A/N: My entry for the Keith Mini Bang! Many thanks to the mods for hosting this event! Keith deserves allll the love! Check out all the awesome Keith-centric works here: keithminibang dot tumblr dot com

My partner for this event was the wonderful Algernon Blue, who is so incredibly sweet and talented! It's been such a pleasure to work with her, and the art she did for this fic is GORGEOUS! Check it out here: jaynelleart dot tumblr dot com /post/175684900674/title-sacrifice-rating-t-warnings

As always, a very special thank you to my incredible beta Black Friar. Thank you so much for all your support, hand-holding, overall cheerleading and genius ideas, my dear :)

The first thing Shiro sees when he wakes up is Keith, lying on his stomach several feet away. He's in his Blade of Marmora suit and facing Shiro, but his eyes are closed. Shiro immediately sits up in alarm.

What the hell?

Keith's hands are restrained behind his back, and Shiro discovers that his own hands are also bound. He tests his Galra prosthetic, but it feels like dead weight and doesn't respond. He frowns and climbs to his feet, stumbling when a wave of dizziness assaults him. His head feels a little fuzzy, but nothing hurts so he shakes it off and makes his way over to Keith.

Before he can reach him, there's a faint sizzling sound as Shiro walks straight into an invisible wall. Startled, he falls back on his ass and stares. Now that he's looking for it, he can just make out the faint outlines of a transparent, electrostatic force field separating him from Keith. Testing the barrier with his foot, he feels immediate and solid resistance.

Shiro frowns. He's not going to let a force field stop him from checking on Keith.

He rolls to his knees and inches towards Keith, trying to get as close as he can without touching the force field.

"Keith," he says, even though he's not even sure Keith can hear him through the barrier between them. "Keith, can you hear me?"

Keith's eyelids flutter.

"Keith, hey, can you open your eyes for me?" Shiro tries again. He wishes he could touch Keith, reach for his pulse.

It takes a few seconds, but then Keith's eyes snap open. He immediately rolls onto his side and sits up, eyes wide and confused. "Wha-?"

"Hey, it's okay," Shiro says, even though he knows things are far from okay right now, considering the fact that they've clearly been captured. "Keith, I'm here."

Keith's head snaps towards him and he calms visibly when his eyes land on Shiro.

Shiro gives him a smile. It feels strained, but he hopes it looks halfway reassuring. "Hey there. You okay?"

"Shiro?" Keith croaks. He clears his throat. "What's going on?"

"I have no idea," Shiro admits. "But you didn't answer my question: are you okay?"

"Yeah," Keith says reflexively, before taking a few seconds to actually assess his physical condition. "Yeah, I'm okay. You?"

"My prosthetic's been disabled. I can't use it, but other than that I'm fine."

Reassured that Keith's all right, Shiro finally spares a moment to take in their surroundings, and his breath catches in his throat.

Gray walls, high ceiling, a row of small, empty cells on one wall, steel workbenches on another. Pushed against the far wall is what looks like a large, empty, cylindrical tank.

Scattered around the room are cabinets and trolleys containing vials, devices and instruments Shiro doesn't recognize. The thing that makes beads of sweat break out on his forehead though is the large, steel table positioned in the center of the room with straps hanging from it.

It's a laboratory. And he and Keith have been contained like lab rats.

Shiro blinks, and suddenly he's strapped down, squinting against bright lights overhead, the shrill whine of an electric saw ringing in his ears and-

"Shiro!"

No! They're gonna…they're gonna cut off his hand!

"Shiro! Shiro, look at me!"

His heart's slamming against his chest. He needs to get out, he has to get away!

"Shiro! Hey! Shiro, snap out of it!"

Keith? Keith's here too?

"You're not back there, okay? Please, Shiro, look at me! I'm right here with you, okay? It's me, it's Keith!"

Shiro blinks, and he can move again, the clamps around his wrists gone. He's sitting down with his back against a wall.

"Shiro?"

He turns his head and finds Keith watching him from some distance away, eyes wide and worried. He's on his feet, looking ready to charge to his side.

"Shiro? You with me?"

Shiro clunks his head against the wall behind him and draws in a shaky breath. It was a flashback. Just a flashback. God, he probably scared the crap out of Keith, when Shiro's supposed to be the one in control here.

"Keith. Yeah. Sorry. I'm- I'm with you."

"You alright?"

"I- yeah. Sorry I freaked out on you."

"Don't apologize. I get it. This place probably reminds you of some pretty bad stuff."

Shiro takes another deep breath and tries to twist his lips into a smile. The sympathetic look Keith gives him tells him he probably didn't succeed. "They're not exactly pleasant memories, no," Shiro allows.

"It's gonna be okay," Keith says, though he looks pale.

"Yeah…" Shiro says, frowning at how shaky his voice still sounds. He glances at Keith. "What I can't figure out is how we even got here."

Keith shrugs, not questioning the change of subject. "I remember being summoned to a meeting with the Ptari Council, and you decided to tag along while the team attended some kind of banquet…" Keith's eyebrows draw together and his eyes go unfocused as he thinks back. "I think we even made it to the Council's chambers, but I'm blanking on whatever happened after that."

Shiro nods. "That's about what I remember too."

Keith scowls. "Think they drugged us or something?"

Before Shiro can respond, a door on the other side of the room slides open. Two aliens enter, and Shiro immediately rises to his feet. He doesn't recognize them – they don't look like Ptari. The Ptari are quadrupeds, these aliens are bipeds. They're wearing black cloaks, but one of them has the hood down. They look reptilian, with gleaming white, scaly skin, bulging black eyes and almost non-existent noses. They're slightly taller than Shiro and they look physically strong but not particularly muscular. He can't tell if they're male or female.

The aliens stop in front of Keith's cell. One of them points at Keith with a long, clawed finger. "You. Galra."

Shiro's heart skips a beat in apprehension, and he exchanges a quick glance with Keith. How do they know Keith's Galra? Shiro's gut twists – most of the species they've encountered haven't exactly had a positive attitude towards the Galra. And that's putting it mildly.

Keith raises his chin slightly. "I'm with the Blade of Marmora."

"Camouflage," one of the aliens says.

Keith frowns. "What?"

"Look. Human. Not Galra." It sounds like an accusation.

Shiro blinks. "Hold on, you think he's using some kind of camouflage to hide that he's Galra?"

One of the aliens looks at him and nods.

Keith glances over. "What? No, I can't do camouflage."

"Then shapeshifter."

"No, I'm not a shapeshifter either."

"Then how?"

"I don't know," Keith says with a scowl. His patience is clearly wearing thin.

The alien is also starting to look angry. "Tell. How!"

A vein starts to tick in Keith's jaw. "I don't. Know."

"Lie!"

"I'm not lying!" Keith says, voice rising. "Maybe human genes are more dominant than Galra ones or something, I don't know!"

