Chapter Text
Hunk was not shocked when he heard that question escape Keith’s lips, not a single part of him was shocked. He was simply surprised he had walked in on Keith figuring out his feelings, mainly because he didn’t know Keith could express feelings, but also because he thought that Keith had already figured this out with the few feelings he had.
Keith slowly turned around, and Hunk could hear him mumbling something under his breath. It sounded like oh help me, Mothman, but Hunk thought he probably heard wrong — he hoped he had heard wrong, because what in the fuck?
“Hey, Hunk! What are you up to?” Keith laughed, his voice becoming an octave higher, “See, I was just about to take a nap!” Keith announced with a smile plastered on his face.
“Keith, are you in love with Lance, or is this some joke?” Hunk asked, his face showing he was nothing but serious.
“I…” Keith sighed because, what if Hunk tells him? They are best friends, after all, he didn’t expect him to hold back on telling him, and it’s brutally obvious Lance doesn’t like him in that way — or in any way.
“Keith,” Hunk started softly. He put his hand on Keith’s shoulder reassuringly. “I am not going to tell him. It’s up to you if you tell him, but please, he’s my best friend and I need to know if you're seriously in love with him.”
Keith understood completely what he was saying, which is why he gave up, “I am,” Keith started again, “fuck, I really am!”
Hunk was just about to say something, but Keith wasn’t done.
“I thought it was just a silly crush, like, oh, you’re hot and cute, and you’re so kind and funny and have a big heart and I want to cuddle with you and kiss you and have a nice wedding in spring then adopt children with you and maybe get a dog , but no! I’m in love with him! Hunk, I put my shirt in his closet, because I wanted to see him wearing my shirt! That’s fucking nuts!” Keith plopped onto his bed, letting out a breath.
Keith shot his head up at the sound of a muffled laugh, he stared at Hunk, who was now practically dying of laughter.
“Fuck, Hunk, thanks for finding my realization of love, this fucking humorous,” Keith groaned, laying back down. He’s now, for the second time this week, lost hope. If Hunk laughed like this, doesn’t he already know how Lance is going to react?
“No, Keith I swear I’m not laughing at you,” which made Keith prop himself up on his elbows to give him a disbelieving look, “It’s just funny that you thought that wanting to be the father of someone’s kids meant it was a crush! How long have you...felt like this?”
Keith shrugged, “I’ve had a small crush on him since the garrison, and it started getting more...well, you know, a few months ago,” he answered, laying on his side to face Hunk.
Hunk gave him a look full of pity, which made Keith want to scream because he knows! He knows that he is absolutely batshit crazy to go for Lance McClain!
“The best advice I can give you is to tell him how you feel. It’s not like you can distance yourself from him to get rid of the feelings, considering we are trapped in space together, and-”
“I don’t want to get rid of the feelings,” Keith interrupted, “He may not feel the same, and it sucks watching him flirt with everyone but me, but I just... I don’t know. He’s the only one who has ever made me feel something like this, that’s not something I want to disappear just because I got a little upset.”
“Then tell him,” Hunk whispered, his eyes full of complete support and care.
In any other situation, with any other person, Keith would be quick to yell about how that’s fucking nuts, and I am not stupid, so it’s a no from me, but with Hunk, it was different. Hunk means what he says. Hunk cares about everyone, and he wouldn’t be telling Keith to do something this absurd unless he really thought it would aid the situation. So, Keith would — he would finally tell Lance how he feels.
It might take a little while, but he will.
Hunk exited Keith’s room after offering a soft smile, and once he was out of the room he whispered an, oh my fucking shit , to himself. Which is rare, since Hunk doesn’t cuss as much as the others.
“Oh, fuck!” he stresses a little louder, but still quiet enough that Keith couldn’t hear him. He walked at a quick pace, making his way to Lance’s room. When he arrived, he took a deep breath and yelled, “Open up!”
He could hear Lance stomp to the door “Why are you yelling?” Lance asked, clearly confused.
Lance was still wearing Keith’s shirt, and Hunk took note of that.
“Listen, I’m done with this, okay? Confess to Keith.” Hunk demanded.
“What? No, you told me whenever I’m ready is fine!” Lance answered defensively.
“You’re still wearing his shirt, and probably sitting on your bed thinking about how he said you look good in it!” Hunk exclaimed, pushing past Lance, and entering his bedroom.
“I am not!” Lance argued, Hunk gave him a look, and Lance sighed, “I so am.” he corrected himself, “How could he just… say that? What a smooth dumbass.”
Hunk sighed. “Even if you think he doesn’t feel the same, you have to tell him. It’s time, Lance.”
Lance looked up at him with sad and unconvinced eyes.
“Do it slowly if you want. Maybe one hint at a time, and then soon enough, you confess after gathering enough courage! But please Lance, this is for your own good,” Hunk urged.
Lance paused, biting his lip, “Okay. Yeah. Slowly it is.” Lance gave in, only hoping this would end better than he was expecting — only hoping Keith had the empathy to let him down easy.
