Island in the Sun

by idiotlovesongs

Summary:

The change from space was like night and day. Cuba’s sun was actively trying to burn him, the bugs were eating him alive, and this sedentary lifestyle was starting to cause an itch under his skin he couldn’t explain, but he would bear it all for Lance.

If only Lance would officially break things off with Allura.

Chapter 1: Intro

Keith knew what he was doing wasn’t right, but, technically, Lance and Allura weren’t dating. Both made that very clear in private calls; One growing more and more frustrated with every update.

 

(“So, how are things going with Allura?”

 

“The usual. She wants to focus on the new Altea right now. Like fucking always.”)

 

(“How are things going with Lance, by the way?”

 

“You know how things are. We’re waiting until I have things set up here before going into anything. It would be unfair to expect him to come to New Altea when I’m so busy.”)

 

In Keith’s opinion, Allura was dragging him along without meaning to, and Lance hated himself too much to call it quits. 

 

This is why Keith didn’t have too many qualms about sticking his tongue down Lance’s throat.

 

All those years of passively staring at Lance’s perfect lips culminated every time Lance leaned in for a kiss and Keith finally got to feel the press of his plush lips. They were in a lazy kiss. Lance didn’t give Keith much time to blink the sleepiness out of his eyes before sliding a leg over Keith’s hip and kissing him. Lance probably hadn’t meant to let it get so out of hand, but Keith’s hands on his ass encouraged him.

 

Keith was meant to be visiting Shiro and Adam, but, due to some timing issues, Keith was staying with Lance until they returned from vacation. The plan wasn’t to be staying in Lance’s bed, but that was an added perk to being in Cuba. It made him never want to leave.

 

Lance’s air conditioner was broken, so all the windows were open. There was a humid cloud that choked Keith no matter where he went. It was better in the morning though, so when Lance pressed Keith into his bed, it wasn’t suffocating. The low heat that settled in his gut matched the heat around them. Being with Lance was like basking in the sun to Keith. When he was reading on the couch under Keith’s arms, it felt like catching stray rays of sunshine through a window. When he was above Keith like he was now, it was the pulsing heat of a languid Sunday morning. The sour taste of Lance’s morning breath, feeble thrusts, and cold, gentle hand trailing down Keith’s neck, created a domestic image in Keith’s mind that made his chest go tight. Goosebumps raised where he was touched, and he leaned into the golden rays. It tasted like vulnerability, smelled like safety, and felt like forever.  

 

The white curtains blew gently, and a whisper of relief came in along with the earthy scent of morning dew on the grass. 

 

Being so close to another person in these conditions wasn’t ideal still. Keith didn’t need Lance to put more sweat on his brow, but Keith dealt with the sweat rolling down his back happily while Lance rutted against him. Keith’s cock grew harder with each piece of short friction. Sleep still had him loose-limbed and relaxed, so he let Lance take what he wanted from him.

 

Lance pulled away to sit on top of Keith’s thighs, waiting for Keith to follow.

 

“Good morning.” Keith ran his hands over Lance’s legs as he gave a lazy smile. Lance was on his lap with an impatient expression and ruffled hair, a poor king being made to wait on his throne. If Keith was a stronger man, he would have admired the way Lance’s broad shoulders tapered off into a tiny waist for longer, but he couldn’t let Lance get too far. “Sleep well?” 

 

“Always sleep good with you here,” Lance purred, his voice still deep from sleep and arousal swirled in Keith’s stomach. He kissed Keith’s temple and ran his fingers through Keith’s hair, kickstarting his heart rate. The quiet smile on Lance’s face told Keith that Lance could feel it.

 

They were constantly in each other’s space now. Clammy hand in clammy hand while they walked through Lance’s land, back to chest with legs tangled while a movie played on Lance’s TV, and quick punches, kicks, and body checks, while they sparred. There wasn’t a piece of flesh on either of them that lacked affection from the other.

 

He kissed down the expanse of Lance’s browned neck, nipping at the sensitive skin. He was tanner than he had ever been in space. The sun in Cuba was treating him better than Keith. The red and flaking skin on his shoulders was still hot and angry, but that meant Lance would rub aloe vera while Keith tried not to twitch and shiver under his hands. The muted red on Lance’s face that ran down his neck and dispersed across the top of his chest was solely caused by Keith.

