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somethingmorecreative1 · 4 years

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let’s be alone together [klance fic]

More than Alive: Chapter 9

VLD zombie apocalypse by @maireep and @somethingmorecreative1

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / || AO3

keith and lance band together, as the only two mildly sane people they’ve met so far and slowly create a strong bond that leaves all of their plans with loose ends as they try to survive and thrive together.

pairing: klance rating: unrated

ix. let’s be alone together

Before the world ended and the dead took it for themselves, Keith didn’t have much to look forward to anyway. The ranch was less than ideal. He had Shiro for a while, until he left. He got kicked out of school, isolated from pretty much everyone except for his alcoholic father. The only thing that Keith really had was Artax and the wide open Texan ranch, and even that eventually ran out of charm.

Honestly, it only did so much to help him get through it. For so long, he just struggled to make it through life. It was like he was waiting for something. He was always looking to the horizon, wondering what was next, what life would throw at him and if he’d make it through it or not.

He never expected the world to fucking end, but somehow, the apocalypse had given him exactly what he’d wanted, exactly what he’d been waiting for his entire life.

Lance.

It was ridiculous, how warm Keith felt when he thought about Lance. The other boy was everything that Keith had ever wanted, everything that he’d ever fantasized about when he’d ever thought of being with someone else. It was just—crazy, intense, ridiculous, perfect.

Keith didn’t have the words to describe all the things he felt for Lance.

Surreal was probably a good word to describe how Keith was feeling about waking up in the same bed as Lance every morning though.

At first, he’d been surprised that Lance wanted to share a room with him. Of course, Keith didn’t want to be anywhere without Lance, obviously, but he hadn’t thought Lance would want to be that close to him. The compound was safe enough for Lance to have his own room, his own space, but he still wanted to share with Keith?

It had to mean something, right?

For days now, he had been waking up next to Lance. Some mornings he would wake up, and Lance would still be asleep, curled into his side, head propped on his shoulders, arms clutching him in his sleep. No matter how much room Keith seemed to give him, Lance always found his way across the bed in the middle of the night and rolled right into Keith’s arms. Those mornings were his favorites. He’d wake up a few minutes early, just so he could lay awake with Lance, before he had to be up for either his guard duty or briefings with Shiro. It was nice, nicer than anything in his entire life.

Other days, he’d wake up and Lance would already be awake, either watching him or playing on his phone, like everything was perfectly normal, pre-apocalypse. Lance’s smile would be soft from sleep, blue eyes gentle but shining too. There was something about Lance in the morning that particularly wrenched Keith’s heart. He was less hesitant, more open, when it was just them in bed, all alone.

It sent shivers down his spine when he thought about it.

Today was like most of the other days. Keith woke up slowly, to the soft alarm that signaled it was time for a briefing with Shiro. These meetings happened every few days, and even though it was usually only the senior members and soldiers around the compound, for some reason Shiro always wanted Keith there and looked to him for opinions and thoughts too. It was nice—that feeling of being valued.

At the alarm, Lance shifted in his sleep. Before the compound when they were still on the road, Keith had developed a bad habit of watching Lance sleep. It was kind of creepy—he knew that—but there was something almost mesmerizing about how Lance felt safe enough to sleep when he was on watch. He’d put his headphones on and just—sleep. It was reassuring, most days.

Keith looked down at Lance, who in the middle of the night, had once again shifted over to his side of the bed. He was on his side, curled completely into Keith, head resting on Keith’s shoulder. One of his hands was resting on Keith’s chest, and the skin to skin contact was enough to make Keith a little dizzy, if he was being honest.

Lance settled back into his sleep, and Keith sighed in relief. It was early, and Lance needed all the rest he could get.

He’d been pushing himself too much, Keith thought. Coran had assured him that Lance was going to be fine, that he was making good progress, but any time that Keith saw Lance up and walking around, pushing through the pain that flittered across his face every few seconds, all Keith could think of was watching Lance get shot by the bandits, hauling his body through the streets, and the terror of thinking that he was going to die.

It was good that Lance was trying and working so hard already, but Keith really just wanted him to relax and recover. The last thing they needed was for Lance to have a lapse in his recovery and be in even more pain than now.

He stayed in bed for longer than he meant to but—he almost couldn’t make himself get up. He’d much rather stay right here with Lance instead of going to briefing but… Lotor would probably be there this morning since he had arrived back at the compound already. Shiro would need all the help he could get because of that.

Apparently, Lotor was one of the major problems around the compound. Shiro had explained a lot of this to Keith once Lance woken up. He’d just learned all of Lotor’s twisted history with Allura, the way he flaunted his pseudo-power, and his eagerness to expand the compound when it wasn’t safe. Shiro had explained it a few days ago on one of Keith’s guard shifts, and Keith had known that he’d never like the man just because of Shiro’s explanation, and once Lotor had arrived, Keith had been proven right.

And then hearing from Lance that Lotor had said something to him, or even just looked at him? It’d sent Keith into a spiraling rage that he was still itching to quell. Lance hadn’t even told him exactly what Lotor had said to him but—Keith could guess. It was probably for good reason that Lance hadn’t explained what had happened anyway. Every time he had seen Lotor since then, Keith had to restrain himself from drawing his katana and gutting him.

Plus, Lance had seemed so worried about him, when Keith had gotten so angry about it. That was another one of the reasons he hadn’t pushed Lance to tell him exactly what had happened. Every thought he’d ever had flew right out of his head when Lance reached for him and asked him to forget about it.

Just come here with me.

Even now, days later, Keith was still suppressing shivers when he thought about Lance saying that. His fucking voice was just—

Keith was so ridiculously in love with Lance. Shiro had been teasing him about it for days now, and he couldn’t even fucking argue with him. It was in every single glance toward the other boy, every time he clenched his fists to keep from reaching out to touch him, every time Lance graced him with a smile. It was everything, all the time. And somehow, it still wasn’t enough.

He sighed and dragged one of his hands up Lance’s back, savoring the touch before carefully getting out from underneath him. Lance stirred again in his sleep, but didn’t wake up, which was a testament to how tired he was. Sometimes, Lance had a hard time sleeping and staying asleep, but lately, since he’d gotten used to it at the compound, Lance was sleeping more than ever before. Keith was glad that he was getting the rest.

Once he was out of bed, he turned back to tuck the sheets back around Lance. Then—because he was really running late now, Shiro would be teasing him all fucking day for this—he hurried into his clothes, put his hair into a low ponytail and laced up his boots.

He grabbed his katana and handgun on the way out and managed to only look back at Lance once or twice before he quietly closed the door behind him.

;;

When Keith stepped out into the hallway, he ran right into Shiro, who was leaned up against the wall beside his door, waiting for him.

Keith raised an eyebrow at him. Weren’t they going to be late?

Shiro smirked, “I gave you a fifteen minute buffer because I knew you wouldn’t get out of bed.”

He blushed, stalking forward and shoving Shiro, “Fuck you. What if I’d been on time?”

“Not a chance, little brother.”

He rolled his eyes, and Shiro shoved him too, still grinning.

“C’mon,” Shiro said then, jerking his head. “Time for briefing.”

Keith walked at his shoulder, through the quiet halls of the compound. Briefings were at 0600 hours here, right as the night shift was finishing for the morning rotation to take over. Keith liked the morning shifts best because of how quiet it was when the compound was waking up.

Now, the halls were silent other than the occasional echo of footsteps. It was still dark, though the sun would be rising any minute now.

“Why do you want me to come with you to these briefings?” Keith asked. “Most of the others are from your unit or have more responsibilities than me.”

Shiro glanced at him and shrugged, “I feel like it’s good for you. You’re smart and have good ideas. You’ve been out on the road in this mess longer than any of us, so you have a lot of experience.”

Keith snorted, “Just because I can kill walkers doesn’t mean that I’d be a good leader.”

“I think you’d make a good one.”

He turned to look at Shiro. He’d been joking when he said that.

“What?”

Shiro nodded, and they turned the corner, passing two soldiers who were probably finishing up their shift and were on their way to the barracks to get some sleep. They both nodded to Shiro, then, to his horror, Keith as well.

When they were gone, Shiro tipped his head to the side and said, “See? People respect you.”

“I don’t know why. I don’t even talk to anyone.”

“Well, I expect some of it has to do with the fact that you’re my brother, but it’s more than that. Everyone saw you bring Lance in, and you even brought Pidge to us. We’d been looking for her for months now. People were saying you were a hero,” Shiro explained.

Keith felt his face get red, and he jammed his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

“Plus, you started working right away. You’ve been picking up a lot of the slack around here, you know. Since…” Shiro trailed off, glancing up and down the hallway before he stopped suddenly.

