Keith Kogane x Reader One-Shots

29 - Footnote

"Keeiiith,", you slurred, red solo cup hanging loosely in your hand as you grinned up at your best friend, dopily. Pausing his conversation with Allura, he turned his violet gaze to you, body tensing up when your hands grabbed his face, pulling him down to your level. "Have I ever told you how much I like you?"

"You're drunk, y/n. You don't know what you're talking about. Drink this, okay? You need to sober up a bit, or you'll have a hangover,", he brushed off your words, taking the cup of vodka coke from your hands and replacing it with a water bottle. Pouting, you gave in, taking a small sip of the substance and allowing it to cleanse your mouth of the taste of alcohol.

"But I do like you, Keith. Always have,", you muttered, sinking into the couch and passing out, making him sigh as he put a blanket over your body.

"Silly girl,", he muttered, kissing your forehead before returning to his conversation. "You were saying, Allura?"

---

"Listen, what you said last night...", Keith trailed off, the subject having played on his mind since he heard you say it. "I, uh, we're better off as friends, okay? You're amazing, don't get me wrong, but I'm not into you like that,", your heart plummeted, down, down, down. Gulping, you nodded, still not wanting to accept the harsh reality.

"Why?", you whispered, looking down at your hands to avoid his pitiful gaze.

"I like someone else, y/n,", he admitted, seeing no point in beating around the bush. "I met them a while back, and it's nothing serious yet, but I think they feel the same, so it would be wrong for me to lead you on. You understand that, right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do,", you replied, quickly composing yourself. "But... but if it doesn't work out, do we have a chance? I can wait,"

"Patience isn't going to change anything, y/n,", he shakes his head, rubbing his temples. "I don't feel that way about you, nor will I ever. I'm sorry,", he stood from the table, leaving the room and closing the door behind him softly. Lip quivering, you dug your eyes into the palms of your hands, attempting to delay the inevitable tears from falling.

"Of course, he's not into me like that. How could I be so stupid to think he would? No one will ever think of me like that, and now I might've lost the one good friend I had. Fuck me,", you rambled to yourself, hands shaking as you finally succumbed to your emotions, your anger fizzling into little more than self-loathing and pity as you sank to the floor.

---

After that day, things remained awkward between the two for a while, conversations growing scarce and few between, though the awkwardness soon faded, and you found yourselves reconnecting a bit more. You, however, kept Keith an arm's length away, not wanting to put your heart on the line again.

"Hey,", you chirped as you approached the ravenette. The two of you planned to meet up at a little restaurant you found a few days back. "How've you been?", you asked curiously as you entered the quaint building, pausing at the entrance as you waited to be seated.

"Good, I've been busy with work but that's about it. You?", he smiled, turning to look at you. You'd done your hair differently today, he noted.

"Same, really. But-- oh, thank you,", you cut yourself off as a hostess approached you, leading you to a table and sitting you down. Keith pulled your chair out for you as he had always done before pushing it in, then took his own seat, giving you a little grin.

"I'll give you two lovebirds a minute to decide what you want before I come back,", she winked playfully, setting down a bottle and two glasses on the table. "Here, complimentary drink for the happy couple,", she walked off before either of you could correct her, though you doubted you would've based on the pleasant, jittery feeling that arose within you at the thought of being with Keith.

"Oh my god, we just scored free drinks. We should fake being a couple more often,", Keith chuckled, pouring the two of you a glass. Ignoring the stinging sensation in your chest, you laughed along, raising the glass to your lips and taking a substantial gulp before setting it back down on the table, willing the thoughts of joy that overtook you when the hostess assumed you were a couple away as you attempted normal conversation. He'd never like you in that way. You knew that, though that didn't stop your heart from breaking a little every time you remembered.

---

"I hate it, Pidge. I want to be happy for him, hell, I am, but at the same time...", you trailed off, groaning as you tugged at your hair. Frowning, the girl pulled your hands out of your messy hair, giving them a gentle squeeze before letting go.

"You want it to be you,", she finished your sentence.

"Yeah. But he'll never look at me like that. God, you should've seen how he looked at her,", you recalled the memory of Keith introducing his new girlfriend to you a few hours ago, blood running cold at the thought of her. She was pretty, you had to admit, and she was lovely; all the more reasons for Keith to go for her. "I'm never finding anyone. I might as well start building my cat family now since I'll be that one crazy cat lady who only got cats because she knew she was never gonna be good enough for love,"

"Shut up, y/n,", she snorted at your dramatisation. "You'll find someone, I promise. There's..."

"If you say 'there's plenty of fish in the sea', I will smash your laptop,", you deadpanned, looking her dead in the eye. A look of betrayal in her eyes, she shut her mouth, and you rolled your eyes. "Enough of that. Where's the ice cream" I need to drown my emotions in cold treats and movies,"

---

"Hey, n/n! Any idea if Keith is free tomorrow?", Lance's chirpy voice emerged from your phone as he face-timed you, the same smile plastered on his face despite the early time. Rubbing your eyes, you shrugged, making the Cuban furrow his brows.

"I haven't spoken to him in two months,", you told him. "I think he's busy with his new girlfriend, so he's forgotten about little old me,"

"Don't say that, I'm sure he hasn't,", Lance comforted, but you simply sighed, knowing you were right. "Just give it time? It's a new relationship, they're still in the puppy love phase at the minute, so they always tend to be a bit more clingy,"

"Sure, sure,", you rolled your eyes, feeling a burning sensation bubble up in your chest. "Right, well, I can't give you the answers you need, so I'll see you later, Lance. Bye,", you put the phone down and flopped back onto your bed, hands balling into fists. "Always her. Doesn't matter if I was there for him when his dad died, or when Shiro went missing, as long as he has his new little play toy,", you muttered, hot tears slipping from your eyes, which you wiped away harshly with your sleeve. "I get it, Keith. I don't matter to you. Never have, never will,"

---

A/N: Hey reader, hope you enjoyed!! I know I normally do a bit more fluff than this, but Footnote by Conan Gray has been on repeat in my head for a week, so I needed to do something productive with the ideas it was giving me. I'll try to get a more fluffy one-shot out at some point, but I have no ideas currently. If you do, please do share!! Hope you're having a good day/night!! - Gracie