So, this took a week longer to get out, and I'm sorry *orz* it's even worse since this is basically a direct follow up to the previous chapter, and I took a longer time to finish it. It's even shorter than the average chapter! Ahhh, I'm truly sorry. I hope the hurt/comfort makes up for it ToT

Given how distracted they had gotten during episode 1, Lance honestly didn't think they would manage to watch anything even though he really did want to. He didn't watch a lot of cartoons, but if Keith liked it, then he wanted to like it, too.

Luckily, after all the kissing and talking and snuggling, they ended up getting through the first two seasons of Voltron without interruption, which had, to Lance's surprise, left him actively wanting more.

"It's fun. This is fun." Lance glanced back at Keith, back pressed to his chest still. He had his knees pulled up to his stomach now so that he was curled into a ball in between Keith's legs, and Keith rounded their position out with his arms on either side of Lance beneath the blanket.

"Glad to hear!" Keith exclaimed, resting his chin on Lance's shoulder, eliciting a fit of giggles to escape Lance before he followed Keith's gaze to the windows, which weren't offering any light through the white blinds. They'd been watching for quite a while.

"How are you feeling? Are you tired?"

Lance blinked in surprise, just like he had the other five times Keith had asked him that question. The other boy checked up on him after every other episode, and at first it had just been a very Keith thing to do, but at this point, Lance couldn't help but frown.

"...I'm okay...still. You...ask that a lot…"

"Hm?" Keith observed his face, but Lance couldn't bring himself to meet his gaze. Maybe he was the one being weird…

They sat quietly for a solid minute before Keith sighed and leaned his head closer to Lance's. "I get it. Sorry if I sound like a mother hen...I just need to make sure I know how you're feeling. Remember—if you need something or if you want to do something else, just say it."

Lance shifted against Keith's chest a bit, still unable to meet Keith's eyes. He could only nod in response; it wasn't like he knew if he wanted anything. That was how hopeless he was. Pretty soon, Keith was going to learn that, and then...then he would see if Keith was willing to waste time on him. He knew Keith was a good person, and he trusted that Keith was a good person...but it was only because Keith already had his own preconception that Lance was worth more than he actually was.

"Hey," Keith interrupted Lance's thoughts, gently cupping Lance's cheek with his palm and turning his face so he was finally looking back at Keith's smile. "So, do you like the show so far?"

He leaned into Keith's palm, smiling a bit just for Keith. He seemed to be able to tell when Lance was drowning himself in deep thoughts.

"Yeah. I was never big on space, but I still like it."

Keith leaned back a bit, holding Lance to his chest and rocking them back and forth slowly. "That's understandable. If I wasn't going to be a pediatrician, I'd probably want to do something in space. But, helping children is my priority." He sighed and turned his face into Lance's neck a bit, nuzzling forward tiredly. "I like it."

Heat immediately spiked up Lance's body, passing through his heart like a spark of electricity before reaching his face in the form of red. He subconsciously leaned his head to the side a bit, exposing more of his neck for Keith's face to burrow into.

"I'm tired. And hungry. And you smell nice, like lavender."

Lance's cheeks just kept turning rosier and rosier as he watched Keith rest himself against his body.

"...you can thank Shiro's soap for that. I thought you said you got it for him…?"

"I did, but it smells really good on you." Keith answered immediately, almost absent-mindedly, as if he barely had to think to answer Lance's question.

He hugged his knees more, looking down as a small smile crawled across his face. No matter the situation and no matter where Lance's mindset was, Keith was always able to give Lance butterflies just from acting dorky or cute.

"...sometimes, I think you really are like the perfect boyfriend...too perfect for me…" Lance whispered, turning to look at Keith fondly.

To his surprise, Keith's head immediately perked up at that with wide eyes. "What? Me? No way, I mean, I'm not even experienced…!" He argued, piquing Lance's curiosity.

He shifted in between Keith's legs more so that he could face him without having to twist his body. "Not experienced?"

Keith froze up at that, much to Lance's confusion, and they just returned each other's gazes, staring and waiting for the other to say something before Keith sighed.

