Start All Over : Klance AU

Takashi

Keith was frozen in place.

It's him.

It's Takashi.

There he is.

There was an unfamiliar scar across the bridge of his nose and shock of white through his hair, but it was conpletely, entirely the only person Keith ever truly considered family.

His chest tightened.

"Does he know him?"

Kathryn slowly nodded, tears in her golden eyes. "Yes... Shiro was like a brother to him..." She murmured, stepping closer.

Tsuyoshi quickly reached out, gently grabbing her arm. "Pidge, wait... Try not to wake him..."

The fairy looked up at him in puzzlement, brows furrowed. He sighed and crouched down, slowly pulling back the blanket.

Keith's heart throbbed painfully as Kathryn whimpered.

"They did things to him... When I found him, he lashed out and screamed... His eyes were wild... This hand they've given him... It burns so hot, it slices through iron and steel like it's warm butter."

Kathryn sobbed, kneeling beside Takashi. She carefully lifted his head and pulled him into her lap. "Oh, Takashi... What have they done to you..?" Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.

"Lance healed what he could, but most of it... All these scars are there for life." Tsuyoshi whispered, sitting back on the log he was previously on.

Keith cleared his throat and breathed deeply, watching Kathryn gently stroke Takashi's hair back out of his face. "Lance? Who is he?"

Tsuyoshi looked up at him, then to the water. "A healer. The best, actually. Also a great archer. The best I've ever seen at both."

"Oh. Okay." Keith nodded and brushed the topic back, looking at Takashi.

His sleep looked disturbed. His brows were drawn together, lips parted and eyelids closed tight. His breathing was slightly shallow, his fingers twitching.

Kathryn murmured softly to him. This seemed to ease him, even if in the slightest bit. The woodland fairy held his head to her chest, holding his flesh hand to her lips as she whispered.

Takashi tilted into her, grumbling something unintelligible.

The back of her cloak fluttered so Tsuyoshi leaned over, gently tugging it off.

Keith's breath caught as the appendages on Kathryn's back spread and shuddered. The golden-brown feathers quivered in worry and reflected the pale moonlight. Keith became so entranced by her wings that he hadn't even noticed the man in her arms waking.

"Hey, you..." She whispered, her right wing draping over him, her other circling around as if to shield him. Kathryn gently caressed his pale cheek as his silver eyes met hers. She smiled, brushing her thumb beneath his eye. "Hey..."

A weak smile spread on his chapped lips. "Hey..." His voice cracked slightly, but she only smiled wider.

Tsuyoshi relaxed and hummed, folding his hands over his large belly.

Keith gulped, anxious to see his friend awake.

"How... Did you find me?" Takashi asked softly, gazing up at her.

"I didn't. A friend found you and got you out... How do you feel?"

"Better... I missed you..."

Kathryn smiled softly down at him, stroking his cheek gently. "I missed you, too..." She leaned over, gently pressing her forehead to his. Her green freckles and with green, vine-like markings on her arms started to glow.

His eyes fluttered closed as he sighed softly, falling back into unconsciousness.

Tsuyoshi stood up, grabbing his battle axe and his leather pack. "We should go before the sirens start to sing."

Kathryn nodded, pulling slightly away from Takashi. Her brilliant wings folded in slowly as she hesitantly allowed Tsuyoshi to take him.

Keith closely watched her.

~

Kathryn lay on the makeshift bed with Takashi, one wing lain over him like a blanket, the other tucked up against her back, spread slightly over the bed behind her. She held his hand and ran her thumb over his cheek.

"You two were more than just friends, weren't you?" Keith asked, perched on the wide windowsill on the opposite side of the room.

The fairy breathed deeply and sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. "Well... No... I've always loved him... I've always wanted to be with him, but... He only sees me as a friend... Or worse... Only as his friend's baby sister."

Keith looked over at them and hummed. "Sorry..."

She only shrugged, the tips of her ears twitching. "I've lived with it for ten years... I can live ten more..."

Keith watched her and licked his lips. "How... How old are you?" He asked softly. He knew Takashi's age. Twenty-five years old.

"Seventy-eight..." She murmured, sitting up. "I've had Ivy with me for half my life and I've known Takashi since he was fourteen... I really fell in love when he was fifteen..." Kathryn sat up, tucking her wings behind her. She gazed softly down at him.

"What was it?" Keith asked, kind of curious. He's heard a lot of stories about why someone fell in love with Shiro, but his new friend looked so in love with him.

Truly in love.

She smiled softly, closing her eyes. The golden feathers of her wings shuddered and flared pleasantly as she fell into her memory.

"It was just a regular day... It rained earlier, so it was a little wet out. Him and Matt were out hunting and I was supposed to stay inside with my mother to clean and cook. I got bored and went outside." She hummed, taking Takashi's hand. "I wandered through the woods... There was a squad of Galran sentries on patrol and I didn't notice them... The moment they spotted me they aimed to kill. Galran soldiers aren't too fond of fairies."

Keith and Kathryn both chuckled softly, Keith nodding. "Yeah."

"Well, one of them got me. I have this scar on my leg." She brushed her fingers over her thigh. "It hurt so badly and the force sent me to the ground. They were getting closer and closer. I thought I was going to die that day. Then he came in, growling and bristling. He attacked them and chased them off. Once he thought it was safe, he came back, shifting to his human form. He helped me up and made sure I was okay and carried me back to the house... He took care of me for days..."

Keith smiled softly and nodded, looking out the window. "That sounds like him."

The fairy hummed. "Yeah... I never thought I'd fall in love with a shifter... Let alone my brother's dorky best friend." She mused, gently brushing aside a white lock of hair. "I thought it was just a crush and I'd get over it... But my feelings only got stronger..."

"And now you truly love him."

"I do... And it scares me... I'll lose him too quickly... Too easily... I wish my life span is shorter or his is longer, but..." Kathryn sighed, her wings drooping sadly. She lowered her head, bangs nearly covering her big eyes.

Keith breathed deeply and nodded. "Yeah... Okay, last question."

Kathryn snorted, then a soft giggle followed. "Alright, alright. Go ahead."

"What is Hunk?"

The fairy hummed, shifting so her legs would dangle over the side of the bed. "He's half orc. Like you."

Keith raised a brow. "I'm not half orc."

She laughed and shook her head. "No, I know. I meant how you're half human and half Galran."

He sat there and blinked, staring at her.

"... What?"