After All This Time - Sheith Fic

Just Like Old Times

Trigger warning: fighting/violence and mention of suicide/self harm

I glance up and there he is, the person I wanted to see the least. Fucking Lance McClain. After our little hook up earlier, I thought I wouldn't have to see his face again, and the last thing I need is for him to think it was more than just a one time thing.

"Thanks, but I don't need your input" I mutter, though I did set my cup aside as he had a point. I hated to admit that he had any form of common sense.

"Didn't take you for a party type, more of the emo kid who sits at home and cries, like in high school" he says, crossing his arms as he looks at me. Fuck him, I don't know why he's saying all this but it's uncalled for.

"I'm here with Shiro" I say softly, looking away to try and find him in the crowd. My efforts were fruitless as I couldn't spot him over the many people.

"What, did he see your cuts and feel bad for you? Tell you that you could tag along like his annoying kid brother?" Hearing his words snapped something in me, looking at him and trying to hold myself back. God his face looked so punchable right now.

"Leave me alone Lance, I don't need your bullshit" I mumble through gritted teeth. I didn't want to fight him, especially not over something like this, but he was going to leave me no choice. I stand back up from the stool, deciding I'd deescalate the situation myself and leave to find Shiro. Except Lance stepped in my way.

"And if I don't? Are you gonna go off yourself?" Lance replies in a cocky tone, shoving his hand into my shoulder, causing me to stumble backwards. Fuck him, and fuck this pacifistic shit.

I took one good look at him before swinging my fist right into the side of his cheek. Seeing him drop his drink to hold his face made me regret everything I had just done. This meant I'd have to fight him, there's no way Lance would just give up after one punch. I'm sorry Shiro.

He looks back up at me and swung back, causing me to knock the stool over and a couple glasses off a nearby table. Now we had the attention of the people all around.

Once I caught my balance, I nailed Lance in the nose, seeing some blood on my knuckles from it. While he held his nose I pushed him back into the gathering crowd of people. All around us, people started chanting for us to fight more. I don't want this.

Lance wiped some of the blood from his nose onto his shirt and I could see the anger welling up in his eyes. He came running at me and I stepped to the side to avoid him.

Out of nowhere I felt arms wrap around my torso and drag me away, into the sea of people. At first I struggled, wanting to finish what I had started with Lance, but then I noticed the one arm was made of metal. Shiro pulled me out to the back patio, closing the door behind us and letting go of me.

I sighed and rubbed my hands over my face. "I'm so sorry Shiro, I didn't mean to" I say softly as I start pacing in front of him.

"Keith, sit down, tell me what happened" he replies as he drags a plastic lawn chair over for me to sit in. I sit down and he sits across from me, looking at me expectantly.

"It was Lance, he was fucking with me" I say vaguely, brushing my bangs out of my face. "He saw my sides earlier and was saying shit about it."

"Lance is here?" He asks, looking through the glass door for a moment. "Why the hell would he say stuff about it when you two...did...what you did this morning" he continues awkwardly.

"I don't know, I just got angry and he shoved me so I just...I just started swinging" I looked down at my lap, not wanting to see the disappointment in his eyes.

"Do you want to go home?" He asks quietly and I shook my head some.

"I don't want you to miss out on the party because of me. I'll just go wait in the car" I mumble as I take a deep breath and stand back up, Shiro standing up as well.

"I'm not going to make you sit in the car, come on, it's getting late anyway" he smiles a little at me. I don't deserve him, he's always been good to me, and this is why I didn't know how to survive when he disappeared. If I didn't have Shiro here tonight, I would have fought Lance til we were both bloody.

He opens the patio door for me and follows, resting a hand on my lower back to guide me back to the front door. From where I was I could see Lance sitting on a couch with Nyma, holding a bag of ice to his face. What a fuckin pussy.

Shiro guides me back out to the street and to his car, even opening the passenger door for me. He's like my knight in shining armor. It wasn't long before we were on the road back to his house. I quietly watched out the window at the city lights, it was a calming sight.

"Hey shiro?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks for everything. I don't know what I'd do without you" I hum softly as I look over at him. He glances back at me with a small smile and reaches his robotic arm over to squeeze my knee before setting it on the center console. He didn't have to say anything else, his actions spoke louder than any words he could speak. It was just like old times.