Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Keith was going to propose tomorrow. He thought about it whilst looking at the ring in his hand, he was definitely going to do it tomorrow. He had everything planned out. Of course, Hunk had recommended the food to get before going to the park, and Pidge had helped him set up fairy lights between the trees in their spot. It was going to be fine. It was all going to go exactly to plan and nothing was going to go wrong. At least that's what he kept repeating to himself. He knew he was overthinking but Lance was going to be home soon and then he was going out with Shiro and Adam, who would no doubt want to talk about it whilst- "KEITH, ARE YOU STILL HOME?" And there was Lance.

"YEAH, I'M COMING DOWN NOW." Keith yelled downstairs, quickly hiding the ring as he heard the door slam behind Lance returning from shopping, which he was unpacking when Keith walked into the kitchen. "Did you get everything?" He asked, snaking his arms around Lance's torso and kissing his shoulder.

"Almost, but I did find those weird energy drinks you like." Lance replied, turning his head to press a quick kiss to Keith's lips before unlatching himself to put the drinks in the fridge. "I bumped into Allura so she reminded me we're going out tonight as if I'd forgotten." he laughs which, even after 2 years together and a year of weird rivalry friendship still makes Keith feel warm inside. Lance continues, "I mean, it's basically tradition for us to go out almost every time you're with Shiro, so I don't know why she thinks I would forget. Does Shiro still remind you of your plans?"

Keith thinks about his texts with Shiro in which he keeps reminding him to bring the gear he'd been bringing since he was 13. "Kind of?" He decides to comment, grabbing one of the energy drinks Lance just bought and taking a few gulps.

"Maybe it's a big sibling thing?" Lance suggests, closing the fridge before kissing Keith's forehead and grabbing the TV remote. They'll probably cuddle and watch a movie before they get ready to go out, so Keith follows, which he immediately realises is a mistake when Lance decides to plant his freezing feet right on his bare arm.

"LANCE!" He yells, moving quickly away, which only earns him laughter in response until he throws a pillow right at Lance's face, which promptly shuts him up before he extends the blanket as a peace offering and has the decency to look guilty, so Keith sits back down and waits for Lance to pick possibly the worst movie ever that he'll pretend to enjoy before they both have to get ready to go.

Such a time came sooner than Keith would've liked. Maybe he fell asleep? The movie felt like it lasted ten seconds and, honestly, he couldn't remember most of it, but Lance had gotten up and began pondering over what to wear for his night out with Allura, Hunk, and Pidge, so it must have lasted an hour at least, "Go with the blue." Keith suggested walking past Lance in front of the mirror to get to his drawers where he kept his sweatpants for meeting Shiro and Adam.

Lance smiled in his direction, "Yeah, I think you're right." he agrees, putting the other option away to get changed into the blue jumper and jeans, one or both of which Keith predicts he will never see again. Lance can be a bit of a messy drinker, and the running theory is that he stains them and is too embarrassed to tell Keith, which is fine Keith doesn't want to spoil how funny it is watching Lance search for something he really wants to wear only to remember he probably ruined it and had to bin it. That's why he tends to go for clothes he doesn't mind losing.

"I'll meet you downstairs." he says, kissing Lance on the cheek and heading out the door before he can respond, so Keith can start checking he's got everything in the trunk before they set off. He grabbed his knife from the drawer with his sweatpants earlier. It's a comforting weight in his pocket as he opens Lance's car. It's a fancy blue Audi that he loves, which Keith also loves because of the trunk space, so he can throw in the 3 gym bags before Lance comes out beaming and ready to go,

"You've got everything? I don't want to repeat what happened last time, Lance. " 

"That was one time, love. I've got everything."  

"You're sure?"  

"100%"  

"Keys, wallet, phone?"  

"Yes, Keith, I have everything. Don't worry, I won't forget my phone and keys twice. "  

"I don't know, you've come pretty close." He jokes, causing Lance to make a squak of defiance before starting the car and heading towards Shiro and Adams' house. They live in a fairly quiet neighbourhood, with the forest practically in their back garden. Their back fence was broken a while ago by who knows what, and neither of them really wanted to fix it, so they never did, meaning they can climb easily over and into the dense woods. The Garretts and the Holts live almost next door, just a small walk left or right. Since this place was close to Lance's family home, they decided it was a good idea to move here. Allura lives closer to them than Shiro, but Lance drops him off and then heads back towards her house and theirs, meaning he has less to drive in the morning afterwards.  

"Sooo, planning on telling me what you're up to?" Keith's mouth ran dry when Lance turned down the radio to ask.  

"What?"  

"You know? Tonight with Shiro?"  

"Of course," he said, feeling as if he could breathe again. "Just the usual, we're going to do some training."  

"...that's it?"  

"Yeah?"  

"Details, Keith, honey, details."  

"I'm trying to perfect my flying kicks, so Shiro's going to spar with me, and I'm pretty sure Adam is trying out some different combinations."  

"That sounds really fun, babe."  

"Pffft, you asked Lance."  

Lance decides to sigh dramatically for effect "I know, I know, I don't know what I expected from the spar squad."  

"You're really hooked on that nickname, aren't you?"  

"It's been almost a year, love. It's not going anywhere. "  

"If you say so, babe."  

"And that would mark the end of this conversation because we are here! That'll be 32.84 please. "  

Keith rolls his eyes fondly "Kind of pricey, don't you think?"  

"I'm a very busy man. My time is worth it, obviously. " He winks for effect, somehow still managing to make Keith's heart flip.  

"How about a kiss instead?" Keith offers which Lance pretends to think about for a moment,

"You know, I think that'll work, as a compromise, of course."  

"A compromise, of course" Keith says with a smile before he leans in until he and Lance's lips meet in the middle with practised ease, his hand sliding around Lance's neck, making its way into his hair before they break apart, foreheads still touching, looking at each other,

"I love you." Lance says, after what feels like forever but was probably 5 seconds,

"I love you too." Keith replies, pressing another kiss to his lips before hopping out of the car and grabbing the bags. He waves Lance off and then heads inside.

Chapter Text

Lance was super excited. He knew Keith was planning something, but he didn't know what it was. The way he froze in the car when Lance asked what he was doing was a dead giveaway. He should have just confessed right there. Their anniversary was tomorrow, but he didn't want to think too much about it. What if it was a surprise and he ruined it? Not going to think about it. At all. But it's just so tempting, but he really shouldn't. Maybe Pidge knows something, but he's not going to bother them or Hunk because he shouldn't. He won't. He won't. He might, but it's not like they'll tell him, so it's fine and he's there now, so he can stop thinking about it, even though he's thinking about it as he parks the car and as he walks up to the door and as he knocks and right up until the moment Allura answers.

"Did you bring Keith this time?" Of course, those are the first words out of her mouth.

Lance sighs dramatically "No 'llura, I didn't tell or bring Keith this time. I've told you I'll tell him when it's the right time. " She doesn't step aside, if only to continue lecturing him,

"It's been the right time for the past two years, Lance. It'll be fine. What're you even worried about? "

"It's easy for you to say it'll be fine, you married Lotor."

