Lance woke up from his beauty sleep to a seemingly empty castle. He walked around, calling out for anybody. Hunk wasn't cooking breakfast, but, thankfully, neither was Coran. Allura wasn't even flying the ship. Pidge was nowhere to be found be found. Finally, he found Keith. He seemed like the only one on the entire ship other than him. This was his worst nightmare. "Keith! Do you know where everyone's at?"

Keith got up from the couch quickly, "Not at all!"

"Well," Lance sighed, turning around, "I'm going to go hang out with Blue-"

"You can't!" Keith grabbed Lance's arm, stopping him.

"And why not?"

"Because...uh-" Keith thought for a second, "Because they're doing maintenance!

Lance gave Keith a look of complete mistrust, shaking his head, "Sure…"

"Uh-look, Hunk did make breakfast, He pointed to a delicious looking meal on the table over which Lance was almost drooling at the sight, "Good because I am starving!" Lance ate the meal quickly with Keith, who seemed to have waited until Lace was awake to eat his food.

"So, you're not worried about where anyone is at?"

Keith shrugged, "Like I said...maintenance."

"And they need everyone doing that? Well, why can't I do maintenance on Blue?"

Keith shrugged again, "Uh…..I don't know…."

Lance sighed, setting down his food with a frown. He sat back, staring up at the ceiling.

"What's wrong?" Keith looked over at Lance, feeling the depressing aura from across the room.

Lance shook his head, "It's my birthday. And right now, all I wish for is to be back home with my family...My mom would always make the most delicious cake for me. I wouldn't ask for too many presents but I'd always get a mountain of them! My abuelos would sit me down and-" Lance had to choke back a tear, "-and go through photo albums of when I was a baby and when they were children. It was always the same stories and I guess I used to think it was the most boring thing, but now...now that's all I want…" Lance wiped a tear from his eye, sniffling. Keith frowned, moving closer to Lance, "I'm sure we can make it back home soon, Lance...This isn't going to be your last birthday."

Lance shook his head, "They're probably worried sick! They always take me away from the Garrison on my birthday and I'm not even going to be there!"

Keith hesitantly wrapped an arm around Lance's shoulder. He didn't want to spoil the moment but it seemed Lance didn't mind this time, "Lance, listen, there's nothing we can do right now...We wouldn't even know how to get to Earth yet. What we're doing here is far more important. We're keeping your family alive. You'll get to see them with stories of how we saved the entire universe."

Lance chuckled, "You're right. I can't let myself wallow in homesick so much I actually care more about going home than saving the universe." Keith nodded with a smile. Lance looked up at his so-called rival with a grin, "Maybe you're not so bad after all, samurai."

Keith blushed, turning away, "Maybe you're not so bad yourself, sharpshooter." Lance laughed, "If it weren't for that stupid mullet of yours."

"My hair is just fine!" Keith defended, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, for the 18th century," They both had a laugh at that, the tension between them too relaxed to take anything too close to heart. For once their fights weren't heated or covered in sexual tension, but rather in good fun and happiness. The two didn't leave that couch, they didn't feel the need to. They bantered about their times in the garrison, their times as paladins. They shared stories about their home life and how they saw Earth.

"You know, back when we were at the Garrison together, I thought you were a girl."

Keith snorted, "What?"

"Yeah! And to be honest I nearly had a crush on you, but then I heard someone call you Keith and had the biggest crisis of my life."

Keith blushed, laughing off the embarrassing side of his own story.

Lance chuckled, "Y'know...for a while I couldn't shake off the crush? I think that's how I found out I was bi…"

Keith stopped laughing immediately, staring at Lance, "You're bi?"

Lance nodded, "Yeah…"

Keith nodded slowly, his blush coming back full power.

"What are you?" Lance turned to Keith with a smirk.

Keith looked down, shrugging, "Gay...I guess…"

Lance nodded. "I figured you were."

Keith gave Lance a confused look, "How…?"

"Mostly intuition, I guess? But there are times when I've seen a girl throw herself at you and you don't react at all."

Keith nodded, about to say something before Lance continues.

"But the times when I happened to throw myself at you...There was a notable difference."

"Wait-" Keith, turned to Lance, "What?"

Lance shrugged, acting as if what he said was nothing, "I mean I overcompensate but you don't even try!"

"Lance, shut up for a tick," Keith sighed, turned full circle to completely face the other on the couch, "Do you like me?"

Lance smiled, "Do you like me?"

"Lance, be serious for one tick of your life, please, and just answer the question."

"Sí."

Keith's face went red as he turned back in his seat, desperate to look anywhere but him.

"Now answer my question," Lance put a hand on Keith's cheek, turning his head gently to look at him.

"Yeah…" Keith finally answered. Lance smiled at that, finally bringing the other paladin in for a kiss.

A sound from Keith's helmet broke the moment. It was Allura's voice, "Okay, Keith, the coast is clear now."

Lance broke the kiss, staring quizzically at Keith, "Um what?"

Keith sighed, "Just follow me."

Keith brought Lance down to the lions. Keith stopped at Blue, who opened her mouth wide for her paladin. The two stepped inside, Lance more confused than ever until seeing the entire team huddled together yelling "Surprise!", a cake between them all held up by Hunk. Keith laughed softly at Lance's confused, yet happy expression "They weren't really doing maintenance."