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The mission started out simple, as missions usually do. Then, also as usual, everything went to shit.
The team was headed to a planet with no living inhabitants (aside from the Galra) but a large structure dedicated to Galra intel and data transfer. Or, as Pidge put it, 'a treasure chest of data and perfect place to mess shit up' (her exact words). And that's what they did. The team was split up, Shiro, Hunk, and Lance (flying in Blue) were to mess up the building, rough up the Galra, anything and everything that messed with them. The base itself was actually more of a ceiling because, turns out, this planet had an intricate cave system under the surface. Many passageways and caves were what the base actually was. Good thing it wasn't a Balmera.
Pidge and Keith ( Pidge in Green and Keith flying) were charged with Intel gathering. Pidge would crash their system while simultaneously gathering any and all intel from the base. Team A (Shiro, Hunk, and Lance) were also to be distracting the Galra enough for them to ignore Pidge, but Keith went with her for back-up and guarding.
Again, not a very complicated or difficult mission, even with the addition of the Ancients.
Team A was doing great, Shiro was using his hand to burn through some of the hand scanners after they were through, effectively locking Galra in with them. Hunk was shooting equipment with his cannon, and honestly, also apologizing left and right to sentries that'd try to attack him. Instead, Hunk accidentally crashed right into them and stepped on pieces of them and so on so forth.
"I'm sorry! Oh god I'm sorry! Sorry! So sorry! S-"
"Hunk! Stop apologizing and let's go!" Shiro shouted
Lance was driving his trident (He unfortunately didn't get the blue Bayard, someone had misplaced it and they still hadn't found it. There was even a reward system in place for whoever found it.) through computers and scratching up the walls. It truly looked like there had been a monster here.
Team B (Pidge and Keith) were doing as they were stationed. Keith (using a knife from Archaic despite Allura's insistence that he use something stronger and from the castle instead. Strangely, during the topic of conversation, Coran had taken one glance at the knife and then ended the discussion altogether.) was guarding silently. He stood no less or farther than five feet from Pidge and he was completely silent. Pidge was doing her thing, but also trying to make conversation. Wasn't going well.
"So…You and Lance are together right? How long?"
"A while."
"Ok…What's so special about the knife?"
"It's from home."
"Alright…favorite food?"
"What?"
"I'm trying to make conversation Keith, keep up. Favorite food?"
"None."
Alright, maybe it'd be better to just work in silence. Pidge didn't ask any questions as her icon danced on the Galra screens. It was quiet, save for the sounds of Team A destroying the base. Lance's shouting could be heard, Shiro hand, and Hunk's…..apologies? She'll ask later. Still quiet. Yep.
She lasted a whole minute. "Uh…you cold?"
"Why would I-"
"Well you're only wearing half armor so I was just asking." Due to Keith's transformation, he needed his arms, head, and feet free from the armor suit. He'd have just worn Archaic armor, but there weren't any left and it's not like Lance or Keith had ever been a part of making things like that. So Keith had to settle for armor from the castle. His legs from the knee down, entire arms, head and neck area were all free to the air of this planet.
Apparently, being a space dragon ( "Draegon." "What?" "It's called Draegon and that's how you say it correctly. 'Dray-Gun'" "Yeah, no" ) meant he was immune to most atmosphere and environmental problems. He could breathe almost any air he wanted and it wouldn't do a thing to him.
"No, Pidge, I am not cold , now can we please focus on the mission?" Keith replied exasperatedly.
"Yeah, sure, not like I'm trying to-"
"Make conversation, I get it."
"Be your friend. But if you want quiet, then fine." Pidge finished.
Foot, meet mouth. Keith hated when he was left with the others without Lance like this. He just didn't get social cues , okay? Keith's mind, not that there are severe problems with it or anything, just doesn’t connect dots like these until he's overstepped and messed up. Or if he is already aware of what's going on, he can't focus on more than one thing. Guarding Pidge, he can do that. Listen for and smell if anyone not friendly is coming, wait for the signal to get out of there, and deal with the claustrophobic discomfort of having his wings trapped?
When in Ancient form (AN: humanoid form) , Keith could choose to have his wings out or have them just stay 'within'. Lance never really understood how Keith and the others could 'put their wings away' ( "Where do they go though?" "We just fold them away, I mean, where does your tail go when you're on land?" "I don't know, Keith, I try not to think about it!" ) but that's just how it was.
