Klance Omegaverse/Galtean AU

(38) Notebook

Shiro's p.o.v:

After scolding Lance for what he had done Shiro headed upstairs after Keith, going to check up on him. Lance was definitely out of line for using his voice like that but he would be lying if he said he didn't empathize with what Lance is going through emotionally right now. He understood exactly what it was like to be in his current position.

  Shiro knocked on a couple of the doors before opening each of them, poking his head into each room but to his confusion he didn't see Keith. Then it occurred to him that Keith was probably hiding, poor kid. He went through each room once more, this time searching every hiding spot he could think of. The last room he tried he had finally found Keith, and he was kind of shocked as to find what his hiding spot was. Shiro had found him in the closet but he wasn't just in there, he was sitting up high on top of the shelf. He wasn't really sure how to get his attention since Keith seemed to be refusing to look down at him, but he's still determined to try anyway.

  "Hey kiddo, it's okay. I know you probably want to be alone right now and want nothing to do with me but can you come down? Please? I promise that Lance isn't going to come up here, and if he does I'll drag him back downstairs. I just want to talk." Shiro explained, knowing full well he'd have to do all the talking due to the command Keith had been given by Lance. Keith wiped his face with his sleeve before looking down at Shiro, as if he finally realized where he was. "Well? Will you come down?" Shiro asked again but the other only shook his head in response.

Not being one to give up without a fight, Shiro looked around the room for anything he could write on but found nothing. "I'll be right back." He said before he went to the next room into the guest room he had been staying in during Keith's heat. Shiro found one of his notebooks and grabbed a pen and hurried back to the other guest room and made his way back to the closet, he placed the notebook and pen on top of the shelf hoping Keith would write for him but it was entirely possible that Keith wanted nothing to do with even entertaining the idea of a conversation with him right now. "Can you write down for me why you don't want to come down? It may make you feel better if we talk about it you know." Shiro asked, just now realizing he himself had been letting out calming pheromones for Keith. He wondered how long he had been doing that but owell, that wasn't really that important he was just a little surprised he had done it without even thinking about it- as if it was purely done on instinct.

Before he knew it Keith handed the notebook back down to Shiro, and he had only wrote 'I can't get down, it's too high.' Shiro couldn't help but chuckle at that, didn't he think about how he'd get down when he had decided to get up there in the first place? "I can help you down if you'll let me, okay?" He stated, and Keith nodded. As Keith neared the edge of the shelf Shiro got ready to lift him down and was extra ready just incase he fell.

   Once he had gotten a good hold of the other he carefully lifted Keith down, Shiro thought to himself how it felt like he was getting a cat out of a tree. He was really surprised Keith didn't make a run for it now that he was able to and how he just sat on the edge of the bed to wait. Shiro did the same, taking a seat next to Keith and noticed that Keith looked rather embarrassed. Could've been because he was stuck and needed help, or because he was caught in the middle of crying, or... being commanded like that in front of everyone else, or maybe it was all of the above.

   Shiro set the notebook down on Keith's lap, hoping he'd get the hint that he wanted him to continue using it to communicate. He made a mental note that Keith's ears were lowered a little bit more then usual, and kind of thought that he really is like a cat. Shiro leaned back on the bed, using his arms to prop himself up. "Are you... Mad about what happened down there?" Shiro questioned and Keith paused in thought before writing his reply in the notebook. When he was done writing Keith just set the notebook on Shiro's lap. It read, 'I'm not mad at Lance, just a bit sad and embarrassed. I'm more or less just worried what this means for us.'

He sighed, re-reading it once more before he set the notebook beside Keith. The cat-like being next to him ignored the notebook and instead just hugged his knees to his chest, staring at the wall up ahead blankly. "Hey kiddo, do you want me to just bring your dinner up here for you? It should be ready soon." Shiro questioned, already getting up from his sitting position on the bed. Keith slowly turned his attention from the wall to the notebook beside him, he picked it up and began writing once again. Keith wrote 'No thank you Takashi, I think I'd rather go to sleep for the night.' Keith handed the notebook over to Shiro with a sad smile.

