Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy, who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys.

And I have no need of you…”

There was something about the forest that really spoke to Keith.

The rustling of leaves as a light breeze blew life into the foliage; the brambling of small creeks and natural streams that, despite their seemingly insignificant size, still managed to carve paths through rock. The groaning of trees as they swayed gently back and forth, their roots holding firm as their branches danced with the wind; the birds providing a charming melody in soprano tones.

The language the woods spoke was one that Keith didn’t understand, but could respect and listen to for hours without ever growing bored. It was an orchestra that nature had perfected with millennia of practice; a harmonious silence that the human race could never replicate.

At least, that was what he had thought for the first twenty minutes.

Mosquitos, as it turned out, were the overzealous cymbalists; necessary to the performance, but seemingly lacking the finesse the rest of the forest had honed. They reminded Keith of a kindergartner class that had been given free range with kazoos, and the incessant harassment of their buzzing in his ears was quickly driving him insane.   

The bug spray he had donned earlier that morning was keeping them off his skin for the most part, but after an hour or so of hiking through balsam fir and hybrid spruce stands, Keith found himself almost wishing the pests would just bite him and be done with it. The noise was not only annoying as hell, but entirely unnecessary, and completely irrational as an evolutionary trait.

Why would something so small and easily killed develop such an obnoxious feature? It was like they were just begging to be smacked, or else taunting him with each and every failed attempt at their murder.

Whatever the reasoning behind it, Keith had had enough, and as much as he hated to disrupt the wonderful silence of the woods, he needed music.

Real music.

People music.

He pulled out his phone and shuffled one of his playlists, sighing with relief as the husky vocals of the Black Keys drowned out the cries of the mosquitos enough that Keith could relax a bit more as he made his way up the mountain path.

The day was warming quickly, which was to be expected with the August weather, but the dense canopy overhead provided a cool shade that Keith was grateful for. He had only been walking for a couple hours now, and already a thick layer of sweat was drenching the back of his shirt, which was pressed up tightly against the massive hiking backpack he wore.

He had complained about the heft of it to Shiro before leaving, saying that he wouldn’t need the amount of supplies he had been insisted on bringing, but Shiro hadn’t budged.

“You’re going out into the middle of nowhere for a month,” he had stated after Keith’s third attempt at repacking the thing. “If anything, you don’t have enough supplies, and should be bringing more.”

“What more could I possibly need!” Keith huffed out as he managed to finally buckle in his sleeping bag, the straps straining over the bulk of the pack.

“You want to go over the list again?” Shiro asked, and Keith made to protest, but his colleague was already withdrawing a long slip of paper from out of his pockets and clearing his throat.

“Let’s see...toothbrush?”

Keith groaned.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Shiro mumbled, then: “How about the Aquatabs? For cleaning water.”

“I’ve got ‘em.”

“And the first aid kit I packed?”

“It’s in there somewhere,” Keith gestured to the bag he was now draped over, wiping a light sheen of sweat from his brow, and Shiro frowned.

“You should really have that on hand in case anything happens.”

“That sucks,” Keith lamented boredly, “because I am not unpacking that... beast again. No way in fuck.”

Shiro crossed his arms as he stared down at him with disapproval, and Keith knew that had that look been directed to anyone else, they would be jumping to do his bidding, but Keith had known Shiro long enough now to no longer fear the expression.

“Language,” Shiro warned, and Keith held up a single finger in reply, earning him a light kick to the leg that he grunted at.

“That’s abuse,” he whined. “I could sue you for employee...meanness.”

Shiro snorted at that.

“I think they call it ‘harassment’, but you’re not so much an employee as a pain in the ass, so it doesn’t count. Now, about that first aid kit...”

Keith smiled to himself. He had been working with Shiro for a long time now, and their relationship was borderline brotherly at this point, with them often bickering over silly little things and calling each other out on their shit when it was needed.

But as much as Keith loved and respected Shiro, he made no point of moving to find the kit, as had been suggested. He had already re-packed the stupid backpack twice more than was necessary, and Shiro was still insisting he was forgetting something, or else having him go over the list again, and again, and again! It was beginning to piss him off.

He couldn’t really blame the guy though, seeing as this would be Keith’s longest trip to date, and he would be alone for all of it. It was Shiro’s job to ensure the safety of the people that worked for him, but Keith was like family after so many years of them being together, so he always ended up getting a more in depth pre-trip debriefing. He should really know better at this point to expect his friend to be so overly concerned.

“Nothing will happen Shiro,” he insisted with a sigh, getting up finally and stretching his back in the process. It was already stiff from having been bent over all morning going over his belongings for the trip, and was dreading the day-long excursion he would soon be undertaking. “And if something does, then you get to tell me ‘I told you so’.”

“That’s the least comforting thing you could say to me right now.”

Keith chuckled at that, and reached out to take the list from Shiro’s hands. He was still watching him with an unapproving frown, but worry was also muddling his features, causing his eyebrows to crease slightly in the middle.

Keith rolled his eyes, withholding any comments about how fatherly he looked in favour of folding up the list. As much as a pain Shiro was being about this whole trip, Keith could understand where he was coming from. He sighed, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder reassuringly.

“Look, I’ve gone on trips like this before. It’s just a month, and I have the satellite phone if anything goes wrong. Okay?”

Shiro was silent for a few moments, gnawing his bottom lip as he considered Keith’s words. He exhaled deeply and let his shoulders drop after a minute or two, then nodded.

“Okay,” he sighed. “I still wish I could go with you though.”

Keith smiled up at him, patting his shoulder and moving back towards the pack on the ground.

“Same, but as our new editor you get all the fun jobs that come with running a world famous magazine.”

Shiro scoffed at that, returning to sit behind his desk and rummage through a pile of papers he needed to review before noon.

“I miss taking pictures,” he complained, and Keith raised a brow knowingly. He could only pity the guy so much, since Shiro had wanted the position as chief editor for their magazine for years now, and had worked hard to finally get it. Sure, his field workload decreased, but now he was in charge of what got published, and could shape the way the pictures his team took were presented to their audiences.

Plus, the promotion had come with a major pay raise, so Keith’s compassion was limited.

“I’ll be sure to take plenty for the both of us,” he said instead, deciding to spare Shiro of any taunting. “Lots of landscape shots that you can print out and hang in your new office.”

Shiro grunted.

“You better take more than just landscapes. The only reason you’re going on this trip in the first place is to document the diverse wildlife and habitats that-”

“I know,” Keith drawled, having heard this lecture already. Photography was always something he had been proficient in, but his focus had been mostly on cityscapes and the concrete jungles, which was why Shiro had selected him for the opportunity to expand his portfolio with more nature based shots. It seemed easy enough, since trees and flowers didn’t tend to move much, and where he was going the wildlife was plentiful, so he wasn’t worried.

Shiro, on the other hand, was.

“Then you better come back with front page material.”

Keith gave him a mock salute, which Shiro simply rolled his eyes at. He was quiet for a moment, and then his head jerked up suddenly, and he was bolting across the room towards a small locked cupboard.

“What the hell-” Keith started, startled by the abrupt movement, but then Shiro was returning with a medium sized leather bag, the strap worn but still in decent condition, and handed it to Keith.

“That’s what I was forgetting,” he commented, gesturing to the bag with a fond smile. “I want you to have it.”

Keith lifted the top pouch, eager to see what was inside, and his mouth dropped open in shock.

There, sitting snugly between padded walls, was a camera. An old camera, one of the first ever Polaroids, but even that was putting it mildly. The siding was scratched and chipped in places, and the buttons and dials were worn smooth from overuse. The lens however, was still in immaculate condition from years of dedicated care, with hardly a scratch to mar the surface.

This was Shiro’s most precious possession; something that was handed down to him by his mother, who received it from her mother, a pioneer in photography back in the day.

Though once at the top of its game, technology had outdated the camera, leaving it behind in search of newer, better, designs. And though it wasn’t very good by todays standards, and would most likely pale in comparison to Keith’s own camera, the thought behind the gift was what really had him at a loss for words.

“Shiro...I can’t take this-”

“I want you to,” he said softly, gazing down at the camera with pride, then up at Keith. “It’ll bring you luck. Besides,” he moved to sit back down at his desk, leaving Keith standing in the middle of his office with what felt like the most priceless object in the world in his hands. “I won’t be needing it as much anymore. I don’t want it to waste away in a cupboard.”

Keith was silent as he stared down at the camera, not daring to touch it lest it wither away beneath his fingers. He was still on the fence about accepting the possession, and tried once more.

“Why don’t you put it in a display case or something then?” he asked, and Shiro frowned in confusion.

“Uh, because it needs to be used?” he stated, as if that were the most obvious thing in the world. It was Keith’s turn to look perplexed.

“Wait, this thing still works?” That was impossible! It was so old, there was no way it could possibly still manage to take photos, much less ones that would even be worth looking at.

Shiro nodded.

“Of course! That camera there takes the best close ups. Especially with portraits, which you wouldn’t expect because of the aperture, but there’s this...quality of photo it produces that I could just never manage to replicate, no matter how many filters I had in place.” He pointed to the bag again, raising his eyebrows in an authoritative manner. “That camera you’re holding is unique. One could even say it’s-”

“If you say magic I’ll throw a pen at your head,” Keith interrupted, and Shiro huffed.

“Believe what you will, but you can’t deny the facts. And that camera is living proof that not everything can be explained in terms of physical components. Sometimes there’s just something... more .”

Keith rolled his eyes playfully, replacing the cover on the bag and tucking it carefully in the top of his backpack. He would bring it, if only to appease Shiro, but he doubted he would actually use it.

Magic or not, that thing was vintage, and no picture it would take would ever be worth as much as the camera itself would fetch if sold to the right buyer.

Not that Keith would ever do such a thing, but he had every intention of maintaining its pristine condition. If anything were to happen to that camera...well, Shiro might forgive him, but Keith would never allow himself the reprieve.

In fact, bringing it with him on the trip was probably not the smartest decision either, and he remembered with a jolt of panic that it was still in his bag when he tossed it to the ground after reaching a more level area to rest for a bit.

“Oh shit!” he cursed, reaching to open the top of the pack and ensure the camera was safe. He had nestled it in with some of his clothing to better protect it, and was thankful for the extra padding they afforded, since the precious cargo hadn’t budged. He sighed with relief, the adrenaline leaving his body as quickly as it had come.

Keith sat down beside the backpack, unhooking a water bottle and nearly draining it as he stretched out his back and legs. He had always liked to think that he was in good shape. Hell, better than good, but this hike was really putting him in his place, and Keith made a note to work on more resistance training when he got back.

He searched the area around him from his spot on the ground, groaning internally as his head tilted upwards to follow the slope of the land. His hike was far from over, and his calves were already burning from the uphill trek. He hoped the cabin at the top would be worth staying in; the idea of sleep so welcoming at this point that Keith wondered briefly if a nap now would be more beneficial in the long run, but then he remembered the mosquitos, who were hovering more intensely now that he had stopped moving, and shook the idea from his head.

Shiro had given him a roughly drawn map, since the area he was going to wasn’t exactly a popular place, and Keith pulled it out to go over it once more. Apparently Shiro had learned about the area from one of the people who used to work for their magazine, who had been hoping to make the trip up to the old hunting lodge themselves, but had taken a position elsewhere before they could go. Keith hadn’t known the employee well, only that she and Shiro had been good friends, and her transfer had resulted in a series of black and white photographs that Keith had dubbed the ‘monochromatic era’.  

Apparently she had asked him to go in her place as well, saying that a segment on wildlife habitats and the importance of their conservation would make for a decent story, and according to her, the region was heavily populated with large scale predators, such as wolves, cougars, and grizzly bears, all of which would be incredible to see in person. With Shiro’s new promotion though, the trip had been given to Keith instead, which he had eagerly been anticipating for months now. He couldn’t wait to get up close and personal with some of nature's most fearsome wildlife.

Or that’s what he had thought anyways, when he was back in the comfort and safety of the city, where the idea of massive, man-eating animals was more thrilling than terrifying. Now though, surrounded by dense forests and unidentifiable noises in the bush, he was less keen.

He felt along his belt until his hand touched the handle of the knife he had brought with him, and though he had other, likely more useful items with him, such as pepper spray and bear bangers, simply feeling the hardness of the handle under his palm was reassuring, and he relaxed once again.

Still though, the sooner he reached the hunting cabin, if it was even intact, the better. Keith rose to his feet with a grimace as he re-donned his backpack and continued up the trail.

He had been avoiding bringing his own camera out to save time on the commute up, but the higher Keith climbed, the more distracted he became with the sights around him. At one point the trees opened up enough for him to be able to see down into the valley below, and it was then that he finally caved, pulling his own camera from the satchel at his side and snapping a few quick shots after choosing an appropriate lens.

They were landscapes, which he knew Shiro would have something to say about, but Keith didn’t care. This view, with the rolling blue hills in the distance framed by rigid snowy peaks, couldn’t be appreciated any other way. Besides, he had an entire month to get other sorts of photos, so he allowed himself to splurge a bit with the panoramas.

He was in the middle of another when he heard a slight rustle in the woods behind him, and quickly turned around to see what had caused it, if anything at all. His hand went to his knife, but as his eyes searched the surrounding area, he relaxed. There was nothing there, and he decided to let himself be comforted by that fact.

Probably a squirrel . Or bigfoot…

He smiled to himself at the thought. Wouldn’t that be something. And Shiro would go absolutely bonkers, what with his insistence on believing in otherworldly things. Keith usually mocked him for that, but now, with only himself and his music for company, he found himself almost wondering if it were possible.

These forests were vast, and old. Why couldn’t there be something living here that humans had yet to discover?

Nope, stop that, Keith chastised himself, his heart rate going up a few notches as his eyes wandered over shadows that could be harbouring all sorts of creatures. There was no use getting panicked over things that didn’t exist.

He shook his head, returning his attention to his camera and frowning at the interrupted picture. Oh well, maybe that was for the best. Shiro had, after all, insisted he try expanding his skill set, so Keith changed the settings and looked around for something other than mountains to photograph.

His eyes landed upon a massive boulder to his left, and he tilted his head upon seeing it, not having realized it was even there, so covered in moss that it was. A variety of different plant species had taken up residence on its surface, as well as several types of fungi he couldn’t name. Smaller critters were also going about their daily business, rummaging around on the rock face, ignorant to the much larger world around them.

This boulder, as inhospitable to Keith as it seemed, was actually a hotspot for life, and he figured it would be a great opening photo for the series Shiro was looking to document.

He squinted at it, searching for a decent angle from which he could capture its majesty, and managed to snap a few decent pictures that he was sure would have his friend beaming.

He admitted that his close-ups needed work though, and begrudgingly returned his wide angle lens to the pouch it belonged to, stating that he wouldn’t take it out again until he had improved his other skills.

His resolve wasn’t as strong as he thought however, and after another hour of basically mountain climbing at this point, Keith succumbed, capturing the wide expanse of valley below him in his favourite landscape setting.

Shiro is gonna be so mad...

The thought made him smile for some reason, and he could just picture the dead-eyed look the guy would give him upon seeing the first batch of photos on his camera. He could practically hear the lecture already, and was suddenly grateful to be alone in the middle of the woods with only the bugs for company.

Besides, today could be his cheat day. Technically he hadn’t even begun his actual expedition, seeing as he had yet to reach the cabin. In Keith’s eyes, his real work only started to count once he had set up a base of operations.

He celebrated once reaching a flatter area, which were quickly growing few and far between, and craned his neck to try and see the crest of the mountain slope, which would indicate the finish line of his hike. It was difficult to make out with the dense foliage, but Keith was able to spot an area where the land tapered off its steep ascent; the mountain forming a sort of natural wrinkle that the cabin was apparently nestled between, protecting it from the bulk of the weather events that frequented this region, or so Shiro had said.

But as thrilled as he was with the knowledge that his legs would soon be able to rest, this section of trail was the harshest yet, and Keith groaned as his eyes scanned the loose rock and thick bramble that marked the path; head growing dizzy as they followed the winding pattern up the hillside.

“This should be fun.” he grumbled to himself before adjusting the straps on his pack and starting up the trail once again. “Good thing Shiro made sure my bag weighed three hundred pounds to make this easier for me.”  

His hands grabbed at low hanging branches and twigs to provide leverage as he clambered up and up, the air growing thinner as he neared the top, or maybe that was just his shortness of breath from the workout.

“Thank God I have so much fucking gear with me, eh buddy?” he panted to no one in particular, hoping the wind would carry his curses back down to Shiro’s ears, where he was likely sitting with a nice cup of tea, in that expensive padded leather seat of his…

No. This is what you wanted. Quit being so pathetic.

But my feet really hurt-

You’re a photographer! Work through the pain!

I don’t wanna!

“Shut up,” Keith snarled, silencing the internal bickering in his head. Great. Not even a full day on his own and already talking to himself.

Perfect.

But then, as if nature itself had heard his complaints, the ground below him leveled off, and he was graced with the most wonderful expanse of flat ground.

Keith beamed, the relief of finally making it to his destination coursing through him and providing him with that last little burst of energy to continue. The valley was larger than he had been expecting, looking less like the top of a mountain and more like a completely different biome.

Or maybe world.

And even Keith had doubts that it wasn't just that.

This land was virtually untouched by human hands, save for the small wooden shack that was coming into view as Keith rounded a small patch of trees and into an open clearing. It was in decent shape, considering its age, but at this point looked like a five-star hotel to Keith, whose feet and back were celebrating the idea of a long rest.

He stopped though, tilting his head slightly as an idea occurred to him.

The cabin, with its simple design and build, was rather drab compared to its surroundings, and Keith felt the gears in his head begin to turn with possible stories he could submit to Shiro along with his photos. If he kept a journal of his month long trip in the mountains, documenting not only the beauty of the area, but also the importance of it, as Shiro had suggested, then he may get an entire issue dedicated to his work.

It could be like a special edition sort of thing, and Keith felt newly re-energized at the possibility.

A comparison between habitats.

Yeah, that could work…

And then he could use some of his cityscape photos as well, to provide insight into both aspects of life on earth; the natural wild of the woods, and the controlled chaos of humanity.

He took out his camera and snapped a few pictures of the cabin, nestled in the bosom of the mountain; welcoming to his human eyes, but really only a stain on the tapestry nature had woven.

“This is gonna be so good,” he mumbled to himself as he fiddled with the settings, and once satisfied that he had truly captured the essence of what he was going after, allowed himself to finally inspect the shack that would become his new, temporary residence.

It was even less impressive up close.

Boards were falling off haphazardly, and the windows were so grimy Keith had originally thought they were covered with a blanket from the inside. He placed his backpack on the ground, stretching out his stiff limbs and rubbing the kinks out of his neck, before trying the door.

It took some effort, but he was finally able to pry it open by using all the skills and finesse that accompanied a good body slam. A cloud of dust assaulted his senses as the door swung open, but the smell was what really had his eyes watering.

Like walking into a field of stoners, Keith was greeted by the skunky aroma of weed; so pungent and thick that he ducked back outside where the air was still pure in an effort to preserve his lungs.

“Oh my god ,” he cursed, once able to breathe properly again. “What the actual hell.”

He knew that the smell wasn’t genuinely caused by someones secret grow op, since the area hadn’t been visited in what felt like decades, but Shiro had warned him about the possibility of the shack being already occupied by rodents.

But seriously?!

Keith decided to leave the door open for a few minutes to disperse the heavy odour, and began sifting through his backpack for some of the cleaning materials Shiro had been adamant about him taking. Arming himself with gloves, Lysol wipes, and several cloths, Keith wrapped an extra shirt around the lower half of his face so he wouldn’t have to breathe in the foul air, then took a deep breath and went to work cleaning out the cabin.

It didn’t take him as long as he had been prepared for, which was a relief, and cleaning was an easy way to distract his mind from the absolute silence of the area around him. He had an unsettling feeling of being watched that he just couldn’t shake, but figured that was due to the fact that he probably was . Though he couldn’t see or hear any wildlife, Keith wasn’t foolish enough to think he was completely alone up in the mountain valley, and had let his phone play music out loud as he worked, singing along to the songs and pretending he wasn’t as nervous as he was.

You’ll be fine, he told himself, after glancing out one of the windows for what felt like the hundredth time in the past ten minutes. Besides, it was a good thing if he saw wildlife. That was the whole point of this trip. He just needed to get used to the fact that he was the only person in the area.

It was an odd realization, and though Keith had always enjoyed his own company, he was looking forward to contacting Shiro once he was settled in, and hoped that his satellite phone would have reception up where he was. If not, well...he didn’t want to think about that.

It was nearing dusk by the time he finally finished unpacking, setting up the portable solar charger and propane stove he had brought, as well as several other devices and utilities that Shiro had helped him pack. The cabin felt more homey now that Keith had filled it with his belongings, and as he sat down at the small table with the dinner he had prepared himself, he let the tension drain from his muscles, relaxing into the back of the chair with a deep sigh.

Rays of sunshine penetrated the windows on the south side of the cabin, casting deep orange hues over everything they were able to touch, and Keith let his eyes close as he hummed contently to himself.

Yeah, he could get used to this.

He didn’t bother taking anymore photos that night, instead preferring to sit out on the adjoining deck of the shack and toy with the satellite phone. He had a signal, which was a major relief, but Shiro must not have had his handy, since the call went unanswered.

Oh well, Keith thought, placing it back on the charger and rocking slowly on the hanging chair someone had built as he admired the sunset from the porch, feeling the warmth of the rays caress his cheeks and lull him into a state of blissful lethargy.

Yeah...he could definitely get used to this.

Chapter Text

“...And you, on your part, have no need of me…”

Keith awoke the next morning with a deep ache in his legs.

It was as if someone had mistaken his body for a piñata, and hadn’t held back as they pummeled him with a stick in search for goodies.

He rolled over, or tried to at least, stopping halfway as his muscles protested the movement, and he resigned himself to simply lay in bed until the feeling of deep internal bruising subsided.

“Everything hurts,” he whimpered, but with no one around to hear him, the complaint went unnoticed. “Someone take pity on me.”

But the only reply he got was his own voice echoing softly in the rafters of the cabin.

“Fine then,” he huffed, taking a deep breath and rolling out of his sleeping bag, biting his tongue at the hot fire that shot up his limbs and back, threatening to consume him should he try anything more drastic. “Betrayed by my own body.”

He began massaging the stiff muscles in slow circles until they relaxed enough for him to be able to stand. He still hurt all over, and his movements weren’t nearly as fluid as he would have liked, but as he walked around the small shack, his body loosened; the lactic acid that had built up overnight reluctantly dispersing until the pain was more of a dull throb that usually followed a strenuous workout.  

“I really need to work on resistance training,” Keith said to himself as he went about making breakfast. He checked over his equipment briefly to ensure no mice had gotten into his gear, and, once happy that nothing had been touched, checked his satellite phone.

There were seven messages waiting him, all from Shiro, as well as a missed call from earlier that morning.

I must have slept through the ringing…

He read through them as he ate, chuckling at the obvious concern in Shiro’s texts.

19:20- Sorry, missed your call, in meeting.

19:24- I’m guessing everything is ok?

19:56- Keith?

20:03- I swear to god if you were eaten by a bear I’ll kill you.

20:34- Ok that was a joke but now I’m actually panicking.

20:45- I’m just going to assume you went to bed. Call me in the morning.

06:36- Are these messages even going through? Do you have reception?

07:04- [(1) Missed call.]

Keith felt mildly guilty as he realized nearly an hour had gone by since Shiro’s call, and quickly took the phone outside to get a better signal.

Poor Shiro is going to be having a panic attack at this rate.

Once he had established a stable connection, Keith dialed the number Shiro had called from, and was greeted by a very professional, female sounding voice.

“ Good morning, you’ve reached the office of Takashi Shirogane, may I take a message? ”

Keith was silent for a moment as he processed the words, recognizing the voice but not the manner in which they were speaking.

“P-Pidge? Is that you?”

There was a beat of silence, then: “ Keith?! Oh my god finally! Shiro’s been having a bird !”

“I know, I got his messages.”

“You did? Then why didn’t you answer?! I’ve been trying to calm him down all morning! ” Pidge’s earlier professional tone was gone, her voice staticky as it came through the phone, and Keith held it back a few inches as the sudden loud volume rang in his ears.

“I just got up!” he answered, defensive.

“ Oh, sleeping in on the job are we? Very unprofessional Special K. ”

Keith cringed at the nickname. Pidge was the only one that called him that, since he had had a knack for making clumsy mistakes around the office when he first started at the magazine. Though Pidge had started around the same time as him, working as their online media specialist, she had been quicker to assimilate to office life, and thus the teasing had begun.

Not that Keith really minded, since Pidge was a close friend, and her quick wit was enough to make up for any teasing he was subjected to.

“Speaking of professional,” Keith retorted, “since when do you answer phones?”

Pidge huffed on the other end. “ Since our boss has been too worked up over the worrying silence of one of his employees who has the experience of a stick when it comes to field work. His hair is turning even more white than it already is.”

Keith smiled to himself, imagining Shiro pacing his office as he stressed out about the lack of contact. But the smile faded quickly as guilt replaced the humour of the situation. Keith would be just as worried had Shiro hiked up into the middle of nowhere and then neglected to answer any texts or phone calls.

“Is he around?”

“ Yeah, I’ll transfer you to his line. Try not to get lost in the woods there Special K. ”

“I’ll do my best,” Keith grinned, and then suddenly Shiro’s voice was on the other end.

“ Keith! Finally!”

“Yeah sorry, I passed out.”

“ That’s ok, as long as you made it. You did make it, right? ” Keith heard the creak of a chair as Shiro sat down, no doubt for the first time that morning.

“No I’m actually calling from Bigfoot's cave. He has a nice little tea set I’m sure you’d enjoy.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end, in which Keith pictured Shiro pinching the bridge of his nose as he groaned internally at the jest.

“ How kind of him to lend you a phone, ” he answered, voice bored, but Keith could hear the underlying amusement in it. “ What’s it like- ”

Shiro’s voice suddenly cut out, and Keith glanced down at the phone, noticing that his reception was fading. He needed to finish the call before the satellites overhead lost his connection.

“Hey Shiro, you’re cutting out, I’ll call later. Everything is fine, I’m fine, I’ll keep you posted.”

“ -Keith? What...be safe-photos- ” The words were growing more and more fuzzy, Shiro’s voice cutting in and out as Keith walked around searching for better service. It was not to be though, and the phone call ended with a obnoxious dial tone, signalling the loss of connection.

Great .

He hoped it was just a one time thing, with the surrounding landscape playing a part in the abrupt change in reception, and figured he would try calling later, after climbing to a higher spot.

As he turned back towards the cabin, a movement in the woods caught his attention, and Keith stilled as adrenaline coursed through him. His eyes scanned the area, before landing on a small, shadowed figure. He couldn’t tell what it was right away, but it didn’t appear to be very large, or even threatening. He relaxed slightly, tilting his head to the side to better see.

The creature mimicked his movements, the sun catching part of its head in the process, and Keith gasped as he realized he was staring a small red fox.

He didn’t have his camera with him, and cursed himself for being so careless, since the fox was beautifully coloured; its coat shimmering in the light like wildfire, or a new copper penny. It was absolutely adorable as well, with its ears perked up in his direction, nose twitching this way and that as it tried to learn Keith’s scent.

Freaking idiot! Rule number one: always carry your camera!

But Keith wasn’t about to risk the fox running off as he went in search of something to capture its grace, so instead he squatted down slowly, to get a better angle and hopefully not frighten it off.

It watched him closely, eyes following his movements with expert precision, and Keith got the sneaky suspicion that he was being analyzed; like he was prey and this fox was looking for a weakness to exploit.

It would have been more nerve-wracking had the animal not been so damn cute.

“Hey buddy,” Keith cooed, keeping his voice low and steady. The fox's ears twitched, and its head lowered slightly, as if ready to run at the merest hint of danger. Keith tried again.

“It’s ok, I don’t bite-” he trailed off as the fox yawned, mouth opening wide in a display of sharp white teeth, and Keith wondered briefly if it was doing it on purpose, to show him that, while he may not bite, it was more than capable.

He chuckled lightly.

“Noted,” he said, then extended a hand slowly, rubbing the tips of his fingers together as one would do to a cat or dog to beckon them closer. He wasn’t sure why, but felt the need to at least try.

Besides, how cool would it be to pet a fox!

“Don’t be shy,” he whispered, and the fox raised its head abruptly, looking unimpressed with the comment. It was comical, and Keith grinned as he took a small step forward.

The fox, unfortunately, didn’t seem to approve of the shift in movement, and darted back into the woods, merging with the shadows so swiftly that Keith had to remind himself that it had in fact, been there, and he hadn’t imagined it.

“Crap,” he mumbled, standing with a sigh and searching the woods for any sign of the animal, but it was gone, and Keith grumbled about keeping his camera on him at all times from that point on as he made his way back into the cabin.

After cleaning up his breakfast mess and changing into proper clothing, Keith grabbed his camera bag, choosing to leave Shiro’s antique behind just in case something happened to it, and then headed outside.

He took a few more photos of the area immediately surrounding him, but after seeing the fox that morning, had a burning desire to see more wildlife, and went about exploring some of the game trails around the shack.

There were several that led off back down the mountain, which Keith ignored for now, since he wasn’t exactly up for another hike so soon, choosing instead to follow a small path further into the hollow between the two massive slopes protecting the valley. The foliage grew more lush as he walked, but oddly enough the bugs weren’t as bad as before.

In fact, Keith hardly noticed any , which was odd, seeing as the path opened up to a wet area that he knew should be home to a horde of insects, but was eerily vacant. Not that he was complaining, since bug dope bothered his nose, and he hated dousing himself in chemicals so early in the day.

It was just...odd, but Keith didn’t ponder it long. The trail had taken him to a charming little wetland, hosting a variety of plants he’d never seen before, so Keith took the opportunity to snap some close ups at different angles, trying to make the best of the upsetting lack of wildlife.

Luckily the stagnant bodies of water in the area were home to some living things, and Keith was able to capture a few great action shots of frogs and dragonflies as they congregated in the pools. Sure, they weren’t elk or mountain lions, but Keith figured not every part of the forest could be as majestic, and these smaller inhabitants of the woods were just as important.

Still, it was hard to ignore the disappointment settling in his gut as he made his way back to the cabin after several hours of shooting, driven mostly by hunger and fatigue. He wasn’t expecting to see anything for the rest of the day, but the universe must have had other ideas, because when he neared the cabin, he noticed with a jolt that he had a visitor.

He paused short of the edge of the clearing, ducking down quickly to avoid being seen as the small red fox from earlier approached the front porch; body low to the ground as it crept forwards, ever wary.

Keith couldn’t believe his luck, having been plagued with regret about missing his opportunity to photograph the beastie before, and quickly switched lenses on his camera to one that would allow him to zoom in closer. He focused the capture area as best as he could given his position behind the bush, and was about to click down for a picture, when the fox suddenly shifted, raising its head and angling its snout towards his location, most likely sniffing the air, and thus him.

Keith held his breath, not daring to move lest it alert the fox to his location, but after a tense moment, the critter relaxed, resuming its investigation of the cabin. Keith watched this time, as curious of the animal as it seemed to be of his stuff, and still hesitant about moving much. He wanted to see what the little guy was doing, would do, and bit back a grin as he watched it clamber up the step, lifting its front paws up onto the porch swing and sniffing wildly.

“So cute,” Keith mumbled under his breath, raising his camera once again to try and get a shot. And he nearly did, but as his finger hovered over the button, watching through the viewer, the fox suddenly shifted, yanking its head back and jumping down off the porch, carrying a piece of clothing in its jaws.

Is that my jacket?!

Keith jumped up abruptly, recalling that he had left it there before heading out, since the day was too hot to have it on. The fox paused, snapping its head around to stare at him.

“Drop that!” Keith yelled, jumping out of the bush and jogging towards the beast. It didn’t listen, instead choosing to scamper off with his jacket in tow; hindered by its weight but still faster than Keith by a long shot.

“That doesn’t belong to you, you little thief!”

But if the fox understood him, it didn’t care, and disappeared into the bushes once again. Keith cursed loudly, slowing to a walk as he searched the area, but the fox was gone, as was his jacket.

“And here I thought you were cute,” he grumbled, storming back off to the cabin to ensure none of his other items were missing. Thankfully it had only been his jacket outside, and not Shiro’s camera or one of his solar chargers.

That would have been disastrous.

Still though, Keith wasn’t the least bit impressed that his jacket was gone. It didn’t do much in terms of protecting him from the elements, what with it cutting off short at the belly button, but it was Keith’s favourite, and red was a good colour on him.

“I guess it’s my fault,” he confessed, sitting down on the step and fumbling with his camera. “Didn’t even get a picture though.”

Geesh, Pidge was right, I do have the field experience of a stick.

Oh well, he still had plenty of time to improve, and now he knew not to keep his stuff just lying around. He was a guest to these woods, and a guest should have better manners.  

He must have been too distracted by his stewing thoughts as he sat on the step adjusting the settings on his camera, because he didn’t hear the shuffle of twigs as the fox re-emerged from woods, approaching cautiously as it dragged Keith’s jacket back towards the cabin.

It wasn’t until the animal was sitting a few feet away that Keith finally noticed it had returned, and his eyes grew wide with shock as he stared back, body frozen at seeing it so close.

He didn’t move, didn’t even blink as the fox dropped the jacket; the material wet and slobbery, but otherwise still intact. Keith wasn’t sure what it was doing, and figured he knew enough about wild animals to know that this wasn’t normal behaviour.

Or maybe it was?

Shiro owned a small terrier that would often play this game of fetch, but Keith hadn’t expected the fox to come back at all, much less bring the jacket with it. Maybe it was just a canine thing?

