Chapter Text
Mother and son seem so far away. Conceptually, they, the Pilot or as they had become known in Keith's frustrated mind an incredibly awkward and stand offish alien that I act just like were always going to be his mother. However in the practice of momhood they’re way below the bar. For starters Keith is having a lot trouble adjusting this purple menace with the image of mother that he had built in his mind
The mother in his mind was a kind dark haired human with endless patience and a warm smile. The Pilot was a seven foot purple creature that resembled more monster than they did any of that. FIrst of all they had served under Zarkon. It was one of the very first things they had told him. They were one of his oldest generals. Second of all, they were fucking purple. Thirdly, they were impatient as hell. The mother in his mind cut the crusts off of PB and J, the reality had made him a flavorless stew with alien meat and told him to eat because he was short and scrawny, thanks. Though he had found that bit slightly endearing even if he didn’t wanna talk about it.
Keith reminded himself about how much that wasn’t the point as he sat on the nose of Red Lion. The point was the Pilot was a terrible mother who had no idea how to deal with a son at the beginning cusp of adulthood. He knew they were trying, badly and barely trying but they were trying. At least they had not told him to call them mother or worse mom. As a matter of fact they had specifically told him that they didn’t expect him to ever call them that because they had missed so much of his life. Which was fine by him, he was definitely inclined to agree on that front.
Keith huffed, flopping back on the cool metal as he continued to be frustrated at his mom situation, which showed no signs of improvement. It was going to be a hard day even without the added incredible pressure of a seven foot alien trying to establish some kind of relationship with him. The anniversary of his dad’s death was always hard on him. Absence certainly did make the heart grow much fonder, but especially with his mother’s feeble attempts parenting making it very clear which of his parents actually had parental instincts of some kind. Hint it wasn’t the fucking Pilot.
He could feel the tendrils of his eventual shut down reaching his brain. It was too early to really tell but he was certainly going to be burnt if everything kept moving at the pace that it was moving. The boy rolled onto his side, gently petting the giant robot as though it was actually a cat and not a giant galactic defensive weapon against evil space imperialists. Okay that thought made him chuckle a little bit. He really was living Star Wars, might as well start calling him Keith Skywalker.
“Keith?” Fucking great. The boy hid curled up in his spot as he heard the crunch of his mother’s boots on the textured surface of the floor. The Pilot moved forward closer to red lion, their tone was gentle, it did not sound right on their rough throat and he really did not know how to handle it if he was being coming honest. He rolled the way so he showed his back to them. Not in the mood to face the person who could have helped get him through this pain the first time, if they had actually been there. Their reasons for leaving be damned, he really did not care anymore. He just wanted them gone. “I brought you some dinner.”
“You should leave.” It’s not that he was moody, had very good reasons for not wanting to be around this person. Reasons that no one except the Pilot seemed to respect or understand. They seemed to get that they had done terrible things by leaving him, why couldn’t everyone else?
Keith stays curled up back to the door for almost twenty, before he finally looks down at where he heard the plate being set down. He was surprised to see the Pilot sitting next to his food curled up with their knees against their chest, staring at a second half full tray, never truly looking at it more like looking through it. It hurt to watch for reasons that Keith really did not currently understand. When they speak it quietly and in tones that seem oddly familiar like he could remember the tones from before he, himself could actuallys peak. “Shiro told me. About today.”
The fucking traitor is the first thought to pass through Keith’s mind as he watches the pilot crumple a little bit and he was suddenly very aware of some dirt under his fingernails. It makes sense on some level. That his father’s death might affect the Pilot in some way. He did know that they had been at least at one point married or something like it. He had seen his father walk around with a second ring on a chain for as long as he could remember. This fact does make him feel any better about anything in his life that has happened.
The last thing he needs on the anniversary is someone experiencing the grief of his father’s passing for the very first time. It was not fair. The Pilot could just waltz out of their lives for practically eighteen years and suddenly they felt like they had a right to just mourn him like that. It just wasn’t fucking fair.”He was so happy you know. The day were found I was going to have you.
Keith could not help but feel some kind curiosity blooming in chest and turning head away from them as he did. The last thing he needed for them to think that he’s actually interested in their shitty stories.