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Lance groaned as his head pressed against the back of the lounge chair. His long limbs were flopped out like a starfish as he closed his eyes.
He sighed. Him being alone. Lance inwardly rolled his eyes.
Groundbreaking.
Then he heard someone walk in.
“No Pidge, I told you, you can’t use my phone for Shiro’s new arm—oh.”
His eyes opened to be met with Krolia. Lance immediately shot upward, drawing his knees in.
“Oh, uh, Krolia. Keith’s mom. Hi, Uh, what’s up?” It took him a solid ten seconds to even look her in the eye. Her face was stone cold, unreadable.
God, she could snap him in half.
Krolia opened her mouth, but before she could even speak Lance overlapped her.
“You’re looking for Keith, right? Last time I saw him he was in the kitchen, I think? You better catch him fast though because he might’ve already left—”
“Lance.”
Lance shut up. Tense silence filled the room. He looked up at her after a beat, it looked like she was waiting for something.
He leaned his head forward, “Yes?”
Krolia then continued, “I actually came here to see you.”
The words were out of his mouth before he could think, “Why?”
Korlia didn’t miss a beat, “Because you’re the last paladin that I haven’t formally met yet.” As she said this she sat down on the other side of the lounge chair, arms crossed. Wow, she really was Keith’s mom. The sheer resemblance alone was uncanny.
Lance lifted an eyebrow, “Oh, okay.” He paused for a moment, but the question was just too great, “Yeah, but, why?”
“Keith’s told me all about you. Not to mention you’re a part of the most powerful weapon in the universe. I’d like to meet the pilots behind it.”
“Oh, so you’re a fan, huh?” Lance said, more of a joke to ease the tension than anything else. Completely ignoring the Keith part, he didn’t even want to entertain that right now—no Lance, focus—
But like mother, like son, because no matter how quick and fast they were to pick up on everything else, they sucked at getting social cues.
“If being grateful for defending the universe and taking care of my son would be considered a fan, then yes. I am.”
Lance tightened his hold around his knees, not able to look in her eyes, “Oh, um, thanks.”
“I should be thanking you.”
Lance began to wave her off, “Oh, there’s no need, Krolia. Us Paladins—”
“Lance,” she said, voice stern and nonnegotiable, just like her son’s, “look at me.”
Lance warily looked at her. Her eyes bared no emotion except determination, but even then, he didn’t know what to make of it.
“I mean it. You are a great asset to Keith, and he deeply values you as a teammate and a friend. After I left him . . .” she tore her eyes away, lost in her train of thought. Then she cleared her throat, shaking her head slightly as if disbanding her intrusive thoughts, “It’s invaluable. What you’ve done for him, and you specifically Lance, letting him feel the most like himself.”
Lance couldn’t help but find himself blushing over all the unexpected praise, “Are you sure we’re talking about the same Keith here? I’m just some guy that annoys him sometimes I don’t—”
“He has also told me that you don’t always give yourself the credit you deserve.”
That stopped Lance short. “Oh.”
Krolia gave him a pointed look. Then Lance scrunched his eyebrows.
“But Shiro—”
“Shiro’s a excellent guardian, a leader, and a brother. While he is equally as important you are also important, Lance. You’re a friend. A companion, a partner—”
Lance put his hands up, averting his eyes as a blush crept on his cheeks, “Woah, woah, woah, Krolia we’re not—”
Krolia continued, unflinchingly. “You’ve been his stability, Lance.”
Lance froze, that was about the last thing he expected to come out of Krolia’s mouth.
“And I just wanted to thank you for that.”
Lance scratched the back of his neck, “Uh, no problem Krolia. Um, anytime.”
An awkward silence filled the room until Krolia sighed, her eyes now averting. Lance looked up to see the Galra woman, her muscles not as tense. Almost relaxed. Well, as relaxed as someone could be in the middle of an intergalactic war. She almost seemed non-threatening. Almost.
“We’ve been having a difficult time adjusting. Especially Keith.”
Lance furrowed his brows, “What do you mean?”
“He’s been through a lot. All of you have,” Krolia said, eyes meeting Lance’s for a split moment. “All so young too,” she murmured, shaking her head.
“And it is unfair of me to ask this. I am his mother, I should know by now. But if you could—”
“Oh hey, Keith!” Lance called, his voice carried over Krolia’s words.
