Chapter Text
Chapter 1: Sky Garden
Keith situated himself on the warm wood floor in the middle of his new apartment. At the moment, It was mostly still empty. Nothing more than a few scattered sealed boxes, neatly labeled, and a soft gray sofa which looked empty without his usual bed fixing strewed across it.
He had gone from living in a small shack in the middle of hell’s nowhere to a rather large apartment that equated to a tiny speck on the San Francisco skyline. It felt all so unreal.
His life had fit so well into that small spot out in nowhere. Here he felt smaller than ever.
He supposed if he made an effort, more items in the space would remind him more of the crampt space in his old home, but he felt no will power to do this. In a way, the empty space would be his desert.
He laid down on the sleek wood floor, gazing up at the iron support beams and rosy orange brick walls. Almost the entire east wall was taken up by a large window, divided into parts that arched slightly onto his balcony. It looked like a slice of a greenhouse, and the area under and beyond it flooded with dust filled warm sunlight. He wanted to bask in it, feel the warmth of it fill each pore on his skin. But there was still work to do.
He pulled himself up, wobbly and slow. Moving on his own hadn’t been easy, and when it came to the couch he had to call in a favor. Shiro, who lived a few floors down from him, was an old friend of his. Well, more like a big brother or even a father. It had been Shiro who had managed to get Keith his job as a test pilot at the S.N.I.F. ( Scientific National Institute of Flight ). They had apparently begun work on several land, sky and space vehicles. Shiro had explained he would mostly be running simulations and that the job at least paid well enough. Not that he had much to compare it too; he had practically lived off the land and a small bit of independence in Nevada.
Shiro had scolded him quite openly when he had realized that Keith had moved in everything on his own, spouting off how he could have helped. In a way he did. Moving a couch was much easier when you were moving it horizontally rather than vertically, and to top it off the freight elevator he had been looking forward to was out of service. Despite this assist in the one big object Keith owned, Shiro was still fussy.
He wasn’t so sure why Shiro was acting so over protective but It was kind of nice for a change. He had been over the moon to see Shiro those few months ago during the interview, to see him again and know he was nearby was a fast step to feeling at home.
Keith picked through the boxes, all of which sat on a tarp to catch any dirt or sand that may have gotten in while packing. It was something he was used to, the rocks and sand and occasional deadly animal, but that didn’t mean he wanted to bring that with him. The only thing he really brought from the desert was a small cactus that had traveled alongside him and now sat on his balcony past the large window. It was easier than a pet and still managed to fill a need of distraction. He needed something to take care of other than himself, and he couldn’t just leave all of them behind. He had grown a whole patch of Echinocereus Triglochidiatus, well they grew naturally but he looked after them, and it wasn’t easy to separate one from the dense patch. He still had a few fresh scrapes on his hand but it was worth it.
Unpacking didn’t take too long, his now seemingly oversized kitchen and apartment only lacking a few things he could go buy tomorrow. The sun had just begun to set, drawing Keith's attention outside. The bewitching scene pulled him out to his balcony where he was met with a cool, welcoming, soft breeze. He could stand the heat no problem, but a lot of people forgot the desert got cold. The drop in the temperature reminded him he wasn’t in such an alien environment and he felt he could handle the noise that city life brought.
His eyes scanned the skyline, which seemed to slice the setting sky like a paper cutout. It seemed so jarring and harsh, yet was still somehow beautiful. San Francisco was a hive, a construction against nature. Although there were trees shooting up from sidewalks, they all looked like saplings, as if someone at the last minute wanted to add some green to make the area look less of a concrete jungle. The sky also seemed too cluttered to him, overrun with boisterous skyscrapers. It was nothing like the home he had known; a flat, empty but not too empty area that allowed him to see the sky touch the earth. Visually he had his issues, but he wasn’t expecting to obtain the same peace as he did in Nevada. The chattering of the city was always present, only muffled by walls. Out on his balcony, he could pick out details, like different instruments in an orchestra. The buzz of thousands of cars zooming in the city's labyrinth, the faint noise of the train, and the distinct sound of…singing?
