Voltron One Shots

Touch

Prompt: Hi! I binge read your stuff a lot of your work and I love your writing a lot. 😆 Can you make a fic about Lance being touch starved? Everyone kind of notices how he lingers in hugs and such. He's also having nightmares and being touch starved isn't helping him. Maybe Keith notices? Maybe they have a moment? Add or subtract what you like from this prompt I'd just love to see your take on it.

A/N: I absolutely love touch starved fics!

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Lance missed his family. They were very close, Lance was rarely without a younger sibling on his lap or a cousin clinging to his side. It was a rude awakening when Lance went into space and suddenly had none of the touch that he used to have. He never knew he would miss cuddling with his siblings so much. The other paladins weren't as touchy-feely as Lance's family. Actually, they rarely touched at all, and everyone seemed to be fine with that.

Everyone except Lance.

He found himself lying awake at night, craving the feeling of someone near him. The sound of another heartbeat against his as he was lulled to sleep. And night after night his sleep was plagued with nightmares of his family being tortured and killed. He watches them die, all because he's not there to save them. Lance always wakes up in a cold sweat.

No one noticed how Lance lingered in hugs, and hovered around them, waiting for them to initiate contact. They never seemed to notice how he leaned into every touch, every hug.

Or at least that's what Lance thought.

Lance had fallen asleep on the couch one day, because he hadn't been sleeping during the night. Keith walked in, and saw that Lance was stirring. He tried to stay quiet as he turned to leave, but then Lance began to cry out. Keith tensed and turned back to him. Lance's face was pale and covered in sweat. Keith inched toward the couch, watching Lance closely. His eyelids were twitching violently.

"Lance?" Keith whispered, kneeling down next to the couch. "Lance, wake up. It's just a dream" he gently touched Lance's arm. Lance's eyes flew open and he sat up straight, panting for breath. Sweat was dripping down his temple. "Shh! It's alright, it's just me. You're alright" Lance let out a pathetic noise and then rubbed his eyes. The dream had been so realistic.

"Wh- Where am I?" Lance mumbled sleepily. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned his side against the back of the couch.

"The living room. You feel asleep after supper" he explained, still crouched next to Lance. "Are you- are you okay?" he asked.

"Why didn't anyone wake me up?" Lance asked, drawing him knees up to his chest. He was basically holding himself. Keith noticed.

"No one wanted to. You haven't been sleeping well lately" Lance looked away sheepishly.

"You noticed?" he asked. Keith nodded. Lance played with the end of his jacket sleeve. "Ah- sorry. Just... can't seem to fall asleep I guess. It'll go away" he shrugged.

"You sure it's not the nightmares that are keeping you up?" Keith asked, his eyebrows raised. Lance blushed and stared at his hands.

"Dunno" he mumbled. "Maybe"

"You wanna talk about it?"

"No" Keith pursed his lips and drummed his fingers against the couch, wondering if he should just leave it. But he knew that Lance wasn't feeling well lately. He assumed that Lance missed his family, that he missed the closeness. Lance and Hunk were pretty closed, but not as close as Lance made it seem that his family was.

"Okay" Keith cleared his throat and stood up. He pushed his bangs out of his eyes and then sat on the edge of the couch and began unlacing his boots.

"Wh- what are you doing?" Lance asked. Keith didn't answer. He tossed his boots on the floor and then shrugged his jacket off.

"Lay down" Keith commanded. Lance blinked in shock.

"Uh, excuse me?" he asked in confusion. Keith motioned for Lance to lie back.

"Lay down" he repeated. "I'm going to sleep with you" Lance's blush deepened.

"Again... excuse me!?" Keith gently pushed on Lance shoulder, and he laid down with little resistance.

"I said I'm going to sleep with you" he said, getting frustrated and embarrassed. "It'll help with the nightmares, I promise. I swear that's the only reason" he was lying. He knew that Lance missed the human contact. He needed it as much as he needed to breathe. Lance was a very touchy-feely person but lately he'd gotten more and more reserved, it was like he was afraid to initiate the contact.

"I don't- I don't know—" Lance frowned as Keith hovered next to the couch. "We- we won't fit" Keith shrugged.

"It's fine. I'm small. I'll sleep on top of you" He didn't move. "Is that alright?" he asked. "If I sleep here with you tonight?" he didn't want to just climb on top of him without permission. He wanted to help Lance, but not if Lance didn't want help.

"Um, I mean... Well... I guess so" he stuttered. Keith swiftly crawled on top of Lance and settled down, so his head was resting on Lance's chest. His legs automatically tangled with Lance's and his hands went around his neck. They just... fit together. "This is... kinda weird" Keith shrugged, tilting his head down so Lance couldn't see the rapidly forming blush creeping up his neck.

"Whatever. It's to help you sleep, so shut it" he grumbled. Lance's arms were stiff underneath Keith. It was like he didn't know what to do with his hands. It took several minutes of laying there before Lance began to relax, finally realizing that Keith wasn't joking about sleeping on top of him. Lance tentatively snaked his hands around Keith's waist and snuggled his face into Keith's hair. He let out an involuntary sigh and Keith almost didn't hear. Keith was relaxing as well. He hadn't realized how tense he was until Lance began to loosen up. His eyes fluttered as Lance's rhythmic breathing began to lull him to sleep.

"Keith?" Lance whispered after a few minutes of them breathing quietly.

"Hmm?" Keith mumbled.

"Thank you" Lance said. "For... you know" Keith reached a hand up and covered Lance's mouth briefly before dropping his hand back down.

"Shut up and go to sleep" he said tiredly. He would never admit it, but the night he laid on that couch with Lance he slept better than he ever had before.