"Keith!" Pidge ran into the rec room. Keith and Lance were sitting too close for friends, giggling about something Pidge probably didn't care about. "We got a hit!"

"Really?" Keith jumped up from the couch.

"You've gotta come see!"

"But-" Keith looked back at Lance. The past two days finally felt normal again. Keith spent most of his days training or looking for the planets, but then he spent the evenings with Lance. While they hadn't really talked about it, it had become an unspoken schedule or rule of some sort.

"Oh, I'll be fine, Keith." Lance stood up. "Go do your weird research project." Keith still didn't want to go.

"Yeah, our very important research project." Pidge emphasized and tried gesturing to Lance without alerting him. After all, it was for Lance.

"Fine, I'm coming." Keith was pulled along by Pidge, and shouted over his shoulder, "I'll catch up with you later!"

"Okay!" Lance smiled. He couldn't help feel jealous that Pidge would pull him away randomly, or that he spent most of his time working on the secretive project. Lance also felt jealous that Pidge knew and he didn't. He wondered if after the kiss, Keith was pulling away, and this secret project was one way of doing that. But he also loved seeing Keith happy and growing other friendships.

"Did they just run off again?" Hunk asked, holding popcorn. "More for us I guess."

"Yeah, I guess they 'got a hit' whatever that means." Lance did air quotes then reached for the food.

"I would tell you if I knew, but Pidge is keeping her lips sealed. It's odd." Hunk was beginning to feel left out, too.

"It's apparently time sensitive, but that doesn't help me figure it out."

"So does that mean we'll find out soon?" Hunk flipped through the alien channels.

"I hope so, but it could also mean reaction time? Which would explain why they keep running off randomly."

"I hope this thing is over soon. I miss Pidge." Hunk pouted.

...

"This is it! This is the planet, Pidge!" Keith flipped through the various photos. Mountains, forests, fields, and more. The best part, it was a rain planet that rained 90% of the days out of its years.

"I know!" Pidge was quite proud of herself. As exhausted as she was, giddiness was taking over at the discovery. "Now, let's schedule a visit to scout it."

"Okay, when? What do we have to do?"

"First thing, you gotta talk to Shiro. We need to get this approved without letting on what it is we're doing, and that means cover story. I'll worry about getting all the supplies together. Once we get to the planet, it'll be a piece of cake. We just need to make sure it's safe then we can scout locations for you to take him."

"Okay, I can do that."

"Perfect, let's do it tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Do you have something planned?" Pidge raised an eyebrow. "Something more important than Lance's birthday present?"

"I mean, Lance and I were planning-"

"Keith, his birthday is next week. We need to scout this planet. If there is something wrong with the planet, we have to know right away." She took a deep breath. "I get you're in love with him and have to always be around him, but this was all your idea. You're doing it for him!"

"Okay, I'll talk to him."

"And Shiro, get approval."

...

"Hey Shiro, can I talk to you about something?" Keith poked his head into Shiro's open door. He usually kept it open to make everyone feel welcome and encourage the team to come to him if they needed.

"Sure, what's up?" He waved Keith in. "Everything okay with Lance?"

"Yeah, it's great." Keith tried to ignore the fact that Lance was the next person he'd have to be talking to. "Um, Pidge and I need to go on a mission tomorrow, for our research project."

"Tomorrow? What is this research project?"

"Nothing, just scouting a planet." Keith shrugged. Pidge knew most of what they had to do. Keith was more going to assist her and the testing and then to make sure it was what he had envisioned for Lance. "Picking up samples."

"Mhm…nothing." Shiro raised an eyebrow. He didn't believe that Keith and Pidge were doing anything bad, but the secrecy was making him curious, and a little suspicious.

"I can't talk about it, Shiro."

"Is this dangerous?"

"No." At least, Keith didn't think it was. Suppose we'll find out when we actually go. Shiro narrowed his eyes. "I'm serious. We just want to scout it. Please?"

"Fine." Shiro caved with a sigh. "But keep your comms open and call us if anything goes wrong."

"Of course!" Keith jumped up and ran out of the room. "Thank you!"

...

Keith stood in front of Lance's door. He knew he had to talk to Lance about it. There wasn't anyway that Keith could do both. Or was there? Keith ran back to the control room. Maybe, he still could. It would be cutting it close, he'd be exhausted, but maybe.

"Hey Pidge," Keith casually sat next to her. She mumbled a hello, lost in the screen, as usual. "We've got approval from Shiro. How long do you think it'll take?"

"Well," Pidge leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes. "With how far away it is currently, it'll probably take a few hours one way. If we stay on course, it'll be a shorter trip for you and Lance. But for us, it'll be four to six hours round trip, not including the actual scouting."

"So," Keith tried not to feel defeat. "It's like an all day thing?"

"Yeah, I'm thinking we leave after breakfast. The scouting will take a while, especially if we go to multiple locations. But I think we can make it back to be in bed at a decent time."

"Oh." This may be harder than he thought, but he could make it happen.

...

"Hey Lance," Keith ran up to him in the hallway.

"Keith." Lance smiled, but he tried not to smile too big. He was starting to feel more aware of how he acted around Keith. He may have said that Lance did nothing wrong, but Lance still worried he would come off too strong and scare Keith away.

"Hey, so um," Keith started, nervous. "What do you think of having our movie night thing after dinner?"

"Isn't that what a move night is?" Lance giggled. Has this boy done anything normal?

"Well, yeah, but like maybe later? I just have something going on with the project tomorrow that could take sometime."

"Ahh the mysterious project." Lance tried not to feel the twinge of jealously. "Am I ever going to find out what it is?"