He looked down over the railing, observing the people passing by on the ground floor near where his red truck and motorcycle were parked. They were all too far and it didn’t look like anyone had stopped to hum. He closed his eyes, trying to locate the source. It sounded distant but at his level, as though it were above the noise of traffic...maybe someone had a window open? His eyes scanned his own building as best they could, and when they didn’t find anything out of the ordinary they started to shift to the neighboring buildings on either side when something else captured his focus. It was a brick building across the street, much like his own but a few stories shorter and painted in an orange color that was visible through the green ivy wrapped around the structure. The top floor seemed to be sliced in half, leaving half of it open for a balcony that was filled to the brim with plants that were bursting with color.
He couldn’t tell what each plant was from a distance but he could see the small area was bursting with different shades of green and splotches of pastel blues and purples, vivid reds and oranges, and bright yet soft yellows all glowing in the evening light. In the garden was a young man, lanky with warm tan skin. Keith couldn’t make out much from the distance, but he could see the man bouncing along to the melody Keith had been hearing. Was he the one singing? It was hard to tell. There were no words and the young man wasn’t really facing Keith enough for Keith to catch a glimpse of his face.
It was then Keith noticed his tight grip on the railing and the fact he was almost leaning out over the edge. He straightened himself, feeling a bit embarrassed. It was odd living in such close proximity to other people, and he felt as though he had intruded on a private moment. Still, the garden was lovely and Keith was glad to have something so nice visible from his new home.
Keith turned away and reentered his slightly humid apartment, leaving the door open to coax some fresh night air in. He sat down at his small dining table that was situated just inside the doorway of the balcony, a setup that coincidentally allowed him to still look over and see the garden across the way.
He opened his laptop and chose a place at random for takeout before pouring over emails from his new employers. It had been like spam the first few months all through the hiring process. He had to confirm about a hundred times that he was taking the job, sending off medical records, and ID photos, all his schooling credentials. Now it was a nightmare of training packets, a list of staff he would be working with along with short bios, and specks of simulators attached with their controls for him to study. Organizing it all was a nightmare, and it wasn’t long before the sun had set and the only sources of light came from streetlamps below and windows across the street.
Instead of turning on a light he decided he had had enough work for the day. His food arrived and he closed his laptop, enjoying his quiet and food. The food was actually pretty enjoyable; take out wasn’t something he was really accustomed to so he was delighted that it was fairly decent. It was certainly more decent than what he was used to, which was mostly canned food. It was hard to keep fresh food out at the shack, the electric appliances limited to a mini fridge and a hot pad. The fridge kept drinks, the hot pad cooked a variety of canned soups, and sometimes just rice and spam. The prospects of a new diet seemed appealing in many ways, but Keith would have to find a local gym fast before his indulgences caught up with him.
Keith glanced across the way and saw the lights from the apartment with the garden had turned on, now giving Keith a decent view of it. It was...well, it looked a bit crowded. Keith thought the garden was overloaded, but that adjective clearly wasn’t enough. At least one potted plant seemed to exist on every surface he could see from his angle, as well as a few larger ones on the floor. It seemed warm, though and inviting. Earth tones and wood basked in the yellow light which made a wonderfully deep rainbow. A small gray cat seemed nestled on the sofa, so content and unmoving that Keith had almost not noticed it. Off to the far left, he could see the boy from before, still bouncing and now apparently cooking. He wondered if that garden had any fresh vegetables. Probably. Keith looked back at his own kitchen. He should try to make some headway on filling it.
Despite not knowing how long this job would last him or if he would even stay in this city, the idea of returning home felt like it needed improvement. Maybe, because he still owned the shack and the land it was on, he would add to it. Or build something near it and allow the shack to be his workshop.
Those were all ideas for the future. In the end, it didn’t matter if he kept nothing that he planned to buy in the coming weeks and completely went back to his old ways. Everything could be sold or passed off; he didn’t have to be attached.
With that thought, he cleaned up his mess and fell onto the sofa, soaking in a familiar smell he didn’t even realize was his own.
