fevers-and-flus-blog

[fevers-and-flus-blog]

Omg your art style is so cute!! I love it! If you're interested in prompts, maybe one with Lan/ce cudding with a very sick Kei!th, who is so miserable and exhausted that he doesn't have the energy to move when he sneezes so he ends up sneezing into Lan#ces chest?

(I started with an outline to come back to and draw, but it turned into a drabble?? I’m going to still tag it and come back to it later, but I hope this short blip is okay for now)

Lance absently eyed the raindrops drumming against hisapartment window, feeling his eyelids droop as he traced Keith’s palm withgentle, sloppy circles.

It was blissful to finally hear the faint intervals of Keith’sairless snoring, escaping his mouth among his frequent heavy coughing fits. Fora few hours Lance had been lost in thought on the living room couch, exhaustionclouding his brain from taking care of his boyfriend all night.

There was something inexplicably calming to Lance aboutKeith being tightly bundled across his lap. Despite the nasty fever he couldn’tseem to shake, the warm figure secured closely into his side made Lance feel relaxedsomehow.

Keith stirred, breaking Lance’s train of thought as hecracked open his eyes pitifully. His cheeks were still notably flushed, and hisbreathing was labored by a thick congestion.

“Can’t sleep for long, huh?” Lance sighed sympathetically,running loose fingers through Keith’s fringe. “I lost track of how long youwere asleep, but I know it was longer than you slept earlier.”

Keith’s expression shifted slightly enough to indicate thathe heard his boyfriend’s words as he rolled onto his side to bury himself inLance’s chest. A strained groan escaped his lips as his hands shakily grippedLance’s shirt.

Lance frowned, securing a loose blanket tightly around Keithas he pulled him close. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“Everything is spinning.” Keith spoke through his teethgritted in frustration, his voice warped and raspy.

“Just keep your eyes closed, okay?” Lance soothed, pressinghis face into Keith’s messy hair with a soft kiss. “The more you sleep, thequicker you’ll get better.”

“Either that or I’ll die first-“ Keith slurred, his voice cutoff by coughs relentlessly rolling out of his lungs.

Lance steadied Keith into a sitting position as he miserablychoked out one cough after another, nearly collapsing against Lance as his fitbegan to ebb away.

“God,” Keith sniffled, trying to collect himself from hisdisaster of a virus. “I need more tissues.” His face was pressed into Lance’schest, muffling anything he said.

“All I heard was ‘tissues’, so let’s go with that.” Lance saidworriedly as he leaned over to grab the box of tissues from the coffee table.

“Class is going to suck tomorrow,” Keith opted to whisper,not dedicating any more energy to raising his head to look at Lance.

Lance snorted, glancing down incredulously at his boyfriend.“There’s no way you’re going to class tomorrow.”

“But-“ Keith sniffed as he feebly reached for a tissue, hisother hand pressed against his irritated nose as he huffed. Before he couldreach for a tissue, he jolted his head into Lance’s chest in a last stitcheffort to suppress a sneeze. “’Htch’oo!”

Lance winced as he glanced down at Keith, who hadn’t movedand was groaning in agony.

“I’m sorry,” Keith whined inaudibly, keeping his face placedin Lance’s shirt.

“That’s it, you’ve infected me! I guess I have to stay hometomorrow and take care of you too.” Lance dramatized. “Also, you’re disgusting.”

“I tried to grab a tissue!” Keith croaked, weakly smackingLance’s shoulder as he remained face down.

“I’m teasing you. You’re sick, it happens.” Lance chuckled,pulling Keith close as he plucked a few tissues from the box. “Would letting metake care of you until you’re better be so bad?”

“It would be a miracle for you to put up with me muchlonger, honestly.” Keith whispered, pressing the handful of tissues against hisnose.

“I love you, it’s kind of my job.” Lance said, shrugging.

“I love you too.” Keith mumbled as he curled up against hisboyfriend, feeling his thoughts fade away to the sound of the rain as he fellback asleep.  

[fevers-and-flus-blog]

THIS BEAUTIFUL HOOMAN RIGHT HERE IS,,,SO GOOD. She cares so much about people and tries so hard to put positive things into this world!!!!!! And she writes the loveliest stories and is like the boss leader of the Shiro!Whump Club and generally deserves all the best things in life ilysm

Appreciation post

I’m gonna take a page out of @wiseinnerwhispers‘ book, because the post they made was so sweet and it made my day, and we could always use some more positivity, right?

um okay, so @toosicktoocare is the whole entire reason I’m even on Tumblr.  I stalked her’s (and others’) blogs for months and months before I got the courage to make an account and message her.  She’s also the reason I even started posting anything on here

I love @fevers-and-flus with all of my heart.  She’s a wonderful human being who deserves every good thing in the world and she’s just so nice and supportive and she’s such a great writer

I started talking to @iluvthesnz pretty recently, but she’s a fabulous human being and is so funny and great and SO TALENTED (like I’m seriously in awe okay). Also, I really appreciate that she’s not bothered by how much I message her ahahaha

@taylor-tut (Beef mom) is the reason I started writing Voltron. I love her a lot, she’s a great human being, and I’m still floored that she follows me and reblogs my stuff? also I’m floored she messages me back

I’ll say this forever but @kotyonoksnz is a gift to this community.  I still don’t know how people can be so talented at art bc it’s so hard and she’s just so amazing.  She’s also the reason I started watching/writing YOI

@appynation IS ONE OF THE MODS WHO CREATED VOLTRON WHUMP WEEK.  I messaged her asking a question about it, and then we started talking more, and I love her to death.  She’s wonderful and talented and also her art is SO good.

