Hidden In Plain Sight

Celebrate

Hunk is laughing at Coran's improv. "So what do ya' say?" Hunk thinks for a second.

"I've been here so long.
I have no idea what to do.
Especially since I miss you.
So I'll carry on.
With my chin held high.
I'll carry on.
I won't cry." He holds out the last note.

"1! 2! 3!"

"So bottoms up!
All around!
Trash this dump!
With new friends found!
And when it's all done!
We'll carry on!
So let's jump! Let's move around!
And toast to the gooood oolll' crooooowwwwnn!"

There was laughing, there was drinking (non-alcoholic obviously). There was dancing, there was singing. I laugh alongside fellow prisonmates. Keith and Pidge finally enter the hall. "Look who finally decided to join us!"

"What's all this?" Pidge seems to fit right in. She left Keith to dance with some of the others.

"It's exactly what it looks like. A celebration!" Keith laughs. Loudly. It's the first time I've ever really heard him laugh. He seems to have let go of all his cares. "Wanna have some fun?" I extend my hand. He just stares at it thinking.

"Sure." As soon as his hand is in mine I pull him to the middle of dance floor. We dance wildly. Letting ourselves go. That's all everyone did. Shiro and Allura joined later. We all celebrate the night away.

On the way back to my room I'm talking to S about the importance of this. "Everybody here has been held captive for too long. Now that they have the chance to let loose they are going to parrr-tay!" His robotic laughter sounded sarcastic, but I knew it was real. Gurk was already in the room. "Get some sleep you guys. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow."

"Where are you going?"

"My old room." Gurk nodded and turned over in his bed. S powered down to recharge. I head for my old room. When I get there I make sure nobody's around. "The coast is clear." I turn to see Coran behind me all of a sudden.

"Where did you come from?"

"That's not the point. The point is the coast is clear." I thank him and enter the room. I look around. Nothing has changed. At all. My face masks are still in the drawer. My bed is just as neat as the day I left it. Messy. I chuckle to myself.

I exit the room, tears in my eyes. Coran hugs me and comforts me. "Lane!" Keith comes from around the corner. "What's wrong?"

"He's fine," Coran says holding me. I'm a real mess. "Here." Coran hands me to Keith. "Take him to his room or yours. It doesn't matter. Just be there for him okay." Coran walks away.

"Lane. Let's head to my room. It's close." I wipe my nose on my shirt.

"Sure." When we make it to his room he sits me on his bed. He brings me a cup of water and sits next to me. I watch him fiddle his fingers while I drink. When I'm done with it he takes the cup and goes back awkwardly to just sitting there. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." He does the awkward laugh. I can tell he wants to ask me something.

"You can ask."

"What are you talking about?" I lean closer.

"What do you want to ask me?" I move back to my spot. He's completely flustered, but maybe it'll give him the confidence to ask. Honestly I'm surprised at this behavior from Keith.

"I wanted to ask you what was wrong?"

"That's all?" He nodded. I sigh. "Four years. That's how long I was there."

"The Galra ship." I nod.

"I had already given up hope of leaving that place. I was literally done. I didn't care about getting saved." I look towards the ceiling. "Can we go see the stars outside?" He nods and takes my hand. He leads me to his lion. "Put this on." He hands me a helmet and space suit. I put it on and get inside the lion.

He takes off into the vacuum of space. He lands on a nearby asteroid and let's me out. I sit down and look at the stars. I pat the spot next to me so he can come and look at them with me. "Have you ever wondered where your place is in this world?"

"Many times," he says. His answer surprises me. What does Keith have to worry about?

"Same. I always wonder if I'm meeting others' expectations. You know, back there, in the castle, that's the most free I've ever felt. EVER." He nodded. We stare into the vast starry sky. "Keith, hypothetically speaking, if you were captured and your friends couldn't find you for a long time how would that make you feel?"

"I would probably feel lonely. I would feel afraid and I would wonder if they forgot about me."

"And if they finally found you would want to tell them immediately or test them."

"I think I would test them. If my absence was important I think I would like to know. If it wasn't then why would coming back matter." He looked down from spectacular scene. "You know," he starts. "A friend of mine was captured. 4 years ago." He nervously chuckles. "I made a vow to never give up looking. That's exactly what I plan to do. If you want you can help. We have to get all the prisoners back home. After I'm done with my set you can help me for a bit and then we can take you home."

"I don't need to go back to Earth actually." That was a huge lie, but not bigger than the one next to him. "I don't have anybody back home. Only child." I nervously chuckle.

"Great that means you can help out more. And your friends too. I don't know about the robot though."

"Don't worry he's good. We made special connection with him while he guarded our cell for the first months. Or years." His head lowers again. "Hard to tell time from a prison cell." I laugh it off. "Let's get back. Oh, and, thanks for cheering me up."

His face was written with confusion. I laugh and call him back to the lion. When we get back I head to my room immediately. "Gurk," I whisper yell. He's startled, but calms down.

"What do you want so late?"

"I have a plan, but I need you to help me. Can you do that?"

"Lance, I'll do anything for you and you know that." I nod.

"Okay. Well we have to wake up early, so go back to sleep. I'll explain tomorrow." Gurk goes back to sleep and I head to my. And for the first time in a long time I go to sleep happy.