Chapter Text
As usual, they were in danger.
It was no long ago that they got Shiro back in the team. They were heading to see their allies in a planet which name Keith couldn’t remember. It was supposedly to mean a good well deserved rest but the motherfucking universe had other plans. In the middle of the night, they were attacked by a middle-sized galgra squadron. In least than 20 minutes, the paladins were already in their lions trying to destroy every ship out there.
“Okay guys!”, said Shiro, “It’s time to form Vol… KEITH LOOK OUT!
Keith wasn’t fast enough to fly away from the red laser that struck him and Red. Both were hit by it, rolling in the air. The lion’s system was heavily damaged but still on. Keith could hear his friends’ voices calling for him, asking if he was okay. They needed him to destroy the main ship, who knew if they had new monsters waiting for them if Voltron wasn’t ready in time. His team needed him to form their only hope. Still, Keith couldn’t move. It took him a lot of effort to open his eyes, blinking slowly, the red lights of warning inside Red making him feel uncomfortable. He felt an intense pain inside him, everywhere, in all his body. He floated back to his chair. Keith forced himself to ignore the pain and talked again trough the communication system they had.
“I’m fine guys, let’s end this.”
And they did. Every galgra ship exploded behind Voltron and the castle. Once inside it, Allura created a wormhole and took them to a safer place where they could repair what was needed and sleep some hours.
“It was a hard fight, considering we just got Shiro back”, said Pidge, taking off her glasses to rub her eyes.
“The galgra must be looking for him”, added Hunk, “This Lotor guy is kinda attacking us every day.”
“Keep focus, guys”, insisted Shiro, “He wants to become the centre of attention, that’s noticeable, don’t give him that privilege.”
“Sounds fine by me, I can’t stand his name anymore”, Lace smiled, “Besides, we’ve more important things to talk about than that space purple asshole.”
While Shiro started talking about how could they improve, etc., Lance looked quickly at Keith who had been quiet the whole time since they got back from the battle, eyebrows almost together. He was hiding something, Lance knew, and not just because he was next to him (actually, not so close, even if he wanted to). Keith was closer to Shiro, arms crossed, not looking at anyone.
“…wake up and be ready faster. Like when we were starting with Voltron, practise our fast response. It’s essential that we do not…”
Suddenly, they all heard a gasp and immediately turned to Keith whose skin was turning purple. The red lion paladin could feel his body burning and every inch of his skin scratching. Everyone was shocked, even Allura let out a scream and Pidge was saying curses inside her mind. Shiro took a few steps back, getting closer in a group with the others, away from Keith. He was left alone, in front of everyone, his skin almost completely purple. Shiro’s instincts reacted first and thought the whole group was in danger, so his robotic arm turned on. Keith realised, oh sure he did, and he felt his heart being broken by his own family. Pidge’s face was in full surprise still, Hunk was crying behind Shiro and Pidge.
“HOLY QUIZNAK!”, exclaimed Coran, “Keith is turning Galgra! Princess, we must…!
“Keith, get back!”, said Allura to him, “Don’t come any closer!”
“Dude, you’re purple!”, said Hunk, not sure how to react, his voice reflecting fear, “You could be Lotor’s brother! Maybe that’s why everyone hate you in the empire. Could you be another prince?
“I-I…”
“NO! Keith, walk away! You’re a monster, just like them! You’re turning into a galgra!”, Allura urged him, “Leave the room NOW! GO AWAY, KEITH!
Keith’s eyes finally turned gold. He was crying, not believing his body nor his friends’ reactions, he started to walk away slowly.
On the other hand, Lance was just surprised, not scared because he knew it was still Keith, the one he always fighted but with whom he made a good team, the Keith that was his friend after all. And he wouldn’t turn his back on him.