So put all those things for Keith (which doesn't seem like a lot but it is to him) together and separate him from Lance, then try to make conversation? Good Luck.
Damn it, Keith thought I-
He didn't have time to worry about an apology though, because he could smell and hear Galra soldiers coming to them.
"Pidge, we have to go. Now."
"One sec, ok and we're good to go." Pidge got up and they left the room. "Do you know which way?"
"Not really, but I can smell the outside, let's go this way." He replied, leading them down the left corridor.
The Galra caught on and started following them. They were a larger group then just Pidge and Keith so they were slower. Pidge contacted Team A and let them know they were heading out. Shiro said they would meet them at the lions, but Lance chimed in saying that he could sense Keith and Pidge close, so they were going to meet them at the huge cave ahead. This 'huge cave ahead' was farther down the way, but it seemed to be the way Keith was leading them anyway, so why not?
"Copy that, we'll see you guys in a minute."
The corridor was filled with the noise of running and breathing, both from Team B and from the Galra behind them. The walls of the caves were tan in color and all looked the same. But Keith was luckily not relying on sight.
"Just ahead, The big cave Lance was talking about must have some kind of opening." Keith said.
The entrance on their side was just ahead. Team B ran right for it, but came to a stop.
There wasn't an entrance. It was a dead end with several holes in it. The big cave was behind it, but this wall separated them and they had the Galra behind them. Keith couldn't tell how many there were, and in turn couldn't judge if they'd be able to take them on and win.
"What are we gonna do now?" Pidge asked him. "We can't go around the Galra and I don't think we can fight a whole bunch like this, backed into a corner."
"We're gonna go through it. Stand back and watch out." Keith replied.
Pidge stepped away, glancing between Keith and the dead end and the Galra behind them. They were close.
Keith readied his arm, and used his quintessence to transform it. He kept it controlled, instead of letting the Draegon quintessence take over his whole body and transform, he contained it to his arm. It grew, as did the red and purple scales as they coated the rest of the arm.
Suddenly, with them in the cave, Keith had a giant Draegon arm that was almost too heavy to lift with his Ancient form's strength. He grasped an awed Pidge with his other arm, and busted through the wall. Turns out, the 'big cave' was there, so yay. But on the other hand, they were also way high up, near more the ceiling of the cave than the floor.
So as Keith pushed them through and forward, they fell into the cave. At the bottom was what looked like a giant pool of water. It was a sea green color and glittered in the light from the hole at the top of the cave.
SHIT, Keith thought to himself as his arm de-transformed.
He couldn't pull his wings out due to the armor and there was nothing for them to grasp, even with Pidge's Bayard. And while Pidge had the ability to use her jet pack, with an incomplete suit, Keith was doomed for it.
So, without any hesitation, Keith did the only thing he could. He threw Pidge as far away from him as he could, and let himself fall.
Pidge had her full armor on, and when Keith suddenly tossed her, she was glad she wouldn't have to worry about whiplash. She crashed into the edge of the cave and fell what seemed five feet and lay on the floor of the cave.
Team A ran in through a smaller cave on the ground and just as they came in, they saw Keith plummet into the waters.
And he didn't get back up.
"KEITH!" Lance yelled. He had about five seconds before it registered exactly what just happened. He was pulling at any loose items on himself and cursed when he realized he couldn't get the armor off in time. Time that Keith did not have. Before anymore time could be lost, he jumped in, and swam for Keith.
His quintessence begged to be released and let him transform into his Syren form, but he would just ruin his armor and trap himself if that happened, so he fought the instinct and kept swimming.
When the water around him got warmer, he knew he was close. He propelled himself further, looking for his lover.
Oh Syren please no, Lance thought He's gotta be here somewhere
Then, something shiny caught his eye. He glanced over to it and saw it was Keith's knife about to float out of its sheath. The sheath was still attached to Keith. There he was.
Lance wasted no time and swam through the hot water to Keith. He grabbed him and as they swam up, Lance could see that he was not okay.
As they broke the surface, Lance propelled them out of the water and onto the rocks by where the rest of the team was.
Keith was definitely not okay.
The see-able skin on him was red and covered in boils and burns, some of his sharper angular features were blackened, such as his ears, nose, jaw line, fingertips and elbows. He looked awful.
"We've got to get him back to the castle. What even did this? Was the water that hot?" Shiro asked Lance as they stood. Lance was cradling Keith even as he stood up. Hunk had grabbed the things Lance just tossed to the ground before he dove in, but he didn't care to even check that. He activated his jet pack and as he flew up, his eyes never left Keith's.
