Our Beating Hearts //KLANCE// Zombie AU

Just like me

Italics: Keith's writing

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I jumped slightly at the creaking noise made by the door opening at the end of the hall and I listened out for the sound of the footsteps that followed. They were light and quick, too light to be Lotor, and Keith found himself hoping that the footsteps belonged to Lance. He was disappointed however when a short child with large glasses entered his vision through the cell bars. He recognised them as the child who had stood up to Lotor from the night previous. Despite this Keith was understandingly distrusting of the kid, and scowled in warning.

"Sorry I'm not Lance, he went to look for medical supplies to patch you up. My name's Pidge, and I wanted to ask you some questions." Pidge's voice was soft and feminine, indicating her otherwise confusing gender. She then sat down cross-legged in front of the cell and removed a bag from around her shoulders. From it she extracted a notebook and a pen, proceeding then to slide the writing materials underneath the cell door and look at Keith expectantly.
"Lance told us that you're mute so I figured this would help." Pidge didn't seem afraid of Keith as she waited for him to take up the materials. Keith hesitantly shuffled closer to the cell door and took hold of the pen in his good hand, flipping the notebook open to a blank page.
"So Keith- Lance told us your name, why were you running through that forest?" Keith wrote something and held it up to the light for Pidge. 

Diseased were chasing me.

"Well yeah obviously but why did that happen?" She asked slightly exasperated. Once again Keith wrote something simple into his notebook before holding it up with a bored expression.

We're in a zombie apocalypse. 

"OK smart guy." Pidge rolled her eyes and sighed heavily, her fingers rubbing against her temple in frustration. Keith found this oddly amusing. 
"Why were you running from the direction of the Galra base? Are you a member of the Galra?" Pidge's gaze suddenly hardened as she asked these questions, clearly this is what she's been wanting to ask Keith this whole time. Keith shook his head and wrote something in his notebook. 

They captured us. I was running away from them.

"Who's us?" Pidge suddenly asked and Keith mentally face palmed at his slip-up. 

Nobody.

"Were you with someone when you were captured?" Keith didn't respond and he averted his gaze to the cold floor below. 
"Were they someone important to you?" Pidge asked slowly, in barely a whisper. Keith glanced back up at Pidge after he noticed the change in her tone. Pidge was staring at him with a determined and yet somewhat angered look in their eyes. Keith slowly nodded, surprised as he recognised that the anger was not directed at him, but rather for him.

"I had someone like that too." Her gaze softened sadly as she looked to the ground, with her shoulders slouching around her tiny body.
"My brother was taken by the Galra and I couldn't do a thing to stop it." Keith's eyes widened at this; now finally taking in the person before him. A young teenage girl no older than 15 was living in this hellish world, and they had lost the person closest to them; the person they loved most, the person they would sacrifice everything for.  Keith could relate to this. 

Mine too. 

Pidge read the words on Keith's notebook and gave him a sad and knowing look, nodding her head solemnly. Keith then began to scribble down more words.

My brother and I were looking for help and found the Galra base. They took us in and helped us but wouldn't let us leave. I managed to escape but they caught my brother, and they sent a hoard of diseased after me. 

Pidge held the book in her hands as she read through the briefly summarised story of Keith's hellish weeks with the Galra. She knew that there was more to the story but thought it best not to pry. She handed the book back to Keith who seemed less standoff-ish as he instead looked at Pidge with sadness in his eyes. Pidge returned the look with a sad but friendly smile.

"I guess you're just like me."