Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"No, Keith, you are not getting out of this. You need to socialise!" I could hear Pidge's eyeroll down the phone line as they spoke. Groaning, I reply, scowling as I did.

"Why? Why should I? I'll know nobody there, I'll hate most people there, and everyone will be drunk by midnight there!" I put my phone on speaker as I threw it on my bedside dresser. They were getting more and more annoyed with every sentence, as was I. Why did they even try to make me leave my room? It won't work.

"Please! Keith I need you there, I can't go alone, that's more depressing than being the only one at your funeral, including the viccar! It's only a christmas house party, please?" They sigh, pulling out everything they could to guilt trip me into going with them.
"C'mon, we can do what ever you want after being there at least five hours." Pidge groans to me.

"Fish and chips and we can leave anytime I want." I raise and eyebrow, knowing they can't see me.
"Four and a half." They say, making me groan.
"Nope." I state blandly, running my hands through my hair.

"Okay, five hours and I will pay for the fish and chips. And the next three times we go out." They try to bargin with me, sighing lightly. I wait a moment, exhaling gently.
"Fine, but I will leave if I have to, and I'll leave you with Hunk." Rolling my eyes, I finally agree, there was no getting out of this.

"Deal, but I promise you'll enjoy it, I'll be around at nine!" They squeal, hanging up, leaving me with the silence of my room. Checking my phone, I saw it was eight fifty, great. I flick my phone off, sauntering to my wardrobe, pulling it open. Tugging out a few hangers, I dump them on my bed, pulling off the ones currently on my body.

I struggle on my black top, wrapping the red plaid shirt over it. Jumping into my jeans, I kick my shoes on, rolling my eyes at the idea that I had to leave my home. Checking the time again, I saw Pidge would be here any minute. Pushing my glasses onto my nose, I grab my keys and phone, pushing them into my back pocket.

I fly down the steps, taking them two at a time, wanting to grab a drink before leaving. Filling a glass, I chug it, quickly swilling it and putting it away.
"Keith? Are you off out?" I could here Shiro's voice bouncing off the walls. He had was sick today so I told him to go to bed, not wanting him to get any worse.

"Yeah, just to a house party, I'll be back soon, I don't plan on staying long." I shout back, regretting agreeing to this.
"Okay, be safe, don't do anything you wouldn't do here!" I here him chuckle, making a deep blush burn on my cheeks.

"Not something I want to here from my brother, Shiro. And don't worry, I doubt I'll be there long enough to speak to anyone, let alone anything else." Rolling my eyes I notice Pidge walking up my drive.
"I gotta go, see you in a bit!" With that, I shoot out of the house. I take a few steps towards Pidge, scowling.

"Merry christmas!" They yell, throwing tinsel at me. Where the fuck had they got that from?
"Bah humbug. And it's not christmas yet, it's christmas eve." I roll my eyes, opening her car door.

"Come one, let's go, I don't want to be there loger than I have to. The quicker I get there, the quicker I can get home." I groan, slumping back into my seat.
"Fine, just try and enjoy yourself." They chuckle, beginning to drive.

We were sat in silence, listening to the continueous christmas songs on the radio. It didn't take long, only a few minutes, before we were pulling up outside the house. The crappy christmas songs were blaring through the open door as they turned off the car.

"Come on, let's have a good time!" They drag me from the car, pulling me through the door. They dropped my arm as we made our way through the singing and sweaty drunks, dancing around shameless.
"I'm going to get some drinks, I'll be right back!" They disappear into the crowd, leaving me standing in the middle of a dancing couple. I slide out of the way, searching for anywhere I could hide.

Making my way up the stairs, I notice no one was here. No making out couples, no drunk idiots, no one at all. Sighing, I slump against the wall at the top of the stairs, wanting this all to be over. I hadn't been here a minute and was already ready to give up on people in general.

After a few minutes I had had enough, I didn't want to be here. I hadn't to begin with.

Groaning, I crack my back, trying to listen in to anything to curve my boredom. I could only just hear a conversation behind the door, mainly just a drunk girl whining at some poor guy.

"Come on, why not~?" I could hear her whining, stumbling about the room.
"Because you are drunk, very drunk, Allura. That would be wrong." The guy sounded familiar, I don't know where I knew him from though.
"Fine, if you're gonna be like that!" She was hiccuping every other word as I heard her storming to the door. I slipped behind a book cabinet before she came out, not wanting to be seen by an angry drunk girl. As she stumbled down the stairs I stepped out from behind the cabinet, blinking a few times at her.

"What are you doing up here Mullet?" I hear a voice from behind me. I spin around, realising now where I knew the voice from. That was Lance. The notorious fuckboy and dickhead. And most of all, my apparant 'rival'.
"Come to see me?" He chuckled, leaning against the door frame.

"No, I just hate the party." I bite back, crossing my arms.
"Oh dear, not enough misltoe? Not enough christmas love in my house?" He laughed, taking another step towards me.
"No, too many people, I don't want to be here." I state tastlessly, leaning against the wall.

"Awe, too bad, so sad, why are you here then? Outside of my room of all places?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"I was tricked into it, my friend made me come so I decided to just get away from the crowd." I couldn't be bothered to lie about this right now, I just wanted to go home.
"So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find them." Uttering, I tred down the steps, leaving him there and rolling my eyes. I could hear his protest behind me but I blocked it out, needing to get the fuck out of here.

I wander aimlessly through the house, being inable to find Pidge anywhere.
"God damnit, Pidgeon..." I utter, making my way out to the patio. There were a few people out here but I wandered past them, sitting at the edge of the wooden deck.

My breath was forming a heavy mist around my face as I shit my eyes, blocking out my surroundings, wishing I had never left my house. I rest back onto my hands, stretching my legs out in front of me. I could hear steps behind me growing closer, stopping besides me. They took a seat, thumping down besides me.

"Pidge can we-" I stopped in my tracks as I saw it wasn't them at all. It was Lance, what is his problem? Why can't he just leave me alone?
"What do you want?" I utter, pulling my knees up to my chest and resting my chin on them.

"Nothing, it's just loud in there." He slurred lightly, leaning back on his hands.
"Then why host a party?" I mumble, turning my head to face him.

"I don't know, it seemed a good idea at the time." He giggled, looking to me for a second before glancinf away.
"Couldn't find your friend then?" He asked, shooting a look behind him at the crowd of drunken teens in the house.

"No, and sadly, they're my ride, I'm stuck here with you." I mumble, it half being a lie. Pidge was my ride, but I didn't mind being here that much, it could be worse.
"Aw~ I'm very insulted you're sad about being here with me~~!" He drooled out, he's obviously had more than a few drinks.

"Good lord, how much have yoy drunk?" I ask, furrowing my eyebrows.
"Only a couple... Maybe more- You know what, I really have no idea!" He burst out laughing, dumping his heand on my shoulder. I could feel every cell in my body tense simutaniously, why was he doing that? What exactly was he doing? And again why!?
Probably because he's flat out drunk.

I slowly relax, patting his back awakwardly.
"You okay there buddy?" I chuckle, nudging him lightly. There was only a fit of giggles as a reply, Lance wrapping an arm around my side as he looked up to me.

"Good lord, you are well and truely pissed." I utter, shaking my head slightly.
"Yeah~ I don't know if sober me would ever be this close to you." He chuckled, nuzzling his face into my neck.

"What does that mean?" I laugh, trying to cover over the fact I was fairly insulted by that.
"Well, sober me is a twat. He keeps refusing to admit he likes you, I know otherwise though~" He laughs, sitting back up straight. He crossed his legs as he faced me, resting his chin in his hands.

"Sorry, what was that?" I utter, raising an eyebrow.
"You know what I said. I said that I like you, Mullet!" He flicked my nose as he drunkenly swayed in his seat.
"O-oh..." I mumble, shifting my gaze to my lap.

Was he lying, taking the piss of me? Isn't he straight?
Did he know I liked him and for how long? He couldn't right? I didn't tell anyone, but anyone could take a wild guess from the way I looked at him.

"Oh no, you don't feel the same do you? Oh god, I'm so stupid, why do I even open my dumb mouth!?" He slumped over his lap, sniffling as he rubbed balled fists in his eyes. I realised how long I had been silent for.

"No, no, no! You're not, Lance. I know if I continue I'll make a fool of myself so, let's just fo find you some water. How about that?" I smile gently as I finish, helping him stand. He slumped his weight onto my shoulders, following me back into the unbearingly loud music inside. He whined at the pounding song, wrapping his arms around my waist.

I ignore the odd glances we got, I made my way to the kitchen, Lance still clinging to my waist like a limpet. Once inside, I shut the door behind me. It was entirly empty in here, that's no suprise really as all the alcohol was on a table in the living room.
"Lance, you need to let go for a second." I utter into his hair, feeling him nod slightly before releasing me.

He slid onto the kitchen side, rubbing his eyes as I began opening every cupboard in search of a glass. Finally finding one, I fill it with water and hand it to him.
"Okay, drink all of it and then another, then we can have a real conversation about what just happened." I smile, hopping onto the counter besides him.

"Are you mad at me?" Lance mumbled feebly, taking large sips of the water. I shook my head lightly, tucking a lock of his hair behind his ear.
"No, but we need to talk about it." I smile softly, hoping he would understand in his still drunken state.

We sat in our own silence, Lance, however, swaying to the song that came on, I think it was Fairytale of New York, but I could be mistaken. I didn't really care for most christmas songs. It wasn't long before he was full on belting out the lyrics.

"I've got a feeling, this year's for me and you. So happy Christmas, I love you baby! I can see a better time, when all our dreams come true~~!" He was leaning into my side as he continued humming along, seeming too tired now to properly sing it.

"Okay, Lance, maybe we should get you to bed, let's leave the talking until tomorrow." I utter as he finished the glass of water.
"Okay~ Only if you stay with me though!" He slurred, sliding from the side besides me, swaying from side to side. I managed to catch him befor he fully stumbled over onto the tiled floor.

"Alright, let's just get you upstairs first." I utter, realising how he wouldn't be able to walk much if at all. He was trying to stand properly but inexorably failing and flopping back onto me.
"Do you want me to carry you?" I smile, knowing what the answer would probably be. He nodded lightly, barely being able to keep his eyes open. I wrap my arms around his side and boost him onto my hips, feeling his legs wrap around my waist.

Beginning to make my way back to the door, I feel Lance rest his head on my shoulder as I place a hand on his back and beneath his thighs for support. I battle my way through a hoard of sweaty teenagers, scrunching my nose up at them, making sure no one hit into Lance.

Before I had a chance to take a step up the stairs, I bumped into a small figure I knew as Pidge.
"Ooh~ Keith what's going on here?" They wiggle their brows at me for a moment before I glare at them.
"He's drunk and needs to go to bed." I state plainly, hoisting him a bit higher and closer into my chest.

"Can you just wait for the christmas count down, there's only a few seconds left, look!" They point at the TV screen, showing there was indeed only seven seconds left.
"Lance, look." I nudge him lightly, pointing to the count down. He turned around, smiling lightly at it.

Five .

"Oh, that's nice." He muttered, beaming gently as he did so. I smile gently at this for a moment, just glancing over his features.

Four.

"If I'm not mistaken, we put some mistletoe around here somewhere. Look up." He chuckled into my neck.

Three.

I did so, seeing a large sprig of misltoe hanging just a few feet above us.
"So there is." I smiled, chuckling at it.

Two.

"You know tradition, Mullet, I believe I'm owed a kiss?" He grinned smugly, lifting his head and leaning in close to me, now only a few millimetres away.
I broke the distances between us, pressing my lips softly to his, ignoring the people screaming merry christmas around us as the timer ended.

He moved lips against mine as I moved my hand from his back to the nape of his neck. I could hear the shutter of a camera from besides us, not bothering to look though, knowing it was only Pidge and not wanting to break the contact between me and Lance.

After another moment of heaven, I reluctantly pull back from his lips and their addictive taste, smiling gently at him. He looked up to me through hooded eyelids, smirking lightly.

"Merry christmas, Mullet."

Chapter Text

Lance's POV

"End train sequence!" I call out, swiping the sweat away from above my brow, buckling over and resting my hands on my knees after dropping my bayard into a buckle of my belt. Taking heaving breaths, I saunter painfully to the changing rooms, grabbing my towel and bottle as I did so, stealing a swig of the water.

I dry some sweat from my face before hitting the showers and discarding my clothes on a bench besides it. The shower wasn't long, just quick enough to rid myself of any dirt and odor before I left. Pulling my towel of the bench, I dry myself down in the cubical and pull on some pants before walking out to finish dressing as I was alone in here.