The fox watched him, and after a moment of absolute stillness, flicked its eyes down to the jacket and back up at Keith.

Is it...does it want to play?

Keith wasn’t sure, and when he remained frozen, not daring to try and reach out, the fox stomped one of its paws in what could only be described as impatience, then nuzzled the jacket closer to Keith’s feet.

Okay, I can take a hint…

He slowly extended a hand, wrapping his fingers around the fabric nearest to him, and then abruptly yanked it back to prevent the fox from trying to engage in a game of tug-of-war. He had been expecting the critter to jump back, even run away, but it barely flinched at the sudden motion, choosing instead to simply watch Keith lazily. He frowned at it, wondering what it was thinking...or planning.

He looked over the jacket briefly, before tucking it safely behind him; the fox watching him curiously.

“Thank you,” he said, and the fox’s ears flicked at the noise. Was it just Keith, or did it bob its head as well, almost like a nod?

“Returning a stolen item doesn’t make you any less of a thief though,” he added, and the fox definitely looked unimpressed. its ears flattened against the top of its head as it...was it glaring at him?

Keith laughed, too amused by the odd little creature to worry about scaring it off anymore. The fox tilted its head at the sound, edging a bit closer, and Keith let himself relax again.

Clearly this fox wasn’t scared of him anymore. Either that, or its curiosity was too strong to worry about Keith being a potential threat.

“Still though,” he went on, as if conversing with a wild fox was a perfectly acceptable thing to do. “You did bring it back, so I guess I can forgive you. Besides,” he lifted his camera higher, hoping to finally get a picture. “You’re too cute to stay angry at.”

The fox, who had been watching his hands as he raised the camera, suddenly stared up into his face, and it was then that Keith noticed the wonderfully unique shade of blue that were its eyes. He had never seen such a colour on any animal before; the irises almost turquoise in hue, with streaks of darker greys and blues in the mix, reminding Keith of the glass marbles he used to collect as a child.

“You have the prettiest eyes,” he commented, and the fox blinked in reply. Keith grinned, bringing his camera up to his face and adjusting the lens to focus in on the animal. The fox tilted its head again, unsure of what Keith was doing, but as he pressed down on the shutter, a bright white light flashed out, and the fox bolted.

“No wait!” Keith called out after it, cursing himself for forgetting to turn off the flash beforehand, and after a few minutes, the fox slowly emerged from the woods again, head lowered and hackles up as it eyed Keith warily.

“It’s okay,” Keith soothed upon seeing it, holding the camera out slightly to show that it was harmless.

Well, mostly harmless, if you didn’t count momentary blindness from the flash.

The fox approached hesitantly, and Keith lowered himself so that he was sitting on the ground and not the step, to come across as non-threatening. He really wanted to pet that fox. But first he had to get it to trust him again.

“C’mere,” he called softly, “I’ll show you the picture I just took.”

That, for some unknown reason, seemed to do the trick, and the fox perked up its head as it drew closer; nose twitching as it sniffed the air.

Keith held out his camera again, displaying the photo he had managed to take before the fox had fled. It wasn’t his best by any means, but this was just a fox. He doubted it would judge.

“See?” he said when the critter was close enough to glance down at the small screen curiously. “That’s you.”

Keith hadn’t know what sort of reaction he had been expecting, but a fox sneezing all over the screen of his camera and then proceeding to snarl angrily at it was definitely not on the list. He pulled it away with a grimace, tentatively wiping fox snots from the back with the sleeve of his jacket, which had to be washed anyways.

“Gross,” he whined, and the fox paused its antics for a brief moment, noticing him begin to put his camera away, and then spun in several tight circles as if chasing its tail.

What on earth…?

“You don’t have ticks, do you?”

The fox stopped immediately, baring its teeth at him before sitting down, staring off at something in the woods.

Keith followed its gaze, but there was nothing there that would have gotten its attention.

It's...pouting?

“Right, so maybe not ticks, but definitely something .” Again he made to put his camera back in its case, and again the fox snarled; its head dipping towards his hand and then glancing back in the forest as it sat for him, almost like it was posing.

Oh...wait a second…

“Are you...are you modelling for me?” Keith watched in amazement as the fox glanced back over at him, eyes slowly moving down to his camera, and then back out to the woods. And now that Keith thought about it, the curious little animal had its ears straight up, as if listening, but with a calm confidence, as if it was not afraid of whatever was beyond those trees.

But there was nothing in that direction that Keith could see, so... no way… the fox was posing!

“You sly little thief, you want me to take another picture, don’t you.”

The fox jumped up, eyes bright with what Keith would call excitement, were he to use a human emotion, before settling back down in a regal pose, facing the forest.

Keith huffed out a bewildered laugh as he took out his camera again, adjusting the settings and ensuring the flash was off this time as he brought it to his eye.

“What, didn’t like the last one?” he said, and finally, finally, was able to capture a decent picture of wildlife. “Everyone’s a critic, even in the middle of nowhere.”

He took several others just to be sure one turned out, before reviewing them; the little fox edging nearer to see.

“You wanna see how beautiful you look?” he asked, zooming in on a particularly stunning photo and turning the camera so the fox could see, but its attention was now solely on Keith’s face; watching him intently for a what felt like a moment too long, before scurrying off back into the bushes. “Um...alright then…”

Keith waited, but the fox didn’t make a reappearance.

Or play hard to get that’s cool too…

He eventually stood, gathering up his things and bringing them into the cabin; disappointed that the animal had fled but thrilled that he now at least had some proof that he saw something wild.

Wait until I tell Shiro!

But he never got the chance. His satellite phone was still lacking in the service department, no matter how far up the mountain slope he wandered. Keith didn’t allow himself to panic though, knowing that it was all a matter of timing, and made a decision to try again early in the morning.

He stayed up and watched the sunset; the colours of the sky as the sun bid it farewell reminiscent of the fox’s coat; bright oranges mixed with heavy auburns, and before long he was dozing off, just making it to his sleeping bag before passing out into a dreamless sleep.

***

Keith awoke to the phone call this time.

Only, it wasn’t a simple beeping that his mind registered as the ringtone, and as he woke with a start to answer it, he didn’t even wait for a proper greeting.

“Who the hell set the Jurassic Park satellite phone music as my ringtone?!”

There was a beat of silence, then Shiro’s amused voice sounded from the other end.

“ The what? ”

“You know,” Keith drawled. “That ringtone that was on the phone in the third movie, and the really creepy dinosaur eats it and...tell me you know what I’m talking about.”

Shiro huffed out a laugh.

“ Not a clue, but if you need a hint, Pidge was the one to set all your tech gear up .”

“I should have known,” Keith grumbled, getting out of bed and heading out the front door, so the call wouldn’t be cut short again. He could hear Shiro chuckling on the other end as the door swung shut behind him.

“ So how’s the great wilderness treating you? ”

“It’s good.”

There was a pause, then:

“ Just good? Not amazing? Not spectacular? Not the most wonderful thing you’ve ever experienced? ”

Keith sighed.

“I haven’t seen much for wildlife yet. I think I was expecting it to be more...I don’t know…”

“ Easier? ”

“Yeah. More easier.”

Shiro snorted on the other end, and Keith grinned.

“ You know what I meant. And I understand what you’re getting at. Just give it time. You’re the new guy still .”

Keith grunted in reply, and Shiro went on.

“ You’ll see something soon, don’t worry. I bet there are tons of animals watching you right now as we speak.”

Keith froze at that, glancing around the surrounding woods as an eerie silence descended.

Was it always this quiet?

It was unnerving, and where Shiro’s words had been meant to provide comfort, they had done the exact opposite.

Keith could feel that same sensation that accompanied being watched run up and down his spine, but when he turned to look, there was nothing there.

Nothing that he could see at least.

“ Keith? Hello? You still there? ” Shiro’s voice brought him out of his thoughts, and Keith may or may not have jumped at the sound of it, though he would never openly admit it.

“Hmm? Yeah?”

“ Sorry, ” Shiro chuckled lightly. “ I freaked you out, didn’t I .”

Yes.

“No,” he said instead. There was no need to worry Shiro over something as trivial as a lack of noise, so he told him the opposite. “I just thought I heard something.”

I wish.

“ Oh! See? ” Keith could hear the excitement in his voice. “ You have your camera with you, right? In case it’s an animal? ”

Oh...fucking hell.

Keith glanced back at the cabin, cursing his existence for forgetting it once again, even after chastising himself for doing that exact same thing the day before.

Wow I’m actually the worst.

“I have it,” he lied again, not wanting to confess his inadequacies to his boss just yet. It was a good thing his satellite phone didn’t have skype, otherwise Keith would be screwed. His poker face was pretty unimpressive, and Shiro could always tell when he was lying in person. “But I don’t think it was anything.”

“ Darn. Well hopefully you shoot something soon. We have a magazine to publish .”

“Oh wait! I forgot to mention that I saw a fox!”

How could I have forgotten?

“ Wow, really? Did you get a picture? ” Shiro asked, and Keith’s eyes wandered the woods slowly as he spoke; a part of him hoping the small beastie from before would make a reappearance.

“Yeah I managed to capture it. Right after it stole my jacket.”

He heard Shiro gasp on the other end.

“ It what! ” And then he was laughing, and Keith scowled at the phone. “ That’s hilarious! ”

“No pity, eh? Rude.”

Shiro managed to collect himself enough to reply.

“ Sorry, it’s just, I can totally picture you running after this little animal while cursing its existence. It’s a really funny image .”

And a true one.

But Keith didn’t admit that either.

“Ha. Yeah, hilarious. Just for that I’m not gonna show you the pictures I got.”

“ Nooo ,” Shiro whined on the other end, and Keith rolled his eyes. “ Did you get it back at least? I know how much you like that jacket. ”

“It brought it back actually.”

There was a brief pause.

“ It what? ”

“The fox,” Keith explained, kicking at a rock in the grass. “It brought my jacket back, and that’s when I took it’s picture.”

“ Wow, ” Shiro mused. “ I’ve never heard of a fox doing that .”

“I think it’s a dog thing. It was sort of strange, but also really cute.”

“ Sounds like it ,” Shiro sighed, and Keith knew he was likely staring out his window in his big fancy office overlooking the city, wishing the skyscrapers were trees. “ I wish I could’ve seen it. ”

“Well, you’ll just have to come with me next time.”

Shiro huffed out a light laugh.

“ Or you could just get a bunch of photos of it for me, and I’ll pretend I was really there. ”

Keith found his gaze lingering on the small bush the fox had first appeared beneath, hoping to see those triangle ears poke out from under the branches.

But the space remained empty, and he sighed heavily as he turned back towards the cabin.

“If it comes back. It was nice to have the company, even if it was just for a few minutes.”

Shiro was quiet for a few seconds, and Keith could hear the sound of his work phone buzzing in the background.

“ Ah, darn ,” he muttered under his breath, and then louder for Keith to hear: “ Listen, I have to answer this call, but I’ll get ahold of you later, ok? Send a text message or two if you get the chance. ”

Keith nodded, but after realizing Shiro couldn’t see, agreed verbally.

“Yeah sure thing.”

“ Alrighty! Have fun ok? And tell that fox I say hi! ”

He hung up then, leaving Keith with an earful of dial tone. He brought the phone away from his face, staring at it as he ended the call on his end.

“I will, if it comes back,” he mumbled to no one in particular, and stood for a moment in the middle of the clearing, basking in the warm rays of sunlight that were beginning to peek over the treetops.

“Looks like it’ll be a nice day,” he commented, and then promptly turned to head back into his temporary home. “I think I’ll have a nap.”

***

His didn’t sleep long.

The heat the sun was packing had Keith tossing around in his sleeping bag until finally he sat up, cringing as the fabric clung to his skin uncomfortably.

And of course there was no air conditioning in the shack.

“This is just great,” he mumbled sarcastically as he changed into lighter clothing; tying back his hair and donning his camera case as he left the sauna-like building.

It was no better outside, and Keith squinted at the sudden change in lighting, making for the cooler shaded regions of forest as he wandered aimlessly down one of the game trails.

“I doubt there’ll be any wildlife out in this heat,” he grumbled to himself as sweat trickled down his brow. “I wish there was a lake or something-” he broke off as a movement in the bushes to his right caught his eye.

Oh? Did I speak too soon?

He took out his camera as soundlessly as he could, raising it to his face as he scanned the area the noise had originated from.

Where are you…

But Keith couldn’t find what had created the sound, and groaned in complaint as he lowered his camera to his side.

“Fine, be that way,” he pouted, turning to face the front of the trail. “I didn’t want your picture anyw-CHRIST!”

Keith jumped back in startelement as his eyes took in the form of a small fox sitting on the path ahead of him. It tilted its head at him curiously, watching as Keith placed a hand over his chest to try and calm his racing heart.

He hadn’t heard the animal approach, and wondered if it had been the one rustling in the bushes in the first place.

But how did it get passed me?

He narrowed his eyes at it.

“Are you the same little guy from before?”

The fox didn’t reply, which...of course it didn’t. It was a fox.

This is so stupid.

But there was no one around to judge him for having a conversation with the animal, so Keith went on shamelessly.

“You are, aren’t you. You’re that same little sneak thief who stole my jacket.”

The fox stood, stomping a paw on the ground and- did it just huff at me?

Keith grinned; one eyebrow rising on his forehead as he stared down at the little creature.

“Yes, you brought it back, I know,” he continued, and the fox seemed to relax. There was a moment in which the two simply stared at each other, and then Keith let his head fall slightly to the side to mimic the fox’s pose.

It watched him, curiously bright blue eyes never leaving his face, and then it tilted its head to the other side.

Keith did the same, and bit back a snort when the tiny creature lifted a paw to its face to cover its nose. Again he copied the motion, letting his hand rest on his cheek and laughing despite trying to remain silent as the fox spun in a quick circle; tail tucked in close as it twirled.

“You’re actually so adorable,” Keith cooed, and the fox paused, turning to stare back at him with floppy ears. “Like, super cute. If it wasn’t so hot out I’d be more into this little game we’re playing…” he tapered off as the fox took a few hasty steps towards him, before turning and bolting down the path ahead.

Keith frowned, and when he didn’t follow right away, the fox returned and repeated the strange display.

“What do you want?” Keith wondered aloud, watching the fox glance over its shoulder and notice he still hadn’t moved. It stomped its paw once again before turning its face down the path, then back at him, down the path, and so on.

Does...it want me to follow it?

“You want to show me something?” he asked, and the fox spun excitedly in a circle.

I’m guessing that’s a yes?

Keith took a step forward; the fox practically jumping up and down at this point, and grinned.

“Alrighty then. But you better not lead me to some weird cave full of bears or something. I won’t be impressed.”

But then again...think of the photos…

Keith followed the small auburn animal as best he could, pausing several times on the worn path when the creature ran out of sight, only to see it reappear a few feet ahead watching him expectantly.

Look at me, blindly following a wild animal. Wait until I tell Pidge.

He wasn’t sure how long they walked for, only that the path was fairly straightforward, so finding his way back should be simple enough, in case the fox decided to abandon him at any point. But as the heat of the afternoon began to wear away at him, Keith was quickly running out of patience.

“Where are you taking me? And how are you not panting with all that fur-” he broke off as they finally passed through the thick expanse of trees, opening up to a small clearing that played host to a-

“Is that a waterfall?!” Keith exclaimed, rushing forwards and startling the fox as he ran to the water's edge. The falls weren’t all that tall, but they were wide, and ran down an expanse of mottled rock into a pool of liquid glass that had Keith ogling it in wonder.

“This is amazing,” he whispered, and then suddenly the fox was at his side, staring down at its reflection; distorted from wayward ripples.

“Thank you for taking me here.” Keith smiled down at the creature, who glanced up at him with a wide yawn before taking a seat and tilting its head to the side.

It was a perfect opportunity for a photo, but Keith didn’t take it, instead choosing to discard his shirt and toss it lightly to the ground near his camera case. The fox leapt up, eyeing the article of clothing and then Keith’s torso, before slowly lifting its eyes to his face.

He shrugged down at it.

“What? It’s hot out. I’m gonna go for a swim.”

He untied his hiking shoes, tucking his socks into them to keep them relatively dry, before reaching for the drawstring of his shorts. He paused here, noticing the fox still watching him intently, and felt a rush of inexplicable shyness wash over him.

“Can you like...turn away of something? You’re being a little creeper.”

He hadn’t expected the fox to heed his request, but sure enough, the animal huffed and whirled, sitting so that it’s back was to him.

Keith chuckled, utterly perplexed by the behaviour but not questioning it. He quickly removed his undergarments and began wading into the pool, shocked by how cold it was against his skin, and holding his breath as the water reached more sensitive areas of his body.

“It’s freezing!” he whined, and the fox glanced over, standing and moving over to the edge closest to him. Keith knew the water was clear enough for it to be able to see all of him, but didn’t mind so much anymore. It was just a fox, and the refreshing feel of the liquid on his clammy skin was enough to make him let his hair down and dive in all the way, uncaring about which parts were visible.

He tossed his head back when he breached the surface, noticing the fox dip a paw in the water and hastily yank it back out; its ears flicking in annoyance.

“Ah, c’mon, it’s not that bad,” he teased, and once his body had adjusted to the temperature of the pool, he could say so honestly. “Or do you just not like water? Maybe you’re more similar to a cat than a dog.”

The fox huffed at him, trotting around the edge of the water towards a small outcropping near the falls. It gave him a pointed look, as if to say “watch this”, before pouncing into the depths.

Keith gasped, worried as the surface went still, but then the fox reappeared a few feet away from the shore, treading water like a pro; miniscule paws pulsing back and forth in an expert doggy paddle. It swam over to him, circling around him once before heading off in the direction of the falls.

“Where are you going?” Keith asked, but the fox didn’t pause. “Well alright then,” he shrugged, and swam after it. Why not, right?

The current near the waterfall was stronger, which was to be expected, but where Keith had been anticipating the fox to turn away once nearing the cascading liquid, he was shocked to see it continue unperturbed towards the rising mist.

“Woah, hey! Stop!” he called out, treading water as he watched the dash of orange be consumed by white, and then it was gone.

Oh fuckin hell…

What if something had happened to it? What if it was drowning? He couldn’t just leave now and wait unknowingly on the shore!

Goddamnit! If I get pummeled to death by water Shiro will not be impressed.

And with that cheery thought in mind, Keith dove, swimming as best he could against the pushy current beneath the tumbling waves of frigid water. But there was no wall of rock on the other side, as he had originally thought.

Instead, the pool of water continued on beyond the falls, and as Keith emerged up on the other side, his eyes were temporarily blind at the sudden darkness.

Am I...in a cave?

The sound in the outcropping was oddly muffled, even with the falls right next to him, and the walls didn’t echo as one would expect of a cavern. It was almost as if there was something preventing the sound from ricocheting wildly about, and as Keith swam further in, blinking away the darkness until his eyes were properly adjusted, his hands reached the edge, where they felt something soft.

Soft and...spongy.

What the hell?

It was moss; green and alive and covering nearly every exposed surface of rock. It didn’t make sense for it to be thriving beneath the waterfall where the light was limited, but there was no denying its vitality.

“...how?” he started, but trailed off as his eyes caught sight of a dark glimmering copper, recognizing immediately the shape of the fox as it sat watching him from up on a ledge. “You!” he exclaimed, his voice being consumed by the unusual plant life. “I thought you died you jerk! Don’t scare me like that!”

The fox...grinned? Could foxes do that?

Keith wasn’t sure, but there was no denying the upturned curve of the animal's lips as it stared down at him from its spot above him.

“Oh, don’t look so pleased with yourself,” he grumbled, hoisting himself up on the mossy ledge to better explore the cave. “You're lucky this place is cool.”

The fox jumped down from its perch and ran a few paces ahead of him, leading him down a small tunnel that had him cringing at the sudden light as the cave opened up, revealing a large hole in the rock above them that allowed warm sunlight to bask down on the foliage below.

Ah, so that’s how that moss is growing…

Keith’s eyes wandered the space in silent awe. The cavern was a spectacle to behold, with the rays of light highlighting dust particles in the air and giving the entire place a sense of whimsy that Keith had only experienced on those rare occasions he allowed himself to believe there was more to the world that met the eye.

He stared in amazement as his feet squished down into the soft carpet the moss formed; relishing in the heat of the sun as it dried errant water droplets on his skin.

“Ok, I forgive you,” Keith said after a moment, noticing the fox watching him intently out of the corner of his eye. “This place is pretty neat. I just wish I had my camera with me.”

Speaking of…

“I should get back. I left all my stuff outside, and if the other animals here are anything like you then I may be in trouble.” He wasn’t sure why he felt the need to explain that to the fox, but the animal seemed to understand, and followed after him as he turned back towards the entrance of the cave. He shivered as his skin was reacquainted with the icy water, and swam back out underneath the falls with a large breath of air in his lungs.

The fox appeared behind him shortly after, and Keith paddled alongside it lazily as they made their way to the shore.

All of his belongings were where he had left them, and Keith sighed in relief as he checked to ensure his camera was still tucked away safely in its bag.

“Ah, see? The others know not to steal-” he started to lecture the fox, but when he turned back he was alone; the animal having disappeared. Keith scanned the pool of water for any signs of orange, but there was only clear blue, and as beautiful as it was, Keith couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

Where did you go?

And why do you keep running off?

He huffed, choosing to flip over onto his back in the water and stare up at the clouds to prolong his visit. He felt guilty for not working, but besides the fox, there was no other signs of life in the area; the heat from the afternoon warding off any wildlife from direct sunlight.

I’ll take photos tonight or something. When it’s cooler out.

But landscape shots were still an option, and the waterfall was truly a sight, so Shiro couldn’t really be mad at him for splurging a bit. Right?

Just a couple- but Keith couldn’t finish his thought. There, on the shore near his things, was the fox again.

Only is wasn’t sitting peacefully watching him swim as before. It was digging through his clothing, intent on finding something.

“Hey! What did I tell you about stealing!” Keith yelled out, and when the fox raised its head, it was holding his shorts and shirt in its mouth, eyes narrowing in what looked to be a smirk as it turned to face him. “Drop those!”

But the fox didn’t listen, and took off into the woods with his clothing trailing after it, and Keith swore loudly as he made his way hastily back to shore.

He donned his remaining items whilst still dripping wet, which was as uncomfortable as it was difficult to do, and took off after the creature with only his underwear to keep him modest.

But try as he might, the fox had vanished, and there was no convenient trail for him to follow in the direction it had fled.

“That little thief! And here I thought we had a bonding moment!” Keith grumbled as his eyes scanned over the bushes in vain. The fox was gone, as were his t-shirt and shorts.

Thank god I’m the only one up here. Otherwise this would be a very awkward walk back.

And though he felt no embarrassment as he maneuvered the pathway back to his cabin, Keith was definitely uncomfortable. His socks were bunched up in his shoes from having put them on with wet feet, and without the added protection his shirt and shorts had provided, he ended up with a painful mix of thorns and sunburn tormenting what would otherwise be covered skin.

Needless to say he was the least bit impressed to see the backstabbing little bugger that had subjected him to the torturous walk of shame sitting on the front porch of the shack; stolen clothing tucked neatly beside it as it turned to watch him.

Keith came to a stop, crossing his arms over a quickly reddening chest and scowling at the fox.

“Oh, look who decided to show up again. Convenient much? And here I thought we were beyond the thievery.”

The fox stood, but remained on the porch as it inspected Keith with blue eyes.

Lying eyes.

Eyes of deceitfulness.

He closed the remaining distance between them, yanking his clothing from up off the step and completely ignoring the animal as he made his way into the cabin. It was difficult to do, especially with the beastie giving him the largest pair of puppy eyes he had ever seen, but Keith managed, and let the screen door slam shut between them.

He retrieved a fresh set of clothing and tossed his shoes near the door to dry out; removing his socks and risking a glance in the direction of the porch.

Bad mistake.

The fox was now lying with its face on its paws, ears flattened against the top of its head as it stared through the mesh of the screen, and Keith had to bite the inside of his cheek to remind himself not to smile.

You’re supposed to be angry.

“You know, there’s a saying,” he said aloud, returning his attention to drying his feet properly. “‘Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice-’” he turned to face the fox. “Shame on you.”

And to his astonishment, and, albeit, guilt, the critter whined pitifully; nose quivering back and forth in a show of remorse.

Keith rolled his eyes, though not before he could prevent the grin from spreading out across his cheeks.

Damn it, it’s too cute.

That or I’m just weak.

He made to stand, retrieving his socks from the floor to set out on the porch to dry, with every intention of forgiving the fox thief for its crimes, but when he turned in the direction of the door, there was nothing there.

“Wha-” Keith ran over and shoved it open, walking out onto the porch and checking underneath the chairs and steps, but the fox had once again seemingly vanished from thin air. “How do you keep doing this? Why do you keep doing this?” he asked, but, unsurprisingly, no one responded.

Great. I offended the one and only living thing on this goddamn mountain top.

My social skills are lackluster even amongst the animals.

Keith huffed in frustration, before leaving his socks to dry out on the step; part of him almost hoping the fox would make a reappearance to steal them, if only to provide him with more company.

“Super. I’ve become emotionally attached to a fox that likes to steal my clothing. Wait till Pidge finds out.”

Not like he would admit something like that to her, but the idea remained. Not even a full week into his trip and already he was dependent on some random creature for companionship.

And he may well have just driven it off by holding a grudge over a harmless prank.

Typical.

But there wasn’t much he could do. Keith was smart enough to know not to leave food out to try and draw animals in, and Shiro would skin him alive if he found out he had made an exception for a fox. So instead he spent the rest of the afternoon fiddling with his camera, waiting for the heat to grow more tolerable for him to venture out into.

When that proved tiresome, he decided to tidy up the cabin more thoroughly than before, and ended up working himself into a cleaning frenzy that had him smelling like lemon pledge and chemicals, but it was worth it to have his shack feel more like home.

It was then that he noticed how dark it had gotten outside.

“What in the hell?” he muttered as he walked out on his porch to investigate. It was still earlier in the evening according to his watch, yet the sky was a dark grey; overcast and angry. And as Keith scanned the horizon, he could faintly hear the sounds of thunder rolling down into the valley.

A storm?

He hoped it would pass over him, but with the way the wind was shifting in his direction, warm and fierce like the breath of a dragon, Keith knew he wouldn’t be so lucky.

So much for going out later.

But maybe I can get some lightning on camera…

Keith set up his tripod and positioned it in the window facing out over the valley, which would give him the best angle for capturing any wayward strikes that flashed in front of his shack.

And then he waited.

Chapter Text

“...To you I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes…”

The rain had been sudden and intense, as well as seemingly relentless, and had made any attempt at photography from within a building near impossible. It came down in thick sheets; pounding on the tin of the roof meticulous and rhythmatic.

“- roof isn’t leaking? ”

Shiro’s voice was staticy through the satellite phone, but Keith could make him out well enough given the raging storm conditions outside.

“Not that I can see. I have some pots out just in case though,” he replied, and heard Shiro’s hum of approval. He hadn’t expected to hear his satellite phone go off as he waited for the storm to hit, especially considering he was inside, plus the heavy layer of clouds in the sky should be blocking any reception, but the call had gone through.

Even after the rain had started up, Keith was still able to communicate with his friend back at home, and had been on the phone with Shiro for nearly an hour and half at this point.

“ Watch for mudslides as well. Those things are dangerous. ”

Keith huffed out a laugh as he stirred the pot of stew he was cooking on the fireplace. He was glad the cabin had had a small collection of dry wood stored in a pile in the corner, and was grateful for the heat the flames threw.

“I should be fine. I don’t think it’ll rain that much,” he explained, taking the spoon out of the pot and setting it down on the counter. “And I’ll be able to get some cool shots tomorrow morning with all the dew.”

“ And maybe some wildlife photos as well ?” Shiro hinted, and Keith rolled his eyes.

“I already told you. Today was too hot for anything to be out. Besides that little-” he broke off at a sudden scratching near the door, turning slowly to face it as his heart kicked up a gear.

“ Keith? Still there? ”

“Shh,” he hissed back. “I just heard something.”

“ Maybe it’s your buddy Bigfoot. ”

Keith scowled into the receiver of the phone, picking the spoon back up to use a weapon, though he doubted it would do much.

“Hey, don’t joke about that. It’s creepy up here at night, especially with the thunder.” He edged closer to the door, listening for the sound again. Shiro wasn’t helping, and Keith was momentarily distracted by his hearty chuckles on the other end.

“ Oh I know how much you love thunder. I think Pidge has a video somewhere of you falling off your chair after hearing a particularly loud crack of it at the office .”

“Anyone in their right mind would have done the-” he broke off again as another scratch rattled the door frame, and held his breath as he lowered into a crouch. “I heard it again,” he whispered to Shiro. “I’m going to open the door and see what it is. If I stop replying it’s because I was kidnapped or something. Write something cooler on my grave.”

“ Hey Keith, that morbid humour of yours is less funny when I can’t actually keep an eye on you- ” but Keith didn’t hear the rest of Shiro’s statement. Creeping forward, he pressed down on the door handle, edging the thick slab of wood that separated him from the outside world open a smidge and peering out.

His eyes scanned over darkness, the crisp humid air rushing to fill his nostrils, and then his gaze fell down towards the floor.

He may or may not have yelped.

“ Keith? What is it?! Are you ok!? ” Shiro’s startled voice was loud in his ears, and Keith quickly shook his head of his initial surprise as he made to widen the door.

“Shiro! It’s the fox I was telling you about! It’s back!”

Sure enough, sitting soaked and shaking on his front step, was the strange little animal; eyes electric blue and wide as it stared up at him. Its ears were pinned to the back of its head in the most outrageous display of self-pity Keith had ever witnessed, and his heart melted at the sight.

“Awwww Shiro its cold!” he cooed, and the fox blinked slowly up at him from its spot on the step.

“ It’s back? Well that’s good I guess.”  There was a beat of silence in which Keith grinned down at the small critter, and then Shiro was speaking again. “ Don’t even think about it. ”

“Ah c’mon Shiro!” Keith whined, crouching down near the doorstep. “It’s all shivery! I can’t just leave it outside to freeze.”

“It won’t freeze. It has a coat for a reason, and it’s a wild animal. It’s used to the rain .”

Keith scoffed into the phone.

“You’re so heartless.”

“ It’s not being heartless, it’s being practical. As soon as you let it in it’ll be all over your stuff and into your food. You can’t -” he broke off with a groan. “ You’re gonna do what you want no matter what I say, aren’t you.”

Keith was already standing, grabbing one of his towels from off the hook near his bed and returning to the door, where the fox was still waiting patiently.

“I’m just going to dry it off a bit. You can’t fault me for that.”

“ I can and I will, but since I’m not there to stop you I guess all I can do is use my words. ”

Keith snorted as he tried to position the phone in the crook of his shoulder, but it kept slipping down.

“Listen, I’ll call you back. I can’t talk and dry this little guy off at the same time.”

Shiro sighed deeply on the other end, and Keith could just picture him pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

“ Fine. Just don’t feed it anything and make sure you don’t get bit. The last thing I need is to helivac your sorry arse out of the woods to get a rabies shot .”

“It doesn’t have rabies! ” Keith chastised, and the fox’s ears perked up. “Don’t be so rude to my cute friend!”

“ Friend huh? And what does that make me ?”

“The best boss in the world?” Keith tried for, and heard Shiro’s responding chuckle.

“ Sure, ok. Just don’t take pictures of it inside the cabin. This is supposed to be a wildlife shoot, not a petting zoo. ”

Keith rolled his eyes again.

“Aye aye captain,” he murmured sarcastically, and hung up, tossing the satellite phone on the bed behind him. He turned back towards the door, where the fox was now sitting up with one paw raised in the air, and Keith nearly combusted from how adorable it was.

“Enough with the acting, I’ve already decided to let you in.” He bent down, taking the towel in both hands and slowly edging it towards the fox. It watched him curiously, sniffing the material when it was close enough, and then rubbing its face against the fabric.

“There ya go,” Keith encouraged softly, and let the towel drape around the animal before beginning to pat it dry. The fox went stiff beneath him as his hands first came into contact with its body, but it relaxed after a moment and let Keith do his work, going so far as to twist around to let him dry off the wetter parts of its underside.

Or  his  underside, Keith noted, moving onto the pads of the fox’s feet and rubbing away the dampness. He finished by carefully cupping the fox’s cheeks and patting those dry as well, feeling those odd blue eyes stare into him as he hesitantly moved to the ears.

He paused here.

“Is it ok if I pick you up?”

The fox turned his head to the side, eyes never leaving Keith’s face, before taking a hesitant step into the cabin. He didn’t shy away when Keith once again draped the towel over him.

“The fire will warm you up right away,” Keith whispered, and in one smooth motion, lifted the fox up off his feet and carried him back towards the fireplace, letting the door fall shut behind them.

Shiro’s gonna kill me…

But Keith didn’t care, because  holy fuck I’m holding an actual fox in my arms this is the greatest moment of my life.

He had completely forgotten about his stew though, and cursed softly as he saw it begin to boil over.

“I’m gonna put you down for a sec, ok? Stay right here.” He set the fox down on the chair in front of the fire and hastily ran to retrieve his spoon; stirring the contents of the pot before removing it from the heat. He made sure to glance back at his guest every so often to ensure he wasn’t rummaging around in his things, but the fox seemed content to just stare at the flames intently; towel threatening to swallow him up as it fell forward down across his face.

Keith snorted as he saw this, and helped himself to a bowl of stew before sitting down near the chair.

“There, see? Isn’t that much better?”

The fox jumped down off the chair, towel dragging behind him as he made to sit in front of Keith on the floor, who stared at him curiously.

“What, chair not good enough for you?” He ate a mouthful of stew, watching the fox eye his spoon. “Oh I get it. You just want some of my food. Well too bad. This is mine.”