"Okay...yeah. I don't exactly have the most relationship experience, so...I don't think I could be called anything close to 'the perfect boyfriend'. The most 'experience' I have would just be a couple of past flings, nothing that would constitute as 'serious' experience, though." He gulped as he looked down at Lance's hand, as if he was going to reach for it, but ultimately dared not to. "I hope that doesn't change the way you look at me, though...I mean, I know I'm not the most experienced, and I know I haven't been in a ton of relationships before, but I do understand the difference between just wanting a fling and wanting something serious, I promise! Shiro's taught me a lot of things, and I've learned a lot from my past too, so...I promise I don't just think of you as something not serious! I won't do that to you!"

Lance found his lips curling up, smile spreading wider across his face the more Keith spoke until, by the end of his rambling, he was breaking into laughter. Soft, but still laughter.

He didn't understand why Keith would bother trying so hard to verify his romantic capabilities just for Lance's sake, as if he was on a pedestal. Lance didn't have anything to offer in a relationship; his body was the one aspect that was worth trying to win over. That said, that didn't change how tooth-rottingly sweet it was to watch Keith get super flustered and talkative, and his laughter only made Keith's face redden more.

A part of him was honestly surprised that Keith didn't have much relationship experience. After all, the guy was a super hot badass that dominated the race track, and on top of that, he had the purest heart Lance had ever seen. It was just as he said before—Keith was like the perfect boyfriend. It seemed unrealistic to even consider that he didn't have suitors of both genders all over him...so the fact that he was actively trying this much for Lance's sake made his heart melt—even if he didn't understand why.

He beamed up at Keith to ease his tenseness. "I don't think differently of you," he assured, grabbing Keith's hand and raising it to his own cheek with minimal ache. "...I think it's sweet. At least I know you don't have any exes to worry about!"

Keith's face seemed to relax at that, and he returned Lance's smile while cupping his cheek more, running his thumb along Lance's jawline tenderly.

Lance's heart was spiking out of control as he turned his head to kiss Keith's palm, slowly but steadily growing bolder. Being with Keith like this reminded him of their times together, during that first week they'd met, only this was way more intimate, and the familiarity of it all helped him ease up to the boy who he had once called his boyfriend. He was back to questioning what to call their relationship now, though.

They silently basked in each other's closeness for a while, with Lance relishing in the feel of Keith's hand against his cheek and Keith admiring the looks Lance gave him as he slowly warmed back up to him.

Then, Keith's smile faltered a bit, and his hand fell from Lance's cheek to wrap around his shoulder, as if to support him against his chest better. His stomach tightened in a deep sigh, and Lance shifted worriedly, looking Keith over, confused at his sudden mood shift.

"...what about your relationship experience?" He asked, caution tensing both his voice and his muscles as he looked Lance in the eyes, as if to assure him he wasn't trying to make Lance freak out. "What about your exes? Only if you want to talk about it, of course…"

Lance's stomach churned just at the mention of exes, since that obviously meant...him…

"You don't have to say anything!" Keith spoke fast—he must've seen the panic in Lance's eyes as he pulled him closer against his chest. "I just...I want to help you. I want to help you recover, and talking is a good first step, but the healing process is going to take time. You don't need to rush, so you don't need to say anything if you can't."

That gave Lance a little bit of reassurance as he rested his head against Keith and focused on his heartbeat instead of his own, hesitating to dip his mind into thoughts of Lotor. He wanted to say something...Keith was holding him like this and deserved to know what he was dealing with...but just the thought of Lotor opened up a gaping void in the pit of his stomach, and he felt like it could swallow him whole at any moment, tossing him back into an inescapable hole.

"Keith…" Lance burrowed into him, beginning to shake as images of Lotor flashed through his mind.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up...we can talk about something else," Keith suggested, fingers lightly grazing against Lance's hair.

Lance had to swallow hard to ground himself to shake his head, looking up into Keith's eyes, wanting to be sure it was safe to talk about Lotor. Of course, the look Keith gave him and the way he squeezed him was the safest thing Lance had ever experienced; he just had to soften his erratic breathing before he could speak.

