#vld whumpmas 2017

[animezing-life]

VLD (Broganes) Whumpmas Day 1 - Fever

@vldwhumpmas2017

“Keith! I’m heading out!” Shiro called up the stairs as he laced up his second boot. It was Christmas eve and Shiro had been invited to the Holt Christmas festivities. Originally Shiro had turned the invitation down, claiming that he needed to be with Keith. This time of year had been especially hard for Keith since their parents’ passing three years ago, Shiro explained.

Matt understood, of course, despite his small pout that formed on his lips. He’d hoped they’d be able to spend the holiday together, since it was the first Christmas they would have as a couple. Hopefully the first of many. But he knew Shiro’s bond with Keith was a force to be reckoned with, so he let the subject die there. Maybe next year, he hoped.

But when Shiro told Keith about the invitation, Keith insisted that Shiro go. He didn’t want to be the reason that Shiro didn’t get to spend Christmas with his boyfriend. Especially since Keith had come to loathe the holiday entirely. “Honestly, Shiro, I was just planning on relaxing and playing video games. You love Christmas, go spend it with Matt.” The two went back and forth at it for nearly an hour until Shiro caved and texted Matt that he would be there.

So when the day finally came, Shiro was more excited than ever. Matt had been hyping up the celebration all week - the food, the music, the atmosphere. Shiro hadn’t had a real Christmas in years, despite his best efforts. He was really looking forward to it. Of course, he was a bit disheartened that Keith would spend the night by himself; but he seemed to want it that way. Keith was an adult. He could take care of himself. He’d be fine.

Shiro stood at the base of the steps waiting for any kind of sign that Keith heard him shout. Usually he would yell back some form of okay or hummed a response. But there was absolute silence. Shiro tried not to assume the worst, maybe Keith just had headphones on. He gave it a few more seconds before trekking up the stairs and over to Keith’s room.

He knocked lightly three times before opening the door. Creeping inside, he noticed the lights were turned off and there was a covered lump in Keith’s bed - presumably Keith. It was nearly 3 in the afternoon; Keith shouldn’t be sleeping. Shiro tiptoed closer, heart racing as he became aware of the soft painful moans slipping through Keith’s mouth. Finally at Keith’s bedside, Shiro gently shook his brother’s shoulder. Keith whimpered in response.

Shiro pressed his hand to Keith’s forehead and was only slightly surprised by the dry heat that tinged his finger tips. He let out a low sigh. When Shrio pulled his hand away, Keith started to stir. His eyes shot open and as he scanned the room, Shiro could tell just how clouded and dazed they were.

Keith made an attempt to sit up in his bed; and though it took longer than it should have, he managed. “I thought you were at Matt’s.” He forced out, voice still tired from sleep.

“I was just on my way out when I came to check on you.” Shiro tried to keep the scolding concerned-brother voice to a minimum. “How long have you had this fever?” Keith rubbed at his tired eyes. He really concentrated on his answer, “Since this morning, I guess. But it’s fine. I took some advil.” He stated like that made up for the fact that he hadn’t told Shiro.

Shiro mentally cursed at himself. He mentally recapped his day, trying to figure out why he hadn’t noticed Keith’s absence. Their mother always had a knack for knowing when Keith was sick, like a sixth sense or something. Shiro hadn’t inherited that fortune-telling gene, much to his own dismay. “Hang tight, Keith. I’ll be right back. I’m gonna call Matt and tell him not to expect me. Then I’ll be back with the thermometer and something for you to eat.” He was already reaching for his phone in his pocket.

“No,” Keith argued weakly. “You don’t have to take care of me. I’m sure Matt’s already waiting for you.”

“Keith, I’m not leaving you sick and alone on Christmas Eve.” Shiro countered.

“And I’m not going to be the reason you don’t get to enjoy the holiday this year. Look, I’m tired. I’m just gonna go back to sleep. You don’t need to sit around and watch me sleep. If you want to help me, please just bring me whatever you think I need and then go have fun with your boyfriend.” His voice was distant and disoriented, but he made a good effort getting his frustration across.

Shiro hesitated. But he knew that Keith likely wouldn’t budge on the issue. So he complied. “I’ll cut you a deal, how about I go, but make sure I’m back by tonight. And you have to eat something before I leave.”

Keith pouted, but eventually accepted the offer. It was better than him missing out on everything he supposed.

Shiro went right to work on collecting supplies and heating up some soup. While he waited by the microwave, he shot Matt a quick text explaining the situation and why he wasn’t there on time. The microwave beeped and Shiro carefully carried the bowl up the stairs. As he stepped back into the room, he noticed that Keith had drifted back to sleep in his absence.

This time, the sleep seemed to be much more uneasy. Keith had streams of tears fall down the sides of his face and he was mumbling about something. When Shiro got closer, he could make out that he was crying for their mother. He must have been having a very vivid fever dream. He quickly set the soup down and ran over to console his brother.

There was a slick layer of sweat on Keith’s brow and Shiro assumed that his fever had suddenly spiked. Was it because of their little argument? He hoped it was just circumstantial, but he couldn’t shake that feeling that it was somehow all his fault. After a decent amount of consoling, Keith awoke even more dazed than before.

“Mom,” He called out aimlessly, “Mom.”

Shiro hushed him, “It’s okay, Keith. I’m here. I’ve got you. You’re okay.” But no matter how much Shiro tried to comfort him, Keith still called for their mom. Eventually, Keith’s screams died down and he noticed Shiro’s presence.

“Sh-Shiro, I don’t feel good.” Keith pouted, new tears spilling over the brims of his eyes, “I want mom.”

Shiro’s heart instantly broke in two. He had no idea what to say, what to do. To be honest, he wanted mom too. Rather than respond, he just held Keith tighter, encouraging him to fall back to sleep. The thermometer could wait. The soup could wait. They just had to ride out this spike.

He’d apologize to Matt later.

[all-the-hurt]

It doesn’t go away

VLD Whumpmas 2017 Day 8: Mental Health @vldwhumpmas2017

A/N: So I had an unexpected and poorly-timed bad depression day today. And so I backpedaled to this day. I’m sorry; it is admittedly  a bit choppy and not exactly entertaining; this is really more of a vent than I’d like, but i tried. Writing this did end up making me feel a little better though. I hope everyone is doing ok as the holidays come upon us. and if you aren’t, it’s okay. be gentle with yourself and take care as you can. try to accept help when it’s there for you. 

It doesn’t come with an explanation or a cause. And it doesn’t go away. He’s forced to face that ugly truth for himself for the first time.

No amount of hot chocolate, blankets, or light shows can make it go away. Keith can’t make it go away himself either. He wishes, oh so much more desperately than usual now, that he could. He has this realization in a simple and painful moment when he wakes up the morning of Christmas Eve with the weight sitting on his chest.

He’s in the Shirogane household’s guest room. The bed is soft, dressed in warm fleece sheets and more pillows than Keith has ever seen in one room. The room--and the entire home, really--smells like cinnamon and pine, not dust and old food as Keith recalls from distant holiday memories. The light filtering in from the window is soft and warm, and as he opens his eyes, he also catches the smell of pancakes and bacon cooking from the kitchen.

He doesn’t want to get out of bed.

He isn’t sure if he can.

Everything feels heavy and unbearable. His chest is tight and his head is buzzing, his eyes itch and his chest is aching. It’s a bad day. It’s a very, very bad day.

It’s Christmas Eve.

