Keith couldn't sleep. When everyone dispersed to take a break after the extensive caring and sharing session, he went on a short run through the halls to try to work off some of the turmoil churning within him. He kept it short because he didn't want to get sweaty and need another shower; he wanted to be back with everyone when they gathered again. It was a strange and new feeling, but he couldn't deny it. He wanted to be with them, these weirdos who were now the only people in his world who mattered. Who had ever mattered, maybe.

But the result of the short run, and no solo training this evening, meant that he wasn't able to burn off all the nervous energy spinning in his gut. After the dessert pizza, which was strange but tasty, they settled in the fort and talked some more. Just frivolities, talking about favorite things they missed from Earth and Altea, little stories from schools and friends and families left behind. Lance and Coran got into a joke tell-off that was frankly incomprehensible, though they seemed to enjoy themselves hugely. Then, one by one, people started to drop off to sleep.

Pidge was the first, shockingly. Maybe all of her nights staying up too late working on projects had caught up with her. She curled up under Shiro's arm and dragged him down with her, squishing herself between his side and the row of pillows. He ended up lying on his back staring up at the blossom lights, still listening to the conversations. Lance was next, sprawling on his back with his head on Shiro's chest. Shiro's other hand curled around and rested lightly on his stomach, so he could feel it moving up and down with Lance's breath. Even now, he was careful not to touch Lance's chest. Then Allura took a blanket and pillow to the sofa next to Pidge and spread out. Before or after she dropped off, Allura's arm trailed down into the main fort, and now she and Pidge were holding hands in their sleep.

Shiro's blinks started getting slower, his eyes opening less and less frequently. Coran moved to his head, arranged a pile of pillows behind his back so he could recline comfortably, and pulled Shiro's head into his lap. He started running his fingers through Shiro's hair, and Shiro was gone. "I'll wake up if there are any nightmares, " Coran assured Hunk softly. "Hopefully before he disturbs Lance."

Hunk frowned at the way Lance was leaning on Shiro's chest. Surely even the slightest nightmare would wake him in that position. But neither Hunk nor Coran wanted to move him and risk waking him, so there he stayed.

Lance had probably positioned himself that way out of pure habit, after spending so many nights taking care of Shiro. Keith felt a pang of jealousy in his chest, and he looked away, face burning. It had been made abundantly clear that it wasn't his job, that Shiro didn't need him for this, but he still wished that he was the one to look after his big brother and protect him from dreams.

Coran and Hunk kept talking for a little while longer. Coran's head leaned more heavily against the cushions behind him, and Hunk was burrowing again in a pile of bedding at the back of the fort. Keith sat against the cushions on the opposite side of the circle, his head heavy, hands clenched loosely in his lap. Lance's foot was next to his knee. Half of him wanted to grab it and squeeze until he woke up and squawked at him in childish protest. Half of him just wanted to touch it gently, pet it like it was a wounded little animal that needed tender care. Everything was confusing.

He wanted to leave. Wanted to stay. Wanted to run until his lungs burst and he fell to the ground, completely spent. Wanted to listen to the soft murmurs of Hunk and Coran's voices as they rambled on about nothing in particular. He wanted to protect Lance and make sure that he was always, always safe. He wanted to push him out of the way and take his place at Shiro's side. He wanted to take back everything he'd said during their messed up little storytime. But he was also glad he had said it.

His head hurt. His stomach, too.

Eventually Hunk's voice trailed off into sleepy mumbles, then stopped. Then Coran's eyes closed and he went limp where he reclined. Keith looked away, feeling creepy about watching them when they were asleep. Everyone was so...vulnerable.

Keith's head bowed almost to his chest. He closed his eyes and listened to everyone breathe. These were...these were his friends. His teammates. Everyone's stories swirled around his head. He wished he was Hunk, or Pidge, so he could build a time machine and go back and prevent the awful things that had happened to everyone. But that would mean he would have to go back ten thousand years and stop Zarkon from killing Coran's son and destroying Altea, and...

But no, forget that. Just ten years. Just eleven. Just enough to keep Pidge from losing her friend, or Hunk from being torn apart by that nasty kid. Just enough to keep Lance from being told that he was worthless and ugly at a time when he was young enough to believe it. Just two years, to stop Shiro from going on that mission.

He couldn't. He couldn't do any of that. The helplessness was hot and heavy his chest, a burden that he couldn't get rid of. Keith curled forward onto himself, his knees drawing up, hands rising to his face. He cried. Just a little, as quietly as he could. He didn't want to wake anyone.

