Keith-centric voltron oneshots

Naxzela Aftermath

Tw: mention of kamikaze self unalive attempt

It was a miracle Keith managed to fly back to the castle. His hands were trembling so badly he could barely engage autopilot. His heart pounded in his chest so loudly he could barely hear his own thoughts. Matt's going to kill me. I just tried to kill myself. He felt bile climb up his throat, but he choked it down. He refused to throw up.

Matt rushed towards Red's hangar, fuming. If Lotor had gotten there two seconds later... He didn't want to think about that. The others followed the very clearly pissed off male like a shadow. Whoever angered the prankster of the Garrison was going to get an earful. Matt practically flew into the hangar.

When Keith landed, tears had started to form, but he refused to let anyone see him cry. What kind of baby cried after trying to pull what he did? He somehow managed to get out of his ship, landing on his feet with almost no sound. The hair on the back of his neck stood at attention when the presence of other people was noticed.

He looked up and saw the paladins and Matt standing there, Matt glaring him down like he just kicked his sister. Shiro, even from afar, could tell something was wrong. He noticed his hands trembling and his knees buckling, like they could give out at any moment. "Keith-" Shiro started, taking a step forward, but was interrupted.

"What the hell were you thinking?! There were other ways to destroy that shield that didn't involve you trying to crash your fucking ship into it!" Matt hissed, stomping over to the ravenette, who audibly squeaked and tried to backpedal away from him, landing on his ass instead. Shiro went rigid. Did he hear that right? "Oh my god, Keith, please say you didn't..."

Keith didn't respond, to afraid of how Matt would retaliate, or maybe the way his body quivered, unable to move his jaw, to even try to answer. Matt glowered at the man below him, his eyes full of malice. "I-I..." He tried, his voice failing him. He pulled his shaking hands to his face instinctively, trying to curl up and protect himself from injury.

"Matt, you're making things worse. He's clearly scared enough and you're throwing gas in the flame!" Shiro tried to reason. "You should be scared! Hell, I hope you doesn't sleep tonight because of how stupid that choice was, Keith!" Matt screamed at the now bawling man.

"I-I w-was trying t-to save y-ou guys!! I-Isn't th-that what friends d-do?!" He whimpered, and Lance's heart panged with hurt. "Matt. You're clearly not in the right mindset for this, go get something to drink and calm down." Pidge seethed, grabbing her brother by his hood and dragging him away. Keith hiccuped, choking on a sob.

With Matt gone, and Hunk leaving with Pidge to help calm her brother, Shiro approached his brother while Lance stayed behind. Shiro crouched down in front of the younger. "Keith..." He started, gently grabbing his brother's hand and placing it on his chest. "You feel that? That's your heart beating. You're alive and breathing."

"B-But I-I-" Shiro shushed him. "Nuh uh, your mind and body need to catch up with each other, let them do their own little thing, alright?" Keith reluctantly nodded, leaning towards the older. Shiro got the message and pulled him into a hug, where Keith hid his face in his brother's chest and cried. He cried in a way that bothered Lance, who wasn't used to such a sight.

Keith just didn't cry. He never had, at least not with anyone, especially Lance, around. So it was obvious that the blue paladin found some discomfort in the somewhat disturbing scene on display. Shiro looked up at him and waved him over, so Lance grudgingly approached the siblings.

Keith attempted to reach for the lanky man, seeking out comfort he forgot existed. Comfort he hadn't felt since Shiro left for Kerberos so long ago. "L-Lan..." Was all he could manage, the adrenaline from earlier quickly leaving caused an icky, fatigued feeling throughout the former red paladin's body.

"I'm here mullet, I'm here." He spoke softly, sitting beside the sleepy man and wrapping an arm around him. "I'm going to go deal with Matt, do you think you could carry him to his ro- old room?" Lance nodded. "I've got ya, space dad. I'll get this emo to sleep in no time." He grinned smugly. Shiro frowned slightly and stood, leaving his brother with the Cuban male.

"Alright Keithy, let's get you to your room now, yeah?" Keith whined softly, clinging to the taller with a vice grip. "Oh? What's the matter mullet?" Lance pondered, earning another whine. "Don't leave me alone... Please." Keith whispered, eyes slowly closing. Lance studied his face and sighed. "Alright, you can sleep with me tonight, then. Just for tonight... Unless you're still feeling the after effects tomorrow."

Keith nodded, and Lance carefully lifted him up, Keith's legs wrapped around his waist and his arms around his neck, almost like a koala clinging to its mother. "You good?" Lance asked, another nod. The Cuban chuckled. "Alrighty, off we go then." He grinned, walking to his room and plopping Keith on his bed. He went around his room and grabbed all the comfort items he could find, placing them with Keith each time one was located.

"Okay, so you've got blankets, pillows, my stuffed sharks, and my secret recipe almost-frappe. Would you like anything else?" Lance looked over at the confused man, shooting a glance of sympathy. Keith shook his head, but squirmed a little bit like he always did when he was scared to ask something. He glanced at Lance's jacket as a hand snaked its way to his mouth, biting his nails.

Lance looked at his jacket, back at Keith, then shrugged the fabric off of his arms. He offered it to Keith, who seemed to reluctantly take it and slide it on. "Thank you..." Lance frowned out how out of character his friend, rival, whatever, was acting. He was never so... compliant. He didn't like it, he decided. This wasn't the Keith he knew. Or at least the Keith he wasn't used to.

"No problem, dude." Lance sat in the floor next to the bed, causing Keith to frown. The alarms in Lance's brain started blaring, because nope, no, gotta fix that, can't have that. "Hey now grumpy, why you frowning for?" He questioned. "It's your bed... So you sleep in it. I'll take the floor." Lance shook his head immediately. "Nope, you're the one that needs all the comfort you can get, so you're taking the bed."

"Why don't we just share, then?" Keith stated, a slight blush dusting his cheeks. Lance, while adamant to sharing a bed with the guy who helped him discover his bisexuality, nodded and climbed up next to him, then laid down. Keith, his movements stuttering and stalling a few times, gently plopped on top of him, nuzzling into Lance's chest. Lance, blushing like a madman, grinned and wrapped his arms around the smaller protectively.

"You sleep, I've got you." He whispered, slowly reaching up and running a hand through his surprisingly soft, black locks. Keith melted into the touch, and soon enough, he was letting sleep take over. Once he was asleep, Lance allowed himself to rest as well, the worried thoughts and ideas as to why Keith would do such a thing finally coming to a halt.

Word count: 1265
Hope y'all enjoyed the idea that lit the flame for this book