Inhibition

The Next Day

"Hmph."

"R-right! Well, I hear that eating light food helps a little! With the headache, you know. Or you could ignore me. That's fine, too."

Again, the trio waited until Keith headed off down the hallway, then followed behind at a distance.

"Is this behavior normal after drinking alcohol?" Allura asked.

"Yeah, it's a hangover," Pidge supplied. "My dad says it feels like your head's getting pounded in by a hammer and your mouth tastes like you washed it out with sand. Not that I ever saw my dad drunk."

"Have you not felt it yourself?"

"What? Of course not!" Hunk interrupted, waving his hands. "We're too young. Keith's too young. We'd get in serious trouble if this happened back at the garrison. You're not allowed to drink alcohol until you're twenty-one years old."

"Then how old is Keith?"

"Not twenty-one!"

"Shhh, guys, I think Lance is in the kitchen!" urged Pidge, and they all fell silent as they excitedly looked around the corner to watch the inevitable drama play out.

But Keith turned around first, seeing Pidge, since the others had ducked around the corner in time.

"Pidge, are you following me?"

"Huh? Who? Me? No! I'm... on my way to go help with repairs," she blurted, stepping out into the hallway. She began brisquely walking by, mainly to make sure that Lance was, in fact, in the kitchen. Then she stopped, her curiosity overflowing. "Soooo... how you feeling, Keith?"

Keith didn't answer, just grunted and turned back to the kitchen. Pidge used the opportunity to run back to their hiding spot, just as Lance came out of the doorway of the kitchen, holding a tray of Hunk's specially-made post-hangover food, almost running into Keith.

"Oh... you're awake."

The trio watched as Keith's face went from hangover-pale to a red that rivaled the color of his lion.

"Oh yes. He remembers," Allura remarked smugly, followed immediately by Pidge groaning in disappointment and handing Hunk a ten-dollar bill.

Keith backed up quickly, stammering, "I-um... I'm gonna go fight with the gladiator. Training-- yeah, training. Maybe I c-can exercise the headache off." And then he quickly ran off down the hallway, his face still radiating heat.

"Hey, wait, aren't you gonna eat?" Lance called after him. "Hunk made this stuff for you, you know! Keith?!"

~~~~~

**Coran**

The door opened again, and Lance walked in once more, this time holding a plate of food and looking mystified, if a bit hurt. Coran also noticed that he was no longer wearing the face mask.

"Hey Coran, what exactly was in that weird juice you gave Keith?"

"Pidge says it's just something you Earthlings call alcohol. Should be alright in a while, but he might not remember anything that happened yesterday. It might be best that way, if he forgets that he confessed to you and all that."

"I don't know if he would... wait, how do you know about that?"

Coran whitened, turning around with an "oh quiznak" look on his face, stumbling over his words. "Well-- it wasn't my idea, you see... Allura just loves gossip, and..."

Just then the doors slid open, dumping Hunk, Pidge, and Allura into the room with a collective "OOF!"

They all got to their feet, looking guiltily everywhere around the room except at Lance.