The rest of the team scrambled up as well, flying after Lance. They got to the surface of the planet and ran to the Lions. Just as they met up with Lance, they noticed he had stopped in front of Blue's waiting mouth.
"Lance we've gotta go, come on." Shiro said as Hunk and he began boarding Blue. He paused on the ramp, waiting for Lance.
"I can't."
"Lance, this isn't the time to be cryptic. Why can't you?"
"I can’t take him in Blue. He can't go in there…"
Shiro grimaced. Whatever the reason Keith couldn't enter Blue wasn't important right now. If they wanted him to survive whatever just happened they needed to get back to the castle soon. He waved Pidge over before she finished entering green.
"Pidge, I need you to take Keith in Green with you. Lance, go with Pidge and then come fly Blue back. We have to go, now."
With little more argument, they did just that. Lance and Pidge ran into Green and he was setting him down on the bunk in the cargo bay.
"Pidge?" Lance called.
Pidge raced down, jittering with adrenaline. "Yes?"
"Take care of him please, He's all I have." Lance had tears running down his face and his cheeks were blotchy when he said this.
Pidge nodded as she said, "You got it. Now get your ass to Blue so we can save this asshole."
Lance cracked a sad smile and he ran back down the ramp.
Pidge looked down at the unconscious Keith. "I am seriously gonna beat the shit out of you when we get back." With that, she ran up to the pilot's seat, and they flew out.
Coran got word of what happened to Keith and began prepping a pod and a stretcher.
He hoped everything would be okay.
As the Lions landed, Lance ran out and went right into Green, and carefully picked Keith up. He came down the ramp and met Coran who had the stretcher. He laid Keith on it and held his hand as they rushed him to the pod.
There was no time to change him into the pod suit, so they settled for pulling him out of the armor and putting him into the pod in just his usual high-neck tank and harem pants.
As he was settled into the pod, Allura and the rest of the team ran in. They asked some questions, but until Keith's pod was shut and turned on, neither Coran nor Lance made any effort to answer.
"What the quiznack happened out there? Is this the result of some new Galra weapon?" Allura asked.
"It wasn't a Galra weapon, he just…." Pidge explained to everyone what happened. "Then Lance dove in, pulled him out, and when we saw him next he…well they looked like third degree burns but the water didn't have any steam or bubbles so I don't know how it could've been that hot...I don't know, I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Pidge, it wasn't your fault. But we do need to figure out what happened." Shiro stated.
Nobody was paying attention to Lance until he slid down and sat in front of the pod, head on his knees and face hidden in his arms. His body shook as he sobbed. Hunk, the person Lance was friendliest on board with (besides Keith) came over and sat with him.
Nobody, not even Coran, had an explanation as to how Keith got so injured. Reluctantly, they asked Lance.
"Yeah…" Lance took a harsh, deep breath as he lifted his head. "Yeah I know what happened." Tears still ran down his face, and with a gasp, he buried his face in his hands. Hunk leaned over and pulled Lance into a hug, which he accepted immediately. The yellow paladin looked around worriedly at everyone else.
"Um…how about we take a break to take off our armor, shower, maybe get a snack? Then we can meet back up and have The Talk. Sound good?" Hunk suggested. Everyone nodded, and Hunk led a reluctant-to-leave Lance to his and Keith's room.
Lance slowly stripped off his armor, too tired to leave it anywhere other than spread out on the floor. He slowly walked to the shower, turning it on but not really feeling it. He silently and slowly got back into a relaxing state. As he exited the shower, he lay in his tub-bed for a while, sitting halfway within the water with his tail finally free. He felt so…numb.
As the time for the meeting came, Lance got up and dressed in the clothes provided by the castle. He pulled on what the humans called a 'baseball shirt' that was blue and white, and wore his black leggings, and left.
They met in the med bay, and as Lance arrived, he noticed that Pidge was the only one missing. Hunk was passing around some bowls of food goo that he had brought, and as Lance came forward, he was handed one as well.
They were all sitting around Keith's pod. His face was in a grimace, and his skin was still plagued by boils and burns, but at least some of the blackness had receded.
It had barely been more than a couple of hours since he was last with Keith, but he missed him already.
Pidge finally arrived, having been with Green, and she sat near Lance next to the pod. It was quiet, save for the sound of the pod's humming.
"Lance?" Shiro asked. "You ready to…to tell us? It's okay if not."
