Chapter Text
In Search Of New Band Member
Only Need To Know One Instrument
Literally Any Instrument
And Can Sing
Call: xxx-xxx-xxxx to get an Audition
Keith read the sign for what seemed like the millionth time in the past week and a half. He once again rolled his eyes. It sat in the same spot posted on the window in the corner closest to the glass door of the small brick coffee shop which stood in the middle of the strip mall. The text was in comic sans, poor taste in Keith’s choice. Other than that it was a plain poster. It was the only one which stole his attention though. Whose band was it? What kind of music did they play? Keith shook his head and ended his contemplations by opening the door and walking into the small shop. He descended down the three steps that lead into the seating area and crossed it in short stride to reach the bar on the other side of the store. He took a seat on one of the stools. This place could easily have been made into a club, but the shop owner decided to keep it a small and modest coffee shop.
Keith looked at the Barista who smiled, this being the second time she had seen him that day. Probably the 5th time that week alone. Keith was grateful for this place only selling coffee. Had it sold anything else he felt he could very easily turn to alcohol to deal with everything he had gone through. The woman wrote his name on a cup and approached him.
“What can I get you this time?” She asked, a playful hum to her voice.
Keith perused the menu thoughtfully for a moment then gave a soft sigh. “Give me a Hearts-A-Fire,” he replied.
The woman nodded and ran his card then began to make his drinks. She brought it over to him and leaned against the counter as all of the other shop patrons were all taken care of. She watched Keith thoughtfully sip his drink and give another sigh. Keith normally wasn’t this broody, he actually tried to seem pleasant around others when he was social. Being social didn’t happen often, but he wasn’t completely anti-social. He was now though, his whole life and future being swept out from under him in just an hour. That hour happened a week ago, yet here he sat, still dwelling on it and not moving on. Not that anyone can blame him. Everyone grieved and dealt with things differently. His way of dealing was consuming copious amounts of coffee. He had thought of going to bars and getting drunk to forget the year and a half he had spent with him and the feelings he had for him for years even before that. But truthfully he didn’t want to forget. He wanted to keep these feelings because it hurt even more than being lonely, to not have this one thing to hold onto.
“What’s gotcha down sugar?” The barista finally asked, watching the internal war rage inside the mulleted Korean.
Keith’s eyes flickered over to her, the deep violet blue sparking with hurt for a moment as he recounted that moment over a week ago. He looked back to his coffee. He figured it wouldn’t help keeping it to himself, and if he were to tell anyone it would be easier to tell someone who hardly knew him. “A break up,” he finally offered after a moment of silence. “My boyfriend broke up with me over a week ago.”
The woman nodded, her deep red dyed curls bouncing around her face. She rested her face in her hand. The dark patch on her cheek was a perfect contrast to the near ivory of her hand. Her wrist carried the same dark patches as her face. When she smiled her chocolate brown eyes conveyed her understanding and condolences. “We’ve all been there. How long were the two of you together?”
“Just over a year and a half.” Keith didn’t feel comfortable disclosing a lot of information, but it did feel a bit better to get even the tiniest bit off of his chest instead of just filling the void with caffeine and sugar. “He didn’t love me anymore and was falling for someone else. A woman. I can’t blame him. Love does that to you. But I grew up with him and he was my best friend, my everything. And now I live by myself, and drink coffee 5 times a day because I have nothing better to do when I’m not working.” Keith sighed loudly and ran a hand through his dark locks.
“And this is better than getting blackout drunk?” The barista asked with a giggle. “Not that I am saying you should do that. But perhaps going out with friends and doing something to take your mind off of it would probably be better than this? Maybe easier on your wallet. Unless your ex was your only friend?”
The look Keith gave her said it all and she shook her red head again. “Well if there is any place to meet new friends then this is the place I suppose. You ever want to talk you know I will be here. Got any musical talent buddy? I know one of our regular bands is looking.” she said with a gesture toward the sign.
Keith laughed softly and gave her a nod with a small smile. “Yeah, I’ve read it about a thousand times at this point. Comic sans wasn’t the best font choice.” His comment earned a loud laugh from the woman, making her smile widen and her dark eyes to crinkle.
“That Lance likes to think he is clever. Said something about minimalism and only wanting people who absolutely understood to join his band. Probably has something to do with a meme.” She glanced at her watch and stood from leaning on the counter. “Speaking of Lance and his band, they are going to actually be performing today. They have been gone for about 2 weeks. All of them were busy finishing their exams. College is a real bummer. They are actually really good. Should be here to set up any moment.”
As if summoning the devil himself the shop door opened, their only signal the soft tinkling of the bell. Three very different looking people walked in. Keith would have never guessed they were all friends had he first glanced at them yet they all seemed comfortable and melded together well. The shortest of the group had light brunette hair flipped out similar to a pixy cut but longer. A striped grey and green crop top with an alien on it and high waisted shorts was what she wore and her large round glasses completed the look. If Keith were to be honest, she seemed like the smartest of the two and probably the best to talk to. The woman sighed and loudly protested to the tallest of the group that next time they shouldn’t walk because it was way too hot outside. The tallest waved her off with smile and shrugged off his army green jacket. He wore a light grey tank top which easily exposed his tanned muscles. A remark was made about the heat being good for them and it could hardly affect someone as hot as him, despite the layer of sweat which made his skin glisten, not that Keith was watching.