"...no...it's okay. I'll try...but...I don't want to fall back into that same hole again, Keith…" His hands clutched onto Keith's shirt, and he found that he was already breaking down with tears brimming at his eyes. God he was so pathetic...he didn't intend to say anything that might make Keith hate him...but maybe Keith would hate him just from how pathetic he looked right now…

"Hey, it's okay…" Keith whispered, now straight up stroking the back of Lance's head. "You're not falling back anywhere. You're here with me, and it's okay to be scared. I'm listening."

Lance didn't know exactly what he wanted to say, so a million thoughts were invading his head all at once...the feeling of Keith's hand running through his hair was the only thing that tied him down to the reality that he was safe here with Keith. It was like a breath of fresh air, and he clung to it, focusing on Keith's body warmth, letting the other boy guide him through his own maze of a mind.

"...what should I say?" He looked up for Keith to give him order—his mind was a little clearer with Keith here but he still didn't know what the other wanted to hear.

Keith craned his neck down to press their foreheads together for a brief period, effectively launching Lance's heart into his throat as he spoke in a breathy whisper. "You can say whatever you want. It doesn't matter to me. I just want to be here to listen to you."

He shivered and scrabbled for a tighter grip against Keith's shirt. A cold wave of empty disappointment washed over him when Keith pulled his head back, but it passed as quickly as it had come, and he was left looking down at himself as Keith tucked the blankets closer as patiently as ever.

"...you once said, people don't hit the ones they love…" Lance started slowly, shifting uncomfortably in Keith's arms, not because Keith was uncomfortable, but because he wasn't at all used to talking about stuff like this with someone. "Lotor always hit me...so then...was he never in love with me?" He shakily rose his hands in front of his face, looking them over in repulsion. "But he said nobody else could love me except for him...so if Lotor doesn't love me then I'm…!" He was just talking to himself now as he buried his face in his palms, because just as he'd expected, tears began to burst.

He felt so heavy, like there was a brick chained to his foot, dragging him farther and farther into the shadowy depths of water. Any memory of Lotor just sucked him down even more, suffocating him, drowning him in the realization of how unlovable he was. How worthless he was without his body.

He didn't realize how badly he had began to sob until Keith was shaking him lightly, repeating his name worriedly.

"I can't…" Lance whimpered into Keith's stomach. "Lotor...he…only Lotor knows me and...but he didn't care...he let them do things to me, Keith…!"

His heart was melting in a completely different way from before; it was like his body was burning in his own uselessness, and even though he knew Lotor was willing to let other men have their way with Lance without him even knowing what was going on, he could feel that aching gnaw in his chest—the one that screamed for Lotor to embrace him, because only Lotor could truly accept Lance outside of just his body…

"Lance!" Keith shouted, finally raising his voice and shaking Lance harder until they were staring into each other's eyes. They both looked hysterical, but it was for completely different reasons as Keith cupped each side of Lance's face to stabilize his shaking.

"Hey...listen to me. Don't listen to Lotor...he was manipulating you, trying to hurt you. Okay? Lotor isn't the only person who can love you...I can love you!"

Lance was stunned into stillness, sobs disappearing as he observed Keith's face for any signs of trickery or hesitation—there were none, as far as he could tell. In fact, Keith's eyes were more fiery than he'd ever seen before, drawing out silent tears from Lance that fell against Keith's hands.

"...no, you can't," he whispered, sinking against Keith. "You can't love me...Lotor spent nearly two years making sure no one could love me...I'm ruined…" He couldn't finish speaking as a sob seized his body.

Keith pressed their foreheads together again.

"From here on out, everything about Lotor is just wrong. Okay? Everything he ever said and did—wrong. I know he must've tried forcing things into your head...and that's not your fault. It's him. It's all his fault, and you didn't deserve any of it…" Their noses were touching now, and Lance could only describe this moment as surreal as Keith's lips curled up into a smile. "You don't need to rush to get better. I'm here, Lance. And if Lotor spent two years trying to break you down…I'll spend two-thousand years helping you mend back together; I don't care how long it takes."

That last line completely erased everything that had been on Lance's mind, leaving him a blank slate just staring at Keith in disbelief and shock. Then, all at once, like an overflooded dam crashing down, Lance exploded.

