Chapter Text
Lance wasn’t expecting to find anyone out in the woods, especially not this far from the Garrison. But the crude tent and fire pit were man-made, no doubt about it.
Lance crouched down behind a tree, listening for any movement. He hoped he hadn’t been spotted yet. He stayed silent, but he didn’t hear anything. He didn’t smell anything either. Aside from smoke and wet leaves, that is. Steam was still rising from the fire pit, meaning it must have just been put out by the morning rain.
Lance heard a sudden noise behind him and his nose was flooded with the smell of another person. Before he could turn, there was a knife at his throat. He could feel the stranger’s breath hot on his neck.
“Who are you? Did the Garrison send you?” The stranger’s voice was razor-sharp in anger. His breath tickled the back of Lance’s neck and Lance tried to wiggle away from it. “Answer me!”
Lance swallowed, stilling his movements as the blade pressed closer. “My name is Lance. I’m not with the Garrison, I swear.”
The cold metal of the knife kissed Lance’s skin as the stranger tightened his hold. “Why should I believe you?”
“Check- Check my back.”
The stranger paused, confusion evident in his voice. “What?”
“Check my back. It’ll prove I’m not with the Garrison.”
The warmth disappeared from behind Lance, but the knife stayed right where it was. The fabric of his shirt moved as the stranger lifted the back hem. A sympathetic hiss of pain followed as Lance’s burn scar was revealed.
“See? They did that to me. No way I could work for them with-” Lance tried to turn, but the man must’ve startled because next thing he knew, he was on his back in the clearing, pinned down by the stranger.
Lance gasped as the wind was knocked out of him. With that gasp came a sudden realization. He laughed nervously. “You’re pretty strong for an Omega.”
“Or maybe you’re just weak for an Alpha,” the stranger growled in reply.
“Listen, buddy, I don’t know what your problem is, but I’m not going to hurt you. I couldn’t if I tried. You saw my back. I can’t fight, okay?”
The knife was back at his throat. “Then what are you doing here?”
“I live out here!” Lance was indignant now. This guy was just plain rude. “I retired to live out here after my injury. Plus, this is my property, so I should be the one asking you what you’re doing here!”
The man backed off, resheathing his knife. “I’m sorry. I thought that- Well… nevermind.”
Lance slipped out from under him, standing to brush the dirt off his pants as the man did the same. “Come on, dude. You come in here, chopping down my trees and wrecking up the foliage,” Lance gestured to the woods around him, “and you can’t even give me a decent explanation? Or even tell me your name?”
The man folded his arms, scowling even though he was in the wrong. “I’m Keith. I got kicked out of the Garrison, so I came here. I thought you were one of their agents trying to finish me off.”
Lance whistled at that. “Finished off? Kicked out? Those greedy bastards will snatch up anyone they can. What’d you do to get on their bad side?” Lance was wary now. Keith must’ve been more dangerous than he looked. And it wasn’t like Lance had had a good first impression of him to start with.
Keith glared at him, “Does it matter?”
Lance was starting to get fed up with this guy. “No it doesn’t, but if you give me a good story maybe I’ll give you a place to stay.”
Keith seemed to perk up at that. It was no wonder. From what Lance could see, Keith’s makeshift tent hadn’t protected him from the rain earlier that morning. And the firewood was wet now, meaning Keith’s damp clothes were bound to turn cold soon.
“I went snooping through their secrets and they had to find a reason to get rid of me.”
Lance raised an eyebrow at that but didn’t comment.
“My brother went missing a year ago. They said it was due to a pilot error during one of the training runs. But I knew that wasn’t true.”
“How?”
Keith blinked at him. “What?”
“How’d you know that wasn’t true?”
Keith scoffed, rolling his eyes. “He was the best pilot there. Takashi Shirogane.”
Lance blanched. “Your brother is Shiro!?”
Keith nodded.
“The Shiro!? Your brother!?”
“Yes. Adopted, but yes.”
Lance’s next words came out more hesitant. “And he’s… dead?”
Keith ran a hand down his face with a heavy sigh. “If you would just listen-”
“Sorry.”
“I knew there wasn’t any way he died during a standard training run. So I went searching for answers. Turns out they don’t like that kind of thing at the Garrison. It took me a long time to bypass all their security. But I found the truth and… they punished me for it.”
Lance couldn’t help but ask, “What happened to him? To you?”
Keith looked away, arms still folded. But now it looked more protective instead of standoffish. “They sold him to the Galra. So I’m sure whatever fate he met was worse than death.”
“Oh. Oh my god. I’m so sorry.”
