Everything. Everything can go wrong.
Well, not everything. Lance didn’t get an infection, thankfully, but he did have something under his skin.
Keith.
What an asshole.
Lance tried to make amends, but Keith didn’t budge. He wasn’t directly antagonizing, but the tension remained. No one understood why Keith didn’t want to talk to Lance, but it wasn’t so bad; there was just a lot of unresolved conflict, no big deal! Every night was a pain for them both. Lance would usually awkwardly try to initiate small talk, only to find that Keith didn’t respond or pretended to be asleep. But Lance didn’t know if he actually pretended. It was more the idea that he didn’t know if Keith passed out as soon as he was comfortable, or if he really did ignore Lance.
That, however, was a lightbulb in the entire galaxy that was the bonds he formed with the rest of the group. He and Hunk were closest, although he felt like he was third wheeling him and Pidge. After that, it was Adam. Adam was sort of the caretaker of the group, and, as Lance found out, was a leader alongside Shiro. They were nearly inseparable, and Lance longed to have someone like that. He, of course, became certain that Adam and Shiro were romantically involved. Lance was too nervous to say anything, and he often just left them alone as to not strain their hidden relationship. He stayed in his bed, for the most part, often laying on his stomach as he thought about what home was like without him.
His mother must have been worried sick, and he immediately teared up. He tensed as he leaned into his pillow, silently weeping as he thought of home. Any sounds he made were muffled by the pillow, and his thoughts were too crowded to notice the sounds of someone approach his tent. The tent flap opened and closed quickly as Keith swooped in, going straight for the chest beside his cot. He noticed Lance’s weeping and he stiffened, but he couldn’t just leave. Lance had also stiffened and stayed frozen for a moment before he realized that Keith wouldn’t leave. He sat up slightly, his eyes red and his cheeks stained with tears, and frowned.
“Go ahead and make fun of me,” Lance snapped, his voice broken as he wiped his nose and looked away, furiously embarrassed.
“I’m not gonna make fun of you,” Keith murmured, unsure of what to say. He hesitated before he glanced away. “Sorry. I hope you feel better.”
With that, Keith disappeared out of the tent, trekking back to the others. There was some quiet whispers among them before another length of silence, an exasperated sigh, and more steps back to the tent. Keith leaned in -- seemingly a little more relaxed now that Lance was simply sniffling -- and sighed.
“Come on,” Keith huffed. Ever the optimist. “We’re going into town. You need a horse, and Shiro’s being all soft on you.”
Lance sniffed before he sat up and wiped at his eyes before he stood up, limping slightly as he followed Keith out. He felt much better after just a couple of weeks, and he was able to get around with a minimal amount of pain. He wasn’t quite well enough to go off on his own, but he almost didn’t want to leave. Lance wanted revenge, and he owed so much to the group. Shiro had come to call the group Atlas, and Lance felt like he belonged. Despite missing his family, he felt more individuated than if he was at home; he had a large family, and they all lived together on a decent little farm, but here he felt well-taken care of, and he thought that perhaps he could better provide for his family by working with the group than by being a cowhand. Did his family even have to know? He was already far from home for weeks or even months at a time without notice. The only difference would be that he would have to hide his life of crime. And he would have to pray that news of the attack didn’t come to light.
Lance shook the thoughts away as he reached the others, smiling to Adam and Keith. Considering they were the only ones standing, he assumed the two of them would take him into the nearby town. They were silent as they made their way to where the group’s horses were hitched, Adam taking the lead of a large buckskin Shire -- one similar to Shiro’s own white Clydesdale -- while Keith led a red roan horse, built for speed. Lance was helped up onto Adam’s horse -- affectionately named Bucky -- and held on, a bit apprehensive being on a such a large beast. He was more used to a horse like Keith’s; a little smaller, and swift. The trio set off, the Shire padded through the snow with grace while Keith’s awkwardly hopped and pranced through the snow, more accustomed to speed and flat dry land that didn’t sink under its hooves. It didn’t take long to get to the small town just out of sight from the camp, and Lance sighed in near relief; civilization! They made their way down the main street, people bustling as they went about their day. They made their way to the town stable, and Lance felt his heart begin to pound in the sheer thrill.
Adam had helped Lance down, making sure that the young man’s leg had little pressure against it. Lance limped into the stable and looked around with a bright smile, the familiar smell bringing a sense of home to him. As he stepped forward, a man popped his head out from a stall with a warm smile. His hair was almost orange with a twirly mustache to match. He wore worn but fine clothing, tall boots, and a clean Stetson hat. Not what one would expect from a stable owner.
“Hello, boys!” The man’s voice was incredibly bright and lively, and Lance felt he could easily become friends with him if he lived in the same town. “What can I help you with today?”
“Hello Coran! Looking for a horse for our friend here,” Adam announced, his hand slapping Lance’s shoulder. Lance stumbled forward a bit and laughed under his breath, thinking that Adam was like an older brother. “Tell him what you want.”
“My old horse was pretty fast, and he had a lot of stamina,” Lance explained. “Basically, I need a cowhand’s horse.”
Coran hummed in thought before he motioned for Lance to follow him. He led him to a blue roan mustang, a stout but powerful horse. Lance beamed and leaned against the door to meet the beast, and the gelding played with his hair. Adam laughed loudly, something clearly humoring him. Lance ignored him before he turned to Coran with a bright expression.
“I love him!”
✦
Lance rode out of town on the horse with a bright smile, his horse prancing through the snow with ease while Keith’s continued to awkwardly hop. While Keith followed behind, Adam led in the front. They returned to the camp, met with warm welcomes, and Lance carefully hopped of his horse. He was warmed by the rays of the sun, and he simply leaned against his horse’s saddle as he took in the late morning sun. Lance’s eyes were closed as he relaxed, but his thoughts and relaxation were interrupted by Keith’s scoff. He shot the gruff man a glare, which was promptly returned. Adam turned Lance away, scolding them both for their childishness, and led him to the campfire. He was a gentle man, but was not afraid to put his foot down. Adam then went to Keith and spoke under his breath to him, and Keith went up to Lance after.
“You want to stay, right?” he huffed, meeting Lance’s gaze. The two were about the same height, so the ability to look down at the other was unavailable to them both. “A softie with a bunch of outlaws.”
“Yeah,” Lance snipped, though he wasn’t actually certain that he would stay. He just wanted to irk Keith. “It’s better than taking care of cows for some pompous assholes.”
“Then let’s see what you can do.” Keith was definitely pissed. “We don’t need a softie like you wasting our resources.”
“Boys,” Shiro warned, his gaze stern. “Just go. And don’t shoot each other.”
The two glared at each other before Keith gathered his guns and Lance gathered his. He wondered how soon it would be before he could buy some more ammunition; he only had a little bit, aside from what was already in his guns. There was a feeling in his stomach, his instinct telling him to be careful. He didn’t know why, but he had a bad feeling about this trip.
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