I tug on a pair of sweat pants and reah for the top I assumed was on the bench, only to be greeted by the cold wood of the seat. Frowning down at it, I drag my eyebrows togeher as I bend over to look under the bench. It wasn't there either. Or besides it, or anywhere in the room.

"The quiznack...?" I utter as I straighten up, finishing toweling off my hair. Draping the now wet fabric around my neck, I pick up my shoes and begin making my ruit back to my room, if I couldn't find it there was no reason to brood over it, even though it was my favourite gym shirt. And it fitted me perfectly. And I got it back on Earth in the Garrison from Hunk.

Okay, I was brooding over it, but I had every right, I loved that shirt, and everyone here knew that. Maybe the mice had taken it? I mean, it's not exactly like they like me, so maybe they have a sense of humour too and thought this would be a bit of fun.

After another moment of coming up with every possiblity of what could have happened to it, I reach my door, stamping in my code as I push the thick metal door open in front of me. I throw my balled up towel into the laudrey shoot and watch as it disappears into the hole. Tugging another shirt from my drawers, I pull it on over my head feeling the cold fabric against my chest.

*****

Three days late r...

I had just laid down onto my bed after leaving lunch early when I hear Pidge and Hunk thundering up the corridor, colliding with my door frame and sliding into my room. Glancing towards them, I noticed their red faces and puffing breaths.
"La-Lance, it's Keith!" Hunk exhales heavily as he leans up against my door. I sit up, bolt straight, staring towards them, ready to stand at any minute.

"What about him?" I nod towards them in expectation for an answer. They had both known about my crush on him since the Garrison when they read through my journal. Of course I was mortified but glad someone else finally knew.
"He locked himself in his room afte running out of dinner in almost tears not long after you left, Allura and Coran was giving him shit about piloting the black lion. He's not coming out, not even for Shiro." Pidge explains, leaning on the other side of the door frame. Dashing out if the room, I yell a thank you as I bolt through the corridors, in the direction of his room.

I skid to a holt when I see Allura, Coran, and Shiro all crowded around a single door, the mice dotted worriedly around their feet.
"Keith please come out, we're sorry, we hadn't meant to do this." Shiro had his prosthetic hand rested against the door, speaking towards it.

"No, I'm fine, honestly, just go!" He sounded infuriated but I could tell his sharp tone was barely hiding his wavering voice.
"We know you're not, please just let us- Lance! I didn't expect you to come." Allura turned to me confused (as did everyone else) as I shoot her a puzzled look, then realising how much I pretended to hate him usually.

"Wait, Lance?" I heard Keith's muffled voice break from behind the door, now gaining everyone's confused looks as they step away from it a few paces each, giving me direct access to it. Taking a few steps forward, I rest my elbow against the door.
"Yeah, yeah it's me." I utter towards the door, hoping he could hear me through it.
"Can I talk to you? Just you." He mumbled as I sent a small glance to the others as they backed off, mouthing they'd be in the deck, Shiro telling me to be patient and not to laugh, no matter what or he'd break my spine. He said it in his mom tone though, so it scared me even more.

"Okay, they're gone, can I come in now?" I ask, standing up straight infront of the door. There was a few seconds of fumbling around and the sound of a keypad being pressed before the door clanked open slightly and I was tugged into the warmth of the room, it sliding shut behind me.

I let out a startled yelp, sighing when I realised I didn't fall into him. Glancing up to him, I noticed he was wrapped in his own arms sights planted on the ground, his fringe draped over his face. I notice then that he was wearing my missing gym shirt, so that's who took it! I had always thought it fitted me he best, I was so sorely wrong.
Deciding not to comment on it, I took a step towards him, resting a hand on his shoulder and tucking his hair behind his ear. He quivered away from it lightly before glancing up to see me. His eyes were glossed over in a wet sheen and a few stray tears already spilling down his cheeks that he attempted to wipe away.

"Hey, you okay?" I mumble, rubbing small circles in his shoulder, moving my hand up a little to the soft skin of his neck.
"Yeah, I'm-I'm fine." His voice broke and cracked as he spoke, a few more tears rolled down his cheeks. I wiped them away with the pad of my thumb, resting my hand on his cheek.

"I know you're not, please just tell me. And to be honest, if you were fine you wouldn't be wearing my sweaty gym shirt." I chuckle lightly as he pressed his cheek into my palm, taking a few steps closer.
"Oh... Yeah, sorry about that... I just feel safe in it I guess..." He offered me an embarrassed smile, chewing on his bottom lip.

"It's fine, I just wondered where it had gone. And you're avoiding the question." I mutter, swiping my thumb over his cheek bone.
"Heh... Yeah, I do that a fair bit..." He uttered glancing away, still chewing at his lip.

"So, what is wrong, and don't dare say it's nothing, because I know there is something, and not gonna lie, I'm worried for you. I care about you, I can't bare to see you like this." I had no regret in what I said, it needed to be said.
"Lance... I'm-I'm sorry." I pull him in closer, wrapping an arm around the nape of his neck and waist.

"You don't need to apologise, you've done nothing wrong." I mumble into his hair, feeling him snake his arms around my side and burry his head into my chest.
"But I do, I made a mess over nothing, made you all worried for supud reasons, and I stole your shirt for quiznacks sake, I should probably give you that back to be honest..." He uttered the last part to himself, almsot as a mental note, making me chuckle lightly.

"It's fine, you can keep it, it looks better on you anyway. Now seriously, what's wrong, you can't avaoid it anymore." I utter, swaying us gently from side to side. He hummed from my chest, nodding lightly, just barely moving.
"It's... It's just everything... Everything that's happened recently, we've not had any time to just stop and think, at least I haven't. I can't ever sleep though because if too much thinking, the few minutes I get a night are barely counted as sleep, just laying with my eyes closed. Trains of thought keep me awake, wondering how I can ever have the responsibility to be the black paladin. How could I ever be able to lead you guys properly if I could barely go through a day in the Garrison without making stupid choices and taking unnecissary risk and getting in fights. I can't control myself half the time, but I have to try and control the head of Voltron? Why did it choose me, out of all of us, why me? I didn't want it, and obviously you did, and Shiro was doing fine there. They were talking about it and how I had to grow up and stop being immature and reckless if I was piloting the black lion, just to get on with training and how I could aays improve. And I've now shared way too much." Once he had finished, he paused and let out a short sigh, burrowing his head further into my chest.

"Keith... The black lion chosing you was one of the best things that's happened to us. Yes, you can take a few risks, but you feel it's best, and I usually agree with you on that. And it almost always works out for the best. The black lion chose you for a reason, we don't know that reason because heres so many it's hard to pick from, but he does, so just believe in him, like we believe in you. And, Keith, your emotions are valid, you're just human, and a little bit Galra, but you still have a right to feel things, you can't just stop them or ignore them or bottle them up, they just get worse, trust me." I mumble into his hair, realising my shirt was now damp with tears. Pulling back from him, I hold onto his shoulders as I wipe them from his cheeks. He sniffled as his lips curled at the edges, hinting at a small smile. I shoot one back, spinning him and wrapping him back into my hold, already missing his warmth as I rest my head on his shoulder.

"And plus, without you, we couldn't go one, not just because you're the black paladin but because we need you, all of us do. Allura learnt to respect you for being part Galra, Coran would lose his shit if he knew we lost our black paladin, Shiro is like your damn brother, I wont even go into that, Pidge needs to have you to keep them from building a robot that will kill us all, and Hunk needs all the tasters he can get for his new recipes. And me, well there is a long, long list of reasons I need you, and I don't want to bore you by listing every amazig feature about you, so I'll just give you three. So, one, if I go a day without seeing you I'll go insane, your occasional smile keeps me from just giving up all together ever since the Garrison. Two, you keep me in check, stopping me from doing anything stupid like contracting alien diseases from some pretty alien cat I decided to play with. And third and final, Keith, I have had a fat crush on you since I first saw you in the Garrison, if anything happened to you, I have no clue what I would do." By the time I had finished, Keith jad spun around and was staring up at me. I let out a small sigh, so I said it, I finally said it. Good lord. I doubt even he could save me now though.

"Wha-what?" He drew his eyebrows together, linking his fingers into my own.
"You heared me, Mullet." I chuckle at him, pressing my forehead against his.

"You were - you were serious?" His eyes were blown up to the size of saucers and his mouth was hung open slightly. I nod lightly at him, my lips curling up into a small smirk. He let out a small laugh, making a small pang of regret rest in the pit of my stomach as I move back slightly.

He didn't feel the same did he?

That wasn't a question at this point, it was obvious. I nibble at the edge of my lip, gulping as I glance around the room. After a moment, I feel his fingers on my chin, guiding my face to look at him. Glancing down at him, I let go of my lip, continueing to try and gulp down the lump that was lodged in my throat.

Before I had a chance to apologise for what I said, I felt him leading my face in closer as he rook two steps towards me, his chest now pushed up against mine. He pressed his lips into my own, making me inhale sharply. I pause for a moment before melting into it and wrapping my arms around his shoulders.

I could feel him smirk against my lips, causing a giggle to errupt from my mouth. After a moment, he pulled back, cocking an eyebrow at me, the bitter sweet taste of his lips still lingering on my tongue, ghosting the memory fresh in my mind. He left me with my mouth hung open slightly, smirking lightly at this.

"So what now, Mullet Man?" I mumble, resting my hand on his cheek.
"Mullet Man? Okay, I take back those last twenty seconds." He chuckled, making me fake pout, but he hadn't moved his hands from my waist.

"Rude." I roll my eyes, still holding onto his shoulders as we continue to sway.
"Maybe a little, but it's well deserved." He mumbled, biting down on his lip as he made eye contact with me.

"As was my name for you." I retort jokingly, my lips ghosting over his forehead as I speak.
"Hm... Agree to disagree? I really don't wanna fight you right now, especially when you just controbuted to my second best moment." He smirked, any traces of tears or sadness far from his face at this point.

"What's number one then?" I hum, quirking a brow at him.
"Well, it's not happened just yet but..." He trailed off, pausing for a moment before he took a hold of my shirt, tugging me towards the bed as my heart began to race, not in fear though. My stomach was tying itself in knots and doing backflips as he sat me down, my back pressed up against the wall, planting himself in my lap. He sat with one leg either side of my waist, draping his arms over my shoulders.

In a heart beat I pressed my lips to his this time, threading my fingers through his hair. I felt him giggle against my lips and after a moment pull away.
"Okay, the number one spot has officially been created." He yawned, resting his head in the crook of my neck, letting his arms fall to my waist as I wrap him in my own.

We sat in a peaceful silence for a few minutes before I heard his soft and slow from just beneath my ear. I glance towards him, smirking at his adorable sleeping face.
"Good night, love..." I mumble, letting my own eyes slip shut, resting my face in his hair and taking in a deep breath of it, the smell of green apples and pine flooding my senses, leaving me almost fully asleep.

"Night, Lance..."

Chapter Text

Lance's POV

Sleep.

Just close your eyes and dream.

Think of something, anything else, just not this.

I let out a muffled sob as I roll over for the hundreth time, burrying my face into my plump pillows. The scene was repeating over and over in my mind, wracking up guilt with every replay.

My own blood, spiralling down the drains of my bathroom sink, gushing out in shiny beeds from the deep gashes in my wrists. I just let it pour out until it clotted enough to form brittle scabs, my body fighting against my mind and trying to stop me bleeding out on the bathroom floor.

My finger ran up and down the cobbled flesh of my wrists, tracing over ever burn, slash, bruise, and anything else I had done to myself. I gulp back a thick lump in my throat, swinging my legs over the side of my bed, placing my feet on the floor.

I let my feet carry me where they wanted to go, not even bothering to put of a shirt, it was the middle of the night, or at least the darkness the castle emulated in an attempt to simulate real nights. I followed the occasional blue light along the corridor, obeying the path set out by my feet.

I found myself in the observation deck, leaning against the metal hand rail, simply watching space. It was funny to think how big it all really was, and how big I thought the castle was until I saw this. And then how small and insignificant this made me.

Yes, I was a paladin of Voltron, but that was just a mistake, that was all that led any of us to be here, or me in this situation billions of miles away from anyone who cared about me. Just a sequence of mistakes that ended up with this.
I move to wipe at my nose with my sleeve them realise I wasn't even wearing a shirt so that was impossible.

Sighing, I rub my eyes, noticing how sticky my eyelids had become. I was now fully awake, cracking every joint in my body as I stretch and try to forget. What am I forgetting?
Everthing, every painful moment I had to sit by and endure the pain that I had done nothing to deserve. All the times I sat be the sidelines, waiting to be left to die in a straight jacket of my own creation.

