come back, be here

by viren_writes (virenw)

Summary:

Lance runs to the Black Lion’s open jaw, bright smile in place, and it soon drops as the one who descends under the ramp is Shiro and not Keith.

this is falling for you when you are worlds away

Lance runs to the Black Lion’s open jaw, bright smile in place, and it soon drops as the one who descends under the ramp is Shiro and not Keith. 

 

Pidge and Hunk run past him, both barreling against the Black Paladin, cheering and grinning. Lance would’ve done the same if the shock of not seeing Keith hadn’t kept him rooted to the spot. 

 

“We did it!” Pidge chides, colliding right against Shiro’s chest. Hunk follows behind. “Voltron saves the day once again!”

 

“Good job guys.” Shiro smiles at them, patting their heads like an affectionate father. He looks back up at Lance and his smile stills for a moment. Lance tries to mask his disappointment, heart squeezing tight as his lips widen once more. That seems to appease Shiro for the moment. “You okay Lance? You took a hard beating back there?”

 

“Who me? Oh I’m peachy! There’s nothing in the universe that can knock me and Red out.” He says, voice a little too high as he points back to the Red Lion. Lance pats his chest. “Besides I got you guys to back me up.”

 

“You should still hit the med-bay.” Shiro comments, eyes focusing on that bruise blooming just above his temple. “Just to make sure everything’s fine.”

 

“Will do Space Dad.” Lance jokes and before he can quip again he hears Allura’s delighted shriek. He turns and sees the princess exiting the Blue Lion, practically jumping out of the robot’s jaw before landing right into Lotor’s awaiting arms. The sight would’ve crushed Lance a few months ago. Now, the absence of their previous Black Paladin takes a heavy toll on his heart. 

 

“Why don’t we go to the med-bay now?” Hunk quips up, arm snatching Lance’s to force him to look his way. He notices the worried look on his best friend’s eyes, but doesn’t have the heart to tell him that he’s reading him entirely wrong. I’m happy for her, he wants to say, I’m happy she’s found someone to love up close. Instead Lance shakes him off and shrugs. 

 

“Chill buddy. If anything starts hurting I’ll run to Coran, promise.” He says, crossing an ‘X’ right above his heart. Lance ignores Pidge’s side glance. “For the moment I just want to take a shower. I’ll catch you at dinner, okay?”

 

“Don’t be late!” Hunks calls out to him as Lance walks back inside the Castle of Lions. “I’m making mac and cheese along with your mom’s garlic knots!”

 

“Hey, why don’t you cook my pick me up recipe once in a while?” Pidge whines and Lance ups the pace to avoid hearing Hunk’s answer. The doors hiss closed behind him and finally he’s able to release the huge sigh building up inside him. Lance takes another deep breath and his smile finally drops. 

 

He walks further into the castle and misses his bedroom entirely. His feet end up stopping in front of the room right in front of him. Lance sees his own hand knocking on the door and awaits the usual ‘Come in.’. 

 

Nothing greets him in return. 

 

The door opens and the room is bare. Darkness takes over every piece of furniture. A layer of dust collects over every single piece inside. It hasn’t been used in days, weeks, months now. Lance feels as if he’s stopped breathing. He dares stepping inside, but the missing woody scent is almost making him dizzy. 

 

He tries to find any familiarity in the room. Any sign that it was one lived in. But the only answer he finds is that hideous red jacket. Lance sees the piece of clothing on top of the bed. Discarded and thrown over the sheets. As if it was nothing, as if it didn’t hold any value. Tears prickle at his eyes as Lance rushes inside and takes it into his arms.

 

He hugs the jacket to his chest, the door hissing closed behind him and soon he’s enveloped in the darkness as well. Lance clings to the fabric, trying and trying to find that familiar scent, but it’s been too long. Keith has been missing too long in their lives now. The aroma Lance had grown to love is long gone.

 

Lance tries to quell his tears. Tries to regain his composure and not crumble right in the middle of Keith’s old dormitory. His knees are weak, wobbly as the castle rocks underneath his feet. Stars pass by on the window in front of him and Lance still clings to the jacket.

 

He takes a shuddering breath, looking down at the jacket. It’s all rumpled now and Lance debates if he should wash it. Doing so might erase more of Keith’s missing aroma. He sighs and looks at the room, the faint blue floor lights brightening the place. Sheets and pillows neatly folded; drawers tightly shut; bare pristine walls. 

 

He scoops the jacket over his shoulders and walks out of the room. Only to come back with a broom, a duster and a mop. Lance sniffles, tears still swelling up in his eyes as he starts dusting off the empty room. Grays clouds gather over the small space, but Lance keeps cleaning around. If Keith gets back. He’s already shaking his head at the thought. When Keith gets back he’ll want to have a clean room. 

 

It’s the least Lance can do for him.

 

Once he’s finished he moves everything back into his room, tucking that red ugly jacket into his own closet. He’ll wash it later. Lance rubs at his red rimmed eyes again before making his way to the kitchen. Hunk and Pidge would get suspicious if he didn’t show up. Lance steps into the hallway and his eyes are drawn once again to Keith’s dormitory.

 

He’s still waiting for him to show up. 

 

When no one comes out of the room, Lance turns back, biting down on his lip and trying not to cry all over again.

 

---

 

The next time Lance sees Keith is through a screen.

 

They’re debriefing. Kolivan stands at the center of the shot, a masked Galra on his left and Keith looms on the right. Lance has long forgotten what they were discussing about, his eyes drawn to the picture of their former leader standing galaxies away. He’s not even sure Keith had even looked their way.

 

Lance holds in a shudder as the meeting drones on. Prince Lotor and Allura continue to lead the meeting, both of them shooting suggestions regarding the next target in the Galra’s radar. Lotor insists on securing the loose sincline ships and Lance has to bite his tongue regarding the idea. Shiro nudges him on the side, and Lance turns further away. Talking had never gained him any favors.

 

“Lance?”

 

He blinks and turns back in. 

 

Keith has stepped forward. He was asking for him. 

 

“Y-Yes?” He squeaks out, cheeks flushing as he regards the former Black Paladin.

 

“What do you think of the idea?”

 

Lance blinks again. He’s tempted to turn and look at the rest of the team, but they already know what he thinks of the plan. Instead he continues to stare at Keith’s image, trying to mask his own longing and worry. Keith’s eyebrows furrow and Lance knows he’s not doing a good job. Shiro interrupts before he even opens his mouth. 

 

“Lotor has reasons to believe the ships are more important.” He says and a small ‘tsk’ exits Lance’s mouth. Keith catches the movement. “I say we follow his lead.”

 

“I can see that.” Comes Keith’s slow response, eyes shifting between him and Shiro. Suspicion clings in his gaze, but Lance says nothing. “But I also want to know what my right-hand man thinks of the idea.”

 

It’s been far too long since he’s heard such words. Lance bites his lip, forcing down the knot forming in his throat. He takes a shuddering breath, quickly glancing up at Shiro. He’s already looking back at him, face grim and eyes vacant. It’s the same empty gaze Lance has seen since they found him drifting inside a Galra spaceship. But Lance can’t voice those suspicions now. 

 

“I think…” Lance starts, turning back to look at Keith’s transmission. “...That we should focus on liberating the few planets left under the Galra regime.” 

 

“Lance.” Allura starts and Lance knows that tone well. He huffs, eyes already rolling as he turns back to her. Lotor stands next to the princess and Lance already knows it’s a lost cause. 

 

“I know.” He says to the princess. “I know we already talked about this, but that’s been our mission from the start. There’s a few planets left and I’m sure if we assisted, they could-”

 

“I understand your concern Lance.” Prince Lotor speaks up, making his way towards him. Lance still doesn’t know what to make of the guy. He believes he’s not the Galra, but he’s not fully on their side either. Whatever, it’s not like the team would listen anyway. “And while I share your sentiment I also believe that the longer those ships are in the Galra’s control, the longer everyone is at risk.”

 

“But those people-”

 

“Lance enough.” Shiro’s voice cuts through his reasoning. Lance has to bite back a snarl, fists clenched at his sides as he turns to his leader. The Black Paladin just shakes his head. “Go cool off and we’ll resume the meeting.”

 

“What?” He says, clear anger now in his voice. “You’re kidding right?”

 

Silence.

 

“Just because I’m disagreeing with you doesn’t mean you should kick me out.” Lance says, trying very hard to keep his own composure. “I’m just saying we should-”

 

“You voiced your opinion. That’s enough.” 

 

His mouth hangs open. Unbelievable. This Shiro, whoever he is, is not the same man who Lance looked up to all those years ago. In his stead now stands a man unwilling to listen. 

 

“What, am I supposed to just agree to everything you guys say? Is this how this works now?” He asks, voice steady despite the hurt lingering. His body might be shaking, taking the fall for it, but Lance presses on. “We’re a team and we-”

 

“Leave.”

 

And the look settling on Shiro’s eyes, roots Lance to the spot. A chill runs down his spine, and for the first time, he feels afraid. Lance is afraid of Shiro. 

 

That’s not-

 

“Shiro-” Even Lotor intervenes. 

 

“Don’t talk to him like that.”

 

Keith’s voice snaps through the tension. Lance blinks, and briefly turns to the screen. Keith’s glare is directed solely at his brother. The sight is so foreign to Lance, so different from their usual brotherly dynamic. Lance feels like something might snap between them.

 

Shiro is already looking back at the transmission. He releases a huff of breath and turns away, but refuses to look back at Lance. Keith looks livid, but when he turns to Lance something softens in his gaze. 

