okay hey guys we're back with chapter 2! this was actually really quick (especially for me :P). anyway, tbh i really like the first chapter but im not as much of a fan of this one but its alright. i got around to the lance going crazy angst my gf wanted me to write so we're good there. tbh its not exactly my forte but it'll do. it was an interesting point to write from anyway.

btw thank you for the nice reviews, Seiun! Also thanks to everyone else for giving me a few favorites and follows! seriously, it makes my day to get emails saying you guys enjoyed my crackpot writing!

there is minor swearing in this one and more blood mentions as well as violence (just a fist fight though) so beware :P

You Are My Sunshine Chapter 2

"Lance! Keith!" Pidge shouted into the castle's COMM unit, "Guys come in! Where are you?" she shouted again.

"Any response?" asked Hunk, his forehead was creased in concern and he was fiddling with his thumbs.

"No," mumbled Pidge, "I'm worried."

…

Lance could feel the hot tears streaming down his face. He wasn't even aware he was crying until he felt the hot liquid streaming down his cheeks. His eyes seemed to have turned into two waterfalls, an endless spill of tears leaking from each. It wasn't the kind of messy crying and screaming he had expected, it was the wordless, emotionless tears that flowed down his cheeks like blood from a wound. Lance was unsure of how much time had passed from the moment Keith had died. He still sat in the same spot, Keith's body in his arms, Keith's blood staining the ground around them. Their helmets remained silent, their lions were nowhere to be seen, Lance wondering if they'd been destroyed or simply didn't deem what had happened important. Perhaps they would just get new paladins. That thought made Lance sick. Keith was the black paladin, which made Lance the new black paladin, Lance was the new leader of Voltron.

He felt his stomach turn over, he had no right to lead Voltron. Keith wasn't really gone, he couldn't be. Keith was never gone. Keith was always fine, he would lead Voltron, not Lance. Lance could not be left with this burden. He would not be left with Voltron.

All of a sudden, Lance was angry, he was furious. He was furious that the lions were not there to help, he was furious with the other paladins for not being able to trace their signal, he was furious with himself for letting Keith die. And perhaps most preposterous of all, he was furious with Keith for taking a shot, he was furious that Keith had done this. It should be Lance. It would've been Lance. Lance was replaceable, he was the red paladin, he could step aside. Shiro could've had Black, Keith could've gone back to Red and no one would notice Lance was missing. Allura was better with Blue anyway.

Lance felt his breaths become heavier, he felt his chest compacting and his lungs struggled to take in the air. Keith was gone. The thought spun through his head, ricocheting off the walls of his mind. He sat there, the weight of Keith's body weighing down on his arms making them stiff and sore, but he was still unable to move them. He was frozen in place. The broken fortress in front of him was shifting in and out of his vision. The purple light swayed in front of him. His entire body was screaming for air, yelling for release from the weight that was crushing him. Keith was gone.

Keith was gone.

Keith.

Keith.

Keith.

Keith…

Oh god, Keith was gone.

Gone…

…

"Lance!" Shiro yelled as he saw the figure in red crouching in the rubble. The figure offered no response to his shout, but Shiro noted that he could see blood around the paladin, Shiro prayed it wasn't Lance's. His eyes scanned the terrain but he didn't see Keith, though Lance was looking downward, Shiro hoped that he wasn't looking down at Keith's body.

"Shiro!" Shiro turned as Allura stepped forward. She was still wearing her blue paladin armor which was dirty and smudged with blood, but otherwise, she was unharmed, though her brow was creased in concern.

"Yes, Princess?" Shiro questioned, his heartbeat racing as he prepared himself for tumultuous news.

"Shiro…it's Keith," her voice trailed off and she looked down as she said his name. Shiro's heart dropped. He could hear his heartbeat echoing around his body, thumping against his eardrums but he forced himself to keep a straight face.

"What happened?"

Allura hesitated, "We're not sure. Uh-Pidge and Hunk were finally able to connect to the vitals on their suits and…we're not getting a reading from Keith's." She paused to look up into Shiro's face to try and gauge his reaction before continuing, "It's entirely possible the sensors have become dislodged but…" Allura didn't verbally finish her sentence but the unsaid words hung thick in the air.

Shiro nodded in response, "Thank you for-for altering me, Princess," he nodded curtly, and Allura returned the gesture though Shiro could see how worried she was and he was sure she could see the same in his face.

…

Lance heard his name drift across the ruined fortress. He tried to bring himself to look up to where it was being shouted from but somehow, he couldn't draw his eyes away from Keith's body. "Lance!" came the shout again, "Lance!" it was getting closer. "Lance!"

Lance recognized the voice, Shiro. Lance tore his eyes away from Keith and looked up to where he could see the green lion crouched over the fortress. Shiro was running towards him, behind him Lance could see Pidge standing in front of her lion. She was fairly far away but he could see the grim look on her face. Shiro's face was written with panic as he raced towards Lance. It was clear that neither of them could see Keith from their viewpoint. His body must've been obstructed by rubble.