Taking a step back, I let out a juttering breath, falling back into the seats in front of the windows, folding my legs up to my chest.

You know what all they think of you, right? You're an idiot that can't do anything to help himself, an insignifucant idiot who only ever brings them down. Can't you feel it? Every day they judge the amount you eat, how well you do in training, or should I say how badly you did? Because that's all you seem to do, ruin things, mess up, the amount of mission you've nearly ruined can't be counted.

I thread my fingers into the short greesy strands on my head, tugging at the roots of my locks, sobs threatening to bubble up in my throat as I try to block out the insistant voice echoing in my empty skull. Gulping down a lump in my throat, I begin to crack, my breaths growing rough and harder to draw in through my airways. I dig my nails into the flesh of my scalp and forearm, feeling the soft trickle of blood draw patterns on my flesh as it drips to the ground.

Ignoring the dripping, I listen instead into another sound bulding up around me, a laughing. His laughing, a maniacle cackling. All around me, belowing into my ears.

He was meant to be gone! Why isn't he gone!?

"No... No, no, nononono! Please no..." I let out a small sob as I shake my head in an uneven rythm. This time I could swear it wasn't in my head. It was all around me, blocking out all my senses, only toning in on this one sound. I burry my shaking head in my knees, knowing it would pass over like the rest of the things I hear. But this time it didn't, continuing to cackle through my broken cries.

Stifling a few coughing sobs, I manage to trip over my own feet as I stumble towards a place I knew I could be safe from anything. I pick myself up from the ground, tears now streaming down my cheeks, free from my eyes as they pool at my chin or travel down my neck.

My breaths seemed more scarce and broken apart as I flung myself through the corridor, stumbling through semi-darkness, crashing into walls, tripping over my own feet. In my blind running, I found my way to a room we fitted in a few weeks ago, the panic room. It was obvious I was the only one who would ever use it, unless it were an emergency no one else was messed up enough to need to be in there.

I slam my fist into the pannel, the door shooting open, sliding shut behind me. There was water, food blankets, bedding, everything we would need in a bad situation, there was even a radio. I threw myself into a bed in the corner, clamping my arms around a plump pillow and crying softly into it, panting heavily and pretending someone cared enough to help me through something like this again.

That was when it came again ringing off the walls. But, no, not off them, in them. He was in the walls, the cieling, the floors, the room. It was growing in closer, dawning on me, surrounding me, encompassing me in the insistant sounds. It was crushing me further into my corner, breaking me more than I already was.

In the blind rush, I forgot to recall that everyone in the castle was notified when someone entered the room. I didn't realise it until I got one myself on my wrist watch saying that I had entered the room, my beaming face appearing on screen, with details about where, when and the code to get in. I began the claw at the device, screaming as I hurled it at the thick metal walls, the sound of it's broken clang and shatter ringing around me, only adding to the sounds drowning my senses.

I hold the pillow closer sobbing into my palms as I scream for him to shut up. Repeating the two words over and over I hoped it would do anything, knowing it would do nothing. What I hope and know are two very different things.

The cackling was joined by a heavy hammering on the door, yelling from the rest of my team, pretending to be worried for me.
"Lance! It's us, come on, we can help!" I don't know who was speaking, everyone seemed to merge into one voice.

"It-it-it- go! Go, just please, leave me alone, you-yo-you can't help!" I managed to scream out through broken sobs, muffling the voice I hated more than the cackling by pressing a pillow to my mouth.

"Lance, we want to help. Tell us what's wrong!" I couldn't tell if the banging had stopped or not, I just know everything else hasn't.
"...it won't stop... he won't leave me alone..." I squeak out between breathy sobs, hearing everyone outside the room stop speaking.

"Lance, who is 'he'?" I could hear what I though was Allura's voice from the other side of the thick metal door, the cackling barely subsiding.
"I... I can't... I can't..." I whimper, pressing my hands over my ears, trying to block out the insistant laughing. Even that didn't stop it.

I could no longer hear the rest of my team from outside the door, but the laughter still remained, harrowing my mind, making my head spin. The tears still hadn't stopped streaming down my cheeks when I felt someone wrap their arms around me.

I struggle against them, kicking and clawing at every angle with my eyes still clamped shut.
"Lance! Lance, it's us!" I hear them call, forcing me to tear my eyes open and stop struggling.

The cackling abrutly stopped when I saw Keith kneeling over me, cradling me in his arms. I look over his shoulder to see the rest of my team were stood worriedly in the door way and piling into the room. I rapidly look between their scared faces, all blurred with my tears as I glance back to the boy holding me.

"Ke-Keith..?" I rasp, sniffling through the words. If anyone had to be here through this, I'm glad it was him.
"Yeah, I'm here, everyone else is too. You're safe." He ran his fingers through my hair as I clambered forward and fell into his arms, burrowing my head into the crook of his neck. I wrap my arms around his chest, sitting in his lap as I sob silently into his shoulders.

He rubbed my back gently, petting my hair, despite the dried blood and copius amount of greece clinging to each strand.
"Lance, was it... was it about you know who again...?" I hear Hunk mumble awkwardly, all eyes snapping to him.

I nod my head sharply in the crook of Keith's neck, letting out a soft whimper, every sore memory flooding back into my mind, drowning me in the pain I hadn't deserved at the age I had got them. This only made more tears flood down the side of my cheeks, me being unable to prevent them.
"It's okay... They're not here..." I hear Keith mumble into my hair, swaying us gently, continuing to run his fingers through my hair.

"I think we should leave them to it, he's best away from lots of people when he's like this, do you want me to take over, Keith, or are you okay?" Hunk's words from the doorway was followed by four sets of hesitant footsteps leaving the room.
"Lance, who do you want to stay with you?" Keith uttered into my hair, begining to losen his grip on me, expecting me to want to stay with Hunk.

I tighten my hold on him, not wanting to move from how we were. Don't get me wrong, I loved Hunk, he's been my best friend for years but we couldn't do this without it being extremely awkward.

"You..."

*****

Keith's POV

"Sorry, Hunk, I'll tell you if anything happens..." I give Hunk a weak smile after Lance had broken a few of my ribs in his hold. Hunk nodded his head understandingly, backing out from the room. The door sealed itself shut behind him as he left, leaving us in the silence of the room. This was a far cry from the normal bubbly Lance I knew and loved- I mean, that we loved. Yeah that...

"Lance... You don't need to answer if you can't but, what did Hunk mean by 'you know who'?" I continue to sway us in an attempt to make him feel some what safe, I had no idea to the extent it actually worked. He whimpered lightly, begining to tremble and draw himself in closer to me.

"He... he-he wa-was m-m-my ste-step da-dad..." He whipered, immediatly making me hold him tighter.
"You're okay here... He can't get you, not when I'm with you..." I coo into his ears, rubbing circles in the flesh of his back.

"Bu-but he-he al-always do-does... He-he stop-stopped whe-when yo-you ca-came, bu-but he-he-he'll be-be ba-back, he-he al-always i-is..." He managed to croak out between broken sobs as he clung to me tighter.
"I promise he won't okay, Lance. He will never get to you, not as long as I'm here." I new nothing about the situation, but I knew how to best to comfort someone. He continued to cry into my shoulder as I try my best to not make the situation any worse.

I rock the both of us from side to side as I begin to hum a song I couldn't remember the name of, listening as his sobs grew quieter and quieter until he had finally stopped. After a moment the only sound that remainded in the room was the sound of our own spaced apart breathing and the sound of the sheets moving beneath us as we rocked.

"Lance... Are you awake..." I mumble, loud enough for him to hear if he was, but quiet enough for it not to wake him if he wasn't. He hummed in a reply, nodding lightly, moving in my lap so his back was pressed up against my chest. I wrap my arms around his waist, resting his arms over the top of mine, sitting a blanket over our laps.

"Do you want some water? It might help a bit." I reach over to a bottle, unscrewing the lid and offering him it. He nodded, reaching for it weakly, just barely holding onto the bottle. Almost spilling the bottle over us, I reach to help him.
"Here..." I utter, supporting his head as he drank some of the water. He nodded and I took the bottle away from his lips, placing it besides us as I recap it.

He rested back into me, lolling his head back onto my shoulder.
"Thank you..." He mumbled, turning his face towards my neck.
"It's okay, just try and get some sleep. I'll be right here with you the whole time, don't worry." I smile, resting my head over top of his.

He hummed a reply before closing his eyes as I lay the both of us down on the bed we were sitting on. I felt him tangle his legs in with my own, wrapping me in his arms as he rolled onto my chest and burrowed his face into my neck. It wasn't long before I heard his soft snoring beneath my chin, still petting his hair, despite the fact he was already asleep.

"Night, Lance..." I yawn, drooping my eyes shut and tugging some more sheets over the two of us.

*****

I manage to slowly open my eyes, moving to roll over but a heavy weight on my chest keeping me in place. Glancing down to my chest, remembering last night as I saw Lance. My expression melted as I notice the peacful look on his face, his lips slightly parted and eyes still shut.

I held back a coo as I smile down at him, starting to run my fingers through his hair. He began to stir groaning as he lent up, resting his arms on my chest and his chin on top of that.

"Morning... Lancey Lance." I mutter, still running my figers through his hair.
"Too tired to complain... Mullet." He smirked weakly, tiredly flicking my noes. I chuckle lightly, continuing to stroke his head, still holding close the warmth of his body.

"Hey, you wanna have a bath or get some food?" I smile, rubbing my thumb over his cheek.
"That would be amazing, I could really do with a shower." He muttered, attemping to sit up, and ultimately failing as his arms gave way beneath him. I quickly grab him before he tumbles to the ground, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and sitting him back up in bed.

"Okay, be careful, you don't wanna hurt yourself." I chuckle, draping a throw around his bare shoulders.

"I can carry you if you want?" I tilt my head as he nodded, smiling lightly at me.
Beginning to stand, I continue to hold onto him, bringing him up in my arms. He hummed as he burried his head into my chest and wrapped his arms around my neck as I support his back and beneath his knees. I began walking foreward, making sure to keep a tight hold on him as I punch the code into the door.

He clung to me closer as I took a few steps out of the door, realising how quiet the castle seemed. Usually Pidge would be running rampent, Hunk chasing them in an attempt to make them try his new recipe and Allura, Coran, and Shiro would be trying to stop them breaking anything. But today there was nothing, not even the space mice.

"Why is it so quiet...?" Lance croaked as we continued towards the bathing room, repositioning his head onto my shoulder.
"I-I don't know, wanna go see where they are?" I mumble, hoisting him up a bit further as he began to slip.

"Sure..." He smiled, yawning gently as he curled one arm into my chest. I hold back a sharp inhale as I saw the hundreds of scars littering his forearm. Not commenting on it, for fear of making him worse, I change my direction to go to the main deck.

Once we entered through doors, I nottice a note plastered to the main desk. I move slightly to read it, trying not to drop Lance as I pick it up.

Keith, Lance,

We've had to go to the near by planet we took back from the Galra Empire, we're discussing the Coalition with the planets leaders. We should be back in a quintant or so, try not to get into too much trouble, and we checked the radars before we left I believe there are no Galra in this galaxy so there is nothing for you to worry about, Lance. There's food goo in the machine and Hunk made you some cookies, I think he called them that anyway, and said there was some things Lance may need on his bedside table.

-Allura

"Oh..." I mumble, placing it back on the desk, again hoisting Lance a bit higher.
"They're off on a planet discussing the coalition, they'll be back in about a day, there's food goo and cookies for us in the kitchen if we need it." I shrug, beginning to spin around and out of the room, back in the direction of the bathroom.

"What-what if something happens while they're gone? What if the Galra attack and we can't form Voltron? We won't be able to help anyone!" He began struggling in my grip, trying and failing to stand.
"Lance, Lance, it's okay! We've already gotten rid of any Galra in the galaxy, and they'll still be recovering from our last mission." I held him closer, feeling him wrap his arms around my chest.

"You're sure...?" He mumbled, vibrating my chest.
"Yes, of course. And anyway, I wouldn't think twice about bitch slapping Zarkon again if it would keep you safe, a hudred times over." I smile, chuckling lightly and rubbing his back as I nudge the bathroom door open with my foot. The steam immedatly encompassing the two of us, despite the fact no one was here to shower.

"Re-really?" He mumbled, looking up at me through the mist.
"Of course, I've already punched him once, why not again?" I chuckle, resting my head on his. He smiled in a return, yawning lightly as I turned on the bath taps and dropped the plug in.

