Dark Pasts, Bright Futures [Keith X OC] BOOK 1

Chapter 20: Getting Closer To Him

(Original art credit to Atrejane, I inspired mine by theirs)

Each and every paladin had their own mission, Maisey however had decided to join Keith on his mission to look for Shiro at the place where they had defeated Zarkon. Maisey knew how difficult this would be for him and she just wanted to be there for him in case he'd need her.
They drifted around looking at what remained after the battle, there was no sign of Shiro, nor if he had been there.
"There is nothing here, Coran," Keith sighed dissappointed, "we're coming home."
She looked throughout the white lion to the red, she sighed. This was breaking him, she knew it.

When they got back into the Castle, Maisey and Keith had gone to change back into their regular clothes since they had no missions or other paladin plans for the day.
She walked through the halls towards the lounge but at the end of the hall she saw Keith, he was wandering around. He seemed lost and frustrated.
"Keith?" Maisey asked worried, he looked up at her rather disturbed, "what are you doing?"
"Nothing," he sighed, "I just... it doesn't matter."
"Yes, it does," Maisey said softly, he looked into her eyes to find nothing but sincereness.
"I just feel so angry, Shiro is gone!" He shrieked out frustrated.
She placed her hand on his arm for comfort, to let him know that she was there for him but he slapped her hand away.
"Don't do that!" He shouted.
"I'm sorry, I just want to help," she said.
"You can't!" He screamed angered, "you don't know how this feels!" When he realised what he had said his eyes softened, he was talking to the very person who understood what he was feeling.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that," he said as he scratched the back of his head.
"That's fine, Keith."
"Why are you trying to help me? It's not like I helped you," he said.
She smiled softly: "but you did."
For a moment he was silent, like he was trying to process what she had just said.
"Why are you helping me?"
"Because I care about you," she answered, "I care about Shiro, because I want to.. because you need someone to help you through this."
Keith frowned and grunted, he was trying to hide his sadness from her. She placed her hand on his cheek, making his eyes shoot wide open, taken aback by the fact she touched him there. No one had ever touched him the way she did.
"I'm here for you Keith, and I always will be.." she said softly, "every step of the way."
He looked into her eyes for a long time, like he was waiting for her to laugh at him or insult him. But she meant it, he might not know it, but Keith had started to mean a lot to her and it hurted her to see him so upset.
"You." Keith said, "you said you wanted to tell me something if we made it out of that fight."
Her eyes flushed open, shocked by the fact he remembered and shocked by the fact he brought it up.
"It's fine Keith, it can wait," she tried to place her other hand on his shoulder but he grabbed her wrist.
"Just tell me, try to get my mind off Shiro's dissappearance," Keith said.
Maisey was unsure whether to tell him or not. It wasn't something he should be dealing with right now.
He stared into her eyes as she was nervously plotting her words. What should she tell him?
'Well, I've been having a lot of feelings for you lately and I think I'm falling in love with you,' that would probably scare the quiznak out of him, right now wasn't the right time to tell him, he had to deal with this first and she would help him with it. After that she would tell him, or maybe there was someone who'd know what to do..
"It wasn't that important Keith," she stammered,
"Just tell me, Maisey," he said placing his other hand on her shoulder.
"I ate your cookie," she made up on the spot.
Keith blinked a few times, she however didn't have the nerves to look at him.
He just bursted out into laughter, which came as a surprise to her.
"I thought that was Hunk," he said. Well, it was Hunk, she saw him eat the cookie, but that didn't matter. The fact that she could make him laugh with that was relaxing, he could use some laughter.
"What are you guys doing?" Lance asked. Keith and Maisey looked to their sides to see a disturbed Lance and a grinning Hunk.
"Dancing?" Maisey improvised. She was always rather honest so lying never came that easy to her in situations like these. Not that she often found herself in situations like these.
Keith and Maisey quickly let go of each other and they followed Lance and Hunk into the lounge, trying to act like nothing happened between them.

