Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater or Voltron: Legendary Defender

Chapter 5: Fitted - We're A Good Team?

"You know," Pidge was saying, waiting at the pool side with her glasses resting on her nose, "I'm actually impressed."

Keith tilted his head up to look at her from his spot in the pool. He'd come to learn that compliments from Pidge were coveted by both Lance and Hunk, especially since most of them were tinged with enough sarcasm to negate the meaning entirely. "Thanks," he said cautiously. Then, after a beat had passed and he'd deemed the compliment as genuine, he added, "I'm kind of surprised too." They both looked over at Lance, who was wading at the deep end as he completed his ninth lap of the swim lane. He was humming to himself and enjoying the chlorine and cool water that Altea Academy had to offer. "He's kind of a pain in the ass sometimes."

"Sometimes?" choked Pidge with a laugh. "Yes. But everyone is like that in the beginning. Or, you know, on and off for just about forever."

Keith could not help smirking a little bit at that. "He probably thinks the same of me," he said, pulling his eyes away from his meister to look over at Pidge instead, and Keith was surprised to find her wearing a peculiar expression.

"Why would you say that?"

He shrugged, trying not to be perturbed by it. Pidge was Lance's roommate. Surely she would know more than he would how Lance felt about him. Lance had always been a vocal person, and Keith had overheard him complaining about Keith to his friends on more than one occasion before they had become partners. "Lance hasn't always enjoyed my company," he said.

"Well, you can't say that anymore," laughed Pidge. "One word that you were headed to the pool, and he brought himself here."

"Um, I resent what that implies," called Lance from the other side of the pool. His brown hair was slicked back comically, tufts of it sticking out around his ears in a way that made Keith want to laugh. "I was headed here anyway. If anything, Keith bandwagoned on my idea."

"As if," scoffed Keith, more out of reflex than feeling. Despite their pockets of synchronicity, he and Lance had the propensity to butt heads over the littlest of things. On topics like training frequency and duration, they had started to tentatively agree with one another, however the smaller things were harder to iron out, like what to get on their pizza or which route to take to the gym (even though there was clearly one route that would get them there the fastest; something Lance didn't seem to understand).

Pidge snorted and moved her feet in the water to create lazy ripples. "Okay, guys. The point is that you're both attached to each other. We get it."

"That's not true," Keith mumbled.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Pidge shrugged, continuing to scroll through her phone until Lance came to their side of the pool. As he neared them, Keith stuck his hand out to protect Lance's head from its inevitable collision with the wall. It proved unnecessary as Lance crested the water, pressing his wet hair back with a spare hand whilst the other grasped the wall. Water clung to his tan skin, and Keith forced himself to look away when he realized that he'd been staring for a tad too long at something that wasn't Lance's face.

Which was stupid. Keith tried to shake the thoughts out of his head. Whatever… this was, it wasn't anything he wanted to think about. He had always had one mission – Voltron – and nothing was going to distract him from it.

"What are we talking about?" Lance asked.

"About how Hunk and Shay are really attached to one another," Pidge lied smoothly, "but you and Keith aren't far behind."

"Look, Keith and I are plenty attached," said Lance, just like Keith knew he would. Lance always rose to the bait easily, competition flaring at the slightest challenge. Overcompensating, in Keith's perfectly objective position. "Our resonance is strong enough."

"But you're not on Hunk and Shay's level."

Lance scoffed. "We're almost there."

"Really?" Pidge raised an eyebrow. "So I suppose that means you and Keith are moving in together too?"

Lance's silence was almost worse than if he had responded right away. He gaped at Pidge before turning to Keith with wide eyes. "Did you say that?"

"Because it would totally make sense if you were. Living with your partner is a way to bond more closely," continued Pidge matter-of-factly. "It fosters strength and depth in your resonances as you learn to rely on each other domestically. It will translate into a better resonance. There are plenty of logical reasons to say it."

Both boys gaped at her in unison. "What kind of textbook answer…?" said Keith, softly in awe, while Lance struggled to regain his composure.

"Living together strengthens resonance? That's like saying dancing strengthens resonance."

Pidge blinked slowly. "Um, that's a confirmed yes on both counts, Lance. I don't know what you want me to say."

"Keith? Don't you have anything to say about this?"

