Disclaimer: Characters belong to Dreamworks and Netflix.

.

Settling down into a routine wasn't as hard as Keith had thought it would, but it was still difficult for both of them. They were still strangers, sticking together just because it was useful to both of them. There were no significant feelings, and therefore it was difficult to adjust and accept their habits and quirks.

Lance was loud and liked to talk about everything that crossed their path, and the constant chattering drove Keith insane. It made him want to scream, and sometimes he did, just so the other one would shut up for a bit. It never lasted, however, Lance often retaliated with his own which resulted in a useless argument between them. Sometimes they said things they didn't mean, just to get the upper hand in the dispute and usually they didn't apologize later, not with words at least.

Also, Lance had the need to talk with everyone, every time they were in a town. Never about important things, it was mostly about directions or maps, but his small talk still made Keith nervous. He could admit it was useful, since people softened up to Lance and, by extent, also to Keith. It saved them the nasty looks and rude gestures, but it also had Keith always on edge. He was waiting for the moment someone would point at them, or Lance would slip a comment that would make people suspicious, or someone wouldn't like something about their story or… Anything that could go wrong.

Maybe there was a lot of paranoia involved, but it had saved Keith more than once so he refused to let it go. Lance would tell him to relax, and Keith would only hiss and ignore him which would either make Lance laugh or upset him, depending on his mood. Sometimes, when Lance was in a good mood, he laughed and threw an arm around Keith's shoulders dragging him closer to tell him he had to learn to enjoy small moments. Keith liked it, the feel of someone else on his skin but he faked annoyance to keep his pride. And, besides, he didn't fully trust the other man yet. Even if he had proved to be sincere in everything he had said on their first meeting.

Fortunately, they had a whole month before the next full moon, enough to smooth over the worst of their differences and find some middle ground. For as much as Lance had come off as confident on their first meeting, he hid a lot of insecurities and awkwardness inside, and even when Keith didn't want to get involved he couldn't avoid seeing them. It put the man on a new light, one Keith wasn't sure he wanted to see.

The first big test of their still fragile relationship was when the moon rose full for the first time. Keith was very nervous the day before, his body sensitive to the weird magic that would soon claim it. His mind was also restless, jumping from one awful thought to another. He had snapped more than usual, while they made their way through the biggest forest they could find on their way. Keith was used to walking in the woods but Lance kept tripping on his own feet, even when it was mostly flat ground and they hadn't had snow in some days.

He'd apologized at first, and Keith tried to be patient but he soon got tired and told him to shut up. And he kept telling Lance to shut up until the other man seemed to catch the drill and stayed silent. At least for some time, until he stopped walking and grabbed Keith by the arm.

"Hey. It will be fine." Lance had said, and Keith shuddered. Was he being so obvious? He shook his arm to free it and refused to meet Lance's eyes.

"You don't know that," The phrase was out of his mouth before he even noticed. He hadn't meant to say it, not really, but it had been eating at him and he'd never been good at holding his tongue.

"I'm sure it will!" Lance told him, surely trying to be positive or whatever. "We've already met once like that."

"It was different. We weren't lost that time," Keith crossed his arms and looked at the ground which prompted Lance to get closer and throw an arm around his shoulders.

"True. But I think you getting overworked about it won't help at all. Wait. Do your feelings even stay the same when you transform? I've never thought about it."

It was a stupid question and Keith didn't want to answer it, so he just shook his head and pushed Lance away. Although he did have a point about his nervousness not helping the issue at hand.

"Don't be ridiculous. This is a serious problem."

"I know, but you worrying about it is not gonna fix it," He might be right but Keith wasn't going to tell him that. "Besides, what's the worst that could happen?"

And that was the main issue because Keith would have thought Lance didn't know the risk, if it weren't for the story he'd told him when they had first met. Keith was too used to blood, to the awful feeling of knowing you destroyed something precious.

"I don't want to hurt you," He said then, his words a quiet whisper almost lost in the constant hum of the woods.

"You? Hurt me? I think you are a bit too full of yourself, my friend!" Lance wiggled his eyebrows at that, always the idiot. "I can fight you any day!"

Keith couldn't believe he almost smiled at that, a joke based on the possibility of them killing each other because of a stupid instinct. He wasn't sure what it saidl about him, so he would blame Lance on that. Lance and his stupid, annoying talking that almost always managed to pull him out of his worst thoughts.

His shoulders relaxed and breathing got easier, so he tried to get back on their way, but Lance caught his hand before he could move.

"No, but seriously, Keith." He said, his thumb leaving a tiny caress on his knuckles. "I know you like your lonely, grumpy, paranoiad perspective, but try to trust me on this. It will be fine, we'll make it work. Okay?"

And Keith nodded, his eyes looking ahead as if he were trying to find a route instead of avoiding the other man.

Next morning, when Keith woke up, the beast was growling pleased, his body hurt all around and the ground was cold under him. And Lance, unharmed Lance, was near him complaining about how bothering transformations were while he rolled his shoulders and whined. Keith wanted to hug him but, sadly, the whole touching thing was still alien to him. Instead, he threw him a pebble to shut him up.