I love @itisasign so much. She has the best tags, and she’s so sweet and she was one of the first people I talked to on here. I really appreciate her and I just love her a lot okay

@ithadtobesneezing is another person on here that I love (I love a lot of people lol y’all are so nice though).  She’s probably one of my favorite writers on here, and even though she’s not writing much lately, her blog still has A+ content

@shiveringsickies is really awesome.  She’s been through so much lately, but she’s still so positive and is just such a great person to talk to.  She’s also insanely talented at both writing and art (HOW???)

@ambulancemcclain MY CHILD.  I love her a lot, she’s great and funny and is a living meme

[fevers-and-flus-blog]

no joke can someone make my lesbian ass a pining playlist bc im honestly just listening to sleepover by hayley kiyoko on repeat for dayz and i need Assistance

[fevers-and-flus-blog]

have to give a huge shout out to @fluffyllamas22 and @toosicktoocare for putting up w my emo ass for the past few weeks and also for amplifying my prompts post!! I have prompts now!!!!

also just realized i had anon turned off before but i changed that so u can spam me with anon prompts now sorry bout that beebs

lastly im lowkey pining hardcore for the worst crush ive ever had in my 26 years on this earth (i know im fandom old shut up) so if yall wanted to send me whump prompts that include some nice pining elements ill probs prioritize cuz im about to drown my angst in sparkling rose and knock out a prompt or two

love yall

[fevers-and-flus-blog]

ok but like

why dont yall send me prompts??? i know im the slowest writer on the planet but also like i want to write things for u bbs

aka i need inspiration pls save me from myself

[fevers-and-flus-blog]

Sicknario

Really just thought of this while thinking about sweet college anon sick with a cold.

- A cold is going around campus and a group of friends are all struck down with it. It’s more of a nuisance than anything really, but while everyone else is managing to power through, A is struggling. They feel positively terrible. They ache all over, they’re jumping from boiling hot to freezing cold super fast, they can’t stop coughing and sneezing, and they just want this all over with. They get discouraged when all of the friends start to get better while A just seems to get worse. Some of the friends comment “wow, A. You must have gotten the worst of the cold” and “come on, A. It’s just a cold. Stop being so dramatic.” So, A continues to power through despite the 102 and up fever and despite feeling like utter hell, and it isn’t until A collapses during (school, play practice, sport, etc.) and is raced to the school clinic that they, and the friends, are told A actually has had the flu this whole time.

[fevers-and-flus-blog]

Hi bb! I'm wanting to spread some positivity, so here I am! I know I've told you this before, but I seriously admire and look up to your writing! I admire that you value quality over quantity and that you take time with your fics. That shows that you are really putting a lot of care into your work, and I think that is so important! I also love how open and encouraging you are. You are such a great person to talk to, and I love you lots, okay?

This is??? Too much kindness in one post wtf i am not worthy. As u know bc ive said it so many times but ur writing is the whole reason I even started this sideblog AND got into voltron!! You are so brilliant and i love talking to u, u sweet moonchild 🌙🌙🌙

[fevers-and-flus-blog]

Hi bb ❤️❤️❤️👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼 I love you and hope you're having a good day and I wanted to tell you that you're awesome

My sweet angel!!! You are the kindest most lovely lil sunflower in the garden and i wish nothing but good things for u always 🌻🌻🌻🌻

[fevers-and-flus-blog]

Sick scenarios!!

•"You’re so sick you literally just fell down the stairs I can’t just let you walk home/take <insert public transport> by yourself!! I know we aren’t that close but I care about you enough that I don’t want you to get run over!!“

•"You’re doing some sort of presentation and you can’t stop sneezing and coughing and now the professor is yelling at you and oh god please don’t get upset it’s not your fault here do you need a hug”

•"We’re actors and you keep wrecking the takes please don’t feel bad!! Come to my trailer I’ll take care of you"

•"Im so sick our mutual friend dragged me to the hospital you work at and now you’re giving me death glares because I told you earlier this morning I was fine I’m sorry"

•"I’m really feverish and I haven’t noticed you and this sneeze just won’t come out and I’m pulling the most ridiculous build up you’ve ever seen and shit now I’ve noticed you this is fucking awkward sorry"

•"You’re my neighbour and you sneeze so loud and I can’t sleep I hate you so much so I’m going to complain and shit you’re really sick and your heating is broken come to mine"

•"I always take care of you but never catch it but for some reason I’ve caught it now and I am too proud to tell you I’m sick and I don’t want you to feel bad so I’m going to tough it out"

[fevers-and-flus-blog]

one of the worst parts about modern au characterization is how everyone is just humoring enjolras on his beliefs and ideas and thinks he needs to lighten up / have kinky sex with grantaire / be less focused on that stuff

like………. literally every character except one really obvious one that we know to be in les amis de l'abc was there because they wanted to be there. you do not get involved in an illegal anti-government secret republican society for funsies or to humor someone.

why do people hate enjolras so much? if you like and identify with grantaire at all why do you hate enjolras so much? like why?

