Chapter 2
Dec 27 Candles
No power. Katie was sitting in the dark. She had matches but without candles it really didn’t matter. They were not even the long matches, so they went out way to fast to be any good. She was stuck. No laptop. No internet. No phone. Sighing closed her eyes regretting deeply that she forgot to charge it before she got caught up in her project. And now she had to pay the price by sitting in the rapidly darkening room.
Winter sucked. It got dark too early and there’s no way she’s walking to her brother’s apartment in this weather. Hell, she probably wouldn’t even make it down 13 flights of stairs! More importantly, how can there be power outages in this day and age. Once the power is up, she’s hacking into the power company and upgrading their power grids. This is bullshit. Ruining her weekend gaming plans and now leaving her bored. Now she wishes she didn’t do work first and gamed first instead. Hell, she’d rather be at work if she knew there was going to be no power here! At least she would have been with Hunk and Lance.
Instead, Katie is sitting on her couch feeling depressed when suddenly she hears a knock. Um, why would someone be knocking on her door. Especially when she can’t even check her ring camera to see whose there. She freezes; she usually never answers the door when she doesn’t know whose there. It’s not like she ever invites anyone over so it can’t be someone she knows.
Knock KNOCK. It sounded…angry?
Getting up slowly, she quietly walks to the door, looking through the keyhole. Huh.
Unlocking the door, she pulls it open cautiously, “Hello?”
“Hi, so this is going to sound stupid but I have candles but no matches. And since my stove hasn’t been delivered from the store yet, I can’t use that either. So, um want to partner up?”
Katie stared at the man in front of her. Blinking, she realizes she knows this man. Keith? Keith…the bad boy from her childhood was standing in front of her? Her brother’s BFF kinda brother was literally standing here. In her doorway.
“Um, ok? Do you live here? Or well obviously not here, cuz I live here, but in this building? On this floor?” Jesus Katie, shut up!
“Yeah, 5 doors down. Well, I’m just staying here it’s my brother’s place, he’s doing a semester abroad somewhere so I’m crashing here.”
Clicks in place. Oh yeah that makes sense.
“Well, sure, come in-and watch your step, I’m not a neat person, and I’m not expecting anyone so there’s parts everywhere.” Oh. My. God. Can I sound dumber?!?
Katie’s pulse is racing. Fucking Keith Kogane is in her apartment. If she told her 15 year old self this she’d have called herself a liar. She had a sort of crush on him during high school. Granted he never knew who she was but that really didn’t matter. And Matt never told her that he was staying in Shiro’s place. Now what? They can’t play any games or watch a movie. Hell, she doubts she even has edible food.
After she locked up, Katie lit the first candle that Keith offered her and then they were just sitting in her living room, shoulder to shoulder on the small loveseat she has. Awk-ward!
Katie starts to make some piles of paper, magazines, notebooks and parts. God she really should clean on a regular basis. Or hire someone. Damn. This was actually embarrassing and she never felt embarrassed.
Just then, Keith moves a foot and sends a freshly made pile of clothes slide into a pile of magazines. He quickly saves the clothes but as he saves the pile his had touches her bra. Both of them freeze and Katie knows she blushing furiously. His eyes find hers and then he practically jumps over the damn couch.
OHMYGODWHYISMYLIFELIKETHIS!
Keith turns and then freezes. “Hey, is this a Mothman figure?”
Katie rapidly throws the clothes in her arms in her bedroom and slams the door. “Um, yeah. You know him?”
Keith nods, “Um, yeah. Along with every other cryptid and ghost story out there.”
Katie grins, “I bet I know more.”
Hours later, the lights abruptly return. Illuminating the mess, as well as the empty beer cans, discarded chip bags and candy wrappers. Both blink when Keith grins, “I’m so glad Shiro told me the Holt girl lived in 1308.”
Dec 28 Holiday Movie
This will be a continuation of the last bit, with time skip.
