Author's Notes: Thank you to my wonderful beta reader UsagiRyu, for her suggestions and encouragement. I don't own Voltron or the team, WEP and Toei do. Darn it.
The blood was everywhere, covering his hands, soaking into the knees of his khakis, as he desperately struggled to stop its rush. Keith looked up at him, onyx eyes wide and feverishly bright. "Lance," he gasped, reaching up and grasping Lance's lapel, "It's up. . . to you. . .finish. . . the mission. . . take. . . Black. . .counting on. . ." Keith's voice faded on a sigh and his hand fell away.
"KEITH!" Lance woke himself up screaming. "Oh damn," he moaned, fumbling for his cigarettes with shaking hands. He hadn't been able to sleep a solid night since the awful day three days ago, when he had become the Voltron Force commander, and it seemed tonight would be no different. "Might as well get up, McClain," he told himself, sitting up and reaching for his discarded clothes. "Today's going to be a hell of a day anyway, why not start it early?"
Once dressed, he slipped out of his room and outside, stopping under Black's pedestal. "Why did I have to be so stupid?" he asked the silent mecha. "Anybody with sense would have known not to go running off after Haggar. But no, I had to take off like a damn idiot, as usual, and Keith had to bail me out, as usual." He choked back a sob and lit a cigarette, then sat on the edge of the drawbridge and stared unseeing at the lake. More than anything he wanted a drink, several drinks, enough to make him forget and not feel the gaping hole at his right hand where his best friend, the other half of him, used to stand. He pushed the desire aside. "You owe Keith at least that much," he told himself. "You killed him, you get to stay sober and remember every damned thing that happened." The cigarette fell from his fingers unheeded as the tears he couldn't hold back streamed down his cheeks. "Keith," he whispered.
Sven Holgerson watched his new commander from Castle Control, his own cheeks suspiciously damp. The big Norwegian had always considered Keith and Lance his brothers, since the day the two of them rescued him from a bunch of older boys at the Academy. Close as the three of them were, though, it was nothing like the bond between Keith and Lance. He shivered as he remembered the scene three days earlier. . . .
They had had a huge feast to celebrate the return of Voltron, and the defeat of Zarkon's forces. The next morning, the Force had accompanied Princess Allura to a neighboring village to pass out food. Sven had even let his guard down enough to talk to some of the village children. Then, one of Allura's mice had seen Haggar's cat and told Pidge about it. Lance had heard. "If that cat is here, so is the old witch!" Off he went in pursuit, Keith hot on his heels as usual. Sven had ordered Pidge and Hunk to get the Princess back to the Castle, then watched to make sure the three of them got away safely. Before he could make any move of his own, Lance had come back at a dead sprint, face white, and dragged him to where Keith was fighting the old witch. When they got there, Haggar was nowhere to be seen; Keith lay in the middle of the dusty square, katana stuck in the ground beside him. An unholy amount of blood was spreading in a pool under him; Lance screamed and rushed to his lover's side. As Sven joined the two of them, he heard Keith gasp out his final orders, then saw him pull Lance's head down for a fierce kiss. A few seconds later, Keith's hand fell limp, and Sven knew the Commander of the Voltron Force was gone.
"He's out there again, isn't he?" the soft voice startled Sven out of his memories, and he turned to face the Princess of Arus.
"Ja, Princess, he is," the Norwegian sighed, running a hand through his hair. "He's either out dere or shut up in his room, and I don't know vhat to say or do to help him. Ve need him, and he needs Keit."
Allura came and sat on the edge of the console. "Sven, why is he taking this so hard? All of you were close, but you, Hunk, and Pidge don't seem to be as hurt as Lance is. I mean, I know he wasn't ready for command, but I wouldn't have thought he would react like this."
Sven gave her a measuring look. "Vhat I am about to say cannot go past dis room, ja?" Allura nodded, and he continued, "Lance and Keit vere closer to each uder dan de rest o' us." He took a deep breath. "Princess, Lance and Keit for as long as I've known them have been lovers."
"WHAT? I had no idea; why didn't anyone say anything before now?"
"Because ve didn't dare." Sven glanced up at the stunned princess. "Ve veren't sure how de people o' Arus vould react to such a ting. And even if ve had been sure your people vould accept it, ve knew Garrison vould not."
"But why would Garrison object?"
"Because Keit is—vas—Lance's commander. Garrison doesn't allow relationships between officers and dose dey command." Sven looked back at the monitor to see Lance getting to his feet and stumbling back into the castle. "Ve had better get ready; Garrison vill be here soon and I don't vant Lance left alone vile dey are here." He sighed again. "Dear God, help us get trough dis." He got to his feet and strode out of the control room, leaving Allura alone.