[For Sam] Urban Fantasy AU

[lonered]

Keith can't get the image out of his mind -- the tall, striking man with the strangely two-colored hair and the eyes the clear and endless gray of the sky after a storm, caught in the light of the full moon, like the entire world is about to glow with it. It's almost a memory, he thinks, and that's why he can't let it go. He's never had a memory of his lost time before.

It doesn't make any sense. Why this man? He's seen him before, of course, around town. He's rather hard to forget. But this is something more than that, something more than a strange and inconsequential dream cobbled together from pieces of his subconscious and an attractive stranger. It has to be more. Whenever he dreams, after all, he only dreams of running, of the night air and the scent of the woods and the moonlight spilling over the world.

It's the first lead that he's had, and it's in this strange town that he can't seem to make himself leave. Keith doesn't know exactly how he's going to find this man, and the only plan he has is to keep an eye out. But life and luck are kind today, and in the coffee shop, just as he turns from paying for his caffeine, he finds himself staring at the man walking through the front door.

Violet eyes snap wide, and for a long moment Keith can't do much else but stare. He's still staring when the barista is calling his name with his drink. He turns to gather up his coffee, holding the cup and going back to staring at this man, as if he's trying to decide how to best approach him that won't immediately chase him off. 'I had a dream about you and the moon.' would probably make him sound crazy.

But he has to say something. He needs to put answers to this. The fugues, the lost time with no memories, waking up in places he doesn't expect, or waking in his bed somehow more exhausted than when he went to sleep, it's been growing worse lately. He needs answers before it drives him crazy.

So for now he just stares.

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[lonered]

Keith settles in and then leans closer, quite into Shiro's personal space. Ostensibly, it's to see the i-pad, but the truth of the matter is, he's caught in the other werewolf's presence, some magnetism that wants to draw him in. He doesn't feel like fighting it right now either. This is the first time he's felt at ease, felt like he might be somewhere he could belong in as long as he remembers

His eyes follow the route on the screen, reaching out to tap a fingernail at one point. "This is where I've been staying. ...are you what my friend keeps barking at?" Keith's pet wolf has clearly figured things out long before Keith has managed to put them together. But somehow that sounds about right. He watches as the route changes, eyes tracing the path through the woods. "Yeah. I know what you mean. I like the woods," he agrees. "It's quieter, away from the city." He's always been drawn into those quiet natural spaces, always felt less boxed in. Less trapped.

Keith smiles, a remarkably open and happy expression. "Looking forward to it."

[spaceforged]

His shoulder makes contact with Keith's as his eyes widen. "That's where you're..." Shiro looks again at the map. He'd always stopped there during patrol and looked up at the moon overhead. It had felt like his feet always carried him there at one point or another during a run. As if he were being pulled by a tie he couldn't understand. It had been one of the few points of agreement between himself and his wolf side.

He'd stand there for a few minutes with his eyes on the heavens and then the barking would start and he'd be away, running through the city and into the shadows. "I probably am." He admits at last caught by Keith's gaze. He's beautiful this alpha werewolf.

Beautiful inside and out. He smiles back, open and relaxed. "I'm glad I get to be there for your first run." Maybe Keith had seen glimpses of him when he ran on, disappearing into the shadows and into the feel of running. It's a nice thought. It's enough for a little while he forgets he's a monster. "It's peaceful in the woods and wide open."

He glances at how many boxes of food are left and adds, "Want to stay out there when we get there? I'm not expected back for a while." He tries not to sound so hopefully about it despite how much whining his wolf side wants to do.

[lonered]

Keith can't help a smile at that. He's oblivious to Shiro's thoughts, knows nothing about the other man stopping at that spot. But it does explain why his wolf-friend, who has never been one to make much fuss about anything, has been barking up a storm around the same time every night since he's made it to town.

And he kind of likes the idea of Shiro having been nearby before their paths finally crossed fully today. It feels right, and that thought alone is enough to startle Keith out of his thoughts. He's letting himself feel at home here, like he's found his place, and shouldn't that be terrifying?

It isn't though, not when Shiro is smiling at him like that. "I can't wait," he agrees, and he means it.

He perks up at the next suggestion. "Yeah. Can we? That sounds great." Keith and his wolf side are in full agreement on this point.

