Chapter Text
It happened as the Paladins conducted a meeting on a planet recently liberated. The Galra had appeared suddenly, launching a full scale invasion. To reach their lions, the Paladins had to fight their way forward on foot.
Which left Lance in a bind, since he couldn’t see who he was fighting. Keith did his best to protect him, fighting for them both a path to Red - Red first, had to be, to get Lance inside and safe -
But then of course, things got quiznaked.
The Galra noticed the weakness that Keith and Lance were and several of the soldiers descended on them at once, Lance firing as best as he could, Keith slashing, everything a mess of fur and sweat and the sounds of screams and the thick, coppery scent of blood -
And then a large soldier knocked Lance out cold once again. She didn’t stop there, taking the opportunity smash his body up before a sword pierced her neck, and she was gone.
Red woke and roared, bounding over to her injured paladin as Keith scooped Lance carefully into his arms, the scene sadly familiar. Except this time Lance’s injuries were far more life-threatening. Red began stomping all the soldiers in her path, killing a large many of them before she was able to close her mouth around Keith and Lance.
“Take us to the Castleship, Red!” Keith ordered, bracing himself and Lance in the cockpit so Lance didn’t get jostled too much. Oh, fuck, Keith was going to be sick from looking at him.
A bone from Lance’s arm protruded from the skin and he bled from numerous open wounds. They’d been without their armor because it was a diplomacy meeting and these aliens would have taken it as a fucking insult. Keith growled low in his chest. They’d pay for it if Lance died because of their stupid culture-over-common-sense bullshit. One of Lance’s feet was twisted at an odd angle and his breathing was shallow and rapid. Probably some broken ribs poking his lungs out or something.
“Don’t you fucking die on me now, Lance,” he snarled, as if he could keep Lance alive through sheer force of will. “Not after all we’ve been through.” Why is it always you, Lance?
Lance didn’t answer, of course, but the second Red had dropped them in her hangar, Keith broke into a dead sprint, holding Lance tightly as he made his mad dash for the pods. Deja vu was hitting him hard and he prayed that Lance made it through this one okay.
He shoved Lance into the pod and programmed it, watching as Chulatt barely ran inside on time.
“I don’t get why the fuck you wanna be in there with him,” Keith muttered.
The Black Paladin watched with a morbid fascination as the pod started forcing Lance’s bones back inside his body and to their rightful place. Seriously, he was glad he had a strong stomach, because anyone else would have barfed at least two times now. If it was Hunk, probably more like nine.
Once he was certain the pod was doing its job, he raced out to join his team in battle, shaken as he realized there were only four lions once again. They were lucky enough to defeat them all without needing Voltron, and the second the Galra had run once again, Keith sprinted for the healing chambers again as Allura warped the Castleship away.
---
Two weeks. Two whole weeks, movements, whatever, and Lance still rested in the pod, healing.
Black continued to refuse Shiro, and so Voltron continued to be reduced to four lions. The atmosphere consistently remained tense in the Castleship as everyone waited for an attack they couldn’t fight back without forming Voltron. For everything they’d worked so hard for to come collapsing around them.
What was more unsettling to Keith was the sheer radio silence from the Galra. Nothing, not even a whisper of an attack. The knowledge settled in his chest like a boulder. Between that, and keeping an eye on Shiro, Keith felt drained and hyper-aware of everything at the same time. He couldn’t deny the changes in Shiro that’d seen any longer. It drove him bananas.
Keith desperately wanted his Shiro back, and for Lance to wake up. Lance’s near death had struck him deeply, leaving him with what-ifs swirling in his mind.
He hated what-ifs.
What if Lance had died? What if he’d never gotten to share his feelings? What if they could never form Voltron again? What if they never got Shiro back?
Endlessly they circled, day after day, torturing him. At least he knew Lance wasn’t dead. The thought that he could have missed out on having something with Lance terrified him, and he finally decided to just suck it up and tell Lance. No secrets between paladins. Except that there were lot of secrets, but baby steps. Baby steps.
“Wake up already,” he whispered to the pod, looking at Lance’s peaceful face. Ugh, he wanted to kiss that stupid face.
As if on cue, the pod slid open and Keith caught Lance as he fell forward, steadying him.
Lance groaned, clinging to Keith’s shoulders. “Keith… what happened?” he asked hoarsely, struggling to stay upright.
