Chapter Text
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Word count: 2088
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Keith Kogane had always had a problem with getting up in the morning, but now Shiro was growing worried.
He remembers that night that Hunk brought him home well. He rung the doorbell and walked a crying Keith into the house when Shiro finally opened it. He tried to ask what was wrong but Hunk only shook his head saying that he'd explain later.
It had been almost four weeks now.
Shiro sighed as he leant against Keith's bedroom door. He had barricaded himself in again.
"Keithy, you have to come out of there at some point. This isn't healthy..." He said softly through the door.
When he was met with nothing but silence he slid slowly down the door until he was sitting with his legs splayed out in front of him. He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath.
"I know that you miss him Keith... I know that it hurts. Hunk said that he couldn't tell me everything but that I should know the reason you're upset is because Lance had to go back home far away. I don't... I'm not going to pretend like I know what you're going through. I'm twenty six and I've never been in love, but you need to understand that isolating yourself like this isn't going to make the pain go away..."
There was a shuffle from inside the room, making Shiro tense up, and then suddenly came the horrible screeching sound of wood scraping against wood meaning that Keith was finally moving his wardrobe away from the door. Shiro got up quickly, facing the door patiently and waiting, hoping that it would open.
It didn't.
"I also know that I'm only your stinking older brother but... I care about you Keith." He continued slowly.
"Your emotions catch up with you way too quickly and they overwhelm you and that's when you make rash decisions. I don't want you to get hurt and well... I'm here little bro. I'll be your impulse control."
There was a loud cry, the door was flung open and suddenly Keith was in front of him, punching him with everything he had. It hurt a little but Shiro knew that this was a part of something much bigger so he didn't mind as much.
"He was my impulse control! That's what he said and then he left! Shit, I'm so fucking stupid for believing I could be happy. Stupid, stupid, stupid!"
With each word, Keith punched. With each punch, he grew weaker by the knees until finally he sunk to the floor and just sobbed.
Shiro felt his heart break as he looked at his little brother. His red, puffy, tired looking eyes and sickly pale skin. He sat on the floor beside him and slowly pulled him into a tight hug, rocking him side to side as he used to when Keith was little and their parents died.
Keith screamed in pain, the sound muffled a little as his face was buried into Shiro's firm chest. They sat like this for hours, Keith clinging to his brother, who was also crying now.
Eventually the soft sobbing stopped and Shiro looked down to see Keith asleep in between his legs, his head resting against his steadily rising chest. He smiled sadly and picked the boy up, carrying him to his room and settling him into bed like he used to when he'd had a nightmare, and then climbed in next to him.
And just like that, the house was quiet and peaceful.
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{Four weeks later: }
Keith tried to act happy for his friends and for Shiro. Though they could see the pain deep behind his eyes and though they could tell that all his smiles were fake, they thought that it was one of those things that only time and Keith himself could heal.
He felt completely numb. Worse than when his parents died.
Don't get me wrong, Keith loved his parents and was incredibly upset when he realised they were never coming back but they were never actually around much anyways, always working or just busy doing other things. Seven year old Keith got over their death surprisingly quickly seeing as he didn't know them very well at all, which worried a lot of people until he started pushing them away.
He also had Shiro. Shiro was there and Shiro was mourning with him. He knew exactly how he felt and was able to help more. But Keith was going through this mostly alone, and that's what hurt the most.
With Lance gone, he just felt indescribably empty.
Keith sighed as he picked up his school bag. Sure, he was depressed, but that didn't stop school from being on his ass all the time. Unfortunately.
"I'm leaving." He called out to Shiro.
"Okay, have a good day! I love you!"
"Love you too."
Keith shut the front door after stepping out and made his way to his car (which he finally got around to fixing.) He opened the door and threw his bag into the passenger seat before getting in and shutting it again.
In less than ten minutes Keith made it to the school, he parked his car in his usual spot and walked over to Hunk's, which was waiting in the spot opposite his just like normal.
"Hey Keef!" Pidge called happily, poking her head out of Hunk's passenger side window.
"H-hey Pidgeon." He replied, pulling a half assed smile onto his face.
Pidge's own smile faltered the tiniest bit and Keith knew that she could see right through him, as per usual.
"You doing okay?" She asked quietly when he had finally come to a stop next to her window.
"I'm fine Pidge... You don't have to keep asking."
Pidge nodded slowly and looked away after a few seconds with a frown, her attention seemingly taken by her thoughts.
"We're just worried about you buddy... Shiro told us that you've hardly even eaten anything since La- since he left..." Hunk spoke up from the drivers seat, playing with his thumbs.
Keith scoffed. Of course they've been checking in with each other behind his back.
He pulled his bag more securely on his back and turned away.
"We're gonna be late." He threw over his shoulder before he started off towards the entrance to school.