[spaceforged]

That smile is dangerous. It makes him feel...like he's known Keith for a lot longer than a day. "We can." He finds it odd how in line he and his wolf are today. Normally they don't sing in unison. He resists the things that make him a monster. The wolf insists they're not. They just are.

His memories say something else. He puts that aside and taps the ipad screen. A map of the forest and the trails through it light up in soft purple. "We can explore it if you'd like. I know the paths...but I haven't really gone looking beyond them." But Keith might want to. Keith who seems so blended together he and his wolf. Or at least...more in harmony than most he's ever seen.

To think he only became aware of the wolf so recently. Shiro pulls another box of Hunk's food close to him. "Do you have any other questions?" Likely not one about his metal arm. He wouldn't lie about how it came to be. But he wouldn't give the details either.

[lonered]

Shiro isn't the only one who feels that way, an odd sense of familiarity and comfort that he shouldn't be feeling with someone he's only just met. He puts the thoughts aside for now and turns his attention to the screen.

He wants to. He wants to explore every inch of this place, learn it and know it and make it his. That sudden thought has him blinking, and he shakes his head for a moment. But he does admit, "We'll need to go beyond. I need to see... all of it. I'm not sure why, but I do."

This werewolf thing is all new to him. He has so many questions. But instead, what he asks is, "You live here alone? No... girlfriend?"

[spaceforged]

He opens his mouth to ask a question and shuts it. Shiro keeps his gaze on the ipad screen. He doesn't want to see Keith's face if...he doesn't accept what he's about to hear. "Yes, I'm alone. Things didn't go well with my last boyfriend. My wolf didn't accept him and he..." He trails off and shakes his head.

Thinking about Adam still hurts. It's been two years but sometimes wonders if Adam would accept a werewolf. Deep down he knows he wouldn't. He wanted stability and he can't give him that. Nor does he want to. Realizing that hurts more than losing Adam does. His throat feels dry. "We'll go over the whole forest. Sometimes our wolf side needs something...it's a good idea to listen to it. Do you want anything to drink?" He gets up, leaving the ipad where it is. "I'm going to get some water."

He needs a moment.

[lonered]

"I'm sorry," Keith answers, voice quiet, hand settling lightly against Shiro's shoulder, just briefly. He shouldn't have asked, maybe. But that's not really what the sorry is for, it's a regret over the hurt he hears in Shiro's voice. He's a good man. Keith is certain of that much, knows it through the entirety of him.

He sits back as Shiro stands though, shaking his head. "I'm all right, thanks." Nothing he needs, but he'll give Shiro the time that he needs.

Instead he reaches for the ipad to look at the route again through the woods.

[spaceforged]

The route through the woods cuts right into the heart of them like a slash of a blade. Shiro takes a moment to pour himself a glass of water in the kitchen and drain it. Keith had only said he was sorry. It's surprising. Keith is a newer werewolf like he is. Coran had warned him gay werewolves are rare and most won't accept him.

It's the older wolves, he'd said. They grew up in eras where being gay was akin to a sin. Coran had flown under the radar for years but then he's bisexual so it was a little easier to hide. He drains a second glass and pours a third. He returns to sit down beside Keith and sighs. "Sorry. It was before I was turned so," He shrugs.

"Anyway, talk to me. What is your wolf side telling you about the forest."

[lonered]

And there goes the prettiest man he's ever met in his life. Well. Swing and a bit of a miss, but Keith focuses on the path on the screen in front of him now, tracing his finger along it. He has no idea about werewolf society, so there's no way he could know about what's on Shiro's mind.

He shifts a bit as Shiro comes to sit down once more.

A quick shake of his head. "Nothing to apologize for." He offers a smile and holds the ipad out. "It's telling me we need to go farther, just up North." Keith's wolf has decided on where his territory begins and ends apparently.

[spaceforged]

Shiro takes the map and their hands brush against each other. He lingers in it just a little longer than necessary as he peers at the ipad. He moves the view out a bit. "Then up north is where we'll go." His heart thuds a little faster in his chest. Nothing to apologize for. Could Keith get any better as an Alpha for this pack? He has no idea but the small bit of tension he'd felt eases away.

He gives Keith a small smile of his own. "...so, what about you? You just live with your friend? ...no partner in your life?" Subtle, Shiro. Real subtle.

