#use that big brain of yours and do some of those amazing tackles we’ve al seen you do

[friedrice15]

[hybridfanfiction]

Lost In The Echo - 1

Pairing: Keith x Labrador hybrid Lance

Summary: After his brother went MIA, Keith’s life began to fall apart. He dropped out of high school and got a job, barely doing enough for himself to survive. He’s reached the point where even he is worried about how far he’s fallen into the depths of his depression. After learning about emotional support hybrids, he takes a chance and adopts a Lab hybrid named Lance. 

Word Count: 2567

Requested

The apartment door banged loudly as Keith kicked it closed, not even bothering to lock it since he had nothing for anyone to steal anyway. He tossed his bike helmet onto the couch and slumped into the opposite seat with a relieved sigh. 

Today had been yet another long and tedious day filled with nothingness. He’d even volunteered to work longer at the machine shop and had put in a whole twelve hours just to have something to fill his time. And now he was back in his crappy apartment that was just as empty as he was, save for the overloaded trash can filled with takeout boxes and a sink full of dishes he was never motivated enough to wash. The mess annoyed the hell out of him, sure, but the effort it would take to gather up the remnants of energy he had left to clean seemed impossible. Takashi would kick his ass if he saw this place...

Instead, he stretched out fully on the couch and put some documentary on that he barely paid attention to in order to fill the silence and ordered some dinner off of his favorite app. He figured at some point he should take a shower and get the smell of the shop off of him, but that seemed like too much work at the moment. He lounged on the couch for the full thirty minutes he had to wait for his food, moving only to kick off his shoes. 

When the doorbell rang he sighed wearily, wincing as his bones cracked as he stood. He slowly hobbled to the doorway and cracked it open, intending to simply reach his hand out for the bag and scurry back inside like the antisocial raccoon he was. 

“Special delivery for Gerard Way if he had a mullet and shrunk three inches?” 

Keith scrunched his nose as he realized the amused voice was familiar and poked his head out, widening his eyes as he took in the grinning delivery person. 

“Hunk?”

“Hey man! Long time no see, huh? I saw your name on the order form and couldn’t resist making the delivery myself. You were our last order of the night anyway.” 

Keith pulled the door open all the way and peered up at him. 

“Jesus, did you get even taller? And are those real muscles? Dude.” 

Hunk holds up the bags that looked like they had a lot more than what he actually ordered, flexing shamelessly. 

“I know, right? The last time you saw me was in high school when I was still ninety percent taco, but I’ve been working out for actual fun these days. And you! I took a chance you’d still have the mullet when I made that joke, glad it worked out.” 

Keith rolled his eyes as he ruffled said hair nervously. 

“It just grows that way, you know that.” 

“So you’ve always said. Man, I missed you. A lot of us tried to find you these past few of years, but you seemed to just vanish and don’t even use social media. How are things? Hold up, let me get your food setup here.” 

Hunk just walked right past Keith into his apartment and placed the bags on the coffee table. He muttered to himself as he set out multiple fantastic smelling containers, and Keith took a moment to glance around for anything too shameful while Hunk was distracted. 

He was embarrassed by the stark emptiness of the place, as he only bought the bare essentials, but he knew Hunk was too nice to actually say anything about it. Mostly it was just the trash-filled kitchen and the fact that it was obvious he usually just slept on the couch that had him worried. 

“So you work at Sal’s, huh?” 

“Co-own it actually, along with being the head chef. Except on the weekends when I volunteer at Hybrid Haven with Katie.”

Keith was impressed but wasn’t all that surprised. He’d known Hunk would do well for himself even back in high school. He was just a nice guy all the way to his core and got along with everyone, unlike Keith who liked five living beings and two of them were dogs. 

“So Pidgeotto is still around too, huh?” 

