You're My Brother

Fifteen

What strange ages your teen years are. Everything is changing inside of you and on the outside too. Not the best age to learn teamwork skills, but it's better than never learning them at all.
Keith does not understand team activities. He would much prefer to work alone. Even now, almost fifteen, and he still dislikes working with others.
After just over two years at the Galaxy Garrison, the orphaned bog has grown into a determined, skilled and somewhat short tempered fighter pilot. His temper hasn't changed, but he's managing to take control of it.
Roaming the halls one morning, he bumped into Matt, the nerd. He doesn't hate him, but he's just too energetic for Keith.
"Hey, there you are!" Matt adjusted his glasses on his face, grinning kindly. "Shiro's been looking for you. As always. But even more so now."
"Should I go see him now?"
"Yeah. I'll take you there if you'd like."
"No need, but you're welcome to tag along."
The officer sighed, not letting the cadet's attitude stray him from his task. "Hey... What day is it?"
"What day is it...? You're an officer who's, what? Twenty? And you don't know the date?"
"I do. But doesn't the twenty second of October have some importance to you?"
Keith shook his head. "The only 'important' date, other than exams, would be the twenty third. But I don't celebrate my birthday because I really couldn't care less."
"Oh... That's a shame. Then I guess it's a good thing that you have us, right? Because we care."
"Right. You care about me. You don't know me. You just know my simulator scores. That's all you know."
Deciding to keep silent for both his sake and Keith's sanity, Matt walked the rest of the way in silence.
"Thanks for walking with me, I guess." Keith forced a smile, waiting outside for Shiro to open the door to his office.
"Yeah, no problem, Keith."
A beep came from inside, and the door slid open. The room was pitch black, except for the entryway.
"Very funny, Shiro..." Keith groaned, stepping in. "Turn the lights on."
Matt pushed the cadet in, closed the door and switched on the lights.
"What then hell...?"
Looking around at the office, Keith cringed at the sight of it. Streamers hung from the ceiling and he wanted to slam his head against the wall. This was the strangest thing he's ever seen. It honestly terrifies him.
Also, Keith isn't stupid, he knows why people set up decorations. A part of him though it was for some low—very low— budgeted wedding. But then Matt's question came back to him.
'No.... they didn't actually do something for my birthday did they....?!' Though it would be a kind gesture, Keith doesn't know how to handle celebrations. Things like birthdays. A part of him even wanted to leave.
Shiro poked his head out from behind a wall, smiling with delight when he saw Keith. "You made it! Do you like it?"
"I don't understand it..."
"Keith, what is tomorrow?" He heard Adam ask from another part of the office.
"It's Friday. October twenty third. Today is the twenty second. And the day after that is the twenty forth." He answered in a monotone voice.
Matt gave Shiro a glance suggesting that Keith would, most likely, never admit to it being his birthday. Especially not in this setting.
"Okay, fine..." Shiro smiled kindly. "You know what these are right?" He asked, pointing to the decorations. With a nod from the cadet, he continued. "Tomorrow is your birthday. We wanted to hold a celebration for you. You're fifteen tomorrow. That's an important age. It's also embarrassing and horrible to talk about, so I won't. And..." He trailed off, seeing Keith's utter dissatisfaction. "What I'm trying to say is, I don't want you to spend another birthday alone. All of the officers and commanders are going to be discussing the next mission tomorrow and we don't want you to feel forgotten. I know what that's like, and it absolutely sucks! So... We got you a small cake, and a gift."
"You really didn't have to..."
"No, we didn't..." Adam walked out with the tiny cake, it was probably only five dollars, but it was a cake. "But we did, so you better not complain."
"I'm not complaining...! I just never asked for this."
"Well, sometimes the kindest actions are those done without asking." Adam said with a smile.
Keith didn't even admit to liking the little 'party' they set up just for him. Not once did he ever properly thank one of them.
However, he never stopped showing signs of happiness and sounded grateful when he talked.
The last time anyone did this for him was nine years ago. He had turned six, and his father was still alive.
   As a six year old, birthdays were amazing! His father pampered him all day, treating him like a king. He went to zoos, parks, restaurants, anywhere he wanted to go. Of course, it seemed a lot more magical as a child, but Keith didn't dislike those memories. They were some of the happiest ones he had.
   "Sorry if the gift is a little... childish..." Shiro apologized, handing him an envelope.
   "It's fine... Anything is better than what I 'got' at The Home..." Keith opened the envelope and looked inside. Fifteen dollars, and a strip of paper. A ticket of some sort.
   "You're probably going to kill me, but I know how much you like hippos, and the zoo, you know, it has hippos."
   Keith didn't know if he was pissed or happy. He just started laughing. "It's not that bad if a gift. Not great for a fifteen year old boy, but it's not terrible either."
   Matt immediately high-fived Shiro. "Yes! I told you he'd like it."
   "You easily could've just given me an extra fifteen dollars and left me at the zoo for a day." The Cadet suggested. Although he undoubtedly liked his gifted ticket to the Platt City Zoo.
   "Leave you? At the zoo?" Laughing and shaking his head, Adam pointed to Shiro. "No way. Takashi bought us all tickets. And apparently we're going on Halloween."
   "Really?" Keith raised an eyebrow, surprised by Shiro's choice of day. "I guess that's because you think I'm some emo kid like everyone else does? The one who only willingly leaves their house on Halloween?"
   "No. It's because that's the only day I have off. Sorry if it's not to your liking."
   "It's fine. I guess it'd be more fun anyway."
   After a few minutes of chatter, things died down and Keith showed his thanks with a simple "thanks for not forgetting".
   The tickets to the zoo were silly and childish, but it was a way for Keith to get outside and leave the premises for once.
   That was a chance he would never pass up.