Krolia turned to see Keith in his swim trunks with a towel over his head and sipping on a juice box. “Oh hi, mom. Hey, Lance.”
“What are you up to?” Lance almost-yelled. His smile slightly strained, not wanting Keith to know about their conversation.
And while he originally thought Krolia and Keith were exactly the same in the social ineptness category, as Krolia stood up and squeezed Keith’s shoulder, when she passed him she nodded slightly at Lance, a silent even though we didn’t get to finish this conversation, thank you.
“About to hit the pool, what are you guys talking about?” Keith asked, completely oblivious, as he sat next to Lance.
Krolia smiled slightly, “Just relaying my thanks.”
Lance returned with a small smile back as she turned around and exited.
Keith looked in-between them, “Should I be worried?”
Lance’s mouth pulled itself into a devilish grin, teasing, “Oh, you better watch out, Kogane. I think I’m her favorite now.”
Keith snorted as he kicked his feet up on the coffee table, “You wish.”
“I don’t have to wish if it’s already true.”
“Uh huh, just keep telling yourself that.”
The slight silence broke with Keith sucking the last remains of what Lance affectionately called, Space Juice.
Keith sighed as he finished his drink. He smacked his lips, “Wanna race to the pool?”
“Sure.”
They both waited a solid three seconds before they both got up and scrambled in different directions.
*
“I totally won!” Lance called from the other side of the pool.
Keith crossed his arms, a smirk rested on his lips, “No, I’m pretty sure I won.”
Lance turned away, fake-pouting. As Keith looked at Lance from across the pool a wave of nostalgia hit him. Oh, how he’s missed this.
“Uh uh,” he heard Lance rebut.
“Oh yeah?”
Lance then turned, a slight bounce in his step, “Yeah!”
“How about whoever gets to the middle first wins.” The Altean pool was quite long, it was a respectable distance for a race, at least for a warm-up race.
Lance grinned, as he pulled his arms over his head, “You’re so on.”
“Go!” Keith shouted as he heaved a deep breath and dived in, letting the water encase him as he thrusted forward.
Lance cut through the water like a knife through soft butter as he propelled himself ahead. Sure, Keith was big and buff now, but swimming was in Lance’s very bones. Hell, his original lion was Blue, the Guardian Spirit of Water. Try and beat that, Keith!
A gleeful grin upturned Lance’s lips as he neared the middle, marked by a bright yellow stripe (Hunk had a phase where he measured everything).
Lance broke through the water as he reached the yellow stripe, Keith emerged just a militick later.
“Aha!” Lance pointed at Keith in glee, “I won!”
Keith splashed him, Lance yelped and splashed him back.
“I let you win,” Keith corrected.
Lance put his hands on his hips, the Smirk of Victory still residing, “So you admit that I won and that you’re now officially a slow poke to the ultimate Freestyle Champion Lance McClain, baby! Whoop whoop!”
Keith rolled his eyes fondly, Lance was too busy in his win to notice the slight blush tinging Keith’s cheeks.
Keith splashed him again. Lance immediately retaliated.
“C’mon Kogane.” Lance teased, hopping in front of him, “I dare you to try to catch me in my element—AH!”
Keith, in fact, did catch him in his element by dunking him in the water, several times. Lance flailed, scrambling for purchase and then grasped at Keith’s arms. Quickly pulling him underneath the water. Then it became an all out dunking war.
Until they both eventually got tired. They both drew up to the shallow-end of the pool. Sitting quietly with the water sitting at their chests, relishing in each other’s company.
Keith was the first one to break the silence.
“What were you guys talking about earlier?”
“Hmm?” Lance turned, getting out of his stupor.
Keith shook his head, “Forget it, never mind. It’s none of my business.”
Lance sighed, “No, it’s just,” Lance paused, then decided to continue. Keith stared at him intently,
“She’s just worried about you, man. With how ‘you’re adjusting.’”
Lance took the liberty of using air quotes.
Lance scoffed, “You should’ve heard her, she made it sound like you’ve been gone for years. I get it, total momma bear and all that junk, but we know you dude, we’re your family, she’s got nothing to worry about.”
Keith took a breath, “I was gone, Lance.”
Lance frowned, as he turned toward Keith, “Yeah, but now you’re back—”
“I was gone for two years.”
