A/N: Hello! This is the fifth chapter, and I do have more planned for after this. I am warning you. This is like the warning from Apollo/Lester in the first ToA book. Anyways, thank you to everyone for reading and voting. It makes me happy to come home from a long day of work and to see the comments and votes and views. Brings a genuine smile to my face. You guys are the best. There is a good ol' content warning below. Good luck. For this chapter and future ones.
C/W: Angst(Keith), trauma, noncon-sex, language. I think that's it.
Keith awoke to something he hasn't felt in a while; comfort, security, relaxed, refreshed, nightmare free. He slowly opened his eyes, seeing blue and white, smelling the ocean on a perfect summer day with a nice breeze.
He looked up, seeing Lance smiling down at him, arms keeping Keith safe. Keith blinked at him. Was this a dream? Another night terrors with a happy beginning and dark, twisted ending? No, Keith could never smell Lance in his dreams, never got the scent t right. This was real.
Keith blinked again, tears coming in his eyes, blurring his vision. He buried his face into Lance's chest, the alpha tightening his hold on Keith.
I'm here.
You're here.
You're safe.
You're with me.
I'll protect you.
Let me protect you.
Let me hold you.
Let me know this is real, too.
And Keith did. He let Lance hold him, talk to him, get him water and food. They were sitting up, Keith was exhausted, he just wanted to sleep. To slip into that peaceful oblivion. To not have to worry about what was real, what was dream. About where he would wake up next, who was there and what they were going to do next.
He and Lance were sitting, Lance holding Keith while they were leaning against a bunch of Keith's pillows. Oh, how he missed his pillows. The soft ones. The fluffy ones. The ones that muffled his crying in the dark of night.
They had some of his blankets around their shoulders and in their laps. Keith loved his blankets. The soft ones. The fluffy ones. The light ones for not nights. The heavy ones for cold nights. The ones that were perfect for the comfy-cozy feel without getting hot too soon.
Yes, yes. How could he be missing something as simple and stupid and blankets and pillows, he's gone on so many missions without with before. But, you would miss your blankets and pillows too after two months of being sold and used and tortured. Never take even the simplest of things for granted. You never know how much you'll miss them until they're gone.
Keith was ready to sleep again, eyes already heavy with weariness when his door opened. Keith instantly tensed up, grabbing Lance's hand and shirt. His eyes locked onto the intruder, he relaxed a little when he realized it was Sam and Krolia.
"Hello Keith," Sam said with a warm smile on his face, "I have some medication here for you. Pain pills and some others help with the tiredness."
"Thank you." Keith's throat was raw and hurt when he talked, too much screaming and crying. Lance handed him a cup of water while Sam gave him the small cut of medication. Keith looked at it, and frowned. Krolia stayed in the doorway, Lance had an arm around Keith's waist, and Sam was being a damn beta by releasing a relaxing scent.
"I don't see my suppressants. Or any." Keith looked up at Sam, and Lance felt his body tense up again. Sam looked at Krolia for backup. Shit.
"That wasn't an accident, Keith. You're not going to take suppressants. Your body needs to go into a natural heat." She leveled a careful look at him, one that said 'I speak. You listen. I tell. You do.' Keith paled to look like a ghost and shook his head. No.
"No, you don't understand. I can't -"
"Yes, we do. We know, Keith. We know." His mother's expression softened.
"Keith, your body needs to go into heat. After...you know. Taking suppressants is risky enough when you're healthy. There's no way you're going to take them now. Not until you have a natural heat." Sam gave a 'no talking back' look, one he's used on Pidge and Matt. If it can shut those two up, it can shut just about anyone up. Of course, Keith didn't care. He talked back.
They argued, Keith's eyes wide with panic. Krolia and Sam won. They stayed to make sure he took his medication, then left after he ignored them. Lance held onto him, making sure Keith was comfortable under the blankets.
"Keith, what...what happened?" Lance asked, still wondering if he was prepared to hear what his ma- his friend went through.
"They wouldn't let me have suppressants..." Keith trailed off, eyes glazed over and looking in the distance, like he wasn't really there. "Most of my owners liked to...use...me..." Keith got quiet for a while, Lance stilled at hearing this. He wanted to kill them for touching Keith. But, he needed to be strong right now. Strong for the one who was always strong for him, and needed the favor returned.
