Work Text:
The room is dark when he wakes up, throwing a arm over to the left side of their bed he can feel the left over heat Lance left before he had gotten up. He curls his fingers lightly into the blue- 'periwinkle Keith!'- sheets before he pushes up on his elbows bowing his head into his pillow. He hears the familiar shuffling of socked feet against their hardwood floor before it goes silent as the feet reach carpet. Keith sighs and turns his head to the right to blearily look up at his lover, in the dark of their room he can make out his shape but that's unfortunately it.
"C'mere." He absolutely does not whine, no matter what the answering snort indicates. He feels familiar, warm, right, safe, hands settle on his head slowly stroking through his hair. He sighs, pushing into the gentle affection. His chest feels tingly, like there's something trying to crawl out of his chest and through his throat. He swallows it down before rolling to his side fully and extending his arms. He can feel the vibrations on his skin from the amusement that curls out of his lover when he snatches his arm and pulls him bodily into him. His arms go around his waist, fingers resting on shoulder blades as he fully relaxes into him. The hand is back and he pushes his face into the clothed chest of his partner.
"I'm gonna need to go soon" He says, which is just rude if Keith does say so himself and he does, dragging another rumble of vibrations from his love.
He feels a pressure on the top of his head and finally wiggles just enough to look up. He thought he would get used to it but as always his breath stutters as he locks eyes with him. Dark blue, almost black in the dark, eyes creased at the edges, fondness making them crinkle shut more than usual. Lance had been looking at him like this for over a decade at this point and it still made his heart race and palms sweat. He pressed his lips into a thin line in fear of vomiting butterflies any moment, Lance pressed his lips to his hairline before sighing.
"Seriously, I have a last minute class to teach." Keith huffed out a breath but didn't whine about how unfair it felt when he saw the tight draw of his lovers jaw. Instead he leaned up and kissed his chin, removing a arm from around his waist to be able to reach up and press the pad of his thumb into the crease of Lance's brows smoothing it out. His partner sighed before grabbing his wrist and kissing the tips of his fingers. Keith's lips twitched up while he felt like his stomach was going to fall out of his throat with the amount of flips it was doing. He curled his hand into Lance's before tangling their fingers together and pressing the back of his lovers hand to his own cheek. He fluttered his lashes just a bit, dipping his chin slightly to look up through them at Lance he murmured so softly it was almost lost.
"You sure I can't convince you to stay with me?" He held back a giddy laugh at the way he felt Lance stiffen up in his arm but he couldn't hold back the smile that appeared.
Lance groaned and let go of his hand only to place it on his cheek and start squishing. Keith could hear him mumbling under his breath, he picked out words like 'cute' and 'emo' but before he could express- no its not a squawk Lance, his offense, his face was over taken by featherlight kisses. The giddy feeling he had before came back as he tried to push Lance's face off his own, of course his lover wasn't one to back down from a challenge so he simply started pressing pecks harder into any exposed skin he could reach. They ended up wrestling as Keith tried to push him off his face, rolling until they both went off the edge of their bed with a thump.
"Ow." Keith muttered with no sincerity behind his words as he looked up at Lance who was pressed against him from toe to chest. They stared for a few seconds before they finally lost it, giggling and pushing at each other like they were kids again. Keith drug his hands up his lovers arms to his shoulders before wrapping them around his neck and grinning up at him. Face red and a little breathless from the laughter, his eyes fluttered shut as he met his favorite part of his boyfriend- besides his eyes, and hair, and hands, and arms, and smile, and that one beauty mark on the tip of his nose and- you get his point, in the middle and pressed a soft kiss into his lips.
He let a little 'oof' out as Lance fully melted into him, pressing his full body weight into him. He didn't mind, its not like he couldn't handle his lovers weight. In fact he wrapped his arms tighter around his neck as he deepened the kiss. Tongue swiping across the seem of his lips, relishing in the pleased sound his partner made as he traced the of roof his mouth with the tip of his tongue. Keith could feel his entire body buzzing with energy. The good kind, the kind that made him want to indulge and relax. He wanted to crawl into Lance, to meld their bodies together so they wouldn't be apart. He wanted to be closer, always closer but eventually they had to pull apart to breathe. Neither went far, hot puffs of air fanned across both faces. They weren't much more than breathing into each others mouths at this point. Grinning, Lance rubbed the tip of his nose against Keith's. They laid there tangled together, just enjoying the warmth and comfort of their person.
