*Lance*

When it all started, nobody really took it seriously. Everything was so rushed and these weights were shoved upon us so quickly that we used humor and banter to lighten the load. We eventually located each other after being separated. Nobody really talks about what happened during the time that we were apart. Nobody wants to hear about that time, let alone talk about. It was a silent agreement we made after we got back.

But you could still see the toll it took on everyone.

There's Hunk who flinched at almost every noise for a while. Sometimes when he starts to freak out, we'll give him headphones to drown out the noise. He says it helps him focus when he spazzes out.

When Shiro came back he was a complete mess. He would breakdown all the time in the beginning. I'd usually find him in the training room beating on something. He's better now, it's not as often, but it was bad. Being the leader made him feel like he had to stay strong and emotionless for everyone.

Pidge was the one who really scared us. At night she would have panic attacks. You'd find her in the middle of the hallway, in a cabinet, or on the floor. She'd hug her knees and mutters word to herself with tears streaming down her face. We found out about this two weeks after she got back because she was always so quiet. She didn't like asking for help and thought she could handle it on her own. Sometimes that made it worse.

Then there was Keith. He was the last one we finally found. With the combination of a broken lion and a deserted planet, he couldn't do much but sit, wait, and try to survive.

There's a difference between when he was alone in that shack on Earth, and truly being alone in an unknown territory with no way of communicating with anyone or anything.

He was terrified of being alone when he came back. This meant that he would always stay five feet within a person at all times. He was like a child, to be honest. Slipping his fingers through someone's belt loops, holding on to somebody's sleeve, and tagging along after them wherever they went. And at night, well...he slept with me.

As for Coran and Allura, they weren't exactly affected the way we were. They had the castle and each other to bide their time.

That leaves me. I'm not about to tell you all the details that you most likely wouldn't want to hear anyway. Let's just say that I really wish I was the Old Lance. Always cracking jokes, bragging, flirting, trying to one-up Keith...

He's gone now and I don't know if I like the new me.

"Here."

A pillow hits me in the face.

"Gee, thanks," I mutter. Keith ignores me and continues walking from room to room looking for another blanket.

Oh, and that's the other thing. I'm staying with Keith for a while. We got back two days ago, but neither of us have slept. It's still too...unfamiliar. (And his couch isn't all that comfortable.)

The others' went back home to their families. (Yes, Pidge finally found her father and brother.) I'd always thought that when I was finally able to come back home I would be ecstatic about seeing my family again.

But for some reason I don't...I feel sick when I think about it.

So Keith and I have made a deal. He'll let me stay here until I'm ready to return home, and when I do I'll take him with me. That way he's not alone.

"Found it," Keith states, walking back with the blanket. He places it on the couch and runs his fingers through his hair. He lets out a sigh and drops his hands to his sides heavily. "So...are you good now? Do you need anything else?"

I shake my head. "Um, no...but," I pull my hair trying to find the words. I let out a frustrated sigh. "Keith...I...um...would you..." I drop my hands. He catches one as it falls. I look at our hands and when I look back up he's staring at me.

He sees the unspoken question in my eyes and immediately says, "Yes."

Still holding my hand, he pulls me along with him to his room. He gestures for me to go in ahead of him and I do. I sit on the edge of the bed and look up at him. His eyebrows are pulled together in concentration. He's thinking.

"...I'm sorry," he grits out.

"What?"

"I'm sorry..."

"For what?"

"For being," his face contorts in frustration. "…like this," he finally gestures to himself.

I grab his hand and tug him down onto the bed with me.

"You're fine," I say facing him. "You might be a mess…but you're fine."

We fall asleep like that. Face to face. Our hands intertwined.

*Keith*

I wake up to Lance tossing and turning. He's twisting the sheets around, pounding on the bed, and there's tears rolling down his face. With a final gasp he shoots straight up, eyes wide, mouth gasping for air. I wait for him to calm down, so I don't scare him, but before I can do anything he moves towards the end of the bed.

This has happened before. The nightmares. But they've never been this bad.

He sits there with his head in his head in his hands. I slowly crawl towards him. Without hesitation, I wrap my arms around him from behind. He stiffens for a split second, but then he crumbles. The tears come back full force. Sobs wracking his whole body.

He's okay. He's okay.

"You're okay. You're okay," I repeat.

He turns around in my arms and wraps his arms around my waist. His head finds a resting place where my shoulder and neck meet.

"You're okay. You're okay."

"I'm sorry," he whispers.

"No," I murmur into his hair. "You're broken. But you're okay. It's okay."

He lifts his head up and he stares at me. Then his lips are on mine. And everything falls into place.

Words turn into reality.

Dreams turn into actions.

Everything is okay. It might be a broken mess. But we're okay. We're fine.