Rekindling- Pico x Keith/BF

[not too happy with how this chapter turned out...oh well. sorry about the messed up update schedule, things with school have been really stressful lately 😅 for this story i have a clear plot planned out though, so it won't be abandoned! no worries :] and yes, i have taken it upon myself to decide that pico is a big worrywart and protective over people he cares about. i hope you all enjoy this chapter, we get some keico fluff with a dash of typos because i didn't want to edit this to go with it <3]

If there was anything Keith had been expecting to come out of this day, he could say for sure that it hadn't been to find a distressed looking Pico just as he was making his way home.

It had surprised his companion just as much as him, it seemed, to come face to face out of nowhere. Pico looked worried, annoyance tinging his features and tightening his shoulders into a hard line as he'd whipped around with clenched fists at the ready. However, upon seeing Keith, his muscles had immediately loosened in surprise, eyes widening and lips pulling into an 'o' shape that made him look much younger than he was. The shadows cast by the clouds overhead had made it difficult to make out the others figure at first, but now he could clearly see the telltale hunched stance and wild curls of Pico. He could see something sticking out of Pico's pocket, unprotected by his lopsided parka. Once he got over his initial shock, Keith stepped forward, ready to ask the other boy why he was here, when a warm, calloused hand gripped his wrist.

Truth was, Keith hadn't by any means meant to stay out this late. If anything, he'd been lucky he hadn't been abducted with how secluded the park he'd been in was. It seemed, at some point, laying with his spine resting against the trees and legs crossed in an effort to conserve as much warmth as possible, he'd fallen asleep. It wasn't something particularly unusual considering his...odd sleeping habits. After all, a lifetime of insomnia made people more willing to rest in unconventional places. Keith had woken up to the staticky pinpricks on his limbs from being stiff for too long, back aching and the crick in his neck even worse. At first he'd looked around in bewildered confusion, puzzled as to where he was and how it had gotten so dark, when he'd remembered just why he'd come to the park in the first place. With a resigned shrug of his shoulders and paranoid glance at his surroundings, Keith had taken it upon himself to go home before he managed to get mugged on top of everything else happening to him.

Keith had been only a few blocks away from his apartment when he'd, as aforementioned, came across Pico. The fingers around his wrist tightened ever so slightly when he jerked at the sudden contact, pupils darting up to meet Pico's. The boy's pale eyes were blown wide, mouth now drawn tight with concern. The furrow of his brow held an expression that Keith couldn't quite place. The abnormal touch felt reverent and surprisingly gentle, as if the ginger was admitting to something by doing so. For a moment, they simply stared at each other, Pico's molten gaze conveying much more emotion than Keith could decipher, before he stumbled forward as a quick tug pulled him closer to Pico's body. Warm hands gripped his shoulders, his friend's strange expression morphing into one of determined worry as he gave Keith a quick glance over, brushing some of the dry leaves that still clung to his back in an almost nonchalant gesture. Once it seemed he was done with his examination, which although short had left Keith in a state of shock, he stepped back with relief gracing his face for a moment before it was replaced with begrudging irritation.

"What in the world are ya doin' outside this late? I was lookin' everywhere for you!" Keith did his best not to dwell on the last part of that sentence before he got over his surprise and quipped back. "I could ask you the same thing. Besides, it's not that late, is it?" He knew it was dark, but it couldn't have been more than an hour or two since he'd come to the park. By the way Pico's shoulders drew up in defense, it seemed his assumptions were correct. Leaning back casually in an attempt to alleviate his previous bumbling, Keith let a slow smirk spread across his face. "What, were you worried about me?" He teased. Pico's face immediately turned bright red as he sputtered, before aggressively shoving something into Keith's arms. "Y-ye can take care of yerself. I only came to give this to you," Keith didn't even have time to take any more than a quick look at it before he was being tugged by the elbow towards his apartment. Choking out a few words of protest, Keith ultimately decided he might as well just wait for Pico to explain when he was ready. It appeared they were headed towards the same place anyways.