Candy Apples
Ao3
Holing himself in his room became a force of habit after some time. He stopped needing human interaction in any way, shape or form. He was perfectly comfortable the way he is.
He was the Loner after all.
Keith didn’t realise at first that he re-adapted this mannerism after going back to Earth. His mother tried so hard to break his bad habits, succeeding with some of them, but his anti-socialness was something carved into him from years of experience.
He sat alone silently watching from the window. Lance and Hunk appeared a few times driving the Garrison issued car to and from the city. He knew how much everyone else missed their home planet with its sense of familiarity, but Keith couldn’t bring himself to relate. All he knew was pain and loneliness; I guess they are the same thing sometimes, Keith thought to himself.
The ex-Red Paladin was so deep in thought he didn’t notice another figure standing behind him. Shiro placed his hand on his shoulder, startling the younger male have to death.
“Shit!”
His Luxite blade was aim on Shiro’s neck in a matter of seconds. His steady hand faithful to his heart which was beating a million miles an hour.
“Woah! Don’t startle the zoned out Galra… Got it.” Shiro smiled as Keith brought his knife down and sat back down shifting to the side to give Shiro some space.
“Do I even have to ask?”
“I was thinking…”
“About?”
Keith thought for a few minutes before having the courage to answer. “My dad…”
There must’ve been something in his voice to sober the older male up. He sat straighter and turned to give Keith his undivided attention.
“I just remembered something we used to do together every year.” When Shiro didn’t interrupt, Keith took this as a sign to keep going with his memory. “There was this carnival every year, a few states over… it would take us literal hours to a day to get there, but we still would pack our stuff at the same date every year and get in his truck to go. It a tradition.”
“Was it the Colour Festival they have every year? The one with the big roller-coaster?”
“Yeah, that one.”
“I went there with Adam a few times… The last date we ever went on outside of Garrison was there.” He remembered Adam’s laugh at him when a clown came from behind him to tickle his side and Shiro jumped up so high and shrieked so loud, he scared the crap out of the nearby children. Shiro’s fear of clowns was Adam’s Eternal Entertainment as he used to put it.
“We would go through all the shooting games moving to the roller coasters then ending at the hall of mirrors.” His eyes glazed over, he wasn’t present anymore. He was at the carnival eating candy apples and cotton candy. “Dad would save all year for this one day at the carnival; we would spend money like crazy, without any worries. God... I loved those Candy Apples.
“I really do miss him. I know I don’t… talk about what happened before we met that day for the orientation.”
“I never pushed you because it was none of my business, Keith. Of course I know you miss your father. He’s your father.”
“Yeah… I used to hear the other kids said about me and what they thought my relationship with my father actually was. I heard some of them call him abusive or a drunk. I never understood why… he never drank, he was always so nice and caring and loving. He would tuck me to bed every night after watching the stars. He used to say that looking at the stars reminded him of my mother.” He chuckled at that. “I never knew he meant that so literal.”
“He sounds like a great man.”
“He really was.”
They stayed quiet for a few minutes before Shiro once again disrupted it.
“How long have you been sitting here?”
“I don’t know. I think right after the mission.”
“That was four hours ago…”
“Huh, guess four hours then.”
The fact that Keith didn’t think that four hours was a disturbingly long amount of time to spend alone was concerning. Shiro knew Keith was different but as his closest friend he really wanted to try and get him out of the bubble he always seemed to curl himself into. He knew it was a defence mechanism. He wasn’t blind; he saw what the boy went through.
Lance, Hunk and Pidge were a gift in disguise. They were such a diverse group, bringing out the best and the worst in each other, making sure they all remained grounded and humane; reminding everyone where they came from. The trio adopting Keith into their little group took time but overall it was the best thing that could’ve happened to him in space, besides finding his mother of course.
Shiro dying changed everything. It forced a lot of decisions to be made and a lot of shifting dynamics, shaking the foundation of the team. Lance and Keith got significantly closer each other, Hunk and Pidge to each other and Allura became a Paladin. The clone came and more changes happened though for the worse this time.
