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"You better improve your grades McClain or you will flunk out. It's pure luck you're even a cargo pilot."
Lance made himself small as he listened to Iverson, his day was rough and this was just the icing on the cake.
"Now leave my office, and you better go study if you want to stay here."
Lance got up and left Iverson's office. His eyes burned as he held back tears, but once down the halls he let it out. Lance didn't want to fail, he tried, he really did. He just wasn't good enough.
Shiro was looking over his report, he was heading for a meeting about the upcoming Kerberos mission. He was so into the work he didn't notice a slumped over form.
Paper flew in the air and scattered onto the floor.
"Oh god, oh no." Lance was quick to the flood, shakingly picking up the papers, "im so sorry!"
Once he has all the paper Lance stands back up to hand them over when he notices who the papers belong to. The famous Takashi Shirogane. Lance grew more nervous, he blushed, and looked down, "here. Im sorry."
Lance went to turn and was going to run, but was quickly stopped, "Hey. It's okay. It was my fault, I wasn't paying attention." Lance's face was warm, he didn't have the guts to even look him in the eyes.
"So what's your name cadet?"
"L-Lance... Lance McClain."
"Lance huh, nice to meet you." He outstretched his hand for Lance to take, who was hesitant, "Takashi Shirogane, but you can call me Shiro." Lance looked up at Shiro in awe and took his hand.
"Well, I have to get to a meeting. I hope I'll see you around." And with that, Shiro was off.
Lance felt his heart beating, he's never felt so nervous before.
The day went on as normal, Lance went to his classes, hating that he was a cargo pilot. Hating that he was a dumb cargo pilot and day dreaming that he could be a fighter pilot, being scolding for daydreaming, and moving on to the next classes.
Lance felt himself grow more and more depressed as Iverson's word echos in his mind. He spent hours staring at his homework, not in the mood to even bother. "This wasn't my dream."
Days go by like this. Eventually he just stops doing any work. He just slumps over and blocks his teachers voices out. His grades become effected, falling even more. He's constantly sent to Iverson's office, so much so he's had enough.
Iverson grew tired of Lance, marching over to him and, to Lance's utter shock, hit him, "you better clean up you act McClain, or you will be kicked out of hear. Now Leave my office, I don't want you're filth in my presence."
Lance had a hand on his cheek and scurries out of the office.
Lance ran. He ran until even he had no idea where he was, and cried his heart out. "Why am I like this?" He fell on the floor, curling into a ball, "why am I a screw up?"
Lance felt himself grow exhausted, his tears falling uncontrollably, "why am I even here?"
"Lance..." A voice breaks through the dark void. "Lance wake up."
Lance groans and opens his eyes, he looks around, "shiro?"
"Lance, what are you doing here? If someone finds you here you'll get in trouble."
Groggily, Lance stood up, his body felt sore, but thats what happens when you sleep on a hard floor. Shiro watched Lance get up and that was when he saw Lance's bruised cheek.
"Lance! What happened to your face?"
Lance brought a hand to his cheek, "n-nothing. Don't worry about it."
Shiro grabs his hand, "Lance this is serious, what happened?" Lance looks away and shakes his head, "please, don't make me say it."
"Is someone abusing you?"
"N-No. Nothing like that."
"Lance."
Should he say it? Would Iverson kick him out quicker if Lance tells on him?
"It was just with an instructor. It's nothing really."
Shiro's face grew serious, "Lance, a teacher hitting a student is a really serious offense, you have to tell me who it was."
Lance grew stiff, "it was an accident Shiro! Really! It's okay." Lance gave him a convincing smile, it was small, but it was there.
Shiro looked him over, "alright, I'll believe you, but I'm taking you to the nurse's office, and if you get hit again you tell me okay?"
"Okay."
With that Shiro took Lance's hand and walked him to the nurse's office.
The nurse looked over Lance, "well mr. McClain this will be a nasty bruise for a while." She put cream and a bandage over it. "Alright, you're good to go mr. McClain."
Lance mumbled a thanks and left the office.
Shiro didn't leave his side, walking him to his dorm room, "are you sure you're okay? I can stay awhile if you want."
Lance blushed, "I am and... I guess so. Um... No it's dumb."
Shiro raised an eyebrow, "what?"
"Well, I was going to ask if," Lance cleared his throat, "if you'll help me with my homework, I've been having trouble with it."
Shiro smiled, "sure!"
Lance looked at him in suprise, "oh! Thank you."
Lance let's him inside and Shiro helps him with his work. And for once, Lance actually gets it, and is quick to answer all the questions.
"Wow Shiro, you're a great teacher. Thank you."
Shiro blushed and rubbed his stiff neck from looking down, "well it takes a good student too."
The pair look at the clock, it was way past curfew, but since Shiro was a graduate, he wouldn't get in trouble. "This was a good session, if you ever need help again find me." Shiro gave him a smile before leaving.
Lance slumped on his desk, blushing, "god he's great. Why can't my teachers be like him?"
From that night on Shiro became Lance's tutor and his grades go from the brick of chaos to excelling.