Later there was a diplomacy gathering, it didn't go as well as planned. Many leaders weren't happy that voltron was now a paladin short and it only seemed to anger Keith more then he already was.
"Where is voltron?" The leader of Puig asked right after Kolivan's pep talk about rebel forces.
"Well," Allura stammered, "these are the Paladins of voltron."
"Wonderful," he said, "when can they form voltron."
Allura looked at Coran, uncertain of what she should say next.
"We can't form voltron, okay?" Keith sneered angered, "we can help you fight the Galra but voltron isn't happening."
All of the diplomats gasped shocked by Keith's words as they began to whisper to one another.
"What he means is that we can't right now but-." Allura murmered.
"But nothing! Shiro is the black paladin and he's gone and until we find him there is no voltron!" He screamed.
"The lions are still a good fighting force," Kolivan said, "and this Castle is also considerd a weapon."
"My people have been enslaved for centuries, by a man who looks just like you," one of them said.
"Kolivan and his crew helped you and your people being liberated from Zarkon," Maisey said calmly, "don't think they're all evil just because of their heritage."
"But we've heard the stories about how voltron defeated Zarkon, that brought them hope, what do you suggest I tell them now?"
"Tell them to stand up and fight for themselves!" Keith screamed slamming his fists on the table, "voltron is gone!"
After that he walked away, he was so angry and Maisey knew when to leave him alone, so she now left him alone.
"He is right," Maisey said as she stood straight, "the way he said it might not be pleasant, but it might've been just what you needed to hear."
"Maisey?" Lance asked, in his tone she knew that he wished for her to think about what she would say next, but she placed her hand on his shoulder so he would shut up. She knew what she was doing. Sort of.
"You can't always put your faith in something else, you can't just wait for someone to liberate your planet," Maisey explained, "now we've given you the little push to freedom but without your own input we can never truely free you.. there are certain things that you'd have to do yourselves, I know it's scary but it's the truth, and you know it. We've lost our leader in that battle against Zarkon, we lost him. We might not have voltron but we can still fight and we will protect you from those who mean harm to you.. but you have to start doing it yourselves."
Everyone was silent for a bit and Maisey sat back down, she just hoped that her words might have given them some inspiration despite everything.

Keith just silently stood there, watching the black lion. She couldn't help but feel bad for him. The first person that went to talk to Keith was Lance, which surprised her at first but it was nice that he would do that now.
"Hey man, listen, we all miss Shiro," Lance said, "I remember when we dragged him out of the Garrison, what a rush it gave me to finally meet him."
"My father used to tell stories about him, he was a legend at our house," Pidge said.
"He's great, he taught me everything I know about piloting, which isn't much but that's probably because of me," Hunk said.
"He was my sisters best friend," Maisey said, "she always talked gracious about him and because of her I always wanted to meet him, he's great and I miss him, we all do."
"If he would be here you know he would be telling us to move on," Lance said.
"Keith, I know exactly how you feel," Allura said, "but the mission is more important than any individual."
"No one can replace Shiro, we all know that," Maisey said as she took his hand and squeezed, he squeezed back and looked at her, "we'll get through this.. together."
Keith sighed and looked back at the black lion.
"It's time we learn how to reform voltron," he said.

She knocked on his door. Lance stood there with a towel on his head and face cream on his face.
"Come in, sunshine," Lance stepped aside so she could enter.
"I want to talk to you," she said as she sat down on his bed.
Lance raised his eyebrows as he sat down besides her.
"I have feelings for someone," Maisey said nervously, "I have feelings for Keith, strong ones might I add."
"Oh, I knew that," Lance shrugged like it was obvious.
"Well.. wait, you knew? I didn't tell you before."
"It was pretty obvious," he shrugged, "so you're here for my blessing?"
"You're my best friend and I'm unsure what to do," she sighed.
"I think right now Keith has to figure some stuff out, and with you as his friend now, I don't think he's emotionally ready for you as his girlfriend just yet," Lance said stern.
"You're right," she sighed, "do you think he likes me?"
"Likes you? Please, he's all dazzled away by you," Lance said, "and Maisey, you have my blessing."
"I do?"
"Yeah, I think someone sweet, strong and caring like you would be great for a mullet like him," Lance said, "he could use some sunshine, sunshine."
Maisey grinned and hugged her best friend.
"Thank you."

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