A/N: This piece was written for Cyber: A Klance Sci-fi Zine.
The story is based on the Talent world of Anne McCaffrey - specifically the Tower and the Hive series. The series focuses on the Gwyn-Raven and Raven-Lyon families of telepaths. It's a great series and I loved writing Klance into this world! This whole story flowed onto the screen so easily!
A couple of notes as you read. Telepaths are rated on their strength of mind - with T-1 being the strongest and called Primes. The Mrdini language is displayed in brackets when it's spoken. Telepathic thoughts are displayed in italics. The Mrdini language has no vowels, so the names are all consonants. The Mrdini pairs here are still young enough to only have three letter names, and since they are so difficult to pronounce, their bonded human usually changes it in their mind or when speaking to people who can't speak Mrdini (hence TRF becomes Tif).
Locked In His Mind
The landing was rough, an unexpected thump that jostled the three passengers. Lance McClain steadied Tif, who had knocked against him. The Mrdini clicked reassuringly at him as Lance settled it gently on its seat. "Can't have you on top of me," Lance teased, his voice full of affection. "You're getting too big."
The statement amused Tif and Pik, who both wriggled with the Mrdini version of laughter, clicking and chirping into the tight compartment of the personnel transfer pod.
"Shhh," Lance cautioned. "Remember we're here for a serious reason."
He unbuckled himself as Pik nuzzled against him, impeding his task. He was still unbuckling his shoulder harness when the hatch opened, lifting above his head and letting the artificial light of the cargo bay shine into the dark well.
"Healer McClain?" a voice called to him.
"Here!"
"Welcome to Arus, sir!" The voice belonged to a young woman, who peeked over the edge.
"Thank you."
"Let's get you out of there so we can clear the cradle. Now that Shiro has settled, we're receiving more cargo than we have the past few days. We've a backlog to get through. Sorry for the rough landing! Shiro is settled, sure, but doesn't have our Prime's finesse."
Lance scrambled from the pod and jumped down from the cradle. He turned and helped Tif and Pik out, settling the Mrdini onto the floor next to him. As soon as Lance grabbed their bags the pod disappeared and the young woman motioned for him to follow.
"I'm Pidge," she introduced herself. "Tech Manager for Arus station, but I'm filling in for Shiro while he fills in for the Prime." As she spoke, her expression clouded. It didn't stop her, however, from bending into a bow once they cleared the cradles, acknowledging his Mrdini pair. Tif and Pik wriggled with pleasure, hooting respectfully in return as they bowed in unison to Pidge.
"Lance McClain," he said, though he realized she'd already said his name before he got out of the pod. "This is PLQ," he gently placed a hand on Pik's equivalent of a shoulder. "And this is TRF," the hand moved to Tif's shoulder. His tongue smoothly moved around the consonants in his Mrdini's names.
[Welcome to Arus, PLQ and TRF.] Pidge greeted them in perfect Mrdini, bowing again. They both clicked and bowed as well.
"You speak Mrdini well," Lance complimented her. Mrdini was a difficult language, even to someone raised with it. Lance paired as a baby with Tif and Pik months after all three were born. The Mrdini could understand and speak Basic well enough but expressed themselves better in their own language. The pairing up of human babies with young Mrdini pairs was now a long-standing tradition to cement the bonds between the two species.
"I have my own friends," Pidge said. "They're up in the shop, helping to fix a broken pod. I'm sure you'll get to meet them while you're here."
"Can I see Keith?" he asked, realizing too late that he should have referred to the Prime with more respect.
"Sure," she said, seemingly non-plussed by his mistake. "Leave your bags here. I'll have someone take them to your quarters."
"Thanks. I want to start right away."
"I'm glad. We're all sick with worry." They moved to a lift and got inside. "He's in the medbay."
"Were you there when it happened?"
"I wasn't. I'm usually in the cargo bay," she answered. "You'll want to talk to his T-3, Shiro. He was there."
Lance nodded. It confirmed what he'd already read in the initial report. T-1 Prime, Keith Kogane, a powerful teleport/telepath placed on the remote planet of Arus because of the strength of his mind, collapsed suddenly in the middle of a busy day. His mind at the time was open to his staff, including his T-3, Shiro, who reported he felt nothing before Keith crumpled to the floor from his chair.
Efforts to revive him either physically or mentally failed. Their resident healer, a competent T-4 Lance knew by reputation, hadn't been able to reach Keith. He was simply asleep, with a block to his mind. No one could breach his shields.