Keith ignored the question and led Lance to the couch, settling him down. He flashed a smile at Chulatt as the mouse scurried up Lance, who yelped briefly but scooped up his friend and perched him on his shoulder.
“Keith, come on, what happened?”
Keith sighed. “You got knocked out and they beat the shit out of you until I could kill them. Red stomped on a bunch of them in her rampage to get to you. I put you in the pod and we fought the attack off. We only just barely did it because Black still refuses to let Shiro in. We’ve been without Voltron for two weeks.”
“Whoa, okay, what? I’ve been out for two whole weeks? Damn, how bad was it?” Lance asked, raising his brows in shock.
Keith winced. “Uh, Hunk threw up when he saw you after we came back. You… looked really fucked up,” he said reluctantly, “Seriously, one of your bones was sticking out of your arm. I’m pretty sure one of your lungs collapsed from your ribs breaking. And lots of other stuff.”
Lance gagged. “God, I’m gonna barf just hearing about it. Do I at least have a neat scar?”
The Black Paladin rolled his eyes. “Seriously, Lance?” he groaned, even as he gently took Lance’s previously broken arm and examined it. “Yeah.” He traced the starburst scar from where Lance’s arm bone (as if Keith knew which one it was) he decided to vacate his body.
“Yes, seriously! Scars attract suitors, didn’t you know that?” Lance asked with a chuckle, “And nice. Thanks.”
“What, not just the ladies?” Keith teased, heart thumping painfully. “Suitors, huh?”
“Uh, yeah. I told you I was bi, remember? Jeez Keith, you’re getting forgetful in your old age!”
“I’m only half a year older than you!” Keith defended immediately.
“Yeah, well, I’m going to enjoy that extra half a year wrinkle-free, thank you very much,” Lance teased, eyes sparkling with mirth.
Keith’s heart was committing mutiny in his chest as he stared at Lance’s face. This boy was going to be the death of him. He swallowed back the words he wanted to say. Not yet.
Lance hummed happily. “So what’s been happening while I was out?”
“Nothing.”
Lance’s brows rose again. “What do you mean, nothing?” he asked, shifting to get more comfortable.
“The Galra have been pretty suspiciously silent, and we haven’t been able to form Voltron, so we’re just… waiting. For something.”
The Red Paladin rubbed his chin in thought. “Yeah? Well, I’m back now, so at least we don’t have to worry too much,” he commented.
:Glad you’re okay, Lance!: Chulatt projected, cuddling up under Lance’s ear.
Lance smiled and patted Chulatt gently. “Me too, Chu. He said he’s glad I’m okay,” he said aloud for Keith’s benefit.
At that moment, Chulatt did something he wasn’t aware the mice could do - he sent a vision. Lance jolted in his seat as his mind processed it.
Keith sitting next to him on the couch, body half turned to stare at Lance - what was that expression on his face? Fondness? Longing? Keith’s eyes told a story of worry and relief, and yet something was held back.
Lance didn’t quite see what it was before the vision ended.
“Oh my God,” he breathed, eyes wide. “Chulatt, what was that?”
:I showed you!: the mouse said proudly, :I thought I’d try it! And it worked!:
“Chulatt, what? Come on man, explain to me so I can tell Keith to stop giving me that worried look I know he’s giving me.”
“I’m not worried,” Keith grumbled in protest, crossing his arms.
Chulatt looked at him and sent the vision to Lance.
“Hah, you’re totally pouting! So... I guess what Chulatt can do is… show me what he can see,” he guessed, “Because he just showed me you sitting with your arms crossed all in a huff because I called you out.”
Chulatt squeaked an affirmative.
Keith’s jaw dropped slightly and Chulatt sent the picture-perfect face to Lance, causing him to snort a laugh.
“You look dumbstruck, Keith,” he teased lightly. “It’s weird though, seeing you at angle from my shoulder.”
Chulatt scrambled to position himself on top of Lance’s head as Keith rolled his eyes.
“Wait a tick,” Keith said suddenly, giving Lance a serious look, “If Chulatt can show you what he sees… Can he do it in real-time?”
“I dunno, Chu, can you?” Lance asked, brow furrowed.
Chulatt squeaked and focused, sending the scene to Lance instantaneously. Keith started making a few faces to test it and Lance snorted when Keith stuck out his tongue.
“I don’t think there’s any delay,” Lance said, vision going dark as Chulatt paused to recover for a moment. “It seems to exhaust him quickly, though.”