Keith pushed himself so far away from the team, he left it entirely. Lance became too quiet and subdued, Hunk and Pidge forgot other people existed in the castle and the Alteans were busy with Lotor. The whole final showdown happened but still things were extremely sensitive between the ex-castle residents.
Shiro tried so hard to pinpoint a reason why everything was so... different, to try and fix it, but nothing became clear for a long time that by then, the damage was done.
After spending a few weeks on Earth now, Lance bounced back – not with the same possible enthusiasm as before – after reuniting with his family. Pidge and Hunk too. But not Keith.
Krolia had to leave for a few months to help the Blade after losing so many members and to get the word out to the allies that Voltron is still alive, leaving Keith again. He stayed quiet after her ship departed not making eye contact with anyone.
Days passed fast and Shiro couldn’t pinpoint a moment Keith had joined the team outside of missions.
Keith ruffled with Kosmo’s hair as he sat on his lap on the bed. Shiro left him a while ago after getting a call, saying it was from Iverson and that it was important.
“Go, He needs you.”
“Come with me…”
“Nah... I’ll be fine; I want to play with Kosmo.”
“…Fine but we’ll talk later, okay? “
“Yeah okay, General Shiro.”
“I hate you.”
“I know!! Goo.”
Keith was contemplating getting up and getting something to eat or to just leave it for the next morning when a knock rapped on his door.
“KEEEEEEEEEEEEITH”
Lance’s maniac voice came booming from outside the door. it had a hint of sing-song to it. Keith can’t remember the last time he has heard Lance this excited about anything.
He gently moved Kosmo and made his way to the door.
“I think you parents in Cuba heard you.”
“Good. They miss me and would love to hear my voice.”
He rolled his eyes at the Cuban and crossed his arms.
“Shiro left a few minutes ago.”
“Actually, Shiro left 2 hours ago and we’ll touch on that later.” Ignoring Keith objections. “And I came for you, by the way. Pidge and Hunk created this insane gladiator bot they want you to try out.”
“Is that what’s making you this happy?”
“I miss training and if you give it the thumbs up then it’s perfect.” Lance said with a shrug.
“Fine, lead the way.”
“Great!”
The walk was comfortable. Lance’s good mood was infectious and Keith couldn’t help but have a small smile on his face as they walked through the halls.
His mind wandered subconsciously on how things have been lately. He missed his mother way more than he would like to admit after spending every waking hour with her for two years. He missed the rush of Adrenaline he would get on missions with the Paladins or the Blade. Threats on Earth were never to the same scale as before, which was actually a good thing but it still left a shred of disappointment in Keith.
Lance stopped as they reached a closed door.
“I don’t have my knife or Bayard with me.” Keith remembered.
“It’s okay there are weapons inside.” Lance shrugged. “Can you open the door; I think I pissed Pidge off and I am afraid she programmed the thing to bite my head of at my mere sight.”
Keith chuckled and stepped forward to open the door.
The minute the door opened, a burst of sound and light erupted from the other side sending him into sensory overload. After the initial shock cleared and calmed down, he took a better look at what’s infront of him.
Hunk stood in the middle of the room with the biggest cake Keith had ever seen. It was so colourful and beautifully designed, he almost felt bad that they might have to eat it. Pidge was next to him to the right holding a cardboard banner that said “HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEITH” in a way that showed she definitely misjudged the space she was given and had to rush a few letters around each other.
Veronica, James and the rest of MFE pilots stood at the back holding gifts all in different sizes and shapes, wrapped in mismatching gift-wrapping paper. Allura, Romelle and Coran, who had the biggest smiles on their faces, were standing behind a table with plates upon plates filled with all kinds of food and pastries and candies.
And finally Shiro stood the closest to the door, right in front of him. In his hands he held a tray with a candy apple placed upside down in the middle. He was looking at him with a soft fond smile. An arm snaked its way around his and gently pushed him further inside the room. Lance had unshed tears sparkling in his eyes as they made eye contact.
“We missed you.”
Happy Birthday to my Red Spicy Boi. I love you