The expression on the alien's face doesn't change, but suddenly his black eyes glow a dark red. A moment later the door slides open again, three more aliens entering. They join the other aliens in front of Keith's cell, and Shiro's stomach twists with a sense of foreboding.

Keith also senses trouble, backing away from the force field separating him from the aliens. Shiro can see him flexing his arms, trying to get out of his restraints. Shiro finds himself doing the same.

There's a faint sizzle when the force field is lowered and two of the aliens enter Keith's cell. Keith retreats as much as he can, but the cell is small and there's nowhere for him to go.

The aliens rush him and although Keith fights them, kicking out as much as he can, he doesn't stand a chance, restrained and cornered. They grab him by the arms and drag him out in front of the other three aliens.

"Let him go!" Shiro shouts, his human hand balled into a fist, straining against the bonds around his wrists. There's no give.

The lead alien towers over Keith, ignoring Shiro completely. He watches Keith, and Keith glares back with blazing defiance. The alien turns to one of the guards, says something in a language Shiro doesn't understand, and the two holding Keith's arms tighten their grips. A third advances on Keith and starts tearing at his clothes.

Shiro's mouth goes dry. "What are you doing?" There's a ripping sound, and Shiro's heart starts thudding in his chest. "Leave him alone!"

The light Blade of Marmora suit yields as the alien yanks it apart with powerful hands. Keith kicks out again, struggling and trying to pull out of the guards' hold, but they don't budge, and Keith's too short to be able to reach anything apparently vital with his feet.

Keith is stripped completely bare, and Shiro's yelling now, because goddamnit, if they hurt Keith there's nothing he can do and he's never going to forgive himself−

But then the aliens start manhandling Keith towards the table, and Shiro's stomach lurches when he realizes what's happening.

No…no, they- they're gonna…

"No!" Shiro growls. "NO!"

The aliens lift a still struggling Keith onto the table easily.

Shiro's mind flashes, his vision goes red and—

The next thing he knows he's on the floor, his human hand throbbing, and his shoulder and face hurt.

What…what the hell happened? When he raises his hand to touch his face, it comes away bloody. What the-?

"SHIRO! SHIRO!"

Shiro yanks his gaze up and sees Keith strapped to a table and surrounded by half a dozen aliens, and it all comes rushing back to Shiro.

They've been kidnapped. The aliens want to know how Keith "hides" the fact that he's Galra. They're going to experiment on him.

The thought alone brings him back to his feet immediately, ignoring the pain that shoots through him, preparing to throw himself at the force field. He's got to save Keith! He can't let this happen!

"Shiro, don't!" Keith pleads. "Just stop, you're gonna hurt yourself!"

The desperation in Keith's voice makes him pause, and he stops a bare inch from the force field.

"Shiro, it's okay. I'll be okay," Keith promises.

Heart in his throat, Shiro looks at him.

He looks pale and scared, but also somehow determined, his jaw clenched tight. He's trying to be strong for Shiro. Keith's trying to reassure him, when Keith's the one strapped to a table about to be experimented on right now.

And Shiro realizes he must've lost it for a minute there. He glances down at the bleeding knuckles of his left hand and thinks he must've had a showdown with the force field. He can't remember it, but he obviously didn't win.

At least he's out of his restraints, though he doesn't know how he managed that.

But his episode must've frightened Keith, and Shiro berates himself for losing control. He needs to get a grip.

"Shiro?"

Shiro looks up at Keith again, who is straining to be able to see him past the aliens setting up all kinds of instruments around him. He needs reassurance, Shiro realizes. For all his strength and attitude, his iron will, Keith's still only nineteen. And right now, he's vulnerable and helpless. He needs to know he's not alone.

"Keith," Shiro says. "Keith, I'm sorry. I'm here, okay? I'll be here, with you, the whole time. Just- whatever happens, I'm here."

Keith stares at him, before his eyebrows bunch together and he nods, looking even more determined than before. Then Shiro loses sight of him as one of the aliens moves in front of Keith. He hears Keith struggle and growl something, and Shiro's hand clenches into a fist helplessly.

When the alien moves aside, Keith's been completely immobilized – wrists, elbows, knees and ankles strapped down, and another thick strap has been pulled tight across his waist. Another strap across Keith's forehead prevents him from raising his head, and Shiro can only see the right side of his face.

The lab is flooded with light suddenly as the aliens turn on the large surgical lamps positioned directly above Keith, and Shiro has to shield his eyes with his hand for a moment to allow them to adjust. He can't bear taking his eyes off Keith though; he has to know what's happening.

Squinting, he lowers his hand to see one of the aliens approach Keith with a device in its hand. It looks like an empty syringe without a needle. The alien presses it against the skin on the inside of Keith's arm.

Shiro watches Keith's face closely for any indication of pain, but Keith barely even flinches at the contact, even though he can't see what's happening.

The device is indeed a syringe, Shiro realizes when he notices it slowly fill up with red liquid. It just seems to use osmosis to draw blood instead of a needle.

Shiro's heart is pounding in his ears and he digs his fingernails into his palm, hoping the discomfort will be enough to keep him in the here and now. He can't afford to lose it again. He needs to be there for Keith.

The alien repeats the action twice more, while another alien moves to Keith's head and runs its long fingers through Keith's hair, examining it closely. It grasps a few strands and rubs them between its fingers before slicing off a lock of hair and storing it in a small, transparent box.

Shiro notes that a third alien collects the blood and hair samples and carefully jots everything down on a small, electronic pad, not unlike the ones the paladins themselves use. The aliens are constantly muttering out loud, likely making observations, but Shiro can't make much sense of it, their speech patterns too complex to process.

Then the aliens move on to tactile examination, running their fingers over Keith's skin, and that's when Keith really tenses, chest heaving with agitated breaths. Shiro grinds his teeth, struggling to calm his own nerves.

The aliens examine every mole, freckle and scar, and Keith flinches hard when they reach his private parts. Shiro doesn't realize he's shouting again until one of the alien guards snarls some kind of threat at him.

It doesn't deter Shiro. "Get your hands off of him!" he growls. "Stop touching him!"

The alien scientists ignore him, blatantly continuing their examination, and Shiro wants to scream in frustration. But doing that isn't going to help the situation. And it certainly won't help Keith.

He glances at Keith and catches him clenching his fists tightly. Every touch makes Keith shudder and the aliens seem fascinated by the reaction, talking to each other animatedly and pointing to something on the skin of Keith's left arm. Shiro can't fathom what has them so excited until they lean in so close that their flat noses are almost touching Keith's skin.

Shiro frowns until he realizes − goosebumps? They're getting all worked up over goosebumps? Shiro would laugh if the situation wasn't so absurd and surreal, and most of all, extremely uncomfortable for Keith.

