Down Memory Lane - Voltron

Chapter 19 - Space Mall, Part 2

Keith's POV

Keith sees Lance through the window, talking to Shiro who walks up. Lance's back is to Keith, and he watches as the Cuban's shoulders roll as he gesticulates wildly. Keith huffs a low chuckle; Lance is probably dramatizing the scene to Shiro.

"Hello, sir, can I help you?" a small voice comes from behind him. Keith turns around from where he's pressed against the end of the aisle. A little girl, with a button nose and brown eyes the size of golf balls, is standing and looking curiously at him. She barely come up to Keith's chest, and she seems young.

"Oh, I'm ok. Thank you," Keith answers, giving her a small smile. He glances once more to where Lance and Shiro are talking. In any minute, they might come in here and find him.

"Are you hiding from those men?" the girl asks, following his gaze outside.

"Sorta. They're my friends, but I don't want to talk to them right now," Keith answers honestly.

"We have a room in the back where you can stay for as long as you need. I won't tell them you're there, if you want," the girl offers. Keith looks at her and gives her a short nod.

Keith follows the girl as she leads him behind the counter and to the break room in the back. A cheap table sits in the middle of the small room surrounded by four plastic chairs. A lumpy couch leans against the far wall. The room is tiny, but cozy enough. Keith takes a seat at the table, which is covered in drawings and scratches.

"Thank you!" he tells the girl.

"No problem. What's your name? Why are you hiding from your friends?" she asks rapid fire.

"I'm Keith. My friends wanted to come to the mall on our free day, but I just want some solitude," Keith explains. The girl's eyes widen at the last word.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I can leave if you want," she says hurriedly.

"No, it's ok. My friends want to talk about something I don't want to bring up, that's why I want solitude. You're ok though; you don't need to leave unless you want," Keith amends. The girl flashes a shy smile at him.

"I'm Ina, by the way," she says.

"Nice to meet you, Ina," Keith greets.

"How long are you going to be here?" Ina asks.

"Well, my friends are supposed to meet up to leave in four vargas. How long can I stay here?" Keith answers.

"Ok, you can stay for as long as you want. We don't have much to occupy you though. I have to go back out front, but I can bring you something if you want," Ina says.

"Thank you. Do you have paper and pencils?" Keith asks. Ina nods and disappears out front. She returns less than a minute later with a stack of blank paper and a few pencils. She lays it down on the table in front of him.

"Here you go. I have to go back front for a while, but I'll be back. Is there anything else you want?" Ina asks politely.

"I'm alright for now. Thank you so much," Keith says. He drags the paper towards him and gets down to business.

Terrible images of his dead friends still haunt him when he closes his eyes. When he lived alone in the desert, he found that drawing positive images helps him to bury the pain.

He draws portraits of all of his friends, the pencil curving lovingly along the line of their faces. Occasionally Ina pops her head in and watches him draw for a while. She asks questions, then leaves again. She offered him food, but he denied. He's not hungry, his stomach still cramping from his nightmares.

Keith finds out this is Ina's father's store. She's running the store while her father is at home, sick.

Aside from the portraits, he also draws the image of a willow tree whose long branches lean down to touch the still water of a lake next to it. Keith has no idea where the idea came from, but the image is calming. It seems to be Ina's favorite, judging from the way she stares at it when she comes in.

His watch buzzes, signaling the end of the four hours. He needs to go and meet up with everyone before they freak out. Ina hears the sound and comes back from the front. She brings a file folder and watches as Keith gathers his pictures into the folder.

Her eyes widen when Keith hands her the picture of the tree along with all the GAC in his wallet.

"Here, this is for you. It's a thank you for letting me hang out here," he explains. She squeals in delight and wraps her arms around Keith's torso. He returns the hug with a smile.

He takes the folder and tucks it into the waistband of his pants in the back. He covers the top of the folder with his shirt and jacket. The folder is cool against his skin. He wishes Ina a goodbye and leaves the store.

Keith makes his way back to the entrance quickly, not wanting to keep his friends waiting. They are all there, crowded together, looking around the mall. Hunk catches sight of him first, and points him out to the others.

The look of relief is apparent on his friends' faces, and Keith feels the pang of guilt hit his heart. He didn't mean to worry them.

"Keith! Where have you been?" Shiro demands, pulling Keith into a hug.

"Um, one of the shop girls let me hang out in her break room," Keith says, "Sorry I'm a bit late. I didn't mean to worry y'all."

"Ohh. A shop girl flirted with Keith. Lance are you jealous?" Pidge smirks. Lance gasps, pretending to be offended.

"Gross, she didn't flirt with me. I'm gay, and she's half my age," Keith says, wrinkling his nose. The others laugh at his scrunched-up face, and Keith laughs along, his heart lighter than a second ago.

"Ok, we're all here. Let's head back," Coran says. They all pile back into the cargo ship. This time Pidge steals shotgun from Hunk. Lance, once again, didn't even try to take the esteemed spot, sitting in front of Keith again. They keep a steady stream of chatter, making Keith smile.