How Far I've Come (Keith x Reader)

⚔︎ Sticks and Stones; Chapter Twenty-Nine ⚔︎

unedited chapter :)

The actuality of being under the radar of someone's vision can put a lot of stress on your shoulders, and it sure does.

Knowing that someone is watching you, tracking every step, scanning every action and monitoring every breath, then reporting anything they find in any way odd to Lotor? It's an even larger addition of pressure, and even though you've yet to do anything insufficient, it keeps you on your toes. Your toes, if so and in elaboration, are achingly sore.

Would he disapprove of a book you read? Could he fret over how much time you spend taking a break between equations? What can you do now, what will he take away, if he takes away anything at all?

How badly are you overthinking this whole situation?

A cold chill runs up your arms and rattles down your spine once another wave of anxious worry breaks through your body, causing a small scribble of marker to drag away on the board. You groan, smudging it with your thumb and moving on. Lotor is with you this time, watching your work, adding on to your desire not to fail.

His hand comes to rest on your shoulder, fingers cold to the touch, making you shudder and jitter your arm out again. Another scribbled line is added that shouldn't be. You huff once more, grumbling to yourself as you brush away the error.

"Did I startle you?"

Yes.

"No." You answer, continuing your work, throat dry and sludgy. You know the answer, you can do the work in your head, you could write down what he needs right now. You just can't help yourself. Failure is sin.

"Y/n, you mustn't lie to me." He says, pulling his hand up to your head, raking his sharp nails across your scalp. You pause, lowering the marker and resisting the urge to shudder in discomfort once again. You only jitter sharply, only once.

Clearing your throat, you tilt your head down, showing your surrender to the argument. "I apologize."

He leans in, wrapping his arms around your shoulders. "Would you like a break?"

"I could use a glass of water-"

"A longer sort of break." He adds, turning you around in his arms, eyes focused and light. "Within the next day or so, we'll reach a planet with hot springs that I only hear the highest boasts about. Would you like to spend a day off-board with me?"

You have to think on that sentence, that offer, a question that sounded too good to be true. "Yes." You grin, feeling a little bit of that weight already rising from your tight, cramped, knitted shoulders. "I would love that."

"Good." He replies, before taking a small stack of papers from the shorter man standing behind him. Although, of course, 'small' around here means the heap is over an inch thick. "These are from my father. I hate to force his unnecessary work onto your plate, but his acceptance is one of my top priorities at the moment." His hand touches your cheek, raising your head. "Do you know why that is?"

"If he's dissatisfied with our work, he won't lift your banishment."

"Smart girl." He replies, lowering his armored hand. "But it also means you will finally be able to rule by my side once my inheritance is restored. If we lose his trust, we lose your future."

My future.

The future.

A cinderblock of pressure smacks you right between the shoulders, sending you smacking into the floor, making your shaking arm reach out to take the papers. "Don't fail." You clench your teeth, feeling them grind in the worst, grittiest way. "Do not fail."