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Lance and Keith weren’t the best at firsts.
Their first kiss? Drunken and only remembered because Lance took a selfie while doing it. Keith claimed that he despised that Lance had been taking selfies during their kiss, but truthfully, they had been posing well before the kiss had happened, and Keith just hated the fact that their first kiss was a fucking photobooth cliche (Lance kind of loved it).
Lance beat Keith to the first love confession, not that that surprised anyone, though the way it happened was not how Lance would’ve planned it. Pidge and Hunk had been discussing Benjamin Franklin’s contributions to the new world and Keith had absentmindedly interrupted ‘hmm he was in a sex cult’. In a single, well-placed statement, Keith had halted the entire discussion, an intellectual conversation suddenly made into so much more. Hunk had looked distraught, Pidge exasperated tinged with amusement, and it had just slipped out of Lance’s mouth between bouts of laughter, ‘God Keith, you’re so weird, I love you’. Pidge had never truly let go of the fact that Lance had confessed because of Ben Franklin’s sex cult.
Their first dance started off well. That is until Keith ended up in the medbay because they were so caught up in the music that they hit the top of the small staircase and went flying. They lay tangled on the ground giggling for a long time, the music playing smoothly in the background. It was only when they tried to get up again and Keith couldn’t seem to find his feet that Lance realised he might have hit his head a bit harder than he thought. Concussion worthy hard. Lance did end up getting plenty of videos of giggling Keith while he was high on the pain meds.
Their first apartment had a few issues, unpredictable running water to start with, it was not a good mood setter when they were breaking in the bathroom and the shower turned cold. Speaking of sex, their first time had been hot, steamy and perfect right up until a knock was paired with some unfortunately timed words, and Iverson was standing in front of them, swearing his head off behind a clipboard, as Lance and Keith quickly tried to find their clothes (discarded around the living room) and their decency (lost forever in Iverson’s eyes).
The first (and only) time they broke up lasted three weeks. An accident almost tearing them apart, after Keith ended up in the hospital with another concussion.
‘Lance it’s not that big a deal.’
‘After everything we’ve been through, Keith! Riding your motorbike without a helmet? How fucking careless can you be? Do you not understand what it was like getting that call? You could have died, you could have left me! And you don’t even care! I’m sorry but I can’t be with someone who is so fucking selfish!’
Lance had been hurt and he had ran; Keith hadn’t thought about what it would do to Lance if he got hurt. Keith had come begging the moment the hospital released him. Lance had stood coldly watching until he couldn’t watch any more. He took him back, but it took a long time for Keith to earn back Lance’s trust when it came to promises.
Keith proposed first, spontaneously, out of the blue, entirely on instinct—as many things he did were. He didn’t even have a ring. Lance still said yes of course, though only shortly before he started ranting about how Keith couldn’t just wait two more days for months worth of planning.
So what they weren’t great at firsts? Seconds, seconds is where they excelled.
Their second kiss was, to start with, completely sober. They had laid side by side on the Atlas, staring at the star maps, pointing out constellations. Lance had pulled out his phone to take a photo and their first kiss popped up in his gallery. You could say it was a shock for both of them. Lance had never been able to read Keith, the other boy was just too closed off, Lance could only pick anger out of Keith, and this certainly wasn’t anger so he was at a loss. So they talked, for the first time in their relationship they just talked it out, was completely honest, as open as the galaxy around them.
The night ended with a tender kiss beneath the stars, that turned into two, three, four… (they lost count) kisses until they were both breathless, lips swollen as they laid, foreheads touching, grinning like idiots.
Their second I love you was a moment Lance would never forget. Post freak out, on both ends, to Lance’s impromptu declaration Keith had wanted to make it as romantic as possible. He’d had some help, of course, romance was not Keith’s speciality after all. But the night was still perfect in Lance’s eyes.
Lance was on the verge of a breakdown, Keith was going to dump him, he’d asked Lance to meet him in his favourite room on the Atlas to dump him. And it was fair. After how Lance had just blurted out his confession so blatantly, in front of everyone. He’d scared Keith off. He’d ruined the best thing in his life so it was only fair that Keith ruin the star room for him. He deserved it.
He stepped into the room with tears already in his eyes and stopped dead. The room was lit by candlelight and stars, the overwhelming smell of pastries and jasmine filling the air. Lance stared awestruck at Keith who stood beside a table set for two, a bouquet of violet flowers in his hand.
