Hidden Messages [Klance AU]

5: The Researcher's Lair

The flower shop was quiet today. It was 10 AM on a Tuesday, so naturally not many people were buying flowers at the time. Keith and Matt, the only two in the shop at the moment, stood by the counter, visibly bored.

Matt tapped his fingers against the cashier while he tried to think of a conversation topic. Keith was in a state between falling asleep and wide awake. Still on his mind was the encounter from the night before. He glanced towards Matt, debating if he should tell him about it.

"So," Keith started, and Matt's head turned to face him while still resting on his palm. The finger-tapping stopped.

"Yeah?"

"Have you- Have you ever... seen strange... creatures in the ocean?" Keith stated his question slowly, trying to think of the best way to say it. Matt brushed a strand of brown hair out of his eyes, intrigued.

"N-no," he said.

"Oh."

"But," Matt started again after a moment, "I know someone who has. Just depends what you mean by 'strange creatures.'"

Keith's hand played with the leaf of a flower near him. "Well... I mean like people- sort of- who live in the water, like mermaids or something."

Matt's eyes opened a little. "Well then," he started, "You should talk to my sister, Pidge."

~ ♆ ~

Keith stood in front of a solid mint-green colored door, his fist held up to it but not knocking. He checked the brass number by the door again, and of course it hadn't changed. 413, Garrison Street. He finally took a breath and let his hand collide with the wooden barrier.

A few seconds passed, and Keith began to think that maybe no one was home. Just as he turned to leave, though, the door opened to a short girl, maybe 19 or twenty years old. She had short brown hair and pale skin dotted with freckles. Her eyes were brown and she wore a simple grey NASA t-shirt that was way too big and turquoise shorts. It was undeniable that she was Matt's sister; they basically looked like twins.

"Hi, Pidge, I'm Keith," Keith started, but when the girl seemed confused he added, "Matt told me you could help me?" She blinked a few times, and her phone buzzed, which she pulled out of her pocket. She looked at the screen and her face visibly lit up.

"My name's Katie, by the way. And, while I'm at it, I use they/them pronouns, just so you know. -But yeah, Matt just sent me a text. You got here quickly," they chuckled, then looked Keith up and down. "Wait you're Shiro's—" they paused, realizing their mistake. "Sorry."

"It's fine." Keith's voice came out angry, which he hadn't meant to do. The two stood in silence for a moment.

"Uh, come in," Katie finally said, motioning for Keith to come inside. They led him through the house, and Keith looked around as they walked. The first room was a simple living room that had a couch resting on a cream-colored fluffy carpet, a TV set(which had a Nintendo switch connected to it), a couple of bean bags littering the floor, and pots of plants rested in the corners and on the bar counter that separated the room from the kitchen. Keith suspected that the plants were due to Colleen, who was their mother. She was currently on a trip with her husband, so that's why she wasn't at the flower shop that day.

The kitchen looked similar to most kitchens. The walls were mint green with brownish-grey wooden floors, and the cabinets were white, overall fitting into the color scheme of the house so far. Katie led Keith to the second floor, where there were three bedrooms along with two bathrooms. The farthest one down the hall was Katie's. When they entered the Holt shut the door and motioned for Keith to sit on the floor.