"Keith," Shiro says. "Keith, hey, hang in there, okay? I know it's hard, but it'll be over soon."

Shiro knows he's lying. He has no idea how long the aliens' examination is going to take, and he also has no way of knowing what they'll do next. But he has to say something. He has to keep reminding Keith that he's not alone, because with his head strapped to the table, Keith can't look at him anymore, can't see him. So Shiro has to let him know he's still here through other means, even if that means lying.

But then one of the aliens produces something that looks a lot like a scalpel, and Shiro's throat closes up for a moment. Oh god, they're- they're not going to cut into him, are they? Something flashes in his mind and his breathing picks up, the high wine of a saw ringing in his ears again, the stench of scorched skin-

He digs his nails into his palm hard. Keep it together, Shirogane, damn it! Keith needs you!

Desperately trying to get a grip, he focuses his attention on Keith, using the scene that's unfolding before him as a tether.

Keith's trying hard to lift his head – Shiro can see the muscles bunch in his neck – but it's useless. Shiro thinks it must be terrifying to hear all these sounds around him and not know what's going on or what's about to happen. Shiro, at least, had been able to mentally prepare himself for what was coming – not that it had helped much.

The alien with the scalpel moves in and makes two small incisions in Keith's arm, about two inches apart, right where the aliens had been ogling the goose bumps on Keith's skin. The second the knife touches Keith, he yelps and reflexively tries to jerk his arm away, but the straps hold fast.

Beads of blood well up before the alien starts scraping the blade sideways, just underneath the skin. Keith's jaw clenches and he grunts, his whole body tensing.

The cut appears to be superficial though, and Shiro realizes belatedly what the alien's doing. "Keith, I think they're taking a skin sample."

Sure enough, the alien lifts the blade and a patch of Keith's skin comes right off. It looks pretty grizzly and it makes Shiro's stomach churn, but the wound is superficial and thankfully only bleeds a little.

The aliens bandage the injury, but Keith remains tense. Shiro doesn't blame him. They didn't strap Keith to a table just to get hair and skin samples, and they both know it.

But to Shiro's surprise, the aliens gather their samples and leave the room. When a minute passes and they haven't returned, Shiro allows himself to relax slightly. He doesn't doubt they'll be back – they're probably going to run some tests on the samples before they take further action, but at least it offers Keith a reprieve, however short it may be.

"Keith?"

It takes Keith a few seconds to reply, and his voice is shaky when he does. "Yeah?"

"How you holding up?"

Shiro watches Keith's Adam's apple bob. He looks pale underneath the harsh lights that are still trained on him. Shiro's seen Keith in many different states and situations over the years, but he's never looked so small and vulnerable. The sight makes Shiro's heart ache.

"Fine." Keith struggles for a moment, clearly trying to raise or turn his head so he can look at Shiro, but the strap doesn't budge and he lets his head fall back to the table with a soft thump. "How are you?"

"Well, I haven't had any more freak-outs, if that's what you're asking," Shiro says ruefully.

"That's good," Keith says. He sounds a little calmer now, but he's fidgeting, his thumb rubbing against his index finger.

"Keith, it's gonna be okay," Shiro says, turning to inspect his cell. "The others are going to come for us. You just have to hold out until then." He's saying it to reassure Keith, but he doesn't intend to wait for rescue. He needs to get Keith out of there, and fast, because he has no idea what else the aliens have in store for Keith, but it can't be anything pleasant.

His Galra arm is still dead though, and his cell is bare. There's a single chair and a bucket in a corner, but that's all. He clenches his jaw in frustration. The only thing he can do is wait and watch and hope there'll be a moment where the aliens will lower the force field and he can try to jump them.

He realizes Keith never answered and turns back around. "Keith, you still with me, buddy?"

Keith lets out a breath. "Yeah. Shiro, what- what do you think they're going to do?"

Shiro wants to lie. He wants more than anything to reassure, but he knows that won't fly with Keith. "I don't know," he admits. Half of the instruments laid out in the room Shiro can't even identify, let alone figure out what they're for. "I- I think they're going to try to make you shift."

"Make me shift?" Keith pauses as the implication sinks in. "I can't shift! I don't know why I look so human!"

"I know, Keith. I know you don't."

They fall silent, and Shiro can't help but wonder what the aliens are going to do when they realize Keith really isn't using any kind of camouflage? That he's not a shape shifter? Would they kill him?

Shiro cuts off the thought. It's not going to get that far. The aliens accidentally killing Keith with one of their experiments is a far more immediate concern. He needs to get Keith out, but how?

He hears Keith swallow, and when Shiro looks at him, he notices Keith's trembling.

"Are you cold?" Shiro asks.

"I'm fine," Keith answers curtly.

Shiro wants to tell him again that it's going to be okay, but he knows it probably won't help right now. Not when Keith's still strapped to a table, completely helpless, and Shiro's still trapped in his cell, equally helpless.

Footsteps outside the door to the lab make them both tense. The sound has Shiro's heart hammering in his throat instantly.

"Shiro…" Keith grits out, yanking on his restraints. "Shiro, they're back…"

Shiro knows that feeling of dread and terror all too well. It's an awful, nauseating kind of fear, and Shiro finds himself battling it even now, when he's not the one about to be experimented on.

"Keith, just- whatever happens, hold on, okay?" Shiro says, desperate to offer Keith any kind of reassurance, comfort, hope. "You can do it, you're strong, you can tough it out. I'll be right here, every step of the way."

The words have barely left Shiro's lips before the door slides open and three aliens from their earlier session enter.

"Let me go," Keith demands once one of the aliens come into his field of vision. He's still struggling against his restraints. They don't yield.

The alien actually pauses to look at him. "You. Cooperate?"

Keith scowls. "I can't help you," he says, and Shiro can tell he's fighting to keep his voice reasonable and calm. "I'm not a shape shifter and I don't have any camouflaging abilities."

The alien stares at him. "Then. Not cooperate."

Keith growls with frustration as the alien moves out of his periphery.

The two other aliens have been gathering instruments and proceed to fasten thick, metal clamps around Keith's upper arms and thighs, the edges digging into Keith's skin.

"What are you doing?" Keith demands. He flinches every time one of the aliens touches him, and Shiro feels his own apprehension grow. None of the aliens answer him this time.

Attached to the clamps are wires that lead to a machine on a gurney. The machine is fairly innocuous with only a few buttons scattered around a round dial and some kind of meter at the top.

Shiro swallows. He's never seen this machine before, but he has a horrible feeling he knows what it does.

"Please, don't do this," Shiro pleads, overcome with a sudden desperation. "It's not going to give you answers, it's only going to hurt him!"

The aliens ignore him, but Keith struggles to raise his head again.

"What? Shiro, what are they doing? What's happening?"

