Just a Week // Langst

Chapter Three : Keith

I wasn't prepared for what was coming next.

The Galra, well, I could deal with that. Lance's suicide plan? Well, that was another matter altogether. I had barely enough time to register Hunk's words, before the whole world came crashing down on top of me.

Lance? Suicide? Slitting his wrists at the harbour and letting his body slide into the water, weighted by a heavy stone? Didn't he realise what that would do to our team? His family? Our family?Losing him would crush us all.

It was unfathomable. Lance was, by far, the strongest guy I knew. Perhaps the strongest of all of us. He had a cynical attitude, but I'd never seen his character as a problem until now. With everything that we were dealing with at the moment, I hadn't even noticed him becoming withdrawn. Shiro and I had been consumed with defeating the Galra as they were throwing everything at us in a desperate bid to finally destroy us. We were literally living from moment to moment, unaware of Lance's decline.

Hunk wasn't burdened with leadership or responsibility. His eyes saw everything, the bigger picture. Whilst our focus was on planning battle and surviving the aftermath, Hunk had been keenly aware of our mental states and coping abilities. He'd seen the slide and taken it onto himself to protect Lance from himself.

Hunk was still bubbly, fun and outgoing but his eyes were hardened, his teenage eccentric ways melting into a more adult version of his former self. It was inevitable that Hunk would grow and shed his immature ways, but I wasn't truly aware of the understanding he now possessed. His eyes saw everything. Whenever I was upset about something, Hunk knew instinctively. It was a gift.

I didn't offer to help carry Lance, Hunk was as determined as I'd ever seen him, and I realised that this was his battle. He was at the forefront of this plan, and had already stopped Lance from committing suicide tonight.

Hunk was more experienced in helping others. I was a protector, saving those who were weaker than myself. Hunk was the type to hang around at the end of a battle and talk to the casualties. He always knew what made other people tick; he saw their quirks and connected with them on a much deeper level.

Upon reaching the castle, Hunk laid Lance unconscious form on the couch and called an impromptu meeting. We all listened, horrified, as he filled us in on Lance's decline and his suicide plan. We quickly found the note, which confirmed everything Hunk had said. Whilst waiting for our teammate to waken, we spoke in hushed whispers about what we were to do next.

Coran, Hunk and Shiro seemed to have it all in hand. They both looked determined and capable; expecting anything. Pidge, Allura and I remained fixed to the spot, rooted.

Very rarely had anything ever truly frightened me. I had a childish fear of heights when I was a child which I quickly overcame with Shiro's help. The one thing that truly terrified me was the loss of friends. One of my family, wounded, killed, sickness. Knowing there was nothing I could do to save them.

I am well trained and capable. If someone wished to physically harm one of my loved ones, I'd see it coming. If someone wanted to harm any of my friends, I would bring them death within seconds.

How was I to fight an enemy that resided inside Lance? The question had me trembling with fear, and for me, that is extremely unusual. I talk to my teammates often, but feelings are not something we usually discuss. I didn't even know where to begin.

Now, it was proving to be crucial. Lance had been committed to a fatalistic plan that I hadn't even been aware of. Lance planning anything at all was strange in itself. The only conclusion I could come to was that he meant it. He meant to die, and planned everything to ensure its success.

The only detail he had missed was his own friends's instincts. Hunk was more a hero to me now than he had ever been. I felt lucky to have him leading this battle, along with our gentle aliens who were no doubt criticising themself for letting so much go amiss. I was criticising myself also, a sick feeling rising in my stomach.

If Hunk hadn't been Hunk, well, Lance would already be dead.

(A/N — I'm sorry this part of shorter than the rest of the other parts of the fanfic. I promise though Keith will definitely make another little appearance in the next couple chapters! Thank you again for reading the third part!)