We're Going Home

19

"So what exactly are we supposed to do with this information?" Lance asked after letting everything settle.

"No idea. Wanna grab some food?" Hunk suggested. He'd spent the greater part of the last few days doing this. He'd been trying to prove to himself that it wasn't Shiro himself who'd done those things. Even if it was, which it wasn't, food sounded particularly nice at this moment.

Lance shrugged. "We should grab Keith some, he's been having a hard time getting around lately. I ordered him to a week's bedrest. He's going nuts because of it."

"Speaking of Keith." Hunk nudged him slightly with a grin spread across his face.

"Yep, we're speaking of Keith," Lance said, trying to ignore what Hunk was insinuating.

"You can not tell me nothing happened in that hospital or whatever." Hunk nudged him again,  a knowing glimmer in his eyes.

Lance stared at the wall as images flashed before his eyes. Black, black, black. Then dancing, and Keith in his arms. Keith kissing every ache away. "Nothing happened at the asylum." He didn't look at Hunk.

"Are you okay?" Hunk prodded. Lance seemed on edge like he might just shatter.

"He doesn't remember, okay?!" He yelled, tears streaming down his face. "He doesn't remember! It wasn't real! It doesn't matter! Every quiznaking kiss! Every purple bloom on my neck and jawline! The moment we got out it was never real. And Keith didn't want it to be."

Keith heard the yelling from in his room. He felt like absolute shit, he wanted to tell him... something. Something that could mend him. Something that could pick up his shattered pieces and piece him together as if he'd never been broken.

But ever since that place, Lance had been tearing at the seams. Darkness crept through the cracks of his smile.

Keith stood up pacing in his room. He was nervous, should he go out there?

Hunk pulled Lance into one of his specialty hugs. Lance stood there stiffly staring at nothing before finally collapsing into his embrace.

Keith hesitated at the door then shook his head and walked away. He sat down on his bed. He didn't remember, why couldn't he remember?

Lance's heart slowly stopped racing as reality fell back into place. He was here. He was here and Hunk was holding him. These tears were real, the ground was real. He wasn't in the room. He was right here.

Everything seemed to happen slowly. First, Hunk dropped his embrace. He slowly pulled away and smiled before saying something about having to go that Lance couldn't make out. Then Keith was there with a lopsided grin. Lance saw him move his mouth but didn't hear any words, like they were both in water. Lance shook his head. All he could hear was blood rushing in his ears. Keith waved a hand in front of his face.

Lance shook his head again and blinked, then everything snapped back to normal. "Dude, are you good? You weren't even on the same dimension there for a moment."

"A side effect." He waved his hand in a don't-worry-about-it manor and pasted a grin on his face.

"Side effect... of what?" Keith's eyes were filled with worry now, he searched Lance's face.