Later that day, everyone was spread out in the living room, watching as Allura excitedly put on an old Altean movie. Most of them were confused, but oddly intrigued. Lance turned to look at Keith, repeating the word slowly in his head as he did.
“Hey Keith, did you know that you can’t breath when you smile?” Lance asked in a hushed voice, not wanting to disturb those actually watching the movie.
Keith turned away from the movie, thought for a second, and then asked “Wait, I didn’t know that...really?”
Lance smiled, “Try it!” He whisper-yelled, and Keith did. Keith looked into Lance’s eyes and hesitantly gave him a bright smile.
Saying that his smile was the most beautiful thing Lance had ever seen would be an understatement. Lance stared at him for a moment, and he almost forgot the next part of the line.
“I could breathe just fine?” Keith spoke, obviously confused.
“I know, I just wanted to see you smile,” Lance bt his tongue and gave him a flirty wink.
After that Lance looked away, and Keith did too, but only to hide his blushing face, thinking that if Lance didn’t stop whatever this was, Keith was really going to think there’s something between them — and Keith didn’t want to think that; he’d only get hurt.
After the movie had ended, everyone decided to go to bed, seeing as the movie was pretty long. Keith still couldn’t forget what Lance has said, but for the record, Lance couldn’t either. His heart was beating so fast as he said those words to Keith, and it beat even faster when Keith smiled at him, for him.
They both went to sleep thinking of each other. Keith even hugged one of his pillows, pretending it was Lance. Keith did that often, partially because he really did wish it was Lance — he still hoped Mothman was working on that first favor he had asked for — but also because his problems with sleeping had gotten worse. He couldn’t fall asleep, or he couldn’t stay asleep; sometimes both, and he wished Allura had some strong Altean drugs she could pass over to him, some that would help him with this, but she didn’t, and even if she did, Shiro would go crazy if he found out Keith had even asked for drugs.
The next morning, everyone came to breakfast, and everything was normal until Lance looked at Keith with a smirk on his face.
“Hey, Keith?” Lance asked, smirk still prominent.
“Yes?” Keith answered cautiously, thinking he was about to get water splashed on him, or have Pidge pop up behind him and scream in his ear.
Instead, Lance only asked, “Are you a typewriter?”
“What?” Keith asked in return, “Why would you even…”
Lance interrupted him, “‘Cause you’re just my type.”
Keith flushed and decided to turn away from him instead of answering, and he could feel Lance’s eyes on him; Keith knew Lance was still smiling, too.
It’s been a few hours since the, are you a typewriter? Incident, and they were now in the training room, deciding to spar together. Though while preparing to start, Lance called Keith’s name, to which Keith replied with yes?
“Even if there wasn’t gravity on earth, I’d still fall for you.” Lance put his hands on his hips; he looked quite proud of himself.
Keith looked at him. “We’re in space?”
Lance paused, his hands falling to his sides, “Oh, damn.”
After that, they started sparing. Unluckily for Keith, the moment where Lance would land on top of him and then they would kiss and reveal their love for each other as he had always dreamed, did not happen.
Keith started to notice that the corny one-liners from Lance have now been a daily occurrence. Even so, Keith hasn’t gotten used to it.
“Hey, Keith?” Lance asked, his head resting on his palm.
Keith knew exactly what was coming, but he went along with it anyway “Yes?”
“Roses are red, violets are blue, how would you like it, if I came home with you?” Lance smiled brightly.
Keith sighed, “Lance, we live in the same castle.”
“Oh yeah,” Lance nodded, “point still stands,” Lance winked at him before walking off, and Keith thinks that one wink from Lance could send him into cardiac arrest. Even so, Keith was done with this. He was dying to know what the meaning behind all of his stale pick up lines was.
Keith was so determined to find out, that he threw his anxiety out the window — or into space, for that matter, — and stood up, following the path Lance had taken. Since he was currently in the kitchen, Lance had to be going to the common area, based on the route he took.
When Keith walked into the common area, Hunk and Pidge were accompanying Lance; Keith did not care.
“You,” Keith stated, watching as Lance looked at him, startled “Yes, you. Why do you keep flirting with me, huh? Is this some kind of joke?”
“What? No!” Lance answered, “It’s not like I only flirt with you! It’s a way of life!”
That last part was said out of the habit of arguing with Keith.
“You only flirt with me! Not even the princess anymore!” Keith replied, getting just as defensive as Lance.
”That’s not true at all!” Lance huffed out.
“Really? Who else then?” Keith said with a fake and knowing smile on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest.
Lance looked to his left, Hunk, then to his right, Pidge, and Pidge instantly gave him a look that anyone could read as don’t you dare.
“Pidge! I flirt with Pidge!” Lance exclaimed, also crossing his arms, “I flirt with her all. the. time.”
Keith didn’t believe him, “Oh do you now?”
“Yes! I do!” Lance looked Keith right in the eyes, they have yet to break eye contact. “Hey, Pidge!” he yelled, not looking away from Keith’s eyes.