[fevers-and-flus-blog]

Hi!! I just saw your bio said you like prompts! I'll be posting some soon please feel free to use them I would be honored I love your work!!!

Omg thanks bb! Inbox is always open if u have specific prompts

[fevers-and-flus-blog]

hi friends sorry ive been mia -- a good ol case of The Morbs over here haha existentialism is so cool mortality is cool time is fake depression happens,,,so much lololol

BUT i am 6 followers away from 300 which is??? so weird lol why do ya'll follow, wyd??? but i def wanna break through my writer's block w some fic so hit me with those requests.

ily all 😘😘😘😘

[fevers-and-flus-blog]

Day 5: Insomnia - Keith

This is set at the beginning of season 3.  I don’t think there are any spoilers, but just a warning. Also, I’m really not sure of the timeline of events, so I’m making it up

I really like this one, I was getting so emotional writing the beginning, omg

Keith finds himself wandering the castle at three fifteen in the morning again.  Again.  

It’s going on four months since Shiro went missing, two months since Keith took over Shiro’s position, and he doesn’t sleep anymore. He tries, he really does - he’s exhausted and run down, and knows he needs sleep, but he just can’t.

Not when Shiro is missing and everyone expects him to be the leader.  He’s not cut out for it.  Shiro is the leader.  Shiro has this…innate sense for leadership.  He’s born for the role, not Keith.  Keith is a fuck up.  Keith screws up everything he touches.  Keith drives people away.  That’s why he tries so hard to keep everyone at a distance.

Shiro disappearing is just a stark reminder that everyone leaves.  Everyone leaves, and he can’t let himself get close to anybody else, because he looks up to Shiro so much and now he’s just so broken because his favorite person in existence is gone. No matter how much Keith tries, he can’t find Shiro.

Each time he lies down, he feels his body twitch with desperation and anxiety. Shiro’s face is behind his eyelids and in his dreams, and while it should be a comfort, all it does is make the hurt run deeper.  His chest has been aching and there’s been a lump in his throat since the moment they realized he wasn’t in his pilot’s chair, and Keith doesn’t know if he can take it anymore.

He needs Shiro back, he needs it like he needs air, because he’s a mess.  He’s okay when he’s with people, but the moment he’s alone, that’s when the gravity of the situation weighs on his shoulders. It’s too much.  It’s too much, and Keith isn’t sure how much longer he can handle it.  

He cries every night, to his dismay - he really hates crying.   

At this point, he’s gone two months without sleeping more than an hour or two a night and he feels dead on his feet.

Keith isn’t paying attention to where he’s going until he finds himself standing at Hunk’s door.  

He blinks heavily, swaying on his feet.

God, he’s tired.  

His body is screaming at him to rest, but he can’t.  

Hunk is suddenly in front of him. “Keith?”

“Oh, hey,” Keith says, shooting Hunk a very tired, worn out smile.

“What are you…it’s three thirty…why are you awake?”

“I…um…I couldn’t sleep,” Keith whispers, “did I wake you?”

“Yeah, but it’s-”

Keith’s eyes fills with tears, “I’m sorry.”

“No! No, no, it’s fine, I’m thirsty anyways,” Hunk lies quickly when he sees Keith’s face crumple.  “Since you’re up, come with me?”

Keith swipes at his cheeks, “yeah, okay.”

Hunk knows that Keith isn’t sleeping…everyone knows Keith isn’t sleeping, and they’re all worried.  Nobody’s quite sure how to broach the subject though, because the lack of sleep is making him snappy.  

Hunk takes a moment to study Keith’s face, which he can just barely see in the dim lighting.

Keith’s eyes are bloodshot and glassy, and beneath them are bags and deep purple bruises.  His face is void of any color, and Hunk pieces everything together.  

He’s sleep deprived, yes, and that accounts for a lot of his behavior recently. It can’t, however, fully be to blame for how slow and clumsy his movements have been, or how much he’s been struggling to process conversations.  Keith is low energy, and has been sounding increasingly run down, and Hunk finally realizes that Keith is definitely coming down with something.  

“Sit down,” Hunk instructs, pointing to one of the chairs at the counter. “Want anything?”

“Water?” Keith croaks out, grimacing at how dry his throat suddenly feels.

Hunk nods slowly, watching as Keith crosses his arms and sinks lower in his chair.  His eyelids droop, and he nods off briefly, but jerks awake a moment later when his head drops forward.

“Here,” Hunk says, placing a glass of water in front of him.

Keith stares at it for a full minute, blinking slowly before he shakes his head and looks at Hunk.  “Thank you.”

“Are you ready to go back to bed?”

Keith shrugs, “I think I’m up for the rest of the day.”

Hunk chews on his bottom lip, “How about we watch a movie, then?”

Maybe a movie will lull him to sleep.  

“Yeah…that sounds good,” Keith nods.  He sniffles and rubs at his nose that’s suddenly doing an impressive imitation of a faucet.

*

It’s six am, and Hunk’s plan didn’t work.  

Keith keeps nodding off, and is slumped against Hunk’s side. Each time Hunk thinks he’s asleep, Keith jerks awake not long after.  

Initially, Keith was on the opposite end of the couch, but as he began to feel worse and worse, he inched closer and closer to Hunk until he’s pressed into his side.

