Chapter Text
“All set?”
“Yeah, think so,” Keith says and looks through his backpack. He has his phone and wallet, and his lunchbox is almost bursting with food. A thick paperback (for when he gets bored) sits beside a camera, extra packets of film and an army knife. He slips on a jean jacket and grabs his water bottle. Pineapple, lemon, mint and ice swirl around inside and he takes a sip of the refreshing water before stuffing it inside his backpack with the rest of his things. He zips it closed, letting out an exhale he didn’t know he was holding in. He looks up at Shiro who is hovering over him. He still has little breadcrumbs on the side of his mouth from the piece of toast he shoved in his mouth while ironing his shirt. “What?”
“Please don’t fight any of your new coworkers,” Shiro says with a sort of teasing smile. Keith rolls his eyes and tries not to remember his tussle at the movie theater behind the counter. He couldn’t even remember what it was over, just that the guy who was helping him make popcorn was annoying and smelled putrid. Even the overwhelming smell of butter and salt couldn’t drown out his terrible stench. He had gotten yelled at and told off by Shiro and Adam (but mostly Shiro), his manager (who fired him without giving him a second chance, the bastard) and Acxa, who was agitated because apparently he was the only thing that made going to work worth her while (besides the cute girls that would come in with their boyfriends).
“I’ll try not to,” Keith says. He slings his backpack onto his shoulders and swipes Shiro’s hand away when it tries to fix his hair. “Adam!” he calls up the stairs, “I’m gonna start the truck!” He hears a yell of acknowledgment in response and grabs the keys from a hook near the door.
“I’ll call Adam during your break time to see what’s going on. You know, make sure you’re not getting into any trouble,” Shiro says, still smiling that same smarmy grin. Seeing that Keith has ignored him, he pulls him in for a one-armed hug. “I’m messing around, but if you cause any trouble in Adam’s shop I’ll be forced to make you my assistant at the school. You don’t wanna be grading tests and book reports for the next few months do you?” He ruffles Keith’s hair and gets pushed away. Keith can’t get his mullet back to what it was before so he pulls a red band from his wrist and fixes his hair into a messy ponytail. He opens the door and leaves, and Shiro laughs behind him. “Love you! Be good!”
Keith gives him a small wave without turning around and climbs into the small pickup. Not long after, Adam comes out wearing jeans, a white t-shirt with his flower shop’s logo on the back and worn sneakers covered in dirt. Keith wore the same thing, and he seemed surprised. He can’t even remember the last time he’d seen Adam wearing such laidback clothing. Even on Saturdays and lazy Sundays, he’s wearing a sweater vest and pressed pants, or a button up and ironed khakis. Shiro gives him a hug and a kiss and waves the two off as they drive to Adam’s flower shop, Easy Beesy.
He tries to recall the last time he’s been there, but he’s sure that was when Adam had first shown him and Shiro the old building. It been inhabited by overgrown plants and small critters, which Keith had chased around with a stick while Adam gushed about what he would do to the place. He never stopped by to see how the place was doing, or how things were going. It must be a popular business, considering how Adam spends almost every weekend pouring over lists and papers, or talking to people over the phone about what flowers were in season and what ones weren’t.
Keith stifles a yawn as he watches the first summer sunrise paint the dusty hills in orange and gold. When they arrive to the flower shop, they are not the first ones to arrive. There are two boys and a girl, all wearing Easy Beesy shirts and dirty sneakers. Keith wonders if they will be going to flower farms to get specific flowers and if they’ll have to pick them themselves.
“Good morning gang. This is Keith, my brother-in-law,” Adam cheerily says and gives him a pat on the back. “He’ll be working with you all during the summer. Keith, this is Allura, Romelle and Hunk.”
Allura waves and gives him a sweet smile, Hunk shakes his hand and Romelle doesn’t hesitate to go in for a hug.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Keith!” Romelle says. Keith takes note of the pastel band-aids wrapped around her fingers.
“Likewise,” he says with a small smile. Adam seems pleased with the interaction and unlocks the door, leading them all inside. Keith marvels at the burst of color he is greeted with. Flowers rich in hue and vibrancy sit in neat rows on wooden shelves. Hunk inhales the aroma of fresh blossoms and Romelle does a little twirl in the middle of the room. Allura begins handing out aprons and tools. Romelle goes behind the register and begins setting up, while Hunk grabs a broom and sweeps up fallen petals. Seeing the lost look on his face, Allura pulls Keith toward a back room and hands him a pair of floral scissors.
“Wanna help me cut thorns?” She asks. Keith nods and he helps her spread newspaper onto the table. They carry in armfuls of roses and sit down. Allura puts on some soft music and together they get to work.
So far so good, Keith thinks to himself. His coworkers are sweet and chill, and none of them smell weird like the bozo from the movie theater. If his other coworkers are anything like the three he’s already met, then working at the flower shop should be an easy paycheck.
Then the door slams open and Keith feels like he spoke way too soon. He looks over, annoyed, and meets eyes with a boy who’s too pretty for his own good. He’s a little gangly, but not in an ungraceful way. His fingers, which grip the doorknob a little tightly, are long and slender. His tan skin and blue eyes glow in the morning sun. He looks away when the boy shoots him a questioning, almost accusatory glance that he doesn’t understand.
“Allura!” he says and crosses the room to hug her. He plants a small kiss on her cheek and Allura giggles, swatting his face away.
“Lance! I’m doing work here.” Lance, huh? Keith studies him from under his bangs. Up close he can see little freckles that dot across his nose, and from what he can tell there is a hickey on the crook of his neck. It’s like whoever left it there wanted people to see it. Ugh. Allura speaks up again. “By the way, this is Keith. He’s Adam’s brother-in-law.”
Lance turns those stupid (pretty) blue eyes on him and looks him up and down. He suddenly feels a little lame with his messy ponytail and scarred skin that doesn’t glow in the morning sun. “Cool. Name’s Lance,” he says and does a two-finger salute.
“A pleasure,” Keith says simply and goes back to cutting thorns. He’s almost certain Lance doesn’t hear him, as his attention is already back on Allura.