 

A shutter wracked through Lance as Keith caught a bead of sweat on his tongue and dragged his tongue up the trail his sweat made, replacing it with his sticky spit. He gave a tug at Keith’s hair that sent painful sparks through his scalp. The first time Lance tried to pull his hair, he did it because Keith bit painfully into his shoulder. When Keith’s face came into view again, his breath was coming out in small puffs and his eyes had turned glassy. It lit something inside him, and his cock jumped and pulsed in his boxers. Keith tilted his face up and Lance caught his lips again.

 

Lance, the saint that he is, avoided Keith’s shoulder and ran his other hand up and down his torso while rocking his hips into Keith. The erection at the front of his running shorts jerked against Keith’s stomach. The feeling had Keith buzzing under his skin. Keith grabbed Lance’s ass and pulled Lance into him harder causing his legs to part further.

 

“Mmph- Keith,” Lance panted, pulling away. Lance rubbed down from where his leg met his hip down to his knee. “My leg hurts.”

 

“Lay down,” Keith gestured to the space to his left with a nod.

 

Lance winced quietly as he swung his leg back over, so he could crawl back on his side. He dropped his chest and the rest of his body followed in an erotic roll. His ass gave a small bounce as his pelvis met the bed. He tucked his pillow under his chin and chest, causing his back to arch slightly in a way that made saliva collect in Keith’s mouth and precum collect in his underwear. Lance brought his leg that wasn’t hurting up next to him. It was a sensual pantomime of how he actually slept.

 

“Tease,” Keith said playfully. His voice was still gravely from lack of use, and the word crackled up his throat.

 

“You only think it’s teasing ‘cause you like to watch. No one’s stopping you from touching.” Lance pressed his cheek into his pillow so he could look at Keith. 

 

Keith shook his head with a quiet huff. “Yeah, right. Like you wouldn’t get pissed at me for not admiring the show you put on.” Keith climbed on top of Lance to kiss up his spine, lips molding to the individual ridges.

 

“I work very hard to turn you on,” He hummed. “Even though I really don’t need to.”

 

Keith gave a quick sharp bite to Lance’s shoulder causing him to gasp softly and jerk his hips into the mattress. Keith gave a breathy whine at the feeling of Lance’s hips. His blood was replaced with hot honey which swirled, sticky and slow. Keith licked across the area just to feel the indents of his teeth. Lance whimpered at the possessive gesture.

 

Lance wasn’t wrong. Keith could pop a semi at Lance bending over to grab something while he cooked. Fortunately for Keith, that would just lead to kitchen sex. Unfortunately for both of them, it would also lead to burnt and forgotten food. “Big talk from a man who jumped me before I could even say good morning.”

 

“Nng,” Lance moaned as Keith sat up to grind his hips on Lance’s ass and squeezed his waist. Keith was obsessed with the feeling of Lance in his hands. The hot flesh had a give to it that made Keith almost feel like they could meld into one if they held on tight enough.  “Are you complaining?”

 

“Does it sound like I am?” Keith’s face flushed as the friction caused relief to flood his veins. He shuddered at the feeling. Lance tried to press his ass back, but Keith held him down, digging his thumbs into his back in a punishing mimicry of a massage. It was a little mean, but Keith learned Lance liked that about him. Lance’s whine gave away to a little huff as he sunk back into the bed, boneless and unsatisfied. Keith leaned back over Lance to nose at the side of Lance’s neck before saying in a low voice, “Don’t pout. I don’t want you to make your leg hurt more.” 

 

Lance lifted his head to look over his shoulders. Big brown eyes bored into Keith and pretty lips sweetly said, “Then fuck me. Come on, Samurai, I’m still loose from last night. Feels like you’re still in me.”

 

Keith hooked a finger beneath Lance’s shorts, tugging them down slowly. Lance stretched his leg out for a moment while Keith slipped his clothing off of him. 

 

 “Can you grab the lube?” Keith sat back on his heels as he admired Lance’s naked form. The stark contrast between his brown back and almost white bottom caused a fluttery feeling in his chest. It made him feel giddy that he was the only one who got to see this side of Lance. It was a side of Lance that not even the sun got to witness.

