respawn ♥︎ 'level up' trilogy

(1) without her

*New book let's goooOOO! I'm so excited for you guys to read this!! this a klance chapter*

(2076 words)

July 25

"Lance, it's your first birthday since we met. And everyone is leaving next week, we're leaving next week. We have to do something! It'll be our last big thing with all our friends." Keith said as he followed Lance into their living room, where most of their stuff was already in boxes.

Lance sat down, "How many times do I have to tell you! I don't want to do anything!" He snapped, Keith had been nagging him about it for days, "I don't celebrate my birthday, I haven't in years. I just can't! So stop pestering me! ¡Y ni siquiera tienes razón! This isn't my first birthday! We met a couple weeks before that. But you wouldn't know that because I. Don't. Celebrate it! So so didn't tell you back then."

Keith was shocked to see Lance snap at him like that, he had never seen that look on Lance's face before. A mixture of anger and sadness, he looked like he might cry.

Keith went to sit next to Lance on the bed, "Why don't you want to celebrate your birthday?" He put his hand on Lance's leg, he figured that was a good place to start.

Lance looked down at the floor, "It's not my birthday. It's our birthday. Mine and Sophie's. But she's gone. I can't celebrate it without her. No puedo," Lance but his lip, tears starting to fall. He rubbed his eyes before speaking again, "And it's more than just the day we were born, it's the day she died." He put his hands over his face, crying softly.

Now Keith felt like the biggest jerk ever. He knew that Sophie had died during their birthday celebration, he had just forgotten because it had been nearly a year since Lance told him about it. And Lance never spoke of Sophie, not unless they were visiting her memorial at his parent's house. Keith wrapped his arms around Lance and pulled him close, "Lance, I am so sorry. I should've been able to piece that together myself."

Lance leaned into him, taking his hands away from his face, "Remember that week where I had my phone turned off before I tried to kill myself when we first met?"

"Of course. I was so worried about you."

"My birthday was in that week. I tried to kill myself two days after I turned eighteen. My birthday... It's just not something to be celebrated."

Keith rubbed his back, "It's a trigger for you... I get that now. I'm so sorry."

Lance suddenly reached up and wrapped his arms around Keith, crying into his shoulder.

Keith sighed, hugging him tighter, "Sophie would want you to move on, you said that yourself. She would want you to keep going on with your life. And you have. But you can't keep letting your birthday pull you back down again. You can't let it have this power over you."

Lance nodded, "Lo sé. I just... I've never done it without her. And when I tried, when I turned 14, all I could remember was that day on the boat. Her falling off, jumping in after her... Ella muriendo y yo viviendo... I had a panic attack worse than any before it. I knew then that I would never be able to do it. Not without her."

"You can't hide from it forever. She would want you to be able to celebrate it, forgetting about all the bad stuff that came with that day," Keith kissed the top of his head, "You're so much stronger now. You've been through hell and back. I think you'd be able to handle it now if you just have it a try. And you won't have to do it alone. We'll all be by your side. I'll be right here, holding your hand the whole time."