"Man," Lance grunted as he climbed the black lion, "You can be a real hard guy to find when you wanna be."
"Hey Lance," Keith said, glancing back absentmindedly, only to do a double take at the sound of clanking at the sound of Lance's current wardrobe. "Woah," Keith's eyes widen as he gets a better look at Lance, "What… are you wearing?"
Lance slightly blushing in a embarrassment, a dented bucket on his head with the handle tucked under his chin, large black saucepans on his shoulders, imitating shoulder guards, a line of sausages wrapped around his neck like a scarf, and a makeshift cape made from red and blue blankets. There are sticker coat hooks taped to his waist, a skillet and a ladle hanging from two of the hooks. His legs are wrapped in what looks like bandages.
"Ugh, Coran made for me for my date with Allura," Lance says sighing heavily, taking a seat beside Keith.
"A date with a Allura," keith says, spacing the words apart for emphasis, "Wow!"
"Well done Lance," Say says genuinely. Lances rolls his eyes, marking the hint of teasing in his friends voice.
"Thanks, " Lance takes the bucket of his head, his words more serious, "But it could be our last." He looks off into the distance, the seriousness in his voice now echoed in his face. His brows knit together and he leans on the bucket he placed beside himself. "I can't keep all these Altean customs straight." The seriousness in Lance's face softens to sadness.
"Listen," Keith's voice matching the seriousness of Lances, no more teasing. "If she's going out with you, It's because she likes you." Keith's eyes soften as he looks at his right hand man. "The annoying, stupid, Earth version of you." Keith smiles and Lance can feel the smile in Keith's words. It makes him smile too, it even makes him chuckle a bit, and his doubts start to fade.
The both look out toward the sunset, their last sunset on earth. Iit leaves shades of pink and purple clouds in the sky as it sinks bhind the horizon of the desert. The same desert where Keith grew up, where together they found the blue lion, where it all began.
"You watching the sunset?" Lance asks.
"Yeah, it might be awhile before we get to see it again."
"Man, I'm really gonna miss this place."
"That's why we've got to end this war," Keith says, not taking his eyes off the horizon. But Lance, hearing the strength in his words, can't take his eyes off Keith. Keith smiles again, "And we're gonna do it with the Lance that's the paladin of the red lion." His eyes look down, almost sad, "The Lance that's always got my back," keith close his eyes and then turns to face Lance, "And the Lance who knows exactly who he is and what he's got to offer." Lance feels his face flush and his heart skip a beat as Keith's eyes meet his own. Keith's eyes soften and there is something there Lance has never seen before, but something he recognizes.
Then suddenly there's something pulling Lance forward, towards Keith. It's like a weight in his chest that has always been there, even since their first days together in the academy. Lance had thought it was jealousy or hatred, but know it was pulling Lance toward Keith. Keith felt Lance moving towards him and though the voice in the back of his head said don't, he began to lean toward lance as well. As Lance moved his hand to support himself, it met Keith's on the warm metal of the black lions surface. When Lance didn't pull his hand away, Keith weaved his fingers in Lance's.
Maybe it was the word keith said, maybe it was the stress of the upcoming launch, maybe it was the sunset that cast brilliant hues of orange and red, their red, all around them. But whatever it was, Lance now felt his for head resting gently against Keith's. Keith felt his nose brush intermittently against Lance's as their lips drew closer. They were a breath's width apart when the voice in Keith's head finally pushed it way forward to his lips.
"What are we doing?" He whispered, every word brushing Lance. They froze, like an invisible wall was all that kept their lips from meeting each other.
"I, I don't know," Lance said, lost in the heavy feeling that had stirred in him since the day he saw Keith fly for the first time. It was that heavy, deep feeling the controlled him now, pushing all other thoughts aside, and pushing him toward his leader, his captain.
"But, "Keith said, his breath already heavy with regret, "What about Allura?" It was the mention of her name that snapped Lance out of it. He pulled back, moving away from Keith. What was he thinking? He didn't want to hurt Allura. But this tug in his chest, the tug that even now pulled him towards Keith, that kept him from pulling his hand aways from Keith's, it was stronger than any feeling he had felt for Allura. But how had he not noticed it before?
"You...you're right. I better get going." Suddenly reality and embarrassment hit lance and his face flushed red. He shot up and turned to walk away. "I got get ready. For my date." He stumbled over his words and his blanket capes. He turned to walk away, remembered his bucket, grabbed it, and then turned away again, leaving Keith to sit there alone. When He reached the ground he stopped, his legs and heart buzzing with emotion.
Keith had known Lance for a while and knew Lance would never forgive himself is He hurt Allura, even unintentionally. So as much as he wanted that kis, as long as he had waited for it, dreamt of it even, he knew that he would have to wait a little longer. Not only for his sake, but for Lance's as well.
