Langst One-Shots

Unsteady

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■Contains slight gore■

-Lance's POV-

This had to be a nightmare. There was no way this was happening, no way in quiznak. I took a choppy breath as I tentatively took a step forwards, hands shaking.

"Keith?"

I whispered, eyes glued to the limp body on the floor. There was no response. "M-mullet, this-this isn't funny." I fell to my knees, pulling the body into my lap, eyes widening as the hood slipped down to reveal his face.

Keith's face.

"No." I whispered, chest tightening, heart stopping. "No, no, no, no, no, NO!" I gripped the figure, shaking it, screaming. "WAKE UP!" I sobbed, "Y-YOU WAKE UP! RIGHT NOW!" Tears slipped down my face, splattering soundlessly on the pale skin of Keith, my Keith. I forced myself to my feet, wrapping my arms around myself as I discovered the bodies of my teammates scattered along the walls of the room.

"No."

I cupped my hands over my ears.

"Stop it."

My breathing quickened, the lifeless gazes of my friends staring back at me.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you all to die."

Stupid

Dead

All your fault

Failure

Why

Did

You

Let

Us

Die?

Voices hissed in my head, and I grabbed my hair, stumbling backwards. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I whispered, body quaking.

They were dead. All because of me.
_____________
-Keith's POV-

This was stupid. "Allura, this is a bad idea." I growled, facing the Altean Princess. "Do not worry, Keith, tis a mere fear simulator." She replied cheerfully. "We've all done it before and been perfectly fine, and I assure you, Lance will be no different." I scowled and turned away. "Something does seem off." Pidge sighed, rolling her eyes, "But whatever." "How much longer?" Shiro interjected, gaze sliding to Allura. "Only a few more ticks." She answered, "So right about now." True to her word, the pod cracked open, and Lance stepped out silently.

That was the first indication that something was wrong.

"Lance?" Hunk asked cautiously, noting Lance's shaking figure, "Are you okay?" Lance's blue eyes were wide and shined with unshed tears. His frame quivered violently and his arms were wrapped around his waist.

"I-I'm sorry."

His voice broke, "I-I-" Tears slowly traced patterns on his cheeks as they fell. "Lance?" I asked, eyes widening slightly at the sight. "I-It was an accident, I swear." Lance's eyes were empty. "S-Stop it." He cupped his hands over his ears, "I didn't, I didn't, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Hunk raced over to Lance, his own eyes wet with tears. "Lance?" He reached out, and Lance violently flinched away. Hunk recoiled, and Pidge appeared by his side. "Lance? Snap out of it, what the quiznak is wrong?" Pidge's face was coated in concern. Lance didn't say a word, pushing through Shiro and I and stumbling out of the room.

Silence.

"What was that?" I growled, whirling around to face Allura. She looked pale, and her hands were shaking slightly. "I suppose Lance didn't react well with the simulator." She whispered. "Has he ever been that upset?" Hunk shook his head. "Never that badly, no." Hunk was pale. "Is it possible to see what his fear was?" Shiro asked, eyes glued to the door that Lance had exited.

"No."

Allura whispered, "We can't." I narrowed my eyes before spinning on my heel and racing out of the room, skidding to a halt in front of Lance's room.

"Lance?"

I called, knocking on the door, "It's me. Keith." There was no answer, and I slowly pushed the door open, squinting in the sudden dark. I closed the door, approaching the blurry outline of a bed. "Lance?" I asked softly, "What the quiznak is wrong with you?" Lance was curled in the corner, face in his knees.

"I'm fine."

His voice was shaky. I growled, irritated. "No you're not!" I stalked closer to him, hands balled into fists, "What the hell was so bad that it sent you crying like a baby?" Lance flinched, and I sighed, turning to leave.

"You."

Lance whispered, freezing me in my tracks.

"You-You were so cold."

Lance unfurled slightly, holding his hands over his ears, eyes wide. "You wouldn't wake up. You couldn't wake up, you didn't wake up." My eyes widened as it finally clicked, what he was implying.

"Shot through the chest."

Lance's voice broke dangerously. "Pidge had a dagger through the abdomen. Hunk, H-He-" Lance flinched, "His arm was missing. Shiro, shot three times in the back. Allura and Coran, they-they were in a million pieces, the castle destroyed." I turned to Lance and stared straight ahead, mind empty. Lance looked up at me, smiling as tears fell down his face.

"I killed you all."

He laughed,

"I let you all die."

Lance began to hyperventilate.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

His eyes were glassy,

"I failed you."

I was stuck in place, mind processing this. Lance's biggest fear was failing us?

"Lance," I whispered, stepping towards him, "You didn't fail us." Lance shook his head, smiling.

"I will, I'll fail you all one day. And-And you'll all die."

His face was wet with tears,

"I'm just not good enough."

That snapped me back into reality. I sat down on Lance's bed, pulling him into my arms. Lance's eyes grew wide.

"You're good enough, Lance. You can't let yourself think that you're not. You won't fail us, I promise."

Lance wrapped his arms around me, burying his face in his shoulder. "I hope you're right," He whispered, "Or I'll never be able to live with myself." I ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, Keith." Lance mumbled, "I'm overreacting." I shook my head. "It's okay, Lance." I whispered.

"I'll always be here to help you balance when you're unsteady."