Chapter Text
It was only supposed to be a simple mission. None of this was supposed to happen. In and out of some random Galra base for some intel gathering, that's all. The compound was supposed to be practically deserted, not full of sentries and guards like this. This wasn't supposed to happen, but it was happening, and Keith didn't know what to do. Everything was just so wrong about this whole thing, and it only continued to get worse and worse, and there was nothing that Keith could do to even try to stop this, to fix it in any way.
Now, there was far too much dark red where there should have been bright blue, and no matter what he tried, Keith couldn’t make it stop. There was just so much blood, and it wouldn't stop, just kept coming no matter how hard he tried to make it stop, and Keith was starting to panic. How could this have happened to Lance? Keith had been right there, right next to him, but he had still been run straight through with a nasty looking Galran blade.
It had all happened in slow motion, it seemed. They had been surrounded, so they had fought back to back, and as soon as Keith finished off his opponents, he turned to help Lance, just in time to see the offending blade strike Lance, and see the sick panic that crossed his face before suddenly he was falling. Keith had seen red, and before he really knew what had happened, he had taken down the guard and pulled Lance onto his lap, trying desperately to stop the blood. Keith knew his face was probably as pale as a ghost as the panic and realization that he couldn’t do anything to help set in.
“Lance…” he choked out, trying to breathe as the panic closed his throat and turned his blood to ice. Nothing around him seemed real. He wished he could will Lance to be better, but logically, that was impossible. Not that logic was Keith’s top priority at the moment. Keith’s only priority was Lance, and doing his best to help him any way he possibly could. Even thinking about the worst case scenario though, made Keith’s breath hitch and panic to rear is ugly head anew.
"Hey there, Samurai. Don't get all choked up on me now," Lance attempted to joke weakly with a slight wince. "It's merely a flesh wound." His light chuckles then turned into pained coughs and groans as his hands went to clutch his wound, only to rest over Keith's shaking ones that were already there, in attempts to staunch the flow of blood the best he could.
"A flesh wound?” Keith’s voice was high and panicky, and he hated it, but he couldn’t stop it when every second that help didn’t arrive was one more second closer to the very real possibility that he could lose Lance. “Lance, you were stabbed clean through with a sword! You're… you’re bleeding out and I can't… I can't stop it!" Keith growled as he felt tears traitorously pricking at his eyes. Lance sobered up immediately, and offered Keith a small, weak smile of reassurance.
"Hey… don't worry about me, I’m going to be fine, okay? Just, Keith, I want you to promise me something…. Promise me that no matter what, you'll be okay? You'll stay safe?" Lance practically begged him, eyes pleading and worried. Keith had never seen Lance like this, worried and practically begging, so before he full registered what Lance was saying, he was already agreeing. He’d do anything for Lance.
"I promise, we’ll both be okay, promise. Hang on, Lance, please. Help is coming, I swear, and Lance please, I, I can't lose you." Keith's voice gradually lowered to a whisper, heavy with what he really wanted to say but didn't know how to. Lance snorted softly and placed a now trembling hand on Keith's cheek.
"Touching, but if you're trying to say something, you should say it bluntly." His smile faltered for once, and fear shone brightly on his eyes. "I don't know if I'll make it to hear it in full later." He took a rattling, shaky breath. The comms were going crazy with static and frantic calls, but both Lance and Keith seemed to be frozen in that moment.
"Damn it Lance, you better not die before I get the chance to tell you I love you." Keith blurted in a panic, not really registering he had finally said it, that he had actually admitted he liked Lance. As soon as he did register what he said, he could feel his face heat up, but considering the circumstances, he didn’t actually mind it all too much. So instead, he brought his hand up and placed it gently over Lance’s hand that was still cupping his cheek softly.
Lance chuckled softly, and gave Keith his best attempt at a brilliant grin. Even when it was weak, it still helped make Keith feel worlds better. If Lance was laughing, smiling his trademark smile, then… then he was going to be okay, wasn’t he? He still had his beautiful personality, was still the Lance Keith had fallen so helplessly in love with, so that had to be a good sign he’d make it out of this perfectly okay, right? Keith could only hope, and so hope he did that everything really would turn out okay.
"Not exactly how I imagined this going, you know." Lance’s teasing comment made Keith freeze, looking at Lance in a sort of questioning shock. Lance had imagined this? Why would he imagine any of this? "You know, I was planning on making a big spectacle and a speech and everything, just to be extra and maybe to see you blush, if I could, but uh, I love you too." Lance whispered the last part, a ghost of a smile playing at his lips, and oh, Keith now knew what Lance had meant, but he still just didn’t quite understand.
"You… you what?" Keith knew he was moody and pushed people away. He always seemed to have a knack for that. Hell, even Lance thought they were rivals to start with, and Keith assumed it was because he had accidentally come off as cocky and unapproachable. Keith never could have imagined that someone as confident and bright as Lance could ever return his feelings. It came as a complete shock to him, but Lance had said it himself.
"You heard me." Lance smiled softly again as he used a shaking hand to gently push Keith's bangs from his face. "I'm sorry." He finally whispered out, and suddenly Keith started, and panic seized hold of him all over again as he noticed that Lance had grown much too pale and he was shaking far too much, but he couldn't even say anything before Lance's hand fell and his eyes closed.
For a minute, Keith's stomach dropped. Everything came to a standstill. Then he was shaking Lance, pleading with him to wake up, come back to him, and finally, finally, Pidge reached them, Green's head barreling straight through the walls of the compound. Keith didn't waste time in picking up the still body of Lance, refusing to believe the worst had happened, and bolted towards Green, praying that Lance would be okay if he was fast enough, if he got Lance to a pod as soon as possible.
Everything that happened after that was a blur; getting back to the castle and getting Lance into the pod, the pod giving all sorts of warning and error notifications, and then suddenly, nothing. The pod opened and Keith caught Lance, who wasn't moving or breathing, and was steadily growing cold despite Keith's pleading that he wake up, that they put him back in the pod, that someone do something to help him.
However, the unfortunate truth was that Lance would never wake up. He had lost too much blood and he hadn't gotten to the pod in time. He hadn't made it out of that mission alive. Keith cursed loudly because it wasn’t true. This couldn’t be happening to Lance.
Lance, who had so much to live for. Lance, who made everyone smile and laugh even in the worst of times. Lance, who was so bright and was a friend to everyone, except to those that lost his unyielding trust. Lance, who had a family to go home to. Lance, who was so talented and who actually finally returned Keith’s feelings after so long of bottling them up. Lance, who had been right there, but Keith couldn't do anything to help, and didn’t even realize he was slipping away when he was in his arms.
He suddenly felt very, very numb. Keith could only think one thing; it wasn't supposed to be this way. None of that should have happened. It was supposed to be an easy mission, Lance shouldn't have died. Keith should have done something, anything more to have saved him. He had promised him… he had said that they'd both be okay. How in the hell was this okay?