Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Lance could always hear a melody, a soft tune that played constantly. It was a reminder that there is someone who is waiting for him, his soulmate. Everyone has one, melodies are incomplete until you find your other half. It was a way to find who could complete you.
Most of his family had already found their other halves, he felt a little left out. By the time he was 14, all of his siblings had found their other half.

Lance is the youngest in his family, so it makes sense that he might take the longest but it still stings when all of his family have someone and he doesn’t. He has nieces and nephews but they haven’t been expected to find a soulmate like he has. It gets worse when a couple of his nieces and nephews happen to find their soulmates randomly.

Lance doesn’t want to be dramatic but he should have found his soulmate by now!

It irked him how many people chose to point it out. Everyone tells him that god likes saving “the best for last” or they tell him that he needs to try harder. He is fed up with how people treat him and he wants to hate the soulmate thing but he can’t.

He loves his melody, even if it isn’t complete, and he knows that he will one day find the other. But waiting is still so hard when everyone seems to be getting theirs. He just needs to keep believing and then one day, he will find what he has been looking for.

Lance always wanted to complete his melody but something that competed with that desire was the need to go to space. He wanted to explore everything, see what space had to offer. He remembers so many warnings of how silent it would be up and how he could die just trying to get there. He didn’t care, space was something that was achievable. And so, he reached for the stars.

And soon, his dream became true.

Lance never thought that he would be a part of a 10,000 year war. To be fair however, he also didn’t think aliens existed either so it was probably not his fault for thinking it. Even though it seemed crazy, Lance loved every second of it. Fighting off the galra and forming voltron was incredible. Lance couldn’t describe the feeling he felt when they made Voltron, combining each other's strengths and weaknesses to make a super weapon.

They had only been up in space for a week before everything went downhill. Lance didn’t know how it happened but someone had infiltrated the castle during a diplomatic party. He didn’t know what was going on at first, but seeing Rover all by itself without Pidge made him freeze. Rover, a robot that Pidge had reprogramed from the galra, was always by Pidge’s side. But Pidge wasn’t here so why was it here…?

Lance almost realized too late as it finally sunk in. This was a decoy, this wasn't Rover. He heard fast beeping and knew what was next. He pushed Coran out of the way, watching as the advisor hit the ground before smoke clouded his vision. It took him a couple seconds to realize that he had almost been blown up and was most definitely in the blast zone.

His ears were ringing and everything seemed gray when he looked around. Pain coursed through his body, reminding him he was just blown up. It was so hard to breathe and he was acutely aware that he may have a couple of broken ribs. While he thought about his injuries, the edges of his vision were going dark.

Before Lance could register the darkness, it swallowed him. Drenching him into a painless unconsciousness.

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The next time Lance woke up, his body felt heavy. He blinked slowly, letting the dots that cloud his vision leave. He saw Shiro next to him, tied up on the ground. That shocked him enough to really look around. He saw a tall Galra that seemed very intimidating and strong.

He also saw Pidge, hiding behind a podium. He wanted to help but didn’t know what he could do. He knew he wasn’t tied up but his whole body hurt.

He tried to clench his hand but felt pain shoot up his arm. He held himself still, not wanting to alert anyone that he was awake. They would tie him up then, which would make his current freedom useless. He could only watch as Pidge made a hologram to try to lure the galra away so they could free Shiro.

He laid there as the galra came back immediately, not fooled by Pidge’s distraction. He only partially got up when he saw that Pidge was being held by the collar by the same galra, who looked furious. Lance sucked in a breath as he pulled up his bayard, watching it shift into his rifle.

He fired, trusting his aim even in this state. Hearing the bullet collide the Galra’s arm was satisfying, so was watching Pidge fall from the alien’s grasp. Feeling his body tilting back, he let his eyes closed as he saw Keith come into the room. He vaguely heard fighting, the clashing of metals and battle cries.

The next thing he felt were strong warm arms trying to pull him up. It was then that he realized how cold he was. He wanted to snuggle into the embrace but chose against it.”Lance?” The hesitant voice of Keith broke Lance out of his thoughts. His eyes were heavy but he knew that he needed to open them.

The way Keith said his name, like he was desperate for Lance to be okay, pushed something in Lance to prove that he was fine. He immediately regretted that decision with how bright everything seemed. He looked around after his vision cleared. “Where’s Hunk and Coran?” Lance could only ask, not seeing the pair anywhere.

He could see Pidge helping Shiro up with Allura talking to the mice. “They went to find a new crystal.” Keith’s response made Lance almost collapse with relief. “Hey, Sharpshooter!” Keith’s voice sounded a bit more urgent, making Lance realize that his eyes were slowly closing. “We make a good team, you know?” Lance slurs, gripping Keith’s hand. He knows the grip is probably weak and that his attempt to help Keith’s nerves was a bust.

“Yeah, we do…” Keith trailed off, his voice soft as he looked at Lance. Lance laughed, it had been a hectic night. His body felt numb and he knew that was concerning. He should have voiced it when he had the energy but most of it was pushed into convincing Keith he was okay. He felt the exact moment his body gave up the fight, he wished he could say he wasn’t relieved.

He felt more than heard Keith’s panic. Keith had caught him, at least he didn’t feel the impact of the floor. He could vaguely feel his body being aggressively shaked before being picked up. He couldn’t really tell what happened next, his mind felt like it was drowning. His back had this pressure that it didn’t before. Everything felt unreal, his mind drowning in a sea of numbness. The pressure building the farther he went down.

A humming melody distantly pulls Lance away from the feeling of being crushed. The voice was a bit raspy and inconsistent, though that could be Lance’s mind right now. The humming sounded stressed. Lance distantly wondered why, though he didn’t have long before everything became foggy. The pressure stopped and he was no longer drowning, he felt like he was floating. He drifted in his mind, the melody playing on repeat.

It was the best thing he had ever heard.

Chapter Text

Everything moved in slow motion. Keith ran toward Lance’s slumped form. The battle was over, the Galran commander already dead. He hadn’t even learned his name—and he didn’t care. Lance was too still on the ground.

His mind was screaming, his body finally lowering at Lance’s side. He immediately grabbed the other’s wrist, checking for a pulse. He was relieved to feel the steady rhythm under his glove. He quickly started to pull Lance up, supporting the other.

“Lance?” Keith could have winced with how small he sounded. His voice had cracked midway through the name. He didn’t have too long to think about it; however, Lance's eyes had fluttered open before him.

Staring into his very soul before his lips twisted into a sickenly sweet smile. He looked at Keith with a tenderness that made Keith’s chest tighten—like a wife looking at her husband on his deathbed. Keith caught those ocean-blue eyes sweeping the room, and for a fleeting moment, they seemed… beautiful. Beautiful? No, that couldn’t be right. Maybe his head injury was messing with his senses—because thinking Lance was beautiful felt too crazy for him to be true.

He immediately noticed the panicked look in Lance’s eyes. “Where’s Hunk and Coran?” Keith froze at the comment. He wasn’t expecting that out of Lance but maybe he should have. As much as Lance seems to hate him, he was always inclusive of everyone. Even inviting Keith sometimes, though he always offered it as a remark. Keith remembers one time, Lance was talking quietly with Hunk. They were mostly muttering to each other but Keith got parts of the conversation.

Conversation:

Hunk: “Why do you always do that to him, Lance?”

Lance: “It’s fun? You never seemed to have a problem before?”

Hunk:”You’re a lost cause.”

Lance: “Let me keep up appearances, you know I don’t mean it.”

Hunk: “Still, you could ease up sometimes. He’s not your enemy.”

Lance: “I know. But the thing is, I don’t really know him. He’s always doing his own thing—being all serious and intense, like back at the Garrison.”

Hunk: “So you mess with him because you think he’d push you away if you tried being a normal friend?”

Lance: “Exactly. If I went up to him and said, ‘Hey, let’s be friends,’ he’d probably shut me down. Like he always did before.”

Hunk: “So you keep teasing him instead?”

Lance: “Yeah. It’s the only way I can get close without him pushing me away. It’s like... I’m there, but not in a way that scares him off.”

Hunk: “That sounds exhausting.”

Lance: “It is. But it’s better than nothing. Being lonely must suck, and putting up those walls has to be exhausting too. It’s not fair to him if I don’t put in the same effort.” His voice dropped to a quieter tone. “It’s the least I can do, you know? He made me want to be better, showed me what true passion looks like. The way he’d look at the stars like they were home... it made me feel heard.”

Keith shook off the memory and focused back on the present. That was all Keith heard before Lance started to tease Hunk on something else, the latter blushing like a strawberry.He hadn’t thought about it at the time, but now it made sense—they were talking about him.

What damn “appearances” is Lance talking about? He looked down, reminding himself he had to take care of Lance first. “They went to find a new crystal.” Lance nodded, his eyes starting to flutter closed. “Hey Sharpshooter!” Lance couldn’t close his eyes, not now. The way Lance had been acting indicated a head injury. Sleeping with it could kill him.