Lance gave him an odd look, “You know when you told me to ‘leave the math to Pidge’, I didn’t realize that included you too—”
“I’m serious, Lance!”
Lance rose his eyebrows in surprise at his outburst.
Keith looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to refute it.
Lance motioned toward him, “Go on.”
Keith sighed as he ran a hand down his face.
“Krolia and I got stuck in a place called the Quantum Abyss,” Keith said, “it’s a part of the galaxy where dense neutron stars orbit even larger dark stars. With its presence of such massive objects it effects space-time itself. So we were stuck there, for two years on the back of a space whale.”
Keith looked up at Lance.
“Oh,” was all that Lance had to say.
Keith looked around as if expecting more of an answer, “That’s all you have to say?”
Lance scratched the back of his head and shrugged, “What do you want me to say?” He paused for a moment. “I’m not gonna say it sucked, cause I don’t know what that feels like. And I’m not gonna poke fun either cause that’s a dick move.”
Keith scoffed.
“It is!” Lance insisted. “But I’m relieved to finally have an explanation. I thought I was losing my mind there for a second when I first saw you there.”
“Speaking of dick moves,” Keith cleared his throat, “I’m sorry that I wasn’t all that nice when I reunited with you guys, specifically to you. You didn’t deserve that.”
Lance blinked. Keith could’ve sworn he heard a soft thanks before—
“Wow, some hang time with your mom and Kogane actually develops manners! Maybe two years was a good thing.”
And out of all the way he expected to react, he shocked himself as he laughed and nudged Lance shoulder. “Shut up.”
“It’s true,” Lance nudged back, a devious grin across his mouth, “Hey, maybe Ms. Kogane could teach me some—”
“If you don’t shut up right now I’m going to kill you.”
Lance threw his head back and laughed. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding.”
Lance sighed as they lapped into a comfortable silence.
“What else did you guys talk about?” Keith asked after a while.
“Nothin’ much,” Lance said, suddenly interested in creating small waves in the pool, “Just stuff.”
Keith narrowed his eyes, “I don’t know if you noticed but my mom doesn’t do small talk. When she does something it’s for a reason.”
Lance looked up at him, “Why do you wanna know?”
Keith shrugged.
Lance shoulders loosened as he relented, “She was just telling me to keep an eye on you, that’s all. She’s worried about you, and besides, it’s not like I wouldn’t keep an eye on you anyway—”
Lance stopped mid-sentence in utter horror at what he just said. Lance didn’t even look at Keith, but deep down he knew that Keith was wearing that dumb smirk on his face (contrary to popular belief, Keith was just as flustered as he was).
“I-I mean—”
“I know what you mean, Lance.”
They both stared at opposite ends of the pool, not daring to look at each other, both completely embarrassed and flushed.
But then Lance felt Keith’s hand brush his fingers, and it took everything in Lance not to flinch away and play it off. Laugh at it and bury it deep inside his chest until it was nothing except an unnameable longing, a void that his heart he yearned to fill, not knowing it was right in front of him the whole time.
So Lance gulped as he twisted Keith’s fingers around his own. Shoulders bumping each other periodically. The only thing Lance could hear was their breathing and it was the most intense and awkward and thrilling thing he’d experienced (and that was saying something).
He took a deep breath, if he was going to do it, might as well go all in.
“I—” Lance turned, just as Keith said, “Lance—”
They both glanced at each other for the first time since they interlocked and laughed lightly. Lance knew this sounded over the top cheesy, but he knew he would cherish this moment for the rest of his life. The way Keith’s hair stuck to his cheeks, how the light glistened off the water, the dazzling purple hues of Keith’s eyes, and the sharp smell of rubber (which is what Altean chlorine smelled like), and when he subconsciously looked down at Keith’s lips not expecting anything, but pleasantly surprised (with a slight fear his heart was gonna burst out of his chest) when he felt Keith’s lips press against his own.
It was a small peck, if anything just testing the waters as Keith cupped one of Lance’s cheeks, while the other hand still twisted with Lance’s. When Keith pulled back he was smiling, and it was the softest thing Lance had ever seen that Lance just couldn’t help himself as leaned in and kissed Keith back.