“Since Lotor has been around so much, it’s been hard to get people to cooperate and feel safe,” he started again, voice low. “People were pulling away. We even had some people leave the compound and take to the road a few weeks ago. Lotor has been putting us at risk now, and people are uneasy.”

“But I haven’t done anything to change that, Shiro,” Keith said, almost desperate. He didn’t know what for.

Shiro nodded, “You’ve been here though. You brought Lance and Pidge here, and in everyone else’s mind, you saved them. You’ve been on guard rotation pretty much nonstop while also helping with weapon stocking and perimeter checks. People have noticed.”

For some reason, it made Keith uneasy. Sure, he was glad that people seemed to like him because that meant that he and Lance could stay here and be safe, but he didn’t really like the fact that they thought of him as one of their leaders. He just—didn’t know if he could do that, if he could hold that much responsibility.

The lights in the hall flickered, almost a reminder for them for where they were and what was happening. They were in the middle of the compound, and anyone could hear them talking. Something like this could cause complete disorder and chaos to break out among the people within the compound if they weren’t careful.

Shiro nodded to him, and they continued down the hall. He said, “I think you’d made a great leader for the compound.”

Keith hesitated, “I don’t know about that.”

“Just think about it,” Shiro clapped him on the shoulder as they entered through a set of double doors.

The room where the morning briefings were held was situated in the exact center of the compound. It was large and had multiple chairs and tables. The far side of the room was filled with large crates and boxes, mostly for storing weapons. Because this room also functioned as the armory, it was off limits to the civilians at the compound unless they were being escorted by one of the higher-ups, which was usually limited to people invited to the briefings.

Everyone else was already in attendance by the time Keith and Shiro walked in. Adam, James, and Kinkade were sitting at a table, and across from them, Curtis, Matt, Ina, and Nadia were talking quietly. Coran was also sitting at the front of the room, nursing a cup of coffee.

After his first briefing, Keith asked whether or not Allura came to the meetings. To Keith, she seemed like someone who would be a leader here; she was tough, strong, and compassionate, so it surprised him to find out that she never attended the briefings. Shiro had said that it was mostly out of choice, but that he was glad she decided not to. Some of the others around the compound were hesitant about including her in leadership because of her connection to Lotor and their research.

Despite not ever being invited, Lotor always appeared at the briefings every few days. Keith was surprised to see that he wasn’t already here.

“Morning everyone,” Shiro greeted, walking to the front of the room. He took a copy of the roster from Adam that detailed the day’s schedule and set himself up at the podium in the front of the room.

“Morning,” everyone echoed, and Keith ducked into a seat beside Nadia, nodding to her and the others at the table.

“Okay, thanks for coming,” Shiro started. “Looks like everyone is here so we’ll get going. Adam, you can start with the schedule.”

Adam nodded and stood, “Night shift reported minimal activity along the fences, although there were a few corpses that built up on the west side at the fence. The report I received this morning indicated that it wasn’t loud enough to attract others, so the soldiers on guard didn’t engage or disperse them.”

“Keith and I will handle that on the perimeter check this morning,” Shiro nodded, pulling out a pen and making a note of it on his stack of papers.

“The night shift also reported some activity in the city last night. More fires and cars could be seen on the horizon. It doesn’t seem like it should be an immediate concern, but it might be worth noting.”

Keith frowned, wondering if the activity was from bandits or other survivors.

“The schedule is tight for today. We’ve got Nadia, Ina, and Kinkade on morning shift, Keith and James on midday in the towers, then we’ll put foot soldiers on for evening shift after they rotate off of weapon cleaning,” Adam finished and sat back down.

Shiro nodded again, “Thanks, Adam. Okay, Curtis, you’re up.”

Curtis stood and cleared his throat, glancing over them before he looked to Shiro to start the security brief. He said, “Security around the compound looks fine today. I’ve already relieved night shift soldiers and replaced them with the morning shift. We’ve got pairs set up at both front gates with semi-automatic rifles, one rotating between the yard and the common room with handguns, and two more sets on the front halls with body suits and semi-automatics as well.”

“And in the event of a breach?” Shiro asked.

“All units are prepared to respond to the site of the breach. Alarms will be signaled and civilians will be moved inside the compound walls, holding in the common room. Four Humvees are stocked with rations and water in preparation for removal with enough supplies to support most foot soldiers and all civilians,” Curtis explained.

“Good,” Shiro mused. “What soldiers are on the common room today?”

The names of the soldiers were unfamiliar to Keith. He didn’t know any of the foot soldiers if he was being honest even though there weren’t that many of them. In his defense, they usually preferred night and evening shifts. Only a few, the ten or twelve Curtis already described, allowed themselves to be put on day rotation. Keith figured it was because most of the soldiers didn’t like dealing with the civilians, or maybe, like him, they preferred the quiet.

The rest of the briefing went by fairly quickly. After Curtis finished with his security report, Coran discussed his research, despite there being no new developments, much like every other morning briefing. Coran seemed to have stalled on the research, but he assured everyone that he would hit a break through one day.

Kinkade and Griffin reported on weapon status and ammunition numbers, while Nadia and Ina discussed rations and other supplies. There were new supply runs going out at the end of the week that Griffin planned on leading to restock on weapons, ammo, and hopefully food.

“It might also be a good idea to begin considering hunting as an option,” Nadia ended the report. “One of us might scout a good place to do that sometime soon.”

Before anyone else could volunteer, Keith put his hand up and said, “I can do it.”

Shiro smiled and nodded, “Keith will take point on that then. You can get together with Nadia and discuss logistics once the supply runs come back at the end of the week.”

Keith nodded, and Nadia fist-bumped him when she sat back down at the table.

“Okay, if that’s all—”

Before Shiro could finish the briefing and dismiss them, the doors flew open.

Lotor.

He stalked into the briefing room, face curled into a smirk. Bandor was on his heels, along with one other woman, who Shiro said was Axca. The three of them entered the room and stood in the center of it, and Keith had a distinct feeling that this would turn out to be more than just a simple interruption.

“Starting off the briefing without us, Shiro?” Lotor asked, eyebrow raised. “That doesn’t seem very fair.”

“You know the policy as well as I do, Lotor,” Shiro said, voice flat. Keith wasn’t sure how he managed to be so disengaged with Lotor. Just looking at him made Keith want to get into a fight. “We can’t wait all day.”

“But how would I share my report with all of you if I were to miss the briefing?”

“Unclear,” Shiro replied, bored. “Feel free to take the floor if you have anything relevant.”

“As a matter of fact, I do,” Lotor said, approaching the podium. Though he didn’t ask Shiro to move out of the way, even Keith tensed up with how close Lotor got to Shiro.

Keith didn’t trust this bastard as far as he could throw him.

Bandor and Axca moved further into the room, claiming a seat at the table next to them. Axca was stiff, and she was studying the rest of them instead of looking at Lotor, like she was expecting one of them to attack right here in the middle of the briefing.

“You all know that I have been out of the compound recently with a fair few of my soldiers,” Lotor started, flourishing his hand. “We started as a scavenging mission with a specific focus on weapons and gasoline, however, we quickly found that there was a more valuable resource in the city we had been completely overlooking.”

Keith frowned. What could he have possibly found in the city worth more than weapons and gas?

“And what would that be?” Shiro asked, still bored. If he was ever going to lead anyone around here, Keith thought, he’d have to learn to be like Shiro was with Lotor. Abject rage wouldn’t help anyone.

“Why, the people of course,” Lotor said, smug.

The room was quiet, and Keith and the others exchanged confused looks with one another.

“What people?” Shiro demanded.

“The survivors!” Lotor explained. “The city and surrounding areas house plenty of survivors with their own resources. If we were to go out and bring them in, we could use them in all sorts of beneficial ways. Of course, Allura and I could use some of them for testing subjects for our research, and the rest that we find can be used to do manual work around the compound, including guard rotation and other duties you assign your soldiers to, Shiro.”

“That’s Captain to you, civilian,” Adam snapped.

The room stilled. Keith’s hand inched down to the gun in the holster at his hip.

Shiro held his hand up to Adam but kept his gaze on Lotor. His voice was calm when he said, “Are you suggesting that we should expand the compound? How would you expect to cope with the strain it would put on resources?”

“It wouldn’t,” Lotor shrugged. “We wouldn’t need to supply resources to them whatsoever.”

There was another long pause around the room. No one seemed to know what to say.

Keith stood, and everyone turned to look at him. He stepped forward, crossing his arms over his chest and said, “That’s slavery. You know that, right?”

“A few of my sources have started using this tactic and report that it works surprisingly well,” Lotor said, turning toward him.

“And who are your sources? Bandit cannibals in the sewers?” Keith asked, rolling his eyes. “Figures that you fit in with them.”

