Chapter Text
The sun was blazing, and the humidity was way out of wack. Who can work in such weather? Yeah, Keith wasn’t one of those people, he was slumped on a table, mouth dry and his hair looked damp. He was currently on his break, he thought that going outside would have been a better place to cool off, but it just made it worse. He only had about 15 minutes left till his break was over.
Shiro was out shopping for a few things when he spotted Keith laying his head on the glass table on the large Balcony of ‘Altea Bistro’. Shiro made his way to the table in which Keith hogged to himself.
“Look, I know Allura can be a bit laid back, but don’t take advantage of it, you know how she gets when you abuse your benefits of being friends.” Shiro said as he poked his brother’s face.
“I know, I know, but I don't feel like eating, I just want to go home and bathe in cool air.” Keith groaned a mournful whine and slump more onto the table. Shiro pulled out a chair and took a seat next to Keith. He was rummaging through his bag pulling out a glass container filled with what seemed to be fruit salad.
“Here, eat this while you still have time”
“Thanks” Keith took the glass container and pulled it towards his little area, he was still slumped on the table. Keith then was waving a hand, making Shiro raise an eyebrow in confusion. Keith saw the confusion in his brother’s face and then gave him a dry reply.
“A fork, give me a fork, how am I supposed to eat this without a proper utensil?” Keith said sarcastically.
“Oh right, just wait a moment,” Shiro once again searched through his bag and pulled out a fork giving it to Keith.
“Thanks,” Keith said with a slight smirk as he started eating the fruit salad.
“Well anyway before I get going, I’ll go greet Coran and Allura,” Shiro got up from his seat and headed towards the door that lead back inside the little restaurant.
“Okay, then see you later at my place,” Keith replied mouth still full, giving Shiro a sloppy farewell wave. A bit of laughter escaped from Shiro’s mouth as he also waved goodbye at Keith and disappeared through the glass doors.
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After his break, he still had 2 hours till his shifted ended. Work had gotten a bit busy, but the weather had toned down a bit or maybe it was just the air conditioner doing its work, but the point was that Keith wasn’t on the verge of dehydrating.
When Allura knows it’s busy she doesn’t fool around, she gets into this mode that makes you even more intimidated of screwing up. A mistake can be the ignition of the end of your life if Allura catches you making it. But fortunately, Coran always managed to let the mistakes slip by Allura. Allura always made work seem like a battlefield, mostly with their rivals the ‘Galra Joint’. They Been here for a while now, but Altea Bistro has won its place throughout the years, mostly now since they have such an amazing cook in their kitchen. Keith had only recently started working here but had made himself well known for his instantaneous service he provides and not to mention the charm he gives off when attending the guests.
Keith’s shift was almost over, and the crowd of people had started to decrease. He walked over to the kitchen window counter, waiting for the last order he had to deliver to the table waiting.
“I’m surprised you don’t get tired of moving around, taking and delivering orders, and then helping prepare the drinks. Like I would be tired if I were you,” Hunk said as he finished the course he was cooking. Hunk had his hair pulled away from his face with his orange headband, sleeves rolled up, and an almost white apron tied around his waist.
“It’s not as tiring as it looks, the tiring part would be dealing with arrogant people that come here and there,” Keith leaned his back on the counter placing his elbows down to steady himself, then looked at Hunk working his magic.
“Yeah true, the order is ready, but really Keith, you’re really something,” Hunk handed Keith the course of food and Keith was off to deliver it to the table. He gave the couple who had ordered the meal a genuine smile with a “I hope you enjoy your meal.”
Keith walked away into the back room to get changed out of his uniform into something much more comfortable and casual. He ends his shift at 5:45, late evening, but a peaceful walk back home. since nobody really liked coming out at these hours. When he stepped outside he noticed it was drizzling, In the morning it seemed so hot and sunny, but now it was a bit cooler and...it was raining. Keith guessed he hadn’t noticed when the clouds started to gather up, so he just put on his hood.
-------- Start of Flashback --------
Getting wet wasn’t the problem right now, it was the fact that every time it rained he would remember that devastating day his parents died. It was raining just like it was right now, they were on their way home, when suddenly everything went wrong. The car had flipped onto the side of the road. When Keith had woken up, his mother was covered in blood, shards of glass were impaled her body. His father wasn’t as injured but he had lost a lot of blood.
