Work Text:
Dodging and weaving, Keith danced around the practice droid. Usually in a battle Keith is the one to charge in first and ask questions later. He’s been trying to work on that little problem, much to the insistence of Lance and Shiro. His boyfriend had been the most vocal one about his little problem.
“Keith, you’re going to get yourself killed!” Lance had cried out after an intense physical battle Keith had had with a Galra soldier over two times the size of himself. A bruise was flowering across his cheek, but he had never felt more alive (other than the times he was flying Red of course). He had brushed off the worry, not taking his boyfriend at his word. Lance was well known to be a little melodramatic sometimes. It was only until Shiro had pulled him aside and talked to him did he start to actually think of the seriousness of Lance’s words. Keith, out of all the members of Voltron, had had some seriously close calls. He had always been the impulsive one, the one that took the biggest risks. The one to risk jumping off the bridge instead of finding a way down. Now that he wasn’t alone, now that he had a family and a boyfriend, he thought that he should start being different. Now it wasn’t just Keith. Now it was Lance and Shiro and Pidge and Hunk and Coran and Allura.
After a long time shut in his room, he had decided that Lance and Shiro were right, and that his selfishness needed to end. It had kept him alive when he had needed it to, but circumstances were different now, and he needed to remember that.
Now here he was, training with a droid and playing defense. He had to keep fighting his natural urges. Kick there, punch here, jab here, his mind kept telling him. It was difficult, but he reminded himself that this was for Lance, and that was all he needed to keep getting back up and trying again.
Nearly two hours in and Lance finally walked through the door, all decked out in his new Black Paladin armor and with a dazzling smile on his face. Keith’s first instinct was to stare-- it was Lance; how could he resist-- and the second he looked away the droid knocked him right on his ass with a quick swipe of it’s metal leg. He landed flat on his back; the air rushing out of his lungs.
Lance, being Lance, rushed over, turning off the droid as he came. He helped Keith to his feet, trying to hide his laughter with an extremely fake look of worry on his face. “Hey, you okay? That fall looked a little rough.” Keith shot Lance a grimace, and looked away as his cheeks began to heat up.
“Fine,” He replied, not feeling fine. He was still trying to recover from the lack of air in his lungs. Lance lead him to the seats in the training room. Keith faintly noted how good Lance smelled-- and how bad he undoubtedly smelled from hours of training. His blush deepened. Play it cool, Keith. It’s just Lance. He collapsed onto the seats, breathing in deep. Lance’s staring definitely did not help.
“What?” Keith eventually asked. The question came out a little aggressive, and he winced, but Lance didn’t seem to mind. They had just gotten together. It hadn’t even been three weeks yet, so Keith guessed Lance understood how it would take him time to adjust to this.
“Nothing. Just taking advantage of us being boyfriends and all and letting myself stare for once.” Keith remembered the constant looks Lance had gave him before they had got together. At the beginning, when they had first met, it had been all glares. But all the looks had eventually developed into some kind of look that Keith hadn’t been able to place. He had eventually realized that those looks had been looks of longing. How he realized? Because he had been sending Lance the same ones, because it had been the same look he had on his face whenever he thought of Lance. It was what had originally brought him to his senses, well, that and a long, embarrassing talk with Shiro.
Eventually, Keith realized he hadn’t replied to Lance’s comment, so he just dumbly blurted out the first thing that came to his mind, “you… like staring at me.” Lance gave him a peculiar look, as if he couldn’t believe his boyfriend had just asked him that question.
“Uh. Keith, I don’t know if you’ve looked in the mirror lately, but, yeah, I like staring at you.” Did that mean he looked funny? At this point, he couldn’t tell. Lance seemed to pick up on his confusion because he took Keith’s calloused hand into his soft one and rubbed his thumb across Keith’s bruising knuckles.
“I’m calling you pretty, Keith. You know, attractive? Good looking? Hot?” Keith was too busy staring at their hands to even attempt to process Lance’s compliments.
Usually he wouldn’t be this flustered by a simple compliment, but it was from Lance. Lance, with his dazzling smile and royal blue eyes and his laugh that echoed in Keith’s mind for hours afterwards. Frankly, he was a bit of a mess.
“Thanks.” Was his absolute failure of a response. It didn’t even convey that he was embarrassed. His voice sounded deadpan, like it was some sort of automatic response. Technically it was. Keith had been a hotshot pilot in the Garrison. Compliments were something he had never been short of, but, again, it was Lance.
Keith wasn’t even sure how he looked at the moment, but he was sure pretty was not a word he would use to describe himself. He was probably sweaty and a bit grimy from the times he had been thrown to the floor by the robot. His hair was most likely an absolute mess too. What Lance managed to see was completely beyond him. Lance, on the other hand, looked downright gorgeous. To Keith he always did, but that was beside the point. With his perfectly tousled hair and the way he looked in his new uniform… it was a miracle Keith wasn’t staring nonstop. “The uniform. It looks good, Lance.” Keith shot Lance a small smile. The compliment seemed to catch Lance by surprise, and the boy blushed. Keith couldn’t help himself; he leaned forward, kissing Lance’s rosy cheek.
“I’m glad I finally get to do that.” Keith admits, shifting his hand so their fingers are now intertwined instead. Lance is still all soft smiles, and Keith finds he likes the look on Lance. Keith leans back, and Lance automatically slots himself against Keith’s side, head now resting on Keith’s shoulder. It feels good, being honest and open and intimate with someone. Keith is just really grateful that it’s Lance. The moment passes, and Lance sniffs. Keith raises an eyebrow, concerned for a second that Lance is crying.
Lance then mutters, “you smell.”
Keith laughs, “I’ve been training for the past two hours, Lance.”
Lance shifts so he can look at Keith again. “Shower? I’ll let you use my shampoo for your mullet.” Lance teases, knowing how Keith likes how soft the shampoo makes his hair.
“Yeah, yeah. Maybe I just want to stay here with you a little longer.” Keith grabs Lance around the stomach, locking his hands together around Lance’s stomach.
“Keith, let go! You reek!” Lance whines, wiggling around in Keith’s arms. Keith laughs, genuinely enjoying himself for once. He finally lets go, standing up as he does.
“Okay, I relent to a shower under one condition.” Lance eyes him suspiciously, but takes the bait.
“What?”
“One kiss.” Lance rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling just as wide as Keith is at this point. He relents, coming over and slinking his arms around Keith’s neck as Keith’s hands go to his hips.
“Mm, you still smell.” Lance mutters between smaller kisses.
“I know. One more?”
“You’re lucky I like you, samurai.”
“Whatever you say, sharpshooter.”