~~langst~~ (one shots)

useless (part 3)

~~keiths pov~~
He's been in the pod for a while now. Coran says he'll be out soon.

I've been pacing back and forth in front of this thing for hours. I'm so worried about him.

I'm so angry at shiro and Allura.

I just can't believe it.

Lance.

The happy bubbly flirty lance, who makes bad jokes and is always talking is depressed and hurts himself to feel better.

But.... now that I think about it, it makes sense. If i had paid more attention lately maybe I would have noticed, maybe I would have seen some signs of this, of him spiralling.

He stopped eating a while ago. His skin was paler and his skin tighter on his bones.

I think he stopped sleeping too.

He always had dark circles under his eyes and he zoned out easily. His voice became lethargic like it took him great effort to say one word let alone a sentence. 

He would always lock himself in his room. To cry I presume maybe cut. I don't know.

Something bad. Something I could have helped him with

I can see why he's like this if I really think about it.

Shiro and Allura have made him feel weak useless and alone. He used to tell us he was homesick and we didn't comfort him at all about it. We always left him to deal on his own with no support. We left him to drown in his own tears and thoughts.

We let him suffer.

I let him suffer.

Not only that but we all thought he was weak when he is stronger then all of us. How did we never see it.

I'm snapped put of my panic by the pod door sliding open and lance falling out of it.

I dive to grab him and thankfully I manage to get my arms under his quick enough so he doesn't face plant onto the floor.

He slowly opens his eyes.

"Keith?"

---lances pov---

"Keith?" I ask hoarsely. "Why am I in a pod?".

Keiths eyes are red and puffy like he's been crying.

"You can put me down now mullet" i say laughing trying to ease the awkwardness I'm feeling.

Suddenly keith wraps his arms around me his face nuzzling into my neck. I hear him gently start to sob.

"Hey, what's wrong mullet. I wasn't gone that long was I?" I laugh nervously, trying to ignore the butterflies tickling my stomach.

"Come on. Sit down and tell me what happened to me" i sigh and awkwardly waddle over to the couch with keith still attached to me.

I sit down and place keith beside me with some resistance on his end.

"So you gonna tell me why you're bawling your eyes out and hugging me?" I ask raising an eyebrow at him.

"Y-you got hit in the sh-sholder by a bot- by a bot and you passed out so-so-so we put you in the pod and it showed all you injuries and scar tis-sue" Keith sobs gently.

"What are you talking about?" I ask fear crushing the butterflies in my stomach.

"We saw your cuts and scars and the things you've don't to yourself" Keith says quietly wiping his eyes.

"Well shit" i say laughing. "Can't you just pretend you didn't.  It's not like you guys care about me anyway" i scratch the back of my head.

"Lance! I care!" He shouts angrily. "I care! And I should have noticed the pain you were in! But I didn't..." Keith says slowly trailing off.

"Keith... you didn't need to notice. No one did. That is how I want it because then I don't have to burden you. I didn't want you to notice because I don't want to be helped. Someone as annoying as me deserves this pain. I'm useless and weak remember" i say quietly a ghost of a smile on my lips.

"You're not weak though.  You're at a higher lever then me and shiro! We are only in the 50's when you just completed 100!" Keith cries grabbing my arms. "You would never be never be a burden lance and I want to help you".

I feel my heart clench.

"I-I'm not weak?" I whisper.

Keith shakes his head.

"And you're not useless either or annoying. You're our sharpshooter. The blue paladin of voltron. You keep us laughing and smiling even though sometimes we don't want to. You flirt with Allura to keep her mind off her duties and give her a break from it. You let shiro lecture you so that she feels better about himself. You bake and laugh with hunk so he doesn't feel lonely and miss home.  You help pidge with her work even though she insist she doesn't need you but you're only there to keep her company and make her laugh. And you made this dumb rivalry with me so that I would have something to do other then train" Keiths voice is begging me to believe him.

I think some part of me does.

"Wow you figured me out..." i say laughing softly ignoring the tears rolling down ny cheeks.

"Of course I did lance... i just never thought you needed me to tell you" he says quietly.

I feel keiths gloved hand slip into mine. It's warm and calloused in the places where you would hold a sword.

"Sorry I made you worry" i whisper.

"Its ok lance. Just promise me if you even feel the need to cut come to me. I can talk with you and I can help you" he tells me looking up at my face.

I nod.

"Ok mullet... i will"

"Lance!!" I hear pidge yell from the doorway.

Two small arms wrap around my middle followed by the rest of the teams arms.

"We're so sorry lance! We didn't mean to make you sad..." Pidge cries into my stomach.

I place a hand on her head.

"Its ok pidge" i say smiling. "I think I'll be alright now"

I'll be alright