(( I know it's a hot button issue among many scientists as to whether comatose patients can dream. But a lot of them have reported dreams that were influenced by their surroundings... and I think that I'll give Keith the benefit of the doubt. That... I need to write something less heavy after watching season six. Like... wtf. I loved it but something... I think we all know what I mean... ruined it.))
He was supposed to be there. Keith was supposed to wake up, and cheer Lance through the championship football game. That was one of the only games all year Lance had managed to botch.
Keith was supposed to meet Lance's parents on Thanksgiving, and then they were planning to go back and have a second dinner with Shiro. But the only meal Keith had on that day was through a feeding tube.
Lance was supposed to cuddle with his boyfriend next to the Christmas tree, and they should've been able to admire the array of colored string lights together. The couple should've had hot cocoa, and built snowmen- even though people would've said they were too old.
But there Keith was, still in that hospital bed, pretty much collecting dust.
Lance had barely been able to withstand being apart from him for so long. And he was slowly losing hope that Keith would ever flutter is stormy purple eyes open ever again. He knew he'd said that he wouldn't give up on him, and the alpha hadn't. It was just that his attitude was growing more dismal with every passing day Keith remained like that.
The added stress with basketball and... Lotor's trial hadn't made it any easier for him. He'd narrowly managed to make the varsity team after being so distracted. Lance could barely dunk a three pointer like he otherwise would've had no issue with.
" We're in the home stretch, Keith..." He reached over to hold the smaller boy's hand. It didn't matter that he was sweaty from practice, or that Lance was already exhausted. His need to be with Keith was strong. Since they had bonded, he had been suffering from separation anxiety as well as a shroud of depression that hung over him. " Lotor is going away for good thanks to Acxa and Pidge... and Shiro and all the rest of us." The alpha leaned his head down, and began crying into Keith's chest.
Lance was devastated when Lotor turned down the plea deal, because if he was found innocent at trial, he couldn't be tried again. But at least now he'd never be getting out, and had no option of parole. The trial had been painfully dragging on, but it was almost over. Lotor's terror over them was finished. " Please... it's safe to come back! Come back!" He couldn't control his volume as he continued sobbing onto the boy's hospital gown.
...
" The prosecution calls witness, Keith Kogane, to the stand."
Keith slowly stood up, and he soon found himself being ushered up by the judge. Jury people were staring him down. And he could only wonder why the fuck he was wearing a hospital gown to court.
" Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you, God?" There was a woman cop who approached him, placing his pale hand on the Bible. Keith was immediately uncomfortable at that.
" Uh- sure." He mumbled. Most of the people there were completely random, and unfamiliar to him. He kept scanning, until he saw Lotor, Lance, and Shiro in the room.
" Isn't it true that you came to school during your heat, Keith?" An attorney asked him, and he was broken from his train of thought.
" Yes... but I didn't know I was on it."
" This was your first heat?" The female lawyer questioned.
" Yes." Keith responded. " I didn't know it was coming."
" So you were completely un-expecting, and didn't lead the defendant on at all?" She continued asking questions, aiming her gaze at the jurors.
" Lead him on?" Keith chuckled in a shaky way. " I ran from him... that's when he started forcing me back into the room." He recounted the events while looking at Lotor.
" What exactly did he do to you?"
" H-he... he locked the door and threw me on the floor. And I tried to get away, but he kept pinning me and pressed my body up against the lockers so I couldn't run." Keith was shuddering just talking about it. That day was fresh in his mind, almost like it had happened yesterday. " I kept kicking and hitting him, but he wouldn't let up. I was screaming and he was choking me to shut me up."
" So, to be clear, Lotor was forcing himself on you?"
" Yes."
" Let me just ask, if the defendant would knowingly attempt to rape someone, what would stop him from losing control in other situations? He clearly has proven himself incapable of handling emotions, especially jealousy." The attorney talked the court room. " Keith would've been raped had his boyfriend not shown up to save him, and that infuriated Lotor. He couldn't handle the humiliation, and so he set out for revenge."
