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Being the best man at Shiro’s wedding should have been an easy task. Go in, help Shiro and Adam have an amazing day, and leave. Sure, he liked celebrations, but big ones like the one Shiro was planning were not his cup of tea. Too many people in such a confined space with music way too loud… Yeah, Keith would pass.
However, Keith had to push his social avoidance to the side to help the most important person in his life. Shiro had been there when life had been the roughest on him and when the fate of the entire universe had been on their hands. Keith did the same for him, especially when Adam was found not long after the Galra were defeated and Earth was saved. During the war, Adam was able to eject himself before his fighter plane got shot down. It took him a while to finally navigate his way back to the base, especially with whatever injuries he sustained upon landing, but he was finally home.
Shiro was most definitely shaken up. Keith couldn’t imagine what it was like, seeing your ex-lover suddenly resurrected like a zombie in Night of the Living Dead. His brother was up at night, struggling to fall asleep between the nightmares of his time in Voltron and now what he knew could have happened to Adam. Keith only knew a little about it, since Shiro only mentioned it once and never again, but it pained his heart to think of his brother in this much pain.
It took a while before Shiro and Adam started dating again, but the time between that and their engagement was only a few months. Keith wouldn’t say he was surprised that it was so fast given their past history. Regardless, Keith couldn’t be happier for their engagement, especially when Shiro asked Keith to be his best man.
Many debacles over decor and food later, the day of the wedding had finally come. Keith was in his dressing room, attempting and failing horribly to get his attire just right. The last thing he wanted was to ruin Shiro’s day by not being the best man he could possibly be. He looked himself over in the mirror, a simple crimson velvet tux with a white button down and a black bowtie. At the moment, the bow tie looked more like a crumpled up piece of paper.
Keith heard a light knock behind him and groaned. “Shiro, I told you I’ll be out in a bit.”
“Not Shiro,” a familiar, sometimes annoying voice said. “Although I wish I was that lucky and getting married.”
Keith turned around to see Lance and the breath was immediately sucked from his lungs. Lance was leaning against the doorframe, sporting the same attire that Keith was, but Lance looked so much better. The sleeves were fitted and his shoulders were broader, making Lance stand much taller than Keith. Keith wasn’t used to Lance wearing such formal attire - he looked confined with this suit - but here and now, Keith would have thought Lance was the one getting married.
In short, Lance was a stunning visage, a rose in a field of lilies, with thorns that Keith did not dare reach for. The rose tempted him with its alluring scent. But Keith knew one small touch and he would be done for.
Keith swallowed the lump in his throat before continuing to speak. “Sorry, I’ll be out in a bit. I can’t get this damn tie.”
Lance offered a soft smile. “Do you need any help?”
“No.” Keith watched the Cuban’s smile grow, and he sighed. Lance somehow could always read his mind and it irked and calmed him. “Okay, yes.”
“Lucky for you, you’re dealing with a tie tying pro.” Lance flashed a wink and adjusted his bow tie before walking into Keith’s dressing room.
“Really now?” Keith unknotted the mess of the bow tie before letting it hang loose around his neck.
“Yeah. My family went to church a lot when I was a kid. They made us get dressed in our Sunday best, and that mostly included ties and nice suits.” Lance reached for the tie and started to work on knotting it.
“Never took you as the religious type,” Keith managed out. Lance was so close, the thorn tempting him to touch.
“Oh, I’m not. A few years later I realized I was agnostic. Church isn’t for me. But learning to tie a tie? That stuck with me.”
Keith glanced at their reflection in the mirror and realized how right Lance was. His fingers flowed seamlessly as he worked with the soft fabric of the tie. There was no hesitation, no pauses. Lance’s eyebrows furrowed in concentration, his tongue sticking out slightly. Keith’s face grew hot. Lance was really cute when he focused.
Nope. He was not going to focus on his feelings today. This was Shiro’s big day, not his. Sure, Keith may have had an aggravatingly obsessive crush on Lance in the last few years of their time with Voltron and Allura. But the fate of the world was at stake, and he wasn’t risking lives over a silly little feeling in his stomach whenever Lance walked into the room.
Keith felt the final knot tighten around his collar and his eyes flickered back to Lance. All of a sudden, the room was a lot hotter than Keith remembered. Lance’s beautiful ocean eyes were staring into his, a deep sea with a world that Keith desperately wanted to explore. Lance’s features were soft, so much so that it took everything in Keith’s willpower to restrain his hand from reaching up and cupping Lance’s cheek. He desperately wanted to touch Lance’s skin, a yearning that burned under his skin like an itch.