If Lance had been wanting Keith to be on his side, he was about to be mistaken. "Well, she's not wrong," he said, drawing a conflicted look from Lance. "Look, all I'm saying is that it is proven that living together can actually strengthen resonance. It works." He thought of his old partner, of what it had felt like to move in with him and live side-by-side. He couldn't argue against this even if he tried. "Ask any pair of partners that cohabitate. Most will tell you that although it brings unique problems, resolving those issues can make their wavelengths more in sync."

"Oh." Lance rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, not expecting Keith to side with Pidge. "Well, do you want to move in together then?"

Keith flushed again, worse than before. "Don't say that so casually."

"Why?" Lance seemed genuinely confused by the question. "Do you not want to move in?"

Answering that question was suddenly both the easiest and hardest thing Keith had ever done. There were so many cons to moving in with Lance, but, at the same time, just as many reasons, if not more, sat at the opposite end; inviting and tempting him. It wasn't that he thought living with Lance would be uncomfortable. Rather, he was certain that Lance would not be comfortable living with Keith at all. Lance had already proven to be loyal and (occasionally) considerate, whereas Keith had been noticeably aloof and flighty.

Why Lance hadn't dropped his sorry ass for a better, more sociable weapon was beyond him. He knew they had both gotten offers from other people for partnership, requests to be with better weapons and meisters. He'd seen the letters in Lance's locker, just like he'd seen the identical ones in his own. They had... options now.

"Uh, Keith? Buddy? You still in there?" Keith was brought back to the conversation with Lance's wet fingers pressed to Keith's shoulder. "Look, you can say no. I won't be, like, offended."

"It's not that." He swallowed, trying to decide how honest he wanted to be. "As weird as it sounds, it's our best bet at getting stronger."

He'd assumed this would be what Lance had wanted to hear, but instead his meister's frown became more pronounced. "So you want to move in with me?"

Keith clenched and unclenched his hands, trying to calm himself down. "I don't know. Do you want to move in with me?"

"If it helps us bond as a team, then sure," said Lance brightly. "I've always wondered what would happen when I eventually lived with my weapon partner. To think I'd get the chance so young with Keith of all people, am I right?" However, when Lance turned his gaze to Keith, his smile dimmed. It wasn't enough to be noticeable to Pidge (at least, Keith didn't think it was). Rather, Lance's waning grin was something sickeningly familiar.

If partnering with Lance had taught him anything, it was that the boy could be oddly perceptive. He knew when to use his Soul Perception to check for oncoming Kishin and tried to be thorough in battles to find their opponents weak spots. Noticing things that would be advantageous, Lance could do. His interpersonal relationships were not always treated with the same life-or-death scrutiny. Misinterpreting the giggles of NOT girls passing by them or staring at Keith oddly when he fumbled a joke weren't uncommon occurrences. Lance wasn't observant all the time, Keith realized. Just when he really needed to be.

It was just Keith's own misfortune that Lance seemed to be seeing all the things on Keith's face that he didn't want to show: reluctance, fear, anxiety. "But it's not like we're in a rush," said Lance quickly, turning back to Pidge with a wider smile, as if he'd seen nothing at all in Keith's expresion. "We're on the path to be the greatest team ever; the best anyone's ever seen! So we don't have to do it now."

"Really?" said Pidge, quirking an eyebrow up. "So to confirm, you'd move in with Keith just like that?"

"Like I said," said Lance blithely, "we would move in together, but the opportunity just isn't there. And we have time to figure it out." He shrugged with almost forced casualty. "No rush."

"But if something was made available to you, you'd take it, right?" asked Pidge, and Keith felt himself go cold. He hadn't known Pidge for very long, but he knew that her tone of voice was something dangerous. There was something very shifty about this question, about the way she had phrased it and the blasé look on her face.

"Um, I guess?" began Lance, and Keith almost hit him.

"Why'd you say it like that?" Keith hissed.

Pidge looked away from her phone and fluttered her eyelashes with false innocence. "Like what?"

And perhaps Keith would have pressed more, but Hunk and Shay walked into the room as if on cue. They waved at their friends as they approached.

The previous topic happily forgotten, Lance politely asked about their day and lunch, and both of them responded with equal enthusiasm.

"It's very fortunate," said Shay, "that Hunk can cook so well. I have a collection of my grandmother's recipes that are all quite nutritious, but I fear that Hunk is not so familiar with the tastes. They aren't as delicious for him as they are for me."

Hunk smiled apologetically. "Yeah, today's meal was not what I was expecting, but it's not that bad. In fact, if I ate some of it before a big mission, I'm sure I'd feel stronger."

