"Get your butt over here, mullet!" You were on your couch under three blankets with an anime game paused on your screen. The reason for the blankets was the unusually cold December weather - and your heater had broken the day before. That's also why you called your boyfriend over; he was a living heater and you wanted to cuddle with him while playing video games or binging Netflix.
Keith scowled. "Only Lance calls me that." He was getting under the covers regardless and you giggled.
"What, is he your boyfriend~?" You loved poking fun because Keith was adorable when he blushed. When you found out, you had deemed it your life mission to see his red face as often as he could.
"W-what? I'm no cheater, [y/n], I'm dating you, not him!" You poked his side.
"Really, I could have sworn I had seen the two of you holding hands the other day?" You knew the reason for that, but his face was starting to full on flush.
"Shiro made us because we had been fighting again!" He got worked up so easily.
"Oh, is that what happened?" If you got him frustrated enough, he'd try to distract you by kissing you. Making out with you usually worked.
"You're, you are, so frustrating!" He finally gave up on explaining himself, and red faced, proceeded to show one of the few moments of dominance you ever really see - your boyfriend was a timid person and still doubted that you were actually there for him. Keith was used to being alone, but he was getting used to you.
Your body began to heat at his touch, and as soon as he pulled away, you began to shiver. The blankets had slipped. Cute, scarlet cheeks on display, Keith hooked an arm around you and pulled you close to his side. He pulled one of your blankets up around you and stole the remote to turn on a series you had recently gotten obsessed with.
You didn't remember falling asleep, but when you woke up, it was dark, you were in your bed, and you were alone. You got up, finding yourself in different clothes, and went to the kitchen. The whole house was dark. Where was Keith? You passed by a calendar and started into the living room before you stopped and took a look at it. It read June.
You kneeled and started to cry. The dream had been so real that you had believed it to be true, but it wasn't. Keith was long gone, and you couldn't do anything about it. The scars on your stomach pulsed as they often did when you thought about him.
One day, set about a week after your dream/memory, you had been teasing Keith again, but instead of flustered, he was angered. You apologized and backed off, but it was too late. Keith bent down and covered his head.
"Keith, baby, are you okay?" You gingerly approached. "I'm sorry for making fun of you, I won't tou-" you had cut off when you saw his hair was no longer black - it was more purple, and he was shaking as he grew fluffy ears. "Keith? Babe?" You touched his shoulder, but something inside him had snapped.
He lashed out with claws and got you in your stomach. You knew immediately that you were going into shock when it didn't hurt, plus, you were too preoccupied with your boyfriend to worry about your own pain. "Keith?" Your voice shook. He was looking down, a growl growing in his throat. He looked up at the sound of your voice. You gasped. His eyes were solid yellow, and his skin matched his hair.
You were scared.
You didn't know what was happening. And you were starting to feel the pain, and Keith's teeth were bared as a warning to back of, and your vision was beginning to blur. You didn't know what to do.
You began to black-out from blood loss and you don't know if you were hallucinating or not, nut you swore you heard Keith whisper your name before turning and leaving the house. In a haze, you called 911. You simply gave your address before losing consciousness.
While laying in your hospital room, you wondered where Keith was. You wondered if he was thinking of you.
When you went back home, you moved everything of his into your guest bedroom. For the first few weeks, you avoided things that would remind you of him, but you couldn't avoid your wound.
Back in the hallway, on the floor, your body wracked with sobs. You missed Keith. You almost cried over the sound of a key in your door's lock, but you figured it was your friend Lance. You needed cheering up anyway.
You felt arms wrap around you and you leant into the warm body, starting to calm down rather quickly. That was odd. Plus, Lance usually smelt like chili and honey. You looked up into a pair of warm eyes that didn't match your hispanic friend. Instantly, you threw your arms around Keith's neck, eyes watering up once again. You whispered his name and pressed your face to his neck.
"Why'd you leave me?" He gripped you tighter.
"I'm so sorry, [y/n]. I'm so, so, sorry." You heard tears thick in his voice as he reached a hand to grip your hair. He was kneeling next to you, showing more emotion than you'd ever seen on him. "I was so scared, I had to find out what had happened." He shook his head.
"And?"
"And I have it under control. I had to make sure that you were safe, [y/n], I don't want you hurt." You blink back tears, touched by how much Keith cared for you. You hit his arm. "Ow?"
"You could have called, you ass! Do you know how worried I was? You were gone for months!" You stood and Keith saw the edge of your scar. He pushed your shirt up far enough to see the lines that raked across your skin - blemishes that he had inflicted.
"When - did I? Did I do this?" He looked to see your reaction. You were shaking your head but knelt again to embrace him.
"You didn't mean to, Keith. It was an accident and neither of us could do anything." He opened his mouth to argue. "No, you couldn't. It wasn't your fault, baby. Besides, it makes me look like some hardened warrior, right?" He smiled sadly and nodded.
"Hey," he was mumbling into your shoulder. "Do you hate me?" You laughed.
"Sorry, I'm not laughing at you, but I'm in your arms. If I hated yo, I would have called Coran to come take care of you." You snuggled closer, and hoped he didn't hear you say "I love you." His grip had become crushing and you knew he had. "Keith," you looked at him. "Stay with me please, I was miserable without you. I need you in my life, and when you left..."
When he left, you never thought you'd never again feel those arms around you, or those lips against yours. Keith kissed you. It showed you that he had missed you greatly, and that he thought of you in every moment. He wanted to come back with every fiber in his being, but he stayed back to protect you. That made you angry, but you forgave him.
"Of course I'm going to stay, [y/n]. Also," He pecked your cheek. "I love you too."
