want to say something Keith, just speak up. And Hunk, why are you looking up recipies when we've got no connection…" There was a pause, and then Lance slowly spoke up. "What… the… Quiznack…"
"Um… I can explain." Hunk took a deep breath.
"What's with this morbid story you guys are writing. Why are you writing it?" Lance thumbed up the screen to read the previous messages "I mean, some kid getting abandoned in the desert, or one's dad cheating…" His mouth twisted into a frown. "And what's with this calling of someone like a mom and dad? That's just creepy. And yeah, I wouldn't want to be called a mom either."
Keith felt like he just died inside. He also didn't have the hand held the device to voice the fact either.
Lance's eye twitched. "Keith…"
He let out a squeak, unable to speak.
"Exactly what creepy, inappropriate thing were you doing, and on Hunk's phone?"
The color drained from his face as Hunk stammered. "It's not what you think. You missed my half of the conversation."
"Half…" Lance now glared at the red paladin. "Keith!"
His hands shot up, waving, no words coming out.
"Yeah. What the quiznack are you doing?"
Keith held out his hand for the device.
"No, I'm not going to give this to you!"
Keith cleared his throat.
"No!" Lance flipped through the rest of the messages. Suddenly, the blue paladin's eye twitched. "Quiznack."
"Lance…"
"Don't Lance me. Keith's got this creepy brother fetish based crush on Shiro, and you're fine with that."
Keith facepalmed, hard.
Lance blinked. "What's your problem? I knew you were attached to Shiro, but wanting to make out with him."
The red paladin's eyes blinked, and he looked at Hunk. The yellow paladin sighed. "Yeah, Keith's struggling to talk right now, so if you want to understand him, you need to hand that over."
"I don't want to know. And honestly, don't take this as me hitting on you, you perve." Lance's calloused hand reached up, touching Keith's forehead. "You don't have a fever, so…"
Keith socked Lance one in the jaw, making him drop the device. He picked it up. The blue paladin groaned. "What's that for?"
"For calling me a perve. Why did you do that?"
"Because I don't want you transferring your sick attachment from Shiro onto me. That's why!"
He typed, angry now. "My attachment to Shiro isn't sick! He said so!"
"Yeah right. You want to make out with him."
"What the quiznack does make out mean!"
Lance's eye twitched. "Wait. You've got to be kidding me. You don't know what that means?"
"Shiro never explained."
"Why would Shiro need to explain that to you!"
"Because he explains everything to me!"
"Why the hell is he explaining everything to you! Are you some kind of little kid!"
"Just because I need my older brother to explain things to me doesn't mean I'm a little kid! What does it mean?"
"Oh quiznack."
Keith swallowed. "Lance!"
"Please, please forget what I said!"
The red paladin frowned. "
"Use the keypad, Keith."
"I hate you. You're always mean to me!
Lance's eye twitched. "I'm sorry, okay. You don't need to act like I'm always mean to you."
"Isn't he?"
Hunk's eyes blinked. "Um, well… I'm kind of at lost as to why you think that?"
"He's always making fun of me, always putting me down and blaming things on me, just like everyone else does. He has his own family, but he wants to steal Shiro. He's always comparing me to Shiro, trying to make me feel like I'm not good enough to be Shiro's brother, but he rubs in every single time I mess up. Doesn't he know how lucky he is."
"I don't know. Why do you think Lance is lucky?"
"His family wants him. He always meets his expectations, yet he always complained about how mean they were for encouraging him to do something other than becoming a pilot. He's like, 'oh, they don't have a problem with me being a pilot, but', then complains, and complains."
"Yeah, but Lance isn't very good at the Garrison stuff."
"So? He's fine the way he is, and he's stupid for not realizing that. He doesn't know what it's like for everyone to want you to be something you're not. But the way he takes his family for granted isn't fair. Not when he wants to take Shiro despite the fact I keep losing him."
Lance's curiosity got the better of him, and he took the device. "Hold on. I don't get it. That's not fair. You don't know what it's like to struggle with anything. It all comes to you so naturally."
"It…" Keith took a deep breath, typing into the computer. "It doesn't."
"Come on. Give me an example."
"I'm currently unable to speak verbally."
"Yeah, but that's just all in your head."
"Was me not being able to speak until I was eight in my head?"
"That's ridiculous."
"You don't know what it's like being me!"
"Well, how could I. You've only ever cared about getting close to…" Lance took a deep breath. "Oh man. I am so sorry. I really didn't."
"I don't understand."
"Yeah. Be glad he doesn't know what you were attempting to say, Lance."
"Yeah, but he's an ace pilot. He was supposed to be the next Shiro."
"It… it doesn't. I mean…" Keith took a deep breath. "It's not worth it."
"What's not worth it."
"Being super good at something. I'd give all of it up to have what you have."
"Let me guess. A family that loves you?"
"Why do you have to be so mean?"
"I was not! I was saying that's what you're jealous of, not trying to…"
"I am jealous, and you knew full well I didn't have parents. Not just that though. I'd give it all up to be able to make friends like you do. Like you both do."
Lance frowned, then turned to Hunk. "How about we make pancakes?" Keith froze, frustrated that the blue paladin didn't get it. "Because that's what friends do. They do things together, among other things. I know that I'll never be a great pilot like you, but I can teach you what it's like to have a friend, but also be one."
"W…"
"You don't have to talk."
"I don't understand. You never wanted to be my friend."
"That's not true."
"But, you're always cutting me down, telling me we're rivals."
"Glad to see you're talking. We're rivals because we're friends that compete with each other. But…" Lance took a deep breath. "I always thought you didn't want to be friends with me, and that you…"
"I want to be friends. I don't like people picking on me though."
Hunk smiled. "Well, this worked out nicely."
