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War was hell.
Lance knew it. Shiro knew it.
They specifically had been fighting together for what… five years now? Dating for at least two, but keeping it on the down low in public for fear of fraternization and being court martialed.
On the field not that many cared, most sought someone else out for company in the harsh reality that was their horrific warzone.
But then again being sent out to the middle of nowhere could make people forget the rules.
A company of four platoons lead by Lieutenants Katie ‘Pidge’ Holt, Lance McClain, Hunk Garrett, and Keith Kogane. Supervised by their captain, Captain Takashi Shirogane. The whole company had been together for a year, and they were all good friends to say the least. The other Lieutenants knew of Lance and Shiro’s relationship, it’s not like they didn’t have ones of their own.
Things seemed fine, at least for now.
I mean, how could they know they were being sent on a suicide mission?
Everything had turned to hell in less than a matter of minutes. They thought that it was just going to be a simple mission. Just go in, get out, all there was too it. But no, the entire place had been laiden with traps; bombs in the ground, pitfalls scattered everywhere, and entire regiments just waiting for them to stumble further.
Everything hurt.
Everything was hell.
Everyone was gone.
Shiro could barely find any of his lieutenants in the crossfire, just stumbling over the bodies of soldier after soldier. He couldn’t look at them, doing so making his inside churn and revolt.
He heard screams of pain, coming from… everywhere. He couldn’t get them out of his mind. They wouldn’t go away. They couldn’t go away.
Shiro picked out a specific scream from his nine o’clock, a scream he would know anywhere.
Lance.
He took out to a run, trying to follow that scream as best he could. Turning corner and running farther than he thought it would be.
He stopped.
He saw it.
Lance pinned to the ground under the boot of a nameless soldier. The uniform at his back, blackened and in tatters. The soldier stomped on Lance’s hip, grinding his heel into the bone, causing Lance to scream again.
Shiro didn’t know what he was doing until he had unloaded several rounds into enemy soldier, walking forward. His eyes only seeing red, just like their bloody surroundings.
The soldier had fallen dead by the time Shiro had gotten to Lance, throwing his gun aside and rushing to his side, pulling his face up slightly.
“Lance, Lance talk to me” Shiro said quickly, pressing a hand around, searching for a heartbeat. The others eyes fluttered open slowly, looking up at Shiro but not quite focusing on him.
“Hey there hot stuff” He rasped quietly, his eyes starting to fall shut.
“Lance no, don't close your eyes i need you to stay awake” Shiro hissed, papping the side of Lance’s face slightly, “We have to get you out of here”
“But -m tired”
“You are not allowed to fall asleep and that is an order lieutenant!” Shiro yelled, feeling tears prickle at his eyes. Maybe they started to fall, he couldn't tell.
“Sorry” Lance breathed, head lolling against Shiro’s arm.
A slew of obscenities flew out of Shiro’s mouth before he basically threw Lance over his shoulder, rushing his way off somewhere. He didn't know exactly where he should have gone, but he just ran. Lance’s head thumped against his back as he kept running.
Someone yelled, he heard a gunshot, he barely registered and pain in his side.
He saw people in front of him, wearing the armies uniform, waiting outside a convoy truck. As he got closer he saw that it was Katie and Hunk, waiting for him. He heard but didn't understand what she was saying. He practically collapsed as he reached the convoy, darkness consuming him as he was hauled up into it.
Lance woke up screaming, an excruciating, pulsing pain at his hip and side. Tears slid down his face as he vaulted himself into a sitting position, curling up tightly and gripping at the sheets. He felt like he couldn’t breathe, he could hear screams still ringing in his ears.
He didn't notice Shiro waking up and sitting up next to him, gingerly resting a hand on his shoulder. He flinched and looked over at Shiro, melting into his touch once he realized it was him.
Shiro pulled him into a hug once he had stopped shaking enough to be moved around. Resting his head against his husbands chest as he got his breathing under control, slowly coming back from that nightmare.
They laid down a few minutes later, Lance curled up inside Shiro’s arms tightly. It was comforting.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Shiro asked quietly, breaking the silence.
“... not really but I probably should.” Lance whimpered, pressing his face into the others neck, only grounding him further.
Shiro just waited, rubbing slow circles into Lance’s side comfortingly.
“It was… when I got discharged” He started softly. “When I had gotten caught in an explosion and that guy destroyed my hip.”
Shiro nodded, remembering that day vividly. Only a handful of soldiers survived, All the other lieutenants did, even if Keith barely did.
“My hip aches like I can feel it happening again.” He whimpered, knowing that there was no real way how to help with it.
“I’m sorry babe” Shiro whispered, quickly thinking to change the subject to later that day. “Do you remember what happened afterwards?”
“I remember waking up as I was being taken into a field hospital with you at my side.”
“I was yelling at you that you would be okay, and that once you got out of there I was marrying you.”
Lance laughed weakly. “I don't think I believed you.”
“You slapped me when you came out of it, saying that it was a stupid way to propose.”
“Well it was”
“But you accepted anyway.”
“I did”
“I didn't want to be separated from you again. I still don't.”
Lance pulled away slowly from Shiro’s neck and looked up at him, rubbing at his eyes slightly. He leaned up and kissed him softly, closing his eyes in the process.
“You’re a dumb dork takashi.”
“You love me for it.”
“That I do, that I do.”