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[bigbrained]

[Being core members of the Voltron coalition meant that sometimes the team had to spread their forces thin in order to take care of everything that required their attention. Sure, they had other allies who could hold their own -the Blade of Mamora for example- but it had a little more impact if the paladins themselves saved a colony or planet, as opposed to more Galra.

In other words: politics.]

I mean, I understand what Coran was saying but I still think it's kinda dumb, right Keith? [Undeterred by Keith's noncommital 'uh huh's and 'yeah's, Hunk continues on as he follows Keith's lead and slows down his approach. They're going to have to try and sneak up on this installation or risk the Galra retaliating against the captured techs for calling for help.] They've been around way longer than we have, and fighting for way longer too! It kinda feels like we're shoving them out of the way to get all the glory. Not that that's what we're doing, but it sure feels like that's what we're doing. I guess in the end it doesn't really matter who gets the job done so long as the people are saved, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Right? Do you have a bad taste in your mouth too, Keith?

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[whatsacactus]

[Hunk isn't talking. Which, he doesn't know Hunk as well as Lance and Pidge, but he knows that's bad. He fucked up not telling him. Or he fucked up downplaying this. Or both!

He's just fucking everything up.

He thought he could do this.

He tightens his grip on Hunk's arm, but not from pain. He's scared he just did something to their friendship, something he values a lot more than anything else in his life.]

...I'm sorry.

[ How much worse can he screw up without getting Hunk killed, or Yellow taken by the Galra if they haven't tracked them already?]

[bigbrained]

[Hunk unwinds the wide gauze carefully, holding down one end as he wraps it around Keith's torso, not too tight but not too loose as to be pointless. The silence between them is weighty, so much so that he almost doesn't catch the apology.]

...Be honest with me. Are we just baggage to you, man? Would you rather be doing all this stuff alone? [Hunk doesn't honestly know what the answer is. Sometimes, with Keith, it's good. Sometimes it's really good, and they're all working together and laughing together. Sometimes Keith smiles so big it lights up the room; it's rare, but it happens.

And then sometimes he shouts I'll do it myself and flies off, leaves them behind. Sometimes...it really does feel like they're all just a bunch of dead weight to him.]

[whatsacactus]

What?

[No, seriously, what? All his thoughts stop with that question, even with Hunk's fingers delicately wrapping against his chest and sides and he'd kind of started focusing on that.]

No, it's... I'm not.

[Fuck. Fuck words, fuck not being able to just directly beam his thoughts to Hunk without having to verbalize them fully. If Yellow were up, they could try that but nooo he had to get her shot with whatever that thing was. That's his fault. He got Hunk's lion trashed.

Keith keeps a hand on Hunk's arm and sits back again when he's done.]

I'm not good with people. [There's a no brainer. He's always been alone, except when Shiro was with him before. But any time he wasn't?] I'm not used to teams or- or people having my back besides Shiro.

It's not you guys. I was finally feeling like I got the hang of all this [he gestures to everything around them] and... Then it all changed again. [When Shiro disappeared. When Keith's role in the team changed, against his will. He didn't want this.

He looks Hunk squarely in the eyes. He needs Hunk to know he means this.]

I promise, it's not anything wrong with you. I'm just used to doing everything alone.

[The Garrison after Shiro left.

The shack in the desert.

Searching for Shiro in all that debris.]

[bigbrained]

[Hunk returns that stare for a good ten seconds of silence before he blows out another breath, letting his gaze drop and nodding.] Okay. I get that.

[So, that means he's going to have to adjust a little bit. Now that he's sure, now that the little splinter of self-doubt's been yanked out by Keith's sincerity, he can keep going on like he was. So hiding his injuries, all the jumping up before Hunk's finished, all the not letting Hunk help is Keith just doing his usual loner thing. Not because he thinks everyone else would just slow him down, but because he's still not used to running with a partner, or a team.

Maybe Keith's actually kind of bad at this. It's a little startling to think of Keith as bad at something, but then again he's real bad at words, so maybe not that startling.] Look, so you know, when I do this? [Gestures to the bandages around Keith's chest,] It's not me doing everything. I need you here, man, you know that. Without you I'm gonna be a nervous wreck, probably just lay facedown and cry. Taking care of people, carrying heavy stuff, like, that's easy for me.

All the stuff you do? Jumping into a Galra base alone, making split decisions, pushing on even when it's tough? That's the stuff I'm garbage at. I need you to do that stuff or I'll probably die out here.

[whatsacactus]

[At least Hunk isn't mad at him. Keith will take that little bit of positive and hold it close to his heart because it's what he needs right now. He still hasn't taken his hand off Hunk's arm and he doesn't really want to either; he idly rubs his thumb against it and takes a little breath in.

Progress. It's... Something, all right.]

Well. I can't let you die, so I guess you're stuck with me out here.

[bigbrained]

Oh thank god. [Hangs his head and sighs.] Seriously, if you were out and I was responsible for us living through this? Like, my grand plan was to find a cave nearby and just cry into my hands until Allura and Shiro got here.

[whatsacactus]

[He's definitely smiling now. He wouldn't let that happen to Hunk in a million years. Pidge if there was no choice, Lance definitely but not Hunk.

He. Really feels like he should seal this conversation somehow. What do most people do?

