Work Text:
“Moron!”
“Mullet man!”
“Arsehole!”
“Loner!”
“Arrogant prick!”
“Idiot.”
“Dork.”
“Ace.”
“Top Gun.”
“Right Hand Man.”
Keith had noticed when the name-calling started to change. Originally, because of some imagined, one-sided rivalry, Lance had only ever referred to him via insults. It’s not like he really blamed Lance for it. Keith knew he wasn’t the most likable person. He kept to himself for the most part and was usually harsh and snappy in his replies. He had tried but he really wasn’t good at being a people person, and Lance’s consistent insults had reminded him that he wasn’t one of them - he wasn’t their friend.
Shiro had told him to relax, to embrace it, to open himself up.
Keith thought it was working. He was smiling more, chatting to Pidge and Hunk more, being invited to join things more often. He was being approached more. And he was feeling happier.
If he was being totally honest though, it was the change between his and Lance’s relationship that made him happiest. The nicknames had become to feel like they were based off respect. Even words like ‘idiot’ were said with a grin, without bitterness. And honestly, he wasn't entirely sure how to deal with it. Niceness was not something he had encountered much in his life. He really hoped this was what friendship felt like.
Not that the bickering had entirely stopped, much to the exasperation of Shiro and Allura. But now Keith was holding his own, making witty responses just as fast as Lance, and they both laughed through it.
Today however, he couldn't think of a response. His brain had short circuited. Of all the nicknames that Lance had ever sent his way, this one he hadn't expected.
“Remember Lance; smooth!” Keith had shouted, trying to help Lance improve his flying like he'd asked.
“I'm always smooth, babe!” Lance had shouted back, laughing, over the intercom.
Keith couldn't even respond. Babe ?! Where the hell had that come from?
“Keith?” Lance’s voice came again.
“Y-yeah.” Keith stumbled over his words. “Wait, no. Shut up.” He couldn't believe this. How had this thrown him off so badly?
He could hear the smug grin Lance was most definitely wearing when he spoke next.
“What's the matter, sweety ? Do you prefer a different pet name?”
Keith bristled. At Lance, at himself…
“Oh my god, love birds, please focus.”
And at Pidge who interjected. Lance, of course, just laughed harder, but refocused on the flight course and left Keith in peace.
-----------------
The next morning, Keith discovered that Lance fully remembered how he had responded to the cheesy line - and was never going to let him live it down.
“Hey, honey, you sleep well?”
Keith groaned
“Please, Lance, shut up.”
“Aw, did it catch you off guard, darling?”
Apparently, Lance was going to milk this for all it was worth. It wasn't very often he could get Keith flustered.
It went on for days. Every other sentence, Lance was referring to Keith by some cheesy name. Sugar, honey, sweetheart, darling. Days turned into weeks, and Keith had finally accepted that it was gonna stay like this for a while. He noticed though. Noticed that Lance had never used the first one. He hadn't said the word ‘babe’ since that joke. Not to Keith, but not even to anyone else. And Keith didn't know why.
Didn't know; until things went wrong.
It hadn't supposed to go this wrong, but then again, things are never supposed to go wrong. He hadn't really thought. All that had gone through his head was that Lance was in danger. He wasn't about to let his best friend die. Best friend? Huh. Since when had he thought about Lance that way? He certainly cared for Lance a lot. Like, a hell of a lot. Like, in the way that he never wanted to leave his side. In the way he felt pride when Lance did something well, and protective when someone insulted him. Best friends think their friends are amazing, right? With their gorgeous smile, and stupid sense of humour, and hot abs, and pretty face and… Oh. This wasn’t friendship. Somewhere during their time together, Keith had apparently fallen in love with Lance.
That probably explained why he’d been so willing to push Lance out of the way and get himself shot instead. Stupid Galra guns. They hurt. immensely. Though, the bonus of laser guns was that they cauterised the wound as they hit. Better for maiming and torturing than for killing, really. Did the Galra even think this through? Maybe he should be thankful they hadn’t.
“Keith! Keith!”
A voice drifted through his shock-hazed mind. Who was that?
“Keith! Fuck! Babe! Answer me!”
Babe? It could only be Lance, really. Only he had ever called Keith ‘babe’. Even if it was only once. Now that Keith thought about it more, he had been called babe one other time. By some sleazy alien they were trying to negotiate with. Lance had nearly torn the guy apart, and back then Keith hadn’t understood why he had gotten so worked up.
“Keith! Please! Please, babe. Don’t you fucking die on me. I can’t- Please !”
A movement, and he watched Lance snipe an approaching enemy while barely looking at him, a look of utter fury flashing over his face; an expression so rarely seen on him. God, he was talented. Did anybody ever tell Lance that? Did he know? Keith had a feeling he didn’t.
Oh, right. He should probably let Lance know he was alive.
