“What the hell?”
Halfway into his shirt and pants riding low on his hips, Lance turns around. His hair is still wet from the shower, any excess water sliding down his neck to pool in the crevice of his collarbone. Keith stands in the doorway of the locker room attached to the communal showers. Their sleeping quarters have their own private bathrooms, but Lance's shower had only been spewing out cold water ever since the last Galra attack and he had enough. Apparently though, Keith also visits the communal showers this late at night.
But Lance is too shocked by the unexpected visitor to even contemplate what Keith said or note the confusion and horror wrinkling his expression. “See something you like?” He flashes one of those flirtatious smirks but Keith silently storms toward him.
He pushes Lance’s arms down to prevent him from putting on his shirt while he glues his gaze to Lance’s chest and stomach and arms, everything about him except his face. Not quite in a sexy way either, much to Lance’s brief disappointment.
“When did you get these?”
It’s only then when Lance realizes Keith traces his lightning scars. Pale, visible lines that appeared on his skin after the Omega Shield incident. After he died. No one’s ever seen them. Even Allura doesn’t know. They fractal across the wide expanse of his skin, disappearing down his legs toward his feet. Luckily, they don’t reach up his neck, stopping at his collarbone, so he’s never had to worry about taking extra precaution to keep them hidden.
Until now.
Keith’s touch is gentle but the light in his eyes is fury. Not at him, Lance realizes, but at what caused the imperfections, at not knowing what caused such an injury. Sometimes Lance forgets Keith hasn’t been with them this entire time—no, that’s a lie; Lance vividly remembers those brutal months without Keith watching his back.
“When—”
Lance grabs onto Keith’s hand. It shakes in his grip and every bit of teasing evaporates from the immediate forefront of his mind. “I got hit by lightning. I’m fine.” His brows furrow, concerned. “Keith.”
“When—” he repeats again, never looking at Lance in the eyes, only staring at his scars. He hears what Keith is thinking though—I wasn't there. It’s so loud. So, so loud.
“It was when you were with the Blade. You couldn’t have done anything about it even if you were with us. I pushed Allura out of the line of fire; that’s it.” He doesn't say he died because of his actions. Keith doesn’t need to know that and Lance doesn’t need to keep remembering.
He hears Keith take a breath, sees his posture tighten, and finally, he looks at Lance. “I almost lost you and I didn’t even know,” he whispers, quiet and contained between them, and Lance chokes at the sudden confession of it all.
“I’m here. I made it.”
“You always do,” Keith says but his voice starts to crack when he adds, “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
“You’re here now.”
Keith continues to trace the lightning scars on his shoulder until his hand cups Lance’s jaw and guides him closer until their foreheads tap together. Shivering, Lance closes his eyes, too afraid of the raw emotions on Keith’s face, such a rare sight to witness. “I’m not going to lose you again.”
“You won’t,” Lance promises even though it’s a type of promise he shouldn’t make. It mollifies Keith nevertheless.
A soft bit of pressure lands against his lips, but by the time Lance opens his eyes, Keith has vanished and Lance’s nerves are left tingling.
for @love-kl's writing contest; congrats on 4k!!
