Prompts: Emotional Angst/Giving Permission to Die/ "It's not your fault."
"Hey."
As broken as the connection was with static, despite how different he sounded from his usual cheerful self, Keith would know that voice anywhere.
"Lance!" he responded urgently. " Where are you? Are you alright? Who else is with you?"
The line was quiet for a moment before Lance answered quietly, "I don't know. Somewhere cold."
Keith waited a moment to see if he would answer the other questions. But Lance was mum on that front. At least he sounded like he was in the same general area, it was cold as fuck here.
"What do you see?" Keith asked, not that he had anymore sense of direction since he had pulled himself up and started walking. It was getting lighter; the day cycle should be starting soon. Maybe he'd be able to see a little bit farther then.
"There's not much here," Lance admitted. "Just snow."
Great. They were no closer to finding each other. But at least Keith wasn't the only one who had survived.
"Hey Keith?"
"Hm?"
"I'm hurt."
Keith pressed his palm a little harder where he had been holding it at his side. The bleeding had slowed, but it was still leaking out between his fingers. "How bad?"
"Real bad."
Shit.
"Don't move, I'll come find you."
"How?"
"I don't know! I just will!" Keith picked up his pace. For all he knew he was traveling farther away from Lance, but he didn't have much choice. He couldn't stay there.
Lance didn't respond and the line was quiet. It was getting even lighter now. Keith could indeed see farther now. He paused and spun in a circle, scanning the horizon. Nothing.
"Who else?" Lance asked, the rest of his question left unsaid.
Keith gritted his teeth. "So far, just you."
He tried not to think about it. About what had happened to the others. He couldn't. Right now he just had to focus on finding Lance.
"Hey, if I don't--"
"No," Keith cut him off. "I'm going to find you. We're getting out of here."
Lance took his time responding, causing Keith's heart to drop. When he did speak, he sounded unsure, his voice trembling. "I've been hurt before. But not like this."
Dammit!
Keith dropped to his knees, his own legs shaking from exertion. He muted his mic and cried out in frustration. He took a few deep breaths while trying to hold back tears.
"I don't want to die alone." Lance could be insecure and vulnerable, but Keith had never heard him sound so broken, so terribly scared.
"You're not alone. I'm here," Keith was back on his feet. He swayed a bit, unused to the low gravity. But he would be damned if he didn't at least try to get to Lance's side before he drew his last breath.
"Thanks, mullet." Lance attempted to laugh. It sounded wet and ended in coughing. "Ah, this is not how I wanted it to be, you know?"
"It's not your fault."
"I know. I just tried to do the right thing and look where that got me," Lance took what sounded like a painful breath. "Funny how that works."
"You've changed so many lives for the better. You've helped free planets -- systems. You've done so much good."
"If you get out of this, can you get a message to my family?"
Keith had to mute his mic again.
"Tell them...not a day went by when I didn't think about them."
"Yeah," Keith had to choke back a sob.
Lance wasn't very chatty after that. Keith would check in every now and again, to make sure he was still there, and Lance would respond, weaker each time. Until finally:
"It was great knowing you, partner."
"Lance?"
"Lance!"
"LANCE!!!"
