Wanderlust (Keith Kogane x OC) ON HOLD

8

Sparks shoot out from the circuit board Charlotte is currently working on, burning small holes in her gloves. A hiss of pain leaves her and she sets down her tools to remove the fabric. She made a makeshift workbench to repair her hover board in an empty room of the castle ship. After helping the Balmerans she retired to this room eager to fix her ride. Movement comes from her discarded jacket on the floor and the furry head of Percy pokes out. Yawning, the squirrel climbs up her pant leg and onto her shoulder for a head scratch. Removing her goggles, Charlotte complies running her finger down the white stripe on his body.

"Have you been working all this time?" He questions. "You promised to speak with that boy when everything calmed down did you not?" Charlotte sighs at him pressing her for answers.

"Being as I'm a tad occupied at the moment how about you bring him here?" She requests, moving to rip out more salvageable parts. A whole new board would need to be constructed due to it's misshapen form. Thankfully the blasters missed most of the vital components. She'd only need a few minor parts. Some new wiring and repairing the main circuit board that didn't want to cooperate. Percy agrees to her request jumping to the floor and scurrying out the door in search of the red paladin.

Another hour goes by before Keith turns up. Charlotte was so focused on her work she didn't hear him come into the room. "What are you up to Charlie?" He asks right beside her ear. Jolting in surprise she snips the wrong set of wires.

"K-Keith!" She rushes to find her gloves to cover her hands, freezing when he spins her around to face him. His violet eyes scan her hands intensely, taking them into his own.

Scars decorated the skin in various sizes. Some small scratches, others stretching in long jagged lines across the back of her hands. Charlotte averted her eyes, waiting for his repulsed reaction.

"How did this happen? Tell me." Keith demands forcing her to meet his gaze. Turquoise eyes widen in shock when she doesn't detect a trace of disgust, only anger and is that concern? She shakes her head in refusal not wanting to talk about it.

"That's not why I called you here." Charlotte frowns changing the topic. She pulls her hands from his grasp pulling her gloves back on. She'd see about getting a new pair later. Keith sits down in chair across from her his eyebrow raised.

"You don't need to act as if we're strangers. Just talk to me, we've been through a lot together before even joining team Voltron."

"Right, you're my myth-busting partner after all." She laughs softly. "Just...promise you won't think of me any differently?" Her request comes out so quietly he struggled to hear her.

"I promise. Now what have you been hiding?" His tone was demanding but Charlotte knew it was just his way of being concerned.

Taking a deep breath she dives into an explanation. "It all started back on earth. Right before I met you all in the cave where Lance connected with the Blue Lion I touched the carving on the wall and...saw something. Ever since then almost everytime I touch something related to alien technology I get this unbearable pain in my head and flashes of memories. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before I just figured you'd think I was strange or a total freak. I-I know it's not normal but I don't know what to do about it Keith." Tears started to trickle down her cheeks. Be strong Charlotte.

Keith pulls her shaking body into a slightly awkward hug. "You're not a freak. Strange maybe, but that's how you've always been and I've come to accept that." He rests his chin on top of her head. "Charlie you were...the only person to accept me as I was besides Shiro. You kept coming back no matter how much I pushed you away. So let me help you with this. Do you want the others to know?"