A few days passed as he flitted from store to store to try to fill his new place. He had yet to really bother with a bed due to him not really having one in Nevada but had found a decent desk and some good cookware. He was incredibly out of practice when it came to cooking. Keith, being so used to the small amount of heat the old heating pad would give off, had found himself burning a bit more than he’d like too. But eventually, he was back to a good diet of rice, meat or fish, with some grilled vegetables.
He even invited Shiro over for a simple meal. Anything for something to do, Shiro was a great distraction. He had tons of stories and advice about the job ahead. He had a few criticisms about Keith's lack of a proper bed, but they came to the understanding that Keith would get one at some point as he was just ‘transitioning’.
Shiro was well built, even slightly better than Keith seemed to remember despite his age, but his hair was graying fast and a small tuft of silver sat in areas where he had allowed hair to grow longer than a centimeter. His right arm was stiff and webbed with scars, matching a scar across his face. He held himself like a soldier, which was funny considering much like Keith, he had gotten into flying by being raised on a farm and then attending college for aviation science. Keith had always attributed Shiro's nature to the fact that Shiro was a natural born leader, his powerful yet calm presence enticed others to stand tall and follow. He had a warmth to his tone that would relax even the most anxious person. The man was, in a way without being weird about it, everyone's Dad.
He had been a test pilot at S.N.I.F. years back, and due to an accident with a project, lost enough function in his arm that he was deemed no longer fit to fly. Shiro had talked about it before, how he wasn’t much disappointed because they gave him a great job leading construction, that he had never been so attached like Keith was to flying. Keith saw nothing to contradict this, but he himself couldn’t understand. He would have been furious.
Shiro had explained that Keith would be running simulations and each live test would be heavily controlled, which bored him slightly but at least put Shiro's mind at ease.
“ Maybe you should get a cat?” Shiro suggested, the two having moved outside to the balcony and Keith was enjoying mindlessly watching the garden guy. He was again cooking and seemed to be talking to his cat who was either rolling around the table for attention or sitting up straight, meowing for attention.
“ A cat? ”
“ Make this place feel less empty.” Shiro took a swig of beer, letting out a low content breath as he let the bottle rest on the railing. Keith gave him a silent look. “ I know, I know, you like empty. But seriously what are you gonna do with your time? I’m not even sure what you did with your time out in Nevada.”
“ Training, I guess? I’ll be working.” Keith returned to watching. There was an old biplane in a small cave near his shack. Flying and maintaining it had taken up a good amount of his free time. He had to leave it, though, and he couldn't really travel back and forth just for something to do. He supposed he still had his motorcycle and truck to work on, but he felt uncomfortable working in the garage or the middle of the street.
“ Not as much as you think. You might run simulations a few days a week, but every time you report a problem it’s a good month before you’re back in. It’s not a bad job if you’ve got hobbies. So I’m just saying, maybe find something to do?” Shiro had moved in close, Keith’s vision still on the Garden Guy and took a sip of beer. “ Or… someone?”
“ What?!” Keith nearly spat out his drink. Actually, to avoid spitting it at Shiro, it more or less gargled in his mouth before drooling a bit down his shirt. Forcing a swallow of the warm beer, he wiped his mouth roughly with his forearm. He looked down his soiled shirt and began pulling it off, walking back inside.
“ Shiro, you know I don’t date,” he yelled out at Shiro, who had stayed outside and was trying to hide his laugh.
“ I figured you didn’t because it’s kinda hard to date when there’s no one around? The city is different. You should try to meet someone.”
“ I haven’t even lived here a week. Aren't you jumping into that topic too fast?”
Shiro let out a long sigh and leaned against the railing facing Keith and the apartment inside, his eyes unfocused.
“ I just… I want you to stay close or at least give it a shot. I know you might not notice, but being alone messes with you after a while. I could tell how happy you were when I visited, hadn’t seen you that happy in a long time. You being close... I think it will be good for you.”
Keith felt a little guilty. Shiro had been trying to convince him to move closer for years. Keith's past, well it wasn’t stain free. That shack was where he had run away as a kid, his own little hiding spot from the world. But Shiro, who looked out for him, Keith could understand the worry. Keith mostly took the job to get Shiro to shut up, but it was also to put his friend at ease. After all, Shiro was like… what.. 40?
“ I get it, I’m not going anywhere. But you start playing cupid and I might.”