“They tried to find a reason to get rid of me without revealing that I knew their secret. They put me through a billion tests, but I passed them all. Hand-to-hand combat, distance shooting, flying above light speed, even their insane endurance training. But it was that damned DNA test that got me.”
“DNA?”
Keith stared at the ground, his next words coming out softer, “I’m part Galra. And they used that as an excuse to get rid of me.”
“You don’t look part Galra.”
Keith rolled his eyes. “You expecting purple fur and fangs?”
Lance cringed. “Kinda, yeah.”
“You got something against Xenos?”
Lance shook his head. “No, of course not. My last girlfriend was Altean, actually. And I think I’ve got a bit of Mer swimming around somewhere in my family tree. Get it? Swimming?”
Keith gave him a once-over. “Yeah, I could see that.”
Lance perked up. “Really? I mean, I’ve never seen a Mer up close and personal but I hear they’re beautiful. Which explains all of this.” He gestured to himself with an added eyebrow waggle.
Keith ignored what he’d said, which stung a little. “So what’s your story? I told you mine.”
Lance moved closer to the camp, Keith trailing behind him. He took a seat near the makeshift tent and gestured for Keith to sit too. But he chose to lean against a tree, arms still crossed.
Lance went on with his story regardless. “I was in the Garrison a couple of years back. I was supposed to be a cargo pilot. Just a cargo pilot, and nothing more. I promised my mom I wouldn’t be doing anything dangerous. But it was my dream to fly.”
“You got those injuries from being a cargo pilot? Must not have been very good at flying, then.”
“Rude! And no, I didn’t get them from being a cargo pilot. If you would let me finish, then you’d know how I got them.”
Keith didn’t respond to that, which Lance took as his cue to continue. “You know how the Garrison is. They’ll take anybody they can to fight the Galra. They sent me into mission after mission without formal training. They threatened to kick me out if I didn’t do what they said. I needed the money for my family. I couldn’t just quit.”
Lance shifted where he was sitting. “Anyways, I ended up getting injured after an explosion on one of the bases we were taking down. I tried to protect my commanding officer, Coran. And I ended up like this because of it. I spent months in the hospital and then in physical therapy. And after it was all said and done, I-”
Keith startled at Lance’s sudden voice crack.
“I came home to find my entire family gone. My entire city demolished by the Galra. Nobody told me. Not even a passing comment from any of the Garrison higher-ups. They just let me go back. Let me witness the carnage with my own eyes. After that, I came here, away from everything.”
“That’s rough, buddy.”
Silence filled the air for a brief moment. Keith’s impatience was clear through his tapping foot and pinched expression.
Lance leaned forward to look up at Keith. “How long are you planning on staying here?”
“I’m not sure. It’s not like I have anywhere to go.”
Lance perked up. “Do you want to stay with me? I could use the help if you’re willing.”
Keith stiffened, blinking down at Lance. “You serious?”
Lance stood, brushing the dirt off his butt. “As long as you promise not to murder me in the middle of the night.”
“If I wanted to kill you, I could’ve already.”
“If I could kill you, I would’ve already,” Lance shot back playfully.
Keith didn’t look too amused at his quip. “I’m serious about you staying with me, though. It’s hard enough just existing with my back turned into human jerky. Even harder for me to garden or hunt. So what do you say?”
Keith squinted at him as if trying to determine whether this was a trap or not. “Fine. Not like I have anywhere better to go.”
“That’s the spirit!”
Keith’s only possessions were the clothes on his back, so Lance just led the way back to his cabin. It wasn’t too far from where Keith had made his own camp. Lance was surprised they’d run into each other at all, considering how large the woods were. But anyone trying to get away from the Garrison was bound to come to these woods. They weren’t all too far from the Garrison, but the thick foliage helped hide runaways. These woods were mostly empty, too. Many of the residents in the area surrounding the Garrison had been driven out or recruited for the cause. It left the woods quiet, peaceful, and perfect for hiding out.
A quarter-hour later, they arrived at the cabin. It was run-down and old, but it was home to Lance. It’d belonged to his paternal grandparents long ago, but now it sat empty save for him. The front porch was sagging, hardly supported by rotting beams. Vines twisted around the property and poked up from between floorboards. Fallen branches sat crookedly on the roof. There were probably a dozen cabins just like this one in the area, but this one was his.
“Home sweet home.” Lance gestured to the property before heading inside.
He’d only been in the house for half a year, but he felt proud how much he’d spruced the place up. It was an open-concept plan with a couple of doors off the main area. Lance had painstakingly cleaned the place and it smelled like the veggie stew he’d made for lunch.