Speak of the devil "Hello again, Lance." Lotor decides to pop into the background and wave at Lance in his strange outside prison before leaving again to sit in the lounge,

"Hi Lotor. You see, you married inside the circle. While Keith doesn't even know the circle exists, it's a big thing and I'm just not ready to tell him yet. "

"Are you going to wait till you're 20 years into the relationship and he feels incredibly betrayed?"

"Now that's just harsh." Lance did not like the direction the conversation was going. They'd had the same one enough times he knew the next thing she was going to point out,

"What about-"

"You know what, it's our anniversary tomorrow. I'll tell him then. "

"Really?" Her entire demeanour changed instantly. It was like she glowed. "Oh, it's going to be brilliant, the whole family! I'm so glad you understand. "

Even though Lance wanted to push it back again, say maybe not tomorrow, even through all the prodding, Allura was right; he needed to tell him. Their relationship couldn't go on for decades if he was keeping such a big secret.

"Can I come in now please?"

"Yes, yes, I'll go get mami!"

"Don't-aaand she's gone!" He closed the door behind him just as he heard Hunk coming down the stairs,

"Lance, you OK? Heard Allura trap you at the door. "

"I'm fine. I just have to tell Keith the big bad secret tomorrow." He grimaced 

"Tomorrow? Your anniversary? Are you sure that seems like a big deal? " Hunk seemed even less excited than he was.

"Well, so is this, y'know?"

"Yeah, I get it buddy." Hunk patted him on the back before walking into the living room where Shay was sitting talking to the gremlin. Out of everyone, Hunk knew what it was like most. He went out with Shay for 3 years before he told her, again under Allura's insistence, which he now says was really helpful. However, if you asked him at the time, he'd laugh nervously and mention how it just wasn't the right time even though she had good intentions, so maybe this was the right decision considering how Hunk and Shay were now engaged.

"Lance, mi hijo." He heard Allura talking to her even though she'd already heard them at the door and he'd heard her coming before she arrived, but it was still slightly nerve-wracking as he turned around,

"Hi mami."

"I heard you were going to be bringing Keith next time."

"Yes, well, if it all goes fine when I tell him."

"I'm sure it'll be fine, babí. He's a stubborn boy; he won't give up easy. "

"I know how stubborn he is, mami. I live with him. "

"It's not like you aren't just as bad." she replied, which was true when he thought back on them trying to decide what type of bedsheets they were going to put on and how they ended up just buying new ones.

"Alright, I hope you're ready to meet him officially then."

"I've been ready since last year." She replied, walking back towards the kitchen, where she was probably emptying the freezers to make space.

"I know, everyone keeps saying so."

"You needed time, babí, no ones blaming you." she said from inside.

"Allura is." He mumbled under his breath 

"Now you know I can hear that. Allura just likes to have the familia together. "

"You can hear everything, mami, but I know." He decides to go to the backdoor. He can hear Coran stretching outside, as he always does before they go out,

"Ah Lance, I heard the news. You know, it's been so lovely having Shay here. I can't wait to meet Keith. " Lance had forgotten that Coran and Keith had yet to meet. When he was introducing Keith to his family, his siblings being overseas with their own lives and families and his papi having passed on, kind of made it difficult. He already knew Hunk and Pidge, and Shay he knew through Hunk, so that meant Coran and Lotor had been left out. He should've introduced them, but considering that Keith's meeting with Allura was involuntary and mami was customary, it did make a bit of sense why they'd never met.

"Yeah, well, assuming it all goes well, you'll get to see him at the next meeting."

"Brilliant! Now if you don't mind, the sun's set and I should go help Mrs. McClain with those freezers before we head out"

"Of course, see you in a bit." Coran patted him on the shoulder before walking inside and to the right. He heard Shay chatting with Lotor in the lounge after Pidge and Hunk started a time-old debate over some game from decades ago. Speaking of, he heard them end such a discussion with the same polite disagreement they always do and get up in the living room, so he knew they were coming out to talk to him.

"Hey Lance, Hunk mentioned." Pidge was first out, obviously running in the house again, not breaking eye contact with their game,

"Hello pidgeon, excited to have someone to lurk inside with while you wait for all us animals?"

"Don't call me that, and I don't lurk."

"Mhm, keep telling yourself that." Lance smiled, giddy with anticipation, as Hunk opened the backdoor.

"You could wait for me, you know." he commented looking at Pidge,

"I'd be waiting all decade, grandpa." Pidge shot back, not lifting their head from their game.

"You're older than both of us." Lance mentioned, looking down at them.

"Faster too." they shot back,  

"Only by a bit."

"Prove it then."

"No running in the house." the exact moment mami, Allura, and Coran decided to step outside, with Shay and Lotor remaining inside looking through the glass doors.

"Sorry, Mrs. McClain." Pidge sometimes forgot about her hearing and the fact that they shouldn't be running in the house,

"No worries dear, I know it's difficult not to. Your parents have just arrived with your brother, so if everyone is here, we should really get started. "

"Sorry we're late, Rosa." The Holts now stood outside.

"Ah, it's not an issue. Did you bring bags for Pidge? "

"We did. We put them in the kitchen, they'll have already found them. " Which, judging by the rustling noise Lance heard a few seconds ago, was true,

"Good, then I suggest we begin." she says as her bones start to crack, and Lance quickly follows, forgetting he actually kind of liked the jumper he was wearing. Oh well, he thought as he heard it rip. Everyone else probably thought that through as he heard lots of other tearing noises follow. He felt his ears and hairs grow longer, the soft brown turning black all over his body as it grew larger. He turned to look at Hunk, the deep brown consistent as he stretched slightly, his claws tearing up the ground. Lance could already hear Coran in the future lecturing him about pre-run stretches. Looking over at Coran, he easily spotted the ginger and grey coat next to the grey and white that was Allura, and of course next to her was the tawny brown fur of his mami who was easily taller than the three of them, excluding Coran.

Hunk and Lance quickly began to mess around as usual, nudging each other and giddy with all the pent-up energy. It's so freeing you feel like you can run around the country twice, which you might be able to, though Lance hasn't exactly tried. Allura shakes herself, ears twitching, listening for what to hunt before Rosa growls and they all stand to attention, even the Holts, who recognise her pack authority, which is hard not to when she towers over them. Their eyes, turned from brown to red, and their fangs extended, meant they were ready with the rest of the pack. Rosa sets off, the rest follow.

Chapter Text

Keith knew Shiro was going to bring up the upcoming proposal; he could just feel it lugging the bags onto the porch. He probably won't even need all of the things he brought, but it's better to be prepared than to pay for it later. He knocks with his elbow, and Adam almost immediately answers,

"Keith!" as if they weren't expecting him. "Great to see you, as always. Takashi's just upstairs getting ready. Need help?" eyeing the bags he was carrying, 

"No thanks, I'm good." Keith declined, walking inside while Adam held the door open and placing his bags with theirs, ready to go.

"Sooooo, I heard something through the grapevine. Nothing big or anything, just a little gossip-"

"That I'm going to propose?"

"Whaaattt? Really wow? This is big news. I had no idea." Adam has the decency to look guilty as Keith raises an eyebrow at how utterly obvious he was.

