one shots

The King's Beasts Part Two

Warnings: Smut, Language, Minor Injuries, Blood, Violence, Mutual Torture (kind of), Angst

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Lance didn't want to face the other paladins. He wasn't sure what the beast had told them or how the beast had made them feel, and while Keith assured him that it was nothing to worry about and that they would just be happy to have him back, Lance was still worried.

Eventually, after hours of kisses and cuddles and pep talks, Keith managed to convince Lance to go and see everyone, mostly because he told him that the others would hunt them down after twenty-four hours had passed anyway, based on the deal Keith had struck with Shiro.

Keith dug the key to the cell out of his pocket as Lance stretched his sore limbs and pulled his bodysuit up to rest on his shoulders, stalking around the small cell to gather up the rest of his armor that he'd tossed aside.

Keith swung the cell door open and led Lance out of the dungeon sector and through the halls, each step they took only adding to the anxiety rolling in the pit of his stomach. Lance needed a distraction, so he watched Keith's back as he walked, watched the muscles under his skin as he moved and watched the darkness of his veins as they cut across his skin and pulsed in time with his heart.

As hard as he tried to ignore it, Lance felt the apprehension long before they arrived at the control room door.

From the look on Keith's face when he turned, so did he.

"I told you this wasn't a good idea," Lance whispered, frowning, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You can't avoid them forever. Besides, it's not just you. It's both of us. Plus, you get bonus points, 'cause you're not the idiot who went and got a beast on purpose." Keith told him, reaching out to hook his thumb in Lance's mouth. Lance let his blackened tongue run over the pad of Keith's finger before he bit down gently, shrugging.

"But what if they hate me, or blame me, or something?" Keith dipped and curved his thumb a little farther until his nail pressed into the soft flesh lining the bottom of Lance's mouth, the pain immediate and sharp enough to grab Lance's attention, just bad enough to ground him, to help him focus.

"You never know 'till you try."

Lance sighed, Keith's finger dropping from his mouth as he nodded, shuffling closer to the door and watching as it slid open, much faster than he wanted. The room beyond was silent and Lance was afraid to look up from the ground, letting Keith grab his hand and drag him forward until he was several steps into the room and the door had closed behind them.

Lance could feel their fear, and it lingered, bitter on his tongue. He wished he could spit it out.

He could almost smell it, could almost taste it on his black, ruined tongue, could almost pluck it out of the air and cup it in his palms. He could do the same with the anger and disappointment radiating from the boy next to him, but even though he could feel them, he couldn't tell who Keith's emotions were directed towards: himself or Lance or the still-silent people standing in the room with them.

Hunk was the first person to break the silence, the peacemaker in him taking the lead where the others could, or would, not. "Welcome back, Lance. You too, Keith. We were worried about you guys."

Lance looked up then, his features as blank as he could manage, and let his eyes roam over the tight group of people in front of them, all huddled together as if under attack. He let his eyes drift to Keith as well, let the adoration show in his eyes for a split second before he cleared them again, promising himself that he could obsess about Keith's cute scowl later. Keith seemed to pick up on his slight shift in mood, though, and shot him an amused warning look before returning his attention to the paladins, who were now shifting uncomfortably at the lack of reaction, the lack of response.