SKIN BOUND (DROPPED/UNFINISHED)

2

Keith found out about his heritage.

He fought the trials and learned his origin.

He's not human, he's Galran--specifically half. When he broke the news, the others didn't react as strongly as he expected.

Lance didn't care, or he did, but didn't act differently towards Keith because of "whatever ran in his blood."

Hunk took it pretty well, casually sliding in some jokes about him growing fluffy ears, maybe his eyes turning a yellowish hue. Hunk called him "Cat boy Keith" at times.

"It's cat boy wonder," Lance would jokingly add, "get it right."

Pidge was more awestruck than anything. A Galra successfully breeding with a human meant that humans and Galra had similar DNA. Pidge went on about how his existence was a scientific discovery, or something even more.

("The Galra has to share a recent common ancestor with humans in order to breed with them Keith," Pidge exclaimed, "do you know what that means?"

"Uh," Keith looked questioningly at Pidge, "what?"

"We're related to aliens," Pidge excitedly shouted out loud, "well you're more related but like that means we're all still similar through DNA! Also, this means the government must have known about the aliens all along!"

Keith laughed at Pidge's loud remarks.

He suddenly felt better.)

She rambled on about pre-zygotic and post-zygotic barriers and what not. Shiro stopped her before her fascination got out of hand.

Shiro never mentioned the topic. When Keith asked why, Shiro replied, "You're blood tells you you're half Galran, but it doesn't tell you who you are."

Well, that wasn't true. There were flaws to Shiro's inspirational quote or whatever, but Keith understood what he meant so he just nodded back in response.

Coran felt indifferent, but stayed quiet about it. His joking demeanor stayed the same, and his voice maintained a light and peppy tone no matter who he spoke with.

Everyone easily embraced Keith's heritage, all but Allura.

She didn't take it well. She gave him looks of distrust and betrayal. Dirty looks, as though he committed a felony against her, Voltron, the entire universe, himself.

But he understood why she would react such a way.

The Galra took her home, her family, and her life now dedicated to fighting the Galra. Although it hurt, he couldn't blame her for not trusting him.

Keith couldn't even trust his skin.

Hunk asked Keith if his skin would turn purple.

Keith stopped himself before telling Hunk that it actually does.

He wasn't sure how he would explain to Hunk that his skin turns into a purple hue whenever he cuts himself without feeling ashamed.

Keith stopped cutting for a while. He decided that it would be best not to make more marks on his skin. One giant scar on his shoulder after the trial was more than enough, and it was one hell of a purple mess.

He wondered if it would ever change back.

Keith was hit by Haggar's magic.

It was a painful sensation that erupted through his skin, deep down into his bones. His blood pulsed, pain seemed to lace itself into his veins.

Haggar's strike looked similar to purple lightning bolts across his skin. Keith stared at the pattern during the nights while he still had them.

He feared that his skin would embrace the lightning patterned purples permanently, he never experienced "magic" before and he didn't know how it would react with his skin.

Would the magic spread through his body. Could the magic turn his whole skin purple?

He feared that he would one day lose his skin to the Galra. He feared that he would lose the sight of his remaining skin color.

He feared of losing himself.

It went away after a week.

Keith started cutting again.

Keith's jacket was a constant inside the castle. It stayed on during training, while he ate, and right after he showered.

The others thought little of it, though it did spark some questions. They asked a couple times, but Keith replied by guilt tripping them for ever asking. (Told them that it was the only item he got from his dad--which was true-- and that he feared losing it--which wasn't as true.)

But no one questioned it after his explanation and that was all that mattered.

Until Lance decided to give Keith's room an unexpected visit.

"Keith, why is there blood on your sword-thingy?" Lance and Keith were in the training room. Keith just finished fighting another simulation robot.

Keith eyes went wide, "You went in my room?" How the hell did he forget to wipe off the blood.

"I was looking to check if you had like an extra towel or something, but then I saw your sword-thing and I just happened to notice it had blood on it."

"I," Keith looked away from Lance, who was half-expecting Keith to blow up at him, "I didn't give you permission to go into my room. Maybe you should ask next time."

Keith started to walk away until Lance grabbed onto his wrist.

"You didn't answer my question."

"I used it during battle and got some blood on it," Keith stared Lance down, "Happy?"

"You never bring that sword to fight," Lance's grip was still tight around his wrist.

He pulled Keith's arm towards him and pulled up the sleeves, showing purple cuts covering his whole forearm.  

Somehow Lance still looked shocked, even after expecting this to be his answer.

Keith pulled away, "It was just out of curiosity."

"Yeah, and if it was 'just out of curiosity,' you wouldn't cut your whole arm," Lance sighed, "your arm is practically minced ham!"

"Look, it's none of your business and it really doesn't matter. We get hurt on missions all the time anyways." Keith tried to walk away from the conversation, Lance pulled his arm back.

"Yeah but we're not hurting ourselves out there purposely."

Keith maintained eye contact for only a few seconds before he looked away, staring at anything else. Just not him. He really didn't want to deal with this conversation.

"Keith," Lance sighed, "I know it's probably hard for you to accept yourself being a Galra and all, but this isn't the way to cope. You could always talk to us, ya know? Or at least tell Shiro cause you trust him the most."

"It isn't like that," Keith mumbled.

"What?"

Keith looked up at Lance, his eyebrows were knitted and his mouth showed obvious concern, "Yeah, I'll talk to you guys. I just, need some private time."

"Just stop hurting yourself." Lance looked at Keith all weird, it made his gut twist.

Keith nodded, "I'll try."

"Promise?" Lance stuck his pinky out in front of him, Keith scoffed(smiled) at the gesture.

"Yeah," Keith's pinky wrapped around Lance's, "promise."

Keith was a liar.