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Lance didn’t know whose fault it was.
He didn’t really care.
Whoever made Keith sob like this would be dead by morning.
It was roughly a quarter past midnight when Lance felt the bed shift. Living through war gave Lance many habits, one of which being he quickly became a light sleeper.
Jolting up in bed, hand diving under the pillow where Keith kept his knife out of habit alone, Lance glanced around, and the next day he’d be ashamed to admit to himself that it took him a moment to actually notice Keith wasn’t on his designated side of their bed, but instead on the floor, hugging his legs to his chest and trembling, shoulders shaking as he silently sobbed.
Lance had certainly seen Keith cry before, maybe hundreds of times, but it still always hurt him to see his boyfriend crying.
Lance silently slipped out of bed, sliding down onto the floor next to Keith. He was careful not to touch, he knew better than that. He knew it was best to simply be there for his lover, a silent shoulder to cry on.
And cry Keith did.
Keith lunged at Lance, arms wrapping tight around his waist and stealing his breath slightly as he buried his face in Lance’s chest, sobs growing uncontrollably louder even as Keith clearly attempted to stay quiet.
When Lance was sure Keith had settled, he wrapped his boyfriend up into a tight embrace, hushing him gently and rubbing comforting circles into his back.
He didn’t know what Keith was crying about, or why, but Lance knew he’d sit by Keith and hold him tight for the next week if it meant Keith’s tears and pain going away, even if just for a few precious moments.
Lance stayed awake the whole time Keith cried, feeling his shirt grow damp - not that he minded. He cradled Keith’s face in his hands at one point and pressed soft kisses to his lover’s face, featherlight and comforting as Keith broke down in his arms.
“It’s ok Keith… I’m here. I’ll always be here. You’re safe, safe with me because I won’t ever let anyone hurt you. It’s ok. We’ll be ok,” Lance murmured, feeling Keith shift and tuck his head into the crook of Lance’s neck, long, silky dark locks of hair slightly tickling at Lance’s skin in the dark.
Lance could still feel the occasional shake of Keith’s shoulders with a hiccuping sob, could feel his shoulder growing just as damp as his chest, but he stayed carefully still, not daring to release Keith from his embrace.
He heard Keith’s breathing, fast-paced and erratic, eventually slow down and even out as the half-galran drifted off, face still wet with tears and eyebrows furrowed. When Lance was sure Keith had fallen asleep, he hooked one hand under Keith’s legs, the other supporting his back as Lance lifted his boyfriend gently back onto the bed, tucking the blanket over him and pressing a lingering kiss to Keith’s forehead before settling down himself, arms wrapped protectively around Keith’s waist as Lance allowed himself to drift off as well.