It's been six months since Sendak was defeated by the Atlas, The Paladins and the MFES. Everyone was extremely exhausted and needed time to readjust to being back on earth. Sam was repairing the Atlas and getting it sky ready, Shiro was still dealing with his grief of Adam and Hunk started spending more time with his family while Pidge was helping her father, mother, Matt, Allura and Coran on the improvement of earth defenses. Lastly Keith and Lance were helping the Garrison get back into their schedule.

It has been a tough and long lasting six months of work. There are many moving parts to the operation and it takes tome but everyone has helped in some way and things are moving along. Keith and Lance's relationship has blossomed, from non-friends, to rivals, to friends, to comrades and now could be referred to as family. Yet there is still something missing, something off.

Ever since Keith had returned from the Quantum Abiss he has been different, in several ways. Some differences more recognizable than others but the small changes were starting to appear. Keith has been more distant, especially with lance. Yes, they had worked together as a team during their battles but it was different off the battle field. Everyone had noticed it, the way that Keith tried to avoid lance. The way he always seemed uncomfortable around him, but they didn't say anything. They just figured that he was going through a rough time and needed space to get a handle on things like everyone else. But Lance has different plans. He knew that whatever it was that was bothering Keith, needed to be let out even if it was something towards himself. Lance intended to know why, Keith was avoiding him, and what was going through his head. No matter what it took, Lance was going to figure it out.

Lance, was heading to the med bay to check on Allura and the Altean found in the ro-beast. He was almost there when a certain sound coming from the training deck had caught his attention. It was Keith. This didn't surprise Lance. Keith spent most of his free tome training and with Krolia of course but he remained confined in his sleeping quarters or in the training area for most of the time.

This was Lance's chance. This was the perfect time to find out what Keith was feeling. And he knew just how to do it. He was going to challenge Keith. Lance immediately ran back to his room, put his suit on and headed back towards the training deck.

He rushed in, in his suit and with his bayard and all to go a train with Keith. As he was halfway through the door he could see Keith and his sword. Sweat all over, his skin and his newly profound muscles. That was one upgrade Keith had acquired from his time in the Quarum Abiss, and Lance didn't mind it. In a way he was drawn to Keith. In some way he wanted Keith, there really wasn't a way to explain it. It was like he loved Keith. Although he would never admit that, at least not to Keith. I mean, how could he admit it. Keith would never feel the same way, and it was better if they stayed friends, it was better for the both of them and everyone else.

In that second, Lance cleared all his thoughts about Keith and spoke.

"Hey stranger"

Keith had stopped sparing with the robot and looked over to where lance was standing at the doorway of the training area.

"Early morning training sesh, huh? You didn't think to invite me?" Lance asked.

Keith confused by this. Never before had lance really been interested in him or training with him. It didn't bother Keith, he actually liked the fact that lance had offered. But with recent complications, he knew that it was going to be difficult. So without questioning, he invited Lance to train.

Lance had his altean brod sword out. It wasn't his usual weapon but if he was going to train with Keith he was going to need to use something other than a gun.

Lance was holding his sword tightly, trying to intimidate Keith, but Lance knew it wasn't going to work.

"So samurai, do you think you can beat the sharpshooter?" Lance questioned Keith with his usual mischievous grin. This was Lance's way of asking if he was ready. Keith just chuckled and with a small nod of his head they began.

Lance was the first to attack. He lunged forward and swung his sword at Keith. Keith immediately responded and counteracted lances attack. T was easy, at least for Keith. Lance was predictable, his actions were far to basic and were easy to read as well as predict.

Recently lance had been practicing more with his new weapon but he was no where near as good as Keith was. He tried his best to keep up and surprising it was easier than he expected. Although that was probably because Keith was going easy on him. Lance still tried to stay positive and kept the fight between them consistent.

At this point both of them were sweating, the water dripping down Keith's chin, on his muscles and everywhere thought possible. Lance distracted by the thoughts of Keith had tripped over his own feet and feel. Lance wasn't about to give up though, he wasn't going to loose to Keith in the fight, and he definitely wasn't going to give up on the answers he needed. So he picked him self back up and started again. This time Keith was the first to attack. Keith was concentrated, and calm. He'd been calmer ever since he had gotten back. This was a quality that lance had grown to fond of. He was no longer a hot-head. He was a clam, still instinctive, yet power and smart leader of Voltron, and that wasn't going to. To change. Even though, Lance still knew that Keith wasn't using his full intensity on Lance. Keith was good easy, and that bothered lance. Was Keith not up to it? Did he think that lance couldn't take it? Did he think lance was just a wimp from Cuba? Lots of things were on his mind, but that wasn't what he was there for. He was here to figure or what was going on with Keith.

"So what's on your mind, mullet?" Lance asked suspiciously.

"Nothing" Keith muttered.

"Really?"

"Mhm hmm"

"Well then why are you going easy on me huh?" That might have not been the best approach but it was now or never.

"No I'm not." Keith lied. Keith didn't know why lance wanted to train but he went along with him and now he wanted to know why he was going easy on him. Why? Keith knew why? But he couldn't tell lance why. Why did lance want to know? It didn't matter, Keith couldn't tell him, he couldn't tell lance the real reason behind everything he'd done recently. He couldn't tell lance that he was in love with him. In love with him ever since he had gotten back. In love with lance because he realized what he had missed out on when he had left with the blades. It would be too embarrassing, and if not embarrassing, Keith was positive that he would lose lance if he really knew the truth.

"Yes you are. Why's that mullet?"

"No I'm not, and stop calling me mullet!" Keith was starting to raise his voice, he was getting annoyed. No, he wasn't getting annoyed. He was becoming uncomfortable. He didn't know what to do, or what to really say. He just knew he had to live through this uncomfortable situation that he had created when he invited lance to train.