 

“Hmm,” Lance gave a dissatisfied hum that Keith was sure was accompanied by a pout even though he couldn’t see Lance’s face.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry, am I asking too much of you?” Keith leaned over him to reach for the lube, snagging a condom as well, they had on the nightstand. It couldn’t have been more than two feet away from Lance. He wouldn’t have even had to stretch his arm out all the way to grab it. Keith knew this mood of his though. He knew when Lance just wanted to lie down and be taken care of, feel the weight of Keith on top of him pressing him into the mattress, and moan and complain when Keith wasn’t doing things exactly the way he wanted. 

 

Lance, even at his pickiest and prissiest, always got what he wanted in the end, but not without a little teasing.

 

“Poor baby. You work so hard all day and all night to be a good host for me, huh?” The pop of the bottle cap caused Lance to tense, and Keith’s mouth watered at the way his muscles rippled. He swallowed hard as he added a dollop of lube on the tip of his cock. He watched as Lance buried his head in the pillow with a quiet groan at the sound of the quiet crinkle of the condom wrapper. The anticipation left Keith with a prickly feeling under his skin. He let out a shaky sigh as he rolled the condom on his aching dick. “I should be taking care of you, not giving you more to do.”

 

Keith added more lube on top of the rubber and ran his hand down his length, shuttering. “I’m going in.”

 

“Keith,” Lance groaned loudly, pulling his face away from the pillow. It wasn’t the kind of groan Keith wanted to hear though. “Say it literally any other way. I beg and plead.”

 

“Jesus Christ, how do you want me to say it, oh master of dirty talk? You wanted a warning. I just gave you one.” Keith huffed. The sexual energy in the room had been effectively sucked out. Keith wished he could say it was a rare occurrence, but the two had a habit of ruining any moment.

 

“Master is a good start,” Lance looked back at Keith to give him a quick wink and cheeky smirk. 

 

“Lance, I’m gonna fuck you now.” 

 

“You mean mast— ah fuck. ” 

 

Lance hid his face in his pillow as Keith started sinking his cock into Lance’s hole.

 

The relief was almost immediate for Keith, and it’s a tight fit. Lance’s hot walls constrict him, almost trying to push him out as Lance attempts to relax. Keith stopped pressing in to give Lance a breather. Maybe he should have insisted on prepping Lance, but he trusted that Lance knew what he needed.

 

Keith was content with peppering Lance’s shoulders with kisses and love bites as he waited for Lance to adjust.

 

“More,” Lance choked out, keening when Keith fed him more of his cock. He reached a hand back and found the back of Keith’s head, gripping the hair he found.

 

Keith gasped and his hips bucked without meaning to, and suddenly, he was fully pressed against Lance. His chest met Lance’s back, and they were both slick with sweat. Every shift caused their skin to glide over each other. It was a searing heat that had Keith panting softly into Lance’s ear. 

 

“You okay?” Keith muttered into Lance’s ear, leaving a teasing bite on his earlobe.

 

“Yeah,” Lance hummed. His hand clenched and unclenched rhythmically in Keith’s hair. Keith could feel how he melted into the sheets, letting go of every muscle he had unconsciously tightened. Keith loved this feeling. He loved it when Lance finally relaxed, and finally gave himself to Keith fully. “Just give me a sec. Fuck, you feel good. One of these days, I’m gonna tie you down and ride you until you can’t see straight. Make you see stars until you can only think of me when you see the real deal. Make sure you can’t go back to space without thinking of me. Fuck, I’ll Pavlov’s dog you into get hard every time you see the stars.”

 

Despite Keith’s lack of patience in other scenarios, he found no issue keeping still here, even with how shaky his limbs felt, even with the buzzing he felt in his bones. He loved this moment when a loose-limbed Lance also turned into a loose-lipped Lance. Mouthy out of bed and in bed to no one’s surprise. Lance spit pleasurable promises out phrased like threats that sent shudders through Keith. A satisfied purr emanated from Keith’s chest, and he brought his arms around Lance. 

 

“Does my kitty like the sound of that?”

 

“Wish I could keep you like this forever. Right here on my dick. Under me. Or over me.”

 

Lance hummed, grinding his cock against the sheets. “I’d let you. We don’t ever have to leave this bed.” 

 

“Should make you a mold of me. Keep you open for me always. If I ever have to leave, you’ll still have something to keep warm. Both of us will be forced to think of each other.” Keith’s hips chased Lance as they moved, providing the barest amount of stimulation that still sent sparks through Keith.

 

“My birthday’s coming up.”