“We make a good team, you know?” Lance gripped his hand and pulled himself to sit up as he slurred out the words. Keith felt numb, Lance was trying to comfort him. He vaguely registered that before speaking. “Yeah, we do…” Keith didn’t know where this was going but this felt more like a goodbye confession by the second.

Lance laughed, it sounded more breathless than Lance’s usual laughs. Keith felt a bit better with how Lance was responding. He really shouldn’t have thought that. Lance suddenly falls forward, eyes rolling to the back of his head as he passes out. Keith cursed, why couldn’t Lance not scare him?

Lance felt limp in his grip, he was really panicking now. Shaking Lance was no use, Lance barely stirred. He tried to gently pick up the taller boy and god was he skinny. Lance was pretty much skin and bones and barely weighed anything. He should probably talk to Hunk about this. For Lance’s height, he must be severely underweight.

He saw Lance grimace at the movement, his shallow breaths probably meaning he had broken some ribs. He looked over to Pidge and Shiro to see the duo already getting up. Now was the time for Coran and Hunk to show up. Like now. Shiro walked over to him and he knew that his face was giving his concern and confusion away. To be fair, he has never been good with taking care of people. Even worse when given a barely conscious human that felt like a corpse.

Lance’s breathing changed, chasing away his thoughts. Lance sounded distressed, prompting Pidge and Shiro to share concerned looks. Even Allura looked their way, her eyebrows furrowed in worry. Keith felt useless, Lance was almost gasping slightly for air and Keith could do nothing. Shiro tried to get closer but Shiro couldn’t do anything about this. No one here had any medical experience except the basics and Lance needed more than the basics.

He rocked Lance in his arms, humming through his lips. He let his melody fill his head, incomplete or not Keith loved it. Lance stopped gasping for air and Keith could finally breathe as well. Keith kept humming, it helped him calm down and if he was calm he could help Lance more. That’s right, he needed to help Lance.

He pushes Lance’s head to rest on his shoulder as he starts to go to the infirmary. Shiro followed closely behind with Pidge, seeming to whisper something he just couldn’t hear. Lance’s breathing and the melody that only Keith knew seemed to be the only thing stuck in Keith’s mind. “It’s going to be okay.” Keith repeated to himself as he made it to the infirmary and felt blessed by the gods to see it open.

He placed Lance on the bed, keeping the humming up. “Keith-” Shiro started but Keith’s glare cut him off. “Keith, I understand your concern but-” Shiro continued much louder before being cut off by Keith again. “ ‘But’ what Shiro?” Keith used air quotes around “but” however still looked serious as he sat beside Lance’s side.

Pidge whistled, raising an eyebrow. “Damn, are you the fill-in-Hunk right now?” Keith just stared at Pidge, bewildered by the comment. “You're acting like him, fussing over Lance. If you start crying or cooking, I’m telling everyone” Keith blushed and looked away, embarrassed by Pidge’s observations. “I’m just worried…” Keith mumbled but the duo still didn’t look convinced.

“Anyways, I was just going to tell you that you did panic.” Shiro cut through the tension with his words. “You don’t want to move an injured person when unconscious, you could accidentally injure them further.” Keith flushed again, this time out of shame. Shiro was right, Keith had totally blanked when he saw Lance injured.

“I’m sorry.” Keith muttered as he pushed Lance’s bangs out of his face. The guilt he felt ate him up and all he could do right now was make Lance feel more comfortable. Keith would never apologize, he didn’t think he could but for right now he could help. They waited in tense silence for another hour before Hunk and Coran arrived with crystal.

Once Keith saw Lance go into the healing pod, he felt relieved but the ache in his chest never left. Lance was still hurt, risking his own life for someone he had only known for a week. Keith was reckless, he jumped into action on the daily but never to get so blatantly hurt.

Lance knew the risks, knew it would have been a suicide attempt to try but still did it. As much as Lance says Keith is perfect at everything, Lance will always be better in his eyes. He wouldn’t have done what Lance did, wouldn’t have ever been so compassionate or kind. Nor would he have tried to comfort someone while he was almost bound to be lying on his deathbed.

Keith went back to his room and shut the door. Before he knew it, he was sobbing uncontrollably. Lance’s words wrapping his mind. Maybe he should try better to be friends? Maybe Lance will remember their bonding moment. Maybe he’d want more of those moments, too. Keith wasn’t good at this—but maybe, just maybe...

Lance was worth getting better for.

Chapter Text

Lance felt so much lighter as he looked at Hunk from across his room. He’d been told to rest due to the strain of the healing pod—something about it sapping his energy—but his body didn’t feel rested. Just... heavy in a different way.

Lance had just gotten back from eating in the dining hall. Apparently he had been in the pod for 4 days. He couldn’t help but feel guilty. He was the reason they hadn’t left yet.

The others hadn’t said anything directly, but he could feel it in the way everyone moved around him—too carefully, like they were scared he might fall apart.

His memory didn’t help. He didn’t remember much from the “invasion” as the others liked to call it. He still wasn’t sure if he believed all of it. Apparently, he’d been blown up. Which... didn’t feel real.

But it would explain the lingering pain in his back and the migraine that had been clawing at his skull since he stepped out of the pod.

For all Coran’s praise of Altean healing tech, Lance couldn’t help but wonder if some wounds just didn’t heal right. The pain felt deeper than the surface—settled into his bones, aching just under his skin.

He sighed, Hunk was looking at him in concern again. He wanted his friend to stop, to tell him what happened was just them joking. He didn’t want to believe it. Not the pain. Not the delay. Not the fact that he could have died.

None of it had really settled in yet. And he wasn’t sure he wanted it to. Everything has felt so different—something Lance couldn’t describe. They told him he’d saved Pidge. And… he was proud of that.

His skills weren’t always obvious—he wasn’t on the front lines like Shiro and Keith, and he wasn’t a tech genius like Pidge or Hunk. His job was different. Quiet.

He was the one keeping things steady. Taking out threats before they got too close. Keeping the skies clear so no one else had to look over their shoulder.

He was a long-range fighter with mesmerizing precision. And maybe… maybe that was enough.

“Lance?” Hunk’s voice was small—too small. It hurt to hear. Hunk was never one to hide how he felt, especially when it came to fear. He wore his anxiety openly, like a badge he refused to be ashamed of. But the way Hunk said his name gripped Lance’s heart tightly.

Lance never caused Hunk’s anxiety, he was the one who helped him through early morning panic attacks. The one to recite some sort of mechanical pun and remind Hunk to breathe.

Hunk sounded almost defeated, pained. Like he didn’t know what to say to Lance without breaking. And Lance… Lance couldn’t blame Hunk. He didn’t remember what happened, couldn’t.

But everyone else remembered what was going on. They were the ones to clean up the mess their enemies made and to put back the pieces. Lance could see it, how everyone was on guard.

They were waiting for something to happen, for another thing to go wrong. Lance didn’t have the energy nor the fear to live like them.

To be constant alert like his life depended on it. Because his near-death experience barely registered in his mind but to everyone else? They saw it, they witnessed it. Saw him wilt before their very eyes, hoping to whatever god that they were not too late.

He was told Keith was worried about him, that they had a “bonding moment.” Lance doesn’t remember any of it. He remembered a melody—gentle, beautiful, and haunting. And arms—strong and warm—that had held him when he couldn’t hold himself.

In his mind, there was nothing else to remember. It constantly feels like he is separated from the others, like he is just out of the loop.

He was never cut out for it, he was a lover—not a fighter. Why the blue loin chose him is beyond his comprehension. “Hunk…” Lance responded, already seeing his best friend tearing up. “I’m fine.” He stressed, trying to get it through Hunk.

He could already see the protests on the other’s lips. “I know what happened.” Lance started with a sigh, adding in a mumble of “nobody seems to forget it.”

Before speaking a bit louder and confident, hoping to ease Hunk’s worry. “ We’re fighting a war, I just happened to be the first one hurt.” Lance could only start, his eyes no longer looking forward but at his hands that had made their way onto his lap. “We can’t expect that we will be safe all the time. It was inevitable.” Hunk seemed like he wanted to interrupt but chose not to.

“What can we expect, we’re kids.” Lance shrugged, his eyes still not shifting to Hunk. “I just wish I could have helped more but what can you do? Honestly, this all seems crazy and unbelievable.” A hysterical laugh escaped Lance’s lips as he gripped his hair.

“I barely even believed aliens existed a week ago.” It was almost a whisper and Lance knew Hunk was straining to hear. “It’s all a lot and it feels like there is a gap between me and the rest of you guys. I barely experienced what happened but you? You were there, there to see what the Galra are capable of. What were we thinking…What was I thinking?”

This wasn’t the time for a breakdown, they were about to save a planet. He was needed, everyone was needed for this mission. He should pull himself together but something in him broke. Like he died with that bomb and he doesn’t know why.

He feels empty and like he is too much but also not enough.

He had no excuses, he did this to himself. He panicked when he saw the bomb. He could have pulled both Coran and him out of the way but he didn’t.

