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Years passed.
The pain dulled, the wound scarred over. But it throbbed anew every year.
Every time the flowers were placed, every time the words were remembered, the pain resurged.
But life went on.
Until the time came, and Lance lay old and sickly in a hospital bed.
This would be the first year that he would miss his annual visit to Keith’s grave.
The resting place of the man he had loved was now out of his reach.
He sent flowers on with his sister’s children. But it wasn’t the same.
He could feel in his bones that he wouldn’t be able to last much longer.
He feared death, not because he feared the afterlife, but because he feared the void.
What might he lose when he died? His memories? His sense of self?
Would he lose all that he had left of Keith forever?
He’d said his goodbyes already.
Hunk was also bedridden now, but Lance had video called with him only hours ago. Pidge visited often. She had more life in her than the other two did now, but she too was showing signs of age.
There was no one else for Lance to bid farewell to.
All of the nieces and nephews had been seen and hugged him.
His parents and sister had already passed before him.
It was his time now, and he was prepared to face it.
The world began to gray around him. His eyes swam, struggling to focus as machinery began to frantically beep around him.
In an instant it all seemed to fade away, as though he were underwater.
He felt as though he were drowning as the gray faded to black.
Then he broke through the surface and he stood in darkness.
As though in a dream he perceived the frantic sounds of the hospital around him.
There’s something, a feeling in the darkness that draws him to move.
He walks, following the pull, not knowing where he is being led or why.
He sees in the distance a glimmer of light, and hears a ghost of a sound.
Lance.
He freezes, unable to comprehend what he might be hearing.
It's too impossible, too fantastic to be.
He breaks into a run, until with a bright flash he reaches the light and the world takes form around him.
He stands among the stars, looking down at the Earth, his beautiful shining jewel of home.
He sees his beach, the house where he grew up, and the waves where he smiled for the stars.
And then he hears something he never thought he would hear again.
“Lance.”
The voice is unmistakable, even after all the long years. It's cadence familiar, warm, and full of everything that he had dreamed of and lost.
“Keith?”
He turns, terrified to hope that it might be real, afraid to believe lest it all be a dream.
He sees a doorway, mantled in worlds and draped in stardust, a portal to another place.
And standing there in the doorway is the one he had lost all those years ago, smiling at him brightly with tears glistening in his eyes.
His hand was held out in front of him, reaching out to Lance, beckoning him forward.
“I’ve been waiting,” he says softly. “It's time to step into the other room, Lance.”
Tears blur Lance’s vision as he steps forward and takes the proffered hand, pulling it to his chest and holding it there.
“It's been a long time.” He finally chokes out.
“It has.” Keith agrees. “But I knew you’d come eventually.”
“How?” Lance whispers.
Keith reached out and placed a hand on Lances cheek, and gave him a soft and knowing smile, before embracing him tightly, tears flowing freely down his face.
“Because that night Lance; you smiled for the stars.”
Keith pulled away and tugged at Lance’s arms.
“Come on,” he said, “there's some people I want you to meet.”
Lance turned and gave one last look at the world that he had given everything to protect.
Then he faced Keith and followed him through the door, a new light burning in his eyes as years of pain melted away into joy and the promise of eternity.