Back to Keith.....

"This is it." Keith takes a deep breath and gently rubs his finger tips against the top of Pidge's head, "I'm finally going to ask him." "Keith!" A voice calls out distantly.

Keith smiles, "He's here! Don't let him see you." Pidge run to a hiding spot in the patins.

"Keith!" Zarkon calls out again, "I'm not getting any younger down here."

"Coming, father!" Keith runs to the window and throws his hair over the specially designed hook before tossing it down toward the forest floor. Keith winces a bit as he feels weight get added on to it, but the hook helps take some of his burden. With a grunt, Keith pulls his hair, like one would a rope, until his father reaches the window of the tower and can step inside. Keith is out of breath when he greets him, "Hi. Welcome home, father."

"Ugh! How you manage to do that every single day without fail! It looks absolutely exhausting." Zarkon pats his head gently.

"Oh." Keith smiles, still winded, "It's nothing."

"Then I don't know why it takes so long." Zarkon laughs and walks past Keith, further into the tower, "Oh, I'm just teasing."

Keith forces out a laugh, "Alright. So, father, as you know, tomorrow is a very big day-"

"Keith," Zarkon interrupts, "Look in the mirror. You know what I see?"

Keith shakes his head, glancing from his own reflection to his fathers taller one.

"I see a strong, confident, handsome young man." Keith smiles a little, about to respond when, "Oh look, you're here too." Zarkon laughs, and it sounds a little cruel, even to Keith, "I'm just teasing! Stop taking everything so seriously."

"Uh. Okay. So father, as I was saying tomorrow is-"

Zarkon frowns, examining his face closely in the mirror, "Keith, your father is feeling a little run down. Would you sing for me? Then we'll talk."

"Oh!" Keith perks up at the suggestion, "Of course, father." He quickly runs off and grabs his fathers favorite chair before hauling it toward the fire place. Keith sets it down, and runs off to grab the small stool he usually sits on. He gently pushes his father into the chair before dashing off again and grabbing the hair brush that he keeps nearby for such occasions. Keith then sits on the stool, drops an armful of hair on his fathers lap, and hands him the brush.

"Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine, make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine." Keith is singing so fast the words are nearly mixing together.

"Wait!" His father sounds both angry and surprised.

Keith doesn't slow down, "Heal what has been hurt, change the Fates' design, save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine. What once was mine."

Zarkon sputters once Keith has finished, "Keith-"

"So father, earlier I was saying tomorrow is a pretty big day and you didn't really respond so I'm just going to tell you. It's my birthday!" Keith smiles widely at his father.

"No. No. Can't be. I distinctly remember, your birthday was last year."

"That's the funny thing about birthdays." Keith laughs, because his father must be joking, "They're kind of an annual thing! Look... Father, I'm turning 18 and I wanted to ask, what I really want for this birthday... Actually what I've wanted for quite a few birthdays now..."

Zarkon groans, "Keith, please, stop with the mumbling. You know how I feel about the mumbling. Blah blah blah blah. It's very annoying." At Keith's startled face Zarkon continues,

"I'm just teasing, you're adorable. I love you."

Zarkon gets up and walks away from Keith, toward the other side of the tower. Keith deflates, glancing down at the floor before a sharp whistle catches his attention. He looks up to see Pidge, waving her tail at him, urging him to press on. Keith tightens his hands into fists, "I want to see the floating lights!"

Zarkon laughs, though it sounds tight and choked, "What?"

"I was hoping you would take me to see the floating lights." Keith stands up and moves the curtains hiding his latest art piece, revealing the work to his father.

"Oh. You mean the stars."

"That's the thing!" The excitement is back in Keith's voice, and he points to another of his art works, higher up the wall, "I've charted stars, and they are always constant. But these? They appear every year on my birthday, father. Only on my birthday. And I can't help but feel like...

They're meant for me."

"That's a little self centered don't you think?" Zarkon's tone is teasing but there is a seriousness in his eyes.

