Winter Tree (Voltron: Legendary Defender Fanfic/ONC )

Kill With Kindness

Normally when he woke up he didn't feel drowsy, but the initial dizziness he felt made his eyes remain closed while one hand reached up towards his forehead. His eyes pressed close for a few minutes while his memories remained foggy. He felt a dull ache in various parts of his body making him think about how this happened which in turn Keith eventually figured out. His eyes opened and he took a deep breath.

His heart rate and breathing remained slow as he sat up and took in his surroundings. Nobody was in the room; possibly they thought he wouldn't wake up this soon. Keith took a deep breath and swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. He wobbled slightly yet started walking out of the room. In the hallway, he glanced around making sure nobody was around before heading towards the exit, or at least the direction he thought the exit was.

"I need to find Lance so we can get out of here." Keith continued walking at a slower pace than he wanted. The layout was similar to their Castle of Lions, so he actually found the exit like he wanted. His eyes narrowed upon hearing Lance's voice, but his ears discerned two Lance's speaking. He found himself moving closer to the two while his eyes narrowed.

"Proof! These marks are proof she loves me! She kissed me right before sacrificing herself and gave me these marks as a parting gift." Their Lance's words made Keith swallow and look down at the ground. Even though he'd come to accept the fact Allura picked Lance it still hurt.

"Those marks aren't proof of her love for you! They're proof that you killed her!"

Keith's head darted up. Mentally he didn't understand what that Lance's problem was as their Lance spoke the truth, yet Keith also knew that Lance was making their Lance agitated. He found himself moving forward and getting between the two Lances. "Stop bullying Lance!"

The look on that Lance's face wasn't what Keith expected. Their Lance would have glared at him, but that Lance's glare quickly softened upon seeing him, yet for some reason, Keith thought that Lance was worried about him whereas their Lance likely never would be. After all, he and their Lance weren't friends, but a universe where they were must be an anomaly according to Slav.

That was when they saw the Atlas falling. At first, Keith stood there frozen in horror and then he said, "Shiro, mom..."

The earth shook and a rather large gust of wind rushed at them when the Atlas crashed into the ground. Instinct then kicked in and he attempted rushing towards the fallen ship even though he didn't know the direction he needed to go. He felt someone grab onto his injured arm. "No!"

Keith opened his mouth to protest that Lance's actions. "Let me go!"

"No." That Lance tugged on Keith's other shoulder. "You're going back to the infirmary."

"No. Everyone aboard the Atlas..." Keith felt his voice strain as he reached his free arm forward. He felt an arm wrap around his chest and then felt his thin frame lifted up and over that Lance's shoulder. "Hey! Put me down!"

"I don't think so." That Lance walked far quicker than Keith was able to, in his current condition, do on his own. Worse, Keith watched their Lance smirk as if he found great amusement at his plight meaning he'd receive no help. Keith attempted pushing himself out of that Lance's grip only to find himself quite stuck. He gently set Keith down.

"I'm leaving."

"No, you're not." That Lance said.

"Good luck stopping him."

"Out!" That Lance pointed at the door indicating their Lance should leave. "Close the door behind you and wait for me out there so I can speak to Keith here."

"Fine! Be a jerk!"

Keith flinched when the door slammed shut. That Lance let out a sigh. "Is he always like this?"

"I'd ask why you're so surprised, but I think our Lance would be in major denial he acts like that."

"What?" That Lance looked up in surprise. "I don't... look." He took a deep breath. "Keith is sending for Sven..."

Keith recognized the name, Sven. He felt his chest tighten slightly from the anxiety which hit but dived quickly under the bed despite the pain he felt. His eyes snapped shut as he pressed himself against the floor. Instinctively his hand covered the back of the head where that device was placed. His breath came in a rather heavy fashion.

"Woah! Woah! Why are you afraid of Sven?" Keith heard that Lance gets onto the ground by the bed. "I don't get it. Sven is our version of your Shiro, isn't he, so why are you afraid of him?"

"How do you know that?" Keith opened his eyes and twisted his head so he could look at that Lance. The fact that Lance treated him kindly honestly confused him.

A smile spread across that Lance's face, but the smile wasn't taking amusement at Keith doing something that Lance thought was stupid. "Your Lance told us."

Keith let out a deep sigh and let his eyes roll into the back of his head. He attempted pushing himself up so he might escape his current situation but found his head colliding with the bottom of the bed.

"Careful. You've already got a head injury. I still don't understand why you're afraid of Sven."

"Not Sven. Allura." Keith watched that Lance's blue eyes widen in surprise.

"What?"

"You heard me." Keith watched that Lance carefully. The man's mouth twisted in confusion. "What?"

"I mean..." That Lance let out a deep sigh and leaned on one arm so he could support himself more comfortable. "I know you hate getting on Allura's bad side." Keith knew what that Lance said to be quite accurate. "But outright afraid of her?"

"We are in the universe where the Alteans have enslaved all violent alien races including the Galra with a device attached to the back of their heads preventing free will?"

"Quiznack."

Keith's eyes widened in horror. The thought of revealing he was of a Galra bloodline to this version of themselves honestly terrified him. "I'm not coming out."

That Lance sighed. "We're still fighting the Galra in this universe, so could you possibly come out for me now?"

A thought crossed Keith's mind and he closed his eyes remembering how for a brief time Allura hated him. The Altean princess found out he was part Galra and hated him for it as the Galra killed off her entire people. The thought of anyone from this universe finding out bothered him greatly. "About the Galra..."

"Well, you know. We all hate them."

"Allura the most?" His eyes remained shut.

"Actually, Allura – and Hunk for that matter – hate what the Galra do. If I were to pick the person on the team who hates the Galra the most it would be you."

Keith's eyes opened in surprise as he pushed himself out from under the bed on the side opposite of that Lance. He found himself breathing hard, but still managed to say one word. "What?"

"Well..." Keith heard that Lance stand up. Keith pushed himself against the wall while his lip trembled slightly. "I guess it may be a bit surprising given the way you are, but I guess it has to do with the fact the Galra hurt Sven." Keith heard that Lance walk to another part of the room and open something up. Keith's lip trembled andremember how he did, in fact, hate the Galra before finding out he was one, but after found himself directing that anger at what happened more and more onto himself. He found himself grinding his teeth as that Lance walked around to Keith's side of the bed. That Lance held something out to Keith. "You've never been one to easily forgive someone who hurt someone you cared for."

"What..."

"It's an ice pack." When Keith didn't take the icepack that Lance stepped over and placed the ice pack onto the back of Keith's head. He reached down and gently lifted Keith's good arm to hold the ice pack in place. He then lifted Keith up off the ground and sat him onto the bed.

Keith choked. "Why. Why are you being nice to me?"