Growing Pains (A Voltron Legendary Defender Fan Fiction)

Chapter 13

Another few weeks had passed, and Keith was beginning to think that the team may suspect something. It seemed like every time he turned a corner, one of them was standing there waiting for him. Then again, he couldn't really blame them. It's not like he was being honest with them.

That afternoon, the team had decided to all go for a dip in the pool. They had been working really hard, and Shiro thought it was time they relax.

"Hey Hunk, I bet I can make a bigger cannon ball than you!"

Lance laughed from his seat in one of the deck chairs, "I'm not so sure about that Pidge."

She glared at him and jumped into the pool with as much force as physically possible. A huge wave splashed out of the pool and landed right on Lance. "How was that?"

He grits his teeth at her as water dripped from his hair, "Ten. Out. Of. Ten."

Keith couldn't help but smile as the team laughed at Lance's misfortune. "Hey guys, wanna play some water volleyball?" Hunk held up a beach ball.

"Oh, that sounds like fun!" Allura smiled.

Hunk, Pidge, and Lance were on one team. While Allura, Shiro, and Keith were on the other. Allura and Keith's team quickly took the lead, as the two of them had been playing volleyball against each other every week for months.

"No fair!" Lance groaned as another ball landed on their side. "You have Shiro and he's like, a gazillion feet tall when we've got Pidge who can barely keep her head above the water!" Pidge glared at him and stomped on his foot. "Ow! Ow! Ok sorry! Ow!"

It was now Keith's turn to serve. He was trying to aim toward Hunk because he was obviously their team's weakest link. However, as soon as the ball made contact with his hand, it popped. In the same moment, a searing pain went through his fingertips. He clutched his hand to his chest, not sure what was going on.

"Man..." Lance whistled, "You've sure got a strong serve their Keith."

"Good thing we bought a whole box of beach balls at the space mall." Hunk joked.

Pidge grinned, "Lance owes me ten Gac. I bet that we would have popped the ball within the first 10 minutes."

"Actually, it has been 11 minutes since we started, so therefore you owe me ten Gac." He corrected.

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

Allura gasped, "Oh my, Keith are you alright?" they all turned to look at him.

Sure enough, when he glanced down at his hands, they were covered in blood. He wiped some blood off one of his fingertips when... his eyes widened in horror. He looked up at his friends before quickly jumping out of the pool and running out the door.

"What was that about?" Hunk asked in surprise.

"Keith looked like he was hurt," Pidge noted. "We should go check on him."

"I'll do it." Shiro stood up and got out of the pool, heading towards Keith's room.

"Keith? You in there, buddy?" he didn't receive an answer, but he could hear shuffling coming from inside, which was answer enough.

"Look, Keith," Shiro sighed, "I don't want to invade your privacy, but you're hurt. I just want to make sure you're ok. I'm coming in, alright."

He was just about to open the door when "Don't!"

Shiro stopped dead in his tracks. "Keith? Are you alright?"

Another moment passed. "Yeah..."

Shiro frowned, "You sound different." No response. "Why can't I come in?"

There was a long pause. "I... cut my hand. I'm... embarrassed."

Shiro slid down to the ground so that his back was to the wall. "Why are you talking to me now? Why can't you tell me what's going on?"

He heard movement on the other side of the door and could tell that Keith was now also sitting with his back to the door. "I... can't..."

"Don't you trust me?" Shiro asked sadly.

"With me life." He could hear the emotion in his voice.

"Then why don't you tell me what's happening?" he pleaded. "Why don't you talk to me?"

"Because... I don't know how I could go on, with you hating me." Shiro wanted to ask him more questions, but he heard him stand up, and the door to the bathroom open and shut.

Shiro sighed, and stood up, walking back to tell the others what had happened. He just wished that Keith would tell him what was going on...

(A/N - hey guys, thanks for reading. When I say Vol you say...)