𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘 , keith kogane

II • ( halloween party. )

❝ the monster mash but on a constant loop. ❞

8 PM on October 31st came quicker than Keith had hoped.

The eight days between his birthday and Halloween had been filled with fretting from his side and congratulations from literally everyone else. They celebrated him meeting his soulmate as if it was the best thing to ever happen, but luckily they were close enough to him to notice how much he didn't accept it.

He had spoke with his platonic soulmate about the circumstances, and found himself devastated when Shiro could not relate. He and Adam had clicked immediately, and seemed confused by the awkward state Keith and Jasper were stuck in. He couldn't go to his mother for help, because she had no idea how soulmates worked. His dad had the tattoo but she didn't.

They were supposed to ease his concerns, but instead the little demons multiplied when he found that no one shared his experiences.

The house was loud. It was a cliché Halloween party, and Keith could tell from a block away.

He walked up the pathway cautiously, his hands stuffed into his pockets. People of varying backgrounds and cultures oozed in and out of the house, dresses up in eccentric and flashy costumes. Keith wore nothing except his everyday clothes.

He kind of felt bad for showing up an hour late, but realized it would have made no difference. He didn't know if he could find Jasper in the packed crowd, or if he even wanted to. He still had a chance to run, to never deal with this racking anxiety again. Soulmates were destined to meet, but they were never destined to stay together.

He was tempted to walk away, but a hand clamped on his shoulder and a voice filled his ears.

"Hey, I don't recognize you!"

Keith whirled around to meet a brown-haired girl, whose blue eyes looked at him curiously. Her Captain Marvel costume was filled out nicely by the apparent muscles she had built up, her stance strong and confident. He noticed her voice was raspy and held cracks, unlike the smooth music that came off of Jasper's tongue.

"And I know everyone in this joint," she continued. "So you must be... Keith, huh?" His eyes widened, but he made sure not to jump to conclusions as he nodded slowly. "Nice to meet you, I'm Abby Aballona! The only sober person you'll find around here, because I got a volleyball match tomorrow, but that's besides the point."

"Right," Keith hummed in response. He looked at her as if he was a lost puppy, and unfortunately for him she loved puppies.

"You must be looking for Jasper, yeah? Jasper Juarez?" She questioned, grabbing his hand and dragging him towards the building. "He's told me all about you."