"Oh, hey Keith. Come here" Pidge says and waving to the emo 

"Hey Pidge, hey Lance, and hey- uh"

"This is our cute cinnamon roll, Hunk" Pidge says "he is like the nice one in the group"

Keith raises a brow "Then you are the mean gremlin and Lance the narcissist?"

"Hey-" Lance crosses his arms

"Sorry not sorry" Keith shrugs

"Oh yeah. Then who are you? The emo" Lance says sarcastically

"Well let's just say I'm in no group, but if I was then yeah, I'd probably be the emo"

"Okay, stop acting like children" Pidge goes between the two

"What is Keith doing here anyway?" Lance asks, more annoyed now

Pidge sighs, knowing that the two probably won't get along "I said he could come. He is a nice guy and doesn't has friends"

"What the gremlin said-"

"Won't call me a gremlin" they sigh again and sit down on a bench.

The four of them stood there in a rather awkward silence, until Keith took out his cigarettes.

The three stare at him, watching how he also takes out a lighter and starts smoking.

"What?" he asks rather confused

"You smoke?" Pidge asks

"You know it's bad for you, right?" Hunk said

Keith looks around the three and stops by Lance, who was looking down. Probably avoiding eye contact with them

"Yeah, I know. But i don't really care. Have you ever smoked?" Keith inhales the smoke and looks at Lance, who still is looking down

"No, we never did. We care for our health" Pidge answers him Keith hums in response. 

Lance looks up and meets Keith's eyes, he immediately looks away

"Do you wanna try?" they look unsure at him "I mean one inhale won't destroy your health"

They hesitate at first, but after exchanging looks, Pidge goes first. Keith holds the cigarette out to Pidge. Pidge looks unsure holding the cigarette, but after a couple of seconds thy bring it up to their lips.

They inhale the smoke and cough right after it "That was rather disgusting"

"It's always disgusting at the first try. Take another one" 

Pidge looks up at Keith, again unsure 

"Nothing will happen to your health. You also won't get addicted after only two times inhaling the smoke" he rolls his eyes

Pidge shrugs it off and brings the cigarette to their lips a second time. The second time was better, but still disgusting "I don't know how you can do that". 

They give the cigarette back and this time Keith holds it out to Hunk "Do you wanna try?" Hunk just shakes his head. Keith shrugs and turns to Lance, knowing that he already smoked, he wants to see his reaction.

"Lance?"

Lance also hesitates, but takes the cigarette short after. He inhales the smoke, and nothing. No coughing, nothing.

"No coughing? Lance do you smoke by chance?" Hunk asks

"What, no. My papa smokes, so I guess I'm used to the smoke?"

"Lance that sounded more like a question than an answer" Pidge says, looking suspicious at the boy

"Okay guys, let Lance be. If he says he doesn't smoke, he doesn't" Keith rolls his eyes and takes the cigarette back and finishes it.

Lance and Keith exchange looks and Lance mouths to the emo  'thank you', Keith just nods.

Keith wasn't really surprised that Lance didn't tell his friends that he smokes, but on the other side, he was surprised that he didn't really trust them. 

Maybe Lance did trust them, but he didn't want to get judged? Most likely. After all being judged by your close friends hurts, like a lot. Keith knows.

Keith's past wasn't the best. In fact he wishes he could forget, just the scars on his arms and tights won't let him. No big deal, he is already used to them. Maybe. He still hides them.

Not that he is in a deep depressing hole. Shiro helped him a lot, and Shiro's parents of course. In fact, Keith is really thankful. 

When Shiro first noticed the boys cuts, Keith told him not to tell anyone. Shiro did in fact tell his parents, not that he is a snitch. He just knew, if he didn't tell his parents, Keith wouldn't get professional help and could get worse, and that's the last thing he wanted for his half brother. He truly cares for him.

Keith was thankful after he got help. He realized that if Shiro didn't tell, he wouldn't get better. After that, let's just call it, situation, Keith always listened to Shiro. Until he met Lotor. 

Lotor- he is a complete different story, and not for now to tell.

"Wait, so you don't have any friends?" Hunk asks, after maybe half an hour just talking about nothing and everything with his friends and Keith.

Keith shrugs "I guess. I sometimes hang out with Shiro and his friends" everyone stays silent "B-but i don't need friends, I did good without them before, and can continue now without them too" he tries to smile, what he also managed to do, it was just an awkward smile

"Nonsense" Hunk protest "Everyone needs friends at some point. You will lose yourself at some point, if you keep on being alone" 

"What, no really, I'll be okay" Keith scratches his neck "Besides, who even wants to be friends with an outsider, especially if I'm an emo?"

Hunk raises a brow "Just because you're an outsider, it doesn't mean that no one wants to be friends with you. After also outsiders. Allura was just with Lance in a relationship, because they once started something on summer break and Allura didn't know Lance went to the same school. But they dated until a couple days ago"

Keith raises a brow and looks at Lance "Like a summer fling thing?" Lance nods awkwardly

"However Keith" Hunk starts "We are friends now" he crosses his arms

"But-" 

Pidge cuts him off "You cannot argue with him. Once he says you are friends, there is no escaping" 

Keith shuts his mouth and looks back at Hunk and smiles at him. this time the smile was normal, as normal as Keith's smiles can be.

"So you're really an emo?" Lance asks

Keith hums "Maybe something between emo, punk, goth, and grunge?"

"So a rebellious type. You break rules and stuff" Pidge says

"Not that I always break rules. I just don't fit in. And I don't like being controlled by the system, you know, I rather be free. Also I don't say that everything is okay. I know it's not, but I know that I can make it, you understand. I'm just against the system they try to control me by" 

Lance looks confused "What d you mean 'controlled by the system'?" 

Keith sighs and starts to explain "Society wants you to fit in. The adults control you, they made the system, they are the system, and they want you to not stand out. They don't want you to be free. They stress you so you can sit in an office your whole life and make a lot of money. They don't give you freedom, and they don't let you be who you are, and I don't like it. So i do what I want" 

"You are angry?" Pidge asks

"Well that too. But being punk isn't always being angry. Of course you are angry of all that bullshit, but you are nice. Just because we want to be free, doesn't mean that we are some criminals. The system is shit, we want to change it"

Pidge, Hunk, and Lance look at him and stay silent "W-well, something like that" Keith says a little quieter

"Dude" Lance starts, and Keith looks at him "That was fucking amazing. I thought punk was dead" 

"Punk is not dead, just tired of your bullshit" 

The three were take aback. Keith is usually quite, and now he just spoke up for all the punks, emos and in general alternative kids. 

It was amazing. Society really has a false idea of the teens.

After lunch break was over, the four went back on the school ground and to their next lessons. 

They bored themselves through the last hours of school and then went home. Pidge, Hunk, and Lance with amazement of punk kids, and Keith with new friends. They were all happy for the day.

They probably learned more in that day from Keith, that in school they went for many many years.

They all went with a good feeling home. And actually looking forward for the next day so they can see each other. 

Keith actually hopes, this friendship will  be really string and will last for long. the three a really good people and are understanding. 

He thought that they would judge him for being emo, punk, whatever. But they were amazed, and he was happy. So what is he doing when he's happy? He tells Shiro about it.

Shiro loves to see his brother happy. And he would do anything for Keith's happiness.