Comfort - Klance Oneshots

Crash

/* Author's Note: Please vote!  This scene occurs in the Castle of Lions, and is entirely in Keith's POV.  TW: Mentions of abuse. 

Crash!

Shards of glass lay shimmering on the floor. Water drips down the wall like tears to pool around the glass carnage. Keith's attention is rooted to the mess.

Shiro has never thrown anything at Keith. Ever. But what hurts the most, as tears form in Keith's eyes, is that Shiro was the only person who knew his past.

"Oh my God. Keith, I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean," Shiro whispers, clearly horrified with himself. He takes a few tentative steps forward, but Keith pays no mind to him.

His thoughts are a swirling tornado. Why would Shiro throw something at him? He promised to never do anything like that. Promised. Does he not remember? Or not care?

Suddenly, the door near Keith slides open with a mechanical whir, and laughter booms in from the hall. The other paladins stroll into the cafeteria like nothing is wrong, like the whole universe didn't turn upside down.

Lance, Hunk, and Pidge go silent as they take stock of the situation.

"What happened? Were you guys fighting?" Hunk asks, worried.

Shiro nods, his gaze never leaving Keith, who remains unmoved.

A shadow falls over Keith, and a hand rests on his shoulder, stealing his attention from the glass. "Keith?" Lance whispers.

Keith shakes himself from his reverie then gives Lance a fake smile.

"I'm fine," he lies. No one believes him, but they don't press the issue. "I'll be right back."

Keith walks numbly through the door and the halls. He's searching, searching, searching, ah, found it! He opens the hall closet and snatches the broom and dustpan sitting among the other cleaning supplies. He makes his way back to the cafeteria, back to the other paladins, back to the liar. Tears form in his eyes when he thinks of Shiro, but he refuses to let them fall.

Keith slips quietly back into the cafeteria. Everyone, now including Allura and Coran, is sitting around the table in close communion. Six heads snap up at Keith's entrance. He feels his cheeks heat, embarrassed by the intensity of the scrutiny.

He kneels next to the mess and begins sweeping the shards into the dustpan, trying to ignore the heat of the eyes on him. The sound of a chair scooching back and the patter of soft footsteps echo through the quiet room.

"Keith?" Lance asks again. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Keith murmurs angrily, his eyes staying on the glass. "I'm cleaning up the mess."

"But Shiro should be the one to clean it, he made it."

"I'm always the one who cleans these things up, so just leave me alone."

The sound of another chair sliding back and clambering footsteps reverberate through the room.

"Lance is right, Keith. I made the mess. I promise to clean it later; just come sit down with us for right now," Shiro says gently.

Promise. Like Shiro's promises aren't completely worthless. He promised to never leave Keith alone, then he disappeared into space for a year. He promised to never hurt Keith like that foster family did, then he threw a breakable cup at him. He is the only one who knows what Keith went through, and now he is trying to keep him from cleaning the glass. They told Keith that he was completely useless and unnecessary, but that he could at least clean the glass when things were thrown at him. What is he now? Useless. Extra. Unnecessary. Just like they told him he was.