 

Keith groaned, forehead falling against the nape of Lance’s neck, as he pulled back just to push right back inside him. He pictured it. He pictured Lance in bed alone, thinking about Keith and thrusting a dildo in the shape of Keith’s cock inside of him. He pictured coming home of Lance holding it inside of him. Lance would make the two of them sit through a welcome home dinner and then punish Keith for leaving as if making him wait wasn’t enough. It would be cruel and sweet all at the same time, a testament to how much Lance cared.

 

The thought was overwhelming, and Keith latched his teeth into the skin at the back of Lance’s neck as he continued to thrust.

 

“Fuck!” Lance cried out, hips twitching back. “Yeah, keep going.”

 

Keith’s arms came under Lance’s shoulders, and his hands held onto Lance’s shoulders. It was like an intimate full nelson. Keith released Lance’s neck, kissing the middle of the mark before moving to mark other parts of him.

 

Lance gasped. “Oh, God.”

 

The heat swelled around them. The sun peeking up from the East turned harsh and bold, but Keith continued at an easy pace, sucking love bites into his shoulders. Lance gently bounced with every thrust, but Keith’s grip on him kept him from getting away. 

 

“Fuck me just like that. Fuck me like you love me.”

 

An oppressive veil of humidity blanketed them, but Keith kept himself pressed against Lance’s back like he could shield him. The feeling was dizzying. Keith didn’t think too hard about what Lance meant when he said that. He just accepted that this must have been what love felt like. Love was fucking on a lazy Sunday when it was getting to be far too hot to be having skin-to-skin contact with someone. Keith could buy that. He purred louder and nuzzled at Lance’s neck.

 

It didn’t take long for Lance to cum like this with Keith holding onto him like someone was threatening to take him away. He was squeezing Keith so tightly that it was almost impossible to pull out. 

 

Keith wasn’t far behind. He could feel his orgasm coming in the same way you could smell rain coming. He buried his face in Lance’s neck before moving down and biting down on his shoulder. Lance’s overstimulated whines were like music to his ears. Keith gave a final rough thrust inside Lance again and emptied himself into the condom. He grinded his hips deeper despite his orgasm making his knees weak, riding out his orgasm. 

 

He pulled his teeth out of Lance. Little pearls of blood were trying to spill from Lance’s shoulder where his canines punctured his skin, but Keith lapped at the blood without hesitation until they stopped. The iron and heady taste bloomed on Keith's tongue making his cock twitch. He placed another kiss on the nape of his neck, right at the center of the bite mark he left. It was already leaving a proud bruise.  

 

“Keith, get off of me.” Lance rolled his shoulder so Keith would get the message.

 

With a quiet huff, Keith sat up and pulled out his softening cock. His face twitched as he unrolled the condom to tie it off and throw it into the corner of the room much to Lance’s dismay. This, however, did not stop Lance from cuddling up to Keith on his side of the bed.

 

They were hot and sticky, but Keith still embraced Lance when he settled on Keith’s chest.

 

“Are you coming with us today?” Keith gently ran his fingers over Lance’s forearm.

 

“Ha. Last time I tried running with you and Kosmo, I threw up. I’m good.” Lance sighed, nuzzling into Keith’s neck. Keith suppressed a full-body shudder that threatened to overtake him. “I’ll replace the sheets while you’re gone.”

 

“How are you gonna get better at running if you don’t practice?” Keith asked knowing that Lance likely didn’t want to improve.

 

“How am I supposed to walk to get my coffee—let alone run—after you fucked me so well?” Lance asked with faux innocence as he rested his chin on Keith’s pec to look up at him.

 

Keith narrowed his eyes. “Okay, so this means we should wait until after our run to have sex.”

 

“No, no, no, no, this means I’m not going, and you should bring me coffee.” Lance pecked his lips. “A quarter milk and two teaspoons of sugar please.”

 

Keith saw his future unfold rapidly in front of him. It was mundane and full of devotion and love, and it was with Lance on Earth.

 

The change from space was like night and day. Cuba’s sun was actively trying to burn him, the bugs were eating him alive, and this sedentary lifestyle was starting to cause an itch under his skin he couldn’t explain, but he would bear it all for Lance.

 

If only Lance would officially break things off with Allura.

Notes:

this is just a little taste of a wip I'm working on. Plot is coming soon

you can follow me on tumblr @idiotlovesongs. remind me that i should update this.

comments and kudos are encouraged. geek out and be annoying yeah?

Chapter 2: Act 1; Scene 1

Summary:

Keith's first night in Cuba.

