I'll Keep Waiting (Shiro x Reader)

3. A Newcomer

FIRST DAY INTO CAPTIVITY

You didn't know how long you'd been crying, but the abrupt sound of the door sliding open snapped you out of your thoughts. Your soul-crushing wails had subsided into weak sobs and the occasional hiccup by the time you glanced at the door. The silhouettes of two sentries and a prisoner were now visible to you. He was grunting and struggling against the soldiers, but the robots, unaffected by his thrashing, only pushed him harshly into the cell, closing the door before he even had a chance to turn around. He slammed both fists against the metal door in frustration, letting himself slide down to the floor. He breathed heavily as he attempted to calm himself down.

You stayed quiet, curiously observing your new cellmate from a distant corner. His outfit was torn in several places, revealing several cuts and scratches, no doubt from a recent fight. They didn't bleed anymore, ad they weren't too deep, so they couldn't have been serious enough for the druids to try and heal. He knelt silently in front of the door, having given up. Some brief moments later, he began to turn around, but lost his balance as soon as he looked in your direction, shocked by your presence. You stared at each other for what seemed to be forever without saying a word. You hugged your legs tighter, your face barely peeking from over your knees.

He gaped at you with astonishment, and finally, he spoke. "You're Galra?" He asked cautiously as he crouched down, inching a few steps towards you with an outstretched hand.

You were taken aback by this. Gohzan never called you out on your appearance, and you had very few chances to look at your reflection besides the one a sword's blade would offer, or the cold metal walls within the battleship if there was enough light. But you could see where he was coming from.

"No," you replied flatly, still unsure of what to think of him. "I'm not."

"But then-" He began, but quickly cut himself off. He sighed deeply and started again. "I'm sorry," he paused, unsure of how to continue. "I'm Shiro. What's your name?" He asked calmly, inching closer as you showed yourself to be more harmless. He stopped, waiting for your response before moving any closer.

"(Y/n)." You relaxed your muscles and allowed your face to show from behind your knees, straightening your back. You eye him up and down and narrow your eyes before meeting his again. "What are you?"

Truth was, you'd never seen an alien like him before. He was strikingly similar to your kind, but plainer in several aspects. Unlike so many of the other prisoners in here, he possessed no markings, no antennae, horns or extra limbs. His colors were dull, and no part of him glowed.

"I'm a human, but I'm guessing you don't get many of those around here," he chuckled awkwardly and circled around you, plopping down against the wall several feet away from you. "And you are?"

"Vytarian." You didn't elaborate, and he didn't press the subject. You stayed quiet for several moments, until curiosity got the best of you. "Where are humans from?"

Shiro didn't seem dangerous, and, admirably, he was making an attempt at striking up a conversation after what he'd just been through. It only seemed right to humor him and, along the way, learn a thing or two about your new cellmate. Besides, it wasn't very often you got to see a friendly face on this ship.

"Earth." He breathed out the name with an air of nostalgia, craning his neck up as if he could see his home planet through the roof. You didn't know how long he had been here, but you could tell he already missed the place dearly.

You knew that look. You knew those longing eyes because you had once had the same ones as his. After the Galra took you, you grieved the loss of you planet and your people keenly, and for the longest of time, it was the only thing you could think about, or talk about, if there had been someone to listen.

"What's it like over there?" The question left your lips almost involuntarily.

Another weak chuckle escapes his throat. "Where should I start?" He relaxed his back against the wall, closing his eyes as a faint smile crossed his face.

You scooched a little closer and listened attentively, now eager to hear all about the mysterious planet this strange human came from.

"It's... blue. Blue and green. There's all sorts of places, from deserts to tundras, rainforests, prairies, mountains and oceans. And it's full of life. Everywhere you'd look, there's trees, plants, flowers, animals and insects..."

"Sounds like a beautiful place." You look at him with a condoling smile, before he opens his eyes again and turns to look at you.

"What about you? What's your planet like?"

A shadow crosses your face and your gaze drops to the floor.

Shiro realizes this and quickly tries to regain the jovial atmosphere. "Hey, hey, I'm sorry, that was stupid of me, I shouldn't have asked, why don't we-,"
"Vytaria." You meet his eyes again, reassuring him you were fine with the subject.
He blinked, but soon the tension left his body and his back met the wall again, paying close attention to your story.

"My planet was a small one, but it was home to a species gifted with incredible abilities. Quintessence flowed abundantly within every creature on it, and Vytarians had the ability to control this very substance." You close your eyes, reminiscing over the memory of your home. "We could manipulate, mimic and connect with life itself, and so we learned to treasure it. Vytarians were an adaptive species. If we were among a different race for a prolonged amount of time, we'd begin to copy some of their features in order to blend in and survive. Others possessed more active abilities. Some could feel what the other felt through touch, others could transfer and restore life into another, and some could see the world through the other's eyes. Every ability came with markings that grew and evolved alongside the power. Those blessed with empathy possessed markings around their chests, healing granted markings along the limbs, and clairvoyance was distinguished through markings on the head."

You open your eyes and begin to part your matted hair, untangling knots as you revealed a section of your markings to Shiro; thick stripes that didn't stretch beyond your hairline. He admired them in silence, eyes wide with wonder before you let your hair go and continued your story.

"Eventually, this power made us a target of the Galra empire. We were the first test subject to the witch's newest creation; The Komar." The name stung like poison in your mouth. "Those of us lucky enough to be taken prisoners were forced to to witness our planet wither under the massive weapon. We watched in horror as the quintessence was sucked out of of our planet until nothing but an empty husk was left behind. One by one, we too withered and died in these cells. I don't know how many of us are left."

Shiro remained silent, not sure how to build on from there. His steely grey eyes were filled with pity, then that pity shifted into anger, then into determination. "I'll get us out of here." His voice was confident, each word full of promise.

"What?" You blink at him in disbelief. "Shiro, listen to yourself right now, you can't possibly be serious. No one has ever escaped from the Galra."

"Then I guess I'll have to be the first." He gave you an encouraging smile, but when you didn't return the gesture, he grew serious again. "I have to try. No matter how long it takes, I know there's gotta be a way."

There was something in his tone, something in his demeanor that sparked something in you. It took you a moment to realize, but for once, you felt hope again. Maybe he was right. Maybe there really is a way out of this place.

«~§~»
About time, am I right? I'm not entirely happy how this chapter worked out, but hopefully what I didn't get to address in this chapter I can address in the next. Plus, getting it wrong is the first step to getting it right. Thank you all for being patient with me!
- Valkyrie