Ardor | Klance [COMPLETED]

XIV. Battle Symphony

"Hey."

"Hi, Keith."

"Are you.. are you feeling okay? Can I get though something to drink, to eat?"

"No, thanks. I'm just sleepy."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Lance turned over in his bed, pulling the covers over us head. "Thanks."

"Hey, hey, wait." Keith sat in the chair full of cushion that Lance had in his room, across from his bed. "What's wrong?"

"You're not my therapist, Keith. Go away. I'm tired."

"You know that isn't going to work."

Lance muttered something under his breath and turned over to face Keith, eyebrows raised.
"Why do you even care?"

"Because," Keith swallowed. "I care for Voltron, and for the safety of our friends and the universe." He paused. "And you."

Lance grew red and turned flat on his back, hoping Keith couldn't see.
"It's nothing. I'm just tired. Being in a healing pod for three days is a lot of work."

"How? It's like dozing in a magic sleeping bag. I can't picture that being tiring." He chuckled, before crossing his legs in the chair and resting his hands on his knee.
"I'm serious, Lance. Is everything okay?"

Lance groaned. "No, but it's none of your buisness. Get out."
To Lance's surprise (and slight, poking disappointment), Keith lifted himself from out of the chair.
"Fine." He said. "Just.. get some rest, then."

He jumped up to leave, and Lance suddenly decided that maybe talking to Keith wasn't such a bad thing.
"Wait.. okay, fine, we can talk. But only for a little bit."

Keith smiled to himself and turned around, plopping himself back down into the chair.
"What's on your mind?"

"Okay, seriously, when did you get so therapist-y?"

"Is that even a word?"

"Well, if it was, it's what you'd be."

Keith snorted. "Yeah, yeah. For real, Lance."

The quiet laughter died down and Lance swallowed hard. "I don't know.. I've just been exhausted since we got back."

"On the inside or outside, though?"

"A little of both. Most inside, cause, y'know..." he mumbled some incoherent words and closed his eyes.

"Uh.. hello?"

His eyes snapped open. "Sorry.. what was I saying?"

"You.. you were telling me why you're being so strange.'

"I am not strange!"

Keith rolled his eyes, smiling.
"Of course not."

Lance sighed. "The inside. I feel like it's the inside."

"Is it your head?"

"No, it's like..." he tilted his head, thinking. "It's like... I'm just.. tired. I want to put it all to rest, but I know I can't do that. There's been so much that's happened in these past few months for only being seventeen. Hell, we're defenders of the freakin' universe, and we're still kids." He sighed.
"Thanks for not letting me shoot myself." He chuckled. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"Don't thank me, I didn't even protect you." Keith said quietly. "You still shot your arm."

"Are you blaming yourself for me shooting my own arm?"

"Well, when you put it that way it does sound kind of stupid."

"But seriously. Thanks."

"Listen, Lance. I know that the six of us can't make you happy like you were before, or give you false hope that you'll see your family on Earth again. I don't have a family to look foward to, neither does Shiro, and Pidge's family is out in space somewhere. You've got it hard." He paused. "Get up again, Lance. You gotta defeat Zarkon before you're allowed to defeat yourself."

The blue paladin smiled, looking down. "Thanks."

"We can't replace what you've lost... I can't replace what you've lost. But let me try."

Lance went red again and put his hands on the comforter, pulling it over his head.

"There's a meeting tomorrow morning, Lance, in the dining hall. You should come."

"I will."

"Ok, see you tomorrow. Goodnight."

"...'night. Oh, and Keith?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks. Alot."

"Why do you always thank me for random stuff?"

"Get out."

"Fine, fine. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."