Chapter Text
As it turned out, getting the rest of the team together to have "That Talk", was a lot harder than it seemed. It didn't help that they were constantly busy with some battle or another, or that it was getting increasingly harder to find places to land. Shiro and Keith both knew it would be best to talk to everyone when they were all gathered together, but at this rate, that might not happen.
On several occasions, Keith tried to talk to Lance one on one about the dying incident, but Lance just shrugged it off. "I'm fine," he'd say, "It's in the past, don't stress about it mullet-head."
Keith stressed his worries to Shiro, "I really don't know what to do, I know it's bugging him, I can see it in his eyes. But I can't help him unless he lets me."
"Just give him some time," Shiro said, "I wish we could do more, but Lance has to realize he needs our help on his own, otherwise, anything we have to say will just be nagging."
Keith groaned and placed his head against the warm, glowing consoles, Yorak, as he'd named the wolf, came up and sniffed Keith for a moment before placing his head on Keith's lap and gazing endearingly up at him. Keith sat up straight again and ruffled the fur behind Yorak's ears. "Thank's buddy," He whispered. "I'm glad I have a friend like you."
At that moment, it hit him, maybe Keith couldn't get Lance to say anything, but maybe a close friend of Lance's could...Keith opened up communication with the Yellow Lion. Hunk's face appeared on the holographic screen in front of him, confusion in his eyes. "Hey Keith, what's up?"
Keith cleared his throat, knowing he had to be somewhat delicate with the matter, "It's Lance," He said.
Hunk's confusion increased, and he furrowed his brows, "Lance? What about him? Is something wrong?" Hunk frowned, "You didn't get into another fight with him, did you?"
"What? Hunk, no, I'm not like that anymore, that was two years ago."
"Two years to you maybe..." Hunk mumbled, still suspicious.
Keith sighed, "Ok, listen, I'm worried about him, alright? I think...I think somethings bugging him, but he won't listen to me, I thought he'd listen you, that's why I called."
Hunk nodded slowly, "I think you're right, he has been rather quiet lately, I'll talk to him, see what's up."
Keith smiled, "Thanks big man,"
"No problem." Hunk cut off communication and the screen blinked out of existence.
Keith rubbed Yorak's head again, "I hope I did the right thing," He whispered.
Lance was staring at himself in the mirror again, running his fingers through his hair. The white was slowly beginning to grow more prominent, and Lance knew it wouldn't be long until more people on the team, besides Shiro and Keith, noticed.
Lance wondered if he could blame it on stress, like how Shiro's bangs had turned white after that time with the Galra. Just as Lance was turning away from the mirror, he caught sight of his holographic calling screen up.
"Holy quiznack!" Lance shouted, yanking the mirror down and shoving it beneath the console. "Give a paladin more warning next time bro!" Lance chastised.
Hunk chuckled, "Sorry man, didn't mean to scare you, what were you doing by the way?" Hunk asked quizzically, "When did you get a mirror?"
Lance scoffed at Hunk, "Just because we're on the run, doesn't mean we can't take care of ourselves buddy," Lance started turning his head, allowing Hunk to get a full view of his face, "See this beauty? It takes hard work to maintain."
"Alright Narcissus," Hunk laughed, but it quickly dwindled and he became serious, "Hey, Keith said you weren't doing to well, mind telling me what's up?"
Lance's blood ran cold, "Keith told you what?"
"Just that something seemed to be bugging you and he couldn't get through to you."
Lance scowled, "Well, you can tell that cojones to mind his own quiznacking business."
Hunk blanched, "Woah, maybe Keith was lying when he said you guys hadn't gotten into a fight, I haven't seen you this mad in a while," Hunk's expression turned to that of concern, "Are you sure you're ok? Because even if Keith hadn't brought it up, I've noticed you've been acting a little strange lately."
Lance growled, "Yeah, well, sometimes fighting a war will do stuff like this to you, ok? Just leave me alone, I'll be fine."
Hunk frowned, "Calm down Lance, we're just worried about you is all. You know you can come to us with any concerns you have..." Hunk trailed off, leaving it as almost a question.
Lance's anger grew, "¡Tu maletín!" He shouted, "My only problem, is you guys can't mind your own quiznacking business, for five dobashes. Me piro, adiós." And with that, Lance hung up on Hunk, cutting him off before he could say anything. Slowly, the anger began to drain from his body and Lance groaned, He couldn't believe he had treated Hunk, his best friend, in that manner.
When he had found out Keith had switched tactics and was having Hunk go after him, Lance had just...he'd lost it. His anger began to return as he thought about Keith, and he opened up a communication line with him. It rang once, before opening up, allowing Lance a peek into the Black Lion.
Keith didn't seem to realize that Lance had called, and was too busy petting Yorak to notice Lance.
"Oy, bembelequero," Lance shouted, Keith jumped in his chair and turned towards the screen to see Lance, glaring at him.
"Er, hey Lance, what's up?"
"What's up?" Lance scowled, "What's up is you getting Hunk to do your dirty work! What the quiznack man?"
Keith seemed to shrink into himself a bit, "Sorry, I just..." He pulled himself back up, a fire in his eyes, "You weren't talking to me, I thought if I could get someone who was your friend to talk to you, you might listen to them."
"When I said I didn't want to talk about, I meant I didn't want to talk about it!" Lance yelled at Keith, "Do you not realize that? Or are you so self absorbed in being 'the perfect leader' you don't realize that sometimes, people keep secrets for a reason?
"I don't want to talk about it for a reason Keith! Dios, it's a painful memory for me, ok? I don't want to remember what it was like to be be dead, to think I was never coming home to my family, to watch Allura frantically try to resurrect me," Tears stung Lance's eyes, "So can you please, stop bugging me about it? Por favor?"
"Lance I..."
Lance shook his head, "Tumbar la guara." And with that, Lance shut off communications, leaving Keith, frozen in his chair, knowing he had been wrong about the situation the whole time.
It was so much worse than he and Shiro had originally believed.
Lance remembered dying.