Everything was fuzzy, blurred out, almost like they were under water. And Keith had to squint to see anything from the witness stand. And that's when he heard the sound of Lance painfully sobbing. It was a broken, hopeless sort of cry. Like he'd been stripped down to only the rawest of his emotions.
Mostly everyone else was fading away into dust as he stumbled from the stand.
" Come back to me! God damn it, I can't do this anymore!" Lance crumbled to his knees, and was bawling his eyes out. Keith couldn't have been more confused. Where had everyone else gone, what did Lance mean? Why was he crying?
" Lance?!" He knelt down next to him. " Babe, what's wrong?!" Keith frantically asked.
" I-I love you so much! You can't- you can't just leave me here like this!" The alpha was hysterical. And Keith was wide eyed, unsure what was happening.
" Lance- what? I'm right here?" Keith moved to hug his boyfriend, but he just fell right through. Almost like Lance was some sort of glitchy hologram he couldn't wrap his arms around. " I don't know what you're talking about."
" Wake up!" Lance shouted as though he couldn't even hear him.
" Are you blind or just stupid, I'm right here!" The omega waved his hand in front of Lance's face, but he found no reaction from him. " What the hell is happening around here?!" His heartbeat was through the roof.
" I know you can hear me! I know you can!" Lance put his hands on his head and looked like he could rip out all his hair from frustration.
...
Lance was a mess of tears, and the front of Keith's hospital gown was drenched. He grasped the boy's hand, keeping their fingers intertwined tightly. The heart monitor was going crazy as he blubbered hopelessly. It had been three days since the last time he'd cried, so much for achieving a personal best.
There was anything but silence as Keith's eyes drowsily struggled to open. He could hear his pulse everywhere, like it was coming from inside his head. And Lance was buried in his chest, sobbing without control over it.
He didn't speak, mainly because his voice would be scratchy after not being used for so long. Instead, he squeezed back on the alpha's hand, letting an almost inaudible noise escape him. Keith really had no clue what was going on, and he was drawing a blank when he tried to remember. His brain was static for a second.
Lance's ocean blue eyes shot open, and more tears spilled from them as he felt Keith's hand move.
" K-Keith?!" He exclaimed, looking up to see his omega's face holding an expression for the first time in months. Lance's body was in tremors as he noticed the indigo orbs shining, not brightly just yet, but their essence was there.
" Lance..." The smaller male managed to murmur. It was like he hadn't used his lungs in forever, and he could almost feel himself becoming winded.
Lance sniffled, crying harder while hugging him close. He'd made it. They'd made it.
" I thought you weren't coming back!" He buried his face in Keith's neck, wrapping his arms around the omega lightly. " I missed you so much! DON'T YOU EVER LEAVE US AGAIN!" The alpha choked on tears while holding Keith close.
" Babe... what's happening?" Keith cleared his throat, which was scratchy and drier than any desert on the face of planet Earth.
" I love you more than anything! I'll never take you for granted again, I swear! I love you!" Lance was in his own little world. Keith. Keith was back. He pressed small kisses all over the boy's face, letting tears run down his cheeks even more. " Do you hear me? I love you!" He kept on repeating it.
" I-I love you too..." Keith moved an arm to hug Lance back, but everything was completely sore. His muscles ached all over the place. " Please tell me what's happening?" His voice was working, but it would cut out occasionally like a bad WiFi connection.
" You've been in a coma since November..." Lance brushed Keith's bangs back. " It's January." He kissed the other male's forehead.
" What?!" It all felt like one long, long, dream that Keith couldn't wake up from. He remembered bits and pieces of his time being under. " Where's Lotor? D-did you guys win?"
" Win?" The taller boy looked at him in a perplexed way.
" The trial." Keith spoke quietly.
" How would you know about-" Lance cut himself off mid sentence. " Unless... you could hear me?!" He hopefully projected. For days on end Lance had told Keith all about the details, and spilled his guts about everything.
" Lance, I don't know." Keith attempted to sit up, but he was too weak and groggy.
