A/N: I bs'd some sciencey stuff in the explanation/backstory but shhh it's for plot. Also low-key forgot this account existed so didn't upload oops
Keith had to kiss Lance. Lance was the Fountain. Out of all the possibilities, all the surprises and twists in Shiro and Keith's journey to get here, this was something Keith did not see coming. He would have thought that the Fountain was a lie, non-existent, before thinking it was a person. Much less that he had to kiss said person.
There were many questions burning in his brain before Lance admitted to this. While some of them were now answered - such as the reason for everyone's hesitancy around the word "fountain" - many more questions arose. They swam around Keith's brain in such a swirl that when he attempted to ask, he stopped before any words were out of his mouth. Multiple times. The drain from his brain to his mouth clogged. He shifted his weight, going to speak then stopping. Lance waited, leaning towards Keith, his eyebrows raised, biting his lip.
Damn, that's so cute, was able to clearly come out of the tornado that was Keith's mind. That, and one other thing.
"You look pretty good for a fountain."
He mentally smacked himself. Did he really just say that?!
Lance seemed to not expect, as well as enjoy, his response. He laughed hard; Keith turned away, crossed an arm over his chest and brought the other to cover his face with his hand.
"Hey," Lance said softly through chuckles, "Sorry for laughing, but that was both adorable and hilarious. Was not expecting that. That is the best response I have received"
A hand softly placed itself on Keith's shoulder. Keith, in all his hot-faced glory, slowly turned to face Lance. His eyes glistened with admiration and amusement. It made Keith want to punch him. It made Keith want to kiss him. His arm found itself joining the other so his arms were crossed defensively over his chest. Lance took in the stance Keith was in, his crossed arms, the color in his ears and cheeks. The marks on Lance's cheekbones lighting up as if in response to Lance's emotions.
"Any questions? It was a shock to those who have come before you as well. Some of them, with both parties in agreement, practiced the love transfer with me beforehand."
It took a second for the impact of that to hit Keith. His jaw dropped when it hit him, eliciting a panicked response from Lance.
"But of course if that makes you uncomfortable, that is totally okay, I mean most people who do not want to practice it are able to do the love transfer on the first go but it's just some folks struggled because they were too focused on the act itself instead of the actual feelings they were supposed to be focused on and-"
"Thanks," Keith cut him off "I will, uh, think about it."
Lance looked down shyly, removing his hand from Keith's shoulder.
"I hope you do." He said under his breath. Likely not wanting Keith to hear, but he did.
"I, um, have many questions," Keith said choppily. The storm was calming down a bit, a new storm replacing it. One of emotions. Wanting to kiss Lance, wanting to learn more about him. How did he feel about his situation? Was he flirting with Keith or was this to make kissing him easier? Instead, he focused on the questions. He had so many about how this all worked, about Lance's very existence, how he happened to be in this situation. Did he choose this or was this thrust upon him?
"I think it's best if you just… tell me everything and then if I have questions, I will ask after." Keith said. Lance sighed.
"This might take a while. How about we sit down?" Lance gestured over to his bed. A moment passed before Keith moved. He nodded; he took the hand Lance was offering to him, was guided over to the bed, sat down with one leg bent on the bed, the other dangling off. Lance was close, in the same position but opposite.
"Ready?"
Keith nodded. Lance took a deep breath.
Lance had been a part of an Earthen exploratory mission of the stars. He grew up on Earth, was born Human. He was healthy for most of his life. His crew were to traverse the stars, collecting information and sending it back to Earth. During one mission, on a hostile planet full of Galran soldiers, Lance was against a scorpion-like beast who got in a few jabs. Lance was dying, poisoned. Due to their connections with other species, the crew were able to create a wormhole. They were aiming for a specific planet that was known for treating new and diverse species. The Galra had made it behind them. Their captain made a call to leave the wormhole early. They knew it would throw them off their path, but the Galra couldn't follow them that way. Not only did the crew land in a different place, but in a different time. Altea was near where they exited. The Alteans welcomed them with open arms, taking care of Lance. Unfortunately, Lance lost a lot of blood and needed a transfer. Allura imbued his cells with quintessence and Altean magic, which overtook his DNA. He became Altean. Lance recovered. Lance was saved.
Then the Galra attacked. Altea made the call to destroy the planet. Allura and Coran fought against this, saying that there were other ways. The council did not listen. They wanted to sacrifice themselves for the universe without considering the opinions of the Princess. The very person they had been training to lead Altea someday. They were going to destroy the geyser that shot out pure quintessence.