"No I'm…I'm fine. Alright. So, you already know that half of Archaic is bottomed by magma and the other by the sea, right? So, being of opposite races means we have different limits. I can't walk on Draegon land and Keith can't swim in Syren water. That's not some cultural thing, we legitimately can't.
"Obviously, lava would burn me, melt off my legs, whatever. Err, how about…Ok I'll explain it using our reproduction-"
"Woah Woah Woah! I don't think any of us besides maybe Coran are interested in that stuff."
Lance sighed. "It's not what you think Pidge, oh Syren. You wanted me to explain so I am. So, for Ancients, every gender can have a child and carry that child. I can carry, Keith could carry, so on so forth, right? The thing is, it's not like Keith and I are the first Syren-Draegon couple, not by a long shot. My grandfather was a Draegon, actually. And I know that Krolia, Keith's mom, was of mixed blood too, though she was a Draegon herself.
"Basically, the only thing that changes which race we are is who carries us. So, my mom was carried by my grandmother, who was a Syren, so that made mom a Syren. Had my grandfather carried her, she would've been a Draegon. Following?"
He received silent nods from everyone. Coran and even Pidge seemed intently interested.
"There has never, can never, and will never be an Ancient that is both Syren and Draegon. It's incredibly dangerous. For example, Draegon babies have to be kept to very high temperatures right after hatching. If there was a baby that was both, they'd surely die both because of the heat, and because if they were removed from said heat it'd be too cold.
"The biggest factor though, is water. Draegons don't have to drink water to survive, not like you humans. Draegons can't swim or-"
"Wait, so if dragons can't swim then basically Keith drowned? But then why was he so burned? And why throw me so far away?" Pidge interrupted.
"If you would let me finish ," Pidge muttered an apology. "I can explain. As I was saying, Draegons aren't taught to swim, because they can't get in water. Or, let me rephrase it. Draegons, should not , under any circumstances, get in, or touch water. Just imagine what it would do to you to step in lava, and reverse that. It will burn. "
"Doesn't Keith have scales as a Draegon though? Wouldn't those protect him from harm, even if they aren't everywhere?" Shiro asked. Everyone took a glance at the pod, and saw the scales on Keith's arms and face looking scratched up and some missing.
"It doesn't matter. They can't protect against something they aren't meant to. The Draegons are made for very hot environments and for withstanding heat worse than magma. But water? Forget it." Lance said, his voice cracking. His throat was hurting with the threat of tears.
"Oh my Quiznack! No! " Coran said as he figured it out. His eyes met Lance's and looked back and forth between him and Keith in horror.
"Uh, anybody wanna explain? Please?" Pidge said, looking at Lance and Coran.
"Sorry, alright, so basically, Keith's body can handle extreme heats and temperatures through the roof. But Water is a completely separate matter. His normal body temperature is so high, if he gets in water…"
"It gets heated up, but because his skin and scales can't protect against something so not of his nature, it just goes right through." Hunk finished for him. "And because he can't swim, he also drowned, which means… Oh my god, Keith! " Hunk shouted. "He, oh god, he swallowed water that got so hot, probably even boiling, and it scorched inside and out! I…I think I'm gonna be sick." Hunk ran hurriedly to the small bathroom by the doorway as everyone besides Lance gaped in mute horror.
"Keith…" Pidge whispered, looking at the person in the pod. "He…he threw me away from him because he knew the temperature would get too hot, even if I'd be able to swim. Oh fuck I'm so gonna kick his ass." Pidge said as tears ran down her face. Shiro was too shocked to admonish her language.
"You and me both, Pidge." Lance replied. "So, yeah, just like what happened to Keith, a Draegon would be boiled inside and out." He finished with a numb tone.
And that's how they all left it. Allura, Shiro and Pidge left to go busy themselves. Coran and Hunk stayed with Lance to talk a little bit more before they left. Lance was the only one who didn't leave.
"You…you utter asshole . What did you think was gonna happen, huh?" Lance angrily cried at the pod. "Did you just know I was gonna be there to save you? Or did you just not care? I…I would've been the last Ancient. Not just last Syren like right now, but the last Ancient . I can't right now, I honestly can't. You selfish mother of Syren ."
And so too did Lance leave.
It was almost two movements (two weeks as the humans called it) before Keith's pod opened.
It was in the middle of the night, when nobody was there and Keith fell out of the pod completely drained of energy and confused. This was most definitely not heaven, so he probably wasn't dead. And this wasn't the planet but the Castle of Lions.