He could barely make coherent sentences as he buried his face into Keith's chest, tears overflowing the sides of his face—only this time, they weren't from fear.

"I'm...I'm sorry…" He hiccupped, doing his best to speak for Keith. "I'm sorry if I...if I do things that he taught me...and if it's hard on you…"

"It's okay. I'll stay with you no matter what," Keith assured, pulling Lance into a tighter embrace and rubbing his back.

"And...I'm sorry if...I'm a-always crying, but...I can't...I can't do anything else…"

"It's okay, Lance. It's okay…" Keith assured again, rocking them back and forth gently.

"I'm sorry if...I don't know what to do when you're nice…" His weeping was beginning to calm down now, thanks to Keith's back rubbing. "And...I'm sorry if I'm just a burden for you…"

"Shhh...Lance. Remember what I said?" He kissed Lance's neck before resting his head against the skin. "I'll stay and help you heal, no matter how long it takes. So don't apologize."

Lance went lax in Keith's arms, drained beyond exhaustion both physically and emotionally. Still, he managed to smile through a soft nod at Keith's words, curling into himself in between Keith's legs like it was his own personal safe place.

They rested their bodies together in a period of silence as Lance squeezed his eyes shut and focused on the feeling of Keith's body surrounding his like it was the only thing that existed. Like the outside world didn't matter.

He didn't know how Keith could possibly say any of the things he was saying; after all, why would somebody want to put up with him? Why would somebody promise to be there for him? It didn't make sense...but this was Keith, and from what Lance knew, Keith didn't make sense in general. There was always the chance he didn't know Keith as well as he thought he did, and that he was just lying...but Lance hoped that wasn't the case. He hoped Keith was telling the truth...and he hoped Keith would stay with him. He hoped Keith helped guide him back to happiness...because even after everything, he wanted to believe he could be happy again.

That hope was the only reason he chose to block out the doubts in his mind and cling to Keith.

"...you know," Keith started, taking a few deep breaths with his head still pressed into Lance's neck, "your skin is really smooth. Sorry if that's weird."

Lance's lips curled up at that—after such a violent assault on his emotions, he greatly welcomed Keith's banter.

"Thank you, I think..."

His hands reached up to play with the ends of Keith's hair, bearing through the slight ache that gnawed at his arms. He didn't even realize what he was doing until Keith chuckled, freezing him. "It...it's okay for me to do this, right?"

Keith brought his head away from Lance's neck so they could look at each other again, and the fond look on Keith's face told Lance everything. That didn't stop him from answering, though. "Of course, Lance. You can play with any part of my body—oh my god, I'm not—! Don't take that the wrong way, I swear I'm not trying to make you feel uncomfortable, I just meant—I'm so sorry!"

Lance started giggling the moment Keith's face dropped in panic, and it didn't get any better with the way he kept rambling. He couldn't help it—Keith could be so endearingly dorky sometimes, and it was actually incredible how easy it was for him to lift Lance's mood.

"I know what you mean," he assured, hand sliding down to Keith's cheek with a big smile. He was too engaged in the moment to realize how forward his action was until Keith's face reddened, turning into his hand slightly. That, in turn, got Lance's cheeks to flush, and he pulled his hand back to himself as the two of them just sat awkwardly without pulling their bodies away.

Perhaps it was a little strange for them to go through this phase of blushing just from simple touches since they'd literally had sex in Keith's car before, but this was different...this was something beyond physical intimacy. It was emotional intimacy, too, and that was something Lance had never experienced before. Judging from Keith's lack of relationship experience, it was probably something he hadn't experienced much, either.

"...I think we forgot about watching Voltron again." Keith chuckled, reaching for his laptop while still holding Lance against his chest. "Are you done watching? Or did you want to keep going? It's about to get really good."

Lance didn't think he could smile any more than he already was, but Keith consistently proved him wrong as his cheeks lit up to match the fluttering of his heart. Anyone could tell Keith wanted to keep watching, and if he wanted to watch, then Lance did, too.

Before he could answer, however, there was a knock on the door, and after Keith called for him to come in, Shiro peeked his head in with black paper trays.