"Do you want me to wait outside the do I'll be just outside-"
"No... please stay with me... I don't want to be alone..." He muttered, looking away to the water. Jesus, how bad must it be if he doesn't even want to bath alone? I mean, this was meant to be Lance after all, Mr. Bubbly the flirty guy, the boy I was carrying was broken and far from anything, well, Lancey.
"Sure, I'll be sat over there if you nee-" He again cut me off.

"No... Don't leave me... Please?" It's not really like I could say 'no' to him like this, despite my burning cheeks.
"O-okay, I'll stay with you if you want." I smile lightly, ruffling his hair slightly, making him let out a small and weak laugh.

"There's a bathbomb in my room, I got it a while back because I didn't know what else to get from the space mall. I can go get it if you want, it's not like I'll use it, ever. I'll grab your trunks while I'm out if you want?" I ask, sitting Lance on the side of the tub.
"Tha-that'd be nice, plea-please come ba-back though." He seemed scared as he spoke, almost pleading as I brush my thumb over his cheek bone.

"I'll be right back, I promise." I peck the top of his head lightly, stroking his hair before I made my way out of the room. Breaking into a sprint, I was in my room in no time, rumaging through my drawers in search of it. It took a good ten minutes before I could find them, grabbing both before begining the jog to Lance's room. I stamp the code into the kaypad and the door slides open infront of me. Flicking on the lights, I make my way to his drawers, tugging out a pair of his blue trunks and beginning to jog back to the bathroom.

By the time I got back into the room, I could hear small sobs breaking through the fog of the room. My mouth went dry and my heart began to race as I ran through the open door.
"Lance? Are you okay?" I begin to run towards the bathtub where I could see him hunched over, shoulders shaking in an uneven rythm. His head shot up, when he saw me, his bloodshot eyes meeting my own. I wrap my arms around his shoulder, sitting besides him and pulling him into my lap.

"I'm here it's okay." I mutter into his hair, noticing how he was still wrapped in his blanket and shaking.
"I... I though-tought yo-you ha-had lef-left m-me... I was be-being pa-pathetic... It... It doesn't matter..." He managed out between sobs, burrying his head in my chest.

"I wouldn't do that, and you're not pathetic, at all. I'm right here, I won't leave you if you don't want me to..." I mutter into his head, running my fingers through the hair on his head. He sniffled lightly as he sat up to look at me, rubbing his eyes with balled fists. God, that broke my heart.
"I'm sorry..." He leaned into my chest, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"It's fine, you have no need to apologise. Now how's about that bath?" I chuckle, unwrapping the bath bomb and dropping the diamond fizzer into the now warm water as I shut off the taps and the water began to fill with purple bubbles. He hummed, begining to pull the blanket off his back and started standing.

Once I knew he was stable enough to not fall over without my support, I turn around, wanting to give him at least a little privacy, busying myself with finding a towel for him. I place that and the body scrub besides the bath, continuing to face the door. There was a soft splash behind me, making me glance around to Lance, seeing he was now submerged in the glittery purple liquid, leaving trails of shimmering specks over his flesh.

"C'mon, you need to get clean." Rubbing his shoulder lightly, I stood to go retrieve the shampoo and conditioner, feeling him grab my palm.

"I'm just getting you some soap." He dropped my hand at this, letting me quickly grab them from the shelf. I sat down besides the tub, hand him the bottles, realising how his eyes were barely open. Struggling with the shampoo bottle, he tried to pull the cap off, scratching at the bottom of the lid with his nails.

"Do you want some help with that?" I ask, offering a him hand. He nodded lightly, yawning as he handed me the bottle. Taking it for a moment, I notice it's a twist-off cap. I open it, taking a seat behind the tub as squirt some into my palm. He leant back into the bathtub, letting me lather the suds into his hair.

He hummed lightly as my fingers trailed over his scalp, filling his hair with suds. I feel my finger tips brush over a cut on his scalp, frowning lightly as I did. Trying to avoid that area, I continue, more gently this time.

I pour some water over his head, making sure not to wash any bubbles into his eyes as I wash them out from his hair.

His yawns were growing closer and closer to each other, to the point he was almost asleep by the time I had finished rinising the conditioner from his hair and the suds from his shoulders.
"Lance, are you actually awake?" I wouldn't be suprised if he wasn't, it had been an obviously hellish night for him.

"Just barely..." He mumbled, yawning as he rubbed his eyes.
"Okay,  what do you wanna do now?" I smile, leaving him for a moment to grab a fluffy towel from the shelves. He slowly moved to sit on the side of the bath tub, his legs dangling over the edge as the sway gently, not quite reaching the ground. Wrapping the towel around his shoulders, he hums lightly as I began to dry the beads of waters from his skin.

"Maybe sleep." He chuckles weakly, resting his soaked head of hair onto me. Smiling lightly, I begin to towel of his locks, making sure to avoid the gash in his head. 
"A wise decision." I mumble as he took the towel from me and simply pulled it around his frame.

He stood slowly, trying to take a few shakey steps. I follow cautiously after him, preparing to catch him if he fell. He managed to take two steps across the room before his knees gave way, sending him toppling over. Wrapping my arms around him, I stop him before he hit the ground, supporting him as he tried standing again.

"You good?" I utter, sitting the two of us back down. He rested his head onto my shoulder, scooching slightly closer as I wrap an arm around him. There was only a weak hum as a reply.
"Should we go get some food or sleep?" I tilt my head towards him, rubbing his arm gently.

"Food, always food." His weak chuckle brought a small smile to my lips for a moment.
"Come on then, we'll get you some clothes first though." I smile, quickly scooping him up, making him squeak lightly at the sudden movement.

"You okay?" I chuckle lightly, feeling him wrap his legs around my sides, immediatly soaking me.
"Yeah, yeah, fine." He smiled lightly as he rested his head on my shoulder. Humming a light response, I began making my way from the room, back in the direction of his.

My footsteps echoed off the walls, a padded metallic klink ringing through the halls, accompanied only by the sound of our own breaths. Within minutes, we were at the door of his room. I quickly type in the code, earning a confused smirk from Lance.
"How did you know my passcode?" He mumbled, chuckling lightly as I carefully place him back on his feet besides his chest of drawers. He began slowly pulling out a set of clothes as I reply.

"I know everyones." I chuckle, resting back in the doorway and staring out into the bright corridor.
"Weirdo..." He giggled lightly, pulling a jumper over his head, which I could only just see from the corner of my eye. I moved slightly so I was fully out in the corridor, my shoulder still hanging into the room.

"No, just have a good memory." I mutter, tilting my head to one side.
"Whatever, Weirdo." He muttered as I heard him fall back onto his bed, drawing my eyes towards him. He was already pulling his blankets around himself in a small cucoon of sheets. I chuckle lightly at this, sitting down besides him as I feel him move slightly to rest his head on my lap.

We sit (or in Lance's case, lay) in silence for a while, spending time just running my fingers through his hair.
"Should we get the cookies now or...?" I mutter, listening to him yawn lightly.
"I don't mind as long as you don't." He hummed as he began to sit up, resting his head on my collar bone.

"How about now we just... Just sleep." He cut himself off half way through with a short yawn as I began to lay the two of us down on the springy mattress. He wrapped his arms around my side and rested his head in the crook of my neck as he began to tug the sheets over us. After a moment of silence, I heard him speak up.

"Thank you Keith, for putting up with me. I know sometimes I'm a prat, and I'm rude and just an all around bad person. And then this happens and I'm just more sorry for being such a burdon." He sniffled lightly, turning his head away from me. I immediatly drew my eyebrows together, resting my fingers on his chin and moving his face to be right in front of my own. His watery gaze was planted firmly on the floor, refusing to look up at me.

"Lance, you are not a burdon, not to me or anyone else. And you think I would be doing this if I thought you were? You're not a bad person, at all, yes you're outgoing and loud but that just you, Lance, the amazing and unique you. And that's just why I love you. Why we all love you." I refrained from chewing down on my lower lip as his gaze flew up back to mine, his glossed over eyes meeting my own.

"As in-in a 'bro' kinda love?" He fumbled, his eyes remaining planted on my own. I smile gently at him, letting out a small chuckle.
"No, not exactly." I mutter through a small smile as I notice a bright pink blush crawl up his cheeks.

"Then you mean-?" Pressing my lips against his own, I muffled the last words of his sentence as I snap my eyes shut in hopes it would stop some of the anxiety of doing this. I felt him move his lips against mine for a moment before I slowly pulled back.

Looking to him, I realise the shock etched into his expression.
"I'm so sorry, I jus-" He didn't give me a chance to finish my sentence before crashing his lips into mine for a second time.

Mother of love this was actually happening.

I cup his cheek in my palm, brushing a thumb pad over his cheek bone as he threaded his fingers through the back of my hair. He pulled away for a moment, his azure blue eyes looking up to my lilac ones as he let out a soft chuckle with a smirk.

"I love you too, Mullet."

Chapter Text

"Keef! Keef!" Hopping besides his pale friend, Lance bellowed in his squeaky voice, giddy with excitement as he shook him from side to side.

"Lancey!" Keith squealed a reply, beaming as he clung to his friend, hopping up and down, immediately forgetting about the truck he was playing with.
"I learned some'ing today!" Smiling in pride, Lance stepped back, showing all his teeth in the smirk.

"What? What? What!?" They were both squealing, as children do as they continued, not noticing the bing of Shiro's video recorder behind them.
"I learned what a boyfriend and girlfriend is." Smugly grinning, Lance attempted to cross his arms as he had seen some of the older boys doing, failing to look as cool as he felt due to his poor and untuned motor skills.

"What is it!?" Keith's eyes lit up as he placed a hand either side of his face in genuine excitement at anything new.
"So, it's two people, and they love each other lots and lots, so start dating as a boyfriend or girlfriend. It doesn't make sense really, but, it sounds fun!" Lance's expressions through what he was saying ranged from confused to excited beyond belief.

"Wow..." His jaw dropping to the flaw, Keith's eyes almost popped out of his skull as he gasped, over dramatically.
"Did you wanna be my boyfriend? It sounds fun!" Lance smiled, naivety lacing his words as he spoke.

"Of course! It's like an adventure!" Beaming, Keith squealed a reply, the volume being no different to any other child in the park, so no one seemed to notice, besides his dads of course.

In the little bubble of their conversation, neither Keith or Lance had noticed Shiro, Adam, and Veronica giggling over the two as they recorded the interraction. Flipping off the camera, Shiro placed it back into his bag as the two came quickly bounding across the grass to them, toothy grins plastered to their cheeks.

"Shiro! Adam! Guess what? Guess what? Guess what~!?" Keith giggled as he was hoisted onto Adams hip, playing around with the glasses placed on his nose.
"Yeah, guess what Veronica!?" Lance beamed as she placed him on her shoulders with a playful groan.

"What is it, little bean?" Veronica chuckled, swaying him lightly on her shoulders.
"Keef's my boyfriend!" He squeaked, giggling as he clung to her short hair.
"Really?" She gasped, holding back laughter at the adorable innocence of the two.

"Yeah!" Keith beamed, leaning upside down in Adam's arms to look at the two.
"They have no idea what that means do they?" Shiro whispered to his husband in a laugh, noticing how Keith was now distracted.

"Not a clue." Adam chuckled, shaking his head lightly at how adorable the two were.
"We're going to use this to black mail them when they're twenty?" He jokingly chuckled, raising an eyebrow, referring to the video.
"Obviously."

*****

(Thirteen years later)

Keith's POV

"Lance, Marco, Luis, Rachel! Keith, Shiro and Adam are here!" I heard Veronica's voice echo off the walls of the hallway as I scambled up, shooting a glance in the mirror to make sure I didn't look a mess, as per usual. Everyone sent a few shouts of they'll be there in a minute as I exited the living room.

Jogging through to the doorway, I slid to a stop, my bed socks making me collide with the wall slightly as I did.
"Hey!" I smile, correcting my stance.
"Hi." Keith laughed at this as I closed the door behind them, smiling at them as they removed their shoes on the mat. Veronica made her way through to the kitchen, saying dinner should be ready soon and to make our geusts feel welcome.

"We brought wine, house warming and all that." Shiro smiled, gesturing to clear bottle in his hands.
"You can put it through here." I led the three through to the kitchen, showing him where he could put the bottle with a smile.

"Thank you, we can have it with dinner." Veronica smiled resting a hand on Shiro's arm before returning to the several pans she had on the go.
"Do you need any help with this or-?"

"It's okay, Acxa is coming over to help, any minute now actually." She chuckled, glancing at her wrist watch. As if on que, the door bell rang, making me nod to Veronica to say that I'd answer it. She had enough on her hands at the minute with becoming a last minute replacement mum and moving in somewhere new, the least I could do was answer the door.