It was dark when Keith awoke with sweat dampening his hairline and a surge of adrenaline pulsating through him. 

 

His first instinct told him he was in space, but the room lacked the soft, muted purple glow of the Marmora ships and isolating coldness. Lit only by the moonlight that peered through the almost sheer blue curtains was the guest room in Lance’s home. It was a plain room with cream-colored walls, an empty dresser and bedside table, and a full bed that lacked a headboard. He wondered why Lance never bothered to decorate it any further.

 

It was his first night back on Earth, first night ever in Cuba. 

 

Keith never dreamt that he would be in Lance’s home country. He never thought to ask to visit. The car ride was surreal. Lance’s car smelled like bubblegum and Cuba was a colorful blur. Trees, flowers, houses, shops, cars, all like a technicolored dream passing by Keith as Lance drove. Even the older, run-down buildings had bright chips of paint clinging to a dark gray background. Lance liked to drive with the windows down, so the scent of every alluring food stand, particles from gas-guzzling trucks, and the fresh ocean breeze made its way in and out of the car. All of that coupled with Spanish syllables and music whizzing by was overwhelming to Keith’s sleep-addled brain.

 

Absent was the darkness and emptiness of space. It lacked all the mechanical inflexibility of The Blade. There were only signs of life, beings moving in tandem. It was dizzying. 

 

This would be Keith’s life for the next two weeks until Shiro and Adam could host him. They had offered to return early, but Keith said he would figure something out. Even still, Shiro set this up for him. Keith wanted to protest, but Shiro told him that Lance was feeling lonely without the team. Keith called bullshit but went along anyway.

 

He sat up, sheets pooling in his lap. Kosmo let out a quiet sigh in his sleep from where he was laid out on the floor next to the bed. He nearly blended into the night that enveloped the house. There was a gentle whir from the overhead fan that was working overtime to cool the two off. Lance told him something about the A/C, but in Keith’s sleep-deprived state, the information never made it past his ears. 

 

He had collapsed into bed after eating food and having a shower. If it was up to him, he would have gone to sleep before anything else, but Lance didn’t give him that option.

 

Space travel made it difficult to maintain a constant sleep schedule. The Blade was providing humanitarian aid around the universe which meant they were constantly appearing on new planets. With every trip, he had to adjust his sleep schedule to a new planet, and then to the schedule used on the Blade’s ships, and then to another planet, and so on. His circadian rhythm had the predictability of a child banging on a bongo. This was just another one of those times in his brain. 

 

Would Earth ever stop feeling temporary?

 

The planet he almost died to save never felt like home, and yet here he was again, staying in another person’s home, waiting to feel normal again. Or maybe he was waiting for a reset to happen? Either way, something needed to change.

 

His feet touched down on the cool wood floors, and he ran a hand through his hair. His hand stopped short of his braid. Going back to sleep wasn’t an option after waking up for Keith even though his head was still muddled with dreams. Instead, he chose to leave the room. He bypassed the living room and headed towards the porch. The front door moved quietly, but the screen door let out a shriek as Keith opened and closed it. Keith winced when he heard it but pushed forward.

 

It was his first time properly looking around. The drive from the airport was longer than he had anticipated. They had to leave the city, because Lance lived in the countryside. It was his own piece of land, and on it stood an orange-colored home with blue accents.  

 

The wind caused the trees to sway from side to side. The air was perpetually in motion. It was different from the stillness that Keith was used to in space.

 

If Keith squinted, he could make out the road that Lance drove on to get them here. It was mostly empty when they were on it, and now it was deserted. Everyone for miles was asleep. The only creatures up would have to be nocturnal or Keith.

 

On one side of the porch, Lance had four plastic chairs positioned around a matching domino table. Lance told him in passing that he would teach him to play one of these days. On the other side was a couch and hammock. Lance apparently liked to lounge outside. Keith couldn’t imagine trying in the heat, but Lance said he would get used to it eventually, just maybe not on this visit. 

 

The implication that Keith would return made a wisp of something stir in his chest. 

 

Keith and Lance hadn’t had proper one-on-one time in years. Both were busy with their own lives, and truth be told, Keith was nervous to see what mangled version of their dynamic remained. Their friendship quite possibly reeked of decay the same way a neglected house plant did right before all the crispy leaves abandoned its shriveled stem. What could possibly be left?