Outwardly, there were no signs of physical or mental trauma to cause a coma or psychic burnout. Keith had had an easy morning, shifting a few cargo ships in and sending out two personnel pods. Nothing to strain the mind of one of the most powerful Primes of his generation, despite the large distance to Arus. He hadn't eaten anything abnormal, hadn't been struck, had no psionic activity according to Shiro, no explanation at all. From all reports Lance read, Keith was a young and healthy Prime.
Hence, why Earth Prime sent Lance.
Despite his youth, Lance had a reputation as an extraordinary T-1 Empath, pegged by his grandmother at the age of three - blessed with incredible empathy, combined with a quick mind and amazing ability to diagnose cases. His grandmother trained him until he turned twelve when he moved to Deneb to complete training with their legendary healers.
Shiro had reached out to Earth Prime about Keith after the collapse. Eventually, it settled on Lance to check out the young man and diagnose what had brought down a strong Prime in such a way.
The medbay felt familiar to Lance – all stations laid them out in a similar fashion. Though large, impersonal, and sterile, he felt the comforting presence in his mind of other healers. Pidge led Lance past a nurse treating a young man for a laceration toward a door that led to a private room.
Two Mrdini sat in Mrdini-style chairs pulled close to the bed. Their sleek fur was dull and lusterless, indicating stress. Each turned their poll eye toward Lance as he entered, straightening up in their seats. Lance's Mrdini pair immediately approached, making bows and noises in respectful, subdued greetings. The contrast in their healthy and shining coats to the seated pair struck Lance in the heart.
He finally focused on his patient reclining on the bed. Lance received a slight shock at how…peaceful…the Prime looked. He looked as if he were taking a nap. Lance expected the noise of their approach would make his eyes flutter open in surprise. He stopped at the side of the bed, pressing his lips together as he contemplated this Keith Kogane.
He was handsome. There was no doubt about that. Perfect, though pale, face marred only by a slight scar across one cheek. Lance wondered what caused it. Dark hair pooled around his head on the pillow and looked so soft Lance had to fight the urge to brush his fingers through it. A glance down his body showed a man who looked muscular and compact. Keith's chest rose and fell in regular breaths and he looked as normal as any other human locked in sleep.
Lance had read Keith's vitals earlier in the day before his transfer to Arus. He pulled out his datapad to check on any updates; Keith's heart rate and blood pressure hadn't changed. Everything was normal.
"I let Shiro know you're here. He's on his way up," Pidge said.
Lance nodded, not verbally responding. He pushed slightly at Keith's mind – not a full probe, yet, but simply a questioning brush to test the strength of Keith's shields. Lance had never encountered such a strong wall.
The wait wasn't long and soon Keith's T-3, Shiro, came into the room. Worry simmered in his warm, brown eyes and his surface mind, accompanied by a furrowed brow under dark hair with white bangs. Lance wondered if he was descended from the legendary Gwyn-Raven family. "Healer McClain?"
"Lance, please," he replied, holding out his hand.
"Takashi Shirogane," the man supplied, touching his fingers to Lance. Purple/honey/calm flooded Lance's mind. This was a strong T-3 and Lance sensed a loyal, familial bond with Keith. "Please call me Shiro."
Lance gave him a reassuring smile – the confident one he knew gave hope to the loved ones of his patients. Shiro did seem to lose the tenseness around his shoulders and his surface thoughts eased. "Thank you, Shiro. Sorry for the abruptness, but I have some questions," he said, waiting until Shiro nodded. "So, he just collapsed? In the middle of the day?"
Shiro sighed, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "It was a normal day," Shiro started, his tone telling Lance he'd repeated this story one too many times. "Normal load. Nothing that would strain him." Shiro's eyes met Lance's. "Keith is an incredibly strong Prime."
"I've heard."
"It's why he's here. Arus is so far from everywhere, it needed a powerful Prime to handle the in and out cargo."
"I'm sure he's helped by you," Lance said. "You're a solid T-3."
Shiro shrugged. "Oh, I help. He has a great team here. It took a bit of shuffling, but we're strong and efficient. But that day, there was nothing out of the ordinary."
"When did it happen?" Lance asked, though he already knew from the report.
"We were about to break for lunch. Keith was even teasing me because he could hear my stomach growling across the room." A brief flicker of amusement crossed Shiro's expression. "Keith brought in a small shipment and sat up on his couch." The amusement turned into something painful. "Next thing I knew, he was sliding to the floor."
"Did he hurt himself with his fall?"