“I’m sorry I ran,” Keith began but Lance was already moving, pushing the flowers to the side he grabbed Keith by the waist and pulled him close, burying his face into Keith’s neck.
“I thought I’d lost you,” Lance said so softly he was sure Keith wouldn’t hear him. “I’m so sorry I blurted it out like that. You don’t have to say it back, I’m sorry I unders—”
“Lance!” Keith cut off his rambling, pushing Lance back. Keith held him by the shoulders, ducking his head to catch Lance’s line of sight.
“I love you too.”
They didn’t last long in their first apartment, ditching the deposit (the garrison had paid for it anyway) they found somewhere smaller, but with a view and warm water and they made it their own. Lance adding as many framed photos as he could to the walls, Keith stocking the pantries like an apocalypse was about to hit and installing the latest gaming system to their crappy television. Their place soon became the place for group hangouts, every friday the team would come over and relax, playing board games and watching movies. Family night became tradition and Lance and Keith were happy to offer their home as host.
They hadn’t been dating very long when they had their second dance, the war wasn’t even over yet, but it hadn’t changed the magic of the moment.
They had been tasked with repairing part of an old satellite, the job was simple honestly didn’t need the both of them, but they were at war, and so not allowed to go on space missions alone unless absolutely necessary. Lance had naturally volunteered to go with Keith, figuring they would enjoy the space, he forgot how serious Keith took every mission.
Keith sighed into the comms as he finished the job, he turned as though heading back to the lions but Lance tugged on his arm.
“Dance with me?”
Keith gave him a quizzical look, “Lance, we’re in space, and there’s no music.”
Lance shrugged and pulled Keith closer. “Nothing wrong with dancing in space!”
“That doesn’t solve the music problem.”
Lance smirked and cleared his throat, swaying slightly he sang the words his mami sang to him whenever he asked about love. “Hold me close and hold me fast,” Lance gripped Keith’s waist, pulling him closer, Keith sucked in a sharp breath at Lance’s voice, “This magic spell you cast,” Lance used his jetpack to start spinning them slowly “This is la vie en rose.” Keith finally relaxed into Lance, wrapping his arms around his neck.
Lance knew he could sing, had prided himself on his voice when he was younger—“when you kiss me heaven sighs,”—but he’d never been more thankful than in that moment, as Keith sighed against him. “For though I close my eyes, this is la vie en rose.”
“When you press me to your heart, I’m in a world apart,” Lance moved one hand up to Keith’s chest, earning an eye roll, “a world where roses bloom.”
“And when you speak angels sing from above,” Lance couldn’t look away, a fleet of glara ships could fly by right now and he wouldn’t even notice, he was so lost in the stars in Keith’s eyes. “Everyday words seem to turn into love songs.”
“Lance,” Keith breathed.
“Give your heart and soul to me,” Lance continued singing, he knew in that moment that this was something different, Keith was something different, “la vie en rose.” Keith was something Lance had to hold on to, and never let go.
The second time they had sex Keith remembered to lock the door.
Lance was very proud of his proposal. He planned it out for months, coordinated with every member of the team and a star-struck arcade owner (star struck because of Pidge and something she’d ‘revolutionised’ not that Lance was bitter or anything). But since Keith knew it was coming he mixed it up a little, rather than beginning the night with the arcade like he’d originally planned he switched things around. Keith was going to suffer for proposing to him before he got the chance.
They ate in their favourite restaurant, danced under the stars, Lance used more than one amazing (terrible) pick-up line. It was a perfect evening. And it could only get better as Lance tugged Keith into the arcade, empty, fairy lights lit the room alongside the ethereal glow of the machines.
Keith grinned wickedly when Lance gave him free rein to first pick. For someone who prided himself on being unreadable, Keith still did exactly as predicted and went straight for the Motorcycle game. Lance smirked as they climbed aboard.
“Ready to eat my dust Mullet?” Lance teased. Keith just let out a huff of laughter in response.
Keith won, of course, Lance let him, it was the only way to the ending he wanted.
Keith’s shit-eating grin faltered as the winning screen read the words Lance had written, that Pidge had programmed into it for him.
Keith,
I’d like to start by saying I totally let you win.