Allura and Coran were tasked with helping the crew escape. During the time spent on Altea, Lance and his crew had grown close to these two particular Alteans. They weren't like the others. They spoke after the meeting about saving the geyser somehow. Allura had a theory; since she turned Lance Altean, they might be able to have the powers of the geyser transfer and live inside a person. Allura, of course, volunteered. But her body rejected the merge. Lance, in all his self-sacrificing glory, offered. His body accepted the merge and he could not go back to Earth. He was fine with it; they didn't know whether their families were still alive or how much time had passed. No one would miss him.
They decided that having him on his own planet would be best, with the Alteans keeping an eye on him and visiting. The myth of the Fountain was due to an alien who stumbled upon Lance. He healed the alien near his Fountain in the courtyard and he guessed that the alien was so out of it that the alien thought the fountain, not Lance, healed him. He then went on to tell people and word got around. He turned out to be a horrible person; there was a bidding war for the fountain's location. All orchestrated by this alien. Thankfully, before he could disclose the location to anyone, he "mysteriously disappeared". Lance knew what had happened, but was too embarrassed to tell Keith.
The ritual stemmed from what the Alteans did to bring forth the powers of the geyser. The love transfer, however, came about because the vessel changed. Lance, someone with feelings and emotions, had combined with the quintessence and made him less human, and quintessence more human. The Love Transfer took a few times to figure out. Lance had to bury or send off a few people before finally figuring it out. He briefly told Keith the story.
A brother and sister came to the planet, after passing the tests. They were hiding from another alien force that was enslaving their people. The brother was dying, and Lance used the pod to keep him alive until he figured it out. He and the sister spent months searching, trial and error. But each time they did the ritual, it wouldn't work and Lance had to put the brother into the pod again. And as time passed, he ended up falling in love. One time, after one of their more desperate attempts at saving him, they left the room. Mutually confessed feelings for one another. Kissed. Lance lit up like a star and a few minutes later, the brother stumbled into them, fully healed. Ecstatic, the brother and sister left the planet and never returned. Leaving Lance alone.
"Loverboy Lance," Keith mumbled softly, sadly. Lance broke out of the space he was in, telling the story. Some of the tension left his shoulders and face, eyes softening in a way that made Keith's heart make itself aware of its presence.
Lance later learned that he does not necessarily have to have the other person fall in love with him, or the other way around. As long as they are feeling the love they have for the dying individual, or for Lance in the moment, the ritual will work.
Lance took a tired, deep breath after finishing. He had been avoiding eye contact with Keith; playing with his clothes, looking wistfully into different places of his room. He finally made eye contact with Keith. Keith, who had been watching Lance almost the whole time. Only looking away in sadness and envy when he was telling him about the brother and sister. Sadness, because he hated hearing about Lance's heart being broken. He was shaken by the experience, he did not say the names of the brother or sister. It must have hurt too much. And envious, because he wanted to have that and more with Lance.
Here he was, sitting in the room with the first person he had ever felt this strongly about. Who has told him about his backstory, who is helping him heal his brother and only family. Who has seen people at their lowest point in their lives, and had to watch them leave after fixing/healing them. Keith wished he could do something to express how much respect he had for Lance. How much empathy was filling his heart. But words were never his strong suit. He hesitantly reached out and grabbed Lance's hand. He looked to Lance, who nodded his head; eyebrows raising, eyes wide. Keith squeezed his hand firmly but not aggressively. Lance squeezed back, looking down to his lap and allowing a few tears to fall. He quickly wiped them away with his other hand, sadness being masked by a fake happiness that Keith imagined he had to learn how to perfect. It just made Keith feel more sad for him.
"Any questions?" Lance brightly asked.
"How do you do it?" Keith asked after a long pause.
"The ritual? Oh Bob, do we have to go over-"
"No, idiot," Keith cut him off. "Live like this."
Lance sighed, both of sadness and longing.
"I get to help people. I knew what I was signing up for. Sure, i guess it gets lonely sometimes…"
"Can't you leave?" Keith asked.
"No, because then finding the fountain would be hard if it was in a different location. I don't want to run into any Galra."
"But… Are you alone in this part of the galaxy?"
Lance nodded.
Keith thought for a moment.