Keith didn’t see the gun himself, but he heard the tight gasps around the room and felt the barrel pressing to the side of his head in the next second. He didn’t turn to look, but he knew that Axca must have moved from her spot at the table and pulled her gun on him. He doubted that Bandor could even move that fast at all, and she seemed more on edge when they had walked into the room earlier.

“Careful,” Lotor sneered.

“I’m not afraid of you,” Keith said it plainly, even though Shiro and the others were staring at him and the gun pressed to his head. “Your plan is wrong. Taking in survivors is the right thing to do if they make it to us, but not at the cost of their freedom.”

“And yet we took in you and your whore,” Lotor said, lip curling. “Though I will admit that he’s quite beautiful even by my standards.”

Keith’s heart stopped.

It was completely silent in the room for a long, long second.

Then, Keith moved.

He knocked Axca’s gun away and shoved her back, gun skittering across the floor. Axca aimed a punch at him, and Keith side-stepped, grabbed her wrist, and flipped her to the floor. Bandor attacked his other side, and he had been right earlier when he thought that Bandor was slow because it was too easy to kick his legs out from under him.

After he was finished with them, he stepped forward, crossing the room. He wasn’t sure if he was moving too fast for anyone to interfere or if everyone was too shocked to move because somehow, he ended up right in front of Lotor, gun pressing into Lotor’s forehead without anyone stopping him.

Lotor looked surprised for half a second when Keith aimed the gun directly at his forehead, only a few inches away from. He kept his gaze locked onto Lotor.

“If you ever even look at him,” Keith growled, “I’ll put a bullet through your skull.”

Lotor’s lips curled into a disgusting smile.

Keith pressed the gun further into his forehead, “Or I can pull the trigger now.”

A long moment passed in silence. Keith stared in silence, easing the safety off the gun.

“Stand down, Lotor,” Shiro said finally, breaking the tense moment.

Lotor breathed a bitter laugh and kept his eyes locked onto Keith’s when he said, “Yet you say nothing to your man with the gun.”

“Don’t ever go near him again,” Keith threatened. Then, he removed the gun and put it back in his holster.

Lotor took a step forward into Keith’s space. They were about the same height, and when Lotor came closer, Keith forced himself to remain still.

“Hold a gun to my head again, soldier,” Lotor whispered, eyes flashing, “and you will wish you pulled the trigger today.”

Keith smirked, “Don’t worry. I already do.”

“Stand down, Lotor,” Shiro ordered, voice hard.

With one final glare at him, Lotor moved out of Keith’s space. He nodded to Bandor and Axca, who were standing again, and the three of them moved toward the door. Lotor hesitated there, and he turned back to the room and said, “I will have more information about my plan at the next briefing, Captain.”

Shiro didn’t bother with a response, and Lotor and the others swept through the doors and out of the briefing room.

In the silence that took over the room, Shiro stepped out from behind the podium and crossed the room to stand in front of Keith. He caught him by the shoulder and shook him. His voice was more than a little frantic when he said, “What the hell was that?”

“What was what?” Keith asked, defensive.

“She had a gun to your head!” Shiro snapped. “What if she’d pulled the trigger?”

Keith shrugged, “She wouldn’t have pulled the trigger.”

“How did you know?”

“I guessed.”

“You guessed?” Shiro exploded, throwing his hands up. “What the fuck, Keith!”

Keith’s anger bubbled in his chest, “Fuck, Shiro, you heard what he said about those people. He’s planning on taking survivors and forcing them to be slaves. Who knows what he’s already planned or done outside!”

“You reacted to what he said about Lance,” Shiro accused.

“So what if I did?” he growled.

Shiro sighed loudly, pressing a hand to his forehead, “Axca could have killed you!”

“That was probably one of the least dangerous things I’ve done since the damn world ended, Shiro,” Keith argued. “Besides, Lotor—I know that you can’t just kill people you don’t like or don’t agree with to maintain stability here, but there’s gonna be a day where all of us wish that I’d pulled the trigger today. I can feel it.”

“I know that, Keith,” Shiro said, shaking his head, “but you’re right. We can’t just kill people when we have problems. Even if—what he said about Lance wasn’t okay.”

“Of course not,” he said tightly. “That’s why I put a gun to his head.”

There was a pause then, and Curtis stood. He said, “Keith is right. Lotor’s plan is despicable. We can’t let him start any of it.”

“I know that Keith is right,” Shiro snapped. The tension between them was obvious. Shiro stared Curtis down, gaze sharp and unmoving from the other man.

Another pause in the room. Curtis remained standing, still staring at Shiro. Keith couldn’t read the look in his eyes.

Then, Shiro sighed and said, “Okay, we’re done here.”

“Wait,” Keith said, shifting his gaze to everyone else still at the tables. “What happened can’t leave this room. I’m serious.”

“Keith, obviously—” Shiro started.

“Lance will try to kill Axca when he finds out she had a gun on me,” Keith explained, tucking his hands into his pockets. “Best not to say anything and avoid all of the mess.”

Matt laughed suddenly, breaking the tension in the room. He stood and walked over to clap Keith on the back. He said, “Really? Lance doesn’t seem like he’d kill anyone.”

Keith smirked again, “Put a gun to my head in front of him and see what happens.”

Matt laughed again, “Sure, Keith. Shiro, we good? I need to grab Pidge and get started on inventory for today.”

“We’re good,” Shiro nodded. “I’ve got a radio, so call if you need me. Briefing same time in the morning. Be safe out there today.”

With that, everyone dispersed. Nadia offered Keith another fist-bump on her way out, and Kinkade and James both nodded to him as well. Coran patted his shoulder on his way out, a soft smile on his face, and Curtis and Adam left at the same time, awkwardly nodding to Shiro on their way to the doors.

“Curtis,” Shiro called when they reached the door. “Sorry for snapping.”

Curtis nodded, “No problem, Captain,” and slipped outside. Adam followed him stiffly.

There was a long pause then, where Keith and Shiro stood there together.

“What the hell was that?” Keith asked, finally turning his gaze back to Shiro.

“No comment,” Shiro replied. “You good?”

Keith nodded, “I’m fine. I’m gonna keep an eye on Lotor though.”

“Let me know if you see anything.”

“Yeah obviously,” Keith replied. “Should we go on the perimeter check now?”

His brother sighed again, “We need to talk about rations.”

“What do you mean?” Keith asked, confused. They’d just had a whole meeting about maintenance for the compound, and then well—Keith knew all about his ration credits. What could Shiro have to tell Keith about it now?

“Allura told me that Lance has been trading her for rations.”

Keith’s frown deepened. “What? I thought I had plenty of credits?”

Shiro nodded, “You do. I hadn’t bothered to add Lance’s name to the ration list until the day after he woke up, so that’s why I gave him my rations that morning. I guess he thought that we all traded for them instead.”

Keith’s mind was working a mile a minute. He couldn’t believe—what the hell was he even trading? And how much of it had he gone through already?

“Face wash,” Keith said aloud, answering his own question.

“What?”

He rolled his eyes, irritated, “That’s what he must have traded Allura. He likes that stuff, and that’s all that he has with him that I know of.”

“Oh, well—okay, but he can just use your credits. There’s plenty for both of you.”

“Right,” Keith said, distracted. How much of his stuff had he already traded away? Keith knew how much he liked it, and he’d never meant for Lance to have to trade any of it for fucking food.

God, had he even been eating enough? Keith had been busy over the past couple of days, picking up extra time on guard duty, one, so they would have enough ration credits, and two, because Shiro needed all the help he could get. Keith hadn’t really been paying enough attention to him and what if he’d been avoiding eating so he didn’t have to trade all the time—

“Fuck,” Keith cursed, shoving a hand through his hair. “Allura told you? Why the hell didn’t she tell him just to use my credits?”

Shiro shook his head, “I don’t know. She said that he was adamant about it, so I imagine he didn’t want to take anything when everyone else works. A few other people have been talking about it, how he trades instead of just taking. Everyone seems to really like him.”

“Well of course they fucking do.”

It comes out of Keith’s mouth before he can stop it. It’s just—so fucking obvious. Lance is the most amazing person he’s ever met. Who would have the fucking nerve not to like him?

Shiro’s expression morphed into a grin finally, “Alright. Just talk to Lance. I know he’s anxious to contribute, but he needs to recover fully before he strains himself. Make sure he’s using your ration credits from here out.”

Keith nodded, too annoyed and irritated with himself to even be capable of being embarrassed about what he’d said. Besides, it was just Shiro. He’d said plenty of stupid things about Lance both to and in front of him since they’d been reunited. That was the least of Keith’s problems.

