Langst: One Shots!

He'll Figure It Out, Eventually

Warning: Mention of Suicide⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠
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Lance loved to chat and joke around with the others. It was his sort of coping mechanisms. He constantly needed to talk in some type of way with the others or else he would go insane. When they first started this whole "Protectors of the Universe" thing everything had been fine. He could talk for hours and the others wouldn't mind one bit. Then things got shaky after Shiro disappeared. They got a bit annoyed with Lance's constant jokes and useless chats. So he did what he thought was right and toned it down. He didn't make as much jokes and allowed them to work without much disturbance from him. He thought after they found Shiro it would return to normal. That however was not the case.
After Shiro returned, Keith decided to leave with the Mamorra Blade. That was when it all went downhill.
Whenever Lance tried to talk after missions, they would shut him down. They spat out harsh words and pelted him with insults. They never let him confide with missions and then blamed him for their errors. It was driving Lance insane. He decided that he would try one last time, before he would become completely silent.
So after a particularly successful mission, he tried.
"Hey Hunk!" "I'm busy Lance. Go away."
"What are ya doin Pidge?" "Shut up Lance. Geez can't you shut that annoying mouth of yours for once in your life?"
"Need any help Allura, Coran, Shiro?" "Sorry Lance I already completed all my tasks." "Lance I don't need you to try and distract me from my duties. Leave." "I thought I told you to go and rest so that you wouldn't bother us Lance. Next time actually listen."
He tried to contact Keith, only to be brushed off by Kulivan.
"Hi, can I talk to Keith?" The narrowing of his eyes, the hint of annoyance. "Keith is off on important business. I specifically told Allura to only call if you guys are having an emergency. Is this one of those calls?" Lance had shook his head which made the rebel galran scowl. "In that case, he wouldn't care. Goodbye." That caused Lance to break down into the tears he had been holding in for so long. When he finished, taking deep shaky breaths, he felt nothing. He only felt empty. He was a void of self-hate and unimportance.
Slowly, though surely, he fell silent. Speaking only when needed. He no longer made jokes and never complained. You can bet that the others wished they had spoken to him but that wasn't until after he left.
Yes he did leave. His reason? He couldn't cope with the whole situation at hand. Of course he didn't tell them the actual reason. He would never tell them the actual reason. He said that He'd figure it out eventually and return but until then, just stay safe.
It's been about 3 years later and Lance had not returned. They only got one accidental call and a distant text message. About a year after that, they finished their "Protector" jobs and returned to Earth. That's when they decided to go find Lance.
They searched until Hunk had found his family. When they asked for Lance, the bright eyes and happy smiles dropped. That's when they informed the team that Lance had committed suicide just a few months back. Only then did they realize that this had been all their fault. If only they had talked to him. If only they hadn't pushed him away. Maybe this wouldn't have happened. But then again, perhaps this was Lance's way of figuring things out.
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Peace ✌