Hello fellow K/A fans, are you ready for more fluffy bits that might give you cavities? Gotta love the sweet things!
Ch2: Precious
Takes place between the time where Lance awakes from his cryo-sleep after the events of the "Fall of the Castle of Lions" episode and before the ship takes off. Allura, Coran, and the crew are waiting for the ship to finish its warm up cycle before they take off to the Balmera.
They had survived their first near team-ending crisis.
Lance was back and pretty much himself once more after being injured from that fake Rover bomb. The fact that he hit on the Princess and gave Keith attitude convinced everyone that the Blue Lion pilot was functioning at his normal capacities.
Pidge, the savior of the day, recently disclosed girl and once more dedicated to the mission pilot, and Hunk, anxious to go save his friend, sat on the floor of the common room tinkering with an upgraded security protocol for Rover. The two half circle couches contained the array of parts and gadgetry; it was something to keep his mind off his friend and the castle's inability to take off just yet.
Shiro sat silently on one of the couches, reflecting on the events of the day prior. They certainly had let their guard down and paid the price for it. Next to him, Lance reclined on the cushions, one leg over the backrest, adding to the current topic of conversation.
"My mom's cooking…" Hunk said stopping his work and closing his eyes. "I'd never seen so much butter used in one place before when she cooked last year's Thanksgiving dinners. Delicious."
"Dinners?" Lance and Pidge both looked at the larger man, thinking they heard wrong.
"Well, I guess the love of food runs in the family… And well, that sounds great and all, but I bet my mom could cook circles around yours!" Lance boasted.
"That is so like you Lance," Pidge shook her head. "I think the next time we're on Earth we have a showdown. Battle of the Moms."
"You're on little girl!" Lance smirked.
"Hey, just because I'm shorter than you, doesn't mean I'm little. I saved your butt, remember?"
"Oh so you're checking out my butt, are you?" Lance's smirk turned into a sparkling one as he continued to fluster the youngest on their crew. "Not that I can blame you, I am irresistible; I can't be held responsible if all the ladies we encounter fall for me. First our illustrious Princess fell for my charms and now even the techie."
"What exactly have Pidge and I fallen for?" Allura asked as she entered the room where the group sat. Looking around at the five men, she noticed Keith sitting slightly further away from the group, a cloth in one hand, and his dagger in the other.
"Ah, Princess," Lance stammered as the others snickered at him. He sat up quickly and gave an attempt at his best innocent face. "Nothing much, we were just talking about family and things."
"You all must miss your families… I know I miss mine," she put her hands together and silently prayed for the souls she had lost.
"Have a seat Princess; we're trying to unwind a bit. You should join us. Unless we're ready to take off?" Hunk gave her a questioning smile; it wasn't a secret that he was anxious to get underway. After seeing her shake her head, he tried to keep a friendly smile. His gesture to the empty spot near Keith, had her eyes look around at each of them once more.
"Were all of you talking about your families?" She asked, taking a seat. Her eyes instantly drifted towards Keith, who still was not making much eye contact. Instead, it appeared he was satisfied with focusing on his dagger. It was an object that she had noticed a few times and still had yet to ask him about it.
"Well, we were," Lance spoke up, leaning closer towards the center of the room and looking at the princess who sat across from him on the other couch. "But Mr. Crabby pants there just keeps playing with his toy."
A dark look crossed Keith's face as Lance once more tried to aggravate him. It seemed to be a game the other pilot enjoyed. Most of the time Keith tried his best not to give in, other times the urge to enter the verbal sparring match won out. Deep down Keith knew that Lance chose to act this way mainly because, in a physical fight, the poor guy would not stand a chance.
"It's not a toy," he corrected the other and looked up to see several people looking at him. Their expressions appeared to be waiting for him to share. "I don't have anything to contribute; what do you expect from me?" Keith replied putting the rag down and sheathing the dagger.
"May I?" Allura asked slowly reaching out her hands towards Keith's treasured object.
Keith looked at Allura for a short moment and then gave her the dagger.
Hunk and Pidge returned to their tinkering as Lance, Shiro and Keith watched as Allura pulled the blade from its cover and examined it.
"It is well made. Do many Terrans carry such weapons?"
"Nah, just the weird ones." Lance scoffed and relaxed back into the couch.
"What was that, cargo pilot?" Keith was instantly ready to let the rage spill out.
"Cargo? Wha? Hell no, I'm a fighter pilot!"
"Only after I left."
"Kicked out, flunked, not good enough are the terms the Garrison used."
"The Garrison is full of shit!" Keith stood, letting the rage take over.
"Keith, that's enough." Shiro's voice stopped the younger man's top from blowing.
Letting out a breath, he crossed his arms and sank back into the cushions.
"I've been meaning to ask, are you both related? It's only you both have such a strong connection and bond. I've noticed it quite a bit actually." Her question caught many off guard in the room. Truth be told she felt a little afraid to ask them and after the outburst just now...
It was a lingering debate among the three active cadets as to the ties between their leader and the dropout. There were moments that Shiro's attentions appeared different, more understanding of Keith. Hunk and Pidge couldn't help but be pulled back into the conversation, anticipating the response.
"Not so much tied by blood, but Keith's been a part of my life for a while now," Shiro smiled looking at the man he had helped growing up. "And he's always had that dagger, I've seen him carry it ever since the first day we met."
Allura carefully handed Keith back his property, silently thanking him for letting her see it.
"It is beautifully crafted. Was it made on Earth?"
"I'm not... exactly sure," Keith sighed not wanting to talk, but figuring it was best to answer a few questions then be pestered later. "I think it belonged to my father or his family, but I don't recall its origin precisely. I just feel better when it's at my side."
"See what I told you, Princess? That's just grade-a weirdo material!" Lance chimed in, only to earn another look from Keith.
Before the two could continue their squabbles, Coran's voice sounded from the speakers.
"Princess, the main engine appears to be ready to go." The royal advisor spoke. "We can begin take off sequence at any time."
"Glad to hear it, Coran, I will be on the bridge shortly," Allura replied and stood up. "Well paladins, shall we?"
"Yes! Gonna free Shay and start giving it back to Zarkon!" Hunk exclaimed.
"Let's do this!" Lance added.
"Alright, calm down everyone. Let's suit up and meet on the bridge," Shiro directed, and the younger cadets all jumped up, making their way out of the room.
Keith and the Princess lingered behind a moment after the others left- both standing and looking at the dagger.
"Thank you for sharing," she smiled. "I know you are a very private person."
"It's hard to explain it Princess, but just know that I consider Shiro a lot more than just my brother. He saved a ten-year-old kid from a nightmarish existence and gave me a focal point in life. I was lost this last year without him, and I promise the galaxies that I will not fail him or you."
Allura smiled at the impassioned vow from the man before her. She knew that he would be a man of his word, and in some ways, a warm feeling filled her.
He had once asked how she stayed so positive, even among all this hardship, well, it helped to be surrounded by people willing to fight. Ready to join her in the battle. She wasn't alone either, and she knew it.
"I'll keep you to your word, Keith."
"Hey, what are you doing standing there?" And again, the pair's momentary reprieve ended, and reality entered back into the mix. "We gotta go save Shay!"
The pair nodded and sighed. Putting his precious, yet mysterious posession back on his belt, Keith motioned for Allura to lead.
With a smile, she began to walk, Keith following closely to her right.
You remain so interesting to me Keith Kogane, she thought to herself, I don't understand this power you have, but I do believe your words and in some way, they ease my troubles some... maybe once we have some time, I would like to know more about you.
And cue the rest of that episode :) Thanks for joining me, until we meet again!