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Ocean air cools Lance’s overheated skin. Music drifts over to the water, where he’s letting waves wash over his bare feet. The full moon casts light across the water, and Lance feels a little less nervous. When the moon hides, the waters look like a giant black hole. It acts like one too. Abuela used to scare the kids with monsters emerging after dark, persuading and tricking children to fall into the dark depths. He wonders where the monsters go on nights like this. Lance is alone right now. A prime target for a curiously hungry creature.
A hushed roar rises behind him, and Lance looks back on the glowing party. Silhouettes dance excitedly to the beat, waving hands and spinning around. The wedding is going off as a smash hit, as everyone expected it to do. Shiro and Adam held off the engagement far too long for anyone’s liking. An excuse found itself in the conversation every time. ‘We need to find a new place to live.’ ‘Adam is about to get promoted at work this month. We are waiting for that.’ ‘Maybe after the holidays, but then there’s the vacation…’
Lance remembers how utterly pissed off Keith was about the whole thing. It always happened the same way. Keith calls Lance out of the blue, not unheard of but they plan most conversations. Lance picks up, and before he can even say hello, Keith vents out his frustrations. A kind of love riddles itself into every concern. Keith observes people like they exist under a microscope. All the cracks appear clear to Keith, and they hold Shiro back from taking on his own happiness. Very little patience left for Keith to let that happen to Shiro.
“It’s like he wants to marry Adam, but he emotionally cannot. I try to tell him that Adam will not wait forever, and they are in a good spot. Shiro does not believe me on either note” Keith grunts out. Lance stares out his kitchen window, absentmindedly eating a piece of toast. He leans against the counter and sighs.
“No offence, buddy, but I kinda don’t agree that Adam won’t wait. Maybe not forever, but that man loves your brother to pieces” Lance responds.
“I know…I know that” Keith sighs, “Shiro thinks I put too much importance into marriage. It’s not really the act of getting married or recognized by the law. That’s all bullshit. I do not even see myself getting married.”
“You are so single, so that makes sense.”
“Shut up,” Keith laughs. He pauses, and Lance knows that he must wait for Keith. That’s a habit he might never break. It’s not one he wants to. Keith continues, “When I was a kid, I used to run away a lot.”
Lance closes his eyes, trying to imagine how Keith might have looked back then. A small red backpack snug against a little boy with long, black hair. He’s not smiling in this dream. He hopes Keith leaves through the back door, afraid to signal to anyone that he’s leaving the house. Lance has to believe that someone would stop Keith if he went through the front.
“I usually had little to no plan, other than getting out of the orphanage. Somehow, I thought that I’d survive better on my own. That basically was true for some of the places I got sent too” Lance could hear Keith’s eye roll through his words.
“Were you scared when running away?” Lance asks quietly. Opening up does not come second nature to Keith, though the two find themselves here more every year.
Keith takes a moment before responding, “I…I was afraid to some degree. Being a kid is hard enough. Let alone trying to find out how to survive and live a life.”
“Regardless, Shiro brought me into his life. I’ll never understand why he did that. A good for nothing, reckless brat coming into his training facility. That’s all I was, yet he took me under his wing.”
Shiro, like for all the people in his life, talks endlessly about Keith. Lance used to hate it. Jealousy bubbled up from the depths, nearly toppling over his logical senses. Slowly, he learned to treasure those memories that Shiro held sacredly. Shiro lights up when retelling those stories. Energy sparks no matter the circumstance around them. It’s a life force of positivity for Shiro.
Similar memories share a different weight with Keith. Shame nips at the edges of every memory, like he finds every shortcoming. Everyone’s changed so much. Lance knows how hard it can be to look at past phases. Blue took a hold of his person, dismantled him, and made Lance put himself back together. The ‘old’ Lance pales in comparison. Maybe that’s how Keith feels.
“One day I decided to run away from the Garrison. I’d had enough discipline for a lifetime. People were mean and hated how young I was. Somehow I’d convinced myself I could never fit in there. Everyone came from bigger things, and I…I felt like I had nothing.”
His heart clenches inside his chest so suddenly Lance needs to find a seat. Garrison students came from all kinds of backgrounds, but frankly, most grew up in the big house at the end of the block. Parents poured in for Alumni night, and peers got to attend the party. Dorm hallway echoes bounce the tunes from downstairs. Lance never attended one of those nights. He was the first in his family to go to a school west of the Mississippi. Let alone a piloting school.