"What if we could get the quintessence out of you?" The plan was already kind of forming in his head. It had not much detail but he was sure they could think of something.
"What?" Lance said softly, cautiously.
"I mean, you took the quintessence out of the Geyser on Altea. Couldn't you transfer it to someplace else?"
"It would still need protecting. This power can't just be left unguarded." Lance tried to reason. Keith was pretty sure Lance was in denial. He had lived with this for so long, he probably did not imagine having this curse/gift taken away, to be freed of it.
"Allura and Coran can protect it. They are the ones who got you into this mess anyways."
Keith was mad now. Why did Lance have to take all of this on himself? The sadness on Lance's face, the resignation of it, made Keith stop for a moment and calm down.
"I tried asking them, but they didn't know. I have tried, believe me, to transfer-" he gestured to himself, his eyes and skin glowing faintly in response to the heightened emotions "-THIS to objects, to planets. But it hasn't worked. No one has done this before. No one has taken in the power of the quintessence geyser. No one has had to live with this."
His voice cracked at the end, and Lance broke down sobbing. Keith, whose hand had rested on the bed in the space between them, did something he never thought he would do for a long time. He reached out and pulled Lance into a hug. Let the Fountain, let Lance, cry into his shoulder while rubbing his back soothingly. Lance held on tight, the sobs shaking his body.
"It's a heavy weight to carry," Keith said into Lance's hair, "but you might be able to put it down."
Lance didn't respond. Keith had already made the decision when he was forming the plan. He didn't have anywhere to be. Shiro had to heal and go back to his life, go back to his husband. But Keith, an unemployed freelancer, could free Lance. He had no obligations to go back to, no one he had to go home to. In fact, there might be some people out to get him from his time in the Blades.
"Heal my brother," Keith said firmly. He and Lance parted, Lance wiping away his tears. Keith hoped the passion he was trying to put into his face was affirming to Lance, reassuring. "Second, we will make sure he gets back safely. Then, we will find a way to transfer this power somewhere else. Just because Allura and Coran don't know how, doesn't mean that there is no way to do it. From what you've told me, they barely knew they could transfer it to you."
Lance nodded, eyes with more sparkle now. A smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, his face flushed from crying. He had hope.
"You'd do that?" He asked.
"Yeah." Keith stated it like it was obvious.
"But don't you have a family, or job, or lover to get back to?" Lance asked.
It was Keith's turn to deflate emotionally.
"I'm a pirate," Keith smirked. "A pirate without a crew. Shiro has a life but me?"
The humour dropped from Keith's face. "Are you ready for my sob story?"
Lance's eyebrows furrowed and he nodded.
Keith stated things kind of bluntly. He spoke matter-of-factly, the story being one he detached himself from years ago. He was born on Earth, like Lance. Different time, obviously. He didn't know anything about his mom. His dad barely talked about her even when Keith asked. His dad and him were close; as close as an eight-year-old and his dad could be. When his dad died in a fire, he was passed around to foster homes. Had to learn to fight by age nine, barely a year after losing his dad. Sometimes from the other kids, sometimes from the parents. Keith almost called them caregivers, but believe him, there was not enough caring in them to be given the title. Or he would act up at school enough to get kicked out of the good homes.
The last home, which was definitely the best one with parents who both actually cared about him, helped him find his interests. Keith had loved space, dreamed of leaving Earth and finding new worlds, new species, new cultures to enjoy. So he applied for the Garrison. While his reputation at school was not great, his foster parents made a deal with the Garrison. Keith would have a mentor, a safe person, and he would have to go to mandatory counselling. He was at first closed off but found that talking about what was bothering him actually helped. He worked through his grief and trauma enough to diminish the effects it had on him. He and Shiro bonded and the older man basically adopted him. Shiro had to leave though, being sent on his first mission. Keith briefly mentioned James, since he was curious about Lance's reaction and as a very subtle way to let Lance know he wasn't completely inexperienced.
Keith graduated. Went on a few missions himself before finding out he was part Galra. The other team members were fine with him leaving, to go find his parentage. Keith bought his ship. Sailed around the stars, but never too far from his original galaxy. Keith and Shiro reunited, swapping stories. While Keith would have loved to go with Shiro, his crew were very anti-Galra and if they found out, it would not be good. But over the years the brothers managed to meet up every once in a while.