 

“Stay.” He echoes the words across the silent room. Lance barely nods, eyes looking between Shiro’s back and Keith’s image. A hand settles on his shoulder and Lance almost expects to look up and see Keith, but Prince Lotor is there instead. 

 

Lotor gives him a soft pat before opening his mouth and resuming the meeting. This time around Lance stays silent. Keith’s gaze stays on him and he too doesn’t voice out any thoughts. Lotor is the one who decides they should split their efforts, one team focusing on the ships and the other taking over the rescue of the remaining planets. 

 

Once the meeting’s done, Shiro storms off without a single glance. Lance watches as the doors slide shut, already feeling the wave of guilt crashing over. He should’ve stayed quiet, should’ve just gone along with what they were saying, should’ve just lied to Keith and be done with it. 

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Keith is the only one left in the transmission.

 

“Where’s Kolivan?” Lance turns and notices that everyone else has left too. It’s only him and Keith’s pixelated image. 

 

“Lance, answer me.”

 

It’s his turn to groan, cheeks blushing. He hopes the camera doesn't catch the redness of his skin. Lance crosses his arms and Keith is still waiting. 

 

“I’m fine.” He says. “It’s fine Keith, you don’t need to worry yourself over it.”

 

The last thing he wants to do is to add more worries into Keith’s plate. Not that he’d worry about Lance or anything similar, but still. Lance shakes his head, looking back at Keith. The man in question stays quiet, mind pondering away. Finally he speaks. 

 

“Has that…happened before?”

 

Lance debates if he should play dumb. Try to diffuse the tension and switch to another topic. But that in turn would only Keith further. He wouldn’t have to worry if he was here, his mind supplies, but Lance doesn’t have the heart to voice that out. 

 

“No.” He says, another lie but Keith doesn’t need to know. Lance casts his eyes away, already catching Keith’s expression. He’s not buying it. “Well, ugh, it’s nothing Keith.”

 

“It’s not nothing.” Keith shots back hotly. Anger rises over his face again, and Keith huffs, scowl slowly taking over his lovely features. “It’s hurting you, so it’s not nothing.”

 

“I’m fine Keith. Really.” Lance insists, inching closer to the transmission. “Shiro’s under a lot of stress. He’s not doing it on purpose. He’s not…” His voice trails off, not willing to voice his concerns over to Keith. He already has enough on his plate. 

 

“He wouldn’t do that.” Keith snaps back. “Shiro’s not like that.”

 

Lance keeps his doubts to himself, offering Keith nothing to go on. But for Keith to even admit something like that, to voice out Lance’s own questions, well it makes him think. Because if Keith, the closest one out of all of Voltron to Shiro, can sense something is off, then something is really going on. 

 

“But Lance-” Keith’s desperate tone makes him turn. “Are you okay?”

 

Lance musters up the energy to give him a small smile. “Yes Keithhhhh.” He stresses out the word, chuckling as Keith’s scowl deepens. “I’m totally fine buddy. I’ll get over it.”

 

“You shouldn’t have.” Keith bites back, arms crossed and Lance chuckles again. He shrugs as if to say ‘What can you do?’ and the gesture angers Keith further. “Lance-”

 

“Keith chill. It’s not that big of a deal. I’m-”

 

“It is! It’s important to me!” Keith yells, and instantly regrets it. Lance watches as he sighs, shoulders slumped back and eyes drifting away. He doesn’t know what to make of the words. Lance keeps looking at his face, imagines how far away he actually is and a deep longing to be in the same room overtakes his mind. Lance almost reaches out, hand touching over the transmission, just to try and feel something over the distance. 

 

“Sorry for yelling.” Keith quips back. 

 

“It’s okay.”

 

Both keep quiet and before Lance can come up with a plausible excuse to exit the room, Keith says. 

 

“Will you…” He trails off, runs a hand through his long locks of hair, and then turns back to him. “If it happens again, call me.”

 

‘If you were here I wouldn’t have to call you’ is what Lance wants to say. An ugly part of him wants to shoot down the offer, wants to make Keith miserable just as he is, with this vast distance separating them. But Lance can’t bring himself to do that. He finds himself nodding, unable to utter the words.

 

“Good.” Keith says, body relaxing and at least Lance can give him some peace of mind. “I’ll try to visit you guys after my next mission, so keep me updated if anything arises.”

 

“Yeah, always man.” Lance says, a small, but real smile reaching his lips. Keith’s face almost softens in turn and Lance has to mask his embarrassment with a cough. “I’ll see you around then?” He tries not to sound too hopeful with the question. He tries to mask the want of needing Keith back in his life again, of the reassurance his presence brings to Lance. 

 

“Yeah. Promise.” Keith smiles.

 

They cut the transmission soon after that, all relaxed bodies and real smiles. Lance finds himself alone in the control room when the transmission cuts. He turns back to the entrance of the room, dread already replacing every good feeling inside his belly. He thinks of Shiro’s cold glances and Allura’s stern smiles. 

 

Lance makes a beeline for Keith’s room. He skips dinner all together and cleans the room once again. Lance climbs into the bed, void of any earthy scent and wraps his arms around the red jacket. This time it smells of clean soap and lavender. It’s nothing like Keith but Lance sleeps all the same.

 

---

 

Seven months and Keith hasn’t visited. 

 

Lance held himself back for a month. Then he started leaving messages at the Blade’s HQ. Then they turned into calls and those turned into transmissions. And yet he still had no response from Keith. There was always someone else to relay the same message ingrained in Lance’s brain ‘The Red Paladin can’t relay your message. He’ll call you when he’s available.’And not a single response made its way back to Lance.

 

He tried to come up with excuses himself. ‘He’s busy. He’s on another mission. He has a lot on his plate...’ On and on he tried to convince himself of the words, of truly believing the meaning behind them. But every time Lance would always come up short. 

 

Keith simply wasn’t there. No matter how many times Lance called him, how many times he tried to reach out, at the end Keith wasn’t there. Even when Lance tried replaying Keith’s promise of going to visit them, now it felt like empty words. Keith didn’t miss him as much as Lance missed him. 

 

“Lance?” 

 

Shiro’s voice makes him turn. He’s sitting in the west wing observatory, stars and nebulas glowing down over the spherical glass pane. Lance sits in the middle of it all, blanket covering his body over a heap of pillows. He’s in his pjs, hair ruffled and trying to mask the redness in his eyes. 

 

“Hey Shiro.” He greets the man with a wave. Last night Shiro had snapped at him at another meeting and Lance was getting used to the sting that came afterwards. He refused to let the words wear him down, but it was getting harder to do so. One can take so much after all. Yet Lance still gave him a smile. “Can’t sleep?”

 

“Yeah.” Shiro’s footsteps echo in the empty room as he approaches Lance. He doesn’t wait for an invitation and simply sits down. Lance looks back at the window, refusing the suspicions growing in his mind again. With every fight, every argument Lance has also noticed how un-Shiro this man is. 

 

How he snarls when things don’t go his way. When he stomps away after a successful Coalition meeting. The way his eyes drift apart every time he exits the Black Lion. Lance has seen it all, eyes keen and picking up every suspicious action coming from their leader. He looks like Shiro, he sounds like him, but he’s void of everything that made him the friend they all love and cherish. 

 

Lance wonders if the rest are as paranoid as him. No one questions it, no one raises their voice with questions. But he sees the tension in Allura’s face when he gets mad. He sees the way Pidge looks at his prosthetic a little longer than normal. And he even acknowledges the way Lotor eyes him warily. 

 

Keith would do something, he’d think before replying back, but Keith’s not here. Lance was never going to call him if Shiro yelled at him. He’d known he would be breaking that promise time and time again to not make him worry. But Lance thought he’d have more time to figure things out, to figure this new Shiro out. 

 

“Have you been here all night?” Shiro asks, voice curt and with no fondness in his words. Lance’s eyes look back again, seeking more and more evidence. “We missed you at dinner.”

 

“Wasn’t hungry.” He quips back and Shiro’s jaw tenses for a split second, before it’s gone once again.

 

“You’ve been missing a lot of dinners these past months.” And the tone he uses now is far from accusatory. Shiro sounds troubled, and Lance's head turns. He recognizes the tenderness, the slight crease of worry over his eyelids. Lance feels his stomach clench at the sight.

 

“I know.” He quietly confesses. His hands find comfort on a pillow resting between his legs. Lance hugs it tighter. “I just…I didn’t feel like eating.”

 

Shiro nods and Lance is reminded of the late night talks they had before he went missing. At how at ease everything was back then, how Lance could chat without preamble to one of his life-long idols. It’s been such a long time since he felt at peace with Shiro being in the same room as him. 

 

“Would bringing you food here make it better?”

 

“It’s fine.” Lance says, shaking his head. “You don’t have to do that for me.”

 

“We’re worried about you.” Shiro says, understanding and just how Lance remembers him. “Keith wouldn’t want to see you like this.”

 

And Lance knows Shiro means no harm with that sentence, but fuck does it sting. He feels the dam opening, a crack ripping over his chest and Lance blinks away the wetness from his eyes. A mirthless laugh escapes him and Shiro’s concerned frown appears. 

 

“Keith hasn’t called in seven months. I hardly think he cares much about how I’m doing.”

 

“That’s not-”

 

“Then why hasn’t he reached out?” Lance says a tad bit louder, anger and frustration getting the best of him. The frown on Shiro’s face only deepens. “Not a single message, a single notice that he is okay. None of it. So yeah, sorry for not believing in him like you do.”