"We didn't see any outward trauma. His couch is pretty low, so he didn't fall far."
"You felt nothing in his mind?"
"We were still linked. Me. Him. Pidge. Our T-4 handler. None of us felt anything unusual."
Lance nodded, his attention returning to Keith, though without Shiro realizing, he had 'lifted' the memory from Shiro's mind. Lance saw nothing either. "May I?" he asked, lifting his hand to hold slightly above Keith's forehead.
"Please."
Lance indulged himself by gently brushing away Keith's bangs, then pressed his fingers lightly against his smooth brow. Lance perceived red/acid/fiery. His mind nudged at Keith's – again, not invasive as of yet, merely a simple push to test Keith's shields. Even in a coma, Keith's mind was solid. Lance couldn't read surface thoughts, though that might be because there weren't any. Once he settled in and found out a little more information, he'd try a deeper probe.
"He is strong," he commented. "It won't be easy for me to get into his head."
"Do you need to?"
"I do," Lance said, glancing back at Shiro. "Don't worry. I'll be discreet. I need to see if there are any clues in there, though."
Shiro let out a little huff of laughter. "He'd hate that. He's a closed-off person."
"Most Primes are," Lance said. He tried to sound confident, but he'd never worked on a telepath Prime before. "Yes, Tif?" he asked, noticing the Mrdini was trying to get his attention.
[LRN has report.]
Shiro interjected. "These are Keith's pair, VGK and LRN," he said, stumbling around the consonants. Shiro must not have been paired. "Keith calls them Vig and Lin."
[I am honored to meet you.] Lance said in Mrdini, bowing to the pair.
[We cannot dream with KTH.] Lin told him.
[You cannot dream?] Lance asked, his alarm rising.
[KTH is blocked from us.] Vig added. Lance could hear how depressed the Mrdini were. It explained their appearance. [We have tried to dream with him since he collapsed, but we cannot reach him.]
This was an unexpected development. Lance drummed his fingers in irritation on the railing of Keith's bed as he gazed at Tif and Pik. He couldn't imagine not being able to dream with his Mrdini. The Mrdini could enter your dreams and provide pleasant sensations and beautiful scenes – leaving one relaxed and happy. Lance only had nightmares if his 'Dinis weren't with him, which was seldom.
He felt a wave of pity crash over him and he looked back down at Keith's peaceful face. How awful and frightening to be lost to the world without the comfort offered by the Mrdini. Tif and Pik patted the two seated Mrdini in soothing gestures with soft clicks of sympathy.
Lance was determined more than ever now to find the underlying cause of Keith's mystery malady.
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Lance and his Mrdini's quarters were sumptuous for a visitor. He had a kitchenette stocked with human and 'Dini foods, and a small sitting area with Mrdini-friendly furniture to accommodate the shorter legs and stumpy tails of the species. As promised, their bags had been brought to their room and, after a quick shower, Lance settled into bed with Tif and Pik tucked snugly against each of his sides.
[I will get some sleep once I read the updates on KTH's vitals.] Lance said in Mrdini.
Pik clicked in assurance, snuggling further into Lance and easing Lance's stress with the cuddles. Pik was his snuggle buddy while Tif was his comedian.
He scrolled through the datapad, humming thoughtfully as he reviewed everything he knew about Keith's case, tapping a finger against the side of the device. With a slight frown, he then searched the medical database available to him for any similar case.
Primes were healthy individuals, usually attaining a great age and working almost until death. They rarely suffered anything more serious than a cold and even those were mild. Their mind powers usually protected them from outside injury.
The lack of any indication of a psychic attack was also a mystery. Another powerful Prime certainly could cause damage to a fellow Prime's mind, but a Prime could sense malicious intent and usually avoid it. Besides, none of those linked with Keith's mind at the time sensed anything wrong.
What worried Lance the most, however, was the fact that Keith's Mrdini couldn't reach him. Something had shut off Keith's mind, or shut out Keith's mind, in such a way that the two beings closest to Keith couldn't help him. He shuddered, disturbing the sleepy Mrdini next to him and he soothed them with pats and hums.
Tif started pawing at him and Lance knew his Mrdini wanted him to sleep as well. They were eager, despite their tiredness, to give him pleasant dreams and soothe his aching heart.
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"How was your rest?" Shiro asked when Lance, Tif, and Pik returned to Keith's room in the medbay.
"Good," Lance said with a tight smile. "Pleasant dreams," he added, the smile turning fond as he watched Tif and Pik go to Vig and Lin. "I looked through our medical library last night. I found nothing similar to Keith's case. It's rare for Primes to fall ill."
