Klangst. Also the art ain't mine, but this Langst was inspired by it.

Lance took a deep breath. It hurt, a lot... He could feel his lungs burning and his heart screaming. He tried to turn away, away from the pain. Keith swore. He forgot Keith was there for a second.

"Lance, please try not to move!" The red paladin whispered. He pressed a gentle hand on Lance's glowing alien wound and Lance gasped in response. Keith pulled his hand back, terrified and nervous. Oh God, please don't let Lance die, not today, please just let him make it, let him last five more minutes!

"P-please try not to speed this up." He stuttered. Keith shook his head and ignored it. He wasn't going to recognize any of Lance's jokes about his impending demise. Not today.

Lance's eyes fluttered shut. His grip on Keith's hand was loosening, though he was trying so hard to hold on, figuratively and literally.

"Lance, please!" Keith squeezed his hand and propped him up, anything to keep him awake, keep him alive. The castle was so close, he only had to hold out for a few minutes! "Lance, what's your favorite thing about Earth? Who's your space crush? What's your favorite movie?!" Keith tried everything.

"R...rain." Lance muttered. "I love rain. I love Astro Boy. And I love you." Keith was ecstatic. Lance loved him? It was everything he'd ever dreamed of. But... No, it wasn't true. Lance was loosing so much blood - he was just in shock. He had to be.

"That's good, because I love you too." Keith said. He wasn't lying - he may not have loved Lance from day one, but he fell for him over time, covering his flirting attempts with excuses about them having a "rivalry".

"That's... That is good." Lance coughed and gritted his teeth. His eyes fluttered shut for another moment and his grip became feeble again. Keith kissed his forehead and took a deep breath.

"Lance, I swear to God that if you die on me I will follow you. I will take on Zarkon one-on-one and if I lose it'll be your fault." Keith was rambling now. He just had to keep Lance awake.

"Okay. I... Stay awake now." Lance mumbled. He squeezed Keith's hand. Keith sighed. Good.

"So, why is Astro Boy your favorite movie?" Keith asked. He had seen it maybe once, but it was a long time ago, and he needed Lance to keep talking.

"There's a boy... He's called... I don't remember." Lance swallowed and kept going. "He dies at the beginning. But his dad... His dad is a scientist. He takes the boy's memories and puts them in a robot."

"That sounds interesting." Keith said nervously. Where the fuck was Allura, where the fuck was the castle?!

"Y-yeah. The boy - I think he's called Toby - he thinks he's human, but he..." Lance coughed again. "Keith, you have to go."

"I'm not leaving you!" Keith shook his head.

"There'll be more Galra soon. They'll... The castle isn't here yet. I won't make it anyway." Lance pushed Keith away from him, sweat forming on his forehead.

"No! I am not leaving you here!" Keith drew his Bayard and stood in front of Lance. Lance chuckled dryly.

"But I don't want you to watch me... I don't want you to have to..." Lance couldn't choke the words out. He couldn't say it.

"I'm not going to watch you die because you're not going to die." Keith growled. Lance had to admit that his sheer determination was enough to keep him alive. But was it enough to keep both of them alive?

"I am and you know it!" Lance mumbled. Keith set his jaw in annoyance.

"No, you're-"

"Keith, would you shut up and listen to me for once in your life!" Lance said as loudly as he could. "I am going to die soon and unless you have a healing pod here or a working comm link to the castle, you can't change that! I don't want you to watch me die!" Lance didn't realize he had tears streaming down his face until Keith wiped them away.

"I..." Keith let tears run down his face in front of Lance for the first time in his life. "I won't forget you." He muttered. He pulled Lance in for a kiss. Their lips met softly, and Lance managed wrapped his arms around Keith's neck. It hurt, but it was worth it.

"I love you Keith, I swear." Lance croaked. He could feel it. His breaths were getting lighter, his vision blurry, and he was hearing something... Something familiar.

"I love you too." Keith wiped tears away and ran out of the room. He may not like it, but he was going to honor Lance's dying wish. Right before he left, he heard Lance say something. Four words that broke his heart.

"I missed the rain."