He heard the car doors slam shut and the two sets of footsteps following behind him but he tuned them out, instead choosing to blast Green Day through his ear buds. He watched them walk their seperate ways from the corner of his eye and sighed.
Keith sighed when he felt the stares burning into the back of his head as he walked to his locker and pulled Lance's jacket (which he hasn't taken off unless he had to shower) tighter around him. He should be used to being the centre of attention by now but he wasn't. He ignored all the heart eyes directed towards him and opened his locker, taking out his advanced calculus book and shoving it into his bag.
He felt his earphones being tugged out and was about to turn around and punch someone for even daring until...
"So, pretty boy..." A purr sounded in Keith's ear making him internally groan.
"I'm not in the mood today Lotor. Please just leave me alone."
There was a scoff and Keith shut his locker to see Lotor leaning against the neighbouring one with his arms crossed.
"Damn it Keith, you're never in the mood anymore. What am I not good enough now or something?" Lotor said, gently grabbing Keith's arm to stop him in his task of walking away.
"What? N-no, I'm just not up to it, okay?"
Lotor smirked and tugged on Keith's arm so that he was pulled flush against his chest.
"Lotor! God damn it, we're in public! What are you do-"
"It's because of that kid you used to hang out with isn't it? Ever since then you haven't wanted to do anything." He whispered after covering the raven haired boy's mouth.
Keith froze in Lotor's hold, looking up into his eyes and not bothering to struggle against him.
"Lance McClain... Wasn't it?"
Keith felt the tears prick at his eyes and Lotor frowned.
"He went and hurt you didn't he? See... What did I tell you? I wanted to protect you from those kind of boys but did you listen?"
Keith sniffed and shook his head slowly, hanging it slightly in shame.
"What did I say Keith?"
Lotor smiled at Keith from where he was laying on the bed, Keith chuckled breathily in return, his heart still racing from his activities two minutes ago.
"Keith... I know you said that you don't want a relationship and that what happens between us stays between us but..."
Keith raised an eyebrow skeptically and hummed for the white haired boy to continue.
"I really like you Keith..."
Keith sighed and slipped out from under the covers, he walked to his drawer and got out some clean boxers before slipping them on and then walking over to his discarded jeans.
"Just hear me out! Listen, I know that you've been hurt by assholes before... I want to protect you from that. And I know that you're just gonna cast me aside when you find someone prettier but they're only ever going to leave you and hurt you more."
Keith, who had just finished putting his belt on, grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head before walking over to the other male.
"Sorry Lotor. I meant what I said, it's either this way or the highway." He said. He leant down and pecked his lips and then walked straight to the door.
"Fine." He heard. He smiled.
"My brother gets back in an hour. You better clean yourself up and be gone before he finds you." He said before walking from the room.
"That anyone else was only ever going to hurt me..." Keith mumbled.
He knew that it was wrong and that Lotor was the type of person that you shouldn't trust blindly but he had always looked after Keith and they had a lot of history.
Lotor sighed and wrapped an arm around Keith's waist, the raven haired male resting his head against the others chest and closing his eyes.
"My offer still stands, I still want to protect you."
Keith thought about Lotor, about his smile and his sweet words and his naturally protective personality.
Keith thought about Lance, about his laugh and his shitty puns and his naturally charming personality and how he shines ten times brighter than any boy that Keith could ever meet.
His heart panged and he had to squeeze his eyes shut even tighter to stop himself from crying. He sighed.
"I can't... I-I'm sorry Lotor." He said, opening his eyes and pulling away from the hug as he spoke, he smiled sadly and walked away.
Oh the habits of my heart,
I can't say no.
Its ripping me apart,
You get too close.
You make it hard to let you go.
Keith took deep breaths as the song played through his earphones on the way to his first class.
Geography. Where he first met Lance.
Keith felt like he just couldn't escape, every little thing reminded him of Lance and he was finding it hard to move on... Even if it had already been two months since he left.
He took his earphones out when he reached the classroom door and shoved them into his pockets before walking in.
"Keith, you're late." Coran's voice spoke out, he sounded even happier than usual.
"Wow, what a shocker." He said sarcastically, not looking up and instead staring at his shoes.
"Well hurry up and take your seat." Coran said hurriedly, he seemed eager for something.
Keith sighed for what must have been the fiftieth time today and dragged himself towards his usual seat, his gaze remaining on the ground. It was only when Keith got to his desk and saw a pair of legs neatly crossed over one another that he stopped with a groan and an eyeroll.
"Dumbass, you're in my sea-"
Keith completely froze as he looked up to catch the eye of the person sitting in front of him.
"I think we already established that there is a seat right next to me."
That smooth and slightly spanish accented voice.
That dazzling pearly white smile.
Those bright cerulean blue eyes.
Lance.
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