"I didn't expect this from you, Adam; if anything, I expect it fr-"

"Keith!" As if summoned, Shiro comes down the stairs.

"I didn't know you were here. I didn't keep you waiting, did I?"

"Nope, not at all. Adam and I were just talking." Keith grinds out, narrowing his eyes, and watching Adam sweat.

"Oh! You'll never guess what he told me earlier, honestly; apparently, nearly everyone's talking about it." He waggles his eyebrows suggestively, directly ignoring Adam's elbow in his ribs.

"Yeah, I think I know." Keith states, and if he narrowed his eyes any more, he would just be closing them.

"I think it's really great that you're ready to take the next step in your relationship, Keith; it's very mature of you."

"Shiro, I'm an adult." Keith deadpans, and it was at this moment that Shiro started fake crying, the over-exaggerated sniffles making Keith grind his teeth into stumps.

"You're still my baby brother, you know." and there's the dramatic sniffle pause. "It just goes so fast for me." Adam is pinching the bridge of his nose, probably thinking, "Why ever did I propose?"

"- know it, you'll have kids or five pets, and you'll never visit me anymore!" Shiro decided at this moment to go in for a hug, which Keith quickly evaded, flicking the back of Shiro's head,

"Don't be stupid. Of course I'll still visit; I'm here right now, aren't I? I'll still come every time regardless of pets or kids?" Keith did not see the relevance of this discussion; he had a job to do the same as they did, and he wasn't just going to drop it all.

"I guess that makes a bit of sense," Shiro says while faking composing, hand over his heart, and Keith might just stab him.

"If you two are done with whatever—" Adam gestures to the two of them—"that was, we should really get going."

"Right, yes, we have things to do." Shiro states as if they didn't already know what they were doing, but immediately stops messing around and goes over to the bags Keith brought, throwing two behind him for Keith to catch and gear up; the armour he began securing on his body is already on Shiro and Adam. While Keith was securing shin pads and headgear, Shiro moved to his own bag, handing a radio to Adam and sliding one to Keith for when he was done. 

"I'll take them to the car." Adam stated, giving Shiro all kinds of weird eye signals before carrying the three bags outside to put in the car. Keith was finishing up on the last buckles, looking like a member of a swat team when Shiro approached him.

"So, all jokes aside, marriage is a big step, and me and Adam were wondering if you were planning on inviting Lance with us-"

"Not going to happen, Shiro." Keith cuts him off, already knowing where he was going.

"Can I ask why?" Shiro's all serious in big brother mode.

"The way things are... It just works. We do what we do while Lance goes out and has fun. It means I get to keep it all here and let go of it when I get home; everything stays separate. I don't want to bring him here, Shiro."

"I get what you're saying. But, sometimes things need to mix, Keith; everything can't stay separate forever. You're hiding away a big part of your life; home doesn't become tainted just because he's aware; you don't have to bring him here, but he should still know."

"I know." Keith has nothing more to offer than that; he is aware of it, but he would rather put it off more than anything else.

"Alright, let's get going." Shiro says, patting him on the back and heading towards the door.

"What if he got hurt?" Keith whispers behind him. Surprisingly, Shiro stops in his steps,

"He doesn't have to come with us, Keith; I know taking on such monsters is not everyone's ideal pass time, just... I don't know; talk to him. You can't keep secrets forever, and you certainly can't be engaged with this secret. Better he hear it from you." And with that, he continues walking out the door.

Keith knows he's right, but letting Lance know about the existence of such monsters may make him see the world in a different light, and then, despite what Shiro said, home would definitely be tainted.

Keith checks his headgear one final time. It's a little wobbly because the buckle is loose, but it'll have to do until next time, he thinks as he shuts the door behind him, jumping into the backseat as Shiro starts the car and sets off.

They don't talk on the drive; the air is tense with anticipation of what kind no one is really sure, even when the roads become more rough and uneven and the night sky becomes blocked by the trees. Not even the radio was on; Keith couldn't help but linger on Lance's Audi, the music constantly hanging in the background, lyrics he swore he didn't know but had accidentally memorised always right on his tongue, his own bike didn't exactly have a radio, and he wasn't really a big fan whilst he was driving, not wanting to get distracted. Lance ran a completely different way to the beat of his own music, which never stopped. Keith smiled in the back of Shiro's black Toyota cruiser, thinking about how Lance plays enough music for the both of them.

When they eventually stop, Adam was the first to jump out and scout around the car. He uses the torch on his gun to look around, tapping once on the window to signal it's clear, meaning Keith and Shiro also get out and start grabbing weapons from the bags in the trunk. Shiro has a couple guns loaded onto his belt and one in his hand, as well as a silver machete strapped to him; Keith grabs the same, except he has his own knife instead.

All of them run quick radio checks, preparing for emergency situations, before Shiro speaks in a hushed whisper, "Ok, so it's a full moon, which we all know is peak time for werewolves. We know from the past we haven't been able to find any, but that doesn't mean we won't ever, so even if all we come across is a couple vamps, remain vigilant." Keith rolls his eyes under his helmet. A monster is a monster—werewolf, vampire, or dhampir—what does it matter? They're all the same; therefore, it makes no difference what they find; they'll eliminate the issue just as they always do. 

Shiro continues, "Now we're in a different part of the woods as usual, so as always, be careful, ok?" Keith can't see his eyes, but he knows they're filled with worry the same way his and Adams' are, always afraid one of them won't make it back, but none of them voice such concerns; a nod from each, a pat on the back for Keith, and a hand squeeze for Adam, and they're off in different directions, none looking back. 

Keith can only see the trees in front of him from a very dim torch, as to not attract too much attention it is only to be used whilst he runs from the car to get a distance between him and the others without knocking himself out on a tree or tripping over roots whilst he runs though he admits this is definitely still a possibility, once he thinks he's far enough away he turns the torch of and slows down, he keeps low to the ground and listens out for anything there's a slight glow from the moon meaning he isn't in complete darkness but he is still at a disadvantage shuffling near the trees gun in hand waiting for anything, Keith will admit he has aimed at random woodland animals on multiple occasions but on the odd chance he's right on the mark he's caught a couple vampires and several dhampirs, he guesses they're hunting for him as much as he is them.

Chapter Text

Lance could hear something. Well, not just something, people. He'd heard people before, but never this loud or this close. There were 3 of them; they had all split up, and one was getting far too close. He was crouched over a large stag he had killed, muzzle and mouth coated with blood; the animal's insides were subjected to his appetite. His ears are twitching, trying to hear any noise suggesting the nature of their arrival; their steps are light, so they know not to make a sound, but for what reason? Are they regular hunters hoping to catch a stag similar to the one he has, or is it him they're after?

Lance really wished he had stuck closer to the others. They could get to him quickly, but it's not like he can communicate with them from so far away. He couldn't remember what they were supposed to do if supernatural hunters arrived. Hearing the gun click, he thought twice about trying to run. He could definitely lose the hunter if he did, but he's not silent like the Holt's, and it would immediately draw attention to him and his position. He can't outrun a bullet. A regular bullet isn't an issue; he's got thick skin in this form, so it won't reach anything important. A silver bullet, on the other hand, will cut through easily, and once it's past the skin, it'll rapidly poison him from the inside. Should he fight? He really doesn't like that idea; he doesn't know exactly how well equipped they are.