He was an idiot. He made people worry about him. He shouldn’t even be in space. He was supposed to be a stupid, little cargo pilot like Iverson said.

“I’m sorry Hunk, you deserve so much better than my stupid rant.” Hunk looked like he would have argued, telling Lance that he got what he was saying. It was obvious that nobody knew what to do, not even the Alteans.

“I think nobody but the Galra are really ready for this war, we weren’t even alive when it happened. I guess I get what they meant now, about the whole ‘the generations before us ruined it for us’. I don’t think I wanted to.” Lance looked at the ceiling in his room, he didn’t even think this could ever actually be his room.

“We’re all nervous but it feels like you guys have an idea of what to expect, how cruel the Galra are willing to be. It's still kind of a vague concept.” He was interrupted by his own yawn, suddenly fatigued from his outburst.

“You’re not wrong Lance, from what I was told you were pretty unresponsive the majority of the attack.” Hunk started to twist his finger out of nervousness. Lance zeroed in, he hated when Hunk would resort to such methods of grounding.

It hurt the user as much as it was effective. He reached out, no longer caring if he was being too much. He stopped the movement, shaking his head towards Hunk who gave him a wobbly smile. Lance was relieved, he didn’t overstep.

“We all kind of feel that way too. When you jumped in to protect Coran, I felt like you understood the consequences so much more than I did. I also know, you didn’t regret it. Because Lance, who is my best friend, is so very caring and kind. I knew when I saw you down, that what had happened was true.” Hunk was actually crying now, hiccuping and almost reduced to sobs.

“Buddy, you mean so much to me. I was so scared and ready to get you somewhere safe but all I could do was go to a Galra infested planet and then barely make it back in time to save you. It felt like I failed you, that I wasn’t enough to keep my friends alive.” Hunk sobbed the last part of. “I don’t want any of you to die!”

Neither said much after that, both too exhausted and emotional to try. They both fell asleep together, letting each other’s anguish keep them company.

Chapter Text

Lance had been in space for a while, watching the stars change from the observatory. After his near-death experience, he found it hard to fall asleep. His migraines continued, mind cloudy on the best of days. He learned to live with it. 

What could he do? Complain about the pain and risk everyone knowing that the cryopod just didn’t heal him that day? That his back still ached deep, a constant pressure that never left? He couldn’t. He wouldn't put that pressure on his team. 

His head hurt too. Maybe it had something to do with not sleeping for 3 days. He couldn’t control his sleep. Plus, it was really affecting his performance. It didn’t help that he was stressed. Life just couldn’t be easy?

Walking into the hallway relieved his hunched shoulders. His room was too small sometimes, suffocating him with his sheets.

Maybe it was the idea that this could be his new normal. That this would be his new room, bare and pale. It reminded Lance of a hospital room, it had no personality and certainly wouldn’t take his. 

He walked to the observatory, heading for the display screen. The Alteans had many useful tools at their disposal that just blew Earth out of the water. He set a hologram out, watching the room shift to a beach. A home away from home. 

Sitting on the ground, he watched the and shift beneath him. It was almost like he was there and not trapped on a flying piece of metal.

Wait…that made it sound bad. 

He had always wanted to go to space, don’t get it wrong. But, it was too quiet and maybe it was the lack of control that spoiled this once in lifetime experience.

It was probably the war that swayed his heart away from this adventure, knowing he would likely die in this process. Space had always seemed like home…like he could drown in the stars. Now he was drowning in a well of expectations. 

Tears threatened to spill from his eyes. The constant pounding in his head disappeared for a second. It was the only relief to his pained body.

 He started to hum his melody, trying to just keep a little piece of home with him. This got him thinking of that other melody, so vague yet screaming in his memories.

He couldn’t forget how heavenly he felt in those moments. Like he was floating instead of drowning. What he would give for that moment.

He started off slow, connecting the music notes together. The stars seemed to glow brighter in Lance’s eyes as he sang the new melody. Lance froze, it sounded familiar to his melody. 

Was this the time to find his soulmate? The universe has a sick sense of humor. Lance sobbed, he was tired and didn’t have the emotional capacity to deal with a relationship.

Who even was this person? He knew they had strong arms and their voice was a bit raspy. It was also someone on this ship, which meant it was probably someone on Voltron. 

He really screwed up, didn’t he? This could ruin the team if the other person didn’t want to accept the soulmates thing. Hell, he didn’t think he wanted to accept it either.

Who cares about stupid fate? He had been alone all his life and he was fine, right? He wasn’t fine, not really. He hadn’t been fine for a long time, always the third wheel and never the number one for anyone.

He knew once Hunk got his soulmate, Lance would be pushed to the side even if Hunk didn’t mean to. 

That’s just how it was, to find a person that fate had hand picked for you meant that you would never be alone. 

Lance didn’t want to be alone, he never wanted to be alone ever. His whole family had someone which did make him feel lonely. When they didn’t have someone, they all went to Lance. He was always up to something and let everyone in. Maybe that was his true fear, to be alone.

That was why he couldn’t stand the fact that he didn’t have his soulmate yet. And now he did, somebody on his team. Though soulmates seemed to be made for each other, they still fought. Everyone was still human, having your soulmate didn’t change that. 

He would always be alone, he should have known. Lance also felt like he knew who it was. 

The person who kept claiming they had a “bonding moment”. 

The person who had the most concerned look on his face when Lance had gained consciousness again. 

The person who still looked at Lance like he was a walking corpse.

 It had to be Keith, the world just loved being cruel. Keith is not the best at emotions, Lance could tell that a mile away. They are in a war right now, could he really make emotionally constipated Keith ponder his romantic life during this? 

Lance may not be the best human being in the world but he took it upon himself to not out right be rude to someone unless they deserved it. And Keith….didn’t deserve that.

“Lance?” He jumped, who the hell was up at this time? Lance was up because of pain, he had his excuses. So what was one of his teammates doing up right now? A hand on his shoulder did not help his nerves. They pulled back, whoever they were. “Sorry…” Lance cringed, of course it was the subject of his problems that had to be up right now.

Turning, Lance saw how close Keith really was to him. “Couldn’t sleep?” He tried to add his usual sass but he felt like he was failing. “Yeah…” Lance sighed, he forgot how awkward Keith was all the time.

“Just sit down, no use in walking around.” Maybe Lance was a bit grumpy but who could blame him? He was tired and honestly didn’t have time for his stupid revelations that would ruin everything. 

“What are you doing up?” Keith was the first to start the conversation, clearly out of his comfort zone. Lance debated telling the truth, what harm could that really be? Chronic pain had no cure and clearly no one else was having side effects from the pods…so it was clearly a Lance thing. Of course he had to have those problems.

Lance could have slapped himself for his own over-thinking. Keith was clearly waiting somewhat patiently for a response. “Flare ups.” Lance shrugged, he wouldn’t elaborate unless he really needed to. Keith stared at him in confusion, puzzled from his two words. “Do you have like…some kind of chronic pain or illness?”

Thank the stars for Keith not being a total idiot. “Chronic pain.” Lance didn’t have the energy for Keith to question his ass, it wouldn’t benefit him either way. 

“From what?” Keith’s face was clearly scrunched up, not in disgust but in confusion once more and maybe a bit of annoyance. Lance wasn’t really giving straight answers, at least without any explanation. “From the expulsion, it never really healed properly.” Lance shrugged again, he was shrugging a lot more now.

He played with the sand, wondering how it would feel if he was really back on the beach. 

“The explosion did that?” Keith asked, voice small with a horrified look on this face. Keith moved his body so he was in front of Lance’s face, concern etched on his face. “Why didn’t you tell us?” 

What could Lance say now? Tell Keith about all his sleepless nights? That sometimes he would wake up with his ears ringing and his back burning? How would his hands shake from exhaustion and overuse? That his anxiety could leave him paralyzed for hours?

Lance cleaned up nicely but that didn’t stop his problems. “It wasn’t any of y’alls problems.” Why was he mumbling now? Keith’s face contorted into rage. He could only vaguely watch as Keith sat up straight before going to grab him. 

When Lance looked into Keith’s eyes, he felt like he may have a breakdown. The blurriness in his eyes coming from tears he didn’t even know he had. He should’ve been out by now.  

“You’re an idiot!” Keith shook him. Lance wanted to ask him to stop, that his head hurt. But he didn’t think Keith would want to hear him, Keith seemed to be furious at him for hiding his pain.

“If it affects you, it affects the team. You’re a part of the team whether you like it or not.” Now Lance was crying, did Keith hate him? Why would he talk about all this gushy stuff at this hour? 

Keith seemed to freeze at Lance’s reaction. His mouth opened and closed like a fish. Lance wanted to deny Keith’s statement. That Lance didn’t really feel that “part” of the team but how could he argue that?

They formed Voltron on a regular basis. Keith could only assume he was lying if he pulled that card out. 

 “Look-” Keith started, eyes focused on Lance’s gaze. Damn it, Lance spaced out again. “-this team cares about you and I don’t know who convinced you that you’re not important but I would happily stab them.” 