The fox’s nose twitched, and Keith chuckled as he re-positioned the towel so it was covering the animal's face.

“Stop begging, you aren’t getting any.”

He watched in amusement as the fox tried to free his face from the confines of the fabric, but it was simply too long, and he gave up with a huff and laid down at Keith’s feet.

“Quitting so soon?” he teased, reaching out to shift the towel so that the fox’s face was once again visible. It turned away from him as he did, and Keith scoffed. “Oh, now you’re ignoring me? What a nuisance. Your pity party isn’t going to work on me this time.”

But despite saying this, Keith wasn’t able to resist for long.

“Ugh fiiiine,” he drawled after several minutes of the fox ignoring him. “You can have the spoon.” He held it out for the fox to sniff, but instead of happily lapping up the remnants of stew on its surface as Keith had expected, the beastie simply stared up at him, blinking slowly as if to say “ really?”,  and Keith gasped dramatically.

“So you  don’t  want my food?” he asked, placing the bowl down beside him on the ground and leaning back on his hands with his legs crossed beneath him. The fox was still watching him; those blue eyes calculating and intelligent, and Keith sighed. “What  do  you want then?”

In reply the fox slowly stood, towel threatening to slide off at any moment, and approached Keith. He watched, not daring to move, and after a tense, uncertain moment passed between them, the fox closed the remaining gap and promptly curled up in Keith's lap.

Keith was too stunned to do much else besides gape.

Oh my GOD he’s sitting on me! I’ve been chosen! I’m blessed! This is-this is…

But the only word that came to mind was magical, and Keith wasn’t sure if it really fit the mood. Then again, it wasn’t everyday a fox decided to use him as a sleeping pad, so Keith let it stick.

Besides...it sort of  was  magical.

He slowly shifted so he wasn’t putting all his weight on his hands, and adjusted the towel so it was covering the fox more comfortably. And then, because he was feeling bold enough to do so, let his fingers brush lightly over the fur near the animal’s ears.

It’s so soft!

The fox sighed beneath him, causing Keith to freeze, but when it didn’t make a move to leave, he relaxed again.

I can never tell Shiro about this…

Oh but I want to so bad!

But that conversation could wait. In the meantime Keith let himself relish in the warmth the fox gave off in his lap, grinning impishly whenever a noise escaped its lips. He wondered if the creature was dreaming as his fingers began stroking through its fur once again, and hummed softly to himself as he felt the lull of sleep creep slowly into his thoughts.

I should get up…

But that would mean disturbing the fox, which was the  last  thing Keith wanted to do, much less even consider, so he settled for scooting on the floor until his back touched the wall near the fireplace, and rested his head against it with a sigh.

I’ll get up later, once the rain stops.

And with that in mind, Keith felt his eyes slide shut; the weight of the fox in his lap comforting and somehow familiar, and waited for the pitter patter of rain on tin to die down.

***

He awoke from a deep slumber feeling entirely too hot.

He was still groggy from sleep, and elected to keep his eyes closed tight and let his other senses try and determine the cause behind the overwhelming warmth that had seemingly woken him.

The first thing he noticed was a thick scent of woodsmoke and pine needles near to his face, but it wasn’t unpleasant, and actually had Keith smiling lightly with his eyes still firmly shut; clasping onto fragments of dreams as his body mulled over whether or not to get up.

It must be from the rain, or the fire last night.

Shifting his arms lazily, Keith realized they were secured beneath a smooth textured blanket, and he stretched them up until they surpassed the confines of what he realized was his sleeping bag.

When did I get in here?

Once his hands were free, he ran them along the edge of the bed, which he was apparently draped across, until they came into contact with a hard, smooth surface. It didn’t feel like the wall, and radiated a subtle warmth that had him even more confused in his sleep muddled state than ever.

What the....

Keith tried rolling over in his sleeping bag, closer towards where his hands were now trailing along the odd texture, but found that something was wrapped securely around his middle, keeping him in place.

This sudden entrapment had him jolting awake; eyes flinging open as his mind was doused in metaphorical cold water.

What the hell is on top of me?!

Keith could see the inside of the cabin from where his head poked out of the sleeping bag; the fireplace on the far side of the shack empty and cold, with rays of light permeating the drapes someone had pulled across the windows.

Did...I do that?

But Keith couldn’t recall. The last thing he remembered was curling up in front of the fire with-

The fox!

Where was it?

Oh Christ, Shiro will kill me if that thing got into any of my stuff!

Keith once again tried to get up, this time more successful as whatever had been draped across his middle flopped down onto the bed, and Keith froze.

Not because he had momentarily forgotten about it being there, but because of the resounding groan he heard come from behind him as the pressure left his side.

What in the hell….

Keith slowly turned, and all semblance of grace left his body as he flung backwards off the bed in startelement, body still hindered in his sleeping bag, screaming loudly as he saw the source of heat that had woken him in the first place.

There, laying next to where he had just been, was a man.

A hot one, in all senses of the word, with tightly corded muscle lying dormant beneath the deep brown skin of his stomach, arms and back, as well as pointed facial features that had Keith’s body reacting in a very different way than his head.

But he couldn’t stop to admire the random stranger lounging in his bed for a number of reasons, the main one being the fact that he was supposed to be alone up on this mountain, and he hadn’t recalled anyone coming to his door last night. But even that wouldn’t have been so bad, and almost forgivable, had the man who had had his arm wrapped around Keith’s middle not also been stark naked.

“WHAT THE FUCK!” Keith swore from his position on the ground, limbs trapped within the confines of the material of his bedding as he did his best to wiggle out of it. His heart was racing, both out of panic and...something else, but eventually he was able to get the majority of his arms free, and began hastily attempting to undo the zipper on the side of the bag.

He heard the bed creak as the man groaned softly, and then Keith froze as a face appeared over the edge of the mattress, staring down at him with a lazy half smile and-

Fuck he has really pretty eyes…

And why are they so blue?

“Mornin,” the stranger said, and  goddamn even his voice is an assault on the senses !  Too pretty!  Keith had to force himself to concentrate as he scooted backwards away from the bed.

“Who the fuck are you and why are you in my cabin,” he asked steadily, keeping his voice low yet steady to try and quell his fear.

Not that he was frightened of the man; Keith knew he could probably fight him off should it come down to it, so he wasn’t scared of him in that sense. It was more of a fear of the unknown.

Who was this guy? Where had he come from? Why the hell was he  naked ?!

The man shifted, resting his cheek on his arms as they crossed in front of him, and watched Keith with a lopsided grin that did things to his insides that would make a blender jealous.

“Ah, you mean you don’t know?”

Keith frowned up at him, fingers still fumbling with the zipper of his sleeping bag.

“You’re asking if I know some random weirdo who came into my cabin last night while I was sleeping and thought he would strip off and crawl into bed with me? Because, nope, sorry. I don’t tend to make a habit of befriending perverts.”

The man had the audacity to laugh; the sound light and humorous and good  GOD  it was unfairly attractive. Keith could feel the heat in his cheeks begin to darken them into a blush, and ducked his head to better focus on getting free.

Where did I put my knife...and where’s the satellite phone?!

“Pervert?” the man went on, unperturbed by the insult. “What’s wrong with being naked?”

Absolutely nothing,  came a thought from the deepest depths of his mind, and Keith hastily shoved it aside.

“Everything you creep! Why are you here? Who the fuck are you!?”

The man sighed, rolling over onto his back and stretching his arms up over his head. Keith felt his eyes wander involuntarily down the length of the stranger's torso, and had to physically cover his face to prevent himself from seeing a little too much.

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod…

This man, by all accounts, was like a Greek God statue one would find in famous museums; body carved of rich copper with sapphire stones for eyes. But like those statues, Keith had to remind himself not to touch. Hell, even just  staring  was overwhelming enough.

Shiro what do I do!

“I’ll give you a hint,” the man said coyly, addressing Keith’s previous question, and the next thing Keith knew a towel was being flung at his head, landing softly in his lap and carrying with it that same smell of earth and rain, as well as... wet dog ?

This is the towel I used to dry off that fox…

Speaking of, where was the little bugger?

Always wandering off at the most inopportune times.

Keith had too much on his mind to worry about that though.

“I’m not playing your stupid game. Explain yourself or get out,” he growled, tossing the towel back and finally freeing his legs from the sleeping bag. He stood, averting his eyes from the fantastic image on his bed towards the back table, where his knife was. His phone, however, was nowhere to be seen, and with a stomach dropping realization, Keith remembered having tossed it on the very piece of furniture the stranger was currently occupying the night before, after calling Shiro.

Oh fuck me,  he cursed as he slowly turned back towards that side of the cabin, and then thought the same thing again, only with a much different meaning as he beheld the stranger lounged across the mattress and eyeing him knowingly.

“Looking for something?” he teased, wagging the satellite phone back and forth above his head as he rolled back over onto his stomach to stare at Keith. “I’ll give it back if you can guess who I am.”

This guy sucks.

Oh but look at those arms...

SHUT IT.

Keith closed his eyes, pinching the spot between his brows and sighing heavily. How could he get out of this situation? Clearly this dude was crazy, or else he himself was crazy...neither option was preferable really. But Keith knew that, above all else, he needed to get ahold of Shiro. Even if he could send off a quick text, then at least his boss would know that something had happened.

His joke about kidnapping made mere hours before seemed altogether less humourous now.

I mean, I could fight him off sure, but then what? I’m in the middle of nowhere and I have no idea if this guy is mentally stable or if he’s lost or what the heck.

I need that phone!

Keith sighed deeply, letting his arms cross over his chest as he lifted his eyes to meet the gaze of the stranger.

“Fine. But first cover yourself up.”

The man’s eyebrows shot up on his forehead; the bright blue of his eyes curious and painstakingly familiar, and he huffed out a small laugh.

“Alright, if you insist. Didn’t take you for much of a prude after the whole swimming incident, but I’ll humour you.”

The...swimming incident?

Does he mean back at the waterfalls?!

“How do you know about that,” Keith demanded, nerves on edge at the thought of this guy having been spying on him this whole time. The man didn’t reply, instead shifting on the bed and using the towel to keep himself covered. He leaned back on his hands and tilted his head at Keith once he was comfortable.

“It’s another hint.”

“You’re a sick man, you know that?” Keith grumbled, trying to ignore the fact that he had stripped off butt naked the other day at the waterfall thinking he was alone.

Besides the fox anyways.

Where is that little guy? I need him to bite this wacko.

Speaking of, the stranger was chuckling again, dimples forming on his cheeks as he tossed his head back in mirth.

“Man? Hardly.”

The hell does that mean?

“Now guess,” he went on, and Keith glared over at him.

“Rumplestiltskin.”

“What?” The man made a face, sticking his tongue out. “Gross no. Try again.”

Keith groaned, letting his hands fall to his sides in annoyance.

“How the fuck am I supposed to guess your stupid name? There are billions of them!”

The man fiddled with the edge of the towel, and Keith swallowed thickly as his eyes focused in on the movement; a little too close to the area he had wanted covered in the first place.

“I never said guess my name,” the stranger explained, giving Keith and excuse to lift his gaze back up into those pieces of sky the man called eyes. “I said guess who I am.”

“Same difference!” Keith huffed. “I have no idea who you are!”

“Really?” His voice was disbelieving, and when Keith didn’t respond right away the man sighed, leaning forward and causing the towel to shift precariously low on his lap.

“Does ‘cute’ come to mind?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.

Keith was thrown by the comment, but remained silent as the man went on.

“How about ‘buddy’? Or ‘adorable’?”

What…?

“What about ‘little thief’?”

Keith’s body went numb. He didn’t know this man. But those names...he remembered using those.

Only they hadn’t been for a person.

“The fox…”

The man started clapping, making Keith jump at the sudden sound, and beamed as Keith’s gaze met his once again.

“Yay! You did it! Congratulations!”

Keith’s shock was only momentary though, and he quickly snapped out of his confusion as he scowled.

“You’re a psychopath, you know that? How long have you been spying on me?”

“Spying?” the man leaned back again, resting his hands behind his head and showing off a pair of impressive pecs. “Only a day or so. And then I realized you weren’t a hunter or trapper, so I came to check you out.”

“Excuse me? ”

“And then, just to see what you would do, I took your jacket.”

Keith wasn’t sure what to say, much less do. This guy was apparently out of his mind, which meant Keith would have to try and be a bit more patient with him in order to get his phone back.

“You didn’t steal my jacket,” he explained slowly, as if speaking with a child. “A fox did.”

“Not  a  fox,  the  fox.” The man gestured to himself. “ Me  fox.”

Keith actually snorted at that, rolling his eyes in disbelief as he tried to think up ways to get this guy help.

He’s probably dehydrated...or else high out of his mind.

“Okay, yeah sure. You’re a fox,” Keith said, figuring the only way this guy would listen is by agreeing with him. “Now gimme the phone back so I can get you to a doctor or something.”

“You don’t believe me, do you.” It wasn’t a question, and Keith sighed in exasperation as he slowly approached the man, keeping both hands out in front of him to appear less threatening. The last thing he needed was to tackle a naked man to the ground.

Sure it sounded fun and all, but that was besides the point.

“Fine,” the stranger sighed. “I’ll prove it. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“What are you talk-” but Keith’s sentence was broken off as the man stood; towel tumbling to the bed and giving Keith a startling eyeful. But that wasn’t what had him speechless.

It was the fact that the man, in one fluid motion, dove off the edge of the mattress, and in a flurry of colour and bright light that had Keith squinting against it, transformed into a fox.

And not just any fox.

...how?

This was the same one Keith had grown rather fond of, and he realized with a jolt why those eyes looked so familiar.

But that was as far as his brain got with the connections, because the next thing Keith knew he was yelling incoherently and pointing at the spot the man had just been, and then down at the floor where the fox was watching him bordely.

“What-you...I’m going insane!” Keith stumbled backwards, his back slamming into the table. “I’m crazy-that didn’t just-something I ate? Was it berries? I didn’t eat berries...the stew? It must have been the stew…” He was rambling; his mind whirling as it tried to make sense of what he had just witnessed, and then the fox was approaching him, and Keith fled to the other side of the cabin with astounding agility.

“Nope! Stay away!” he warned, and was blinded by light again as the fox disappeared, leaving in its spot the man from before.

“Listen, calm dow-” he soothed, but Keith was already screeching.

“GET THE FUCK OUT!”

“If you’d just listen-” the man tried again, taking a step towards him, and Keith reached for the nearest thing to use as a weapon, wrapping his hands around a wooden handle and holding it up in front of him.

It was the spoon he had used to stir the stew the night before.

“Get away from me. Leave. Go! I won’t  fucking  hesitate!”

I’ll make this spoon a weapon! Just watch me!

The man watched him for a moment longer, clearly torn in his decision making, before sighing with downcast eyes, his shoulders crumpling forward as he turned away from Keith.

“Okay then,” he whispered, and Keith’s mind was able to clear enough for him to register the defeat in the stranger’s voice. For a moment he almost felt bad. But then the man was dissolving into another flash of colour and light, and scampered out of his cabin in the form of the fox.

Keith’s heart was beating erratically, and dark splotches stained his vision as he tried to focus on breathing. But it was no use. His brain was fried from what he just seen, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t make sense of it.

A man just turned into a fox just turned into a man-fox...man? WHAT.

And as his head grew light and dizzy, spinning like he had just dismounted a merry-go-round from hell, Keith struggled to move towards the bed, where the satellite phone had been left behind by the….the-

Keith didn’t finish the thought. In fact, he didn’t even reach the mattress before his sight went completely dark, and the last sensation he remembered feeling before passing out was his stomach climbing into his throat as he tumbled down to the floor.

Chapter Text

“...But if you tame me, then we shall need each other…”

  He awoke some time later with a massive headache and pain in his side.

For a moment after opening his eyes, Keith simply remained in his position on the ground; tasting blood from where he must have bitten his tongue as he fainted, and breathing in the scent of old wood from the floorboards beneath him.

The throbbing in his skull subsided to a tolerable ache after a minute or so, and though he wasn’t sure what had caused it, he could feel the bruise quickly growing on his ribs as he slowly sat up.

What happened…?

It didn’t take much to recall the events that had led up to him passing out, and with a jolt Keith was pummeled with images of a man, a flash of light, and a fox; all three connected and immeasurably impossible to understand.

“Ugh,” he groaned as he made to stand, keeping a hand on his head as he fumbled around for the satellite phone on the bed.

I need to talk to Shiro.

His hands came into contact with the device, but when he brought it close he saw that not only was the battery near dead, but he had absolutely no service.

Oh just typical.

But there wasn’t much he could do besides plug the phone into the portable solar charger and wait until a satellite passed overhead for him to be able to send an S.O.S.

Can I even do that? Should I even do that?

It was one thing to report a missing person and request backup, but another thing altogether to claim said man was also, somehow, a fox.

No one would believe him.

Hell, Keith was having a hard time believing it himself.

But you saw it.

Sure but...what if I was just hallucinating?

It was possible, and Keith found an uncomfortable solace in the thought that his mind had been temporarily poisoned, rather than admit to himself that his eyes hadn’t deceived him.

What was in that stew?

Whatever the case, Keith didn’t want to linger on it. He quickly busied himself with getting ready; cleaning the cabin and washing up the dishes from the night before. He paused when he went to place his sleeping bag back on the bed, seeing the towel he had used to dry off the fox laying there and feeling his throat clench up as images of the stranger floated to the forefront of his mind.

They weren’t... unpleasant images, but Keith still pushed them aside, not wanting to be reminded of the incident from that morning.

If there even was an incident.

But why would his brain conjure up such a scene?

It wasn’t like he had been dreaming about mysteriously attractive men waking up next to him, though he wouldn’t deny not having those types of dreams before. But never in his life would Keith have imagined a scenario in which that would be a possibility. And yet, there he was, staring down at the towel that had played censorship to a guy straight out of one of Keith’s daydreams.

Only, it hadn’t been a daydream. The man had been real, and there was no way to doubt that.

Could there be?

No…

But what about the rest?

Keith sat down on the edge of the bed with a huff, taking the towel in his hands and staring down at it intently.

It was one thing to believe he had woken up next to a stranger, nude or not; at least there could be an explanation.

But the...other part?

There was no way. It just wasn’t possible! People didn’t just transform into foxes!

And yet…

Keith shook his head, tossing the towel aside and making to stand.

“No,” he said aloud, as if hearing the word echo around the shack would negate his doubt. It helped, though not much, and he decided that the only cure for his growing confusion was to focus on his work.

He donned his camera case and stepped out onto the front porch, intent on putting as much distance between himself and the cabin for the day, when his eyes flicked over to the railing.

There was a singular sock hanging across it.

You’ve gotta be kidding me.

Keith walked over to it, checking the ground and surrounding area for its twin, but the other sock, which he had laid out the day before to dry, was nowhere to be found.

“Where..?” but he didn’t finish his thought. There was only one explanation for the missing clothing, and he had a pretty good idea of what had taken it.

You mean ‘who’?

Keith ignored the thought, not wanting to encourage his mind of such outlandish ideas. The fox had stolen his sock. Not some dude.

And definitely not some combination of the two.

“That little thief…” But again Keith’s sentence was interrupted as memories of the man calling himself that exact thing surfaced.

How could he have known about that?

It just didn’t add up. Keith was sure he would have noticed if he was being watched, or at least felt something amiss. He had once prided himself in his gut feelings, and was disappointed that they had failed him this time around.

Or had they?

What if he was telling the truth?

“No!” Keith barked out, startling even himself as several birds flew out of a neighbouring tree. “Oh great,” he grumbled as he watched them flee. “I could have taken pictures of those.”

But despite his intentions, Keith just wasn’t in the mood for photography. That required a focus he didn’t have in that moment, so instead Keith groaned in frustration as he jumped down off the porch to lay in the grass, watching the clouds drift lazily in the sky.

I’ll wait for the satellite phone to charge.

Then I’ll call Shiro.

I’ll tell him...tell him-

“That a naked man slept with me and then magically turned into a fox? Yeah, okay,” Keith said sarcastically, tossing an arm over his face to block out the sunlight.

Hey maybe that’s my problem...heat stress.

That causes delusions, right?

Keith didn’t get to ponder the possibility for long though, as he felt a familiar presence wash over him; one that signalled he was being watched.

Oh now you decide to work, he thought to himself, cursing his stupid gut feelings and their seemingly faulty mechanisms, but he was already turning over onto his stomach, scanning the area around him for the suspect.

It didn’t take much; orange tended to stand out amongst green.

Keith sat up, keeping his eye on the fox as he leaned back on his knees, but there was no blinding flash of light or sudden appearance of a god tier man. Just the same animal from before, watching him from its spot between two bushes.

Keith let out a slow breath through his nose, before slowing tilting his head to the side.

The fox mimicked him, and though it was still cute, Keith wasn’t sure how he felt about it now that he had seen what he had… if he had seen what he had. It was like having a strange dream about someone and then waking up with a different opinion of them.

This is stupid. It’s just a fox.

But there was a nagging suspicion tugging at the imaginative aspects of his mind that was telling him otherwise.

Oh well, only one way to find out…

Keith stood, walking back into the cabin and trading his camera for the pair of shorts the fox had stolen back at the waterfall.

This is so dumb, he thought as he sat back down on the grass, but his arm was already extending out towards the beastie, shaking the article of clothing lightly in his grasp.

“If you really are a..a-” he swallowed thickly, shaking his head and going on. “What you say you are, then prove it.” He tossed the shorts towards the animal, who watched as they landed next to it, and then glanced back over at Keith.

He gestured to the clothing.

“I don’t wanna see your junk-” lies “-if you really are...you know…” he trailed off, feeling his face heat in memory of that morning. “Just in case.”

The critter tilted its head at him again, this time making a pointed nod towards the shorts before its eyes flicked up into his face.

It took Keith a moment to grasp what it meant.

“Oh! Um, yeah...I’ll look away.”

Sure, why not. It’s probably just gonna run off with my pants again, but who cares. Let’s humour the fox.

But he was already shifting around so his back was to the creature; resting his head on his arms as he questioned his own sanity.

This is the last time I go on one of these trips alone. Maybe that water had hallucinogenic properties or something.

Or maybe I’m allergic to the moss?

I really need to call Shiro-

His thoughts were interrupted as something soft landed on his head; slipping down into his lap as he jerked at the sudden feel of it.

It was a sock; identical to the one still hanging over the edge of the railing on the porch.

Keith slowly glanced upwards, and came face to face with-

“Jesus Christ!” he yelped, shuffling away as quick as he was able to given his legs had turned to silly putty. There, standing with his arms at his hips, wearing the shorts Keith had, mostly jokingly, tossed at the fox, was a man.

The same one that Keith had woken up beside mere hours before.

And- goddammit was he this hot then as well?

I think I would have remembered how hot he looked.

But then more pressing thoughts came to the forefront of his mind, and Keith realized with a panicked gasp what the appearance of this man meant.

That he was completely and totally insane.

Before he could even think to scream though, the man spoke.

“No, not exactly, but I can see how you’d be confused.” He extended a hand down for Keith to either shake or grip, neither of which he did, and grinned. “I go by many names, but the easiest for you to remember, and in this form especially, is probably Lance.”

….Lance?

What the ever-living fuck!

And then suddenly Keith’s words were working again.

“I can’t-you aren’t real. I’ve been alone for too long, even though it’s only been….oh god...how long has it been?! Fuck fuck fuck,” Keith scooted away from the stranger, this Lance , tearing up grass and dirt as he clawed at the earth beneath him. “I need to contact Shiro. I need help. This is it...Pidge was right. I’m going fucking insane!”

“Woah, woah, calm down.” The man crouched, both hands extended in front of him as if he were trying to soothe an animal; something Keith himself had done to the fox...if it even had been a fox, days before. “Breathe.”

Don’t tell me what to do!

But unfortunately Keith had little choice when it came to the request, and took in shallow, shaky breaths through his nostrils; mouth clamped down tight to prevent himself from rambling.

“That...works I guess,” the man went on, and Keith could almost detect subtle traces of amusement in his tone.

The fuck is so funny?!

“Just, try and hear me out ok?”

Oh no fucking way man. I don’t need to hear whatever crazy mountain man beaver-fever story you’ve cooked up.

I don’t even know if you’re real or not.

And then, somewhere in the very back of his mind where he kept all his most private thoughts, a small voice said: touch him and find out.

Keith was very tempted.

“I need to contact my friend,” he said instead, and was very impressed with how stable his voice had come out.

I can’t show this guy that I’m freaking out. I need to stay calm and not pass out again.

Like, what if he does something weird to my body!

Shiro would never forgive him if Keith came back in pieces; a note stapled to his chest with the words ‘ from the fox’ printed neatly on the paper.

Jesus that got dark fast.

But it was better to be safe than missing, so Keith finally opened his mouth to take a proper breath. Immediately his head felt clearer, and he was able to seize the quiver in his knees enough to sit up in a stance that allowed him a better escape route should the need arise.

He repeated his statement.

“I need to call my friend.”

The man sighed, running a hand through his hair delicately as he shook his head.

It looks so soft-

Focus.

“Sorry, but I can’t let you do that.”

“Excuse me?!” Keith blurted, any and all thoughts of running his fingers through those brown locks erased as he processed the words. “You don’t really get to control that buddy .”

“My name is not Buddy, it’s Lance. And actually I can.” The man scooted closer, but stopped his efforts as Keith raised both fists, ready to strike.

“And how exactly do you plan on doing that?” Keith asked, pissed at the audacity of this guy. This Lance. “I could easily take you. I was in Aikido. I know my stuff.”

Fucking don’t tell him that!

Shit...right.

But the man didn’t seem to care. In fact he looked downright entertained at Keith’s warning.

“I doubt that, but even if you were able to defeat me in combat, I can still block the signal of your...whatever that thing was. I’ve been doing it already.”

What…?

Also who says ‘combat’ anymore?

“What are you talking about?” he asked, curiosity getting the better of him. Keith knew he shouldn’t be encouraging the man, but until he was able to reach Shiro, he was on his own. And as confident as he was in his fighting abilities, Keith had no idea what this guy was capable of. It was better to keep him talking until he could make a run for the cabin. “You can’t block satellite signals.”

The man raised a thin eyebrow knowingly.

“Oh? And what makes you say that.”

“Because it’s impossible. And you’re just some guy.”

The man scoffed, and had Keith not known any better, he would have thought he had genuinely upset the guy. As it was though, he had been monitoring the man’s facial expressions ever since first meeting him, and could see the hidden amusement near the corner of his lips as they turned up slightly at Keith’s words.

Or maybe he had just been staring at his mouth too long.

“‘Some guy’? You don’t know anything.”

Excuse the fuck out of you?!

“Then what are you? First a fox, now a man...that’s impossible. Clearly either you or I are crazy, and I don’t know which option is worse.”

Lance laughed, the sound crisp and dainty and altogether much too cute for Keith’s liking.

You aren’t supposed to find him attractive!

Stop!

“Neither of us are crazy. Or...well,” Lance huffed lightly as his eyes, blue and uncomfortably familiar, wandered over Keith’s position on the ground. “I’m not entirely too sure about you, but from what I’ve seen you seem like a nice enough person. You did invite me in from the rain after all.”

Keith’s mind was struggling to understand it all.

“I did not invite you in. You snuck in, stripped off, and climbed into bed with me.”

“Wrong,” the man quipped. “You opened the door, towel-dried me off- very kind of you I must say, if a little invasive,” he winked, and Keith felt his face light on fire. “And then you sat with me by the fire. You fell asleep at one point and it looked entirely uncomfortable, so I moved you into your bed.”

No….

“That was a fox, not a man. Were you fucking spying on me all night?!”

Lance sighed in frustration.

“You are impossible,” he muttered under his breath, and Keith felt his mouth drop open in offense. “Let me explain, would you?”

No!

But then again, what did he have to lose? Clearly this guy wasn’t all there, and maybe if Keith got him talking enough then he would be too distracted to notice him edging towards the cabin.

The phone should have enough charge now...and if I can just get a signal….

That’s all I need.

“Alright then, explain,” he relented after a moment, and the man visibly relaxed.

“Ok,” he said, and sat down cross-legged in front of Keith.

Well that’s just adorable-

Fucking. NO.

“I’ll start out by saying that I’m not really human.”

The hell…?

Keith made a face, one that he knew screamed disbelief, and why shouldn’t it?

“Great opener. Keep going,” he muttered sarcastically, and the man went on.

“I’m a Shifter. A skin-changer. A spirit-of-the-woods and protector of this realm. Or well,” he scratched behind his neck absently. “Sort of...my domain is limited to this forest as of yet. I’ve been around for hundreds of years, but my rank among the Others is still low. That and the fact that you humans insist on cutting down my woods-” he broke off with a long sigh, and the hand that had been at his neck moved up to rub his eyes. “It doesn’t bode well with the Others. I’ve been forced to seclude myself up on this mountain in hopes of maintaining a persona of mystery that’ll keep you guys away. Humans scare relatively easily.”

He chuckled, but it wasn’t as soft as before. This laugh was dry and lacking humour, as if the man, or...not-man? was doing it simply for show.

I don’t scare easily, Keith thought defiantly, but wasn’t about to admit that. He figured the man had some solid proof against the statement anyways.

“So you’re some magic god then?” Keith asked instead; tone incredulous. “You’re like the Lorax? Or some Studio Ghibli namesake?”

The man tilted his head to the right, and Keith had to force himself not to find similarities to the fox in the gesture.

“I’ve not heard those terms before, but it is possible,” the man explained, and Keith groaned internally.

Great, so he doesn’t watch movies.

And why would he? Stuck up on a mountain and probably delirious.

“But, as I said before,” he went on, unfazed by Keith’s teasing, “I go by many names. Humans have had run-ins with our kind for centuries, all over the world. It would take months for me to explain all the terms to you.” He leaned forward so his elbows were resting on his knees, and watched Keith with curious eyes.  “So, to make things easier, just call me Lance.”

“Yeah, you told me that already.”

“I did, but you seem hesitant.”

Do I?

It was true that Keith had been reluctant to address the man as anything other than, well, ‘ the man’ , simply because putting a name to the guy was too personal. Especially if he was just a figment of Keith’s imagination.

It was like admitting to himself the possibility of this guy’s existence, and beyond that, the truthfulness to his story.

But Lance was a nice enough name, so Keith gave in.

“Fine,” he grunted, and then, because the man was still watching him skeptically, added: “So, Lance, you say you’re some nature sprite or something...prove it.”

I shouldn’t be encouraging this.

But it was too late now to back out, and with a nonchalant shrug, Lance stood. It was when his hands reached for the drawstring of the shorts Keith had so graciously provided that he had to interfere.

“Wait! What are you doing!” he cried out, one hand moving to block his view whilst the other reached out in an attempt to stop the boy. “Don’t just get naked!”

“Your pants will rip otherwise,” Lance explained, but his fingers halted their movements.

Keith huffed in frustration.

“Fine, I’ll cover my eyes or something, just-” this is so stupid why am I even asking this! “Just hurry up.”

Lance rolled his eyes, and Keith shut his tight.

Oh hell this was a terrible idea.

Way to go Keith. Asking strangers to strip off in the middle of the woods.

Fucking stellar.

There was a flash of light visible even behind his eyelids, and Keith’s inner monologue was silenced as he waited a solid ten seconds for something to happen.

When I open my eyes, there’s going to be a butt naked man right in front of me.

Either that or-

But before he could finish the thought, something wet and cool pressed up against his outstretched hand, and Keith instantly recoiled.

What the FUCK WAS THAT.

His eyes shot open, and there, where he had fully anticipated seeing anything other than what was standing in front of him, was a fox.

The fox.

It’s nose was twitching, and Keith realized with a flood of relief that that’s what had been pressed up against his fingertips, and not at all what his mind had imagined.

But that was about the only comforting thought his brain provided.

Because there was now a fox standing in the exact same place the man had been, and right next to it, laying forgotten on the ground, were Keith’s shorts.

Holy...WHAT THE SHIT!

There was no way it was possible. No science to explain it, no theory as to how a fox was now in the same spot the man had been mere seconds before.

That’s it. I’m officially bonkers.

With his greatest fears confirmed, Keith felt a confusing wave of calm wash over him. He blinked at the fox, who blinked back, blue eyes an exact match to those of the boy called Lance.

Lance...where did I even come up with that name?

It didn’t matter; the mind was a curious thing, and Keith’s was clearly broken. He flopped down onto the grass, staring up at clouds as they passed uncaringly overhead.

Welp, this is it. Goodbye career in photography. I’ve Van Goughed. I’m Van Gone!

Hee, Pidge would like that one…

Keith’s scattered thoughts were interrupted as a shadow crossed over his face; the fox’s head hovering near to his own. He stared up into blue eyes, and from his position on the ground, he could almost pretend that the sky was shining right through them, like holes in a mask.

“Are you even real?” he wondered out loud, reaching out a hand to caress the side of the animal’s face. It was soft; warm and fuzzy like a peach left in the sun, and Keith let his eyes close as his fingers sunk into fur.

Light flashed, and then his fingertips were trailing along smooth skin, still warm, but a much different texture than the fox’s face had been. Keith took a deep breath, releasing it slowly through his nostrils as his eyelids cracked open.

His hand was lightly cradled against Lance’s cheek, who was still hovering over him; sky peeking through eyes.

He pushed into Keith’s hand, smiling curiously as he stared him down.

“I am real,” he spoke in a hushed whisper. “And you aren’t crazy. I’ll prove it to you.”

***

Lance’s idea of proof involved Keith contacting Shiro, which was exactly what Keith had been wanting to do the entire time since waking up next to the boy.

However, now that he was being permitted to actually do so, Keith was hesitant.

What the fuck do I even tell him?!

