I need you //klance

Part twenty three

(This is at the end of season 2)

After the battle, they all landed in their hangars, aside from Keith, who carried black into its own hangar.
Rushing out of their lions, they raced to the black lion. An unsettling feeling resting in their stomachs.
Slavs words from during the battle rang eerily through Lance's mind, "Now, there's no reality where we all get out alive!"

Lance had tried to brush it off but Shiro hadn't been responding and Voltron shouldn't have just come apart like that.

Black allowed them in and the four younger paladins sprung into the cockpit.

It was empty.

Shiro was gone.

Lance's mind went blank. He didn't know how long they stood their but it was long enough for Allura and Coran to burst in, celebrating.
Their happy expressions dropped when they saw them.
Pidge was huddled close to Hunk, both sobbing, Lance stood away to one side, silent tears spilling down his now pale face.

But Keith was the worst. 

He was openly sobbing, hugging himself in an attempt to ground himself, mumbling incoherent pleas.

Coran and Allura respectfully kept their distance, neither of them wanting to say anything, afraid that bringing attention to it would make it so much more real.

Lance was the first to come to his senses.

He drew in a shaky breath and led Allura, Coran, Pidge and Hunk all outside the lion.
In a calm, quiet voice he started talking to the others.
He asked Hunk and Coran to make everyone some food while Pidge and Allura looked for any answers.

They all silently agreed. Hunk and Coran heading off to the kitchen, quietly trying to comfort each other.
Pidge left for greens hangar, planning to talk to Green to try and find out what was happening.
Allura made her way back to the bridge to tell Kolivan and Slav what had happened and to try and search for Shiro's energy signature.

Lance turned back to the Black lion. He knew Keith would try to distance himself from everyone else but neither if them really wanted him to be alone at the moment.

Back in the lion, Keith was now curled up in the floor. His helmet discarded on the floor at the other side of the cockpit.
He was bawling his eyes out and clawing at his hair.
Lance quietly sat down beside him and pulled him into a hug.
Keith shook against him not even trying to hide his tears anymore.
Lance rubbed his back and carded his other hand through his soft hair.

Keith melted into the hug and wrapped his arms around Lance, clutching at his back.
Lance had taken his upper armor off before he came in to comfort Keith and grabbed Keith's jacket from Red's hangar.

Still stroking Keith's hair with one hand, he began to difficult task of helping Keith out of his armor. Halfway through, Keith seemed to realize what he was doing and got the rest off him.

Reaching behind him, the Cuban grabbed his friends jacket and pulled it on him.

Keith was just sniffling now but didn't show any signs of wanting to let go of Lance and, although he didn't say anything about it, Lance was glad. He needed some comfort as well right now.