Lance interrupted with a sassy comment. “Is that an excuse to use your knife?” Lance felt good about it after watching Keith’s determination soften a bit as a smile took over the red paladin’s face. “Of course Lance, what do you take me for?” Keith almost seemed to purr. 

“That doesn’t dismiss what is happening though. Are you up because of your pain?” Lance felt a bit choked up, knowing he could only nod to Keith’s question.

 “Why didn’t you ask Coran for some painkillers? You still need sleep, you know?” When was Keith the health gru? “Coming from you? I must look like a hot mess.” Keith squawked at his barb. “What do you mean ‘coming from you?’!?” Keith was really acting like a cat right now. 

Somehow getting his hair to stand up with his offense. “You’re up too right now, and everyone in this castle knows of your horrendous sleep schedule. Almost as bad as Pidge’s.” “-OH Shut it.” Keith swats at Lance’s head. Lance didn’t dodge, all his energy going into this conversation.

 Keith hadn’t put much force into it so Lance knew that Keith was joking. He still fell dramatically though. Lance had been feeling dizzy from lack of sleep so laying down was doing wonders.

“Sorry!” Keith suddenly grabs Lance from the ground, clearly thinking that he had done something wrong. “Mullet, I’m gonna say this once: Put. Me. Down. Gently.”  Keith nodded quickly, lowering Lance down slowly. Once he was on the ground, Lance focused on making the room stop spinning.

 “I haven’t slept in 3 days so my head is killing me.” Lance had closed his eyes, willing his mind to corporate. “Sorry…” Keith started again. It honestly annoyed Lance because what is he apologizing for? For Lance's inability to sleep? “...Don’t…mm…not your fault…” Lance mumbled, turning so his cheek laid against the cool floor.  

“Lance?” Keith questioned because Lance sounded out of it. “You can…leave me…here. Wanna…sleep…” Lance let his eyes flutter slightly, staring at Keith before dropping them again. Lance let himself go, sleep was finally calling his name. 

Keith sat frozen as he watched Lance fall asleep on the floor. That was…interesting? He had learned way too much and didn’t like it one bit. Lance was hiding chronic pain and what seemed to be insomnia from the rest of the group. 

They were supposed to be a team, what was the idiot thinking? Keith could only stare as Lance’s breathing evened out and it was clear that the blue eyed boy was asleep.

How could Keith bring this up to the team? Should he bring this up to the team? It seemed like Lance didn’t want anyone to know. Keith was just here at the right place and time. 

It was clear that Lance was struggling in ways Keith couldn’t help. With all this hiding, Keith could say Lance either didn’t care for his own wellbeing or didn’t trust the team. It had to be the former, they formed Voltron everyday. That took trust. 

Keith sighed, why was he trying to solve this? It was clear that Lance had tried and failed to do it. And Lance already had all the facts while Keith had a bit of a conversation from a sleep deprived person. Maybe he should tell Shiro, that could work.

Shiro always knew what to do. 

Looking over to his sleeping teammate, Keith seconded himself. Lance didn’t want people to help him. He even told Keith to leave him when it was clear that Lance had been suffering. As if the blue paladin didn’t matter to himself or anyone. 

Keith should just let it go. He couldn’t force Lance to get help but he could help him. 

Moving to Lance’s sleeping form, Keith monvered himself so Lance’s head would rest on Keith’s thigh while Keith was propped against a wall. Brushing the hair out of Lance’s face brought Keith back to that day. The day of the expulsion that had almost killed the boy who now rested on him. This time it was different. Lance wasn’t in immediate danger. Lance could breath easily, his face wasn’t scrunched up in pain. 

Keith slumped against the wall, hand still in his comarde’s hair. Keith still had nightmare’s about that night. He had trouble sleeping because he still had this sensation of his friend’s limp body in his arms. Now that friend rested in front of him, his breathing deep and his usual color.

Lance was fine. Keith just worried, PTSD is a thing that took a place in Keith’s heart. Infected his mind and wouldn’t leave. “I’m sorry…so sorry.” Keith felt his breath hitch with a sob, that apology breaking the dam. He cried until he had no more tears. 

He told himself he could be better for Lance yet he had barely interacted with the brunette. Sometimes his nightmares felt too real and seeing Lance the next day felt unreal. He was letting his own fears ride in the front seat. Lance deserved better, even if the other didn’t see his own worth. 

Lance was more than Keith’s teammate or comrade because in some twisted way, Lance had become Keith’s friend. Someone who broke the tension and told the most stupid jokes. Someone who competed with Keith in everything but always kept a smile on his face. 

Lance may say that he is Keith’s rival but Keith can see it. Even with his lack of social interactions 

Him and Lance are friends. 

And Keith would do anything for a friend. 

Chapter Text

Ever since that nighttime encounter, their interactions had changed. They started to act more like friends than rivals. It wasn’t until they weren’t alone anymore did either of them realize how lonely they had been. 

More missions had been springing up, causing less time for preparation. Everyone was going into panic mode, trying to find a way to be better. They had to to keep up with such a heavy demand. They're Voltron.    

Both Pidge and Hunk locked themselves together to work on inventions and new ideas. The engineer and coder duo always seemed to have work. Lance hadn’t really seen either of them except for meetings and before it was only on rare occasions. 

Allura and Shiro were the same, strategizing for the next mission. There was always a new mission. Both tense and ready for the next battle. Both have immense pressure to be right. They are the leaders of Voltron, spending all their time making decisions far beyond their fields. 

Both Lance and Keith understood why their teammates were needed but that didn't make them feel any less useless. It made them feel guilty that they couldn't help, only in the heat of battle did their strengths shine.   

Neither had the knowledge to help with anything except field work. It annoyed Keith to no end. He hated the feeling of being useless. This was why he trained constantly. He couldn't be useless on the field, the one place he actually specialized in. 

He would hit the training deck when there was free time. What surprised him about the entire thing was Lance joining in. Even though they had been getting closer, he never expected Lance to want to train. 

Honestly, he had been underestimating Lance a lot lately. It irked him because he never thought of Lance as someone who was weak.

So why did he consistently underestimate him? He never knew, Lance had shown himself to be proficient in weapons. A long range specialties too. 

Maybe it was the care free attitude that he always expressed. It felt like Lance wasn't trying sometimes due to his joking nature. It wasn't bad or anything but it made him feel childish and immature. Like he chose to not take it seriously. 

“Keith?” Lance looked over at him concerned, already stopping the simulation. “You seem distracted…” Lance stared at him, incredulously. Right, they were training.

Keith must have gotten carried away with his thoughts. Good thing he could fight in his sleep, bad when Lance knows that he isn't paying attention. 

“Just thinking about how many more missions could be thrown at us. Zarkon has to stop at some point, right?”  Lance nodded, sitting against the wall. He had learned Lance had good people skills. Consistently trying to adjust to the other person’s preferences. 

He knew that Keith didn’t like to be confronted, so sitting down made it seem like a conversation. Sitting down next to him, he felt he should ask some questions. How much did he really know of Lance? Not just the pain or the worse of him but as a person. What are his hobbies, likes and dislikes? 

Keith didn't have an answer. He should know more, right? “Why did you join the Garrison?” It was an abrupt question but something he was dying to know. He never understood Lance's motivation to go into space. 

A small smile graced Lance's lips as he shared his story. “It's a bit of a long story if that's okay?” Keith nodded, he was interested and had nothing better to do. “Okay, so I first wanted to be a marine biologist. It seemed cool and there was so much of the ocean to explore.” 

Lance's eyes sparkled with something Keith couldn't decipher as anything other than pure passion. “I was on a swim team, considered the best in my year. They thought I would take on the sport and make it my career. I didn't mind people thinking it even if it would never come true.” 

The smile Lance had faded, replaced with something akin to reminiscing. “When I was twelve, my older sister Veronica had this science experiment she wanted to try. Asked me to be her test subject. It ended…badly.” 

Lance winced at his words, shifting his hand closer to himself. “I broke my leg, both the Fibula and Tibia were broken in multiple places. My femur also had multiple fractures and a dislocated knee.”

Keith stared at him in horror, how does one accomplish this?

“My sister was very apologetic but that didn't make the injuries heal faster. The doctor said at least 4 months of healing and over a year of physical therapy afterwards. I wouldn't be able to swim. I was devastated, it was one of my only activities and I was actually good at it.” 

They way Lance said why liked swimming worried Keith. Why would you care so much if you're that good at something you like?

“That was when I was introduced to shooting, a stationary sport that I was also naturally good at.  I soon became enamored in the art, pushing myself to the limit at my shooting range. At first I couldn't really move so I had to improvise so when I could actually move it was so easy.”

The blue paladin caressed his gun. “I started to compete and dominated the competition. I eventually went back to swimming but shooting was still my main sport. It was the most amazing thing I had felt. I was offered multiple offers to join the military but I declined. I didn't want to kill people. Sounds silly now but I don't regret my choices.” 