 

Keith was dead on his feet for their first interaction, so it didn’t count. Lance talked his ear off, and Keith picked up bits and pieces when he could. He was listening for when he could slip away and go to sleep. They were mentally light years away still.

 

It was easier to keep that distance up between them. That way Keith didn’t have to think about how he felt. A part of him wanted to find that they didn’t mesh as well as he remembered. He wanted there to be weird, awkward silences and conversations that reminded them that they were strangers again, like in the Garrison. A lack of chemistry was what Keith wanted most. 

 

It would be worse to learn they were the same as always. Lance and Keith, neck and neck, walking parallel paths, too close, and too far all at the same time.

 

Keith looked up. He saw only the awning, and it strangely frustrated him. He thought Earth would make him feel more free. The ability to go outside anytime he wanted was at his fingertips. The barriers of his spacesuit were no more. The threats of suffocation, getting lost, and abandonment weren’t as imminent. He no longer had to worry about the dangers of space and travel. That didn’t stop him from feeling constricted, like a ghostly presence wrapped around him, molded directly on top of his skin. It stretched across him like a second skin and moved when he did. 

 

He knew it would take time for the feeling to leave him. He just had to keep pushing through it. Maybe staying sedentary for a little would help.

 

Returning to Earth was a return to the natural, the normal. His life on Earth had never been normal, but everyone else seemed comforted by it, why not him too?

 

He just wanted to feel normal.

 

But as he stood on Lance’s porch, outside, free, safe, just shy of ordinary, Keith still felt like he stuck out. There was no one around, and Keith still felt fucked.

 

Fucked was the only way he could put it. It was easier than trying to parcel through all of the actual emotions ricocheting inside of him. 

 

There weren’t many thoughts passing through his mind as he climbed the banister and hopped to catch the side of the roof and haul himself up. His foot landed with a harsh thump. Keith could only hope that Lance was as heavy of a sleeper as he was when they were traveling together.

 

On the roof, Keith felt no different. Nestled deep in his chest, was a discontent that he feared would never go away. No matter how hard he tried to cut it out—and he clawed and clawed until his fingernails were caked with warm, sticky blood and purple and pink flesh—it would only bury itself deeper and continue to fester. He could almost smell the rot coming from within him. 

 

He thought to himself about who or what put it there as he gazed at the stars. Despite wanting to leave space, the familiarity of the stars still gave him comfort. Always above him. Their ever-constant presence let him breathe a little easier.

 

Keith sat down, drawing his legs up so he could rest his chin on his knees. With a huff, he loosely wrapped his arms around himself. The melodrama of the scene made him laugh humorlessly. 

 

In the end, he was still the little boy who wondered where his mom was; He was still the pre-teen crying over his dad’s death until it razed to the ground every last emotion in him; He was still the stupid, angry teenager that committed a federal crime to find his lost mentor. Keith carried all of them in him, and it left no room for the adult him. The adult him that saved the universe and helped more people than he could realistically count. The him that found his mom and created a family out of friends. The him that made it out.

 

Maybe this is just how people lived, and he hadn’t gotten to know other people enough to figure it out.  

 

The screen door cried out from below one more time, and the slap of sandals let Keith know that Lance was not a deep enough sleeper.

 

“Keith?” Lance’s untethered voice said. “Keith, are you on my roof?”

 

“Did I wake you up?” Keith stretched out his legs in front of him and leaned back on one hand.

 

“Yeah, believe it or not, your heavy ass stomping on my roof makes a fuck ton of noise.” Lance’s annoyed voice trailed over to the edge of the roof. First, his hand appeared, gripping the end of the roof, and then with a huff, Lance yanked himself up. His torso made it but he still had to swing out his leg to get the rest of him up. Lance stared up at him on his hands and knees. His hair was still dented and sticking up from sleeping on his side, and his baggy tank top hung so low that Keith could see more of his chest. Even in the dark, Keith could make out a tan line from where his shirts normally stopped. “Why are you half naked on my roof?”

 

Keith shrugged as he thought about some of the other tan lines Lance could have.

 

“Don’t tell me you’re already missing space.” Lance glanced up for a second and crawled to be next to Keith. He bumped their shoulders together. “I still have you for another two weeks”

 

“No, it’s not like that.” Keith lied back, turning the phrase ‘I still have you’ in his mind. Did the phrase taste as good as it felt in his ears? Obscured in darkness, nostalgic for their sparse late-night-talks in the castle, and braced for a revelation about their relationship, Keith continued. “I woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep. I didn’t know what else to do.”