He met the Blades after his Galra mark showed up. Apparently there had been talk of the Human with a wicked scar, and they knew what he was. Recruited him on empty promises and edging his curiosity. Sending him on missions. Some being for information on Keith's mom that turned out non-existent. Keith didn't even know her name.
And then he left after he started a fight with one of the higher-ups. They told Keith they found out which section of the Galra empire his mom was in, but they would need him to earn the information. It crossed a line. Keith left the Blades, bloodied and injured and full of rage. He did not even get the information before he was forced to leave.
He told Lance about a few freelance missions he had done. He never found his mom or anything about her, but he still had Shiro.
The two boys were silent for a while once Keith had finished. Both cowardly, not making eye contact. Both, unbeknownst to the other, fearing that they would kiss the other person and ruin the moment. Both processing what the other had said.
"I appreciate you telling me," Lance broke the silence, his voice soft but earnest. The two finally made eye contact. Keith was on fire. The only other person to know this much about him was Shiro. He felt so much passion towards this boy he met literally the previous day.
They inched closer, looking for reassurance from the other that they were comfortable. Keith embraces Lance in a hug. Firm. Heated. Keith couldn't help but notice just how good Lance was feeling, pressed to him like this. Both ignoring the other's body betraying them, showcasing just how into the moment they were. They parted, but did not separate. Keith's eyes flashed down to Lance's lips and back up. As if time slowed down, Lance leaned closer and closer until-
BEEP BEEP BEEP.
One of Lance's worker robots went off. Lance groaned, pulled himself from Keith, and looked exasperated at the robot.
"We were in the middle of something!" The robot blankly stared at Lance. "Ugh fine. What's up?"
The robot's screen flashed, Altean words appearing in the air.
"It's a status report," Lance informed Keith. Keith was on the edge of the bed, gripping the sheets hard. Anticipation rising like a volcano. The moment they just shared was not forgotten but tucked away. "Shiro is still stable. He is ready to be healed whenever you're ready."
They agreed they would heal Shiro that evening, right after supper. So Keith could practice the ritual. Well, the first few parts. He would like to practice the last part, but was too shy now that the moment had passed. Lance asked if Keith wanted him to stay and watch; which Lance tried his best to hide how much he wanted to watch. Keith told him to stay, as there was not much else to do. Besides, Keith was in his room. Kicking him or would be wrong, and Keith wasn't sure where else to practice.
Keith was so focused on the movements during the dance that he did not notice the dreamy way Lance watched him. Eye hazy, focused on every part of Keith. He moved with such grace, unlike anyone who had come before him. Keith was also oblivious to the deep red that Lance turned whenever the two made eye contact. After each repetition, Lance had to come back from the headspace Keith put him in. He could picture spending future days like this. Dancing to music he put on. Laughing at each other for stumbling over the moves. Both trying to lead.
Fuck, Lance's heart yearned for this. He allowed himself to; Keith said he was going to stay. Now all Lance had to do was hope Keith felt similarly. He knew Keith liked boys. Lance picked up the small portion of Keith's story where he spoke of James and ran with it. A flare of hope - among other things - roared in his chest and head. He hoped that Keith was into him, the moment they shared not a fleeing feeling for Keith.
"Well?" Keith asked.
"Do it again," Lance said. Keith pouted.
"You said I got it perfect last time. Did I mess something up?"
Lance immediately softened and panicked. "No! In fact, it was perfect again."
"Enough to make some magic tonight?" Keith asked. Lance knew he did not mean for it to be sexual but…
"Definitely." He replied. Repressing a comeback, swallowing the want and amusement in his voice.
"Ok. I'm going to go shower to freshen up for supper," Keith stated. He hesitated.
"Yeah, go for it," Lance said. "Although, the sweaty look is one I might miss."
Keith looked at him oddly. He probably was trying to process if Lance was flirting with him.
"I'm going to be here for a while. I like fighting and working out, so you will definitely see it. Why, do you like it?"
Lance shrugged. Keith's already-red cheeks somehow turned a deeper scarlet. Lance stood up.
"Mind if I walk you to your room?" He asked in hopes of diverting the conversation.
"Not at all."
They walked to Keith's room in silence. Lance noticed the bags under his eyes, the lag in his steps. He was crashing. Lance stood at the doorway as Keith entered. Keith sauntered into the room like a zombie. He stood next to the bed, back to Lance, before lazily taking off his shirt.
"If you need-"
Keith jumped, turning around, cutting off Lance with a gasp.