Shiro nodded. "Even I rarely get sick."
Lance studied Keith again, nudging his mind against Keith's. Still nothing. The young Prime's wall remained solid.
"Well," Lance said, "I can't see anything physically wrong with Keith. I'm going to try to approach him through his mind."
"I tried," Shiro said, lifting his hands in a helpless gesture. "Vig and Lin tried. We've all tried."
"I know, and I poked a little and can tell he's got a powerful shield. I'll try to get past it."
"Whatever you think best."
Lance put forth his next request in a diffident tone, not meant to insult Shiro. In the brief amount of time he'd had with the T-3, he could tell the man was devoted to, and protective of, Keith. He'd seen it often with Primes and their assistants. He could tell it wasn't a romantic attachment. Without being told, Lance knew Shiro was involved with a T-4 pilot because the man was constantly in Shiro's public mind.
"I'd like to do this alone," he said, looking at Shiro and releasing an aura of trust and assurance. "Tif and Pik can stay – they'll help stabilize me. Vig and Lin, too, in case I get through."
"Of course," Shiro immediately agreed. Knowing how protective Shiro felt, Lance was surprised. "I know," Shiro said, catching Lance's expression. "But, I trust you. Your reputation precedes you, Lance."
Lance smiled, his cheeks tingling with embarrassment. "Thank you, Shiro. I'll report immediately if anything changes," he added, tapping his temple to indicate he'd telepath Shiro.
With a last pat of Keith's sheet-covered foot, Shiro left, closing the door behind him.
[I won't hurt him.] Lance assured Keith's Mrdini. [I want to see if I can get into his mind.]
[Please help him, healer.] Vig said.
[LNC is best healer.] Tif assured.
Lance didn't need to touch Keith to reach into his mind – he probably could have reached Keith from the comfort of his room. However, he wanted to be close to Keith. He could admit to himself in the depths of his mind that he wanted to touch Keith's smooth skin again.
Pik helpfully brought over a chair for him, the scraping of the legs against the sterile floor a jarring sound over the soft beep of Keith's heart monitor. A strong heartbeat, Lance noted as he settled down, between his two 'Dini, who leaned against him, lightly patting his thighs in comfort.
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Two days later, Lance placed a hand over Keith's brow once again. The past three times he'd tried were unsuccessful, but Lance was determined today. News of yet another Prime slipping into the mysterious coma had come, halting a major supply line to an outlying colony. That made five Primes out of commission.
He pressed his mind against Keith's, hoping the physical contact would augment his strength. Tif and Pik pressed against his sides, their comforting presence helping him. It kept his mind clear and allowed him to focus only on Keith's. To focus on finding one crack or fissure that would allow him in.
Lance never knew how long he sat there, the palm of his hand heating Keith's forehead enough to slightly sweat-dampen it. Keith lay quiet, peacefully breathing in and out in a steady rhythm as Lance stared at his face, willing either his eyes or his mind to open.
Tif had fallen asleep against him, a paw placed on Lance's thigh and a weight firm against his leg. Pik maintained vigil with Lance, occasionally whistling or clacking at Vig and Lin, who watched anxiously across the bed from the trio.
Suddenly, there it was. Lance had no idea why the crack was there, but he struck. Wriggled through it like a slither crawling under a door. He was in and he took in a deep breath, holding that entry like a drowning being clinging to a life raft. Please let there be answers in Keith's mind.
Lance lifted his free hand to Vig and Lin to report that he had breached Keith's mind. The Mrdini straightened, their dull eyes brightening at the news. Tif woke, whistling in a positive tone and Pik patted Lance on his other thigh, its flexible digits flicking in approval.
[We dream with KTH?] Lin asked.
Lance shook his head. [Dream later. LNC to find out cause first. Patience required.]
Lin and Vig both bowed to him, their paws expressing their apologies. Lance smiled at them but didn't say anything further. His free hand pressed against Keith's chest above his heart. Maybe the tactile approach was working. Another deep breath. He closed his eyes and let it out slowly, preparing mentally to search Keith's private mind.
Lance had probed the minds of many different people. Talents and Non-Talents. High-rated Talents and T-12s. He'd even probed a Prime before in training, but nothing prepared him for the richness of Keith's mind. It was difficult to keep an impassive face under the stare of Keith's Mrdini, but he took a moment for this special peek into the mind of someone like Keith.
