Chapter Text
Lance felt dizzy. Maybe even a little sick. Because Keith, the man who he declared to be rivals with, the man he was second in command to, the man he slowly became friends with, the man he slowly began to maybe even fall in love with–
He couldn't bring himself to finish that thought.
Lance could only stare at Keith in shock. The older man absolutely refused to look him in the eye, or even in his direction.
“Keith… I–”
Keith just stood up, clearly frustrated with himself. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that.”
“What do you–”
“It's the anniversary of Allura’s death and here I am telling you all… all that.” He shook his head, “That was so wrong of me.”
Lance stood up as well, though he was on the bottom step while Keith was on the ground. “What are you talking about?” Lance's voice rose a bit, pissed off about him using Allura’s death as an excuse just like everyone else.
Keith, finally, looked at Lance. He had to tilt his head up a bit, their height difference now switched from what it currently is, yet the same from what it once was.
“Don't you get it? Allura and I didn't love each other. I saw a pretty alien girl and immediately claimed she was the love of my life.” Lance scoffed at the memory, at himself. “I mean that was just ridiculous. And you saw how she always ignored my attempts to get her attention. She might as well have hated me or something because she thought I was the most annoying person ever!”
Keith opened his mouth to say something but Lance didn't let him. He was on a fucking roll now and Keith was gonna stand there and listen.
“She loved Lotor, that fucking prick won her over. Which, fine, whatever, I'm over it. I never loved her anyways. I was bored, and sad, and lonely as shit!” He nearly screamed that last part, shocking himself and Keith.
He sighed as his voice got quieter. “I probably loved you the whole time.” Keith's eyes widened. “I mean, I was obsessed with you. I wanted your attention all the damn time. I knew everything about you and I enjoyed getting a rise out of you just because you were finally focusing completely on me.” Lance then looked up at the sky in disbelief, “Wow I can not believe I just admitted that out loud.”
Taking another deep breath, Lance looked back down to face Keith. His face was still frozen in shock, eyes wide and mouth slightly open.
“You… you were in love with me?” Keith asked, slowly. The emphasis on ‘were’ was there even if he didn't try to make it sound like it was.
Lance shrugged, eyes shying away to look at the ground. “Probably. Though I dunno what love feels like, honestly.”
Keith opened his mouth then closed it, biting down on his bottom lip. Lance looked back up at him, the silence between them growing thicker by the second.
“Why would you say that?” Keith finally asked, his voice soft.
Lance gave a half-hearted shrug this time. “I claimed to be in love but it wasn't real.”
Keith nodded slowly, a look of disappointment slowly spreading across his face.
“But–” Lance continued, realizing what it probably sounded like he was implying. “I would like to think I'm in love with you, even though that thought… just… absolutely scares the shit out of me.” He gave a slim, emotionless smile to Keith.
Keith looked at him, eyes full of hope once again. “What?”
The smile on Lance's face soon became wider and more real. “Please don't make me say it again.”
Keith began to grin as well. “Well I would like to know if I heard you right.”
“I'm pretty sure you did. You have Galra hearing.” Lance felt so much lighter, like whatever wave of sadness that has been affecting him just washed away. All because of Keith.
“So… you love me?”
Lance nodded.
“Like… romantically?”
Lance nodded again, this time harder.
Keith's whole face lit up as he took a step forward, grabbing Lance by the hips to swing him down and around.
Lance just gasped in shock before giggling, feeling happier than he's been in what felt like years. Keith spun him around one more time before setting him down on the ground, their height difference back to normal.
Keith taller, and Lance shorter.
“You know, I'm still pissed that your Galra genetics kicked in and made you taller than me.”
Keith raised an eyebrow, “That's what you're focused on right now? And besides, I'm only like three inches taller.”
Lance shrugged. “Big enough of a difference for me to complain about it.”
“You can complain all you want if you keep smiling like that.” Keith said, a dopey smile spreading across his own face.
Lance felt his cheeks heat up. “God, that's so romantic and–”
Keith cut Lance off by pressing their lips together, resulting in Lance to immediately shut his eyes and kiss back. Keith's hands moved onto his waist while Lance pressed his hands against his chest.
The kiss was sweet and simple, saying everything they had just said but enhancing it to be even clearer. When they broke apart, they didn't go far, just staring at one another with a stupid dorky grin plastered on their faces.
“I'm gonna do that a lot more, I hope you know that.” Keith said.
Lance scoffed playfully, “You fucking better Kogane.”
“But in order to do that, you should come up to space with me.” Keith said quickly, nearly holding his breath after he finished his sentence.
Lance stared at Keith in shock for a second before his face relaxed again. “Really?”
Keith let out the breath of air he was holding, nodding. “Yeah. I really want you to be with me.”
“As a couple or up in space?”
Keith gave Lance an unimpressed look. “Both, obviously.”
