Voltron: Legendary Defender // Keith Kogane

Chapter 022.

That night, while everyone was asleep, Cira was sitting there on the Lounge, alone. It was a good way for her to let out all her emotions. Her self-confidence was shaken when she had to destroy what was left of her father. Of course, she couldn't show that in front of the others, especially in front of Allura. Now, Allura looked up to her since Alfor was gone. She had to take care of her and she didn't know if she could. She felt as if she was the worst big sister in the world. She couldn't do anything right. She couldn't even save her father.

Originally, Cira had planned to prank Pidge, but she didn't feel like it. She would do that later. Right now, she just wanted to be alone with her anger, her low self-esteem, and her sorrow.

She looks down. Her head began to hurt from her beating herself up so much. She couldn't just look back on her mistakes and move on. Her eyes begin to water.

Cira didn't feel like going to her bed. She felt that was where her depression was, waiting for her. What could she do?

Sometimes she wonders if she would have been better off never awakening from her ten-thousand deca-phoeb sleep. She wished that someone else, anyone else, had discovered the new Paladins. She wishes she could sleep forever and escape her sorrows in dreams of better times. Too bad sleep won't come, not that she wanted it to. She feared the dreams she would have that night. She feared if she could sleep at all.

Her heart was heavy, her eyes stinging with tears that refused to fall, and all she can think about is watching her father's AI battle the crystal's influence.

It hurt. It hurt so much. She lost him all over again. Guilt flooded her. She felt she had no right to feel this way, especially since she never went to talk to him while he was an AI. She was scared. She was angry. She was angry that he messed up. She was angry that he didn't listen to her and form Voltron, instead choosing to separate the lions. It hurt her to wake up without him there and to realize that he was gone. Forever.

Her guilt overwhelmed her. Now, even if she wanted to talk to her father, she couldn't. He was gone. And she is alone all over again.

Her heart felt as if it was broken. Shattered. It hurt her within her very being. She felt as if she was living in a nightmare and she couldn't escape.

And then her hands began to shake remembering the fear that she felt when she was underwater. She had never felt anything like that before. She has never felt so helpless. She doesn't know what she would have done if Keith did not show up. He saved her life.

He asked if she was okay.

She lied.

How could she be okay? She almost drowned. It was dark in there. It was empty. There was no one. And then there was someone.

There was Keith.

And then there was Keith again, in the doorway of the Lounge, watching her sadly. She didn't even hear him come in. That's how off she was.

"Planning your next prank?"

Cira jumps, almost falling off the couch. She steadies herself and then doesn't answer, leaning forward and looking at the ground. Keith sits beside her and then watches her for a minute. "Come here." He holds out his arms and then she breaks. Her face twists into a sob and tears begin to pour out of her eyes. She leans into his chest and his arms tighten around her. He leans back and takes a breath while holding the sobbing Altean in his arms.

They fell asleep like that.

Keith opens his eyes slowly and takes a breath only feel a weight on his chest. He knits his eyebrows in confusion and then looks down to see Cira asleep on his chest. She cried into his shirt for 15 doboshes last night before falling asleep and he went with her. His eyes held sympathy when he looked down at her. He just hoped to God that no one would walk in while she was asleep on top of him. His free hand itched to touch her hair, but it was in a bun. His other hand was slinked around her waist. It felt like it belonged there. It felt right. She began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and then they widened. She looks up slowly to see that she was laying on Keith. He offers her a bit of a tight smile. A blush hits her cheeks and she moves off him quickly, immediately feeling cold and missing his touch. Her body tingled from where she laid on him. He sits up and looks at her, a blush hitting his cheek, as well. She felt embarrassed. He lays his hand on her wrist, "You okay?" His concerned eyes almost tore through her.

Cira looks at him, lying through her teeth, "I'm fine." She nods in reassurance.

"You don't look fine." He pulls his hand back, leaving a tingling sensation on her wrist. Why was she feeling this way?

"I'm fine." Cira repeats with a sure voice.

Keith nods and stands, "Okay." He begins to move towards the door, but stops and turns around to her, "Let's just keep this between us, okay?"

What? She thought.

Her mouth said something different than her mind. "Of course." She nods with the best smile she could give him.

He nods and leaves and then her smile falls. She looks back down, thinking, why does he want to keep this between us? And then her already low self-esteem lowers even more. She stands and leaves the Lounge to walk to her room. She passes by Hunk on the way. His teeth were back to normal. He showed her with a giant smile while they passed. Cira smiles. Somehow, Hunk managed to cheer her up just a little bit.

Just a little bit.

She walks into her room and changes her outfit. She puts on a black shirt with sleeves that went to her elbows and a dark purple vest with white accents. White pants and shoes finished her look. Then, she takes her hair from the bun it was in and lets it out into her high ponytail. Her bangs looked as good as any other day.

She sighs and looks in the mirror and smiles, but then it falls. She wanted to make sure her smile looked real. She smiles again and then sighs in relief, deciding that would be her smile for the day, for when she did smile, of course. Then, she bends down and opens her cabinet, pulling out some Altean purple glue. She holds it up and smiles evilly.

Cira leaves her room and enters the Lab, where just to her luck Pidge sat asleep. She was laying on her desk, her glasses falling off the bridge of her nose. Cira moves over quietly and grabs them, trying not to wake her up. It was so early that almost no one was awake. Thank God.

Cira opens the glue and puts it on the bottom of Pidge's glasses, laughing to herself quietly. She puts the glasses back on Pidge's nose and holds them there for a few seconds so that they would stay. Of course, the glue was permanent and could only come off with solvent, which they definitely had. So, it was fine. Cira smirks and closes the glue, leaving the Lab happier than ever.