Thing Called Life | Keith X Reader

Serenity

"How is that even possible!" Hunk yelped. "How are they okay with tricking all of these innocent people?"

"It's beyond me paladin, but they're doing it," Coran huffed as he scratched his forehead.

"The question now is how you all are supposed to stop it," Allura sighed as she straightened her posture. Everyone stayed silent. "Come on now, someone has to have something."

"That's supposed to be you, idiot," Keith heaved. The paladins opened their eyes wide and gasped in his direction.

"Keith, I am your princess, there is no reason for you to speak to me like that!" Allura commanded. "I have earned more respect!"

"Oh please, you've earned nothing. And where I'm from, we have presidents, not princesses, so know where you stand in my book," He barked. He gave a menacing glare within her direction. The paladins have never looked so disgusted in his behavior before, no one exactly knew what to say. Shiro shook his head before staring directly in Keith's violet eyes.

"We get that you're upset about losing (Y/N), but we all are. That doesn't give you the right, to act like an entitled brat!" Steam was practically fuming from his ears, no one had ever seen Shiro so furious. With every syllable spoken, he took one step closer before his finger aggressively pushed against Kogane's chest. He pushed his face almost right against Keith's and gave a heavy exhale. "Fix your attitude before I have to fix it for you." Silence. The breaths of the different paladins could be heard individually before the red paladin slowly stood. He took a deep inhale and stared.

"Since when did you have the balls to talk about a problem you know nothing about?" he scoffed. He gave a quiet chuckle, his eyes squinting before he shrugged and walked off. Everyone looked around, completely speechless. 

"Let me talk to him," Coran spoke as he quickly went after the angered man. He scurried as fast as his feet would lead before finding Keith sulking in front of his lion. All of the lions stood proudly, except for Red, he seemed to hang slightly lower than the rest. Coran approached, not completely knowing what to say. He gathered the courage and stepped closer to the paladin to speak. "That was quite the outburst you just had in there."

"Just leave me alone," Keith sighed as he held his knees close to his chest while putting his head down. It was quiet until he heard a thump next to him. He peeked to see a friendly man sitting beside him. 

"I'm afraid I can't do that right now," he smiled. The arrows on either side of his face seemed to twinkle a little brighter than they usually did. "Now, what seems to be the issue?"

"You wouldn't get it," Keith sighed as he quickly stood up. He ran his hand through his hair before letting his head fall lower. "I don't even think I completely get it." The Altean man smiled, greeting this smirk with a small chuckle. "What? What's so funny?"

"You remind me of him," Coran spoke as he quieted himself.

"Remind you of who?"

"My son." Keith stopped running his hands through his hair within an instant. He looked over to see Coran staring off. 

"I had no idea you had a son.""

"Of course you didn't, who would," he smiled at just the memory. "I hav-" he cut himself off. "I had a wife too." He slowly stood.

"What happened to them?" Keith spoke hesitantly, he didn't know which questions he could ask and which ones were too inappropriate. Coran pulled at his mustache before answering. He needed the extra seconds of silence, they were the only things he had left.

"I had to send them away. Zarkon was closing in on Altea and I couldn't let them die. They meant too much. So, before the war began, I asked that they send themselves to a planet far away, somewhere no one would find them. Where they could live in serenity." He looked as though he could cry just thinking of them. "He had your same passion, same drive. You would've liked him. Lord knows I loved him."

Keith began to become more intrigued in the story. "Why didn't you follow them?"

"I held out hope that I could salvage the home we had already made, but look where that got me," he laughed. It wasn't a good laugh, it was one full of sorrow and anger.

"I'm sorry, but why are you telling me this?" Keith queried.

"Because when the loves of my life fled before my very eyes, I died. They were the very air I would breathe every morning. I lost my life in that moment, and right now, you're not here, you died." Coran spoke softly as he stepped closer. That hit Keith like a bullet. He never knew the words to describe what happened but now he did, he died. You were the very thing that caused him to feel alive again, you were like a drug that had been ripped away, you were like oxygen that he was breathing. You leaving, killed him. "I did everything in my power to have them come back safe, and they never did, so I know exactly what you're feeling right now-" he paused holding his head in his hands. "Because it's how I've felt ever since my wife told me she loved me for the last time." He grabbed the paladin's shoulder before looking him dead in the eye. "You love her, I know it might be scary to say, but when you know, you know. This feeling you have, this feeling of wanting to quit, give up, cry, it's the feeling of loving someone with every bit of your being, and that's something I wish I could've seen my son experience, when he left, he left me you and the rest of the paladins. He left me a family, because when he wasn't able to love me, he made sure others could. So don't lash out please, bring yourself serenity, and if your serenity is her, then you'll find your way back together, you have to believe that."

"Coran, I'm sorry," Keith spoke genuinely. He had never seen this side of Coran before, the side that actually had true emotion. Before another word could escape his lips, Coran quickly wrapped him in a warm embrace, one he could have only wished to have done to his son and wife one more time. He pulled him close and spoke.

"Son, we will find her, but you have to believe until then," he whispered. For the first time since the time you had left, he could finally say that he, Keith Kogane, felt truly loved. The moment because extremely silent, but not awkward slience. More like peace. Not a second after a large roar erupted the room, causing all of the paladins to rush in with a moment's notice. The white lion's eyes pierced before it's mouth elongated. It got on its hind legs and pushed off into space, leaving everyone baffled.

"Coran, where the heck is the lion going!" Keith yelled as his breath began to quicken. Everyone looked towards the man.

"I think it's finding your serenity."