The third of the group separated the two when it was clear an argument was going to start. He rolled his eyes and rolled up the sleeves on his yellow t-shirt, turning it into a tank top. “Next time we can drive, Lance,” the husky man said, picking up one of their music cases and descending the stairs. “It won’t kill me to drive for five minutes. I don’t get that much motion sickness.”
“You ruined the upholstery in my car, Hunk.” Lance said, following after the man with a guitar case in hand. “If we are going anywhere and have to drive you better have something for that motion sickness of yours because I am not having another incident.”
The smallest of the three followed Lance with a spring in her step and kicked Lance in the shin before approaching the stage to the right of the bar and past the seating area and tables. “We are taking the car,” she said resolutely. “I would prefer 5 minutes of air conditioning and possible motion sickness from Hunk than 15 minutes carrying heavy instruments in the sweltering heat. Get off you damn high horse. I let you have comic sans on the damn poster, let me have this.” She started to set up the sound systems and pulled out their instruments with the help of Hunk just behind her.
“Fiiine,” Lance agreed reluctantly, he set his stuff next to Hunk and turned to Pidge. “Same as usual?” With nods of approval Lance headed to the bar.
Keith could feel his pulse quicken. He had watched the whole exchange, studying each of the band members and their odd behaviours which matched their odd looking friendship. He may or may not have spent extra time looking over the tall Cuban who was now standing a few feet away from him. He was lean, but toned. His dark hair perfectly complemented his cinnamon coloured skin which was littered in sun kissed freckles. He was the exact opposite of Keith whose dark hair definitely stood out against his fair skin. Technically he could tan, he just never took the opportunity, especially now that he was becoming a bit of a recluse.
“Margaret, sweetheart, same as usual please,” Lance said, voice silky smooth as he leaned against the counter just as the redhead had earlier. The woman rolled her eyes and started to make the drinks.
“We both know I’m not your “sweet heart” Lance. Never have been, never will be. You are barking up the wrong tree.” She looked to Lance then glanced over to Keith. Her eyes had a silent apology in them. Keith didn’t understand it at first, then Lance turned his gaze upon Keith and slid across the bar to him.
“Hey there sweet thing, comer here often?” Lance’s dark eyelashes blinked and fluttered slowly. Truly his flirting skills needed work. Just as much as his font choices did. Keith decided to not grace him with a response, which only furthered Lance’s advances. “Play any instruments good lookin?”
“One or two,” Keith said coolly, sipping his coffee but not looking toward Lance. He kept his eyes on the menu, knowing he would most likely lose his disinterested facade if he looked over at the good looking musician. He wasn’t interested in relationships, even if he wouldn’t mind getting to snuggle up in those arms. It definitely wouldn’t be better than Shiro’s muscles and large chest. Lance was probably boney, he told himself.
“Care to join my band? You fit all of the criteria,” he sat on the stool beside Keith while waiting for the drinks he had ordered. Keith cursed whatever god decided it would be fun to mess with him this past week and a half..
“Your only criteria is that they know an instrument. I’ve seen the sign,” Keith wasn’t going to play his game. “If you guys are that desperate I doubt you are any good.” Keith wanted to kick his unsociable side. “Plus, shouldn’t you be helping them set up? Seems pretty rude to make them do all the hard work.”
Lance laughed, which seemed odd to Keith. He allowed a glance over to his companion and couldn’t stop the blush which rose to his cheeks, turning them the faintest pink colour. Lance looked even better when he laughed. His lips turned up to expose a pearly white smile and his dark blue eyes sparkled like the surface of the ocean at midday. “Pidge would literally kill me if I tried to help with setup again. I know next to nothing about electronics, and Hunk is mildly OCD so he needs to set up the instruments and seat as he sees fit. In return I get them drinks. It’s the balance of our system. Unfortunately we can’t find a balance to our sound yet. We need a fourth.” Lance stood when Margaret approached with the three coffees. He accepted them and handed her the money plus a tip. He turned back to lance before heading back to the stage. “Watch us play and decide if you want to join. No one has taken up the offer yet, so if you want the spot is all yours.”
With that he headed back to the stage. Pidge took her frappucino with excitement. She had just finished setting everything up and she sat on a wooden block, sipping at her drink, ready for their first song. Hunk sat on a stool with a guitar in hand and Lance took his place at a piano, setting his coffee on the floor beside himself, not wanting to get any on the instruments. He adjusted the mic so it sat perfect in front of him, having been too short previously since both of his companions were shorter than he.
“Hey guys we’re back,” Lance said and a few of the patrons cheered excitedly, causing every band member to smile. “Good to see a lot of your faces again. This is a bit of a smaller crowd, but then again it is finals week right before summer vacation. May god have mercy on all of our souls.” Lance’s words earned more of a response. Keith couldn’t stop the chuckle and smile which graced his lips. Margaret leaned next to him with a curious smirk.