Before Shiro can reply, the lead alien moves to Keith's head and forces his jaw open, its long, clawed fingers digging into his cheeks. It jams something between Keith's teeth, fastening it behind his head.

Keith makes a noise that manages to sound indignant, frightened and angry at the same time. His chest is heaving and the knuckles of his fists have turned white.

Shiro feels his own fingernails dig into his palm again. "Please," he tries again, desperate. "Please don't do this! Look, we have two Alteans on our team, maybe they can help you figure out what you need! You don't have to do this!"

His plea falls on deaf ears. The aliens step back from the table, tablets in hand, and the lead alien reaches for the dial.

There's a high wine, and then Keith's entire body tenses as a bolt of electricity jolts through him.

It only lasts a few seconds before the alien turns back the dial and Keith's muscles relax, but it's enough for Shiro's heart to try and crawl out of his throat.

When a cursory examination doesn't yield satisfying results, the alien activates the device again, barely giving Keith enough time to catch his breath before his muscles contract again. His back arches up off the table, despite the restraints, eyes screwed shut.

"Stop this!" Shiro shouts. "Stop!"

He can't watch this, he can't! Yet he can't seem to tear his eyes away, because he needs to know, needs to see that Keith's still alive, that he's hanging on.

Keith collapses back on the table, chest heaving as his breaths come short and fast. He's only allowed a few seconds to recover, and this time when the lead alien turns the dial again, Keith's body jumps, back arching, limbs jerking. Shiro can see the white of Keith's right eye as it rolls back into his head.

A strangled sob escapes Keith, and something in Shiro snaps at the sound. He whips around and glances around his cell desperately before grabbing the chair with one hand and hurling it against the force field. The barrier fizzles, but remains intact, the chair clattering to the floor.

His Galra arm is still dead weight, but he snatches up the chair and slams it against the force field.

"Stop it, you bastards! You're killing him!"

The aliens glance up at the commotion, and one of them moves to a panel on the wall beside his cell. It presses a few buttons and the force field flashes.

Shiro has the irrational hope the barrier has been deactivated, but when he reaches out it's still there. His heart sinks when he realizes they probably only reinforced it.

The alien rejoins the others and this time when they turn on the machine, Keith screams and Shiro grabs the chair again and starts pummeling the force field with it. It doesn't budge, but Shiro keeps it up anyway.

The torture goes on forever.

Somewhere along the line, Keith loses control of his bladder. The aliens find it fascinating – they take more samples before cleaning him up and resuming their experiment.

There are tears on Keith's cheeks.

The chair lies shattered at Shiro's feet; he's resorted to pounding the barrier with his fist instead. It has no effect on the force field, but he can't just stand there and watch while they're torturing Keith. His throat is raw from yelling.

Keith's voice gave out a while ago.

Finally, finally, the machine is shut off, and Shiro lets his arm fall to his side.

The aliens remove the clamps from Keith's arms and legs, revealing angry burns where the metal pressed against his skin.

Keith is lying on the table, completely limp, eyes closed. Even when the aliens examine him again, he doesn't wake.

When the aliens finish their examination, they remove the restrains, and hope surges through Shiro suddenly. One of the aliens' eyes glow red and a moment later, two guards enter. They lift Keith's limp body from the table and carry him back to his cell. They're surprisingly gentle when they deposit him on the floor.

The guards stand back, allowing one of the alien scientists to place two small containers of water on the floor near Keith. Keith doesn't move.

The aliens leave the cell, reactivating the force field before exiting the lab. Then one of the aliens stops and turns, moving towards their cells. It stops right in front of Shiro.

Shiro glares up at it – the alien stares back, but its expression is unreadable.

"Apologize," the alien says.

Anger surges in Shiro. "Apologize? Are you crazy? You tortured my friend, why the hell would you think I'm going to-"

"No," the alien interrupts, before pointing to its own chest. "Me. Apologize. Hurt. Your friend." He glances at Keith, who still hasn't moved.

Shiro frowns back at the alien. "Then stop hurting him and let us go."

The alien looks him in the eye. "Cannot. Need. His powers. Our survival."

"He doesn't have any powers," Shiro grits out between clenched teeth. They keep going in circles with this. "Why won't you believe us?"

The alien's gaze doesn't waver. "Apologize," it repeats, before walking to the panel that controls the force fields of their cells. It hits a button, and the barrier between his and Keith's cells is lowered.

Caught by surprise, Shiro hesitates for a millisecond, but then he's beside Keith. He spares a glance over his shoulder to see that the alien's leaving the room, and then he drops to his knees, catching himself with his one functioning arm when his dead Galra prosthetic throws off his balance and he almost pitches sideways.

"Keith! Keith, hey, can you hear me?"

The pallor of Keith's skin frightens Shiro, and he presses trembling fingers against Keith's neck. When he feels a dull throb, he releases a breath and closes his eyes for a moment to gather himself.

Get it together. Keith needs you.

Shiro opens his eyes and smoothes Keith's damp bangs to the side, brushing his fingers along Keith's cheek. He feels cold to the touch and Shiro wishes he had something to cover him with.

"Keith. Keith, c'mon, buddy, you gotta wake up, okay?"

Keith doesn't respond and Shiro has no idea if he can hear him, but he keeps trying anyway.

The burns on Keith's arms and legs, where the clamps had encircled them, are an angry red and beginning to blister. Keith's wrists and ankles are chafed raw and bruised, and Keith's left knee is swollen. Shiro wonders if the severe muscle spasms caused him to sprain or maybe even dislocate it.

Shiro takes Keith's hand and squeezes it, peering into his face. The aliens removed the thing they'd forced between Keith's teeth, but Shiro can still see the outline of the straps on his cheeks.

"Keith," Shiro says, rubbing his thumb across the back of Keith's hand. "Keith, I'm here."

Keith still doesn't react, but Shiro notices he's trembling. He doesn't know if it's because Keith is cold or if it's an aftereffect of the electric shocks, but decides he needs to warm him up either way. He removes his armor's chest plate and carefully gathers Keith to him, pulling him into his lap, hoping his undersuit will allow him to share some of his body heat. He presses Keith against his chest, holding him steady with an arm around him, Keith's head slumped against his shoulder.

"It's okay. I've got you," Shiro murmurs. "I'm right here." He rests his cheek on top of Keith's dark head and waits.

It's a while before Keith finally stirs. Shiro immediately ducks his head, trying to see his face.

"Keith?"

Keith groans and twitches, but it's another minute before his eyes flutter open. He stares ahead blankly, and Shiro's heart skips several beats when the thought of brain damage suddenly flashes through his mind. And what about neurological damage?

But then Keith blinks and tries to raise his head a little.

"Sh-Sh'ro?"

Keith's voice is cracked and raw and broken, but the fact that he seems lucid almost makes Shiro sag with relief.