It’s Christmas Eve, it’s Christmas Eve, it’s Christmas Eve. His mind screams back at him in a loop as the dread pools deep in his stomach, hot and uncomfortable. It’s Christmas Eve and he’s woken up feeling horrible and not at all like he should. He’s here, with Shiro and his parents. They’ve given him a bed and a space in a warm house, and more food than he can eat and, and, and…

And for some reason he’s just woken up feeling unbearably sad and angry and scared and annoyed and, and, and…

They’re going to hate him. If he has to face them and they start to ask him questions, he thinks he’s going to explode. Or maybe they’ll try to feed him pancakes and ask him what he wants to do today and he’s going to clam up and forget how to speak. He’ll go silent and they’ll think he hates it here, and that he isn’t thankful, that he isn’t having any fun.

They’re going to realize he’s an ungrateful and broken kid and they never should have brought him into their holiday.

He doesn’t know what’s set him off but he descends quickly into a foul mood and tries desperately to push it down.

He emerges from his bedroom eventually. The last thing he needs is for them to come looking for him; that would be worse. He feels simultaneously like his heart is in the pit of his stomach and his brain is rattling in his skull.

Mr.Shirogane talks to him as he serves him pancakes and Keith doesn’t comprehend his questions. He nods, and the man makes a displeased face, so he shakes his head no instead. The frown on his face deepens at that and Keith just sinks into his seat.

He ends up throwing over half of his breakfast in the trash.

Somehow, the hours pass by. He feels nothing. Mrs. Shirogane has talked to him and Keith has answered her in as little words as possible. He’s forgotten everything they’ve said. Shiro and his father have been having lively conversations around him but he’s been sat in the corner, keeping silent. Christmas specials have been playing on the TV, and Mrs. Shirogane is baking cookies. He’s clutched onto a soft green blanket around his shoulders all morning. It should make him feel warm and satisfied, but he doesn’t. He thinks maybe Shiro’s asked him some things too, but Keith hasn’t answered.

Then, all at once, it becomes too much. The sound of the television in the background grates on his ears, the scent of baking gingerbread is sickening, and the warm air is pressing on his chest. Shiro calls out to him but to look at his face will be irritating. He can’t open his mouth. Talking will hurt.

He gets up and dashes out the back door.

He should be thinking about anything else… How amazing Mrs. Shirogane’s Christmas Eve dinner will be, whether Shiro will like his gifts, and how lucky they are the weather is mild today.

He sits on the steps of the back porch and watches birds flit about in the trees. It’s still a little warm here, even though it’s December. The sun on his back would feel nice, but it makes him feel hot and the sensation is a tad itchy in a way he can’t quell. It’s under his skin and he hates being in his body.

All he can think about is the pooling sense of dread deep inside. How much this day is going to drag on, how unpleasant he looks to the Shiroganes, how this is all going to end soon and Keith will have to go back to the Garrison and his dorm, alone. He has homework, and his grades at the end of the semester were bad. He’ll have to start tutoring. His instructors all think he’s indignant and lazy; Iverson hates him. He’s been at the Garrison for two years already and he hasn’t made a single friend. He’s got Shiro, but Shiro was obligated to talk to Keith from the moment they met.

“Keith,” he hears Shiro’s voice behind him and is torn away from his spiraling thoughts. He opens his eyes--never realized he closed them and turns.

Shiro stands leaned against the fence with his hands in his pockets and an easy smile on his face. It’s as if Keith hasn’t done anything wrong--doesn’t Shiro know anything?

“What’s going on?” Shiro says softly. Keith was honestly expecting an ‘are you okay’ or a ‘why did you storm out like that.’

Keith wants so badly to answer, “nothing,’ or ‘I’ll be okay.’ ‘don’t worry, Shiro.’ But once more, he can’t say anything. His tongue is clumsy and foreign. His mind is muddled.

Shiro settles beside him, kicking up his feet like he just came out here to relax.

“Would you hate it if I touched you right now?” Keith shrugs.

After a beat, Keith feels Shiro’s hand on his, and his fingers wriggle their way under where Keith’s lies, dead weight, until Shiro is clutching Keith’s cold hand in his.

Shiro’s hand is so large. It’s warmer than Keith’s… it isn’t cold outside but Keith guesses that he’s cold from the inside out. He focuses on the calloused feeling of Shiro’s palms, built in years of working at mechanics at the Garrison, of piloting, and of home improvement for his mom and dad. Keith’s hands are like a baby’s.

He tries to talk to Shiro, but the words die in his mouth and he has to swallow them like cough syrup.

The sun begins to sink lower in the horizon. Shiro stays, and he holds onto Keith’s hand tight. Somewhere in the distance, out of nowhere, the soft tune of a faraway Christmas carol starts up. The neighbors, somewhere down the road are playing “Joy to the World” with the windows open.

“You don’t have to talk about it,” Shiro says, startling Keith out of the trance he’s apparently lapsed into. “But can you listen to me?”

“...Today’s a bad day, yeah? I know that sometimes you can’t do anything, even talk. Mom and dad I won’t make you talk about it. And it’s okay; you don’t have to say anything.” Shiro pauses, taking a measured breath and gazing out at the sunset. He lets Keith think for a second anf goes on. “...But… we want you with us. It’s okay to be angry, or sad or in a bad mood. But don’t isolate yourself.”

“We can… watch movies or eat cookies or take a nap, and you don’t have to talk or do anything. But we’re… we’re here for you.”

The Christmas music from down the street gets louder. Somewhere, a dog barks, and Shiro takes a deep breath, smiles at Keith, and runs his fingers over his knuckles. The sensations ground Keith, and bring him slowly back to himself.

He remembers it’s Christmas Eve, and that they have dinner plans and more candy and hot chocolate than Keith could ever want. He looks to Shiro, and finds him still smiling, and he hasn’t let go of Keith’s hand; doesn’t think he will unless Keith pulls away.

“I”m sorry,” Keith murmurs, when he feels like his voice has returned to his body.

“It’s okay,” Shiro promises again, voice low. “Do you want some hot chocolate? I think dinner is almost done too.”

Keith tries to smile, but it probably comes out as a grimace. He croaks, “Hot chocolate sounds good.”

“With extra marshmallows?” Shiro guesses. Keith gives another warped smile, but Shiro beams back at him like all is okay. It isn’t. It hurts, and it crawls under his skin, but with Shiro beside him, Keith thinks he can let it be.

Hot chocolate won’t make it better, but it will still taste good.

[ao3feed-klance]

Day 4: Strep Throat

read it on AO3 at http://ift.tt/2zAeDzW

by Copiel

Hooo boy I am LATE! This has been sitting in my drafts for days but I got hit with the flu, so yeah...life happens.

Have some college AU with Keith and Lance as roommates and Shiro as Keith’s brother and RA!

Words: 622, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 4 of VLD Whumpmas 2017

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen, M/M

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron), Keith & Shiro (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, Pre-Relationship, klance, Sickfic, Sick Character, Sick Lance, broganes

read it on AO3 at http://ift.tt/2zAeDzW

[ao3feed-keithshiro]

After Marmora

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2DuGYea

by midnightwaterlily33

And then, Shiro came. Shiro came back for him; literally hauled him off the ground.

He’d been barely holding onto consciousness when he awakened the blade.

Everything after that, was when it became especially blurry.

He’d barely been able to keep his grip on the blade after it transformed. It shook in his hands, and his vision was growing black spots when he heard Kolivan say, “The only way this is possible is if Galra blood runs through your veins.”