Lance laughed, finally looking at Keith instead of the gun. “One night, I stole my family boat to take into the lake. The night was clear and the water still. Looking into the reflective water, you could see the stars. I dipped in and floated in the water.”

Lance grabs Keith’s hands, almost making red paladin blush but they were matching. Lance's face was flushed with the joy he possessed. “I swam with the stars, Keith.” Lance breathed, head falling on Keith's shoulder. “I've been chasing that high ever since.” Keith knew what Lance meant, he too had been looking for the same thing. 

“Sometimes I wonder if we ever could…” Lance trailed off. Keith's thought halted, what does Lance mean by we? “W-we?” Keith choked out, barely understanding his own words.  So Keith may have a small, tiny crush on his teammate. 

He doesn't know when it started but it could have been when he thought Lance looked pretty? Honestly, Keith had hoped to ignore it and let it go away. That plan flew out the window when Lance started hanging out with him.

When Keith actually got used to not only Lance's presence but the warmth the taller boy carried with him. He couldn't let this get carried away. Lance was his teammate and his friend. 

Lance had lifted his head off of Keith's shoulder. Keith missed the warmth just a bit. “I see that look in your eyes, Keith.” Lance poked Keith's shoulder, smiling teasingly before turning into something soft. The edges of Lance's face softened with his expression. 

“Space is your home.” Lance made a gesture with his hands, straightening them out and pulling them apart. Emphasising that this would be Keith's home. “I understand the feeling, I didn't just chase the high but the connection.” He dropped his hands.

 “In space, you can just exist. No one judges you but the dark void that you drown in.”  Keith laughed because it seemed like something an emo kid would say. “That sounds a bit dark, don't you think?” Lance huffs. “Last time I share my dreams and ideals with you.” 

Keith grabs on to Lance's arm. “Fine, I apologize for laughing at the admission of your emo phase.” Lance let out a whine, collapsing back to Keith's side. “I'm not emo.” He grumbled but Keith couldn't take him seriously with his pout. 

“Obviously you're not.” Keith flicked a piece of Lance's hair, the blue eyed boy finally stopped pouting. “Wait…I didn't finish my story.” Keith raised an eyebrow at Lance's revelation. “You didn't?” 

“I said it would be long.” Lance huffed again, clearly the master at it. “I struggled to get in the Garrison due to my sister getting in first. A lot of the candidates said that I was cheating due to my sister already going there and being an officer. Due to the complaints, I was forced to take on 2 different scholarship titles in order to be allowed to get in through scholarship.” 

Lance sighed, it was a stupid theory in the first place. “I did the swimming, of course and the shooting scholarship attempts. I even did a math one to prove even further that I wasn't a cheater. I won all three of them through time and points so no one could say I cheated. Some people definitely didn't like me but they just didn't get in because of their own skills.” 

He shrugged. “It wasn't my problem to fix either and wasn't the first time people didn't like me.” Keith's eyes narrowed. “You? You're a social butterfly. Who disliked you?” Lance laughed at Keith's statement which made Keith look at him harder. 

“I was very passionate so many hated me or disliked me either for my success or seriousness.” Keith gave an incredulous look.

“Hard to believe, I know. I wanted people at the Garrison to like me so I did become a goof ball who didn't take things seriously because people liked that. It's not like I lied but I chose to actually learn about social skills. Followed it down exactly and everyone loved it. Comments on how funny and considerate I was started to circulate.” 

Lance laughed into Keith's side. Keith couldn't help but laugh along. When Lance laughed, he sounded so free and careless. Keith loved the sound.

“I was just that good and then nobody felt right to hate me for my skills. It got to the point where people asked why I wasn't in the fighter pilot class or in the engineering course due to my math skills. Some even admired my skill so it wasn't too bad.” 

At this point, their bodies were slumped together. Keith was really enjoying learning about Lance, there was so much he just didn't know. Apparently Lance was a lot more like him than he thought too. “It sounds like they were right to be jealous. You did so much and had enough confidence to think you would win it.” 

Another shrug from Lance and Keith knew. Lance didn't see his accomplishments to be something meaningful. It seemed to be another day for Lance as he won 3 scholarships to the Garrison, an elite military school that almost no one could get a scholarship for.

Only 10 merit scholarships went out a year and Lance had managed to get three of them. That was also due to Lance only participating in three of them at all.

“I'm serious Lance, you're amazing.” Keith put his arm around Lance, pulling the boy closer. Lance liked physical contact and Keith knew he himself was a bit touch starved. He liked his relationship with Lance, they really were good for each other. If Lance doesn't believe in his abilities, Keith will be there to cheer anyway. 

Keith knew what it was like to doubt one's ability and it sucked.  Lance didn't deserve such a thing. “Thanks…” Lance mutters, trailing off as snuggled further into Keith. Lance liked cuddling and being close to others.

He couldn't remember the last time he had truly been with the others beside Keith. He knew it might make Keith uncomfortable but he couldn't help it. 

“Iverson was wrong about you.” Lance breathed out, knowing Keith might not know what he meant. Keith stiffened but that didn't stop Lance. “He always told me I should've been like you. That I was just a placeholder until you got back” Keith sucked in a breath, sounding almost pained. 

“In the break room though, he always said you were a screw up who was too confident for your own good. But those were all…lies. You’re kind and thoughtful. You're amazing too, Keith. I couldn't do half the things you do.” 

Keith held Lance a bit tighter, tearing up at the blue paladin's words. “You think?” Keith's voice was small, barely there as if he thought he would be rejected. “Of course.” Lance’s voice matched Keith's in sound. 

The boys sat there, holding each other up. Sometimes you can't do things alone. They were both happy for the comfort they found in one another.

Lance was coming to a realization. He liked Keith. Like, he wanted to cuddle and sleep with Keith. He didn't think he would catch feeling so quickly but he did. What could he do? Keith was finally becoming his friend. He couldn't scare him off. 

He didn't know if he should say anything at all. He liked where he and Keith stood. Sharing late night talks when neither of them could sleep and training during the day. It was becoming a routine, a way for Lance to keep his life together. 

Pain pulsed from behind his eyes. His headaches had been getting better but still occurred frequently. He could think about his feelings for Keith later. When his head felt like it wasn't trying to kill him. 

He let himself rest on Keith, already having done this a couple of times before. If his headache got too bad, he would tap Keith's thigh twice. Then Keith would let him fall asleep, knowing that it was the only way to escape the pain. 

He did just that, wanting to just sleep off the pounding that drowned the noise from his ears. He would have loved to listen to Keith, the stories that the red paladin told had always entertained Lance. 

Letting his eyes drift shut, Lance let the darkness take over once more. Picturing the stars he dreamed of swimming in once more.    

Keith had let the quiet fall over him, content on letting Lance take a moment of rest from the training. When he felt the two taps, he figured out why. He was happy Lance had trusted him enough to tell him when the other felt bad. 

He let Lance fall asleep on him, knowing it was the only thing that could stop the pain. Keith was okay with this arrangement, he still had nightmares about the invasion of the castle. 

Having Lance next to him helped him. The warm body next to him reminded him that Lance was alive. That they had won. He may have started to become dependent on Lance but he couldn't find himself being upset.

There were worse coping mechanisms than codependency. Burying his face into Lance's hair, Keith fell asleep. 

Bonus Scene:

Shiro walked to the dining area, exhausted from the planning and work he had done. He would have walked with Allura, both just coming from planning but she wanted to stay and finalize the plan one last time. 

He would need to convince her soon to take a break. Everyone had been running themselves ragged with work. He was even shocked to learn that both Keith and Lance had been training together after Lance proclaimed rivalry between the two. 

When he stepped foot into the room, he was met with only three others instead of the five he had been expecting. “Where's Keith and Lance?” 

Hunk and Pidge shrugged, probably believing that the others' training ran late. Though it would be the first time something like that happened. Shiro just hoped that the two didn't overexert themselves. 

After Dinner

Allura had joined them half way through the meal. She did raise an eyebrow to the two empty seats but was shrugged off. By the time everyone was done eating, worry for the two had grown. 

Shiro knew Keith wasn't one to miss things on purpose so they may have lost track of tim but that seemed unlikely. He had seen how Keith had been acting for a couple weeks around Lance. 

It was…different to say the least. Keith was much more patient than before and was allowing Lance into his personal space which was almost unheard of. Shiro didn't know when they had grown so close but it seemed to be doing good for both of them. 

He would have questioned both for their sudden displays of camaraderie but it seemed to be doing both of them well and questioning it now seemed like it would break the bubble. 

So Shiro had left it alone. He was just hoping that maybe they were both maturing now that the war had consumed everyone's lives. He hated that his fellow paladin's had to suffer at their age but he didn't have much of a say in it. 

Everyone walked to the training room, expecting to hear some sort of fighting but were met with silence. That was a bit unsettling, Keith typically went to town on the robot gladiators but not a sound came from the room. 

Walking in presented the answer. Both Keith and Lance were snuggled up together on the floor. Walking closer, Shiro could see the peaceful expression both boys had. Concern however were the dark eye bags and paler than usual complexion Lance had. 