 

Deep down he knows Shiro is right. Lance knows Keith would crumble in guilt at the sight of him now. He knows this and yet he can’t stop the hurt and his own longing from getting in the way. He’s so selfish to think that way, to want Keith to worry about him just like he does. It’s a vicious cycle and Lance is not getting out anytime soon. 

 

“I believe Keith has his reasons.” Shiro says, still searching for his eyes as Lance looks back down to the floor. His vision is getting blurry. “He just won’t tell us about them.”

 

Lance wants to laugh and cry at the same time. He pictures Keith carrying an unknown burden, questions and feelings buried deep inside for no one to see. Lance carries his own burden as well, his own insecurities, his tremendous fear at the raging war around them, and mostly his growing feelings for a man who refuses to reach out. 

 

“Why?”

 

Shiro turns to him and Lance doesn’t feel the need to clarify.

 

“Because he cares.” He says with a heavy sigh, lips in a loose smile. There’s sadness in his eyes and Lance realizes that Shiro is just as worried. “Keith has a hard time saying it, but he cares. You know that more than anyone.”

 

Lance turns to the vastness of space. He sees stars flashing by, each of them getting blurrier as he tries to bite back his sobs. Shiro’s hand settles over his shoulder and Lance grips a pillow closer to his chest, to hide his wet cheeks. 

 

He sees Keith’s perplexed face after Lance had suggested leaving the team. He recalls the assurance of his voice, the steadiness with every word he spoke to him. He feels his own insecurities ease after talking to him. But most of all, Lance remembers Keith’s smile. 

 

And Lance can’t help but realize with a jolting fear that just after that conversation, Keith had left.

 

When Shiro leaves him in the observatory, Lance almost throws up. The realization hits him hard, the truth of everything coming to a screeching halt as his stomach rolls in vile and desperation. He should’ve kept silent. He never should’ve told Keith how he felt. Lance coughs, pillows tumbling down as he tries to steady his breathing. 

 

Keith had left because of him. 

 

His eyes sting as Lance tries to breathe. More coughs come forth and he feels like drowning in his own sorrow. He should’ve known from the beginning. Keith, their fearless leader and selfless bastard would be the first to leave his position if it came to it. Keith who cares about them more than anything in the world. 

 

Keith, who Lance loves, left, because of him. 

 

It all feels like a cruel joke. How the stars might pity him now. Lance’s fingers are shaking as he tries to keep himself from crying. He’s so tired of crying. He feels drained, as if not an ounce of liquid is left in his body and just when he discovers something new, his sadness overwhelms him. Lance takes in shuddering breaths, trying to align his thoughts. 

 

“Stupid…” He whispers, “You’re so fucking stupid…” Even muttering his name is difficult for him. Lance looks back at the starry sky, eyes red and body shaking as the realization sinks deeper with every breath that he takes.

 

“The last thing I wanted you to do was to leave me alone.”

 

---

 

“Have you heard anything from your end?”

 

Kolivan’s voice barely makes it through Lance’s skull. His eyes keep locked on the empty spot next to him. He expects Keith to show up, announce he was running late, or maybe just pass by and wave them a quick ‘hello’. But no, Keith is missing.

 

“We lost communications with him three cycles ago.” Kolivan explains, blunt and honest and Lance knows what he’s trying to convey behind those words. He bites his lip and ignores Hunk’s worried eyes. 

 

“Our contact on base is also missing. We have the theory that they remained together until the transmission was cut.” Pidge gives a loud sniff and Lance sees as she quickly brushes her eyes. He notices the tears threatening to spill and he forces himself to turn away. 

 

A lump forms in his throat and he shuts his eyes hard enough for stars to cloud his vision. Words travel over the control room, Shiro and Allura trying to make sense of the news, their own worry and preoccupation rushing through. Lotor stands a few feet away, carefully taking in the news.

 

Lance feels the urge to punch him. 

 

Lotor of course doesn’t care. He could care less if one of the Paladins went missing. And that fact alone makes Lance’s blood boil. He wants to take out his frustration, his helplessness on something. If the Blade can’t get in contact with Keith, then where does that leave him? 

 

How can I get to him?

 

Lance bites back a sob, shutting his eyes once again. He feels his knees buckle and before long he’s sitting down. Hunk rushes to him and Lance tries to take in a deep breath. Pidge is suddenly there too, glasses askew and a redness over her eyelids. 

 

“He’s fine, right?” He asks, and hastily adds, “He has to be.”

 

Pidge’s eyes widen and Lance thinks that she’s finally going to cry. 

 

“He’s Keith.” He throws that as a valid argument. If someone could survive on their own it was Keith. Lance grows desperate when neither responds. “He-He can’t be-”

 

“Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

 

Lotor appears next to them. He’s towering over Lance, eyes carefully taking them all in, but still offering no emotion or sympathy towards the news. His eyes flicker towards Allura and then back to Lance, something clicking behind that look. 

 

He knows, Lance’s mind supplies, terror soon gripping at his quivering heart. His hand reaches out and grips the prince’s. Lotor looks down at him, startled and whatever he sees in Lance’s eyes keeps him quiet. 

 

“Do you…” Lance tries, blinking back the wetness, “Can you know if he’s all right?”

 

Lotor keeps looking at him and slowly kneels before Lance. The prince keeps their hands linked, and doesn’t look away. Lance doesn’t trust him, he doesn’t think he ever will, but if there is a chance of him knowing of Keith’s whereabouts, he needs to know. Lance would do anything for Keith. And Lotor knows. 

 

“I’ll request the Empire to be on the lookout for the former Red Paladin.” He says, voice firm and yet unsure. Lance feels his arms start to tremble at the doubt. Lotor keeps looking at him, “I’ll have my personal team look into it Lance.”

 

That’s the first time he's ever heard his name out of Lotor’s mouth. It almost makes him grimace. He can’t bring himself to trust Lotor, to trust the prince who killed his own father. But he needs to know Keith is alive. 

 

“Please...” It comes short to a beg. “Please find him.”

 

Lotor is sent into silence. He gives Lance a curt nod, and squeezes their joined hands. Lance’s head is close to exploding, pressure coming in from all sides as he quickly lets go of the prince. Lotor gives him a final look before he excuses himself out of the room. 

 

“Lance, that-” Pigde sniffs and there’s an edge to her voice, “You shouldn’t have done that.”

 

“Pidge-” Hunk starts but is cut off.

 

“We don’t know if he’s on our side yet!” She hisses and Lance squeezes his eyes shut. “He could’ve been the one behind it for all we know. We can’t trust him.”

 

“Don’t you think I know that?” Lance is close to snapping. He tries to keep his voice hush, ignoring Allura’s and Shiro’s inquisitive eyes as they continue to talk with Kolivan. Pidge’s anger is justified but Lance is careless when it comes to Keith. “I’m the one that made the bargain, not you.”

 

“But-”

 

“If it comes and bites me in the ass, so be it.” Lance sighs, stomach tight with worry. He looks at both of his friends, unable to even fake a smile. “I just need to know he’s alive.”

 

They exchange looks but otherwise keep quiet. Lance can still hear Kolivan’s words ringing in his ear. He quickly shoves the images away, refuses to even think of a future where Keith is not there. Lance’s headache still pierces his skull and he wants nothing more than to seek refuge in Keith’s old bedroom. 

 

“We should sleep.” Hunk suggests and with a small nod, Lance follows him out.

 

---

 

Days and weeks pass by. Lance calls Kolivan every day for any update. Still no sign of Keith. 

 

Lance has officially moved into Keith’s old bedroom. It’s no surprise to anyone at the castle now. They all go look for him in the room in front, pained smiles and pitiful looks. Lance has no energy to remedy that. 

 

He spends his day on missions for the Coalition. Repair broken buildings, help refugees, tend to the children. All day he spends his time on Paladin work, in and out, no breaks. Any break he gets is spent calling Kolivan, sleeping, or talking with Lotor. 

 

The Galran prince turned out to be way more helpful than the Blade of Marmora in the current situation. Apparently Keith was stationed with an old Blade member called Krolia, and they ended up just in between a fight between two Galran factions. They managed to stop them both and they had lost transmission just after their escape.

 

So the two options were, they were both alive on a stranded planet, or their ship had been destroyed just after take off. Lance was close to tears when Lotor told him. The prince instantly offered his handkerchief and Lance almost cried at the gesture. 

 

He still didn’t trust him, but at least Lotor didn’t pry with questions or looks. He simply took Lance’s words and never inquired further. Maybe he didn’t need more info, maybe Lance was already giving him plenty of intel, but most of the time he simply listened to his sniffles and bouts of crying. 

 

“You humans sure do cry a lot.” Lotor says with a smile, handing Lance another handkerchief. 

 

“Fuck you.” He sniffs, covering up another sob with a loud cough. It didn’t work because Lotor was still looking at him with that damn smile. Ugh Lance wants to deck him in the face, “You Galrans just suck at showing emotions.”

 

“Ouch. Right in our pride.”

 

Lance has been so exposed to his dry humor that he can’t help the tug of his lips. He takes the small cloth and sniffs once again. It amazes him still, how much tears keep on flowing out of his eyes. The heaviness in his heart has eased just a bit, it’s become an usual burden, a weight to always carry, but it doesn’t feel as heavy anymore. His tears are just the constant reminder of his ache.

 

“Thank you.” He mumbles out, handkerchief still clutched in his hands.

 

“I haven’t done anything worthy of your thanks.” Lotor says. “Not that I need them.”

 

“True.” Lance sniffs, eyes puffy but finally dry. He can finally look at the prince, the same blank expression as always. Weirdly enough, it helps him calm down. “But I don’t feel as sad as before.”