"You will. Soon." Trust me, you'll find out.

"Can't wait." As much as Lance wanted to know what it was, he also wanted it to go away. He wanted it to be over. He barely saw Keith anymore. How am I getting jealous over a project?

"Yeah." Keith was simultaneously excited and nervous to show Lance. Would he love it? Would he feel sadder? Was it too much? "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah for sure."

...

"Ready Keith?" Pidge smiled, full of energy. Keith glared while he hauled a full backpack into her Lion.

"When you said after breakfast, I thought you meant after the team breakfast." He dropped it and laid on the floor, while Green powered up. "Not that we would be getting up hours before everyone else and leaving."

"Would you have still agreed?"

"Nope."

"Exactly." Pidge smirked as she guided the loin out of the castle and into the vastness of space.

...

"Oh my lanta…" Keith laughed. "It's perfect!"

"It better be. I had to cancel plans with Hunk. He's probably moping right now!" Pidge shoved some dirt samples into tubes. She handed some tubes to Keith. "Fill these with rainwater. Have to make sure it's safe."

"And you're not moping?"

"I'll just be glad when his is over. As fun as it is, it's taking a lot of time."

"Sorry."

"Don't. I just said it was fun."

"But you're missing time with Hunk."

"And you're missing time with Lance. Sacrifices need to be made." Keith felt guilty. He hadn't cancelled on Lance, and now he was praying that Pidge wouldn't kill him. Maybe he could nudge her to getting back sooner and they could both still have their evenings. Pidge climbed inside her lion. "Let's scout some potential date spots."

"Date spots?"

"As if this isn't a date for you and Lance." Pidge rolled her eyes. "For real, Keith, how is this not a date? Spending endless hours of weeks finding a like Earth planet? Oh and make sure it has rain because he loves the rain. Please, this might as well be a rom-com."

"No." Keith didn't know how to refute her. It was basically a date, but would Lance see it that way? As much as Keith wanted it, was it a good idea for two paladins to date?

"Oh this is perfect!" They cleared the edge of a mountain range.

"It is." Keith breathed.

"I'll get the coordinates so you can plug them into Red later." She landed the lion and they continued the search for samples.

...

"Where's Pidge and Keith?" Lance seemed to be the only one bothered by their absence at breakfast.

"Off doing their research project." Hunk sighed.

"Off? Where?"

"Some planet, I guess." Shiro sipped on the alien coffee.

"Apparently they left pretty early. I was woken up to one of the lions leaving." Allura sat next to Shiro with her own cup of caffeine and leaned against him. Does everyone know what's happening but me?

"When are they getting back?" Lance asked, trying not to be bothered by the fact that Keith didn't mention anything to him.

"Late, apparently." Hunk moped again. "She cancelled our game night on me. Said apparently it's really important and she promises to make it up soon."

"She cancelled game night?" Does that mean Keith will miss our movie night?

"Pidge!" Hunk ran past Keith and nearly tackled the green paladin. "I missed you!"

"Hey Hunk." She laughed.

"Keith, this project better end soon! I'm getting sick of sharing my best friend."

"As long as we don't get side tracked, I think we're done for now." Pidge waved Hunk's dramatics off.

...

"Where's Lance?" Keith didn't see him in the hanger welcome party.

"Oh, I think he went to bed."

"Went to bed?" Keith's stomach fell. He thinks I stood him up.

"Yeah, it's pretty late." Hunk shrugged.

"But…"

"Keith, did you cancel your plans with Lance?" Keith didn't say anything, and Pidge didn't need him to. She just sighed and turned to Hunk. "What did you tell Lance?"

"That you cancelled game night because of your project. I didn't know you had plans together."

"Not your fault." Pidge reassured. "So he thought you were ditching him."

"But I thought we could make it back in time!"

"Well what are you doing here? Go talk to Lance." Pidge shooed him. Keith didn't need to be told twice. He ran down the hall while Pidge yelled at him, "Next time tell me when your plans change!"

"Lance!" Keith pounded on his door. Please be awake. Please don't be mad. The door opened a crack and Lance squinted in the light. "I am so sorry. I thought we would be back sooner. I didn't mean to stand you up. I'm so sorry-"

"Keith, shut up," Lance opened the door more and grabbed Keith's hand. "Come watch these movies with me."

"Okay." Keith whispered. Suddenly all he could think about was Lance's soft hand holding his.

"I'm not mad at you." Lance pulled him onto the bed filled with pillows. Keith noticed there was already an alien show on the TV and that's why the lights were out. "I was a little disappointed and worried when Hunk said Pidge she cancelled, but I figured you would have told me if you couldn't come."

"You waited? This late?" Keith wasn't paying attention to the show, he couldn't stop looking at Lance wrapped in a blanket.

"Yeah." Lance smiled. "Although I did watch one movie without you. Wasn't that good, but we can watch again if you'd like."

"Sorry I took so long."

"Don't worry about it." Lance untangled himself from the blanket and put it over both of their laps.

"The project is almost over. No more trips."

"It's obviously important to you, Keith. As much as it sucks having you be so wrapped up in it and barely hanging out, I want to support you. I'm glad you're passionate about something." Lance pulled the blanket to their chins and slid closer to Keith. You have no idea. Keith relaxed into the warm space.

"Thanks, Lance." He mumbled.

Less than five minutes into the movie, Lance felt Keith's head fall onto his shoulder. Is he asleep? What did they do? He smiled and pulled him closer. "You should have gone to bed." Lance whispered, but grateful that he didn't. Even if Keith was falling asleep on him, he was happy to be around him. I guess he really wanted to spend time with me too.