Work Text:
It was two months ago when they first met.
Lance was trapped in the unlit men’s locker room of Naxzela University, still donning his blue lion costume. He cursed mentally as he paced around the dingy and disgusting clothing left all over the ground. The room smelled like an odd mix of cologne, sweat soaked jerseys, and moldy bread. Thankfully, the disinfectant sprayed in his costume blocked out most of the rancid odor.
He felt nauseated. Not from the scent. From fear. Fear of never escaping. Fear of becoming one of the poor victims of the Sentrys brutal pranks. Fear of letting down his team, The Altea Paladins.
Lance jumped and shrieked loudly as the door creaked open.
“Please don't hurt me!” He cried.
“Why would I hurt you if I was sent to find you?” A sharp voice questioned.
Lance looked up, his giant blue lion head obscuring his vision. He pulled off the accessory, and found himself face to face with another freshman.
In the darkness, Lance could hardly make out who it was, until the person grabbed him by the arm and pulled him along.
The lights above the football field were blinding. The cheers of excited spectators and upbeat music filled Lance's ears as he was lead out by that mystery person.
“You found him!” A familiar voice said, hardly audible above the yelling and music. “Thanks a million, Keith!”
In that moment, Lance saw his fellow mascots. Katie, lovingly dubbed Pidge by the rest of the group, smiled before putting on the head to her Green Lion costume.
That’s when he got a good look at his rescuer. His black hair was in an extremely outdated mullet, which stood out against his fair skin and brought out his amazingly violet eyes. He was wearing the traditional Altea Tech away game jersey, the number 11 in a bright shade of blue against the white fabric.
“Keith,” Lance murmured. “As in Keith Kogane? The Keith Kogane?! Starting linebacker Keith Kogane?!”
Lance stared at the football player with an expression of pure awe.
“You are a legend!”
“Lance, quit flirting with Keith and put your head on!” Shiro, the Black Lion, teased. “It's our time!”
“Let's go guys!” Allura, wearing her Red Lion costume, yelled. Lance looked at Keith one last time before putting on the lion’s head and running onto the field.
Lance stared at the ceiling in another dark room. Fear filled his chest like water filling a casam. It happened again.
He had been kidnapped.
This time, he had no clue where he was. Where his team was. Where Keith was.
He was trapped. Tied to a bench, unable to sit or stand. The only thing he could do was cry for help. But even then, his words never reached the surface. He couldn't even hear them.
The door swung open, and malicious cackling filled the room. A dark, despicable figure stood in the light that was pouring through the threshold. Lance tried to break free, but failed.
The creature came closer and closer. His heart beat faster and faster. He needed to get someone’s attention. He screamed.
Keith had moved in with Lance not even a week ago, but he knew that this isn't normal.
The linebacker was awoken by the most horrific, blood-curdling scream he ever heard.
“What the-?” He shouted as he jolted from the bed. Keith turned his head to find Lance in some sort of frenzy. He was kicking the blankets off of himself, punching the air and yelling incoherently. Sweat made his hair stick to his forehead. Keith jumped up and made his way across the room, tripping over his own feet.
“Lance!” He said urgently, shaking the mascot’s arm. “Lance!”
Lance jumped up, pawing the air around him. “Keith!” He cried.
“I'm here.” Keith said, “Are you okay?”
“Keith, I was- I was-” Lance said, grabbing onto his shirt.
“Hey, hey. Lance. Take a deep breath. Calm down. Tell me what happened.”
“I was in like this- this locker room thing.”
“And?”
“I was on a bench and I couldn't move. And there was this creature thing. And it was cackling, and, and…”
He trailed off, placing his hand on the side of his face.
“I feel warm. Like, too warm.”
Keith placed his hand against Lance’s forehead. “You're right. I don't need a thermometer to know that you have a fever.”
“Sorry.” Lance mumbled.
“Don't apologise for being sick.” Keith said. “I'll be right back.”
Keith entered their shared bathroom, returning with some pills, a paper cup and a damp cloth.
“Take these.” He said, handing the pills and cup to Lance. Lance took them carefully, swallowing the pills one at a time.
After he finished the water, Keith placed the cloth on his forehead. Lance let out a content sigh as the coolness of the cloth seemed to soothe the fever.
“Keith,” Lance said as he relaxed on to the mattress, “We have a game tomorrow. Against Balmera. I need to be there.”
“No, Lance.” Keith said as he pulled the blanket over Lance’s shoulders. “ You're sick, and you shouldn't leave the dorm in the condition you're in. I'm sure that Shiro and the rest of the team would understand.”
Lance was so out of it from the fever and the medicine. “M’kay.” He mumbled, eyelids drooping closed.
Keith smiled. “Well, I'm going back to bed. Feel better soon.”
“Keith,” he mumbled, “Don't go.”
“My bed is only six feet away from yours.”
“Don't leave.”
“Lance, what has gotten into you?”
“You weren't there,” he mumbled deliriously, “You didn't save me. I, I don't want you to leave. Please, please stay with me. Please, please, please. Keith, please.”
Keith sighed as he slid to the floor, back resting on Lance’s bed frame. He gently took hold of Lance's hand.
“I'm here, Lance. I'm not going anywhere.”
And that’s where they stayed. By morning, Keith woke up sitting on the floor, still holding Lance's hand as he slept without care, face red from fever.
Keith gently freed his hand from Lance's grip and found his phone. He scrolled through the contacts, looking for the one person he needed to talk to.
“Coach,” he said, moving closer to Lance and checking the brunet’s temp. “It's me, Keith. About the game, yeah, I can't make it.”
His coach yelled something along the lines of “What do you mean 'you can't make it’?!”
Keith simply responded with, “I need to take a sick day.” And hung up.
Looking at the sleeping Lance, he muttered, “I won't leave you.”
He turned to his phone, clicking on Shiro’s number when it came up in his contacts.
“We're both taking a sick day today, Lance.”