He smiled the moment he saw them cuddling together in front of Keith's laptop, blanket and pillows appropriately embracing them until they were the very definition of comfort.

Shiro always seemed to be smiling—at least, from Lance's perspective—and at this point, he had already come to associate Shiro with the warm look whenever he thought about him. He may have initially appeared big and scary, but his face helped give off an aura of tenderness, and his actions certainly helped with that image as well as he set the closed trays in front of Keith. Despite the thoughtful gesture, though, the smell instantly had Lance cowering into Keith's chest.

"Chinese food just came in. I put in a little bit of everything into those two trays, so enjoy to your stomach's content. Here." He placed napkins and water bottles next to the trays that had seemingly come out of nowhere before nodding at the laptop. "That's a good show. Anyways, I'll check in again at some point, but just shout for me if you want more food, or if you just need anything in general. That goes for both of you."

Keith gave him an understanding nod before opening up the trays as Shiro left to give them their privacy.

As soon as Shiro was gone and as soon as the trays were open, displaying the oily chinese food within them, Lance began trying to back away into Keith even more, hiding his face in his shirt.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Keith asked, stroking Lance's arm and trying to cup his cheek with the other hand, and it was so jarring to Lance because he expected Keith to just be annoyed at his reaction, but instead, his voice was the most soothing, patient thing he'd ever heard.

"I...I can't…" Lance let Keith tilt his face up so they could look at each other as he whimpered. "I can't eat it…"

Keith's brows deflated sadly, looking from Lance to the trays of food then back again. "Lance...you have to. Okay? You have to eat so you can feel better...all you've eaten is a banana."

"That's all I need." Lance squeezed his knees against his chest. "It's normal, so...I'll be fin—!"

He yelped as Keith suddenly grabbed his shoulders, a much more serious look on his face now.

"Lance…what do you mean it's normal?" He briefly scanned Lance's body, lip beginning to quiver, and Lance suddenly found that he had to avoid eye contact.

"...it isn't import—"

"Lance!"

He winced at Keith's increase in volume, not daring to seek comfort in his chest in case Keith rejected him. He instead lowered his face into his knees, already feeling his body beginning to shiver. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry…"

He waited for Keith to continue shouting, but instead, he felt him pressing his cheek to the top of Lance's head as he began rubbing his back all over again.

"...I'm sorry for yelling, Lance. Just, please...tell me why you said you can't eat. Tell me what's wrong. I want to help you...remember?"

Lance choked down a sob that Keith would definitely feel since his hand was on his back, slowly leaning his head back into Keith's chest upon hearing his softer voice return. "I...I know you do...I just…" Despite his trembling voice, his body had stopped shaking at this point, comforted by Keith's warmth, and he decided he would just never leave Keith's arms like this unless he was yelled at again. "I can't eat that food...it'll ruin my body, and this is all I have…" He hugged his stomach while eyeing the chinese food like it was an unspeakable force of evil.

He waited to be reprimanded, to be scolded for already being too difficult, but instead, Keith just pressed his lips to the top of Lance's head.

"...I think I get it. It...it's going to be okay, Lance," Keith whispered, tilting Lance's face back up to look at him. "Really, it's going to be okay. Can you try to eat a little, though? For me?"

Lance couldn't help but whine as his jaw fell open a bit. He should've been happy that Keith didn't find him pathetic, but he could only hang his head.

"...for you…" He whispered, already regretting that answer as Keith pulled the trays closer.

"Thank you...you don't have to eat a lot, I promise. Just a little bit, okay? As much as you can."

Lance dipped his head in a small nod, reaching for one of the forks in favor of the chopsticks and cautiously lifting a small batch of white rice to his lips. His tongue slid out cautiously to taste it first, buying himself time. He could feel Keith watching him, though, so he tightened his stomach in a grimace and forced the fork into his mouth.

He knew he didn't have to be scared of a little rice, but just seeing all the oily food had him approaching the situation with extra caution.

Keith's eyes stayed on him as he ate, as if demonstrating for Lance, who only managed to pick at small clumps of rice every now and then. Then, out of nowhere, Keith picked up a piece of orange chicken in his chopsticks and held it out towards him.

