Next instalment of the VLD Flames AU and I promptly butcher Keith and Lance's personalities. Great... (At least... I think Keith is OOC? It feels like it. Lance still feels Lance-ish.)

Lance was a Rain. Everyone knew that. But only Hunk knew that Lance had grown up in a Flame Active family, one that had many, many, family members, all with varying Flame types and purity (except Sky. That was still rare and near impossible, considering his family did not have a history of Skies in the first place.). You could say that Lance's family was quite similar to the old Flame Active familgias of Italy, just without the criminal aspect. Which meant that out of all of them, Lance knew best how to help hurting Elements. Thus, it had not been surprising to Hunk when Lance had offered to talk to Keith when Matt told them exactly what had gone down during the attack on Haggar's ship.

Everyone was not surprised for a different reason. Other than Matt, the rest of the team had noticed that Lance had taken Keith joining the Blade of Marmora the worst. Each smile feeling forced, each laugh feeling empty, even Lance's joking attempts to scare Matt away from Allura seemed half-hearted at best. The only time he truly smiled was when Keith checked in with the team. Everyone knew very well that Lance had a crush on Keith he wasn't about to admit anytime soon.

Except now? Even with Keith in the Castle, staying for an undetermined period of time until Lotor could give them answers? That smile was not present. Everyone knew perfectly well that Lance was angry at Keith. Even if Lance wasn't showing it. A Rain's tranquil fury was often more dangerous than any Storm or Cloud.

So when Lance made the offer to speak to Keith, no one objected. Not even Shiro, who normally would have been the first to try to comfort Keith. And everyone stood back and waited.

Keith sighed as he stared at the ceiling of his room. He hadn't intended to return to the Castle this soon. But it had been two nights, and Lotor was still unconscious and recuperating from the loss of his bonds to his Elements (And Keith would not wish broken bonds on anyone. At least he had the rest of the team. Lotor had no one.). Thus he had asked Kolivan if he could remain to keep an eye on the fallen prince, a request that was quickly approved.

It had been... better that way. The night Keith entered his old room, once they had gotten over explaining to Allura everything... Keith allowed the shock to finally take over. He had almost killed himself. Had he gotten that used to the Blade of Marmora's methods? That he had been that willing to throw his life away for the sake of victory? Had he despaired so much from the loss of his Sky that he would willingly discard his remaining bonds?

Then Lance had barged into his room, while Keith was still trying to wrap his head around what he just did, and punched him. Keith could only look surprised. Lance's face was neutral. But Keith could see the disappointment, the rage, the anger in his eyes, the tiny flecks of Rain Flames creating an eerie calm around the room.

"What were you thinking, Keith?" Lance hissed. "Throwing your life away like that. What the fuck were you thinking?"

"I..." Keith tried to respond when Lance interrupted him.

"No. You probably had it in your head that throwing yourself away to save us was a good idea," Lance continued. "You probably thought we would no longer care, with this Shiro as our new leader, that we'd be happy. You probably thought we wouldn't have noticed that that wasn't our Sky."

"I..." Keith couldn't deny it. The thought had briefly crossed his mind when he had decided to leave for the Blade.

Then Lance sighed and threw his hands in the air, "Fuck it. What is with Storms and Clouds being dramatic idiots when they assume they have lost their purpose or territories?"

Keith blinked, "Excuse me?"

"Look Keith," Lance glared, "I've dealt with Storms more reckless and hot tempered than you, and Clouds that are even more territorial than you. And these are my family members. My cousins, uncles, aunts. None of them take it well to loosing their purpose, or loosing their territories. You think you're the first one I've seen assume that their death is for the best for everyone?"

Keith could only stare as Lance's face softened, "You haven't lost us. We are still fellow Elements under the same Sky. Just because our Sky isn't here, it doesn't mean our bonds are lost. I mean, even with the Blade, you were still finding your own ways to help us, protect us, your family, your purpose, your territory."

Keith could only let tears in his eyes well up, "Why are you so forgiving, Lance?"

Lance simply hugged him, "We love you, Keith. Don't doubt that. The team may have moments where we are disappointed in you, or like the two of us, have clashes in opinions on a near frequent basis, but we don't hate you."

Finally the enormity of what he had almost done hit him on the head, and Keith let himself show his emotions for the first time in months. The rest of the night had been spent with Keith telling Lance his experience with the Blade over a warm mug of milk laced with Rain Flames, and Lance explaining in great detail Coran's efforts to aid the coalition. It had been... relaxing. Months spent on edge, waiting for something, anything to happen, gone within a single night.

When Keith woke up snuggled right next to a sleeping Lance, he wasn't surprised. It was something that most wouldn't have known about if Lance had not been the one to constantly quell his insecurities of being leader during the time before they found 'Shiro'. Hunk and Pidge probably suspected, but said nothing.

Shaking his head out of his thoughts, Keith smiled. In the end, Lance had made him ask Kolivan for time off, that he needed the break. He did ask, on pretence of keeping an eye on Lotor. He really missed his little family. Even if things started off apprehensive, bleak and full of surprises, perhaps there was some good in returning to the Castle of the Lions.

No, Pidge. I'm here on Kolivan's orders. What do you mean I'm here because Lance asked me to stay for a while? No I am not denying anything Pidge - wait Matt why did you say 'I see it now!' what do you see? Hunk stop laughing! Lance, why are you hugging me in front of everyone? No I don't need to calm down don't activate your Flames there's no need - stop laughing guys!

Okay so there's a bit of Background story for Lance's family that I will not explain in any of the other parts of this series. It's a very common headcanon that he has a large family. And in a world where Flames get activated quite often, I won't be surprised if Lance's family is one of the rare Flame Active ones that don't care about what the world thinks about them, and that don't get immediately snapped up by greedy idiots. In fact, as stated in the fic, Lance's family has a variety of Flame Types, family tends to be one of the few things Clouds counts as territory... and no one wants a pissed off Cloud. So no one dares to take any of Lance's family members out of fear.

Also, there's also a really minor reference to KHR but then again this is a Flame AU fanfic, what do you expect? (More on the history will come out in the 'Allura learning to use Flames' oneshot I have planned, I think.

As for Keith... I'm really really sorry if he's really OOC. I wasn't expecting to write an emotional chapter, but after the Sunny Lightning Siblings had their conversation this little idea popped up and I couldn't help but write a 'Lance scolding then comforting Keith post Season 4 ending' fic. *Sends Keith more hugs the child needs it!*

(really minor Klance here but you can see this fic as platonic Klance I tried my best to write in romance but that is seriously not my thing to really subtle Klance it is though the last lines may indicate something.)