 

Lotor keeps looking at him, as if figuring out some word puzzle. Lance offers him another smile and then takes in a shuddering breath. This tentative friendship with the prince could only lead to disaster, but even then he feels compelled to at least try. If not for him, at least for Lotor’s relationship with Allura.

 

“I thought you hated me.”

 

“Mmm maybe.” Lance replies, not batting an eye at the question. “But hate is such a strong word. I don’t hate you, or at least I don’t think I do.” He turns back to look at the frozen prince, “You were a pain in the ass with your other three minions, but you’re not with them anymore. You haven’t done anything personally to me, not that I know of.”

 

He pauses and then adds: “Should I? Should I hate you?”

 

Prince Lotor’s eyes widen for a fraction, shame filtering in but it vanishes right away. Lance takes it into account but doesn’t say anything. Whether Lotor was truly planning something or not it would come with time. And yet, the only thing Lance can see is a lonely boy. 

 

Just like me. 

 

“They didn’t crash.” Lotor starts, “Your Red Paladin. The spaceship he was in didn’t crash or was destroyed. They lost signal with the Blade, but they are still functioning.” He takes a breath, “I’m still searching for their whereabouts. But I know that he was intact when they left the Galra base.”

 

Lance lets out a silly laugh, stress slowly ebbing away from his limbs. He clutches at the handkerchief for support, another breath slipping from his very core. Lotor keeps watching and before Lance thinks better of it, he envelops him in a hug. 

 

The Prince’s breath is cut short, a sharp intake of breath and arms hovering in the air. Lance rolls his eyes at the dramatics but as soon as he gives in to the hug, he pulls back. Lotor’s eyes are frazzled, hands still up. 

 

“Just for the record, I’ve never hated you.” He says and adds with a snicker, “I just really, really dislike you.”

 

Lotor huffs out a laugh and turns away from him, a strange fondness now traveling in the atmosphere. It’s a tentative truce, a cease fire, but Lance can feel that if he prods longer, maybe he can help. He can’t help Keith, not with him being galaxies away, but maybe he can cease this unpredictable Galran. 

 

It’s worth a try anyways. 

 

---

 

Lance watches as both Princess Allura and Lotor enter the hangar and make their way towards the newly formed Sincline Ship. They both look every speck of Altean and Galran royalty, easy smiles and fond looks exchanged between the other. Hot and ugly anger rises up from his throat. For a moment he might’ve thought it was jealousy, molten and ready to burn everything in its wake. But a longing settles as well.

 

He feels envious.

 

He sees how their eyes sparkle the moment they cross looks. He watches as they subconsciously drift closer together. How Allura’s marks light a bright pink when Lotor’s palm brushes against his. How Lotor’s stoic expression crumples at the sight of the princess. 

 

God he wants that so much.

 

“Buddy…” Hunk says, and Lance has a feeling that his best friend isn’t as perceptive as he thinks, “Maybe, maybe they don’t like each other-”

 

“It’s fine.” He spits out, his raw anger taking hold of him for a minute. Lance takes a breath and then mumbles back, “Sorry, I-I’m fine, really.”

 

“You don’t look fine.” Pidge utters, arms crossed and glaring at the back of Lotor’s head. 

 

“I am.” He insists, taking another breath. “I don’t even like Allura like that. It’s fine, I’m over it.”

 

“Then why all the anger?”

Lance presses down the urge to snap at her. He takes in another breath before looking down, her frown already stuck on him. Pidge doesn’t look back at Allura, simply stares at him, and Lance thinks that she might’ve figured it out. 

 

“It’s nothing. I’m just worried.”

 

Which isn’t a lie. While he trusts Allura’s judgment and Lotor’s own feelings regarding the princess, Lance’s stomach is still up in knots. He can feel the back of his head tense, goosebumps rising over his arms whenever the time for them to leave ticks down. He wants to believe everything will turn out fine, but something else is crawling up behind him in warning. 

 

A foreboding of what’s to come. 

 

“What has Lotor been telling you?” Pidge asks. 

 

“I already told you,” Says Lance because this is the millionth time she has asked, “None of your business Pidgeotto.” 

 

“If something happens to Allura-”

 

The accusation makes him stop. Lance is left gaping at her, offended and right down angry. He’s furious now. A humorless laugh erupts out of him and then he scoffs. Pidge keeps on glaring at him, completely made up her mind and unable to move even an inch. Hunk is left between the two, eyes darting from one side to the other. 

 

“What, you’re calling me a traitor now?” He spits out, fists clenched and failing at keeping his voice even. Because the implication hurts, it stings for your closest friends to doubt you time and again. 

 

“You’ve been ditching dinner since he came along.” Pidge mutters, frowning, “You’re never around any of us, you seem to be perfectly content with Allura and him spending time together.” She releases a harsh breath and adds, “Ever since Keith left you’ve been…distant.”

 

“And how did you expect me to be?”

 

Pidge looks taken aback by the answer, her frown faltering. Hunk bites on his lower lip and Lance feels the urge to leave them wondering. He doesn't need to explain anything to them, he’s been dealing with this shit on his own for a while, he has no need for their input. 

 

“Lotor’s been helping me locate Keith.”

 

Lance leaves no room for questions, leaves the statement hanging. Both of his friends exchange quick looks, brief, but enough for him to see the realization flash in their eyes. Pidge’s fingers play with the edge of her bayard and Lance knows she’s embarrassed now. No, guilty.

 

“He’s alive according to his readings.” Lance continues, “He left with the Blade member he was assigned to. We still don’t know where they landed, but the pod left the planet’s atmosphere in one piece.” 

 

Another beat of silence.

 

“That’s what I’ve been doing with Lotor.”

 

Pidge’s eyes turn to the floor and Hunk finally looks at him. 

 

“I’m sorry. I’m…We weren’t there for you.”

 

Lance’s anger fizzles up. 

 

“We can talk later.” Lance heaves a sigh before adding, “ I don’t…I’m not even that mad at you guys. I’m just worried about him.”

 

They don’t have to ask who he's referring to. 

 

Lance turns away, crossing his arms and looking at the newly built ships. Allura is waving at them, Lotor hanging behind with a small smile as Coran adjusts the trajectory into space. Shiro stands closer to them, arms crossed as they silently walk over. 

 

He’s looking at Lance, curious and a bit worried. Just as Lance is about to offer him a smile, Shiro’s eyes are void. Purple and black mix together in the cornea, iris vacant, and Lance’s steps falter. The tight grip on his chest tightens, he feels it tug and tear at everything, fear instantly taking over. Lance almost loses balance at the sight, eyes barely registering what he was seeing. 

 

One blink and it’s gone.

 

“Lance?” Hunk asks and makes him turn. “What’s-”

 

“Nothing.” He says. Hunk’s concerned eyes look back to Shiro and then to Lance. There’s nothing there.

 

“I’m just tired.” Lance adds, “I probably need more sleep.”

 

The three of them reach Shiro, their Shiro. The same one that gives them a serene smile and a fond look. Nothing like the one Lance had imagined prior. Still, Lance feels the same fear tugging at his heartstrings. And it feels wrong, wrong to doubt and to fear the very same person Lance looked up to in his childhood. He bits down on his lip and tries not to think about it. 

 

Though ignoring his nagging feelings had always ended in disaster.

 

---

 

‘...Like I’m not myself.’

 

They’re in the control room when the call goes through. 

 

Lance blinks out of his stupor at the cry of the team. He turns to the transmission splayed out over the control room, the rest of his friends crowding over Allura’s vacant station. He stands and sees the image of an unknown ship, slowly trailing its way towards the Castle of Lions. Coran talks and Lance mutes him out as he nears the team, eyes instantly drifting to Shiro.

 

He’s been replaying their conversation over and over in his head. The hesitancy, the doubt, and the fear in Shiro’s voice rose goosebumps over his skin. Lance is jittery, leg bouncing the minute he sat down as he racks his memory for more evidence. Something very wrong is happening under their radar, and it had nothing to do with Prince Lotor.

 

The image changes as Lance turns. A gasp stuck in his throat makes him take a step back. He sees the person in front of them, but doesn’t recognize him. There’s familiarity in his features but Lance can’t bring himself to breathe again. The team’s surprised cries thunder inside the room, but he is unable to stutter a single word. 

 

It’s Keith.

 

Lance blinks again and Keith is still there. He hears him talk, agitated and worried all the same as Lance continues to stare up at his image. It’s been a year. He sees the longness of Keith’s hair, how it flows down over his shoulders; Broader shoulders, more grown than when he left; Sharp canines peeking out of his mouth with each syllable. He is nothing compared to the short teenager from before. 

 

Keith looks older.

 

‘You’re alive.’ Is what Lance wants to say, relief now crashing over him in a tidal wave. His knees wobble at the feeling, a heavy burden evaporating in seconds. He keeps looking at Keith’s image again and again, only registering a few words. He manages to understand ‘Lotor’, ‘Altean Colony’ and ‘I’m coming.’ And that is enough for Lance. 

 

He keeps silent, eyes wide and mouth slightly parted. Lance looks and looks, takes in all of the changes and he’s unable to utter a single word. His heart is thundering, chest going widely at the mere fact that Keith is coming to them. That Keith is finally returning home. 

 

To us, to me.

 

Keith's violet eyes briefly turn to him. Electricity runs over every nerve and limb in his body and Lance has never felt more alive. The look lasts for a second, enough for Lance to see Keith’s worry and desperation intensify. They look at each other for a beat longer before Keith turns back to the rest. 