Keith uses the arm he's holding to pull himself up and. Carefully give Hunk a hug. That's normal right? This is how most people end heavy discussions or show they resolved arguments.]

[bigbrained]

......... [Oh Keith. Hunk snickers but he wraps his arms around Keith, carefully. Geez, they're both so banged up it's like two cracked vases trying to cuddle.] Thanks, Keith.

[whatsacactus]

Y'said before you could use a hug, I never gave you one. So...

[Totally counts. Even if Hunk is laughing at his attempt here. Even still, he can't ignore how utterly safe he feels like this. It's nice.]

They'll find us. Or Yellow'll wake up and we'll get back to them. All right?

[bigbrained]

Yeah. [He glances back in the direction of the cockpit, still torn but knowing they can't spend any more time here. They should get moving while the painkillers are hard at work.

With a sigh, Hunk stuffs the kit into the supply bag and slings that over his shoulder, helping Keith up to his feet.] Okay, so, are you actually good to walk? Truth light.

[whatsacactus]

[Keith takes another look around as he starts pulling his armor back on. It's a little easier now, but still sore.]

Truth? If you don't mind me leaning on you, I can make do. I think.

[He looks down at his leg, the blood soaked strips Hunk put on there last night.]

I haven't tried since earlier.

[bigbrained]

Should we wrap your leg up more? Would that help? [like how wrapped are we gonna get it but

At the same time, Keith saving his strength for if there's a fight might be the only thing between them and dying horribly, so.]

[whatsacactus]

I don't know that it would do much but smother it.

[Keith why are you talking like you know any better. You just don't wanna sit still.]

What else do we need?

[bigbrained]

I've got the survival bag and medkit so we've got all we're gonna get. [Forcing open the doors is a lot easier after some rest and some drugs, so Hunk hardly strains getting them open and back closed again once Keith makes his way out.

He does pause for a moment again, hand on Yellow's bay doors as he stares at how still and silent his lion is in the dark. The big guy has to be okay. He has to be okay.] Promise, [Hunk murmurs again before turning away to take Keith's arm over h-] Oh hey!

[Okay wait, first he's going to bound over to a tree and pluck a few gourd-shaped yellow fruits from the branches.] Oh man, thank god they've got these here. I'm starving. Keith, you want some?

[whatsacactus]

[It takes him a couple extra seconds to get out trying not to strain his side or put all the weight on his leg but shit. Shit, Hunk was about to say something before he got all excited.

Keith watches him bound over like there was never anything wrong, gets a little smile on his face, one that reaches up to his eyes watching him.]

Yeah. Actually, we haven't eaten in a while, so we could use it.

[bigbrained]

Oh geez yeah, you were out on patrol before we even started the mission, huh? [That's a damn CRIME, okay, here.

Hunk smacks one of the fruits against the side of the tree and digs a finger into the cracks to peel apart the eggshell-like rind, handing it over to Keith once the pulpy orange insides are revealed.] Here, it's like a pomegranate, you just eat the insides. Mm, if we take some back home I can totally make preserves from these.

[whatsacactus]

[Keith watches because, hey, the way he did that will probably be useful later if he remembers it. He leans against the tree for support and scrapes out a little bit of the inside with his fingers to eat.

The reaction's immediate, he likes it. Not at all what he expected, and he really should stop expecting things of alien food.]

And you've had this before? Like, this specific thing?

[bigbrained]

Yeah, uh, remember that shopping mall we went to a while back? When I was working at that food court place? [Cracks open one for himself and starts picking out gobs of seeds. Mmmm. Everything is better with food, and that's science. Or psychology, pyramid of basic needs, something-something.] Vrepit Sal's had a bunch of these. I looked them up later and apparently they're pretty standard flora for this quadrant.

[whatsacactus]

Nope. [He doesn't remember that; he'd been caught up in some mess himself right from the start until they were running out of that place. But the thing (fruit? vegetable? who knows) is good and there's at least good company. Which makes any food better, in his opinion.]

At least there's that. [Keith looks skyward, hoping maybe he'll spot a flash of Black or Red. Maybe that weird beam did something to their bond as well.]

[bigbrained]

[keith]

Yeah, so we won't starve. Good news. [...okay, so this is where his usefulness ends.] So, uh...which way should we go?

[whatsacactus]

Well.

[He looks at Yellow, then at the path she made when she crashed. And then the opposite direction. He feels like now is the time he needs to be smart. Make a good plan. Think about every angle.

Yeah, he's bad at that.]

Better question. Do we wanna hide out and wait for the others, or do we wanna figure out what that thing was?

[bigbrained]

I vote hiding. [keith
was that even really a question]

[whatsacactus]

[Maybe he wanted to give him a choice!!! But it's unsurprising. He takes one more look at Yellow before looking the opposite direction of the outpost.]

Okay. So distance then. Let's go. [Don't mind him, he'll just hobble a few steps a minute.]

[bigbrained]

[Rolls eyes before coming up beside Keith and pulling his arm over his shoulder. Leaning, remember? Hunk can totally just slurp this fruit thing like some kind of savage as he helps Keith walk.]

[whatsacactus]

Oh-

[Yeah. Yeah, okay. Hunk's a little taller so it's only a little awkward, but they make it work. The forest doesn't even feel a little like it'll try to eat them, so that's a plus. And it's quiet. Honestly, under better circumstances? This would be really nice.]

It's not bad out here.