Langst: Lost Under The Waves

9- Doesn't make it any easier

Shiro was walking the halls heading towards his room when he heard a loud bang which made him jump.

His attention was instantly on Lance's room.

As he got closer he could hear slightly what was going on.

"Ow, ow, ow." Lance's voice stated making Shiro frown slightly. "Why does my bed have to be so hard? Ow that really hurt."

Shiro sighed and knocked the door and he clearly heard Lance's surprised squeak.

"Lance it's me, can I come in?"

"S-shiro? Sure." Lance said quietly and soon the door was open.

When Shiro entered the first thing he noticed was dent in the bed where clearly Lance had kicked.

"How did you do that?" Shiro asked raising an eyebrow as he turned to look at Lance.

"I was tidying up and as I grabbed my jacket my foot slipped and I kicked it." Lance sighed running a hand through his hair. "And now my foot hurts."

"I'm not surprised." Shiro smiled as Lance sat on his bed.

"Not to sound rude, but did you want something?" Lance asked sheepishly making Shiro chuckle.

"I was going to say well done for today." Shiro stated making Lance frown. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing." Lance quickly responded looking at his feet. "I'm just a bit tired."

"I'm not surprised, you did save Keith's life and trust me, I know how much of a dead weight he is." Shiro smiled sitting next to Lance. "You did so well saving them and I'm glad we have you."

"You don't have to tell me that every time you know." Lance sighed. "It's part of the job, isn't it?"

"Yeah but that doesn't make it any easier." Shiro pointed out. "And I can see how hard you try every time."

"But it's never good enough." Lance whispered making Shiro frown.

"Lance, we wouldn't last long without you and your abilities." Shiro started putting his arm around Lance's shoulders. "We're a team, we might not be great on our own or when there's only two of us, but as a team nothing can stand in out way."

Lance nodded but still didn't look convinced.

"We all have strengths and weaknesses, I just hope that you can see that we compliment eachother, and as a team we make something that works." Shiro continued as Lance pulled his knees up. "For instance, I'm great at close range combat and being right in the face of the enemy. But put me at a distance and I'm an open target."

Lance turned his head to look up at him but still seemed to be choosing to stay quiet.

"Or how about Keith, he's got great stamina and anger that helps fuel his attacks, but some times he get carried away." Shiro shrugged pulling Lance a bit closer to him.
"He can get into fights that he can't actually win and usually get himself hurt.

Where as Hunk needs help to keep his attacks up because he doesn't want to hurt anyone, and he has excellent self control, but he needs a bit of encouraging."

Lance chuckled at that making Shiro smile, it was working, sort of.

"And Pidge she will work her socks off but she doesn't know when to stop, she looses her perspective often and gets lost in the now.

Lance you are able to change your battle tactics, keep your energy up, but you know what you can take on. You always know how to encourage us and you are always looking at the bigger picture." Shiro explained making Lance's shoulders drop.

"I'm not." Lance mumbled his chin resting on his knees. "I'm just as impulsive as Keith, as scared as Hunk, as cautious as you and as closed off as Pidge is."

"And that's what I'm saying." Shiro chuckled making Lance look at him again. "You compliment us all, because you have a bit of all of us in you, you are as brave as Keith, as clever as Pidge and as thoughtfully as Hunk."

"Everything is still so hard though." Lance sighed hiding his face as he crossed his arms over his knees. "I just wish it would all end."

"And it will." Shiro promised rubbing Lance's back. "Well figure a way to stop this war and then we can all go home, but we need you, Lance, you're the glue to this team."

Lance sat up slightly to raise and eyebrow at Shiro making him sigh.

"Lance when we first connected as a group you were the only one who knew all of us, I didn't have a clue who any of you were apart form Keith. But you connected us all." He smiled watching as Lance continued to stare him down. "When we found blue you got us here, to the castle here together, you have pulled us together closer and closer and now... Now we're a family, and that's all because of you."

Lane was shaking his head as he closed his eyes momentarily.

"No Shiro you're wrong."

"No I'm not, you're Hunk's confidence, Keith's impulse control, my stability, Pidge's brother, Lance you have tethered all of us together." Shiro was started to babble now it was clear that this subject ment a lot to him but his rant was cut short when a small strangled sob escaped Lance. "Lance?"

"I'm sorry." Lance cried wrapping his arms tightly around Shiro. "I'm so sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" Shiro asked confused, he was now mid panic what had he done to make Lance cry?

"I never told you guys how much I view you as my family." Lance responded pulling back to dry his eyes. "You're just like my older brother Marco."

Shiro smiled but didn't dare to stop him.

"Pidge is like Veronica, Hunk is like Rachel and Keith is just like Leo. I wish I'd said something sooner, Shiro I promise I never knew."

"Lance calm down I'm not angry, I just want you to know how much we need you here."

Lance nodded still trying to dry his eyes.

"Don't doubt yourself okay? You're part of this team, this family and don't you ever forget it."

"Thank you Shiro."