The Reunion: Keith x Male!Reader

Chapter 22: Entering the beast

Even after Kiren had stepped in, the paladins still didn't like the idea of me helping. However, under Kolivan orders, I was to assist Hunk and Keith in gather as much scaultrite as we could. So the three of us said goodbye to the other and climbed into the yellow lion. I stood beside Keith. The red paladin did not even spare me a glance. The silence was filled with a tension that I had yet to experience with the paladins.

"Why does Allura get to take a leisurely visit to the Balmera while we have to fly into the belly of a giant space worm to get scaultrit?" Hunk asked.

"She's a princess Hunk, and an Altean who can perform the required ceremony to gain the crystal." I shrugged.

"You heard Coran. Building a huge teludav isn't easy." Keith voiced his own explanation, "Everyone has a job to do and this is ours."

"But I always get the worse jobs." Hunk complained, "Go to a Galra-occupied planet to get my lion. Go to a Galra-occupied Balmera to get a crystal. Go into the belly of a beast with the only Galra alien team members."

I sighed a little, looking over at Keith. I knew that being a Galra wasn't easy in this age of war. I knew that having everyone potentially turn on you wasn't easy and I knew that Allura's reaction to Keith was only making Keith aware of it. I stayed silent, not seeing it as my place to talk. Neither of them really wanted me here in the first place after all.

"I'm not an alien."

"Well, you're kind of an alien. You're way more alien than me. You're at least some alien. I'm...I'm none alien."

Kieth sighed, pushing himself off the wall of the interior of the lion and moving closer to Hunk. "Let's just concentrate on the job here."

Hunk glanced around silently for a moment, before speaking. "Yeah... Was...Was your mum the alien? Your grandpa? How Galra are you?"

"I don't know."

"Did the Blade of Marmora, like, teach you the secret handshake or something?"

"No. No one said anything."

I groaned, getting tired of the circling conversation. "Hunk... The Blade is not the most open organisation. They are a group whose only objective is to win this war no matter the cost. So I can tell you this, no secret handshakes. Now, please stop harassing Keith about is parentage. Not the best time to have this conversation."

I glance over at the two young men out of the corner of my eye. Hunk smiled a little sheepishly. "The Blade of Marmora... They're real tight-lipped, aren't they? I get that your society is secret, but is everything a secret?"

"Okay, look, it's bad enough that Allura hates me now. Can you just lay off?" Keith stated.

"Allura doesn't hate you. You just need to give her time to accept the fact that you're Galra, the race that destroyed her entire planet and all her people." Hunk blinked, as though realizing what the words that had escaped his lips meant. "Yeah, she might hate you a little bit."

I sighed again, moving to place a hand on Keith's shoulder. "She doesn't hate you, but finding out that someone - even is unknowingly - is part of the race that caused that much pain... it can be a lot to take in. The princess needs time. She'll see that you haven't changed and she'll come around." My hand tightened slightly, "Take it from someone who has experienced what you are a thousand times over... it will get better with time."

 I smiled turning to Hunk, "Now, how about that video Coran gave us? Probably a good idea to have some information before charging in."

"Right, we need to find out how to collect this stuff." Keith nodded, shifting away from me slightly. I could tell he was upset that I was here. He was far more upset then my brother - and I guess that include Shiro too, so brothers - had been. It made me a little sad, somewhere deep inside that I didn't understand. Just another reason I wish I had my memories of Earth back.