I'm a Mess (Klance)

28

Keith's POV

"Jump!" Pidge yells. I'm standing about seventy feet over the ground, like hell I'm jumping.

"You're crazy! I'm not jumping!" I yell back.

"You have a tail, you'll land on your feet!"

"And break my ankles in the process!" I'm not killing myself for one of Pidge's stupid studies.

"Fine, we'll try stealth then," they concede.

—

A training dummy runs from around a corner of the simulated walls. Without thinking, I jump on it and stab it through the back. I jump off before it falls, my feet making no sound as I land. I go back to creeping around the maze Pidge programmed. Every so often I have to climb onto ledges and jump to others. I've discovered I can jump further and higher than usual. I'm also quieter on my feet.

After a few vargas of training and Pidge documenting things, I'm allowed to sit down for a break. Pidge runs off to compare her findings with some documented information. Lance sits next to me.

"So...agility huh?" he asks.

"I guess. It wore me out though. I haven't had to train in forever besides with you. I'm not as used to it anymore," I mumble as I rest my head against the wall and close my eyes.

"We'll go back to team training soon. Allura just wants to make sure you remember everything before we start."

"But I do remember everything! We should get back to training in case something happens! We can't just sit idle like this!"

"I know but...it's for your health, we don't want to go too fast in case it puts you in danger," Lance says, trying to make me understand.

"I'm completely stable though!"

"Are you sure? You lashed out at Pidge, literally snarled at everyone when they were just trying to help, and now you're all worked up because you don't understand that your health is important," he says, counting the reasons on his fingers.

My ears press back against my head.

"Why won't you let Pidge give you the needle?"

My shoulders tense. "Because...because of the needles Haggar gave me. They-they burned worse every time so...I guess...I'm expecting the burn."

"Pidge wouldn't give you something that they think is gonna hurt you."

"I know! But...muscle memory, I guess? I know they won't hurt me but my body reacts before I can convince myself I'll be fine."

Lance scoots closer to me and wraps his arm over my shoulders, playing with the ends of my hair between his fingers. "You trust me right?"

"What? Yeah, obviously," I answer, dumbfounded. Why would he ask that?

"Then you can trust that nothing Pidge does is intended to hurt you."

"I know, besides, we're not using the needle anymore. Why does this matter?"

"We're just...bonding," he mumbles. "You really need a haircut."

"Again with the hair? What's wrong with it?" I ask. Now I'm offended.

"Do I even have to explain? It's a mullet!" Lance says, yanking a piece forward.

"Ow! Leave it alone!"