He opened his mouth to say as much, but all that came out was a grunt. He blinked. That was going to have to do.
A look of relief swept over Lance.
“Oh, thank God! Don’t worry! The rest are on their way for extraction. You’ll be in a healing pod soon. Then everything will be okay.” Lance had knelt next to Keith and was running his fingers through his black hair. “You’ll be fine. You’ll be fine.”
Keith was sure Lance was trying to convince himself more than anyone else, but the muttering and movement were soothing and Keith felt so tired. He eyes began to close. When he woke up, he’d have to make some joke about this time it being Lance cradling Keith in his arms.
More voices floated over to where Keith lay, and he heard Lance yell back, but the voices were indistinct and he couldn’t tell what they were saying. Didn’t really matter, he supposed. At least Lance was safe now… He slipped into darkness.
-------------------------
Keith blinked, trying to clear the drowsiness that fogged his mind and figure out where he was. A twinge of pain in his side seemed to bring him fully awake and memories of what had happened came rushing back to him. The fight, getting shot, Lance… He hoped that Lance was alright. There wouldn’t have been any point if the idiot had then gotten himself injured anyway.
The healing pod seemed to recognise that it’s job was over and, with a hiss, released Keith from it’s confines. He stumbled forward, trying to catch himself before his weak legs caused him to fall flat on his face, and looked around.
The pod room was empty. How long had he been out of it? Clearly long enough that the others couldn’t keep hanging around, but he had thought Lance at least… No, chances were the others had made him leave in order to sleep or something. Keith knew exactly how Lance worked. And he needed to find him; right away.
He stumbled through the castle, not entirely sure where he should be looking. Lance wouldn’t be in his bedroom; the kid couldn’t sit still long enough, especially if he was worried.
That struck Keith with a realisation. The training room.
He rushed towards it, the way familiar to his shaking legs, hands running along the wall to keep him upright. He heard Shiro shouting, sounding worried, and then Lance screaming back. He had never heard the blue paladin so agitated. It was a given he was doing something stupid, but normally he at least had enough self-preservation to look after himself. Keith had a feeling that was not the case at the moment and he had to get to Lance before he got himself hurt. Jesus, why was he always the one saving the guy?
The door to the training room opened to reveal a tense sight. Lance was standing in the middle of the room, surrounded by ‘dead’ training bots. His jeans sat low on his hips, his top half bare, sweat gleamed on his skin, and his hair was messy. It would have been an incredibly hot sight, if not for the circumstances. Lance’s face was contorted in rage and distress, tears streaming down his face, his gun pointed directly at Shiro. Shiro was looking panicked, trying to be heard over Lance, hands up in a placating gesture. Hunk stood off to the side, looking guilty. He had probably been the one to fetch Shiro when he was worried for Lance’s health.
“Lance, I’m not trying to freak you out, I just need you to be realistic about this!”
“Fuck you, Shiro! Don’t you dare ever say that again! He will wake up! He has to! I will fight God himself to make that happen!”
Keith took a step into the room. Hunk saw him first, surprise hitting him first before breaking out into a huge, pure grin.
“Keith!”
The room fell silent instantly, heads snapping towards the red paladin standing in the doorway, swaying unsteadily.
Lance took a step towards him, then hesitated, his free hand partially stretched out, as if not sure that Keith was actually real and wanting to touch him, to make sure. Keith couldn’t help but smirk slightly at him.
“Hey, babe.”
Lance’s eyes widened dramatically and a flush covered his face in an instant.
“You- I- I mean- Babe- What?” He couldn’t seem to string a sentence together and Keith couldn’t get over how cute he looked when he was flustered like that. He was starting to understand why Lance riled him up so often. Even better, his mind was starting to turn again.
“What? Would you prefer a different pet name? Honey? Sexy? Moron?”
Keith chuckled as Lance’s mouth opened and closed. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Shiro backing away to join Hunk, both beaming, but he wasn’t his concern right now.
His legs buckled, still not used to standing on their own, and he swore as he stumbled forward. Yet, instead of hitting the ground, suddenly he was being held up by skinny arms and a warm chest. Oh.
“Woah. I got you, babe.”
Keith steadied himself against Lance, wrapping his arms around the other’s neck for support. He grinned up at him.
“Oh good, you’re calling me babe again. I had been wondering why you stopped.” He was pretty sure his mind was still foggy; he wasn’t normally this sappy.
“Dude-”
“Don’t you fucking ‘dude’ me. We’re bonding here!”
Lance snorted.
“For once in my life, I don’t even have a response to that. Except that you’re a fucking idiot, getting yourself shot for me.”
“Shut up, Lance. You’re worth getting shot for.”
He didn’t even give Lance a chance to stop spluttering; he kissed him. Hard.
As Lance relaxed into him and began to return the kiss, Keith thought that maybe, for once in his life, this was where he was meant to be. And he was happy.