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They were on a mission to take down a Galra base on a far planet and had summoned the Paladin’s for help, so now they were fighting side by side. They already had the upper hand, so it was only a matter of time until the Galran base fell.
Fighting like a real member of the Blade, Keith looked almost like he was dancing as he made his way to the base, taking down soldier after soldier and Sentinel after Sentinel, to shut down their main defenses. He dodged attacks with swift and graceful movements, always right on time. He reached the main entrance where most of them were already waiting with their weapons aimed at him. They didn’t hesitate for a moment and started shooting at sight.
Keith was already breathing heavy but a sly smirk found its way on his lips, dodging shot after shot and running towards the mass of enemies as he saw a fireball fly over his head, shot directly into them, blowing them all away and leaving the entrance wide open.
“Hey buddy, I thought you could need some help.”
He heard his voice over the com and a low chuckle made Keith’s insides warm, his heartbeat even picking up a faster pace as he saw the red lion flying above his head.
“Lance! I had the situation under full control!” Keith huffed.
“Yeah, I saw that… With the mass of Galra’s coming at ya, you were fully under contr… KEITH, WATCH OUT!”
Keith’s head snapped to the druid standing at the entrance, staring right at him with their yellow glowing eyes. Before his brain could process what was happening, he saw a purple ray of their magic flashing from their hands, aimed straight at him and he tried to dodge the hit but didn’t make it in time…
It felt like pure electricity flowing through his veins, hot and sizzling. Pain exploded behind his forehead and made him cry out loud. His limbs suddenly felt heavy and he fell to the ground, curled up on himself as the pain was getting almost unbearable.
In the distance he heard another explosion and through blurred vision he noticed that the entrance was burning bright like a bonfire.
“K… Kei… KEITH! Are you there? Oh god, I’m coming down, buddy. I’m there in a minute. Just… hold on, please!”
He heard Lance’s voice but didn’t really understand what he was trying to tell him. The pain was slowly fading but was replaced with something thick and dark, pitch black like tar, taking over his mind and senses. He felt his canine teeth growing and his hands were faintly aching as they got bigger and as he looked at them with his still blurry sight, they looked like horribly deformed claws. Long, sharp and threatening.
A loud growl brought his attention back to the red lion, now landing right in front of him, lowering his head and opening his jaw, letting Lance step out, as he came running towards him.
“Keith! Oh my god, I’m here.”
Keith tried to move but his body still felt heavy as lead and as he tried to talk, his voice cracked a few times, sounded foreign and far too deep to be his own.
“L-Lance… st-stay awa… away!” he stammered.
“Keith, no! I gotta get you away from here. You need help.”
Lance was already kneeling in front of him and reaching out with his hand, as Keith slapped it away.
“G-go away!” Keith said through gritted teeth.
But Lance didn’t want to hear it, he was determined to help him.
“NO! We gotta get you out of here, you’re injured.”
“You… you have to stay away from me or I will… I will hurt you. PLEASE. ”
Keith realized that his vision was good again, sharp and crystal clear, as he looked at him with pleading eyes. Lance stared back at him and leaned a fraction away.
“Your… your eyes! What is happening to you?”
Keith knew exactly what was happening and he was fighting against it with all his strength but the darkness was slowly taking over his thoughts and he couldn’t concentrate anymore. It was the same reaction as they were on the galran ship and the druid there hit him with his magic, too. His hand turned lilac then. Something in their magic seemed to trigger his galran genes and right now it was fighting to come to the surface but he was trying his best to suppress it.
A deep and intimidating growl escaped his throat, vibrating through his whole body.
The overwhelming feeling of rage and bloodlust threatening to take over him, as he made an effort to crawl onto all fours. He closed his eyes, trying to fight against it, screaming loud in despair and Lance sat back, terrified, not knowing what to do.
Keith felt a clear moment after that scream and sucked in a sharp breath to steady his mind.
"Lance, you need to get out of here. I don't know… don't know how long I can control myself."
He looked up and begged him with his eyes to just go away.
He didn't want to hurt anyone and most of all not Lance.
His eyes were shining like bright gems against all the darkness around him, his vision was starting to get black around the edges. But Lance’s eyes reminded him of the moments they'd shared throughout their journey, good or bad, he remembered them all. He wished he could hear his obnoxious but endearing laugh right now but he knew he was the reason for the fear in his sky blue eyes.
“Keith, what is happening to you? You need to talk to me, please!”
Keith felt tears run down his cheeks, he was shaking from the strain to not let the darkness take over. He sat back and stared at his fingers, now fully formed into long and curved claws, ready to hurt whoever got in his way. He looked back at Lance, his sight now indistinct by the tears and whispered:
“ You need to go now !”
He watched as Lance suddenly narrowed his eyes and his expression slowly softened only to turn into determination after a few seconds.