That I’m imagining a fox turning into a man? That I may have heat stroke and am hallucinating?

In the end, Keith elected to decide on the spot, as was his specialty.

Lance was sitting on the edge of his bed with his legs twisted in a loose knot; the position reminiscent of a toddler waiting for a bedtime story. His face was just as eager as he watched Keith.

“You gonna do it?” he asked after a moment, seeing Keith eye the phone as his thoughts stalled his actions. “Or…”

“Just gimme a sec here,” Keith grumbled back, moving away from the boy so his back was to him.

He’s too distracting.

Lance had thankfully donned Keith’s shorts after transforming back into a human, so Keith was saved from having to see anymore of the man than was needed. As it was though, Lance’s bare chest was still a wonderful work of art, as were his arms, and legs and, don’t even get me started on those cheekbones.

But Keith needed to focus.

Lance had assured him that contacting Shiro would bring him some sense of understanding of the whole situation, and as Keith stood near the fireplace with the satellite phone firmly in his grasp, he thought back to the brief exchange:

“Be my guest,” Keith had replied to Lance’s promise of proof. “Feed me some weird leaf that will magically cure my madness or whatever.”

Lance had rolled his eyes as Keith tossed an arm over his, and had taken that opportunity to change back into the shorts.

“There are some plants in my woods that could help,” he had explained, “but my idea is much simpler than that.”

“Oh yeah? Go for it,” Keith spoke in monotone, letting his lack of enthusiasm show.

“You’re going to use that thingy to talk to the voice.”

What.

Keith had sat up then, eyebrows furrowed in doubtful perplexion as he gaped at Lance.

“The fuck?”

Lance huffed, making his way towards Keith’s cabin with purposeful strides. Keith had clambered after him, suddenly terrified at what the guy was planning.

“Woah, where do you think you’re going?!”

“To get that thing. I don’t know what it is, or what it’s called, but you were talking to a voice with it that night you let me in,” Lance called back as he jumped up onto the porch.

Keith was faster though, and maneuvered passed him just as Lance’s hand was reaching for the door handle. Fingers narrowly avoided sensitive regions as Keith wiggled out of the way, whilst still blocking Lance from entering the shack.

They had stared at each other for a moment, caught up in purples and blues, and then Keith had blinked.

“You can’t go in there. Not allowed.”

Lance had crossed his arms over his chest.

“Like you could stop me,” he taunted, “but that’s besides the point. I’m trying to help you out and you’re making it very difficult.”

“My stuff is in there. You might break it.”

Lance had scoffed.

“Oh please . If you didn’t mess anything up this morning with your eventful display, then I doubt I’ll do much damage. Just…” he trailed off, staring down at Keith with wide eyes, reminding him of glistening pools of seawater. “Just trust me.”

Trust you. Yeah, ok.

But something in Lance’s expression had persuaded Keith, and before he fully knew why, he was moving out of the way and opening the door for Lance.

Maybe it was his instincts.

A gut feeling.

Or maybe it was just his brain malfunctioning once again, putting questionable ideas into action without stopping to consider the consequences. Regardless, Keith found himself inviting Lance inside a second time, though with much more suspicion than before.

I should have listened to Shiro and not let that fox in.

Speaking of, that was who Lance had meant by the ‘voice’, which Keith understood as the boy enthusiastically snatched up the satellite phone and held it out for Keith with a grin.

“This! Talk to the voice with this!”

You’ve got to be kidding me…

“My satellite phone? You want me to call Shiro?”

Lance had frowned.

“Shiro? No. Talk to the voice, like you did last night. It will help.” He shook the hand holding the phone, and Keith had relented.

This is what you wanted anyways, right?

He should have been able to dial up Shiro’s number and explain everything in the span of a minute. The words should have sprung forth from his mouth, impatient to be out in the open and asking for help.

But as Keith stood there, all these great ideas popping up in his head, he couldn’t figure out what to say.

Or, better yet, how to word any of it.

Shiro would likely think he was playing a prank if he called and the first sentence spoken was ‘hey so I met a guy who turns into a fox, how’s your day?’

It wouldn’t fly.

But on the other end of things, Keith couldn’t exactly tell Shiro that he was hallucinating or delirious, because that would just cause his friend to panic, and Keith needed the opposite of hysteria.

He needed calm, collected advice.

Keith exhaled through his mouth, shoulders sinking as his lungs deflated.

Just call, and go from there.

Shiro will know what to do.

“Alright, I’m going to call now,” he announced to Lance, who was fiddling with the zipper of Keith’s sleeping bag. He jumped up at the sound of Keith’s voice, and shot him a giddy thumbs up. “So just...stay quiet.”

“Lips are sealed.”

....God, what am I doing?

Keith was about to punch in the number when he remembered he was still inside, and thus had no reception.

“I have to go out and make the call. Wait for a satellite to pass overhead.”

Lance’s mouth fell open in momentary surprise, and then he was smirking.

“No need. I forgot about the block I had in place but it’s gone now. You can talk to the voice in here, like last night.”

“That’s not how it works-” Keith began, before realizing that his phone had had reception the night before, and that he had been able to talk with Shiro perfectly fine within the comfort of the cabin.

Was that because of Lance though?

No, gah, just stop. It’s satellites and science and physics or something.

Not magical fox boys.

“Oh yeah?” Lance cocked an eyebrow, gesturing down at the phone. “Watch.”

Keith glanced down at the device in his hands out of reflex, but just when he was about to catch himself, he saw the bars on the screen, signifying how much service he had, light up to the max.

“On,” Lance said, and then Keith saw the bars disappear down to zero. “Off.”

What the actual shit?!

“No way…” he breathed, and heard Lance chuckle.

“See? On, off, on, off, on-”

“Stop!” Keith interfered, having watched the bars go up and down with each command. “Ok! I get it...just...please stop.”

There’s...this can’t…

“How?” he asked instead, and Lance shrugged.

“I told you this forest is my domain. I have control over it. That includes everything from weather to animals to plants to water to soil to-”

“Yeah ok,” Keith held up a hand to silence him. “But satellites aren’t in your-” he made a motion of annoyance with his arms, “ domain . They’re in space. You can’t control those.”

“No,” Lance admitted, “but I can control the energies in the earth and air. That thing in your hands that lets you talk to the voice uses those energies.”

Is he referring to magnetic fields? Do those...influence satellite frequencies?

Keith didn’t have the energy to ask.

I studied photography for a reason.

“So, this whole time, you’ve been manipulating my reception?”

Lance nodded, impish grin making his eyes crinkle at the corners.

“Then how come I was able to phone Shiro before? You weren’t around.”

“I’m a Shifter, I told you that already. My power over this domain is absolute, regardless of what form I take.” Lance explained in an exasperated breath. “Now talk to the voice already!”

“Why do you want me to phone Shiro all of a sudden anyways?” Keith turned so he was facing Lance fully, and let a hand rest at his hip as he spoke. “What’s your plan here?”

“Not a plan,” Lance heaved, his impatience growing. “Proof! That you aren’t crazy!”

“And how will a phone call help, exactly?”

If anything it’ll make things worse!

Lance stretched; arms tossed lazily over his head as he leaned back on Keith’s sleeping bag. He adjusted the pillow so it sat beneath his head more comfortably, then glanced over at Keith, who was trying very hard to keep his thoughts from derailing entirely.

Those arms were around me this morning…

THE ARMS OF A PSYCHOPATH KEITH, GETCHA HEAD OUT OF THE WOODS.

Right, yeah.

“The voice calms you,” Lance was saying, and it took Keith a few seconds to fully process what he was referring to.

“What?”

“The voice. Shiro , or whatever. When I first saw you talking to it, you looked happy. You were smiling...and it was nice to see, I guess,” Lance trailed off, and had Keith the luxury to assume, it was almost as if the boy was embarrassed.

Or shy…

Is he fucking flustered?

That did things to Keith’s insides that he was adamant about suppressing.

“But then you started making fun of my friend so I had to cut you off,” Lance quickly recovered, blurting out the last portion of sentence as he played with the sleeping bag idly.

Friend…?

“Wait, are there more of you?” Keith let his arms cross over his chest self-consciously, feeling as if a dozen pairs of eyes were watching him from beyond the glass in the windows. Lance’s mouth had fallen open as he scoffed loudly.

“More of me?! No! I’m one of a kind.” He sat up, mimicking Keith’s pose and jutting out a lower lip as he pouted.

“Then what did you mean by ‘friend’. The birds and the bees?”

It had been a jest really, but Keith had forgotten what Lance claimed to be. Apparently his joke fell on deaf ears.

Or just oblivious ones.

“I have lots of friends of all kinds, thank you very much. But this friend is not a mere bird or bee. He’s amazing. And wonderful. And he doesn’t like being called Bigfoot.”

Bigfoot? What are you on about- but then it hit him. Keith’s very first phone call to Shiro, his first morning in the cabin, had cut out right as he had been joking about Bigfoot’s cave.

And then the fox had showed up right after that!

Oh no….oh no no no no…

But it made sense, in a weird, roundabout I’m-in-denial-about-my-insanity type of way. Keith’s brain was already grasping at straws, but the more Lance talked, the more he wanted to believe that maybe... just maybe , it was all true.

First and foremost however, he had to get one fact straight.

“Are you saying Bigfoot exists?!”

Lance grunted angrily, and it would have been menacing had his pout not already been so childlike.

“He prefers Hunk , you ingrate, honestly.” Lance huffed out a breath, falling back down on the bed and crossing one leg over the other with his arms still firmly secured over his torso. “Humans are ridiculous.”

“Hunk,” Keith went on, ignoring the insult.”You’re telling me Bigfoot’s name is Hunk ?”

“‘ Bigfoot’ ,” Lance mocked, “as you pea-brained flesh-vessels insist on calling my friend, is a Shifter, like me-”

“I thought you said you were one of a kind,” Keith interrupted, and had the odd pleasure of seeing Lance falter.

“I-I am one of kind! There’s only one me ! But that’s not the point I’m making here.” He rolled over onto his side, propping himself up on an elbow as he glared over at Keith. “Just listen.”

Keith shut his mouth, failing to keep the triumphant smirk off his face as he gestured for Lance to go on.

“Hunk is a Shifter. His domain is a little larger than mine, since he’s older, and it’s only expanding after he was spotted in a Corrupt phase-don’t interrupt.” Lance held up a finger to hush Keith, who had opened his mouth to ask what exactly a Corrupt phase was.

He shut it after a pause, and let Lance explain.

“When one of our kind stays in a singular form too long, we can become Corrupt. It’s nothing major really, and just takes a few decades to bounce back from, but Hunk wasn’t so lucky. He had accidently hibernated as a bear over the winter, and come spring, when he tried to Shift into something else, he got stuck. Corrupt.”

Keith nodded, though it was more of a reflex than anything. He had no clue what Lance was saying.

“It wouldn’t have been so bad, except you humans and your meddlesome ways just so happened to see him one day, walking around in his Corruption, and then the hunt was on.”

Keith knew he shouldn’t have spoken up, but his curiosity was beginning to burn a hole through his tongue.

“So you’re saying that Bigfoot isn’t just some guy in a suit? He’s real?!”

Lance cursed under his breath.

“I swear to the Fourths if you call Hunk that name again-”

“Ok ok, I’m sorry,” Keith hastily apologized, not wanting to know what Lance would do in the name of the Fourths...whoever they were. “Hunk then. He’s still out there?”

Lance was silent for a moment, then rolled his eyes.

“If you’re asking if he’s still in the Corrupt phase, then no. That ended years ago. But still you humans search.” Lance sprawled back out on the bed, inspecting his nails as he thought out loud. “It’s a good thing, in a way, since Hunk’s domain is still increasing. His woods are protected in case another sighting should occur.” Lance chuckled to himself, as if at an inside joke Keith wasn’t privy to. “You humans are so stubborn and thick-headed.” He shot a wink in Keith’s direction. “I never used to believe it, until I met you.”

Keith was too in shock to fully register Lance’s taunt, much less retort.

So Bigfoot is no longer out there…

Pidge is gonna be pissed.

Speaking of, Keith had completely forgotten about the phone in his hand, and glanced down at it guiltily as he turned away from Lance.

Ugh...I just need to call them. Get it over with. Explain…

Explain what though?

Ah fuck it.

Keith punched in the number before he could think more on the matter.

I’ve stalled enough. It’s time to face the facts.

Shiro picked up on the second ring.

“ Keith?”

“Uhh…”

“Keith, you there?”

Talk you idiot!

“Uh yep! I’m here!”

Too forceful! He’s gonna know something's up!

There was a pause, and then Shiro’s voice was coming through on the other end, hesitant and yup. Concerned as fuck.

“You alright? Everything good? ” Shiro asked, and finally Keith was able to get his thoughts collected enough to formulate a proper reply.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry. I’m...yeah. Good.”

Another pause, then: “ That doesn’t sound convincing. What happened?”

Keith sighed heavily.

Moment of truth….

But try as he might, he couldn’t bring himself to say the words. Any words really, and as he stood there dumbly with the satellite phone pressed solidly to his ear, Keith’s mind went utterly blank.

“ Keith? I’m starting to worry,” Shiro went on. “ Did that fox do anything?”

At the mention of the fox, Keith jumped, momentarily panicked that Shiro already knew what had happened. But then he recalled that their last conversation had ended with Keith telling him about his plans to dry off the beastie that had come to his door, and realized that was what Shiro meant.

“Um...yeah,” he admitted, since, technically, the ‘fox’ was the cause behind everything . “Sort of.”

“ What does that mean? What did it do?”

Now was Keith’s chance to tell Shiro what had occurred. He would explain that after he had let the fox in, he had gone to bed, and woken up with a strange man next to him. He would reassure Shiro that nothing like that had happened, and then go on to tell him that he was alright, and that the man had left.

Only- and here Keith would take a deep breath- he hadn’t left as a man, per se. He had left as a fox.

Shiro would pause, confused and likely wondering if Keith was pulling his leg, but the seriousness in Keith’s voice would inform him otherwise. The man had turned into a fox, and then back again, and Keith would start to tremble, not knowing what was the truth.

Shiro would say something comforting; tell him he’s fine and to drink water and rest. Wait a few hours. If he was still feeling disoriented and confused, call again. They would make a plan from there.

Keith would do as he said, and then keep Shiro on the phone for as long as he was able, until finally he felt calm enough to hang up.

Keith could have done this, easily really, but instead, all he found himself saying was:

“He peed on the floor.”

There was a scuffle from somewhere behind him, and when Keith turned, he saw Lance had bolted upright, and was shooting him the most scandalous look of betrayal Keith had ever seen.

It was almost enough to make him smile.

“He...peed on the floor? That’s it?” Keith could hear the hesitation in Shiro’s voice. Wanted, deep down, to tell him the truth, or whatever twisted variation of it he had experienced.

But he had always acted on instinct, and right then, Keith’s gut was screaming at him to lie.

“Yeah. It was super gross. And stinky,” he watched Lance scoff silently, his hands going to slender hips as he glared Keith down. “Made a big mess-” oh boy, I’m enjoying this too much . “Oh, and he sheds. All over the place.”

Lance’s arms were now flailing theatrically as he displayed his displeasure of Keith’s words as quietly as he could, not wanting to give himself away now that Keith had chosen this route.

“ Sheds? Keith,” he heard Shiro groan on the other end. “ Did you let that animal sleep in your bed?”

Keith almost laughed.

“‘Let’? No. He crawled in on his own accord. Made himself right at home.” He eyed Lance knowingly as he said this, and the boy stuck his tongue out in reply.

“ I’m trying to be mad but that honestly sounds pretty cute,” Shiro went on, and Keith snorted.

“Cute...yeah no. Try annoying. He was like a furnace. Oh, and he stole a pair of my favourite shorts.”

“Again? Maybe keep those in-” Shiro broke off as Keith squealed. Lance, who had apparently heard enough of Keith’s teasing, had took it upon himself to start stripping off the article of clothing Keith had mentioned to Shiro. Thankfully Keith was quicker, and bounded over to the bed to prevent Lance’s hands from completing their task.

“ Keith?! What was that? Are you ok?!” Shiro’s voice was loud in his ear, which was pressed up tight against his shoulder as both hands worked to keep Lance’s still.

“Huh? Yeah sorry,” he panted, shooting Lance pointed glares to stop squirming as he struggled to maintain the conversation. “Just saw a mouse.”

In hindsight he should have expected it.

But in the three seconds it took for Keith’s words to leave his mouth and be registered by Lance, the damage was already done.

A flash of light; traces of blue burning themselves into his eyeballs, and Keith’s hands closed over empty space. He stumbled forward, down onto the bed now that Lance was no longer beneath him.

Before he could even begin to process the change however, a mouse suddenly ran out from under the shorts Lance had been wearing. It stood on its hind legs and-did it salute me!?- before jumping down off the bed.

And then Keith was screaming again.

“Keith what is going on!” Shiro called from the other end. “It’s just a mouse!”

BUT IT WAS MAN THREE FUCKING SECONDS AGO SHIRO.

He didn’t say that though. Instead he scurried back on the bed, mouse Lance having disappeared from view, and breathed into the receiver.

“Shiro, I gotta go. I’ll call later or something.”

“Keith wait-” but he hung up before Shiro could finish.

“Since when can you turn into other animals!” Keith yelled out, eyes scanning the floor around him. “And why a fucking mouse?! ”

There was a flash to his right, and then Keith was staring up at the entirely naked form of Lance.

He screamed again, hiding his eyes with the pillow on the bed.

“SHORTS!”

There was a light chuckle, and then hands were pulling the pillow away from Keith’s face, revealing a still very underdressed Lance, but with his private bits safely hidden from view.

“What, you don’t like mice?”

Keith shoved the pillow into Lance’s face, stumbling away from the bed as he struggled for breath.

“Woah, I’m sorry,” Lance called out from behind him, but there was nothing sarcastic in his tone. His apology seemed genuine. Felt real.

Real.

The word echoed around Keith’s skull, banishing all doubts.

It’s all real.

Lance is real.

He can change into different animals...and...I’m not crazy?

By all accounts he should have thought the opposite, but the brief conversation with Shiro had done just as Lance had said: acted as proof.

Had Keith truly been insane, he would have mentioned it to Shiro, whether meaning to or not. That was what he did. How they worked.

Whenever Keith felt like something was wrong, Shiro would know. And one way or another, Keith would always tell him. But he hadn’t this time.

Instead, his gut instinct had been to lie, or, exaggerate the truth. And sure Shiro had seemed skeptical at first, but had Keith really lost his mind, he doubted he would have been able to pull the lie off.

And then there was the whole matter of how very real Lance had felt under his hands. Warm and moving and alive . Even if the boy claimed to not be human, that was exactly how he had felt beneath Keith’s palms.

Right up until he had transformed into a mouse that is.

“I thought you could only turn into a fox,” Keith started slowly, keeping a hand on the table to balance himself as he turned to face Lance. “You never told me you could do other animals.”

“You didn’t ask,” Lance shrugged, adjusting the string tie on the shorts and tumbling back down on the bed. “And you sure as hell didn’t give me a chance to explain.”

“Ok, but...a mouse?” Keith felt a shiver run across his arms. “ Really? ”

Lance had the audacity to laugh; the sound bouncing cheerfully around the cabin.

“You brought it on yourself. Telling that voice I peed and shed! Rude! I’m practically a God to you humans. I should be given the proper respect.”

Keith snorted despite himself. It was hard to consider the lanky boy in front of him as Godly when he was sitting up on a tangled sleeping back with tousled hair from the pillow Keith had thrown, and nothing but a pair of shorts to keep the imagination employed.

And then, because there was nothing else Keith could think to do in this situation, he started laughing.

Giggles rose in his throat, and before long he was clutching his sides as tears made his vision blurry, and he could see Lance watching him with a bemused expression.

“What’s so funny?” he asked as Keith doubled over in another fit.

“It’s just-” he managed to get out, “you-” he broke off in another bout of laughter.

“Me?!” Lance huffed indignantly, and crossed the room so he was standing in front of Keith. “I am not something to be laughed at.”

“No, no,” Keith took several gulps of air as the need to laugh slowly ebbed away. “I didn’t mean you. It’s just,” he sighed, leaning heavily on the table as he closed his eyes. “If I’m not crazy, then that means you’re real. That what you say is true, and the things you can do...well,” he opened his eyes and glanced over at Lance, who was tilting his head at him perplexed. “It’s magic.”

Lance rolled his eyes, hands moving up to pat down stray pieces of hair on his head. Keith watched the movement, and felt his own fingers twitch longingly as Lance fussed over himself.

“It’s not magic,” Lance said, pulling Keith’s attention back down to his face. Not that that was a better place to be, since blue eyes pierced into him like icicles, and Keith felt goosebumps rise over his skin in response. “It’s just how the world works. It’s why my kind are here: to protect the different domains and preserve the intricacies the Fourths created.”

“And who are the ‘Fourths’?” Keith heard himself ask. A wave of calm was rushing to soothe the cracks doubt had created in his mind, and with it brought Keith a sense of relief that had his muscles melting into the table beneath him.

Even if I am crazy, this isn’t the worst thing to imagine...right?

Lance was talking, and with an effort, Keith forced himself to focus on the words.

“-pillars of the world. They hold everything in balance. It would be difficult for me to explain fully, but if you really want to know-”

“No,” Keith interrupted, and Lance quirked an eyebrow. “No, I think I’m good.”

Lance chuckled, and then began picking at loose splinters on the table beneath Keith.

“Why didn’t you tell the voice about me?” he asked after a moment, and Keith looked over at him with lowered brows.

“Well, technically I did-”

“The real me,” Lance cut him off with a grin, and once again Keith was struck by that word.

Real…

“I’m not sure,” he explained, pushing himself off the table and retrieving the satellite phone from where he had left it. There were a few new messages from Shiro, but Keith elected to ignore those for the time being. “My head wanted to, but something else was telling me no.”

“Something else?”

“Yeah...my heart maybe?” Keith watched Lance’s cheeks darken curiously, but didn’t ponder it much. “If I were really insane, like, over the hills mad, then Shiro would have known right away. Or...I think I would have told him the truth. Crazy people don’t withhold the facts, do they?”

Lance didn’t meet his gaze when Keith glanced back at him, instead focusing in on the floor as he shrugged.

“Regardless,” Keith went on, “if you’re real, then that’s...I don’t know, cool I guess.”

“ Cool? ” Lance mocked, “I am so much more than just cool .”

“Ok fine. Pretty neat.”

“WOW.”

Keith chuckled again, and heard Lance briefly do the same. It was...nice really. And if Lance was real, then Keith was no longer alone up on the mountain. He had someone to talk to.

And if he was completely honest, talking to Lance wasn't all that bad.

Enjoyable even.

Plus he’s not bad to look at, out of his fox form.

Keith paused as the thought went barreling across his mind.

Wait….

And then an idea was forming in the back of his head, growing more and more concrete until Keith was practically bouncing across the room to grab his camera case and tripod. Lance watched him, eyes wide at the sudden movement, but before he could ask, Keith was grabbing hold of his wrists and shaking them excitedly.

“Can you turn into other things besides a mouse and a fox?”

Lance blinked, staring down at the hands over his wrists and then up at Keith.

“Of course! What kind of Shifter would I be otherwise?” he explained, tone slightly confused. “Why?”

Because, even if I am crazy, that won’t stop me from doing my work.

And if you can turn into other animals then...my job just got a whole lot easier.

“Ever considered modelling?”

Chapter Text

“...To me, you will be unique in all the world…”

Lance was hesitant at first.

He kept insisting that Keith wouldn’t be able to handle watching him continuously transforming into various forms, especially after the roller coaster of emotions he had gone through that morning.

“I don’t want you to freak out again,” he had said in response to Keith’s idea, but Lance, as it turned out, was very easy to convince otherwise.

All it took was a well placed pout and some rapid-fire blinking, a technique that only barely worked on Shiro, and soon Lance was groaning in submission as he agreed to play along.

This is gonna be awesome!  Keith thought as he set up his tripod after selecting a decent backdrop to take his photos. He would have to be careful about switching around locations, lest someone pick up on what he was doing.

Not like they’d ever guess it was all one guy.

But Keith didn’t want to take the risk.

The plan was easy enough anyways. All he needed was for Lance to transform into different animals, preferably species common to the region, and Keith would take the picture. It wasn’t  really  cheating, seeing as Lance was just as wild as the animals themselves, and Keith didn’t see anything wrong with taking advantage of the situation he was finding himself in.

And plus, if Lance really  was  just a figment of his imagination, and none of this was real, then the pictures would prove that, right? Either that, or Keith would go back home at the end of the month with a memory card full of photos of rocks and grass.

That’ll end my career for sure.

Though there’s no point having a job if I’m in a mental hospital for the rest of my life.

May as well enjoy my time here and not worry about those details yet.

“Ok,” he said, breaking off his thoughts when finally content with the setup of his camera. “Which do you wanna start with?”

Lance, who had been laying on the grass watching him curiously as he worked, sat up.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I already have some photos of you as a fox, and I’m not sure what else you can do, besides the mouse but no way am I photographing that-”

“Right,” Lance interrupted, standing up and making a show of stretching out his limbs. Keith was once again grateful for the shorts sitting snug on Lance's hips, but felt a smidge guilty for not supplying him with more clothing.

I doubt he would want more anyway.

And if I'm gonna be crazy I may as well get a nice view out of it.

Besides. None of the guys at the gym come anywhere close to that level of tone. It's like his muscles were crafted by gods or- wait...maybe they were...

“I get it,” Lance was saying, and, as if reading his mind, added: “But why not take my picture in this form?”

Keith froze, his cheeks growing warm as his eyes followed the curve of Lance’s arms down to his waist, and he hastily blinked and turned away.

“Why would I do that-” he started, but broke off as Lance walked in front of the camera, bending his head to inspect the lens and glancing up at Keith with a quick wink.

“Because you seem to like it,” he said, and Keith ducked his head as a fit of coughing took over.

Wow! Called out!

He managed to collect himself enough to get out a shaky sentence, keeping his gaze on his tripod and pointedly ignoring Lance.

“W-what makes you say that?” He hoped he sounded more nonchalant than he felt, but knowing his luck...

Clearly I haven’t been as sneaky as I thought about those stolen glances…

“Well,” Lance hummed, holding out his arms in front of him and inspecting them as if for the first time. “Usually when I take a human form, it’s influenced by the wants of other humans in the area.”

Keith’s head whipped up to stare at him, his brows raised high on his face as he struggled to process the new information.

The...wants?

Surely he doesn’t mean-

“Typically the men that have ventured up here always result in a female form when I make myself known,” Lance explained, and Keith knew his face was now a scarlet mask as he clued in.

Well fuck.

Lance was smirking now, his lids lowered half way over his eyes in an almost seductive manner, and he draped himself over a nearby rock leisurely. Keith tried not to stare.

He failed.

“This is the first time I’ve taken a male form in a long while,” Lance mused, and Keith swallowed thickly, feeling altogether too awkward for the current conversation. “Wasn't expecting it really, but I'm glad. I miss these things though,” he added suddenly, putting both hands to his chest and groping lightly. “They were fun. Although...” his hands wandered down his torso, slow and meticulous, coming to a stop just above the hem of his borrowed shorts. “This is pretty fun too.”

Keith began coughing again, his saliva having gone down the wrong tube as he attempted to swallow, and he slapped a hand over his face to try and cover the growing blush threatening to burn him alive.

Oh my GOD.

I need to get ahold of myself here. Just focus on breathing. Or that cool rock over there.

“I’m a nature photographer,” Keith explained, his back now turned to Lance as he pretended to fiddle with his camera case and get the topic back to the matter at hand. “That means I take pictures...of nature.”

“Nothing more natural than me,” Lance sang, his voice carrying over to Keith and causing his mind to supply an array of  colourful  images he found entirely too difficult to suppress.

“Try  un natural,” he grumbled, and heard a resounding huff from behind him. He sighed after a moment, knowing his face was still a blotchy patchwork of red, and slowly faced Lance once again. The boy had his arms crossed over his chest, and had been in the process of eyeing Keith over when his face snapped up to Keith’s. There was no denying the subtle flush of cheeks as blue eyes rolled playfully, averting the gaze.

Was he just checking me out?

Hmm…

“Fine,” Lance said suddenly, stretching his arms to the sky and giving Keith a very nice view of toned back muscles as he walked away from the camera. “We can do the ‘nature’ thing you want. But we’re starting with the fox, because I need to make sure you don’t flip out again.”

Keith was about to respond with a snide comment of his own, but was cut off short as white and blue light engulfed Lance’s form, leaving a small red fox in his place.

My fox…

Keith shook the thought from his head, and moved to stand behind his camera as the fox,  Lance  he reminded himself, spun around to face him.

“Cool, see?” Keith asked, gesturing to himself. “Still on my feet. Told you I’d be fine.”

And it was the truth. As disorientating as it was to see a man transform into an animal in the span of three seconds, Keith wasn’t as freaked out as he had been earlier that morning. It was like he had surpassed the level of normality that would typically result in him falling to the ground faint. That ship had sailed apparently, and Keith was now beyond that, ascending to a new, much calmer state of mind.

That, or he was just bat-shit crazy.

Lance’s ears flattened to the side of his head as he watched Keith, almost in an annoyed fashion. Or maybe that was just the universal fox sign for ‘yeah, whatever, you’re just insane’.

Keith elected to ignore it as he adjusted the focus on his camera.

“Ok good,” he mumbled to himself, then in a louder voice: “now do something foxy.”

Lance blinked up at him, blue eyes wide and shining, before he whirled around and lowered his front paws to the ground, sticking his rear end up into the air and tilting his head to one side.

Keith’s mouth fell open at the pose.

“Not  that  sort of foxy,” he sputtered, and Lance shook himself as he stood again. Keith wasn’t sure, due to the animalistic features, but he was pretty positive that there was a flash of humour in Lance’s eyes as he stared up at him again. “Smartass,” Keith said under his breath, and Lance jumped up onto a nearby rock. “Just act like how you did when I first met you. Do something fox-like.”

This time was more successful, and Lance allowed himself to be directed by Keith in the odd photoshoot. Lance, admittedly, was a natural, and already had an impressive sense of which angles worked best, and what positions he looked cutest in.

Keith kept those observations to himself for the most part however, choosing instead to keep his mouth shut as he snapped away. It wasn’t long before he had a nice little collection of fantastic shots of the fox, and was in the process of skimming through them when he felt a hand land on his shoulder.

“Lemme see-”

“Christ Lance!” Keith yelped, drowning out the rest of Lance’s sentence, and then his eyes were drifting downwards, completely of their own volition, and he jumped away from the boy. “Put on the shorts!”

“Gah, fine,” Lance snapped, and five seconds later he was back at Keith’s shoulder, definition of personal space a foreign concept. “Now show me!”

“So pushy,” Keith mumbled to himself, face still red from what he had just witnessed, but did as he was asked. He didn’t even make it passed the first photo before Lance was interrupting again.

“Gross! My tail is too bushy in that!”

What?

Keith glanced over at him, eyelids lowered in his classic ‘are you serious’ look that Shiro always poked fun of.

“Your tail looks fine,” he said, entirely truthful. In his opinion there was nothing wrong with the picture. If anything, it was one of the better ones he had taken since coming to this place, but Lance was not so easily appeased.

“You need to take new ones,” he stated, pointing out flaws in each of the shots Keith showed him. “My ear is crooked in that one, and my eyes are unfocused here!” His finger jabbed the screen of the camera, and Keith pulled it away from him with an irritated huff.

His patience was beginning to wear thin, and Lance’s obvious dislike of the photos wasn’t helping matters.

“They’re  fine  Lance,” he said through gritted teeth. “You’re being too picky.”

“And  you’re  not being picky enough! I thought you said you were good at this!”

Ouch.

Keith made a sound of annoyance in the back of his throat, before pulling his camera away from Lance’s view and making to grab his tripod.

This was stupid.

“Woah, where are you going!” Lance called after him, but Keith didn’t turn.

“I don’t need a  fox  telling me how to take my photos.”

Hurried footsteps approached from behind, and then Lance was coming around to stand in front of him.

“Keith, you’re giving up already?”

Yes.

“No,” he said instead. “I’m just going to take pictures of something else.”

He made to move passed Lance, but the boy was faster, and blocked his way.

“You don’t want my help anymore? But this was your idea in the first place!”

“Yeah well,” Keith grunted, “apparently you don’t like my work.”

Lance frowned down at him, hands going to slender hips.

“I never said that,” he started, then trailed off with a sigh. “It’s just...I don’t know. No one’s ever done what you’re doing, and I’ve never really seen myself this way before.”

Keith paused, eyes wandering up to Lance’s and noticing the sincerity in them.

“I guess…” he went on, voice softer this time around. “I guess, I’m just a bit self-conscious?”

“You, self-conscious,” Keith almost laughed, thinking back to all the times he had been very much naked in front of Keith and hadn’t cared one bit, but the look on Lance’s face made him re-evaluate that choice. He inhaled deeply, and after only a moment of deliberation, placed a hand on Lance’s upper arm.

...Warm.

And firm-

Focus.

“Lance,” Keith managed to say, using every ounce of energy to keep from squeezing his fingers into Lance’s bicep. “They’re just pictures. And I think they’re turning out great.”

Better than great.

Shiro’s gonna be so impressed.

“Maybe,” Lance’s eyes were focused on the ground as he spoke. “I’m just not used to humans taking this sort of interest in me. Usually, when hunters or trappers invade my domain, all they see of me is a pelt. A trophy. The same goes for my other forms as well: wolf, bear...human. If I’m not perfect then they don’t take the bait and I can’t-” he broke off, leaving Keith wondering what it was Lance did to those unfortunate souls who crossed into his borders with the intention of doing harm.