"Woah, sorry!" Lance quickly said. "I thought you knew I was still here.
Keith looked from Lance to the discarded shirt on the ground. Equations floating around his head. He settled on crossing his arms over his bare chest. Lance averted his eyes to his shoes.
"Let me know if you need anything via the robots."
Promptly, a robot entered. Keith glared at it warily, suspiciously.
"That thing doesn't have a camera does it?"
Lance's mouth quirked up into a smile.
"They do but you don't have to worry." Lance dramatically drew an X over his heart. "Cross my heart, I will not peek. If I want to see my guests like that, I wait for us to actually build a relationship where all parties involved are comfortable with that."
Keith's eyes turned into ovals and he did not meet Lance's eyes. Figuring that was a good image to end on, Lance left Keith to his own devices.
Lance decided that he was going to dress up a bit for the occasion. He adorned himself with one of his fancier robes, a golden one with blue stitchwork in intricate patterns. He had been given it by Allura. One of the many gifts that said "I'm sorry you are in this situation, fancy presents are all I can give you in condolences". Lance didn't mind. At least, for a majority of his time in solitude he did not think about the crushing weight that was placed on his shoulders.
Keith's prospect of possibly lifting the powers off of him gave him hope. That he could live a different life. Go see the universe, travel with Keith. Make a life that had more consistent connections. He was almost giddy getting ready. This feeling of freedom so close he could touch it, paired with the thought of kissing Keith, kept Lance's head full. While he would have preferred for Keith to kiss him on different terms, he hoped that Keith did like him enough to not be completely disgusted. Surely Keith liked him as at least a friend; he did tell Lance his life story. Granted, Lance heard a lot of people's life stories. But this felt different. Keith wasn't telling him to pass time, or to explain how he got here. He wanted to tell Lance. They had a bonding moment where Keith cradled him in his arms.
Looking back, Keith's behavior hinted at the possible existence of more feelings than friendship.
One of his robots alerting him to Keith being ready for dinner smacked Lance out of his thoughts. He did up the last clasp on the robe, placed a golden wreath on his head, and left for food.
Keith was already at the table when Lance arrived. Food, provided by the robots, was hot and fresh on the table. Dark violet eyes perked up at Lance's entrance. Mouth agape, eyes wide, obsidian hair still damp from the shower Keith had. He was dressed up a little too, Lance observed. A crimson button-up shirt with tight leather pants. Lance swooned internally. He managed to keep his composure enough to sit down across from this beautiful person he was falling hard for.
"You look… regal?" Keith offered. Lance smiled; Keith was too cute.
"Thank you," he replied "I'm glad I am not the only one all dressed up."
Keith's ears and neck reddened. "Uh, er, thanks."
Lance started his dinner. Keith took that as a sign that he could eat too.
Not even a beat in, Lance looked over to one of the robots in the room. He asked it to play something for them while they ate. The robot lit up green in confirmation. He instantly regretted it. While Keith would not know what playlist this song was on, it was clear that this song was meant for a different setting. Between two people who were going to be enveloped in each other. Alone. Likely in a bed, but there could be other possibilities. Lance looked at the robot dissatisfied, cheeks burning. Keith did not look at Lance. He recognized the instrumental/classical music. He knew the intentions behind it. Lance meekly turned his gaze back to Keith.
"Sorry about this. Sometimes the robots don't understand what is appropriate and what is not."
The song changed to something better, but not by much. It was a romantic ballad, in a language Keith didn't understand. But he could tell from the feeling it gave him. Lance sighed, flushing, and shot a disdainful look at the robot.
"It's, erm, fine." Keith tried to affirm, but his tone and execution gave away how awkward he was feeling.
"Really setting the mood for our kiss later." Lance joked.
The reminder that he would be kissing Lance later brought an image of what that might look and feel like in Keith's mind. Heat spread through his body. He thought of earlier when they almost kissed. Did not help calm him down. Luckily Lance was too busy trying to brush it off to notice Keith's reaction. Could he see how much Keith felt right now?
The robots continued playing the music. Both parties sat across each other without talking after Lance had tried making comments. Finished, and both now a different kind of hungry, the two boys washed their dishes and prepared for the ceremony.