“Captivating isn’t he?” She asked, causing Keith to blush for the second time that day. In the past several minutes he had felt light hearted and it wasn’t until he looked from Lance back to Margaret that he realised he was in the middle of one of his brooding sessions (which were becoming his norm). “You don’t seem so depressed now.”
Keith shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe you were right. Maybe I needed to get out more?” He didn’t want to admit it was because the lanky, tanned college student made his heart flutter. It was purely a physical attraction, he told himself.
“Or maybe Lance made you smile. He does that to people so don’t read too much into it. That boy is made out of some damn ray of sunshine or something. He leaves you feeling warm and happy. When he performs you could fall in love. Not to say I am attracted to him. I don’t play for his team. But I can admit when someone is a fine specimen, and he definitely is.” Her eyes shined adoringly when Lance started to play the piano. Hunk and Pidge used their wooden blocks to add some percussion. Lance’s voice is truly what brought the whole song together. It was warm and velvety. He could sing anyone to sleep with a voice like that. It reminded Keith of warm hot chocolate with cinnamon and ginger spice on a cold winter's night while curled up next to the fire.
Keith swallowed anxiously and felt his heart race until the song came to an end. He looked away from Lance who moved from the piano to a stool center stage. Hunk handed Keith an acoustic and he tuned it while talking with the audience. Keith looked back to Margaret with blushed cheeks for the third time that day.
“They aren’t bad,” he said, clearing his throat which suddenly felt constricted. This was a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time. He was anxious, but he didn’t hate it. His palms felt sweaty and his cheeks warm. Images of Shiro flashed back to his mind, specifically when he was 14, barely into High School and Shiro was a senior. They were 3 years apart, but good friends since they grew up next door to each other. Shiro helped him through school and he didn’t care about finding other friends because he had him. That was when he realised he loved the man. He didn’t tell him, but even when Shiro went to college he stayed close to the man. Shiro didn’t protest and continued to help with his studies. Keith made a few friends, never really getting close to them, but just close enough to survive high school without any problems. He graduated top of his class and got accepted into the same college as Shiro.
They spent more time together now that they were in the same college and could complain about their classes and the professors. Shiro graduated with his bachelors after Keith finished his first year. He moved onto graduate school and Keith started his second year. Not long after Keith’s 20th birthday he decided he couldn’t hide it anymore and he mustered up the courage to tell Shiro his feelings. The same feelings which gave him sweaty palms and warm cheeks. The feeling which made him anxious, but not terribly so. Shiro reciprocated that feeling and they moved into an apartment together and did everything together for a year and a half.
Keith knew this feeling well, but he pushed it away. He wasn’t going to feel this again. Shiro still had priority over his heart, despite moving into the dorms at his graduate school, and getting together with a woman just a couple of days after they broke up. Love had funny ways of working like that. Some found others, while some never forgot others. Keith wasn’t ready to find someone else. He shook his head which cause Margaret to quirk her brow.
“The last song wasn’t that bad,” she said with a chuckle.
Keith shook his head again quickly. “Ah sorry. I wasn’t paying attention to that one. I was distracted by other thoughts.”
“Your ex?” She was quite inquisitive and persistent. Keith sighed defeatedly and nodded in response.
“Yeah.” Keith looked down to his coffee. “Just remembered when he and I got together. Which is better than remembering when we broke up.” He shrugged his shoulders and looked back to Lance. He was talking with the crowd while Pidge grabbed a shaker from one of their bags and sat back down.
“I guess that is better than nothing,” Margaret said with a warm smile. “Could something possibly be the catalyst to this new and improving development?” Keith tried to ignore her insistent badgering. She seemed more intrigued in getting Lance with him.
“We are gonna do a cover of one of my favourite hits from 2008. I’d like to dedicate this song to the cutie sitting at the bar next to our lovely Margaret.” Lance winked up to Keith who turned around to see if anyone else was sitting at the bar. Seeing no one else he flushed from all of the attention Lance had put on him. This man had literally just strode into the coffee shop and was already turning his world around as quickly as Shiro had when he had broken up with him.
Despite his embarrassment he watched the performance intently as Lance started strumming his acoustic and sang. Hunk joined in, using his block for percussion again and Pidge shook the shaker in beat. She would occasionally join in and harmonise with Lance almost perfectly. When it came to the chorus she joined in fully.
“ Now I'm speechless, over the edge; I'm just breathless. I never thought that I'd catch this love bug again.”
Lance’s warm voice carried the lyrics around the room and only made Keith’s brain and heart even more at war. The song was so innocent and inviting and Keith wanted to stride up to him and ask him on a date. But his brain told him he was in way over his head. He had just met this man and he wasn’t over Shiro. He needed to think rationally. He needed to wipe the sweat from his palms and calm the stutter in his heart. He needed to swallow the anxious lump in his throat and take a deep breath to calm himself. But when those blue eyes looked up at him and sparkled in the low light of the coffee shop the only thought which occupied his mind was:
“Shit.”