Work Text:
Today at 11:22 PM
Keith: help
Adam nearly dropped his phone. Keith hadn't contacted him in over a month- ever since Shiro left Earth with Matt and Dr. Holt- and seemed to be actively avoiding him. But as far as Adam knew, Keith never even asked Shiro for help. Whatever dilemma was haunting Keith, he couldn't deal with it alone and needed someone's assistance.
Honestly, that frightened Adam more than anything.
Where are you?
Keith: my room
Alright, I'm on my way
Adam got up off the couch and looked around. He had to search for a solid minute for his shoes. Once he found them, he slipped them on, using the counter for leverage. As he walked to the cadet’s room, he noticed that there wasn't really anyone walking around at this hour. He just hoped it wasn't past the cadet's curfew. He was never as good at this kind of thing as Shiro, and explaining why he, an officer, was in the cadet hall might be a little difficult.
Unfortunately, the lights were off when he got there, indicating that he had made it there too late. It wasn't surprising- curfew always seemed rather early to him as a teenager, and it probably hadn't changed since then.
He made it to Keith's room without running into any guards and knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Keith mumbled, voice gravelly and low. Adam barely made out his words at all.
He tried to open the door, but it was locked. With a slight sigh, he swiped his officer override card, forcing the door to open. He entered Keith's room and scanned it for problems. His dorm was spotless, the decor spartan. Nothing in it indicated that it was lived in at all, other than the lump of blankets on the bed. The lights were off, the only source coming from his phone, which was on the nightstand and lit up.
“Hey,” Adam greeted, moving to Keith's side and taking a seat on the edge of his bed near his head.
“Hey,” Keith greeted, turning his face to look at Adam. From the limited lighting, he couldn't be sure, but it looked like there were tear tracks staining his face.
“What's wrong?” Adam asked, doing his best to maintain contact with Keith's watery eyes.
“I just-” he slurred, voice wavering heavily. His words became indiscernible as rough breaths started to take over. He started vocalising with every breath as they quickly turned to violent sobs. He seemed unable to talk, unable to communicate, unable to do anything other than shake and cry.
Adam reached over and carded his fingers through Keith's hair, gently rubbing his scalp. Keith didn't jerk away from his touch, which wasn't exactly a first, but it was also fairly uncommon.
After at least ten minutes of sobs, Keith finally calmed down enough to choke out, “I'm so scared.”
Adam looked at him, keeping his expression unchanged despite his surprise at Keith's admission. “Why are you scared?”
“I-I feel like I'm dying and I realize that if I did I would die alone,” Keith sobbed. “I'm so alone. Nobody cares about me.”
“I care,” Adam murmured, continuing to rubs circles into Keith's scalp.
“Then why did you leave me?”
Adam's fingers froze in place. “I… I thought you didn't want to see me,” he responded. “If I'd known, I-”
“Nobody ever wants to take the blame for anything!” Keith snapped, jerking his head away from Adam's touch. “Every time something goes wrong, it's my fault. Family doesn't want me anymore? My fault. Can't sleep? My fault. Need a hug? Too fucking bad because nobody wants to give it to me.”
“I'm sorry,” Adam apologized. “I should've known. I should've made sure you were ok, checked up on you, been there for you. I shouldn't have waited to help you until you were already breaking down.”
“I-” Keith's voice was cut off by frantic pants.
Adam hooked his arms under Keith's armpits and pulled him into his arms. The cadet fisted his hands in Adam's shirt, leaning into him like a man starved. Adam gently rocked him, rubbing circles into Keith's back. Keith tucked his head under Adam's chin, burying his face in the crook of his neck.
Adam held him until the tears slowed and Keith looked up at him, eyes bloodshot with tears.
Adam ran his fingers through Keith's hair. “Hey, you any better?”
Keith lowered his head again, nodding against Adam's chest.
“You want me to stay?” he asked.
Keith shook his head. “No, I'm alright.”
“Because I can. It'll be a little squishy, but-”
“I'm fine ,” Keith retorted, teenage disdain slipping back into his voice.
Adam released him. “Alright, alright. Good night, Keith.”
“Good night.”
Adam managed to keep him together in the following months, but when the news came, there was nothing he could do to save Keith from his own destruction.