Keith clenched his fists tightly as he wiped at some of the blood that was collecting at the bottom of his chin. He spit the rest on the white snow littering the ground as a devious smirk crossed his face. The guy opposite from him raised an eyebrow, and Keith stood his ground, waiting for Brad to attack. The black eye painting Keith's right cheekbone was beginning to throb, and Keith wondered if it would swell again. He glanced briefly at his knuckles to see the broken glass embedded beneath the flesh protruding from the pale skin; he flexed his fingers and winced as pain shot through his hand. It's probably fucking broken again.

He heard movement and looked up as Brad lunged towards him. Keith caught his arm, pushing against his shoulder, forcing him to the ground with a loud thunk. The guy struggled as Keith raised his fist, his bloodied fingers colliding with warm skin and he felt a small crunch beneath his hand. He felt someone grab his arms and the 19-year-old flailed, cursing loudly as someone pulled him away from the other boy lying on the white cold ground.

The hands grasping his arms tightened and Keith struggled, kicking at the feet behind him, trying to yank his left hand away from his captor. It took him a few minutes to realize there were two guys holding his arms at his side, and Keith bit his lip as he watched Brad shuffle off the ground, moving his jaw around gently, blood trickling down his temple lazily. This wasn't good. Keith stiffened as he glanced around the campus square slowly, hoping, praying to see a familiar face... otherwise. Pure white painted the ground as snow fell from the darkening sky… but no one else was around. Fuck.

"Alright boys," Brad said, clearing his throat loudly, "Hold him up." Keith struggled again, thrashing against the guys holding his arms, trying to drop to his dead weight, trying to find any type fighting ground he could use against them. He sucked in a harsh breath as the first blow collided with his face, pain illuminating across his cheek again and something wet dripped down his face. Double fuck! This was going to hurt, Keith thought as the second blow hit his chest, causing him to drop to his knees, biting his bottom lip again, his vision wavering slightly as black dots danced in front of him. Fingers ran through his hair idly, yanking his head up, and Keith glared at the guy looming over him.

"Had enough, freak?" Brad asked.

"Fuck you," Keith spat, gagging slightly at the blood that had begun to fill his mouth before spitting it on the ground harshly. His right eye was beginning to swell, making it hard to see out of, and Keith closed both eyes as the next blow hit, unable to break free. He felt his body go limp and cursed inwardly as a fist collided with his ribs again. Stupid fucking Keith. Good going you idiot. Shiro's going to kill you.

"Hey! What the hell!" Someone yelled loudly and Keith felt the hands cutting his circulation off drop his arms as he fell face first in the snow. Cold ice greeted him as something sharp collided with his chest and Keith groaned loudly, coughing harshly as all the air left his lungs. Just pass out already! He tried pushing himself up, but his arms weren't responding well, and his vision was fading. Another kick connected with his chest and Keith's world flipped again as the pale gray sky greeted him, and he stared up at the white ice falling from above. Something loomed over him and Keith blinked slowly, trying to make sense of the dark figure, only to be met with another fist. He heard someone yell again before darkness clouded his vision, and cold swept through his aching body.

…..

"Hey! Hey, can you hear me?"

Keith jerked awake, staring at a fuzzy dull image above him. What the hell? He shivered violently realizing his clothes felt wet, frozen, and Keith momentarily wondered if he had fallen in some water. He felt someone shake his shoulder and he groaned loudly as pain shot through his right arm, his hand clenching. He blinked a few times as everything slowly started coming back to him, his vision twisting, fading, returning slowly to the bleak sky above him. He sat up slowly, wiping at his chin, pulling his hand away slowly to see red coating his fingers. Shit.

"Hey, stupid. Can you hear me? Are you deaf?" Someone asked.

Keith dazedly directed his attention towards the voice and swallowed softly, his face heating up as his eyes connected with concerned blue ones. He felt something touch his cheek, and felt his face turning redder as soft fingers ghosted over his black eye, pressing gently against the bruised flesh. Keith flinched. The boy squatting in front of him bit his bottom lip, worry and concern painting his tanned face, and Keith felt more embarrassed than anything. He nodded slowly, pushing his protesting body off the cold ground, dizziness washing over him as his mind gradually connected with the disorientation he felt. His knees cracked loudly from the effort and Keith stumbled as a strong arm grasped his shoulder, pushing against the dislocated arm. Keith yelped loudly and pushed away from the guy, shoving him harsher than intended, bending over slightly, grabbing the hurt shoulder.