Quickly making my way down the hall, I answer the door with a smile, waving as I did so.
"Acxa, hey! Come on in." I beam, opening the door full before her, reciveing a small smile as a reply.
"Thank you, Lance. Where's Veronica?" She chuckled, biting her lip as she stepped inside and I closed the door behind her.

"The kitchen, good luck in there, it's like a bomb sight." I chuckle, leading her to the bustling kitchen. Quickly grabbing Keith's arm, I tug him from the firing line as Luis chased the dog around the adults ankles and play fighting with him. He shot me a relieved smile as I saved him from the hell of a kitchen preparing food for nine people.

"Uh, where do you two think you're going?" I hear Veronica call as we manage to escape.
"Showing Keith my new room." Chuckling, I lead Keith up the stairs, hearing him chase after me, giggling lightly.

Sliding to the door of my room, I open it before him, making a grand gesture for him to enter.
"My liege." I bow slightly, glancing up to him through hooded eyelids as I see him roll his eyes lightly.
"C'mon Lance." He chuckled, pulling me up and into the room.

Jumping onto my bed, I wrap a blanket around me as I lay in the bundle of sheets.
"Join me." I mutter, noticing how wrong it sounded after I had said it.

Oh well.

"Mr. McLain, I am blushing!" Keith gasped, mockingly placing his hands on his cheeks, which were actually slightly red.

"Not like that, dumb-dumb." I roll my eyes at him, sitting up slightly.
"Hah! Dumb-dumb." Keith chuckled, flopping onto the other side of the bed, sitting up against the foot of the bed.

"I like what you did with it, the last time I was here, it was just a white box, full over smaller cardboard boxes." He chuckled, gesturing at the walls and shelves.
"Thanks, I like it too." I smirk smugly, quirking an eyebrow as I sat up to face him.

"So..." I mutter after a moment of silence.
"So..." Keith hummed a reply, tilting his head briefly. I snort at this, nudging his knees with my foot gently. He kicked me back, a little harder, making me repeat myself, chuckling lightly.

Within a few seconds we were full on kicking one another, howling in laughter as we did so. After a moment, I drop my blanket, pouncing onto him in a tackle.
He squeaked at this, rolling us as we continue to squabble.

"Lance!" He giggled as I began to tickle his sides, knowing how I could win this as I rolled us again.
"I know you're ticklish, Mullet, and you know I'll win." I smirk, continuing to run my fingers up and down his sides as he continued to laugh hysterically.

"You can always tap out?" I offer, raising an eyebrow, knowing he knew the unspoken rules of play fighting.
"Never!" He chuckled, pushing me up, and grabbing my wrists, making the two of us flip. He was sat comfortably on my stomach, holding an arm either side of me.

"You can always tap out." He hummed mockingly, leaning down so he was only a foot or so from my face, making me gulp.
"Never." I chuckle, struggling against his strong grip.

"You sure about that?" He rose an eyebrow, giggling as I failed to fight against him.
"Yes!" I squeak defiantly, pushing my face forward, trying to seem at least a little threatening in my hindered position.
Keith hummed gently at this, cutting short any attempts I tried to get out of his grip.

"Ready to give up? Considering I've already won." He shrugged, tilting his head.
"Ugh... Fine, I guess I let you win." I roll my eyes at him, smirking lightly at him.

"Oh, no, no, no. Come one, admit it, I won." He chuckled, letting go of my hands to rest his elbows on my chest and placing his chin in his hands. That was a bad idea.

Smirking, I roll him over, now pinning him to the blankets beneath us.
"Who's won now?" I smirk, panting gently from all the sudden movement.
"Dirty move." He scowled, humming at me as he looked away. Letting out a short bark of laughter, I pause to catch his gaze, staring into the dull violet eyes in front of me.

Letting out a small chuckle, I bite slightly on my lower lip.
"Hey." He smiles lightly at me, raising an eyebrow.
"Hi." I laugh out a breathy reply, smirking at him.

I pause for a moment, glancing up and down his face, my eyes landing on his lips but immediatly shooting back up to his eyes. He was chewing on his lip, smirking lightly up at me as he began leaning up slightly. I mimicked him, moving in closer, dropping my lip from inbetween my teeth.

"Boys! Get down here, dinner's ready!" Gasping, I heard my sister calling us from downstairs. I shakily roll off him, immediatly standing and talking a few warey steps towards the door.
"C'mon, Keith, the food'll get cold." I mutter, holding the door open for him, knowing a pink glow was staining my cheeks.

"Ye-yeah." He mumbled, racing ahead of me and down the stairs to the dining room. By the time I had got there, everyone was already sat down, leaving a seat besides Keith. I quickly took it, smiling an apology to my sister as everyone began dishing out the food.

"This is amazing Veronica, thank you." Shiro smiled, after swallowing a mouthfull of food. I began to tuck into the plate of food infront of me, thanking my sister. I let my hand fall to the side of me as I chew through an oversized mouthful, using my other hand to cover my mouth.

After a moment, I felt Keith's cold fingers brush against mine, making me send a short glance his way, catching the apologetic smile he sent. Chuckling lightly,  continue to eat my meal until my plate was entirely empty. It may have been a bad idea to pile so much food onto my plate as I now was stuffed to the brim, but I didn't regret it for a second.

"Who wants desert now?" Veronica smiled, recieving several groans from my younger and older brothers and sister and getting polite replies from Shiro and Adam, saying they were too full for it right now.

"Okay, okay. I think I know the perfect way to christen the new home." Veronica grinned smugly at me, beginning to stand as she sent Adam and Shiro knowing glances.
"C'mon, everyone through to the sitting room." She chuckled, starting to lead us through to the living room.

We obliged, Shiro and Adam barely stifling chuckles as they glanced between me and Keith as we did. Furrowing my eyebrows at the two, I reluctantly follow my sister, piling into the living room, along with everyone else.

We all took our respective seats, Marco and Luis sat on the small sofa, Shiro and Adam on the other, Axca and Veronica were on the love seat and Rachel was on the edge of the sofa my brothers were on. That left the armchair for Keith and I.

I sat down, trying to make as much space for him as I could. We ended up with him nearly sat on my lap as Shiro, Veronica and Adam began to try to sort something out with the TV.
"What are you doing?" I chuckle as they fail to connect an old camera to our television for the third time.

"You'll see." She laughed back, finally managing to connect it. They retook their seats, smiling as a few grainy images appeared on the screen.

"We decided to put together a folder of some of the most adorable, and possibly embarrassing, videos and pictures we have of you all. Say what you want, but there's not a better way to make this place our own." Veronica smiled, clicking play on the video.

"Woah, woah, woah, what?" I laugh, not believing what I was hearing.
"C'mon Lance, it'll be fine, what's the worst that can happen?" Rachel rolled her eyes as she began to watch it.

Pouting, I sat back as I cross my arms over my chest, accidentally hitting Keith in the chin and leaning back onto his shoulder. He laughed it off as we began to pay attention to the grainy footage on the screen.

After a few minutes of chuckling at Luis, Marco and Rachel stumbling around in sand pits and even a few with my mamà carrying them through a paddling pool, we reached an incredibly poor quality video. It took a second for me to notice it was me, and Keith?

"What?" I chuckle as the sound came on.
"Shut up, Lance, this is a good one." Veronica laughed, making sure everyone could hear it as she turned up the volume.

"I learned what a boyfriend and girlfriend is." The short and chubby kid, I could barely recognise as me, was hopping up and down as he squealed to his even shorter friend.
"What is it!?" The video continued to play as my memory began to flood back.

I sent Keith a glance, knowing how red my cheeks had become. His were just as pink and rosey as mine as we stare at one another, knowing we both knew what this was.
"Shit..." I mutter, chewing down on my lip as the video continued.

"No, no, no, no, I remember this!" My eyes pop out if my skull as Veronica chuckled and turned it up further.
"Me too." She smiled knowingly as I covered my glowing face and the video continued to play.

"Do you wanna be my boyfriend? It sounds fun!" Groaning, I roll my eyes at how they had managed to film this without us knowing.
"Of course! It's like an adventure!"
Glancing to Keith, I saw how his cheeks were bright pink and he was watching it through his fingers.
I could hear everyone's laughter as it rolled onto the next few photos, makig me want to crawl into a hole and die.

By the time the slide show had finished, my cheeks were still burning with heat as I maintained eye contact with Keith.
"So..." I mutter, holding back an embarrassed laugh.
"Yeah." He replied chewing on his lip.

"I always guessed, but I had ni idea Lance and Keith were dating this whole time!" Rachel cackled, clapping as she (and everyone else) buckled over laughing.

Wait, that didn't count right?
We were only, what? Four!? How could that count for anything!?

Gulping, I glare up to Veronica who was balling with laughter.
"This is cyber-abuse." I frown, crossing my arms.

"Wait, so Lance and Keith are boyfriend and girlfriend?" Luis asked, in his innocent four-year-old voice. I even let out a small chuckle at this, watching as Keith did the same.
"Yes." Veronica giggled, wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes.
I frown harder at this, glancing to the boy besides me, seeing him already staring up at me.

"Lance is obviously the girlfriend." She added, smirking at me as my jaw drops.
"Uh, no, look at Keith's hair, he's obviously the girlfriend!" I shoot back, smirking at the said boy.

"I call bull." He laughs, nudging me in the ribs. By this time Luis, Rachel and Marco had left to go play with the dog.
"You know this is all hyperthetical, right?" Keith finished, laughing as he sat back in his seat.

"Nit exactly, you saw it, he asked you out and you said yes, Keith." Shiro chuckled, tilting his head.
"Yeah, but we were four then." I reason, trying to believe myself.

"Still happened, and you both knew what it was and you still agreed." Veronica laughed, making me roll my eyes.

"Fine. Keith, I'm sorry, I'm breaking up with you. It's just not working anymore, we both know it, I just don't feel the connection anymore. I'm sorry but this is the end." I press my hand to my chest and pretend to wipe away an imaginary tear, sniffling lightly as I place a hand on his shoulder, haring a few chuckles from around us.

"C'mon Lance, you know you couldn't live with me." Keith chuckled, elbowing my chest.
"Eh... Accurate." I huff, resting an elbow on his shoulder and resting my chin on that.

"So, you two are together?" Acxa asked, raising an eyebrow as Veronica was silently laughing in the background.

"No!"

"Yes..."

Our voices overlapped as we glanced to eachother.
"Yes?" Keith asked me, questioning what I said without thinking.
"I mean, well, yeah, in a literal sense considering you refused to break up with me." I chuckle awkwardly, feeling my cheeks growing pink.

"Okay~! We're gonna go clear up, c'mon you guys." Dragging the adults with her, Veronica left the room, chuckling something about leaving the two of us to it.

"Well then..." I mutter after a moment of silence.
"So..." He chuckled back, biting down on his lip.

Neither of us moved, despite the fact there was now more space than people to sit in it. Turning to face him, I cross my legs, resting my head in my hands.

"So, we're dating." I laugh, not entirely hating the idea, not hating it at all, honestly.
"I guess so, and for what? Thirteen years? Damn." He chuckled, shrugging.

"And without going on one date. God we're like an elderly couple." I roll my eyes at the whole situation.
"Yeah." He laughed, chewing into the flesh of his lip.

"What do we do now? Break up or... Stick with it?" He mumbled, glancing up through his eyelashes at me.
"I mean, we could try?" I chuckle jokingly, despite this was deffinatly not a joke to me.

"Well, should we?" He hummed, now sitting to face me.
"Do you want to?" I ask, feeling my heart in my throat as it beat too fast for my body to contain, I'd honestly be suprised if he couldn't hear it.

"Do you?" He gulped after he spoke, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, that depends on your answer. If it's no then I'll laugh it off, but if not, then I'd say yes. Deffinatly yes." I rubbed the back of my neck as I spoke, trying to laugh normally as I did.

"Well then..." He hummed, tilting his heads to the side as he moved forward lightly.
"How's about this for a start?" He finished, placing one hand wither side of me on the back of the armchair and pressing our lips together.

I unfreeze after a moment, melting slowly into it as my eyes drop shut.

This was actually happening. And I didn't hate it, not at all.

Pressing my lips harder against his, I feel him smirk slightly as I rest a hand on his cheek. He pulled back after a moment, frowning slightly.

"I regret doing that." He stated plainly after a second, like a dagger to my chest.
"Oh... The kiss?" I ask dumbly, knowing the answer would be obvious.

"No, cutting it short." He smirked, quirking an eyebrow. Sighing in relief, I lean in forward, catching his lips in a brief kiss. I could feel him smile against my lips as I rest a hand on his hip and he threaded his fingers through my hair.