 AKA: the overdone post-blade of marmora fic that i needed for my sanity and my own self-indulgence

Words: 1908, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of Damian's VLD Whumpmas 2017

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron), Voltron Paladins, Kolivan (Voltron), Antok (Voltron), Coran (Voltron), Allura (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith & Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Shiro (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Blood and Injury, Post-Episode: s02e08 The Blade of Marmora, Hurt/Comfort, Galra Keith (Voltron), Identity Reveal, Injury, Whump, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Protective Shiro (Voltron), vldwhumpmas2017, Self-Indulgent, Open to Interpretation, platonic or romantic

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2DuGYea

[ao3feed-safeklance]

Day 4: Strep Throat

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2zAeDzW

by Copiel

Hooo boy I am LATE! This has been sitting in my drafts for days but I got hit with the flu, so yeah...life happens.

Have some college AU with Keith and Lance as roommates and Shiro as Keith’s brother and RA!

Words: 622, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 4 of VLD Whumpmas 2017

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen, M/M

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron), Keith & Shiro (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, Pre-Relationship, klance, Sickfic, Sick Character, Sick Lance, broganes

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2zAeDzW

[ao3feed-shatt]

VLD (Broganes) Whumpmas 2017

read it on ao3 at http://ift.tt/2AD43xj by RiRiMania1335

by RiRiMania1335

12 Days of Whump Prompts

Day 1 - Fever Day 2 - Emeto

Words: 1847, Chapters: 2/12, Language: English

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Multi

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron), Other Character Tags to Be Added

Relationships: Multiple Pairings - Relationship, Will Add More Relationships, Matt Holt/Shiro

Additional Tags: VLD Whumpmas 2017, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Fevers, sick keith, Delusions, broganes, Shatt, Food Poisoning, Sick Shiro, shiro can't cook, salmonella, Vomiting, miserable boys

read it on ao3 at http://ift.tt/2AD43xj

[ao3feed-galrakeith]

After Marmora

by midnightwaterlily33

And then, Shiro came. Shiro came back for him; literally hauled him off the ground.

He’d been barely holding onto consciousness when he awakened the blade.

Everything after that, was when it became especially blurry.

He’d barely been able to keep his grip on the blade after it transformed. It shook in his hands, and his vision was growing black spots when he heard Kolivan say, “The only way this is possible is if Galra blood runs through your veins.”

 AKA: the overdone post-blade of marmora fic that i needed for my sanity and my own self-indulgence

Words: 1908, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of Damian's VLD Whumpmas 2017

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron), Voltron Paladins, Kolivan (Voltron), Antok (Voltron), Coran (Voltron), Allura (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith & Shiro (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Blood and Injury, Post-Episode: s02e08 The Blade of Marmora, Hurt/Comfort, Galra Keith (Voltron), Identity Reveal, Injury, Whump, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Protective Shiro (Voltron), vldwhumpmas2017, Self-Indulgent

from AO3 works tagged 'Voltron: Legendary Defender' http://ift.tt/2DuGYea via IFTTT

[ao3feed--sheith]

Day 10: The Daily Life of a Medium

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2lJnPwP

by JudeMathis

Day Ten: Headache/Migraine Paranormal verse - Keith dealing with his struggles of being an medium. Sheith

Words: 1937, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 10 of 12 Days of VLD Whumpmas

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Shiro (Voltron), Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Paranormal, VLD Whumpmas 2017, Ghosts, Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Medium - Freeform, Day 10, Headaches & Migraines, Whump, Hurt Keith (Voltron), caretaker shiro, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2lJnPwP

[animezing-life]

VLD (Broganes) Whumpmas Day 8 - Mental Health

@vldwhumpmas2017

Oops. I’m a day late. My fault. I’ve been busy the past two days. But I graduated college, so there’s that. Now I have more time to write. 

Disclaimer: I typically do not write mental health related fics. So if the emotion seems off in this one, that may be why.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Panic Attacks. Unintentional Self Harm. 

In reality, Keith knew he shouldn’t have chosen a school so far from home. His parents tried to talk him out of it. His friends tried to change his mind. Shiro begged him not to do it. But in the end, Keith’s stubbornness won out and he decided to go as far from home as he could. He hoped some distance would help him be more independent, maybe he wouldn’t have to lean so heavily on all of them.

That’s how he wound up in the middle of Oklahoma, a good 14 hour drive from home. He didn’t exactly regret his decision. He loved his campus. His professors were great. His classes weren’t too overwhelming. And he got along surprisingly well with his two roommates. But he knew about his disorder. He knew, eventually, he would have an attack. And he didn’t know who he could turn to 14 hours from home.

That day came sooner than he was prepared for. It was only three weeks into his first semester. He wasn’t sure what prompted the attack; but then again, he rarely ever did. Regrettably, he was alone in the dorm room. Neither Hunk nor Lance should be back for at least three hours. They’d scheduled all their classes in the afternoon for some reason, thought Keith couldn’t complain about it. He usually enjoyed the alone time.

But now that he was all alone, curled up on the floor beside his bed shivering hard. His knees were pulled tightly against his chest and he rocked back and forth. His heart felt like it might jump out of his chest and he just wanted to cry, but his eyes felt uncomfortably dry. He feared every labored breath he took would be his last. The anxiety pooled in his stomach and a sense of nauseousness crept over him. His fingernails dug so deep in the palms of his hands that he started to break the skin.

Through the fog of panic and anxiety in his mind, he broadly picked out a longing for his home, for his brother. If he were home, Shiro would be crouched down beside him whispering soft words of comfort. He would talk Keith down and support him through the attack and the inevitable miserable feelings that followed. Shiro’s touch was always so gentle and welcome. His presence was an anchor for Keith to latch onto to prevent himself from drifting into the terrors of his mind. He missed Shiro. He needed Shiro.

At possibly the worst time ever, Lance threw open the door to the room and rushed in. “Yo, I forgot my biochem text-” He stopped abruptly in his tracks when he caught a glimpse of Keith on the floor. “Dude, what’s going on.”

Keith couldn’t form words. He opened his mouth a few times, but his teeth just chattered for a while before he clamped his mouth shut again. He registered Lance’s presence, but he couldn’t find the mental capacity to be embarrassed. He’d never told his roommates about his panic disorder. And he definitely didn’t want them to find out like this. But it was bound to happen sooner or later. Thankfully, Lance didn’t seem too taken aback. In fact, he seemed genuinely concerned. He’d completely detoured from his forgotten textbook. He may have even forgotten about the class he was supposed to be on his way to.

Lance just sat next to him silently. Keith recalled Lance had talked about having a few panic attacks before. But Lance’s were always prompted by something, like a stressful experience or impending deadline. Keith tried to latch himself onto Lance as an anchor to reality. If he couldn’t have Shiro, he would have to make due.

He managed to ground himself to the motion of Lance’s knee bouncing restlessly - ADHD; Lance had mentioned that before. Eventually, he managed to find his voice. “Shiro,” He gasped put through jagged breaths.

Shiro was Keith’s brother. Lance knew that. Keith was a very private roommate; he didn’t often talk about his life or his family that he obviously missed very much (though he would never admit to it). Lance could pick up on stuff like that. But in the few conversations they’d had about Keith’s family, he remembered Keith mentioning his his brother and how close they were. Lance figured Shiro was the one Keith usually talked to about his problems. Maybe if he could find Keith’s phone, he could call Shiro. Even though Shiro wasn’t able to be there, maybe just having his voice around would calm Keith. That was Lance’s logic.