He didn't know who he was crying for. Himself. Lance. Shiro. Everyone. It was sadness and grief and anger and hatred, but there was a beam of light in the back of his mind, too. He had told his story, that awful thing he'd never said aloud to anyone, ever, after that first day when he forced the nurse to listen to him. And no one had rejected him. Shiro had pulled him in tighter and pressed his face into his hair. Lance had held his hand, had insisted on it. The others had wept for him, as if his sorrow was their own. As if he mattered to them, and his pain mattered, too.

Family. They were his family. Keith had been through many families, just passing through like a ghost. Some had tried to connect with him, and some had ignored him, and some had hurt him. But this was the first one that felt like this. Keith didn't know what to do with it. Didn't know what to do with himself.

All he knew was that he wanted to protect it. Them. Himself. Everyone. He wanted them all to be safe. He wanted to be able to listen to everyone breathe, free and clear and peaceful and loved. Always.

The sniffles passed, dying away, and he sat there with his hands pressed to his face. Slowly, he uncurled a bit. His knees were still raised, but his head leaned back on the pillows behind him. He looked up at the blossom lights. They had dimmed somewhat now that everyone was sleeping. Had Allura commanded them somehow, or was Altean technology just that sensitive, even in such a tiny form?

A rustling drew his attention, and he turned his head and saw the mound of pillows and blankets that Hunk had disappeared into beginning to move. After a moment, Hunk emerged, blinking owlishly. He was looking at Keith. He gave him a smile, then crawled over and sat next to him. Keith rolled his head over lazily to keep an eye on him. He was limp and relaxed, completely wrung out, and he felt no desire to move.

"Hey, buddy," Hunk said, soft and low. "You okay?"

Keith nodded, a slight movement of his head. "Did I wake you up? I didn't mean to."

Hunk shook his head. "Wasn't really asleep. Just knew Coran wouldn't sleep till I shut up."

Keith blinked at him. "You're sneaky."

"Only sometimes." Hunk snickered softly. "Usually because of Lance."

"Yeah." Keith looked back up at the lights.

"Hey." Hunk shifted beside. "I...I want to ask you a couple of questions. You don't have to answer if you don't want to. You can tell me to buzz off, and I will. I don't want to make you uncomfortable or bring back bad memories."

Keith looked back at him. His stomach squirmed. He should have known that wouldn't be the end. "What...what are your questions?" His lips felt numb.

Hunk grimaced, as if the question pained him as much to say as it did Keith to hear. "Did that man... Mr. Jackson... Did he pay for what he did to you? Because... He should have to gone to jail for child abuse. Or assault. Doesn't matter if it was just the one time. If he left bruises..." Hunk's broad shoulders moved in a helpless shrug. "That's really bad, Keith. Really, really bad."

Keith looked at the lights. A shiver passed over his shoulders.

"You don't have to answer," Hunk said again, even lower. "If it... You don't have to think about it. You can ignore me."

Keith thought about it, then rocked his head from side to side. "No. I'll tell you. But if anyone else asks, I'll send them to you. I don't want to say it more than once."

Hunk slumped beside him in relief. "That's fair."

Keith was still for a moment, gathering strength. Then he opened his mouth. "Mr. Jackson... That man... No, he didn't go to jail. He said I got in a fight with some neighborhood kids, and it was my word against his. I thought his wife was nice, but she sided with him. Said he was a perfect father, loving husband, wouldn't hurt a fly. I was lying for attention. The bruises... I guess they could have looked like a fight."

His hand raised dreamily in the air, fingers ghosting over his mouth, his cheek. "Split lip, bruised jaw. A scratch from his ring when he backhanded me." He lowered his hand again. "My upper arms. I thought it was clear that they were...finger-shaped. Guess they weren't. My back...could have gotten that anywhere. Not proof." He could feel the horror rolling off Hunk in waves. He didn't have the energy to respond.

"It's not like he beat me. No welts, no cigarette burns. It was just a...moment of frustration. So no, he didn't go to jail."

Hunk's voice was a bare hush. "Did you have to go back...? No, you said you never saw them again. How...?"

Keith closed his eyes. "It's how the foster system works. They have to be careful with accusations. Even if the investigation doesn't prove anything, the kid still doesn't go back. I went to a new place. But they were...wary of me. I guess they knew I was a liar, and they had to be careful. They kept their distance."

"Did anyone believe you?"

"I think my social worker did." He sighed. "I don't know. She was...tired. She'd been doing it for a long time, seen everything. I could almost never tell what she was thinking. But she...she would have known that I'd never done that before. I was always honest when I got in trouble, too mad not to be. Why would I start lying then? I think she knew the truth."