He might have better chances running. What to do? What to do? There's little time. Fighting means making himself an easy target; he's giant; anyone trained even lightly with a gun should be able to hit him, maybe even more than once; but if he runs, he'll be more difficult to keep up with and spot considering he's mostly black fur, so there's a better chance of them missing altogether or catching a leg and not an important spot. Lance decided running was definitely the better option. The hunter is only a couple of steps away; he'll head towards Matt because he's the closest, and hopefully, if it's a werewolf hunter, they'll be unprepared for a vampire. So he sets off, immediately hearing the hunter start running after him. He quickly begins winding through trees, hoping to lose them, and hears three bullets fire into trees behind him, just missing him by a hair.

He could hear the hunter becoming out of breath, exhaustion taking over. Lance could run for miles. This is a game he'll win, he thinks, and then a bullet hits his leg—definitely not a regular one—and suddenly he's hindered. He's still faster by a lot, but it's becoming harder to run, and the blood trail can be tracked when the hunter catches their breath and Lance potentially collapses. He's starting to feel woozy when Matt appears, running beside him, "I smelt your blood." He explains, not creepily at all, "What's up?" Lance slows to a halt in a very small clearing so Matt can take a look at his leg. The hunter is catching their breath. Lance needs this to be quick; they're closer than he would like. "I'm going to get it out, ok?" Lance did not like the sound of that at all, but his healing wasn't going to kick in if it wasn't out, and oh yeah, the poison, so not much choice, he nods, laying down and sticking the leg out. Matt then attempts to grab the bullet, and all Lance can feel is immense pain in his leg as Matt removes the silver bullet, which he puts in his pocket, likely to show the others later. "Feeling better?" He says,

"I hope not." comes a voice from the trees.

Lance's ears rose to attention as the hunter stood at the treeline. He should've paid more attention; he hadn't heard them approach. It was difficult with the haze that settled over his mind due to the poison.

The gun fired again before Lance even had time to process anything, but no bullet hit him. Matt had grabbed it midair before it hit him.

"You're annoying, you know that?" The hunter complained.

"I've been told." Matt shrugged nonchalantly before running straight at the hunter and immediately racing back, making a wounded noise after his hands burned upon contact with the armor.

"Holy water, not your favourite is it?" The hunter was laughing before taking Matt's pain as a distraction and throwing holy water at him. This immediately made him scream out in pain, with burns covering his arms, neck, and even parts of his face. The hunter only laughed.

Lance swiftly kicked them into a tree with his back leg, grabbing the back of Matt's t-shirt in his jaw before taking off in a sprint. This was very difficult considering the wound was still hurting, but luckily his healing was kicking in and his leg was feeling better as he listened out for his family all rushing towards him; of course Matt's screaming they'd have heard, he can hear the Holts like wind ahead of the rest, and then they were in front of him taking the still screaming Matt from him. Unlike Pidge, most vampires don't usually feel pain because there are so few things that can actually cause them pain that it's incredibly irregular; therefore, they don't know how to react when it does happen, and in Matt's case, it's a lot. Holy water prevents his healing from kicking in, and despite it not being as efficient as Lance's, he doesn't want to think about what it's like without it.

The pack is quick to follow, checking all over Lance and Matt. Hunk nudges him with his shoulder; his fur is still covered in blood, and he's limping every other step, but there's barely any pain anymore; he just feels incredibly drowsy. Lance knows the hunter is heading towards them once more, but he can barely focus, the drowsiness taking over. He is leaning almost all his weight on Hunk, the Holts are soothing Matt, who is breathing incredibly slowly and heavily.

Pidge is on them in seconds; their speech is muffled, he feels like he's shoved cotton wool inside his ears. "MA-- ---T HA-----D?!" He can still sense their panic; their breath is racing, and they're afraid to touch Matt. Scared of hurting him.

It's only after feeling the vibrations of Hunk growling that Lance looks up and sees the hunter once again before Pidge immediately attacks them. The roots of the earth rapidly entangled themselves around the hunters legs, wrapping themselves around all the hunters limbs incapacitating them. Pidge coughs, wiping the blood from their mouth, they yell something at the hunter, which again lingers in Lance's ears as jumbled sounds, "---T --- HE-- D-- -OU -- T- -- ---TH--?!",

The hunter only replies with one word, but it's the clearest since getting shot and lingers for completely different reasons.

"Pidge?"

Chapter Text

Keith was stalking the tree line when he heard a sound like thunder. For a second, it feels like the earth quakes and Keith chases after it, the moonlight still lingering on the floor like silver lighting his path so he didn't fall as he chased after the beast. Keith sees a flash of something, and he shoots.

He's running as fast as he possibly can, afraid he'll lose this opportunity. His lungs and legs burn, but he won't give in. He's always been faster than other people his age, and he hopes now more than ever that it pays off.

He shoots again, if the monster wasn't winding through trees. Keith thinks he would've been deserted in seconds, plus the fact that it had clearly been hunting and it was probably difficult to run on a full stomach.

So he fired again. The beast was difficult to spot, and he was so very tired he needed to rest soon, but his legs wouldn't stop, so he just kept chasing.

He shot again, and this time there was a different noise—a noise barely heard in the silence of the woods; it was like a drum pounding in his ears. It's hit. He slows down, taking deep breaths, and turns on his torch so he can see the blood clearer. Now that it's been hit, it'll stop, and he'll get it, so he follows the blood. He takes up a jog, not wanting anything else to get to his kill, which turns into a run because of how far away it got.

He approaches what looks like a clearing in the trees and turns his torch off. There's another person hovering over his kill. "Feeling better?" Says the stranger. Ah, an ally. Better figure out what this "person" is; "I hope not." Keith states, alerting them of his presence.

The moon had been annoyingly covered by clouds, so as the stranger whipped their head in his direction he couldn't tell what colour their eyes were. The wolf was lay on the floor. He doesn't know if the bullet has been removed; better to be safe, he shoots again.

The bullet never meets its target because it is intercepted by the stranger, a vamp, frustrating. Keith didn't want it to get in his way. "You're annoying, you know that?" He grumbled, his voice muffled by the helmet. It takes no bother at the comment, shrugging.

"I've been told." And it lunges for him, but the moment its hands touch the armor, there's a hissing noise. Luckily, the holy water on his armour is still in effect; he'll have to douse it again soon. It's funny seeing the vampire look in confusion at its own hands burning "Holy water. Not your favorite, is it?" He says, whilst softly laughing at how dumb the thing looks right now, a good opportunity one shouldn't waste, so he pulls out his canteen of holy water and hurls it in the vamps direction; obviously, it is indeed distracted by the pain in its hand, as it doesn't dodge.

As a shriek pierced the night, Keith couldn't help but laugh. The murderers deserved suffering. Often he'd just disorient them with garlic and then stake them, which he probably should do to this one as its screaming can alert others, but before he can make a move, he's kicked into a tree by the wolf.