Lance got Keith to practice a few times more while he got the courtyard ready. They figured performing the ritual by the fountain was best. Lance wasn't sure about telling Shiro about his powers. Keith practiced and Lance prepared Shiro. The older man did not wake up immediately this time around. The bots had to assist in transferring him to the courtyard, where they placed him on a cot Lance had specifically for the ceremony. His stub was still without his robotic arm for safety reasons. Luckily the robots could change Shiro's clothes, so there weren't any awkward situations relating to that. Plus Shiro could stay fresh.
Keith knew what was coming. He had been practicing for what felt like forever for this moment. And now that it was here, now that he was being escorted to the courtyard by one of the robots, it hit him. His stomach clenched. He feared the food from earlier might make its escape. His heart hammered in his chest. Keith promptly crossed his arms over his chest to keep the shaking at bay. Walking through the doorway, he froze. Seeing Shiro and Lance. Lance was sitting on the edge of the fountain, waiting patiently. He smiled brightly when he noticed Keith in the doorway. Noticing how frozen he was, Lance nonchalantly approached him, his movements relaxed and fluid. Almost angelic. He held out a hand to Keith, a few inches away. His eyes asked a question that Keith didn't know the answer to.
"You look nervous." Lance observed. Keith's arms clenched and unclenched. He looked from Lance's comforting gaze to the hand outstretched to him. Back to Lance's eyes. Without a word, Keith nodded and grasped Lance's hand. He was led over, his motions robotic. Lance guided him to the fountain, the physical one in the courtyard. The boys sat on the edge, Shiro barely conscious on the cot in front of them. Keith looked down at his brother's form. Reminding him why they were here.
"How do I start again?" Keith asked. Lance placed his hands on his own lap, palms up. Keith hesitantly joined their hands together.
"Recite the words" Lance instructed. And Keith did. He got every single one of them correct, his focus only on what he was saying and those dazzling blue eyes. His vision had a tint of blue after. He quickly realized it was just Lance's Altean marks glowing with the quintessence and magic. Despite the pressure of the situation, he remembered the words and spoke them flawlessly.
Lance got distracted by the way Keith spoke. The passion, the despair coupled with the hope. Lance's marks lit up and highlighted Keith's gorgeous violet eyes. Eyes that were transfixed on Lance. His breath got caught in his chest briefly. This beautiful boy, whom he ALMOST kissed before the robots walked in, was going to whisk him away. Who was going to lift this gift, this curse, this weight off of him. Or, try to. For the first time in years - he wasn't sure, time was a weird concept for him - he felt like he could get rid of them. If he and Keith could find a way to place them somewhere else, he could live out a different life. One where he could fall in love without the fear of them leaving. He could explore the galaxy. Find out what happened to his family, perhaps. And all of that started with Keith. Beautiful, kind, slightly reserved, Keith.
Their hands parted moments after Keith finished with the words he recited. Both hesitant to let go. But doing so eventually. Keith moved to the other side of Shiro's cot into the empty space. He did the dance, laser focused on the movements. Looking up to Lance after he finished, he let out an astonished breath. Lance's skin was glowing, his hair weightlessly floating around his head. His eyes sparkled with intensity. Keith stood there, stunned by the ethereal being in front of him.
"Well?" Lance said, breaking Keith from his thoughts.
"Sorry," Keith breathlessly said. "You're just-"
Keith looked away, muttering something. Lance's heart skipped a beat.
"I'm….?" Lance boldly baited.
Keith took a single breath, mustered his emotional strength. He looked back to Lance shyly.
"You're beautiful."
Keith closed the distance quickly, sitting down next to Lance. They simultaneously moved; Lance cupped Keith's face while Keith slid his hands to Lance's hips. Lance looked to Keith's lips and Keith nodded, both closing the little distance left.
It was as if time had stopped. In this moment, only Lance and Keith existed. The world fell away until Keith could only feel Lance. The cold stone fountain beneath him was gone, lost to the sensation of Lance's lips on his. They both started moving, getting more into the kiss, wanting more yet holding back. Neither Lance nor Keith wanted to leave this feeling.
Even as they parted, Keith's senses were on fire. He barely registered Lance reaching out and touching Shiro's face. He watched, partially distracted, as the light moved from Lance's body, out through his hands, into Shiro's body and spreading throughout. Shiros' skin glowed and Lance's appearance returned to it's typical state. Seeing this snapped Keith back completely. Both boys waited with bated breath for Shiro to show any signs of healing. Any non-magical signs. Keith involuntarily grabbed onto Lance's hand; Lance squeezed back in assurance, now that the energy was out of him.
