Lil Keith (Voltron)

Times Like These

It broke Lance's heart just to see how saddened Keith was to be leaving his friends and the nursery planet behind. The two had been there for only a matter of days to which felt like weeks. Keith had made friends with a few children around the place and they to had looks of loss. When Lance turned to start heading the small sound of pattering feet caught his attention. Turning his head slightly to the side, he glanced at a familiar faced girl. She brushed back a strand of hair that fell to her face with one of her many tentacle 'legs' and smiled, only looking at Keith whose head tilted in a listening manner.

"We'll stay here and protect these lands! Like the mighty defenders of Voltron!" Her smile was genuine and big, heart racing with adventure. Keith reached towards her. Lance gave off a little laugh before kneeling down to give Keith a more eye to eye level with the girl. He stopped and stared at her for a few heartbeats before merely uttering a 'uh' noise. Her eyebrows perked in a confused emotion, looking to Lance for any clarification.

"That means okay in baby speak. I believe he appreciates your will to defend...what was it?" She folded her hands behind her back, swaying a little before answering him. 

"My mom calls me Mia but I go by the Wonderer!" 

"More like the trouble-maker." A more stern voice spoke as they placed a hand upon the young ones shoulder. She seemed to glare for a few ticks before sighing. "I told you not to go running off, you give your poor mother a heart-attack every time." She mumbled a sorry and gave a last sad wave to Keith before following the much larger woman away. 

"Come on buddy let's get you out of here before Allura goes ballistic on me," he said with a small laugh, re-positioning the infant in a more comfy hold within his arms. He seemed tired but not tired enough to fall asleep. Restless almost. He made groans and bored sounds as the two made way through the sketchy jungle like setting. "What's wrong buddy? I know you're defiantly not hungry, we did only just eat a bit ago. We don't have time to stop and play." With that sentence another, louder groan came from the tiny body. He threw a fist to his mouth, sucking on it for what Lance presumed amusement. 

Not hesitating, the blue paladin shifted his hands underneath both of Keith's armpits, raising him up to his face level. Keith stared at him dead-serious, eyebrows furrowed. In response Lance shot out his tongue in a playful manner. He watched as the side of Keith's mouth twitched but stayed stubbornly down. He was going to have to try better than that to crack Keith's walls.

"Whose an adorable wittle lion huh?" He spoke in his best babyish tone before rubbing his face into the known ticklish tummy of the small red paladin. He was confused at first to not hear any sounds for the first few ticks until looking up to see both of Keith's cheeks filled to the brim with air, face bright red due to much held back laughter. "Oh come on Keithy, just one little smile for good ol Lance," he said softly, tickling at his sides more. He blew air onto the infants stomach making the classic farting noise all of his siblings had once adored. It was the real winner when it came to making children cry of laughter and it still lived up to its name as so to did Keith let out the held in air and slowly but surely started to let out pure joyful laughs. Lance couldn't help but continue his efforts, the sounds flowing through his ears like they were the sweetest sounds he had ever heard. 

When Keith finally gave him a few weak smacks upon his face, he stopped and held the small body close to him. He listened to the exhausted slow breathing and the last few gentle laughs leave him. He gave some rubs against his back, calming him down to a more relaxed state. He cherished moments like this, where there was no screaming or crying. Where there was nothing looming over their heads at every corner. Just them two, together and in what seemed like sweet peace.