If Lance could do anything, then it’s finding comfort in distress. No matter where Lance went, he found noise. Conversations sparking in classrooms. Music blasting in his room, and friends wandering over to hang out. He’d invite at least one person to join him for a walk everyday. That stuff reminded him of home, almost. A house full to the brim with noise gave Lance comfort. He assumed Keith did not like socializing, but really, Lance wishes he put more effort forward.
“I ran away, and I fully expected no one to come and find me. That’s how it went. I’d be out on the streets, bus hopping or whatever. Eventually some citizens put two and two together, and CPS came around the corner to snatch me up. That’s what I assume will happen every time. The next day I got to some random little town. A diner opened its doors, and I went in for a quick bite. Before I could even order from the menu, Shiro came running into the diner!”
“Keith!” He mimics how Shiro sounds when he’s angry perfectly, which raises a laugh from Lance, “He’s covered in dirt, sweaty and eyes blood shot. The waitress almost made Shiro leave. I reassured her I knew the guy. Shiro spent the entire night driving around looking for me. No one ever did that before him. And he scolded me, unlike the others. I realized that he cares, like really cares about me.”
“He does,” Lance says confidently because it's true.
Keith agrees, “I freak out and fester over him now. I’m calling all the time. Being half way across the Milky Way does little to stop me from checking in. The thing is, I am half way across the galaxy. My time on earth is becoming more and more limited.”
It clicks for Lance, and an ache settles into his stomach. Keith is leaving Earth, for real. Three bags packed and one day might be his last day here. A life is being built out in the stars, far, far away. Someone needs to be there for Shiro. Keith trusts Adam to take care of Shiro. It’s the highest respect from the guy.
Lance also cannot stop the childish thought from coming up. What about me? Are you leaving me too? The words crumble along with his confidence. This is not about him, dammit. Selfish habits never fail to make a comeback at his weakest. Taking a deep breath, he smiles tightly and continues the conversation.
“I get it, Keith. When my Abuela grew older, she needed more help physically. I was too young to really help, but I looked forward to the day I could be stronger for her. That’s where you and Shiro are now, kind of. Equals. It’s your turn to take care of someone you love, but also duty calls and all that” Lance tries talking casually, still feeling the lump bob in his throat.
“Yeah” Keith’s voice dies off, before starting again with a cough, “You understand. Adam is too great a guy for Shiro to give up. He does a lot of stupid stuff when he gets nervous.”
And now, the glowing yellow lights sparkle against the waves. Shiro and Adam married at last. Everything was perfect too. No eyes were left dry during the ceremony. Each read out their vows, disgustingly romantic and full of love. Lance sat beside Hunk and Shay, and he spotted the couple’s hands intertwining together. There’s another marriage in the waiting. Matt walked Shiro down the aisle, and Pidge handed out the rings with a dazzling drone show. Coran officiated the couple, though confused by earthly cultures, accidentally tried baptizing them. He brought his own bucket of water to help with ‘the shortage of river, bath or lake.’
Of course, it was from Shiro. He who never fails to be Lance’s hero and inspiration. A man who seem more like a dream rather than human. Never had Lance thought he’d ever get to meet Shiro, let alone invited to his wedding. The two have been through a lot, and Lance spent many hours together in space. He can confidently say that this was the first time he saw Shiro glowing.
“I learned from a young age that you can lose everything you love in an instant” Shiro began, “Everyday I grew more cautious, reserved, disciplined into a routine. That salvation knowing that tomorrow will look like the next. It’s a grilling meditation and gives me no reassurances for the people around me. My day may look the same, but that’s only a vague promise for myself.”
Audience members held their breath. The ocean slowed it’s approach for Shiro to speak.
“We met when I was young. I was a different man completely. Broken and afraid of the consequences of living with people again. Most people ran for the hills, and I do not blame them. You stayed with me. We made difficult choices together at far too young of ages. And yet, you stayed with me. I understand now more than ever how you did that. You are kind, full of patience, crazy in the best ways, and full of faith in goodness.”
Stay.
“I could not be here without you. Adam, you are the love of my life. If you made the choice to stay, despite it all, then I promise to choose you everyday.”
Choose me.
“I promise to give everything to support our life together. I promise to never take us for granted.”
Lance cannot look, yet the world forces slowly nudge his eyes.
“This is my forever.”
Standing beside Shiro, dressed to the nines with a red suit, Keith. His eyes are soft and shining. Lance gasps slowly at the sheer sight of him. A powerful force urges him to stand up there, run up the aisle, grasp onto Keith and kiss him like this is their wedding.
