Blue

Chapter 23

"Lance..." Keith said softly, taking Lance and hugging him closer, as if the physical contact would stop the omega from breaking. "I'm so sorry."

"No," Lance said, his voice breaking. 

"I'm so sorry," Keith said again, tears falling down his face.

"NO!" Lance wailed. he fought against Keith's grip but Keith only held him tighter. "YOU'RE LYING! MY PUP IS FINE! NOOOOO!" 

Finally Lance just let himself be held, sobbing into Keith's shoulder and drenching it with salt water. Keith rumbled, trying to soothe his omega but nothing was helping. Keith was whining in pain. His family was broken and it was all his fault. 

"Baby, Coran said our pup is alive," Keith whispered. Lance's hysterical sobs slowly quieted as he turned his face to look at Keith hopefully. 

"Our pup...is alive?" Lance asked. Keith nodded. "But then why would you......"

"He said...that our pup..." Keith trailed off, not wanting to look Lance in the eyes and tell him the truth. That their pup may be unable to walk. 

"Our pup...what?" Lance asked, his voice holding a very scary tone. It wad the sound of a broken man losing his last shreds of hope. 

"Our pup....might not be able to walk," Keith said. 

The noise Lance made was heartbreaking.

The pack winced as their pack omega broke down hysterically. Lance shoved himself out of Keith's arms, and Keith tried not to let that hurt too much. Lance was just hysterical. Lance wrapped his arms around himself as he sobbed, he body crouched over so that his face was touching the floor.

"Please...please...please." Lance begged, unsure of who it was he was begging to. He just wanted someone to come and fix this. "Please...no....please...." 

After what felt like an eternity, Lance stopped crying. In fact, he stopped displaying emotions entirely. The pack eyed him wearily, as he just sat there. 

Catatonic.

"Lance..?" Hunk asked, slowly making his way over to the now silent Cuban. he crouched down to meet Lance's eyes. He winced at just how empty it was. "Buddy?"

Lance looked up at Hunk slowly. "Hunk? Can you...take me to my room..?" Keith whimpered when his omega asked for someone else's help but he pushed it away. Lance needed space, and Keith needed to accept that.

"Sure, yeah," Hunk said. Hunk then gently lifted Lance into his arms, treating him like glass. Because Hunk honestly thought one wrong thing would cause the omega in front of him to break. "C'mon buddy."

Hunk slowly made his way to Lance's room. When he got there, he lightly set Lance on his bed. He pressed a kiss to his forehead, and left. The door shut and the castle lay silent.

=================

Lance sat on his bed, his hands fumbling with his blanket. It's been a while since he had sat in his own room. He had practically moved into Keith's room after they found out he was pregnant. A sharp pain jabbed his heart at the thought.

His pup might not be able to walk.

Lance is a horrible mother. Lance was an awful mate. Lance is the shittiest omega.

Slowly the tears began to fall once more.

Lance couldn't even protect his own pup. He failed Keith as an omega. That's why he distanced himself from Keith. Because Lance knew that he wouldn't be able to take the rejection of his alpha as well as the heartbreaking news about his pup.

Lance moved one of his hands to cup his now healed belly. Why couldn't the pod heal his pup instead? Lance would have gladly stayed injured if it meant his pup was happy and healthy. Lance was so selfish.

Lance should have just told Haggar everything, then maybe his pup would be okay. Or better yet, lance should have just died. If Lance had died in that pod then Coran could have found a way to save the pup. 

And then everything would be fine. 

But everything wasn't fine.

Because Lance was alive and healed and his pup was injured. Where wad the fairness in that? Why was the world so cruel? Lance has been through so much. Was it too much to ask to let him be happy? To let his pup be happy?

Lance would easily trade places with his pup right now. 

Let him be crippled and let his pup be able to walk. Lance sobbed harder, muffling his cried with his pillow. Lance needed to calm down. Lance vaguely remembered something that his mama had told him. 

"Mijo, if you're in distress, you're pup is in distress. Always remain calm. Si?" 

Lance took a deep breath. 

Okay, Lance needed to find a way to make this better. Lance needed Keith to do that. Lance needed to face his alpha. His heart sped up at the thought of facing Keith. What would Lance do if Keith rejected him?

No. Lance couldn't go down that road. Everything will be fine. Lance slowly stood up, his legs only wobbling a little. Lance slowly made his way to his door and it slid open. Lance wasn't exactly surprised to see Keith sitting at his door. 

"Keith. I'm so sorry," Lance rushed out. "I couldn't protect our pup.I failed as your omega. I failed our pup and I'm so sorry. I don't know what to do, but I need you. I understand if you hate me but I--" Lance was cut off by a hug.

Lance blew out a breath of air when Keith rammed into him, his body weight very nearly knocking the air out of his lungs. Keith hugged Lance close to his chest.

Lance wasn't mad at him. Lance wasn't upset that Keith didn't protect him and the pup. Lance thought Keith was mad at him. 

"Shhh, shh it's okay," Keith said, petting Lance's head. "My sweet omega." Lance whined and hugged Keith tightly. "It's okay."

"Keith.." Lance wailed. Keith let himself cry with Lance. Their tears fell as they grieved together. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know," Keith answered honestly, clutching the omega closer. "But we'll figure it out together."