She gave his shoulder a pat. "Even I must admit that her food has an… acquired taste. Hunk's cooking, I am convinced, is delicious for everyone."

"Seconded," said Lance with a wistful look in his eyes. "I used to sleep over at Hunk's house in elementary school. He and his dad made the best dinners I'd ever had. Shay, you're lucky to be living with such a talented hunk like Hunk."

"I am very lucky," agreed Shay sweetly. "And you, Lance? Is your cooking good?"

"My mom taught me tons of stuff, so yeah. I'd say I'm pretty good." He couldn't sound more proud of himself, even if he tried.

"And you, Keith?" asked Shay, turning to Keith with equal curiosity.

Keith could not resist his own grimace. "I could be better," he said as casually as possible, hoping, foolishly, that Lance wouldn't capitalize on it.

He was damned the moment he opened his mouth.

"Are you telling me that there's something I can do better than you?"

Keith rolled his eyes at his meister. "Look, I said that I could be a better cook, not that you were better than me."

"But you do think that I'm a better cook than you, right?"

Keith tried to take a deep, measured breath. "No, I just think we probably have different strengths. And you clearly have plenty of experience-"

"So I'm better?"

"Lance," he sighed, exasperation curling every letter as their friends laughed around them.

To Keith's pleasure and surprised, Lance didn't press further. Instead, he chuckled good naturedly and pulled back from the pool wall. "Relax. I'm sure you're good at some stuff. Like cereal, or toast." His smile was more playful now, and when he turned away to look at Hunk, Keith felt himself released from whatever spell Lance had him under. "Hunk, are you coming in buddy?"

"Would love to, but there's some people in our building that are moving, and they invited us for a sendoff party."

"Moving?" drawled Pidge. "You don't say. When?"

"Ideally as soon as possible," said Hunk. "They have a baby on the way, and already bought a bigger flat. They just need potential buyers for the old one."

Pidge nodded thoughtfully. "Interesting. And do they have any?"

"A few, but none of them are really, I don't know, tenant material. They all seem a little shady, to be honest."

"They do not seem that bad," put in Shay, "but Hunk is a much better judge of character than I am. Our neighbours know that too, which is why they told us to keep an eye out for potential renters."

"Well, that's convenient, don't you think, Lance?" asked Pidge, that mischievous look back on her face.

In most cases, Keith appreciated Pidge's teasing. She often took his side just as Hunk took Lance's. However, this was more than just teasing Lance about his skin care routine, or the way he ate certain snacks. This was something that could affect Keith. A lot.

"It's a coincidence," Keith jumped in, trying to shoot Pidge the darkest look he could muster without bringing too much attention to himself.

"Pidge, what are you talking about?" asked Shay sweetly, innocently. "Is something wrong?"

Paddling her feet in the water again and feigning ideless, Pidge said, "Not at all. In fact, it's just great. Lance and Keith here were actually just telling me about how they would move in together if given the opportunity."

Hunk perked up. "Really?"

Where Keith got out a prolonged "um," Lance doubled it and gave a nervous laugh with an "Eventually?" puttering from his mouth.

"Well, this is a great chance. It's not too far from school, the rent isn't crazy high, and they're really nice," said Hunk. "Plus, if you guys ever need help, we're not far away."

"I don't know." Keith's heart was racing. Was this happening too fast? It felt like he was being boxed into a corner. They clearly had been expecting a 'yes'.

But the mere thought of living with another person after so long made him ache; with fear, with longing, with a collection of feelings that rose up in his throat and threatened to choke him. Before he could register it, he was climbing out of the pool. Distantly, he could hear someone calling after him, but he didn't say anything.

His thoughts were overwhelming, filling the silence while his heart thundered angrily in his chest. Living with somebody? He had been on his own for so long before his moving in with his first meister. And now he was being prompted to move in with his second meister too? Did he even remember how to live with another person? To be considerate of their space, to share chores, to co-exist?

"Keith."

He turned sharply, his arm raised to protect himself, but it was just Lance, a little out of breath with nothing but worry etched into his frown as he stood across from Keith in the empty changeroom. Keith's arm lowered, and his meister took careful steps forward only to be stopped by the look in Keith's eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

"You left," said Lance, sounding like he was forcing himself to say so lightly, "and it stopped being fun."

It almost made Keith want to laugh. Almost. "Fun. Right."

"What happened?"

Oh, what a question. Lance couldn't possibly comprehend how that question burned itself into Keith.

What happened to your parents?

What happened to your scholarship?

What happened to your meister?