“ Noted.” Shiro raised his glass in acknowledgment, before killing what was left inside. Keith had lost his taste but his eyes couldn’t help but find the guy across the way, smiling lightly as he watched the guy feed his cat bits of what he was cooking. Maybe he should get a cat.
The next day, with a complete lack of anything better to do, he crossed the street. He had noticed a business on the ground level the other day and felt some odd urge to investigate. He dressed in his normal black t-shirt and black jeans. The only really item of color in his closet was his favorite red leather jacket but it was just too hot for that today. It was a short ride down the freight elevator and an even shorter walk across the street. He looked up to see a sky blue awning over the window with slightly faded print reading “Lion’s Rose.”
Of course, it was a flower shop. Whether the guy worked there or not, it would be hard to keep away from the beautiful display of plants and not want to take them home. Keith's evidence that the shop was quite popular was displayed in what looked to be some small fresh display of flowers in the front window of each surrounding shop. He nonchalantly walked along by each shop, inspecting the arrangement. Each was different and somehow suited the colors, interior, and atmosphere of the place it sat in, and the only common factor was that each arrangement was marked with a sticker of a blue rose. A sushi place had something that looked like a traditional Japanese flower arrangement, similar to the ones Shiro’s mom used to create.
He walked into the sushi place, which was called ‘Yellow Rolls’ and was met with warm wood counters and the smell of fish. It was small, shack-like and had a T.V. playing reruns of Happy Days off in a corner. The place was empty and Keith quickly made his way to the front counter. He debated for a moment to sit or not; he had yet to eat breakfast but he wasn’t really sure if the place was even open. He had finally decided to commit to sitting at the bar, only to be startled as someone burst through a curtain off to right on the other side of the counter.
“ Woah! Hey there, welcome!” said the man.
This guy was huge. Bigger than Shiro, which was saying something in Keith’s opinion. It wasn’t just a tall thing either, the dude had killer mass. His long, dark bangs seemed decently managed with a headband and his smile was wide and bright as his eyes.
“ Uh... Hi.” His voice felt weak compared to the booming voice of the man before him. Keith watched as the man paid little mind to him as he began to set up his workstation right in front of him. It was like second nature to this guy, pull that headband down over his eyes and there would be little difference.
“ Haven’t seen you around before.”
“ Just moved in, ‘bout a week ago.”
“ Oh yeah?” He carried on sharpening knives while keeping a constant, but not unpleasant eye contact. “ Thought you’d take in the sites?”
“ Yeah, more or less.”
“ Well, Mr. New in town. Got a name?”
“ Keith.”
“ Well Keith,” Hulk began slicing off small pieces of fish and arranging them on a plate. Working at a pace so fast, Keith had trouble keeping up. “ Welcome to the neighborhood.”
He set the plate down and gestured to it. It was sashimi, he had had some before when traveling with Shiro years ago. Fish with no rice. He took a piece, remembering ‘no soy sauce’ and ate it in one bite. It was… good! It melted like butter in his mouth. While he was enjoying it the man had given him a drink.
“ I didn’t catch your name.”
“ Everyone calls me Hunk,” Hunk flashed a smile.
Keith sat and ate happily, not realizing how hungry he was. Hunk carried on talking and asking questions. Keith gave a lot of short answers but was mostly content to just listen to Hunk talk about himself. Hunk talked about his family who was from Maui, showed off his arm which was etched with a tribal tattoo, and talked about his grandfather being a sushi chef and growing up on this street. When Keith had finished he stood, pulling out his wallet.
“ How much do I owe you?”
“ First time is on the house. Haven’t even technically opened yet, to be honest. I’ve got a few friends that like to swing by for this soup I make in the mornings and they always forget to lock the door. So you’re off the hook.”
“ Uh.. well would you take a tip?”
Hunk got serious, his smile gone and his back straightening as he glared down at Keith with furrowed eyebrows.
“ Only always,” he spoke in a deep tone before breaking out into a cheery laugh.