But then Lance was shuffling forward, the gap between them closing ever so slightly, and nothing else really mattered except the feeling of Lance’s skin still beneath his palm.

“But with you…” Blue eyes locked in on Keith’s, and he felt his lungs deflate as the breath was knocked out of him. “With you it’s like I don’t have to worry about all those things. I don’t feel the need to maintain this...facade I guess, mostly because I’ve already deemed you safe, but that’s besides the point. And now you want to see me,  all  of me, the  real me , and you say it doesn’t matter, but there’s still a part of me that wants to show you how perfect I can be.”

Oh…

Keith was lost in Lance’s eyes; allowing himself to be consumed by blue as he felt himself lean forward.

“You already have.”

He wasn’t sure how the sentence passed his lips. He hadn’t given it permission; hadn’t even thought the words over before they were floating up purposefully towards Lance’s ears.  Human  ears, which were now turning a deep shade of red, and Lance’s eyes widened almost comically as he stared down at Keith.

Such a pretty blue…

But that was the only coherent thought Keith could manage before Lance was lowering his head dangerously close to his own, and he felt himself inhale sharply.

“Oh Keith,” Lance breathed, the air tickling Keith’s nose due to their close proximity. “I haven’t even begun to show you how perfect I am.”

Keith’s mouth was  very  dry, almost impossibly so, and the effort it took to swallow was laughable.

Oh lord…

He blinked, breaking the tension between them and stepping back as his own cheeks blazed triumphantly. Lance let him,  thank god,  and Keith cleared his throat loudly as he gathered up the rest of his things.

Fuck fuck fuck, what the fuck was that!

I can’t...I shouldn’t-

What the fuck!

“Right, well,” he said, voice much too chipper and making him cringe at the sound of it. Lance was watching him with a crooked smile, so Keith averted his eyes lest he do anything drastic.

Like-

Nope. Don’t even think it.

“Why are you leaving?” Lance asked as Keith began walking purposefully in the opposite direction. He called back over his shoulder, hoping his words would come out stronger than they felt.

To make sure my heart doesn’t implode.

“To find a nicer backdrop.”

“What?” Lance quipped. “Why!”

Keith stopped, turning fully to stare at the place Lance was still standing, though making a point of staring at a spot just to the left of his ear. He didn’t think he could handle gazing into those crystal blue eyes so soon. They were a trap, one Keith wasn’t so opposed to getting stuck in.

Which was a problem.

“Because,” he explained, “if you’re going to show me just how  perfect  you can be-” he hoped his voice didn't betray how eager he was to find out if there was any truth to that statement, “-then I need a background of equal measure.”

Lance’s smile widened into a toothy grin, and he bounded over to Keith with an enthusiastic spring in his step.

“I know just the place!” and he took off running down a path into the thicker woods.

“Hey!” Keith called after him.  “Carry the tripod at least!”

Lance came sprinting back, gathering up Keith’s equipment and sticking his tongue out in reply to Keith’s eye roll before hurrying back into the trees.

“Hurry up!”

Keith allowed a smile to grow on his lips, and he followed after Lance into the forest, not once thinking that maybe he shouldn’t be going off with strangers.

Lance isn’t a stranger though.

He’s just...Lance.

And though Keith had really only just met the boy, or, well,  entity  in this case, there was no denying the sense of reassurance that the thought brought.

Imagined or not, Lance turned up in his photos, meaning he was getting  something  on film. And wasn’t that really the whole point of being out here?

Plus it was better than working alone, surprisingly. Though Keith had always preferred the solo act to group projects, Lance was relatively easy to get along with, and aside from the relentless flirting, he made for some decent company; bonus marks because he as pretty to look at.

With that in mind, Keith followed eagerly after the long-legged thief, and let the hidden smile remain on his lips.

I wonder if all he said could be true,  Keith found himself thinking as they walked.

I mean, I've seen the...magic light show bit...but I wonder if there are others like him.

Either way, it’s a shame about BigFoot. Pidge is gonna be so pissed.

Only...how the  hell  was he supposed to explain all this, to  any  of this friends?! It wasn’t like his story was even remotely plausible, much less believable. Finding a fox in the woods, who turned out to be some magical boy...that was fairytale material.

That was whimsical nonsense that his foster parents had tried to read to him before bed.

Keith had never believed in magic or wishes or dreams come true. He was a facts kinda guy, which was why he had gone into photography in the first place. Capturing something on film meant it was legitimate; preserved for the ages. The pictures he took could be interpreted in different ways, sure, but if he submitted a photo of a tree, then that was all it was: a tree.

And it would remain a tree for as long as the photo was intact. Keith had always liked that solidity; that reassurance of permanence that he had been neglected his whole life, and taking pictures was his way of holding onto fleeting moments.

Because that's all life was really...fleeting moments and faded memories, with maybe a photo or two to remember them by.

But, maybe he was wrong. Maybe there was more to the world than he had previously thought. Maybe there  was  something hidden behind the curtain of reality, like Shiro was always going on about.

I wonder if maybe that camera he gave me really is magical, like he told me before I left…

Or maybe I’m just pulling at loose strings, hoping my mind doesn’t unravel in the process.

Whatever the case, Keith decided then and there that Lance would remain his secret. He couldn’t tell anyone. One, because it was utter lunacy. And two...well, what if they believed him? Then what? A bunch of random strangers flocking to this section of woods to try and get a glimpse of the fox-who-was-not-really-a-fox?

Keith couldn’t allow that.  Wouldn’t  allow that.

And as he watched Lance zig-zag along the path in front of him, stopping at nearly every plant and pointing out his favourite places as they walked, Keith realized that, maybe keeping Lance a secret wouldn’t be that bad.

Maybe having Lance all to himself wasn’t such a terrible thing.

And maybe,  just  maybe, his heart was deciding to play along with his mind in this jumbled mess of a circumstance.

What harm could it do...really...

Chapter Text

“...To you, I shall be unique in all the world.”

The rest of the day passed in a blur.

It could have been due to the heat of the sun, and the fact that Keith was in it for hours without any protection on his skin- for sure regretting that one later…

Or it could have been the fact that he had been working non-stop, taking photo after photo at every odd angle imaginable, searching for that perfect shot.

But, to be completely honest, Keith figured the day went by so quickly because he had been, well... enjoying  himself.

Wasn’t there a saying about that? Time flies or whatever?

Keith had never been one to believe that nonsense before, but now? Now he was less sure.

Lance had led him to an impressively gorgeous place; mountainous landscape surrounded by tall hemlocks and overlooking the valley below. It was a vision straight out of a photoshopped postcard, one that had Keith indulging in several scenic pictures before his model grew impatient.

“Why are you focusing on rocks! Pay attention to  me!”

As if to solidify his point, Lance had shifted into a magnificent mountain goat; white pelt flawlessly reflecting the light from the sun as he clambered up the steep slope.  

“Holy shit,” Keith breathed, watching as Lance seamlessly traversed the near vertical side of the cliff. But all other words had been lost in the wind, and Keith figured that it was best not to distract Lance with safety warnings, and focus on capturing the moment as best he could instead.

From goat to falcon to bushy black bear...the photoshoot had been incredible.  Lance,  had been incredible, and Keith made sure to say as much as they meandered back to his cabin later that evening.

“Shiro’s going to piss himself when he sees how good these are,” he mumbled to himself in awe as he flicked through the photos, but Lance was close enough to hear, and hummed contently as they walked.

“Like, Lance,” Keith went on, louder this time so Lance knew the words were for him, “these are amazing!”

Lance tilted his head to the right, brushing a hand through his hair idly.

“You think so? Really?”

Keith nodded, putting his camera away and beaming up at the boy keeping pace beside him.

“They’re perfect...just like you said.”

Lance’s mouth opened, as if he were about to say something, but then shut soon afterwards. His cheeks flushed a deep red, and then all at once he wasn’t standing next to Keith anymore. A hummingbird was instead hovering near to his face, and before Keith could even begin to ask what Lance was up to, he darted away, leaving Keith alone on the path with nothing but his equipment and a pair of shorts left discarded on the ground.

“Um...Lance?” he called out, but the boy didn’t return.

Did I offend him? All I said was that the pictures were good…

What the hell!

Leave it to Keith to have his imaginary friend desert him in the middle of the forest.

Rude.

Whatever the cause behind Lance’s abrupt exit, Keith decided to let it slide. He was exhausted anyhow, and figured Lance must just be as well.

He did sort of work hard today. And I never asked if transforming into other creatures is draining or not.

Oh…

Oh god! What if he’s hurt or something?! What if he’s so exhausted he passes out mid-flight and fucking DIES?!

Keith was tempted to go out and search for the boy, but as his cabin came into view, he decided it best not to overreact. Besides, Lance may have just wanted some space, and finding a hummingbird in all this dense foliage was a tad optimistic.

And it wasn’t like Lance was new to these woods. They were his, apparently, and Keith felt he didn’t really have the right to wander them aimlessly as he shouted for it’s keeper through the trees.

He’s fine. Probably.

He’s a grown, magical...guy. He can handle himself.

No matter what he told himself however, Keith couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that Lance’s sudden disappearance left him with. Or maybe it wasn’t even that.

Maybe he was just disappointed.

Now I have to entertain myself. Double rude!!

Keith clambered up the steps to the cabin, sighing in relief as his feet slipped free from his hiking boots. He stretched, feeling his back pop several times in the process, before plopping down heavily on the porch swing and scanning over the surrounding area.

“Where did you go?” he wondered aloud, but if he was hoping to see any sign of Lance, be that in human form or other, he was let down. A good ten or fifteen minutes went by before Keith finally sighed deeply and stood.

“Whatever,” he grumbled, picking up his camera bag and opening the cabin door. He paused then, remembering that he had Lance’s shorts with him, and decided to leave them on the railing outside...just in case.

The last thing he needed was a naked man waltzing in on him during dinner, though, the more Keith entertained the thought, the less opposed to it he was.

Gah, enough!

For all I know he was never real in the first place, and my brain just finally decided to start working again.

Keith sat down on his bed, taking out his camera and scanning through the photos he had taken that day once more.

They’re all still here.

Which means I photographed  something.  Lance had to have been real.

Or else I’m just an amazing photographer who managed to get within petting distance of a moose.

Sure. Ok.

He fell back on the mattress with a groan; the absence of Lance’s voice filling the silence suddenly too much to handle. How quickly he had grown used to the company.

Maybe I’ll call Shiro. Or Pidge even!

He rolled over on the bed, reaching out to where the satellite phone had been left that morning.

Several messages were flashing on the screen as he turned it on.

Oh crap.

10:56-  I know you just called, but be safe. Please.

11:03-  Also I want you to call again later. Or at least send a check in. Twice a day.

13:15-  [(1) Missed call.]

14:01-  [(2) Missed calls.]

14:05-  Keith? You need to bring this with you when you go out for the day!

14:08-  Otherwise what’s the point?

14:45-  [(3) Missed calls.]

15:17-  [(4) Missed calls.]

15:20-  You are so fired if you don’t get back to me.

Keith whined as he scanned over Shiro’s messages. He knew he was in trouble, considering missing one phone call had caused his boss enough panic last time. He was hesitant to find out what four would do, especially since it was now nearing six o’clock. Shiro was probably in a stress-induced coma, or on his way to rescue/throttle Keith.

Well, gotta get this over with I suppose.

He punched in the number, and waited half a minute before an automated message of Pidge’s voice came through.

“You’ve reached the office of Takashi Shirogane. For inquiries into the Altea, press 1. To make a submission to the magazine, press 2. For questions, concerns, or comments, press 3. To make a donation, press 4. And if your name is Keith Kogane, press 5. You’re in deep shit.”

Keith was almost too stunned to do anything for a moment, and as the message repeated itself, he pressed a shaking finger down on the number directed towards him.

He wasn’t sure if Shiro had been the one to recommend the personalization, but he doubted Pidge had run the message by him before setting it up. Shiro wasn’t really one to allow profanity, particularly with his magazine, which meant that he was either too busy to notice Pidge’s addition to their voicemail system, or Keith truly  was  in deep shit.

Welp, time to find out.

Pidge’s voice, her  real  voice, answered on the third ring.

“Well, well, look who it is! Keith! Explorer extraordinaire.”  She paused.  “Unless this is some rando who doesn’t know how to follow instructions-”

“No, it’s me,” Keith interrupted, and heard Pidge’s tisk on the other end.

“Out gallivanting around with Bigfoot, were we?”

Keith chuckled, remembering what Lance had mentioned in regards to the cryptid.

“He doesn’t like going by that...apparently.”

There was a pause, in which Keith could only imagine her performing that cliché eye roll before she was responding with a rather monotone “ what. ”

“Nevermind,” he huffed. “What’s with the personalized message? Have I been promoted?”

“HA! You wish. I’d be surprised if you even have a job by the time you get back.”

Keith leaned up against the back wall, adjusting his pillow to sit more comfortably behind his back.

“After Shiro sees the photos I’ve taken, I think I’ll be secure for life.”

Pidge hummed questioningly on the other end.

“You actually manage to take a picture of something other than a rock?”

“Ok,  harsh, ” Keith scoffed. “I’ll have you know I’m a  very  proficient photographer. Highly sought after.”

“Whatever you say Special K.” She paused, then chuckled to herself. “Look! I’m a poet and I wasn’t even aware.”

Keith groaned, slapping a hand over his face as he tilted his head back to land softly against the wall.

“You’re the worst is what you are.” But that didn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face as he heard Pidge snicker. “But seriously, I did get some great shots today. I’m pretty proud of how they turned out.”

“Hmm, I’ll believe it when I see it.”

There was a pause in which Pidge went quiet, and Keith was too nervous to request to speak with Shiro, so they sat in silence for a minute or two. Finally Pidge sighed, and Keith knew what was coming.

“You really ought to start treating this little trip of yours as work Keith,”  she reprimanded softly, and his eyes slid shut in shame.  “Shiro has been really worried. Like, almost to the point where I’ve had to stop him from calling Search and Rescue several times.”

Guilt twisted painfully in Keith’s stomach, and he sat up fully, walking over to the table where his knife and bear spray were. He hadn’t even bothered bringing those with him before heading out with Lance.

Stupid.

I really am a stick at this.

“I know,” he mumbled, and Pidge grunted in affirmation.

“I’m...glad you’re still alive buddy,”  she went on. “ Just, stay that way. For all our sakes. The office wouldn’t be the same without your emoness.”

“My what?!” Keith scoffed, and Pidge giggled on the other end.

“ You know, the broody frowns as you try and figure out which filter to use on a photo. And don’t even deny it. I work the security cameras, and lets just say there’s one on you at all times.”

Keith blinked, thinking back to all the times he had goofed off at work when he was bored, or made faces as he struggled to tweak his pictures.

Oh god-

“ Oh yes ,” Pidge said, as if hearing his thoughts.  “I have a montage of all the times you’ve nearly fell over in your spinny chair. And don’t even get me started on the doodling.”

Keith groaned.

“That’s an invasion of privacy you creeper,” he grumbled, but Pidge only laughed. “I’m telling Shiro on you.”

“Oh? Go ahead,”  she challenged.  “What do you think he’ll be more concerned with? My videos? Or your lack of contact?”

Keith paused, retort ready but falling short as he realized the answer to that question.

“That’s what I thought,”  Pidge sneered, and he could just picture her with her feet up on her desk, adjusting her glasses in victory.

Rotten Pidge. But...she has a point.

“Speaking of,” Keith said, diverting the conversation back to the initial purpose. “Is Shiro there? I need to explain some stuff.”

“He stepped out for a bit not too long ago. Apparently an old colleague is in town and they went out for dinner. I actually have to run and meet up with someone as well.”

Old colleague? Meet up?

“Uh..ok…” Keith pouted, not really wanting the call to end so soon.

“ He did say to transfer you to him should you call though,”  Pidge went on, and that guilt in his gut was stirring once again.

Great. So now I get to ruin his dinner date with whoever he’s with.

Employee of the year.

“No, Pidge, it’s alright I’ll just call back later-”

“And let me deal with his wrath?! Hell no. I’m transferring you right now. See ya later Special K! Don’t get lost in the woods!”

“Wait-” but her voice cut off, replaced by more ringing as his call was redirected to Shiro.  

Gee thanks,  Keith thought as he waited for Shiro to pick up. Oddly enough, it was nearing a minute before his boss finally answered, and Keith wondered what it was he had been interrupting.

“Shiro here,”  the voice said, and Keith neary laughed at the greeting.

“Shiro where?” he teased, and right away Shiro gasped into the receiver.

“Keith!? You son of breadcrumb! You’re lucky I’m in a public place right now, otherwise I’d be using much stronger language.”

Keith snorted, suddenly grateful for Pidge’s transfer.

“I can only imagine,” he chuckled, and heard Shiro sigh on the other end.

“Listen. I’m gonna cut right to the chase. You  need  to set up a sort of schedule for contacting us. You’re in the middle of nowhere, with spotty reception and no one to take care of you.”

“Well, I mean, I wouldn’t go  that  far,” Keith said, thinking of Lance. He wondered if that argument would benefit his case though, or only solidify Shiro’s point. Best not to find out either way.

“I would,”  Shiro was saying, not bothering to ask what Keith had meant.  “It’s stressful, and I know how you get. Just-”  he broke off, and Keith could just picture the face he was making.

“You’re gonna give yourself wrinkles Shiro. Relax.”

Shiro’s laughter was dry, but there were traces of humour in it, which Keith took as a victory.

“No way. If my stunning good looks fade even in the slightest, I know who I’ll be blaming.”

“Yeah, Pidge can be a handful at times-”

“Keith,”  Shiro interrupted, and Keith grinned. “ I need you to promise you’ll try and contact us at least twice a day. Once in the morning and sometime at night. I don’t care if it’s a call or a text, just...please Keith. My heart is frail and my hair is white.”

Keith’s grin faded to a small smile, and he sighed as he nodded.

“I promise I’ll check in more. I got...distracted today.”

“Oh yeah, speaking of that,”  Shiro grunted.  “Did you manage to get everything cleaned up?”

Keith blinked, eyebrows lowering in confusion as he tried to figure out what Shiro was talking about.

Cleaned up? What the hell did I say this morning?

“Um...yes?” he tried, and was relieved when Shiro answered, clearly content with the reply.

“Good. You have to be more careful with wild animals Keith. Don’t let that fox into the cabin again, ok?”

Oooohh….right.

He almost snorted as he recalled the look on Lance’s face as he made up an excuse for his odd behaviour. But then his smile dropped, and he glanced out the window; the sky darkening to a lovely shade of magenta, and wondered where his fox had gone.

“-Keith?”  Shiro’s voice cut through his brief zone-out, and Keith jerked at the sound.

“Sorry yeah, no. I won’t let the fox back in.”

But I’m not making any promises about the boy…

“It’ll be hard, since they’re cute and hard to resist, but if it’s getting into your stuff and causing you trouble…”  he trailed off, and Keith nodded.

“You have no idea,” he muttered, and heard Shiro laugh.

“So, how did the day go? Any good pictures?”

Keith wanted to answer, but felt he had already taken enough of Shiro’s time. Besides, how on earth would he explain the amount of pictures he had managed to capture within an afternoon? And the diverse wildlife?

No way would Shiro believe him.

Hell, Keith hardly believed it himself.

And I’m not about to mention Lance at all. That would only make things weird and more complicated.

No...best to keep it vague.

“Yeah, I managed to get a few,” he said. “But listen, I’m gonna make something to eat right now. And Pidge mentioned you were on a dinner date so-”

“Date?!”  Shiro sputtered suddenly, making Keith raise his eyebrows in surprise.  “Who said anything about a date?! This is just a casual dinner. Old friends...meeting up. Chatting. Not a date. No.”

Keith felt the corners of his lips tug up as his boss grew flustered.

“Hmmm, whatever you say boss,” he teased. “So who’s the girl?”

Shiro groaned on the other end, making Keith chuckle.

Gotcha.

But now I’m wondering who it is!

“She’s an old friend. Used to work here. That’s all.”

“Interesting,” Keith hummed.

“It is. But it’s not a date.”

Keith was grinning despite Shiro’s denial. He knew the guy too well.

An old friend...more like an old crush.

But he didn’t say as much. Instead Keith decided to let the matter drop, and settled on sending a teasing text later on instead of continue to interrupt the ‘not-date’.

“Well, I’ll let you get back to it then,” he said, and Shiro huffed.

“Alright. But I expect a check-in tomorrow, you hear me?”

“Kinda hard not to.”

Shiro grunted.

“Don’t sass me boy. You lost that privilege after the complete radio silence all day.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever you say boss. Now get back to your date.”

Shiro coughed abruptly, and Keith grinned as he imagined how red Shiro’s cheeks would be as he sputtered away.

“I-it’s not! Just professional eating and drinking. No date things. Nope. Stop it.”

“Make sure you don’t offer to take her picture right off the bat. You know what happened last time.”

Shiro made a noise in the back of his throat; a combination of a cough and a startled laugh.

“Hey, it is not my fault that guy took it the wrong way.”

“Kinda is…”

“Ok I’m hanging up on you now,”  Shiro grumbled, and Keith laughed.

“Enjoy the rest of your night! Remember to use mints, and condoms-” he broke off as Shiro scoffed loudly into the receiver.

“You’re the worst!”

“You love me.”

“Not so sure about that anymore.”

“Hang up already you wacko. Your girl is waiting.”

More spluttering, and then Shiro inhaled deeply.

“Fine. Take care.”

“I will.”

“Still not a date,”  Shiro finished, and then the line went dead. Keith was smiling as he took the phone away from his ear, mounting it on the charger to ensure it had a full battery for the next day.

But as he went about making himself dinner, Keith began to wonder if he would even be out again tomorrow.

With Lance just running off with no explanation, Keith was worried he had lost his model. But even more than that, he worried that he had lost a friend.

Even if he is imagined...it was nice to have someone to talk with.

Keith sighed, driving out the melancholy as he ate.

Lance, if what he said was true, was a spirit of the woods. Maybe he just had some tree emergency or something.

Keith decided he wouldn’t worry about it any more. He was a grown man. He didn’t need to have someone around constantly to make the loneliness a little more bearable.

This is what he signed up for, after all.

But despite those facts, Keith still had trouble falling asleep that night. His gaze lingered on the doorway, waiting to hear the porch steps creak, or the sound of tiny scratches as a sign to be let in.

His eyes eventually did close, purely out of exhaustion, but the same thoughts lingered.

Where was Lance?

Would he come back?

And, loudest of all:

I miss my fox.

He didn’t dream that night.

***

The next morning Keith woke early; sunlight streaming through the window and into his eyes.

Ugh, I forgot to shut the curtains…

But despite the rude awakening, Keith was almost thankful for it. He had slept in enough this trip, and like Pidge had said, it was time to start treating things like work.

Which meant getting up and out of bed with the sun.

Keith grumbled softly as he went about making his breakfast, groggy from lack of sleep and muscles sore from having walked so much the previous day.

He sat down at the table, taking up the satellite phone and sending a quick check-in, as Shiro had insisted upon, to let them know he was still alive.

It wasn’t long before he got a reply.

06:45-  Wow this is early for you. I am shocked.

Keith snorted, resting his head on his hand as he ate, and another message came through.

06:49-  Really though, thank you for checking in. Send a text around lunch and call at night.

Yes dad,  Keith thought, and typed out a response stating his intent to do as asked, before getting dressed for the day. Lance hadn’t made an appearance last night, which had Keith doubting himself now more than ever as to his existence in the first place.

Maybe I really did make him up.

That would suck. I was just getting used to him.

With an unexpected disappointment, Keith gathered up his things, making sure to pack a decent lunch as well as his knife, before heading out the door.

Now what…

Lance had been the one to guide him through the forest all those other times, both as a human and as a fox, but without him here, Keith was on his own.

Do I just pick a path and follow it?

He glanced around, recognizing the trail that lead to the waterfall and pond he had swam in a few days before.

Maybe I’ll see something cool there.

With that in mind, he began trudging along, the warmth of the day already causing him to sweat, and he was eternally grateful when he emerged from the thick brush and into the clearing from before.

“Well, at least I didn’t dream  you  up,” he said aloud as he turned to face the pool of water. It was inviting as all hell, and before Keith could really debate it, his shoes and socks were off, and he took out his camera as his feet soaked in the cool liquid. “Now if only some animals would show up.”

Not that he minded the break. With Lance’s help and yesterday’s successful shoot, Keith had plenty of photos for the time being. So he allowed himself to relax and simply enjoy the ambience nature supplied.

His eyes must have shut at one point, because the next thing Keith knew they were opening to the sound of rustling not far from where he was sitting.

He eyed the spot, calming his rising heart rate as he realized the noise was too soft to be anything large enough to cause him harm, like a feral wolf or bear. Still, he was on edge until a small black nose poked out from under the brush, followed by two orange triangles and a curious foxy head.

Keith felt his face light up, and he slowly took his feet out of the water to turn towards the beastie.

“I was beginning to doubt you would ever show your face again,” he said, and when the fox flinched back at the sound of his voice, Keith lowered it, allowing his true feelings to come forth. “I was worried, you know. You ran off-or, well  flew  off, so suddenly...I thought I had done something wrong.”

The fox edged closer, uncharacteristically cautious, and Keith frowned at it.

“What’s wrong? You shy all of a sudden?”

The fox sniffed the air, nose twitchy and not at all as dainty as Keith remembered.

“C’mon Lance,” he started, but broke off with a huff as the fox ducked back into the underbrush.

What the fuck?!

“I think you owe me an explanation at least,” he called after it, irritated with the behaviour. “Quit being such a weirdo!”

“That’s not me.”

The voice came from behind him, and Keith nearly fell back into the pond as he whirled to see Lance hovering over him; the shorts he had laid out the night before acting as a buffer as Keith came face to face with Lance’s crotch.

He rolled backwards, rising to his feet and putting distance between them; wet toes sinking into the grass.

“What the actual  hell  Lance!” he panted, pulse now in his throat as he glanced back to the spot the fox, who he had  thought  was Lance, had been. The critter was nowhere in sight.

Lance was grinning smugly, his arms folded neatly over his chest as he followed Keith’s gaze.

“That was just a plain old fox,” he explained, and Keith turned to face him with a scowl. “I would be offended you thought it was me were it not so funny.”

“Ha. Yes, hilarious,” Keith deadpanned, hoping his embarrassment wouldn't show. “How am I supposed to know the difference!”

Lance scoffed, feigning hurt as he bent to retrieve Keith’s camera case.

“Clearly I am superior in all ways. My fur glistens like amber in sunlight. My tail is immaculately kept.” Keith rolled his eyes as he took the case from Lance, who shrugged as he stepped back. “Plus my eyes are blue.”

“What does that have to do with anything-” Keith began, but trailed off as he recalled how the fox he had seen wasn’t at all similar to the one Lance resembled, especially now that he thought about it. Something had been odd, aside from the behaviour, and Lance’s comment had him connecting the dots.

He swallowed thickly, taking out his camera and rifling through his photos, realizing all at once that Lance was correct.

Not about the fur or tail things, though there was no denying their magnificence, but about the eyes. Every picture, no matter what form Lance was in, had a set of dazzling blue eyes.

How did I miss that?!  Keith thought, and then groaned in frustration as he realized the amount of photoshopping he would need to do to ensure each animal wasn’t showing up with diamonds for peepers.

“Oh  great ,” he sighed, replacing the camera and bending to don his footwear. “Just my luck.”

“Luck?” Lance asked, watching with a cocky grin. “Yeah, I guess you call having the privilege of capturing the most beautiful being on this planet on that device of yours, to have and cherish the memory forever, luck.”

Keith rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t hide the laugh that escaped his lips.

“Oh! And he’s humble too!”

Lance snorted, which was cuter than Keith would have expected, and he quickly ducked his head to hide any trace of a blush.

“Where did you go yesterday?” he asked, hoping to lead the conversation away from the flirty route it was threatening to take. “You just...well you left in a hurry.”

Lance was silent for a moment, careful to avoid Keith’s gaze as he shrugged noncommittally.

“I had a thing to deal with.”

“A thing.”

“Yes,” Lance nodded. “A  spirit  thing. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Not very convincing,” Keith hummed, and was pleased to see the tips of Lance’s ears darken a shade. “Sounds like a poorly fabricated lie to me.”

“Call it what you will,” Lance said, clearing his throat in the process, “but clearly you missed me. Talking with random forest animals in hopes that they’re me. It’s cute.”

Keith nearly choked at the sudden turn the conversation had taken.

“I didn’t miss you,” he hurriedly supplied, but Lance didn’t look convinced. In fact, he was shaking his head almost triumphantly, as if no amount of denial would be enough. So instead of argue, Keith relented. “Fine, yes. I maybe missed you a tiny bit.”

Lance’s brows shot up on his forehead, and he rushed forward towards Keith, the gap between them closing to a dangerous sliver.

“You did? Really?”

Keith knew his face was burning, could feel it changing the colour of his skin as Lance’s eyes bore into him. They were searching his face, looking for an answer, and Keith realized somewhere in the back of his mind that Lance wasn’t teasing him.

He was genuinely asking.

“I mean,” Keith stammered, and stepped back to allow himself breathing room. “Yeah. You’re good company and I like...talking with you I guess?”

Lance stared back in bewilderment, and then his face broke out the toothiest grin Keith had ever seen.

“You  missed  me! Aw Keith! And here I thought you didn’t like me all that much!”

“ What?  Of course I like you!”  I dreamed you up, remember?  But he didn’t say that last part. Lance’s smile was unrelenting, and Keith’s cheeks were steaming as he quickly turned away from the sight. “Plus you’re like my work partner now. I need you for photos.”

The smallest ‘oh’ left Lance’s lips and had Keith glancing back in concern as he watched that smile fade.

Nice Keith. Good one.

He didn’t enjoy seeing Lance unhappy. And he  particularly  wasn’t fond of being the one to cause that frown.

He was unsure why though, and elected to ignore the thoughts for the moment.

“But,” he began, and Lance’s blue eyes flickered up to his face. “I  did  really miss you. I was...sort of lonely without you actually.”

The corner of Lance’s mouth twitched upwards.

“You said ‘ really  missed’ this time. I must be more charming than I thought.”

And he’s back.

Keith rolled his eyes at the comment, shoving Lance lightly on the shoulder as he moved passed him.

“C’mon loser. You owe me some nice pics after scaring me nearly half to death.”

“When did I do that?!”

“About five minutes ago, when you interrupted the lovely conversation I was having with that other fox.”

“Ah,” Lance nodded knowingly. “And should I be jealous?”

Are you?

“I wouldn't worry,” he said instead. “It was a very one sided talk.”

Lance’s reply was a pleasing giggle that had Keith grateful to be hiding his face behind a lens.

“So,” Keith added, and Lance’s laughter died down as he exhaled contently. “Do you wanna take some more photos?”

Lance smirked, crossing his arms over his chest and popping his hip.

“Eager to see me strip down are we?” he teased, and Keith’s stomach flipped. He held up a single finger in reply, but couldn't hide the shy smile that spread out on his face.

They spent a good portion of the rest of the morning snapping photos of various creatures; Keith finding himself focusing on the blues of Lance’s eyes as he shifted from animal to animal. It was a source of constance that kept Keith grounded with the absurdity of it all; a rope for him to cling too as he was swept away in magic.

Because, to be honest, the longer he spent with Lance, the more he felt himself becoming convinced it had to be real. What other explanation was there? Magic was all there was left to explain it.

And where before Keith would profusely deny anything so ridiculous, now he found himself swimming in easy acceptance.

Lance was real. Lance was magic.

And the photos were turning out amazing.

It was when the sun began dipping from its highest peak that Keith called for a break.

“Already?” Lance teased, but followed Keith back to the falls nonetheless.

“Yes, already. Unlike you, I don’t derive energy from dew drops and universe mojo. I’m a regular man with a body that tires.”

Lance huffed out a laugh, settling himself down next to Keith as he dipped his feet back into the pool of water.

Keith sighed contently, kicking his legs smoothly and relishing in the relief the cool liquid brought his aching arches. Lance was watching him curiously.

“Why not go all the way in?” he asked, and Keith peeked over at him.

“You mean like, go swimming?”

Lance nodded, and Keith felt his stomach drop as he recalled the last time he had swam in these waters.

Lance had just been a normal old fox then.

And I had been butt naked.

“Not happening,” he said, and felt Lance lean in.

“Ah, why not? You shy or something?”

Keith’s cheeks were blazing, and he hid behind his hair as Lance laughed.

“You weren’t before,” he went on, oblivious, or else hyper aware, of Keith’s apparent embarrassment. “Didn’t even bat an eye as you stripped down-”

“Gah stop!” Keith interrupted, and Lance broke off with a hearty chuckle. “I didn’t know back then that you were-that you would-”

“What, turn human?” Lance supplied, and continued with that train of thought as Keith kept his mouth shut. “It’s just nudity, you know. A body, like a hundred thousand other bodies. Nothing special.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Keith mumbled, but Lance must not have heard.

“Beside,” he elaborated, “I happened to like what I saw.”

Keith began coughing to cover up the noise he made, but again Lance didn’t notice.

Thank fucking god!

“And you swim really nicely. Your movements are fluid; graceful.” Lance’s voice dropped to a hush as he stared out over the pond, towards the small falls that hid the cavern his fox form had revealed. He exhaled evenly; his eyes unfocused as he spoke. “I forgot how stunning the human body could be. I’ve missed it.”

Keith stared. He couldn’t help it, especially when Lance wasn’t looking. So he allowed his eyes to roam over the shape of Lance’s jawline, memorize the curve of his nose, and the slight dip in his otherwise flawless lips. And he wondered how long it had been since Lance had been like this; flesh and bone and skin and hair .

How long since you’ve been human?