Keith was walking with his friends. It’s been almost a year since that power outage and him knocking on Katie’s door. He knew his life had changed from that first knock. He was annoyed and had zero expectations for that night. But, that one night, it changed his whole life, and he knew she had no clue, the impact she had on him.
Through her, he met Lance and Hunk, apparently again. Though he had no recollection of them, he went to high school with them. And over time, they became friends. Then Shiro returned home. Suddenly they were all hanging out together and suddenly he was part of a larger group text.
Then through Katie getting an internship with Altea Corporation he met Allura and Coran. Then through her work teams, he met Lotor, Acxa, Zethrid, Ezor and Narti. While he wasn’t a big fan, they also were part of the circle. Things were so different from a year ago, yet not as different as he hoped.
Glancing towards Lance he saw how he was trying his best to get close to Allura. Despite Lotor being her ex, he had no qualms about putting himself in the way. His eyes tracked to Katie, who he has probably likes since she moved into his intro to drawing class.
Thinking back, he couldn’t help but smile. She was added to his class a week before the semester ended. He had no idea why someone would do that do a kid, but the Garrison didn’t care. Finals came and everyone had to put their artwork in the Winter show. She drew a mechanical lion, it was beautiful.
Since that moment, Keith kept an eye on her. He saw her rise to the top of the class and he made sure, no one messed with her. He might have gotten into a few more fights, gotten a few more detentions, definitely more lectures… but it was so worth it. She blossomed. Her head no longer down. Her voice strong. And when she was valedictorian, he felt satisfied. Honored to see her reach her potential.
Now, he was in her inner circle. It was amazing. Yet, he still felt…unsatisfied.
At the ticket booth, he tried to pay for Katie’s ticket, but Matt had already paid for hers. Then he winked at him?
Keith sidled up to her in the concession line. “Hey wanna split? It’s way cheaper to share.”
Katie nodded when suddenly Griffin accosted them.
“Holt!”
Both Holt siblings turn, but only Katie nods. Keith grits his teeth and tries to keep his composure.
“What are you seeing? Elf?”
“Oh, is that playing? I like that one too! Unfortunately, we are seeing Krampas 2.0.”
“Isn’t that a horror movie?”
“Well, I guess if that’s what you want to call it? Personally, we call it a holiday movie. Right Keith?”
Keith takes that cue to step up to her and throw his arm around her shoulders. “Exactly. Just our type.”
Katie grins. “Cryptids unite.” She holds out a fist and Keith kisses her temple, softly knocking her fist.
Keith can feel the stares of their friends but he’s decided. He’s going all in.
Dec 29 Takeout
Katie is confused. She felt like Keith was trying to tell her something last night but she had no clue what. She knew what she wanted it to be but she really wished he was clearer. Did he…like her? Like she liked him.
When Griffin showed up it felt like things were super charged. But then her brother, Shiro and Hunk intervened and things kinda sputtered out. Now she was determined to clean her place. After last year, she really needed to.
So Katie focused. Room on room. She folded, she dusted, she organized. It was six o’clock and she was finally done. But now it was late and she was hungry. Flopping down on the couch she groaned. How did the day pass so quickly?
Knock. Knock KNOCK. She ercognized that knock.
“Keith?”
“Hey, hungry? I’ve got the crème le crème of leftovers…a la Hunk.”
She grinned. “My guy.”
Locking up, she followed Keith to his and Shiro’s apartment. “Um, is Shiro here?”
“Nope, he went with Matt to give the update to the Rebel cause. You okay with that?”
“Of course. Why are you asking that?”
Keith paused, then shook his head. “No reason. Let’s heat up the food and then wanna watch the premiere Mysteries Unsolved?”
Katie grinned, “Um, YEAH!”
Hours later, Keith reached for the last biscuit, “Are you sure you’re full? Otherwise, this is mine.”
Katie grinned, “Piggie. But, yeah, I can’t eat another bite.”
Looking at him, she absently wipes her thumb along his lip to wipe the crumb, when suddenly he licks her thumb. Freezing their eyes meet, and he leans forward, licking her lip.