" Woah-woah... please don't move too much. I'm going to go find a doctor." Lance said, and Keith grabbed his wrist.
" Where's Shiro?" The omega asked. He was wondering why his brother wasn't there, and why Lance seemed to be the only one who'd stayed by him.
" At work. I'll call him after I find someone." Lance looked over his shoulder, sending a warm smile towards Keith. He walked up to the doorframe of the hospital room. " Hey! Hey, I need a doctor in here!"
...
" SHIRO!" Lance shouted from the other side of the phone, and the older brother thought his ear was going to fall off at first.
" Lance, what the hell!" Shiro exclaimed. " What?!"
" Keith is awake!" Lance tried to lower his volume but he was too hyped. It was like his body was buzzing, and he was ready to jump for joy.
There was a brief pause.
" Keith-... are you sure?!" The other alpha felt his eyes water. And Lance put his phone on speaker, nodding to his omega.
Keith took a sip of the water he'd been given. Apparently he'd get dehydrated right away if he didn't keep up with fluids.
" Shiro..." He said, smiling. Keith was missing his brother so much that it was insane. " I'm back."
" Oh my God!" Shiro covered his mouth while hearing his little brother's voice. He'd began letting tears drop onto his shirt, not caring if anyone judged him for it. " I'll be right there!"
Keith smiled, squeezing his boyfriend's hand even more.
" Believe me now?" Lance happily asked, and Shiro nodded, forgetting that the two couldn't see him for a second.
" I'm on my way!" Shiro was rushing, and he quickly alerted his boss of the situation before he scrambled from the building.
Lance hung up the phone, not wanting Shiro to get in an accident while trying to talk and drive. It was obvious he'd already be speeding.
" So... what did I miss?" Keith raised an eyebrow at his alpha. He knew that was a question with many answers, but the curiousness was killing him.
" Well..." Lance thought for a moment, then remembered he'd have to tell Keith about his rut. " You missed my rut... and I have to tell you... I did something that I'm not proud of..." He looked to the side.
Keith's eyes flashed with worry. Had Lance cheated on him?
" What?" The smaller boy asked, anxious for his response.
" I... had to listen to our sex tape... I tried jacking off for hours and I couldn't even cum until I heard your voice." Lance's blue eyes clouded in guilt. " I'm sorry... it wasn't fair of me to exploit you like that."
Keith breathed a sigh of relief.
" I'm not mad at you." He had a reassuring smile. " I probably would've done the same thing..." Keith watched the other boy ease upon hearing that. " Plus, you stayed faithful to me, Lance. That is a great thing by itself. A lot of other alphas wouldn't have been able to do that."
" I told you I'd wait. I love you too much to just forget about us and fuck someone else... even if I wanted to I wouldn't be able to." Lance leaned down, and he noticed that Keith was starting to smell like... Keith. He couldn't help but bury his face in the omega's neck. That scent was one of the things Lance had missed most. After a while, Keith's jacket had lost the signature smell, so Lance was left with pretty much nothing.
" Lance...?" Keith chuckled. And the alpha had forgotten how precious the sound of him laughing was.
" Your scent glands are working again..." He mumbled, getting déjà vu from the scent. " I missed you so much..."
" I won't be leaving any time soon, Babe." Keith stroked Lance's hair slowly, ignoring how stiff his arms were whenever he tried to move them.
" You missed so much..." Lance murmured. " I lost the championship football game, nearly fucked up my basketball tryout, and the cheer program disbanded all together. Also, Lotor didn't take a plea deal so now he's going away forever. They had me testify and everything."
" I testified too." Keith said.
" What? Princess, you were here the whole time." Lance emerged from the crook of Keith's neck.
" But I did. And you were crying, and Lotor was there." He insisted, taking another sip of water.
" Do you think you might have... like... dreamt it?" Lance was confused, but that was about the only thing that made sense.
" I don't know. But it happened." Keith answered, and next thing he knew, Shiro was rushing in the room. He was panting heavily like he'd run a marathon. And his face lifted the second he saw his brother conscious.
