He storms out of the room hurriedly, wanting to just be alone. He hadn't expected the vlog to take such a toll on him.

Keith prays that no one sees him passing by. He can't handle being with anyone right now. He wants to hide, to forget the recollection of painful memories, the knowing that he struggles to connect with others; all of it.

He immediately knows that he can't go to the training deck since Pidge and Hunk are going at it with the simulator to practice Altean. He considers going to his room, but Coran had mentioned that he was doing some maintenance by the Paladins quarters, so that made things impossible. The lounge seems like a viable option until he recalls that it's close to the control room where Allura and Shiro are organizing distress beacons. Lance had said he would go off to take a swim in the pool, so that left Keith with one final place to run to.

The hangar.

Keith's practically sprinting now as he makes his way there.

He forgets for a moment that he's the Black Paladin now.

That he can't go to Red for protection or comfort anymore.

But this only dawns on him when he walks in on Lance sitting in front of her and conversing with her.

Keith freezes in place by the door, his hand covering his eyes in hopes of preventing the tears from falling. There's nowhere else for him to go now. He wants to disappear.

Just when he thinks it can't get any worse; it does.

"Keith? Hey man, are you okay?" says Lance as he immediately gets up and rushes over to him, worry written all over his face.

"I'm fine. Just leave me alone," replies Keith, hoping his voice doesn't sound cracked. His throat burns as he fights to hold in his emotions.

Lance isn't deterred however. "What's wrong? I thought you were doing the vlog—"

"THAT'S THE PROBLEM!" snaps Keith as he removes his hand from his face, the tears finally falling, but he doesn't stop, even in watching Lance recoil, "I DIDN'T ASK TO BE HALF GALRA, TO STRUGGLE GETTING ALONG WITH EVERYONE, TO PANIC WHENEVER SOMEONE LEAVES—I JUST, I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO BELONG SOMEWHERE, BUT EVEN IN SPACE I CAN'T EVEN FIND THAT! DOES THE UNIVERSE HATE ME?!"

He turns away from Lance, his hands clenched at his sides. God, he must look so pathetic right now and he feels worse in having lashed out at Lance. He wouldn't be surprised if Lance just stood there with nothing to say or even left for that matter, like so many others in the past that didn't want to deal with Keith's outbursts.

But that's not what happens.

Instead, Keith suddenly feels himself being embraced tightly and protectively. He hasn't felt this in a long time. Not since… Not since his mother left; and it's so overwhelming that…finally he breaks down sobbing and screaming in Lance's hold, which silently tells him that it's okay to feel vulnerable, that he'll be safe as he takes his time to get himself together again.