He wondered if Lance’s skin would be as soft as silk, given how much he brags about using moisturizer. In his pondering, he catches a hint of Lance’s cologne. A strong note of amber hit him, followed by a soft melody of vanilla and a sprinkle of cinnamon. It was intoxicating, a scent that Keith would bury his face in and bask in for as long as he wanted. He wanted it, because by having it he could have some semblance of what it was like to have Lance. As Keith instinctually leaned closer, he saw Lance’s eyelids slowly close, and maybe he was leaning in too, and-
“Hey Keith, we need to go-” A voice spoke up from the hallway.
Keith immediately snapped out of his romantic stupor and took a few good steps away from Lance. Fuck, did someone just see them? Did they almost kiss? He looked to Lance, who was taking quick breaths. His eyes were a cloudy storm of emotions, almost impossible to decipher. Keith’s mind started to reel from the lack of Lance and tried his best to blink it away.
Standing in the doorway was Pidge, dressed in a similar suit. They pushed up the glasses on the bridge of their nose, carefully studying the two former paladins. “Is everything ok?”
“Yeah, we’re okay,” Keith quickly answered before clearing his throat. “Lance was just helping me out. Right, Lance?” His eyes flickered to meet Lance’s.
Lance only briefly met his gaze, his eyes still unreadable, before turning to Pidge with his usual bright smile. “Yeah! Absolutely great! We’ll be out in a bit.”
Pidge nodded and left, but Keith swore he saw a hint of a smirk on Pidge’s mouth as they did.
“Thank you for the help, Lance,” Keith managed after they were finally alone. He adjusted his tie, and sure enough it was perfect.
“No prob, Mullet.”
“I’m sorry if I wasn’t paying attention. Maybe you can teach me again at some point how to… you know.”
Lance’s face brightened ever so slightly, making Keith’s heart skip a beat. “Yeah. I can do that. But I’ll only say it once, because you missed out on my amazing lessons this time.”
Keith chuckled. “You don’t need to tell me twice. Paladin’s honor.”
Lance gave him a soft smile. “Well, uh, we should…” He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.
“Oh! Yeah. Right. After you.” Keith motioned towards the door with a sweep of his hand.
“Why thank you, Keith.” Lance bowed and walked out towards the wedding.
Keith stayed for a moment, admiring the little piece of Lance’s handy work on his outfit, before following Lance.
—
Shiro’s wedding was the most fun Keith had had in ages. Coran, as the officiant, found a way to make everyone in the room burst into laughter, and some into laughing tears. Lance was one of them, and Keith was fully convinced at one point that Lance would fall on the floor from the hysterics. Although that was a highlight, the main event was seeing how truly in love Adam and Shiro are. It warmed Keith’s heart seeing them recite their vows and it gave Keith some peace of mind knowing that Shiro would be spending the rest of his life with the best person for him.
As they spoke their vows, Keith glanced over to Lance, who was clearly holding back tears. Keith grabbed his handkerchief in his pocket and slid it to Lance, who whispered a thanks before dabbing the bottoms of his eyes.
Eventually, I dos were said, rings were exchanged, and kisses were shared. The church burst into cheers and flower petals as the ceremony concluded and gradually transitioned into the most anticipated moment of any wedding event: the reception.
Shiro and Adam chose to have their reception in the Grand Canyon Skywalk. It was a deep orange building that blended in with the natural landscape around it. The landmark was perched on the edge of one of the Grand Canyon’s many cliffs, where a semicircle of a glass walkway curved out around the edge and back to the building. It was a place that the now-married couple held close to their heart, as this was the place where Adam had proposed to Shiro. It had been the hardest secret to keep from his half-brother.
The first thing Keith did the moment he got to the happy hour was grab a drink. Helping Shiro plan was a tsunami of stress that consumed his last few months and he finally needed to unwind.
“Gotta say, Keith,” Hunk started, placing his hand on Keith’s shoulder, “you did a pretty amazing job with all of this.”
“I couldn’t have done it all without everyone’s favorite chef.” Keith smiled and playfully elbowed the former yellow paladin’s arm.
“My cooking may be good, but it’s not going to be the thing people remember the most.”
“What are you talking about? Everyone remembers the food, and the heart that goes into it.”
Hunk’s eyes glistened over and he sniffed. “Don’t make me cry, Keith! I already cried enough at the ceremony.”
