A Fight To Finish (Shidge/Klance AU)

17- The Excursion of Foretold

Keith could barely sleep. Shiro was determined to follow them on their journey, trying his best to convince them to allow him. Due to this, Keith grew worried and begun to watch over him throughout the night to make sure Shiro did not do something stupid.

Lance checked in a couple of times to see how he was doing and to ask if Keith needed anything before Lance went to sleep, but Keith didn't pay much attention to those visits. It wasn't that he felt as if Lance was a nuisance or unneeded, it was just that he too worried for Shiro.

After one of this visits, Shiro peered up at Keith from where he laid, a monotoned expression taking over his face. "He'll think you are ignoring him and he'll beat himself up," Takashi whispered, staring the younger down.

The mullet-bearing boy perked up, an aghast appearance striking his pale face. "Who? L-Lance? I don't understand what you're talking about," Keith muttered, eyes avoiding Shiro's.

The older brother sighed, face falling into a saddened look of fondness. "I know Keith. You feel something for Lance. I can tell and I can see it isn't as one-sided as you took to believing. I know this because I have experience," the man stated, eyes slowly drifting close for a few moments.

Keith was hesitate to speak the words he wanted to because he didn't know how his brother would react if he was to mention him. Yet, he knew they'd have to speak about it eventually and they were finally alone for the first time since their reunion. "Just because you're stupid butt was unable to realize you and Adam were mutually pining doesn't mean that I can't. I know about Lance. I know about my own feelings. Its just... This isn't exactly the best time, you know? I mean its the end of the world," Keith explained, earning a snort from Shiro.

"Its the end of the world, Keith. I don't think there's a better time then to finally confess a long attraction, Keith. You've been head over heels for that boy for years. That's why you tried to distance yourself, isn't it? I think you could take this journey to think about telling Lance. I could use the journey too, you know," Takashi remarked, a slight smirk tugging at the ends of his lips.

The shorter of the two, stood from his seat, scoffing. "You're not going. And if we're going to talk about this then I believe there is someone else we should mention," Keith began, pausing when Shiro tensed, "You know Katie has feelings for you, don't you? What are you going to do? Shiro you're gay and she's, well, a girl. You're gonna have to find a way to let her down before Matt finds out and her affections grow."

Shiro fell silent, eyes growing tired and pained. "If there's someone Adam could go gay for then who says there isn't someone I could go hetero for? I may not like her now but I could," the man muttered, hand fidgeting awkwardly.

Keith was speechless. "That's not how that works."

The broad dark-haired man furrowed his eyebrows. "Who says? Everyone's a little gay so why can't I be a little hetero?"

Keith didn't respond to the comment. Instead, he returning their original topic. "I can't tell Lance. Not yet. Now, go to sleep and stop trying to convince me about you're own ideals."

Of course, Lance heard it all. He had never left from outside the door for Shiro's voice had caused him to stay and eavesdrop. The words shocked him, Keith's honesty about his own feelings causing shame to run through the Latino.

Lance never thought to accept his underlying emotions because he was disgusted and afraid. Lance hated that he fell in love with a man, yet he couldn't bring himself to hate that he fell in love with Keith.

Silently slipping away from the silent room, removing his ear from the wood and walking away to his temporary sleeping quarters. He dwelled on what he had just heard when a few droplets came raining down from the sky.

Seconds went by and the drizzle quickly turned into a storm. Strong winds rattled at his windows, thrashing limbs scratching at the glass and the downpour creating an army of thunks on the roof above his head.

But, he didn't really focus on that. Instead, he took interest in the girl standing in the doorway, brown hair dripping wet and clinging to her pale skin. Water dripped down from the corner of her eyes, either rain or tears. Lance was disturbed by the emptiness in her eyes, her lips thinning rightly against one another.

"Katie?" Lance whispered, sitting up in his bed. The girl did not move an inch, eyes not once meeting his. Seeing how ominous she was appearing to be, Lance felt his worry grow as he scurried over to her, clasping his palms on her tiny shoulder.

He repeated her name, shaking her this time. "What's wrong?" It was then when she looked up at him, shuttering in her soaked clothes.

"It was all I could do to get away... He used my fears to make me defenseless and tried to... Tried to come onto me. Told me that Shiro would never forgive me... Never love me," it was at this point that her facade broke again her eyes regained their emotion and tears overflowed, "He grabbed me and cornered me. Tore at my clothes, tugged at my hair."

Lance couldn't keep up and was lost in confusion. "Who? Who did that?" He inquired, remembering the time he had just left Katie behind. A time he let fear overcome his righteousness.

"Why are men like that? So vulgar and disgusting," Katie whispered, gingerly taking out a pair of scissors from her pocket with shaky hands, "I came so you could cut my hair. I know you aimed to become a hairstylist before this and did your families hair. Please. I- I need this."

Lance immediately took the scissors away from the female, uneasy with the state she was in. "First tell me what exactly happened and who did it. I may have let it happen before but this time I won't let it slide. I owe you that. I know it doesn't matter, but I'm glad someone else had the courage I didn't that time and was able to save you."

Katie threw her trembling body onto Lance's, hugging him tightly. "That man from earlier. The white-haired one—Lotor."

Despite their past fallout, once the two were best friends and that friendship never completely faded.

———
IM BACK
SORRY I GOT A JOB