"Keith, hey, yeah, I'm here, buddy," Shiro says, squeezing him just a little tighter. "How are you feeling?"

Keith's eyes widen suddenly, and he stiffens in Shiro's hold, sucking in a sharp breath. The look on his face makes Shiro's heart ache – it's so open and vulnerable. Scared. It's Keith with all his walls torn down.

"Hey, Keith, it's okay," Shiro rushes to reassure him. "I've got you. It's just me right now. You're okay, you're safe."

Keith glances around sharply, before looking down at himself. A little color rises in his cheeks when he sees he's lying naked in Shiro's lap.

"Keith, hey, look at me." Shiro nudges him, and Keith drags his eyes up to meet Shiro's gaze.

"It's okay. Keith, you've been so strong and brave," Shiro tells him. "You have nothing to be embarrassed about or to feel ashamed for. Got that? Nothing."

Keith's eyes slide away and he draws his arms into his own lap in an attempt to cover himself, but to Shiro's relief, he doesn't pull away.

"How are you feeling?" Shiro asks again.

"Great," Keith croaks.

"I know, you probably feel like crap right now," Shiro says, loosening his hold a little. "Is there anything in particular that hurts?"

"No. Just- everything." Keith scrapes his throat and swallows, and Shiro remembers the water the alien had left them. Without letting go of Keith, he reaches for one of the containers and holds it out to him.

"Here. You need to drink."

Keith takes the container from Shiro and manages to bring it to his lips without spilling anything, despite the fact that his hand is shaking pretty badly. He takes a few large gulps before handing the container back to Shiro.

"Thanks."

"Better?"

Keith nods. "Feels like a druid got me with one of their lightning blasts."

"Ouch," Shiro says with a sympathetic wince.

Keith shifts a little and grimaces. He glances at Shiro. "What about you?"

"I'm fine," Shiro replies. "It's you I'm worried about."

Keith frowns. "They didn't hurt you too, did they?"

Only by making me watch them torture you, Shiro thinks. "No. No, they left me alone."

"Good," Keith says. His voice still sounds like someone took a grater to his throat.

Keith makes no effort to move from Shiro's lap – it's testament to how badly he must be hurting.

"Your arm still dead?" Keith asks suddenly.

Shiro glances at his prosthetic, hanging uselessly from his shoulder. "I'm afraid so."

Keith shifts and tries to lever himself up. He sinks his teeth into his lip, and Shiro immediately helps him sit up with a hand on his back.

"Keith, what-?"

"Gonna. Check your arm," Keith manages, a little breathless.

Shiro helps him crawl off his lap, and Keith half-kneels beside Shiro with gritted teeth, holding onto Shiro's shoulder for balance as he tries to keep his injured knee off the floor. He carefully inspects the Galra prosthetic, running his fingers over the metal, and Shiro cranes his neck to see. Keith scratches at something on the back, then tugs on whatever it is he's found.

"Got something?"

"They stuck something to your arm. Might be some kind of inhibitor, but I can't get it off."

Shiro reaches back with his human hand and lets Keith guide his fingers to the device. It's small and round and Shiro tries to pry it off, grunting with frustration when it doesn't budge.

"Could've used Pidge or Hunk right about now," Keith mutters.

Something in his voice makes Shiro turn around. Keith's face is white, his expression pinched.

"Keith, hey, you need to rest," Shiro says, hand hovering at Keith's elbow.

"No, I'm okay," Keith replies.

Shiro looks at him. "Keith, seriously. You need to rest." He hesitates. "You're going to need your strength."

Keith scowls before his eyes slide away from Shiro's gaze again. "Fine."

Shiro hands him his water container again, but Keith insists Shiro drink some from his own container first. Shiro shakes his head fondly, but obeys.

After they've both taken a few sips, Shiro helps Keith sit down with his back against the wall. Shiro joins him and gently wraps an arm around his shoulders. He resists the urge to pull Keith against his side.

"Hey, lean on me," he suggests instead. "Get some sleep."

Keith hesitates, pulling his arms into his lap again, but gives in eventually. He slumps against Shiro, but stubbornly fights the fatigue that's weighing down his eyelids.

"Keith, it's okay. I'll keep an eye out, warn you if anything happens."

Keith scowls and holds out a little longer, but ultimately loses the battle. A shiver runs through him in his sleep and this time Shiro does pull him a little closer.

It's not long before the aliens come for Keith again.

At the sound of footsteps in the hall outside, Shiro shoots to his feet, making sure Keith's awake and sitting up before he does.

The three alien scientists and their two guards enter the laboratory. If they're surprised to see Shiro and Keith in the same cell, they don't show it. The guards make a beeline for their cell, while the scientists set up their instruments.

Shiro moves to stand in front of Keith, who is using the wall to drag himself to his feet. Shiro can hear his breathing pick up.

"I'm not letting you take him again," Shiro declares.

For the first time, the guards point their weapons at them before lowering the force field. The weapons appear to be ranged, but they're fairly small – smaller than Lance's blaster – and look rather primitive. Shiro knows that doesn't have to mean anything in terms of lethalness, but he might have a chance if he's fast enough.

He's not fast enough.

It's the damn Galra prosthetic that throws him off. He takes a step towards the nearest guard as they advance, preparing to drop down and sweep the alien's legs out from under him, but the dead weight that is his Galra arm pulls him off-balance on his way down. He stumbles and it slows him down enough for the guard to charge his weapon, aiming it directly at his face, and-

"NO!"

From the corner of his eye, Shiro sees Keith lurch forward, hands raised placatingly. "Please, don't shoot him!"

The second guard swings its weapon around to point it at Keith.

"I'll come with you," Keith says, his voice still hoarse. "Just, please, don't hurt him."

"Keith, don't-"

"Shut up, Shiro," Keith cuts him off, taking an unsteady step forward. He doesn't look at him, instead keeping his eyes on the guard. "I'll be okay."

The guard lowers its weapon and grabs Keith by the arm, just underneath the burn, and Keith hisses but lets himself be manhandled from the cell.

The alien that still has its weapon trained on Shiro backs away slowly and reactivates the force field once it's clear.

Shiro hangs his head and slams his fist against the floor. Goddamn it! He's supposed to keep Keith safe, not the other way around! He raises his head and watches the aliens strap Keith back onto the table. Keith doesn't fight them this time.

Anger, fear and hopelessness swirl in his gut. It's a potent mixture that threatens to drag his mind back to his time spent as a Galra prisoner. He can hear the Galra patrols marching through the corridor outside, and Shiro closes his eyes, clenches his teeth and fights back the memories with everything he has.

He can't afford to freak out again. Keith needs him. Keith needs him.

Flattening his human hand against the floor, he focuses on the chill under his palm, on the sound of his own heartbeat, and evens out his breaths as best he can. Then he steels himself and gets to his feet.