“I love you” Shiro laughs through happy tears. Adam’s steady tears run down his cheeks, but he’s smiling.
Keith glances in his direction, and both hold onto the sight of the other. All the world quiets into just them, and Lance feels the horrible tug remind him. The thing he wants most in the world is right in front of him. He’s leaving the atmosphere any day now.
And to top off the ache, Lance feels the weight of the world come crashing down. James Griffin, ignorant, annoying and devastatingly good looking, Griffin goes over to Keith. All their interactions made Lance’s skin crawl in discomfort. There’s a casualness unseen before between the pair. Hunk noticed both came together on Keith’s motorcycle. Questions bounce around in his head. What, where, when, why and how did they connect together for such a thing. Lance could not stop his eyes from glancing back and forth between them.
James leans close to Keith, whispering something behind his hand. A small smile blossoms onto Keith’s face, as he gently nudges James back to the side. He shakes his head lightly, a smile growing all over his face. It takes a great deal of willpower for Lance to not shoot out of his seat, march up the aisle, and grab Keith away from James. He’s clenching his hands tightly, only noticing his knuckles whiten when Pidge taps Lance’s hand.
Is James an important person for Keith? When did they get close? Lance assumed they held a close enough relationship where Keith would talk about these things. Not that…he thought maybe…all the others had someone special. Time passes in long intervals between visits, but Keith finds his way back to Lance. People joke about Keith’s drawer, found in the private bedroom on the second floor. No one else typically sleeps there when visiting, if Lance can help it.
Things are changing for everyone. People built lives for themselves after Voltron. Everyone found their person, even Keith. Many folks move to and from, but Lance stays in the big blue house down the road. A time existed where that’s all he dreamed about having. Only the creaking floorboards are the sole sounds.
A festering disgust creeps up his throat, and Lance lifts the bottle up to his lips. Ocean water tickles his ankles, as he takes a few steps forward. Every now and then he thinks about that damn house. No matter how much planning, hosting and parties he creates, it's an empty husk. As far as he is concerned, that place became a haunted house the moment he moved in. That’s why everyone stays away from it. Hunk and Shay stopped visiting once they moved into an apartment together. Pidge and Matt need to train the new Voltron team. And Keith…
“Sea monsters!” Lance yells out across the water at the top of his lungs. His voice rattles with the force of each word, “Come on! Let me hear your fucking songs. Are you real? I am right here!”
It occurs to him that if the sea monsters respond, then he might not be a ghost after all. That’s where his life is heading. Stuck in time, running the same routine, finding nothing and no one around him. Bottle drain completely, Lance feels embolden to move further into the ocean. Marco said his friend saw the monsters before, which was why Lance never should go to the ocean at night.
Well, maybe he needs to break the rules once and a while. The cold seeps into his suit, biting into his legs. His breath catches in his throat, but he marches on. Lots of children from his hometown used to swim at night. Most came up with stories about the monsters. They are covered in seaweed and wrap children up completely. He feels mysterious entities trace his skin delicately. It’s gentle. Too much time passed since he last felt such delicacy. He begins to lower himself down, so he might shake hands with it.
“Lance!” A voice breaks his thoughts. Lance turns back towards the beach. It’s farther than he realizes, now nearly being waist deep into the ocean. A figure is on the shore, waving their hands frantically once they realize he’s paying attention, “What the fuck around you doing?”
“Keith?” Lance responds curiously. Keith tries saying something, but the words are lost to the vastness. He shakes his head, unable to decipher even one word.
“I can’t hear you,” Lance shouts each word as punctuated as possible. It’s hopeless. There’s no chance either will understand the other person. He begins waving Keith away. Albeit, this is probably a very strange sight to see. Lance is okay! A quick break away from the party is good.
Shouting continues from Keith, so Lance decides to wave one last time before turning back around. If the monsters are not coming to him, then he should go to them. Air gushes into his lungs before he plunges under the water. Despite the moon’s light brightening the surface, everything is pitch black underwater. He tries scanning for any kind of life, but Lance is all alone.
That’s it. Lance is always alone. No matter where he goes he will be met with no one. He came from everything and threw it away for what? An empty house standing idle. All his friends being hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away from him. Their lives are more intricate and busy, where their time becomes more precious and sparse. He cannot beg them to save him. People invested in their future, and Lance stuck firmly in the sand.