"Sorry! Sorry! Look, are you okay? Do you need me to call someone? Those guys-" The boy started, putting his hands up slowly, stepping closer.

"I'm fine," Keith cut him off sharply, glancing back towards the other boy. He straightened weakly, biting his bottom lip as he noticed the soft black eye outlining the other boy's left eye, the cut tearing through his upper lip. Had he fought for you? Why? Confusion crossed Keith's face, questions racing through his head as he shoved past the boy, glancing down at his right hand as he started towards his dorm. The glass embedded beneath his knuckles sent sharp pain shooting through his hand every time he flexed his fingers, and Keith winced, trying his best to dig as much glass out of his busted hand as he could with shaking fingers. His hand had collided with a busted bottle on the ground earlier, resulting in some of the glass to puncture the flesh. Shiro was going to kill him… especially since the fight had been about him... technically. Keith stumbled slightly, his converse scrapping against the slick sidewalk, and he glanced down at the ice covering the dirty sidewalk.

"Hey! Wait! You really don't look that great. You sure you don't want me to call anyone?" The boy asked loudly, a few feet behind Keith. The older boy nodded, shoving his hands back in his pocket, pulling his red hoodie closer to his body. At least it was harder to see the blood. Good thing you own a lot of red. He heard running and turned briefly to see the other boy catching up. Keith rolled his eyes as he felt himself blush.

"What are you doing? Go home," Keith said, kicking some of the snow off the sidewalk with his shoe.

"Look, dude, you might be fine with this, but I'm not. You look like shit, and those guys were big. At least let me walk you home," The boy said softly.

Keith groaned loudly, "I'm fine, Man. I've had worse. Go home."

"Look here, Mr. Grumpypants," The boy said, agitation evident on his voice, "Whether you like it or not, I'm walking you home. No offense, but I don't really feel like waking up tomorrow and reading the caption, 'Frozen Zombie With 80's Mullet Found Dead at Voltron University' in the morning paper… Besides, my dorm is this way too."

Keith groaned again, coughing softly as he wiped his nose with the sleeve of his shirt. He wasn't surprised to find blood smeared across his hand. Figures his nose would be a bloody mess considering how much it hurt. It was probably broken… or at least, busted again. Shiro is definitely going to kill you… then, sic Allura on you. Keith shivered.

"The names McClain, by the way. Lance McClain," The boy said softly, running a hand through his hair nervously. He glanced over at Keith who shivered again.

"Yeah. I don't really care who you are," Keith spat.

Lance stopped momentarily and Keith faltered, turning towards him, an eyebrow arched. Lance pointed towards him, a soft smirk crossing his face, "You must be a joy at parties."

"Fuck off," Keith mumbled, turning back towards the sidewalk, the Galran dormitory coming into view. The snow was beginning to fall harder, smacking the older boy in the face, sticking to his clothes, and Keith wondered whether there was going to be another blizzard tonight. He touched his face gently, wincing as his frozen fingers connected with warm swollen flesh under his right eye. He couldn't see out of it very well and Keith wondered just how swollen it was, and how bad it looked. He bit his bottom lip again as he glanced over at Lance.

Lance was tall, taller than Keith, but he looked about the same age as him. But he was lankier; his blue hoodie almost swallowing him, his pants cutting off above his ankles. Keith snorted. Lance either was trying to make a fashion statement or he couldn't find jeans tall enough for his frame. Keith shook his head roughly as he felt himself blush again. Did he have a concussion?

"So. You want to talk about it?" Lance asked softly. Keith stumbled as his foot slid over some loose ice. He caught himself, his hand connecting with the green direction sign next to him, and he cursed loudly. He shook his head as he regained his balance, "No."

Lance stepped off the sidewalk as he spotted a large patch of frozen snow up ahead, "Fine. Suit yourself, Man."