It was vibrant. The red color he'd perceived earlier didn't surprise him. From talking to Keith's friends and colleagues at his Tower, he knew Keith to be slightly temperamental. When Lance had touched him previously, he sensed an acidic tone, but not a repellent one – more like the comforting tone of lemon, but with heat and flavor of the spices of his ancient ancestry.
It surprised him to find no trauma. As he slowly probed, he found Keith's mind active and normal – much like any of the minds he'd had the privilege to probe. It was as if Keith was asleep, without the REM sleep or any regular dreaming functions. Lance flitted through memories, through impressions, through thoughts – and found nothing. He even saw the replay of the morning Keith collapsed - nothing indicating a reason that would pull Keith into a coma.
He noted little things – Keith's preference for corny vids, his love for his 'Dinis, his relationship with Shiro and Pidge, who he considered siblings. No lover, Lance also noted. No one to come back to. He lingered on this thought, studying it with curiosity in a corner of his mind as he continued to sift through Keith's. Would Keith come back for someone?
He wondered if that would work, then dismissed the thought. Keith had beings to come back for - Vig and Lin, Shiro and Pidge. Lance spent another hour looking for something – anything. With a sigh, he reluctantly withdrew from Keith's mind, then sent a thought back through the crack. It was still there. After a good night's rest, he should be able to jump back in tomorrow.
[Good session. Much learn. Keith mind brilliant.] he said aloud to Vig and Lin, who bowed their eyes toward him.
[We give KTH good dreams.] Lin assured.
[LNC knows. Good friends to KTH.]
Their worried whistles had a note of pleasure. [KTH gives good dreams too.]
[LNC found nothing to worry. Will try tomorrow.]
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Lance briefed Shiro and Pidge – the exhausted pair looked happier this morning – on his success the previous day. He'd 'pathed them after the session, but was too tired to fully report and left it for the morning.
"We've fewer shipments," Shiro informed him. "Capella Prime is down now."
Lance frowned. Capella Prime had collapsed the day before, the sixth Prime to fall into this strange malady. Capella was a major shipping point. An interruption there would cause massive delays throughout the entire federation.
"Are you in any danger of shortages?" Lance asked.
Pidge shook her head. "Not yet. We should be good for quite a while." She didn't look too confident about it, but Lance assumed it was something she and Shiro had discussed. "To be honest, the colony is self-sufficient as far as it goes. Local flora and fauna are safe for humans to consume," she continued, tacking on, "More or less."
Lance flashed her a slight smile. While Arus was a benign planet, there were a few species of dangerous animals and an innocuous-looking plant that cast out deadly spores in springtime. "Alright. I'll work on Keith more this morning." He glanced up at the time display monitor on the wall. "Once Capella station wakes up, I'll see who is looking after Capella Prime. Check if there's any information or ideas floating around, yet."
"As far as I've heard," Shiro spoke up, "you're the only one to breach any of the Primes locked in this coma."
Lance nodded slowly. He didn't realize that, though he'd sifted through reports as soon as he woke up. "I'll let you know what happens today."
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[What makes KTH happy?] Lance asked, eyeing Vig and Lin across the bed. They sat as if they hadn't moved from Keith's side, though Lance knew his 'Dinis had taken the pair to eat earlier.
[SHR and PDG.] Vig answered. Lin clicked in agreement.
[Anything else?] Lance asked. He'd mulled over his theory all night – giving Keith something to come back to.
[KTH loves us.] Lin said, preening slightly in the way that showed 'Dini modesty. [We make KTH happy and give pleasant dreams.]
[I am sure you do.] Lance smiled at them with a slight bow of deference. [I will do my best today.]
Lance gently laid his hand on Keith's forehead, smoothing back his hair a little and relaxing both his body and his mind. The crack was still there and he wriggled his mind through it, mentally gasping at the vibrancy hidden behind Keith's shields, though he expected it this time. What he wouldn't give to be linked to such a mind always. The thought surprised him – sure, he thought Keith was attractive, but Lance was first a healer, with a firm hold on ethics.
Only, his thought slid into Keith's mind and he felt a flicker. It wasn't strong, but it had a different feel from Keith's passive memories. It was active and Lance focused on it, though he couldn't trace it.
'Do you like that idea, Keith?' he 'pathed. 'Do you like the idea of someone attracted to you?'
Lance hadn't tried mind-talk to Keith the day before. He'd gently investigated memories, but perhaps he should be more active in Keith's mind. To his surprise and delight, Keith's mind responded to his 'pathing. Not a response in the sense that Keith seemed to understand and answer, but his mind flickered with…something…every time Lance inserted a thought into his head.
