Work Text:
"Joint Popping"
The Paladins were stretching on the training deck in order to spar with the Blades. The Blades knew the sparring session with their kit would devolve into a play fight, but that was natural. Each Paladin had a different style of stretching. Lance did some fancy positions that showed off his flexibility (Yoga), Pidge was doing some gymnastics, Hunk was simply bending and pulling his arms and legs, Shiro was doing some combination of Lance and Hunk, and Keith was...what was he doing?
Keith frowned as he tried to get his back to pop. It was paramount that he stretch it out before he sparred with one of his pack mates. He looked over at the other Paladins, an idea popping into his head. "Hey, Shiro. Can you help me for a second?"
Shiro stopped stretching and walked over to Keith. "What's the problem?"
"My back is tight. Can you help me stretch it out?"
"Sure." Shiro and Keith stood back to back, and Keith extended his arms over his head. Shiro grabbed his wrists and slowly bent over at his waist, dragging Keith's arms with him. Keith kept his feet on the ground as long as he could. Sometimes, at the Garrison, Shiro had to help Keith stretch his back, and they had found this position worked the best.
An audible pop had Keith sighing in relief. Shiro grinned as Keith pushed off the floor and flipped over his head. Halfway through the maneuver, Shiro released his hold on Keith's wrists. Both Paladins straightened up and grinned at each other before Keith heard a whine. Before he could turn around, he felt himself getting picked up and hauled off of the training deck, leaving behind four confused Paladins.
Keith looked around, noting he was thrown over Antok's shoulder as the tall Galra was carrying him somewhere. Thace and Ulaz were within Keith's line of sight, and he could see Kolivan next to Antok if he turned his head. The slightly panicked expressions on Thace's and Ulaz's faces worried Keith. What had them in such a panicked state?
"Thace?"
"Don't worry, kit. I'm sure Ulaz can figure out what that was."
"What what was?"
"That popping sound. It sounded like a bone popped out of place. I'm sure I can figure out which bone it was and get it back into place," Ulaz assured himself as much as he did his pack mates.
Keith's confused look morphed into one of realization before he started chuckling. He couldn't help it. His pack thought he popped a bone out of place.
"Hurry, Antok! Our kit is in such pain, he's mixing up his responses!" Ulaz urged.
Antok sped up his steps. As the group entered the infirmary, Keith got his laughter under control. Antok gently set him on one of the examination beds. Ulaz came close to Keith to examine him when Keith tried to explain. "Guys, I'm all right. Nothing is wrong. There are no bones out of place." He leaned over to where Ulaz was standing and nuzzled him, purring. Ulaz automatically responded to their kit's affection. The purring let the whole pack know he was, in fact, okay.
"But what was that popping sound then?" Thace asked.
"Sometimes, my back gets tight, and I can't loosen it up on my own. Shiro helped me back at the Garrison when it happened, so that's why I asked him. That sound was my back loosening up." Keith hopped down from the bed. "If I wasn't okay, would I hide it from you?"
Thace ran his hands up and down Keith's back, making sure nothing hurt. "We hope you wouldn't."
"Let's go back to the training deck. I want to see if I can beat Thace today."
Thace patted Keith on the head. "You just want to play fight me later on."
"Maybe." Keith laughed, leading the way back to the training deck.
"Hey, about time you got back, Mullet. I was about to see who could beat me in flexibility."
Hunk held his hands up. "I'm no match for Lance. He's really flexible."
"I almost had him beat," Pidge grumbled.
"Maybe next time, Pidgey," Lance consoled.
Keith grinned. Lance loved competing and was forever looking for something he could beat Keith in. He hadn't had any luck yet, and this wasn't going to be any different. "Sure, Lance. I'll take your challenge. Just let me..." Keith trailed off. He took off his jacket and utility belt (knife sheath going with it) and tied his hair back. He proceeded to check how his back was by doing a bridge that melted into a hand stand and ended in a hand spring. "Yup. I'm ready."
Lance's mouth dropped open. "I changed my mind. We should spar with the Blades."
Keith grinned. "I don't know. They seem interested in your challenge."
"I don't want to waste their time with a pointless competition between us that we could do at a later time."
"Keith, stop torturing Lance and let's spar," Thace called out. Keith grinned and got into position. Once he and Thace got started, it actually didn't take long for them to start play fighting instead, and Keith loved every second of it, even if he never won against any of his pack.
Fin