 

The call quickly ends after that, Keith’s image disappearing and Lance lets out a heavy sigh as the team quickly assembles after the message, going down to the hangar, opening up transmissions. Lance hardly listened to the message, mind still reeling at the fact that Keith was really coming back. 

 

“Lance, you know Lotor better than any of us. Do you really think he is…” Pidge whispers to him as they all go down the hangars. Lance briefly turns to her, then sees Shiro is a few meters away, Coran trotting alongside him. 

 

“I don’t know.” He replies. “At the beginning I-I thought he might have something up his sleeve. But with Allura…” ‘ With me…’ Lance’s mind supplies and he turns down that thought, “The times I’ve talked to him, there’s nothing… I-” 

 

“He wouldn’t do that to her.” She says, then gulps, “Right?”

 

“No.” Lance says, and he’s sure, that the Lotor he knows wouldn’t hurt Allura now.

 

“Man can’t believe that was Keith.” Hunk blows a breath, mouth fighting between a smile and a grimace, “He looked different didn’t he?”

 

“Yeah. He looks…” The words slip out of his mouth. ‘Good. Sad. And so unlike him.’ His mind replies for him. Lance flushes and adds with a wave of his hand, “It’s like he aged three years when he was gone.”

 

Pidge nods along, staring right into Lance’s facade. He wouldn’t be surprised if she’s finally figured out his moodiness for the past year. If she did, she says nothing and merely hums. 

 

When the three of them enter the hangar, the mysterious ship is already there. Lance’s heart gallops and his knees shake with every step they take towards it. Shiro and Coran stand expectantly a few feet away from the ship’s entrance. 

 

There’s a slight hiss and Lance watches as a ramp slowly glides down into the floor. It makes a soft ‘thud’ against the surface and then footsteps. The sound echoes in his ears, nerves tingling and Lance knuckles feel too numb. He’s fighting himself between crying and smiling. He could care less about the circumstances they’re in. Keith was finally home. 

 

Lance hears the footsteps closer and he jerks his head up just in time to see him walking down the ramp. There’s a knot forming on his throat and he fumbles to find words to describe the feeling. A wave of relief finally crashes in, reaches every crevice in his body and unfurls the tension stored inside. It’s as if he could breathe again. 

 

His feelings have surpassed those of a mere crush. How time can change a person. Lance had grown into loving Keith all throughout his absence. And now that they’re standing a few feet away, he can’t even bring himself to speak to him. 

 

Shiro reaches him first, embraces him and Lance stops his feet from following suit. Keith reaches Shiro’s shoulders now, nothing like the kid they met in that deserted shack those years ago. Hunk and Pidge don't move, they stay rooted beside Lance, eyes switching between him and Keith. 

 

“Glad to be back.” Hearing Keith’s voice without any radio interference is different. Lance feels the tingling sensation trailing up his arms as he stores it deep into his memory. It’s rough and raspy and Lance had never thought he’d fall in love with the sound of someone’s voice. He keeps looking at Keith and as if on cue, he turns back to him. 

 

Lance forgets about everyone else in the room, he forgets about Lotor, forgets all about Allura and the danger they’re in. He only looks at Keith and everything else dissolves around him. Lance feels the knot in his chest forming again, but under different circumstances. It’s not worry, it’s nervousness. 

 

“Keith.” He finally breathes out, a mere whisper in the hangar. Keith in turn keeps looking at him, not breaking their gaze for a moment as they continue to stand in silence. Lance takes one, two steps in his direction, but then stops when Keith lifts up a hand. 

 

“We don’t have time for this Lance.”

 

Lance’s eyes widen as Keith walks right past him. 

 

It’s a slap in the face. 

 

His heart is beating out of his ribcage, the turmoil of emotions crashing inside his body. His hands are trembling, lip close to wobbling as he continues to stand there, gaze stuck on the spot where Keith used to stand. He’s suffocating, there’s not enough air in the hangar and Lance is light-headed. 

 

He continues to stand, the world tilting on its axis as he carefully turns back. Keith is talking to the team, eyes carefully trained away from Lance. It’s unnerving, how Keith’s voice floats out of this stranger’s mouth, how much they perform the same mannerisms, but still feel so distinct to the boy Lance had grown to love. 

 

Hot, red anger swallows him after that. Lance had sold himself to Lotor, had given his trust and friendship to the enemy just on the promise to find Keith. He had cried himself to sleep countless nights just after his departure. Had grown so accustomed to his absence that it left a gaping wound in his heart. And now that they’re reunited, that they’re finally together again, Keith barely has the grace to look at him?

 

Lance’s feelings have been stepped on, crushed, and thrown into the garbage right with his countless tears. It’s crushing, Lance thinks, how the one person he thought he could rely on, turned him away with just a flick of his hand. 

 

His emotions are getting the best of him, clouding his judgment and making him think the worst, but Lance can’t bring himself to think clearly. He takes in a shuddering breath, eyes glistening as he brushes away a few stray tears with his trembling hands. Lance can’t believe he’s giving Keith more of his tears. 

 

“Forgive my son,” A woman’s voice says behind him. Lance jumps out of his stupor as a Galran comes to stand next to him, features clearly resembling Keith. He can pinpoint the similarities with ease, sharp jaw and watchful eyes. She must be Keith’s mom . The woman gives him a small smile in turn when he stays silent, “He’s unusually brash today, but you understand.”

 

I understand that your son clearly doesn’t give a damn about me , is what Lance thinks of saying, but only gives her a nod. The woman frowns then, as if reading his thoughts, so Lance all but walks away, forcing himself to stand next to Hunk, eyes pointedly looking down at the floor. 

 

“Where is Lotor?” Keith demands, and Lance bites down on his lip. If he speaks he’s afraid he’s going to end up crying. He refuses to give Keith anymore of his tears, he’s shed enough for him already. Lance is such a fucking idiot. 

 

“He left with Allura.” Pidge interjects, giving Lance a side-glance. She steps a bit closer to him, Hunk still hovering nervously next to them both. “They should be on their way back with the new ship. He’s not gonna risk hurting her, he still needs her to power up the ship, and...” She stays silent a bit longer than necessary. Keith catches onto the hesitation.

 

“What?” He asks, Pidge and Hunk carefully exchanging a look. Lance keeps his eyes trained on the floor, hands still trembling next to him. 

 

“He has feelings for her.” Shiro is the one who interrupts. There’s a slight edge to his voice Lance notices. He slowly turns his way, gaze trained on his face before he notices the slight jump on the side of his neck. His eyes keep trained on the spot, watching it disappear instantly and then a muscle tenses over his jaw. “And we believe she does as well.” 

 

“Then he’s using her.”

 

Lance’s head snaps right back at Keith. The man turns with the motion, eyes instantly finding him, and drinking in his expression. Keith’s scowl becomes present afterwards, and Lance feels offended that he gave his emotions away so easily after that. 

 

“What Lance?” Keith says after he snaps his lips shut. 

 

“Nothin’.” His voice sounds clipped, vowels too close to each other and he knows that he has to stop talking. Lance darts his eyes away and Keith seems to take it as a personal offense. One, two steps and Keith stands before Lance, a good 3 inches taller than him and so unlike the boy he fell in love with. 

 

“Then why do you look so angry at the idea of Lotor using the princess?” Keith asks, blunt and honest as ever. Anger is not a prevalent emotion in his heart, Lance hardly gets angry with the people around him. But even he has his limits. 

 

And maybe it’s unfair to Keith. For him to come back to a fractured team, one barely holding on to each other while danger looms in their horizon. In the back of Lance’s mind, he knows this is no time to pour out feelings and have heart felt talks. He knows Keith would run away again before they even try to have a nice conversation. But Lance is hurt, Lance feels betrayed and Lance wants to hurt Keith as much as he’s hurt him. 

 

“He wouldn’t.” He snaps, voice icy cold and blinking back the wetness in his eyes. Lance feels Hunk’s eyes onto him, boring holes in the back of his skull but Lance can only look back at Keith’s guarded face. It makes his blood boil, how can someone shatter his feelings so easily? Shatter his heart, repair it and then turn it to ash. Lance takes a shuddering breath. “Lotor wouldn’t hurt Allura. He won’t hurt her.” 

 

“You don’t know that.” Keith says, voice tight that leaves no room for discussion. Lance has never liked giving Keith the easy way out, he’s learned his lesson after last time. 

 

“I know him. ” Lance says, and hopes, really hopes it makes Keith angry, makes him mad with fury at the prospect of Lance getting closer to the enemy. His satisfaction lasts only a second as he sees Keith’s eyes darken and jaw tighten. Lance hates himself for it. “He won’t hurt her. He’s-” 

 

“You trust him.” It’s not a question. Keith states it, voice laced with disbelief and Lance truly hates the disappointed look that comes afterwards. Keith shakes his head, frustrated and something else settling in his expression as he turns to look at him again. “Lance, Lotor was harvesting Alteans. He killed Zarkon! He’s been using Allura this whole time, this was his plan.”

 

“I don’t believe that.” I don’t believe you , goes unsaid in Lance’s mouth but Keith realizes it all the same. His eyes widened for a second, the lovely shade of purple Lance had come to love was suddenly enveloped in gold. Before he could say anything else, Keith was stepping away, “He loves her! Lotor really does love Allura, I-”

 

“You know plenty about that don’t you?” 

 

Lance’s stomach drops. 

 

Keith's words hang in the silent room, everyone’s eyes stuck on the two of them. For the first time he landed, Lance is fully able to see every detail in Keith’s face. Sees the heavy eye bags over his dried skin, flecks of dirt clinging to his cheeks and the barest hint of a stubble is peeking through. He really aged in the time he was away. 

