Voltron : One More Day

Peace

The green paladin locked herself away in her room, Fazluna in with her. She refused to come out and would only occasionally allow someone in.

Shiro stood outside her room now, listening to her sob on the other side of the door. He knocked lightly twice. "Katie? Will you let me in?"

Her sobs quieted. He heard light shuffling, then the door slid open. Shiro looked down to see Fazluna. Her purple eyes pleaded up at him. Shiro leaned down to pet her head before stepping in. Katie curled up on the corner of her bed, face buried in her knees. Fazluna stepped outside and the door slid shut, leaving Shiro alone with Katie.

Shiro sat on the edge of the bed and twisted his body to face her. "Katie..."

She didn't say anything. Just like every other time he's come in.

"Katie, I-" Shiro started, then gasped, eyes widening as she flung herself at him, her arms winding themselves tightly around his neck as she gripped his shirt and buried her face in shoulder. "Katie?" Hesitantly, Shiro wound his arms around her waist.

"Please... Please don't leave me... Please don't leave me..." Katie's voi e was soft and trembled. He squeezed her close and closed his eyes. "Don't leave me..."

"I'm not going anywhere, Katie." Shiro whispered into her hair. Katie sobbed loudly, holding him tighter. "I'm staying right here."

~

From then, Katie practically refused to leave Shiro's side. She'd leave for a bit or let him leave for a bit, but within minutes they'd be together again. Katie stayed silent and kept her head low as she went about the castle with Shiro.

Lance sighed, falling back onto the couch. "Man..."

Keith looked up and tilted his head at Lance. "What?"

The blue paladin shook his head. "I had passed it... I had passed the cave when we were looking for her... I thought I was just hearing things because they were so quiet and so far down the cave... I knew I should have gone down. Maybe Sam would still be alive."

Hunk furrowed his brows and sat up straight. "Are you seriously blaming this on yourself?"

"Don't you dare blame yourself!" Keith shouted, shuffling closer to Lance. "It's not your fault! Should you have gone down the cave? Yes, but how were you supposed to know a Galra was in there, planning on killing us? You weren't. Even if you had gone down, Samuel would still be dead. From what we know, the Galra stabbed him from behind. You couldn't have gotten to him before he got to Samuel." Keith set his hand on Lance's thigh in hopes of comforting him. "You may be an ass, but you will never be at fault for someone's death."

Lance nodded, tears in his eyes. "Yeah... Yeah, I know, just..." He dug the heel of his palm in his eyes to rid of the tears. "Her face... She was devastated and... She just got her father back and then he was... He was taken again - right in front of her."

Keith nodded, gaze down cast.

The doors to the commons slid open and Allura walked in. "Oh, sorry, I was hoping I could find-" She paused as she noticed tears in Lance's eyes and Keith physically touching him. And not in a harmful way. "What's... What's the matter?"

Hunk sighed. "Pidge..."

"Oh..." Allura lowered her head. "Yes, that... She is quite..." Allura sighed, then sat on the unoccupied side of Lance. "I wish I could say that I know how she feels. I wish that I could help her cope and mourn and... But I can't. I know what it's like to lose a father, but... Even though my father was killed... It wasn't after finally seeing him after so long of searching and then he's... And right in front of her. That sick Galra made her watch as he killed him. "

Lance sobbed and buried his face in his hands. "Damn it... I miss home... I wanna go home... I wanna see mamá and pop and my stupid brothers and sisters and- and I just-! I wish Pidge could just have her family back! She deserves it!"

Allura took his hands, then gently embraced the blue paladin. "You all deserve to see your families once more. My brave Paladins."

She allowed Lance to sob on her shoulder as she rubbed his back. Hunk and Keith sat silently. Allura closed her eyes and pressed her lips into Lance's soft, messy hair. "My brave, brave paladins."

~

Katie was supposed to be doing something...

But what?

It just slipped her mind.

Something to do with her laptop, maybe. I mean, why else would it be stationary on her lap and open when she woke?

But... When did the walls became so comfortable and warm, and when did they grow strong, secure arms?

Katie decided that she didn't want to stress her brain out just after waking up, so she pushed her laptop away and curled up in the wall's tempting embrace. She gripped the fabric the wall wore and nuzzled into its firm chest.

The wall's chest vibrated as it chuckled deeply. "You're awake." The wall mused.

"No, no." Katie breathed, pressing her face in its chest. "No, I sleep." She slurred, relaxing. The wall hummed and she rather enjoyed the rumbling vibrations of the wall's warm chest.

"Alright. Get some sleep."

Katie thought she nodded. She hoped she nodded. She wasn't quite sure if she had, but she knows that she tried to nod as slumber gently began to pull her back into her dark, warm peace.

A peace with family and flowery meadows and sparkling ponds. A peace at the dinner table with smiles and jokes all around.

A peace where all the bad things vanish and only good things and family were there, beckoning with open arms and warm smiles.

A peace with Shiro.

A peace with her new family.

A peace without the Galra empire.

A peace with her father smiling warmly as always, telling her that his family is the best thing that's ever happened to him.

That familiar gleam in his dark eyes... For a moment, Katie was sure he was still with her.