Keith was asleep when the wristband on his blade suit lit up for the first time in weeks, letting him know he was receiving a video call. The faint lilac glow and gentle buzz had woken Keith up immediately, being used to waking up from a deep sleep to pick up a call from the castle whenever he could to talk to his friends.
He couldn’t believe it. He thought Kolivan had told everyone that he and Krolia were MIA and probably presumed dead too, and that’s why they hadn’t called. Or more likely they had been calling and Space Signal didn’t extend to Quantum Abysses (Abyssi? What was the plural of Abyss, Keith wondered).
“Krolia!” He yelled, startling himself from his thoughts and her from her watch so badly that she hit her head on the cave’s wall.
“Keith! What has happened?” She panted, eyes frantic.
“They’re calling! They’re calling, we must’ve gotten a signal or they must have- wait I have to pick up before I lose them!” Keith taps his wrist and Lance’s face pops up on the holloscreen.
______________
Basically, I didn't like that Keith and Krolia were completely isolated on the space whale for two years so I fixed it and I made it Klance because that's what I do.
I really needed to get this out of my system, it’s probably like pretty simple? But it’s funny, for me at least lmao.
So, it has everything.
It’s the typical standar bus that comes seven minutes late every day of the week but none of its users are fazed by the fact anymore. It has the warm and cozy weather that signals the end of winter and lets you know that spring is around the corner.
Worn out seats and hard old gum underneath them? Check. Half open window on the right side of the bus that is stuck but gives you a great cool breeze during summer? Check and still stuck.
The entire thing has the potential to be a fanfic scenario Pidge always talks about.
In the end, though, Keith knows what really makes the entire situation a fanfic troop: the cute brunet on the left side of the bus, third row, next to the window and who he keeps trying to establish a conversation with no success.
Now, Keith’s not a creep. He might not leave his apartment for three days straight when his favorite show’s new season premieres and he might also tried to recreate that ET scene from the 80 with his hoverbike and with Pidge on the front as the alien just for the fun of it, but again, not a creep.
Sure, alright, he has stared at the brunet boy for like...the entire semester, maybe, but in his defense, Keith has tried to talk to him because Keith’s not as social constipated as he looks.
The problem is that, well, the guy’s deaf.
And it had taken him a long ass time to even realize that.
The first time he tries talking with Cute Guy is on the second week of school, when Shiro couldn’t give him a ride to the campus because some grown up adult-ish stuff he needed to take care of earlier than usual, so Keith had been stuck using the bus.
Keith’s eyes had locked on Cute Guy’s form almost as soon as he stepped into the bus, especially because most of the bus was deserted at that time. Tanned skin with a lean form and shaggy brown hair, soft blue eyes and sharp jaw. It hadn’t taken long for Keith to sign the fuck up to all of that.
The brunet had been staring out of the window at the time, a serene easy smile on his lips as his fingers danced against his forearm. Keith had taken the seat next to him but on the right side of the bus, right next to the hallway and he had taken a deep breath before he turned to face the brunet.
The weather. Keith had asked about the weather and there was no reply for his dumb comment.
Keith honestly doesn’t blame him for not answering because, really? The weather comment was the best he could do? But at the time, Keith had been annoyed back then, thinking that ‘yeah sure, I’m awkward as hell but at least acknowledged me.’
On the bright side, if Keith’s anything his brother despites, is that he’s stubborn as fuck.
So, he tries again the next day.
And the following.
And the next.
It wasn’t until a nice lady that always sits behind Keith, taking pity on him after his million tries, tells him that she has never seen the brunet talk with anyone that Keith’s mind comes across with the only possible explanation.
The guy’s deaf.
It had been like a big bright light bulb inside Keith’s mind, just like the solution for his problem.
Shiro called him ‘crazy’, Keith calls it ‘determination’ and ‘fuck off, Shiro, you once dipped yourself in jello to impress Allura.’
