melodiesofeternity | I'll never let you go [Closed]

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I'll never let you go [Closed]

Who: [OU] Takashi Shirogane, [OU] Hunk, the crew signed up to retrieve them.
When: August 15th and 16th
Where: Dream width and then airship
What: Two of Team Voltron got canon updated and now must be retrieved.
Warnings/Notes: Spoilers for season 6, swearing, violence, aaand idefk I'll add more if we need it.

The signal beeps in a steady rhythm like a heart monitor assuring all the patient is still alive. After vanishing a week ago, Takashi Shirogane's mark on the readouts gives no sign what's ahead.

Nor will Hunk's a day later. What does? The memory nebulas swirling with light and color. Just like any other retrieval.

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[Helping to carry Shiro to the lounge is the least Lance can do - seeing Shiro like this, it just brings back all the guilt. It brings back every piece of blame Lance placed on himself, every terrible thing he thought about himself because of how he had failed Shiro.

Shiro had called out to him for help. Allura had sensed something was wrong, that he was acting odd, and Lance had brushed it aside. There had been so many signs, so many things that should have helped Lance realized he had to do something, that he had just willfully ignored.

He had hoped he could be over it again, but it's just coming back all over again, and he hates it. After leaving Shiro in the lounge - he should give Keith space, he should - he goes and stalks the airship. But the ship's not big enough, there's nowhere for him to run, and Hunk-

Lance ends up back in the lounge, stomach tangled into knots. His eyes are bloodshot and puffy, the tip of his nose red, but he bites his lip as he comes up to Shiro.]

How's he doing?

[Is there anything they can do for him? Anything at all?]

[Keith hasn't budged other than to check Shiro's pulse once in a while. It's remained the same ever since Futaba did all she could to heal him. He frowns, trying not to go over everything in his head as he sits there on his knees; all the signs he had just shrugged off as Shiro's illness. Yet it doesn't stop his eyes from stinging as he hears Lance approach, but he doesn't let himself slip. Not yet. One of them has to remain strong for them.]

His physical injuries are healed for the most part. [He starts, motioning for Lance to join them.] Pidge and Futaba have done what they can. Now it's just waiting to see when he wakes up.

[When, not if. Even now he refuses to give up on him. He can't. Shiro's done so much for him, that he can't imagine him not opening his eyes again.

Just like it is back home. He wants to punch a wall, and yet... he can't bring himself to move.]

[When. It's the when that sticks out, because it might not be a when. It might be that if.

But Lance isn't going to be the one who points that out, even if it's all he can think about. It would crush him - crush Keith, crush all of them - if they went through so much to bring Shiro back and then it just...didn't matter.

His eyes sting at the thought, but he pushes it aside. Now is not the time to think about that. He has to be there for Keith. For Pidge, for the people that came along with them.]

Okay. [He keeps his voice soft, and he lowers himself down next to Keith. Lance feels...useless.] He'll...

[He swallows. He wants to be positive, but. It's so fucking hard.]

Man, when he wakes up I'm going to have to give him an earful for worrying all of us like this.

[He'd thank him for not doing so. Later, when worry and concern didn't keep him rooted to the spot.

They'd lost him once already. Keith can't bear the thought so he refuses to entertain the notion that he won't. Because if they came this far, and he did... If they lost him here and now again- He tries to ignore the bead of sweat falling down the side of his face; the way his chest tightens.]

Yeah. [Welcome to the useless corner, Lance; population of two.] You and me both.

[He really, really needs to stop making this a trend. Keith smiles faintly at Lance before his gaze falls back. It didn't meet his eyes.]

Fight. We won't give up on you.

[Lance reaches out, not to Keith, but to Shiro. He brushes back his hair, frowning. He's reminded of checking for fevers the one time he watched over his niece and nephew when they were sick, and that feels like it was a lifetime ago.

Shiro seems...He seems okay. He can't feel a fever, or anything like that. But that doesn't mean anything. He doesn't know what's going on with Shiro. All he knows is that this is all terrible.]

Bad cop, good cop?

[It's not much of a joke, but...he's trying.]

[It is terrible. It's terrible and he really wishes that Shiro would just wake up already.

He checks Shiro's pulse again. Still there, but hard to tell through his gloves. His eyes sting a little more as he tries to remind himself that at least he doesn't feel cold. Come back to them. Please.

He blinks though, looking up at Lance with an eyebrow raised. He's too tired to do anything else.]

Lance, you've watched too many movies.

[And yet... from the look in his eyes, he's totally down for this.]

You haven't watched enough.

[The reply comes back without thinking about, and it's... It's been too long since they did this - this back and forth. Their familiar song and dance.

With Keith gone, showing back up here, and then Shiro and Hunk disappearing...It hasn't felt like themselves. Now, at least for this moment, they're good. It's familiar.]

I'll be the good cop. I'm the cute, sweet one, and you're the edgy one.

[Seems fair to him. He turns his attention back to Shiro, slowly petting his hair. It feels...like a closeness, an intimacy, he shouldn't be allowed, but he doesn't want to let this go while he can.]

I watched plenty! [He doth protest too much, he knows.] ...Just not the same kinds you have.

[God just end him now. He's too tired for this. Yet it's also kind of nice? Finally having a familiar little verbatim dance like this.]

No. Just, no.

[Lance. Das creepy af.]

I watch all kinds of movies!

