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Lance and Hunk are the best of friends, but their relationship is more complicated than that. They’re best buddies, of course they are, but Lance knows their bond goes deeper than just friendship. Lance has had lots of friends in his time, so he knows what friendship feels like. And so he knows his relationship with Hunk isn’t purely a friendship.
They’re not in love or anything like that (in fact, they’re both ace, and can’t remember the last time they had a crush on anyone), but they’re not just friends either. Because friends don’t hold hands or give each other little forehead kisses or sleep in the same bed or cuddle all the time or want to share a house one day when (if) they get back to Earth, do they? No, they’re definitely more than friends.
---
“You know what, Hunk?” Lance says one day, cuddled up with Hunk with his head resting on Hunk’s chest.
Hunk has fallen asleep, and requires a nudge to get his attention. “What?”
“We should adopt a kid one day,” he says, grinning.
Hunk smiles. “Yeah, that’d be awesome! We’d be great dads, wouldn’t we?”
Coran looks over at them, smiling fondly. Lance sees him looking and grins.
“What’re you staring at us for, Coran?”
“I didn’t mean to stare,” Coran says. “I was just thinking about how strong your relationship is. Just how long have you two been… ‘going out’?” he adds, making quote marks around the phrase he obviously learned from one of the humans at some point.
Hunk sits up so sharply he almost tips Lance off the couch. He blushes. “We’re not dating, Coran.”
Coran frowns, confused. “Are you sure? Because you act a lot like a couple.”
“We know,” Hunk says, smiling awkwardly. “But we’re not.”
“I see,” Coran says. “Are all humans this affectionate with their friends?”
“Not really,” Lance says. “But we’re not friends either. We’re just… us.”
Coran looks confused, and Lance doesn’t blame him. After all, their relationship manages to confuse Lance and Hunk, so it’s no wonder it’s confusing someone else.
---
“So, what’s the problem, exactly?” Shiro asks.
Lance tries to slow his breathing, wishing he hadn’t just run all the way here. “It’s not really a problem. I just need to talk to you.”
“I see,” Shiro says. “Do you want to sit down?”
Shiro is also asexual, and has become a bit of an Agony Aunt for Lance since they first met. He was the one who helped Lance realise his sexuality (he knew he didn’t get crushes on people, but he didn’t know there was a name for it), and is usually the first person Lance turns to when something is wrong. So it makes sense that he has come to talk to him today.
“It’s about… it’s about me and Hunk,” he says, and he proceeds to explain about their relationship, about how it’s not a friendship but also not romantic, and it’s really starting to confuse him.
And Shiro sits and listens as he babbles, nodding thoughtfully. When Lance finally shuts up, he smiles.
“You know, I think I know what you mean,” he says.
“You do?”
“Yeah,” Shiro says. “Have you ever heard of a queerplatonic relationship?”
---
The moment Lance spots Hunk, he goes hurtling up to him. He flings his arms around Hunk, pulling him into a tight hug. Hunk looks confused, as do the other Paladins, who are giving Lance a hilarious display of funny looks.
“You all right?” Hunk says.
“It’s queerplatonic,” Lance says, not caring that the others can hear him.
“Huh?”
“Our relationship,” he says, putting his hands on Hunk’s shoulders and grinning. “It’s queerplatonic. Shiro told me all about it. It’s a relationship that’s not friendship and not romantic, but is just as strong and important and valid. And I think that’s what we are.”
Hunk smiles and presses a kiss to his forehead. “You’re so weird sometimes, Lance.”
“Aren’t you happy?”
“Course I am,” Hunk says. “I just love the way you make everything so loud and important.”
Lance grins. “It’s my speciality.”
And Hunk smiles fondly and gives him a hug.