I'm still here

Risky

Keith zones out as he mopped until the sky was dark as red morphed into a mop as well giggling as he mopped over keiths foot and floated up to keiths height turning back into the red lion. Hiccuping bubbles.

"Well this has been a fun day huh," Keith looked back at red sarcastically as he stopped to take a moment.

"Making new friends, like that furry psycho," he smirked a little as red repeated 'furry psycho' back morphing into Sendak.

"A little uglier," Keith huffed a laugh under his breath. Red thought but then made his impression of Sendak bug out his eyes and laughed manically.

"Your closer," Keith nodded.

"Well well, heaven does make miracles, you've been up here for an hour and the deck hasn't gone to hell," lance walked up the stairs wearing a dirty apron over his clothes with a black bandana covering the top of his head as he emptied out a pot over the side.

"Uh look, I-uh.." Keith bit his lip as he looked away from lance, he didn't want to say thank you to the asshole but he did save his ass back there. Despite him being an asshole.

"What you did there," he swallowed his pride. "Thanks,"

"Wow that took a lot of holding back vomit, didn't ya pops teach you to pick your fights more carefully?" Lance smirked leaning against the side pursing his lips. Sendak was basically twice keiths height and weighed like cement compared to Keith being like a feather.

keiths gaze darkened looking at lance. But he turned his head back to keep mopping. Lance nodded seeing it was a soft spot.

"He wasn't the teaching sort?" Lance asked more carefully.

"No, he taught me a lot, just wasn't around long enough to teach me that much," Keith turned his back to lance.

"Ran off on ya?" Lance asked again but was a little more blunt.

"What are you an expert? Don't just assume dads run away from families," Keith snapped at him spinning to lance with defensiveness.

"He died then," lance got it.

"Yea,"

"Gotcha... sorry lad," lance walked forward putting his hands in his pockets.

"It's no big deal, I'm doing just fine," Keith leaned against the rail as lance slowly walked towards him.

"Is that so?" Lance smirked at him.

"Well since the captain put you in my charge, I will be pounding skills into that thick head of yours covered by that mullet to keep you out of trouble!" Lance flicked his forehead as he spoke fast to catch Keith off guard as the shorter boy looked at him confused and annoyed.

"What?-" "from now on I'm not letting you out of my sight!" Lance cut him off as keith grew more angry.

"You can't do tha-" "you won't so much as eat, sleep or scratch your ass without my say so!" Lance counted on his robotic hand as he smirked at the rage in keiths purple eyes.

"Don't do me any favors!" Keith snapped back.

"Oh you can be sure of that keef, you can be sure of that," lance draped his arm over keiths shoulder as keith looked up into those ocean blues full of wonder and mischief that made keiths skin boil.

"Get off jack ass," Keith pushed him off but made eye contact with Pidge who watched the two with his feet up on the edge and his arms crossed in the crows nest.

"Whatcha looking at?" Keith glared up at him.

"Leave poor ol Pidge Podge alone, he likes a cool drama scene, ain't that right bud?" Lance looked up at Pidge smiling as he laughed at the two.

"Fuck off blue," Pidge called down to them.

"Love ya laddie," he winked back up at him.

"He's small but he puts up a fight, gotta love my little lad," lance whistled picking up his pot as keith looked at him.

"How do you know him?" Keith asked following lance with the mop over his shoulder and bucket at his side.

"You meet a few people who share the same love as you, sailing brings people together, my sister taught me everything there is to know before I went into the academy to learn the right way," lance chuckled skipping down the steps.

"You went to the academy?" Keith blinked.

"Yea but I dropped it, wasn't for me, I went to what bring everyone together that wasn't just sailors, food! That's where I met Hunk," lance snorted shaking his head.

"I never been able to go to the academy, isn't it expensive?" Keith made a face.

"My family is full of sailors, both my brothers were in armada," lance beamed brightly back up at him and the black haired boy noticed the wording.

"Were ?" He asked.

"My brother marco, he was a damn good soldier," lance nodded slowly but his smile didn't falter, sadness was there but so was pride.

"Taught me how to pick my fights for hells sake," he laughed going under the deck to where he hides out in the kitchen.

"But my sister, taught me how to win them," lance winked at keith making Keith stop for a moment to find his breath, his chest tightening for a moment and looked away biting his lip.

"You got a lot of siblings," Keith stayed nodding.

"Only two left," lance paused looking like it was new news he had to process.

"Well that's enough work for the first day keef! Get some shut eye so I can give you more for the next few months," lance turned his whole personality around to the annoying joyful cook like before as he had a bright smile again.

"Yea, okay," Keith rolled his eyes shaking his head.

"Good night keefy boy," lance winked as he went to the kitchen as keith went to the sleeping quarters of hammocks and snoring men.

Lance went to put away dishes as he was left alone but heard light footsteps and smirked at Pidge who was behind him now.

"What was that blue?" Pidge glared.

"What's what?" Lance whistled as he put away bowls.

"The cabin boy," Pidge slammed her small hand on the counter next to lance.

"Leave it Pidge, I know what I'm doing," lance leaned back looking at her calmly.

"Flirting?" She glared.

"Yes dead relatives, very charming," lance narrowed his eyes.

"Lance, it's only been a day and this guy is causing fights and risking everything!" She hissed.

"Your questioning your captain?" Lance asked in a low tone as he glared.

"No-no sir," Pidge looked away.

"You keep that negativity to yourself Katie, do not question me if you know what's good for you," he told her in a harsh whisper as Pidge looked back with a hard look in her eyes but stayed silent.

"If he gets in the way, I'll kill him myself," Lance glared as he slammed the cabinet doors close.