 

“I wouldn’t be offended if you miss it,” Lance said wistfully. Keith could feel the way his gaze bored into him. “Well, maybe a little, but I would get it.”

 

“Lance, I really don’t,” Keith huffed. “Moving around all the time is fun for a little while, but, honestly, I’m kind of sick of it. Helping people is nice, but it’s not— it’s not— I don’t know.”

 

“Come on, Keith. You don’t mean that. You love space, and space loves you. The blades are lucky to have you—” Lance was interrupted by a yawn, reminding Keith of how late it was.

 

“No, I’m serious. I’m tired of being with the Blades and space. I’ve seen more of space than I have of Earth. Isn’t that kind of fucked? My dad was Korean, and I’ve never even been to Korea, but I’ve been to deep space.”

 

“I guess it is kind of messed up,” Lance muttered. “But you're seeing stuff that people on Earth can only dream of. Isn’t that worth something?”

 

“You’d think so.”

 

“It’s not?”

 

“No,” Keith replied definitively. It was the first time he admitted that to himself out loud. Space wasn’t enough for him.

 

“Buddy, I’m trying to hear you out, but, shit, I miss space so much it hurts sometimes. I love being with my family and all, but everything here feels so… Small.”

 

It should have felt comforting to know Lance was also dissatisfied with his life. Then maybe what Keith felt was just part of getting older. But it only made Keith angry. Of course, Lance couldn’t recognize a good thing when he had it. Cocky, insecure Lance was tired of the quiet life he built, and he wanted back in on the fame and glory. Maybe the stares they got at the airport where Lance picked him up reminded him of what he was missing. He flashed a handsome smile and waved regally for all their fans. The adoration of everyone in his home country wasn’t enough anymore.

 

In the back of his mind, Keith knew he was being unfair to him. But if Keith could focus on his anger, then maybe the ache in his chest from learning that he and Lance still weren’t all that different would go away. Lance and Keith, neck and neck until the end of time.

 

“Yeah? Then you fucking try it. I’m tired of the Blades.” The words flew out of Keith’s mouth before he could think too hard about them. “I don’t get why I have to be the one to help people. I get to reunite all of these families. Lost aunts, cousins, mothers, fathers, children all get to find each other. And what do I have? A mom I only get to see when we’re both off mission and at the same base. A father whose grave is always light years away. Friends who barely even call because I’m apparently only awake when they’re asleep.

 

“Lance, I’m so sick of fighting. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life like this. Why should I have to? Because I was a child soldier. Everyone else gets to stop fighting but me. I get that I’ve spent more of my life fighting than not, but I want…” A partner. A home. I want to stop. I want to breathe. “I don’t know. I don’t know what I want.”

 

“Keith… ” The pity in Lance’s voice sent a spear through Keith’s chest.

 

 “Forget it.” Keith sat up and moved to leave, but Lance’s hand on his forearm stopped him and drew his gaze in. 

 

“Listen, man, everything is gonna work itself out, alright?” Lance watched Keith with such earnestness that Keith couldn’t tear his eyes away. If Lance was so sure, maybe Keith could believe it. “You’re still young, and with your freaky Galra genes, you’ll probably outlive all of us—”

 

“Dick.”

 

Lance continued, “If the Blades aren’t right for you, fuck it, right? You’ll find something you like eventually, and, maybe then it’ll feel like enough. Well, maybe not just one thing. I think you need variety in life to feel fulfilled. Either way, you’ll get there. I know you probably don’t consider me your right-hand man anymore, but I’m always gonna be here for you.”

 

Keith’s cheeks were lit with a low, pink heat, and he hoped Lance couldn’t see. “‘Course you’re still my right-hand man. Thanks, Lance.” 

 

“No problem.” Lance slung an arm around his shoulder and pulled him closer. Maybe he was afraid Keith would try to leave again. It wouldn't be an unfounded fear. “For what it’s worth, I’m really glad you’re here.”

 

“Me too.”

Notes:

i said plot was coming soon. if we're generous with the term soon, i almost achieved it. i've written, like, five versions of this waiting for something to stick.

you can follow me on my writing blog @writingidiotlovesongs on tumblr. remind me that i should update this.

comments and kudos are encouraged. geek out and be annoying yeah?