Keith x Reader Oneshots

Everything Stays

{Angst}

{Trigger Warning!}

(Requested)

        I paced back and forth countless times, counting the infinite amount of stars, waiting until he got better.

          I sat beside his healing pod and studied his relaxed face, it suited him well since he always had that stern expression. Which I couldn't blame him for, he was in outer space, fighting purple aliens with giant robotic space cats- er... lions, alongside two aliens with British accents and pointy ears, which was something he never signed up for.

     So I waited...

   To pass the time, I'd grab a book and stay by his side until he would wake. The Paladins would bring me meals since I refused to leave, I wanted to be the first thing he saw when he gets out of that pod.

        I leaned my back against the glass, mindlessly talking about missing Earth and my family, telling him memories of the little troublemaker I was when I was younger. I let out a small smile,  I would give anything to go back home.

       I don't know how much time had passed but I stayed true to my word when I promised Keith that I'd stay by his side, always. I looked up at him and saw the gash on his right brow finally healing up, the bullet wound in his stomach and shoulder wasn't fully healed yet. I sighed and continued to tinker around with some Altean tech. Looks like I'll be waiting a little while longer.

      Allura came in earlier in the day to replace the dirty bandages on my arm with clean ones. She asked why I didn't want to go into one of the other pods, I shook my head and told her that it was only a small cut, nothing too major. She gave me a worried expression but shook her head nonetheless, knowing how persistent I was with having my way, kind of like Keith. Which explains why I was his...

       Hours, Days, Weeks... I didn't care how long it'd take him to get out, I'd check up on him every once in a while and he'd seem to be healing quite nicely. His health statistics looked better and better from the first day we had put him in. His heart rate was at a steady, average rate. He was getting healthier by every passing minute. Though I recalled a couple of times when Shiro, Allura, and Coran had to rush in and take him out of the pod because his heart rate was beating so slowly, it was at the brink of  stopping at any given moment, ending his life.

        
     I remember when I'd get homesick, I'd just let my hand lay on the glass. My mind would drift in a sorrow haze as I looked up at him. The soft blue luminescent light from inside making the dark room alot more lonelier. I let out a shakey breath and leaned my forehead against the glass.

  "Please wake up soon... I miss you."

         I remember star gazing by the window, for every passing star, I'd make wishes like I did when I was a little kid. I would close my eyes and scrunch up my nose, wishing long and hard like my papa would tell me to, that way my wishes would come true.

       I glanced back, but Keith was still in the pod, resting peacefully. I sighed and looked out the window again, leaning against the glass. My heart ached to see him, hear his voice, cherish more time with him.

      I began to hum a soft lullaby that my mama would sing me every night before I would go to bed. The only song that distracted me from the weight that was crushing me. In all honesty, I was scared. The small child inside me began to whimper and cry, missing home, missing my family.... and most importantly, missing Keith.

       I began to mumble out the lyrics, I  noticed how long it had been since I had sang the lullaby, I had trouble with remembering the words. So I'd hum and sing the parts I knew.

      Ever so slightly, Daily and Nightly...

In little ways, Everything Stays...

   

        I watched another star zip by, I closed my eyes and wished once more. By now, tears were cascading down the sides of my face like little rain drops on a window sill.

       I sniffled before staying quiet, the low hum of the Castle's engines filling my ears. Everyone must've been asleep by now, except for me. I couldn't sleep without knowing if he was going to be okay.

         Dread filled my stomach, loneliness wreched my heart, emotions clouded my mind. Was I convincing myself with some sort of false hope? Was he really going to survive? Was he going to leave the pod and return home safe with me?

     Those questions made my insides churn with worry and panic. I wasn't ready to lose him, I didn't know what'd I'd do if he slipped away.

      By this point, my body was trembling as soft sobs raked through me. I was so trapped in my thoughts that I didn't know what to do in this situation. The emotional wall of hope and optimism was crumbling and the cruel reality began to get quite the reaction from me.

      I pulled my knees up to my chest and began to let out any tears that needed to be let out. For so long, I lied to myself that he'd be okay when he was clearly suffering through the healing process, my thoughts would drown out the screams he made when the healing pod would stretch his flesh to close the wounds, or use medication that was far too advanced for the human body.

       It was messing him up physically and physiologically, he'd get nightmares while being in the pod, reliving every nightmare he had, and I couldn't wake him up because it would fondle with the whole healing process. So all I did was distract myself from letting his cries get to me, it's all I've been doing this whole time, my sanity was slowly dripping away.

       I felt a cold embrace around my warm body, someone shook me whilst calling out my name in a panic. I was hyperventilating and my body was shaking violently due to the heavy sobs.

       I finally opened my eyes and saw a glimpse of violet and a blur of messy raven hair. I gripped onto something as my mind was going through an intense panic mode. Everything around me sounded as if I was underwater, buzzing and faded. Even the yelling couldn't pull me out of my trance.

      I felt dreary and sleepy now, slumber calling my name in repetition. My body wanted to collapse in exhaustion due to the lack of sleep in the past three days. I let my eyes flutter closed and my body was embraced with a spark of warmth. Then there was a hum in my ear, one that soothed me to an extent.

  It was the lullaby my mama would sing me every night before I would go to sleep.

     Except my mother wasn't the one who hummed it.

     It was Keith...

   He was fully healed and was on the floor with me, cradling me as I weeped. He continued to hum the melody in my ear until I was finally convinced to sleep.

In little ways, Everything... Stays...