Keith chuckled and downed his drink before making his last rounds. He needed to make sure that the dining room had all the right decorations, the right touches that would make this night memorable for everyone. He’s seen enough of Four Weddings to know how scrutinizing people can be at other’s weddings, and he totally didn’t watch the show just to get inspiration for Shiro’s wedding, both the dos and the don’ts.
After making his final pass and confirming everything was spot on, Keith finally let his shoulders drop with released tension. It was a miracle they all made it to this point without collapsing from the stress. But here they were. They made it. And everything would be okay.
“Keith, my man!” Lance exclaimed as he walked towards Keith with several plates of food precariously balanced on his arms. “You look as white as a ghost! Get some food in you.” Lance passed a plate to Keith, which he took carefully.
“How are you carrying all of that?” Keith pondered.
“Back before I joined the academy, I was a food runner at my Tia’s restaurant. I had to learn pretty quickly how to balance plates. Food on the floor isn’t good for business.”
“Not a bad skill to have.”
“Especially when it comes to a food fiesta like it is now!” Lance shot him a bright grin.
For a moment, Keith was thrown back to their moment in the dressing room. How close Lance was to him, the glint in his eyes when he leaned closer, the softness of his voice. It was alluring in every aspect, and Keith desperately wished he could go back to that moment and seize his chance before it was too late.
However, he doubted Lance even felt the same. Sure, they had gotten closer over their time in Voltron. From becoming bickering rivals to close comrades in arms, it felt like a dream to Keith. In his wildest dreams, he only imagined they would become this close. But close doesn’t always mean that the other person is also extremely head over heels for you like you are for them.
“Hello? Earth to Keith?” Lance’s voice snapped Keith back into focus.
“Sorry, guess I’m just tired,” Keith managed to say, refusing to admit what’s on his mind.
“Come on, Mullet. Let’s get you seated for the best night of your life!”
Sure enough, Lance was partially right. The food went off with a hitch, and Shiro and Adam gave beautiful speeches. They were enough to make even Keith tear up, as well as the rest of the paladin team. Their first dance was to a classic by Ed Sheeran, which was beyond cheesy but made sense for the two of them.
Then came everyone’s favorite part: the dance party. Now Keith wasn’t particularly fond of dancing. He found it to be awkward and vulnerable. It’s why he used to shy away from public dances as he hopped from foster home to foster home as a kid.
However, all of Keith’s insecurities were thrown off the cliff the moment he heard the opening lyrics to Cotton Eye Joe blasted on the speakers. A wide grin took over Keith’s face as he felt the cowboy in his veins flare. A crowd of people in the dining room cheered in recognition and rushed to the dance floor.
“What is this?” Lance asked, head tilted in confusion.
Keith’s head whipped to Lance, jaw agape. “You don’t know the Cotton Eye Joe?”
“Most of the songs I know are either Beyonce, Shakira or Madonna.”
“We’re changing that! Come on!” Caught up in the fever of the classic cowboy shuffle, Keith quickly grabbed Lance’s hand and dragged him from the bridal party table onto the dance floor.
They scrambled to find room on the floor, but once Keith was down there, he felt his Arizona roots start to kick into high gear. The cowboy movies he watched as a kid to help him feel safe and grounded replayed in his head. He felt the wild spirit of the west course through his veins, driving him into every step and the step after. Dancing to this song was as second nature as walking, and it showed as he didn’t miss a single beat.
Lance watched him in absolute awe, the glow from the colorful lights hitting his eyes in a rainbow of amusement. Keith finished his spin to the left with a mock twirl of a lasso and motioned for Lance to follow along. He started off a little bit slower for Lance, just so he could pick up the steps easier. Lance slowly nodded, tapping his feet along with Keith.
After only one pass of the same repetitive dance did Lance manage to get the sequence of moves right. Keith was impressed, it took him a few hours to finally get it when he first learned in one of his foster bedrooms. But then again, he was a kid when he learned it and learning is always harder then.
Lance grinned. “I got it!”
“You sure do! Now let’s go!”
Together they were the best Cotton Eye Joe dancers in the entire reception. No one else knew where they came from or where they’d go, but all that mattered was that they danced like no one else was watching. Keith’s heart flooded with a rush of nostalgia and… was that pride?
No, it couldn’t be. Clearly it was a trick of the light. Clearly.