“I forgot about that one,” Hunk snorts and sets the plastic bags off to the side. “Yeah, most of us are still around. Katie and Allura run Hybrid Haven together and Matt left the Army after...that...and is some software genius and built his own company. He tried to explain what it was for, but it went over even my head. And I studied to be an engineer!” 

Keith huffed a laugh and let Hunk pull him onto the couch, accepting the utensils he was handed. 

“What is all this, anyway? I just ordered a meatball sandwich.” 

“I know, but dude, this is my first chance to have you try my professional skills! I’m not going to pass that up. I’ve improved so much in the three years since you last tried something of mine. So I made you a sampler platter of our Italian favorites. Spaghetti alla carbonara, Manicotti, Risotto, Fritto misto, and of course a nice big order of meatballs since that’s what you actually asked for. Oh, and there’s breadsticks. And tiramisu for dessert.” 

“God, everything smells amazing,” Keith moaned as he opened the first container. 

“Good. Eat up, you look like you’re skin and bones.” 

Keith huffed a laugh, then practically shoved what he guessed was the carbonara into his mouth. It was so rich and the noodles perfectly al dente, even with them being delivered. It had been a long time since Keith had actually appreciated food, usually just eating what he felt he could tolerate at the moment so he’d stay alive. But a combination of wanting to please Hunk who was watching his every bite and the knowledge that Hunk’s food was always amazing led to genuine enjoyment of the meal. He eyed the number of containers and wondered if Hunk would expect him to eat it all now or if he’d be able to stretch them out for a few days. 

“You know, now that I’m looking at you, you seem like you’re sick. Is that why you ordered takeout? I should have brought my soup too,” Hunk frowns and lays a massive hand on Keith’s forehead, trying to gauge his temperature. 

“I’m not sick. Just tired. Long day, you know?” 

Hunk didn’t look convinced, his gaze sharpening as he looked Keith up and down deliberately then moved to give his actual apartment the same treatment. Keith felt like an ant under a microscope, knowing that Hunk’s often overlooked brain was seeing everything. 

Hunk sighed and pat Keith on the head like a damn dog as he stood up and headed towards the kitchen. 

“Don’t move a muscle, no matter what. I want you to stay there and eat. I’m beginning to suspect that’s the first decent meal you’ve had in three years.” 

Keith’s shame was almost overwhelming because Hunk was grabbing a garbage bag and collecting the overflowing trash that Keith had merely watched grow into a massive pile. He tried to protest, but a sharp look from Hunk told him it was pointless and he’d continued shoveling food down his throat instead. 

He was midway through the huge foil tin of Manicotti and listening to Hunk hum to himself as he washed Keith’s dishes when the exhaustion finally caught up to him. His belly was full of delicious food and he was comfortable, laying his head back against the couch and promising he was just going to close his eyes for a second because it hurt to keep them open...

The sun was just beginning to filter through his blinds when he woke up. His apartment was silent except for the gentle hum of the dryer, meaning Hunk had even tackled Keith’s toxic pile of dirty laundry and apparently had been here all night doing so. He was ashamed that his old friend had seen what a mess he was these days, but he was touched and humbled that he’d gone out of his way like this. 

Keith stretched and cracked his neck before standing, realizing his body was more rested than it had been in a while. He didn’t know if it was the food or just having another presence in the place that had helped. 

He yawned and padded towards the kitchen, hoping that Hunk had stashed the leftovers in there. He swung the door open and grinned when he spotted the containers, pulling out the meatballs to make a cold sandwich. He could only imagine the shock on Hunk’s face when he’d opened the fridge and found only water and ketchup. 

Keith split open a couple of rolls that Hunk had included with his order and filled them full to bursting with meatballs, suddenly ravenous. He even put them on a plate now that he had some clean dishes. He took a huge bite and chewed happily on his way back to the couch, setting his plate down and searching for the remote and clicking the TV on, pausing as he realized there was a note taped to the front of it. 

He jumped back up and pulled it off, reading as he slumped back into his seat. 