“...Keith, go find help,” his father blurted out with struggle. Keith wasn’t in the state for walking but, he still managed with his small weak body. The striking thunder and pouring inclement rain only made it worse, he didn’t want to lose his only family, he tried to look for help but didn’t find any. But he ended up right back to where he had started, he knew he was too late to help them, a pool of blood had formed around both of his parents, his eyes blurred as tears started to form in his eyes. He didn’t want to lose hope but even so he knew he had lost them. That day he cried and cried, the rain being the only thing that reminded him of his parents and the way their limp bodies were covered in glass and blood. He remembers the smell of blood, rain, and gasoline, how strong it was as he fell unconscious again. He was later found by a woman that had been heading to the town nearby. She took him in for a while and then set him up for adoption. He later met Shiro at the foster home, and they were both adopted into the same family. But even with a new family the rain became a memoir of the day of his parent’s death. Even now as it drizzled he remember their faces as they slowly died in the cold rain, how useless he felt. His tears have gone dry as the years have passed, now just the pain and guilt in his heart is left.
-------- End of Flashback --------
Keith walked down the damp sidewalk that lead to a park. He uses the park as a shortcut to get to his apartment. As he walked down the path that lead to a fountain in the middle of the park he heard a few playful steps on the water. He didn’t have sight of the fountain till he made his way past the trees in which surrounded the path he was walking on. Just as he made it to the curve he saw a boy, he had a wide grin on his face, water splashing around him. He seemed to be dancing yet not, it wasn’t quite dancing, he just seemed to be jumping around the water, kicking it into the air, and spinning on their heels. Even though it was raining, his clothes, hair, and body weren’t wet in the slightest. Now that Keith looked carefully, the falling rain didn’t seem to touch him at all, it seemed as though the water was swirling, no dancing around him. Keith was awe-stuck, he had never seen such a beautiful sight in his life. It’s as if bright lights seemed to surround the atmosphere around him, the way his body moved gracefully along with the water. His tan skin and short brown hair just it made even more fascinating. His clothes complimented the droplets of rain, the short sleeved blue sweater, rolled up black jeans, dark blue and white sneakers. Then those glassy blue eyes put the finishing touch to the beautiful sight. Keith didn’t know how long he had been standing there staring at the boy, he soon realized he was in the middle of going home, he started to make his way around the fountain, head down hiding his face in his hood, then abruptly the splashes stop from behind him. He was on the verge of turning around to look at the sudden silence but he found himself being wrapped around with strands of water hovering around him, circling him. He felt his heart jump in a bit of shock, but what surprised him the most was that he found this somewhat exciting. He turned around slowly, he saw the boy smiling at him. Keith didn’t notice his mouth had dropped open, his eyes were focused on the boy in front of him. The rain had stopped falling on Keith, not touching him any longer, just like the way the boy had not been soaked by the rain. It was like as if the water around both of them was being controlled, and it was, the tall slender boy in front of him was the one behind this beautiful phenomenon. The boy then gestured his right hand forward gracefully pulling it towards his side, as he did that the water that was swirling around Keith drifted toward the boy. Keith felt his knees go weak and his reality shatter, he was frozen in place trying to process what just happened.
“Hey buddy, are you okay?” Keith snaps back into reality by the sudden question from the boy. Keith just gave a breathless “yeah”, as he got his composure back in place.
“Look, I know I’m dripping with good looks, but you don’t have to sound so awe stuck by them,” Keith feels his face drop into a frown as he hears the comment from the boy. With Keith’s face almost deadpan he makes a remark, “...was that pick up line?” The boy’s smile turns into a bigger grin than it already was, an annoying grin according to Keith’s own countenances.
“Yeah, you can call it that,” the boy says as he spins on his heel, back now facing Keith. “Anyway, cya around hot shot,” Keith could hear a teasing smile from those words, and just groaned at the farewell.
Keith watched the boys figure fade into the path he had just came from. Once the boy was out of sight Keith made his way back home, trying to forget what just happened, but for some reason it was impossible. He had never seen such a person smile so happily in the rain, it’s was like he was in his own world and he was in full control, a friendly dominance, the youth the boy showed was something Keith hadn’t seen in a while. Keith managed to move on, but that image kept nagging at him in the back of his mind.