How did I… Keith thought Get here?
He picked himself off the floor and stood on wobbly legs. He looked around, noticing the castle's lights were off, but the floor nightlights on, indicating that it was the middle of the 'night'. Keith wasn't sure what he should do, and he took a moment to breathe, trying to pull something in that wasn't boiling water.
Come to me
"What?" Keith looked around for the voice he heard. No one was there.
Come see me, my Paladin
There the voice was again. Keith didn't know who or what it was, but he thought it'd be a good idea to ignore it.
Come
The voice chimed for a third time with a tone of finality. Whatever it was wanted Keith to come . If Lance were here, he would make a jab at the obvious sexual tension between Keith and this disembodied voice.
Keith left the med bay with the intent to find Lance. And that's what he was doing. Except apparently not.
He found himself turning corners and walking down corridors he hadn't seen before. Where was his body taking him? His panic was growing at the thought that maybe he was being controlled. Maybe there was an enemy on board that was controlling him using that voice and they would use him to take Voltron down.
Keith's worries were proved wrong, as he stepped into the bay housing the Red Lion. She stood there, in all her glory, with her shield down .
As Keith got closer, her eyes lit up, and she moved . Red roared and though it sounded terribly loud, Keith knew that he was the only one that could hear it. He came to her and her head lowered as her mouth opened and the ramp slid down.
Keith took one step onto the ramp, and felt like he was home . It was so warm within the Red Lion, so cozy and so much like his old bedroom in the Draegon castle.
My Paladin
"Yeah," Keith muttered to himself as he sat in the pilot's chair. "I guess so."
As Keith sat there, conversing with Red, he got more and more tired. He yawned in the middle of a sentence, and his eyes were repeatedly trying to close.
Sleep, my Paladin, we have all the time in the universe to bond
And with that, Keith slept.
How, exactly, did six people manage to lose another Ancient? Said Ancient was literally just in the pod a day before, how had he disappeared like this?
Basically, Keith was missing. His pod had released him at the designated time it was supposed to, so wherever he was, he was healed. Which was fine, except for the two paladins that had some chewing out to do. And he was nowhere to be found. The entire castle was looking for him, but still, nothing.
Lance was actually running down hallways, getting himself lost probably, shouting for Keith.
Paladin
Not now Blue Lance replied like he had the other fifty times Blue tried to talk to him this morning. Looking for Keith was, sorry Blue, more important than entertaining a lion.
Paladin
"Not now Blue, I'm trying to find-"
I know where your Draegon is
At this, Lance made a full stop. He was in some random ass hallway that looked the same as any other random ass hallway in this castle, when he realized that Blue had probably known the entire freaking morning where Keith was.
"Beautiful Blue, the second light of my life and absolute goddess, please tell me where Keith is."
Blue did not respond, giving off a feeling that gave Lance the imagery of a giant Blue cat just looking at its nails, not giving him the time of day.
"Please Blue? I'm sorry, okay!?"
He is with us
Lance was completely confused at what 'us' meant, but started running down the corridors, looking for the entrance to the Lion Bays. He finally found a familiar doorway, and ran through it. He was met with Shiro, Hunk and Pidge in the kitchen, saying they couldn't find Keith either.
"Blue told me he was with them. I don't know what that means but we have to go." Lance didn't give them time to respond as he ran out, and as the paladins were on their way, they grabbed Allura and Coran as well.
They got to the hangar bays and found a truly peculiar sight. Each lion, Yellow, Blue, Black, and Green were laying in a semicircle, facing Red.
Black was stood tall.
Blue was curiously looking at the new additions to the room and at Red.
Yellow was leaning towards Red as if mid conversation.
Green's tail was slowly moving back and forth while watching Red intently.
And Red was looking prouder than a real cat that ate a canary.
"What…" Allura began. "Is going on ?"
Yes, what was going on?
"Um, Red Lion," Allura stepped forward, taking the point of the group. "Is everything…alright?" She asked worriedly.
Instead of answering, obviously Red wouldn't verbally answer, she didn't have a bond with any of them, she leaned down and opened her mouth, the ramp coming out. She waited for them to board.
The group walked forward, still not sure what was going on. Upon meeting this strange sight, they had kind of forgotten about looking for Keith.
No one in the group had ever been inside the Red lion; even before the war, she wasn't keen on having anyone but her paladin come inside. So why was she letting them on now?