Keith’s grip on Lance seemed tight, as if the red paladin wanted to protect the boy in his arms. Shiro didn't know what Keith was really protecting Lance from. Watching them seemed to provide no insight. Just a cute moment between the two. 

“Should we wake them up?” Pidge voiced, probably having deduced the tiredness on Lance's face as well. “I don't know, they do need to have dinner though.” Shiro didn't want to wake them up either but both of them needed to eat something. Before Shiro could wake either of them up, Keith stirred.  

Keith's eyes opened, taking in the group standing before him. He felt like he should be embarrassed. Having his entire team staring at him and Lance cuddling on the floor felt a bit weird but also vulnerable. 

He held Lance a bit closer. Why should he deny what they saw? He wasn't embarrassed by his relationship with Lance. “Hi?” Keith decided he would break the silence. He didn't like how awestruck the others looked. 

“You missed dinner, Keith.” Shiro, ever the leader, responded honestly. Both Keith and Lance had missed dinner? When they had fallen asleep, they were about to take a break for a late lunch. 

“You guys at least ate lunch, right?” So help Shiro if he learned that these kids weren't taking care of their health. “We were about to and then this-” Keith gestured to the sleeping Lance. “-just kind of happened?” 

“You’re both going to eat and then sleep, do you hear me?” Shiro commanded, he was their leader. He was allowed to order them around even if it sounded stupid. 

Keith hesitated. He didn't want to wake up Lance when the boy had just fallen asleep a mere 4 hours ago. He also didn't want to betray Lance's trust by telling Shiro and the others about Lance's issues.

So, Keith made his decision. He scooped Lance into his arms and carried him to the dining room. Four curious eyes followed him including one suspicious gaze. Keith sat Lance down and woke him up long enough to be force fed some food goo before falling asleep. 

Keith certainly heard some cooing from Allura about how cute he and Lance were being but paid no mind to her comments. He then finished eating himself before plopping Lance onto his own bed then leaving. 

Later

Shiro had knocked on Keith's door to talk. In Keith's opinion, it sounded more like a lecture. “I see the way you and Lance have been acting around each other.” Keith nodded, he was already seeing where Shiro was going. “Are you guys…hiding something from the rest of the team?” Keith felt like melting right there, or strangling Shiro. Which ever one felt more convenient 

Keith could only wish for Lance to accept his proposal of an actual romantic relationship. It felt like Shiro was rubbing salt in the wound. “Keith.” And now Shiro was using his dad tone. 

“We're not hiding anything.” Keith grumbled, he didn't want to have this conversation. “I need you to be honest with me. If something's wrong with Lance, you'll tell me. Okay?” 

Keith eyed Shiro suspicious for that comment. He still wouldn't betray Lance's trust but what was Shiro getting at? Maybe Lance was getting worse? If Lance had been hiding the pain for so long, there was no way that he would slip up now. Had it been that he looked tired today? Or it could be that Keith had pretty much babied him. 

Did it really matter? Shiro was on to them and Keith didn't know if he could lie in this situation. “It's for him to say Shiro.”Keith could leave it at that. Sure, Shiro did eye him up and down. Shiro also seemed to look at him as if Shiro couldn't believe Keith gave such a response.  

Honestly, Keith doesn't understand where the surprise came from. He had always been a bitch. It happened to be that he chose to channel the mood of a protective best friend who is willing to rub shit in people's faces.

Shiro doesn't need to know. It's not for Keith to tell. At the end of the day, the only opinion he really cares about is Lance's. So Shiro can go ask Lance himself or let it go. Because Lance's opinion means so much more to Keith than anything else. 

Keith was okay with that. 

Chapter Text

A  blaring alarm awoke Lance from his dreams. He didn't remember much after falling asleep but he felt great. It was the first time in a while that he had managed to get quality sleep. 

Grabbing his clothes, he went to change. Allura would expect all of them in under 3 minutes. That was the procedure. His limbs felt stiff, which isn't unusual but certainly not helping his confusion. 

Checking the time, he was shocked to find the earth time at 10 am. That was the latest he had slept since coming to space. Running through the halls, he wondered how bad the attack would be? 

It had to be an attack as Allura’s alarms only happen when they would probably be asleep. Nobody slept in until 10. It was when they were typically training or focussed on assignments. 

Turning the corner, he almost ran into Keith. “Oh, Hi Keith.” Lance greeted, loosely waving as the both of them ran. “Hi Lance, honestly thought you would have been there by now.” Lance could say the same thing to Keith's statement. Both of them were running late, at least to the standards that they were used to. 

“Just woke up-” Keith made a surprised noise at his words. “-and I’m really questioning my choices now.” Lance heaved another breath in, when was he so bad at endurance? It was probably because he just woke up. 

They both took a turn before bursting through the door. All eyes fell on them, a detailed map projecting on the screen. They were both interrupting the meeting. 

“Wondering when you two would show up.” Pidge remarked, turning back to her screen. Lance missed the concerned look Shiro sent him. Keith did notice and glared at his adopted brother. 

“What's the situation?” Keith turned into his soldier mode. This wasn't a drill or training exercise. They were going to face off against the Galra again. The map seemed to be a detailed layout of one of the galran cruisers. 

“This came up on our radars.” The screen shifted to the radar with a small red dot flashing. “We believe this ship may contain some important data that would give us a big advantage. I expect the data to be retrieved in a stealth mission.”
The paladins nodded, used to the briefing before a mission. “Who will we be sending?” Hunk asked, already fidgeting with his fingers. Stealth teams typically contained 2 people for maximum efficiency while not sending enough people to be suspicious. 

It also consisted of at least one of the better fighters  the cover was blown. So who would be picked? Pidge might be an obvious answer but they could refrain from sending her. “Lance and Keith will take the fight in the stealth mission while Pidge starts placing bombs on the exterior. You and Shiro will both take backup in case Pidge gets caught. You will also be the escape team for Lance and Keith.” 

“Yes, Princess!” They coursed, ready to take on their roles. The mission had to succeed.

On the ship

“Hurry up, Lance.” Keith whispered. Everything had been going smoothly but things were starting to get rocky. He had just been told Pidge had been caught, everyone else was fighting off the Galra waiting for them to get out. 

“It's almost there.” Lance was the one who had to stay with the hard drive while it downloaded copies of the system. Keith knew Lance couldn't make the thing go faster but he had a bad feeling. 

The sooner they get out here, the better for everyone. The Galra weren't stupid. When only 3 lions are seen, not the usual 5, suspicions would rise. Then both of them would be screwed if they had to fight off an entire fleet. 

Lance was finally at his side a minute later, hard drive in hand. They could do this. This was when the training they had down as a pair would kick in. “Shiro, we finished the objective. We need a pick up on the east boarding dock.” 

He didn't notice the fist that was heading towards his direction when he was talking. He was distracting, relaying information to Shiro that he didn't have time to dodge. Lance did but had one on him too. 

He barely heard Lance's scream before he made contact with the wall. An ambush? Keith thought vaguely, a distant pounding in his head. The helmet must have not been enough to protect his cranium from damage. 

A big figure loomed over Keith, grabbing his helmet before slamming his head into the ground. If he didn't have a concussion before then he does now.

His helmet made a sound as his head was constantly more pressed against the wall. The pressure suddenly released and a big thud happened next to him. 

Opening his eyes, not that he realized they were closed, does he see why the pressure went away. The light hurt his eyes but through his squinting he saw.

The big figure was a galra that now had a bullet wound through its head. Blue lasers were hitting targets with accuracy that Keith was used to. 

His head may feel fuzzy but he would be fine. Lance had already taken over the situation. The only sign of struggle was a surprised grunt from Lance that was accompanied with more shots. 

Lance is amazing! Keith thought, his eyes trailing over the many bodies Lance took down. Blue boots made their way into Keith's vision, heading straight for him. He also heard some dripping with the puddle of blood in front of him giving off a rippling effect.

 Was it turning more red? Keith's focus was torn away but Lance crouched down next to him. The way Lance looked at him made him feel like he mattered. He hoped Lance would only continue to look at Lance that way. 

“Hey Samurai, are you still with me?” Lance smiled sweetly under his helmet. This was just unfair. How could Lance look so cute on a mission? Wait, he should answer the question. “Holding on.” His tongue felt like lead in his mouth. 

Now that he thought about it, his body felt heavy. Without the noise of the battle to distract, it was coming more obvious that his head hurt. Was this what Lance's headaches felt like? 

“Okay, we are very close to the pick up area. The problem is moving you is going to be a bit…dangerous.” Lance mumbled, already putting his bayard away. “How so?” Keith wanted to sleep. No matter how pretty Lance looked when he took charge, Keith would take his bed now. 

“It's clear you have a concussion which means we should stay here.” Lance gave a nervous smile, trying to reassure Keith. “It wouldn't be a safe stay though, if the soldiers here don't check back in then this is the first place to look.”