[At least Lance is a gestural talker, because he feels like he's definitely overstepping boundaries.]

So that means you haven't watched anything.

[He's sorry!!!!!! He's been having a shitty month!!]

[Fight.

How many times has he fought? Every time he can. When it mattered he rose and rose again, pushing his way through the obstacles to achieve what mattered.

He sucks in a breath and turns his head to the side, coughing hard as his lungs remember they need to work. His eyes open slowly,]

Keith... [He looks at him and relaxes. Slowly becoming aware of the warm hand on his neck.] I was dreaming. You...I felt...

[There's something in his face. He looks up at Lance's hands and blinks. He's too tired to process this.]

...what are you two doing.

[Keith is this close to saying 'action movies' when he feels more than hears the cough and the words die on his lips. His eyes light up as a relieved smile crosses his lips.

Sorry Lance, you have five seconds to move your hands before he just, gently pulls Shiro up into a hug.]

Arguing about movies. Don't worry about it. [It's just them being them.]

[He goes still as soon as Shiro stirs - it's what they've been waiting for, but it's still unexpected.

He does, at least, pull his hands back before they get crushed between Shiro and Keith.]

It's not arguing if I'm right!

[He hesitates, wondering if...if he should leave, now. Shiro's awake, and that's...

He's...

He should go, he knows, give Shiro and Keith some privacy, but he can't make himself get up.]

[He feels so weak. He can guess why but seeing Lance start to pull away over Keith's shoulder he reaches out to him. He's a big man so it's easy to snag Lance's arm and weakly tug him into the hug.]

No, that's still arguing. Get over here. I heard both of you. You saved me.

[He's not about to let that go without sharing the joy and warmth he feels inside him.]

[An amused and relieved huff leaves him at that. Not even awake five minutes and he's already trying to cover for him. He's so relieved, so tired, that he almost misses how Lance begins to pull away. That's when Keith notices the way Shiro's arm reaches out and he moves over slightly. Moves to leave some room before joining Shiro in pulling Lance in.

Sorry, buddy. You're family. There's no escaping the group hug. Pile in, guys.]

[He wasn't supposed to be caught. They weren't supposed to notice.

But he freezes up as soon as the arm's around him, and he lets himself get pulled in. He's tense, for a moment, before he lets out a heavy sigh.]

It was all Keith.

[Lance was just...here.]

No. Trust me, your arguing called me back. [He only has one arm but he's wrapping it around Lance, and his fingers touch Keith's arm.]

It was a team effort. [He grins at Lance but it's exhausting and real.]

What else are friends for if not to help your clone's body to accept you're new consciousness?

[Keith glances at Lance. Really, man? You're going to argue that right now? He makes a slight face at the terrible joke, but still:]

Besides, I wouldn't have gotten him inside this ship without you. Don't sell yourself short, Lance.

[Of course he is! It's what he does.

That joke is also...absolutely terrible. Lance tenses, but...He'll let Shiro have this, even if he's not sure what to do now that he's trapped in his arms.]

Ehhh, guess that's true. I played a pretty big role in all of this. You would've been in deep without me.

[If he plays it up, he's fine. It's fine.]

It's true he wouldn't have gotten me inside without you. I'm a big man. [He gives Lance a hearty slap on the back as if they were back at the Garrison and just talking about flight maneuvers.]

And I remember you keeping everyone together back home. So thank you for that too. You are a vital member of this team. You always will be.

[He smiles and leans into Lance with a small sigh.] And after all this is over. You're in charge of movie night.

[Keith, for once, does not argue. Mainly because he's about to drift off himself. It's been days of spotty sleep, constantly waking up at the slightest noise.

At least, until Shiro mentions "movie night."

Oh.

Oh no.

Shiro, what have you done?]

[Oh, that's.

It's not the first time Shiro's said as much - he said he considered Lance his friend when he showed up in this weird, crazy place but it still...

Man.

These airships must be super dusty.]

We can start with the classics.

[Is it...okay? The want to lean back in and just? Enjoy this?]

[He's so tired. He could fall back asleep but that would alarm them. He doesn't want them to worry any more than they already have.]

That sounds like a plan. I leave it to you. Tell me what funds you need when we get that far.

[His voice slurs with exhaustion.]

And now...if you both don't mind, I'm going to get some real sleep. Stay close.

Dare I ask which...?

[He says, with the hand on Lance's back lightly patting him. Yes, it's fine. At the risk of sounding like Hunk: you're family, Lance.]

Sleep sounds good. But Shiro, there's something we need to tell you. [He pulls away only slightly, to look at Lance and reach for his iMog and set an alarm for a few hours later. When they should really start keeping an eye on for the next signal.] Hunk disappeared less than twenty-four hours after you. His name isn't greyed out, so we should be receiving a second signal in a few hours if he continues the trend.

[That's why they haven't returned to Vaikuntha yet.]

It'll be something good.

[Or...something terrible he tells you is good.

Don't worry about it.]

...Yeah. Yeah, he should be showing up soon.

[He clings tighter to Shiro, for just a moment. He hopes he shows up soon. He wants him back so badly. He wants the team to be whole.]

Then we'll all sleep for a few hours. We're going to need it to help him out. There's no telling what kind of memory he'll be trapped in.

[Shiro pats Lance's back and looks over his head at Keith. The team needs to sleep.] We'll bed down here.

We'll all be together when we wake.

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