Learning ASL language was harder than Keith had thought, too many movements he never even knew his hands could make and took way longer than he had anticipated. It had been quite an experience, if he was being honest, but Uncle Antok had been nothing but patient with him until the very first time Keith managed to hold an easy simple conversation with him, both of them beaming proudly and high fiving each other.
‘Go get that boy!’ His Uncle had signed him that night, and Keith might or might have not signed back the word ‘cupcake’ and ‘fire’ together by accident, but he had been excited, his Uncle couldn’t blame him.
Now, it was time to put all his hard work into action and he was going to get a date with the cute brunet on the bus.
Keith takes a deep breath, throwing his shoulders back as he steps into the bus and with a quick greeting towards the driver, he heads towards the the brunet and stands next to his seat, shifting nervously.
He hopes the driver doesn’t see how he’s breaking the bus rules on proper ways to ride a bus but hey, he’s a man on a mission.
It takes a few seconds but somehow, Cute Guy catches him from the corner of his eye and then he’s blinking curiously straight at him, head tilts to the side as a thin eyebrow arches up in his face.
Keith pats himself in his mind for the good work before he nods to himself and starts signing.
‘Hi, I’m Keith.’ He signs slowly, making sure not to miss any move in his words, lips pursed as he tries to think back of his Uncle’s tips, ‘Do you mind if I sit with you?’
Keith’s smile dims slowly when the brunet only stares at him blankly.
Did, did he fucked up? Already?
That’s a record.
‘Or not. It’s fine.’ Keith signs quickly, taking a step back and offers a small apologetic smile, ‘I’m sorry. I will go --’
“I’m sorry.” Cute Guy says loudly then, lips moving clear to pronounce every words, hands raising to pull something from his hair and Keith’s eyes widen when he sees the small wireless earbud on the tanned hand, “I don’t speak ASL. Can you text? Maybe I can help that way.”
The brunet quickly pulls his hands up, as if holding a cellphone and estars ‘typing’ on it as if to demonstrate what he’s trying to say but Keith’s attention is on the fact the guy he’s been crushing on is not deaf.
Oh my god, he’s not deaf.
“You’re not deaf!” Keith shouts before he slaps a hand over his mouth, “I’m sorry, I mean, oh my god, I thought you were deaf and - Oh god, this is so embarrassing, I’m so sorry.”
The brunet blinks and then a bright smile starts growing on his lips. Keith suppresses the blush that threatens to cover his cheeks at the sight.
“You, uh, you thought I was deaf?” Cute Guy asks, a teasing eyebrow raised playfully and Keith wants to die. “So your response was to learn ASL?”
Keith flushes hard, flopping himself on the edge of the row behind him, right next to the brunet’s. “I mean - ! You wouldn’t even look at me whenever I talked to you, so I just, ya know! Asked my Uncle if he could teach me ASL because I thought you were deaf, because yeah, that was logical in my head and um, Imma stop talking.”
His hands can’t stop flying all over the place so he resigns himself to shove them deep into his armpits, face still red in embarrassment.
“Oh god, I’m so sorry.” Cute Guy apologizes, a soft a laugh leaving his mouth as he moves seats until he’s on the edge of his row, closer to Keith, “I usually listen to music on the ride to campus. I’m sorry if it seemed like I ignored you or ….well, you thought I was deaf.”
Keith groan, leaning forward until his forehead touches his knees. “Give me a quick death, please.”
Cute guy hums above him. “How about a coffee, instead?”
Keith’s head whips back up at the words, eyes wide in surprise as he stares at the brunet. Cute Guy offers him a beaming smile with an edge of shyness on it and Keith wants to see more of it.
“I kinda want to get to know the guy who learnt ASL just to talk to me.” Cute Guy continues, shrugging his shoulders, “I never knew I was worth learning a new language. I’m flattered.”
“Um,” Keith gapes before he shakes his head and smiles back, “Uh, yeah, yeah, I would love to.”
He gets a yet another beaming smile and Keith knows he’s never going to get enough of it.
