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It had been so long.
So long since he had last seen that black mullet, felt those curls in his fingers, how long had it been since he peered into his beautiful dark eyes with hints of purple or saw a rare smile after they kissed? How long had it been since he heard him laugh or cuddled up with him to sleep in deep space?
Lance didn't know.
He had sobbed and ached when they made it back to the castleship.
He had watched Keith die in his hands.
“Please don't leave me!” Lance had begged and cried.
“I love you so much lance..” Keith had murmured before he took his last breath and went limp in his arms as Lance clutched on to his hand like a lifeline and screamed.
The events after he passed were all blurred.
Lance was dragged back to the castle ship and they sat down for a meeting. Eyes at the table red-rimmed, wet cheeks red and blotchy as they watched Lance break down completely. Shiro looked on with remorse and quietly passed Keith's leather gloves over as a promise? Lance wasn’t sure.
He wore them everyday.
He tried to cover his sadness up with jokes and fake happiness.
Somehow it worked. They didn't hear his late night break-downs. They didn't see his scarred arms, or the blood pooling on the floor beneath him. They didn't see the black eyebags covered with makeup or how he had no appetite.
He had been told to move on quickly for the universe.
And he tried, tried so so hard. But to no avail.
He watched the universe continue on.
They saved the universe without him, and Lance couldn't help but cry.
How could he survive this?
He grew older, wrinkled.
The gloves were worn and cracked yet Lance still refused to take them off.
Even now as he laid in his death bed he still clutched onto them like a lifeline.
Lance lay on his bed, the glow in the dark stars still on the roof of his room after all this time. Music posters still hung up around the room.
A picture of him and Keith smiling together sat on his bedside table and he looked at it with love and guilt in his eyes.
Another Picture of him and his team sat closely next to the first one, along with one of him, his mama and his Abuela.
Lance looked at all of them with a soft smile on his wrinkled lips.
He could barley move now due to how old he was and how sore his joint were all the time. He couldn't even walk! It was torture.
“¡Bisabuelo! Bisabuelo!” His great-grandchild, Maria bounced into his room.
“Y-Yes Cariño?” He spoke slowly, his voice shaking.
His mouth couldn't keep up with his mind any more. His mind moves too fast but his body is old and slow. His winces at the aches in his legs and arms. He hated being old.
“Are you coming for dinner tonight? Mima made enchiladas!” She spoke, her toothy grin reminding him of his niece when she was younger.
“I-I’m sorry Cariño, But I’m- I’m old now and ca-cant walk anymore. I’m sorry” Lance trembles through his words, his old face wrinkled with remorse.
“Oh, okay…” She looked saddened then her eyes brightened. “I’ll just bring it up to you!”
Lance nodded slowly “That’ll do.” He whispered.
His oldest niece came through the doorframe.
“Maria let Abuelo rest, now come, dinner is almost ready.” She spoke calmly.
“Ok!” Maria bounded off down the hall full of energy as usual.
She sat next to his bed gently, the blankets sagging under her weight.
“102 now, Abuelo, how old can you get?” She chuckles softly at the attempted joke.
Lance shakily raises a sore, wrinkled arm and puts it on hers.
“I kn-know right, but I’m not goi-going to last mu-much longer.” Lance said, “and I’m sorry.” His eyes filled with wet, unshed tears.
“Theres no need to be sorry Abuelo.” She smiled softly at him. “You’ve lived your life, full as can be and now it's time for you to come to a rest.” She adds with a sorrow in her voice.
She sheds a tear and Lance gently wipes it away, his arm shaking with old age, her warm skin a contrast to his cold skin.
“I’ll go get dinner” She speaks and wipes her eyes. She gives him a kiss on his forehead and stalks out of the room.
Lance shuts his eyes and rubs the leather glove gently with his thumb, his pains and aches fading away, relief filling his aching body.
“I’m sorry” He whispers one last time as he feels himself fade.
A peaceful feeling washes over him as he steps off the bed. He looks behind him to see his old body, eyes shut.
His grandchild walks in and sees him limp and screams out.