Keith’s phone was resting on his desk as it usually was and Lance was quick to guess the passcode. Keith seemed like the guy that would make his birthday his passcode. It didn’t take long for Lance to find Shiro in Keith’s contact list; he only had about twenty contacts overall. All the while, he kept a trained eye on Keith, trying to keep him from slipping away again. He started to notice the blood racing down Keith’s palms. It was starting to enter levels of physical danger. If this Shiro thing didn’t work, he would resort to calling campus safety.  

The phone rang three times before Shiro picked up. “Hey Keith, what’s going on?” The older man answered cheerfully.

“Hi. You don’t know me. I’m Lance, one of Keith’s roommates.” Lance spoke calmly, fearing that if he lost his cool, he would spiral into his own panic.

Shiro, however, wasn’t able to contain his emotion. He immediately assumed the worst. “Where’s Keith? Is he okay? Is he hurt? Hold on, I’ll drive there.” He rattled off all too fast.

“I’m here with Keith. Keith’s currently having a pretty bad panic attack. He asked for you. Don’t bother coming, I know how far away you live. Just, if it’s not too much trouble, I’m gonna put you on speaker and you could try to talk him down. He seems to be coming down, but I think you would really help him.” Lance explained, starting to feel his own heart rate rising. He had to stay calm, for Keith’s sake.

“Yeah, I can do that. Put me on speaker and set the phone next to him.”

Lance nodded. “Okay, you’re on speaker.” He added once he set the phone down.

“Keith. Hey, buddy. Hold on. I’m here.” Shiro started rattling off gentle reassurances, taking long pauses to gauge Keith’s reactions. At the sound of Shiro’s voice, Keith’s eyes darted to the phone. Finally, something familiar for him to latch onto. With some verbal breathing exercises, Keith was able to get his breathing back to normal. He started breathing normally again. His heart rate started to go back to normal levels and he regained mobility, finally pulling his fingernails out of his palms. The shivering and shaking was next to stop.

“Keith, how are you doing buddy?” Shiro asked when he heard Keith’s breath hitch in a sob.

“I’m okay,” He was suddenly overwhelmed by a new range of emotions. He started sobbing. “I’m better now.” He was quick to wipe his tears away, remembering that Lance was in the room. He wasn’t used to Lance sitting around so quietly. Lance didn’t seem to mind his crying, though; he handed Keith the box of tissues.

Shiro knew the next few hours would be a roller coaster of emotions for Keith. But with the attack over, Keith knew how to manage himself. “You’re gonna be okay.” Shiro reassured.

Keith wiped his eyes. “Thanks Shiro.” They bid each other friendly goodbyes. He quickly looked at Lance, “And thank you, Lance. You skipped class for me.”

Lance waved it off with a small smile. “Just, don’t be so secretive about it. You really scared me there for a bit.” He tracked down his first aid kit. “Let’s get your hands bandaged up.”   

[animezing-life]

VLD (Broganes) Whumpmas Day 9 - Broken Limbs/Cuts/Bruises

@vldwhumpmas2017

Trigger Warnings: Coming out. Mentions of bullying. Mentions of gore.

It was becoming a bad habit. Keith kept coming home with black eyes and fat lips. Every single day, Shiro noticed new bruises or cuts covering Keith’s body. And not the small brownish bruises. No. These were the massive purple and red ones. He managed to catch a glimpse of one of Keith’s side that was the size of a softball. And more often than not, the cuts were deep and oozing blood. Keith’s nose was often bloodied and his clothes stained beyond repair with blood. Shiro had to wonder if it was all his.

But Shiro’s attempts to understand had all been in vain. Keith refused to breach the subject. When Shiro asked how he got his first black eye, Keith looked back at him like he had three heads. Like it wasn’t a totally valid question.

Over the following weeks, Keith became more distant. He kept coming home later and later at night. And each day he looked worse than had the day before. All of Shiro’s questions were brushed off, even the ones that didn’t pertain to the injuries. When Keith did come, he locked himself in his room. He wasn’t even eating dinner (but he frequently heard Keith rustling around the house in the dead of night, hopefully grabbing himself some leftovers). Their parents had volunteered Shiro to be the one to make Keith talk.

The more Shiro prodded, the more Keith refused. They didn’t talk about anything anymore. Shiro was starting to get really worried. He’d come up with a few possible explanations for Keith’s newly developed behavior. He worried Keith was getting bullied. Maybe the injuries were a result of the him trying to stand up for himself. Maybe he had joined a gang. Or some kind of secret fight club. It also crossed his mind that it was all self-inflicted He knew Keith was having a tough time in high school, but he didn’t think it warranted this much physical damage.

Shiro was losing track of which bruises were new and which were old. He’s not sure when he had last seen Keith with two good eyes. At this point. Shiro wasn’t even sure if Keith had all of his teeth. He’d decided not to pester Keith about it any further. Bruises will heal, scars will scab over. If Keith wanted to talk about it, he would initiate it. Shiro trying to pry was just tearing them further apart.

Shiro abandoned that philosophy when he noticed Keith come home clutching his right arm. What started as curiosity quickly turned to sheer panic when he saw the protruding bone fragment. Keith seemed to know it was bad, because begrudgingly approached Shiro. “I need to go to the hospital.” He was biting down on his bottom lip to prevent himself from screaming at the pain.

Shiro wasted no time grabbing his car keys and loading Keith into his car. “Now this has gone too far, Keith. I’ve tried to ignore it but this is totally unacceptable. What the hell is going on with you?” Shiro was using his stern voice. Afraid of pushing Keith away, he softened his voice a bit, “You can tell me. Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out. But this has to stop. You’re gonna get yourself killed.”  

Keith grated his teeth, but eventually broke and started crying. “Shiro, I have to tell you something.” Shiro gave a small nod, waiting patiently. It took Keith a few minutes to compose himself enough to continue “I’m gay.”

Shiro reached his hand over, setting it gently on Keith’s thigh. “Keith’s it’s okay.” He reassured. “It doesn’t matter to me at all. You’re my brother no matter what. You shouldn’t be afraid to tell me anything. I’ll always accept you.” He honestly wasn’t all that surprised, Keith had never showed any interest in any of the girls in his class.

Keith grabbed Shiro’s hand comfortingly. “Thank you, Shiro.” He sighed out, a weight being lifted off his shoulders.

“Of course,” Shiro smiled. There was a long pause between them. “So are you being bullied?” Shiro asked. He was glad Keith told him about his sexuality. But he was still curious about the broken arm.

“Not me. My boyfriend.” Keith explained, wincing in pain when a sharp turn jostled his arm.

“And you’re sticking up for him.” Shiro smiled, “How noble of you. You’re a good kid, Keith.” He was a little ashamed of himself for thinking some of the things he did.

Shiro finally made it to the hospital, “We can talk more about this later. We need to get your arm fixed.” Keith leaned on Shiro as they ran into the emergency room. Shiro hadn’t felt this close to Keith in a long time.  

[animezing-life]

VLD (Broganes) Whumpmas Day 10 - Migraine

@vldwhumpmas2017 

Keith hadn’t been out of bed for three days. And he showed no signs of getting out any time soon. It wasn’t all that out of the ordinary for Keith to suffer from extreme intense migraines, but was happening more frequently in the past few months. Normally, he’d only have three or four a year. And while they weren’t a walk in park, he was able to go about his days with only moderate discomfort. Now he was getting them once a month. And one episode could last as long as a week with pain so bad he could hardly move at all.