She led them to the cockpit using her interior lighting and what they saw was a shock. There was Keith, their missing pod person, curled up in the pilot's seat within the Red Lion. Go figure.
"Keith? Keith! Wake up!" Lance kneeled down and shook Keith. The Draegon stirred and looked at Lance, then the others, his surroundings, and again at lance.
"What?" He seemed so confused. He asked what hell was going on. Nobody had a good answer until…
"No, Red, I'm fine. No need to kick them out or anything." Keith muttered aloud as he sat up.
"Um, Keith?"
"Yeah Lance?"
"You're talking to Red."
"Yeah?"
"Ok…but Keith," Lance looked him in the eye. "You're talking to the Red Lion ."
"Yes, Lance, I'm aware." Keith didn't seem surprised by this.
"Keith, have you bonded with the Red Lion?" Allura asked suddenly.
"I think so…not sure. Red?"
Silence.
"No, I'm not unhappy. That's not nice to say, Red. No, you cannot." Keith was looking at the ceiling of the cockpit as if talking to a god.
"By Altea, I forgot about the test of Loyalty!" Coran chimed in. Everyone turned to him. "Alfor had to do it as well, though that was a different time. The Red Lion is the most possessive and Loyal of the Lions. She requires a show of loyalty to any who pilot her. She must have taken your dive with number five as a worthy test. Congratulations Number Four, you're officially a Paladin!" Coran began exiting the lion, muttering to himself about a celebratory feast. The others were still in shock.
"Holy sh- I mean, holy crap, this means we can form Voltron!" Pidge cheered, having changed her wording after an elbow to the shoulder from Shiro.
"That's wonderful, Keith. I knew you were perfect for the Red Lion." Allura smiled warmly as she too left Red.
Hunk offered a fist bump, which he had to explain what it was, and Shiro gave him a pat on the back. They both left, though they stopped to wait for Pidge.
"Keith?" Pidge asked.
"Yeah?" A perturbed Keith answered.
"I'm gonna leave you alone for now, because it's Lance's turn, but later, you're gonna-"
"Pidge, let's go, you can threaten him later." Shiro pulled her along and as they left, Pidge made the 'I'm watching you' motion at Keith.
And then it was just the Ancients. It was quiet. Really quiet.
"Lance I-"
"Why?" Lance wasn't looking at him. "Why did you think it was okay? Huh? Did…did you just, I don't know, think that if you died I wouldn't be completely messed up? We are the last Ancients, you and I are painfully aware of that. So why?"
"Lance, it's not like I chose it! I didn't wanna die, much less die like that! I only thought in the moment about getting Pidge to safety-"
"And what about your safety?!" Lance cried. Tears fell from his eyes, blurring his vision. " What about your survival? Have I not expressed to you my feelings for you? I-" Lance could barely get a word out. He looked to the floor, tears streaming down his face. Suddenly, his head shot up. "Does this mean nothing to you?!" Up came his left hand, gesturing with Lance's necklace in it. "Have you forgotten what it means? Or..." Lance dropped his hands and directed his face at the floor again, his shoulders heaving.
Keith struggled to form the right words. "I do remember what it means, of course I do! I love you, Lance, really. I would never leave you by choice. You're everything to me, Lance. Have been since before we confessed, since before A...before Ally, before we were anything more than the queens' sons. I am so sorry, but you know I'd do it again if I had to."
"Yeah, I know. No sense of self-preservation in you." Lance answered. "And I both love and hate you for it." Lance walked forward and hugged Keith. Tightly, burying his face into Keith's neck.
They were quiet, save for Lance's sniffling. Lance shook in Keith's arms and Keith had a sad expression as he rested his cheek on Lance's head.
"I'm sorry, Lance. Truly, I am." Keith whispered.
"Thanks, but it's gonna take a lot more than that to earn my forgiveness." Was the reply.
"Oh? What's it gonna take then?" Keith teased.
"I dunno if you could handle it, Mullet."
"Try me."
Lance didn't answer. He pulled away from Keith's neck and looked him in the eyes. They gazed at each other for seconds that felt like eons. Lance leaned in first and Keith closed his eyes.
The kiss tasted of tears and sadness, but it was remembered as a challenge. They parted and Keith replied:
"That's it? Pretty damn sad challenge. Easily done." He smirked.
"That mouth is gonna get you in some serious shit someday, Mullet."
"It hasn't already?" He grabbed Lance's collar and pulled him back in.