Closer to the Ground (Kidge One Shots)

Chapter 2: The Letter

Hey! Per a request by @SmallVoltronTrash, I am making a second chapter to this story. I wasn't going to unless somebody asked, so here we are, enjoy! Ps, Keith is the Black paladin at this point if that was not clear. And this is pretty long.

The mice watched as Pidge talked to her lion, and as she put another letter in her secret hiding place. 

"Pidge, we need you in the engine room, something is wrong," Shiro said over the intercom. Pidge put her toolbox away and walked out of the room, heading to the bridge. The mice looked at each other, knowing what to do as the ran out of the room. 

They ran straight to Keith's room, where Keith was sharpening his knife. The mice ran to him, and one of them tugged on his pant leg. Keith looked down a little confused.

"Oh hey, guys," Keith said putting his hand down so they could climb on it. He brought them to his eye level. "What are you guys doing here?" The mice gestured wildly, pointing to the door like crazy and they tried to talk to him as well. "You guys want to show me something?" Keith asked and they all nodded. He put his knife away and stood up, still holding them up.

The mice pointed towards the door and Keith walked over to it. They pointed down the hall and he followed. They had gone a little way when Allura passed them in the hall.

"Keith? What are you doing?" Allura asked stopping to look at him, Keith turned to face her.

"The mice are trying to show me something. For some reason," Keith replied.

"Really?" 

"They came to my room and everything," Keith said.

"Huh, well. Have fun?" Allura said before they both continued on their way. The mice lead him this way and that until they went through a long hall deep inside the castle. Keith walked and up ahead he saw a huge room coming up. He passed through the hall to see he was in the Green lions chamber, most commonly referred to as 'the lab' by Pidge. The mice slide down Keith and ran ahead, Keith following.

"Guys? I don't think we should be in here," Keith said. The mice climbed up the tool table. Keith walked over in front of the table. The mice split up and tried to open the toolbox. Keith cautiously put his hands on the locks and clicked them opened. He set the lid all the way back. The mice climbed inside the lid and found the secret tab, attempting to pull it. Then they moved aside so Keith could lift it. 

Keith reached his hand out, then took it back. "Guys, if there is a secret tab in her toolbox then I probably shouldn't look," The mice glared at him. Keith slowly lifted the tab. Inside were about 10 letters, all addressed to him. "What? What is this?" Keith asked as he picked up the most recent letter. 

"Shiro, I see the problem. I just need to grab something from the lab real quick," Pidge said over the intercom. Keith's eyes widened. The mice moved all the letters to one spot and Keith grabbed them and put the toolbox back. Then hearing footsteps, he ran behind the Green lion's back leg and held his breath as he and the mice hid.

"Okay I just need this, this, and...this," Pidge said, picking up random tools. "How are you doing Green?" Pidge said looking up at her lion. Keith felt the lion vibrate "Well, I hope so," Pidge chuckled. "See you soon girl," Pidge said leaving. Once she was gone, Keith let out a sigh.

"So why were these so important that she hid them? And why are they for me?" Keith asked the mice. He sighed when they said nothing and he put the letters in his back pocket. "Let's go to my room before we open them," Keith was almost to his room when Pidge passed by.

"Hey Kieth," She said, not looking up from the blueprints she was looking at.

"Hey?" Keith awkwardly said as he turned and watched her go, making sure she didn't see the letters. Then he ducked into his room and closed the door. He sat down on his bed with the mice and opened the most recent letter and started reading in his head.

"Dear Keith,

I know we have never talked. We have never had a bonding moment. We have never been social, but even so, I notice everything about you. How you act cold and mean, but fear is behind your eyes. How you hate Lance but somehow can still trust him at the right moments. How you want to leave, but you keep coming back.

I know that you train so you can have your special 'thing', a place on the team. I know that you aren't as rash as you seem and that every outburst is you letting fear and stress go.

And I know that I seem like a creep right now, but I can't help notice the little things. I over analyze everything even people.

Like how I have a pretty good idea that if or when you read this letter, you will avoid me. That we will become even farther apart than we already are. But I don't care..................................... Look I don't know if you will ever read this. I don't know if I will give it to you. If you will find it yourself, or after my death. Maybe you won't ever see it. Maybe the next paladins will find it. Maybe they won't. Maybe we are the last paladins. The point is I don't know if you will ever know how much I care for you. How much I yearn to make you feel at home for once in your life. How much I desperately want you to feel loved. I don't know if you feel the same if you will throw this in the trash the moment you see this, or if this is the last you hear of me.

I just want you to know, I love you. I love every perfection, every flaw. I love the hidden meanings in your words. I love you so much, Keith. I love you.

Katie 'Pidge' Gunderson, Green paladin" Keith read. He leaned back and took it all in. 

"So this is why you wanted me to see this. Because she clearly was never going to tell me on her own. She almost seems likes she doesn't want me to feel bad about a rejection I have never given her," Keith said. "And that part about finding it after her death? How long has she been keeping this hidden for her to say that?" Keith flipped through the letter's dates. "Since our first argument? That long? And you guys just found out about it? She is the best actor ever," Keith said. He laid down and sighed. "I am going to talk to her,"