"You got a problem mullet?" Lance questioned. Lance was intrigued, so he continued.

"You want me to push harder, well then you've got it." Keith yelled.

Finally, lance was getting what he wanted. Lance was getting a reaction and he knew that he was breaking through. He just had to push a little harder.

Keith, now aggravated, attacked lance. He ran and swung his sword. Before he fully striked, he looked at lance's face. And to Keith, it was a beautiful face. One he could never harm, one we would never dream of harming. Lance was Keith's weakness and right now that wasn't the best thing. Before he knew it, his sword was flying through the air and he was on the ground.

Lance was looking down at Keith, he was shocked, Keith was defenseless. For the first time ever Keith was defenseless. Lance knew he was getting there, and so once more he pushed harder.

"Come on! Is that the best you got mullet" lance said as they had quickly paused between rounds. Keith's face went blank, and then it went mad. Keith's hands were balled into fists, on his sides. His shoulders stiff and not moving. His expression hard.

Lance was shocked, Keith's expression, it was new. He had never seen Keith so mad. It was like a whole other side of Keith, it was like Keith was reverting to his old self.

Lance then knew that he had said too much, and had pushed too hard. He was only trying to get Keith to admit it, to confide it him. But that obviously wasn't working, most likely because he didn't have the best approach. But there was nothing he could do now. Lance was going to have to deal with the consequences, no matter how big.

They had both paused for a second and Keith was back up on his feet, his face was filled with what looked like rage and he was ready for another fight, even if he didn't have his weapon.

"Not even close." Keith yelled.

"Oh really?"

"Try me" Keith ran over, closer to lance then ever before during the fight, ducked away from Lance's sword and went to grab his own.

They were at it again. Back to back, sword to sword. This time Keith wasn't holding back. Not at all. He was full force, with all his anger, he was a weapon. One that couldn't be destroyed.

It was too much for lance. He wasn't ready, he couldn't win. He knew that, he had always known that. And now he was about to lose for all time. But the fight isn't what really bothered Lance, it was truly and really Keith that was behind all of this. It was the fact that Keith was avoiding Lance. That was the real thing behind it all.

Keith was close, he was almost done. He had almost one. Lance was pinned on the ground, his bayard across the room and he was utterly defenseless against Keith. There was no way of escape. As Keith went for his last strike, he looked down once more at Lance. He felt like he could hurt lance, but he knew that he didn't really want to. Deep down, there was a part of him that was saying 'stop! Stop before you ruin everything! Stop before you lose everything dear to you' Keith listened to that voice, and right before he was inches away from Lance's throat he stopped, and ran out of the room.

Lance was surprised. Keith stopped, but why? He could have just ended it right there and won. Lance needed to know, and he ran right after Keith, the same way that Keith had exited the room.

Keith wasn't that far away, which was a relief to lance because it meant that lance didn't have to search.

"KEITH!!!" Lance yelled.

Keith turned to see lance and then faced the opposite direction and started walking again.

"What do you want?" Keith asked in an annoyed tone.

This was it, lance had to do it. And he couldn't let Keith run away and never tell him.

"I want to know why you had been avoiding me?"

"I'm not avoiding you" second time, second lie. Keith was trying to avoid the conversation.

"Yes you are. You avoid me when I try to talk to you and you avoid me every time I walk into a room. It's like I don't even exist to you." Lance pauses and collected his thoughts. "Is that what it is. Do you just not want me to exist, so you are avoiding me?"

"That's not it, how could you even think that?" Keith yelled back at lance.

There was a shocked look on Lance's face, but he listened.

"Then what is it Keith, why are you avoiding me. Because I don't know and I am at a loss here."

"Look I haven't been avoiding you okay!" Keith said.

Seriously again, the denial, lance thought.

"Yes you have! Can't you just tell me what wrong. What did I do that was so bad."

"Okay, so maybe I have been avoiding you. So what. It's not like you really care right. I am avoiding you because I can't face you, I can't face the fact that I have to see you everyday and think about what might have been. I have to work with you and I feel connected, but I know what I can never have and it's right in front of me. And everyday I have to live with the fact that I am in love you with, but it doesn't matter because I will never really get what I want. And in the end, what I really want it is you.!"

It was silent. Wow. Lance hadn't really thought about that. How could he not have seen it. Keith wasn't mad at him. He was scared. Scared of the same things that lance was scared of, for the the same reasons.

Lance was staring at the floor and he looked up. Keith was looking in the other direction and refused to look at lance directly.

Lance needed to see something. He wanted to experiment. He walked forward and stood closer to Keith that they had ever, ever stood next to each other before. He then took Keith's left hand and placed it on his own cheek. Keith's face blushed and color louder than bright red and you could tell what he was feeling. The warmth, it was soothing on Lance's skin. Lance then took his other hand and lifted Keith's head by his chin. They both stared into each other's eyes, and waited.

Keith couldn't take anymore, it was too much. Lance was too much. They were less than 2 inches away from each other, lips close yet not connected. Keith decided to change that, and he slammed him lips into Lance's.

It was a passionate kiss. Lance's hands were at his and Keith's cheek, and decided to move them into Keith's hair. He tugged and pulled as the kiss went on and didn't remove his hands. Keith's arms, now freed from Lance's hands gripped Lance's waist and pulled him closer and closer, urging for more of him. They were exploring each other, from one inch to the other. Keith hands had tightened the grip of Lance's body and once again had pulled him closer. The kiss had ended sooner than they wanted, but they both knew that this was the first time and it would certainly would not be the last.

The only thing that both of them could say was,

"WOW"