Langst: One Shots

The Universe Is A Pretty Big Place.

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Upon starting this hell of a life, Lance had only known Keith for a few days. Wasn't even close to him, Keith barely (truly) knew him.

Lance had his own issues to deal with as they started that life in space, as he became the blue paladin, and as he defended the universe alongside the team.

Who wouldn't?

Even Superman had to start at the bottom, had to get through some rough patches.

It may not sound literal in the sense, then again what was, but if this job taught him anything it was that everyone had problems.

Aliens.

Enemies.

Mice.

Everyone, it was a simple fact.

And when you think of it hard, in the terms of the universe, your problems seem so much smaller than what everyone in the universe is facing.

People are so.incredibly small in the grand scheme of things that sometimes they don't feel their problems are truly significant.

That THEY aren't significant.

Lance felt this way, like the seventh wheel, the one who couldn't get over it. It was a horrible feeling that would start in his mind and then to his stomach, then his hands, before reaching his eyes.

Sometimes it would completely take over and Lance wouldn't know how to react, it would all blow up on him.

It was a similar blow up as the one he defended Coran from, except internal.

So very internal, which was another problem.

Lance couldn't voice his problems, and when he did he played it off as jokes or humorous reassurance.  Usually that soothed everyone from asking.

Except Keith.

Keith would always ask.

Lance had been aware that they both hated each other and we're not on good terms. These kind moments from Keith were supposed to just be a human interaction in which one needs comfort.

Nothing more.

But Lance couldn't help but believe that maybe Keith genuinely cared, maybe even truly noticed his struggle that only got worse every day.

So Lance went to him with his problems​, for he was the only one who would listen to him.

The others couldn't be blamed, really.

Everyone was so busy facing their own struggles and the struggles of the rest of the universe. Lance understood that completely.

It didn't make anything much easier though, and he hated to admit that. It made him feel selfish.

He probably was.

But wouldn't you, if you had someone who was willing to listen, confide in them because there was no one.else you believed would?

In the whole universe?

Lance just had to look at him, near tears, and Keith would grab his arm and they'd sit in the halls and would talk. Just talk.

Now, don't start getting the wrong thing. The blue Paladin didn't go to the red every time the chemicals in his head got a little more unbalanced than usual.

He didn't go to Keith until it was really bad.

Pulling his hair, trembling, near sobs bad.

Which is why Keith obliged, because as a human being the red Paladin could not watch another break.

It had been a particularly​troublesome week for everyone then. Allura had been taken prisoner by the Galra on a trip with Shiro.

They had to get her, they had to protect the universe and themselves. They couldn't wormhole.

With everyone so uneasy and snappy, it would be clear that problems would grow.

And frankly, Keith didn't want to deal with it on top of all the stress. His in, the others, all of it.

He'd already dealt with Lance a few times since the Princess was taken, but he hadn't listened like he usually did.

Lance noticed that the first day, and assumed he was just tired so he let it by. And then it kept happening, and Lance wasn't being listened to.

Keith didn't hear how Lance told him his problem was that the blue paladin was scared he was losing Keith.

They were friends.

Lance couldn't risk Keith leaving that, becoming what they were before after everything.

It was a night where Lance had been woken up after a nightmare. A nightmare with Keith.

As Lance described it to the other, nearly 4:30 in the morning, it shook him harder than the initial feeling when he woke up.

Keith had shut him in the airlock, just stared at him, and told him he wasn't​going to listen to him anymore.

That there were already enough problems in this universe that he should just become apart of it, cause he was such a problem.

And then the red Paladin had opened it, ignoring Lance's screams and cries, casting the boy out into nothingness.

Recalling the dream made it hard to breathe, remembering the anxiety and how Lance couldn't breathe. He sobbed. Lance held his head in his hands.

But Keith had had enough.

He blew up on the other.

Keith yelled at Lance and told him his issues were old, that it was always the same thing.

He yelled about how he was done babying Lance and that the other should grow up.

Keith made fun of his tears, and told him to screw off. He'd left Lance sitting there in the hallway.

He didn't know.

As he walked away from Lance, the mullet haired boy didn't know what he was doing.

What was happening to Lance.

The blue Paladin passed out minutes later after a panic attack, would be found by Shiro in the morning.

Keith would never know that he made Lance's horrible thoughts a reality and tarnished their relationship for years to come.

Lance couldn't hold grudges, but he could be broken. Just as every human could be.

Keith broke him.