Chapter 4- The Meeting
"Goodnight, Shiro!" I call out, dragging Lance behind me. There had been a... small change of plans.
"Lance, I'm drunk on Numvil. I'm dragging you back to my room. Got it?" I purred in his ear, acting. He smirked, then nodded.
So now I'm stumbling down the hallway with Lance in tow. "Be safe!" Shiro calls after us. I smirk pulling Lance into my room and slamming him against my wall, entwining our tongues in a passionate kiss. Shiro's room is on the other side of the hall, so we have to act. "You did so good, thank you, baby," I whisper, "But we can't right now, just pretend." Of course, he's disappointed. For the next varga, we pretend to have sex, letting out loud moans now and again.
Now, we've got to sneak out. The doors here are quiet other than the swish against the floor, so it's pretty easy to quietly slip out. "Take your shoes off," Lance says, slipping his shoes off. "No way! I don't want your foot stench all over my room!" I whisper-shout at him. "LIsten to me, we'll be quieter in socks. I don't have any clue why you don't want anyone to know, but this is the way." I sigh, knowing he's right, and take my shoes off.
We slip down the hallway, peeking out from behind walls to check if someone is about, someone being Shiro. We successfully make it to the dining hall, where Allura is waiting. I lead Lance to the table where we sit in our normal spots. Hunk walks in shortly after us, tiredness apparent on his face. "What's up, you guys? It's late, why are we here?" He asks, taking a seat at the table. Pidge then appears, as energetic as ever. I stand as Pidge sits, my nerves overwhelming. "Thank you all for coming. I know it's late and we all want to go to bed, but I have a question for you. Well, it's more of a statement, really... I don't think that's the real Shiro." Everyone in the room gasps. "Keith, why would yo-" Hunk says, but I cut him off. "He's acting different now that he's back, and it worries me. This isn't the Shiro we know. He's wrong, he's... this isn't my brother. The Shiro we know is kind, understanding. He is always worried about us. He seems like he cares," tears push their way to my eyes, but I won't let them fall. "This Shiro is different. Our Shiro wouldn't leave me alone when I confront him," I pause, open my mouth to say something, then shut it again.
Allura looks scared, Hunk appalled, Pidge hurt, and Lance looked almost indifferent. "Keith, I can't believe you would say something like that. Every person here would think that you of all people would be glad that Shiro is back. He's very obviously off, but it's because he got taken by the Galra again! You can't expect him to be right as rain after enduring what he has, You're so thick-headed, Keith. We're all worried about him. He needs a while to get back into the swing of things," Pidge says angrily. I had sat down while she talked, gaping at her words. "I- does anyone else think this?" I ask, quiet. Nods all across the board. I sigh, visibly shaking, "So be it," I say, then I exit the room. There's one person I can talk to when I'm upset. She always listens. She understands. I mindlessly navigate the halls, feet finding the door.
"Hey Red," I say as I enter the room. She nuzzles my mind, like an attention-seeking cat. I feel her comfort and condolences as she hears my scattered thoughts. "Red, they don't get it. They won't listen to what I say. I know that's not our Shiro, I just know it. He's different. It's not okay, he's not okay. No one believes me! They all think it's just the Galra, but I know it can't be that. The first time he was taken, I was devestated, and it's true, when he came back, he had changed, but never this drastically. All that changed last time was his appearance, and of course his PTSD, but now, his entire attitude toward all of has changed. He treats us like children. This isn't Shiro. You can feel it, right?" I'm rambling on and on about the same stuff. Red stays with me, comforts me, agrees with me. I wish my team was like Red. I wish they could console me, listen to me, I wish they wouldn't jump to conclusions.
Suddenly, I'm filled with an overpowering anger. Red feels it and puts her particle barrier up. The barrier meets my fists with loud thumps as I hit it over and over. I fall to the ground, reminded of my dream. Only this time, it's not Shiro who's pounding on the barrier, it's Lance. I lurch out, grasping for him. He's screaming and tears are pouring down his face as his fist collides with the barrier again. I see his lips, his perfect, soft, beautiful lips. I'm reminded of how sweet they are, how he uses them with ease. "No," I think, heart pounding with the fear of what will happen next. I hear his muffled screams, his sobs... then silence.
I'm afraid to look up. When I look up, he'll be gone. I need to stay here in my blissful ignorance, staring at the ground. A sob rips its way through me, and suddenly I'm heaving. My entire body shakes as I empty my stomach on the floor. I can't feel Red anymore. Lance is gone, he's not here, he's... Is he here? I scream out for him, terrified, choking on my sobs. I try to stand up, but I fall, crumpling into a sobbing, tired heap. I call out again. Several dobashes pass. When air is entering my lungs at a fairly normal pace, I stand. Yelling for Lance, I stumble to the door, only to find Allura. "Where... W-where is Lance?" I stutter, gasping wildly for air. She looks taken aback, but points toward Lance's room. My room. Our room. I shove myself down the hallway, using only the walls as guidance. My breathing becomes ragged once more, as dark thoughts enter my mind. He's not going to be there. He's gone. H-shit-he's not here. I find the door, then fall through as it opens automatically. It's my worst nightmare confirmed.
The bed is empty.
He's not here.
