Broken fingers //Voltron high school AU

Part 11: Day Off

After separating from Keith and Shiro, Lance hurried after Pidge and Hunk who were already climbing into Hunk's mini van. He hopped in the back seat, sliding the seat belt over his chest and clipping it in. He had always been taught to wear a seat belt.

"Can I crash with one of you guys tonight? My mom thinks I'm just hanging out," he asked. Pidge offered her place, since Matt and her Dad would be out looking at collages and her mom was taking a girl's night out. She invited Hunk over too, but he said he was too tired and wanted his own bed. he dropped off his two friends in Pidge's empty drive way and waved as he sped away.

they went inside, Pidge turning on all the lights and going straight to the kitchen. Lance went to the living room and turned on the X-box.

"Coffee?" she called. Lance said what he wanted in it as the green X appeared in screen. Grand theft auto was already in the consul, so Lance grabbed another controller when Pidge came in. She set down his coffee, sitting as she sipped her own. She curled her legs up under her and took the controller, selecting the 'play' option, then scrolling through and choosing her character. She chose her favorite, Michael while Lance chose Trevor.

They played for a few hours before Pidge yawned.

"I think I'm going to bed. You can sleep on the couch like usual," she waved a hand and stood, walking out of the room. Lance sighed. He shut off the consul and the tv screen, then grabbed blankets from the chest under the window.

He got comfy of the couch, turning the lights off, and closed his eyes. Lance dreamed, like he did often, the same dream he'd been having over and over again for the past few weeks.

Lance sat on a high up branch of a tree, his feet dangling down in the air. He was staring out at the lowering sun that cast a haze of gold over everything.

"What do you think happens after you die?" Lance asked the boy beside him. He didn't know who the boy was. He never really looked, too entranced by the sun set to care.

"I know there will be nothing, but I'd like to think there's a better place. Not heaven though, a place where you won't be judged. A place where everyone is happy and equal and can all love each other despite our differences. But I've seen death before. There's nothing. Absolutely nothing." He sounded sad, his voice familiar.

Lance said nothing after that. The sun went down and the world was plunged into a terrible darkness, full of creatures that wanted to send them into that nothingness the other boy was talking about. They stayed on the branch, clinging together to stay warm. Lance would look up and watch the stars wink mockingly down at them, shining like a handful of  diamonds thrown over a dark cloth.

After hours of quiet, something would grab the other boy and drag him away from Lance.

And he would wake up. And he would never be able to get that boy back from the thing that had grabbed him.

***

The previous night had been long and sleepless. Keith had tried not to move, but he had tossed and turned and stared blankly through the darkness at the ceiling or wall. He half expected Lotor to tap on his window again, like he had that one night so long ago.

Eventually, sleep consumed him, but it was not kind. Instead of his normal dreams of Goner, they were terrible images of all his friends dead and bloody, having been killed in different ways. They played in Keith's mind like a horror movie he couldn't look away from.

When he woke, he was sweating and tangled in the blankets, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His face, neck, hand, and stomach aches enough that he didn't even try to get out of bed. It's not like he had anywhere to go. Shiro had come in a few minutes after with a glass of water and pain killers, which Keith took gratefully. Once the medicine had nullified the sharp pain to a dull ache, Keith stood, going to the bathroom for a quick shower. He had to cover his hand cast in cooking plastic wrap.

When he emerged, he felt a bit better. He shoved on a t shirt, a black sweatshirt, and some comfy gray joggers. He tied his hair back and out of his eyes, then went out to the kitchen. Adam was already out for work, and Shiro was just leaving.

"Take it easy today. Doctor's orders. Don't do anything...irrational," he said as he slipped on his jacket. Keith knew he was about to say stupid.

"I know, I know. I'll try not to get myself killed, but I make no promises." He smiled slightly. Keith's casual smiled was lopsided and crooked.

Shiro waved goodbye and hurried it the door. Keith waited until he heard the car engine start and pull out of the driveway, then speed away. He went to the counter and made himself some coffee, drinking half the cup right there.

Keith wasn't really sure what to do with himself. He was either at school or outside skating or working out—that's right. He worked out. He mighty not eat enough, but he still wanted to be fit. He never really had time to relax and...do puzzles. Or whatever else people did with their time.

Keith set up a speaker and put on some music. Laying on the floor and tapping his fingers against the hardwood. After half an hour of straight music, he got up. That had gotten boring quickly. He checked the internet for things to do when one was bored. After compiling a list of things that looked interesting, he putting on a long podcast and got started.

1. Rearrange all your books.

Keith went into his room. He had a small bookshelf next to his bed full of stories he'd collected over the years. He took them all out, laying them on the floor. Previously they had been haphazardly shoved into place with no thought of what book it Hey were next to. Keith ordered them in alphabetical order, by the authors name. The only book he wasn't sure where to put was the Bible his father had given him a long time ago. He sighed and put it at the end, after reading a few pages he had marked.

2. Clean or organize something

Keith stood, taking the speaker with his phone out to the living room and setting it aside to let the people's voices on the podcast full the air. Meanwhile, he went around and cleaned everything. He swiffered the floors, put all the blankets and pillow covers in the washing machine, wiped down the windows, dusted and disinfected all the picture frames and the surfaces they sat on. Most of them were of Shiro and Adam, Keith sprinkled in through out. It was nice seeing how much of a home that place really was.

Keith went to the kitchen next. He rolled up hid sleeves for this room. He whipped down the counters and windows first. Then washed the dishes in the sink and unloaded the dishwasher. He tried to take out the trash, but even getting it out of the van was a struggle and strained his side to the point that he shouted from the sharp pain. Once he recovered, he moved to the cabinets, organizing everything inside. From spices to cereals to baking ingredients. The kitchen looked brand new by the time he was done. He smiled at his work and was about to move on to the next thing on his list when there was a knock at the door.

Keith paused the podcast and went over, opening the door to reveal Lance.

"What're you doing here?" Keith asked blankly, looking at Lance in confusion.

"To drop off your homework, like you asked," He smiled, holding up a paper folder.