With that written response Shiro raised an eyebrow and his expression was nothing but worry written across his features. "I'll bring it up for you anyway, if you eat it you eat it. If you don't, you don't." Shiro stated calmly. Keith scribbled out a 'thank you for looking out for me.' Shiro nodded and ruffled Keith's hair before he left the guest room and headed back downstairs. No sign of Lance, it was just Pidge and Hunk in the kitchen in awkward silence as Hunk cooked and Pidge sat in her usual spot on the counter. "Hey is.. is he okay?" Pidge questioned once she had finally noticed Shiro walked into the kitchen. "I think he just needs a little bit of time.." Shiro replied as he took a seat at the table, just waiting for their dinner to be plated so he could bring Keith's serving up to him.

. . .

It was to no one's surprise that neither Lance or Keith showed up for breakfast, it was all served up on their plates but there was no sign of either of the two. Shiro decided to take it upon himself to bring Keith's meal upstairs, and he'd figure out what to do for Lance after he was done with that.

Keith had gratefully taken his breakfast with a smile, and Shiro was glad that Keith had actually eaten dinner last night instead of skipping the meal all together like he seemed to have planned to. Next stop, Lance's room. Shiro knew his own food will definitely be cold by the time he's done but someone had to do this, otherwise they'd probably starve in their rooms.

. . .

"Lance?" Shiro shouted as he knocked on Lance's door for the third time, holding Lance's breakfast in his other hand. He waited a little more and eventually Lance opened the door, and he looked awful. "What is it...?" Lance asked with a blank expression, sounding as if he was starting to lose his voice. "I brought your breakfast, no skipping anymore meals. Got it? Good." Shiro stated, not giving Lance any room for arguing as he practically shoved the plate into Lance's hands. All Lance did was blankly look down at the plate of food that had just been given to him. Shiro left him alone and went back to the kitchen to eat his own breakfast, presumably alone since Pidge and Hunk were probably done eating already.

Or at least that's what Shiro thought, but they had actually waited for him. "This cannot be an everyday thing, they need to make up as soon as possible." Hunk stated, looking to Pidge and then Shiro for confirmation that it was indeed necessary. "Yeah well... that isn't up to us. Besides.. Keith can't even t a l k right now and Lance looks worse for wear." Shiro explained, basically saying that it was probably for the best to give them a little more time. Pidge nodded. "Okay. Soooo what? Leave them to rot in their rooms? Who says they'll even make up?" Hunk questioned bluntly. "Stop being so damn negative, it's your fault for convincing Lance not to tell Keith what was going on in the first place." Pidge snapped, glaring over at the Beta sitting across from her.

"How many times do I have to tell you I was just concerned because of what he is! We can't be too careless after what's happened, can you tell me you weren't even the slightest bit concerned about him being a fucking Galra after the news we received at the ship?!" Hunk argued rather defensively. "Both of you- would you just c o o l it!? Us arguing about it won't help anything. Hunk you have every right to be suspicious of a Galran person after what happened, but what Pidge said about Keith last night at the ship- about not being like that and him being our friend still stands to be more important than any doubt you have over his genetics alone." Shiro stated matter of factly. "Thank. You." Pidge replied as she went back to eating her breakfast, content that someone understood her point of view. Hunk wasn't able to meet Shiro's gaze and looked as if he had just realized how wrong he had been. It was quiet as they ate until Hunk piped up again.

"Should we tell him then? I'm not looking to argue, I'm genuinely asking." Hunk asked, looking to them for answers. Shiro wanted to say 'yes, we should' but dropping a bomb like that on Keith who was already in a vulnerable state might not be for his best interest. "If you guys don't, I will." Pidge stated, clearly annoyed that we were still contemplating telling Keith. "That's not necessary Pidge.. I'll do it, I just... gotta find the right words to tell him." Shiro replied with a sigh, not looking forward to seeing how Keith reacts to the news.