Chapter Text
"Hey, are you okay?" Keith faltered, pausing midstep to avoid tripping over Lance, who sat crouched on the floor; his face wasn't visible, buried in his hands, but Keith watched the rise and fall of his shoulders with every shuddering breath.
It was unclear whether Lance hadn't heard Keith over his own sobbing or if he had neglected to reply-either way, Keith was concerned, and quite frankly, disturbed, he wasn't used to seeing Lance in this state. No, he thought to himself, Lance was the overconfident, boastful, loud-mouthed blue paladin who wouldn't dream of shedding a tear in front of his teammates. He wouldn't risk hurting his pride. However the hunched, exposed, trembling figure that sat before him didn't come close to resembling that description.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Keith took a seat on the cold, hard floor, shuffling closer to Lance so there were merely inches between them. "What's wrong?" He tried again, this time gingerly reaching across and laying a hand on his shoulder.
This finally provoked a response from Lance. He glanced up at Keith, revealing his tear-spattered face, reddening with shame. Biting his lip, he turned away before answering, his eyes darting back and forth as if searching for the words to say what he felt.
"I just-I'm, you know," he stuttered, struggling "missing home I guess."
"Oh." Keith ran his fingers through his hair-a sign he was uncomfortable, Lance had picked it up by now. It was the little things when it came to Keith, he was a man of few words.
"Don't worry about it." Lance sputtered, but Keith couldn't ignore this if he tried.
"I am worried. I don't like seeing you upset." Keith gritted his teeth, the words had slipped between his lips before he'd had a chance to think them through.
"I'm not upset." Lance choked on the last word, fresh tears streaming down his cheeks.
Keith was wondering whether he should offer some recycled words of consolation when Lance collapsed into him, resting his head in his lap.
Startled, he tensed, his body not used to this gentle affection, but then Lance's warmth became his own and he could feel the thudding of his heartbeat against his thigh. He decided he could get used to this.
Instinctively, Keith's fingers sunk into Lance's hair, stroking his soft, brown curls. If he minded, he was quiet about it. Keith found himself, tracing small, delicate circles along Lance's back-the sensation of his skin against his own prickling at his fingertips, as if charged with a new, strange energy.
Relaxed, Lance's rapid, shallow breaths slowed to a gentle rhythm.
"Hey Keith?" He mumbled sleepily, cracking open one of his eyes.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks, you know I don't where I'd be without you."
Keith didn't know how to respond, his chest ached with a yearning words couldn't explain. All he knew that right now, he just wanted to kiss him, soft and slow. He didn't. Instead he settled for this-his own body pressed against Lance's, limbs entangled in slumber. For now, it was more than enough.