'Are you lonely?' The flicker turned dark and Lance frowned. He explored it and did come up with an aching sense of loneliness. In a corner of his mind he hoped didn't affect Keith, he pondered this as he continued to sift through the vibrant mind.
Primes were often lonely. It wasn't as bad as it had been a few generations before them, back when there were only a handful of Primes, all locked in their stations and unable to go off their planet. It was better now, the amount of Primes had expanded a great deal, thanks to prolific Talent families, but it could still be lonely for Talents.
Especially a powerful one such as Keith. Sure, the number of Primes had increased, but it didn't mean it was easy to find someone to love. Keith, he saw during his probing, preferred the company of men. Not as if there weren't other gay men ranked high in talent, but finding someone compatible was an enormous task for someone as busy as a Prime. The job didn't lend itself to socializing. Earth Prime liked to play matchmaker, sending what she thought were compatible and high-ranked Talents to work for various Primes around the Federation – but Keith was a new Towered Prime in a backwater colony. Likely not high on Earth Prime's list.
He thought about what he knew about Capella's Prime – a middle-aged woman who was a widow. Her T-2 husband had passed from a freak accident on a hunting trip not long ago.
It was a strange idea, but Lance was willing to try anything to help his patients, especially if it wouldn't hurt them. Lance had a modest opinion of himself. He thought he was attractive as well – certainly not as gorgeous as the patient lying in front of him – but good-looking. He inserted an image of himself and his 'Dinis into Keith's mind, something simple of them enjoying a warm, sunny day. He made sure he looked happy in it, with Tif and Pik frolicking and turning cartwheels in their excitement. He wanted Keith to see him at his happiest.
The flicker in Keith's mind strengthened. Not fully engaged, but there. Perhaps it would work.
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Over the next few days, Lance wriggled his mind into the crack in Keith's. He didn't stay long – he didn't want to tire out or overwhelm his patient – just long enough to insert all the pleasant memories he had throughout his life. Playing with his siblings, working with his Abuela, quiet times with his 'Dinis – all his happy memories he hoped would be nice for Keith to see. Keith's mind responded positively every time and, after the first time, Lance would alter his memories to show himself inviting Keith to them.
Pik, Tif, and Lance sitting on the beach? He'd turn and smile at Keith, holding out his hand. Dancing with his siblings as his mother played guitar and sang? He'd smile and beckon to Keith to come and dance with him. Eating the delicious food his Abuela made? He'd hold out a plate of it toward Keith to entice him.
The flickers in Keith's mind grew stronger every time Lance beckoned him.
It was the fifth day of using this method when Keith smiled.
Keith's 'Dinis waited patiently each time Lance worked with Keith, with his own 'Dinis by their sides for support. Lance's reports encouraged them during the week. However, it was Keith's smile that brightened their expressions and got muted, excited whistles from them. Lance thought the smile was breathtaking.
'Are you seeing me, Keith?' he thought softly, caressing the fingers he always rested on Keith's forehead over the soft skin. His forefinger massaged the little dent between his eyebrows. Keith's mind surged in a way it hadn't before. 'You like me touching you?'
Lance altered the memory – him sitting on his mother's porch swing reading while Pik and Tif cuddled up to him – to bring Keith's point-of-view closer; to join him and his 'Dinis. He added Vig and Lin and gave it the most domestic and borderline romantic feel he could. He smiled at Keith and focused on their joined hands as the swing rocked slightly. He pictured soft and loving sounds from the 'Dinis and birdlife singing heartbreaking songs of longing. He even imagined the smell of flowers, their heady scent lingering around them.
He'd closed his eyes, completely immersed in this doctored memory, trying not to let it bleed into Keith's mind how much he wanted it to be a real memory.
The excited and loud clacks and whistles coincided with a tremendous surge in Keith's mind. Lance's eyes popped open and met the most intense dark blue eyes he'd ever seen staring back at him with an expression in them that caught his breath.
Keith was awake!
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Lance knocked on the edge of the open doorway of Keith's bedroom. His patient was still in bed, resting against the cushioned headboard. Though, Shiro had told Lance, Keith complained he'd rested enough in his coma and didn't need to be coddled.
All of the healed Primes complained in similar veins. They were still investigating the cause of the mass "Lonely Coma" as Lance had flippantly dubbed it. A flippant suggestion during a conference with fellow healers, but it had stuck. It embarrassed him whenever anyone referred to the phenomenon as such.