I could barely register the click if the door before I heard an excited squeal from my little brother.

"Oh my God! Veronica, look, they really are boyfriend and girlfriend!"

Chapter Text

Lance's POV

"Lance, focus!" I hear Shiro's sharp voice snap through my helmet, warning me for the third time.
"Yea-yeah sorry." I mumble, knowing my voice wasn't as happy and goofy as I usually forced it to be.

"Did you even hear what the princess was saying?" He sighed, the eyeroll evident in his tone was a dagger to my chest, making me want to just go back to the castle and hide in my room, more so than I already did.
"Uhm- n-no, sorry." I was almsost whispering as I heard his and Allura's disappointed sigh.

"We need to discuss the coalition with the planet we took back from the Galra, that's where we're going now. I know your tired from the battle, but we all are, so just try to concentrate." She groaned through the speakers either side of my head. The battle was only the half of it, in fact it was less, much less than half of what was constantly on my mind.

"Sorry..." I mumble, sitting back in my chair, feeling red purr, almost as a question of if I was okay. She obviously knew the answer was no, but I could still try to lie. Shutting off my head set, I try to smile a response, hoping she'd believed me.

I could tell she didn't as we pulled closer to the planets atmosphere. The surface of the planet looked almost salmon pink, with hints of azure blue oceans dotted between that. It seemed like a pastel haven in the midst of this war.

My lips tugged into a small smile as we landed, red ducking her head and opening her mouth as I tugged on my helmet. Taking a few steps outside, I notice everyone else was already there.
"Hurry up, Lance." Pidge groaned, making the small smile I may have had completely disappear.

"Sorry." I mutter, taking stance besides the rest of my team.
"As I was saying, this is the emperess of this planet, Emperess Atreyu." Shiro gestured to the five foot grey alien before us. Her entire body was covered in grey and pink furr, despite her hands, feet and face which were the only anomaly to this.

"Hello, ma'am." I greet, smiling lightly.
"Hello, Blue." She replies, noticing my colour of amour. I try to not cringe at the bitter memory of being rejected by blue and smile through it with a nod.

"Paladins, we are forever grateful for relieving us of the Galra opression. However, due to the constant menace of the Galra that has beeningering over us for generations, we must clense you of any dark thoughts or ill intensions to let you enter our kingdom. Our people cannot carry anymore fear, they can sense it on you." She led forward two far shorter ones who were both covered in blue furr. I gulp at this, knowing how dark my mind could get, would they be able to see that? Will I feel better once I've been 'clensed'?

The two ran forward towards Shiro, giggling as one stood on the other's shoulders to place a small hand on his forehead. They pull away after a second, hopping down as Shiro's eyes lit up, a small smile blossoming on his lips. Well, isn't that a sight for sore eyes.
"Oh my... Thank you." He blink a few times in shock, apparently at how good he felt, lucky fucker.

They made their way through the rest of my team, with similar reactions from each. Finally, one hops onto the others shoulders in front of me, making me gulp as one presses both its hands to each of my temples, their expression fearful and worried as they did so. I could feel a pull from my forehead without actually moving, but feeling no better when they took their hands away.

I knew they could read that through my expression, making them both hop back and scurry behind the emperess, almost screaming as their big black eyes well in tears. My breath hitched in my throat as they begin to speak.
"Miss, it didn't work, we didn't fix him! What do we do, what do we do?" The emperess looked up to me, tilting her head as she took a few steps torwards me.

"What? Lance? That's impossible, he's the most bubbly one of us all, he's just attention seeking." I hear Allura sigh, making me look to the ground in disappointment of myself, not knowing how to react to her.

"Lance? Look at me." The emperess stated calmly in front of me. I did as intructed, bringing my watery gaze up to her as she took another step closer to me.
"May I?" She reached her palm to my forehead as she spoke, not touching it yet though. I nod a reply, her palm resting on my forehead.

I could feel her routing through my memories, picking apart the darkest ones for us both to see but not moving away. Pausing on a fresh memory of only last night, I felt a pang of regret in my stomach and my fist clench as she read through the scene. I couldn't block out the vision of one of many deep gashes in my wrist, no mater how hard I tried, it remaining there as the centre of attention.

She skipped past that after a moment, moving onto a frozen scene of someone in particular.
Keith. More specifically, his smile, the first I saw when we were back in the Garrison, one of the most significant, happy memories to me. The mear sight of it fading simply reminded me of how infrequent they were and the fact none of them would ever be aimed at me.

She recoiled her hand from my head, bringing me back to reality in more pain than I was before. I tried to blink back the tears welling in my eyes, rubbing my knuckles to them in an attempt to stop them falling.

Looking down into the black pools of her eyes, I could see my sadness reflected back up at me, forcing my to look away to the plants on the ground beneath me feet.
"You do that to yourself?" She whispered, the shock and pain evident on her expression. I of course knew what she meant and there was no way I could play it off dumb.

I could feel the eyes of my teammates burrowing into me as I reply.
"Yes..." It couldn't have been said any simpler, but that answer somehow held so much pain for me. That one simple word was the whole world to me right now. I could have lied, but knew I couldn't.

"I'm so sorry... I cannot allow you into my kingdom like this. It's not that we don't want to help fix you, but we can't. We've not seen something this dark for a long, long time." She seemed almost upset as she took a few steps back after placing a large hand on my cheek.

I could feel the daggers in my chest building up, another being plunged in with each of her words.
"It's okay, I'll just go back to red... You guys have a good time. I'll be okay for a few days." I mutter, beginning to turn back to the lions.
"Not by yourself, one of you has to stay with him or none of you enter." She furrowed where I assumed her eyebrows would be as she stepped back to look at us all.

"Ma'am, I'm sure Lance can handle himself for a day or so, what's the worst he can do?" Allura chuckled lightly at the mear thought of me being as unstable as she said I was. She was silenced at the glare the emperess sent her.
"You have not seen what I have, what he has done, one of you must stay with him." Her voice was now stern, any soft tone long gone as I gulp down a lump in my throat.

Why was she doing this? Why can't she just leave it?

"Like Allura said, I'm-I'm fine." I force a smile to my face as my voice cracked, attempting to ignore it.
"Lance, you cannot lie to me, your aura is too strong and deject for it." Atreyu tutted at me, walking towards the rest of the team.

"So, which of you will stay with him?" She tilted her head to one side as she crossed her arms. I bit down hard on my lip and clung one arm to another as my team stood in silence. My gaze dropped to the ground, knowing none of them would put up with me for a few days alone, especially while the rest of them got to hang out in the most cozy looking planet I'd seen yet.
"It's fine, I'll be-"

"I'll do it." Snapping my head up, I met Keith's eyes, my eyebrows shooting up at he small smile planted on his lips.
"Keith, you don't need to be a hero, I'm fine!" I sigh, exasperated at the fact I knew he was only doing this so he wouldn't seem selfish, not because he actually cared about me, at least not as much as I really cared about him.

"No, you two will only fight, I can't allow you two to- what are you doing?" Shiro asked, noticing the emperess moving her hand towards Keith's forehead. I could tell he was just as confused as Shiro on this.
"Seeing if his intentions are pure." She stated, closing her eyes as she pressed her palm to Keith's forehead.

After a moment, I saw a small smile appear on her lips as she pulled her hand away.
"I can see why you think that of him." She hummed, beginning to lead him towards me as she smiled in my direction. Furrowing my eyebrows, I chew down on my lower lip as he stood besides me. What did she mean? I knew he hated me, she's just adding to that fact.

"Ma'am, I know he hates me, I will be fine, I promise." I sigh, now just wanting to be alone and avoid the fact I now knew I was apparently too broken to be fixed.
"You know what I have seen of you, not of him." Her voice was more confusing than before, giving away nothing in her tone.

"Why can't anyone else stay with him? These two will only squabble and probably break the lion!" Shiro sighed, gesturing to us as I subconciously moving closer to Keith, feeling my fingers brush against his.
"Because none of the rest of you can help him! You all make him worse!" The emperess snapped at the rest of the team, stepping infront of the two of us as I gulp heavily.

I glanced up from the ground to Keith, meeting his muted violet eyes, continuing to bite down on my lip until I could taste blood. Dropping my lip from between my teeth, I gulp as I try to not throw up at the fact everyone was staring me down. I knew I was letting them down, they knew it too.

"C'mon, Lance. Thank you for this, Ma'am. You guys have a good time, tell us everything when you get back. I guess we'll discuss this then." As Keith led me away by my arm, I glanced up to him to see a small smile on his lips that I hoped was directed at me, knowing it probably wasn't though.

I could hear their disapointed sighs behind us as red opened her mouth for the two of us.
"You didn't have to do that you know." I mutter as we reached the control room of my lion, tugging my arm away from his grip. Flopping onto one of the padded benches, I press my face into the cushioning as I let a groan escape my lips.

"Of coyrse I did. What did she mean 'you do that to yourself'?" What he said made my head snap up, gulping down a lump in my throat.
"Wha-what did she mean 'I can see why you think that of him'?" I force a smirk back, hoping he'd ignore his question and the stutter in my voice.

"I asked first." He hummed, sitting on the seat besides me, unusually close.
"Doesn't mean I should answer you because, honestly, Keith, I'm too tired to right now." I mumble, wanting to disappear from the universe.

"Well, believe it or not, I care whether or not you're okay, so please, Lance, let me help you." Keith hummed, making me lift my head as I faced him.
"You're right, I don't believe you. You're lying, you don't care. You just stepped up because no one else would put up with me." I mutter, standing and walking slowly to the otherside of the room and sitting on the other seats, feeling a pang in my chest as I did so.

"Why would I lie about that, Lance?" He asked, tilting his head on its side as he spoke.
"So it wouldn't look any worse of the team. A team member so broken they couldn't get into a civilisation and no one liked him enough to step in." I cross my legs beneath me as I look down to the floor.

"Well, I'm here now, not because it would look bad on the team, not because I wanted to get it over with, because I care about you, Lance." He quickly moved to sit besides me, sitting to face me. I felt the air disappear from my lungs for a moment when I heard what he said.

He doesn't really care does he?
I mean, maybe he does. But he hates me, right?

I glance towards him, immediatly dropping my eyes back to my hands on my bobbing knees as I picked at my nails in an attempt to calm myself, which obviouy wasn't working.
"I-I... You-your... ugh..." I gave up on trying to form a sentence after a minute of stumbling over juttery words, feeling my face glowing bright red and my eyes beginning to prickle with welling tears.

"It's okay." He smiled gently, placing a hand over mine as I snap my head up, gulping as I met his eyes. Threading my thumbs over his knuckles, I move in slighty closer to him, feeling him rest his free arm along the back rest behind me.

"You okay?" Keith hummed, moving his arm so it was now cupping my shoulders. I pause for a moment before responding, trying to plan out what I was going to say.
"Ye-yeah... I'm-I'm fine." I try to force a shakey smile back onto my cheeks as I glance back up to him, trying to ignore the tears threatening to slip down my cheeks.

"For some reason or other I don't believe you." He stated sadly, furrowing his eyebrows as he moved closer to you.
Scrunching my face up at how dumb I looked right now, I pull my face away from him for a moment, trying to quickly dab all the tears from my cheeks with my sleeve before he could notice.

"Lance, ar-are you crying?" I hear Keith whisper lightly, trying to move to face me.
"No, I'm-I'm not, what are-what are you talking about?" I force a clearly pained chuckle from my lips, trying to hide the hiccup brought out by the tears.

"Look at me then." He muttered, rubbing the pad of his thumb over the back of my hand. I shook my head in silence, trying harder now to stop the flooding tears on my cheeks, ultimately failing as the more I clear from my cheeks the more that fell.

"Lance, please." He was on the verge of begging as I sent a watery glance his way, still trying to frantically dry my cheeks.
"I'm fine." I shakily smile, my whole face twitching at how unnatural and forced it was.
"Repeating it doesn't make it true." Keith uttered as I pull my gaze to the ground. I knew he was telling the truth, but I'd been lying for so long, there was barely another option.

"I-I know..." I mumble, finally giving in as I warily drop my head onto his shoulder, needing to know he was there, that anyone cared. He rubbed small circles into my shoulders as I burried my head into the crook of his neck. We sat in silence for a few minutes, feeling eachothers chests rise and fall in time with one another.

Well, this was weird. I'm not complaining, not at all, this was actually really nice. It was just new is all.