 

While Keith’s statement has been wrong for some time, it still stings. Lance’s stomach is in knots, words lodged in his throat as he continues to look at Keith. His vision turns glassy again. 

 

“I’m sorry.” Keith says, and Lance doesn’t want to hear him. “That was... I’m sorry.” One and two steps and Keith is reaching out for him. His fingers barely grace Lance’s armor but the touch burns him. Lance pulls away. “Lance.”

 

“Doesn’t matter.” Lance says, trying to compose himself. He coughs to mask out a sniffle, his voice is too shaky and he wants to be alone again. He wants to lock himself in his room and forget everything that’s been happening. “Besides, it’s not like you care about my feelings.” 

 

“ Lance- ” There’s an edge to Keith’s voice, one Lance has never heard before, one that is bordering on desperation and regret. Not enough , is what Lance thinks as he speaks. 

 

“We don’t have time for this, Keith. ” He seethes as he says the sentence, his anger taking control over as he delivers the line. Lance wants to resolve the issue and call it a day, maybe move back into his original room and leave Keith’s once and for all. Maybe he can finally get rid of the red leather jacket he still clings to at night. “We still need a plan for when Allura gets back.”

 

---

 

It’s all a blur the moment Allura and Lotor step back into the Castle of Lions. One moment they were happily holding hands before the princess threw the newly Galran Emperor to the floor. Lance memorized the look of betrayal on Allura’s eyes, the same hurt mirrored in Lotor’s crumpled features. He was at a loss for words, unable to meet anyone’s eyes at the spectacle. Although he somewhat still trusts Lotor, he still knows that the Princess will never forgive him for what he did to the Alteans. 

 

Everything after that, Lance still can’t wrap his head around. 

 

Shiro, ever kind and generous leader they all have come to love, had turned on them. It was as if the universe was congratulating him for being right. ‘Congrats! Your dear leader is actually out to kill you all!’ Lance had lost consciousness the moment Shiro slammed him to the wall. When he woke up Shiro and Lotor were gone. 

 

It all went downhill from there. Lance had gone through all the motions, all the situations, mind numb and still unable to grasp what was really happening before his eyes. Them getting into the lions, Lotor having his own mecha to fight against them, Keith flying off to save Shiro. It was a blur of galaxies and stars, that Lance could only blink in acknowledgement. 

 

By the time he regained his sense of self, the battle was over.

 

“We have to leave.”

 

Keith’s voice. Lance blinks back the fogginess in his vision. White enveloped them all, Voltron slowly losing strength as if the vortex was sucking them in. The pressure was too much, Lance felt his arms connected to the console, head throbbing and blood seeping into his mouth. Must’ve bitten his tongue in the heat of battle. 

 

He can’t hear any of his friends, only Red’s engine getting into motion as Voltron slowly flies upwards. A patch of dark stars greeted them overhead, and a weird sense of relief overcame him. Lance leans back into the pilot’s chair, eyelids drooping with tiredness, his body is now reclaiming the lost hours of sleep. Adrenaline had kept him going this whole time, now Lance could barely move a muscle.

 

“He’s still in there.” 

 

Allura’s plea. Lance had only heard that tone once, the day she had to say goodbye to her father’s holograph. His eyes slide open, white still surrounding every surface of the pocket of space when he sees it. 

 

Lotor’s robot is unmoving. 

 

Panic swells up at the sight of it, a mix of fright and worry overtaking his senses. But a few ticks go by and the robot continues to stay still. Not a single light, beep or movement. Lance could barely make out the hatch, Lotor surely sitting in the pilot’s chamber ready to massacre them. But nothing comes either. 

 

“He’s not moving.” Allura tries again. “We can’t-”

 

“We have to go.” Keith states, a bare hint of worry and sadness into the words. It surprises Lance, to hear such emotion from him after such a long time. With a grunt, he’s able to sit up, the white environment almost blinding him, he heaves for a breath. “Our bodies can’t handle the pressure any longer, we have to leave.”

 

“We can’t leave him here!”

 

It breaks Lance’s heart to hear Allura like this. Lotor doesn’t deserve the princess’ tears, not after his true colors came to the surface. Still Lance can’t help but share the sentiment. He looks at the unmoving mecha, chanting in his head ‘Move, come on, move. Please, please-’ but nothing happens. 

 

If Lotor stays...

 

“Our lions are getting heavier.” Pidge winces “They won’t handle this atmosphere for much longer.”

 

“Yellow is close to separating, we need to go.” Hunk advises. 

 

Lance stays silent, eyes glued to Lotor’s unmoving robot. He’s still hoping for another success to happen, for another triumphant card against Voltron. And when nothing continues to happen, Lance tugs on Red’s controls. 

 

Voltron jerks forwards, the team shouting in surprise when the lions dissemble. Lance hears their screams and grunts, but he pushes forward. Red flies and gains speed as it descends into the white abyss. The pressure is becoming too much for them both as the lion’s structure begins to tremble. Blood trickles down his mouth as Lance continues to fly downward, the disconnected mecha growing closer and closer.

 

“ Lance! ” Keith shouts over the comms “Lance get back here!”

 

“I can’t leave him!” He says between mouthfuls of blood. His vision is going drowsy, the images blurring and meshing together as he and Red fly deeper. He hears Keith’s calls of his name, Allura’s sobs muffled in the background as he gives in to the pressure. 

 

The next moment he wakes up, they’re out of that pocket of space. Lance coughs against the pilot’s chair, blood trickling down his chin and staining the inside of his helmet. He tosses the thing aside with clammy hands, sweat trickling down his back as he peers into the void black space. The Castle of Lions is just ahead and Red is flying towards it. 

 

“What...” Lance’s voice comes out with a rasp, “What happened?”

 

There’s no response, just Red’s comforting grumble in the back of his mind. The comms are off, probably thanks to his lion. Lance pats the controller, hoping to convey his gratefulness. If they’d stayed any longer, who knows what would’ve become of him. He wipes away the blood of his chin, the taste of metal making him wince. 

 

As he moves to stand, a quiet groan echoes from the mouth of the lion. Lance stops, legs shaking from the continuous effort and then looks up at the ceiling, as if looking for answers with his lion. Red in turn only stays silent, still flying onwards and with no signs of the team. 

 

Lance moves quickly, knees buckling, but holding onto the walls for support. He reaches Red’s jaw, the groans coming louder and more apparent until the doors hiss open. A large chunk of metal rested at the center of Red’s mouth. Lance gaped at the thing, electric cables sizzling as it continued to power down. 

 

More groans come out and Lance climbs onto the chunk of metal. His limbs are still jittery, fingers trembling and arms straining as they try to hold him up. Lance keeps going until he finds a hatch, the pilot’s hatch and pries it open. The lid swiftly opens, a thin veil of smoke coming out as he comes face to face with Prince Lotor.

 

“I thought you hated me.” Lotor says, slumped over the pilot’s chair with blood running on the side of his face. His usual slick hair is a mess, strands everywhere and skin matted with soot and sweat. It’s the first time Lance has seen him less than perfect. It makes him smile. 

 

“Remember, I never hated you.” Lance says. “I just dislike you.”

 

Lotor stays silent and adds, “You should hate me then.”

 

Lance nods, carefully moving himself over the crevice of the hatch. Lotor continues to watch him, eyes tired and close to dropping. They stay silent for a few moments, Lance’s feet touching the control pad laid out in front of them, Red’s humming easing a bit of his nerves. 

 

“I’m not like that.” Is the thing that Lance finally decides on. Lotor as much hurt and pain he’s caused the team, Lance knows he never could’ve left him in there. A fate worse than death isn’t something he’d wish upon anyone, much less someone he once considered a comrade. He sighs and adds “Consider it my thanks, for...” Finding Keith, easing my anxieties, for listening to me. “Everything.”

 

Lotor stays silent, eyes still pinned on him. Red’s engine shuts down and they’re not moving anymore. Lance gives him another tight smile before sliding down the metal wall. He lands on Red’s mouth and slowly his lion’s head lowers down. Lance knows what Red is about to do and mentally prepares himself for the scolding of a lifetime from everyone on the team. Not only that, but to face Keith again is making his stomach churn.

 

He must’ve had a troubled look on his face, because Lotor says, “Your Black Paladin is lucky to be loved by someone like you.” 

 

Lance blinks in surprise as Lotor continues to stare at him. Neither speak anymore, the air tense with anticipation and Lance can only avert his eyes at the confession. His thoughts instantly drift back to Keith as Red slowly opens his jaw and the light filters in.

 

The hurt is still a fresh wound in his heart. With every word, and accusation thrown at him, Lance was hurt by Keith, intentional or not. And yet, knowing what he knows now, he’s come to accept the fact that if presented with the decision to walk through the same path once again, he would. He would cry for Keith, bargain with Lotor, give up on Allura and fall for Keith all the same. Lance was helpless to prevent it.

 

He steps out into the Castle of Lions, head throbbing and heart going a mile and hour. Pidge and Hunk get to him first. He feels the impact of their hug, the three of them falling backwards onto the floor as Hunk’s cries ring in Lance’s ears.

 

“You big fucking idiot!” Pidge yells, face hidden over Lance’s neck as she hugs the oxygen out of him. Hunk cries, eyes bloodshot and arms encircling them both. They’re all shaking whether from the onslaught of emotions or their adrenaline high, is a mystery. Pidge starts to shake next to him and Lance can’t help but to start crying too. 

 

“I couldn’t-t-” Lance hiccups, tears spilling freely down his cheeks. His emotions are getting the best of him, prying him open for everyone to see as the events of the past 48 hours starts to sink in. He tries to quell his sobs, but the tears keep coming, shuddering with every breath he takes. Lance shakes his head, “I-I had to.”