Keith squares his jaw and continues, "I need to see them, father. Not just from my window, in person. I have to know what they are."

"You want to go outside?" Zarkon shuts the window, sealing off the sunlight, "Keith, look at you, as fragile as a flower."

Keith frowns, prepared to argue, when Zarkon continues, "Still a little sapling, just a sprout. You know why we stay up in this tower."

Keith sighs, his fathers words flashing through his mind, "I know but..."

Zarkon runs a hand through Keith's hair, and when he speaks, it seems more to the silver locks than to Keith himself, "That's right, to keep you safe and sound. I guess I always knew this day was coming... I knew that soon you'd want to leave the nest. Soon, but not yet!" "But-" Keith attempts to speak.

"Shh!" Its sharp and harsh, "Trust me, pet. Father knows best."

The last of the sunlight leaves the tower as Zarkon closes the top most windows with a careful hit on the wall. Keith quickly lights a match in the darkness.

"Father knows best, listen to your father, it's a scary world out there."

Keith barely stops himself from shrieking as his father appears from the darkness beside him.

"Father knows best, one way or another, something will go wrong, I swear. Ruffians, thugs, poison ivy, quicksand, cannibals and snakes. The plague!" The fear his father has put into him lights up his receptors, "No!" "Yes!" Zarkon replies, his grin sharp.

Keith shakes his head, forcing himself to focus on what he really wants here, "But-" Zarkon laughs, and smacks Keith with the mop for his demonstration, "Also large bugs!" Keith groans as he hits the floor, rubbing the back of his head.

"Men with pointy teeth, and stop, no more, you'll just upset me!"

Despite himself, the fear is curling into his stomach, and he's losing his ability to think rationally. Keith wraps his arms around himself, curled up tightly, even his hair is wrapped around him protectively.

Zarkon reaches down and grabs Keith's hand, pulling him up into a standing position, "Father's right here, father will protect you." Keith can't help but wrap his arms around Zarkon tightly. Zarkon pats his head gently then he's gone, out of Keith's grasp too easily, "Darling, here's what I suggest; skip the drama, stay with your fathaaaa, father knows best."

Keith swallows and moves over to the mirror his father is standing beside, "Father knows best, take it from your papa, on your own, you won't survive."

Keith wants to argue, but before he can, Zarkon is pointing things out about him, "Sloppy, underdressed, immature, clumsy! Please, they'll eat you up alive. Gullible, naive, positively grubby.

Ditzy and a bit, well, hmm vague."

"Plus, I believe, gettin' kinda chubby." Keith sucks in a breath, more hurt by what his father has pointed out than he wants to let on. He doesn't think he even knows what to say, so he keeps his mouth shut as Zarkon holds his arms out for Keith, and he can't help himself but go to his father and hug him tightly. His father pats his hair gently and continues, "I'm just saying 'cause I love you. Father understands, fathers here to help you! All I have is one request; Keith?" "Yes?" His voice is smaller than he imagined it would be, than it ever could be.

Zarkon's expression and tone are serious, even deadly, "Don't ever ask to leave this tower again."

Keith looks down to keep the tears from falling, "Yes, father."

Zarkon smiles, "I love you very much."

"I love you more." Despite it all, the words are true.

Zarkon lets go of Keith and smiles again, but this smile is dangerous, "I love you most. Don't forget it, you'll regret it, father knows best."

Zarkon heads over to the window and Keith looks down at the ground, pain tightening it's grip on his heart. Keith knows his father is leaving again, so he slowly loops his hair around the hook to let him down.

"Keith! I'll see you in a bit, flower!"

"I'll be here." Keith's response is a whisper, and he leans down against the window sill, staring out at the forest. Keith wonders why his face is wet if the sky is clear. 

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Hey Guys!!!!! I hope you guys are licking the story, because is really fun to write it. Well hope you vote and continue reading ^^ ~Pam