He just honestly couldn’t believe that he hadn’t known about this before now. The last thing he ever wanted was for Lance to feel like he had to trade his own stuff—his face wash especially—for something as trivial as food when they were in such a safe place. It was Keith’s fault too. He should have been sure to explain to Lance how everything worked here, that Keith has enough credits for the both of them, that he could take care of him—

Shiro excused him from the briefing and reminded him to report back for his midday guard rotation. He left the common room feeling frustrated to hell and back, and thankfully, it was still early enough to he didn’t pass anyone else in the hallway on his way back to his and Lance’s room.

Maybe Lance would be awake by now because—he needed to sort all of this out.

The walk didn’t help calm him down. Instead, the longer he spent in the silence in his own head, thinking about Lance having to part with his things for food, he became even more enraged. He just—couldn’t fucking believe he’d been so stupid.

Finally, Keith made it to the door. He took a breath in the hallway, trying to steady himself. The last thing he wanted was to argue with Lance but—he had a feeling this wouldn’t be an easy conversation. There was probably a reason that Lance hadn’t asked him about rations before.

Fuck that though.

He twisted the handle and stepped into the room. It was still a little dark, the light from the rising sun just barely settling in through their window. Keith closed the door behind him softly, looking over to find Lance already awake, still laying in bed.

“Hey, you’re back early,” Lance said, voice still sleepy and soft. He was smiling a little, and there were soft creases on his face from their sheets.

Looking at Lance now, all sleepy and happy to see him, most of the anger in Keith’s chest evaporated.

You’re so screwed, Keith thought to himself for the billionth time.

“I, uh, need to talk to you about something.”

Lance stretched out, catlike, and Keith desperately tried not to watch the way his spine arched or the expressions he made. It was bad enough that Keith had to literally feel Lance’s glorious body pressed up against him at night, but watching him stretch? For some stupid reason, that was almost too much for Keith.

Then, Lance looked up to meet Keith’s gaze, patted the empty spot next to him, and said, “Come back to bed.”

Keith’s mouth went dry. That was definitely too much for him. Especially this early.

Instead of ripping his jacket and shirt off and literally diving into the bed with Lance like he really wanted to, he sighed and shifted on his feet. His voice was low and rough when he said, “No, Lance, really. I need to talk to you.”

Lance’s expression went from soft, sleepy, and relaxed to serious, worried, and stressed in less than a second. The sudden shift made Keith’s chest hurt, and he cursed himself. He’d have been better off with his first impulse.

But—he finally remembered his anger. He needed to tell Lance about rations before he had to trade anymore of his stuff away.

“What’s going on?” Lance asked, sitting up. His t-shirt was wrinkled, and his hair was sticking up in the back. “Is everything okay? Do we need to leave? What happened—”

“Everything’s fine.”

“Then why do you look so angry?”

Fuck. Keith hadn’t realized Lance could read him so well.

He sighed, clenching his fists before letting go, trying to relax a little bit. He was so frustrated with himself for not realizing any of this sooner.

“Why haven’t you been using my ration credits?” Keith asked the question without any preamble. He’d already made a mess of this, so what did it really matter?

Lance hesitated, expression shifting again to something more careful, hesitant, wary. His voice was slow when he said, “I didn’t know I could.”

Keith nodded, “Why do you think I’m on guard rotation? I’ve been doing shifts to get us plenty of credits.”

“I can trade for my own rations,” Lance snapped.

“And what were you planning on doing when you ran out of face wash to trade?” Keith responded, just as aggressive, anger bubbling up his chest and threatening to claw out. “Begging Shiro for some work before you’re ready and then fucking up your leg?”

“I’m not—I can take care of myself!”

“I know!”

Lance stood up, too quickly on his injured leg, because he stumbled before he righted himself. He limped the few steps across the room to stand in front of him and poked Keith’s chest, hard. His blue eyes were blazing when he said, “You obviously don’t think so!”

“Yes I do!” Keith growled.

“Then where do you get off storming in here and telling me I can’t trade for my own damn food?”

Lance swayed on his feet, the weight on his leg probably uncomfortable and sore. Unthinkingly, Keith reached up and grabbed his hips, steadying him. Keith didn’t let go, just curled his hands into Lance’s hips and held on.

“That’s what my ration credits are for! Us to use! It’s stupid to trade your stuff for food!”

“Maybe I don’t want to use your ration credits!” Lance snapped, unconsciously stepping into him. They were so close that their chests were almost brushing.

Keith honestly felt like he was burning alive. Arguing with Lance wasn’t new, but this? There was something about the tension between them that was new. It was sitting right in Keith’s stomach, burning. Lance was stubborn, passionate, and just responding to Keith at every turn and it made him want.

“Why the fuck not?” Keith gripped Lance harder, thumbs sliding down into the dips of his hip bones. He desperately tried to focus on the argument at hand but—it was getting harder and harder.

Lance fisted his hands in Keith’s shirt, “I don’t want to be a fucking burden to you any longer! I can trade for my own food! I can do it myself!”

Keith opened his mouth to snap a reply but—wait.

I don’t want to be a fucking burden to you any longer!

Did Lance really think that? Did he not understand that Keith’s entire fucking world revolved around him? That Lance himself was Keith’s entire world? That nothing else even mattered to him as long as Lance was right next to him?

Keith’s anger turned into white hot rage at the thought that Lance had been thinking he was a burden. Trading his stuff for food was one thing but admitting that he thought he was a burden?

He stepped even closer, abusing the height difference that was evident when they were this close. Lance tipped his head back, staring up at him defiantly, eyes blue flame. Keith kept one hand locked on his hips and pulled his other up to Lance’s face. He bracketed his hand on Lance’s jaw and neck, fingers spread wide, forcing Lance to hold his gaze.

Keith pitched his voice low, rough, hard, when he said, “You have never been and will never be a goddamn burden to me. You are…”

“I’m what,” Lance challenged, voice still tough, eyes blazing, like he was still planning on fighting Keith, whatever it was he had to say be damned.

“The reason I’m alive,” he growled, pulling Lance in closer, so they were pressed together down the length of their bodies. “The most important thing in the fucking universe to me. The person I rely on most, the person I care about most. Take your fucking pick of what you are to me because they’re all true.”

They were so close that Keith could feel the shocked breath that Lance took. His mouth dropped open, just a fraction, and his eyes—Keith couldn’t describe it. If he was burning before, he was melting now.

He forged ahead, words spilling from him now that he’d gotten started. He said, “I don’t want you to think you’re a burden to me because you’re not. I meant what I said. I know that you don’t want handouts from other people, and that’s fine, but when it comes from me, it’s not a handout. I just want to take care of you.

“I dragged us here, Lance. We barely fucking made it, and I thought you were going to fucking die. The only thing I ever want is for you to be safe and alive and okay, and I lost my fucking mind when Shiro told me that you’ve been trading for rations,” Keith explained, finally softening. He loosened his grip on Lance’s hip and jaw, brushing his thumb across Lance’s cheek, soft, easy.

“I don’t want you to give up anything, ever,” Keith murmured. “If I can give it to you, then I will.”

Lance’s bottom lip was trembling, and tears had welled in his eyes.

“Please,” Keith begged, begged because Lance needed to understand how important this was, how important he was. “Please, Lance. Let me—let me do this for us.”

A long, long moment passed between them. It was filled with Lance’s ragged breathing and Keith’s stuttering heartbeat. The tears finally made their way down Lance’s cheeks, and Keith carefully, gently wiped them away with the pad of his thumb.

After the tears were gone, Keith looked further down, to the scar that ran across his throat, the scar that Lance hated so much.

Even softer than before, Keith moved his hand and brushed his fingers across the deep line.

Lance was staring at him when he looked back up.

Finally, Lance smoothed his hands out from Keith’s shirt. There was a second where he looked down and stood very still, like he was trying to decide something. Then, just as quickly as the indecision came, it was gone, and Lance tossed his arms around Keith’s neck and ducked his head into Keith’s shoulder.

Keith wrapped his arms around Lance and hauled him even closer. Lance was shaking in his arms.

Sometime later, Lance murmured, “Keith?”

“Lance,” he breathed.

Lance pulled back enough to look at him. Their faces were only a few inches apart, and Keith wasn’t sure that he’d ever seen this expression from him before.

“Okay,” Lance said, voice breathless and soft, and Keith didn’t know what he meant.

“Okay what?”

“I’ll use your ration credits.”

Keith paused and then, “You will?”

Lance nodded, and Keith flattened one of his palms against the small of his back. His other slid back to Lance’s hip, and he kept his grip soft, easy.

“Yes,” he said, still in that same breathless voice that was threatening to drive Keith crazy. “But I just…”

“What?” Keith prompted in a whisper.

Something desperate filled Lance’s eyes, and he remained quiet.

“Hey, talk to me,” Keith said, rubbing his hand up Lance’s back.

