Chapter Text
Keith sat on the edge of the cliff overlooking the stars, his legs dangling dangerously over the edge as the cool night air swirled around him. The remnants of battle still hummed in his veins, but it was the silence that pressed on his chest now, not the adrenaline. His mind was racing, thinking about the past weeks—the close calls, the fights, the moments when everything felt like it might collapse. And then, of course, there was Lance.
He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. Lance had a way of getting under his skin, of pushing buttons he didn't even know he had. It was infuriating—and... something else.
Today had been especially strange. It didn't start out that way. It started just like any other day. He woke up to the bathroom being occupied by Lance, who always takes the longest shower. Cue yelling through the door and angry gestures the other couldn't see. Then of course bickering over who got the bigger bowl of food goo at breakfast, and working on hand-to-hand combat in training. The mission was where it got weird. Lance was two seconds away from an ugly end by a rouge blast during the fight when Keith grabbed him and yanked as hard as he could. They both ended up ok, but there was this...moment.
Lance's face was red from exertion, eyes wide at the close call and hands on either side of Keith's head, just looking down at him. Keith was unnaturally self-conscious in the moment, and yet, couldn't make himself move. Then another shot hit the floor next to them and they jumped apart and back into battle.
He couldn't stop thinking about it. Why couldn't he stop thinking about it?
Footsteps crunched behind him, and Keith didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.
Lance.
“Thought I’d find you here,” Lance’s voice broke the quiet, casual but with a slight edge. Keith could hear the hesitation in his tone, something softer, more uncertain than usual.
“Yeah, well, I needed to clear my head,” Keith replied, eyes still fixed on the stars, "How did you know I'd be here?"
"I know you."
"Oh."
"..."
After a pause, Lance came up beside him, standing for a moment before dropping to sit down as well, mirroring Keith’s position. He looked out at the vast expanse of space, the twinkling lights reflecting in his eyes.
“Some view, huh?” Lance said softly.
Keith nodded. “Yeah.”
"Reminds me of Earth."
"Yup."
"Hm."
Silence settled between them, not uncomfortable but heavy with unspoken words. Keith could feel the tension between them, a gravity pulling them closer and closer with every breath. They had been through so much together—fought side by side, saved each other more times than he could count. But there was something between them now, something different, something that had been simmering beneath the surface.
Lance shifted, his knee brushing against Keith’s. Neither of them moved away.
“I don’t get you, Keith,” Lance said, his voice barely above a whisper. “One minute you’re pushing me away, the next... you’re right there, saving my ass.”
Keith turned his head to meet Lance’s gaze, eyes narrowing slightly. “I don’t have to make sense to you, Lance.”
“Yeah, well, you make things pretty complicated,” Lance muttered, his eyes flicking towards him, then back to the ocean.
Keith felt his heart skip a beat. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Lance huffed, frustration bubbling up in his chest. “It means that I... you never...ugh, never mind!” He started to stand, but Keith’s hand shot out, grabbing his wrist. The sudden contact sent a jolt through both of them.
“Lance, wait.” Keith’s voice was softer now, the sharp edge gone.
Lance stared down at him, eyes wide and searching. Keith swallowed, feeling the weight of the moment press down on him. He didn’t know what to say—what to do. His instincts had always been to fight, to run, but this? This was different. This was something he couldn’t just punch his way through. And he hated that.
“I—” Keith started, then faltered. His grip on Lance’s wrist loosened, but he didn’t let go. “You’re not the only one who’s confused.”
Lance blinked, the anger fading from his features, replaced by something gentler. “Yeah?”
Keith nodded, his pulse racing. “Yeah.”
The silence stretched out again, but this time it was different. Charged. Keith’s eyes flicked to Lance’s lips, and for a second, he wondered if he was imagining the way Lance seemed to lean in just slightly, barely noticeable. But it was enough.
Without thinking, Keith closed the distance between them, his lips brushing against Lance’s in the softest, briefest touch. He pulled back immediately, heart hammering in his chest, afraid that he had just crossed a line.
Lance stared at him, wide-eyed, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he leaned in, pressing his lips to Keith’s again, firmer this time, more certain.
The kiss was soft, tentative, but it held the weight of everything they hadn’t said. It was slow, almost hesitant, but it was real. And for the first time in a long time, Keith felt like something in the universe had finally clicked into place.
When they finally pulled away, both of them were breathing a little harder, eyes locked on each other. Lance gave a small, breathless laugh, his usual bravado returning, but there was a softness to it now. “So… that was a thing.”
Keith was almost in a state of shock, not sure what to do with himself, “Yeah. A thing.”
Lance grinned, his hand still lingering on Keith’s arm. “Took you long enough.”
Keith rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide the small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Shut up, Lance.”
"No."
"I hate you."
"Mmm, yes I can tell."
"Shut up."
"Stop stealing my lines."
"That's not a line! Everyone says that!" Keith groans, pulling his arm away to cover his face with his hand.
"Copyright bitch. Suck it."
"That's not... no. Go away."
"Never." Lance smiled.
"Promise?"
"I promise buddy."
"Good." Keith tentatively leaned his head onto Lance's shoulder, not sure what else to do. Lance leaned his head down as well, and Keith could feel him take a deep breath. It was terrifying.
But as they sat there, side by side, the stars above them and the universe stretching out before them, Keith couldn’t help but feel that maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something new. Something good.