Lance frowned, looking up from the piece of chicken to Keith. "What…?"

"Here. You need meat, too. Please?"

The 'please' was what did it for Lance, and he kept his eyes locked with Keith's to hold onto his resolve as he opened his mouth.

"I need more room than that! Come on, say 'ahhh'." Keith insisted.

Despite his twisting stomach, Lance couldn't but giggle, complying and making an 'ahhh' sound as he opened his mouth wider for Keith to fit his chopsticks inside. He didn't spend time tasting the chicken, for obvious reasons; he chewed quickly and swallowed before resting his face back against Keith's chest to signify he didn't want any more.

"Hey, it's your turn!" Keith prompted, nudging Lance lightly.

His stomach flipped again, not in disgust, but in excitement as he smiled up at Keith and poked a piece of chicken with his fork. So long as he didn't have to be the one eating, he found the concept of feeding Keith strangely cute and fun. "Okay. But now it's your turn to say 'ahhh'!" Lance declared.

Keith snickered and did as he was told, and Lance thought it was the cutest thing ever to see him patiently waiting with his mouth open. When his lips closed around Lance's fork, though, his cheeks flushed, and he held the fork in Keith's mouth for a few seconds as he stared. Only when Keith moaned at the taste of the chicken did Lance pull back with a yelp, face reddening with each movement of Keith's jaw as he chewed.

"Eat more, okay? You can feed me most of the chicken," Keith suggested, nodding at the trays.

Lance bit back his complaint. He knew Keith was only trying to look out for him—he just had to do enough to please him.

He picked at the rice more, and Keith let him feed him after every bite he took, which gave Lance great satisfaction. Eating in general was stressful, and he felt squeamish each time Keith tried feeding him a piece of chicken from his chopsticks, but regardless of how his stomach felt, he was thankful to Keith and Shiro for looking after him.

"Thank you…" he muttered out of the blue, staring at Keith as the black-haired boy fed himself, taking in his features more; from the messy drop of his mullet down the back of his neck to the way he seemed to naturally pout while still seeming warm, Lance took in all of it. He wanted to remember every single frame of Keith's being, just in case he ever lost it. He didn't want to think about Lotor, and he didn't want to think about what would happen if he lost Keith, but just in case he ever did, he wanted to engrave him in his memory forever and ever.

Keith caught him staring with a raise of his eyebrow, smiling when Lance sighed in admiration. Then, he leaned his head forward, closing their lips together as they shared another gentle kiss.

The food was quickly forgotten as Lance turned more for Keith's convenience, and even though he already knew how different Keith was from everything else in his life, he would never be able to stop the butterflies that appeared whenever Keith reminded him just how different he was. He felt safe...and even more than that, he felt like he could be happy.

They deepened the kiss for a few more seconds before pulling away for air, smiling at each other as Keith ran his fingers down the side of Lance's face.

"Sorry about that...you're just super cute."

Lance lifted his hand over Keith's hand while leaning his face into the touch with a wide smile.

There was a part of him that screamed for him not to trust Keith so openly, that he was being stupid and leading himself right into another disaster...but despite everything he'd been through, Keith just gave off a vibe of 'I will protect you' that warmed Lance's heart. He'd already told him about what Sendak and the other men did to him at the bar...and he knew a little bit about Lotor...and while there was still so much more that could make Keith leave him, so much more that Lance didn't want to think about, he hadn't left him yet...and that had to count for something.

"We should finish eating so Shiro doesn't yell at us. We're only half-way through," Keith pointed out, picking up another piece of chicken in his chopsticks.

Lance nodded, but turned away from the food so that he wouldn't have to eat anymore of the orange chicken. Luckily, Keith seemed to get the message, and he went on to eat the rest of the tray while Lance nestled into him.

Shiro couldn't have chosen a more perfect time to knock on the door, coming in right as Keith finished the last of the food.
"Did you want more?" He asked, picking up their trash without anyone even saying anything about it.

Keith rejected the offer for both of them, helping Shiro pile the napkins onto the trays for him to carry out.

"If you say so. I emailed you all the online work you needed to complete, Keith. Also, I printed a majority of the papers you'll be missing from Sam, so make sure you finish these. Finals are coming up, after all."

