Broken

Nobody Said It'd Be Simple

Cautiously, Keith took the sweet, taking a tentative bite, and good lord that was heavenly. 

It was easily the best thing Keith had ever tasted, taken out of the oven at just the right moment when the outside was crisp and flaky and the inside was still perfectly soft. Tart cherries on top combatted the sweetness within and it was just so good.

Hunk shuffled nervously in front of him, watching his face for any change of emotion. Keith glanced up, eyes ever-so-slightly wider than before.

"You made this?" Keith asked. Hunk nodded.

"It's amazing," Keith said, mouth twitching into the tiniest smile. Hunk grinned once more. (God, how did this kid's face not hurt?)

"Really? Ah, thanks so much, man! It's just, I've been working on this recipe for so long and–"

"It's good," Keith cut him off. "Really good. I promise." 

The rest of the day went by rather quickly. After the left the Garretts' shop, they went back to the house, where Corey finished up homework and Keith got ready for the next day. He'd been informed that he should be ready by six thirty, so that Shiro, who happened to be a teacher at the local high school, could drive him.

So, just in case, Keith set his alarm for five-forty-five the next morning. Did he need nearly an hour to get ready? No, he didn't. But he'd learned over the years to be prepared for anything and to always, always have a backup plan.
When his phone played the tell-tale melody the next morning, he was surprised to see Corey already slipping out the door, hair in her usual braid and dark blue back slung over one shoulder. 

Had he gotten the time wrong? Were they actually supposed to leave at six? Swearing under his breath, Keith clambered out of bed and rushed into the bathroom, immediately beginning to yank his brush through his hair. Shoving his toothbrush into his mouth, he managed to brush while tugging a red Panic! shirt and his usual black jeans on. In less than ten minutes, he was stumbling down the stairs.

"Sorry I held you guys up," Keith said, not quite meeting Shiro's gaze. The young man raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't hold anyone up," Shiro said, sipping cautiously at a steaming cup of coffee. "You're really early, actually. I wasn't planning to leave for another half hour." Keith was confused.

"But Corey—"

"She takes her longboard," Shiro smiled. "She leaves early so she can make it to hang out with friends. You're not late."

"Oh," Keith muttered. Shiro stepped into the kitchen, motioning for Keith to follow. Hesitantly, Keith set his bag by the door and did as told.

"What do you usually have for breakfast?" Shiro asked lightly, glancing through the cupboards. "We've got a couple types of cereal, or I can make toast or grilled cheese if you want."

"Um, just cereal is fine," Keith  said, still shuffling awkwardly in the entranceway to the kitchen. 

"You can sit at the table if you want," Shiro offered, noticing the boy's restlessness. Keith nodded and pulled a chair out, wincing when it squeaked against the floor. He sat tentatively, his leg bouncing once he did. 

Shiro brought a box of cereal and a carton of milk to the table, getting two bowls and sitting down across from Keith. Amethyst eyes watched silently as Shiro slid the box over, and Keith shook a bit of the flaky food into his bowl.

Keith began eating the cereal dry, putting a few flakes at a time into his mouth. He was suddenly aware of Shiro's gaze on him and glanced up, violet meeting grey.