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“What the fuck is your problem?” Keith yells, gripping tight onto Lance.
“What’s my problem? You are the one who came to my farm acting like you had something to prove, Keith! What, are you angry that you didn’t get what you wanted for once? Are you angry that I’m not happy you are here?” Lance tries to push Keith away but is met with Keith’s fist against his cheek.
”For once?” Keith asks, incredulous, “I have spent my entire life wanting more than I had. Is it so bad that I am finally getting things I want now after suffering for so fucking long?”
”I don’t want to do this shit anymore with you!” Lance tries again to push Keith away, hands against Keith and his thick jacket. “I’m tired of it, I’m tired of you!”
“If you are so tired of me then why did you come out here to talk to me when I landed?” Keith asks, slapping away Lance’s hands.
They stand silent, staring at each other, breathing heavily.
“Why did you come out here to talk to me?” Keith asks again, each word slow and methodical.
“I— I don’t know.”
”If you hate me so much, why do you keep trying to be around me?”
”Keith.”
”No, Lance! Why? Tell me why!”
”Because I love you, okay?? Because I love you, and I have for years. And you just keep playing around with my emotions like I mean nothing to you! I’m done with it, Keith. I’m done with you!”
This gives Keith pause. This entire time, he thought that Lance hated him because he had done something wrong. Well, maybe he did, but something wrong in the sense that he could never make it up to Lance. Something tells him that this is something he could come back from.
Does he want to?
Why are they fighting anyway?
“Lance, can we talk?”
”We are talking. You threw the first punch. We are arguing. Don’t talk to me with that tone.”
Lance is walking away from Keith now, pace fast as he makes his way to the barn where the cows are kept.
”I love you,” Keith says, sounding harsher than he would ever want to sound while saying those words, “I have for years.”
“Then why do you avoid me?”
”Because I’m not good enough for you!”
Lance turns to face Keith, anger clear on his face.
”You don’t get to decide that for me.”
”I know it’s the truth, though.”
”No, it isn’t. You don’t get to decide that you aren’t good enough for me when all I have wanted for years is you to love me back. Ever since everything settled down, since the war ended and we showed up to that get together in jackets that look so similar and—“ Lance throws his arms into the air, looking around, “I mean, even before that, when we first saw each other again! I thought you were so beautiful but all you wanted to do was fight with me.”
”You are the one who immediately caused problems,” Keith points out.
“Does it really matter now?” Lances asks.
”No. I suppose it doesn’t.”
”Why are we fighting, Keith?”
”I don’t know. Because I landed and you seemed dismissive of me despite coming out to see me. I brought a gift for you, but before I could even tell you that you were asking me why I was here in… an angry tone.”
”You never visit me anymore.”
”It’s been hard to. I’ve been so… busy.”
”You never invite me on missions anymore.”
”I thought you didn’t like them,” Keith admits.
”I did. Why didn’t you ask?”
”I don’t know.”
They stand in silence again.
Slowly, Keith approaches Lance. This time, instead of his hands balling up into fists, they lay flat on Lance’s back as he hugs him.
”I’m sorry,” Keith whispers.
”I am too,” Lance says, hugging Keith back tight.
”I don’t mean to be so… this.”
”I don’t either.”
Lance sniffles, tears running down his cheeks.
”Lance…” Keith frowns. He looks at Lance, “I’m so sorry.”
”I miss you,” Lance looks at Keith. He sobs, “I miss you so much.”
”I miss you too. Can we try this again?”
Lance nods.
”Hi, Lance. It’s good to see you.”
”Same to you.”
”I brought you something I found that reminded me of you,” Keith takes a necklace out of his pocket and hands it to Lance. It is a simple golden chain with two small gemstones at the bottom. A ruby and a sapphire.
”Keith… It’s beautiful.”
”I’m sorry for being absent. I’m sorry for leaving you for so long. But I want to be friends again. I want to be more than friends.”
”I do too.”
“Can we try?”
Lance nods. He allows Keith to clip the necklace around his neck, feeling the cool gems on his chest.
”Thank you.”
”Of course, Lance,” Keith holds Lance again, “I’m sorry for punching you.”
”I’m sorry too.”
”We should learn a way of communication that isn’t yelling and physical altercations.”
”Yeah. I agree..”
”We can learn how to talk.. without raising our voices.”