Keith was soaked to the bone, rain dripping from the end of his ponytail and sticking stray bangs to his face. Even the bag over his shoulder was drenched through, and though he couldn’t have been standing in the hall for more than a few seconds a puddle had already gathered around his feet. But infinitely worse was the expression he wore - one Hunk had never seen on him before. Jaw tight and eyes downcast, it was the nearest to tears Keith had ever outwardly looked.
“Oh my God,” Hunk said. Romelle stepped aside to let Keith in, and Hunk took his bag and wrapped a towel over his shoulders. “Dude - are you okay?”
“No,” Keith said, voice strained. “Can I stay here tonight?”
“Yeah, of course.” Hunk ushered him inside, setting another towel on the couch so he could sit. He collapsed onto it, hunched over himself like all he wanted was to curl up into a ball and hide himself away.
It was so unlike him. Keith had always been emotional, sure. He had a temper like no other. But when he returned from the Quantum Abyss, he seemed better able to control it, only ever losing his cool when pushed to his limits.
But Keith was never one to show pain so openly. Even when Shiro went missing, his pain was redirected into a blazing rage that burned anyone who so much as offered a supporting hand. At the time, Hunk wondered if he knew how to deal with his hurts in any other way. Seeing him like this now, so destroyed by the unknown source of his anguish that he couldn’t even sit upright, Hunk missed the fire.
Romelle took the seat beside him, eyes soft with concern. The mice peeked around the cushions as she asked, “What’s wrong, Keith?”
“I think -” His eyes squeezed shut. “I think I just lost my best friend.”
drift (the space road trip to save the universe)
sheith | mature | 74.3k | 6/13 chapter | post s8 fix-it of sorts
ellievsbear
yousharknotpass
dailybridgerton
tangentwithtanner