He was praised everywhere, however, for discovering a way to defeat the mental block. The Primes affected all had high degrees of loneliness in their lives – bereft of loved ones, as Capella Prime had been, or an intense feeling of isolation such as Keith had had. Despite friends surrounding him, the remote Tower in which Keith lived and worked emphasized his solitary nature.
Giving the Primes a reason to return gave them the strength to break their own mental block. Why they had all been struck down at the same time was a mystery. Lance theorized constant contact with each other's minds during cargo transfers had exasperated their loneliness – a sort of domino effect where each powerful mind affected the other. Not intentionally, certainly, but subtly. He hoped there would be an answer soon.
Lance approached the bed, swallowing nervously. It was, essentially, the first time he'd talked to Keith face to face, and the knowledge that Keith fought out of the coma because he wanted to get to Lance was an overwhelming feeling. He could sense it was the reason, hence his desire to avoid Keith entirely.
Tif and Pik hurried over to Keith's 'Dinis, both of whom looked much better, their rusty-colored fur was bright and shiny – evidence of their better mental state - and contrasted pleasantly with Tif and Pik's blueish color. The four clicked and clacked to each other in the Mrdini language so fast that Lance had some trouble following it. His attention wasn't on them, though. Keith had caught his gaze and wasn't letting it go.
"I want to thank you," Keith began, his words coming out slowly.
Lance, ever humble about his skill, lifted a hand in a dismissive sort of gesture. "You don't have to thank me."
The little wrinkle formed between Keith's thick eyebrows. "I do, though. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you." He glanced at Vig and Lin, who looked blissful with Lance's friends. "Who knows how long I would have stayed locked in that nightmare?"
Lance's professional curiosity overshot his shyness. He plopped himself on the edge of the bed, getting a startled look from Keith. "What was it like?" he asked eagerly. Only then did he realize how rude the question was. "I-I mean," he stammered, flushing. "For my research."
He was surprised at the scoff from Keith and, when he looked at the Prime, his whole face had transformed with a smile. Lance's breath caught at the sight, so different from Keith's resting face. "It was dark and lonely. I felt like I was in a nightmare and couldn't get out. Stuck in a cold and enclosed space." Though his words were horrific, Keith's face looked relaxed and happy.
"It sounds awful."
"It was. Until you were there."
"M-me?"
"Mhm. When I saw you, I knew I had to get to you. Something told me you'd help me."
"That's what I was here for," Lance said, looking down at his hands.
"Why'd you do that, though? Why show me images of you?"
Lance shrugged. "I'm sorry, but I had to glance through your mind to diagnose you. I didn't mean to invade your privacy, but I sensed you were lonely. I wanted to show you that you had a…a friend…waiting for you."
"Then why not Shiro? You should have seen I'm close to him."
"Um. Well. Hearing of all the other Primes, reading their cases, they were all Primes who were, uh, single."
"Single?"
"Didn't have a partner. Um, a romantic partner. Or, had recently lost one. Widows or widowers. Isolated Primes with no, uh, lovers"
Keith fell silent and Lance glanced at him, seeing the expected frown. Primes were notoriously protective of their privacy and a slight push from Lance proved Keith's shields were up and tight. "Oh," was all he said.
"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I had to look. I didn't mean to pry. I-I saw you, um, liked men. So, I thought if I showed you someone…" he trailed off.
Keith's dark eyes suddenly became intense – enough that Lance leaned slightly back. "Why you?"
"Uh," he paused. He was frustrated because he knew he didn't sound like a confident and professional healing empath. Keith Kogane was intimidating in the way T-1 Primes can be. "It was the easiest," he tried, hoping his own shields were up tight, though Keith was an ethical Prime and would not enter Lance's mind without permission. "I had memories of myself I could easily insert in your mind."
The flicker in Keith's eyes echoed the flicker of his mind in the coma. A flash of interest Lance didn't dare hope was real. However, as well as Lance could shield his mind from Keith, he couldn't control his facial expressions. Keith leaned closer, propping his arms on his blanket-covered thighs. "It worked."
"Obviously," Lance responded in a faint voice.
"I wanted to get back to meet you."
Lance realized the four Mrdini had quieted down and he glanced at them, mostly to look away from Keith's gaze. Tif, Pik, Vig, and Lin had all tilted their poll eyes to watch the pair on the bed. "You did?" he asked, though his question seemed directed at the 'Dinis.
"A gorgeous guy beckoning me? How could I not follow?"
