Lance shoots up from his bed, his body shaking. A choked sob escapes his mouth as he scrunches in on himself trying to make the terrible memories in his head disappear. This is the second time this week that he's dreamt of that day.
Lance's breathing quickens as he remembers her face. The look she had when she realized Lance couldn't save her...
Lance buried his head in his knees. He was trying to calm down, but it was not working. He dug his nails into his arms trying to regain control. His lungs were on fire. It was getting harder to breath. Lance began to hyperventilate.
Lance could see the dark spots in his vision begin to multiply. He was having a panic attack now. He was sobbing uncontrollably, trying really hard to ignore the aching in his chest. He couldn't breathe.
The last thing he thought of before he passed out was how pathetic he truly was.
--Time Skip--
The dining room was silent. The whole team was sitting there waiting for Lance to come in, he was late again. Breakfast was usually fun, Lance jokes keeping the mood light, but now it was just drab.
Lance finally entered, twenty minutes late, and sat down on his chair. Nothing. No words of encouragement, no flirting, not even an excuse as to why he was late. He was just sitting there. He had dark black bags under his eyes and his hair was disheveled. One look at the blue paladin and you knew something was wrong.
"Lance?" Shiro asked. Lance looked up, and Shiro flinched at the sadness in them. "You okay buddy?"
"Pidge what's the date back on Earth?" Lance said, ignoring Shiro's question completely.
"It's....March 21." Pidge siad. Hunk froze and looked at Lance with concern.
"I think I'm going to go to my room," Lance says softly. He stands up and walks out of the room.
"Shit," Hunk mutters. Everyone turns their gaze from the door to Hunk with shock. Hunk never curses. "I didn't realize that it was today. Guys, leave Lance alone. Don't bother him, don't ask him what's wrong and do not, under any circumstances mention anything about the date, or Earth, got it?"
"Why?" Keith scoffed.
"Today is the worst day of the year," Hunk says shaking his head sadly. "Lance hates the month of March and especially hates today. Just please, don't bring it up. It'll hurt him."
"Okay," Shiro says. "You've known him the longest, so I trust you."
--Time Skip--
Lance was training very hard, he was trying to keep up with the rest of the group and not think about anything. Eventually though he messed up. He shot but a flash of blue caught his attention and he swerved, causing the shot to hit the floor, two inches away from Keith's feet.
"What the hell, lance?" Keith yelled. Shiro shut down the simulation. Hunk was waving his hands and crossing his finger under his throat trying to get Keith to stop talking. It didn't work. "Why did you do that? Are you trying to kill me? What's wrong with you?!"
"I'm alive," lance whispered. Keith caught it. He staggered back and looked at him with shock.
"What..?" Keith asked. Shiro noticed the difference in the mood and was looking at Keith questionly, "Why would you say that Lance?"
"I shouldn't be alive," Lance said. He dropped his bayard and fell onto the floor crying. "It should've been me. It should've been me!" he sobbed. Hunk ran to him and held him, rubbing his back comfortingly.
"Shh, Lance it's oKay," Hunk cooed. "It wasn't your fault."
"Yes it was!" Lance wailed. The rest of the paladins were frozen in shock. What was happening. "I should've held on! I should've...I should've.."
"Lance it wasn't your fault," hunk said. "There was nothing you could've done."
"And now she's dead!" lance screamed. The paladins looked at him in shock. Hunk tried to comfort Lance but it was too late. Lance was now having a full panic attack. Hunk was trying to get him to calm down but he couldn't. Lance passed out for the second time in 24 hours and was whimpering in his sleep.
Hunk got up and glared at Keith, his body shaking with rage. He points a finger and Keith and gets up in his face. "Why didn't you listen to me? I told you to be cautious with Lance! Now look what you've done!"
"What the hell happened?" Keith asked.
"You said something that triggered him!" Hunk yelled. "That's what! I told you he was unstable today!"
"What happened?" Shiro asked. "Who was he talking about? Who's dead?"
"Sophie," Hunk said, a euphoric look across his face. "His twin sister. She died in a boating accident and Lance couldn't save her. Today would've been their eighteenth birthday."
Keith sucks in a sharp breath. He had know clue that this happened to Lance. He tried to mumble and apology but Hunk held up his hand. "Save it," he said. He hefted Lance up and began to walk to Lance's room. "Just don't make any loud noises okay?"
Keith just stood there in shock. What had he done?
