What is Love Anyways? [Klance]

Chapter 5

Lance awoke with a start. It was still dark in his room, which meant that he should still be sleeping but his heart was racing as if he had just sprinted a mile. Something was wrong.

He got up.

He didn't think about where his feet were taking him, he just let them carry him down the hall to the first door he came across. He opened the door, not even bothering to knock as it let out a soft swoosh sound and slid into the wall.

His eyes darted towards the bed where Keith was sitting up with a hand clutching at his bare chest. He was breathing heavily and he seemed unaware of the tears running down his face.

"Keith." Lance took a few steps closer and Keith's head shot up to look at him. His previously blank face contorted into one of equal parts relief and despair.

"Lance." His voice broke and Lance was by his side in an instant as he began to sob. He sank onto the bed and wrapped his arms around Keith, who was quick to cling tightly to the back of his shirt.

"Was it a nightmare?" Lance asked softly, rocking Keith back and forth ever-so-slightly. He felt Keith nod his head against his shoulder, his silky ears brushing against his cheek as he did so. He hushed him. "You can talk about it, or we could just sit here and I'll hold you."

The fact that Lance didn't get a response was answer enough. He brushed a hand through Keith's hair as he hummed aimlessly.

After a while his humming turned into an all too familiar song and he began to rub Keith's ear gently with one hand while the other rubbed his back.

Lance thought the lyrics in his head as he hummed the melody.

You are my sunshine

My only sunshine

You make me happy-

"I know that song," Keith said with a gruff voice. He had stopped crying but he was still trembling.

"Really? How?" Lance pulled Keith away just a little bit so that he could look at his face. It was flushed and his eyes were red, but not nearly as red as his lips.

"I've heard you sing it." He laid his head back on Lance's chest. "It's nice."

Lance felt a smile lift his lips and his heart swell. He said nothing more, just kept rubbing Keith's ears.

They could have stayed like that for a few minutes or a few hours but Lance would have stayed even longer if he didn't know that they both needed sleep for tomorrow.

"Come on Keith," he whispered. Keith stirred. "Lay down. Got a long day of explaining the same thing ten times in a row."

Keith snorted at his joke and Lance felt a wave of pride come over him. Keith laid down as Lance stood. He pulled the covers over himself and turned onto his side to look at Lance lazily.

"Thank you."

Lance smiled. "Goodnight Keith. Come get me if you need anything else." Keith's eyes were already closing as he nodded. Lance waited a few more seconds before making his way quietly out of the room. By the time he was laying in his own bed his eyes were closed and he was seconds away from sleep. The last thing to cross his mind was Keith.

...

When Lance woke up he wasn't sure if he had dreamed what happened last night or if he had actually woken up just as soon as Keith needed him.

When he joined the others at breakfast he caught Keith's eye and gave a smile. Keith smiled back gently and Lance knew that he hadn't been dreaming. He plopped himself down in the chair beside him.