It’s him. Alone. Everything is cold and dark around him. He will learn to accept that truth on the surface.
Only, he can’t move.
Something got a hold of his leg. Lance tugs once, twice and frantically pulls against the seaweed. His lungs decide to remind him how little oxygen he has left. They burn fiercely, and panic cries out inside him. Lance is paralyzed by the sudden reality of the situation. He cannot risk prying himself out, otherwise his hands might get caught in the plant life. Arms swimming madly upwards, Lance uses every ounce of strength to propel himself up.
A miracle grabs onto him and tugs hard. Lance feels his foot slip through, and he flies forward. Head breaking the surface with desperate gulps of air, Lance feels his body being dragged back towards shore. His body is being held in an awkward position, but he does his best to swim alongside the rescuer.
Once they reach sand, Keith plops down to his knees. He continues to drag Lance forward with him, even to Lance’s protests.
“Dude! I am getting covered in sand. Let me go!” Lance squeals. Keith suddenly drops Lance into the sand and stands. He towers above Lance, where water droplets fall from his soaking hair.
“Are you fucking kidding me? You’re lucky I was able to save your sorry ass from drowning out there. I’m wet and cold all because you were being stupid” Keith points his finger and shouts. Lance’s defensive walls come flying up, and he looks away from Keith.
“I did not ask you to go out there, okay! I’m sorry I ruined your perfectly tailored suit. If you are cold, then go back inside” Lance yells and hugs his knees to his chest.
Keith stands over him, not moving an inch. It’s like he’s frozen in space, with the craziest look plastered onto his face. Lance gestures at the party, expecting Keith to leave after. Instead, Keith grabs a handful of sand and flings it at Lance. Sand is everywhere on him. His clothes, his hair, between his toes. Anything wet became coated in grainy sand. It’s so childish Lance processes it slowly. Leave it to Keith to get Lance’s most immature version out.
“What the hell was that for?” Lance cries out aghast.
“You fucking asshole! I’m not going inside alone. For all I know, you will go out there again and no one will be here to save you. It’s cold, dark and people are waiting for us” Keith goes to grab Lance, but he rolls out of the way.
“I said I need a minute. Go back inside” Lance stands and walks away. There are very few lights on the beach, and he does not exactly know which way is what. That hardly matters to his tired brain. All he knows is he needs to get the hell away. A hand stops him in his tracks, and he turns abruptly to Keith.
“Lance” Keith’s voice is calmer, almost scared, “What are you doing? Why are you out here?”
“Why are you out here?” Lance retorts. He hates how childish and small he sounds.
Keith stares into both his eyes, thinking intently before responding, “I noticed you were gone, and people are looking for you. Come on, let’s not make them wait any longer.”
He’s right, Lance intrinsically knows that. Lance is being an asshole. Telling no one where he was going is wrong, especially at someone’s wedding. If people are worried, god forbid Shiro worries, then the right thing to do is show face and confirm his well being. A few scoldings and affirmations are not the end of the world, yet Lance could not move his feet. Gravity sunk him down into the sand.
No, he can’t go back and face them. He gives no elaboration to Keith, and Lance continues walking away.
That lasts about two seconds before a huge weight crashes into his back. A yelp breaks from Lance and quickly turns to a groan. Keith gives Lance no time to process, and he throws himself on top of Lance. Instinct kicks in sharply, as Lance swings his foot under Keith’s leg. He rolls sideways and effortlessly throws Keith to the side. Any additional momentum is used by Lance to gain leverage above Keith. He sits on top of the other, only for half a second, before they toss each other across the beach .
Sand grains find themselves everywhere. Lance can hardly see with the grains flying into his eyes, mouth, all over his skin. Every thought begs him to go back into the ocean and wash off. Cold limbs slow his defenses. Keith continues to clamber on top of him over and over again. Everything feels like a riptide pulling at him. No chance to resurface and think.
“Uncle!” Lance cries out in frustration. Exhaustion washes over Lance and gives out any last of his strength. He sighs and lets his arms fall away from Keith.
Keith nods and moves off Lance. He plops down beside Lance and lays on the sand. Both stare up into the stars, getting lost in the sprinkle of stars. Memories flying through the solar system bring little comfort to Lance typically, but something about all this rolling around makes him smile. It’s like they are back in the Castle, and the duo struggled with intimacy and bonding. They clashed countless times before this, so it feels like nothing really changed that much. Of course, that’s untrue.
