The White Lion. (Voltron Fan-Fic)

16:Home

"No Keith."

"Yes Kitty."

"No bitch. I'm not going in the cyro-pod again." I said crossing my arm from inside Scarlett, sitting on the floor as we flew to the castle. The blood on my face and arms from the owls dried, turning half of my skin a gory maroon color.

It grew silent and a soft humming sound came from Keith's chair. "I didn't know you sang." I said from the floor and Keith turned to me. "It's your song."

"My song?" I said frowned. "How did you know I wrote songs.... you looked in my sketchbook!" I shouted in anger. "Well, you weren't there to tell me not to." Keith said shrugging and I growled. "Keith, that's like rule number one. Don't look at people's art unless they say it's okay." I said and the red paladin didn't look at me.

"What song was it." I asked after a sigh. "Unconditionally." Keith replied before shouting. "Shut up!" I raised an eyebrow. "I didn't say anything."

"It's Scarlett. She's being... inappropriate." Keith muttered. I laughed slightly and pursed my lips.

"Oh no, did I get too close?
Oh, did I almost see what's really on the inside?" I began to sing, standing up and walking towards Keith. "All your insecurities
All the dirty laundry
Never made me blink one time." I wrapped my arms around the back of his pilot chair.

"Unconditional, unconditionally
I will love you unconditionally." Keith spun around and I saw a pink dusting of blush on his cheeks. "There is no fear now
Let go and just be free
I will love you unconditionally." I finished the chorus and there was silence. "Sorry." I said after a moment of silence, walking back to my spot on the floor.

"Come just as you are to me
Don't need apologies
Know that you are worthy." Keith's voice was sweet and it made me stop. "I'll take your bad days with your good
Walk through the storm I would
I do it all because I love you," Keith paused before looking at me. "I love you."

"Unconditional, unconditionally
I will love you unconditionally." I began to sing with him and walked around his chair to the front of the lion. "There is no fear now
Let go and just be free
I will love you unconditionally."

"So open up your heart and just let it begin." I sang first, wrapping my arms around Keith as he stood from his chair. "Open up your heart and just let it begin," Keith said.
"Open up your heart and just let it begin, Open up your heart." We dropped inches away from each other and I could feel Keith breath on my lips.

"I will love you unconditionally..."

There was silence before Keith leaned forward and gently brushed his soft lips against mine. I inhaled sharply before moving forward and completing the kiss. We remaining like that for a couple moments until I pulled away. "Noooo, kiss some more." I heard Scarlett whine and Keith grew red. I laughed and Keith smiled before sitting back in the pilot seat, taking over from Scarlett who had been piloting while we bonded.

xXx

Fear raced through my veins as Scarlett landed in her hanger, crouching down so that Keith and I could dismount. Outside of the lion, Hunk, Shiro, Lance, Pidge, Coran and Allura waited for Keith to exit. I hesitated in the mouth of the Red Lion before Keith put a hand on my shoulder and I sent him a small smile.

Inhaling and exhaling slowly I forced my legs to move and stepped into the light. There was silence. I felt paralyzed as six pairs of eyes stared at me with unblinking shock. I opened my mouth to break the uncomfortable silence but was cut off when Shiro rushed forward and wrapped his arms around me. I stood unmoving, until I regained my senses and hugged Shiro back. He buried his nose in my hair and I pressed my face into his chest, inhaling the familiar scent of home.

Before a painful fact struck me. Shiro wasn't my brother. That scent wasn't of home. But it was of family. I pulled away and looked up at Takashi before he frowned. "Echo, that's a lot of blood. Are you alright?"

I nodded before I was tackled around the waist by Pidge. "Hey Tic-tac." I whispered, keeping my tears at bay. Pidge, however didn't and her tears were streaming freely down her cheeks.

"I'm glad your back." She said and I smiled slightly. Next was Hunk, then Allura and Coran while Lance stood back with a sad smile. I pushed past everyone and walked up to Lance, pulling him into a much needed hug.

"That's the problem with being the strong one, Lance. No one offers you their hand." I whispered in his ear and I could feel him smile wider before wrapping his arms around my tighter.

"Good night everyone, Echo, let's get you cleaned up." Coran said addressing everyone before walking away. I followed him out of the hanger to the cyro-pods. "Uh, Coran. I'd prefer not to go in the cyro-pod." I said and the Altean turned to me. "Why not?" He asked and I shrugged. "Well, I spend the majority of my time here in cyro-pods. I want to actually heal like a human for once." I said and Coran narrowed his eyes before sighing. "Alright, go get cleaned up and I'll send Shiro to your room with some bandages. Try to get some sleep tonight." He gave in and walked away.

I half-heartedly smiled and made my way to the old room I inhabited when I was here. The door was still broken, missing from its hinges. Multiple holes in the wall from my metal fist but rather clean. I looked around more and noticed that it was basically untouched except, it was all clean. No dust, no spiderwebs (if there were even spiders) or anything.

My heart have a small ache when I realized that Coran continued to clean my room even after I left. He continued to believe I would return. I sat down on the bed gently, remembering all the memories I made here until a small knock made me look up.

Shiro stood in the doorway, his hand on the wall. "Hey, Coran told me you wanted to heal normally." Shiro said walking in. "Yeah, I feel like I spend half of my time here in a cyro-pod." I confessed with a chuckle. "Okay well, lets clean you up before I bandage it." Shiro said and I nodded. He took a wet cloth and gently dabbed the side of my face, clearing away the blood.

I winced a bit and Shiro pulled away. "Do you want some painkillers or medicine?" He asked but I shook my head. "No, numbing the pain will only make it worse when I finally feel it." I said and Shiro bit his lip before nodding and continuing to clean my wound. I closed my eyes and sighed quietly before grabbing Shiro's hand, gently setting it on his lap.

"Echo, is there something wrong?" Shiro asked. "No. Just, lost in thought." I said absentmindedly, faintly feeling Shiro bandaging my wounds before his footsteps depart down the hall to his room.

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Shorter but deep chapter.

-Jason Todd