Pain ignites at the back of his head and his spine as it smacks against the tree. He grunts and squeezes his eyes shut with the pain before they fly back open again in time to see the back of the wolf as it runs off; the vampire is still screaming. Keith quickly picks himself up and follows the screeching running; he'll have the noise to follow.

Keith is pretty sure the holy water hit almost every exposed area as well as the clothes, so they constantly burn it. The annoying thing about holy water is that they can't die from it; they just burn. The only thing that kills them is a stake through the heart. A werewolf is much easier, not as fast, and a much larger target, and if you hit them (even just once) with anything silver, it cuts through them like butter. As long as the weapon stays inside, they'll become weaker in a matter of minutes, and as long as it's inside for a good few seconds, it'll sap all their energy out, and then they're basically dead.

One problem is that they are extremely elusive—borderline extinct is probably the better phrase. That's why this was so amazing. He tells Shiro and Adam the situation over the radio, as the screaming seems to be dying down and they should be updated. They get his location and tell him to radio if he needs backup.

Right as he hears someone yelling, it's muffled by the helmet but loud, so he takes a step forward to try and hear clearer, only to step right into the eyeline of about five wolves, including the one he shot earlier, leaning on another. His feet can't move the tree roots wrapping around him, under someone's command,. Four vampires stand to the side in the darkness of the trees; presumably one of them was burned by him, two are facing one, so he assumes it's that one, and the fourth is facing him.

It steps forward, and as it wipes away the blood it just coughed up, a beam of light from the moon lingers on its face. The roots have Keith's legs and arms, but he feels like one is wrapping around his neck right now: "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY BROTHER?!" The person shouts. Keith feels like he can't breathe.

"Pidge?" He says barely above a whisper he wants the person to turn away and look confused, but there's just horror on their face.

"Who are you?" This is barely coming through his helmet, and he chooses to avoid the question,

"Pidge? Is that actually you? What are you doing here, you're not..." He doesn't actually know how to finish that sentence,

"Look, I asked a question first, so you're answering first." Keith did not feel like doing that at all, but unfortunately the radio flickered on and Shiro's voice came through: "Keith, come in, Keith. Me and Adam are heading to your location now. Over and out."

"NononononoNO." His helmet is torn from his head. "WHAT THE FUCK, KEITH!? You've been hiding this from us?! We've known you for years!" Pidge is yelling, but their voice is cracking, and there are tears falling down their cheeks. "Why would you hurt us... Hurt Matt, hurt-" Pidge turns to look behind but the wolf Keith shot and the one it was leaning on have left, so they just look at the empty space. Keith looks at the vampires looking at him, knowing the one he hurt is Matt; it makes his gut twist with guilt.

"I didn't know. I didn't know it was Matt."

"And that makes it ok?" Pidge seems livid: "You just hurt any of us but you didn't know so that makes it ok, I see now, thanks for clearing that up."

"I don't know what you want me to say, Pidge. You're dangerous, you all are, I'm just eliminating a threat." He states it factually; Pidge looks disgusted.

"Our existence being different to yours does not make us a threat. The people you love are not a threat. How could you think that?" There's a sense of defeat, and Keith looks over again at the figures in the darkness and thinks about Matt and the screaming.

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have used the holy water. It was unnecessary. I'm sorry, Matt." He shouldn't caused such excessive pain. "You have to understand your existence is a threat to life, and you shouldn't be like this; I'm just protecting people."

"You messed up big time tonight, Keith. I don't ever want to see you near me, my family, or my friends. Ever. Not when you can't get it through your head we're not here to hurt anyone." A vampire approaches, recognised as Pidges dad; the other two have disappeared into the trees along with the remaining wolves.

"Pidge, we should leave; other people are coming for him."

"Yeah, I know." Their dad is gone after Keith blinks and Pidge sighs.

"Goodbye Keith. I wish I could change your mind." and then they're gone.

Keith isn't sure how long he's in the tree throne before Shiro and Adam arrive, but he just sits with his thoughts. He feels stupid, like he's been manipulated by monsters; the existence of the Holts poses a threat to every human, and yet he feels guilty. He hates it.

When they do arrive, they try and talk to him, but he just sits there, unable and unwilling to talk. He just wants to go home. Adam starts hacking away at the roots before they let go on their own, shrinking back to the ground, and Keith thinks he sees Pidge looking from the treeline. He wants to run to them and hug them, tell them Matt was going to be ok, the pain was temporary, he was going to be fine. No lasting damage. Get them to tell Matt that he was sorry, so sorry, didn't know, didn't mean to, he was supposed to be like family to them and yet he'd let them down. How could he? He hadn't done anything wrong. Except cause unnecessary pain, he was hunting monsters and he found them. They just happened to be the people he loved.

He was silent on the drive back; he took his armour off, not even bothering to take it with him as he stumbled into his and Lance's house and collapsed into their bed.

Chapter Text

Lance didn't know what to do; he just ran, his heart rushing to life from the adrenaline chasing away the drowsiness that had settled in all his limbs. He can hear Hunk chasing after him, and he can still hear the hunter. Keith. Keith, who tiptoes around the house when he thinks Lance is asleep. Keith, who tells him when rain is forecasted simply because he knows Lance loves it. Keith, who he's been in a relationship with for years. Keith, who he loves. He loves. 

"You're dangerous." 

Lance snarls, running faster. He doesn't know where he's going, and he just wants to escape the conversation still in his ears; he wishes they still felt blocked. 

"I'm just eliminating a threat." 

He doesn't want to hear anymore. He wants it to stop. Lance doesn't think he's ever run this fast, weaving through the trees while narrowly avoiding slamming head first into every single one of them in a blind rush, leaping over small streams and fallen trunks. His muscles begin to protest as he continues, but all he can hear is his own heartbeat echoing in his ears and Keith.

"You shouldn't be like this." 

Keith, who wakes up way too early but doesn't move so he doesn't disturb Lance.

"You shouldn't be like this." 

Keith, who sends him pictures of things he sees that remind him of Lance.

"You shouldn't be like this." 

Keith, who Lance loves.

"You're dangerous." 

Keith, who sees Lance as dangerous.

"I'm just eliminating a threat."

Keith, who thinks Lance should be eliminated.

Lance wants to scream.

No one is talking anymore, or he's out of hearing range, which should worry him, but he can't stop running. He just wants it all to go away; he wants to be in bed holding Keith to his chest, with the sunlight miles away. He holds on tighter. "Lance? What's wrong?" Mind-Keith mumbles, 

"Nothing babe. Love you." There's a breathy laugh muffled by covers, and then Mind-Keith responds,

"Love you too, go back to sleep." and Lance does.

His legs falter and almost collapse under him; the effects of the silver bullet returning in full force overwhelm him until he can't see straight. His vision is strange, and he can't think about anything clearly; everything is distorted and unstable, like he's trying to grasp a shadow as the sun goes down. Lance struggles to remember what was happening in his disoriented state. He shakes his head, which only makes his balance worse, and he falls onto his side. His eyelids are too heavy for him to hold up, so he resigns to sleep. Whose shadow was he grasping for? He doesn't remember. 

