His Weakness

~Four~

It was only a matter of time before Lance was released from the hospital. It seemed that when he woke up before, it was actually way earlier than he should have awoke. When he fell back asleep after asking Keith to stay with them, he slept for another week, only waking up on the day he was to be discharged. 

He was feeling a lot better now, though he still wasn't at full strength, he was still able to return to work, as long as he didn't push himself too hard. 

He worked with Pidge and Hunk at the coffee shop called the Cafe of Lions. It wasn't a very large shop, but a good amount of people could fit inside. Since he was still recovering, Pidge and Hunk decided that he was only allowed to work at the counter. That meant working the register and giving the orders to one of the other two employees to take care of. 

He hated that he was unable to serve any tables, because it really took the fun out of his job. He really enjoyed seeing pretty women at tables and having time to flirt with them as he served them.

He couldn't complain too much though, because on the bright side, he was still alive. He was reminded of his near-death experience frequently, with his former assailant sitting at one of the tables, staring intently at him while he worked. A bead of sweat rolled down his face, and sudden fatigue washed over him at the sight of him.

It made his heart race to see what would have been his murderer just a few feet away from where he stood behind the counter. Lance let out a soft, quivering breath, and rested his head down on the counter, placing a hand over where his heart was, and gripping his uniform there.

He broke into a cold sweat, and shivered lightly. He wasn't necessarily afraid...Or was he? He figured that maybe he could get some answers from Keith about his actions before, but so far he hasn't been able to do that yet.

He wasn't sure if he was completely safe, or still in the cross hairs of an assassin who had his gaze focused upon him. Keith furrowed his brows into a frown, seeing the employee lower his head. He hadn't said a word, but just observed his behavior, unaware that he himself was the cause.

Pidge went over to Lance, worry etched into her features as she placed a comforting hand on his back, asking if he was okay. 

Lance took a moment before raising his head to give a reassuring smile, then shifting his gaze to Keith. They locked eyes for a few seconds, and that did it. Lance felt incredibly sick to his stomach, covering his mouth and quickly turning away from the counter, rushing to the bathroom. Keith stood as he watched Pidge hurry after him.

The customers currently in the shop spoke among themselves, with just a bit of concern. Lance was one of their favorite employees, and it was rare to see him in such a state. The people who'd been standing at the counter just patiently waited, not wanting to push them.

"Lance? Are you okay??" Pidge had her hand on her friend's back, watching with great concern as the taller boy keeled over the toilet, anything he'd consumed before coming up to flush itself out of his system.

His body shook with discomfort, and tears stung his eyes from throwing up. He felt a bit light headed and dizzy. A few moments passed until he finished getting rid of the contents in his stomach, but now he felt too weak to really do anything.

Pidge called for Hunk, who had been dealing with some things in the storage room. Their friend hurried in with a glass of water and a blanket. Hunk always had such items on hand, for reasons unknown, but in situations like this they came in handy.

The bigger employee wrapped Lance in the blanket after getting him cleaned up, and picked him up, just carrying him out of the bathroom since he seemed too drained to walk. Hunk carried Lance out to one of the vacant tables, gently setting him in one of the chairs. They were soft and cushioned, so the other employees didn't have to worry about him lacking comfort.

The customers in the shop looked to the ill employee with concern, and continued talking amongst themselves, not wanting to make him feel too uncomfortable. 

Keith however, simply stared at him. He refused to speak, but he was genuinely concerned. Not necessarily with Lance's health, but more of the reason why he fell sick all a sudden. He was still standing in the same place he'd been when he left in the first place.

The Cuban boy, took a glance up at Keith as he crossed the room, approaching him. In his current state, all Lance could do was raise his hand, just barely enough to cause the assassin to stop in his tracks. He was actually quite shocked that this small gesture was enough to stop him.

Well, that wasn't the real reason Keith stopped his progression. Pidge and Hunk were standing behind the counter, practically glaring daggers into his very being. Of course the two of them had not an ounce of trust in him. He attempted to kill their friend after all. 

Getting the hint, Keith turned, just going back to his seat. He looked at Lance, who was still watching him with sunken eyes. His face was definitely more pale than usual. he continued watching as the sick employee brought his feet onto the chair and curled up, shivering lightly while he pulled the blanket tighter around himself.

Keith had come to the pretty obvious conclusion that he himself was the cause of this. Instead of doing what he wanted to, he decided to just stay where he was, keeping a distance. If he wanted answers, then he shouldn't give them more reason to hate him. 

Hunk and Pidge continued their work as normal, and the customers were settled once again, and there was peace in the cafe. Closing his eyes, Keith rested his head on the table. He guessed it wouldn't be too much to let them have their grace period for now.