Hunk’s wracking his brain to think of ways that will get Keith to stay asleep, because Keith really needs to get a decent night’s sleep.

Keith curls into himself as he goes into another chesty coughing fit. He shivers, and Hunk reaches for the blanket that’s draped on the back of the couch. As soon as the blanket is on him, Keith tries getting warmer and presses himself closer to Hunk.

“Are you alright?” Hunk asks.  He brushes his fingertips across Keith’s forehead and grimaces as Keith’s skin burns beneath his touch.

“M’tired.”

“I know…you have a fever.”

Keith is silent and then offers a weak, “Oh.”

He sits up, but he’s suddenly so exhausted that he can’t hold himself upright, and he drops down onto Hunk.  Keith grips his shirt tightly, eyes filling with tears.

“I don’t…I don’t feel good, Hunk.”

“Yeah?” Hunk frowns, “I didn’t think so.  Is there anything specific that’s bothering you?”

“I-I…I j-just…I d-don’t f-feel well,” Keith whimpers, sniffling miserably.

His entire body is aching and heavy, which Keith isn’t sure if it’s because he’s running a fever, or if it’s from sheer exhaustion. Everything hurts - head, throat, muscles; his sinuses are throbbing, and he can feel the congestion rattling around in his lungs with each inhale.   He needs to sleep.

“You want me to see if there’s anything that’ll help you sleep?”

“I have to find Shiro,” Keith mumbles, his tone verging on desperation.

“What does that have to do with sleeping?”

There’s a beat, and then, “If I sleep…I won’t be able to find him.”

“Keith, you can’t find him like this.”

“I know,” he moans, bursting into tears, “I’m useless.  I’ll never be a good leader, I can’t even find Shiro, why would black pick me?”

“Keith,” Hunk breathes, wrapping his arms around his feverish, emotional teammate. “Black picked you because you’re going to make a great leader, you’ve just gotta have a little faith in yourself.”

Keith says nothing, his face buried in Hunk’s chest. “But is that why you haven’t been sleeping? You think sleeping will stop you from finding Shiro?”

He stops crying after a few minutes and tightens his grip on Hunk’s shirt. “I try to sleep…but I can’t. Everytime I close my eyes, I see him.  And then I do fall asleep, and I have nightmares about him…I’m so tired…I just want to sleep.”

Hunk thinks for a few moments, “I’ll be right back.  I’m going to go get you something that will help with that.”

Hunk is gone and back before Keith is able to process their conversation.

“What’s that?” Keith frowns when Hunk hands him two small pills.

“Sedative,” He says. Keith shakes his head, the movement jerky and uncoordinated and it makes his head spin.  “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t…I can’t sleep,” Keith says in a small voice and grips Hunk’s shirt again. “What if something happens? I’m the leader…I have…I have to be alert.”

Hunk smiles softly, “You’re not going to be alert if you don’t get some rest.”

“But what if something happens?”

“Nothing will happen, and if it does, I’ll handle it.  You just need to sleep.”

Two minutes after Keith takes the pills, Hunk feels his grip on his shirt loosen. Keith’s hand falls limply to his side as he finally falls into a deep, dreamless sleep.

[fevers-and-flus-blog]

(A very late) Day 2 of @voltronwhumpweek2017​

Hypothermia! AKA Keith and Lance get lost in the woods

This a day late and a dollar short and I’m so sorry. I could NOT get this fic done done. It haunted me. It’s still haunting me. I lowkey hate it, but it’s mostly written and I think it would feel worse to just abandon so: TADA enjoy this clusterfuck.

“It’s getting dark,” Lance says.

“I know.”

“And we haven’t even heard her barking.”

“I know.” Keith repeats, snarling his words. He’s tired - they both are. They’ve been out searching for a half hour now and still, no sign of Blake.

Shiro’s going to kill me, Keith thinks. I lost his dog, and he’s going to kill me.

“I’m not going back until we find her.” Keith says, pulling his coat tighter.

“Yeah, no shit, me either.” Lance says, scuffing dirt up with the front of his sneakers. “But we didn’t bring a flashlight. And unless you happen to just carry one around like some sort of paranoid Bear Grylls wannabe…”

Lance takes a beat. “Which actually wouldn’t surprise me. In fact, it would really come in handy right now. Keith please, please tell me you carry around a flashlight.”

“No.”

“No you won’t tell me, or no you don’t carry around a flashlight, because–”

“No, Lance.”

“Well that sucks.” Lance says, trying to problem solve. “Okay, it’ll drain the battery but why don’t you use the flashlight on your phone.”

“Why don’t you,” Keith says tightly. He pushes a tree branch out of the way and it snaps back, just narrowly missing his eye. “Fuck!” 

Lance shuffles behind Keith and hums nervously. So much so that Keith stops in his tracks and turns around.

“Well…” Lance starts.

“You’re kidding me.”

“I didn’t exactly bring it out. We were in a rush!! You were yelling at me!”

“Jesus Christ.”

“It was on the charging cable! It wasn’t high on my priority list!”

Keith stares at Lance. And stares and stares. Because…

“Oh no, Keith. No. Don’t even say what I think you’re going to say.”

“When have I EVER-”

“No no no”

“Carried my phone on me.”

They look at each other for a long time. The whole forest seems still and somber. Keith kicks a tree trunk, hard. Hard enough that it shoots pain up his foot and into his ankle.