It quickly turned into more than a peck. Lance quickly got lost, all he could focus on, all he could think of was Keith Keith Keith—
How Lance’s hands were carding through his thick hair, and how his lips were surprisingly soft for two years without chapstick (he’d have to ask him about that one later). One hand slipped down to cup his jaw, and his thumb brushed against his left cheek, feeling a slight rough patch of skin and suddenly life wasn’t just a pool with only him and Keith. Outside this room was obligations, and rules, and war and life and—
Lance pulled back and rested his forehead against his. Both of them breathing heavily, their breath intermingling.
“That was—”
“Wow,” Keith agreed, still staring up at Lance like he had hung the very stars in the sky, that it maybe broke Lance’s train of thought for a moment before pulling Keith back in for maybe a peck or two.
“Okay, okay, we need to chill out,” Lance said as he broke away again. Keith was still chasing after his lips, but Lance placed a hand on his chest stopping him.
Lance took a deep breath as he closed his eyes, processing the fact that he just made out with Keith Kogane, top of the class at the Garrison, badass extraordinaire Keith Kogane that was so out of his league from the beginning, but he’d be damned if that would stop him. Hell, not to mention two time Black Paladin Keith Kogane.
Lance took another breath, in complete and utter awe and terror that this just happened. The absolute last think he could’ve possibly think of, happened. Holy shit.
“Are you okay?” Keith asked slowly.
Lance opened his eyes to resume to the present of . . . straddling Keith. Keith was leaning up against the pool wall at the shallow end of the pool with that stupid towel still on his head and—
“Y-Yeah, yeah,” Lance cleared his throat as he climbed off of Keith, giving him a good amount of room before he spoke again, “I’m good.”
Keith looked at him. His lips were reddened slightly, lips parted as his eyebrows drew together as he sat up more, “Are you sure—”
Lance then began to swim away, throwing him a finger gun, “Peachy keen jelly bean,” Lance called.
Keith eyed him, anger and hurt swelling in his chest, “Lance! Don't you dare swim away from me!"
Lance stopped. Keith’s eyes pinned him against the spot, his voice soft and desperate, "Please."
Lance drew in a breath as he slowly walked closer to Keith as Keith moved closer to close the gap. Both of them standing, water at their chests.
“Lance,” Keith started, just as Lance said, “Keith.”
They both faltered, then Lance spoke up, “You go first.”
Keith took a deep breath. Lance expected Keith’s voice to be angry and ticked off, or regretful and mocking, but nothing could’ve prepared him for the softest ness of Keith’s tone, “Lance, look at me.”
Lance slowly met Keith’s eye. He shook his head slightly, and Lance’s stomach dropped, mind already on overdrive before Keith could get out a syllable.
Surprisingly, a small smile curled his lips, “We don’t have to figure this out right now. We don’t even need to talk about it if you don’t want to, I just want everything out in the open before we decide anything.” Keith took another breath, not letting Lance look at anything else, “I like you, Lance. So much it’s actually nauseating.” They both teetered out a laugh. “But I get it if you don’t want to be with me, or anybody right now. We’re in the middle of a war. I get it.” Keith’s eyes shifted downwards, signaling the end of his speech.
Lance cleared his throat, “I’m not gonna lie, it really caught me off guard, with the whole ‘liking you thing’. And it was terrifying cause I’d always thought I’d end up with a pretty lady that everyone from my family would expect me to have but . . .” Lance trailed off, his mind fighting to find the right words.
“B-But with you I don’t want to expect! You’re impulsive and smart and actually kind of funny,” Keith huffed out a small laugh, “A-And you listen to me, even if you think what I’m saying is stupid. You think you have to be this serious, put together guy to be a leader, when you’re anything but with still being the best guy I know, and still lead Voltron without a hitch! You’re the best at training and the smoothest motherfucker I’ve ever seen on Level 15, even you got Shiro beat. And when I saw you in your Marmorite suit I was sad to see you go, but damn did I love to watch you leave and—”
But the rest of Lance’s speech was drowned out by Keith slamming his lips to his own, tilting his head at an angle as he wound his arm around Lance’s waist, his other hand coming up to cup his jaw. Lance kissed back just as forceful, snagging that dumb towel off his head as he curled his fingers through his hair. The other hand softly skimming Keith’s scarred cheek.
They stayed like that for a while, wrapped around each other until they pulled away, foreheads pressed together breathing heavily.
Lips red with soft smiles, and adoring eyes staring into the other in wonderment. They knew that no matter whatever would happen, in that moment, they knew peace.