It was as frightening a thought as it was intriguing, and eventually Keith’s curiosity won out.

“Why not become one more often then?”

Lance’s shoulders rose and fell as he took a deep breath, but instead of answer, he stood.

“What are you-” Keith began, but broke off as Lance dove elegantly into the water, splashing him with freezing droplets and surfacing several feet from the edge.

“Ah,” he cooed, splashing a few times before floating on his back lazily. “This feels amazing! You’re really missing out Keith.”

Keith could spot a diversion as well as any man, and though he was burning to know more about Lance and his ways, he allowed the change in subject to occur.

“Those aren’t swim trunks. They’re cargo shorts, and they take forever to dry, so have fun with that.”

“I have no idea what half those words mean but I  will  have fun, and  you’re  gonna join me.”

“Pfft, yeah right-” but Keith broke off as Lance swam closer with astonishing speed, and was only just able to avoid the wave of water that was sent his way in the form of a splash. “Dude!”

Lance’s brows were lowered menacingly, the lower half of his face submerged and altogether reminiscent of a shark stalking its prey. Keith wondered absently if the boy would be able to turn into such a creature, seeing as they weren’t all that common up in mountainous terrain, but thought it best not to ask lest he end up with a giant man-eating fish on his hands.

“C’mon Keith,” Lance whined. “Swim with me!”

“I don’t have my stuff.”

“Go naked.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you,” Keith mocked, but the way Lance ducked beneath the water in avoidance of the statement had Keith wondering what the answer would have been.

In the end, he allowed himself to be convinced. The sun was too hot anyways, and the shorts Keith had on were of a lighter material that would dry quickly enough afterwards. So he stripped off his shirt, careful to turn away as Lance watched him from the water, and sat back down by the edge of the pond, fully intent on working his way in as opposed to Lance’s all at once technique.

“Hurry up!” Lance called out, and Keith shot him a scowl.

“It’s colder today than the last time. My body needs to get used to it; to adjust.”

There was a splash, and when Keith looked up, Lance was nowhere to be seen. His shorts, on the other hand, were floating on the surface of the water, and before Keith could piece two and two together, there was a flash of light near his foot, and then hands were yanking his leg down into the depths.

Keith yelped as cold water enveloped him, but once he was fully submerged, the hands let go, and he was able to kick his was to the surface and curse profusely as Lance’s head bobbed up a few feet away.

“You fucker! That was  rude! ” Keith shuddered, treading water as his skin threatened numbness. “And what the heck did you turn into? A fish?!”

“Gross no,” Lance grinned, paddling over to his shorts and somehow managing to don them without going under. “A platypus.”

He swam back towards Keith and splashed him lightly in greeting.

“A platypus. Of course.”

“You were taking too long, and now your body is adjusted.”

Keith opened his mouth to argue, but Lance’s words were true. After those few initial moments of shock, Keith’s body was already acclimatizing, and with the combination of the sun beaming down on him and the warmth he had generated himself from working, the water was a pleasant temperature.

He responded by splashing Lance back, then kicking passed him to float in the center of the pool. He didn’t look over when he heard Lance join him, instead closing his eyes to the sun and relishing in the warmth on his face.

They were silent for a few moments; so much so that Keith cracked open a lid to peek over at the boy beside him. Lance had his arms moving slowly back and forth in the water, his chest rising and falling and causing the water to do the same around them. His eyes were closed, face relaxed, and once again Keith found himself openly staring.

He’s beautiful…

As if the thought had been spoken aloud, Lance blinked, and glanced over with a wicked grin that had Keith sinking below the surface briefly as the air left his lungs.

Did he-can he hear my thoughts?!

“You wanna race?” Lance asked, and Keith felt relief wash over him as effectively as the water they were in.

Calm down Keith. He’s a shapeshifter, not a mind reader.

“Race?” he asked, taking precautions not to think about how heavenly the boy looked.

Lance nodded, sitting up and pointing in the direction of the falls.

“First one to the cave wins?”

Keith considered for a moment, feeling his competitive side take over, and smirked.

“Win what?”

Lance swam closer, so much so that his hands nearly touched Keith’s chest with each tread.

“How about the victor decides.”

Vague. Risky. Downright teasing really.

I’m in.

“You’re on,” he said instead, and all at once Lance was yelling ‘ready set go’ and taking off through the water.

Keith didn’t have time to call out after him in protest, and instead focused his energy on his strokes; kicking hard and gaining ground in Lance’s wake.

At one point they were neck and neck, but try as he might, Keith couldn’t surpass Lance. The guy was a fish, probably as literal as it was metaphorical, and those bronzen arms carried him further than Keith could hope to beat.

Still, the two were close in the end, with Keith only emerging behind the waterfall mere seconds after Lance. He could still see the triumphant grin on Lance’s face despite the darkness of the cave however, and rolled his eyes as he leaned against the mossy rock to catch his breath.

“You had a headstart,” he complained, hoisting himself up on the rock and wringing his hair out. “I would have won otherwise.”

“Pfft, okay Keith,” Lance mused, voice drenched in sarcasm. “We’ll just have to race again on the way back. I still get my prize though,” he added, jumping up beside Keith and shaking the water from his hair like a dog.

“And what sort of prize is that,” Keith huffed, watching as Lance wandered to the back of the cave, towards the area where it opened up and let in sunshine.

Instead of answer, Lance simply motioned for Keith to follow, which he did after only a brief hesitation.

What is he up to?

Lance was lounging on a mossy outcropping in a circle of sunshine, arms propped behind his head as a makeshift pillow. His gaze was focused on something up above, but Keith couldn’t care less about what he was staring at. His mind was preoccupied with the way Lance’s muscles were stretched taut over his stomach; rich brown skin practically glowing in the warm lighting. The droplets of water only added to the overall effect of perfection, like a photoshopped model in the centerfold of some of the magazines they had lying around the office. But unlike those photos, there was nothing fabricated about Lance, and once again Keith found himself floored with the realization of how real it all was. Because how could he have made up someone like Lance? His imagination just wasn’t that complex, and the pictures were proof enough at this point.

Which meant Lance was just as much a person as he was everything else he turned into, and there was nothing wrong with admiring him. Besides, Keith was only human. How was he  not  supposed to feel a slight tugging in his chest whenever he was near Lance? It was impossible to prevent himself from blushing or stealing glances whenever the opportunity arose.

He wondered absently if Lance ever did the same.

“You gonna come in here or just hover in the dark like a bat?”

Lance’s voice echoed pleasantly around the space, fading to nothing more than a whisper as Keith shuffled into the cavern. He winced at the sudden bright light, but quickly adjusted as he took the spot across from Lance, stretching his legs out in front of him to let his pants dry.

“Nice place you got here,” he joked, but Lance didn’t seem to pick up on the jest. Instead he chuckled, poking boredly at some of the fungi growing from the ground.

“I actually found it by mistake. Fell through that hole there one night and broke one of my legs.” He pointed up to the crack in the ceiling of the cavern where sunlight was soaking through, but Keith was staring in shock at Lance, trying to imagine what it must have been like.

“You broke your  leg ? How the hell did you get out?!”

Lance shrugged.

“I didn’t. It’s harder to shift from form to form when the body is injured. My kind heals faster than any others though, and as long as I’m in a relaxed state of mind, I’m able to recover. So I just let it heal as a stag and swam out a day or so later as a beaver.” He chuckled dryly. “Made sure to mark the area above though, so I didn’t make the same mistake twice.”

Keith blinked, mind slow to process what he had heard.

“Wait, so...you weren’t a human then? You were an animal when it happened?” For some reason the thought was easier to stomach. Imagining Lance in agony with a broken leg curled up in the bottom of this cavern for days on end just wasn’t something Keith wanted to think about, but a deer? A deer he could handle, no matter how guilty the idea made him feel.

I don’t want to see Lance hurt.

Lance was nodding, sighing heavily as he re-positioned himself on the moss.

“I’m usually an animal. This form-” he gestured to himself, “-is not my default. Actually, I don't think I use it much at all, save for those rare occasions.”

That caught Keith’s attention, and he leaned forward as he grabbed hold of the tailends of the statement.

“Speaking of,” he said, and right away Lance was on the defensive. Still Keith pushed on, his curiosity a flame needing the fuel Lance could supply. “Why not become human more? I mean, clearly you enjoy it, though I have no idea what it’s like to be something else, so maybe it’s not all that great. But even just for a few hours...or something. Why aren’t you human more often?”

Lance, who had been avoiding his gaze throughout the question, finally lifted his eyes to meet Keith’s. Electric blue, somehow unhindered by the odd shadows of the cavern, bore into him; challenging, unrelenting, powerful, and yet...soft, all at once. It would have been disorientating had the connection been maintained, but thankfully Lance broke away with a sigh, his eyes lowering to the ground where he toyed with several dull pebbles.

“This form is special. Sacred even. I use it only to keep my realm safe.”

“Safe how?” Keith pushed, and when Lance didn’t answer right away, he moved closer, so that he was sitting beside the boy instead of across from him. He lowered his voice when Lance glanced over in confusion. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to-”

“No, no.” Lance interrupted, and sat up so they were eye level. “It’s ok. Just-” he took a deep breath, staring off at the far end of the cavern as he spoke.

“Before I was created, this area was heavily used by your kind. Hunting, logging...the misuse of the land was nauseating. My job, my  purpose,  was to protect what was left; prevent further desiccation. That was the task the Others bestowed upon me.”

“So, you’re like a conservation officer?” Keith asked, and Lance gave him an absurd expression.

“What is that?”

“Like, someone who makes sure people aren’t lighting fires in the woods or doing illegal shit like poaching or polluting...and yeah I’m guessing from your face that I’m wrong.”

Lance chuckled softly, shaking his head in the process, and Keith shut his mouth.

“It’s more than that. When someone crosses the boundary with the intention to harm, I make sure they leave; that they never come back. Sometimes it’s easy, with a few good scares that would have your kind too frightened to return. But other times more is needed.”

“How do you know if someone is planning on doing something wrong?”

“I watch. And there’s a certain energy given off that accompanies bad intentions. I’m just able to tell.”

“Ah,” Keith said. “Glad to know I’m not the only one who’s been stalked by a fox.”

Lance laughed at that, then looked over at Keith with rosy cheeks.

“More like observed. And don’t worry, I’ve already deemed you harmless.”

“Hmm, that does wonders for the ego,” Keith muttered, but Lance didn’t seem to hear. He was staring down at his hands; his smile fading as he went on.

“Humans, as I’ve come to learn, have this uncanny knack of only believing in their own, only trusting what they know. Soon my animal forms weren’t enough to keep them at bay. I had to take other measures...use a different set of tools.”

Keith had a pretty good idea of what Lance meant by that, but he asked anyways.

“What did you do?”

“Let’s just say that if I’m forced to use this form as a way to keep people away, then it’s already too late. Those that see me as a human don’t live long enough to tell the tale. The minds of men are fickle and easily swayed, especially when being led off into the woods by a form of their desire.”

Keith made a small noise in the back of his throat, and ignored Lance’s gaze when he looked over questioningly.

So he’s some magical spirit seducer of men. Leading them off to their demise to keep his forest safe.

Not sure how I feel about that.

“Like I said though,” Lance went on. “I haven’t used this form in a long while. Most who venture up here do so only for the view, so I stay hidden, and they forget.”

There was something in Lance’s explanation that wasn’t adding up, and Keith furrowed his brows in puzzlement as he turned to face him properly.

“Then why use it now? Why become human for me? If I’m not a threat, then there’s no need-”

“I have no intention of harming you Keith,” Lance reassured. “You need not worry for your life.”

“But  why  Lance? Why show yourself at all if you knew I had no desire to damage anything?”

Lance blinked, taken aback by the intensity in Keith's voice. He shrunk back, eyes scanning over Keith’s face in panic.

“Do you-did you not...I can stop if-”

“No!” Keith yelped, reaching out with a hand but stopping just shy of Lance’s arm. He pulled back, curling his fingers in a loose fist as he settled back on the moss. “No...that's not what I meant. I just...I’m curious why you decided to show me who you were at all. Like, why not just stay hidden? What made you take that risk?”

Lance continued to search his face even after Keith trailed off, which made Keith’s cheeks warm as he averted his eyes.

“Maybe-” Lance started, then sighed softly. “Maybe I feel safe enough around you to allow myself to remain in this vulnerable state. Maybe, when I’m with you, I want to be able to communicate; to talk with you...or even just sit with you. Even in my other forms, you just give off this calming energy that makes me feel...I don’t know, at peace with myself I guess. And maybe because-” he broke off, and in the darkness of the cavern, even with the sunlight streaming in, it was difficult to tell if Lance’s cheeks were reddening or not. Whatever the case, his next words had Keith’s face reigniting altogether. 

“Maybe I stay in this form, or even took it in the first place, because I want to know what it would be like to kiss you.”

Keith wasn’t sure why he made the sound he did, but a noise reminiscent of a cough and a squeal escaped passed his lips, and he hastily cleared his throat as Lance’s brows rose in startelement.

“Keith? You okay?” he asked, likely due to the fact that Keith had also managed to swallow spit down the wrong tube, and was now pounding on his chest as he struggled for a proper breath.

“Fine-” he spluttered, and took several moments to compose himself as Lance eyed him warily. When he was finally able to breathe, Lance shuffled closer, lowering his voice as he spoke.

“Hey, you good? I didn’t mean to scare you or-”

“No, sorry,” Keith hastily cut in. “It just threw me off. I didn’t think you were going to say that.”

Lance hummed in thought.

“Should I not have?”

I mean, no?

But then again...yes?

Ah fuck I have no idea what to think!

Lance was watching him still, and with the combined confession and buried feelings Keith had been neglecting to acknowledge since meeting the guy, he was at a complete loss as for what to do.

Do I kiss him?! Would that be weird? What if he’s never been kissed before!

He must have been, right?

Why am I even considering this! He’s a fucking eldritch god shapeshifter who turns into foxes in his free time! I can’t just kiss him!

What if I’m not good enough for that?

What do I DO?!

So instead of do anything remotely close to kissing Lance, Keith stood, keeping his hands balled in the fabric of his pants as he walked woodenly to the entrance of the cave.

“Uh, we should head back. My camera has been out in the sun too long.”  It was an excuse, Keith knew, but it was all he could think to do following the events that had just transpired. He turned away from Lance with hunched shoulders, feeling the awkwardness descend upon them quicker than the shadows lurking in the cave corners and the water of the falls as it pounded down on their backs. They didn’t race back, as Lance had suggested prior to the whole situation, nor did they talk much once at shore. In fact, Lance was oddly quiet as Keith shrugged on his clothing, not bothering to wait for his skin to dry. It was when he bent to pick up his camera case that the boy finally spoke.

“Listen, Keith…”

“Hmm?” Keith said, hearing the pitch of his hum come out much too high for his liking. This was awkward, and they both knew it.

I’m terrible in these sorts of situations!

“I didn’t mean to make things weird back there...I just-I don’t know. I felt like it was the right thing to say and I apologize if I was wrong.”

Ah. And here comes the guilt.

Keith paused, sighing deeply as he stared at the ground between his feet. He wasn’t sure why he was so nervous. Maybe it was the fact that Lance was a gorgeous specimen who had literally just confessed to wanting to kiss him. Or maybe it was just that Keith was completely shocked that Lance would even  want  to kiss him in the first place.

Keith had only just allowed himself the privilege of even  believing  in Lance! Those few stolen glances were just the start of what he had been too afraid to hope for.

That Lance, in his all-powerful spiritness, would be into something as trivial and down-right  human  as kissing. For all Keith knew, the guy was just using him for the experience.

Lance wouldn’t do that though. He wouldn’t play me like that.

Then what the hell is my problem?!

“I’ll just go-”

“Wait!” Keith called after him, and before he could even think about what he was doing, reached out and grabbed Lance’s wrist, holding him in place. “Just...wait a sec.”

Lance froze, the muscles in his arm tensing as he stared down at the spot Keith’s fingers were wound.

“It’s not that I don’t want to kiss you Lance,” he said, and then backpedaled hastily. “Or maybe it is! The thing is, I don’t know! I need time to process, and think it over.”

How does that make sense. He literally transformed into numerous animals in front of me and I was totally cool with it. But as soon as he asks to kiss me? My mind explodes.

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Lance whispered, his eyes still glued to Keith’s hand. “I just thought you would want to since all the other humans I’ve met were so open to it and-”

“It’s ok Lance,” Keith interrupted. “You did nothing wrong. Like, at all. I’m just different from the other people you’ve run into. At least, I’m assuming I am, since I’m still alive.”

Lance’s lips twitched upwards at that.  

“You are,” he confirmed.

“So just give me some time, ok? Let me adjust.”

“Like with the water thing?” Lance asked, perking up, and Keith nodded.

“Yeah, like the water thing. I can’t dive in all at once, and you can't pull me in all the way this time.”

“Oh, that makes sense I guess,” Lance smiled, and wiggled his wrist below Keith’s grip. “So, you gonna let me go or…”

Keith’s face warmed, but he blamed it on the sun as he slid his hand down to slowly entwine with long brown fingers.

He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting: be that cold formless appendages or else shadow-like mist that wouldn’t take shape beneath his palm. But Keith was pleasantly surprised to find that Lance’s hand was warm to the touch; his skin firm and soft beneath his own.

Real.

“Actually, I was thinking, if it’s alright with you,” he swallowed thickly, edging a step closer as Lance’s grip remained loose in his own, “that we could maybe hold hands to start? Just get used to that and then move on from there?”

Lance quirked a brow, tilting his head in question.

“Are you...afraid you’ll get lost? You need me to guide you?”

“Uh-” Keith gulped, the awkwardness from the cave rearing its ugly face to grin down at him as if to say ‘ you poor hopeless child’.  “No, it’s...I mean, it’s just a thing people do when they-um…” he trailed off, unable to finish his explanation, as it would force him to admit he liked Lance.

And why can’t I do that?

Because you suck at this. That’s why.

Right.

He knew there was a deeper seeded reason as to why he was terrible at expressing feelings, but couldn't bring himself to address them in that moment.

He felt his fingers loosen, and hastily, if a tad regretfully, dropped Lance’s hand.

“Nevermind. It’s dumb anyways.”

He was about to turn and head back in the direction of the cabin when he heard Lance make a noise of surprise from behind him, and then fingers were once again tangling with his own.

“No wait! I want to do it!” he exclaimed, stepping in close to Keith’s side as he squeezed their hands together. “I want to do human things with you.”

Keith was sure his face was as red as the sunburn on his shoulders, and he ducked his head as Lance’s beam threatened to blind him with how bright it was. His heart stuttered in his chest, and he knew the action would transfer to any words he dared speak, so he kept his mouth shut, instead smiling down at his feet as he felt Lance begin playing with his fingers idly.

“Besides, knowing you, you  would  get lost, so this is my way of making sure you get back safe.”

Keith scoffed, lifting his eyes to meet Lance’s and biting back a grin as he tugged the boy into walking.

“I wouldn’t get lost,” he grumbled, and Lance winked.

“Sure tadpole, whatever you say.”

Tadpole?  Keith thought, but didn’t question it. The nickname was cute, and made his insides feel light and airy.

They walked in relative silence, side by side down the path despite it clearly being made for single passage, until Keith recognized the area they were in.

“Hey,” he asked, and Lance hummed in answer. “What was that thing you had to deal with yesterday? When you left. It was around this area.”

“Oh,” Lance blinked, looking about them as if he hadn’t noticed where they were. When his eyes landed back on Keith they were bashful, almost shy. “I um…” he sighed, “ok fine. I didn’t really have anything to deal with. I just needed to get out of this form for a bit.”

“Why? Does it hurt if you stay in one for too long? I never thought to ask if you were in pain-”

“No,” Lance interrupted with a small laugh. “No, no. Shifting is painless for me. As easy as taking a breath, unless I'm injured. Then it sucks.” He frowned then, swinging their hands lightly as they continued to walk. “I’m not sure why, but yesterday, after you said what you did, my chest started feeling tight. It was like my heart was beating too fast and not fast enough, all at the same time. My skin felt flushed, and when I looked at you it only made everything worse, like my insides were on fire. I’ve never had that happen before, and I thought maybe it was because I had been in human form too long.” He shrugged, staring down at the ground. “But even after shifting out I still felt it. It actually got worse the further away from you I went.”

Keith felt his mouth drop open slightly as he gaped at Lance.

Did he just describe...a crush? Has Lance never felt his way with anyone before?

Why is that so fucking cute?!

“Why did you stay away then?” he heard himself asking, and Lance glanced over at him with a small smile.

“I thought maybe...you had poisoned me, or something,” he admitted in a hushed tone, and Keith burst out laughing. Lance huffed, tugging his hand away and crossing his arms over his chest. “Don’t laugh! I was worried!”

“I’m sorry,” Keith weezed, biting back his laughter as he reached out to take Lance’s hand again. “I wouldn’t poison you Lance. I promise.”

“I know that!” he pouted, lower lip jutted but still allowing Keith’s fingers to wrap around his own. “I only realized I was wrong when I saw you again today. My stomach still flips randomly and my head always feels fuzzy when I’m with you, but the pain in my chest goes away. It’s why I want to kiss you...to see what it would be like with all these other feelings in my head.” He turned to face Keith fully, grabbing for his other hand to hold them both close to his chest. “You’re not the poison, Keith. You’re the antidote. And I've never felt this way before.”

And just like that Keith was experiencing the exact same symptoms Lance had just described, and his brain held on tight to the present tense use of the word ‘kiss’.

So he still wants to…

Oh fuck I’m so screwed.

“I like when your face does that,” Lance commented quietly, and Keith knew he was talking about his blush, simply because he could feel the warmth in his cheeks and knew how red he currently was. “Tells me I said something you like. Oh! Look! There it goes again!”

How his face could get any darker was beyond him, but having Lance point out his bashfulness was too much. He pushed him back playfully, shoving his hands in his shorts pockets and storming away as Lance guffawed wildly behind him.

“Keith come back! I’m only teasing! You’re my little strawberry!”

And, oh...he liked that nickname as well.

Damn.

Lance caught up, and after some serious puppy eyes Keith relented and took his hand once more. They chatted amiably all the way to the front door of the shack, where the conversation tapered off as they realized where they were.

Lance was watching him curiously, thumb brushing idly over the tops of Keith’s knuckles as he waited for him to speak.

“Um...I had fun today,” Keith managed, and immediately thought of five much cooler things he could have said instead of a cliché movie line. But Lance was grinning, so Keith counted it as a victory.

“Me too,” he replied, and Keith felt his lips tug upwards. “I should go though,” he added, saving Keith from any awkward silences. As much as he enjoyed holding hands, the mere  idea  of kissing Lance, even on the cheek, was too much to consider. He still needed time to process.

“The woods needs its guardian?” he teased, and Lance nodded, oblivious to the jest.

“Just my routine check-up. Otherwise I would love to come in and chat some more.”

“And who says I would have invited you in!” Keith said, stunned by Lance’s bravado, though he doubted the guy knew any of the social queues that accompanied dating.

Hold up...dating. We’re not doing that...are we?

ARE we?!

Lance winked, sending Keith’s thoughts to the backburner and he slowly detangled their fingers.

“You would have,” he said, and try as he might to deny it, Keith knew Lance was right. “I’m irresistible,” he added for good measure, and Keith couldn’t deny that either. Lance jumped down off the porch with a wave, and began moving back towards the path when Keith felt the sudden urge to confirm something.

“Will you be back tomorrow?” he called out, wary for no apparent reason, and Lance paused, turning to face him with a confused expression.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” he asked, and then in a flash of light, took off into the woods as a small orange blur.

Keith watched him go, his heart positively soaring as he went to retrieve the shorts Lance had shifted out of and folding them neatly on the step for him to grab tomorrow.

Why wouldn’t I be…

Keith beamed, leaning against the door of the cabin as he stared off into the trees. Surely not the most romantic thing to answer with, but the genuine confusion in Lance’s tone was doing wonders for Keith’s head.

As if the idea of  not  coming back was so absurd that Lance thought him odd for even considering to ask.

It was...refreshing really, the lack of doubt. And it had Keith wishing he had held onto those hands just a little longer, maybe even pulling them in closer and giving them a big ole smooch.

Or better yet, giving Lance’s lips the smooch.

Oh lord, maybe not that yet,  he thought as his stomach flipped nervously at the thought.  Let’s stick with hands for now and work our way up.

His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar ringing, and with a jolt Keith ran into the cabin to see his satellite phone angrily reminding him he had missed several check-ins that day.

Oh fuck.

Shiro is gonna kill me.

Chapter Text

“People have forgotten this truth..."

Keith awoke bright and early the next morning completely of his own volition. After being reprimanded, again, by Shiro, he made sure to grab the satellite phone and charge it in the morning sunlight prior to heading out.

Pidge had made a comment about how their boss’s hair would soon match the woman who had been hanging around the office recently, to which Keith had been eager to learn more about, until Shiro himself had taken over the call and, well...Keith’s ears were still a bit sore from the volume his voice had carried.

My fault though. Really need to remember to call them more often.

Today I'll be better.

He opened the front door, staring down at the phone in his hands to burn the reminder to bring it in his head, only to find himself bumping into hard surface regardless.

He stepped back in disorientation, looking up to see Lance beaming down at him, one hand raised as if ready to knock.

“Oh, good morning!” he said, voice chipper and friendly compared to Keith’s, whose greeting came out more gruff and sleep tainted, despite how surprised he was to see the boy.

“Lance, what are you doing here?”

Not that he was entirely opposed to such a welcome, what with Lance’s bare chest having been so close to his own, but it was much too early for Keith to properly appreciate the encounter.

He’d make up for it later. Maybe.

The boy shrugged, using his already raised hand to run it through his hair.

“I said I’d be back, didn’t I?”

“Yeah but like, not this early,” Keith responded, shimmying passed him and squinting at the bright sunlight beginning to peek over the horizon. He placed the phone on the charger before standing to stretch properly, feeling eyes watching him.

He turned back to see Lance ogling his body, and made sure to arch his back just a  little  more than was necessary as he reached his arms up over his head and sighed.

Lance blinked, seeming to have clued in to his staring, and cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Well...did you want me to come back later or-”

“Nah it’s fine,” Keith said, again moving passed Lance to open the door to the cabin. He held it ajar, motioning for Lance to come in. “You want breakfast?”

“Um...sure, why not,” he replied, and followed Keith inside. “I don’t think I’ve ever had food strictly for humans while in this form. Should be an experience.”

Keith snorted, setting about boiling a pot of water on his propane heater.

“I doubt oatmeal will be much of an experience, especially with my limited ingredients, but I’ll try and make it special just for you.”

“If you make it then it already will be,” Lance replied matter-of-factly, and Keith blamed the flush in his cheeks on the rising steam from the water.

When everything was ready, Keith laid out two plates and instructed Lance to sit at the table, before scooping two heaping spoonfuls of oatmeal onto each dish. Lance sniffed it once before lifting a finger to slowly poke at it. He drew back with a hiss at the hotter temperature, and Keith couldn’t help but laugh.

“You have to blow on it, otherwise you’ll burn your tongue.” He handed Lance a spoon, which he took and eyed with disdain. “Also use this, not your fingers. Were you raised in a barn?”

He had been teasing, but Lance raised an eyebrow as he copied how Keith was holding the utensil.

“The woods, actually,” he quipped, and once again prodded the gelatinous mass cooling in his bowl. “This stuff smells funky.”

Keith rolled his eyes, taking a bite of his own after slowly demonstrating to Lance how the spoon worked. Smell-wise it wasn’t the worst, but taste? Keith had definitely had better. It was bland, to put it nicely, but oats were easy to pack and prepare, so he hadn’t really complained before.

Now though, with Lance sitting across from him and making strange faces as he chewed, Keith felt a bit embarrassed, and wished he could have made something fancier, like pancakes, or even eggs.

“This is...interesting,” Lance supplied after finally swallowing. “The texture is weird. Like eating mud almost.”

Keith nearly choked as he snorted, wondering if Lance had actually tried mud, or if he was simply making a comparison based on consistency.

“Yeah, I mean...oatmeal is not the best plain. Berries and honey make it way better, but I didn’t pack any of those-”

“You need berries?” Lance interrupted, and Keith shrugged. “I know a really good place for berries. All kinds too! We should go!”

And just like that it was decided that the day would be spent gathering fruit instead of taking pictures, which was fine by Keith. He needed to recharge his camera batteries anyways, and they had spent most of yesterday shooting already, so a break could be afforded.

Besides, some fresh berries would be really nice. And hanging out with Lance is always entertaining.

It’ll be like a date-

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Keith felt his nerves kick in. He paused in his eating, watching Lance politely finish his meal and growing increasingly more jittery at the prospect of the date.

I shouldn’t even call it that! There’s nothing different than what we’ve already been doing.

Just two guys hanging out picking berries.

Totally normal.

Only...only we held hands yesterday...and what if Lance wants to do that again? Hell. I kinda do….

Oh shit. What if he wants to kiss me! What if he  tries  to kiss me?!

He stood abruptly, causing Lance to jump at the sudden motion, and went to the sink to rinse out his dish.

Calm down. He won’t.

I mean, he might...but just tell him it’s still too soon.

Or...or maybe just do it! I know I want to.

Ack! I’ll just see what happens and go with the flow. I’ve always been better on gut instinct anyways.

“You okay-” Lance began to ask, but trailed off as Keith turned back to face him.

“Yep. We should get going. But I need to get dressed first.”

“Oh, alright,” Lance agreed, bringing over his plate. “Thanks for that. It was...edible.”

Keith shoved his shoulder playfully, seeing Lance grin before moving over to his bag and taking out a fresh set of clothing. He was about to take off his shirt when he paused, slowly glancing back to see Lance watching him in confusion.

“Can I get a little privacy?”

Lance blinked owlishly.

“Why?”

“Uh, because I’m about to get naked and don’t want you spying on me?”

Lance crossed his arms, cocking his hip as his grin turned devilish.

“And what if I want to see-”

“Get out!” Keith interrupted, hastily shoving Lance out the front door as his cheeks ignited. “And no peeking through the windows either!”

Lance was laughing, but managed to get out a whiny “fine” as the door shut him out.

Keith hurriedly changed, careful to don sunscreen this time as his shoulders were beginning to peel. There was no hope of maintaining a tan with his skin type, and he was sure Pidge would have something to say about the permanent red tinge he was bound to have at the end of the month.

Plus he didn’t want to give Lance even more fuel to add to that whole ‘strawberry’ thing that had gone down yesterday, not that he very much minded the nickname. He just wasn’t sure he would be able to handle it at more frequent intervals.

I should come up with my own embarrassing names for him.

But try as he might, nothing clever came to mind, so he abandoned the effort.

After gathering up a pack of snacks and water, Keith hesitated at the door. His camera batteries were still charging, but he wasn’t keen on leaving without some mechanism of taking photos. It was just bad practice, and he had already learned early on to always carry his camera with him should an opportunity arise.

Maybe I should wait until they’re at least at half…

But that could take a while, seeing as the solar charger wasn’t as efficient as the one he usually used.

Should I just go without-

Oh...wait!

Keith scrambled back to his belongings, searching through the pile of items until he came across the antique Polaroid camera Shiro had given him. He pulled it out, debating internally whether or not he should dare bring it.

I mean, I don’t even know if it works. Shiro was adamant that it did….and he also mentioned that it needed to be used to keep it in working condition.

So maybe I should bring it, just in case.

Oh god, but what if something happens to it? What if I lose it? Or worse...it gets broken somehow?!

He stood in the middle of the cabin holding the bag the camera was stored in, at war with himself. It was only when a knock came from the door, followed by a hesitant “Keith, you ok?” that he was able to reach a decision.

“Yeah, coming,” he called back, tucking the camera into his day pack and heading out. Lance was lounging across the porch swing, his legs propped up on the window sill and arm stretched out near the door. Blue eyes tilted back to stare at Keith, followed by a crooked smile that had Keith blushing for no reason at all.

Lance noticed.

“Ah, my little strawberry is back!” he cooed, and Keith tossed the bag down on his lap. “Ooft, what’s this?” he asked, sitting up. “And why is it so heavy?”

“You can carry something for a change,” Keith retorted, jumping down off the porch after grabbing the satellite phone off the charger, watching as Lance struggled to figure out the bag. He ended up wearing it backwards, with the pockets facing frontwards on his chest instead of on his back, but insisted it was better that way.

“Now I get to see your face everytime you go to get something from inside,” he had explained when Keith moved to store the phone, leading to another comment about his cheeks and the fruit they reminded him of.

“Just don’t drop it. It’s carrying something precious that I need to keep safe,” Keith warned after recovering, and Lance nodded solemnly.

“I’m honoured that you would choose me as the bearer of such cargo. I’ll protect it with my life. No harm shall come to your things.”

Keith rolled his eyes with a snort.

“Is it just you, or are all spirits such nerds.”

Lance scoffed, wrapping his arms protectively around the bag in front of him, reminding Keith of a very pregnant woman cradling her unborn child.

“Oh how he insults us!  Nerds!  What a show of disrespect!” He waltzed passed Keith, heading toward a path Keith had yet to explore. “Maybe I’ll just run on ahead and eat all the berries before this rude boy gets to try any.”

“Like you’d be able to eat them all before I got there,” Keith shot back, and Lance shrugged.

“Have you ever seen a bear in a berry patch? Ten minutes  tops  and I’ll have those branches clean.” He took off down the trail, and though Keith doubted Lance would truely eat everything, he wasn’t about to take that chance. Once he caught up, he made sure to latch onto Lance’s arm and keep him from getting too far ahead, just in case.

Lance didn’t say anything, but the grin on his face lasted for a long while after.