Keith nodded absent-mindly to Lance's assessment. He was shocked when he heard a relief chuckle from the blue paladin. “That takes care of one of my worries.” Lance helped Keith turn to face the ceiling. Keith was still confused though. 

“You can move your neck meaning there is no neck injury. We can easily check your injuries.” Lance paused, his face turning into a slight grimace. The cheeriness he had before vanished. 

“Turns out Shiro is still a bit occupied. We will have to wait 10 doboshes*(Minutes).” Lance looked around at the bodies. Keith wanted to help. He knew Lance was concerned about staying sitting ducks. What he didn't expect was how hard it was to get up. 

The minute his head left the ground, he felt like he was drowning. He found it almost impossible to hold himself, much less steadily. Lance’s hands held Keith's head in seconds. Pure concern radiated from his blue eyes. “You shouldn't do that.” 

Lance helped Keith sit up, careful not to jostle his head. “I don't know if you're injured anywhere else and since you seem to be struggling as it is, you don't need to answer. Don't jostle your head, okay? It will hurt like a bitch if you do.” 

Though Lance was serious, Keith couldn't help but laugh at the causal curse word. “What did I just say?” Lance said it in a normal volume, purposefully not being too loud. “Sorry.” He was a bit distracted with his head now resting on Lance's chest.

For a guy who looks like he was only skin and bones, his chest was pure muscle. “I'm going to pick you up, okay?” Keith nodded again, trusting Lance to get him there. The blue paladin had been so good throughout the situation. Comforting Keith and always giving him choices. Lance should have been a doctor. 

Keith felt himself being lifted up. He stared at the ground, eyes half closed. He was tired, sleeping seemed so nice right now. Keith knew he shouldn't, going to sleep with a concussion is a horrible idea. 

It was hard as Lance's rhythmic steps almost lulled him to sleep. A humming escaped Lance's lips. A beautiful melody echoed in the halls. “Lance?” Keith whispered, his eyes drooping more than he wanted them to. Lance made a sound, alerting Keith he was listening. 

“Why did you want to be my f-friend?” He slurred at the last part. He didn't like the word friend for Lance anymore. He wanted Lance to be his, he never really liked sharing. But he was curious about Lance's reasons. Why try to build a friendship with him? 

“Your flying showed true passion very few had but that wasn't really the reason.” Lance sighed, meeting Keith's gaze. “Honestly? There were so many rumors about you circulating around the school. It intrigued me, I wanted to see if they were telling the truth.”

Keith thought for a moment before asking his question. “Were they?” Lance nodded. “You are just as awesome as they said you would be. A bit more feisty though.” Keith would have slapped him if it wasn't for the genuine way he had said those words. 

“Come on, let's see what happened to you.” Keith felt Lance remove his helmet. He was starting to space out, almost floaty. His body relaxed when Lance had run his fingers through Keith's hair. 

“Find anything?” Keith purred, he was really getting too comfortable. Lance's hands felt amazing in his hair. He wanted them to stay like this forever. The contact had grounded him from his previous floatiness. 

“No bleeding thankfully but there is a bit of a bump on the back of your head.” Lance kept inspecting Keith's head, brushing hair out of the way. “Don't worry though, the pod can fix you right up!” 

Lance was clearly comforting Keith, trying to keep him awake while waiting for Shiro. “Lance, could you sing for me?” This might be the only chance Keith could get to hear Lance's voice again. 

“What?” Lance had chuckled out his confusion. “Share you melody.”Keith was straining his neck to look up, choosing to ignore the pounding pain that accompanied the movement.  Lance automatically shifted to let Keith's head rest on his shoulder instead. 

“Okay.” Lance finally said, a weird softness in his eyes that Keith didn't understand. The red paladin knew that he was probably crushing his own hopes. How weird would it be if he and Lance happened to be soulmates? He could never be that lucky. 

A soft hum warmed the place. The metal echoed the sound beautifully. Lance was leaning against the wall, eyes closed. Keith was just realizing Lance also looked tired and a bit pale. This mission clearly took a lot out of them. 

Resting against Lance would probably be one of the best moments in his life. Nothing lasts forever however, as the boarding dock opens to reveal the rest of their team coming out. 

“Hi guys.” Lance waved, his voice surprisingly staying at a normal volume. “Are you both okay?” Shiro had rushed to both of them, clearly worried. “Keith has a concussion, try not to jostle him.” Shiro nodded at Lance's words as he picked up Keith. 

Keith wished Lance would have carried him back but Lance was also exhausted. “Need help?” Hunk offered his hand to Lance, being helpful as always. “Thanks man.” Hunk smiled before noticing something sticking out of Lance's side. 

“What’s that?” Hunk pointed to the object sticking out of Lance's side. “That is a knife.” Lance answered too calmly for everyone there. “What?” Hunk stared in horror, not even knowing how to react. 

“Lance?” Keith asked, not knowing what else to say. Lance had been carrying Keith with a stab wound? With the knife still in too? “Ho-When did it happen?” Keith stuttered, wishing he could actually move. 

“I've never been good in close quarter combat.” Lance shrugged. Now that Keith was looking at Lance, he could see the trail of oozing blood. Lance walked forward, steps shaking slightly. 

Without someone to protect, the adrenaline seemed to have run out. “I’ll be fine. We’ll both be fine. Trust me.” Lance stood in front of both Keith and Shiro. Keith didn't know how Lance could be so sure. 

“Pinky promise.” Lance locked his pinky with Keith's, a dazed look in his eyes. “Hunk?” Lance turned to face his best friend. “Lance, wha-” Hunk cut himself off as Lance fell forward. 

Hunk dived to catch Lance before the blue paladin could hit the ground.

“Lance…” Keith muttered, suddenly unable to breath. Lance was limp in Hunk's arms, completely unconscious. 

Keith vaguely heard Shiro say something but he drowned it out. His head pounded as he tried to catch his breath. He felt too heavy and uncomfortable but that didn't matter. 

Lance had been stabbed. Helped Keith with his injuries like Lance didn't have a worse injury in comparison. Why did the blue paladin always do this? Sacrificing himself for others as if that is his job. 

There was a needle pressed into his arm, it pinched just enough to feel. His eyes started to drift shut without permission. Did they drug him? Why would they do that? It didn't matter now, he could feel himself slipping. 

He could finally breathe as the world shifted into a black void. 

He felt cold. Floaty even but that didn't stop the tense worry. His muscles wouldn't respond but that didn't stop his mind from racing. Lance had been stabbed. It was all Keith's fault too. 

He should have been paying attention to what he was doing. If he hadn't been distracted, he would have dodged the hit. Then neither of them would have gotten hurt. 

He heard a beep sound, jostling him out of his place. He was falling, the floor felt so far away. He was engulfed in warmth, strong arms wrapped tightly around him. He didn't want to open his eyes. Not to look at the pod over to see Lance unresponsive and pale. 

This was a nightmare. He had wanted to be with Lance so badly but failed the mission for the both of them. He probably would have had another panic attack if he wasn't so exhausted. 

He wanted to sleep. Forget what happened entirely and Lance would just not bring it up. Shiro picked him up, it had to be Shiro, to place him on a cot. The warmth was gone again. Why did he feel so cold? 

Curling in on himself, he let the exhaustion take him. He just prayed Lance wouldn't be in his dreams. The picture of Lance unconscious and bleeding was still freshly ingrained in his head. 

The next time Keith woke up, Pidge and Hunk were both staring at him. “Hello, sleeping beauty.” Pidge sang next to him. “How long did I sleep for?” He was expecting a couple of hours, already ready to go back to the training room. 

“About a day or so.” 

“WHAT?” Keith prayed Pidge was lying, though she had no reason to. How could he possibly sleep for a day? “Yeah, Lance has been fully healed. Just napping at this point.” Hunk responded as if that didn't flip Keith's world. 

“Really?” Keith pushed himself off the medbay cot. He was so happy. Lance was safe and resting? That was all Keith could hope for. “Yep.” Hunk looked a bit confused but mostly amused. As if he had an idea about why Keith was so excited. 

 “I would let him rest before you see him.” Hunk reminded Keith as the red paladin started grabbing his leisure clothes. Hunk huffed as Keith ran out of the room. He had seen this coming but he did hope Keith would heed his warning. 

Lance needed to rest, he looked horrible when he left the cryo-pod, collapsing on his cot before passing out. The team had collectively agreed to give him some time. When Lance stumbled out of the pod looking half dead, he almost thought the pod had not worked. 

Keith was walking through the halls. He would have been running but he realized it wouldn't be the smartest. He hadn't eaten anything since leaving the pod, a horrible idea. Keith felt lightheaded, he should probably wait for Lance to wake up. Why was he rushing? 

This could only hurt him in the long run but he needed to see Lance. The last time was too close. Just like the bomb all over again. Why couldn't Lance stay out of danger? Just enough time so Keith could relax even for a second. 

It felt like there was always a new thing going on with Lance. The blue paladin never caught a break. Keith hated the world for that. Scratch that, the universe. It has something out for the paladins. It must be their luck. 