It was starting to affect him in all areas of his life. He constantly fell behind in school from all the missed days. He couldn’t hang out with his friends when he wanted to. And when he wasn’t bedridden from the pain, he was in and out of hospitals taking scans and seeing neurologists to try and find out what was causing the frequent migraines. Thus far, they haven’t had any luck.

Shiro couldn’t help but feel bad for Keith. He’d never had a migraine himself; in fact, he hardly ever got simple headaches. So he couldn’t possibly comprehend the pain Keith was in. Based on the way Keith whined and moaned, he knew it had to be near unbearable. He wouldn’t wish it on his worst enemy.

What hurt Shiro the most was that there was nothing he could do. When Keith had a fever, Shiro offered him blankets. When Keith had a cold, Shiro could make him soup. When Keith had a skinned knee, Shiro could give him a bandage. Shiro prided himself on knowing how to make Keith feel better. He’d spent much of his life learning how to take care of his little brother. He felt it was his brotherly responsibility. The migraines were the only exception.

They had tried everything. Shiro tried offering him ice packs for his head, but Keith said that made it worse. He’d tried hot pads, but Keith didn’t like that either. He’d tried Tylenol and Advil and every painkiller in the books, but Keith’s pain was still unbearable. There was nothing Shiro could do, nothing Shiro could give, that would make Keith’s pain go away.

But that didn’t mean Shiro wouldn’t try. If could do nothing else, he was at least able to keep him company. It was a dry company. The room was dark and painfully silent, so not to make Keith’s experience any worse. Shiro just sat himself at the edge of the bed with a constant hand resting just below Keith’s knee. Keith didn’t complain about, so Shiro figured it didn’t make him feel any worse.

But Keith didn’t really acknowledge Shiro at all, too focused in on his own pain. With a light towel over his face to block out the residual light that slipped through the curtains, he focused mainly on his breathing. Particularly, breathing in a way that didn’t put too much pressure on his sinuses because that’s where his migraine formed. His pain always centered right around his eyes. Sometimes, it hurt so much he could barely open them at all.

Shiro stayed, regardless. When the nausea got to be too much and Keith heaved, Shiro was right beside him with a reassuring hand on his back. When Keith needed a drink, Shiro brought the cup to his lips. When Keith finally managed to fall asleep, Shiro rubbed soothing motions onto Keith’s leg encouraging him to stay asleep. When Keith needed to eat, Shiro made sure all bites were small and manageable, so he wouldn’t have to put too much effort into chewing. Whatever he could do, he’d do it.

Shiro even decided to stay in the room with Keith overnight. He’d keep constant vigil over his little brother, because it wasn’t uncommon for Keith to wake up screaming from the pain. He only dozed off a handful of times, but Keith’s light shifting was enough to rouse him once again. When he woke in the middle of the night, he felt something touching his hand. More particularly, he felt someone holding his hand. When he lifted his head, he noticed that Keith had clasped his hand around Shiro’s. Likely as a token of gratitude, Shiro believed. 

Shiro couldn’t make Keith’s pain go away. He was doomed to be miserable. But he could do everything in his power to make sure Keith wasn’t miserable and alone. And the next time Keith would get a migraine, Shiro would do it all over again.

[animezing-life]

VLD (Broganes) Whumpmas Day 4 - Strep Throat

@vldwhumpmas2017

Shiro’s suspicion started to rise when Keith slumped into his chair for dinner. Normally, Keith was the first one at the table, ready to dig into whatever was on his plate. But Shiro had to call him downstairs three times, and even then Keith was grumpy and sluggish as he made his way to the kitchen. But he was quick to dismiss it as Keith just being in a mood and carried on with the meal.

But as the meal progressed, Shiro noticed that Keith was just pushing food around on his plate. The meatloaf that had once been cut into a perfect slide had been mashed up, looking more like taco meat than meatloaf; and he’d made an effort to mix it in with his mashed potatoes. The asparagus was completely untouched, which was particularly odd. Keith was the kind of kid that usually polished off his veggies with no complaints. At this observation, Shiro felt he should interject, “Not hungry?” He asked casually.

Keith shook his head. “Throat hurts,” he replied, rubbing a hand over his neck and grimacing. “Hurts to swallow.” Shiro could hear a prominent rasp in his voice.

Shiro was quick to set his utensils down and rush over to his brother’s side. He pressed the back of his hand to Keith’s forehead to find a low grade fever building. “How long has it been hurting?”

Keith shrugged, trying to refrain from using his voice. He tried to push Shiro away. He knew his brother had a tendency to coddle him when he was sick. But as much as he loved being taken care of by Shiro, now wasn’t the time to get sick. With their parents out of town for the week, he didn’t want to add anymore to Shiro’s already overbearing schedule.

“Did it hurt this morning when you left for school?” He asked. Keith shook his head. “What about during lunch?” Keith shook his head again. “After school?” Keith nodded and Shiro started to worry. That was only a few hours ago. He wondered why Keith came to feel so poorly so suddenly. “Does anything else hurt? Or just your throat?” Shiro asked, slight panic in his voice.

Keith pondered it for a moment. He motioned to his head, for which Shiro supplied the explanation, “Headache.” Keith nodded, leaning into Shiro and letting out a small whine. “Alright, bud. Let’s get you up to bed now. Hopefully you’ll feel better in the morning.”

Keith nodded, standing up from his seat and heading upstairs. Shiro quickly cleaned off the dinner table, dumping Keith’s mess of a meal into the garbage, then followed shortly after his younger brother. Once upstairs, Shiro gathered a few things to give Keith before he fell asleep. He checked Keith’s temperature, jotting down the number to keep an eye on his fever. And he gave Keith a safe amount of medicine to hopefully make him comfortable enough to sleep. Leaving a glass of water by Keith’s bed, he tucked Keith in and left him to doze off. Medicine usually made Keith drowsy, so Shiro figured he’d be out like a light very soon.

Shiro made his way back downstairs to finish cleaning up from dinner. He sat down to do his own homework when his mother called. He considered telling her about Keith’s sore throat; but he decided against it. He didn’t want to ruin her vacation because she was worried about Keith. He resolved to tell her if and only if Keith got any worse.

The next morning, Shiro went into Keith’s room to wake him up for school. Before he even started waking him up, Shiro checked for fever. Much to his dismay, he’d found that it was still running high, maybe even higher than the night before. He’d decided against waking Keith, resigning to let him sleep in and wake on his own accord. He’d have to call Keith out of school. Which, unfortunately enough, meant that he also had to skip school. He couldn’t in good conscious leave his sick 10-year-old brother all alone.

Shiro waited around until Keith woke up. When Keith came strolling down stairs, he caught Shiro’s eye and the older man was quick to run over to him. “Good morning, sleepyhead. How are you feeling this morning.”

Keith just grabbed his throat and shook his head. It hurt so much more than it had yesterday. He looked up at Shiro with pleading eyes, like Shiro could come up with a magic cure that would make him feel all better. Shiro wished he possessed such a cure. Looking down at Keith’s sad expression, he huffed out a sigh and ushered his brother over to the couch to relax. “Open up,” Shiro instructed. He was no doctor, but he maybe he would be able to detect something out of the ordinary.