Why are you being such a dick? Talk to him! Keith cleared his throat as he glanced at Lance again. He looked slightly hurt that Keith had rejected his offer, but Keith wasn't a big "sharer," much less, a talker. He was just being nice, asshole. Say something. Keith ran a shaky hand through his hair, grimacing as dried blood connected with his cold fingers. Exactly how much blood did he have covering his face? He turned back towards the direction of his dorm, listening to the harsh winter winds whipping around him, his hood flying up, his hair waving chaotically. He sighed, "My name's Keith. Keith Kogane."

He heard the other boy clear his throat and looked over at him to see a soft smile plastered against his face. Keith shook his head gently, and reached in his pocket, pulling his key as they reached the dorm building. He felt a small smile creep across his face as Lance whispered, "I'll have to remember that, but with that mullet, I'm sure I'll recognize you anywhere."

Lance shoved his hand's in his jeans pockets, feeling his face heat up slightly as red flushed across his tanned cheeks. Keith turned to face him, an agitated look flashing across his face briefly as he struggled to untangle his lanyard and headphones from his dorm key, cursing softly. Lance bit his lip. The 18-year-old extended his hand as Keith raised an eyebrow, smacking his hand away roughly, still continuing to fidget with the stupid key. Keith wiped at some of the blood that was falling from his bottom lip, and shivered loudly, pulling his red hoodie closer to his body. Awkward silence filled the small space as cold air swept around them harshly. Lance shivered as he pulled his own hoodie closer.

"You sure you're good, dude?" Lance asked softly, after a few moments of silence. He shifted on his feet, wiggling his toes in his shoes, hoping to warm them. Keith nodded slightly, "Yeah. Like I said, I've had worse. Anyway, thanks for walking with me or whatever… I should probably go; the semester starts tomorrow so… I have to… study."

Keith groaned inwardly as the words left his mouth. The semester hasn't even started yet, and you have to study? Study what, moron? The nonexistent textbooks that you haven't picked up yet?

Lance nodded slowly as he cleared his throat, "Right. Well, I'll see you around, Mullet." He turned and started walking towards his own dorm on the other side of the campus as he heard Keith groan, "Your dorm isn't even over here, is it?"

Lance threw his hand in the air, offering a half-assed wave as Keith cursed again. Lance kicked some of the ice off the sidewalk and touched his cheek gently, pushing against the flesh, hoping nothing was broken. He'd gotten the black eye when he tackled one of the guys off Keith… which also resulted in a bloody lip and a few busted knuckles on his left hand. A smile crossed his face as the older boy flashed across his mind. Keith Fucking Kogane.

Keith groaned loudly as his head smacked against Lance's shoulder, heat enveloping his body as he struggled to stay upright. His whole body felt heavy and his headache was almost unbearable. He felt something washing over him as he pried his tired eyes open slowly, shivering as water ran down his overheated back and shoulders. He heard Lance mumbling something, but he sounded far away, his familiar voice sounding fuzzy, hard to hear. Keith slowly slid his fingers over the top of Lance's sweatpants, his fingers messing with the loose strings, as confusion crossed his pale face. Why wasn't Lance wearing a shirt? Were they…? No, that didn't seem right. Keith swallowed slowly. He wasn't entirely sure where he was or why he was wet. Everything was blurry, and his mind, even more so.

Keith gulped loudly as his stomach threatened to rebel despite having nothing left to administer and flinched as he realized the water that beat against his skin felt hot and burning. He pushed weakly at Lance as his world spun, the water washing down his body beginning to scorch his flesh, his fingers slick against Lance's chest. Keith cried loudly, yelling for Lance to let him go, begging to get out. He pushed him harder, nearly slamming against the wall behind him as Lance grabbed his wrists, pulling him closer, pressing him against his chest, his hand sliding over Keith's back softly.

"Keith! Keith, baby. You're okay. It's okay," Lance tried, grasping tightly as the older boy continued to struggle. He stood firmly against the ground, hoping Keith didn't try and kick him, otherwise they both would tumble down. Keith screamed louder, tears spilling down his face as he smacked against Lance's chest roughly, causing the other boy to cough, the air momentarily leaving his lungs. Lance sucked in a short breath as the bathroom door flew open, Shiro rushing in, Allura standing in the doorway, and Lance flinched at the sudden movement.