"Couldn't agree more." I heard Keith hum gently, making my face burn bright red as I realised I had said that all out loud. Gulping lightly, I clamped my eyes shut, pressing my burning face into his neck.
"I didn't mean to say that out loud." Groaning in embarrassment, I hear Keith laugh slightly, resting his head ontop of mine, making me glance up.

"We can pretend that didn't happen if you want." He hummed, making his voice box vibrate next to my temple. I nod my head at this, giving up on words for the time being as I shut my eyes comfortablly.
"But, for what it's worth, this is nice." My eyes immediatly snapped back open as he mumbled that, making me almost choke on air. Was he serious?

"Really?" I whisper, biting down into my lip for what seemed like the thousandth time today.
"Of course." He hummed, running his fingers through the shirt strands of my hair. Letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding, I rub my face into his neck, feeling slightly reassured that I wasn't making him uncomfortable. There was still doubt, there always was, but it was a little less.

Resting my eyes shut, I let out a small yawn, feeling my grip on his shoulders and chest growing weak.
"Tired?" He muttered, as I send a nod as a reply.

"I'm-I'm going to go get changed, armour's not too fun to sleep in." I mumble, forcing myself to move away from Keith, managing to shakily stand and make my way to a small storage room.

Shutting the door behind me, I unbuckle my armour straps wearily, blindly pulling on a long sleeved blue shirt and a pair of sweatpants. I leave the amour on a shelf for me to move later when I could find the strength to care.

Slowly making my way back out of the cramped room, I find Keith laying across one of the wider seats, facing towards the back of the chair. His armour was placed carefully on the floor at the end, wearing the black shirt and pair of shorts we have under the armour. I contemplated for a moment before silently making my way to the sofa.

Slowly laying down besides him, I drape one arm over his side and burry my head into his back. Less than a second later, he carefully rolled over, his barely open eyes meeting mine as he rested a hand on my side. I gasp lightly at the sudden movement, my cheeks glowing bright pink.

"I-I thought you were aslseep." I chuckle lightly, offering a small scared smile to him.
"You were in there for less than a minute, I can't fall asleep that fast." He chuckled as I rested my head lightly on his chest. I hum a short reply, letting my eyes fall shut as I listen to our breaths.

We lay in silence for a few minutes, his breathing growing deeper and more spaced out.
"Keith? Are you awake?" I ask timidly, not wanting to disturb him if he wasn't.

"Mhm..." Humming, he opened one of his eyes slightly to look down at my a bit. Gulping I began my sentence.
"What did she mean 'I can see why you think that of him'? Because I know you hate me, and is also why this doesn't make sense." I mutter, burying my head in his chest.

"Well, I don't hate you, I thought that'd be obvious." He chuckled, running his fingers through my hair. I smiled at that, tightening my grip as he continued, gladly inviting him to continue.
"And I'll only tell you what she meant if you tell me what she meant by asking 'you do that to yourself'." He mumbled, making my mouth go dry and papery as I try to gulp it away.

"You first then." I sigh, beginning to sit up as he did the same, my heart thudding in my throat, stuck there like an unswallowable pill.
"What she meant was she saw how much I respect and need you, how much we all do. That you're the glue that keeps us together and without you we wouldn't even be a team. I could go on but I'd like to know what she meant for you." He finished, brushing his soft thumb pad across my cheek. I gulp heavily, feeling my head go light as I try to piece together a coherent sentence.

"Uhm... I-I, she-she meant that, ugh, you-you don't want to- I'll-I'll show you, it's-it's easier that way, fo-for u-u-up b-both." I sigh, giving up on speaking, it did very little good for me and never made sense. He nodded slightly, gesturing for me to continue.

Letting out a shakey breath, I began to tug at the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head in one quick move. I automatically wrap my arms over my stomach out of habit, trying to hide my scars that both of us knew wasn't from battle or training, with the odd bandage hanging sloppily from it.

"Lance... I-" I had to cut him off.

"Are you happy? You know now what? It doesn't even matter, just drop it, I've thoroughly disgusted you." I snap at him, reaching for my shirt, that had decided to conviently slip from the sofa onto the floor a few foot away. Stifling a whimper, I felt scars on my arm reopening at the sudden movement beneath my bandages, oozing small amount of blood onto them again. 

For fuck's sake.

"It does matter Lance, it matters to me. You matter to me. And I'm not happy that you're doing it, but I'm happy that I at least know now." He mumbled, pulling me back properly onto the couch by my waist, before I could grab my shirt. Meeting his eyes with mine, I bring my eyebrows together and gulp lightly. Great, now he thinks worse of me, worse than before that is.

"It matters to me in the respect that I care about you and hate that you do that to yourself. But it doesn't to me in the way it will never, ever change how I think of you." He rested a palm on my cheek, running his thumb over it. I blink a few times, dumbfounded as I try to comprehend what he was talking about. 

"What exactly do you think of me then?" I mutter, still trying to block out the pain that was making my stomach turn and my head go light. The soft expression on his face was one I hadn't seen in a long time. I liked it.

"I think your sweet, and kind, and you think about how what you do affects other people. Maybe too much sometimes, but it shows you care for them.  I also think you are beautiful and absolutely perfect in every definition of the word, and maybe the closest thing to a god I have seen walking." He hummed into my ear, making me shiver gently. Did he actually mean that or was he just trying to make me feel better.

"Wha-what?" I squeak, biting my lip as I rest my head on his shoulder.
"You heard me, you're beautiful." A shudder ran down my spine at the breath that brushed against my earlobe.

"Bullshit." I chuckle at him, feeling a pair of arms work around my sides.
"Nope." He stated, popping his lips on the 'p' as he did. I pulled away from him to raise a judgmental eyebrow, my hand laying to rest on his thigh.

Letting out a defeated sigh, I look up to him, my eyes meeting his for a moment as I watched the deep violet and milky lilac swirl in the pools of his eyes. They were truely captivating.

"Thank you?" He giggled, making me realise I had voiced my thoughts yet again.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to..." The smile planted on his lips made me stop speaking, silence falling heavy between us.

After a moment of trying to hold myself back, I finally let loose, rocking forward on my knees to capture his lips in a kiss. My hand snaked around his neck and into his hair as I felt his lips move with mine. He soon did the same, holding my side as his fingers traced shapes down my lower back and spiralled over my spine.

I pulled back after a second of realisation, my eyes shooting wide open to meet his.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-" His lips cut off my words, making me mold into his hold, my shoulders melting and my eyelids falling shut.

I felt his tongue swipe over my lower lip, begging for access, which I immediately obliged to, letting his tongue explore my mouth. We had to pull back after a second for breath,  our lips glossed over in a glazed sheen.

"Holy shit... That happened..." Keith muttered against the flesh of my neck where his head had rested.
"And I don't regret it for a second..." He shot out between pants, making me smile gently at him as I bit at my lip gently.

Bowing my head, I press gently kisses to the nape of his neck and around the hem of his shirt, hearing a short chuckle escape his lips. Nuzzling my cheek into the side of his neck, I hummed contently at this, my eyes falling shut.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this." Keith muttered as he moved slightly, wrapping his arms around my waist as we layed back onto the sofa. A small smile blossoming on my lips, I try to not cry with how surreal this was for me.
"I think I have an idea if it's anywhere near how long I've a wanted this." I mumble as I rest my head against his chest, feeling safe and warm, his arms encompassing me.

He hummed me a reply, peppering kisses across the top if my head as I let out acts soft yawn.
"Try getting some sleep..." I heard him mutter as I nodded into the warmth of his chest.

It wasn't long before I had felt the tug of sleep on my mind and I let something slip I wouldn't have dreamt of in a million years.
"Night... love you..." There was silence for a moment as I drifted between a dreamlike state and consciousness before he finally spoke up.

"I love you too, Lance." And with a last peck to the top of my head I fell out of all conscious thought into an warm pool of dreams for the first time in what felt like years.
Safe and warm with Keith.

Chapter Text

"We need to get up soon.." I mutter into Lance's soft hair, smirking at the annoyed groan that slipped from his lips.
"Why..?" He whined as he moved to have his chin rested on my chest, pouting at me.

"Because if not the rest of the team will find out about us. Not that I'd really care..." I was almost silent in the last part, gulping as he frowned again.
"Fine..." Mumbling, he pecked my lips as he stood up, strething his back as he slowly sauntered across his room towards his bathroom.

I relaxed back into his pillows, taking in a short breath, noticing how it smelt just like him. The sound of a shower sounded from behind the closed door and I frown, knowing I should leave.

Slowly dragging myself to sit up, I scribble out a note for him and leave it on his bedside table. I slowly tug on my jeans from the floor, simply folding my shirt as I'd been training all of yesterday and it stunk.

Humming, I snag one of Lance's plain baby blue shirt, tugging it over my head and immediately recognising the familiar scent of him. I tug on my shoes before spinning in my heel and frowning sadly before making my way to the door.

I was about to punch the code into the door when I felt a pair of arms wrap around my torso and a head burry into the crook of my neck. Smiling slightly, I place my arms over his as I lean back into the hold.

I spun after a moment, placing an arm on each of his shoulders, blushing at how he was only wearing a towel. I've seen much more so I have no idea why I was a blushing mess over this.
"We need to tell them at some point..." I mutter as he rested his head on my chest, humming quietly.

"I love this, so much, but it's just us, and no one else. I like it like that, between us and no one asking annoying questions. And I just don't want to come out yet, especially not in the middle of this." He sighed as he buried his head further into my chest.
"It's not that I'm not proud of being with you, of course I am. I'm just... Scared..." He muttered, sniffling as I rub circles in his back.

"It's okay, we don't need to tell them now, and I get how hard it is to come out, so we won't yet." I mumble into his hair, peppering kisses to the top of his head and making him giggle lightly.

"Now, c'mon, we need to get to the main deck or Allura will murder us." I chuckle lightly, moving to press a kiss to his forehead before forcing myself to pull away.

He groaned slightly as I sent him a sad smile and disappeared through the door. I frown as I quickly approach my room, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I stamp in the code.

Silently approaching my bathroom, I grab my toothbrush and squirt toothpaste accross the bristles. I stand in silence, brushing my teeth for a few minutes before spitting it into the sink and scrubbing at my face with a flannel.

Tossing it onto the side of my sink, I dry my cheeks and make my way back through to my bedroom. I frown at my loneliness as I exited my room, crossing my arms over my chest and sauntering down the hallway towards the main deck.

Entering the room, I sat silently in Allura and Shiro's presence, offering a short nod and smile as I leant back in my chair. Shiro's gaze lingered on my shirt, making me glance down to it, reminding me I had borrowed Lance's. He shot me a smug smile, returning his gaze elsewhere, making me blush vibrantly.

I still wouldn't let my arms drop from my chest as everyone else slowly filed in, Lance entering a few minutes after me. His hair was tousled and still damp as it curled around his ears. He sat down besides me, not really smiling but still absolutely the most beautiful in the room. As usual, he was the last to join us, so Allura began to speak.

"So, now we are all finally here," She shot a raised eyebrow in the direction of Lance as I felt him snake his hand into mine beneath the table. I gave it a short squeeze as she continued.

"We can begin with talking about why we're here today. Shiro and I have been discussing the Coalition and as we have recently regained several planets from the Galran Empire we need to offer them a position in the Coalition. This could be highly beneficial for both them and us, as they can supply trade ruits and we could offer protection against the Galra. They are in the middle of a trade system between two other planets and this makes them incredibly vulnerable to attack." She explained, far too thoroughly as she gestured to a map I was still too tired to properly understand, recieving nods in reply from most of our team.

"Are we in agreement on this?" She again only received firm nods as a bland response.
"Wonderful, we set off in thirty dobashes. Be fully suited up and with your lions by then." Nodding, Allura dismissed us all, everyone scattering from the room, leaving only Lance and I.

We remained silent for a moment before I lifted my head to meet his eyes. Being incapable of holding myself back any longer, I pulled him by the chin towards me, to meet my lips. He hummed softly against them, letting his eyes drop shut as I move my lips against his.

I forced myself to pull away from him after a moment, resting my forehead against his as we panted lightly.
"I'll see you later okay, now go get ready." He chuckled lightly, stealing a few short kisses from my lips as I pull him up from the chair. I nod slowly and solomly as I pull him by his hand as far as the door before dropping it, to open it before him.

We parted ways after a few moments of silence, to go to our own rooms. I pecked his cheek before I left, smiling gently as I made my way to my bedroom. As I reached it, I crack my back and stamp in the code to my room, immediately walking to grab my armour from my desk.

I tug on the clunky metal, feeling it mold tight to my flesh as I stretch to shape it properly. Sliding on my belt, I strap on my bayard and slide my helmet beneath my arm as I began back out of my room.