Lance moved closer towards him, slow and steady. As if to not scare him away.
The nearer he came, the more Keith tried to back off and fear suddenly clenched his heart tight.
The fear of losing control.
The fear of hurting the ones he loves.
The fear of hurting Lance.
Keith felt the blue paladin’s arms wrap around his neck, pulling his body tight against Lance’s chest and he tensed, crying and struggling, trying to push him away but his arms only closed tighter around him.
“I-it’s taking over my mind and body. I’m a monster, Lance! You need to stay away from me!”
“No! That’s bullshit! You’re the same annoying Keith, the loner, member of the Blade of Marmora. You’re still the same stubborn Keith that thinks he can do all by his own, the same Keith that always says he doesn’t need any help, the same Keith that always risks his life without thinking twice.”
Lance took several deep breaths and Keith felt his chest rise and fall against his own with each time, felt the comforting presence of his body, pressed flush against his own. Keith’s body still felt foreign, like he wasn’t in full control of it, like his mind didn’t belong there.
“You were our red Paladin and our leader! You’re our friend, our family. You are Keith .”
He still felt the urge to get away from Lance, the oppressing want to protect him. He just couldn’t let anything happen to him.
Not to Lance.
Not to…
… the one he loved .
It’s always been Lance. Since the first time he’d noticed him at the Garrison.
Then he fell again for him the moment they met, rescuing Shiro.
And after that again and again.
Each and every day, more and more.
Every moment, he shared with him, deeper and deeper.
That’s why he needed to get away from him. To protect him.
He moved in his arms, tried to wriggle himself out of his hold, trying to move far away but Lance wouldn’t let him go and with the soothing feeling of his hands slowly stroking in circles over his back, he felt himself ease into the touch and the tension started to dissolve slowly but steady with each passing second.
“Keith… whatever it is, please, you need to fight it! We can’t lose you, we need you... I need you…”
It felt like a wave of cool water washed over him, the thick and heavy darkness in his mind, slowly retreating, making it easier to think, easier to breathe. He closed his eyes an inhaled deep through his nose, letting the air out again through his mouth and with that breath he felt lighter. He repeated it a few times and with each breath it was like the strange and foreign thoughts dissolved, one after another. Keith leaned his forehead against Lance’s chestplate and cried silently.
“Please, I can’t lose you! You’re too important to me…”
The words trickled agonizingly slow into his mind and with Lance’s familiar scent filling his nose, all the good memories they’d shared invaded his thoughts and he slowly felt like himself again. He lifted his head, sobs still shaking his body and his sight blurry from the tears. But he could easily make out Lance’s blue blue eyes and the worried look in them. He shook his head slightly and a cold wave of guilt washed over him as he recalled the terrified look on his face from a few moments ago.
His gaze wandered down and a fresh wave of tears ran down his face, as it settled on his hands, still not transformed back to their usual shape, still the threatening and ugly claws.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to scare you… I’m so sorry … But the darkness just took over me!”
Lance grabbed his hands and took them into his own. Keith tried to jerk them away but Lance must’ve expected it because he squeezed them tight and intertwined them. The simple touch sent a wave of reassurance through Keith’s body and as he looked back up into his eyes, the soft smile on his lips, made his heart feel lighter.
“No, don’t be sorry. I wasn’t scared of you. I was just scared I’d lost you.”
Lance pulled him back into his arms, closing them tight around him and this time Keith tucked his face into the crook of his neck, sobbing uncontrollably. The tension slowly left his body completely and he felt himself lean heavy against Lance, closing his arms around his middle.
“But I… I could’ve hurt YOU! I would never forgive myself if… if I...”
“Hey! You didn’t do anything. Everything’s fine. You’re fine!”
Lance’s voice was soft, his hands stroking gently over his back again as they kneeled on the cold ground, holding on to each other, reveling in the warmth and scent of the other.
“Lance… y-you mean everything to me!”
Lance pulled back and his eyes settled on his own, shining bright and blue, his gaze fond and a genuine smile on his lips. He gently cupped Keith’s face in both hands, wiping the tears away with his thumbs.
“And YOU mean everything to ME.”
Lance leaned closer and closer until Keith could already feel his breath hot on his lips. A shiver ran down his spine and the world could fall apart at any moment but he really couldn’t care less as he got lost in the sapphire pools of Lance’s eyes, falling once again for him. Lance closed the small distance between them and pressed his lips softly on his own, a sparkling sensation of feelings threatening to overwhelm him. Keith tensed for a brief moment before he sighed content and eased into the touch, closing his eyes at the feelings washing over him. His heart was beating loud and heavy in his chest. He felt dizzy after they parted and as Lance leaned his forehead against his own, Keith felt like soaring. Everything in this moment just felt right.
Lance’s hands were still on his face, as they both opened their eyes, gazes locking and he whispered:
“I’ll always guide you back out of the darkness.”