“ R-right,” Keith joked and left a five on the counter. “ Oh, I meant to ask, those flowers in your window-”
“ Oh yeah? From the shop, my friend runs a few places down. Dude has some major skills, he’s like the best in town. He gives arrangements to most of us on this set. Then again, we all know each other. You should swing by, say ‘hi’.”
“ Ah- yeah. I’ll do that.”
Keith had been too nervous to bring up the apartment garden, not wanting to seem too much like a stalker. He left with Hulk hollering friendly goodbyes at him and made his way to the next shop.
The next door down was a bookstore. It was crammed from the floor to the ceiling with books. A staircase off to the far left was roped off, but the underside of the case was suited out with shelves that were jammed with books. Surrounding it was a small desk and at that small desk buried in their laptop sat a girl. Well...Keith wasn’t sure; he could tell from the figure and bone structure that it was a girl, but the short unruly mess of hair and college sweatshirt gave off a neutral tone, the large round glasses perched at the end of their nose seemed to complete a fitting look. If it wasn’t for the fact they seemed to be working on their computer Keith would have guessed this person was a book worm.
“ Uhh… Hi.”
They looked up, and Keith noted how young they looked, probably a good ten years younger than himself. Their eyes scanned Keith with idleness before they returned back to their work. Keith wasn’t really put off by this, he was the same in a way when it came to his work. He decided to look around instead.
The shop was rather awkward to navigate. The shelves were all different heights and widths and so closely packed together. Scanning the rows, he managed to find an old book on the history of aviation, one that cataloged motorcycle design, one full of old star maps, and finally an old cookbook; Keith figured he had to restart somewhere.
Returning to the front of the shop he noticed, along with piles of books, papers some as big as maps, laid out surrounding the kid working the desk. Looking over one he noticed the distinct shape of a wing and hull. He opened his phone and flipped through his emails and managed to find a similar schematic. It was the “Comet” he would be testing.
“ Hey!”
The kid looked up again, giving an unamused look that later turned to one of resignation upon noticing how Keith, and made an act out of closing their laptop.
“ How can I help you?” Their voice was a little groggy from lack of use, but there was some bite in it.
“ Why do you have those blueprints, they’re top secret...?”
That got their attention. They looked up at Keith through those oversized spectacles, a new gaze that made Keith feel like he was being x-rayed.
“ How do you know they’re top secret?”
“ I’m supposed to fly it.” Keith held out his phone with the email. It took the kid a second before suspicion faded from their face and was replaced with excitement.
“ Get out! You get to fly it?! Man, I’m so jealous. I’ve been hoping to fly along as technician but the new design eliminates the need for other people. Like, I think they want to ‘reduce casualties’ or whatever… My dad’s lead on the project, alongside my brother. I’m Pidge”
The kid held their hand out and Keith pocketed his phone so he could shake it. Keith shook it quirking up an eyebrow.
“ Pidge, huh? Don’t remember seeing your name on the list of people assigned to the project.” Pidge started gathering up the schematics.
“ Yeah, that’s because I don’t have access. But one of the leads, Shiro, wouldn’t know a decent password if it was written on his forehead. I’m still finishing up my degree but I interned there and learned enough. I can’t wait to help out.”
“ I… Guess I look forward to working with you.” Keith had thought about reprimanding this kid, family or not, that what they were doing was illegal. But somehow he feared this kid could fight in a way Keith had no ground to stand on. So he let it slide. When the table was clear Keith set down his books and the Kid started ringing them up.
“ Well Keith, you sure do have a one track mind.” Pidge held up the book on aviation.
“ I could say the same for you.” Keith smiled.
Pidge looked a bit sheepish for a moment before wrapping the books up.
“ My mom runs this place, and it’s a great summer job, but I can’t stop working ya know? So we don’t get too many people in and I tend to work here. That’s 20 bucks.”
“ Seriously? I thought it would be more.”
“ Family discount or ya know, whatever.” Pidge smiled and Keith returned it, taking the bag.
“ Come by again sometime and we can talk secret stuff.”
“ You’re gonna get me fired.” Keith laughed as he headed to the door.
“ Who said it had to be about the Comet?”
Keith shrugged, his hand on the door, his eyes caught the arrangement in the window. Daisies.
“ Actually? I have a question.”