"Please! Please, Lance. It hurts; I-I don't want to be in here," Keith cried loudly, shoving at Lance as water washed over them. Lance's hands slid up Keith's arms tightly, and he shivered as Keith screamed for Shiro, trying to force himself from Lance's grip, reaching for his older brother. Lance bit his bottom lip as Shiro ripped open the shower door, stepping halfway into the tiny shower, gripping the other boy's shoulder to keep him forcefully under the water despite the protests.

"Keith," Shiro said firmly, moving his hand under his brother's chin, forcing the younger to look at him as he continued to struggle, "Keith, hey, I need you to calm down. Lance is trying to help, but I need you to calm down, little brother. Okay?"

Keith shook his head as fear crossed his face and he tried backing away from Shiro as the older boy pressed down harder against Keith's shoulder, trying to keep him still. Lance winced as his boyfriend struggled again before Keith slammed against the wall behind him as the water that continued to soak his burning body felt like daggers against his skin. He cried louder, kicking weakly at Shiro as the older boy tried calming him down again.

"Get away from me!" Keith yelled loudly, Shiro stepping forward, trying to regain the grip he'd lost as Keith slowly began to slide down the tiled wall, his body refusing to support him. Lance reached for him, bringing Keith's arms towards him as he forced him to his chest again, forcing him to remain still, causing the older boy to flinch. The water that washed over them was beginning to grow cold, and Lance felt worry and panic course through his body. Keith's fever wasn't going down. The boy was still begging to get out of the water that was supposed to be cooling him off. The water felt cold against Lance's hands, washing away the blood stained against his shaking fingers, washing away Keith's blood. The 18-year-old let his hands rest under the faucet, scrubbing the dirt embedded under his nails, swallowing the lump in his throat as tears filled his eyes…

"L-Lance," Keith turned towards Lance weakly, tears glistening against his cheeks and younger boy felt his heart break. Water dripped down Keith's pale face and he let out a half-choked sob as Lance tightened his grip. Shiro to let go slowly, stepping back even more so as he let Lance take on Keith's full weight.

"Lance," Keith pleaded, "Pl-please…"

Lance felt tears welling in his eyes as he glanced down, biting his lip as pain flashed across Keith's fevered face, "You're okay, Keith. I promise. It's okay. I've got you," Lance swallowed loudly, choking back the lump forming in his throat. Keith pushed weakly against him again as his feet slid across the wet ground and Lance almost dropped the older boy as Keith's weight slammed against his chest. Keith clutched at Lance's shoulders, letting out a loud sob as his stomach heaved heavily, bringing up nothing but foul saliva and harsh hiccups. Lance tighten his grip on Keith's arms once more as his knees gave out, his head smacking against Lance's shoulder.

Shiro cleared his throat, running a wet hair through his hair as he stepped further out of the shower, closing the glass door gently. He stood there awkwardly for a few minutes, watching Lance adjust his grip around Keith, sighing softly as his brother stopped struggling, his pleas turning into weak whimpers and coughs. Shiro nodded towards Lance, swallowing harshly before walking back into the bedroom, closing the bathroom door behind him, leaning against the thin wood as he stared absentmindedly towards the mess painting the bedroom floor. He ran a hand through his hair as his mind drifted to a few years ago when Keith had appendicitis. That had been bad. Really Bad. And yet, every time since then, Shiro always drifted to that moment when ever Keith was sick. He shivered slightly as he felt a gentle hand touch his shoulder and turned to look down at Allura, a sad smile on her face.

"Is he okay?" She asked sympathetically. Shiro nodded, "He should be now… the water's starting to cool him off."

"Good," She said softly, running her hand over Shiro's shoulders. She bit her lip as her hand felt the tension flagging his shoulders and let out a soft sigh. She leaned her head against his shoulder, running her hand down his arm, her fingers briefly grasping prosthetic fingers. A soft smile painted her face as Shiro squeezed her hand gently, before she pushed away, stepping towards the bed. She glanced around the tiny room as Shiro let out a soft breath, "This is… Jesus, Keith…"

Allura nodded, pulling her white hair into a messy bun as Shiro let out a loud sigh.