Nearly two hours into the walk and Keith was thanking his past self for giving the day pack to Lance to carry. The combination of uphill slope and growing warmth from the sun had him sweating profusely, which would have been perfectly acceptable given the circumstances. As it was however, Lance didn’t appear to be in any discomfort from the trek, save for a light sheen of moisture collecting in his hairline. It was entirely unfair, and finally Keith was unable to take anymore of it.

“How the hell are you not dying of heat right now?” he asked, leaning up against a nearby tree to catch his breath. “Is it like, a magic thing? Do you not sweat? You  have  to get tired eventually, right?”

Lance paused, shrugging lazily as he reached into the bag and handed Keith a bottle of water.

“Maybe. Or maybe I’m just more physically in tune with my body.”

Keith huffed, choosing not to comment on how true that statement was. Lance was definitely in good shape, there was no lying there, but so was Keith. At least, he  thought  he was.

I work out nearly every day and I’m still panting.

Better step up my cardio game.

“I’m also not wearing a shirt,” Lance added, eyeing Keith’s with disdain. “You should take yours off.”

Jesus fuck dude! You can’t just say shit like that!

You’ll kill a man with such directness.

“I’m good thanks,” he said instead, pulling his hair up into a tight ponytail and tying it off with one of the bands he kept on his wrist. When he was finished he caught Lance outright gaping at him, mouth slightly ajar and eyes blown wide. “What…?”

Lance stepped closer, reaching out to flip the end of the small bundle of hair in awe.

“This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” he whispered, eyes fixed on the top of Keith’s head. “It’s like the tail of a bunny! Or a baby fawn…”

Keith ducked his head to hide the fact that his ears were burning something severe, and Lance giggled as the motion sent the tiny ponytail moving.

“It’s adorable! I want one!”

“You have to let your hair grow out then,” Keith mumbled, and Lance stepped back to stare into his face. Blue eyes flicked up and down in consideration, and then he nodded, mind made up.

“In that case, you’ll just have to wear your hair like this more often.” He took the bottle from Keith, taking a swig of water while staring at the ponytail. “And here I was thinking you couldn’t get any more adorable.”

Keith bit his lower lip self-consciously, but made a mental note to tie his hair up more often.

I wonder how he would react to pigtails…

Lance replaced the bottle, taking Keith’s hand in his own and keeping on up the trail, and Keith couldn’t help but notice the spring his steps had taken.

All because of my hair. What the hell would a kiss do to this guy?!

Keith decided not to imagine it, lest he end up testing any hypotheses that came to mind. It was better to wait anyways; let things happen naturally.

Not like there’s anything natural about Lance, but ok.

But then again, maybe there’s nothing  more  natural than Lance…

He debated the topic silently for the rest of the trip, until finally the dense woods opened up into a large clearing of deciduous trees; leaves bright green and translucent, casting lime shadows on the ground below. It was spectacular to look at, but even more so was the abundance of berry bushes littering the forest floor.

An array of blues and reds were speckled onto the green tapestry, and Lance held out his arms, loudly declaring “ta-da!”, startling a few nearby birds.

Keith wasted no time in heading towards one of the closer bushes, plucking a saskatoon berry and promptly eating it. He grinned, the taste fresh and sweet and way better than anything a store could provide. He turned back to Lance, who was gently placing the bag on the ground near an old stump.

“These are amazing!”

Lance smiled, rolling his shoulders as he stood and joined Keith. He eyed the bush Keith was gesturing to and made a face.

“Ugh, those ones are gross.”

“Liar,” Keith teased, eating another. “These are the best.”

“Yuck,” Lance stuck his tongue out, moving over to a patch of sunlight and rummaging around on the ground.

“Well then wish do you like best?”

Lance returned with a handful of wild strawberries, offering some to Keith with a shy smile.

“These are my favourites.”

Thinking back on it, Keith shouldn’t have asked his next question. In a way he had already known the answer, but in the moment he had been curious.

“And why is that?”

Lance grinned, eyeing the berries in his hand with a fond expression before picking one up and bringing it close to his face to inspect.

“They’re the sweetest, and the hardest to find since they grow so low to the ground, so you have to work to get them. Plus,” he added, blue eyes focusing back on Keith, “they remind me of you now.”

Keith knew he was blushing, but he rolled his eyes anyways.

“Yeah, yeah, because of my face,” he drawled, and Lance shrugged.

“Well  that , and the fact that I also find  you  the sweetest,” he said, and Keith stared back, stunned at how smooth this guy could be. Lance held his gaze, and then broke off in a fit of giggles as Keith’s ears burned. “But mostly because of your face,” he teased, and Keith grunted in mock annoyance as he shoved Lance lightly.

They spent a good portion of the day collecting berries, storing the ones they didn’t somehow devour into plastic baggies Keith had brought, promising Lance his next bowl of oatmeal would taste infinitely better now.

It was well into the afternoon when they finally decided it was time to head back, but Lance insisted on gathering some last minute strawberries to take with them, as if they didn’t have enough already. He was sprawled out on the ground, head bent as his fingers maneuvered the underbrush, and Keith thought it a crime to leave without taking at least one  photo to commemorate the trip. Besides, Lance’s skin was wonderfully dappled in the sunlight and shade of the leaves overhead, looking almost as ethereal as he claimed to be, and though Keith would have to wait a few minutes before the Polaroids were fully developed before seeing how they turned out, he had a gut feeling that these would be some of his favourites.

Lance was oblivious as Keith snapped shot after shot, until finally the boy sat up, content with what he had collected and glancing over at Keith in triumph. Keith took the photo just in time to see Lance’s blue eyes widen, his head tilting slightly to the side in curiosity as to Keith’s actions; sunlight hitting a spot just behind his hair and giving him a halo of light.

And in that moment Keith realized he had just captured a God. There was no other way to describe how Lance looked: bronze skin almost golden in the filtered sun, hair tousled and cheeks slightly flushed. He was a portrayal of divine beauty, untouchable and unimaginably gorgeous. The only human thing about him was the handful of strawberries staining his fingertips pink, and Keith clung to that lest he lose himself in the overwhelmingly otherworldly presence Lance possessed.  

“Wow,” he heard himself breathe, taking the camera away from his eye slowly. Lance was still for only a moment longer, in which they simply sat and stared at one another as the birds sang and the breeze whispered secrets undecipherable. But all at once the revelry broke as Lance jumped up, rushing over to Keith’s side to ogle the device in his hands.

“Hey, where did this come from! I thought yours looked different,” he mulled, depositing the berries into a bag and rubbing his hands off on the moss. Keith, who was still recovering from the sight of Lance in all his glory, blinked, suddenly hyper aware of Lance’s berry-stained fingers reaching towards Shiro’s antique.

He pulled back, bringing the camera and blacked out photo out of Lance’s reach just in time.

“Woah, hey, no touching. This one is fragile.” He said, replacing the camera as he waited for the pictures. The first few were slowly coming to life, but Lance's attention was on him as sat back with a growing pout.

“Why can’t I see?” he asked, shuffling forward on his knees. “I want to know what you took!”

“You have to wait with this one," Keith explained. "It’s older than my digital, and doesn’t have a screen. It prints the photos directly and you have to be patient while they develop.”

“And how long will that take?”

Keith shrugged, shuffling through the pictures until he came to the one he had just taken, seeing Lance's face slowly emerge from the black. He held it out for them both to see, and Lance's eyes grew wide as he saw himself appear. 

"Look!" he pointed as the rest of the image came into focus, and Keith suppressed a laugh. "How come you didn't tell me you were taking a picture? I would have turned into something-"

"No, no," Keith shook his head, gazing down at the photo fondly. It was just as Shiro said: the camera had to be magic. Lance's portrait was amazing, glowing softly and giving off a vintage feel that no amount of photo-shopping would replicate. He smiled down at it, tucking it in his back pocket to put in his wallet later. "I just wanted one of you, you know? In this form. You looked..." he trailed off, feeling his ears burn as Lance leaned forward in curiosity. 

"Looked?" he egged, and Keith shrugged in what he hoped was indifference.

"You just looked really nice," he finished lamely, but Lance seemed pleased enough by the compliment. He beamed, and then all at once he was reaching for the camera bag, and Keith's motherly instincts took over.

"Woah, hey, what are you doing?"

Lance lifted an eyebrow.

"Well, you took one of me, so I want one of you!" 

Oh uh...

I mean...it's fair I guess..

"I don't really like getting my picture taken," he insisted, but Lance wasn't convinced.

"Nonsense. You're more beautiful than a sunset in November. And you took like, a hundred pictures of me just now so..." 

Keith huffed, debating internally is he could come up with any more decent excuses. Granted, he knew Lance wouldn't push the matter if he asked him not to, but at the same time, Keith wasn't so opposed to the idea as he originally thought.

And it's just a picture. What harm could that do? 

So with a defeated sigh, Keith handed over the Polaroid to Lance, showing him where to press and reminding him to be careful once more. Lance rolled his eyes, but listened intently all the same.

"Ok, I got it," he reassured, pushing away Keith's hands and lifting the camera to his eye. "Now smile my sweet little strawberry!"

Keith didn't smile. Instead he felt his cheeks blaze, his mouth opening slightly; half in retort and half in shock. But before he could say anything, Lance took the picture, and with a satisfied smirk, handed the camera back after snatching the photo away.

He waved it around in the air and Keith scolded the action, forgetting about how terrible the picture was likely to look as he leaned forward.

"You aren't supposed to do that!" he yelped, reaching out to still Lance's arms. The action caused them both to topple over, with Keith landing firmly on top of Lance's chest; developing photo still held tight in his grasp. Lance grinned up at him with half-lidded eyes as Keith hastily backed off with a flurry of mumbled apologies, but the boy laughed them off.

"Gee Keith," he teased. "If your face gets any redder you might set my forest on fire." 

Good, Keith thought, knowing his blush was only deepening under Lance's gaze, not to mention the memory of firm body beneath his, but thankfully it didn't last long. Lance's attention went back to the photo, which he brought close to his face as he sat up. And the smile that spread out across his lips was enough to make Keith's insides turn to liquid, made even worse when those bright blue eyes lifted to his face.

"It's perfect," he whispered, and yep, Keith thought.That sound you hear is my heart beating so loudly. 

He cleared his throat loudly, stowing the camera properly and lifting the back pack to spare Lance the burden of carrying it again.

“There," he stated as he stood, reaching a hand down to help Lance up. "Now you have something to remember me by when I leave-” he broke off, noticing how the spark in Lance’s eyes had dulled; his face downcast and drastically different from a few moments prior. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Lance jolted, as if Keith’s voice had disturbed his thoughts, and smiled. Only, where usually Lance’s smiles reached the corners of his eyes, causing them to wrinkle in the most endearing ways, this one didn’t. It felt forced, and fleeting, but before Keith could ask Lance was standing, tucking the photo in his pocket as Keith had done and moving back towards the way they had come in.

“We should go before it gets dark,” he said, voice cheery but again, not entirely right. It made Keith’s insides squirm a bit, wondering if he had perhaps said something wrong. “Do you want me to carry anything?” he asked, and Keith shook his head no.

“It’s all good,” he replied, walking to Lance’s side, where he glanced over at him as Lance stared ahead. “Are you...are you alright?”

“Yeah,” Lance breathed, turning his gaze onto Keith with a smile that felt much more genuine this time. Maybe he had imagined it before? “It’s all good,” he mimicked Keith, and  yeah, maybe I did imagine it.

He decided to drop the matter when Lance extended his hand, offering it for Keith to take, which he did with a shy smile.

“C’mon strawberry, let’s get you back home.”

Home... he thought, wondering what the word meant to Lance, and if that little old cabin could ever be anything close to one. He hadn’t considered it as such before, at least, not as a  real  home, and even now he was struggling to find similarities between his  actual  home back in the city and the temporary dwelling of the shack.

It lacked all the comforts he was familiar with, not to mention the isolation from the rest of the world. Not that he minded the latter so much, but he  did  miss Shiro and Pidge, and as much as he loved the outdoors, calling it home hadn’t ever been a thought to cross his mind.

But Lance...complicated matters. So much so that Keith was silent for most of the walk back, pondering what it must be like to live out in the wild for, well,  ever . Did it ever get lonely?

Surely Lance did, but then again, maybe loneliness was an entirely human concept, and Lance had no idea what it meant to miss someone.

I can’t just assume that though.

Still, as the sun fell slowly in the sky, so too did Keith’s mood.

How could he entertain the idea of being with Lance when he was leaving at the end of the month? Was it unfair for him to develop feelings with a being that may or may not even understand what they meant? Lance had said himself that he’d never experienced a great many of the things Keith made him feel. What if those emotions weren’t caused by Keith himself, but rather due to a lack of understanding? Who was to say that Lance even liked Keith for Keith, or if he was more fond of the  idea  of Keith? And even if Lance  did  really like him, how on  Earth  were they ever supposed to maintain any sort of relationship? Lance was a literal immortal soul, meaning he wouldn’t age or die...but Keith? Keith had an expiration date. How could he put Lance through something like that? How could he even think to allow it?

The thoughts chased themselves around in his head, wearing him down and causing panic to build in the pit of his stomach as the silence dragged on. Lance was also being uncharacteristically quiet, and though Keith didn’t want to think it, his mind began unhelpfully shouting explanations for the behaviour.

It’s because he’s realized he doesn’t like you.

He feels bad for you. Pities you and your loneliness.

Hell, the only reason he’s holding your hand it because you asked him to!

It was all too much, and with a heavy heart, Keith let his fingers slide out of Lance’s grip, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared at the ground ahead. Lance glanced down at him questioningly, but must have sensed his hesitation over conversation, and didn’t say anything.

Despite the warmth the sun still carried, without Lance’s hand in his own, Keith felt a chill settle deep in his bones; one he worried would be difficult to ever discard.

What am I doing?  He thought, both in regards to letting Lance’s hand go and ever holding it in the first place.

And just when he had been certain he had figured it all out, Keith felt his resolve weaken, like the strings in a blanket coming loose, tangling with the others and growing into a massive knot of confusion.

What am I doing...

***

When they finally reached the cabin, Lance lingered at the doorstep. Keith knew why, and it pained him to see Lance so hesitant.

It’s not his fault I’m the only human to show genuine interest in him after so long.

And it’s not his fault that he doesn’t realize he only likes me because I’m the only one here.

Plagued by those thoughts, intrusive as they were, Keith sighed, turning back to stare at the boy still hovering on his step.

“You can come in, Lance,” he said, and Lance’s shoulders sank in evident relief.

“Oh good,” he commented, waltzing in and plopping down on the bed. “I thought you were mad at me.”

Keith froze, hands stalling on the zipper of his backpack as he heard Lance’s confession.

I’m not mad at you...I’m mad at myself.

But for what he couldn’t decide.

“Sorry,” he said instead, withdrawing the multiple bags of berries and Shiro’s camera, which he opened and left sitting on the table to properly store later. “Just...tired.”

“Well, it  was  a long day,” Lance agreed, stretching out on Keith’s bed with his hands behind his neck. “And we  did  collect a lot of berries. What are you going to do with all those by the way?”

Keith hummed as he considered, pushing aside his other thoughts in order to partake in the conversation.

“Not sure. I’ll use some in my oatmeal, but maybe the rest I’ll take back with me? Make jam or a pie or something.”

“Oh,” Lance mumbled, and the way he said it had Keith turning to stare at him again. He was sitting up now, hands in his lap and blue eyes lingering on the floor. And something inside Keith snapped.

“What’s wrong with you today?” he asked, voice coming out harsher than he was wanting, but all those pent-up emotions were surging to be let loose, and Keith couldn’t hold back any longer. “Twice now you’ve gone full emo after something I’ve said. What is it!”

Lance blinked up at him, eyebrows furrowed in perplexion as he stood.

“What are you on about?”

“There’s something wrong, Lance!  I can tell! And for some reason you won’t tell me what it is!” he stood his ground even as Lance came closer, eyes searching his face for an explanation to the sudden outburst.

“There’s nothing-” he began, but broke off with a shake of his head. “And what about you, huh? You hardly spoke the whole way back, and then you took your hand back and...I thought that’s what you wanted! To hold my hand! You said-”

“I  know  what I said!”  Keith interrupted, moving passed Lance to stand at the counter. Lance turned with him, his back facing the table Keith had just been at.

“Then why did you let go?”

“Because the only reason you were doing it was because I  asked  you to!” Keith shouted, tossing his hands in the air in anger. It was too late to hold anything back now, and all the upsetting thoughts he had been harbouring that afternoon sprang forth. “I know you wouldn’t otherwise.”

“And what makes you think that?”

“Because-Look, you said yourself that I’m different from the other people you’ve met. That I’m special and all that. But Lance, I’m just one guy! And I  know  that if you were to meet more people who showed kindness over hate, then you wouldn’t think I was so unique! You’re infatuated with an image, but I know for a fact that if you met someone else that had no intention of hurting your forest then you would feel the same about them as you do me! I’m not special...I’m just the only one here.”

Lance was silent for an entire five seconds, and then his own arms were flailing about as his anger took over.

“And who are  you  to assume what my feelings are?! How  dare  you think you know what goes on in my head, in my  heart?!  I didn’t hold your hand only because you  asked , I did it because it made my insides feel warm and-and fuzzy I guess, and I’ve never felt that way before-”

“Because you’ve never met anyone else Lance! You’re secluded up here, and I’m probably the first person you’ve allowed to get close!”

“And what’s wrong with that! I was the one to say I wanted to kiss you, or have you forgotten about that already,” Lance fumed, and Keith felt his anger flare at the reminder because  how could I forget!

“You only want to kiss me because you’re under the impression that you like me!”

“‘Under the  impression’?!  What does that even  mean !?”

“It means,” Keith drawled sharply, “that as soon as someone else showed up, you’d feel the exact same way. You’re alone up here Lance, and that solitude has muddled with your perceptions. And I’ve allowed myself to get caught up in it, thinking that maybe...maybe you could like me. But you can’t, because you aren’t even human, so how could you ever  possibly  love one?”

And, oh fuck…

Did I just say love?

Lance was gaping at him, his mouth opening and closing before finally settling in a thin line.

“You don’t get to decide that for me.”

“Actually  Lance  I think I do,” Keith snarled, and he hated the way his words made Lance flinch backwards. “I do because it’s my heart. They’re my emotions.”

“So what,” Lance spat, “you’re saying you don’t feel the same way?”

Keith pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling the threat of tears burn in his molars.

He didn't know how he felt. Or...he did? And that was the problem?

“I’m saying that  you  couldn’t  possibly  feel the same way,” he said slowly, avoiding the question. “You’re not human. You don’t know what it means to lo-” he stopped himself short, but Lance was smart enough to put two and two together.

“You think my feelings are some big joke? That I don’t understand them...like some sort of child? I’ve lived a long time Keith, I know much more that you could  ever  hope to. And yeah, maybe I don’t know what it means to love the way you’re used to. But I still have a heart; I know that it beats a little faster when I’m with you, and that my skin tingles when we’re close together. And even if I don’t know what love is, if I don’t fully understand it, I get the feeling that  you  don’t either, so quit trying to tell me how I should and shouldn’t feel, because you have  no idea!  So if you’d just let me try-”

What Lance had been about to say was broken off as he bumped into the table behind him, rocking the top and causing the backpack sitting on top of it to knock over. That wouldn’t have been so bad, had Shiro’s camera bag not been so close to the edge, and had Keith not unzipped it prior to the fight.

He watched as the pack knocked into the case, causing it to tip precariously over the edge, falling as if in slow motion to the ground.

There was a moment of silence, or maybe it was just all the blood rushing to Keith’s ears as he stood frozen in horror as the camera slid out from inside the case, landing with a sickening thud; two large, important looking pieces breaking off and skittering across the floor.

Lance whirled at the commotion, and, seeing the camera laying broken near his feet, whipped around with wide, worried eyes to stare at Keith.

“Keith I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to-”

“Get out,” he breathed, staring unblinkingly at the spot the camera lay. Lance’s voice was pleading as he went on.

“I’ll fix it I promise-”

“GET OUT!”

Lance broke off, his shoulders rising and falling unevenly; eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“Keith-”

“NOW!”

Lance fled, a bright light temporarily filling the room before an orange blur escaped out the front door, leaving Keith alone with nothing but a broken camera and a room full of regret.

***

He stood for a long while in the same place, simply staring at the camera on the floor, willing it to not be in pieces. But try as he might, he couldn’t manipulate time, and the antique remained where it was.

But more than the camera, Keith wanted to go back and avoid the argument between himself and Lance. It had been stupid, and pointless, and may have even ended much better than it had had Keith not blown up about it all.

Why did I even go off like that…

Because I’m scared he doesn’t actually like me?

I should have let him explain-

But he hadn’t. Instead he had watched as the camera fell, choosing to prioritize its demise over the potential ending of his and Lance’s...whatever you wanted to call it. Friendship? Relationship?

More like battleship, after that fight…

He sighed, finally sinking to his knees as the fire drained from him. He felt awful, in more ways than one, and as he crawled over to the camera, collecting the broken pieces and carefully placing them back on the table, he wondered if the whole incident was symbolic of the delicate thing that had been developing between himself and Lance, now damaged and hurt.

Why did I have to yell like that….why did I have to say anything!?

He thought back to what Lance had said leading up to the accident.

“And even if I don’t know what love is, if I don’t fully understand it, I get the feeling that you don’t either...”

He’s right about that.

“...so quit trying to tell me how I should and shouldn’t feel, because you have no idea!”

And he didn’t. Not really. He had thought that maybe he could assume that Lance’s apparent crush was something to explain away, and he had been so adamant to refuse any defense Lance gave.

But why?! Why couldn’t I just accept it!

“So if you’d just let me try-”

Try what?

But Lance hadn’t gotten the chance to say, because once again, Keith hadn’t let him. But even if the camera hadn’t fallen, would he have?

Probably not, because for some reason I’m incapable of letting others in. I can’t….accept love. Can’t fathom the idea of someone else feeling that way about me.

But that’s my problem, not Lance’s, and now I’ve gone and ruined everything by basically  calling his emotions fake and-

Wow, I’m a huge jerk.

Keith stared at the pieces on the table, feeling numb and hollow on the inside. He needed to apologize, he knew, but not right now.

Right now he needed to get himself together; call Shiro and explain...somehow, what had happened. And then fix things with Lance.

He wasn’t sure how, or if an apology would even suffice at this point. And there was a part of his brain whispering about how it was better this way.

That Lance would have figured it out eventually.

That someone would have come along and just like that his attentions would leave.

And that, with Lance mad at him, leaving this place would be so much easier at the end of the month; no heartache, no tears...nothing to leave him with a pain in his chest as he drove back into the city.

A pain like the one he felt now…

But I deserve to feel this way. I brought it upon myself.

Lance though…

He stood then, unpacking the rest of the backpack as a distraction before sitting down on the edge of the bed with the satellite phone gripped firmly in his hands.

He would figure out what to say to Lance eventually, if anything at all, but first he needed to call Shiro.

He huffed, dialing in the number and waiting to be the cause behind even more heartbreak.

***

“Keith, hi, I’m glad you called! I wanted to ask how many photos-”  Shiro’s voice was too cheerful; too happy for Keith to stomach. He sat back on the bed, leaning against the wall as he listened to his boss go on about photo spreads and if the upcoming issue should be full colour or feature a black and white section. He listened without giving any input, working up the courage to confess what had happened. Shiro finally noticed his voice was the only one being used, and changed subjects.

“-use higher quality paper or-Keith? You there?”

Keith sighed, his chest clenching painfully as he glanced over at the table.

“Um…”

“Is something wrong?”  Shiro asked, tone serious now.

“You could say that,” Keith managed to get out, voice hitching on the last word, and all at once Shiro was in his dad mode.

“What is is? Are you hurt? Dehydrated? Heat stroke? I told you about sunscreen Keith, and you know you burn easily. Please say you haven’t been attacked by something, but if so I’ll call search and rescue right now and get them to get you out of there-”

“No, Shiro, I’m fine,” Keith cut in before a helicopter was sent his way. “It’s...about your camera.”

Three seconds of silence, and then Shiro was tentatively asking:

“My camera?”

Keith nodded, but, realizing Shiro couldn’t see him, verbally responded.

“Yeah. I uh-”

I can’t tell him about Lance...and it wasn’t his fault to begin with. Had we not been arguing he wouldn’t have bumped into the table. I shouldn’t have left it out in the first place.

“I had it on the counter and my bag knocked over and...and it fell-” he broke off again, feeling his jaw begin to ache with the threat of tears. Shiro didn’t waste any time in consoleing him.

“Keith it’s ok. Accidents happen.”

But that only made Keith feel worse, and before he knew it, his vision was blurry and cheeks wet.

“I didn’t mean for it to break I just-my camera was charging and I didn’t want to head out without one so I took yours, and I knew I should have just left it back but I was so sure it would be safe. And it  was!  The whole trip he made sure to be careful with it, but I can’t even handle taking it out of its case for a couple minutes without it falling over and it’s my fault and I still blamed-”

“Keith, shh,”  Shiro soothed, and Keith hiccuped with a sob as it all came out.  “It’s ok, really. I’m just glad you’re not hurt.”

“But it’s broken Shiro! And I know how important it is to you…”

“Not as important as you, so just...breathe, ok? Just breathe.”

Keith did as instructed, and after a few shaky inhales, he was able to calm himself enough to staunch the tears.

“Better?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Keith replied, and heard Shiro huff out a small laugh.

“Good. Now what did you mean by ‘he’?”

Keith blinked, tears sticking to his eyelashes.

“What?”

“You said ‘the whole trip he made sure to be careful with it’. So who’s he? Is there someone else up there with you?”

Oh shit,  Keith thought, and quickly came up with an explanation.

“There’s no one, just me,” he lied. “I meant me. That I was careful with it. I just got carried away and I feel so bad about what happened and-”

“Ok, no it’s cool. Don’t worry about it,”  Shiro cut him off, and Keith breathed a sigh of relief.  “So it’s pretty smashed?”

Keith swallowed thickly, moving to get off the bed and walk over to where the camera was. He eyed the two broken pieces, scared to touch them again should they turn to dust, and made a small noise in the back of his throat that Shiro took as confirmation.

“Damn,”  he mumbled, and Keith hurried to explain.

“Well, it landed and two bits flew off, and I haven’t really tried putting them back but-”

“Wait, just two pieces came off?”  Shiro asked suddenly, interrupting Keith.  “Were they black and roundish?”

Keith frowned, wiping his cheeks and sitting down at the table. Sure enough, the sections of camera that had been broken were just as Shiro described; one larger than the other but both similar in shape.

“Uh...yeah, they are.”

Shiro laughed on the other end, which had Keith even more confused than ever.

“It’s totally fine then!”  he explained.  “Those pieces make up a modified lens I made when I lost the original one. They pop off all the time because they weren’t designed to fit into that slot on the camera. You should be able to just put the smaller piece onto the larger one and screw them back on.”

Keith’s eyes were wide as he stared down at the camera on the table. He did as Shiro asked, and sure enough, the pieces fit together like those of a puzzle, and fit onto the camera face seamlessly.

He gaped at it, carefully turning it over in his hands to inspect for further damage, but with the lens back in place, the camera looked just as it always had: old and dusty and worn.

But instead of feel better about discovering Shiro’s antique was perfectly alright, Keith felt incredibly guilty.

Guilty because he had yelled at Lance for no reason.

Screamed at him to get out when the camera was fine to begin with.

Lance probably hates me by now. If only I had kept my stupid head and not-

But it was too late to change what had occured, and Lance was likely miles away at this point, eager to be rid of Keith and his pointless yelling.

“Did it work buddy?”  Shiro was asking, but instead of tell him, Keith asked his own question.

“Am I impossible to love?”

“Wh-what?”

Keith sighed, leaning back in the chair and letting his eyes fall shut.

“I just....I want to know if there’s something wrong with me.”

Shiro was silent for a few moments, and then the sound of a door being closed echoed through the receiver.

“Keith, you’re not impossible to love, and there’s nothing wrong with you. But what brought this on all of a sudden? Is it because you thought I was on a date last night or-”

“No, no,” Keith answered. “It’s not that, but...I don’t know,” he exhaled shakily, running a hand through his hair. “Why do I push people away? Why can’t I just let them in and accept that they feel a certain way about me...or-you know, nevermind. It’s stupid.”

“What? No, it’s not!”  Shiro said hastily, and Keith propped his head up on his hand as he leaned forward on the table.  “Are you sure you’re alright? Because I can send someone up there if you’re lonely, or you can come back early. There’s nothing wrong with that Keith.”

“No, I want to stay,” Keith said, and he did. Going back now would be a waste of resources and time and...and to be honest, he couldn’t just leave without saying goodbye to Lance.

But who even knows if he’ll ever want to see me again...

“I guess…” he went on with a huff, “I was just thinking about how I’ve never really been able to maintain any sort of relationship. They always end in a big fight and then that friendship is ruined forever! Or I end things before they even really start, you know? And I-I guess I was just wondering if you could tell me why I’m like that...or help me to not be.”

Again Shiro was quiet for a long moment while he thought, and Keith listened intently when he did finally speak.

“Keith, I’ve known you for a long time now. You’re like family at this point, so I’m going to be honest with you.”

“Okay..”

Shiro sighed before going on.

“You have a habit of overthinking the smallest things. I see it all the time, with your daily life, your work...it’s almost funny really, since you never seem to care what other people think, and I believe that’s because you do most of that thinking yourself. And there’s nothing wrong with that! It just shows that you’re independent, which we all know to be true,”  Shiro chuckled lightly, and even Keith cracked a small smile as the man went on.  “But you’re your own worst enemy. Remember that one guy you dated for a couple months...what was his name…Rollo?”

“ Ronald,” Keith supplied, because there had only been so many guys he’d gone out with that lasted that long. Shiro made a noise of agreement.

“Yeah him. Do you recall why you broke up?”

Keith groaned, thinking back to the messy incident  that  had been. Lots of yelling followed by plenty of crying. Shiro had been there to help pick up the pieces, so he knew exactly why the two had broken up, making his question pointless.

“How could I forget,” Keith grumbled, and Shiro hummed.

“You thought he was cheating on you, or that he would eventually cheat on you. For some reason you got it into your head that things would end at one point, and started looking for ways to make it happen.”

“I didn’t!” Keith exclaimed, but Shiro cut him off.

“You did Keith. It’s what you do. And I’m not blaming you for that. I think it’s just a deep rooted issue caused by your parents being crummy and leaving you at such a young age. It’s a trust thing, and you struggle to let people in because you’re worried that they’ll just leave.”

Keith bit his lower lip, fiddling with a loose splinter of wood on the table as Shiro’s words washed over him.

Sure, his parents hadn’t been the best, and yes, maybe he did push people away, but trust issues? Did he have those?

“I trust you though,” he said softly. “And I trust Pidge.”

Shiro sighed, but it was a contemplative noise over a resigned one.

“You do, yes, but how long did that take? And it's a different kind of trust.”  He paused, breathing out a small chuckle. “Y ou probably don’t remember because you were an angsty pre-teen rebelling against the world, but when we met at that photography camp, you hated me.”

Keith snorted, recalling vividly how he had felt about Shiro upon meeting him. Preppy, cheery, eager to help...it was gross.

“That was only because you were my cabin’s counselor though,” Keith explained, and Shiro laughed.

“Ah, yes. You’ve always had a hate on for authority.”

“But you weren’t so perfect!” Keith shot back. “I think the day I started  actually  liking you was when I caught you sneaking out with Pidge’s brother to go canoeing that one night. Which was against the rules, as I seem to recall you saying.”

Shiro’s laughter increased, and Keith felt his own smile stretch his cheeks as he thought back to the incident. Shiro: by day the camp king, an idol among counselors and campers alike. But at night? It was like he had an evil twin or something, and after promising not to tell on him should Keith be allowed to join in the fun, the two had grown close as friends. Shiro was the reason Keith turned his life around, realizing that he could strive to be his best self and still have fun doing it. After that camp, Shiro had invited him to stay at his house for a few extra days after finding out Keith was bouncing between foster homes. And it was Shiro who found a permanent place for Keith to stay; a family that took good care of him until he was old enough to move out on his own.

Keith owed most of the good things in his life to Shiro, so of course he trusted him.

“I remember that,”  Shiro said after calming down.  “Matt was impressed with your spunk.”

“I liked Matt. He was so chill.”

“Yeah,”  Shiro sighed, and Keith wondered if he was mistaking the tone of his voice for fond remembrance or...something else.  “I remember how shocked you were when we hired Pidge and you found out they were siblings.”

“Shocked or scared beyond belief?” Keith joked, and Shiro huffed out another laugh.

The two exhaled contently, but there was still a dull ache in Keith’s chest that he needed to address.

“But still,” he said, and Shiro immediately sobered. “How do I stop myself from pushing people away? How do I keep my mind from fabricating scenarios that may or may not come to pass? How do I let myself love and….and  be  loved?”

“Well,”  Shiro began,  “it’s not exactly something I can tell you to do. Letting people get close to your heart is hard. It’s scary and nearly impossible not to imagine all the things that could go wrong. It’s just something humans do, you know? So I think the best advice I can give is to try and ignore the way your head comes up with multiple paths. Don’t think about which one you should take, at least not with your brain. Use your heart.”

“You sound like a fortune cookie Shiro,” Keith teased, and heard his boss huff.

“What, full of knowledge?”

“More like full of riddles,” he retorted. “How do I use my heart?”

Shiro considered for a moment.

“Ok well, remember when you called me that one night, and it was rainy and that little fox was at your door?”

Keith’s heart jumped in his chest, and he didn’t say anything,  couldn’t  say anything, because that little fox had turned out to not be a fox at all, but rather the subject matter he and Shiro were currently discussing.