Pidge perked up, they had begun to open their laptop again.
“ Those flowers. They’re from the shop next door, right?”
“ Oh yeah, dude that runs it keeps us all in fresh supply. Like he doesn’t get enough of it at home, he’s gotta see it in every window of the block.” Pidge smiled, letting their chin rest on their hand. “ It is pretty nice, though.”
“ What do you mean ‘ at home’?” Keith asked an odd excitement building.
“Dude lives on the top of the building and he’s got a wicked roof garden. He had me and Hunk, a guy that works next door, help build it a few years back. It’s a pretty awesome little spot.”
“ No kidding. I’ll have to check it out.” and with that Keith left.
So he knew the shop was owned by the same dude that owned the garden, and he was probably nice enough. It was the middle building out of the five on the block, and Keith found himself peering through the window. He saw the boy from before, his skin seemed to glow even more in the mid day light and Keith could now see how truly animated he was as he was working and talking with his customer. The shop seemed full of people, in fact. Maybe right now wasn’t the best time. Keith then noticed his own reflection, his hair was somehow a mess. Most likely from his nervous tick: when he didn’t know what to say he would comb his fingers through his bangs. Do it enough and they wouldn’t settle right.
He passed the flower shop and entered another store two doors down. It was a barber shop and it looked like it was at least 40 years old, if not styled to look older, with spinning pole sign and everything. Keith entered into what felt like a time machine, complete with old, brown leather chairs and big circle mirrors. It was very clean, the only person presents being a tall man, with a fluffy, curly mustache. It was as red as his hair, which was slicked back in a modest style.
“ Greetings! How may I assist your many follicles today?”
“ Uhh... Hi. A trim maybe?” Keith set his bag of books down in one of the chairs in the waiting area and picked out a seat. The man fluttered over to him in an instant, a big black smock ready in his hand. The man whipped it out like a bullfighter before wrapping it around Keith with a high flourish.
“ Would you like a shave as well sir?”
“ Ahh..” Keith gazed at himself in the mirror. He had yet to grow anything resembling a decent beard, it always came out patchy. Keith often tried to avoid anything beyond a five o’clock shadow but, with the move and all, it had escaped him and he looked a bit more rugged than usual, not just his hair. “ Sure. Go for it.”
“ Very well, any particular style sir?”
“ Uh.. no? Just all gone, and please don’t call me sir.”
“ Very well miss, as smooth as a baby's bottom.”
Coran, as he later introduced himself, breezed through the trim, complimenting Keith on the maintenance of his hair, and more or less styled it neatly and then moved onto the shave. Keith's chair was tilted back as a soft foam, smelling of wildflowers, was slathered across his face and neck.
“ Have you been visiting the neighborhood?” Coran asked. Keith, afraid to nod with a straight razor aimed at his neck, resorted to mumbling a quick ‘yes’.
“ Very good of you. We are very ‘close knit’, as one might say. Why I remember when I started work in this shop. The Yellow Roll had just been built, and the wonderful woman who ran the flower shop, why her kids had just been married. Never seen so many flowers. They had ordered so many to arrange on top of their normal orders that there were buckets lining the street.” Coran let out a sigh. “ Those were the days. Her son runs it now, and he does an alright job.”
Keith wanted to ask more, but the blade that had been at his neck was now near his mouth, so he didn’t risk it.
“ Almost every shop except Yellow Roll is at least three generations deep. Even the owner of Yellow Roll just passed it onto his son. This is a place of family. So, are you living close by?”
One final swipe and Coran finished, tucking the blade away and handing Keith a hot towel.
“ Yes, the apartment building across the street.”
“ Very good! So nice of you to support us, you’ll be part of this family before you know it.”
Keith peaked out from behind the cloth to see Coran’s eyes focused on the bag of books from Pidge’s shop.
“ Business is a little rough, but the Lion’s Rose has been bringing in some new people and any support is welcome.”
Keith stood, feeling an oddly warm feeling buzzing in the pit of his stomach. It was jarring, how friendly these people were to a complete stranger. At least, on some level, Coran seemed to be restraining himself.
“ How much?” Keith asked, pulling out his wallet.
