Toxic Bias [Voltron Fanfic]

Chapter 17

One Week Later
Keith sighed, getting out of his seat and going to see the others after another mission. About the forth time Allura said it would be his last mission.

Red: "I would wait a little bit. There's an argument going on."

Keith sighed.

Keith: I'll just make sure they don't see me.

Normally, Keith would have followed Red's advice. But he was exhausted. And frankly, a little bit angry. Sure, he tried holding it in, but he wasn't the most successful.

So tired and frustrated that he forgot one important thing.

Keith: "I just won't take my helmet off. I'm too tired to change back."

—Shiro: How could you think I wouldn't be angry? Did you think we wouldn't find out?

Keith's ears would have raised if they weren't pinned to his head by his helmet.

—Lance: We only wanted you to be unaware long enough so we could get it done without you stepping in and wrecking it!

Keith nearly went still, but he pressed on. A heavy object slowly gaining more weight against his respiratory system. An uncomfortable wriggling sensation in his stomach. A suddenly noticeable headache evolving into a migraine at Shiro's volume.

He had a feeling of what the argument was about.

Keith hesitated before he entered the room. Were the others there? If so, why weren't they stepping in?

If it was just Lance and Shiro, it would be safe to go through, right?

Keith placed a hand on the door. Still unsure of whether or not to put his weight into pushing it open.

—Shiro: So you admit that you intentionally lied? What you did—

—Lance: Is none of your concern! It doesn't affect missions! It doesn't change our situation! You said you would allow us to get married when it had been long enough. Months later, you keep saying the same thing. We find out we're going to be parents, and you still say the same thing! Your problem is that he's a galra isn't it?

Then, the room was just as quiet as Keith's breathing.

Without thinking, the door pushed itself open. It was clearly Keith who had done it, but the way he reacted made it clear he thought it was the door opening on its own.

Three pairs of eyes stared at him. The clear blue, concerned eyes of his husband. The cool, grey eyes of who he thought of as his older brother, surprised to see him. The cold blue eyes of Allura, almost angry at him for interrupting.

Keith shrank back under the gazed of his former friends. And finally, after two years of this, the sentence finally tumbled out of his mouth at a volume they could all hear.

Keith: Should I just leave?

Lance didn't hesitate before replying. Shaking his head violently and saying his reply loud enough for the others to know what was going on and sneak into the room.

Lance: K—Yorak, baby, no. They're just being stubborn and biased! You didn't do anything wrong!

Pidge crossed her arms as she leaned against a wall, narrowing her eyes at Shiro and Allura.

Pidge: Seriously? You're still taking offense to Yorak?

Allura rubbed her temples.

Allura: I fail to see how you think it's okay for Lance to go against orders and do something reckless behind our backs! Yorak did the same, he isn't an innocent party.

Hunk: They got desperate! What's the problem with them getting married in the first place? Are you worried they'll get too attached and mess up missions if the other is injured? Or is it—

Shiro spoke up sharply.

Shiro: You know what happened when we lost Keith! I don't want that same thing again! I don't think any of us could handle a loss like that again. So I thought it was best if we all stayed teammates and nothing more.

Shiro's voice softened, grief creating cracks in his speech as he tried to continue explaining, and only continued visibly breaking at the mention of his little brother.

Yorak went over. Everybody tensing up at the action. Until he placed a hand on Shiro's shoulder.

Keith: I'm sorry. When I came over here, I was only intending on being a teammate to help with the war. But things happen. It's too late to back out now. I'm sorry for reminding you of your friend.

Allura swallowed hard at Shiro's obvious grief. She herself having his some of her own upon losing another friend after already losing her whole family.

Allura: We aren't mad at either of you for wanting to be together. What we're worried about is that it could ruin you if or when something happens. I'm sure you have experienced loss as well. In fact, you look a little familiar.

Keith tensed up. Trying to shift back into his galra form before they see. No such luck.

Keith: "How am I too tired to—?"

Keith cut himself off. Having registered that he was given medicine for his nausea. And it tasted a little different than what was usually given.

Did it stop him from shifting?

Allura's eyes became apologetic.

Allura: Is it the medicine? I'm sorry, I should have told you, Coran wanted to give you something stronger that had more nutrients that you need.

Keith couldn't be angry with the sincerity in her voice.

Keith: It's... It's okay.

Shiro frowned.

Shiro: Is, your fur gone?

Keith paled.

Coran: Oh, no. Did the new medicine make you sick? Shall I get a cryopod ready?!

Keith shook his head. His whole organ system stilling as his helmet was removed.

The whole room became dead quiet. Even Lance and Coran were still, but that was because everyone else's staring made them nervous.

Lance went over first, pulling Keith to his chest.

Shiro: Keith...

Shiro's tone made Keith's chest ache with guilt.

Without much warning, Shiro lunged forward to pull his brother into a hug.

Shiro: You're okay, his whole time you were okay.

Pidge's eyes lit up with recognition, and then horror as her memories finally returned.

Pidge: Keith, I'm so sorry.

Everyone glanced at Pidge.

Shiro: What do you mean? Keith, what's she talking about?

Keith swallowed.

Keith: It...

He trailed off, forcing himself to finish.

Keith: It's about when I was imprisoned.

Allura stared.

Allura: Imprisoned? Where?! How'd you escape?

Lance: He escaped with my help. As for where he was...

Keith swallowed.

Keith: I was here.

If the room wasn't quiet before, it was now.

Shiro: What...?

Then, everything spilled out.

Two years worth of pent up, raw emotion poured out like a massive waterfall. Every breath becoming more painful and difficult to do.

The resulting vent resulted in a large huddled group of the fully reunited Team Voltron.