Blue/Broken

I'm Okay

"How could you let this happen? Shiro    is out there, probably dying, and you have the nerve to mess up like this?" No one had ever seen Keith so angry before. Sure, he was hurting, but what Lance had done actually wasn't all that bad. Everyone was safe, he hadn't put anyone in danger. Of course, he could have been a bit more careful before they decided to wormhole away from the Galra ships. In an effort to have the last word, Lance decided to taunt a random ship that they had yet to take down, and it followed them through the wormhole. Luckily, it was small enough that it could easily be taken down inside the wormhole. Still, Keith was fuming. "You're such a mess Lance." They were in the training area, and Lance was enduring everything Keith said with empty eyes.
"Keith, I-"
"Shut up Lance! Don't you get it? You're only here because there's no one hear to pilot that damn blue lion, and you're all that was given to us." Keith let out a heavy breath, then took a step back when he realized Lance's face had suddenly gone from emotionless to very, very, broken.
Funny.
Lance had heard the same thing at the Garrison.
"That's enough, Keith." Hunk suddenly cut in, his voice lacking it's usual happy tone, instead stern and heavy. He stepped closer to them, and Keith had a chance to see everyone's reactions.
Hunk, of course, was infuriated, but kept himself cool.
Pidge's mouth hung open a bit, as if she wasn't sure she heard everything right.
Allura seemed unsure of who's side to take.
Coran looked about ready to punch Keith twice.
And Lance,
Oh, Lance.
He looked as if someone had kicked him right smack in the chest. He couldn't really hear anything other than his own breathing in his ears.
If face was a bit pale, and his eyes were hopelessly scanning the room for something, but his eyes wouldn't decide exactly what.
Muffled, Lance almost heard Hunk saying that what Keith said was out of line.
"It's fine, Hunk. He's right." Lance said, almost on auto-pilot. Everyone suddenly deadpanned to Lance. "I'll be going." With that, the blue paladin walked silently to his room, heart heavy.

"Pidge, you better fucking hold me back or I swear-" Hunk almost never cussed, so Pidge didn't hesitate to grab Hunk's arm tightly. Keith looked absolutely stunned.
"Wow, Keith, way to go." Pidge said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"How could you? How could you? Don't you know what he's been through? At all?" Hunk said through gritted teeth.
"N-no, I-" Keith started.
"You better have a great explanation for what you just did to that boy." Coran said, eyes filled with shame.
"He...he messed up! I was just-"
"You just don't get it do you? Hunk cut in. "You know he had to hear those exact words at the Garrison? You know he had to hear those kinds of things from his dead-beat father, and had to protect all his siblings from it?"
"Hunk, I didn't-"
"Oh, and, you want to know that worst part? You want to know who he was compared to every goddamn day?" Keith almost shook his head no.
"You."
Keith's world completely change.
It made so much since.
The rivalry.
The little comments Lance made about himself.
Hunk's projection over him.
It was Lance's insecurities.
"Oh, Hunk, we didn't know..." Allura said, breaking the silence.
"No, you didn't, you didn't care to."
Pidge loosened her grip on Hunk and the two walked out, probably to find Lance.
But Keith was going to get there first.
Sprinting as fast as he thought he could, he passed Hunk and Pidge, ignoring their protests. Keith gingerly opened the door, walked in silently, and shut the door behind him. Lance sat on his bed, not facing Keith. All that could be heard was Lance's staggered breathing and his mumbled words.
"I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay."
Lance seemed to almost rock with each word.
"Lance?"
"I'm okay."
"I need to apologize."
"I'm okay."
"No, you're not. I hurt you."
"I'm okay!"
Lance was lying to himself.
"Oh, Lance. I'm so sorry!" Keith sat next to Lance, putting his hand on his back.
Lance finally turned around, and Keith almost cried out when he saw Lance's face.
His cheeks were flushed, and tears slide down them constantly.
But he smiled.
A creepy, twisted, hurt, smile.
His eyes stabbed Keith's heart.
They had lost their shine. They were bloodshot.
And full of defeat.
And from that day forward,
Lance only spoke when spoken to.
And if anyone asked, he'd respond the same way.
"I'm okay."