[lonered]

Their fingers brush and Keith has to actually take a breath because of the little rush of warmth it sends through him. Okay. Reel it in. He forces himself to focus on the screen once more, though his gaze keeps darting to catch Shiro's face out the corner of his eye.

He sees that smile, and an answering one of his own starts over his face before the words register. Oh. Well... well he asked, so of course Shiro's asking. That's all. That must be all.

Keith shakes his head. "No, no one. I guess I've always been a--" he pauses before, well, laughing. Sorry. He holds up a hand. "I was going to say a lone wolf, but that feels a little too on the nose now. But no, no partner. No girlfriend. No boyfriend." If he's being honest, barely any friend friends, but that's not the point here.

[spaceforged]

He nods and looks over at him. Every time he looks at him he feels comfortable. It's the oddest thing. He's never experienced this before. "Well, Keith. You're not alone now. And you didn't need to apologize before. It was bound to come up eventually,"

Shiro gently lays a hand on Keith's shoulder. "I'm okay. It just still hurts sometimes." It felt like he needed Keith to know that. "I'm long over him. Just not...the fact I am." That was really personal but it feels right too. "Anyway, he's the past. This is now." He pauses, pushing all his baggage aside then faces Keith with a thoughtful expression. "Lone wolves are real to our...I guess existence. I only know a little. Coran is...ancient. He could tell you a lot more about it all."

He pulls up a picture of the entire pack and taps the ginger-haired man at the back. He looks older than the rest of them especially when one looks in the eyes but there's a life there sparking within. "That's him. ...he has probably seen other born werewolves. We could arrange a meeting with him before the pack gathering. If you'd want that."

[lonered]

Not alone now. It's still a startling thought. Keith smiles as that hand lands on his shoulder. He wants to say something, but there aren't words. Pain lingers even when the cause of that pain is in the past. Shiro is over this ex, but Keith can understand that hurt still lingering.

But. This is now, Shiro says. And it is, isn't it? This is now for Keith too. He doesn't have to be the loner any longer, does he?

"I want to meet everyone. However you think that's best." He is fully aware he will need to talk to Lance, a fact that the wolf inside him is already eager to do.

[spaceforged]

He chews on that thought. Keith is trusting his judgment. It makes him feel like he's an equal at the top of the pack. Well, he supposes he is. Shiro nods slowly. "We should meet with Coran tomorrow when we get back. He could tell you a lot more than I can. Technically, I'm the newest of the Pack. The rest have been werewolves for far longer than me."

Keith isn't alone in learning the waters of being a werewolf. He takes out his phone and fires off a short text. He sets his phone down and turns the volume off. The phone vibrates six texts in rapid succession then four more. "He'll be texting back for a while then I'll read what he says." Old wolves. He pauses for a moment then sighs.

"He's a few hundred years old. Sometimes he gets a little...long winded." He doesn't mind it but some try to get a word in edge wise before Coran finishes. Fools.

[lonered]

Of course Shiro is his equal. Right now Shiro is the first and only person to reach out to him and to make the world make sense in a way that Keith never knew it could. He's also beautiful. And his cat likes Keith, so really.

"Well, you're the veteran between you and me. I may have been born like this, but I didn't have a word for it until a few hours ago." It hadn't been something real, just a secret that he's kept from himself and from the world. He's never felt so complete in his life.

Keith finds himself blinking as Shiro's phone starts going off, unable to hold back a grin. "Noted. I guess he's like that in person too?" Good to know ahead of time.

[spaceforged]

"Yep." The phone stops vibrating. He scans through the text and claims the gist of the words. Coran had not only known Keith is a werewolf but been waiting for them to cross paths. "Do you know of the bookstore off Farthing street just past the bus station on the northeast side?" He might.

It's a short trip off the college campus.

[lonered]

"Yeah, I've dropped in before." Bookstores, particularly small ones, were good places to learn about whatever town he'd rolled through. People were willing to talk, and there was usually at least one long-time employee who enjoyed sharing the local history -- and sometimes a great deal of who's who of famous folk who called the town home or once at the local diner, which tends to be less useful, but not something he minded hearing about.

But he'd only been the once, so what were the chances he'd have run into the person who just near literally tried to blow up Shiro's phone by maxing out its text receiving capacity.

