Work Text:
"Flashback"
Krolia and Keith had gotten used to the visions and flashbacks and even welcomed them at times, especially when one or both were having trouble explaining something. Sometimes the flashbacks happened when Keith was sleeping and showed Krolia some important event from her kit's life and she had to wait until morning to even mention it. This time, however, it occured right before they started eating. They saw it coming and set down their bowls, bracing for the vision.
%%%
"Follow my lead! We've got to break through that shield!" Keith called out. Two ticks later, a blast damaged the left wing of the Galra fighter he was piloting.
"We'll never penetrate those shields!" Matt called through the video feed.
"Maybe not with our weapons." Keith practically scowled at the shielded ship. He pushed the controls to arc away from the shield, only to gather enough speed to ram the shield.
"Wait Keith! What are you doing?" Matt's eyes widened as he realized what his friend was planning. "Keith no!"
Keith closed his eyes. Just then, Lotor's ship fired on the Galra cruiser and destroyed the shield.
%%%
Krolia and Keith were released from the flashback, and Krolia slowly turned to face her kit, mouth opening to question his actions or scold him; she wasn't sure which.
"Whoa, hang on, Mom. Before you say anything, I already got the scolding of my life from Kolivan, the Paladins, and Matt, even the lions had something to say about it. I don't need another lecture. Trust me, I won't be doing anything like that again," Keith jumped in before his mother could say anything.
Krolia closed her mouth and raised her eyes to look her kit in his eyes, which were so very similar to her own. She opened her arms, an invitation for a hug. Keith immediately ran into her arms. After all the scoldings he received, he didn't get too much affection. Everyone made sure to extract the promise to never do that again, but all Keith wanted after that was a hug. He got a tiny side hug from Shiro and a pat on the shoulder from Hunk, but that was it.
Keith practically melted into the encompassing warmth from his mother. He could feel her rumble as much as he could hear it, and he responded with a purr.
"I'm glad you won't try that again, my kit, but did anyone ever ask why you thought to do it?"
"Kolivan did, and when I threw the 'the mission is more important than the individual' ideology he had stressed back at him..." Keith buried his face in his mother's uniform.
"What happened, kit?"
Keith lifted his face. "He banned me from solo missions until the mission where he sent me to extract you."
"Lucky that's all he did. As the leader of the pack, he would have been within his right to spank you. Giving sass like that to the leader would have guaranteed-"
"Even though I am a full Blade?"
Krolia grumbled. "I still have to talk to Kolivan about that one."
Keith chuckled and tucked himself as close to his mother as he could get. He was simultaneously glad for and dreading the flashbacks as they were starting to reveal some situations Keith would rather not have Krolia find out. Fortunately, this time his mother decided not to add another scolding for his kamikaze attempt, and he finally got the hug he so desperately wanted.
Fin