Accidental Intentions

17 • Concern

Keith couldn't believe his ears.

Pidge unsuccessfully tried to hold in a laugh with a snort.

"Did he just say what I thought he said?" Hunk asked the question everyone was thinking.

"He's got a severe concussion, Hunk. He's not himself," Shiro dismissed.

Yeah, but... Keith couldn't help but wonder. Not that he didn't think Shiro was sexy in every possible way, but he wondered at Lance because as far as he knew the Blue Paladin was as straight as they come. But then he remembered the strange conversation he had with Lance earlier.
What was that all about? Does he know? But...how? Keith knew that paladins weren't supposed to keep secrets from each other, but this was different. It had to be kept secret. No matter what. Something in him was broken, wrong. Nobody could know. And he tried so hard to hide it. So how come Lance — Lance! — had figured it out? The guy was a fucking idiot. And if the dunce knew, so did everyone else.

Great. Fucking great.

How long have they known? How long had they been silently judging him, and why had no one brought it up yet? No. It was impossible. If Lance knew, he would tease him mercilessly. So then...what was with the strange question Lance had asked?

Keith hadn't noticed that Shiro had stopped walking as he crashed into him. Or rather, he crashed into Lance.

"Here, hold him for a tic," Shiro shrugged the boy off when he spotted a distressed-looking Altean princess struggling to pry open a sewing kit. Keith caught him by his arms.

Lance rolled his head back on Keith's chest and smiled up at him.

It was definitely not cute. Not even a little bit. This was the guy who had brought only trouble into his life since the moment he met him. This was the guy who had just seen him naked and vomited all over him. So why, right now was he so damn adorable?

Hunk nudged him out of his thoughts. It was then he realized that Shiro had been calling him to bring Lance. Embarrassed, Keith hurried to comply. Lance was heavy, but all those hours spent training weren't for nothing. He hoisted him up and carried him up the steps, where Shiro shot him a concerned look before turning back to the controls.

"We need to stitch that up so it doesn't scar," Allura said as she threaded the needle.

"What about pain relievers?" Shiro asked, alarmed.

She waved him off with a flutter of her hand. "No time. Keith, turn him over, and try to keep him from moving."

Keith did as he was told, turning the limp body around and holding Lance's head still. Lance had his eyes closed, a little bit of drool trickling out of the corner of his mouth. I know he's not supposed to sleep, but he can sleep through this, Keith thought as Allura dived for the wound with a scary look in her eye.

"Is that really necessary?" Pidge asked. "It's not like anyone would see it if it does scar."

"He'll thank me in 200 years when he looses his hair," Allura insisted as she bent over the wound. Lance, thankfully, was dead to the world.

"Um, I don't think he'll live that long," Hunk replied.

"Of course he will! He is the example of good health," the princess declared in such a way that it had to be so.

"What Hunk means is that we humans don't live that long," Shiro dared contradict her, albeit in an apologetic tone.

"Really? What is your life expectancy, 150?"

"Eighties averaging , if you're fortunate to live in a first world country," Pidge corrected.

"First wor—? Wait, eighties? That is so short!" Allura exclaimed before tearing up. "All you young little things will be gone long before I will."
Keith didn't know what to say to that.

"You can put him in now," Allura instructed as she dejectedly snipped the threads.

After gently placing the Blue Paladin into the tank, Keith took a step back as the door slid closed. In attempt to repair anything wrong with his brain, it was decided that they'd leave him there overnight, though it was questionable if it would actually help anything.

One by one, the others disappeared into their rooms for the night. Soon, it was just Keith and Shiro.

The Black Paladin approached and placed his human hand on Keith's shoulder.

"He'll be okay, right?"

"Time will tell. But you know Lance, he always bounces back," Shiro assured him. "I'll stay with him. You can go clean up now. You've done enough," he said kindly.

Keith shook his head. "No, it was my fault. I-I pushed him. We were fighting, and I pushed him over, and he hit his head. I want to stay."

Shiro smiled. "I'm sure Lance knows it was an accident."

"Still, I want to."

"Okay," Shiro conceded. "Wake him every two hours and ask him some questions. If he gets worse, come get me."

As Shiro left, Keith looked up at Lance, wondering if the Blue Paladin had any secrets of his own.