…..

Keith collapsed against Lance's chest, his face pressing against Lance's shoulder as his knees gave out, his arms hanging loosely at his sides. His muscles ached and the water washing down his pale skin was beginning to feel cool despite his whole body feeling weak and hot. He groaned loudly as his fingers grasped weakly at the strings hanging from Lance's sweatpants, and he inhaled softly, taking in the warm scent of saltwater. Lance. He coughed, his tired eyes closing slowly as exhaustion swept over him. He felt soft fingers running over his back and tried focusing on Lance's words, "You're okay, babe. We're okay. I've got you."

Lance carded his fingers through Keith's wet greasy hair gently as Keith groaned again. He moved his head slightly, his fingers still grasping the wet strings in his hands. He felt dizzy and sick, but the soaked fabric gripped between his fingers made him feel slightly better, made him feel grounded, safe. He opened his eyes weakly, squinting as the bright bathroom light stabbed at his eyes. He winced and swallowed loudly, "I-I don't feel so good, Lance…"

Keith's fingers slid from the strings as Lance nodded gently, "I know, Mullet. I know."

Lance ran his fingers through Keith's hair again, pressing his lips on the top of his head softly before resting his chin against the older boy's messy hair. He breathed deeply as silence filled the tiny bathroom and fog began to coat the glass door, filling the tiny shower with heavy, thick steam. The younger boy smiled slightly as Keith's message from a few days ago showed across the door, written in his horrible handwriting:

Had to leave for class. Love you! 😊

Lance coughed softly, shifting slowly so he was leaning against the wall behind him, his bare shoulder slipping slightly… Keith's mouth pressed against his harshly and the younger boy flinched in surprise as his body pushed against the wall. He felt his hands relax against Keith's chest as the surprised anger began to slowly leave his mind, thoughts racing through his head as the music that blared around them vibrated against the shitty rough plaster behind him. He took a breath, the lingering taste of cheap beer and cinnamon filling his mouth as Keith pulled Lance closer to him…

"I- Can we s-sit? Please," Keith breathed. Lance flinched as Keith's voice met his ears and nodded, before realizing his boyfriend wasn't looking at him. He shifted again, stumbling slightly as his foot slid across the wet ceramic, his shoulder losing against the slick tile. Lance cursed, catching himself against the wall quickly, pulling Keith tighter against him as Keith mumbled something incoherent. Maybe sitting was a better idea. He adjusted the water slightly, turning it up as his body began to shiver. Lance laughed softly as he ran his fingers once more over Keith's back, "Of course we can."

Lance shivered slightly as the warm ocean water slid down his body, burying his legs as tiny waves meshed against his blue surfboard. He glanced at the clouds forming above him and let out a loud sigh. There was a storm coming… and summer was almost over…

Someone splashed him and Lance turned around to face his little brother. Jamie was sitting a few inches away from him, his tan legs disappearing beneath the saltwater as his yellow board rocked harshly, his arms crossed. Lance flipped him off before splashing water in his direction. The water around them was beginning to clash in rough waves and Lance bit his lip as he looked at the sky once more. They had only been here half the day, and despite the storm beginning to move in, Lance didn't want to go home yet.

He shivered again as Jamie threw move water in his direction. Lance turned to face him, an eyebrow arched.

'Are you ready to leave?' Jamie signed, a frustrated look painted on his face. Lance shook his head; school started next week and he wanted to get in as much surfing as possible before their Junior year started.

Jamie threw his hands down loudly, splashing water around them, letting out an exaggerated sigh. Lance turned back towards him.

