Nightmares (Klance)

Part 2: Suprise Encounters

"Lance?"

"Keith?!"

The two boys gawk at each other. Lance scans up and down Keith's body and notices he's still fully dressed. Gloves, boots, everything, while Lance is in a disheveled t-shirt, saggy boxers and one sock. He must look a mess.

"What are you doing up?" Lance asks. He leans on the counter, trying to act casual.

"I never sleep." Keith shrugs. He takes a sip from his glass.

"Never sleep or can't sleep?" Lance asks incredulously. Keith sighs.

"Bit of both. I'm used to it." He finishes his drink and places his glass in the dish cleaner. "If I'm gonna be up, I might as well be productive." He glances over his shoulder at Lance and his eyes narrow obviously.

"...You look like shit."

Lance blusters at the insult but his brain is only running on half cylinders so coming up with a comeback is impossible.

"Gee, thanks." Is all he can manage.

"You've been looking pretty terrible for a while now." Keith moves closer. He's the least eloquent of all the paladins, but also the most honest. Lance wraps his intentions in jokes and innuendo, dodging moments of intimacy at all costs. They're complete opposites, which usually has them bristling and crackling against one another, but in moments like this there is a rare truce. An understanding where Lance might voluntarily let Keith help him and Keith actually has the intelligence to tread lightly.

"I'm too exhausted to rise to your insults now." Lance flops down onto the counter. "Looks like I'll have to be the mature one, though that's hardly surprising."

Keith rolls his eyes.

"I wasn't insulting you. I just noticed you've not been yourself." Keith's voice is uncharacteristically soft. Lance sighs and folds his arms underneath his cheek.

"I haven't been sleeping."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah.... It's been weeks now. I'm not like you."

"Clearly," Keith smirks. Lance groans.

"I mean I actually need sleep to function!"

"I was wondering why you were so much easier to beat than normal."

"Congratulations, you managed to defeat a walking corpse. You must be so proud." Lance's sarcastic comment makes Keith laugh... until he notices Lance's pallid complexion. His eyes are bloodshot, his skin looks like its broken out, and his lips... which usually look so soft when they're quirked in a smirk, look chapped and raw. Lance has been worrying on them. He really does look half-dead.

"Why can't you sleep?"

"Nightmares."

Lance swears at himself. Keith has a way of drawing information out of him. He always has. He waits for the taunting.

"That sucks." Is the only reply. Lance sits up in surprise.

"You're not uh...gonna make fun of me?"

Keith wrinkles his nose.

"Why would I make fun of you. Look at you!" Keith gestures at Lance's limp form.

"I can't make fun of this."

"Because I'm so pathetic?" Lance deadpans.

"Yeah."