Lance let out a rough breath and looked up at him, “You get it, right? I don’t want to be… someone who drags you down and needs to be taken care of all the time. I want to be your… partner, someone you can rely on. I just—feel so useless and broken like this. Don’t you get it?”

Keith waited for a breath before replying, trying to consider what Lance was saying. He guessed that he hadn’t thought of it like that. If the situation were reversed, Lance would have a hell of a lot harder time trying to keep Keith from helping out around the compound.

So yeah—he understood, but that didn’t mean that he liked it or that he sympathized very much at all. He had a time hard believing that Lance felt useless when Lance really meant so much to him in the first place. It was hard to think about.

Finally, he said, “I get it. I do, but I need you to know that you’re already those things to me. I know this is hard, but I already rely on you. When I said that you’re the reason I’m alive? I meant it. Lance, if—”

Keith had to stop. His throat closed up, thinking about it. Lance’s hands smoothed across his shoulders in the sudden pause.

He forced himself to continue when he could breathe again, “If I’d lost you, I don’t know what I would have done. I’m serious.”

Lance nodded, “I know the feeling. I just—I don’t want you to think that I can’t take care of myself.”

��I know you can,” Keith said softly. “You take care of me too.”

That earned an eye roll from Lance, and even though there was a slight blush rising to his cheeks, Lance scoffed and said, “Oh yeah? How’s that?”

“Just by existing honestly.”

Lance shoved him back, and Keith started laughing, the sound still soft, easy. Honestly, he felt more at ease here with Lance than he ever had before. He’d never felt like he’d had a home and standing here in this room with Lance, that’s exactly what he’d found.

Maybe that’s why he kept saying all of this ridiculously cringy stuff. He might as well get down on one knee with a ring. Because if Lance didn’t get what was going on by now…

“Fuck you, Keith,” Lance rolled his eyes again, crossing his arms over his chest. The action was accompanied by a deep blush, so Keith knew that he wasn’t actually angry with him, but he’d never seen Lance this embarrassed before. At least, that’s what he thought the expression was.

Keith rolled his eyes too, lightly squeezing Lance’s hip in his hand. Absently, he knew that he should probably pull away, but he literally couldn’t keep his hands off of him.

“I’m serious,” he said.

“You’re—” Lance stopped and leaned forward until his head dropped onto Keith’s shoulder. He breathed a laugh then and said, “I can’t deal with you this early.”

“Sorry,” Keith apologized because—yeah, it’d been a dick move to storm in here and start a fight with Lance before the sun was even up. Keith couldn’t say that he regretted it because, well, Keith could count on one hand the number of times he’d been able to be this close to Lance when one of them weren’t either asleep and it was just… nice not to pretend.

“I’m sorry too,” Lance said, pressing into Keith’s chest. “I should have just talked to you instead.”

Keith hummed, “Yeah, but I shouldn’t have been so angry.”

“I’d have been angry if it was you.”

“Yeah?”

“C’mon, Keith.”

He laughed again, relishing in being this close to Lance. He still couldn’t believe that he hadn’t moved away yet.

Lance groaned suddenly, shifting his weight onto his uninjured leg, leaning even more into Keith’s space and reaching up to grab Keith’s bicep to steady himself. Keith slipped one of his arms around Lance’s waist.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“My leg still just—hurts,” Lance admitted, gritting his teeth.

Keith snorted, “Yeah, you got shot.”

“Oh, shut up, Keith. Help me to the bed.”

Keith smiled and picked Lance up off the ground, carefully settling his other arm under Lance’s knees. Lance scrambled to get a hold on to Keith’s shoulders while Keith moved over to the bed.

As he was setting Lance down onto the bed, he grumbled, “I meant help not carry.”

“Go back to sleep,” Keith murmured instead. “It’s still early.”

Lance looked up at him, and one of his hands was still gripping Keith’s shoulder. His blue eyes were wide when he said, “Will you stay with me for a while?”

Keith thought about heading outside to find Shiro and get caught up on the day’s work. He thought about walking the perimeter out in the cold, huddled in his jacket until the sun rose and the temperature settled. He thought about his guard shift later today.

Then, he thought about staying right here with Lance. Maybe they could talk more, like they had done a few nights ago. That had been nice, learning more about Lance’s life before the apocalypse. Lance would probably stay close, and Keith could probably get some more sleep, curled up with Lance in their bed, before his guard shift later.

Plus, he could be with Lance.

So, he smiled and nodded, “Yeah, for a while.”

;;

Keith’s guard shift later was both a huge annoyance and a welcome reprieve.

He hadn’t expected him and Lance to have such a—well, moment. He’d been expecting them to argue, to fight about Lance using his rations, or Lance even feeling like he wanted to start working before he was probably ready to. He thought that they would talk about it and that he would be able to talk Lance into using his ration credits so he didn’t need to trade anything else for it.

He hadn’t expected anything that had actually happened.

First of all, he didn’t think that Lance would have felt like a burden to him, and now that Keith thought about it more, he felt like an idiot. Of course Lance felt like he was useless; all of the time they had spent together before this included both of them working together as a team. They traveled together, hunted together, had each other’s backs. It should have been obvious to Keith that he was feeling like that but—Keith was so utterly relieved that Lance was alive that he hadn’t been able to think about anything else.

So, he should have realized that Lance might have been feeling out of place because then he could have talked to him about it before Lance had to trade away any of his stuff.

Second, Keith knew that he was angry when he went back to their room. He had been ready to pick a fight with Lance about the ration credits, and he could have been calmer about it instead of just starting in with the argument. But, Keith hadn’t really thought about the logistics of arguing with Lance. Sure, they’d gotten into arguments before when they were on the road, but there had been something distinctly different about this one. He hadn’t known that there was that much well—tension between them. He also hadn’t known how much he liked it. Even now, hours later, a shiver snuck up Keith’s spine at the thought of Lance’s gaze on him earlier.

And finally, the last thing he’d expected was for Lance to agree and use his ration credits. It made Keith feel endlessly better, knowing that Lance wasn’t going to have to trade his stuff away. It was also probably stupid, but he kind of liked the idea that he was providing for them. He’d never tell anyone, but it made his chest fill with pride when he thought about it.

Now, Keith had taken his position on guard duty. Once Lance had fallen back to sleep earlier, curled up against Keith’s side, Keith had eased out of bed and went to find Shiro. The sun had been up by then, and Shiro was just getting ready to start the perimeter check, which Keith tagged along on. Shiro hadn’t asked him about anything, but he must have been able to tell that everything had worked out because he kept smirking over at Keith every few minutes.

He hadn’t even cared. He was still too caught up in Lance to even think about it.

The guard tower was quiet now. His midday shift had started right at lunch, and Shiro had tossed him a protein bar when he’d gone on shift to hold him over until dinner. The outside perimeter was quiet too. Few walkers stumbled along in the field outside, and Keith wondered if the swiftly approaching cold weather would have any changes to their activity. What would it be like on the road when it got cold again?

Keith hoped he wouldn’t have to find out but—he had a feeling that something wasn’t quite right. If Lotor was already planning on flooding the compound with survivors he found outside and using them as slaves, then this place wouldn’t last very long at all. Lotor’s plan would destroy this place if they didn’t do something to stop him if he really tried anything.

The afternoon passed without any activity. All was quiet on the perimeter, and he didn’t even notice when Curtis was climbing up the tower to replace him on the evening shift.

“Hey, Keith,” Curtis greeted, pulling himself up into the tower.

“Hey,” he passed off the rifle and radio. “All quiet. I haven’t seen anything all day.”

Curtis nodded, “Shiro said for you to meet them for dinner.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“Keith?”

He looked back up from where he had already started down the ladder, “Yeah?”

“I think you’re right about Lotor. His plan is insane, and people will die if we don’t do something to stop it,” Curtis explained.

Keith nodded, “Keep an eye on him. I’ll do the same.”

“Yeah, see you.”

He left Curtis there for his shift and went to find the others.

On his way back up to the building, Keith crossed the grass and waved to Adam, who was checking the guard roster at the front gate. Keith would probably be on morning rotation tomorrow, which was just as well because it would be cold, but hopefully quiet. Adam nodded to him as he passed and went inside the second chain-link fence.

There weren’t many people outside, but Keith guessed it was because it was getting colder. The common room would probably be packed with people, but Keith prayed that Lotor wasn’t there. He wasn’t in the mood to argue anymore; he’d just start a fight, if not do something worse.

He nodded to the soldiers on guard rotation at the doors in the common room, and just like Keith thought, it was more crowded than normal.

Thankfully, when Keith scanned the room, Lotor and his cronies weren’t there. Instead, he found Shiro and Lance sitting at a table in the corner by one of the glass windows. On his way over, he stopped and grabbed his rations, nodding as he passed a few people he recognized and to the others who seemed to know him already.