“Guys! GUYS!”, said Lance, walking closer to Keith, his body covering the sight of the red paladin from the others, as trying to protect him, unconsciously, “Stop, holy shit! What the quiznak are you talking about? It’s all full of pendejadas!”, Lance couldn’t control the words that were coming out of his mouth, “It’s k-E-I-T-H, not any galgra soldier, not our enemy! It’s not Zarkron or that motherfucking prince! Don’t you see? He has been suffering pain since we got back and nobody fucking realised! Keith said nothing because he believes he’s not important or that his problems aren’t! He doesn’t want to worry us and how we repay him? By not supporting him when he needs us the most! AND SHIRO! I’m Sorry but turn off your estúpido brazo por la re puta madre! Are you going to attack Keith with that?? The boy who is like your brother and the one who sees YOU as his only family?!?!?? You have a piece of galgra tech right there if you don’t know already! I’m so fucking disappointed on you ALL! I just… I can’t be in the same place or see you anymore today. Hunk, buddy, even you. I hope you all feel sorry for betraying the trust in the team, I thought we were family. But if we were, family stand together, no matter what. Family love each other until the very end. Family… La familia no se abandona”, Lance ended almost in a whisper, turned to Keith and grabbed him by the arm, softly, “C’mon Keef, let’s go.”
Lance didn’t care to look back, anger still filling his inside. The next thing he knew was that he was inside Keith’s room, still holding his hand. He didn’t realise Keith was talking to him in a raspy voice.
“Lance… Lance, please, talk to me”.
The blue paladin looked at him in the eyes in silence, his body still tense. Lance felt really sorry for everything that had happened to Keith, he just wanted to assure him everything would be okay, that he didn’t care whether he was human or galgra or both. And when he did speak, Keith could clearly see the sincerity in Lance’s blue and beautiful eyes.
“I’m sorry, Keith”.
Keith looked away. Lance’s eyes were as they’d always been while his weren’t, he couldn’t bear it, he didn’t want anybody’s lame.
“You don’t have to feel sorry, Lance”, he said, letting go his hand of Lance’s, “I’m fine”.
Lance heart broke a little more by just seeing Keith trying to push him away, to protect himself and face everything all alone.
“And you don’t have to be here with me, I’ll sort this out”.
Lance took a step forward, “We’re a team, Keith. Like it or not, we’re, and as part of your team I…I worry about you”.
Keith was moved by Lance’s last words but managed to not show it. Instead he looked at him, “The others were also from “my team” and you saw what they…how…”
“I’m not like them”, Lance said, softly, taking with shaky fingers Keith’s hand, “I don’t see you like they do. Purple suits you, for the record”.
Keith let out a laugh. It felt great, not just having Lance that close but also having him saying all those encouraging words and managing to make him laugh.
“Thank you”.
Lance smiled, “That's what friends are for”.
Friends.
A look of disappointment settled in Keith’s face that he couldn’t hide, “Right. Friends”.
Lance frowned. He saw Keith sitting on his bed, not looking at him anymore. He sat next to him, “Keith, are you really okay? Does…the galgra thing hurts?”
“Not now, but it did. I felt like fire was inside me and like my head was being turned apart. My skin felt weird and my chest hurt”.
“Your chest?”, Lance asked and then put his hand on Keith’s chest, “Where? Here?”
Keith looked at Lance. Shit, they were close. He could see all the freckles in his face, around his nose. He could see how long his eyelashes were and how shinny his blue eyes looked. Keith could even smell the vanilla and coconut scent on him.
“Yeah”, he whispered, “Right there”.
Lance looked now at Keith, studying his new features. How all of them galgra seemed innocent and beautiful on the paladin’s face. Even the golden eyes, Lance felt were the most gorgeous he had ever seen. His mouth was still the same, his lips too, Lance still wanted to kiss them.
“You don’t mind I’m galgra?”
The pain and doubt in Keith voice made Lance realise the question was the most important he had ever been asked. Seeing his companion, the one who let him pilot Red when Shiro was gone, the one who trusted him with his lion and not Pidge or Hunk or Allura or Coran. Keith was his friend, yes, but long ago Lance didn’t just felt friendship love towards Keith. At the end of the day, he did remember the bonding moment.
Lance’s hand moved upwards to cup Keith’s cheek, his skin softer than he had imagined, “It’s just red plus blue. You’re the purple we can make”.
“You’re an idiot”, Keith laughed, getting closer to Lance.
“Shut your quiznak”, he said and kissed him.
It was messy and both didn’t know exactly what to do but they didn’t care. Keith’s hands were wrapped around Lance’s t-shirt and was pulling him closer. They were smiling lightly while kissing and laughing a bit, just enjoying each other, no rush.
“I hope my tongue doesn’t turn purple now”, Lance said in between a kiss.
“Shut your quiznak, Lance”.