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The first thing Keith noticed when he woke up was the warmth.
The second was that he couldn’t move his arm.
He blinked slowly, staring up at the unfamiliar ceiling for half a second before memory settled back in. Mission. Late night. Debrief that ran too long. He must’ve crashed in one of the common rooms instead of making it back to his quarters.
That explained the couch.
It did not explain the arm.
Keith shifted slightly—and immediately froze when something warm and solid shifted with him.
“…Don’t,” came a muffled voice against his shoulder. “If you wake me up, I’m breaking up with you.”
Keith snorted softly, relaxing back into the cushions. “You’re drooling on me.”
“I do not drool.”
“You absolutely do.”
There was a pause.
“…Okay, a little,” Lance admitted, not moving an inch. “But it’s part of my charm.”
Keith glanced down.
Lance was half sprawled on top of him, one arm thrown across his chest, face tucked into the crook of Keith’s neck like that was just where he belonged. His hair was a mess, sticking out in every direction, and his breathing was slow and even—clearly not as awake as he was pretending to be.
Keith felt something in his chest go soft.
“You’re heavy,” he said, though there was no real bite to it.
“Wow,” Lance mumbled. “Rude. I thought you loved me.”
“I do,” Keith said easily. “Doesn’t make you any less heavy.”
Lance huffed a quiet laugh, the sound warm against Keith’s skin. “You’re just weak.”
“Get off me and I’ll prove you wrong.”
“Nope. I live here now.”
Keith rolled his eyes, but he didn’t try to move him again.
Instead, he shifted just enough to get comfortable, letting his head rest back against the arm of the couch. Outside the wide windows, space stretched endlessly, quiet and dark, scattered with distant stars.
For once, everything felt still.
“No training today?” Keith asked after a moment.
Lance made a vague noise that might have been a “no.”
“Briefing?”
Another noise. “Mm… later.”
Keith glanced down again. “You’re really committing to this whole ‘not moving’ thing.”
“Shh,” Lance murmured. “I’m enjoying this.”
Keith hesitated, then carefully freed his hand just enough to run his fingers lightly through Lance’s hair.
Lance stilled.
“…Okay,” he said after a second, voice softer now. “You can stay.”
Keith huffed a quiet laugh.
“Generous.”
“I know. I’m an amazing boyfriend.”
“Debatable.”
Lance tilted his head just enough to look up at him, squinting slightly. “Wow. And here I was, being cute and everything.”
“You’re always cute.”
The words slipped out before Keith could stop them.
Lance blinked.
Keith froze.
“…You wanna say that again?” Lance asked, suddenly much more awake.
“No.”
“I think you do.”
“I don’t.”
“You definitely do.”
Keith groaned, dropping his head back. “I take it back.”
“Too late. It’s out there. In the universe. Pidge could probably track it.”
“Please don’t tell Pidge.”
“Oh, I’m absolutely telling Pidge.”
“Lance—”
“I’m kidding,” Lance said, grinning now. “Relax.”
Keith narrowed his eyes. “You’re the worst.”
“And yet,” Lance said, shifting just enough to press a quick kiss to Keith’s jaw, “you’re still here.”
Keith’s expression softened despite himself.
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “I am.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Lance settled back down, tracing absent patterns against Keith’s chest with his fingers. It was the kind of quiet that didn’t feel awkward or heavy—just… easy.
Keith wasn’t used to easy.
But with Lance, it happened more and more.
“Hey,” Lance said after a while.
“Yeah?”
“You ever think about how weird this is?”
Keith frowned slightly. “What is?”
“This.” Lance gestured vaguely, which mostly just meant shifting closer. “Us. Space. Giant robot lions. The fact that we’re somehow in a relationship in the middle of all of that.”
Keith considered it.
“…Not really,” he said.
Lance snorted. “Of course you don’t.”
“I mean, yeah, it’s weird,” Keith added. “But… this part isn’t.”
Lance tilted his head again. “What do you mean?”
Keith hesitated, searching for the right words.
“This,” he repeated, quieter now. “Being here with you. It’s the only thing that doesn’t feel complicated.”
Lance went very still.
“…Keith,” he said, a little stunned, “that was actually—like—really romantic.”
Keith immediately looked uncomfortable. “Don’t make it a thing.”
“I’m absolutely making it a thing.” Lance pushed himself up slightly, just enough to look at him properly. “Do you have any idea how rare it is for you to say stuff like that?”
“I say things.”
“You say ‘we should leave’ and ‘that’s a bad idea.’ That’s not the same.”
Keith rolled his eyes, but there was a faint flush creeping up his neck.
“Whatever.”
Lance grinned, softer this time. “Hey.”
“What?”
Lance leaned in and kissed him.
It wasn’t rushed or dramatic—just slow and warm and familiar, like something they’d done a hundred times and still meant every time.
Keith relaxed into it almost immediately, one hand coming up to rest at the back of Lance’s neck, keeping him close.
When they pulled apart, Lance lingered there, forehead resting lightly against Keith’s.
“See?” he murmured. “Not complicated.”
Keith huffed quietly. “You’re insufferable.”
“You love it.”
“…Yeah,” Keith admitted.
Lance smiled, softer now, and settled back down against him like he had no intention of moving anytime soon.
“Good,” he said.
A comfortable silence settled again, heavier this time with something unspoken but understood.
After a few minutes, Keith spoke again.
“You’re still drooling.”
Lance groaned. “Oh my god.”
“I can feel it.”
“You’re so annoying.”
“And yet—”
“Don’t,” Lance warned, but there was laughter in his voice.
Keith smirked slightly, running his fingers through Lance’s hair again.
They stayed like that longer than they probably should have—long enough that the rest of the Castle started to wake up, distant footsteps and voices echoing faintly through the halls.
Neither of them moved.
Eventually, Lance let out a quiet sigh. “We should probably get up.”
“Probably.”
Neither of them did.
“…Five more minutes?” Lance offered.
Keith glanced down at him, then out at the stars, then back again.
“…Five more minutes.”
Lance smiled against his shoulder, already settling back in.
And this time, when Keith closed his eyes, it wasn’t from exhaustion.