His teachers had been so shocked that some had thought he was cheating. Which Lance smugly showed them wrong.
Life was good again, and it was all thanks to Shiro.
The pair grew closer then just tutor and student. Spending as much time as they could together.
"Shiro!"
Shiro didn't have the time to turn and a large mass jump on his back, he laughed as arms wrapped around his neck,
"look."
"You got an A."
Lance smiled, "yeah! And you'll never believe what Iverson said." Lance got off of Shiro's back, "he said if I keep this up I might have a chance to become a fighter pilot. Man, you should have seen him, he looked like he was going to have a heart attack." Lance barked out a laugh.
Shiro was happy for Lance, his whole demeanor was so bright, it was like he was an entirely new person.
"Im proud of you Lance."
Lance's cheeks grew warm, "its all thanks to you."
"How many times do I have to tell you, it's all you, you have to put in the time and work and it's that very reason that you are succeeding."
Before anything else could be said a voice echos down the hall, "Takashi!"
Shiro turns, "oh! Captain Halt."
The older man panted as he ran over to the two and handed Shiro a pile of folders, "Here are your reports Shiro, we're all clear for the mission."
Lance had only heard rumors of a big mission that was coming and by the looks of Shiro's face this must have been it.
"Really!? That's great! And when do we leave?"
"Thats the thing, it's in two weeks."
Both Shiro and Lance were shocked, two weeks for a space mission wasn't ebmven close to enough time to prep, that was common knowledge.
"Shit, okay. Well we better not waste time then."
Captain Holt nodded, "I'll see you in the meeting hall then."
"Damn it." Shiro slumped, "this is bad," Lance grabbed Shiro's shoulder which startled him, "oh, sorry Lance."
"It's alright. Um, what's going on?"
Shiro breathed out, "we have a mission to go to Kerberos, to find any evidence of life, former or new. This is big and should take about two years. That's why it's bad that we only have two weeks to prep."
Two years...
"God, I'll go. You should focus on this."
Shiro nodded, "thanks Lance, glad you understand."
Lance watch Shiro run for the meeting hall.
"He'll be gone for two years." Lance's heart ached, why did it ache? He should be proud, not sad. He shakes his head and smiles, he is proud, Shiro deserves to go on great missions like this and lance inspires to be just like him.
There in the hall Lance vows to one day be Shiro's equal. "I'll make you proud Shiro. And by the time you come back the next mission I'll be at your side."
Two weeks pass by and Lance had hardly seen Shiro since the announcement.
Classes that day let out early and students flood to the auditorium to watch the take off live.
Lance lags behind, looking out the window and looking at the tip of the ship, he wishes he could say goodbye to Shiro. "Im going to miss you."
He sighs, looking at the ship one more time before leaving for the auditorium. If he was going to watch the ship leave he might as well have a good few.
"Lance! Lance wait up!"
A voice calls and Lance new instantly who it was, "shiro?"
Shiro runs down the hall, or as well he could in his astronaut uniform, lance gives a laugh, "What are you do here? Shouldn't you be getting ready to take off?"
"I couldn't leave without saying goodbye." He grabs Lance's chin and steals a kiss.
Lance is taken back, "shiro."
Shiro grabs him the best he could and holds him close, "goodbye." Lance doesn't want to let go, but he must. "Goodbye."
"Wait for me okay."
Lance smiles, "okay. I..." say it now while you can, come on you won't see him for two years! "Shiro... I love you "
"I love you too lance." Shiro pulls away much to Lance dismay. "Man I've been wanting to say that for weeks."
Lance laughs, "so have I."
The two kiss one more time before Shiro leaves.
Lance has a hand over his rapidly beating heart, "im going to miss you Shiro."
Lance goes to the auditorium and watches with the rest of his classmates and teachers as the ship takes off. Cheers erupt as it breaks through the atmosphere.
Lance holds back tears as he tells himself that he will only be gone for two years and by the time he comes back he too will be graduated and ready for missions of his own.
Life goes on as normal. Or as normal as his life was before Shiro. But Lance doesn't get depressed, he mustn't for Shiro's sake. He keeps his grades up and steady.
Months go by and everything is okay.
That is until.
"Breaking news from the Galaxy Garrison. Reports are coming in from the Kerberos mission that there was a technical error. Unfortunately at this time we are getting news that all three crew members are dead."
Lance watched as the portraits of Samuel Holt, Matt Holt, and Takashi Shirogane come up.
"Oh god no." Tears streamed down his face, "shiro... you can't be gone."
Lance heart shattered, he sank to the floor, he couldn't hold back, not anymore.
Wails could be heard outside his dorm room, students passing by could only imagine his pain.
"Shiro... Shiro... God why!? Why!!"
The news report came back on and he turned off the tv.
After that day Lance grew numb. His heart would forever be broken and nothing. Nothing could fix this.
He put up a facade, smiling when he was around people, but alone he would cry and morn.
Even when he made new friends, even when he made it to be a fighter pilot. Nothing helped.
His heart was forever broken.