“Hey, Keith,” Shiro greeted when he walked up to the table.

Lance looked up at him and smiled. His crutches were leaning against the wall near the table, and he patted the open spot next to him.

Keith sat down.

“Hey,” Lance said, still smiling. He reached up to squeeze Keith’s bicep, letting his hand linger there for a long moment. “How was your day?”

“Good,” Keith said, glancing him over. He was still wearing the same sweat and t-shirt with sneakers. Keith thought he looked great. “It was quiet on my shift. What did you do?”

Lance pressed in a little closer to him, enough to where their thighs were brushing on the bench. He said, “I slept for a while longer and then I helped Coran with some inventory. He checked over my leg and said that it looked a lot better.”

Relief washed over him. He nodded and said, “That’s great, Lance.”

“Yeah! Shiro was telling me embarrassing stories about you when you were a kid,” Lance said, winking.

Keith rolled his eyes toward Shiro, “Yeah sure.”

Shiro laughed, “Who relieved you on guard duty?”

“Curtis.”

There was a slight pause and then, “Did he say anything?”

Lance raised his eyebrows at Shiro’s question, and Keith frowned, wondering what he was thinking. Instead of asking, he shook his head and said, “Nothing too important.”

“What does that mean?”

“Why are you asking?”

Suddenly, Lance threw his elbow into Keith’s side. Then, he said, “Leave Shiro alone.”

“Are you kidding me?” Keith laughed, staring at Lance in surprise. Why was Lance defending him? What was even going on here? “He makes fun of me every day!”

Lance rolled his eyes and shoved Keith’s shoulder, but his eyes were bright. He said, “You definitely deserve it.”

Keith scoffed, but before he could argue or bring it back up, Pidge and Allura sat down at their table next to Shiro.

Pidge and Allura filled the table with chatter, and Shiro was finally back to smiling once they were there. Pidge described the work that she and Matt had been doing all day, and Allura and Lance started a conversation too. Keith sat quietly, eating his rations and just listening. It was nice. At the beginning, when he and Lance had just gotten here, he never thought that he would get used to it. He didn’t know that he even had room for more people to care about, but somehow, in the short amount of time that he’d been here, he knew he wouldn’t be able to forget these people. Shiro, Pidge, Allura, Coran, Matt, and even most of the others that he knew, were just so important to them. And this place—Keith hadn’t believed that he would ever find anything like this ever again.

He would do whatever it took to keep it safe, even if it meant destroying Lotor with his bare hands.

“Hey,” Lance said suddenly, breaking him out of his thoughts. His voice was concerned, and Keith realized that everyone was silent. And also staring at him. Lance continued, “You okay?”

Keith nodded, “I’m fine.”

He looked unconvinced, and he gently knocked his shoulder into Keith’s and said, “Stop brooding then.”

Keith breathed a laugh because—fair was fair.

Lance smiled and went back to the conversation.

The rest of dinner was nice. Allura and Lance talked about skin care for a long while, and Shiro finally struck up a conversation with Keith about a mission he wanted to run in a few weeks. Talk of leaving the compound always interested Keith, and by the time they were finished, the sun had already set, and the rest of the common room was almost empty.

“I’m off to get some sleep,” Allura started, standing finally. “Lotor is demanding an early start in the lab tomorrow.”

Pidge groaned, “You need to tell him to fuck off.”

Lance frowned at Pidge and then looked up to Allura, “You need to be careful.”

Keith nodded in agreement.

Allura’s smile was tight, “I can handle Lotor. Goodnight.”

Silence filled the table once she was gone, and Pidge sighed again before excusing herself. She stopped to give Lance a hug, and she punched Keith’s shoulder on her way out.

“Briefing in the morning, Keith,” Shiro said, standing as well. “Adam will probably put you on morning rotation.”

“See you then,” Keith nodded.

“Goodnight, Shiro,” Lance called.

Shiro smiled, “Night, guys.”

Then, suddenly, Keith and Lance were alone in the common room.

It was quiet. The guards that were assigned to the common room throughout the day had already been sent to the barracks for the night. Outside, the evening guard rotation had a few more hours before it would be replaced by the night guard.

Keith was tired but—he wasn’t ready to go back to their room.

“Hey,�� Keith started, “do you have your phone and headphones?”

Lance looked at him weirdly, frowning, “Yeah, why?”

One side of his mouth tipped up into a smile, “You wanna go for a walk outside?”

There was a pause, but Lance looked like he was fighting back a smile. He raised an eyebrow and said, “You know I can’t walk that well, don’t you?”

“Trust me,” Keith replied, standing. He held a hand out to help Lance up. “You in?”

The look Lance gave him was hard to read, but then, Lance smiled and took Keith’s hand.

;;

Outside, it was chilly and dark. The compound had a few lights mounted on the outside walls for the evening shift, but once the night shift took over a few hours before midnight, everything went dark. For now, there was enough light for Keith to see to lead them out to the gravel that led down to the fence.

Lance was on his crutches for now, and Keith tucked his hands into his pockets, strolling alongside him. They were silent as they walked outside, and when they passed the corner of the building, where Kinkade was stationed, he nodded to them.

“Kinkade,” Keith greeted, nodding too. “Everything good?”

“So far, all quiet,” Kinkade replied, then, he nodded to Lance. “Hey, Lance.”

“Hey,” Lance said.

“Kinkade?” Keith asked.

Kinkade nodded again. Keith knew he was a man of few works, which he appreciated.

“Can you watch these for me?” Keith asked again, reaching for Lance’s crutches. Lance handed them over, balancing unsteadily on the gravel, and staring at Keith.

Kinkade took them and leaned them up against the wall, “Yeah sure, Keith. Where are you going?”

“Just around the inside perimeter. We won’t be gone long,” Keith said, stepping toward Lance and turning around. When Lance didn’t move, he looked over his shoulder and said, “Climb on my back.”

“You’re crazy.”

Keith laughed, “You’re the one who said you can’t walk that well. C’mon.”

Finally, Lance sighed and put his arms around Keith’s neck and shoulders, holding on to him. Carefully, trying to avoid hurting his leg, Keith reached down and grabbed him behind his knees, hefting him up onto his back.

“You good?” Keith asked, turning his head to the side so Lance could hear him better even though he couldn’t see his face.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Lance’s voice was weird, and Keith suddenly wondered if he was blushing.

Kinkade laughed, and Keith nodded to him before walking off down the gravel toward the first fence.

The moon was rising, and even though there were a few clouds in the sky, it was fairly clear. The stars were sparkling, and without the light pollution from the city, it was bright and beautiful. The wind was blowing, just enough to ruffle Keith’s hair.

“Where are we going?” Lance breathed a few minutes later.

“Far enough where no one can hear us.”

“Oh?” Lance asked, voice hesitant, breathless.

Keith nodded and kept walking.

A few minutes later, Keith reached the fence. Instead of stopping, he turned and walked down the length of it through the grass until he was in one of the only blind spots on this section of the fence. Kinkade wouldn’t be able to see them from his position at the compound wall, and none of the guard towers had angles on this specific spot.

Shiro had told Keith about the blind spots on the fences one of the first times that they had done perimeter checks, but honestly, he’d known that there had to be places where the guards couldn’t see. This wasn’t the only one, and probably not even the best one, but it was dark, and there was no way that anyone could see them tonight.

Keith slowed and carefully set Lance down. He leaned up against the fence and stepped close to him.

Lance looked around and leaned into him, “It’s quiet out here.”

He nodded, and they fell into silence again.

“Hey,” Keith said suddenly, breaking the silence between them.

“Hey?” Lance answered, voice low.

“Can you do me a favor?”

Lance frowned, confused, “Sure.”

“Stay away from Lotor.”

Lance rolled his eyes, though he didn’t seem annoyed with Keith, which he guessed was good. Then, Lance said, “Duh. He’s an asshole. You’ve heard how he talks to Allura, right?”

“Yeah,” Keith nodded. “I just—don’t want him around you either. If I could tell Allura too, then I would but… not my place, I guess.”

“But you can tell me?”

Uh oh, Keith thought to himself. Something in Lance’s voice had shifted.

“Not implying that I can tell you what to do,” Keith said hurriedly, feeling panicked in his chest. He didn’t want to fight with Lance about this but… he wasn’t going to budge. He didn’t want Lance around Lotor period.

“Then why are you telling me what to do? That’s what this is, right?”

Keith sighed and covered his face with one hand, “I just—I can’t stand it. He’s dangerous, I know he is. He’s cruel and a psychopath and I… I don’t want him near you. You’re perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, and I know it. You’re smart and good with a gun, and you’ve saved my ass plenty of times on the road, so I’m not trying to imply that you’re not.

“Lotor has a plan. He talked about it in the briefing this morning and it just…” Keith trailed off, trying to figure out how to say it.