Chapter Text

Hunk didn't think before sprinting after Lance. He could barely support himself a second ago, and then he just wasn't there. Hunk wasn't sure where he was going, but he was quickly getting further and further away from everyone; he was beginning to panic as he couldn't hear Lance's steps anymore. He immediately turned around and began running back to the house to regroup with the others. He sees them waiting by the back door. Shay is standing beside Rosa, and he runs up to her and bends down so she puts her forehead to his and strokes his head.

"I missed you too, love." She whispers, Hunk takes a step back and looks at the others; between the eight of them they've only managed to snag a couple deer; they can't take too many to maintain the balance for when they hunt next time, but two is not enough. Shay gives a blanket to Coran, who returns to his human form.

"Thank you, my dear; I'll stay here to put these deer away with Lotor and Shay if everyone would like to hunt more or search for Lance." Rosa nods her head and turns to the Holts:

"I'll come help search for Lance." Pidge announces, though Hunk knew they would,

"I'll stay with Matt." Sam says Matt doesn't look too bad anymore; the burns have calmed down a bit, but he's healing extremely slowly because of the holy water. It could take weeks.

"I'll help you search." Colleen turns to Rosa, and there's a sense they share the same feelings right now, an unwavering fearlessness to protect their children. Rosa growls, and everyone shoots off into the distance. Hunk turns to Shay again; she waves, and he continues running. They stay in a group, running in the direction Hunk followed Lance, but there's still no sound from him. Allura managed to take down a bear, which she then needs to carry back to the house. Hunk sees her hesitate and knows she's torn. They need the meat this time; they haven't hunted in a while, and the freezers are empty. They're stocking up, so next time they only need to get one or two. She grabs the bear in her jaws and starts running back towards the house. The group continues to run until morning light is beginning to break. They catch three deer along the way, carrying them back to the house and immediately setting out again. Hunk isn't even so sure they're even going in the right direction anymore; he howls and waits for a response, but there's only silence. Pidge pats his leg, and Colleen casts a solemn look at Rosa.

"Let's head back to the house; we'll eat, regroup, and we'll get everyone out looking." Rosa nods, and they turn to run back. Arriving at the house, the mood is fragile. They can't and won't vocalise the shared fear. Lotor, Shay, and Coran bring blankets for them as they shift back and no one speaks. As they go inside, no one really knows what to say. They exchange their blankets for clothes, quickly eat what little they can stomach with their nerves, and then clear the dining table as Rosa spreads out a map and clears her throat.

"Okay, it's still early morning. We have time to find him yet." She breathes out, "He can't have gotten so far he's out of reach; he'll be tired from the injury."

This is when Matt brings out the small silver bullet in his pocket. Everyone at the table cringed at the sight. No one wanted to mention the elephant in the room, so no one did.

"So the plan-" Rosa halted mid-sentence. Everyone heard the vehicle driving down the road.

"It'll be Keith." Hunk knew it would, even without knowing it was his motorcycle. The Holts looked confused for a second until he was closer.

"Yeah, it will; I'll get it." Pidge stated, and with that, the front door was opened.

Chapter Text

Keith wakes up on their anniversary, and Lance isn't there. This isn't unusual because he wakes up way earlier than Lance ever does, but after last night, he'd prefer it if Lance was with him. He opens his drawer, and there lies the ring. He doesn't know what he's going to do. Waiting is probably for the best because it would sour the mood if his mind was on bitter topics when he's supposed to get married. He goes to grab his knife but realises it's still heavy in his pocket because he forgot to take it out last night. Lucky it's in its holder, or he could've seriously hurt his leg moving in his sleep. He heads downstairs, grabs his helmet and gloves, and heads to Allura's on his bike. Lance's car isn't nearby when he gets there, which is really weird. But he could've easily gone to Hunks or... Keith knocks on the door with no answer. He knocks again, this time louder, growing increasingly worried about where Lance could be. He gets back on his bike and drives back to try Hunks' house. When there's still no response, he starts to panic. They probably just headed to their family home because it's big and the perfect place to get together. He doesn't go to Pidges, but if Lance isn't at his family's house, Keith will break down the door to Pidges. He pulls up outside the house, and before he's even knocked, Pidge opens the door.

"I told you to stay away." Pidge gives him a major death stare, but honestly, he couldn't care less.

"I'm looking for Lance."

"We're all looking for Lance." They say, clearly exasperated.

"How did you even lose him?"

"I don't know, maybe the fact he's been seeing a murderer scared him off."

"I'm just trying to protect people, Pidge." Keith sighs; he's growing less and less confident in the words he says.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Let me just explain that to Lance." They turn dramatically to the side "Yeah, he's definitely safe; he's just protecting people, he won't put bullets in your family while you're asleep, nothing to worry about." They turn back to him, lifting an eyebrow, "See how that sounds?"

"I would never hurt Lance's family, they're not killers." He cringes at his own words.

"You hurt Matt! Who is definitely family, and this should be obvious, but news flash: not all supernaturals are murderous."

Keith hears Hunk out of his line of sight, "Pidge." clearly a warning call, but it goes ignored.

"Wait, what do you mean about his family being supernatural?" His mouth is dry.

"Oh, are you concerned you've been sleeping with the enemy? Better report back to headquarters!"

Hunk chimes in again, more seriously this time, "Pidge!"

"What do you mean?"

"That Lance is one of us. What else could I mean?" Pidge states

"He can't be? I would've noticed..." Would he? At best, they have profiles on eight supernatural beings they've encountered, and they're not very extensive.

"You didn't even know I was a vamp!"

Keith thought about all the trial and error they went through to learn about the supernaturals they came across—so much wrong information they nervously depended upon with their lives—they hardly knew what they were doing, and they still don't really know. Just because they figured a few tricks out, they're what? Big-time hunters? All he knows for definite about hunting is that it terrifies him, and now he wonders how much it terrifies everyone he's ever fought.

"How was I supposed to know? You think I test all my friends like a crazy person?"

"Well, maybe you should, because I wish we never got entangled with you." There's a sadness on both their faces, and Keith thinks he should say something, apologize, get angry, or cry. He doesn't really know, but Pidge must see something because they respond before he's even decided. "Don't bother, we don't have time; we have to find Lance."

The door is shut in his face before he even blinks. Keith sighs and sits on the doorstep thinking about everything; it's all gotten so big so quick. Whatever Lance is, does that change his feelings? Has he hurt people? Keith immediately knows that's impossible. Lance doesn't even kill spiders; he goes through all the effort of putting a cup over them and letting them outside. Keith smiles. More than anything right now, he wants to talk to Lance. He thinks of the ring in his drawer, and he just knows he doesn't just want to talk to Lance; he wants to be with him forever.Hunk opens the door this time as he turns around as if he were waiting for him.

"Look, before you say anything, I just want to get Lance back. I care about him more than anything."

"So you understand? That not all supernaturals are bad?"

"Yes, I understand, but that doesn't make me any less afraid, I'm scared for my life, Hunk, and for the lives of others."