Keith obeyed, sticking his tongue out. Shiro looked inside, using the flashlight feature on his phone to brighten Keith’s features. It definitely looked like Keith’s tonsils were swollen. His throat was a burning red and splotchy and Shiro vaguely remembered that being a symptom of strep throat.  

If it was strep, Keith would need to go to a doctor and get antibiotics or something. It likely wouldn’t heal on its own. And if it did, it would take a week. Keith couldn’t miss that much school. As Shiro ran upstairs to grab the thermometer left in Keith’s room, he quickly Googled the symptoms of strep throat. Scrolling through a few pictures, he realized that Keith’s throat was a close resemblance. He feared the worst. And after taking Keith’s temperature, the 102 degree fever was enough confirmation.

“Keith, go throw some warm clothes on. I’m taking you to the doctor.” Shiro instructed as he himself ran around in search of the car keys. Keith nodded and fumbled upstairs to get dressed. Shiro made sure Keith was wearing his jacket, hat, gloves and scarf before he let Keith leave the house.

On the drive over, Keith was drifting in and out of sleep. Shiro, on the other hand, called their mother and explained the situation. She immediately insisted that she and their father drop everything and rush home, but Shiro insisted they stay. He insisted that Keith was in capable hands, and he would keep them informed about everything. There was a bit of back and forth, but Shiro finally convinced them to stay on the condition that he call them frequently with updates on Keith’s condition.

Shiro pulled into a parking spot at the Patient First and quickly registered his brother. There weren’t many people, so he hoped that Keith’s name would be called fairly quickly. Shiro flipped mindlessly through a magazine while Keith rested his head on Shiro’s shoulder. Eventually, Keith’s name was called and the two of them followed the nurse back. He took his vitals and then left them alone to wait for the doctor to show up.

When the doctor finally came, she greeted them both kindly. “Alright, the records indicate you’ve got a sore throat, huh?”

Keith nodded and Shiro explained, “He complained of a sore throat and headache last night. He had a bit of a fever, so I sent him to bed. When he woke up this morning, his fever was a lot worse and his throats very red.”

The doctor nodded, slipping gloves over her hands and pulling a tongue depressor out of its packaging. “Okay, Keith. Let’s take a look and see what’s going on.” She smiled and she crouched down to his level. She let out a few affirming hums as she looked around in Keith’s throat. She proceeded to feel around his neck and nod. “Yeah, I want to run a quick test, but it looks like strep.” She spoke calmly. “You said this just started last night?”

Shiro nodded, “Yeah, he said his throat started hurting after he got home from school.”

“Okay,” she replied. “I’ll be right back. I just need to grab a strep kit and I’ll be right back.” She left and, true to her word, returned only a moment later. “Alright Keith, open up once more for me.” she smiled and proded Keith’s throat with a cotton swab. Once she got enough, she turned her back and processed the results on the small counter opposite the room. In a few minutes, she got her result and looked back at them. “Looks like I was right. It is strep. Fortunately for you, Keith, your brother caught it early and made a good call to bring you here. We can prescribe you an antibiotic and you’ll start feeling better in no time.” Her smile was warm and comforting as she put a hand on Keith’s shoulder.

Keith nodded and Shiro thank her on both their behalves.

“You’re both very welcome. Let me just write up your prescription. You can get it filled up at the front or at your local pharmacy. It’s up to you. The instruction will be printed on the bottle.” She handed the slip to Shiro, “It was a pleasure to meet you both. Hope you feel better soon, Keith.” She waved as she walked out of the room.

Shiro filled the prescription and took Keith home. He would make sure that Keith had the best care of his life. At least until their parents came home.   

[animezing-life]

VLD (Broganes) Whumpmas Day 2 - Emeto

@vldwhumpmas2017

Keith firmly planted himself on the couch, blanket draped over his body providing him little to no comfort and trash bin on the floor waiting for him to make another contribution. Shiro sat in the recliner on the opposite side of the living room, fully reclined with a moist towel draped around his neck and a large stock pot sitting in his lap. Some obscure television played on the television in front of them, but they were both two focused on the churning in their stomachs to pay it any attention.

They’d been like this since yesterday. It’d been a vicious cycle that showed no sign of stopping soon. Keith worried it would never stop and he would feel this miserable for the rest of his life.

Shiro had been experimenting in the kitchen. They had both exhausted the list of microwave dinners and restaurant delivery. They wanted to try something new, something homecooked and took more than 60 seconds to heat up. Shiro thought chicken would be simple enough. He’d watched tons of videos on YouTube about how to prepare chicken breasts and it didn’t look that hard.

Shiro had never been more wrong.

Not only did he manage to give him and his younger brother salmonella poisoning, he also nearly burned the house down and destroyed every cooking utensil they owned. Keith knew it was undercooked when he cut into it, but Shiro had worked so hard to make them dinner; he didn’t want to disappoint his brother by refusing. So in some respect, Keith felt that he deserved the food poisoning. Maybe it would teach him to speak up.

The effects were almost immediate. It only took about an hour until Keith made his first trip to the bathroom. Shiro followed very shortly after. Eventually, they decided it would just be best to stay in the living room where they could keep an eye on each other. And they each grabbed something to vomit into so they wouldn’t be running back and forth to the bathroom every fifteen minutes. Shiro apologized profusely every time Keith would take his turn.

Since then they had been miserable. It became a constant cycle of trying to stay hydrated. Everything they put in their bodies was quickly kicked back out. Taking and medication to soothe the symptoms was strictly out of the question. They were doomed to ride this out in misery.

Keith pressed a hand over his stomach, trying to knead out some of the knots and cramps that had formed over the past day. At this point he’d adjusted to the lingering nausea and he wasn’t even all that bothered by the permanent taste of vomit in his mouth. He’d even begun to go nose blind to the stench that filled the air. It was aches and pains that were really killing him. The way his stomach clenched uncontrollably when he leaned over to heave or the way the fever heat prickled at his skin, making everything so sensitive. He wanted that to stop. Weakly, he pulled his blanket tighter around himself seeking any solace it could provide.

He managed to pull his attention to Shiro, whose head was dipped into the pot and the sounds that drowned out the TV told Keith it wasn’t pleasant. While Keith had mostly been cursed with dry heaving and pooled saliva now, Shiro was still vomiting mouthful after mouthful of putrid stomach acid.

When Shiro picked his head up, he made eye contact with Keith from across the room. He could see Keith glaring at him and responded with a sheepish smile. Keith grit his teeth, swallowing back the urge to follow Shiro’s lead, but his body had other plans. He dipped his head down into the trash bin, letting excess saliva dribbled out of his mouth as his stomach clenched. He let out a few unproductive belches.

When he looked back up, he stared at Shiro. “You are NEVER cooking again,” His voice was grainy and weak from all the vomiting.

Shiro let out a small chuckle, “I wasn’t planning on it.”

[animezing-life]

VLD (Broganes) Whumpmas Day 11 - Bronchitis

@vldwhumpmas2017

It was just a cough. Keith thought he could manage it. Sure, it was definitely an inconvenience; but it wasn’t any reason to worry anyone. He’d only been with this foster family for a few months. He wasn’t exactly comfortable enough with them yet to tell them how he feels - physically or emotionally. He was tough for his age, and wise beyond his years. He could handle a simple cough.

So he went to school as usual. He spent most of his class periods hacking up his lungs. His fifth period teacher ordered him to go to the nurse. Rather than let her fully check him, he claimed he was just getting over a cold. She seemed to believe him and gave him a handful of cough drop before wishing him well. The cough drops were the overly mentholated minty kind that made his mouth cold and taste vaguely like soap. But he used them nonetheless. They weren’t 100 perfect effective, but they did help some. And sucking on them kept his mouth moist, which was good because all the harsh coughing was starting to rip up his throat. But he would suffer through it.

