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“Do you think we’re soulmates in every universe?” Lance asks Keith one day while lying together on Lance’s bed, the string lights that were messily tacked up sparkling above them and reflecting in his blue eyes. Keith looks over at him and watches the glitter dance across his pupils, watches as he meets his gaze, and those same pupils dilate when they make eye contact, how his eyes scrunch at the corners as he grins.
In another universe, the two of them sit together at Lance’s desk, Keith leaning next to him and going over the documents in front of them, explaining to Lance how to file his taxes and groaning when Lance is taking way too long. They laugh easily over jokes, bumping shoulders as they wrap up their mundane task, eager to get this done so they can go to the store. The string lights in their shared bedroom twinkle as their dog naps lazily on his bed in the corner of the room.
In another universe, Lance writes Keith’s name on a cup of coffee, and draws a doodle to cheer the other man up – they talk easily over drinks skillfully made from Lance’s hands, and they both discover that Keith loves matcha lattes after trying it for the first time upon recommendation from the other man. They exchange phone numbers and Keith rants at Shiro about the barista when he visits, going on tangents about the blue-eyed man as Shiro smiles easily at him. Keith was so similar to how he was with Adam.
In another universe, Keith has his hair tied up while a tattoo machine drones in his hand – he makes small talk with a new client with striking blue eyes, going over the stencil Lance brought in for his first tattoo with a steady hand, even as Lance flinches slightly. He learns that the tattoo was dedicated to his family, each aspect of the design a homage to one family member or another, intricately thought-out to ensure that no one in his family would be excluded, and there would always be room for new additions. During a smoke break, Keith opens up about his own family, and Lance comments that Shiro seems amazing and that he’d love to meet his brother one day. After a few more sessions, Lance is dressed up to the nines for his role as Keith’s plus-one for Shiro’s wedding. He gets to thank Shiro for raising such an amazing man, and they’d be lying if either one of them said they didn’t tear up a bit.
In another universe, their life is simpler. Two cats lay in the sun, a Russian blue and a black cat. The grey-blue cat lazily grooms the other as he naps. The black cat stretches a bit, pulling the other cat closer to continue his daytime snooze. The two of them purring sounds like a gentle motor in the distance – endless and calming.
In another universe, they hold hands as they both take their last breath, knowing that they’ll rest easy in each other’s arms after a long battle. In another universe, they’re a pair of flowers in a field, a duo of lilies leaning toward each other, basking in the sun. In another universe, they are two kids on the playground again, one crying after the other pushed him because they don’t know how to express their feelings properly. In another universe, they’re graduating from college together, side by side, and there are pictures of the event hanging in their shared home with their entire family; Shiro and Adam with a hand on each of Keith’s shoulders while another photo hangs on the wall of Lance’s family picking him up and cheering. In every universe, they are together, the string lights on the wall, the stars glistening in the sky above them, the sun shining on them.
“I bet we are,” Keith replies easily, laying his head on Lance’s chest, breathing easily in a way he only does when alone with the other.