Chapter Two

Fists Filled With Words

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Enjoy!

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For all of his unpredictableness, he was quite predictable. If there was one thing Lance could be happy about right now, it would be the fact that Keith seemed to be glued to the gladiator room. It was as if he itched to feel the familiar weight of something in his hands- that's not to say Lance didn't feel the same. Sometimes, after a mission, holding a Bayard close and knowing he's fine and safe and still here is a good feeling that he couldn't really get from anywhere.

And yet, Lance knew Keith wasn't there for comfort. He was there to get rid of the anger squirming under his skin, the heat crawling up his neck like a boa constricting his very soul. He was probably there to feel anything other than the hopelessness threatening to drag him under and if he didn't continue struggling, it could very well drown him.

Or maybe, he was already drowning.

Or maybe, Lance was wrong. Speculation isn't always right and it's not like his data is based off himself.

Keith grunted loudly as his elbow rammed into the neck of the gladiator, moving then to wrap a hand around his neck, back faced towards it, and flipped it over his shoulder. He swiftly dodged an arm reaching out to grab him and stabbed the machine clear through its stomach. He huffed harshly, signalling repeated bouts of sparring over a long period of time.

Keith spun around, eyes wide, but not quite surprised to see Lance leaning against the entrance, a smile soft upon his lips and hands clapping slowly.

"A fine show Keith. Five stars, would recommend for all personal daily anger needs." Lance pushed himself off the wall, stuck his hands inside of his pockets, and made his way toward the radiating male.

Eyes searching the bot for any movement, even going as far to kick it, Keith sighed as it only twitched and stayed down. "What do you want Lance?"

"What? I can't stop by and visit my favorite red paladin?" Lance spoke with a cocky smirk, eyes shining.

Keith looked at him for only a second then glanced away again. Not even bothering to retort that he was the only red paladin, he gripped the handle of his sword and freed it from the confines of a stomach. "We both know that isn't true." Truly facing Lance now, he repeated tiredly, "What do you want Lance?"

Lance hummed, almost breaking out into laughter as Keith's mouth twisted in discomfort and confusion when he took off his jacket and threw it to the side of him. "I want you to stop breaking the bots, man. Jeez, is there such a thing as bot abuse?" He paused for a moment then continued, "What am I saying? This is space, of course there is." Rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck, he gestured to himself, "I also may have thought you might want to beat up less metal and more flesh."

"What? Why would I-"

"And because Coran is in charge of bot repairs and he has more than enough on his plate. Let's not make it worse."

Silence. "Still, I'll just leave then. We don't need to fight; I'm fine Lance."

Lance nodded. Head cocked to side, he questioned slowly, as if approaching a wild animal (and honestly, maybe he was), "So you don't want to punch Allura in the face?"

"Lance, that's- that's different. I don't want to punch her in the face."

Nodding again, he took a step closer to Keith. "So you want to punch someone?"

Keith's eyes narrowed and his grip on his sword tightened. "Lance let it go." It was more of curt, final tone, but years with stubborn family has drilled Lance with patience.

"Is this person on the ship?"

"Don't you dare."

"Or maybe someone who's not?"

"Shut up."

"Someone by the name of-"

"I swear-"

"Shiro?"

Keith pointed the blade Lance's way. "Shut up! Shut up!" His eyes sparked sharp obsidian and a furrow appeared between his eyebrows. His hand visibly shook. Almost seemingly to curl in on himself, he hissed, "You don't know what you're talking about."

Shrugging off the last of the tension from his shoulders, Lance sighed, "Probably. Maybe." He did offer Keith a sympathetic look. "Though, I won't know until you tell me."

Keith shook his head, eyes never leaving his blade. "Just leave Lance."

Lance pulled out his bayard, twirling it around on his index finger while they both laid in a pregnant pause. Growing quickly impatient with Keith's lack of movement, Lance brought the weapon up to his shoulder and aimed Keith's way.