It helps clear his head though so he does it again and again and again until Lance grabs Keith’s arm and tugs him back.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Lance yells, pressing a finger to Keith’s chest. “You’re going to break your foot and I’m not carrying you back.”

Keith takes a long breath in. The cold air crackles through his lungs.

“You’re right.”

“Yeah, I know I’m right.” Lance says, back ramrod straight, brimming with bravado. It’s only a few seconds later that he slumps like someone’s poked a hole in his rib cage. “Any chance you know how to get back.”

Keith’s first instinct is to snap, ‘of course I know how to get back, I’m not an idiot.’ But Keith doesn’t have his phone. He doesn’t have a compass, or a flashlight. He looks around and his entire body tingles with dread. He has no idea where they are.

“I - I’m not sure.”

Lance tugs at his hair and spins around a few times. “Okay. Okay. We can figure this out.”

Keith nods and tries to orient himself.

“We can figure this out, right?!” Lance asks urgently, rubbing his hands together.

Keith doesn’t answer. He’s processing.

They’ve been walking for at least an hour. The sun’s almost set, they maybe have 20-30 minutes left of natural light. And it’s already cold. Without the sun, it’ll drop 15 degrees, easy. Probably more.

“Keith? You’re not inspiring a lot of confidence, man!”

“I’m thinking,” he says, looking around.

They need to get back to Shiro’s.

They can’t start a fire. Tree branches are damp from yesterday’s rain. They’re wearing coats but nothing insulated. No gloves, no hats, no boots – and thin socks, Keith adds to himself, wiggling his toes which are already aching and numb.

A jolt of panic cracks down his spine.

“Zip up your coat,” Keith says.

“What?”

“Zip up your coat.” He repeats, searching his pockets.

There’s a receipt and a pack of gum, Shiro’s house keys, a quarter. His stomach gurgles with a sickly sweet nausea.

Lance zips up and puts his hands in his pockets instinctively.

“What do you have on you? Anything we can use?” Keith asks.

“No,” Lance says, voice low.

“We should keep moving,” Keith says. “Back - the direction we came from.”

“I thought you weren’t going back without Blake.” Lance says. He can tell something’s wrong – Keith’s posture has completely changed. His voice too: it’s lower than normal, and richer, in a way that commands attention.

“I..” Keith presses his lips together and debates the merits of honesty. “I think we have to go back without her.”

Lance’s spit goes sour. Keith isn’t just worried, he’s scared.

They walk for another half hour in relative silence, Keith marking tree trunks with the keys, making a jagged line at eye level, one deep enough that he can feel the gauges if he lays a hand down against the bark.

“This isn’t the right way, is it?” Lance asks.

It takes a while for Keith to answer. “I don’t think so.”

“I spy,” Lance says between chattering teeth. “With my little eye, something that is green.”

“Is it a leaf.”

Lance huffs. “Maybe. But which leaf is it.”

Keith snarls, “It’s dark, how am I supposed to know.”

“You’re bad at this game.”

After another hour and a half of walking in contained circles, trying to find the right path, Keith admits (at least to himself) that they have to stop.

Keith’s shivering. Lance is too - Keith can see him shaking.

He knows they should keep moving, keep their bodies in motion, but the more they walk, the farther away they could be trekking into the woods. Keith doesn’t know the right answer. His hands wring together with guilt.

“I’m sorry.” He says quietly.

“Why are you apologizing.”

“You know why. Because we’re stuck out here.”

“I’m the one who let the dog escape.”

Keith laughs. “Now you admit it.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Lance says.

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“It kind of was.”

“It wasn’t.” Keith says, and he lets the air settle between them.

“Either way. We’re still lost.”

Keith’s teeth are clacking together and it sounds like Morse code. He clamps his mouth shut. His jaw bone aches.

“I’m so fucking cold,” Lance says.

“C’mere,” Keith tugs Lance closer.

“If you wanted to take me on a date Keith, all you had to do was ask.”

“Shut up.” Keith says, and pulls Lance between his legs. They’re both trembling. Keith tries to rub Lance’s hands, but his own fingers are slow to respond.  

“Uh…we’re gonna be okay, right? It’s not even winter. It’s not cold enough to - to…I mean we’ll be okay right?” Lance asks.

Keith’s breath comes in small pants. I don’t know, he thinks. I’m scared, he thinks.

“We’ll be okay,” Keith says, instead.

“Cool, yeah.” Lance says. His body is vibrating against Keith’s. “I spy, with - with my little eye. Something that is brown.”

They stop talking.

Keith doesn’t even realize at first. His mind is drifting. Things have gone soft around the edges.

It reminds Keith of being high. It’s easy and nauseating. He feels once-removed, like everything is only real if he concentrates.

I’m Schrödinger’s cat, Keith thinks. Things are only real if I can see them.

Lance’s head falls onto his shoulder, and it jolts Keith back to the present.

“Lance,” he says.

Lance doesn’t respond.

“Lance,” Keith says again, louder this time. He goes to pat Lance’s cheek but his hands are heavy and uncooperative. His fingers will barely bend. “You gotta stay awake.”

Keith can hear his own voice slurring, consonants and vowels softening around his tongue.

“Mmm ‘m tired.” Lance says, eyes blinking awake slowly and drifting closed almost immediately after.

