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Alright so strictly speaking this isn’t the best idea Keith has ever come up with.
Comforting people has never been his... thing per say. Punching things, now that was a lot more in his area.
But well, he couldn’t leave this one alone. Allura deserved better than that.
But as he walked toward her room, he couldn’t help but wonder if he should have just left this to the team. They were far better at the comfort thing than he was. Lance would at least understand the homesickness part. He would understand missing family.
He just wouldn’t understand the pain of losing them, permanently.
When Allura had to say goodbye to her father, it was evident she was in pain, but she pushed through. She wiped away her tears and told everyone she was fine.
Keith knew better.
Before Keith could make any better, wiser, more thought out decisions, he was knocking on the door. Allura answered almost immediately with a small polite smile, you could hardly tell she had been crying, if it hadn’t been for the slight red around her eyes.
“Hi uh I was wondering if we could talk I guess? I mean um...” Keith trailed off, not sure where the hell he was going with this but he sure as hell was going.
“Oh, yes of course please come in Keith.” Allura stood aside and gestured for him to enter, closing the door behind him. “What can I help you with?”
“Nothing. I mean-” Keith sighed. “I’m not good at this. At all. But I wanted to just- let you know I know how hard it is to lose a parent. And uh I guess I just wanted to let you know I’m here for you? I’m not good at being comforting, but I at least understand. Which uh I found helps.”
It’s one of the reasons Shiro became so important to him. He understood losing someone, and he was a huge help dealing with his grief.
“I appreciate it Keith, but really I’m alright.”
“With all due respect princess, that’s a lie. I mean I said I’m terrible at this so by all means kick me out the door, but don’t try to bottle the grief up too tight, cause that’s how it explodes.” He had... experience with that.
Allura watched him carefully, and though her expression hardly changed, something softened. “What would you suggest?”
“I mean I didn’t really think I’d get this far...” Keith let out a short chuckle. “I mean when I lost my dad I found it helped to talk about him a bit. About missing him, about memories i had of him. Anything and everything really. Made me feel like he lived on in my memories I guess.”
Shiro and Adam had been a great help with that. They always encouraged him to speak about his dad, and listened whenever he needed or wanted to talk.
Allura nodded, as though considering, before her shoulders slumped forward, and for the first time in the roughly week he’d known her, Keith saw the princess crumble. “I miss him so much Keith. The upload of his consciousness, seeing it fall apart, it was like losing him all over again.”
“When I lost my pops, Shiro- he was there for me. He stepped up a lot, but when he disappeared... It was kinda like being confronted with my dads death all over again. But, at least I had Adam. He- well he made sure I didn’t completely shut down. I guess I kinda did the same for him.” Keith sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he tried to put the right words together. “Let us- the team that is- be your Adam. It-it helps when you let people help, seriously.”
Allura nodded, attempting a smile but ti was weak and faded almost immediately. “I know you’re not a fan of physical contact, but could I perhaps give you a hug?”
Keith smiled slightly and nodded. “Yeah, just don’t go telling anyone they’ll all expect me to break my no hugging rule.”
Allura let out a tiny chuckle as she pulled him into a hug. “I will not. I promise.”
After a moment she pulled away to sit on her bed. “Join me and talk for a bit?”
For once despite his lack of social skills he picked up on the unsaid ‘i don’t want to be alone.’
“Yeah, course.”
This time when Allura tried to smile, it was a real one.
They sat in silence for a few moments, neither sure what to say, before Allura spoke up.
“Keith may I ask you a question?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“What was your father like?”
Keith chuckled fondly. “Stubborn, incredibly stubborn. He always wanted to do the right thing, and always seemed to know what it was. He was kind, and patient, something I could never seem to pick up on.”
“He sounds like a great man.”
“He was.”
Allura paused. “How did he...” She trailed off, unsure how to ask her question the right way.
“How did he die?” Allura nodded. “He uh-” Keith cleared his throat, it’s been years but it still hadn’tgotten any easier to talk about. “He ran into a burning building to save someone, never came out.”
“I’m so sorry, Keith.”