"Shiro?" Keith calls out, once again immobilized. He tries hard to mask the fear in his voice, but Shiro can still hear the slight tremor. "You good?"

"Yeah, I'm good, Keith. I'm here."

Once the aliens have Keith properly secured to the table, they continue their experiments.

They inject Keith with something that makes him writhe, like it's burning him from the inside, teeth clicking together in his struggle to keep from screaming. The choked off sounds grate on Shiro and make him want to start pounding the barrier again, but this time he manages to keep himself in check. He tries to offer words of comfort and support, even though he's not sure Keith even hears him. At the very least, if Keith can hear him, Shiro hopes he's giving him a familiar voice to cling to.

With every failed test, the aliens become more and more frustrated, and it shows in their treatment of Keith – barely giving him time to catch his breath in between experiments.

At one point, they clamp open Keith's eyes and inject them with a crimson liquid that rips a scream from Keith and causes him to thrash in his bonds. Red tears leak from his eye, and Shiro doesn't know if it's blood or something else, but the sight makes him want to puke.

The aliens seem disappointed Keith's eyes don't change color, and move on to their next experiment.

As time wears on, Shiro finds himself close to shutting down. It's too much. He can't possibly watch anymore of this. He tries digging his fingernails into his palm again. The discomfort grounds him, pulls him back from the edge.

Keith himself seems barely conscious, his pain responses down to twitches, weak flinches and low moans or whimpers. He must be beyond exhausted by now; Shiro knows all too well how fast pain drains your strength, how it sucks you dry like a leech.

But then one of the scientists signals the guards, who move away from their positions near the door and proceed to loosen the straps around Keith's ankles. Shiro sucks in a breath – are they finally done with their experiments?

The scientists, however, have moved to the back of the room where they've started powering up the large, cylindrical tube Shiro noticed when he first surveyed the lab. He frowns as he watches it fill up with a clear liquid – water?

Then he spots the contraption hanging above it and his mouth goes dry.

The guards drag Keith off the table and his knees buckle, the guards holding him up by the arms, before he finds his feet. His head hangs heavy between his shoulders, chin touching his chest.

"Please," Shiro tries, desperate to stall for time, "can't you let him rest before you continue your experiments?"

The alien scientist that had lowered the force field between his and Keith's cells glances up at him. It says something to the two other scientists, but the lead alien shakes its head and makes a guttural sound. The first alien seems chastened and doesn't look at Shiro again.

There's a commotion then, and Shiro whips his head around just in time to witness Keith elbowing one of the guards in the side. To Shiro's surprise, the guard actually goes down, and before the other guard has a chance to reach for its weapon, Keith drives his shoulder into its stomach.

They'd made the mistake of leaving Keith's hands untied, probably thinking he was too weak to fight, unaware that Keith would fight until his last breath. Keith had clearly dug deep this time and found some last reserves of strength in a desperate bid to free himself.

As soon as he's free of the guards, Keith spins around and makes a break for the panel on the wall next to the cells. His injured knee hinders him, slows him down, and Shiro feels the blood drain from his face when he sees one of the guards has managed to grab its weapon.

"Keith, look out!"

It's too late. There's a flash of light and Keith drops mid-run, collapsing to the floor in a heap, like a puppet with his strings cut.

"NO! KEITH!"

Shiro stares at Keith's motionless body. There's no blood and there aren't any gaping wounds, but who knows what kind of internal havoc the alien's weapon wreaks in humans!

The guards pick Keith up off the floor, muttering things Shiro doesn't understand. Keith hangs limply in their grasp, and Shiro's frozen to the spot, struggling with his mounting panic. But then he sees Keith's chest rise and fall, and the sheer relief almost drives him to his knees.

Keith's alive.

Keith's alive.

The guards drag Keith over to the tank, where his wrists and ankles are swiftly fastened to a long, flat board that's been maneuvered into a vertical position. Several cables are attached to the top of the board, and when one of the scientists presses a button on what appears to be a remote, the board is raised into the air by some kind of pulley system high above the tank.

Shiro knows what's going to happen, and he prays the fluid in the tank is really just water. That it's not some kind of toxic liquid that penetrates the skin or that leaves horrific chemical burns or something.

Once the board hangs directly above the tank, the scientist holding the remote presses another button and the contraption, with Keith still unconscious, is lowered.

Shiro holds his breath, heart hammering in his ears.

The second the fluid comes into contact with Keith's skin, Keith's eyes fly open and he gasps.

For a horrible moment Shiro thinks the liquid is burning Keith, but then he realizes Keith isn't gasping because the liquid itself is hurting him, but because it's freezing. It must be ice-cold water!

The scientists lower him down slowly, taking their time noting their observations, while Keith is shuddering and gasping and trying desperately to keep his head above the water. But the aliens dunk him entirely, and to Shiro's horror, they don't immediately pull him back up.

"What the hell are you doing?" he shouts. "He can't breathe under water, you bastards!"

To his surprise, the scientists do actually raise the board a little, and Keith sputters and gasps as his head breaks the surface. The aliens take more notes, carefully examining Keith through the glass, before they drop him all the way in again, barely giving him enough time to suck in a breath.

They keep him under longer this time, and Shiro watches helplessly as Keith struggles against his restraints, bubbles escaping from his nose every few seconds.

"Pull him back up, damn it, you're drowning him!" Shiro shouts.

This time the aliens don't respond. Shiro can see the panic and terror in Keith's wide-open eyes, and Shiro starts to kick at the force field in despair.

"He can't breathe! Let him up, for god's sake, you'll kill him!"

One of the aliens reaches for the remote when suddenly there's noise outside the lab. Yelling, blaster fire.

The aliens barely even have time to run for cover before the door to the lab blasts inwards, and four pissed-off paladins swarm the room. One of the guards manages to get off a shot, but it sails harmlessly past Allura's head as she ducks out of the way.

The guards are then swiftly disarmed by Pidge's bayard and Allura's whip. The scientists surrender immediately, stepping out into the open with their arms down by their sides.

"Get Keith! Get Keith!" Shiro yells desperately before the guards have even been secured.

Keith's run out of air. His body's convulsing in the restraints and Shiro knows that if they don't get him out of the water right now, he's not going to make it.

"What- oh my god!" Lance screeches when his eyes land on Keith. "We gotta get him out!"

Pidge is the first to recover from the shock and races towards the tank, already reaching for the remote that's dangling from a cord next to it.

His view of Keith is suddenly obscured, and it takes Shiro a moment to realize Hunk is standing in front of him.

"Shiro, you okay?"

Shiro grits his teeth. "Hunk, get me out of here."

"Yup, yep, sure thing, hold on!" Hunk moves to the panel beside the cells. It only takes him a few seconds to figure out how it works, and then the force field is down.