“What’s he planning?”

“He told us this morning that he wants to take in survivors and use them as slaves,” Keith finally explained. “He said that he’s already been talking to some groups who are doing it outside, and I bet he’s already started it too. Who knows what he’ll try in the future, especially after what happened today in the briefing when Shiro shut down his plan.”

Lance was quiet for a few long seconds, and Keith was honestly afraid of what he was going to say. He hadn’t meant anything by it. He knew that Lance was more than capable of keeping himself safe, but that didn’t mean that Keith wasn’t going to worry about him constantly, especially with Lotor involved.

“Okay,” Lance finally said.

Keith jerked back up to look at him, “Okay?”

“Yeah. I’ll stay away from Lotor, obviously.”

He hesitated, “You will?”

Lance rolled his eyes, and this time, his expression was something that Keith recognized, annoyed with him sure, but fond. It was clear he was fighting back a smile. He said, “Keith, believe it or not, I trust your judgement. I appreciate you reaffirming my amazing survival skills and everything, but I trust you. I know you’re not trying to boss me around. It’s fine.”

Keith let out a rough breath, almost a laugh, “Then why’d you make it sound like it wasn’t?”

Lance grinned then, “I wanted to see if you’d get nervous.”

“Asshole,” Keith laughed, nudging him with his elbow.

There was a short pause and then, “If I’m going to stay away from Lotor, then I want you to.”

Keith nodded, “Fair enough, but I have to be around him in the briefings and if Shiro assigns me to work with him on anything.”

Lance considered it then said, “Okay, but you watch your back with him. If something already went down between you two, then he’s going to be after you.”

“I didn’t say that something went down between us.”

“You didn’t have to,” Lance rolled his eyes, stepping even further into Keith so they were completely pressed up against each other. “I know you. Tell me what happened.”

Keith sighed, “It wasn’t a big deal.”

“Then it’ll be easy to tell me what happened.”

“He just… was talking about his plan, and I called him on his bullshit,” Keith started. He didn’t want to lie, but he didn’t want to have to say what Lotor called Lance. “Axca pulled a gun on me, and then I pulled one on Lotor.”

Lance was quiet for a long second, but his eyes were wide, and his face was almost angry. Then, he said, “And you’re okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I wish I’d pulled the trigger.”

“Me too, honestly. The way he treats Allura is bad enough, but if he’s really planning all of that, then I doubt this will be the end of it.”

Owls hoot in the distance, and the soft sounds made Keith relax a little more. Even if Lotor was planning something terrible for the compound, Lance was safe for now. Everyone was okay today. Keith could worry about the rest of it later.

“So, his plan was what made you pull a gun on him?” Lance asked a few seconds later.

Keith avoided his gaze, “Not really.”

“Then was it something about me?”

“How’d you know?”

Lance snorted, “You have a handful of triggers, Keith. I’m one of them.”

Keith breathed a laugh, “Yeah, you’re right.”

“What did he say?”

He hesitated, “I don’t want to say it.”

“That bad, huh?” Lance rolled his eyes.

Keith shrugged. He could feel himself shaking a little, at the thought of trying to tell Lance what had happened with Lotor in the briefing this morning. He wasn’t sure that he could even make himself say it.

“Please?” Lance asked, setting his fingers on Keith’s jaw and turning his head so their gazes met.

Fuck, Keith thought.

“He called you a whore,” Keith said softly.

Lance blinked, surprise written all over his face. Eventually, he asked, “What?”

Keith nodded, looking away again.

“Oh, wow, okay. That’s not the first time I’ve been called that, Keith,” Lance laughed a little, but it sounded, forced, strained.

Keith snapped his head up. He said, “It doesn’t fucking matter. He shouldn’t—I should have shot him.”

Lance shrugged and moved his hand to Keith’s face and cupped his cheek. His voice was soft and careful when he asked, “Why did it make you so angry if it doesn’t matter?”

“I just—no one should ever talk about you that way.”

Lance’s thumb swept across Keith’s jaw, the motion soft and slow. Then, he said, “Don’t feel like you need to defend my honor. Lotor’s a jackass.”

Keith didn’t know how to reply, especially with the attention that Lance was giving him. It was too intense. All Lance was doing was touching his jaw, but it felt like a million other things all at once. He really needed to pull it together.

Instead of answering, he nodded and reached out to set one of his hands on Lance’s side.

The night was quiet around them. There was an owl in the distance, and the soft rustle of the wind. They were far enough from the outer fence that they couldn’t hear or see any walkers and it was almost like they weren’t in the middle of the apocalypse.

“Do you have your phone?” Keith murmured.

Lance pulled his phone from his pocket and held it out to him.

“Can we listen to something?” he asked, soft.

Lance stared at him for a few seconds and then nodded. He unwound his headphones from around the phone and handed one earbud to Keith before tucking the other one into his ear.

“What do you want to hear?” Lance asked, almost shy. “Fall Out Boy?”

Keith shook his head and let his hand slide down Lance’s side to his hip. His voice was embarrassingly soft when he said, “You can pick.”

Lance blinked at him before looking down to the phone.

A few seconds later, music filtered into his ear through the headphones. It was a slow song, one that Keith didn’t recognize. The singer’s voice was low and steady, and the beat was soft. Keith knew that Lance liked pop music the most, but he hadn’t expected something this slow or soft.

But it was perfect for what Keith had been thinking.

He moved a little closer, bringing his other hand up to Lance’s hip, shifting away from the fence so they were standing face to face. Lance’s eyes were wide, and he was biting his lip, but it looked like he was fighting back a smile.

Keith pulled Lance closer. The song crooned in their ears.

“Is this why we’re out here?” Lance asked, and now, he really was smiling.

Keith shrugged, “Maybe.”

Lance’s arms slipped around his neck, and now, they were pressed together along the length of their bodies.

“I can’t exactly dance with my leg like this,” Lance murmured, raising an eyebrow.

“I can’t dance either,” Keith admitted.

“Then what was your plan when you lured me out here in the dark, Mr. Kogane?”

Keith’s heart leapt in his chest, and he squeezed Lance’s hips in his hands. He said, “Like I told you, to get far enough away so no one would hear us.”

“And then what?”

He paused, “Honestly, I don’t know. I just—I like being here. I’m glad that it’s safe, and we’re not constantly running and everything but…”

Lance seemed serious now, the flirty edge they’d been toeing all but gone. He tipped his head to the side and said, “But what?”

“I miss being with you,” Keith said carefully, the song accentuating his admission. “I miss it being just us. Together.”

“You do?” Lance’s voice shook a little when he asked.

“Yeah, of course,” Keith replied.

Lance didn’t say anything for a long moment, but then, he laid his head down on Keith’s shoulder and swayed to the side along with the music.

“When my leg gets better,” Lance said, basically right into his ear, “I’m going to teach you to dance.”

Keith laughed, soft, and swayed to the music with Lance. The night around them was quiet, the breeze was steady, and Lance was warm in his arms. Keith could add this moment, tonight with Lance, to the best moments of his life. The more time that he spent with Lance, the longer the list got.

“Deal,” Keith murmured.

#rachel and maire write klance #rachel writes klance #rachel writes stuff #klance: more than alive #klance zombie apocalypse au #klance #voltron #let me know what y'all think!!!!

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stardust-and-blades · 5 years

Text

Shatter: part 1

*whispers* I swear I’m writing fluff in my ghost au but at the moment I wanna write a zombie apocalypse scene that I had in my head for my oc’s but was unable to write due to a past friend not willing to write with me anymore so here it is

klance form

Summary: Keith and Lance are set up on a mission to gather supplies within a small town. It was meant to be an easy errand, one they have done before. But the situation turns dire when Keith ends up getting bit and doesn’t tell the team. Nor Lance.

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Keith lied awake in bed, Lance knocked out from the day’s earlier expedition. He is curled up besides Keith, his head resting in the crook of his neck and a hand in Keith’s. He was content. Most likely dreaming about finding his family. Dreaming of a world where the dead stayed dead and you could walk anywhere without the fear of being eaten.

Keith wanted to dream like that. Have his entire mind submerged in fantasy, living in another reality for five minutes instead of the remainder of his life in the absolute shithole humanity managed to dig themselves into.

He wanted to imagine his life extending far beyond a couple of days, looking forward to red and blue tulips and a flowery path leading to a priest, bands of gold embracing his marriage finger.

But no. He does not have eternity. He does not have a year. He does not have 24 hours, because the throbbing in his side reminded him of what is to come. To relive the early days of the zombie infestation, his parents being turned and Keith being forced to kill them.

Is that what awaits him? A cold death. A brutal death. Either one by a bullet to the head or his human will slipping from his fingers, it overwhelmed by the need to feed and the desire to sink his teeth into soft, pulsing flesh.

