The Loud and the Alone

Chapter 9

As soon as he saw,  Shiro turned around,  pushing Keith to turn around and leave.  But Keith wasn't going that easily.  He fought back against Shiro's hold and when he couldn't break free,  he bit the man's flesh and blood arm.  Shiro yelped in surprise and let go,  shielding himself from any other teeth coming his way.

Keith immediately made his way to the door,  freezing I  his tracks when he witnessed the scene.

He saw his boyfriend,  injured, broken,  battered,  and bleeding,  the only protection from his foes being his lion's particle barrier.  The boy was unconscious,  bleeding from the shoulder,  thigh,  and lower stomach,  his face pale and breathing hitched.

Oh and when Keith saw this,  an indescribable rage blossomed in his chest and distorted his features. He grabbed his bayard,  though he was free of any armor,  and rushed in without thinking.

The aliens were relativity small,  though not too much shorter than Keith.  They had small horns sticking out of their heads, deep yellow eyes and pink skin.  Their armor was made of some sort of alien mineral and the weapons were incredibly advanced.

But Keith didn't care,  no.  He was going to slice down each creature,  one by one until they were all dead.  For the sake of his beloved Lance.

They hurt Lance,  the only person who loved him.  The made Lance bleed,  the one who's smile could light any room.  Lance,  the one who he adored since the Galaxy Garrison. Lance,  the one who loved him, no matter what happened.  Lance,  the sweet,  precious, beautiful,  insecure,  perfect Lance.

And Keith did what he intended,  he killed every single alien in the room,  and no one dared to stop him.

And what did Keith so when he was done?  He knelt over Lance and cried.  He sobbed and sobbed and sobbed until he couldn't breathe.

At one point the others had made their ways over to him,  trying their best to comfort the red paladin,  but they're voices and soft touches didn't even register in his mind.

The only thing going through his head was Lance. He thought about how Lance didn't deserve this,  how he should be the one getting beaten,  not him.

After a few minutes, Shiro's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Keith, we gotta put him in a healing pod," he said,  voice solemn. Keith didn't even attempt to respond.  He just stood up and started making his way to the pods, his beaten boyfriend laying heavily in his arms.

••••••●•••••●••••••

Keith didn't utter a single word to anyone. He just stood in front of Lance's floating body, thinking, Why wasn't I there for him?

Thoughts like that invaded his mind, he was blaming himself for everything.  He thought it was his fault.  In reality,  it wasn't anyone's. Nobody could've known.

But Keith continued blaming himself,  thinking he could've done more.

That night,  he fell asleep, in a ball in front of Lance's healing pod, tears streaming down his pale face.