Shiro practically launches himself from the cell and reaches the others just in time to watch Lance and Pidge settle the board, with Keith still on it, on the floor next to the water tank. With his Galra arm still useless, he can only watch as the other paladins take charge of the situation.

Despite his earlier shock, Lance immediately starts CPR, without a single comment on Keith's nakedness. Pidge uses her bayard to slice through the restraints around Keith's wrists, ankles and waist, carefully keeping her gaze averted from the rest of his body.

Allura meanwhile has corralled the alien guards and scientists into one of the other cells, demanding answers for kidnapping the Black Paladin and a respected member of the Blade of Marmora. Shiro's too distracted by the scene unfolding before him to listen.

It's Hunk who manages to find something to cover Keith with – it's a black cloak, similar to the ones the aliens are wearing. The sight makes Shiro's skin crawl, but it's all they have right now, and Keith desperately needs it; his skin is paper white, but his lips and fingernails have a terrifyingly blue tinge.

"C'mon, Mullet," Lance mutters in between breaths. "Breathe already, c'mon."

Shiro sinks to his knees on Keith's other side, grabbing his hand and trying to squeeze life into him. The skin feels so cold it scares Shiro down to his bones.

But then Keith jerks, there's a wet gurgle, and Lance hastily pulls Keith onto his side. Keith shudders and then he's coughing and sputtering, and the relief is so immense that Shiro's knees go weak.

Lance lets out an explosive sigh and Hunk grabs Pidge around the shoulders and crushes her to his chest. Beside them, Allura's surreptitiously wiping a tear from her eye.

Lance puts his hand on Keith's shoulder to steady him and Shiro rubs Keith's back as he continues to expel the water from his lungs. It takes a while for the awful hacking to die down, but eventually Keith's breathing evens out and they carefully tip him onto his back again.

"Keith? Can you hear me?" Shiro tries.

Keith doesn't respond or open his eyes, but Shiro doesn't really expect him to. He smoothes Keith's sopping hair from his forehead, and Keith promptly starts to shiver.

"It's okay, Keith," Shiro tells him. "The Team's here and we're gonna get you to the castle, and everything will be fine."

He looks up when Hunk crouches beside them. "I've got him, Shiro."

Shiro nods and watches as Hunk carefully wraps the cloak around Keith's shivering body before gathering him into his arms.

"You good to go, Shiro?" Lance asks, getting to his feet, his blaster materializing in his hands.

Shiro glances at the aliens, still secure in the cell Allura forced them into. The force field is up. Anger swells in him like a rising tide and he turns to address them.

"You could have asked for our help. We would've helped." He points at Keith, slumped in Hunk's arms. "He would've helped. Instead, you hurt him. Tortured him. Nearly killed him. You can forget about Voltron ever coming to your aid."

He turns on his heel and follows the others out, Lance taking point and Allura bringing up the rear. He can feel Allura's eyes bore holes in his back, and Shiro thinks he might regret his words later, but right now he wants nothing to do with these aliens.

They meet no resistance on their way out of the facility and when they exit the building, Shiro realizes they must've been held in some remote research complex. The surrounding environment is fairly barren, with only a few sparse trees and outcroppings.

It's the Green Lion that stands out, towering over them. They pile in, Shiro sitting down beside Hunk, who has Keith in his lap. Keith's wracked by shivers and he still looks ghostly pale, but at least his lips aren't blue anymore. Hunk does his best to rub Keith dry with one of the emergency blankets Lance hands him from Green's first aid kit. Shiro finds Keith's hand and holds it in his own human one, hoping to transfer some warmth. It's hard not to stare at Keith's red and slightly swollen eyelids.

Now that the adrenalin is leaving his system, Shiro finds himself battling his own exhaustion. Thankfully, the journey back to the castle is a short one.

Once they set down in Green's hangar, Hunk gathers Keith up again, and hurries to the castle's medbay, Shiro and the others on his heels.

Coran's already there, gesturing for Hunk to lay Keith down on one of the examination tables. They wait around anxiously as Coran performs a quick scan, while Shiro gives them a brief rundown of the experiments that were done on Keith.

When they hear about the horrors Keith was forced to endure, the other paladins and Coran are outraged. Pidge is scowling and has half a mind to go back and teach the aliens a lesson. Lance and Hunk fully agree to back her up.

"Man, those alien jerks got off way too easy," Hunk says, a heavy scowl on his face. "We should've- like, I don't know- Man, I can't even think of a suitable punishment!"

"We should shove Pidge's bayard up their asses, turn up the electricity and see how they like it," Lance suggests savagely.

"Ew," Pidge says, "but also, not a bad idea."

"Paladins," Allura interjects, gently rebuking them, but she too looks angry. She glances at Shiro with understanding written on her face. Shiro supposes she gets now why he said what he'd said to those aliens.

"Well, what's the verdict, Coran?" Lance asks, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Just a tick, my boy," Coran mutters as he punches in a few more buttons. "Right, yes, definitely hypothermia. We will have to get Keith's body temperature up to normal levels before he can be put into a healing pod. The thermal burns on his arms and legs are quite severe, however, they can be treated with ointment until he's recovered from the hypothermia. He's also torn a ligament in his knee, but I'm afraid treatment for that will have to wait until he's ready for a pod. There is no evidence of neurological damage, but we will have to monitor him closely over the next few days to see if anything develops, even after he's spent some time in a pod."

Shiro releases a breath. At least there doesn't seem to be any lasting damage – so far.

"Our first priority is to get Keith warm," Coran continues. "Let's get him into some proper clothes. I'll grab the ointment for his burns."

Lance and Pidge take off to gather extra blankets, while Hunk carries Keith to his room. Coran arrives shortly after to apply the ointment to the burns and uses special Altean bandages to protect the damaged skin from chafing. Shiro helps Hunk dress Keith in a warm sweater and a pair of sweats, before they tuck him into bed. Keith continues to shiver, but remains oblivious throughout all the manhandling.

Pidge and Lance arrive just in time with the extra blankets and pillows and soon the top of Keith's head is the only thing still visible beneath the pile of fluff they've buried him under.

"Someone should stay with him," Hunk says.

"I'll stay," Shiro volunteers immediately. He's reluctant to let Keith out of his sight anyway.

"We should take turns," Pidge says. "I'll take the first shift. Shiro, you should let Hunk take a look at your arm."

"No, it's okay, that can wait," Shiro replies. Just the thought of being separated from Keith makes him jittery.

"Shiro, dude, c'mon, Keith's in good hands," Lance says. "And Coran'll monitor his temperature, right, Coran?"

"Right you are, Number Three," Coran replies. "You should get some rest, Number One. You look exhausted."

Shiro looks around at each of them and relents. "Fine. I'll be back in a few vargas."

