All We Could Have Been

Patience Yields Focus

"You are happy." Shiro said, when Keith walked into the Atlas room they shared.

"What do you mean?" Keith asked as he closed the door behind him and took off his jacket, he went to the closet to put it away, before jumping up onto the bunk bed above Shiro.

"Your happy, for once." Shiro smiled softly.

"I am not." Keith answers as he laid down and put his knife under his pillow.

"You had a smile on your face." Shiro pointed out. "Did you see a shiny fancy knife or something?"

"No..." Keith said as he rolled on his side and hugged the pillow.

"Then What is it?" Shiro asked.

This moment reminded Keith of when he came back from the Blade. He bit his lip as he remembered, after they got Shiro put back together and they were heading home, him and Shiro had a similar talk. But that time, Keith was not happy, he was sad.

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"Keith!" Shiro caught Keith's arm. "We need to talk." He pulled Keith into a private room in the black lion. "Something is wrong with you."

"Nothing is wrong with me." Keith said, voice voice cracked a tiny bit.

"You aren't yourself Keith. You are sad, you have been avoiding everyone, even me. What's wrong? Did something happen?" Shiro asked, very very concerned about his friend.

"It's just..." That's when Keith finally broke down, he had been holding these emotions inside of him all this time. Keith for the first time ever, besides when his dad died, cried.

Shiro was surprised to see Keith cry, but he was quick to pull him close for comfort. "Shhh... it's alright Keith. Who is it? Who do I need to beat up?"

Keith sighed and calmed down his crying and pulled back from the hug slowly. "Nobody. It's just... it's Lance."

"Lance?" Shiro was surprised. "Is he annoying you or something?"

"No. Lance is important to me." Keith said. "He means the world to me, and..." he sniffled. "It just hurts!" He finally said out loud what he had been holding back all this time. "Seeing him with Allura just sucks! Oh my gosh... this is so stupid to cry about." Keith whipped away his tears.

"Keith..." Shiro started to say, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"But it's FINE!" Keith tried to smile. "If he is happy then I'm happy. Right?" Keith crosses his arms as he started to tear up again.

Shiro frowned softly, watching someone he cared about so much be in pain was just awful for him. He pulled Keith close to him, and Keith cried into his shoulder, Shiro just held the trembling Keith and rubbed his back. "Hey.... it's alright. Love is suppose to hurt, love comes slow and it goes by fast. You need to learn from it, like how you learn from the past, so you can prepare for the future." Shiro whispered little words of comfort to him as they stood there in that empty room. "It's hurts to let go of your first love, but it hurts more to hang onto them. At least that's how it is with Adam."

"You miss him don't you?" Keith said softly.

"Everyday. But I've let go of that a long time ago Keith. And you will too with Lance. Someday both of us will find someone that makes us happy." Shiro promised

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"So Keith. If you aren't happy, why are you acting off?" Shiro asked again. "Is it Lance?"

Keith bit his lip and pause for a moment, taking a deep breath before replying, "Yes."

"Is it Allura?" Shiro then asked.

"Yes." Keith answered.

"Anyone else?" Shiro asked.

"No."

"So then, are you happy or sad?" Shiro asked.

After a long pause. "...Both. Shiro, you don't have to do this, I'm not a little kid."

"Even adults need comforting Keith." Shiro said. "When I was in mourning, you comforted me. So did many others. It's alright to ask for help. It is okay to cry and complain and just feel crappy."

"I guess that's how I feel. Crappy." Keith repeated. He jumped down from the top bunk so he could sit beside Shiro. "I mean, I'm sad and all that Allura died. But is it bad that I'm happy she is gone? Happy that maybe, just maybe something might happen?"

"Keith? Your still hung up on Lance?" Shiro said. "You told me you moved on, you stepped aside—"

"Yeah that was a huge lie." Keith said flat out. "Sorry... I just didn't know how to tell you that i can't get over Lance. We had a bonding moment Shiro. A BONDING MOMENT, and he doesn't even remember!"

Shiro chuckled softly before putting an arm around Keith. "Hey, don't wear yourself down over this kiddo. Give Lance his time to mourn, be there for him, like you were during dinner tonight."

"You saw that?" Keith looked up at Shiro.

"Yeah." Shiro laughed. "I see everything. But the point is, you can't change things that are out of your control Keith, and Lance's feelings, those are out of your control. Remember, Patience Yields Focus."

"I don't understand why he doesn't notice me."

"Well maybe he is straight." Shiro pointed out.

"There is no way Lance is straight." Keith snapped. "We has a bonding moment."

Shiro laughed. "Been hung up since then? Really?"

"He didn't even remember!" Keith said, and rambled on and on about how they connected and sparks flew and Keith felt himself fall for the stupid Cuban boy all night long, until Shiro and Keith had both fallen asleep from exhaustion on the small bunk bed.