“Alright” Keith huffs out, “Alright, Lance.”
There is no heat behind those words. Lance tries to comprehend what they might mean. Keith turns his head to look at Lance, and Lance holds onto his gaze. Sadness lingers in his eyes, but a soft, accepting smile takes up the majority of his face. The lock around Lance’s heart finally falls out with a gasp.
“I’m sorry if I scared you out in the water” Lance begins before thinking through his idea, “That is not cool.”
“No, it was not cool.”
“I know I am being weird, and that’s why I started walking away after you helped me” Lance continues looking up at the stars.
“Feelingss are not my strongest suit. Forget trying to read other people’s emotions,” Keith states matter of factly. Lance smiles and agrees. Keith playfully nudges against Lance’s leg, and he keeps his leg touching Lance’s, “I need you to talk to me, Lance. Why are you feeling weird? You’re weird all the time, so why is this time different?”
Lance laughs out loud and feels the tension leak from his body, “If this is your attempt at making me feel better, then you might want to workshop your wording with Hunk.”
Keith’s smile, while still present, drops slightly. He holds Lance’s eyes, and Lance finds himself getting lost in the serious gaze, “I am better when I know what is the problem.”
And like that, the dam around his heart breaks through. Walls come crashing down, and the burden holding up the world must be shared. Lance feels words tumble out of his mouth before he can even process it. Leave it to Keith to get him like this.
“I feel so alone,” Lance whispers out to the water. He hates himself the moment he says it, and he turns away from Keith.
He grabs the front of his shirt and clenches hard down on the fabric. Every feeling becomes suffocating all at once, and Lance understands the only way to stop choking on his own words. He’s never faced them alone. Out in the water, he swears he finally sees one of those damn monsters. Fear builds up, from the monster or the reality of the situation, Lance has no clue. All at once he turns his attention solely on Keith.
Soaking wet Keith looks at Lance with surprise. Lips pressed into a thin line, and a concern scrunching together his eyebrows. Lance’s eyes dart across his everything, and Lance cannot stop the blooming affection he feels for Keith all at once. Scars, bruises and all in between, this man stays with Lance through it all. He knows that, so why not give him Lance’s heart.
“People moved on so easily, you know?” Lance feels his eyes go wet, but he cannot care about that anymore, “Everyone made their own choices, including myself, and I am scared I am the only one who made all the wrong choices. Look around tonight, and notice how everyone has someone with them. Each person can describe how dynamic and interesting their day to day is. A future lays out before them, and it’s crystal clear. I…I don’t have that. I hit a dead end. Maybe there’s nothing left for me.”
Lance tastes the ocean’s salt slip into his mouth, though that could be his tears streaming freely down his face. The last time he cried was after a house party he threw for Allura. The whole gang shows up with someone, and the house never felt smaller in the best way. Drinks flow from cup to mouth, memories told in vibrant colors, and the lights glow a comforting yellow into the fields around them. Lance woke up first the following morning, the terrible habits of farm life, no matter how much alcohol he consumes.
A gentle sun fought off the chill of the previous night, though Lance still needed his jacket when stepping outside. Cars lined up against the lawn. The lingering smell of stale beer hung about the living room, where Hunk snuggled up to Shay on the couch. Coran’s snores pierced the silence outside his open window, and Lance felt full for once. It had been a long time since he felt that, and gratitude led to the falling of tears.
These tears are not full of love. He cries from shame. Guilt of ruining Keith’s time at Shiro’s wedding. Shame for worrying people inside the party. And utter defeat over his own life. He has no one to go back to the big blue house with, and begging can only bring people back so many times. When he chose this life, he thought of the calm serendipity working the land brought his grandfather. Perhaps he’s far too greedy to accept the simple life.
“I don’t believe you” Keith retorts with curt certainty. Shock slows the sobs building in Lance’s throat, as he stares openly at Keith.
“I don’t understand,” Lance concludes.
“You are not at a dead end, or whatever you said. You built yourself a home” Keith stresses each word with passion, “When I leave on a mission with the Blade, I used to wonder why I should go back to Earth. I know what it feels like to assume everyone has something you don’t.”
Lance closes his eyes and hangs his head low. His selfishness strikes again. Who was he to complain about his troubles to someone who really faces strife? Keith, who moved through child care services, lived most of his life not knowing of his mother, and coming back to Earth that had no house of his own.