Shiro blinked first. Then groaned. Keith waited in anticipation for Shiro to say he felt better. He certainly looked better now. After opening his eyes and finding Keith's, there was a noticeable glimmer of life in them. His skin seemed softer, the cells in his body almost glowing with life.
Lance moved away from Keith to help Shiro sit up and find his bearings.
"Hey," Shiro smiled.
"Hey. How do you feel?" Keith asked quickly.
Shiro thought for a moment, studied his body. He flexed his fingers and moved his limbs to stretch. "I feel… amazing"
Keith couldn't help it; the waterworks gushed from his eyes and he embraced his brother into a hug. They stayed in each other's arms for minutes before parting. Keith composed himself. He shyly but gratefully met Lance's gaze, which had been on him the whole time.
"Can I thank you?" Keith asked. Lance's face scrunched up curiously.
"Uh sure?"
Keith chuckled. Part embarrassment, partially in astonishment of his own vagueness.
"I mean, uh, can I give you something to thank you?"
"Oh, I don't need gifts. What you've offered, what you are going to do for me is enough!" Lance reassured. Keith literally face-palmed himself. He locked eyes with Lance, determined.
"Can I give you a kiss as a thank yo-"
Before Keith could finish, Lance closed the distance between them. Their first kiss had felt like something was being sucked from him. He was giving Lance something. Everything. To save Shiro. It was a task, something done in order to reach their goal. This one was completely different. This was out of passion, out of mutual yearning. Both parties were giving and taking and entranced.
Keith whimpered - whimpered - when they parted. He had fallen for Lance and he fell hard.
"Well… That's new. How long was I out exactly?" Shiro teased. He had gotten himself into a sitting position on the cot. Already showing significant improvements. His comment broke the tension and the moment. Keith's cheeks burned. Lance's eyes were wide and he seemed to not be completely focused. His gaze was on the fountain then on Keith's lips, then on Shiro. He gained composure slower than expected.
"Not that long in-time, but pretty long emotionally."
Shiro's face scrunched up in confusion and he looked to Keith. The two flustered boys explained that Lance was going to be travelling with them to drop Shiro off and then they were going to look for a way to transfer the powers. Shiro was unphased; he actually liked the idea of travelling. They also explained how Lance was the fountain. Shiro was shocked by this, which led into an explanation about how rumors spread. And how Lance came to be the Fountain of Youth in the first place.
"Wait… you're from Earth?!" Shiro asked. Lance nodded. "Aw, man. We'll have to look you up when we return. See what kind of stories and stuff we have."
Lance smiled wistfully, but then his face slowly melted into sadness. Keith squeezed his hand.
"What's wrong?" Keith softly said.
"Oh," Lance said quietly, "It's just… my family and stuff… I'll be alright. I figured when I took this on that I probably won't be seeing them again but it is still gonna…"
Lance trailed off. Silence held the room for a moment. Lance brushed the feeling away. Too easily for Keith's comfort. He made a mental note about this.
"But anyway, welcome back to the land of the conscious!" Lance brightly said to Shiro. "We should get you some food and water."
As if to signal the group's movement, Lance started to leave. Keith followed, helping Shiro move. They grabbed food, leftovers from the dinner earlier and dessert for Keith and Lance. Wanting some fresh air after finishing a silent meal, the three boys went outside.
The hallway was mostly quiet; enough to hear a pin drop. Shiro had regained enough strength to walk, thankfully. So Keith and Lance held hands while moving to the outside deck. On the way, however, there was a rumble coming from somewhere. Keith couldn't tell where. By the crease in his eyebrows and forehead, Lance didn't know either. With the door in sight, Shiro jogged ahead and looked outside. The other two caught up to him at the door, where Shiro had stopped. He looked back, ordering them to stay put.
"Oh hell no. This is my house. We go out together." Lance firmly stated.
Shiro sighed. "Fine, we go out together."
Lance opened the door, a loud creaking sound filling the halls and adding to the thick-as-mist tension. The three of them slowly peaked out into the darkening sky.
There was a large vessel miles and miles above. It casted a shadow over the mansion Lance lived in. The sound was definitely coming from the monstrous engines.
Shiro swore, ducking for cover inside. Keith would recognize that kind of ship anywhere.
The Galra were here.
A/N: Uh oh, cliffhanger!