The Real Enemy [Klance]

Chapter 24

Keith was woken up by a gentle shaking of his shoulder. He didn't want to open his eyes, afraid to wake up from his dream of finally being safe and warm in Lance's arms.

He didn't want to go back to Haggar's torture.

She had sent a ship to the false coordinates that he had given and when the ship reported back that there was only empty space she became furious- and took that fury out on him. He refused to tell her the truth. He refused to out the Blade and be the reason for thousands of deaths.

She refused to give up.

It was around the time that they started to rip off his claws that he let the idea of revealing another fake coordinate play in his head. However, before he could reveal more dead space a soldier came in and whispered something into Haggar's ear. Haggar immediately left, her druids following behind her.

The initial relief that washed through him quickly became over powered by a growing sense of unease. It wasn't coming from him. It was like it was flowing from an outside source.

Keith knew exactly where it was coming from, but he refused to accept the truth of the matter. Instead he pushed as much calming reassurance as he could against the panic on the edge of his mind. This alone drained what little energy he had left and as soon as the panic calmed to a quiet confusion he let go of the feelings.

Then that strange alarm went off.

That was when Keith decided maybe he could finally get some rest, Haggar would stay away to deal with the alarm.

He was exhausted and hungry and wondered when his body would finally give up and just let him die.

Which would be okay.

His dads would be sad... He was sorry that he did this to them, but he had to.

Lance would live. Haggar wouldn't kill him, she had been bluffing. Voltron would come and save Lance.

He had done what he had too. He got to see Lance one last time and that was good enough for him, if he died he would be free of the torture.

The shaking on his shoulder stopped for a moment before Lance's voice came to him.

"Keith," His voice was quiet, like he didn't really want to wake him. He kept talking anyway. "Keith wake up, you need to drink this."

Keith finally opened his eyes, slowly and only a little bit. Lance's bright eyes filled his vision. They weren't the lovely blue that he had gotten used to and he wondered for a moment why that was before he realized that Lance was sitting right in front of him and that he wasn't chained up in a cell.

He was free.

"Lance?" Keith's voice cracked and his throat was horribly dry. Lance smiled weakly when Keith said his name before he held out a cup to him.

"Hey there."

Keith pushed the cup to the side so that he could reach out a hand and poke Lance's shoulder. His finger didn't go through, it bent and slid against the smooth fabric of his suit. He touched the blanket around Lance's shoulders too and found that it was also real.

This wasn't a dream.

"Lance." Keith voice cracked again, his bottom lip wobbling, and he put his arms around Lance, still careful to avoid the carvings that he knew were there. He pulled him in tight, afraid that he would wake up if he let go. Faintly he heard Lance put the cup down on the floor before warm arms were encircling his back.

"I'm here. Do you remember what happened?" Keith shook his head 'no' into Lance's shoulder.

"A group of rebels came and got us out. We are safe now. You're okay." Lance spoke softly, as if trying to calm a dangerous animal.