Days passed and the coughing was only getting worse. Along with the harsh fits came chunks of phlegm that he begrudgingly (and disgustingly) swallowed to avoid anyone finding out. He knew that a traditional common cold shouldn’t produce this much phlegm and he was starting that worry that maybe he’d bit off more than he could chew. Maybe he couldn’t suffer in silence like he was so used to doing. Maybe he should tell someone.

And yet, when his foster parents asked, he always lied. He told them that his drink went down the wrong pipe, or that his breath just hitched. And while he could kinda tell that they were starting to see through it, they backed off. From the day he arrived, they knew that if they pushed too hard to get Keith to trust them, it would only push him further away.

Keith did, however, seem to be forming a close bond with his older foster brother. Shiro had been kind and compassionate since he first arrived. He was the first one to give Keith a full tour of the residence, and he was even teaching Keith how to ride a bike without training wheels. No one had ever offered to do the things for Keith that Shiro did. He took Keith to the movies and bought him books and played board games with him on rainy Saturdays. And despite being busy with school and a job and a girlfriend, Shiro always made time for Keith; and Keith admired that about him.

Keith trusted Shiro with his life, even though they had only been brothers for a few months. And Shiro knew very well that Keith had taken a liking to him. He was proud. He’d always wanted a little brother and he was thrilled when he found out they were going to foster Keith. Shiro was even urging his parents to move into the adoption process so they could legally be his family.

As an older brother, Shiro felt it was his responsibility to make sure Keith was well taken care of. And of course he noticed Keith’s cough. He spent the better portion of the past few nights coughing, Shiro knew. Their rooms were adjacent and the walls were thin. The severity of the attacks and the gurgling Shiro could hear told him that it was something to be worried about. And after the fourth sleepless night, he decided to see what he could do.

He knocked on Keith’s door and waited for affirmation to enter. When he heard a hoarse “come in” amidst bouts of coughing, he slowly opened the door and wandered inside. He waited for Keith’s fit to end, taking a determined seat next to Keith on the bed.

Eventually, Keith stopped coughing, but it was replaced by shallow, wheezy breaths. “Shiro,” His voice was cracked and dry, “It’s 3:30, why are you awake?” Keith started to blush because he feared he knew the answer.

Shiro chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Kinda hard to sleep with all the coughing, wouldn’t you agree?” Keith’s head dropped shamefully and he wheezed out an apology, “It’s okay. I know you can’t help it,” He hoped Keith couldn’t see the bags under his eyes. “But it’s been almost a week and your cough is only getting worse.”

“It’s not as bad as it sounds,” Keith argued, leading him into another coughing fit. Shiro slapped his hand against Keith’s back and he could hear mucus jostling in his chest. He also noticed the way Keith grimaced when a hunk of the stuff landed in his mouth.

When Keith made a move to swallow it as he’d become so comfortable doing, Shiro interjected. “Spit it out.” He handed Keith a pile of tissues. Keith accepted the tissue pile and hastily spit out the ball of phlegm, throwing the crumpled tissues in the trash can by his bed. “Don’t swallow them, Keith. It’s not good for you.”

“Sorry,” Keith muttered, still recovering from the fit. There was an eerie silence and Shiro worried he may have upset Keith. “Shiro,” Keith started, voice cracking a bit. “What’s wrong with me?” Shiro that tell that the crack in Keith’s voice wasn’t caused by the coughing but rather by the urge to cry.

Shiro quickly pulled Keith into a tight embrace, comforting him while he started to shed a few tears. “Hey, hey. Keith don’t worry. You’re going to be okay.” He comforted. “I’m not a doctor, but it sounds like bronchitis to me. Nothing a little rest and medication can’t fix. Trust me, Keith. You’re going to be just fine.”

Shiro’s confidence helped to ease Keith’s fear a bit. His tears eventually dried up and he nodded at Shiro’s proposed diagnosis. “Tell you what. If you let mom and dad take you to the doctor tomorrow, I’ll take you to the arcade once you’re better.” Shiro offered.

It was an offer Keith couldn’t refuse. He immediately accepted, for the sake of his own health and for a day at the arcade. He figured that if Shiro was suggesting he tell his foster parents, they probably wouldn’t be mad at Keith for getting sick. “I’ll tell them in the morning. I promise.” Keith extended a pinky out to Shiro.

Shiro latched his pinky onto Keith. “It’s a deal.” He smiled. “Alright, try to get some sleep.” He tucked Keith’s covers around him.  

[animezing-life]

VLD (Broganes) Whumpmas Day 6 - Flu

@vldwhumpmas2017

Keith was generally a pretty cheerful kid. He rarely ever complained and always did what he was told. Since Shiro’s family had legally adopted him, Keith had been on his best behavior. He always did his homework as soon as he got home from school. He helped with chores around the house. He kept his room clean. And he never asked for anything.

A completely different side of Keith was revealed, however, when he suddenly came down with the flu. The boy was absolutely miserable. Shiro had tried everything to put a smile on his brother’s face, yet to no avail. He skipped his forensics class so that Keith wouldn’t have to be alone. He lent Keith his tablet so he could watch Netflix in his bed. He made him hot chocolate with extra marshmallows. Keith’s pout was permanent. But it probably didn’t help that Keith was missing his school field trip to the planetarium. Keith had been raving about it for weeks.

Shiro could tell that Keith was more than disappointed that he couldn’t go on the field trip. To make up for it, he offered to take Keith when he was feeling better. Keith replied that it wouldn’t be the same, turning his back to his brother. That was Keith’s passive aggressive way of telling Shiro to leave him alone. And Shiro did. Or he planned to once he’d made sure Keith took his next dose of medicine.

He left Keith alone, likely to either continue sulking or fall asleep again. It was anyone guess. Shiro knew that Keith felt absolutely terrible. He’d been running a fever for three days. His sinuses were stuffed beyond belief and the sneezing was constant. And Shiro knew the sneezes were tearing up his throat. They weren’t quiet or gentle. They were loud and very violent. Shiro could hear Keith sneezing all the way from the kitchen. And they took Keith’s entire body with him. He had a right to be miserable. Thankfully, though, the nausea had eased for him after the first day. He wished there was something more he could do for him.

Of course, Shiro knew Keith would start to feel better in a few days. And hopefully then he would be back to his usual self. But Shiro didn’t want to wait. He knew he couldn’t exactly get rid of Keith’s symptoms, but he wanted to at least get rid of Keith’s sour mood. He tried to come up with something, anything, that might heighten his mood. After thinking about it for a while, he set the plan in motion.

The next time Shiro checked on Keith, he found Keith sitting upright in his bed on the tablet, two blankets wrapped tightly around his small frame. Shiro crept in and Keith paid him no attention. He recognized the narrator’s voice as Neil DeGrasse Tyson. “Watching The Cosmos?” Shiro asked hesitantly. Keith just nodded.

“I brought you some soup. You haven’t eaten yet today. And it’s the chicken and stars kind you like.” Shiro extended the bowl towards Keith. Keith shook his head with a sneeze. “That wasn’t a question, Keith. You have to eat something.” He tried not to sound too demanding.