[spaceforged]

He nods once. Coran’s bookstore only ever has Coran. For some reason no one has ever realized he has been there for hundreds of years. Coran has said it was his magic.

Shiro wants nothing to do with magic. But if it keeps Coran safe. “All I did was mention your name. He recognizes you. You left a decent impression on him.” He waits for that to sink in. “It wasn’t just your looks. He knew you were a werewolf that has no idea he was one. According to what he’s saying...he was waiting for us to cross paths.”

He isn’t pleased with that but he has never restrained Coran or demanded constant reports. “We can go down there in a few hours and talk to him.” It would give them time to be alon- internally he pauses. He has never wanted someone to be here with him in his safest place for as long as they would stay. “He says something here about pulling records of other born werewolves.”

[lonered]

Wasn't just his looks? Keith is curious about that, but he doesn't question that. Instead he's too busy being surprised by that. "So he knew what I was and just... hoped we'd run into each other?"

Well. Obviously they had, so maybe this older guy knew something... somehow.

"Yeah, okay." His thoughts have found themselves in an unconscious parallel of Shiro's. Does that mean he has a little more time with having Shiro to himself? He catches himself mid-thought and has to fight back a flush. He's not usually like this.

"It means one of my parents was a werewolf, right? I mean, Dad wasn't. I know he wasn't." Looking back, with the new knowledge of what he is, his wolf can confirm that for certain.

[spaceforged]

"Yes, that's what it means. Which is..." He trails off. Does he want to explain this? No. "We live for centuries, Keith. Do you know if she's-" He trails off and grips Keith's shoulder.

He doesn't want to be the bearer of any kind of terrible news. But, "...if you don't know. We live for a long time. She could still be alive."

[lonered]

For centuries. That's news to Keith and his eyes widen. But even if that weren't true. It'd been only a couple decades since his mother left. She could feasibly still be alive. He's always known that, but this certainly underscores it.

He looks up to Shiro, trying very hard to hide the old hurt that wants to surface in his gaze, before shrugging. "I don't know. I never met her. She left when I was a baby. I don't know why, and I don't know where she went." All he knows is that she left. His father never wanted to talk about his mother, not really, not specifically. He'd told Keith that his mother loved him, loved both of them, and that she left to keep them safe. He's always wanted to believe that, but the only thing he's ever really known was that she was gone.

[spaceforged]

He clamps down on the urge to let his wolf soothe away the hurt he can imagine exists in Keith. Pain is pain. Sometimes one has to live with it. "If you know her name we can search based around that. Some wolves don't change their name down through the years." He squeezes Keith's shoulder. He doesn't dare offer more than this.

"...and as an Alpha with a pack. You'll have official status in our world. You'll be known to other werewolves. She or someone who knows her might realize who you are." They might come to see. Born werewolves are so rare. More legend than truth, or at least, that's what he thought until he met this man.

"Pidge is the best hacker I've ever met. We could sic her on this too. It's up to you."

[lonered]

Keith hesitates for a moment, half at the thought of actually finding his mother and half at the idea of being an Alpha. It's a lot. But... it's still right. This is the first time he's felt like he's finally found the right path to walk.

He watches Shiro for a few seconds longer before nodding. Maybe it's time to look for the answers. "I never knew her surname. But dad called her Krolia. And..."

He reaches inside his jacket to draw a dagger, holding it out towards Shiro. "This was hers."

[spaceforged]

He stares at the daggar. The shape of the hilt looks almost familiar. But he's seen a lot of blades in the fragmented memories of his. But Coran has various ancient texts in his shop including books he never lets the public see. He nods once. "I don't know the name. But, we'll see what we can find out."

Keith's shoulder is warm under his hand. He forces himself to let go. "We will find her. For now...why don't I teach you how to shift without your wolf doing it for you?"

[lonered]

"Thank you," he murmurs, and he means it. He's only met Shiro, and this other man -- this other wolf -- is already doing so much for him, has already given him answers that he never even dreamed of having. Things are starting to make sense for him, and it's the first time in his life that's happened. It's warm and terrifying and good and exciting.

He sits up straighter as Shiro's hand leaves his shoulder (and already he misses the warmth of it, which is strange; he's never been a big one for touch) and nods. "Yeah. That's... something I should know. I want to learn."