"Oh crap" Lance's words made Keith hum in confusion before blinking his eyes open, when he shut them he didn't know. He looked up at his lover, taking in his slightly flushed cheeks and kissed red lips. It satisfied a part of him that he made Lance look like that, he dragged his eyes up from Lance's lips to his eyes. Furrowing his own brow as he noticed the slightly wide eyed alarmed look he was expressing. He was about to voice his own confusion before he lost the ability to voice his words as his lovers elbow, very sharp elbow pressed into his diaphragm. Groaning, he clutched his stomach as Lance scrambled to untangle from their position on the floor and stand up. He pushed himself up on his elbow, one arm still strung around his stomach as he watched Lance rush about the room.
"I'm gonna be so late" Came a whine from across their room, snorting Keith finally levered himself up off the ground to stand and follow his boyfriend out of their room. Lance was a flurry of limbs, grabbing his lunch- 'Thank you Keith'- while trying to slip his boots on with one hand. Fondness curled in his chest, it was almost enough to make him stumble when he took a step forward. Silent steps crossing the distance between them, grabbing his lovers jacket off of the back of one of their chairs. He waited for Lance to finish putting his boots on before grabbing him by the tips of his fingers, gently pulling him towards him. He silently helped Lance slip his jacket on before running his hands down the front of his chest.
"I'll see you later, loser" His insult was useless when they both could hear the embarrassing amount of affection bleeding through his tone. Lance snorted before leaning down for a quick kiss, he barely had any time to appreciate it before his lover was pulling back with his face scrunched up.
"Ewwww, morning breath" Keith's jaw dropped in disbelief before he grabbed Lance by the back of his neck and proceeded to give him the noogie of a lifetime. It had the desired effect, Lance squawked and pulled away to pat down his hair with a pout on his lips. Keith bit back a grin but couldn't help placing another quick kiss on his mouth, smacking loudly. Lance giggled and sighed before shaking his body out, like his wolf- 'Kosmo, Keith!'- after rain gets him.
"Okay, okay I really have to leave now, I know we were supposed to have a month to ourselves while you're on leave but they really needed someone to sub in because 'Becca got sick and you know she's in her second term, which I know exciting right? I promise I wont pick up any more classes while you're here, we barely get enough downtime separately as is, much less together. That's like so bogus by the way, we need more breaks, lets take more breaks or we could like run away" Keith cut him off with his fingers, pressing the tips into his lips to stop his partners rambling. His lips curled into the most disgustingly fond curve while his eyes shined with affection.
"Lance, it's okay. I can handle a few hours by myself, I'll go bother Shiro if I get lonely. Go to work and when you come home we can have dinner and watch a movie or something." Lance's eyes softened before he pressed his lips against his fingers in a light kiss, smiling at each other they separated from one another. They whispered their goodbyes, followed by another soft kiss before they parted- for good this time-, at the front door. Keith leaned against the doorframe as he watched his partner walk away from their house and toward the car they had parked on the street, he chuckled when Lance paused on the driver side to blow him a kiss and wink. He lifted his hand to catch the kiss- obviously, like he'd ignore a kiss from his boyfriend- and watched him as he drove down the road until he turned right and went out of sight.
Keith stood there a few moments longer, his chest still alight with warmth before he sighed and dragged a hand down his face. He pushed his hair out of his face and frowned slightly at the empty feeling that started to unfurl in his body. He hated being away from Lance, everything about him was familiar and warm. Keith had come to terms with the fact he wouldn't ever feel complete unless he was in his partners presence. There was something about Lance that had always enraptured him, even when they were still paladins. The feelings he had for his other half, he couldn't put into words. He tries to but he doesn't believe anything will really capture the way he longs for Lance when he's not in sight. He'd thought after being with someone for so long, more than half their lives at this point, the urge to be near them all the time would fade. For Keith it hadn't, he always thought his emotions burned bright and hot but eventually faded. With Lance it was like the torch he held for him had a constant source of oxygen and endless wick. It burned brightly when they were just kids fighting a war and it stayed burning just as bright until now.
He knew Lance hadn't felt that way about him back then, there was something when black chose him and red followed with Lance. It wasn't huge, a spark, something that could've caught if they nurtured it. He didn't, he left, he let the spark go out. Sometimes, Keith wants to strangle himself for that but if it led to where they are now,- what they are now- he cant find it in himself to regret much. Pushing off the doorframe, he turns back to walk into their house, and isn't that lovely, their house, their home. Lance had looked at him, after years, after it was all over and something ad changed. It was slow, almost torturously. They both needed to figure out their places after the war, after the loss, after Allura. He squeezes his eyes shut, running a hand across them roughly. It had been years and he doesn't think the grief when he thinks of her will ever fade, he knows its worse for Lance. He knows Lance still has moments where the grief is too much, where it overwhelms him. He's always there when it does, unless he's out on a mission, even then he sneaks away to answer his partners calls. People may think he'd get jealous when Lance has these moments but really he's just so, incredibly sad. Not because Lance cared for her, loved her- Keith loved her too- but because he has this insane desire to make sure Lance never feels pain and he knows he cant because its just apart of being human.
