Drowning in Blue (Voltron Fanfiction) (Finished)

Prologue

Lance always allowed his friends to use him as a verbal punching bag, at first it was only Keith. The first it happened Lance thought his heart had been yanked out and ripped to shreds mercilessly, but it was a day or two whenever he apologized, then it happened again.

It hadn't taken long for him to figure out that this would be a normal thing. The only one who didn't use him was Coran, the Space Uncle, and the mice but they really only ever bothered him for food. 

And this was before Shiro pulled the disappearing act. 

After he was gone, Pidge became a non-stop work machine, they never slept, rarely ate, and when They were stuck snapped at everyone. Lance especially since he tried to take care of them. The insults got worse and worse until Lance just stopped speaking to them, never looking at them, or even saying their name unless in a battle. Pidge didn't notice.

Hunk buried himself with work or baking, never having time for much else that a normal human being needed. Lance tried a few time to help him relax it usually only worked during panic attacks or on the easier days. But Hunk to had snapped a few times to many at Lance, whenever Hunk felt he was speaking to much, to loudly, he accused him of not caring, being nothing more than an extra. He of course didn't mean it but Lance eventually stopped speaking to him to. He had stopped eating to stay away, stopped going to him when he was having to much trouble. And Hunk didn't notice, he actually started forgetting to make him a plate for dinner.

Allura pushed them harder, was crueler when pointing out flaws. She grew colder and angrier at Lance when he tried to get her mind off things,  flirting only got short snaps, jokes got him  scolded coldly, mistakes got him singled out, she made him stay later to work, he started staying later as a habit. She growled at him anytime he got near, so he stopped speaking to her. Didn't say anything, stayed away, was never late but didn't stay longer than necessary. She didn't notice, though she did say sometimes that she thought something was missing, but she had to mean Shiro.

Coran worked extra hard when cleaning, spoke louder to fill Lance's sudden silents, he spoke more. Lance stayed around him but even his kind friend didn't stay long. One day was to much for him, he needed a break even if he hadn't thought so, Lance had noticed so he did something about it. Instead he got a short insult as a result, from his Space Uncle. Coran had said with such an icy hiss, "I wouldn't have to clean them so much if you could actually manage to stay out of them." Lance stopped speaking to him after that, avoided the pods and the man, ignored the sad looks the man sent. Coran noticed and tried to come back and apologize but Lance always managed to dance away in a unnoticeable way. Coran slowly stopped noticing.

Keith had trained more, grew less patient, would go to Lance for a fight. Lance didn't stay around him long as Keith spat out all his negatives, everything he tried to keep a secret. He stopped speaking to him, ignored him unless he absolutely needed to be around.

Blue locked him out, shutting him out with ice, he cried to her, begged her to let him in. She refused, Allura was let in. Lance didn't miss the cruel happy look he was sent. He went to Red, she was nice, not like Blue was and not talkative but it fit him now, he never spoke anymore. Ignored his teammates like the plague, started forgetting how to react to them when they managed to insult him. Red's anger soon fusing with his own that he kept locked away, never letting out of it's ever growing cage.  But she stayed, and noticed everything.

Then Shiro returned, he noticed Lance's muteness, the way he avoided everyone. Everyone was slowly going to their original positions, or trying to. Red refused Keith, much to his anger, which turned on Lance. 

And Lance, he noticed Shiro wasn't himself, he wasn't. He spoke up after so long, and how everyone was angry, except Shiro, who just had a cold expression of secrecy.

He kept his mouth shut again once Keith shut down all of his facts, Pidge seemed to process them but didn't say anything. Then he overheard them.

"We can't keep him around. He isn't to be trusted." Shiro said sternly, well Fake-Shiro. Lance pressed himself closer to the wall worriedly. Was it worry? Panic? Anger? No. He new anger made him feel as if his body was over-heating and this was like someone hand twisted his insides, so not anger.

"I know, but the Red Lion won't accept anyone else, she had grown attached." Allura's stern voice responded, disappointment(?) filling it in. A hum of agreement came from Pidge.

"If he leaves she will have to choose someone else though, I think she may even take Keith back if she must." Pidge said, Lance could imagine his friend pushing their glasses up. After they had found Matt her opinions were more open, they held themself at a more self-absorbed manner.

"Yes, but how will he leave, we hardly ever see him." Allura pointed out, a shuffling sound alerted Lance that she had crossed her arms. Silently Lance went to a escape pod, setting the destination to Matt, a good friend now who he still spoke to when he was alone; Matt knew everything that was happening. He quickly went to his room, grabbed his important things, leaving his armor and bayard as well as a farewell note to each of them. He said goodbye to Red who surprisingly cried into their connection but accepted his choice, he sent a goodbye to Blue getting no surprise. Then he left into the emptiness of space.

The betrayal from his friends, the people he considered family, the way he started to hate them with everything he was,(minus the Lions because he loves them deeply, even Blue despite her shutting him out.)

But....

That was four years ago.