"It's okay to be afraid, Keith. You think I'm not scared for my life? For my family? It's just not okay to write us off as a homogeneous group and start hunting us down. I'm not saying we're perfect; we mirror humans; there are some bad and some good, but you're killing us before you even give us a chance."

"I know." And he does, he wishes it were easier, that the world was so black and white that he could take down the villains and win the guy, but of course it isn't, if anything, he's become the villain, and now he's quite literally lost the guy. "But that means all the anger I have because of what happened, I haven't used it to prevent another person from facing the same thing; I've just been using it to hurt others." Keith looks down. He always thought he was doing what was best. Surprisingly, Hunks' arms closed around him.

"You really thought you were doing the right thing. I understand that. Of course, it doesn't exactly make up for your actions, but you have to do that with time." Hunk steps back, and Keith looks into his eyes. He knows he'll carry his fear and his anger from what happened, but he also understands what he's been doing is wrong, and he wants to make up for that. The first thing on his mind is finding Lance. Keith wondered if Hunk could read his mind, as his next words were, "I know you want to help us find Lance; it can't hurt to have someone else helping you. You can at least talk to him about this when we locate him." Hunk takes a step back so Keith can step through the doorway, and immediately every single pair of eyes zeroed in on him in a second. The family he'd mostly met before looked ready to gut him. This was going to be interesting.

Chapter Text

Lance woke up starving. His stomach felt like it was eating itself for sustenance. The sun was steadily beginning to illuminate the forest as he crept between trees, listening out for something to eat, something large.

It wasn't long before he found it. He maintained being downwind to avoid being caught and scaring away the prey. A twig snapped under its hoof, and Lance lunged, biting hard on its neck.

The moose made a wailing sound and was down almost instantly, with blood staining it from the large wounds Lance's teeth made. He immediately tore into his food. The meat steaming when exposed to the cold air in contrast to the body heat, he licked his muzzle still hungry.

His mind is hazy. Only four words repeat over and over: eat, drink, sleep, and survive.

Chapter Text

"Hunk followed him this way and lost him around here," Rosa stated, pointing to the map on the table, "so we'll need to search around these areas; he will have been extremely tired after the adrenaline rush wore off." 

It seemed like particularly at that moment, everyone glared at him, and he wanted to fold in on himself. 

"Shay, could you stay here in case he comes home?"

"No problem, Mrs. McClain." Shay looked mostly relieved to be staying behind, and Keith didn't know how to feel about that—should he be nervous? Terrified? All he could feel right now was worried; it consumed his every thought, so he'd only now begun to wonder what he was actually getting involved in.

"The rest of us will split into pairs: Coleen and Sam, Allura and Lotor, me and Coran, Hunk and Matt, Pidge and Keith. We'll find him, don't worry." Despite her words being firm in their resolve, Keith still noticed her hands trembling slightly with rage or worry—at this point, it was most likely both. 

He steps off to the side where Pidge stands; it was like they owned the corner as none of the other pairs were coming over to talk to them or even get an inch closer, although Keith very quickly caught on to the fact that it wasn't Pidge they were avoiding. They both stand there awkwardly, neither one of them deciding to break the ice. Keith couldn't help but think about the night his mum left—the flashing red eyes, the arguments, the hissing, the fangs, and her being gone. This was the last thing he ever wanted—to be torn from the people he cared about, except this time he only has himself to blame, not some mystery person, the distorted picture of a villain in the eyes of a child. 

"I'll stop hunting." He says it to Pidge, but everyone gets quiet, still talking as if to give them the illusion of privacy, but he knows they're listening,

"I don't think I'll ever be able to know if the people I killed were bad or good, but the existence of bad and good supernaturals doesn't make you all bad." Latching onto a flash of red was useless. "Humans are exactly the same. I shouldn't have thought any different. I'm sorry, and I'm especially sorry Matt," turning to face him, his skin still red and freshly scabby and obviously smothered in some form of burn gel. "I should have never hurt you the way I did; it was beyond unnecessary. I'm sorry."  There's a second of silence when Keith thinks Matt is going to reject him completely.

"You know, you thought you were doing the right thing, even if it was extreme and not at all ok. At least you know now that it wasn't the right thing to do, so I guess some good came out of it. It hurt like a bitch, I'll admit, but I'm tough enough that I'll heal." The joking tone was already prominent in his voice, and he promptly began showing off his bicep to drive the point home, which promptly resulted in half the room rolling their eyes and Holt's face palming in fond embarrassment. Keith wondered if this would be something Matt mentioned later in a smug sense and immediately smiled.

"Thanks, Matt." He just smiles in response; it's all teeth, and Keith's nothing but grateful.

"Ok, everyone outside." Rosa announces and

Keith turns to Pidge taking a deep breath.

"So considering I don't know as much as I thought I did, could you please tell me exactly what form I'm looking for my boyfriend in?"

Pidge looked at him; it was almost sad, but their tone was harsh. "You'll figure that one out in less than a second."

There was a sickening snap, and almost everyone was bent in ways they really shouldn't be; there's hair rapidly sprouting from all over, and Keith's jaw hangs open as he watches them get bigger and bigger—so much bigger than he thought any living creature could get. There are bits and pieces of clothing on the floor, and Keith thinks back to Lance's blue jumper that he told him to wear when he saw him last.

"Werewolf." he whispers, and there's definitely an overwhelming sense of awe, now that he's not completely running on adrenaline and fear fuelled by misguided hatred. There's also a growing sense of guilt; he'd always thought of them as animals incapable of anything but hurting people, and although it was less than a day ago he already felt so stupid, they're magnificent. 

He looks up at the fantastic colours that cover their bodies and then he pales, the guilt becomes so much worse it hits him in the face like a brick. He wishes he actually had been hit by a brick when he counts the wolves, there's 4. 

He knows there was five. 

He knows because number 5 was using one of the others to lean on. 

He knows because he shot number 5. 

He shot Lance.

"FUCK!"

Chapter Text

Lance was continuing to eat the remains of the moose he had killed when he heard something. It was quiet and off in the distance, still his ears pricked up trying to catch it again, but it was gone.

Something stirred in his mind.

He looked at a closed door from his bed. The sheets next to him moved slightly with the breathing of someone, but he couldn't recall who it was. He tried to look to try and remember, but he couldn't turn his head away from the door; something tells him to open it, that it has to be open. There's a growing sense of claustrophobia, and he doesn't even know why.

"Go back to sleep, Lance; you need to rest right now." the person says. Does he? His eyelids feel heavy all of a sudden, and they close looking at the door; he can't bring himself to get up and open it.

There was no longer any movement in his head.

It was back to the same mantra as before, just as it had always been had it? the rules of the forest he needed to live by to survive were all that mattered.

Nothing else.

No-one else

Chapter Text

FUCKFUCKFUCK!" Keith won't stop cursing, walking in a circle with his hand on his forehead as he processed his own thoughts.

Pidge is giving him their judgy face, raising one eyebrow, and Keith does not appreciate that right now. "I literally SHOT him!" Keith felt like air wasn't getting into his lungs; his vision was of spinning giant wolves surrounding him. "What on earth was I thinking?! He could've DIED!" It's like he's stuck on that one moment where there was no noise but the hammering of paws and boots running through the woods and then the sound of the bullet connecting. Keith felt sick. 