“Keith, man, I should not complain about this dumb stuff. I-”
“Let me finish” Keith cuts him off, “I felt alone too. All you guys came back to families, and sure, Shiro is my family. It’s different though. I did not have memories to come back to, not ones I want to remember anyway.”
He grabs hand unconsciously, inclined to ask, “Do you still feel that way?” Lance would make it his last mission to make sure Keith feels like Earth is home.
Keith wraps his fingers around Lance’s hand and smiles, “No, I do not feel that way at all.”
Ah, James. Lance nearly forgot about that little detail. He bites his bottom lip and looks down at their hands. “Good. I could not live with myself knowing you feel that way. It’s not true at all. There’s always a home here. You are not alone in the slightest, especially now with James. Don’t be a heart breaker, Kogane.”
“James?” Keith shoots him a bewildered look, “What about James?”
“You two. Together. Like, kissing?” Lance raises an eyebrow, no longer certain. Keith balks openly and rubs a hand through his hair again.
“Ugh, Shiro. We are not together, James and I. Shiro has wanted to set me up with him for a while now. He’s lovesick with the wedding. I’m not interested in Griffin, but yes, we did come together tonight.”
Relief spreads through Lance embarrassingly fast, and he has to look away. A blush springs up on his cheeks, but he brings no attention to the fact that Keith Kogane is single. Now is not the time, since he’s cut Keith off multiple times.
“What were you saying before?” Lance coughs inconspicuously.
“Right, well, Earth is weird for me. I struggled to find my place in normalcy for a long time and took on long missions. That works for me. My mother sometimes comes on the same missions on the outer edges. I get to explore the galaxies still. My worth makes sense being a foot soldier. It’s easy, and basically what I grew up being taught.”
Okay, Lance empathizes with that. Unlearning soldier mentalities is a constant practice. Once the farm got set up and functioning, Lance went crazy not feeling like he supported his community properly. Winter seasons nearly drove him over the edge with restlessness. He never realized Keith struggled with that too. Someone like him felt bigger than all that nonsense taught to them at the Garrison.
“Shiro used to berate me for not coming home. I did not know what the point was, until you started throwing those parties” Keith wanders in memories Lance does not see, but he holds his breath regardless, “When we are all together, I feel like no time passed at all. I eventually started popping by to say hi when I finished a mission. I stop by everytime, now. Do you get why?”
Lance shakes his head wordlessly. He’s afraid to break the spell, fear of what’s to come, and the emotions climbing into his throat. Keith grips his hand tighter, sand grains digging into the flesh between their fingers.
“You made a home. You might be my home, Lance” Keith says each word so confidently. No hesitation or fear, and maybe Lance feels that too.
“I’m afraid. Nothing happens at that old house. It’s boring most of the time and really fucking empty. Farm work is tedious. My neighbors are strange, and I…” Lance stutters over the last of his sentence when Keith leans in close. They can feel each other’s breath against their cheeks.
“Who cares. That’s how it is there. You are none of those things. That’s why it pisses me off when you are so disrespectful to yourself. We can go on a vacation somewhere, or crash at Hunk’s, or just…Don’t run away Lance. I’ll follow you” Keith breaks the distance and holds onto Lance. He grabs the back of his jacket and holds firm, “You are not taking my home away from me so easily.”
That’s all it takes. No self restraint is left, replaced by love flooding his senses. Lance takes hold of Keith, pushes him back to look at his face. Hurt flashes across Keith’s features, but Lance gives him no time to speak. Lips gently place themselves against each other, and they swallow each other whole. A contented sigh leaves Keith, and Lance shivers under his touches. It only last a few seconds, but the magic burns bright inside them.
“Was that okay?” Lance asks nervously. Keith nods slightly and kisses Lance again. Another short moment shared between them, and suddenly, every worry feels smaller than now.
“Come back to the party. I am freezing” Keith guides them up. Before Lance follows Keith, he looks out over the water. No one is out there, other than the person who’s holding his hand. Lance smiles and looks forward. Keith leads him back towards the party, glowing in the dark. A halo of light marks Keith entirely, and Lance tugs them to a stop. Keith looks back with concern. It does not last long. Lance goes in for another kiss, knowing that everything will be alright.
People surround them when they enter the building. Pidge showers them with questions, on their whereabouts. Shay guides them away from the dance floor, brushing off the sand residue. Hunk calls over Shiro and Adam, who go in for hugs regardless. Coran holds onto Lance longer than the others, saying that he gave them all quite a scare.
Despite it all, Lance cannot stop the smile.