Lance shrugged, taking his hands off of Keith's chest to raise them up in a mock surrender sort of way. “My bad, just checking since we're clearly terrible at communicating.” He then sighed, putting his hands back on Keith's chest. “I can't believe you left Voltron for me.”
“Well– I was down bad for you and would do just about anything for you.”
Lance raised an eyebrow. “Was?”
Keith sighed, “Am.”
Lance grinned. “Good. Glad to know you're still head over heels for me.” He then inched their faces closer together before pulling him in for a kiss.
He broke the kiss shortly after, “We're boyfriends now.”
Keith hummed. “Yes we are.”
Lance didn't know if it was even possible but he somehow smiled even brighter. “This might be the best day of my life.”
“The best day of your life?” Keith cocked his head to the side a bit. “Really?”
“Yes. Best day ever. Please kiss me.” He didn't even wait for a reply before he smashed their lips together once more. And of course, Keith did not complain whatsoever.
❦
Apparently, a good portion of Lance's family had been watching their whole confession from the window. So, that at least made it easier to tell them that they were together.
Shiro wasn't shocked at all. Probably because he's known about Keith's crush on Lance forever. Hunk and Pidge were… a bit caught off guard. But, they slowly came to realize that it was in fact, not surprising at all.
Coran just smiled at them, saying he was happy for them and he knew Allura would be as well.
Lance didn't know how to react, so he just smiled at him and thanked him, Keith doing the same. Allura would always be his friend, but he'll always be a bit salty knowing she gave him his marks.
He will always hate them. That'll never change. No matter how many times Keith will come to tell him how beautiful he is, he'll never fully believe him.
It's not okay. It never will be. But those Altean marks became a part of him whether he likes it or not. And in the far, far future, he will learn to live with them, even if he will forever hate it.
Keith loves everything about him, and he lets Lance know that every day. Even though those baby blue marks on his face were from Allura, Keith can't bring himself to dislike them. Allura wasn't the kindest to him, sure. She had a racist reaction to him being half Galra but then proceeded to fall in love with the half-Galran prince. Plus, he was never really close with her in the first place. It was awkward, probably because of their dynamic. (Her being the girl the boy he was in love with loved)
But, in the end, things turned out okay. At least for him and Lance.
Not for her, of course.
❦
“You think I'd be used to this thing by now.” Lance huffed out, arms crossed as he stood beside Keith. They were in front of Allura’s statue that was built in honor of her. It's been three years since the war ended and Lance and Keith were currently visiting Earth for the anniversary.
Three years now of no longer being Paladins, of not having to worry about the constant threat of the Galra or dying in general. Life was finally treating them well. Lance and Keith were Blade members, helping repair the damage the Galra caused on the Universe.
And they did it while being absolutely in fucking love.
Keith chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Lance's shoulders, pulling him closer. “Yeah. I don't think I ever will be. I mean, I'm just not used to looking up at her.”
Lance cocked an eyebrow as he side eyed Keith. “Are you saying she's in hell?”
Keith side eyed Lance back before looking forward again. “No. It's because she was shorter than me.”
Lance scoffed. “By like, maybe an inch.”
“At the beginning of us being Paladins. But I grew, remember?” Keith then put a hand on Lance's head, reminding him of their height difference now.
Grumbling, Lance crossed his arms even tighter over his chest. “Fucking Galra genetics…” He mumbled under his breath.
“Don't be pouty.” Keith teased, ruffling up his boyfriend's hair before letting his hand fall back onto his shoulder.
“I am not pouty.”
“Right.”
Lance just groaned.
After a minute or so of content silence between them as they both admired Allura’s statue, Lance broke it.
“Okay, I'm done staring at my ex.” He then moved out of Keith's arms, walking away from the statue and back to the car. Keith just let out a surprised laugh and followed his huffy boyfriend.
“Can't believe I wanna marry this man.” Keith mumbled to himself, the wind blowing away any chance of Lance possibly hearing what he just said.
Lance turned around once he was standing by the passenger side of the car, hands on either side of his hips. “Can you unlock it?” He shouted through the wind.
Keith chuckled and pulled the keys out of his back pocket. “You gonna say please?”
“Please fuck yourself.” Lance shouted out instead.
“You and I both know that doesn't happen.”
Lance gasped, acting offended. “Rude! Are you calling me a bottom?”
Keith nodded with a small smirk, now unlocking the car. Lance didn't get in, he instead just glared at Keith, a pouty frown forming on his face.
“I'm not wrong.” Keith shrugged.
Lance mumbled under his breath, mimicking Keith before he got in the car. Keith just chuckled and shook his head, getting into the car shortly after.
“So does this mean you wanna be the top?” Keith asked, already knowing the answer because this was far from the first time they've had this playful conversation.
Lance was silent for a few seconds before he mumbled out a “No…”
Keith hummed, starting the car, “That's what I thought.”
❦