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Chemistry. Everything between them was a mixing and clashing of two opposing yet like substances. But instead of crashing and creating an explosion like some chemical reactions, theirs was a slow burn. Even when the burn was gradual, it flashed beautiful colors. They combined to become something greater than either of them imagined.
So here he sat, staring at the love of his life, having what Pidge was saying go in one ear and out the other. He slowly ran his fingers across Keith's knuckles, letting his touch marvel at his touch skin there while his eyes marveled at his immense beauty. Sometimes he forgets how he first got together with Keith, it seemed that the love was always there but drifted into his conscious like dandelions floating in the wind, wondrously warm and spring. They fight and argue sometimes, but they also laugh and talk, and its a treat when they end up rolling and kissing.
It is annoying whenever Hunk mentions that he and Keith are in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. It is a phase, that means it ends. That is something he did not want to happen. He wanted to continue to find new things about Keith, continue finding those moments that he wanted nothing to do but to be in his presence, continue to find those times where he needed Keith by his side. Just the other day, Keith had interrupted his game playing by grabbing his chin and with a smirk, pushed his lips against his and he did not mind one bit. Small random actions of affection such as this make his soul fill with something that he could only describe as something that makes him feel anew. Like for the first time in a long time, he could finally breath comforting and warm air. He did not want this to end. He wanted more of Keith.
>>>>>>
"Kiss me." Lance suddenly muttered out as he straightened up and scooted closer as if that was possible at their current position. He squeezed Keith's hand, giving him a soft look.
So he did... or went to at least. When Keith had turned his head to kiss him, Pidge, with surprising force compared to her skinny frame, chucked a pillow at their faces and yelled at them to listen to whatever she was saying.
"What? You want a pillow fight?" Keith automatically challenged, dropping Lance's hand to grab up the pillow.
Pidge let out an exasperated sigh. "No, I do not want that." She bumped up her glasses and began to type on her laptop again. Her eyebrows were furrowed as she jammed her fingers into the keys rhythmically. "I was just trying to explain to you two what dihydrogen monoxide is."
"Which is...?"
"It's fucking WATER." She hissed, clearly more than just annoyed at the pair's distractedness. "I have been trying to explain to you two how water and this planet's atmosphere react to each other for the past thirty minutes and what do I get? Just Lance giving you gooey eyed looks as you daydream about whatever land... which is probably about Lance as well."
"There's no need to be so harsh, Pidge. Just because you don't have a fabulous partner doesn't mean you need to get so mad." Lance waved his hand, dismissing his and Keith's rude manners.
He leaned back against the wall, weaving his fingers together putting them behind his head as he closed his eyes. There was a smirk playing on his lips, but as he opened his eyes again, the smirk slowly faded replaced with a look of shock. Pidge had stopped typing for that her hands folded themselves into fists. There was anger in her features but it was different from before, it was genuine, harsh anger that only comes when someone treads on dangerous territory.
Lance instantly knew he had said something that he could never take back.
"Shut up." A hand released a fist to which she shakily lifted it and ranked her fingers in her hair, an action only meant that she was trying to control herself. "It is not like I can have that 'fabulous partner' so you need to stop that."
"Stop what...?" He murmured, having absolutely no idea what was going on.
There was silence for a moment before she burst, her face red and speech breaking, "Stop being so love-y dove-y with Keith all of the time. Just because you have him doesn't mean we all have--" She choked, tears suddenly rolling down her cheeks like a rushing river.
The laptop clattered as it slipped off her lap and onto the floor, but for once Pidge did not seem to care that one of her precious tools could have gotten damaged. She curled into herself, knees bent and head between them, her hands balling into her hair furiously. Lance stared helplessly. The only time he had seen her so mad was about losing her family, but even then, she found courage and motivation from her feelings but this... this was a raw pain. She was powerless to this pain.
Taking a deep breath, he drew himself off the floor. He past Keith, who was still clutching the pillow in shock, and approached Pidge. She was shaking as he gently laid a hand on her back. "Pidge... who hurt you?" He whispered carefully.
There was nothing said but she steadily started to calm down as Lance rubbed her back, small circles as he tried his best to comfort her.
"Pidge?" Keith started to speak up, moving closer to her but never touching. Comforting was never in his general guidebook, but he was trying, and that was enough credit anyone could give him.
She slowly started to raise her head. Lance let his hand slip from her back as he watched her take her tear-stained glasses off with trembling fingers. "I am sorry about that I was... I was being selfish." Sniffling, she wiped her eyes with her sleeve, her words coming out in weak, tired statements. "Just that, that the person I want to be like that with isn't here..."
With actual worry, Keith leaned forward, "Where are them?"
If this was a joking matter, Lance would ask if it was a robot she was in love with but this... this was something nothing anyone should laugh at.
"She--" Pidge's hand jumped to her mouth as she tried to stifle a broken sob. "She is..."
"Oh." It was clear. Pidge's pain, her anger towards love, her sudden delflation.. the girl she liked wasn't alive. There were more battles on the planet of Olkari the past year, ambushes from the Galra and neighboring powers. Every time they landed on the planet, Pidge had vanished for long periods of time but never spoke of where she went. She always brought back tools and supplies made with the planet technology so there was no question why she was so happy. There were vivid memories of how excited Pidge would get whenever they were going to go to the planet; there was enough excitement that she could have single-handedly defeated all of the evil in the universe. But after one battle, she came back devastated. She brought back no tools or supplies, just broken tears and hopes. There was never questions about why she was thrown back in this pain, it was always assumed that it was because of her destroyed technology mines.
>>>>
Later, she explained everything, and Lance and Keith promised they would be less outlandish with their lovings.
Like in lovers, chemicals can also die out. Once their crashing or burning reaches their height, some may die, becoming ashy remnants of their past forms. Now, he fears that his or his boyfriend's time will come before it is supposed to, even before they become old, scarred men like they should be. Hopefully, Pidge can find another person to bond with, another person for her soul to burn with.