Klance Week has begun, my friends, and I will do my best to provide content. Wish me luck!
Disclaimer: I do now own Voltron: Legendary Defender
When We Go Home
While Earth is one of those amazing planets that seem to have a million small ecosystems meshed and molded into one, Keith knows that it's not the best. There are some planets that they've been to that are quite spectacular. Keith has seen planets made entirely of forests, has seen ones swallowed by their own acidic core; he's seen planets that rise to live and fight off monsters even a huge cat warrior could not defeat. He's seen whole galaxies teaming with life that far surpasses any sentient creature on earth.
But despite all those amazing things, Earth had the things he enjoyed the most. It had his hover bike, his books, the clear desert skies. But mostly it had Lance's family, which meant that it had Lance, and that was all Keith needed to like about Earth.
"You'll love them," Lance was saying as they continued to walk down the castle hallway. "At least, Hunk did you. You'll like most of them. My nieces and nephews are cute and dangerous, but my oldest brother will probably threaten to fight you."
"Why?"
"Old habits die hard, I guess. I used to have a hard time getting along with other kids in elementary school. He's taken to threatening everyone who associates with me to make sure that they're worthy of my friendship or whatever. It's like he thinks I don't have good taste in friends. I'm great at telling when people are really friends with me!"
"Nyma?" Keith asks, and Lance throws him a withered look from over the boxes in his arms.
"That was one time, okay? I may or may not have done the same thing a couple times in elementary school, but those days are long over!"
"Sure, Lance," laughs Keith lightly before asking, "did he do that with Hunk too?"
"He tried, but Hunk brought cookies the first day he ever came to my house and it instantly deterred my brother from doing it."
"I need Hunk to teach me whatever recipe that was then if I'm going to be meeting your family." Keith glances away at these words, although he's not entirely sure why. Meeting Lance's family and talking about meeting them as a real and tangible thing is strange and unfamiliar.
"Oh, he would definitely come for you anyway, buddy. They know too much about you already."
"Why?" Keith asks again, warier than before.
This time it's Lance's turn to look awkward and abashed. "I mean, I may have mentioned you a few times back when we were in the Garrison. I wasn't exactly nice about it."
"Gee thanks."
"But we're different now," says Lance hurriedly. "We're not rivals anymore."
"No, I guess not."
"But yeah. My brother means well, but he'll probably still try to intimidate you, although I can't imagine it working very well."
"How?"
"Well, he might not overtly try to intimidate you, but maybe subtly? Like stealing the last sausage that you were in the middle of reaching for."
"Harsh."
"Yeah," says Lance with a nod, "but siblings are like that."
"Shiro's the closest thing I've ever had to a sibling," muses Keith, "I can't say he's done anything quite that malicious."
"Yeah, Shiro's threatening in his own way though," laughs Lance, "but he loses to honest people. So does my brother. The moment Hunk was over with the cookies, my brother was a goner. Then Hunk said some really nice stuff about the house and our friendship; Hunk is crazy honest." Lance pauses to smile at the memory before turning to grin at Keith. "So are you. God, they're going to love you."
"I've never been good with family," says Keith, "but you guys are kind of like my family. If I can survive this, then I think I could survive your family too."
"Aw, Keith," Lance smiles at him, half teasing and half fond, "that's the sweetest thing you've ever said."
Keith rolls his eyes. "Well, it's true. You guys are my family now and it's… really nice."
"You'll have even more when we get back to Earth," says Lance. "You'll have my family too. I have no doubt that they'll adopt you on the spot."
"That's kind of hard to imagine. I doubt I'll fit in right away."
"Every family is a little different, sure, but the place isn't as important as the people. There's a little bit of home in every family. Once you find it, you'll fit in just fine. Besides, you already have something in common with my family."
"Oh really? And what would that be?"
"You all love me, obviously." Lance flutters his eyelashes. Keith barks out a laugh and bumps into Lance's hips playfully.
"You're actually so cocky, you know that?"
"Does that mean you don't love me?" Lance sniffs theatrically. "You cut me deep, Keith."
"So dramatic," says Keith lightly.
Lance expression eases into something more serious. "I mean it, Keith. We're family. Wherever we go, we'll still be family."
"Yeah, I know." Keith smiles back at him softly. "You guys are my family, and it's with you guys that I feel like home. Or what I think home feels like."
"Keith," croons Lance, leaning over to kiss Keith's cheek. "You're so nice today."
"You say that like I'm never nice."
"I call it like I see it," says Lance with an easy shrug. "I'm just excited. I feel like I've got two homes and sharing that is important to me. I want to share that kind of stuff with you."
"You're way cheesier that I am."
"Again, you love me for it." Lance's eyes gleam.
Keith smiles but says nothing, refusing to give Lance the satisfaction of a verbal confirmation, and continues forward with Lance at his side.