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Home was something Keith never had.
His mother abandoned him after he was born, and his father dropped him at an orphanage when he was six.
Foster homes and orphanage were the only thing he had close to a home.
Abusive foster parents and violent orphanages was all he knew.
Until he got ejected to space with people he didn’t knew (and Shiro), that’s when he realized family was not a bad thing to have.
Of course, he didn’t told anyone he was an orphan, not even Shiro knew.
It was his deep dark secret, that and being half galra. Nobody knew. And he wanted to keep it that way.
“So, Keith, tell me when is your birthday,” Pidge said while typing in her computer.
“Um, why?” Was Keith’s only answer,
“I’m doing a human calendar with everyone’s birthday on it,” the Green Paladin clarified.
“I-I don’t remember the specific day.”
That gained everyone’s attention to him.
Shiro, Coran, and Allura, stopped their conversation.
Hunk stopped giving Lance domestic cookies.
And Pidge look up from her computer.
“You don’t know when your birthday is?” Pidge asked skeptical.
“I think it was around October..” Keith said while thinking.
“What. The. Quiznak,” Lance expressed.
“Did your parents never celebrated your birthday?” Hunk asked.
“What is the whole buzz about?” Allura questioned confused.
“Keith is lying. There’s no way you never celebrated your birthday,” Lance said.
“I’m not lying. It’s not a big deal. I don’t like parties anyway,” Keith stated while avoiding everyone’s eyes.
“How come your parents never insisted?” Shiro asked.
“I, well, um, it’s just... I don’t have parents,” Keith said.
Everyone gasped at the Red Paladin.
“So, you’re an orphan?” Hunk asked with a sad expression.
“...Yes,” Keith began saying. “I grew up in foster homes and orphanages, where my birthday was unimportant, so I never really celebrated. My dad used to bake a birthday cake every year before he abandoned me though, so yeah, um,”
“Wow, Keith, I’m so so sorry,” Pidge said.
“Not your fault,” Keith replied.
“How come you never told me?” Shiro asked offended.
“It just, it’s kinda embarrassing.” Keith was doing all that he could to avoid eye contact.
“You shouldn’t be ashamed. It’s part of your life, you should accept who you are and just move on,” Lance said.
“Lance, I don’t think that how it works,” Hunk said to the Blue Paladin.
“What about your mom?” Allura asked without empathy.
“Left me after I was born.” Keith still was looking at the floor. “And she, my mother, she was also Galra.”
He looked up at everyone.
“Wait. Fucking what?!” Lance yelled.
“Language!” Shiro yelled back.
“Keith, you’re half galra?” Allura asked.
“Yes.”
“Oh dear god is too much information,” Pidge said.
“That actually explains a lot,” Hunk commented.
“Sorry that I never told you before. I didn’t know how you were gonna react,” Keith said.
“I-I need a moment.” Allura got up from her chair and left.
“Wow, Keith. You never bothered to told me. Your big brother. I can’t believe you would do this to me. After everything I’ve done for you?” Shiro gave a disappointing look at Keith.
“Can’t you tell he’s not just ashamed, he’s broken, Shiro,” Lance said.
“Broken? He’s just a kid, like you all are,” Shiro said, then he left the dining room.
“Keith? Are you okay, buddy?” Hunk asked.
“Yes, I am.” He covered his face in his hands. “I’m perfectly fine.”
“Keith, are you crying?” Pidge questioned.
“No, I-I’m not.” Keith was, indeed, crying.
“Man...” Lance started saying.
“Leave me alone!” Keith ran off to his bedroom.
“No! Keith, don’t look yourself in your room!” Lance followed him.
That left Coran, Hunk and Pidge at the dining room.
“So, Hunk, when is your birthday?”