Accidental Intentions

28 • Stranded

Lance would forever be disappointed that he missed the fall.

While his shirt was obscuring his face as he pulled it off he heard a thud. Popping his head out, the shirt still wrapped around his arms. He looked up at Keith for explanation, only Keith was not there. The Red Paladin had, in fact, fallen to the floor where he simmered in a steaming mess.

"Okay there, buddy?" Lance asked. When he had slipped from Keith's grasp the landing hadn't been much fun and he wasn't even at the top yet. Also Keith was shorter so didn't that make the fall bigger?

Idk, Lance thought in acronyms.

Keith groaned and turned away.

"That bad, huh?" Lance used his shirt now bundled to wipe the sweat off his palms. He gripped the ledge and prepared to launch himself over the wall.

"No! Don't come over!" Keith pleaded.

"Why no— ow!" Lance started to ask but when he stopped his ascent halfway he felt something give in his shoulder. A burning sensation followed by a knotting one.

"Just...give me a minute!" Keith moaned.

"What happened anyway?"

"I fell, duh."

"But how?"

Keith didn't answer.

"Are you tired? Do you need a rest?" Lance teased, pushing his face against the wall as he made faces at Keith's back.

"I'm fine! Leave me alone!" Keith whirled around and oh boy he was so flushed that Lance could practically see the smoke pouring out of his ears. Lance didn't see what he had done to upset Keith that badly, but the way Keith looked at him made sure that he was the root cause.

Lance stared back wide-eyed and eventually the anger in Keith's eyes melted into something else that Lance couldn't place.

"I'm sorry," Keith apologized. He turned his back to Lance and leaned against the wall. "This whole thing has got me confused and angry and I'm acting out."

Lance couldn't believe it. Was Keith admitting that he was wrong? He was overcome with an urge to tease him, but something told him not to push his luck. Not this time. Keith might realize he was acting irrationally, but that wouldn't stop him from lashing out.

Lance wiped his forehead with his blue shirt before draping it over his shoulder. He mirrored Keith, sitting and turning his back to him and leaning up against the invisible wall. To someone passing by, it might look as if the boys were leaning against each other.

After a moment of silence Lance asked as gently as he could, "Are you okay?"

The truth was, even Lance wasn't sure if he himself was okay. Yeah he could act like he could brush off anything, but the truth was he would hang on to things much longer.

"Yes."

Lance should have known better than to ask.

"...Actually, no. I'm not. I'm confused. I don't know what happened. I mean, I know what happened but I don't know why. I want to be mad at you but I'm not even sure it was your fault. Maybe it was me. I don't know. And I hate that I don't know and in the meantime I've been acting like I hate you. And I don't hate you. Not really. You're annoying as fuck but I don't hate you. I just need some time away from you. But you're always. Fucking. There."

Lance sighed. It was rare that Keith would open up to what he was feeling, but it was all too familiar. "Yeah. Spaceship the size of castle is only so big," then more quietly, "I don't know if was me either."

"I wish it was me though," Keith said so softy Lance was almost positive he had misheard. "That way you could just hate me and be done with it. All this stuff in my head would stop."

"I wouldn't hate you," Lance said just as quietly. He didn't understand what Keith was trying to say. If anything, Lance expected Keith to be hating on him. Why would Keith prefer to be hated, especially went his trademark seemed to be hating everything. Keith was a hater, for no reason except that he enjoyed it. At least it seemed that way to Lance.

After a long silence — not an awkward silence, but far from a comfortable one — Keith shifted.

"Okay, we should get outta here. You can come over now."

Lance didn't move. "Hmm," he hummed. "That might be a problem."
"What do you mean?"

"I kinda pulled my shoulder. I don't think I can get over the wall with one arm," Lance turned and watched as the realization sink into Keith's face.

Keith needed Lance to reach the wall's top. And there was no way Lance would be able to pull himself up with his injured shoulder without Keith's strength. A wall separating them from the help they needed to escape.

They were stuck.