Mi vida, I can’t help but feel like we have been on a collision course our entire lives, a thousand coincidences landing us in that classroom together, sparking the rivalry that has bound us together. Then Voltron happened and there was no turning back. I admit it didn’t take long for that rivalry to burn into so much more. You light wildfires in my life that I would gladly let consume me if it meant another moment by your side. You make me want to do better, be better, just to deserve to be yours. Keith, if you let me, I want to be your partner, your second in command, your lover, for the rest of our lives.
Lance cleared his throat, he had slipped down on one knee as Keith read, his hands shaking even though he knew Keith's answer. He watched in trepidation as Keith read the words, then read them again, tears in his eyes, his hand over his mouth as he looked down at Lance.
“Keith,” Lance said softly, “Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” Keith breathed, yelping as Lance almost pushed him off the plastic bike in his rush to kiss him.
“Fucking hell,” he said, voice barely above a whisper, his forehead resting against Lances, the tears broke with Keith’s voice, and Lance had never felt prouder, “why didn’t I wait?”
“Two days mi vida, two fucking days.”
~~~~~
Lance now sat beside his husband, surrounded by their friends and family. His husband. Lance couldn’t help but grin every time he thought the word. Keith was dressed in midnight blue to match the stars in his eyes. Keith had rolled his eyes at the line; Lance knew he loved it.
Lance had insisted on a traditional wedding, if it were up to Keith they would have been married at the garrison in front of two witnesses in their jeans. Keith may mean the world to Lance, but when it came to romance, he lacked finesse. So Lance planned the wedding, he and his sisters decorated the Cuban beach where he’d chosen to hold the ceremony, he had asked Allura to be their officiant, and double checked that all of their families were invited. He made sure that Pidge and Shiro helped Keith pick out a blue suit. How else could Keith be his wedding talisman?
That was the saying: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. And Lance was certainly going to be wearing the other boy later that night.
Something blue in Keith’s suit, in Lance’s favourite colour, in the lion who’d brought them together.
Something old, a rivalry that blossomed into so much more. A streak of competitiveness that they would never lose, that Lance wouldn’t give up for anything.
Something borrowed. That was what their relationship had felt like those early years, love and happiness on borrowed time. They held off their feelings for so long, and even when they couldn’t deny them any longer neither of them expected to live through the war. Lance hadn’t lived through the war, a fact Keith didn’t taken lightly. Not that he and his martyr tendencies could talk.
Something new. Something exciting. A future, or the expectancy to have one, that was new with the end of the war still so recent; But even in the height of battle, Lance wanted to live for Keith, with Keith. Keith was his life, the stars in his eyes. His love, his partner, his husband.
Keith looked to him and raised his glass.
“I think this is our best first yet,” he chuckled and Lance gasped, clasping his chest, making sure to use his left hand to show off the ring sparkling there.
“Don’t jinx it, babe! The night’s not over yet! We still have to get through our first wedding night.”
Keith smiled, unable to hold anything but love today. “I’m not worried.”
“Oh yeah?” Lance said, raising a single eyebrow in the way he knew drove Keith mad, it infuriated him that Lance could do something that he couldn’t. “Why’s that?”
“Well I don’t know about you, but I wasn’t planning on having a second wedding, so no matter what tonight will be the best we’ll ever have.”
“Wow, when did you become so sappy,” Lance teased.
“It’s my wedding Lance, I’m allowed to be sappy today,” Keith retorted, sticking his tongue out at Lance.
“So what you’re saying is tomorrow you’ll be back to your normal brooding self?”
“You say that like you don’t love my personality,” Keith teased, an incredibly fake pout that shook as Keith tried not to laugh through his act.
Lance cupped Keith’s cheek and pulled him in for a kiss. Grinning against his lips as the people around them whistled. He turned towards his family and winked, throwing up finger guns, making Keith chuckle beside him. It had been the first vow he’d wrote, I vow to make you laugh everyday, even on the days it feels impossible.
An announcement from the band snapped Lance out of his daydreams as Keith stood beside him.
“Ready for our first dance as husband and husband?” Keith held out his hand and the world around them vanished. Lance felt breathless in that moment, love coursing through his veins, love for this man, who was willing to brave a million firsts by his side; Lance blinked back tears, not for the first time that night. He smiled as he took Keith’s hand, as he was led to the dancefloor, wrapping his arms around Keith’s neck as they swayed to the music; Lance felt safe in Keith’s arms. And after all, what’s the worst that could happen?