I'll never let you go [Closed]

[spaceforged]

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.

Comments

[spaceforged]

[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.

[balancingedge]

[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.]

[thegoofball]

[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.]

[spaceforged]

[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.]

[balancingedge]

[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.]

[thegoofball]

[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.]

[spaceforged]

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?

[balancingedge]

[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.

[thegoofball]

[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.]

[spaceforged]

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.

[balancingedge]

[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?]

[thegoofball]

[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?]

[spaceforged]

[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.

[balancingedge]

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.]

[thegoofball]

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.]

[spaceforged]

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.

[balancingedge]

[Keith's gaze meets Shiro's and he nods.]

Already set an alarm.

[He says, shifting slightly to lay down beside him. Forget moving any farther at the moment.] It's still Castor's shift. I'll take the next one.

[Because someone has to keep an eye on the monitors.]

[thegoofball]

[Oh, guess this is...happening.

But he's not going to say no to his leaders. He doesn't quite snuggle into Shiro's pillowy chest, but he does make himself comfortable.]

Don't wear yourself out, Keith.

[And he'll just...close his eyes, and let himself rest.]

[spaceforged]

[He lays down and isn't surprised when Lance settles up against him. He wraps his arm around Keith when he lays down.]

Alright. Keep me updated on what you detect. I can take over console monitoring when I'm awake. [He is the licensed pilot. He could do that one handed just fine.]

[balancingedge]

[And if there was any argument about that arm wrapped around him (there isn't), he doesn't say it. Mostly because other than a quiet:] I will.

[...He settles, and falls asleep.]

[thegoofball]

[...

Lance shifts, bumping his chin against Shiro's chest. He doesn't say anything until he's sure Keith is asleep, but...]

He's going to keep pushing himself too far.

[Mrgph.]

This might be the first time he's slept since you disappeared.

[spaceforged]

[He glances at Keith molded to his side. Lance's words sink in as he runs his hand up and down his back. He wants to be surprised but there's a jumble of memories in his head. He sighs.]

We can spread shifts out between the five of us. Once Hunk is back, we can spread it out to six. We'll all get some sleep.

[He can bet Lance had some issues with sleeping too.]

It will be alright, Lance.

[thegoofball]

[He doesn't want to disagree with Shiro, but...]

He needs more than some.

[He's not...going to say anything about the back rubbing. For now, at least.]

I'm still worried about him. You. Everyone.

[Why did he open his big, dumb mouth again? Yikes.]

[spaceforged]

I know. [His hand rests in the middle of Keith's back as he looks down at Lance.]

I know you're looking out for all of us. We'll handle it together.

[Shiro smiles and it lights up his eyes.]

You've held each other up this long. We'll guard his back, yours, mine. Everyone's. There's a reason there are five Paladins and not just one.

[balancingedge]

...slept four hours a night minimum, Lance.

[Oh. He heard you two. He buries his face back into Shiro's side and goes back to sleep.]