Our Beating Hearts //KLANCE// Zombie AU

Together

The prison courtyard is the one and only escape for Lance. He can close his eyes and bask in the warm glow of the sunshine, with sounds of his sisters and friends laughing and playing filling his ears. He lays against the overgrown grass, letting the breeze brush the tip of his nose and tickle his eyelids.It's the closest thing to normal that he has in this decaying world, and it almost makes him forget the lingering pain still in his cheek.

"Oomph!" Lance is quickly awakened from his peace with a great pressure on top of his chest. He peels his eyes open and finds a similar pair of ocean blue staring back at him. He chuckles, "Hello little Sophia." The tiny girl sitting above him flashed a large grin and giggled, her dark and curly pigtails bouncing at the motion. Little Sophia, the youngest of Lance's sisters, and the light of his life. It filled him with an incredible sadness knowing that she was being forced to grow up in a world so treacherous. And yet despite the constant danger and the absence of her parents, here she was, smiling and playing just like any other eight year old. 

"Lancey, what happened to your face?" She reached out to brush her fingers along Lance's bruised cheek in concern and curiosity. Lance gently took a hold of her small hand and held it against his face, smiling sadly. 

"It's alright Sofia, I just had a little fight with Lotor." At the mention of his name the young girl scrunched her face up in disgust. 

"I don't like him." She stated confidently as she moved to lay flat against Lance's chest. She enjoyed laying like this, mainly with her brother, where she can hear his heartbeat. Lance raised an eyebrow; sure Lotor was cruel to him, but he puts on an excellent show of being a good leader to the rest of the group. He used his free hand to play with the soft curls in Sophia's pigtails, twirling them around his long fingers.

"Why's that?" He whispered. Lance could feel her tiny hands curl tightly into his shirt, and her frown only grew deeper. 

"He has mean eyes." She replied quietly. Lance didn't try to correct her, or suggest she give him another chance. He knew he couldn't, after all he agreed with her. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes once more. The blackness behind his closed lids were soon replaced with familiar images; the please for help, the eyes filled with fear, the horrible feeling of being so completely useless while those you love are suffering. He turned his head to the side and rests his cheek against the warm earth, blades of grass folding beneath his weight. His eyebrows crease in frustration as he recalls his final few moments in the comfortable world he once new. Before his family was taken from him, before he had to fight for his survival, before he had become Lotor's play-thing.

A flash of movement awoke him from his thoughts and his eyes focused onto the approaching figure. Narti walked slowly with her cat beside her, it's tail wrapped protectively around her leg as it guided her. Lance carefully sat up while holding a sleepy Sophia as Narti stopped before him. Narti's cat separated itself from her and brushed affectionately against Sophia's little body, awakening her and causing her to wriggle from Lance's grip and excitedly chase after the creature. 

"Is everything OK Narti?" She was quiet for a moment, her eyes staring ahead despite not really seeing anything. She took a cautious step forward so that she could feel Lance's breath against her cheek. She quickly whispered something into his ear before turning away, her cat soon joining her by her side. As Narti walked away her words echoed through Lance's mind as if she had yelled them to his face. He stood in silent shock, a tsunami of emotions trying to overtake his insides. He felt hurt, he felt guilty. It's happening again, and it's all his fault.

"Keith is hurt. Lotor beat him."

Adrenaline surged through Lance's body as he sprinted across the courtyard and back into the prison, his fear surging him forward towards the cells. No one was standing guard, so he didn't stop. He threw the door open and crashed his way inside, frantically making his way to Keith's cell. He came to an abrupt stop when his eyes landed on the bloodied and bruised boy that lay limp inside of his cage. His once light and pale skin was now littered in large purple-black bruises that covered his back and sides like a second skin. Lance wasted no time grabbing a first aid kit and unlocking the cell door. He rushed to Keith's side and dropped to his knees, holding his hand just below Keith's nose, and sighing in relief when he felt a sliver of warm breath coming from the boy.