“ Well, if you promise to leave the shaving to me, consider your first time free!” Coran smiled brightly, which you could only tell by how round and far back his cheeks were, his teeth hidden by his bushy mustache in an almost comic fashion.
“ How am I supposed to support the area if you guys keep handing out free stuff.”
Coran didn’t answer but just twiddled his mustache, laughing merrily.
Keith slipped a five in the tip jar by the desk, grabbed his books and left.
The final shop on the street was a clothing store, sandwiched between Coran’s barber shop and the flower shop. It, much like the surrounding stores, was decked out with warm wood floors and brick walls, yet it was the first time Keith had noticed the store due to it being the most empty out of all the areas he had been to so far. Racks of clothing and accessories lined the walls, with a few mannequins breaking the flow. The theme seemed to be a bohemian grunge, the establishment being filled with distressed denim shorts in an array of colors, lace, and flower print.
As Keith turned to leave he noticed a woman working in the back, along with four assistants, huddling over something and hadn’t seemed to notice him enter. He was more than tempted to leave but wanted to somehow complete the chain and get the meet-and-greets with everyone out of the way.
He pretended to be eyeing several assembled mannequins, trying to find a good time to break up the discussion. When he peeked over, though, his eyes were met with a vibrant light blue gaze surrounded by dark skin and framed by platinum blond hair.
Keith jumped a bit back at the intensity of her gaze, her eyes seemed to study him, almost like Pidge but somehow with more fire.
Keith waved awkwardly and she seemed to notice that he was looking at her, flashing a smile at him and returned to talking with her workers. Keith finally made the decision to leave, yet, as he turned, he felt a strong hand grip his arm. He turned and was met with the same woman.
“ Hello dear, forgive me for not introducing myself, I’ve been busy with my staff. My name is Allura and welcome to my shop.”
“ Uh... Hi, I’m Keith..?” She started pulling him in over towards the table she had been working at.
“ It’s wonderful to meet you, Keith, really. I’m just so glad you decided to pop in.”
“ Well, I just moved in across the street and was checking out all the shops so-”
“ Marvelous! You’re nearby. You see, I was going to ask you a question.” She snapped and one of her lackeys flew around the work table with a tape measure in hand. He looked… well, his attitude reminded him of Keith himself. Or at least a couple years younger than him. It was as if the kid was born frowning, though they had a stylish half buzzed haircut and stylish dark clothing. The kid was wrapping the tape measure all over him, forcing Keith to lift his arms and shift around awkwardly. However, when the guy got too close to his crotch, Keith decided that crossed the line and kicked the kid away.
“ What the heck!?”
“ Oh my, forgive me, dear. It’s just, I’m designing a line of men's clothing to add to my ever-expanding repertoire, and I need a good male model to work with. Heaven knows I can’t get Lance to do it.”
“ Uh…” Keith said, feeling a little frustrated and embarrassed. “ Who?”
“ Lance. He runs the flower shop next door. Tall, dark, and regrettably handsome, can’t miss him. He’s such a flirt,” she had the look of annoyance but it was betrayed by a subtle tender look in her eye.
“ I used to have him wrapped around my finger. He was my favorite model, well… anywho that’s in the past.”
She smiled at him brightly. “ Do not worry dear, I’ll just need you every so often, whenever you’re free really, to try on some designs and make sure they fit. I’ll work completely with your schedule. Just give us a ring.”
She slipped a card into the bag with the books he had gotten from Pidge’s and then she was off, back to talking with her workers. One of the taller ones with bright blue hair and thick framed glasses winked at him, and Keith took that as his cue to leave. But, if he was thankful for one thing, it was that he now knew the boy’s name. Lance.
Somehow his interest in the boy who he had caught singing in his garden had become a full on manhunt for information. He wasn’t sure why he was so fascinated with him, maybe because it was the first person he had paid attention to besides Shiro. Maybe because even living out in the desert, he didn’t have the nerve to sing out loud. Maybe cause he liked his guys tall and tan and gangly. Sure, he wasn’t the dating type but that didn’t rule out attraction. It was odd that he had seen someone that had captured his attention so quickly, so fast within such a short amount of time. Maybe Shiro was right, maybe he did need to get out more.
