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Lance knew that Keith being part Galran had come as a shock to them all – he knew that, but he didn’t understand how it changed anything. Keith was Keith. He’d always been Keith – and he’d always been part Galran too even when they hadn’t known it so he was still the same as he was before.
Lance was grateful on behalf of Keith that Hunk and Pidge had accepted his being Galran so easily. He was grateful that even though Coran and Shiro had had their fair dealings with bad Galras, that they soon returned to treating Keith as they had before.
But frankly, Lance was done with how Allura was treating Keith so coldly. She gave him a cold look, a cold shoulder, a cold everything and Lance was offended for Keith. No one said anything about it either - not directly, at least. He knew that they’d tell Keith to just give her some time, that she was still trying to get used to it and he knew that they’d tell Allura that he was still the same person despite the revelation, but everyone was sugar-coating it like hell and Lance was so fucking done.
Especially when Keith tried. He tried saying small things to her or asking her questions but she’d shoot him down with a hostile glare – and the way that Keith got clammy after she’d do that? The way that his usually fiery self would just freeze? So not okay in Lance’s books.
So enough was enough.
They were eating dinner and, as usual, the mood was a little awkward because Keith tried to talk to her at least twice a day and he always tried at dinner time when the whole team was together.
“So how’s the plan for the next mission coming along?” Keith asked, shooting a wary glance at Allura as she did her usual ice-cold glance up. Everyone waited. Would she finally respond properly?
But she only looked away and said, in a voice devoid of warmth, “Good.” Then she continued eating like nothing was wrong.
Keith’s shoulders slumped and Lance was done.
He put his cutlery down and bit out, low and serious, “Are you fucking kidding me?”
Everyone stopped.
Allura looked surprised and that only enraged Lance even more.
“You can’t treat him like that.” Lance hissed. “Keith is part Galran – so fucking what? He’s human, too. And what, just because he has Galran blood, you’re going to condemn him?” Everyone was staring. “You can’t just do that. I’m sure not every Altean out there when they were still around was a saint – you can’t judge him for something he can’t control.”
“Lance – ” Shiro started but Lance was determined to make Allura see fucking straight.
“You’re being prejudiced and hostile and – quite frankly – rude. We’re a fucking family and you’re going to turn on Keith just like that? For god’s sake, we’re all human and you and Coran are aliens – did we condemn you? Did Keith?”
There was a hand suddenly gripping his arm.
Lance looked over and found Keith’s eyes wide. Keith wanted him to stop. That only added to the fire.
“I just – ” Allura started, seemingly lost for words. And how couldn’t she be? Lance was always the carefree, casual one. He always used kissing up, flirtatious words on her. She hadn’t dealt with a biting Lance before. “Lance, please,” she started again, “I’m sorry, I wasn’t… I didn’t think of it like that – ”
“You weren’t thinking at all.” Lance pointed out.
Shiro murmured a firm, “Lance,” to reprimand him.
A silence settled over the table.
Allura looked guilty and filled with shame. It made Lance feel bad but when he glanced over at Keith looking at him with wide, struck eyes – that… that kind of made everything better.
No one said anything so Lance sighed and grabbed up Keith’s arm before standing. “We’re going.” He announced before dragging him out of the dining room.
At first, Keith didn’t say anything but soon enough, he had enough of the dragging around.
“Lance, what was that?” He asked, frowning a little. Why did his stupid mullet head always resort to frowny confusion whenever he didn’t know how to deal with emotions?
“It was me standing up for you.” Lance said as he turned around and dropped Keith’s arm. “I was just so sick of Allura treating you like that.”
“The Galra did destroy – ”
“Quiznak, Keith,” Lance groaned, “like I said, that had nothing to do with you. You’re Galran, not evil. Your species doesn’t decide whether you’re evil or not – plus, you’re more human than you are Galran. You don’t even look Galran. There are plenty of evil humans too – that doesn’t mean that we’re bad. Allura just – she was acting stupid about it.” He crossed his arms and frowned himself.
Keith didn’t say anything for a few moments but then Lance heard a small murmur of, “Thank you.”
Lance blinked in surprise as his crossed arms slipped to hang from his sides when he looked at Keith.
Because Keith was blushing.
Lance felt his own face heat as he turned his head away and rubbed at the back of his neck, “N-No worries.”
The next day, Lance was in his own room and listening to music that Pidge had managed to conjure for him when there was a knock on his door. He took one of his headphones out as he called, “Come in.”
He was surprised to find that it was Keith – and he looked so happy.
“It’s thanks to you.” Keith started as he walked in.
Lance was really confused for a few moments but then Keith was sitting on his bed beside him.
“Allura talked to me – she apologised for the way she acted.”
Lance perked up, lips curving into a smile, “She did? Good, otherwise I don’t think a second berating would have gone down well.” (It never had with his younger siblings and kid cousins back on Earth, after all).
“Lance, thank you.” Keith breathed and oh…. Keith looked like he was in awe and Lance had no idea how to deal with that because even though he always flirted with space girls and acted like he was the Bee’s Knees, he was completely amateur to anything regarding romance. Plus, he may have been starting to crush on Keith (who could resist – the guy sometimes trained shirtless and that was stupid)?
Lance felt his face suddenly heat up as he glanced down and away, “Um, y-yeah, no problem, I – ” He froze when Keith leaned forward and pressed their lips softly together.
Keith pulled back, “Thanks for still being able to see me for who I am,” he said and then moved forward again. Their lips pressed together more firmly and then Keith pulled away again, “Thanks for standing up for me,” and then another peck and Lance was really finding it hard to breathe right now, “Thanks for just being there.”
Keith pressed one last peck and then didn’t say anything else as he just surveyed Lance.
At this point, Lance was a complete mess. He only managed a shaky, “C-Cool.”
Keith snorted and then he was leaning forward with a murmur that sounded a lot like, “Even though you are an idiot.” (At this point, Lance’s brain was lagging by approximately 500 light years and he still had no idea what was going on)
Just before their lips touched, Keith whispered, “This is okay, isn’t it?”
It took a few seconds but soon enough, Lance managed to squeak out, “M-More than,” as his fingers dug into his bed sheets.
Keith nodded, satisfied, and then closed the gap between them so that they were kissing again.