Keith, 

I have to head home before my girlfriend worries too much (her name is Shay! I can’t wait for you to meet her). I am so happy that you ordered from my place today. I know that you are probably all kinds of embarrassed right now, but I seriously missed you. I know it’s probably been hard since Shiro went missing. We all loved him, but you worshipped him. Your brother was one of the greatest people I’ve ever met and I know he’d feel horrible if he came back and saw how much you were hurting. 

I’m sorry for upsetting you if you think I overstepped today, but I’m not sorry I did it. You needed some looking after and I was happy to do it. We’ve all been worried sick about you since you left. Matt says he has nightmares sometimes of Shiro coming back and he has to explain that he lost his little brother. 

I know you like to think it sometimes, but you’re really not alone. If you’d let us back into your life, we’d love to be there. You were never just another high school friend to us, Keith. You are family. Family that we’ve missed terribly. 

As your family, I’m just going to say it. I think you’ve been letting your depression win, bud. The Keith I know is a fighter and right now I think you’re facing your strongest opponent and letting it take over. Please let us help you and be there for you. There’s no shame in asking for help. 

I also have another friend that I’d like you to meet. You know how I said we all work with Hybrid Haven? Allura started a program a few years ago training emotional support hybrids. We mainly adopt them out to military vets dealing with PTSD, but I think it would be a good match for you too. There is one, in particular, I have in mind for you. He’s kinda your polar opposite in a lot of ways, but I think it would be good for you. 

Just head to the Haven if you decide to go through with it and Katie will probably be at the counter. Tell her you’re there for Lance. She’ll probably be so happy to see you she’ll waive the adoption fee...after she says a few choice words to you. You know how she is, don’t take it to heart. She just missed you and she’s kinda like you in that emotions make her angry. 

If you still want to talk to me even after I’ve butted my big head into your business, I’ll write my number under this. If you don’t, that’s fine too. Although I’ll probably cry. Don’t make me cry, Keith. 

-Hunk

Keith snorted as he read the last line, then programmed the number into his phone. When he’d disappeared after Takashi went missing, he hadn’t been in a good place. He’d spent every waking moment trying to convince anyone that would listen that his brother was still alive and needing to be rescued. The Army has brushed him off, telling him they were sorry for his loss and that Takashi had been a good soldier, but there was nothing else to be done. 

Their parents had died when Keith was too young to remember them well and Takashi had raised him after that. He’d been Keith’s entire world and his hero. They’d moved around from base to base until Keith had hit high school and demanded to stay in one school for the entire time. He’d gotten his wish and had stayed there with the same group of friends until he was almost eighteen and a few months away from graduating. Until the soldiers had come to their home holding a flag and a generic letter of condolence. After that, high school had seemed meaningless and he had to find a job to support himself. He’d sold the home they'd been living in, unable to keep up the payments on his own. He’d then started his monotonous life of working at the machine shop and coming home to an empty apartment. 

He hadn’t really meant to ignore his friends from school, they just felt like they didn’t belong to him. They were friends with a different Keith that didn’t exist anymore, one that used to laugh and play. One that hadn’t felt like he was a waste of space just by existing. 

He looked at Hunk’s letter again, raising an eyebrow as he got to the part about the hybrid. He was familiar with the creatures, of course. The military had wolf hybrids and Keith remembered a few fondly from his years as an army brat. He remembered he’d even begged Takashi to adopt one years ago, but they hadn’t been as settled at the time so he’d said no. 

He glanced around his now clean apartment, taking in the clean kitchen and piles of folded clean laundry waiting in baskets. The place was still empty, but it was looking a little more homey after Hunk had his way with it. Keith sighed and let the idea churn in his head. 

He supposed it would be nice to come home to someone, even a hybrid. He’d have a reason to clean up after himself and keep the fridge stocked at the very least. And it would be nice to have Hunk and Pidge around again. 

But first, a shower.