" Keith!" He exclaimed, going in to hug him gently. " It's so good to see you up- you really have no idea." Shiro had a wavering voice. And Keith smiled once again while feeling his brother hug him. " What did the doctor say?!"
" Well, the medical team is deciding if it's okay to discharge me." Keith said as Shiro pulled back. And Lance was overjoyed as he raked his fingers through the omega's hair.
" I called Allura, she's on her way with all your friends." Shiro told him.
" So... what's the deal with you and her anyways?" Keith had a small smirk while asking. God, how Lance had missed that face.
" Oh, you wouldn't know." Lance had neglected to mention everything about them.
" Well... Allura and I decided to officially date. I've met her parents-"
" -And they love him." The other alpha cut in, sending a smile Shiro's way. And Keith sniffed the air.
" Is that why you smell like her?" The omega smugly remarked. After stunting with Allura for so long he'd come to recognize her scent.
" Shiro!" Lance exclaimed. " Did you finally abandon your virginly ways?!"
" Do either of you really get to talk about that?" Shiro retorted while blushing.
" Wait... who tops?" Keith was curious. " You're both alphas..."
" Get outta my beeswax!" The older brother exclaimed. And Keith smirked at Lance. " You just got out of a coma, and this is what you want to focus on?" He tried to change the subject.
" Fine. I'm craving Chinese food." The omega shrugged randomly.
" Then we'll have Chinese food." Lance squeezed his hand even more. " I'll do whatever you want." He leaned down to kiss Keith's cheek.
The doctor soon walked in.
" So, I have some very good news." He said to the three of them. " Keith should be fine to go home. But remember his stomach will be very sensitive for a while, so no spicy or extremely strong foods."
" When can we leave?" Lance asked.
" As soon as the nurses unhook him from the machines." The doctor said. And that was music to everyone's ears. " But, we will need you to do something. Since you've been in-active for so long, we highly recommend you come for physical therapy to help strengthen your muscles again."
" Okay... sounds good. Thank you." Keith said.
...
Everyone else met up at Keith's house instead of the hospital.
" Guys! I-I need to breathe!" Keith laughed as Pidge, Matt, Hunk, Shay, and Allura hugged him. His legs were shaking from him having to stand on them, but they all helped to keep him upright.
" We love you, buddy!" Hunk was crying.
" I can't believe you're back!" Pidge sobbed.
" Guys, I think I need to sit down..." Keith said. And as they stepped back, Lance let his omega lean on him. " I keep getting head rush..." He dizzily mumbled.
" That's normal." Shiro told him. " You'll keep getting it for a while."
Lance sat down on the couch with Keith, letting the smaller boy settle on his lap. He buried his face in Keith's neck from behind, keeping a fond smile on his lips. It was in alpha instinct to hold Keith close after all that happened.
" We're all very happy to have you back." Allura had teary eyes while smiling at Keith.
" What she said." Matt sniffled.
" It's good to be back." Keith contently sighed.
" I wrote more fanfiction while you were gone." Pidge laughed, wiping away her tears.
" Oh no." Keith groaned but couldn't help but grin. He couldn't get over the feeling of being awake. Of being in Lance's arms. It was all something that he'd never look at the same way ever again.
" I've read some of it..." Lance snickered in his ear.
" And?" Keith raised an eyebrow.
" It still wasn't as hot as you are." He moved to kiss the omega's cheek.
" I take offense to that!" Pidge folded her arms.
" Go finish that Shallura fanfiction, why don't you?" Lance smirked at her. And Keith turned around in his alpha's lap slowly, moving to kiss his lips for the first time in ages.
" Pidge!" Allura exclaimed. And Shiro became flustered as all hell. There was an argument that broke out behind them as Keith continued kissing Lance.
" You're still a great kisser, hm?" Lance hummed quietly.
" I love you." The shorter boy pressed his forehead against his alpha's. It was so good to be back.
Lance was ecstatic and his facial expression was glowing. He wasn't homesick anymore, not at all.
(( Keith my bby :') HE'S BACKKKKKKKK))