'One more wave, Jaime. Then we will head home, okay?' He signed, giving him a smile as agitation crossed Jamie's face. Lance crossed his arms and waited patiently, sitting up straighter as thunder clapped in the distance. Waves smashed against their legs and Lance bit his bottom lip. Jamie groaned again and stretched his arms slowly before nodding…

Lance jerked awake, clutching at the clean sheets pressed against his sweaty body as he realized tears were streaming down his face. He'd been crying in his sleep. He sat up slowly, wiping at the tears clinging to his cheeks, and ran an unsteady hand through his hair. He let out a shaky breath and glance down towards Keith lying next to him, smiling slightly to see Keith's face pressed against his side. He reached for him gently before pulling his hand back as he realized the older boy was still sleeping.

Lance coughed quietly as he sucked in a rough breath. He swallowed at the lump still present in his throat and leaned back against the cold backboard behind him. He let go of the blue sheets and swallowed again as more tears spilt over their tired rims and glanced down at the jagged scars littered across both wrists. The younger boy let out a soft sob as the headache that had started earlier pushed against his eyes and cheekbones, and Lance coughed again. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes as he tried to slow his breathing, trying to calm down as memories rushed back to him in waves. He hadn't had that dream for a while now, but for some reason tonight…

He flinched as someone touched his face and opened his eyes to see Keith kneeling slightly in front of him, his hand pressed against the backboard besides Lance to keep himself from falling on top of him. He hadn't realized Keith had woken up. Hell, he hadn't realized the older boy had moved. Lance bit his lip as Keith stared back him, worry and concern masking his face. Lance pressed his hand against his boyfriend's forehead gently, relieved to find he was barely warm now.

It had taken an hour under the water for his fever to finally go down enough that Lance no longer felt the need to call the hospital. After that, and one hell of an awkward time trying to wrestle Keith out of his wet pants, Shiro breaking a lamp after tripping over a loose cord, and Lance promising he'd take Keith to see the hippos next weekend if he took the meds Shiro was offering him, Keith had finally fallen asleep. But now… guilt washed over Lance as he realized he had waken the sick boy up.

Lance flinched again, swallowing harshly as Keith moved closer, studying the tears present against his boyfriend's cheeks.

"You okay, Blue?" Keith asked softly. His voice was weak and hoarse from coughing, causing him to wince as the words left his raw throat. Lance nodded softly, not trusting his voice at the moment. He felt like shit. The dream had awakened something inside him he tried so hard to bury, to hide, to medicate. Something he didn't want Keith to have to deal with right now. He didn't want to be a burden right now.

Keith inched closer to the mattress, resting his aching head against the headboard behind him. He laced his fingers through Lance's stiff hand and pulled the other boy closer towards him, his other hand running through Lance's sweaty hair as Lance pressed his head against Keith's warm chest. Lance swallowed loudly as he listened to Keith's steady heartbeat, tears falling from his eyes as his mind flashed to his brother again.

Keith tightened his grip around Lance's shoulder as the younger boy let out a soft sob. Exhaustion flooded his body and he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open, but there was no way in hell he was going to fall asleep first. It didn't really matter how tired he felt or how shitty he felt because Lance needed him right now. He'd had the dream again.

Keith ran his hand over Lance's arm and his fingers tightened around Lance's. Keith pressed his lips against Lance's forehead, frowning slightly as his lips connected with an uncomfortable warmth present against the sweaty skin. He wondered briefly if Lance was getting sick too. The older boy shivered as Lance let out another sob and Keith coughed quietly. He held Lance tighter as the younger boy sneezed, choking slightly as a quiet sob escaped his throat.

"You're okay, babe. I've got you, Lance. It's okay," Keith whispered, running his hand over Lance's arm slowly. The younger boy closed his eyes as Keith continued to talk quietly. His body was beginning to ache and his stomach was beginning to feel weird. He ran his thumb over Keith's hand softly as he opened his eyes again, letting tears trail down his warm face lazily.

Through the soft sunlight that filtered through the closed blinds, Lance could make out the soft shape of their hands intertwined together. His slender fingers traced over the dark chemical burns that trailed down Keith's hand, and Lance swallowed loudly as Keith wiped some of the tears dripping from his chin gently, readjusting his grip as the younger boy shifted, pressing his head once more against Keith's chest.

"You're okay, babe. I've got you," Keith whispered, leaning once more against the headboard, resting his chin against Lance's sweaty hair, "It's okay, Lancelot… It wasn't your fault."