Shiro handed a groaning Keith a packet of papers that Lance had barely noticed; he was most certainly taking note of it now, though, mind reeling as he thought Shiro's words over.

"Wait! You mean...are you missing class just because of me?" His eyes strained wide open at Keith, who looked at Shiro with tongue in cheek.

"I...uh...yeah. I am." He sighed, giving up on trying to sugarcoat it under Lance's intense stare. "I'll probably be missing classes for a while. But it's okay! I have all my work here, so I won't fall behind."

"You shouldn't…" Lance muttered, already imagining all the horrible things that could happen to Keith. "You shouldn't miss school just because of me...your teachers, they'll get angry if you miss a lot…"

"Don't worry about something like that. Shiro's the assistant to Professor Holt, who's sort of a big deal. He can vouch for me, if he hasn't already."

"I have," Shiro confirmed. "Like Keith said, don't worry. I'll take care of that."

Lance was looking back and forth between them as Keith squeezed his hand.

"It'll be okay. Besides, I'd rather be here spending time with you!"

Under normal circumstances the romantic banter would've made Lance blush, but his heart was beating a bit too frantically for flattery at the moment as his eyes flashed with memories. "But then you'll be too busy to do your work...and then you'll fall behind...I don't want you to waste time on me if your finals are coming up…"

"He won't be falling behind, I can make sure of that," Shiro assured.

Lance didn't know what to make of Shiro's word, so he turned to Keith, who nodded in reassurance.

"Shiro's right. Seriously, nobody's more concerned with me not falling behind than Shiro is! It's not like I'm gonna neglect my work either. Spending time with you doesn't mean I can't get my work done. Actually...the reason I went to the Web of Sins on that first night was because I was working too much, and Shiro suggested I needed a break to keep myself sane." Keith chuckled.

He continued looking back and forth from Keith to Shiro, still not totally convinced, but it was clear he couldn't argue anymore.

"...okay. If you say so." If Keith insisted on missing school for him, then he would just have to make sure he didn't get in the way of Keith's work. He could still remember how badly the other had talked about wanting to become a pediatrician, and Lance wouldn't allow himself to ruin Keith's life, too.

"Don't worry about it. And Keith, email me your results so I can go over them." Shiro patted Lance's head, shocking him until he was jumping against Keith, before leaving the two of them alone once more.

Even as he watched Shiro close the door behind him, the feeling of his hand on his head lingered...but, as unexpected as it had been, he sort of liked the small gesture.

Keith began arranging the papers in front of them, reaching over to the table at the bedside for something to write with. Meanwhile, Lance observed the papers.

"What is it?"

"It's...math." Keith sighed, printing his name at the top of a paper before resting his chin against Lance's shoulder. "Boring stuff, I know. Homework is homework, though. It's not too hard—just a lot of work."

Lance cocked his head to the side as he looked over the paper. He didn't understand any of it, but still...he wished homework was the most he had to complain about rather than dealing with his stupid issues.

"You can go to sleep if you want. It is pretty late, after all, and it might be uncomfortable to just sit with me while I do homework. I'll still be right here; I've just gotta get some work done before I join you."

There wasn't even any question to it—they were sharing the bed and Keith would be sleeping right next to Lance all night long. That much was certain, and it cleared up one of his anxieties.

"That's okay...I want to stay with you until you're ready to sleep. Oh, unless it's easier for you to work without me here…" Lance wanted to smack himself over the head for already messing up, and he began trying to move away from Keith's chest to leave him be, but Keith quickly wrapped both arms around him.

"No! No, it's fine! You can stay here, I'll try to be as comfortable as possible. Here." Keith began shifting the blanket around them again as Lance leaned back against his stomach, sinking into him so that he could lay in a comfortable position. The ache from what happened to him last night was still there, but it was easier to deal with by now, especially with Keith there with him.

Once both of them were comfortable, Keith began working on his homework while Lance watched, eyes flitting shut within just a few seconds. Naturally, as a popular stripper, he was attuned to nightlife and was generally very nocturnal, but the time of day had nothing to do with his exhaustion. His muscles were all but dead, and his emotions had been worn down like rusted metal, weighing down on his body until he felt abnormally heavy. Still, he managed to stay awake, not wanting to distract Keith by falling asleep in his arms while he worked.