Regardless, Keith let his worries wash away into the familiar beat of the Cotton Eye Joe. By the time the song finished, Keith’s legs were burning and sweat was rolling down his back. He almost stumbled into Lance, but Lance caught him. They both laughed as the audience cheered at the DJ for the clearly well-received music pick.
“That was-” Lance started.
“Amazing?” Keith finished with a grin. “Yeah, I know. It’s my favorite.”
“Didn’t realize you liked dancing, Mullet.”
Keith shrugged. “Not all the time. But this was one of the exceptions.”
Then, over the loudspeakers came the gentle strums of guitar strings leading into Photograph by Ed Sheeran. Keith didn’t listen to the guy, but he heard Lance play it enough times while they were out in space. It was of the few things he played once he found a guitar from Earth at a random pawn shop at that space mall. And man, the song had grown on him.
Some people hurried off the stage, while others grabbed their partners and started to slow dance. It was at this moment that Keith’s breath stopped in his throat. He was still so close to Lance, so close he could see the reflection of the string lights above the dance floor in Lance’s sea blue eyes, beacons in a night sky.
He was stuck with Lance. On the dance floor. During a slow song.
Neither of them spoke for a moment, as if trying to comprehend the situation they found themselves in and how to proceed. Keith fully expected Lance to leave, given how poorly their dressing room fiasco went down, and Keith was fully prepared to walk away from the dance floor like he had walked away from many things in his life.
But instead, Lance took a step back and bowed with an extended hand. “Would a dance with me be one of your exceptions?” He asked, low enough that Keith could just barely hear it above the lull of Sheeran’s voice.
Keith’s heart fluttered in his chest. His mind reeled, trying to find a reason that this exchange wasn’t real, that it was a dream and he fell asleep drunk at the wedding. He was this close to pinching himself, but he looked at Lance and the hope in his eyes.
Instead of walking away, Keith extended his hand and walked right into the hands of Lance McClain. “It just might be,” Keith managed to say.
Lance’s smile was bright enough to outshine a thousand spires of fire. He stood and slowly helped Keith into a waltzing stance. Lance’s left hand rested on Keith’s hip and Keith’s right arm rested on Lance’s shoulder. They slowly swayed to the soft lyrics of keeping love in a photograph and making memories for yourself.
Keith looked up and met Lance’s eyes. If he could take a photograph of this moment, the dream he never thought would become reality, he would. He’d let it rest in his wallet so he could see it every day. He’d frame it in his home for everyone to see. While he really couldn’t take a picture of this moment, Keith was fine with savoring it while he was still in it. That was enough for him.
“Are you much of a dancer?” Keith asked just to break the silence between them.
“I danced a little bit as a kid,” Lance said. “Not so much before the Academy, though. Why do you ask?”
“You seem like you know what you’re doing.”
Lance chuckled. “Sometimes, I do. Other times… not so much.” The smile faded ever so slightly.
Keith tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
“Never mind. I shouldn’t be dumping this on you.”
Lance turned his head to look away, but as if by instinct, Keith reached out and cupped Lance’s cheek to force Lance to look back at him. Keith almost jumped back with how sudden his hand moved, but he kept it there. “Lance, it’s okay. You can talk to me.”
Lance didn’t move away from Keith’s hand. Instead, he slightly leaned into it, making Keith’s heart leap. “I know I’m always all smiles and jokes, but there were a lot of times in Voltron that I had no idea what I was doing. It was all too new and it felt like I was always behind. I was never as on the ball as Pidge and Hunk were. I was too shortsighted to be the leader Shiro was. The leader you were.” Lance sighed. “So I just put on a smile, acted like I did. It was probably one of the few things that got me through our time with Allura and Voltron.”
Keith felt his heart plummet in his chest. “Lance, I’m sorry-”
“Don’t be. I should have spoken up more. Done more.”
“No. We should have done more. I should have done more. You are…” Keith took a breath, knowing he’d have to phrase his next words carefully. “Lance, you’re the most extraordinary person I have ever met. You’re selfless, you pour your heart out for your friends and your family and even strangers. It’s compassion that glows across all the galaxies. You’re the brightest beacon of hope I’ve ever known. It’s why I-”
Keith’s voice caught in his throat as he saw their friends over Lance’s shoulder. They stood at the edge of the dance floor, all watching with eager eyes. Pidge and Hunk were hugging each other with smiles as wide as the Grand Canyon gorge. Allura was holding hands with Romelle, and Coran was behind them flashing thumbs up. Shiro was standing with Adam. Keith locked eyes with Shiro, fear in his heart. Would he be ruining his half-brother’s wedding? What if he made a fool of himself? The ghost of his former self whispered for him to run, run as far as he can until he is far, far away from his emotions.