 

With watery eyes a shadow falls over him. Allura kneels next to his head, hands carefully combing his hair back as Pidge and Hunk continue to cry. Small droplets fall onto his face, and Lance notices that Princess Allura is also crying. They cross eyes and she covers her own glistening ones with a trembling hand. But the droplets keep coming and everyone can clearly distinguish the quivering in her shoulders. 

 

“I’m sorry Allura.” Lance says between sniffs, breath hiccuping out. She shakes her head and with a small sob turns back to him. 

 

“Thank you for getting him out.” Her voice breaks mid-sentence. Her eyes are red and puffy, dried tear tracks still adorning her cheeks, and Lance knows she’s been crying non-stop since they landed on the Castle of Lions. His heart breaks for her, for how everything turned out. “ I-I hate him . I don’t want to be near him, never again. But, I still...”

 

Lance knows the feeling well and simply nods. Allura sobs again and now fully starts crying, frame shaking and tears falling freely now. Coran is now next to her, simply placing a hand over her shoulder and looking away. 

 

They stay like that for a long time.

 

---

 

Lance finds Keith in his room. 

 

Well, finds him in Keith’s former room.

 

“I moved some things around.” Is the first sentence out of Lance’s mouth. He turns his eyes away, fleeting over all of his belongings strewn over the room. Keith’s old jacket lies rumpled on the bed. “I’ll just take them out, with the evacuation and-”

 

“You were staying here?”

 

Keith’s voice comes out a hoarse whisper. Lance doesn’t dare to look up at him, he’s still too angry, too hurt to hold back his tongue. He lets out a quiet scoff and Keith turns to him instantly. Any words that might be uttered now are a bomb between the two. Lance wonders if maybe he romanticized the idea of reuniting with Keith now. They were nothing when he left, and they are still nothing the moment he stepped into the Castle of Lions. 

 

“My stuff’s here isn’t it?” Lance opts to say, tone barely containing the anger lacing between his words. Keith doesn’t say anything, keeps quiet and turns back to look around the room. Lance has to fight down the urge to walk over to the bed and hide the jacket, the clear evidence that he’s been missing Keith more than he let on. He doesn’t want Keith to know how much he needs him.

 

“Why?”

 

“Why what?” Lance asks, playing the fool again. He doesn’t want to give Keith the easy way out, doesn’t want to give out all of the answers he so desperately wants. Maybe that’s selfish of him to do, but Lance is prideful. If Keith wants answers, let him ask the hard questions.

 

“Why did you...” Keith turns to the bed, eyes instantly catching onto the main culprit of the scene. Lance watches as his gaze stays on the jacket, mouth barely opening as the rest of the question hangs in the silence. Keith takes his old jacket between his hands, the fabric wrinkled but still clinging to Lance’s own scent. 

 

The silence that follows hangs heavy in the air. Lance keeps his arms crossed, eyes downcast as Keith continues to stand there, jacket in hand. With everything that just happened Lance knows they don’t have time to just hang around and stare at each other. He’d much rather pack all of his stuff and lock himself up in Red. He’d get some peace of mind after that whirlwind of emotions.

 

“Keith, we have to go.” Lance says, trying to sound curt and void of any emotion. He lets out a breath, shakier than intended but continues on, “We still have to pack, we can... discuss this later.” He’s lying, of course Lance is lying. He’ll pretend this thing never happened; pretend he never clung to Keith’s jacket at night, and pretend he never had feelings for this man in the first place. 

 

“That can wait.” Almost as if catching onto his lie, Keith turns back to him. He walks towards Lance, and before he can take a step back Keith is already latching onto one of his wrists. Lance looks up, for the first time since they got back and sees the golden specks again. “We need to talk.”

 

“ Now you want to talk?” Lance mutters, masking the broken syllables. There’s a heaviness in Keith’s gaze, one that Lance is unfamiliar with. Something happened when he was away, when he came back with Shiro. His eyelids are red, almost as if he’d been crying and rubbed on the skin too much. Lance pretends he doesn’t notice. Instead he says, “There’s nothing to talk about Keith.” 

 

Keith shakes his head and steps closer. Lance takes one back, before he’s caged against the entrance door. Keith is still holding onto his wrist, desperation flashing over his eyes as he continues to look down at him. Lance is bare under such intensity, feelings displayed out in the open as Keith still holds onto the jacket with his other hand. 

 

Lance hates himself from the butterflies that take flight in his stomach at the proximity. 

 

“There is. Distancing yourself from the team, trusting Lotor, risking your life for him-” Keith growls, clear anger rising on his features at the memory back when he saved the prince. “Lance, I don’t get it. I-I don’t get you anymore.” 

 

Lance’s heart clenches at the last statement. He tries to pull away, but Keith’s hold is steady and unwavering. “L-Let me go. Keith, please-” 

 

“No.” Keith leans in, and Lance sees those desperate eyes even closer, “Not until you tell me what’s going on with you?” 

 

“W-What do you want me to tell you Keith?” He spits out the question harder than intended. He’s growing frustrated and Keith is still holding onto him. Lance needs to leave before he says something he’ll regret. “That I don’t fit in, that I’m the spare one, that Voltron is fine without me. You already know all of that!”

 

“Don’t say that! It’s not true!” Keith yells back and Lance bristles.

“Then what do you want to hear, huh?” Lance laughs, the truth rushing out of his mouth in waves now. He’s too tired to keep crying, but his feelings betray him once more. “That no one on the team listens to me? That I missed you so much I couldn’t think straight when you were gone? That I made a deal with Lotor to know you were safe when you disappeared?! Is that it?! Will that satisfy you Keith?!” 

 

Keith stays silent after that and Lance’s mouth continues to talk, “God, How do you want me to act? You left . You left and the Blade told us you were missing. And now that you’re back you don’t even have the decency to talk to me. To even look at me!” Lance sniffs, tears gathering at his eyelids as he keeps going, “Y-You brushed me aside as if I was nothing -”

 

“You’re everything to me.” Keith rushes to say, jacket now slipping to the floor as he gently cups Lance’s face. The touch makes him shiver, still trying to pull away but there’s nowhere to run. Tears are now rolling down his cheeks and Keith is quick to brush them away. “Lance, I wanted to run back to you the moment I left. I never thought you'd...”

 

Lance is openly crying now, tears still escaping his eyes and Keith brushing each one away. He’s trying to quell down his sobs, small hiccups leaving his mouth, and he’s trembling too much. He tugs his wrist away and this time Keith lets him, and doesn't fight back. 

 

“I thought leaving would be the best for you.”

 

A beat and Lance hates himself for being the cruel one now.

 

“It was the worst you could’ve done for me.”

 

He cries harder now, muffling his sniffles with his hands as Keith cups his face between his own. He brushes every tear away with utmost tenderness and the affection there is making him cry even harder. The sadness and hurt swelling inside him are too big to stop now. They are rolling off of him like ocean waves, one crashing against the shore harder than the next. Lance is adrift, drowning in his own sadness.

 

There’s a curse and then Keith is hugging him. Lance is stunned for a moment. Keith presses him against his chest, face nestled over the crook of his neck and arms safely cradling his body. It surprises him how easily they fit together like this. 

 

“I’m sorry.” Keith apologizes, voice muffled against the top of his head. Hearing those words makes his stomach roll into itself, and Lance’s hands grip the back of Keith’s uniform now. It’s like an anchor amidst the endless raging sea. “I’m sorry for not seeing it sooner. Fuck, I-I shouldn’t have assumed you didn’t feel the same. I didn’t want to pressure you, and you came to me with all of these thoughts, I had to do something.”

 

The admission coming from Keith makes his heart break in two. A sob rips out of his throat and then another, and another. Lance clings to Keith, face buried in his chest and arms shaking as he cries. Keith doesn’t move a muscle, keeps his hold safe around Lance and starts to rub soothing circles around his trembling back. 

 

One of his hands comes to cradle the back of his head, fingers slightly combing the end of his curls. The touch is familiar, soothing him into soft sniffles and quiet whimpers as the minutes tick by. Lance’s heart hangs heavy inside his chest, no tears left to shed now. A part of him refuses to feel embarrassed at the shameful display, but Lance still feels the raw hurt of Keith rejecting him. 

 

“I shouldn’t have brushed you off like that.” Keith whispers, still hugging him, still combing his hair. Lance only sniffles once more, eyes closing as he listens to Keith’s soft breathing. “I’ve missed you everyday. I was afraid I’d be too impulsive the moment I saw you again. Thought you and Allura might’ve... I’m sorry.”

 

Lance only nods against his chest, throat raw and hoarse. His head is pounding, throbbing and he’s growing a bit drowsy now that those raging emotions have been quelled. He nuzzles closer to Keith, his arms loosening their hold bit, but still encircling his waist. Keith’s lips press a small kiss to the top of his head. 

 

“I’m sorry too.” Lance mutters, voice raspy but now devoid of any resentment now. His anger has dissipated, it isn’t gone, and Lance knows there’s things he still needs to talk about with Keith, but for now, he’s satisfied. “For how things turned out.”

 

Keith plants another kiss and Lance takes it as a sign of peace. 

 

They continue to stay like that, hugging and basking in each other’s presence. Lance has found a safe heaven between Keith’s arms and he refuses to let go so easily. Luckily for him, Keith is unwilling to part ways with him, as his forehead drops onto his shoulder.

 

“Is that why you moved in here, why you made my room your personal home?” Keith’s breath tickles his skin and Lance never thought he’d be able to feel it again. “The reason why my jacket lay rumpled in your bed?”