Lance…

“I told you not to let it in,”  Shiro went on, oblivious to the way Keith was reacting.  “Said it was a wild animal and, whatever... you didn’t listen. You let it in anyways. Dried it off, probably tried to feed it-”

He knows me so well…

“But you weren’t thinking about what could happen the next morning. You didn’t pause to consider if the fox would pee, like you said it did-”

That was a lie…

“-or if it would get into your stuff,”  Shiro continued.  “All you cared about was keeping it warm and safe from the storm outside, right?”

Keith thought for a moment. It was true, he hadn’t considered the consequences of letting that little fox in. And though the outcomes of that decision differed greatly from the ones Shiro had mentioned, what with the fox turning out to be some shape-shifting god-like being, Keith still hadn’t stopped to contemplate what would happen the next morning. All he had been thinking about was ‘holy shit there’s a fox in my house’, and ‘oh my god he’s sitting on my lap!’.  Was that what Shiro meant by not using his brain so much?

“Yeah, you’re right,” he agreed, and heard Shiro hum victoriously.

“That’s sort of what I mean when I say think with your heart. Live in the moment; enjoy the time you spend with a person in the present, not in the past or future. If you can learn to do that, then you’ll eventually be able to ignore all the ‘what-ifs’, cast aside all the doubts.”  Shiro must have stood then, because a sound like a chair springing back up to full height resounded in the earpiece.  “And as for letting yourself be loved by others? You’ll just have to listen to what they say; notice how they act around you. People show love in a great many ways Keith, and it’s different for each one. If you find someone you connect with and enjoy being around, whose absence would be unimaginable, look for signs that they feel the same. It might not always be something obvious, but then again, maybe it will be. The point is to not discount their feelings for you, because you can’t decide how someone's heart works. Hell, we barely have control over our own hearts.”

Keith absorbed Shiro’s advice like a dry sponge in water; taking every word to heart and feeling them echo around his ribcage with a permanence that he would not soon forget.

The point is not to discount their feelings…

But hadn’t he done just that? Hadn’t he yelled at Lance, saying there was no way he could ever love him because...because of what? A lack of experience? A remote chance that someone better would come along?

He reached into his pants pocket then, pulling out the Polaroid he had taken of Lance mere hours before, and felt his heart clench at the image of the boy staring back at him; innocent and otherworldly. 

Lance...

Keith had been so wrong, and Lance had been the one to suffer for it. Who knew were he was now...if he was crying or angry or numb, just like Keith.

You can’t decide how someone’s heart works.

Shiro was right. Of course he was! Which meant Keith needed to apologize to Lance, tell him exactly how he was feeling and why he blew up in the first place. Explain his shortcomings, his drawbacks and his hesitations when it came to his emotions.

He had  to let Lance know that he had been wrong. That he would allow Lance the chance to...to love him, should he still want to. And he in turn would try his best to leave his heart open instead of closing it off.

Because, like Shiro had said: if you find someone you connect with and enjoy being around, whose absence would be unimaginable, look for signs that they feel the same.

And of course Lance feels the same...he said so himself! I just couldn’t accept it…I couldn't trust in his decision.

But I will. I do now!  Or at least...I’ll try...

“Hey Keith? You still there?”

Keith jumped at the sound of Shiro’s voice, having completely forgotten he was still on the phone.

“Yeah, sorry. Thank you Shiro, for helping. I have to go now.”

“Wait, so suddenly?”

“I need to fix something else, before it’s too late.” He hung up before Shiro could reply, and quickly donned his jacket and boots, as well as a flashlight, taking one last look at the photo before heading out the door. It was dark now, with a thick cloud cover that prevented the stars from lighting his path and a growing wind that held the threat of rain, but Keith didn’t care. He was thinking with his heart, not his mind, and finding Lance was his top priority.

Even if he doesn’t want to see me ever again, I need to try.

I need to apologize.

And with those thoughts driving him, Keith set out into the night, hoping he wasn’t too late.

Chapter Text

“...But you mustn’t forget it…”

The rain started not long after.

It was as if the universe was opposed to him having any luck in finding Lance, and, knowing about spirits and energies and these ‘Others’ the boy always spoke of, Keith wouldn’t doubt if it was.

He could have taken it as a sign to give up; to try again in the morning. But inside him was a more powerful driving force, greater than the elements hindering his progress, or the darkness devouring the light he carried.

It was a need; one focused solely on finding Lance, no matter how long it took.

An ambitious quest to say the least, seeing as the guy could turn into any animal and may well be hiding as a mouse beneath the log Keith was sure he had jumped over several times now. But even if Lance was determined to stay away, Keith couldn’t go back to the cabin without feeling as though he at least tried.

Still, the rain was a pain in the ass.

It made everything slick and moist, and though it was only a light drizzle currently, with the distant rumbling of thunder, Keith knew it wouldn’t stay that way for long. It wasn’t so bad in the thicker parts of the forest, where the canopy overhead prevented a good majority of the water from soaking through his clothing, but after only twenty-five minutes of searching, Keith was drenched to the bone.

Serves me right. I hope I get sick from this.

The first place he found himself going was the pool with the waterfalls. He was amazed that he had been able to find it at all in the dark, but figured there must be some muscle memory after going there with Lance twice, even if the first time was as a fox. The place held some sort of draw that had Keith hoping beyond hope that Lance was curled up in the small cave behind the falls, now raging with the added precipitation. There was no way he was going to be able to get in there without risk of drowning, so he tried a different tactic.

He maneuvered around the pool as best he could, taking several different paths to try and climb up the cliff where the water poured down from. The rain was making his efforts more difficult than they would otherwise have been, but eventually Keith was able to find enough decent footholds to clamber up the side, flashlight held in his mouth as he went.

He hosted himself up and wasted no time catching his breath as he shone the light down on the ground, wary of the massive hole that he knew would open up to the cavern below.

The last thing he needed was to fall down and hurt himself, especially with Lance missing.

I maybe should have brought my satellite phone with me…

But it was too late to go back now, so Keith took the risk.

For such a large hole, it was incredibly difficult to locate, but eventually Keith was able to hear something that pointed him in the right direction. It was the faint echo of raindrops against rock, and he followed it until the ground opened up before him, revealing the cave below.

“Finally,” he murmured, crouching low to keep his footing, and peering over the edge. He shone his flashlight down but Lance couldn’t be seen.

Of course not, he thought in annoyance. If he was down there he wouldn’t be standing in the opening getting rained on. Stupid.

So he changed tactics.

“Lance!” he called, hearing his voice reverberate down and fade away without reply. “Lance are you down there?”

Still nothing, and with a grunt Keith stood, at a loss for what to do.

He could be ignoring me. Or he could not be there.

Though the first option hurt more, Keith took comfort in the idea that Lance was safe and just angry with him. But the latter option was just as possible, which meant Keith had to keep looking.

“Lance,” he called down again, just to be sure. “If you’re down there, I’m sorry. And if you’re not then...I’ll find you. I promise.”

He turned away from the hole, wandering aimlessly and feeling hot tears merge with the icy rain on his cheeks, and somewhere in the distance, the thunder grew louder.

***

Retracing his steps back to all the places Lance had taken him proved harder than Keith had been expecting. Granted, the growing intensity of the rain combined with the darkness and unfamiliar ground didn’t make things any easier, and eventually Keith gave up in favour of blindly shouting Lance’s name and hoping for a response.

That had been going on for nearly an hour now, and his voice was after growing hoarse; throat raw from use.

I should go back. This is pointless now.

He had no idea where he was, which was bad, and was so beyond cold now that his fingertips were numb, but Keith was stubborn.

That and well, lost.

So he figured he may as well keep looking while stumbling about in the storm.

And speaking of, the weather had quickly taken a downwards turn. Summer storms in the mountains were, as Keith had come to realize, brutal. The wind was fierce, and each creak from the trees above had Keith praying nothing fell on top of him. The rain had taken to blowing sideways, which was rude and unnecessary, seeing as Keith wanted to avoid the thick brush, but was driven there anyways to avoid being drowned out. And then the lightning...that was a whole other matter entirely.

The flashes had started few and far between, with thunder claps sounding off in the distance after several long seconds. But the longer he was out, the more frequent the lightning became, and soon every blinding light was pursued by a deafening roar from the clouds above.

It was terrifying, and soon Keith was regretting his decision to head out with so few supplies.

I don’t think this is what Shiro meant by ignore my brain…

But aside from some sort of miracle, Keith figured his only chance would be to wait for the storm to break before ever hoping to find his way back.

Fuck me and my stupid impulsive ideas!

Still, he had to keep moving. Stopping was not an option if he wanted to keep warm, and Keith didn’t know the area well enough to know the best hiding spots or shelters.

I should have just stayed at the cavern...Waited out the worst of it. But no. Here I am instead, shouting for a boy who may never want to be found again.

Fuck!

“Lance!” he tried again, but a flash overhead signalled the next round of thunder to begin, and his call was drowned out. Furious, he kicked a nearly rock, sending it flying through the bushes. “I get it ok!” he shouted at the sky. “You don’t have to fucking compete with me you jackass!”

Great, now I’m arguing with clouds. What else-

He broke off as a rustle was heard nearby, and shone his light in the direction it had come. It was difficult to focus on the sound with the weather shouting unhelpfully around him, so Keith swallowed his fear and edged closer.

Another rustle, this time louder and coming from somewhere at his right.

“Lance?” he called, but after no reply, continued his pursuit. Whatever was ahead of him was moving at a quick pace, which was obnoxious for Keith, who slid and tripped on nearly every root, but eventually the forest opened up into a small outcropping, and a large shape could be made out in contrast to the night. “Lance!”

The figure moved, and Keith shone his light in the same direction, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever, or hopefully whoever it was.

“Lance please-” he started, but trailed off with a whimper as he realized that it was not the shape of the boy he had been praying to see in front of him, but rather something larger, browner, and much much hairier.

Is he in an animal form?

“Lance, is that you..?”

His words, though muffled and tainted with traces of fear, were clearly heard by the grizzly as it turned to face him. All Keith could think was huge as the bear stood on its hind legs, making a noise similar to a bark as it stared down at him.

Keith felt his hand shaking, the light of the flashlight trembling as he raised it to the animal’s face.

I need to know if it’s Lance…

But even as he squinted against the rain to make out the colour of the beasts eyes, he had a feeling deep in his gut that this wasn’t his little thief. Lance wouldn’t make those sounds at him, full of warning and anger, and sure enough, all Keith saw was brown. No blue anywhere in those iris, which were glaring down at him unyieldingly.

Oh fuck, he cursed, and somewhere in the back of his mind he recalled hearing something about never making eye contact with a bear. Oh fuck oh fuck oh-

The grizzly fell back on all fours, swiping the ground in front of it with furious huffs and sounds that could only be made by the clacking of teeth. It was pissed, and all Keith had was his flashlight.

“Woah bear,” he said as calmly as he could, holding both hands out in front of him as he slowly stepped back. “It’s cool man, I’m just leaving. No need to charge or...or attack or anything drastic.”

The bear’s head swung back and forth, massive paws swiping away chunks of earth as it slowly advanced.

“E-easy n-now-” Keith spluttered, his heart in his throat as he edged back into the trees.

If I can just get to one and climb it, I should be safe.

“I was just looking for my friend and didn’t mean to shine my light in your eyes,” he went on, but the bear didn’t seem to care for his apology. Still though, its advance had slowed, and Keith took another step back. “That’s it, just go on and do your grizzly stuff and I’ll go do my human stuff, and we’ll never bother one another-”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence. His foot, which had been in the process of stepping back another inch, collided with a thick root, and he tipped his balance as he lost traction on the slippery surface. His flashlight flew from his hands as he fell; the abrupt movement causing the bear to suddenly charge, and instead of a scream tearing from his throat, as would have been perfectly reasonable to expect given the situation, Keith’s last word was not even a word at all.

It was a name.

“LANCE!”

Three things happened all at once.

First, Keith’s tailbone landed against something sharp and painful, but in the moment he didn’t care because the colossal grizzly coming at him had claws and teeth that were probably even moreso.

Second, a flash of lightning gave Keith one last look at his demise, and not even the thunder that followed after it could drown out the roar that the bear made as it drew closer. That image of bared teeth and a jaw widening as it aimed to take a bite out of his leg would be something that would haunt Keith for a very long time.

And third, just when Keith was closing his eyes and willing his death to be quick, something tore out of the forest behind him in a flash of light that Keith didn’t think came from the sky.

Something massive collided with the charging bear, forcing it back several feet with the impact.

Keith was stunned for a moment, and then his feet were moving, shuffling him backwards on the muddy ground as he struggled to put distance between himself and the bear and whatever else had just joined the party. His flashlight was out of reach, but the lightning overheard allowed for enough erratic flashes for Keith to be able to make out the form of a second grizzly bear, and all he could do was watch in horror as the two fought.

It was difficult to tell the.apart; both were ginormous and strong and took swipes at one another that would split a tree in half. Keith was frozen in place, which was terrifying because even though he was screaming at his legs to move, to get up and run, they wouldn’t listen.

Flight or fight, it seemed, was missing a third, much more common response mechanism: freeze. And Keith was the unlucky soul to experience it.

Fuck fuck fuck move you stupid fucking ass! Run! You’re going to get ripped apart!

Still nothing.

So instead he watched, since there was nothing else he could do, and he hoped that the bear that had come out of the woods to stop the one intent on charging wasn’t hungry for scrawny photographer.

They fought, and the back and forth was intense. At one point they were both standing on their hind legs, and had Keith not known better, he would have assumed the two were simply engaging in a friendly hug.

But he did know better, and the amount of biting and clawing that was going on throughout the embrace was enough of an indication to know there was nothing friendly about the action.

And then one of the bears slipped, as Keith had, and landed with a heavy thud on the ground. The other wasted no time in pounding down on its chest; over and over without relent. Keith wasn’t sure which one it had been, but as another flash of lightning lit up the area, his fears for his own life were abruptly shifting as bright blue was reflected in the eyes of the one on the ground; the one currently being obliterated by the other.

“LANCE!” Keith hollered, the sound ripping his throat and echoing painfully through the trees, and all at once his legs were working again. He stood as best he could, tailbone on fire as he scrambled to pick up whatever rocks he could find, and began hurling them at the grizzly stomping down on Lance’s chest.

Because of course it was Lance; come to save him and once again pay the price for Keith’s stupidity.

Lance please hang in there! Please be alright!

One rock knocked solidly into the back of the bears head, and it whirled on Keith, snarling menacingly as it began its charge anew. Keith ran, which he knew was the worst thing to do in this sort of scenario, but he had to get the bear away from Lance. All he could think about was Lance!

The grizzly was on him in no time, but before it could do any damage, it was pulled back, and Keith saw Lance on his feet once again, jaws secured around the back leg of the bear and showing no signs of letting go.

The sounds that came from the animal were the stuff of nightmares, and eventually Lance let go, standing on his rear feet and slamming down on the ground in front of his contender in a show of dominance. The other bear got the message, and bolted back into the woods with only a slight limp, and then all that could be heard was the monotonous rain as it carried on uncaringly.

Lance was still for a moment, and then his enormous grizzly head was turning back to stare at Keith, blue eyes familiar but in definite pain. There was another flash of light as Lance’s form shifted to his human one, and Keith was at his side in the span of two seconds, sliding on the slick grass and wondering how much of the wetness was from rain, and how much from blood.

Because there was a lot of the latter, and Lance’s body was nearly torn to shreds as Keith cradled him in his arms, careful not to pull or cause further hurt with his actions.

“Oh my god Lance what do I do! There’s-there’s so much blood-” his voice was trembling, fingers unsteady as they brushed back Lance’s hair.

The boy was gazing up at him with a dazed expression-he’s going into shock-and a small smile formed on his lips.

“What are you doing here…” he murmured, and Keith felt a sob tear from his chest as he tried to staunch the bleeding. The rain, for once, was actually helping matters in that it cleaned the exposed skin, showing Keith exactly where he needed to apply pressure.

“Shh, Lance, save your strength, ok? You’re going to be alright. I’m going to take you back to the cabin and fix you up and-and everything is going to be fine-” he broke off, voice wobbling and unsure, and Lance made a small sound of reassurance.

“I’m good-” he tried, but a fit of coughing disrupted the rest of his sentence. Keith felt his insides twist painfully as Lance’s face contorted, no doubt due to the multiple striations and numerous broken ribs colouring his chest black, red and blue. “Heh,” he managed to get out after the coughing seized, “guess I’m the strawberry now, huh?”

Keith felt tears cascade down his face, but still a smile tugged at his lips at what Lance said.

He's bleeding out and still-

“How can you be joking at a time like this!” he chastised, and Lance’s eyes slowly began to drift shut.

“Because-” he whispered, and Keith edged closed to hear. “When I’m with you...I feel...happier…”

And that was the moment Keith’s heart broke in half.

This is my fault. Lance got hurt because of me and my stupidity!

All because I didn’t trust his feelings-

He shook his head of the thoughts. None of that mattered right now. What he needed to focus on was getting Lance somewhere dry and warm, where he could bandage his wounds and make sure he was going to survive.

And he will survive. I promise that.

But no matter how determined he was, there was no way Keith could carry Lance, in the state he was in, all the way back to his cabin. It pained him to ask, especially knowing that shifting when injured was more difficult to do, but he had to try. It was the only way.

“Lance, I’m going to help you I promise, but I need you to turn into something easier for me to carry. I’ll only make your injuries worse if I try and drag you out of here, so please...please Lance…” he trailed off as Lance slowly nodded, and with an effort that seemed to take all the remaining energy out of him, a flash of light erupted in Keith’s arms, and in place of the wounded boy was now a small fox.

Only it was more red coloured than orange now, seeing as the wounds were still very much intact, and Keith wasted no time in wrapping Lance up in his jacket and taking off back into the woods.

He wasn’t sure how, but some part deep within him told him which way to go, like a compass pointing the way, or a lighthouse guiding him back. He attributed it to the direness of the situation, but also wondered absently if Lance had anything to do with it.

Regardless of the cause behind it, Keith soon found himself surrounded by familiar ground, and easily made his way back to the shack from there. It stood welcoming in the middle of the clearing, promising warmth and safety within its walls.

Keith had never been so excited to see the place, and thought that this is what it must feel like to come home.

He only hoped he wasn’t too late to share that realization with Lance.

***

He didn’t sleep at all that night, or what was left of it anyways.

Once Lance was inside, Keith set about cleaning his wounds, though there wasn’t much he could do when the guy was still in his fox form. So, after wrapping what he could and cursing the existence of fur, he tucked Lance in a cocoon of blankets and nestled him between his pillows, petting the soft fuzz between his ears before setting about his next task.

“Lance, we’re home now. I need you to turn back, if you can, so I can treat you better.”

But Lance must have been deeply out of it, since Keith’s plea went unanswered.

It’s fine. He said himself he heals fast. I just need to give him time.

But patience was never one of Keith’s strong suits. After starting a fire and burning the bloodied towels and tissues, he made a pot of tea, adding in some of the berries he and Lance had gathered in hopes that the smell would jog his memory and make Lance awaken.

Still the fox remained on his bed, so Keith busied his hands by preparing a fresh set of bandages and sorting through the first aid kit Shiro had been so thorough as to supply. He had more than enough supplies, but Lance’s wounds were deep, and already he had soaked through the first round of cloths Keith had used to dress the gouges.

So he changed them, and again whispered for Lance to shift back.

“Please Lance, I don’t know how to help you in this form. I need to be able to clean the cuts and sew up any tears-” he broke off, struggling not to imagine himself stitching Lance closed. He was fine with blood, to a certain extent, but needles? Those were another thing altogether. “Please, Lance…”

The foxes ear twitched, but other than that one small motion, Lance lay perfectly still; chest rising and falling in shallow breaths.

Keith heaved a sigh, feeling a deep chill settle within him, and he realized that he had yet to change into drier clothes. He hastily donned a warmer outfit, hanging his things to dry by the fire and checking in on Lance every five minutes, all the while the storm outside raged on.

It was at around three in the morning that a small noise sounded out from the bed, jolting Keith out of whatever sleep deprived state he had been in. He hurriedly ran towards the bed, seeing blue eyes slowly open and stare at him, and the fox whined again.

“Lance, if you can hear me, I need you to turn back into a human,” Keith urged, and the fox whimpered at his request. “I can help you better that way. And then you can rest once I give you some painkillers and-” he trailed off as the foxes ears flattened against its head, and Lance’s eyes closed as an expression of pain crossed his animalistic features. Keith could only watch, not knowing what else to do besides stroke the fur on his forehead, hoping the gesture would bring some comfort as Lance struggled with his wounds. It took a while, but finally a small flash of light brightened the interior of the cabin, and when it faded, Lance was back.

Human Lance.

Keith had never been so happy to see him in all his naked splendor.

He gently propped up Lance’s head, popping two pills into his mouth and helping him swallow them down with a glass of water. Lance’s eyes were clenched tightly from the effort, his broken ribs no doubt screaming in agony, but as Keith resumed his earlier motion of petting the top of Lance’s head, the pained expression slowly faded, and once again Lance was out.

Keith sighed in relief this time as Lance’s breathing evened out. Now he could focus more on the wounds he hadn’t been able to tend while Lance was a fox, and there were a great many.

After covering Lance with a blanket to keep him warm, Keith set about cleaning out scrapes on his legs, puncture wounds on his arms, and haggard tears on his sides. Thankfully his back was in fairly good shape, save for a few long scratches that were of less concern compared to the rest, so Keith ignored them for now. Besides, flipping Lance over to see the full extent of the marks was unthinkable with his grossly bruised side, so Keith prioritized keeping him as comfortable as possible as the night slowly faded to day.

Lance didn’t reawaken after all his injuries were finally tended to, which Keith figured was because he had spent any remaining morsels of energy on shifting back into this form. He was worried about concussions and head trauma, but nothing in the first aid kit Shiro had given had any remedies for that sort of thing, aside from taking him to a hospital.

Which Keith was seriously considering as the day wore on.

Unfortunately, with the residual overcast skies from the storm and Lance currently out of it, Keith’s satellite phone had no service, meaning he couldn’t even call Shiro to ask for help.

Really wish I had more than just my level one first aid.

Or at least access to wifi.

Hell. Even a book would be more helpful than what I have. Which is nothing.

He passed out sometime in the afternoon, not meaning to. He had been sitting next to Lance’s bed, running a hand through those soft brown locks absently as he stressed over what to do, and the next thing he knew his eyes were slowly opening to a setting sun.

He sat up, feeling his head ache and his body shiver, and got up to re-stoke the fire after checking on Lance once more.

At least he’s not still bleeding. And the bruising doesn’t look so bad today…

But that could have just been due to the lighting in the room, and as Keith got up to make himself something quick to eat, he wondered once again what he should do.

I could take the phone and look for reception somewhere, or else go back down the trail a ways and see if I can get a bar or two.

But I don’t want to leave Lance like this.

Ugh. Smoke signals? Could I try that?

Or maybe write S.O.S on the ground outside…

Both were tempting ideas, but Keith knew the mountain was too high up for either of those messages to be seen, and the clouds were insistent on sticking around.

I’ll wait another day or so, and if he doesn’t wake up by then, then…

He didn’t think about what he would do, instead re-focusing his efforts on keeping Lance’s body temperature up, as the boy kept shivering in his sleep, no matter how many garments Keith piled on top of him.

He has a fever or something. But how do I treat that!

Several times he tried waking Lance to feed him, either soup base or water, but his efforts were in vain. The boy was unresponsive for the most part, save for the occasion whimper or groan as his eyes moved back and forth beneath his lids.

Is he dreaming? Or is he dying…

“He’s fine,” Keith said to himself, banishing the thought of Lance never waking up. “He just needs time is all.”

He repeated the statement over and over to himself, like some kind of mantra, and though it helped to soothe his worries a bit, the words did nothing to help ease the guilt hanging around the cabin.

I shouldn’t have told him to go.

Shouldn’t have yelled in the first place.

Should have stayed put instead of going out in the rain.

Should have been smarter about the woods.

Should have….shouldn’t have…

Lance...

Soon the phrase ‘this is all my fault’ began mingling with his other chant, until eventually his sleep deprived brain was circulating ‘he just this needs my fault is time’ around his head, leading to a headache he couldn’t shake.

I deserve that.

After eating as much as he could force himself to, Keith wetted a cloth in cool water, recalling Shiro having done so once when Keith had been sick years before, and placed it on Lance’s forehead. The boy shuddered, and Keith hastily took it away, frowning to himself as he did.

Is it too cold?

I thought it was supposed to be cold...

He went over to the pot of boiling water he had made for tea and soaked the cloth in that, waiting several minutes for it to not be scalding before returning to the bedside.

Tentatively, he placed it back on Lance’s skin, and the response was much better this time around.

The lines around Lance’s eyes faded away as his face relaxed, and if Keith hadn’t been so exhausted, he would have thought he heard a content sigh pass through those supple lips.

Okay...hot cloth it is.

He resoaked it four times after that, placing it on different areas of Lance’s head and upper torso, until finally the boy was almost smiling in his sleep.

I’ll take that as a good sign, Keith thought, relief flooding in to replace his nervous energy. But with that relief came an increased drowsiness, and soon Keith’s eyes were drooping as his own head lolled.

He stood, taking the cloth with him and hanging it by the fire to dry, and went about preparing some coffee in order to stay awake. He was in the midst of measuring out, rather sloppily, enough for a cup or two, when a small whine echoed out from where Lance was laying.

Keith whirled, rushing over to his side for any sign of him waking up, but Lance’s eyes remained stubbornly shut.

“Lance?” he whispered, running a hand over his forehead to check for fever. His skin was still warm, but again his features softened under Keith’s palm.

Odd…

When Lance showed no further sign of stirring, Keith sighed, both in frustration and discontent, and made to stand.

Only, as soon as his hand left Lance’s head, the boy shifted, eyebrows dipping in a small frown as another pitiful noise escaped his lips.

Keith gaped, sitting back down and returning his hand to where it had been.

Again Lance’s face relaxed, his breathing evening out as Keith moved to run his fingers through all that thick hair.

Can he...feel me?

“Lance, are you awake-” he started, but trailed off with a shake of his head.

He’s fast asleep. Only, for some reason, it’s like he knows that I’m here.

Just to be sure, Keith lifted his hand again, and like clockwork, Lance’s lips dipped in a pout.

Keith almost laughed at the sight. As it was, a smile grew on his own face as he slid his hand down Lance’s cheek, watching mesmerized as Lance’s muscles released the tension they had been holding beneath his fingers. His other hand came up to rest on a patch of exposed chest, where he could feel the rhythmic pounding of Lance’s heart slow just slightly under his palm.

He’s more calm when I’m near him...when I’m touching him.

So...hmmm. I should do something about that, right?

Keith took only a moment to consider before he was gently moving Lance over on the bed, leaving just enough space for a second body to fit.

And then, hesitantly and with a careful tardiness, so as not to shake the mattress too much, Keith crawled up beside him, laying down and nestling in close to Lance’s side. He made sure to avoid any heavily bruised areas, and kept his legs from tangling with the lanky ones at the foot of the bed, but did position himself so that Lance’s head was resting on his chest; arms tucked in close.

Lance exhaled deeply, causing Keith to freeze briefly at the noise, but still the boy slept. Keith was almost relieved, and though he had been wanting Lance to wake up the entire time he had been caring for him, now that they were laying in such an intimate position, he was a tad more hesitant.

How awkward would it be if he just woke up and found himself cradled in my arms.

What if he got mad about it.

But as sleep drew nearer, Keith let those worries go. Besides, Lance was breathing easier now that Keith’s arms were wound around his body, holding him close as his cheek rested on the top of Lance’s head. And hadn’t Shiro told him to try and not imagine all the possible scenarios that could occur?

Yeah. Just live in this moment, and keep Lance safe and warm.

That’s all that matters right now.

Safe...and...warm-

Keith fell asleep; his body caving in and relaxing around Lance’s, arms drawing the boy in closer as they both sighed contently into the night.

***

He awoke sometime the next day with a pain in his arm and weight on his chest.

Blinking against the bright light filling the room, Keith attempted to raise his head, only to find Lance sprawled out across his body like some sort of human blanket.

Oh my god this is...sort of nice…

But then he remembered why he was in the same bed as Lance, and those nice feelings faded. He groaned, trying his best to shift out from underneath the boy, mumbling about how much he weighed for someone so stretched out, and was finally able to wiggle free. He was sweating, both from the heat Lance gave off and the sun shining high in the sky outside.

But before he could go on cursing the warmth of the day, Keith paused, realizing that without the clouds hindering his reception, he may be able to place a call back to Shiro now.

He ran over to the satellite phone, and bit back a loud cheer at the sight of two bars.

“Oh thank fucking god,” he breathed, glancing over at Lance, who was now sprawled out on his stomach and still very much passed out. The scratches on his back had faded away, which was disorientating to witness, but Keith took their disappearance as a good sign. It meant Lance was healing, and when he walked over to check his temperature, was pleased to find his forehead was much cooler than the night before.

There was a small part of him that was almost proud that his body heat had likely helped, though he snuffed it out as he recalled that he was the sole reason Lance was in need of added warmth to begin with.

But do I still need to call Shiro?

He decided yes, since there was still the chance that Lance was concussed, and Keith needed to know how to treat broken ribs and how often to change bandages and yeah..

He wanted someone to talk too, especially after seeing Lance nearly die in front of him, and nearly dying himself.

He hadn’t had time to really think about the attack since bringing Lance back to the cabin, and now that he was staring at the phone in his hands, which were trembling as his brain supplied horrifying flashbacks of fur and blood, Keith realized how close to death he had come.

What the fuck was I thinking….

He owed Lance his life, and it was his stupidity had brought the boy harm.

I need to apologize.

And he would, profusely, once Lance woke up. But first he would call Shiro.

The man answered on the third ring.

“Keith? If I have to remind you to check in one more time-All yesterday, no word. I was worried, and for some reason I had this feeling in my gut that something was wrong and-”

“There was a storm,” Keith said, and Shiro grunted into the receiver.

“Plus you hung up on me the last time we talked and you were acting strange and I was really worried Keith! Like, Pidge keeps brewing me green tea because she thinks I’m going to have a heart attack or something. Which is insulting, because I’m not eighty years old. Just because some of my hair has turned white does not mean I’m an old man.”

Keith felt himself chuckle weakly. Imagining Pidge brewing any sort of tea was outlandish, and he wondered how stressed Shiro must have been to drive her to such lengths.

“I was nearly at the point of heading out there to check on you,” Shrio continued, “but Allura said she would do the honours herself because she had work in that area anyway so-”

“I’m fine Shiro,” Keith cut in again, not paying attention to his ramblings. “At least, I am now.”

There was a pause, and then Shiro was practically yelling into his ear.

“What do you mean ‘am now’?! What happened!”

Keith glanced back at Lance, who had yet to move from his position on the bed, and sighed.

“I, uh...may have run into a bear…”

“WHAT!”

Keith winced, sitting down at the table as he explained as best he could what had transpired. He made sure to leave Lance out of it, which meant tailoring the ending of the story a bit.

“I was out and a storm blew in, and I sort of lost my way...and then I ran into a bear and it charged and-” he broke off, thinking about how Lance had interfered then, taking the full force of the grizzly to save Keith’s life. He let his eyes close, urging the memories away. “It charged, but that was it. It was a bluff, I think, and I was able to climb a tree and wait for it to leave.”

“Oh my god...Keith! You were charged?! Did you have your bear spray with you? Or your knife at least?” The panic in Shiro’s voice had Keith lying again, if only to calm him down.

“Yeah, I had both. I would have used them but the bear ran off before I could. I made it back to the cabin after that and the storm lasted for most of the next day. I had no reception until now.”

He could hear Shiro pacing in his office, likely pinching the bridge of his nose as he thought, and Keith sighed heavily.

“I’m fine Shiro, really. Just a bit...shaken is all.”

“Yeah I bet. Just take a few days to recover ok? Don’t go out unless you feel completely safe to do so, and always carry your phone in case you get treed and the bear doesn’t run off next time.”

“Next time?!” Keith yelped, and Shiro quickly backtracked.

“I mean just as a precaution. You are in the middle of nowhere, and it could happen again, so just be safe. Allura should be there-”

“Keith?”

Shiro broke off at the sound as Keith whipped around to see Lance raise his head; hair untidy and eyes blinking wearily as he stifled a yawn.

“Uh...who was that?” Shiro asked, causing Keith to jolt as conflicting feelings of panic and relief washed over him.

Lance is awake! And Shiro just heard him speak!

How the fuck do I explain this!?

“No one!” Keith quickly shouted, brain working to come up with excuses and drawing several blanks. “I mean, what are you talking about-”

“Is there someone up there with you? When were you gonna say-”

“It’s nobody-” Keith tried, but Shiro was on to him, so he tried the next best thing. “It’s just a hunter I met-”

“A hunter?!” Lance yelped suddenly, jumping out of bed in a heap of blankets and rushing towards the door. “Where!”

“Fuck, Lance, no-” Keith tried, but the boy was already flinging it open and running outside. “Wait!”

“Who’s Lance!?” Shiro was asking frantically. “Keith who is Lance?! A hunter? What was that sound just now?!”

But Keith barely heard.

“Listen Shiro I’ll call you back,” and he hung up without waiting for a reply...again.

He bolted out the front door, seeing Lance standing in the middle of the clearing looking around in a frenzy, his hair wild and his eyes even moreso. They landed on Keith, wide and blue like the sky above, and Keith jumped down off the porch and sprinted towards him.

“Keith where’s the hunter-” but the rest of Lance’s sentence was cut off as Keith crashed into him, wrapping him up in a tight hug that sent them both tumbling down to the ground. Lance let out a small ‘ooft’ upon impact, but Keith didn’t give him the chance to say anything else.