Lance's face flushed, more from the wheezy laughter from his pair. He shot them a little glare that made them wheeze louder, which got Vig and Lin wheezing as well. He tried to deflect his embarrassment with a joke, "Oh, so you're just interested in my good looks?"
"Not only that," was Keith's surprising answer. Surprising enough to get Lance to look back at him. "You gave off this…aura…of kindness. Intelligence. Humor. Everything I want in a partner."
"Partner?" Lance gasped.
"I don't know how long you worked at bringing me back, but I fell in love with you in my mind. I'm…afraid…though."
"Why afraid?" Lance said, his mind reeling from the word 'love'.
"Are you the person you showed me?"
Lance wasn't sure how to answer. Yes, he'd been perfectly candid with Keith in his mind, but short of letting Keith read him, he wasn't sure if Keith would believe him. Keith was still guarded. Wary. With good reason, of course. "If I say I am – if I showed you all my faults – "
"And the good stuff," Keith interrupted.
"And the good stuff," Lance conceded. "If I say it, would you believe it?"
He felt the mental push and, out of habit, he mentally flinched. "Let me in," Keith requested. To an outsider, the request would be considered rude and the height of improper conduct, especially in the demanding tone Keith used. Yet, Lance had been combing through Keith's awareness for a week now and he knew it was anxiety driving his attitude, not a domineering personality. Keith was insecure, and it came out in gruff and demanding ways.
Lance felt a soft touch on his hand and looked down. Tif had placed its digits there, patting lightly. "TRF?"
[LNC let KTH in. Have pleasant dreams with KTH and TRF and PRQ and VGK and LRN] Pik also crowded against Lance, climbing on the bed and pressing its warm body against his side. Vig and Lin followed suit, clambering up to flank Keith, clacking softly in approval.
[KTH has pleasant dreams of LNC.] Vig said.
"He does?" Lance asked, his gaze steady on Keith, pleased to see the faint pink in Keith's cheeks. A blushing Prime was something to witness.
[LNC dreams of KTH.] Pik said, betraying him.
Lance and Keith both broke into very un-Prime-like giggles. Taking a chance, Lance reached forward to entangle his fingers with Keith's. They didn't need tactile contact for Keith to read him, but Lance wanted to ground himself with touch.
"Blue," Keith whispered, closing his eyes. "And spicy. Fresh."
Lance had never felt so vulnerable. Not even when Abuela read him. He knew Keith's words meant that's how he perceived Lance and he wondered what spice Keith referred to. The image of the Arusian spice, melotsa, came into his mind for an answer, which made him smile. Though he felt vulnerable, he didn't feel as if Keith was violating him.
Keith's powerful mind gently explored his, lingering on certain thoughts and memories, poking around his history, reading his feelings for his family, brushing over and soothing insecurities and negative thoughts like a balm. He felt a mental smirk from Keith as he accessed the more racy thoughts Lance had had this past week and Lance mentally slapped him away from that little vault. With a chuckle, Keith retreated with a promise to explore those later, much to Lance's blushing mortification.
It was surreal to have such a strong mind in his, but in a way that didn't overwhelm him. Instead, it felt as if Keith belonged there and, after a time, he probed into Keith's now-familiar mind. It was, if anything, more open than before, now that Keith was actively awake and his mind engaged. His mind touch was curious, exploring Lance completely. Their minds seemed almost to caress each other in a dance – a complex series of swirling steps, sidling around each other, pushing and pulling to come together briefly. It was the most intimate Lance had ever been with anyone, completely opening his mind and heart to Keith, while Keith did the same for him.
They weren't sure how long they sat there, cuddled by their 'Dinis, their gazes never wavering. When he sensed Keith retreating from a total mind merge, Lance let out a little whimper. Keith smiled. "I'm not going anywhere, love," he assured Lance.
The endearment washed over Lance, both physically and mentally. Keith gave him his whole heart and Lance accepted it, offering his own in return. Lance had the advantage, having been in Keith's mind for so many days, but Keith was thorough in his search through Lance's mind, and they knew each other intimately after only a few moments. Lance could 'see' the sincere love Keith had for him; that Keith had finally found the someone, the soulmate he'd always wanted.
There would be plans to make, arrangements into a more permanent living situation, shuffling around their lives to accommodate each other, but that could come later. Now, everything perfect in the universe was there in Keith's bed, the two Primes pressing lips together, fingers intertwined, as their 'Dinis chirped happily for their friends with their warm bodies pressing in to help cement the bond formed while Keith had slept.
❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙
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