He wasn't sure how much time passed; Keith went through several sheets of paper before transitioning into working on his laptop, and Lance just stared blankly through it all. He might as well have been sleeping with his eyes open since his brain wasn't registering anything that was happening, but determination alone helped him to keep from dozing off completely...even though he might've been even more of a distraction to Keith like this.

Either way, Keith eventually ended up finishing what he deemed to be an appropriate amount of homework for the night, putting away his laptop and his papers.

One moment they were sitting up as Keith rearranged items on the bed, and the next, Lance was tucked into the bed on his side with Keith laying right next to him, lights off, face to face as he intertwined their fingers together to keep physical contact. Somehow, that got Lance to wake up a bit more.

"Keith…" he whispered, scooting closer as his eyes adjusted to the dark to see Keith staring back at him. "...you'll be here in the morning...right? You'll be right here when I wake up?"

Keith copied Lance, scooting towards him before planting a soft kiss against the bridge of his nose. "Of course. I'll be right here in the morning, and the morning after that, and even after that. And if you wake up in the middle of the night, I'll be here, too. I'll be here no matter when you wake up."

"Do you promise?"

Keith chuckled, arm wrapping around Lance to hold him close...to protect him. "I promise, Lance."

Lance squeezed his eyes shut and immediately cuddled into Keith, shivering at the feeling of his arm around his torso. He breathed in his scent, relished in his warmth, and let his promise chime on repeat in his head over and over again as his body melted into Keith's.

As they snuggled, Keith's chin rested on top of Lance's head, fitting him into his body completely, serving as a sort of safe haven. "...I want to stay here..."

Lance slowly looked up as Keith caressed his cheek with a soft smile.

"I want to be here for you, Lance...so please, let me. Trust me. Please, let me love you...don't push me away...and I won't go anywhere."

Lance's heart was fluctuating back and forth between sinking and bursting; either way, it was pounding against his chest like a beast desperate for escape. He could only bury his face in Keith's chest to try and hide his captivation, in turn feeling Keith's heart throbbing against his chest just like Lance's.

If there were any doubts left that Keith was still just trying to play with him, they were immediately erased. Keith was telling the truth. Keith wanted to love Lance—that was no longer a doubt. But...

"...I don't think it's possible for you to love me…" Lance whispered, a silent sob suddenly surging through his body as Keith squeezed them closer together. "I don't think it's possible for you to love me...but...I want you to. I want you to try...I want you to stay with me…"

Keith's hand slid past his cheek to stroke the back of his head, fingers gliding through his hair in comforting strokes. Everything Keith did made Lance want to cry even more, but he was too tired to commit to crying, so he instead matched his breathing with Keith's and let his exhaustion wear at him again as Keith kissed his head.

"I will. I promise."

Lance felt completely surrounded by comfort and warmth when they were cuddled like this, with Keith's arms around him and his chin fitted over his head perfectly. Keith was safety incarnate, and knowing that Shiro was also in the house only made Lance feel even more safe.

The mere concept of sleep was sometimes a horror to Lance, since it meant nightmares. He could especially remember the nightmares he got when Lotor first left him and he was left to recover on his own, and it almost made him hesitant to sleep since this was very much a similar scenario…

...but this time, he wasn't recovering alone. This time he had Keith, and Keith had said it was okay for him to take his time healing...Keith had promised he would be there for Lance no matter what...and Lance trusted him. Even if he couldn't get rid of the nightmares, and even if he had to suffer, Keith would be there for him, embracing him, no matter what.

So, with a final sigh of content, Lance let his eyes relax shut, clinging close to Keith and drifting to sleep in his arms.

DID YOU KNOW THE WEB OF SINS ACTUALLY EXISTS?

That's right! Go to my profile, and there, you'll find the url link! You can ask me questions regarding this fanfic or about anything in general, and I would love to interact with all of you! Furthermore, if you follow me, you'll get regular teasers for the next chapter of this fic! Be like Keith and check it out!