“Lance please,” Keith says, desperation clearing some of the fog that’s wrapped around him.

“Where are we, we still…? We’re still in the woods?”

“We’re still in the woods,” Keith says. Lance isn’t shivering anymore. He’s confused. That’s - not good. That’s - Keith’s entire body floods with panic. It makes every part of him tingle. He pushes Lance to sit.

“We have to get up. We have to move.”

Lance smacks his lips together once, twice, and frowns. He tries to stand up, but can’t get his arms and legs to move properly.

“I don’t think I can do it,” he says, head cocked.

“You have to.”

Keith is more afraid than he’s ever been. His voice is ragged with it.

“My legs. They don’t wanna move.” Lance says mildly, his words mushing into each other.

“Okay. Okay. I’ll fix this. I’ll fix it, okay Lance?”

“Mm, okay.” Lance says, sloppily patting Keith. “I trust you.”

Keith’s eyes sting.

“I got you,” Keith says. “Can you - can you hold onto me?”

“Think so.”

Keith crouches down, and Lance grasps onto him around the neck.

I can do this, Keith thinks. I can do this, I can do this, I can do this. His legs tremble, but he stands. He’s breathing shallowly, white puffs of smoke bursting in front of his lips. Keith’s entire body aches and pulses with cold. But he’s standing.

And then he walks.

Keith walks and walks and walks until his knees buckle under him and both he and Lance hit the ground.

“I’m sorry,” Keith chokes out. “I can’t - I can’t keep going.”

“It’s okay,” Lance says. And then “ ‘m not that cold anymore.”

It’s so stupid, Keith thinks, this is so fucking stupid. This can’t be happening. It can’t it can’t it can’t.

Keith unzips his coat. It takes five tries. He can barely feel his fingers - he tries to grab the metal zipper but it keeps slipping. When he finally gets his coat off, he clumsily lays it on top of Lance.

He doesn’t know what to do. He - he can’t do anything. He closes his eyes.

There’s a noise and it won’t stop.

It’s loud. It’s loud and it hurts.

Keith can’t open his eyes. He can’t move.

It’s barking.

Blake, Keith thinks.

There’s something wet on on his face and neck.

It’s Blake, Keith thinks again. We found her.

And then Keith slips away again, into the warm, dark place behind his eyes.

“-eith can you he - Ke - please op - eyes.”

Keith thinks he’s awake. It’s hard to tell.

He can’t feel - he can’t feel anything. He can’t feel.

“Keith.”

There’s a voice.

“Please, please - please buddy I need you to - I need you to open your eyes. I need you to wake up. Can you hear me?”

Keith tries but his eyes won’t budge.

“C’mon Keith. C’mon, you can do it. I know you can do it.”

It’s - Shiro? But how? He’s away. He’s supposed to be away.

There’s someone else calling Lance’s name. It’s familiar. All the voices are familiar. Hunk?

He tries and tries and finally cracks his eyes open enough to see painful slashes of light.

“Oh thank god. Thank god - that’s it, you got it.”

But everything is sliding away again.

“No no no no no, Keith. C’mon stay with me. Keep your eyes open. Please, Keith.”

But he’s already gone.

Keith wakes up and everything is bright.

He’s gasping. It hurts his eyes and - where is he? Where’s Lance? What’s…?

“It’s okay! You’re safe, I’m right here.”

“Shiro?” The sound of his own voice is surprising. It’s ground glass and gravel.

“Yeah it’s me.”

“What..?”

“You’re in the hospital. You’re okay. You had –” “Lance!!” Keith’s entire body sings with panic as he sits up. The room wobbles in front of him. His stomach swoops.

Shiro presses a hand to his shoulder and lowers Keith back to the bed.

“Lance is fine. He’s here too. You’re both going to be fine.” “Where is he?” Keith asks, struggling against Shiro’s grip. Each movement is like fighting through wet cement. It’s hard to keep his eyes open.

“Keith, hey. Relax. Relax. He’s in the bed next to you. He’s fine, see?”

Keith looks to his left and sees Lance curled up, chest rising and falling evenly.

“He’s okay?” Keith asks. He sounds very young.

“Yeah,” Shiro says. “He is.”

“Oh my god,” Relief shudders through Keith, so much that his body jolts. Something wet drips down his cheek and over his nose. He’s crying.

“How did - how did you find us? How long were we..” Keith has to fight for each breath. He has to think, breathe breathe breathe, or he might just pass out.

“Shhh, alright,” Shiro puts a hand on Keith’s forehead and pushes his brother’s hair back. “You need to rest.”

Keith wants to argue, wants to demand answers, but he can barely keep his thoughts tied together.

“I’m so tired,” Keith says, and his eyes blink, slow and swollen.

“Go to sleep, I’m right here. Lance is right here. It’s okay.”

Keith closes his eyes.

[fevers-and-flus-blog]

Cold In My Bones

@voltronwhumpweek2017 Day 2: Hypothermia.

Also written as a gift for @rangergirl3 as a very big thank you to her for being the most wonderful beta reader for my mini bang fic. And also for just being an insanely wonderful person in general too!! :)

Note: There’s a little nod to @haleykim84‘s amazing fic In the Hands of Hatred. 

TG for a panic attack.

And now, as promised, Keith gets hypothermia.