Hunk was quiet for a long moment, taking that in. "I know I said...a couple of questions. Can I ask a couple more?"

Keith just nodded, too tired to speak. Suddenly, he very much wanted to go to sleep.

"Did anyone hug you afterward? Your social worker, maybe? Did anyone tell you it wasn't your fault?"

A smile twitched at Keith's lips. He was pretty sure he knew where this was going. Slowly, deliberately, he began to tip himself over. Until the top of his head just barely landed on the side of Hunk's shoulder. "No," he murmured. "I wasn't much for hugging. Always stiffened up. She knew I didn't like it. And no, no one told me it wasn't my fault."

"Then could I hug you? Right now? You can tell me to stop if you don't like it. But I'd really like to give you a hug."

Keith thought about it. He wasn't sure he could deal with it right now. Hunk's hugs could be overwhelming. "Maybe tomorrow."

"Okay."

"No," mumbled a third voice. Keith raised his eyebrows and looked toward it. Lance was awake, his head still resting on Shiro's chest, position unmoved. He looked tired and disgruntled.

Keith blinked. "No? What no?"

Lance squinted at him. "You're not doing this right."

Keith frowned. Lance sighed and slowly, carefully began to inch away from Shiro. He lifted the hand on his stomach and slid out from under it, then laid it gently down on the blankets where he'd been lying and moved over to Keith's side. He got into Keith's personal space, way too close, just like he always used to. His frown was mighty.

"Hunk is offering to comfort you, and you're putting him off. That's not how you do it, you utter fool. So here, let the cuddle master help."

Keith's eyes widened in faint alarm, but it was too late. Lance's hands were already on him. He didn't grab him hard, just firmly and decisively, but it was definitely a little startling.

Lance was stronger than Keith expected, too. He grabbed Keith's arms and manhandled him upright. Then he pushed him back into Hunk's side. Hunk had already moved to accommodate this, somehow. Had they done this before? Then Lance took Hunk's arm and very gently, very carefully placed it around Keith's chest. He patted it, like he was tucking Keith in under a blanket. And he gave him a smile. "See? That's nice, isn't it?"

Keith blinked again. Rapidly. He had no words.

He felt Hunk's chest rumble against his back. "Lance, you can't just force someone to accept cuddling. Keith, do you want me to let you go?"

Keith was still for a long moment. Then, "No," breathed out in a hush.

"Okay, then." Hunk settled his arm more comfortably around him.

Lance was still smiling. Smugly, now. "Told ya. Here, I'll you how it's done."

He picked his way over to Hunk's other side, crawling over his legs to do it. Keith turned his head to follow him. Lance settled down on Hunk's other side, his back to his big buddy, and pulled Hunk's other arm around himself. Then he tipped his head back to look at Keith. "And now you relax. It's the best thing ever."

So Keith did. He looked forward again. He felt Hunk's warmth, the movement of his breath. Heard the others' small sleeping sounds, Lance on the other side shifting his head against Hunk's shoulder. Keith felt like he was melting. A few more minutes of this, and he was going to be fast asleep.

Lance breathed a tiny, contented sigh, like he'd been wanting to do this forever. Though, as Keith remembered it, he'd actually already done it once earlier today. Lance had been kind of out of it at the time, though, so maybe he hadn't been able to enjoy it properly.

"Lance?" Hunk's voice, quiet, apologetic. "We're sorry we woke you up. The point of all this was to help you get more sleep, not less."

"It's okay. I just sleep really lightly nowadays. I'm sure it'll get better." Lance sighed. "And before you ask, no, the bullies didn't go to jail. They got punched, though. And they knew they were always on thin ice. Jordan wasn't in my class, and we were kind of prickly with each other up till that moment. Too much alike to get along right away. But we hung out at school a lot more after that and started walking home together, and they knew if they ever pulled anything he would report it to Javier. I also got hugged. Like, a lot. Mariposa and Laura spent basically weeks pampering me and telling me that I was beautiful and my brown skin was gorgeous and not to listen to anyone who said otherwise."

"Okay." Another shift, like Hunk was holding Lance a little tighter. Carefully, though, because of his breathing thing. Keith let his eyes drift shut. "Is that when you started moisturizing?"

"Yeah. Gotta do my big sisters proud."

Hunk hummed. Keith was almost asleep now. He heard Lance's voice again, sounding worried, and Hunk said, "It's fine. Coran's taking care of him," and then everything faded.