He stayed off to the side, gazing in the window. Sure his hair looked okay, not that he was even sure why he was so bothered by it, but all he wanted to do now was run his fingers through it. He closed his eyes tight.
Shiro had just gotten in his head was all. He must have thought Keith was watching this guy 'cause of an attraction, which wasn’t really not the case but still, and so Shiro had brought up dating. Because Keith had still been looking at the guy it made some odd correlation in his head that this guy, who he had never met, might be interesting enough to date. When in reality, Keith just had a fondness for plants right… Right? Ri-
“ Dude, are you gonna walk by all day or come in for once? “
Keith jumped. He was staring at the boy, Lance, who was poking his head out the door. His hair was short, messy, and a dark warm brown that complemented his golden brown skin. His bangs were slick with sweat. His eyes, though narrow and a little beedie, were shockingly blue. Lance’s eyebrows were quirked up in a confused expression, but he held a shockingly bright smirk on his face.
Keith didn’t say anything, he felt his hand shaking as it wanted so badly to mess with his hair or maybe hide his face.
Lance rolled his eyes and went back inside, and like a starving puppy, Keith followed. By the time he had entered Lance was back behind his work counter. Keith slowly made his way towards him. Even from this distance, he could make out the small smudges of dirt on his blue button-down shirt that was rolled up to his elbows, revealing long strong forearms.
“ S-sorry I just… I’ve seen some of your work in town, so I was admiring your um.. set up.” It wasn’t long before curiosity ruled over nerves, the place was warm and smelled of soil and water. The walls and shelves were painted with a fading pastel blue that allowed each speck of green to pop right out. There was a small wood counter in front of a glass cooler displaying different shades of roses, and then a small three-step riser that had buckets and buckets of large green leaves, other smaller stems of leaves, and bunches of what Keith remembered as ‘baby's breath’.
“ Thanks, man.”
Keith hadn’t exactly complimented it, the sight was just overwhelming. Keith nearly rammed his head against a hanging plant on his way to the counter, but he let it slide.
“ So, you live around here? I feel like I’ve seen you before.”
“ Uh... Just moved in ‘bout a week ago.” Keith felt awkward standing in such a cluttered environment while Lance worked, too afraid to misstep or get in his way. But Lance never stepped out from behind the counter, spinning almost on the spot and building up an arrangement of what looked like red roses and blue hydrangea. Lance, much like Hulk, worked so smoothly it was hard to keep track, and Keith found himself confused and a little scared as Lance took out a hammer and beat at the ends of the hydrangea.
“... Wait a second.” Lance paused, the arrangement nearly done and only lacking the red ribbon he had in his hand as well as his signature blue rose sticker. “ I know what this is!” Lance's eyes were wide, focused on Keith.
“ Huh?” Keith felt confused by the sudden outburst. What was what? And why was Lance looking at him like he was trying to zap Keith with his mind?
“ YOU! You’re from a rival shop, aren't you?! Who sent you SPY? Was it Bunches?! They would… or was it Linda’s Lily’s? !” Lance shouted, pushing the arrangement aside to get a better look at Keith.
“ I bet you’re from..” Lance jabbed a finger in the air at Keith, punctuating each syllable. “ Dozen Does It!”
“ Wh- what are you talking about?!” He blanched. The guy was nuts!
“OH hohoHO. Playing stupid are we mullet?! Well just look here. I’m not afraid of competition, so you can walk your pretty little ass out and go tell whoever you work for to politely SHOVE IT!”
Keith was beyond angry now. His nerves had dissolved faster than tissue in hot water. The hell was this guy's deal? What evidence did this guy have against Keith? He started caring less and less and was more focused on defending himself. This guy could go fuck right off for all he cared. He did turn around and leave, but not before waving his royal middle finger high above his head. He could hear Lance yelling insults behind him as Lance followed him out, an odd, light clank paired with each step.
He marched across the street feeling as though steam was pouring out his ears. He turned around to see Lance had made his way outside his shop and was yelling at him from across the street.
What Lance was saying was bullshit, but what caught Keith's eye was Lance’s left leg. From this distance, he could tell it was artificial.