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“How’d it go?” Pidge asked when Shiro walked into the common room.
Shiro just shook his head in response and the hopeful air in the room evaporated.
Everyone was there except the man in question, Keith, who was scheduled to go back to the blade that afternoon. They had all been missing him since he left and didn’t want him to go back, but after the stunt he pulled at Naxzela they now knew he shouldn’t go back.
“I talked to him for like 2 hours yesterday and not once did he look like he was even considering not going back.” Hunk sighed with his head in his hands.
“I really thought he’d listen to me,” Shiro sighed.
“The only person who hasn’t tried talking him out of it is Lance.”
“No point,” Lance crossed his arms, “If he’s not gonna listen to Shiro or any of you guys what chance is there at him listening to me.”
A chorus of unconvinced hums ran through the room but Lance stayed resolute. He was either oblivious or pretending he was.
***
This was it, they were having to say goodbye to Keith again.
The goodbyes included tears from Hunk, begging from Pidge, and a firm ‘you know you don’t have to do this’ from Shiro. But Keith was walking to the ship anyway.
“Wait, Keith!” Lance called out, just as Keith was about to step onto the boarding plank.
Keith stopped and slowly turned to face Lance. The two locked eyes for a long moment as time seemed to pause and the room held its breath.
“Stay.”
The one word seemed to affect Keith more than everything anyone else had said. For the first time, he looked truly conflicted about whether to stay or go. Keith took a deep breath, eyes hardening as he resolved himself once more.
“Please.”
Lance’s voice was barely above a whisper but it seemed deafeningly loud in the quiet room.
“Okay.”