Keith’s brow furrowed in thought. “Lance,” he said slowly, “I think this means... If we could build up Chulatt’s stamina, we could have you sniping again. You’d have to get used to mouse vision from wherever he happens to sit, but you could use his eyes to shoot again.”
Lance blinked. Blinked again. Opened his mouth, closed it. Blinked again.
“Uh, Lance? You okay?”
Lance gasped and lurched forward, grabbing Keith in a hug. “Keith! Oh my God! This is - I can fight again!” he shouted. Chulatt squealed and clung tightly to Lance.
Keith’s heart stuttered again and he hugged Lance back loosely. “Yeah, maybe. We should test it in the training area first,” he murmured in reply. The words he wanted to say bubbled up in his throat again and he pulled back to give Lance an intense stare.
Chulatt relayed the image to Lance and Lance stiffened a little as he stared back (hopefully) into Keith’s eyes. God, that look… Lance’s heart thumped painfully and he finally let himself realize just how much he wanted to kiss Keith’s stupid face. His arms were still wrapped loosely around Keith. He could just…
Before what either boy really knew what was happening, they were leaning forward. Keith kept his eyes open for a moment, to make sure he didn’t ram his nose into Lance’s teeth or something as they got closer.
The moment their lips pressed together, Keith let his eyes fall shut. Lance pulled Keith closer again and Keith’s arms slipped around Lance and pressed into the taller man. The kiss become more intense, more heated as they clutched desperately at each other. Lance’s lips parted with a soft moan and Keith took the opportunity to slide his tongue against Lance’s.
Lance moaned softly again, curling his tongue with Keith’s. God, the other man really knew how to kiss, he thought dazedly.
Keith started pulling Lance back, shifting them so they lay on the couch, Lance on top. He let out his own soft moan as Lance pulled back, panting slightly to regain his breath.
“Holy shit, Keith,” he whispered. He jerked a little when he felt Chulatt shift to run off him, perching on the couch somewhere. “You… Wow. God. I really, really like you so I hope this isn’t just some kind of fling or one-off or anything because you are really amazing and - ”
Keith pressed a finger to Lance’s lips, silencing him. “Of course I like you,” he breathed, “I like you a lot, Lance. I have for… for a long time. I just didn’t know how to…”
“Confess?” Lance finished for him, smiling, “I literally only figured out how much I actually like you about a minute ago.”
“You move fast,” Keith drawled.
“Dude, I flirted with Allura the second I saw her. Moving fast is literally my nature,” Lance snickered, dropping his head to press small kisses into Keith’s neck.
Keith snorted. “If we could not talk about your past flirtations while we’re making out, that’d be ni-ice,” he said, trying to keep a dry tone but losing it at the last moment when Lance sucked on a sensitive spot on his neck.
Lance chuckled and shifted to kiss Keith. “I wish I could see the hickey on your neck right now,” he purred.
“Lance, you left a - a hickey?” Keith whispered, a little bit pissed but a little bit turned on, too.
“Er… should I not have?” he asked. Good job, McClain, you already fucked up.
Keith sighed. “No, it’s fine, I just… Thought you wouldn’t want to tell the others or something,” he muttered.
“Whoa, Keith, buddy, are you kidding? I want them to know I’ve landed myself the most gorgeous half-alien in the entire universe,” Lance scoffed, kissing Keith’s nose. “You’re amazing.”
Keith blushed. “Oh… I, okay.”
Lance smiled softly, cupping Keith’s cheeks. “I’m so happy right now. Seriously. Best day of my life - I’ve got a rad new scar and a total hottie boyfriend.”
Keith rolled his eyes and laughed quietly. “That’s what makes a day good for you?” he asked, bemused.
“Yup,” Lance replied, popping the p. “You’re mine now, Keith. Get ready for the worst barrage of pickup lines every day.”
“If I’d known I was going to be subjected to those, I never would have kissed you,” Keith retorted.
“Aw, come on, baby, you don’t mean that,” he pouted.
“You’re right, I don’t, but try not to irritate me with too many of those awful lines,” Keith admitted, hesitantly pressing a kiss to Lance’s forehead.
“We’ll see,” Lance compromised.
Keith rolled his eyes but accepted his fate.
They went back to kissing languidly, neither feeling the need to go any further. It felt nice to just lay together, without any pressure, kissing and giggling with the happiness they found in each other.