When Keith started coming to, the first thing he noticed was the cold and he grimaced. He’d always hated the cold. When he was living in the desert he would spend the nights wrapped in as many blankets as he could find to keep himself warm when he slept. He missed those blankets right now.

The second thing he noticed was the smell. Clean and sterile. Like a hospital. Keith’s grimace deepened. He’d spent more than enough time in hospital emergency rooms throughout his childhood. He wasn’t eager to be back in one. But there was a strange undertone to the smell; something alien. Maybe he was in the Castle’s infirmary, he did have a splitting headache now that he thought about it. He was probably just waking up from being in one of the healing pods.

But… he didn’t remember an attack of any sort. The last thing he remembered was being at that boring party the latest planet they had freed’s royal family had thrown for them. Everything had been fine. Could he have been so badly injured that his memory had been affected too? He supposed it was possible. Then again, the last time he’d been in a healing pod he’d stepped out of it before his body had even had a chance to register the cold. Why was it taking so long to let him out? There was only one way to find out. He opened his eyes.

And blinked up at a completely unfamiliar ceiling.

Keep reading

[fevers-and-flus-blog]

So I wanted to post this earlier but I’m on Percocet and it took me much longer to finish this fic than planned so here: have a fic I wrote v drugged.

Also this is my first non-AU Voltron fic. Let’s just assume for the sake of the story that pods can’t fix the flu.

Anyyyyway here, have my 1st day of @voltronwhumpweek2017 : prompt was “fever” and obviously I tortured Keith bc of who I am, fundamentally, as a human person.

“Are you okay?”

Keith stares blankly in front of him. He’s stirring his goo languidly, chin propped up on one fist.

Every part of him is oversensitive. He can feel his his muscles contract when he moves, he can feel his chest heaving up and down with each breathe. He can even feel his hair and his fingernails and his eyelashes. It’s too much - it’s all too much.

Keith just wants to sleep.

“Keith? Hello, anyone home?!” Lance waves a hand in front of Keith’s face, and he startles.

“What.” He snaps, everything coming suddenly into focus.

“Chill,” Pidge says.

“You zoned out,” Hunk says. “Are you feeling okay?”

Keith tries to school his expression into something more neutral, but he knows he looks surprised.

“I’m alright,” he replies, even though he feels terrible, like he hasn’t slept properly in weeks. Like he might have the flu, like he has to learn to be a leader even though he wants to run away. Like the entire weight of the universe has taken root in his very bones.

The truth is - he didn’t think anyone would notice.

When Keith woke up that morning, he’d forgotten for a second where he was. The moment he remembered, he’d run to the bathroom to cough up the meager amount of food in his stomach. Since then, he’s felt terrible.

But Keith was sure they all felt terrible. They all were pushing past limits, shaking under the absence of Shiro.

That, and Keith knows no one really…likes him. They’re a team, they are, but they don’t know him. They don’t want to know him. And Lance, Hunk and Pidge - they have something to hold onto. Family waiting for them, people who care about them outside this castle.

Keith doesn’t have anything. Keith doesn’t have anyone.

Not now that Shiro’s gone.

“I’m fine,” Keith says, again.

“Yeeaaaah,” Lance says, dragging out his vowels. “The thing is, you’re a bad liar.”

Keith doesn’t want to argue for once. His tongue sits limply in his mouth.

“I guess I’m tired. But we’re all tired.”

“We don’t all look like shi -”

Hunk slaps his palm over Pidge’s mouth. She forces it away.

“What Pidge meant is you look sick.”

“No, I meant what I said, you look like shit.”

“She’s not wrong.” Lance says, leaning against the table and squinting at Keith.

“Stop staring at me,” Keith huffs. His voice crackles and he can’t help but shudder as another wave of chills roll through him.

“Are you cold?” Hunk asks, concerned.

“No,” Keith says.

“Dude, the jig is up.” Lance says, and puts the back of his hand on Keith’s forehead. It’s cool and firm and it makes Keith’s ears roar.

“Are you insane?!” Lance says after a moment, moving his palm down to Keith’s cheek. “You’re burning up.”

Keith’s muscles hurt from trying to quell his shivers. His stomach is clenching. His head is pressurized: building and building and building until it pounds with his heartbeat. Worst of all, his eyes are stinging.

It’s the fever, Keith knows it’s the fever, but logic doesn’t help him feel any better. Shiro’s still gone. Keith is still alone.

Lance is still talking but all Keith can hear is a low hum getting louder and louder until it drowns out everything else.

“I - I have to go.” Keith says, standing quickly.

“Hey, no way.” Lance says.

Hunk stands too and comes around the table putting a hand on Keith’s shoulder. His whole face goes tight when his fingers brush against Keith’s skin.

“I’m serious,” Keith says. “Let me go.”

“Why don’t you sit down and we’ll get Coran to take a look at you?”

“No,” Keith says, and he takes a trembling step backwards.

His limbs are tingling.

Pidge bites her lip and walks toward him. “Keith-”

“Stop.” He says, and crosses his arms. He’s being frozen from the inside. He’s so cold. It hurts. Everything hurts and he can’t think.

All he knows is he needs to be alone. He needs to be made smaller. He needs darkness, a heavy black curtain that will let him shake apart in peace.