“It’s ok.” It wasn’t, really but well he’s pretty sure that’s the sort of thing you’re supposed to say in this situation. “I mean, how many people get to say their dad died a hero?”
“Us I suppose.”
“Yeah. Yeah we do.” Keith paused. “What uh, what was your dad like?”
Allura smiled, a smile that even reached her eyes. “Much like yours I suppose. Stubborn, kind, always wanted to do the right thing no matter the cost. After my mother’s death he never faltered, he was always there when I needed him. I admire his strength greatly.”
“I think he’d be proud of you.” Keith said before he could think too hard about it. “You never let your grief consume you. You continue on, you’ve become a real leader. Voltron wouldn’t exist without your help. If he really is anything like my pops, he’d be really proud.”
Allura’s eyes welled up with tears and Keith panicked. “Sorry, sorry did I say something wrong? I told you I was bad at this-”
Before he could continue Allura had already pulled him into another hug. “No no, it was perfect, thank you.” Allura pulled away and wiped away tears. “Sorry for breaking your hugging rule again.”
“It’s ok. Just don’t tell the others.” They both chuckled, then fell silent for a few moments.
‘Keith?”
“Yeah Allura?”
“Would you tell me more about your father?”
Keith nodded. “This one time for my birthday he insisted on making me a cake, not sure I’ve ever heard of a firefighter having to call the fire department, but well that’s what happened this year-”
And they went on for hours. Telling stories back and forth about their fathers, little things they had done they hadn’t appreciated at the time, funny moments, blunders. It was quite late into the night by the time they decided it was time to stop and get some sleep.
“Thank you Keith. This was... nice.” Allura said as she walked him to the door.
It slid open as he responded. “Yeah... It was. and really it’s no problem Allura. I’m glad I could help even just a little.”
“I’d hug you again, but I think I’ve broken your hugging rule enough.”
“Yeah.. Rain check maybe?”
“Sounds perfect.”
With one last nod Keith turned to go back to his room.
And almost immediately ran into Lance.
“Geeze man, Allura just lost her dad. Again. You could have waited at least a day.”
“I literally have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I mean I doubt she’s even interested, she’s probably just being polite-”
“Well I sure hope so.”
“-She doesn’t want to hurt you feelings-”
“Lance, stop talking. You’re making no sense.”
“I’m not making any sense? I’m not making any sense!?”
“That’s what I said, yeah.”
“Look, just leave Allura alone ok? She’s been through enough as it is-”
“Oh my god you don’t know.” Keith started laughing, much to Lance’s annoyance.
“Don’t know what?”
“I thought everyone on the team knew.”
“Knew what?”
“Lance I’m gay. I have literally no interest in Allura as anything beyond a friend.”
“What.”
“I’m gay-”
“No no I heard you but what.”
“I really don’t know how to reply to that.”
“But you were just with her, I saw you leaving her room?”
“Yeah, because I was talking to her. As a friend. Because I am gay. You really are a little slow on the uptake huh.” It was a statement, not a question.
“But like, every girl in the garrison had a crush on you?”
“Well, sucks to be them I guess.” Maybe a bit unkind, but well, it was true. “This really isn’t computing for you is it?”
“Not quite.”
“Why is me being gay such a big deal?”
“It’s not! It’s not! I’m just surprised. I’m uh I’m bi myself.”
“Oh.”
“Oh.” Lance echoed, before shaking himself out of his trance. “Look I’m uh sorry about going off on you.” He cringed at himself, he really hated apologizing. “I just- don’t want Allura to get hurt.”
“Yeah, well neither do I.”
“Good.
“Good.”
“Anyway. I uh. Have to go talk to Hunk. Uh, see you around man.”
“See you around.”
At that they both went their seperate ways. Keith to bed, and Lance to Hunk’s room.
“Hunk, buddy we need to talk.”
“What’s up bro?”
“Keith’s gay.”
Hunk stared at him for a minute.
“You’re joking right?”
“Does this look like my joking face Hunketh.”
Hunk blinked.
Then burst into laughter.