A choked breath. "Lance, what the hell!" A yell as a pulse knocked his sword from his hand. "Stop!"

A wry smirk latched onto Lance's lips. "Can't handle the heat, dropout? Come on, hit me." A shot near retreating feet. "You know you want to. All mad and broody because your big bro left you again. Always leaving you behind. Poor," enoucionating each word with a step, Lance strode forward, "poor Keithy." Keith steamed before him, no longer backing away.

"All lost and alone." Resorting to yells, Lance snarled, "drowning in loneliness all because of-" Lance recoiled as a sharp right jab connected with his jaw, slamming his teeth together and making dots appear in his vision. Letting go of all pretense, both boys dropped their weapons and grappled each other onto the floor.

Lance rose up on top, using his forearm to shove Keith's face into the ground. He leaned in close, hissing through gritted teeth, "sad, poor Keith alone in a shack. Sad, poor Keith alone in the castle-" Yelping as Keith dug his teeth into his forearm, Lance turned to move away only to feel himself pushed to the floor and straddled.

Violet eyes flashed. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Like a recorder set on repeat, he gained a new mantra and seemed to always end up alone. Choking on the air itself, Keith breathed heavily and punched Lance right on the temple, uncaring of the scratches the other laid upon his skin. They stung and then begun to bleed.

Lance kicked out with his leg, catching Keith's shin. "You're so selfish!" Knocking the air out of Keith, he gripped the other's shoulders and, thrice, had picked him up and slammed him on the ground. Nails dug into his wrist, yet he pressed forward til their noses brushed. "You think you're alone now?"

Tears splashed onto the skin of Keith's cheeks, causing him to freeze and his eyes to widen. Lance dug deeper into his shoulder. "It sucks, yes! Shiro being gone fucking sucks! And I don't- I just-" Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Lance leaned forward to rest his throbbing head onto Keith's shoulder.

"I don't know how this must feel for you. I really don't and I don't know how to help but if there's one thing I know it's that-" Lance leaned back, taking up all of Keith's vision,"-how are you so stupid!"

Eyes narrowing, Keith yelled, "hey!"

"No! Shut up and listen for once!" Hands now resting on either side of Keith's head, he continued with a sigh, "you're selfish because you think you're alone now." Whispering, voice raspy with hurt, "Do the rest of us mean nothing to you? We might not mean as much as Shiro does to you," rushing past Keith's squeal of protest, he went on, "but I hope we at least mean something so that you stop acting, so, so... stupid!" Shoving him one more time, Lance moved off from on top of him and grasped his aching jaw.

Keith pushed himself off his elbows to sit up. He looked away, seeming a tad insecure. "I wasn't- I'm not that bad..."

"Almost crashing into me today? Not listening to orders from Allura, or rather, anyone? Locking yourself in the training room and wouldn't even remember to eat if it weren't for Hunk dragging you to the kitchen?" Keith nodded after a pause, moving to speak, however was halted when Lance continued, "Not to mention, yelling at Allura, not showering every day- like jeez man, when's the last time you showered, you stink!- and there's that mullet- when are you going to cut that-"

"Okay, okay!" Keith cracked his back and sighed in relief. "I get it."

"So you're cutting off the mullet- oof!"

Keith grinned as his punch connected directly with Lance's gut. After taking pleasure in Lance's groans, he made to move up.

"What was that for?" Lance wheezed.

Keith chuckled. "As a thank you."

"... what kind of shitty thank you is that!"

Chapter Two End

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if you think it's all right now...

also, there was a mini chapter before this and there's that - i really do have a plot outline dont even worry about it *sweats*. 100 points if you can guess who the narrator is. it may be obvious or maybeeee not

also (wow, a lot of also's) sorry for the long wait and sorry for the formatting issue I SWEAR TO GOD I NEVER GET IT RIGHT AND I SERIOUSLY HATE IT CUZ IT MAKES ME SO MAD

but anyway,

see you next time my lovelies

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