A knock on the door made Keith turn his head, though James didn't appear to even flinch. Keith quietly pulled the door open to reveal Coran, who was holding a box of basic nausea pills and a plastic cup of water. Keith held out his hand with a pair of pills sat on top of it but James just leaned away and mumbled something incoherent. When Keith moved closer, he could just about make out, "I can't" over and over again.
                          
"James? You need to take..." Keith trailed off upon watching James frantically shaking his head as if taking the pill would do something drastically horrific. "Okay, fine, you don't need to take it..." Frowning, Keith climbed into bed alongside James but not after handing the two pills back to Coran. Once Keith's body was pressed up against his boyfriend's, he could have sworn he heard James murmur the words, "I'm sorry." He couldn't help but wonder if he had imagined it when he looked at James's closed eyes. Shrugging it off, he snaked his hands up to James's hair and began to play with it and whisper soft words until he joined James in a deep slumber.
                          
-
                          
It took James a few days to recover and go back to 'normal' but, even then, Keith couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. He seemed... distant. That much was apparent in the way that he refused a second date with Keith and seemed to have an abundance of excuses underneath his Garrison uniform jacket. Keith had tried to lure James to come along with him and Lance on a walk (because the fresh air would do him good) but he refused, claiming that he was too tired. So Keith had left James behind in his dorm whilst he trekked the Garrison campus by Lance's side.
                          
"So is James doing better?" Lance said. It was one of the first things he asked upon seeing Keith. Keith shrugged, frowning and glaring down at the floor as if it was responsible for the death of his father.
                          
"I don't know honestly. He isn't sick, if that's what you mean. He does seem to be acting kind of strange though."
                          
Lance let out a soft sigh. He had his hands buried into his pockets but pulled one out to graze it against Keith's arm. "Strange how?" It was supposed to be a friendly gesture but the heat from the contact triggered an onset of nausea in Keith's stomach.
                          
"He's acting distant. He refused to come out with us today without a good reason."
                          
"Oh... maybe he's still sick?"
                          
Keith abruptly stopped in his step, turning to look at Lance but not quite meeting his eyes. "D-Do you think it could be something worse?" Keith started to fiddle with his own hands as if they were a fidget spinner, encouraging Lance to examine his entire body posture. With his hunched shoulders and moving hands, he hardly resembled the same hardcore, emo guy Lance had first met at the Garrison. He seemed almost fragile and afraid.
                          
"Sorry?"
                          
"Do you think he could be really sick? He was tired all the time before and I never saw him eat. Shit... what if-"
                          
"Keith, I'm sure James is fine," Lance hesitantly wrapped his arms around Keith and pulled him into a hug. Keith chewed on his bottom lip and blinked away tears as he buried his head into Lance's neck. "Talk to him. If something was up, I think he would tell you."
                          
"I try but he turns me down every time. I think he's trying to hide something."
                          
Lance stayed silent for a second as he contemplated his next move like a participant in a game of chess. He had to be tactical, so he didn't hurt Keith's feelings and make things worse. "I'm sure he isn't. Maybe he's just stressed? Aren't exams coming up?"
                          
"True..."
                          
"Talk to him, that's the only advice I can give," They began to walk again in unison. Lance swung his arms back and forth as he moved, unable to keep them still for even the shortest moment, though his fidgeting was a result of ADHD and not nerves like Keith. "Anyways, have you seen the new Killbot Phantasm game? Pidge managed to get a copy of it and we've been playing it together. It's insane. You need to play it."
                          
"Nah... video games are a waste of time."
                          
Lance huffed in dissatisfaction. "You wouldn't say that if you played it. The graphics are perfect, I swear. I feel like I'm in the game."
                          
"Good for you. I'm sorry I don't think the world is a bad enough place that I feel the need to escape through a video game."
                          
"Wow, no need to be sarcastic."
                          
Clearly uncomfortable with the disinteresting topic of video games, Keith jumped to another subject. "How are your family? Are things okay now?"
                          
"They're okay. Mamá and papá are really upset that they thought I made everything up but I'm trying to convince them that it's alright. I don't... I don't think I would have believed me either, if I was them."
                          
"It must be hard for all of you."
                          
Lance shrugged. Keith could see all the emotional baggage hidden in the glistening depths of Lance's eyes but decided not to push it. "It's not that bad."
                          
"So you're doing okay?"
                          
"Yep, better than I've been in awhile." The only problems were the repressed feelings Lance had for Keith but he was never going to admit that. "I'm grateful to be back on Earth."
                          
"Me too. I miss having the freedom to fly Red whenever I wanted though. Sometimes Earth just seems so restricting, you know?"
                          
Lance nodded, though he hadn't paid attention to what Keith's response had been. He was deeply lost in the purple that was Keith's eyes.

                          
But what is really wrong with James? I'm interested to see if anyone has any theories. I think I've given you some massive hints :P