I slowly trudge back to my lion's hanger, still just barely awake as I entered the room. Strolling towards the black lion, I smile to her as she opened up her mouth to let me quickly amble up her steps.

"Hey girl." I smile as I sat back into the chair, feeling her connect to me as she juddered to life.

Hello there, cub.

Her voice was it's usual rough and low self, sounding more male than female, but I still clearly knew it as Black. She was almost family by now.

Red tells me someone has been gushing about you again.

I smile to her as I hum, chuckling gently.
"All good things I hope." I mutter to her, biting my lip as I set aside my helmet.

Almost, he still doesn't agree with the mullet. As do I, might I add, however it is your choice, my cub.

I heard the chuckle in her tone as she spoke, making me smile gently as I notice Lance wander into the room through the screen that showed outside of my lion.
"I'll be right back." I mutter to her as I quickly slid down the stairs to outside before the rest of my team arrived.

Silently stalking up behind him, I was right behind him before I spoke up.
"Hey there." I mutter into his ear, my breath fanning across his skin as he shivered lightly and I wrapped my arms around his waist. I heard Red and Blue growl gently in the background, making the two of us chuckle gently as Lance nodded to them.

"Hey..." He hummed as he leant back into me, resting his head onto my shoulder. I pepper kisses along his exposed neck, making him giggle lightly as he moved to face me.

He pressed a kiss to my forehead as he was slightly taller than me, slightly. I hum lightly as my eyes slip shut and I wrap my arms around his sides. He rested his head on mine and we stayed silent for a few moments, smiling in the empty hall.

I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard the rumble of footsteps burst into the room, making me immediately snap away from Lance. I already missed the warmth as I offer an embarrassed smile to Shiro, who raised an eyebrow.

"You two ready?" He chuckled, crossing his arms over each other as he leant up against against wall.
"Y-yes." I shoot at him, trying to hide the scarlet blossoming across my cheeks by scratching my forehead to cover most of my face.

"Okay, whatever you two were doing doesn't matter to me as long as you're ready to do what you need." He rolled his eyes at the two of us, making me offer a fake confused look.
"I have no idea what you are talking about." I smile, moving away from Lance and into my lion.

I sent him a short wink before clamouring up the steps, only just catching a glimpse of the amber blush blooming on his cheeks before the lions jaw closed. Chuckling, I take my seat behind the dashboard, listening to my lion tut gently to me as I roll my eyes.

I began to tug in my helmet, straight away being bombarded with Allura's voice.
"Okay Paladins, we're setting off now, get into your lions." As I was already in, I buckle my belt and simply sit back and begin to set off, alongside Allura.

She went through the usual checks to make sure everything was as it should be and everyone was there, me zoning out through the majority of it as nothing really applied to me. The coordinates had been sent to each lion, so we were on direct ruit to what seemed like a planet with pink and red swirls breaking through the shield of its atmosphere.

I kept in close to the rest of my team as we began pulling into the planet, blocking out Allura for the time being as I was concentrated with trying to settle my lion on the planet's surface.
"Okay, team, today will be strictly business, however, tonight, on the other hand? is this planets annual festival of harvest. We shall be staying for that if you should want to take part." I barely took in what Allura had said, hardly being able to stay concerned about my surroundings.

We were here for business, I couldn't be bothered with the festival, there's no doubt Lance would love it though.

Blinking a few times, I unbuckle my seat belt before quickly scuttling towards the exit. Joining my team outside, we were greeted by gently looking, bipedal creatures, with pastel blue skin and coral hair. Three deep black eyes were situated in their faces, the third one their foreheads. They all seemed do be dressed formally, and it was the middle of the three, dressed in deep sapphires and golds, that spoke up first, a calm tone woven throughout their voice.

"Paladins of Voltron, it is my pleasure to welcome you to Erůne. Allow me introduce myself, I am Emerpress Eve, we offer you our humblest accommodations. Please, come join our banquet and we may converse over dinner."

*****

By the time (what I assumed was) night had fallen, all discussion of the Coalition had long perished, with some sort of trade agreement being sorted out between us. One of which I probably should have paid closer attention to, however a certain someone had been distracting me throughout the majority of the meeting just by being sat besides me.

I was only just flopping back into the seats in the back of my lion when I heard a familiar voice from a few, vey short, feet away from me.

"Hey there." I opened my eyes to smile towards Lance, being greeted by the sight of him in a baby blue button up and tight black jeans. Good god, did he look good.
"Hi..." I wearily gave him away lopsided smile, kicking my legs over the side to be sat upright. He quickly took a seat besides me as he rested his head on the shoulder plate of my armour, I had yet to change from, as I hadn't planned on going anywhere but home.

"Aren't you gonna change? I mean, you look hot in anything you wear, but you would look a little out of place at their festival." Lance giggled gently as I wrap an arm around his shoulders, my head resting over his.
"We're human - or at leat partly so - and they're bright
pink aliens, we look out of place anyway. And honestly, I don't want to go to the festival, it's just not my thing." I mutter, letting my eyes fall shut as I sigh.

"Aw, c'mon, it won't even fun without you, and I really want you there." He mumbled into my shoulder as I hum a short response, before actually speaking.
"You really want me there don't you? Fine, I guess I will..." I chuckle the first part before sighing gently as Lance moved to look me in the eye.

"Really!? Thank you!" He squealed besides me before begining to pepper the side of my head in short kisses. I chuckle gently to him before moving slightly, taking a hold of his chin gently as I press my lips to his.

Relishing the feel of his lips against mine for a moment, I smile shortly before pulling back. As he slowly opened his eyes to give me a goofy grin, I couldn't help but fall head over heals for him all over again.

"Okay, I'll leave you to get changed." He muttered, pressing a last kiss to my temple and quickly standing to stride away. I sat in silence for a moment, simply smiling at where Lance had left from.

You're doing it again, cub.

"No, I'm not." I utter as I began standing to move towards the room towards the back of my lion. Okay, maybe I was staring after Lance for the eighth time in two days but he was my boyfriend so in guess it's acceptable.

*****

I knew this would happen. It always does.

Whenever there's an event of any kind, everyone has fun. Everyone but me. I tried to get out of it because I knew most of my night would be me just watching Lance flirt with alien girls to pretend that he was straight.

I know we had agreed on it together, that it would be best so people couldn't guess we're together but still, I hated the idea of him doing it. And I know this is me just being over protective and clingy but I couldn't help it, that was just my nature. I cared about him so hated to watch this.

He was flirting with an alien a few metres away from me. Smiling, winking, doing the most. He was even tucking her hair behind her ear. It wasn't that he was doing it that hurt, no, what hurt me was that he did the exact same to win me over.

You couldn't have been able to tell he was faking it. Not even me, his boyfriend, for qiznacks sake!

Not that I could let show how hurt I was by it, or people would know something was off. So all I can do is sit silently and sip at my weird tasting alien drink.

They were getting uncomfortably close to one another, Lance and some scantily clad alien girl. She was giggling and putting an arm on his shoulder and chest, almost making me want to cry or at least look away but I found I could do neither.

And then it happened.

She stood up on her tiptoes and pressed her coral lips against his.

That, that is what did it. That is what sent a tear trickling down my cheek.

I could feel my stomach drop as I watch his eyes snap over to me in a frenzy of fear, darting across her face and then the room to meet my eyes. My knees were a shaking mess as I place my drink on the bar side, with an iron fist and begin to stumble as fast as I could away from the crowded hall.

Trembling all the way, I amble in the direction I hoped led to the way out was. I try to not knock into people who were clustering everywhere as I try to battle my way out onto the empty balcony, the pounding music subsiding.

The air was hot and dripping in a warm scarlet light as the two suns was beginning to set on separate ends of the sky. I almost retch as I lean against the thick railing, my vision blurring with thick hot tears as I gaze down to the crimson grass below. I could feel a flood of tears cascading down my face and dripping to the hand rail I was clinging onto for dear life.

I had never been one to be so attached to people. I'd always been my own bestfriend, not needing someone else to feel okay. But when I met Lance, that wasn't true anymore. I had barely noticed the change to my dependence on him, until I lost that and released how lonely I was before.

"Keith!?" I clench my jaw and clutch the railing tighter as I heard the door burst open and my name be called. His feet clipped the ground as they approached me, my gaze remaining over the edge as they stop besides me.

"Lance..." I mutter as I let my gaze wander towards him, my body calling for me to stop and just stare down at the grass. He was tapping his foot gently on the floor and was leant on the railing besides be, almost calling for me to hold him.

"I didn't do it." He mumbles, remaining in the position he was stood in as I screw up my face in confusion.
"Didn't what?" I whisper as I turn to him, tears still welling in my eyes. He was on the verge of crying as he stared out to the setting sun.

"Kiss her. She kissed me. I'm really sorry, Keith." I could hear the tears in his voice as he glanced to me, confirming it.
"It's okay." I mutter, not entirely believing it myself but not knowing what else to say.

"I just... I just can't keep going on like-like this." I sigh, exasperated with everything and just wanting to go home as another tear slid from my eye.
"Then we tell them." He stated as though it was nothing as he faced me.

"What?" I whisper as I gulp, hoping to god I hadn't misheard.
"We tell them, our team, everyone. Even fucking Zarkon, if you wanted. About us, about everything." He now seemed almost giddy in the anticipation of what was to come, making more confused than before. At least I knew I heard him right.

"I thought you didn't want to yet." I mumble and furrow my eyebrows to him as he continues.
"Tonight just made me realise how much I hate having to do this every time we go out. I want people to know that you're my boyfriend because I am not ashamed of that and never will." I didn't know whether to laugh or cry as I plundge forward and wrap my arms around him.

"Okay, let's do it." I smile, moving away and grasping his hand in my own as I smile up to him.
"Okay." He smiled a reply before quickly tugging me from the balcony, back to the crowded room where the music was still playing loud.

Gulping hard, I grip his hand tighter and keep in close to his side as I notice most of my teammates barely ten metres away from us.
"May I have this dance?" He grinned to me, his hand dusting over my waist, making me shiver as he led me ever closer to our team.

"What are you doing?" I chuckle, any past tears long forgotten in a blury memory.
"Dancing with my boyfriend. Is that a crime?" He quirks an eyebrow to me as he took my hand and spun me once.

Not needing to be told twice, I grip his hips and sway, not caring if it fit with the song or not. I'm sure neither of us knew how to dance, at least I didn't, but I couldn't care any less. I was dancing with the man I loved and that was all that mattered.

I held his hand in mine and giggled lightly as we 'danced', if you could even call it that, making him raise an eyebrow to me as I met his deep pools of euphoric blue.
"What?" He giggled as I rested my blushing cheek against his chest and he placed his head atop mine.

"We look ridiculous." I laugh as we continue to move.
"I don't care, do you?" He mumbled into my hair as my feet moved me alongside him.
"Not at all." I grin up to him, my cheeks glowing as I did.

He smiled as he stopped us moving and leant down to meet my lips. I smile against them as I'd heard Pidge squeal and I quickly pull away, snapping my head to see them.
"Klance is real! Klance is real!" They were almost vibrating with excitement as they shook Hunk's arm, alerting our whole team to the sight of us two.

Shiro looked to us knowingly as the rest stand in shock as we began walking over, our fingers linked. Well, all except Pidge who was on the verge of having a seizure. I smile to Lance as we join them Allura speaking up as my heart was thumping in my throat.

"Wow, who'd of thought it?" She chuckles as everyone else simply laughs.

"Me."

"Me too."

"I always knew."

"I literally saw them kiss earlier." Shiro was laughing hard at the puzzled look on Allura's face.
"So, just me I guess." She chuckled awkwardly, as she rubbed the back of her neck, to which everyone agreed with a laugh.

"Anyway, I'd like to get back to the dance so if we're done with this..?" Lance offered as I tug him back towards the floor. Pidge was still almost bleeding from the nose as we were allowed to leave, Lance guiding me by the waist back to the heart of the dancing.

We went back to swaying to the foreign music, occasionally spinning out, only to be tugged back into his chest after barely a second.

After the third time of almost tripping over my own feet and Lance catching me before I crashed to the ground he muttered something as he stared me hard in the eyes. I couldn't even begin to hear what it was for all the music.

"What!?" I holler back to him, hoping he could hear over the music. He was more than blushing hard, and was almost redder than his lion at his point. He steadied our movements so we were simply stood staring to one another, in the midst of hundreds of people dancing and yelling. But we seemed far from them now, in our own little haven.

"I said... 'Fucking hell I love you'." My eyes shot open and my breath left my body in a short whisp of air.

"Lance McLain, I never dreamed I'd ever say this, but, I love you too."