"Out there, I mean." Lance sought to clarify. "You freaked out, I think. Was it the whole moving in thing? Pidge was just trying to help. She didn't know you were really against it." Keith wanted to say something, anything to correct him, but no words came out. "We don't have to bring it up again. It's fine."

Their partnership was still relatively new, but Keith could tell that Lance didn't sound like himself. He was a mix of forced casualty and comfort. It was unlike his loud, boisterous exterior or his laughing, battle-induced energy. This was worse than any of those. This was painful.

Moving in had been something Lance had been looking forward to. Even in their brief spots of resonance over the last few months, Lance's thoughts and memories flooded him almost without filter. So, really, Keith should have anticipated this. All their resonating, their connecting, it had strengthened Lance's desire to live with Keith. To have Keith appear so desperately against it must have hurt. Keith might not be socially adept, but he wasn't heartless.

"It doesn't really matter either way. I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Lance was saying, voice echoing. "I can go, if you want."

"No." Finally, thought Keith, a word that his mouth was willing to let out. He reached out and took Lance's hand to try and convey the words he couldn't say, the things he didn't even feel ready for Lance to feel. "It's not that… I don't…"

"It's okay," Lance offered instead, "you don't have to say. I think I get it."

Maybe it was pity, or maybe it was Lance's empathic understanding, but he looked away, a soft, sad, smile peeking out from the corner of his mouth.

"I'm sorry," Keith managed instead, his heart sinking at the sight of his meister's clear resignation.

"It's okay. You'll tell me eventually, I know that. Just not now."

Not now. Yeah, Keith could work with that. Lance was baring everything in their resonance while it was Keith that was holding back, shielding his memories from Lance's soul and hiding things. Despite all the secrets and insecurities, Lance wanted to be his partner. And it was clear he wanted to ask, but he was backing down. The knowledge of such a simple act flooded Keith with both relief and appreciation. "Thanks."

Lance looked at him with an expression he usually reserved for their more private moments before shifting into something more naturally charming. "So I told them we were actually late for something so they wouldn't get suspicious, but we don't exactly have a place to be. It might be a bit embarrassing to go back in and tell them we got the day wrong or something." He was giving Keith the opportunity to slip back into their usual ways, to pretend like this whole thing had never happened.

"Just say that we wanted to talk about moving in together in private. It's not technically a lie," said Keith.

"Going with the truth…" Lance winked. "Interesting move for you, but alright."

Keith rolled his eyes, determination growing in his gut. If Lance was willing to give a little, then Keith would as well. Surely Keith could do this one thing to ensure his meister's happiness. "Yeah," he said, as they turned to hear back the way they came, "we have to go back anyway to ask Hunk and Shay for the contact info."

"Why would we-oh." Lance stopped and grabbed Keith's wrist, their eyes locking. "Really, Keith? Are you sure?"

Keith felt something on the edges of his soul, felt Lance all tentative and hopeful. The feeling alone confirmed that this had been the right decision after all. Keith tried not to let the warmth in his chest fester too long, so he shrugged and looked away. "Can't hurt," said Keith, slipping his hand into Lance's and squeezing.

"Only if you're okay with it," pressed Lance. "I don't want you to feel obligated."

"It's fine," said Keith. God, why was his face so warm? He was just trying to do something nice for his meister. To show him that he trusted him, if not with all his emotions and secrets, then at least with this. "You can't be that hard to live with."

"Excuse you," said Lance with a feigned insult. "I am a joy to live with."

"Prove it."

Lance grinned widely and that was that.

To be fair, they probably should have thought it through a little more. Their eagerness had them living together sooner than they had expected, which would have been fine if they had furniture and the like patiently awaiting them. But alas, this was not the case. All they had managed to acquire by the time they moved in together was a pull out couch courtesy of Pidge, who insisted that her family was needing to clear it out of their own house, a mini-fridge that Lance still had from his early EAT days, and a single garbage can that was currently full of their discarded take-out containers. Lance's family hadn't managed to send him a bed from home, and Keith said he'd never really had much to begin with. So their first night living together was awkwardly spent sharing the pull out couch and fighting for the blankets. They settled down not too long after, and Lance seemed thankfully exhausted.

Keith, on the other hand, was a little too anxious to sleep, and lay with his back to his partner for the majority of the evening. It wasn't until very late that Keith turned to face him, heart beating out of his chest. It reminded him of their first mission together: of leaving Lance behind to chase the witch that he was so sure he had seen before, of hearing Hunk's warning, of falling asleep wanting, desperately, to be a good weapon, a better weapon than he had in the past. It reminded him of being anxious and excited to defeat evil as a team, like they were meant to.