Thick vines wrap around his legs so that he's kneeling on the ground, helping slightly with the dizziness. They entwine his arms and weave in between his fingers like hands for him to hold. 

"Keith I need you to listen to me breathe in through your nose for 5 beats," so he did, cold air rushing into his lungs. "Now breathe out with your mouth for another 5 beats." Keith released all the air he had temporarily trapped. "Ok, now repeat again in through the nose 1,2,3,4,5, and now the mouth 1,2,3,4,5“ 

They continued instructing him through breathing until he could see clearly again, his hands still shaking tear tracks reinforced by the constant stream from his puffy eyes "What... What if he's—" he couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence, looking up directly into Pidges eyes, they understood, "I'd never-NEVER-" how could he end that? Mean to hurt him? How does it make it better that he didn't mean to? Instead of deciding what to say, he just continued looking at Pidge; it seemed like they got what he was thinking. "Your nose is bleeding." Was what he chose to say. Way to go, Keith. 

Pidge just smirked, "You don't look too hot either, you know." and Keith laughed "Yeah I bet I don't." A large brown nose bumped his head and the vines sunk back into the ground as he no longer required their support "Hey," he said stroking the giant snout "I'll be fine, I'll be fine as soon as we find Lance" he stood up ignoring his slight wobble due to his legs being jelly and nodded at everyone attempting a wobbly half smile and despite everything all their faces relaxed with relief the worry fading away. Keith had never felt so guilty and undeserving in his life. 

One of the wolves a brown one taller than the rest that Keith assumed to be Rosa, Lance's mum, looked at the ginger and grey wolf who Keith assumed to be Coran as he was her partner and tipped her head to the left signalling the two of them to set off in their direction, which started the domino effect of the other pairs setting off, Hunk gave Keith another nudge with his large nose before running up to Matt and racing into the distance, then it was just him and Pidge,"Ok so we're headed that way," Keith said remembering the map Rosa had pointed to "and then we're going right when we arrive at the river."

"Glad you were paying attention" Pidge chimed in sarcastically

Keith turned back from the way he was facing "Your nose is still bleeding, should we go back inside? Do you need something?"

"I need you to chill out you're as bad as my parents, I'll be right back don't work yourself up again while I'm gone." Just like that the spot they occupied was empty and Keith was alone waiting for them to come back, there were faint sounds all around him like leaves rustling and birdsong and his phone vibrating in his pocket no doubt a message from Shiro, he puts it on silent the very moment Pidge retuned. 

"Ready?" 

"Ready." 

So they set off in the same direction everyone else did, only at a much slower pace, Keith was faster than everyone in his classes growing up and he takes his title as quickest out of him, Shiro and Adam on their runs very seriously however, outrunning or scratch that even matching the speed of vampires and werewolves is something else entirely there has to be very specific conditions in which you can come even close to getting anywhere near, so they're falling a little behind, "Does your nose bleed often?" Talking couldn't hurt right? 

"Why?" 

"Why...?" 

"Why do you want to know, Keith?" 

"I'm interested I guess, or worried, probably both I've never seen you have one before so I just wondered." 

"No, it doesn't happen often only when I let it that's your answer, my turn."

"Wait, what do you mean your turn and that was ab incredibly vague answer."

"I'm not just going to spill everything to you especially not without getting something back so we'll trade and don't try lying I can hear lies."

Pidges logic was perfect as usual why should they give up answers to him and expect nothing an equal exchange is the best option except "You can't hear lies."

"Really? How do you know"

He doesn't.

"Ok fine, what's your question?"

"How do you kill vampires"

Keith looked at Pidge but they weren't looking at him their expression unreadable

"I disoriented them with garlic, then... I'd stake them whilst they didn't know their lefts from their rights"

There's silence for a moment

"Pidge I-"

"Matt's putting his trust in you, that you're... different, changed enough to not hurt him again, or us." They pause "And so am I. So... Don't screw this up ok?"

Their voice looses the harsh tone for a second and Keith desperately doesn't want to let them down.

"I-"

"Your turn" and then the wall is back up

"Can you see yourself forgiving me, ever?"

"You know that's going to take time, Keith. I need to know that my family, every single member, is safe. Hurting Matt, you hurt all of us. Killing... I just- I need to know."

"I never wanted to hurt you- any of you I always saw myself as a hero, of sorts, a paladin, you know? That there were monsters, monsters that... took my mum away from me. It was naive. Childish. I should've known and I'm sorry I'm so sorry."

"I know."

"Your turn."

They continued like that for a while if Keith had to guess he would assume a couple hours it was mostly surface level questions often there would be one word answers as if they'd both decided on a temporary truce to avoid the difficult topics at least for a while until Pidge asked,

"Do you think Lance is ok?"

Keith's breath hitched, the reason they were here in the first place. He shot his boyfriend. Love of his life. The person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Shot him. He could be anywhere. Hurt, injured, alone, -.

"More than anything ANYTHING I hope so. I need to know he's safe. He's my best friend, my partner, there's no one like him. I love him and I'll love him forever. I need a chance to show him I NEVER intended to hurt him, and to ask for his forgiveness." 

Keith blinked away the tears forming in his eyes concentrating on the fact that Lance was capable of dealing with difficult situations and could handle himself just fine the bullet had been removed so when the fatigue wore off he would be heading back to his family house where they would find him.

"We turn right now."

They'd arrived at the river so they were finally at their turning point in the time it had taken by communicating with eachother, with no lies or deception meant both were beginning to trust the other and were more comfortable as a team.

"This is where Hunk said he lost Lance so yeah we need to pay close attention from this point forward."

"Got it."

Pidge took a few steps back taking a short run before jumping over the river which Keith honestly had not thought about getting across but as he was ready to get in the water a thick root wrapped around his ankle causing him to shout before he was carried over upside down and dropped on the other side. 

"Thanks, I guess." He said standing up after landing face first

"Not a problem!" Pidge was giggling so at least someone found it funny but a trail of blood was coming from their ear causing Keith to worry yet they pulled a tissue from their pocket and wiped it away like it was no big deal.

"You never really answered my question on why you bleed like that." Keith spoke up as they started walking again

"You never really asked why only if it happened often." Pidge stated but Keith wasn't sure if the intention was to correct or to avoid so he continued.

"Ok, so because it's my turn can I ask why you bleed like that?"

There was a lull in the conversation where Pidge didn't answer letting birdsong and rustling leaves temporarily fill the silence it wasn't until Keith thought it wasn't going to continue and was about to change to topic that Pidge spoke up,

"Some vampires have... conditions. We can do things others can't, but like every condition they come with drawbacks. My body is... weaker than the normal vampires and is killing itself every time I use my condition that's why I bleed. I can't consume animal blood as an alternative to human either because it would make me too weak and my condition would have detrimental effect."

Keith was baffled, he had never heard of anything like this before looking at Pidge he never would've known all that they were carrying 

"You're incredibly strong you know."

Pidge smiled at him and it was so easy one could forget that at the beginning of the day they had been chosen enemies.

"I know."