ANXIETY- A Klance Fanfiction

Healing Bath

Lance stirred slightly, feeling hot. His skin was scorched dry, and he scratched at it, feeling it flake off under his fingernails. Someone's cold hands grabbed Lance's, and he looked up at Keith. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out.

"You're dehydrated," Keith explained, staring at Lance's agape mouth. "Can I get you some water?" Lance's mind exploded into panic. So many what if scenarios flew around his mind, and he felt a tremor go through his body. "Lance." Keith's gentle but alerting voice pierced the panicked haze. "Please. It's only going to get worse if you don't do anything."

Lance stared at Keith before closing his eyes and nodding, taking a deep breath to calm himself and his thumping heart.

Keith moved away from Lance for a moment to grab a water bottle before settling back beside Lance. He lifted Lance's head onto his lap so Lance was laying on his back and looking up at Keith. He opened the water bottle and held the rim up to Lance's lips. Lance parted them slightly, and Keith poured a sip of water into his mouth.

Lance almost forgot how to swallow as the cold moisture soothed his dry mouth. It became sour quickly, and he forced it down his dry throat. It hurt to swallow, and he coughed weakly, shutting his eyes tightly. Keith pulled the bottle away momentarily, rubbing Lance's shoulder softly. Lance laid back and opened his mouth again, and Keith fed him a bit more water.

Lance brushed him off after a while, wiping his chapped lips on his shirt and catching his breath. Keith capped the bottle and ran his fingers through Lance's hair.

Lance's lips parted again and a breathy noise came out, a low hiss, as he slowly formed the word, "... Hunk?" in a hushed and aching voice.

"Hunk came by while you were asleep." Keith felt a bit bothered that Hunk was the first person Lance thought of, but he pushed the feeling aside, knowing he shouldn't be worrying about himself for the moment. "He said you might want to wash your hair when you wake up." It astonished Keith to no end that Hunk knew so well how to help Lance in this situation, even if Hunk and Lance had been friends for god knows how long.

Lance reached up and carded a shaking hand through his hair before nodding faintly. Keith got to his feet slowly, using Lance's elbows to help the other Paladin up. Lance barely took a step before his trembling legs gave out under him, and Keith caught him before he collapsed completely. Lance looked so weak, so terrifyingly vulnerable, it almost hurt Keith to see him like this. He worried his lower lip before crouching down in front of Lance, who had, at this point, sat down defeatedly back on the floor. "Here. Get on my back." Before Lance could react, his voice softened. "I won't hurt you, I promise. I'm just gonna carry you to the showers."

After a moment he could feel Lance moving, and he wrapped his arms around Keith's neck. He let out a grunt as he stood up, grabbing hold of Lance's thighs.

The walk to the showers was mostly silent, save for Lance's worryingly shallow breaths, and the tapping of Keith's shoes on the metal floor. A blast of warm, humid air whooshed at them as Keith opened the door. He thanked whoever had taken a shower that morning, hoping the sticky air would aid in repairing Lance's throat.

Lance looked up from where his head was rested against Keith's back, looking around the room groggily. Keith set Lance down on the floor by a bathtub dug into the ground, and furrowed his brow. It suddenly dawned on him the task he'd just made himself undertake.

He felt a tug at his pants and looked down as Lance hoarsely whispered, "swim trunks."

Keith blinked at the pure genius behind this idea. "... okay. I'll go get them out of your room, alright?"

Lance looked hesitant before nodding weakly. Keith turned to go but Lance grabbed his shirt.

"Bayard?"

Keith pulled it out from his spot on his belt. Lance sat back to wait, and Keith ran off down the halls to Lance's room. Now that he was alone, and running, his mind started to work in near overdrive. Why did Lance seem so worried about Keith going out, on his own, instead of the fact Lance would be left by himself? Maybe Lance's paranoia was getting worse, and now he was worried for everyone on the ship... No, that couldn't be it. He would've asked where the others were, if they were safe, maybe even to see them (they were at a peace meeting on a planet near where the Castle was currently parked. They were, indeed, safe).

If Lance wasn't worried for everyone, only for Keith, and not worried for himself anymore either... Keith's face flushed and he ducked his head subconsciously, running to Lance's room faster, as if he could run from the sudden feelings swelling in the pit of his stomach. Lance was worried about him. If that wasn't romantic, he wasn't sure what was.

He was out of breath when he got back, which sent Lance into a panicked frenzy about the metallic tapping he had heard the day before, and Keith quickly crouched by him, grabbing Lance's warm hands in his cold ones before Lance could seriously injure either of them. "Hey, hey hey. I'm safe, see? I'm right here, and I'm fine."

The heart wrenching terror in Lance's eyes was replaced with concern for his friend, before his body was overcome with adrenaline-deprived tremors.

"I got your swim trunks." Keith let go of one of Lance's hands and held out the piece of clothing. Lance took it and Keith turned away, listening silently to Lance shuffle about before tapping on Keith's shoulder. His eyes flickered sickly over the numerous scratches covering Lance's body, and Lance self-consciously curled up, wrapping his arms around his midsection. Keith's stomach knotted in worry at the unintentional self harm, before he moved to lift Lance into the tub set in the floor. He screwed with the knobs to Lance's liking as it filled with somewhat cool water, to soothe the redness of Lance's skin.

Lance closed his eyes and sank into the water, letting out a sigh. Keith sat by the side of the tub, watching Lance get comfortable. Once he deemed Lance ready, he went to get shampoo, and a tube of ointment left by Hunk. He sat at the head of the tub and, for once, Lance listened to his instructions as he told him to dunk his head underwater, or close his eyes. He worked the shampoo into Lance's scalp, gently, as to keep from agitating wherever the blood had come from.

Even through his gentle strokes, he still pressed a bit to hard and Lance let out a hoarse yelp, jerking away from Keith's hands. He jerked his hands back so violently a few drops of soap landed on the floor, and Lance reached up to rub the spot Keith had struck. He glanced at his slightly red fingers, and his face contorted into a frown.

"I'm sorry... did I hit something?"

Lance looked at him, then at his obviously bloody fingers, before shrugging a bit and laying back. Despite Lance's halfhearted response, Keith could see he was tense and hesitant in letting Keith work with his hair again.

"I can stop, if you want."

Lance shook his head in response to the statement, so Keith resumed his massaging movements, hoping he was getting everything out.