Kangst for the Soul

11

This is a mix of a prompt and people asking for a continuation of 8. I hope this is what you all wanted!!!

I don't own Voltron or Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift.

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Keith wouldn't tell anyone what happened that night, and, more worryingly so, wouldn't leave Shiro's side. Whatever had happened had scared him, but, Shiro still insisted he wasn't scared.

Three days later everything went to shitdom. It started with Keith screaming, waking everyone up and luring the whole team to the Red Paladin's room, there they found Keith staring at a corner with wide eyes. The poor boy was shaking like a leaf and couldn't even start to say what's wrong. He shied away from everyone except Shiro. The eldest paladin then sat down on Keith's bed and pulled the Korean boy towards him, gently encouraging him too look away from whatever was there.

Shiro had quietly told everyone to leave, and they did, respecting the Black paladin's wishes, looking back towards the door as they split and headed back to their own rooms.

Keith stayed in Shiro's room after that.

He seemed to be ok for a week. That week was spent right next to Shiro, only eating and drinking if prompted, and not letting the others near him really. Once, when Keith was asleep, Shiro sat them all down and actually told them exactly what had happened.

"As you all know, Keith has drugged and ambushed on Kortilum, by three alien's called Hart's." He spoke softly and avoided looking directly at anyone. "You all know what they look like, and that they were very anti galra, which is why Allura sent us there, to help with the coalition." The older male sighed shakily and curled his hands into fists. Lance gulped at the hint of anger that was gleaming in his eyes, but didn't say anything. He had a horrible, horrible feeling that he knew exactly what had happened too Keith, he prayed he was wrong. "But, the Hart's lied. They had Galra stationed in the building where the party was, and their aim was too kidnap us at take us too Zarkon. Yet they never even managed to contact him. Two of the galran's had a change of plan and decided too keep Keith for themselves. After the Harts drugged him and chained him up, they snuck in and... they..." Lance was now shaking himself, watching and ready to beg that they hadn't done it, that the scum hadn't laid a finger on the boy.

"The two galran's raped him, that is what Shiro's trying to say." Allura said quietly from the doorway, her voice echoed before giving way to a feeling of hopelessness that had him choking on his own breath. He felt his eyes widen and he gasped, the strangled noise echoed by a quiet whimper of 'no' from Hunk.

Shiro cleared his throat and made sure to get everyone's attention. "The trauma from ... that ... and the after effects of the drug have left him reliving certain things that happened to him when he was younger, and it's only going to get worse."

"What can we do to help?" Pidge asked, a determined glint in her eye.

"Just be patient with him, don't snap at him or crowd him. He'll get better when the drug wears off. The best thing you can do is too show him that he can trust you." Shiro instructed, looking at the sleeping form on the sofa next to him. He looked up again, directly at Lance. "I know I said you hadn't seen Keith scared yet, because that's the truth, but, that doesn't mean he was just scared, Keith was, and still is, downright terrified." Lance just gaped at him in shock before schooling his features into a blank look. "Go get some rest, okay? We'll be approaching Yehimir soon." Shiro said quietly. The other occupants in the room nodded, and left the room, leaving Shiro with the broken boy.

No, Keith wasn't broken, he was just cracked, and Shiro was going to fix him before he broke.

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It had only been three days since the paladin's had found out before what had happened on Kortilum, when the younger paladins found it to be their time to help Keith. Shiro was scouting out a moon in Black, so the other paladin's were messing in the rec room when the alarm went off.

It wasn't the intruder alarm, or the get to your lion's alarm. It was the training room alarm, that Coran had added after the galran crystal contaminated the castle.

"The alarm's gotta be for Keith." Lance muttered,  jumping to his feet and helping Hunk stand as Pidge brushed crumbs off her shorts. The three of them headed to the specified room and once they got there they found a sparking gladiator laying on the floor. Keith was curled up against the wall on the far side of the room with his hands over his ears. The three paladin's shared a worried glance and hurried over to the distressed teen.

As they got closer they could see a dark bruise forming on Keith's temple and that he was muttering to himself, probably in Korean as he rocked forwards and backwards. The paler than normal face was streaked with tears, and Pidge felt her heart break just slightly.

"You two go get Allura or Coran too turn this alarm off, it ain't helping Keith!" She said, not looking at the other boys as they ran off. She kept her eyes fixed on the broken boy in front of her as she shuffled closer slightly, stopping when Keith flinched.

"Deo isang, jebal. (1)" he muttered, barely loud enough for her to hear and she frowned softly, having no clue what he'd just said.

"Keith?" She asked quietly, fighting to keep he voice calm and level. She watched as he flinched away from her, like he was expecting to get hurt. "Keith it's me, Katie." She tried again hoping that the familiar name would coax Keith out of the protective ball he'd curled up into. It worked slightly, with Keith loosening the hold he had on each arm and looking at her through his fringe. There was a hint of distrust in his eyes that cleared up when she took her glasses off, gently setting the frames off to the side. He still refused to uncurl though, so Katie wracked her brains for a way to earn Keith's trust. The idea slammed into her a moment later. She could remember Matt telling her about it, when Keith had gotten panicked at the garrison. He'd called it Keith's lullaby, even though it was a song by a popular artist. She sat down properly keeping her eyes on Keith's as she opened her mouth.

I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'll never let you go,
When all those shadow's almost killed your light,
I remember you said don't leave me here alone,
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight...

Just close your eyes,
The sun is going down,
You'll be alright,
No one can hurt you now,
Come morning light,
You and I'll be safe and sound...

She was cut off by a sob and Keith pulling her into a hug. He pressed his face into her hair and she wrapped her arms around his chest making soft shushing noises as he sobbed. When Keith pulled away she looked up at the tear-stained face and fought back tears when Keith managed to croak out a "thank you" around his sobs. She just sighed and buried her head into his shuddering chest.

They both jumped when lean arms wrapped around the both of them. She snuck a glance too the side of her and watched as Lance gently persuaded Keith to lean against him. Keith seemed to do so willingly, wrapping pale arms around the Cuban. Lance then looked at Hunk, who hugged the three of them tightly.

They held him till he cried himself too sleep, and unanimously agreed to never bring it up unless Keith asked about it first. They all knew that a hug fest wasn't going to magic the issue away, and that was proven an hour later when they had to go and form Voltron, only to realise Keith and Red never made out the castle. They didn't say anything, just pulled him into a hug and told him to take his time. He didn't need to push himself.

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All translation's courtesy of google translate
1) No more, please.

The first chapter of the soulmate au book I keep going on about is now published, it's called Blind! Check it out if you want!

And would you all be opposed to me sing this song again in a different oneshot with Keith and Shiro?