He lets Hunk drag him to his workshop, where he gets to work on Shiro's still dead Galra arm. Allura finds them there and fills them in on what she learned about the aliens that captured Shiro and Keith.

"They are called the Iktor, a dying race. They have been hunted by the Galra and other species for their skin for a long time, because it can be made into valuable jewelry," Allura says, watching Shiro closely.

Sitting on a stool at Hunk's workbench while Hunk works on his arm, Shiro sighs. He sympathizes – being hunted down for your skin is absolutely horrific, and he understands now their need for camouflage, but-

"Uh…that doesn't give them the right to just go around abducting people and experimenting on them," Hunk grumbles from behind him.

Shiro's inclined to agree.

"You're right, it doesn't," Allura admits. "But they were desperate, and with good reason. Perhaps…we should consider trying to help them."

"Whaaaat? No. What?" Hunk exclaims. "After what they did to Keith? No way. Uh-uh."

"I know what they did to Keith was wrong, Hunk," Allura says. "I do not in any way condone it, and I am as angry about it as you, but…we are Paladins of Voltron, and I believe we should help them. Shiro?"

"How long were we gone?" Shiro asks, staring at the floor.

"Almost twenty vargas. It took us a while to track you down," Allura says, and Shiro can hear the apology in her voice.

Twenty hours. And Keith suffered horrific torture for at least half that time.

Shiro glances up at Allura. "I'll think about it. You'll need to discuss it with Keith first, when he's recovered."

"Of course," Allura says.

"Aha! Got it!" Hunk exclaims suddenly, and a second later Shiro's prosthetic comes back online with a quiet hum. It's a relief; the dead arm was heavy and his shoulder was starting to ache from it. Shiro flexes his fingers a few times, and then his arm.

"It feels good as new," Shiro says. "Thanks, Hunk."

Hunk beams at him. "No problem, Shiro. Let me know if it gives you any more trouble, okay?"

"Will do," Shiro says, giving Hunk a shoulder pat with his newly functional hand. "I'm going to see Keith."

"What? Shiro, it's only been a couple hours! You should really get some rest," Hunk tells him.

"I'm fine," Shiro says, already heading for the door.

Nobody stops him.

The door to Keith's room is open, and Shiro walks in to find Lance lounging on a chair at Keith's bedside, head propped in his hand, fingers drumming against his cheek.

"Oh, hey, Shiro."

"Hey. How's Keith doing?"

Lance shrugs. "He opened his eyes a couple times, but he fell asleep again almost immediately," he says. "Didn't really say anything. Coran says his temperature's getting better though and he isn't shivering as much, so that's good, right?"

Shiro nods. "I'll take the next shift."

Lance vacates the seat and stretches his arms above his head, popping his shoulder joints. "You sure? I don't mind staying a little longer if you need more rest?"

Shiro gives him a smile. "Hunk got my arm fixed, so I'm good, Lance, thanks."

"Okay."

When Lance turns to move to the door, Shiro stops him with a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Lance?"

Lance pauses and glances back. "Hm?"

"You did good out there. You saved Keith's life giving him CPR. Thank you."

Lance rubs his neck, a blush rising to his cheeks. "I guess working summers as a lifeguard came in handy today." He glances at Keith. "Don't tell Mullet I gave him mouth to mouth."

Shiro chuckles. "My lips are sealed."

Lance grins, and Shiro feels his own smile widen in response. Lance might be a goofball and a little obnoxious sometimes, but he always comes through when you need him to.

Once the door's slid shut behind Lance, Shiro takes a seat. He contents himself with just watching Keith for a while, elbows propped on his knees and hands clasped. Only Keith's unruly mop of black hair and the upper half of his face are visible, and Shiro's relieved to see his cheeks have regained some color. A frown's beginning to form between Keith's eyebrows though, and Shiro slides his hand under the mountain of heavy blankets to find Keith's.

Keith's hand is still a little chilly, but definitely not icy like the last time Shiro held it. Shiro rubs his thumb across the back of Keith's hand in a soothing gesture, and waits.

He doesn't know how much time has passed when Keith finally opens his eyes. He blinks sluggishly and Shiro thinks he might fall asleep again, but then Keith shifts and Shiro watches his eyes track around the room until his gaze lands on Shiro.

Shiro smiles. "Hey."

The corners of Keith's lips quirk up slightly. "Hey," he rasps. He looks exhausted, Shiro thinks, fine lines crinkling the bruised skin under his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Shiro asks.

"Tired," Keith admits. "Kinda sore." He summons the strength to lift the blankets a little with one hand and peeks underneath, before relaxing back down on his side, looking relieved. He pulls the blankets back up to his chin.

"Coran treated the burns with some ointment and bandaged your knee," Shiro tells him. "We couldn't put you in a cryopod because you were hypothermic. Once you're feeling better and your temperature's back to normal, we can get you healed up properly."

Keith nods in understanding. "And you?"

"I'm fine," Shiro replies, flexing his Galra arm. "Good as new."

"Hunk fix it?" Keith asks, and Shiro notes that he's slurring his words a little.

"Who else?" Shiro says with a grin.

Keith's lips quirk up again, before they part in a yawn. "What 'bout the aliens?"

Shiro fights the scowl that threatens to break onto his face. "They won't bother you again."

Keith raises a brow.

"They've been taken care of," Shiro says, "that's all you need to know right now. What's important is that you get better."

Keith doesn't push. Instead, he scrapes his throat and swallows.

"Want some water?" Shiro asks.

Keith nods, and Shiro levers himself up from his seat, letting go of Keith's hand to reach for the water pouch on the side table. He starts when Keith's hand shoots out and makes a clumsy grab for his wrist.

"Keith- what?"

"Don't leave," Keith mutters, eyes down.

Shiro sits back down and takes Keith's hand. "Hey, Keith, look at me."

Keith does, though reluctantly.

"I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'll stay here for as long as you want me to." He gives Keith's hand a gentle squeeze.

Keith relaxes again and lies back down, though he doesn't let go of Shiro's hand.

Shiro knows what Keith's afraid of. After everything he went through, Keith would be a fool not to fear the nightmares. Shiro can relate. And Keith's no fool.

"Here," Shiro nudges him, offering Keith the water pouch.

Keith takes a few gulps, before handing the pouch back to Shiro with a trembling hand. "Thanks."

"You should try to get some more sleep," Shiro says, giving Keith's hand another squeeze. "I'll be right here, okay?"

Keith gives him a small smile and burrows back under the blankets.

Shiro knows the road to recovery isn't going to be as easy as just putting Keith in a healing pod. Keith's strong, brave and resilient, but there's no way he's going to walk away from this without some scars on his soul. There will be nightmares, and perhaps even worse things.

But Shiro will be there for Keith every step of the way. And when Hunk quietly pokes his head in to check on them some time later, Shiro knows the team will be there for Keith as well.

- End -