"Hey," Lance hissed at him in the dark of his - their - apartment, "you up?"

"You know I am."

"I hope you don't think you're going to sleep on this hella comfy couch forever. You're getting a bed."

Keith clicked his tongue. "Why do you make it sound like I'm daring to keep the couch?" he shot back. He shoved Lance's shoulder a bit, Keith's reflexive annoyance for Lance's antics flaring up. "Why can't you just honestly reassure me that I'll get stuff rather than try to rile me up?"

Even in the dim light, the guilty look on Lance's face was unmistakable. "You noticed that?"

"Lance," sighed Keith, "I've seen into your soul. I'd be a pretty bad partner not to notice that."

"That's fair." He paused as he contemplated his next line and Keith, in hindsight, really should have seen it coming. "I've noticed some stuff too. Like how sharing things makes you nervous, but not because you don't want to. It's like, uh, you feel bad about it. Guilty." Keith made a noise in the back of his throat. "Dude, don't get me wrong. I meant what I said last week. I just want you to know that I'm more perceptive than you think. Don't underestimate me."

"I don't underestimate you," said Keith softly. "I wouldn't have partnered with you if I didn't think you'd be a good meister."

"Oh. Um, thanks! In case I haven't already made this clear, I will make you a Death Scythe."

"I'm looking forward to it." Keith couldn't help the warmth already seeping into his chest.

They lay in silence a while longer while Keith tried to gather his wits, tried to bring back that conversation he'd wanted to have with Lance before but couldn't bring himself to start.

"Lance?" he called finally.

"Yeah."

"Can I tell you something?"

The silence of their new apartment was more noticeable than ever. "Now?"

"Yeah." Keith breathed in deeply, steeling himself. He had to get this out. He had to try and be honest. "I... used to have a meister."

"I know."

Maybe Keith had underestimated him after all. "You- you do?"

"Yeah." Lance tucked his arm under one of the pillows, his other hand resting so close to Keith's that he could feel the warmth of it. "You were the youngest weapon in Altea at the time. I don't remember who the guy was, but I remember it being a big deal that you had secured a meister like that only, what, three months after you passed the entrance exam? You'd passed after your first attempt and I remember feeling so…" His eyes shut for a moment, lost in a memory. "Anyway, you and your meister went on missions for the next, Death help me, three years?"

Keith shut his eyes as well. "And do you know…what happened to my meister?"

"No," said Lance gently. "Not the way that you do; not in so many words. But you don't have to tell me more if you don't want to."

"...I lost him on a mission."

Lance hummed softly in confirmation, as if it was something he had always suspected, but had sorely hoped was not the case. "I'm sorry, Keith." Keith felt Lance's hand brush his like an invitation that Keith eagerly took, accepting the reassurance in the dark. "It's not your fault, you know that, right?"

Keith couldn't help but snort at that. "If anything, you don't know that."

"I know that it wasn't your fault. Whatever happened on that mission… it wasn't your fault."

Keith made a noise that was non-committal, but he didn't pull away, didn't dare to. This might be as close as he was going to get with telling Lance about his previous partner, but the hard part was over. He'd brought it up. They both knew. Lance's conviction wasn't founded on anything except his own blind faith in Keith

It had been a long time since Keith had talked about it to anyone. Everybody who already knew, were in positions that didn't allow them to discuss it with them, and he wasn't the type to discuss it. As a weapon, it would only invoke more pity and disappointment. After all, what kind of weapon couldn't support their meister long enough for them to live?

"It's still hard to talk or think about," admitted Keith awkwardly. "I'm not-"

"If you're not ready for me to access those kinds of feelings and memories during our resonance, then that's okay. I'll try to steer clear."

Keith let out a breath he'd been holding, part relieved and part guilty all the same. "I know you're curious."

"It'd be weird not to be, but we'll get there eventually. And even if we don't, there are a lot of memories we've got to focus on making. We can't get you to Death Scythe status without a little effort, right?"

"You'll get me there," said Keith. "I trust you," he said, and for the first time, Keith let himself believe it.

Bonus: "How did you know so much about when I passed the entrance exams anyway? That type of information isn't privy to anyone but faculty."

"Ah-hah, I might have been paying you a bit too much attention at the time. I mean, you got in first try! Who wouldn't be jealous?"