He steps through their living room and collapses onto the couch, some old thing they thrifted and lugged up their porch steps,- Keith and Shiro that is, Lance offered moral support from the porch swing- he's exhausted but he doesn't feel like going back to their bed. It's not as nice when Lance isn't in it with him, it's probably cold by now anyways. Sighing he turns his head to the left, where before he had faceplanted into the fabric cushions and resigns himself to watching trash tv- 'Housewives isnt trash tv, mullet!'- until its time to make dinner or until Lance comes home, whichever comes first.
Unfortunately, Dinner comes first. He sends Lance a text hours before, asking what he wants for the meal, he doesn't get a message back that's helpful so he just throws some of their easy go-to's in the oven and calls it a day after cleaning up. When seven rolls around and Lance still isn't home Keith sighs, when eight comes and then nine he starts to watch the clock on his phone, waiting for a notification or call from his lover. It's not until a quarter til ten that he hears the sound of a car door shutting, he leaves the food in the kitchen that he was packing up to go to the door. When he opens it, he pulls his boyfriend into a hug immediately. He feels Lance melt into him, digging his nose into his neck and just breathing. As he pulls away he notices the exhausted look his lover has in his eyes, brows drawing together he opens his mouth to ask but Lance shuts him up by pressing a kiss into it.
"Too tired to talk 'bout it right now, I'm starving." Is the answer he gets, not one to sit and do nothing Keith nods and tugs Lance over to the couch where he pushes him down to sit. Lance looks up at him with these big blue puppy eyes but Keith turns on his heel to go warm up his plate. Lance has his head tipped back against the back rest of their couch when he returns, cracking his eye open when he hears Keith draw near. He smiles tiredly at him before making grabby hands at the plate of food. Keith smiles at his boyfriend before plopping down next to him so said boyfriend can eat while leaning on his shoulder. Keith presses a kiss into his hair and leaves his lips there, closing his own eyes as he just enjoys the warmth of Lance against his side.
They sit there for a while, Lance with a plate in his lap until he pushes himself up and heads to the kitchen. Keith barely opens his eyes to watch Lance go and return, his boyfriend making a beeline to his lap. Lance shuffles closer before getting comfy, Keith reaches up to help him take his jacket off while Lance kicks his boots off. Keith slides his hands down his waist before sticking them up Lance's shirt, simply for the sake of skin on skin contact. Lance sighs before pressing their chests together, one hand going down the neck of his shirt to rest on his back while the other plays with his hair. Keith is content to sit here forever, pressed against each other, be it for the comfort or the security, he doesn't care. All he cares about is that Lance is here and warm and humming that happy little tune he does when he's particularly content. He hums himself when Lance starts to rub their cheeks together, the action itself so cute he cant help but clench his hands a bit squeezing whatever part of Lance that's under them. He feels so gooey, like chocolate melting in the Texas sun. The butterflies are threatening to come out of his mouth with how much affection this man inspires in him, instead he pushes Lance back a bit and moves so he can lay back on the couch. Lance of course, like this morning, throws his full body weight into his partner.
Keith can feel Lance's nose poking his collar bone before he gets the familiar feeling of light kisses and nibbling along the line of his neck, his hands tighten on his hips before he trails up his back to hold the back of his neck. He tilts his head to the side a bit, his boyfriend takes it as the invitation it is and licks up his neck to just under his jaw. He cant help the little groan that leaves his lips as Lance sucks a mark into his skin, his fingers tightening around the hair at the end of Lances neck before he releases it and pets the back of his head lightly. Lance continues his path, leaving little kisses all the way up to his mouth. They both sigh into it when they finally press together, its light and soft and everything Keith cant put into words. It's calming, it's the spark, the flame steady and eternal, its them. They pull apart and Lance goes back to nuzzling into his neck and Keith, he presses kisses on any part of Lance he can reach until he feels the vibration of a giggle into his neck. His head falls back against the cushion and he closes his eyes, his chest and arms full. He's always burned bright with his emotions, they still do, they are still all encompassing and overwhelming but sometimes, like now, all they feel like is a warm fire. A low burning that spreads throughout his entire body like a hearth warming a home. His lips bloom into a soft smile, one he can feel against his neck as well, and he just enjoys his night with his other half.