Hidden Messages [Klance AU]

21: Wistful Wisterias

Rain pattered against the windows of the beach house. The lights outside flickered in the storm, illuminating a picture on Keith's nightstand. It was the one that Lance had found; Shiro, Shiro's boyfriend, and Keith at a pride parade years ago. Now the house was silent aside from the voices echoing from downstairs.

The wooden floor of the living room was littered with papers, all covered in various notes and scribbles. Many of them were crumpled, ripped, or rolled into a ball and thrown over a shoulder. One paper snowball was thrown at a mug, almost knocking it off the table.

"Okay, where are we now?" the brunette asked as they put a hand over their tired eyes. Hunk picked up the mug from the table, taking a sip of coffee. It had been his first time ever trying the drink— they didn't have coffee in the ocean— and he'd immediately fell in love.

"This one," he said, pointing at a note in the notebook that sat between the three on the floor. Keith picked it up and read what Pidge had wrote. They had made a list of possible ways to get Lance out of mer jail, but so far none of them would work.

"'Astronaut suits,'" Keith read, "Seriously, Pidge? How'd you think that would work?"

"Technically we'd only use them to be able to breathe underwater, but considering that we can't even get a hold of regular diving suits I think space ones are probably out of the question."

"No kidding," Keith whispered. He was exhausted, all three were, and a tired Keith was easily aggravated. That was why he often appeared rude or closed off to other people— on account of his constant nightmares and insomnia, he was always tired.

Hunk grabbed a pen and crossed out the note, "So that's a bust. Keep in mind that you'll have to teach me what astronauts are later, but for now I think we should revisit my first idea."

"But do you actually know anyone who has those breathing masks laying around? 'Cause based on what you said before they seem pretty hard to find," Pidge commented.

"Well, yes, they are," Hunk picked up the notebook while speaking, "They are ancient artifacts that aren't made anymore. There used to be mers born without gills, and they needed masks to survive. But now that gene has been wiped out as our DNA gets farther and farther from humans'."

The mer set down the notebook, a sketch of a mer wearing a mask over their face now on the paper. The mask went around the mer's chin and over their nose, and had some patterns on the side. The design seemed strangely advanced for how old these masks supposedly were.

"So how do you plan on getting these masks?" Keith asked.

"I'm getting to that!" Hunk shouted. "I know that one of Lance's grandparents has the condition. I can go see her and ask about the breathing masks. I'm sure she has some extras around, and if not she'll definitely know a source to get them from."

Pidge nodded, writing a note about the idea. It seemed like it would work, and the two began waking up more out of excitement. Keith, though, was trapped in his own thoughts. Hunk's mention of Lance created a sick feeling in his stomach, and the more his friends talked about the plan the more jittery Keith became. He knew that when the time came he'd have to go underwater, but he didn't feel ready yet. Thoughts of the ocean still made him nervous.

"I- I'm going to take a break," the black-haired boy said as he stood up. Pidge and Hunk watched him with worried glances as he left.

Keith stepped onto the back porch and let the rain soak his clothes until they were dripping. He stood there for a few seconds, focusing only on the raindrops that rolled down his skin. He then faced the ocean, and the restless waves that crashed against the shore.