To kill sometime, he started to hum. It was nice to remember Lance's attempt at comforting him. Even if Keith asked for it. When he really listened to the humming he copied from Lance, he felt some type of familiarity. 

Stopping, he truly focussed on his humming. It had a part of Keith's melody! But what is this other part, it sounded nice and went with Keith's melody…

Is Lance his soulmate?

That is the only thing that could explain this new melody. Created out of both of theirs to make something that Keith never thought he would hear. He had always been the loner. The odd one out, he had thought there wouldn't be a soulmate for him. 

It's not like he doesn't want someone. To be held when he was at his low, someone who would help cheer the loudest at his highest. When Shiro disappeared, he thought  he was really cursed. First his mom left him then his dad died, so of course Shiro had to go missing. 

He wouldn't blame their leader for his disappearance but it still felt like a slap in the face. He just couldn't care for someone without something horrible occurring. Is that why Lance had been having all those problems. No, it was just Lance who wanted to help people. 

He got hurt by being himself but continued because that wouldn't stop him. 

Maybe Keith needed Lance's stubbornness to balance out his anxiety. A laugh escaped his lips as he slid down the wall with shaky legs. Would Lance even feel the same? Lance was always so caring to everyone, what made Keith special to him? 

Nothing. Keith brought nothing that Lance would be interested in. Even if he did, who says Loverboy Lance swings that way. He felt a wetness in his cheeks that he had wished he could grow out of.

That would just be Keith's luck, right? To be soulmated with a boy he could never be with? And Lance had to have known too. Was he making fun of Keith? Shoving their soulmate card in his face? 

Keith needed to breathe. He shouldn't be jumping to conclusions like this. Taking a deep breath, he slumped against the wall. He needed to look at the facts. Would Lance do this? Could Lance do that?

“No….he couldn't.” Keith mumbled, hope returned to him. “Lance is a prankster but he doesn't joke about love.” His eyes shone with unshed tears. The realization struck him like cupid's arrow. 

“Lance likes me…Lance loves me!” 

Keith had stayed there for a while. Drowning in his own hopes because Lance had to be in love with him. There was no other way that Lance's actions could be interpreted as anything different. 

Lance gave him a hint in front of his face. It was unfair though, Keith was concussed and couldn't possibly figure that out on the fly. Maybe Lance hoped a silent confession would be easier than dealing with Keith’s possible rejection. 

It felt unreal however that the Loverboy Lance would think that Keith would turn him down. Keith always demonstrated a soft spot even when he would deny it. Lance was something Keith thought he could never have. 

Lance was just like the stars he chased his whole life. So far above the others in a way he couldn't touch. Lance made friends as easy as breathing while being able to keep up with everyone. 

Keith is a rose, bold and thorny. Lance is a sunflower-Keith feels that still isn't the perfect flower for him- because he shines his warmth on the team, sharing his joy and lighthearted jokes. 

Pidge may be the one with a lion connected to life and nature but she couldn't compare to the life Lance gives to a stale room. Lance's laughs were a sound Keith wanted to hear on loop. Lance glowed in ways Keith didn't know was possible.

He decided he needed to think about how to address Lance. It felt rude to barge in to confess that he knew Lance had figured out their soulmate status So Keith opted for when Lance felt emotionally ready to come out of his room.

Sitting in the living room-dubbed by the paladins-was boring. He just wanted Lance to walk into the room and smile at him. He also knew that he would just be a stuttering mess. 

He was doomed if either scenario continued or came true. Keith just wasn't a patient person even if he knew that waiting would be best. It was just boring to stare at the ceiling, he was sure that everyone was trying to get back on schedule. 

Only he and Lance ever used the living room, the others were always too busy with something. He didn’t mind the alone time with Lance but it still meant that no one would probably accompany him. 

“Thought I'd find you here.” Keith whipped his head over to the origin of the voice. It was Shiro, standing tall but concerned. “Pidge and Hunk informed me you had woken up. Apparently you needed to discuss something with Lance but you never made it to his room.”

Shiro sat down mid-way through his recounting of the events. “Keith, what happened?” Shiro’s voice was soft and welcoming, just like Keith remembered it from his earlier days. Shiro always had this tone when he wanted Keith not to run away. 

“Me and Lance are soulmates.” Keith finally let it out, it wouldn't be a secret any longer if he had a say in it. “I didn't find that out until I was already halfway to his room. Starting humming a little tune that Lance had hummed first during the…mission” Keith gulped, not wanting to talk about the absolute failure of a mission. 

“Sounded familiar that I figured it out. It was my melody mixed with his and it sounded perfect.” Keith sighed, remembering that feeling of lightness from hours ago. “Knew right there that we are soulmates."

Shiro nodded but still looked concerned, as if Keith was still hiding something. Shiro’s gaze imploring Keith to just spit out whatever was bothering him. Just like what they used to do back on Earth. 

“Lance must have known about our soulmate status so he chose not to say anything.” Keith continued, knowing Shiro would tell him to let go of Lance. “Before you say anything, Lance wouldn't reveal something like that just to mess with me. That's not who he is.” 

Keith defended because he was not going to have Shiro say anything rude about his love life. “So, Lance must feel the same and was probably looking for the right time to reveal it.” Keith concluded but could already see Shiro's protests. 

“Then why on a mission when you weren't mentally there enough to honestly process your feelings?” Keith knew Shiro had the best intentions but it still lit him furry. “I don't know, maybe because of that fact he was stabbed.” 

Shiro flinched at that jab. “He could have thought he would have died. I'm not blaming anyone but it did feel like a long time. Enough time to be attacked by another swarm of sentries. Lance knew I couldn't fight without risking my life so he could step up.”

His fist clenched as he continued his words. “That would mean he just had to hold off until you guys arrived. He probably hinted it so he didn't have to die with that regret. He would be rolling in his grave if he didn't say anything.” 

Keith laughed sadly, that would be something Lance would do. It still hurts to think about Lance dying. That the boy he loved is so willing to sacrifice himself to save anyone. He looked at his hands in his lap, fidgeting as he spoke in a soft voice 

“Lance is amazing, and so kind, Shiro. He might not believe it himself but he is one of the bravest people I know.”  

 Keith let himself smile, turning his gaze to look at Shiro. “How could I not love him?” Shiro’s eyes widen, not at Keith's words but at the figure standing behind the red paladin. A gasp filled the quiet room. “Maybe you should tell him yourself."

Shiro’s hand rested on Keith's shoulder before getting up to leave the room. Keith was confused with the sudden departure. Turning over to the black paladin's back, he met Lance's blue eyes.  

“Lance…” He breathed, his crush standing tall in front of him. Shocked but also slightly smiling at him. “Hi, Keith. I guess I should say my part next?” Lance chuckled at his shocked expression. 

“How much did you hear?” He squeaked, knowing his ears were turning red. “Since you tried defending me. That I wasn't the type of person to do that.” Lance got quieter in his second sentence. 

“Keith, I love your eyes. They're so pretty and sometimes so expressive that it's like a whole storm of emotions. Your hair is so soft, I have to stop my hands from running through it. I like your bluntness, it's nice to know what you think.”

Lance laughed a bit before continuing. “It's cute to see you realize what you said and try to backtrack it. Your cheeks and ears turning red from embarrassment that you mumble.” Lance walks closer, only a couple of inches away from Keith. 

“I hate you…” Keith ducked his head in embrassement. He silently wondered why Lance went detailed in his explanation. “No, you don't.” Lance’s head tilted, his smile growing at Keith's glare. 

“I so want to kiss that smug smile off your face.” Keith watched as Lance closed most of the distance. “Then do it.” Their lips met, both hesitate at first before becoming a bit more passionate. By the time they pulled away from each other, they were both breathing heavily. 

“I can't believe it took me this long to confess.” Keith gasped out, leaning against Lance on the couch. Neither had fully recovered from their pod stays. “I knew we were soulmates and I still didn't confess anything. I think sometimes taking time to think isn't always a bad thing.”

Lance had known for a while about the soulmate status, choosing to wait for the right time. Now that they had just kissed, he couldn't think of any other way they could have confessed. 

Keith's brain paused. He hadn't really thought about why Lance hadn't said anything but now he was curious. Why would anyone wait so long to reveal such a thing? “Lance? Why didn't you reveal that?” 

“When I found out, Voltron had just started. I didn't want to ruin our new friendship with that. Forcing us together didn't seem right. I wanted us to come together without feeling like it had to be but that we could be.”

Lance starts, emphasising that idea of a choice. “We didn't know each other that well before so it felt wrong to try to like you because you are my soulmate. I've always wanted to be your friend but we were barely getting started. I'm sorry for not telling you.” 

Keith wrapped Lance in a tight hug. He didn't blame Lance for anything, it was actually kind of sweet. “I'm glad you chose that. I got to know Lance McClain. And honestly? He's the most amazing person I have ever met.” 

Lance melted into the hug, everything would change now that Keith knew. But it would change for the better, Lance had confidence in that. Maybe one day they could both swim in the stars. 

Their hearts finally aligned.