Shiro raced towards Lance and paused just as he cleared the rubble that was in front of him and Keith. Shiro's eyes widened as he looked down and saw Keith. He stayed frozen for a shorter time than Lance though and quickly bent down and knelt in front of Lance. "Lance…" whispered Shiro as his eyes stayed fixed on Keith's body. "Lance, what happened?"

Lance opened his mouth to respond but froze as he tried to explain. He didn't want to explain. He was angry. Why come now? Why had the other paladins come now? If they'd been sooner they could've saved Keith. How dare Shiro ask what happened! What had happened was that Keith was dead because no one came to help them! How dare Shiro be concerned! This was his fault! The words screamed in Lance's head.

This is Shiro's fault! The other paladins' fault! Keith was dead because they didn't come. If they really cared they would've been here! Keith was dead because they didn't come!

Keith was dead!

Keith is dead.

Lance felt the rage consume him. He felt his body light with a strange fire, a fire he'd never felt before. They had done this. They had done this to Keith. Now they wanted to act like they'd been there helping. No. No. No.

Shiro reached out to try and grasp Lance's shoulder to pull him out of his trance. "Lance?" he asked, his voice was soft and worried, "Lance are you okay?" Lance didn't respond, he stared down at Keith, desperately trying to suppress the rage that was threatening to consume him. "Lance, we should go back to the castle, you're injured," Shiro's grip on Lance's shoulder tightened and Lance felt Shiro try to pull him up but Lance resisted. "Lance?" asked Shiro more concerned now.

"NO!" Lance shrieked suddenly, "NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!"

"Lance!" yelled Shiro, "Lance it's me, Lance!"

"Get away from me! Get away from Keith!" Lance screamed, his lungs were burning but he kept yelling.

"Lance, I'm trying to help, please!"

"No!" yelled Lance, "You want to help? You should've been here! You should've been here to help when Keith was dying!"

"Lance, I was trying, we couldn't find you, we—" Lance cut Shiro off,

"That's bullshit! You didn't want to be here! None of you did! None of you cared! Not one of you! It was just me! He died alone! Keith is dead because of YOU!" Lance screamed. Shiro looked taken aback,

"Lance stop we would've been here, we would've helped. We just couldn't get there. Lance, we tried, we really did, we just…"

"No! No, you didn't try! If you tried you would've been here! You weren't here!" Lance shrieked. Shiro reached out grasp Keith, trying to pull him out of Lance's arms but Lance resisted. He stood up and shoved Shiro away. "Get away from him!" Lance howled.

"Lance," Shiro put his hands up in the air as a sign of surrender, "Lance I don't want to fight you,"

"Then don't!" screamed Lance, "Get away!"

"No, Lance, you and Keith need to come to the castle, we can help."

"Help? Help? You think you can help? Keith is dead!" Lance hollered.

"Lance give him to me," snapped Shiro, his voice hardening.

"No!" screamed Lance. Shiro took a step forward, still with his hands in the air. Lance lunged, he threw Keith to the ground and raced at Shiro.

Shiro ducked Lance's first punch but the second caught him square in the jaw. Shiro tried to grab Lance's right hand but Lance aimed a well-placed kick into Shiro's knee and Shiro released Lance's hand. Lance aimed another blow into Shiro's jaw. His lungs felt like they might burst as he fought. He knew Shiro was barely fighting him but Lance didn't care. All he wanted to do was fight. All he wanted to do was make Shiro hurt the same way Keith had hurt. Lance screamed as he fought, he kicked harder than he'd ever kicked. He was unsure of how he managed to fight due to the soreness in his body, but the adrenaline was giving him an unnatural boost.

Lance kicked and punched and even clawed at Shiro. He fought like a rabid animal determined to protect his property. He lost all thought, all conscious inhibition slipped away, and Lance was locked in a world of red. A world of anger, a world of hate.

…

Pidge ran towards the fight, she knew Shiro could handle himself if he needed to, but at this point, she wasn't sure he would try. She quickly loaded her Bayard and raced towards where Lance was attempting to strangle Shiro. She jumped up behind him and sent a shock wave through him. Lance trembled for a minute before falling limp at their feet.

Shiro looked shocked. His eyes were as wide as saucers, he was out of breath but not from the fight. Pidge too felt her stomach clench when she looked down to see Keith lying next to Lance at their feet. She blinked as she felt warm tears come to eyes. Keith was gone. It was obvious that was no pulse and no breath whistled through him. His body was cold, too cold. It wasn't the kind of "put on another blanket cold." It was cold of death, the cold of the reality that Pidge was never going to see Keith alive again. The cold that Pidge was never going to hear his voice, or see his smile, or hear him and Lance argue again. She was never going to tease him about dropping out of the Garrison and groan when he refused to answer as to what he did. She was never going to make another stupid conspiracy theory with him again. She was never going to watch another movie, have another conversation, eat another team dinner with again. Keith was gone.

And when Pidge looked up, she knew Shiro was thinking the same thing.