However, Shiro gave a nod, and it gave Keith enough willpower to banish that ghost to the deepest parts of his mind. He ran many times before. He refused to run again; instead, he’d leap headfirst.
“Keith?” Lance asked.
Keith responded by reaching up on the tips of his toes and pulling Lance into a deep kiss in time with the final chorus of the song. It was more than Keith ever imagined. It was exploding into fireworks on the Fourth of July. It was the fire that crackled in the hearth of a winter cabin. It was home, and Keith had never felt more welcome.
Keith felt Lance’s arm wrap tighter around his waist pulling him tighter. It was all Keith needed to know that his feelings were matched by Lance and it made tears swell under his closed eyes. He willed them back as he let himself be completely consumed by the amazing everything that was Lance McClain.
They didn’t pull away until the next song had started up, ironically the Cupid Shuffle. Keith and Lance barely had the time to process the reality of their first kiss before their friends came rushing up, cheering and pulling them into the dance. They laughed and shuffled until they couldn’t shuffle anymore and their feet were so sore they would feel it for days after.
Keith, in the past, would have been worried about what their friends would think of him and Lance getting romantically involved. He was too unsure of himself, and that showed in the worst of his insecurities. But with Lance, those were gone, faded into nothing. He learned because of Lance that their friends cared the most for them, whether they dated or not. And that reassurance on the dance floor made Keith all the more sure that he had made the right decision.
Eventually, the party slowed down enough that it was just the former Voltron team. Keith and Lance had made their way out to the skywalk to get some fresh air. The night sky was beautiful, the stars winking from above as if in approval of their affection for each other. The gorge below was dark, except for the reflection of the moon in the stream that weaved through the canyon.
In the low moonlight, silver streaks filled Lance’s hair, giving him an ethereal glow. In this moment, Keith could have been convinced that Lance was a god, and he would have worshiped him devoutly.
“I don’t think I’ve had that much fun at a party in a while,” Keith admitted with a soft smile. He had his arms resting on the railing, looking out into the night.
“Really? I couldn’t tell. You’re the definition of fun.” Lance smirked, causing Keith to nudge him softly. “Joking, joking. But seriously, I agree. You were the life of the party, Keith.”
Keith didn’t realize how much he loved hearing his name on Lance’s mouth. It was undeniably sweet like honey, and Keith could drown in it. “Thanks, Lance. It… means a lot, especially from you.”
“Well I’m glad my party energy is rubbing off on you. It means I’m doing something right.”
“You’ve always been doing something right in my eyes,” Keith said softly.
Lance’s eyes widened. “When did you become such a romantic?”
“Probably since I first had my crush on you.”
Lance leaned in, a soft yet encouraging smile on his face. “Which started when?”
Keith crossed his arms and leaned with his back against the railing. “When you were flirting with those space pirates.”
Lance’s jaw dropped through the glass floor. “The space pirates? You’re lying.”
“Nope. Not lying.”
Lance scoffed. “Wow. You definitely had it bad for me, then.”
Keith chuckled. “Oh, absolutely. When did it start for you?”
Lance rubbed his shoulder. “Well, uh… back at the Garrison.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, man! Why else do you think I started our ‘rivalry’?”
“If you want to call it that, sure.”
Lance took a step closer. “Admit it. I did a good job with it.”
Keith smiled and stepped closer. “What will you do if I don’t?”
“I think I know how to get it out of you.” Lance leaned down and gently kissed Keith.
“Okay, you did good, Lance,” Keith admitted after they pulled away.
Lance laughed. “Can I confess something?”
“Of course.”
“Remember how I said that I had a few things that got me through our time in Voltron?” Keith nodded, letting Lance continue. “One of them was you, Keith. I’d take any chance I’d get to go with you on a mission or to train with you or even go with you to the Blades and back. You leaving… it was the worst I had felt in a long time.”
Keith reached out and took Lance’s hand in his own. “I’m sorry I left and I’m sorry I hurt you. But I’m here now. You have me, now and forever.”
Lance squeezed his hand and rested his forehead against Keith’s. “Now and forever.”
Out on the skywalk, the two paladins slowly waltzed together to the tune of their own beat, with the stars as their only audience. While they may have wasted too much time hiding their feelings, Keith was fortunate that now they had the rest of their lives to dance together. Hopefully, this would be the first dance in the rest of forever.