Keith dramatically threw the tablet across the bed, episode still playing. He rolled his eyes and took the soup from Shiro’s hands forcefully. Thankfully he didn’t spill any, but it came remarkably close. “Thanks,” He replied curtly before slurping up a spoonful.

“You’re welcome,” Shiro replied pressing his hand under Keith’s sweaty bangs. Keith’s fever still hadn’t broken. “Feeling any better than before?”

“No,” Keith protested, “Stop asking me every hour. It’s annoying.” Shiro had never heard Keith use that tone of voice with anyone.

“I’m just trying to make sure you’re not getting any worse.” Shiro retaliated, more than slightly offended by Keith’s attitude. “You’re a real grouch when your sick, you know that?”

Keith just looked back at Shiro with a harsh glare. Though it wasn’t as intimidating as he intended with his flushed face and red tinged nose. He’d practically rubbed his nose raw with tissues. And to make it even less intimidating, he sneezed before the glare reached its full effect. “Stop making fun of me. Stop babying me. Just leave me alone!”

Shiro threw his hands up in defense, “I’m not making fun of you. I’m not babying you. I feel bad for you. I’m sorry you’re sick and you had to miss your field trip. But stop taking it out on everyone else. It’s not our fault.” Shiro was really starting to lose his temper. But he knew if he started yelling at Keith, things would deteriorate between them very quickly. Keith would probably refuse to do anything Shiro said, which included taking his medicine.

Keith’s anger seemed to deflate at that. He let out a very hushed apology before turning back to his soup, pulling his blankets even tighter around him and shivering a bit.

Shiro pulled Keith into a loose hug. “It’s okay. I know you don’t feel good.” He ruffled Keith’s sweaty hair a bit. “I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you go take a nice, relaxing bath. Maybe some hot water will clear up your nose a bit and help with the achiness. And you can get out of these sweaty pajamas, and it gives me a chance to change your sheets.”

Keith seemed to like that idea. He nodded and shrugged his blankets off. Shiro offered to help him to bathroom, but Keith refused, claiming he could do it by himself. Shiro didn’t argue. He just encouraged Keith to call for him if he needed anything. Instead, he started stripping the sheets off Keith’s bed and replacing them with fresh ones.

Once he heard running water, he started setting operation get-Keith-to-smile into motion. He’d printed out several pages of planet pictures and star systems. He started meticulously hanging them all around Keith’s room. The pictures look almost natural against Keith’s dark blue walls. He finally gets them all hung up and takes a look around the room. It’s definitely noticeably different and very eye catching. It wasn’t exactly a trip to the planetarium, but Shiro thought it might be a close second. And even better, Keith would be able to look at these forever.

Just in time, Shiro heard Keith marching down the hallway towards his room. He walked in wearing the fluffy blue alien pajamas Shiro had set him in the bathroom. “You were right, Shiro. I do feel a little better now.” Keith admitted as he walked in. His eyes lit up the second he looked up and around his room.

“Surprise,” Shiro interjected Keith’s amazement. “You couldn’t go to the planetarium, so I brought the planetarium to you.”

Keith quickly wrapped his short arms around Shiro’s torso. “Thank you Shiro. You’re the best brother ever.” He smiled.

[animezing-life]

VLD (Broganes) Whumpmas Day 5 - Burns

@vldwhumpmas2017

Shiro’s head turned like a deer in headlights at the sound of screaming boys coming from the patio. He wasted no time running from the living room to the backyard at record speed, all the while hearing Lance’s shrill voice calling his name. As he ran, he cursed himself for allowing Keith and Lance to work on the their science fair project without supervision. He had a daunting feeling that something bad would happen.

Shiro was floored when he saw the growing fire running rampant, burning away the small potted plants, school books, and Keith’s pant leg. Keith’s screams filled his ears as he watched his brother flailing around to kick the flames off his leg.

There was no time to even think. Shiro went right to acting. He ran to the hose and turned it on, immediately pointing the nozzle at Keith and spraying him down. Once he was sure Keith was no longer on fire, he turned the hose to extinguish the rest of the flames singing everything on the patio. Thankfully, none of the flames made it onto the actual yard. The damage was contained.

With no more flames, Shiro turned the hose off and rushed over to Keith’s aid. Keith had fallen on the ground, lifting his sopping leg up in the air. He was either screaming or crying, Shiro couldn’t tell which one. Lance had run over to him, encouraging Keith to squeeze his hand if it hurt. Keith determinedly grabbed Lance’s hand, squeezing it as hard as he could. Lance only winced a little.

Shiro wanted to understand what happened. He knew Keith probably wouldn’t be able to tell him, so he looked to Lance for answers. “Lance, what happened.”

“We were just doing the research. Keith lit everything on fire and I was holding the timer. Then there was some wind and it pushed the papers around and then everything caught fire. Keith tried to stomp it out, but then some of the fire just got on him.” Lance’s voice hitched with every breath. It seemed like he was about to cry. “I didn’t know what to do! I’m sorry. I should have done something to help.”

Shiro had sympathy for Lance. It was an accident. He hadn’t done anything wrong or bad. Unfortunately, Lance would have to live with these images for the rest of his life. “It’s okay, Lance. It wasn’t your fault. And you were scarred.” He consoled as he looked at Keith’s leg. “Alright, Keith. Listen buddy, I’m going to take your pants off so I can get a better look at your leg.” He spoke gently before carefully removing the garment.

Thankfully, the burns didn’t look too bad, mostly second degree. Most of the fabric of Keith’s pant leg had burned away with the fire, so the wound was clean. It was definitely going to blister and likely leave a few scars. And it was no surprise that Keith was in a lot of pain. And surely he was also in shock. But Shiro didn’t think it called for a trip to the hospital.

“Lance, can you help me sit him up. We should run the burn under some cool water for a while. That should help with the pain.” Shiro looked at Lance and noted the horror still coating Lance’s features. Lance nodded hastily.

The two of them helped Keith into one of the patio chairs, the one that wasn’t ashen from the fire. Shiro went and turned the hose on, dragging the nozzle over and handing it to Lance. He made sure to test the temperature before giving Lance any instruction. It was tepid, safe to apply to a burn. “Okay. Lance, hold this over Keith’s leg please. I’m gonna run inside and grab some more supplies.”

Keith let out a small shriek at that statement, pleading for Shiro not to leave. “I’ll be right back, kiddo. I’m just going to get some towels, burn cream, bandages and some painkillers to make you feel better.” It broke Shiro’s heart to leave when Keith wanted him. But Lance likely didn’t know where anything was in the house. He had no choice. “Lance is here with you. Count to 100 and I’ll be back.” He gave Keith’s hand a tight squeeze before running inside and collecting everything he needed.  

Keith started counting, keeping his eyes clenched shut so he didn’t have to look at his own burned flesh. True to his word, Shiro came back before Keith reached 100.

Lance helped Shiro take care of Keith. He kept the water going, and he helped apply the burn cream, and he helped Shiro wrap the bandages around Keith’s leg. He wanted to make sure he did everything he could to make Keith comfortable. After all, it was his idea to compare different burning rates.

Once Keith was settled, Shiro and Lance brought him inside to rest on the couch. Shiro whipped them something to eat, leaving Keith and Lance alone to watch a movie.

“Hey, Lance.” Keith croaked, his voice hoarse from screaming.

“Yeah?” Lance was quick react if Keith needed anything.

“Can we please do a baking soda and vinegar volcano for the science fair?”

Lance blushed, but masked it with a calming chuckle. “Sure thing.”