“Ahhh! Abuelo !” She rushes to his side, dropping enchiladas on the floor and grabs his limp hand as the rest of the family rushes in, some still chewing on food.
Tears spread through the room and sobs echo off the walls of the house as he stands behind them watching them grieve.
“We loved you Lance,” One of his family members says and breaks down.
Almost in sync his family makes the sign of the cross and prays to God to receive his spirit as he once did for his mama and abuela.
He turns around to find a light, and standing before it, his mama standing with open arms.
“Mijo, It’s time to come home” Her mother speaks softly.
“Mama!” Lance yells and jumps into her warm embrace. He hugs her hard and sobs into her arms. “I missed you so much..”
Lance's mum brushes her fingers through his hair.
“It’s ok Mijo, time to go and leave this place.” She speaks with the gentle motherly tone she always has.
Lance practically felt himself melt back into his younger self. He looked at his smooth arms and ran his fingers over his face. The same one he had on the castleship. Free of winkles.
“O-Ok Mama, let’s go.” Lance takes her offered hand and together they walk through the bright light. Lance covers his eyes as they walk through it.
On the other side was his family. His abuela, sister, brothers, even family members he didn't even know, everyone was there. The whole family engulfed him in a hug.
“Lance Mijo!” One of them called out “This is your whole family, Generations of us!” He spoke excitedly. “And..”
The family parted in half to reveal his team behind them. Lance let out a deep sob.
“Go Mijo” His mother whispers, “We will always be here when you need us.” His mother nods and gently pushes him forward.
His family watches for a moment before turning around and heading off.
Hunk, Pidge, and Shiro stood there with tears in all of their eyes.
"Guess you really did outlive us Lance" Hunk spoke.
"The last of us to pass away" Pidge spoke adjusting her glasses even now, in the afterlife.
Shiro offered him a hug and lance accepted the offer as the rest of his team follow.
Hunk lifts them all up. "Aww! I just missed you guys so much!"
"Me too!" "Me three!" Lance chuckled at his teams antics.
"I can't believe the afterlife actually exists" Pidge spoke as they parted "No calculations on earth or any planet would-"
"Pidge!" Shiro laughed. "Calm down, we are safe now" Shiro placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled.
"Sorry...Your right" She offered him one of her own.
"I really wonder if I can cook up here." Hunk wondered aloud.
"Me too actually, I'm craving your garlic knots" Lance agreed with him.
"I'm pretty sure I saw a kitchen somewhere.." Pidge murmurs. "Come on lets go find it." She decides and drags Shiro and Hunk along as lance chuckles, watching them.
"Lance?” Keith suddenly breathes out behind Lance.
“Keith?” Lance whispers as tears spring into his eyes as he turned around.
Keith rushes forward as lance takes off, running into each others arms.
They tumble to the ground as they hug.
“How could you leave me!” Lance yelled. “Why!?” He sat on top of him and started crying while Keith gently cradled his face, wiping his tears.
“Ok, I deserved that,” He said. “I’m sorry” He kissed his nose and put their foreheads together.
The world expanded around them until they were surrounded by stars once again.
He hugged Keith tightly as they floated in space.
“You idiot…I missed you so much.” Lance's voice wobbled.
Keith looked into his eyes. He couldn't believe he got to see those beautiful blue eyes again. Lance gazed deep into Keith's, his deep eyes filling him with a warmth he hasn't known in ages.
“I love you” Keith spoke quietly.
“I love you too…” Lance whispered. “To the furthest cosmos”
Keith pulls Lance in for a kiss.
Their lips meet, Keith's are just as Lance remembered, warm, soft, and a little bit chapped. He chuckled gently at that thought before tilting his head to get a better angle.
Keith smiled and leaned back slightly. “I always watched over you. You kept my gloves.”
Lance blushed gently. “I did, didn't I?”
“You wore them everyday,” Keith teased gently as Lance smiled and laughed.
“Just kiss me Mullet” He demanded and pulled Keith in again.
Their lips met for a second time as Keith whispered into the kiss. “I missed that nickname Sharpshooter”
Lance smiled with a sigh and melted into Keith's embrace.
The two finally happy together, in peace.