“Are you homework?” Lance asked.
Keith took a shaky breath in, wondering if he was really about to do this, even if this wasn’t a big deal.
Lance continued, “Because you’re fucking annoying!” They were still holding eye contact. Keith let out the breath of air he had been holding.
“I- that’s not..!” He grounded, “Whatever, don’t tell me then! It’s not like I care!” Keith said flustered.
Hunk gave Lance a look of disapproval, Pidge only ignored whatever had just happened and moved on.
Keith stomped back to his room, cursing at himself for even considering that Lance would profess his love for Keith, even when that love was something made up in Keith’s mind. He made it to his room and sat on his bed, his back was on the wall near the end of the bed so that if someone walked in they wouldn’t see him immediately. That gives him time to fake a deep sleep so people like Shiro don’t try to ask him what’s wrong.
Hours passed, eventually, he went out for dinner, then to train for a little, and then he showered and climbed into bed; but once again, he could not sleep. So he stared at the ceiling and thought how perfect it would be to hold Lance in his arms. Keith even went as far as to imagine where Lance would lay, who would hold who, how would they wake up, and anything else Keith wanted to think of.
Keith’s thoughts were interrupted by his door opening.
He couldn’t see much, due to the darkness of his room, except he knew it couldn’t possibly be Shiro, because Shiro never came into his room this late, but then the weight of his bed shifted. Someone had laid down next to him, and they were crying.
Now that he had a closer look, he saw that it was Lance — a crying Lance, that is. He was also shaking, he was shaking so much that Keith was convinced the bed was moving with him.
Keith didn’t ask any questions, he switched to lay on his side, and he pulled Lance into his chest. Keith whispered reassuring nothings in his ear, and when that didn’t work, Keith started telling stories from his time at the Garrison, to try and take his mind off whatever had made him like this. It seemed to do the trick, too, because soon, Lance’s crying came to an end, along with his shaking. Keith waited for Lance to speak up, and it was okay because the silence was peaceful, it wasn’t uncomfortable or full of anger from what happened earlier that day.
“Panic attack,” Lance informed, his voice croaky.
Keith replied by holding him tighter.
“What if my family thinks I’m dead, Keith? What if everyone who knew me, thinks I’m dead, just gone? What if they’re okay with it?” He asked, holding onto Keith’s shirt.
“No one would be okay with you dying, Lance, no one,” Keith replied.
Lance scoffed, “Why don’t you hate me, Keith? I’m always such a jerk to you.”
“Cause you’re kinda spectacular. You’re kind, you have an amazing heart, and I’ve seen you on missions too, you know. Helping people, and fulfilling that sharpshooter title. How could anyone hate you, Lance?” Keith asked, smiling down at him even though the room was dark.
Lance looked up at him in amazement, unsure of what to say — what to do.
He pulled himself closer into Keith’s chest, thinking to himself that it was now or never.
“ Estoy enamorado de ti! ” He yelled out, his nervousness making him a little too loud.
He then realized his mistake, he yelled out what he needed to say, of course. He needed to say, I’m in love with you, and he did! Just...in the wrong language, one that Keith didn’t know.
Though, Lance started to wonder if Keith did know the language, because his eyes were wide and he began stuttering out the words, you’re in, while in shock.
Keith shook his head side to side, rubbing his eyes, “Are you joking?” he asked, pulling away from Lance slightly.
Lance’s eyes widened, “Do you know what I just said?” he asked frantically.
“What are you talking about?! Estoy enamorado de ti? I’m in love with you? Those are all basic Spanish words! I took a course at the Garrison!” Keith answered, starting to lose his patience.
“And you...oh my gosh you don’t…” Lance sat up, talking out loud to himself in fragmented sentences, “fuck! Oh, shit. I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I’ll go!” Lance jumped out of Keith’s bed and started for the door.
Keith grabbed onto his hand to stop him, also out of the bed.
“I don’t what?” Keith asked quietly.
“Like me back!” Lance yelled, “Love me back!” he rephrased, his voice quieter the second time.
“Who said that?” Keith asked in a calm tone, smiling while furrowing his eyebrows.
Lance was dumbfounded, and his free hand was still reaching for the door.
“You idiot!” Keith exclaimed, “ Yo también estoy enamorado de ti! I’m in love with you, too!” By now, Keith’s hand was on Lance’s cheek, while the other was holding his hand. He then started to lean forward. Lance met him in the middle, and they were finally kissing. It was short, but they both enjoyed it — they were both glad it had happened after all his trouble.
They kissed all night, though, and they didn’t sleep until others were waking up. After they finally woke up and made their way to the kitchen, there were a few hickies on Lance’s neck, to which Pidge looked at Keith and let out a damn, Dracula!
It was safe to say that Keith would be seeing Lance in his oversized shirts a lot more now, and he didn’t even have to go through the trouble of sneaking it into his closet.
— Because Lance loves him too; but also because Lance would
definitely
be stealing them without persimmon and Keith would
definitely
have to pretend he wanted his clothes back from Lance.