“It’s okay, no one cares that you’re sick.” Lance says, moving toward Keith. “But you’re looking super pale buddy, so maybe you want to sit down?”

“No,” Keith says again.

There’s something wrong. Keith can’t think - his brain is sifting through thoughts too slowly. All that’s left is a visceral wrongness, one that claws at his chest and scrapes deep into his ribs.

It’s just that he’s so tired. Keith’s too tired to keep trying. If he’s going to be alone, he’d rather do it in an empty room instead of a full one.

“C’mon,” Hunk starts.

“Why do you care,” Keith says, voice low.

“Why do we - listen I know you’re not that dense.” Pidge says.

“You don’t even like me,” Keith says, and his vision tilts to the left. Everything loses color.

“What are you talking about?” Lance says.

“Keith you’re our friend,” Hunk says, gently.

Keith wants to explain. He wants to let them know it’s okay, that he knows he’s hard to be around, but everything around him is melting. His knees buckle.

Keith hears Lance curse, and then there are hands on his shoulders, his face, his chest.

“He’s really hot maybe we should -”

And then he loses time.

More voices. Something soft being pulled around him.

And then a hand on his face. In his hair. Fingers pressed against his temples.

“Shiro?” Keith asks from far far away.

And then nothing. Nothing at all.

***

Keith wakes with a gasp.

“Woah!!” Lance says, pressing a hand on Keith’s chest and forcing him back onto the bed.

“Lance? What’re you doing in my room?” Keith’s voice is croaking and reedy.

“We’ve been taking shifts. You were, uh well, you still are pretty sick.”

“I’m…?” Keith puts a hand to his aching forehead and feels the wet, steady heat radiating. “Oh.”

“Do you remember anything?”

Keith strains to think but he’s left grasping the shadows of fully formed thoughts.

“We were in the kitchen and I..” Keith trails off, his face flushing as he realizes what happened.

“Yeah,” Lance says. “You went down like a ton of bricks. Pidge is furious by the way.”

“Great.”

“She’s just worried. Hunk too, he’s manically trying to create some sort of soup.”

Keith snorts once but even that small movement hurts.

“Did you mean what you said before?” Lance asks, even though he knows it isn’t fair to press Keith on this, not right now.

“Said what?”

“That we weren’t friends?”

“That’s not what I said,”

“It kind of is.”

“No, I,” Keith can’t stop the words from coming, even as regret bubbles in his stomach. “I meant that you’re not friends with me.”

Lance doesn’t say anything for a long time.

“Why do you think that?”

“I don’t fit in. The same way you do. Any of you.”

“Keith, I” Lance sighs and sits on the foot of the bed, one knee pulled up. “Sure you’re a little broody and, you know, angry sometimes. But you’re Keith. That’s, that’s the dynamic!”

Keith stays quiet.

“You know we love you, right? You’re not just, like, a means to an end.”

“I don’t have anything to go back to.”

“What?”

“I just mean - I am a means to an end. You’re all important.”

“Keith, you’re important.”

“Important to other people. You have a family, you have people to go back to. I don’t have anyone, Shiro was it and now he’s gone and I - I have Voltron, that’s it.”

“You have us,” Lance says, softly.

For a while, there’s just the sound of short, wheezing breaths.

“You’re our family. I’m sorry if that wasn’t clear or if we, I dunno, if we weren’t good enough. But we care about you.”

Keith doesn’t answer but his eyes go hot and wet. He knows he should be mortified. Instead he feels like he could float away. Like nothing is real.

“I didn’t know.” Lance continues, “That you didn’t have anyone at home but - dude you have us. Right?”

“Right,” Keith says.

“Shiro’s gunna come back.”

“Yeah,” Keith says.

Lance puts his fingers on Keith’s forehead and frowns. “You’re still burning.”

Keith closes his eyes and everything spins, slowly, again and again.

“Coran’s coming by with medicine. You’ll feel better soon, okay?”

Keith nods, tightly. He wants to grab Lance’s hand. He wants to cry. He wants to press his cheek to Lance’s cheek and hug him as tight as he can.

“Thanks,” he says instead. “Thank you.”

Lance pushes Keith’s hair back off his face. The touch is like a tether. As long as Lance is touching him, he knows that he exists.

“It’s gunna be okay,” Lance says.

“Okay.” Keith says back. And he thinks it’s going to be okay, it’s going to be okay, it’s going to be okay, it’s going to be okay. And it’s the first time he thinks, maybe it will.

[fevers-and-flus-blog]

For Day 1 of @voltronwhumpweek2017! 

Prompt: Fever

Ship: Pre-Klance 

Setting: College AU 

Exhaustion is a heavy weight around Keith’s shoulders. Between classes, work and baseball, sleep is a luxury he can’t seem to afford often. At most, he gets around four hours of sleep a night. He can hear Shiro’s clipped, worried tone grating in the back of his mind and telling him how unhealthy and dangerous that is, but what’s a guy to do? 

Professional baseball is his goal, has always been since Shiro first gave him a baseball when he was eight. But, staying on the team means keeping his grades up; plus, some scouts don’t only look at his playing. Some will dive deeper into the world of academics to see which players can properly balance school work and sports. 

Keith is determined to be that player; he’s determined to be the athlete that every scout desires. So, if he loses sleep because of this, then so be it. He’ll manage. 

At least, he thought he would manage. 

Keep reading