Langst: Lost Under The Waves

1- Lost under the waves

"Lance are you okay?" Hunk asked watching as he stared at his food that he hadn't touched.

Lance simply nodded. He was like a broken record, which constantly repeated the words that made Lance feel numb.

I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine.

"You don't look fine." Pidge said shaking her head. "Did Keith beat you in training again?"

"I always do." Keith stated crossing his arms but his attention remained on Lance.

"Lance you're being strangely quiet." Shiro pointed out standing up to put his plate away.

"I'm just tired." Lance said quietly his gaze still not moving off of his plate.

And that was the other thing that kept playing in Lance's mind.

I'm tired. Tired of being ignored, passed over, looked down on. Tired of being Keith's replacement, tired of not being noticed.

"Why don't you go to bed earlier?" Coran suggested. At least he was trying.

"Good idea." Lance said finally standing up taking his plate out.

"Okay something is wrong." Hunk said crossing his arms. "Keith what did you do?"

"Why do you guys always blame me?" Keith asked angrily as he stood up. "I haven't spoken to him since yesterday."

"Alright so it isn't Keith." Pidge sighed meeting Hunk's gaze. "Allura?"

"I haven't done anything either!" Allura huffed. "And I can't believe you would accuse me of such a thing."

"I'll talk to him." Shiro said placing his plate down heading towards the door.

As he did the alarm rang making everyone jump into action.

~~~

The mission wasn't going well.

Lance didn't really know how things had got this bad but he was too concerned with the needle that was stabbed into his leg.

The liquid made him go limp in their grip as they dragged him away from the team.

Lance felt the weight of heavy chains being secured around his arms, legs and chest.

It hurt but he didn't care, and he soon found that he was falling.

Cold water rushed around him making the air escape his lungs in a surprised gasp.

The water stained slightly red, from the cut on his head, and as he sank his only thought was how this was the end.

Lance felt his eyes well up even though he was underwater.

This was the end.

Lance's vision blurred as his body screamed for oxygen, desperate to keep going only to be broken again.

No.

Lance had given up.

He hadn't got the desire to struggle, to fight his way out.

He just wanted to go home.

Lance then felt a hand grab his arm and he twisted his head to see Keith who had swam himself down next to him.

Keith smiled slightly at him and then pushed his helmet on to his head.

The helmet filtered the water out and Lance's body took a deep breath much against his mind which was starting to slow down, he couldn't think straight.

"Don't worry I got you." Keith said calmly over the coms, as he undid the chains. "Just hold on."

All Lance could do was nod and soon he was free and he let Keith pull him up as his head span, the drug was still affecting him.

When they reached the surface Lance let Keith pull him onto the sand as his limbs started to function again.

He then pulled his helmet off shaking his head letting the water droplets fall from his hair.

"Lance?" Keith asked as Lance started shaking.

Keith managed to make Lance turn to see his bloodshot eyes that were staring at him as tears started to slip out.

"It's okay, I got you. You're safe." Keith reassured rubbing Lance's shoulder.

"Why didn't you just l-leave me?" Lance asked his voice shaking as tears started steadily falling.

"What? Why would I?!" Keith asked more angry then anything. "You thought we wouldn't come? What is wrong with you?!"

"You shouldn't have saved me, I'm better off dead." Lance responded shakily as he pulled back clearly scared by Keith's sudden outburst. "I'm so useless there was no reason to save me."

Keith stared at Lance as understanding hit him like a truck.

"Lance..." Keith said quieter now extremely concerned. "How long have you felt like that?"

"Just leave me alone, I don't want to trouble you." Lance grumbled pulling away from Keith more.

"How long!" Keith yelled making Lance jump surprised.

"Since you left the g-garrison." Lance admitted quietly still shaking as a few more tears escaped.

"Why?" Keith asked anger boiling in his veins not because of Lance's feelings rather because no one realised.

"B-because I'm just your replacement." Lance whispered as a small sob escaped him. "Just let me go, I d-don't want to do t-this anymore."

"Lance stop." Keith said quickly pulling Lance in for a hug. "It's okay, let it out, it's okay."

Lance did just that, he cried for who knows how long, Keith wasn't keeping time.

Eventually his breathing calmed but Keith knew they still needed to address the situation.

"You're not my replacement." Keith said quietly as he ran a hand through Lance's hair. "I don't want you to think that, never."

"B-but I am." Lance said his voice hitching again.

"No you're not, you're Lance. The bravest, the funniest, the strongest person I know. You put everyone else first you were the first to have a bond with any of the lions." Keith explained as he started to rock Lance. "Please don't think you're a replacement, because we can't lose you. Voltron wouldn't last a second without our sharpshooter."

A sob escaped Lance but this time it sounded different and it made Keith smile slightly, he was getting through to him.