As Cold as Fire [VOLTRON Keith X OC]

After we thanked Pidge for the rescue, we got Shiro into a healing pod. Keith refused to leave him, even though Allura told us it will take a day or so.

"Keith, come on."

He crossed his arms stubbornly. "I'm not leaving. What if something happens to him and no one is around?"

"Nothing's going to happen," I replied, rolling my eyes. "Unless you think the mice want to sabotage him."

Keith narrowed his eyes at the mice nearby, and I decided he definitely needed to sleep. He returned his gaze to me. "I'm not leaving," he repeated.

"I'm not going anywhere, so I can keep an eye on him. I'm not tired anyway. You, on the other hand, definitely need some sleep. No offence."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

I dodged the question, ignoring the dark circles under his eyes. "When was the last time you slept?" I demanded.

He frowned sleepily, straining to remember. "Before we went on the thingy."

I blinked. "The... thingy?"

"The..." he paused to yawn, "The mission where Allura got captured by the mean glagalilgalars. Galgers. Lagars." I gave him another questioning look. He sighed. "You know... the evil purplies."

"Right. That was two days ago by the way." I grabbed him by the shoulders, dragging him away from the healing pods.

"But Shiro..." he mumbled angrily, yet didn't protest. I took him to his room and laid him in his bed. As I began to pull the covers over him to keep him warm, however, he grabbed my wrist.

"Come in here with me," he grumbled. I blushed, and stammered in confusion.

"H-huh?!"

"What if the mice get me?" he asked, looking at me with such seriousness that it took all my willpower not to laugh. He leaned closer and whispered, "You need to protect me Riley. They're gonna come for me."

I shook my wrist off his loose grip, and finished pulling the covers over him. "I will," I promised. "I just need to go check on something, kay?" I backed away slowly, and before I had even exited the doorway, he had begun snoring.

As I had assured him, I returned to Shiro's healing pod, and sat down next to it. I leaned on to the glass, and set out the medical equipment I had picked up on the way. I dipped a cloth in an Altean substance I had found, and carefully dabbed it on my wounds. A barely constrained whimper escaped my lips immediately- it stung like hell and worse. 

After I had cleaned them thoroughly, I decided they weren't as deep as I had thought, so I wouldn't need stitches. Ignoring the others, I focused only on the one on my leg, concentrating on holding the skin in one place while wrapping it tightly with bandages using my other hand.

"Would you like some help?"

I paused and looked up to see Allura. She didn't meet my eyes, and frowned at my leg.

"No, it's fine," I replied bitterly. I finished tying it with a knot, and finally exhaled. She kneeled down beside me and picked up the soaked cloth, and dabbed it at the bite on my arm. She seemed like she knew what she was doing, so I didn't pull away.

"You didn't clean this one properly, probably because you were using your left hand."

"Ah." I clutched the cloth from her hand, harsher than I intended, and rubbed my arm. "Thanks."

She didn't stand up and leave, and continued sitting there instead. Eventually she said, "I wanted to apologise."

"Oh?" My grip on the cloth tightened. I faced her angrily, venom sharp and thick on every word as I spoke. "For which bit, your majesty?"