"I had my heat twice...I didn't want to...you know...with them, but they didn't care. I- I was..." Keith started to cry, his body shaking, hand gripping the fabric of his shirt over his stomach.
***
Sam had Keith move to a medical room with a comfortable bed, blankets, pillows, and clothes from the other Paladins so he could make a nest for his heat. Sam had explained how there was a camera for them to check on Keith, and there were snacks already in a cabinet. Some of the Blades were omegas, so they had rooms for them to go to if they felt like it where they could have their heats.
Sam watched as Keith started making his nest, and began to strip off his shirt and pants, leaving his underwear. There was a bin of...supplies to help Keith if he chose to use them, and they would turn off the camera if he chose to.
Keith was hot, like, someone turn off the heat while in the desert, hot. He was in his nest, telling his heat was coming on fast. He whimpered at the pain in his stomach. This was going to be rough.
Sam watched as Keith thrashed on the bed, teeth gritted in pain and he clutched his stomach. "AAAAAHHHHHHAAAAA!" Keith screamed in pain with his head back and in a fetal position. He snapped his head back to being tucked against his chest.
He screamed.
He cried.
He thrashed.
He screamed some more.
"I want my pups. I want my pups. I want my pups! Iwantmypups! Iwantmypups Iwantmypups IwantmypupsIwantmypupsIwantmypupsIWANTMYPUPS!" It was getting hard to watch, and it was only the first hour. 5-8 more days left.
***
Keith woke with heavy eyes. His temperature wasn't as bad, the pain in his stomach wasn't there. It was over. Keith pulled Lance's jacket back onto him and fell asleep. He was so, so tired.
***
"So, why did Keith need to go through a natural heat?" Zethrid asked. They were all sitting in Keith's room, waiting for him.
"Because of my two miscarriages." They all turned at the sound of Keith's voice coming from the open doorway.
All but Shiro and Lance gasped or widened their eyes at the new information. Keith walked over to his bed and climbed under the covers. He pulled the blankets over his head, leaving his hair untucked. He just wanted to sleep. Wanted Lance to hold him again.
"Keith...are you...okay?" Hunk softly asked.
"Heh, what do you think, Hunk?" Keith sat up, letting the covers fall to his lap. "Would you be, if you found out the ones who raped you knocked you up? And despite that, you still have love for your unborn pup, but the ones who were selling you off to the highest bidder killed your pup? Twice? All because your a stupid fucking omega who can't protect yourself?!" Keith was angry, sad, mourning, tears filled his eyes, threatening to fall.
***
A month had passed, and Keith was getting better. Lance was always by his side, they moved his clothes to Keith's room since they spent the nights holding each other. One day, they had come to breakfast, holding hands. Nothing new there, they were normally holding hands or arms wrapped around the waist or shoulders of the other.
No, what was new was that Lance kissed Keith on the cheek when they sat down with their food. Everyone froze what they were doing and looked at the two.
"What? Oh yeah, Keith and I are dating now," Lance said before continuing to eat.
"You can't just say it like that, dumbass," Keith scolded.
"Who are you calling dumbass...dumbass?"
"Wow. So original," Keith deadpanned.
***
"I was thinking," Lance said to Keith's ear as they laid in their bed, fairy lights surrounding them, "since you've been getting better, maybe...we could go home? See my family? They miss you, and everyone wants to see you. They thought you were dead, after all."
Keith was fiddling with Lance's hair, but instantly said yes. Lance smiled, continuing to drag his fingers up and down Keoths spine. Keith soon fell asleep, Lance not long after with his hand in Keoths mullet and a smiling into the top of Keith's head.
They were going home.
Word count: 1460
A/N: You made it! Congrats!
So yeah, that was the fifth chapter and I hope you enjoyed it!
I have the day off tomorrow because we're picking up our new rescue pup, so I might start working on the sixth chapter tomorrow and into the night. But you never know. I might be busy making sure she gets along with our other dogs and making sure she's happy and settled.
Anyways, thank you for reading!
-TJ.