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As they sat on the floor exhausted, their eyes caught and for a brief moment, Keith saw something in Lance that he hadn’t seen before, but he had no clue what it was. Seconds later, Lance was resting his head on Keith’s shoulder and Keith was too exhaust after the near death experiences they had both just had to question anything or even wiggle out from Lances head. But he had to admit, he really didn’t want to.
That was a month ago. A month since the castle tried to kill them after the King’s artificial intelligence program was corrupted. But nothing had changed. Or something had changed, Keith wasn’t really sure. All he knew was that Lance did not annoy him nearly as much and that Lance had been touching him. No, not in a sexual way, just little touches here and there, a hand on his shoulder, bumping up against him while sitting down for dinner. Little things really, but they hadn’t happened before and Keith was beyond confused. He wanted to ask Lance, but they hadn’t been fighting as much lately, which was good for the team and the mission so Keith did not want to abruptly change the balance, but not knowing was irritating him more than Lance being his normal self.
Annoyed, Keith tried to take his mind off of it by training harder, but instead he ended up using each hit like plucking the petals off of a daisy, nothing has changed, hit, something has changed, hit, and so on until the training bot was defeated and he called for the next one. He never thought himself a romantic, but his mind was proving him wrong.
Shiro was the first to notice a difference in his behavior of course. He was team dad after all, whether he wanted to admit it or not. Keith actually kind of liked it, it made the team feel more like the family that he didn’t have, not that he would ever admit that either. He pulled Keith aside one day after training to ask him if everything was okay. Keith shrugged off his concern, because in reality, it was okay. The team was performing better each mission that they completed and their alliance against the Galra was growing with each new planet they visited. Keith couldn’t let a few little touches mess that up, after all, their mission was far more important.
Allura was the second to notice, or maybe the first, along with Shiro, but maybe she didn’t want to approach him before Shiro had a chance, Keith wasn’t really sure. Allura however, after asking if he was okay, followed it up with a question about him and Lance. In his shock, Keith could do nothing but stutter that nothing was going on before storming down the hallway to the training room.
After that he couldn’t help but see how Shiro and Allura looked at him with worried eyes. He tried to ignore it. Really he did, but the longer it went, the more frustrated he got all while Lance continued to be his annoying, flirtatious self.
Keith was up late, practicing in the training room, which had become his normal routine when Lance pranced in. Keith hoped that he didn’t see the step that Keith had missed when he saw Lance enter the room.
“Can’t sleep either, Keith?”
“No.”
“Well, since we’re both up, you might as well keep me company.”
“I’m training.”
“Well, then I’ll keep you company. Let’s fight, pony boy.”
“Pony boy?” Keith questioned, raising one eyebrow.
“Do not question my smack talk. Now en garde!” Lance almost shouted, getting into a fighting stance and barely giving Keith anytime to do the same.
Lance won the first bout, only because Keith was confused about the whole situation. Well that, and the fact that Keith was getting more distracted the more Lance’s clothes stuck to his body with sweat.
The second bout Keith rallied long enough to win fairly quickly.
“Again,” Lance shouted while he was standing up.
“Perhaps we should take a break,” Keith suggested.
“No, again,” Lance pouted like a child while reaching up to remove his shirt. Keith hoped that his eyes didn’t widen too much at his fellow paladins action. It’s not like he hadn’t seen Lance without a shirt on before, it’s just that this felt different. Keith cursed under his breath and prepared himself for Lance’s incoming attack.
Five minutes later the two were collapsed, panting on the floor.
“Good fight, good fight, but I still think that I should have won,” Lance whined.
Keith just grunted in reply.
Lance turned so his head was resting on Keith’s knee and Keith thought he was going to die. Instead of continuing in this situation, he nudged Lance’s head off his leg and stood up to leave.
“Wait.” It was quiet, almost a whisper, but Keith knew what he heard and stopped his walk to the door. Keith sighed and turned around. He guessed they were talking about this now.
“I…I just,” Lance stuttered.
“What, forgot how to use your words? That’s unlike you,” Keith teased to lighten the situation.
“Shut up,” Lance demanded. Keith kept quiet as Lance turned his head to stare at the wall.
“I like you,” Lance whispered.
“I thought we were rivals,” Keith smirked.
“Would you… god, I thought I was the annoying one.”
“Sorry,” Keith muttered.
“I want to… well what I want isn’t exactly possible on a spaceship.”
“What do you want?” Keith asked.
“Are you really going to make me say it?” Lance asked, turning his eyes back to meet Keith’s and give him an angry look.
“Yes, because I don’t know what’s going on! You’ve been acting strange since… since that night!” Keith shouted, a month’s worth of pent up frustration being vented in two sentences.
“I want to date you!” Lance retorted, closing his eyes as if that would lessen the awkwardness of the situation.
Keith just stood there. He thought knowing what was going on would help, but he wasn’t sure if he was ecstatic or terrified or annoyed. He turned, as if to leave, before marching over to Lance kneeling down and forcing their lips together. He felt Lance freeze and suppressed the urge to run away before he deepened this kiss. After a few seconds Lance relaxed and began to kiss him back, much to Keith’s relief. They broke away briefly, gasping for breath before Lance pulled Keith back to him.
And that was how Shiro found them, lips locked and out breath in the training room. The next morning at breakfast, a dejected Hunk handed Pidge twenty bucks.