“You can stay in this room,” Lance said. He took Keith to the door nearest the back entrance. It’d been one of the guest rooms, back when his grandparents lived there. His parents would sleep in there when they came to visit. Lance, his siblings, and his cousins would normally pile into sleeping bags in the living room. His aunts and uncles had other rooms in the cabin, but Lance had always viewed his parents’ guest bedroom as superior. Mostly because it was the only guest room with a TV. Though the TV was useless now that the cabin didn’t receive electricity.
Lance pulled open one of the dresser drawers in the corner of the room. “You can help yourself to any of the clothes in here. I’m not sure how much of it will fit but you’re welcome to look.”
“Okay.”
“Bathroom’s next door. And if you’re hungry or thirsty you can have anything in the kitchen. Also, feel free to scent whatever you want in here. I’ve got my own room on the other side of the house. So everything in here is free reign for you.”
Keith grazed his hand over the thick wool blanket on the bed. “Okay. Thank you.”
“Well, I’ll leave you to it.” Lance turned to leave but paused in the doorway to add one more thing. “Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that there’s no running water or electricity. So if you need to shit or wash your hands or something you’ll have to pull water from the well in the back yard. Toilet still flushes, but you need water so you… well, I’m sure you can figure it out.”
“I got it.”
“Good. Now I’m gonna go tend the garden and you can make yourself at home. Just don’t steal any of my stuff, please.”
Keith rolled his eyes, but his mouth quirked up into a small smile as Lance left the room.
The rest of the day passed by quickly. The sun was starting to set earlier these days as summer faded away. Lance’s harvest was coming in well. He counted himself lucky to live where he did. It never got all that cold, meaning his garden could flourish year-round. That was good news for him since he had no idea how to preserve food. It was a good thing his grandma had been really into vegetable gardening too. Though he was starting to get sick of eating the same old foods every day. He could really use some protein in his diet.
He and Keith ate dinner together. It was the same vegetable stew that he’d made that morning. Lance knew he wasn’t the best cook, but Keith didn’t complain.
Lance fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. If Keith had been intent on murdering him that night, he would’ve had ample opportunity. Lance was out like a light.
He woke late the next morning. Normally he’d wake shortly after sunrise, but today he could already see the sun fully through his eastern window. He did his business in the bathroom, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and headed into the kitchen to scrounge up breakfast.
His tomato harvest was booming at the moment and he had more tomatoes than he knew what to do with. So tomatoes for breakfast it was. He went to go fetch Keith, but when he opened the bedroom door, it was empty. Maybe he was in the bathroom?
The bathroom was empty too. Lance started to panic. Maybe Keith really had robbed him. It was foolish of him to trust someone from the Garrison. No doubt they would know of his position soon. They might try to eliminate him if they thought he knew classified information. Lance didn’t think he knew any classified information but it was anyone’s guess as to what the Garrison thought of as “classified”.
Resigned to his fate, Lance dragged himself back to his bedroom. He wondered what he’d have to pack and if he’d be able to even find somewhere else to live. His old duffle bag was worn and dirty. It would do the trick, though. He started packing his things, what little he had.
He had no idea when Keith had left or how much time he had before they came for him. He’d need food and seeds from his garden. Any weapons he could find, too, just in case he ended up needing them. Though he knew it wouldn’t be of much use. He had limited mobility given the state of his back and kitchen knives would be useless against the Garrison guns.
Lance trudged to the kitchen to see what he could find. Sun-dried veggies were sure to be good. They’d keep for a few weeks at least. Just as he was reaching for some, his back door slammed open.
He jumped in surprise, suppressing a squeal. He had to run. Had to get out of there before-
“Lance?” Keith poked his head in from around the door. “Can you give me a hand here?”
“Keith?” Lance blinked at him.
“Yeah…?”
“You’re back?”
Keith nodded.
“You didn’t leave to tell the Garrison about my hideout?”
Keith’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “No? Why would I do that?”
Lance sighed with relief. “Oh. Oh okay that’s great. Where have you been?”
“Hunting. Now would you help me drag this stag carcass closer to the house?”
Lance dropped his bag, evacuation plan forgotten. “Sure, no problem.”
They ate venison for dinner. It was the first time in years that Lance was able to eat meat. And all suspicions of Keith being a secret Garrison agent were gone. Well, most suspicions.
“You’re sure it’s okay for me to stay here?” Keith asked as they finished dinner. “The Garrison wants me. They know I know the truth about Shiro. It could be dangerous.”
“If you keep up the hunting, I don’t care WHO is after you. Stay as long as you like.”
Keith smiled softly. “Okay. Thanks.”