He didn’t eat, but his stomach churned to expel the nausea.

Keith slowly got up, slipping his arm out of Lance’s grasp. Lance frowned in his sleep, wondering where the warmth of his partner went. To ease him, Keith kissed the top of his head, whispering he needed to use the bathroom. It smoothed out Lance’s features, him mumbling a faint “kay...ove you...” before those beautiful whisps of imagination and ‘what ifs’ ebbed him back into a blessed slumber.

When Keith locked himself in the bathroom, he covered the small window far up above the toilet with its black drapes. He switched on his flashlight and pulled his shirt up, hissing as he prodded on the torn, scabbed skin. Purple veins popped out, the yellow and green of infection coursed its way around the bite, Keith suppressing the urge to claw at it. Make it bleed. Swallowing the wave of chipped nails and chilling, metallic shards. Anything so he could feel human.

If he were bit on the arm or leg, he could have easily chopped it off. Hacked at it away until he was sure he was safe, at ease to lose a limb than the life he grew to value. But no. He went out and got bit on the stomach. There is no amputating that.

To think he made such a rookie mistake.

“Hey Keith, lets check out the building over there!” Lance suggested, nudging him with his elbow. “The market is still a little ways away, and usually swarming with undead. Maybe we can find some nonperishable items in the food bank.”

Keith smiled. “Good idea. Hopefully some bottled water, too. We are running low. And we will need some medication for Shiro’s arm.”

Lance tapped his chin. “Hmm, we can try a couple of houses. Hospitals are hard. And it looks like this place is hanging on by a thread.” Lance glanced around, taking in the rotting wood, overgrown weeds, shattered windows, and lack of humans and zombies. It was a small town, afterall. Unlike the city, the place mirrored the dead in outcome.

“Yeah, I had to save your ass last time we were at a hospital.”

Lance pouted. “Hey, it’s not my fault there was a random torso underneath the desk.”

Still had to save you.”

“Keep talking and I’m chopping off your mullet.”

Keith shrugged and kissed him on the lips, silencing him at least for a good five seconds before his face bloomed with blush and began sputtering. “You--! You can’t keep doing that to win an argument!”

“Why?”

“Because--Because--” He fished for a reason, his hook coming out with very little. “Because you just can’t!”

“Smooth, Lance.”

Lance just shoved his hood over his head and tightened the strings. “You’re insufferable. I hope a zombie eats me.”

Keith went quiet. He almost forgot what they were there for. What world they are in. For a brief second, he felt like he was back in the time Before. When he was just a kid trying to pay off his school loans.

Noticing Keith’s silence, Lance peaked from his hoodie. Keith’s eyes are far away, the shine dimmed and his body tense. He could have been mistaken for a statue.

Lance wrapped his hands around his limp one by his side, the other one holding a prepped knife. “Sorry, poor choice in words. If anything, I won’t be eaten.” Lance said, a feather of good fun disguising his comfort. “I’ll be saving the day. Like always.”

Keith, consumed by the past, snapped out of it and looked back at Lance. He melted, the crease in his brow and the infecting paranoia subsiding. Washed away with Lance’s warmth, leaving the mode of survival and embracing the rush of love through those beautiful aquas.

“Yeah. Like always.”

So they went into the abandoned food bank, drunk on the sparkles and butterflies of those moments.

It was a two leveled house made to look like a business, the main foyer holding aged desks and shattered lamps. They checked for any zombies that could be lurking in nooks, crannies, and closets, taking slow footsteps and weapons drawn. The basement, which was flooded, was left unchecked until Keith flashed his light inside, calling to Lance that he was going to dive in and see if there is anything pidge could tinker with. Maybe find some canned food untouched by the murky waters. No doubt the flooding was caused by a broken, rusty pipe. It wasn’t that deep. Up to his knees. Quiet. harmless.

Or so he thought.

He saw what seemed to be an old package of bottled water, Keith not bothering to double check he was safe. He just went to the water, picking one up when it all went wrong.

It all went terribly wrong.

A hand wrapped around his ankle and pulled, Keith losing his footing and splashing into the dirty water, his nose flooded and throat choking for air. He tried to scream, but all that came out was gurgles and bubbles. Lance probably can’t hear him thrash, his face being shoved further down as he caught sight of decaying teeth and skin. His knife gone. He fought for the surface. Writhed and squirmed for his machete, pure terror coursing through his veins as his eyes landed on the teeth inching towards his stomach.

No, no no no no--

As he got hold of the hilt of his machete, red hot pain flared, Keith letting out a scream as a chunk of him is torn out. He pushed and kicked, refusing to be a meal on the zombie’s menu. He kneed the rotting corpse in the head, it releasing Keith as he gasped for oxygen. But he didn’t stop to fully breathe, for he plunged his blade deep into its head.

His ears were ringing. The water tinged with crimson, his eyes seeing nothing as all he registered was the the fact he got bit.

He got bit.

He didn’t even hear Lance call from him above, Keith’s body moving on its own as he angrily sifted through the water, searching for another corpse to kill. To mangle. To destroy, just like they destroyed his future. It was bad enough he lost friends and family during the breakout. Now...Now he is doomed. Branded. Cursed to become one of them. To bring grief to the smiles he adored.

To hurt Lance, already seeing Lance’s serene blues morph into a drought of disbelief and teardrops.

When Lance found Keith due to him not responding to his calls, he discovered a motionless boy, staring down at the zombie and his machete soaked with blood. The face of the undead is barely recognizable, and Lance wondered what provoked Keith to unleash such brutality.

“Keith?” Lance said again, grabbing him by the shoulders and forcing him to look at Lance. He cupped Keith’s face in his hands, asking desperately for a response. “Keith? Keith, are you hurt? Are you okay? Keith?”

He could only muster a weak hug as Lance held him close, shoving a bloodcurdling scream deep within until he was away from Lance.

He had to tell someone. But who?

There was a light knock on the door, Keith shoving his shirt back down.

“Yeah?”

“Keith?” Shiro called. “You okay? I saw your light earlier.”

No doubt. Keith forgot Shiro was on watch tonight.

Keith opened his mouth to say what he usually says, an old habit he was good at. But he stopped, taking in the memory of earlier that day.

He had to tell someone. He had such a short amount of time left. He didn’t want to end up like one of them. But he also didn’t want to be alone.

He took a breath.

“Actually, can you come in? I need to tell you something.”

By the end, the others remained in blissful ignorance, never hearing the choked sob of the dying boy and the drop of a flashlight, the protective glass shattering into a million pieces.

And as Keith walked up the stairs of his and Lance’s room and Shiro lost the sensation of drowsiness to the plans for the next day, Keith curled in the sheets. He kept Lance close, breathing in his smell of sweat and pine and working to memorize it. To savor the last little bit he had with his love, the tears not stopping until morning broke.

Lance greeted him with a sleepy but soft smile. The sunlight not touching the couple, but might as well have with the radiance seeping from a simple glance. Keith wanted to bottle it up, hold it close to him until his dying breath, refusing to let the rain touch it.

But life had other plans. The rain came early. And Lance was left speechless, worry etched in his tone as he asked Keith what was wrong.

“Nothing,” Keith said, wiping away his tears. “Just a nightmare.”

Lance wiped a drop from his cheek, understanding. “Ah. Do you want to talk about it?”

“No...I...” Keith struggled for words, split between telling him and sealing his mouth shut. He hid his face in the pillow, wanting nothing more but to disappear. “Not yet. It’s still fresh. I just want to stay like this for a little longer.”

“Hunk is going to be serving breakfast in a bit. We should go eat something.” Lance suggested, kind but also knowing the team rarely had meals like this. They scored in finding plenty of supplies for a week in the food bank. Hunk no doubt wanted to celebrate by eating a full meal rather than the beans and canned fruit they had lived on.

Keith circled his arms around Lance’s middle, begging for five more minutes. Five more. That was all he needed to gain his bearings. To put his mask back on. To believe he had years left of life than a measly couple of days. Or was it a day now? He did not care. He wanted to focus on the now.

Lance sighed, but combed his hands through Keith’s nest of hair and kissed the top of his hairline, Keith turning into a puddle by the normalcy. The facade everything would be okay, thought deep down he knew it to be a lie.

He hated lies. But this lie is the only one he can allow.

Soon, fatigue laid their sheets, Keith’s vision becoming scarce as the fingers of his lover whisked away his fears. Cascaded them to the wind, his nightmare temporarily being forced into remission.

If he could choose, he would choose to die like this. Caressed and loved. His heart human and his mind content.

Don’t break the illusion.

Don’t shatter.

#shania writes #klance #keith kogane #lance mcclain #VLD #voltron #klangst #zombie apocalypse au #shatter

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