 

Lance isn’t brave enough to fully admit it. “I really missed you.”

 

“Lance.” Is the last thing Keith says before embracing him fully again. Keith’s face rests over his shoulder, mouth close to his neck and Lance shivers at the close contact. He stays in the same position, clinging to every part of Keith’s body his hands could touch. 

 

Minutes continue to pass and they stay in each other’s arms. Lance blocks everything from the outside world, every intrusive thought daring to cross his mind, he only wants to bask in Keith’s love and attention, lay on his chest and breathe. A heavy burden has been lifted from his shoulders and Lance is finally able to take in a deep breath.

 

“I didn’t want to tell you how much your parting affected me.” Lance mutters into their hug. Keith hums in acknowledgement, head moving towards his voice, mouth now inches away from his skin. “That wasn’t fair to you. I burdened you with all of these insecurities and you assumed-”

 

“You’re not a burden Lance. Not to me, never to me.” Keith leans back, facing Lance head on. There’s a clarity in his gaze, something that helps him ground himself. The hand cradling Lance’s head now slowly glides down to cup his cheek. The touch is so tender that it makes his heart ache. 

 

“Still, I never intended to push you to make such a decision.” Lance says, face leaning into Keith’s touch with a sigh. His cheeks are pink with embarrassment and his eyes probably look red and puffy from crying. And yet Keith can’t seem to tear his eyes away from him. “I should’ve told you how I felt.”

 

“It’s the same for me.” Keith says with a chuckle and Lance’s lips twitch into a smile. Keith’s eyes soften at the gesture. “Would’ve saved us a lot of trouble.” 

 

It’s too late to erase what they both did in the past, Lance knows that. A bitterness still rises at the thought of what could’ve happened if Keith had stayed by their side. Would Lance still feel as useless as of right now? Would he befriend Lotor if Keith was there alongside him? Would these strong feelings persist in such situations?

 

It’s a mystery now, and Lance has to come to terms with it. With everything that happened and everything that is laid out in front of him now. He’s still angry at Keith for making such a decision and he knows Keith is still angry at him for risking his life for Lotor. Decisions both of them made out of their goodness in their hearts. 

 

“I couldn’t leave Lotor there.” Lance says, not an apology, but giving Keith his reasoning. It’s the least he can offer him after Keith admitted the reason behind leaving for the Blade. “It was rash and dangerous, but he didn’t deserve that fate.”

 

“You could’ve died.” Keith’s jaw tightens, almost as if the words are difficult to get out. 

 

“You could’ve died too.”

 

They continue to stare at each other, neither one relenting in their decisions. Keith breaks first, a sigh before he nods. Lance’s shoulders relax and he adds, “I’m sorry for worrying you.”

 

Keith’s thumb rubs small circles over Lance’s cheek, his skin turning pink at the contact. Lance sighs and leans more into the touch, fingers still holding onto the back of Keith’s uniform. Keith pulls him closer, one arm circling his waist and their foreheads are touching now, Lance having to look up to fully see Keith’s face.

 

“I just hate that you risked yourself over him.”

“He wasn’t that bad.” Keith’s glare returns and Lance can’t help the chuckle bubbling out of him “Maybe you shouldn’t be worrying about Allura winning me over, but rather a certain Galran Prince.”

 

Keith scoffs, eyes rolling, but a clear tension working on his jaw. Lance openly laughs now, and shakes his head. He shouldn’t press Keith’s jealousy too much, but well he deserves a little fun after everything they went through, “He was close to confessing when I rescued him you know?” 

 

“I’m gonna bite his head off.” Keith growls, fangs peeking out and Lance has to suppress his laugh. Keith’s eyes look murderous, his hold over his waist tightening ever so slightly and Lance swoons at the clear jealousy displayed right in front of him. 

 

Keith catches onto his happy gaze and all of that frustration melts away from him. He lets out a sigh, something akin to relief and leans to connect their foreheads together. Lance closes his eyes, finally letting himself be safe and content in the arms of the man who’s brought him so much love and grievances.

 

“If making me jealous makes you this happy, please continue to do it.” Keith mutters, “I can’t stand the thought of you feeling sad and me being the reason why.”

 

“It’s not your fault I have these...feelings inside me.” Lance whispers, leaning even closer now. They’re noses are brushing together ever so slightly and he hears Keith’s breath hitch. He’s tempted to close the distance, connect their lips, but he adds “Besides, as I could fall for Lotor, when I’ve been in love with you for such a long time.” 

 

He doesn’t know who moves first, but a breath later and they’re kissing. 

 

Kissing Keith is more than he ever dreamed out. Countless nights he spent crying into his jacket, wondering if he was still alive and now, Keith’s kissing him as if they had all the time in the world. Lotor doesn’t matter, the Castle of Lions being ejected into space is too far out of their minds, and the only thing Lance can marvel at is Keith’s soft lips.

 

Their mouths move in sync, opening up and chasing each other’s breaths as the kiss grows with intensity. It’s a slow movement, but Keith is pressing him chest to chest, drowning out every sound Lance is making with his eager lips. Lance’s hands slide up towards Keith’s shoulder blades, fingers trailing down and up, over and over again. 

 

Lance parts for a moment to take a breath, but Keith is there again to connect their lips once more. They’re relentless, too keyed up in the moment to notice the banging on the door. Keith mutters a curse between the kisses, but does nothing to stop himself. Lance pants, trying to regain his footing as there’s another set of knocks.

 

“W-What is it?” He says, voice too high and he has to bite back a moan once Keith leans down to kiss his neck. Lance trembles in his arms, holding onto his back for support. Keith is ravenous, mouth pressing in deep and long kisses into his skin, fangs gracing the juncture of his neck. Lance tries to step back, but he’s only met with the wall behind him and Keith only presses closer. 

 

“Lance?” Hunk asks, confusion evident in his voice, “I thought you were already with Red? Have you finished packing up? Where’s Keith?”

 

“H-He’s-” Lance bites down another moan as Keith laps at a point just below his ear. Keith smiles against his skin and presses another long kiss to that patch of skin. Lance has to bite down on his bottom lip to keep himself from crying out, “I-I think he was with his Mom!”

 

“He’s not with me.” Krolia’s voice reaches their ears and Lance knows a disaster when he hears one. “I followed his smell and it led me here. Is he by any chance with you?”

 

A beat of silence and Keith mumbles, “I’m a little busy mom.”

 

“So it seems. Your and Lance’s scent is mixing quite splendidly, I might say.” Krolia says and Lance knows there’s a smirk plastered right on her lips. “We’ll see you at the hangar then, don’t make us wait too long.” 

 

There’s a brief pause before the retreating set of footsteps follow. Lance is mortified, red in the face but a few nervous giggles tumble past his mouth once he sees Keith’s expression. He laughs even harder when he hears Keith’s muttered curses. 

 

“Been waiting to see you for two years and she can’t even let me enjoy it.” He grumbles out, hugging him back and dropping more butterfly kisses to his cheeks and jaw. Lance smiles against the kisses, his cheeks hurting from smiling too much and he wonders, when was the last time that happened? 

 

Despite the grief Keith caused him, he’s now the reason why Lance can’t stop smiling. 

 

“We should go meet the others.” Lance breathes out after Keith pressed another lingering kiss on his mouth. Keith grumbles in annoyance and drops another quick kiss. 

 

“I don’t want to be away from you.” Keith says between chaste kisses. “Ever.” Another, “Again.” 

 

“We’ll only be away a few hours, until we find a planet to rest on.” Lance says, trying to be reasonable but Keith still grumbles back, hugging him a tad bit closer. He laughs and adds with a wink “We can video call each other, we’ll have a loooong journey ahead. Besides, you have to tell me all about your space ranger adventures.”

 

Keith concedes with a smile, one Lance had never seen before. The openness and adoration brimming in his violet eyes makes Lance’s heart drop in his stomach. Makes him stammer out another nervous laugh and grab Keith’s hand before saying, “Let’s go Samurai, they’re still waiting for us and we still have to pack.”

 

Keith doesn’t say anything, merely helps him gather up his things. They work quickly, Lance storing all of his belongings into his arms. Keith does the same, picking and neatly folding Lance’s clothing and photographs displayed on the walls. Once the room’s empty, Lance stands next to Keith, a weird sense of nostalgia enveloping him. Keith merely watches him and then drapes his old red jacket over Lance’s shoulders. 

 

“It’s yours.” Keith says when Lance looks up at him. “For waiting for me, and for everything else. A part of me will always be yours Lance.” 

 

Lance smiles, throat tight as he takes Keith’s hand into his own. Keith smiles at the contact, bringing their joined hands and dropping a sweet kiss on Lance’s palm. 

 

“Let’s go.” Lance says, tugging them both out of the room they shared throughout their myriad of feelings “I want to reach that planet as soon as possible so I can kiss you again.”

 

Keith laughs, following him out and Lance throws one last lingering look at the room. It’s empty and devoid of everything Lance holds dear. He doesn’t need the comfort of Keith’s old room, not anymore. Not when Keith stands next to him, hands intertwined, stopping every once in a while to drop a kiss on his hair, forehead or cheeks. Lance smiles at the affection and turns back to his boyfriend.

 

He’s fine just like this.

Notes:

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so for some reason i had written 10k for this fic and i never even finished it. like what in the world haha anywaysss here's my attempt at finishing what past me tried to do and well so far im pretty fond of this one haha im still working on some others so look out for those. and as for inspiration thank taylor swift for this song, perfect for these two during season 4 through 6.